When I first started working with crystals, I searched endlessly for methods to use them for healing and “magick.” Yet, nothing truly clicked for me. Deep down, I felt the underlying principles were simple, but the information I found didn’t resonate.
After three years of personal exploration and practice, I’ve gained insights into how to use crystals for healing and to realign your life. I’m excited to share what I’ve learned so you can tap into their energy more effectively.
Activating Your Crystals
For a long time, I struggled to understand what "activating" crystals truly meant. Over time, I’ve come to realize that, for me at least, activating a crystal has two meanings.
First, it means connecting with the crystal and calibrating your energy to align with its frequency. This process allows you to use the crystal more effectively. It’s similar to how machines or equipment need to be calibrated before they can provide accurate results. In this case, you are the machine, and you must calibrate yourself to the crystal’s energy. I believe this calibration happens through meditation or by wearing the crystal near your heart chakra for an extended period. This alignment is what I consider the true activation and it builds a connection with the crystal. Without it, the crystal may not work as effectively for YOU.
Secondly, activating a crystal involves "programming" it for a specific purpose. Programming simply means setting an intention to direct the crystal’s energy toward a particular area of your life. For example, if you want more love in your life, you would select a crystal that resonates with the frequency of love. After you’ve connected with the crystal and calibrated your energy to it through meditation, you can set an intention for how you’d like that love to manifest—whether it’s romantic love, self-love, friendship, or any type of loving relationship. This process activates the crystal’s energy in a focused way.
You can set this intention through visualization, but if that’s challenging, it’s perfectly fine to simply speak the intention aloud or say it in your mind—what matters most is that it comes from your heart and feels genuine.
In my shop, I say that I charge and activate all the crystals I sell. What I mean by this is that I charge the crystals with the higher energies I access and program them with the intention that you will connect with them easily and that they will serve your highest good. In essence, I jump-start the process for you, but you still need to establish your own connection and alignment with the crystal to fully bring its magic into your life.
How to Activate and Charge Your Crystals
Start by rubbing your hands together for about 10 seconds to activate the energy gates in your palms. Next, place a crystal in your left hand (or whichever feels right to you) and place your other hand on top.
Holding crystals in your palms is especially important, particularly if you’re still developing your sensitivity to energy. The hands are incredibly rich in nerves—about a quarter of the motor cortex in the brain, which controls movement, is devoted to the muscles of the hands. This makes them one of the most sensitive parts of the body for detecting energy.
Because of this heightened sensitivity, the hands are an ideal place to begin experiencing the energy of crystals. Additionally, I intuitively feel that the energy gates located in our palms have a natural synergy with crystals. My belief is that this connection may stem from the energy gates' relationship with the heart chakra.
Close your eyes and pay attention on the crystal in your palms. If you can visualize the crystal in your mind, that’s wonderful; if not, don’t worry—just relax and trust that with practice, you’ll get better at it.
Breathe naturally and let the exchange of energy between you and the crystal begin. As you breathe, you might feel subtle shifts in your own energy—like swirling, moving, or releasing sensations. This is a sign that you’re tuning into the crystal’s frequency and calibrating. During this process, you’re also charging the crystal with your energy. What this means is that the amplitude of the crystal’s frequency is increasing, essentially amplifying its power through your energy.
I personally find that 20 minutes of this meditation is sufficient to activate and charge a crystal. However, if this feels difficult at first, start small and gradually increase your time over multiple days or weeks. You can start with one minute and add more time each day—two minutes the next day, three the day after, and so on. Both you and the crystal need time to attune to each other’s energy and develop a harmonious connection.
How Long Does It Take to Activate and Charge My Crystal?
The time it takes to activate and charge a crystal depends largely on your personal energy. If your energy flows smoothly, your vitality is high, and there are minimal blocks in your system, activating and charging your crystal may not take much time at all.
However, if you have energetic blockages (as most of us do) and experience sluggish energy flow or fatigue, the process may require more meditation sessions. In such cases, you can supplement your efforts by charging the crystal with sunlight or moonlight.
