"When you first obtain a stone, it is necessary to cleanse it to clear it of any extraneous energy from others that it may be holding. There are many ways to cleanse a stone:

1. Run under cold tap water for several minutes (this is not as effective as other methods).

2. Place in bright sunlight for an hour or so (be careful not to do this to certain stones, such as amethyst, rose quartz, ametrine, kunzite, celestite, aquamarine, smoky quartz, and flourite, as the colors of these stones fade quickly in the sun).

3. Place overnight under the light of the Full Moon.

4. Bury in the earth for several days.

5. Place in salt-water (from the sea, or your own mixture made with a tablespoonful of sea salt in a cup of water and placed in a ceramic or glass cup or bowl -- do not use metal or plastic). Allow the stone to soak in the salt-water for several hours or overnight. This is my favorite method and the one I feel is the most effective.

6. Place in a jar and cover with herbs, such as dry sage, cedar, or rose petals. This may take a little longer than some of the other methods.

7. Smudge the stone with sage or cedar."

"After using the stone for your magickal purpose, you may again wish to cleanse/clear it. This is not necessary if you will be using the stone again for the same purpose (for example, using green aventurine for all your money-drawing spells), but if you have used the stone, say, for healing or drawing out illness, you should cleanse it after each use."

Empowering the stone

"Programming or charging a stone is necessary before it is used in magick. To do this, simply hold the stone in your projective hand (right hand if right-handed, left hand if left-handed), visualize your magickal need, and pour energy out from your body and into the stone. See the power flowing out from your body, through your hand, and into the stone. You know you are finished when you can feel or sense the stone vibrating with your personal power. It is now ready for your magickal use."

Magickal Uses for Gemstones

The following list provides powers and magickal uses for various stones. This list is incomplete, in that as you begin to use stones in your rituals, you will inevitably develop new uses and discover new powers for your stones. There are also many, many more stones which could be included on this list.

AGATE -- Carried while gardening, this stone increases the fertility and health of your garden. It is useful for general protection, and is especially protective for children. Agate helps in healing, especially blood, skin, and intestinal conditions. Agate can increase strength, restore bodily energy, increase courage, and even promote longevity. Useful in removing envious thoughts and spite and for help in easing stressful situations. Agate, especially banded agate, is also a good meditation stone.

AMBER -- Excellent for use in rituals for enhancing your beauty and attractiveness. Helps to attract love and stimulates happiness and pleasure. Amber is used as both a good luck and protective amulet, and is extremely protective against negative magick which has been directed against you. When placed on the altar, it can increase the effectiveness of your spells. Amber is said to increase strength while relieving or curing health conditions. Amber is also very useful in protecting children.

AMETHYST -- Amethyst helps to calm fears, reduces stress, dispels doubts and negativity, and can relieve depression and promote good judgement. Amethyst induces vivid dreams, increases mental powers, and is useful in psychism. Also useful for drawing pure, true, emotional love!

AMETRINE -- Ametrine is a combination of amethyst and citrine, and so has the magickal qualities associated with these two stones or crystals. In addition, ametrine (especially ametrine points) has been used to stabilize and balance between spirituality and daily life and to help in psychic opening and development. Ametrine is also useful for working with spirit and animal guides, meditation, and astral travel.

ANGELITE -- Angelite is a calming stone which may be used to help stabilize the emotions and ease anxiety and stress. Angelite is also used for creative work, psychic ability, public speaking, and helping oneself to become more assertive. Angelite can be used in spells and rituals designed to reduce anger, aid in self-forgiveness, and gain spiritual protection. Angelite has also been used for working with angels and for sending telepathic messages to people and pets.

APACHE TEARS -- Apache tear is helpful in promoting peace. Apache tears are wonderful good luck stones, and contain extremely potent protective energies. May also be useful in scrying.

ANGELITE -- Angelite is a calming stone which may be used to help stabilize the emotions and ease anxiety and stress. Angelite is also used for creative work, psychic ability, public speaking, and helping oneself to become more assertive. Angelite can be used in spells and rituals designed to reduce anger, aid in self-forgiveness, and gain spiritual protection. Angelite has also been used for working with angels and for sending telepathic messages to people and pets.

APATITE -- Blue apatite, which is actually a deep aqua color, may be used to aid in ridding oneself of guilt, grief, and excessive sensitivity to other people's problems (especially useful for Pisceans -- like me -- who tend to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders!!!). Blue apatite is also useful in ritual work designed to release pain and open oneself up to joy, peace and beauty. Also may be used to aid the immune system. Yellow-green apatite can be used in ritual work designed to rid oneself of negative self-image, feelings of inadequacy, shyness, or shame, and can be used to help one to accept and open themself to love, comfort, and support. This stone is especially helpful in those who feel "ugly" or "fat", as it helps to improve body image and release the feelings associated with this type of negativity.

