Fossils Part 2
Magical uses: Though not stones in the usual sense of the word, the minerals that replace the ancient creatures and plants create rock-like substances, and so fossils have a definite place in a work of stone and crystal magic.
In general, fossils are used as protective objects. They are placed in the home, or fashioned into jewelry and worn to increase your natural defenses. In Morocco, stones embedded with fossils are carried for protective purposes.
Due to their enormous age, fossils of all types are also worn as amulets to increase the life span.
They can be placed in the altar as symbols of the Earth and the ambiguity of time, or to increase the power of magical rituals.
Some types of fossils have specific magical uses.
Ammonites (pictured), known in the Middle Ages as draconites, are fossilized, spiral shaped sea animals. Due to their bizarre appearance, they were thought to be stones removed from dragon's heads, and were bound to the left arm for magical protection. In more recent times in Britain, they were known as "snake stones".
Ancient sponges, sometimes found in Britain, are known as "Witch stones". They are round and pierced through with a natural hole. These fossils are strung and worn like beads or hung in the house for protection.
Fossilized sand dollars, which show a natural five-point design, are often found on Wiccan altars. They are linked with the pentagram, an ancient protective symbol, and the elements. Because they and all fossils are ruled by Akasha, the fifth element, these ancient sand dollars are carried or used in magic to gain awareness of the realms of earth, air, fire, and water. Once this has been achieved, elemental magic can begin.
(Source: Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic)