Many newcomers to the crystal healing scene are interested in learning how to cleanse crystals with incense. But there’s a lot of misinformation floating around about how to do it (or if it’s even possible).
This guide will answer the question “Can you cleanse crystals with incense?” and teach you the right way to approach this practice.
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The Correct Approach When Using Incense To Cleanse Crystals
The practice of burning incense has been around just as long as crystal healing itself. The earliest history of this fragrant practice dates back nearly 6,000 years to Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Some historians even consider incense one of humans’ first aromatic materials ever created.
Incense is a unique substance that can take many forms. You can find loose incense powder, which contains a mix of crushed wood, herbs, and other aromatic materials. However, the most common forms are in a cone or a stick.
Either way, incense is very affordable and easy to get your hands on if you’re interested in cleansing your healing crystals. Burning incense has a long history of use for religious and ceremonial reasons. It’s also used for aromatherapy, meditation, and simple aesthetic preferences.
So how do you cleanse crystals with incense?
Many compare the act of burning incense to cleanse crystals to cleansing them with sage. While very similar, burning incense is called “smoke cleansing.” Because it contains natural herbs and woods, incense has the power to shift the energy around a person, place, or object.
Like sage smoke, incense can help break through low vibrations, dark energy, and unhealthy thoughts. Furthermore, incense makers can utilize various herbs, woods, and resins to create aromatic products. As a result, healers believe that different types of incense can have unique healing effects.
All that said, seasoned spiritualists and crystal healers will tell you that the role incense plays in your crystal cleansing rituals is not as straightforward as you would think.
Instead of cleansing crystals with incense directly, it’s actually best for cleansing the space where you’ll use the healing crystal most.
The impact of incense smoke on actual crystals and stones is minimal compared to what they experience with smudging. The fragrant smoke of incense might provide a slight energy boost at the moment. However, those effects are fleeting, and most crystals will revert to their sluggish state when the smoke subsides.
The Influence Of Your Healing Environment
Before you consider ditching the incense entirely, consider what the smoke cleansing can do for your healing environment!
The space where you do your healing has a big influence over how effective a crystal’s healing properties are. So many people focus on what other people and situations can do to their healing tools, but many fail to think about the space itself.
Your healing area should be a sacred place that feels open and responsive to a crystal’s energy. It should be a place of peace and understanding that makes you receptive to the influence of healing energy. Otherwise, your rituals and meditative practices will have minimal effect on your well-being.
This is why cleansing crystals with incense is still worth doing. Burning incense can revamp the space, changing the air quality and transmuting negative energy. It does more than simply wipe the slate clean and give you a blank canvas. Incense can also impact you and your state of mind within this newly created sacred space.
The aromatic smoke helps you connect to the crystals energetically and spiritually. That way, you’re open to accepting its healing grace. Many healers say they go into a deeper state of meditation and mental clarity when incense smoke is around, making them more receptive to the energy that exudes from their crystals of choice.
While healing crystals can provide gifts regardless of how you use them, taking the time to fine-tune your healing environment goes a long way. Creating that sacred space of peace and recovery helps you reap more of the benefits a stone has to offer, making items like incense a must-have if you plan on doing any spiritual work.
How To Cleanse Crystals With Incense
Learning how to cleanse crystals with incense isn’t too tricky. However, it does require a bit of planning.
Before you do anything, choose an area to set up your healing space. This should be a sacred place you return to time and time again to find peace and solace as the crystals’ energy wash over you. Ideally, this healing area will be one that you can continue to reuse.
Crystals can heal you anywhere, but having a designated space gives you complete control over the energy in the air and helps you cultivate the perfect place for peaceful meditation.
Here’s some essentials you’ll need to start with if you want to cleanse crystals with incense:
- Incense burning vessel
- Incense
- A lighter or match
- A comfortable place to sit
- Your healing crystals
As we mentioned earlier, incense comes in many forms. The type of burning vessel you choose depends on what kind of incense you get! Stick-style incense works best with a tray to catch ash as it falls.
Meanwhile, cone incense usually requires a metal bowl or platter. Powdered incense does best with a bowl, seal molds, and other shaping accessories.
Some healers also like to utilize sound machines and music players. They’re not a requirement, but if they help you feel comfortable and at peace, go for it!
Set up the altar and place your incense directly in the center of your crystal healing space to start cleansing. You can set your crystals down for now as you get into the right mindset.
Begin by getting comfortable and closing your eyes to ruminate in thought. Open your heart, mind, and soul as you let loose and focus on your body. Feel the tension flow away as you feel every part of your body.
Take note of any negative energy or unwanted emotions you want to transmute out of the space. There’s no need to worry about it now. Let yourself feel that energy and experience the disharmony.
