Lucky Lists!

If prosperity is your real concern, write your wishes on little paper scrolls and bury them in soil. Every time you water the tree, you will be bringing the wishes closer to fruition. If luck, happiness, or general goodwill are your aim, make wishes and hang charms on your tree: colored ribbons, crystals, anything that strikes your fancy. This should also be a custom with friends and guests.  Every time you add an ornament, you must also take one down. Only when your charm has been removed does your wish come true.

Making Magic with Crystals and Gems

Gems are powerful tools that can pave the way for a better life for you. There is a long history of the use of gems, stones, and crystals as amulets, symbols, charms, and jewelry in magic. These myriad stones can really enrich your life in so many ways. In the next chapter, you will learn how to make your own magical gem and crystal jewelry and how to charge the stones you already own with supernatural power.

Do you want to get a new job? Jade jewelry magic will do the trick! Need to get over a heartbreak? A chrysocolla heart-healing spell will soothe your soul. Are you an author suffering from the dreaded writer’s block? A creativity crystal incantation is exactly what you need. Gems and statues positioned in strategic places around your home can help accelerate the positive vibrations you are activating by practicing crystal and gem magic. Using what I call crystal feng shui, you can place a crystal or a geode or an appealingly shaped rock in the appropriate position of your home to facilitate change. For example, amethyst will promote healing and release any negative energy that is clinging. Clusters of citrine will activate vibrations of abundance and creativity.

So, if you want to bring more money into your home or office, place a big chunk of citrine on the left side of your desk, and the money will begin to flow! If you have a dark hallway that feels spooky or an area in your home or office in which the energy feels very static or low, place an obsidian ball there, perhaps in a pedestal, to absorb this negative energy. If you want to have your bedroom be a place of bliss and unconditional love, rose quartz will create this all-important atmosphere.

Crystal magic also involves color magic and spell craft, topics that are covered in depth herein. With crystal magic, you will learn to improve your life in ways large and small. You will discover the stones that are special to you and how to fully utilize these birthstones and karmic crystals. You will undertake the magical arts of crystal conjuring and spell casting with stones. You will be inducted into the practice of healing with crystals and how to achieve wellness every day. Finally, you will have at your fingertips the history, description, and instructions on how to use each and every gem and crystal.

Using gems and crystals in rituals, spells, and affirmations has been part of the human experience for millennia. By incorporating this practice into your life, you will create a flow of positive energy that will enable you to enhance your work, your family, your love, and every other part of your existence.

Yes, through the magic of gems, anything is possible. Again, welcome to this glittering and magical realm and begin a special journey under a sky where every star is a jewel you can wish upon!

Energy-clearing Spell

My friends probably start rolling their eyes when I enthuse about the latest crystal discovery, fossil find, or glamorous geode. I truly can’t help myself as I simply love crystals and will never stop getting excited about these jewels that I consider to be major gifts from our Mother Goddess. She is endlessly generous and shows her love of us with the beauty and power of these sacred stones. Nevertheless, I do urge cleansing any and all new acquisitions so no unknown energy is allowed to permeate your home or impact your life or spellwork in any potentially negative way. All you need is a bowl of salt and you can cleanse your crystal and add it to your witch’s toolkit.

Simply place the crystal in the salt, making sure every surface or facet is touched by the salt, and chant this charm:

    Bones of our Mother,

    Stone of this Earth,

    Now your energy is clear.

    Now your energy is clean.

    Now your energy is here.

    Blessed be.

Your new prize is now ready.

New Moon Charm for Banishing Heartbreak

Any new moon is the perfect time to create a new opportunity. Clear away relationship “baggage” with this banishing spell. If you have been hurt emotionally, this will clear it, fast.

Gather together

    * a clear glass bowl filled with 2 cups (480ml) of water

    * a silver spoon

    * a salt shaker

    * palo santo incense

    * 2 white candles and 2 black candles

Place the clear glass bowl of water on your altar. Set a silver spoon beside the glass bowl along with a salt shaker. Light the cleansing palo santo incense, the two white candles, and the two black candles. Pour salt on the spoon, sprinkle the salt into the water and stir with the spoon clockwise. Recite aloud:

    Hurt and pain are banished this night;
    Fill this heart and home with light.
    With harm to none and blessings to all.
    So mote it be.

