Magical Properties of Stones and Crystals

[Mystic Wolf]

Magical Properties of Stones and Crystals
www.bardwood.com/stones.htm

This essay on stones is a work in progress and will be updated from time to time as my own studies of metaphysical mineralogy continue and as I work with the stones in the wand shop. It is by no means exhaustive or even expert but is intended to help wand customers consider stones for their wands. Listed are the stones we tend to have in stock. Others can often be sought-out from vendors. Precious stones are not used in our wands because they are very expensive and difficult to set well in wood. The following brief descriptions are adapted from Conway, Melody, and other sources.

Some of the massive stones (as distinct from crystals) can be found cut and polished into points. They are sometimes made into massage wands, which are usually a bit too large for use as a wand point. The principal crystals used as points are Amethyst, Quartz in its varieties, and Citrine. If you are interested in a point of some other mineral, inquire about availability and I will have a look around.

The photographs provided are examples only and have been swiped from all over the internet, primarily our suppliers. Copyright infringement complaints should be addressed to Mr. Death Bredon Mephistopheles, Esq. in our legal department.

Agate

A type of quartz known as chalcedony with banded patterns of color. Almost any color can be found but often a dark brown with white or reddish bands is found. There are many varieties (see following). To agate has been attributed powers of protection, victory, attracting love, promoting fertility in crops, turning away lightning or evil spirits, finding buried treasure, curing insomnia, and giving pleasant dreams. Agate is said to reverse the energy flow of any chakra, thus removing blockages and illness. It gives strength to the mind and body, increases balance, and is useful when sudden bursts of energy are needed. It has been said to be useful in promoting marital fidelity and also in strengthening sight, analytical abilities, and perception.

Moss Agate

Dark green in color. The Greek Orpheus said that to wear moss agate was to receive divine favor. To it is attributed powers of eloquence and persuasion, fertility, and eternal life. It is associated with Taurus and Venus, and also Gemini. Moss agate is one of the most powerful healing stones. It protects and enhances the aura and aids in opening the "third eye." Useful for meditation, scrying, astral travel, and speaking with spirit guides. Well-suited for spells of wealth, happiness, long life, and finding friends.

Tree Agate

This variety of agate is usually white with black, brown, red or green branchlike inclusions. It is a particularly druidic variety of agate because of its association with trees. An idea reservoir stone for a wand intended for use in green magic related to agriculture, horticulture, arboriculture, or the preservation of the natural world. Forest magic and enchantments associated with the wilderness and its qualities find a powerful aid in tree agate.

Amber

Not a mineral, but fossilized tree sap, Amber is not readily employed in our wands because it is hard to find in round shapes and is very fragile. A good substitute, from the standpoint of appearance is Honey Calcite (see Calcite below). Amber is, however, widely used in jewelry and highly prized for its connection to the ancient primeval forests. Famously, insects from the Jurassic and earlier ages have been preserved in amber from the trees of that far-gone epoch.

Amethyst

Purple or lilac in color and translucent, amethyst is traditionally given the power to avert intoxication. It is said to protect against evil sorcery and bring success and good luck. A powerful healing crystal, it calms mental disorders, purifies the blood, and balances all chakras. It is associated with the third eye, clairvoyance, prescience, and the ability to cut through illusions. Amethyst is especially suited to wandwork focused on spells of transmutation and transformation.

Aventurine

A dark Green type of quartz, sometimes called Indian Jade, it is a fortuitous stone used to release anxieties and inspire positive attitudes, good health, and independence. Linked strongly to Elemental Earth, it gives balance and calm. It is protective and can bring good luck in gambling, and enhances creative visualization, writing, art, and music. Attracts prosperity and love, and unexpected adventures or incidents.

Bloodstone

Green stone with red flecks like blood, this is another form of chalcedony, an opaque green jasper. Its old name was Heliotrope, signifying the turning of the sun. It is said to link the root and heart chakras, stimulating kundalini. It guards one against deceptions and preserves health. It creates prosperity and abundance and strengthens self-confidence. Also can lengthen life, give fame, and invisibility, remove obstacles, control spirits, cause storms, and help in court cases. In healing, it can purify the blood, remove toxins, and renew friendships or love.

 

Calcite

A soft stone, easily scratched, but lustrous in green, pink, blue, and many other colors, including the beautiful amber "Honey" calcite. The famous Carrara marble of Italy is composed of calcite. It helps clear negative energies from the environment and the body intensifies clarity and attracts love. Calcite helps soothe and calm the nerves, permitting one to focus one's attention more clearly. This makes it a particularly desirable stone for use in wand reservoirs.

