Read more about: Cleansing & recharging crystals

Before you start to use your crystals (power-bracelets, wand-pendants or any other crystals you plan to use) you should cleanse them. 

The reason you need to do this is that they will have picked up other peoples’ energy / vibrations before reaching you - from the supplier, me, Post Office staff, and anyone else who’s been in contact with them. 

For them to be fully effective, you want them to hold only your own energy. 

There are several ways to remove any negative energy or vibrations from others who may have handled them, detailed below. Some are more effective or practical than others, depending on what form your crystals are in. 

Whichever method you choose, don’t overdo it – for example, you wouldn’t like to be left unprotected in bright sunlight for hours and hours on end, and neither do your crystals! 

And remember that after you’ve cleansed your stones, don't let other people handle them before you use them, or you’ll have to cleanse them 
all over again!

• Smudging: Hold your crystal over the smoke of incense for a few minutes to “smudge” the gem or crystal and clear the energy inside. Some people say you should only use White Sage Smudge, but I’ve found that several varieties of incense are very good for crystal-cleansing, particularly Sandalwood, Cedarwood, and Nag Champa.
  
  

• Sunlight: Place your crystals in warm sunlight for no more than 4 hours. This both cleanses AND re-energizes your stones.
  
  

• Moonlight: Place your crystals in direct moonlight overnight. A bedroom window sill is perfect. (Don't choose one that gets the morning sun… the effects of sunlight will neutralize the benefits of the moonlight.)

(The above are the three methods I would recommend for crystal power-bracelets… the remaining methods tend to rot the stringing of the bracelets, but are suitable for wand-pendants and other crystals.)

• Soaking: Soak your crystal in sea salt dissolved in warm purified or spring water, for 3 – 4 hours. Don't use a metal or plastic bowl. (China or glass are best.) Rinse the crystals in cool water when you are finished to remove any salt. (Don’t re-use this salt water - the negative energies from your crystals are absorbed into the water, and you don’t want to put them back into other crystals.) Don't soak porous gemstones, like opal, lapis, or coral. It will harm the stone.
  
  

• Running water: Place your crystals in a mesh bag, and immerse in a stream or river for 3 - 4 hours. This both cleanses AND re-energizes your stones.
  
  

• Burying: Wrap your crystals in clean white cloth (preferably a natural material, like cotton) and bury them in moist, fertile ground… or, at a pinch, in a plant pot! This is symbolic of the crystals going back into the womb of the Earth, where they were born. Leave for a maximum of 24 hours.

(In these last three cases, after cleansing rinse your crystals in running water, gently pat them dry, then allow them to completely dry out somewhere warm, like an airing cupboard. Never dry your crystals by placing them on a hot surface like a radiator – too much heat will harm their energy.)