Charging gemstones can be done in different ways. Have you just bought a beautiful pendulum from a set of chakra stones, or perhaps raw gemstones to place on your altar? Then it’s important for you to know how to take good care of your natural stones. Knowing how to charge your gemstones and when to charge crystals will help to keep them not only beautiful, but also effective. Beauty and good energy! In this article you will find a few handy ways to charge and activate your gems.
Why Charge Crystals?
Many people believe that crystals and gemstones can stimulate positive energy and amplify good qualities. But did you know that gems are also used to absorb and cleanse negative energy around them? This negative energy can build up inside your crystals and gems as a sort of stagnant residue, which may weaken the positive energy produced by them. By cleansing this negative energy and recharging your crystals, you return them to their original state. This restores their optimum working power for further use and enjoyment. We have listed a number of guidelines for you that should help you get the full energy out of your gemstones and crystals!
Possible charging methods:
- Sunlight
- Moonlight
- Gemstones
- Plants
- Salt
- Sound
Charging with Sunlight
The effect of sunlight can be very powerful, so make sure you charge your stones in the morning sun or later in the afternoon. At noon, the sun rays can be too bright and could bleach your gems. As a precaution, it is always better to place your stones and crystals under a cotton or linen cloth for protection while charging them in the sun.
You also need to keep a close eye on crystals in the sun. Some stones can intensify the sunlight shining through them, acting like a magnifying glass. That, of course, could cause a fire! That is why a Feng Shui pyramid, prism or rainbow crystal is sometimes used to indirectly illuminate stones. They scatter and refract the light, so that your crystals get a gentler solar charge.
- Suitable for:
Stones that strongly absorb negative energy or radiation, such as hematite, shungite, obsidian and black tourmaline. These can be charged for several parts of the day to recover their full potential. Black naturally attracts heat, so be mindful that they don’t become too hot. Clear quartz types such as rock crystal and rutilated quartz can also benefit from a sunbath. Place your stones under a cloth for protection. - Not suitable for:
Colored stones that can fade such as clear tourmaline, turquoise, rose quartz, opal, malachite, larimar, kunzite, fluorite, celestine, aventurine, aquamarine and amethyst. These stones could occasionally benefit from the sun for a solar powered boost, but make sure you use a cloth for protection and only charge them briefly. You could also experiment with the indirect light from a prism.
How to Charge Crystals on a Full Moon
Charging crystals with the moon is a gentler way to charge your crystals. Moonlight is, of course, sunlight reflected off the moon’s surface. During a full moon, charging crystals is very efficient. It is best to do this outdoors. When charging crystals in the moonlight, it’s good to ground them by placing them on earth or grass. If this is not possible, any natural material can have a grounding effect. A wooden plate or large leaves would work just fine! If you live in a flat with no outdoor space, don’t worry; charging your crystals on full moon power is still an option. Just set them in your windowsill. A cloudy night is no problem, the energy will still reach your gems and crystals.
- Suitable for:
All gems and minerals. In particular moonstone and other sensory stones associated with the moon. A full moon is also the best way we know how to charge selenite crystals. This pure white mineral is so strongly associated with the moon that it is named after the moon goddess Selene!
New Moon
While the light of a full moon might seem like an obvious choice for charging crystals, new moon power should not be underestimated! A new moon occurs when the moon is aligned between the earth and the sun, allowing us to only see the shadow side of the moon and no reflected sunlight. It marks the beginning of a new moon cycle and its energy is strongly associated with renewal. Knowing how to activate crystals in a way that is meaningful and suited to your needs is important. Would you like to use your crystals for energy during a fresh start? Then set them in your window the nights before, during, and after the new moon to harness the energy of celestial renewal. Whether you prefer using a new moon or a full moon, when it comes to charging crystals, moon energy is a great option!
Charging with Other Gems
It is also possible to use other crystals to cleanse and re-energize your gemstones and crystals. You could activate your stones by setting them on a cluster of rock crystal, amethyst, rose quartz, selenite or carnelian. This is thought to work best by placing the crystals in need of charging together with the cleansing crystals in a place where there is normally no daylight. They should be kept there for a period of 24 to 48 hours. Once the charge is completed, the cleansing stones themselves must also be cleaned and charged.
The rule of thumb is: if the color of the stone you want to charge matches the charging stone itself, it has the most potential effect. For example, place purple minerals on amethyst, pink on rose quartz, and orange crystals on carnelian. Clear minerals respond well to rock crystal and white or milky varieties to selenite.
- Suitable for:
All gems and minerals.
Charging Gems with Plants
After cleaning your gems, you could also place them with a healthy plant to recharge. The energy of plants is thought to pass onto gemstones placed nearby them. They freshen your gemstones while freshening your air!
If using just one plant, it is most effective to place your gem or gems on the soil inside the pot. Just like when charging in moonlight, gems love to be grounded! If you don’t want potting soil on your stone, you can put them on a cotton or linen cloth (or any other natural fiber). If you have several plants, you can also place the crystals down between the pots. If your plants are on a windowsill, pay attention to the amount of sun your gemstones will receive and consult our sun charging guidelines above.
- Suitable for:
All gemstones that can withstand moisture and water. For example, amethyst, jasper, aquamarine, fluorite and quartz varieties such as rock crystal, lavender quartz and rose quartz. - Not suitable for:
Gemstones that should not come into contact with water, because they are porous or ferrous. These include turquoise, lapis lazuli, malachite, chrysocolla, fluorite, calcite, celestine, magnetite, angelite, prenite, pyrite and gypsum like selenite, hanksite and halite. Also amber, opal, desert rose and marcasite would not tolerate moisture well.
Have you found yourself in the middle of a moon cycle? Has it been rainy for days? No urban jungle in your apartment? Are you reading this thinking “this all sounds nice, but I still haven’t figured out how to charge my crystals?” No problem, there are a few other less well known solutions!
Salt
Charging crystals with salt is an often overlooked solution. Place your crystals on a plate of salt (preferably sea salt or Himalayan, but table salt will work too) and leave them to charge for 24 hours. Gems and minerals that can tolerate water could also be placed in a saltwater bath. Ocean water is even better! Check our list above of gems that should not be exposed to water (gems not suitable for plant cleansing).
Sound
Have you considered charging crystals with sound? Letting the vibrations of a constant tone wash over your crystals is a great way to cleanse their energy. You can use a tuning fork, singing bowl, chanting, or even a simple bell!
If you’re new to crystal energy and are experimenting with gemstone therapy and healing crystals, you may still find yourself wondering “how do you charge crystals for healing? Are there extra considerations?” The best answer is to listen to your inner voice and let it guide you. When working with crystals, always start from your own intuition and experience. Energy work is personal and therefore differs from person to person. Common sense and gut instincts are great guides when applying the charging methods. When in doubt, consult an expert or gemstone therapist. Or just become one yourself by practicing!
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