Ever since childhood, I’ve always loved to collect “pretty rocks”. I somehow always knew that rocks were individuals, and each kind of rock had a different "feel". Little did I know that volumes of books have been written describing and using these magickal properties of gems, crystals, and other minerals.
All matter vibrates to frequencies that are specific to the object. Rocks are no exception. The vibrational frequencies of rocks can affect the vibrational frequencies of other nearby objects, including people. These effects are usually very subtle, but they can be felt and used. For this reason, stones and crystals are commonly used in the practice of magick.
There are two ways you can learn more about "pretty rocks": you can go out and find a good book (or ten) on the subject, or you can experiment directly. I recommend a combination of both. This is because different rocks have different effects on people. This is due to the individual's vibrational frequencies... our "energy signature" if you will. For example, some people find that the energies in amethyst are very soothing and calming, while other people find that the stone is an irritant. I find the gem books to be a helpful guideline, but you should never work with a stone until you "get to know it". Even individual stones within the same "family" will have different effects on different people. Experiment.
See some of my working stones in the "Stones" photo album.
~Flame RavenHawk