D for Death Witch

• Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it. 
• Haruki Murakami 

It is not length of life, but depth of life. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one. 

Kahlil Gibran

Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them. 

George Eliot

• Death/Necromancy - A practice that may combine Bone, Animal, Spirit work, occasionally also Blood. Using spirits to empower one self, hoarding bones, using graveyards, graves, the spirits of them, as well as the dirt (or even plants) that are found in them. May also honor the dead and/or gods who work with the dead.

Similar to:

Spirit Working - A practice in which the person will perform spellwork in conjunction with or with the help of any manner of spirit. This includes Ouija, (sometimes) demon spirits, spiritual contact, etc.

Spirit Worker. - A magick practitioner who works with spirits of all kind in communication and guidance. Spirit working can be defined as working with human spirits, demons, fae, spirit guides and spirit companions. The definition varies from person to person.

Life and death, death in life. I see and talk to spirits pretty often. I have done it since I was very little. Mostly I did it with dead plants but when I grew up I started to notice some new things in the world, human spirits. I have never been afraid of them, but they have tried to hurt me at least one time (that I know). I used to see dreams about my dead friend (which I tell you more about in the Dream Witch post (up coming!) (edit. I talked with this friend via spirit board and she said she really did come to visit my dreams!) and I just today did a smudging in my apartment to get rid of one nasty spirit who has taken my energy past week or so. I have been so heavily tired I have needed to take naps every 3-6 hours. I can sometimes see and hear spirits but mostly I feel them. I feel cold air, I feel pressure from really bad energy, I feel emotions and I feel touching. (edit. I have a spirit in my apartment again, need to do some cleansing)

Clairs: 

Clairvoyance (seeing), 

Clairtangence/psychometry (touching), clairaudience (hearing), 

Clairgustance (tasting), 

Clairsentience (feeling), 

Clairscent/clairodoance (smelling) and clairempathy etc etc to communicate with spirits. While some people have a natural affinity for one to several, they can all be strengthened by anyone with practice.

Death is in my plants that don´t survive (I just can´t do it, sigh, I clearly am not a Green witch), death is in my animals that had past away, death is what feeds me and my family, without dead plants and animals, we wouldn´t be here (what would we eat?). Death is in my ancestors which I don´t know but would like to know. Death is where something in my life ends and new begins. Death is in the changing seasons. Death is in my friends who has passed away but who I don´t forget and they live trough my memories. There is no life without death and other way around. Death is everywhere. Circle of life will continue no matter what. I myself, am a Death Witch.

In Finnish lore we have Tuonela (underworld) and we had Kalman väki (people of the dead) who welcomed new spirits to the spirit realm and they mostly gathered up together. We had Tuonen Tytti (Tytti of the underworld) who came with her boat and sail the dead to Tuonela. A lot has been forgotten  but some of us still remembers and respect the old believes. If this made you feel interested, let me know and I will tell more. Also there is coming my big photographing project, so I will let you know about these kind of stuff later on.

Tips for someone interested in getting started on this path

-Do research on funeral services and the ways different cultures take care of their dead. 

-Study death, how it occurs in humans, animals, plants, etc. 

-Think of your own death and the death of those around you, think of what the word “death” truly means to you. 
-Start a journal and write down your thoughts and how the meaning of that word changes for you over time. 

-Start talking with spirits (but remember that some do lie). 

-Go to graveyards and pay respects to those that are there, especially the older forgotten areas of cemeteries.

Some tools that Death Witch might use: Graveyard Dirt, salt, black Salt, obsidian, hematite, smoky quartz, athame, pendulum, spirit board, tarot cards, bones (obtained ethically),blood (own).

Crystals in Death Magick 

Ajoite - overcome sorrow, emotional healing

Amethyst - eases grief and sadness

Andalusite - crossing over into the afterlife

Apophyllite - spirit communication

Bixbite (Red Beryl) - eases grief

Black Tourmaline - eases grief

Bloodstone - to strengthen ties with ancestors or loved ones who have passed on

Blue Lace Agate - connection to the spirit world, eases passage into the afterlife

Calcite - emotional healing, peace

Carnelian - eases sorrow, protection in the afterlife

Celestite - spirit communication

Charoite - eases passage into the afterlife

Cuprite - spirit communication

Halite - dispelling negativity, protection

Hematite - grounding, peace, transforming negativity 

Jade - protection in the afterlife

Jasper - safe passage into the afterlife

Jet - eases grief and mourning

Kunzite - eases heartbreak

Labradorite - spirit communication

Lapis Lazuli - spiritual connection

Obsidian - healing, deflecting negativity, grounding, protection

Onyx - grounding, protection

Pink Tourmaline - emotional healing

Quantum Quattro Silica - eases grief

Quartz - safe passage into the afterlife

Selenite - spirit communication, eases passage into the afterlife

Sunstone - spirit communication

Tanzan Aura Quartz - spirit communication

Tsavorite - connection to the spirit world

Turquoise - spiritual attunement

Violet Flame Opal - spiritual awareness

Death Witch things to do

-Visiting natural history and art museum. Not only for the spirit work (museums are surprisingly rife with spirits) but also the reflection on the objects themselves that are imbued with death energy due to their age.

