Crystals 101
My name is Patty Matsumoto, and I am the owner of Energetically In Harmony. I am a crystal lover.
My background: I was not always a crystal lover; in fact, I never really thought about them. Growing up in Hawaii, my interests were in the sun, surf and sand; and yet the attraction to the saltwater and sand, both of which are crystals, makes so much sense as to why I was attracted to the beach.
Previous to my energetic transformation, my profession was in the area of Technology. I tested computer software and was taught that results must be proven and observable for them to be real. This belief changed when my life took the Spirit intended turn to the energetic world of the unseen and feeling from the heart. The skills I learned in the technology world helped me in the energetic world. The scientific method of testing, observing, and analyzing assisted me in understanding the reality of seemingly invisible unseen energy.
The beginning of my transformation to the love of crystals came shortly after my Reiki Master training in 2014. I came to understand that crystals are transmitters of energy. In this training, we added the use of crystals, and it was from that moment when I could not stop. The energy that each one held captured me to my core. I started studying them and began my collection. My desire to learn more connected me with my soul sister, crystal mentor, and dear friend Jan Barthle. Jan hosted crystal playshops in her home, and this expanded my knowledge. She became my crystal partner that forever changed my life.
History
It now helps to look back in history to understand why we are attracted to crystals and minerals. When we look back to what our ancestors did with crystals and minerals, we begin to realize their long-held attraction and use. Here are some historical points of interest.
- The Roman culture is known for its adornment of crystal jewels from adornment in rings to the battlefield. The Romans believed that wearing and having crystals in one's possession would bring health, fortune, prosperity, and good outcomes when going into battle. Thus, Amber, a favorite of Romans, created a route known as simply as the Amber Road, which fostered trades of Amber and other gems throughout the Roman Empire.
- The Chinese culture, known historically for Acupuncture, used crystal-tipped acupuncture needles for their energetic properties. Jade, the crystal of choice, is symbolic of purity and integrity. Because of the hardness quality of Jade, it was believed that the stone contained the essence of immortality. The Chinese then believed that burying Jade with the ancestors would bring life to the ancestors for all eternity.
- Egyptian culture also buried gemstones with their loved ones as they have the belief that this energy will help their loved ones maneuver through the afterlife. Pharaohs and priests would fill cylinders with Quartz as they believed that this tool would help balance their bodies. Cleopatra wore Lapis Lazuli as their culture thought that this stone would bring enlightenment. Cleopatra wore powdered Lapis Lazuli as eyeshadow to further enhance her enlightenment.
- Other cultures to note: The Japanese used crystal balls for scrying and believed that the crystal ball was the heart of the dragon, a sign of power and wisdom. Traditions in India by the Hindus use crystals extensively in Ayurvedic Medicine, counteracting the effects of karma. In the Hawaiian culture, it is Olivine (a form of Peridot) that the Hawaiian people believed to be a gift from the Fire Goddess Pele. To possess this stone holds the gift of sight from the heart.
- Most of us know about Birthstones. The modern birthstone list was formulated by an organization known as 'The Jewelers of America' in 1912 but Birthstone's date back to the earliest times. The idea was proposed that each of the gemstones had special powers associated with the corresponding astrological sign and that wearing these stones at the right time would have therapeutic or talismanic benefits.
Energetic Tools
If you wonder what relevance that crystals may have in your life, here is a list from my experiences and crystal expert Judy Hall. If you would like specific instructions on these tools, contact me for more information.
- Creating Safe Spaces and Spiritual Equilibrium
- Healthy Boundaries
- Finding Peace and Serenity
- Psychic Immune System
- Shielding from Energy Vampires
- Detoxification (Physical, Emotional, Ethical and Mental Overload)
- Transmuting Negative Energies to Positive
- Chakra Balancing
- Protecting Family and Friends
- Science
Because everything is energy and vibrates in a frequency, each crystal also has a frequency. For example, the Quartz crystal, which is found in watches and computers, vibrates to a frequency of 32,768 times per second. This vibration makes Quartz optimal for data transmission as it is fluctuating at such a high frequency with minimal pressure, electricity, and heat. This process is called Piezoelectricity. Piezoelectricity is the electrical charge that accumulates in certain solid materials such as crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA, and various proteins in response to applied mechanical stress. The word Piezoelectricity means electricity resulting from pressure and latent heat.
