Aquamarine: meaning, sea magic and care

How to read the labels Historical what the old sources say. Later tradition what later writers added. Modern modern practice and my own notes.

Aquamarine looks like a clear wave held still: pale blue, sometimes touched with green, cool and bright. It is the gem of sailors and sea witches, and in modern practice it brings calm to stormy feelings and the courage to sail through them.

At a glance

How witches use aquamarine today

Modern Aquamarine is the first stone many sea witches buy.

Sea magic. Cunningham describes sea witches cleansing aquamarine in ocean water at night under the full moon. Far from the coast, he suggests a blue bowl of water with sea salt. Both are lovely and safe for this hard stone.

Calm in a storm. Hold aquamarine when feelings rise like waves. Breathe in time with imagined waves, in for four, out for six.

Courage. Cunningham lists courage alongside peace. It is a gentle courage, the kind that lets you speak calmly instead of shouting.

Travel. The GIA notes the old belief that aquamarine calmed waves and kept sailors safe. Many witches carry one when travelling over water.

Purification. Place aquamarine in a bowl of water on the altar during a cleansing ritual, then pour the water onto the earth.

Tarot pairing. I pair aquamarine with the Queen of Cups: emotional depth held with calm.

Journal prompt. What feeling am I fighting that I could let pass like a wave?

Try this: a full moon water blessing

1. On the full moon, fill a blue or clear bowl with water and stir in a pinch of sea salt.
2. Place your aquamarine in the bowl and set it where the moonlight reaches it.
3. Sit for a few minutes and name what you want the sea to carry away.
4. In the morning, lift out the stone, dry it and wear or carry it.
5. Pour the water onto the earth, not on plants that dislike salt. Do not drink it.

Folklore and history

Historical The GIA notes that aquamarine’s name comes from the Latin for seawater, and that it was said to calm waves and keep sailors safe at sea. Cunningham mentions aquamarine beads found in ancient Egyptian burials.

Later tradition Aquamarine was also thought to bring happiness to marriages, according to the GIA, and became the March birthstone.

Modern Sea witchcraft, now a popular modern path, has made aquamarine one of its signature stones.

Care and safety

Aquamarine is hard and tough. Wash it with warm soapy water and a soft brush. Avoid sudden temperature changes and hard knocks. Stones are reminders, not remedies.

Ethics and buying

Much aquamarine on the market has been gently heated to remove greenish tones and give a purer blue, a stable and widely accepted treatment. Ask your seller about treatment and origin. Cheap “aquamarine” may be blue glass or synthetic spinel.

What next

Pair aquamarine with moonstone for lunar magic, or celestite for calm. See my beginner’s guide to crystals.