Make Your Own Manifestation Tool

A wand is used for directing energy. It is best to make your own wand from found wood and instill it with your personal energy. You could go out into a nearby park or the woods and find a suitable branch that has fallen. Never cut a wand straight from a tree as the energy from harm to the tree will be retained by the wand. Allow Mother Nature to choose one for you; she is always right. You might find the perfect weathered wand on a beach as driftwood.

Gather together

• a found piece of wood
• sand paper
• bolline
• 12 inches (30cm) copper wire
• a crystal of your preference to use as the pointer
• beads, sequins, seashells, tiny crystals, or other decorations of your choice

When you have found the perfect piece of wood, sand it to smoothness so it feels good in your hand, which is very important. If your found wood branch is too long, use your magical bolline knife to cut it down to 12 inches (30cm), or your preferred length. Wrap copper wire around the top and affix your crystal to the end. Your wand should look beautiful to your eye so embellish it with ornaments you love, such as beads, sequins, seashells, tiny crystals, or whatever pleases you and adds to the power of this sacred implement.

Kiss My Ring

Rings represent eternity, unity, reincarnation, safety, union, power, and energy. They symbolize the eternity of the circle shape and its summation—the universe. Wearing rings was believed to help ward off any kind of malevolence through their continuity. Nothing could get past this strong, flawless circle. A ring binds you with the energy of the stone. In dream psychology, a ring represents the desire for reconciliation of the different parts of your being and personality; it shows you want to be an integrated whole, which is the first step in making it happen. If you want to deepen a friendship, exchange amber rings with your friend to bind you together forever. Why do you think Native Americans wear turquoise rings? They know it is a guardian stone; its power is doubled when it is in a ring.

When wearing a ring, be sure the bottom side of the stone is open to allow greater connection between the stone and your skin. On your left hand, wear ring gems that awaken and release emotions, and, on your right hand, wear stones that will enhance your career and your personal goals in life. I know that thumb rings have become a big trend, but you should know that wearing them could block the energy of the thumbs or, even worse, bring out egotism and selfishness.

Your index fingers are indicators of achievement, and wearing the proper gem on that finger can really aid you in striving for your dreams. For wisdom, wear lapis lazuli. For greater love of yourself and others, try pearl, moonstone, or garnet. For success, wear carnelian. For a quiet mind and greater calm, wear sodalite, chrysocolla, or turquoise.

Your middle fingers are about ideas and insights, as well as intuition; the left hand represents the receiving of ideas, and the right hand represents action and achievement in your life. Wear stones on the middle finger only when you want to get a lot of psychic input from the world around you. For greater sensitivity and creativity, wear amethyst. To awaken your inner and outer beauty, wear ruby. To access your higher good and know your life’s purpose, wear sapphire or quartz crystal.

The ring finger is about creativity, and, of course, the ring finger on the left hand is your love center and a direct connection to your heart. For deep and loyal ties of love, wear diamond. To express your love, wear moonstone. To inspire creativity, wear emerald. To meet creativity goals, wear tiger’s-eye or cat’s-eye. For practicality in your work and art, wear turquoise. For service to your community and the world, wear opal. For both inner and outward serenity, wear ruby.

Pinkie fingers represent change. The right gem on your little finger can help you find and pursue new opportunities and change the direction of your whole life. This is a lot of power in one little ring! For better organizational habits, wear pearl. For unwinding and simplifying, wear turquoise. To bring new energy and new prospects, wear aventurine.

Create Stained-Glass Decorated Candles

To enhance the magic of your ritual candles, you can create your own, filling them with your energy and intentions! You can adorn them with big sequins, curio crosses, symbols such as the Egyptian ankh, faux pearls, or anything lovely and suitably glittery that can be added to the sides of the candles to create a “stained glass” appearance. Another technique is to mix in your magical objects, stirring them into the melted wax inside a mold. An even easier way to do this is to take a soft beeswax pillar candle and “stud” the sides and the candle top with tiny crystal pieces that cost just pennies per pound. You can save them after melting the candles down and reuse them again and again. Nowadays, candle-making classes abound, and you can get leftover or “recycled” wax to use, melt, and pour into glass votives for your own uniquely magical candle creations. 

