Uses of Stones in Witchcraft: Black Onyx by Gaia IvoryWitch©
One of my pastimes is collecting and working with stones. Most people who know me, know my affection for herbs, both growing and using them, and stones, being of the Earth go hand in hand with herbal usage. But there are uses for both herbs and stones that have nothing to do with each other. The use of stones goes back before recorded history. They’ve been employed in just about any application you can think of from the ordinary protection of one’s person to set in jewelry for ritual purposes to being used as decorative motifs.
One of my absolute favorite stones, both for its appearance and its multitude of uses, is Black Onyx. Now, paranoid people get put off by most anything black, cats, clothes, and stones are no exception. But black is a repository for power and energy. It is also a powerful protective mantle for the Witch. If you know someone that is particularly repelled by the use of or people wearing Black Onyx, you would do well to steer clear of their influence. Onyx is above all a protective stone, a boundary ward that makes those who suck your energy very uncomfortable to the point that they may want to avoid you. Combined with the use of a mirror and the color purple or other stones such as garnets in spellwork, and you have yourself a powerful protective talisman. So you can imagine my surprise when I heard of someone speak of Black Onyx as 'an evil stone'.
But, let’s not take MY humble word for it, let’s look at the use of Black Onyx throughout history and around the world to get a better idea of its uses. Onyx is in the quartz family (probably another reason I love it so much!) commonly referred to as Chalcedony or Banded Chalcedony. Red banded chalcedony is known as Sardonyx. True black onyx is becoming rare. Most Black Onyx sold these days is dyed. It’s important to know the source of the stones you employ, so that you know you’ve actually got the correct stone. Onyx can be a variety of colors, from white to tan to red (Sardonyx) but you won’t see shades of blue or purple for the mineral deposits that cause that color of crystalline structures are not present in onyx. Onyx, as I stated, can be and often is, dyed. Agates and quartzes are particularly easy to radiate and color, hence all the nice agate bookends and slices made into earrings you see for sale.
Classically attributed to the element of Fire, more recently Black Onyx is sometimes called the “Stone of Self Mastery” and is used in a lot of New Age oriented 12 step programs, employed as the First Step stone, as it enhances steadfastness and determination and keeping one’s mind on task. When you’re dealing with sobriety issues, it pays to have your mind centered and settled! It’s a good stone for grounding and helping people ‘let go’ of past attachments to things that no longer serve. It is secondarily attributed to Earth energy and its planetary vibration is towards Saturn and it is zodiacally attributed to Capricorn. I think this makes total sense as the stone is one of the more powerful ones I’ve found for grounding and centering.
I’ve also used it for a creativity spell with rose oil by just dropping a small stone into the oil and allowing to charge in full moon light. Black Onyx can be used to deflect OR absorb negativity of others so it is valuable as a protection from those who might siphon off your energy. For those in recovery, it is combined with Amethyst (another quartz favorite!). It absorbs and flattens out emotional intensity, and aids in centering and alignment with one’s Higher Power. It is also useful in repelling other people’s negative energy or ideas.
Egyptians believed it could cool the ardor between lovers to the point of separation. This is probably due to the great effectiveness of the stone in mastering sexual energy and impulses. For this purpose, I would combine it, like Cunningham suggests, as a setting for a diamond (sexual power) indicating self mastery over this energy. It has been used as an aid to keep one’s lover faithful while separated, but this is an unnatural application for the stone because it is for the betterment of the WEARER, not for the person who might give it as a gift or shun it when worn by others.
It’s a good stone to promote detachment in matters where your heart can run away against your head’s better ideas! Carrying a small nugget can help you remain steadfast in when faced with temptations to sabotage your sobriety or determination. In the Middle East it is used as a ‘worry stone’. In India, the stone is used to ward off the Evil Eye! You can sometimes find those silver palms set with a black onyx, or made entirely of black onyx with a diamond in the center. Add to that, it makes stunning jewelry pieces. Here are a few photographs I found while searching forjewelry made from Black onyx:
Here I found a photograph of a lovely black onyx ring set with a garnet…I just might have to buy that! Here's a link to the site:
http://www.heavenlytreasures.com/331cc21r.html :
This photo shows the whitish inclusions that can sometimes be found in good quality black onyx:
If your onyx is completely black, you can pretty much guarantee it has been dyed and is not natural black onyx. Most jewelry pieces of black onyx are usually fashioned in cabochons, however you can sometimes find it faceted and set as a focal stone.
In 12 Step Programs, it is also a 3rd step stone in aiding one’s determination to stay sober and to remain unaffected around friends who formerly were threats to one’s sobriety. It’s also a good repellent for those who are shall we say, are bit too persistent in their sexual attentions when you’d rather not be bothered. It’s a protection stone, plain and simple. Its grounding influences are attached to the
first and fifth chakras. The root chakra governing the survival force or sexual energy, and the throat chakra for healing purposes and giving one’s voice the strength to speak for oneself over the attempted control of others. It is also indicated for the clearance of upper respiratory problems, disorders of the feet, epilepsy, glaucoma and damage on the cellular level. I knew a woman who wore onyx earrings set in silver, copper and gold to assist in keeping her balance after a stroke. I’ve seen magnets also employed in this fashion.
For ‘anti-bewitchment’ black onyx was one of five stones employed in ancient Mesopotamia for dealing with an encounter with evil socery. The stones were crushed together, blended with olive, castor and cypress oils, left out over night at an auspicious time to absorb moon and starlight and then the resulting charged oil was rubbed on the body for protection. So, before you dismiss something just because it’s black, remember the power and assistance that a steadfast, grounding can give you. Also remember that the power to repel OR absorb makes this stone a two way street. Program it carefully for protection and you can offer those who would sap your energy a brick wall with which to deal!
