Best Techniques.

Cleansing crystals is, by general consensus, very important. When acquiring your crystals a cleansing routine is important before using them in any manner whatsoever.

Oftentimes, whilst being mined, crystals are handled rather roughly and in the process can be chipped, broken around the edges and have their facets marked. All this adds to the crystals character and does not necessarily destroy its natural energy or in any way reduce its healing properties.

Cleansing crystals, why?

Taking the above into consideration, what is very important however is that crystals, like water, absorb vibrations and this is why they have to be cleansed. The vibration of each person that has handled the crystal is present within the crystal. All these unwanted vibrations must be removed to enable the crystal to become a clear channel and to allow it to attune itself to your vibrations.

With cleansing crystals, will any one of the methods damage the healing properties and energies of my  crystal?

No. The energy memory of a crystal is intrinsic to the very structure of the crystal itself. To destroy the energy or healing properties of a stone it would require the total destruction of the crystal itself.

The cleansing methods will remove and realign the vibrational energies the crystal has absorbed over time and prepare it for dedication and programming.

It is of the utmost importance to remember that crystals require a great deal of love.

There are a couple of ways I can recommend for cleansing crystals. If one doesn't work for you, always depend on your intuition and try another cleansing method.

Cleansing Crystals, a few recommended methods:

1.    Sunlight - Light is the essential currency of crystal healing therefore cleansing crystals this way works best. Leave in sunlight for a couple of hours, at least 12, the crystal will absorb the healing rays of the sun.

2.    Smudging - Smudge crystals with the purifying smoke of dried herbs or incense. This method can be used cleansing crystals one by one or even for a roomful of crystals.

3.    Running water - (do not use this crystal cleansing method on porous crystals e.g. Azurite) Hold your crystals under running water and imagine all  the negativity flowing out of your crystal as little minus signs and going down the drain. Then imagine your crystal being filled with loads of positive energy (with little plus signs).

4.    Resonating sound - Purify your crystals with the resonating sound of a bell that you love. You can even use beautiful music and again either a single crystal or a roomful of crystals can be cleansed this way. Cleansing crystals this way has an added benefit, the vibration of sound is integrated into the healing energies of your crystal.

5.    Amethyst cluster / bed - Placing your crystal on a cluster will cleanse and remove negative energy from your crystals. This method can be applied overnight. Remember to cleanse your crystal cluster from time to time.

6.  Brown rice - a firm favourite. Cover or lay your crystal on a bed of brown rice for 24 hours. After cleansing crystals this way, always remember that the rice can be used for cooking and need not be thrown away.

Note: Although crystals seem to be rock-like as we look and touch them, it is not to say that some of them are not extremely delicate and porous.

For this reason I have not mentioned cleansing crystals using rock/kosher salt or salt water, both of these methods can damage your beauties over time.

Clearing your Crystal

There will be time that you would have to clear your crystal. This will mostly be when you are not sure whether a crystal has been programmed previously (e.g. buying through eBay) or if you have programmed it before for a specific use and wish to change it.

1. One of the most effective ways to do this is by using your hand and your breath.
2. Begin by holding firmly in your non-dominant hand, so as to not drop the stone.
3. Set your intent to clear out whatever has been laid into the stone.
4. With your dominant hand use a sharp stroking motion away from you together with a sharp blow of breath on the crystal three times.
5. If more than one program has been laid into the crystal repeat step four on all sides of the crystal.

Avoid contact with water:

• Azurite, Halite, Selenite - water soluble.
• Lapis lazuli, Opal, Turquoise - porous, do not soak, dry after cleansing.
• Malachite - use cool water only, dry after cleansing.

Light sensitive:

• Amethyst, Rose Quartz - may fade.
• Turquoise - may dry out.

Heat sensitive:

• Amethyst - may fade in gentle heat, becomes colourless in strong heat.
• Quartz - may fracture with sudden temperature changes.
• Lapis Lazuli - avoid high heat.
• Malachite - avoid sudden temperature changes.
• Tourmaline - high heat alters colours.
• Turquoise - sensitive to all heat.

Easily scratched:

• Metallic crystals or minerals.
• Calcite, Celestite, malachite, Fluorite, Rhodocrosite, Apatite, Lapis Lazuli.
• Sodalite, Selenite, Turquoise, Hematite, Moonstone.

After choosing a new crystal it is important to follow the steps for the cleansing of crystals.