If you were on Family Feud and the question was ‘Name a type of crystal?’, you can pretty safely bet that Amethyst would be up there on the board. Amethysts are so popular, not just because they are widely available, but also because they are truly beautiful, whether it be just a small piece of polished stone, to clusters, points, pendulums and pyramids. Most people associate amethyst with the most common type, the transparent crystal with enchanting purple hues, but there are actually several varieties of Amethyst that are less common, and more rare such as Green, Pink, Auralite and Dream.
Apart from being a beautiful adornment around your home though, there is much more to this purple powerhouse. In the middles ages it was thought to represent royalty among the British, and in religious circles it was often worn by those in power to symbolise the deity of Christ. Heading in a totally different direction the ancient Greeks associated the intoxicatingly beautiful stone with the God of wine and pleasure, Dionysus, and believed that it had the power to allow people to drink the night away and not get drunk. It is unclear as whether this was considered a blessing or a curse though. (note: the author does not in any way condone people binge drinking while carrying amethyst to test this theory).
Interesting as the historical symbolism and uses are however, in the present day, amethyst is still seen as a powerful crystal with significant metaphysical and spiritual power and is worn and used for a variety of reasons. Amethyst is associated with the seventh or crown chakra so can be fantastic for use during meditation and healing as it is thought to alleviate anxiety, clear the mind and to activate spiritual awareness and intuition. Amethyst is also a popular crystal to wear in jewellery as one goes about their day to day business, as it can provide a feeling protection from negative energy, clarity of thought, the easing of anxiety and stress, and a feeling of peace and wellbeing.
No matter what it symbolises to you though, or if it doesn’t symbolise anything and you simply appreciate its aesthetic beauty, this is one gorgeous stone to wear and have around your house.
Love and light
Curio x