Crystals are healing stones that have a way of manifesting your intentions via strong vibrations so you can live your best life, whether you hold them next to one of your chakras (like your heart or third eye), wear them as a piece of jewelry, or place them within your home or office. These sparkly stones have been around for centuries, and while there’s no scientific evidence to back up the power of crystals, today, they’re still used as a healing tool for the mind, body, and soul, and many people swear by them. They’re believed to deflect negative energy while promoting emotional and physical well-being.
While crystals are positive, they do absorb or redirect any negativity you’re working to dispel. With that said, if you’re using crystals that you borrowed or purchased from someone else, their energies could be misaligned with your own. Even if you’ve had the same stones for years, regular cleansing and recharging are the best — and only — ways to restore your gemstones to their natural state. It can also be a therapeutic exercise to help you regain your sense of purpose or life path. Luckily, there are many ways to get the job done. Here’s how to cleanse, clear, and charge your psychic crystals.
How To Clear and Cleanse Crystals
When it comes to clearing and cleansing crystals, you have to find a method that you’re most comfortable with for it to be effective. Which one of the following are you most in tune with?
Water
Obviously, water signifies cleansing, but when it comes to crystals, H20 helps neutralize negative energy stored up inside so it can be returned to its original state. While a natural water source such as a flowing stream or rumbling ocean waves is the most effective, you can also get the job done by simply rinsing your stone(s) under a running faucet. Whichever water source you choose, make sure the rock is completely submerged for approximately one minute and thoroughly dried afterward. Reserve this method for hard stones, such as quartz, versus soft or brittle ones such as halite, kyanite, or selenite.
Salt
Salt has been used for centuries to absorb nonessential energy and eradicate negativity. If you’re fortunate enough to live near saltwater, collect a fresh bowl of it. If not, mix a tablespoon of table, sea, or rock salt into a bowl of water. Again, make sure your stone is completely submerged and allow it to soak for up to 48 hours — but at least three. Rinse and pat dry when finished. This method is best for hard stones, such as amethyst or quartz, versus soft, porous, or trace mineral-rich rocks such as calcite, lepidolite, angelite, selenite, halite, or malachite.
Brown Rice
If you’ve got 24 hours and any stone in your hand in need of cleansing, it’s time to bring out the brown rice. Fill a bowl with this healthy grain and bury your stone (especially protective ones such as black tourmaline) beneath it. As the rice absorbs all of your negative or unwanted energy, be sure to dispose of the grains promptly after cleansing.
Sage
If you’re familiar with the spiritual world, you already know that sage plays a role in its numerous healing properties. Smudging — a ceremonious practice used for purifying or cleansing the soul of negative thoughts associated with a person or a place — is a slightly more involved (yet effective) way to clear and cleanse your crystals and restore their natural energy. If you’re new to smudging with sage, here’s how it works: Get yourself a fire-safe container, a secure fire source, and a bundle of sage. Once you ignite the flame, hold the sage in your non-dominant hand while simultaneously moving your stone (any kind will do) through the smoke for approximately 30 seconds. If it’s been a while or it’s your first time cleansing it, extend the smudging to one minute.
Sound
Music stirs the soul and evokes emotions, so it’s only normal that sound healing would be an effective method to cleanse a stone indirectly. It’s called sound healing, and one single pitch or tone can wash and balance via singing bowls, chanting, a tuning fork, or other audible methods such as a bell. The delivery isn’t as important as the vibration and tone as it needs to be loud enough to envelop the stone completely. While this method only takes approximately five to ten minutes, it’s best reserved for those who have an extensive collection of crystals that aren’t used regularly.
Using a Larger Stone
You can use large stones such as selenite slabs, amethyst geodes, or quartz clusters to clear smaller crystals. It’s believed that vibrations from larger stones remove bad energy. Simply place the stones (any type) on top (or inside) of the larger stone for approximately 24 hours.
Using Smaller Stones
On the flip side, smaller stones such as hematite or clear quartz have a clearing effect for larger stones — though you’ll have to use more than one to get the job done. Place your small stones of choice in a bowl and set the large stone you wish to revitalize on top. Keep it there for approximately 24 hours.
Breathwork
While breathwork is a bit more challenging than other techniques on this list, it can be an effective cleansing method as long as you’re willing to put in a little practice. Start by holding the stone in your dominant hand. Focus on your intention while inhaling deeply through your nostrils. Next, draw the stone closer to your face and exhale several short, powerful breaths through your nose (as you might do in yoga practice) and onto the stone. Repeat this process for about 30 seconds per stone.
Visualization
Visualization is deemed the safest way to clear stones, but as with breathwork, it can take a bit of practice. Pro tip: The more relaxed and in tune you are with yourself, the easier it will be to redirect your energy to the stone you want to cleanse. Start by taking a few minutes to center your energy. Next, pick up your stone of choice and visualize your hands filling with white, brilliant light, gradually getting brighter, intensifying the cleansing process. Continue the visualization process until you sense a shift in the stone’s energy — typically one minute per stone.
How To Charge Crystals
Charging gives a crystal more energy, allowing your crystal to work with more dynamism and for a more extended period before it needs to be cleansed again. Charging can also increase the intensity of any intention placed into the stone.
Moonlight
Moonlight effectively helps with transitions such as getting over a breakup, coping with the loss of a loved one, or moving. It’s also a suitable medium for times when you need to tap into your inner-self. Each phase of the moon provides a specific gentle, feminine energy that can be used to bolster (or charge) the intention you put into the stone. In a nutshell, the full moon provides waning power — which happens when the full moon’s energy retreats into the new moon’s darkness — and the new moon offers an energy of progress.
Sunlight
Opposite of the compassionate, feminine energy of the moon, sunlight is the masculine equivalent. Vibrant and dynamic, sunlight energy strengthens and keeps things moving, so it’s an excellent choice for charging crystals — just make sure it has been cleansed beforehand. How much time you leave your stones in the sun depends on the sunlight type and how much light is available. Hold your crystal and let your intuition tell you when it’s been charged enough. It could be anywhere from a few minutes to substantially longer.
Eclipses
Solar and lunar eclipses represent dramatic shifts of change, so they are a good time to charge stones with the same kind of energy. Say, for example, you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and you want to change things up — an eclipse would be a good time to charge your crystals. While all eclipses are responsible for change, lunar eclipse energy activates internal shifts that can spark significant changes within yourself. On the other hand, solar eclipse energies promote external modifications, prompting an extreme change to your life’s exterior elements.
Charging your crystals during an eclipse is a ceremonious process. Right before, head outside and light a candle next to your cleansed crystal. Smudge it with a sacred herb, such as sage, and set an intention. Hold it until the eclipse passes over the crystal. Fair warning: If you charge your crystals during an eclipse, be prepared for life to be a rollercoaster ride for a while. Choose a smaller stone to be kept close to your skin, which makes it easier for the energies to stay close to you.
Burial
When a stone becomes energetically heavy, it needs to be buried for healing and renewal purposes. Whether you bury it directly in the ground or a pot or box filled with soil, it may need to be buried anywhere from a week to a year-plus, depending on how heavy the crystal has become.
Looking For More Ways To Cleanse and Recharge?
Not sure what crystals to use? Need help setting the right intention? Having difficulties connecting with your stone’s energy? A Psychic Center spiritual advisor can help guide you on the right path to spiritual awareness via psychic rocks. As your intentions change, so will the stones you use, so speaking to a psychic will ensure you’re making the best choices.
