Pyrolusite

This stone has an attractive and dramatic name, from the Greek words pyr (fire) and lousis (washing). The ancients must have thought pyrolusite looked as if it had been washed by fire. Pyrolusite is the thin, fan-shaped black-and-white oxide of manganese usually found at the bottom of a bog or on the ocean floor. It can also grow in the cracks between rocks, in which case it forms lovely, fern-like dendrite crusts.

Pyrolusite is amazing for transformation. It helps get rid of buried emotions and anything that might be interfering with spiritual growth. Pyrolusite will get to the root of a problem and dislodge it. This rock defends the etheric body, or aura, from negative energy and bad energy. Pyrolusite is also good for the metabolism and is helpful for treating bronchitis. Pyrolusite is a stabilizing stone that is excellent for relationships and stimulates the sensual side of life. It is a stone favored by shamans.

Tips ’n’ Tricks: Opal Fire Power

Opal is best worn as a pinkie ring. It is also a popular engagement ring, as it is a symbol of faithfulness and is effective in bringing stability and longevity to relationships. Fire opal is good for business by promoting positive action and prosperity. Hold your opal in your right hand and your wishes will be granted!

Chalcedony

This member of the quartz family is also a gem family in and of itself, including cat’s-eye, tiger’s-eye, jasper, onyx, agate, and carnelian. It is a fine-grained and multihued type of silica mineral quartz with a waxy patina. Chalcedony most commonly occurs in a white, gray, yellow, brown, or light tan form known as chert. It is the result of silica’s replacing the original organic material—sea sponges, fish, plants, or wood from trees. Some spectacular chert specimens are the petrified trees in Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park; their brilliant reds and greens are due to the traces of iron contained within, giving them an otherworldly effect. 

As chalcedony is actually a stone from some of Earth’s earliest living things, it has been with us since man’s earliest days and has been used in tools and as adornment. It is still actively produced in South America, primarily in Uruguay and Brazil, as well as in the southwest part of Africa. Known as the stone of brotherhood, chalcedony was sacred to Native Americans and was a powerful stone used to unite tribes in holy ceremonies. It is a stone of stability, kindness, endurance, and balance and is said to create peace. Chalcedony engenders a desire for introspection and can help overcome low self-esteem and bring about enthusiasm for a new lease on life. This star-powered crystal can also prevent loss of mental faculties as your age. Keep your memory intact with chalcedony!

This crystal is best if you wear it in a ring, a necklace, or a belt. It is a cleansing stone and can even assist you with healing your skin. Chalcedony is most unusual in that it doesn’t have to be cleansed after each use. It absorbs negative energy and is a protector; exposure to ultraviolet light will increase these cleansing powers. An old wives’ tale (literally) is that chalcedony promotes both lactation and the maternal instinct and is, therefore, a mother’s stone. The ancient Egyptians recorded many medicinal formulas made up of powdered chalcedony. Don’t drink it, however; wear it to stay smart and soothe your soul and your skin.

Thrice-Blessed Crystals

You can perform a blessing on a single stone and keep it with you at all times. I keep an amethyst crystal chunk on my bed stand and another one that is a candleholder in my office. As a Pisces, I want my birthstone energy with me for strength, stability, and a love connection with the universe.

Choose a crystal to become your touchstone. Begin charging your crystal on your altar during a full moon. Light a white candle for purification and then place your hands on the stone. Chant thrice:

“Goddess of Night, moon of this night,
Fill my stone with your white light.
Instill this stone with your magic and might;
Surround it with your loving sight.
So mote it be.”

Perform this spell three nights in a row. Then you can begin to draw energy from it. Your sanctified stone will be a source of strength, wisdom, and love you can turn to whenever you are down and in need of a boost. And, best of all, you can take it with you!

Ankle Bracelets and Toe Rings

Bejeweled feet and ankles are very sexy. Jewelry in this area of the body is also grounding and stabilizing. If you are dealing with anxiety or substance-abuse issues, wear amethyst around your ankle. If you’re feeling drained of energy, jasper or rock crystal will come in handy. Rhodonite will do the trick if you are feeling disconnected or restless.

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.

Iron Pyrite

Fool’s gold! Some of my friends say I’m a magpie, because I am so attracted to shiny objects. Let’s count fool’s gold, or iron pyrite, among them. I don’t care if it is a hundred times less valuable than actual gold; it is very pleasing to my magpie eyes, and, every time I see it, I want to possess it. You’ll be happy to know that I have restrained myself (often with the help of friends) many times. Fool’s gold is usually the bright metallic yellow of its namesake but can also come in bright green and coppery colors, too. Found in North and South America, it is a crystal that has been mineralized and formed in shiny clusters.

Iron pyrite enables the skin to ward off contaminants. It is good for the respiratory system and is said to aid oxygen flow. It also has a strong connection to the iron levels in the blood and therefore benefits the circulatory system. Most people get relief from digestive aliments, too.

I treasure iron pyrite for its nearly unmatched support for personal mental workings. It boosts creativity, intelligence, logic, and the ability to communicate, while soothing fretfulness and angst. These crystal clusters radiate stability. Native Americans revered iron pyrite as a protective substance. This money-bringing and creativity- boosting stone is a must for the studios and workstations of artists, fashionistas, writers, and anyone whose artistry provides income.

Moon Stone: Personal Power Crystal Blessing

You can perform a blessing on a single stone and keep it with you at all times. I keep an amethyst crystal chunk on my nightstand and another one that is a candleholder in my office. As a Pisces, I want my birthstone energy with me for strength, stability, and a love connection with the universe.

Choose a crystal to become your touchstone. Begin charging your crystal on your altar during a full moon. Light a white candle for purification and then place your hands on the stone. Chant thrice:

Goddess of Night, moon of this night,
Fill my stone with your white light.
Instill this stone with your magic and might;

Surround it with your loving sight. 
So mote it be.

Perform this spell three nights in a row. Then you can begin to draw energy from your personal moon stone. Your sanctified stone will be a source of strength, wisdom, and love you can turn to whenever you are down and in need of a boost. And, best of all, you can take it with you.