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The Magic of Rocks and Stones

Calcite

Written and compiled by - Patricia Jean Martin

For Ostara, I've chosen one of the most varied and abundant minerals that Mother Earth loves to create.  It is a mineral found on every one of Her continents and in almost every color; a veritable Pagan's basket of decorated Earth "eggs" ~ meet Calcite! 

Calcite, CaCO3, is a calcium carbonate with a hardness of only 3; it can be scratched with a fingernail.  Many varieties are transparent to translucent, and their luster's are vitreous, meaning glassy.  This mineral is found in crystal form, usually rhombohedrons, but can also be found in scalenohedrons (a.k.a. "Dogtooth Spar"), hexagonal prism, pinacoidal, fibrous, nodular, stellate, dendritic, granular, or in massive form.  In fact, there are well over 300 crystalline forms of Calcite that can produce thousands of variations and in a multitude of colors, indicating a most versatile stone.

Calcite is a Fire stone (although some varieties exhibit a propensity toward Water), and is highly noted for its purifying, cleansing, rejuvenating and revitalizing nature - all befitting this rebirthing time of year.  Calcites are superior for assisting us in breaking out of old molds and patterns, burning off what is no longer needed, and moving us courageously into new worlds.  But, for as much as it is a courage-producing and invigorating stone, Calcite works with an unmistakable gentleness.  Like the soft rains of Spring that nurture the soils which hold the plant seeds that will finally begin to emerge, Calcite brings its own gentle waves of renewal and hope.  It is a most refreshing stone. 

Calcite gets its name from the Greek word "chalix" meaning "lime", for Calcite is the main component of Limestone.  Through additional heat, pressure and time, Limestone then becomes Marble or Chalk through recrystallization.  But all are basically composed of the Calcite mineral.  Even seashells are composed of a layer of Calcite, as is the common egg.  Eggs - the long-revered symbol of Ostara and connected to many a creation tale - are more than 90% calcium carbonate, the bulk of the shell being made of small Calcite crystals.  Calcite is also a primary component of most cave formations and is found in stalactites and stalagmites, revealing this mineral's ability in connecting the Earth realm to the Spirit realm.  As the Spring Equinox begins opening the veil between worlds, and which will culminate at Beltane, Calcite can be a great help for peering into the faerie realm and for connecting with the fey, the elementals, our totem animals or spirit guides.  It is excellent for use in faerie magick.

There is a deep connection between this stone and that of the plant and animal kingdoms in Nature.  Like the plant life that now once again peeks out of the ground and lusts for the sun after the long cold winter, Calcite helps us view the world with new eyes.  It can aid in clairvoyance and intuition and often promotes lucid dreaming, but in its Fire capacity it forces us to take an active part in what we are newly seeing.  Calcite releases electrical impulses when placed under pressure, and is, in fact, an energy amplifier.  Along with its properties of fluorescence, phosphorescence, thermoluminescence, and even triboluminescence - all affording it the ability to take us to new dimensions, and quickly so - this stone also contains a prismatic energy, in which it takes whatever energy is directed inward, separates it and then returns it outward with double the intensity.

Clear Calcite

Like Spring flowers, Calcite comes in a beautiful array of colors and varieties.  The white or clear Calcites are known to bring insight and clarity to any situation.  A common form of the clear variety is called Iceland Spar which superbly demonstrates the property of double refraction common in many Calcites, and which was discovered in the stone in 1669 by Erasmus Bartholinus.  Double refraction occurs when light that enters the stone is split into two beams which bend at different angles and travel at slightly different speeds.  As they do this, they will duplicate whatever is seen through the stone.  For this, Calcite is often used in the manufacture of various types of lenses.  Witches will commonly use this variety of Calcite in their spellwork, often placing a written spell under the stone in order to give it strength, focus and double the power.  This ability to double refract can also be related to the Equinox, when night and day are equally split in two. 

There are so many different varieties and colors of Calcite, each with their own unique metaphysical properties and support, that I will only give a brief description here on several of the more common colors, and will end by concentrating mainly on the green crystal mass variety that is so akin to this Sabbat. 

Blue Calcite soothes emotions and brings ease of communication - a must for any writer or artist struggling to put down that first pen or brushstroke.  It enhances psychic ability and aids in dream recall. 

