It is widely held that magical amulets possess magical properties that shield the wearer or bring them good fortune. Magical amulets can be worn or placed where their power is most needed, such as a person’s person, a roof, or a field. There is some ambiguity between the terms, amulet, and talisman, with the latter sometimes being defined as an engraved amulet.
Here at Xinar, we also have countless sterling silver charms that you can use to create magical amulets. Check out the following collections:
There is a wide variety of materials from nature that can be used as magical amulets. Magical amulets made by humans are just as diverse and can take many forms. Many people attribute the efficacy of magical amulets to the rituals they were created or the associations with specific religions or supernatural forces that their owners hold.
Genuine magical amulets were used by Neanderthals and other ancient humans for burials, and so-called Venus figurines from around 25,000 BC may be among the earliest examples of artificial amulets. Seventy-five amulets are listed in the ancient Egyptian MacGregor papyrus.
The scarab is one of the most famous magical amulets, and the living and the dead wore it. It is unclear why the scarab came to represent rebirth in the afterlife; perhaps it was because the ball of dung it pushed was associated with the sun and thought to contain the beetle’s eggs.” As time passed, Egyptians began inscribing the magic formulas previously recited over magical amulets to give them their power and wear them.
Some of the most common types of Christian magical amulets from the Middle Ages are relics of saints and purportedly divinely inspired letters. Among Jews, the rabbis took on the role of preparing magical amulets.
Modern Muslims commonly use small pouches to carry Quranic verses, the names of God, and other sacred numbers. In addition, many Christians and Roman Catholics display religious symbols in their homes, such as crosses, crucifixes, and statues of the Madonna. “Good luck charms,” such as a birthstone or a rabbit’s foot, are a common type of amulet.
Magical Amulets Around the World
Philippines: Agimat
The Filipino word for charm or amulet is agimat, also referred to as Anting or, in folklore, as Anting-anting. Additionally, the Filipino practice of anting-anting uses charms, amulets, and talismans as part of its system of magic and sorcery.
In addition to agimat, Galing and Virtud are other common synonyms (Prowess).
Each area of a person’s life has its corresponding agimat in the occult tradition of the Philippines. Some of the most common applications of agimat involve casting out curses and driving away evil spirits. In addition, the agimat, also known as a gayuma, is a form of love charm believed to increase a person’s chances of success with a partner of the opposite sex.
The necklace’s pendant, which is usually a cross or a flat, round, or triangular piece of gold, can also be a Fulgurite “fang” left by lightning or a drop from the heart of a banana tree at midnight, among other things.
If it’s the latter, it’s usually consumed orally. Most animals come with a small book of magical incantations that unleash the amulet’s benefit and full power when read on Good Friday or another auspicious date. In addition, you can find animals in clothing embroidered with spells or even mud that has been magically imbued with the ability to heal.
Japan: Omamori
Omamori means “to guide or protect,” Small omamori can be purchased from any shrine or temple in Japan.
You can stick them on your phone, wallet, wall at home, pocket, and more! Whether you attribute their success to the placebo effect or divine intervention, you can’t deny their fervent popularity, especially around the New Year and when students are taking exams.
Omamori gained traction in Japan as followers of Shintoism, and Buddhism adopted them.
The priests believed that by encapsulating the protection and inspiration of the gods into tiny tokens, the people would be better able to always carry them with them. Their original function was to ward off negative energies and safeguard customers. They eventually created hundreds of different omamori, and now we can choose from a rainbow of handmade charms.
The omamori of Shinto and Buddhism are not very dissimilar from one another. Each one is covered in silk, bears the site’s name in gold foil, has a small prayer inside, and is suspended by a thin thread. Omamori custom has its own set of rules and regulations.
If you open the omamori, you will lose the blessing, good fortune, and safety you were hoping to achieve. So don’t be afraid of damage, and carry it outside your bag (though this is not a hard and fast rule).
The fact that it shows signs of use proves that it protected you well and carried your load. Each, the priests and miko (shrine maidens) will remind you, has a time limit, usually around a year or until its intended purpose has been met. When their usefulness has “expired,” bring them back to the shrine or temple from which you originally purchased them for disposal in a sacred fire. (You can also use that opportunity to start the new year with a clean slate.)
Turkey: Evil Eye
Amulets depicting an eye date back to the Bronze Age, when people first started believing in the power of the evil eye. Ancient civilizations like Egypt, Greece, and Rome all used hand-shaped charms. Even in modern times, blue eyes remain immensely popular in Turkey; it’s hard to picture the country’s streets without them.
The Arab word for “evil eye” is “Nazar.” Some people, the theory goes, have such a high vitality that they can inflict harm on others, whether human or animal. According to this urban legend, anything looked at enviously will crack or shatter.
Nazarolaks (ed. – Turkish for talisman or amulet) is worn to deflect this negative energy. Although blue-eye-shaped talismans are the most common, you can also find them in several other shapes and sizes.
The evil eye is thought to be broken by the talisman rather than the person, animal, or thing it is aimed at when a nazarlak is present. Babies’ clothes and pillows frequently have one sewn on. Adults either use them as fashion statements or genuinely believe in their evil powers when they wear them.
Superstition is especially pervasive in rural communities. Because of this, farmers will often affix amulets to their animals, machines, crops, and fields. When a Manzarek occurs, people automatically assume they must be on high alert for hostile actors.
