– SIX –

Elegant Earth Magic:
The Unexpected
Power of Rocks

Introduction

Rocks are the cake of which pure minerals are the ingredients. Therefore, an “ordinary” rock can be a powerful combination of many crystals with powerful metaphysical properties. Seemingly simple rocks that you find can become important magical tools, evoking emotion and memory. When you travel, try to find a rock as a souvenir (but be aware there are certain places that prohibit this). Rocks found near water that are polished smooth or have holes worn through can also be especially meaningful as symbols of the power of the natural elements. These can also be used to represent places where they were found, such as oceans, lakes, or rivers. I have several stones collected from various vacations—from local camping and float trips to pieces picked up on beaches in California, Mexico, and Jamaica—even a favorite rock I found in Greece. Each one is a token of remembrance. One very special rock in my collection is one I found in the woods of my childhood home. It’s just a chunk of granite, but it contains glittering chips of garnet and pyrite. It’s a treasured piece that not only holds special memories of my home, but it can be used for the minerals’ metaphysical properties.

In addition, fossils can become priceless parts of your collection; you can search for them on your own or purchase them. You don’t need to know exactly what it is or how old (unless you want to research it)—simply knowing it’s a remnant of life from millions of years ago is wondrous. For use in magic, you can consider the mineral content of your fossil if you’d like, but I prefer to give less consideration to that and more to what kind of specimen you have: plant or animal. Find out as much as you can about it. Do some research on your own and you should be able to determine what it is.

Some legends say supernatural beings reside in rocks. In parts of India, small mounds of stones are erected to represent goddesses that protect villages. The ancient Greeks would leave piles of stones alongside roads in honor of Hermes, god of travel and communication, as protection on the journey. In Delphi, a stone (the omphalos) was said to mark the center of the world. Some ancient mysteries speak of stones as the powdered bones of Saturn, forming the spirits of human beings. Rocks are considered to be the bones of the great mother, Gaea, and Scandinavian myths say stones and cliffs are the bones of Ymir. Rocks have been valued as long as humans have existed.

And, of course, the use of stones for spiritual and mystical purposes abounds throughout the world at places like Stonehenge, Carnac, and various cairns and other structures, some used to mark time, like a calendar, or to designate sacred places. Accounts of sacred stones occur in nearly every spiritual path.

Stone Healing Circles

Many cultures have used circles of stone and other types of layouts for various spiritual purposes. I will not attempt to create a version of the medicine wheels of American Indian traditions, but if you have experience with this it can be incorporated into your crystal magical practice. If not, it’s easy to create your own tradition of stone healing circles. Here’s one idea to get you started.

Begin by choosing a photo or symbol to represent someone who needs to receive healing energy. (There is a self-healing spell later in this chapter.) Next, build a circle of rocks around the symbol, visualizing the rocks as a wall, a safe haven.

Chant:

Healing stones, circle round,

Linking cosmos and the ground.

Offer strength and all be well,

Hear me as I cast this spell.

State your specific purpose.

Variations:

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Cross in Circle

Four Quarters

This is a symbol that’s quite common, especially in many American Indian traditions, representing the four directions. This is sometimes used to represent a crossroads or the Earth. Much like we use the pentagram to represent the four elements and spirit, this, too, can be used to represent the world. Use this symbol in circle casting by creating it on an altar and calling the quarters. You can place the stones on the altar itself or, create a cross shape on a plate of sand and place a stone for each direction.

Face each direction and chant as you place each quarter stone:

I greet the East, the sun will rise,
the force of air, the breath of skies;

I greet the South, intense and bright,
the strength of fire, to pierce the night;

I greet the West, the rain and sea,
the might of water, comforts me;

I greet the North, the tree and stone,
the weight of Earth, I’m not alone.

Construct this image from various rocks in whatever size you desire.

This circle can also be used to represent the four seasons, using corresponding stones of your choice. In addition, you can add a stone to the center to represent spirit or Mother Earth—a geode would be an excellent choice. You can build this circle using stones you find in your area, adding local significance to it. This circle would be appropriate for any seasonal celebration and it can easily be built by a group during a ritual.

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Spell for Unity
and Wholeness

Spell for Unity and Wholeness

This spell is loosely based on the idea of Squaring the Circle (see chapter ten). In Man and His Symbols, psychologist Carl Jung refers to the concept of squaring the circle as “one of the many archetypal motifs which form the basic patterns of our dreams and fantasies … Indeed, it could even be called the archetype of wholeness.”

For this ritual, create the figure in the diagram using any collection of rocks. Imagine the large outer circle is the cosmos and the center circle is the moon. The square represents your earthly perspective—you are united with the cosmos. This represents a unity of spirit and matter, earth and moon.

In the center, place an object (represented by the black dot) that represents you—this could be a stone (perhaps a geode) or even a tarot card, picture, or other item.

Visualize your connection with the earth, moon, and the cosmos.

Chant:

All I am and will become

is in my reach, it is the sum

of all I am and all I’ve done;

what I wish, I will become.

Part of whole and every part

is in my body, soul, and heart,

with the universe I’m one—

by earth and sky, by moon and sun.

Stone’s Throw Spell

The familiar phrase “a stone’s throw away” is used to suggest a close distance. This spell is intended to set a goal in motion by throwing a stone—knowing that your goal is close at hand—it’s literally a stone’s throw away and not out of reach, even if it feels like a distant dream. This spell is good to initiate a new beginning or to reestablish an ongoing goal you may have.

Use any rock; perform during a new or waxing moon.

Find a safe place to throw the stone—either on your property or in a wilderness area. Use a small stone, one you are comfortable throwing. Remember to be sure there is nothing in the way that the stone could hit or damage.