Orange Calcite brings confidence, creativity and innovation, along with stimulating sexuality.  It is known as a "mineral aphrodisiac".  Like a warm ray of sunshine, this color Calcite can help one overcome depression and shake off those winter blues.  The honey-colored variety is soothing, but brings persistence and determination, and can literally "teach an old dog new tricks". 

Pink Calcite (the opaque kind called "Mangano Calcite") connects the mind to the heart.  It aids in bringing compassion and an empathic connection to others, and can help with long distance healing and enhancing one's well-being.  It clears emotions and brings a peaceful, loving energy to its bearer. 

Red Calcite is, of course, connected to vitality - the iron rich life-giving "blood" of the Earth.  It promotes a willingness to experience life and helps one to welcome new experiences as they arrive.  It also increases the pathways in which life energy (chi, or qi) can flow, but does it calmly and never scatters energy.  It quiets any inner chatter.

              

Blue, Orange, Pink and Red Calcite

But for this harbinger of springtime, I am thoroughly attracted to Green Calcite, especially the Emerald Green variety.  This stone is like taking a plunge into a crystal clear pool of fresh spring water.  It gives the feeling of renewal of purpose, and urges the heart to embrace whatever the mind can imagine.  Stagnation does not stand a chance with this mineral.  It cools emotions and soothes irritability, while gently promoting change and encouraging abundance.  And where all Calcites are known to physically help assimilate calcium in the body, (something much needed after the "milking" times of Imbolc), and for helping with problems related to the kidneys, pancreas and spleen, it is the green variety that can also help rid the body of infection and/or foreign microorganisms.  Green is the color of health and healing.  It is the color of the creative forces of Nature.  It is the color of growth.

Green Calcite

As the light green grasses of the season return and the trees begin to bud, place a piece of Green Calcite near anything you wish to bring fertility, health and abundance to - anything, from your newly-planted garden... to your magick and spellwork... to your...

Sources:

Peterson Field Guides: Rocks and Minerals, Frederick H. Pough

The Book of Stones, Robert Simmons & Naisha Ahsian

Calcite, itself.

Article and Photos © Patricia J. Martin, February 22, 2009

Best wishes and Blessed Be

 

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Correspondence Tables:

 

IncenseCandlesColours Magickal Days Stones and Gems Elements and Elementals

 

Traditions:

 

Traditions Part 1  -  Alexandrian Wicca /  Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) /  Ár Ndraíocht Féin (ADF) /  Blue Star Wicca /  British Traditional (Druidic Witchcraft) /  Celtic Wicca /  Ceremonial Magic /  Chaos Magic /  Church and School of Wicca /  Circle Sanctuary /  Covenant of the Goddess (COG) /  Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) /  Cyber Wicca /  Dianic Wicca /  Eclectic Wicca /  Feri Wicca /

 

Traditions Part 2 Gardnerian Wicca /  Georgian Tradition /  Henge of Keltria /  Hereditary Witchcraft /  Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (H.O.G.D.) /  Kitchen Witch (Hedge Witch) /  Minoan Brotherhood and Minoan Sisterhood Tradition /  Nordic Paganism /  Pagan Federation /  Pectic-Wita /  Seax-Wica /  Shamanism /  Solitary /  Strega /  Sylvan Tradition /  Vodoun or Voodoo /  Witches League of Public Awareness (WLPA) /

 

Other things of interest:

 

Gods and Goddesses (Greek Mythology) /  Esbats & Full Moons Links to Personal Friends & Resources Wicca/Witchcraft Resources What's a spell? Circle Casting and Sacred Space  Pentagram - Pentacle Marks of a Witch The Witches Power The Witches Hat An esoteric guide to visiting London SatanismPow-wowThe Unitarian Universalist Association /  Numerology:  Part 1  Part 2  /  Part 3A history of the Malleus Maleficarum:  includes:  Pope Innocent VIII  /  The papal Bull  /   The Malleus Maleficarum  /  An extract from the Malleus Maleficarum  /  The letter of approbation  /  Johann Nider’s Formicarius  /  Jacob Sprenger  /  Heinrich Kramer  /  Stefano Infessura  /  Montague Summers  /  The Waldenses  /  The Albigenses  /  The Hussites /  The Native American Sun DanceShielding (Occult and Psychic Protection)  The History of ThanksgivingAuras  - Part 1 and Part 2 Doreen Valiente Witch” (A Book Review) /   

