Crystals are one of the most magical tools to work with when it comes to spiritual growth, self-development, surrender, manifestation and working with the different chakras.
To get the most out of your crystals, like with everything, they’ll need some caretaking in terms of energetic cleaning, discharging and charging, which can be an overwhelming amount of information. With this guide I want to give you a detailed overview and a handbook to come back to every time you’re planning to take care of your gems.
Crystals & Energies
The magic of your crystals comes from their ability to store the energies which surround them. For example, if you meditate with a stone, you can store moments of stillness in it and recall them whenever you need more of them. In the long run, however, there will be a lot of stored energy and your gemstones might tend to be overloaded. To avoid this, it is important to take care of your companions in regular intervals.
Why cleansing, discharging and charging?
Maybe you have experienced a strange feeling before when you picked up one of your healing stones. Depending on how sensitive you are about surrounding energies you may or may not have sensed it. It’s most likely a feeling that you wouldn’t know from this particular gemstone. In that case it has come to the point of giving it a good cleaning session to get rid of old and unwanted information.
Trust your gut with this, you will develop an intuitive feeling for your companions as you go!
Cleaning stones, can’t be difficult, right? Well, if it was only stones yes, but these are crystals and therefore request some extra care…
Here's how it works:
- Cleansing:
- Purification by water
We start with the cleaning of your companions, which is the preparation for the energetic discharging and charging. First, make sure that your jewellery is free of house dust. A damp, soft cloth can help you with this. If you have solid rocks like a crystal tower, druse or a freeform you can wash them under tab water after wiping them off (please note that not all stones tolerate water and that your jewellery and mala necklaces should not get in touch with it either. More on this below). You can wash healing stones like amethyst, clear quartz and rose quartz under running water for a few minutes to rid them of the worst unwanted information. This is where the first energetic discharge occurs.
- Purification by salt
After this I recommend another step, the so-called salt bowl. This is also great for your jewellery, which wouldn’t appreciate the water. Take a flat plate and sprinkle regular table salt on it. Now place a glass bowl on it (plastic wouldn’t conduct, so please use glass!) and put your treasures, pieces of jewellery and companions in it, as you make sure they are not getting in touch with the salt itself. Let it sit overnight, the salt draws the stored energies from your companions and prepares them for the fine-tuning of the discharge. You can save this salt and reuse it for the next round of cleansing, but please don’t use it in the kitchen or for a salt shower / scrub as it is full of unwanted energy.
- Discharging:
Through the following energetic discharge, your gemstone will be freed from all energies stored in it.
- Discharging by water
The easiest discharge method is through water, which has a special cleaning power. Normal tap water is suitable for this, but if you want to create a special ritual, you can also take your healing stones into nature, to a lake or freshwater stream. Fresh spring water contains fantastic information to make your stone shine again from the inside!
To do this, simply hold your stone under the fresh water for a minute or two and gently rub it back and forth between your hands. You can then dry it with a soft cotton cloth.
Please check the compatibility of your healing stone with water in advance, as not every stone (e.g. selenite) should be in touch with water. As mentioned, your jewellery will last the longest if not in touch with water, so I don’t recommend this option to discharge it, however there are many other possibilities for you.
- Discharging through other crystals
Professionals also like to use other gemstones for discharging (especially water-incompatible stones and jewellery!). Three are particularly suitable for this: amethyst, hematite and selenite.
Amethyst: This sparkling purple gemstone is often found as tiers or geodes and is usually one of the first healing stones for newcomers to the area. Amethyst has beautiful cleaning abilities. For example, you can clean your jewellery in an Amethyst geode overnight. The Amethyst cleans itself through its tips and therefore doesn’t have to be discharged itself.
Hematite: Small Hematite splinters are reminiscent of magnets and can simply be placed in a bowl in which you then place your healing stone companions. The Hematite is also a self-cleaning stone and therefore does not need to be discharged.
