Representative of the God and the Sun, gold can be used to stimulate the Life Force and the longevity of things.
Brown
Can be used to assist things of a practical nature which need to be grounded in solid application of effort; can also eliminate indecisiveness.
Grey
Legal matters and other formal issues.
Numbers
Pythagoras, the famous 6th-century BC Greek philosopher and mathematician, believed that all things could be defined by numbers and their values; and Carl Jung, the (fairly esoteric) Swiss psychologist, considered numbers to be pre-existent to consciousness, that is, they were not invented by humans but are the original form of order in the Universe. Ancient peoples like the Egyptians, Babylonians, Sumerians, the Hindu Vedas and Celts all considered numbers to have mystical and sacred properties.
When working spells, incorporate number energy by, for example, carving a certain number of notches or pentagrams into a candle to represent an outcome or quality you desire. Tie a certain number of knots into a cord or ribbon to attract specific energies. Use a certain number of drops of oil or pinches of incense or herbs to focus magickal results. Following are the various magickal properties of numbers:
1
* Colour: white
* Planet: the Sun
* Beginnings; agreements; God energy; success, fame and money; and male fertility.
2
* Colour: blue
* Planet: the Moon
* Duality; symmetry; balance; protection; spells to do with health, vitality and women’s fertility; visions and intuition.
3
* Colour: green
* Planet: Jupiter
* Life’s journey, birth/life/death; the Triple Goddess, Maiden/Mother/Crone; goals; objectives; expansion in endeavours; education and financial prosperity (especially involving dealings with banks or financial advisors).
4
* Colour: brown
* Planet: Uranus
* Relates to the four elements (air/earth/fire/water), so it can work for spells to do with manifesting things on the physical plane. The influence of Uranus can work to shatter preconceptions of the self leading to new growth, so it also relates to spells to do with necessary changes and triumphs over adversity, and also removing the veils of misconception, and perhaps ego.
5
* Colour: red
* Planet: Mercury
* Considered a lucky number, it relates to the five points of the pentagram, as well as the four elements, plus the fifth, being spirit. It also represents a human’s place in the scheme of life’s evolution and so can be used for spells involving perception; psychic endeavours; communication; flexibility to change and virtuous quality of thoughts; as well as teaching and travel with a view to gaining and sharing knowledge.
6
* Colour: yellow
* Planet: Venus
* Devotion; completion of tasks (according to the Bible, the world was created in six days); love and passion; family and children concerns; the seeking of pleasure and contentment; and anything to do with supporting and enhancing the arts – music, literature, acting, etc.
7
* Colour: purple
* Planet: Neptune
* This is a very mystical number and is connected to the seeking of wisdom (as opposed to information and knowledge), visions and prophecy. It can assist spells to do with initiation into mysteries and also reconciling the past with present.
8
* Colour: orange
* Planet: Saturn
* Relates to justice and legal matters; fate; redemption; and personal transformation, power and career matters. Also for communicating with the dead, and it can assist in lifting the veils between the worlds (as at Samhain).
9
* Colour: silver
* Planet: Mars
* Nine is an amazing number as it can be multiplied by any number and the result, when added together, will always add to nine. It is the number of perfection, Universal law and the ultimate truth of life which is ‘energy cannot be destroyed – it only changes form’. Use this number when the going is particularly hard to guarantee a successful outcome. The Mars energy ensures valour and triumph over obstacles.
Double digit numbers
The number 13 is often associated with Hollywood Witchcraft and is considered bad luck. Magickally though, double digit numbers are generally added together to be reduced to a single digit (there are a few exceptions like 10, 11 and 22) so 13 actually becomes 4 which relates to positive change, but also conflict through change.
Crystals
Crystals sometimes get ridiculed for being overused New Age crutches, but ancient cultures have always held them sacred and used them in meditation and healing. Today, crystals are used in watches, computers and laser technology and this can be considered magickal.
Crystals are created by geological processes when superheated steam carrying minerals is released from the Earth’s magma under the crust. The minerals crystallize on the walls of the fissures in the Earth’s crust through which the steam passes. All crystals form in beautifully intricate and geometrically precise patterns. Quartz is a spiral of silicon and oxygen atoms held in place by shared electrons, so the electrical properties of a tiny piece of crystal in a watch make it accurate.
In magickal work, a wand is often topped with a crystal, which amplifies its conjuring and manifestation abilities; crystals can be placed on objects (including human bodies!) to clear blockages; they can be used in communicating with the dead (since they are considered to be capable of channelling spirits into the physical world), as well as divination. They always look beautiful, so they are featured in a lot of Witches’ ceremonial jewellery and on top of a lot of altars for their allure and energy-enhancing and attracting properties.
Crystals are very important as they are used in healing to pass energy (often channelled from the Universal source) through the healer to the person, animal or thing requiring treatment. Crystals can also work to clear and clarify human auras and release suppressed fears and other destructive emotions.
You don’t have to be a New Age hippie to benefit from crystals – just have an open mind. Every object, living or inanimate, has its own energy aura that extends about three feet around it, so keep an appropriate crystal on your desk, in your handbag, backpack, briefcase, purse, around your neck or wrist as jewellery, or in a charm bag tucked into your pocket, to receive its benefits. Below, I have listed a selection of often-used crystals in magickal work.
Note: when buying crystals try to get them in as natural a form as possible. If they’re all smooth and round usually they have been treated with chemicals and tumbled in a violent way (supposedly to enhance their colours and uniformity).
Quartz
Amethyst: The ultimate New Age crystal! Amethyst is fantastic to use when meditating (lie down and place a piece over the third eye) as it initiates wisdom, understanding and humility, helping you to let go of what is blocking you and allowing your true destiny to emerge. It’s great for work in eradicating addictions, moodiness, stress and sadness. Folklore has it that it can cure drunkenness!
Clear Quartz: This is the most common crystal and can be used in almost limitless ways. It contains the full spectrum of light and can enhance creativity and inspiration, increase confidence and often works particularly well when used by males. Use this to