How we cleanse stones at the shoppe

People ask us this at the table every week, usually right after they pick a stone up and before they put it in a pocket: do I need to cleanse it, and how?

Our honest answer is that cleansing is a habit more than a rule. A stone that has been handled by a hundred hands at a show, or has ridden around in your coat all week, feels different from one you just rinsed and set in the window. Whether that is energy or attention, the habit works the same way. Here is the order we use in the shoppe.

1. Smoke for the room

We light a sage bundle on Friday mornings and walk it through the shoppe before the door opens. Smoke is for the space more than for any one stone. If you only do one thing, do this one, and open a window.

2. Sound for the shelves

A singing bowl or a bell clears a whole shelf at once. Three slow strikes, let each one ring out. We use a brass bowl that sits by the register, and customers love to try it.

3. Selenite for whatever you carry

Selenite is the easy one. Tradition says it clears whatever rests on it and never needs cleansing itself. Keep a wand or a flat charging plate on the dresser and lay your pocket stones on it overnight. That is the whole ritual.

4. Moonlight for the special ones

A windowsill on a full moon, or the last quarter if you are letting something go, is the slow, lovely way. Bring soft stones in before the dew.

What we skip

Salt water. It pits soft stones like selenite and calcite and dulls the polish on almost everything. Dry salt in a bowl is fine for a night if you must.

Come ask us how we do it. Selenite tumbles are three dollars, and we will show you which of your stones should never touch water. Open Friday through Monday, 11 to 5.