Rituals for Magic and Meaning. Cerridwen Greenleaf

can be various quartzes and semiprecious stones of similar shape and small in size.

      You can use a rainbow of colors or you can stick with just one kind of stone. I prefer to use all amethysts on my mirror; I feel more connected to this lovely purple gem because it is my birthstone.

      Before applying the clear-drying glue to your frame, clean it with a soft, dry cloth. Take your crystals, shells, glass or other items and affix them one at a time, in any pattern you like. Some examples of mirrors I’ve come across featured concentric circles of color, following the spectrum from dark red garnet to clear quartz, and gorgeous spirals and paisley prints all across the frame.

      Different kinds of questing and querying may call for several different magic mirrors:

      Different Gems to Use for Your Mirror:

      Peridot—Issues relating to self-image and matters centered upon you

      Rough Rubies—Matters relating to love

      Jade—Money Matters

      Sea Glass and Seashells—Effective for Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces), especially if gathered during a walk on the beach while searching for answers

      Anyone who feels drawn to the ocean will benefit from a seashell magic mirror. Many of us go for walks along the water to think. Using seashells on your mirror can help you be twice as effective in finding your answers.

      Swords and Knives

      Swords were used before gunpowder as the weapon of choice for warriors. The concept of a sword to us is that it is wielded within the spirit world to keep bad energy and negativity at bay. With sword in hand, you are the master or mistress of your domain, and you rule your circle of magic with your spiritual weapon. You can make your own sword, or athame. Purchase the metalwork from a New Age store or from a sword specialist. Find crystals that represent what you want your sword to do and affix them to the sword. If your athame already has crystals on it, you can charge them with your energy.

      Cauldrons

      Iron kettles typically serve as cauldrons, you can make your own symbolic cauldron out of any bowl-shaped object, including large stones or crystal geodes.

      Magic Cord

      A magic cord is a rope that binds you to magic. Ideally, your nine-foot-long magic cord should be made from strands of red (the color of life) wool, or ribbon, braided and tied into a loop at one end to signify feminine energy, and left loose at the other end to represent male energy. If you are braining your own magic cord, start your braid with three strands that are fourteen feet long to achieve the nine-foot-long cord. To compound the magical quality of your cord, weave crystal beads into the strands. I recommend using clear quartz crystal beads because they are energy amplifiers. Other meaningful crystals you might want to include are citrine for grounding, amethyst for improved intuition and psychic ability, blue lapis for creativity, rose quartz for love, and jade for prosperity and success in work.

      Magic Bottles

      Spell bottles, or magic bottles, have been around since the 1600s and were often filled with hair, nails, urine, or blood. Now, they are used to empower us and they also serve a more decorative purpose. Though their popularity has waned since the Elizabethan age when they were known as “witch bottles,” they are still used for a variety of intentions. You can customize your own spell bottle with crystal stoppers. Put one in the garden to help keep your plants healthy. A spell bottle on the mantel will protect your home. One next to your bed will bring love and happiness. A bottle in the kitchen will guard good health. Spell bottles are used for protection primarily, but you can also put symbols of your dreams and desires in them: cinnamon for the spirit of life, a rose petal for peace, or rosemary for remembrance. Make your own magic bottle by filling it with symbolic objects and inscribing the sigil of your choice into the lid or cork top.

      For a peaceful and secure home, gather a teaspoon of soil from outside of your house and put it in a bottle with some smoky topaz or brown jasper. Put the bottle into a potted plant near the entrance of your home, and think about the sanctity of your home every time you water the plant. As your plant grows, so will the tranquility of your residence.

      A bottle with a rosebud or rose petal, rose essential oil, and rose quartz next to your bedside will help with love. For six days, take oil from the bottle and burn it in a pink candle. On the seventh day your romantic prospects will brighten.

      For luck with money, place three pennies and some pyrite or jade in a bottle and put it near your workplace. Whenever you think about your finances, shake the magic bottle and your fortune should improve in three days.

      Purification Broom

      A purification broom can be used to purify any space, usually a home space. You can use a home purification broom to clear away bad energy after a fight with a loved one, or if you are feeling blue and want to sweep away the sad feelings. Rid negative energy from your personal space with your broom. You can even sweep the “blahs” out every morning to freshen your surroundings. This makes room for good energy you want to bring into your life. You don’t need to clean intensely—just symbolically sweep to maintain your home as a personal sanctuary.

      You can make your own purification broom. A broom purchased from a craft fair or broom-maker will serve you fine, as long as you add energy to it. Or, you can bind straw to a fallen tree branch and create your own. Use copper wire to attach the straw to the stick. Copper is associated with Venus, and this will lend an aura of beauty as you brush away negativity. Attach crystals to the handle or to the wire for further energy.

      Scrying Tools

      Scrying, the art of divining by looking into a reflective surface and receiving visions, has been used by witches, magicians, and others since pre-biblical times. The word “scry” forms the root for the English word “descry,” which means reveal or discover.

      The ancients had special prophets and priestesses who engaged in foretelling the future, and it is certain they used scrying tools from various crystals. Perhaps a chunk of black obsidian was the first scrying mirror used by a Stone Age shaman. All these centuries later, we still use crystal balls made from quartz and obsidian.

      It is known that Queen Elizabeth I employed Dr. John Dee, a mathematician and metaphysician, in all matters of the heavens and unseen. Dee’s assistants used a mirror of polished black obsidian, which led the next generation of magicians and psychics to prefer black mirrors. Dee and his assistants used scrying to call upon certain angels and reported hearing knocking, and even voices that sounded like an owl screeching, during sessions. The legacy of alchemist and metaphysician John Dee lives on, and modern seers such as Edgar Cayce have built on his foundation.

      In addition to divining the past, present, and future, you can use scrying to contact spirit guides or to improve your skills of creative visualization. Some practitioners of scrying even use it as a gateway to the astral plane.

      Although scrying tools usually have shiny surfaces, you can scry with nearly anything. Water, a mirror on the wall, a crystal sphere, a slab of rock, flames of fire, ink in a bow, or the bottom of a teacup all serve as scrying tools. You may find that smooth, neutral surfaces are less distracting and images will come through to you with less distortion. The ritual you follow when cleansing your scrying tools can be as elaborate or as simple as you like. My ritual involves cleansing my scrying tools before and after each use with rainwater that has sat through at least one day of sun and one night of moonlight. Just like with crystal balls and other sacred tools, you should polish any scrying mirrors or surfaces with a clean cotton cloth and store them in a special protective bag.

      Crystal Balls

      For thousands of years, highly polished, glasslike spheres of beryl and quartz crystals have been in use by healers, shamans, witch doctors, and medicine men for divination. Beryl, long reputed as a stone of power, was favored by the Druids. Crystals were used to see the