Since antiquity, people have carried or wore what they believed to be magical charms to bring them wealth, power, good health, protection, success, and good luck. Other people, skeptical in such paranormality would simply scoff at them. Yet, there are other people who do not really believe, but would carry or wear these occult items just as a symbol for highly desired wishes of good things to come true. There are even complete non believers who would wear certain alleged charms only because they look so beautiful and are so artistically made and are considered exquisite jewelry.
The ancients believed they could attract the higher forces; the supernatural forces that be in the creation of amulets and talismans. An amulet is an object worn, especially around the neck, as a charm against evil or injury. A talisman is an object believed to protect or give supernatural powers to its bearer that is often carried by a person as in a pocket, or in a wallet, or in a purse or a while simply held in a fist.
In the alleged creation of such charms, first some type of substance was gathered. The material included metals, minerals, clay(which later was hardened), soft stones, dried wax, thick heavy cloth, thick heavy paper, as examples. Then, various words and often symbols were inscribed. The words on the charm could be written down in a heavy, durable ink as in the case of the item made from thick heavy paper. Strong, weighty cloth can be inscribed through sewing on fabric using a good thread. Metal, mineral, stone fetishes can be engraved with a prayer asking a deity, in lands of monotheistic religions or deities, in lands of polytheistic religions, asking for special blessings. In other cases, the names of archangels and angels were written in to try to invoke their aid. And in still other cases, the names of saints were used.
The video below comes from Spellcaster.maxim who claims to be a modern day creator of amulets, custom designed for you.
Symbols put on the fetishes represented assorted things or activities: the sun(warmth, enlightenment, power), full moon(light at night; guidance in darkness), half moon(darkness, but not total darkness), stars(aspiration), lightning(quickness and/or destructiveness), fire(destructiveness or great warmth in freezing cold, snowy weather), sword held in hand(defense or attack), a heart(love or sympathy), lips(kisses; romance) an arrow(quickness and/or striking) a flower(purity or pleasantness as in a naturally scented flower); cross(could represent aid being sought by Jesus Christ, if it appears as the Christian cross does); these are just some examples out of the thousands of symbols.
At times, numbers can be inscribed or written upon, as well. One (singleness) two (a couple as for instance the togetherness of a man and a woman, three (the Christian Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost or Spirit), seven(said to be a lucky number in superstitious folklore).
Often, soon after the charm was made, a special prayer ritual was performed, for example, lighting candles, lighting pleasant smelling incense(as frankincense or myrrh), and then praying over the charm for divine blessings. Sometimes, as in Catholic Christianity, holy water(water blessed by a priest) was sprinkled over the fetish, as well.
Certain medals used for charms include iron, copper, zinc, brass, lead, bronze tin, silver and gold. Gold being the most desired for obvious reasons. Amulets and talismans, for centuries, have been mass produced by pouring hot, boiled liquefied medals into special molds to be cooled down later or by a thick metal plate greatly pressed into a thinner metal and then sold to the people. There are many antique amulets and talismans.
Certain minerals used for charms include flint and quartz among many others and the mineraloid obsidian.
Gems and semi-precious stones have been used anciently as amulets and talismans but are, as a rule, almost never inscribed with words or symbols.
Note: in this article, the reader may think the plural of talisman to be talismen. But the word ” talismen”, if it is a word, does not surface when looked up; apparently, talismans signifies the correct plural form.
