How to Clear & Charge Crystals

CLEANSING OR CLEARING

Crystals of all kinds absorb energy from the environment they’re in and from the people who use them. It is important to clear (or cleanse) your stones periodically to release these energies that don’t belong to them. The frequency with which you should cleanse them depends on how you are using them: stones that sit in low-traffic rooms in your home (like a bedroom) can be cleared every few weeks or once a month, while stones you are carrying with you should be cleansed each day.

💧 Water is a wonderful way to clear your stones. You can hold them under running water, intending that the energy is clearing, or let them soak in water overnight. You can even leave them out in the rain for a natural clearing. Not all stones can withstand water, however. Some stones that include a lot of iron or gypsum will not do well—they may rust or fall apart. Do not get selenite or kyanite wet at all, and don’t soak hematite, black tourmaline, or tiger’s eye.

☀️ Sunshine is another great way to both clear and energize stones—you can put them outside in the sun or on a sunny windowsill. This works great on opaque stones and quartz, but some stones will fade in the sunlight and in high heat. Avoid leaving citrine, amethyst, rose quartz, and smoky quartz in direct sunlight.

🌕 Moonlight will clear your stones of unwanted energies. You can place the stone on a windowsill at night or outside in the moonlight—aim for the new moon or the full moon to be most effective. For an extra cleansing boost, you can soak stones in water in the light of the moon, but make sure you are soaking the right stones so that you don’t damage them. (See more below about using the energy of the moon to charge stones.)

🤝 Hold a stone in your hands and intend that you are releasing from it any energy that does not belong to it. You can even add your breath to support the intention by blowing three quick breaths on it or breathing out onto it with the intention of clearing the stone.

💨 Medicinal smoke is created by burning dried plants like white sage, mugwort, rosemary, cedar, juniper, and lavender. You can also use the smoke from burning palo santo, cinnamon bark, and sandalwood incense. Create the smoke (make sure there is no flame!) and hold the stone over the smoke, intending that the smoke is clearing the energy of the stone.

🧂Bury your stones it in a small bowl of salt or soil, or bury them in the ground. (Just don’t forget where you put them!) Leave them overnight.

We do not recommend using soap to wash your stones unless you are using them in a crystal elixir that you will be drinking. Even then, be sure that the soap you are using is gentle and non-abrasive.

CHARGING

We charge stones to imbue them with intention. This is less important with most stones than it is with clear quartz: because quartz is infinitely programmable, we can charge it with our intentions (always aligned with our highest good), with the light energy of the sun or the moon, or with the energies of other stones.

☀️ Put your stones outside in the sun or on a sunny windowsill to charge them up with the sun’s energy. The sun will fill them with nurturing, loving warmth. Some stones will fade in the sunlight and in high heat—avoid leaving citrine, amethyst, rose quartz, and smoky quartz in direct sunlight.

🌕 You can place the stone on a windowsill at night or outside in the moonlight—aim for the new moon or the full moon to be most effective. The full moon shines light on the truth, calling us to release what is not in alignment with our highest good. It can fill your stones with the intention of supporting you to release anything that is no longer serving you. The new moon energy helps us to call in whatever will serve us in our growth—put your stones out in the new moon energy to fill them with the intention of helping you move forward and bring in changes that will be for your highest good.

🤝 Hold a stone in your hands and intend that you are filling it with whatever intention you wish. These intentions should be in alignment with its basic properties—you can’t ask a stone to do something it can’t do—but perhaps you have one thing in particular you want help with that the stone can support. You can ask it to focus on that. You can even add your breath to support the intention by blowing three quick breaths on it or breathing out onto it.