Many of us don’t realize that the classic charm bracelet is decorated with magical symbols representing the wearer’s wishes.
* For prosperity, such as before a job interview, when asking for a raise, or if you find yourself in arrears, wear a coin.
* For love, try a heart.
* For creativity on a project, a pen or artist’s palette.
Take the time to prepare yourself for romance and turn your thoughts to love and sensuality.
Gather together
* petals of 1 red rose
* a large glass or ceramic bowl and a wooden spoon
* ½ cup (90g) of Epsom salts
* ½ cup (70g) of baking soda
* ½ cup (120ml) carrier (or base) oil, ideally jojoba or apricot
* 6 drops each of jasmine, ylang ylang, and neroli essential oil (or 12 drops of one, if you prefer just one scent)
A soothing bath is the perfect prelude to your date. Make the water warm enough to be relaxing, but not so hot that it makes you sleepy. Mix all the ingredients, except for the rose petals, together in the bowl with the wooden spoon and then add the mixture under the running faucet. The Epsom salts will relax tense muscles and the baking soda combined with the carrier oil will soften your skin. These aphrodisiac essential oils are very potent. Lastly, float the rose petals in the water, and bathe by natural light before nightfall. As the mix of warm water, oils, and bath salts smooths your skin, let it also soothe your soul.
In use since Elizabethan times, magic bottles, or spell bottles, can function as guardians. Called witch bottles in the 1600s in England, they were originally used to hold objects for magical uses. They have largely fallen out of use, but you can customize magic bottles for yourself with crystal stoppers for a variety of reasons. You can put one in your garden for healthy plants, on the mantel to protect your home, next to your bed for love and happiness, and in the kitchen for good health. These magic bottles are mostly used for protection, but you can also place into them symbols of your dreams and desires, such as a flower for peace, rosemary for remembrance, and cinnamon for the spice of life.
Magic bottles are very easy to make, as you can easily glue the crystals of your choice onto the lid or cork top or place them inside. Here are a few to try:
For luck with money, place three pennies and some pyrite or jade into a bottle and put it on your desk and home or your workplace. Shake the magic jar whenever you think about your finances, and your fortune will improve in three days.
For love, place a rosebud or rose petal, rose essential oil, and rose quartz into a bottle and keep it at your bedside. Each night, burn a pink candle anointed with the oil from your love-magic bottle. On the seventh day, your prospects for romance will brighten!
For a peaceful and secure home, take a teaspoon of soil from outside your house (or the closest park) and place it into a bottle with some smoky topaz or brown jasper. Place the bottle into the pot of a plant near the entrance of your home. Every time you water the plant, think about the sanctity of your home. As your plant grows, so will the tranquility of your residence.
Grimoires (spell books) offer instruction on making talismans. The reasons for using talismans are many—for love, for wealth, for luck with gambling, for the gift of a silver tongue, for a good memory, for the prevention of death. Whatever you can think of, there is probably a talisman for that exact purpose!
I see many gorgeous, crystal-encrusted wands for sale in metaphysical five-and-dimes, and I am sure they are super-powered. Bear in mind, though, that it is a wonderful thing indeed to make your own wand. Start with a tree branch that has fallen to the ground on its own. Sand and polish the rough edges, as it is a wand and not a weapon. Then give it a good smudging. Hot-glue a large quartz crystal onto the wand near the handle, and hot-glue on any crystals featuring properties that will complement your magic. Citrine makes an excellent pointer tip for your wand and aligns your self-identity with your spirit. And, after all, isn’t that the point? Here are stones I recommend for harnessing various powers with wands:
To begin using your magical powers, you must first set the stage, the perfect environment in which to incubate your ideas. You’ll do this by building a stone shrine, your touchstone for daily conjuring and contemplation. By preparing your home and sparking your inner flame, you can clear away personal blocks and invite in the friendly spirits who will aid and abet your supernatural pursuits. It is of the utmost importance to have in your home a shrine or altar, a power center, where you can keep your stones and perform rituals and spells. This is your energy source where you can renew yourself and your spirits every day. The more you use your altar, the more it will build up energy, and the more effective your spells will be.
On a low table, place a white scarf and candles from each of the colors of the spectrum: white, violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, pink, red, and black. Place them in the miraculous arching shape of a rainbow. Take amber incense and place it in a quartz crystal bowl at the center of the rainbow. Amber is good for creativity and healing and also contains crystalline grains of rock resin from Mother Nature. Keep a wand of sage or a smudging stick in a fireproof bowl or seashell on your altar and use it to clear the energy and sanctify the space every day.
Next, place symbols on the altar that reflect your personal power and spiritual aspirations. I keep fresh wildflowers in a vase beside a statue of a young goddess pouring water of wisdom, symbolizing Aquarius. I also have abalone shells, which represent my Piscean nature, aligned with a magnetite obelisk and a rock-crystal ball. Let your imagination run wild! Use religious icons and images or photos that have special meaning—whatever expresses your innermost spirit. If you have an obelisk or pyramid on your altar, you can use it for manifestation by placing your desires and wishes on paper beneath the crystal.