After a few moments of contemplating the candle flames, recite the spell again. Using the silver spoon as a snuffer, extinguish the candles. Toss the bowl of water out on the street in front of your house, near a drainage grate. All your love troubles should drain away by the end of this lunar cycle.

Dreaming Devotion

This charm will help you see whether a newfound interest will become long term. If you lack clarity on this issue, your dreams can guide you. Use this talisman for clairvoyance.

Gather together

    * a small red pouch

    * 1 teaspoon each of dried lavender, dried thyme, and cloves

    * bolline

    * 1 vanilla bean pod

    * 12 inches (30cm) red string or cord

Take the small red pouch and place the lavender, thyme, and cloves into it. Using your bolline, cut the vanilla bean pod into two pieces and place them in the bag. Now cut the red string or cord in two, using your sacred knife. Close the bag by tying it with the two sections of cord and hold the pouch in both hands until your warmth and energy fully infuse the potpourri inside. Recite:

    Venus guide my dreams tonight—is he [or she] the one?

    I dream of devotion and a lifetime of love.

    Please give me your answers from the heavens above.

    So mote it be. Blessed be.

Tuck your talisman under your pillow. Upon waking, think of your dream. You will receive your answer immediately.

Cast Out All Ills: Floor Cleanser

Commercial cleansers are chock full of chemicals and potential toxins so I urge you to rethink using them. Simple herbal DIY cleaners are much healthier for you and your loved ones and always smell more natural. Who doesn’t love the smell of lavender, citrus, and fresh mint?

Gather together

    * a ceramic bowl

    * hot water

    * 1 quart (1 liter) of white vinegar

    * 2 limes

    * 2 lemons

    * a handful of fresh mint

    * 6 drops lavender essential oil

    * a bucket

    * a clean mop

In a ceramic bowl, pour 2 cups (480ml) of hot water and half a cup (120ml) of lime and lemon juice, then add the fresh mint leaves and the lavender oil. Stir and let steep for a half hour, then strain out the leaves and compost them.

Take a clean bucket and fill it with two gallons of warm water, then pour in the essential oil mixture. Dip your mop into the bucket, wring it out, and clean the floor very thoroughly. Chant this charm as you use the mop:

    Nothing but health and happiness here

    Brightness and joy only remain in this sphere.

    Anything dark and ill, I cast you out!

    Harm to none, blessing throughout.

Cords of Connection

 

Cord magic is one of the oldest kids of enchantments and employs a simply and powerful charm in that it can be used for any purpose in accordance with your intention. After you have set your intention, you tie a knot at each end and the cord is like a battery that holds the power of your intention as long as the knots at both end remind intact. Your magic cord is a rope that binds magic to you and is ideally made from strands of red wool or ribbon. It should be nine feet long and cut with your bolline, 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 self-love, citrine for grounding, jade for stability , blue lapis for inspiration, malachite for protection, moonstone for quiet calm, and amethyst for intuition and psychic ability.

I have an adorned cord in my bedroom on my self-care shrine that helped relieve a bout of insomnia some months ago. As I added rose quarts and amethyst beads to the red cord, I held the intention of deep rest, positive dreams, and harmony in my life. Upon knotting both ends, I have enjoyed exactly that and so can you.

Chimes of Change Charm

If you have a dear friend, as I do, whom you occasionally drive crazy, you may sometimes receive the silent treatment. Try this charm to break the tension by literally breaking the silence.

Buy a wind chime, or, even better, make one from odd earrings, old keys, brass bells, and any other potentially musical objects you can find. Bless the chime by smudging it with sage smoke.

While you speak this spell, jangle your chime energetically:

Silence no more;

we’ll be as before.

We’ll laugh, talk and sing;

good times, this chime shall bring.

So mote it be.

Keep repeating and ringing until you practically hear the echo of your friend’s voice. Wait a full twenty-four hours before you call her. Chances are, though, she’ll call you first.

Rituals for the Road: Making Your Own Talismans, Amulets, Charms

Before you travel for work, study, and pleasure, it’s good to create charms and talismans of power. You can also craft your own ritual tools from what you gather in your travels. Nature will often provide you with tools: shells, bark, and stones. In addition, you may also meet new spiritual teachers as you make your way on the pilgrimage that is life. Pay attention and you will learn much and receive many gifts.

