Something is sacred because you say it’s sacred.

An altar is a living, breathing energy center. It’s a space where you focus energy, create energy, clear energy. You work in relationship with this living, breathing space to craft the magic you need in your life.

Beyond the traditional form of an altar — a space existing outside ourselves that we visit and tend to — my work as a Smith and a Witch recognizes that our bodies are altars unto themselves. Furthermore, the jewelry we choose to wear on our bodies are also altars unto themselves.

So yes, I make jewelry. But what I truly do is forge wearable altars of metal and stone.

To adorn yourself with your intentions is to become your own living, breathing energy center. You can focus this energy, create energy, clear energy. You can work in relationship with your jewelry to craft the magic you need in your life. It’s no longer a ring, it becomes a reminder.

I’m so happy you’re here. I hope you enjoy this guide and I hope it helps you work your beautiful magic.

Stay wild,
Gail Jessen
Smith + Witch

Why Clear the Energy of Your Jewelry

There are several reasons you may want to clear the current energy that your jewelry is holding. Below are a few examples.

• When you want to shift the intention of the piece and charge it with a new reminder to yourself, clear it first.

• When you want to thank the piece for working hard for you and guiding you through a period of intense energy, clear it and let it breathe a bit before recharging.

• When the energy no longer holds a spark and feels dull.

• When it’s been so long you can’t remember what energy the piece was holding for you. It’s okay, wild one. We’re busy, modern women.

How To Clear Your Wearable Altar

• Clear the energy with Selenite

  • Whether it’s a Selenite wand, polished sphere, or flat charging plate, this crystal whisks away whatever energy you need to clear. It is one of only a few crystals that is self-clearing. Not only will it clear energy from your jewelry, it will keep itself clean and clear.

• Clear the energy with White Sage

  • Before lighting the sage, thank it for working with you. Once it’s on fire, blow gently to reduce the fire to smoke only. Circling the sage counter-clockwise around your jewelry unwinds and releases the energy.

  • Sage is a sacred ritual tool among many indigenous Native American tribes. Please source your sage ethically and sustainably. I recommend using loose sage in a fire-safe vessel because a little goes a long way. You can read more about ceremonial smudging on this website: The Native American Blog Pow Wow Power.

• Clear under the bright night sky of a full moon

  • The full moon is a time for celebration and release. The morning after a full moon, it begins to wane and the bright light lessens more and more each night. This moment in the moon’s 28-day cycle supports the clearing of energy from your jewelry.

Why (re)Charge the Energy of Your Jewelry

Wild one, the magic of this answer is up to you. There are as many reasons to charge jewelry as there are people in this world. Essentially you are charging your jewelry with an intention, giving the metal and/or the stone a purpose.

Remember that your jewelry is a wearable altar. It is a living, breathing energy center.

You can charge your wearable altar with protection, guidance, heightened intuition, healing, physical energy, will power, creative drive, spiritual connection to the divine, grounding, peace, etc. etc.

Pro Tip: If your jewelry includes a stone setting, this is a great place to start in forming your intention for the energy. Research the metaphysical properties of the stone. For example, Black Tourmaline is all about boundaries and protection, whereas Lapis Lazuli is all about speaking your authentic truth and healing a blocked throat chakra.

How To (re)Charge Your Wearable Altar

• Charge with Clear Quartz

  • Quartz is so programmable that it’s a building block of computers, cell phones, televisions, clocks, and more. This incredible stone is piezoelectric, meaning it generates and holds an electric charge. When it comes to charging your jewelry, few things are more powerful than first charging a quartz with your intention and then leaving that quartz in contact with your jewelry overnight.

• Charge with Palo Santo

  • Palo Santo infuses a space, an object, your energy field with the intentions you set. Before lighting the holy wood, thank it for working with you. Once it’s on fire, blow gently to reduce the fire to smoke only. Circling the Palo Santo clockwise around your jewelry builds energy up up up and charges it.

  • Palo Santo is a sacred ritual tool among many indigenous South American tribes. It is used particularly by Shamans in a ritual setting. It grows in Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Please source your Palo Santo ethically and sustainably and ensure it is coming from trees that have died of natural causes.

• Charge under the black night sky of a dark (new) moon

  • The dark moon is a time for stillness and reflection. The morning after a dark moon, it begins to wax and the bright light increases more and more each night. This moment in the moon’s 28-day cycle supports charging your wearable altars with energy.

• Charge with a particular tarot or oracle card

  • Set your jewelry out overnight on top of a divination card that expresses the energy you want the piece to hold for you. For example, setting a Labradorite or a Moonstone ring on the High Priestess tarot card will supercharge your intuitive powers. Setting a Tiger’s Eye pendant on the Strength tarot card will ground you in confidence and courage.

• Charge with your own energy field 

  • Simply hold the jewelry to your heart center and breathe deeply. Ask it to work for you in the ways you need it to. Ask it to support you in the ways you need it to. Don’t forget how powerful you are wild one, just as you are.

in·can·ta·tion

The term “spelling” is derived from the ancient knowledge that letters form words which form spells with are then incanted, spoken, sung, sent out into the world in order to create or shift energy.

Recall where we began this guide — with the declaration that something is sacred because you say it is.

You are conjuring your own reality in every given moment. Your words hold power beyond what can be understood with our human mind.

As you incant your intentions and work your magic into your wearable altars, here are a few suggested phrases to keep the energy portals clear and safe. Pick and choose what feels right and finish the phrases in the way you need to finish them. Your intuition will guide you.

• I invite into this space the energies of…

• I lovingly disinvite from this space the energies of…

• It is my intention that…

• I AM…

• I call all of my power back to me now. I charge this wearable altar with the power of…

• For this outcome or something better, I am grateful.

• And so it is.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to working magic with your wearable altars.

You’re invited to explore the available pieces in my shop and see what inspires you. I have pieces ready to ship and a few made-to-order pieces as well.

I also want to invite you to consider commissioning me as your personal jeweler by ordering a custom altar.