Crystal Grids for Beginners

What is a crystal grid? Simply put, it’s a shape made of crystals that amplify each other to support something in a person’s life.

Crystal grids for beginners may spring to mind graph paper with vertical and horizontal lines, straight and true, forming perfect rectangles. However, in the metaphysical world grids can be almost any geometric shape.

What is Gridding?

The process of creating and using grids is referred to as gridding. Creating one can be intricate and elaborate or simple. Regardless of the complexity, the foundation is the same — each type of grid has specific points of energy that are connected by invisible lines of energy.

“The grid represents a community of compatible and connected energies,” says Linda Cahan of Cahan & Company in Portland, Oregon (www. lindacahan.com). These compatible energies can be connected through the grid of the Feng Shui Bagua (energy map) or the shapes found in sacred geometry or be created by the person making the grid.

Grids of any shape can be used to help attract or manifest something such as abundance or love, get rid of negativity or even manifest a calm peaceful environment.

Whatever it is that you want to draw into your life adding rocks or crystals to the grid can enhance its effectiveness and power. Where the rocks are placed and what rocks are used depends on the type of grid and the intended action.

Types of Grids

Feng Shui Bagua – The Feng Shui Bagua is perhaps one of the oldest and most formal types of grids. The Bagua is typically an octagon or rectangle comprised of eight outer sections surrounding a center section. It serves as a map or guide of a home, business or property with each of the eight sections tied to a specific area of a person’s life. These areas are wealth and prosperity, health and family, knowledge and self-cultivation, love and marriage, creativity and children, helpful people and travel, fame, reputation, and career.

Sacred Geometry – Another source of grids, sacred geometry is based on several repeating patterns found throughout nature. It is believed these patterns form the basis of all life.

Like the Bagua, the shapes in sacred geometry are believed to have specific meanings. For example, Metatron’s cube is associated with balance and harmony as well as healing and protection. The flower of life is a symbol of spiritual growth and awakening while the tree of life represents spiritual transformation, strength, growth and fertility.

Unlike the Bagua, the uses of these patterns are more flexible. Experts in sacred geometry encourage users to follow their intuition. If you feel drawn to a particular shape, then use that shape as the base for your grid.

DIY Grids – It is also possible to create a unique grid based on individual needs and wants. Garden isn’t performing? Try creating a grid over and around the garden.

Need to concentrate more at work? Create a grid encompassing the office space and add agates, citrine and hematite to improve concentration and focus.

What Stones to Use

Stones, crystals and gems are an integral part of any metaphysical grid.

Take the time to carefully select rocks that have properties that align with a specific intention.

This step is critical and shouldn’t be rushed.

Users must be able to clearly articulate their intention for their grid.

It’s important to be specific.

Intentions such as seeking protection are too general. A more specific intention would be seeking protection from geopathic stress. In that case, consider shungite, smokey quartz or amazonite. Protection from crime means that sardonyx is a better option.

Want to attract love? Lavender amethyst, ruby or morganite are good options. Overcoming heartache? Consider adding rose quartz to the grid.

Facing a lawsuit or other legal matter? Options could be amethyst (protection), hematite (beneficial for legal situations) and tourmaline (personal protection).

Crystal grids typically include a large stone or tower in the center.

Quartz and amethyst are common choices, but be sure the center stone supports and amplifies the purpose of the grid.

Because it is believed that stones hold energy, it’s important to clean stones before use to remove any unwanted or residual energy. Some people will smudge their stones while others prefer to set the stones outside during a full moon. Polished stones, can be placed with a piece of tumbled carnelian.

The natural vibration of the carnelian works to cleanse and energize other stones.

How to Create & Use a Grid

Using the FengShui approach requires a picture or diagram of the Bagua. Mentally place the Bagua over the area that will be gridded. For example, visualize your home and superimpose the Bagua over it. Divide the house into nine sections. The front door is generally in the knowledge, career or helpful people section. The far left corner of the house becomes the wealth and prosperity area, the far right is the love and marriage area and so on. Also, place one stone in each of the four corners. Always point the crystals toward the center of the house.

For a sacred geometry grid, it is helpful to have a physical template to follow. Numerous online sources sell wooden or cloth templates. Some offer paper templates to print.

When not using the Bagua, crystal grids can be placed nearly anywhere, even on a shelf, table or desk. Set the stones along the lines of the pattern. The template can be gently slid out from under the stones or left in place. Having the pattern in your mind when the grid is activated will incorporate that pattern into your grid.

Jennifer Rose, a holistic life coach (jrosehealthcoach.com) and avid gardener lives in the southwest. Gardening in the desert isn’t easy, so she created a grid over and around her raised garden beds. She put shungite on each of the four corner posts. On the side rails, she has quartz, mahogany obsidian, chalcedony and petrified wood. In the center of each bed she added a large piece of shungite. The result? Healthier more robust plants and a higher yield. Theresa Wolf-Silva, the owner of WhisperedHealings.com, uses stones to create a grid for protection and grounding.

She places tourmaline, clear crystal quartz, and carnelian in each of four small flower pots. She then places the pots in the four corners of her yard to grid her home.

Align Chakras

Gridding can also be used to support or align chakras. Chakras are energy centers in the human, animal or plant body. These energy centers interact with the physiological, neurological and energetic systems. There are seven main chakras, each is a specific color. These colors are then associated with a crystal or stone of the same or similar color.

For example, the crown chakra is purple or violet so amethyst or purple sapphire will work with the crown chakra. Each chakra is associated with several different stones.

With a clear intention, select the stones to support it. To align all the chakras, set a stone for each chakra. A purple sapphire for the crown chakra, lapis lazuli for the third eye, rose quartz for the heart chakra and so on.

A grid can be created as a person is lying down and the stones are placed around the body about a hand’s width away but not touching. A shape or pattern from sacred geometry can also be used with stones that support the chakras.

Once activated, grids can stay in place for as long as a person would like. Some people grid their house once and never change it.

Others find it helpful to refresh or recharge the grid. Either way, be sure to clean the stones periodically.

This story about crystal grids for beginners appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Kris McElhinney.