Selenite: the soft Selenite stone has a strong cleansing effect and can also rid your companions of unwanted energies. There are towers on which you can hang your pieces of jewellery or very classic Selenite charging plates, which allow your stones and pieces of jewellery to shine in all their freshness again. The Selenite itself should be cleaned monthly - the next method, moonlight, is best suited for this.
- Discharging through moonlight
The full moon is known to bring with it a cleansing energy that favours processes of letting go. This applies not only to us humans, but also to your magical crystal companions. Therefore, put them outside on a full moon night, in a place where they can take a bath in the moonlight. The next morning, they are cleaned and ready for new adventures! Do this monthly to make use of the cleansing energy of the full moon.
- Discharging by smoke
Surely you also know the possibility of smudging for cleansing purposes, I personally like to use them a lot. This option is particularly good for freeing all your jewellery from old energies, as your jewellery should not come into contact with water - and your home will also benefit from it. You can combine this cleaning with a ritual at home for the energetic cleaning of your rooms. To do this, hold each companion in the cleansing smoke of Palo Santo or local sage (yes, you can easily grow it yourself and let it dry!) for about half a minute.
Surely you also know the possibility of smudging for cleansing purposes, I personally like to use them a lot. This option is particularly good for freeing all your jewellery from old energies, as your jewellery should not come into contact with water - and your home will also benefit from it. You can combine this cleaning with a ritual at home for the energetic cleaning of your rooms. To do this, hold each companion in the cleansing smoke of Palo Santo or local sage (yes, you can easily grow it yourself and let it dry!) for about half a minute.
3. Charging:
In order to activate your crystals after cleaning and to awaken its healing powers, you’ll have to “charge” it. This is one of the most magical steps in the process, as the intentions you put into the crystals will get stored and released back to you over time – so choose your intentions wisely!
There are various options for you how to recharge your gemstones. Listen mindfully which one feels best for you...
- Charging by warmth
A simple yet effective method of charging is to heat the gemstone by carrying it in your hands or pocket. Close your eyes for a quiet moment and set an intention with which energies you would like to charge your companion or remember why this healing stone was allowed to find you. Then slip it between your palms for a few minutes and it's ready to go!
- Charging by sunlight
Daily sunlight is also suitable for reactivating the healing properties of your crystals and increasing their power. Sunlight is particularly effective half an hour after sunrise and half an hour before sunset when the sun is not at its fullest. Place your companions in this powerful light and let them store the nourishing rays of the sun.
- Charging by moonlight
Same as discharging by full moon you can use the moon light to charge your crystals as the moonlight holds powerful information. Therefore, it is important to understand the phases of the moon and to use them correctly. The phase of the waxing moon is suitable for charging gemstones that help us to strengthen something. During the phase of the waning moon, you can charge healing stones whose energy supports us in letting things, feelings, emotions and experiences go.
- Charging through clear quartz
Professionals also like to use a clear quartz crystal, which is considered the most neutral gemstone, to charge their other healing stones. It has the power to activate other gemstones and their magical power by touch. You are therefore welcome to bring your companions into contact with clear quartz, for example by placing them in a bowl filled with clear quartz splinters.
Can I mess it up?
Often enough I get asked: "How was that again? When exactly do I have to discharge my crystals and which method is the most effective?" or "Now I messed up the order, is the effect lost?" Let me tell you one thing: relax! This has to feel right for you and the crystals and gemstones are here to help you, make your life lighter and easier. So don’t let them overwhelm you.
As long as you use them with good intentions, they will accompany and support you on your way. Yes, you can do some things wrong, but that's not a bad thing! Find your way and listen to your intuition. In fact, we perceive information from gemstones very differently, which means there are also differences from person to person when one feels that it is time for purification and discharge.
They are your companions who are 100% available for you and your path. Your gut feeling will therefore give you the right hint!
Feel free to reach out in case you’ve any questions left!
With gratitude,
xx, Mimi