It is always amazing when you add new healing stones to your kit, but selecting them is just the beginning! In fact the most important step is to ensure you give them a thorough cleansing. In this post you will learn 5 of the best crystal cleansing methods and how to charge and program crystals for healing.
Discover why this is so vital before using your chosen crystals for healing.
Why You Need To Use Crystal Cleansing Methods.
Simply put, in most cases you have no real understanding of the stones history before you chose it. You don’t know where the stone has been, the energy of it’s previous environment, or the people who have come into contact or left an energetic vibration.
Regardless of whether the people who handled the stone were positive, negative or something in-between, you know that your crystals will have absorbed their energy, intentions and emotions.
They will have collected energetic “fingerprints” from every encounter. You use crystal cleansing methods because you don’t want the intent or emotional energy of others impacting you!
Using the following crystal cleansing methods ensures that you remove unwanted, stale and foreign programming. Cleansing rids your stones of prior charging, negative emotions, toxic energies and stagnant vibration.
As well as cleansing our healing crystals after purchase it is also important they are cleansed and cleared regularly you use them for the healing of others. A rule of thumb is that you should cleanse, charge and program stones for each individual.
During a healing session your crystals will absorb energies and become charged with intent by whoever is using them.
This means when you offer them to others during a healing session or meditation they become embedded with that persons energy, including their current emotional state and the stagnant or blocked energies associated with ill health.
Some of your healing stones collect and absorb these unwanted vibrations and energies. They do this for you, your patient, your friends, your family and from your environment. Therefore, in the same way that you would wash your clothes and your hands, you also “wash” your crystals to remove any collected energy and vibration.
These crystal cleansing methods enable your stones to clear any energy they have collected or absorbed, and be ready again to charge and program to provide vibration, resonance and healing energies.
There are many crystal cleansing methods that you can use before you charge and program. The following 5 are my favorites!
Number 1 – Sea Salt Water.
Pure sea salt dissolved in water is probably the most well known of the crystal cleaning and clearing methods.
Salt is an amazing cleansing agent. It is also a crystal, but unlike your healing stones the salt crystals are much softer and are porous.
Just like salt crystals are used to absorb excess moisture or strong unwanted odors from the environment, the sea salt crystals draw out and absorb the unwanted and potentially harmful energies from our healing crystals.
Whenever possible use pure sea salt. Table salt often contains aluminium and chemical additives.
It is important to note that not all crystals should be cleansed with salt water.
Crystal Cleansing Methods
Selenite, for example, one of the most beautiful and powerful healing crystals will become brittle and may even dissolve if placed in water.
The vast majority of crystals can safely be exposed to water. The accepted “standard” is not to use salt water for cleansing crystals that are porous, metallic or have a water content (such as Opal).
You can also gauge whether your crystal can cope with salt water by testing it’s “brittleness”.
If the stone appears to be flaky (Tourmaline), is soft (Selenite), or would be marked when pressed with a metal point (Lapis Lazuli), do not soak in salt water.
The majority of crystals are as tough as rock – pun intended – and will love their salty bath. Submerge your crystals overnight (even longer if they have been used for very deep intense healing).
Ensure that when you take them out of the salt bath you also rinse them well under clean, cold, running water to remove all salt and let them dry in the air.
To enhance the crystal cleansing you can add fresh sage, basil or lavender to the salty bath.
Number 2 – Dry Sea Salt
If you are unsure about using water then there is an alternative, you can cleanse your stones using dry sea salt.
Place the sea salt into a glass or plastic vessel. Then bury your crystals in the salt and leave them overnight in the salt (or longer for crystals used for deep healing).
You can charge and program the crystals now because they are completely cleansed.
Be sure that once finished you dispose of the salt.
It has absorbed all of the negative energies during the cleansing process. So dispose of it down the toilet or sink.
Be sure to thoroughly brush off any excess salt from the crystals, or give them a quick rinse in water and air dry.
Again, take care if you place your crystals directly into dry salt as, similarly to the salt water method,sea salt can have adverse effects on certain crystal types.
Number 3 – Running Cold Water for Crystal Cleansing
A very simple method for crystal cleansing is to place your stones in running water.
A stream is perfect but a running tap is also perfectly effective. As with the first two methods the same principles apply, choose only the crystal types that will not be damaged or dissolve!
Water, as a natural element, has intrinsic earthly links with our stones. The water quickly neutralizes the negative and harmful energies and utilizing running water returns these energies to be safely absorbed into the earth.
