Prayer to Venus: Love Goddess Incantation

The Roman goddess of love, Venus, is associated with ultimate femininity, sexuality, fertility, and beauty. The word veneration means to worship Venus, and one way to do that is have a Friday-night goddess party! Ask the women you invite to bring an offering of flowers, candles, and crystals. Light a candle on your altar in tribute to Venus and say the words of this invocation spell: 

    Beautiful goddess of love, we ask you to bless us with your bright energy.

    We ask you to imbue us with your charm and grace.

    We honor your power, in gratitude with love eternal.

    Blessed be thee, so mote it be!

Spend time with your friends discussing how you want to express the love energy of Venus in your lives. When the rite is done, extinguish the candle. Enjoy the rest of your evening, sipping your Love Goddess Cosmopolitans! When everyone goes home, they should take an object from the altar that is not one they brought to keep on their nightstands to imbue their homes with the grace of Venus.

The Lord and Lady of Magic

Wiccan traditions frequently address twin deities and energetic dualities. The early Celtic goddess Danu, matriarch or the Tuatha de Danaan, or People of the Goddess Danu, is one of the goddesses venerated through this modern earth religion. Wicca is based on “the old ways” that hold a sacred connection to earth and to spirit—secrets, legends, and lore from European fertility cults that survived in various forms through the ages. Similar influences can be traced farther back in history to Paleolithic peoples who worshipped a hunter god and a fertility goddess. They represent the twofold principles of feminine and masculine energy inherent in nature. Wicca is enormously popular today, in part because it gives us freedom to create our own way of worshipping. Understanding the primal aspect of nature and the world as revealed in the gendered mysteries and myths, you can begin to plan rituals customized to fit your truest nature.

The God represents the sun. He is born on December 21, the winter solstice, and grows steadily until June 21, the summer solstice, when his power reaches its fullest. After Midsummer, his power wanes and he expires with the shortening daylight hours. On the longest night of the year, he is reborn again. The God is seen and represented in the physical and tangible. He can be seen in the hunt, in harvest, and it vitality, strength, sexuality, and passion.

The Goddess is creator of all; the Horned God is her consort. The Great Mother is the keeper of the cycles of birth, life, death and rebirth that are reflected in nature and the seasons. In some modern traditions, the God rules the physical world while the Goddess governs intuition, dreams, and the mind.

The Triple Goddess is a combination of the Maiden, the young, sweet girl; the Mother birthing us all; and the Crone, the wise older woman. The three faces of the Triple Goddess are reflected by the waxing, full, and waning phases of the moon. 

Pearl

Pearls have long been cherished as symbols of perfection and purity, Pearls shimmer with beauty and have also come to represent riches and elegance. To me, pearls signify self- containment. This is another of the gems and crystals formed from organic origins; it starts as a lowly secretion coating an irritating grain of sand inside a freshwater or marine mollusk shell. Pearls are usually the much- loved, lustrous whitish color but can be a rainbow of shades including pink, violet, black, gray, tan, and gold, with many other subtle permutations.

Throughout human history, pearls have fascinated and have been used as a favored adornment. People so lusted after them that they began introducing sand into oysters to force pearl production, resulting in the cultured pearls we see on the market today. For myself, I prefer the more oddly shaped freshwater pearls. Sadly, natural pearls have become nearly nonexistent due to the overheated oceans of the world and industrial pollution.

Pearls have affinities to the moon, femininity, and fertility, and they are a sacred symbol for pregnant women. The great tradition of pearls, especially in Asia, was that they represented modesty and wholesomeness. Pearls are truly soothing. That is why they exist in the first place—for soothing the irritated shellfish. They are an excellent helpmate in any stress-related illness and are good for stomachaches, ulcers, hypertension, headaches, and fatigue.

Pearls amplify energy and are especially good in combination with emeralds and diamonds. They are environmentally sensitive and pick up vibrations from the person wearing them. What is more, they remember the feeling (positive or negative), hold it inside, and then emanate it. If you are sad or in a bad mood, remove your pearls so you don’t unknowingly keep that negativity hanging around you. By the same token, do not ever loan your pearls.

Opal

This gem can light the inner fire of your spirituality. One of the seven sacred stones of the Cherokee people, opal is a favorite of many for its fiery and glinting opacity. The milky white stone seems to have an ever changing rainbow of colors inside; this is due to a high percentage of water in its makeup. This gem has one of the best spectral displays of any stone, and the opalescence is the result of many layers of precipitated silica balls in a jelly-like watery mass.

There are three different kinds of opals: precious opal, with the telltale flashes of fire; fire opal, in the reddish yellow color; and common opal, with the rather unfortunate-sounding name of potch. Black opal is the rarest and most desirable of the precious opals, and the highest grade comes from one place in Australia, Lightening Ridge.

