Sacred Stones of the Goddess: Using Earth Energies for Magical Living [Paperback]

Galen Gillotte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 2003

Intensify your magic and ritual with the power of stones. Stones are useful allies. They hold the energy of Earth tempered by their own unique constitutions. And you can access this energy for a variety of purposes. Sacred Stones of the Goddess is a guide to talismanic magic, wherein the stone becomes a focus and an aid to the contemplation of a goal.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Galen Gillotte has been a Solitary Wiccan for more than twenty years. She believes that it is important to honor her Hermit self, and seek silence, solitude, simplicity, and prayer as a way to follow the Goddess and the God, and to maintain balance in her hectic life.

She enjoys writing, reading fantasy and horror novels, creating original needlepoint art, playing the bowed psaltery, and collecting thimbles. Pre-Raphaelite art, Celtic music and the smell of fresh herbs feed her soul. Galen lives in southern California with her dog, Sophie.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Part One The Preparation Meditation M editation is that state where the mind is silent, relaxed, and at peace, and the body is at rest. Meditation, unlike relaxation, is an active process, though ideally one should be relaxed prior to engaging in meditation. Results may include a greater awareness, sharper concentration, a sense of peace and inner stillness, a less judgmental or egocentric attitude, and a greater appreciation of the moment. Ones consciousness may expand beyond the confines of ones mind to connect with Deity and to perceive the interconnection of all things.

There is no magic to meditation, but there are many techniques available to try. It is not necessarily connected with any religious practice, though it may be found in many religious traditions. Not everyone has the same temperament or needs, thus various techniques have developed to better accommodate the individual. Over the years I have tried several, including: Transcendental Meditation, which makes use of a mantra, or sacred sound, to focus the mind; Centering Prayer, which utilizes a word or phrase to do the same in a Christian context; guided imagery or creative visualization, which engages the imagination and the senses; yoga, which uses breathing and posture; and tai chi, which is a moving meditation that engages both the body and the mind.

Other activities that have engendered the meditative response for me include sketching, playing music, chanting, gardening, walking, and doing needlepoint. The focused concentration these activities may require is often enough to release the mind from frenzied, unfocused thought and move it to a still and quiet place. People engage in meditation for a variety of reasons. Some do so in an attempt to help them deal with stressful jobs or lives. Others may have health problems and use various forms of meditation to help with healing or to cope with physical symptoms such as pain or fatigue. Others do so in order to connect with spirit. Some wish to simply live a more vibrant life, becoming more aware and mindful of all they do so that they may better appreciate the moment.

As a clinical social worker it has been my privilege to teach relaxation and meditation techniques to patients and their family members in order to help them cope with physical illness and the various emotional stresses associated with it. Likewise, as a founding member of Sacred Circle, a group of eclectic Solitaries, I have used guided visualization during ritual. Meditation is invaluable for both practical and more esoteric purposes. In the meditations that are offered in this book I utilize guided visualization. In guided visualization a script is provided that, ideally, engages the mind and the senses for a particular purpose. We engage the imagination and the will in order to achieve a particular result. The meditation encompasses the purpose, affirmation, and spell, and then it is up to you to follow through with some of the practical steps in order to manifest your desired goal. It is a good idea to record the visualization, perhaps with some pleasing background music, so you can really pay attention to and participate in the meditation to the fullest.

Before engaging in the meditation, however, I would like to share some techniques for relaxation, as well as some practical instructions.

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES It is important to be relaxed prior to engaging in meditation or spell work. The following techniques are simple, not too time consuming, and will dispose both mind and body for the work at hand.

A few simple rules should be followed prior to doing any relaxation or meditation: Practice these techniques in a quiet place where you will not bedisturbedperhaps before your altar, if you have one. Wear comfortable clothing; avoid anything that is binding or too tight. Turn off the television, radio, telephone, and any other possible distractions. Before beginning, you might want to take a relaxing bath to let all the stress and tension of the day release into the water and flow down the drain. Use pleasing herbs or some sea salt in the bath to aid with this release.Once your environment is set up to your satisfaction you may begin at the beginning, with breath.

DEEP BREATHING Following the breath is in itself one form of meditation, but it is also an excellent technique to use to engender both physical and mental relaxation. Correct breathing is also the foundation upon which all other relaxation, meditation, and prayer techniques or practices are built, so it will be fruitful to practice regularly.

