Amethyst is one of the world's most popular semi-precious gems. It gets its purple color from additional iron trapped in Quartz and is known as the February birthstone. Healing Properties of Amethyst: A Crystal for Protection & Healing A Crystal Message About the Healing Properties of Amethyst: “I clear the path for your divine self to come forth.  Shed your ego self and step into your divine purpose. It's time to live the life for which you were meant.”     Common Healing Properties of Amethyst: Protects you against negative energies Enhances motivation Promotes positive dreams and aids in their interpretation Assists with emotional balance Aids in receiving and interpreting Divine guidance Helps you become open to your  psychic abilities Connects you with the intuitive aspects of the water element Enhances meditation Facilitates a connection with the spirit Promotes wellness of the mind, body, and spirit     /*   Colors: Pale lavender to deep purple Zodiac Signs: Aquarius, Pisces Elements: Air, Water, Ether/Spirit Companion Flowers: Wisteria Companion Essential Oil: Lavender Companion Stone: Angel Aura Quartz Common Origins: Canada, India, Brazil Notes: Also known as Bishops’ Stone or as Lavendine.  Since Amethyst is a variety of Quartz, these properties also apply. Wanna’ Get Science-y? Click Here to get information about the chemical composition, hardness, streak, etc. of this crystal from one of my favorite sites! More About Amethyst: Amethyst is a variety of quartz that contains traces of iron and ranges in color from the lightest lilac to a deep violet. It’s been considered a protective, healing stone from the earliest times. In fact, even its name refers to one of its ancient protective functions: a (anti-) + methustos (intoxicated). Wine taken from an amethyst cup, they said, would never make you drunk! (A possible mechanism for this: the host may have disguised the fact that he’d watered his wine by pouring it into a deep purple cup. It could work. . .) Amethyst has kept its association with virtue through time, protecting one’s better nature against temptation. In fact, the highest grade of amethyst is still known as “bishop’s grade.” Uses of Amethyst: Amethyst makes a good meditation stone; as such, it works well as a source of beads for malas and rosaries. But it’s also a very common stone, useful to anyone for its calming protection, easing the dreams. The related benefits, clarity in meditation and restful dreams, can help fix the occasional case of the blahs that can be a side effect of an active–sometimes too active–imagination. It goes well with lavender, both amethyst and lavender calm body and mind, nurturing us into other states of consciousness. Not only does Amethyst connect to conscious awareness, it also has many practical uses and is great for all types of healing.   /*   Amethyst Lore: We enjoy learning about obscure stones, but amethyst definitely does not fit into that category. A highly protective and spiritual crystal, amethyst has a metaphysical history that goes back at least as far as the ancient Egyptians, probably much farther. We can only deepen our appreciation by looking at the rich historical lore of amethyst: In Egypt, it was associated with the astrological sign of the goat. Since goats love to eat grape vines, they were an enemy of drunkenness. The earliest known connection between amethyst and sobriety came through this association. Egyptians ascribed special protective powers to amethyst when carved in the shape of the heart, a symbol they used to ward off sorcery. They wore the heart with a feather as a protective amulet. Ancient Hebrews used many forms of oneiromancy. Not only did they interpret dreams to read the future, they also used the magical practice of controlling d...