Crystal Charging 101—How to Cleanse, Clear, and Power Up

Crystals are unquestionably beautiful. They’re also some of the most magical of energetic tools, enhancing energies, helping to focus intent, and generally vibrating high. “They serve as conduits for our own manifestation and healing,” says Shiva Honey, owner of The Pentacle Path in Birmingham, Michigan. “Working with a stone gives us time to set intentions and tune in to our inner healer and magician.” But like any tool with an energetic output, even the most powerful crystals need to be charged up from time to time—the better to enhance natural force, and ensure they’re in alignment with your internal frequencies.

“It’s important that the crystal feels positive and aligned to you when you start working with it, and charging can help that process,” Honey said. “You can clear or charge crystals to restore balance within them, prepare the crystal for ritual use, or power the crystal up with your own energy during a ritual.”

What’s in the stars for you? 

Whether it has been gifted or discovered solo, when you first obtain a stone you’ll want to cleanse and clear it in order to offer the tool a clean energetic slate. Use a method that resonates with you—whether that means employing the smoke of a smudge stick, burying the crystal for a time, holding it beneath a stream of running water, or soaking it in a salt bath. Next, program the treasure by giving it something to do. Assign it an intention that aligns with its natural inclinations—for example, a piece of rose quartz can be used to protect your heart, while a chunk of celestite can be directed to promote calm. Cradle the crystal in your hands, take a moment to connect with it, and give it purpose; speak it aloud.

As for deciding when to charge? It’s best to trust your intuition. If you pick up a crystal and it feels less powerful than it used to, or you simply feel less connected to it, it’s likely time to charge it. “Negative energies can impact the effectiveness of a crystal, especially as it relates to ritual and spells,” Honey said. “Conversely, positive energies serve to amplify rituals and spells.” So, if it’s been particularly tense at your home lately, or someone experiencing emotional discordance has handled your crystal, it may have picked up and stored some of that negative energy. Likewise, if you’ve been radiating bliss, your crystal probably is, too.

As far as the charging process goes, you have a lot of options. Honey prefers to charge her crystals by placing them in direct sunlight for the day or leaving them out overnight under the light of a new or full moon.
If from-above energy doesn’t ring true to you, a ritual offers an alternative means of charging. It’s simple:

1. Meditate your desire or intention.
2. Visualize your energy pouring into the stone. See the power from your body as a texturized, colored light being transferred to the stone.
3. When you feel the stone vibrating with your energy, the charge is complete.

Ultimately, “the best way is the way that feels right to you and is aligned to your energy,” says Honey. Some other options include picking a special date in your life and letting the naturally occurring energy charge the crystal or placing it outside or on a windowsill during an eclipse (though be wary and informed—the upheaval brought about by certain eclipses may be best avoided).

But be sure you’re not overdoing it. Naisha Ahsian, director of the Crystalis Institute, says that charging crystals almost never needs to be done, so long as the crystal is appropriately cleared. She likens it to a radio set to a slightly off station: you can either tune the radio back to the right station (clearing a crystal) or turn the radio up louder so you can hear the music better despite the static (charging a crystal).

“Clearing is the process of resetting a stone; charging is an attempt to put energy into a stone that’s not vibrating at its base resonant frequency,” Ahsian said. “You can charge a crystal over and over, but if it’s not reset to its base resonant frequency, you’re not going to get much out of it aside from what you put into it.

The lesson? Trust your crystals and trust yourself. When in doubt, clear, and when you know the time is right, charge away.

Art by Johanna Martin. Find her online at www.johannapaints.com, and on Instagram @blousesandhouses