Q. Are demons tricking us by labeling crystals as healing stones that can supposedly give people good luck, courage, love, money, and other worldly possessions? Could crystal energy be opening us up to demons?
A. Insightful question! The quick answer is “Yes,” the occult or “New Age” belief that crystals provide some sort of spiritual healing power is not from God. In fact, it is often a deception from the evil one who seeks to distort God’s creation by trying to turn something beautiful within creation into something allegedly magical.
First of all, there are many forms of crystals, such as quartz, diamonds, jasper, turquoise, amethyst, sapphire, ruby, and many more. Crystals are part of God’s creation, and they are quite beautiful! Even the Book of Revelation in the Bible uses crystals to symbolically depict the walls of the new Heavens that await. We read in Revelation 21:18–20:
The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every jewel; the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
So, crystals are good! They are from God. They are part of creation and they are beautiful to behold. With that said, anything that is good can be used in a way that is not from God. The modern fascination with crystals as “healing stones” and the claims of “crystal energy” have been around since the beginning of time. These are deceptions by which the evil one tries to turn part of God’s creation into a false god, which is a violation of the First Commandment: ““I am the Lord your God…You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2–3). In other words, attributing spiritual power to crystals is akin to creating a false god.
It should be noted that some of God’s creation actually does provide healing power. This is where we get medicine,but medicine is a scientific discovery of the natural healing power of certain plants and minerals. This form of healing power is not spiritual in nature; it’s natural and scientifically based. On the other hand, the claims that crystals have some sort of “energy” is not scientifically based. Instead, this belief is a spiritual claim, which means we must evaluate this claim from a spiritual perspective.
From a spiritual perspective, the claim that crystals have some form of spiritual “energy” and the like stems from various occult practices that are today commonly grouped together under the “New Age” movement. But, of course, these practices are not “New.” They go back to the beginning of time. Even the Bible identifies various occult practices and condemns them. One of the clearest modern-day teachings on these issues can be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church under the title of “Divination and magic” (CCC #2115–2117). That full section is cited below. Make sure you read that citation for a better understanding of the Church’s teaching.
Why do some people believe that crystals have spiritual energy? Perhaps it’s because all people are spiritual beings and, therefore, deep down we all want to find some form of spiritual fulfillment. And when God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not central in our lives, we look for spiritual fulfillment in other ways. But the only other “spiritual” path is the path of deception by which satan and his demons try to mislead us and turn us from God. Oftentimes, they try to do this by presenting us with false spiritualities that can sound good but are not based on Truth. Most of the time, when people are drawn into “spiritual” practices found within the occult and New Age, they do so with good intentions. But good intentions that are not based in the Truth of God will ultimately lead us to spiritual destruction. Therefore, make sure you reject these false spiritualities and turn only to God as He has been revealed to us in the Person of Jesus Christ, our Lord and one true God.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
Divination and magic
2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.
2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future.48 Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.
2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others – even if this were for the sake of restoring their health – are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity.