Pocket guide

💧 Cleansing & Recharging

Clear the old energy out, then fill your tools back up.

Crystals, jewelry, tarot decks and whole rooms are said to soak up the energy around them: moods, arguments, long weeks. Cleansing clears that out. Recharging fills the item back up with an intention of your choosing.

Think of it like doing the dishes. You wouldn't eat off a plate someone else just used, and you don't have to read cards off a deck that's been through a rough month either.

Ten ways to cleanse

None of these is the "right" one. Pick whatever you have on hand and whatever is safe for the thing you're cleansing.

MoonlightThe gentle overnight resetLeave your crystals, cards or tools where moonlight can reach them overnight. The softest method there is, and safe for nearly every stone.Read more →SunlightA bright, energizing chargeAn hour or so of sun gives tools a warm, active charge. Keep it short, and skip it for stones that fade, like amethyst and rose quartz.Read more →Running waterRinse it all downstreamHold hard, water-safe stones under cool running water for a minute and picture the old energy washing away.Read more →RiceA quiet soak in dry grainTuck small items into a bowl of dry, uncooked rice overnight. The rice is said to absorb what's stagnant. Throw it away afterward.Read more →EarthSend it home to the groundBury a well-used stone in soil for a day to three days for a deep, grounding clear. Especially good for protection stones.Read more →SaltThe classic protectorA bed of dry salt clears hard stones overnight, and lines of salt at doors and windows are an old way to protect a home.Read more →SoundShake loose what's stuckA singing bowl, bell, tuning fork or even clapping clears stones, rooms and people. Safe for every single crystal.Read more →SmokeLet the herbs carry it offWaft the smoke of a dried herb or resin over tools, spaces or yourself while holding a clear intention.Read more →SeleniteThe crystal that cleans the othersRest other crystals on a selenite slab or bowl for a few hours to clear and charge them. Selenite never needs cleansing itself, but it must stay dry.Read more →BreathClearing you can do anywhereHold the item, breathe in deep, and blow firmly across it three times while picturing bright light. Takes ten seconds and needs nothing at all.Read more →

Cleansing vs recharging

Cleansing takes the old energy out. Recharging puts intention back in. After you cleanse something, hold it for a moment and say what it's for, something like: "I charge this crystal with calm. May it help me sleep well."

A few ways to recharge by intention:

Growth and abundance: a waxing moon, morning sun, green plants nearby
Love and healing: the full moon, rose quartz nearby, fresh flowers
Protection: a salt bed, black tourmaline nearby, the new moon
Intuition: moonlight, amethyst nearby, a little lavender
Energy and action: morning sun, a lit candle, red jasper nearby

Clearing a whole room

Open the windows if you can.
Start at the front door and move clockwise through each room.
Use whatever method you like: sound, smoke, a line of salt, or simply clapping in the corners.
Say your intention, out loud or silently.
Finish by placing something welcoming by the entrance: a plant, a crystal, a candle.

Good times to do it: after an illness or an argument, when you move in somewhere new, at the change of seasons, and during the waning or dark moon.

Crystal safety matters: some stones fade in sun, and some dissolve, rust or become unsafe to handle when wet. When in doubt, choose sound or moonlight, which are safe for every stone. Never leave smoke or flame unattended.

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