When you acquire a new crystal it will have been handled by other people and stored in environments that may have allowed the crystal to absorb negative energy. In order for it to work best for you, it is important to cleanse your crystal before charging and programming it for use. If you miss the cleansing step, you might experience headaches or a feeling of heaviness, as the stone may be carrying negative energy from a time before it belonged to you. It may also be less effective and not work for what you intend. To ensure it works at optimum levels, read on for my guide on how to cleanse your crystals.
How to cleanse your crystals
There are many ways to cleanse crystals, including using the four elements: water, air, fire and earth. You can use one method or all four, if you wish. Whilst cleansing, hold in your mind the intention to release all negative and old energies from your stones and focus on the renewed energies being absorbed, to allow your crystals to work optimally for you.
Cleansing with water
To cleanse your crystals with water it is best to use fresh running water from a stream. You may also use sea water, but check first that your stone isn’t one that could be damaged by salty sea water. If you don’t have access to natural flowing water, you can use mineral water, but it is advised that you shouldn’t use tap water to cleanse crystals.
As you hold your crystals in the flowing water, focus your intentions on clearing them of the negative energies and allow them to become re-energised by visualising them surrounded by a white purifying light. Some people choose to say a few words too to help the cleansing process, but do whatever feels most comfortable to you.
Cleansing with air
To use air to cleanse your crystals you can use the smoke from an incense stick. Pass your stones through the smoke, whilst holding the intention for them to be cleansed. If you prefer, you could instead meditate with your crystals by breathing white light onto them to remove the impurities and re-energise them.
Cleansing with fire
Similar to the steps you take when cleansing your crystals with smoke from an incense stick, you can also use the flame of a candle. Pass the stones quickly through the flame, taking care not to burn yourself as you do so.
Cleansing with earth
You can place your crystals on the earth or bury them in the garden over night, to cleanse them. As you do so, focus your intentions on the earth removing and absorbing the negative energies from your stones. Then focus your thoughts on the earth replacing the crystals energies with renewed energies. Ensure you place them somewhere that hasn’t been exposed to pesticides or other chemicals. When you remove your crystals from the earth, gently wipe any soil off with a soft cloth.
It is advised to cleanse your crystals frequently, especially the ones you use a lot. I usually cleanse my crystals once a month and keep them away from any possible negative energies that they could absorb.
You may also cleanse your crystals with sound vibrations. Do this by ringing a bell, a singing bowl, a gong or a tuning fork and hold this over your stones, whilst visualising your stones being re-energised.
Once you have cleansed your crystals, the next important steps are to charge and programme them for your intended use.
How to Prepare Your Crystals for Use Three-Part Blog Series:
- Part 1 – How to Cleanse Crystals
- Part 2 – How to Charge Crystals Using the Full Moon
- Part 3 – How to Programme Crystals
