A Practical Guide To Witchcraft And Magic Spells Part 12

* Sleep with the ring and ivy next to your bed on the cus.h.i.+on and in the daytime surround it with white flowers.

* When you have time, take the ash to the top of a hill or any windy place and scatter it to the four winds, saying: Go Free In Love And Return In Joy.

You can carry out the spell on a larger scale by placing the ring, the candle and one large incense stick on your altar in the centre of the invisible pentagram. Place the other large incense sticks on small tables, chairs or blocks at the other points and work within the pentagram. You could even use garden incense and carry out the ritual in a sheltered spot out of doors, maybe even picking your ivy and white flowers during the ritual.

A Ritual For Harmony This ritual can be used when, for example, a colleague, family member or friend is intruding in your life, but you do not want to hurt their feelings. It can be very successful if you have received one too many phone calls or visits at inconvenient moments from a friend or neighbour. It may help to ward off constant interference in your projects by your boss or a colleague at work, or possessiveness that is not malicious but comes from loneliness in a close relative, a child or even your partner. You can carry it out before going to work or when you antic.i.p.ate the arrival of the person. It is much kinder than a traditional binding spell as it preserves the positive aspects of the relations.h.i.+p.

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* Light deosil a circle of lavender and rose incense sticks for love and kindness.

* Fill a pot or a small cauldron, or any heatproof dish, with sand and in it stand a single orange candle for independence.

* Take a long piece of red thread and tie nine loose knots around the base of the cauldron to represent the tangled emotions, saying as you tie the knots: Bind and wind nine times through, bonds that stifle, tangle, twine, bind unwilling me to you.

* Cut through the knots one at a time, using a knife (not scissors), saying: Ties so binding,Cut right through,Guilt unwinding,Freedom finding,Loving you,Not what you do.

* Light your candle, saying: Light of self, burning true, I am me and you are you. Light of friends.h.i.+p, light so kind, free in heart and soul and mind.

* Now burn each of the knots in the orange candle so they drop into the sand, saying: Free to live in harmonyCaring still,but separately.

This is also a good ritual if you are separating or divorcing from a partner but need to maintain friendly contact, perhaps because you work together or have joint family or financial responsibilities.

8 - Crystals And Protective Magick

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Whether you are carrying out spells, rituals or divination or are simply feeling anxious, vulnerable or under attack from inner or external forces, psychic protection can enclose you in light and keep out all that threatens your harmony. It is a very positive form of magick that for everyday use requires a basic ritual or visualisation that takes only a minute or two. Some people carry out routine psychic protection when returning from work and in the morning as naturally as taking off their work clothes and having a bath, to shed the pressures of the day.

You can also with practice learn to cast protection round those you care for: a child who is being bullied or an animal or bird that is endangered, an area of natural beauty under threat from developers or a group of people who are being unfairly targeted.

Of course you can't save a rainforest single-handed because there will always be a vast tide of despoiling vibes flowing in the opposite direction. But as has been shown by events such as World Days for Peace and the experiments on the power of prayer, if enough individuals send out positive intentions, followed by peaceful action, then people power really does make a difference. There is, as ever, just one proviso: you must remember the Wiccan Rede, An it harm none, do what you will', and apply it rigorously.

I am often asked to carry out protective spells for people who feel that they are the subject of unfair scrutiny, jealousy, anger or resentment. This may be manifest as deliberate malice, a muttered curse or a declaration of some vengeful intent. But more usually the origins are more obscure, perhaps coming from someone gossiping or lying in bed at night, fuming over an achievement or good fortune enjoyed by their supposed enemy. A whole tradition of 'evil eye' superst.i.tions and antidotes grew out of such envy and bad wis.h.i.+ng. If you are to help counteract this kind of bad feeling, without causing harm in return, it is best to resort to some kind of protection.

Note that you do not have to identify the sender of bad vibes in order to protect the victim. You will usually know who it is, as in most cases there is a likely candidate, and very frequently the wrong-doers give themselves away as they cannot resist the satisfaction of checking the effect of their unpleasant actions. Don't be tempted into direct retaliation, however - remember the Threefold Law.

