Ruby Meaning | Crystal for Emotional Strength & More! [Crystal Confab Podcast]

A stone used for millennia in both toolmaking and ritual, Black Obsidian is a form of naturally occurring glass, formed when volcanic lava cools rapidly. It's a powerful stone known for its ability to reveal hidden truths, dissolve energetic blockages, and support deep emotional healing. Whether used for energy clearing, scrying, or shadow work, the healing properties of Black Obsidian carry profound potential for clarity, transformation and empowerment. In this post, we’ll explore how to work with the raw, untamed power of Black Obsidian to help you navigate deep healing and uncover your most authentic self. A Crystal Message about the Healing Properties of Black Obsidian: "I consciously tap into divine wisdom and knowledge and embrace my intuition and inner knowing."     Common Healing Properties of Black Obsidian: Promotes energetic protection Reveals the truth in any situation Exposes areas of yourself that need growth and development Blocks negative energies from entering your auric field Enhances grounding Banishes negative energy Brings peace and calming Encourages living in a virtuous manner Increases courage Encourages personal growth Facilitates compassion Enhances accuracy in scrying divination Aids in acceptance of your weaknesses so that you can begin to heal and correct them Helps you to address issues of control and power struggles Enhances the experience of ceremonies and rituals Removes negative thought patterns and conditioning     Black Obsidian Companions: Colors: Opaque black (sometimes with transparent banding) with a glassy surface. Zodiac Signs: Capricorn, Scorpio Elements: Earth, Fire Companion Flowers: Fireweed Companion Essential Oil: Camphor Companion Stone: Howlite Common Origins: Mexico Notes: A natural volcanic glass. Wanna’ Get Science-y? Click Here to get information about the chemical composition, hardness, streak, etc. of this crystal from one of my favorite sites!   One way to work with the Healing Properties of Black Obsidian: Scrying Divination Obsidian mirrors, made by polishing thin slices of Obsidian into mirror-like discs, serve as potent tools for scrying divination. With their glassy, reflective surfaces, Obsidian mirrors provide a gateway to the realm of the subconscious. These mirrors give you the ability to look at yourself, so you are better able to reflect on your life paths, your behaviors, and your identity.     Obsidian mirrors have been esteemed for their connection to the underworld and the spiritual realm. In the last few years, the popularity of Obsidian mirrors has surged again, but they have long served as tools for scrying divination. Practitioners like John Dee, the famous crystallomancer, worked with one of these mirrors in his scrying practice to communicate with otherworldly entities and gain profound insights. By gazing into obsidian mirrors, you can receive messages from your intuition, your guides, and your ancestors as part of your crystal scrying practice. If you’d like to stick with natural stones, rather than glass mirrors for your work in divination with crystals, a Black Obsidian tumbled stone or small palm stone will also work well as a scrying tool, and these are typically much more affordable than the round disc-shaped mirrors.   The staff at my new age shop, Mimosa Books & Gifts, had this to share: Obsidian is the most abundant form of naturally occurring glass, the result of volcanic lava cooling quickly. Technically obsidian may have any composition, but usually, it’s a glass with inclusions of hematite and rhyolite. Because it’s easy to chip and forms a sharp point, it has been an invaluable material for toolmaking throughout history, thus contributing to the evolution of the human race’s evolution.

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #26 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Ruby meaning, including: Ruby and lookalikes throughout history Ruby for confidence Emotional strength with Ruby   Tune in now for a deeper look at Ruby meaning! Are you interested in becoming a Certified Crystal Healer? Find out more about the CCH and Advanced Crystal Practitioner Program HERE!

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #25 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Pietersite meaning, including: Pietersite and New Moon in Aries High magic and Pietersite Being in the 'eye of the storm' with Pietersite Formation and energy of Pietersite   Tune in now for a deeper look at Pietersite meaning! Are you interested in becoming a Certified Crystal Healer? Find out more about the CCH and Advanced Crystal Practitioner Program HERE!

