Judy Hall - The crystal seer: power crystals for magic, meditation, and ritual

These enormous Selenite crystals grow in a Mexican cavern so hot that human beings in fire-protection gear can only stay for a few minutes.

Crystals have always been regarded as a source of powerand as a gift from the gods. Impressive no matter what their size, gems hold an aura of mystery and authority. From prehistory to the present, gemstones have symbolized wealth and been accorded wondrous properties. The ancient texts that tell us so much about the power of stones had their origins in the Stone Age, a time when technology quite literally came from stones. Since that time, we have continued to harness their magical power.

In 1714, M. B. Valentinis Museum Museorum pictured an airship designed five years earlier by a Brazilian priest; the craft was to be powered by Agate and iron which, when heated in the sun, would become magnetic. Strange as this may seem, our present-day technology could not exist without crystals; they power computers and surgical tools, coat automobile engines and spaceships. Crystals provide the basic building blocks of science and art.

The ancients credited crystals with healing power. The Greek philosopher Theophrastus and Roman geographer Pliny passed on these claims (even though Pliny denounced some as false claims). The Babylonians attributed humankinds destiny to the influence of precious stones.

Our ancestors believed the Earth was surrounded by crystal spheres where gods, stars, and planets dwelt. Originally a crystals color or constitution or its planetary affiliation indicated its efficacy for specific conditions. Unfortunately, translation difficulties often make it impossible to ascertain exactly which stone early texts referred to, but some references are crystal clear.

USING THIS BOOK So many new crystals are entering the market today that it can be hard to keep upor to know which ones will be really useful. In this book you will find stones revered for more than ten thousand years, as well as some newly discovered ones.

Each is attributed a specific power that sums up its overall effect, but I offer a broader description of its healing and transformational properties as well. Youll find crystals for love, health, protection, abundance, longevity, justice, and more. Not all crystals suit everyone, so my selection offers alternatives and new possibilities to resonate with your unique energy field. I also explain how to harness each crystals power. Once you become accustomed to working with crystals, you can apply these techniques to your other crystals.

The chakra diagram with information (shown ) can further assist you in working with stones. A glossary on pages 215218 explains terms with which you may be unfamiliar. Instructions for choosing appropriate crystals, as well as purifying, activating, and maintaining their powers, are given here.

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT CRYSTAL FOR YOU

Finding the right stone for you is the key to attuning yourself to crystal power. Youll probably start by searching for a crystal that holds the power you want to manifest. Or, one of the stunning pictures in this book might catch your eye. But where do you go from here? What if you have no idea which crystal is right for you?

Use your own magical power of attraction! Put out the focused thought: I find exactly the right crystal for me, now. Go into a store and run your hands through a basket of crystals. One will stick to your fingers or youll relish the feel as you pick it up. This is the crystal for you. You may already have the right stone in your collection. Wherever you find your crystal, make sure you purify and empower it before use. When choosing a crystal, remember the biggest and flashiest is not necessarily the best for your purpose. The Roman poet Claudian offered an adage wise crystal workers still use today:

Pass not the shapeless lump of crystal by, Nor view the icy mass with careless eye This rough and unformd stone, without a grace

Midst rarest treasures holds the chiefest place.

It is not the outward beauty of a crystal that indicates its power, but rather what it does for you. A rough lump of raw rock may be more powerful than a faceted gemstone, no matter how seductive the latter may be.

CRYSTAL ATTUNEMENT

Take a few moments to attune to a crystal. Hold a purified crystal in your hands and feel its vibrations radiating into your being. If they are in accord with your own, you will feel calm, peaceful, and quite possibly expanded. If you feel uncomfortable, choose another stonethe one you are holding might not be right for you at this time, or may indicate you have inner work to do.

HIGH-VIBRATION CRYSTALS

Some crystals, such as Danburite, already possessed a light, high vibration that activates the higher chakras. But new finds of Danburite, and other well-known crystals, that have a higher-vibration of the basic power have become available. For example, natural Golden Danburite (Agni Gold) and the alchemicalized Aqua Aura Danburite have the underlying properties of the basic Danburite crystal, but raise these to another dimension.

Some completely new high-vibration stones, along with extremely high-vibration varieties of Quartz now on the market, also assist in raising consciousness. These resonate with the high-vibration chakras that connect us to greater realities (see ). High-vibration crystals and their associated chakras facilitate the expansion process, an evolution and extension of your awareness to encompass the multidimensions of spiritual life.

Seek not to measure
the material, but consider
rather the power
which reason has, and mere substance not.

MANILIUSRoman Astrologer

MAINTAINING CRYSTAL POWER

Crystals must be purified and activated to bring their power to lifeand they must be kept cleansed to maintain that power. It is no good buying a crystal, putting it in your pocket, and expecting it to work miraclesunless youve asked it to.

As a first step, as Shakespeare, who knew of the esoteric power of stones, instructs in