posted October 19, 2009 01:25 AM         

I havent been in the best place lately so this was really nice to receive. I thought I'd pass the story along because it might make a nice gift to someone you know as well.

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A voice whispered out of the sky.
As the Great Spirit saw the tears behind her eyes.
And even the Great Spirit let out a sigh.
The moon had barely even slept,
as it listened to her grieving heart that wept,
The sun found them the next day
and formed this gem from tears and clay.
They were so touched by her tears so sincere,
that they called this gem the Apache tear....

Apache tears

are a kind of volcanic black glass. An Apache tear looks opaque until it is held up to light, which reveals it to be translucent. Although black is the most common colour for Apache tears, they can range in colour from black to red to brown.

The name "Apache tear" comes from a legend of the Apache tribe. The stones are supposedly the tears shed by the wives and families of a band of Apache warriors who were killed by the U.S. military in retaliation for their raid on an Arizona settlement.

American singer songwriter Johnny Cash wrote lyrics entitled Apache Tears for his album Bitter Tears (Ballads Of The American Indian).

There is a haunting legend about the Apache tear drop. After the Pinal Apaches had made several raids on a settlement in Arizona, the military regulars and some volunteers trailed the tracks of the stolen cattle and waited for dawn to attack the Apaches. The Apaches, confident in the safety of their location, were completely surprised and out-numbered in the attack. Nearly 50 of the band of 75 Apaches were killed in the first volley of shots. The rest of the Tribe retreated to the cliff's edge and chose death by leaping over the edge rather than die at the hands of the white man.
For years afterwards, those who ventured up the treacherous face of Big Pacacho in Arizona found skeletons, or could see the bleached bones wedged in the crevices of the side of the cliff.
The Apache women and the lovers of those who had died gathered a short distance from the base of the cliff where the sands were white, and for a moon they wept for their dead. They mourned greatly, for they realised that not only had their 75 brave Apache warriors died, but with them had died the great fighting spirit of the Pinal Apaches.
Their sadness was so great, and their burden of sorrow so sincere that the Great Father imbedded into black stones the tears of the Apache women who mourned their dead. These black obsidian stones, when held to the light, reveal the translucent tear of the Apache. The stones bring good luck to those possessing them. It is said that whoever owns an Apache tear drop will never have to cry again, for the Apache women have shed tears in place of yours.

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posted October 19, 2009 01:31 AM         

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One legend says that the tears were shed by Apache women mourning the death of their partners, sons and fathers. Another says that the tears were shed by the survivors of the Apache tribes when they were driven from their homelands. According to folklore anyone who carries an Apache Tear - especially one given as a gift - will never have to cry tears of grief, because the Apache have cried tears enough for all peoples.

Perhaps because of this legend Apache Tear Obsidian is associated with the cleansing power of grief and is used to help heal the emotional and physical problems that can manifest when grief is not properly expressed. Working with Apache Tear Obsidian in this way is not always easy. While it is healing to release feelings of grief, guilt and bitterness, in order to release them we often have to experience them again, to concentrate on suppressed emotions and memories we would rather ignore. It is important to be gentle with yourself when working with Apache Tears, and if possible work with a close friend or a crystal healer who understands the emotional process and can help you express your grief in a healthy way.

Apache Tears tend to be very personal magical stones and the longer you work with one crystal the deeper the bond with it becomes. They are useful for meditation, spiritual journeys and prophetic dreaming, and regular meditation with Apache Tear Obsidian is said to help you develop a sense of acceptance and inner peace. The crystal is said to balance and regulate the emotions and intellect, keeping the mind clear and thoughts logical even under great emotional stress. Meditating on a specific issue while gazing into an Apache Tear can help you see the bigger picture, and often to find an inspired solution or new ways of tackling old problems.

Magically, Apache Tears are linked to the healing power of elemental Earth and the cleansing power of Fire. They can help you find the strength to examine your feelings without being overwhelmed by them, bring hope in times of despair and the patience to endure, knowing that time does heal all pain. Apache Tears are associated with the Root Chakra and the volcanic energies of Earth and Fire; meditating with them out of doors (especially with your bare feet in contact with the earth) can help you to ground excess energy, release tension or draw in power from the Earth. Astrologically these Obsidian nuggets are said to be especially good for those born under Aries and Sagittarius and also have an affinity with Scorpio and Capricorn.
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Used magically, Apache Tears can help you protect yourself against subconscious doubts and fears that can manifest as self-defeating behaviors. In meditation it is said to help you look deeply into yourself, understand your emotional responses and habitual behavior patterns and find your own inner truth, your true purpose in life. Obsidian will show you your faults and flaws as well as your strengths and talents, and usually seems to give very direct, unvarnished answers to questions you may be meditating on. It can help you begin the journey of discovery that leads to your own unique spiritual path, and can also help you relax and open you heart to spiritual energy while you are still searching for your purpose in life.

Crystal healers use Apache Tears to help relieve muscle spasms and tremors, to remove toxins from the body and for general energy cleansing. A good way to clean out your system - physically and spiritually - is to use an Apache Tear gem elixir while fasting or following a cleansing diet. Some healers also use Apache Tears when working with addictions and obsessive compulsive disorders. All black forms of Obsidian are said to bring to light that which is hidden in the darkness of the subconscious mind, and by bringing these suppressed memories and thoughts to light the stone helps to reduce their power, making it easier to replace habitual negative behavior with a new, positive attitude. Although the stone is not always gentle, it can help people to recognize the blocks, negative patterns and past experiences that caused them to turn to addictions or compulsive behaviors in the first place. It is said that once you recognize why you use a certain addiction for comfort you realize that you no longer need it, and it falls away as gently and easily as autumn leaves.

In the Middle Ages Obsidian was believed to drive out demons and expel poison from snakebites, and the stone is said to allow no negative energy within its sphere of influence. Magically, this black Obsidian gem is said to hold secrets safe and grant invisibility, as well as protecting the occultist from negative energies, mischievous spirits and malevolent intent.

All forms of Obsidian are considered to be protective stones. It is said that if you give Apache Tears as a gift you give friendship, good luck and magical protection that will stay with the recipient all of their life. Apache Tears are sometimes recommended for sensitive or naturally empathic people who may need additional protection against the influence of thoughts and feelings from the people around them.

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About 75 Apaches and the US Calvary squared off against each other in battle on a mountain overlooking what is now Superior, Arizona in the 1870's. Rather than face defeat, the outnumbered Apache warriors rode their horses off the mountain to their deaths. The families of the warriors cried when they learned of the tragedy. Their tears turned into stone upon hitting the ground. Today these beautiful translucent gemstones are known as Apache Tears Good Luck Stones.

"To give a friend or loved one an Apache Tears Good Luck Stone is to give them GOOD LUCK to carry with them forever."

To us it's just a stone, but to the Ancient Ones it's a frozen tear, lost in the sands of time. Giving one to a friend unlocks their tears and allows GOOD LUCK to flow, as it frees their spirit from Mother Earth!

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