L’Obsidienne
pierres fines noires , acajou, orange, dorées, grises, fumées, arc en ciel, flocon de neige

Oh mirror, oh beautiful mirror, show me who I am

Raw, polished, matte or other, the magic of these minerals is not insignificant in lithotherapy.

Obsidian's essential virtue is to show you what lies behind appearances. A stone of truth, it dispels illusions and exposes what's really there.

With it, you become the adventurer on your way to authenticity.

It pushes you to explore your depths, your shadows in which your demons are lodged, those you flee from, those you hide.

With her, you're pushed to see the causes of your obstacles, your difficulties, your blockages without detours, without embellishment, without pity and without lies.

Yes, one of the benefits of Obsidian, and not the least, is that it's ruthless - the truth is ruthless - but it gives you the support, strength and courage to face your demons and confront them, so that the alchemy of transformation can take place, from which your pure and burning fire, your magma, your life force, your power, will spring forth!
And the ashes left by your demons will serve to fertilize your earth, so that you can flourish in a fertile environment where your seeds of freedom will grow vigorously.

Its deeper meaning also shows you that all is balance, that there is no light without shadow. That the shades of color in the lights of your night reveal qualities and talents of great value that you had forgotten.

Obsidian is reputed to be an effective protective stone for overcoming the forces of evil and all kinds of negativity, but it will be even more effective in this respect if you are willing to see the negativity within yourself. Indeed, the so-called negative energies that surround you will only disturb you if they resonate with you. It's the law of the mirror effect and it's a strong property of Obsidian to reveal your reflection.

When you become aware of this mirror effect, you feel less impacted by "negative" outside influences, you know how to "duck feather" when necessary and it becomes very difficult to destabilize yourself or "drain" your energy. So, in all circumstances, you'll be yourself.

At the level of your subtle bodies, it harmonizes the energies of your aura, densifies your etheric body and prevents the formation of gaps or auric holes, giving you good protection against parasitic energies.

Physically, it can speed healing of wounds and bruises.

There are many different varieties of Obsidian. All possess the virtues described above, but some have their own special characteristics:

Mahogany obsidian

Mahogany Obsidian is an excellent stone for teaching you how to assume responsibility naturally, without it seeming too heavy to bear. With it, you gain stability and avoid becoming scattered.

It acts on your root chakra and sacral chakra to fluidify energy circulation in this area and dissolve blockages. Its iron content helps purify the blood.

Silver Obsidian and Golden Obsidian

Silver Obsidian presents a gentle reflection of Yin, lunar energy. It teaches you the importance of humility and embracing your emotions on your path to inner truth.

Golden Obsidian is linked to Yang, solar energies. It teaches you to see the light that illuminates the darkness and helps you to transform what needs to be transformed into the right action, with determination.

Obsidian snowflake

It's a stone that symbolizes the balance between light and shadow, yin and yang, material and spiritual. Obsidian Snowflake's wisdom teaches you to see things from different angles and not just the negative, the difficult, the ugly.

Smoky black obsidian Apache tears

With it, you are invited to free yourself from your sadness.Black Obsidian or Smoke Apache's Tears can bring you great relief from emotional trauma, shock or grief.

Rainbow Obsidian and Celestial Eye

She is the dance of light that appears in a dark abyss, the subtle beauty of a deep darkness. It is the light at the end of the tunnel that opens up the field of possibilities. Its power to transmute shadows into fertile compost is great. With it, your awareness is accelerated and the Being you are is invited to reveal itself in all its authentic splendor.

It's nicknamed "Heavenly Eye " when it's cut in such a way that its designs form an eye or a heart.

How to use an Obsidian

• It's particularly interesting to meditate while gazing into an Obsidian.
• You can wear an Obsidian to benefit from its virtues in your daily life, but if you're feeling unwell and that unpleasantness is unmanageable, don't hesitate to remove it and use a soothing stone.
• To heal a scar (even an old one) or a bruise, place an Obsidian directly on the affected area.
• You can combine Obsidian with Pyrite to help with transformation, or with Rose Quartz or Rhodochrosite if you feel emotionally too tormented with Obsidian alone. After an Obsidian session, don't hesitate to add a luminous stone if you feel the need.

Where to place an Obsidian?

• An Obsidian in your home will diffuse protective energies. It will invite the inhabitants not to wear masks and to show themselves as they really are.
• You can place it in a place you wish to protect, such as your hallway or treatment room, or in a place that is conducive to a process of introspection and transformation.

Obsidian, for whom?

• Obsidian is a wonderful stone for anyone involved in introspection, personal development, the quest for truth and authenticity.
• For and who wish to familiarize themselves with Obsidian without necessarily going into its depths, mahogany or snowflake Obsidian are more suitable.
• For fans of magic, rituals and Wicca.

Obsidian in mineralogy

Obsidian is an amorphous volcanic rock formed during a volcanic eruption, when acidic lava composed of 70-75% silica cools rapidly and solidifies on contact with water or air before it has time to crystallize. It's nicknamed "volcanic glass" because, like glass, it's a solidified melt.

It is composed mainly of silicon dioxide and various other elements, mainly oxides of aluminum, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium.

Obsidian varieties distinguished by their appearance and the nuances of their composition are :

Black obsidian: black in color, mostly uniform. When solidified gradually, it can have a "flowing structure", revealing different layers.

