Amethyst: Crystal of Healing and Love

If ou can only have one stone, this is one to consider for its healing and calming  power.

Amethyst is a purple quartz found most commonly in Brazil, Canada, and East Africa. The color can range from light violet to deep purple or can be nearly colorless. Amethyst has been prized for jewelry for hundreds of years, and before a huge cache was discovered in South America, it was valued as a precious gemstone. It is now classified as semiprecious.

It is one of the stones most esteemed  by healers. The legendary American psychic Edgar Cayce recommended it for control and temperance. Amethyst is believed to aid in the production of hormones and regulate the circulatory, immune, and metabolic systems. Amethyst is treasured for its centering and calming properties and seems to connect directly to the mind, fighting emotional swings and depression. Aquarians and Pisceans can count it as their birthstone, and this might be a very good thing because the Fishes frequently struggles with substance-abuse issues, and amethyst can conquer drinking and other sensory indulgences, such as out-of-control sexuality. Amethyst also helps with metal focus, intuition, meditation, and memory.

In early Renaissance, amethyst was held to have the power to prevent evil, at least evil thoughts, and to offer protection in time of war. The lovely purple gem continues to reign as one of the most popular of all stones. Little wonder, since it is such an aid to our physical and emotional health.

Birthstone Blessings: Crystal Magic In Your Daily Life

Birthstones are very special stones that have been correlated with every month of the year.

Hallmark didn’t invent the concept of birthstones, however; it came from the Bible! In Exodus chapters 28 and 39, there is much discussion about a burnished and stone-set breastplate of the High Priest of the Hebrews. Here is the biblical description of the breastplate:

And he made the breastplate, artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. They made the breastplate square by doubling it; a span was its length and a span its width when doubled. And they set in it four rows of stones: a row with a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald was the first row; the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings. There were twelve stones according to the names of the sons of Israel: according to their names, engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes.

(NKJV, Exod. 39:8-14)

These twelve stones from the famous breastplate became linked with the twelve signs of the zodiac, resulting in our cherished modern tradition of birthstones. The long history of birthstones has many more chapters, but an important point to know is that your birthstone is yours by divine right and birthright. I know I was thrilled when I found out amethyst was mine, even though it was ranked as semiprecious. All I knew was that it was purple, my favorite color.

What you need to know about your birthstone is that it is a major power source for you. You should have at least one piece of jewelry made from your birthstone, and treat it as the special stone it is. You should also keep this sacred personal stone around in other forms as well. I have a candleholder made of a large amethyst geode on my mantelpiece surrounded by candles. Just lighting the candle immediately calms and centers me. I realize you can’t do that with diamonds, although Herkimer diamonds can be substituted nicely. If you are a January Capricorn, for instance, and your birthstone is garnet, you can have an entire set, or parure, of garnet jewelry—rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces—for the fullest expression of birthstone power. Surround yourself with your birthstone energy and you will feel at peace, filled with well-being from your gem-fired glow.

Here is the classic list of birthstones by month.

-JANUARY: garnet, a stone symbolizing a light and loyal heart and lasting affection

-FEBRUARY: amethyst, a sexy and sensitive stone; Cleopatra’s royal ring

-MARCH: aquamarine, long known as a soothsayer’s stone, and bloodstone, long known as the martyr’s stone

-APRIL: diamond, the traditional engagement ring, which represents the power of love

-MAY: emerald, a lovely green stone of protection

-JUNE: pearl, moonstone, and alexandrite—all moon and sea stones powered by water

-JULY: ruby, the most highly prized gem of all and a symbol of the essence of life

-AUGUST: peridot, the ancient symbol of the sun, and sardonyx, an intelligence-enhancing stone

-SEPTEMBER: sapphire, a true blue gem that represents the purity of the soul

-OCTOBER: opal, said to contain the beauty of all other gems, and tourmaline, a stone of inspiration

-NOVEMBER: topaz, a stone of royalty, named for the Sanskrit word for fire

-DECEMBER: turquoise, which brings luck, and zircon, the traveler’s stone

One Easy Secret for a True Magical Home: Color!

Use color magic on your walls for real house mag

If you are going to paint your walls, fences, furniture and she-sheds, you should be very considered in your choice of color.  Every aspect of your spell craft can be enhances using colors that amplify your intention. Here is a simple guide to color magic for your explorations:

Red is for action, passion, vitality, strength, survival, fertility, courage, sexuality, conflict, independence, assertiveness, competition and standing out.

Orange brings joy, creativity, expressiveness, intellect, releasing addiction, business success and ambition, vitality, fun, new ideas, and sharing good times with others.

