Selenite is a crystal that is loved by many because of its transmutational properties. However, to make sure your stone will continue to work as intended, you need to know how to look after it. Today we’ll have a look at whether selenite can go in water, as well as other ways to charge and cleanse your stone.
Selenite cannot go in water. It is a very soft stone (2 on the Mohs scale) meaning it will dissolve if left to soak in water. Better ways to cleanse your selenite are by smoke cleansing, sound or using salt.
If you’re looking for a more comprehensive explanation as to why selenite should avoid water at all times, continue reading! At the bottom of this page, you’ll also find a quick overview of this stones element, chakra, zodiac and more.
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Also Read: Can Selenite Be In The Sun?
Can Selenite Go In Water? (Explained)
Selenite cannot go in water.
The reason for this is that Selenite is only a 2 on the Mohs scale of hardness. For those unfamiliar; this scale gives each mineral a number between 1 – 10 – the higher the number, the stronger the crystal. In turn, the stronger the crystal, the less likely it is to be damaged by water.
For reference, talc is a 1 and a fingernail is about a 2,5. Thus, selenite is softer than a fingernail, and we all know how likely those are to rip after a long bath, and only slightly harder than talk, which dissolves immediately when in contact with water.
As a general rule, a stone needs to be at least a 5 to be able to withstand water. As a result, if you leave your selenite to soak for a while it is very likely that the stone will be completely dissolved by the time you come back to it. Larger pieces may not dissolve completely, there is only so much of the substance that can be absorbed by water before it gets saturated, but it will definitely leave your selenite smaller, broken and/or transparent.
Now, as selenite is not as soft as talc it will not be immediately damaged when it comes into contact with water. So if there’s a bit of dirt on there you can give it a quick rinse, but don’t do this for more than a few seconds.
Besides, the speed at which your selenite dissolves also varies depending on whether the stone has a finish or is otherwise sealed. If this is the case, this coating will dissolve first, protecting your stone for a little longer.
Another reason some selenite stones dissolve faster than others, is the fact that no matter how polished it looks, it will always have some miniscule cracks. This especially applies to raw stones or geodes.
Even if you can’t see the cracks in your stone, I can guarantee you that they are there. The more cracked your stone is, the more area for the water to make contact with. Consequently, your stone will be damaged much quicker if it has more cracks.
Some argue that if your stone is broken or otherwise damaged it is unusable. From personal experience, I don’t think this is the case. Many of my stones have been broken (I regularly travel with them) and am still happily using every single one of them. Use your intuition. If your stone feels energetically drained, first try to cleanse and charge them, but if that does not work it might be better to buy a new one.
- Also Read: What Chakra Is Selenite?
Can Selenite Go In Tap Water?
Selenite cannot go in any form of water, this includes tap water. Tap water is not more or less dangerous for you selenite than any other form of water. It will dissolve, break or otherwise damage your stone.
Can Selenite Go In Saltwater?
Selenite can absolutely not go in saltwater.
As described above, selenite is simply too soft to withstand water and will be left damaged or completely dissolve if left to soak. Add salt to this and it will only speed up the process, as salt is naturally very abrasive. It will also dissolve the (potential) coating on your selenite even quicker, leaving your stone more vulnerable to the water.
- Also Read: Can Selenite Go In Salt?
Bigger pieces of selenite may not dissolve completely in water, as at some point the water is saturated and cannot absorb more of the mineral, but will be left fragile. If you choose to dissolve salt into the water, this gets even worse.
Water can very easily get into the miniscule cracks of your stone, but will also end up evaporating at which point it won’t do any more damage. However, when the water evaporates the salt is left behind. These grains of salt will crack open your selenite from the inside out and encourage your stone to fully break.
Beware that raw selenite and geodes have even more cracks and are thus even more vulnerable to saltwater.
I Put My Selenite In Water, What Do I Do Now?
Remove it from the water as soon as possible and dry it with a soft cloth. Be extra careful with handling your stone from now on, as the integrity will be compromised. Apart from that, there isn’t much that you can do.
Some believe that as soon as your selenite is damaged by water it loses its positive energy and is left unusable. Personally, I washed my selenite a few times when I only just started my crystal collection, and for me the stone works perfectly fine still. I would recommend following your intuition and feeling its energy. If you feel it is still giving off positive energy, continue to use it! If not, you might be better off buying a new stone.
Is Selenite Water Toxic Or Otherwise Dangerous?
Selenite is not dangerous. It is made of gypsum, which is composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate. You may not have heard of this substance before, but it is actually used in a lot of everyday things like plaster, fertilizer and even tofu. As a result, this substance is perfectly safe.
That doesn’t mean I would recommend putting selenite in your mouth though – it is still a very soft stone and there is a chance it’ll break off and leave small chards in your body.
However, selenite is not to be confused with sodium selenite, which is classified as a hazardous substance. Whereas selenite is a completely organic material, sodium selenite is manmade.
Sodium selenate is toxic when ingested or breathed in. The result are short term effects such as pain in the eyes, throat or lungs, or long-term effects like damage to the liver, kidney and reproductive organs.
Does Selenite Need To Be Cleansed and Charged?
Generally, every crystal needs to be cleansed and charged. Cleansing ensures that your stone does not become a place where low vibrations are stored. It basically empties your stone and to make sure your crystal can be used as intended, it needs to be charged. Cleansing removes negative energy, charging fills it with positive ones.
There is, however, the question if selenite needs to be cleansed and charged as well. Reason for this is that selenite is a special stone that has the ability to transmute negative energies into positive ones. For this same reason selenite is often used to charge and cleanse other stones – it sucks out the low vibrations and fills them with positive ones instead. As a result, some would say you never need to cleanse and charge your selenite. After all, not holding on to low vibrations is in its nature, as opposed to for example black tourmaline.
Personally, I still choose to both cleanse and charge my selenite. I feel the crystal deserves as much TLC as any other crystal and I believe it is beneficial to sit with the stone once a month to make sure it is not holding on to anything, to align energies and set intentions.
However, if this is also right for you is something you have to decided yourself. As always, follow your intuition and do what feels right.
How To Cleanse Selenite Without Water
So how do you cleanse your selenite without water? There are several options, such as dry salt, smoke cleansing, sound or burying it (in brown rice or dirt).
Salt
Beware that if you want to use this method, that salt has a higher number on the Mohs scale of hardness. As a result, just leaving your selenite on the salt can cause indents. To avoid this, it is better to use smaller grains of salt, rather than for example Himalayan salt.
Still, some find salt the perfect method to cleanse their selenite as it is remarkably good at drawing out negative energy.
If you want to know more about the risks involved with this method and how to avoid them, I recommend your read this article I wrote previously: “Can Selenite Go In Salt?”
To cleanse your crystal this way, follow these steps:
- Fill a glass bowl with a layer of salt and place your selenite on top of it. Make sure the stone makes full contact with the salt, but do not bury it. This will only increase your risk of damaging your stone. When you’re cleansing a piece of jewelry with selenite in it, ensure the clasp is closed an preferably wrapped in a soft cloth. You really don’t want salt getting into the clasp and causing damage there.
- Leave your stone on the salt for however long you feel like it needs. Most would go for between 2-7 hours. I wouldn’t recommend leaving it for longer as, again, this increase your risk of damaging the selenite. If you want to know if its ready, simply pick it up and check in with the energy. You’ll know when it feels right.
- When ready, remove the stone and gently wipe away the salt using a soft, dry cloth.
- Always make sure you throw away the salt when you are done. It has absorbed all the low vibrations from the stone and you don’t want to ingest that.
- Charge your stone (if you feel like it needs to be!)
Bury it
This is a good method for stones with an energy that feels heavier than you would expect. Perhaps because you haven’t used them in a while, or if they were previously owned by someone else.
Just bury it in your garden and leave it there for a few hours, days or months. The length of time differs per stone, so it is best to just check in and feel the energy.
If you don’t have a garden, you could also place your malachite in a bowl or brown rice. This may sound a bit odd, but rice is actually really great at drawing out negative energies. I like this method as the grains are soft and won’t scratch or otherwise damage your stone.
Simply place it in a bowl of (uncooked) brown rice for as long as you think is needed. I like to leave it for at least 7 hours, but you might want to leave it for longer. Just check on how the stone feels.
After cleansing, make sure you throw the rice away. It has absorbed all the negative energy and you don’t want to put all of that in your body by eating it.
Sound
Using sound is one of the safest ways to cleanse your stone, as it does not require you (or anything, really) to touch your stone. Besides, sound not only cleanses, but also charges your stone.
To cleanse with this method, you can use a tuning fork, singing bowl or a YouTube video. Simply sit with your stone and make sure your energy is light. Say your intention for the stone out loud and let the sound fill the room. If you like, you can keep the stone in your hand and visualize the low vibrations leaving the stone and it being filled with the positive energy from the music. It is ready when you feel like it is.
As singing bowls can get quite expensive, I like to use YouTube videos. I’ll leave my favorite below.
Smoke Cleansing
Smoke cleansing is another very popular method of cleansing crystals, as it does not require your stone to be touched by anything.
For smoke cleansing we can use different herbs. When these producing smoke it has the ability to cleanse rooms, people and objects (like crystals!).
To smoke cleanse, light your chosen herbs and blow out the fire. Say your intention for the stone out loud and then waft the smoke over it. If it’s not too heavy, you could also lift your selenite over the smoke. As always, it is ready when you feel it is.
NOTE: Beware that using the term ‘smudging’ and the practice of burning white sage/palo santo is commonly used in the spiritual community. This is a specific type of smoke cleansing used by Native Americans, and which was illegal up until about 40 years ago. We recommend using a form of smoke cleansing that is appropriate for you and your culture.
How To Safely Charge Selenite
To charge your selenite your best options are to use sound (as described above), or to use moonlight. The latter is a lot gentler than sunlight and will not damage your stone.
If you want to know exactly how to charge your selenite using the moon, I would recommend your read another article that I wrote: “Can Selenite Go In Sun?”. If you scroll down a bit, you’ll find all the information there.
Selenite Overview
Chakra: Crown
Element: Air
Zodiac: Taurus
Benefits: Serenity | Purifying | Peace
Selenite is one of the most powerful stones and is often described as liquid light. Use this stone whenever you need some more high vibrations in your life, for example when dealing with anger, resentment, or sadness. It also opens the crown chakra, helping you to connect with spirit guides and the universe.
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