Welcome to February! According to Punxsutawney Phil, spring is just around the corner (not that it’s been a terribly awful one here in Texas this year)!
Besides being the month of love and transition, February is also associated with the mineral Amethyst. Amethyst is a variety of Quartz and gets its iconic purple color from trace amounts of iron that have been naturally irradiated. It is found throughout the world, even here in the United States, but the most significant deposits are located in Brazil and Uruguay. Fantastic specimens weighing thousands of pounds have been found in the fractures of igneous rock there.
If you are interested in the history or spiritual side of Amethyst, this special mineral has been highlighted in religions for thousands of years. Amethyst was one of the stones in the Bible of the High Priest’s breastplate representing the 12 tribes of Israel. In ancient Egypt, Amethyst was worn by the Pharaohs to help ward off evil and misfortune. Amethyst derives from the Greek word “amethystos” which may be translated as “not drunken”. Ancient Greeks used it to ward off drunkenness. And modern crystal healers associate Amethyst with relieving stress, bringing inner peace, and clearing negativity.
