Crystals/gemstones, incense...how do you define them??

Hi everyone...

I'm VERY new to crystals and since just moving to a new state/city, I have found a spiritual, new-age store very nearby that just has me going in circles with happiness!

However, I am very disappointed in the Tarot selection, but I'll tell you what.....if I was a full-blown, modern-day witch (to summarize), I would be in my glory! Well....I'm in my glory anyway. They have herbs by the bucket, crystals by the bucket, incense by the rack-full, a garment section, a jewelry section, TWO reader sections, and anything else you could ask for, statues, books, feathered quills, you name it....

I absolutely LOVE this store and I find myself "lost" in its tranquile atmosphere

I've only been in this new state for a month and a half. I've been to this particular store twice. And during both visits I have found myself drawn to their crystals/stones/gemstones. Unfortunately, (and I don't know if this applies to the majority), but each "bucket" is marked with a name and its common usage.

BUT.....during my 2nd visit, I found that the enormous array of crystals/gemstones are not always known to the salesperson. I find this is happening with the incense sticks too. Do any of you find that if you pick out several stones in a visit (hoping to remember what you chose) find yourselves going home to look them up in your crystal book only to realize that what's on your receipt isn't exactly what you bought...and therefore, having to figure out the name of the stone by rememberance, knowing that what they "marked" it as on the receipt isn't correct?

Anyway...I'm VERY new to metaphysical stores. I have found that choosing crystals/stone and incense leaves me adding them to a bag and not being able to remember what their names or purposes are. While it's not so bad in the fact that I can come home and look the crystals/gems up in my dictionary, but for example, the salesperson charged me for an Onyx and I KNOW I didn't pick one of those. It's more like a tumbled smokey quartz. Secondly, they have incense sticks, 10 for $1.00, but if I don't remember what they are representative of, there is NO reference back to the receipt to even give an incling of what I purchased.

Is this the norm when it comes to shopping for things like stones and incense? I REALLY want to learn the abilities of the crystals/stones, but with a couple of those that I've purchased, I'm not convinced that they are what my receipt says they are. Same goes for the incense sticks.....they give NO name to them whatsoever, so unless I'm able to REMEMBER what color I chose &/or the name of it, I have NO way of descerning its usage.

Is this the norm? What do you do when you purchase a handful of new crystals/stones and/or incense to remember or know what they're used for??

Newbie in the crystal department.....would love some help from those of you that share my new interest.

Much love and light....

LP~

I have a store I visit ocasionally a couple of hours from where I live. They have lots of stones like your store, but they offer tiny sealable plastic bags (the kind jewelry sometimes comes in) and permanent markers so you can label your bag. You might take your own supply the next time you visit. If you need to check a stone's identification, borrow a gemstone book from the store while you're there . You might use larger bags to mark and separate your incense sticks.

Bodhran

Hi, LP!

I am fairly new to crystals and incense and just recently stumbled on to a New Age store just 5 minutes from my house, so I share in your excitement and enthusiasm! Ours is also highly lacking in tarot, but if you want statues or essential oils, this is the place for it!

All the workers there really know their stuff. They know the various stones by heart and crystals, they know all the dieties, and everything in the store. The majority of them are highly certified and have loads of experience in various things, plus most are about age 50 or older, so I am in the midst of some wonderful and wise people.

When I buy crystals and stones, they usually are labelled correctly and often the label is given to me, but I also own the Crystal Bible, so if I forget something I just end up looking it up. Half the time I don't care. If I pick up a stone or set of stones, I know it was just meant to be. Today I picked up a pale selenite, turquoise, ametrine pyramid, and a clear quartx hexagon. They called to me because I am presently working with the Nigel Jackson's Medieval Enchantment Tarot and the colours click. It was meant to be.

The incense should be labelled on the package as to what scent it is. My receipt does not describe items in detail, but the price is correct, so that is all that matters to me. Soon enough you will know your Nag Champa from your Jasmine or Sandalwood. BTW...10 incense sticks for 1.00 is very cheap and probably a cheap brand. Get the packaged kind. Have fun with your new found joy!

You've described one of my major gripes with metaphysical stores. If you buy any item, but particularly a stone, you should know EXACTLY what you got. Identifying stones is a very difficult art and it's pitiful if the store makes you try to do what you are not qualified to do.

I understand the draw of a comfortable atmosphere. And the stones you did get will probably be very useful even if you don't exactly know what they are.

However, given the price of stones in a store, you deserve to know what you are buying. I recently bought a packet of mixed gemstones knowing I wouldn't be able to identify each and every one. And I couldn't, of course. Anyone out there willing to bet they can tell golden beryl from citrine, yellow apatite, yellow labradorite, etc?? But I KNEW I wouldn't be able to identify everything when I bought my stuff. Being new, you should only buy from places where you know exactly what you are getting and there are plenty out there on the web. And they generally have much better prices than in local stores.

Sorry for the rant.

p.s. the good news is that for most purposes a stone of a given color can be substituted for another stone of the same color...there are exceptions...

p. p. s. if you are serious about stones, invest in at least one non-metaphysical book which describes stones. The classic is "Gemstones of the World" by Walter Schumann.

Take your crystal identification book with you. That's the simplest way when you are learning to get the stones you really want.

As to not knowing the incense, that sounds like they are unpackaging it and putting it in big buckets. I don't prefer to buy mine that way - sure makes the store smell good, but after all, I am buying the smell, so I prefer mine still in the package.

And I've found that the best way to get them to make changes is a friendly discussion. If they want to sell incense in buckets, ask them to leave some of it in the packages in the buckets with the loose stuff they are using to perfume the store. Or to have an "incense of the day" that they are burning with the same packaged incense close by.

Makes me feel pretty grateful that my two places that I go to get incense and stones have them clearly marked.