How & Why to Cleanse your Crystals

How to Cleanse Your Crystals

Cleansing is the process of removing any previous energies and influences that an item may have either absorbed or come into contact with, either during its production, handling or environment which it originated from.

To ensure that your crystal is ‘pure’ you should always cleanse it before working with it. There are a number of ways in which this can be done and these will be individually covered.

Cleansing With Fire

This is one of the oldest methods of cleansing and clearing an item. Obviously it is not suggested that you throw your crystal directly into a fire due to the damage that this would cause to it. It is however possible to cleanse a crystal by quickly passing it through the flame of a candle while visualising the energies being detached and being sent into the light.

Another alternative to cleansing with fire indirectly is by using incense or joss sticks. Light your incense and wait until you have a good cloud of the fragranced smoke spiralling upwards then in the same way as the candle flame technique, pass your crystal through the smoke several times while asking for the item to be cleansed for highest good.

Earth Cleansing

This type of cleansing used the earths natural properties to draw out and cleanse any negativity that your crystal may have had attracted to it on its journey to your ownership.

You can make a small hole in the earth, some do this on a full moon, and place your crystal inside, before covering it over with the earth. Leave the crystal in the ground for a period of time that feels right to you, but at least 24 hours before retrieving it. It is worth mentioning at this point that it is advisable to mark the spot your crystal has been buried at to avoid the potential loss of a prized specimen! If you would prefer to take additional precautions you can use the earth cleansing method by first filling a bucket or flower pot with fresh earth and then burying your crystal in it to prevent loss.

Sea Salt is another variation of earth cleansing. Here you use a container full of Sea Salt and burry your crystal in this. It will have the same affect as earth cleansing but it is important to remember to throw away the salt after use as reusing it could cause a build up of negative energies that can then be passed into another crystal that you are trying to cleanse with the same salt. Important to note is that some crystals (Pyrite and metal based minerals) are damages or corroded by the properties of Salt and therefore if in doubt you should consult a good crystal and mineral book to check suitability prior to cleansing with salt.

Water Cleansing

Cleansing with water is one of the easiest ways of quickly preparing your crystal for work. Fill a clean glass bowl with spring water, bottled or filtered is fine unless you are lucky enough to have a natural spring in close proximity to your home; then place the crystal in it ensuring the water completely covers the crystal. Leave the bowl on a windowsill in the moonlight if possible, overnight for maximum power before removing the crystal.

If you have access to a source of natural spring water this is an even better way of cleaning as it is washing the impurities of the crystal away as the water cleanses it. Place your crystal in a small net or mesh bag and hang it into the running waters, allowing the water to pass over for several minutes.

Again, as with salt cleansing, precautions must be taken to ensure your crystal is not made from material that is damages or even soluble in water. Some minerals such as Selenite are water soluble and will dissolve. These types of crystals are best cleansed by the incense method.

Cleansing Delicate Crystals

As already mentioned some crystals can be difficult to cleanse by the methods already described due to their delicate crystalline structures. For specimens like these you can cleanse using Reiki Energy or sound vibration.

To cleanse using Reiki Energy you will have to have been Reiki Attuned. If you have not been attuned then you could take your crystal to a Reiki Practitioner and they may be willing to do this for you.

Cleaning with sound vibration is a little easier. Using a set of Tibetan Cymbals ching them together and then separate them placing the crystal between the cymbals, thus allowing the vibrational ring to pass through the gem.

Remember that when cleansing your crystals you are removing all previous energies that the crystal has come into contact with prior to it reaching you. All crystals will have collected some form of vibration during manufacture. They absorb energy as they are produced and handled by the people that dig the raw material from the ground right through to the end supplier who has picked and packed them for shipment on their final journey to you.

Once cleansed do not let anyone else handle your crystal without your prior permission and remember to cleanse it after they have handled it as well as after you have used it.
Regular cleansing will ensure your crystal works with you and bond to your energy frequencies.