Witch Way Now

Citrine is a favorite among crystal lovers, myself included. When I started working with crystals, Citrine was one of the first I noticed because, well, it's everywhere. I've yet to visit a crystal shop that does not carry Citrine. It's a popular crystal that's caused a bit of a kerfuffle but we'll get into that later. Quartz is one of, if not the, most common crystal residing inside Mother Earth in various forms and Citrine is part of its family. Citrine is silicon dioxide (quartz) and gets its pale yellow, transparent color from small traces of iron. The name Citrine comes from the french word citron, meaning lemon. Citrine in its natural state is very hard to find and can be identified by its pale yellow color and well defined points. Dark orange and brown crystals sold as Citrine are not Citrine at all, but like I said, we'll deal with that later. Citrine is ruled by the Sun and/or Mercury, its element is air, and its astrological sign is Gemini. Although Citrine is closely associated with the solar plexus chakra (3rd chakra), it can be used to cleanse and re-energize all of the chakras.

Citrine is a crystal with many benefits including physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Energy, energy and more energy is carried within this stone. Because of its association with the Sun, Citrine is a powerful energizer and cleanser. In fact, because it is such a powerful cleanser, it rarely (if ever) needs to be cleansed. Citrine helps protect the environment that it's in and removes negative energy. This is especially beneficial in a room where healing exercises (reiki, yoga, meditation etc) occur regularly because Citrine will absorb, transform and ground negative energies. Citrine will also bring the aura and physical body back into balance. If you're feeling depleted after a stressful event use Citrine to raise your energy levels and restore balance.

Citrine also attracts abundance in regards to material things and wealth. If you own a business, keep a piece of Citrine in the cash register to increase money and attract sales. Add it to abundance spells, especially where finances are concerned, place in the home for the same purpose. Citrine should also be kept in the home to combat family discord and ease tensions among people in the household. This crystal promotes calm, inner peace, and awakens wisdom and common sense. Use it to reverse self destructive behaviors and become emotionally balanced. Citrine also promotes creativity, inspiration and opens up the mind. This crystal will help make your dreams and ideas a reality. To enhance your creativity and bring inspiration, meditate with a piece Citrine on your forehead.

Cool Stuff About Citrine

1) Some believe that lighter shades of Citrine (very pale yellow, almost clear) govern the physical body while darker shades (dark yellow) govern the spiritual.

2)Citrine has been used in jewelry dating back to at least the Roman empire. Usually set in rings and pendents, examples of this ancient use of Citrine survive today. This stone is popular in jewelry making.

3)Citrine will fade if placed in direct sunlight for to long (FYI: so will rose quartz and amethyst).
4)Has been called 'The Merchants' Stone' because of its ability to attract prosperity.

The Great Citrine Caper

So you may be wondering why I put the wrong pictures of Citrine above. This post is, after all, about Citrine and the pictures above don't look anything like the Citrine most of us are accustomed to seeing. The bearer of bad news will be knocking on the door in 3...2...1: the Citrine you've been using or wearing may be an imposter!!! OH, THE HUMANITY!! Gods deliver us from this heinous deception! ....I'll dial back the theatrics and explain.
Citrine, in its natural state, is pale to medium yellow in color. The shades are similar to ginger ale, champagne and white wine. Citrine in its natural state is also very hard to find and very expensive.

So if this (pictures above) is real Citrine what does 'false' or commercial Citrine look like and how is it made? What most people consider Citrine is actually....wait for it, wait for it.... AMETHYST! To make the Citrine that we see at virtually every crystal shop in creation, amethyst is exposed to extreme heat (temperatures reaching up to 840 degrees F). When the amethyst is nice and burnt, it turns orange and can even go as far as brown. The points/tops of the cluster are darkest and the color begins to fade as you move down into the cluster. Furthermore, the shape of heat treated Citrine is different from the real thing. Natural Citrine will have 6 sides and come to a point, similar to clear quartz. False Citrine is made using an amethyst geode or cluster that is heat treated and later broken into pieces. This gives the crystal a tapered look that is similar to a tooth. The most important thing to realize is that all the attributes I described earlier in this post apply to natural Citrine and not the heat treated amethyst most of us own. So what does this mean for you and the crystal formally known as Citrine??? First, don't toss out the pieces of false Citrine you currently own and turn your back on this crystal forever. It still comes from within the Earth. It still holds useful energies and can be of use to you. A friend gave me a large piece of false Citrine as a gift and I don't love it any less because of its origins. It still hangs out on my altar and I don't judge it because it's different. In this witch's opinion you can do three things:

1)If you currently own the crystal formally known as Citrine, remember, it started out as amethyst. Apply the properties of amethyst to it and work accordingly.

2)Treat it as a clean slate with no properties, attributes or ruling planets. Sit quietly with it, tune into it and decide for yourself what this crystal is meant for in regards to you and your needs. Decide how it feels to you and go from there.

3)It's still pretty and can be used in jewelry or as a kick ass paperweight.

Natural Citrine is another beautiful member of the quartz family. Its shades of yellow range from ginger ale to white wine. Mined mostly in Brazil, it is hard to find and crazy expensive. Use it to ease tensions in a tumultuous household and reverse self destructive behavior. Natural Citrine rarely (if ever) needs to be cleansed. It snags negative energies and transforms them all on its own. Place it in your place of business to draw prosperity and use it to raise energy levels and bring balance to your aura. The great Citrine debate has been raging for a while with no sign of ending. Some believe that these crystals are abused pieces of amethyst that should never be used magickally or for healing. Others believe a Citrine is a Citrine and should be used as such. What is most important, in my opinion, is that we are educated consumers when buying crystals. There are a lot of people out there selling burnt amethyst as real Citrine, mostly because they themselves don't know the difference. Do your research and know what your buying. Don't disconnect from the false Citrine you currently own and make sure your other crystals refrain from judging as well. I gave a few points about Citrine but, trust me, there is a ton of information out there about this stone (and burnt amethyst). Do some research on your own.

Side Note: I hate calling it false/fake Citrine or burnt amethyst. Maybe we should take a page out of Prince's book and give the crystal formally known as Citrine a symbol??

Bright Blessings,
~Amethyst~

Source: 1) Crystals by: Jennie Harding

2) The Encyclopedia of Crystals by: Judy Hall

Starhawk, author of The Spiral Dance, is releasing a new book on March 1st...

"Starhawk, who cofounded the Reclaiming tradition of modern paganism in 1980, has been writing for the pagan community since she published her first book, The Spiral Dance, in 1979. The modern pagan community is comprised of people who identify as witches, pagans, neopagans and more. With The Spiral Dance, Starhawk became a leading voice in the neopagan movement, which is marked by the burgeoning of earth-based, goddess spirituality in the 20th century.

The writer now has a new book, a follow up to her 1994 epic The Fifth Sacred Thing, coming out March 1.

The book, City of Refuge, is set in a utopian and pagan-influenced San Francisco in the year 2048 just after a devastating war with the totalitarian South. As the city struggles to regain stability, it quickly becomes apparent that its troubles are far from over."

Click Here to read the full article on Huffington Post