Tom JacobsA number of months ago I looked around to do research on crystals I might use to help with what I now call a “Mars imbalance.” It looked like an anger problem, but I knew that wasn’t the whole story. In recent radio shows (subscribe in iTunes) I’ve discussed how acupuncture has helped me get some much-needed perspective on it, and I’ve been using crystals, too. This post is part of a series to describe my experiences in spending time with different crystals and how they affect me. I know they are potent tools for altering consciousness and this is part of my human experiment to learn about consciousness.
Mahogany obsidian is said to be associated with Pluto, so I knew I had to give it a try. I purchased some scrap pieces to play with – to cut and polish at the local lapidary club. Out of the box, the rough pieces look like this first photo. Coarse black and brown stripes, spots, and splotches is about the sum of it. It’s dull and not very interesting at first glance.
It’s volcanic glass that’s cooled very quickly, which is not apparent to untrained eyes until it’s polished.
When the time was right, I took one scrap piece to the rock shop and worked on it for a bit. I didn’t intend to make it as pretty as possible, but to remove the sharp edges so I could play with it to see what effects it might have. Here’s the piece I’ve been using – it began looking similar to the pieced pictured above:
You can see some areas are still rough, or at least not very polished. But when working with it, I hold it and go about my business or see if I can tune into it. Or I just put it in my pocket and run errands or something.
I had read that, among other things, it helps with inner reflection and developing a sense of personal power. Also, removing blocks and relieving tension. Some of my blocks have to do with feeling disempowered by difficult and annoying circumstances, and I wanted to see if it could support me keeping my focus on what I want and need to do and not becoming derailed by circumstance and my frustration and anger when things go wrong.
The effect is subtle, and seems slow to begin. If I were not paying attention, my left-brain self would never notice this crystal. Some other stones/crystals I sense the effect of right away but this is quiet and gentle.
I’ve been carrying it maybe 4 days each week for 3 weeks, giving it a go but not being with it 24/7. I do notice more calm and the ability to not get sidetracked by little things, yet I know the acupuncture helps that, too. So I’m still in a research mode with it but am to the point at which I do feel tuned into it when I pick it up. Again, it’s subtle and has taken 3 weeks for me to begin to get to know it.
In a sense, it seems to offer an opening in me/my consciousness to be able to see through something – very Plutonian, actually. When teaching about Pluto I always get the image that when we’re doing it right, we’re allowing subtext to become text. That we allow something to come to the surface from underneath it. That thing has been effecting what’s in front of us anyway, so why not let it get some air and be seen and named? Mahogany obsidian at this point seems to create openings gently to see through what’s in front of me so I can see what’s behind or guiding it from under the surface.