Spells don’t need a lot of bells and whistles to be effective, but many who practice spellcasting use tools, such as symbolic amulets and talismans, to improve the chances of the spellworking. Humans are visual creatures, and we respond to symbols. Symbols speak to us on a subconscious level or, as Carl Jung wrote about, in the collective unconscious of humanity as archetypes. In other words, we may not understand their meaning and power on a conscious level, but we do subconsciously.
An amulet can be any magical or symbolic object worn to protect the wearer or to use the powers associated with the amulet itself. They can be necklaces, items in a pouch, earrings, rings, or even coins, statues, gemstones, parts of animals or plants, drawings, images, or engravings. The word “amulet” comes from the Latin word amulteum, which means “an object that protects a person from trouble.” The first known use of the word comes from Roman author Pliny the Elder’s Natural History, written in 77 C.E.
Amulets specifically protect the one wearing them and are usually blessed first by someone of great power, such as a clergyman or medicine woman, although you can charm your amulet with the right ritual. The amulet itself is not magical, but the blessing placed upon it can keep someone from dangerous situations. Think of a lucky charm like a rabbit’s foot, a fourleaf clover, or the bobblehead of a saint on the car dashboard. Some people suggest that these engage the placebo effect, making the wearer believe they bring luck so that anything good that happens automatically is attributed to the lucky charm! It’s like a self-fulfilled prophecy, but if it makes the wearer feel one way or another, more “power” to them.
Amulets are magically charged objects that are easily worn and are used for protection from evil powers and disease.
While pop culture has spread the erroneous belief that amulets are things occultists use, they have a long history in Judaism, Christianity, and ancient Roman ritual practices. In the Islamic tradition, amulets and talismans are forbidden, as they are examples of what is called “shirk,” or using and worshipping false idols. Ancient Romans and Greeks believed strongly in the use of amulets, most assuredly a carryover of their pagan roots, but even the modern Catholic Church utilizes rosary beads, medals of saints and the Virgin Mary, and other “sacred objects” for protection. Ancient Romans also used amulet boxes that were hung around the neck and filled with some item of magical powers, including sulfur to repel evil spirits. These remind one of the charms and lockets worn by pagans and witches containing magical items such as herbs, flowers, and trinkets.
Chinese Taoists created a form of calligraphy that had protection powers. Central and Western Asian amulets are usually in the shape of a triangle, which is not by accident. Triangles are considered the perfect geometric shape, as three is the perfect number that unites dualities.
Numerous mentions of seals, symbolic objects, stars, and shapes that were thought to be particularly potent occur in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The Star of David is a hugely popular and quiet, ancient amulet in the form of two intertwined triangles that make a six-pointed hexagram. The crucifix can even be called a type of protective amulet, found in many a Christian home, to protect against demonic spirits and the Devil. Holy water is itself an amulet of protection used in Christian rituals in the Church, and practically every saint in the hierarchy has its own amulet as well as Mother Mary, Baby Jesus, and the archangels.
Even Buddhists and Tibetan traditions use bells, ritual tools, and symbolic objects as amulets, including a parchmentenclosed scroll inside a prayer wheel that is spun to and fro during an incantation. Other cultures used everything from pouches filled with magical ash or dust, the shamrock of the Irish, the ghost shirt of the Native Americans, the early twentieth-century Hand of Fatima, and the horn symbol that wards off the evil eye in Italian culture.
Today, charm bracelets are all the rage and contain little metal or stone items of meaning to the person wearing them. The dragonfly has become a popular amulet worn by breast cancer survivors to protect them from relapses. Native Americans today employ skins, feathers, mirrors, and bells as protection amulets. Tattoos on the skin are both an ancient and a modern method of permanently wearing protection symbols and so, too, are juju bags used in Voodoo, filled with stones, herbs, and cemetery dirt.
Remember going walking or hiking as a child and finding a cool stone you just had to have? You stuck it in your pocket and took it home to put on your dresser or nightstand. It’s just a rock to everyone else, but to you it’s a magical rock. Finding a wishing stone is all about getting out into nature and looking for a rock or stone that speaks to you and you alone.
