THE DIFFERENCE
- Charms are worn to attract good luck
- Amulets protect from danger
- Talismans attract a particular benefit or power to its owner
LUCKY CHARMS:
Charms were originally spoken or sung. But people wanted something that was more permanent and tangible. Objects that had special significance replaced spoken charms and charms that were sung.
Literally anything can be used as a charm like lucky socks or pennies. Many people put St. Christopher’s Medals in their cars as a charm of luck and an amulet of protection to bring them good luck and safety while traveling. One of the most widely held lucky charms is a four-leaf clover. Today, it is still a very popular practice to wear charm bracelets. These bracelets allow you to wear several charms at the same time.
AMULETS:
Early people did not understand the “why” of things like lightning, earthquakes and other natural occurrences, so they made amulets to protect their home, families, crops and livestock. They also believed that a person or animal could harm them by staring at them with an “evil eye”, so people carried amulets to protect them. It is still very common practice in some areas of the world. They have numerous talismans to ward off and combat the evil eye. Protection from the evil eye is very prominent in Stregheria.
Many firefighters have St. Florian (patron saint of firefighters) tattoos and medals, sailors have St. Christopher (patron saint of sailors and travelers), and police officers have St. Michael (patron saint of police officers, law enforcement and soldiers). All of these are very powerful amulets of protection.
Many believe that making a macramé or knotted amulet is very effective because knots are believed to catch evil spirits. Ever wonder why aprons have knots tied in them? And not just where they fasten? It’s part of Appalachian folklore to protect your kitchen magic.
TALISMANS:
Talismans provide power or energy and are often made at times that are astrologically or spiritually significant. They can be stone, metal or even a piece of parchment paper. Some talismans come from an animal such as a bear claw, shark’s tooth or an eagle feather. It’s often believed that these talismans provide the wearer with some of the qualities of the animal from which it came.
The Six-Pointed Star is probably the most famous talisman. The upward pointing triangle symbolizes fire, the sky and male energy. The downward pointing star symbolizes water, earth and female energy. It is also called the Star of David and represents the nation of Israel and the Jewish religion. It’s also referred to as the Seal of Solomon because it’s believed that King Solomon also used this symbol.
GEMSTONES:
Wearing jewelry that is made of gemstones or particular metals are some of the easiest ways to wear charms, talismans or amulets. The easiest way to choose gemstones or jewelry to be used as a charm, amulet or talisman is to see what calls to you.
You can also use numerology to help you pick a gemstone using your date of birth (or the date of birth of the person you are creating the talisman/amulet/charm for). You take the sum of the month, day and year of birth and then reduce it down to a single digit. There are two master numbers: 11 and 22. You do not need to reduce them down to a single digit, you stop with the master number.
Each number relates to a color:
- 1. RED: Red stones relate to passion, enthusiasm, and energy. Examples are ruby, garnet, and red jasper.
- 2. ORANGE: Orange stones relate to close relationships and personal satisfaction. Examples are citrine, carnelian, and orange sapphire.
- 3. YELLOW: Yellow stones relate to expressing the fun-filled, joyful aspects of life. Examples are yellow beryl and topaz.
- 4. GREEN: Green stones relate to hard work and accomplishment. Examples are emerald, peridot, and tourmaline.
- 5. BLUE: Blue stones enhance clarity and perception, and aid in goal-setting. Examples are lapis lazuli, sapphire, and blue tourmaline.
- 6. INDIGO: Indigo stones relate to caring for others. Examples are sodalite and iolite.
- 7. VIOLET: Violet stones relate to spiritual truth and the higher consciousness. Examples are amethyst, garnet, and purple ruby.
- 8. PINK: Pink stones are stimulating and energizing. They enable progress to occur. Examples are rubellite tourmaline, rose beryl, and rose quartz.
- 9. CLEAR: Clear stones symbolize pure energy. They are nurturing, loving, and ultimately successful. Examples are clear quartz and diamond.
- 11. SILVER: Silver stones are peaceful and gentle. However, they also possess great power, and provide enormous potential. Hematite is a good example.
- 22. GOLD: You should use gold when you are aiming high. Gold knows no limits. Examples are pyrite, pyrite-sun, and tiger's-eye.
No comments: