This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Ky Tanella. Find them on Instagram at @ky.tanella. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
In the age of misinformation and over-saturation in the witchcraft community (and exploitation from practitioners) it can be hard to protect yourself and your spirit, especially if you’re new to shopping for supplies! Fake crystals, exploiting closed practices, and sketchy manufacturers can all be some pretty big red flags, but how do you look out for them? Authenticity can be very hard to find, but there are plenty of good stores (both in-person and online) out there that are authentic!
Crystal-Related Issues
The first thing to remember is that that a lot of metaphysical stores can be expensive – things like tarot decks, books, hand-made clothing, sound bowls, and certain candles/statues can be on the pricier side. Just keep an watch out for over-priced crystals or candles, tumbles and raw crystals (smaller-sized) should be relatively affordable! I’ll discuss some crystals to avoid or signs to look out for later in the article!
The next red flag is if a practitioner (or maybe some signs in the store) is providing some bad health advice. It’s been a meme to see crystal bracelets that promise to deliver “autism relief” or “BPD relief” but this information is genuinely harmful to those with mental health issues. Crystals can help people with certain things (like calming anxiety, and working towards self-love), but curing mental health disorders is not proven by science and is overall false, and is very exploitative and harmful information!
The same goes for practitioners/signs that promise to cure things like cancer, chronic illness, and autoimmune deficiencies. A practitioner advising you to “get off your medication” or “ingest essential oils,” is very harmful to those seeking help and I’d strongly advise you not to listen to this!
Sticking with crystals, stones/minerals with no information about sourcing is very suspicious. An intense demand for crystals a unethical mass-mining practices can cause certain stores to source their crystals unethically. Knowing where your purchases come from is essential, so transparency is key if you ask the employees where they source their crystals! Unfortunately, controversial mining practices and inhumane working conditions have made the mining/sourcing of Lapis Lazuli nearly impossible to keep ethical, it’s labeled as a conflict mineral. This isn’t to say that stores selling this stone are controversial, but make sure to do your research when it comes to these crystals!
Our last crystal point regarding Red Flags would be shops that sell crystal pipes or water bottles. Although they’re very aesthetically pleasing, the coating on these crystal pipes is processed with certain compounds, oils, and waxes that can harm to your lungs! Similarly, making the pipe involves drilling, which could leave behind dust particles like silica, asbestos, and copper! If you’ll use them, I recommend using them sparingly, for rituals – but certainly not for everyday use. The same goes for these water bottles (if the crystal is left uncovered) – the polished, shiny finish could contain cerium oxide, tin oxide, and chromium oxide, and can slowly get into your water over time. Crystal water bottles are super cute, so make sure they’re covered or in a separate space, away from your drinking water!
White-Washing & Cultural Appropriation
A lack of diversity in other practices (unless they’re closed, of course) in the store may point to whitewashing or a lack of knowledge about different cultures!
This is especially an issue with chakras – while not a closed practice, genuine cultural information has been highly watered down for a Western audience. If you want to start your chakra journey, I recommend doing lots of research to ensure you’re not getting white-washed information. Here is some great information! This is also a problem with Reiki, in which a lot of misinformation is spread and the origins have again, been watered down for a Western audience. Here’s a great article on cultural appropriation in the Reiki space.
Many New Age practices – such as smudging, shamanism, some styles of meditation and yoga, and ayahuasca ceremonies – have roots in indigenous and ancient cultures. This isn’t to say that white people aren’t allowed to engage in or teach these practices, but many do so without knowledge or reference to the original cultures. Research and asking questions are essential; without them, it can result in lost context and knowledge about these practices.
Closed Practices
Due to this colonization, many practitioners and stores will engage with or sell items from “closed practices”. If you’re not sure what this means, “closed practices” are rituals or items that the general public or witches should not engage with due to their religious, cultural, or historical significance. You can only participate in these practices if you were born into the lineage or have undergone a significant initiation process.
