INTRODUCTION
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The Basics of Wicca and Crystals
CRYSTALS ARE USED AND TREASURED BY ALMOST EVERY culture, religion, and society. For centuries, royals all over the world have donned priceless studded crowns that have been coveted. Crystals have been incorporated into glamorous jewelry and used as healing or magickal talismans. They have been celebrated, fought over, and displayed with pride. We mine crystals, revere them for their beauty, and even use them in modern technology. They contain the planet’s DNA, stamped with millions of years of evolutionary history.
Why is it that even today, we regard these cherished gemstones with such intensity, and why is it that we carry on these time-honored fascinations? It is probably because crystals embody magick. These captivating, enchanting stones carry so much mysticism that even today, we can’t fully understand the extent of their power.
By the time a crystal lands in the palm of your hand, it has likely lived a very storied existence. Maybe the stone you hold was passed down from generation to generation. Perhaps it was buried deep within the walls of a cave, inside a volcano, or in a hydrothermal spring. It may be hundreds or thousands or even millions of years old. Some diamonds were formed more than 3 billion years ago!
A quick internet search or browsing of your local library’s shelves will reveal countless sources of information regarding crystals, stones, and minerals and how each variety is connected to a long and sometimes complicated history. One thing that has remained consistent since ancient times is our interest in gemstones and their inherent power. And, as you’ll learn throughout this book, crystals are every bit as relevant, useful, and valued today as they were thousands of years ago.
When we talk about crystals, it is important to make some distinctions, especially since they are sometimes confused or spoken about in the same breath with other materials. Atoms and ions are the building blocks of crystals. It’s the way the atoms and ions group together and arrange themselves internally in a regular, systemic, and symmetric order—the crystal structure—that makes a substance crystalline. Crystals also must have the same amount of negative and positive charge, which makes them balanced. Minerals are naturally occurring crystalline solids.
As you read this book, you’ll discover that crystals have energetic properties and healing qualities, and you may be inclined to purchase some for your own use. You can find almost any of them online, of course, and you may also be fortunate enough to have a New Age shop with crystals nearby. But sometimes people really want to buy local—they want to know that the stone they are working with has a history with the region and perhaps even draws some energy from it.
Semiprecious vs. Precious
Let’s also clear up the nomenclature of semiprecious versus precious stones. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds are considered the traditional precious stones. Semiprecious is the category that holds everything else: any stone of lesser value than a diamond, ruby, sapphire, or emerald. Yet the term semiprecious is often misleading in terms of how rare or expensive a stone might be. A rare garnet might be many times more expensive than a low-quality diamond. Therefore, the classifications of semiprecious and precious are falling out of favor these days, especially for gemologists. For witches, all gemstones are considered precious and valuable.
Naturally, you might ask whether a laboratory-created crystal has the same properties as one from nature. There are two schools of thought on this: Die-hard naturalists believe that only real crystals can work for healing and shifting energy, as these stones contain the stories and energies of everything they’ve touched. On the other hand, many healers feel that if a stone speaks to you on an energetic level, it’s going to work with and for you, no matter its source.
In other words, don’t worry so much about where a crystal came from, as long as you connect with it. Realistically, you will not always know the complete history of a natural crystal, which is part of its mystique. On the other hand, if you have a brand-spanking-new crystal to work with, the two of you can really sync with each other.
The benefit of manmade crystals, of course, is that they are often much less expensive than those that have been mined. If a manufactured crystal is what your budget can handle, keep in mind that you will infuse it with love and energy. It will work just fine.
ALTAR CRYSTALS
Creating a Magickal Workspace
The altar is a sacred space unique to every witch. This is where the magick happens; it’s a place where you can worship your chosen deities and, above all, connect with your inner witch. The size of the altar is insignificant. You can have a large table set out somewhere in your home, or you can use the top of a sideboard. Some witches prefer to use a small coffee table or the kitchen worktop. There is also no need to have it on view all the time. You might opt for a portable altar and keep all your belongings in a chest under the bed. Lots of witches shy away from broadcasting their Wiccan faith, but really Wicca is becoming more and more popular.
The items on your altar must appeal to you. If you worship angelic vibrations, you might like an angel ornament or a picture of an angel somewhere on the surface. If you favor the Mother Goddess’s energy, you may want to put something on your altar that represents her. (If you own a copy of our book The Witch’s Way, you can find a list of angels and goddesses that influence particular situations, alongside the types of crystals, herbs, and other items that work best with your chosen spells.)
This is your altar, so you can decide what to place on it, but there are a few essential items that every witch should have on hand. If you are already an established practitioner of Wicca, feel free to skim through this section, as it is an overview.
Witches rely heavily on color magick. Different colors can signify different intentions or themes, so certain candles and items should be specifically colored when used in spells. Before reaching into your candle drawer or laying out your altar cloth, consider which color will work best to promote your specific intention.
BLACK is often avoided in spellcasting because it is commonly used in dark magick. However, more experienced witches can use black to banish anything or anyone negative. If used correctly, it can be beneficial.