Color Connection

Color is a form of energy that can be broken down by individual vibrations. We use colors in our homes and at work to affect moods. The right colors can calm, energize, or even romanticize a setting. Colors promote many desired states of being. Anyone using color is tuning in to the vibration frequency of that particular color. Some psychics have the skills and training to read your aura; they can literally see the colors of the energy radiating out from your body.

Other colors not in the spectrum exist in metals, crystals, and stones, and are significant in their own right: brown, gray, black, white, silver, and gold.

• Brown: the color of humility and poverty; it represents safety and the home and is also often associated with agriculture and grounding.
• Gray: the color of grief and mourning; it symbolized resurrection in medieval times. Gray is the first color the human eye can perceive in infancy.
• Black: protection and strength; it fortifies your personal energies and gives them more inner authority. Black symbolizes fertile, life-giving, rich earth, and nourishing rain in Africa.
• White: purity, peace, patience, and protection; some cultures associate white with death.
• Silver: relates to communication and greater access to the universe; it indicates a lunar connection or female energy.
• Gold: direct connection to God or the sun; it facilitates wealth and ease.

The color spectrum is correlated with seven basic vibrations. These are the same vibrations that comprise the musical scale, and the same vibrations that are the foundation of our seven-vibration chakra system. The “lightest” vibrations are at the top and the “heaviest” vibrations are at the bottom. You may recall from earlier in this book that the color system is composed of seven colors, all visible in the rainbow—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. A great way to remember the colors is by their collective acronym, which sounds like a name when the letters are strung together: Roy G. Biv. Consult the following color guide when you are choosing a color for any aspect of your life.

Color management can help you on the most basic level each day. To combat feeling depressed, wear yellow to raise your energy level. If you have a business meeting and you want to put your colleagues at ease, wear earthy colors like brown or green. You can experiment with different combinations, too. Remember, the purpose here is to find your soul colors.

Amber

The color amber is named after the stone, indicating how long people have been using this gem. A fossilized resin, amber comes from the sap of trees dating back millions of years. It frequently contains other fossils—insects, plant fragments, and rocks. Amber is prized for its honey gold color, but Baltic amber has a green color. Amber has been held in high regard as a power and protection talisman for thousands of years and has been used just as long as a healing stone, said to draw out disease, particularly afflictions of thyroid, inner ear, spleen, brain and lungs. You should clean amber after you use it because it draws in energy, which could include bad or negative energy from the body or the environment. Due to its organic origins, amber is an earth stone. It is so grounding and centering that you should not wear it all the time.

Garnet—Noah’s Lantern

Garnets have much lore around them. The ancients believed them to have protective powers that prevented travelers from accidents and mishaps and also kept the sleeping from nightmares and bad dreams. It is said that the fiery glow of a garnet kept Noah and his ark afloat. A popular biblical gem, garnet was one of the stones used by King Solomon in his breastplate. In Asia, garnets were used as bullets, most notably in the rebellion in India in 1892. Garnet’s name comes from the Greek word for pomegranate, and the gem is associated with a Greek myth surrounding this fruit. Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, tasted three seeds from the pomegranate, dooming herself to spend half of the year in the underworld, married to Hades, god of the underworld.

Scrying Mirrors and Crystal Balls

Scrying is the art of divining by looking into an appropriate surface. It could be water, a mirror on the wall, a crystal ball, or a slap of rock. For that matter, some people are quite talented at seeing visions in the flames of fire or in the bottom of a teacup. Smooth, natural surfaces are much better and less distracting, however.

I like to think that a chunk of shiny black obsidian was the first scrying mirror. We know the ancients had special prophets and priestesses who engaged in foretelling the future, and they were making and using tools of their trade from various crystals at hand. No doubt they would be delighted to know we are

still using crystal balls made from translucent quartz and mysterious volcanic obsidian! I cleanse mine before and after each use with rainwater that has set through at least one day of sun and one night of moonlight, but rituals can get as elaborate as you want!

