There are certain crystals that really do seem to make a difference in a person’s life. For many witches and spiritual folks, black tourmaline is that stone for many reasons. Fed up with constantly absorbing negative energy in your work place? Or perhaps you’re too affected by things you see on the computer or TV. The secret ingredient is – black tourmaline. It’s a POWERFUL energy absorber and aids in many intentions both medicinally and magically. Find out why we call it the Witch’s Guardian Crystal.

First, What IS Black Tourmaline?

Black tourmaline is a trigonal crystal and a complex silicate. It is a popular crystal in the new age and witchcraft communities and for good reasons. Another name you might have heard for black tourmaline is schorl. Tourmaline actually comes in a variety of colors, but we will be focusing specifically on the black version in this article. It carries a hardness of 7-7.5 on the Mohs scale, which means it’s considered “fair”. Interestingly, it is piezoelectric which means it can generate electricity under pressure. And it’s pyroelectric, which means it generates electricity under heat. More or less, this is a powerful crystal both physically and spiritually.

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Components of Black Tourmaline and POWERFUL Spiritual Properties

Because black tourmaline is a trigonal crystal, this means it’s connected to the triangle, the number three, and the pyramid. Being that three is a sacred number, this is where the potency of black tourmaline begins. Three represents life, death, and rebirth, as well as land, sea and sky. Among many other divine “triplicities” in life and in the Universe. Including deities that manifest in triple form like Brigid and the Morrigan. Further, the cellular pyramid shape represents connection between humans and the gods (with the top of the pyramid pointing, directing energy to the heavens.)

Tourmaline is made up of boron, which is a combination of aluminum, iron, sodium, lithium or potassium. Because of its iron content, it is not recommended for working with the faery realm. And the iron could be part of why it’s a strong warding device. Interestingly, boron isn’t a necessary human nutrient. BUT it is a component of plant life and makes up a portion of plant cell walls, according to the National Institute of Health. So we see a definite link between this crystal and the plant world. In addition, tourmaline has the ability to imbue strength, due in part to its boron component. We take away two major words here: WARDING and STRONG.

Black Tourmaline’s Healing Properties

We are by no means telling you that black tourmaline will cure you of any illness. But it does aid in the healing process and relief of symptoms in some cases. We believe everything that comes from the earth has healing properties. This means there are black tourmaline healing properties, when used properly, cleansed and charged.  According to Judy Hall’s Encyclopedia of Crystals, black tourmaline carries all of the healing properties of tourmaline plus a few more of its own. Those include:

• Balancing mental health
• Stress relief
• Relieving muscle tension
• Detoxing
• General pain relief in body, mind and spirit
• Aids in hand-eye coordination, particularly with those who have dyspraxia or related disorders
• Relieves disorders and illness in the lungs including pleurisy, pneumonia, emphysema and bronchitis
• Promotes a stronger immune system
• May relieve pain related to arthritis and tendonitis

Black Tourmaline Magical Properties and Symbolism

What I’ve often found with crystals in general is that they all have widely understood magical properties. But how they work for each individual may be different than the whole. They work very similarly to how herbs work. Where one particular crystal grounds and centers one person, it may do the opposite to another. Making them feel scattered or flighty. Sometimes crystals that are said to have a grounding effect may ground an individual too much and literally put them to sleep! I speak from personal experience. So, take our list of black tourmaline magical properties with a grain of salt. Experiment and see how it affects you personally:

• Black tourmaline absorbs electromagnetic waves from technology like computers and phones
• Shields against negative energy and illness
• Wards off spirits and psychic attack
• Balances masculine-feminine energy
• Converts heavy, dense energy into a lighter vibration
• Wards off nightmares
• Protection of almost any kind
• Aids in grounding rituals and is connected to the root chakra
• Place around the tub during ritual baths to remove curses and negative energy buildup
• Black tourmaline wands can be waved over a person or area of the body to remove attachments and aid in healing practices

Remember, BLACK is the color of mystery, magick, and warding

Every color has its own unique magical properties and energies, including black. So, when we use black tourmaline, we are also harnessing the energy of the color black. Those properties include shadow work and prompting us to go deeper. To identify and embrace our fears. Black represents the night-time, black matter and the void. The occult and life’s hidden mysteries. It’s also a powerful color in protection magick including warding, shielding, reversals, binding, banishing, and much more.

