5 Crystals You Should Be Using With Your Spring Cleaning

Daylight savings time began on March 14th preparing everyone for the much anticipated spring season. With only days left before the vernal equinox many people are gearing up for warmer weather activities. Households across the country are planning for the yearly tradition of spring cleaning. Families will be clearing out old clutter, organizing paperwork, moving furniture for a good old deep clean, painting to freshen up living space among countless other chores getting ready for the more pleasant months ahead. Today I am going to show you how to incorporate crystals into your spring cleaning to help welcome in the fresh air with some positive energy. This is another friendly tip piece continuing with my personal practice of Feng Shui.

In my previous Feng Shui piece I spoke about the basics involved in creating a cleaner and clearer living environment to kick off 2021 with more positive energy. As you know by now, Feng Shui is the Chinese placement art of optimizing positive chi or life force that animates everywhere to harmonize individuals with their surroundings. Today I would like to introduce crystals or gem stones into the equation as a source of spiritual individuality within a renewed environment. Spring marks the rejuvenation of life. Song birds returning with their familiar tunes and the blooming of flowers give us all hope and inspiration after the dark cool months of winter. Crystal energy, indeed, livens up a room adding to the crisp new energy of a space transformed.

Before placing crystals into your house or apartment it is extremely important to physically clean and clear your space first releasing negative energy. I recommend beginning by opening up windows to allow fresh air to flow into your living space. Clean all windows, glass, panes, curtains & blinds etc.… as the first point of interest. You can certainly tackle the entire living space in one day but if this too much then I suggest cleaning on a room to room basis. Even though a chore, the cleaning process should be relaxing and therapeutic not a rush job filled with stress. Remember: You want a clean, clear and calm environment!

After all decluttering, high & low cleaning and organization is complete the next step before crystal placement is smudging, a Feng Shui technique that rids an area of negative energy. All you need is a fire proof container such as a clay bowl and a small bowl of sand to properly extinguish your herb of choice after the ritual is complete. Sage is a popular choice symbolizing purity and has a strong presence. Palo- Santo, a wood from South America, is another good option. It has a sweet and minty energy perfect for everyday use. There are also many options online for buying smudge bundles consisting of cedar, mug wort, rosemary and more. Some people like to use bells in their personal rituals and burning dried orange peels (“chen pie”) as another intense selection.

Take the time and experience the full effect of the smudging ritual. I meditate a few minutes beforehand concentrating on my intent and wishes for my personal space. Light your smudging stick and beginning at the front door, step outside to begin the process allowing the smoke to fill the space. Move inside and walk in a clockwise motion ensuring the smoke reaches all cracks and hidden spaces. If you choose to spring clean room by room then you can limit the smudging accordingly. If you opt to complete your spring cleaning project in one day then be sure to end at the front door where you first lit your herbs. Keep in mind that the smoke ceremony creates transformation and blesses a space and its inhabitants.

This process for moving around space is called “circumambulation” and has been practiced for centuries by ancient cultures to create a more sacred space. You can always add a mantra to fill an area with more cleansing vibrations.

Now that your spring cleaning and smudging is complete, you are ready to place some crystals into your living space. Historically speaking, crystals are an ancient medicine with philosophies borrowed in Hinduism and Buddhism. They are thought to promote the flow of positive energy and rid the mind and body of negative energy benefitting us emotionally and physically.

With the spike in the new age movement, crystals can be found in many shops including online retail. Personally, I prefer to hand pick mine and believe that is the best choice in attracting the right gem for me. Whichever method one chooses, it is important to cleanse the crystals before using to clear its energy to an empty slate so to speak. This can be as simple as running the minerals under cool tap water or placing them in a mesh bag and going to a stream for a more natural cleansing. There is plenty of online reading for crystal newbies but basically these gems are viewed as recorders holding energy of its environment making initial cleansing important.

Crystals, Placements & Their Meanings

Black Tourmaline- Place this hexagonal crystal outside your front door for protection. Metaphysically, this crystal is used for grounding your energies to Earth and cleansing the aura. Black Tourmaline belongs to the aluminum borosilicate family and specifically, including magnesium, iron and other elements determine its black color. This gem is often seen in jewelry offering psychic protection from negative entities and aids in ridding of negative thoughts as well as releasing anger and feelings of unworthiness. I recommend putting a piece of black tourmaline in a flower pot or some kind of outside ornament to avoid losing it. Placing it outside of your front door is thought to ward off unwelcome guests and dispel negative energy from entering your living environment.

Citrine- This yellow crystal is also known as the merchant’s stone and is best placed in the wealth sector of your home or southeast corner of any given room. I find an office area to be the ideal spot and personally favor a larger citrine with deep yellow tones. Whether you choose to utilize the wealth area of your home or in a specific room, there are a few additional things you can do beyond a citrine placement to ensure fortuitous flow. Incorporating a Jade plant, a small fountain, the color blue, small icons or statures depicting symbols of prosperity, and properly placed mirrors reflecting natural scenes or hues of blue, all can boost affluence.

Rose Quartz- The best place for this stone is in a bedroom. Known as the “love stone”, rose quartz crystals are thought to increase feelings of self-love, self- worth and confidence. In Feng Shui, each direction of the compass is associated with one of five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal or water. It is suggested to place 2 rose quartz crystals in the Southwest corner of the room which represents earth. Placing crystals (an earth element) in this area feeds this direction. Another idea is to place rose quartz near mirrors aiding in self-love and acceptance with one’s reflection.

Clear Quartz- a distinct quality of the clear quartz crystal is its ability to clear, wash and purifies the energy around it. The stone comes in many forms from tumbled rocks and small points to big clusters and generators. Placing a large cluster in a family room or living room can be a beautiful remedy promoting greater harmony. Points can also be placed in any area or bagua needing clearing. When you become more familiar with your personal crystals you will instinctively know when your clear quartz needs to move to an area in need of cleansing. Jewelry placed on clusters for a couple of hours also benefit from the energy of the crystal quartz.

Amethyst- The most powerful and best ones have the deepest richest indigo blue. These are also the most expensive. Polished, tumbled amethyst pieces are affordable and easy to find. Amethyst can enhance any room in your home as it is a perfect balance of the 5 elements serving a multitude of purposes. Amethyst is known as one of the most important crystals in Feng Shui with its healing properties producing a calming peaceful affect. You can place an amethyst anywhere from an area needing more concentration like a study, to a more tranquil restful state like that of a bedroom. An amethyst is especially helpful in a children’s room cleansing negative energy enabling them to thrive.

As you get ready to tackle that spring cleaning project this year, please keep in mind that clearing your space is so much more than a physical task. Our living environment, whether a studio apartment or a 3 story home, is an extension of who we are physically, emotionally and spiritually. Take the extra time to invite a more positive flow of healing energy into your domain. Just as spring is surely upon our doorsteps ready to restock the earth once again, you too, are entering a new cycle of life. Slow down to replenish your mind, body and soul just as you will with your living space, also known as bagua!