Heavenly Understanding

Well, I actually managed to get all of my holiday packages save one shipped out over the weekend. I bought the last Christmas gift on Saturday. I also created our cards (we finally managed to get a cute shot of the SO), although I have yet to print them out. The tree is now up, with all of our unbreakable ornaments (thanks, Mom!), and the SO, while intrigued, has been treating them reasonably gently. (He has re-decorated the lower branches several times already. He reminds me of that old Boynton cartoon of a bunch of satisfied rabbits regarding their newly-decorated Christmas tree. They are all so short that the tree only has ornaments on the lowest branches.) It's finally beginning to look a little like Christmas around here. Just in the nick of time, too, as my in-laws arrive on Thursday.

Here's a new pendant. I attended a show last week and, in addition to the usual bead vendors, I found a rock store selling lots of lovely stuff, including slices of amethyst crystal. I'd been wanting to set a stone cabochon in fine silver with resin for some time but I hadn't had any luck finding a cabochon I liked. I thought the amethyst crystals would make a nice, unusual pendant. The photo does not do justice to how sparkly the crystal slice really is.

I've been reading up on amethyst tonight. One source indicated that the stone symbolizes "heavenly understanding". Another gave the Greek meaning of the stone as "without drunkenness" - apparently, the Greeks thought the stone would ward off intoxication and often carved wine cups from the stone. In mythology, Amethystos was a maiden pursued by Dionysus, the god of wine. She prayed to the goddess Artemis to save her, and Artemis turned her into a white stone (I'm not sure this would constitute "saving" in my books, but...). In remorse, Dionysus poured wine over the stone, which turned it purple.

I hope everyone has a great Monday. See you tomorrow.