Root & Branch: Eclectic Folk Magic, Conjure, and Witchery for Every Day.

Discover the natural magic of the British countryside and apply its
lessons to your life, wherever you roam.

  • Home
    Home This is where you can find all the blog posts throughout the site.
  • Tags
    Tags Displays a list of tags that have been used in the blog.
  • Bloggers
    Bloggers Search for your favorite blogger from this site.
  • Login
    Login Login form

Quartz – the most magical of stones

 

 

 

The most common mineral in the Earth’s crust is the quartz element of granite that reconnects us with the spirit within the landscape.  Quartz is also one of the most popular of ‘crystals’, and pebbles having quartz as their dominant constituent are to be found on almost every beach, the differences in colour and appearance due to varying amounts of other minerals in each one, and also the way in which the quartz has formed.

 

 

 

Coloured varieties of quartz can be found on certain kinds of beach, the best known being amethyst, which is transparent to semi-transparent, purple to pale pink, with some white banding. Citrine is transparent to semi-transparent and golden yellow, while smoky quartz is deep yellow to brown. A variety of quartz that did not form large crystals when it cooled is known as chalcedony; it has a waxy lustre, is translucent, and has a milky-white, blue, gray or pale brown colour. The red variety, carnelian, glows with a warm fire when held up to the light and soon catches the eye on a sunny day near the water’s edge: the colours vary from pale to deep red.

 

 

 

Despite all the wealth of the world, for the magical practitioner, natural quartz is the most precious gift of all. As an accomplished occultist and having a doctorate in geology, Mériém Clay-Egerton was fascinated by the fact that for millennia humanity and quartz had interacted with each other. She wrote that our ancestors having recognised the qualities of quartz was evident from the studies of its usage, not region by region, but over the entire area of the British Isles: “Everywhere one looks there are clear distinct traces. To people who know its potential, it was clearly no accidental employment of any material to hand. It was sought out for use.”

 

 

 

Across the landscape we find burial chambers with quartz kerb-stones and burial pit sprinkled with quartz chippings, both whole and broken. There being a psychic school of thought that these were used to either keep the individuals concerned safely at rest, or to permit the living to contact spirit entities when they were in a correctly attuned state. Standing stones (some of which are made of quartz, others may contain a high percentage of it), are accepted by psychics and magical practitioners as being able to act as conductors of ‘earth-force’, such as that encountered at nodal points for energy lines.

 

 

 

And much closer to home: quartz is solid silica and if it did not crystallise when it solidified it is known as flint, and everyone knows that two flints struck together will produce a spark. What is not generally known is that all quartz pebbles will do the same and often produce bigger and better sparks. Clear quartz, or rock crystal, will produce an orange spark if two pieces are struck together in a darkened room, together with the smell of burning and this can be viewed as magical fire from the very Earth itself

 

 

 

 

 

Types of Quartz:

 

 

 

Usually colourless and transparent, ROCK CRYSTAL is the most magical of all stones and often used as a ‘shew stone’ or crystal ball; those being shot through with rutile – thin needle-like slivers – are the most magically potent. Small rutile needles present in gems are responsible for an optical phenomenon known as asterism. Asteriated gems known as ‘star’ gems are highly sought after and are generally more valuable than their normal counterparts.

 

Although IRIS QUARTZ is basically colourless, the internal structure of the crystals enables it to diffract plain white light into the seven colours of the spectrum. Its properties was first described by the great Roman naturalist and historian Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD). Place under your pillow for untroubled sleep.

 

 

 

MILKY QUARTZ, white and translucent (although coloured variations also occur and are frequently used as semi-precious stones) also preserves its wearer from the terrors of the night

 

 

 

ROSE QUARTZ is a pale pink stone used to enliven the imagination, stimulate the intellect and enrich relationships. It has a very long history and known to have been used in making amulets since Roman times. It was believed to be a healing stone and the Romans used it in medicine. Some rose quartz crystals show a pronounced asterism when cut in cabochons.

 

 

 

SMOKEY QUARTZ is transparent and usually one of many shades of brown, and sometimes known by the name ‘Cairngorm’ after the mountains in Scotland where some of the finest crystals are found.   John Dee’s famous ‘shew stone’ was polished smokey quartz.

 

 

 

Black specimens are called MORION QUARTZ and are used magically to clear the mind, banish confusion and allow access to the realms of Otherworld — a very special scrying stone.

 

 

 

CARNELIAN is an orange-red variety of quartz, its name deriving from the Latin carneus, meaning flesh-coloured. Medical: Gives the ability to speak boldly and well, as well as preserving the wearer from evil, the envious, and falling houses or walls. Magical: Used to boost all psychic and magical powers, restrains anger and gives courage in battle, and associated with Elemental Fire;

 

 

 

SARD is brown quartz and has been used in jewellery since ancient Egyptian times — it is historically one of the most widely used of all gems. Regarded as a protection against incantations and sorcery, and believed to sharpen the wits of the wearer, rendering him fearless, victorious and happy. The red hue of this stone was supposed to neutralise the malign influence of the dark onyx, driving away bad dreams, caused by the latter, and dispelling the melancholy thoughts it inspired.