-Kitchen witchcraft with fermentation. I’m talking both home starters/yeasts and drink based fermenting! The process of encouraging fermentation is literally a controlled necromancy if you think about it! Also your own fermented product will be excellent to use in spellwork!

-Upcycle crafting! The process of reusing items in a new way that you already had or seeking out items to use instead of letting them become trash is also working with death energy!

-Playing death related games or watching movies with friends and family. Death witchcraft tasks and energy work doesn’t have to look witchy! If you have a weekly or monthly hangout where you play tabletops like Betrayal at House on the Hill or even online games. Or watch documentaries or movies with loved ones that related that totally counts! Especially as a lower spoon option.

-Drawing or photographing abandoned buildings/architecture. So often people forgot that the decay of manmade objects and places do hold death energy and weight. Tapping into this side of death witchcraft can be an interesting experience.

-Visiting a 24 hour store or restaurant in the middle of the night. Also walking through a store at 3am is a good time to practice a walking meditation or some simple spirit communication without too much trouble. Just have your headphones in for an excuse!

-Learning to maintain your own compost! The cycle of your kitchen supplies life and decay is such a simple and deep way to access that death energy and maybe even work your way up to having that green thumb! Also using this compost in spellwork will pack a punch!

Rituals

Death witchcraft can be used and interpreted in many different ways. But what one does with it is often very personal, different, and unique. Here are some rituals, spells, etc. that I found useful.

-Scrying with spirits 

-Divining the future with the dead 

-Grief spells and rituals

-Passing spells and rituals - helping spirits pass on, or get “unstuck” when reliving their past is a very rewarding thing. 

-Curses - death does not always mean bringing mortality to a living, breathing thing. It can be used it to smother success, disenchant happiness, etc. 

-Rebirth spells and rituals - Release yourself from the past and start with the clean sheet.

-Communing with the dead - meditation can lead to eye opening encounters with the spirits of those who died before you. They have voices, and they will speak, even if you will not listen.

-Cleaning up, respecting the dead - burying bones or carcasses of animals is one way to respect and honour the dead (if they want you to, that is). So is picking up litter near a cemetery, or helping the grief stricken friends and family of someone you know who has passed. Learn what to say, and what not to, and read up on death, and its overwhelming history.

Communication with Ghosts 

A baseline experience in warding/protection and spirit communication is necessary first. Also have an energy source other than your own ready for boosting the communication (offerings, crystals, charged items or water, energy jars, etc.) is helpful and polite as well.

Find a place that works for you: cemeteries, old buildings, museums, crossroads, bodies of water, old growth forests, liminal spaces, personal ancestor shrines, old houses, etc.

Start with a communication method you’re familiar with: Tarot, pendulum, shufflemancy, trancing, channeling, automatic writing, empathy/clair senses

Let your mind unfocus- it doesn’t have to be true “clearing mind” that meditation methodology sometimes talks about. Letting your mind just wander is good too. Gently allow thoughts to appear but don’t dwell on them. Try identifying thoughts that wouldn’t be your own. Practice discernment.

Record the feelings and experience. If you’re comfortable with it, push for more specific interaction with your communication method: “who are you?”, “where are you from?” “what do you need me to know about?” “what do you enjoy talking about”. It’s okay to just keep things organic and loose for the first couple times and not ask specific questions, just allow impressions.

Be firm about safety and your boundaries. Don’t let the spirit take advantage of any discomfort you may experience. It’s always okay to disconnect the communication and come back later.

Keep a journal regarding these experiences. Refer back to it to build relationships with repeat spirits and learn methods that work the most successfully for you. Feel free to use it to research background on deceased spirits when you aren’t communicating directly.

Be respectful about privacy. It’s okay to share experiences in a general sense but you may include a question about whether you may share specifics about any spirits you interact with. However, be wary of any spirits that tell you not to talk about communing at all, that level of secrecy is suspect. Personal privacy (names, history, ages, personal stories, etc) are of course common courtesy to protect but your own success in methodology and emotions regarding the experiences should be your own choosing on whether to share, not theirs.