Scrying has been used since biblical times and is even mentioned in Genesis chapter 44, verses 4-5 (NKJV). Queen Elizabeth I entrusted all matter of the heavens and the unseen to John Dee, a brilliant mathematician and metaphysician. He used a mirror of polished black obsidian, and his legacy led succeeding magicians and psychics to prefer black mirrors. Dee employed scrying to great effect in calling upon certain angels. He reported hearing knocking and even voices that sounded like an owl screeching during sessions.

Scrying is the mantic art of gazing onto a surface and receiving information in the form of visions. It is said that this gives us a more direct connection to the Akashic record, the theory of cosmic memory storage espoused by the theosophist Rudolf Steiner.

Scrying can be used for myriad purposes in addition to divining the past, present, and future. You can contact spirit guides, improve your skills of creative visualization, and even use it as a gateway to the astral plane. As with crystal balls and other sacred tools, you should polish mirrors with a clean cotton cloth and store them in a special protective bag.

Quartz crystal balls have an inherent power that you have to practice working with. They have been part of our folklore, myth, magic, and metaphysics for a long time. The great philosopher and physician Paracelsus made the claim during the height of the Renaissance that what he called conjuring crystals needed to be used in “observing everything rightly, earning and understanding what was.” I love that they are in fairy tales and Disney stories, too. That shows how ingrained crystal balls are in our culture and collective mind-set. Even people who avoid anything too witchy know of the power of crystal balls!

Crystal balls have their own authority and wield a large influence on the development of our psychic abilities. When you gaze into a crystal ball, it is possible to see into the fabric of time, both the past and the future. What you see could be a delineated vision of a flickering, wispy suggestion of images. You have to practice and hone your attunement with the energy of the crystal ball. Many psychics use crystal balls in their readings, and some report seeing images of clients’ auras in the ball. What you have to get really clear on is how you interpret what you see. Gleaning information about people’s lives is a huge responsibility, and you need to feel sure about what you are reading. One way is to learn to trust your center of intuition in your body. For me (and for many other people) it is a gut feeling—literally in my stomach. I have a feeling of surety, or knowing, and I speak from that. If I don’t get any such bodily sensation, I simply explain that I don’t know what I’m reading or I’m not really “getting anything.” It is far better to say you don’t know that to fake it.

You can sharpen your psychic skills by working with a partner. Sit directly across from your partner with a crystal ball between you. Close your eyes halfway and look at the ball and into the ball while harnessing your entire

mind. Empty out all other thoughts and focus as hard as you can. Your third eye should begin to open, and the vision and intuition will come from there and project into the crystal ball. As you train your mind, the patterns will become clearer and your impressions will become surer. You should trust that what you are seeing is real and find a place of knowing, as I do with my stomach. Express to your partner what you are seeing. Then listen to your partner as she reveals her visions to you. After at least three rounds of individual reading and revealing, share visions at the same time and learn whether you are seeing the same things!

A mental practice to try on your own is this crystal-ball meditation: In a darkened room, sit holding your crystal ball in the palms of both of your hands. Touch it to your heart and then gently touch it to your forehead where the third eye resides. Then hold the ball in front of your eyes and, sitting very still, gaze into it for at least three minutes. Envision pure white light in the ball and hold that image. Practice the white-light visualization for up to half an hour and then rest your mind, your eyes, and your crystal ball. If you do this every day, within a month you will start to become adept at crystal-ball gazing.

Choosing a crystal ball should not be undertaken lightly: this is a deeply personal tool that has its own energy and will also become imbued with your energy. Think of it as a container for a great deal of your energy and make sure it feels right for you and you alone. Do not allow anyone else to touch your crystal ball. If by chance it happens, simply place it in a bowl of sea salt overnight and it will be cleansed of outside energy and influence.

Highly polished and glasslike spheres of beryl and quartz crystal have been in use for many thousands of years. Healers, shamans, witch doctors, and medicine men have been using the bones of the earth for divination since time immemorial. The Celtic folks and Druids favored beryl as their scrying crystal of choice. Beryl still has a well-earned reputation as the stone of power. The Middle Ages and the Renaissance saw a far-flung use of crystal for seeing the future.

