Let’s dive right in with the most common crystals and minerals you’re likely to encounter in occult and magic shops, and the world!

Feldspars

The single most common mineral on the planet Earth is feldspar. Feldspar forms from magma, and is found in sedimentary rocks; it makes up 41% of the mineral content of the continents. Feldspar is an entire group and class of minerals, and can be thought of as an umbrella category that encompasses many other minerals. Of special note, Labradorite is a feldspar.

The plagioclase feldspars tend to form lovely crystal structures that will be of use to the witch; as you acquire and add to your practice the plagioclase feldspars you should research them, because they’re very useful. Albite, oligoclase, andesine, labradorite, bytownite, and anorthite are all plagioclase feldspars. Other feldspars prized by crystal healers and rock collectors are adularia, amazonite, azulicite, moonstone, orthoclase, paracelsian, and sunstone.

In general, feldspars assist in detaching from old or traditional methods and finding new paths forward. Transformation and revitalization plays a huge role in feldspars. Feldspars help with self confidence and self love, self acceptance. The mineral has been found on the moon, which gives it an interstellar connection; feldspar can help with ‘otherworldly’ connections, and communication.

Labradorite and Spectrolite

Labradorite displays a lovely color shift across its surface, and is prized for jewelry and for use in obelisks and carved art pieces. Energetically, Labradorite aids in clearing the aura and aligning the subtle bodies with the physical. For those with trouble centering themselves energetically, labradorite can be useful. Amulets made from labradorite can help bring intuitive knowledge into realized thought and action, transforming messages from the astral to a form easier for us to understand.

Also known as Spectrolite, which displays a more intense display of labradorescence or the color shift in labradorite. Spectrolite may be used to differentiate labradorite from different locations, like Finland and Madagascar, but it is the same mineral as ‘regular’ labradorite.

Amazonite

Amazonite is another common feldspar. Usually turquoise in color, sometimes yellow, white, or grey portions, in masses, tabular crystals, or short prismatic crystals. Amazonite aids in the reduction of aggression and promotes peace. It soothes emotional processes, outbursts, and helps reduce worries, fears, and anxiety. Amazonite soothes energy centers, and supports the heart chakra, and enhances communication around love.

Chalcedony

One of the common stones, this variety of silicized stone can be transparent, translucent, or opaque. It encompasses many subtypes: agate, chert, onyx, sardonyx, chrysoprase, carnelian, and so on. Chalcedony balances the energies of the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. It encourages ‘brotherhood’, reminds us of our common ancestral past, enhances generosity, responsiveness, and receptivity.

Chert

It’s easy to make the mistake of thinking that chert is just a mud rock. Because on the surface, that’s what it is! A sedimentary rock composed of hardened and silicized organic mud-goo. The thing is, chert is ancient, and often contains fossils. The simple chunk of chert often predates multicellular organisms on our planet. Fossilized cyanobacteria and algae, as well as diatoms and, eventually, larger bacteria and even multicellular organisms make up most chert. Chert is a silica mineral, which brings it under the umbrella of Quartz energetically speaking.

Chert is another umbrella term, and encompasses greensand, limestone, chalk, and dolomite formations. Flint, jasper, novaculite, diatomite, and petrified wood are all cherts. Some chert formations are dated to 3,700 million years ago. That’s 3,700,000,000 years ago! Respect the chert.

Chert was what our ancestors first used to create arrow heads, knives, and spears. Flint knapping is the process of taking chert or flint and striking it with a softer stone or bone tool, to cause flakes to ‘knap’ off. Obsidian blades created in the same way are sometimes used in modern surgeries, as the blade produced can be as thin as one molecule thick; these blades create wounds that heal more cleanly than metal blades, because the cut is so thin and so precise.

Chert energetically

Chert provides stability and assistance in accessing memories. Used in meditation, it can connect you to your ancestors in pre-history. Chert has a long history; if there are fossils in your stone, the fossils can connect you to history.

Agate

Agate is a subtype of chalcedony. Agate is a highly pigmented stone, often (but not always) featuring bands of color and swirls, spots, or other vibrant patterns. Agate in general has associations with repelling sickness and increasing health, and stimulating mental processes and analytical precision. It can be used to strengthen connections with the other worlds, and entities there.

A non-comprehensive list of agates:

Angel Wing Agate – aids concentration and the crown chakra
Blue Lace Agate – aids spiritual connection
Botryoidal Black Agate – enhances communication
Botswana Agate – stimulate exploration of the unknown
Brasilian Agate – aids dowsing and divining
Carnelian
Damsonite
Dendritic Agate – enhances gentleness
Dry-Head Agate – deep meditative states
Ellensburg Blue Agate – enhances stature
Fire Agate – represents fire of absolute perfection
Flame Agate (aka Mexican Flame Agate, Graveyard Plume Agate, and Carey Plume Agate) – stimulates seeking the light
Holly Blue Agate – spirituality and psychic actualization
Iris Agate – awaken the inner self
Laguna Agate – increase flexibility in life
Lake Superior Agate – elevates personal worth
Mexican Lace Agate – reach high physical levels
Montana Agate – stimulate the crown chakra
Moss Agate – leads to agreeability and persuasiveness
Ocean Spray Agate – enhance mental and emotional flexibility
Orbicular Agate – aids in astrology
Plasma Agate – gives direction to the lost
Polka-Dot Agate – aids in releasing painful experiences
Plume Agate – aids re-birthing process
Priday Plume Agate – aids heart chakra
Purple Sage Agate – aids self love
Regency Rose Agate – brings a state of dignity
Rose-Eye Agate – balances masculine and feminine energies
Snakeskin Agate – strength and a pleasant personality
Stinking Water Plume Agate – aids throat chakra
Turritella Agate – dispels pomposity
Woodward Ranch Plume Agate – aids the base chakra

