Stones and crystals are a huge part of my craft. I carry them in my pockets, meticulously place them on my altar, and, in all honesty, spend way too much money shopping for them online. I love working with stones and, maybe most importantly, I find them very effective. Beautiful and effective. When I started to get more into collecting them and began hunting stones for their specific traits, I was flooded with information about crystals in terms of healing and energies.

This was good to know, but it wasn’t the knowledge I was after. Namely, I wanted stones that would help me improve my craft and add power to my spells. After about a year of experimenting, I finally came up with my own stone set and today, I’d like to showcase the stones that I’ve found add more power to spells. If you’re not already familiar with the power of crystals and stones, I hope this post inspires you to investigate further and take your craft to a new level.

Find Your Grounding Stone

My grounding stone is agate. Long ago, even before I started down this winding path of witchiness, I always had agate on me in some way, either jewelry or just a little stone I’d picked up at a shop. Agate, and tree agate, in particular, embodies everything I love. It looks like trees in the snow, which reminds me of my home. It is said to help one care for plants and animals, which is how I spend the majority of my days. Incidentally, it happens to be my birthstone, a fact that thrilled me when I first found out. It is a calming stone and also helps one be more in tune with the natural world — two things I strive for daily. But I learned all that later. Before I understood agate better, I simply knew I liked it the best.  

Your grounding stone will “speak” to you in a similar way and to find it, you simply have to poke around a bit. Gem shows are great places to search, but not nearly as convenient as hopping online and searching there. I can’t help much in finding your grounding stone, but I can say you will definitely know when you’ve found it.

The grounding stone is important to your witchcraft because it can represent you in spells, as well as protect you and help you focus. If you take care of this talisman, its unique qualities will grow stronger and it will work better with you and for you. You should keep it with you almost always.

Building A Stone Set

You’ll recognize the first one on the list. Clear quartz — a clear crystal named after ice — is considered the most powerful and useful stone a witch can have. It is so powerful, it can be substituted for any other stone in a pinch. It is “programmable,” meaning you can charge it with any intention you wish by simply holding the stone and charging it with your energy. Clear quartz is both protective and healing, and vibes well with humans. Being an immensely talented stone itself, having one or five around will also enhance your talents.

This is the wisest stone, the calmest, and will guide you well. It’s the perfect first addition to your stone set, and if you only get one stone, make it a clear quartz.  

Next on the list is black tourmaline. Used frequently in warding, black tourmaline is your soldier stone, protecting against negativity aimed your way. While this makes it a great stone to carry with you, it’s also great for… questionable spellwork. I’ve recently seen it referred to as “the wall,” and I think that perfectly summarizes how black tourmaline works for you.

Now onto the power hitters of your stone set. These stones have worked for me to both supercharge spells and bring clarity when a spell isn’t going quite right and I need to rethink things. These stones should be placed on your altar and can be incorporated into any spell as a way to add more “fuel to the fire,” so to speak.

Bloodstone, also known as heliotrope, is dark green with red specks. It is a type of jasper, which is a lucky stone. Bloodstone is associated with fire and lifeblood, bringing the energy of both to your spells. It’s also said to be good for heart and blood conditions. Bloodstone will work especially well for those born in March, though I’ve found that this courageous stone is not choosy. This is the dragon of your stone set and will allow you to win against enemies.

Garnet is a stone named after the Latin word granatum, which means pomegranate. Because of its deep red color, garnet is used often in love and binding spells. Alternatively, you can view it as a stone of attraction, as it will work to bring what you seek into your life. Garnet will also assist in tapping into your hidden potential. Thanks to its association with fire, it will naturally add more power to spells, but will also make the spellcaster more attractive — either to a lover or potential employer, for example. Garnet works with you to help you attain goals, a perfect spellcasting aid.

Moonstone is a pearlescent, peach-colored stone. This one is for the ladies. Moonstone is connected to the tides, the phases of the moon, and all the power and peace that comes along with feminine power, including intuition. If you are a woman, it will be particularly beneficial in strengthening your spells. Specifically, it will add a gentler edge to your casts and work to protect you while you work — though not in the same way as perhaps tourmaline. Moonstone keeps you grounded and helps bring balance. It will let you see all options, showing you the wisest and safest ways. But don’t think of moonstone as soft just because its power doesn’t lie in brute force. Moonstone is subtle, just, consistent, and unstoppable.

Petrified wood is ancient wood that has transformed into stone over time and one of my favorites. Its power is wisdom from a long life and it is said to impart this knowledge unto its owner. Petrified wood also represents transformation, and growing stronger with time. This stone will not only help you learn from mistakes but will assist you greatly when trying new spells and learning new things. This is your teacher stone. Ask it for guidance in troubling situations and carry with you for patience and insight.  

Unakite is a moss green stone with splashes of pink — it looks like a delicate floral print. This is a peaceful stone that will center you during spellcasting and help you see opportunity instead of roadblocks in your daily life. If you’ve lost something and wish to reclaim it, unakite is your go-to. Unakite is also used for connecting to the spirit world, so it’s a good stone to use when seeking guidance from beyond. It’s a remover of obstacles, which makes it great for spells that move you forward in life or remove harmful things that hold you back. Think of it as your support system while casting. It will empower your spells by making you stronger.

Lastly on the list is my favorite of all, smoky quartz. It can be dark brown to almost clear, sometimes with slashes of gold running through it (particularly lucky). Smoky quartz is protective; it will redirect negative spells aimed at you back at the caster. It is also said to be a great healer. Smoky quartz is often used in scrying.

Some time ago, I was told that smoky quartz was the essential stone for witches because of how it improves spellcasting and, intrigued, I bought a few tumbled stones. Turns out, this advice held true! By all accounts, smoky quartz is supposed to be a calm stone used for healing, but its addition to my altar and spells has had such a noticeable effect, I’m wondering if this sleek little stone may be hiding some secrets… I recommend this stone above all others when casting. Decorate your altar with smoky quartz points, keep loose stones nearby for all spells, and carry with you for casting on the go. This beautiful and mysterious stone will surprise you.

Finally, smoky quartz is a cleansing stone that does not require cleansing itself. If you’re like me and worry about cleansing — when to do it, how, on which stones? — smoky quartz solves the problem for you. By merely having it near your other stones, it will cleanse and charge them regularly, while never holding any negativity.

Protips

• Whenever possible, shop for stones in person instead of online. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with buying online, except that someone else has chosen the stone for you. There is something to be said for finding a stone that really “speaks” to you and you can only do that by seeing the stones in person and choosing the perfect one yourself.
• After obtaining a new stone, it’s smart to give it a quick cleansing as you can never be sure exactly where it came from. Again, smoky quartz will do much of this work for you, but I always like to be extra cautious.

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