As you throw the stone, visualize the journey to your goal—it’s only as far as you can throw the rock. Remember, you’re not throwing it away, you’re seeing a distance that is closer than you realize. Give the stone a toss, and chant:

Stone I throw, now you show
The goal that I beseech.
Not too far, I know you are
Never out of reach.

Variation: Rock Release Spell

An alternate form of this spell is to throw a stone into a body of water to “release” something in your life. Perform during a waning moon phase, visualize what you’re releasing being lost in the water, and use this chant:

Stone I throw, I let go—
This, I now release.

Travel far, I know you are

Safely out of reach.

Anchor Spell

Use this spell any time you feel you are drifting from a goal or you feel the need to hold yourself in place. This is similar to grounding, but more related to a specific place or goal that you want to hold on to. This spell is best used to increase determination when you feel lack of motivation. However, realize that there is a time to let go of some things—you may wish to use a divination technique first to be sure you’re on the right path.

Use any stone to represent your anchor. You may wish to choose one that’s large and heavy. Find a place to leave this stone where it won’t be moved. As you place the stone, visualize it as an anchor to your goal or a symbol of your will and determination.

Chant:

Firm and strong, anchor stone,
standing though the winds have blown.
Holding fast, despite the waves,
Keep me fixed, resolved and brave.

Wishing Spell

For this spell, use any type of rock. Find a place where you can bury it—in your yard or in a potted plant. Hold the stone in your projective hand and visualize your wish. Imagine that wish being inscribed onto the stone. Then, imagine the stone as a seed and plant it—your wish will be nurtured by the soil and will grow. Chant as you bury the stone:

Like a seed my wish will grow,
For the good of all I know.
This I need and do deserve,

As the symbol rock will serve.

Stone Spell for Healing

Earth magic often involves healing and nurturing—use this spell when you are in need of healing energy. Use any combination of fossils and/or pieces of petrified wood. Place the stones in a glass jar filled with soil—you can use potting soil if you’d like. Arrange the stones so you can see them through the jar. Consider the stones: the fossils reveal evidence of ancient life on Earth; petrified wood (which is actually “fossilized”) was once a living organism as well—an ancient tree. If you don’t have any fossils or petrified wood, use amber or jet—these are “organic” stones. You can make this arrangement as small or as large as you wish.

Visualize the ancient energy of the stones—they have endured. See this timeless flow filling you with healing and comfort.

Chant:

Ancient life of long ago,
Evidence I see in stone.
Secrets only time reveals
As the earth sustains and heals.
Endurance of the tree that towers,
By these stones I am empowered.

Leave the stones in place until you feel the spell has manifested.

Variation:

If you prefer, bury the stone(s) in a potted plant instead of a jar.

Stone for Safe Travel

For this spell you will need one small rock from your home: your yard, garden, driveway, any ordinary stone—but it must be one found where you live, in the ground your home is on (not one you purchased or found elsewhere). You will take this with you on your trip; it’s a link to your home.

Hold the stone and visualize it as your home foundation. Imagine a safe and enjoyable journey, and see yourself back home again. Use this chant:

Tiny stone, piece of home
Keep me safe as I roam.

Carry this rock with you on your trip. When you get home, return the rock to the place where you found it or keep it as part of your collection for stone magic and use it again next time you travel.

Geodes

No discussion of using rocks in magic would be complete without mentioning geodes. Geodes can be used in magic to represent the womb of the earth. They can also be used to symbolize unity, “the big picture,” or wholeness. The name geode comes from the Greek and actually means “earthlike.” Geodes can be very tiny or impressively large (I have one that’s half an inch in diameter and one that’s almost a foot) and they are a must-have for your collection.

Often the base stone is a sedimentary type, like limestone, and the center is quartz or some variety of chalcedony, like banded agate. Sometimes the center is solid crystal rather than a hollow cavity. You may have seen these in stores—often they are cut in half and polished—sometimes sold as a set to use as bookends or other decorative items. While they appear uninteresting on the outside, the center is like an amazing crystal cave.

Geodes can take thousands of years to form, the result of a special combination of pressure, water, and minerals. It begins with a cavity of some kind—sometimes a shell or a bubble of gas in magma. A salty solution becomes trapped inside; the outside eventually dissolves or fossilizes and the cavity is preserved. As water seeps in and out, layers of deposits are built up, lining the cavity. When this stone shell cracks, more minerals and water seep in, forming crystals in the cavity. Depending on the minerals involved, the crystals can be clear quartz, amethyst, calcite, or others. If the crystals grow to fill the entire cavity, a nodule is formed. If a hollow space remains, it becomes a geode.

You may be able to find these on your own—round or egg-shaped stones—and break them open to reveal the treasure inside. Most likely, however, you will purchase these at a store. I like to find whole ones that still fit together. Sometimes the halves are sliced perfectly and polished. Be aware that polished geodes sold in stores are sometimes artificially dyed with bright colors.

Geode Spell for Secrets

Ever have a secret you feel you just have to tell? Whisper it into the cavity of a geode and visualize it being absorbed into the stone. You can use this method as a type of conversation with the earth—to seek the answer to a question or problem or to speak a fear or secret desire. Imagine the earth holding it, nurturing you, and offering healing if necessary. After you tell your secret, use this chant to seal it:

Stone, please keep my secret safe,
Trust I place in you.

Answer if you can, if not—

Hold it and be true.

You can bury the stone if you like, or keep it in sight—depending on your situation and personal preference. When you feel an appropriate time has passed, cleanse the stone to clear it and visualize the secret washing away with the water.

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