That said, simply charging the crystal doesn’t guarantee an energetic connection. You still need to connect with the crystal through meditation to align yourself with its frequency. If your energy is significantly out of sync with the crystal’s frequency or if you have many blocks, the calibration process will naturally take longer. Patience and consistent effort are key to building a strong energetic alignment.
A Super Simple Way to Charge and Activate Your Crystal
The simplest way to charge and activate your crystal is to wear it as a pendant near your heart chakra. This method is based on my personal experience and has proven to be highly effective.
The electromagnetic field generated by the heart seems to naturally activate crystals, which might also explain why the energy gates in your palms—closely linked to the heart chakra—are effective for working with crystals. By keeping the crystal near your heart, you create a continuous energetic connection, allowing the crystal to align and work harmoniously with your energy throughout the day.
Why Doesn’t My Crystal Feel Good?
From my experience, a crystal might not feel “good” because its frequency is too different from your own. This energetic mismatch can create a sense of resistance, which is the closest term I can use to describe this phenomenon.
For instance, if you’re someone with an active, restless mind filled with constant thoughts, and you attempt to attune to a crystal that promotes deep stillness and neutrality, you might perceive its energy as heavy or uncomfortable. This could even make you feel like the crystal has a “bad vibe.” However, I’ve never encountered a crystal with inherently negative energy—though I also haven’t encountered crystals that were intentionally used for ill purposes.
What I have experienced however, are crystals that feel dense or intense because they guide you deeply inward. Typically crystals with shamanic energy can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially if you’re unaccustomed to that type of vibration. It’s understandable that people unfamiliar with such energies might find them unsettling.
In these situations, it’s best to approach the crystal gradually. Spend short periods attuning to it over an extended time, allowing your energy to adapt. If, after some time, the crystal still doesn’t resonate with you, it’s possible that its frequency isn’t the right match for you at this stage in your journey. In that case, express gratitude for the experience, and consider gifting it to someone else or setting it aside for future exploration when the timing feels right.
How Can a Crystal Heal and Transform My Life?
*** I have written some new insights in my a different blog here.***
Crystals are tools—specifically, frequency tools—that help you align your energy with a desired vibration. By consistently meditating with a crystal, you introduce its frequency into your life, recalibrating your energy to match the frequency you wish to embody. This process isn’t instantaneous; it requires consistency because our personal energy fluctuates daily due to emotions and external influences. Crystals act as a calibration tool, helping you realign with your intentions.
Over time, as you become more aligned with the crystal’s frequency, subtle shifts will begin to manifest in your external reality. However, these changes often happen incrementally, so they may not be immediately noticeable. While it would be wonderful if crystal healing worked like magic overnight, the truth is that it’s a gradual process.
It’s also important to understand that a crystal’s energy is amplified by your own. If your energy is strong, vibrant, and free of blocks, the crystal’s effects will be more pronounced and may work more quickly. Conversely, if your energy is weakened or blocked (a common issue in today’s society), the crystal’s influence may take longer to materialize. In such cases, the recalibration process may need to occur gradually to avoid overwhelming shifts, which can feel intense or uncomfortable.
Can Crystal Energy Be Dangerous?
I’ve written a blog about this here.
How to Use Crystals for Gridwork
The term “gridwork” seemed like the most fitting way to describe placing crystals in an environment to attract specific energies, such as protection, positivity, or abundance. However, achieving meaningful results from this practice requires consistent effort and intentionality.
Simply purchasing a crystal and placing it on a desk or shelf is unlikely to create the desired energetic shift. Crystals are most effective when you actively engage with their energy. To use a crystal for gridwork:
- Set a Clear Intention (Programming): Regularly meditate with your crystal to align your energy with its frequency. During these sessions, program the crystal by setting a clear intention to direct its energy toward influencing the desired location or purpose.
