"      To select a Crystal is not all that much different from selecting a pet or a work of art. When you go into the store to purchase your crystal - or any other stone used in healing or Psychic work - just pick the one that "calls" to you. Handle the various stones and place them, one by one, in your receptive hand. (the one that is not your dominant hand; if you are right-handed or ambi-dextrous, your receptive hand is your left. If you are completely left-handed your receptive hand is your right.) The stone that is right FOR YOU will "pull" you to it. This may not be the stone that looks the clearest or the most impressive, either. Our societies materialistic values and our conditioning to accept them must not enter into our decision, which is very hard for most of us at first. Our first tendency is to judge the stone -as we always judge ourselves and everything else in a constant stream of thoughts- by what we have been conditioned to believe is "good" or "bad".
     If the piece you are choosing is for a specific purpose; i.e. for healing, or to enhance your psychic abilities, or for meditation; it will help if you keep that purpose in mind while you are selecting the stone. An interesting phenomena often happens to people who are just going into the gem and mineral healing or psychic work. Most people start off with clear quartz, because it has the most applications. They go into a store or a gem show to purchase a clear quartz and find themselves drawn to all kinds of other "rocks" (as the collectors call them) too. Many times they bring a bag of various mineral specimens home with them. Later they look up the stones in one of the many reference books on this subject, only to find the stones they were drawn to are exactly the ones they need to deal with issues or illnesses that they need to work on." (MATRIKA 1999)

Selecting a crystal often times comes down to the desired use of the crystal, so it is important to refer to the correspondences sheet of any crystal. However if a crystal calls to y ou more than the one you thought you needed, do pay attention to it, as it may foretell some sign of distress and its calling is a premonition to a future need for that crystal.

     It is very imperative you cleanse your new crystal, as it most likely has picked up energy from anyone handling it before you, and this could interfere with your intentions when “programming” it. Some information out there suggests using sunlight or water to cleanse a crystal. DO NOT do this. Unless you’re using distilled water, the water from almost every source has minerals in it that can hinder the cleaning process. Sunlight is known to fade the color of many minerals and can affect their usefulness.
     Instead, I suggest using incense smoke to cleanse crystals. It is safe for any stone and uses the element of air to purify. It is important to use sage incense for purification and cleansing. First, light the incense, and wait for a clear thin stream of smoke. Hold the crystal in the smoke until the smoke returns to a clear stream coming off the crystal. To fully cleanse any crystal you think needs a deeper cleaning, place clear quartz in sunlight to charge for a full day, then place that clear quartz on top of or under the crystal you with to purify with the now sunlight charged quartz. NOTE: This quartz must be cleansed by incense prior to being put in sunlight, or its intention can impact the receptive crystal.

     For regular cleansing: Ring a bell next to a crystal to cleanse it of negative energy and not the intention. Place crystals on or in contact with salt to cleanse negative energy. If you plan on doing any other method of cleansing such as burying, running water, or sunlight please research the effects this can have on the rock physically.

     To charge a crystal is put intent to work. First you must program your crystal by holding it in your dominant hand and meditating on the purpose you want this crystal to fufill. Often times it is best to allign your itnention with the correspondences of that crystal.

     "After a crystal has been properly cleansed it should be programmed for personal use. This is a simple process which imbeds personal feelings and desires deep within the heart of the crystal. Once programmed, a crystal becomes a unique magickal tool attuned to its owner’s individual vibratory frequency. Programming a crystal for personal use is easily done. Crystals attract and hold energy vibrations, which makes them useful tools for focusing and directing energy. Think of your crystal as a mini-computer, and what you program into it designates what it will be able to do. The thoughtforms used to energize the crystal will determine the power and frequency level at which it will vibrate. If you program the crystal with love, it will radiate love. Conversely, if you program the crystal with determination, aggressiveness, and force, these will be the vibrations it will emit.
     Once a crystal has been cleaned, it is ready to be programmed for personal use. Of the many ways to program a crystal, the following two methods are the most common.
Hold the crystal in your hand and create a thoughtform (mental picture) of what you want to happen. For example, if you want to program the crystal for good health, visualize yourself energetic and in glowing health. You will then need to force this vision or thought-form into the crystal. To intensify the visualization, chant or speak your desire directly into the crystal.
     The other way to program a crystal involves holding the crystal over your heart. Create a thought-form of your desire and allow this picture to flow directly from your heart into the crystal. To empower the mental picture, reaffirm it audibly through prayer or chant."(Sabrina 2001)

     Next you may choose how to charge your crystal. The most popular and safest method is to charge under the full moon for a full night. Another method is to leave the crystal resting on selenite or a recently charged moonstone. Selenite does not need to be charged, and can charge other crystals.
     Other methods involve sunlight, candle light, sigils or orgasm. To charge in sunlight please be aware of your stones qualities and how sunlight can change its color or fade it. Candle light can be a great alternative to sunlight, make sure your candle is white for an overall intention, or use a color correspondence you wish to imbed your crystal with. Sigils can be drawn to charge crystals sittin ontop of them, and can even be used to charge with specific intention. Orgasms can be used to charge crystals kept under the bed or pillow, specifically those attracting love or fertility as their intention.

     While this seems like the last step, this guide was infacta circle. Your intentions when buying a crystal, and intentions when cleansing and charging are now what you will use your crystal for.
     If you're at a loss on what you would needa crystal for here are some general uses for crystals that are fully programmed and charged:
     Keeping a crystal charged with luck in your pocket can afford you a dat of good luck when you need it most. Crystals charged with beauty can be kept near a mirror to boost confidence. Crystals with the intention of protection can be kept by doors and windows to ward off negative energy when entering the home, or even kept in a vehicle to pretect passengers in travel. Crystals charged for any purpose can be used in rituals to boost the potency of a spell.
     Most importantly crystals only work when set with intentions and charged. Without these steps their full potential is lost, and they will hardely affect your daily life.