The same tools and methods of protection can be used whether you are protecting a cat from an aggressive, stone-throwing neighbour or whales in a distant ocean from marauding fishermen. These include herbs, oils and incenses, made into sachets and poppets used in rituals (see Chapters 6 and 7). Salt, sacred water and wax amulets may also provide protection. One of the most potent methods of protection is through the use of crystals.

Crystals All crystals have innate protective qualities as well as healing and empowering properties and so can offer instant harmony and energy even in the most draining situations.

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Collecting Protective Crystals Certain crystals have, over the millennia, from Ancient Babylon, Egypt and the Orient, acquired the reputation of possessing strong protective qualities and are also usually potent in strengthening and healing. These include amber, black agate, amethyst, bloodstone, carnelian, garnet, jade, black and red jasper, jet, lapis lazuli, tiger's eye, topaz and turquoise. However, as you work with crystals and stones, you may discover that a particular crystal or even a stone from the seash.o.r.e fills you with calm and confidence; if you carry or hold this at times when you feel vulnerable, it will increase in power the more you use it.

Build up a collection of small protective crystals with which you can ring your bed for quiet sleep or place around your home or workplace to absorb the negativity of others. Buy or make a dark silk or natural fabric drawstring bag or purse in which you can carry a single protective crystal, or your crystal pairs (see below), whenever you leave home. Place them in the four corners of a room that always seems dark or inhospitable. Set crystals at the four corners of the table where you are carrying out divinatory or psychic work to act as a psychic s.h.i.+eld from negativity or debilitating emotions.

Balancing The Energies Crystals can be used in pairs to balance energies and restore equilibrium to a person or situation. This little piece of magick is particularly useful when you are under stress. Simply hold a dark crystal, such as a smoky quartz or apache tear, in your power hand and a clear crystal quartz or a golden citrine in your receptive hand, and close your eyes. You will feel the adrenaline surge and panic flowing away, leaving you calm and protected, able to deal with any situation.

I always keep a couple of suitable crystals in my hand luggage for difficult moments when travelling - crowded trains, delays, especially late at night when I feel very vulnerable, and even small enclosed lifts, which I hate, having become stuck in one when I was heavily pregnant. You could also buy and wear a pair of small, jewelled pins containing crystals, or two lapel brooches fastening the two sides of your scarf, or odd cufflinks with balancing crystals. (Who knows, you may even find you start a trend...) Experiment, using the list on page 153, to find which crystals offer balanced energies for you; you may well find some work better than others in particular situations. For example, my friend Jenny, a 40-year-old sales adviser, found that gentle green jade in her power hand and malachite, a rich green and black stone good for strengthening teeth and bones, in her receptive hand, made her feel protected when her aggressive area manager visited her. Soft rose quartz in her power hand and a glowing reddish orange carnelian in her receptive hand helped her to avoid the loss of self-esteem she always felt when she went home to see her critical mother.

Cleansing Crystals And Gemstones You should always cleanse your crystals before and after use in protection, healing and empowerment.

When you obtain a new crystal, cleanse it before charging it with your own personal energies. In this way you can remove all the energies, not necessarily negative, of those who have prepared, packed and sold the stone. If the stone was a gift, however, you may wish to accept the loving energies with which it was offered and rely on your innate defensive powers to filter out any unconscious negativity left from the previous owner's life.

You will also need to wash your crystals, and your crystal pendulum, if you use one, regularly in running water to keep their energies clear.

If you have been in touch with a particularly negative influence, first wash the stones, then sprinkle them with salt and pa.s.s over them an incense stick or oil burner in a fragrance such as lavender, pine or rose. Finally pa.s.s them over the flame of a purple, silver or pink candle; in this way your crystal absorbs the healing energies of all four elements.

Leave the crystals to dry in natural light, then wrap them for a few days in a dark cloth with a large piece of unpolished amethyst wrapped separately so it will not scratch the smaller crystals. Amethysts have great powers of healing for other crystals, but they need frequently to be rested and anointed very gently with diluted lavender oil or a lavender infusion.

