Particularized by its accentuated black hue, black obsidian carries centuries of history and culture from the most varied cultures and civilizations.
In the most ancient civilizations, such as the Mayans and the Aztecs, this powerful crystal was routinely used as a material for instruments and objects designated for certain rituals.
However, it is since then that people believe that this stone has spiritual and healing traits that link to spiritual practices.
Therefore, obsidian black was from an early age related to protection against negative energies and grounding energy.
But, as I usually say, it’s very important to cleanse and charge your crystals! Otherwise, they won’t work properly. Let’s now see 11 safe ways to cleanse and change your back obsidian.
How to cleanse black obsidian crystal? 6 safe ways
If you are not inexperienced with regard to the treatment of crystals, you will know that having a crystal is never just having a crystal.
These beautiful sources of energy need to be taken care of and, in particular, cleansed.
However, for each crystal, like any other material, whether natural or not, there are more correct and safer ways of doing it.
Therefore, I then gathered 6 basic and crucial methods to cleanse your black obsidian correctly and safely so that you can guarantee the proper functioning of your precious one.
Shall we start?
1) Visualization
For those who need a quicker cleansing, visualization is an excellent method that does not require the use of resources other than ourselves and our mind.
And now you ask: What is cleansing through visualization?
Well, this works as follows, in a serene space that offers an opening for our concentration.
We are going to observe our stone resting in our hands and we are going to imagine a white and celestial light that gently comes to embrace our stone cleansing it.
Then, we are going to conceive with our mind the bad energies being released and disappearing in the air.
2) Water rinse
Here is the most basic of all methods. The one that I can say has been used almost forever even if, in certain cases, not in the safest or most correct way.
Sometimes users of this crystal use detergents or chemists thinking that this makes washing more effective. When in reality, they are only increasing the risk of corrosion of the crystal.
The same applies to hot water. Therefore, the correct way to cleanse the stone with water is to gently wash the crystal under cold running water.
Take a look at this list to learn which crystals can’t be cleansed with water.
3) Sound cleansing
This particular cleansing consists of the use of sound vibrations, namely the blowing of a singing bowl or the shaking of a bell next to our stone. This will clear the stone’s energy.
Nowadays, on YouTube and in case we don’t have a bell or a singing bowl, we can also find optimal frequencies to carry out this cleansing.
4) Saltwater soak
This method is also one of the most commonplace and ancient methods ever.
And in my particular case, I like to dip the crystal in its own native water from the seas that I collect.
However, and in case it is not possible to do so, submerge the crystal in a bowl of fresh water with salt and leave it there for some time or overnight.
Although this is an excellent method, it should be avoided in crystals with metallic elements.
5) Smoke cleansing
Let’s say that this cleansing means turns out to be a two-in-one for fragrance lovers like me.
Because here, we will burn palo santo, rosemary, sage or any other herb of our liking. It needs to have purifying properties and pass our stone by the serene smoke of our burning.
These fumes, as we already know or not, are largely responsible for the energetic cleansing of our homes, objects and therefore crystals.
6) Cleansing by daylight or moonlight
Finally, and since the mood for burning herbs or visualizing negative energies being deactivated is not always available, I present to you what in my opinion is the easiest way to cleanse the energies of our stones.
It’s as simple as placing the crystal exposed to direct sunlight or moonlight over the course of several hours.
Bearing in mind that overexposure to these lights can of course fade the crystal.
Also, learn more about which crystals can’t be charged in the moonlight.
How to charge black obsidian crystals? 5 powerful ways!
Black obsidian is a beautiful, powerful stone that can be used for protection, spiritual grounding, and detoxification.
But its performance does not depend only on cleansing but also on the charging of the crystals. Charging our crystals correctly is extremely important.
Because if, on one hand, cleaning releases the negative energies that our instrument retains to protect us from them.
But, on the other hand, charging ensures that these wonderful stones maintain their unique and vibrant energies so that these tools can then continue to accompany us in the course of our spiritual journey.
So, without further ado, let’s get to know 5 of the most powerful methods for charging black obsidian, some of which are similar to cleansing rituals.
1) Vibrations
In the list before this one, we talked about this method for cleansing the crystal. I even went a little further and suggested some of the frequencies that we can find on YouTube today.
In this particular case, in which we are charging the energies of the stone beforehand, we can also use a Tibetan singing bowl, a bell or even the aforementioned frequencies.
However, I would like to add here that we can also use our own voice to cleanse and even charge the crystal.
As the vibrations of these sounds and our voice renew the previously stagnant energies in the stone.
2) Moonlight
Also in cleansing, moonlight was mentioned, but here, with regard to charging black obsidian, the practice is not limited to exposing the crystal to moonlight.
