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                                     Charging Crystals 
                                        Ian Kesser
             
              Crystals,as many of you know, are extremely useful for practition-
          ers  of the Magickal arts. They can be used to channel power, to store
          power, to  heal, and many other  ways. Due to space  considerations, I
          have chosen to limit myself to the charging aspect in this article.

              Thefirst and most important part of charging a crystal is choosing
          the crystal itself. For most general uses, Quartz is the best one. For
          specific use,  there are many others.  I have found that  Diamonds are
          useful  in storing Good energy, and Zircons (my birthstone!!) for Evil
          energy. If you have a specific  purpose in mind, please consult one of
          the many fine tables of crystal affinities.

              The next step, and also important, especially the first few times,
          is to  prepare yourself  for the  actual channeling  of energy.  In my
          case,  music helps, as  well as  pranayama and  other forms  of breath
          control. The first one I used is simple
            .
              Pranayama, simply,  is control  of  breath. Most  forms amount  to
          hyperventilation or  subventilation. The one  I used first,  and still
          use, is this:  take four  quick inhalations, filling  the lungs.  This
          should be over the space  of about one and a half seconds. Then exhale
          in four  short bursts, again  over one and  a half seconds.  Repeat as
          necessary. The  first few times this  is done, I  recommend you desist
          after  about one minute. Over the course  of time, this can and should
          be  increased, but  until you  are used  to the  effect this  gives, a
          shorter time is suggested.

              Now that you're in  the mood, take the crystal  in your right-hand
          (left hand  for those of you who are lefties). Visualize a door within
          the heart of the crystal. Until this visualization is firm and steady,
          wait. Then open  the door. Behind it you should see a store of diffuse
          energy,  which varies  with the  type of  the crystal.  Some crystals,
          usually the inferior ones, have little or nothing back here. These are
          generally not good to use.

              Close the door, but keep it in mind. That was just to check on its
          energy.  Decide which energy  you wish it  to house.  Usually only one
          will be  needed, such as for talismans and storage of energy for later
          use, but  in some cases, such  as a divination tool,  more is suggest-
          ed/required. DO NOT TRY THIS ON YOUR FIRST ATTEMPT! YOU WILL FAIL! The
          energy you  will be handling  is powerful,  and trying to  handle more
          than one world  at a time  is strenuous. Trying  to handle all  three,
          plus  personal and other energies, is  straining to the limit. As with
          all other bodily  systems, an  ability used beyond  its capacity  will
          overload and break or refuse to perform, as  with a man trying to lift
          300lb barbells on his first try at weight lifting.

              For general use, I  find nature's energy is best  for multipurpose
          storage. Those in the  Church of Set would probably  find differently,
          as would those in the Church of Christ. Use what you  feel comfortable
          with.



                                                                            1708
          


              Now, the  fun part. For the three major energies, I find there are
          certain ways of drawing them tat are easiest on the practitioner.  For
          Good energy, try it like this: Form a cone with the base connecting to
          your skull in the  region just between and above your eyebrows. "suck"
          the energy  (visualize it as you  will, I use a  light, golden yellow)
          into the cone, then through a tube into  your brain. The visualization
          on this is a bit tricky, but it can be done.

              For  Nature's energy, visualize a "hose" going down into the Earth
          from the base of your spine. This hose should ideally connect with the
          center  of the  Earth,  but some  people  simply cannot  conceive  the
          distance involved with that, and can therefore not visualize it. Go as
          deep as you can, with time, you should improve. I "see" this energy as
          a ruddy, glowing red, as with magma. Use what works.  Draw this energy
          up the tube, then through your spinal column into the brain.

              Now, the Evil energy. This is trickyfor me, but here's how I doit.
          Place the feet  together (if they already are, so  much the better! It
          means this  isn't uncomfortable for you, as it is for me.) and visual-
          ize a  siphon, with the hose  connecting to a cone  connecting to your
          feet, about two inches in diameter,  one inch on either foot. Then, on
          the other end,  a hose entering a  black, inky void(or whatever  color
          you perceive evil  energy to  be). One last  connection: another  hose
          running from that  area of your feet to  the previously mentioned area
          in the  skull. This aligns nicely  with the Chakra theory,  to which I
          subscribe, in that a Chakral spinal-type column connects all the major
          power  centers of  ones body.  If you  know this  system, so  much the
          better! Draw  the energy through the  siphon(sometimes visualizing the
          bulb on  the siphon  squeezing  helps) into  the feet,  then into  the
          skull, then into the brain.

              Other objects  you wish to  draw energy  from, use the  door anal-
          ogy/visualization given above( for powerful things such as  the Tarot,
          I see it as a  gate more than a door. Again, whatever  works for you),
          and draw from  your use hand. If you plan on  using that object again,
          take only  a token  amount of  energy, and DON'T  FORGET TO  CLOSE THE
          DOOR!

              Personal  energy: This  varies so  much with the  individual! Some
          people draw from  their auras, some  from the Chakras,  some from  the
          Astral Body. Just use  the method you feel most  comfortable with. For
          those of you who have no preference, or no knowledge of such things, I
          use the Astral approach.  I draw a bit of the substance  of the Astral
          body,  generally the feet, into the brain.  After I finish all else, I
          "spread out" the  Astral body to make up for  this loss. Astral bodies
          DO heal.

              Well, that's most of it. Draw  the energy you need, then draw from
          the crystal. Take it in  your use hand again, open that door, and take
          out the energy, and bring it to  the brain. Generally, I use the  hose
          again, connecting to  that spot in  the skull, but this  one generally
          runs INSIDE  y body, such  as along the arm  bones, then up   the neck
          bone. Mix the energy up. If it helps, visualize a  cosmic Cuisinart or
          whatever. If it  won't mix, like oil and water,  you have failed. This
          crystal will not  hold this  energy. Give  up, put  back the  crystals
          power,  ground yourself(later...),  and try  again later  with another
          energy.



                                                                            1709
            

              Once you've achieved  the mix, refill the  crystal. Sometimes, the
          energy won't go back in. This usually means you've put too much of the
          energy you're using in,  and not enough  of the crystal's own  energy.
          Bring it back to the brain, and remix. How  do you refill the crystal,
          you  ask? Switch hands on the crystal,  then visualize that handy hose
          again, but this time flow backwards, through the door. There will come
          a  point, especially early  on in your  practice, that  the crystal is
          full when you have energy  left over. Slam that door and  ground your-
          self(later...), don't  overfill it!  Doors have their  bursting point,
          and that's a wonderful way to destroy a good crystal.

              OK,  it's later. You've finished the job at hand (Applause, you've
          earned it!)  but have  all this  energy left! There  are many  ways of
          grounding energy, use  the one you are comfortable  with(I know I keep
          saying  that, but it bears  repeating. Don't do  anything against your
          Will). The one  I use  is simply grounding  it. Take that  handy-dandy
          all-purpose  hose again,  connect it  to the  base of  the spine,  and
          thence into  the  Earth. Flip  the switch  to reverse,  and push  that
          energy out! Be careful not to let out yourself as well!

            That's it. I hope you find this helpful to you.



                                                                            1710