You can also cleanse crystals by leaving them in a rainstorm or burying them in a pot of lavender, sage, Chamomile, rosemary or other herb of love and harmony. Leave them for 24 hours and, if necessary, wash off any remaining soil with running water. The result will be a new vibrancy, especially in the case of rutilated quartz, jade and moss agate (the last two are called the gardener's crystals). For more methods of cleansing, empowering and crystal protection, see my book Psychic Protection Lifts the Spirit.

Charging Your Crystals With Positive Power All crystals contain power as well as protective qualities and cleansing is itself empowering. However, if you are being subjected to stress or hara.s.sment of any kind, you might like to charge your crystal, so that when you touch or look at it, you will be enclosed in its radiance and stimulate your own innate self-protective power. Your charged crystal acts as an amplifier for your own inner radiance and self-confidence and will repel any hostility.

My own favourite method is to wrap the crystals in white silk and take them to a sacred place of ancient power, such as a standing stone, an old stone circle or one of the ancient healing wells. These wells were formerly dedicated to the Mother G.o.ddess but were Christianised and rededicated to St Bride, the Virgin Mary or other Christian, often Celtic, saint.

Go as early in the morning as possible and place the crystals on a flat surface, either on one of the stones or close to the water. Sit near to the source of power, touching it with your two hands so that you create a circuit of energy parallel to that being absorbed by the crystals and so empower your own auric field (the area of psychic energy that exists around our bodies).

Auric fields contain different colours; they can be seen spontaneously by clairvoyants but anyone can, with time and practice, interpret auras, which change according to a person's mood and the influences on it. After about ten minutes you may detect a slight luminescence around yourself as well as the crystals. Your crystals will now be charged and can be placed in their drawstring bag.

When under stress, touch your chosen crystal for strength and protection. Keep it on your desk at work, place it between you and an adversary or next to your bed if you are troubled by bad dreams or fear psychic attack or malevolence at night. People living in areas with high rates of robbery and violence may wish to put a power crystal, such as turquoise, red jasper or carnelian, as a protective buffer near external doors and windows. In less extreme circ.u.mstances, charged rose quartz and amethyst are excellent for sleep and relaxation problems, for charging simply accentuates the innate calm energies of the crystal.

With the gentle crystals (such as amethyst, rose quartz or smoky quartz), you will experience a gentle warmth and enclosing light of pink, green or purple according to the colour of the crystal. But with the power crystals (such as clear crystal quartz, citrine or carnelian), you may see with your psychic vision sparks of gold emanating and enclosing you in a protective sh.e.l.l. Anyone who approaches in a confrontational way may stop and back off. The crystal is not hurting them, it is just strengthening your own boundaries against intrusion.

If you cannot visit an ancient site to charge your crystals, hold a crystal pendulum up to bright sunlight, or in front of a fibre optic lamp, and swirl it so that it catches rainbows. Hold your pendulum in your power hand. With your other hand, hold the crystal beneath the pendulum so it catches the light, and turn your pendulum over the crystal nine times deosil to absorb power.

Another method is to take your crystal out into the light of the full moon (the two or three nights leading up to the full moon are also powerful). Hold your crystal up so that the light of the Moon s.h.i.+nes on it. Alternatively, fill a bowl with water and place it in the open air so that the Moon is reflected in it. You can then bathe your crystal in empowering moonlight and leave to dry.

You can also bathe a crystal in sunlight; I find the Moon method more gently empowering for crystals that are primarily intended to act as guardians. But experiment, as Sun water may be best for you.

As these are personal crystals, ask the Moon or Sun in your own words to lend their power; alternatively, you may prefer to remain silent and let these ancient forces work in their own way.

You can also use this method for empowering amulets and lucky charms or St Christopher medallions. St Christopher is patron saint and protector of all travellers.

Protective Crystals The following crystals are those that I, in my personal work, and people with whom I have held healing workshops or teaching sessions have found especially protective. They will absorb negative energies emanating from both fears and doubts, and repel external attack, replacing darker feelings with positive emotions and intentions.

