Amethyst Meaning and Healing Powers

Introduction to Amethyst

Amethyst is one of the most historical gemstones known to man and was once as valuable as sapphires, diamonds, rubies and emeralds. Amethyst’s beautiful purple color has always been associated with royalty and religion and they were traditionally worn as rings by church bishops.

Amethyst gemstones have been found in the tombs of Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, in the crown jewels of Queen Elizabeth II and were one of the original 12 gemstones of Aaron’s breastplate spoken of in the bible.

Amethyst is basically a purple gemstone but the color ranges from a light lilac or lavender hue all the way to a deep vivid purple.

The color purple has long been considered a royal color and in the past purple was so difficult to produce that only royalty or the very rich could afford it.

We are probably all aware of how stress can impact us not only emotionally but physically – causing ailments from simple headaches and upset stomachs to high blood pressure and chest pains. Amethyst is the best gemstone for the alleviation of stress and anxiety.

Amethyst is a cleansing and detoxifying gemstone for the blood, the respiratory system and the endocrine system. It is good for the treatment of bruises, swelling and superficial injuries, helps keep the skin in good condition and is beneficial for the intestines and digestive tract.

An ancient Hindu philosophy holds that our bodies are physically and emotionally influenced by seven Chakras that are located within us. Each Chakra has a particular location – throat, base of spine, solar plexus and so on – and an associated color, red for the Root Chakra and green for the Heart Chakra for example.

Sometimes our Chakras get blocked or out of alignment and need to be adjusted. Gemstones can help, the predominant color of the gemstone usually (not always) determines which Chakra it will influence.

In the case of Amethyst being generally purple it is associated with the Third Eye and Crown Chakras.

If you are feeling nervous or anxious, perhaps suffering from nightmares or depression this could be a sign of a blocked Third Eye Chakra especially if combined with headaches and dizziness.

A blocked Crown Chakra manifests itself in the form of feelings of emotional isolation and boredom plus physically very tired and suffering from headaches.

Yes Amethyst can unblock the Chakras just by placing the gemstone on or near the Chakra point while lying down in a quiet, undisturbed spot. In the case of the Third Eye or Crown Chakra the Amethyst gemstone can be placed in the small of the throat (NOT inside the mouth) or on the forehead.

Yes it is. Amethyst is the traditional and official birthstone for the month of February.

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Amethyst is traditionally associated with the zodiac signs of Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn and Pisces.

Amethyst is also linked to the Chinese year of the dragon.

The easiest and best way to cleanse your amethyst gemstone is to hold it under clear, clean running water – a natural spring, waterfall or stream is best. This is not always possible so the tap or faucet will do the job. Amethyst can be sensitive to the sun so do not leave out in the sun to dry as you can with other gemstones – just pat dry with a clean cloth.

Every now and then, or after your Amethyst has perhaps performed an important spiritual task for you, I would suggest an extra cleansing smudge for your crystal. Use a bunch of dry herbs or an incense stick to create some smoke which you then waft around your gemstone allowing the smoke to drift over the crystal.

(Take care not to set fire to your house and open a window for ventilation)

Amethyst is often recommended for the bedroom, either under the pillow or mattress, to aid sleep and while I do generally agree, it is a powerful crystal. If you find you have some restless nights when first using Amethyst in the bedroom either use on alternative days until you get used to it or place it further away from the bed and slowly let it get closer and closer.

Amethyst is a very powerful gemstone for use in Feng Shui. Amethyst is a balance of all five elements of nature, wood, fire, earth, metal and water so can be placed in any part of the house to influence a particular aspect of life.

A Bagua map lays out sections of your home and what energy they each promote, for example the southwest corner of your home represents the earth element and deals with Love and Relationships. Place an amethyst in this part of your home to improve sensuality, relaxation, love, sexuality and pleasure. The east is Family and Health, the south is Career and so on. All benefit from the presence of amethyst.

Wearing Amethyst as a gemstone is the easiest way for it to exert influence on your life. It is linked to the Third Eye and Crown Chakras so wear jewelry towards the upper part of your body, earrings, necklace or pendant.

Alternatively just carry one in your pocket or purse so it is next to you all day and you can use it as a touchstone for reassurance when needed.

If meditating or practicing yoga, you can place one on the mat beside you. If giving the Chakras a boost just place an Amethyst gemstone on the location of the Chakra and lie down and relax.

Place one on your desk or keep it on you at work as it helps in decision making, communication and relieving stressful situations.

Take a bath with Amethyst in the water with you, it will charge the water with its healing and soothing energies.

Amethyst can indirectly lead you to wealth by leading you away from dangerous intoxicants such as alcohol and drugs which are always detrimental to prosperity. It can also help you make sensible, clear headed decisions about career, investments and people but it is not necessarily the ‘go to’ gemstone for bringing wealth.

Citrine, Aventurine, Pyrite and Malachite are more well known for their powers to attract wealth – often by being ‘lucky’.

