A stone used for millennia in both toolmaking and ritual, Black Obsidian is a form of naturally occurring glass, formed when volcanic lava cools rapidly. It's a powerful stone known for its ability to reveal hidden truths, dissolve energetic blockages, and support deep emotional healing. Whether used for energy clearing, scrying, or shadow work, the healing properties of Black Obsidian carry profound potential for clarity, transformation and empowerment. In this post, we’ll explore how to work with the raw, untamed power of Black Obsidian to help you navigate deep healing and uncover your most authentic self. A Crystal Message about the Healing Properties of Black Obsidian: "I consciously tap into divine wisdom and knowledge and embrace my intuition and inner knowing."     Common Healing Properties of Black Obsidian: Promotes energetic protection Reveals the truth in any situation Exposes areas of yourself that need growth and development Blocks negative energies from entering your auric field Enhances grounding Banishes negative energy Brings peace and calming Encourages living in a virtuous manner Increases courage Encourages personal growth Facilitates compassion Enhances accuracy in scrying divination Aids in acceptance of your weaknesses so that you can begin to heal and correct them Helps you to address issues of control and power struggles Enhances the experience of ceremonies and rituals Removes negative thought patterns and conditioning     Black Obsidian Companions: Colors: Opaque black (sometimes with transparent banding) with a glassy surface. Zodiac Signs: Capricorn, Scorpio Elements: Earth, Fire Companion Flowers: Fireweed Companion Essential Oil: Camphor Companion Stone: Howlite Common Origins: Mexico Notes: A natural volcanic glass. Wanna’ Get Science-y? Click Here to get information about the chemical composition, hardness, streak, etc. of this crystal from one of my favorite sites!   One way to work with the Healing Properties of Black Obsidian: Scrying Divination Obsidian mirrors, made by polishing thin slices of Obsidian into mirror-like discs, serve as potent tools for scrying divination. With their glassy, reflective surfaces, Obsidian mirrors provide a gateway to the realm of the subconscious. These mirrors give you the ability to look at yourself, so you are better able to reflect on your life paths, your behaviors, and your identity.     Obsidian mirrors have been esteemed for their connection to the underworld and the spiritual realm. In the last few years, the popularity of Obsidian mirrors has surged again, but they have long served as tools for scrying divination. Practitioners like John Dee, the famous crystallomancer, worked with one of these mirrors in his scrying practice to communicate with otherworldly entities and gain profound insights. By gazing into obsidian mirrors, you can receive messages from your intuition, your guides, and your ancestors as part of your crystal scrying practice. If you’d like to stick with natural stones, rather than glass mirrors for your work in divination with crystals, a Black Obsidian tumbled stone or small palm stone will also work well as a scrying tool, and these are typically much more affordable than the round disc-shaped mirrors.   The staff at my new age shop, Mimosa Books & Gifts, had this to share: Obsidian is the most abundant form of naturally occurring glass, the result of volcanic lava cooling quickly. Technically obsidian may have any composition, but usually, it’s a glass with inclusions of hematite and rhyolite. Because it’s easy to chip and forms a sharp point, it has been an invaluable material for toolmaking throughout history, thus contributing to the evolution of the human race’s evolution.