Crystal Grimoire
Amethyst
Chakras: Third Eye, Crown
Zodiac: Pisces
Planets: Saturn
Elements: Air, Water
Summary
Amethyst is associated with the Third Eye and Crown Chakras and is known for its calming, soothing energy. It supports divine communication, enhances intuition, offers energetic protection, inspires meditation, and encourages seeing things from a higher spiritual perspective.
Keywords
Often associated with: calming energy, restful support, divine communication, intuition, energetic protection, emotional support
Spiritual meaning
In crystal tradition: Helps us see things from a higher spiritual perspective and supports divine communication and angelic healing.
Emotional meaning
Often associated with: Calms and soothes nerves, aids emotional healing and inspiration.
Fun facts
The ancient Greeks believed amethyst protected against drunkenness. Its name literally means 'not intoxicated' in ancient Greek, and they actually fashioned drinking vessels from it, since wine poured into a purple cup looked diluted enough to keep the host sober. Saint Valentine was said to wear a signet ring carved with an amethyst depicting Cupid, which partly explains why amethyst became February's birthstone. Amethyst was also listed as one of twelve stones on the High Priest's Breastplate in the Book of Exodus, and for centuries bishops and clergy wore amethyst rings as a symbol of piety and sobriety.
History and lore
In history and lore: Kunz records that the special and traditional virtue of amethyst was the cure of drunkenness, its Greek name marking it as the 'sobering' gem, and that in 1502 the Italian lapidary writer Camillo Leonardi credited it with the power to control evil thoughts and quicken the intelligence. An amethyst worn on the person was said to calm anyone over-excited by wine or by love. In northern India, the folklorist William Crooke recorded in 1896, amethyst was counted among the nine gems of the Nauratana, assigned to Rahu, and was said to leave its wearer unaffected by wine.
About the sources
- George Frederick Kunz (1856 to 1932), Tiffany & Co.'s chief gemologist and author of The Curious Lore of Precious Stones (1913) and The Magic of Jewels and Charms (1915).
- Camillo Leonardo, whose Speculum lapidum, a book of stones, was printed in Venice in 1502 (Kunz).
- William Crooke, B.A., of the Bengal Civil Service, author of The Popular Religion and Folk-Lore of Northern India (1896).