APHRODITE -- Named for the Goddess, this pink stone is useful in love magick. Helps to open up the heart chakra and allow you to receive love, while at the same time increasing your ability to give love. Useful in magick designed to help draw true love and find your soul mate. Aphrodite is also useful in promoting fidelity and trust in an established relationship.

AQUAMARINE -- Enhances the utilization of psychic powers and makes the mind more alert. Excellent for cleansing and purifying. Aquamarine can be used in rituals to ensure good health. It soothes and calms emotional problems and promotes peace, happiness, and joy as it halts fear.

ARAGONITE -- A grey and lavender colored stone, which aids in grounding and centering. Aragonite is also useful in overcoming illusions, and help one to face truth and accept reality.

AVALONITE -- A blue-violet stone which is a form of chalcedony. Due to its color, avalonite is useful in calming and soothing, aiding meditation and visualization, and promoting a sense of security for the user. Also useful in aiding psychic awareness and delving into the mythical past and collective consciousness.

AZURITE -- A dark blue stone which can heal emotional trauma, confusion, blocks, and negativity. This stone is also useful in working with spirit guides, animal guides, and the Goddess. It is also said to increase psychic healing ability and aid in visualization.

BARITE -- This interesting stone is peach and black. It is helpful in rituals and spells designed to clear obstacles in one's life path. Using barite helps to conserve energy, and so is helpful for those who have immune problems or who are excessively anxious or stressed. Helps to promote a balanced energy flow in the user.

BLOODSTONE -- Increases physical strength and promotes courage. It is helpful in business and legal matters. Bloodstone has been found to increase the effectiveness of spells. When worn, this stone is said to increase one's life span. Great for healing matters concerning the bloodstream. Can be used for invisibility (in the form of not attracting attention to yourself).

BLACK MOSS AGATE -- Good for guarding against physical dangers. Especially useful in protection after dark. This stone represents quiet power, and helps to combine and balance the physical with the spiritual.

BLACK ONYX -- Great for defense against negativity. Can be used to reduce sexual desires. Onyx is an extremely potent protective stone, and is widely known for its ability to protect against psychic attacks and hexes.

BLUE AVENTURINE -- Good for reducing or eliminating negative emotions. Lends itself well to healing. A great stone for purification and peace. When held, this stone can reduce or completely cleanse the body of pain.

BLUE LACE AGATE-- Wear or carry this stone for peace and happiness. Very effective for reducing household and/or family quarrels. Useful in reducing stress when held in the hand. Good for promoting caring and tenderness.

CALCITE (OPTICAL) - Optical calcite is useful in working gemstone magick, as it doubles the strength and power of your spell. It is also useful in cleansing the aura, clearing all attachments and entities. Allows you to see the spiritual more readily.

CARNELIAN -- This stone is excellent for increasing courage, especially in the shy. Helps to promote self-confidence while inducing peace. Offsets doubt and negativity. Carnelian is excellent for increasing sexual desires and is very useful in spells relating to lust. Very helpful in all forms of healing. Can also be used to guard against people who try to read your thoughts.

CHRYSOPRASE - This is one of my favorite stones!!! It is a beautiful apple-green colored stone from Australia, which is useful in soothing heartache and loneliness, promoting emotional balance, and granting inner strength and peace. Chrysoprase can help to promote courage and can open and heal old traumas and grief. It is also a helpful stone to use in creating a bond of trust with the Goddess.

CITRINE -- Wear this stone at night to help prevent nightmares and to have a good night's sleep. Helps to tap into user's power to give energy to magick. Can be used as a good luck stone. Helps to increase self-esteem. An excellent stone to use for promoting creativity.

CRYSTAL QUARTZ (CLEAR) -- This stone has the ability to be programmed with the powers of ANYOTHERSTONE, and then substituted for that stone in any ritual. Great for psychism and as a general magickal power amplifier. Can be used to relieve headaches, reduce fevers and calm toothaches. Great for use in building a magick circle.

FLOURITE -- This is another of my favorite stones. It comes in beautiful transparent shades of blue, green, and lavendar. It works well to strengthen the power of all other stones. It helps to straighten out the thoughts, and has the ability to reduce the level of emotions in any situation, so that a more accurate, logical perspective can be had. It also heightens analytical abilities, and effectively lowers anger, depression, and desperation.

