Who is Amethyst Rippling?

Who is Amethyst Rippling?

Amethyst Rippling is the blogger-double of Yang Yang, existing on the world wide web, in my mind and perhaps overtime becomes part of the readers’ narratives in your own realms.

HW suggested I choose a blog name that integrates me and family therapy. Amethyst is my birthstone and is the name I used for my email address for ages. I initially have resistance in reusing it, wanted something different. I thus avoided it totally. Some initial ideas were - Reflecting Ripples, Rippling Reflections, Rippling Mirror and Rippling Forest. In the end I decided to embrace amethyst, after reading up more about it and realizing how apt it describes me and family therapy!

Amethyst

The name originates from the Greek work “amethystos”, which refers to being not drunk, or the cure for drunkenness. In Greek mythology a person called Bacchus felt remorse after turning a young maiden to stone. He poured wine and stained the statue, which created amethyst.

Today we know amethyst as the precious stone from the quartz family, colour ranging from reddish to bluish purple or violet. I presume not many people know that it is transparent at its purest form. and called Citrine  and turns yellow orange when heated. Its scientific formula is SiO2, made from sulphur and oxygen. It is usually found crystallized with rippling inside that are called thumb markings.

Amethyst is the aquarius birthstone (20 Jan to 18 Feb) and the 4^th and 6^th wedding anniversary jewellery. It also symbolises stability, balance, harmony, peace, courage and inner-strength. Believed to be the stone of spirituality and sobriety, it is said to have healing power against addictions, calms the mind, relieve headaches, insomnia, arthristis, pain relief and circulatory problems.  It is also called the Stone of Transformation. One special type of amethyst named Chevron Amethyst is purple with banded white and said to help change old karmic patterns to promote self-love for one to live in harmony with one’s loved one(s) and family members.

Rippling

It refers to the forming of small waves outwards on the surface of a liquid when something drops into it. The ripple effect is a term often used in economics to describe how the reduction in spending of a person decreases the earning of others and their ability to spend. In sociology, it refers to how the interaction of people affect those not directly involved, or how altruistic action by individuals or one community could influence or spread to others.

I was quite sure of picking Rippling. Why rippling, not ripple? Rippling gives a more circular way of looking at life as continuous changing process, whereas ripple refers to just a linear snapshot of  something dropped into the water that creates waves and dies off. The former aligns better with more systemic perspective, with the latter as just describing one segment of the whole process; the waves do not just die but expand outwards and form to other phenomena, while the process continues each time a new object drops into the water. Rippling also occurs on the surface of water, where a blurred reflection occurs, just like how we usually experience the uncertainty and confusion when we face initial struggles when changes occur in our lives. As the ripple spreads out over time, the reflection becomes clear. Helping myself and others (including co-therapists, clients and society to reflect) are important skills and processes in therapy, and in life, as well.

Rippling marries Amethyst

The tipping point for Rippling to marry Amethyst was when I read about the rippling (=fractures) on amethyst crystals. The combination kind of tell me that scars or imperfection contributes to beauty and serves as a part and parcel of healing. It is also interesting to visualise a precious stone (a solid) rippling (create waves); how fascinating it would be if hard objects could be as versatile as liquid to be able to expand and change with just the slightest touch! A little difference creates a widening difference. Even if this difference is just observed from the surface, we are not sure how much mystery is beneath - what remains unchanged or what shifted along, or there could still be undercurrent or perhaps calmness beneath all along.

Amethyst Rippling is at the same time mobile (moving waves) yet stationary (calm); awake yet resting; mindful yet at peace. All in all, a higher level of consiciousness that is in harmony. This is where I see the potential of Family Therapy, a combination of Science and Art – having a rippling effect and simultaneously, possess ing the aesthetics of healing.

Sources:

http://www.gemstoneeducation.com/Amethyst.htm

http://www.birthstones.org.uk/jewels-gemstones/amethyst.htm

http://www.astrologyzine.com/crystal-5.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripple_effect

See how amethyst looks like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yBW4qDef8s