How To Cleanse: 4 Ways
What does it mean to cleanse and how do you do it? Here are some ways to spiritually clean yourself, your environment, and your crystals - used by both beginners and masters!
Before we dive in, I want to be clear that everything regarding spirituality in this (and any) post refers to personal beliefs that many people in the spiritual community share. We may use wording or phrases that make it seem that we are stating a fact, but it is not written in stone and it is completely okay if you don't share these beliefs. Like any community, spirituality, or religion, some things we refer to (like energy, entities, or powers of minerals) are not a universally accepted belief. We welcome people from all backgrounds and walks of life with open arms, so we thank you in advance for being accepting of our beliefs, even if they may differ from yours. ❤️
So...what is cleansing?
Simply put, "cleansing" in the spiritual community refers to getting rid of any unwanted or negative energy that lingers in a person, an environment or home, or even crystals and other physical belongings. All things are capable of both emitting and absorbing energy, whether it's people or an inanimate object. In return, if even an object around you has absorbed energy, it will reabsorb back into you, and the cycle continues. Having said that, there are certain energies that you don't want to be around - negative or low-vibrational energies that can dull your spirit and have a mentally draining effect. For example, most people have experienced a roommate, family member, or partner coming home from a hard day and spreading that negative energy onto you. Their boss might have come down hard on them, so they have pent up frustration that comes out once they're home. These types of events and low-vibrational experiences easily effect the energy of you and your space, and it's important to frequently "cleanse" to wipe the slate clean again to prevent any harmful effects.
1. Smoke Cleansing
Some very important notes before we begin:
1. You may have heard the term "smudging" used in the spiritual community in reference to a specific type of smoke cleansing, but we need to be clear on something: Smudging is a closed-practice used by Indigenous communities and Native American tribes that is not to be practiced by anyone outside of these communities. Smoke cleansing is a practice open to anyone, but avoid sacred herbs such as White Sage or terminology like "smudging". Please do your own research on these topics, there is a lot to know and we encourage you using Indigenous-owned sources for your information. We are not a Native-owned company.
2. PLEASE do thorough research on which herbs, oils, or other fragrances/scents are toxic to animals or children. ALWAYS use these practices in well ventilated areas and avoid doing so around animals who can breathe it in.
Now, let's begin.
Smoke cleansing is a classic in the community and pretty well known. You can cleanse anything with the use of smoke, which can mean incense, herb bundles, essential oil diffusers, or forms of resin like Frankincense or Myrrh.
When using herb bundles, there are a plethora of various herbs to choose from, each with unique properties depending on your specific goals. To name a few...Lavender, pine, sage (not white), or rosemary. You can also buy or make combined herb bundles with multiple types in one. I always encourage bundling your own herbs if you can get your hands on them.
Hand-bundled and harvested local Purple Sage
Pine is a great option for both protection and welcoming prosperity into your home. I recommend taking advantage of Winter Solstice/Yule/Christmas trees at the end of the season by bundling it's branches into herb bundles!
Hand-bundled Pine for burning
Cleansing and spirituality in general looks different for each individual, with it being such a customizable and personal community. Some people advocate for cleansing your home in a specific order, while others say you must cleanse either counterclockwise or clockwise, depending on your goal. Suggestions like these are all fantastic, but remember that your practice is your own and you can do it in any way that feels right to you (while being respectful of others, of course). Especially for beginners, all of the varying recommendations can make it confusing on how to "get it right". There is no right or wrong way - follow your intuition, try different things out, and see what feels best to you. That is all that matters. I will say, though, I always recommend having at least one door or window open while you smoke cleanse. Not only for smoke ventilation, but to allow the energy you're dismissing to exit somewhere!
Adjust to your personal liking and preferences as needed, but in general: For home cleansing, walk around each room with your incense/herbs/etc., saturating each room a good amount. For person cleansing, rotate the smoke around the body, generally from head to toe. For object or crystal cleansing, hold the smoke under the item to allow it to flow up and around it.
2. Sound Cleansing
Video by Jason Stephenson - Chakra Healing Music on Youtube
Sound is a powerful tool in spiritual practices. Every sound emits a vibration too faint for the human ear. Certain vibrations are at a lower or higher frequency, meaning more positive or negative spiritually. You can cleanse your space with high vibrational sounds by using a YouTube video like the one above (simply type "High Vibrational Music" into the search engine - there are tons!), attending a sound healing bath performed by professionals, or by using your own tools. This may be bells, charms, whistles, singing bowls, musical instruments, or even your own singing voice. When cleansing a home with sound, you would repeat the same steps as mentioned for smoke cleansing. Whether it be in a certain order or method is up to you, just open those windows and doors! You may also consider placing bells on your doorhandles to provide an instant bath of sound cleansing when anyone enters.
3. Cleansing/Protection Candle
Protection Candle by front door with Smokey Quartz
Another way to cleanse your space is by burning an intention candle. Pictured above is a black taper candle charged with protective intentions with Smokey Quartz being burned by the front door of my home. To charge something with your intention, whether it's a candle, crystal, or other item, simply hold it in your hands or up to your forehead - visualize exactly what you want this item to help you with, the goal you want to achieve. Always say and visualize intentions in present tense - refrain from wording like "I want, I hope, I wish". Act like you already have whatever it is you're manifesting. You can use other crystals, herbs, or oils along with your candle to amplify the intention - I used Smokey Quartz in this instance because it holds protective energies. I recommend doing a protection candle after you have cleansed your home/yourself with smoke, sound, or any other kind of cleansing you prefer to protect your home from negative energies returning.
4. Crystals
Last but most definitely not least, crystals for cleansing! If you're here on our site, you are probably aware of the belief that crystals contain healing energies used in spiritual practices for a wide variety of different intentions. You can use crystals to bring more of something into your life (like love or success), reject certain energies from coming into your life (like negativity or poor health), but you can also use crystals for cleansing yourself and your home! You can absolutely use any crystal of your choosing, but the ones I recommend are those that don't require frequent cleansing or contain protective properties. For protection, try: Smokey Quartz, Black Onyx, Obsidian, Tourmaline, Labradorite, or any form of Jasper. For cleansing, try: Selenite, Satin Spar, Clear Quartz, or Natural Citrine. I recommend placing any of these stones near entryways of your home (windows, doorways, mirrors, or even closet doors). They are not only beautiful, but provide an instant wash of cleansing energy when anyone enters your space. For personal cleansing, you can meditate with your crystal of choice in your hands, placed intentionally along your body while laying down, or placed in a circle around your sitting area. Wearing crystal jewelry when leaving your home is always a good idea, as you never know whose energy you may interact with in the world, some of which you may not want to bring home with you. And yes - crystals can be used to cleanse other crystals! Placing your stones on or near any form of Gypsum (Selenite, Satin Spar, Desert Rose) or Quartz allows pent up energies to be released from them. I usually recommend leaving stones to cleanse overnight or for at least 6 hours. Happy cleansing!
Clear Quartz Sphere
All photos used in this blog are owned and under copyright by Frankie's Crystals Co.
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