GARNET -- I wear a garnet ring at all times, for protection. Garnet is a highly protective stone, in that it provides a barrier of charged vibrations which repel negative energies on contact. It is also useful for protection after dark. It can be used to strengthen the aura, and is great for lending extra energy to rituals. It is also useful in enhancing bodily strength and endurance.

GREEN AVENTURINE -- This is an excellent good luck stone. It is useful in spells involving money, gambling, and business success. Can calm troubled emotions and speed general healing. This stone increases perception and intelligence while it stimulates creativity.

GREEN JASPER - A receptive stone which is useful in healing magick, especially for the eyes, kidneys, and stomach. Green Jasper may be worn to help prevent migraines and also to guard the health in general. These stones are also used in spells for money, riches, prosperity, luck, grounding, and balancing. Place in your garden to encourage more luxuriant growth of your plants. Also useful for fertility magick.

GREEN MOSS AGATE -- Wonderful stone to wear to draw new friends. This stone is said to be able to lead you to hidden treasures. It is also called the "gardener's talisman". It can be used to relieve exhaustion and to heal problems with the neck and back. Also useful in money and happiness spells.

HAWK'S EYE - This is a black and silver colored stone which assists psychic ability, transforms negative energy into positive, and heals negative energy from past lives. It may also aid in releasing karmic attachments.

HEMATITE -- A wonderful stone to use for grounding and centering. Useful in healing, especially when worn in the form of a necklace. It seems to draw illness out of the body. Its silvery, mirror-like surface is good for divination, especially scrying.

IOLITE - This is an indigo colored stone which is useful in working with the third eye chakra. It can help to open and expand psychic abilities, encourage psychic exploration, enhance curiousity, and guide you through spiritual beginnings and growth.

JADE (GREEN) -- Grants wisdom when placed against the third eye chakra (on the forehead). Attracts love, and is useful for protection. This gem can actually help the body to heal itself. It is used to help treat heart, kidney, and stomach disorders.

LABRADORITE-- This awesome stone comes from the sun/moonstone family. The stone is a opaque smoky quartz color, but when rotated in sunlight, has flashes of vivid green, blue, red, yellow, orange, and gold. This stone carries some of the properties from both the moon and the sun. Helps in opening the heart chakara in order to more readily receive love. Increases inner strength and convictions, as well as promoting courage. Draws success to the ower's life. Greatly enhances dreaming, and the ability to remember the content of the dreams during the waking hours. Also helps to enhance all forms of perception during the day. The stone may be more powerful in one area than another, dependant upon what color the "flash" is. (see color magick for more). This is a fantastic stone to acquire, and then to continue to carry or use throughout one's life - as the results of the stone's energies continue to build and each result enhances the next result.

LAPIS LAZULI -- One of my favorite stones. This stone is useful in improving emotional, physical, spiritual and psychic conditions. It relieves depression while promoting peace. Lapis is excellent for use in divination. Place this stone on your altar while scrying, gazing, or reading the Tarot or runes. Lapis is very protective and also promotes courage. Can be used to draw spiritual love to oneself, and is a powerful fidelity charm.

LEOPARD SKIN AGATE -- Very protective, especially against sorcery and possession. Increases courage and strength. Use when contacting your animal spirits. Helpful in healing.

MALACHITE -- Another very useful stone!!! Place one on your altar to lend extra energy to magickal spells. Guards against negativity and depression, calms and soothes. Enhances the ability to give and receive love. Increases business success. Promotes sleep. Very protective against physical dangers. This is a wonderful stone to use in the protection of children, as well as protection during travel.

MOLDAVITE - A dark green stone which is useful in healing magick. Moldavite encourages self-healing, protects spiritual healers, and gives protection during astral travel.

MOONSTONE -- Great for divination and psychism-many people keep a moonstone with their tarot cards for increased psychic ability. Helpful in dieting and maintaining a youthful appearance. The moonstone is love drawing and helpful for reconciliation. Moonstone is a gently protective stone, and is extremely useful in protection while traveling by water.

MOQUI MARBLES - See Shaman Stones.

MORGANITE - This stone is a pink form of beryl. It is useful in magick involving love and fidelity. It also aids in healing emotionally related matters, including karmic suffering and pain from past-life traumas.

MOTHER-OF-PEARL -- This has been used consistantly for many generations in ritual jewelry. It is sometimes placed on newborn babies for protection. It is also great for use in spells for wealth and prosperity.

PEACH (ORANGE) AVENTURINE -- This is an all-around good luck stone. It is useful in spells to increase feelings of self-worth or personal power. This stone attracts success to the owner, and can also be useful as a general protection stone.

