Bewitched Baubles

Throughout history, gemstones have been used for healing and spiritual rituals. The reason they are so highly valued is not only because of their great beauty, but also due to the powers and qualities they are said to impart to their wearer.

Gemstones are reputed to be storehouses of empowerment, transmitted through the contact with one’s body or aura. Royalty had gems set in their crowns not only for decoration, but in order to maintain their wealth, power, and potencies, enabling them to rule guided by cosmic energies. Even priests of many different religions wear gemstones set in rings for similar reasons.

The inherent power and unique properties of gems are recognized by modern science and industry in the technological uses of crystals in lasers, computers, timepieces, and so forth.

However, it is the ability of gemstones to promote healing of the body, mind, and heart, and also their power to help balance human emotions and spirituality, which is of interest to practitioners of magick and healing arts.

Here are just a few of the benefits, beliefs, and lore surrounding some popular gemstones:

Agate – Courage, symbolizes the Third Eye, encourages a spiritual love of truth, banishes fears, hardens tender gums. Builds self confidence, improves concentration, overcomes bitterness of the heart, encourages growth and stability, heals, soothes and calms.

Alexandrite – Inner and outer regeneration, works on the Crown Chakra, brings general good fortune.

Amazonite – Strengthens the nervous system, blocks electromagnetic pollution, calms nervous system, places the body at optimum health. This stone helps to alleviates fear, opens the Third Eye, and aids in communication, dissipates negative energy. This stone was used in ancient Egypt.

Amber (solidified tree resin) – Grounds and stabilizes, healing agent, acts as a filter, radiates light and heat. Cleansing, drawing dis-ease from body, helps body heal itself, protects, brings about decision making, absorbs pain, negativity and relieves depression.

Amethyst – Protection, spiritual attunement, gives visions or opens spiritual and psychic centers, reduces mental tension, induces pleasant healing dreams, prevents over indulgence and encourages transformation and breaking of bad habits. Guards against psychic attack, meditational gemstone, aids in transmission of neural signals to the brain. Amethysts are the most used used Reiki Master gemstone.

Aquamarine – Gives one direction in life and spiritual visions, lifts ones spirit, calms the nerves, gives courage, reduces stress, counteracts forces of darkness, increases sensitivity, meditational gemstone, protection at sea.

Aventurine – Courage in social group situations, adventures in love and life, gives luck where perception is required. Stone of prosperity, protects from electromagnetic and environmental pollution, promotes compassion, calms anger, lowers cholesterol.

Azurite – Jewel of wisdom, revitalizes damaged tissue, good use in hypnosis, stimulates thought, gives mental control.

Bloodstone – Strong protection, alleviates heart pain and eliminates irregular heart beats, cleanses blood carrying organs, calms mind, dispels confusion, enhances decision making, detoxes the body. Bloodstone is believed to have mystical and magickal properties, conferring ability to banish evil and negativity and direct spiritual energies. Assists in bringing about spirituality.

Carnelian – Gives feeling of well-being, recycles past-life experiences, speeds up Law of Karma, motivates and promotes creativity. Removes fear of death, promotes positive life choices, dispels apathy, and motivates for success in business and other matters. Protects against envy, rage and resentment. Calms anger, banishes emotional negativity, and stimulates metabolism, increases fertility, heals lower back, depression and heals bones and ligaments..

Chalcedony – Chalcedony has many beneficial elements: It is a nurturing stone that can assist thought transmission and telepathy. This stone absorbs negative energy and then dissipates it to prevent onward transmission. Chalcedony brings the mind, body, emotions and spirit into harmony. It can transform melancholy into joy. It eases self-doubt and creates an open and enthusiastic persona. It can dissipate negative emotions and bad dreams. Chalcedony increases physical energy and balances body, mind and spirit. It heals the lungs and clears the respiratory system of the effects of smoking.

Chrysoprase – Promotes hope and gives personal insight. Stimulates creativity, energizes the heart, and brings universal energy to the physical body. Induces a deep meditative state. Acts as a tranquilizer.