To enhance the effectiveness of this method you should also use visualization and intent.
As you place your crystal into the running stream, or as you hold your crystal under running faucet water, focus on the stone and visualize it being cleared and cleansed. See the impure energies washing away from the crystal.
As the negative energies are being washed away see them being replaced with purity, sense the stone being recharged by the pure energies of the water and earth.
This technique usually takes around 1 to 2 minutes per crystal. This might not sound a long time, but water is a powerful crystal cleanser.
If you have a number of crystals this can actually be a very time consuming process as you need to do each individually!
How To Charge and Program Crystals – 5 Crystal Cleansing Methods
When you sense the crystal is clear, remove it from the water. Now is the time to program crystals and charge them with intent.
Say in your mind, or out loud, the reasons for cleansing and provide intent, meaning any specific purpose you wish to utilize the stone for.
You can say something like:
In the running water from nature, from the Mother Earth, this crystal has been cleansed of all negativity, cleansed of all impurity and completely cleared of external vibrations. The energy of nature and the energy of water has recharged and revitalized this stone for the purpose of ….(add your specific purpose if you have any)…. this crystal is cleansed, cleared and in perfect vibration with nature.
How To Charge and Program Crystals With Intent
Let your crystals dry in the air.
Number 4 – Using Other Types Of Crystals.
If you are unsure about using water or salt, some specific stone types can be used to cleanse your crystals.
Clear Quartz Clusters, Amethyst Geodes and Selenite Slabs will cleanse all other crystals.
Simply place your crystals directly onto the cluster, geode or slab for 12 to 24 hours.
The Selenite, Amethyst and Clear Quartz absorb all of the negative energies from the other healing stones. They neutralize these impurities and recharge the crystal with the vibration.
Many people say that these 3 crystal types do not need cleansing, as they are able to neutralize impurity.
I agree this is true, however I like to cleanse them regardless.
I believe all natural elements should experience an input of pure revitalizing earth energy rather than only ever expending their own energy cleansing others. Think of it as a Spa treatment for their hard work!
Amethyst and Clear Quartz can be cleansed in running water, dry salt or salt water. Easy!
Selenite can be cleansed using this method or method 5.
Kyanite is the exception (another that must avoid water).
Kyanite LOVES to clear negative energy and can clear it quickly.
Kyanite is the only crystal, in my opinion, that does not need to be cleansed.
It neutralizes impure and negative energy and sends it back as pure. As a crystal cleansing stone it is a “must have”!
Number 5 – Smudging or Smoking.
My personal favorite!
Smudging is the term for the smoke produced when burning certain herbs, usually sage based. White sage I believe to be the best.
Many people know that smudging (or sage smoke) is used to clear stagnant, negative and unhealthy energies from our homes. Smudging can do the same for your natural healing stones.
Light your smudge and hold your crystals in the smoke. As with running water you need to add intent and visualize the negative energies being removed.
This method is awesome. Let the smudge smoke envelope each crystal for 30-60 seconds.
Some people find smudging to heavy and overpowering. Others may find it difficult to obtain.
If this is the case you can replace smudge with smoke. Using smoke from Sandalwood or Frankincense incense will achieve the same results!
How To Charge And Program Crystals For Healing.
Charge And Energize Your Healing Stones.
Charging your healing crystals simply means you are energizing them and declaring your intent for their purpose.
For best effect, do this straight after their cleansing and clearing. When fully cleansed you can connect and truly engage with the full vibration and resonance of your crystals.
Sunshine And Moonlight.
The energies of light from the Sun and Moon are perfect for re-energizing your crystals with natural earth energies.
Many people leave newly cleansed crystals under either Moonlight or Sunlight (or both) for a day or two. This allows them to fully absorb the light energies of the Moon and Sun.
Using both provides balance for your crystals, the Sun providing stronger energy, the Moon giving a more gentle energy. Your intent for the crystal can determine the light, or the balance of light, you use.
If you are wanting to focus on nurturing, loving intent then a majority of feminine, nurturing, loving moonlight would be best.
Take care when leaving some crystals in strong sunshine. If certain colored stones are left in strong sunlight they can lose some, or all, of their color.
Amethyst and Citrine are examples of this, so only leave these crystals in the sunshine for an hour or two.
Other people prefer gentle sunlight hours, such as sunrise and sunset.
Physical Contact & Vibration.
The ancient civilizations who used crystals, such as Aztecs and Native Americans energize and charge crystals through contact and being immersed in your body’s aura (energy field).