BLUE stands for truth, wisdom, stable emotions, meditation, psychic insight, protection, and patience.
BROWN can help you tune in to the natural world. It assists with concentration and decision-making and can be used in matters related to friendship, including relationships with animals.
GOLD is the color used for monetary matters, triumph in competition, improving intelligence, promoting health, and rejuvenation of the mind, body, and spirit.
GREEN bolsters spells for money, prosperity, success, and luck. It is helpful with career matters and with fertility.
ORANGE helps with business matters (including selling property), memory, and stamina. If you need to find lost property, decrease your fears, favorably settle legal issues, or succeed in a new job, then work some orange into your altar.
PINK works well for compassion and spiritual healing, and in mending broken relationships. You can also rely on pink to improve existing relationships or to attract love.
PURPLE promotes peace, healing, spiritual protection, and psychic visions. It can be helpful for those wishing to practice astral projection. For everyday, practical rituals, use purple to boost business, help in the search for a new job, and influence anything to do with investments.
RED helps with intentions focused on courage, passion, and strength. The energy of red can increase one’s attractiveness and keep enemies at bay.
SILVER boosts psychic abilities (including intuition), decreases the negative energy of the mind or environment, clarifies dream visions, and helps one connect with the Mother Goddess.
WHITE calls on angels and spirit guides, invokes those who have passed, encourages harmony in relationships or environments, and purifies a home. White can also be viewed as the blank canvas of colors; it can be used in any ritual.
YELLOW helps with creativity, learning, and concentration. It increases energy and provides protection while one is traveling. This color also helps with matters concerning the head, including headaches and mood swings.
Consider your altar cloth colors when performing spells (refer to Colors in Witchcraft on pages 6–7). For example, if you are conducting a healing spell, you would use yellow or gold candles, so in this instance, you’d opt for a yellow or golden cloth. For love, the color is primarily pink, so a cloth in a shade of pink would be used to represent romantic or family situations. If you’re not sure, a white or purple cloth is probably the safest bet. These will give your workspace the right energy to begin. Purple is the principle spiritual color and imparts a powerful angelic vibe, whereas white is neutral and symbolizes purity. Nature-based witches have been known not to use any cloth at all; they prefer to set out their altar on natural wood. These are guidelines. The choice is yours.
Candles
Placed near the back of the altar, you should have two large tapered or chub-like candles, one to the left and the other to the right. These two candles should be white, because it’s a neutral color representing purity. Before a spell begins, light the candles. Blow them out to reuse again once the spell is complete. You can also incorporate tea lights, selecting colors based on your spell’s intention.
Pentacle
The pentacle (also known as a pentagram) is the heart of the altar and should sit directly in the center of the ritual space. Each point of the star represents one of the five elements: earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. You can make your own pentacle or purchase one. The size is unimportant; you can use a small pentagram charm or draw one on a piece of paper. It’s just the representation that you are looking for. Always have your pentacle facing you in the upright position so that it resembles a human (center point at the top, two side points symbolizing the arms, and the lower points indicating the legs).
The Elements
Although the pentagram represents the five elements—earth, air, fire, water, and spirit —you also need symbolic representations on your altar. The only element you cannot represent physically is the spirit; you will instead call upon that when you begin to cast your spells. Re-create the other four elements by placing items on the altar that represent each of them. Options for each include:
EARTH Sand, dirt, leaves, bark, flowers, twigs, salt, metals, ceramic, an image of the earth, rocks and stones, acorns and seeds
AIR Bell, incense, a wand, a fan, a sword, feathers, wind chimes, faerie figurines or images, cloud images
FIRE Candles, dragon figurines or images, lighters or matches, sun images, volcanic stones
WATER Rainwater or naturally sourced water (often poured into a chalice or ceremonial goblet), driftwood, seaweed, seashells, mermaid figurines or images, mirrors, crystal balls, scrying bowl, oceanic images
When it comes to spellcasting, it’s important not to blend the energies of several different types of crystals at any one time. You should never have more than two different gems on the altar unless the spell calls for it. Remember that these magickal stones let off their own respective energies, and they may become conflicted. This will result in a spell that doesn't work as well as you intended. For example, if you are using amethyst as your primary crystal, it is quite all right to have multiple amethysts present on the altar—they will let off the same vibe. But think twice about putting a piece of labradorite or rose quartz next to an amethyst.
The main rule of thumb is that every item placed on your altar should have a purpose. This sacred space has a job to do, so you need to take your time and choose your items carefully.
Wiccan Rede
As with all things Wicca, there are only a handful of rules:
1. Only perform magick with good intent.
2. Your need must be genuine and not for greed.
3. Never set out to harm another.
4. Never cast spells to influence a person’s free will.
5. Always be sure to work for the greater good.
This is what being a witch means today. It doesn’t matter what strain of witchcraft you follow; you cannot call yourself a real witch if your intentions are not proper.