In this post, we’ll be diving into the practice of cleansing and charging, covering a variety of methods with notes on how to make the practice feel more your own. At the end of the day, you are the most important tool. Everything else is there to support your intention, not replace it.
Cleansing:
Cleansing is the act of removing stagnant or unwanted energies from yourself, your tools, or your space. In summary, it’s a spiritual reset.
Even if it feels a little tedious at times, cleansing is crucial before performing spellwork or any kind of energy work. As we go about our days, we naturally pick up all sorts of energetic clutter: worry, stress, external projections, the occasional uninvited spirit. Your tools do too, especially if they’re used often or stored in shared spaces.
Cleansing resets everything back to neutral. It’s not always about banishing malevolence, but more about realigning energy with your own. Think of it like wiping down a whiteboard before starting a new lesson, it just makes everything clearer.
Crystals can assist in cleansing as well. Stones like black tourmaline, obsidian, and smoky quartz are great for absorbing negative energy. Selenite, in particular, is a favourite for cleansing other crystals, just place them nearby or on top of it to clear their energy.
Charging:
Cleansing and charging are two sides of the same coin. Cleansing removes energy, and charging adds it. Where cleansing wipes the slate clean, charging is about filling that space back up, this time with your own energy, purpose, and intention.
They’re deeply interconnected. Most methods of cleansing naturally create space for charging to follow. But always cleanse first, especially when it comes to physical objects or shared environments.
Crystals can be charged in various ways too, in moonlight, sunlight (for sturdier stones like carnelian or citrine), or even through breath, touch, or sound. When you charge a crystal, you’re giving fuel to a specific intention, like plugging in an electric guitar before playing it.
Methods: How to Cleanse & Charge
1) Breathwork, Visualisation, and Meditation
This trio is simple yet powerful. Sit somewhere comfortable. Inhale slowly and deeply, visualising a bright light filling your body, or any colour that resonates with you, and pair it with affirmations.
Exhale fully, imagining all the tension, darkness, and clutter leaving your body. Visualise it drifting away, dissolving, or being absorbed by the earth. Repeat until you feel lighter, maybe even until you hit a trance-like state.
In a deeper meditative state, you might uncover parts of yourself you usually avoid—old fears, limiting beliefs, inner shadows. This is where more personal cleansing can happen. Face what comes up, and know you can release or transform it.
You can place a crystal like amethyst or clear quartz in your palm or on your body to enhance the experience. These stones help with focus, clarity, and intuitive connection during meditation.
2) Music
One of the most underrated spiritual tools. Music carries emotion and intention in every wave. Find a song that hits your soul in the right way, whether that’s grounding, uplifting, cathartic, or empowering.
Let the sound flow through you. Sing, dance, hum, scream, or simply feel. You’re aligning your internal frequency and emotions with that of the music. Music can also help charge a space or object, especially if played regularly. Pairing it with movement like dance or exercise can only amplify these effects.
Crystals that work well with sound include selenite, quartz, and lapis lazuli. You can even cleanse them using singing bowls, chimes, or tuning forks.
3) Herbs
Burning herbs (aka smoke cleansing) is a time-honoured method across many cultures. Common options include:
-
Sage – for purification (note: white sage is sacred to Indigenous cultures, so opt for garden sage or other herbs unless ethically sourced).
-
Rosemary – protective and versatile.
-
Lavender – calming and uplifting.
-
Mugwort – good for dream work and intuition.
-
Cedar or Pine – grounding and cleansing.
Light the bundle or loose herbs, let the smoke rise, and pass your tools or body through it. Focus your mind on release, and imagine the smoke carrying away all unwanted energy. Make sure the room is well ventilated.
You can also place crystals near the herbs or in the smoke to amplify the cleansing effect. Just be mindful of which stones are heat-sensitive. Every herb, crystal, or incense carries its own properties, so if you’re setting a more specific intention, choose your materials with care.
4) The Sun & Moon
The energy of the moon offers powerful symbolic and energetic cleansing, gentle, reflective, and deeply intuitive. While moonlight is technically reflected sunlight, it’s attuned to cycles, transitions, water, and the subconscious. In contrast, the sun offers direct energy, bold, vital, and fiery, perfect for charging intentions tied to action, clarity, and growth.
Both are equally valuable, just different in flavour.
You can leave your crystals, tools, or even yourself to bask in these natural energies. A moon bath is beautiful for emotional release, dreamwork, and subtle healing. A sun bath is great for empowerment, motivation, and solar plexus energy.
That said, always check your tools. Some crystals, like amethyst and rose quartz, can fade in sunlight, and others may not do well with water or outdoor exposure. And if you're stepping out yourself, be mindful of sunburn or surprise rain: nature gives, but not always gently.
5) Nature
Nature is the original altar. The earth, trees, wind, and rain all hold cleansing and charging power, pure and instinctive.
Spending time outdoors, even briefly, can help discharge built-up tension and reconnect you to a steadier rhythm. Walk barefoot on soil or grass, rest your back against a tree, or simply sit somewhere green and still. Let the wind carry away stagnant energy. Let the sound of birds or water remind you of your place in something much older than your worries.
You can also bury crystals or tools in the earth overnight to reset them. Just make sure they’re not water-soluble or fragile - stones like black tourmaline, smoky quartz, or tiger’s eye tend to do well.
Even keeping a plant nearby, tending to it, speaking to it, or incorporating herbs and flowers into your practice can keep you attuned to nature’s cycles. Cleansing and charging don’t always need to be ceremonial - sometimes it’s just a moment of breath between the trees.
6) Incense
Incense is smoke with intention. It’s been used for centuries across cultures to purify space, honour spirits, focus the mind, and shift energy. The rising tendrils carry your intentions upward, while the scent lingers like a subtle spell woven into the air.
Lighting incense before or after a ritual can help clear lingering energy, signal the start of sacred time, or simply calm your nervous system. Choose your scent based on what you're calling in:
-
Frankincense – protection and deep spiritual cleansing
-
Myrrh – grounding and restorative
-
Sandalwood – meditation and divine connection
-
Lavender – emotional clearing and softness
-
Patchouli – grounding and sensuality
-
Dragon’s Blood – amplifies power and seals intention
Pass your tools or body through the smoke, or let it fill a space as you focus on your intention. Incense pairs beautifully with crystals like amethyst, lapis lazuli, and clear quartz, helping to deepen and strengthen the energy being worked with.
Conclusion
To close, cleansing and charging is a key practice for successful energy work. However, It doesn’t need to be elaborate, and it doesn’t need to take more than five minutes. But it does need to be done with care and consideration.
A lot of the time, cleansing alone is enough - especially after your intention has been set. Crystals and herbs carry their own energy and respond to every emotion, touch, and thought you offer. But when you want to deepen or reinforce your work, combining cleansing with charging, using moonlight, sunlight, smoke, or soil, can powerfully amplify your intention and natural energy.
Whatever method you choose, trust yourself. Trust your energy. You are the spell.
