Some people have problems with charging candles through energy, visualization, and light.  When you’re new to magick and working with this sort of thing I can completely understand that.  That’s one reason that I’ve started to teach these techniques to those new to the Craft who want to work with candle magick to start because they perceive it as easy and less intimidating than other forms of magick.  And this is certainly true!  We’ve all worked candle magick earlier in our lives as children even though we didn’t really know that was what we were doing.  Think about it; ever make a wish and blow out a candle on a birthday cake?  Voila!  Your first foray into candle magick!  But now it’s time to take the other things we know and build on that.

Charging your candles is very important.  Many people, especially those new to the Craft, have this idea that the tools and implements we use in spells and magick are in and of themselves magickal.  Whether a candle is sold as a “magickal spell candle” or it’s just a taper candle that you picked up at Target you need to put the intention and the real magickal energy into that candle, that tool, in order to get it to work right for you.  There are different ways to do that and here we’ll look at several methods.

There are four specific ways that we can charge a candle:

1. Oils
2. Herbs
3. Crystals
4. Light

Oils
We partially covered this in the post on candle dressing but there is another way to do this too.  The process of rubbing the oils into the candle certainly adds to the energy of the candle, but another way to work with the oil is to pour a fair amount over the candle and allow it to sit for several hours before rubbing the oil into the wax.  This is actually a great way to add oil to candles that are made of materials like beeswax; beeswax candles start off soft and can get even softer when heat from your hands and oil are added to the mix.  By pouring oil onto the wax and letting it sit you’ll give the candle a chance to marinade in the properties of the oil and absorb some of it’s energy.  Then rub in the oil (carefully in the case of beeswax) and move on with your candle dressing.

Herbs
This method is one of my favorites, especially when it comes to candles that will be used in healing work.  For this you will need either a single herb or a combination of corresponding herbs.  I like to use the same herbs for this that I will use to dress the candle with later.  It’s a simple process; take your herbs and charge them and then place them inside a large Mason jar.  The jar needs to be big enough for the candle to be in with the lid closed.  Once your herbs are in there, put your candle inside.  Close the top and give it a good but gentle shake.  If you want to use any powdered herbs or spell powders in your candle work you can use them the same way here.  Just charge them and put them in the jar with the candle.  You’re going to leave this jar on your altar for two days, so you need to prepare this ahead of time and time your magick accordingly.  Each day spend a little time with the jar visualizing your spell and intent while giving it a little shake. When you’re ready to do your spellwork, take out the candle and use those herbs in the jar to dress your candle, or, if you’re not looking to use herbs in the candle dressing, you can use them in other ways in your spell as you see fit.

Crystals
This is another pretty straight forward way to add energy to your candle.  Crystals and candles make great magickal partners.  This involves creating a sort of crystal layout with five stones in the shape of a pentacle.  It might help to have a pentacle tile to lay your candle out on to do this.  What you’ll need to do this are 5 stones that correspond to your intent (ideally they should all be the same type of stone but use what you feel drawn to use).  You’ll also need your candle and you’ll need a place where you have this layout left undisturbed for 1 week.  This one takes the longest so be sure to plan ahead.  Simply place your candle on your altar or work surface and place your crystals around it in the shape of a pentacle.  How you place the stones is up to you, meaning the order of placing each one.  You might want to place them in the manner of drawing an invoking pentagram.  You might want to start with a specific element and lay them out in the manner of an elemental pentagram.  Or you  can just start at the top and work your way around.  Again, do what you feel is right for your purpose.  When the week is up and the time comes to use your candle, pick up the stones and either work them into your spell or cleanse them so you can use them again for another purpose or to charge candles again in the future.

Light
We talked a bit about this in the candle dressing post, but I’ll review it briefly here.  This is a meditation method of charging your candle.  Hold your candle with both hands.  Close your eyes and visualize your intent and give it a color, for example red for passion, pink for love, green for healing, etc.  If you’re not sure what color to use you can use the same color as your candle, but you can also use something else.  For example if you need to do a healing spell right away but don’t have any green or blue candles but you have a white candle you can use the white but then use green or blue light to charge it.  As you hold the candle and visualize the light see it growing around your heart chakra.  Then draw it up through to your chest to your shoulders and then down your arms through your palm chakras in your hands and feel it go into the candle. You may feel the candle start to hum in your hand or, through your mind’s eye, you may see the candle full with colored light and begin to glow.  You’ll know when the time is right to stop.  When you’re done you’re ready to move on to dressing!

Any of these four methods will work well and do the job to charge up any candle to make it ready for your magick.  Try all of them and find the one that works best for you.  You may find that certain ones work better for certain situations or you may develop a combination that works for you.  Experiment and have fun.

Picking Your Stones
Certain crystals or stones have a strong connection to certain elements.  Here is a list of some for each of the four elements and directions.  Pick ones that resonate with you that you feel would work well in your circle.

North: Moss Agate, Emerald, Jet, Black Tourmaline, Bloodstone
East: Topaz, Citrine, Mica, Yellow Fluorite, Stones with rainbows in them
South: Amber, Rhodochrosite, Ruby, Garnet, Opal, Volcanic Rock
West: Amethyst, Aquamarine, Chalcedony, Jade, Lapis Lazuli, Moonstone, Sugilite, Pearl

When you’re trying to decide on which stones to use, pick a few different ones and spend time tuning into each one and meditating on them.  This will help you find the stones that really resonate with you and the elemental energies that you work with.  For example, take a few pieces of jet and a few pieces of moss agate for earth and place them on your altar.  Get yourself into a quiet, meditative state in whatever method you choose.  Pick up the jet pieces and hold them in your hands and tune into their energy.  How do they feel to you?  What images or vibrations do you pick up with them in your hands?  How does your body react to them?  And, most importantly, when you hold them and you focus on the idea of the earth element do they feel comfortable in your hands or do they feel like they don’t “belong” in your hands as you call on this energy?  Do the same with the moss agate stones and then compare your experiences.  Does one feel more “earthy” to you than the other?  Do neither feel right?  Do they both feel right?  If they both fee right to you then pick the one that you personally feel more drawn to or that you just prefer.  If they both feel off in this setting pick some other earth stones and try this exercise again until you find the right stones for you.

