February is the only month to have a day added every four years and it is the only month that can pass without seeing a single full moon. Its symbols are the amethyst stone, the elements of air and water and the violet flower. Each symbol has historical roots and is believed to be imbued with influential powers.
Birthstone
Amethyst, February's birthstone, is part of the quartz family and is composed of silicon-oxygen, a composition that makes it as hard as rubies and sapphires. During medieval times, people revered the amethyst because of its purple hue. Throughout the Middle Ages, purple, blue and red dyes were difficult to obtain; only the very rich could afford materials in that color.
Under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, sumptuary laws dictated that only nobility could don purple clothing and accessories. Since the exploration of the New World, gemologists have unearthed amethysts in Australia, India, Africa, Sri Lanka and America.
Amethyst Facts
Ancient Greeks believed the goddess Artemis and the bacchanal god Dionysus created amethyst. According to Grecian mythology, Dionysus fell in love with a mortal woman named Amethystos. She not only spurned his advances, but she begged Artemis--the virgin goddess and protector of female chastity--for protection. Artemis turned Amethystos into a stone. When Dionysus discovered this, he wept in his goblet of red wine and colored the stone purple.
Amethyst Significance
According to Gemstone Buzz, amethysts are protective jewels. Not only do they help a wearer from over-imbibing, but they ward off evil spirits and witchcraft. In addition, they bolster a person's inner strength and vigor, while also instilling a sense of tranquility and composure. Because Christianity considers purple the color of Lent, the color of Jesus Christ's suffering on the cross, amethysts represent a sacred color, signifying that a person is remorseful and in a covenant with God.