pagan-mini-pre-camp: stones & crystals

[aweynsayl]

(happy US memorial day weekend... we're pre-kicking off camp with a little something extra, just for fun.....)


Really, this is more of a poll for those who do stones in their practice, so that those who do not yet can learn from example and start to explore… but also, it's fun to see/hear what others do!

Please feel free to ask if there’s something specific you want to learn, or just share your practice!


(I’m being a lazy non-host, since this is an add-on camp. )



Stone Uses: How do you use stones as part of your practice?

to wear:
prayer beads:
pendulums:
on your altar(s):
in rituals:
for _____ purpose (healing, protection, etc):
other:


Stone Meanings: Have you found specific stones that mean something to you other than the typically assumed meaning—or are there are stones that really resonate with you for some specific purpose?

Notes on stones and meaning:
Sites or books for looking up stones and meanings:
Other notes:


Stone shapes/configurations: Do you like to use different shapes or formations for different purposes?

tumbled stones:
rough stones or crystal clusters:
polished shapes (pyramids, globes, etc):
found stones:
beads:
jewelry:
other:


have a wonderful weekend!
:

[singin_angel]

Okay, I'll be a brave one and help kick this off

My answers:

Stone Uses: How do you use stones as part of your practice?

to wear: I have a great pair of rose quarts earrings (that were made for me with a little pentacle on them)
prayer beads: I have never made some, but after reading last years camp threads (yes I finished them all!!!) I want to!
pendulums: my pendulum has an angelite stone...it really resonates with me
on your altar(s): I keep stones on the altar all the time because it is the stones that have started me along this path. I always change them up depending on how I am feeling
in rituals: usually when I go to ritual witht the coven i was working with, i would wear a pouch of stones that i felt were fitting on my cords. It was great energy for me. Usually in the pouch I had rose quartz, citrine, angelite, fluorite, amethyst, clear quarts, hematite...sometimes snowflake obsidian as well.
for _____ purpose (healing, protection, etc):
other: the angelite stone is the stone that i identify with me. when i do magical work with stones, i will make sure i include angelite. i'm not sure what drew me to the stone first...the light blue colour (my favourite) or the name (i was given the name singin angel by my high school chaplain - catholic high school...i was in the choir and he was also the choir director). either way...i will often wear them or carry them with me, so for example when i was studying in university i would carry around angelite as well as fluorite (known as the student's stone). it worked wonders, especially during classes that i couldn't focus and if things started to slip, all i had to do was hold them in my hand and i was back on track.


Stone Meanings: Have you found specific stones that mean something to you other than the typically assumed meaning—or are there are stones that really resonate with you for some specific purpose?

Notes on stones and meaning: for the most part, I have looked them up online and I have a list in my BOS, but it is rather lengthy, like aweynsayl said...it is best to follow what you feel from each of the stones
Sites or books for looking up stones and meanings: none specifically
Other notes:


Stone shapes/configurations: Do you like to use different shapes or formations for different purposes?

tumbled stones:
rough stones or crystal clusters:
polished shapes (pyramids, globes, etc): I have a bunch of polished stones...but they are not particular shapes. I do find size makes a difference for me...I like them fairly small. The big ones seem cumbersome to me.
$found stones:
beads:
jewelry:
other:

I also have a few books, to which I'll have to look up the names, but it explained stones to put on each chakra to help open them up...stones for gardening (i think if i remember correctly clear quartz is supposed to help keep cut flowers looking good longer)...there are even stones to help with computers! I'm certainly going to make sure I go to my bookshelf before I visit this thread again...I need to do more sharing

Thanks again aweynsayl for setting this up! :

[saphire]

Stone Uses: How do you use stones as part of your practice?

to wear: Daily, in jewelry, or in a pocket
prayer beads: I've made a few, mostly in bracelet form
pendulums: I use my ring and a quartz
on your altar(s): amethyst, Citrine, tiger's eye, rose quartz, and a couple special beads. They're 100 year old african wedding beads I used in hemp necklaces for dh and I last summer. While glass, not stone, I found them very special.
in rituals: I'll hold whatever feels right
for _____ purpose (healing, protection, etc): Calming, grounding, to store excess energy for when I'm feeling low.
other: chakra balancing, protection. Right before the cement foundation was poured for the house, last fall, the whole family placed stones to be embedded in the foundation. Rose Quartz in dd1's bedroom, amethyst in dd2's, flourite in the music studio, magnetite, rose, and clear quartz in the family room, pyrite in the kitchen, chrysocolla in my craft room, calcite and amethyst in the master bedroom, clear quartz, citirine, and cowiche shells at the front door. And some black stones for an energetic separater from our one not so great neighbor.