Skulls

A skull may house a conjured ghost, and allow that spirit to speak through the body of the skull. Some sources will offer incense upon the skull to help this take effect.

Related to the first point, a sealing spell may be cast upon the skull to prevent it from lying or deceiving. This spell involves sealing the mouth with graveyard dirt and drawing an engraving on it with iron. 

Skulls may be used to dispel or scare off ghosts. A libation poured from the skull of a black dog is used in one such banishing ritual. 

Many rituals include using a skull to prevent one from grinding their teeth during sleep. Some believed that this happened because a dead family member tried to communicate through their relative in sleep. The sufferer may either kiss it seven and seven times, or kiss it seven times and lick it seven times, over the span of four nights.

Skulls are used as summoning ingredients and basis for the conjurer’s power. Sometimes, an incantation will be spoken over a skull. Other times, a libation or conjuring oil will be spilt over the skull.

Simple Spirit Work

-Write messages and notes for deceased loved ones on autumn leaves and let the wind carry them where they need to go.

-Carve sigils and symbols to promote spirit work into pumpkins and place on altars or around your property.

-Collect pinecones and pine boughs and tie in bundles to be placed around a room you want to discourage spirits from visiting during the thinning veil time (i.e. your bedroom, bathroom, etc.).

-Read a favorite book or book passage in a graveyard to the local spirits and ghosts. You may also playi or sing a favorite song.

-Enchant candles you place in your jack o’ lanterns to greet and guide spirits peacefully and with love.

-Erect an ancestor altar; include pictures, items, food that were favorites of deceased loved ones (including pets!!).

-Pour an additional drink or fill a small plate with part of your meal as a tribute to household spirits or ghosts.

-Do your divination outside during dawn or dusk times.

-Invite spirits and ghosts to join you in watching your favorite holiday movies (”Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Halloween”, “Hocus Pocus”, etc.).

-Leave birdseed or bird/animal safe homemade crackers outside for your local messengers of the dead.

-Bury offerings for the Underworld and Kerberos (again, assuming they’re critter-safe).

-Make crockpot soups and stews enchanted with prosperity, healing, love, and warmth

-Paint sigils in water/sugar under or on top of baked goods before popping into oven for charging.

-Pick up debris in a local graveyard while talking pleasantly to the spirit occupants.

Good Offerings In Death Work

Whenever you visit a graveyard, to honor someone or otherwise, it is only appropriate to leave an offering behind. Below I will list common offerings for the dead.

Herbs

Mugwort, Apple, Bay. Frankincense, Myrrh, Rosemary, Pomegranates, Wormwood, Banana, Honey

Flowers

Roses, Lilies, Orchids, Daisies, Dandelions, Mullein, Eucalyptus Leaves, Juniper Berries

Liquids

Water, Wine, Pomegranate Juice, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Vinegar, Whiskey

Others

Coins (Very Common), Brown Bread, Candles (Typically White or Black), Musical Elements, Birthday Candles, Rice

Crystals

Bloodstone, Amethyst, Obsidian, Blue Kyanite, Danburite, Tektite

Coins

Most of these herbs, flowers, and crystals are used for protection or guiding spirits. So you may be asking, why do we commonly leave coins are an offering? Well, most speculate this is due to the Charon. In Greek and Latin literary, the Charon is the ferryman who guides souls into the afterlife from the land of the living. The coins are offerings to him to help guide the spirit.

Different Ways to Use These Offerings

-Burn the herbs and/or flowers around the grave either alone or with a written message to the spirit.

-Pour the liquids over the grave, or leave them in an offering bowl.

-Leave above the grave the flowers, coins, crystals or other offering objects.

Some Activities That Can Be Used As Offerings

-Reading a story out loud or to yourself.

-Tell the spirit a story of your life.

-Play some music for the spirit.

Memento Mori Journal

One way to honor the dead is to keep a Memento Mori Journal. This is a journal that the living write headstone information in to remember the dead. It’s also advised that you search up the person once you get home and write some facts about them in your journals. Among the community, they are quite popular.

Self Care for Death Witches

-Take a cleansing bath. Sometimes working with death energy can take a toll on your energy levels, as well as potentially attract death into your life (especially if it is surrounding you on a daily basis). Every two weeks or so, it’s a good idea to clean up your aura and spirit using a ritual shower or bath. For a bath, toss in 1 cup of epsom salt, and ½ cup of baking soda, and then use any safe essential oils to add a little magical boost. This combination will cleanse you physically of any toxins, and also spiritually. Do not soak for longer than 20 minutes, and it is generally said that every 2 weeks is the best timeframe between this ritual. I use lavender oil and mint leaves to really clean and protect myself. Be sure to research the affects of herbs, especially in regards to your physical state and taking into account medications you consume. For a shower, let the water run over your whole body. Then, soak a loofa or hand towel in a mixture of epsom salt, baking soda, and essential oils or herbs (again, do this safely). Softly scrub your body, and rinse yourself off again.

