====== Amethyst ======
---- dataentry gem----
latin_names:
folk_names:
energy_tags: Receptive
gender_tags:
planet_tags: Jupiter, Neptune
element_tags: Water
deity_tags: Bacchus, Dionysus, Diana
effect_tags: Dreams, overcoming alcoholism, healing, psychism, peace, love, protection against thieves, courage, happiness
----
===== Magical Uses =====
Amethyst, a purple quartz, is a stone steeped in ancient magic. It is, perhaps, as popular today as it was two thousand years ago.
Placed beneath the pillow or worn to bed, amethyst drives off insomnia and nightmares. It produces a peaceful sleep and pleasant, healing, even prophetic dreams. However, it will also ensure that its wearer doesn't oversleep.
A spiritual stone, with absolutely no negative side effects or associations with violence, anger, or passion, the amethyst is the stone of peace. When the stresses of everyday life well up within you, hold an amethyst in your left hand (or right hand if left-handed). Let its soothing, de-stressing, calming, peaceful vibrations sink into you. Or better yet, wear amethyst so that it touches your skin, and you may avoid such highly wrought emotional states.
The amethyst calms fears, raises hopes, lifts the spirits, and promotes thoughts of the spiritual reality behind our lives. Worn, it wards off guilt and self-deception, helps you overcome addictions such as alcoholism, curbs overindulgence, and bestows good judgment. Amethyst calms emotional storms. Even in situations of potential danger, the amethyst will come to your aid.
Amethyst also lends courage to its wearer, and it is a powerful amulet for travelers. Worn, it protects against thieves, harm, sickness, and danger.
In Renaissance magic, amethysts engraved with the image of a bear were worn as protective amulets. In Graeco-Roman times, rings of amethyst set in bronze were worn as charms against evil, and magical cups carved from amethyst banished sorrow and evil from all who drank.
Because it is such a spiritual stone, the amethyst is often worn during contemplation or placed on simple meditation altars. A piece set before a white candle and a censer burning a soothing, high vibrational incense, such as sandalwood, is conducive to meditative practices.
Pro-meditation baths can be powerful attunement experiences. Have a light purple candle burning as you bathe, and ring the candle with amethysts to sharpen the "sixth sense." Some keep an amethyst with their tarot cards, I-Ching yarrow stalks or coins, or rune stones to heighten their inner energies. It is, naturally, worn during psychic or divinatory acts. Since it is also a stone of wisdom, it allows the information received through the psychic mind to be appropriately utilized.
This beautiful stone also sharpens the conscious mind, quickening the wit and enhancing mental powers. It is used to improve the memory, to relieve headaches, and to keep thoughts in line with life goals.
A stone of pure, true, emotional love, it is often exchanged between lovers to strengthen their commitment. An amethyst carved in the shape of a heart and set in silver was presented by a woman to a man to ensure their love.
Amethyst is also one of the few stones specifically prescribed for men to use for attracting women. Worn by a man, the stone draws "good women" to love him.
Though it is often thought to be a stone of chastity, this attribution dates from past centuries when the ideal love was "platonic." Today, when more and more persons view sex as a natural aspect of a healthy, monogamous relationship, this idea is slowly fading from folk memory.
The amethyst is used by those involved with lawsuits to ensure that right is done. It is also utilized in prosperity magic and has long been thought to bring success to businesses, perhaps because of its Jupiterian rulership.
Hundreds of years ago, the amethyst was moistened with saliva and rubbed on the face to banish pimples and rough skin. Today it is used in spells designed to magnify beauty.
*An amethyst spell: *When emotionally upset, jilted by a lover, ending a relationship, stressed to the point of severe mental problems, or when in any unstable condition, go to a place outside where you can be alone. Hold an amethyst in your left hand (or right, if left-handed). *Pour* out all your feelings, your emotions, from your body through your arm, out your palm, and into the stone.
Feel every pain, every emotional low, every hurt. Send it all into the stone with the strong force of your innate magical abilities.
When the stone is nearly bursting with negativity, throw it with as much force as you can muster. Scream, howl, choke out a shout as you throw the stone. As your hand releases the amethyst, *release the hurt as well.* *Know *that it is in the stone, that it is outside you, that it is now alien to you.
Calm down, breathe deeply, meditate for a few moments. Thank the earth for its help, then turn around and leave your problems behind you.
The earth will absorb the hurt, leaving the stone free, but never bring that stone into your life again.