Preparing your Stones for Use
The process for preparing your stones here is the same as any other time that you’re going to take some stones and use them for a specific purpose or intent.  Take your time to cleanse and charge them with the intention that they help to draw in the energy of the specific element.  Use whatever methods you’d like for this but remember to take into consideration both the stone you’re using and the element you’re attuning it to.  I like to use the actual element I’m tuning the stones into as part of the process.  I’ll take my earth stone and place it on or in some dirt while charging it; I’ll hold my air stone in incense smoke or put my water stone in some water.  When I charge my fire stone I’ll live it in direct, hot sunlight for a few hours.  This way the stone is soaking in some of the elemental energy directly from the actual element.  For more information on charging and cleansing stones see this previous post from a previous Crystal Wednesday.

Laying Out the Stones
For your circle itself, I recommend using quartz crystals with a single point.  Place them around the edge of your circle leaving a space where the quarters are.  You don’t need a great number of them, only a few will do; I recommend 2 or 3 between each quarter all around your circle.  The diagram below shows how these should be placed.  You want to lay them out on the ground so that they are going in a clockwise direction (naturally if you’re working with a counterclockwise circle you’d have them going in that direction). You want to have the crystals working in the direction that you’re working in since they are there to create a circuit of energy for you.

Once you have done this you’ll want to place 3, 6, or 9 of a chosen stone at each of the quarters.

When placing these stones in your circle you want to place them actually on the circle in line with your quartz stones.  In other words, you want them to be part of the circuit that you’re creating, not separate or removed from it.  So, looking at the diagram above, where you see the S marking the southern quarter, you would place your south stones right between the two quartz points that come before and after the southern point of the circle.

My personal choices for stones for the quarters are bloodstone for the North, citrine for the East, garnet for the South, and aquamarine for the West.

When you’re calling on your element you can pick up the stones and hold them, you can lift them aloft to the elemental energies to call them, or you can direct the elemental energy you’re calling down into the stones as its entry point on the circle and then direct it to join the circuit with the quartz stones.  I do this by using my wand, which has a crystal point on the tip, and doing a full walk of the circle tracing the circle with my wand starting at the quarter stones I have just called and going one full turn around the circle.  So when I call in Earth, after calling the element and directing it to the stones, I point my wand down to the pile of bloodstones I use and then trace the circle clockwise from the North point all the way around the circle and end in the North again.  I do this for all the elements after calling them in and then, once they are all called, I walk the circle one more time like this starting in the North, or in whichever direction I called first, and walk the circle once clockwise to connect everything.

Taking down the Crystal Circle
When I’m done and the time has come to take the circle down, I basically do all of this in reverse.  I go to the West, as this is usually the last quarter called in, pick up the stones, dismiss the energy and water element, place the stones back in the box I keep them in which is at my altar, and then trace the circle once counterclockwise with my wand to break up the connection to the water element.  I do this by visualizing the water energy in the circuit being pulled up through my wand, into my arm, down my body, and finally being grounded into the earth.  I do this for all four quarters and then do one final counterclockwise walk at the end.  I do the rest of my usual uncasting procedures as normal and when I’m all done and the circle is open I pick up the quartz and place them in the box as well.

I recommend trying this and seeing if you feel a difference in how the elements make themselves known in your circle.  You may find that elements that you may have had a hard time calling or connecting to in the past feel stronger or more present now.  You may also find that the feeling of connection between all the elements and their cohesiveness in your circle is more complete with the circuit created with the quartz crystals along the circle.  It’s a great and simple way to make crystals and stones a more active part of your circles and ritual work without making your work specifically about using a certain piece.

This piece of lapis lazuli to the right shows the inclusions of golden pyrite flecks and is a way to tell it apart from sodalite which can often be found with the same deep royal blue colors.

The name sodalite comes from the the Latin “sodalitas” meaning “comrade”.  The stone acts much like a comrade for those who use it as it’s a stone that can bring peace of mind and help heal the heart from fear and worry.  It is a stone that brings balance and reunites thoughts with feelings.  In this way sodalite can be a great stone for placing in rooms where people may be working together on issues that bring up emotions on a deep level but still requires a sense of level-headed rational.

Sodalite is a stone that can also help with bringing things into a state of clear vision, helping to remove illusion from a situation.  When you’re feeling as though someone isn’t being honest with you or if you feel there is more than meets the eye in a certain situation but you can’t seem to put your finger on it you can try the following simple meditation process with a piece of sodalite to help get a better handle on things.

Meditation for Clear Vision
1.  Begin by either holding your piece of sodalite or placing it in your work or meditation space.
2.  Take a moment to let go of any expectations about the meditation as well as letting go of your expectations or thoughts about the situation itself.  Ask yourself why you might be hanging on to any of these expectations rather than seeing the reality of the situation clearly.
3.  Write down the facts that you know to be true about the situation and then your expectations or the things that you feel you perceive about those facts.  List these side by side so that you can see what the reality is of something and then what your expectation or belief about that thing is, basically creating two columns for your list.
4.  Take a moment to look for any patterns.  Do you find that when you’re challenged with a specific type of situation you always react in a certain way?  Take some time to notice those patterns and highlight or mark off those items on your list.
5.  Sit with your sodalite and meditate on these expectations and this reaction pattern.  See if you can gain some insight from the vibration of the stone to help you find ways to clear away those reactions and seek new ways to respond and react to these types of situations or problems.

