Excerpt from "Crystal Basics"

The impetus to arrange stones in specific geometric forms is an ancient one—our ancestors have made stone circles, medicine wheels, and giant monuments out of rocks for eons. These are the prototypes of the crystal grids we use in healing today. I think the single most popular crystal application today is making crystal grids; grids have been covered in books, podcasts, and posts on social media. These eye-catching arrangements of crystals and gemstones (sometimes adorned with candles, flowers, or other objects) are an effective and fun way to bring crystal energy into your life.

So what exactly is a crystal grid? I define it as an intentional placement of crystals or gemstones arranged geometrically to manifest a specific intention or outcome. One of the key words in this definition is intentional; merely emptying your pockets on your counter does not a grid make!

Crystal grids owe their remarkable effects to the law of synergy and the principles of sacred geometry. The law of synergy illustrates that in creating something, the end result is greater than the sum of its parts. The energy of crystal grids is not additive—we are not simply combining the influence of each stone in the grid in a linear fashion. Instead, the energies coalesce in a greater whole, something bigger and better than can be achieved by a single stone.

Making Grids

Crystal grids can be made in a number of ways. They can be precise, geometric patterns, or they can be freeform arrangements co-created spontaneously. Grids can be large enough to fit around a building or small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Above all else, your intention (as well as your focus, feelings, and follow-through) should be aligned with your purpose in building a grid.

Steps in Building a Grid

The actual construction of your crystal grid can be as elaborate or as simple as you like. I have colleagues that create sacred space (complete with candles, incense, sacred music, etc.) and charge or program every single crystal, and even call on assistance to access the higher realms every time that they prepare to build a crystal grid. I also know many people who prefer to keep it simple and just dive right into the process of setting up. My own process varies between these two, as I adjust the process to the circumstances.

I don’t believe in rigid rules when it comes to the art of crafting a crystal grid. Some of my most powerful grids have been made spontaneously, with no intention other than to merely follow the lead provided by the crystals themselves. Other times I have co-created grids that catalyzed unimaginable healing processes by carefully selecting stones and designing a grid according to the conventions outlined in this chapter. That said, there are a few basic steps involved in creating a crystal grid:

1. State your intention.

2. Identify and cleanse the stones that support this intention.

3. Choose the style of grid: either a freeform, intuitive grid, or a planned-out geometric grid.

4. Build your grid in an appropriate location according to the style you have selected.

5. Test for the soundness of energy when finished, and adjust as needed.

6. Activate your crystal grid.

7. Enjoy the effects and re-energize as needed.

As you construct your grid, do so as mindfully and intentionally as possible. You may want to invite your higher self, spiritual guides, crystal devas, or any other beings from the higher realms to join you in this co-creative process. After the entire grid has been laid out, you can check its energy by either tuning in intuitively, feeling the energy with your hands, or dowsing with a pendulum or dowsing rods. Make whatever adjustments are needed to ensure a consistent and stable flow of energy. You might need to reposition, add, subtract, or substitute one or more stones to achieve optimum results. Once the grid is completed, it can be activated as described later in this chapter. Check in with the energy of your grid to re-energize it and reactivate it as needed.

Exercise: Crystal Grid Activation

Once you’ve built your crystal grid, select the crystal wand you’d like to use to activate it. Cleanse and program your wand. Ground and center yourself, and enter a light meditative state while reflecting on the purpose of the grid.

While holding your crystal wand in your dominant hand, direct its point toward the grid. Trace the shape of the grid, and imagine that you are creating threads of light that connect each of the stones in the grid to one another. Pay special attention to the keystone, if there is one, linking each of the other stones to it. For complex grids that might be difficult to connect in this way, trace a spiral over the entire grid, starting at the perimeter and coiling in toward the center of the grid; once I’ve done this I like to reverse the spiral and work my way from the center out.

Once finished with connecting the individual stones, hold your crystal wand over the center of the grid (or wherever the keystone is located). Visualize a stream of light flowing from the universe into your crown chakra, down your arm, and through the crystal wand. Direct this energy into the grid, and visualize it coursing through all the crystals and expanding from the entire grid, as if you are increasing the aura or energy field generated by the grid itself. Intend that this field of light is carrying your energy out into the universe as it expands.

When the grid feels sufficiently charged, release your attention from the grid itself and relax your body. Ground any excess energy and offer your gratitude to your wand and to all the stones in the grid. Return your awareness to the room. This exercise can be repeated as often as necessary to re-energize your crystal grid.

Nicholas Pearson has been immersed in the mineral kingdom for more than 20 years. He began teaching crystal workshops in high school, later studying mineral science at Stetson University while pursuing a degree in music. He worked for several years at the Gillespie Museum, home to the largest mineral collection in the southern United States. The author several books, including Crystals for Karmic Healing, he lives in Orlando, Florida.

Crystal Basics: The Energetic, Healing, and Spiritual Power of 200 Gemstones by Nicholas Pearson © 2019 Destiny Books. Printed with permission from the publisher Inner Traditions International. www.InnerTraditions.com

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