To benefit from the protective powers of a crystal, you can carry or wear it, or keep it close to you at work, at home or when you travel. You can also add a crystal to your bath water. Alternatively, you can soak it in pure spring water overnight and drink the crystalline water in the morning or carry it in a small bottle to splash on your face and wrists at stressful times.

Agates These bring stability, security, emotional and physical balance and acceptance of self and others as they are. Agates are said to be good in all colours for reducing effects of harmful rays, pollution and all forms of psychic, psychological and physical attack.

Black agate absorbs negativity, repels psychic attack, irrational thoughts and words, and promotes acceptance and tolerance of differences in others.

Blue lace agate is a natural peace-bringer and protects against harsh words spoken by self or others.

Moss agate (clear with green, moss-like tendrils) is the stone for protecting against pollution and deforestation. Plant a circle of them in the soil of a tropical plant and each day visualise healing rays being sent to the rainforests. Moss agate also protects against food cravings and obsessions.

Amber Known as the honey stone, because of its great antiquity and soft, warm touch, amber is said to contain the power of many suns and has the power to absorb negativity and protect the user from harm. It will also melt any emotional or physical rigidity.

In the Chinese tradition, the souls of tigers pa.s.s into amber when they die and so it is also a gem of courage in the face of unfairness or hostility. Above all, it protects children, especially from falls and bullying, and increases their self-esteem (coral also does this).

Brilliant for soothing anxiety and creating a golden s.h.i.+eld of protection that mingles power with kindness and a sense of perspective, amber is said to protect wearers from pollution, both industrial and technological.

Amethyst Amethyst is one of the best healing and protective stones. Egyptian soldiers wore it in battle so they would not panic in dangerous situations and so it is an ideal crystal to calm children and adults and to keep away night terrors. The Greeks believed that amethyst prevented the wearer from drunkenness - amethystos means 'not drunken' - and so it protects against excesses not only of alcohol, but of those who seek to dominate through greater strength or status, at work or socially. Worn during sleep, it prevents insomnia, and when carried throughout the day, it reduces anger and impatience in self and others.

Apache Tears (Obsidian) These small black globules are so-named after a tragic incident in Arizona. A group of Apaches were ambushed by soldiers. Many were killed and the rest threw themselves over a cliff, rather than be taken prisoner. The women and maidens of the tribe wept at the base of the cliff for a whole moon cycle and their tears became embedded within obsidian crystals in the rock.

Apache tears protect against treachery, deep sorrow and are especially potent in protecting persecuted minorities whether these are people, endangered species or places. They ease and release physical and mental pain, loss, sadness and anger, allowing the user to move forward. Apache tears are particularly powerful for protection against one's own fears of frailty, mortality, loneliness and loss of any kind.

Beryl A crystal of the Sun, beryl drives away inner fears and repels external threats and malevolence, increasing confidence and a sense of wellbeing. In its golden form it is excellent for creating a s.h.i.+eld of golden sparks around you in difficult situations where there are too many factors or conflicting demands to a.s.similate and you feel overwhelmed.

Deep blue beryl is used for crystal b.a.l.l.s. It offers inner peace and the courage to stand against bullies and autocrats, but allows you to be generous to the petty-minded.

Pink beryl (morganite) offers gentle protection for children and animals and encourages compa.s.sion towards our enemies.

Bloodstone (heliotrope) The red spots of bloodstone were, according to legend, formed from the blood of Christ as it fell on green jasper at the crucifixion and so it is traditionally used in icons and religious carvings. In Ancient Babylon, bloodstone was used in amulets for protection against enemies and has been carried by soldiers in many cultures to overcome fears, to prevent wounds or stop bleeding. It is good for deflecting cruelty, spite and malice and for situations in which the fears are real and the opposition great. Travellers may carry this stone to protect against accidents or attack.