Amethyst is a calming and relaxing gemstone which promotes clear thinking and a high state of awareness so it is a perfect gemstone to hold in your lap or place next to you while meditating.

Amethyst is a very powerful gemstone so it may not be suitable for everyone to wear it every day. If you would like to wear or carry Amethyst more often build up to it slowly. Eastern philosophies suggest that it should only be worn on Saturdays to protect you from that day’s ill effects.

If it is your birthstone you can wear it every day, no problem!

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One of the origin myths for the Amethyst gemstone tells of the Greek God of Wine, Dionysus , being insulted by a mortal man. Enraged he swore to kill the next human he saw. The next person to pass him by was a beautiful young woman on her way to pray to Artemis, the Greek Goddess of the Moon.

Dionysus set a group of tigers on the poor girl, but Artemis turned her into quartz statue to protect her from being torn apart by the tigers’ claws and teeth (they had some gruesome stories, those Greeks).

Dionysus saw what he had done and cried tears of guilt and sorrow. His tears were made of wine and as they fell on the statue it turned the clear crystal into a deep purple. The girls name was Amethystas and so the gemstone was born.

Of course, since that day, Amethyst has been associated with Artemis, Goddess of the Moon, the Hunt and Nature.

Amethyst is an all-round healer for animals and can calm an excitable pet. Put the crystals under in his or her bed or you can attach them to a collar in a small pouch. Someone suggested putting them in the pet’s drinking bowl but I am not sure that is a good idea except for the daintiest of animals.

Pet animals are also influenced by the Chakra points just like us so that form of spiritual and physical care is well worth investigating.

Amethyst is totally safe as an ingredient for an elixir – obviously do not add a tiny crystal water and drink it – that would be dangerous – just use a bit of common sense.

Amethyst can be popped into clean spring or mineral water. Clean and rinse the gemstone first and keep in the water for an hour or two. Just drink the water, make it into tea, add to bath water or dab it on affected area of the skin.

As a side note, several gemstones are NOT safe to use as an elixir – please take care with gemstones other than Amethyst.

Amethyst is the perfect gemstone for dreams. It can help ward off bad dreams and give you a restful night’s sleep or it can help you interpret and understand any dreams you may have.

In addition it can help you to have lucid or clear dreams where before you have had broken or patchy dreams that were difficult to remember or understand.

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Amethyst is very much a team player with other gemstones and will certainly work well with others. It works well with all other quartzes – Rose Quartz, Citrine, Smoky Quartz and so on – including the opaque microcrystalline quartzes such as Jasper, Agate and Chalcedony.

Amethyst and Rose Quartz work well together to encourage sleeping, Amethyst and Malachite for all types of aches and pains, Amethyst and Fluorite for concentration.

Amethyst is a calming and focusing gemstone that has traditionally aided meditation in the east. For similar reasons it can help with those who practice yoga. I think it would be best suited to a more classic form of yoga, with deliberate and measured movement rather than the more modern interpretations.

Amethyst helps in decision making, communication and alleviating stressful situations so it is perfect to keep in the office or workplace. On your desk or next to your computer it will be able to work its magic as you manage your time and efforts throughout the day.

An amethyst in the meeting or boardroom can create an atmosphere where business arrangements and resolutions can be reached with the clear heads and composure needed for success.

Clear quartz pendulums are very popular but an Amethyst pendulum really connects with the spiritual realm. Its ability to initiate lucid dreams and calming qualities mean amethyst pendulums are a favorite choice.

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Electromagnetic radiation from electric and magnetic fields fill the modern world. At home TVs, computers, microwave ovens, smart phones, Alexa, even your fridge create pollution or smog that we are constantly exposed to.

The workplace is even worse with all your colleagues’ electronic equipment to contend with plus the visit to the hospital, dentist, supermarket, there is no end – even a long walk up a mountain can end with a telephone signal tower!

Gemstones can help you deal with this pollution but to be fair there are better gemstones than amethysts. Black Tourmaline, Hematite, Obsidian and Malachite are my favourites to help cope with this harmful contemporary contamination.

Amethyst beauty is obvious, the sumptuous purples and lively lilacs catch the eye like almost no other gemstone but just as clear is its spiritual strength and symbolic power.

Amethyst has been a favorite gemstone in virtually all cultures going back to at least the Ancient Roman Greek and Egyptians. It was revered by the Tibetans as the Stone of Lord Buddha and even today Amethyst rings are worn by Catholic Bishops.

The name itself comes from the belief that wearing Amethyst, putting a gemstone in your glass or drinking from a vessel decorated with Amethyst would deter drunkenness (‘a – methys’ translates into ‘not – drunk’ in Greek).

The color purple has a power of its own – a combination of the balance of blue and the vitality of red – conjuring up images of royalty, luxury, power, wealth and ambition. Add this color to the physical properties and chemical structure of a crystal and you have the ideal spiritual partner.

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