-Take naps. This is a very important tip, especially for those of you who work primarily at night. Find a good time for you, and try to consistently get enough sleep. It’s important to stay well rested to keep your energy up and your physical body healthy.

-Spend time doing what you love. Don’t neglect things you enjoy to focus your whole being on death witchcraft. If you like to sew, paint, write, solve equations, cook, or whatever else, make time for it. Doing something mundane is very essential to keeping you from getting burnt out on your practice.

-Eat. I mean it. I find myself forgetting to eat an awful lot when I immerse myself in death witchcraft and necromancy. I don’t know if it’s just because I am super busy or because I am focusing too much on spiritual needs instead of physical ones, but it isn’t good for you. Eat at least 3 meals, and drink lots of water!

-Listen to your body. If it’s telling you it’s tired, hungry, thirsty, or in pain, you shouldn’t ignore it. This is something I really need to remember. Sometimes I think practicing death witchcraft is more important than focusing on my physical needs, but it isn’t black and white like that. Both are important, and I should really realize that if I don’t take care of myself now, I won’t be able to practice later.

-Relax. Take a moment and meditate, or just sit with crystals, candles, water, or whatever calms you. Recharge your batteries. This is really vital for those of you who use a lot of your own energy for spells, spirit communication, and more. I like to listen to music that makes me feel like a death witch (playlist is on its way to a blog near you).

-Spend time in places you find fulfilling. I like graveyards, I like hospitals. I like places where death is prevalent because it helps me get acquainted with the thought of death. If this is you, too, then go to those places.

Did you know?

In certain traditions, the gatekeeper is said to be the first spirit who was buried in that cemetery. The gate keeper is a guardian of the dead, of sorts, who help other spirits and keep the graveyard powerful and contained. Sometimes they reside in a vessel, and sometimes they roam around. For spirit workers such as death walkers, they may help lead you to troubled spirits or spirits they’d like you to help.

Death Witch Tip

Offering for the dead: lemon poppy seed baked goods.

Poppy seeds = Sleep and peace, to give them rest.

Lemon = Healing and purification, to bring them peace and allow to leave gently without being followed.

Death witchcraft faq masterpost

Blessed be!

Witchy self care

I had my own first retreat with my witchy friends this weekend, I feel all balanced and I want to share the feeling with others.

How do you feel today? Like I said about in Cottage Witch post, do you take care about of castle, your home, now I ask, do you take care of YOU? Sometimes we are so busy we don´t have time for ourselves and our body and mind aren´t in balance anymore. Even if you already feel quite good, it is really important to take care of yourself, to do some self care. Loving our best friend (that is you) is the most important thing. It doesn´t need to be anything big and expensive, do things that you actually enjoy. Here is few things I do when I feel little bit down, stressed out or just when I want to pamper myself. Every little small thing you do for you, is important.

You can use things that are supposed to use in love spells, to make your own self love feel more effective. If spells doesn´t work for you, you can make a love altar or a little magick pouch full of love related things in it. And why not even make a witch ball? Get crafty! Use them in your kitchen, use as incense, hold a crystal, anything that works for you.

Herbs for love

Apple leaves and seeds

Coriander

Cyclamen

Cinnamon

Daisy

Ginger

Geranium (pink)

Iris

Jasmine

Lavender

Marigold

Marjoram

Myrtle

Periwinkle

Passionflower

Rose

Vanilla

Incense for love

Amber

Cherry

Jasmine

Rose

Sandalwood

Ylang-ylang

Crystals for love

Jade

Jasper

Opal

Ruby

Rose quartz

Pearl

(Remember that Rose quartz fades in the sun and same goes for Opal when in contact with salt)

Day of the week

Friday or Tuesday

Time of day

Sunrise or Sunset

Moon phase

Crescent or Full

Colours

Red and Pink

Other things

Himalayan salt

Seashells

Mirror

Lipstick

A bed

Silk

Heart emoji

Apple pie

A pearl necklace

My first rose petal bath. For self love and feminine feeling. It felt so awesome, highly recommend herb baths. You can also wash your hair with herb oils that you can simply do by yourself (coming soon in a post)

Witchy things to do when feeling stressed or depressed:

- Take a nap

- Sit in the warm sunshine

- Cuddle a pet

- Go to bed early

- Meditate and imagine the negative energy fly away with bursting golden light

- Forget all the yoga and just lie down for however long you need

- Put on body lotion (you can also dry brush your skin, it makes your skin feel super smooth!)

