~Elise~
August 29th, 2006, 06:22 AM
No matter how much they try to deny it, almost every religion involves a component of Witchcraft, usually in the form of some power symbol or object that offers a measurable benefit to true believers. Otherwise, what would be the point?
Some of the earliest artifacts of human civilization are talismans. The ancient Egyptians were fans of the ankh, a hieroglyph which symbolized bread, and by extension, life. Amulets featuring ankhs were worn by the living and especially the dead, as part of early cryogenic suspension programs.
Early talismans often featured symbols of sacred geometry, such as mandalas, pentagrams, hexagrams and spirals. The oldest talismans consist of symbols scratched into stones, sometimes with a hole cut for a cord, allowing the object to be worn as a pendant.
The most common association with the word talisman is the medieval incarnation of the object. Starting in the Dark Ages, humanity's love affair with the occult kicked into high gear. Medieval sorcerers would inscribe intricate designs on flat pieces of metal, which would be worn as an amulet. The designs were usually derived from grimoires, or spell books, which purported to contain ancient esoteric secrets.
What are some of the things that can be used as talismans you ask? Let me give you just a FEW examples: good luck coins, lucky rabbit feet, four-leaf clovers, mojo bags, lucky wishbones, white elephant amulets, charm bracelets, hoodoo "curio" powders, lucky horseshoes, rattlesnake rattles, floor washes and baths for good luck, buckeye nuts talismans, black-eyed peas for luck at New Year's, scarab beetle talismans. And this is just a very small list of items. Best place to look for some of these? www.luckymojo.com (http://www.luckymojo.com/)
In modern times, many lucky charms and talismans have been adopted and utilized.
During the early 20th century when many Irish Catholic men became Police officers in New York City, many started carrying a medal of St.Jude, along with their callbox key for protection, as St. Jude is considered to be the patron saint of policemen. Many Catholics continue to believe that certain holy medals (especially blessed ones) will aid those who wear them, particularly St. Christopher, who is the patron saint of travelers. Or bury St. Anthony upside down by your porch to sell your house. The list goes on.
An Amulet is an object which has intrinsic power to give protection to its wearer, whereas a Talisman is specifically made to achieve a particular purpose. Amulets give protection by absorbing negative energies, while Talismans work by generating a positive force to achieve their objective. Both work like self charging solar batteries and are constructed in a way which links them with the appropriate planetary force concerned for the intention. . The talisman can be considered to be a magnet that is designed to attract desired circumstances. Quite often, a talisman has also protective qualities. In this case, it acts passively as an amulet and actively as a talisman.
A talisman can be considered a spell that has been cast as a solid touchable object. It can be as simple or as complex as the maker wishes it to be and come in a nearly infinite variety of shapes and sizes.
You have to decide what the actual form of a talisman will be, you have to know clearly what the desired effects of the talisman are to be.
Next is constructing the talisman. This should be done in the same frame of mind as you would have while casting a spell, and chanting the purpose while you do increases the efficacy.
Part of the process is charging and consecrating the talisman. After the talisman is complete, you can perform a ritual to charge and consecrate it.
If you are going to go this formal route, then know what day, what time, what incense, what color candles, and what God/s and or Goddess/es to invoke. It will change for every talisman.
1)Consecrate a Circle
2)Purify the talisman with Earth, Air, Fire, and Water
3) Charge it with the desired effect. This may be as a chant, or an invocation to the God and Goddess, or the ritual burning of a slip of paper with the purpose of the talisman written on it and then smearing the talisman with the resulting ash, or rubbing it with an essential oil while repeating the purpose aloud; whatever seems best or most appropriate for that particular talisman.
4)Release the Circle
Or you can go a less formal route:
1) Hold your soon to be magical item in your receptive hand (left if you’re right handed, right if you’re left handed).
2) Close your eyes and your fist about the magical item and begin to feel the energy of your body protective, powerful, personal thought energy flowing through your body, down your arm and into your hand holding the magical item.
3) Feel the magical item begin to pulse with your power, your personal power. See yourself wearing it and the magical item protecting you as you work or go to school or play sports or walk home at night from work. Feel the power and invoke your personal god/goddess who you feel attuned with the most
4) Feel and envision the energy and personal power charging through you your arm, your hand and your magical item all at once, envision it as a protective white, yellow or blue light glowing all about you.
5) Stop when you feel it’s been charged enough. On some level, you will know when it’s ready. Slip your magical item on and do not take it off. If a magical item is to protect you, then you should wear it at all times. If it is to protect your room or office, hang it up in your room and do not remove it.
Give a blessing to the Lady and Lord each day as you look at your magical item and thank her/him for protecting you and your home/office/car/friend's room, etc.
http://www.rotten.com/library/occult/talismans/ (http://www.rotten.com/library/occult/talismans/)
www.luckymojo.com (http://www.luckymojo.com/)
http://www.crystalinks.com/talisman.html (http://www.crystalinks.com/talisman.html)
www.geocities.com/~firesilk/book14.html (http://www.geocities.com/~firesilk/book14.html)
http://www.sanfords.net/Pagan_Humor_and_Thoughts/amulets_talismans__sachets.htm (http://www.sanfords.net/Pagan_Humor_and_Thoughts/amulets_talismans__sachets.htm)
Some of the earliest artifacts of human civilization are talismans. The ancient Egyptians were fans of the ankh, a hieroglyph which symbolized bread, and by extension, life. Amulets featuring ankhs were worn by the living and especially the dead, as part of early cryogenic suspension programs.
