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Apache Tears: Meaning, Properties and Powers

Apache Tears: Meaning, Properties and Powers

The Meaning Of Apache Tears

The term “Apache Tears” refers to small round pebbles made of the semi-precious mineral Obsidian, which is black or dark-colored volcanic glass.

These pebbles are relatively small; usually, less than two inches across, and are frequently dented or imperfectly round. These unique stones originate in the western United States, especially Arizona and Nevada, the parts of the United States known for their desert-like topography.

Their name comes from the First Nations Apache tribe in the United States. They were named after a gruesome and tragic story about the Apache tribe.

In the 1870s, a small group of Apache warriors met the American Cavalry in a battle. They were sorely outnumbered, and it became clear that they could not win the battle. Instead of conceding defeat and being captured and murdered, they decided to ride their horses off the side of a mountain to their deaths.

According to the story, when the wives and children of these warriors heard this story, their tears turned to stones when they touched the ground where their warriors fell. These stones were left scattered across the desert, where they can now be found.

Apache Tears have a special connection to the mythology of the Apache culture and the ability to recover from grief.

It should be noted that, given that this stone is associated with a specific cultural group, this article could not possibly cover the full range of myth and Apache lore that should be understood in order to have a well-rounded understanding of this stone.

I encourage you to research the Apache tribe and its mythology and its interactions with white Americans in the nineteenth century to understand the significance of Apache Tear stones better.

Obsidian has a long history in the metaphysical study of stones, as it appears all over the world. However, Apache tears are a specific form of Obsidian.

Apache Tears have a particular affinity with the bereaved and the grief-stricken in addition to all of the properties generally associated with Obsidian in all of its ordinary forms. It is also much gentler in its vibration than other forms of Black Obsidian.

Apache Tears: Spiritual Meaning, Powers And Uses

The Properties Of Apache Tears

Physical Properties

Apache Tears are volcanic glass. It is a form of Obsidian, which is classed as a mineraloid. It does not have a crystalline structure and consists mainly of silicon dioxide.

Its chemical composition is SiO2, and it measures 5 – 5.5. on the Mohs scale of hardness. 

Metaphysical Properties

Apache Tear brings up negativity from deep within the etheric and emotional bodies, but it does so in a slow, gentle way so that it can be thoroughly and safely transmuted.

An Apache Tear is an excellent aura cleansing stone, absorbing negativity and protecting the energy body from unwanted vibrations, energies, and entities.

Varieties Of Apache Tears

Apache Tear is itself a variety of Obsidian. It shares this crystal’s generic qualities with other forms such as Snowflake Obsidian, Blue Obsidian, and Mahogany Obsidian, to name just three. 

Apache Tear can enhance the assimilation of vitamins, especially C and D, and is also said to calm muscle spasms and remove toxins from the body.

Apache Tears in Hand

Using Apache Tears

The Benefits Of Using Apache Tears

Obsidian in its various forms can be a bit of a tricky stone to work with.

It’s very powerful in dispelling negativity, but it can be temperamental and has a habit of dredging up negativity before you’re actually psychically prepared to deal with it.

Apache Tears are a little gentler in this respect. This stone seems to have a more intuitive grasp of when it should do its job and when it should give you a rest!

Using Apache Tears rather than other Obsidian types, you can find that you can address negativity more calmly and constructively.

Because of their mythological origin as the tears of suffering women and children, Apache tears are a deeply empathetic stone that can help you through struggles gracefully and gently.

They are potent crystals for helping you to heal from grief.

Many black stones are very good at dispelling negativity quickly and effectively. They remove the negative vibrations and leave a space for good vibrations to enter. Apache Tears go one step further than this and actively help you heal the wounds that tragic or traumatic experiences leave behind.  

Apache tears will also help you recognize dangerous situations before they are upon you.

Much as the Apache warriors in the story recognized the defeat that they would face at the hands of the U.S. Cavalry and chose death as the preferable option, you will quickly develop a better intuitive sense of what you should put your energy into and what it may be best to leave alone.