Once you see your stone on the ground, make a silent wish to yourself as you pick it up. Hold the wish, and the stone, as you imagine what it would be like to have that wish. You can take the stone home to clean and purify it before sitting in meditation with it or hold it in your hands and be silent as you visualize your wish fulfilled. Set the stone in a special place where you can see it and leave it there until your wish is fulfilled. If you want to make more wishes, find more wishing stones.
Once your wish comes true, take the original stone, thank it for its service, and return it to nature to bring wishes to others.
Talismans often are used interchangeably with amulets, but they are a completely different thing. While the sole purpose of an amulet is to ward off evil energies or disease, a talisman is a magical item that gives power to the person wearing it. It is a type of amplification system of energies the person uses in ritual or spellcasting. It gives power, confidence, strength, courage, and abilities to the wearer because it is itself those things, embodying those things. Think of the sword Excalibur in the King Arthur story, the wand in any wizard story, or perhaps the magic lamp in the Aladdin story, which releases a powerful genie who grants wishes, albeit under the orders, “Be careful what you wish for!”
These metallic Chinese talismans were made to celebrate the Year of the Rat and are designed to give the bearer good fortune and luck.
Many talismans are made of gemstones, crystals, parchment, metal, or animal-skin circles engraved with magical words and formulas and are worn as a pendant or singular item on the body. The word comes from the Greek word telesma, which means “a consecration ceremony.” Talismans should be worn for positive power and energy, taking into account the laws of reciprocity and karma, and talismans are most often man-made objects. Some items, like poppets or Voodoo dolls, act as both talismans and amulets depending on the intention and the ritual they are used in. As amulets, they are used to pray to the gods and goddesses for protection from evil juju. As talismans, they represent a particular person who can be either helped or harmed by the Voodoo practitioner.
Voodoo also includes charms made from specific plants or roots, which are ground up and put into a juju bag with other powerful items like bones, nails, hair, holy water, trinkets, and bits of food. Charms can also be worn around the neck for protection and healing. These charms can sometimes be used to poison someone, like the ouanga, a charm made of the toxic roots of the figuier maudit tree from Africa.
Whether one chooses to use amulets, talismans, or both in spellcasting, they can be homemade or purchased from someone who makes them custom ordered for particular purposes. Tons of websites offer a wide selection of both or teach you how to make your own with some basic supplies. They don’t have to be elaborate or expensive, just meaningful. Some people choose to bless a new amulet or talisman when they receive them to make sure they are imbued with positive, beneficial energy. Another term for this is “enchanting” something—making something magical by using spells, chants, words, phrases, prayers, or blessings and charging that item with focused emotional energy intended toward a specific goal. That goal can be spoken or written as the object is being enchanted.
Strong belief, intention, focus, and emotion are all the foundations for spellcasting and working with energies to create and manifest the outcome desired. Just as Jesus once said that we must ask first, then believe in order to receive, the Law of Attraction also demands that we not go into working with Earth magic and nature’s forces with lackluster feelings or weak beliefs. Working first on getting the mind clear and the desired outcome focused is essential before the first spell is ever cast into the aether to be made manifest.
Witches love to wear symbolic jewelry, and a spell box can also double as a ring or jewelry box. Do you know about something called ring craft? It’s witchcraft using the rings you wear and the fingers you choose to wear them on. Gold rings bring success, power, wealth, and opportunity. Silver rings bring wisdom, truth, knowledge, enlightenment, and a connection with source energy. Silver is associated with the Moon and its energies, and many Wiccan high priestesses wear bracelets or crowns made of silver during Moon rituals. Silver is a powerful tool for divination and spellcasting work. A silver chalice is said to be the cup that the blood of Christ was kept in during communion according to the Christian New Testament, and it was also used in divination as far back as the Old Testament’s Book of Genesis. Silver is far favored over gold by witches, but gold has its place as a symbol of Sun energy and masculine energy.
Some of the most widely recognized talismans and amulets come from belief traditions the world over. Aside from the more current rabbit’s foot, lucky charm, and four-leaf clover, many of these have ancient roots.
Ankh—The Egyptian ankh was once worn by the pharaohs and kings of Egypt and is today worn to represent eternal life and the union of male and female/Isis and Osiris.
Eye of Ra—Another ancient Egyptian symbol that invokes the powerful blessings of Ra, the Sun God, when the eye faces to the right, or Aah, the Moon God, when the eye faces left.
Celtic Love Knot—An interweaving of eight hearts bound within a Celtic circle to attract true love and improve relationships.
Triquetra—The Triple Goddess symbolism of Celtic tradition and the symbol of the Divine goddess. Also known as the trinity knot, it represents the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit.
Triskele—Another triple spiral of Celtic origin, appearing on Celtic stone art. Some say it was the precursor to the later Christian “trinity” symbol of the triune deity.
Pentacle—A five-pointed star bound within a circle represents life, the body of humanity, and is a favorite of pagans and Wiccans.
Star of David/Seal of Solomon—Two triangles, forming a sixpointed star in a circle, that is both a protection amulet and a powerful talisman. This seal was worn by King Solomon in medieval Judaism and was sometimes a pentagram instead of a sixpointed hexagram. In its six-pointed form, it became known as the Star of David of the more modern period of Judaism and later was placed on the flag of Israel.
Tetragrammaton—A powerful amulet that bears the unspeakable four-letter name of God, YHWH or JHVH, from the Greek words tetra for “four” and grammat for “letter.” This is the Hebrew name of God revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai and is made of four consonants that are too sacred to be spoken aloud.
Cross—Every major and minor spiritual tradition has its version of the cross, which represents the four elements, the four winds, the four corners of Earth, and, in Western traditions, the crucifixion cross of salvation. Even the swastika is an ancient pagan cross that was sadly appropriated by Nazi Germany and turned into a symbol of hatred and death.
Celtic Cross—A particularly complex king’s cross that consists of a circle in the center with the four sides of the cross representing the directions, elements, and seasons. This cross is a powerful symbol of spiritual growth and the union of male and female.
Healer/Medicine Staff—Today used by those in the medical field, the staff of Hermes was used for thousands of years by healers of pagan traditions and has been called the Cadeuses. It also represents two DNA strands wrapped around a scepter.
St. Brighid’s Cross—It is customary to make this crude, woven cross out of rushes from sacred trees and brush. It represents the Triple Goddess and protectress Brighid of Celtic mythology.
Claddagh—Another Celtic symbol consisting of a ring with two holding hands and a crowned heart on top of them. It represents the unity of hearts in love and companionship.
Celtic Shield—This four-sided knot is specifically used to ward off evil and negativity.
Italian Horn—A symbol of protection, fertility, and virility. Also called the corno or cornicello, this amulet wards off the evil eye and bad luck.
Evil Eye—Italians are among the many cultures that believe you can be cursed by the glare of a stare with evil intent behind it. Ironically, the amulets worn for protection against the evil eye are also called the evil eye!
Hand of Fatima—An ancient talisman that brings feminine power and an amulet that protects against the gaze of the evil eye and all negative energies and forces. The word “Fatima” relates to the town of Fatima, Portugal, where three children claimed they saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary.
If you wear rings on your right hand, you are giving strength to the active force of making things happen. On your left hand, you increase intuitive abilities. Here are some ring and finger correspondences:
• Thumb—the element of aether/Spirit: associated with power, ability, logic, willpower, and work.
• Index finger—the element of water: associated with decision making, confidence, speech, opinions, self-esteem, and influence over others.
• Middle finger—the element of earth: associated with focus, stability, groundedness, intellect, mind, and desire.
• Ring finger—the element of fire: associated with love, passion, ambition, creativity, goals, and marriage/commitment.