Indigenous Practices
Many colonized practices come from indigenous cultures. I find a red flag in metaphysical store stores to be the selling of things like white sage, smudging kits, dream catchers, sweet grass, or anything linked to spirit animals. White Sage, in particular, has been extremely whitewashed, as it’s an herb sacred to Indigenous American practices, and is now endangered due to overconsumption. If a metaphysical shop owner or employee doesn’t know where their White Sage was sourced from (or if it’s from unethical sources like Amazon or non-native sources), I consider this a huge red flag! Palo Santo is also endangered due to overconsumption and is essential to indigenous practices!
Inauthentic Dream Catchers also happen to be a huge red flag for cultural appropriation – if an indigenous American doesn’t make them, it’s not an authentic dream catcher. These have been whitewashed in a boho hippie way, so if you buy one for protection, make sure you know where you’re sourcing it from.
Practices like “smudging” are extremely different than “smoke cleansing.” While smoke cleansing involves cleaning a space by burning herbs, a sage bundle (non-white), or using incense, smudging is considered a sacred practice by burning sacred herbs. Many whitewashed stores may sell “smudging kits,” but if you’d like to be considerate, I’d recommend buying different kinds of sage (rosemary bundles or blue sage) or just sticking to incense! Sweetgrass is included in this mix of sacred herbs, which is also unfortunately endangered. “Smudging” with feathers is also a closed practice!
Other Closed (& Semi-Closed) Practices
Egg Cleansing: This had its moment on TikTok, but it’s considered semi-closed due to its roots in South American practices. It’s also known as “Egg Limpia” where the user cleanses themselves using an egg, cracking it, and checking the yolk/membrane to see if they’re cursed/needing protection.
Karma and Chakras: While these aren’t closed, information about its roots in Hinduism has been colonized and white-washed. Research is the best way to practice these ideals respectfully.
Sour Jars: Lastly, if you see a metaphysical store selling “sour jars,” definitely ask where they’re sourced from. This powerful spell/hex belongs mainly to Hoodoo and Voodoo religions, which also considered a closed practice.
Religion & Race-Locked Communities
Several communities religion-locked even outside of the spiritual community, such as Judaism, Kemetic Orthodox, Hawaiian, Hinduism, and several more. With many of these, there must be an initiation process and practice! Other religions like Hoodoo, Hatitan/Louisiana Voodoo, Santeria, and Shinto are considered to be closed (or mostly closed).
The best way to learn about ethical practices (and do them yourself) is to do lots of research, which can be tedious, but it’s part of the responsibility associated with spirituality. Wicca borrows from many cultures, and researching the specific roots and ties related to the information you get is extremely important!
Real vs. Fake Crystals
If you’re like me, you’ve been wronged a couple of times and sold a fake crystal for an unfair price. It happens, sadly! But, I’m going to help you out! While it’s not always guaranteed that you won’t get scammed, here are a few common mistakes, and tips to test your crystals:
Firstly, crystals should be cool to the touch – if they remain cold in your hands rather than heating up, they’re likely real! If a color seems too vibrant, dyeing is one of the most common ways sellers try to create fake versions of valuable stones. Agate and Howlite (to “make” turquoise) are commonly dyed, as well as “naturally occurring” amethyst geodes. Heat treating is also extremely common, as crystals like amethyst and smoky quartz can be enhanced, or sold as something entirely different. For example, citrine does not naturally occur in geodes, it’s often heat-treated amethyst, as heat gives it that bright orange color.
As cute as they are, spheres, towers, and crystal carvings are usually the result of smelting quartz (as they do not naturally occur in that shape). Chemicals/dyes are added to create vivid colors, which can often be the tell-all to whether or not these crystals are man-made. It’s also important to note that crystals such as Bismuth, Opalite, and Goldstone are all man-made, they’re glass-based. But there’s no shame in buying them, obviously, I love Opalite!
A few crystals that are commonly faked to keep your eye on are Citrine, Malachite, Turquoise, Smoky Quartz, Rose Quartz, Obsidian, and Jade! Ensure you’re looking out for natural imperfections, irregular shapes, a unique array of colors, and durability (crystals should not be easily scratchable)! Tumbled Blue Calcite and Celestite are often confused/swapped for each other due to their similar color, but Celestite has a natural opacity that can differentiate the two!
This is a lot of information, but I hope I’ve helped guide you in the right direction! Remember, trust your intuition, and research is key! Blessed be!
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