The
Wearing of talismans and amulets was practiced by all the great ancient
Civilizations, and especially that of Ancient Egypt, from which so many
Symbols emerge. Centuries of magical faith and experience support the
Belief that these legendary luck-bringers can attract good luck or
Avert misfortune.
The
Form of many amulets, such as the Ankh cross, the Scarab and the
Swastika, goes back to a vast antiquity, as is the belief in the
Vibrational powers of crystals.
There is an essential difference between a talisman and an amulet,
Although the two words are often regarded as the same thing.
A
Talisman is believed to have some occult potency for attracting some
Benefits to its possessor. An amulet wards off danger, negative
Energies and misfortune.
Sometimes a powerful talisman is believed to be capable of both
Attracting good luck and repelling ‘evil’. An amulet has always been
Used for protection, especially against the dreaded power of the ‘evil
eye’.
Crystals
And gemstones have been used both as amulets and talismans. Given
Their natural beauty, rarity and value, crystals and precious stones in
The ancient cultures were believed to possess intrinsic virtues which
Radiated its energies to its owner or wearer. This belief is implicit
In the custom of members of the monarchy possessing and wearing
Crystals in their crown jewels and royal regalia, and in the wearing of
Rings by bishops and other church dignitaries. Many historic family
Heirlooms, especially those of the more Celtic parts of the British
Isles, have crystals and gemstones encrusting them.
Apart from precious stones and their virtues, there are time-honoured
Amulets and talismans, consisting of things in some form or design
Which is believed to the ‘magical’.
The Swastika
The
Swastika is an ancient symbol – its date of origin unknown.
Unfortunately, due to the adoption of the symbolic swastika by the
Followers of Adolf Hitler, the image of the swastika image has been
Tarnished beyond repair.
The swastika is one of the most venerable and worldwide symbols. It is
Known to the American Indians, who regard it as a sacred and magical
Sign. It also appears among the remains of prehistoric Mexico.
Throughout the ancient relics of the world, the swastika presents
Itself in many manifestations. It can be found upon the thrones of
Tibetan lamas of high rank and upon very old church bells in English
Belfries. The people of ancient China revered the swastika, as did the
People of Troy.
The name ‘swastika’ comes from the Sankrit, the sacred language of India, and means ‘happiness, well-being and good luck’.
Some interesting forms of the swastika are those which appear upon the mysterious stone monuments of pre-historic Scotland.
One of the most famous talisman of the ancient East was the signet ring
Of Jenghis Khan – a large gold ring set with a magnificent ruby, upon
Which was engraved the sing of the swastika. It was preserved with the
Utmost care and secrecy among the Buddhist lamas of Mongolia, as its
Possession was believed to confer great power and protection.
The great nineteenth-century occultist, Madame Blavatsky, describes the
Swastika as being basically an equal-armed cross – a symbol far older
Than Christianity. The upright line represents the masculine
Influence, the horizontal line the feminine one. From the union of two
Opposites, masculine and feminine, positive and negative, comes all
Manifestation. Then lines are added to the cross, signifying motion –
The Wheel of Life – or Cycle Law. Thus the swastika appears with its
Four arms symbolizing birth, life, death and immortality. There are
Also the four winds, the four seasons and the four elements – and these
Are all summed up in the swastika.
Over the ages, many an argument has taken place over the issue of which
Way the arms of the swastika should point – to the right or to the
Left. Some say to the right is the most beneficial and fortunate and
Others say that of the left side. Both forms are found in ancient art,
And are regarded as being equally sacred. The swastika with its arms
Pointing to the left is part of the emblem of the Theosophical Society.
The ancient Nordes and Vikings had their version of the swastika also, as displayed in the Elderfuthark Runes.
The Ankh
The
Ankh cross is the ancient Egyptian symbol of life and immortality. The
Gods and goddesses of Egypt are generally depicted holding this emblem
In their hands, often grasping it by the loop as if it were a key;
Hence the reason it is sometimes called the ‘Key of Life’ - the ankh
Occurs in hieroglyphic inscriptions as the symbol meaning ‘life’.
Some authorities believe the shape of the ankh to symbolize and
Represent the union of male and female – the creative powers of life.
The looped part of the ankh, with its oval shape, signifies the opening
of the vagina – while the T-shaped part is a simplified figure of the
penis and testicles. There are many ancient amulets which were quite
openly made in the shape of the human genital organs. They were life
symbols and hence ‘luck symbols’.
The Scarab
The
Scarab is another ancient Egyptian amulet of tremendous antiquity. The
Scarab represents the god ‘Kephra’. He was represented as a beetle
because of the habits of this insect, which the Egyptians regarded as
sacred. Beetles have beautiful, iridescent wing-cases which reflect
the light like jewels. They fly about at dusk when the sun is sinking
and most important of all, the scarab lays its eggs in the dung of
animals, which it then rolls into a bigger ball than itself. The
Egyptians saw the little insect propelling this ball with its hind legs
and they compared it to the mysterious power which also propels the sun
across the sky. The scarab became a potent symbol of resurrection and
of eternal life and were interred with Egyptian mummies. The scarab is
a popular amulet for the ‘living’ and might be made from semi-precious
stones (such as carnelian) or of stone or pottery, glazed blue or
green. Like many Egyptian amulets it would often have a hole pierced
through it so that it could be hung around the neck or set in a ring.
