Strength comes in many forms – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. Throughout history, certain stones and colors have come to symbolize and embody different aspects of strength. In this article, we will explore the stones and colors most associated with strength, why they came to represent strength, and how they can inspire and empower us.
Red
Red is often seen as the color of strength, power, courage, passion, and determination. In many cultures, red holds deep symbolic meaning.
| Culture | Red Symbolism |
|---|---|
| China | Happiness, prosperity, celebration |
| India | Purity, fertility, beloved |
| Western | Love, valor, fire, danger |
Red’s association with strength comes from its primordial symbolic ties to blood, war, and sacrifice across cultures. It’s the flush in our face when angry or excited. Throughout history, warriors going into battle would often wear red war paint or armor.
In modern times, red maintains its cultural ties to strength. We speak of things being “red hot” or “red letter days” for important occasions. Red stop signs and traffic lights command us to stop with an authority that other colors don’t have.
Hematite
Hematite is a metallic grayish-black stone that is one of the most prominent minerals on Earth. It has been used and revered by many cultures for its grounding, protective properties.
Hematite gets its name from the Greek word ‘haima’ meaning blood, referring to the red powder produced when it is grounded up. This red color linked it symbolically with blood and the physical vitality of strength and life force.
Hematite has long been used to create tools, weapons, armor and decorative items. Ancient Egyptians used hematite to create the red pigment they used to decorate tombs and temples. Romans carved hematite gemstones into intaglio seals.
Hematite’s use extended into spiritual and healing realms as well. In ancient India, hematite was thought to bring vitality and protect againstnegative energies. Native Americans mixed hematite with blood as war paint. Shamans would use hematite in rituals and healing ceremonies.
This mix of physical strength and spiritual grounding is what made hematite such a revered stone across cultures. It remains popular today as a protective amulet and for crystal healing therapies.
Onyx
Onyx is a banded variety of chalcedony quartz that comes in many colors like red, brown and black. The name comes from the Greek word ‘onux’ meaning fingernail or claw.
Of all the colors, black onyx is most associated with strength, tenacity, determination and overcoming fears. The black layers are dense, solid and grounded energy.
Black onyx was very popular with Greek and Roman civilizations. Greek warriors carried onyx amulets for protection and courage, believing the stone absorbed negative energies surrounding them and amplified their own power.
Roman soldiers wore black onyx amulets with images of Mars, the god of war. Gladiators would have their blood staunched after battle with onyx. And it was used for cameos depicting powerful gods and heroes.
Across cultures, black onyx was seen as a stone of discipline, reason and emotional strength. It gave one the fortitude to persevere and carry on through difficult trials or trauma.
Today black onyx remains a classic for jewelry, décor, carvings and spiritual work around empowerment and making the most of one’s inner grit or instincts.
Obsidian
Obsidian is a volcanic glass formed from rapidly cooled lava. With a glassy luster, obsidian can be shiny or opaque depending on how quickly the lava cooled. Most obsidian is black, but can also be brown, tan or green.
Obsidian’s strength lies in its creation story. Formed in the heart of volcanoes, it is born through fiery destruction and immense pressure. Ancient people revered obsidian as a symbol of the powerful forces of change and chaos that create and destroy.
The Aztecs and other Mesoamerican cultures honed obsidian into razor-sharp blades and points for use in weapons and ceremonial bloodletting rituals. Obsidian blades were sharper and easier to break than flint, giving them a unique advantage as cutting tools.
Obsidian also embodied the spiritual strength of letting go and moving on. Navajo legends speak of obsidian as “the rock within,” something vitally solid and resilient emerging from cataclysmic change.
Shamans and healers work with obsidian today for emotional healing, releasing negativity and accessing inner reserves of flexibility and strength.
Lapis Lazuli
With its intense blue hue, lapis lazuli has long symbolized qualities like wisdom, truth and integrity. It is also seen as a stone of courage, clarity and conscious power.
Lapis gets its rich blue color from lazurite and its golden pyrite flecks from iron ore. The finest lapis stones come from Afghanistan, where it has been mined for over 6,000 years.
Ancient Egyptians used lapis lazuli extensively in art, jewelry and architecture. It adorned the mask of Tutankhamun, and was used in the funeral mask for the pharaoh Khafra. Lapis jewelry recovered from ancient Sumer dates back to 4000 B.C.
Lapis was also ground and used as a blue pigment in Renaissance oil paintings. The cost of lapis rivaled gold in medieval times.
Spiritually, lapis lazuli is linked to the third eye chakra and the expanding awareness that comes from inner vision and intuition. It represents the quiet wisdom that doesn’t need to shout to be heard.
Conclusion
From primordial red ocher to the latest surgical steel, color and stones have long been vessels for the human ideals, hopes and narratives around strength.
Hematite grounds the blood-borne vitality of courage and sacrifice. Onyx carries the gravity of resilient focus. Obsidian embodies the strength to emerge transformed from trials by fire. Lapis reveals the wisdom that comes from self-knowledge.
Strength takes infinitely diverse forms within us. Crystals and colors can serve as inspiration, reminders and companions on the journey to discovering and embodying our inner wells of fortitude and character.
There are no magic bullets – only the promise of what we each might become through living our truths bravely, openly and wholeheartedly, with ever more compassion and consciousness. Stones and colors connect us to ancient wisdom, but true strength comes from within.
