My partner doesn't believe that crystals have any power or meaning. However, they believe in the supernatural and are strongly superstitious. They don't see the irony in those two concepts.
I grew up Catholic, where believing things with complete, unwavering faith was the norm. I questioned things often and found few satisfying answers. Later I started a career in science, where explanations and proof are everything. It's not that I deny the supernatural, God, or magic; it's that there's not enough explanation for me to be a true, die hard believer. Maybe there isn't an explanation, but I can live with that too. I am only spiritual in the sense that it heals my childhood, although I could never go back to a religious organization.
Amulets and crystals make me feel safer. I grew up around crosses and holy water. There is beauty in finding comfort in things. It's the same idea as a child being drawn to soft, colorful stuffed animals. It's the sentiment that matters. My best friend "charges" her crystals in the moonlight on her windowsill every time she visits our hometown in Nebraska. She thinks of it as taking a small bit of home with her wherever she goes.
I think it is interesting that only women or feminine people wear crystals or other magic inspired objects. I've been in many crystal shops in my life, and I've only see women there. Do men not want to feel safe too? Maybe the need to feel protected is strictly a feminine trait, at least through the means of magic.
The handout about misogyny in witches we had last week was relatable. Women only cry to deceive men. Women cannot exist independently or be successful. If there is not a man involved, it must be magic! We call things magic when there is no other plausible explanation. As a gay woman, it is astounding to see how many people do not think a woman can live comfortably without a man. A few of my own family members think so. It's never as direct or condemning as the words in the handout, but it still exists. It's a sad reality, but sometimes I like to think that the women and witches from hundreds of years ago would be proud of me for being so brave. That makes me feel better.