Stone Meanings: Have you found specific stones that mean something to you other than the typically assumed meaning—or are there are stones that really resonate with you for some specific purpose?
I really love amethyst, clear quartz and emerald. But I often carry plain ol' pebbles around too. I'm very tactile, so the cool smooth feeling of a rock feels fantastic to my fingers.
Notes on stones and meaning: I'm not terribly advanced on stone meanings. Much of the descriptions I've read I agree with. I'm more concerned with how the rock feels, and identifying what it is, than a given meaning.
Sites or books for looking up stones and meanings: I just got "the illustrated directory of healing crystals" it's nice and comprehensive with good photos. My other books are packed away for now.
Other notes:
My older dd is totally into stones. She's my little rock hound. When she's upset I encourage her to go hold an amethyst, and she sleeps with a nice quartz point nearby.

Stone shapes/configurations: Do you like to use different shapes or formations for different purposes?

tumbled stones:dd has a tumbler, it's lots of fun. We've got a nice variety of tumbled stones
rough stones or crystal clusters: Usually for holding energy
polished shapes (pyramids, globes, etc): I have a small rose quarts merkabah like http://www.healingcrystals.com/Merka...stal_Star.html
found stones: Noting super special comes to mind
beads: Too many to list! I have a nice variety stashed
jewelry: I make my earrings, bracelets, necklaces, prayer beads, etc. Since I sew some of my clothes, I've been thinking about making little pockets on the inside to stash a tiny stone or two. Haven't got around to it yet though, lol.

Currently I'm most interested in using colored stones to help balance chakras. Much of the practice is very simple, such as placing an appropriately colored stone on or by the corresponding chakra. Brief description http://www.bestcrystals.com/chakra~1.html

[saphire]

Sorry- only the questions were supposed to be pink. My computer got a little carried away!

[aweynsayl]

gardening stones-- i'd not heard that about quartz, i'll have to try it! i do know moonstone is a good gardening stone...

computers-- amethyst is supposed to be good for any electronics...

[singin_angel]

I don't have any specific questions, but I love to hear about other techniques people have used or stones that have personal connections with people.

I was just looking through my book again and there are stones for silencing noisy neighbours in there! Not that I have them, but wow...there really is nothing that they can't help with.

Does anyone use stones for physical healing?

The book I am checking out again is "Crystal Energy" by Mary Lambert. I thought I might try this that is suggested in the book for purifying house energies...you take rose quartz and rinse it under water and put it in a spray bottle. Leave it in the sunlight for 1-12 hours (the longer you leave it, the stronger the essence). Then you can spray each room (they suggest clockwise) to get rid of upset or disruptions.

Does anyone have stones that don't work well with them? For me, it would be bloodstone. Although I've read the correspondances, it just don't work with me because of a previous encounter with it. A person I knew had that as his favourite stone and he and a friend of mine were playing with energy balls (this was when I was just learning about the path) and his energy is quite negative. I all of a sudden felt absolutely horrible and had an overwealming need to leave, so I did. I could barely focus on anything and felt really strange. From what I was told, he hit me with the energy ball (and I guess it was rather negative)...ever since that day, I haven't been able to connect with it mostly because my mind has linked the stone and his energy together.

When do you clean your stones? Does anyone have any "rituals" to clean them? I know I need to clean mine :P

Glad to see the thread is getting some activity (and a good number of reads)

[DaughterOfKali]

I sometimes wear stones (jewelry).

I have also put crystals on top of the tv (nothing with magnetic qualities!).

I've put stones on window sills.

I've carried a stone/crystal or two in my pocket at times.

[LionessMom]

i wear a moonstone on my pentacle necklace. you can see it here
http://s366.photobucket.com/albums/o...nt=BenandI.jpg

then i have some diamonds in my ring. and i have a pair of diamond earrings i wear all the time. i like those. they feel good to me.

sometimes i wear some beads on a string on my wrist. amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, hematite, sodalite and some other stuff. i have some green flourite i want to make a necklace or bracelet out of.

i have my grandmothers blood stone. i really like that one.

in my purse i carry a little bag with some stuff in it. i have some quartz and flourite. a couple others i cant remember. i need to cleanse them actually.

i have one piece of quartz in my goblet on the altar.
that would be it though.

[aweynsayl]

some links i love

here's a nice one that lists stones by color with pictures

that same site has sections on the different formations and shapes

and from the same site, lists of stones with links to their meaning

this website is a bit... unstable... in that links dont always work... it's nice for meanings & for chakra stones.

and this one is nice for IDing stones

this site has a nice, longer, description of the stones

this site has some nice features... if you click on "tumbled stones" you can get nice pics of the different types of stones....

here's a link for something to download on meanings, though i've not read it, so i dont know how good it is.... and also a link for stones by color


and one more that lists pics of stones so you can get a better idea of what you're looking for... nice for some more unusual ones.

if you're interested in raw mineral state, here's a great page....

nice listing of stones per chakra . really nice, indepth and specific info on a wide assortment of stones. yay!

