I would like to go over the way shapes affect stones, how jewelry can be worn to enhance the stone, ways to use stones for divination.

First let's go over shapes. Some people detest shaped stones and others love them. Personally, I like naturally shaped stones, but shaped stones have their place. Since we are Pagans, let's begin with the circle. Think receptive universe, infinity when you see the circle. We all came through a circle to reach this physical plane. The vagina is often called the circle of life. Someone who wanted to get pregnant might think about a garnet necklace or ring...both circles. Or a garnet circle on a chain would also work.

Long, thin stones are the male side of the balance. This is the penis. The rod of life is often seen in stones. Wands with crystals at their tip are pulling double duty in some ways. This is the projective energy, the active force that is masculine.

Another shape is the egg. Again, fertility and new beginnings are here. A large egg stone in your garden will help growth. Also, new ideas can be found in egg stones. A citrine egg would be an excellent stone for a writer or a student. What about a rose quartz egg for learning to love yourself again? Malachite egg for those brand new business projects!

The square stone would be representative of the four directions,stability, grounding, finite space. Need to protect your home? A square piece of obsidian or jet over the front door would do fine. Also, the square can remind us of the earth, prosperity and abundance. Malachite (one of my favorite money stones) square over a dollar bill to call money to you... don't we all need more money?

The heart is easy...love. But, do you need to protect your heart? An obsidian or hematite heart for that..... Want to call love to you? What about a ruby heart, a garnet heart or a unakite heart for a balanced love.

Pyramids are physical representations to me of the Witches' Pyramid:

To Know, To Dare, To Will, To Keep Silent.

So, let's finish up with the shapes. Most of my information is taken from personal experience, Scott Cunningham and Uma Sibley. There will be a bibliography at the end of the class.

What about stones with holes in them? Cunningham devotes a section in his book on stones to holey stones. The Celts thought these stones very important. It was said that if you held a stone to one eye to look through, you could see the other plane. Holey stones are also called Odin stones after Odin turned himself into a worm and crawled into a holed stone to withdraw the "mead of poetry". Children are passed through large holed stones to help heal them and women crawl through them to increase fertility. But don't leave your child unattended at a holey stone! The Wee Folk might leave you a changeling.

Stones carved into serpent shapes represent transformation and Kundalini energy. Try a chrysacolla serpent to tap into the world's prosperity.

And then there are stones shaped like body parts. Each can be used to connect with that part and used in healings. I was just recently gifted with a Botswana Agate naturally shaped like a heart. I use this stone to remind me that shields are layers and my heart doesn't have to be shut off ...just shielded. Botswana is one of my favorite shielding stones, but the person who gifted me had no idea! grin

And remember....everyone has their own symbols. What about a stone carved into a totem animal? That would represent whatever the animal speaks to you about. So....think a moment about your own symbols and what stones could be associated with them.

So...this finishes shapes. Next we will move on to jewelry...remembering that shapes will overlap here quite a bit.

And now we venture into jewelry. Think necklaces, pendants, bracelets, earrings, rings, belts, headbands, and anklets. Chakras will be affected by the jewelry at that point.

Starting from the top and working down....headbands and crowns. These affect the third eye and the crown chakra. Want to open that third eye? How about a sugilite headband or amethyst?

Crowns could hold a crystal to connect you to the Transformational chakra or to point down, conducting the energies through the chakras.

Earrings next....and I learned something interesting in my research for this class. The earring is on or near the acupuncture point for the 3rd eye. So, if you are looking to open that third eye? Amethyst in the left ear to open yourself up. Need to close your third eye down a bit? Try an obsidian in the right ear. Clip-on earrings will work just as well.

Necklaces....going back to shapes...think fertility and Goddess energy. My 2nd degree gift was a crystal necklace as a sign of the circle that we pass through. Want to circle yourself with love? Rose Quartz chip necklace would be the thing and rubies or garnets for passion.

Next we move to the navel area...belts. Also belly bracelets and navel stones...grin. This is where you balance your energies. Opening and stimulating your navel chakra will help you to not hold so much emotional garbage. This is also the place to strengthen the nervous system. I would suggest carnelian for balancing this area.

Bracelets are particularly useful for healers. A suggestion Sibley makes is to have two cuffs made with a crystal pointing up on one and down on the other. The up cuff goes on your recieving hand and the down cuff on the sending one. Bracelets are the 3rd degree symbol in my Tradition and it is a major deal to recieve your cuff. :-) I can't wait!

Last but not least we have anklets....a direct grounder. Use this to direct your energy down from the chakras through to the ground.

You can also add things to the jewelry besides the particular stone. A feather of your bird totem? Wood from a favorite tree? This is where you do your own research and design jewelry that is uniquely yours.

So....you can wear stones, you can shape stones...can you tell the future with stones? Sure! What do you think Crystal Balls are? heehee There is a Stone Tarot that Cunningham presents in his book, but I am not putting that up here. The Tarot system uses just the 21 Major Aracana and there are two interesting layouts in Cunningham's book...Three Stones and the Pentagram.

So...you can scry, there is a stone tarot..what else? I read about a 50 stone divination method, which, IMNSHO, is inane. You put 50 stones in a sack, ask a question and draw a handful. Even amount? Yes. Odd amount? No. One I liked was the Rainbow divination. Seven stones, in the colors of the rainbow, in a sack. Have a question, draw a stone. You will need a knowledge of colors for this to work.

If the answer is confusing, he suggests drawing a second stone for clarification. For instance....I want love in my life, how do I find it. You pull a green stone. Green is money and it is heart as well. Don't follow? Pull again. You get yellow...emotional stuff. Perhaps you have too much emotional stuff to be ready for love? I don't know...this system is ultimately personal.

Another system is to draw seven concentric circles on a piece of felt or cloth. Again, using seven stones....chosen to represent money, love, family, home, health, unknown, job. (Or whatever categories you like)Toss the stones onto the felt. Oh...the seven circles represent the same seven areas.  Where the stones fall is what is affecting that area at that time.  I know this is completely sketchy, but this is a personal system. You design it for yourself...what is important to you?  What are the areas you are most concerned with?  What do you need to see the most?

There is really so much to divination that is purely personal. Take the system and play with it!