Which chakra does Black Obsidian work with?

Black Obsidian is traditionally associated with the Root chakra, the element of Fire · Earth, and the sign Scorpio · Capricorn.

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Entry № 048

Black Obsidian

Q: What is Black Obsidian made of?

Black Obsidian has the chemical formula ≈ 70 – 75% SiO₂ with Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, K oxides, crystallises in the amorphous (volcanic glass) system and measures 5 – 5.5 (Mohs) on the Mohs scale. Black obsidian is a natural volcanic glass formed when felsic lava cools so quickly that mineral crystals have no time to grow. Its conchoidal fracture produces edges thinner than surgical steel, a property exploited across prehistory for blades and scrapers; the trade in Anatolian obsidian is documented from the ninth millennium BCE. Modern sources include the Glass Buttes of Oregon and the volcanic fields of central Mexico.

Volcanic Glass (SiO₂ + Fe, Mg oxides)

The mirror the earth cooled too fast to lose.

Chakra

Root

Element

Fire · Earth

Zodiac

Scorpio · Capricorn

I. The Metaphysical Reading

How the stone has been held.

Black obsidian is one of the classical shadow-work stones, worked with by practitioners undertaking honest self-examination. It is spoken of as a mirror without flattery, and is often held or gazed into during the quieter parts of a practice rather than carried on the body.

Chakra: Root
Element: Fire · Earth
Zodiac: Scorpio · Capricorn
Keynote: The mirror the earth cooled too fast to lose.

II. The Scientific Reading

What the lattice actually does.

Black obsidian is a natural volcanic glass formed when felsic lava cools so quickly that mineral crystals have no time to grow. Its conchoidal fracture produces edges thinner than surgical steel, a property exploited across prehistory for blades and scrapers; the trade in Anatolian obsidian is documented from the ninth millennium BCE. Modern sources include the Glass Buttes of Oregon and the volcanic fields of central Mexico.

Formula: ≈ 70 – 75% SiO₂ with Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, K oxides
System: Amorphous (volcanic glass)
Hardness: 5 – 5.5 (Mohs)
Provenance: Mexico, USA (Oregon, Arizona), Iceland, Armenia, Turkey