An important part of any pagan kit is, I believe, a selection of gemstones and/or crystals. Most western style pagans, have an animistic orientation. In other words, everything is alive, and is a manifestation and/or vehicle for life-force, spirit and/or consciousness. This of course, includes crystals and gemstones. This was brought home to me very strongly one day, when I asked a young pagan, the daughter of a close friend, who was interested in gemstones and their properties, if she could name the gemstones I had in a leather mojo bag, without, mind you, opening the bag! She held the bag in her hand, and after a bit of quiet tuning in, proceeded to name Carnelian, Jasper, Howlite and Aventurine. This was a very impressive performance, as the gemstones in the bag were indeed Carnelian, Plum Jasper, Blue Howlite and Red Aventurine. She was able to do this while still in primary school, and indeed, this is a time when most kids seem to have a natural ability to appreciate the numinous and catch glimpses across the vale, if not live in full appreciation of the aliveness of all things. Generally, this numinous sense is beaten out of people by the onslaught of high school, if not higher primary school, and teachers, parents and closed off kids who define any non-material perception as imagination. A few of us, however, resist this brainwashing, and emerge into adult-hood with our animistic perceptions mostly in tact, and as a result, feeling a bit like outsiders to the mainstream of society – which considering the mainstream, is no bad thing, in my opinion! However it does make one’s life more complicated, insisting on marching to the beat of a different drum.
However, I digress. I have never made an in depth study of gemstones and crystals and their uses, but I occasionally have cause to bring them into my life. For example, the mojo bag I mentioned above, which I carry on my person. I was feeling in need of some balance and healing, especially in my physical body, so decided to pick out a few gemstones to assist. I went to the local new age shop, and stood at the gemstone display, and without thinking too much about it, picked out four stones, one for each of the four elements.
Red Aventurine: This stone is actually a dark yellow colour, and that’s why I picked it for the element of Air. In my system of magic, the Air element is associated with a wash of pale yellow light. According to the slip of paper I received with the stone, it is “Rejuvenating. Works on the physical body to help in recuperating after surgery or illness. Helps to strengthen muscles after childbirth”.
Carnelian: This stone is a deep orange-red colour, and of a translucent quality. For these reasons I picked it for the element of Fire. According to the slip of paper provided, Carnelian resonates with the sexuality. Its properties are “revitalising, optimism, good for motivation, and to light sexual fire.”
Blue Howlite: This stone is a deep blue with flecks and veins of tourquoise and sea green. I picked it, for obvious reasons, for the element of Water. According to the slip of paper provided, Blue Howlite benefits “Communition and creativity. Helps you to connect with your dreams, communicate and express your thoughts and feelings.” I looked up ‘communition’ in the dictionary, but it wasn’t there – so I suspect they meant communion – sharing of thoughts and feelings with somebody or something, to a degree that a sense of oneness and union is felt.
Plum Jasper: This stone is a deep red, with bands which hint of purple. In my system of magic, a deep dark red is associated with the energy of Earth, and for this reason I selected this stone for my Earth stone. According to the slip of paper received, this stone relates to physical healing, and is “beneficial to well being of internal organs and promotes general physical healing. A very strong grounding and protective stone, dispelling negativity and cleansing or clearing bad energies.”
As you may appreciate, the stones seem to relate very well to the elemental qualities I perceived as I stood in the shop, with the exception of the Red Aventurine. However a little more research revealed that Red Aventurine has all the properties of Aventurine, which include benefiting all areas of creativity and imagination, as well as intellect and mental clarity (See Crystals and Jewelry). Other properties include the ability to reduce negative thoughts and encourage positive attitudes. (See Crystal Wellbeing). So perhaps the attribution of the Air element is reasonable enough after all!
Part of my system of magic includes building up a circle of familiars from the different realms of nature. As well as calling elements and portal guardians, in a full ritual, I also evoke trees, herbs, gemstones and other consonant energies in each quarter, spending a short time in communion with each energy evoked. I work my way around the circle several times, calling first the elements and guardians, then the gemstones, then trees, then herbs, and then Deities. I am sometimes also given to working with certain animal and bird energies, and other magical energies, in the same way.
With one’s Mojo bag on hand, one can set up a powerful magical circle any where, with minimal necessity for tools etc., though most of the time, mine is just working quietly in the background, helping to keep me balanced and healthy in mind and body. It was a basic teaching to have a set of elemental stones for circle work in a Native American Lodge that I once participated in. It is a practice that translates very easily into the western pagan traditions.
My approach in selecting a set of gems was a very intuitive one, but others might prefer to make an exhaustive study of gemstones and their properties before selecting a handful to work with more closely, aligned with elemental properties. Indeed, I have followed this approach with herbs and trees! However there is only so much time in the day, so with gemstones, I have just resorted to trust in the connectedness of all life and consciousness, and so work with the stones given to me above.
So if you haven’t got a set of stones in your mojo bag, then what are you waiting for? Head down to your local gemstone trader and get happening! And the more you work with your gems, the more you will appreciate their living energy, and will learn how to work with them to benefit yourself and others.
Blessed Be
Rob
P.S. I have no affiliation or connection with the links above, and make no recomendation about any of the information or services provided!