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Never be afraid to leave a job or project unfinished if this is the right thing for you to do. Apache Tears can be used in meditation or simply some quiet thinking time if you feel that what you have invested time, money, and energy in is not worth it. It can help you be discerning and quit if that is the most beneficial course of action. 

Doctors and other people who work in medical and healing professions should consider investing in Apache tears to keep themselves psychically safe through the frequently traumatic experiences of working with the sick and dying.

This stone will help you keep the barrier between yourself and work as clearly defined as possible so that you can do your best work to help those in need without sacrificing yourself along the way.

Apache Tears on Calcite
Apache Tears on Orange Calcite

How Best To Use Apache Tears

The unique shape of Apache tears makes them fantastic for jewelry.

From a purely aesthetic perspective, they make beautiful and striking pendants, rings, brooches, or stones in wide bracelets. If you choose to incorporate Apache Tears into your daily life in this way, you certainly will not be disappointed. 

Wearing Apache Tears near the heart is an excellent way to feel their power, as they will rest closest to the seat of your emotions.

A heavy pendant that rests against the middle of your chest is especially powerful, as the weight will serve as a constant reminder of mindfulness, which will keep your energy focused on the power of the stone.

You can also place Apache Tears in your home or office if you frequently feel distressed or lost in those places.

Put it as close as possible to the spot where you usually are when these emotions start creeping up on you, whether that’s by the phone that your boss calls you on or by your bed where you have trouble sleeping.

If you feel that you need help in becoming grounded and more powerfully connected with the world of physical reality, you should blend this stone with the power of the root chakra.

You can do this by wearing or carrying it somewhere close to the base of your spine, such as on a belt buckle for low-rise jeans or in your back pocket.

This will keep its power closest to the seat of your grounding energy.

Apache Tears Crystal

The Powers Of Apache Tears 

Emotional Healing Powers

Apache Tears are the perfect stone to integrate into your life if you struggle with an upsetting experience.

Whether it’s severe trauma or just a series of bad days that have left you worn out and fragile, Apache Tears can hold your metaphorical hand while you get back on your feet.

They are very comforting stones with a strong protective meaning.

These stones will protect you while you struggle to get your life back on the track that you want, much like a parent holding a child’s hands when they are struggling to learn how to walk.

Apache Tears are a highly beneficial stone to use when you are facing a difficult conversation.

Maybe you need to tell your boss about a problem in the company that you know you’re going to take the heat for, or you need to have a serious conversation with your partner about the next steps in your relationship.

Even if the conversation’s core is only challenging, not necessarily negative, Apache Tears can give you the strength to work through the conversation or confrontation with a non-combative, constructive demeanor.

It is incredible how hard it can be to keep that attitude and how many people throw it out the window when the going gets rough!

If you can keep your head during a confrontation, you have a rare and valuable skill that others will strongly appreciate, even if you know that it’s mostly because you’ve got the power of Apache Tears on your side.

Like all black and dark-colored stones, Apache Tears effectively absorb negative energy, drawing it into themselves, and cloaking you from its toxic effects.

For this reason, the value of these stones cannot be understated when they are being used to take you through challenging situations in a constructive manner.

Virtually everyone has felt at times as if they wish that they could hide from bad luck that seems to plague them – and that’s precisely what Apache Tears and similar stones with these anti-negativity properties will allow you to do!

Physical Healing Powers

Obsidian’s greatest asset in physical healing is its ability to afford clear insights into any disease’s real causes.

An elixir made from Obsidian is a good remedy for shock. Apache Tears are beneficial for balancing the electrolytes in the body and can help with dehydration.

They also soothe an upset stomach and relieve digestive disorders such as diarrhea, mainly when the symptoms occur due to nervous upset or stress.

Apache Tears And Wealth

The best way to use Apache Tears if you want to improve your financial situation is to access its grounding and nurturing qualities.