Carnelian

An orange or reddish form of chalcedony, related to sard, bloodstone, and moss agate. Traditionally used to protect against the "evil eye," carnelian is said to fulfill all desires. It speeds all manifestations, revitalizes and aligns the physical and spiritual bodies, strengthens concentration, increases the sense of self-worth, brings career success, and balances creative and organizational abilities.

Citrine Points

The clear, pale yellow variety of quartz which can be used in rounded forms for reservoir stones and in crystal form as wand points. The points, as shown at left, are usually white and golden yellow. A highly solar stone, ruled by the constellation Scorpio, it is used as a talisman against intoxication, evil thoughts, overindulgence, snakes, plagues, and epidemics. It is useful for aligning one's ego with one's Higher Self, and for giving clarity of thought. Citrine has the power to strengthen one's ability to deal with difficult karma and opens channels of intuition. It may increase one's motivation and creative energy. Finally, it is a good stone for spells of prosperity. Usually, citrine points are in their natural state and irregular in shape. Occasionally, I can find one that has been cut and polished.

Clear Citrine

At left is clear natural citrine which I use from time to time in the reservoirs of wands. It is more transparent than quartz crystal and more brilliant. When subjected to heat, citrine turns more golden in color, but the natural, untreated stone is clear. Natural citrine points can also be found. It is said to transmute all negative energies rather than absorb them.

 Fluorite

More soft and breakable than quartz, translucent with brownish, golden, green, purple, or bluish stripes, fluorite is connected to Pisces and Capricorn, and grounds excess energy, mental, emotional, or nervous. A powerful healing stone for all chakras, and good for cleansing the aura, fluorite also aids communication with fairies and nature spirits. It enhances the understanding of abstract concepts, meditation, and study in general. It is an all-purpose amplifier of etheric energies.

Hematite

A dark iron-gray stone with a metallic luster exhibits a blood-red color when powdered. Sacred to Mars, hematite has been worn to gain favorable hearings or judgments, to win petitions before those in authority, and to protect warriors. Associated with Aries and Aquarius, it energizes the etheric body and gives optimism, will, and courage. It repels negativity and gives strength to the physical and astral bodies.

Jade

Best known as apple green, jade can also be white, pink, yellow, black, gray, or brown. There are actually two different kinds of stone called jade: jadeite and nephrite. Associated with Aries, Gemini, and Libra, jade strengthens the heart, kidneys, and immune system. It increases fertility, balances emotions, dispels negativity, and gives courage and wisdom. Green jade is famous for producing vivid and accurate dreams.

Jasper

A variety of chalcedony that is massive and fine-grained, it may take many colors, but is often red. When combined with hematite, it is called Jaspillite. Bloodstone is a variety of jasper. Good for weather working, especially bringing rain, and for curing snakebite. Healing for stomach ailments, jasper balances all chakras, stabilizes energy, protects from negativity, drives away evil spirits, hallucinations, and nightmares, and is generally a grounding stone. It builds up steady energy for long periods of time.

Lapis Lazuli

Not a single mineral but a magical combination of dark blue Lazurite, Hauynite, Sodalite, Diopside, white streaks of calcite, and specks of gold pyrite. Sacred to the Egyptian goddess Isis and associated with the throat chakra, it is useful for removing painful memories from the astral body or aura. Lapis lazuli is ruled by the planet Jupiter and is a stone of good fortune. It helps release tension and anxiety, increases mental clarity, creativity, and clairvoyance, helps overcome depression, and aids communication with spirit guides.

 

Malachite

Relatively soft, dark green stone with swirls and stripes of lighter green, malachite's color comes from copper. Reputed to confer the ability to understand animal languages, it is also valued as a protective stone, revitalizing to the body and mind. It repels evil spirits, inspires tolerance and flexibility, opens communication, and stabilizes energy. It is an excellent stone for creating through magical manifestation, strengthening intuition and the power of transformation. Malachite acts as a psychic mirror, amplifying the energy one projects into it and drawing one into other worlds in meditation.

Moonstone

Known for its luminescent sheen, moonstones are used in jewelry and range in color quite a bit. They can be milky white or pale pinkish in color. Aside from obvious associations with the Moon and the many deities which have been the personification of Earth's moon, it is particularly associated with the goddess Omulan or Rhianna, in the Elvish pantheon. According to the wise ones at Crystalshop.com in Australia, moonstone is "balancing, introspective, reflective and lunar. The energy relates to 'new beginnings. A stone of hoping and wishing that allows one to absorb that which is needed from the universe. A stone of feeling, emotion. Travel protection."

