The expected relationships between anisotropy of low-field magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and crystal symmetry of mafic silicates are disturbed by the presence of magnetite inclusions. Measurements of AMS, anisotropy of anhysteretic remanence (AARM) and theoretically predicted bulk susceptibilities from chemical composition all favour the exercise of great caution in the interpretation of preferred orientation distributions of silicates from a rock's AMS. These results pertain mainly to the mafic silicates of lower crustal rocks (pyroxene, orthopyroxene, amphibole) and some of their low-grade metamorphic alterations (serpentine, epidote).