Use your lighter or match to ignite the incense when you’re ready. Let the flame burn for about 30 seconds before blowing it out. The embers should remain as the fragrant smoke billows from the incense and fills the room.
Close your eyes once again and notice how the energy changes. Feel that exchange and transformation as you set your intent on achieving balance. Think about your intentions and goals to transmute negativity into love and light. Appreciate that the incense is working to cleanse your crystals and strengthen their energy.
You should feel the change as the incense wafts through the air. Take in the aroma and feel the sacred space you created turn into one of peace and spiritual openness.
Once the room reaches that point of energetic equilibrium, you can take your crystals in your hand and perform your healing ritual. Hold the crystals and pour your light into them, guiding your intent to cleanse the stones of all their imbalance and dark energy. Set that darkness back to its source so that you can restore its radiance and continue reaping its benefits.
Cleansing crystals with incense in this way can do a lot to put you in a beautiful mindset. Absorb that peace and use your crystals as you normally would. Now that the space is sacred and balanced, you can make the most of your crystal collection.
Pay attention to the amount of smoke filling the space. It’s a good idea to open a window and increase air circulation. You want the fragrance and cleansing smoke to fill the room, but you don’t want it to be overbearing or set off any smoke alarms.
The goal is to have the incense complement your healing rituals. If the scent is too distracting, you can put the incense out and allow the smoke to dissipate a bit.
Different Types Of Incense To Use
When you shop for incense for your crystals, you’ll notice that you have countless options. Incense is a lot like room spray or perfume in the sense that you can create an endless combination of scents.
So how do you choose the right incense for cleansing your crystals?
Ideally, you would choose an incense that caters to your needs. The sky’s the limit for the herbs, resins, and woods utilized. However, some scents conjure specific emotions.
For example, florals are known to facilitate relaxation and calm. As a result, you might want to use something like lavender or rose incense for the cleansing process. It’ll help you combat stress and reduce anxiety.
Alternatively, those looking to relieve physical illness or financial worries might want to consider using woodsy incense products. Incense that contains sandalwood, cedar, and other aromatic woods have powerful grounding energy.
Meanwhile, products that have mugwort or jasmine are great for spiritual connectedness. Incense with those herbs is thought to open your third eye and crown chakras, helping you establish a deeper connection to the universe and spiritual guides.
The right choice for you will depend on your goals. Some popular types of incense for cleansing crystals are:
- Palo Santo wood
- Juniper
- White sage
- Patchouli
- Frankincense
- Sweetgrass
- Myrrh
- Copal
- Sandalwood
- Cedar
- Lavender
- Jasmine
- Labdanum
You’ll often hear crystal healers and spiritualists recommend choosing incense with ingredients from your local region. One theory is that using incense containing herbs you can source locally has a more significant impact. Not only does it respect ancient rituals and cultures, but it honors the earth below you.
It can help you strengthen the bond you have with your environment, which is always a big plus for cleansing and healing. See what herbs grow in your part of the world and find matching incense. With so much variety out there, that should be too challenging of a feat.
Can You Damage Your Crystals When Cleansing With Incense?
Many new practitioners who want to cleanse crystals with incense worry about accidentally damaging their stones. While this is an understandable concern, it’s nothing to fear. The smoke that billows from incense can be thick and fragrant, but it’s not going to do any harm to your crystals as long as they don’t have direct contact with incense.
But here’s what you want to avoid:
Never burn your incense on the crystals. Many make the mistake of thinking that cone-shaped incense is safe to set on anything. But as the incense burns, the base of that cone gets hotter and hotter.
Setting it on a crystal will lead to burn marks and physical damage. The same goes for burning incense directly over top of crystals. Pay close attention to the position of burning stick incense.
Hot ashes will fall, so you’ll need to keep your crystals out of the way. Generally, it’s good practice to provide a bit of room between your crystals and the incense. They can be on the same table or meditation surface, but don’t put them close enough for the heat of the burning incense to affect your precious stones.
As long as you keep the heat away, your crystals will be just fine.
Thick smoke may leave behind a slight residue. You’re not likely to notice anything after a single cleansing session, but the residue could accumulate over time if you’re performing the ritual in an enclosed space.
Make sure there’s plenty of ventilation. Remember that thick and distracting smoke won’t do you any favors as far as your healing practice goes!
Closing Thoughts
Now that you know how to cleanse crystals with incense, all that’s left is for you to get started. Find your healing space (or the area where you keep your crystals) and follow the steps above!
If you have any questions or want to share some ideas, let us know! We love connecting with others in the crystal healing community.
