Amulet
An amulet is a consecrated
object used for protection, for good fortune, luck, health,
to attract, or to repel. It is a natural object, as opposed
to a talisman, which, while used for much the same purpose,
is a human-made object. C. Nelson Stewart (Man, Myth and Magic)
likens a talisman to a sword and an amulet to a shield, saying
the former is a reinforcer while the latter is a protector.
Certainly amulets are primarily preventive, while talismans
are transmitters.
Although amulets are frequently
made and used by Witches, they are not exclusively so. They
and talismans are a part of the larger world of magick and
can be utilized by magicians who are not necessarily Witches.
Amulets are basically natural
objects --amber is an excellent example--they may be modified
by carving or inscribing, or used in conjunction with other
amulets and/or talismans. Most users will consecrate an amulet
before using it, but others feel that the very essence of
the amulet is that it is natural and therefore requires no
consecration. An example of these two schools of thought may
be found in the mandrake root. The mandrake naturally grows
in the shape of a human figure. For this reason it was thought
to have great magickal properties, especially to heal and
protect. Yet the more similar to human being the mandrake
appeared, the greater the magickal power it was believed to
possess. For this reason it was permissible to carve the root
to make it more lifelike and more powerful.
Another example of an amulet
is a stone with a hole through it, known variously as a Witch
Stone, a Goddess Stone, or a Hag Stone. This may be slipped
onto a piece of cord or leather thong and worn around the
neck for protection. Some would first cleanse the stone in
salt and water and hold it in the smoke of incense, at the
same time requesting from the gods that it protect its wearer.
This act of consecration made the stone amulet even more powerful.
In Africa, elephant hairs
are commonly used as an amulet, as are lion's teeth or claws.
Elephant hair is frequently woven into a bracelet, for ease
of wearing. In Europe and America, a rabbit's foot is perhaps
the most common amulet, worn or carried for good luck.
There is a doctrine of correspondences,
or "doctrine of signatures," associated with amulets.
This is a belief that there is a magickal connection between
things which look alike, and things that have at one time
been connected but that are now separate. Consequently, a
bear claw might be carried to five its owner the strength
and fearlessness of a bear, or a monkey's paw might be
carried to bestow agility. A hag stone might be thought to
aid in childbirth, because of its similarity to the female
vagina. A piece of iron (a horseshoe nail, for example) might
be believed to give its owner strength.
Among Scottish Witches the
acorn is a popular amulet, symbolizing strength and protection.
It may be carried in the pocket or a Witch may make a necklace
of strung acorns. Plants, or plant parts such as seeds, pieces
of wood or nuts and berries are used universally as amulets.
A four-leaf clover is a popular example.
The circumstances under which
an amulet is found can have great bearing on its significance
and importance. For example, if a climber found a feather
at the foot of the mountain, it would behoove the finder to
carry the feather with him or her to the top of the mountain,
since the feather symbolized the ability to rise. That particular
feather would be a very potent amulet in that instance.
Certain items, although not
natural in the sense of not having been manufactured, may
still be regard as amulets, rather than talismans, based on
the circumstances in which they are found. For example, finding
an old key at a time when one is wishing to gain access to
something -- be it a building, a new job, or even a marriage
-- would be regarded as fortuitous in that the key symbolizes
access. The key should be carried or worn until the goal is
achieved.
| Authors Details:From: The Encyclopedia
of Witchcraft, Wicca, and Neo-paganism by Raymond Buckland
(Possibly) |
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