Why do we need to cleanse our crystals? There are two reasons; the first one is we need to clean the physical dirt and dust from our new and exciting crystals. New crystals often have dust on them, from sitting in a shop or market stall that needs to be removed. Secondly we also need to clean them energetically. What does this mean? You need to remove the energy that other people have left on the crystal, because when you buy a crystal it has probably been handled by many other people.
Here are eight ways to cleanse your crystals:
1. Breath
When you first buy your crystal, one of the simplest methods of instant cleansing is to hold your crystal in your hands and then with the intention of cleansing it, gently blow your breath on the crystal. As you are doing this, you are adding your life-force energy or prana onto the crystal and this will remove or negate all the energy left by other people; of course this will not remove physical dirt and dust.
2. Water
Most crystal can be washed in running water. A word of caution, there are crystals that can dissolve in water, a few examples are Selenite, Kyanite and Azurite, or any of the soft crystals. For these you can use a damp cloth to wipe off the physical dirt. Some books will tell you that you need to use sea water or spring water, but sometimes this is not possible, so use the purest water you can, with little to no chemicals in it. It is also recommended that you regularly wash the physical dirt from all your crystals. Sometimes this is forgotten if you use the sunlight or moonlight option of cleansing.
3. Sunlight
Place your crystals in the early morning sun to energize and cleanse your crystals. A word of caution, crystals such as amethyst and fluorite will fade if left in the sun too often for too long. It is also a good idea to cover your crystals with a piece of net so the birds will not take them.
4. Moonlight
Place your crystal outside on a full moon to infuse them with moon energy. Moon energy is a soft feminine energy so this is a very gentle way of cleansing. It is also a good idea to cover them with a piece of net so the night animals will not take them.
5. Earth Cleansing
Another popular method is to bury your crystal in the earth. Some say this is the only way. There are a few precautions with this method, remember where you bury them and don’t bury them too deep. Sometimes you will never find them again as Mother Earth will reclaim them. A good way is to bury them in a pot so you will be able to find them easily. You will need to rinse them off when you dig them up as they will have dirt on them.
6. Smudging
White sage has been used for cleansing by native cultures for many years and is a very effective method of cleaning many crystals at once. If you have a large collection it would take you all night to put them out in the moonlight. You can smudge them using a white sage smudge stick or white sage incense. Light your incense or smudge stick and waft the smoke over your crystals. Sandalwood incense is also a good cleanser. If you don’t like these fragrances, almost any incense will help to cleanse your crystals. You can also use resin on a charcoal block, frankincense, myrrh or a special crystal cleansing blend are good options. By using resin and charcoal blocks you can close the door to a room and do the whole room at once.
7. Reiki
If you have been attuned to Reiki you can use Reiki energy for cleansing crystals. If you are a Reiki level 1, just hold the crystals in your hands and with intention send Reiki healing to your crystals. For level 2 practitioners, use your Reiki symbols over your crystals and then send Reiki to them.
8. Other Crystals
Amethyst flat clusters are great for putting other crystal upon; just by leaving your crystals upon the amethyst for a few hours they will be energetically cleansed. Geodes and Clear Quartz clusters are also excellent to use.
It doesn’t matter which method you use the important thing to remember is to do something, and to both physically and energetically cleanse all your crystals regularly. Always cleanse them after a healing or after you have been using them on yourself.
Smokey Quartz (Smoky Quartz) is silicon dioxide and has a Trigonal crystal system. It is coloured from grey to warm brown, light and clear to an almost “solid” looking black/brown. The characteristic smokiness is caused when quartz is exposed to very low levels of natural radiation from surrounding rocks or radioactive elements over a very long period of time. It is formed hydro thermally, mainly in the spaces of gas bubbles in ancient volcanic rock.
Legend says that it has its origin in the treasure chest of the mermaids. In ancient times sailors often carried it as a talisman to protect themselves from drowning and it is still reputed to be a lucky stone for sailors today.
Crystals vibrate with energy that many of us can see or feel. The wisdom and knowledge deep within stones can be accessed and the energy used to guide us in our daily life. Crystals can be used to answer questions and to help make decisions.