Sources:
http://www.sobrietystones.com/resources/GemBook/Stones/meanings_gemstones_onyx.htm
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic by Scott Cunningham
http://www.jewellery-art.co.uk/gemstone-meanings.html
The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, by Judika Illes
One of my absolute favorite stones, both for its appearance and its multitude of uses, is Black Onyx. Now, paranoid people get put off by most anything black, cats, clothes, and stones are no exception. But black is a repository for power and energy. It is also a powerful protective mantle for the Witch. If you know someone that is particularly repelled by the use of or people wearing Black Onyx, you would do well to steer clear of their influence. Onyx is above all a protective stone, a boundary ward that makes those who suck your energy very uncomfortable to the point that they may want to avoid you. Combined with the use of a mirror and the color purple or other stones such as garnets in spellwork, and you have yourself a powerful protective talisman. So you can imagine my surprise when I heard of someone speak of Black Onyx as 'an evil stone'.
But, let’s not take MY humble word for it, let’s look at the use of Black Onyx throughout history and around the world to get a better idea of its uses. Onyx is in the quartz family (probably another reason I love it so much!) commonly referred to as Chalcedony or Banded Chalcedony. Red banded chalcedony is known as Sardonyx. True black onyx is becoming rare. Most Black Onyx sold these days is dyed. It’s important to know the source of the stones you employ, so that you know you’ve actually got the correct stone. Onyx can be a variety of colors, from white to tan to red (Sardonyx) but you won’t see shades of blue or purple for the mineral deposits that cause that color of crystalline structures are not present in onyx. Onyx, as I stated, can be and often is, dyed. Agates and quartzes are particularly easy to radiate and color, hence all the nice agate bookends and slices made into earrings you see for sale.
Classically attributed to the element of Fire, more recently Black Onyx is sometimes called the “Stone of Self Mastery” and is used in a lot of New Age oriented 12 step programs, employed as the First Step stone, as it enhances steadfastness and determination and keeping one’s mind on task. When you’re dealing with sobriety issues, it pays to have your mind centered and settled! It’s a good stone for grounding and helping people ‘let go’ of past attachments to things that no longer serve. It is secondarily attributed to Earth energy and its planetary vibration is towards Saturn and it is zodiacally attributed to Capricorn. I think this makes total sense as the stone is one of the more powerful ones I’ve found for grounding and centering.
I’ve also used it for a creativity spell with rose oil by just dropping a small stone into the oil and allowing to charge in full moon light. Black Onyx can be used to deflect OR absorb negativity of others so it is valuable as a protection from those who might siphon off your energy. For those in recovery, it is combined with Amethyst (another quartz favorite!). It absorbs and flattens out emotional intensity, and aids in centering and alignment with one’s Higher Power. It is also useful in repelling other people’s negative energy or ideas.
Egyptians believed it could cool the ardor between lovers to the point of separation. This is probably due to the great effectiveness of the stone in mastering sexual energy and impulses. For this purpose, I would combine it, like Cunningham suggests, as a setting for a diamond (sexual power) indicating self mastery over this energy. It has been used as an aid to keep one’s lover faithful while separated, but this is an unnatural application for the stone because it is for the betterment of the WEARER, not for the person who might give it as a gift or shun it when worn by others.
It’s a good stone to promote detachment in matters where your heart can run away against your head’s better ideas! Carrying a small nugget can help you remain steadfast in when faced with temptations to sabotage your sobriety or determination. In the Middle East it is used as a ‘worry stone’. In India, the stone is used to ward off the Evil Eye! You can sometimes find those silver palms set with a black onyx, or made entirely of black onyx with a diamond in the center. Add to that, it makes stunning jewelry pieces. Here are a few photographs I found while searching forjewelry made from Black onyx:
Here I found a photograph of a lovely black onyx ring set with a garnet…I just might have to buy that! Here's a link to the site:
http://www.heavenlytreasures.com/331cc21r.html :
This photo shows the whitish inclusions that can sometimes be found in good quality black onyx:
If your onyx is completely black, you can pretty much guarantee it has been dyed and is not natural black onyx. Most jewelry pieces of black onyx are usually fashioned in cabochons, however you can sometimes find it faceted and set as a focal stone.
In 12 Step Programs, it is also a 3rd step stone in aiding one’s determination to stay sober and to remain unaffected around friends who formerly were threats to one’s sobriety. It’s also a good repellent for those who are shall we say, are bit too persistent in their sexual attentions when you’d rather not be bothered. It’s a protection stone, plain and simple. Its grounding influences are attached to the
first and fifth chakras. The root chakra governing the survival force or sexual energy, and the throat chakra for healing purposes and giving one’s voice the strength to speak for oneself over the attempted control of others. It is also indicated for the clearance of upper respiratory problems, disorders of the feet, epilepsy, glaucoma and damage on the cellular level. I knew a woman who wore onyx earrings set in silver, copper and gold to assist in keeping her balance after a stroke. I’ve seen magnets also employed in this fashion.
For ‘anti-bewitchment’ black onyx was one of five stones employed in ancient Mesopotamia for dealing with an encounter with evil socery. The stones were crushed together, blended with olive, castor and cypress oils, left out over night at an auspicious time to absorb moon and starlight and then the resulting charged oil was rubbed on the body for protection. So, before you dismiss something just because it’s black, remember the power and assistance that a steadfast, grounding can give you. Also remember that the power to repel OR absorb makes this stone a two way street. Program it carefully for protection and you can offer those who would sap your energy a brick wall with which to deal!
Sources:
http://www.sobrietystones.com/resources/GemBook/Stones/meanings_gemstones_onyx.htm
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic by Scott Cunningham
http://www.jewellery-art.co.uk/gemstone-meanings.html
The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, by Judika Illes