Crystal · Modern Lapidary · Azrael’s stone

Obsidian

The stone the modern tradition reaches for in the cutting of psychic ties.

Obsidian is one of the stones the modern popular tradition has placed at the centre of the protective lapidary. The older books named it under a different grammar — the medieval Marbodus, the classical Pliny, the biblical sapphire and carbuncle of Exodus and Ezekiel — and the site holds both traditions together for the stones where they meet.

A note on the modern stones

The older books (Pliny, Marbodus, the biblical lapidary) did not always name the stones the modern crystal-tradition reaches for. Where the older books did name the stone, the site quotes them. Where the modern tradition is naming a stone the older books knew under another name, the site says so. Where the modern tradition names a stone the older books did not catalogue, the site catalogues it under the older grammar’s spirit — not as instruction in occult practice, but as defensive reference for the reader who already carries one.

What the tradition records

Name: Obsidian
Colour: Glossy black, sometimes mahogany or rainbow
Origin: Mexico, Iceland, Turkey, Italy — volcanic glass, cooled rapidly
Hardness (Mohs): 5–5.5 (medium)
Recorded source: Pliny, Natural History XXXVI; Aztec tradition (Tezcatlipoca)
Archangel pairing: Azrael
Angel number: 666
How to use: Carried in the pocket, worn on a pendant near the throat, or placed on a windowsill or threshold for the duration of the office

The office in the older books

Pliny names obsidian and records its use for the seer's mirror and the keeping of the dead. The Aztec tradition used obsidian for the ritual knife and the divination mirror of Tezcatlipoca.

The office in the modern lapidary

In the modern lapidary the stone is reached for in the cutting of psychic ties, the protection at the threshold of difficult work, and the truth-mirror of the inner state.

The archangel pairing

Azrael is the Watcher of the threshold between life and death. Obsidian is the stone of the seer's mirror and the cut that severs. The reader who has been called by Azrael — through a recurrence of angel number 666, through the answering of a long prayer, or through the silent recognition the older books describe as the meeting — carries the paired stone for the forty days after the call.

See the full profile of Azrael — the day, the planet, the traditional prayer, and the standing devotion.

How the tradition prescribes its use

Acquire the stone honestly. A stone given as a gift carries the giver’s intention; a stone bought in deliberate exchange carries the wearer’s own choice. Either is valid. Stones taken in haste or under deception carry their origin.
Cleanse before first carrying. The older sources prescribe water from a running source, or one night under the moon, or one hour in salt. The cleansing is the wearer’s reception of the stone into use.
Carry for the forty-day window. The tradition is consistent on this duration. Long enough to break the previous pattern; short enough to stay attentive to whether the office of the stone is needed again.
Re-cleanse periodically. Stones worn through difficult passages absorb the difficulty. Once a month under running water, or in salt overnight, is the standing prescription.
Hold the call alongside the stone. The stone is the body of the office; the call to Azrael is the office’s voice. The stone does not work without the call.

What to carry

Obsidian pendant or pocket stone — the worn or carried form the tradition records. Worn near the throat or carried in a pocket for at least the forty-day window after the call to Azrael. → where to find this

Obsidian tumbled stones — for the pocket, the windowsill, or the threshold of a room. → where to find this

Common questions

What is obsidian good for spiritually?

Pliny names obsidian and records its use for the seer's mirror and the keeping of the dead. The Aztec tradition used obsidian for the ritual knife and the divination mirror of Tezcatlipoca. In the modern lapidary, In the modern lapidary the stone is reached for in the cutting of psychic ties, the protection at the threshold of difficult work.

Which archangel is paired with obsidian?

Obsidian is paired with Azrael in the modern correspondence. Azrael is the Watcher of the threshold between life and death. Obsidian is the stone of the seer's mirror and the cut that severs.

Which angel number is paired with obsidian?

Obsidian is paired with angel number 666 in the standing correspondence. The reader who sees 666 repeatedly may consider carrying or wearing obsidian.

How should I wear or carry obsidian?

Worn on a pendant near the throat, set in a ring on the right hand, or carried as a tumbled stone in the pocket. The forty-day window is the standing duration. Re-cleanse periodically under running water or overnight in salt.

Speculum obsidianum, lapis veritatis.