In my last blog post I talked about Selenite and explained how it is one of the higher vibrational crystals that cleanses and recharges itself. (Check that out here.) Now I want to talk about some other ways to cleanse and re-charge your crystals! Before I get to that, just a word about why we cleanse crystals!
Whether you use your crystals for meditations, healing or simply have them on display for beautification of your space, crystals need to be cleansed periodically because they absorb a variety of energy that is around them – and this, of course, includes negative energy! Their use will help determine how often you cleanse them, but especially important is to cleanse them when you first bring them home. After all, you have no idea where they have been, who has handled them or how they were treated prior to getting to you – so a clear start is always a good beginning! You don’t want your new crystals to pollute the ones you already have, plus it is important that any crystals you use for healing are cleaned so that their energy does not transfer to the next time you use them.
Here are some different ways to cleanse your crystals and some pros and cons! If you would like this information for yourself, as a pdf table, just connect with me!
Sunlight
Sunlight can be used to cleanse your crystals by setting them in the sun. Early morning or late evening sun is the least harsh, and I would leave them only a few minutes. Many people recommend this method, however, I do not as I do not want to crystals to fade if I can avoid it. Note: Some people feel that cleansing crystals in the moonlight is also an option, however, the moon’s energy as much gentler and I do not feel it clears away the negativity as well as the sun does.
The Sun is usually a readily available resource and is free. Another bonus is that when the weather is not conducive to be outside, you can cleanse your crystals by simply setting them in a sunny area.
Crystals exposed to UV rays, especially harsh sunlight, can fade. This is especially noticeable with Amethyst, and other pink and purple hued crystals. These include amethyst, aquamarine, aventurine, beryl, citrine, kunzite, rose quartz, sapphire and smokey quartz. It can occur over long term, or repeated exposure. Crystals such as fluorite may also shatter and break more easily after sun exposure which also creates problems.
Sound
Using singing bowls, tuning forks, drums, gongs, chimes, vocal toning and even music can cleanse your crystals. The sound of makes the molecules in the crystals move (vibrate) and when the sound stops, the crystals returns to its original state. In most instances, louder sounds are also better as they impact the crystal molecules ore strongly then soft sounds.
Some of these items are expensive to purchase, but others are not. Learning to use vocal toning can also help you personally to increase your aptitude for meditation as well as create healing within your own physical form. While not everyone recommends music, I think it can be effective as long as you are part of the process – not simply turning on music and leaving the room!
The most difficult part of using sound is to make sure that the tones you use work with those crystals you want to cleanse. Not everyone believes that specific tones work for specific crystals, but I have found that higher vibrational crystals do need higher vibrational tones for cleansing.
Salt/No Contact Salt
Salt is a common household item that can be used but is one that I personally don’t advise. The salt will absorb the negative energies that your crystals have taken into them themselves, and then the salt must be discarded and not used for anything else.
This is a very inexpensive method and the no contact method is quite simple and provides good results. Instead o burying the crystal directly in the sale, you bury a second glass containing your crystals inside the container of salt – so no crystals are touched by the salt!
I do find it to be wasteful of salt and making sure the salt is disposed of properly means taking it outside and allowing it to become one with the earth. This is not always possible depending on your living situation. Direct contact with salt can create issues with some stones and it should not be used with porous, or metal-based stones or stones that have a higher water content. These include lapis lazuli, malachite, pyrite and hematite. It should also not be used with stones that it may scratch such as opal (which also has a high-water content). As well, you will want to brush or rinse off the salt … which brings me to water…
Water
Water can be a good way to cleanse crystals physically, however, it also does not work for all crystals an so you must know which ones are water soluble so as not to ruin them.
When possible, if I am going to use water at all, I prefer to use “live” water – in a stream, river, or larger water body, or even using rain water.
Water soluble crystals can crumble with repeated exposure and be ruined. You don’t want to use water on any really sift stones either so make sure none are below 4 on the Mohs scale.
Soil
Soil is another natural way to cleanse crystals. You can bury them in soil and allow Mother Earth to transmute any negativity from the crystal back into the earth when it is neutralized.
Of course, digging a hole is free, and Mother Earth doesn’t mind her babies coming back to her, but you will want to take an additional step of cleaning them (physically) when you remove them from the earth.
Since rain/water and salt are also part of the earth, this method may not always be the right choice depending on the type of crystals you are wanting to cleanse. (See the above for salt and water issues.) if you are like me, you might even forget where you have put them 😊
Thought Energy/Reiki
If you are trained in Reiki or know someone who is, this is a great option. It is much like using your thought energy to cleanse your crystals, where you simply envision the crystal being surrounded by white cleansing light and picture all of its negativity being drawn out and purified by the light.
Since there is nothing here but energy, it is an extremely safe way to go about cleansing your crystals.
If you are not familiar with Reiki, it can be a little expensive to take a class, but it is well worth it since it has many uses other than cleansing crystals!
Smoke
Many people commonly use smudge to cleanse their crystals and there are some really good advantages to doing this. Simply light your chosen type of smudge stick and call in your helpers, asking them to help you remove any negativity from the crystals. Gently move the smoke around and across the crystals a few times.
Materials for smudging are relatively easy to find and inexpensive. It is simple to do and effective. You can even gather your own materials and crate your own smudge sticks if you wish or use any of these: sage, sweetgrass, sandalwood, cedarwood, juniper, palo santo etc. Even incense and dried herbs/flowers can be used!
Not all people and especially some pets/animals can be around smoke, so it is important to be aware that health issues may result in the use of this. However, most of the time, it is knowing what type of smudge is creating the issue and choosing a different type!
Now just a quick note about charging your crystals. It is my belief that you really do not need to charge your crystals unless you are not cleaning them properly. As long as your crystals are vibrating at their natural frequency, they are charged and do not need to absorb more energy. When we use crystals in healing or at any time they have absorbed some negativity, it is important they are cleansed fully as they rejuvenate and are “re-set” back to their original vibration. It is much like a radio station that is experiencing a form of interference – once the interference is gone, the station returns to its regular frequency. Programming or setting an intention with your crystal is quite different from this and I covered a lot about that in my post on crystal grids!