Jewels of Wisdom

• Agate worn as an amulet around your neck will ensure that you speak only your truth. It can also attract favors from powerful people!
• A black agate on a short chain or in a ring will ensure success in business and athletics.
• If you wear moss agate while gardening, you will have a healthy harvest.
• If you wear amazonite while gambling, you will have great luck.
• Amber will attract love into your life and increase sexual pleasure if you wear it during lovemaking.
• If a man wears an amethyst, the stone will draw a good woman to him.
• Apache tear in a pendant will protect a woman in her pregnancy.
• Frog-shaped jewelry is the ultimate traveler’s amulet; pilots, stewards, sailors, and anyone who frequently travels across water should wear aquamarine in frog-shaped jewelry for enhanced safety and protection from drowning.
• Wear bloodstone in court for victory in legal matters.
• Carnelian jewelry will keep you from being struck by lightning.
• Cat’s-eye worn as a ring will retain your youthful beauty and lift any depression.
• Ladies, coral earrings will attract men into your life. Pacific Islanders believe this “nature’s jewel” contains the very essence of life.
• A diamond with a six-sided cut will offer you great protection; set in platinum, it will ensure victory in any conflict.
• Jade carved into the shape of a butterfly will attract love into your life.
• Lapis lazuli beads strung on gold wire will offer health, growth, and protection.
• A diamond set in onyx will overcome sexual temptation and incite the loyalty of a partner.
• Opal earrings will awaken your psychic powers.
• A red pearl ring or pendant will heighten intelligence.
• A dark peridot ring will bring you more money and raise your spirits, allaying any melancholy.
• A geode as jewelry will attract love and help a woman avoid miscarriage.

Terrific Talismans: Personal Totems for Success

If you are preparing a major presentation to the team at work, showing your paintings to a curator, practicing for your dance performance, or pitching your book idea to a publisher, you can wear a talisman of your own making to ensure a positive outcome. Many performers, athletes, and musicians have lucky pieces of clothing or some token that gives them the courage to put themselves forth in the best possible manner. I have a Big Sur jade pendant on a length of leather that I wear on auspicious occasions such as these. Jade is about abundance and it is so smooth to the touch that it doubles as a soothing worry stone for me. I highly recommend you carry a jade talisman as it can be a major magical tool that can bring good fortune to you for many years.

To maximize the power of your jade talisman, consider the following tried-and-tested suggestions. Keep in mind that this will work even better if you place the item on your altar to imbue it with the right energy.

    * For a speech, presentation, performance, or show, wear a red garment.

    * If you are preparing for a potentially lucrative deal, you must wear green.

    * If you are trying to empower someone to see and share your creative vision, blue is the right hue for         you.

Jewelry That Protects You and Your Loved Ones: Amulets

The term “amulet” comes from the Latin word meaning “defense.” Indeed, amulets are a way to protect yourself that dates back from the earliest human beliefs. Pliny himself subscribed to the use of amulets and wrote about three common kinds used by the Romans of the classical age. A typical amulet of that era was a bit of parchment inscribed with protective words, rolled up in a metal cylinder, and worn around the neck. Evil eyes might be the most global of all amulets, the belief being that they could ward off a hex by simply reflecting it back to its origins. Phallic symbols have always been popular, too, coming in the shapes of horns, hands, and the phallus, of course. Some amulets were devoted to a specific god or goddess, and the wearer of such a piece would be protected by that divine entity.

The peoples of the Mesopotamian plain wore amulets. The Assyrians and Babylonians favored cylindrical seals encrusted with precious stones. They also loved animal talismans for the qualities associated with different animals: lions for courage, bulls for virility, and so on. The ancient Egyptians absolutely depended on their amulets for use in burial displays, and we can see many preserved in the cases of today’s museums. To make their amulets, the Egyptians employed a material called faience, a glazed composition of ground quartz that was typically blue green in color. Wealthier denizens of the Nile, royalty, and the priestly class wore precious and semiprecious gems and crystals as amulets. Lapis lazuli was perhaps the most revered of these and was worn in many shapes, the eye of Horus being the most significant religious icon, followed by the scarab symbolizing rebirth; the frog, symbolizing fertility; and the ankh, representing eternal life.