Chrysacolla – A tranquil and sustaining stone. It helps meditation and communication. It can help you to accept with serenity situations that are constantly changing, invoking great inner strength. Chrysocolla calms, cleanses, and re-energizes all the chakras and aligns them with the divine. At the Third Eye, it opens psychic vision. It enhances personal power and inspires creativity. Helps alleviate personal fears and guilt, gives clear-seeing, aids in Cancer therapy. Psychic tool.

Citrine – A powerful cleanser and regenerator. Carrying the power of the sun, this is an exceedingly beneficial stone. It is warming, energizing and highly creative. This is one of the crystals that never needs cleansing. It absorbs, transmutes, dissipates, and grounds negative energy. Citrine is one of the stones of abundance, teaching us how to manifest and attract wealthy, prosperity and good things. Citrine is a happy stone that helps you hold on to your wealth. It has the power to impart joy to all who behold it. Gloom and negativity have no place around Citrine. It is a useful stone for smoothing family discord. Psychologically, Citrine raises self-esteem and confidence. In enhances individuality, improves motivation and encourages self-expression. Mentally, it is excellent for overcoming depression, fears and phobias. It is also a wonderful healer. Cheerfulness, control over emotions, clear thought, overcomes mental blocks. Attracts prosperity. Banish negative energies.

Coral – Good for keeping thoughts in control for visualization and while meditating, helps arthritis.

Diamond – Respiratory problems, attunement to higher forces, best worn with other stones, opens Ajna and Crown Chakra.

Emerald – A stone of inspiration and infinite peace. They are tremendous “grounding” stones, connecting you closely to Mother Earth. Associated with clairvoyance, this stone will help open your mind and release your worldly inhibitions. It opens the Heart Chakra, bringing with it harmony, sensitivity, and loyalty, and creating a feeling of bliss. It brings stability and is powerful in wealth magick. It is also used to strengthen memory. Healing emerald aids recovery after infectious illness. It treats sinuses, lungs, heart, spine, and muscles, and soothes the eyes. It improves vision and has a detoxifying effect on the liver. Emerald alleviates rheumatism and diabetes. It has been used as an antidote to poisons. Worn around the neck, emerald’s green ray can assist healing of malignant conditions. This stone ensures physical, emotional, and mental equilibrium. It eliminates negativity and brings in positive actions, allowing one to attract all that is good and prosperous for their lives. It enhances unity, unconditional love, and partnership and promotes friendship. Meditation, healing, business success, it totally rejects evil; gives power to foretell future events, a link with spiritual forces.

Fluorite – Grounds, holds and directs excess energy for highest efficiency and to be used when needed, centering tool.

Garnet – Garnets are an energizing stone which cleanses the chakras. Brings about serenity and passion. It is said that garnets warn of approaching danger and can be carried as a protective talisman. Garnets inspire love and devotion, balances the sex drive, and alleviates emotional disharmony. It strengthens the survival instinct and promotes assistance in times of trouble. Aids in remembering dreams, for going backwards in time, attracts profound love, gives persistence, cures depression, works on liver to relieve toxins. Good protective stone.

Hematite – Bestows wisdom, idealism and unselfishness on wearer, strengthens stomach and intestines when worn on solar plexus, helps stop bleeding. Gives relief to ailments and body pain.

Iolite – Also known as “water sapphire”, although it is not a type of sapphire. Iolite is known as a “shaman” stone, and is one of the best stones to use for psychic, healing, and spiritual activities. Iolite is said to aid in increasing one’s psychic abilities, and is excellent for Third Eye meditations, and it is said to aid in astral travel. Iolite is said to be helpful when dealing with addictions, including alcoholism, assisting in detoxification as well as maintaining sobriety.

