Why It Is Necessary to Clean and Charge Crystals
Crystals are known for their ability to store, transmit, and transform energy. This makes them incredibly useful for healing, meditation, protection, or just as adornments. But crystals are also energy workers. They absorb energy from their environment, and over time, this can make them—as the crystal expert and author Jolie DeMarco puts it—”clogged.” This is why we cleanse. But restoring a crystal to its pure state isn’t enough. Because we also have to make it functional again by charging it up with fresh, new energy. In this guide, I’ll go over why it is necessary to clean and charge crystals, and I’ll share some common methods you can use to do both.
Cleansing Your Crystals: The Best Methods for Cleansing Crystals
There are many methods of cleansing crystals, each with its own benefits and possible downside. Some methods of cleansing stones are gentle and suitable for all types of crystals. Other methods are more intense and should be used with caution on certain types of stones—especially those that shouldn’t get wet or that might be damaged by harsher treatment. While what follows is a guide to the methods of cleansing that are most commonly used, keep in mind that the method you use should depend on the type of stone and what you feel is best for your crystal.
Crystal Cleansing with Water
Crystals have been used throughout history in various cultures for their energetic properties. They are believed to interact with human energy fields in both subtle and powerful ways. There’s no denying that common thoughts and practices around the use of crystals for their purported healing properties are indeed ancient. Yet, while they are timeless, practices involving crystals also exist in modern-day contexts, like yesterday and today. No matter when or where you are, cleaning crystals is fundamental to working with them, because dirty crystals don’t work as well as clean ones. There are a lot of ways to clean crystals, especially if you don’t want to or can’t do it with water. But in this practitioner guide, we are going to focus on one very reliable and safe way to clean crystals: using good ol’ water.
Method: Combining Sea Salt with Water for Cleansing
Combine a small amount of sea salt with water and let the crystal bathe in the mixture for several hours or overnight. Salt is a near-universal purifying agent. Few substances are as good at neutralizing the kinds of energy that build up in stones, especially when those stones are not physically or energetically warm or cool (the criteria that make them semiconductors, which means they can hold or transmit energy). After the stone has been neutralized, rinse it well under fresh water and let it dry. Best for: Stones that are hard and can take a beating, like clear quartz and citrine. Other hard beauties like black tourmaline surely can take a saltwater soak without damage.
An Overview of Smoke Cleansing (Smudging)
The traditional practice of smoke cleansing is used by many cultures around the world to purify or cleanse people, spaces, and objects. Some use it in a more shamanistic way, and others might use it in a way that’s more akin to religious ritual (for example, using holy water). The practice involves lighting herbs or plants—such as white sage, sweetgrass, or cedar—and using the smoke produced to cleanse or bless and purify what you wish to cleanse. While the practice is not about having a smell-good experience, the smoke produced does carry with it the potent essence of the plant used. You can think of the plant’s smoke as being loaded with the plant’s medicine (as was discussed in Chapter 7). Plants used in smoke cleansing also have specific meanings that can enhance the experience of the practice.
Most Suitable For: All Crystals, Especially Delicate Stones
All crystals, especially delicate or absorbent stones that can’t be cleansed with water. Cleansing them with smoke is as effective as it is gentle, making it an ideal choice for cleansing your selenite, celestite, and kyanite. After you’ve smudged your space and stones, be sure to let the smoke exit, too. Opening windows and doors will make your space feel roomier and help the negative energy detox along with the smoke.
An Overview of Sound Cleansing
Sound cleansing utilizes the vibrations of sound waves to cleanse crystals of negative energy. The sound waves can penetrate the structure of the crystal and balance its energetic field without physically touching the stone. This method is great for the collection of crystals that one might have or for the stones that one cannot use the traditional methods of cleansing (like water and smoke) on. In a Performance: Use an instrument of sound—like a Tibetan singing bowl or a bell—to create vibrations in the air around your crystals. Hold the sound instrument close and let the sound waves pass through your collection of stones. As the sound waves hit the free surface of the stones, they will vibrate in sympathy with the waves coming from the instrument. At the same time, the sound waves will be passing into and through the crystal structures and vibrating the inner parts of the stones.
