#the manifestation altar had a kinda easy job

[sedlex]

A couple of days after the V9 premiere and its pouncing moment that pointed towards the numerous crumbs about to solidify in a tasty loaf, I went to a Lindt store and they had chocolate bees, so I felt compelled to make a good omens corner:

Now that it's worked... imma eat that!

[brighidsember]

So, I was kinda gonna do a show and tell about my very first crystal. Which was a...a pretty "meh" idea to begin with, I gotta admit. But I thought it prove useful to people just getting started in witchcraft who are crystal-less and wondering where to start and worried they won't pick the right one. So here we are. However, upon looking through my hoarde, I discovered that I didn't have one "beginner" crystal. Oh sure, there was the first one I bought with intention, which I might discuss in future, but my first crystal (or crystals, should I say) were gifted to me by my mother, my own little starter kit for crystals. Be warned, this is gonna be a long one. Here they are: | 1. Amethyst. Every good witch needs an amethyst, right? Right. They're the lavender of gemstones; universal, spiritual, good for protection. It's a good crystal to have in your starter kit, and I used this one in A LOT of spells and charms. | 2. Sooo...this is either a legit rose quartz...or a clear quartz dyed pink. Im thinking it's the latter. Which might be why I never used it in love spells. I had an old necklace with a gold chain and a true rose quartz heart pendant, that one I used for love spells for a long time. This one was just a cool crystal to put on a shelf and point out whenever we had company. *shrugs* | 3. For the longest time, I thought this stone was jade. Only a few years ago did my mother inform me it was actually aventurine. Unsure about that one. It's definitely not jade, but it still worked well in money spells! | 4. Turquoise. My mom has a bit of a turquoise collection, some of which were gifted to her when she was a teenager by our aunt (who is awesome and has a Tibetan singing bowl I want to steal because it's super cool looking! Okay, tangent over). Turquoise is good for bringing spiritual wisdom and serenity, and even though I never used it spells, just having it around brought calmness to my space when I was growing up. | 5. Amber. I never know what to call amber. It's technically not a crystal or gemstone, because it's not a mineral, it's a resin. It's associated with love, and placed on your bedside or in the love and marriage sector of your home/room (feng shui), it can help manifest a loving relationship or self love. | 6. Raw peridot. When I was younger, I believed any and all green stones were fair game for use in money spells. Whether that's true or not remains to be seen, but it did work for me, for what it's worth. Otherwise, peridot is good for balancing emotions (could've used that more as a teenager), bringing creativity, as well as good health. | 7. Black Obsidian. First thing you will notice about this little guy is that it's...well, black. And you know what that means: banishing negativity! Made from volcanic glass, it can be used as a scrying tool, a protection amulet, or for banishing negative emotions and energy. Just remember to cleanse early and cleanse often if that is it's job! Smudging is the safest way to cleanse this crystal, though I will say I have used salt in the past without issue...but I'm trash, so yeah. On a personal note, this little crystal did help me in some small way with a major bout of depression some years ago. | 8. Smoky Quartz. Another great protection stone, smoky quartz is also great for banishing anxiety and fear, grounding, and helping you feel settled in your earthly body...if you're into that sort of thing. Otherwise, a great stone to keep around when it's 3 a.m. but you haven't had any sleep and you heard a weird noise. What's that? Why, no, I'm not speaking from personal experience, why do you ask? | 9. Clear Quartz. Ah, clear quartz. So simple. So plain. Yet so beautiful, and powerful. Need a spell boosted? Add in quartz. Need protection against negativity? Place a quartz crystal by the entrance to your house, or in the room often used for congregating. Connecting to your higher self? Quartz on your bedside or altar. Need healing or pain relief? Wear a quartz pendant. It's such a versatile little stone, it's no wonder every witch has loads of clear quartz, in their house, in their car, their office, their outfit...just clear quartz coming out of our ears! Also, along with amethyst, it's a good starter crystal because you can find it everywhere crystals are sold, in any size or shape, without needing to take a hammer to your heirloom piggy bank. | 10. Angel Aura. Clear quartz and platinum had a love child, and it's name was angel aura. I could explain the process, but as I mentioned before, I am trash, and google is a thing. Go forth and investigate, my child! Angel aura, as you could guess by the name, can help align your vibrations with angels. Angels aren't your jam? Cool, cool; it can help align you with the astral plane as well. Helpful if you want to get into astral travel. It's also the gemstone equivalent of aura fluffing, so if you just wanna feel happy for no damn reason, pick up some angel aura. | 11. Raw Agate. We have an agate problem in my family. At least, my mother, aunt, and grandmother do. When my mom and her sister were younger (and the backroads of rural Wisconsin were still mostly gravel), my grandmother would take them agate hunting in the summer. All you needed was a container for your haul, some water to bring out the color (easier to identify the stone), and a dirt road. Easy. Cheap. And now, my grandma has a comically large brandy glass filled with agate they've collected through the years. This agate I have is not from those days. You see, my mom is so good at finding agate now, she can find it literally anywhere. Like a parking lot of a restaurant somewhere in the Twin Cities (true story, bro). This particular type of agate is what the experts call "banded agate", which is good for healing, protection, memory, and wealth. | 12. Rose Quartz. This is probably the stone I have the earliest memory of. When I was a baby, my mother had my room decorated floor-to-ceiling with dolphins, in hues of aqua blue and baby pink. Ah, the 90's, when denim maternity shirts, teased bangs, and platform shoes were actual things that people wore. And dolphins? I don't know why mom surrounded me with dolphins. She just did. On curtains, comforters, lampshades, and t-shirts. And in the form of carved rose quartz. Rose quartz is the stone of love and peace. Whether it's romance, self love, or familiar love, rose quartz inspires you to love unconditionally. Ironically, dolphins represent self love. Though I never used this stone in a spell, keeping it by my bed as a child always reminded me that my mother loved me unconditionally. Oh, the feels. | So there you have it. Some good starter crystals to investigate and read more about. Thank you for attending my Ted talk.