The complete guide to cleansing crystals
Styling: Jacqueline Kaytar // @jacquelinekaytar
Images: Oscar Nicholson // @romeo.digital
Words: Sarah Tarca // @tarca
We’re going to go out on a limb here and say you probably own a crystal, so you probably cleansed your crystals more than once. Some of you probably have them stashed in your handbags, others in your bra. You might own some for sleep or anxiety, or to give your home good vibes, maybe just because they’re pretty (a totally valid reason). I, myself own maybe 20, yet despite this when the full moon rolled around recently I started to really think about the whole cleansing crystals thing. It was a particularly gnarly moon full of big emotions and I thought “well I don’t really want my crystals infected with that energy” but at the same time they really needed a refresh… so here was my modern day witchy conundrum.
So I turned to an expert to answer all my pressing crystal cleansing questions: Rosie Scott, Owner/Creative director of The Curators Club. And here’s what she had to say.
Why do crystals need cleansing
Ever walked into a place that just has a bad vibe? And when you leave you feel like you need to take a shower and wash the feeling off? Same goes with crystals. “Consider your crystal to be your energy filter,” says Rosie “It absorbs all the crappy or unbeneficial energy around you and transforms it into a more positive or useful energy.” Crystal cleansing is then imperative because it flushes all the negative energy out so it the crystal can continue to be effective.
How often you need to cleanse your crystals?
Here’s the thing: it’s not something you set your watch to. And you definitely don’t need to be dragging them all out every full moon for a crystal cleanse. Rosie says, “I find it is only really necessary to cleanse the stones you're working with in the moment – the ones doing all the ‘heavy-lifting’.” If they’re just sitting pretty on a shelf and not being used daily, cleansing every few months should be fine. And there’s more: some crystals are even self-cleansing. “Selenite, Halite, Kyanite, Citrine or Carnelian, are all self cleansing stones,”says Rosie, “it doesn't hurt to cleanse them once and a while but not completely necessary. I personally keep a piece of Selenite next to most of my stone so it can constantly cleanse the other stones around it.”
“If the energy feels dull or less ‘alive’ than normal, it probably needs a cleanse…”
How do I know if my crystal needs to be cleansed?
Can you tell if it’s time? Does it just stop working mid-manifestation one day? Well no, but you do need to be in tune with it. “In my experience, you can just feel when a stone needs to be cleansed. If the energy feels dull or less ‘alive’ than normal, it probably needs a cleanse,” says Rosie. This could be even every few days if you’re working heavily with a stone.
Other than moonlight, what ways are there to cleanse crystals?
The good news is: there are many, so you can customise the cleansing to suit you. Burning sage or Palo Santo are both really effective ways to cleanse energies from crystals and spaces, as well as visualisation, sound cleansing/bathing, burial, or the use of other stones. Rosie also suggests water and salt cleansing methods; “This could involve simply rinsing your stone under fresh or saltwater or popping your crystals on a bed of salt. (If you’re using the water method, be sure your crystal is fine to get wet. Stones like Selenite or Halite cannot get wet as they can dissolve).”
Crystals and the moon
Ok, so why is Instagram so obsessed with full moon crystal cleansing? “This is a ritual that has been used for centuries by many cultures, it cleanses the stone on an energetic level,” says Rosie. And speaking of that energy… what about if the moon has an energy that you’re really not into? Rosie reassures us that there’s no bad energy that can be picked up from the moon, only blessings. But what about you live in an apartment with no balcony? How can you get that moon goodness, without having to trek outside in your jammies? “Popping them on the windowsill is absolutely fine! In fact, I recommend this if you're cleansing stones that don't like water,” says Rosie. Bottom line: you don’t need to rush around in a flap every full moon trying to grab all your crystals for cleansing, just because Instagram tells you so. There’s plenty of other ways to give them back their good feels – and they don’t only happen once a month. So you and your crystals can rest easy.