It dispels negativity from the atmosphere and your aura so that your interactions with others run more smoothly, and it also instills self-confidence and self-belief. 

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These qualities will prove invaluable when you are looking to increase your income by asking for a raise at work or setting up your own business. 

Apache Tears For Love And Relationships 

Apache Tears can support you emotionally and help you to uncover the truth about your feelings. 

This crystal is very good at pulling the negativity out of any situation and encourages incredible compassion and understanding between people.

It will help you to see the other person’s point of view and to replace feelings of irritation or impatience with tolerance and understanding.

Chakras And Apache Tears 

As a form of Obsidian, Apache Tears carry a very grounding vibration and are aligned to the Base or Root chakra.

You can use it to connect with both your Earth Star chakra and with the Earth chakra at the center of the planet. Your Earth Star chakra is situated outside of the body, beneath the ground (about 10cm) in the space between your feet. Here, the energies that govern your destiny lie, and it is very helpful to connect with this chakra whenever you are uncertain of your next step. 

Apache Tears are unique because they also have an affinity with the Heart chakra, despite being much darker than other crystals traditionally associated with the Heart. 

Apache Tear crystals are gentle in their effect, but they are also potent cleansers and will remove harmful or negative vibrations from your Heart chakra, allowing you to fill the space with love, light, and compassion.

Apache Tears Obsidian

The Best Crystals To Combine And Use With Apache Tears

Chakra Crystal Combinations 

Combining Apache Tears with Black Tourmaline provides a very effective vibration for grounding and releasing negative feelings from the lower chakras, especially fear, which may be blocking your Base chakra if you are concerned about your material needs being met. 

You can use Apache Tears alongside Green Aventurine to heal your Heart Chakra and allow you to feel peace. It also makes a good partner with Rose or even Strawberry Quartz if you want to recharge a depleted Heart center.

Other Crystal Combinations 

Apache Tears can be combined with stones that promote positive energy, especially in a healing grid when the energies need to be replenished.

This is the case for most stones that have a “cleansing” effect and draw toxic or negative energy out of an environment.

When these stones are used alone, they can sometimes become too harsh and open you up to feelings of emptiness or frustration.

Apache Tears are not nearly as likely to cause this reaction as some other stones that banish negativity, including traditional Obsidian. However, it can still benefit from a stone that has an intense “happy” energy.

Turquoise is a perfect stone to pair with Apache Tears, as it is useful for improving mood and opening lines of communication.

If you are struggling with grief or a traumatic experience, communicating well with others is the single best thing you can do to improve your psychological state.

Turquoise can help you open yourself up to people who can help you, while Apache Tears aid your healing from within.

For example, if you often feel lost, dazed, and confused, then the power of the Apache stones to anchor you to the healing energies of the Earth is extremely useful when paired with a stone that will calm your mind, such as Aventurine, Jasper or Amethyst. 

In general, while many stones require the energy of other stones to achieve balance and mitigate potential side effects, Apache stones work exceptionally well on their own.

Because their energy is both cleansing and nurturing, both protective and understanding, they are unlikely to give you any serious negative side effects, even without other stones complementing them.

Cleansing And Charging Apache Tears 

Because Apache Tears, like most dark stones, work to “suck up” negative energy like sponges, you will want to frequently cleanse them to get the full benefit of their positive energy.

If you neglect to cleanse them, you may find their efficacy wanes over time.

To cleanse, simply hold them under running water while visualizing the negative energy being washed away, then place them in direct sun or moonlight for several hours.

To charge your Apache Tear crystal, take some time to ponder the meaning of the stone and how it got its name. This will flood your intentions and your emotional body with compassion, which you can then channel into the stone.

Apache Tears As A Birthstone 

Although Apache Tear is not recognized as a traditional birthstone for a particular month or sign of the zodiac, in some circles, it is connected to the Sun sign of Sagittarius (Nov 22 to Dec 21).

If you want to amplify your strengths as a Sagittarius, such as your conversational abilities or your optimism and love of fun, wear jewelry made from Apache Tear.