[aweynsayl]

SA, lol at loud neighbours! is it howlite? it's supposed to keep rudeness away....

[saphire]

The full moon is what I use to clease stones most of the time. Other times I use sunlight.
Those are some great bookmarks Aweynsayl! TFS

[Krystal323]

wooooo! pagan summer camp! :

Stone Uses: How do you use stones as part of your practice?

to wear: i have a moonstone pendant and a circle of labradorite chips that i often wear together--that combo gives me some crazy-realistic dreams tho
prayer beads: i want some
pendulums: i have a clear quartz and chakra-crystal pendulum, but i don't do a lot with it
on your altar(s): pretty much my altars are windowsills i have a rose quartz chunk up there, and two stone "eggs"--labradorite and blue sodalite--for dh
in rituals: i don't really do a lot of structured ritual--i might just carry or set out stones that resonate w/me, or that are supposed to encourage/repress a particular trait
for _____ purpose (healing, protection, etc): yes, always. mostly just a quick meditation and carrying them around w/me. i'm always in a rush!


Stone Meanings: Have you found specific stones that mean something to you other than the typically assumed meaning—or are there are stones that really resonate with you for some specific purpose?

Notes on stones and meaning: my son has the crystal encyclopedia--i need to read it myself!
Sites or books for looking up stones and meanings: i was hoping to pick up some here

Stone shapes/configurations: Do you like to use different shapes or formations for different purposes? i love love love crystal clusters for display. the formations are like organic art to me--soothing in their chaos. i am still sorry i passed up one huge expensive one at the renfest last year

tumbled stones: i have a drawerful of them--they don't come out to play much tho!
rough stones or crystal clusters: i have a saltrock tealight holder that is so grounding--i love it.
polished shapes (pyramids, globes, etc): just the eggs i mentioned earlier. the labradorite one feels great to hold
found stones: this is more my son's foray--he's almost 10 and very intuitive
beads: OH YES.
jewelry: i make it--and i try to incorporate the meanings/properties of the different gemstones together along with an appropriate pendant, etc.


fun stuff!! :

[ian'smommaya]

oh yippie! thanks!

[Aubergine68]

I have some rocks from Lake Huron that a dear friend painted totem animals on during a wonderful vacation many years ago; does that count? And some tumbled semiprecious stones in my jewelry box that I like but do nothing with...

Originally Posted by aweynsayl

Please feel free to ask if there’s something specific you want to learn, or just share your practice!

Ok, I have a daughter approaching womanhood and I always imagined buying her something like an opal necklace when she makes that transition. However, as that event approaches, the idea of hitting the jewelry store in the mall is pretty uninspiring.

I'm looking for any suggestions for a special necklace for her. I could buy something moderately priced or I have the beading skills to make something basic, but I want it to have meaning.

Any ideas for me?

[singin_angel]

Originally Posted by Aubergine68

Ok, I have a daughter approaching womanhood and I always imagined buying her something like an opal necklace when she makes that transition. However, as that event approaches, the idea of hitting the jewelry store in the mall is pretty uninspiring.

I'm looking for any suggestions for a special necklace for her. I could buy something moderately priced or I have the beading skills to make something basic, but I want it to have meaning.

Any ideas for me?

Moonstone is supposed to help reduce/eliminate PMS and menstrual cramps...and it is quite beautiful

I think the idea of making her something would be quite special!

[Oriole]

I'm so delighted to see this thread here!

I'm trying to learn how to use stones and crystals in my life. I have a few, and I'm particularly drawn to sodalite, rose quartz and carnelian.

I have red coral and amber jewelry. Amber has always had a special place in my heart, I have no idea why.

I really would like to get larger samples of my favorite stones some day, and a good book on crystals. Aside from jewelry, all the crystals I have came from e-bay.

[aweynsayl]

i love amber too. i love its connection to the past, and i love how light it is!

aubergine, sure! that counts! i love your idea of making her something... maybe take her to the bead store and select some things together? maybe one special stone for each year, one center one (for her emerging womanhood and self-ness), and something small in between?

[aweynsayl]

(more links...)

[aweynsayl]

again

[FreeSpiritMama]

I've had an affinity for tones since I was little : These days I sleep with a rose quart angel under my pillow and recently a quartet of stones (calcite, kyanite, hematite & selenite). Iwear a hematite bracelet for its grounding properties and have a number of necklaces depending on how I feel, today is my Lapis heart pendant : I haven't used my pendulum for a while but go through phases of using it all the time!

As a child I loved clusters and then used to always pick tumble stones and loved pyramid, angel and heart shapes. Recently I am quite drawn to rough stones.

Thanks for the moonstone/pms info I might just have to pop my moonstone in my pocket this week