Apache Tear Obsidian Meaning

Apache Tear Obsidian is highly recommended during times of grief. It can be used around the clock, for weeks, months or even years. Hold the Apache Tear and let the grief flow through you and into the stone. Sometimes the grief is sadness, at other times it might be expressed as anger, numbness or confusion. It doesn’t matter how it expresses, or whether it is loud or quiet, the grief can always be poured into the Apache Tear and be exchanged for comfort and grounding. Apache Tear has an extraordinary capacity for holding emotions and doesn’t need to be cleansed or recharged like other stones. Instead it can simply hold the energy, allowing us to lean on it energetically without judgement. The value in this is that it gives us space to grief and doesn’t rush the process. When we prematurely bury grief, it often leads to new problems down the road. So it is better to process the grief, regardless of how long it takes or how awkward it might feel. When grieving is over, some people may want to return the Apache Tear back to Mother Earth, either by burying it or putting it in a natural body of water. For some griefs, the pain never goes away entirely. In such cases, the Apache Tear may be put away for most days, but taken back out during anniversaries or whenever the pain resurfaces. Ultimately, however, Apache Tear’s goal is to help us to accept the new reality and find our way back to peace.

Apache Tear Obsidian inspires emotional intelligence, especially in regards to the complexity of sadness and grieving. For anyone who has buried grief, out of shame or fear, Apache Tear helps us to gently unbury the pain so we can understand it, heal it and release it. It is an excellent stone to take to therapy or whenever we are trying to understand our negative emotions. It helps us feel safe enough to talk about the hardest memories and feelings. It offers a steady rock to cling to, when intense emotions threaten to sweep us away. Apache Tear shushes any judgmental voices that tell us that we “shouldn’t feel like that” or “shouldn’t act like that” or “shouldn’t feel that this long” or “should have felt that longer”. Apache Tear replaces those unhelpful “shoulds and should nots”, with a very helpful acceptance that grief is a child of love. Like any child, it deserves to be treated kindly and wisely.

Let’s find a pretty Obsidian for you

Apache Tear Obsidian is recommended when grief has assaulted our body and we feel it as a physical pain. The pain may be expressed in different ways depending on how a person processes grief. It can be a sharp pain or a dull pain, or fluctuate between the two. For some people it will be felt more acutely at the initial moment of grief and then subside, for others the physical affects may not appear until long after the shock has worn off. Anyone who feels as though they might die of a broken heart or feels their life has been reduced to a gray shadow world, would do well to hold tight to an Apache Tear. It is extremely comforting and non-judgmental and can help us to process our grief in a healthy way. This in turn reduces physical problems associated with grief, such as higher blood pressure, vulnerability to infections, inflammation, fatigue, etc.

Obsidian is found all over the world wherever volcanic activity has occurred.  Apache Tear Obsidian is a variety of black, sometimes translucent, Obsidian that is found only in the southwest United States and northern Mexico, in the historical territory of the Apache Tribe.

Apache Tear Obsidian may be found on the surface of the Earth and requires little to no mining to extract.  Some of it is found scattered across the desert, while large piles can be found in the tailings of old mines for Copper, Silver and other precious and industrial minerals

Obsidian is a natural stone, enhanced only by  cutting and polishing.  The variety known as Apache Tear is often translucent when polished.

Obsidian is an igneous rock that forms immediately following a volcanic eruption.  When molten magna reaches the surface of the earth it becomes lava.  If the eruption is small, the lava may remain inside a volcano’s caldera, bubbling and glowing.  But if the eruption is large enough, the lava can escape the caldera and flow downhill like a river. As it travels away from the hot spot inside the volcano, the lava cools down and eventually hardens into various rocks.  To create Obsidian, the lava must solidify so quickly that there is no time for mineral crystals to grow within it.  Obsidian is sometimes referred as “volcanic glass” due to its glass-like texture. It is typically jet black, but minor mineral inclusions can create colorful patterns.

Apache Tear Obsidian’s energy works well with its family – other igneous rocks.  Try it in combination with Chinese Writing Stone, Garnierite, Indigo Gabbro, Moonstone Tourmaline, Preseli Bluestone, and Unakite.  For a subtle energy shift, try it with other varieties of Obsidian including Black, Golden Sheen, Mahogany, Rainbow, Silver Sheen, and Snowflake.

Apache Tear Obsidian, Picketpost Mountain, Arizona, USA