What to do with Your New Crystal Wand

A friend texted me a picture of her recent purchase. It was a really impressive magic wand, made of crystal, wrapped in copper with a piece of malachite, with feathers on one end and the crystal point on the other.

She confessed that she had spent an astronomical amount of money on this acquisition at her local new age shop after lusting after it on the shop’s shelf for more than a year.

She knew it was for her, and she knew she had to take it home, no matter the price.

The problem was, once she got it home, she had not a single idea what to use it for, or what to do with it.

I was introduced to magic wands when I first discovered the New Age. In the 1980s I mined crystals in Arkansas and fashioned some of them into wands. It seemed like a good thing to do at the time.

A crystal shop keeper wanted to buy some of my crystals but not any of my wands. He shared with me the same concern that my friend, the new crystal wand owner, seems to have.

“No one can tell me what a wand with a crystal, or made of a crystal, actually does,” he said to me. “Does the wand amplify the crystal, or direct the energy of the crystal? People are making beautiful wands, but we have no idea what to do with them.”

Back then we didn’t have all the wisdom in the world at our fingertips and in our pockets.

Most of us associate magic wands with Disney, or with Harry Potter, or Hitachi. A simple Google search brought up some amazing resources for the history of magic wands, as well as their uses.

As a tarot person, I associate magic wands with the suit of Wands in the Minor Arcana of tarot. In tarot, the suit of Wands is most often associated with the element of Fire. You can also find a few decks that associate Wands with the element of Air instead.

In elemental magic and Wiccan circles, the wand is used as a tool to summon and banish either the element of Air or Fire at the beginning and end of ceremony.

Crystal wands may be made of all crystal with metal, stone, or feathers attached, as is my friend’s. They may simply be a piece of crystal or stone, either intentional fashioned or naturally occurring. I have a natural selenite wand which I absolutely love. Some crystal wands have a crystal point affixed to a metal or wooden rod.

Magic wands do not always incorporate crystals or stones. Some are fashioned of wood or metal. I have a natural wood wand which was given to me by a friend. It still has its bark; the rough ends have been sanded down.

I once had a teacher tell me that, in the absence of a wand, you can use the index finger of your right hand to summon, focus and direct energy.

Wands like the one my friend has purchased may include intentionally selected wood, stones, and metals that can be used for specific purposes. For example, the malachite on her wand  makes it very good for working with the heart chakra. If one were making a wand for a specific purpose, one might carefully choose the type of wood, stone, metals and feathers. Yet, I think it is fair to say that, with proper intention, one could use any wand for any number of purposes. I even know serious young magicians who have purchased Harry Potter wands and consecrated them for magical uses.

Whether handmade, found in nature, or purchased, I have found many uses for wands in my own practice. The beautiful object d’art that my friend just had to have should be more than an expensive tchotchke on her coffee table.

Here are some ways I commonly use wands as a magical tool. There are countless others which you can find in books and on the internet.

First, as mentioned earlier, I use wands to summon the element of Fire or Air. Typically, I use my wood wand for Fire and my selenite wand for Air. I do this when creating a formal circle for healing or meditation. I also do it if I need a quick burst of energy, inspiration or clarity.

For example, if I need to have a difficult conversation, I may take my selenite wand and point it to my throat chakra and breathe with it for a moment, focusing on bringing energy to clear and activate my throat for positive and effective communication.

If I need to shake off feeling tired or drained, I might take my wood wand and point it at my solar plexus, breathing with it to ‘turn up the fire’ in my internal furnace.

We can use wands to clear and activate all the chakras. Sometimes when doing chakra healing, I feel inclined to move the wand over each chakra in a tight circle as a way of clearly, healing and activating. To me it feels as though I am stirring up the energy.

I also use wands as part of energetic cleansing and blessing. I will wave a wand, with focus and intention, over a new tarot deck as part of the dedication process. I will walk with a wand through my home, tracing the windows, doors, and walls, with a focus on cleansing and blessing.

