Cleansing

Always cleanse your bracelets upon receiving them and continue to cleanse them daily. Crystals need cleansing after wearing or healing.  There are a variety of ways to cleanse your crystals, try any of these suggestions and see what feels right for you.

Note: Citrine, Kyanite, and Azeztulite never need cleansing 

Smudge: passing crystals through smoke from incense, herbs, or resin 

Ex. copal, frankincense, cedar

Candlelight: passing crystals through candlelight 

Sound Bath: using a sound bowl for 15-20 minutes

Water: holding crystals under tap water or immersing them in saltwater 

Note: Crystals 5 and below the Mohs hardness scale are typically unsafe in water. A majority of them end in “ite,” such as: Pyrite, Selenite, and Labradorite. Opal and Turquoise, however, are also unsafe in water. 

Visualization: Simply visualize your crystal(s) surrounded by a purified light that charges them.

Activation 

After you cleanse your crystals, you want to activate them by setting specific intentions with them. I like to do this by holding the crystal in my hands until I feel connected to it, then I begin to meditate on what I need most from the crystal with specifics. For example, with Lapis Lazuli I would say “I program this crystal to help me with creative discipline so that my creative ideas turn into completed creative projects.” Then I make sure to keep that crystal on me, especially when I am creating. 

Charging

Crystals need to be charged daily once they’ve been activated. You can achieve this with a few hours in sunlight or moonlight (during the Full Moon). I charge my crystals daily on my altar. You can also meditate with them or use the visualization technique above.

My Bracelet Broke/Disappeared

If your bracelet breaks or disappears, do not fret! It happens. Crystals leave when they are done with you and vice versa. This is one of the many reasons why I love them: they make it impossible for you to be completely dependent on them. One time, I was using my snowflake obsidian to get really good sleep. Well, it worked a little too well and I was telling everybody how much I loved my snowflake obsidian and the next day I lost it in my shoe-box of an apartment in Brooklyn. I never found it, even after deep-cleaning when I moved!

If your bracelet breaks, more often than not it’s because it needs to be cleansed, activated, and charged. Don’t neglect your crystals! This may also make them leave you, they can help somebody else.

References

Hall, Judy. The Encyclopedia of Crystals . Revised ed., Fair Winds Press, 2013.