Silence Your Inner Critic: An Encouragement Spell

As the sun sets on a waning moon day, you can quiet the inner voices of negativity and criticism that get in the way of simple joy. When our moon ebbs, another grows forth, so this is an excellent opportunity to send away that naysayer inside of you and allow a more blissful, self- accepting side of yourself to shine through.

Gather together:

• 1 teaspoon of patchouli resin

• 1 teaspoon of rose hips

• 1 vanilla bean

• A charcoal disc

• 1 gray candle

Grind together a teaspoon each of patchouli, rose hips, and vanilla bean. Burn this resin-based mixture on a piece of charcoal on your altar (charcoal wafers are available from metaphysical stores in packs of ten). Light a gray candle for protection and meditate on the flame. As you meditate, think about how you sometimes doubt yourself and your instincts. Visualize clearing that from your mind. Think about your talents and your potential as you chant:

    La Lune, Goddess of the Moon,

    as you may grow, so do I.

    Here, tonight, under your darkest light,

    I shall embrace all within me that is good and right,

    and bid goodbye to all the rest.

    Blessed be.

Blow out the candle and cast it into a fireplace, outdoor firepot, or wherever it can be melted down completely and safely. You must completely destroy the candle, as it now contains the energy of your inner critic. You should feel lighter and brighter almost immediately!

Chrysoprase

This apple green stone is quartz—or more specifically, a form of chalcedony—mined in Brazil, Australia, North America, and Russia. The lovely, dazzling green is derived the nickel content in its chemical makeup. The bright green makes chrysoprase perfect for abundance and prosperity. Put this in your money corner.

The color and clarity give chrysoprase its power to impart good cheer, good luck, and increased perception. Health-wise, it assists the eyes and the third eye. It gives rise to issues simmering in the unconscious and makes these concealed concerns easier to deal with once they have surfaced. It can also draw forth talents that have lain dormant. Chrysoprase is like a battery; it stores energy. For many centuries, this green crystal was used as medicine for the mentally ill. It dispels anxiety by reducing fear and also opening the mind to new patterns. Chrysoprase can be a source of calm for you during change.

The stone is especially useful for scholars. The brilliance booster is an agent of calm yet also a stimulator of intellectual curiosity, two seemingly incompatible traits. I love that it reduces egotism and increases creativity, but others no doubt prize this green crystal for the sexual protection it offers—increased fertility and a guard against contact-transmitted diseases. Chrysoprase will also keep you from getting gout and from going crazy!

This is a crystal to keep in a dream bag beneath your pillow to help with relaxation, promote restful sleep, and gain new insights. Beneficial for the heart chakra, this money-colored stone will create an atmosphere of encouragement, a wonderful gift to yourself.

Ready, Set, Go Spell

On a Monday, or any day you need to ready yourself for important events, meetings, or anything high-pressure, set aside a half-hour of quiet time and brew up some willpower to help you in any creative endeavors. Light a white candle anointed with peppermint oil and light spicy incense (cinnamon works well, if you can get it).

Take a sprig of mint, warm milk, and cinnamon sticks and stir together clockwise in a white mug. Say aloud:

Herb of minthe and spicy mead, 
Today is the day I shall succeed 
In every word and every deed. 
So mote it be.

Quaff the cup and “sit for a spell,” eyes closed, envisioning your new horizons. Keep the cinnamon sticks on your altar as a symbol of the power of encouraging words.