A Medicine Wheel shamanic group run by Brooke Tarrant taught a group of drumming novices, myself included, how to make rattles and drums from recycled leather and sheepskin. In fact, all the materials we used to decorate our rattles and drums were found objects: crystals, sand, tiny shells, and sticks from the forest floor. Last, we used “feather medicine” and decorated the rattles with rawhide and found feathers, each with personal totemic meaning. With a final drumming circle and fire ceremony, we blessed the drums and rattles and each other. During the ceremony, we used both the new and old rattles and drums in some immensely powerful energy cleaning and healing. Even physical aches and pains were alleviated with these new tools. Rituals for the road should also be recorded in your Book of Shadows: what you find, who you meet, and what you create. When the spirit moves you, you should be creative. You can construct a sand mandala or take photographs on the beach to preserve your inspiration. One lovely custom from long ago: Upon your return home, create shadowboxes, which are really like little shrines of the sacred objects from the road.

Cords of Connection

Cord magic is one of the oldest kids of enchantments and employs a simply and powerful charm in that it can  be used for any purpose in accordance with your intention. After you have set your intention, you tie a knot at each end and the cord is like a battery that holds the power of your intention as long as the knots at both end remind intact. Your magic cord is a rope that binds magic to your and is ideally made from strands of red wool or ribbon. It should be 9 feet long and cut with your bolline,  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 self love, citrine for grounding, jade for stability , blue lapis for inspiration, malachite for protection, moonstone for quiet calm and amethyst for intuition and psychic ability.

I have an adorned cord in my bedroom on my self-care shrine that helped relieve a bout of insomnia some months ago. As I added rose quarts and amethyst beds to the red cord, I held the intention of deep rest,  positive dreams and harmony in my life. Upon knotting both ends, I have enjoyed exactly that and so can you. 

Bloodstone—Martyr’s Stone

In medieval times, Christians used bloodstone for sculptured bas-reliefs depicting the martyred saints and Christ’s crucifixion—thus the name “martyr’s stone.” The myth behind bloodstone is that some of Christ’s blood dripped down and stained jasper that lay at the foot of the cross. In the great Louvre Museum, in Paris, is the seal of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II carved into bloodstone. The ancient Egyptians loved bloodstone and gifted it to pharaohs, great warriors, and kings, believing it had the power to calm their tempers and prevent wrath and bloodshed.

An ancient book of Egyptian magic, known as The Leyden Papyrus, recorded the high regard for bloodstone: “The world has no greater thing; if any one have this with him he will be given whatever he asks for; it also assuages the wrath of kings and despots, and whatever the wearer says will be believed. Whoever bears this stone, which is a gem, and pronounces the name engraved upon it, will find all doors open while bonds and stone walls will be rent asunder.”

Damigeron, a classic historian, wrote that bloodstone could disclose the future through what were called audible oracles and could also change the weather. He further claimed that this favored stone kept the mind sharp and the body healthy and protected the reputation of anyone who wore it. 

Charm Boxes

Charm boxes, also known as spell boxes, are simple tools of magic you can easily make for yourself. Ancient cultures, particularly the Native Americans, Greeks, Celts, and Egyptians, used boxes for ceremonial magic and for the storage of sacred objects. Is not the famed biblical ark of the covenant a magical box? During medieval times, much spell work revolved around boxes. Even a young woman’s hope chest is a type of magical box, filled with the wishes, intentions, and materials for a happy marriage.

Gem-magic boxes can either contain crystals of special importance to you or be adorned with gems you affix to the outside of the box. You can create a job-spell box with peridot or aventurine stones, green candles, patchouli incense, and dried ferns placed inside.

Make a love-spell box with two pieces of rose quartz, a pink candle, rose petals, and two copper pennies. Fashion a psychic-spell box using amethyst and quartz crystals, cloves, and rosemary.

Choker of Charm

This “floating” crystal choker seems magical because the gems appear to hover around your lovely neck all by themselves. And maybe sometimes they do! The secret, aside from the magical gems, is the invisible thread, easily obtained at any craft store. The purpose of the Choker of Charm is to make you simply irresistible to whomever you wish to attract. Wake your boyfriend up with this enchanted choker, or hit the town with your friend and notice how a crowd develops around YOU!

You’ll need these ingredients: twenty-one crystal beads, 22 inches of invisible thread, a lobster-claw clasp, and glue.

