Pre-Columbian Mesoamericans fashioned a sword with Obsidian blades mounted in a wooden body, called a macuahuitl, that was capable of inflicting horrific injuries, and Obsidian daggers were reputed to be used in bloodletting and human sacrifice. Obsidian’s conchoidal fracture allows it to break into pieces with curved surfaces and very sharp edges, and it has been found around the world fashioned into arrowheads, spear points, knives, axe heads, scrapers and various other cutting instruments. The use of Obsidian dates to the Old Stone Age, and many cultures relied heavily on this material in their daily, ritual, and spiritual lives. It is highly protective, shielding one from negativity in the environment, from others, and from within the self. Obsidian provides essential grounding, connecting the base of the spine to the heart of the earth. It impels growth and resolution, and lends solid support and direction during the process. It reveals the reasons behind one’s imperfections and causes of dis-ease, and provides a clear picture of the changes needed to ameliorate them. This shamanic stone can be brutal and direct, yet it carries the wonderful power of catharsis and deep soul healing. Its edge can be razor sharp, and its dark, glossy surface polished into cold, hard glass, a “mirror stone” for those prepared to look deep into the inner being, the subconscious, to reveal one’s shadow self…flaws, weaknesses, fears, all. It has no boundaries or limitations, and works rapidly with great power. It is no ordinary stone, but nature’s glass formed from volcanic lava and hardened so quickly it formed no crystalline structure. Obsidian is a talisman of those who dare to see…the past, the future, or one’s own inner demons and darkest truths.

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Heart of obsidian