While the name selenite originally referred to the transparent variety, nowadays, it can also refer to the striated, fibrous version called satin spar (which is also a variety of gypsum). “People have gone so far as to say satin spar isn’t real selenite, and although it’s true that there’s a subtle distinction, they’re chemically the same—they’re the same type of stone,” Leavy adds. She notes there are some specific formations that are used for certain things. For example, angel wing selenite (or fishtail selenite), has a feathery kind of appearance and is often used for connecting with guides and angels. Historically, large, thin sheets of selenite (sometimes called windowpane selenite) were used for windowpanes, and smaller sheets were used as eyeglasses, she says. Selenite can be found all over the world, particularly in the U.S., Australia, and Greece. Most famously, Leavy adds, there’s an incredibly large deposit of selenite in a cave nearly 1,000 feet under a mountain in Chihuahua, Mexico. “You can hold a piece in your dominant hand and comb through by holding it perpendicular to your spine,” she explains, noting to start at your head and work your way down toward your feet on all sides of your body. “Sweep the energy out of your field while holding the intention to remove any energy that’s not for your highest good,” she adds. “There are long slender ones with very sharp points at one end that are used for reflexology, and there are some with smoothed rounded ends that are touted as massage wands,” she explains. To that end, she adds that selenite can be quite splintery and porous, so she doesn’t recommend using it with massage oils, or even the oils of the skin. “I would not use them for massage or direct contact with the skin that way—it’s much better to use them more energetically,” she says, adding, “Even the cut, polished, and shaped wands can be used the same way as the rough blade or stick, to sweep energy from the aura or energy field.” She recommends cleansing it deeply with a method that’s appropriate. Two of her favorite methods include sound and moonlight. You can “bathe” your selenite in a sound bath or leave it in direct moonlight on the night of a full moon. “Moonlight is especially compatible with selenite because it has that connection with the moon, being named after the moon goddess Selene,” she adds. Be sure to check out our full guide for cleansing and charging crystals for more information.
