Crystals absorb energy from the environment. When people handle the stones, the crystal keeps an energetic imprint of everyone who handled it. Therefore, when you purchase a crystal, you should clear it of these unwanted energies prior to using it. When you wear crystals, display them in your home or office, carry them in your pocket or use them for healing, they also absorb energy and need to be cleared in order to function optimally. Energy is not good or bad, it just is. When a crystal becomes “full”, it needs to be cleared in order to function optimally.
There are many ways to clean a crystal, but the most common are listed below:
· To remove dust, brush the crystal with a soft brush. A small make-up brush is ideal.
· If the crystal is not water soluble, place it under running water for a few minutes.
· To clean newly purchased crystals, soak the crystal in a glass bowl filled with spring water for 24 hours for a deeper cleaning. You can also soak them in sea salt water for 1 – 12 hours.
· Leave the crystals in the sunlight to clear and charge them. Be cautious, though, quartz especially can become a fire hazard!
· Moonlight energy, especially the new or full moon, can be powerful in clearing and charging crystals.
· Bury the crystal in the earth for 1 – 2 weeks.
· Place in brown rice for 24 hours to balance and center the energy.
· Smudge is burned and the smoke is passed over the stones to clear the unwanted energies. White sage is optimal. Cedar is a good choice if sage is not available.
· Frankincense incense is powerful for clearing and spiritually uplifting the energy.
· Sound can be used to clear. Place the crystal in a crystal or Tibetan singing bowl. Play the bowl. The dirty energy is pulled out of the stone as you play. (Do not use this technique for points as they can chip.) An alternative is to ring Tibetan bells over the stones.
You can tell your crystals need to be cleaned if they are new, appear dusty, lack brilliance, feel sticky to the touch, or have been used for healing. Certain crystals respond better to certain clearing methods. It is best to consult a reference on crystals before placing your crystals in water or salt water as the properties of some crystals can be affected by the treatment.
Pat Krajovic
