Gemstones of the Zodiac - Part 9 - Onyx

Welcome to Part 9 of our “Gemstones of the Zodiac” series.
The ninth sign of the Zodiac is Sagittarius (November 22 - December 20).  The Mystical Zodiac stone for Sagittarius is Onyx.

History/Mythology

Onyx is a Greek word that means the nail from a finger (or claw).  According to legend, Cupid cut the fingernail of Venus while she was sleeping on the banks of the Indus River, and they fell into the water.  Because no part of a God or Goddess can every really die, these fingernails settled on the bottom of the river, and were turned to stone, thus giving birth to onyx.

Onyx is from the microcrystalline quartz family knows as chalcedony.  Chalcedony gets its name from Calcedon, a port town on the Marmara Sea in Asia, where the stone was first discovered.  These days, onyx is mined not only in India, but in Brazil, Uruguay and California.

While most people associate onyx with being black, there are multiple colors of onyx, including white, red and green.

Onyx Properties


Black Onyx

Black onyx, due to its ability to absorb light, is looked at as one of the more powerful protection stones.  It is a root chakra stone, which helps keep you grounded and focused.  Onyx has a strong association with Saturn, so those with Saturn in your birth charts (Capricorns especially, but not solely) might want to look to onyx for protection. 

Based on the myth of Cupid and Venus, onyx is believed to add to the belief of the life cycle, in that death is not looked at as final, but merely party of a cycle of continuing life.  This is why mediums look to black onyx to help connect to the spiritual realm.

On the more physical plane, black onyx is looked at to help increase strength, stamina, energy and self control.  It is also thought to lessen tensions, worries, and can help quell confusion and bad dreams.


White Onyx

White onyx balances the system by tying the root chakra to the crown chakra.  So, while the root chakra will keep you grounded,  the crown chakra ties you to the heavenly.  This further enforces the concept of the continual life cycle, and how death is not a finality, but a phase.  Think of it as a continual sense of renewal, a continual balancing of your energies.


Red Onyx

Like black onyx, red onyx is also tied to the root chakra, and is a grounding stone.

Green Onyx

 

Green onyx is for the heart chakra, which is about connection, transformation, and powerful healing.  It is the center of the conscious and spiritual. It helps bridge the three chakra above it with the three below it.

Combining Onyx With Other Stones

Since onyx is not only a protection stone, but also a grounding stone, it is a great stone to combine with other stones, depending on what you want to achieve.

Tiger eye is also from the chalcedony family, which, like onyx, works for people with Saturn in their birth chart (including, but not limited to, Capricorns).  The combination should help you not only stay grounded, but draw that energy further up your chakras, and give you strength to channel that groundedness into power.  As a Capricorn myself, onyx and tiger eye has always been my favorite combination, and I use it together often in pieces such as these:

Onyx and Tiger Eye

That piece above is one of my personal talismans.

For those seeking a more feminine approach:

Onyx and Tiger Eye Flower Necklace

 As you may remember from our story on agate, like onyx, is good for balance and strength.  You can channel them together in a piece such as this:

Onyx and Agate Necklace

 Cleanse and Purify Your Stones

For information on how to cleanse your stones, see this wonderful article published recently on Mind Body Spirit Odyssey.

You can read Giani's Tarot reviews in the Review section of this blog.

This is the ninth article in this wonderful series, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more

 in the upcoming months!  I thank Giani

 for his wonderful continued contributions to Mind Body Spirit Odyssey. 

The beautiful jewelry pictured above can be found in Giani's website and on CraftStar.

                                                                                  

 ~ diane

  

Series Article Part 1 - Opals 

Series Article Part 2 - Sapphire

Series Article 3 - Amethyst

Series Article 4 - Moonstone

Series Article 5 - Diamonds 

Series Article 6 - Agate 

Series Article 7 - Jasper

Series Article 8 - Pearl

Series Article 10 - Emerald

  

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