The mythical wizard Merlin, of Arthurian legend, kept his crystal ball with him at all times! Pure quartz crystal balls are quite pricey but are worth the expense if you are serious about harnessing your intuition and using it for the good. Most people I know who use crystal balls, including many healers and teachers, see cloudy and smoky images, so do not expect your experience to be like going to the movies! Each and every crystal ball is unique and has its own energy.

Here are a few examples:

Amethyst offers advice on business matters and is especially good for lawyers and writers

Beryl helps you find anything you have lost—keys, jewelry, money, people!

Obsidian is the karma stone and helps you see and resolve past-life issues

Quartz crystal can put you in touch with helpful spirit guides who foretell events

Selenite is particularly useful with any matters regarding hearth and home.

Smoky quartz connects you with nature spirits and shows you what to avoid in your life.

Energy Management—You and Your Crystals

The first thing you need to do with a crystal is to charge it, which means syncing it up with your personal frequency and vibrations. You’re placing your desires and wishes into the vessel of the crystal. The crystal’s inherent energies will come into play with your personal power, and your intentions can be manifested, or made real, through the crystal.

The very first step in this process, however, is the dedication of the crystal toward the greater good of all beings. An essential part of this process is the cleansing of the crystal in order to purify its energy. Although this is a straight- forward task, it is of supreme importance for your use of the crystal down the road. If a gem or stone is not as effective as you had hoped, the problem could stem from the initial dedication. Think of this primary step as the honing and direction of the intention. Here is how: Simply hold the crystal in the palm of your right hand, and in your mind picture a glow of light surrounding the stone.

When the rock is completely enveloped by light in your mind’s eye, state out loud, “This crystal is only for exacting good of the highest order. In this stone of the earth, there is only love and light.” I like to leave the crystal out in the light of the natural orbs of the sun and the moon for a twenty-four-hour period for the maximum dedication of light and love from the universe and the heavens above as part of the purification process. But, if time is of the essence, you can move right on to step number two, charging the crystal itself.

All stones possess natural energies of their very own. You want to merge your energies with those of your crystals so that the crystals will be in sync with your vibratory channel. Remain mindful of the great power your stones have and you will be in a good position to work with it. Consider carefully what kind of energy you want to place into your crystal. Take a stone that has been cleansed by sitting in a bowl of sea salt overnight and in the light of the sun for a day. Sit in a comfortable position and hold the crystal in your right hand. Focus on the energy you desire your crystal to hold and project it into the stone. Bear in mind, the use of crystal magic should not be used solely for your purposes, but also for the greater good. Please make sure you’re projecting positive energy and not anger or hatred. You should ask aloud for your crystal to work together with you for the highest good. You are doing creative visualization here, so keep concentrating until you can see and feel the energy flowing into the stone. You will feel when the charging, or programming, is complete; your intuition will tell you.

While it is not the best-case scenario, you can charge a stone for someone else. For example, if you have a friend who is very ill and halfway around the world, you could charge the crystal with positive, healing energy and send it to your friend to help him. Ask the crystal to work for the highest good of this person and then release that crystal to him.

The Power of Crystals and Gems

Where do gemstones get their power? They all have a crystalline structure that can collect, store, and release electromagnetic energy, similar to the way today’s commonplace battery does.

Scientists and engineers have discovered through experimentation that a crystal will accumulate and concentrate the energy of any given energy field in close proximity. Further, they’ve discovered that if a crystal is squeezed, energy from within the crystal is released. Light can also be released during the compression of a crystal. While the expansion is infinitesimal, electrons are emitted and are then reabsorbed by the crystal, thus producing energy. Schoolchildren discover this by rubbing or heating crystals and feeling a marked static change. This is known as the piezoelectric effect. Anyone who doubts the power of this effect need only be told that it is one of the causes of earthquakes.

Quartz is the crystal most often used today in both scientific and spiritual realms. It is, perhaps, the most prevalent of all gemstones and can be found on every land mass on Earth. Common quartz was used in the world’s first radio broadcasts and enabled the chips that propelled the computer revolution. It stands to reason that quartz was the first crystal to be synthesized by manufacture. Today, man-made crystals are in vast usage in our watches, computers, and other electronic devices.

