Natural Power
The fairy realm is the conscious presence and aliveness of the natural world. Wherever green and growing things thrive without human encroachment, wherever bright sunlight and fresh air create sparkles on pristine, natural bodies of water, and wherever birds and butterflies frolic, fairies are there. But they are not just figurative: they are unique beings with distinct thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, just like you and me. In fact, more than one person I know has caught fairies in photo and video, appearing in broad daylight in the form of glowing points of pink or green light, hovering near trees or flying through the air in playful swirling patterns like otherworldly fireflies.
Unicorns, too, are fairies: they are among the most rare, magical, and sophisticated denizens of the fairy realm.
As we have seen in previous chapters, unicorns are both alchemists and magical allies. In this chapter we will explore their special affinities for particular aspects of the natural world, including crystals, herbs, flowers, trees, and animals. You’ll also learn how to work with these natural materials and beings in order to enhance and amplify your spiritual practice and magical work.
Crystal Consciousness
Like unicorns, crystals are of the earth and also transcend the earthly plane to align us with the realm of the Divine. Each gem and mineral possesses a distinct wisdom and vibration that can anchor and enhance specific energies in order to support you in your spiritual journey and magical work.
In this section we’ll look at some of the crystals uniquely aligned with unicorn energy and particularly relevant to those of us drawn to the magic and wonder of the unicorn realm.
But first, here are a few general guidelines and practices to keep in mind.
You don’t need a million crystals. While it’s not impossible that you will genuinely feel guided to amass a considerable collection of crystals, this isn’t the least bit necessary. An unspoken cultural value in the West is “more is better”—e.g., more shoes, bigger houses, and all the latest gadgets. But this isn’t a valuable value; it’s a value that has been artificially imposed by those who have a vested interest in perpetuating it (i.e., people who sell things). I want to draw attention to this because crystals often can be an area where spirituality spills into materialism. Don’t let this happen to you; just one crystal is plenty. (As you will see, it’s recommended that you obtain one for the unicorn portal exercise below.) More than one is fine, of course, but practicing a minimalist philosophy when it comes to crystals can help keep their magic pure and potent for you. After all, living light in all life areas helps you to keep the current of divine wisdom and spiritual sustenance wide open and flowing.
Only choose crystals that sing to you. When you go crystal shopping, you will likely encounter many, many beautiful gemstones, but only occasionally will one of them sing to you. For some, a singing crystal means you will actually feel it vibrate in your hand. For others, it means simply gazing at it will spark a feeling of love in your heart, and you will not be able to imagine leaving the store without it. For still others, when you hold it, you will feel a sense of expansion, energy, joy, and aliveness, or possibly a deep current of serenity, stillness, and calm. There also will be days when you will enjoy many crystals, but none of them will sing—but don’t despair. While that will mean no new crystal, it will also mean all your money stays in your wallet.
You don’t need to keep your crystals forever. Crystals are not actually yours. You don’t own them. They own themselves, and they belong to Mother Earth. Most of them will outlive you by centuries. Your path has simply intersected with their path for a time, so don’t hoard them! While some may stay with you for quite a while, be sure to honor their sovereignty by passing them on to someone else, releasing them back to the earth, or placing them in a natural body of water as your intuition dictates.
Cleanse and activate your crystals regularly. One of the reasons crystals like to work with humans is because we can cleanse them in order to activate their spiritual wisdom and magical properties. In many ways, this brings them to life and gives them an outlet for active participation in the evolution of planetary consciousness.
To cleanse and activate your crystal for the first time, first run it under cold water or place it in a moving body of clean water for at least three minutes. (One exception would be salt-based crystals such as selenite and Himalayan pink salt crystals, as these will slowly dissolve in water.) Then place it on a white cloth in bright sunlight for at least five minutes. Finally, smudge it with the smoke from a bundle of dried white sage for a minute or two. (Do this safely, making sure to hold the sage over a dish or plate to catch burning embers and to extinguish it fully.)
In the future (unless you feel intuitively guided to repeat the above process), you can choose just one of the three cleansing/activating methods: running water, bright sunlight, or white sage.
Empower your crystal with an intention and keep it with you. To employ your crystal for spiritual and magical use, choose an intention that is aligned with its magical and metaphysical properties. It can enhance the specificity and potency of your intention to phrase it in the form of an affirmation—in other words, a positive statement phrased in the present tense, as if it is already true. For example, if you’re working with a crystal to increase your self-esteem and inherent sense of worthiness, you might choose the intention “I am beautiful, lovable, and worthy of every wonderful thing.” If you’re working with a crystal to relieve stress and promote serenity, you might choose the intention “I am safe. I am calm. All is well.”
