Cleansing Crystals - A Step By Step Guide

So you’ve bought some crystals and you can’t wait to start using their energy to help you achieve your goals.

But before you do … hold your horses!

Before you can truly start using the healing and positive energies of crystals, you’ve got to cleanse them.

In fact, not only do you need to cleanse your crystals after you first buy them, but you should also cleanse them on a regular basis.

Why?

Because many crystals tend to absorb the energy around them. So if they’ve been in a negative environment that’s not all unicorns and rainbows, chances are they’ve absorbed a little of that lower vibration energy.

This doesn’t bode well for you, if you’re wanting to use a specific crystal’s higher vibration to help change some area of your life.

This is why cleansing your crystals before you first use them (and then on a regular basis after that) is so critical. It’s kind of like hitting the reset button and getting them back to their default energy.

So that said, here are the best ways to cleanse your crystals:

1) Moonlight.

This is probably one of the easiest, “hands-off” ways to cleanse your gems of any unwanted energies.

It’s pretty simple. Ideally, wait for a full moon, and then set your crystals on the windowsill for the entire night. Or alternatively, you can set them outside where they won’t get wet, but still be exposed to the moonlight.

One of the reasons moonlight is so effective, is that it’s a pure energy that’s a combination of both “Yin” and “Yang.”

In the Taoist tradition, Yin is the feminine energy and Yang is the masculine energy. 

The sun has often been associated with yang energy and the moon with yin. The super-bright moonlight you see during a full moon is the sun’s rays (yang) shining and reflecting off the moon (yin).

So it’s a perfect one-two combo to wipe your crystals clean to their default setting.

2) Sound.

Yep, sound can clear out any unwanted energies in your crystals. That’s because just like everything in our universe, sound is pure vibration.

For this method to work, you can simply set your gems in a single spot in a room.

Then, with a singing bowl, you can allow the vibration to radiate throughout the room and right by the crystals.

Do this for at least 3-5 minutes, or until you intuitively feel the vibration from the singing bowl’s tone has cleared out your crystals.

3) Sage.

For ages, cultures around the world have used smoke as an integral part of cleansing or purification rituals.

For example, indigenous people of the America's have used herbs in clearing rituals. As have cultures in Asia, Greece, and even today within the Catholic Church.

In gemstone and crystal circles, this practice is known as smudging.

In the context of clearing out negative energies from your crystals, smudging with sage is a fantastic way to do it.

Now, there are many different kinds of sage. 

For the purposes of cleansing, you want to use White Sage ((salvia apiana).

Why white sage?

Well, for starters, there are over 800 kinds of sage. And the most common form of sage (salvia officinalis) is mainly used in cooking to enhance flavor. 

But in ancient and past traditions - mainly in the Americas - white sage is what is used for purification.

One reason might be because white sage is indigenous to drier, almost desert climates, which is why in some circles it is also known as California sage. 

In this cleansing process, you just gather up your crystals, and then begin to smudge with sage.

First, you ned to set an intention mentally and emotionally that you want to clear the crystals of any unwanted or negative energies that don't serve you.

Then, you simply light a bundle of sage and then let the smoke go over the crystals for a bit. This may take 3 - 5 minutes or until you intuitively feel that the crystals have been cleared out completely and reset to their default vibration.

Make sure you open up your windows so you can let the negative energies and lower vibrations leave. And as a practical matter, open the windows so you don’t get bothered by the smoke - especially if you have allergies, asthma, or are sensitive to strong smells.

That said, this is perhaps one of the best ways to cleanse a large number of your crystals all at once.

4) Quartz.

Another way to clear out your crystals is to lay them on a bed of quartz. This is best done if you have a large quartz geode to place them in.

Otherwise, you can try placing them on top of a number of smaller quartz pieces you might have.

Do this for 24 - 48 hours.

Quartz is able to absorb any non-native energies from crystals that are near it and can then transmute those energies into a higher vibration. So in essence, it can clear out the “junk” for other crystals and them them vibrating in their natural state.

5) Water.

Another way to cleanse your crystals is to immerse them in water or salt water.

Either can work fine, though some say salt water is better and more effective.

What you do is simply fill a bowl with water and add some sea salt.

Then submerge your crystals in the bowl for 24 hours. If you feel they are really “dirty” energetically, then you can leave them in for longer.

This is a VERY effective method to cleanse them, however there is a word of warning here.

There are MANY crystals that can NOT be exposed to water (otherwise you will completely ruin them).

For starters, NEVER place raw crystals of any kind in water. No bueno for the crystals or for you.

Secondly, NEVER place the following crystals in any kind of water (including salt water):

> Amber

> Opal

> Malachite

> Kyanite

> Moonstone

> Selenite

These crystals WILL get damaged if you submerge them or water or get them wet in any way.

Thirdly, even tumbled or polished stones can get "scratched" or damaged if you use salt water to cleanse them. 

So if you want to use this cleansing method, by all means do so. But do your homework and make sure the crystals in question can actually “survive” this cleansing method. 

And, if you do decide to use this method, make sure you only leave the crystals submerged only as long as is absolutely necessary. 

6) Visualization.

This is an effective way to cleanse a single crystal at a time.

What you do, is simply hold the crystal in your hand.

Then, get into a meditative state. Breathe deeply and relax. Ground yourself.

Then from this place, visualize a bright, white light surrounding the crystals and entering it. Imagine the light filling the entire crystal and feel it cleansing it from the inside out.

Do this for at least 5 minutes or until you get a “gut” feel that it’s been rest to its default energy and vibration.

7) Bury your crystals in the ground.

Mother Earth or Gaia is a potent healer. 

So burying your crystals can be another effective way to clear them of any energies you don't want around you.

Simply bury your crystals in dirt or sand and then leave them there for 24 hours or longer if you feel necessary.

One of the nice things about cleansing your crystals this way is that if you bury them near plants, then you get a win-win situation.

Your plants grow better due to the higher vibes of the crystals...

... and your plants help your crystals release negative energies even faster!

So if you want to cleanse your crystals when a full moon is many days away or you just want to kill two birds with one stone (i.e. make your plants grow better) then this is a great option.

Also, this is another one of those easy "hands off" methods that is effective for cleansing a large number of crystals at once.

Important - Cleanse Your Crystals Regularly

It doesn’t take much to cleanse your crystals. Just choose one of the methods we’ve shown you here.

But here is the important part:

Make sure you cleanse your crystals on a regular basis.

Ideally, once every 30 days or so.

That’s why doing the moon cleansing is one of the simplest, most hands-off ways to do it.

It’s a great reminder every month to give your crystals a nice reset.

Of course, you can cleanse them more often if you feel they need it. It’s really up to you.

But at the very minimum, aim for once every 30 days.

This will ensure your crystals’ energy is always the best it can be, and make them that much more effective at helping you achieve your goals - whether it’s improving your health, career, love life, wealth, etc.