Jade – A symbol of purity and serenity. Much prized in the East, it signifies wisdom gathered in tranquility. It is associated with the Heart Chakra and increases love and nurturing. It is a protective stone, which keeps the wearer from harm and brings harmony. It is believed to attract good luck and friendship. Mentally, Jade releases negative thoughts and soothes the mind. It also aids emotional release, especially of irritability. Green Jade calms the nervous system and channels passion in constructive ways. It is useful in harmonizing dysfunctional relationships. Peace, tranquility, soothes the eyes and emotions, for going backwards in time, wisdom, universal attunement, gives long-life and a peaceful death.

Jasper – Supports the circulatory, digestive, and sexual organs. It balances the mineral content of the body. It also has the power to absorb negative energy. It is known as the “supreme nurturer”. It sustains and supports during times of stress and brings tranquility and wholeness. It unifies all aspects of your life. Jasper aligns the chakras and can be used to facilitate shamanic journeys and dream recall. It provides protection and aligns the physical, emotional, and mental bodies with the etheric realm. Psychologically, Jasper brings the courage to get to grips with problems assertively and encourages honesty with yourself. Mentally, Jasper aids quick thinking, and promotes organizational abilities and seeing projects through. It stimulates the imagination and transforms ideas into action. Physically, Jasper prolongs sexual pleasure. It supports during prolonged illness or hospitalization and re-energizes the body. Improves sense of smell, strengthens one’s will to do good, balances the emotions. Protection to wearer.

Labradorite/Spectrolite – Iridescent Labradorite is a highly mystical and protective stone, a bringer of light. It raises consciousness and connects with universal energies. It forms a barrier shielding out negative energies. It can take you into another world or into other lives, facilitating initiation into the mysteries. This stone stimulates intuition and psychic gifts, including the art of “right timing”, bringing messages from the unconscious mind to the surface and helping understanding. Psychologically, Labradorite banishes fears and insecurities and the psychic debris from previous disappointments, including those experienced in past lives. It strengthens faith in the self and trust in the universe. It removes other people’s projections, including thought forms that have hooked into the aura. This stone brings up suppressed memories from the past and is very helpful in therapy. Labradorite is a useful companion through change, imparting strength and perseverance. A stone of transformation, it prepares body and soul for the ascension process. Wear over the Heart Chakra, or hold up to Third Eye for best results. Symbol of opened Third Eye, gives one desire to perfect self balance and aura.

Lapis Lazuli – Stone of friendship, helps one to be more kind and helpful, spiritual attunement, connects us to our resonating star, it is a stone of fidelity.

Malachite – A powerful stone and one to be handled with caution. It should only be used in its polished form for therapy. Malachite amplifies positive energy, grounding spiritual energies onto the planet. It is believed to be one of the most evolving stones and will be one of the most important healing stones of the new millennium. Malachite is an important protection stone. It is a guard against radiation of all kinds. It also clears electromagnetic pollution and heals earth energies (the Goddess loves this). It has a strong affinity with nature. Malachite clears and activates the chakras and attunes to spiritual guidance. Opening the Third Eye, it activates visualization and psychic vision. On the heart, it brings balance and harmony. It opens the heart to unconditional love. Malachite can be used for scrying or to access other worlds, inner or outer. Journeying through it’s convoluted patterns releases the mind and stimulates pictures. It can assist in receiving insights from the subconscious or messages from the future. Psychologically, Malachite is a stone of transformation. Life is lived more intensely under the influence of this adventurous stone, which encourages risk-taking and change. It mercilessly shows what is blocking your spiritual growth. Prosperity, treats the eyes and abnormal blood sugar levels, treats circulatory diseases. Heightens clairvoyance.

Moonstone – A “stone of new beginnings”. As it’s name suggests, it is strongly connected to moon and to the intuition. Like the moon, the stone is reflective and reminds us that, as the moon waxes and wanes, so everything is part of a cycle of change. This change can bring about great things and much prosperity. It’s most powerful effect is that of calming the emotions. It can encourage lucid dreaming, especially at the time of the full moon. Moonstone has traditionally been used to enhance psychic abilities and to develop clairvoyance. It can be worn as an amulet of protection and to encourage acceptance of your psychic gifts. Moonstone is filled with receptive, passive, feminine energies and can calm overreactions to situations and emotional triggers. Emotionally, Moonstone soothes emotional instability and stress, and stabilizes the emotions. It improves emotional intelligence. It provides deep emotional healing and heals disorders of the digestive tract that are related to emotional stress. It is also used for insomnia and can prevent sleepwalking. Calming, good for meditation, spiritual guidance and protection while traveling, prophecy, love stimulator, brings happy experiences to those who are sensitive.

