Crystal Divination

As we know from  other posts, divination is a magickal process that utilises various tools to provide a glimpse of the future. Stone Divination is an excellent form of this ancient art. When you need guidance regarding an important decision for example, you can turn to the stones for help.

When doing stone divination in any form, it is important to remember a few things:-
- It may take a while for you to ‘get it right’ and to properly work divination. Persevere and keep practicing and keep an open mind
- The future is NOT predetermined. Remember that if you see something that bothers you, you have the power to change it
- Divination is performed out of necessity. Try communicating or meditation first to get clarity. If it doesn’t work, then turn to the stones. (KEEP IN MIND - This can easily become a crutch. Divination isn’t divine guidance for everyday living. It is a tool to help us make decisions, warn of possible dangers etc. and provide another perspective on a problem)

Stone Scrying

Stone scrying is possibly the best know form of divination. This technique is known as crystallomancy. Reflective, highly polished stones have been used for millennia in developing psychic awareness.

Old magickal texts describe the proper preparation of a crystal before using it for divination. Some called for washing the crystal in special waters, reciting prayers or incantations over it, and waiting for a specific moon phase before making an attempt to solicit the stone's indwelling spirit for help. In some cases, shamans “fed” the stones blood or wine, or slept with them, to improve rapport with the spirit of the crystal.

Most people have heard of “the crystal ball”. This is basically a sphere of quartz crystal. Quartz isn’t the only stone chosen for scrying. A multitude of other stones are also used for forms of scrying. Flat square pieces of obsidian were favoured in ancient Mexico, and beryl spheres or eggs were the stones of choice during Renaissance times

Guidelines for Scrying with a Crystal Ball (remember this is a guide only – as with anything, follow your intuition)
1) Preparing the Crystal Sphere
- after obtaining your sphere, wash it in water
- dry and wrap it in a black, yellow or white cloth
- traditionally, spheres used for scrying are never exposed to sunlight as this is thought to hinder its ability to
contact the psychic mind
- moonlight is used to purify crystal spheres. Full moon is the ideal time to cleanse and charge the sphere with
your magickal intent. Take the wrapped sphere, unwrap it and hold it up to the moon using both hands. Feel
the moon’s cool light falling down on you. Then visualise yourself successfully scrying with the sphere.
- after a few moments, wrap the sphere again. It is now ready for scrying.
2) How to Scry with a Crystal Sphere
- this best done at night
- find a quiet spot and sit comfortably, place the crystal ball on a stand on a table or hold it in your hands
- candlelight is very good to use for scrying, although some say the light can be distracting. Experiment to see
what works best for you.
- once you, your crystal ball and candles are all placed, relax, breathe deeply for a few moments with your eyes
closed. Try and relax your body and open your mind.
- open your eyes and hold the crystal ball in your hands until it feels warm. As your hands warm the stone, your
body is releasing personal power into the stone. Visualise your question or topic you are questioning during
this process.
- continue to relax and gaze into the crystal. Don’t stare unblinkingly into its depths, simply gaze. Blink if you
need to. You must be calm, relaxed and comfortable during scrying.
- if you are successful, you will connect with your psychic mind (higher self) and communication between it and
your conscious awareness will occur.
- you probably won’t see pictures as such in the crystal ball. If anywhere, you will see them in your mind. These
images are often symbolic. Also, thoughts may pop up out of your psychic mind
- whatever you see or think or feel, try and relate them to your question or area of inquiry.

There are several other methods of stone scrying. Any naturally reflective stone, most crystals and those that seem to possess inner movement, can be used as ‘mirrors’ of the psychic mind. Some of these stones can include Cat’s Eye, Moonstone, Sunstone, Tiger’s Eye, Opal and many others.
- Take the stone out into the sunlight or moonlight or hold near a candle
- Still your conscious mind
- Move the stone slowly in your hands while visualising your area of inquiry. Do this for several minutes
- Simply wait and see what thoughts, ideas or images come into your mind

