Properties and Virtues of Amethyst

Mineralogical properties of amethyst

Amethyst is a quartz crystal with violet hues. It owes its colour to manganese, iron and titanium. It is found most notably in South Africa, Brazil, Canada, India, Madagascar, the Ural Mountains and Uruguay. Its crystal system is trigonal.

Amethyst jewellery and objects

Properties and virtues of amethyst in lithotherapy

The virtues of amethyst are soothing and purifying. It relieves stress, calms insomnia and promotes concentration and meditation. It is a semi-precious stone that is highly beneficial for the mind, helping to find balance and serenity. Leonardo da Vinci indeed wrote of it that it had the power to “dispel evil thoughts and sharpen the intellect”.

You can use our stone and crystal search engine by entering “amethyst” to see directly the ailments against which this crystal is used in lithotherapy. But before turning to the properties of amethyst and the ways of using them within lithotherapeutic practice, let us take a brief detour through mythology and etymology…

The etymology and meaning of the word “amethyst”

The term amethyst comes from the Greek amethystos, and more precisely from the verb methyo meaning “to be drunk”. The privative prefix “a-” thus leads to translating the term as “one who is not drunk”.

The mythological origin of Amethyst

In her book Pouvoirs cachés et magie des pierres précieuses, Henriette Védrine admirably recounts the Greco-Roman legend that explains where amethyst comes from. Here is the passage in question:

“After the wine that he had invented and which he “honoured” copiously and frequently, the god Bacchus loved songs and, above all, that of the nymph Amethyst with her sweet voice. Mad with love and semiquavers, he resolved to marry her and, without further thought, went off to ask his father Jupiter for the hand and the throat of his beloved.

But Jupiter, the master of the gods, loathed misalliances, knowing that most of the time these lowborn couplings eventually gave rise to disastrous unions.

Yet, from experience, he also knew that opposing a categorical “no” to Bacchus (whose ill-tempered nature, all too often steeped in drink, destroyed the harmony of Olympus) was not the right approach. Jupiter preferred to resort to cunning, a way of his that he used from time to time when he wanted to settle a dispute.

One day, while the beautiful Amethyst was cooing like a nightingale for the ecstatic pleasure of her lover, Jupiter nonchalantly hurled a bolt of lightning at the lovely child, who found herself completely petrified. And this word is no figure of speech. The nymph had indeed become a stone, an ugly stone, whose rough appearance drew tears of despair and pity from Bacchus’s eyes.

Bacchus was no fool and he was quick to understand that weeping remedies nothing. To match cunning, twice the cunning, he told himself. His father was turning the most beautiful of nymphs into a common pebble? He, for his part, would transform her into a sparkling woman! Raising from his head his crown of grapes, he chose the finest cluster with its transparent, rosy grains, pressed it between his hands, crushed it and, with the fragrant juice, flooded the stone, coloured it, refined it, so thoroughly that the pebble became clear and of the most delicate violet…

It remained to bless it. Bacchus set about this solemnly:

“Amethyst, beautiful Amethyst, I want that, in the form inflicted upon you by Jupiter’s wrath, you continue to be sought after and cherished by mortals. Since you have become a stone, be henceforth the stone of amiable virtue, the symbol of celestial power. I want all those who wear you to be able to drink while remaining temperate, and that drunkenness and the ills born of the sweet fruit of the vine be spared them. I have spoken.”

And from that day on, amethyst became the emblem of temperance as well as that of spiritual power.

It is therefore to a bawdy god and hearty drinker that we owe this variety of violet-purple quartz, adorned with a magnificent lustre, which is called amethyst (from the Greek, methy, the name of a particularly intoxicating wine often confused with mead, the drink of the gods).

Since the most distant times, amethyst was known for preventing drunkenness or at least protecting the incorrigible drinker from the thousand follies that his state suggests to him. Besides, popular common sense claims that “there is a god for drunkards”, Bacchus without a doubt!”

So much for this charming legend, which explains why, in antiquity, amethyst was chiefly known for its ability to guard against drunkenness.

How and why to use amethyst?

Amethyst is a stone particularly prized by lithotherapists, and in general by all lovers of stones and crystals. It has the power to recentre energies, especially psychic ones, and it is often worn as a necklace. Moreover, using amethyst as a focus for meditation opens up the chakras. This unique stone helps to release fears and addictions and eases migraines. It improves the general nervous state and helps to find psychic balance.

Virtues of amethyst against physical ailments

What are the benefits of amethyst for better health in the face of various physical ailments?

From the point of view of the individual receiving the treatment, they will often be asked to hold the amethyst in their hands during the session. The healer will place the various amethyst gems on the areas of the body that need to be treated, generally the heart and the lungs.

Migraines and headaches

If you constantly suffer from headaches and migraines, the solution is at hand: an amethyst crystal. Lie down and close your eyes. Place the crystal on your forehead and relax: let the stone heal you. To guard against migraines, carry an amethyst and some yellow amber on you.

Stress

With the frantic agitation that characterises our world, we are often exhausted because our body is used beyond its normal limits. In order to repair your nervous system and relieve yourself of stress, spend a few minutes each day drawing on the power of amethyst crystals. It is also used for children who are prone to tantrums and fits of rage.

Skin problems

Against skin problems, amethyst can bring you its beneficial influence. If you suffer from acne, carry an amethyst on you. You can also apply it (clean) daily to the most affected areas. Do the same with boils.