Organized religions appropriated the idea of amulets from pagan peoples, and it was very popular in medieval times to wear a tiny verse from the Torah, the Bible, or the Koran. Today, many a Catholic wears a medal honoring a given saint, such as Saint Christopher, the patron saint for travelers. Wiccans and modern pagans are great proponents of protective amulets, causing a resurgence in Celtic symbols and imagery.

Amulets are very easy to create and make nice gifts, as long as you believe your friends will truly benefit from them and are aware of the special qualities and powers they hold. To make one, select a crystal that is endowed with the desired energy. Hold it in the palm of your hand until it is warm from your touch. Then, visualize the specific power the stone is offering. If you’re giving your amulet to yourself, wear it as a pendant or tuck it into your pocket or purse for a “guardian to go.” Here is a list of stones from which to choose for the specific kind of safeguard you are in need of:

• Amethyst helps with sobriety by preventing inebriation.

• Aquamarine is good for attracting wisdom and overcoming a fear of water and drowning. It is also a guard against malevolent spirits.

• Bloodstone brings luck and is good to wear during travels.

• Carnelian is to the devil as garlic is to a vampire— keeps him away!

• Chrysolite drives away evil spirits and promotes peaceful sleep, especially if set in gold.

• Diamond in a necklace brings good fortune and lends force and valor. This dazzling stone should always touch the skin and works best when it is received as a gift.

• Emerald can cancel out the power of any magician!

• Jade offers protection, especially for children, and

  guards their health. It also creates prosperity.

• Jasper is reputed to be a defense against the venom of poisonous insects and snakes.

• Jet set in silver will help expel negativity.

• Moonstone is another boon to travelers and brings fortune and fame.

• Turquoise is believed to be great for a horse’s gait if affixed to the animal’s bridle.

Rocks for Romance

MOONSTONE—PROPHECY AND PASSION

In olden times, it was believed that wearing a moonstone during the waning moon would offer prophetic abilities. The people of India have held moonstones as holy for thousands of years, but they had a superstition against displaying the sacred stone except on a cloth of yellow, the most spiritual color in their culture. The Indians also believed moonstone was very potent in the bedroom and not only aroused enormous passion but also gave lovers the ability to read their future together. The only problem was that they had to hold the moonstone in their mouths during the full moon to enjoy these magical properties.

OPAL—CUPID’S STONE

In the classical era, humans believed that opals were pieces of rainbows that had fallen to the ground. They also dubbed this exquisite iridescent gem Cupid’s stone because they felt it looked like the love god’s skin. The Arabs believed opals fell from heaven in bright flashes of lightning, thus gaining their amazing fire and color play. The Romans saw opals as symbols of purity and optimism. They believed this stone could protect people from diseases. The Roman name for opal is so beautiful and evocative—cupid paedros, meaning “a child as beautiful as love.”

DIAMONDS—SHARDS OF THE STARS

Diamond has come to be a symbol of fidelity and is the traditional stone used in a ring for engagement, a pledge to be married and together forever. Since this gem is an aid to intuition, the ring itself will help the potential bride know if her betrothed is really “the one.” Diamonds also imbue courage and can help one face anything.

EMERALDS—HEART STONES

Emerald is truly a heart stone, offering benefits on physical and emotional planes. I prefer emeralds above all other stones for engagement rings. This is your ultimate gem for happiness in a relationship. In fact, emerald has been called the stone of successful love and can engender utter felicity, total loyalty, and domestic bliss in a willing couple. The emerald is at its most powerful if worn as a pinkie—or ring—finger ornament or in a bracelet on the right wrist. But wearers, be warned! Do not wear emerald at all times or its super-positive force starts to reverse. A little emerald luck goes a long way. 

GARNETS—THE COLOR OF LOVE

Red garnets are love stones. These sexy stones can help those with a lethargic libido tune into their passion. Green garnets are the real emotional healing stones. These crystals offer protection to the chakras. You should wear green garnets as earrings or in a necklace to get the most benefit from the inner and outer healing power.

JADE: STONE—JUST FOR LOVE

Red jade promotes the proper release of anger and also generates sexual passion. Serve your lover a passion potion in a cup of carved red jade while wearing only red jade. Sparks will fly!

JASPER—A JOLT OF LOVE ENERGY

Red jasper can bring emotions that lie beneath the surface to the forefront for healing. This stone is connected strongly to the root chakra, the source of sexual energy, and kundalini. If you would like to explore the sacred sexual practice of tantra, both partners could wear red jasper, the stone of passion. Red jasper can be a tool for rebirth and finding justice.

