Hi all, merry meet. Do I need a crystal charging plate? I have a selenite. Just wondering if I need to purchase a plate or use moonlight 
, the sun 
or smudge them.
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Nope, you do not need a charging plate, placing items on a windowsill (or outside) to be charged in the moon or sun works as well! Smudging general cleanses an item rather than charging it, but that being said, most of magick lies in your intentions. If you want to use smoke to charge, you certainly can do so by using your intentions and visualizing it. 
There are a variety of ways to charge items 
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Thank you for your reply it’s very helpful 
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I have a charging bowl, and that’s because I use daily crystals and I clean and charge them the day after. So it all depends on if you think you’ll use it or not.
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You dont have to if you dont want. Depends on what resonates with you. The most important thing is that you clean them before charging them with incense or sound and that they receive the energy of the full moon in one way or another (even if it is not directly illuminated) and that they resonate with you.
Tonight I put a Japa mala for meditating and some Amethyst with the reiki symbols to charge. Tomorrow I will put the rest of my crystals, I managed the time HORRIBLY today.
Same.
For the runes, the chakra crystals, the pendulums…
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Ooohhh nope absolutely not, I just happen to have a serious addiction to buying crystals, decks, books… Anyway, if you have Selenite in any form, you can place it around other crystals or items on it, around it for taming energies & generally cleansing. I keep some pieces in my overflow box of crystals & then its throughout my space.
Clear Quartz can also cleanse & add some oompf 
when its paired with other crystals or for yourself, space, directing energy. It also never has to be charged or cleansed. I do, just because easier to do them all in 1 go 
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I don’t use crystals much but I have the few I use in an open bowl which sees the moon and sun. I think it is a personal choice but likely to be made my someone with a larger collection. I do like my clear quartz and amethyst though!
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Brilliant idea keeping it in your box around your crystals. I will also so this. As a new witch I have been buying lots of different items just making sure I don’t need to buy unnecessary items. Thank you so much
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Thank you Dan. I have been collecting/purchasing a wide variety of crystals that I feel drawn to. There are so many. So I have bought a crystal book so I can look what is what lol.
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Thank you for your reply. As a new witch I want to make sure I am working to the best of the craft. This site is a blessing for me me, as you can feel lost it’s so nice to meet such lovely witches 
are
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Thank you 
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You’re welcome! 
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You’re welcome. I have… a lot… 
@dan3 also brings up a good point, it can be personal preference too. Most of them can so be charged under the sun too. It would be a personal choice how much you use them in your practice, which ones you have or how many you have I suppose 
I am definitely a lover of crystals, rocks, shells, and all kinds of treasures. I have a book:
→ Crystals 365; by: Heather Akinosie
That was & is really helpful 
I took courses with Ashley Leavy at her online school.
There isn’t too much that you can do that’s wrong. Something easy to remember about crystals is that if the name ends in -ite; don’t use water on it or soak it in water. They don’t go along with each other.
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Hi susurrus, thank you for the info on crystals and water. My book as just come today but I will also look at the one you have recommended. I do love crystals and stones, and when I go to the beach I collect shells too. X
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I have a little collection of crystals that I bought online. I recently read (probably on FB) to be careful that they aren’t fake. Now I’m questioning my own existence!! 
Am I a tree? Maybe I’m a tree. That would explain so much.
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This made me giggle 
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that made me smile, I’m pretty sure that I am some kind of feral raccoon thats friends with a lot of crows & shiny objects.
As far as whether or not your stones are fake would really depend where you bought them & if they are man-made replicas.
For instance
Citrine, natural citrine is a light or pale-ish yellow all of the way through to a brown-ish orange.
Heat treated Amethyst will turn a darker yellow to an almost burnt yellow with a white line at the base if its a cluster.
All 3 are a type of quartz & natural citrine is fairly rare. So a lot of what will be found is manmade or most likely heat treated amethyst, rarely it can be also made through 2 processes with heat treatment being after the first one of smoky quartz.
I’ve heard of people selling crystals that are actually made of resin or glass too. A lot of times you can tell by the prices.
I have 2 stone stores in my area plus a couple of sites that I will get them from. There’s another store that my son & his girlfriend will go to and bring me home stones from them too.
We may have more information within the forum also:
→ Crystal authenticity
→ How to Spot Fake Crystals
→ How to Spot a Crystal Fake
→ Crystal help!
→ Treated & Man-Made Crystals 
Those should have some information on the fake vs real crystals for you 
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This is brilliant thank you xx
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Several have mentioned to watch for cost and deal with reputable places. Organite crystal (resin mixed with crystal dust in various ways) can look very authentic or can look outrageously cool… and still fake.
[organite from Amazon]
If you see a batch of perfectly carved pendulum crystals, read the description carefully. It is normal for them to be resin.
I’ve returned crystal collections that weren’t fake but were described poorly. Usually the picture will show a bulging box but when you get it the actual rocks are very small and missing pieces.
You are not a tree.
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Thank you! I will definitely check these out.
Racoons are some of my favorite people 
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