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.
Chains represent links between people, the ties that bind you to others. Other mystical associations for chains are happiness and justice, prayer, reason and the soul, and communication and command. Plato referred to a chain of being, a golden chain linking the earth to the heavens above, a bond between humans and immortals. Socrates tied our human happiness to the concept of justice with a chain of steel and diamonds. Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite compared the practice of prayer to an infinitely luminous chain going from earth to heaven. An astral cord, akin to a golden chain, binds the spirit to the psyche and binds reason to the soul. Because of this, gold chains are extremely powerful symbols.
Carving symbols onto your candles is a simple and profound way to deepen your magic. What symbols are meaningful to you? Certain crosses, vines, flowers, hieroglyphs, and many other images have deep magical associations, so you should feel free to delve in and experiment to find the symbols that work best for you in your spells. The term “sigils” is derived from the word seal. A sigil is a magical glyph or symbol that is used in ritual to deepen focus or intensify magical powers. Methods for devising sigils for spellwork include using the planetary glyphs of astrology, runes, Enochian tablets, letters, numbers, or even mystical cyphers such as hermetic crosses or kabalistic signs.
If you are like me and have the artistic skill of a toddler, you can simply carve hearts, suns, and stars into the sides of your pillar candles. Whenever I am feeling low or distressed, I cast the following sigil spell. I take a bright yellow pillar candle and carve a sun into the side. Then I light my candle and intone:
Sol, our star,
bring your light
which none can mar.
Burn long and bright;
keep bad news afar.
Send negativity out of sight.
So mote it be.
I then meditate on the candle flame and just breathe in and envision sunnier days.
Put your shrine together on a low table covered with a white scarf. Set rainbow candles in an arc and then add black and white candles. Prepare a heatproof bowl containing amber incense (good for creativity and healing), and place it in the center of the rainbow, surrounded by quartz.
Prosperity stones should be placed to the far left on the altar, in the money corner. Romance crystals should sit to the far right on the altar.
The rest of your altar should consist of personally meaningful symbols. They should reflect your spiritual aspirations. I keep fresh wildflowers in a vase, a statue of a goddess, abalone shells, a magnetite obelisk, and a rock-quartz crystal ball on my altar. You can use just about anything—photos of loved ones, religious images, and so forth. An obelisk or pyramid on your altar can be used for writing out desires and wishes.
With your altar, you can create a bridge between your outer and inner worlds. It can even be a place where you commune with the deepest and most hidden parts of yourself. An altar is where you can honor the rhythms of the season and the rhythms of your own life. An altar is a touchstone, a place to see the sacred and incorporate it into your life each and every day. It can be your special corner of the world where you can rest and connect with your spiritual center. Creating and augmenting your altar every day is one of the most soul-nourishing acts you can do.
The following is based on the ancient Pythagorean system (on which modern-day numerology is based). If any number keeps appearing to you in various forms, pay attention to the meanings for that number.
One: Independence, new beginnings, self-development, oneness with life, individuality, progress and creativity
Two: A balance of yin and yang energies (the polarities) of the universe, self-surrender, putting others first, a dynamic attraction to one another, knowledge that comes from balancing the two opposites
Three: Trinity, mind-body-spirit, threefold nature of divinity, expansion, expression, communication, fun, self-expression, giving outwardly, openness and optimism (this number related to the Wiccan 3-by-3 law—whatever you send out, you will receive threefold)
Four: Security, foundations, four elements and the four directions, self-discipline through work and service, productivity, organization, wholeness
Five: Feeling free, self-emancipation, active, physical, impulsive, energetic, changing, adventuresome, resourceful, travel, curiosity, free soul, excitement, and change
Six: Self-harmony, compassion, love, service, social responsibility, beauty, the arts, generosity, concern, caring, children, balance, community service
Seven: Inner life and inner wisdom, seven chakras and seven heavens, birth and rebirth, religious strength, sacred vows, path of solitude, analysis, contemplation
Eight: Infinity, material prosperity, self-power, abundance, cosmic consciousness, reward, authority, leadership
Nine: Humanitarianism, selflessness, dedication of your life to others, completion, endings, universal compassion, tolerance, and wisdom
Master Numbers
In the Pythagorean tradition, master numbers were thought to have a special power and significance of their own.
