Welcome to a twenty-one day journey to get to *intuitively* know your crystals through Reiki (this is meant for Reiki 1 practitioners or higher), meditation, setting intentions, finding affirmations, and using your senses. I will mainly be using the term crystals throughout this article. However, please feel free to exchange the word crystal for rock, gem, stone, specimen, or whatever you are most comfortable with or what describes your collection.

Why twenty-one days?

If you are using this system that I’ve created, then you are a Reiki practitioner. As such, you know the history of how Mikao Usui discovered the Reiki healing system. Dr. Usui was searching for a method of healing through hands. In his quest, he met a holy man that directed him to meditate, on top of a sacred mountain, for twenty-one days. Dr. Usui used twenty-one stones to count the days. Each day he cast aside a stone and continued his practice of meditating and fasting to become enlightened and have a healing system revealed to him.

I have blended aspects of the Reiki principles, Reiki healing, setting intentions, finding affirmations, working intuitively and with your five senses, meditation and journaling in order to get to know your crystals, in your own way.

While there is certainly a plethora of written works about crystals, what chakra they correspond to, their frequency, vibration, healing aspects, their chemical composition, and even how to “properly” use them; I think the most important way to use crystals, in your healing journey, is the one that you feel drawn to based on your own intuition and experiences.I will not be telling you which crystals to choose. That is up to you. 

I will not direct you to use a certain crystal and link it to a specific chakra. 

Instead, through daily exercises you will determine if a crystal connects to one of your chakras, more than one chakra or all of the chakras.

You may already have twenty-one crystals on hand. For my own personal process I used twenty-one different stones. I am fortunate, however, to live right next to a gem store that sells crystals in both the raw and tumbled varieties. 

Before proceeding, you will want to collect twenty-one specimens that you will use for this intuitive method of experiential based learning. I select crystals based on which ones I am drawn to.

 If I am able to be in the store, then using Reiki, I move my hands back and forth over the crystal. You may feel drawn to select crystals because of their color, shine, resonance, or be attracted to their beauty. You can use your intuition in selecting your crystals. Or use the energy of Reiki to help make your selections.

One word of caution: Some crystals, gems, and rocks should be handled with extreme caution due to their chemical compounds.

A note on choosing your crystals. While writing this, we are experiencing a pandemic and many places are on lockdown. If you are limited in your ability to travel or frequent stores then there are many online options. Maybe you already have a favorite website where you order your crystals. If not, then spend some time searching for a good, reputable source for ethically sourced crystals. You can find small businesses on sites like Etsy, or large crystal dealers that have a huge stock for you to pick from. 

Keep in mind how you might use these crystals. Will you want to place them directly on your body? Then be aware of sharp edges, size, and weight.What if you’re drawn to twenty-one pieces of, for instance, smoky quartz? That’s fine. Each crystal is like a person. It has its own characteristics, vibrational frequency, and may connect with you differently than other pieces of the same type. You could easily find enough types of jasper and agate to use for this course. 

You will be, effectively, attuning each crystal to yourself, so choose the crystals you are drawn to and want to work with. Just label each of your crystals so you know the name.Once you have selected your twenty-one crystals, you should cleanse them. 

We will be using Reiki to cleanse all of them at once. If you prefer, smudging, is another way to cleanse. As is setting them out, overnight, during a full moon. I would not recommend cleansing with water or saltwater, since the type of crystals you have chosen might have an adverse reaction to a water cleansing. 

Lay out your stones in front of you. Set an intention of cleansing the crystals. By cleansing you will be setting the crystal’s energy to almost a blank slate and to its own vibrational frequency and not any that it may have inadvertently picked up over time.

Now let’s go through what each day’s meditation and exploration will look like.

Step 1: Pick out the stone for that day. There will be a corresponding worksheet/journal entry for you to fill out. Spend a few moments looking at your crystal. Notice the shape, the color, any grooves, facets, or markings. Is it smooth or rough? How would you describe this crystal? Hold it up to the light? Is it translucent or opaque? Fire agate and amber are two stones that really change when viewed with a light behind them. Write down in your accompanying journal the observations.

Step 2: Bring your Reiki energy to and through the crystal. Begin with setting an intention. I have chosen the same intention for each crystal and it’s based on the common Reiki intention. “Please send Reiki energy to this crystal for its highest good. Please send Reiki energy to this crystal so that I can have understanding, knowledge, and a good working relationship with this crystal. Thank you.”. You will use the journal to record this experience and to make any notes.

Step 3: After you have charged the crystal with Reiki energy and set your intention, then it’s time to meditate with it. Find a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed. Choose the length of time that you want to meditate. For the actual meditation you will be softening your gaze and meditating by using the crystal as a focal point. After your meditation, record your experience and make notes.

Step 4: The final step before completing your journal entry for the day, is to spiritually connect to this crystal. Ask for the crystal to “speak” to you. Meaning that you might receive words, images, thoughts, songs, and affirmations. Or you might experience sensations. Is the crystal sending its message to you with smells or tastes? Do you feel a temperature change or any new sound? Is the crystal being drawn to a certain area of your body or chakra? You will connect to the crystal much the same as you did for the meditation. However, this time, stay in the moment and experience any sensations, images, or thoughts. Make a record of this in your journal.

After the twenty-one day journey, look over your journal entries. Make note of any similarities among certain crystals. Perhaps separate the notes based on which chakra a crystal was attracted to, or see if there are any patterns between what you experienced. Is there an overall theme with how you connected to your twenty-one crystals? Does one crystal really stand out as having been exceptional to work with? Are there any that you did not feel that you have an energetic vibe with them?

Here you’ll find a ’21 Day Journey with Your Crystals‘ template with several questions that will guide you during these 21 days of healing using the power of crystals!

Congratulations on finishing this twenty-one-day journey with your crystals. My intent is that you were able to forge a relationship with your crystals. Not to just view them as tools of our trade, but to really see them as living objects that can help you with your Reiki. 

I hope the twenty one days also allowed you a small insight into what you must have meant for Dr. Usui to fast and meditate for that length of time. I truly hope that this journey allowed you to feel a deeper connection to your Reiki practice, to your crystals, and ultimately into your own self.Blessings and enjoy your process!

Article written by Carrie Anderson Ph.D and RMT