ORE'S FEATURED GEMSTONE: Obsidian
by Stephanie Pflumm
Obsidian is an important gemstone in the history of human development. Many of our first tools were fashioned from this natural glass. Its history as a protection stone comes from its earliest use in fashioning knives, arrowheads & tools for preparing food.
This member of the rhyolite family of rocks is almost identical to ordinary glass. It exhibits the same single optical refraction as glass & has the same conchoidal (breaks straight) fracture patterns.
Obsidian was the actual flow of volcanic lava, cooling so rapidly that no crystalline structures could form. This also means the final gemstone is different depending on the gases, minerals, water or other inclusions available in the area where the lava flow ceased.
All Obsidian contain alkaline & aluminum silicates & trace amounts of potash. Under the microscope, tiny enclosures (like those found in Aventurine), spherical or elongated cavities or embedded crystals often make up a large part of a stone that appears primarily black. Milky Quartz embedded in a black Obsidian creates the beautiful Snowflake Obsidian.
This glassy gemstone occurs all over the world. The most beautiful jewelry specimens are found on the European island of Lipari. A lava stream 100 feet deep & an 1/8th of a mile wide stretches from town to the sea.
Hungary, Iceland, Mount Ararat & the Caucasus in Asia have abundant sources of the gemstone. In North America, Obsidian has an ancient history as an ornamental & practical stone. It was fashioned into masks, vases, knives & even razors.
The Hill of Knives (Cerro de las Navajas) was mined for hundreds of years before the Spaniards conquered Mexico. Some noteworthy deposits have also been found in Nevada & California.
Obsidian's use as a power tool is as ancient as its use for practical tools. Mayan priests used “Smoking Mirrors” to predict their future. It was also used for healing wounds (many of which were inflicted by Obsidian weapons) & alleviating pain. Gemstone healing today still recommends Obsidian for pain relief.
Protection & grounding are some of the strongest energies available in this stone. Obsidian can protect you from physical or emotional harm. It will also help you see your flaws clearly & provide insight into correcting those flaws.
Keeping a stone with you helps prevent negative thought patterns (good road rage stone) & can transform negative energies in your personal space.
Obsidian is an excellent divination device as well. Some practitioners have better luck utilizing the stone's black depth to reach their subconscious mind than with a traditional Quartz Crystal tool.
The gemstone may help you find forgotten abilities within yourself & attain a warrior spirit. Use it to change harmful communication patterns or overcome an obsession.
As a healing gemstone, Obsidian provides relief from pain, stops the flow of blood & can begin healing on a cellular level. Improved circulation & preventing hardening of the arteries in the legs (especially for smokers) is another healing benefit . Its circulation energies can even help warm those hands & feet that seem to be constantly cold.
In addition to carrying the above qualities the following individual Obsidian gemstones bring these extra energies:
APACHE TEAR - brings comfort in time of grief, brings understanding of the trauma & helps provide insight & acceptance. It is said that Apache Tears were shed by women when their warriors were driven off a cliff by the calvary.
BLACK (Gray, Brown) OBSIDIAN - used for divination, brings sincerity to your actions, stimulates initiative & independent thought.
BLUE - activates the throat Chakra, increases telepathic abilities, assists in making speeches & helps with astral travel.
BLUE/GREEN - allows you to speak from the heart & to understand other’s words with your heart, balances the mind & the spirit.
GOLD SHEEN - also used for divination, provides insight into the root of a problem, brings out inner beauty, reflects what you are needing in your life (not just material needs).
MAHOGANY - grows the physical, emotional & intellectual centers, provides strength when needed, eliminates energy blockages & relieves tension.
RAINBOW - attracts light & love, useful in divining those aspects in your life (especially love).
RED - enhances physical energy, balances male/female attributes, awakens sleeping abilities.
SILVER SHEEN - another divination Obsidian, allows you to see through the layers to the real issues, teaches you to use all the energies that come into your life, even the ones that may be undesired, good grounding stone for astral projection, assures that you will “come home”.
SNOWFLAKE - opens the Crown Chakra, helps you recognize unnecessary patterns in your life, provides a way out of unwanted conditions, promotes awareness of the beauty around you.
Apache Tears, Rainbow & Snowflake Obsidian are all available from Ozark Rock Exchange.
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SUBSCRIBER’S SPECIAL: FREE Snowflakes!
Receive a FREE SMALL Snowflake Obsidian with any purchase from Ozark Rock Exchange. Discount will be taken when your order is processed. Subscriber’s special is good through April 24, 2000. You must be a subscriber as of April 8, 2000 to take advantage of this offer. Subscriber’s Special is not good with any other offer, unless stated otherwise.
Shop online at http://www.ozarkrockexchange.com/catalog.shtml , by mail, or just send an email to stephanie@ozarkrockexchange.com
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Resources:
Focus On Crystals by Edmund Harold
The Book of Stones & Metals by Maya Heath
Crystal Power, Crystal Healing by Michael Gienger
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GEMST0NE ELIXIRS
by Stephanie Pflumm
Preparing a gemstone elixir is very simple. Deciding which gemstones & how you are going to use your new elixir is your real challenge.
First determine what you want your elixir to do. Is if for healing? To help calm after a stressful day? Or for creating special energies with the powers of Earth & Water?
