4 Powerful Crystal Cleansing Rituals

It’s good practice to cleanse your crystals. Crystals absorb energy so when you get a new crystal, it’s ideal to clean out any energy that crystal may be holding. There is no telling how many people have touched that crystal or where it has traveled. Start fresh and prepare your crystals for their new use as your spiritual aid and companion.

These crystal cleansing rituals are an important spiritual step in the practice of crystal healing and energy work. These mini-ceremonies will aid in the removal of any old, negative, or stagnant energies that may have gathered through time.

It’s also important to cleanse and clear your crystals regularly. Periodic cleansing is highly suggested because crystals can, and will, pick up the energy and emotions of the people and places with which they come into contact.

Crystals can be cleared and cleansed using several methods, each with its own history and set of benefits. Let's have a look at my top four approaches. These are some of the basic practices to get you started. As you advance deeper into this world, you can take on more customized and advanced procedures for cleansing your crystals and introduce your own practice for your crystal collection. 

Remember, crystal cleansing is all about finding out what works best for you and which procedure will produce the best results in your individual situation.

Moonlight: 

When most people think of crystal cleansing, the first thing that comes to mind is usually moonlight. This is without a doubt the most common and well-known of the approaches.

Simply leave your crystals outside overnight in an area where they may absorb the soothing moon rays without being obstructed by trees or buildings. The strong moonlight will work overnight to purify the negative energy that has gathered on or within your stones. This process will also revitalize and recharge your crystals, allowing you to get a clean slate of energy.

Have fun with this strategy; experiment with different combinations and places to determine what works best for you. As previously stated, this method is highly personal and should focus on what works for you rather than what works for everyone else. Some people solely use full moons for this method, while others use multiple moon phases. 

You can also incorporate this practice with other moon rituals you may already be using. Set your intentions for your crystals along with other intention-setting moon rituals you use.

Water: 

Rinse your crystals with water to help rid them of impurities and accumulated energy. Sounds easy, doesn't it? 

However, there are numerous combinations to experiment with and things to take into consideration. Perhaps it's tap water, perhaps it's flowing river water, or perhaps it's lake water...see what I mean? 

Whatever method you use to begin, I recommend immersing your stones in water for at least 2 minutes. While these crystals are in the water, I like to slow down and focus on my intentions for them. Consider what I want to achieve and what they can do for me. Allow yourself to be open to all the amazing things the universe has to offer. I've noticed that combining the water cleanse with the intention setting produces excellent results.

On a side note, not all crystals can be cleansed with water. And, I do not recommend using salt water to clean crystals because it can harm specific minerals. Just make sure you do your homework and figure out what will work best for your particular gem. I'm not saying there's never a time to use salt water; there could be the ideal combination of stone and salt where this would be advantageous, but check first. What a shame it would be to try to clean your lovely stone and ruin it!

Sage or Palo Santo: 

Crystals can be purified in the same way that you would clear your home or area of negative energy with a smudging process. This is the process I use to clear the energy of my store and hundreds of crystals that are absorbing all my patron’s energy.

Simply ignite the sage or palo santo to create smoke and try to let that smoke engulf the whole surface of the crystal. This procedure, whether by holding the crystal in the smoke or gently blowing the smoke on the crystal, will help to renew and balance your stones.

I like to do some intuitive work as the smoke engulfs my crystals. I prefer to sit quietly and imagine the smoke as a soothing wave softly washing over my crystals, removing all negative energies.

Of course, there are other forms of this procedure, and you can also use supplementary instruments like feathers or shells. Also, combine home smudging and crystal cleansing to reap the advantages of both.

Earth/Grounding: 

Simply place your crystals in the ground. Make a small hole in the earth and thoroughly encase your crystals in the dirt. Allow our great mother earth's positive grounding powers to cleanse your crystals of their energy. Restore and revitalize your stones' balance so they can better aid you on your path.

I prefer to make this a mini-ritual, adjusting the depth, location, and soil type to fit my purposes. If I have a crystal that has to be cleansed more thoroughly, I may dig a somewhat deeper hole and leave the crystal for an extended length of time. I keep pots on my deck to make this method easy to use. Setting intentions and conducting some visualizations go great together with this strategy.

~These are just a handful of the most popular ways to clean your crystals. As previously stated, this is a profoundly intuitive and personal process; there are no 'wrong ways' to approach it. Make it personal and create rituals that work for you and your crystal collection. Enjoy the experience of working with these powerful tools. Have fun, listen to yourself, and enjoy the journey!