Amethyst Meaning & Symbolism
- Color: Pale lavender to deep violet
- Meaning: Spiritual awareness and wisdom, transformation, balance, creativity
- Vibration #: 3
- Chakras: Third-eye & Crown
- Elements: Water & Air
- Birthstone: February
- Zodiac Signs: Aquarius & Pisces
- Planet: Jupiter
- Origin: Worldwide including Uruguay, Brazil, Sri Lanka, India, South Africa, USA
The sacred gemstone Amethyst promotes spiritual transformation, balance, and wisdom. Amethyst is known for its grounding energy that creates balance and the ability to tap into energy that can manifest as creativity and productivity.
Amethyst is undoubtedly the most powerful gemstone to use if one wants to achieve clarity, channel inner psychic energies, and undergo a meaningful spiritual transformation.
Historical Significance of Amethyst
Amethyst's vibrations are thought to provide protection. Specifically, they are believed to deflect spiritual harm and promote spiritual healing. The American Indians have even used Amethyst to make arrowheads that were thought to deflect negative energy and promote strength.
Amethyst has also been used and incorporated into mythology by past civilizations such as the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans. The word Amethyst comes from the ancient Greek word Amethystos which translates to ‘not intoxicated.’ As the myth goes, a young girl cries out to the goddess Diana for protection because another god, Dionysus was drunk. The girl is turned into a white stone by the goddess Diana and Dionysus, upset by this, knocked his red wine over onto the white stone which absorbed the wine and began to glow purple. When this happened, Dionysus had a revelation that his judgments had become clouded by external substances. The story of Dionysus from ancient Greek mythology illustrates how far back the association between the Amethyst and spiritual transformation truly goes.
Amethyst Metaphysical & Spiritual Properties
Amethysts create a deep sense of awareness and consciousness is achieved that we are able to transcend into a higher realization of the great divine. The Amethyst opens our spirit up to this transformation and its vibrations guide us to achieve clarity throughout this journey. These vibrations also serve to protect the soul from spiritual harm by deflecting unwanted energies from plaguing the aura.
Metaphysical and spiritual properties associated with the Amethyst are largely due to the strong ties it has to the third eye (Ajna) and crown (Sahasrara) chakras. The third eye chakra is associated with intuition, creativity, and perceptual abilities. The crown chakra is located above the third eye and, when cleared, results in higher levels of consciousness, removal of self-limiting boundaries, and mindfulness.
How to Use Amethysts
The powerful metaphysical and spiritual properties of the Amethyst can be integrated into your life in a variety of ways, depending on what you want to manifest.
Meditation
Amethyst is used by many during meditation to cultivate metaphysical wisdom and spiritual transformation. It can also be combined during meditation with the Rose Quartz to enhance spiritual healing.
Meditations using Amethyst can be done in different ways, depending on what you are most comfortable with. Those who meditate in a seated position may prefer to place Amethyst crystals in a circle around themselves. In contrast, if you prefer lying down during meditation, you may place the Amethyst on a pillow next to you. Polished Amethyst spheres and hearts are particularly useful during meditation because you are able to rest them in the upward facing palms of your hands.
Clearing & Balancing Chakras
Similar to metaphysical properties of Amethyst, the third eye chakra opens the soul to accept opportunities for increased spiritual awareness and wisdom, so it is no wonder that these two are interconnected. Given this strong relationship, Amethyst is often the crystal of choice when clearing and balancing the third eye.
Amethyst is also efficient in clearing the crown chakra. The crown chakra must be cleared for true clarity and acceptance. This allows the spirit to fully transcend into a higher realization of the Divine.
Feng Shui
- Amethyst gemstones can be placed around the home to absorb negative energy, promote tranquility, and build a protective aura
- Place an Amethyst at the bedside to channel peaceful rest your sleep cycle
- In the office or your workspace, place an Amethyst to promote inspiration and creativity
- Vibrations from Amethysts can be placed strategically in workspaces or health areas to decrease impulsiveness that results in procrastination
Recharging other crystals
The grounding and balancing energy found in Amethyst allow it to recharge other crystals! Geode clusters work best for this purpose although the shape must also allow for other crystals to be safely placed on it. After cleansing your crystal, simply place it on an Amethyst cluster and let it charge for at least a few hours - or however long you feel is necessary.
Cleansing & Charging Amethysts
How to cleanse Amethyst
If you are using the Amethyst to heighten your spiritual awareness and wisdom, it is recommended that you not only cleanse your gemstone, but also that you cleanse the energy in the area where your meditation will take place.
Smudging is a cleansing process that uses sage, incense or a smudge stick - whichever you prefer. This will cleanse your area of distracting and unwanted energies. The practice of smudging will allow you to stay more centered during your meditation so that you can more readily embrace the vibrations from the Amethyst(s). It is not uncommon for those who meditate with Amethysts to feel a soft purple glow surround and flow through them. Remember to open a window when you are smudging a room or crystal so that the energies can freely flow out of that area!
Cleansing Amethyst before and after meditations is helpful to maintain the desired frequency. If you smudge your area prior to meditation, then you may also cleanse your crystal using the same sage or incense!
However, a brief deep breathing exercise can also be used to cleanse the Amethyst in an efficient manner. During exhalation, visualize a purple glow surrounding the Amethyst and excess energy being released from the gemstone.
How to charge Amethyst
Charging crystals is typically done to keep the energy balanced and aligned with the universe. Simply place your Amethyst near a window where the Moon shines through - this is most effective during the Full Moon. Alternatively, you may place the Amethyst on a Selenite charging plate for a few hours (or up to a couple of days).
Amethyst Zodiac Signs: Aquarius & Pisces
The Amethyst is associated with the Air and Water elements so it may come as no surprise to learn that the Zodiac signs Aquarius and Pisces are strongly attracted to this purple quartz gemstone.
Aquarius
For the Aquarians, the Amethyst often encourages creativity and productivity, and allows these intellects to more easily make decisions regarding the pursuit of new opportunities.
Pisces
Amethyst can offer spiritual and emotional protection for the intuitive and sensitive Pisces. In addition, the intuitively creative Pisces can use the Amethyst to further their natural talents.
Amethyst Characteristics
Natural Amethyst is a semiprecious gemstone that belongs to the Quartz family. Each crystal is truly one-of-a-kind because of the variation in color hue and intensity, translucency, inclusions, formation, and shapes.
An Amethyst’s primary hue can range from a light lavender to rich purple color and it has a vitreous luster. Iron and manganese mineral inclusions give the Amethyst its purple color that distinguishes it from other quartz minerals. They vary from transparent to translucent in appearance. These gemstones are available in geode/raw form or with a polished finish and come in a variety of shapes including geode clusters, cathedrals, raw points, hearts, towers, and spheres.