Practical Magic
Crystal Affirmations and Spells
Crystals have their own inherent power to inspire, to guide, and to transform reality. When you add your own magic to the mix—in the form of good intentions, life-altering affirmations, and old-fashioned “wishcraft”—you might find that you have the power to change the world.
Magical Realism
Before you start casting spells and enchanting everyone you meet, a few precautions are in order. You truly can work magic with the power of your thoughts, words, and deeds—but when you add crystal clarity and focus to your actions, you might get more than you bargained for. In fact, the process is so powerful that practitioners of practical magic have developed some guidelines for beginners.
First, do what you can to accomplish your goals without resorting to crystal magic. If you want a new job, polish up your resume and start sending it out. If you’re hoping to find love, get a good haircut and learn how to dance. If you want to lose weight, spend more time walking than watching TV. Direct action is always the most effective way to change your life.
Once you decide to augment your own efforts with crystal magic, make sure that your intentions are good. Then build a fail-safe into all of your work, because you can’t always see all of the ramifications of all of your actions.
Don’t try to use practical magic to hurt anyone—any negativity you put out into the world will probably come back to bite you in the end, and you’ll be the one who gets hurt the most.
Don’t try to trick other people, either. If you want to catch the eye of a good-looking guy, or sweet-talk a beautiful woman into dinner and a movie, use your own charm—not a magic charm. Yes, you can change your luck by charging the environment around you with your thoughts and energy—but you should still be willing to take no for an answer. It’s just bad karma to interfere with anyone’s free will.
And finally, be careful what you wish for. Once you set a chain of events in motion, it may be impossible to call things to a halt.
Affirmative Action
The easiest spells are affirmations—a form of practical magic that work on both a conscious and subconscious level. In both theory and practice, affirmations retrain your brain. Affirmations also help you think in positive terms, so you can clearly envision yourself living the life of your dreams and focus on your goals.
Add crystal power to your affirmations, and you’ll have a tangible reminder to follow through on the affirmations you’ve developed for yourself.
Affirmations are remarkably simple to devise. First, think of something specific that you want in your life. Don’t be too philosophical or abstract; be clear and direct.
Be positive, not negative. If you want to lose weight, focus on the goal weight you want to reach, not the weight you need to lose.
Start small, and you’ll see immediate results. Your affirmations can be as practical as “I always remember to change my oil every 3,000 miles” or as simple and uplifting as “I look good in red.” Later on, as your life starts to improve, your affirmations can grow in complexity and scope.
Write your affirmations in the present tense, so your mind and spirit can immediately make adjustments in your outlook.
Be specific in the results you hope to achieve, but be open-minded about the means to your end. Don’t try to micromanage your own fate—be open to any possibility.
Don’t limit yourself by being too stingy in your thinking, either—especially when it comes to prosperity. If you need more cash to pay your bills, choose an affirmation of “plenty,” rather than an affirmation of “just enough.”
Think long-term. Set goals that could last your whole life long: a loving relationship with another person, money for all the things you need—and want—and a strong, healthy body, so you can live comfortably for many, many years. Ultimately, you want your affirmations to become part of a permanent mindset, not a temporary phase.
Program your affirmations into a crystal, and then tuck the handwritten affirmation away.