Another somewhat similar way that sodalite can help us is to remove and ease issues of sensitivity.  If you find in the above exercise that part of your pattern is related to over-sensitivity, this crystal remedy is aimed at healing these issues might be able to help.  (This remedy is meant to be used externally only.)

1.  Take a piece of sodalite and place it ins a glass of spring water along with six drops of frankincense essential oil.
2.  Place the glass in a window where it will get direct sunlight for one full day, allowing the water and the stone to absorb the sun’s energy.
3.  One the following day you can pour your water into a small bottle or jar, with the stone if it will fit (if it doesn’t fit that’s fine too, the energy of the stone is in the water).
4.  Before using your remedy decide which of the chakras is associated with the problem that you’re having.  It could be related to the heart by feeling emotionality sensitive, the solar plexus because of issues with courage, or even the sacral chakra if you’re feeling sexually jaded or vulnerable.
5.  With a little of the water anoint your chosen chakra and say “I bless myself in love and truth and clear the way for clarity to be with me always.”  Do this as part of your daily meditations or as an affirmation as needed until you feel the issue become less difficult to deal with.

Holding sodalite on the third eye during meditation can help to open the third eye chakra as well as give you some relief from thoughts that are over-analytical or overemotional and giving you an opportunity to see things from a bit of a different perspective.   While meditating release those thoughts that are plaguing you and feel the energy of the stone come in through the third eye and then radiate out into the aura, sending that soothing, calming energy through your whole energy body, clearing away stress and bringing balance to your emotions.

Sodalite is a stone that is easy to find and based on the color choices you have available to you you can even pick one that resonates even more deeply with your specific issues making this stone of comradery one that you’ll use time and time again.

Depending on who you ask there are either hard and fast rules to how to work with layouts or it’s all about going with what seems right to you on an intuitive level.  I tend to take a bit of a balanced approach between the two.  I think that it’s good to go with what you feel intuitively drawn to do when working with layouts, but I also feel that creating a system to use as a framework for how you’ll do your layouts helps with the overall process.

Crystal layouts can be used for just about anything; you can use them for directing healing energy to specific areas of the body that are experiencing illness or pain, to balance the chakras, and for healing emotional and spiritual energy around the body and in the aura.  When you’re just getting started and trying to get a feel for how layouts work a simple chakra balancing layout is great to start with.  This is a layout that uses eight stones, one for each of the seven chakras as well as a quartz point as a balancing stone.  If you have been collecting stones for a while chances are you have all you need to get started with already.

Simply pick a stone for each of the seven chakras.  Here are some suggestions and stones I like to use with the chakras, but if you have other stones you have found work well for you, use those.  This is where you can get creative and work with the stones that you personally resonate, so experiment with different stones and crystals; even if they seem really “off” to you there’s a reason that a black stone is calling you and wants to be used on the heart chakra, so give it a try.  You can also refer to this past article on picking stones for specific purposes.

Root: red jasper, garnet, bloodstone
Sacral: carnelian, orange calcite, topaz
Solar Plexus: citrine, tiger’s eye, golden beryl
Heart: rose quartz, jade, rhodonite
Throat: lapis lazuli, kunzite, aquamarine
Third Eye: amethyst, sodalite, azurite
Crown: selenite, celestite, angelite

This layout is just as you would assume; the stone you pick for each chakra is placed on that chakra point on the body.  If you are using this layout for someone else, have them lay down, place the stones on their body, and give them a few moments to let the energy settle in.  Check in with them and see if there are any particular stones that feel hot, cold, heavy, etc.  This will often help to indicate areas that are in need of extra energy and attention.  After determining these areas, if there are any, take the clear quartz point for balancing and hold it in your dominate, projective hand.  Hold it like a wand and point it at the root chakra stone and send the intention through the quartz that the energy from the quartz and the energy from the chakra stone balance and clear the energy of this chakra.  See the energy and the color of chakra coming into balance and growing bright and clean.  When you feel as though you no longer need to direct energy to this chakra move on to the next one.  When you have come through the full chakra system, visualize the energy running through all the chakras, from the crown to the root and back again, and see if all working together with ease.  Check in again with the person you are working with and see if they have felt any changes and if they feel anything different now.  If there are areas that they still feel stand out in some way, take a few extra moments to do this and check in again.

If you want to use this on yourself the process is essentially the same; lay down and place the crystals in their appropriate places, but then you can either simply hold the quartz in your projective hand while directing the intent and energy to each of the chakras or, if you’re comfortable enough to do it, you can raise your hand to hold the quartz over the individual stones and chakras as you work.

Layouts for specific needs..
It’s quite easy to create layouts for just about anything.  There are two factors to take into consideration; placement and stones to use.  Picking stones can be as simple as using color correspondences (pink stones for love, blue stones for healing, black stones for banishing, brown stones for grounding, etc) or you can use a crystal bible or book to help you find stones to work with.  Placement can mean placing stones on the body at the chakra points or on specific areas that need healing, or you could place the stones around the body to create a shell of energy to surround yourself or someone else.  Decide on what your specific need is and this will help you determine where to place your stones.

Let’s say that you have a friend dealing with terrible stress and pressure at work.  They are feeling tired, anxious, and are having problems sleeping and eating because of the stress.  You might want to begin by placing onyx and quartz stones around the body in an every other stone pattern; this will creating an energy circuit with one stone (black) drawing out energy and the next one (clear or white) replacing that void with new energy.  You can place as many or as few of the stones as you wish around the body, however I would recommend no less than four so there is one at each side and one each at the head and feet.  Next you may want to place a rose quartz on the forehead and one on the heart, both to help calm the anxiety.  Then place some red and/or green jasper on the abdominal area for the digestion issues.  Once the stones are in place check in with your friend and see how they are feeling and what stones might be feeling particularly heavy, cold, warm, etc.  Allow them to lay in quite meditation (you may wish to guide them through a relaxation and grounding meditation if necessary) and simply send the intention that the stones will do their specific jobs.  After about 15 minutes or so, check in again with your friend and see how they are feeling.  When they’re feeling things are balanced and when you feel things are clear, simply remove the stones.

