Samhain is an extremely magickal time of year especially for Witches and Pagans. The ancient Celts and many Witches today view Samhain as the Witch’s New Year. This is a time when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest, which also happens at Beltane. This is a time when many of us perform a number of different rituals; some for divination, some to contact our dearly departed, some to honor deities such as Hekate or the Morrigan, while others may be seeking guidance on how to proceed into the next year.
Samhain is a time of magick, mystery, enchantments & embracing the shadow side. It is the final harvest; a time when the dead things & crops that didn’t make it are harvested to clear the way for next year’s work. It’s a great time for letting go of what no longer serves you so that you can head into the next year fresh & renewed. For those of us who consider this the new year, it is a great time to focus on new beginnings. Winter is just around the corner & will be a time of resting, planning & preparation for Spring when we will start planting the seeds of what we will achieve for the year.
There are many magickal tools to work with for this amazing time of year. My next blog will be about herbs, but today we will talk about some of the best crystals to use for Samhain and why. There is no wrong way to practice, and the choices are endless. Because of that, it can be difficult to know where to start. I’ve provided a list of my favorites and their uses to make your journey into Samhain a little smoother.
Black Obsidian
Black Obsidian is a great crystal to work with during Samhain as it isn’t actually a crystal; it is volcanic glass having no crystalline structure, so it has no boundaries or limitations. This allows it to work very fast & with great power. Obsidian goes back into past lives to heal festering trauma that has been carried with us to the present.
Not only does Obsidian heal, but it is a very protective stone & repels curses. Samhain is a time to connect with our ancestors making it a great time to work with this powerful stone, as it can take you deep into the subconscious mind & magnify negative energies so that they can be fully experienced & released. These kinds of healing effects work on the ancestral & family line too.
Obsidian sheets or slabs work great for scrying mirrors & an Obsidian Sphere is amazing for scrying & divination, making this a must-have during your Samhain rituals.
Carnelian
Carnelian is a beautiful orange – red stone with immense powers of vitality, creativity & protection. It assists the soul on its journey & has great protective powers in the afterlife (thus making a great offering or gift to your ancestors). Carnelian helps in the acceptance of the cycle of life; as such it facilitates the removal of the fear of death. This assists in making positive life choices. Carnelian helps anchor us into the present reality & is excellent in restoring vitality, courage & creativity. Carnelian is a powerhouse when working with your ancestors, ancestral curses & dealing with fears around death.
Jet
Jet is often referred to as ‘the Witch’s Stone’ as it is said to alert the wearer to the presence of other Witches. Jet is a magickal talisman against “entities of darkness” & is said to become part of the body of the wearer; as such it is also believed to retain a bit of the wearer’s soul. This makes it very important not to just discard or give away a piece of Jet that you have been using. Instead, you should cleanse it well with smoke and bury it in the ground to give it back to the earth.
Many who are attracted to Jet are “old souls” with long experiences of incarnation on earth. Jet is a perfect choice for Samhain as it transmutes negative energy, alleviates unreasonable fears, guards against violence & illness, & gives protection during spiritual journeying.
Jet has highly protective energies making it a must-have in every witch’s arsenal of tools.
Moonstone
Use Moonstone when seeking to embody the Goddess. It is more potent during the waxing moon & less so during the waning moon phase.
Moonstone activates intuition & encourages lucid dreaming. It is used to enhance metaphysical abilities & assists in developing clairvoyance, which is especially helpful when working magickal rituals during Samhain.
Because Samhain is the Witch’s New Year, it is a great time to work with Moonstone, as it is a stone of new beginnings.
Rainbow Moonstone carries the vibration of light & spiritual healing and helps to see the unseen, read symbols & synchronicities intuitively & open yourself to spiritual gifts.
Black Onyx
Black Onyx is a great stone for Samhain as it is a protective stone for dark nights & lonely places. Onyx holds memories of what happens to the wearer & can be used for psychometry. It is effective in past life work for healing old injuries & physical trauma that may be affecting the present life. Black Onyx deflects negative thoughtforms & carries an amazing grounding energy.
Bonus Crystal!
Clear Quartz
There is no way I can suggest all these amazing crystals for Samhain without reminding you of the amazing powers of Clear Quartz.
Clear Quartz is a powerful amplifier & can be charged to take the place of any crystal. Use it to amplify the powers of the other crystals & your magickal workings on Samhain. Quartz is also a worker of magick & a potent shamanic tool. It works on multidimensional levels of being.
Quartz has the ability to dissolve karmic seeds & enhance metaphysical abilities while helping to attune to your spiritual purpose.
This list of crystals is just a jumping off point for tools to help with your magickal workings this Samhain. Don’t forget about the power of working with crystal skulls as the skull represents life & death and reminds us of the earthly cycle. Many cultures honor the skull of a loved one as it reflects who we were as a person in this lifetime & is where our knowledge & wisdom is held.
Samhain is a potent time of the year for magickal energy. As you harness this powerful energy be sure to cleanse and charge your stones for your intended purpose.
Have a magickal & blessed Samhain,
~Storm