How Do Crystals Form?

Crystals are orderly arrangements of pure substances that form as their atoms move closer together.  Diamonds, for example, are pure carbon, while quartz is pure silicon dioxide.  The smooth faces of crystals are caused by the regular internal arrangement of atoms.

Most crystals form from lava or magma as the molten rock cools.  The slower the cooling, the larger the crystals grow.  Temperature and pressure are major factors in determining the rate of cooling.

Other crystals are deposited from an aqueous solution as water evaporates, like salt or limestone crystals.

Cleansing and Programming Your Crystals

If you wish, you may cleanse your crystal when you first receive it, or when you desire to reprogram it, or whenever else you feel it necessary.  To cleanse your crystal, hold it in your hand, close your eyes, and chant three times out loud, "Begone, darkness; welcome, light."  You may need to repeat this more than three times, until you can sense that your crystal has been cleansed.

Quartz crystals, especially clear quartz, are also excellent for cleansing other crystals.  Hold the crystal to be cleansed near the quartz.  Judge the exact distance for yourself, by sensing when the cleansing energy of the quartz has enveloped your crystal.  If you wish, you can quietly chant, "Begone, darkness; welcome light" three or more times.

Once your crystal has been cleansed, you can also program it for specific purposes.  Hold the crystal in your hand.  Close your eyes.  Visualize the purpose you wish to program your crystal for.  Focus, breathing deeply, until the visualization is complete and all-encompassing.  Then softly say, "I dedicate this crystal to (whatever you wish its purpose to be)."

When using your crystal, the most important rule is to be guided by your intuition, and not by what someone else says is right or wrong.  It is your personal crystal, attuned to your unique strengths, desires, and energy.  No one knows your crystal better than you do.