Named Itzli in ancient Mexican culture, for the god of stone, it seemed only appropriate to start these crystal archives off with this stone. Today’s jet-black crystal isn’t technically a mineral, as it officially falls in the category of glass. Black obsidian is also called volcano’s glass because of the way it came into our world. It’s formed when a volcano erupts, and the lava cools down so quickly that it can’t form crystals. This can also happen when the lava suddenly comes into contact with water or air. Picture this; a glowing hot stream of lava erupts from the earth in an ice-cold place. It goes from one extreme to the other. You can imagine the energy this crystal carries as it goes through such an intense transformation.
The crystal holds properties such as forming a shield against negativity, and being deeply grounding as it forms a cord from the base chakra to the center of the earth. This, to me, is poetry. The crystal traveled in energy as lava all the way from the center of the earth, to meet us here at the surface. Reminding us of the connection to the earth’s core, but also to our own. As most black crystals, it absorbs negative energy and blocks psychic attacks (which to me sometimes seems a bit woo-woo, but it basically means that it protects you from people with bad intentions). It brings clarity, and takes you back into your ancestral lineage to heal old trauma. It’s reflective properties show shortcomings and blockages, it really provides the support to travel deep and heal the soul.
Historically the crystal has been used in ancient Mexican cultures, the Aztecs, for example, used the obsidian for scrying. You might know this spiritual practice from Wiccan culture too, where people use a black reflective surface as a divination tool to look into the future. In Mayan culture obsidian was even used as a currency, more valuable than gold. Next to this it was also used for artifacts, sculptures, beads, buildings and as arrow heads and axes that held magical properties as its fragments can have very sharp edges. Today it’s even still used in certain surgical tools.
When I was doing my crystal healer course with Mariah K Lyons, I learned that black obsidian hasn’t always been used in the most pure ways. It’s also been used by these ancient cultures in rituals and ceremonies with bad intentions, performing black magic. Now this energy is always carried within the over-arching energy of a crystal family. After learning this I always felt a bit of an aversion towards the crystal. Feeling like the energy was somehow tainted.
This is actually a really good transition into my own experience with this crystal; This past year I’ve done a lot of healing on some really old stuff I’ve been carrying with me. I’ve had some big family shifts, paired with many many family triggers. You know, the crème de la crème of triggers. There were many things that have happened in my past I’ve always felt I needed to heal from. That right now I was this lesser version of myself because I had experienced all these things… and everything I tried to heal in these areas, it never felt like it was fully ‘healed’. There would always be the next layer. But as I’ve been learning, I’ve noticed a mindset shift within myself, that maybe all these things can be a part of me, and at the same time I can be this being of light. That the healing journey isn’t one with an end station, so neither should we aim to reach that final state. The darkness and the lightness can coexist. Which I believe is the essence of shadow work. And as this shift happened within me, I also noticed my relationship with black obsidian started to heal. Accepting the darkness in her, too.
I actually use it quite a lot in my crystal practice nowadays. You can often find black obsidian in arrow head shape or in ‘chips’ with sharp edges. These I use for cord cutting rituals. To release any energy that isn’t mine I physically take the crystal and move it around my body, visualizing that any energetic lines that connect me to other people/events/places are cut with the sharp edge of the crystal. Their transformative and protective energy are the perfect ally in this practice. Doing this with others, I’ve often heard this practice is more effective than talking therapy sessions. This is why I love working with crystals so much. They make the intangible tangible. They have a way of making energetic processes physical, so our energetic and physical bodies are all on the same page and can be in harmony.
I’m incredibly curious what your experience is with black obsidian, as it works differently for every unique energetic system. Click here to send me a message on IG, I’m always keen to continue the conversation and deep dive together.
Is there a crystal you want me to dive into next? Let me know and see you for the next one!
Speak soon. X
P.s. Do you prefer to listen instead of read? You can also find this information in podcast form on ep. 23 of The Crystal Guardian podcast (click here)!