Binding Prosperity To You: Conjuring Cords

For binding something or someone to you, try this spell during the waxing full moon. To rid yourself of something undesirable, embark on this cord magic during the waning or new moon. Once you have finished, the cords should be given back to the earth by burying them in the ground or tossing them into a body of water, preferably a river. You will need cords or sturdy string in an array of colors. For prosperity, hold a green or gold thread in both hands and envision your desire.

    Begin tying knots when you chant: 

    By knot of one, my charms begun, by two, my charms come true, 

    By knot of three, my desire is free, 

    By four, I shall have more, 

    By knot of five, I will thrive, 

    By six, ill fortune I nix, 

    By know of seven, to Jove in heaven, So mote it be.

Most people don’t realize that the classic charm bracelet is decorated with magical symbols representing the wearer’s wishes. For wealth, wear a Roman coin on your bracelet; for love, try a heart. 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 sacred pentagram. To instill the ring with protective power, clasp it over your heart and call out:

    Into this ring, is safety, security, and the power of protection.

    Guardian energy, be here now!

    And so it is.

Apatite

Here is a stone about which little is known. Apatite gets its name from the Greek word apat, meaning “deceit,” which is not so much a denigration of the stone itself but an expression that comes in a vast array of green, yellow, violet, white, and brown colors that can easily confuse it with other like-colored crystals. Adding to the confusion is its varying opacity, from completely clear to milky. This stone is common to the Americas, Norway, southern India, and Russia. Beneficial for hand-eye coordination and motor skills, apatite works best if you wear it in earrings or a thumb ring. If you are learning a new computer program or taking a painting or piano class, wear apatite to pick up the skills quickly.

DIY Magic Bottles

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.

Talismans

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!

Rune Stones

Moonstone is reputed to be the most powerful crystal for use in rune stones, the tools used for a specialized form of divination. Runes, or letters from a language used by early Nordic peoples, are carved into the stones and are said to hone and intensify the intuition of the reader divining the future from them. You, too, can use a bag of lustrous and mysterious moonstones to get in touch with your powers of perception. While others throw the I Ching or read their horoscopes with their morning coffee, you can pull a rune and contemplate its meaning for your day.

On the Rise with Rose

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 side of the color spectrum contain life’s energy and can help you become more motivated, more energetic, and more vibrant, and also give you and appealing aura. 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.

Stones for Success

If you are needing to up your ambition, these are the stones to paving the path to prosperity for everyone:

Azurite strengthens mental powers

Chalcedony gives you get-up-and-go!

Emerald aids in problem solving

Opal encourages faithful service

Pearl engenders material wealth

Quartz helps overcome fear of rejection

Sapphire helps with goal setting

Tourmaline promotes an attitude of accomplishment

Scorpio, Second Half: November 7-November 21

Rhodochrosite is the precious soul stone for later Scorpios. Once called rosinca, or Inca rose, this pink beauty takes its color from iron, magnesium, and calcium. Rhodochrosite corresponds to the planets Mars, Pluto, and the Moon. The gem is formed over a very long period of time under relatively gentle geological circumstances and therefore has a gentle energy that calms the volcanic passions and anger that commonly erupts in Scorpios. As mentioned previously,

Scorpios carry so much under the surface in silence. This gem can enable you to express your feelings healthily.

Everybody thinks of amethyst as the February crystal for Aquarians and Pisceans, but it is also the power stone for second-half Scorpios. The purple color related to the purple planet, Pluto. Amethyst can open the love vibration for individuals ruled by this most misunderstood and enormously powerful water sign. Wearing amethyst jewelry and keeping chunks of amethyst crystal in the home and workplace can reveal the sweet, funny, smart, approachable, and lovable side of Scorpios, offering them a much greater chance for happiness.

Scorpios have their heart stone in the very available quartz crystal. Quartz is a tremendous healer, and so are Scorpios, though they rarely receive credit for this latent talent. When a Scorpio puts her mind to something, nothing can stand in the way! By acknowledging and utilizing the healing power of quartz crystal, Scorpios can use their personal power for the good of others and greatly benefit. Surround yourself with this inexpensive heat crystal and feel the love.

Sagittarius, First Half: November 22-December 5

Tourmaline—specifically the multihued specimen known as melonstone, which is pinkish red with a blue-green stripe—is the precious soul stone for the Jupiter-ruled Sagittarians. Individuals under this fire sign are lively and very action-oriented, and tourmaline, which readily gives off an electrical charge when warmed, can match and propel their energy. Tourmaline is the stone for adventurers and explorers. Get some today and hit the road, dear Sag.

Amber is the power stone for early Sagittarians. This rock formed from fossilized tree sap and resin, an organic crystal. Amber was thought by the ancients to have trapped the sun, and it was called electron by the Greeks, who observed its negative electrical charge. Even wildly active Sagittarians should wear this stone only on special occasions. It keeps energy cycling within, which is good, but it can have a weakening effect if worn all the time. Amber helps performers; actors and musicians swear by it.

