Working with crystals is a practice of intention. These beautiful allies can represent a deepening of trust with ourselves, our intuition, and can assist us in cultivating more mindfulness in our daily lives.

Crystals make wonderful talismans as they are tangible, easily accessible, have history, and quite simply they are nice to hold and look at.

Today I will discuss the different methods one can use to clear or neutralize your crystals.

Intention is a practice and working with stones is another way to deepen mindfulness. Whenever I pick up a new stone, I like to initiate it into my life by giving it an energetic bath of sorts. This helps to neutralize and cleanse the stone so that it is ready to soak up your intentions or purpose for it. I will discuss how to program crystals in another post. For today, we will focus on four different ways to clear crystals.

My preferred method is working with the elements; earth, fire, water, and air. You can select just one or you can layer multiple together. I recommend giving them all a try to see which element feels most natural for you.

Earth

My favorite way of working with the earth element is by utilizing salt. Salt has been used for eons as a means to clear energy. In Celtic Shamanism, there were people called Sin-Eaters who would dress a body of the deceased with bread and salt. They would then consume the bread and salt, taking on the sins of the deceased so that the soul could pass on into the other-world.

Salt has been used as a ward to protect people’s homes and properties. It both repels and absorbs negativity. It is excellent for creating a boundary or perimeter.

For cleansing stones, simply sprinkle your stone with salt, place it on top of a small mound of salt, or submerge it fully in a jar or bowl filled with salt. It really doesn’t matter what kind of salt, whether it’s table salt, Himalayan, volcanic, or sea salt. I like to leave mine overnight. If you feel your stone requires longer, you can leave it for as long as necessary; a week, a lunar cycle, or a season.

I reuse my salt a number of times. When I am ready to dispose of my spent salt, I place it in a brown paper bag on garbage day and off it goes to the landfill. I highly recommend disposing of spent salt off of your property.

Water

Many of us use water to cleanse ourselves daily, whether that’s bathing, showering, brushing our teeth, or washing our hands. Water soothes frazzled emotions and washes away the challenges of the day.

When using water to cleanse your stones, ensure that they are NOT water-soluble. Certain stones are soft and can dissolve if exposed to water. Avoid using water to cleanse selenite or halite. Water clearing is best suited to harder stones such as quartz, agate, and jasper. If you are unsure, use one of the other dry methods listed for clearing.

Movement is a big part of the cleansing process with water, placing crystals in a natural stream is a wonderful way to cleanse stones if you have one that’s easily accessible. I will often take a few crystals with me to the lake and swish them in the water in a strainer, then lay them in a shady spot to dry.

Most often I use my kitchen faucet. I place my stones in a colander or strainer and rinse them under a steady stream of cool water and then move them onto a clean towel to dry. I have also used clearing sprays, such as the Ether mist for clearing my stones, environment, and for shifting my own mental state when needed.

Fire

Fire is one of my favorite methods for clearing stones. There is something so mesmerizing about the flicker of a flame and the tendrils of smoke from incense unfurling.

I tend to utilize natural incense most for clearing with fire. You can also use loose incense, either herbs, resins or a combination. Working with the fire element gives unlimited options in choosing plant materials with specific properties for clearing or consecrating stones.

To clear your crystals, simply waft the smoke over them a few times.

My favorite natural incense comes from a local shop here in Saskatoon called Nocturnus Art & Metaphysical. He powders and blends the herbs himself and hand rolls each stick. My other go-to is the Dragon Blood incense from Jabou.

You may prefer using bundled herbs or sacred wood for smoke clearing. Be mindful of where you are getting your materials from, both white sage and palo santo are being over-harvested. I recommend sourcing white sage bundles from Indigenous peoples who respect the land and have a working knowledge of these precious plant medicines.

Air

Sound is a powerful way to clear and shift energy. Music can give words and meaning to many of the emotions we feel. In using sound for clearing, you can simply place your stones near a speaker or sub-woofer while playing music or a song of your choice.

I tend to gravitate towards singing bowls for my ceremonial practices. I have a set of chakra singing bowls that are wonderful to use for clearing. If you choose to use singing bowls, depending on how large your crystal is, you can sometimes place it inside the bowl on top of a thin piece of fabric and then play your bowl. If not, simply place your stone near your bowl to clear it.

Chimes and bells also work great! Again, simply have your stone near where you are playing and focus on the task at hand.

All of the pieces in my crystal and fine silver collections are individually cleared prior to sending them out to their new homes.

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