Like everything, crystals are energy. They are also consciousnesses - extensions of the Divine, like people, animals and plants. When we make an effort to consciously connect with crystals, our work with them rises to a whole new level. These 10 steps need not take more than 5 minutes, but you can take as long as you like with the process.
We recommend going through this process with each crystal individually so you can sense its energy without other influences. Once you’re familiar with each stone’s unique vibrational signature, you can repeat the process with groups of crystals and sense their energies together as collective.
Make the decision to allow yourself to trust your process.
Get still and close your eyes.
Breathe softly into your heart and be unconditionally present with yourself for a moment, bringing your energy back into your body.
Invoke the presence of the Divine, Goddess, God, The Universe, Great Spirit, The Force Of Love, Great Mystery, your Higher Self, your guides, angels… whoever or whatever higher force you’d like by whatever name you call It. Ask It/Them to be with you and to oversee this experience. Ask for help feeling divine presence if you need. Give thanks.
Similarly, invoke the presence and spirit of the crystal. Bless it (send it love) and ask it to be present with you, and ask it to help you feel it’s presence.
Sit in stillness with the presence of the crystal and be receptive. Just allow whatever you sense to arise. Some people see things, some people hear things, some people feel or just ‘sense’ things without having clear words or pictures. If you don’t receive anything, it’s okay!
You can ask the crystal if it has anything it would like to show you. It may, or simply its energy may be enough. Please note that a crystal will never say anything mean or negative to you. If you receive anything that isn’t loving, it’s more than likely some pain inside you asking for unconditional love, healing and attention.
Ask the crystal if it would be willing to help you with whatever you need help with.
Thank the crystal and send it love.
Journal your experience if you wish, to remember.
FUN FACT
This process works for connecting with everything :) The consciousnesses of crystals, plants, planets, stars, angels, animals, places, color consciousnesses… What’s more, you don’t need to buy anything to connect with the consciousness and vibrational medicine - you can connect with these consciousnesses any time from any place. Having a physical crystal can add an additional layer of support because its vibration will continue to work with you throughout your day, even when you’re not thinking about it.
WHERE TO PLACE MY CRYSTAL
We like to keep them on our person for most potent results, so however that works for you. Many women have been known to tuck them into their bras! Be mindful about putting them into pants pockets because you are likely to forget they’re there and they will go flying when you make a trip to the restroom (I’ve broken quite a few this way, so sad!). You can also place crystals around a glass of water and ask them to charge it, and then drink the water. Some crystals are toxic and cannot be placed directly in water, so be on the safe side and don’t put your crystals right in unless you’ve done your own research and made sure your crystal is water-safe. Crystals can also be placed in or gridded around spaces and asked to assist in shifting the energy there.
CLEANSING & CHARGING
Most crystals need to be cleansed from time to time. There are a few sources online that list stones like Citrine and Kyanite as self-cleansing, but Selenite is the only crystal I know of that is consistently designated as self-cleansing. I err on the side of caution and cleanse the others. Highly absorptive stones like Black Tourmaline should be cleansed often.
SMUDGING & SALT WATER
The most common method of crystal cleansing these days is smudging, or passing the crystal through sacred smoke (sage, sweetgrass, cedar, juniper, pine, rosemary, palo santo, frankincense, copal, take your pick!) while holding the intention that the crystal be blessed, cleansed and cleared of any energetic residue and restored to it’s pure divine state. Let your intuition guide the process and it will be perfect. I’m a words person, so I find myself using sacred words to move energy during the process. This will be totally unnecessary for others. Smudging is safe for all stones. Stones that are water-safe can also be placed in water with sea salt to cleanse them, however - the water and or salt may cause certain stones to break down (our beloved Selenite should never get wet!) as well as dull or deaden the brilliance of certain stones.
EARTH CLEANSING & CHARGING
My favorite method of cleansing is placing my crystals on the earth for a full 24 hour cycle and asking Mother Earth to absorb and transmute all energetic residue.. The bonus with this method is that the earth also charges the crystals. You’ll often find them sparkling and glowing… I swear they don’t even look the same after an earth bath! Just make sure to avoid dew or wet weather if you have fragile or non-water-safe crystals like Selenite.
SELENITE + SOLAR & LUNAR CHARGING
Speaking of Selenite, it’s an excellent charging source for other crystals. Place them on or next to a piece of Selenite to both clear and recharge them. Crystals can also be charged under the light of the sun or moon. Solar charging is powerful, but certain vibrantly-colored quartz crystals will fade in the sun with prolonged exposure, so this type of charging isn’t recommended frequently for crystals like Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Celestite, etc. Lunar charging is safe for all crystals. Results are best under a Full Moon, or moon with a decent amount of light. Many astrologers are careful about which lunations they charge their crystals under (some are harshly aspected by other planets) and avoid eclipses altogether due to the interruption of light. However, not everyone believes this is a problem.
The important thing to remember is that everyone has the ability - and the authority - to work with energy and spirit. If you’re drawn to this work, it is for you and will develop and strengthen over time. There was a time I doubted whether what I was sensing was real. With practice and experience, I’ve come to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is. Claim your authority to work with energy, to craft your own rituals and practice and always, always, always do what feels right for you! This is by no means an exhaustive list of crystal cleansing and charging, but it’s a good start.
Much Love, Brightest Blessings and Biggest Magick to You on your journey!
XO Rebekah