Onyx

A type of chalcedony similar to agate, except that it has straight rather than curved bands of color. Sacred to Saturn and Earth, onyx balances male and female polarities give spiritual inspiration, and helps face past life problems and transformational challenges. It protects against black magic, and evil spirits, and aids communication with spirits.

 

Black or White Onyx

When most people think of onyx, they think of the pure black variety often seen in jewelry. Black (pictured here) deflects negative energy. White onyx expands the imagination. According to the folks at Crystalshop.com, black onyx "can be used to banish grief, to enhance self-control, to stimulate the power of wise decision-making, and to encourage happiness and good fortune. It helps one to absorb, from the universe, those energies which are needed." Black onyx looks very similar to jet and to obsidian.

Quartz Crystal

Perhaps the most generally powerful magical amplifier, quartz crystals are the most common stones for wand points. When rounded, however, they also make excellent reservoir stones. In fact, amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, and aventurine all belong to the quartz family, but the so-called Rock Crystal is colorless and transparent. It generates an electric charge when heated or placed under strain. Crystal balls are, of course, used for scrying, and ceremonial magicians have long used quartz points on their wands as magical amplifiers and aids to concentration. Ruled by the Moon, quartz crystal is excellent for meditation and communication with spirit guides, telepathy, clairvoyance, and visualization. For more on Quartz crystal in all its varieties see the Jewelry Art website.

Rose Quartz

Pink quartz is called the "love stone" and aids in healing emotions. It aids in the development of compassion and love and reduces stress and anxiety. Enhances creativity and self-confidence through connection to the True Self. Connected specifically to the heart chakra, though by some linked also to the crown chakra and the pure celestial love accessible there. Excellent for healing emotional wounds. An ideal reservoir stone for a wand that will primarily be used for love spells and healing.

Smoky Quartz

Grayish brown quartz which aids in discrimination aids meditation by grounding and centering. It breaks up blocks and negativity, strengthens dream awareness, and aids contact with nature spirits. Very dark smoky quartz, called morion or cairngorm, is connected to the root chakra and helps transform dreams into reality. It is often a much more powerful magical stone than clear quartz.

Rutilated Quartz

Clear quartz contains thin threads of gold or titanium or asbestos, sometimes called "Venus hair" or "Thetis hair" stones. The rutile’s are said to augment the transmission power and energy of the quartz. Associated with Gemini and Taurus, it enhances life energy, increases clairvoyance, transmutes negative energy, aids in communication with one's Higher Self, and increases the efficacy of magick. It is especially enchanting when light falls through the rutile needles in the stone.

Tourmalinated Quartz

Clear quartz with inclusions of black tourmaline, it is considered to have doubled the power of clear crystal. Sometimes associated with Libra, it balances all extremes and is a powerful grounding and protective stone. Tourmaline is a stone considered to be an aid to seership among shamans. It attracts inspiration and diminishes fear.

Rhodonite

A pink or rose stone with thin veins or patches of gray or black, it is a good stress-reducer, calming the mind, and enhancing energy levels of both body and mind. It has the property of deterring unwanted interruptions on the physical or astral planes. Aids in keeping one's temper and reaching one's maximum potential. Quoting the dear wise folks at Crystalshop.com again, Rhodonite "activates and energizes the heart chakra and conveys the resonance of unconditional love to the physical plane. Dispels anxiety and promotes coherence, observational abilities, and attention to detail."

Serpentine

Striking green stone with light and dark hues and white or black speckles, relatively soft, associated with Scorpio, serpentine increases wisdom and self-restraint. It is said to protect against venom and has many of the same properties as green jade (see above). It is used to clear the channel of kundalini in the chakras in the Hindu tantric mysticism. I've recently discovered a striped type of serpentine from China. Very lovely and evocative of the layers of reality expressed in the chakras.

Tiger's-Eye

A variety of chalcedony or quartz with silky chatoyancy, yellow and golden-brown stripes. Associates with Capricorn and Leo, the tiger's-eye is a powerfully protective stone, balancing emotions, and giving clear insight. It grounds and centers the user and strengthens the magical will. It also brings good luck and aids in seeing the truth. Especially good for protection against the Dark Arts.

Turquoise

A massive stone, not a crystal, turquoise varies in color. Sky blue, or greenish-blue and sacred to the Egyptian goddess Hathor, it is a powerful stone for weather working, protection, and prosperity. It has the power to build bridges between worlds, and is a stone of knowledge and seeking, highly prized among the Navaho of the American southwest. It is sacred also to the Elvish androgyne God Lir and so powerful for protection in astral travel and in communication, particularly articulation and expression of emotions, creativity, and intuition.