When I work with a wand, I first ground myself to the earth and consciously raise my own energy. Then I send that energy down my arm and into the wand. I feel that the wand amplifies and focuses the energy I have raised. I can place a specific intention into that energy and use the wand to send the energy to its destiny.

When I first acquire a wand, I do a simple ceremony to bless it and consecrate it for my use. This usually includes anointing it with oil and speaking a dedication.

When I hold a wand, very often I feel like it is guiding me in how I should use it.

If this all sounds like a bunch of New Age mumbo-jumbo, well, maybe it is. Yet, consider that the use of magic wands predates the birth of Christ, and is evidenced in many early magical cultures around the world.

Find Yourself in a Magic Mirror!

When I say “magic mirror” you probably think of a smartass talking mirror from a Disney movie.  However, the idea that we can get information from a mirror, or that a mirror can be enchanted, is not just a thing of fantasy.

The “mirror, mirror on the wall” has its origins in ancient magical practices. Today, people all over the world practice mirror magic, with excellent results.

As with any magic that turns a mundane item into a magical tool, the power comes from the Hermetic law “As Above, So Below”. Whatever task that item performs on a mundane level, so it does on a spiritual or energetic level.

So, what does a mirror do?

A mirror reflects.

We see evidence of the magical nature of mirrors in many cultures and practices.

When I was a young girl being initiated into my first Brownie troop, our ceremony involved looking into a mirror as we recited a chant:

“Twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I looked in the mirror and saw myself”.

In that ritual, we used the mirror to find within us the Brownie we were becoming.

Many people use mirror-gazing, or scrying, as a divination method to reflect truth.

A mirror becomes a focus point for concentration and inner reflection in group practices such as dance, and Bikram Yoga.

In Feng Shui, a mirror reflects a noisy neighbor’s disruptive energy back to them.

We can energetically send a psychic mirror to folks in need of enlightenment. This will cause them the painful-but-necessary experience of seeing the truth about themselves that they have been avoiding.

We can also use a mirror to help us heal from self-doubt, uncertainty about our skills, low self-esteem and lack of confidence.

If you are not aware of, and confident in, your skills and abilities, or if you can’t see your own awesomeness, try a magic mirror to help you see your own beauty and value, and to help others see it as well!

You’ll need a small compact or hand mirror. You can use a treasured heirloom, a cheap mirror from Walmart, or a leftover mirror that came with makeup.

If you like, you can decorate your mirror with symbols that resonate for you, and represent you.

To begin, you must “charge”” your mirror. Other words to describe this process include “enchant” or “dedicate”.

You can do the charging ritual as formally or as casually as you like. If you choose to perform a formal ceremony to charge your mirror, choose candles, incense and colors that support self-esteem, self-love, personal enlightenment and general success.

The core of the ritual, and the only truly necessary part, is that you must write a dedication for your mirror, and speak the dedication as you hold your mirror.

Your words will charge the mirror with your intention. Your intention is to look into the mirror and see within it your skills, your talents, your beauty, your connection to Spirit and your purpose on the planet.

Your words can be simple or elegant. You may write a rhyming dedication if you like. What is important is that you clearly state, see and feel your intention.

Here is a rhyming dedication, or incantation, you can use if you like.

I charge this mirror with an awesome task
To without delay do as I ask.
When I gaze, allow me to see
All that is valuable within me.

Once you have charged you mirror, you may use it in meditation whenever you feel the need for a confidence boost. Use you mirror to help you find the courage to pursue your dreams and desires.

Simply sit quietly and breathe. Ground yourself to the earth, and set your intention in your mind.

Now gaze into the mirror, and quiet your mind.

Focus on your breathing, and allow your gaze to soften as you continue to stare into the mirror.

What thoughts or inspirations come to you?

What do you see about yourself that you didn’t see before?

As you gaze into the mirror in a meditative state you may ask questions about your life, your journey toward self-acceptance and success. Wait for the answers to present themselves to your heart.

Let your magic mirror help you see what is special, unique and precious about you!

