As you work with your crystals whether for healing, magical or protective functions they do naturally become depleted of energy and absorb negativity as people talk of their sorrows or pain flows from them into the crystal. Though some recently discovered crystals do not seem to need cleansing or charging, the ritual is a good way of ensuring that any negativity that has penetrated our aura is dissipated as we cleanse the crystals.
When to cleanse and charge crystals:
Cleanse any new crystal to remove the impressions of those who have mined, handled and sold it, even though these may not be negative. You can then endow it with your personal power and that of the earth, seas and skies.
If a crystal appears dull or feels heavy, it probably needs restoring and maybe resting for a while if you use it every day. Have two or three of your favourite kinds so you do not exhaust them. Cleanse and recharge your healing and divinatory crystals once a week or after particularly intense or emotional work. Home and workplace crystals, especially ones that have to protect against technological pollution or that hold at bay negative earth energies will also rapidly become depleted of strength
You can cleanse more than one crystal by placing them in a circle and working over or round the crystal circle
Methods of cleansing and empowering crystals
Using your crystal pendulum
Hold a clear crystal pendulum over the crystal (very delicate shades are best cleansed with an amethyst or rose quartz pendulum). Pass the pendulum over the crystal nine times with slow anti-clockwise circles to remove negativity. Dip the pendulum into a bowl of cold water several times and shake it dry. Move the pendulum once more nine times clockwise over the crystal to empower it
Cleansing and empowering crystals with salt and water
Into a small bowl of still mineral water, stir three pinches of salt clockwise with a clear pointed crystal. Sprinkle three circles of the salt water round the crystal, moving outwards. As you do so ask the blessing of a deity, angel or the benign light of the universe to remove all darkness from the crystal and infuse it with healing light.’
Using Earth Energies
Visit a place where earth energies are strong; within a stone circle; a long barrow or burial mound or a sacred rock for example. If possible go soon after dawn. Set your crystal or crystals on top of a flat stone or at its foot if it is too tall or pointed. Leave the crystals for at least thirty minutes so that the negative energies can flow into the earth and power rise through the stones
Incense or smudging your crystal/s
This is especially good for a circle of crystals. Use either a Native North American sage or cedar smudge stick (a tied bundle of dried herbs) or a large, broad based incense stick in cedar, sage or pine. Light the smudge or incense and before you begin, face the four directions, starting with the East, then point your smudge downwards to the earth and upwards to the sky. Ask at each direction that the Guardian of the East/South etc and then that the Earth Mother and finally Sky Father will purify and empower your crystals
Spiral the smudge alternately upwards and downwards, combining anti-clockwise and clockwise smoke rings, saying as you work: Above, around, to the ground, peace surround, over and over as a mantra
Using the Forces of Nature
Leave the crystal in sunlight and moonlight for a twenty-four hour period or in a rainstorm just for two or three minutes. The day of the full moon is good because the moon raises around the time the sunsets and so you have a continuous flow of energies.
Alternatively put the crystal in a pot of herbs, for example lavender, sage or rosemary that are associated with general healing. Leave it for twenty-four hours and if necessary, wash any remaining soil off with running water.
Using Other
Take a large unpolished piece of amethyst and leave the crystal you have used for healing with the amethyst wrapped in dark silk in a closed drawer.
Cleansing and empowering with peppermint, rosemary or sage infusion.
Use teaspoon of dried herb for 500ml of water If you are using fresh herbs, use three teaspoons of the herb. Pour boiling water over the herbs it o a pot and leave the infusion to cool . Strain the infusion into a ceramic or glass dish. Discard the herbs. Add your healing crystals to the infusion and leave them for twelve hours. Hold them under running water . For delicate crystals, substitute dried lavender heads, chamomile flowers or rose petals in the infusion and make a circle of sprinkled infusion round the crystal/s, first in an anticlockwise direction and then over the first circle (approximately) clockwise.