Amethyst Power

Amethyst, according to Greek mythology, was a beautiful young virgin who angered the Greek God Dionysus after he became intoxicated with red wine and tried to force himself upon her. When Amethyst called out to Goddess Diana for help, Diana turned Amethyst into quartz, a white stone. When Dionysus realized what had happened, he was so sorry for his actions that he cried and his tears dropped into the goblet of red wine he was holding. The goblet fell over and the red wine spilled onto the white rock, soaking it until it became the purple quartz that is now known as Amethyst.

Amethyst comes from the Greek word "amethustos" which means "sober". Amethyst was used by ancient Egyptians to represent the Zodiac sign of the goat. Goats were pests that trampled vineyards and destroyed grapes, so amethyst was naturally the antidote for drunkenness.

Down through the centuries, the amethyst has been bestowed with many attributes...all of them good. It's been said that if the figure of a bear was inscribed on an amethyst it would frighten demons away. Amethyst is also thought to make the wearer more intelligent, control his evil thoughts, make a person shrewder in business, protect against all contagious diseases, and help the hunter find game. The amethyst also has religious implications. In Exodus 39, the amethyst was one of the 12 stones that decorated the breastplate of Aaron (the high priest). It also denoted the tribe of Dan (one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel). And during the Middle Ages amethyst was a symbol of celibacy. It was worn by Catholic Priests and used to adorn crosses.

 Amethyst is the official birthstone of February and is also the birth stone for the Zodiac sign Pisces.