- Change your clothes into something more comfortable

- Wash your hair

- Light some candles

- Write a love letter to yourself

- List 10 good things about yourself

- Watch a childhood classic on TV

- Clean your room: make it cozy and safe

- Care for yourself the way your guardians would when you were a sick child

- Do a small task or hobby that you used to love - listen to old music

- Play a game from your past

- Eat a healthy meal

- Put on some upbeat music (and dance with it!)

- Drink ice cold water

- Change into clothes that make you feel good but aren’t pyjamas (probably also your absolute favorite clothes, even though you are not going outside)

- Go for a walk

- Challenge yourself to do the things you want to do and reward yourself after

- Get in touch with a friend

- Go to a public place, like a coffee shop, read a book or just chill and enjoy the coffee

- Say hello to a stranger, you can just smile too, you have no idea what effect the simple smile has

- Call your mum (or other family member, or a very close friend)

- Message a long lost friend (they might also be missing you)

- Arrange to meet someone you love

- Join online groups of people with similar interests

- Do some light exercise

- Drink a glass of water (use moon or sun charged water for extra boost)

- Do some yoga or stretches

- Go to bed early

- Eat something healthy and tasty

- Clean your home

- Write about how your feelings

- Dance to your favorite music

- Sing

- Put on makeup

- Paint or draw

- Bullet journal

- Write a story, some poetry or a diary entry

- Change your hairstyle (go wild if you like!)

- Drink something warm

- Go somewhere you feel safe

- Spend time with safe, loving people

- Watch a lovely tv-show or movie

- Get under some blankets

- If it’s cold, sit by a fire

- Cuddle someone or something

- Give yourself a little hug

- Do some shadow work, don´t be scared about it!

- Burn Frankincense, Orange Peel, and Sage if you are having creative blockages or feel yourself slipping into a depression, these will help lift your spirits and feel motivated again!

- Take a cleansing shower, imagine your worries going down the drain

-Carry some charged crystals with you or hold it in your hand and feel the positive power flowing inside

-Watch something that makes you laugh

-Buy yourself flowers

-Brush your hair slowly and carefully, making sure not to cause any accidental breakage

-Rub a scented lotion into your hands, elbows and heels while humming a happy song softly to yourself

-Anoint yourself with your favorite essential oil (diluting if necessary) on your throat, the base of your neck and behind your ears

-Massage your feet while listening to calming music

-Make yourself dinner (or dessert!) and fill it with love and good energy

-Take a hot bath in a dimly lit room and imagine the thoughts passing through your mind as clouds passing over the moon. Acknowledge them without judgement, and allow them to drift freely onward.

-Get a new plant and place it somewhere where you can see it often and feel happy about it

-Ask for help if you need it

-Damiana is a love herb. You can use it for self love and confidence. Smoke it or make it into a tea.

Make the tea and squeeze a little orange in it. Oranges are really good for lifting spirits and giving a feeling of happiness. It is so good with a lil bit of honey.

Damiana is used to treat headache, bed wetting, depression, nervous stomach, and constipation; for prevention and treatment of sexual problems; boosting and maintaining mental and physical stamina; and as an aphrodisiac.

-When it rains, go outside and stand in the rain. Feel the rain refresh you.

 Cleansing Routine

-Clean your room; focus on each individual section, dust and purge

-Clean your eating habits; try to stick to plant-based meals and don’t eat anything processed or junk food

-Delete old texts and clean your phone out

-Clean up social media

-Clean your sheets, shower, and wash your clothes

-Throw out or consolidate old bottles of lotion, perfume, etc.

-Clean out your herb supply, throw out moldy or old potions and spell jars

-If you have a carpet, pour a mix of herbs onto it and vacuum them up

-Take a shower or bath and use an enchanted scrub to get rid of dead skin and cleanse yourself

-Take out the garbage and freshen it up

-Light a few candles and change out your pillowcases

-Move furniture around, move plants and items to bring new energies in

-If your altar is messy, clean and organize it; cleanse or charge your crystals and throw out old candles

-Make new playlists and delete old ones you no longer listen to

-Be as kind as you can not only to others, but to yourself

-Donate old books or materials, old clothes, etc.

-Wash your shoes

-Draw sigils inspired by your name and cleansing and burn them

-Learn something new, and teach something new

-Trim your nails and moisturize your skin

-Clean pieces of jewelry you wear often

-Throw out or reuse old pill bottles; put crystals in them, paint them, use them as spell jars

-Renew good relationships and remove yourself from old ones

-Write down things that bother you on a piece of paper and burn it. Just burn things.