PEACOCK ORE - This colorful metal can aid in psychism and clairvoyance. It facilitate inner knowing and helps you to trust what you see psychically. It is also useful when doing healing work for someone who is at a distance.

PERIDOT -- Guards against illusions, enchantments, and nightmares. If anger is a problem for you, try using this gemstone as it is known to calm even the most raging anger. Peridot also calms nervousness and banishes negative emotions. Good for general healing, promoting sleep, and attracting money.

RED JASPER -- Known to promote beauty and grace. Believe it or not, it can ease the pain of childbirth!!! Protective and especially useful in defensive magick -- use this stone to send negativity directed at you back to the original sender. Increases mental processes and forms a barrier against dangerous desires and whims. Also a great all-around good luck stone.

RHODOCHROSITE -- Another of my favorites. This beautiful pink stone is a powerful love drawing amulet. It is wonderful for soothing the mind, body, and emotions. Can give the body extra strength during strenuous activity. It has also been used to increase beauty, especially the skin and complexion.

RHODONITE -- Promotes peace, happiness, joy and laughter. Excellent stone to use in smoothing over relationship difficulties. Clears the mind of confusion and doubt. Rhodonite is a very calming stone, and helps to promote balance.

ROSE QUARTZ -- The definitive stone for love rituals. This stone can be used to open to heart chakra. It is extremely love attracting. It also promotes peace, happiness, and fidelity in established relationships.

RUBY - With its beautiful red color, the ruby is quite useful in love magick, especially for spells involving sexual love (increasing one's desire, etc.) and lust. Rubies are also useful in promoting courage and increasing energy.

SHAMAN STONES (MOQUI MARBLES) - These strange Ironstone concretions are found at the base of the Navajo Sandstone formation. The Moqui Indians that inhabited the Southwest used these small balls for marble-like games and in slings for hunting. The centers are filled with hard packed sandstone and the outer surface is a composite of iron, phosphorus, and lime. How they were formed and what caused their unusual rounded shapes remain a puzzle. There are various theories as to their formation and some scientists believe them to be from 130 to 155 million years old. Their energies are somewhat like those of Boji Stones. Shaman Stones are highly protective, and will absorb negativity and replace it with useful energies. They are wonderful for healing, as their energies flow easily up the Chakra column. The first time I held one of these stones in my hand, I could not believe the energy I felt inside them! Meditations and spiritual journeys are greatly enhanced by holding a Shaman Stone in each hand. They may also be used to contact your animal spirits, totems, and guides, and to aid in shapeshifting. Shaman Stones are equally balanced between grounding and energizing, and act as a connector to the Earth's energies. There are likely many more magickal uses for Shaman Stones... (if you are interested in purchasing Shaman Stones, Whispered Prayers sells large ones for only $3...(plug..plug...!!!)

SMOKEY QUARTZ -- A wonderful stone to use for grounding and centering. This stone can also be used to help overcome depression and other negative emotions. It is also an excellent mood elevator.

SODALITE -- A wonderful stone to draw wisdom. It can be held in the hand to help still the mind and relax the body. A wonderful meditation stone, and superb at healing emotionally related disorders (those caused by stress, anger, fear, or nervousness). Useful in dispelling guilt and fear.

SUNSTONE -- Stimulates sexual arousal and increases sexual energy. Very protective. Sunstone is also used to increase physical energy when ill. If you want to strengthen the energy of any healing herb, place a sunstone in with the herb.

TANZINITE -- Great for increasing psychic abilities, promoting wisdom, and producing clear communication. Helpful in communicating with spirit and animal guides. Good for inner journey work. Useful in work involving the heart, throat, third eye, and crown chakras.

TIGEREYE -- A beautiful, flashy stone which is wonderful for protection against all forms of danger. Useful in divination and as a tool to delve into past lives. Promotes wealth and prosperity. Increases energy flow through the body, and is therefore useful during illness. Tiger Eye can strengthen your convictions and create courage and confidence.

TOPAZ (BLUE) -- Use this gem in purification rituals. Great at promoting peace, while calming emotions. Useful in removing pain from the body. Placed by the bed at night, this stone is useful in preventing or halting nightmares and ensuring a good night's sleep.

TURQUOISE -- A wonderful all-around stone, useful in drawing love, money, health and beauty. A very protective stone. Use in rituals to attract new friends or lovers. Promotes joy. A wonderful gift, as it is said to grant the receiver wealth and happiness.

YELLOW CARNELIAN -- Heightens visualization and communication abilities. Great for use in writing or public speaking. Travel related spells are enhanced by the presence of yellow carnelian. A protective stone, and good for healing, especially disorders of the stomach, nervous system, and skin.