Should You Charge Crystals During an Eclipse? When to Charge (and When Not To)

An eclipse, whether solar or lunar, is a time of potent energy, which can amplify the energetic properties of crystals. During these moments, when the earth, moon, and sun align, the intense cosmic energy may be used to amplify their energies and aid in spiritual growth.

Eclipses are an occasion where the energies at play are significantly more pronounced than during regular phases of the moon. It is said to be one of the best times to set intentions, engage in deep meditation, and perform energy work with your crystals. However, there are things to consider before you decide whether or not to charge crystals during an eclipse. 

Key Takeaways

• Solar and lunar eclipses offer powerful energy considered ideal for charging crystals.
• The April 8, 2024, solar eclipse is a great time for crystal charging, setting intentions, and shadow work.
• You have decide if this is the right energy for you – or if you'd rather not charge your crystals at this time 

What are Eclipses? 

Eclipses are astronomical events that occur when the Earth, Moon, and Sun align, temporarily disrupting the usual light pattern. You'll often hear mention of “eclipse season,” which refers to the times of year when eclipses are more frequent, generally happening in lunar + solar eclipse pairs, approximately every six months.

Types of Eclipses:

• Solar Eclipses occur when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, blocking the Sun's light.
  • Total Solar Eclipse: The Moon completely covers the Sun.
  • Partial Solar Eclipse: Only a part of the Sun is obscured by the Moon.
• Lunar Eclipses occur when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow over the Moon.
  • Total Lunar Eclipse: The Moon falls entirely within Earth's umbral shadow.
  • Partial Lunar Eclipse: A portion of the Moon is darkened by the Earth's umbral shadow.
  • Penumbral Lunar Eclipse: The Moon passes through only the penumbra (partial shadow), resulting in a subtle shading.

During the April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible over parts of North America, including several U.S. states and some ares of Mexico and Canada. This is a potent time when solar eclipse energies are at their peak. During a solar eclipse, the Sun's energy is believed to intensify, affecting your personal energy fields. Although primarily associated with lunar eclipses, the absence of sunlight reflects an amplification of lunar qualities, such as intuition and emotion.

Remember, these are brief moments when the usual order of the regular is disrupted, and this feeling extends to the energy that people and objects, like crystals, might absorb. The alignment during an eclipse, especially a total eclipse, is considered to bring in the energy of rapid transformation and personal growth.

The Energy of Eclipses 

The energy of eclipses is often described as intense, transformative, and highly charged. These celestial events occur when the alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth creates a powerful portal for spiritual growth and evolution. Eclipses are known to catalyze significant shifts in consciousness, both individually and collectively, and are often associated with endings, beginnings, and profound inner revelations. The heightened energy of eclipses can stir up deep-seated emotions, bringing to the surface buried truths, unresolved issues, and long-held patterns for examination and release. 

While eclipses can be intense and sometimes challenging to navigate, they also offer a valuable opportunity for personal and spiritual growth, inviting us to embrace change, let go of what no longer serves us, and step into alignment with our highest path and purpose. By working with the transformative energy of eclipses with mindfulness, intentionality, and self-awareness, we can navigate these cosmic portals with grace, courage, and an open heart, embracing the potential for profound healing, transformation, and spiritual growth.

Charging Crystals During Eclipses

Eclipses offer unique energy patterns that can be potent times for charging crystals with the amplified energies of these celestial events.

Eclipse Energy Patterns

During an eclipse, it's said that the normal flow of solar and lunar energies are disrupted, creating a state of enhanced potential. Specifically, on April 8, 2024, the solar eclipse will provide an opportunity to harness what many believe to be an intensified energy field. This heightened energy is thought to be an ideal time to charge your crystals, aiming to imbue them with the eclipse’s powerful energies. The sun's energy, symbolizing external power, and the moon’s energy, representing emotional and internal worlds, converge in powerful ways.

• Lunar Eclipses: Occur during a full moon when the Earth is between the sun and the moon. The energy is often considered to be more introspective and about endings, emotional release, and the culmination of cycles.
• Solar Eclipses: Like the coming April 8, 2024 eclipse, happen during a new moon when the moon is between the Earth and the sun. This is a time often pointed to for initiating new projects and potential, or setting intentions. 

