Crystal and
Gem Magic
Crystals and gemstones have been utilized in magic and ritual for many centuries. In fact, most of the customs relating to modern use of stones as jewelry and decoration originate from their use as magical talismans. Wearing a gemstone in a ring, for example, helps the stone transmit its energy and properties to the person wearing it. In modern times, most New Age people, and some of us “old agers” as I like to say, utilize crystals as a means of building and transmitting magical power. Quartz in particular has remarkable properties (such as the ability to conduct electricity) and is used for a variety of purposes in both the magical and scientific arenas.
Anyone can tap into the power of stones and crystals. It must be understood that crystals and stones are considered to be a form of life (because they grow and exchange energy) and should be respected as such. View them as a type of ally, much like a familiar possession as opposed to an inert possession. All forms of natural matter carry life energies and should therefore be treated with care and respect.
In my tradition, we place high value on the colors of stones because different colors transmit in different frequency ranges. Any stone of a certain color carries similar properties as another stone of the same color.
White: milky quartz, moonstone
Pink: rose quartz, pink tourmaline
Red: ruby, garnet, red jasper
Orange: carnelian, fire opal
Yellow: citrine, amber, topaz, golden calcite, yellow jasper
Green: jade, emerald, peridot, aventurine, malachite
Blue: sapphire, lapis lazuli, topaz, aquamarine, sodalite
Indigo: dark amethyst, dark tanzanite, iolite, sugilite, charoite
Violet: amethyst, agate, spinel
Brown: tiger’s eye, petrified wood, jasper, brown chalcedony, brown agate
Black: obsidian, onyx (for Capricorns only; it tends to scatter other signs’ energy), hematite, jet
Multicolored stones: ametrine, snowflake obsidian, alexandrite, fluorite, bloodstone, many types of jasper and jade.
Crystals and Gems by Abilities
Amethyst: Amethyst helps the mind and psychic abilities, brings luck, and minimizes the effect of drunkenness.
Clear quartz: Clear quartz is a multipurpose stone and amplifies magical energy. It helps to diffuse excess electrical energy in the body, and so can be used to bring calm.
Emerald: Emerald is used to uncover psychic abilities and past lives.
Garnet: Garnet is useful for love magic.
Hematite: Hematite is a grounding stone used to leach out any negativity.
Jade: Jade is a stone of healing and balancing.
Lodestone: This natural magnet is usually used in pairs to aid in attracting your goals.
Moonstone: This stone enhances psychic ability and the ability to connect to the feminine half of divinity.
Multicolored stones: These stones carry energies indicated by each of the colors present in the stone as well as Uranus energy.
Obsidian: This is another grounding and protective stone; it should be charged and worn any time you are around negative, draining people.
Rose quartz: This is an aid to love magic as well as a balancer of emotions.
Ruby: Ruby is power enhancing and helps to focus spiritual energy.
Sapphire: Sapphire helps in uncovering truth and is protective.
Tiger’s eye: This is a protective stone that is also used to en-hance success.
There are many different ways to use crystals and gems in magic. The first and simplest method is through the wearing of jewelry. If you have a favorite ring, pendant, or bracelet that has a useful stone, just charge the jewelry to be a talisman in accordance with your desire and the inherent properties of the stone. For example, I have an amethyst ring that was a gift from my mother. I wanted to enhance my psychic ability, so I charged the amethyst to be a talisman of psychic energy (as it is violet in color and has the quality of enhancing psychic power).
To simply charge a crystal or gem, first go into a meditation while holding the stone (or placing your hands on it if it’s too large to hold). When you are relaxed, visualize the stone and “see” the aura around it with your third eye. Whatever you initially see, gradually visualize it changing and growing in brightness, shifting to a strong energy the same color as the stone. This will remove any negative or unfocused energies attached to the stone. When you have this image strong in your mind, fill your mind with your magical goal and infuse the stone with this goal. See it as power streaming from your hands and third eye into the stone. Finally, visualize all the power being absorbed into the stone and will that it shall stay there for as long as you need it to stay (either for a moon cycle, a year, or a lifetime, whatever you decide is appropriate to the future use of the stone), then conclude your meditation and open your eyes.
In addition to using a crystal or gem on its own, another method of utilizing stones in magic is to add them to other forms of magic. In a candle spell, boost the energy sent forth by placing one or several crystals or gems that are in line with your goal on the altar in rings around the candles. If you are making a charm bag, add one or several appropriate crystals or gems to the other ingredients in the bag to increase its power. Similarly, you can add crystals or gems to witch bottles, place them in the jars of oil, stuff them into poppets, etc. Use your creativity to find new uses for crystals and gems.