Quartz – The very very very useful crystal

Quartz is the universal crystal with a huge range of uses and which can be substituted for most other crystals in a pinch. There are many different types of quartz and some crystals that we identify in their own right such as amethyst or citrine are actually just different varieties of quartz. Ask any witch for her desert island disk choices and I bet you a pound to a penny that a lump of quartz would be on it. Quartz is to the average magical practitioner what sage is to a Wiccan – used for pretty much everything...

There are different colours and types of quartz, some of which have specific correspondences – rose quartz for example is associated very much with the heart chakra and emotional matters, smokey quartz is linked to lifting the mood and banishing depression. You can even get quartz with little bits of the mineral rutile in it (hence rutilated quartz), ideal for channelling energy.

I thought this week it would be interesting to look at some of the ways a witch may choose to use quartz and how as a crystal it can be utlised in magical practises. So here are the top ten uses for quartz:

Wand

Traditionally the wand of the witch is associated with wood rather than crystal. But crystal can be equally effective in directing the energy of the caster. Long pieces of quartz can be used to define the parameters of a circle or simply to direct will in a working. The idea of a wand is that it channels intention through the properties of the material in the wand. In the case of a quartz wand, the properties of purification, healing, protection and psychic intuition can be utilised to enhance the effectivity of the spell and the power of the witch.

Crystal cleansing

There are many ways to charge crystals – moon water, moon bathing, burying in the earth... But one of the simplest and cleanest ways is to leave crystals to charge on a bed or inside a geode of quartz. Quartz is a charging crystal that rejuvenates your other crystals and leaves them cleansed and charged.

Realign the chakra centres of the body

Got to be honest with you, the whole chakra thing is a bit new agey for me and not something I really get involved in. But as many witches do work with the chakras, I thought I'd pop it in for the sake of completion. The idea is that clear quartz reflects light across the whole colour spectrum, thus having the potential to reach out to each chakra on the corresponding light wave. Some types of quartz have specific associations with a particular chakra, for example rose quartz and the heart chakra.

Protection amulet/charm

Quartz has protective properties and can be worn close to the body either in the form of jewellery or popped into a pocket or bra to protect the wearer. It can also be placed at strategic points in the home for protection to the property.

Psychic dreams

When placed beneath the pillow, quartz assists the sleeper to have dreams of a prophetic nature.

Increases the power of ritual

Quartz finds many a way to sneak into a ritual. It may be worn in the form of jewellery, sewn into ritual robes or even attached to magical tools – I personally have a quartz crystal attached to the end of my staff. The usage is similar to that of the wand, it helps channel the energy of the magical practitioner. However, quartz can also be used to demarcate the boundary of the circle and in this instance it is used for protection, to keep negativity out and enhance the safety of the circle participants.

Clear negative energy from the aura

Quartz can be moved over the body – approx 3-5 inches from the skin itself and rolled slowly around the aura of the physical being. This helps to heal any weak patches in the aura and restores energy. Some witches talk of tears in the aura and using quartz to seal and heal them by rubbing the stone gently in a clockwise motion around the afflicted area. Remember to cleanse your stones after using to heal the aura as they will pick up any residue of negativity clinging to the aura.

Crystal water for healing

The energetic properties of many crystals, including quartz can be infused into water. Quartz is placed in a glass of water and ideally left overnight in the full moon. The water can be used for cleansing magic tools, blessing places and it can even be drunk as a restorative of energies. (Be aware that some crystals are not suitable for creating crystal water due to being water soluble so check and double check before drinking any homemade concoction made from crystals...)

Power restorative/energy store

You can use quartz to store energy and this idea can be expanded to storing emotions, thoughts and even memories. Hold the quartz in the centre of your palm and visualise transferring the energy from yourself into the stone. Allow your energy to flow into the stone and store safely. You can draw the energy from the stone back into yourself by reversing the visualisation of energy flow when needed.

Crystal ball

Probably the most widely known use of clear quartz is the crystal ball. A crystal ball is used for divination and prophecy. There are two ways this can be achieved, some seers see a physical image in the crystal and others use a clear unblemished surface to rest their mind and allow them to either see images in their mind's eyes or to enable knowledge to come to the surface of their minds. However it is used, it cannot be denied that the quartz crystal ball plays an important role in magic as we know it today.


Image http://www.sxc.hu/photo/250084 (dvet)

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