Optimal Application: Cleansing with Sound
This is suitable for all types of crystals and especially for large clusters or geodes that would be hard to put in water and delicate stones that would be difficult to clean using water or smoke. Multiple crystals can be cleaned simultaneously with this method, so it’s an efficient way to clean large collections. If you want to take it up a notch, while you’re playing your sound instrument, really focus your intention on cleansing the stones and replacing their energy with a fresh, vibrant frequency that has you seeing (in your mind’s eye) the stones in a manner that would make any crystal enthusiast green with envy.
Cleansing Crystals: An Overview
Crystals sit naturally in the Earth, and returning them to where they originated can remold their energy into the form they held upon creation. Cleansing the crystals this way involves burying them in soil. The substrates of our planet have a magical way of absorbing energy. They convert and transmute energy in ways we have not fully mapped or explored. All we really know is that our Earth is crawling with energy. This method of crystal cleansing offers a beautiful, metaphorical, and literal way of coming back to Earth with our precious stones. To cleanse with soil allows the stones to “be” in the place where they were meant to be, and almost “re-energizes” them in the process.
Most Suitable For: Grounding Stones
The grounding stones: black tourmaline, smoky quartz, and hematite. These are also good choices for any stone requiring a deep, stabilizing cleanse. Be careful not to lose your crystals when you’re finished with this exercise. If they’re small, make a note of where you’ve buried them. And it goes without saying, but make sure the soil you’re using isn’t toxic to the stones.
An Overview of Cleansing in Sunlight
The potent, vibrant energy of the sun is often harnessed to cleanse and revitalize crystals. Sunlight not only wipes them clean of any negative energy but recharges them, restoring the life-giving solar force. However, the sunlight method is best suited only for those crystals that can withstand direct sunlight for extended periods, such as the ones mentioned above. To use the sun as a cleansing and energizing force, place the crystalline structure directly in sunlight for about one to two hours, either outside or in a well-lit window that faces the sun. Be careful, as too much exposure can cause certain stones to fade or sustain surface damage.
Best for: Solar-Powered Stones
Best for: Crystals that harmonize with solar energy, like citrine, clear quartz, tiger’s eye, and pyrite, are the best options. These stones flourish in sunlight and frequently come up in conversations about courage, clarity, and motivation.
An Overview of Charging Your Crystals with Moonlight
The soft and gentle energy of the moon makes it the most optimal celestial body for charging crystals—even more so than the sun. The sun emits a much stronger force that, while beneficial for some crystals, could potentially damage others. Generally, crystals that are more delicate or that could easily lose their charge are best charged under the moon’s nurturing light. Still, this is not to say that all crystals should be charged under moonlight, especially if you’re trying to optimize the energy you’re working with.
Procedure for Charging Crystals in Moonlight
Position your crystals outside or on a windowsill in the direct light of the full moon. Leave them there overnight to fully soak up the moon’s power. The full moon, in particular, is a potent time for charging, as its energy is at its peak. However, you can perform this ritual at any phase of the moon.
Who Should Use Moonlight for Charging Crystals
Every kind of crystal can gain from soaking up some moonlight, but certain ones have a closer connection to that method of recharging. Moonstone, selenite, amethyst, and labradorite are particularly good picks for moonlight charging because their energy is closely related to that of the moon. Crystals like these, used for manifesting your highest self; emotional healing; or intuitive work also seem to really thrive with this method of moonlight charging.
Charging Crystals: The Earth Method
The most basic and powerful way to charge crystals is to return them to the Earth for a time. Crystals are natural, often rare, elements that formed deep within the Earth. It is only right that we use elements of the Earth itself—dirt, rock, and mineral—to recharge crystals. When we bury crystals in the ground, the Earth’s energy stabilizes and reestablishes the crystal’s natural frequency.
How to Charge Your Crystals in the Earth
Place your crystals directly into the soil for 24 to 48 hours. You can do this in your garden or even in a houseplant if you don’t have outdoor space. Mother Nature will absorb any residual negative energy while restoring the crystals to their Earth-given vibrational frequency.