Here are a few tips:

• If you have Reiki training, or training in another modality of energy healing, you can certainly add that to the process of crystal layout work.  If you use Reiki you can place appropriate Reiki symbols into the stones before placing them in your layout to add Reiki energy to your healing work.
• Place your stones with intention.  You can either state the purpose of each stone as you put it in place, either out loud or to yourself, letting it know what you need it to do.  Sometimes vocalizing this so the person your working on can hear will help them with any nervous feelings they may have about the crystal healing process and it can also help direct their own focus, energy, and intention during the session.
• Cleanse your stones before and after using them whether it’s on yourself or someone else.  These stones are going to be absorbing, clearing, and balancing energy that is out of whack, so to speak, so you don’t want to carry that into other work or other sessions.  Use whatever method you usually use or that is appropriate for each stone (check out this post on crystal cleansing and charging for suggestions).
• If a stone falls or rolls off the body during a session do not return it to the place it was.  When a stone is ready to stop working or when an area no longer needs that stone’s energy, it may likely fall off the body for no apparent reason.  The person may unknowingly twitch and the stone may roll off which is another subtle way of the body saying it no longer needs to energy of that stone in this session.
• If a stone wont stay on the body at all to begin with try using a different stone.  For example, you’re planning to use a rose quartz for emotional healing at the throat chakra because the person is using hurtful words with others and you place it on their throat but it keeps rolling off you might want to try using another stone for emotional healing and speech, like blue lace agate.  You may also want to considering using something specific to the exact case of the problem.  If the person is using these words because of a problem with their personal sense of safety and courage (i.e. they say hurtful things to others to make themselves feel better) you could try using black agate instead.  You decide to try the black agate and it stays put and feels good to your friends.  You’ve got a winner!
• When all else fails, use clear quartz.  If you don’t have enough stones for something or you feel you need to fill in the blanks somewhere, or if you just don’t know what to use, clear quartz is your catch-all.  Simply place it with intention for what you need done and it will do the trick.

Many books on crystals cover the process of layouts, many even offer a few suggestions of different layouts to use.  Creating your own as you need them is simple.  You can’t do it wrong and you aren’t going to make anything worse if you use one stone over another or place it a little too far to the right or left of a chakra or an organ or body part that you’re targeting.  It’s all about your intention when placing and working with the stones.  The crystals and their natural energies will do the rest.

A crystal grid and a crystal layout a somewhat different, and for our purposes here we’re going to define them differently in order to make it a little easier to talk about and work with these different processes.  A crystal grid is a specific geometric positioning of a number of crystals with the intention of creating a specific energy field.  These are also sometimes known as a crystal matrix or a gridwork.  Crystal grids are typically placed in a specific or significant place in the home or other space designed to draw certain types of energy to the area and then project that energy out into the space. A crystal layout can also be known as a crystal net and refers to the laying of crystal on or around the body to work as aids in healing by directing specific types of energy in and around the body.  An easy way to try and remember the difference is to think of how crystals are laid out onto the body anywhere they need to go rather than in certain shape (although, this is a somewhat inaccurate statement as you’ll see, but roughly it helps to remember the difference).

Because this subject is so expansive, we’re going to cover crystal grids this week and next week we’ll talk about crystal layouts.

When working with a crystal grid, think about the type of energy you’re looking to draw to you and your space.  Let’s take the example of a metaphysical bookshop looking to draw financial prosperity.  A popular cr

ystal grid for prosperity and abundance uses the shape of the infinity sign to draw on the idea of always having what you need and then some with the cycle of prosperity never ending.  The stones uses are stones with energies tied to money, career and attraction such as citrine, amber, and dark green aventurine.  The citrine has strong anchoring energy and carries a strong attracting energy, so this gets placed in the center.  The other stones are altered in the pattern to create the infinity symbol and create a flow with the center stone to project and draw on the energy of prosperity.  This energy radiates out to where the grid is placed, so the shop owner may want to place it somewhere in the center of the shop to radiate out all through the same or they may wish to put it up at the front counter to attract people toward the cash register so they will spend money.

Making a grid is quite simple.  It is extremely important to remember that, when creating a crystal grid, where it is place is where it needs to remain while it is in operation.  This means that you need to pick a place where it can be left alone, untouched and without having to be moved.  So be mindful o

f small hands and paws being able to get to where you place your grid.  Begin by picking stones that all work with your general intention.  For example, if you’re working on a grid for love, pick stones that all connect with love and attracting love.  You don’t need a large number of crystals; start with something small like 8 stone grid but try to stay under 12 stones with one larger center stone for 13 total.  You’ll also need a clear quartz point to activate the grid.  Cleans and charge all your stones, taking your time doing so, and charge them for the intention of drawing love and attracting loving energy.  When you do this, if a specific stone is going to have a specific job in the grid, address that.  An example of this would be if you use pink calcite and you specifically want this to attract love of the heart or a heart chakra connection between you and others, where as the rose quartz you might use is more intended to draw a general loving energy to you.  Let your stones know what exactly you need them to do.