Three Things I Learned from Donald Michael Kraig

I am saddened by the news of the death of one of my favorite Pagan authors, Donald Michael Kraig.

I met Don a couple of times in the late 1990s, when we both were presenters at American Tarot Associations conventions in Albany. At the time, he was already a well-known author.

Over the years we had a few phone conversations and exchanged a few emails. I had always assumed our paths would cross again one day.

That Don passed on March 17^th strikes me. Many modern Pagans celebrate March 17^th as “All Snakes Day,” in recognition of the stories of St. Patrick’s atrocities toward Irish Pagans.

Although there are reasons to doubt the historical accuracy of those stories, All Snakes Day has become something of a modern Pagan holiday. I don’t know if Don celebrated it or not. I do bet that, over the next years and decades, many Pagans will take a moment to honor the life of Donald Michael Kraig each and every March 17^th as part of their All Snakes Day celebration.

I often quote Don in my classes. Although we didn’t spend any significant time together, I learned a lot from him. Here are three things I learned from Donald Michael Kraig.

1. It’s human nature to act against the advice of divination, and that’s ok.

   Readers so often bemoan the fact that clients don’t take our advice. Don assumed and accepted that we have the prerogative to do what we want, regardless of the information we receive from divination. To me that has always been very freeing and affirming. It allows us to use divination in a more proactive way.

2. Divination and magick are linked.

   Don’s books really helped me understand the way magick and divination work together, and the way tarot fits into all of that. Without his work I would not have been able to do mine.

3. Teach with your whole self.

   Don was a truly great teacher. I was fascinated by his stories. When Don taught a class, all of his body, mind and spirit was focused on the task. He would jump up and down and wave his arms around, gesturing wildly. He managed to be funny, grounded and wise. I try to do the same.

I’m grateful that I had a chance to meet Donald Michael Kraig. I know that through his books, and through the people he taught, his wisdom will continue on forever.

During Don’s struggle with pancreatic cancer a fund was established to help with expenses. Please considering making a donation in his memory.

Every Year the Nations on Earth do Magick Together

Those who study astrology and honor the movements of the sun, moon and planets as powerful times and times of spiritual and magickal opportunity often poo-poo the change of the calendar year. Our calendar is contrived, and not based on anything truly “natural.” It’s a young calendar, too. Many spiritual people find more power in older measurements of time like the Chinese New Year or the Jewish New Year.

Nonetheless, many astrologers found the New Moon in Capricorn on January 1, 2014 to be an auspicious start to the calendar year, although most were quick to say the changing calendar is simply an artificial marker and means nothing.

I disagree.

Sometimes magick is not only what we observe in the movements of the heavens. Sometimes power comes from what we ourselves do.

As a planet, we have all agreed to our calendar. We have all agreed to the date and time that marks our new year. More importantly, even the most secular of us have agreed that the change of the calendar means something. What does it mean? It means an opportunity to let go of the past. It means a time to celebrate past accomplishments. It means a clean slate for the future. It means a time to be optimistic about what might be, and a time to take control of our future by manifesting different behaviors and reaching for different ideals.

That so many people across the globe have agreed to this is what gives the concept of the New Year its magickal power. That we all put our energy into this is what makes it meaningful and valuable.

That’s a way magick, energy, spiritual power – whatever you want to call it – works.

Every year our planet collectively creates the intention of a wonderful new year. Magickal practitioners might see this as a creation of a “magickal child” or an “artificial elemental.”

Tracking the New Year ringing in across the globe is like a “Rolling Thunder” spell, which increases power each time a time zone is added.

Every magickal ritual needs a point of release, where the collective energy that has been built during the ritual into a fervor is sent into the Universe all at once.  At this moment our intentions are sent out to be made real.

When people say that their NYE experience was “magical,” they may be more accurate than they think!

So often we focus on the terrible things that have happened and are happening on our planet. On the other hand, it could be a lot worse.

What if this global magickal spell for a great year which we perform annually is actually working to help keep us in balance, and safe from global catastrophic events?