Best Crystals for Earth Charging
Ideal candidates for Earth charging are grounding stones. Among the best ones to use this method with are black tourmaline, smoky quartz, hematite, and red jasper. These crystals, along with others like them, can serve a dual purpose: They not only put out a strong grounding and protective energy for the user, but they also remain well-grounded and stable themselves.
Important Reminder for Earth Charging
Advice: Definitely remember to denote the location of any buried crystals, particularly the smaller ones, so that you can easily find and reclaim them later!
Sound Healing: Cleansing and Charging Crystals with Sound
Energy healing is an ancient practice that has for eons been used to restore balance and harmony in the human body, mind, and spirit. One of the practices in energy healing that many cultures around the world use is sound healing. For thousands of years, humans have been using sound as a healing tool. The ancient Egyptians, for example, would use chanting to release energy. In Tibetan culture, singing bowls are a part of their very sacred practices, and ohm (or aum) is also a very ancient sound that is still used today with much charm.
Sound Charging Method
Technique: Utilize effective instruments like Tibetan singing bowls, tuning forks, or chimes to surround your crystals with sound energy. For one to two minutes, position the sound-making tool close to your crystal or move it over multiple crystals, and let the penetrating sound waves do their recharging work.
Best Crystals for Sound Charging
Optimal Use: Sound charging is beneficial for all types of crystals, making it an excellent method for large collections or fragile specimens that are not meant to withstand frequent handling. It is an especially good choice for charging whole formations such as clusters or geodes, as well as singular crystals that are displayed in a single location.
Visualization and Intention: The Most Powerful Crystal Charging Method
The most effective method for infusing your crystals with energy is to use focused visualizations and to set intentions, says Holly D. Keene, a certified crystal healer and the author of “The Ultimate Guide to Crystal Healing.” Keene sees these practices as the most direct and potent way to change a crystal’s energy and program it for something specific and unprecedented.
How to Charge Your Crystals Using Intention
Technique: Grasp the crystal delicately and bring it to your heart. Close your eyes and take three deep, cleansing breaths. Allow your body and mind to relax. Picture what you want the crystal to do for you. See it glowing with your intention. Know with every part of your being that it is happening. Allow the energy of your desire to flow into the crystal until you feel a shift. Keep the vision up for as long as you want; it can be for a minute up to as long as 10. Then, open your eyes and re-enter the physical space around you.
Best Use for Intentional Charging
Optimal for: Using crystals for detailed intentions or something related to your personal development, such as channeling precise energy through the use of a rose quartz for love-related work (that has to do with your heart chakra), green aventurine for abundance, or clear quartz for a clarity matter. This is a good method—it’s probably the best method—for when you want to really “charge up” a crystal under specific, tailored-to-you conditions.
Charging with Crystal Clusters
Charging with Crystal Clusters: Certain crystals, such as clear quartz and amethyst, are excellent at charging other crystals. When you place your stones on or around these high-vibrational crystals, they transfer their energy to your stones, increasing their vibration and potency. You can also use large clusters of crystals, like amethyst or quartz geodes, to charge multiple smaller stones at once, thanks to their massive surface areas and clean energy.
How to Charge Your Crystals Using Clusters
Method: For 24-48 hours, place your small crystals on or around a large crystal cluster. The energy from the larger crystal will cleanse and recharge the smaller ones. This method is especially good for beginners who are new to actively charging crystals and don’t yet have the skills to do so without a “power source.”
Best Crystals for Cluster Charging
Optimal for: Small rocks, polished stones (also called tumbled stones), and crystal collections that are truly vast. (Note that the amethyst and clear quartz varieties of geode are particularly powerful for this.) This method also works really well for stones that can be adversely affected by water or that may be prone to overheating in direct sunlight. Whatever crystals you use, just remember that the aura of the crystal cluster can be thought of as a 360-degree force field, so it’s really important to place them in a location that has either very good energy or that is energetically neutral.
