Crystals and Energy
Crystals take on our energy, cleansing them allows us to clear them of the energy and allows them to work at their full potential. However it is not just our energy getting stuck to them, it is the energy of people that have picked them up before. For example, if you have a crystal that you have just brought from a shop it has all the energy of people picking it up before you brought it! Lets say it was a Howlite tumble, it’s stress reliving properties will be clouded by all the people that have touched it in the shop, everyone is full of their own stress and is off loading unknowingly onto the crystal. Hence that feeling of calm that you get when you leave a crystal shop, some of the stones could have absorbed your feelings. In addition crystals can need cleansing more frequently when they are in a stressful environment/area. For example if you suffer with high stress or anxiety and keep an amethyst tumble in your pocket it will need more cleansing than an amethyst tumble that is placed in your room and not picked up much.
When should I cleanse my crystals?
Now you may be feeling overwhelmed and concerned about how your energy is affecting your crystals, you could be feeling you should clean them everyday. This is not the case, it is up to you when and how much you cleanse them, once you are more used to having and using crystals you will get used to when they need a good cleanse. Some people cleanse once a month and others more often and some people even less, it is up to you and what works for you. An incite that they are needing some looking after could be that you can physically see that they are dusty. Or your green aventurine that you carry with you could need cleansing if you are not feeling as optimistic or lucky as you did when you first brought it. If you are having big changes in your life you may want to cleanse your crystals. This can feel like a fresh start and can clear your mind to focus on the new and positive parts that the changes are bringing. You can always think about how you would like to work with them after they are cleansed. For example if you have a test coming up you may want to cleanse your sodalite to help you focus. Cleansing your crystal can become part of setting your intentions with your crystal.
Ways of cleansing your crystals:
Water
You can cleanse your crystals in running water, streams, rivers, oceans or if those aren’t practical for you running water from a tap. If you are using water it is really special if you can use moon charged water, when there is a full moon leave a jar of water outside in the moonlight and the next day you can use this water to cleanse your crystals and it will have all the added energy of the moon. Hold them in the water and imagine the crystals being cleansed of the energy attached to them, for a running tap around 2 minutes per crystal. Feel grateful while washing them, thank them for the support they have given you and ask for the support you are needing. Do your research before using water though as some crystals are water soluble and should never go in water. Some crystals that do not get along with water are fluorite, selenite, hematite, pyrite, malachite and apatite. As you can see from the list it’s usually crystals ending in ‘ite’.
Moonlight
There are normally 12 (sometimes 13) full moons in a year and these are very powerful times for Wiccans, spiritual people and even cleansing crystals. The moon has energy when the moon is full that is when it’s energy is strongest. I see full moons as a fresh start as it is always good to go into the new month with a positive mindset and a clean space, this includes our crystals! To take advantage of the moons extraordinary full moon energy simply collect all your crystals and place them outside where they will come into contact with the moonlight. If you do not have a garden, you could ask if you could use a friends, or take your crystals with you to an open space and allow them to receive some moonlight there. However the longer you can leave them the more cleansed they will be. When doing this method be careful of thieves (people and birds!) so get them in as soon as you wake up.
Sunlight
You can also recharge and cleanse your crystals in the sunlight, leave them in the sun for at least a couple of hours and let them soak up the suns energy. This is a great method for crystals that really need a powerful cleanse as the sun literally gives life and is oh so powerful. It makes sense sense as sunlight is much brighter than moonlight, so will have a stronger more awakening effect. However similar to moonlight there are some crystals that do not get along well with the sun, some can crack, break, lose colour and some crystals can even be a conductor of heat and could cause a fire. Never put amethyst, apatite, citrine, opal, smoky quartz, topaz and calcite in the sun to name a few. Undertake proper research before using sunlight to cleanse crystals. However for the sun safe crystals simply place them in the sun for a couple of hours and allow them to soak up the suns radiant energy. Do not forget to take them back in and be sure to get them in if there is a change in the weather.
Incense
Smoke cleanses the energy from your crystals, there are so many different types of incense, from the shape, be it cones or sticks, to the scents which can be anything from identifiable scents like frankincense to names like romance and fortune which are made up of lots of different scents combined. You can use whatever scent you like but some scents do have certain properties, like cedar is great for warding off negative energies and lavender is great for calming. So it depends what you would like to coat your crystals in or you can simply choose based on smell. In the Wicca faith certain herbs are beneficial at different times of the year and you can follow the Wiccan guide on what scents to use. However my general recommendations for crystal cleansing are sandalwood, meditation, reiki and traditional ayurveda. To use incense to cleanse your crystals simply light a stick of incense and one by one pick up your crystals and move the burning end around the crystal. Repeat until you have cleansed all the crystals requiring cleansing. Alternatively light a incense cone in the centre of your crystals and let the smoke drift freely around the crystals, to be more purposeful with incense cones hold each crystal above the smoke in turn. With incense be careful as it can be a fire hazard.
Earth
So unless crystals are man made they come from Mother Earth, so it only makes sense that by putting them back in the Earth you can recharge and cleanse them. This method is very fun and hands on, simply dig a hole and bury your crystals. Leave them their for at least a few days, weeks would be even better, you can even time it with the moon cycle and bury them during a new moon and unearth them on the full moon. Just be careful with this method as you do not want to forget where you have buried them! Mark the area with something that you will not forget. When you are ready and uncover them simply wash the dirt off and they will be beautifully charged with Mother Earths amazing vibes.
Other Crystals
So as you know crystals have specific properties but did you know certain crystals can cleanse other crystals. The main one being selenite. This amazing crystal has the power to cleanse other crystals and purify them. Selenite is a beautiful crystal in itself but this benefit is one of the reasons you can buy it in bowls, plates, wands and lamps. Your crystals that need cleansing can be placed on the plates or in the bowls and left there for a few hours or overnight and then when we need them they will be cleansed and refreshed ready to go. Geodes are also amazing if you are lucky enough to have a large one you can place your tumbles or smaller crystals inside the geode and the geode will cleanse the crystals.
Sound
Sound is a very powerful healer as you will know if you have ever been to a sound healing bath and sound can be used to cleanse your crystals. Be it singing bowls, chanting, drumming, gongs or Tibetan bells. Simply use these items next to or around your crystals that you wish to cleanse. In your mind picture the cleansing of the crystals and enjoy the process as this is a beautiful method and can give healing to yourself as well. If you do not have any singing bowls or drums this is not an issue, you can use your phone or laptop and on YouTube there is a whole host of amazing videos of these different sound processes that you can play to cleanse your crystals.
Conclusion
I hope this has opened your mind to crystal cleansing and it is not as daunting as it felt before this blog. You can cleanse your crystals in whatever way you wish and what works for you this is just some of my favourite methods. Your connection with your crystals is special and any bonds you have created will not be removed by cleansing them. Enjoy cleansing your crystals it is a practice that is about you and your healing and is time for you to show yourself some love by looking after your crystals.
