making gem and
crystal essences

sacred circle
"Sacred Circle" Photo © Mark Brittain 2006:

This page will give some information regarding the use of minerals, crystals and gems to make vibrational essences and the current (at 2010) UK Laws that relate to production and labelling of ANY essences that are NOT solely for personal use and/or consumption. We believe that anyone making gem, crystal or other essences that include minerals should have an understanding of the nature of subtle energies and how they affect the physical and non-physical bodies, as well as at the very least a basic knowledge of working with and using crystals and minerals for healing and/or meditation. Anyone making essences especially needs to know about the crystals and minerals they are using from the point of view of their hardness (and solubility) and toxicity (thus their safety and suitability for use).

N.B: If you wish to copy ANY of our website's material please read the "copyright notice" at the foot of this page.

first, some rules & regulations:

ESSENCES NOT FOR SOLE PERSONAL USE:

If you make essences for sale or public consumption (i.e. for anyone's use other than yourself) then you are subject to Regulations and Laws that affect how and where they are produced, bottled, advertised and sold. The website for the British Association for Flower Essence Producers has some useful information that also applies to producing gem essences in such cases: they point out that... "Essences that are intended or may be used internally are treated as foods. As such they are subject to food production laws (Health & Safety: Food Hygiene) and food labelling laws (DEFRA Regulations)"... Follow this link for a page that gives more guidelines on essence production, and see also the next paragraph below regarding other regulations and labelling advice.

REGULATIONS GOVERNING ESSENCE PRODUCTION (UK):

Flower and other vibrational essences that are for ingestion are treated as foods and are subject to food production laws (Health & Hygiene) and labelling law (DEFRA regulations). If you don't label your essences as 'external use only' ingestion will be assumed. However, 'external use only' suggests a cosmetic use and more regulations may apply, including a requirement to have an independent laboratory analysis of what has been produced.

LABELLING:
The (UK) Food Labelling Regulations 1996, Document 1499 gives the following guidance on what must be included on labels:

In 2004 extra guidelines were agreed as follows:

now, MAKING GEM / CRYSTAL ESSENCES:

One book you might find useful to help you understand more is "Gem Water" by Michael Gienger and Joachim Goebel, ISBN: 978-1-84409-131-7. This contains some information about "How to prepare and use more than 130 crystal waters for therapeutic treatments". This book shows more ways of using crystals and minerals through the medium of water: bear in mind that this book is from Germany and Laws there may differ from ours in the UK.

MATERIALS YOU NEED TO MAKE GEM ESSENCES:

Lots of thought and care needs to go into selecting all the materials you use to make your essences - everything that comes into direct or indirect contact with the water (the element that will hold the resonance of your essence) has the potential to affect and enhance (OR detract from!) the end product. It is also imperative that every item you use is as pure as it can be and in tune with the end product you wish to produce - and the uses to which it will be put. High levels of physical and energetic hygiene are imperative throughout.

Crystal(s):

Obviously you need crystals or minerals! You should always check their suitability for use by looking up their solubility and toxicity in a decent mineral resource book. Any minerals not suitable for placing directly within water may be still be used in an essence through what is known as the INDIRECT method: simply place them inside a separate glass jar or bowl and then place that into your main essence-making bowl, so that the water surrounds the inner bowl but cannot enter it - thus the resonance / vibration of the mineral can be transferred to the water without allowing its actual mineral content (and toxicity) to pass into the finished essence.
Select your crystals: if you only want the vibration of a specific crystal etc. (e.g. Herkimer Diamond) within your essence then a single stone is sufficient - less really IS more! If you want to use a combination of crystals you should ensure you fully understand what properties this combination will produce - and this means checking carefully the attributes that EACH mineral will bring to your essence and then how they will work in a synergistic combination. This can be achieved through journeying or meditation with each mineral individually and then in the combination you want to use.
NEVER over complicate things! When creating essence mixes it is often best (and most cost effective) to mix them AFTER they have each been made as a single Mother Bottle/Stock Bottle, rather than making a Mother Bottle/Stock Bottle from more than one mineral. This also means that what you create can have more versatility. You should always ensure that all the crystals etc. that you wish to use in your essence are happy to do this task - it is ALWAYS polite to ask! Finally make sure that all crystals etc. you are going to use have been physically AND energetically cleansed before you begin, and that they are of their "own pure consciousness": dowsing is a useful method of finding out if they are "ready, willing and able" to be used in your essence.

Bowl:

You will need a container to make your essence in. Bear in mind that EVERYTHING about your container (and in fact everything that comes into direct AND indirect contact with the water you use to hold the energy of the crystals) has the potential to affect the resonance of the essence you produce. The best container to use, if you want to add as little influence to the waters as possible, is a plain clear glass bowl. You may also choose to use a plain Quartz Crystal Bowl (made from crushed quartz crystal), or a container fashioned directly from quartz, which will amplify and help charge the waters and add its own resonance relevant to the note it is tuned to (where applicable). Note however that this too will add to / affect your end product and how you might use it.
Some people use decorated, patterned, wooden or metal bowls: but bear in mind again that each will add its own resonance to the essence you produce. Whatever you choose make sure it is both physically AND energetically cleansed before you begin.
NOTE: we do not advise using a cut-glass / lead-crystal bowls for obvious reasons.