MALACHITE—HEART MAGIC

Malachite opens the heart and throat chakras and rebalances the solar plexus, enabling realignment of the psychic and etheric bodies. Malachite is best used as a ring on your right hand.

MOONSTONE—LUCKY IN LOVE

Moonstone opens the heart chakra and, very importantly, helps overcome any anger or hard emotions toward the self. Certain cultures have seen this as a Goddess crystal for millennia and see it as a source for nurturing, wisdom, and intuition. A moonstone is a powerfully protective and loving talisman for pregnant women. In India, moonstone is sacred and very lucky, but is even more valued in the subcontinent because it helps make you more spiritual. Moonstone is at its very best on your behalf if worn in a ring with a silver setting.

OPAL—FIRE POWER

Opal is best worn as a pinkie ring. It is also a popular engagement ring, as it is a symbol of faithfulness and is effective in bringing stability and longevity to relationships. Fire opal is good for business by promoting positive action and prosperity. Hold your opal in your right hand and your wishes will be granted! 

Jade: Power of Love and Protection

 

Jade brings with it the power of love and protection. It is also a dream stone, promoting prophetic and deeply meaningful dreams.

• Purple jade heals a broken heart, allowing understanding and acceptance in and pain and anger out. If you are going through a breakup, purple jade will help you with the heartache.
• Green jade is the counselor stone and can help troubled relationships become functional instead of dysfunctional; this shade is also a boon for the brain. Green jade helps with getting along.
• Red jade promotes the proper release of anger and generates sexual passion. Serve your lover a passion potion in a cup of carved red jade while wearing only red jade. Sparks will fly!
• Blue jade is a rock for patience, composure, and conveying a sense of control. Wear blue jade pendants for serenity.
• Yellow jade is for energy, simple joy, and maintaining a sense of being a part of a greater whole. A yellow jade bracelet or ring will help you feel that all is well in your world. 

Jewels of Wisdom

• Agate worn as an amulet around your neck will ensure that you speak only your truth. It can also attract favors from powerful people!
• A black agate on a short chain or in a ring will ensure success in business and athletics.
• If you wear moss agate while gardening, you will have a healthy harvest.
• If you wear amazonite while gambling, you will have great luck.
• Amber will attract love into your life and increase sexual pleasure if you wear it during lovemaking.
• If a man wears an amethyst, the stone will draw a good woman to him.
• Apache tear in a pendant will protect a woman in her pregnancy.
• Frog-shaped jewelry is the ultimate traveler’s amulet; pilots, stewards, sailors, and anyone who frequently travels across water should wear aquamarine in frog-shaped jewelry for enhanced safety and protection from drowning.
• Wear bloodstone in court for victory in legal matters.
• Carnelian jewelry will keep you from being struck by lightning.
• Cat’s-eye worn as a ring will retain your youthful beauty and lift any depression.
• Ladies, coral earrings will attract men into your life. Pacific Islanders believe this “nature’s jewel” contains the very essence of life.
• A diamond with a six-sided cut will offer you great protection; set in platinum, it will ensure victory in any conflict.
• Jade carved into the shape of a butterfly will attract love into your life.
• Lapis lazuli beads strung on gold wire will offer health, growth, and protection.
• A diamond set in onyx will overcome sexual temptation and incite the loyalty of a partner.
• Opal earrings will awaken your psychic powers.
• A red pearl ring or pendant will heighten intelligence.
• A dark peridot ring will bring you more money and raise your spirits, allaying any melancholy.
• A geode as jewelry will attract love and help a woman avoid miscarriage.

Stress-Reducing Stones

Alexandrite will bring lots of zest. Feeling depressed, worried, and blue? Citrine or jet can banish dark days. Stressed out? Rhyolite races to the rescue as well.

Certain green stones, such as chrysocolla and malachite, calm the mind, and green-flecked bloodstone is a stress buffer.

If you want to be uplifted, try jade. To become wiser, pick sapphire. To stay safe while traveling, pick dendritic agate.

To remain calm and overcome stress, choose blue lace agate. For more mental clarity, choose malachite. For a self-esteem boost, try rhodonite.

