All my crystal lovers this post is for you. A question I get asked all the time is how do I cleanse, charge, and activate my crystals? Below are a few simple ways I do make sure my crystals are loved, cared for, and ready to do their magic!
1.) Smudge
One of the first things any crystal owner should do when they buy a new crystal and bring their new baby home, is to get well acquainted with it. A great way to create a welcoming homecoming for your crystal is to smudge the space it is going to chill in for a while. Smudging is the act of smearing, rubbing or lighting something the will clear the energy from an object or space. Lighting Sage, Palo Santo, Resin, Sweetgrass, etc. is an easy way to clear your space for your crystal’s arrival so it is coming into good energy. Crystals are highly sensitive tools, so they can immediately pick up on the energy that surrounds them. To start off on good hands, a little smudge never hurt anyone.
After you have smudged your space, you can gently wave your smudge above or around your crystals. This will purify them and clear anything inhibiting them from their past. There is no limit for how long you can smudge your crystals, again each practice is individual. I happen to have a my smudge holders on my alter by my crystals, so they get the smudge treatment very frequently. However, always make sure you do your research on the type of crystal you have, for not all crystals an be physically smudged with out sustaining damages. If this is the case, just smudging your room is fine, instead of the crystal itself.
2.) Florida Water
Even before taking my crystal out of its packaging, I wash my hands with Florida water. Florida Water is a spiritual cleanser that can be used for a multiple things like as a perfume and in your rituals. I make my own Florida Water in ritual that you can purchase here in the shop! I use Florida Water pretty religiously and have even started to hand wash my clothes in it. A cool thing is that it is really inexpensive to buy and your crystals love it too! Yet again, you have to research to make sure liquid is ok to clean certain crystals. For example you should not use liquid on more flaky crystals like Lepidolite and Kyanite. They are actually -self-cleaning which is cool, for their surface is super delicate. Also, Selenite is self-cleansing as well, so water and smoke especially should not be used, for it will cause discoloration. Florida Water is also great for using with your shellwork where your crystals will love to be an active participant in as well.
3.) Programming
A quick way to have your crystals do anything, is to program them to do whatever you want. I will get more in-depth into programming in another post, but it is very important to give tasks to your crystals. Your crystals like to know its job so it can properly use its talents for your benefit. When you get a new crystal just simply ask it to charge itself and it will do it. I mean of course you can step in and still cleanse it as well, but a way I always make sure my crystals are charged is to ask them in the beginning to do the work for me, among other things I program it to do later on.
4.) Incense
If you do not have smudge by all means use incense! Copal sticks is a personal favorite of mine. Copal is a smudge that was used by the Incas and Mayans as an offering to their gods. It is known to purify your space by making it peaceful and calm. When copal is lit to cleanse your crystals, it is like a smooth sedative for your crystals and it also makes your space smell great too!
Also, you can buy sage and Palo Santo in incense for as well! If you are working with a certain crystal, you can buy incense that resonates with the charka of that crystal. Lighting chakra incense that connects to the crystals is an amazing way to really elevate and balance unaligned or over active chakras that need your attention.
5.) Music
Crystals select their owners for they not only connect with your intuition, but your soul as well. I believe that what you like, your crystals will like also. This applies to your methods of cleansing and also your taste in music! If you know me, you know that I am listening to music throughout most of my day. Like talking to your plants, music elevates the energy in your space and your crystals and plants can feel those vibrations. Music is defiantly in my personal practice when charging my crystals. So if I am working with a more fire empowered crystal like Carnelian, I will play some punk rock like Mannequin Pussy to connect with the energy of that chakra. If I am working on strengthening my intuition with Celecite, I will put on Weyes Blood. Music has a mood that connects with our chakras, let your crystals be the instigator in this healing practice. Overall, crystals resonate with the force field they are in, making music the perfect remedy.