Chrysocolla is the heart stone for first-half Sagittarians. Either blue or green, this copper-rich crystal is one of great life-giving vibrancy. Sagittarians always have many irons in many fires and often burn up their energy in typical fire-sign style. Chrysocolla can help prevent this and help Sagittarians direct their energy toward more purposeful and heartfelt pursuits.

Sagittarius, Second Half: December 5-December 20
Tourmaline is also the soul stone for later-born Sagittarians. (See “Sagittarius,

First Half,” above.)

Turquoise is this group’s power stone. The rock has a rich and colorful history and was valued in the extreme by Persians, Egyptians, Mexicans, Bedouin, Chinese, Tibetans, Native Americans, and Turks. Turquoise is associated with horses and riders; Sagittarius is the centaur of the zodiac—half man and half horse. Once revered as the eye of Ra, the Egyptian sun-god, turquoise lends sight and aids in travel. Wearing this stone will help people born in this part of the year to find their purpose and harness the passion and vision to see it through.

The heart stone for second-half Sagittarians is bornite, a burnished red rock of copper and iron. Bornite used to be called peacock ore because of its impressive iridescent coloration. It is a very powerful energy crystal. Although it is not widely known, Sagittarians can be indecisive, and this stone abets them in overcoming that. This is also a stone of justice; Jupiter-ruled Sagittarians are lovers of justice.

Capricorn, First Half: December 21-January 6

Topaz in any of its color incarnations is the soul stone for early Capricorns. Topaz gained its name from sailors who found it while exploring the desert island upon which they were shipwrecked. They named both the stone and the island Topazos, translating to mean “lost and then found.” With Topaz, ambitious Capricorns will leave no stone unturned in the path to glory.

For power stones, first-half Goats have both lazulite and jet, gems that have a dark and shadowy appearance representative of Saturn, Capricorn’s ruling planet. Jet is one of the oldest stones known to man, fitting with the longevity of the slow and steady Capricorns, reputed to grow more youthful as they get older. Wear jet to live long and prosper!

Citrine and smoky quartz are the heart stones for this sector of the zodiac and will ground this hardworking earth sign. Keep citrine at your place of work and wear citrine rings and necklaces frequently to remain in touch with your feelings.

Capricorn, Second Half: January 7-January 19

Tanzanite is the sacred soul stone for these Capricorns. A gorgeous purple stone found in 1967 Tanzania, it corresponds to the ruling planet of Saturn. Appropriately regal and rare, it is as serious as the sign it signifies. For important meetings and moments in your life, a tanzanite jewel will make you a shining star!

Lucky Goats in the latter half of Capricorn get to have lapis lazuli as their talismanic power crystal. This crystal was absolutely revered by the Egyptians and other Mesopotamian cultures. A bright blue, this stone connotes wisdom, accomplishment, and value. I highly suggest lots of lapis boxes, jewelry, and figurines for full steam ahead.

Rock crystal is a most practical heart stone for these Capricorns. Know as the salt of the earth, this form of quartz is fairly common but is also perhaps the single most effective and most often used stone in magic. I have been seeing rock crystal lamps that give a beautiful flow and pleasurable negative ions. Decorate with these lamps and you’ll go far and feel good with the process.

Aquarius, First Half: January 20-February 3

Olivine is the soul gem of choice for first half Aquarians, and it is a stone with a royal heritage. The Egyptians believed this peridot to be the stone of the gods. The long, convoluted, and quite bizarre history of this stone entirely suits Aquarians, who are ruled by Uranus, the planet of chaos and unexpected change. Wear a dark green olivine on momentous occasions to mark them as special in your life.

Onyx, the deep, dark power stone for early Aquarians, was beloved by peoples of prehistory and by craftsmen of the classical era. Onyx is super for grounding you airy Aquarians! The heart stone for this group is moldavite. With its otherworldly origin as

a meteorite, it is perfect for the Uranian bolt-from-the-blue these scientist- philosophers represent. Moldavite is a mysterious and powerful crystal with many mist-shrouded legends and theories. No doubt, an Aquarius will get to the bottom of them all one day. Moldavite will add to your Aquarian brilliance and boost your personal creativity to new heights.

Aquarius, Second Half: February 4-February 18

Diopside is the beautiful blue soul stone for later-born Aquarians. This stone has ties to both Uranus, the official ruling planet of Aquarius, and Saturn, the sign’s ruler before Uranus was discovered. In 1964, star diopside, an included type, was found; it is a magical and stunningly gorgeous stone that has a quality of electric enlightenment, just like these February-born inventors, artists, and visionary businesspeople.

Late Aquarians have jade for a power stone. It is a universal healer and love stone that can keep these very intellectually oriented people in touch with their hearts and bodies.