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #24 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Red Garnet meaning, including: Red Garnet for tuning into Mabon energies Powerful & protective nurturing with Red Garnet Red Garnet's connection to Goddess Brigid The chemistry and energy of Red Garnet   Tune in now for a deeper look at Red Garnet meaning! Are you interested in becoming a Certified Crystal Healer? Find out more about the CCH and Advanced Crystal Practitioner Program HERE!

If you’ve been working with crystals for a while, you’ve probably heard that they need to be charged—kind of like little energetic batteries that run out of juice. Traditionally, people believed that a crystal’s energy could get depleted over time, and charging was the way to refresh it. But over the years, I’ve come to see things a little differently. In this post, I’ll share my take on charging crystals, why I still do it (but for a different reason!), and how to charge crystals to align their energy with your intentions. Traditional Thoughts on Charging Crystals: Traditionally, the concept of charging crystals was taught because it was thought that a crystal's energy could become depleted over time. Charging was the method used to replenish the crystal's energy so that it could continue to work effectively. Basically, crystals were treated like batteries that were drained of their energy and then "re-charged" to energize them again. If a crystal didn't feel the same or work quite the same any longer, then it was recommended to charge the stone. Some people also viewed this as a necessary step after cleansing, because they believed that the cleansing process removed ALL energy from the stone.   My View on Charging Crystals: In my experience crystals don't need to be charged the same way they need to be cleansed. A crystal doesn't actually lose its energy over time just because you've worked with it - it's not like a battery as we were made to think. If the energy of your stone feels "off" to you, it likely just needs a good cleansing. If that doesn't help, it could just be that the stone is no longer needed - that it has served its purpose and it's giving you a subtle hint to move on. I still charge my crystals, but instead of doing this to replenish their energy, I think of it as a way to add to it...a way to further define and align the energy of the stone with your intention. Each method of charging adds its own energetic imprint to the crystal, so you should decide which type of energy you would like to work with and then charge your stone using a corresponding method. How to Charge Crystals: Common Methods Sunlight Wheel of the Year Holidays Solar and Lunar Eclipses Pyramids Quartz Crystal Charging Grids & Numerology Seeds Flowers Herbs Water Snow Rain & Storms Fog   How to Charge Crystals: My Top 3 Favorite Ways 1) Charging with the Sun: When charging your crystals with the energy of the Sun, place your crystal outdoors or on the windowsill and leave them there all day (or a minimum of 2-3 hours). Many healers prefer to place their crystals outside on the ground (where they have direct contact with the earth), but if this isn't possible, placing them in a windowsill is also acceptable. To assist the process further when working with the Solar holidays (Holy Days), you can set your stone atop a picture of the Wheel of the Year on the corresponding day. In general, this method of charging is connected with personal power, good luck, vitality, and with the fire element.   2) Charging with the Moon: When charging your crystals with the energy of the Moon phases, place your crystal outdoors or on the windowsill and leave it in there overnight. Many healers prefer to place their crystals outside on the ground (where they have direct contact with the earth), but if this isn't possible, placing them in a windowsill is also acceptable. To assist the process further, you can set your stone atop a picture of the corresponding moon phase.   3) Charging With Herbs (Fresh or Dried): Place your crystal in a container (preferably wood, glass, or ceramic) filled with leaves (any type will do, but specific types will carry the energy of that plant) and leave it there overnight. It's best to completely cover the stone with the leaves. When using fresh leaves, this method of charging is connected with the property of new beginnings and with sp...

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #23 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Bloodstone meaning, including: Bloodstone for ancestral connection Mobilising defenses with Bloodstone What your body needs & Bloodstone Bloodstone & Blood Moon in Virgo   Tune in now for a deeper look at Bloodstone meaning! Are you interested in becoming a Certified Crystal Healer? Find out more about the CCH and Advanced Crystal Practitioner Program HERE!

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #22 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Turquoise meaning, including: Allowing rather than pushing with Turquoise Turquoise & the air element Integration of spiritual information with Turquoise History, folklore and geology of Turquoise   Tune in now for a deeper look at Turquoise meaning! Are you interested in becoming a Certified Crystal Healer? Find out more about the CCH and Advanced Crystal Practitioner Program HERE!

