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Amulets & Talismans

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What amulets or talismans are you using and in what circumstances?

Do you make your own?

Do you perform rituals with them, how do you work with them?

 

I've only used stone rings but I've been very curious about the subject.

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Not recently , nowadays more into 'indigenous shamanism' ..... ummmm , you 'dont want to know about' their 'amulets' 

 

(picture not allowed ... again !  :(  )  

 

 

 

This little book is interesting ... and handy 

 

md19611138671.jpg

 

 

One interesting variation I have used; to make the large altar 'talismans' for planetary rites *  , one for each rite / planet  - 'planetary kamea '   is to use the 'magic square' for each planet, 'join the dots' in sequential numerical order, thus constructing a type of 'mandala' and color the pattern according to the 4 fold scheme for that planet ..... some were quite stunning !  **

 

being based on a mathematical 'curiosity' these talismans are cross cultural,  you will find examples in China, India, Arabia, and other  places. 

 

*  http://hermetic.com/crowley/the-rites-of-eleusis/

 

** 

 

 

Some were done on large sheets, embroidered and had beads and crystals and fringing sewn on .    They could be taken to a park and tied up in the trees, making a walkway / portable  art gallery ,   stick some incense around , play some music ... at the end of the walkway was a bowl to make contributions in ... a great way to 'busk'   ;)

 

 

 .. God damn it  I use this pic all the time ...all of a sudden 'not allowed on this community '  wtf ? ... anyway try another ;

 

benfmsq8x8banner.jpg

 

 

 

This one is based on Ben Franklin's  magic square of 8 , and could be used to represent Mercury or its associate Gemini - the twins 

 

 

franklin2.gif

Edited by Nungali
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I've been making talismans in my imagination during self hypnosis..!? 

 

I turned this youtube video into an mp3.  Like most of Jason Stephenson's work, it is very well done-

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I made a talisman amulet during an extended period of "heightened awareness" a few years ago... heres a picture of it:

 

File_000.jpg

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The cross and the circle have been  a sign that  appears in various western ' mystery traditions' and supposedly links them together as variant expressions of a single 'mystery' .....   dagger and disc, lance and cup, rose and cross 

 

sign for 'earth' 

 

 

the 'point event'  ( cross center defined by the 4 directions )  in the 'field' of the TSC . 

 

or, as Crowley put it ;  Hadit - the 'center' that is ever present everywhere;

 

 "I am the flame that burns in every heart of man, and in the core of every star. I am Life, and the giver of Life "

 

 and  Nuit, the  circle with  an infinite radius. 

 

" ...  marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space, before whom Time is Ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the understanding dark, " 

 

The 'sense of identity' within the 'field of nothingness' . 

 

 

Also their  combinations, and intersections give us the planetary symbols

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I think that I understand the circle, but I am not sure about the octagon. Tell me whether I got it correctly.

 

The circle represents the divinity, the "Source of all", the "One", "All that was, is, and will be", etc... Which is beyond all understandings.

 

The octagon represents the whole World, the manifestation of the divinity. More specifically its emanations as the 8 trigrams which rules the formation of the World. Which, in a western context, is represented as a cross for the 4 winds, the 4 rivers, or the alchemical transmutations in the scale of 4.

 

Am I correct?

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Don't forget the triangle and the crescent, also powerful symbols that can be used in combination with the above ones, for example Venus symbol or the Ankh. One must unlock their power trough meditation. All astrological, elemental and chakra symbols are made of these simple symbols.

 

tumblr_inline_n2p29nwt701rdemoh.png

 

1024px-Moon_crescent_symbol_(white,_tips

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I was hoping to see examples of things more jewelry oriented or medicine bag'ish.

Yes, this seems to have become a rather dull thread, so I will spice it up a bit, and talk a little about The Greater Key of Solomon, and some uses that I have made of its planetary seals in the past, and how a creative adaptation of their descriptions can be useful. As an example lets take the seventh seal of the Sun:

 

aub24_fig38.gif

 

the purpose of which is described as:

 

Figure 38.-- The seventh and last pentacle of the Sun.-- If any be by chance imprisoned or detained in fetters of iron, at the presence of this pentacle, which should be engraved in Gold on the day and hour of the Sun, he will be immediately delivered and set at liberty. (Twilight Grotto Esoteric Achives, The Greater Key of Solomon, Seals of the the Sun, Emphasis mine, ZYD)

Most of us don't have much use for this sort of stuff on a daily basis, but some thinking about the nature of the Sun and the idea of being “imprisoned or detained in fetters of iron” and being “immediately delivered and set at liberty”, struck me as having another possible use in what is traditionally called “uncrossing”, a procedure that is usually used in lifting a hexed or cursed condition, but which I quickly found had a lot of other uses as I describe here:

 

Uncrossing as an important part of positive magic

 

in this post I examine how uncrossing can be an important part of what I would call “positive” spell casting, and the reason why I posted about uncrossing in a thread about “spells that always work”, is because uncrossing does almost always work and also, as I point out, often it is the necessary preliminary to a more successful spell then would otherwise be achieved. Because of this effect uncrossing became one of the important sub elements of all my practical magic work.

 

So my advice to the would be magician is learn about “uncrossing” and to paraphrase a chess adage “Uncross early and often”.

 

More if there is interest and as time allows.

 

ZYD

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit: Minor spelling

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I think that I understand the circle, but I am not sure about the octagon. Tell me whether I got it correctly.
 
