How to Cleanse Crystals with Incense

Co-authored by Emily Christensen and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: July 9, 2022 References

Crystals are a valuable tool for anyone who works with spiritual energy. It's no surprise then that crystals may start to feel drained or ineffective, especially if you use them a lot. Fortunately, incense is fantastic for cleansing and recharging your well-loved crystals.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Emily Christensen
Spiritual Advisor & Founder of Rainbow Raaja
Expert Interview. 8 July 2020.} It's also a relaxing process that can make you feel rested and renewed.

This article is based on an interview with our spiritual advisor and reiki master, Emily Christensen, founder of Rainbow Raaja. Check out the full interview here.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Picking the Incense or Herbs

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Choose sage to remove negative energy. Burning sage might be the most popular way to clean crystals with smoke. This is probably because it's thought to remove unhealthy energies that have built up in your crystals.^{[2]
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- Homegrown sage is fantastic, but you can easily buy high-quality sage smudge sticks. Look for a local grower—bonus points if they use environmentally safe growing and harvesting practices. Sage is easy to find at well-stocked supermarkets, health stores, or apothecaries.
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Reach for sandalwood to deal with emotional or physical stress. If you've been using your crystals to manage a lot of stress or anxiety, sandalwood is a good cleansing choice. The smoke from sandalwood incense releases deep woody and lightly sweet scents that are comforting and soothing.
- Sandalwood can also help calm and clear your mind.
- You can usually find sandalwood incense at local herb or crystal shops.
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Use Palo Santo for deep healing and cleansing energy. Palo Santo is a wild tree that's traditionally been used in smudging ceremonies to get rid of negative energies. It's known as "Holy Wood," and it can help you restore the energy to your crystals.^{[3]
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- You can buy Palo Santo sticks or incense from traditional medicine stores, metaphysical stores, or online.
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Select myrrh to cleanse and restore strength. Myrrh is a resin that comes from trees and it's been used for centuries. As incense, the smoke from myrrh is thought to remove negative emotions. It has a woody, medicinal smell—you might find that you feel resilient when cleaning your crystals with myrrh.
- You can also use incense sticks that are a blend of myrrh and frankincense to cleanse your crystals. Again, you can find this incense at herb or crystals shops or online.
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Try your favorite incense or herbs. There are no set rules for cleansing your crystals so be open to experimenting!^{[4]
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Expert Source

Emily Christensen
Spiritual Advisor & Founder of Rainbow Raaja
Expert Interview. 8 July 2020.} You might find that your energies feel balanced after burning copal, sweetgrass, cedar, or juniper incense, for instance.
- Remember, you also bring your energy to the crystals so if you choose an incense with the intent to cleanse a crystal, you should be successful.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Smoke Cleansing

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Open all of the windows in your room. This helps the negative energy leave the room and prevents you from breathing in a lot of smoke. If you prefer, you can definitely cleanse your crystals outside where you'll get plenty of fresh air.^{[5]
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Light your incense in a heatproof holder or dish. You can place it in a standard incense holder, a seashell, or a singing bowl. If you're using a smudge stick, choose a heatproof vessel that's large enough to hold the sage. Then, light your incense and blow it out so it begins to smoke.^{[6]
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- A Tibetan singing bowl is small and made of metal. It's well-known for its harmonious vibrations which can help you relax and clear your mind.
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Wave the smoke across your crystal. You can use your hands or a feather fan to direct the smoke. As the incense smoke moves throughout the room it also cleanses the room's energy.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Emily Christensen
Spiritual Advisor & Founder of Rainbow Raaja
Expert Interview. 8 July 2020.}
- You can also pick up each crystal and pass it through the smoke so it's totally surrounded by the incense's healing properties.
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Focus your intent as you cleanse the crystals. Think or speak your intent so you tune the right energies into your crystals.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Emily Christensen
Spiritual Advisor & Founder of Rainbow Raaja
Expert Interview. 8 July 2020.} At the same time, direct the negative energy to leave the crystals. Remember, the smoke from the incense will carry them away.^{[10]
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- For example, you may think, "I cleanse this crystal to remove negative energy and fill it with strong, protective power." Repeat your intention as often as you like while the smoke coats the crystals.
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Cleanse the crystals for around 5 minutes. Keep passing the crystals through the smoke or waving the smoke over the crystal so it can permeate the crystal and remove negative energy.^{[11]
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- It's fine to use your intuition and cleanse the crystal for less time if you feel like energy balance has been restored.
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Say a blessing for healing and cleansing. As you finish cleansing your crystals, focus all of your intention on positive energy and the joy you feel in the universe. You can say this out loud or simply think it as you put away your incense and crystals.^{[12]
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- For instance, you might say, "I'm thankful for the joy and positive energy that I'm experiencing at this moment."