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #21 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Rhodonite meaning, including: Venus Retrograde & Rhodonite Rhodonite for friendship & new beginnings Creating emotional transformation with Rhodonite Rhodonite for living authentically   Tune in now for a deeper look at Rhodonite Meaning! Are you interested in becoming a Certified Crystal Healer? Find out more about the CCH and Advanced Crystal Practitioner Program HERE!

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #20 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Danburite meaning, including: Full Moon in Leo & Danburite Danburite to clarify Spiritual & Psychic info Finding your inner light and what sparks your passion and purpose with Danburite Danburite and spiritual ecosystems   Tune in now for a deeper look at Danburite Meaning! Are you interested in becoming a Certified Crystal Healer? Find out more about the CCH and Advanced Crystal Practitioner Program HERE!

You may (or may not) know this about me, but in addition to teaching classes with the Love & Light School, I also own a crystal shop here in Madison, Wisconsin. Each year, I travel to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show for my shop, Mimosa Books & Gifts, with a small team — myself, my shop manager, and our shipping manager — to pick out some amazing crystal treasures from across the globe. Big shows like this can be intimidating, so I've put together this helpful Tucson Gem Show Guide to use when attending! Last year, I wrote a short article with some Tucson Gem Show Tips and some helpful information about spotting crystal fakes, but with more and more people starting their own crystal shops (either in-person or online), I have been getting more questions than ever about how it all works! This year, I've broken down our entire experience into a handy Tucson Gem Show guide, to give you a look behind the curtain at the show, or help you plan your own trip!   2025 Tucson Gem Show Highlights: Before we dig into the specifics of how to shop a show like Tucson, I thought I’d share some notable highlights from the 2025 show: Favorite Crystal Find: Botryoidal Malachite with Druzy Quartz coating from DRC Best-Quality Gems: Stunning Rhodolite Garnet mini palm stones from India Most Unexpected Find: Bronze Sapphire from India Most Expensive Thing: Pyrite Cannonball with Ammonite Fossil inside from Yorkshire, UK! Best Value: Gemmy Lepidolite palm stones from Brazil (got these for a great price!) Most Beautiful Find: Chrysocolla with Cobaltoan Calcite crystals growing on it from DRC Most Outrageous Fake: Fake Ruby being sold as natural Best Jewelry Item: Incredibly gorgeous Hypersthene pendant Popular Trends: Ethically-sourced crystals on the rise plus BIG variety of spheres this year! Declining Trends: Mass-produced carvings of all types (multiple vendors reported a huge decline in sales)...especially those of poor quality Best New Vendor: Obsidian Opal Geode Agate by Carlos Eduardo Rios (GORGEOUS Obsidian plus the most beautiful Huichol artwork with hand-written poetry!) And with that little wrap-up, let’s dig into our Tucson Gem Show strategy from start to finish! Travel Planning for the Tucson Gem Show: We usually start planning and preparations for the Tucson Show in November or December (the show begins in late January, so this gives us a month or two to make our plans). This is when we book our airfare, rental car, and house for our trip. There’s quite a bit to consider about each of these things when planning your travel… Booking Airfare: After many years of going to the show, we have learned to give ourselves as much space as possible with our flights to make the most of our time in Tucson. On the way out, we catch an early flight (the day before one of the biggest shows opens up), so we have time to settle in (more about that later). On the way home, however, we book a late afternoon flight so we have time to run any last-minute errands, squeeze in some extra shopping, and get to the airport with minimal stress and lots of time to spare. I'd also highly recommend giving yourself extra space for any layovers you may have so you don't miss your connecting flights. We missed our flight this year due to mechanical issues with our flight and got stuck overnight in Dallas (which was very expensive!). Booking a Rental Car: The Tucson Gem Show is one place where having a bigger vehicle comes in handy. We usually rent a small to mid-sized SUV so we have lots of space for hauling minerals and luggage. With 3 of us attending the show, we need the luggage space getting from the airport to our rented house, and there are always a couple of days when we shop so heavily that nearly every free inch of the car is filled with boxes of crystals. We typically rent a hybrid vehicle to save on gas, but a big car is a must for our little team. Renting a House: