20 Jan 2018

As discussed in an earlier post (see here) crystals have the ability to register a wide range of vibrations, from electricity and magnetism, to sound, emotions and thoughts. Over time energetic imbalances from factors such as strong negative emotions or electromagnetic pollution can accumulate within a crystal and end up being amplified within you or your environment. No matter how beautiful the crystal is, you may sense that it feels lifeless, dull or unpleasant in some way and it could be that all it needs is just a bit of TLC to bring it back to it’s pure and vibrant self. Here is a little on this...

When crystals come into your possession and especially before you start working with them, it is vital that you cleanse them physically and energetically. On their long road to you they would have collected and stored many vibrations and memories from people and places, both positive and negative, which can very easily be passed on or intensified within you. For example, if you where given a piece of crystal jewellery from a close relative who wore this piece often, think about all the emotions and situations they would have experienced while wearing it. Or perhaps, while a crystal was sitting in the shop, think of all the people who may have handled that particular piece. Do you really want to be carrying all their emotional “baggage” on top of your own? I know I wouldn’t (I have enough of my own thank you! ).

My personal understanding is that crystals can eventually dissipate imbalances due to their natural coherence within their lattice structure however it takes a period of time. Using cleansing techniques speeds up this process dramatically and ensures that only positive energy is present – which is what we want, especially in all healing situations.

Another thing to keep in mind is that your crystals may require a re-charge. Think of them as like a rechargeable battery – they need to be re-energised in order to be able to give more to you. A crystal that has been re-energised will emit much stronger frequencies than those that are not on a full charge.

So how do you cleanse and re-energise your crystals? Below is a few different techniques which I personally find effective:

• Water – Hold the crystal under cold running water for several minutes and leave to dry naturally. As you cleanse, visualise the flow of water drawing away all imbalances and this will speed up the process. You may need to check mineral or crystal reference books to see which crystals can be placed in water as some are quite fragile and friable and may be damaged quite easily. It is advised to not use any detergents as this may also damage the crystal’s surface and leave a film on it which can affect their healing qualities.


• Salt water – Place the crystal in a glass bowl filled with sea water overnight. If sea water is not available, use approximately 2 tablespoons of sea salt or rock salt for every litre of water. This is very effective however can be difficult to remove all traces of salt from the tiny crevices in the crystal. Additionally salt can damage the surface of many softer crystals (such as selenite) so be sure to check the recommended care for your crystal first. Best not to use this method for crystal jewellery as the salt may damage the silver or metal used.


• Sea salt or rock salt – Pile dry sea salt or rock salt around each crystal and leave for a day to draw out negative energies. Make sure you throw the salt away after use.


• Sunlight and moonlight– Place in direct sunlight or the full moon’s light (not filtered through windows) for approximately 5 hours for a recharge. Be careful as over exposure to sunlight can fade some of the coloured crystals such as amethyst and citrine. Place under moonlight if unsure.


• Earth – Bury the crystal in clay or the earth for 1-7 days then rinse carefully with pure water. This is particularly effective to enliven a very tired crystal and is especially good for the darker stones, such as smoky quartz and black tourmaline. It is advisable to not do this for hematite or any of the metal-based crystals. Also be sure to mark the spot so you can find them easily again!


• Sound – Resonate sound from a singing bowl, tuning fork or bell rapidly vibrates the physical structure of the crystal and allows it to “shake off” any intrusive energies. Simply place the crystal inside the singing bowl while playing it, or hold the struck tuning fork or bell close to the stone.


• Smoke and smudging – Pass the crystal through smoke of a smudge stick with traditional cleansing herbs or incense smoke (eg. sandalwood, frankincense, juniper and sage are powerful purifying herbs). Ensure the smoke completely surrounds the crystal. I find this method to be the best for energetic cleansing and rapidly brings back the vibrancy and life into the crystal.


• Other crystals – There are a few crystals that are self cleansing and have the ability to cleanse other crystals. Crystals such as citrine, kyanite and azeztulite never require cleansing themselves (however I personally do cleanse them and notice the difference having done so). Clear quartz and carnelian also cleanse other crystals but often require cleansing themselves afterward. Simply surround your crystal with cleansing stones, or place on top of a large crystal cluster or crystal bed for at least a day.

There are also other ways of cleansing crystals such as visualisation of white light, reiki, essential oils or purpose made cleansers which are all just as effective however not methods that I am personally familiar with so will not go into further detail. At the end of the day, each cleansing method has it advantages and disadvantages and how you cleanse your crystal is ultimately up to you. What is important though is that you do get into a habit of cleansing your crystals regularly, especially if using them for healing, so that imbalances don’t accumulate over time and alter your crystal’s effectiveness.

The next post will discuss the different ways to use crystals to enhance your life, stay tuned :-)