Caring for Crystals: Get the best from your crystal collection. Part 1: Cleansing Your Crystals

So, you like crystals? Maybe you're starting to gather quite a collection of them now? Would you like to get the best from these treasures from Mother Earth? Then read on...

There are many differing opinions about what to do with crystals. So, I will give you an insight as to what I personally do with my crystals. Please take what resonates with you, and leave the rest. I'd love to hear what you think, so if you feel drawn to, do get in touch.

What do you mean by "Cleansing"?
This is vitally important for me, and is the very first thing I do before I use my crystals. Crystals can pick up "dirty" energy easily while on their travels before they reach you - I'm not talking physical dirt here (although they can get physically dirty too!). It could be energy they have picked up from pollution in the area they were found, energy from whoever dug it up, or from someone who handled it in the shop before you. Now of course, I don't want to pick up their energy, I just want the energy of the crystal itself, so I cleanse first.

After carrying out healing on a client, I always cleanse my crystals, to ensure any energy they have cleared from the person isn't passed on to the next person. I will also cleanse my crystals after I have used them myself, to rid them of any negative energy that I may have left on them after a healing session. Even just having your crystals out on display in a room, will mean they pick up energy from the atmosphere, so I regularly cleanse them. Just whenever I remember, or I sense they are "dirty" - I use my intuition, and you can tune in to yours too.

Some people like to cleanse crystals in water - tap water, or natural spring water. However, I prefer not to use this method, because certain crystals don't like water - for example, Selenite can dissolve in water, even just water in the atmosphere in humid conditions. As I don't know exactly which crystals will react badly to water, I just steer clear of this method.

Here are some of the ways I like to cleanse my crystals:

Breath
Sound a bit crazy? Yes, you CAN cleanse your crystals with your breath. I find it is best to breathe out through your nose, holding the crystal close to your face. Repeat if you feel it necessary. I don't like to use breath from my mouth - the reason for this is because we all have a bit of a moan or say the odd angry thing sometimes, so the air is just more "positive" from our noses!
I use this method in the shop, while choosing which crystals I want to buy - you can do it quite discreetly, and you get a good feel of the crystal's energy once it is cleansed, so you can make the right selection. It's a quick fix, and it does the job for me, until I can get the crystals home and give them a proper clean​.

Tingsha Bells
Any kind of sound will cleanse the energy of your crystals, so go with what you're drawn to - a rattle, bells, rainmakers, a didgeridoo or even certain music. If you feel you need to repeat your chosen method a few times, or use a mixture of sounds, then just go with it. This method is quick, and very effective - my crystals feel really clean with this method.

Incense
Smudging with sage, incense or any smoke is a great way of cleansing you crystals. Just waft the smoke over them. If you feel drawn to, you could use feathers or a fan to help you waft smoke about. I like to use White Sage. This is another very effective method, however, it takes a bit more time and effort. It is a great way to start a ritual for your crystals, when preparing them for charging (more on that in Part 2).

As I said, these are just the ways that I like to cleanse my crystals. The important thing with any chosen method is that you go with what feels right for you, and you hold the intention that you are cleansing your crystals of negative energy.

Look out for Part 2: Charging Your Crystals.

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