 

 

 

CHRYSOPRASE (or Prase) is a sparkling apple green ‘victory stone’ and prized for encouraging quick wits and adaptability;

 

 

 

The deep violet AMETHYST was a well-known classic Greek preventive of drunkenness, and if water were poured into a vessel made of a amethyst-coloured stone, the liquid would appear like wine, and could be drunk with impunity. Medical: It insured that the owner would never be inflicted with blindness, nor troubled by strangulation or choking, gout and bad dreams; but it also offered protection against treason, and guarded one from deceit and imprisonment, Magical: It provided a shield against all enchantments, improved the complexion and prevented hair from falling out. This is the stone of the priesthood and used to increase spiritual power.

 

 

 

The BLOODSTONE or HELIOTROPE is green with spots of red jasper and was considered ideal for stopping nosebleeds. Medical: It was also believed to preserve the faculties and bodily health of the wearer; make water boil, to produce rain, maintain a good reputation, expel poison, preserve health and vigour throughout life, to help foretell the future and to prevent one from being cheated. Magical: Most importantly, it could make the wearer invisible if used in conjunction with the plant called heliotrope, while reciting the proper incantation and performing the correct ritual. Increases spiritual awareness, confidence and intellectual creativity. The Leyden Papyrus says: “If anyone has this with him he will be given whatever he asks for; it also assuages the wrath of kings and despots, and whatever the wearer says he will be believed. Whoever bears this stone, which is a gem, and pronounces the name engraved upon it, will find all doors open, while bonds and stone walls will be rent asunder.”

 

 

 

JASPER is impure quartz, usually coloured red by hematite [RED JASPER] and was judged to assist childbirth if worn on the thigh, and was also thought to prevent haemorrhage during the birth process. Medicinal: Expectant mothers were advised to keep the stone on their person at all times as a defence against evil spirits and for maintaining purity of heart. Also encourages deep states of meditation and harmony, and known as the ‘stone of good will’ and unselfishness. Used in healing to reduce stress. Worn as an amulet against snakebites and headaches, lethargy and epilepsy. An amulet of GREEN JASPER is worn to protect against fevers and dropsy. Magical: The colour is at least important as chemical composition in determining the talismanic or therapeutic worth of the different stones; the great variety of colours and markings in the different jaspers indicate their use in many different ways.

 

 

 

SARDONYX is a banded form of sard, being a stone generated in the earth by the power and heat of the sun, was said to strengthen the intellect of its owner and to grant a superior degree of understanding and all senses of the body, and drives away anger, stupidity, and undisciplined passion. When worn consistently it eliminated stupidity, and calmed obstinate and unruly passions.

 

 

 

CITRINE is a variety of quartz and derives its yellow colouration from the presence of minute inclusions of iron, hence its magical quality for dispersing (or ‘earthing’) negative energy and averting curses and bad luck;

 

 

 

AMETRINE is a combination of amethyst and citrine, used to reduce fear of change and to encourage inspiration.

 

 

 

TIGER’S EYE is a rare form of black quartz that has yellow and golden brown stripes and is used to cast light on hidden subjects; it helps with astral visions and lucid dreaming.

 

 

 

 

Try this exercise

 

Our surrounding landscape will influence the way magical workings come to fruition, and also the amount of effort needed to be put into the ritual to bring about the desired effect. By understanding what lies beneath our feet will enhance our magical ability, and here we can learn to plug-in to the natural energy of the place

 

 

 

  • Once you have located what appears be a suitable site, try to pinpoint your own personal energy spot by using a pendulum that contains an element of quartz. Dowse the site thoroughly and calculate where the energy is the strongest from the pendulum’s reaction.

     

  • If the location seems unsuitable for magical working, then a short journey of just a few hundred yards might make all the difference.

     

     

    Even if you feel a tremendous empathy with a particular ancient site, NEVER be tempted to commit an act of desecration by chipping bits off the stones or monument, since these will NOT enhance your magical or meditational workings — and may even have an adverse effect.

     

     

     

    Melusine Draco is the author of Magic Crystals, Sacred Stones published by Axis Mundi Books  ISBN: 978-1-78099-137-5 Price: UK£11.99/US$19.95 ; Kindle version available.

 

 

 

Last modified on
Mélusine Draco originally trained in the magical arts of traditional British Old Craft with Bob and Mériém Clay-Egerton. She has been a magical and spiritual instructor for over 20 years with Arcanum and the Temple of Khem, and writer of numerous popular books on magic and witchcraft. Her highly individualistic teaching methods and writing draws on ancient sources, supported by academic texts and current archaeological findings.

Comments

Additional information