The heart stone for second-half Aquarians is charoite, a purple mineral that corresponds with Venus, Saturn, and Uranus. This is a fairly recent rock, perfect for the modern-minded February-born, who are generally fifty years ahead of everyone else. Chaorite was discovered circa 1947 near the Chara River in Russia and was immediately greeted as a very special stone for the new centuries.

Pisces, First Half: February 19-March 4

I have a vested interest in the gem lore regarding Pisces as my birthday is February 19! The sign of the Fishes is affected by the moons of three planets: Triton, Neptune’s largest moon; Io, one of Jupiter’s moons; and our moon here on Earth. Because Pisces is represented by a pair of fish, members of the first half of this sign share two different soul stones. The first is the oceanic blue-green diamond, associated with Neptune, the ruling planet of Pisces. Aquamarine, which relates to all three of the aforementioned moons, is the second soul stone for Fishes. Aquamarine was once believed to be the dried tears of sea nymphs. It is the purest, most harmonious energy-enhancing stone for Pisceans; wear it and you will stay in the swim.

For their power talisman, early Pisceans have a mutable rock, smithsonite, a soft, calcium-based stone that comes in a variety of lovely pastel colors. It is a stone for creativity, the bailiwick of this sign. Keep smithsonite at your easel, drawing table, or writing desk.

Opal fossils, the heart stones for these sensitive people, are ancient fragments that crystallized and achieved iridescence through an accumulation of water and minerals over time. Pisces is, of course, a water sign and is also associated with history and deep, old wisdom.

Pisces, Second Half: March 4-March 19

The soul gem for the very end of the zodiac is kunzite, a very lovely lilac-rose- colored stone that was discovered at the very beginning to the twentieth century, about one minute ago in geological terms. Before the planet Neptune was discovered, Pisces shared its former ruling planet, Jupiter, with Sagittarius; kunzite is Jovian (relating to Jupiter) gem. It is a sensitive stone, which befits a sensitive people. Kunzite will help you face this pressure-filled world and stay above the fray with grace.

The power stone for late Pisces is the chrysoprase, a gem that has been revered throughout the ages. Chrysoprase was assigned sovereignty and utilized by high priests of nearly every era. This crystal is perfect for the sign that can attain the highest level of spiritual evolution. With chrysoprase, you can help others and yourself through soul attunement.

Late Pisceans can count as their heart stone the all-purpose fluorite, which comes in a rainbow of colors corresponding to the rainbow gills of fish. This stone is found all over our planet and is so universally helpful that it presents a solid foundation for gentle Pisceans. Fluorite at home and work will add comfort and grace to your space.

Labradorescence: Activate Your Third Eye

Labradorite is a stunning stone with a lovely iridescence. As a magpie who is attracted to shiny objects, it grabs my attention every time. It can look as dull as dirt until you give it a closer examination; then you can see the glow under the surface. When cut and polished, it is fascinating and gorgeous, with an impressive light show including yellows, oranges, blues, and violets. In fact, the special play of light and color across the surface is called labradorescence. The effect is caused by lamellar intergrowths, which were produced inside the crystal while the crystal formed during a shift of temperature from extremely high to very low. Named for the place it was first found, Labrador, this loveliest of shiny objects can also be found in India, Finland, Russia, Newfoundland, and Madagascar.

As you might guess, this bluish feldspar is a soul stone with a very powerful light energy. It abets astral travel, the higher mind, and intelligence and is a favorite of mystics.

It brings up nothing but the positive for the brain and consciousness and excises the lower energies of anxiety, stress, and negative thoughts. It is an aura cleanser and balancer. Labradorite, which used to be called spectrolite, also protects against aura leakage. This is a crystal to hold and keep with your during meditation for psychic flashes, much like the flashes of light from within the stone.

I had no idea that it is also a stone that awakens psychic powers and activates your third eye until I learned this from the great teacher Scott Cunningham. Even a small piece of this special crystal will work. Take the crystal and hold it to the center of your forehead with both hands. Speak aloud:

Artemis, Astarte, Athena, Circe—fill me with your power, 

On this day, I ask you lend me your seer’s vision.

I stand at the threshold in this holy hour.

And so it is. Great goddesses; I am grateful.

Spellbinding Kisses – A Ritual for Romance

A remarkable kiss is a gateway to ecstasy. A kiss provokes the senses, excites the heart, and offers the singular gift of yourself. Here is a list of kisses from the Indian book of love, the Kama Sutra:

Bent kiss – the classic movie-style smooch where the lovers lean into each other.

Throbbing kiss – touches your lover’s lips with her tongue and places her hands on her lover’s hands.

Turned kiss – One kisser turns up the face of the beloved by holding the head and chin before bestowing affection.

Pressed kiss – One lover from below touches the lower lip with both lips.

Greatly pressed kiss – taking the lip between two fingers, touching the lip with the tongue, then applying great pressure with lips upon lips in an emphatic kiss.