How To
Clear & Detoxify Crystals
By Vaishali

All crystals are extremely efficient, natural amplifiers. That is why they are integral components in turntables, watches and computers. For thousands of years crystals have been used for healing purposes and for the exact same reason modern technology uses them; they amplify energy. If you come in contact with a crystal for any reason, it will amplify your energy. It doesn’t matter if you are touching it for healing, wearing it as a piece of jewelry or just admiring it.

Crystals also retain some of the energy they are exposed to. Every person who has ever been in physical contact with that crystal, from the mining process, to the cutting and polishing, to the retailers who sold the crystal and everyone in between, has added their energy to the amplification mix. When crystals are used in healing, one of the primary issues has always been how to “clean” a crystal of all this retained energy. Why might that be a problem you might ask? Because the crystal is now amplifying everyone’s energy that has ever touched it, and that may not be healthy, balancing or appropriate to keep in your house, around your neck, on your finger or in your healing room.

Let’s say you inherited some jewelry from your Auntie Em in Kansas: a lovely diamond ring, an opal necklace and an amethyst bracelet. As you are admiring the passed on articles, you cannot help but remember what a nasty, mean-spirited, judgmental person Aunt Em was. Her energy is still in that jewelry; it did not die with her. When you wear that jewelry it has an amplified energetic effect on your life. If you picked up some great deals at an estate sale, you probably have no idea if the pervious owner(s) had a nasty personality, or suffered from a long-term illness such as cancer, or possibly died traumatically while wearing some of the very same items now in your possession. Any of these circumstances could have an adverse effect of your health. Amplified energy does not live in a vacuum. It does not neutralize itself automatically, simply because the mineral has found a new home. Crystals continue to store and accumulate all the energy they have ever been exposed to until they are cleared.

In the same manner that you would never consider wearing or adding a garment to your wardrobe that someone else had worn for many years without washing it first, the same applies to crystals. Every new gem, mineral or fossil you acquire needs to be cleared of the energy imprint made on it by the previous owner(s) and anyone who has ever touched or handled that stone.

There are many commonly used methods to energetically clean a crystal: covering it with salt, or salt water, burying it in the ground, placing it in the sunlight or moonlight, or smudging it, otherwise known as surrounding it with the smoke of burning sage. However, Indian Ayurvedic wisdom says that none of these methods is actually proficient in neutralizing all the energy any crystal has picked up and stored. The Ayurvedic, time-honored method of clearing any stone is to place it in a container and cover it with organic, whole milk. You can place more than one item in a container before covering with milk, as long as all the items to be cleared are thoroughly and completely submerged in the milk. Remember, you want to use whole organic milk for the best cleansing results. After covering the items to be cleared, let them sit for twenty-four hours. Then wash off the items and place them in a clean container and cover with milk again. Repeat the process for a total of three full days.

On the third day thoroughly rinse the milk off the stones and dry them completely. You will find the gems and minerals are now not only cleared energetically but also have an enhanced dazzling quality of brilliance. If you have submerged a very intricately detailed piece of sterling silver, with lots of little crevices, you will also find that your entire jewelry item is brighter and lovelier than ever.

Also be careful not to soak items strung on silk or string, as the milk over the three-day soak will start to disintegrate the cord. It does not matter if you leave the soaking stones in or out of the refrigerator over the three-day period. What is important is that you make sure no animals, such as a cat or dog, drink the milk containing detoxified energy from the stones. So if you have to, place the container in the fridge to make sure your pet does not have access to the toxic milk. Also make sure the used milk is completely washed down the drain and not reused.

The best time to clean any gem, mineral or fossil is immediately after it comes into your possession. If you use crystals or stones for healing, such as a hot stone massage, it is best to soak that crystal or stone in milk for three days before using on another person. Also, remember that anytime someone else handles your gems and minerals, it now has their energy in the mineral. So if you loan out your jewelry, be sure to soak it in milk for three days when you get it back. If people are shaking your hand and your rings and bracelets come into contact with others, you may want to cleanse your jewelry once a month. There is no limit to how many times you can cleanse a crystal, or how many crystals you can clear at one time, as long as the milk completely covers every gem and mineral.

Over the years I have maintained this practice. It never fails to astound me how dramatically brighter and oftentimes clearer a stone can become after soaking in milk for three days. It is simple, cost effective and the results are well worth the time and effort. It is energetically the perfect way to love and protect your gems and minerals as much as they love and enhance your life.

Vaishali, Life Management Expert, is the author of You Are What You Love and Wisdom Rising. She hosts a bi-weekly talk radio show “You Are What You Love”© on Sundays from 11am-12pm PST/2-3pm EST that can be heard at www.PurpleV.com. Vaishali is a faculty member at The Omega Institute. Visit: www.PurpleV.com/mediakit .