Rocks in the water, photo by Images by John 'K'

All crystals and gemstones require periodic cleansing and restoration in order to maintain their spiritual signature, healing qualities and essence. We need to provide opportunities to restore their highest vibration.

While this article details how to cleanse and restore amber, consider learning techniques specific to each of your healing stones. A regular cleanse and reset can help your crystals gemstones maintain their magical and spiritual qualities, and not get tired or overwhelmed by the energy of the mundane.

Because of its ability to absorb negativity on multiple realms, amber requires regular cleansing and restoration to clear it of the absorbed lowly vibrating influences, and restore it to its vibrantly sparkling magical self.

String of amber stones, photo by Ann Porteus

Amber’s essential energy

For explicit information on amber’s magical and spiritual qualities, see “Amber and its ancient healing properties,” which provides explicit detail on all the different ways that amber can be used.

Generally speaking, amber absorbs negativity in all realms, so that all the human systems can function optimally. The absorption of energy enables the human physiology to cope better, repairing and healing what ails us. An overview of amber’s qualities includes its use in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual realms. Because it acts on negativity, absorbing what is not needed, amber clears the way for the natural functions of the various human systems, always returning to homeostasis, its highest vibrational state of natural well being.

Physically, amber draws impurities, pain and disease from the body. Reducing the negative and attacking effects of germs, infection, inflammation and swelling, it enables the body’s physical healing mechanisms to function optimally, returning the system to equilibrium and vibrant health. Used to relieve pain, amber can ease the effects of acute and chronic pain, physical injuries and imbalances. Whether it is teething toddlers, or elders with osteoarthritis, amber can absorb the interfering negative sensations, neutralize damaging free radicals and enable the person to return to a pain free status.

Emotionally, amber can help to balance the emotions by absorbing the interference of negative emotions like doubt, dread, fear, anger, shame, and anxiety. By absorbing the negativity, amber aids in the natural process of emotional health, facilitating the restoration of clarity, calm, joy, peacefulness, positive self-esteem, and good feeling.

Mentally, amber acts as a natural purifier, clearing confusion, exhaustion and foggy thinking. With these out of the way, ebullient energy, attention and focus will reign.

Spiritually, amber is used for psychic protection, absorbing the energy of psychic attack, binding, curses and bad luck. When you feel shivers up your spine, your hair standing on end, a turning of the tummy, or a clenching of the sphincter, pay attention to these signals. They may be your early warning of potential spiritual attack, and a great time to call on the absorbing powers of amber to aid you.

With so many therapeutic uses, let’s look at how we can maintain the highest healing vibration of amber to aid us in our well being.

Smudge, photo by latisha (herbmother)

Cleansing amber

Amber can be cleansed in a variety of ways. I will outline easy techniques for cleansing using each of the different elements of earth, air, fire, and water, and add a spirit technique.

Place your amber on the earth in a quiet area that receives little or no traffic. Through the process of grounding, free electrons from the earth are absorbed by the amber, neutralizing negativity and balancing out the free radicals absorbed when amber heals. Alternately, Howl At the Moon Gems recommends using a “purifying mix of… Peppermint, Sage, Lemon Verbena, Red Sandalwood, Lavender, Red Rose Buds and a bit of ‘magick.'”1 Mix the herbs, and lay the amber in a bed of the herbs for a day to cleanse the amber of all absorbed energy.

I am a fan of cleansing amber in the dewy morning air. With a high moisture content, early morning air is magically infused. Awaken early, and take your amber outside. Set it somewhere with good air circulation for an hour or more, and know that the breath of the Goddess can clear away any energetic residue.

Fire cleansing is highly effective for crystals and gemstones, but it is the smoke, and not the actual fire that works best. Burn smudge herbs such as sage, sweet grass, or cedar, singularly or as a blend. Bathe the amber in the rich smoke of smudge, and know that the sacred herbs will cleanse it of all energetic imprint.

Many people use water to cleanse amber. Hold it under running water and let the negative ions generated by moving water bond with the positive ions absorbed through the healing process. Even one minute of running water can effectively cleanse amber of all the negativity it has picked up and absorbed. I prefer to use lake or river water rather than tap water, because they are free of added chlorine and fluoride.

Amber and other crystals and gemstones can also be cleansed by spirit. Sit quietly holding your amber, and meditate to set your intention. By my intention I release all negativity. Breathe and attune to the amber, and when you feel its energy shift or temperature change, know that your work is done.

Amber, photo by Karen Bhamra

Restoring the highest vibration

I recommend regular cleansing of amber. If you are using amber to address an acute issue and have a lot of negativity, illness, fear or dread being absorbed, try to practice a daily cleanse. If you are mostly well, and use the amber more sporadically for lighter absorption work, a good cleanse process every two weeks can suffice.

By cleansing your amber you essentially remove the negative energy from it and restore its highest vibration, enabling the amber to effectively work to absorb the negativity in all realms of your life. With the symbiotic relationship, both we and our healing crystals and gemstones can function at our highest vibration by returning to our own natural homeostasis — our perfect state of being.

Image credits: Images by John ‘K’, Ann Porteus

  1. Howl at the Moon Gems, “Cleansing Care,” no date. []