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There’s lots of information out there about how to cleanse your crystals & why – it’s a bit of a minefield to be honest, what with so many thoughts & opinions, so I wanted to take a moment & talk you through the “why” its important, the role that intention plays in this & finally offer you a few simple, easy to do techniques that in my experience get the job done.

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Why do we clean our crystals? Well the easy answer is because they get dirty, both in the physical sense & in the energetic one too.

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 If you keep your crystals on a shelf or in a cupboard & don’t really interact with them on a daily basis, you’ll probably find that they become dusty (I’m not judging your housekeeping skills, honest) – I expect your first instinct will be to get the duster out, give it a little wipe over & your done……right? Err NO – nope, not with all crystals anyway – now there’s something called the Mohs Hardness scale which tells us exactly how hard or soft each crystal is from a scale of 1 (Talc) to 10 (Diamonds)……and run of the mill household dust sits at a staggering SEVEN on the Mohs scale…..why does this matter I hear you ask?……it matters because those pesky dust particles can scratch your gorgeous crystals should you choose to use your cloth to clean them – any crystal with a score of six or less on the Mohs scale won’t be happy if you do.

 

  You can find a list of crystals & their relevant place on the Mohs scale HERE

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Now anything over seven you CAN use a soft cloth to wipe the dust away, I could also imagine using one of those keyboard hoovers too, any crystals under seven needs to be treated a little more gently – feather dusters are great for this, they gently lift off the dust or take them outside & either blow on them or let the wind do the work for you, weather permitting of course.

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Energetically crystals are a bit like sponges they soak up their immediate environment – that could mean you & your emotions, the thoughts & feelings of those around you, the energy within your home & also that of your workplace – they take in everything both good & bad – giving them way more to deal with than the task that you have dedicated them to do (sounds way too similar to us humans) they become tired & over worked, so we CLEANSE OUR CRYSTALS to remove all of the negativity that it may of absorbed along the way, restoring it to its original state – just like you would reset your phone or defrag your computer – enabling it once again to work to its optimum capacity.

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The following techniques are in my opinion some of the easier ways to cleanse your crystals & whilst there’s no magic ingredient to speak of we do need to add a healthy dose of intention into the mix here……as with a lot of complimentary practices it is your intention that sets the tone for the work to be done & so I would ask you to have “please cleanse these crystals of all negativity” at the forefront of your mind before you start the following techniques, feel free to speak the words as you are doing this task also – it all helps.

 

WATER – I’m starting with the easiest & possibly hardest one too – let me start by saying that MOST crystals can be cleansed by running them under water (this is the easy part) this can be from a tap in your kitchen, a bottle of spring water or even in a slow moving stream - just make sure you pop them in a net or a bag that the water can flow through, so you don’t lose them - then you set your intention & say out loud or in your mind “please remove all negativity from this crystal & work with me for my highest good".

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Now the hard part - NOT ALL CRYSTALS can be cleansed in this way………things like Selenite & Halite which have a high gypsum/salt content don’t do well with water, as over time it will dissolve them – then you have minerals such as Realgar & Velvet Malachite which are highly toxic so again are not suitable to be cleansed with this method.  As a general rule I have found that most tumble & palm stones are fine with this technique – if you have any doubts please ask. 

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One final note, I have been asked on a number of occasions about saltwater & also cleansing in the sea – I personally don’t like using saltwater in this way, it can leave a film on your crystals & I suspect may slightly alter its energetic properties.

 

SMUDGE – An ancient technique, predominantly using white sage (from the Native American Indian culture) – there are other herbs & resins can be used too, however Sage is usually the easiest to find both online & from wellbeing fairs, shops etc. Energetically Sage is considered to have clearing abilities & recent scientific research tells us that it is also antiviral, clearing away microbes & viruses from our homes when we have had cold or flu. When your ready to clean your crystals, simply light the bushy end of the smudge, let it burn for a few moments & you’ll see a lovely plume of smoke as the flame dies out – you can then pass your chosen crystal through that smoke, along with the intention or recitation of the phrase “please cleanse this crystal of all negativity” – you can also use this technique for cleaning a large amount of crystals by blowing the smoke over them wherever they are stored.

 

SOUND – Singing bowls, Tingshaws & even our own voice can be used to clean your crystals. When you play a bowl, strike tingshaws or chant a sacred word like OM not only do you hear the sound but you can feel it too, a vibration running up your arm, in the palm of your hand or in your chest – its this vibration coupled with your intent that will clear all negativity from your chosen crystal. Tingshaws are two small cymbals connected with a length of leather, used in Tibetan monasteries - you can find them online relatively easily. Strike one against the other and “waft” one of the cymbals over the crystals that need to be cleaned along with the intention or recitation of “please cleanse this crystal of all negativity”. 

The same can be done with Singing Bowls, which come in various

 metals & types of crystals – each type, size, make etc will have a different tone, pick the one that speaks to you. Ancient words like Om have a huge significance, if you feel that you want to work with these sacred sounds then please do so with caution – they are powerful & need to be respected.

 

A couple of other options – a) Burying in organic garden compost for 24 hours or more – this is great for when your crystals are exhausted, have lost their shine & no longer work in the way they once did despite you cleansing them with any of the above techniques, just make sure that you know where in the pot you placed them as they do have a habit of going missing with this technique. b) A crystal charging plate made from Selenite or a bed of Amethyst – place your crystals on either of these for 24 hours to cleanse them thoroughly. c) Specialist cleansing sprays – I offer these for sale, however if you wish for an alternative, you could try Australian Bush Flower Remedies, Living Tree Orchid Essences or Findhorn Flower Essences.

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