Therefore you can charge and program crystals by picking them up and handling them. Just hold them or rub them between the palms of your hands as you focus on what it is you wish for them to help you achieve.
Charge with Intent!
Hold your healing crystal in your left hand (the left hand receives) and, if possible, do this standing in moonlight or sunlight.
Say out loud, or in your head:
“I dedicate this crystal to work for the me, charged in natures light I only accept and seek vibrations and energies that work for my best and most positive good. I ask that the universe infuse this stone with energy so it, and I, may only know, offer and receive love and light.
How To Charge and Program Crystals
You may also charge the crystal with specific intent. Again hold the crystal in your left hand and visualize / focus on the specific purpose you have for the crystal i.e. healing, love, attraction, prosperity.
Repeat the same dedication and add your specific intent sentence at the end…”This crystal I dedicate for….. (add your intended purpose)
If possible you should carry, wear, or remain within the same space as your crystals for as much time as possible to establish the energetic connection.
I try to ensure the crystal cleansing is finished in the evening, then to program crystals and the healing stones I simply place them beside the bed, or on a bedside table, as I sleep.
I would love to hear your feedback if you use these methods, or if you know of any others, please share them with us in the comment section below. You can of course contact us directly here.
Love and Light
Like!! Thank you for publishing this awesome article.
Glad you enjoyed it, your comment is much appreciated.
J
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article.
I will be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful info.
Thanks for the post. I will certainly comeback.
Thank you Matt. I am pleased that this post was useful to you and provided you with the information you were looking for. I look forward to welcoming you back again soon.
This post is really interesting, I never knew much about the clearing of crystals and will use your advice. I think I have seriously neglected them so far..lol. Seriously though an excellent post and very educational.
Hi Jason,
I’ve a question for cleansing in sea-salt water. I read once somewhere else that hematite shouldn’t cleansed in water. Do you suggest that hematite can be cleansed with water too?
Have a wonderful day
Alec
Hi Alec
There is a lot of talk about not cleansing hematite in water…some say the crystal doesn’t like it, others say because of its high iron density it forms another crystalline layer which messes with the vibrations….I say (and this only my opinion and experience as I LOVE hematite) it’s a load of nonsense…the only crystals to avoid putting in water are those that might dissolve!
I truly believe the whole theory about hematite came about when it became popular as jewelry rather than a healing stone…and yes if left too long in water it will form a whiteish film which doesnt make it as “pretty”…but a soak under the tap, or a bath overnight is going to do your stone more good than harm.
Will be interesting to hear others views on this! I wear hematite everyday…and soak/cleanse and clear it in water…and its as beautiful, charged and powerful as the day it came into my possession!
Jason
Hi Jason,
Couple of years ago I was so attracted by those stones, that I spend a lot of money of them…. Now, my house is full of them! :)
What I want to say is that on those times I spend a lot of time searching for info. You gathered here in one article what I found on days and days of searching!
One thing I would like to add, and it is something learned from a hypnotherapist. Your intend, your affirmations (with visualizations and feeling) should be always said 3 times.
It seems that the subconscious is not paying attention from the beginning, and we need to insist. :)
Laura
Hi Laura
I’m so happy you enjoyed the post and that it offered information useful. Thats awesome. I love your comment on affirmations of 3 times. This can be 1-100 times…whatever feels right and brings you the benefit.
Jason
Hi Jason, I enjoyed your article very much. I go through phases with crystals. I read about them, enjoy spending time browsing in various shops, learning about each crystal, and what it’s meant to do for us. Then I forget about it for years! I must admit that until I read your article I have forgotten that I have a satin bag of them, somewhere in my bedroom. This article has inspired me to go dig them out, and take advantage of what they have to offer. I guess a good cleansing and clearing wouldn’t go amiss!! At least now I know how to do it.
Hey Hindy
I hope you now have those beauties cleansed and working for you. Im sure you have and have noticed the positive impact.
Best health
Jason
Hi Jason!
Love the idea of cleansing crystals. You obviously got me with the sage. White buffalo sage is my absolutely favorite! I had not thought about cleansing crystals but it makes total sense. I would not want to have the energies of others attached to them. I will be cleansing my amethyst and obsidian stones tonight for sure!
Hi Emily
So glad you enjoyed it…
Im sitting here with 5 new crystals and boy are they making a difference…love nature!
Jason
Most informative and in-depth post. I will certainly share this site with others.
Thanks for your efforts.
Sal
Thanks Sal,
Glad you enjoyed the post
Best health
Jason