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

  

          Follow the daily updates of the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace on Facebook and Tumblr.

 

Cleansing Your Healing Stones, Crystals and Gemstones Using Selenite

A few years ago when I was on vacation I stopped in a shop that carried a large selection of healing stones and crystals.  While I was looking around, I overheard a woman talking to the shopkeeper about a pendulum she had been using that no longer seemed to be working correctly.  The shopkeeper asked the woman when was the last time she had cleansed the pendulum; that was most likely the problem.  After the customer left I went up to the shopkeeper and asked her to explain to me what she had been talking about - cleansing the stones?  I wasn't familiar with the importance of clearing and cleansing stones, how to do it, or what to use.  After our discussion the shopkeeper gave me a bag of ground Selenite to try for free.  She told me put it on my dresser and at night to put my jewelry into it so that it can cleanse and re-charge.  I have, and doing a nightly cleansing has really made a difference in how the pieces feel and react.

Depending on their usage, crystals and healing stones can become drained of their energies.  They can also pick up undesirable energies.  For example a stone like turquoise, which is often worn to absorb negative energy, can become saturated like a sponge, holding on to the negative energies that are not wanted.  One of the easiest ways to cleanse or re-charge a stone or crystal is to place it in or on top of a piece of Selenite.  The Selenite will cleanse the stone by drawing out the unwanted energy and re-charge it to it's original state.  In addition to becoming cleansed and re-charged, stones left sitting on Selenite for long periods of time can actually become highly charged.

Since receiving and using my bag/bowl of ground Selenite, I've found the mineral available for sale online in some other forms too.  One is a rock-like formation (shown above), which is actually very attractive.  This piece also easily ends itself to having bracelets and pendants draped over it.

I also ran across a nice slab or sheet of Selenite in a metaphysical shop in town recently.  It's perfect for holding bracelets or even long strings of stones or necklaces.  The shopkeeper in this shop explained to me how the Selenite slab can also be used as a wand to help cleanse or brush off the aura and ground  energy by waving scraping it downward from the crown of the head to the ground.
She also pointed out that in addition to it's cleansing properties, Selenite vibrates at a very high frequency and that it promotes intellectual clarity and competency.

If you don't have access to a piece of Selenite, another way to cleanse your stones is by running them under water.  Some sources say cold water others say warm water.  You may want to do some additional research before you try it, but regardless I would rinse them at least once a month, if not more.

No matter what you decide to do, you really should utilize some method on a regular basis to clean your stones, crystals and gemstones.  Also, whenever you receive a new crystal, stone, or piece of jewelry you should cleanse it before you even consider wearing it or having in your room or on your alter space.  Stones and crystals, their energies, and how they hold and absorb other energies is a fascinating topic to read about.  As with many things I study, my knowledge base continues to grow everyday and I'm always learning something new and interesting.  I hope you are too.

~ diane fergurson



One good online sources for stones, crystals and gemstones:  Alli Pacha Shamanic Healing Arts

          Follow the daily updates of the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace 
on Facebook
and 
Pinterest