• Pinky finger—the element of air: associated with divination, magic, dream work, enlightenment, and sensuality.
Try wearing rings on the appropriate fingers that correspond with a certain area you want to strengthen and empower and see what happens. Whether male or female, adorning the body with symbolic jewelry is almost like casting a spell itself. What we wear has its own vibration, or amplification of the energy each symbol represents. A silver pair of Moonshaped earrings can make you feel your magic all day, or a golden locket filled with your favorite herb can bring you the properties of that herb each time you touch the locket. Jewelry becomes an altar you take with you everywhere you go to keep you connected to the energies and forces of nature.
The great thing about rings and other jewelry is that no one notices much or cares if you have it on, so you can wear it anywhere, including work and into meetings, for extra protection, success, and courage.
Rings can carry many symbolic meanings depending on what they are made of, what symbols are on them, and even what finger you wear them on.
Some witches like to get their favorite symbol, whether of a broomstick or a pentacle, made into a charm they can wear on a bracelet or a necklace. Others like Moons and anything having to do with the phases of the Moon. It’s about wearing jewelry, including gemstones and crystals, that resonate with you and bring an extra added boost to your own personal energy when you put them on.
Keep your sacred jewelry in a gorgeous spell box or homemade container. By respecting the jewelry, you retain its power. However, you may want to do a quick clearing before you wear it again because it may be withholding some negative or stale energies from the last time you wore it. Everyone you encountered and everything you experienced can leave a vibration on your rings and jewelry, so either clear it when you put it away (probably the wisest) or before you take it out to don it again.
If you have any witch friends, symbolic jewelry makes a great gift for birthdays and holidays and will have a much deeper meaning than something generic. If you are crafty, you can even make jewelry to wear, give away to loved ones or members of your coven, or sell at local craft shows or on the Internet to your fellow witches. For sales, you can use eBay, Etsy, and local Facebook marketplaces, or look for holiday craft shows and street fairs in your town and spread the witchy love.
You’re a busy witch. You have a job, kids, a spouse, hobbies. How can you possibly find time to go out and gather up all the things you need for your craft or find new items for your altar or sacred space? A wonderful solution exists called subscription boxes or kits. You may have seen gaming boxes, comic book boxes, movie lover boxes, romantic boxes, and every other subject under the Sun sold as a subscription service, usually monthly, that delivers different-sized boxes of goodies right to your door.
Witch boxes come in every size, shape, configuration, and price point from smaller boxes for about $15 a month to larger boxes for about $75 a month. A simple online search for “witch subscription boxes” pulls up over two dozen choices, many of them featured on their own websites, and many others are sold through Etsy, a huge online store filled with unique crafts, gifts, and items. Just looking at a few of these monthly boxes turned up awesome incense, candles, spell kits, dream catchers, home-
Have a witch friend with an upcoming birthday? Know a witch who just achieved a milestone or got a huge promotion? How about celebrating with them by creating a personalized witch box filled with items you know they will love, such as candles, crystals, decorative items, homemade herbal lip balm, potions, handmade jewelry, and spells. You can include all kinds of goodies unique to their personality and give them a gift they will always remember. Find a lovely box and wrap the items in colored tissue paper, decorate the exterior of the box or wrap it in fun paper, and voila, you have a unique gift that will thrill any witch in your life.
made altar tools, soaps, herbal teas, and even clothing and jewelry. You can often go onto the websites or in the Etsy stores and get a glimpse of past boxes to see what kinds of goodies you can expect each month.
Nothing is more enjoyable than getting a package in the mail full of unique and unexpected surprises to enrich your craft and practice. It’s a gift to you, for you, and you can cancel your subscription at any time if money is tight. These witch boxes are put together and filled with homemade items by witches themselves and support witches in their small businesses, so you are not only receiving something great but giving something back by helping out a fellow witch.
Though you may still want to choose the items most important and personal to you for your craft work, witch boxes are a blast when they arrive each month filled with surprises and an exciting way to try new items you may never have heard of or thought of before.