-Delete unnecessary contacts

-Drink plenty of water and ingest a lot of plants; cleanse your internal system

Blessed be darklings, take care of yourselves! 

C for Crystal Witch

Crystal - Magick that is worked commonly with stones and crystals, such as during spellwork or for crystal healing techniques. This may also include chakra balance, crystal meditation… anything that uses crystals, really! A crystal witch may also have an extensive knowledge of stones, including how to identify them and using their properties. Their Book of Shadows will most likely have information about the stones, chakra balance, and crystal meditation.

Crystal witch things: keeping crystals in your pockets, crystals sitting on your windowsill under the moonlight, crystalline light reflections.

I am not going to tell what every little crystal will do, internet is full of information. But I am going to tell some basic things about crystals that you might want to know. I, myself, use crystals in healing, while I am dreaming (for various reasons, like getting rid of nightmares or many healing reasons), I use them while I bathe, because you can use them to cleanse and bring things in your life you need, I use them while meditating and also when I feel very anxious and to get calm. My amethyst in my wedding ring is of course always in use for protection of negative energy and keeping my own emotional energy in balance. It is said that in lot of use the amethyst will fade but past 7 years it is still very purple. Of course every crystal jewelry is always handy (and oh so pretty!) in regular use.

´Today´s outfit
Dress: Deadfine.fi
Shirt: Second hand
Socks and shoes: H&M
Bag: Second hand
Hat: Second hand
Sunglasses: Borrowed

Witchy things to do with crystals

-Wear rose quartz on a necklace close to your heart to open up your heart chakra or keep it next to the bed to promote harmony and unconditional love in your relationship. Place it in the relationship area of your home or room to manifest a partner!

-Place citrine in the prosperity corner of your office (or desk), keep some in your wallet, or put some in the cash register of your business to get the money flowing!

-Meditate on, visualize, and verbalize your desires while holding quartz crystals. You can also place them on a photograph or list of what you would like to manifest. 

-Use amethyst in meditation to get in tune with your feelings, promote mental clarity, and calm your thoughts. Place it in your home, office, or car to purify the space of any negative energy so you can thrive in your high vibe environment!

-Sleep with obsidian under your pillow to help with mental stresses or use it in meditation to get clear about what's holding you back from manifesting your desires.

-Keep carnelian in your pocket for enhanced creativity and motivation, or place it in your workspace if you're some type of artist.

-Charge your crystals with music. Just pick one song that is fitting for your intent.

-Have a bath with crystals with you!

-Put a crystal in the water you use for watering your plants/herbs to give them an extra boost of magic. Make sure to check that your crystal is safe to put in water, you don’t want to poison your plants or damage your crystals.

-Decorate your place/home with crystals and make it feel magickal!

-Get your own crystal shelf (it´s a thing now in crystal witch community)

-Make crystal grids

-When you feel like you need a new crystal your life, pick the one that calls you. Crystals know that you need them in certain point of life (it´s like the wands in Harry Potter).

-Get a book of shadows that you will include only crystal things.

Below is a list of helpful terms to know when working with gems and minerals. It includes terminology on various crystal shapes and forms. Terms specific to mineral shapes have “(form)” next to them for ease of reference.

Abundance (form): An abundance crystal consists of one long quartz crystal with many small crystals clustered around its base. Its function is to attract wealth and abundance.  

Adamantine Luster: A particularly brilliant shine as shown by a specimen such as a diamond.

Amorphous (form): Amorphous crystals, such as obsidian, have no particular shape. Energy flows rapidly through and amorphous crystal as it has no rigid internal organization.

Aura: The subtle bio-magnetic sheath that surrounds the physical body, providing a protective zone that extends for about 18 inches to 3 feet from the body and contains information about a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual state of being. 

Aura Crystal: A crystal specimen, usually of the quartz variety, that has been coated with metal (i.e. gold, titanium) in a vacuum chamber resulting in an iridescent sheen.

Ball (form): Balls are usually shaped from a larger piece of crystal and may have planes or flaws within them. They emit energy in all directions equally. 

Barnacle (form): A barnacle crystal has many small crystals covering a larger crystal. 

Bridge (form): A bridge crystal grows out of another larger crystal. It assists in bridging gaps and bringing things together.

Carat: The standard measure of weight for precious stones and metals. A carat is equal to 0.007 oz (0.2g).

Cathedral Quartz (form): Cathedral quartz may appear to be composed of several convoluted pieces, but these are in fact all part of the main crystal which has multiple terminations with at least one point at the apex.

Channeler (form): A channeling crystal has a 7 sided facet at the front of the termination and a triangular face on the opposite side. It channels healing energy or information from higher sources. 