Fifty Stone Divination

This is an entirely different form of stone divination. The type of stone you use is not important. This type of divination is limited and shouldn’t be taken too seriously, but it may just provide the answers you need...
- Fill a bag/box with 50 stones of approximately the same size
- Think of your question and reach into the bag/box and count the number of stones you have randomly chosen
- Odd numbers indicate favourable conditions, a positive answer and success. Even numbers indicate the reverse

Rainbow Stone Divination 

This uses colours of stones to provide clues regarding the future...
- You will need 7 stones, one of each colour of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo/pink, violet/purple) all approximately the same shape and size
- Place them in a soft cloth bag and when you need guidance, select a stone at random from the bag
- More than one stone may be chosen and then they are all read together

List of Recommended Stones and their Suggested Divinatory Meaning
(remember to interpret the meanings in relation to your question or area of inquiry)

RED (Ruby, Red Jasper, Red Agate, Garnet)
Symbolises anger/destructive emotions, birth, change, sex, passion, energy confrontation

ORANGE (Carnelian, Amber, Citrine, Tiger’s Eye)
Symbolises illumination, personal power, energy, growth

YELLOW (Yellow Tourmaline, Topaz, Yellow Flourite)
Symbolises protection, communication, travel, movement, exchange

GREEN (Aventurine, Peridot, Jade)
Symbolises growth, money, grounding, abundance, health

BLUE (Celestite, Aquamarine, Sodalite, Blue Quartz, Turquoise, Sapphire)
Symbolises peace, sleep, healing, emotions, subconscious, purification

INDIGO/PINK (Pink Tourmaline, Rose Quartz, Pink Calcite, Kunzite)
Symbolises love, friendship, peace, joy, relationships, family

VIOLET/PURPLE (Sugalite, Amethyst, Lipidolite)
Symbolises spirituality, evolution, mysticism, expansion, spiritual growth, connection to the higher self

Stone Tarot

For this form of divination, instead of interpreting the situation using the symbolism of cards, the reader studies the stones. This type of stone tarot relates to the Major Arcana and consists of 22 stones. Polished or tumbled stones are best for this.....
- You will need all 22 stones in order to perform this form of stone divination
- Cleanse each stone individually
- Attune with one stone at a time, relating divination information to the stone itself (see the list below)
- You will need to get to know each stone before attempting a stone tarot reading, so the preparation for this method of stone divination can take a long time, before you get to doing an actual reading
- As you see each stone, recall its divinatory meaning
- Look at its proximity to other stones, its relative position (this is the information that unlocks your psychic awareness allowing you to find an answer, clear up a situation or determine possible future events
- When not in use, keep your stones in a yellow cloth bag or some other suitable container
- Expose the stones periodically to moonlight to re-energise them
- Wearing psychic influencing stones such as lapis lazuli, moonstone, azurite or others may also assist you in tapping into your psychic awareness
- Eventually, the way of the stones and their messages will come easily and you will be able to perform tarot readings with little difficulty. It can work!

Major Arcana, Associated Stones and their Meanings
(Remember that this is a personal choice and you can use any other stones as substitutes, provided they are not used to represent another card)

0 THE FOOL (Agate)
Scattered energies, extravagance, waste, “head in the clouds”, imbalance, pride, ego, vanity

1 THE MAGICIAN/SHAMAN (Quartz Crystal)
Magickal attainment, control, power, balance, centre, unification of spiritual and physical, self-knowledge, depth, confidence

2 THE HIGH PRIESTESS (Emerald, Pearl)
Spirituality, secrets, power, Earth religion, the unknown, female mysteries

3 THE EMPRESS/GODDESS (Peridot, Olivine, Turquoise)
Receptive energy, women, cycles, fertility, creativity, abundance, growth, love, female sexuality, money, mother

4 THE EMPEROR/GOD ( Ruby)
Projective energy, men, compassion, force, movement, aggression, male sexuality, father

5 THE HEIROPHANT/CHIEF (Topaz)
Authority, captivity, confinement, abandonment, advice, employer, honour, technology

6 THE LOVERS (Rose Quartz)
Love, sexuality, relationships, duality, polarity, symbiosis, balance, beauty, family

7 THE CHARIOT/ELEMENTS (Staurolite, Cross Stone, any twinned crystals)
Earth power, nature, self-control, triumph, success, movement, travel

8 STRENGTH (Diamond, Herkimar Diamond, Garnet)
Power, courage, will-power, activity, strength

9 THE HERMIT/WISE ELDER (Sapphire, Blue Tourmaline)
Wisdom, knowledge, mysticism, enlightenment

10 THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE/SPIRAL (Sardonyx, Black Opal)
Transformation, fortune, luck, exterior energies, unknown factors

11 JUSTICE (Carnelian)
Law, legal matters, dominance, submission, outside authority

12 THE HANGED MAN/INITIATION (Beryl, Aquamarine)
Introspection, trials, tests, sacrifices

13 DEATH/CHANGE (Amber)
Renewal, beginning, endings, health matters, trials

14 TEMPERANCE (Amethyst)
Moderation, scattering of energies, non-focused, closed, disciplined, balance

15 THE DEVIL/FOLLY (Black Diamond, Black Tourmaline, any square black stone)
Addiction, delusion, pity, depression, violence, pettiness, lack of vision, control by others, submission

16 THE TOWER/FORCE (Lodestone, Lava)
Adversity, accident, challenge, oppression

17 THE STAR (Meteorite, Moldavite, any star stone)
Universal energies, astrology, eclipse, travel, hope

18 THE MOON (Moonstone, Chalcedony)
Psychism, emotions, depression, night, Winter, sleep, dreams, tides, magnetism, water

19 THE SUN (Tiger’s Eye, Sunstone)
Mental activity, over-intellectualism, thought, visualisation, contentment, employment, day, Summer, the seasons

20 JUDGENEMT/REBIRTH (Fossil)
Reversal, outcome, evolution, growth, life, childbirth, lessons

21 THE UNIVERSE (Opal, Kunzite, Celestite)
Interplay, success, movement, harvest, overview, ability, completion, higher forces

Doing a Stone Tarot Reading
- The simplest way to consult this stone tarot is to visualise your question or area of inquiry
- While visualising, reach into the bag of stones and draw one out.
- As with reading tarot cards, if you are in tune, if you have familiarised yourself with the stones and hold their meaning in mind, all you may need to do is look at the stone and say ‘Yes, of course’.
- If, when doing this, you feel that the first stone hasn’t given you the complete picture, choose another and interpret them together

Layouts
- This is a more complicated way for consulting the stone tarot
- Several stones are chosen and placed on a flat surface in a particular pattern
- The stones are then “read” in conjunction with this pattern, in the proper order, with the positions of the other stones in the layout taken into account
- There are endless variations of patterns you can use

Two Examples of Stone Tarot Layouts
1) Three Stone Divination (ideal for discerning the true nature of a problem, or for a general look at your life)
- place one stone slightly to the left of you. This represents the recent past that is influencing your current
situation
- Place the second stone to the right of the first. This represents your current situation
- Place the third stone to the right of the second. This represents the future or outcome
- Read all three stones together
2) The Pentagram
- The stones are laid out to form a rough pentagram or pentagon figure. (you can draw a pentagram on some
paper and lay the stones on this)
- Place the first stone on the upper right point. This represents the emotions involved in the problems (your
own and those of others)
- Place the second stone on the lower right point. This represents conflict, binding and illusions that you may
not be aware of. It can also represent the obstacles that must be faced
- The third stone is placed in the lower left point. This represents the foundation of the problem, the
basis for its existence, the forces at work behind it.
- Place the fourth stone on the upper left point. This stone represents your thoughts on the subject at the
current time. These thoughts may help or hinder you.
- The fifth stone is placed at the top point. This represents the final outcome.
- Read the stones in the order in which you placed them on the pentagram. Lay all 5 before you start the
reading.
- Remember to read each stone in connection with the other nearby stones

*** If any of the above does not resonate with you, you are most welcome to change it to suit you 
By working with stones on a daily basis, you will discover how fascinating and powerful stones can be