Water:

Water is the element that will hold the vibration of the minerals etc. that will form the Mother Bottle/Stock Bottle from which your essences will be made. What you choose to use is therefore very important, although its nature will depend on the end result you are looking for! Some people recommend using distilled water (obtainable from a chemists) as it has the least possible influences within it. I prefer not to use this as, to me, this is "dead" water. I also prefer not to use tap water for obvious reasons. Therefore I feel one of the best mediums is Spring Water. You might choose to use bottled water from a shop, which should be contaminant free, but if you do so it is advisable to only use water bottled in GLASS bottles, as plastic can add undesirable resonances to the water. Note that if the bottle is made of coloured glass this too will affect the vibration of the water - which could be a positive thing, if you have taken the effect of colour onto the end product into account!
I prefer to use natural Spring water, collected by hand from source. Of course this too adds complications: the nature of the area where the water flows from and the "feel" of the place where you collect it all will affect the nature of your essence. For example, some essence makers use Chalice Well water from Glastonbury - for me this has a more masculine energy and is quite "strong" - also I no longer would choose to use this water, as I know that the energies of Glastonbury are not as Pure as they once were. I draw water for some of my essences from the Silver Well at Cerne Abbas - for me this is more feminine in energy and much "softer". It is always a good idea to spend a little time by the source of the water you are thinking about using if you collect your own, meditating and communing with the Guardian of the waters to find out how the waters may resonate with the purpose to which you wish to put them. Etiquette also means you should offer some sort of energy exchange for the waters you take - traditionally a coin or similar - to give thanks for the Elementals' and Guardian's gift. Whatever water you collect should preferably be collected in glass bottles and later filtered to remove small particles (through a cotton or muslin cloth) before use. Strictly speaking it should also be purified but I have always found that natural Spring water always keeps much better than shop bought or tap water! I also feel that such a small amount of the waters ends up in the essences, which are also preserved in alcohol, that on balance doing so should not be necessary, especially where they are not for internal use.

THE PROCESS:

THE FIRST STAGE of the process of making an essence is to place your prepared crystals into your cleansed container(s) [See note above about the "Indirect Method" if minerals might be toxic] and add enough of your chosen water to cover them. The bowl should then be placed outdoors, preferably in a space that has been cleansed and set aside for this sacred purpose, or at a location that is relevant to the essence you wish to produce - some people travel to sacred places around the planet to make their essences, but ensure you know that the place you have chosen is energetically clean!
You can choose to make your essence during daylight, using the energies of the Sun; at night under a Full Moon, using the energies of the Moon; or at night at Dark Moon, using the energies of the Stars. Again, your choice of time of day to energise the waters will depend on the end result you wish to achieve. I usually dowse to determine the hours between which my bowl needs to be outside.
For cleanliness sake I also cover my bowl with a clear plain sheet of glass, to avoid debris or bugs falling in and contaminating the water! You should also be aware that the material the bowl rests upon can influence the finished product, so think carefully about whether you want it to rest on grass, stone, wood, or even a coloured cloth and/or a picture, symbol, written affirmation or statement. Many of my essences included both colour and words or symbols within their energies! I also often choose to set up a grid of crystals around the bowl, to support and enhance the energies forming within it, but again you need to sure of why you are using them and what energy field you are creating.

THE NEXT STAGE of the process is to bring your bowl indoors and take it to a space you have energetically cleared - ideally a space should be set aside for the sole purpose of making and bottling your essences: in fact if you produce them to sell this is often a requirement within Law! All equipment you use (bottles, jugs, funnels etc) MUST be cleaned and sterilised (and energetically cleansed!) as well.
A Mother Bottle/Stock Bottle is then prepared from the water. You will need to obtain glass bottles for this purpose - bear in mind again that the colour you choose will affect the end result: I always use brown glass for my Mother Bottles, and fit an integral dropper top. Then carefully half fill the bottle with your choice of preservative: this is normally alcohol, although some people use vinegar if they cannot use or tolerate alcohol. Most people use a high %age proof brandy: I use vodka as the preservative in my Mother Bottles, choosing one that is as high in alcohol as brandy, because I want my essences to be used as auric sprays and vodka has no aroma, unlike brandy.
The bottle should then be topped up with the water you have charged, and the bottle capped and sealed. This is your MOTHER BOTTLE/Stock Bottle and is the stock from which the final product is made. This is NOT used directly, but is always diluted during the secondary / final process. Any excess water I return to the Earth, with a prayer of thanks.