6.) Water
Water is a great cleansing element for your crystals. Again you will have to do further research on your crystals to make sure they can be in the water safely. Sensitive crystals like Lepidolite and Angelite I would steer clear of cleaning in water as to not damage them. If you have access to a body of water like a stream, river, pond, lake or ocean, cleaning and re-charging your crystals in them is even better. I recently washed my Larimer in a river by my apartment. Larimer’s natural home is in the water, so it defiantly was the perfect way to recharge it before I started to use it. Salt water is also great to cleanse your crystals, I personally have not tried this method, for I do not have easy access to the ocean, but just make sure before using this remedy that your crystal will be safe. Soft stones like Calcite and Malachite will not adjust well to this, but harder stones like unpolished Amethyst will be fine.
7.) Dirt
Burying your crystals in dirt is a very popular method for charging and activation. If you do not have land or a garden to bury your crystals try using the soil of your houseplants. Crystals that connect to the Root chakra work best for this method, for the Earth is their element. I personally have not used this method, for I live in a NYC apartment on the 10th floor and my plants are too small for my root chakra crystals, but one day when I have access to more land I will try this one out. In the meantime if you are able to charge your crystals this way feel free to explore. You can also look up rituals and spells that will give you more specifics on how to expand this approach.
8.) Sunlight
Many of us have tumbled stones and since there are a bunch of them, the practice of charging and activating them individually can be very time consuming. One of the best ways to do this is to lay them out in a sun bath. They can be exposed to the sunlight for as long as you would like. I am all for making the process of charging and activating easy and efficient that is equally effective. Sunlight is something that surrounds us the majority of our days, so why not take advantage of it? Also, if you are in a sunny destination that has a beach, feel free to bring your crystals along to enjoy your beach day with you.
9.) Moonlight
This is probably the most well-known way to charge and activate your crystals. Laying out your crystals during a new and especially a full moon is one of the most beneficial ways to help your crystals recharge. If you are really busy and do not have time to cleanse and recharge your crystals frequently, you can download a moon calendar app and keep track of the new and full moon each month. Some months I take all my crystals and charge them in the new and full moon and other times I just choose a select few that I plan on working with to charge in the moon. Also, if you really want to get detailed, you can select crystals that align with the zodiac sign the moon happens to be in at that time. I for one cannot wait to start charging my new piece of Calcite in the new Leo moon coming up in August. Moons are a great for manifestation and to compete cycles in our lives. Allow your crystals to be your tools during this process and in your moon rituals.
10.) Masterbation & Sex Magic
Our own physical bodies and fluid can help recharge and activate our crystals as well. Like orgasming to charge sigils is a common practice, it can also be used to charge your crystals. Having your crystals nearby during masterbation is a great way for them to absorb your energy when you cum. Orgasming is one of the most powerful and spiritual forms of self-love we can give to ourselves, so having your crystals absorb that self-love activates that back to you. Sex magic and crystal use are no foreign allies, they work well together in infusing your lovers energy with yours. Theres nothing cooler to me than performing sex magic with your significant other or others, and then activating a crystal together to program it to work for the both (or all) of you.
11.) Bodywork
Like masterbation and sex, having our physical body being involved in charging our crystals can be a unique practice to adapt. By just breathing, sweating, or using healing skills like Reiki to energize or clear our crystals, we can really build a strong relationship with them. Again, if you are familiar with different ways to physically charge your crystals using your body, or if you want to adopt your own methods like doing yoga next to your crystals, feel free. What feels right in your practice will align with your crystals.
11.) Other Crystals or Itself
Sometimes you do not even have to use an alternative tool in your cleansing and activation process, the crystals you have can do that job for you. Selenite, Kyanite, and Citrine are self-cleansing crystals. So there is no need to re-charge them, they were internally already built for that work. I mean if the crystal does happen to get dirty with fingerprints etc, of course clean it, but the maintenance for these crystals should be really low. Also, certain crystals these included, can activate and charge other crystals around them. Think of these crystal like babysitters. They have you covered when your are away.
These are just some ways you can cleanse, charge, and activate your crystals. Some fall one in the same. I hope this helps open up your approach to working with your crystals and getting more familiar with their incredible powers.