Cleavage: The way a mineral or rock breaks along a certain plane, or in a certain direction.

Cluster (form): A cluster has many points bedded, but not necessarily fixed, into a base. The crystals may be small or large. 

Companion (form): A companion crystal has two crystals entwined and partly growing in each other, or a small crystal that grows out of the main crystal. 

Cross (form): A cross formation has one crystal at right angles to another, usually larger crystal. 

Crystal: A naturally occurring substance whose atoms are arranged in a regular manner. 

Crystal System: The systems in which crystals are grouped based on their symmetry. There are 6 crystal systems: cubic, monoclinic, triclinic, trigonal/hexagonal, orthorhombic, and tetragonal. 

Diamond Window (form): Flat faces at the top of crystals are called windows. A diamond window is large and connected to the apex and the base.

Double Terminated (form): A crystal with two naturally faceted ends. 

Dull Luster: A shine that reflects very little.

Earthy Luster: A non-reflective mineral luster.

Egg (form): A crystal cut in the shape of an egg. 

Elestial (form): An elestial has many natural terminations and folds over a multilayered crystal. 

Etched (form): An etched crystal that looks as though hieroglyphs or cuneiform writing has been inscribed on its faces. 

Faces: The External flat surface that make up a crystal’s shape.

Fault Line: An inner flaw or break in a crystal that refracts light and appears to divide the crystal into sections. 

Fluorescence: The optical effect whereby a mineral appears a different color in ultraviolet light than in ordinary daylight. 

Fracture: The distinctive way a mineral breaks.

Friable: Minerals that easily crumble are referred to as friable.

Gemstone: A mineral, usually crystal-like, which is valued for its color, rarity, and hardness.

Generator (form): A generator crystal has six facets meeting equally in a sharp point. 

Geode (form): A geode is contained within an outer form. When opened, it is hollow with many crystals pointing inward. 

Geologist: A scientist who studies the Earth and its structure and composition.

Gridding: The placing of crystals around a building, person, or room for protection or enhancement energies.

Habit: The general shape of a mineral.

Inclusion: Any material that is trapped inside a mineral during its formation, often producing a rainbow.

Iridescence: A play of colors that looks like oil on water that occurs when light reflects off internal elements of a rock or mineral. 

Layered (form): Plate-like crystals such as lepidolite are referred to as layered. 

Luster: The way in which light reflects of the surface of a mineral.

Manifestation (form): One or more small crystals are totally enclosed by a larger crystal. 

Matrix: The bedrock on which crystals are formed.

Metallic Luster: A shine like that of polished metal.

Mineral: A naturally occurring solid with specific characteristics, such as a particular chemical composition and crystal shape.

Mineralogist: A scientist who studies minerals.

Mohs Scale: A scale of hardness used in classifying minerals. It runs from 1 to 10 using a series of reference minerals, and a position on the scale depends on the ability to scratch minerals rated lower.

Occlusion: A mineral deposit within a crystal, which usually shows up as cloudy patches, spots, or a ghostlike image depending on the color of the material.

Opaque: A substance or material that does not let light pass through it.

Ore: A rock or mineral from which metal can be extracted

Phantom (form): A phantom crystal appears ghostlike within the body of a larger crystal. 

Pleochroic: In a crystal, appearing to have two or more different colors or shades of color, depending on the angle from which it is viewed. 

Point (form): Points may be natural or artificially shaped. A single crystal point has a faceted pointed end and the other end tends to look ragged where it has been separated from a cluster base. 

Prism: A solid geometric figure with a set of faces parallel to one another.

Pyramid (form): A crystal with four sides on a base, but the base itself may be squared off if the crystal is natural (i.e. apophyllite) rather than artificially shaped.

Record Keeper (form): A record keeper crystal has clearly etched pyramid shapes on its side or sides. 

Resinous Luster: A shine like that of resin.

Scepter Quartz (form): A scepter quartz is a large central rod around one end of which another crystal is formed. 

Seer Stone (form): A seer stone is a natural, water polished stone that is cut to reveal an inner world. 

Specific Gravity: The ratio of a mineral’s weight compared to the weight of an equal volume of water.

Square (form): A square crystal consolidates energy within its form. It’s useful for anchoring intention and grounding. 

Streak: The color of a mineral’s powder. It is less variable than the color of the mineral, so is a more reliable identification tool.

Striation: One of multiple, usually parallel grooves or scratches on a rock surface, produced by abrasion associated with glacial movement, stream flow, a geologic fault, or meteoric impact.

Tabular (form): A tabular crystal has two wide sides resulting in a flat crystal which may be double terminated. 

