Clarity and Intoxification: The Proving of Amethyst
by Barbara Seideneck, CHom, CCH, RSHom (NA)
Abstract
Five different groups of students of the Homeopathy School of Colorado proved this remedy over a period of five years (42 provers). A strong resemblance to the substance was evident in dreams of caves, crowded rooms, levels of high and low, up and down and openings with light. Mental themes relating to the substance include extreme clarity, a feeling of being drunk, and excessive mental energy. The list of physical symptoms is substantial; the proving showed Amethyst’s strong affinity for head pains, female symptoms and nerve involvement of the extremities.
Keywords: Amethyst, remedy, proving, clarity/confusion, headaches, environmental sensitivity.
Legends and Mythology
Artemis, the divine Greek huntress, worshipped as the goddess of the moon, wild animals, and hunting and chose eternal chastity and the freedom to roam the forests forever over marriage.
To be spared from unwanted marriages, Greek women prayed to Artemis. The goddess saved young women by turning them into a tree, flower, or an animal. The ancient Greeks preferred to be an enchanted plant or animal to spending one’s life with an undesirable mate.
When Dionysus, an immortal, was angered by the insult of a mortal, he swore revenge on any mortal crossing his path. He created fierce tigers to carry out his wish.
Edward Whitmont, Return of the Goddess:
“He (Dionysus) embodies the play, aimless joy, and neediness of life, as well as the aggressive and murderous lust for destruction that lurks in all of humanity. ... Psychologically, the world of Dionysus is the world of embodied raw nature, of desire and of passion in its double aspect of rapture and suffering. … This is the archetypal force which Freud called libido … To the sense of order and meaning, Dionysus opposes the rapture of losing oneself in irrationality, in pure emotion, in the drunkenness of passion, the abandonment of the ego sense. … In excess this dynamic can lead to madness, nihilism, and annihilation; yet its total absence means petrification, rigidity, and grim, joyless boredom” (1982, Crossroads Publishing, pp. 58-59).
The beautiful maiden Amethyst, on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Artemis, accidentally meets Dionysus and his tigers. For protection, Artemis transforms Amethyst into a pure white crystalline stone. A remorseful Dionysus realizes his viciousness and weeps with pity. Collapsing in sorrow, he spills wine from his goblet, which soaks into the white stone thus giving Amethyst its purple color.
Dionysus had introduced humans to the intoxicating beverage and was considered a god of double nature. The Greeks were well aware of alcohol’s mixed blessings and used wine to alleviate pain, to disinfect wounds, and to create happiness – knowing that too much could cause irrationality and insanity.
History
The Greek word, Amethystos, translates into “not drunken.” The ancient Greeks believed the stone could protect one from drunkenness. Throughout history Amethyst has been valued for many reasons.
Remains from the Neolithic period in Europe prove its use since 25,000 B.C.
The bible documents Amethyst as one of the twelve stones adorning the breastplate of the high priest of Israel, representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
Ancient Greeks wore Amethyst necklaces/rings or drank from Amethyst cups to prevent intoxication.
Hildegard von Bingen applied it to heal swellings and skin diseases.
Amethysts embellish the treasures of royalty including the British Crown Jewels.
Leonardo da Vinci wrote that Amethyst would dissipate evil thoughts and quicken intelligence.
During the Renaissance, it was a symbol of humility and modesty.
The stone in a bishop’s ring was thought to encourage celibacy and symbolized piety.
The Substance
Amethyst is a quartz variety made up of silicon dioxide (SiO2) with trace amounts of aluminum, calcium, magnesium, lithium and sodium. The coloration varies from pale lavender to very deep purple, primarily a result of the iron (Fe) contained in the crystal. It stays stable below 480ºF (249ºC); higher temperatures can fade the color. It is found encrusted in stone in the form of a geode (small) or druse (large). It has a hardness of 7 on the Moh’s scale and a specific gravity of 6.5. It exhibits double refraction. The crystalline shape is hexagonal. Upon fracture, Amethyst will break into conchoidal shapes. Simply said, many six-sided Amethyst crystals grow tightly packed in an enclosed space, splitting light into two separate beams, and if shattered, the crystal breaks like glass.
Methodology
The Homeopathy School International conducted this proving over a period of five years with five different groups of students (1996-1998 and 2000-2001). Of the original 42 proving reports, 27 were chosen for reasons of reliability. The proving was conducted according to the principles of the Organon.
Helios Pharmacy in England prepared Amethyst in potency. The substance was proven in potencies including 6C, 12C, 30C and 200C.
Healing
Amethyst – like other crystals – has been applied in healing for millennia. Recorded healing effects are maintenance of sobriety, tranquility, and protection from negative energies (embodied by Dionysus). Amethyst is known to provide calm and clarity during anxious times.
Traditionally, it has been used to heal nervous disorders, headaches, migraines, diabetes, lung problems, eye problems, asthma, allergies, gout, blood clots, sleeping problems, and impure blood.
Metaphysically, Amethyst represents the merging of red and blue, symbolizing the marriage of the masculine and the feminine. Generally growing in clusters, Amethyst is associated with relationships.
Affinities
The proving of Amethyst bore a resemblance to traditional reports about crystal healing. The remedy produced mental calm and clarity, a sense of well-being countered by confusion and poor concentration. Some provers experienced a feeling of intoxication or being “buzzed” without drinking alcohol, others did not feel the effects when drinking alcohol.
The remedy produced significant physical symptoms in the head, eyes, nose, throat, stomach, and female organs.
Dream Themes
Small rooms (caves/compartments/underground/tunnel)
Big buildings/malls/supermarkets
Windows, doors, openings
Up/down (climbing, going down, levels)
Water (snow, rain, ocean, wet, ice)
Groups of people (classes, schools, teachers)
Old (old people, friends and buildings)
Darkness/light
Weddings
Examples
I was in a small room* when hands were coming at me. I didn’t want hands to touch me.
Underground warehouse at the bottom of a hill, climb down from boxes filled with juice towards a door with light; going to a wedding.
A strange dressing room, small cubby holes, no walls. Mirror on the floor. Squatting down to see the dress I am trying on.
Rode a bike on the highway. I was very big on a small bike, looking into second floor windows. Stopped at a cave-like underpass divided into rooms. A big flea market inside a musty cave/house had old pink painted dressers with fairy tale scenes.
* Bold: Words repeatedly surfacing throughout the proving.
Mental Themes
Intoxication/sobriety
Clarity/calmness/well-being
Buzzing energy/industrious
Impatient/anxious
Confused/dull/slow/spacey
Weak memory/poor concentration/mistake-prone
Overly sensitive to noise and odors
Physical Symptoms
Following below is a limited representation of physical symptoms experienced by multiple provers
Heightened sense of smell.
Extreme heightened sense of hearing.
Many headaches, above the eyes, often right-sided.
Increased sexual energy, pulsating sensations in vulva and clitoral area.
“Buzzing feeling,” tingling, and swelling in extremities.
Waves of heat; hot, cold, and tingling sensations simultaneously.
For the entire proving including an extensive list of physical symptoms see:
http://www.homeopathyschool.org/PDF/Amethyst_proving.pdf
Barbara Seideneck, CHom, CCH, RSHom (NA) a German homeopath and director of the Homeopathy School International in Boulder, CO, USA. Barbara has conducted provings of Amethyst, Aquilegia vulgaris (Columbine), Aquilegia Cerulea (Blue or Colorado Columbine), Ayahuasca (Magic vine), and Emerald.
Barbara Seideneck CHom, CCH, RSHom (NA)
Homeopathy School International
POB 20340
Boulder, CO 80308 – USA
303-440-3717
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