You’ve probably heard about needing to cleanse your crystals/ stones/ jewelry at some point but what does that mean exactly? Well since these semi-precious gemstones originated from Mother Earth they all carry a specific vibrational energy signature, each different from the other. They all bring you much needed help in a plethora of ways from protection to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing in one form or another. They assist you by giving your body exactly what it needs vibrationally, all the energy the stone contains.
That means that they also absorb, in most cases, your unneeded and negative vibrations into itself kind of like a sponge. We are also sponges for that matter. Imagine that every time you procrastinate, put something aside because you don’t feel like dealing with it, it’s like taking a little chunk out of your arm and tossing it into the unseen around you. It’s still there, floating around, stuck to your aura but somehow you feel somewhat disconnected… but you aren’t. It still belongs to you and will resurface in various ways, situations or life lessons until you deal with it once and for all. I’ll explain more on this in a future blog but for now let’s focus on the little crater you’ve made by taking a little chunk out.
That crater is now a perfect little landing spot which leaves room for outside influences to come and latch on to you. So, like a sponge we collect dirt. Whether it’s our own muck we’ve tossed aside or it’s someone’s or something else, and in this case, we definitely don’t want it!! The stones that we wear help protect us from those foreign invaders, they help us feel better from the inside out, depending on each and everyone’s personal specific needed of course. Just trust that gemstones know what you need… they just do! Everything is Energy. So, those amazing stones gifted from our beautiful Blue Planet, will energetically heal our bodies and protect from nasty outside stuff that latches onto us by tucking themselves into those little crevasses we’ve unthought fully created. The sponge!!!
Those fabulous gems we wear are a blessing to us at various levels. But they too are like little sponges. They give plenty but they also absorb, collect and suck away from you all that no longer serves you, all that is not beneficial to you and all that may harm you. They truly take the hit for you! That doesn’t mean that they reign supreme over karmic lessons nor your destiny. You still have to put in the work. We will touch more on that subject in a later article but for now let’s focus on cleansing. So, yes it’s true that some stones are less likely to take on muck onto themselves than others but most of them do and that is why we want to cleanse them. Return the favour for all the precious help they’ve been dishing you out. They are kind of like our furry friends, our loving pets, are loyal to you and want to give you more and more. The more you take care of them, the more they will take care of you. The more you believe in them, the more they will work for you and therefore you will feel way better!
If you don’t, at some point they will likely crack from saturation or you’ll suddenly loose them. If that happens, know that it did all it could for you, so be sure to gracefully thank it.
The more often you use a stone, the more energy it collects. A good rule of thumb is to clean all your stones at least once a month.
Very Important:
Before you proceed to cleanse your stones, note that some gems aren’t water safe. Fluorite, Selenite, Hematite, Lepidolite, Labradorite, Larvikite, Malachite, Pyrite, Angelite and Turquoise are not made to be wet at all. Basic rule of thumb; any stone that ends with “ite” isn’t water friendly. If you’re not sure if your crystal can go into water just Google it, particularly if it’s a rough stone or it’s porous.
There are multiple techniques. Which ever one you choose, clearly state your intention at the beginning of your cleanse by saying something like : “Purify this crystal and release its negative energy.” Regardless of the method you choose to use, you can invoke Higher Energy Beings to assist you and connect your crystals to your Spirit Guides. They would all like that.
So here’s some of the most common methods, that are simple and easy for anyone to do, to lovingly take care of your new found Besties and get the most benefits from your stones.
- Salt water. Some crystals are water safe and can be left to soak in sea water or water mixed with sea salt. Cooking salt can also be used if sea salt isn’t available. Simply fill a glass bowl (not metal) about half to one third full and place your crystals so they are fully submerged in the salt water. 1 to 24 hours will do it nicely. Overnight is a preferred option but a crystal that needs a much deeper and more thorough cleansing can be left for up to 1 week. Don’t forget to thoroughly rinse your crystals in cool running water after spending time in salt water bath to remove any remaining salt. After use, the salt water must be flushed away and never be re-used because it will have absorbed negative and unwanted energies.
- Dry salt method. Simply half-fill a glass bowl with sea salt (or cooking salt) then place your crystals directly into the salt. You can bury them into the dry salt or just leave them on the surface. Several hours, overnight or for several days is fine. Your crystals should then be rinsed thoroughly under cool running water to remove any remaining salt. After, the salt must be thrown away and never re-used because it will have absorbed negative and unwanted energies. *** If your crystals aren’t salt safe, like jewelry or crystals with metal, then you can still use this method but rather burying or leaving your crystals on top of the salt, place your crystals in a smaller shallow glass container like a glass for instance, then sink your glass halfway into the salt. This method is called non-contact salt, it takes longer but if your gems are water safe, then you can add some pure, distilled or mineral water into your shallow glass, just enough to cover the crystals. After cleansing done, discard the salt, and water if used, and don’t reuse them. *** If your crystals aren’t water safe then choose another method.
- Put them outside or on a windowsill on a full moon to recharge. This is an easy way to cleanse all your crystals with minimal effort as the Moon does it for you. Full Moon works best but the other night are good too. You could also put a big bowl of water in direct moonlight and then bathe your crystals in that moon water if they are water friendly of course. You could also use the Sun’s energy. But be careful as some stones are sensitive to heat and may fade or crack if they get too hot. Exposing your crystal for 24 hours to experience both sunlight and moonlight is ideal and can generate the most energy.
- Use the rain as a way to cleanse them with water, or soak them in a bowl of salt water or Moon water. Leave your crystals fully submerged for at least 2-3 hours – no longer than 12 hours. After they've had a decent soak, remove them from the water and gently dry them with a fresh towel. Before using water to cleanse your crystals, make sure that the stones you are working with are compatible with water. Some gems aren’t water safe. Any stone that ends with “ite” isn’t water friendly.
- Smudge them with a sage stick or some palo santo. While your smudging yourself or your home/office/quarters, go ahead and smudge your beautiful crystals as they’ve been working hard too. Incense smoke is good for them as well.
- Bury them underground for 24 hours . Although this may sound a bit strange, they all did come from Mother Earth so it’s normal that they would recharge themselves with a little visit home. Just remember where you’ve put them.
- Use a cleansing crystal. Selenite is a go to for me. I use Selenite slabs/sticks for the bigger ones and a smaller Selenite bowl in which I place my jewelry at bed time.
- Give them a sound bath. Unlike a water based bath, which may be harmful to some of your stones, the benefit of a sound bath is that it harnesses the reverberating sounds and vibrations of crystal bowls of all shapes and sizes, to re energize all of your gem friends at the same time it lulls you into a peaceful and mindful state of being.
- Sun Rays. If you place your gems in direct sunlight to charge them with the Sun’s energy, make sure it’s no longer than 5 minutes. Try as much as possible, not to place your crystals in direct sun for a long time. Many crystals, not all though, may fade and in extreme cases, may even crack due to extreme temperature changes.
Again, there are many more ways to cleanse crystals but these methods are preferred the most. Healers, LightWorkers or anyone that works on a higher level with the energies may seek other methods and often have their own rituals that they follow.