Transmitter (form): A transmitter crystal has two seven-sided facets with two perfect triangles between them. 

Tumbled (form): Refers to stones that have been polished in a large drum with grit, resulting in a smooth and often shiny stone.

Vitreous Luster: A shine like that of glass.

Vogal Wand (form): A crystal with specially created, indented facets with specific angles down the sides of a quartz wand. 

Wand (form): A crystal in the shape of a wand, either naturally occurring or artificially cut.

Crystal grids

What is a crystal grid?

-Simply put, a crystal grid is an arrangement of crystals that helps set, focus, and amplify intentions 

What can a grid be used for?

-There are several things you can use a crystal grid for

1. To increase the power of your crystals

2. To cleanse and/or charge your crystals

3. Create protective boundaries

4. Raise the vibration of your space (good for work flow or meditation) 

5. To bring in luck, happiness, wealth, love etc. (any intention you can put into a spell, you can put into a crystal grid) 

Different Parts of a grid 

The Perimeter

–an optional outer ring of stones that are used to protect your grid. 

The Desire Stones

–Gather the energy of your stones and send it out into your space

The Way Stones

–Organizes and modifies the energy set by the focus stone

The Focus Stone

–Usually the stone in the center of the grid, sets your intentions

How to cleanse your crystals

Water

-You can leave your crystals under running water and visualize water taking away all the energies that no longer serve the crystals.

-You can put them in a bowl with salt and leave them outdoors under the sunlight and the moonlight for three days. Then, you wash them with running water. 

If you want, you can consider in which phase the moon is and leave them under its light to charge them with the energy you are looking to work with:

-Waxing Moon: Activation

-Waning Moon: Receiving

-Full Moon: to amplify the energy and bring light and awareness to situations

-New Moon: Fill them with potent energy. Positive vibes and manifestations.

Earth

- Lay your crystals on the earth or bury them. If you have pointed crystals, you can hammer them into the earth. 

Air

-You can use the smoke of incense or burning herbs to cleanse your crystals (sage and lavender are great for this). The smoke of charcoal disks, or  copal resins is also useful for this.

Fire

-You can quickly pass your crystals through a candle’s flame. If you choose to do this, make sure you do it fast so crystals do not overheat. Please be careful, SAFETY FIRST!!

-There are lotions, oils, and sprays that are specially made to cleanse and purify the energies of a space, or people. You can use these to give your crystals a quick cleanse and recharge.

Other crystals

The vibration of other cleansed and charged crystals can help to reprogram or cleanse your new crystals. You can put some (or all) the crystals you already have in a plate, and place your new crystals on top of them. You can leave them for a few hours or days.

There are some crystals (like calcite, selenite, and pyrite) that cannot be submerged in water or be cleansed with salt. Crystals like amethyst should not be left under direct sunlight.

Witch Tips

-Rose quartz is a great stone to have when bathing/showering. It helps cleanse one emotionally while being cleaned physically, it also brings a light airy feel to the atmosphere and the water can help cleanse the stone itself as well.

Bonus- if you worship Aphrodite it’s a good way to honor her, being a love goddess closely associated with water, and rose quartz is a love stone.
-Don’t leave your crystals directly in salt, this can erode them very easily. Instead place them in a bag first or on a plate over the salt.
-Never leave them in water or create elixirs with them. This will erode and cause them to dissolve, if crystal water is your goal, place the crystals around the water or on top of the lid, or once again, place them in a bag first. (Definitely don’t consume water that has been in contact with the crystals either, as they can be highly harmful.)
-Be very careful, or avoid using them with children and animals entirely, this can be very dangerous as they can easily get swallowed or choked on, as well as being toxic to the little guys.
-When placing them in a safe space in times of being unused, you may want to keep similar crystals and stones nearer each other rather than mixing them with opposing vibrations.
-Keeping in mind that some crystals are receptive as others are projective, their vibrations can be quite opposing as well, this can be a hassle when making grids or incorporating many crystals into a ritual or spell, so always be knowledgeable of your crystals!

-If you have any of these:  Aquamarine, Turquoise, Pyrite, Ruby, Moonstone, Lapis Lazuli, Halite, Garnet, Fluorite, Amazonite, Desert Rose, Gypsum, Talc, Calcite, Angelite, Malachite, Witherite, Cinnabar, selenite, celestine
PLEASE DO NOT PUT THEM IN WATER. The bolded ones are especially dangerous as they release toxins when exposed to water!
-Keep your amethyst out of the sun while charging it (it will fade), instead use moonlight (you can also put a circle of salt around the crystal. Do not put the salt on the ground, use plates etc).

101 how to use crystals
Crystals in the craft

Blessed be darklings!