Why:
ensure that the energies of crystals are at their most powerful and effective
use crystals to direct energy - so should remove any unwanted influences
When:
When buy a crystal - as it may have been handled by many people or been sitting gathering dust.
Think of a crystal in a store absorbing energy it is exposed to like a sponge does water, until it is saturated.
Cleansing methods
Water or salt, bury them in the earth, breathe on them or subject them to sound waves.
In the Middle Ages, crystals were polished with honey to restore their luster.
Crystals may also be cleaned in simple ceremonies using the elemental energies to purify them.
Crystals act as focal points, absorbing energy that can then and redirect for either therapeutic or magical purposes. This means that a crystal can absorb negative energy as well as positive, particularly if it's being used for healing or protection. If you carry a crystal to protect you from negativity, for example, it would constantly be absorbing negative energy.
NEGATIVE BUILDUP
Absorption process leads to a buildup of energy
When crystal is saturated with negativity it will start to bleed through and affect you adversely.
CLEANING TIMETABLE
If wear or carry all the time - clean it every three months
If only use it occasionally - clean annually
If use in office to protect from negative energies, it will need frequent cleansing.
THE ELEMENTS
The elements are involved in the formation of crystals
they are also good for cleansing crystals
* Air crystals can be passed through joss stick or incense smoke, which provides a medium for the negative energy to be carried away.
* Fire is known as the great purifier, and the energy of a candle flame can transform negative energy when the crystal is passed swiftly through it.
* Putting your crystal in fresh spring water (not tap water) allows the negative energies that have built up to be absorbed into the water. This is because the negativity will be drawn out into the pure medium. The earth element absorbs negativity like a sponge; so putting a crystal on or in the earth will draw the stale energies out.
VISUALIZATIONS
The simple energy that comes from visualization techniques or from sound vibrations can clean crystals.
* Use visualization combined with breathing to cleanse your crystals When you breathe in and out, you are moving prana (life force) energy By breathing on a crystal you can send some of that life force through the crystal, picking up the negativity as it passes through. Visualize the breath of life as white smoke passing out of your mouth through the crystal and coming out the other side colored gray by the negativity it has absorbed.
* Sound is also a good cleaning method. Ring a bell over a crystal, and imagine golden sound waves passing through the crystal and pushing all the negative energy out.
*Another way to clean a crystal with crystals is to place it in the center of a purifying layout. Quartz crystals are ideal for this use, although stones such as zircon and topaz are good too. Use crystal points -wand-shaped crystals - and place six crystals in the shape of a hexagram, points facing inward. With another quartz draw a hexagram in the air connecting the six crystals, seeing it as a golden light in your mind. Then place the crystal to be cleaned in the center for 24 hours
When setting up a cleansing layout, imagine a hexagram connecting six quartz crystals.
Cleaning with crystal clusters has the added benefit of reducing the frequency of cleaning smaller crystals.
A bed of crystals, such as amethyst, actually provides an ideal base on which to place a crystal for cleaning. The large mass of crystal clusters will draw the negativity out of the smaller crystal and is so effective that this method ensures a crystal only needs annual cleaning.