With the understanding that everything is energy that is combined with chemical crystal formations within our bodies, crystals affect us based on the information for which we intend it. It is the intention in combination with our energy that gives crystals the reaction that benefits us.
Experiences
The best aspects of crystals and their incredible energy that I can share are my experience working with them and the people who love them. Every experience always leaves me with a "wow," and when I think I have seen so many things that I can't be "wow-ed" anymore, another experience comes along. Here are a few of the highlights:
- Early in my crystal journey, I started placing crystals around my room. In particular, I had placed an Amethyst, clear crystal Quartz, and Smoky Quartz together. At this altar of sorts, I was working on a specific issue regarding the heart and emotions. Every morning and every evening when I came home from work, the crystals on this altar would have been moved around. The movement was not a lot, and yet there was movement. I was convinced that they were not moving on their own. I did every test possible to track their positions and close off the room where they were placed, with the same results. A teacher at the time mentioned that because I was doing some very intense work that the movement was my validation.
- Another incident involved a co-worker who had no concept of personal space in every sense of the meaning. At the time, I worked in an office and had a cubicle. I brought a set of crystals with me that day as I knew the day would challenge me, and I needed that extra assistance. I lined them up on my keyboard so I could work and be close to them. My co-worker came into my cube when he really should have been working, reached around me and picked up my Tibetan Quartz, and said, what does this do? Internally I was upset that he did not ask permission. Simultaneously, as I was thinking this, once he lifted the crystal to my eye level, I watched the Tibetan Quartz fly out of his hands, hit my cubicle wall, and fall behind my computer monitor. As I turned around to look at him, his mouth stood wide open. He looked at me and said, "What happened?" I responded with, "You need to ask permission before you touch my crystals, and the crystal was making it known." He took off from my area and, in the future, always stood far from my desk.
- A client who had several intense experiences growing up came to me for a session after finding that various therapies, including anxiety medications, did not work for her. At the sixth session, I received the knowing to load her up with various crystals, with Rose Quartz being the focal point of her session. Fifteen minutes into her session, she jumps off of the table with crystals flying everywhere, and she says, "What just happened to me?" When talking through her experience, she states that she felt something lift out of her. She was startled as it was a sensation never felt before. Next, she started to cry, reflecting on suppressed emotions from her childhood that came to the surface. Finally, after getting herself together, she looked at me and spoke. "I can let this all go; I am ready to let this all go." She also wanted to stop taking her anxiety medication. I recommended that she should see her doctor for advice on medications. A few days later, I receive a phone call from her, and she is screaming with delight at how her doctor gave her the green light to stop the anxiety medication and how light she felt. The weight of what she had been carrying was dissolved.
- As I progressed in this work, I have been blessed to expand this business, and Energetically In Harmony's crystals now live in a few stores in Kentucky. There were situations of people stealing the crystals, and I conducted a ceremony to ask why. The result was that in my eagerness to send wonderful energy, I forgot to mention the part about the monetary exchange. I restated the intention for this to take place. A few days after the ceremony, I am picking up a shipment of crystals, and I receive a text message from one of the stores I service. The text reads that someone just stole a crystal and wanted me to call them to talk about it. I advised this person that I would call soon. While I waited, I sat and connected with the crystals. I then saw a very young woman with a backpack and a bike. I hesitated a bit on the bike, wondering what that was about, and instead of questioning the message, trusted it. I also received the vibration that this woman who/ took the crystal was very confused, (with) potential substance abuse. I sent a text to the store manager asking if this person was female with dark hair, a backpack, and riding a bike. I immediately received a text back asking me how I knew that. After talking this out with the store manager, I wondered if this young woman seemed confused and potentially under the influence. The store manager confirmed that the woman was under some kind of drug.