THE LAST STAGE is to bottle your essence for use as a tincture. Once again use glass bottles and choose the colour carefully. If making essences to take internally you will need to get small bottles that have an integral dropper or pipette: these bottles tend to be brown. If making essences for spraying through the aura you can get various sized and coloured bottles if you shop around, with a choice of coloured tops that have a spray nozzle and delivery tube.
Whichever bottle you choose should be filled to the required quantity with plain water as a base: again your choice of water and its source is up to you (see "Water" section above). I also often use Essential Oil Hydrolats instead of water, to provide my auric sprays with a distinctive aroma. Sometimes these need dilution if they are too intense. I don't recommend using essential oils alone as these never disperse fully through the water and can clog up the nozzle unless you use another agent to hold them in solution, which usually makes the end product not fully natural. Obviously you would not use any hydrolats or essential oils in any essences being taken internally!
Next you add a small number of drops from the Mother Bottle/Stock Bottle: using a disposable pipette to avoid cross contamination is the easiest way to do this, if your Mother Bottle has not been fitted with a dropper top. The number of drops you use is up to you - I often choose a sacred number such as 7 or 11. You do not need many - LESS really IS more! (just as with Homeopathic remedies).
Finally your essence should have a preservative added. I use a natural product called Citricidal™ (grapefruit seed extract) as a preservative, to keep the ingredients as natural as possible - this is also usually safe for internal use, but must be shown on the label. I add the same number of drops that I added from the Mother Bottle/Stock Bottle. Lastly cap and seal each bottle and gently shake it to mix the contents, then label it* and store with care (*see notes above regarding labelling laws).
NOTE: When storing your product it is best to only have bottles of the same essence touching each other, as energies can be transferred between bottles. Also choose a cool and dark place to ensure the product remains preserved for as long as possible. Most essences if carefully prepared with attention to cleanliness at every stage will last for ages, and the Mother Bottles even more so. I have Mother Bottles that are 10 years old that are fine, and auric essences that are 7 years old and still clear and safe to use. If the contents of the bottles smell "off" or mouldy, or if a sediment or black particulates begin to form within the bottle you will need to throw it away. Always sterilise bottles if you wish to reuse them: I always throw old caps and spray nozzles away, and never reuse them as they always retain an element of the essence they were first used for.

USING GEM ESSENCES:

If using your essences as an auric treatment through the spraying method, the essence is used directly from the atomiser and simply sprayed above the head and through the aura, taking care not to spray any directly into contact with the eyes or mouth.
If making essences for internal use, the usual method is to dilute your tincture/remedy once more from that made during the last stage (above), by placing a small number of drops within a glass of water, and then drinking it at intervals throughout the day, or as required: I would dowse for the number of drops, but the total need rarely exceed 5 drops per dose. Alternatively, make up a dosage bottle* with water and drops as above, and use it neat or diluted as need be. If you do this the dosage bottle should be kept in the fridge, as it will not have a preservative within, and be used within 5 days, any excess after that time being thrown away. It is also possible to use the remedy/tincture neat by placing one drop upon / beneath the tongue, making sure you do not touch the dropper or contaminate it in any way. Similarly the neat remedies/tinctures may be added (a few drops only) into bath water and used to treat the auric field in that way.
*Dosage bottles, if made, should be clearly labelled with their contents and directions for use.

GOOD LUCK - AND HAPPY ESSENCE MAKING!

COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
We have copyrighted all material that we have created on these pages (which is ALL of it except where otherwise given credit). You may freely use any of it for private or personal use only, BUT if you wish to use ANY of our copyrighted material OR photographs for publication or as printed or electronic reproduction in ANY shape or form, including copying it to other internet pages or websites, we require that you FIRSTLY contact us for permission. We will then (normally) give you written consent, which will stipulate the extent of the material you may use along with the proviso that you FULLY credit us and this website as the source of your information and also create a web link back to our site.

LEGAL STUFF:
Note that essences / remedies are a complementary remedy and should not take the place of prescribed medicines. Always consult your Doctor where there is a medical need. Please note also that the information given above are guidelines only, written according to our personal findings, and Inner Light are not responsible for their use or their application by others.
"It is our responsibility to point out that our work as writers, teachers and facilitators is a personal expression of our Spiritual beliefs and practices and presents our interpretation of the knowledge and understanding we have gained over many years. Through our work we offer an opportunity to share our personal experience with others and to facilitate the possibility for individuals working with the information we supply to recognise their own potential. Any advice or guidance we give on these pages should be followed only if an individual chooses to do so of their own free will and we acknowledge and honour each person's right to discern if they wish to embrace within their lives the things we offer, or not." Hilary and Mark; 8/7/2008.

(This statement is willingly made to uphold the legal requirement of the Consumer Protection Regulations (2007) that incorporates an "Unfair Commercial Practices Directive", which means that from 2008 all Mediums, Healers, Psychics and any other Spiritual services will become subject to consumer law.)