Next, pick were it will go and lay out the stones.  There are many different patterns out there to work with.  One of the basic forms that I like is the square formulation.  This is a grid often used in harmony with the directions, but I like using this for things like relationships because it directs the energy out to all corners of the Universe.  The way that this format is traditionally used is to place a center stone, like a clear qu

artz cluster or ball, into the center and then the four stones on the outside would be related to the elements with double terminated clear quartz wands connecting the directional stones to the center stone or single terminated ones, using two for each corner stone, one point energy to the center and one pointing energy from the center to the corner.  Then you would need four single terminated stones to go around the outside edges to flow the energy through your outside stones.  Now, you can work with just small stones of your choosing instead of crystal points if you wished.  Again, create what you feel drawn to here letting the stones and your intuition guide you.  The key to to keep in mind that you want to energy to flow and connect so all the stones need to be connected to one another through another stone.  So, as my example, I’d use the above to create a love grid by using the following:

• One large rose quartz in the center
• 4 pink calcite or 4 green malachite stones at the corners
• 4 double terminated quartz crystal wants in the center
• 4 single terminated wands for the outsides.  These I would place with the points going in a clockwise direction with the idea of this being a direction to draw and create energy, but if you felt that anti-clockwise was better, then you can use that direct.

Next you need to activate your grid and for this you need another charged crystal point.  Before you begin take a few moments to focus your intentions and create a simple affirmation that you will repeat while you activate the stones.  Using our example of a love drawing grid you could say something like:

I empower this crystal grid to draw loving energy and loving people to me.

Now take your charging crystal and hold it a few inches above your center stone.  Take your time with this and feel the two connect.  Feel the center stone send it’s vibrations into the energy around you.  Once you have felt this connection, begin to state your affirmation and being to trace the grid with the charging crystal starting from the center out.  You want to repeat your affirmation with intention while you draw the grid, creating a connection between all the stones.  This may mean having to go over it several times and in several different ways in order to create a flow.  There is no number of times you have to do this in and you can take as long as you feel you need to in order to feel that everything is connected.  Continue to repeat your affirmation as you do this.

When you’re done, place your charging crystal next to your grid and you may want to jot down your affirmation because you need to recharge your gird every 24 hours.  This is a great thing to make part of a daily meditative practice since you do need to ground and center and get in the right frame of mind to work the grid.

Crystal grids can be used for so many things, from drawing customers to a business, healing for yourself or a friend, or to add energy to a spell.  You can create a small crystal grid on your altar when casting a specific spell in order to help draw and send out certain kinds of energies to aid the working along.  You can create one to honor the energy of a specific deity or to mark a certain energetic transition during the Wheel of the Year.  Really the uses are endless.  There are some shops that sell pre-drawn crystal grid cloths that you simply place the stones on in their designated positions, or you can look online for websites with images of grids that you can print out and use.  Or you can just lay them on a plain surface.  Whatever you do, do it with intent and do it from a place of harm to none.

Next week we’ll look at working with crystal layouts and placing stones in formations on the body for healing and drawing energy.

Angelite comes in a number of different forms.  You can find it in raw clusters, in points, and quite often in tumbled form.  Angelite is popular in New Age themed jewelry, especially if it is angel themed.  Angelite is the common or trade name for the light blue or lilac blue colored anhydrite that is often found in Peru.  It is a form of calcium sulfate and, while mostly found in a blue color, can also be found in forms of white and, depending on where it is found, it can have splashes of red in it as well.  It’s a very common stone and can be easily found online and in metaphysical shops in all sorts of shapes and sizes for reasonable prices.  In the New Age market it’s not uncommon to find angelite stones fashioned in the shape of hearts or small pocket angel figurines.

When it comes to healing, angelite can be used as quite a versatile tool.  Angelite is a stone that is connected to the throat chakra, but with it’s association to the angelic realms, it also has a connection to the crown chakra and can be used for healing where both of these chakaras may need attention.  Spiritual healing is an area where angelite is commonly used, especially if the issue is one connected to anger or letting go of negative or bad feelings that have been holding someone back in their life.  Placing the angelite on the throat chakra during a Reiki or other healing session can help to facilitate opening up the person’s ability to speak their mind and let out the thoughts and feelings that have been holding them back as well as letting go of energy connected to their inability to vocalize their feelings.  It’s not uncommon for a person to have a series of crystal healing sessions involving angelite with the goal of opening up communication with others and have them suddenly voicing their feelings and concerns in ways that have never done before.  Not only has the energy of the angelite helped to release blocks in the throat chakra but a level of spiritual support and confidence can be felt in the aura through the crown chakra as a result as well.

In physical healing angelite is a stone for balance.  Either carrying or placing angelite on certain point of the body that may be out of balance can help to realign things which are feeling “off”.  It is a stone whose energy is said to resonate especially strongly with the skeletal system and is often used in crystal healing sessions aimed to alleviate arthritis pain or symptoms of osteoporosis. Angelite is also thought to be a renewing stone in physical healing and is sometimes placed at the feel in healing sessions to facilitate the realignment of the chakras as well as renewal of cells in the body in areas that may be experiences illness or dis-harmony.  It can also be used in healing sessions or carried for the purpose of healing blood conditions as well, especially conditions of imbalance in the blood.

When it comes to magickal or metaphysical uses, angelite is a natural channel for working with the angels and the Divine realm.  It can be placed as a focal point for energy drawing and projecting in rituals and meditations or it can be carried for working with the angelic realm on a daily basis.  A fun magickal experiment is to get a magickally inclined friend and together go to a shop and pick out some pieces of angelite together.  Cleanse and charge them (together if you can) and set the intent of the stones for being aids in telepathic communication together.  Take time each night for 10 or 15 minutes to get into a meditative state and work on communicating together telepathically or on the astral realm.  Angelite can help to make these connections easier and stronger making non-verbal communication easier.  Angelite is a stone of peace and can be placed around the home or office to maintain peaceful vibrations during times of chaos and stress.  Angelite can be used for making elixirs, especially elixirs for reducing anger, promoting energetic balance, and meditation, however angelite elixirs need to be created in a non-direct method as the sulfur and led within the stone can be poisonous.  Angelite is also a great stone to have on hand when doing psychic work, angel card or tarot readings or other forms of divination as it is can help to open up the third eye and connect us with our Guides and spirit helpers.

