There’s a reason your witch friend suggested amethyst as your first crystal. And it’s not just because it’s pretty, purple, and sparkly. This particular crystal packs a psychic punch. We’ll teach you all about amethyst properties, both magical and medicinal, plus its spiritual meaning and ways to use it in your practice.

First, What IS Amethyst?

The word Amethyst means “intoxicate” or something similar. This is because the Ancient Greeks believed it would aid in preventing intoxication. Yet its soothing and otherworldly nature also feels intoxicating! Amethyst is one of the more popular crystals on the metaphysical market these days. And with good reason. This semiprecious crystal is typically a beautiful purple shade and sometimes sparkles depending on the cut and finish. It was one of the first crystals I ever worked with in my practice and will forever be one of my favorites. Amethyst is found worldwide and is made up of silicon dioxide and iron. So note: fairies might not particularly like this crystal because of the iron content. (If you’d like to find crystals that are favorable to the fae, learn about lepidolite here or green calcite.)

Different Types of Amethyst Combinations & Their Properties

There are multiple types of amethyst crystals in addition to the main stone. A few include amethyst phantom quartz, amethyst smoky quartz, elestial, lavender amethyst, Vera cruz, amethyst spirit quartz and amethyst herkimer. Most of these types are a combination of amethyst and another stone (i.e. amethyst herkimer is amethyst combined with herkimer diamond). Each of these carries the same properties of amethyst but adds the properties of the other stone with which its made. Here’s a few:

• Amethyst phantom quartz: in addition to the amethyst properties, also promote healing at a cellular level and in multiple dimensions
• Amethyst spirit quartz: aids in communication and spiritual work with the spirit world and other planes of existence (hence it’s name)
• Ametrine: a combination of amethyst and citrine, combines both properties together and connects the physical world with the spiritual with ease

PLEASE NOTE: The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Components of Amethyst & Their Properties

Amethyst is made up of silicon dioxide and iron. Each of these components has its own properties that are beneficial to the practitioner or amethyst wearer. Silicon dioxide is also called silica and is made up of silicon and oxygen. The earth’s crust is made up mostly of silicon and it’s present in the water, plants, soil, and even in our own bodies. Think about it like this – the same properties in the soil exist within you. And within the animals and plants around you.

And the oxygen component, well, I would think that would be obvious. But if not, know this – we need oxygen to survive. We breathe it in and our blood cells carry it to every part of our body to aid in overall physical and mental functioning. When our bodies no longer get oxygen, they start to die. Thinking of silicon combined with oxygen in crystal form, we can see how powerful this stone truly is. And how it connects us to the earth and to each other.

Amethyst Properties that Promote Healing

Ancient peoples knew how to use crystals to heal physical, emotional and spiritual ailments. Today we are beginning to remember this form of energy healing. Amethyst is gaining more and more popularity for its healing properties. Here are just a few:

• Relieves respiratory symptoms
• Good for headaches
• General pain relief
• Stimulates hormone production
• Aids endocrine system
• Increases metabolism
• Detoxifies body and spirit
• Boosts immune system
• Relieves pain due to injuries, bruises, and skin disorders
• Helps with hearing disorders
• Good for digestive issues
• Soothes nerves and promotes calmness
• Promotes a restful sleep therefore relieving insomnia
• Helps with matters of the stomach
• Aids in relief of OCD symptoms
• Prevents intoxication (in fact, the ancient Greeks believed amethyst properties to be mainly centered on preventing alcoholism and drunkenness)

Amethyst’s MAGICAL Properties

Amethyst has long been one of my favorite stones to use in my magical practice. It’s the color, yes, but it’s also the vibes it emanates. First, if you’re looking for a crystal to increase your dreams and intuition, this is it. Amethyst is directly linked to the third eye and crown chakras, which we all know are the centers of psychic awareness and divine connection. In addition, here are the rest of the amethyst magical properties:

• Spiritual enlightenment and growth
• Enhances psychic abilities
• Increases intuition
• Promotes lucid dreams, prophetic dreams and astral projection
• Protects from negative entities attacking during astral travel
• Protects from psychic attack in general
• Multidimensional awareness
• Connection with the divine, the Universe, angelic beings, etc.
• Transmutes negative energy into positive energy
• Has a harmonizing and purifying effect on the aura and mind
• Promotes new ideas and is inspiring
• Self reflection and shadow work
• Balances emotions
• Amethyst properties include protection from thievery
• Increases contentment in daily life
• Promotes discernment and decision-making
• Relieves feelings of shame
• Purifies the third eye, crown chakra, and aura overall

Remember too that PURPLE is the color of magick and other things:

I like to always consider the color of the stone that I’m working with as part of its inherent magick. With amethyst, you’ll find much of it has a lavender or purple shade. Therefore the color purple’s magical properties also apply to amethyst including magick in general, metaphysics, energy healing, dreams, spirituality, imagination, wisdom, luxury, royalty, and emotional sensitivity.

