While crystals have their own energy, they also pick up energy – positive and negative – from the environment and people around them.
People do the same thing. We’re all Swiffers, going through our days attracting many forms of energy.
Electromagnetic and geopathic vibrations, as well as negative emotions, can become attached to a crystal’s energy. Some crystals, such as black tourmaline, obsidian, and citrine, are specifically used to block or diminish electromagnetic and geopathic stress and may need to be cleaned regularly.
Any time you use a crystal for healing, it will pick up on your mood and emotions as well as your physical energy. If you don’t clear the crystal before using it again, the crystal may break or not be effective.
Ways to clear and charge your crystals
Send the crystal energy – easy!
Close your eyes, take a deep breath and hold the crystal.
Envision a white light entering the top of your head, flowing down your spine, and entering your hands.
Imagine the white light is like a stream of water, washing over the stone and removing any unwanted energies.
Do a second wash of light with positive, healing energy. You may want to imagine a sunny yellow or soft blue.
Sage/Smudge – smudging with white sage, or simply laying the crystal in dried sage leaves with remove negative energy.
Other plants and trees can also rid crystals, you, and your environment of unwanted energies.
I use rose petals, rosemary, lavender, cedar, and Himalayan salt, as well. You don’t have to immerse the stone, simply set it on top of the loose ingredients for an hour or overnight.
Essential Oils & Sprays – essential oils can be used on polished stones to clear and charge them.
Consider clearing oils, such as sage, rosemary, or tree oils to remove negative energy, and rose, jasmine, patchouli, or your favorite combo/perfume to charge them.
Moonlight/sunlight – moonlight can clear and charge crystals.
A new moon is about beginnings and offers the perfect time to clear a crystal and set a
new intention for the coming month.
A full moon is about bringing things to fruition and has powerful energy. It’s effective for releasing anything that doesn’t serve you and/or recharging your crystals.
Indirect sunlight can often clear out negative energies, especially those picked up during shadow work.
*Note: Direct sunlight is not recommended for colored crystals because it can cause fading.
Sound – using a singing bowl, drum, tuning fork, or playing binaural beats and solfeggio frequencies can clear crystals, as well as tune their natural vibration to a specific chakra or intention.
You can even “om” and clear your crystal. Your voice, whether you chant, hum, sing, or even yodel, can be effective, so let your inner rock star out to play!
There are many chakra- and intention-centered music tracks on YouTube. These tracks, as well as your musical instrument of choice, can clear the energies in a room or home, so let the music flow!
Crystals – some crystals are self-clearing and will clear other crystals as well.
Selenite, citrine, and kyanite are among those that many believe never need clearing or recharging.
Personally, I’ve broken a citrine by overusing it and not clearing it, so I still regularly clear all of my stones.
I believe that all crystals benefit from clearing and charging, but perhaps those listed above need it less. Any crystals you use regularly will do a better job if you treat them like friends – show them lots of TLC.
Salt/rice/water – some folks swear by these methods. Still, since some stones are sensitive to water, especially raw crystals and soft stones like Selenite, I recommend using the previously mentioned methods first.
If you want to use rock/sea salt or rice, use it dry and simply lay the crystal in a bed of the material.
If you use water, hold the crystal in cool/lukewarm running water for thirty seconds or so, then dry.
As with all things related to energy and crystals, no matter what method you use to clear your stones, set the intention in your mind first. “I clear this crystal of any energy that is not for my highest good.”
Be creative and think outside the box. I have two statues that I charge with Reiki every week and set crystals on them to clear and charge.
Check out this video I made for you using Reiki to clear your crystals: https://youtu.be/o0J6YssydEI
All you need to do is let it play and put your crystals near the screen! When it’s done they’ll be ready for you to program.
Programming Your Crystals
Once a crystal is cleared, you’re ready to program it. As spiritual teacher Gary Zukav says, “Every intention sets energy into motion, whether you are conscious of it or not.”
In order to successfully program your crystal, the first thing to do is clear your own energy.
If you set an intention while stressed, anxious, or angry, guess what energy the crystal will pick up?
You want to set an intention with a clear focus and tune in to the emotion(s) you want to manifest and carry with you before sending that energy to the crystal.
Most of the above methods for clearing your crystals will work for clearing your own energy as well.
Get rid of toxic energies and invite positive, high-vibrational energy into your home, car, office, and personal space.
Next, hold the crystal in your hand – some people say to hold it in your dominant (giving) hand, others in your nondominant (receiving) hand.
Try both and see which one you prefer (listen to your intuition!). You may want to from prayer hands with the crystal nestled between both palms.
Set your intention: Do you want to de-stress? Sleep better? Gain insight into a problem? Receive more love? Focus on the outcome you seek and especially the emotions it will invoke when it manifests.
Then, mentally or verbally state that intention: “I charge this crystal with loving energy for my highest good.” Then list what you wish to manifest.
Seal the deal by blowing on the crystal and stating, “It is done.”
Now the crystal is ready for you to carry, use in meditation, place in a grid or use on an altar.
**Remember that your beliefs must be a vibrational match to your desires in order to manifest successfully.
EXAMPLES for intention setting with the right frame of mind:
Instead of saying, “I want a million dollars”, think about abundance entering your life like a gentle river, and say, “New opportunities for financial abundance flow into my life with ease. I feel prosperous.”
Rather than saying, “I want to heal my cancer”, consider your overall health and well-being. See the big picture and say, “My body is peaceful, healthy, and happy. I feel strong, balanced, and at peace.”
Instead of, “I want a romantic partner”, invite love into your life by imagining joy and pleasure. State, “I am ready for a healthy, loving, long-term relationship. I feel loved and lovable.”