Once your intent is clear, it becomes easier to choose the gemstones or crystals that will help bring about the energy your are needing. Feel free to use the Ozark Rock Exchange search engine at http://www.ozarkrockexchange.com/catalog.shtml . It can help you match intentions with specific stones.
It is important to use filtered, purified & sterilized water, since some elixirs will be taken internally. Try not to use bottled water from the store, it may have been irradiated, which will react with crystals & some gemstones.
Water from your tap can be filtered through a simple coffee filter or cloth. To sterilize, boil for a few minutes & use a cleansing ritual to purify. (Vol. 1, Issue 1).
You will want to cleanse & charge (Vol. 1, Issue 2) the gemstones or crystals you are using in in the elixir. While charging, ask your stone to work with the Water’s power to help bring about your intent.
Place your charged stone into your prepared water & place in the Sun for four hours. A couple of my references recommend doing this work during the two hours before & two hours after the Midday Sun for maximum results.
Another recipe requires charging the elixir for 24 hours during the New Moon.
After completing the solar charge, fill smaller containers half full with your energized elixir. Finish filling with an alcohol of choice (one book used Vodka, another brandy), this helps to stabilize the energies. Your elixir is good for three months.
To use your elixir internally, put three drops under your tongue, or in a cup of tea. To attune yourself to the energy & receive the best results, hold the liquid & take calming breathes before you use it.
Take your elixir 30 minutes before or after you eat. Do not repeatedly ingest elixirs over long periods . . . if you feel sick after using one, STOP.
You can also use elixirs in working with other gemstone & crystal energies. Use an Amethyst Elixir to help cleanse new stones or a Quartz Crystal Elixir to enhance the charge to a stone. Leave a few drops of Rose Quartz Elixir around an office where tensions are running high.
You may also create an elixir oil using essentially the same process. Use a natural oil, like vegetable, nut, seed or virgin olive oil.
Place your cleansed (free of physical dirt as well) & charged stone into the oil. Use Grandmother Moon, a pyramid or a Quartz Crystal triangle to charge your elixir over a 12 hour period.
Oil elixirs are for massage purposes ONLY. Prior to using, gently massage the area of the body where you will be applying the oil. This warms the spot & allows for better absorption.
Have you used gemstone or crystal elixirs before? I’d love to hear about it & share with ORE Readers. Please send a note about your experience to stephanie@ozarkrockexchange.com .
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ROCK NEWS!
Arkansas Crystal Trip
Last weekend, since I didn’t have to write the newsletter, I took a trip to Arkansas to dig for crystals. In addition to finding some excellent Quartz Crystal points (small & large), I also found some wonderful deals on extra large Rose Quartz stones (over 1.5 pounds!), a beautiful Black Tourmaline Crystal with Mica flake inclusions, African Jade, & some large pieces of blue, yellow & red Calcite (not as large as the Rose Quartz), Dolomite, Fluorite & Citrine clusters.
Package from Czech Republic
My long-awaited package from the gem & mineral shows in the Czech Republic has arrived. I received some wonderful specimens, many thanks to my geologist there, Petr Bruna.
With the Kansas City Psychic Fair coming up, it will take me over a month to get photos & everything up on the site. So here’s a quick price list for both my Arkansas goodies & the Czech package:
ARKANSAS GOODIES
Lg point (over 1 inch wide) $5
Reg points $2
Bridges/Twins $4
Sm Clusters $4
Lg Clusters $9
Lg Rose Quartz $9
Lg Calcite (blue, yellow, red) $6
Amethyst Cluster $12
Fluorite Cluster $8
Sm Citrine Cluster $8
Lg Citrine Cluster $14
Lg Black Tourmaline Crystal w/ Mica $7*
Fishtail Calcite $13*
African Jade $2
Giant Rose Selenite (single floret) $7*
Dolomite Lg $13
Sm $2
CZECH REPUBLIC
Pyrite cluster w/Quartz $12*
Almandine (host stone for Garnets, awesome specimen) $12*
Smoky Quartz point $4*
Agates $2.50
Amber $2
Romanian Quartz Cluster $10*
Opal-Hyalit (I have never seen anything like this) $12*
Australian Opal (blue) $3*
Slovenia Opal (white) $5*
Aragonite $6*
Calcite cluster $6*
Lg Chrysoprase (green) $8
Moldavite
Lg $10
Med $8
Sm $6
* only one specimen available
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SKY NOTES
2nd Quarter Moon Tuesday April 11, 8:30am
Full Moon Tuesday April 18 at 12:41 pm. The first Full Moon of Spring.
If you’ve missed the spectacular show that Grandmother Moon is putting on with the planets, you’ll have another chance tomorrow (April 9) evening. The crescent moon & three planets are lined up creating an inspiring vision in the night sky. Best time to view this alignment is around 8:00pm, CDST.
Thanks to Janice Smith for forwarding this information to me.
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©Copyright 2000, Stephanie Pflumm, All Rights Reserved Worldwide. No portion of this newsletter may be reproduced without the written permission of the editor/founder, Stephanie Pflumm. Please feel free to share with a friend.
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4 Blessings (East, South, West, North)
Stephanie Pflumm
stephanie@ozarkrockexchange.com |