Charging with Plant Energy
Plants and crystals have a long and deep connection to the energy of the Earth. This is why we suggest “charging” your stones by placing them near healthy houseplants or in a garden with healthy growth. They might even have similar affinities with you if you consider yourself a nature lover. These methods are excellent for recharging crystals that are particularly Earth-affiliated, like selenite. On the other hand, this method is not suitable for charging all types of crystals. Burying your crystals in potted plants or placing them by houseplants should definitely be avoided with stones that are water-soluble, fragile, or that have an affinity with plants that could signify they are not meant to be “charged” in this manner.
Best Crystals for Plant Energy Charging
Most suitable for: Verde stones, such as moss agate, green aventurine, and jade, benefit most from the infusion of plant energy. This is also a great way to recharge grounding stones and crystals that need a gentle boost of energy to do their jobs. Little did I know when I started taking Plant 101 that there was such a thing as plant energy. However, it’s a basic concept well-known in yoga and some forms of alternative medicine. Plants have energy, and it’s a good energy—healthy and life-giving.
Using Master Crystals for Charging
Some high-vibration crystals give off energy that can charge other crystals. Selenite and clear quartz are two stones that do this very well. They are known as “master” crystals. Put the crystal you want to charge near or on top of a “master” crystal for 24 hours. Both selenite and clear quartz are very accessible and easy to work with, so use whichever you find convenient. Selenite has the particular property of being a self-cleansing stone, meaning it never needs to be charged or cleansed itself. This makes it an excellent choice for a stone that can be used to charge other stones.
Best Crystals for Charging with Master Crystals
Ideal for: While all crystals derive advantages from being energized with high-vibration stones, this technique is particularly beneficial for delicate crystals or those that need regular recharging, such as tourmaline and amethyst. When to use it: This is a great method to employ when you want a not-so-obvious, effortless, and continuous recharging process. Place your high-vibration rock in a space where you keep your other rocks, and let it re-energize those rocks at the same time.
When to Charge Your Crystals
When to Charge Crystals: There aren’t any hard and fast rules for when to charge your crystals, but there are some good times and some not-so-good times to consider. The best time to charge your crystals is during the new moon, as this time represents new beginnings and setting intentions. The full moon is also a powerful time for charging crystals, as the energy is at its peak. You set your intention for how you want the crystal to work for you when you charge it, so lunar energy can really give your crystals a boost.
Best Times for Crystal Charging
Prime Times for Crystal Charging: When it comes to charging your crystals, not just any old moment in time will do. If you want to give your crystals a really good boost, hit them up with the most potent cosmic energies you can find. And when are those? Well, at the top of the list, for many esoteric practitioners, is the full moon. The full moon is the best time for charging crystals because its energy is very strong and very clear. Earth is in a perfect position for receiving the sun’s light, and every crystal (and charge) in the moonlight is being amplified and intensified. And while not every stone has a unique working moon phase (for example, some are full moon are good for certain stones, while others might be better for new moon energy), you can supercharge most of your crystals during a full moon.
Charging Crystals with Lunar and Solar Energy
The new moon is a wonderful time to energize crystals intended for manifestations and personal development. Since the sun is at its highest and most potent at noon, this is the optimal time to use sunlight for crystal charging if you want to achieve the best results. Similarly, you can use daylight to charge your crystals during notable solar events, like the summer solstice or the winter solstice, which would give your crystals a more pronounced energy boost. Alternatively, you can charge your crystals based on the passages of the relevant astrological signs. For instance, charge moonstone during Cancer season or citrine during Leo season.
Crystals That Don’t Require Charging
Some crystals, like selenite and kyanite, do not require charging because they effortlessly hold and maintain their high-vibrational energy. However, even these exceptional crystals can benefit from being exposed to certain energies that temporarily boost their already potent powers. For instance, regular exposure to moonlight, which is a powerful energy source for all crystals, can significantly enhance the awesome (in the original sense of the word) capabilities of selenite and kyanite.