Go to your special place where you will not be interrupted. Turn off the television, radio, and other distractions. Sit or lie comfortably. Do not cross your legs or arms. Loosen any tight or binding clothing. Close your eyes. Place the palm of your hand gently on your stomach. Now, very slowly and deliberately, breathe in, allowing the air to inflate your stomach. You can tell you are breathing correctly if you can feel your palm being pushed out. This will ensure you are breathing deeply. Hold your breath for a count of three (longer if it is comfortable for you). Breathe out slowly, allowing your stomach to deflate (your palm will sink down with your stomach). Hold the out-breath for a count of three (longer if it is comfortable for you). Breathe in and repeat the process. Do at least five inhale/exhale cycles several times a day to simply remind yourself to relax, or when you become aware you are stressed, or prior to any other relaxation or meditationpractices.

Some Things to Note Your exhale should take longer than your inhale. The key to the exercise is to breathe in and out slowly, and to breathe from your diaphragm (stomach). You may breathe in and out through your nose, or in through your nose and out through slightly parted lips, whichever is more comfortable for you. If you want, think of the word relax as you breathe in; as you breathe out, think...(Continues)

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (October 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738704008
• ISBN-13: 978-0738704005
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #250,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #41 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Goddesses

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected but good nonetheless, October 5, 2003

By 

Kelly (NEWARK, DE, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sacred Stones of the Goddess: Using Earth Energies for Magical Living (Paperback)

When I first saw the title and the back cover description, I thought this would be a pretty in-depth exploration of stone energies and how they can be used in goddess magic (something along the lines of Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic). I don't believe that a book should be entirely judged by my own preconceptions, but even on it's own merits, the book is a little shallow.

This book is really a series of spells/meditations tapping into specific Goddess archetypes for specific life events or obstacles. Each spell uses a certain kind of stone that the author feels resonates with that particular goddess. So far, so good.

However, while I found the Goddess explanations to be fairly well fleshed out, the explanations for why she chose that stone and the meditations connected to the spells are often short, leaving me wanting more information and imagery. Toward the end, some of the meditations have even become repetetive - the Goddess smiles at you and gives you a specimen of the stone that is recommended for the spell. Also, all of the spells have exactly the same structure. For different life events, I personally think it would be nice to have different kinds of rituals.

I do have to say that the elemental meditations sometimes had much richer imagery than some of the Goddess ones, and I do like the idea of approaching the elementals in a personified form. I also really liked the idea for Goddess and God prayer beads. Prayer is a lesser explored aspect of pagan/Wiccan tradition, and I like that she offers information (and beautifully written prayers) to those interested in that particular form of worship.

In conclusion: this book does have some beautifully written ritual passages, spells and prayers, but the meditations come up a bit short. It's also a bit short on actual stone information (making the title somewhat misleading). I think Kala Trobe does a much better job with Goddess meditations in her book "Invoke the Goddess" which Gillotte has actually listed as a reference.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It was a good spell book with added gems., October 20, 2003

By 

Kitty "evilangel24" (Orlando, Fl United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Stones of the Goddess: Using Earth Energies for Magical Living (Paperback)

No pun intended, the gems are not the gemstones but the relaxation exersize at the begining of the book, embracing the goddess and god meditations, working with the elements section, and using meditation beads section. These are the true gems of this book. The spells were alright. They informed you of the goddess and stone that were to be used. The guides meditations are nice, and poetic. There is a section at the end of each spell that gives you advise on how to further bring the purpose of that spell into your life. My favorite parts were the priestess speaks, they were very uplifting. I will be using the last few sections of this book often and also the relaxation technique that she offered earilier in the book. I am also going to look at her prayer books, her poetry is very beautiful.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite transcendent in its message, November 15, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Stones of the Goddess: Using Earth Energies for Magical Living (Paperback)

Knowledgeably written by Galen Gillotte (a "Solitary Wiccan" who draws upon her twenty years of experience and expertise), Sacred Stones Of The Goddess: Using Earth Energies For Magical Living offers prose and invocations, guides for incorporating crystals and semiprecious stones into talismanic magic, meditations and prayers to the Goddess. Expressly written for Wiccan and New Age Magick practitioners of all skill and experience levels, Sacred Stones Of The Goddess is deeply spiritual, and quite transcendent in its message. Of special interest are the easy to follow instructions for assembling and utilizing personalized thirteen-stone divination set and instructions for crating and Wiccan prayer beads for communion with the Goddess. Sacred Stones Of The Goddess is an informed and informative contribution to New Age Metaphysical Studies collections in general, and Wiccan oriented "Goddess Worship" reference shelves in particular.