Yellow is used for enjoyment, inspiration, success, happiness, learning, memory and concentration, persuasion, imagination, charm, confidence and travel.

Green is great for prosperity, abundance, money, physical and emotional healing, growth, luck, marriage, plant magic, acceptance and counteracting envy and possessiveness.

Light Blue represents spirituality, tranquility, peace, protection and growth.

Blue is used for communication, will power, focus, forgiveness, good fortune, truth, patience, harmony at home, orderliness, removing bad vibrations, sincerity and true blue loyalty.

Indigo is ideal for spiritual guidance, mindfulness, psychic ability, divination, meditation, ambitions, dignity and overcoming depression.

Violet is the color of spirituality, connection to higher self, insight, clarity, tension and the divine feminine.

Purple is  for wisdom, cronehood and elders, influence, driving away evil, changing one’s luck, independence, breaking habits, and spiritual power.

Lavender is the color to use aspirations, for knowledge and accessing intuition.

Pink is the color of love, compassion, nurturing, femininity, friendship, romance, partnership, spiritual and emotional healing, protection of children and personal inner work. 

Brown is good for house blessings, animal magic, material goods, stability, food and forests.

Grey is best for   contemplation, and removing negativity in your environment.

White connotes newness, cleansing, purity, peace, balance, healing, truth, and spirituality,

Black stands for grounding, wisdom, learning, protection and security, reversing hexes, removing negative energy, transforming, defense, scrying, and secrets.

Silver is used for feminine divinity, psychic awareness, intuition, dreams, victory, communication, luck and moon magic.

Gold represents masculine divinity, great fortune, abundance, prosperity, understanding, divination, fast luck, positive attitude, justice, health, attraction, luxury, and magic involving the sun.

Copper brings business success, passion, money, fertility, and career growth.

Lunar New Year Soul Tribe Ritual

Gather your favorite people for this most auspicious time of the year:

The new moon is the absolute best time to make big changes and start a new project or to do a deep clean and energetic shift of your home. First, clean your book from top to bottom, wash sheets and towels and rugs and tablecloths. Sweep and wash floors, recycle old newspapers, sort through those piles of paper on your desk, and get rid of things you don't need to keep; file everything else. Gather up toys and games and put them in baskets for easy storage. Any further decluttering or tidying up, go for it Once your entire house is clean and lemony fresh, take the next step of the new moon ritual with a gathering of your fellow pagans.

Ask each guest to bring  food to share along with a small token to bless your house – crystals, flowers, sea shells, candles and other suitable altar offerings. Gather these items:

A blue bowl filled with fresh water

A saucer of sea salt

One white candle and one blue candle

Lemon essential oil and rose essential oil

Sage for smudging and lavender incense

Greet your guests and ask them  to help you by smudging  each room with the salt, sage, candle flame and  sprinkles of water. While incanting:

 By the power of water,
Though the cleansing  breath of air,
With  the purifying heat of fire,
And the grounding energy of earth
We cleanse this space.

As you pass from room to room, anoint each door and windowsill with the oil his prevents anything negative from crossing into the home with this prayer to the goddess:

May the goddess bless this house,
making it sacred and safe,
so that nothing but love and happiness
shall enter through this door.

Finally, once you've gone through the house, ask each of your guests to deposit their blessing token on your altar.. Gather around the  table and dig into the potluck dishes and pour hearty glasses of ale, wine or mead.  Give thanks for the abundance of blessings and enjoy a feast with your tribe!

Clearing the Way for Lunar New Year Energy

Now is the time to make way for positive new energy in your life:

                                  

To clear and purify your space with as much of your own personal energy as possible ,perform a ritual sweeping  with a favorite broom or “besom.”  I use a sweet-smelling cinnamon broom, These are actually made of pine straw coated with divine-smelling cinnamon oil and set aside to dry for three weeks.  Many a grocery store sells them in the fall and holiday season. My favorites are the tiny Trader Joe’s whisk-brooms which are adorable. These make lovely gifts and also altar adornments.  I ornament mine with cleansing crystals by taking a colored silk cord and stringing quartz beads on them or gluing them to the base of the handle.

These gems and crystals are superb for space-clearing and purification:

Amber for positivity and happiness

Blue Lace Agate for serenity and a peaceful home

Coral for wellbeing and good cheer

Jet absorbs bad energy from your environment

Onyx is a guardian stone and protector

Petrified Wood for tranquility and a sense of security

Clear quartz is wonderful for peace of mind and space-clearing

Tiger’s Eye protects from “psychic vampires,” energy-draining situations or people

Turquoise creates calm and relaxation.