 

Sabbats and Festivals:

 

The Sabbats in History and Mythology /  Samhain (October 31st)  /  Yule (December 21st)  /  Imbolc (February 2nd)  /  Ostara (March 21st)  /  Beltane (April 30th)  /  Litha (June 21st)  /  Lammas/Lughnasadh (August 1st)  /  Mabon (September 21st)

 

Rituals contributed by Crone:

 

Samhain / Yule Imbolc Ostara /  Beltane Litha Lammas Mabon

 

Tools:

 

Tools of a Witch  /  The Besom (Broom) /  Poppets and DollsPendulums / Cauldron Magick Mirror Gazing

 

Animals:

 

Animals in Witchcraft (The Witches Familiar and Totem Animals) /  AntelopeBatsCrow Fox Frog and Toads Goat / HoneybeeKangarooLion OwlPhoenix Rabbits and HaresRaven Robin RedbreastSheep Spider SquirrelSwansUnicornWild Boar Wolf /  Serpent /  Pig /  Stag /  Horse /  Mouse /  Cat /  Rats /  Unicorn

 

Trees:

 

In Worship of Trees - Myths, Lore and the Celtic Tree Calendar.  For descriptions and correspondences of the thirteen sacred trees of Wicca/Witchcraft see the following:  Birch /  Rowan / Ash /  Alder /  Willow Hawthorn /  Oak /  Holly /  Hazel /  Vine /  Ivy /  Reed /  Elder

 

Sacred Sites:

 

Mystical Sacred Sites  -  Stonehenge /  Glastonbury Tor /  Malta - The Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni /  Avebury /  Cerne Abbas - The Chalk Giant /  Ireland - Newgrange /

 

Rocks and Stones:

 

Stones - History, Myths and Lore

 

Articles contributed by Patricia Jean Martin:

 

Apophyllite  / Amber Amethyst Aquamarine Aragonite Aventurine Black Tourmaline Bloodstone Calcite Carnelian Celestite Citrine Chrysanthemum StoneDiamond  /  Emerald / Fluorite Garnet /  Hematite Herkimer Diamond Labradorite Lapis Lazuli Malachite Moonstone Obsidian Opal Pyrite Quartz (Rock Crystal) Rose Quartz Ruby Selenite Seraphinite  /  Silver and GoldSmoky QuartzSodalite Sunstone ThundereggTree AgateZebra Marble

 

Wisdom and Inspiration:

 

Knowledge vs Wisdom by Ardriana Cahill I Talk to the TreesAwakening The Witch in YouA Tale of the Woods I have a Dream by Martin Luther King /

 

Articles and Stories about Witchcraft:

 

Murdered by Witchcraft The Fairy Witch of Clonmel A Battleship, U-boat, and a Witch The Troll-Tear (A story for Children) /  Goody Hawkins - The Wise Goodwife /  The Story of Jack-O-Lantern The Murder of the Hammersmith Ghost Josephine Gray (The Infamous Black Widow) /  The Two Brothers - Light and Dark

 

Old Masters of Academia:

 

Pliny the ElderHesiodPythagoras

 

 

Biographies

 

A "Who's Who" of Witches, Pagans and other associated People

(Ancient, Past and Present)

 

Remembered at Samhain

(Departed Pagan Pioneers, Founders, Elders and Others)

 

Pagan Pioneers:  Founders, Elders, Leaders and Others

 