Quartz is composed of silicon and oxygen, the same basic minerals that make up this planet. Silicon dioxide (SO2), the building block responsible for the geologic makeup of the earth, is also inside us, which may explain why there is a natural attraction between our bodies and crystals.

Kiss My Ring

Rings represent eternity, unity, reincarnation, safety, union, power, and energy. They symbolize the eternity of the circle shape and its summation—the universe. Wearing rings was believed to help ward off any kind of malevolence through their continuity. Nothing could get past this strong, flawless circle. A ring binds you with the energy of the stone. In dream psychology, a ring represents the desire for reconciliation of the different parts of your being and personality; it shows you want to be an integrated whole, which is the first step in making it happen. If you want to deepen a friendship, exchange amber rings with your friend to bind you together forever. Why do you think Native Americans wear turquoise rings? They know it is a guardian stone; its power is doubled when it is in a ring.

When wearing a ring, be sure the bottom side of the stone is open to allow greater connection between the stone and your skin. On your left hand, wear ring gems that awaken and release emotions, and, on your right hand, wear stones that will enhance your career and your personal goals in life. I know that thumb rings have become a big trend, but you should know that wearing them could block the energy of the thumbs or, even worse, bring out egotism and selfishness.

Your index fingers are indicators of achievement, and wearing the proper gem on that finger can really aid you in striving for your dreams. For wisdom, wear lapis lazuli. For greater love of yourself and others, try pearl, moonstone, or garnet. For success, wear carnelian. For a quiet mind and greater calm, wear sodalite, chrysocolla, or turquoise.

Your middle fingers are about ideas and insights, as well as intuition; the left hand represents the receiving of ideas, and the right hand represents action and achievement in your life. Wear stones on the middle finger only when you want to get a lot of psychic input from the world around you. For greater sensitivity and creativity, wear amethyst. To awaken your inner and outer beauty, wear ruby. To access your higher good and know your life’s purpose, wear sapphire or quartz crystal.

The ring finger is about creativity, and, of course, the ring finger on the left hand is your love center and a direct connection to your heart. For deep and loyal ties of love, wear diamond. To express your love, wear moonstone. To inspire creativity, wear emerald. To meet creativity goals, wear tiger’s-eye or cat’s-eye. For practicality in your work and art, wear turquoise. For service to your community and the world, wear opal. For both inner and outward serenity, wear ruby.

Pinkie fingers represent change. The right gem on your little finger can help you find and pursue new opportunities and change the direction of your whole life. This is a lot of power in one little ring! For better organizational habits, wear pearl. For unwinding and simplifying, wear turquoise. To bring new energy and new prospects, wear aventurine. 

Dressed to Thrill: Charging Your Jewelry with Enchantment

Before a special date night or big evening event, you can enhance your own energy field with jewelry magic. Charging a gem or crystal imbues it with your intent. Upon charging your jewelry, you can use it in spellwork or anytime you want to surround yourself with the magic you put into the gemstones. While picturing your truest wish and hope, and what you ultimately want to achieve through this process, anoint a candle with an essential oil that most expresses your energy. Perhaps it is rose or, as in my case, amber.

Begin by lighting the candle and gazing into the flame. Then, place the piece of jewelry in front of the candle and say aloud,

Into this jewelry, I imbue my essence
Into these stones, lies the power of this blessed earth.
This gem of great hue is charged until my magic is through. 
With harm to none, so mote it be!

You can further empower the jewel by scratching your desire into the wax of the candle. Then, each time you burn the candle, place the gem before it and think upon your quest.

Dragons’ Lair Safety Spell

After an illness or any event wherein you feel the need to rid your home of unhealthy energy, head to your metaphysical five and dime and gather these essences. Anoint your home in order to return grace to your space and protect you from harm. Simply rub any one of the following essential oils, undiluted, on your doorjamb: cinnamon, clover, cypress, dragons blood, frankincense.
Walk through the door and close it securely. Take the remaining essential oil and anoint every other door and window. At the witching hour, midnight, light anointed white candles and place them in every doorway and windowsill. Sing:

My home is my temple,
Here I will live and love and be healed. 
And so it is by magic sealed.

Kitchen Witch Alchemy

Marigold blossoms gathered at high noon will raise your energy level. 

