Once you have procured your crystals, the first step is to cleanse them before you use them. It is a very simple process and also very necessary. When crystals touch any other living being or something that has been imbibed with energy, it absorbs that energy and holds it. You never know what type of energy you will come across when you first receive your crystal. Whether it is one you personally dug out of the ground, or purchased from a reputable source, the crystal contains energy.
The earth is where all crystals are formed and it will be more natural energy from occurrences like earthquakes, rain, or even the little worm that squiggled across it. When you purchase a crystal, it may have passed through many hands before reaching yours. There are many ways to cleanse a crystal, and you just need to be aware what methods are best for the crystal you have chosen.
Moonlight or sunlight cleansing is a wonderful and easy way to purify the energy in your crystal. Moonlight is best for amethyst, as sun will cause it to fade. Sunlight works great with quartz crystal. Whichever method you choose, place your gem in direct line of the moon/sun. Don’t worry if it is cloudy or overcast weather, the rays will still penetrate your crystal and cleanse it. For both moonlight and sunlight, 24 hours of direct contact should be sufficient.
If you are working with a stone to banish negativity such as rose quartz, citrine or black tourmaline, leave it out in your chosen light for at least 48 hours. There is no limit to how long they can sit in the light for purification, so if you are going away or forget that you set out crystals for purification, nothing bad will come of it.
Salt is another method of cleansing, but there are some crystals who deteriorate with contact. Using salt water is a very quick and thorough method of cleansing your gems, however there are many that have adverse reactions to it because they are porous, contain water or metal. It can even change their composition. You can reference which crystals react with salt in a quick Google search, or you can avoid it and just go with a method that does not require contact with salt.
For cleansing crystals with sale, take a bowl and fill it 2/3’s of the way up with salt, preferably sea salt. Choose a smaller bowl that will fit inside and place it so it is submersed halfway up in the salt. Put your crystal in the smaller bowl, so it is not making contact with the sea salt. Pour a little bit of purified or moon water into the smaller bowl, just enough to cover the crystal.
The salt will purify the stone, absorbing all the energy in it while the water protects the stone from any drifting salt crystals. Leave your gem in the water for a few days. Once your gem is cleansed, remove it and dry it with a natural cloth such as cotton or silk and throw away the salt, as it holds all the energy from the crystal it absorbed.
Earth is a wonderful purifier, as that is where the crystals are formed. For this method, you will need a natural fiber bag and a trowel or something with which to dig and scoop. Find a nice patch of earth, free from chemicals or pesticides, and dig up enough to fill a medium size bowl. Scoop the earth into your natural fiber bag and take it home. Choose a bowl that will hold the earth and empty your bag.
Place the crystals directly into the earth. Let them rest in the earth for 5-7 days. When the crystals are cleansed, dust them off with a natural cloth, and deposit the earth back from where it came. Bring a little bit of water with you and pour it over the earth used in the cleansing and thank Mother Earth for her cleansing energies.
Cleansing should be repeated as needed. For example, if you use a stone in a particular spell, and want to use it in a new spell with a different intent or purpose, re-cleanse the crystal. Also, if it is one that helps repel negativity or transforms negative energy into positive, it will need to be cleansed every week or two. You will know when the time is right, by sensing the energy within the crystal.
To emphasize the necessity of cleansing your crystals, the story of the Hope Diamond is one with an impressive and dark history. While some facts are not certain, what we do know is in 1668 a French merchant named Jean Baptiste Tavernier stole a large diamond from the temple of Rama in India. In retribution for the thievery, the priests charged the stone with negative energy, essentially cursing the diamond. The diamond, known as the Tavernier Blue, French Blue, and eventually the Hope Diamond was sold to King Louis XIV. Marie Antoinette frequently wore it, including it in her collection of the royal jewels.
The diamond was stolen in 1792 during the French Revolution and the French Blue as it was known then was never seen again. It resurfaced in 1839 when Thomas Henry Hope acquired it. This is where the Hope diamond we know today got its name. It was not officially confirmed until 2005, when a 3-dimensional lead model of the French Blue was found in the archives of the French Natural History Museum. It became clear the Hope Diamond was cut from this beautiful stone. What makes the Hope Diamond unique is the color it turns when under ultraviolet infrared light. The Hope Diamond and her sister stones derived from the original French Blue are the only blue diamonds to glow red hot under infrared, which only fuels the theory of the curse placed on it by the priests.
It is said that anyone who comes in contact with the stone will be touched by the curse. Jean Baptiste Tavernier was mauled by a pack of wild dogs. Jacques Colet who purchased the stone in the early 1900’s committed suicide. Prince Ivan Kanitovski, who bought it from Colet, was killed in the Russian Revolution. Mademoiselle Ladue, who borrowed the stone, was supposedly murdered by her lover. Simone Menicharides, who possessed the diamond briefly, was thrown from a cliff. Abu Sabir who was commissioned to clean the stone was imprisoned and tortured. Kulub Bey, a guard of the stone, was hanged by a mob in Turkey. Nicholas Fouquet who reportedly wore it once was disgraced and died in prison.
While the history of the curse of the Hope Diamond is a nefarious tale, there are nuggets of truth to every legend. The lesson to be learned is always cleanse your crystals!
Now that your gems are cleansed, it is time to empower them. We took away the energies it collected, and now we are going to give it our own energy to help us in spell work. You want to get familiar with your crystal, and vice versa. Choose a quiet space, and hold your crystal in your receiving hand (non-dominant hand) and observe the colors, striations, shape, size and visual properties. Close your eyes and send out psychic feelers to the crystal, like little white energy filled fingers from your mind, sensing the make-up of the crystal. Let the gem speak to you.
Keeping your eyes closed, and gather energy into a small white ball in the center of your chest. Hold it there, letting it gain more power, getting brighter with more energy. When you have a lovely white ball of swirling energy, visualize it traveling down to your dominant hand (“projecting” hand). Place your projecting hand over the crystal and release the energy from your hand into the crystal. You have just empowered your crystal. It has your energy now, and will respond to what you want the crystal to do for you.
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