Cleaning crystals

There are various methods that can be used to cleanse crystals on an energetic level.

“Books on the subject of cleansing sometimes contradict one another,” says Crystal Healing therapist and Reiki Practitioner, Markus van der Westhuizen. “Some books instruct one to soak the crystal in course sea salt; another might instruct one to leave crystals in direct sunlight.”

The most important thing to remember is that crystals can’t all be cleaned in the same way. Unfortunately, not many books on the subject tell you this. Certain stones can be irreparably damaged and destroyed through soaking in salt water, or through being left in the sun, Markus says.

Some stones, such as pyrite, produce the toxic sulphuric acid when placed in water. Care must therefore be taken in choosing a cleansing method for your crystals.

One of the safest, most harmless methods Markus would recommend is embedding your crystal in uncooked brown rice or even in a bowl of tumbled hematite.

Another method involves placing your crystals in a bowl, which is then embedded in another bowl filled with coarse sea salt.

Stones can also be placed on a piece/bowel of Himalayan Rock Salt – just always making sure that there is a physical protection barrier between the salt and the stone.

“All these methods help to cleanse the crystal energetically, but one must remember that crystals can never lose their innate power and so, the intuition must be trusted as a rule of thumb as to whether a crystal needs cleansing or not,” Markus says.

- (Charlene Yared, October 2007)

For more information contact:
Markus van der Westhuizen
Registered Reiki Master Teacher (RMASA) and Crystal Healer
Cell: 072 952 3630
e-mail: markus@healthychoice.co.za