Whenever my Aries mother comes to visit, we power through my to-do list with an astonishing efficiency. Even after she leaves, this normally languid Pisces princess finds herself with energy to burn for making—and completing—plans in short order.

Carnelian is the gemstone version of my mom. It leads us to the powerful vantage point where we can clarify meaningful goals, while stimulating the fiery motivation and drive we need to turn treasured dreams into reality.

Named for “carne,” the Latin word for flesh, carnelian is a toasty-warm orange stone that has a near-animate quality, and also improves the flow of our qi, or human life-force energy. The quickening pace of fall is the perfect time to strip away life’s clutter and take action to manifest what truly matters to you. Read on and learn how to elevate your ambitions with this powerful gemstone catalyst.

• Write down your goals. Place the list on your altar or desk with a piece of carnelian on top. Every morning and night for two weeks, read your goals aloud while holding your carnelian in your non-dominant hand.
• On a new moon, draw a warm bath and place a chunk of carnelian in the water. Have a notebook and pen by the tub. Ask aloud: “What do I want?” Close your eyes and soak in the tub. Let your mind drift without paying much attention to your thoughts. When a thought arrives that just won’t be ignored, write it on the pad.
• If you already have a powerful goal, visualize every detail of its glorious completion for 20 minutes, while holding a piece of carnelian in either hand. Place the stone somewhere that symbolically represents your goal, on your desk or tucked into your cycling kit. Once a week, charge your stone by repeating the visualization exercise.