stone divination

~~~Galen Gillotte

Within precious or semiprecious stones and crystals resides a wealth of knowledge. They have been around for much longer that I have been alive - at least in this incarnation - and I would be foolish not to avail myself of their wisdom. Each stone has its own energy, attributes, and uses. But in the following divinatory practices I have chosen to focus on color as an easy way to connect with the stone's energies. We use color during ritual in order to resonate with those energies we are tapping into, thus using colored stones in divination is one way of receiving hints about the future.

Divination comes from the root word 'divine', which has to do with the Deity. When we utilize forms of divination we are attempting to connect with the Divine Mind in order to receive clarity or guidance about a matter. There are, of course, other ways to do this. One may consult a book, talk with a friend or trained counselor, or in other ways work out the answer to a problem. But if you think that using divination may be of some assistance, the following divinatory casts may be of use. Remember though that the future is not "cast in stone," and that you may always exercise your free will in any matter.

Following is a list of stones and their symbolism. If the colors and their attributes do not fit for you, please feel free to alter them to your needs. Likewise, if I have not mentioned a stone you feel particularly comfortable working with, add it to the list under the appropriate color selection.

There are many divinatory systems available from which to choose, and they will all work, as they tap into the unconscious mind where all answers reside. This system will do the same, whether you use it "As is" or change it to conform more closely to your needs.

For the following divinatory casts you will use just thirteen stones. From the list below, choose one stone from each color selection until you have all thriteen. These will be your working stones. Beneath each heading is the symbolism for that color, which will be used in divining the answers to your questions.

* CLEAR STONES: quartz crystal; herkimer diamond; clear tourmaline; clear fluorite.

Symbolism: clarity of thought; connecting with your HGA (Holy Guardian Angel); physical health and healing.
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* WHITE STONES: moonstone; white marble; howlite; selenite; opal; snowy quartz.

Symbolism: purification; innocence; the moon; magic; Goddess as Maiden.
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* YELLOW STONES: citrine; amber; cat's eye; yellow calcite; yellow jasper; topaz; yellow tourmaline.

Symbolism: communication; travel; success; leadership; intelectual pursuits; physical energy.
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* ORANGE STONES: carnelian; sun stone; orange calcite.

Symbolism: personal power; attraction; movement; stimulation.
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* RED STONES: starry jasper; red jasper; ruby; red garnet; sandstone; cinnabar; red aventurine.

Symbolism: sexual energy; passion; anger; the heart; change; action; strength; Goddess as Mother.
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* PINK STONES: rhodocrosite; rhodonite; rose quartz; pink agate; pink tourmaline.

Symbolism: romantic love; friendship; joy; relationships; family interaction.
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* PURPLE STONES: amethyst; sugalite; purple tourmaline.

Symbolism: connecting with divine energy; the mystical realm; spiritual progress; past lives; prayer; mystical or sacred marriage.
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* LIGHT BLUE STONES: blue lace agate; aquamarine; blue quartz; blue aventurine; blue fluorite; some turquoise.

Symbolism: peace; tranquility; discernment; understanding; patience; relieving depression.
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* DARK BLUE STONES: sodalite; lapis lazuli; azurite; sapphire; blue topaz.

Symbolism: fidelity; devotion; protection; psychic abilities; dreaming; intuition.
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* GREEN STONES: amazonite; green aventurine; some turquoise; chrysoprase; malachite; moss agate; peridot; emerald.

Symbolism: money; prosperity; creativity; growth; fertility; personal goals; abundance; career matters; the Horned God.
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* BROWN STONES: tiger-eye; smoky quartz; staurolite (cross stone); fire agate.

Symbolism: autonomy; inner resources; stability; personal responsibility; grounding.
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GRAY STONES: labradorite; hematite.

Symbolism: wisdom, knowledge, silence; simplicity.
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BLACK STONES: jet; obsidian; apache tear; black tourmaline; onyx.

Symbolism: releasing negative energy; binding; receptivity; death; transformation; Goddess as Crone.
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As you utilize the following casts allow your intuitive self full rein. Each stone has several meanings, which are represented by a word (for example: red = passion or anger or change). Divine the meaning that is pertinent to your question, then allow the word to sink softly into your unconscious mind. Your intuitive self will take that word and expand upon it, giving you the answer you seek. Simply pay attention and you will have fruitful results.

THIRTEEN STONE CAST

For this cast place all of the stones in a pouch used for the purpose. Hold the pouch while thinking of your question. An example might be, "What do I need to do in order to get the job I want?" Reach into the pouch without looking and draw forth a stone. Place it in front of you. If the answer makes sense to you, stop there; if not, reach in and draw forth another stone. If you are still not sure of the answer, draw a third stone. This will bind the first two. The answers combined will be the answer you seek.

YES/NO CAST

This is used when all you need is a "yes" or "no" answer. While thinking of your question, reach into the pouch and stir the stones around. When you feel the time is right, LIGHTLY clasp a collection of stones and draw them forth from the pouch. If the number of stones are even, the answer is "yes"; if odd, the answer is "no".

A variation of this is to take a piece of felt and draw a circle on it. Divide the circle in half. On one side write "yes", on the other, write "no". Mark an "x" in the very center of the circle. Hold the pouch while thinking of your question, and when you feel the time is right, tip the bag over the felt circle, making sure to do so over the center point. Then count the number of stones on each side, discarding those sitting on the dividing line or falling outside of the circle. The side with the most stones will be your answer.

SACRED CIRCLE CAST

This is used when you need to know how your past and present will affect a future outcome. Hold the pouch of stones as you ask your question. Next, remove all of the stones from your pouch, one at a time, and place then in a circle (you may use the cirle drawn on your felt piece as a guide). Locate the "top" of the circle (the 12:00 position on a clock face). Keeping your question in mind and moving clockwise, pull each fourth stone out of the cirle and place it before you, from left to right. Do this until you have three stones in front of you. The leftmost stone is your recent past with regards to the question; the middle stone is the present; and the rightmost stone is the possible future. Read them all together to find your answer.

ELEMENTAL CIRCLE CAST

This is used when you need balance and want to incorporate the wisdom of the elementals into your answer. Place all of the stones in your pouch. As you hold the pouch, think about your question. When ready, reach in and remove one stone. Place this in front of you in the 3:00 position (you may use the circle drawn on your felt piece for a guide). This is the stone for the element of the east, which is air and is concerned with your thoughts and intuition about the matter. Reach in the pouch and remove another stone. This will be placed in the 6:00 position and is the stone for the element of the south, which is fire. This stone is concerned with your will and actions.Now remove a third stone and place it in the 9:00 position. This is the stone for the element of the west, which is water, and is concerned with your emotions and feelings about the matter. Draw out a fourth stone and place it at the 12:00 position. This is the stone for the element of north, which is earth, and is concerned with manifesting results. Finally, draw out a fifth stone and place it in the center. This is the stone for spirit, which is everywhere. It is concerned with transformation and change, and of the Divine Mind.

Now starting with air and moving around the circle, discern what each stone is telling you about each aspect of the question. The spirit stone may be a clarification of the answer by tying all of the other answers together.

CHAKRA MEDITATION

This is a meditation rather than a divinatory exercise, yet is may also be used to locate areas of physical concern or stress.

Choose seven stones with colors to represent each of the seven chakras. They should be laid out as folloows.

7 = Crown shakra: amethyst or violet (white) *

6 = Third Eye or Brow chakra: dark blue or indigo (amethyst) *

5 = Throat chakra: light blue

4 = Heart chakra: green

3 = Solar Plexus chakra: yellow

2 = Naval chakra: orange

1 = Root chakra: red

Once your stones are laid out, pick up the first stone, for the Root chakra, and hold it in your dominant hand. Close your eyes, meditate on the color red, and visualize your Root chakra opening like a lotus flower. When it feels as if it is fully open, move on to the next stone and the next chakra. If there are any blockages along the way you might feel it in your body at that chakra point, or in the stone you are holding. Pay special attention to that area. Once all of the chakras are open, simply sit in quiet meditation, drawing health and balance to yourself. When you feel the time is right, close each chakra, beginning at the Crown and moving down to the Root, visualizing each energy point closing up like the petals of a flower. This is a good meditation to use for balance and inner healing.
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* In some systems the Crown chakra is imaged as bright white, while the Third Eye or Brow chakra is imaged as amethyst. You may use these colors if you wish