Angelite Details:
Primary Chakra:  Throat
Secondary Chakra: Third Eye, Crown
Chemical Composition: (CaSO4) Calcium Sulfate
Astrological Sign: Aquarius
Numerical Vibration: 1
Hardness: 3.5
Color: Colorless, White, Blue, Blue/Violet White and Gray
Location: Peru (primarily blue, blue/violet)
Rarity: Common

Hi Rowan,

I’m hoping you can help me sort of a problem I seem to have with amethyst crystals.  They are my favorites because I love the color purple and I have carried one for protection for years.  In the last couple of years I’ve had a hard time hanging on to my amethysts.  I’ll have one in a pocket and I’ll reach in for it and it’s gone!  I don’t ever recall dropping them or taking them out somewhere and they seem to just disappear.  One friend suggested that I may have a spell on me that is causing this and another thought I could be flat out cursed because one piece in my home broke a while back which she thought, since it’s a stone of protection, would indicate someone cursed me.  Is that true?  Where are my crystals going and why can’t I hold on to an amethyst???

Blessed Be,
Christine

Thank you for your question, Christine!  Believe it or not, yours isn’t an uncommon situation.  There are a few things to keep in mind here.  First, each and every stone and crystal has its own energy and “personality” of sorts.  When a particular stone no longer needs to be with us, when it’s come to a point of having served us as best it can, it is not at all unusual for the stone to leave us.  This can happen by doing exactly as you’ve described, basically disappearing into thin air when in fact you may have misplaced it or it may have fallen out of your pocket without you knowing.  This isn’t anything to be terribly worried about, though it can be really frustrating, especially if a stone that we are particularly fond of leaves us.  The best thing that we can do is to honor their energy and their work they have done for us by wishing them well and hoping that whomever comes to find them next has the same level of happiness with them that we did.

One of the things that I find most interesting about your particular situation is that you’re specifically having difficulty with amethyst, a stone you say you’ve employed for protection for some time.  My first thought here is that one of the reasons you’re losing this particular stone is that amethyst is no longer the right stone for protection for you.  I would suggest taking a little time to define for yourself what type of protection your looking for.  While many people use amethyst for protection, it’s most often used specifically for protection on a psychic level and for protection against psychic attack and harmful energies that have been specifically directed at them.  If you’re looking for a different type of protection then you may want to start trying to work with some other types of crystals more specific to the type of protection you seek.  Here are some to consider:

For General/All Purpose Protection: apache tears, black obsidian, hematite, jasper, malachite, snowflake obsidian (my personal favorite for overall protection) and tiger’s eye.
For Protection from Evil or Negative Forces and Magick: black tourmaline, blue chalcedony, jet, and smokey quartz.
For Physical Protection: agate, carnelian, fluorite and smokey quartz.
For Physical Protection During Travel: amethyst, aquamarine (for water travel), garnet, malachite (for air travel), and rainbow moonstone
For Psychic Protection: amethyst, jade, lapis lazuli, prehnite, ruby, and sugilite.
For Protecting Your Aura: black tourmaline, labradorite, tiger’s eye

Once you have picked the purpose and stone be sure to cleanse and charge the stone and then begin using it either in the home or carrying it on you for its intended purpose.  But when the stone leaves you, either try again with another of the same or see if your needs for protection have changed.  It’s also possible that one particular protective stone just isn’t right for your personal energy and therefore it doesn’t last while another will.  Sometimes it’s just a matter of trial and error even if it takes years.

Now, the last thing I wanted to address was the issue of being cursed.  The fact that a piece of amethyst broke in your home does not indicate that you have been cursed, nor does the fact that you keep seeming to part ways with your other pieces of amethyst.  Not knowing the circumstances of the breaking of the piece, the conditions it was kept in and so on, it’s hard to speak to the specific causes for that stone breaking.  The mind often goes to the worst possible reason for something and thinking that we have been cursed when a magickal or spiritual tool suddenly breaks or goes missing isn’t an uncommon thought.  However, the chances of you being cursed and that being the reason that your amethysts have broken and gone missing is quite unlikely.  Instead I would say that the fact that this just isn’t the right protective stone for you right now is more likely and it’s time to experiment and explore other options.

I hope this helps!  Many blessings of protection to you for the future!

How you use the stones is up to you.  You can use the non-toxic ones to create elixirs for your needs.  You can use them in the bath (if they are safe to submerge in water).   You can lay them on the body in the specific physical location where there is a problem or you can use them on a related chakra as well.  Once you have cleansed, cleared and charged your stone for it’s specific healing purpose, use it however you feel guided.  As your healing guides, the God and Goddess, your spirit guides, etc for help with picking the best application for you and your situation.

The first list is one of aliments and related stones that can be used for healing.  A second list is provided for reference when working with the chakras; you’ll see here each of the seven meridian chakras and the physical areas that each of those chakras can help in healing.

