How to Cleanse, Charge, and Activate Crystals

Crystals often travel long distances, encountering energies from a lot of different places and people, before they make it into your hands. That's why when you first acquire a new crystal, you should always cleanse and clear it of any residual energy, allowing it to return to its innate state and power. I always cleanse crystals before I list them on The Spirit Cove to ensure they're in a positive energy state when they arrive to you but feel free to do it again once you receive them to allow them to fully embody your energy and intentions. 

Another time you'll want to cleanse your crystals is if you've been using them for healing work, or if it's been more than a few weeks since you last cleansed them. Crystals absorb energy as they 'work', and certain crystals, such as Black Tourmaline and many other black crystals, are particularly good at absorbing energy, so it's important to clear these energies away on a regular basis. 

Methods for Cleansing and Clearing Crystals

Smoke Cleansing

Smoke cleansing - often the act of burning dried herbs - is a popular method for cleansing crystals. Before doing this, I like to take a moment to drop in and honour the plant/herbs that I will be using, and ask for their assistance. You may wish to honour the elements involved too. Next, light your smoke wand or dried herbs, let the flame catch for about 10 seconds or so, and then blow it out so that it's just smoldering. Set an intention for the crystals to be cleared of any negative energies or impurities and waft the smoke all around the crystals. You may wish to state your intention out loud, e.g., “May this smoke cleanse and clear these crystals of any negative energies or impurities.” Envision these being lifted away. Ensure you leave the windows open so that the smoke and energy can be cleared from the room.

Running Water

For certain crystals, you can use running water (or better yet, a natural body of water) to cleanse your crystals. Hold the crystal under a running tap as you visualize the water as a white light, washing away any negative energy or impurities, and filling the crystal with pure, natural energy. You want to do this for about 30 seconds per crystal. If you have a natural water source nearby such as the ocean, a river, or a stream, you can also use these to cleanse your crystals. When using water to cleanse my crystals, I like to speak to and honour the element of water as I’m doing so.

An important note here is that not all crystals can withstand water. Certain crystals such as Selenite, Moonstone, and Kyanite will dissolve. A good role of thumb is that any crystal ending in 'ite' will dissolve, but there are many others that are also unsuitable. Please do your research first.

Using Salt

Salt is a great way to draw out negative energy and there are a couple of ways you can use it. The first option is to mix sea salt (not table salt) in a bowl of water and leave your crystals to soak overnight, allowing the salt to draw out any negative energy. If you have access to ocean water, you can use that. After you have soaked them, you'll want to rinse them with clear water to wash away any salty residue. As mentioned previously, not all crystals are suitable for this method so please do your research first. Some crystals while fine in water, are not fine in salt water. Another option - and suitable for a wider range of crystals - is to fill a bowl with sea salt and place your crystals in it overnight.

The Earth

Return your crystals to nature and let the energies of the earth cleanse and charge your crystals. Bury them underground, and let the earth soak up any unwanted energies from the crystals, returning them to their natural state. You can leave it there overnight, for one day, or for several days or even weeks. 

Methods for Charging Crystals

After cleansing your crystals, there are simple rituals you can do to charge them and amplify their energy. This step isn't necessary, as crystals in their natural state already embody the energy they need. As long as any negative or stagnant energies are cleared, they're powered up and ready to be used. Charging them will only amplify the energy and the more, the better is the way I see it. 

Sunlight

The sunlight is a great way to not only charge crystals but to also cleanse them at the same time. Place your crystals in the sunlight for anywhere from 30 minutes - 2 hours, allowing them to absorb the life force energy of the sun.

Please note that certain crystals, such as Amethyst, Aventurine, and Rose Quartz, will fade under the sunlight over time, so I'd recommend using a different method for those or keeping the sun exposure much shorter.

Moonlight

The moonlight provides a subtle, gentle energy, and is safe for all crystals. Generally speaking, it is best to charge crystals under the full moon (or the days surrounding one), when the moon's energy is at its strongest. Find a safe, dry, spot for your crystals, and allow them the bathe under the moonlight overnight. If you don't have a safe area outdoors for this, a window sill will also work. 

Sound

Sound sends vibrations into the environment, which penetrates the structure of the crystal, making it a great tool for charging. This method is particularly useful if you want to charge a large range of crystals all at the same time. This can be done with a tuning fork, singing bowls, and even bells. If you don't have these items, you can find videos of them on YouTube that you can play to achieve the same thing.

Other Crystals 

Certain types of crystals are known to have the power to amplify the energy of and/or charge other crystals, such as Clear Quartz and Selenite. I sell Selenite plates at The Spirit Cove, especially for this reason. Simply place your crystals on the charging plate and let the Selenite use its energy to charge them.

If you want to use Clear Quartz - which is known for magnifying the effects of other crystals - you can place your crystal on a bowl or a bag of Clear Quartz chips and leave it for a few hours or overnight.

Programming Crystals

After cleansing your crystals, the most important part is programming. Giving them an intention will help them stay focused, and offer the right energy where it's needed. If you’ve researched crystals before, I’m sure you can appreciate the vast properties each one can hold, so doing this will help you get the most out of it.

To program your crystal, find a nice quiet place away from distractions. Hold the crystal in your hands and take a few deep breaths, bringing yourself into the present. When your mind is clear, focus on the crystal and visualize it being soaked in a white light. Concentrate on the energy or intention you'd like to program the crystal with and transmit that thought or energy from your mind, into the crystal. Try to be clear with your intentions and not to overload the crystal with too many different thoughts or energies. 

Some examples of energies or intentions you might want to program a certain crystal for might be:

• Programming your Rose Quartz crystal to help encourage more self-love
• Programming your Red Jasper crystal to help you stay grounded
• Programming your Amethyst crystal to help you refrain from an addiction
• Programming your Citrine crystal to attract more abundance into your life

Do this until you feel that the crystal has embodied the energy and intention and then close your ritual with a thank you.