- A term I have come to know and love is Crystal-itis. Crystal-itis is a condition where a person working with the crystal goes into a state of being, which typically results in a "spaced outlook," fatigue, inability to do math, hold conversations, etc. This is the crystal doing their energy work on the willing participant. At Energetically In Harmony, every employee is briefed on Crystal-itis, and the protocol is for employees to help each other recognize this condition and suggest grounding. Typically, this is achieved by taking a walk in nature, holding a grounding stone, or my all-time favorite - eating a piece of chocolate.
Use
Crystals and Minerals are tools to assist us in converting our energetic patterns to improve overall well-being. The intention behind the use makes the difference regarding our outcomes. The crystal and mineral world is vast and can be confusing. Which crystal is good for whatever you are asking? We have mistakenly evolved to expect a single “thing” to cure our ____________. When we go back to the idea that everything is energy, our energy fluctuates based on what is happening or not happening to us. This means that our needs for a crystal type could also fluctuate from moment to moment.
In working with people and crystals, I have found that assisting someone to find their neutral spot of alignment needs to happen to pick the right crystal for them. This is best achieved by having the mind and heart act in unison. It is typical for a person to initially make a decision on a crystal. After going through a clearing and aligning of the chakras in meditation, the person will pick a different crystal which correlates to their area of concern. In an analysis that I have notated over the years, 95% of the time, the initial attraction to a crystal for any given issue changed after a guided meditation exercise. When the formal meaning of the stone selected is then researched, the issue for which the crystal was selected matches and supports its use.
Exercise
In this exercise, we will build a connection between you and your crystal. This can be any crystal in any form and of any size. I will say here that the smaller the crystal, the more convenient it is to perform this exercise. Find a comfortable position to make contact with your crystal. If you are someone who needs music for a guided meditation, then, by all means, use your favorite music. In your relaxed position with your crystal in hand, start your focus in your head. Evaluate all thoughts that surface, acknowledge them, and release them. Continue this process until all of your thoughts are released. Now move your attention to your heart, feel all of your feelings. If any are particularly uncomfortable, release them. Return your focus to being loved. Envision drawing a loop from your head to your heart and back. Allow your energy to circulate between the two.
Take as long as you need to establish a connection. When you are ready, feel the energy of the crystal and allow this to pulse through you. When you feel ready, speak silently from the heart and speak to the crystal regarding any message that the crystal may have. When you are ready, become present with your body and come back from meditation.
Repeated meditation with crystals over time will create a connection, and vibrationally, you will receive guidance and benefit from their offerings.
Cleansing and Charging
As with any tools, crystals need to be maintained to serve optimally. There are those who suggest that clearing and charging crystals are not required for some stone types. For my practice, Selenite is the only crystal which does not require clearing or charging. There are many different opinions out there, and I would highly suggest that your inner knowing is the best determination of when your crystal needs some TLC. Here are some methods to clear and charge crystals.
- Water (submerge or (hold under) running water)
- Brown Rice (submerge)
- Expose to Sunlight
- Expose to Moonlight
- Ceremony involving elements (Air, Water, Earth, Fire)
There are crystals that are light sensitive and others that are water sensitive. If you have any question on a particular stone, then use a method which is friendly to these sensitivities.
Sunlight, for example, will fade the color of Amethyst. I have experimented with this, and the sunlight will cause your Amethyst to fade. I also performed an experiment with Rose Quartz that should have faded in the sun. For the particular specimen which I tested with from Madagascar, I did not find the specimen to fade.
Selenite is known to deteriorate with water, which does happen, but not in a way that one would speculate. In conducting experiments with Selenite and water, the deterioration is very slow.
Ceremonial work in clearing crystals is equally as effective as the other mentioned techniques. If you are in question on ceremonial steps, I would seek the assistance of an energy worker or intuitive with whom you are comfortable to work with you on a ceremonial plan that is compatible with you.
In closing, the world of crystals is a wondrous gift from Mother Earth that can nurture us to achieve a balanced vibration to walk in our complex world. The use of crystals has been used by the ancients and continues today. The beauty of this gift matters not on size, quantity, or quality, as vibrational transformation is done in all forms. A good takeaway is to know that not one size fits all in the crystal world. As everyone is different, so are their crystal needs.
My life has forever changed with crystals. I invite all of you to embrace the world of the highest of vibrations.