*Taken only from one crystal book, the Love is in the Earth book by Melody. There are more agates. Lots and lots more.

Quartz

If we limit our exploration of quartz in this section to only those quartz crystals that are crystalline, we’ve still got a lot of ground to cover. Quartz can occur in every color, and because humans were not content with the beauty that nature gave us, we’ve learned to enhance quartz, too! Silicon dioxide in crystalline formation makes up our sandy beaches, grows in massive crystalline formations deep within the earth, and is just the prettiest thing ever.

The word “quartz” comes from the Germanic “quarz”. Pliny the Elder identified quartz as frozen water, that had been frozen for so long it had forgotten how to melt. Quartz has been used in carved jewelry and art pieces, including cameos, which take advantages of bands of color in agates and chalcedony to create multi-layered two toned pieces of art. Carved rock crystal was used to create pitchers and other vessels, and clear quartz has been used in funerary practices the world over. When placed under mechanical stress, quartz produces an eclectic charge, which has been used to regulate clocks as well as other mechanical devices.

In Love is in the Earth, the section on quartz occupies 53 pages. This is because quartz is incredibly useful energetically, and has been prized by energetic and crystal healers. While we can grow perfectly clear and straight single quartz crystals in an autoclave, those energetic healers have yet to embrace synthetic quartz. Quartz remains a stone mined by pit mine, and in undeveloped nations, those mines often use child labor.

To quote Love is in the Earth:

Quartz has both piezoelectric (pronounced pie-ee-zo) and pyroelectric properties; the polarity of the quartz crystal will change when it is either subjected to pressure or heat, as well as when it is held in the hand – the tip, normally positive and receiving energy, will then change and become negative, thus, emitting energy which will radiate from the tip or from an edge. These properties support the amplification, focusing, storage, transfer, and transformation of energy.

Points are often used in energetic work; a ‘point’ is a single crystal of quartz, either with a carved or cut base so the point will stand upright as an obelisk, or a raw ‘broken’ base where the point was removed from a larger crystal cluster. A single crystal that has a point on both ends is called a double terminated point. Other crystal formations are used in healing, including twinned points, points that penetrate other crystals, and so on.

Types of Quartz formations used in Energetic Healing

Activation (Left and Right) Crystal – an inclined window on the left/right side of the primary face; activates left/right brain processes. both at once meld total brain function
Aperture Crystal – cup shaped with hollow space – used with water or elixirs, a seer stone, aids inventiveness and creative thinking
Barnacle Crystal – covered or partially covered with smaller crystals; insights into family and community issues
Bridge Crystal – small crystal that penetrates and is located partially in and partially out of a larger crystal; bridges inner and outer worlds, self and others
Buddha Crystal – optical illusion within the crystal of a seated figure; brings enlightenment and love towards realization
Carved (Natural) Crystal – carved triangular face; transfer of information between self and others
Channeling Crystal – seven sided face, center front of the terminated end of the crystal; precision within the intuitive realm, aids channeling
Cluster Crystals – crystals in a cluster; harmony and peace in groups
Convoluted Sheet Quartz – holes in a milky winding and twisted quartz; chakra cleansing
Cross Crystal – in the shape of a cross; world teacher facilitating macrocosmic awareness
Curved Crystal – grew curved; promotes flexibility
Double Terminated Crystal – no terminal point, two crystal points; aid astral projection, energy moves outward from both points
Elestial Crystal – etched and layered crystal; aids change and actualization
Etched Crystal – abrasions on the surface of the crystal; facilitate contact and transfer of information from astral realms
Faden Crystal – inclusion of one or more white thread like fibrous minerals; connection stone
Generator Crystal – six crystal faces at the terminated apex; energy magnification and stimulation
Growth Interference Crystal – formed alongside calcite, which interfered in the crystal growth; access to the astral, ethereal, and higher plains
Horn of Plenty Crystal – flower type structure growing around the crystal; angelic communication
Jacare Crystal – type of Elestial; assertiveness without aggression
Japan Law Twin Crystal – penetration twin crystal; cleanses and aligns subtle body
Key Crystal – three sided or six sided indented shape; unlock doors to healing concepts
Laser Wand Crystal – long slender crystal; aids communication
Lens Crystal – see Sheet Quartz
Manifestation Crystal – small crystal enclosed in larger crystal; aids manifestation
Nodule Crystal – nodule with quartz druzy overlay; eliminate illusion
Pinnacle Crystal – pinnacle termination; aids ascension and re-birthing
Pocket Crystal – formation of pockets in larger stone; assist in memory stimulation
Rainbow Crystal – fractures within crystal; bring rainbows and blessings to your life
Record Keeper Crystal – raised triangle on one or more faces; stores wisdom
Sceptre Crystal – penetrated at base by a rod; brings higher spiritual energies to healing rituals
Reversed Sceptre Crystal – state of mind free from illusions
Seer Stone Crystal – river tumbled quartz, polished on one end to see into the structure; used for stone and crystal gazing
Self-Healed Crystal – small crystalline structures at terminal end; can teach to self heal
Seven and Eight Faced Crystal – conservation of resources and energy
Sheet Quartz – flat, relatively clear quartz layers; window to other dimensions
Shovel Crystal — shovel formation; encountering different aspects of the self
Singing Crystal – smaller laser wand; brings joy and urges you to move to your own drum
Spade Crystal – spade from a deck of cards; insight into situations
Spiral Crystal – twisted configuration; activates Kundalini
Tabby Crystal – flat with notches; activates crystals
Trans-Channeling Crystal – three, seven sided faces; continuous connective force between holder and all that is
Transmitter Crystal – two symmetrical seven sided faces; personal development, creativity, and manifestation
Transformation Crystal – a crystal that has changed shape, size, or quality; progressive change
Twin Crystal – two or more crystals grown together; builds relationships
Window Crystal – large diamond shaped window; transmission of information

