Crystals for the Crown Chakra Meditation

The crown chakra is the highest of the seven main chakras. Whereas the base chakra connects us to the physical, the crown chakra connects us to the spiritual. It is located at the very top of your head. The colour associated with the crown chakra is usually violet, thus crystals of this colour are purple are often used. You can also use white crystals. Here are some of my favourites:

Amethyst: This stone is a stone of peace and the greater good. It is also an excellent overall healing (on all levels). You can charge amethyst to be a protective stone, especially against psychic attack. It encourages sobriety, having a sobering effect on overindulgence of alcohol, drugs or other addictions. It calms and stimulates the mind, helping you become more focused, enhancing memory and improving motivation. Amethyst assists in remembering and understanding dreams. It relieves insomnia.

Sugilite: Sugilite helps in understanding negative circumstance by showing one what is happening, and how it is out of balance. This can be used to then understand the circumstance's greater good. Excellent tool for mediation exercises to bring the mind and spirit back into alignment.

Clear Quartz: Clear Quartz is known as the "master healer" and will amplify energy and thought, as well as the effect of other crystals. It can be used as a substitute for any other crystal if you don't have it. Place clear quartz crystals near electrical appliances such as TVs, computers, etc to absorb the electromagnetic and other subtle radiations. If you dedicate a clear quartz to this function, cleanse it each Full Moon. Be warned that clear quartz can have a very strong energising effect and if kept in your bedroom, you may struggle to sleep.

Crystals for the Throat Chakra Meditation

Communication is a key aspect in our life. Some talk too much while others struggle to be heard. We can all be guilty of hearing someone talking and not listening to them. An outlet for self expression is something we search for through our lives. All these aspects are ruled by the throat chakra.

If you are trying to locate exactly where your throat chakra is, think of the feeling you get when you are choked up with tears. That's the energy centre right there. Keeping the energy of this chakra is important as it ensures you present your true self to the world effectively. In other words,  you speak from your heart in a way that others are receptive of.

In previous posts I have discussed crystals I have found beneficial in balancing the base, sacral, solar plexus and heart chakras (click on the words to link back to those blog entries). Here are my five favourite crystals for working with the throat chakra. Meditating with the crystal on your throat or wearing it as a piece of jewellery near the throat will have beneficial effects.

Blue Lace Agate: This is a very peaceful and soothing stone. Great for promoting a way of communicating peacefully and gracefully. If you have to write a challenging letter or email, meditate with blue lace agate in preparation.

Kyanite: Kyanite is used to increase the strength and effectiveness of other crystals when they are used in conjunction. In it's own right it has a calming effect and will balance yin-yang energy very quickly. It aids communication on all levels. It can help when connecting to your spirit guides. Kyanite induces dream recall and can promote healing dreams. This is a popular stone for public speakers and performers. Some believe it will not retain negative vibrations or energy, therefore never requires cleansing.

Aquamarine: Being linked to water, this stone aids in regulating the emotions and helping you to communicate what you need to clearly. It can invoke tolerance of others and overcomes judgmentalism, giving support to those overwhelmed by responsibility. Highly protective during pregnancy, it helps to guard both mother and baby from harm. Discourages miscarriage.

Angelite: Angelite raises the state of conscious awareness. It represents peace and brotherhood. Angelite facilitates contact with your angels and spirit guides and helps to connect with your higher self. It enhances psychic healing and telepathic communication and enables astral travel and spirit journeys. Angelite will break down if it comes into contact with water, so don't take it when swimming or bathing.

Aqua Aura: This is a beautiful crystal that is part alchemy, part science, created by combining gold with clear quartz. Over 12 hours the quartz is heated up to 1600F while setting a vacuum equal to 2 earth atmospheres, then letting chemically purified gold vapors into the chamber when the temperature and vacuum are correct. This bonds the gold to the lattice of the crystal, forming a permanent bond to the surface of the quartz and giving it an electric blue color. Due to it's scientific nature it is helpful when trying to understand complex ideas. It also promotes psychic skills and due to it's gold content assists with healing and prosperity.

Crystals for the Heart Chakra Meditation

The heart chakra is the central chakra which connects the three lower chakras that are physical based (the base, sacral and solar plexus chakras) with the three higher chakras that are spiritually based (the throat, third eye and crown chakras). Thus the heart chakra nurtures our feelings of higher love to the physical word. When it is balanced we see the beauty in all things and offer love unconditionally.

Green or pink crystals can be used to balance the heart chakra. Simply relax with a crystal on your heart chakra located in the centre of your chest where your heart is. Some crystals I have found effective are:

Aventurine: A good all round healing and happiness stone. It brings luck especially for those looking for love. If you are single this will also help dissolve anxieties around dating, being single, etc.

Rose Quartz: The true stone of love. Rose quartz, with it's gentle pink colour, really promotes and attracts unconditional love in all it's forms; self-love, family love, platonic love, and romantic love. Rose quartz will also help remove anger, fear and other negative emotions that are blocking a loving relationship.

Malachite: Malachite is a crystal for bringing to the surface of your awareness any issues around love that you are unaware of. If you feel you are stuck in being able to love someone whether it be romantic or otherwise, utilise malachite. However be warned, as malachite will bring the issue to the surface but you must be ready to deal with it. Use rose quartz in conjunction with malachite to resolve the issues that arise. Try placing a malachite crystal on your heart chakra and a rose quartz in each hand.

Jade: Jade promotes serenity and purity. It increases wisdom gathered in tranquility.  Jade will assist you to feel nurtured and be more nurturing. It is also a stone to promote luck and prosperity.

Rhodonite: Rhodonite is the stone of compassion. It helps removes emotional scars and grudges from the past and see the higher good. It is a good balancer of yin-yang energies preventing you from being too aggressive or too emotional.

