There is a huge difference between cleansing & charging Crystals & only ONE proven method that will do both. There are however plenty of other, different methods for cleansing & charging. What complicates things is some methods will not work for Crystals that vibrate at a very high frequency, some methods won’t work for Crystals that are porous, containing metals or water, & other methods won’t work for Crystals that are too soft!
To keep things really simple, the method that is proven to cleanse & charge ANY crystal is Sunlight..
A Crystal is like a battery, vibrating at a certain frequency & emitting a lovely energy. When we use that Crystal, it will often discharge its positive energy into our body. This is why you may feel a tingle or strange feeling in your hand/arm/body when first picking up a Crystal or wearing one for long periods of time. The energy of our body is merging with that of the Crystal, which can feel quite odd at first.
Crystals can also absorb negative energy, which turns their positive energy to negative after a while. There are Crystals which can deflect negativity, but that still requires using their energy in order to create a protective shield. However we choose to use a Crystal, it will eventually run out of energy & need to be recharged, just like a battery.
So our Crystal has been used & has run out of energy. Not only has it run out of energy, but it may also have absorbed negative energy. Therefore, we need to cleanse the Crystal & then recharge it. When we talk about ‘cleansing’ a Crystal, we’re referring to energetically cleansing it.
If you want to physically clean a Crystal, just wash it under running water or use a soft, dry cloth. Unless the Crystal is under 4 on the Mohs hardness scale (ie. it’s really soft), it’ll be fine under a tap.
When first starting to use Crystals, I think it’s best to use the proven methods of cleansing & charging. A proven method gives an excellent base from which to work. When you take a Crystal that has run out of or absorbed negative energy & you cleanse & charge it with sunlight, you should be able to see or feel a difference immediately. You might feel a tingle in your hand, it may make you smile when you pick it up or it could simply look sparkly & ‘happy’… after charging my Crystals I infuse them with beautiful Reiki energy 🙂
So start with proven methods, then experiment with the unproven methods…after all, we’re all unique individuals & will each have our own way of working with Crystals. Part of the delight of working with these spiritual tools is the fun we can have in playing with them 🙂
Please don’t assume because something cleanses it has the ability to charge as well – smudging is a perfect example. Smoke can bind negative energy & dispel it, but it cannot energise ~ it’s fantastic for cleansing/clearing, but will NOT charge a Crystal.
Sound is also excellent for clearing negative energy, the sound wave literally whacks the negative frequencies right out of the Crystal. However, for it to add a frequency, the sound wave must be of a higher frequency than that of a Crystal. Sound is great if we’re wanting to cleanse & charge a piece of Lapis, Onyx or Obsidian perhaps, but it won’t work if we’re trying to charge a Brandberg, Selenite or Apophyllite.
Lots of people give warnings about leaving Crystals in direct sunlight for too long & on some levels, they’re right. Half an hour is more than enough if you’re not sure whether a Crystal can be left in sunlight or not, & this will NOT damage any Crystal. If you live in an extremely hot Country with strong sunlight, put Crystals out early in the morning or late afternoon when sun rays are weaker, to ensure they don’t crack or explode in the intense heat.
Crystal Blessings
Sharon <3