Herkimer diamonds are powerful and bring great vitality and exuberance into your life. They can redirect stress away from you with their absorptive abilities. Placing these rocks in your bedroom will cause the stress to melt away and help you relax and feel safe.

Dioptase is a gorgeous gemstone that nearly matches the color of green emeralds but lacks a similar hardness, which lowers its marketplace value. It can be found in Peru, Chile, Russia, Iran, and some sites in Africa. The true value of dioptase lies in its ability to help anyone experiencing mental stress. It lends balance to male and female energies and acts as a stabilizer. As an energy stone, dioptase can activate and awaken every chakra, invigorating the mind, body, and spirit. If you want to be really different, wear dioptase, and you will fascinate admirers with this beautiful stone and find peace of mind in the process.

Making the Tools of the Magical Trade Part I

Just as you can design your own rituals, you can create your own ritual accessories and tools. Your intentions and personal energy are the driving forces behind the enchantments you create, and the same is true of crafting magical tools.

Charm Boxes

Native Americans, Greeks, Celts, and Egyptians all used magical boxes during ceremonies and for storing sacred objects. Christian religions followed suit—the famous biblical Ark of the Covenant was, in fact, a magical box. Spell work during medieval times involved boxes for love, health, fertility and home and in the fields, prosperity, and changes of luck. In more modern times, a young woman’s “hope chest” contained her wishes, intentions, and materials for a happy marriage.

You can make charm boxes, also known as spell boxes, very easily. A job spell box should contain aventurine or peridot stones, patchouli incense, green candles, and ferns. You can make a psychic spell box with cloves, rosemary, and amethyst and quartz crystals. A good love spell box contains a pink candle, rose petals, two pieces of rose quartz, and two copper pennies. These are just some of the examples; more suggestions are in the appendix in the back of this book.

Mirrors

Throughout time, people have been looking for answers in mirrors, gazing balls, pools, and even using bowls filled with ink to peer into another dimension. Primitive people used obsidian and other shiny rocks to communicate with spirits. Surfaces that are shiny, smooth, and reflective have always lent themselves well to scrying and other intuitive work. Because of their use in scrying, mirrors came to be seen as magical portals to promote psychic awareness to other worlds.

It is possible to create your own scrying mirror and empower it with energy and intention in a variety of ways. First, find
a round mirror with a frame that will make it easy to apply crystals or other objects with glue (I like to use wood or plastic). The frame should have a lot of surface area on which you can affix your magical objects. There are many objects that are suitable for your mirror. If you collect sea glass or shells and pretty rocks, those will suffice. If you don’t have any objects on hand, visit a rock shop or a New Age store. You can purchase seashells and fifty to a hundred small crystals. The crystals can be various quartzes and semiprecious stones of similar shape and small in size.

You can use a rainbow of colors or you can stick with just one kind of stone. I prefer to use all amethysts on my mirror; I feel more connected to this lovely purple gem because it is my birthstone.

Before applying the clear-drying glue to your frame, clean it with a soft, dry cloth. Take your crystals, shells, glass or other items and affix them one at a time, in any pattern you like. Some examples of mirrors I’ve come across featured concentric circles of color, following the spectrum from dark red garnet to clear quartz, and gorgeous spirals and paisley prints all across the frame.

Different kinds of questing and querying may call for several different magic mirrors. 

Different Gems to Use for Your Mirror

Peridot—Issues relating to self-image and matters centered upon you

Rough Rubies—Matters relating to love

Jade—Money matters

Sea Glass and Seashells—Effective for Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces), especially if gathered during a walk on the beach while searching for answers

Anyone who feels drawn to the ocean will benefit from a seashell magic mirror. Many of us go for walks along the water to think. Using seashells on your mirror can help you be twice as effective in finding your answers. 

Mystical Crystal DIY: Elixir of Love

An elixir is a very simple potion made by placing a crystal or gemstone in a glass of water for at least seven hours. Then you remove the stone and drink the water, which now carries the vibrational energy of the stone, the very essence of the crystal. This is one of the easiest ways to receive crystal healing and is immediate.

The red stones always hold a lust for life. So, for the Ecstatic Elixir, we are going to push the envelope here and put as many red stones into our potion as we can! Place the following into a glass of water: carnelian, garnet, rough ruby, red coral, red jade, jasper, red sardonyx, cuprite, aventurine, and red calcite. If you don’t have all of these, just mix and match. Even a single rough ruby and a tiny chunk of jasper is a lot of love in a jar.

