How to Choose & Charge Your Crystals (Crystal Care by Colette)

After over 30 years of collecting crystals, I have quite the menagerie! If I were to combine all of the crystals in my home, they would probably weigh over 500 pounds. I’m not a crystal expert per se, but I am an avid collector and lover of these mineral friends. 

I can always tell if a particular crystal is meant for me – if it wants to be with me and belongs in my home. And I can just as easily tell when a crystal does NOT belong with me. 

One time a friend gifted me a crystal, which I brought home and placed on my desk. Before long, I realized this crystal didn’t want to be there. I asked my friend if it had come from her home and lived on a window sill there. When she said yes, I knew immediately that this particular crystal wanted to be back home in its original window, so I returned it to my friend. I know that sounds odd but I really feel these are sentient beings of a different kind!

Another time though, a dear friend gifted me with a tiny baby dragon hatching out of an egg, made of obsidian. Immediately, I knew this one was for me and that it wanted to be named Herman. And this little guy sits next to me every day! 

Each and every crystal is unique, and choosing them is like choosing friends to come and live with you in your home. Not dissimilar to your pets! When you choose a crystal to bring home with you, it should feel like a personal fit. Just like you wouldn’t adopt a dog or cat you didn’t feel an affinity for, the same goes for crystals. 

Why I love choosing my own healing crystals

I am a practicing animist – which means I believe all things are alive and have a presiding spirit. To me, each one of these healing stones has a personality and purpose for being with me. That’s why I love getting to pick out my own crystals and why I treat each one with love, gratitude, and care. 

You don’t have to experience your crystals as living beings to have a meaningful connection with them though. Just trust that if a crystal finds its way to you, it has a purpose for being with you. 

Yes, different kinds of crystals have different gifts and properties they support with. And it’s wonderful to look up their specific properties and uses, but most importantly, it’s essential to use your intuition to guide you toward the specific crystals that are meant to be with you. 

When you feel particularly attracted to or connected with a crystal, it’s likely meant to come be a part of your family and your crystal collection! 

A simple guide to crystal care for beginners 

When it comes to crystal care, I believe we should let our intuition guide us – just as we do when we choose them. Today I’m going to share my favorite crystal care practices and rituals, but know that there are many ways to charge your crystals and cleanse your crystals. 

The reason we care for our healing crystals is so that they can continue doing their job at their highest capacity. 

Just remember that when you bring home a crystal, it’s like bringing home a house plant. In order for it to be healthy, thriving, and bring its magic to your home, it needs to be tended to and cared for. Just as a healthy house plant helps clean the air in your home, some crystals can help absorb negative energy, so they need regular cleansing. If they don’t get regularly charged and cared for, they will eventually get weaker. 

If you want to learn more about the science and art of crystal healing, I highly recommend you check out Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy.  And, if you’re a beginner to crystals, here are my personal favorite crystal care practices to get you started… 

Crystal Charging & cleansing crystals

All crystals love lunar energy, and the very best time to charge crystals and let them soak it up is during a full moon. If you want, you can pick them up and take them outside, or simply place them in a window sill that’s cast with some moonlight once a month for a little moon bath. 

One of my favorite crystal rituals is taking my rock friends into the moonlight once a month to recharge. Some of my crystals are so big I can’t even carry them, so I have to get my husband to lift them for me, or they are positioned to be near windows that let the moonlight in and I might just need to move them a few inches. 

Your crystals may also enjoy a little sunlight for charging. Occasionally in the summer months, I’ll place my black or clear quartz crystals in a sunny window sill for an hour. If you’re uncertain how to charge a specific crystal, simply doing a little online research or visiting Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy will yield all of the information you need. 

Equally as important as charging your crystals up is cleansing them of the energy they help absorb. Some people put their crystals in water for cleansing, but since some of them can dissolve in water, I avoid this practice and opt for other kinds of energetic crystal clearing. 

Personally, I love using ting shaw bells to energetically cleanse my crystals. I discovered these beautiful bells when I was studying meditation at the Tibetan center in Toronto and I’ve used them ever since. In the winter when the skies are dark and the crystals can’t get the moon or sunlight they love, sound is a wonderful alternative to cleanse their energy.  

Some crystals can actually help clear the energy of other crystals too! I love selenite for this. You will find selenite wands all over my house because it naturally clears and charges other crystals. But since selenite has a big job, it needs to be cleared regularly! Luckily, it’s very compatible with moonlight since it was named after the moon goddess Selene. So giving it a full moon bath once a month should do the trick. 

Continuing your crystal exploration 

If you’re just exploring crystals for beginners, or if you’re a seasoned crystal lover, continuing to explore these healing stones can be so much fun. Although I’m not a crystal expert per se, ( as I mentioned) I love crystals so much that I created an Oracle Card deck based on my personal experiences with crystals, as well as the knowledge I’ve gained through the years through courses and books on the topic. 

What I’ve learned is that each and every crystal or mineral has its own personality, properties, uses, and its own “area of expertise.” And I created my Crystal Spirits Oracle Deck as a way to talk directly to these crystals and hear what they have to say! 

Of course, there are thousands of kinds of crystals, but in this deck, I created a card for many of my favorites. Although the uses of many crystals have overlap, they all have their uniqueness as well. 

If you want to add some fun and depth to your connection to the world of crystals, check out my Crystal Spirits Oracle Deck.

And keep in mind as you explore and grow your crystal collection that most importantly, you should think of each stone you acquire as a friend who is coming into your home and consider if they feel like an intuitive fit.