The theft of a crystal ball owned by John Dee in December 2004 from the Science Museum highlights a problem that is becoming more prevalent. Fortunately the British Museum still has his favourite crystal, along with the Aztec obsidian skrying mirror, and Sigil Dei Aemeth in the Kings Hall, which is open to the public.
My friends who are experienced in these matters tell me that the stolen crystal ball is now very cloudy, so it is unlikely to work in whatever way the person expects to use it. The spirits associated with the ball are not stupid, and I doubt they will be very co-operative in any case. The notion of stealing something for spiritual ends is at the least very suspect, and at worse has sinister connotations. I very much doubt that the stolen crystal ball will be used for good ends.
Apart from stealing magical tools, theft of energy from people also happens. Where sellers of psychotronic crystals are unable to access high level spiritual energy, they can only re-use energy from other sources, such as banks, corporations, businesses or people they believe stole the energy from them in the first place. It is also possible to program the crystals so that they gain energy from their clients! As well as having to protect the owner, the crystals also have to absorb and purify the stolen low grade energy. I have had to 'clear' crystals used for this purpose, and I can tell you that the experience is not pleasant. When used to 'recover' stolen energy, the crystal functions as a barrier to higher levels and higher states of consciousness - in fact the user is directed downwards, to lower levels.
The true purpose of charged crystals is to channel down pure energy from the Unknown via spiritual levels to the user. The crystal acts as the interface between High Spiritual Levels and the user. It may be that the user is not spiritually prepared for the experience, so the crystal will hold and filter down the energies so that the user is not blasted by the experience. As well as channeling and filtering down the energy, the crystal is also capable of forming the energy into ways that harmonize with the spirits or entities that it is programmed with, such as the Goetia or Geomantic Spirits. The crystal is charged with the potential of the spirits to communicate with the user. Since the crystal functions as an intermediary between the user and the spirits by drawing down energy from high spiritual levels, it balances the energy levels between man and spirit, which enables communication to take place.
To experience communication with spirits via the Crystal is a truly spiritual, magical and transforming experience. You will change as a result. The Crystal is charged with the total potential of the Spirits, so they are all accessible, and with experience you will find yourself working with particular spirits within the group. The key here is the totality of access. Ritual magic requires the magician to decide which individual spirit to contact, and then invoke it. Quite naturally, the spirit does not respond, so the magician is required to command it through higher and higher levels of divine beings, until eventually some contact is made. By now the spirit has no respect for the magician, and will comply as little as possible.
An analogy is that to visit someone in a foreign country, you have to fly or sail there, arrive at the airport in the foreign country, then travel to the city, then the district, then the road, then the front door of the house, where you ring the bell. If you are expected, the door will open and you will be welcomed. If the house is very big, you may be taken to a room to meet the person. The pattern is clear - you work from very big macroscopic levels down to personal levels. By contrast, a ceremonial magician believes that by merely turning up at the front door, and giving the password he will be admitted!
The choice is yours. Do want to keep yourself at lower spiritual levels or do you want to soar to the Highest?