Place the Ecstatic Elixir on the love corner of your room or altar. Light amber incense and a red candle and speak this spell: “This jade is my joy, the garnet my grace.”

Leave the water on your altar for seven hour or overnight, and drink it upon awakening. Your life energy will quicken, and you should feel very upbeat and good to go.

Tips ’n’ Tricks: Cover-All-The-Bases Crystal

If you are keeping yourself on a strict budget, get one piece of jewelry that will help you in nearly every area of your life—health, wealth, love, family, career, travel, friendship, and creativity. Go to the nearest Chinatown, where the prices are right, and get a bracelet featuring multiple hues of jade. One-stop shopping to a better life now!

Dream Crystals

Crystals have been used for millennia for seeing into the future, long before crystal balls were first used for divination. Certain crystals are very powerful revelatory rocks, showing what is to come through dreams. In extremely rare cases, stones show the future through their shiny surfaces. Crystals are highly recommended tools to use for calling up dreams. I slept with a garnet by my head last night to bring about an empowered state of mind and inspired visions. The appearance of stones, gems, and crystals in your dreams is deeply meaningful. If you are so lucky as to see light shining through a stone in a dream, you will soon be relieved of a problem or issue that has been plaguing you.

Here is an age-old dream that rarely happens in the modern day but is a clear message from the unconscious mind: If you dream of jewels in a cave guarded by a dragon or other fantastical creatures, your spiritual side is longing to come out and be nourished and supported. Get thee to a retreat!

Here is a concise guide to the meaning of crystals appearing in your dreams:

• *  Agate: Beware of an impending rift between friends.

• *  Amethyst: Expect great news of a surprising nature.

• *  Aquamarine: Look forward to a very happy love life.

• *  Bloodstone: Watch out for unhappiness in love.

              * Diamond: If you do not own any diamonds, anticipate a gain but less than expected. If you do not own diamonds, expect a loss.

• *  Jade: await abundance and financial security.

• *  Jet: strengthen for sorrowful news.

• *  Lapis Lazuli: Have wisdom to remain flexible to change.

• *  Onyx: Fight procrastination due to fear of failure.

• *  Opal: Give or receive a valuable gift.

• *  Quartz: Brace for betrayal by a trusted friend or loved one.

• *  Ruby: Ignite great romantic passion.

             * Sapphire: If you are wearing it in a dream, watch out for sudden urges. If another person is wearing it, get ready to gain recognition                 and status.

Jade

I can’t help but marvel that I’m writing about jade on Chinese New Year. Jade is held in the highest regard by the Chinese and has been for thousands of years, thought to bring good luck and prosperity. Jade is a harbinger of purity and tranquility. The Chinese so adore this tone that they carry little talismanic pieces with them everywhere they go. Other cultures—the Maori of New Zealand and the Japanese—also hold jade blessed. Jade is a soft stone, perfect for carving. Both the Chinese and Japanese decorated royal personages with exquisite jade jewelry. Jade comes from Myanmar, Russia, Italy, China, and North and Central America. It is so affordable, I urge you to explore all the magical colors—yellow, orange, blue, red, purple, white, brown, and classic jade green—and powers of positivity.

Jade brings with it the power of love and protection. It is also a dream stone, promoting prophetic and deeply meaningful dreams.

• Purple jade heals the broken heart, allowing understanding and acceptance in and pain and anger out. If you are going through a breakup, purple jade will help you with the heartache.
• Green jade is the counselor stone and can help relationships that aren’t working become functional instead of dysfunctions; this shade is also a boon for the brain. Green jade helps with getting along.
• Red jade promotes the proper release of anger and also generates sexual passion. Serve your lover a passion potion in a cup of carved red jade while wearing only red jade. Sparks will fly!
• Blue jade is a rock for patience and composure and for conveying a sense of control. Wear blue jade pendants for serenity.
• Yellow jade is for energy, simple joy, and maintaining a sense of being a part of a greater whole. A yellow jade bracelet or ring will help you feel that all is well in your world.

Jadeite and nephrite are two varieties of jade, with the far more translucent and rarer jadeite being the more popular. Their healing properties are very much the same, however, and the different colors manifest different curatives. All jade brings positive energy. In 2001, a 2,000 ton boulder of jade was discovered in Ptiakant in Myanmar—now that’s a whole lot of love!

Jade—The Concentrated Essence of Love

Jade has been called the concentrated essence of love. The French literary legend Voltaire, author of Candide, was involved in a kidney-stone scandal caused by the innocent generosity of a Mademoiselle Paulet, who gave Voltaire a lovely jade bracelet. She wanted him to be cured in the same way she had, but French society thought it was a token of love, and his reputation was irrevocably damaged.

I always thought jade was a word of Asian origin until I learned better. It comes from the Spanish word piedra de hijada, translating to “stone of the flank,” a name prompted by the Indian use of jade as a cure for kidney disease. Jade also served as an aid to ancient midwives and birth mothers, and on the opposite end of the spectrum of life, the Egyptians, Chinese, and Mayans placed a small piece of jade into the mouths of the dead.

The erudite world-exploring nobleman Sir Walter Raleigh wrote this about jade: “These Amazones have likewise great stores of these plates of gold, which they recover in exchange, chiefly for a kind of greene stone, which the Spaniards call Piedra Hijada, and we use for spleene stones and for the disease of the stone we also esteem them. Of these I saw divers in Guiana, and commonly every King or Casique had one, which theire wife for the most part weare, and the esteeme them as great jewels.”

Candle Conjuration for a Happy Home

Choose a brown crystal, such as jasper, smoky quartz, selenite, or brown jade, to improve and secure positive, grounding energy in your home. Anoint two candles with rose oil and light some cinnamon incense. Place your brown crystal in front of the candles. Meditate to clear your mind of any distractions, which is essential to opening the mental and spiritual space necessary to create. Once you feel focused, light a single leaf or sage bundle and say aloud:

“By my hand
And by the blessing of the spirit,
The fire of home and heart burns bright,
Burns long,
Burns eternal.
I offer my home to
New friends and new love.
Welcome!”

Revenue Stream

After your Employment Incantation, you might want to immerse yourself in the waters of prosperity with a money bath. This particular ritual is most effective if practiced on Thursday night during a new or full moon. Pour apple green or lemon verbena essential oil into running bathwater and bathe by the light of a single green candle. As you close your eyes, meditate on your truest desires. What does personal property mean to you? What do you really need and what do you really want? When you are clear about your answers, put on all of your green gem jewelry—peridot, green jade, tourmaline, malachite, and so on. Focus on the candle flame while whispering:

“Here and now, my intention is set.
New luck will be mine and all needs will be met.
With harm to none and plenty for all. Blessed be.”

Ecstatic Elixir

An elixir is a very simple potion made by placing a crystal or gemstone in a glass of water for at least seven hours. Then you remove the stone and drink the water, which now carries the vibrational energy of the stone, the very essence of the crystal. This is one of the easiest ways to receive crystal healing and is immediate.

The red stones always hold a lust for life. So, for the Ecstatic Elixir, we are going to push the envelope here and put as many red stones into our potion as we can! Place the following into a glass of water: carnelian, garnet, rough ruby, red coral, red jade, jasper, red sardonyx, cuprite, aventurine, and red calcite. If you don’t have all of these, just mix and match. Even a single rough ruby and a tiny chunk of jasper is a lot of love in a jar.

Place the Ecstatic Elixir on the love corner of your room or altar. Light amber incense and a red candle and speak this spell:

“This jade is my joy, the garnet my grace.”

Leave the water on your altar for seven hour or overnight, and drink it upon awakening. Your life energy will quicken, and you should feel very upbeat and good to go. 

Magic Cord

This rope that binds magic to your and is ideally made from strands of red wool or ribbon. Nine feet long, it is braided and tied into a loop at one end to represent feminine energy and left loose or frayed at the opposing end to signify the complementary male energy. Crystal beads woven onto the strands of the rope can compound its magical quality. I recommend that you use clear quartz crystal beads, which are energy amplifiers, but you can use special stones for various effects: rose quartz for love, citrine for grounding, jade for prosperity and success in work, blue lapis for creativity, and amethyst for improved intuition and psychic ability. The descriptionary in Part Two of this book will guide you to other crystal bead options.