The Role of Intention in Charging Crystals
When we follow these methods, we are not anymore relying solely on physical means of charging crystals. Instead, we are using the vital act of intention. Intention is the prime factor that allows these other methods to work. It allows the crystal to more effectively absorb the energies around it. As it absorbs that energy, it becomes a better tool for manifesting your desires.
Maintaining Your Crystals’ Potency
When you consistently invigorate your crystals and employ the techniques that resonate most with you and the stone’s intentions, you maintain their energetic potency. They are then ready to assist you in healing, manifesting, or providing protection.
Importance of Regular Cleansing and Charging
Regularly cleanse and charge your crystals to eliminate negativity, restore their innate strength, and amplify your rituals of healing, protection, and manifestation.
Final Thoughts: Preserve the Energetic Potency of Your Crystals
Cleansing and charging your crystals are very important because it helps keeps the crystals at an energetically vibrant state. Why is this so important? You want them to be aligned with you—in a spiritual, physical, and emotional sense. And just like us, crystals require maintenance. Although they have a propensity to hold energy for a long time, complacently allowing them to just “be” without any intervention is like not going to the doctor for an annual physical.
The Benefits of Crystal Maintenance
Removing negative energy and resetting the vibrational frequency of crystals is essential to keep them as potent healing and manifesting tools. They must also be kept “clean” of any potential energy that could interfere with your use of a crystal for a specific purpose. There are several ways to “clean” and “charge” a crystal; the method you choose says much about your relationship with the crystal you’re working with.
Connecting with Your Crystals
Taking care of your crystals is an exercise in mindfulness that allows you to connect with them on a deeper level. It lets you know not only their makeup and structure but also their “personalities.” And yes, some crystals do have personalities. They are not just pretty rocks—they are powerful tools for many and are endowed with a lot (or a little) of energy, depending on how you see it.
Commonly Asked Questions About Cleansing and Charging Crystals
What do you say when you are cleansing or charging a crystal? All you really need to do is to express what feels right for you. You can use the words I offer for your own practice, or you can modify them or create your own. For cleansing, I say, “I release any negative energy from this crystal.” For charging, I say, “I charge this crystal with energy for healing, protection, and positivity.”
Purification with Sage and Palo Santo
When purifying crystals with sage, what is appropriate to express? As you use sage for purification, you might say, “Any negative energy tied to this crystal is no longer tied to this crystal and is instead back in the pure, undifferentiated state it was in before.” When using palo santo, what should you say for the same reasons? When using palo santo, your words might be something along the lines of, “May any energy trapped in this crystal be released, may this smoke help the crystal be returned to its natural, pure state, and may it be returned to me filled with clarity and peace.”
Post-Cleansing and Charging Crystal Care
Post-cleanse, the next step in crystal care is to establish the intended purpose for the stone. Keep the crystal in a space within your home that is either intentional or sacred to maintain the charged energy. Since you are most likely not using the crystal for its natural vibration, it’s nearly always in a state of being charged because you’ve placed it in your space or on your person and have a clear intention for why the stone is there.
Why Cleanse or Charge Your Crystals?
Why cleanse or charge your crystals? Cleansing rids your crystal of any unwanted or stagnant energy. Charging re-energizes the crystal, and aligns it with the natural energy signatures it is meant to hold.
What is the process by which crystals are cleansed and energized?
Cleansing removes negative or stagnant energy that the crystal has gathered, while charging infuses the crystal with new energy, usually from natural sunlight, moonlight, or other elemental forces. These steps “reset” the crystal, getting it back to its neutral, effective state.
Which crystals can cleanse themselves?
Some crystals, such as selenite, kyanite, and citrine, have qualities that enable them to repel negative energy and remain “clean.” These minerals don’t require the kind of cleansing that most other crystals do.
Which crystals are optimal for performing the dual tasks of cleansing and charging?
Clear quartz, amethyst, and selenite fulfill the first requirement exceedingly well; they are some of the best crystals for cleansing other crystals. When it comes to charging, however, you might want to use either clear quartz or amethyst again. Another option is to place your crystals in direct sunlight with other stones that prefer less intense light.
What is the effect of exposing crystals to sunlight?
