Methods For Cleansing Your Crystals

Many of you have probably heard about the importance of cleansing your crystals and may have performed this ritual yourself. Crystals can absorb energy from you and the environment around them. This energy may be positive or negative, but over time the negative energy can build up, interfering with the effectiveness of your crystal. Cleansing may be particularly important if you have used crystals for healing or when in a negative state of mind. You don’t need to wait for a full moon, there are many ways to cleanse your crystals.

Full Moon

Even though you needn't wait till this lunar phase, cleansing your crystals during a full moon is one of the more popular methods. This is an easy and effective way to cleanse crystals. However, be sure to place your crystal somewhere safe in case you have curious critters lurking around who may fancy starting their own crystal collection.

All you need to do is place your crystals in the moonlight, outside if possible and preferably on the ground. If the ground isn’t an option try to place them on a natural surface such as a wooden table. Placing them on a natural surface is good as crystals like to be grounded. If you’re still concerned about them being taken during the night, cover them with one of those fabric food umbrellas as they still let the moonlight through. If putting them outside isn’t possible, placing them on a windowsill that gets a lot of moonlight is a good second option.

While placing them directly in the moonlight is ideal, sometimes you may find that its raining or there may be a lot of cloud cover during the Full Moon. You can still cleanse your crystals at times like these, as it's the energy of the Full Moon that really does the cleansing. Just be careful if it's raining, as some crystals, like Selenite, will dissolve in water. Other crystals, like any from the Quartz family ( ie Amethyst, Clear Quartz, Smokey Quartz, Rose Quartz, etc) will love the extra cleansing that the rain offers. 

Sage

Another cleansing method you can do is using sage. Sage smudging sticks can be purchased, or you can use loose sage leaves. The smoke from burning sage is an excellent cleanser not only for your crystals but also for the surrounding environment. To cleanse your crystals this way you can either hold the burning sage near the crystals so that the smoke fills the air around them. Or hold your crystals in and near the smoke. Make sure you are performing this cleansing method in a safe way with the burning sage in something fire-proof, such as a metal bowl. You can view our range of smudge sticks here. 

Earth

You can cleanse your crystals by burying them in the earth. Crystals love to be grounded, and because they came from the earth this seems like a logical method. However, be aware of moisture. Some crystals are water-soluble and may begin to dissolve if the earth is too wet, such as Selenite.

Selenite

Selenite is a great way to cleanse your crystals. Just lay your crystals on or against the selenite for around 6 hours (or as long as you feel guided to leave them). Selenite is also great to cleanse your chakras. We have Selenite Slabs perfect for just this purpose and you can find them here. 

Salt

Many people swear by using salt to cleanse their crystals. You should bury your crystals in a bowl of sea salt or pink Himalayan salt and leave them for about an hour. The salt is meant to absorb the negative energy from the crystals. Be sure to throw away the salt after cleansing as the negative energy has been absorbed into the salt. It’s also good to note that salt can be quite abrasive to crystals, therefore this method should be used with care.

Sunlight

This is another method you should use carefully. Some crystals can fade in sunlight, such as Amethyst. Some may even become brittle from too much sun. Sunlight is said to charge your crystals. However, do not use this method too often and check regularly for fading.

As you can see there are many ways to cleanse your crystals. Each method has pros and cons, but you will probably find a method or two which you prefer. It’s also a good idea to set your intention before you start your cleansing ritual and perform it mindfully. The more often you use a crystal, the more often it will need cleansing; try to use your intuition for this. Happy cleansing!