First, tie one end of the invisible thread to the loop in the lobster-claw clasp, also readily available at any craft store and most jewelry stores. Knot the thread twice, add a drop of glue, and allow the thread to dry. Clip off the extra thread after the glue has dried. Then, string three beads onto the thread about three- quarters of an inch from the clasp and tie a knot in the thread beside the beads.

Repeat until you have used all the beads. There will be seven groups of three, and each group of crystals should be evenly separated. At the last bead, tie the end of the thread to the clasp ring.

Here are a few irresistible crystals to consider using in your Choker of Charm:

Amazonite makes you hopeful

Amber boosts your spirits—you will feel good!

Aventurine creates good opportunities

Banded agate attracts a lover of strength and courage

Brown jasper makes you confident and emotionally secure

Opal enhances beauty and makes you more psychic

Pearl augments femininity 

Defining Crystal Categories

First, let’s explain the different categories: precious and semiprecious gems, crystals, and stones. We’ll start with the widest category, stones, which actually encompasses all the other categories. Stones can hold much magic and bring the best to you. I’m always looking in my path for a pretty stone or one of an unusual shape or coloration. In fact, I have a mobile altar in my car that is frequently augmented by a charming chunk of rock. I always notice that my friends and passengers are unable to resist picking them up and rubbing the smooth surfaces admiringly. Maybe one day, I’ll find a diamond in the rough in my path!

Stones have been of interest for many centuries. Primitive peoples probably picked up stones out of curiosity. Through trial and error, they discovered which rocks withstood the test of time and were more durable for use in tools. Doubtless, they also noticed that some stones could be polished to a lovely sheen.

Stones are primarily minerals that can be defined as natural, generally inorganic substances with a chemical composition and an internal atomic structure. So, a diamond, the most precious of all in the eyes of many rock hounds, is a stone and also a crystal with a very simple structure of one element—carbon. Quartz, a very commonly available and rarely expensive stone, is usually referred to as rock crystal and is composed of two elements—silicon and oxygen. Crystals are defined as such because of their internal diffracting patterns—that is, by the way they hold and reflect light. Rocks can be defined as natural, solid compounds of mineral grains, or glass, or a combination of both.

What is the difference between precious and semiprecious gems? The simple distinction between these two categories is that only the most rare and costly gems are classified as precious. Emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds fall into this foremost category. Those remaining gems, such as opal, amethyst, and bloodstone, are semiprecious. Gems are a special class of very valuable minerals rated according to their hardness, color, and luster. Gems are held so dear because of their quality; they are usually clearer, rarer, and exquisitely beautiful.

All of these “rules” date back thousands of years in some cases. There is great tradition surrounding the lore and love of gems, stones, and crystals. They are simply glorious. Think about it—not only are they lovely to look at and to adorn yourself with, but they also have properties that bring love, health, happiness, abundance, and peace of mind.

Amorous Herbs Love Charm

Many a witchy woman has enjoyed the fruits of long-lasting love by reciting the following charm while mixing rye and pimento into a dish shared with her object of affection. While stirring in these amorous herbs, declaim:

Rye of earth, pimento of fire 
Eaten surely lights desire. 
Serve to he whose love I crave, 
And his heart I will enslave!

Lady of the Silver Moon Charm

Put a silver coin at full moon in a bowl of water. 

Look up at the moon and soak in the light. 

Whisper the following spell three times:

Lovely lady of the moon, bring to me health and wealth. 
Fill my pockets with silver and gold,
As much as my purse can hold.
Blessings to all; blessings to me.
Blessed be.

Treasure Hunting Tea: A Medieval Charm

The humble dandelion, oft abhorred by lawn keepers, hides its might well. Dandelion root tea can call upon the spirit of anyone whose advice you might need. Simply place the brew on your nightstand and say the spirit’s name seven times; he or she will visit your dreams and answer your questions. In Chaucer’s day, this method was used to find lost treasures.

Lucky Charms and Ring of Power: A Protection Spell

Most people don’t realize that the classic charm bracelet is decorated with magical symbols representing the wearer’s wishes. For wealth, wear a Roman coin on your bracelet; for love, try a heart. For protection, a pure silver ring worn on the right pinkie has the greatest magical power, especially when engraved with your birth sign or astrological glyph and the sacred pentagram. To instill the ring with protective power, clasp it over your heart and call out:

Ring of power, shield and encircle me. 
By your charm, I am free.

Blessed be me. All are one. 
Blessings to all and harm to none.