Amethyst : Fact, Myth & Magic

Has there ever been a more popular stone to wear than amethyst? Whether worn as jewelry or fashioned into magical tools or carvings, the purple quartz has literally become an icon for higher vibrations, crystal healing and New Age spirituality. But the times they always are a-changin’. In a decade when many people have shifted their wardrobe away from the lavendar/purple/violet range, wearing amethyst has now become seen by many as…….passé.

Well, I’m inviting an amethyst comeback. It’s simply an extraordinary stone of which, especially in this stressful time, we should make good use.

In a Medieval ephemeris, amethyst was observed to, “….disperse bad thoughts, bring good commonsense, and make one mild and gentle.” Almost universally, this gemstone is said to encourage constant spiritual wakefulness, and to open insights into the psychic and spiritual realms. It is associated only with the upper chakras (energy centers), the ajna (sixth) and the sahasrara (seventh). The Greeks called it amethustos (“non-inebriated”) and prized it for its sobering effects, the way it would clear the mind and engage the intellect. Hildegaard von Bingen, the great Christian mystic, wrote of its healing effect on skin diseases and ‘swellings.’

The Vedas, the earliest scriptures of India’s vast spiritual heritage, consider amethyst to be a secondary stone for appeasing Shani (Saturn). Blue sapphire is the primary stone, minimum 2 carats, but considering the expense and rarity of unheated blue sapphires, amethyst may be worn in its place, at a minimum of 5 carats in size. Either gem can moderate the effects of Saturn, the hard taskmaster of the astrological chart, ruler of discipline, renunciation and detachment from the world.

It’s the perfect role for a gemstone that helps its wearer keep their head above the clouds.

Very well, but wait – how do we know that amethyst actually carries these properties? That’s another story entirely……

The way folkloric mythologies form and are passed down is an organic process of agreement by which a culture slowly adopts the stories and philosophies that will represent it to the world and to future generations. For each individual, the act of passing on the conclusions of their own practical experience creates or continues a momentum. The next person adds his or her agreement and the lens of their own relevant experience, and the information gathers strength. Let’s say an experienced energy healer passes on what she has learned about amethyst, from years of working with this powerful stone. The person who hears the telling may build amethyst’s tale from their own experiences (if they have some), as they convey it onward. As more in the community hear and contribute, they add their own impressions to the collective story. The process is a form of empirical (experience-based) science, and is known to be how folkloric knowledge evolves.

For a gemstone like amethyst, what forms over time, like the gradual formation of the crystals themselves, is essentially a reputation, the cumulative impressions of a particular culture. Not surprisingly, since amethyst has a very consistent chemical composition wherever it is found, cultures separated by centuries and oceans have often assigned remarkably similar properties to it.

Any stone would welcome amethyst’s reputation. More historical low-down on the Stone of Spirituality : it has been used in the worship of deities as diverse as Bacchus, Dionysus and Diana. Also the “Stone of Contentment,” amethyst brings unconditional love and happiness, is very calming yet energizing, and sharpens wit and logic. Whew. As if those attributes were not sufficient, amethyst magnifies beauty, transmutes lower energies, balances all of one’s ‘bodies’, opens and activates the crown chakra (sahasrara), connects the earth element within us to other planes, clears/stabilizes/normalizes the aura, treats alcoholism, grants protection from thieves/danger/sickness or psychic attack, builds business prosperity, and for women can strengthen their bond with their lover.

What may have happened is that, among gemstones, amethyst became emblematic of new explorations in spirituality, the vaunted New Age which has now waned. Yet amethyst may just be a perfect ally for many of us in the emerging Age of Spirit.

The Care and Feeding of a Japa Mala

The 108-bead Hindu prayer strand, or japa mala, is considered inseparable from the deity it is used to invoke. As a result, respect accorded to the deity is traditionally accorded also to the mala. For example, care is made to never let the mala touch the floor or another person, after which it would need to be ritually cleansed.