The circle represents the divinity, the "Source of all", the "One", "All that was, is, and will be", etc... Which is beyond all understandings.
 
The octagon represents the whole World, the manifestation of the divinity. More specifically its emanations as the 8 trigrams which rules the formation of the World. Which, in a western context, is represented as a cross for the 4 winds, the 4 rivers, or the alchemical transmutations in the scale of 4.
 
Am I correct?

 

 

 

1464525404169129.gif

 

 

 

;)

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I was hoping to see examples of things more jewelry oriented or medicine bag'ish. 

 

Unfortunately you cant see it in that banner pic I put up, but on that, and more so on some others that were made, they have jewels, crystals, beads, etc sewn into it .  

 

But maybe you seek something like this, a 'jewel'   ?  : 

 

 

28e79f4738c05d4407ac32205f99be0d.jpg

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I use all kinds, extensively.

 

1. Written talismans -- taoist.  These usually address a specific problem, or are used for protection.

 

2. Medicine bundles, paket kongos and feng shui "wealth" vases.  These, for storing power, safekeeping wrath, and material well-being, respectively.  They are not "used."  They are provided for destiny to use as she sees fit.

 

3. Jewelry items and talismans for home -- these are mostly classical feng shui.  The protective pendant for the year is a figurine of an animal that is either friends with the ruling year animal or something the ruling animal fears.  These are only worn when the animal of the year threatens my own.  This year I wear a snake pendant -- this one (the hand is not mine):

p.jpg

 

Besides the seasonal ones, I wear a triple charged tiger's tooth (I didn't condone the killing of the tiger, of course, and wouldn't buy it if the Tibetan lama I bought it from didn't swear that it's very very old, from the time when tigers were not endangered.  I have no way of verifying this, but the doubt is not strong or nagging, so I choose to believe the lama.)  This I would love to wear every day because it gives me all kinds of wonderful vibes, but I don't because it attracts too much attention.

 

4. I use Stone Warriors around my taoist altar, for protection.

 

5. I use items made of jade around electrical devices, to protect the Kidneys.   There's a jade bracelet I hardly ever take off.  The rest can vary. 

 

6. I have a stone with the character "tao" carved into it, I hold it in my hand when I feel the need to improve my strength or stability or endurance. 

 

7. I have souvenir trinkets on my key chain which my teacher sometimes brings from his travels when he teaches abroad.  For the love of the art and the teacher's qi vibe.   

 

The list is partial and not everything on the list is used continuously, of course -- I might go for a long time only wearing the protective pendant and then I can dedicate a month to installing a lot of stuff, it varies. 

 

In my defense,  I don't play with modern toys -- haven't seen a video game since the original Super Mario.  I like my own playgrounds.  :)

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I missed my calling...geology or forestry...

 

I study rocks...not in books or factual material

just what I stumble on in life walk.

 

my latest is a rock...maybe flint? it looks like the kind an indian would have carved arrowhead....as I know them

 

some variety on the end table/window ledge....

one looks like fossils of shells--find those frequently

the other one special is like geode or part geode ---crystal sparkling in the middle

pebbles-shapes, colors,

I like to occasionally move them around or place them different as I inspect them.

 

no medicine bag but tea tree oil and OTC headache pills

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I missed my calling...geology or forestry...

 

I study rocks...not in books or factual material

just what I stumble on in life walk.

 

my latest is a rock...maybe flint? it looks like the kind an indian would have carved arrowhead....as I know them

 

some variety on the end table/window ledge....

one looks like fossils of shells--find those frequently

the other one special is like geode or part geode ---crystal sparkling in the middle

pebbles-shapes, colors,

I like to occasionally move them around or place them different as I inspect them.

 

no medicine bag but tea tree oil and OTC headache pills

 

:)

 

I live 'down in the crack'.  A valley that was formed a brazillion years ago on the sea floor by one 'bed' being forced under a 'block' and lifting its edge by subduction.  Then  igneous intrusions came up in parts of the 'crack'. Much later, after land rise and ocean retreat,  the valley emerged as land, then a big volcano and cone, then millions of years of erosion.

 

What a mix of rocks we got in the river bed!  My fav is one stuck inside another, with its edge protruding.  It appears that a volcanic rock (with gas holes through it - not pumice, hard and heavy )  became a river rock, got eroded into a rounded flat shape, got picked up by a glacier, taken out to sea in an ice berg, berg melted, dropped rock to sea floor, became embedded in mud.  Mud beds subducted, turned to rock, came back up to surface, got eroded, and turned into a river rock with the earlier ancient river rock welded into it  (according to a geologist I showed it to ) .

 

That little rock sure has a story to tell ! 

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Interesting totem.  What's it do? 

 

:D     

 

It relates to the post before it  ... but the page split broke the association .

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Thank God that was one of the better Crumbs   :unsure:

 

....  he can  'touch'  on  rather 'taboo' subjects  !  

 

 

no .... no link .....  no way ! 

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Nice Mario bling though  :)

 

Yolandi says ; 

 

" I got more bling than Mr T ..."

 

untitled-1_0.jpg

 

 

 

There are your modern ' talismans '     

 

Gold ..... gold   ......      gold   !       its mine .... all mine  !      icon_evil_laugh.gif     

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1464525404169129.gif

 

 

 

;)

 

I was not quite right!  :lol:

 

Now for something completely different.

 

 

It surprises me that this thread did not go more in-depth in astrological magic, like Agrippa's planetary talismans.

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