Obsidian snowflakes: this variety features white patterns of feldspar aggregates and reminiscent of flowers or snowflakes. This is due to the process of "devitrification" (slow formation of crystalline structure due to the migration of ions in the rock) that took place during its formation.

Mahogany obsidian: its high iron oxide content gives it its irregular, reddish-brown patterns.

Rainbow Obsidian: small water bubbles are dispersed in Obsidian, creating a phenomenon of reflection, division and diffusion of light. As a result, the chromatic spectrum is expressed in multicolored bands when the Obsidian is polished.

Celestial Eye Obsidian is a rainbow obsidian polished and cut to reveal an ovoid shape reminiscent of an eye, or other shapes such as hearts or butterflies. Those with pronounced blue or violet reflections are particularly sought-after.

Silver or gold Obsidian: here, small gas bubbles dispersed in the Obsidian create a golden or silver sheen when the stone is polished.

Smoked Obsidian: formed from highly acidic lava and its transparency comes from the fact that this variety is low in foreign substances.

Apache's Tears " Obsidian is a smoky Obsidian in the form of small nodules.

Polished black Obsidian stones are easily confused with black Tourmaline, black Spinel or Onyx.

Did you know? There are huge Obsidian flows in Iceland and the United States, up to 10m thick!

It is said that there is a variety of transparent blue Obsidian and that it is extremely rare. As all the transparent blue Obsidian that has been tested has, to my knowledge, turned out to be blue glass, perhaps you'll be the adventurer who proves the legend right?

The history of Obsidian

Obsidian has been used for over 15,000 years and has a very important place in history.

In many parts of the world, it was part of everyday life in the form of weapons, knives and other objects, as its conchoidal fracture gives it extremely sharp edges. Simply strike a piece of Obsidian in the right spot to produce a razor-sharp blade.

In prehistoric times, the inhabitants of volcanic regions preferred the use of Obsidian to Flint and even later in history, certain peoples (notably in South America) developed very little use of iron, as the manufacture of Obsidian objects was less costly in energy and time for the same result.

The earliest evidence of Obsidian trade dates back more than 10,000 years to the Yellowstone region of North America. The town of Carioka, nicknamed "City of the Sun", traded with a large part of the continent. And archaeological digs have uncovered not only weapons and everyday objects, but also finely sculpted talismans and cult objects.

Italy exported its Obsidian to Europe, especially to the south of France, 8,000 years ago.

In South America, the Aztec, Inca and Maya civilizations also traded in Obsidian and it was one of their great riches. The cities of Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlan (present-day Mexico City) were built close to a huge Obsidian deposit, giving them a monopoly on its commercialization.

Obsidian held a prominent place in society, both in practical daily life and in religion. It was present in every home and regardless of social class.

This stone could be used to make all kinds of sharp objects for hunting, cooking and warfare and all kinds of utilitarian and non-utilitarian everyday objects such as vases, pots, beads and jewelry.

Thanks to the precision of its blade, Obsidian has also been, and still is today, used in surgery for over 7,000 years and
In Peru, a complete surgical kit was discovered in a tomb. It contained various Obsidian knives, sperm whale tooth spatulas, bandages, needles and thread.

In ancient Egypt, 3,000 years ago, this volcanic stone was imported from Italy and Greece and was widely used for funeral rites, circumcision and the manufacture of various objects. The Egyptian goddess Sekhmet possessed 7 magical arrowheads made of Obsidian.

Obsidian, whose sharp blade pierces the darkness to reveal the truth, is regarded in many cultures as a powerful stone of protection, linked to divinities and the blood of the earth.
Throughout the world, it has always been used for acts of magic, such as the famous Obsidian mirrors in which it is possible to read the future.

Today, Obsidian can be found in all shapes and sizes, whether as jewelry, rolled stone, rough stone or pebbles. Many objects are still made from Obsidian, such as the black keys on certain pianos, chess pieces, art objects and decorative items. Obsidian can even be found in Minecraft!

Myths and legends about Obsidian

A Mexican legend tells of a beautiful woman named Sun Flower who fell in love with a warrior man, but her father, a priest, sent the warrior to war because he didn't want this union for his daughter.

Before she left, the two lovers met on a mountaintop and made a pact of love, with Sun Flower promising not to marry until she returned.

Months passed, but the warrior still didn't return. Filled with sadness, Sun Flower returned to the top of the mountain and cried her eyes out. At one point, a god asked her why she was crying and how he could help her. Sun Flower explained her story and asked him to turn her tears into a beacon of light until her lover returned. Sun Flower's tears were transformed into golden Obsidian.

Her lover never returned. Weeping is the whisper of the wind and tears are the golden Obsidians that dot the earth.

Another legend tells of a young boy who offered himself as a sacrifice to the monster of Xochicalco to save his chosen father. On the way, he picked up small, sharp pieces of Obsidian and, when he found himself in the monster's belly, he was able to cut out its viscera and escape.

A Navajo myth explains that the hearts of men were created by the gods with Obsidian.

Among the Navajo, Obsidian was considered one of the four sacred stones linked to the four sacred mountains in their lands. Obsidian's mountain was Dzil bash'zhini (today's Mount Hesperus).

According to Apache legend, the smoky Obsidian nodules known as "Apache tears" are the tears shed by the wives and mothers of the 75 warriors trapped and killed in an ambush during an attack by the American army. These tears were transformed by the Great Spirits into transparent Obsidian drops, symbolizing the purity of the Apache people's tears.

Since then, it has been said that whoever wears an Obsidian "Apache tears" will be freed from his or her sadness.