The practice of charging crystals during either type of eclipse is about aligning your intentions with these celestial energies. Charging crystals on the date of the solar or lunar eclipse is seen as the perfect time to enhance your crystal's natural properties in line with the powerful energy of the eclipse.

Crystals for Eclipses 

Just like any other time, there are certain crystals that resonate more (and less) with solar and lunar eclipses. Crystals can be potent tools for working with the intensified energy of celestial alignments. Whether it's a solar or lunar eclipse, crystals like black tourmaline, moonstone, and labradorite can support individuals in navigating through shifts, promoting inner growth, and fostering emotional balance, making them some of the best crystals for eclipse season. These crystals help to amplify intentions, clear negativity, and facilitate shadow work and spiritual insights, making them great resources during this transformative period.

You can read more about crystals for eclipse season here and crystals for the solar eclipse here. 

Cleansing Your Crystals

Before charging your crystals, it's ideal to cleanse them to get rid of any prior energy they've accumulated. There are many effective ways to do this, including: 

• Smoke Cleansing with Herbs or Sage: Use sage or palo santo to pass your crystals through the smoke. This method is safe for all types of crystals, including those sensitive to water like rose quartz, flower agate, and black moonstone.
• Cleansing with Selenite: Cleansing crystals with selenite involves placing the crystals near or on a selenite charging plate or wand to absorb its purifying energy.
• Smoke Cleansing with Incense: Using incense involves passing the crystals through the smoke generated by burning the incense, allowing the smoke to envelop and purify the crystals' energy.

Should You Charge Crystals During an Eclipse? 

Charging crystals during an eclipse can be a deeply personal and meaningful practice. The intense energy of an eclipse can have a purifying effect on crystals, cleansing them of any accumulated negative energies and revitalizing and amplifying their energetic properties. This can be particularly beneficial if you feel that your crystals have become energetically stagnant or if you're looking to infuse them with fresh, vibrant energy. 

However, it's important to approach this practice with caution and mindfulness, as the energy of an eclipse can be intense and unpredictable. Some people may find that the chaotic nature of eclipse energy makes it challenging to effectively charge their crystals, while others may feel drawn to work with this potent energy for their spiritual practices.

Ultimately, whether or not to charge your crystals during an eclipse is a personal decision that depends on your individual beliefs, practices, and comfort level. If you feel uncertain or uncomfortable, it's perfectly valid to postpone your crystal charging until a more stable time, like a regular (non-eclipse) full or new moon. Trusting your intuition and prioritizing your well-being are key as you navigate your spiritual journey during the cosmic events of an eclipse.

Charging Crystals During a Solar Eclipse

During a solar eclipse, the energy of the sun undergoes a dramatic shift, providing a unique opportunity for charging crystals. For the April 8, 2024, solar eclipse, may want to plan your crystal charging to coincide with the exact event, if you feel significantly drawn to the exact time of alignment of the Earth, moon, and sun. Here's one solar eclipse ritual you could use, to charge your crystals: 

• Start: Begin by cleansing your crystals before the eclipse timeline begins.
• Peak: Charge your crystals during the maximum phase of the eclipse when the sun’s energy is most obscured.
• End: Conclude your ritual as the sun re-emerges to lock in the revitalized energies.

You may also want to take time to set and focus on your intentions clearly as you charge your crystals, allowing this unique solar event to imprint its energy onto them. Additionally, as a reminder, some crystals – such as amethyst – can fade in direct sunlight. A small amount of time won't harm them – especially during a solar eclipse, where some of the sun's intensity will be obscured. However, you won't want to leave your crystals out in the sun for an extended amount of time, just to be on the safe side. 

Charging Crystals During a Lunar Eclipse 

Charging crystals during a lunar eclipse can be a powerful and transformative practice, as the energy of the eclipse is believed to magnify the cleansing and charging properties of the moon. Lunar eclipses are associated with profound energetic shifts and heightened emotional states, making them ideal times for releasing old patterns and setting intentions for the future. By placing your crystals outside or near a window during a lunar eclipse, you can expose them to the potent energy of the moon as it moves through its various phases. This can help to cleanse and purify your crystals, as well as amplify their natural properties, allowing you to work with them more effectively in your spiritual practice. 

However, it's essential to approach this practice with mindfulness and intentionality, as the energy of an eclipse can be intense and unpredictable. Be sure to set clear intentions for your crystals and trust your intuition as you navigate this powerful cosmic event.

Manifesting With Crystals During Eclipses

Eclipses are periods of profound celestial activity, where unpredictable energy patterns are common. While this can amplify the inherent properties of your crystals, it may also bring about unpredictable outcomes. It's important to focus on both positive energy (and outcomes) and grounding, if you choose to charge your crystals or do manifestation rituals during an eclipse. Specifically, focus on maintaining a positive intention to attract beneficial energy during the eclipse and be sure to use grounding techniques before and after the crystal charging session or ritual to stabilize any erratic energies.

Manifesting with crystals during eclipses can be a potent way to work with the intense energy of these cosmic events and amplify your intentions. Eclipses, whether solar or lunar, are known for their ability to catalyze profound shifts and transformations, making them ideal times for setting goals and manifesting your desires. Crystals act as energetic amplifiers, helping to focus and direct your intentions toward your desired outcomes. 

By meditating with your chosen crystals during an eclipse, you can align your energy with the powerful cosmic forces at play and infuse your intentions with added clarity and potency. Whether you're seeking abundance, love, healing, or spiritual growth, working with crystals during an eclipse can help you to manifest your deepest desires and unlock new possibilities in your life. Just remember to set clear intentions, stay open to the guidance of the universe, and trust in the process as you embark on your manifestation journey.

Setting Intentions

To work with the energy of the solar eclipse, begin by setting clear and specific intentions. By doing so, you establish a connection between your desires and the amplified energies available during an eclipse. Write down your intentions on a piece of paper, focusing on the following:

• Spiritual Growth: Envision your path towards spiritual enlightenment and articulate the steps you wish to take.
• Positive Affirmations: Choose solar eclipse affirmations that resonate with your spiritual and personal aspirations, expressing them in the present tense to embody their immediate power.

Simple Manifestation Rituals

You may want to engage in manifestation rituals to charge your crystals with the eclipse's potent energy. There are a lot of ways to create a ritual. Here's one simple outline, which you can customize based on your intentions and needs, to maximize the full potential of your ritual:

1. Cleanse Your Crystals: Prior to the eclipse, cleanse your crystals using smoke, running water, or sound vibrations to remove any preexisting energies.
2. Ritual Setup: Arrange your cleansed crystals around your written intentions. This creates a physical space that mirrors your mental and spiritual focus.
3. Eclipse Charging: During the eclipse, allow your crystals to absorb the intense celestial energies. This process is thought to supercharge both the crystals and your intentions.
4. Energy Work: Meditate or sit quietly with your crystals, channeling the eclipse's energy to cement your intentions. Visualize your goals and the role your charged crystals will play in manifesting them.

Your intentions during the eclipse should be focused and aligned with the unique transformative power this event offers.

Crystal Grids and Eclipse Energy

Eclipses are potent times for both spiritual and crystal healing. Working with this energy through a crystal grid can amplify your intentions and goals during an eclipse.

Creating a Crystal Grid

First, choose crystals that resonate with solar energy and your intentions for the grid. Align this selection with the solar eclipse—a time of transformation and renewal. You might place a clear quartz at the center to act as an amplifier, while sunstone can be used for its associations with the sun's positive energy, and citrine for manifesting abundance.

Here's a simple guide to get you started:

1. Select your location: A place where the eclipse is visible and where your grid won't be disturbed.
2. Cleanse your space and crystals: Use smoke cleansing or another cleansing method for purification.
3. Set your intention: Write it down or speak it aloud.
4. Place your crystals: Place the central stone first, followed by surrounding stones arranged in a geometric pattern that speaks to you.

Maximizing the Energy Flow of Your Crystal Grid

To ensure the best energy flow within your crystal grid during the eclipse, follow these steps:.

• Activation: Use a wand or your finger to connect the center crystal with the rest, tracing the geometric pattern you've created.
• Visibility: If possible, place the grid in a place where it will be exposed to the eclipse for the duration of the event.

Remember, your focused intention is key—it's what truly activates the potential of your crystal grid during the solar eclipse.

When Not to Charge Crystals During an Eclipse

Let's wrap this post up with a an overview of times when you should NOT charge your crystals. While these aren't hard and fast rules, they are general guidelines to help you keep your crystal practice positive and your wellbeing a priority. 

There are some instances when charging your crystals during an eclipse may not be advisable due to the increased potential for absorbing negative energies:

• You're New to Crystals or a Crystal Practice: If you’re new to using crystals, you might want to avoid charging during an eclipse until you’re more familiar with the crystals' energies in normal circumstances. I typically recommend that if you are new to crystals, you try charging them with a few regular (non-eclipse) new or full moons first, before you try charging them during an eclipse – but, of course, this isn't a rule and you are the best one to decide if eclipse crystal charging is right for you…new to crystals or not 🙂 
• Sensitive Environment: If there's tension or emotional turmoil in your immediate environment, consider postponing the charging as your crystals could absorb or amplify these negative emotions or energies.
• Physical, Emotional, or Mental Discomfort: If you feel nervous about charging your crystals at this time, if you're worried about the outcome, or if you are feeling especially stressed, anxious, upset, or down during an eclipse (or any other time), it's best to not charge your crystals. Especially during the intense energy of eclipses, you want to be in a positive emotional state, as much as possible for you (of course, we'll all interpret this differently and that's okay! You don't have to be Suzy Sunshine to be in a more-positive state). If you're not, it's okay to skip this (or the next, or every…) eclipse and just charge your crystals as you are feeling up to it. There's no FOMO in crystal charging: what works for others may or may not work for you and that's completely normal. 

By considering these factors, you can help ensure that your experience with charging crystals during the solar eclipse is both safe and beneficial.

Should I Charge My Crystals During an Eclipse? And Other Eclipse Crystal Charging FAQs

Q: Is it safe to charge crystals during a solar eclipse?

While some believe that charging crystals during an eclipse can enhance their energy, others caution against it due to the intense and potentially chaotic nature of eclipse energy. Ultimately, it's a personal decision that depends on your beliefs and practices.

Q: Can I make moon water during an eclipse? 

Making moon water during an eclipse is a personal choice. While some believe that the eclipse energy can enhance the potency of the water, others may prefer to avoid it due to the intense and unpredictable nature of eclipse energy. It's essential to trust your intuition and consider your intentions when deciding whether to make moon water during an eclipse. 

Q: Will the energy of the eclipse affect the crystals?

The energy of an eclipse can be potent and unpredictable, which may influence how crystals interact with it. Some people find that the energy of the eclipse enhances their crystals' properties, while others prefer to avoid charging them during this time.

Q: How do I charge crystals during an eclipse?

To charge crystals during an eclipse, you can place them outside or near a window where they can absorb the eclipse's energy. 

Q: Which crystals are best for charging during an eclipse?

Crystals associated with solar or lunar energy, such as quartz, moonstone, and citrine, are commonly used for charging during eclipses. However, the choice of crystals depends on your intentions and the specific energies you would like to amplify.

Q: Should I cleanse my crystals before or after charging them during an eclipse?

It's generally recommended to cleanse your crystals before charging them and after any time you use them for intense or emotional work. Cleansing helps remove any unwanted or stagnant energies, ensuring that your crystals are ready to absorb new energy.

Q: Can I charge all types of crystals during an eclipse?

While many crystals can be charged during an eclipse, some practitioners prefer to avoid charging certain crystals that may be sensitive to intense energies. It's essential to use your intuition and research the properties of each crystal before charging them during an eclipse. 

Q: What should I do if I feel uncomfortable charging crystals during an eclipse?

Trust your intuition. If you feel uneasy or uncertain about charging crystals during an eclipse, it's best to honor those feelings and wait for a more suitable time. There are many other ways to charge crystals, so choose the method that resonates with you. Remember: the best time to charge your crystals is when YOU feel like it's a good time to do so.

Q: How long should I leave my crystals out during an eclipse?

The duration for charging crystals during an eclipse can vary depending on personal preference and the specific energies you wish to infuse your crystals with. Some people leave their crystals out for the duration of the eclipse, while others prefer shorter periods. Experiment to find what works best for you.

Q: Can I charge crystals indoors during an eclipse?

Yes, you can charge crystals indoors during an eclipse. Simply place your crystals near a window where they can still absorb some of the eclipse's energy.

Q: What should I do with my crystals after charging them during an eclipse?

After charging your crystals during an eclipse, you can use them for various purposes, such as meditation, energy work, or carrying them with you for support. Remember to cleanse them periodically to maintain their effectiveness.