Bloodstone: Bloodstone is often utilised by American Indians and is a great healer of illness. When you are sick, bloodstone promotes speedy recovery. It can assist with oxygenating and cleanse the blood. Gives courage and teaches you how to avoid dangerous situations. Bloodstone encourages selflessness and idealism.

Previous blog entries have covered crystals for the base, sacral and solar plexus chakras (click on the word to view entry). Stay tuned in coming weeks for the entries on the final three chakras.

Connecting with animals via the chakras

The chakras are energy points identified within the human body originally recognised in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. The word “chakra" comes from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning". Humans have seven major chakras located along the centre of the body from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. These subtle energy points regulate and represent our balance in different aspects of life. For an interesting test to see how balanced each chakra is click here. Chakras that are out of balance indicate an unbalanced life and there are varying techniques to obtain realignment. To find out more about balancing chakras, click here.

As humans have chakras, so do animals. They have the seven major chakras as humans which are located in similar positions. However it is also identified that they have an eighth chakra called the brachial chakra. This is located between the shoulders. This chakra governs the animal’s connection with humans. If an animal has a reluctance to be touched or is unwilling to “connect” these are signs that the chakra is unbalanced. Of course, if the animal is unwell due to medical reasons and refuses to interact or a wild animal isn’t willing to run up to you and be patted this is something other than an unbalanced brachial chakra.

If you are working with healing with animals or simply want to bond with a pet you can more visualise balancing this chakra. The colour associated with this chakra is black, or occasionally turquoise. Simply see a wheel of light spinning peacefully and growing in size in the area. When possible touch or hold your hand over the place in the body. Using black tourmaline, diamond, smoky quartz or clear quartz can strengthen the healing. 

Do humans have a similar chakra that assists with connection to animals? There doesn’t seem to be much evidence of the existence of one however there are two chakras that may be relevant. They are:

1) Ta Chui or Big Vertebra Centre in the Chinese system - is located just below the seventh cervical vertebra, where the neck joins the shoulders. This is associated with your ability to embrace others with warmth and love and when unbalanced causes stubbornness, denial and low self esteem.

2) Gai Pe is located between the fifth and sixth thoracic vertebrae, between the shoulder-blades and opposite the heart chakra. When balanced you have a feeling of freedom and a deep sense of the meaning of life and the universe and feel your will to be in harmony with the Divine Will. When unbalanced you will have hostile feelings towards the world.

Whether you tune in to an animal using one of these two chakras or the better know heart or throat chakra this technique can be an extra tool in your tool kit of working and connection with animals in your home or out in the natural world.

Crystals for the Solar Plexus Chakra Meditation

This blog entry is the third entry of a series on crystals I find useful for balancing each chakra. The base and sacral chakras (click on the words to go back to those entries) have already been covered. Next is the solar plexus chakra. To locate this chakra, imagine you are just told some horribly bad news or you get a sudden fright. Where you feel that reaction is the location of the solar plexus chakra, the regulator of the emotions and feelings of happiness and bliss. The colour associated with the solar plexus chakra is yellow. The crystals I find great for placing on this chakra for meditation are:

Citrine: I use citrine about 75% of the time when balancing the solar plexus chakra. It is a great general stone for promoting happiness, stability and well being. Beneficial for increasing self esteem.

Rutilated Quartz: Rutilated Quartz promotes healing. In fact it is believed to slow down the aging process. This crystal will also assist with creativity and obtaining higher understanding.

Pyrite: This is another healing stone that can help to balance to two hemispheres of the brain. It can be used to increase psychic ability. Due to it's gold colour, it will also promote abundance and good fortune. Cleanse pyrite in the sun before using it and periodically after.

Gold: An excellent healing stone. Increases masculine energy. Attracts prosperity

My Crystal Chakra Meditation

One of the most effective meditations I have ever done is a crystal chakra meditation. The most popular chakras are the seven main energy points along the central column of the body. The crystal meditation simply involves laying down, placing the crystals on the chakras and meditating. I have done this with many different people throughout the years and all but one have found the experience either surreal or profound.

So what crystals are up do you place on which chakra? That is the best part as you get to choose. You can either use your intuition or your knowledge of crystals to choose each one. I generally choose a crystal of the same colour as the chakra (if you are unsure of the chakra positions or colours, a quick Google will find plenty of information).

For this blog entry I'll suggest some of the crystals for the base chakra that I find effective and often use. Each week I will cover another chakra. If you are unfamiliar with working with the crysals or chakras, I recommend acquiring one crystal a week and working your way up.

Red Jasper: Red Jasper is called a stone of fairness and justice because mystical lore claims it will decrease unjustness and helps to aid in unfair situations. It is a stone of protection, including during astral travel. A really good overall grounding crystal. Jasper also has a reputation for being uplifting and positively energising, like the effects of adrenaline.

Ruby: This stone is often associated with empowerment, royalty and courage. Ruby is a good choice when you feel you need to increase your sense of personal power. It is the stone of the warrior.

Red Bloodstone: Bloodstones are believed to promote oxygenation of the blood. Native American's utilised bloodstones for healing. If your health isn't 100%, perhaps you should try red bloodstone.

Petrified Wood: Wood that has turned into stone. A good stone to help you connect with nature or promote growth. At times of crisis, reach for a piece of petrified wood to remain calm.

Black or Snowflake Obsidian: If you feel that you need to go inward and self reflect rather than focus on your outward world obsidian will aid you here. This stone can increase your clairvoyant abilities.

Smokey Quartz: Smokey Quartz has a nurturing energy. If you need to relax or increase your feeling of comfort this is a good choice. Smokey Quartz can also help reduce nightmares.

I found a really interesting quiz to see how open your chakras are. Click here to do the test.