Obsidian and Chakras: The Complete Guide

Obsidian and chakras: how it works

In Indian tradition, the chakras are seven energy centres running along the spine, from the base of the pelvis to the crown of the head. Each carries a colour, an element and an area of life: security, creativity, willpower, love, speech, intuition, and the connection to something larger than oneself.

In crystal healing, stones are linked to chakras by colour and energetic correspondence. That is where obsidian holds a place of its own: it is dark, dense, born of volcanic fire and then frozen by the cold. I tell that story in my article on how obsidian is formed.

This darkness makes it a stone that pulls downward, in the best sense: towards the ground, the body, the concrete. That is why its true home, if I can put it that way, is the very first centre, the root chakra. Other associations exist, but they run through the varieties: the golden veil, the blue-tinted sheen, the iridescence. You will find them all in my guide to the types of obsidian.

The 7-chakra table for obsidian

An overview, from the most earthbound to the most subtle:

Root chakra: obsidian's true place

The root chakra (Muladhara) sits at the base of the spine, between the perineum and the tailbone. Its colour is red, its element Earth. It governs the sense of security, stability, and the connection to the body and to matter, the feeling of having your place and standing firm.

When it is out of balance, tradition describes a feeling of floating: diffuse restlessness, anxiety, a sense of being "beside" yourself, difficulty settling. That is exactly the ground black obsidian is said to cover, seen as one of its key stones: dark, dense, of the earth, it is said to act like a quiet weight that pulls you back down.

For the practice itself, guided meditation, visualising roots, step-by-step placement, I have written a whole article on it: meditating with obsidian and working the root chakra. And for the protective side, see obsidian, protection and grounding.

Mahogany obsidian, red-brown from its iron and haematite inclusions, is the second stone of this centre: a touch warmer, a touch less blunt than black, suited to anyone who finds black obsidian too direct.

The other chakras, variety by variety

Above the root, it is the type of obsidian that makes the difference. Here are the correspondences I stand behind, and the ones I am wary of.

Sacral · Mahogany

Vitality, creative drive, returning to the body.

Plexus · Gold sheen

Self-confidence, willpower, the ability to decide.

Heart · Snowflake

Calm, balance, inner reconciliation.

Third eye · Celestial eye

Intuition, clarity, inner sight.

Sacral chakra (Svadhisthana), mahogany obsidian

Sitting below the navel, orange, linked to water, the sacral chakra carries creativity, pleasure and life force. Mahogany obsidian, with its red-brown veining, comes closest to it. Tradition credits it with a warm, earthy energy that helps you move again after a stretch of apathy. It is a good next step after grounding work: settle first, then set off again.

Solar plexus (Manipura), gold sheen obsidian

Yellow, sitting in the pit of the stomach, Manipura is the centre of self-confidence, willpower and self-assertion. Gold sheen obsidian fits it naturally: its golden veil, created by gas bubbles aligned within the glass, evokes exactly that solar warmth. It is the variety I recommend most often to people who struggle to say no, or to take up their space.

Heart (Anahata), snowflake obsidian, indirectly

Let's be honest: the heart chakra, green, calls more naturally for rose quartz or aventurine. Obsidian has no natural place there. Snowflake obsidian is the exception in practice, though: black flecked with white, it symbolises shadow and light living side by side, and is used to soothe and settle. Preparatory work, more than an opening of the heart in the strict sense.

Throat (Vishuddha), beware of false promises

This is the point I want to be very clear about. The throat chakra is blue, and you will see "blue obsidians" marketed as its ideal stone. Those bright, translucent blue pieces are almost always manufactured glass, not natural obsidian. Real obsidian stays dark. If the throat is what you are working on, turn instead to lapis lazuli or aquamarine, and to avoid buying mistakes, read my guide to obsidian price and value.

Third eye (Ajna), celestial eye obsidian

Indigo, at the centre of the forehead, Ajna governs intuition and clarity. Celestial eye obsidian, sold in my shop under the rainbow obsidian range, is the variety most readily linked to it: that blue-violet veil which shifts with the angle evokes an eye opening. It is also the gentlest of the family, a good choice if black obsidian feels too intense.

Crown (Sahasrara), rainbow obsidian

Violet, at the crown of the head, the crown chakra connects to something larger than the self. Rainbow obsidian, with its multicoloured iridescence from aligned magnetite nanoparticles, is sometimes linked to it for the richness of its spectrum. It is the most symbolic pairing of the lot, I see it mainly as a stone of transformation and hope, a reminder that light passes even through the darkest matter.

Obsidian and chakras: where to place your stones

The most common practice is to lie on your back and rest the stone on the relevant chakra area for a few minutes, breathing slowly:

• Root, the stone at the base of the back, near the tailbone, or on the floor between the feet;
• Sacral, on the lower belly, two fingers below the navel;
• Solar plexus, in the pit of the stomach;
• Heart, at the centre of the chest, over the breastbone;
• Third eye, at the centre of the forehead, lying down;
• Crown, placed on the floor, just above the top of the head.

Five to ten minutes is enough to begin with. Consistency matters more than duration. The full run-through of a session is set out in my obsidian meditation article.

Remember to cleanse your stones after these sessions: smoke, a brief rinse in clear water or a quartz cluster, then charge them under the moon. Everything is in my guides to cleaning your obsidian and to cleansing and charging.

Which piece for which chakra

Jewellery has one advantage over a stone laid on the body: it works all day, without you having to think about it. The rule is simple, wear the stone as close as possible to the centre concerned.

• The bracelet and the ring stay close to the body and the hands: ideal for grounding and daily wear;
• a long pendant falls towards the solar plexus;
• a short necklace sits at heart and throat height;
• for the third eye, a stone held in the hand during a session works better than a piece of jewellery.

If you are unsure about sizing, the size guide will help. And to strengthen a particular centre, obsidian pairs very well with other stones: see my guide to crystal pairings with obsidian, including the obsidian and tiger eye duo, remarkable across the root-to-plexus axis.

Precautions & good practice

Obsidian is a direct stone. Tradition describes it as a mirror capable of surfacing what we would rather not look at. In practice: go gradually, keep sessions short, and if a strong emotion comes up, sit with it and stop if you need to. I have written a whole article on this: obsidian, dangers and precautions.

Frequently asked questions