Keep the basic principles of feng shui in mind and put prosperity stones in your far-left money corner, and romance rocks in your far-right love corner.
The crystals you select should be a completely personal choice. Browse your favorite lapidary or New Age shop and see what you are drawn to and resonate most with. Here are some crystals you can choose for specific spell work and energy you want in your life and environment:
The ultimate alchemy is to generate positive energy that spirals outward, improving everything in its path. I know of shamans and wise women who have dedicated their lives to doing good works, including some crones who practice in the ancient rainforest to protect the trees, and aborigines who spend their “dreamtime” repairing the earth.
You can contribute to universal peace and healing by burning a white candle, anointed with rose oil, on your altar during a waning moon on Saturday, which is Saturn’s Day. Place a single white rose in water and lay a garlic clove beside some rose incense. Light the incense, then take an herb bundle, light the end, and pass the smoke over your altar to cleanse the space. Chant:
War and grief will come to an end
as we walk the path of peace.
Love thy neighbor as thy self,
all we need is love.
With harm to none, only understanding.
The following is a comprehensive overview of different crystals and what their presence on your altar will mean.
CREATIVITY
Amazonite, aventurine, carnelian, chrysolite, chrysoprase, citrine, green tourmaline, malachite, yellow fluorite
INTUITION
Amethyst, azurite, celestite, lapis lazuli, moonstone, selenite, smoky quartz, sodalite, star sapphire, yellow calcite
LOVE
Amethyst, magnetite, rhodochrosite, rose quartz, twinned rock crystals
PROSPERITY
Bloodstone, carnelian, citrine, dendritic agate, diamond, garnet, hawk’s-eye, moss agate, peridot, ruby, tiger’s-eye, topaz, yellow sapphire
PROTECTION
Amber, Apache tear, chalcedony, citrine, green calcite, hematite, jade, jet, smoky quartz
SELF-ASSURANCE
Azurite, chalcedony, chrysocolla, green tourmaline, hematite, rutilated quartz, tiger’s-eye
SERENITY
Amber, aventurine, blue jade, dioptase, Herkimer diamond, jasper, kunzite, moonstone, onyx, peridot, quartz, rhodonite
SUCCESS
Carnelian, obsidian, quartz, selenite, sodalite, topaz
VIGOR
Agate, aventurine, bloodstone, calcite, chalcedony, citrine, dioptase, emerald, garnet, orange calcite, ruby, topaz
WISDOM
Emerald, fluorite, Herkimer diamond, moldavite, serpentine, yellow calcite
Talismans, like amulets, are decorative and magical objects. If you’ve ever read the story of King Arthur, you’ll remember a supernatural sword, called Excalibur, which was given special powers by the Lade of the Lake. It is this sword, a talisman, which gives King Arthur magical powers.
Unlike amulets, which are passive protectors, talismans actively transform the wearer to hold certain powers. Crystals and gems already hold power, but with a talisman, special powers can be naturally occurring, or you can instill powers during a ritual. A talisman can be any object or symbol that you believe possesses mystical qualities.
Talismans are used for many different reasons. They can bring love, luck, wealth, and protect you from death or harm. For instructions on creating a talisman, consult a grimoire, or spell book. Here is a list of sacred stone shapes for amulets and pendulums when you are trying to figure out how you want to create ritual talismans and charms.
To maximize the power of the talisman that you design and make, consider the following tried and true suggestion: Keep in mind that this will work even better if you place the item on your altar to energize it. On a new moon night, light a candle that corresponds with your intention or hope. Green is for abundance, red is for power and love, blue is creative and spiritual vision. Burn the candle for one hour every evening.
I also like to create gifts of love for the special friends in my life. I like to gather seeds and herbs in my travels. If you create good luck talismans for your friends and loved ones, your good intentions will be repaid many times over. I keep a stock of tiny muslin drawstring bags on hand to make the talismans, but the talisman can be even more powerful if you sew the bag by hand and stuff the dried herbs and flowers inside. For a courage talisman, use mullein and borage; for safe travels, use comfrey; for protection, use snapdragon; for healing, use rue; for success, use woodruff; for strength, use mugwort; for beauty, use an acorn. In the appendix on page 320, there are many other options you can choose from in the Language of Flowers chart.
Keep these herbal talismans with you at all times and advise your friends to do the same. These bring good luck when you carry them in a purse, pocket, or even in a string around your neck.
Place these objects in your home to attract loving energy—new friends and relationships:
Nuts are some of the best food we humans can eat, packed as they are with positive proteins, beneficial oils, and delicious flavor. This nearly effortless nut roastie is a great snack either for movie night at home or party time, and it makes a savory appetizer for special meals. Here is what you need:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and start sautéing the onions in the butter until they soften. Mix the nuts together with the bread in a food processor or stir vigorously until blended well, then transfer to a large bowl. Heat the stock to a boil and pour into the mixture in the bowl. Stir in the onions. Season as you see fit with salt, pepper, and sage. Pour in a tablespoon of the soy or tamari sauce to add zing to your roast and give one last stir. Spoon the roastie mix into a greased baking dish and bake for a half hour. Notice as your kitchen fills with a fantastic aroma. Heating the nuts brings out more of their natural oils and intensifies the flavor. Like herbs and flowers, nuts have magical properties which are mainly to increase love and feelings of conviviality and peace. When you serve this roastie, you are quite literally sharing the love.