- Recharge Its Energy: Crystals rely on your energy to amplify their frequency, so regular recharging is essential. Through consistent meditation, you not only strengthen your connection but also replenish the crystal’s energy. Additionally, exposing your crystal to sunlight or moonlight can further enhance its vibrational charge. Over time, this practice builds the crystal’s energetic “battery,” enabling it to consistently hold and radiate the desired frequency in your chosen environment.
With practice, you may even be able to charge your crystal remotely using focused thought. Energy transcends time and space, meaning you can meditate on the crystal’s energy while away—whether at home or on holiday—to maintain its connection and potency.
By consistently working with your crystal, you’ll build its energetic “battery,” enabling it to hold and radiate the desired frequency in your chosen environment.
Do I need to Cleanse my Crystals?
The internet is filled with advice on cleansing crystals, but personally, I believe that 99% of crystals don’t actually need cleansing. Crystals have very stable and consistent frequencies, making it difficult for external energies to alter them. However, there are a few situations where cleansing may be beneficial:
-
Overly Charged Crystals
If you’re given a crystal that has been worn or used frequently by someone else, it’s possible that its frequency is overly amplified. Depending on the crystal’s energy and your own state of being, this imbalance could affect you in subtle ways. I wrote about this in one of my blogs here. To recalibrate the crystal, simply leave it in a dark drawer for a week or two to let its energy settle naturally. -
Ill-Intentioned Programming
Though rare, it may be possible to encounter crystals that have been programmed with negative intentions. I have never personally experienced this, but if you feel truly uneasy with a crystal (it feels beyond just a mismatch in frequency), the best method would be to return it to nature. Burying it in the ground or placing it in running natural water (like a creek, river, or beach) for several days will be the best option to purify its energy back to its origin. -
Dampened Crystal Energy
Some believe that crystals pick up negative energy from their surroundings or people. My own insights suggest that this is less about absorbing negativity and more about the crystal’s frequency becoming dampened. Negative energy seems to reduce a crystal’s ability to recharge, lowering its amplitude and making it feel “weaker.” - In mild cases, placing the crystal in a positive environment can help, though it may take time.
- A quicker method is to give the crystal a sea salt water bath for a day or up to a week. This can help recalibrate its amplitude and “wake up” its energy. I feel that sea salt water will work really well for both overly charged and dampened crystals, recalibrating their energy back to balance. While I don’t fully understand why, this is the insight I’ve received.
- If the crystal isn’t suitable for salt water, using your own energy (if it’s strong) or charging it under sunlight for several days can also restore its vitality.
- Sound vibrations from tingshas and singing bowls seem to work similarly by amplifying a crystal's frequency and enhancing its energy. These sounds not only “perk up” the crystal but seem to recalibrate them in a way that I find hard to explain. It is almost as if the vibrations shake away the stagnant energies. Also the sounds have a beneficial effect on me personally. I often feel the vibratory effects resonating through my chakras, and they noticeably uplift the energy of the surrounding environment as well.
- Smoke from sage or palo santo seems to cleanse a crystal's energetic field by clearing away accumulated dross and stagnant energy—at least, that’s what my intuition suggests. However, I’ve found that after this cleansing process, it’s beneficial to replenish and amplify the crystal’s energy. This can be done using sunlight, sound vibrations, or even your own energy through meditation.
-
Crystals That Feel “Dead”
Though I’ve never personally encountered a completely “dead” crystal, I sense that in extreme cases, a crystal may lose its charge entirely. If this happens, you would need to undergo a crystal CPR. This may involve a combination of burying it in the earth for an extended period and recharging it under sunlight or with your own energy.
Final Thoughts on Cleansing
Ultimately, cleansing is rarely necessary for most crystals. Their stable frequencies make them resilient, and they don’t absorb energy the way some might think. However, if a crystal feels off to you, trust your intuition. Whether you choose a sea salt bath, sunlight, moonlight, or simply leaving it in a drawer, your intention is often enough to restore its balance.
Last Words
This perspective comes from my personal experiences and intuitive insights. If it resonates with you, feel free to follow it. If not, there are plenty of other methods that may align better with your beliefs and practices.