Stones For Healing Ailments

Alcoholism – amethyst, smokey quartz, sugilite
Allergies – carnelian
Anemia – coral, hematite
Arthritis – amethyst, malachite, black tourmaline
Asthma – malachite, tiger’s eye, topaz
Bladder Problems – bloodstone, jade, jasper, quartz
Bleeding – hematite, lodestone, red jasper (especially good for nose bleeds)
Bone Problems – blue lace agate, lapis lazuli, selenite
Bronchitis – amethyst, rutilated quartz
Burns – clear quartz, rose quartz
Childbirth – bloodstone, moonstone, peridot
Depression – garnet, jasper, jet, lapis lazuli, smokey quartz
Digestion – amber, labradorite, obsidian
Dizziness – lapis lazuli
Ear Problems – amber, obsidian, onyx
Epilepsy – jasper, jet, lapis lazuli, selenite
Fever – agate, bloodstone, carnelian, hematite, ruby
(Swollen) Glands – aquamarine
Headache – amber, amethyst, jet, sugilite, turquoise
Hearing Problems – agate, amethyst, quartz
Heart Disorders – agate, emerald, garnet, lodestone, rhodonite
Infections – carnelian, jasper, smokey quartz
Infertility – manganite, moonstone, orange tourmaline
Inflammations – angelite, carnelian, bloodstone, emerald, pyrite
Influenza – moss agate, fluorite
Insomnia – amethyst, lapis lazuli, sodalite, topaz
Kidney Problems – bloodstone, jade, opal
Liver Problems – aquamarine, beryl, bloodstone, danburite, peridot
Lung Problems – aventurine, emerald, tourmaline
Menstrual Disorders – coral, malachite
(Preventing) Miscarriage – bloodstone, ruby
Nervousness – moonstone, sapphire, watermelon tourmaline
Nervous System Disorders – blue lace agate, amazonite, chalcedony, hematite, opal
(General) Pain – ruby
Sore Throat – azurite, chalcedony, sunstone, tiger’s eye
Stomach Problems – agate, amethyst, jasper, onyx, rhodochrosite
Stress – aventurine, azurite, flourite, jasper, malachite, onyx, sapphire
Tonsillitis – azurite, pyrite
Toothache – aquamarine, malachite
Ulcers – onyx, sunstone
Vertigo – lapiz lazuli, malachite, rose quartz
Vision Problems – agate, amethyst, aventurine, emerald, tiger’s eye, topaz
Wounds – agate, carnelian, onyx, topaz
Chakras and Healing
This is a list of the seven main chakras and the organs and areas of the body that they are energetically connected to.  Use this list as a guideline for working on deciding where to place a stone for healing work.  For more detailed information on the chakras and healing work be sure to see the previous post on chakra healing.

The Root Chakra – (base of spine) Adrenal glands, kidney function, spinal cord
The Sacral Chakra – (below the bellybutton) Reproductive organs
The Solar Plexus – (above the bellybutton) Pancreas, liver function, stomach, gallbladder, spleen
The Heart Chakra – (center of chest) Thymus glands, immune system, endocrine system, heart
The Throat Chakra – (base of throat) Thyroid, vocal chords, lungs
Third Eye Chakra – (right above the center of the brow) Pituitary gland, lower brain, nervous system
The Crow Chakra – (top center of the head) Pineal gland, upper brain

Use this information to help pick the right stones and the right placement for helping to release and relieve the different aliments that you may experience.  As always, remember that working with the crystals is a compliment to other traditional healing.  Using the crystals will help to speed the process and make it a little easier for the body to heal.

Turquoise is believed to have been around since 200 B.C. and it is a stone that has long been associated with Native Americans North America and Indian tribes in Mexico, however jewelers and historians have come to believe that the use of turquoise with silver in the form of the popular “Indian jewelry” is a fairly recent trend dating back to the 1880s which started with work from a Navajo craftsman.

The origin of the name for the stone has a few possibilities; some believe that it came from the word Turquie, French for Turkey (the country, not the animal) since it was believed that this was where the stone had come from, however more likely came from either Persia or Egypt.  Another possible origin, also French in nature, is “pierre turquin”, which means dark blue stone.

Different forms of turquoise can be found in various parts of the world including the US, Egypt, Mexico, China, Iran, Peru, Poland, Russia, France, Tibet, Afghanistan and Arabia.  In the US turquoise is most often found in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.  New Mexico was the largest US producer of turquoise until the 1920s when the stone was found in great quantities in Arizona and Nevada.  Nevada was the top producer until the 1980s; currently Arizona produces the most of the stone that comes from America.

There are two different types of turquoise that are very distinct.  The stone that comes from most of the places where it is found is typically some shade of blue, ranging from a very deep, true blue to a blue green.  Another kind of turquoise, known as Tibetan Turquoise, carries a different color and energy.  The Tibetan variety is much more of a green color with blue overtones, rather than the other way around.

Working with Turquoise
Turquoise can be used for several different healing and metaphysical uses.  Many cultures, specifically in the Middle East, have used turquoise for protection.  The stone was believed for centuries to be a natural deterrent of the Evil Eye and was used for making amulets to ward against it.  In Navajo myth it was believed that throwing a piece of turquoise into a river while praying to the Rain God would bring much needed rain to an area.  One interesting new age use for turquoise suggests wearing the stone in some form close to the body during times of stress.  When your body begins to react to the stress around you the copper levels in the body will rise and react with the stone causing it to change colors, thus alerting you of a need for a break and a need to bring yourself back into balance.

In a healing sense, turquoise, being a blue stone, works great for dealing with issues of physical and energetic healing of the throat.  As a strengthening stone it helps to build up one’s ability to speak up for themselves and can also help to release any words or actions related to communication that can create a self-sabotage situation.  Turquoise also works well with issues of mood, mood swings and panic attacks.

Turquoise is a stone that is said to contain both energies of earth and sky working to unite both male and female energies.  This makes it a great stone for balance in all areas.  It can be used to help balance all the chakras or a specific chakra, even if it’s not the throat.  Use the stone on your third eye and throat chakra areas for clarity and balance in receiving and sharing psychic and intuitive messages.

Turquoise can be great for making an elixir, especially for mood elevation, however this is a toxic stone as it contains copper, to remember to use it in and indirect method when creating your elixir.

Healing a Sore Throat with Turquoise
With allergy season in full swing soar throats are a possibility for many allergy sufferers.  Here is a simple method for working with turquoise to alleviate soar throat irritation.