Although opals are semiprecious gems, their name comes from the Latin word opalus, meaning “precious stone.” They are among the more sensitive gemstones. They need TLC and can be irrevocably damaged by exposure to heat and chemicals. In addition, they can lose their large water content if they are cracked or damaged. Opals need to be approached with very nearly the same level of caution in terms of using them for energy and healing work, as the can easily diffuse personal energies.

Opals can help if you want to get the special attention of a certain someone or if you have to give a speech or presentation. Opal is one of the rare stones that has both male and female energies within; it contains the energy of the sun and the moon. The fiery flashes generate flashes of intuition and of inspiration. Opals can facilitate wonderful dreams and positive change. They can bring submerged feelings and trapped emotions to the surface and can help uptight individuals get in touch with their emotions and loosen up.

Dioptase

Dioptase is a gorgeous gemstone that is nearly the color of emerald but lacks the hardness, thus lowering 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.

Celestite

Celestite takes its name from the heavenly blue color for which it is favored, though its range of hues includes shades of white and yellow. Celestite, mined for its salts and the strontium it contains, has another connection to the sky in that it is used in fireworks where it flames a fiery crimson. Celestite has occurred notably in the Great Lakes Region of North America as well as in Sicily, Germany, and Madagascar. It is sometimes mistaken for its look-alike, barite, but a flame test will tell the truth. If the flame is a pale green, the mineral is barite, but if it is red, it is most certainly celestite.

Celestite, which resonates with all the chakras, is most powerful. A geode of celestite crystal is believed to be filled with angel energy and brings the highest consciousness. It is a great balancing stone, creating attunement with high intellect and evening out male and female energies within any person.

Celestite is the stone to keep with you before any speaking engagements or writing that you need to do and do well. It aids the flow of thoughts and words. Most interestingly of all, it is a “listening stone.” Hold a piece of celestite and listen carefully to the voice within; the wisdom from this stone will reveal your deepest intuition and lead you to the right action. Meditation is greatly assisted by this crystal, as it is believed to hold the wisdom of the archangels. In meditation, you can ask celestite for any knowledge you need and it will be made known to you, whether it is a memory of a past life, a vision, or an out-of- body experience. Celestite is also a dream stone to keep by your bed for insight into the meaning of your night visions.

Living the Magic

Now you have been initiated into the art of crystal and magic. You can make yourself a true-love tiara, a seductive toe ring, or a bewitching bracelet, to name but a few of the crystalline projects you have in your new bag of tricks. Gem magic is a merry way to make magic, but it is, in essence, all about improving the quality of your life. These gorgeous gems and sacred stones are all around us, with enhancing energies that you can apply consciously to bring a sense of well-being to your job, your family, your friends, your love life, and your deepest spirit and psyche. Use this special kind of magic to create wonder, fun, fantasy, and fulfillment in all areas of your life.

Bracelets

I love bracelets and am wearing an aventurine cuff right now. The wrists are perfect pulse points. Organic gems, such as coral and abalone, are very helpful for energy flow and release. Turquoise is great for stabilizing and calming you physically.

Ancient cultures loved to wear armbands and cuffs, and those have gone out of style except among the most dramatic of fashionistas. Perhaps we should try to bring this style back because gem and crystal armbands are very good for body and soul.

Rings

Rings represent eternity, unity, reincarnation, safety, union, power, and energy. They symbolize the eternity of the circle shape—the universe. Wearing rings was believed to help ward off any kind of malevolence through their continuity—nothing could get in. 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 insight 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 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 serenity both within and without, 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.

The Language of Jewelry

A little thoughtfulness about how and where to wear your crystal and gem jewelry can go a long way toward enhancing your health and happiness. The left side of your body is the most sensitive, or feeling side; the right side is your action side. Information and energy flow into your left side much more quickly, so you can protect yourself by wearing crystals on that side that act as energy guards. Jewelry worn on the right side of your body helps with work, productivity, and success.

Mystical Crystal DIY: Sweeping Change

To purify your home, you need this special broom. A home purification is handy for clearing away bad energy after a squabble with your loved one, a bout of the blues, or just about any upset you need to get out of your personal space. I would go so far as to suggest that you sweep the negative energy outside every morning in your life. Bear in mind, this is not white glove-type cleaning; it is a symbolic act that is quite effective in maintaining your home as a personal sanctuary.

You can make your own purification broom from straw bound together and attached to a fallen tree branch, or you can add mojo to a store-bought broom. Wrap copper wire around your broom or use it to bind the straw to the stick, as Venus-ruled copper lends an aura of beauty and keeps negativity at bay. Attach crystals to the handle with glue to boost your broom. Recommend crystals for space clearing and purification are:

• Amber for cheeriness;
• Blue lace agate for tranquility; 
• Coral for well-being;
• Jet for absorption of bad energy;
• Onyx for protection;
• Petrified wood for security;
• Tiger’s-eye for protecting your psyche from energy draining powers; and
• Turquoise for relaxation and calmness.

Cords of Connection

Cord magic is one of the oldest kinds of enchantments and employs a simple 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.