Throughout the Moslem countries, both today and centuries past, the
conventionalized figure of a hand has been a popular amulet. These
amulets are often beautifully made of gold or silver-gilt filigree and
set with precious gems and stones. This amulet is called the ‘Hand of
Fatima’ out of respect for Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed – although
the hand as an amulet is even older than the days when Mohammed was
founding the religion of Islam. It derives from the natural gesture of
raising the hand to ward off evil – especially the dreaded ‘evil eye’.
The Star of David
The
symbol of the Jewish religion, the ‘Star of David’ is a familiar
talismanic figure. This six-pointed star, formed by two interlaced
triangles, is also called the ‘Seal of Soloman’. The basic form of the
six-pointed star occurs consistently in ancient books of magic.
This symbol has also been found in the age-old magical lore of India.
The Indian form shows the symbol of the sun in the centre of the
interlaced triangles. The modern Jewish version sometimes displays in
the centre, the Hebrew letters of the word ‘Mazeltov’, meaning ‘Good
Luck’.
The upward-pointing triangle is the elemental symbol of ‘Fire’ – the
downward-pointing one represents ‘Water’. Fire is regarded as a
masculine element, and water as a feminine one. The union of masculine
and feminine is displayed in the form of the interlaced triangles.
When the symbol of the sun is drawn in the centre of the figure, it
shows the presence of the six other visible heavenly bodies of greatest
significance, distributed around the points of the star – Saturn,
Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury and the Moon. These together with the
Sun make up the ‘sacred seven’, whose influence is so important in all
ancient magic.
The Pentacle or Pentagram
The
Pentacle or Pentagram is another important magical symbol consisting of
a five-pointed star. In mediaeval times the pentagram acquired the
curious name of the ‘Goblins’ Cross’ and it was also called the
‘Endless Knot’ because it can be drawn in one continuous line. Like
the Seal of Solomon, the pentagram was believed to be a potent amulet
against evil, particularly when one of the points of the star is
pointed upwards. It then represents the power of the spirit ruling
over the four elements of the material world. The pentagram was drawn
in this way, or a representation of it was hung at doors and windows of
houses to keep out evil spirits.
The Four-leaved Clover
The
leaves of the lucky four-leaved clover are sometimes worn enclosed in a
locket, or a representation of the leaf in gold or silver. The old
folk rhyme about the four-leaved clover goes:
One leaf for fame,
And one for wealth,
And one for a faithful lover,
And one to bring you glorious health,
Are all in a four-leaved clover.
Horseshoes
The lucky horseshoe is really the form of the crescent which derives
its fortunate influence from the Moon goddess which has many names such
as: Isis, Diana, Artemis, Tanith, Ishtar, Astarte, Hecate, Cerridwen,
or any of the other names she has been known by over the ages.
The figures of the lunar crescent and the horse appear together on
Ancient British coins, notably those minted by the ‘Iceni’ – the people
of Queen Boadicea.
The horseshoe also carries within it the magic of the blacksmith and
his craft. All good blacksmiths were supposed to be natural
magicians. Cold iron, especially in the form of a horseshoe, was a
protection against the mischief of the fairies and all sorts of
negative beings.
The luckiest horseshoe is that which you find yourself by accident.
This should then be nailed up over the door for good luck – but be sure
to have the ends of the horseshoe pointing upwards, or the luck will
run out. Only the blacksmith himself is privileged to hand a lucky
horseshoe with the ends down, to pour out the luck upon the forge.
Lodestone/Magnetite
Lodestone (Magnetite), iron ore containing natural magnetic properties,
is a potent, natural amulet and talisman for good fortune. To carry a
lodestone was believed to bestow wealth, vigour and sexual
attractiveness. It is believed to strengthen magical powers and dispel
evil spirits and negative energies. Wealthy magicians of old wore
their lodestone in a little cage of gold or silver filigree hung from a
chain around the neck. The less wealthy carried their lodestone in a
small bag of soft leather, together with some magical herbs. This was
then hung from a string around the neck or worn somewhere close to the
skin. Sometimes the bag may have contained a pair of small, twin
lodestones, cleaving together by their own magnetic power. This was
considered to be a very potent charm to attract love.
Snakes and Serpents
The
appearance of snakes and serpents, either singularly or entwined, is
another sacred symbol of old. The sacred serpent appears upon the
crowns of Egyptian Pharaohs and in the temple carvings of ancient India.
Hermes, the herald of the gods of Greece and the patron of magic, is
portrayed carrying the ‘caduceus’; a wand with two serpents entwined.
The twin serpents represents the two interacting forces – positive and
negative, which manifest throughout nature.
The snake is also a symbol of spiritual power. To the people of
ancient times, the snake was a mysterious creature because of the way
in which it glided along without legs. Also, the serpent renews itself
by shedding its complete skin, and because of this, it has become the
emblem of re-birth and immortality. Sometimes the serpent is shown
holding its tail in its mouth. The Greeks called this figure of the
encircled serpent the ‘Ouroborous’, and regarded it as a symbol of
infinity and eternity.
Authors
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from
http://www.spiritua
( PS...it is thought also that talismans are created when the moon is waxing, and amulets when the moon is waning...again, with the purposes in mid of attraction vs protection / repelling)
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