And then there are the “Specialty Quartz” varieties, which include *enhanced* stones that have been treated by heat, radiation, or have had an applied layer of metal to create the Aura crystals.

Aqua Aura Quartz – gold coating that cannot be removed; throat chakra, stimulates opening to channel
Citrine/Quartz – citrine and clear quartz, combines virtues of each; sacred personal nature
Citrine/Smokey Quartz – no need to cleanse, the stone does not accept negative energy. Enhances psychic abilities
Blue Quartz – blue rutile, zoisite, or tourmaline inclusions; speak your mind stone
Dendritic Quartz – facilitates a closeness with nature
Golden Healer Quartz – coated in iron-hydrate; facilitates contact with higher spiritual realms and healing
Green Quartz – aka Prasiolite, occurs naturally in Brazil, Poland and Canada, other samples are heat treated; heart chakra and intuition
Harlequin Quartz – red dots or strings of hematite or lepidocrocite; stimulates energy flow
Included Quartz – clear quartz with obvious mineral inclusions in the crystal; the included mineral flavors the energy of the stone
Asbestos-Included Quartz – few threads, rather than many as in Tiger-Eye; connects sacral, heart, and crown
Cuprite-Included Quartz – recognize inner bonds
Carbon-Included Quartz – purification
Lavender Quartz – a type of Rose Quartz; third eye
Opal Aura Quartz – enhanced with platinum; cleanses aura and chakras
Phantom Quartz – a ‘phantom’ within the crystal, inclusions along crystal growth lines creates the illusion of a stone within a stone; universal awareness
*different color phantoms carry different meanings
Raspberry Quartz – inclusion of lepidocrocite, hematite or goethite, and amethyst; attunes to the higher realms
Red Quartz – positive action
Rutilated Quartz – included with Rutile and Sagenite; getting to the root of a problem
Strawberry Quartz – stimulates the heart chakra
Tibetan Quartz – promote contact with the ancient cultures of the East; facilitates fasting and meditation
Tourmalinated Quartz – included with tourmaline; aids an innate strength to palliate antipathetic relationships. (Allows a relationship built on mutual dislike to come to an end.)

Far more familiar are the well known Quartz varieties.

Amethyst

Deep purple to lavender in color, with white or clear quartz alongside, the largest amethyst formations occur in Brazil, in the form of massive geodes. If you’ve seen huge amethyst clusters in the shape of oblong cavities, you’ve seen Brazilian amethyst. It is a stone associated with spirituality and fulfillment, facilitates transmutation of lower energies, and balances the energies of intellectual, emotional, and physical bodies.

Citrine

Yellow, golden brown, to burnt umber in color, most commercially available citrine is heat treated amethyst. It does not hold and accumulate negative energies, rather it transmutes them and dissipates it. Called the ‘merchants stone,’ placed in the cash box it allows wealth to accumulate.

Rose Quartz

Rose, pink, and lavender-ish, prized for its calming, cooling energy and ability to instill lovingkindness. Useful at the heart and crown chakras to balance head and heart. Usually found in masses, cut and carved into shapes; the individual crystals are very small and tend not to be large enough to have a single point.

Smokey Quartz

Light grey, dark grey, black; solar plexus and the chakras of the hands and feet. Can be used to gently dissolve negative energies and blockages, and allows positive energies to enter the body. Relieves barriers that inhibit the mind from moving between the beta and alpha states; helps with relaxation, meditation, and trance work.

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feldspar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labradorite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrolite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazonite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcedony
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chert
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novaculite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banded_iron_formation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz

Melody Love Is in the Earth – A Kaleidoscope of Crystals Update: The Reference Book Describing the Metaphysical Properties of the Mineral Kingdom Earth-Love Publishing House, 1995