Apache Tears In Legends And History

Their name comes from the First Nations Apache tribe in the United States. They were named after a gruesome and tragic story about the Apache tribe.

In the 1870s, a small group of about 75 Apache warriors met the American Cavalry in a battle on a mountain overlooking what is now Superior, Arizona. 

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Because they were so outnumbered, it became clear that the Apaches could not win the battle. Instead of conceding defeat and being captured and murdered, they decided to ride their horses off the side of a mountain to their deaths.

According to the story, when the wives and children of these warriors heard this story, their tears turned to stones when they touched the ground where their warriors fell. These stones were left scattered across the desert, where they can now be found.

Apache tears have a special connection to the mythology of the Apache culture and also to the ability to recover from grief.

It should be noted that, given that this stone is associated with a specific cultural group, this article could not possibly cover the full range of myth and Apache lore that should be understood in order to have a well-rounded understanding of this stone.

I encourage you to research the Apache tribe and its mythology and its interactions with white Americans in the nineteenth century to understand the significance of Apache tear stones better.

Apache Tears Tumbled

Final Thoughts On The Power Of Apache Tears 

Apache Tears are stones that hold great spiritual significance.

The spiritual energies emitted from Apache Tears are integral to a person who wants to do away with negativity in his or her life.

Although the variants of Apache Tears can be a tad tricky to work with, in the sense that they can be unpredictable and volatile at times, there is no question about their effectiveness to dispel negative energies from your life.

Apache Tears in their truest form will emanate relatively gentler energies, allowing your body to cope with the spiritual and emotional changes that come about due to the forces of these stones.

An Apache Tear’s spiritual energy will target all negative feelings in a gentle yet productive way so that you can keep your calm in the face of transitions.

Apache Tears help you heal the damages done by tragic experiences of the past.

Every single one of your experiences is meant to teach you an important lesson about life, and with the use of Apache Tears, you will be able to take these lessons forward with you.

The stone has powers that remind you to use your knowledge effectively when faced with a threatening situation.

Another highly useful property of this stone is that it helps maintain a fine line between work and personal life.

You will need to put in a lot of effort into your work responsibilities, but you must be careful not to lose yourself in the chaos of life.

Most people tend to get so caught up in their duties that they forget to look after themselves.

It is good to think about others and work to improve the lives of those who are unfortunate and are not born with as many blessings as you, but you must do so without sacrificing yourself in the process.

When you integrate Apache Tears’ energies into your life, you will be able to recover from past struggles and traumas.

Apache Tears will give you a much-needed energy boost to help you get back on your feet and rise above a challenge even stronger than before.

You will do well to keep this stone close to you because it exudes comfort and protection.

You can’t run away from the hardships in life because they are a part of the cycle.

However, you can deal with them more effectively and strive to minimize the damage left behind.

Apache Tears will take care of the rest of the aspects of your life and protect them while you find the energy to bounce back and start walking again with your head held high.

The stone also urges you to be more open about your internal struggles and engage in serious conversations with the people around you to get your message across.

Apache tears are a handy addition to the crystal collection of anyone going through a difficult time.

When the whole world seems to be against you, this is a stone that can show you that there is reason to go on even when things seem bad.

It is a wonderful stone, especially for those who feel like no one is looking out for them or like people are constantly stabbing them in the back.

Apache tears will remind you that people are looking out for you in the world. You need to know where to look for them and communicate your fears to them. 

This stone is extremely useful for offering guidance through difficult times and will give you the strength to stand up to anyone who wishes to dominate or manipulate you.

About the author

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Caroline Lucas

Caroline Lucas is an internationally-recognized crystal healer with years of expertise who shares her knowledge on crystalsandjewelry.com.

Her insights into natural healing power make her a valuable resource for those seeking to improve their health, happiness, and spiritual growth.

Caroline's dedication to helping others shines through in every article, making her a trusted voice in the world of crystal healing.