My ritual of cleaning the house at the start of the new year to bring in fresh energy consists of more than dusting, washing mirrors, changing seasonal accents, and making resolutions. It also includes gemstone! I both bring in new gemstones and cleanse the ones that already reside in my house. 

I can’t remember when I was first attracted to stones, especially gemstones, but I can say without a doubt that they are an integral part of my life. As we turn the calendar page what I want to share are my recommendations for gemstones to use to bless the new year, stones to assist with space protection, stones to help with manifestation, and stones to bring focus on showing gratitude. Use these stones to assist you in bringing into the new year what your heart desires.

Recommendations for Purchasing Stones

As you read through my recommendations, focus on the stones that resonate with you. Wander into a local gem store and see what stones call to you. Pick them up, hold them in your hand. Choose the ones that want to come into your life and your living space. Try not to let reason be the determiner of your choice, such as the cost of the stone, but do keep your budget in mind. I prefer unpolished stones to polished ones, but go with what you’re attracted to. Of course, if you don’t live near a gem store, you can purchase stones on the Internet. 

If you want to be more adventurous and have the gemstones bring you into their life, leave this list behind and wander the gem store and purchase what stones call to you. When you get home read up on the properties of the stone. You’ll be amazed that the stone that chose you is just what you needed! Picking gemstones intuitively can be a method of divination about what the new year holds for you.

Blessing the New Year

Gemstones I like to use in blessing the new year are quartz, amethyst, labradorite, fluorite, jade and jasper.

Of course you want to enter the new year free from the bondage of last year’s hurts and failure; quartz is the ideal stone to assist with releasing. Then, to get things aligned for the new year, bring in Amethyst, which helps with removing blockages that impede your progress. The last gemstone for this trio is Labradorite to help reveal to you your true calling.

Next, I make a use a mixture of gemstones to honor the inward winter months; I love the quiet that January brings. For calming down, meditating on your desires, and taking a bird’s eye view of your life, fluorite is the perfect stone. To call in affluence and abundance of all positive things you want to attract in the new year, consider bringing jade into your home. Then, to lift your spirits early days of the new year, invite the energy of jasper to your life.

Space Protection

It’s a good idea to protect your living space as you set intentions for a new year. I love placing black tourmaline outside my front door. I have a small stone that is pretty much undetectable placed at the base of a statue of Ganesh. I have a few pieces of Apache tears, a form of obsidian, throughout the house as they assist with psychic protection. It’s important to clean these stones frequently, as they absorb a lot of negative energy. I also have this stone in my office space, as it helps to absorb workspace negativity. Finally, I keep pieces of amethyst, a great protector stone, on my windowsills. They create a beautiful touch when the sun hits them.

I also use two variations of my absolute favorite stone, selenite, to assist with protection. Selenite is thought to be self-cleansing so there’s no need to actively cleanse it. I also never place selenite in water but feel free to charge it with sunlight. White selenite assists with psychic protection, cleansing your aura, and also calling in the angels. For calming, I place white selenite wands on at least one windowsill in each room. 

I place rose selenite on a table at the entrance of my home and also on the windowsill. Rose selenite also helps with manifestation of dreams so it’s a good stone to keep at your bedside. Rose selenite is associated with protection based on a Native American belief that the rose shape of this form of selenite was carved by warriors who were returning home from the spirit world and then placed around the area for protection of their homeland. 

Manifestation

I’m not a proponent of making resolutions at the start of a new year. I see too many people spring into action in January to keep pace with their resolutions, like joining a gym or beginning a diet. For me, the winter is a time for introspection, conjuring, dreaming, planning. Actions, like planting come later in the year.

I recommend using these winter months to journal, dream, imagine what you want to manifest. Remember, though, that it’s important that you feel worthy of receiving what you want to manifest. Use citrine to welcome in abundance in all forms. Clear quartz is another great stone for manifestation. Black obsidian helps with releasing limiting beliefs that will impede growth. And of course, rose quartz can be used to bring love into your life.

Keep these stones nearby as you journal or create a vision board. Keep them by your bedside and hold them before you close your eyes, asking that your dreams help guide you toward making manifest what you desire.

Gratitude

As you begin anew, cleanse and protect your space, and think about what you want to manifest in the new year, remember to include a gratitude ritual in your daily life. Gratitude is the key to receiving. As lean as things may seem at times, always find time to give thanks for what you do have. Want a bigger living space? Give thanks for the space that you have. Want a better job? Express gratitude for something about your current job.

Citrine, a stone of appreciation, will help you see the joy in your everyday life and help you to not take your blessings for granted. Green adventurine is a great “soother” stone and helps you feel grateful for what you have as you attract more abundance in your life. The stones will support your spiritual growth, but as always, your thoughts are the driver. 

Cleansing and Charging Your Stones

I think it’s important to cleanse your stones when you first bring them home. My preferred method of cleansing is using salt water, though you may also want to use moon water or rain water. It’s important though to check to see if your stone is sensitive to water. If so, do not submerge it into water. To cleanse with salt water, fill a bowl with water, add sea salt, and place your stone or stones in the water. I then place my bowl of salt water and stones outside in the sun for about a day.  When the stones are cleansed I dispose of the water by emptying the bowl in the street or on a pavement, not directly back into the earth. 

After the stone is cleansed the next step is to charge it with the intention that you want to set. Hold the stone in your hand and ask it to help with your intention, be it love, protection, abundance. If you want to bring an assertive energy into the stone, set your intention and then place it outside in the sunlight. If you want to bring a more receptive energy into the stone, set your intention and then place the stone outside in the moonlight, using the moon’s phases to assist with the process (for example, place it outside during the new moon to assist with growth). 

Have fun choosing your stones. Invite them into your space and ask for their assistance. They will soon become your quiet friends and guardians.