In this case, it is important and It is preferred that this ritual be practiced on the full moon.
So, on a full moon night, the crystal is exposed to direct lunar light so that its energy can be recharged.
And why on the full moon? The full moon is a time of heightened energy, enlightenment and release. While this moon’s energy works by cleansing and purifying, it also releases negative energies.
Learn more about charging your crystals through a window.
3) Sunshine
And also as previously mentioned, we can also place the crystal under direct sunlight to charge it, but do this only for a few hours.
The reason why I separated sunlight from moonlight is because we must pay special attention when practicing this method.
Exaggerated exposure to sunlight can result in visible damage to the crystal.
Since some stones when exposed in this way for long periods of time end up fading their color.
4) Crystal cluster
This is a recharging method famous among crystal collectors and it just consists of placing our black obsidian in a larger crystal cluster.
Ideally, the crystal cluster could be Amethyst or clear quartz which, naturally, are crystals with large and powerful healing properties that will help us and our crystal to recharge.
Take a moment to read about which crystals should not be kept together.
5) Earth connection
And our list could not miss the connection with planet earth and mother nature, this link that even us humans need to live a life of harmony.
And just as we, when walking in a green meadow, feel in tune with nature and recharge our energies and absorb the natural energy of the Earth.
In the case of black obsidian, if we bury it even superficially in our gardens, it will also absorb the energy which in fact was and is the womb of its respective, thus being recharged.
How often should I cleanse and charge black obsidian?
Well, the frequency with which you cleanse and charge a crystal is very subjective as it depends on how often you use the crystal.
In this case black obsidian and its energies or how often the crystal’s energies collide with ours.
In general, I would say that, in case we use Black obsidian frequently in energy, protection or meditation practices, perhaps it is ideal to charge and cleanse our stone every two weeks or when we ourselves feel (if we feel) the energy of the obsidian extinguish.
In case the black obsidian is only used occasionally, then I would say that it is ok if we only cleanse and charge the crystal once a month.
However, if we want to be safer, we can do it after each use we give it.
On the other hand, is this a crystal that you carry somewhere that you know for sure has a particularly negative or intense energy to which our stone is exposed?
In this case, forget that you already charged it and cleaned it yesterday or today before this meeting.
You must go back to do it so that the crystal doesn’t get overloaded and even break as a result.
How do I know when my crystal needs to be charged and cleansed?
Here too, everything turns out to be very subjective, as everything depends on our link with the crystal in question.
Therefore, through our intuition and our sensory perception, we are sometimes able to understand the needs of our black obsidian.
However, let’s see some signs that could also be indicative of this.
To begin with, if we have an intuition very inclined towards the needs of the crystal or dreams directed towards the same topic, we must consider these two events.
We must always trust our intuition and our instincts.
Therefore, as soon as we feel that the energy of the crystal seems to be displaced and does not seem to align with our intentions anymore, it is time to take care of it.
Just as if when holding the crystal in our hands we feel a heavy energy or in general if we feel that the crystal is less vibrant than usual. This could be a sign of accumulated and stagnant negative energy that needs to be deactivated.
Finally, some crystals, in addition to becoming ineffective, still show physical changes when they need to be cared for.
Therefore may appear to be duller, more sticky or even in general may have changed their physical appearance.
Can my crystals break during the charging and cleansing process?
The answer is yes, crystals can break during these processes. Especially if they are subjected to sudden changes in temperature or physical stress.
In view of this, let’s see some measures to take when cleansing and charging our crystal so that we can minimize this risk.
To begin with, as I have already mentioned, you must be aware of extreme temperatures. Therefore, it is not advisable to charge and cleanse a crystal in direct sunlight on hot days.
Furthermore, you must also be gentle with our crystal and be careful when handling it in order to prevent physical stress such as falls or impacts.
Crystals that are not polished must be taken care of with extra attention as they may already have natural fractures, which make them more fragile and prone to breakage.
Finally, in the cleansing process, especially when using water, you must always use water that is at room temperature.
But, if you are really worried about the possible breakage of our crystal, you can always wrap the stone in a soft cloth to proceed with the cleansing and charging of the crystal.
Before you leave, take a moment to also learn how to charge your rose quartz.
Final Words
During the writing of this article and for so many times I talk about black obsidian as an object and not only about black obsidian as a stone with metaphysical properties.
I realized that many times, our beliefs blind the one that does not cease to be a reality. The reality is that these stones do not cease to be objects despite their properties.
As we know, objects break, some cannot be exposed to the sun, others to water, others to chemicals and the same applies to crystals.
And therefore, in conclusion, obviously, to contribute to the long durability of a stone and to its good performance, we cannot forget that it is an object that, above all, needs to be cared for with kindness and according to its requirements.