When treated with care, over time it gathers particles of shakti (living spiritual energy) as it is chanted with devotion. It grows in spiritual potency by drawing energy not only from its owner, but some people believe also from the deity being worshipped.

There is a variety of opinion about whether, and how often, to wash malas, with some saying the shakti accumulates best when undisturbed. Others maintain that a mala’s subtle magnetism grows best when it is periodically cleaned or at least rinsed. However all agree that it must be energetically cleansed after any event that brings it into contact with coarse or negative energies, such as chanting while upset, extensive travel, casual handling without respect, etc.

Further, chanting prayers or mantras by turning a mala is also protected from the mundane world in various ways. Some Hindu sects suggest (or require) a devotee revolve their mala inside a special bag made specifically for japa (repetition). The purpose is to keep the action out of sight of others and thus it stays free of mental impressions.

Over time, a mala can become like a cherished friend on the path of spiritual awakening.

The Age of The Ring

By now it is fairly well-known that as far as the great ages of cosmic time explained in the Vedas (the earliest spiritual scriptures of India), we are now squarely in Kali Yuga, the vaunted Age of Darkness that comes once every 26,000 years. Kali is the demigod in the Hindu pantheon known best for her wrath and destruction, as she clears the way for spiritual progress. On the spiritual path, she crushes our ego attachments, and thus we have a lot to thank her for, even if we don't always look forward to the slashes of her mighty blade.

When the Vedas were written, our present yuga was described as a time of dullness, spiritual insensitivity, decreased vitality, along with rising violence and greed. Good thing we've managed to avoid all that in our current material-driven culture! Maybe Kali has been missing lately!

If only that were the case. No, as evidence of our current dark age rains down around us, it often triggers a simple question, "Why do I have to be here during this time of ignorance? Couldn't I have been born during another yuga?" Well, sure, except you weren't. (Hang on -- we have another 24,000 years left in Kali Yuga).

Of course, God is nothing if not merciful, and so there is one compensation for all the trouble and pain we may have to face. Kali Yuga, by its nature, has a built-in silver lining – compared to other ages, spiritual practices done during this yuga produce higher states and greater merit for the soul. In other words, if we can focus our attention inward even during this time of great distraction, greater progress on the path is granted.

It's a sweet deal, cosmically.

And there's one way in which it gets even better. The practices of the yogic path are known for their extreme longevity. People have been meditating and doing yoga postures since there was time. For example, there are temples in India where chants to the Hindu deities have been going on continuously for hundreds of years. Ironically, in the last 20 years or so, here in the US especially, we have seen wave after wave of innovation. Practice styles, kirtan, techniques of meditation – novelty is doing its best to catch up with longevity.

Now we may have another genuine innovation here, and it's a bit of a surprise. Japa, or repetition of prayers or mantras, is a practice shared by nearly all world's great spiritual paths. To repeat the Holy Names is to invoke the presence and experience of God. When engaged in a disciplined counting of japas, a beaded prayer strand is used, such as a Catholic rosary, a Muslim tasbih, or a mala for Buddhists and Hindus. But there are many times during the day when it is not convenient to pull out prayer beads, so a chance to call the Names of God is missed. For those times, now, a japa ring can be used.

A ring?

A ring with notches on it. The advantage to wearing a japa ring is that it gives you the ability to recite your mantra with awareness wherever you are. For most wearers, it quickly becomes a mindful habit to reach for it and turn it. Then the mantra (or prayer) begins on it own! It's a surprisingly easy practice to adopt, and to keep at for years.

A japa ring is usually worn on the index finger, middle finger or most typically the ring finger. Depending on what feels most natural, you can either turn the ring right where it is, or pull it out beyond the first knuckle and turn it there.

Use one to enter meditation, to calm down, to invoke patience, to enter stillness – to reconnect with the divine indwelling presence in just a few seconds. Over and over during the day, it provides a direct link from the outer world to the inner.

Japa rings are a truly innovative practice enhancement. We at Devi Jewels are very happy to have found the handcrafted rings we now carry.

It only makes sense that our new rings are beautiful as well as functional. After all, beauty is its own sacred energy.