If you periodically purge the minerals, crystals, and gemstones you use in meditations, rituals, or healing work, you clear out residual negative energies and revitalize the positive assets inherent in the stone.  This keeps the stone strong, fresh and able to perform the work you're asking of it.

It is important to purge negative energies and recharge positive ones in your stone and mineral allies if you use these tools in your visualization and inner work. Clearing your stones periodically dispels negativity that has built up either in a stone's history or through past work it has done for you. It also recharges your tool, the way you recharge a depleted battery ... and refreshes its power the way you do your body with a good night's rest. (In a way it's only courtesy to clear and restore a mineral ally ... the way you would any tool you've used, and it's certainly how you would expect to treat a friend!)

A clearing ritual resets and refreshes the stone's energy so that it may connect again with its powers and purpose, and the ritual itself refocuses your intent to make use of the stone and its assets, reaffirms your connection to it, and synchronizes the vibration of your respect and purpose with that of the stone you are using. Probably the most important part of this ritual is simply your intention. You have several options -- methods and suggestions considered traditional in gemstone work, but since your mind, spirit, and aims are the most essential part of your own spiritual life and work, it is important that you do what feels comfortable and right.There are no hard and fast requirements. If one method of clearing stones works for you, use it. If you like a combination of several things, feel free to incorporate them all. Change around the exercises if something feels good or proper to you at one time and something else another. Trust your instincts, above all. And if you feel moved to make up your own rituals, that's perfectly fine, too.

Use the smoke from a sage smudge-stick to clear and clean the energies of your stones. Sage smudges can be found in many metaphysical shops and health food stores and are a standard tool for clearing out unwanted energies from items, spaces, rooms, houses, etc.* Brush the stone in a counter-clockwise circle with your hands or roll the stone counter-clockwise in your hands while you declare that all negative energies are being removed from the stone and that its positive energies are being strengthened and realigned once more. Blow gently on the stone after completing this exercise to make sure the harmful or negative energies are indeed scattered and removed from the aura of the stone itself.* Water, of course, is an excellent cleanser. If possible, use rain water, melted snow, or water from a natural lake or free-flowing stream. Ocean water is marvelous, too, and some people, even when using fresh water like to put sea salt in the water as they wash and cleanse their stones. Yes, you can use tap water, but let it sit for a few days to discharge some of its impurities and additives.

Some people like to use water that has been set out under either the New Moon or the Full Moon to gain a particular charge. Water charged under the New Moon is especially potent for initiating projects or energies associated with the sign that the New Moon is in. Water charged under the Full Moon is good for working with relationships, choices, or bringing things to manifestation. Again, the energies of the Full Moon polarity need to be considered in making the decision to use this particular ritual.* You can warm a stone gently over the heat of a candle flame (NOT in the flame itself, but just enough to warm the stone itself.) or place it to warm by the fire on a hearth.* You might bury the stone in the earth again for a while, as a way of grounding its energies or returning it "home" again to the environment where it has existed for thousands of years before it came to be your helper and where it will probably return again someday when you are gone.A stone that has been used in serious or traumatic healing work may need special care to recharge its energies, just as you would allow a living organism to recuperate and rest after strenuous or difficult labor. For extreme cases, you might consider freezing the stone ... or putting it out in snow ... in order to slow its molecular action, just as you would allow a sick or exhausted person or animal to sleep in order to heal.When you feel it has regained its willingness to serve you, recharge it again gently with some of the above suggestions. It may take several efforts before you feel your stone has reached a state of full power and utility again. Let your intuition be your guide in making this decision.

(c) Rebecca Brents, All rights reserved.

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