When your crystals first arrive in your hands, they have been handled by countless people. Each person will have left a little of their own energy on the crystal, just as we all leave a little of ourselves on everything we touch, in the form of fingerprints. These 'Psychic' fingerprints, or 'residual energy' needs to be cleansed from the crystals to allow the crystals' own energy to radiate untainted.
There are several ways in which you can cleanse your crystals prior to use, and after they have been in use for a while.
SALT WATER: Dissolve 1or 2 tsps of Natural Sea Salt in enough pure water (Bottled, still, spring water is fine) to cover the crystals you are cleansing. Leave to soak overnight, rinse thoroughly and leave to dry naturally. NB. Malachite and Selenite are not suitable for salt water cleansing as Selenite is water soluble and the surface of Malachite will be damaged by the salt.
DRY SEA SALT: Bury your crystals in a small bowl full of Natural Sea Salt crystals. Leave overnight then gently remove every little bit of salt from the crystals.
NB Again Malachite is not suitable for this type of cleansing.
SUNLIGHT: The energy from the suns' rays is very powerful and is harnessed for cleansing and recharging crystals. Leave the crystals on a sunny windowsill, or outside in a sunny place for a full day. NB Amethyst fades if exposed to sunlight for long periods.
MOONLIGHT: Not as powerful as sunlight, but more suitable for crystals that fade in the sunlight. Place the crystals in a small shallow bowl or saucer and leave in the moonlight for at least one full night. A full, or a waxing moon (a moon in the rising part of its' cycle) is believed to be more powerful, but is not strictly necessary. Bring the crystals inside during the day and place them outside for a further night if you feel this would be beneficial.
THE SOIL: Some people believe that crystals benefit from being buried in the earth for at least a full 24 hours. They feel that this is their natural home and the natural magnetic and mineral content of the soil cleanses and recharges the crystals. If you choose this method, be sure to mark where you buried the crystals, or it may be the last you see of them!
NATURAL RUNNING WATER: Place the crystals in a loosely woven drawstring bag, place the bag in a running stream of the edges of a river and anchor the end of the bag so that the crystals are not carried away. Leave for 24 hours, retrieve the bag and leave the crystals to dry naturally. NB It must be moving water, not stagnant.
SMUDGING: This is passing the crystals through smoke, either the smoke of a candle, smudge stick or more popular is the smoke of fragrant herbs such as thyme. Ensure that all surfaces have passed through the smoke. These are intended as a rough guideline only, people who have worked with crystals for a long time know instinctively when their crystals need cleansing and when they have been recharged. For people new to the crystal world, these guidelines should stand you in good stead.