Why Obsidian Could Be Your Soul Crystal

Obsidian, particularly the black obsidian, is known as the Stone of Truth — it is believed to reveal secrets, not just about the inner psyche of a person, but also the workings of the universe as a whole.

As a black gemstone, it has protective energies that help guard the very sensitive against depression. Because black is the absence of light, it is concluded that it can be used to create invisibility. As such, you can use obsidian to block negativity of any kind. With an aura of absolute mystery, black obsidian can be very powerful — it draws you in softly, but very deeply, making it a good stone for soft-hearted and gentle people of the world.

The obsidian’s black and glassy appearance is formed when lava extrudes from a volcano and cools down quickly. Records suggest that obsidian artefacts first appeared in the Middle Stone Age, thus playing an important role in the transmission of Neolithic knowledge and experiences.

While obsidian is usually black, it can also appear in a different colour, such as brown, green, or beige. When the obsidian stone contains other elements, it may seem blue, orange, yellow, or red. It’s also possible that two colours swirl together, and the most common of these combinations are black and brown — forming the popular mahogany obsidian. When black obsidian mixes with a white variety, it produces the beautiful snowflake obsidian.

Obsidian Benefits: Truth, Clairvoyance, Protection, Reflection, Self Healing, Shadow Work, Integration

Obsidian is an alternate birthstone for December. Astrologically, the Obsidian stone is associated with the zodiac signs of Scorpio and Sagittarius.

Crystals and Their Meaning

The Obsidian crystal meaning came from the Latin obsidianus, which was in turn derived from Obsius, a Roman explorer and the discoverer of a similar stone. This was documented in the translation into English of Natural History by Pliny the Elder of Rome, who described a volcanic glass called obsidian (lapis obsidianus), discovered in Ethiopia.

Did You Know?

Obsidian was prized in Stone Age cultures because, like flint, it could be chipped to produce useful objects such as hand axes, sharp blades or arrowheads.

However, the obsidian stone does not last forever. Over time, the obsidian glass becomes fine-grained crystals because it is metastable (changing very slowly). Also, Obsidian breaks down faster in the presence of water — while the stone itself has little moisture, it takes in more if it sits in groundwater. As such, no Obsidian is older than Cretaceous age.

Throughout North America, Native American people traded obsidian. In fact, Obsidian found in Greece was said to come from the different islands in the Aegean Sea. As these obsidian artefacts travelled great distances, archaeologists can trace their origins because each volcano (and in some cases, a volcanic eruption) produces a distinguishable type of obsidian.

Obsidian Properties

Obsidian is formed when lava cools quickly — this can happen when lava has sudden contact with water or air, or when it cools along the edges of a dike, the edges of a felsic (igneous rocks that are relatively rich in elements that form feldspar and quartz) lava flow or volcanic dome.

While Obsidian is mineral-like, it is not a true mineral — because it is a glass, it is not crystalline. Furthermore, its composition is too variable to be classified as a mineral.

Because Obsidian is quite a fragile stone, it can be easily chipped or broken on impact. It rates a 5.5 on Moh’s hardness scale. And because of its lack of hardness, many artists prefer obsidian when making sculptures and masks. Obsidian jewellery is also a popular use of this stone because brooches, earrings and pendants do not run the risk of coming into contact with anything.

Considered a very personal stone of protection, Obsidian is usually used only by a single person. Crystals for protection, when worn as jewellery, are marvellous talismans to keep others from offloading their problems onto you, draining you of your energy, or making excessive demands on your time.

Crystals and Chakras

As the Stone of Truth, the Obsidian crystal properties are known to resonate with the root chakra — helping you achieve grounding.

The Obsidian stone dissolves negative mental patterns and alleviates feelings of fear, jealousy, anger, and greed. Because it is a grounding stone, it brings negative emotions and shadow qualities to the surface, helping you release them. As such, blockages to feelings of safety and security (which the root chakra is responsible for) are removed.

That said, one should be prepared to accept the truth before this healing begins. The Obsidian healing properties are said to have the ability to stir the mud so the water can clear. Thus, before you achieve enlightenment, the obsidian gemstone will help reveal what is hidden within the shadow of your soul.

Crystal Benefits and Obsidian Jewellery

To harness the obsidian healing properties, people have used obsidian jewellery for centuries. Since it also benefits the body systems that support the skin, it has been used as a material and ingredient in various skin care products, such as crystal face rollers.

In times where you need to take charge of a certain problem in your life or let go of stress, anxiety and other negative energies, you may be wondering what crystals do I need? You can then turn to crystals and stones for healing and for their benefits — an Obsidian crystal pendant necklace, obsidian bracelet, obsidian ring or a candle infused with obsidian crystals may be all you need to bring wisdom, higher consciousness, insight and acceptance to the situation.