Abramelin the Mage /  Agrippa Aidan A KellyAlbertus Magnus - “Albert the Great” Aleister Crowley - “The Great Beast” /  Alex Sanders - “King of the Witches” /  Alison Harlow /   Allan Bennett - the Ven. Ananda MetteyyaAllan Kardec (Spiritism) /  Alphonsus de SpinaAmber KAnn Moura /  Anna FranklinAnodea JudithAnton Szandor LaVey /  Arnold CrowtherArthur Edward Waite /  Austin Osman SpareBalthasar Bekker /  Biddy EarlyBarbara Vickers /  Bridget Cleary - The Fairy Witch of Clonmel /  Carl " Llewellyn" Weschcke Cecil Hugh WilliamsonCharles Godfrey Leland /   Charles WaltonChristopher PenczakChristina Oakley Harrington Cornelius Loos /  Damh the Bard - "Dave Smith" /  Dion Fortune /  Dolores Aschroft-NowickiDonald Michael Kraig Doreen ValienteDorothy MorrisonDr. John Dee & Edward Kelly /  Dr. Leo Louis Martello /  Edain McCoy /  Edward FitchEleanor Ray Bone - “Matriarch of British Witchcraft” Eliphas Levi /  Ernest Thompson Seton /  Ernest Westlake /  Fiona Horne /   Frederick McLaren Adams - Feraferia Friedrich von Spee /  Francis Barrett /  Gavin and Yvonne Frost and the School and Church of Wicca /  Gerald B. Gardner - The father of contemporary Witchcraft /  Gwydion Pendderwen Hans HolzerHelen Duncan /   Herman Slater - Horrible Herman /  Heinrich KramerIsaac Bonewits Israel RegardieIvo Domínguez Jr. /  Jack Whiteside Parsons - Rocket Science and Magick /  James "Cunning" Murrell - The Master of Witches /  Janet Farrar and Gavin BoneJean Bodin Jessie Wicker Bell - “Lady Sheba” / Johann Weyer  / Johannes Junius - "The Burgomaster of Bamberg" /   Johann Georg Fuchs von Dornheim  -  the “Hexenbrenner” (witch burner) /  John Belham-Payne John George Hohman - "Pow-wow" /  John Gerard /  John Gordon Hargrave and the Kibbo Kith Kindred /  John Michael Greer /  John Score /  Joseph “Bearwalker” Wilson /  Joseph John Campbell /  Karl von Eckartshausen Lady Gwen Thompson - and "The Rede of the Wiccae" /   Laurie Cabot  - "the Official Witch of Salem" /  Lewis SpenceLodovico Maria Sinistrari Ludwig LavaterMadeline Montalban and the Order of the Morning Star /  Margaret Alice MurrayMargot AdlerMichael Howard and the UK "Cauldron Magazine" /  Margaret St. Clair - the “Sign of the Labrys” /  Marie Laveau - " the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans" /  Marion WeinsteinMartin Antoine Del Rio Matthew Hopkins - “The Witch-Finder General” /   Max Ehrmann and the "Desiderata" /  Michael A. Aquino - and The Temple of Set /  Monique WilsonMontague Summers /  Nicholas CulpeperNicholas RemyM. R. SellarsMrs. Maud Grieve - "A Modern Herbal" /  Oberon Zell-Ravenheart and Morning GloryOld Dorothy Clutterbuck /  Old George PickingillOlivia Durdin-Robertson - co-founder of the Fellowship of Isis /  Paddy SladePamela Colman-SmithParacelsus /  Patricia CrowtherPatricia Monaghan /  Patricia “Trish” TelescoPaul Foster Case and the “Builders of the Adytum” mystery school /  Peter Binsfeld /  Philip HeseltonRaven GrimassiRaymond Buckland /  Reginald Scot /  Richard BaxterRobert CochraneRobert ‘von Ranke’ Graves and the "The White Goddess" /  Rosaleen Norton - “The Witch of Kings Cross” /  Rossell Hope Robbins /   Ross Nichols and the " Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids" (OBOD) /  Rudolf SteinerSabrina Underwood - "The Ink Witch" /  Scott CunninghamSelena Fox - founder of "Circle Sanctuary" /  Silver RavenwolfSir Francis Dashwood /  Sir James George Frazer and the " The Golden Bough"S.L. MacGregor Mathers and the “Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn” /  Starhawk /  Stewart Farrar /  Sybil LeekTed Andrews The Mather Family - (includes:  Richard Mather, Increase Mather and Cotton Mather ) /   Thomas AdyT. Thorn CoyleVera ChapmanVictor & Cora Anderson and the " Feri Tradition" /  Vivianne CrowleyWalter Brown GibsonWalter Ernest ButlerWilliam Butler YeatsZsuzsanna Budapest /  

 

 

Many of the above biographies are briefs and far from complete.  If you know about any of these individuals and can help with additional information, please contact me privately at my email address below.  Many thanks for reading  :-)

 

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