There are three kinds of clear crystal balls; those made from natural quartz crystal, those from laboratory-grown crystal, and those made from glass. Though it is possible to gaze into either of these three, I prefer gazing with a natural sphere because it is energetically stronger which will make it easier to gaze into.
Natural quartz crystal, often referred to in ancient tradition as “veins of the earth,” “frozen water,” or “frozen light,” were formed naturally from the elements of silicon and water through millions of years of heat and pressure. Natural quartz crystal balls are formed, of course, from these natural quartz crystals. Carving and polishing the stones into spheres made them most powerful not only because you could see into them more easily, but also because it was believed that the spherical shape would effortlessly draw your undivided attention. It became the perfect meditation and “seeing” tool. Whether they are shaped by hand, too, or machine, natural crystal balls are cut out of the crystal itself, and then polished. People who cut the stone sphere from the crystal first find a place in the crystal that is clear and/or has something interesting inside of it that will make a good scrying stone. Then they cut around that area to form the sphere. In order to create a crystal ball, the quartz crystal that it is shaped from needs to be many times larger than the finished sphere. The reason, then, that large natural quartz crystal balls are relatively so few is that there are not many natural crystals that are both large and clear enough to make a large ball. (This relative rarity is why they are also expensive.)
Sometimes instead of the sphere’s being cut from the crystal, the entire crystal is sanded down by hand and laboriously polished away until it is in a somewhat round shape. You usually find this only in more primitive societies, dating from more ancient times. These spheres are special because the shock of having been cut is not stored within them. However, they are generally not perfectly spherical which makes them harder to read. The harshness of the cutting in a cut crystal ball can be cleared using the same clearing methods with which you normally clear stones, through smudging, salt, sunlight, rushing water etc. (Clearing stones and crystals is explained in my book, “The Ultimate Guide to Crystals and Stones.”)
When we gaze into a crystal ball, whether it is natural or grown in the laboratory, we are making use of these special energetic properties of quartz to help us focus, calm ourselves, get centered and become energized. It serves as a useful tool in other ways also: Your quartz crystal ball will generate negative ions in any environment in which you place it, creating a feeling of refreshment, upliftment, and harmony. Also, energy, in the form of vibration, is projected from each crystal to form a field around it. This is often referred to as the “power” of the crystal. The more powerful your crystal ball, the more powerful your reading will be. Of course, it’s not only the quartz crystal that’s going to help you be more effective, but also your ability to concentrate and harmonize yourself with your sphere. Generally speaking, a larger stone can store and process more information and is more powerful. Size, however, is not the only thing affecting the power of your crystal ball. Each projected vibrational field varies in dimension, not only with the size of the sphere, but also with its clarity and brilliance. (This is the same with a regular crystal that isn’t cut into the spherical shape.) All of these figure in the crystal ball’s power and ability to be easily used as a scrying stone.
When a stone has been formed to a sphere, it creates a spherical energy field with a whirlpool effect that tends to pull you in toward its center. You’ve probably noticed the water whirling down your drain after you take the stopper out. It’s much like that. Your attention is inexorably drawn into the sphere like the water going down the drain. When you work with a sphere formed form a quartz crystal this process is amplified, deepened, and quickened because you are being influenced by its highly energetic vibrational rate. The whirlpool effect is immeasurably stronger, making it easier to narrow your attention to one point, something that you need to do in order to “read” your crystal ball. This is true whether you are working with a natural quartz crystal ball or a laboratory grown quartz crystal ball.
You can raise your vibration still further if you take the time to harmonize yourself with the quartz crystal. As your vibration rises, your energy automatically rises from your lower survival and power oriented energy centers. When this happens you automatically find your heart opening, your intuition increasing, and your awareness extending. Eventually, it becomes effortless to enter a trance state and “hear” your inner voice. You begin to operate from higher levels of consciousness. Shamans refer to this phenomenon as being more in touch with the spirit world. It is in this state, say the ancestors, when we can “hear the stone people talking” and can “talk” with them. Your interaction with your quartz sphere can begin to open you up this way. That is why the old teachers used to refer to crystal balls as gateways or doorways to the beyond and to the inner self. Because of the tendency of the quartz crystal to help you open in this way, when you use a quartz crystal ball, your reading is going to be infinitely deeper and more meaningful than if you use glass.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR READING A NATURAL CRYSTAL BALL
1. Sit on a chair and place the crystal ball on a table in front of you somewhere between your heart center and your eyes.
2. Clear yourself and then gaze into your crystal ball and imagine it becoming clear of any negative or prior influences. If you like, you can clear the crystal ball with smudging, or visualization, imagining the sphere as becoming clear of any negative influences.
2. Ground and focus yourself in your center. To do this, breathe with long, deep breaths and feel as if they are flowing in and out of your heart center. When you feel centered and “collected into yourself”, you are ready to begin.
3. Rub your hands over the crystal ball, feeling as if you are harmonizing yourself with it, as if you and the crystal ball are one unified beingness.
4. Look into the crystal ball with one pointed attention. Notice something that interests you in the crystal ball and begin to look at it more closely. If your attention wanders, just bring your attention back to the crystal ball.
5. Continue to look at that place in the crystal ball more and more closely. Keep looking. Eventually your awareness will be centered, without wandering, entirely into the crystal ball.
6. Eventually you will feel as if you are inside the crystal ball, unaware of anything else outside of yourself or the sphere.
7. When your awareness is completely inside the crystal ball, ask the question you have in mind. Or, if you don’t have a particular question, ask what it is that is to be revealed to you. Sit quietly, waiting for your answer.
8. Your answer may come in the form of visions revealed inside the sphere. You may be reminded of something when you look at what you see in the ball, much like seeing pictures in clouds that remind you of something. You may “hear” a message within your consciousness, or have a particular feeling, see something in your “mind’s eye,” feel changes in bodily sensations. Don’t ignore anything that you sense, for these may reveal information to you.
9. When you feel as if you are finished, slowly draw your attention back to yourself and out of the crystal ball. Become aware of your breathing, the feeling of the chair beneath you, and the room around you.
10. Immediately record your impressions so you don’t forget them, either in writing or by speaking into a recording device. Record all of your impressions, even if they don’t make sense at the time. If they don’t make sense, meditate on these impressions and you will find your message.
11. Sometimes the messages to you are very clear and immediate. Sometimes they may reveal themselves with time. It is important that you don’t ignore anything.
12. When you are through, clear your crystal ball like you would a crystal or any other stone. Then store your crystal ball. Some people keep their crystal balls that they use for gazing wrapped in a natural fiber cloth, often black that lets in no other influence.
CRYSTAL BALL GAZING IS A PERFECT WAY
TO ACCESS OUR SUBCONSCIOUS INNER KNOWING.
THE CRYSTAL DOESN’T DO ANYTHING ALONE.
IT IS YOU WHO ARE USING THE CRYSTAL’S POWER
TO ACCESS WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW ON SOME LEVEL.
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