Lettuce juice (made in a juicer or food processor) rubbed on your temples and forehead will dispel sleeplessness. 

Holly was once believed to repel lightening.

Hazel branches make excellent wands and divining rods. Used like pendulums, they help you answer questions.

Garlic guards against evil spirits, disease and bad weather. 

Cyclamen eases the pain of grief.

Cucumber peel placed on your temple and forehead cures headaches.

Green Magic - Basil Abundance Ritual

Take a few sprigs of basil before you cook and put them in a green bowl on your kitchen altar. Boil water as for tea and pour over the herb in the bowl. Now chant this medieval-inspired charm:

With bounteous hand and healthful balm, 
Blessed basil, most verdurous herb
Bring me health and heart and calm. 
Abundance I shall see by every deed and verb. 
And so it is.

Breathe in the steam from the basil bowl and fill your lungs with the smell of prosperity. Repeat the spell once more; leave the basil bowl on your altar for 24 hours. Not only will your thinking be greatly clarified, but you will begin to see signs of your wealth increasing in one week. With basil flourishing in your herb pots, you have a ready source bursting with positive money energy.

The Writing is On the Wall - Wednesday Waning Moon Magic

In the days of yore, people often made their own inks, thus imbuing them with a deeply personal energy. They simply went to the side of the road and gathered blackberries or pokeberries from the vines that grew there. Often a bird flying overhead will supply a gift of volunteer vines best cultivated by a fence where they can climb, making berry-picking easier. When it comes to matters of the heart, contracts, legacy letters and any document of real importance that you feel the need to make your mark upon, an artfully made ink can help you write unforgettable love letters and very memorable memorandums. This spell is best performed during the waning moon.

Gather the following for your ink recipe: a vial or small sealable bottle, dark red ink, 1/8th cup crushed berry juice, nine drops of burgundy wine, apple essential oil, and paper.

Mix the juice, wine and red ink in a small metal bowl. Carefully pour it into the vial and add one drop of the apple essence. Seal the bottle and shake gently.

Incant aloud:

By my hand, this spell is wrought.
With this ink, I will author my own destiny 
And have the happy life and love, I sought. 
So mote it be.

Now write the fate you envision for yourself in the near and far future using the enchantment ink and a feather for a pen. Let dry and seal it in an envelope and keep on your altar until the new moon phase. Then, by the light of a red candle, open the letter to yourself and read aloud. After, burn the paper using the candle and scatter the ashes in your garden. By the next new moon, you will begin to reap the positive plans you invoked.

Light Your Own Fire: Sage Wisdom (New Moon is Optimal)

Every witch should grow a pot of sage or a big patch in a garden. Sage is a must-have on hand for clearing energy. It also increases psychic potential. Most pagans are highly imaginative and very inventive folk. Whether your passion is growing an artful garden, throwing pots, cookery or music, you can stay in better touch with your personal muse. Call her to you anytime, day or night, by your own design. This is especially important if you are feeling uninspired or struggling with a bout of writer’s block.

Head out to your garden or the sunny spot on the deck where your hardiest sage grows. Take three large and extra long sticks of your favorite incense and bind strands of sage around the incense with purple thread. Tie it off and you have a sage wand. Before any creative endeavor, you can light this wand and wave it around your workspace, filling the area with inspiration. Close your eyes and meditate upon the work you will begin. You have cleared your space and invited the muse; your work will be superb, worthy of notice from the gods and goddesses.

The World’s Easiest Love Potion

Elixirs are very simple potions made by placing a crystal or gemstone in a glass of water for at least seven hours. Remove the stone and drink the crystallized water. The water will now carry the vibrational energy of the stone, the very essence of the crystal.

Place into a glass of water:

• Carnelian

• garnet

• rough ruby

• red coral

• red jade

• jasper

• red sardonyx

• cuprite

• aventurine

• red calcite

Mix and match and remember, if you only have access to a rough ruby and a tiny chunk of jasper, so be it—that is still a lot of love in a jar!

Place the elixir in the love corner of your room or on your altar. Light amber incense and a red candle and speak aloud:

This jade is my joy, the garnet of my grace.

