Cleansing Your Crystals

Just as we can pick up the energy around us from people, events, or situations, so can crystals. When you first acquire a crystal, regardless of how you acquired it, you will need to cleanse it of any energy that does not align with its natural vibration. By releasing the absorbed energy that does not align, the crystal will be better able to hold a vibrational frequency that is its natural energetic state.

These are some of the techniques I use for clearing and cleansing my crystals:

 

Smudging

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Smudging involves lighting some type of plant, known for its cleansing properties. Every culture has their preference for smudge, I like white sage either loose or in a wrapped bundled sage stick. (See '14 Day Spiritual Practice Challenge for how to smudge).

You light the smudge and let the smoke encircle the crystal(s). Sometimes I use a sieve and place the crystals in it, allowing the smudge smoke to encircle and work its way through the crystals by holding the smudge underneath the sieve. Then I rotate the sieve in a circular motion getting the smoke to get all over the crystals. This is a good way of ensuring you are smudging the entire circumference of the crystal(s).

 

Singing Bowl Cleansing

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Singing bowl tones cleanse your crystals as well. The sound resonance will help the crystal release any energy that does not align with its natural energy and purpose. It does not matter whether the bowls are crystal or brass. The cleansing comes from the vibration reverberating through the crystal itself, shaking loose any energies that are not its true innate natural energy frequency.

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When I do this, I place the crystal inside the singing bowl. Then I activate the singing bowl, I use a root chakra singing bowl because it is so grounding, and it is my largest bowl so I can fit bigger pieces into it. Then as I play, I just allow the vibrations to build slowly, clearing any misaligned energies in the crystal. I usually play the bowl for about one minute or so.

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You can test the energy of the crystal just by picking it up and feeling its vibration. Sometimes the crystals feel physically lighter, but almost always I notice they have a higher vibration in my hand. If you decide to try this, get a sense of how the crystal feels before you use the singing bowl and after you have finished using it.

 

Salt Water

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Fill a bowl with salt water, allowing the water to reach room temperature. Immerse the crystal in the salt water.2 You do not have to leave the crystals in the salt water for long before they are cleansed.

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NOTE:  Some crystals can be damaged by salt and/or water. Some crystals are soft and porous, containing metals or have a water content and should not be soaked in salt water. See ‘Crystals Not to Cleanse with Water or Salt List’ later in this section.

 

Spring or Distilled Water

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Crystals that can be cleared with water can be placed in a bowl of spring water or distilled water for up to seven hours to cleanse them.2  Again, you do not want to soak crystals that have an existing water content or are porous or dissolve in water.

 

Himalayan Rock or Sea Salt

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One of my teachers taught me about using a small bowl with rock salt for cleansing crystals. You just immerse the crystal(s) within the rock salt and completely cover the crystal. Let the crystals sit for at least four hours and then discard the salt when finished. Again, refer to the “Crystals Not to Cleanse with Water or Salt List” to prevent damage to your crystals by cleansing them in salt.

 

Sunlight and Moonlight

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You can place your crystals in a windowsill or outside if the weather is conducive for a day or two allowing your crystals to absorb light rays of the sun and moon. This has two purposes, first it clears the crystals’ energies and helps to restore its natural energetic balance. Secondly, it helps to recharge the crystal’s energy.

 

NOTE:

Be aware that some stones, such as amethyst or fluorite will fade in sunlight and moonlight, so be aware of the effects of light when cleansing your crystals with natural sun or moonlight. The more vibrant and colorful a crystal is, the more likely it is that it will fade in the sun or moonlight, over time.

 

Using Crystals to Cleanse Crystals

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Large pieces of amethyst, quartz clusters, kyanite and citrine can all be used to cleanse other crystals by placing them next to the crystal(s) you want cleansed. Even better if the cleansing crystal is large enough, place the crystal to be charged directly on top of the amethyst, quartz, kyanite or citrine.

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Plant and Earth Cleansing

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I use this technique a lot during the winter months when the ground is frozen and covered in snow. Just place the crystals you want to clear in the dirt of a planter pot at home. Leave it in the planter pot over night to help it clear any energies that are not aligned to its natural energy vibration.

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If the weather is nice and you have a spot in the garden, you can place them on top of the garden dirt for clearing and cleansing. If the crystal has a terminated point, put the crystal with its point facing down into the dirt. Otherwise just laying the crystal on top of the dirt and leaving it there for twelve to twenty-four hours should be enough time to cleanse your crystals.

 

Crystals Not to Cleanse with Water or Salt

There are some crystals that you should never use any type of water or salt to cleanse. These crystals are soft, delicate, and porous and the water and/or salt would damage or completely dissolve the crystal. 

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The following list of crystals should never be cleansed with water or salt:

·      Any Raw or Uncut Stone

·      Amber

·      Angelite

·      Azurite

·      Calcite

·      Fire Opal

·      Imperial Topaz

·      Kyanite

·      Kunzite

·      Malachite

·      Moonstone

·      Opal

·      Red Coral

·      Selenite