Stones and Shamanism

Stone of the Month October – Obsidian

This month’s topic title, from the Holistic Institute of Wellness, is Modern Shamanism. At first glance, this may not seem relevant to a lot of my readers but hear me out if you will.

I believe there are titanic, I might even say “volcanic,” shifts taking place in the psyche of humanity. Many people are looking for spirituality in different directions than before. People are looking for a new way of being and are turning toward the ancient wisdom and knowledge of traditional, indigenous peoples. The customs, rituals and ceremonies of these peoples and tribes show their understanding of our world. These old civilizations knew, understood, respected, and accepted stuff that our modern, scientific, left-brained, controlling egoic consciousness has rejected as ignorant.

So, on to the stone of the month. Obsidian is an ancient crystal, used by humanity since they first learned to knap. Obsidian is VERY powerful and requires some caution. It is volcanic glass and can have a nasty physical cutting edge if so desired. It can also have a serious (nasty) edge metaphysically, forcing us to look truly at ourselves, and deep into the subconscious. It will likely bring to the surface any shadow qualities (you know, those pesky bits of us we choose not to look at?!) for review & release. That’s all good, providing you are ready & willing! You have been warned. Obsidians are used to point out issues whilst other crystals are needed to provide the solutions.

Obsidian comes in a number of colors; Black, blue, blue-green, electric blue, brown, green, mahogany, rainbow, red-black, gold & silver sheen. Then there are Apache Tears, Snowflake & Red Snowflake. Each adds its own little extra to the mix of properties from all the different chemical elements involved. Black Obsidian is the most common and warrants a whole page in my Judy Hall Crystal Bible. One of its many uses is in shamanic ceremonies – “it can remove physical disorders.”

Here are some of the others useful for shamanic practices that came through in my research. Many are useful for shamanic journeys, vision quests and accessing the Akashic Records – personally, I’d want some expert support, even supervision! Do your own homework.

• Blue Sapphire – Seeker after spiritual truth. Used in shamanic ceremonies to transmute negative energies.
• Electric Blue Obsidian – Intuitive stones, facilitates divination, & shamanic journeying.
• Iolite – Vision stone. Facilitates visualization & intuitive insights. Assists in out-of-body journeys.
• Jasper – Facilitates shamanic journeys.
• Lepidolite – A stone that insists on being used only for the highest good. Aids shamanic & spiritual journeying and accessing Akashic Records.
• Merlinite – A magical stone holding combined knowledge of alchemists, magician priests & shamans. Can aid access to shamanic & spiritual realms. **
• Petalite – A stone for the New Age. High & pure vibration opens to cosmic consciousness. A shamanic stone providing safe environment for spiritual contact & vision quests.
• Pietersite – The “Tempest Stone.” Grounds to etheric body & facilitates spiritual journeying.
• Tourmaline – Another shamanic stone. Brings protection during rituals through its protective shield.

Wands – Come in many shapes, sizes, and crystal types. They are a traditional tool of the shamans, healers and metaphysicians of old. Using a natural or artificially shaped tip they can focus energy in such a way as to pinpoint blockages and areas needing clearing and healing. Wands are best used after programming with the intention of healing and divination to suit your practice. And by allowing the universal energies to flow through you to the wand.

With love & blessings. J
Beads of Light – www.JanetEdkins.com
“Created with love, infused with energy”

** …. I would advise buying from only a reputable dealer. My research suggests there is some confusion about what actually is Merlinite and where it is found.