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

Rose-Colored Glass: Energy Boosters

If you want to jump-start your life and bring about positive change, tap into the power of the rose and red stones. Stones of this color spectrum contain life’s energy and can help you become more motivated, energetic and vibrant. Wear this list of rosy and red stones or place them on your desk and throughout your home for an instant boost: alexandrite, carnelian, garnet, red coral, red jasper, rhyolite, rose jasper, and ruby. The new moon phase is an excellent time to introduce this vibrancy into your life, but you should also rock them anytime you need a boost.

Middle Earth Magic: How to Use a Crystal Ball

Crystal balls have their own authority and they can strongly influence the development of our psychic abilities. You should think of the crystal as a container that houses your energy. Make sure it feels right for you. The crystal should feel comfortable to hold—not too heavy and not too light. You should not allow anyone else to touch your crystal ball. If someone does touch it, place the ball in a bowl of sea salt overnight to cleanse it of outside energy and influence. Because quartz crystal balls have an inherent power, you have to practice working with them first. Pure quartz crystal balls can be quite expensive, but the price is worthwhile if you are serious about harnessing your intuition and using it for good. Don’t expect your experiences to be like the movies. Most of the people I know who use crystal balls, including many healers and teachers, see cloudy and smoky images.

Work with a partner to sharpen your psychic skills. Sit directly across from your partner with the crystal ball between you. Close your eyes halfway and look at the ball and into the ball while harnessing your entire mind. Empty out all other thoughts and focus as hard as you can. You will sense your third eye, the traditional seat of psychic awareness, begin to open and project into the crystal ball. By practicing this way, you will train your mind. The patterns you see will become clearer and your impressions more definite. You should trust that what you are seeing is real. Find a place of knowing, as I do with my stomach. Verbalize to your partner what you see, and then listen to your partner as she reveals her visions to you. After at least three rounds of individual reading and revealing, share visions at the same time to learn whether you are seeing the same things!

You should also do crystal ball meditations on your own. In a darkened room, sit and hold your crystal ball in the palms of both hands. Touch it to your heart and then gently touch it to the center of your forehead, where your third eye is located. Then hold the ball in front of your physical eyes and, sitting very still, gaze into it for at least three minutes. Envision pure white light in the ball and hold on to that image. Practice the white-light visualization for up to a half hour and then rest your mind, your eyes and your crystal ball. If you do this every day, within a month you should start to become an adept at crystal ball gazing.

Powers of the East, West, North and South Sanctuary Spell (Waning Moon, New Moon)

Every kitchen has a box of salt. This most common of seasonings is essential to physical health and also the health of your home. With a bowl of salt alone, you can purify your home every day and have a “safe zone” for ritual work. You can leave a bowl of pure salt in any room you feel is in need of freshening; the salt absorbs negativity. Many a witch uses this homely approach on a daily basis early in the day, tidying up and cleansing energy to charge a home with positivity. 

In your kitchen, take a bowl of water, freshly drawn and a small cup of salt. Take the vessel of water and sprinkle in as much as you feel is needed. Anoint your fingers by dipping them in the salt water and then around your third eye in the middle of your forehead.

Now turn to the east and say:

Power of the East,
Source of the Sun rising, 
Bring me new beginnings.

After speaking, sprinkle some of the water in the eastern part of your kitchen.

Face south and say:

Source of the Starry Cross, 
Place of warmth and light, 
Bring me joy and bounty.

Scatter droplets of salt water in the southern direction.

Face the west and speak aloud:

Powers of the West,
Source of oceans, mountains, and deserts all,
Bring me the security of the ground beneath my feet.

Scatter droplets of water in the west side of your kitchen.

Face north now and speak aloud:

Powers of the North,
Bringer of winds and the polestar. 
Show me vision and insight.

Sprinkle water in the northern area of the room.

End this ritual by sprinkling water and salt all around your home, especially around windows, sills, doorways and thresholds where energy passes in and out as visitors and delivery people come and go. In this way, you are cleansing and managing the energy of your space. After a distressing occurrence, you can repeat this ritual and then leave a bowl of salt out for 24 hours so it can rid your sacred space of negative “vibes.”