It's no secret that we're fans of crystals and their incredible healing power. In fact, many basic feng shui adjustments include adding specific crystals in certain areas of the bagua to welcome love, abundance and more. Looking for love? Try rose quartz! Or add citrine to your desk to welcome wealth and abundance. You can even add quartz and black tourmaline to your space to ward off negative energy and ground you! There are so many great uses for various crystals, but one important aspect of using these tools is to ensure that they are properly cleared on a regular basis. 

Crystals operate based on their vibrations, which are obtained during their creation deep in the earth. Because they generally have higher frequencies, they work to overwhelm lower vibrations of negative feelings and experiences and can thus provide positive changes in our lives. However, this only works if your crystals are on their highest frequency, and picking up these external vibrations can lower that! Enter crystal clearing. 

When To Clear Your Crystals

The first time you'll need to clear your healing stones is when you get them. It may seem that a new stone is already clear and ready to work, but all things carry predecessor energy - even "new" healing stones. So as soon as you bring a new crystal into your space, take the time to clear it and imbue it with your intentions and qi.

Following that, there are a few ways to know when it's time to do a clearing. It goes without saying that your healing stones should be cleared before and after any intense work with them to ensure that they operate at and are returned to their highest frequency. For stones used regularly, for instance, as jewelry, clearing once per week is generally enough to keep them effective. If you've placed crystals in your holistic space, perhaps as feng shui adjustments, be sure to clear them at least once per year. Keep in mind that each stone is different, so some crystals, like black tourmaline, may need to be cleared much more often and others, including citrine and Super Seven stones, rarely require refreshing. As with many aspects of feng shui, it's a good idea to listen to your intuition when deciding whether it's time to clear your crystals. 

How to Clear Your Crystals

Once you've decided it's time for a clearing, there are a many choices as to how to go about the process. In fact, again, listen to your intuition and choose the method(s) that resonate with you. We'll list a few of our favorites here, but if you know of or prefer other ways of crystal clearing, please feel free to share!

• Sunlight / Moonlight - One of the easiest ways, and our favorite, to clear crystals, is to expose them to sunlight or moonlight. Simply place your stones outside or in a window for anywhere from a day / night to a week, and you're good to go! Do note that some crystals may fade in sunlight - if that's the case with yours, opt for moonlight!

• Burial - Crystals came from the earth, so another great way to return them to their vibrations is to put them back! You can bury your crystals for a few days to a week for a full cleanse. Just be sure to remember where they're buried!

• Sea Salt - Sea salt can be an incredible tool for crystal clearing, but it's important to take care. Placing crystals in sea salt for 24 hours can clear them of existing energy, and you can even store crystals here. For some crystals, a salt water bath is effective as well. The catch here is that salt water can damage porous crystals, so if you're using salt with these, be sure to use salt only (not water) and keep in a place with low humidity.

• Smudging - Another of our favorites, smudging is an easy way to clear healing crystals. Just get your sage or palo santo smoke going and pass your crystals through the smoke. Another option is misting them with our space clearing blend from the Holistic Spaces apothecary!

There are numerous other ways to clear crystals including with fresh water, through use of other clearing stones and more. What's your favorite way to clear your crystals, and how often do you find you feel the need to?

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com