Once you’ve chosen your intention and affirmation, hold the crystal in your right hand and direct the energy of your intention into it as you clearly and confidently state your affirmation. Do this at least once daily while actively employing the crystal for this purpose, then keep the crystal with you throughout your day.
As promised, here are some crystals that are particularly aligned with the unicorn realm.
Amethyst is a violet-hued quartz with a deeply soothing and spiritual vibration. It helps relieve stress, calm the mind, heal addictions and addictive behaviors, and promote restful sleep. It’s aligned with the crown chakra and brings healing by reminding you of your oneness with the Divine.
Angel Aura is a clear quartz treated at a high temperature with platinum and silver, resulting in a beautifully iridescent appearance and uniquely whimsical vibration. This stone enhances creativity and helps activate the ability to channel spiritual wisdom from the angelic, fairy, and unicorn realms. Its uplifting and inspiring nature helps alleviate depression, lethargy, and fatigue.
Apophyllite is a starlight-colored, luminous, bright, clear white stone that often appears in small pyramid-like shapes. When used in tandem with meditation and visualization, it can help you enter into other worlds and dimensions, including the fairy, unicorn, astral, and angelic realms.
Aqua Aura is a clear quartz treated at a high temperature with gold, resulting in a surprisingly bright aqua or bluish-teal hue. This stone is a powerful ally for periods of transition, particularly when you are concerned with differentiating yourself from your family and culture of origin by finding your own voice and making your own way in the world. It can help you know your truth so that you can speak it, act on it, and live it.
Aquamarine is a pale blue stone reminiscent of the clearest tropical oceans and most pristine alpine streams. It’s highly purifying to the body, mind, and spirit, and can help relieve any sense of uncleanliness or toxicity. As such, it’s great to use in tandem with a regimen of spiritual or physical cleansing. Additionally, it can help remove harshness in communication, heal the effects of criticism or insults, and open the flow of loving speech spoken or written.
Kunzite looks very much like pale pink ice. It has a softening effect on the heart and emotions, and it can open the heart to love. This makes it useful in healing any sort of relationship issues, including challenges with family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, business partners, and romantic relationships.
Larimar is an opaque, vibrantly colored stone that looks like a slightly more aqua-toned version of the brightest blue sky after it’s been purified by heavy rain or strong wind. Simply glimpsing a larimar can infuse one with a sense of deep and abiding joy. Indeed, it’s a crystal that can help bring back our joy when it seems to be lost. Larimar can help us remember to prioritize joy every single day.
Lepidolite is a sparkly lavender-colored stone that is perhaps the answer to this question: If a unicorn were a crystal, what would it be? Like a unicorn, it reminds us to love freely and with the purest of hearts. It also reminds us that we are lovable, beautiful, and deserving of endless blessings and miracles. Carrying it or wearing it can help attract true, deep, and lasting friendship and love.
Moonstone may resonate particularly strongly with your lunar unicorn guide. A pale milky white or yellowish stone, it holds the ethereal, receptive, dreamlike energy of the moon. It helps us turn up the volume on our intuition, remember and gain wisdom from our dreams, and harmonize with the moon’s waxing and waning cycles of power and magic.
Peridot, a pale grass-green crystal, holds the serene and comforting vibration of a late summer day. Working with it can help you harmonize with the magic and wisdom of herbs, flowers, trees, and the harvest cycle of the seasons. It can also help strengthen your physical and mental health, facilitate healthy habits, and enhance feelings of grounding, inspiration, and interconnection with all life on earth.
Spirit Quartz is a quartz covered with many smaller crystal points that are called drusy, resulting in a beautifully sparkling effect. It appears in clear, amethyst, aqua aura, and angel aura varieties, and in addition to their individual properties, all of these can help foster a harmonious sense of community and interconnection. Additionally, spirit quartz boosts energy, creativity, inspiration, wonder, vitality, and joy.
Sunstone, as an energetic counterpart to moonstone, will likely resonate with your solar unicorn guide. With its radiant, peachy, golden iridescence, it contains the warming wisdom of our solar system’s center and crowning jewel, the sun. Like spending time outside on a mild, sun-drenched day, working with sunstone can help facilitate authentic feelings of love for yourself and all of life, as well as gentle and consistent feelings of happiness, pleasure, joy, and contentment.