Carnelian Though most usually a translucent, vibrant red or orange, carnelians can also be yellow or brown. In any shade, carnelians have traditionally been regarded as the stones of courage and self-confidence of leaders, and those who wish or need to be leaders should wear one around the neck or in a ring. They are powerful against all forms of malevolence and danger, repelling envy in others. Most of all, carnelians protect us against ourselves and our own weaknesses.

Coral Coral is an organic gem, usually pink, red or orange, and is known as the protector of children. Coral has been a children's stone from the time of the Ancient Greeks when Plato wrote that it should be hung around children's necks to prevent them falling and to cure colic, and rubbed on the gums to help painless teething. It is good for all children's fears and against threat to their person or self-esteem. It is also protective for adolescent girls, pregnant women and new mothers, and invokes kindness and gentleness in others.

Garner Usually a deep, clear red, garnets are the ultimate protective stone. Eastern European peoples used the garnet against illness, night phantoms and all forms of manifest evil, including the mythical vampire. In medieval times, garnets were engraved with a lion's head for health and safe travel; however, being a brittle stone, this was not easy and the few that did not shatter were highly prized. It is still regarded as a stone to be carried by travellers, especially for protection against attack. Like the emerald, it will change colour if danger is near. Garnets also provide energy for difficult tasks when rest is not possible.

Avoid using garnet when you are feeling angry, as it will amplify these feelings.

Jade A stone that protects against ill-health and poverty, jade is another very gentle stone that is said to contain great deal of the undiluted life force. It connects the user with Earth energies and offers protection from injury and accidents, especially during travel. It is a good stone for rituals to heal the planet.

Jasper Jasper is, like agate, a powerful grounding and earthing stone and protects against fears as well as external danger.

Black jasper is protective against all negative sources and especially the user's own repressed feelings. It is good for absorbing anger.

Brown jasper offers stability in turbulent times; it is good to use after rituals.

Green jasper protects against jealousy, increases empathy with others' difficulties and soothes bad dreams.

Red jasper is naturally defensive against external hostility and danger.

Jet Jet is, like amber, an organic gem of great antiquity. It is actually fossilised wood that has been turned into a dense form of coal. Travellers and fisherfolk benefit from its protection - in past times, the wives of sailors would keep a jet amulet safe at home so that their husbands would return safely from the sea. It protects all who travel by night, alone or in lonely places, and older people in all aspects of their lives. It guards against bad dreams and endows the wearer with the emotional strength to face the ending of a natural phase.

Lapis lazuli Known as the eye of wisdom and the stone of the G.o.ds, lapis lazuli jewellery is mentioned in an Ancient Egyptian papyrus dating from over 3,000 years ago as having healing powers. The Sumerians believed it contained the souls of their G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses and as such would endow them with magical powers, and the G.o.ddess Ishtar was famed for her beautiful necklaces of this crystal. In Egypt, lapis lazuli was first used in a powdered form for eye make-up as protection against the evil eye.

Lapis lazuli counteracts insomnia and the inability to communicate, and is a powerfully protective stone against all pettiness, spite, injustice and unfair officialdom. It offers the courage and clarity to win through, however seemingly powerful the opposition, but it demands n.o.bility of purpose in its users. Lapis lazuli is good for healing both air and water pollution and for world peace.

Malachite A purifier and energiser, malachite will replace negativity with positive energies. It cleanses the auric field around people, animals, plants and places. Malachite will absorb pollution and, it is claimed, harmful rays from computers and televisions. It is especially effective if a crystal is placed in the corners of a room where white electrical goods are being used.

Because it is so powerful, malachite should be cleansed at least every two days.

Rose quartz Rose quartz is the stone of gentle healing and protection. It is known as the children's stone because it is so gentle in soothing away childhood ills and sorrows that may haunt us into adulthood. It is good for protecting families, the home, pets and anyone who is ill or vulnerable.

It promotes family love and friends.h.i.+p, and brings peace, forgiveness, emotional harmony and the mending of quarrels. It heals emotional wounds and heartbreak, grief, stress, fear, lack of confidence, resentment and anger. Rose quartz will keep away nightmares and night-time fears. Cleanse and recharge it frequently, especially if the colour begins to fade.

