Smudging, Cleansing & Purifying Crystal

After its journey from the mines or it's resting place, your crystal may have passed through several different hands for different purposes; The miner or the person who found the crystal, perhaps staff who grade and size your crystal, an artist who carves & polishes a crystal ball, the wholesaler, the retailer! Finally it arrives in your hands and is soon to become your very own unique friend.

If we were to take such a long and arduous journey, the first thing we would want to do is bathe and rest, gather our bearings and our strength and get rid of any negativity we may have collected on the way! Your crystal is a living mineral, it has energy vibrations - as do we - it has been taken from it's ancient womb and brought out into the light amongst us living beings, into our infant and naive dimension - and boy! Do we have lots of questions to ask it!

Obviously then, you need to care for your crystal before asking anything of it. The first thing you should do is gently bath it, nothing more than a mild soap and water is needed for this. A secure stand should always be available for your sphere and this positioned upon a clear surface - incidentally, always keep your crystal away from clutter, especially when gazing. Your crystal sphere will reflect the thoughts and feelings in your mind and clutter - which will affect you whether you are aware of it or not - will simply distract both you and the crystal energy!

Regular 'Smudging' of a crystal will remove negative energies that have collected within it. This is done by wafting the crystal in the smoke of incense

Smudging" is a method of cleansing using a fragrant smoke from a higher vibrating source, such as sage or incense. You light it and wave it with your hand or a feather around the object to be cleansed, such as yourself or a crystal so that it is being "bathed" in the smoke. It raises the vibrations therefore clearing out all that is of a lesser vibration

Place the sphere by a window at this time, this is an ideal spot as your crystal needs to absorb the sun's rays and the moonlight for two to three days and nights - a full moon is especially good as this is a time for ending old cycles and preparing for the new, it's a high energy time when the moon is at it's brightest, also a good time for gazing and asking for help in making those important decisions!

During this 'rest period' there's nothing wrong with gazing at your crystal, getting to know it, feeling it and studying it's complexity and yet simple beauty.

Something has attracted you to the crystal in the first place, you felt an affinity or a longing for it. Your crystal is totally unique, there is no other like it in the world - in the universe - and it has now found a home with you! It may be very clear, shrouded with veils and fractures, speckled with inclusions, cloudy, milky, smoky. It has it's own personality and the fact that you have it by your side means that you have been drawn to it in whatever way and - for now - it is yours.

Don't be put off by what some may think are imperfections, this is not the case with metaphysical crystal. It isn't a gemstone, a flawless diamond, it's purpose is not to adorn a person but to aid one! In fact these 'imperfections' simply give evidence that your sphere is indeed a natural product and besides, they have their own added benefits.

Carefully study the sphere's make up, feel the surface, imagine how it was carved, what continued at the sphere's end. If there is Rutile in your crystal (a titanium dioxide mineral that grows in needle like clusters) there are likely to be several surface flaws as the two materials - quartz and rutile - have different hardness' and form in different ways. The artist who carved your sphere will no doubt have had a difficult time trying to attain smoothness. Again this can be the case with inclusions and fractures, there is only so much one should do to enhance something that has it's own raw beauty! Accept your sphere for itself and admire it's maturity and marks of time.

I am very much in favor of naming my crystals. It may seem crazy to some but I do feel their individuality deserves this. If you are like minded then the name will quickly pop into your head when you study it closely and that will be that! Another good reason for naming a crystal is the beginnings of forming a bond with it - so much so that I have even removed a crystal from sale after naming it, as I then couldn't bear to let it go! Somehow it establishes those first bonds and there really is something about a crystal once it gets a hold of you! It can become closer to you than you may expect. Becoming your confident, your helper, your inner strength - YOUR ROCK!!