When crystals are placed in sunlight, they imbibe the sun’s potent, life-sustaining energy, which intensifies and amplifies their already existing vibratory frequencies and otherwise “quiet” energies. However, a few crystals, like amethyst, rose quartz, and certain others, can fade in direct sunlight, so it’s best to use indirect sunlight or a shorter duration of exposure when working with them.
What is meant by the term “charging crystals”?
When we talk about charging crystals, we’re referring to the practice of reenergizing the crystalline structure after it’s been cleaned and, in some cases, repaired. We’re talking about revitalizing the natural properties of the crystal and bringing it back to a state where it’s best aligned with what you want to achieve, which could be anything from manifesting to healing to providing protective energy.
With what frequency should I cleanse or charge my crystals?
The answer varies based on the crystal’s usage. For crystals used daily, a weekly cleanse is best. Other crystals might only need a monthly maintenance job. You can charge your crystal after every cleansing or whenever you intuit that it’s not vibrating at its full potential.
Is it possible to cleanse and charge my crystals simultaneously?
Certainly! Some methods, like using moonlight or sound, can both purify and power up your crystals at once. Still, while those techniques are great for multitasking, you’re probably better off doing those steps one at a time and concentrating on each. That way, you ensure your crystal is operating at peak clarity and energy after performing that cleansing ritual.
Is it better to charge crystals during the day or at night?
This depends on the type of energy you’re after. If you want your crystal to emanate strong, clear, and solar energy (you know, the kind that helps you wake up in the morning), then sunlight is obviously your best bet. If, however, you want to imbue your crystal with some sort of emotionally healing, intuitively tuned, or just plain reflective energy, then you should stick to moonlit nights, which are especially potent during a full moon.
Can every crystal be cleansed and charged in the same manner?
Definitely not. While some cleansing methods are fine for all or most crystals, others must be chosen with care to avoid damaging delicate structures and the crystals’ inherent properties. For instance, you might think a sensitive stone (like amethyst) would enjoy a good long sunbath. You would be wrong. Methods for cleansing and charging crystals require the same kind of basic consideration you would give to planning a good workout for someone with a bad back.
Do crystals really need to be cleared and recharged as often as some people say?
If not, what happens to them? On the other hand, if they truly do need that regular attention, why? The short version is that the care you give to crystals can seem to reflect the care you give to your own self. And if self-care doesn’t equal power for the person carrying the crystal, what makes it equal power for the crystal?
Am I allowed to employ several techniques for cleansing or charging my crystals?
Yes, you can mix and match. For example, you could use smoke as a cleansing method and then use the light of the moon to charge the crystal, or you might use sound as a way to cleanse the crystal and then follow that up with sunlight to charge it. Combining techniques like this can not only be fun but can also boost your crystal’s vibration even more.
Is there a distinction to be made between cleansing a crystal and charging it?
Absolutely. Cleansing rids the crystal of negative or stagnant energy, while charging imbues the crystal with fresh, positive energy. Cleansing makes sure the crystal is ready for work, and charging ensures it is full of usable energy and primed for tasks at hand.
If I don’t purify or infuse my crystals with energy, what will occur?
The crystal may, in essence, collect negative energy from around it—as well as from within any person who might handle it—virtually allowing any person to who handles it to enshrine it with their own negative energy.
Haven’t you handled a crystal that upon your first touch alone felt heavy or dense?
That thickness within and about the crystal truly is negative energy making it feel like it “hasn’t got your back.”
What is the recommended time for cleansing or charging crystals?
It all depends on the method used. For example, cleansing with water or smoke might only take a few minutes, while charging in moonlight or sunlight typically requires leaving the crystal for a few hours (preferably overnight or for 1-2 hours in the sun).
Is it possible to use other methods or tools, like sound bowls or Reiki, to cleanse or charge crystals?
Yes, and they’re great methods, too! Sound bowls, tuning forks, and Reiki are excellent ways to bless crystals with renewed energy. Working with those methods, you’re not just cleansing the stone; you’re reestablishing a stable vibration within it so that it works optimally in conjunction with your energy field.