Early talismans often featured symbols of sacred geometry, such as mandalas, pentagrams, hexagrams and spirals. The oldest talismans consist of symbols scratched into stones, sometimes with a hole cut for a cord, allowing the object to be worn as a pendant.
The most common association with the word talisman is the medieval incarnation of the object. Starting in the Dark Ages, humanity's love affair with the occult kicked into high gear. Medieval sorcerers would inscribe intricate designs on flat pieces of metal, which would be worn as an amulet. The designs were usually derived from grimoires, or spell books, which purported to contain ancient esoteric secrets.
What are some of the things that can be used as talismans you ask? Let me give you just a FEW examples: good luck coins, lucky rabbit feet, four-leaf clovers, mojo bags, lucky wishbones, white elephant amulets, charm bracelets, hoodoo "curio" powders, lucky horseshoes, rattlesnake rattles, floor washes and baths for good luck, buckeye nuts talismans, black-eyed peas for luck at New Year's, scarab beetle talismans. And this is just a very small list of items. Best place to look for some of these? www.luckymojo.com (http://www.luckymojo.com/)
In modern times, many lucky charms and talismans have been adopted and utilized.
During the early 20th century when many Irish Catholic men became Police officers in New York City, many started carrying a medal of St.Jude, along with their callbox key for protection, as St. Jude is considered to be the patron saint of policemen. Many Catholics continue to believe that certain holy medals (especially blessed ones) will aid those who wear them, particularly St. Christopher, who is the patron saint of travelers. Or bury St. Anthony upside down by your porch to sell your house. The list goes on.
An Amulet is an object which has intrinsic power to give protection to its wearer, whereas a Talisman is specifically made to achieve a particular purpose. Amulets give protection by absorbing negative energies, while Talismans work by generating a positive force to achieve their objective. Both work like self charging solar batteries and are constructed in a way which links them with the appropriate planetary force concerned for the intention. . The talisman can be considered to be a magnet that is designed to attract desired circumstances. Quite often, a talisman has also protective qualities. In this case, it acts passively as an amulet and actively as a talisman.
A talisman can be considered a spell that has been cast as a solid touchable object. It can be as simple or as complex as the maker wishes it to be and come in a nearly infinite variety of shapes and sizes.
You have to decide what the actual form of a talisman will be, you have to know clearly what the desired effects of the talisman are to be.
Next is constructing the talisman. This should be done in the same frame of mind as you would have while casting a spell, and chanting the purpose while you do increases the efficacy.
Part of the process is charging and consecrating the talisman. After the talisman is complete, you can perform a ritual to charge and consecrate it.
If you are going to go this formal route, then know what day, what time, what incense, what color candles, and what God/s and or Goddess/es to invoke. It will change for every talisman.
1)Consecrate a Circle
2)Purify the talisman with Earth, Air, Fire, and Water
3) Charge it with the desired effect. This may be as a chant, or an invocation to the God and Goddess, or the ritual burning of a slip of paper with the purpose of the talisman written on it and then smearing the talisman with the resulting ash, or rubbing it with an essential oil while repeating the purpose aloud; whatever seems best or most appropriate for that particular talisman.
4)Release the Circle
Or you can go a less formal route:
1) Hold your soon to be magical item in your receptive hand (left if you’re right handed, right if you’re left handed).
2) Close your eyes and your fist about the magical item and begin to feel the energy of your body protective, powerful, personal thought energy flowing through your body, down your arm and into your hand holding the magical item.
3) Feel the magical item begin to pulse with your power, your personal power. See yourself wearing it and the magical item protecting you as you work or go to school or play sports or walk home at night from work. Feel the power and invoke your personal god/goddess who you feel attuned with the most
4) Feel and envision the energy and personal power charging through you your arm, your hand and your magical item all at once, envision it as a protective white, yellow or blue light glowing all about you.
5) Stop when you feel it’s been charged enough. On some level, you will know when it’s ready. Slip your magical item on and do not take it off. If a magical item is to protect you, then you should wear it at all times. If it is to protect your room or office, hang it up in your room and do not remove it.
Give a blessing to the Lady and Lord each day as you look at your magical item and thank her/him for protecting you and your home/office/car/friend's room, etc.
http://www.rotten.com/library/occult/talismans/ (http://www.rotten.com/library/occult/talismans/)
www.luckymojo.com (http://www.luckymojo.com/)
http://www.crystalinks.com/talisman.html (http://www.crystalinks.com/talisman.html)
www.geocities.com/~firesilk/book14.html (http://www.geocities.com/~firesilk/book14.html)
http://www.sanfords.net/Pagan_Humor_and_Thoughts/amulets_talismans__sachets.htm (http://www.sanfords.net/Pagan_Humor_and_Thoughts/amulets_talismans__sachets.htm)