If you’re able to do this during the waning moon, all the better since the decreasing energies of the moon can be a great help in decreasing your irritations, but you can do this any time you need to.  Each night, usually for about a week, spend some time laying down with a piece of turquoise resting on your throat.  Allow your throat chakra to open up and absorb the healing energy from the stone for about 10-15 minutes.  When you’re done, place the stone in a bowl of salt to help remove the unwanted energies that it has taken from you.  Leave the stone in the salt overnight. In the morning remove the stone and place it in a fresh, clean bowl of spring water.  This will complete the clearing and cleansing of the stone making it ready for another use.  Take the stone out of the water a hour or so before you intent to use it, allowing it to air dry.  When you have finished working with the stone for the week, cleanse it a final time and place it in a cloth or charm bag to keep it safe for the next time you need it.

Chakra Basics in a Nutshell
Working with and studying the chakras can be a lifelong pursuit, and I can say from time both as a crystal healer and Reiki Master, working with the chakras can be super simple but it can also be very deep and technical.  Because there is so much to learn and know with regard to chakras, we’re going to make this as simple as it needs to be to get started.

Base Chakra – Also called the Root Chakra.  The color associated with this chakra is a deep but vibrant red.  It is located at the base of the spine.  Some people believe that the root chakra is not fixed and that when we stand it moves to where our body is physically rooted to the earth (so at the feet) but when we sit it rests at the base of the spine with the sitting bones.  The Root Chakra connects to the energies of security, safety and groundedness.

Sacral Chakra – The color associated with the Sacral Chakra is orange and it is located a little bit below the belly button.  This chakra is associated with creative energy, fertility and sexuality.

Solar Plexus Chakra – The color associated with the Solar Plexus is yellow and this chakra is located right above the belly button.  This is the chakra that handles our sense of self, personal power, control and understanding.

Heart Chakra – The color associated with the Heart Chakra is typically green though some people prefer to use pink (you can also alternate these colors when doing healing based on the type of heart chakra healing that needs to be done).  This chakra is located in the center of the chest at the breastplate.  The energy contained here is that of love (for ourselves and others), emotional growth, and balance.

Throat Chakra – The color associated with the Throat Chakra is blue and it is located at the base of the throat.  This chakra deals with the energy surrounding communication and expression.

Brow Chakra – This charka is also most commonly referred to as the Thrid Eye Chakra and is located just about the center of the brows.  The color associated with this chakra is a deep purple or indigo.  The energy here is spiritual.  This is the center related to spirit communication, psychic connection and growth, perception, intuition and vision.

Crown Chakra – The color with this chakra can vary based on tradition or personal beliefs.  Some use violet and others use gold.  I personally recommend white/clear for this chakra as it is the chakra connected to the pure, spiritual light of the divine.  This is the chakra that deals with our connection to the Gods as well as coherence and integration of other energies.

The Crystals
When it comes to picking crystals to use with the chakras you can begin by working as simply as picking out stones that match the color of the chakras.  But it can be helpful to have some traditional suggestions.  Here are some stones that you can seek out and start with.  Pick stones that resonate with you.  When you go to pick out your stones, hold them for a moment asking if this stone is the right one to work with a specific chakra.  For example, if you pick up a piece of quartz for your crown chakra, hold it for a minute, focusing on how the crystal feels and ask the spirit and energy of the stone if this is the right stone to work with opening, cleansing and balancing your crown chakra.  When you get your answer you’ll know if that’s the right stone (you may feel nothing, meaning this isn’t the right piece, or you could feel a pulse or hum in your hand meaning it’s the one to use; some people may even feel a tingle in the area of the chakra they are asking about which would be a definite yes).

Root Chakra – red jasper, tiger’s eye, garnet, ruby
Sacral Chakra – carnelian, sunstone, orange calcite
Solar Plexus Chakra – citrine, yellow jasper, amber
Heart Chakra – malachite, jade, green aventurine, rhodonite, rose quartz, rubellite
Throat Chakra – sodalite, blue calcite, angelite
Third Eye Chakra – amethyst, flourite, sugilite, lapis lazuli
Crown Chakra – danburite, clear quartz

Working with the Stones and Chakras
When it comes to using the stones begin by doing a simple cleansing of each stone either by running it under cool running water or by smudging it with sage.  Then hold the stones one at a time and send energy into the stone with the intention of that stone being attuned to you and your specific chakra that the stone is meant for.

When you’re ready lay down and begin placing the stones on your body (of if you’re working with a friend you can have them place the stones for you).  Begin at the root chakra.  Your legs should be open slightly so that the stone can rest between your thighs.  Place the rest of the stones in the corresponding areas on the body.  When you get to the crown, place the stone right above the center of you head on the floor (or wherever you’re laying).

Once the stones are in place focus on the stones one at a time.  Start at the root and work your way up to the crown.  You don’t need to spend a long time, simply take a few minutes to direct your energy and attention to each stone and each chakra one at the time.  How does the stone feel on or near your body?  Do you have any sort of sensations at the chakras (warmth, coolness, tingling, etc)?  Imagine the color in that chakra.  Is it bright or dark?  Feel and know, with full intention, that the chakra is becoming a bright and pure center of energy.  When you feel that one chakra is bright and clear move up to the next one.  When you are done with all seven take a little time to feel the flow of energy in your body knowing that you are in balance, centered and focused.  When you feel ready to finish, take a moment to say thanks to Spirit, and slowly come back to normal consciousness, grounding as needed.

Remove the stones and you can cleanse them again between uses and then keep them together in a special box or bag.  Any time you feel a specific energy center needs cleansing you can do a single one by just placing the stone you need to work with on the chakra that you wish to cleans and balance.

The key to remember is that even if you don’t think you know what is going on technically, placing the stones on the chakras with intention and holding that intention to have clear and balanced energy centers is all you need.  The stones, your energy body and Spirit will do the rest!