Welcome to the very first Crystal Pocket post! This will be a segment of our blog where we discuss various crystals and stones. Here you can find metaphysical properties, lore, history, and so much more!
This week we are discussing Amethyst, many of you might own a piece or have at least heard of it, even those not in the metaphysical community. It is widely popular and has a long list of properties. Before we get into those though, I want to begin with where this stunning stone can be found and some of the most popular locals.
Where is Amethyst found?
Since we are located in Medina, NY the Canadian border is not far from us. One of the most popular places to visit is Thunder Bay Ontario. This location offers both guided and self-guided tours of the location. You can mine your own amethyst...how cool is that!?!
This mine was discovered in 1949! You can read more about the history of the mine HERE.
Aside from Thunder Bay, the next most popular mine is Four Peaks Amethyst mine in Arizona. Two times a year, a helicopter removes amethyst and it is sent to China to be cut, carved, and polished. Read more about this mine HERE.
Those are a few mines that are popular, if you know of more please list them below. We would love to know about more.
One of the most popular locals internationally for amethyst is Brazil. There are so many beautiful specimens that come from those mines! A few of the most common mines are Minas Gerais and Rio Grande Do Sul (https://www.gia.edu/doc/Amethyst-Mining-in-Brazil.pdf).
Enough about where to find it, we all know most of you skipped that and are really most interested in benefits of this beautiful stone. Let's get to it, shall we?
I want to make a quick not that crystals are in no way a diagnosis, cure, or replacement for proper medical treatment. Please seek proper medical attention.
Metaphysical Properties
A member of the quartz family, this stone has a MOHs scale rating of 7 and a trigonal crystal structure.It can range from pink, pale purple, deep dark "grape jelly" purple or ever black. The variation coloring is due to the amounts iron and aluminum and the amount of irradiation applied or that which occurs naturally.
I am not going to go into the details of Amethyst in various pantheons throughout history but I will mention this one example. In Greek myths, Dionysus said that drinking from a glass made of amethyst would prevent the person from getting drunk.
This is where the belief that this stone helps with addictions came to be. Amethyst is said to aid those that struggle with addiction(https://www.healthline.com/health/amethyst-healing-properties#uses).
Amethyst is associated with both the third eye and crown chakras. This means it is a wonderful choice to help with meditation, helping one to connect to higher levels of consciousness(https://loveandlightschool.com/healing-properties-amethyst/). Our third eye is thought to be a source of power and wisdom.
Aside from helping to enhance our spiritual connection, it is said that this stone if placed in the home will absorb negative energy. This is best done by placing an amethyst geode near the front door (https://cosmiccuts.com/blogs/healing-stones-blog/feng-shui-front-door-tips). Find more tips for keeping the entrance to your home clear of negative energy HERE.
Robert Simmons states that amethyst can make someone feel as if they are surrounded by a bubble of light that protects them (Pocket Book of Stones, 2015). That is because it can protect the person wearing or carrying it from psychic attacks. Keep this stone next to your bed or in your pillowcase as you sleep to help promote restful and peaceful sleep, it is said to protect against nightmares as well. Some say that amethyst assists them while they are lucid dreaming! It makes them more aware they are dreaming and allows them more power to manipulate their dreams. Astral travel is also enhanced by this stone.
I could continue and list properties forever but I think this is a good start for a basics post. Maybe we will update this in the future.
I will warn that you really need to trust your seller when buying amethyst. There are a lot of fakes out in the world and now the Brazilian law twinning that was used to differentiate authentic Brazilian amethyst is being mimicked by synthetic manufactures using those with the twinning as seeds to start their crystals (https://geology.com/gemstones/amethyst/#healing). There are so many synthetic, dyed, or enhanced stones and not all sellers are upfront and honest about that. Be sure you ask questions prior to purchasing. We are always upfront about anything in that regard and are more than open to questions.
Before we end this post, how about we talk a bit about some of the lore associated with amethyst.
Amethyst Lore
Egypt has a culture that is rich in the use of various crystals and stones. They thought amethyst was associated with the astrological sign of the goat. We all know that goats eat just about anything, well back before we had as much garbage as we do now, the goats would eat the grape vines which grew in abundance to produce wine. Thus, they were the enemy of drunkenness. This was the earliest known connection between amethyst and sobriety.
The attributed protective powers to this luxurious purple stone. Allegedly, when carved into the shape of a heart, it would be used to protect against sorcery. The heart was worn and carried with a feather as a type of protection amulet.
Egyptians were not the only ones to use amethyst as a protection amulet. Roman soldiers wore this stone as a form of protection when going into battle (https://loveandlightschool.com/healing-properties-amethyst/). Europeans, during Medieval times, not only used amethyst for physical protection but also to protect against evil thoughts.
Hebrews used amethyst to interpret dreams or divination. It is said that they utilized amethyst to control dreams and their reality though dreams (AKA lucid dreaming). This led to enhancing their spiritual growth through dream work (https://loveandlightschool.com/healing-properties-amethyst/).
These are just a few of many legends that surround this tantalizing stone. Be sure to check our website for amethyst and if you don't find something feel free to message us!