How to Use These Amethyst Properties in Your Spiritual Practice

How you choose to use amethyst is up to you. Everyone’s spiritual practice will be different from the next person’s because we are all individuals. The great thing about this stone is it has a plethora of spiritual, metaphysical and medicinal qualities to harness. And there’s truly no limit as to how you can use it. My favorite way to use this stone is simply holding it when I meditate to increase awareness in the spirit world. But here’s a few more ideas:

• Enchant jewelry and use as an amulet or talisman
• Add to spell jars and witch bottles
• Add to spell bags
• Place around the tub during ritual baths
• Encircle your candles in candle rituals and spells
• Have present during a ritual to promote divine connection and spiritual invocation
• Hold or wear during test-taking as it promotes clarity of mind and memory
• Hold, wear, or place on the body (third eye or crown) during chakra alignments
• Use along with Reiki in healing rituals
• Amethyst wands can be waved over a person or place for any of the listed metaphysical properties/intentions
• In crystal ball form is great for scrying and foreseeing the future
• Amethyst is frequently used in purification rituals in spaces with negative energy buildup
• As offering/gift to the ascended masters, angels, starry ancestors, and the Universe
• Placed under the pillow to relieve nightmares, promote dreaming, aid in astral projection
• Worn to ward negative energy and promote chakra alignment
• Used as warding stones in the 4 corners of property to ward negative energy and balance the household
• Placed around the bedroom to balance emotional energies between lovers

Amethyst’s Daily Uses

This is one of my favorite stones to use on a daily basis. Though some people find its effects overwhelming. If this is you, ground the extra energy with hematite or black obsidian or any crystal that corresponds to the root chakra. How do you use this stone in your daily rituals and routines? Place pieces of it on your altar to promote connection with your ancestors, deities, and spirit guides. It’s also a favorite of starry beings and the Divine. Wear amethyst to aid in universal connection and seeing the spirit world all around you. This is especially helpful if you often find yourself feeling weighed down and overwhelmed by the mundane.

Why It’s Called the Psychic Stone

To share a personal story of my experience with amethyst’s amazing properties – I’ve used amethyst in dream work for many years, but there’s one particular night that I remember. I placed a small piece of raw amethyst under my pillow and asked my matron goddess to visit me in my dreams. That night, not only did my goddess visit me in my dreams, but it seemed that she visited me in real life. Somewhere between that sleeping and waking state, I saw her manifest in my bedroom. She opened the door and walked in towards me, smiling. To call amethyst the psychic stone is an easy association to make. Any time I’ve used this crystal, it promotes communication between me and my gods and guides.

Seeing Auras and Other Dimensions

Another time, I was at a work convention. And I was wearing an amethyst necklace. I was sitting at the back of a conference room, when I began seeing flames of light above everyone’s heads. It reminded me of candleflames, and some people had brighter flames than others. I blinked my eyes a few times, pinched myself to make sure I was awake, and realized that I was seeing people’s auras. Their connections to the divine. Truthfully, I’ve never had an experience like that and, although I’ve tried to will it to happen, I’ve never been able to see it again.

Amethyst is purple, linking it to magic in general, and also is directly linked to your third eye chakra. The third eye is our eye that allows us to other dimensions, spirits, and auras. Many healers and witches use amethyst in their chakra alignment therapy, as well as in spirit work because of this. If you feel you have a hard time connecting to your own psychic abilities or intuition, this is the crystal for you.

How to Care for This Beautiful Crystal

According to the experts at GIA.edu, amethyst should never be subjected to extreme temperatures, particularly high heat, as it could fracture the crystal. To physically clean amethyst, lukewarm soapy water does the trick. Spiritually purify amethyst with smoke, bury it in earth for a day or bury it in salt for a day. And you can safely place it in the moonlight for charging purposes.

Sources:

• Crystals for Healing: The Complete Reference Guide by Karen Frazier
• The Encyclopedia of Crystals by Judy Hall
• Is Silicon Dioxide Safe? Via Healthline
• Amethyst Care and Cleaning Guide via GIA