Onyx – Onyx is strength-giving. It provides support in difficult or confusing circumstances and during times of enormous mental or physical stress. Centering your energy and aligning it with a higher power, accessing higher guidance, is facilitated by Onyx as is connection with the whole. This stone promotes vigor, steadfastness, and stamina. It aids learning lessons, imparting self-confidence and helping to to be at ease in your surroundings. Onyx can also be used to heal old grief and sorrows. Onyx is a mental tonic that alleviates overwhelming fears and worries. Onyx conveys the invaluable gift of wise decisions. It balances the yin and the yang energies within the body. Stone of separation, can be used for purpose of release, to end a bothersome relationship. Strength to wearer.

Opal – Divination and prophecy, balances chakras, used for centering self, aids in channeling and teaching truths to others, psychic journeys, anchor of hope, stone of Cupid/Eros.

Pearl – Associated with ministry, wisdom through experience, quickens the Law of Karma, brings engagements and love relationships.

Peridot – Gift from the Sun, helps us open our inner sight to the spiritual Sun, develops inner vision and the ability to look into the future, frees one of jealous thoughts and counteracts negative emotions. A protective stone, once believed to keep away evil spirits. Clears us of burdens, guilt, obsessions and “old baggage”. Peridot assists you in moving forward in your life!

Quartz Crystal – Raises one’s vibration, bridges the material world with other realms, it has the ability to store and transmit energy, excellent for healing on all levels and for meditation. HIGHLY clairvoyant gemstone. Great for all uses of the Craft.

Rhodochrosite – Rescue remedy stone, holds force fields with the aid of the Devic Kingdom, inspires forgiveness and heals emotions, attracts love into our life.

Ruby – An excellent stone for energy, bringing vigor to life. Encourages passion in all areas. Rubies improve motivation, stimulate Heart Chakra, and shields against psychic attack. It promotes positive dreams and clear visualization. Ruby is a stone of abundance and aids in retaining wealth. It promotes dynamic leadership. Mentally, rubies bring about a positive and courageous state of mind. This stone makes one stronger during disputes and controversy. A sociable stone that attracts sexual activity. Physically, rubies overcome exhaustion and lethargy and clams hyperactivity. Detoxes blood and treats fever, great for circulatory system, too. Spiritual wisdom, focuses mental concentration on a specific thing, confidence – stone of life and energy.

Rutilated Quartz – Rutile in quartz magnifies the basic energy of the quartz and aids in the healing process.

Rose Quartz – The stone of unconditional love and infinite peace. It is the most important crystal for the heart and Heart Chakra, teaching us the true essence of love. If you want to attract love, look no further than romantic Rose Quartz. It is so effective in drawing love and relationships toward you that it often needs Amethyst to calm things down. In existing relationships, it will restore trust and harmony, and encourage unconditional love. Holding Rose Quartz enhances positive affirmations. If you have never received love, Rose Quartz opens your heart so that you become receptive. If you have loved and lost, it comforts your grief. Rose Quartz teaches you how to love yourself, vital if you have thought yourself unlovable. You cannot accept love from others nor love them unless you love yourself. Brings more love into the life, attracts good manifestation, skin rejuvenation, kidneys.

Sapphire – Treats mental illness, it attracts good people into the life, calms the nerves, suitable for meditation, gives pure insight and God truth, stone of chastity.

Smokey Quartz – Helps one get more in touch with nature, excellent for meditation and healing on the mental and etheric levels, carries an ultra sound frequency which enables one to develop clairaudience and mediumship.