Smoky quartz This is traditionally a.s.sociated with removing negative influences on the user. It can promote physical health and galvanise our shadow side, transforming anger and resentment into positive action, rather than leaving us to deny negative feelings or project them on to other people. It is a powerful stone to use when one's survival, either professional or personal, is an issue. Smoky quartz also counteracts self-destructive impulses.

Tiger's eye A brown or red translucent stone (the green and blue versions are cat's, falcon or hawk's eyes), tiger's eye combines the powers of the Earth with the deep instinctive ability to survive life's challenges.

Throughout the ages, tiger's eye has been a talisman against the evil eye. Roman soldiers would wear engraved stones as protection from death and wounding. Tiger's eye is also a.s.sociated with practical aspects of life and enhances the five senses. Thus it can alert us to physical danger as well as potential malice. It is effective in tackling gossip, backbiting and spite in a firm but creative way, and is perhaps best of all for creating a sparkling s.h.i.+eld of protection.

Topaz Topaz is the Sanskrit word for 'fire'. Topaz increases power as the Moon waxes, being at its greatest potency at the time of the full moon. Perhaps because of this, topaz was said to be proof against nightmares, night terrors and phantoms and malice of the night as well as violent emotions. Water in which a topaz has been soaked is a cure for insomnia if drunk an hour before bedtime.

A natural energiser, golden topaz is especially good for alleviating work anxieties, especially in the caring professions, and should be kept in the workplace.

Turquoise Mined by the Egyptians in Sinai more than 6,000 years ago, turquoise and imitations of it have been discovered in graves from around 4000 BC. It is the stone of hors.e.m.e.n, warning them of danger, and will prevent horses from stumbling if placed in a saddle or on a bridle. So it is the stone of all travellers, especially those who travel far by air or sea. In modern times, a small turquoise can be attached to pets' collars and to the mirrors of birdcages to protect them. It can also be plaited into horses' manes to prevent their being stolen or harmed, using the following method. Soak the turquoise in sacred water for 24 hours, then charge it with power by sprinkling salt on it and pa.s.sing it through the smoke of a powerful incense such as cedar, then through the flame of a pink candle and finally with the sacred water. Finally, bind the turquoise with three hairs from the animal.

Turquoise is a power stone and is good in global rituals, to protect persecuted groups and for healing the sea and air. It is particularly effective in whale and dolphin conservation work.

A Protective Crystal Ritual This ritual is particularly effective for anyone feeling anxious about travelling or moving house. You will need a map of the journey involved. You may like to work by candlelight, in which case light a yellow candle for a journey of a short distance or duration and a blue one for major travel. You can also adapt this ritual for a house move, burning a brown candle for a move to or within a town or city and green for a rural or more isolated location.

* Spread five or six protective crystals across the map from your home to your destination.

* Prepare a circle of protective incense sticks or cones, such as copal, juniper or lemon verbena, alternated with fern or frankincense incense for travel. Use holders or burners wide enough to collect the ash. (Incense combines the qualities of the Earth in its substance and of the Sky when lit and so is a very balanced form of magic, combining the Sky Father and Earth Mother, animus and anima energies, or yang and yin in the Oriental tradition.) * As you light the incense, say: Far or near, guard my home, guide me safe o'er hill and foam, In darkest night, though apart, my home I carry in my heart.

* While the incense is burning, make positive plans for your journey and focus on the most pleasurable aspects.

* When the incense is burned through, collect any ash and sprinkle a little over the crystals you placed over your home and destination.

* Wash the crystals in sacred water or any source of running water and allow them to dry naturally.

* Take your home crystal on the journey with you and give the destination crystal to a loved one. If you live alone, bury it in a plant pot near the door to await your homecoming.

* For a house move, bury the 'new home' crystal near the front door of your present property to create a happy atmosphere for the new owners or tenants. Bury the 'old home' crystal in the ground near your new front door when you move, to transfer positive energies with you and make the new home instantly yours.

Amulets