Unakite is a stone of vision. this mottled pink stone from South Africa helps you to connect with humanity on a mass scale through unconditional love. Unakite will heal wounds of separation and abandonment and can create balance between the physical and emotions.
Unakite helps you live in the present and get out of the past. It is a heart healer. Unakite aids in the process of rebirthing and is also good for pregnant women—every kind of birthing. Here is a most wonderful aspect of unakite: It engenders self-love, which can attract and retain the love of others.
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!
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.
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!
In use since Elizabethan times, magic bottles, or spell bottles, can function as guardians. Called witch bottles in the 1600s in England, they were originally used to hold objects for magical uses. They have largely fallen out of use, but you can customize magic bottles for yourself with crystal stoppers for a variety of reasons. You can put one in your garden for healthy plants, on the mantel to protect your home, next to your bed for love and happiness, and in the kitchen for good health. These magic bottles are mostly used for protection, but you can also place into them symbols of your dreams and desires, such as a flower for peace, rosemary for remembrance, and cinnamon for the spice of life.
Magic bottles are very easy to make, as you can easily glue the crystals of your choice onto the lid or cork top or place them inside. Here are a few to try:
* For luck with money, place three pennies and some pyrite or jade into a bottle and put it on your desk and home or your workplace. Shake the magic jar whenever you think about your finances, and your fortune will improve in three days.
* For love, place a rosebud or rose petal, rose essential oil, and rose quartz into a bottle and keep it at your bedside. Each night, burn a pink candle anointed with the oil from your love- magic bottle. On the seventh day, your prospects for romance will brighten!
* For a peaceful and secure home, take a teaspoon of soil from
outside your house (or the closest park) and place it into a
bottle with some smoky topaz or brown jasper. Place the bottle into the pot of a plant near the entrance of your home. Every time you
water the plant, think about the sanctity of your home. As your plant
grows, so will the tranquility of your residence.
Aligned with the planet and the god Mercury, silver is about communication. Silver has been associated with the moon for thousands of years. As such, it is a stabilizer of any crystal or gem. Rather than adding to the energy of a stone, it secures the energy and supports the gem.
Silver is a healing metal that should not be worn all the time; let your body tell you when it feels right. Silver offers a mirror of your inner spirit, and this should be given very special attention. Silver is a detoxifying agent and communicates with the body to alert you to raised levels of hormones and other chemical imbalances. The metal is good to wear as a necklace, as it is very beneficial to the throat and lungs. Your synapses even fire more efficiently because silver acts as an energy conductor. Consequently, silver is good for people encountering memory reduction, psychological issues, and diseases affecting the brain.
In olden days, women wore silver around their waists to improve fertility. Men can do the same—by wearing a silver belt buckle, perhaps—to treat impotence or other sexual dysfunction.
Moonstones are wonderful in combination with the sacred moon metal. Amethyst is also great in a silver setting. Jaspers, agates (especially fire agate), and opals are very suitable in silver. Although diamonds are more often set in gold, they are also terrific in silver settings. The same holds true for sapphires. Lapis, jades, emeralds, and pearls set in silver are said to attract love.
Here is a list of stones you should not set in silver: zircon, tourmaline, and amber. I see amber set in silver all the time, and it is unfortunate because amber is a hot stone and works better with any other metal.
In foreign countries, silver is used in a variety of customary ways. Parents in China, for example, give their children silver-locket necklaces to show love and offer protection and luck. In France, couples wear silver chains upon getting engaged.
You can follow the exact steps above to make yourself finger rings that can bring more grace and less grief into your life. Think about the different areas of your life and then create an entire collection of rings to sprinkle a little magic into those areas.
Study the descriptionary in Part Two of this book, and you can explore and discover dozens of marvelous stones from which to choose. Do you want to be more creative? Try tiger’s-eye. Need to find a job? Plume agate is your stone. Looking to add some pizzazz to your love life? Alexandrite will bring lots of zest. Feeling blue? Citrine or jet can banish dark days. Stressed out? Rhyolite races to the rescue!
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.
Magic bottles are very easy to make, as you can easily glue the crystals of your choice onto the lid or cork top or place them inside. Here are a few to try:
For luck with money, place three pennies and some pyrite or jade into a bottle and put it on your desk and home or your workplace. Shake the magic jar whenever you think about your finances, and your fortune will improve in three days.
For love, place a rosebud or rose petal, rose essential oil, and rose quartz into a bottle and keep it at your bedside. Each night, burn a pink candle anointed with the oil from your love-magic bottle. On the seventh day, your prospects for romance will brighten!
For a peaceful and secure home, take a teaspoon of soil from outside your house (or the closest park) and place it into a bottle with some smoky topaz or brown jasper. Place the bottle into the pot of a plant near the entrance of your home. Every time you water the plant, think about the sanctity of your home. As your plant grows, so will the tranquility of your residence.
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.