Sodalite – Balances glands and metabolism, good for competitive sports, gives courage and endurance..

Topaz – For contacting astral beings, develops psychic abilities, gives glimpses of the beyond, overcomes fear of death, restores sense of taste, stimulates appetite, calms emotions, relieves tension, restores physical protection from falls and drowning.

Tiger Eye – Purifies the system after over-indulgence, protective stone, treats diseases of the eyes.

Tourmalinated Quartz – A light bringer, breaks up existing habits and conditioning standing in the way of one’s spiritual and physical progress. Excellent protective stone which can diffuse and ground negative energy and psychic attack.

Tourmaline – Balances and protects.

Watermelon Tourmaline – Balances emotions, good for relationships and for those who are counselors, balances the metabolism.

Green Tourmaline – Business success, soothes the nerves, brings the Brow and Crown Chakras into balance.

Pink Tourmaline – Works on the Heart Chakra, increases the will to love and to sacrifice.

Black Tourmaline – Very protective, good for those who have to deal with negativity, as this stone deflects and grounds negative energies very efficiently.

Turquoise – Attracts prosperity and may be used as a protective talisman (as Native American Indians use it). Reminds us of our spiritual nature, gives protection, stone of friendship.

Zircon – Gives the ability to read images and symbols, a stone for communicating with the angels, gives safe passage wherever one travels and assures a warm reception. (Please note: Zircon is a natural stone, and it should never be confused with Cubic Zirconia, which is a man-made stone.)

COLOR OF STONES

White Stones – Purifies physical, emotional, mental or etheric bodies.

Pink – Love, self-respect and self-worth.

Red – Energy, sex, courage.

Orange – Cheerfulness, frees one from too many responsibilities.

Yellow – Mental awareness, nerves.

Green – Healing, abundance, balance self-control.

Turquoise – Flashes of intuition, encounters from the past.

Sky Blue – Increases spiritual awareness.

Dark Blue, Indigo – Protection, strength, occult work, calms

Violet, Purple – Transformation, elevates the soul.

Gold – Wisdom, self-confidence, strengthens the heart.

Brown – Practicality, stabilizes.

Black – Abstract thought, protective, material world.

THE CHAKRA BODY

Here is a list of the 7 major chakras and their associated colors:

1st chakra – The ROOT (Muladhara)

Element: Earth. Physical body, survival, past impressions.

Primary color is red, other colors associated with the Root Chakra are black brown, and gray.

Gemstones such as Garnet, Red Onyx, Red Jasper

2nd chakra – The Naval (Swadhistana)

Element: Water. Physical vitality, sexual desire, earthly emotions

Primary color is orange, others are all various shades of orange.

Gemstones such as Carnelian, Orange Zincite, Orange Calcite

3rd chakra – The Solar Plexus ( Manipura)

Element: Fire. Will, personal power, perseverance, emotions

Primary color is yellow, others are various shades of yellow.

Gemstones such as Citrine, Yellow Sapphire, Yellow Topaz

4th chakra – The Heart (Anahata)

Element: Air. Love, surrender, balance, acceptance, devotion

Primary color is green and shades of green, the secondary color is pink.

Gemstones like Rose Quartz, Green Tourmaline, Aventurine, Ruby Zoisite

5th chakra – The Throat (Vishuddhi)

Element: Ether. Communication, expression, higher will.

Primary color is light blue like aqua or turquoise, secondary colors are various shades of lighter blues.

Gemstones like Turquoise or Blue Lace Agate

6th chakra – The Third Eye (or brow) (Ajna)

Subtle Element: Mind. Seeing, inner vision, intuition, comprehension.

Primary color is dark blue or various shades of dark blue (indigo).

Gemstones like Lapis Lazuli, Sodalite, Iolite

7th chakra – The Crown (Sahasrara)

Element: Intelligence, God consciousness, spiritual intelligence.

Primary color is purple, the secondary colors are white (colorless or clear), and shades of purple.

Gemstones such as Amethyst, Clear Quartz, White Diamond