Eleven: Developing intuition, clairvoyance, spiritual healing, other metaphysical faculties
Twenty-two: Unlimited potential of mastery in any area— spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental
Thirty-Three: All things are possible
Mandalas are sacred symbolic images traditionally used in Buddhism and Hinduism as aids for meditation. Mandalas have come into wider use in the West for healing, for spirituality, for art.
When His Holiness the Dalai Lama was in San Francisco, to honor his esteemed presence, the Asian Art Museum had a Tibetan cultural exhibit that was truly wonderful. One of the most moving aspects of the exhibit was the creation of an intricate, mosaic-like sand mandala by two Tibetan monks over a period of several days. Most astonishingly, at the end of the exhibit, the monks took the gorgeous, multihued masterpiece and simply threw it into the wind at Ocean Beach. We Westerners were thunderstruck. How could they possibly destroy this beautiful, spiritual art piece that took so long to create? The monks were quite jolly about it, laughing a lot and seeming quite unconcerned. They explained to the confused onlookers that “all of life is ephemeral and this act emphasizes nonattachment.” While the sands are now mixed into the sands of the entire world, the wisdom associated with it has remained.
This six-step ritual taught by the Dalai Lama and his Tibetan monks has been handed down through centuries in the Himalayas. The process for making sand mandalas is a reflection of the concept of the “sacred circle.” These mandalas are actually a way of “initiating” large groups of people, as the monks believe that Buddha intended enlightenment for all beings.
Rings have been a meaningful adornment from the times of the ancient Egyptians, through the age of the Greeks, and continuing into today. Throughout time, rings have served as mere decoration, they have indicated rank, and rings have also symbolized deeper meanings such as eternity, reincarnation, energy, unity, power, and, safety. If a sing is set with a stone, it can bind you with the energy of that stone. Some Native Americans wear turquoise, and that power doubles when the stone is set in a ring. Some even interpret the presence of a ring in a dream as representing a desire for reconciliation of the different parts of your personality. The use of amber in a ring can help deepen a friendship if two amber rings are exchanged between friends.
The way you wear a ring—on which hand and on which finger—affects your energy. The bottom of the ring setting should be open, allowing the stone to be closer to your skin. Thumb rings have become a popular trend, but they block the energy of the thumb, awakening egoism and selfishness.
Wearing the correct gem on your index finger can help you achieve your goals. Lapis lazuli can help you gain wisdom. Pearl, moonstone, or garnet will help you better to love yourself and others. Carnelian is for those who want success. Sodalite chrysocolla, or turquoise can help quiet and calm the mind.
Idea, insight, and intuition are associated with your middle finger, and you should only wear stones of it if you want to receive psychic input from the world around you. Sapphire or quartz crystal will help you access your higher good and understand your life purpose. Amethyst will help increase sensitivity and creativity. Rubies awaken inner and outer beauty.
Obviously, the ring finger on the left hand symbolizes a direct connection to your heart and serves as the love center. The ring finger also symbolizes creativity, and wearing an emerald will inspire ingenuity. Wearing tiger’s-eye or cat’s-eye will also help you meet creative goals. Wearing turquoise on this finger helps with practicality in your work and art. Traditionally, diamonds are worn on the left ring finger for deep and loyal love ties. A moonstone will also express your love. An opal shows service to your community and to the world. A ruby helps with serenity—both within and without.
Last, and certainly not least, the right gem on your little finger can help you change the direction of your whole life! Wearing aventurine can bring new energy and prospects into your life. Turquoise can help you unwind and simplify. Pearls will help you achieve better organizational habits.
Because the left hand is the receptive hand, gems to awaken and release emotions should be worn on it. Career-related and lift-goal gems should be worn on the right, or projective hand.
In Norse mythology, the sun and moon were created by benevolent gods to bring light to a dark world. The Norse gods placed the sun and the moon in chariots that flew across the sky, shedding light on the entire world. However, the hungry Fenris Wolf chased the sun and, every once in a while, caught up with it and devoured it, which darkened the sky. When the sun began to burn the insides of the wolf, he would cough it back into the sky. This, according to Nordic folklore, is how eclipses happen.
Eclipses are celestial events that still fascinate us, and you can easily gather a group together for a ritual. Invite enough people to form two circles. Twenty is ideal so you have ten in each circle. Ask half of the people to wear all gold and the other half to wear all black. Those in black are the Fenris Wolves who will eat the sun, represented by those in gold. For safety, everyone needs to wear their best UV protection sunglasses (in gray, brown, or green) to safeguard their eyes.
Well in advance of the eclipse, form the circles and tell the story of the Fenris Wolf. Ask other people if they have any experiences of past eclipses that they can share with the group. Ten minutes before the eclipse begins, have the gold group form a circle around the black group. Direct the two circles to walk, dance, or move in opposite directions. Five minutes before the eclipse begins, have the black group move outside the gold circle and have the gold circle sit down.
When I was at a retreat in Mendocino, California, I witnessed people barking, howling, and moaning to express their roles and the immense power of this imminent heavenly happening. During the actual event, however, everyone will grow silent and experience the extraordinary power of this rare and sacred heavenly moment. As always, people should only look at the sun through special filters. The best way to experience this ritual is to sit with eyes closed and feel its immensity.
In about ten minutes, as the eclipse is occurring, the black- garbed folks should walk away one by one at least ten feet and sit in a circle. When the gold circle is the only group left, the symbolism is the full reappearance of the sun.
When people begin to stir and want to talk, ask everyone to share what came to mind. People often have amazing insights and visions during eclipses. Document these “eclipse epiphanies,” if possible, and remember to include them in your storytelling for the next solar eclipse ritual.
This stripy green stone belonged to the Greek goddess Venus. The Greeks believed it had major magical powers when set in copper jewelry. The Romans switched things around a bit and turned malachite over to Juno, cutting it into triangular shapes to indicate her sacred peacock symbol. My favorite bit of malachite lore is that drinking from a goblet cut from this stone supposedly gave the imbiber understanding of the language of animals!
Use this stone to get in contact with your guardian angel. The lore about this sky blue stone is that it is a star seed from the Pleiades and that those 100 million geodes were sent to Earth. It is a truth-telling crystal, rendering anyone holding it unable to tell lies.
Angelite is a condensed form of celestite with a highly unusual pattern of striping that looks like angel wings. Both forms of the magical stone will put you in touch with spirits and helpful energies from the angelic realm.
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 Silver, shield and encircle me. Blessed be.”
To begin using your magical powers, you must first set the stage, the perfect environments 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 your 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:
* For creativity: amazonite, aventurine, carnelian, chrysolite, chrysoprase, citrine, green tourmaline, malachite, yellow fluorite
* For intuition: amethyst, azurite, celestite, lapis lazuli, moonstone, selenite, smoky quartz, sodalite, star sapphire, yellow cacite
* For love: amethyst, aventurine, magnetite, rhodochrosite, rose quartz, twinned rock crystal
* For prosperity: bloodstone, carnelian, citrine, dendritic agate, diamond, garnet, hawk’s-eye, moss agate, peridot, ruby, tiger’s-eye, topaz, yellow sapphire
* For self-assurance: azurite, chalcedony, chrysocolla, green tourmaline, hematite, rutilated quartz, tiger’s-eye
* For serenity: amber, aventurine, blue jade, dioptase, Herkimer diamond, jasper, kunzite, moonstone, onyx, peridot, quartz, rhodonite
* For success: carnelian, obsidian, quartz, selenite, sodalite, topaz
* For vigor: agate, aventurine, bloodstone, calcite, chalcedony, citrine, dioptase, emerald, garnet, orange calcite, ruby, topaz
* For wisdom: emerald, fluorite, Herkimer diamond, moldavite, serpentine, yellow calcite
Important tools used in magic rituals, cauldrons are typically iron kettles. You can make a symbolic cauldron, however, out of any concave or bowl-like object, such as a large stone or crystal geode.
A talisman is decorative object, or objet, that also provides protection and has magical properties. A talisman can be any article or symbol that you believe has mystical qualities. As we know, many gems and crystals have special innate powers. With a talisman, the special powers can be naturally present or instilled during a ritual. People often confuse amulets with talismans, but they differ in this significant way: Amulets positively protect the wearer from harm, evil, and negativity. Talismans actively transform the wearer to have certain powers. For example, the supernatural sword Excalibur, imbued with supremacy by the Lady of the Lake, gave King Arthur magical powers.
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!