If you are affected by shingles, keep an amethyst crystal on you, and place a good-sized one near your bed. In the case of burns, you can apply an amethyst to relieve the pain and speed up the healing process. Lastly, if you have developed abscesses, apply an amethyst to them.

Respiratory and blood problems

Amethyst is very often used for problems related to breathing and the blood system.

You can heal respiratory problems more quickly by using it. Simply, in addition to the medication prescribed by the doctor, place an amethyst on the chest, between the lungs. If the ailment is severe, hold the stone in place during sleep, using a bandage or a suitable adhesive tape.

It is also renowned for its beneficial action on blood diseases, blood pressure and anaemia.

Pain

Amethyst is renowned for its ability to relieve pain in the muscles and joints, particularly sprains. To heal more quickly from these ailments, you can place an amethyst inside an elastic bandage wrapped around the sore area.

Strengthening the bones

Wear an amethyst around your neck or keep one in your pocket in order to strengthen your bones.

Amethyst elixir

Make an amethyst elixir by placing one or more stones in a transparent container filled with water. Let the mixture rest outside in the moonlight all night long. For this preparation, nights of the full moon are the most suitable.

This elixir can also be used against blemishes and to soften the skin. Apply it directly to these blemishes or use it as an ingredient for your masks.

Make an amethyst elixir and use it to bathe the parts of the body prone to circulatory disorders. It speeds up circulation in both bodies: physical and etheric.

For blood diseases, you can drink some of this elixir every morning before breakfast.

Psychic and psychological virtues of amethyst

Nervousness and disorders of nervous origin

Amethyst is a stone of balance, which is beneficial to all disorders of nervous origin. To calm nervousness, wear an amethyst at all times. Take it in your hand when you feel your nervousness intensifying. You can use it in the same way if you are prone to states of anxiety. It is also reputed to calm bouts of hallucination.

Soothing your living spaces

You can place amethyst clusters and geodes in your home to maintain a positive vitality in your living space.

An amethyst placed on a windowsill is very effective for protecting against illness and negative waves. Keep this window open in the evening so that it receives the moon’s rays and can release them in the form of soothing energy during the day.

Place varieties of amethyst in a room where the atmosphere is generally tense, notably the offices of stressful professions. Amethyst is a stone of peace that instils love and happiness in those who come into contact with it.

Protecting your living space

Bury amethyst at every entrance to your home to guard against theft. A few fragments will do the trick. Do not forget to bury some beneath each of the windows and doors. If you have a window where the ground is out of reach, a window above a cement patio or a veranda for example, place fragments or a crystal on the glass.

Use the same technique to protect yourself from evil. Amethyst protects your home and prevents all those who wish to do harm, to you or to your loved ones, from entering beneath your roof.

Fighting addictions

The phenomenon of addiction is complex and must be understood both as a physiological and a psychological process. Amethyst is in any case likely to help you free yourself from your addictions.

If you suffer from an addiction that you have trouble freeing yourself from, an amethyst crystal can be a precious help. Hold one and ask it to free you from your addiction. Then draw on the strength of the crystal. Amethyst frees from all kinds of addiction, and in particular from alcoholism or drunkenness.

Aiding sleep

If you have difficulty falling asleep, are an insomniac or have restless nights, place an amethyst under your pillow to recover peaceful nights.

Before going to sleep, you can hold your amethyst in your hand and let it bring you a feeling of relaxation. You can, for example, imagine yourself at the centre of a giant amethyst geode to strengthen your focus on the power of the stone.

Encouraging dreams

To help you multiply your dreams and remember them upon waking, slip an amethyst into a headband and wear it during your sleep. If this solution is not comfortable for you, simply place it under your pillow.

To best develop your dream memory, note them down systematically in a small notebook as soon as you wake. Do not forget to regularly cleanse your stone by soaking it in a large bowl of clear water.

An amethyst placed under your pillow also protects against nightmares.

Access to the Higher Self

In order to commune with your Higher Self, choose a peaceful moment during which you will not be disturbed. Take an amethyst in each hand. Breathe deeply, close your eyes and feel the powers of the stone. Let them flow through you, along your arms up to your head. When you consciously feel their effect, invite your spirit guide to appear and to converse with you. This exercise makes it possible to unite with your Higher Self.

Meditation and concentration

Hold an amethyst in each hand during meditation. It is excellent for meditation because it helps to improve the precision of visions. It helps, in general, to achieve better concentration.

For romantic relationships

If you are looking for your soulmate, that person who will settle down with you and embark on a journey that lasts a lifetime, go about with an amethyst in your pocket.

Furthermore, if you have the impression that your partner is growing tired of you, give them an amethyst and the stone will rekindle the flame. It can be a ring, a pendant or even a simple lucky stone.

The phrase “you are your own worst enemy” is surely not unknown to you. Self-delusion, particularly where love is concerned, has caused more pain than any other human invention. Amethyst guards against self-delusion and allows you to see things with discernment.

Cleaning and care of amethyst

You can discharge your amethyst by running it under running water or by immersing it in salted spring water. Recharge it in the moonlight, and ideally in that of the full moon. Avoid recharging your amethyst in sunlight, which could eventually alter its colour.

Amethyst geodes are themselves used to cleanse and recharge other stones. The cleansing of an amethyst geode is done in sunlight, and its recharging in moonlight, ideally during the new moon.

As you can see, the virtues of amethyst are numerous. If you use this stone in a way that has not been described here, feel free to share your experience on this site in the comments.