Amulets

The term “amulet” comes from the Latin word meaning “defense.” Indeed, amulets are a way to protect yourself that dates back from the earliest human beliefs. Pliny himself subscribed to the use of amulets and wrote about three common kinds used by the Romans of the classical age. A typical amulet of that era was a bit of parchment inscribed with protective words, rolled up in a metal cylinder, and worn around the neck. Evil eyes might be the most global of all amulets, the belief being that they could ward off a hex by simply reflecting it back to its origins. Phallic symbols have always been popular, too, coming in the shapes of horns, hands, and the phallus, of course. Some amulets were devoted to a specific god or goddess, and the wearer of such a piece would be protected by that divine entity.The peoples of the Mesopotamian plain wore amulets. The Assyrians and Babylonians favored cylindrical seals encrusted with precious stones. They also loved animal talismans for the qualities associated with different animals: lions for courage, bulls for virility, and so on. The ancient Egyptians absolutely depended on their amulets for use in burial displays, and we can see many preserved in the cases of today’s museums.

To make their amulets, the Egyptians employed a material called faience, a glazed composition of ground quartz that was typically blue green in color. Wealthier denizens of the Nile, royalty, and the priestly class wore precious and semiprecious gems and crystals as amulets. Lapis lazuli was perhaps the most revered of these and was worn in many shapes, the eye of Horus being the most significant religious icon, followed by the scarab symbolizing rebirth; the frog, symbolizing fertility; and the ankh, representing eternal life.

Organized religions appropriated the idea of amulets from pagan peoples, and it was very popular in medieval times to wear a tiny verse from the Torah, the Bible, or the Koran. Today, many a Catholic wears a medal honoring a given saint, such as Saint Christopher, the patron saint for travelers. Wiccans and modern pagans are great proponents of protective amulets, causing a resurgence in Celtic symbols and imagery.

Amulets are very easy to create and make nice gifts, as long as you believe your friends will truly benefit from them and are aware of the special qualities and powers they hold. To make one, select a crystal that is endowed with the desired energy. Hold it in the palm of your hand until it is warm from your touch. Then, visualize the specific power the stone is offering. If you’re giving your amulet to yourself, wear it as a pendant or tuck it into your pocket or purse for a “guardian to go.” Here is a list of stones from which to choose for the specific kind of safeguard you are in need of:

Amethyst helps with sobriety by preventing inebriation

Aquamarine is good for attracting wisdom and overcoming a fear of water and drowning. It is also a guard against malevolent spirits.

Bloodstone brings luck and is good to wear during travels.

Carnelian is to the devil as garlic is to a vampire—keeps him away!

Chrysolite drives away evil spirits and promotes peaceful sleep, especially if set in gold.

Diamond in a necklace brings good fortune and lends force and valor. This dazzling stone should always touch the skin and works best when it is received as a gift.

Emerald can cancel out the power of any magician!

Jade offers protection, especially for children, and guards their health. It also creates prosperity.

Jasper is reputed to be a defense against the venom of poisonous insects and snakes.

Jet set in silver will help expel negativity

Moonstone is another boon to travelers and brings fortune and fame

Turquoise is believed to be great for a horse’s gait if affixed to the animal’s bridle

A Pocketful of Kryptonite

While making a gemstone belt or waist chain could be a major investment of time and money, placing a rock in your pocket is a quick and easy way to bring change into your life. To get a new job, carry tourmaline, moss agate, tiger’s-eye, or carnelian. If you’re looking for love, pocket a moonstone. For money, carry green jade.

Jade: Power of Love and Protection

Jade brings with it the power of love and protection. It is also a dream stone, promoting prophetic and deeply meaningful dreams.

• Purple jade heals a broken heart, allowing understanding and acceptance in and pain and anger out. If you are going through a breakup, purple jade will help you with the heartache.

• Green jade is the counselor stone and can help troubled relationships become functional instead of dysfunctional; this shade is also a boon for the brain. Green jade helps with getting along.

• Red jade promotes the proper release of anger and generates sexual passion. Serve your lover a passion potion in a cup of carved red jade while wearing only red jade. Sparks will fly!

• Blue jade is a rock for patience, composure, and conveying a sense of control. Wear blue jade pendants for serenity.

• Yellow jade is for energy, simple joy, and maintaining a sense of being a part of a greater whole. A yellow jade bracelet or ring will help you feel that all is well in your world.