How to Use Black Tourmaline in Your Magickal Practice

I’m going to sound like a broken record, but I’ll say it again. How you use your tools and ingredients in your practice is totally up to you. However, I’ve found some particularly powerful ways to use black tourmaline that are sort of present across the metaphysical community. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Use black tourmaline in the four corners of your property or home to shield negative energy, intruders, and evil spirits
• Hold it in your hand in the middle of the night to ground yourself and absorb any negative energy that may be causing nightmares (I’ve found this to be very effective for me!)
• This crystal is particularly sacred and helpful for the zodiac sign Capricorn (which may be why I love it so much since my rising and moon signs are both Capricorn)
• Hold during meditation and reiki sessions to lift any heavy energy and transmute it into light
• Helpful in almost any crystal grid to shield energy from infiltrating your intentions
• Because of its connection to the triangle and pyramid, aids in connection with past lives and the divine
• Witches find black tourmaline powerful in connecting with their shadow selves and exploring the night
• Encircle candle spells that might be more susceptible to energy invasion from spirits
• Add to spell bottles, bags, and jars for protection and healing intentions
• Place a mirror and a piece of black tourmaline in your windows to deflect any curses or hexes being sent your way
• May be gifted to certain deities as offering or placed on the altar to deflect negative entities

Daily Crystal Uses

What we do on a daily basis is just as magical as an elaborate ritual. And, truly, using black tourmaline doesn’t have to be only relative to ritual and spells. We can use crystals on a daily basis, similar to using herbs and spices in our cooking.

• Add to potted plants or to the garden to aid in plant growth and to deter pests
• Place around the home to absorb negative energy and dissident thoughts
• Place a piece of it between you and any electronics to absorb the electromagnetic waves before they come to you
• Place by your nightstand or under your bed to prevent from psychic attack at night
• Wear or carry in your pocket throughout the day to keep yourself grounded and protected
• Wear while recovering in the hospital or at home from illness or surgery
• Athletes can carry or wear black tourmaline during games to aid in hand-eye coordination, especially for games like baseball, golf, etc.
• Carry in your vehicle to ward off negative energy and road rage

Why We Call it the GUARDIAN Crystal

There’s not many crystals out there that truly shield us from negative energy including electromagnetic waves. But black tourmaline is one of them. We like to call it the guardian crystal because it is a powerful protector. One night, I was being harassed by a wandering spirit, as I like to call them. These are spirits that are sort of lost and roam the earth looking for something. I don’t think most of them even know what they’re looking for. But sometimes they find people who are sensitive to spirits and are attracted to them. Like moths to the flame.

And sometimes they harass people in their sleep. This particular night, I woke up and could still feel the spirit’s presence. So I reached over and grabbed my piece of raw black tourmaline off my nightstand. And I held it in my palm, feeling its energy absorbing the negative energy around me. It only took about ten minutes but the negativity lifted and I was able to go back into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.

Important Stone for Empaths and Witches

This protective, grounding stone is especially helpful for a couple types of people in this world: empaths and witches. Because empaths have the uncanny ability of taking on other people’s energy (whether physical, emotional, or otherwise), they tend to also be people who need protection the most. If you are an empath, carrying or wearing this stone on a daily basis will help ward off negative energy and keep you grounded.

And if you are a witch, you likely are one who attracts entities to you, mostly involuntarily. This stone helps to ward off spirits that might be wandering or lost and keep you grounded in this reality. Staying grounded is important for witches since they frequently have one foot in this world and one foot in the spiritual.

How to Properly Care for Black Tourmaline

While tourmaline is relatively hard on the Mohs scale (considered fair), it can be damaged by certain things. Namely extreme heat, cold and abrupt temperature changes can cause this crystal to crack or fracture. So we advise not leaving it in the sun to charge, not putting it in the fridge or freezer for any spellwork, and not placing it too close to fire. Tourmaline pieces that have been color treated can also fade in extended periods of light exposure. So keep your tourmaline out of the sunlight, if you can.

If you need to wash or physically clean your black tourmaline piece, the Gem Encyclopedia online recommends a gentle soap and warm water. Sources also claim it can be added straight to water like baths and water bottles and will not be negatively affected or dissolve in any way.

More Crystals for Magick:

• Green Calcite: The Witch’s Heart Stone
• Amethyst: The PSYCHIC STONE
• Lepidolite: The Fairy Crystal
• Citrine Crystal Meaning: The SUCCESS Stone