How to know which meaning for crystals is correct

[BryWisteria]

@Phoenix_Fire

the meaning or descriptions for crystals are different in one place or used for something in one place read but another says something different.

You’ve got some very talented crystal experts with advice about the crystals, but I just thought I’d pop in and address this- I think finding different (sometimes completely opposite) meanings for an item (be it a crystal/herb/sigil/Zodiac/etc) is a problem that many of us face at some point in our Craft. I know it can be really confusing and frustrating!

The best bit of advice I can give you is to check your sources. If one book says a crystal means this, but another book says the same crystal means something else entirely- take a look at where the book is getting their information: Is it a geology book, based in science? Is it from a reputable school of crystal healing? Is it a book that explores the stones meaning in another culture/tradition?

Different backgrounds can greatly affect the stance the author is taking on a crystal. Also, keep an eye out for personal interpretations- that is, something the author feels about the crystal that is true for them but may not be true for you.

---

Sometimes, crystals/herbs/signs/etc actually do have qualities that can seem very different or even opposite. In such a case, it is up to the caster to draw on the relevant qualities of the stone they are using in a specific spell or application

Here’s an example with Carnelian:

@BryWisteria

If I’m doing a physical healing spell, for example, I might use Carnelian- a stone associated with the flesh. However, Carnelian also has properties of happiness that I might want to work into the spell too.

I’m sure anyone who has worked with crystals will find that most crystals have quite a large number of associations with them- others may disagree, but I don’t know if it’s possible to include every corresponding benefit of a stone in one meditation or spell! Usually I just choose aspects directly related to the overall goal of the spell or meditation (whether it is one intention or multiple related things)

For me, in order to draw on the different aspects of a crystal (healing, good luck, etc) I believe they need to be addressed or acknowledged by the witch during the spell/meditation .

In the healing spell, I would call on or invoke the healing flesh aspects of Carnelian and perhaps also the stone’s ability to bring happiness- but I’d likely not address Carnelian’s ties to creativity (as it isn’t a trait related to the current spell).

I know the feeling of getting confused about finding the properties of a magickal item, so just putting these thoughts on the table!

Good luck and blessed crystal work!