ARM YOURSELF WITH YOUR OWN AMULET The amulet works psycholo !cally o" the su#co"sc!

ous as a co"sta"t rem!"$er o% what you w!sh to ach!e&e a"$ stre" the"s the power o% pos!t!&e th!"k!" ' The amulet !s a" a"c!e"t pro&e" alter"at!&e to comple( r!tual ma !c' Amulets su#co"sc!ously help lo&e) heal!" ) ES*) mo"ey) Wh!te L! ht *ower) protect!o" lo&e$ o"es a"$ more' W!th amulet power) you ca" co"trol your $est!"y a"$ cha" e your l!%e' "Yena baddho bali raajaa daanavendro Mahaabalah tena tvam abhibadhnaami rakshe maa Cala Maa Cala" (I tie on you that whereby Bali, the very powerful king of demons, was bound. O protective amulet! Don t slip off, don t slip off! !he "uranas describe how Indra, the king of #ods, was able to regain his sovereignty (after a humiliating defeat at the hands of the demons$ due to the power of the amulet tied on his hand by his %ueen after some austerities. !his is the origin of the &akshabandhan festival. !he rakshas or rakhis, prepared out of golden or yellow threads, with amulets, are first worshipped and then tied on the right hand. In some communities, this tying is done by priests uttering the above mantra seeking protection from the amulet. In ancient times amulets were worn for good fortune and protection against evil! !he amulet was an ob'ect of beauty that attracted and absorbed the lethal first glance of the evil eye away from the wearer and psychologically rendered the evil harmless. (odern day psychologists agree that the subconscious controls every word, deed and action in our conscious lives. !he amulet works psychologically on the subconscious as a constant reminder of what you wish to achieve and strengthens the power of positive thinking. !he amulet is an ancient proven alternative to comple) ritual magic! *mulets subconsciously help love, healing, +,", money, -hite .ight "ower, protection of loved ones and more. -ith amulet power you can control your destiny and change your life! !he word !*.I,(*/ is believed to have come from *rabic as there are great similarities in that language. One of the root words means 0to make marks as would a magician. !he word *(1.+! is derived from the .atin *muletum and is a magical ob'ect. *t one time there was a difference between an amulet and a talisman in that a talisman was made for a specific task, and an amulet had broader uses. -ith time, down through the centuries, this difference disappeared, and today, an amulet or talisman is considered one and the same as far as having magical powers is concerned. 2rom the earliest times, there has been a strong belief in the cosmic influence on human lives and events. !hey believed that there was a natural affinity between certain planets and certain colours, metals, animals and planets. (agicians called these affinities 3correspondences . !hey were convinced that by understanding and using these correspondences correctly, they would be able to draw on the power of the planets. !his system of correspondences is the basis of all ritual magic, where the talismans play important role. * talisman or amulet is an ob'ect that is worn or carried as a charm. It serves the purpose of either attracting or repelling various influences. !o be effective, a planetary talisman should be made at a time when the relevant planet is pouring out its influence at ma)imum intensity, and should consist of an image engraved on the stone or metal associated with the planet. !here was also a popular belief that the talisman should be made by the person who is going to wear it. *mulets and lucky charms are sold in great numbers, although charm bracelets now have a more or less decorative function. (ost people have their own personal lucky charm4something they carry with them to e)aminations and important interviews or on 'ourneys to assure safety. Here are some amulets %rom $!%%ere"t cultures a"$ a es+

An Eskimo charm representing white whale. The blue beads have mystical powers

A bead amulet worn by children of the Hadza tribe in Central Africa until the middle of the 2 th century. This amulet was meant to protect the children from the evil and mystical effects associated with the calls of birds

Egyptian funerary charms from the "harasonic #iddle kingdom $2!%%&!'() *.C.+ These were supposed to help the deceased on the ,ourney after death.

-orthern .ndian amulet of the early !%th century. This one/ with the embossed figure/ was worn by women who married widowers to protect them against the possibly maligant ,ealousy of the deceased wife.
A,RA-A.A,RA+ !he ancients inscribed this mystic word on a slip of parchment and fastened it around their necks. !hus worn, the individual was supposed to be protected from evil spirits and notably, from the dreaded evil eye. !he word had to be written in this form5 *B&*6*D*B&* B&*6*D*B& &*6*D*B *6*D* 6*D * It will be seen that the word can be read along the top line and also down and up the two sloping sides. The luck o% a Horse Shoe + !he use of a horseshoe to bring good luck and keep away evil is based on an old #ypsy folk tale. !here were four demons named 1nhappiness, Bad .ucks, Ill 7ealth, and Death. One evening a #ypsy was riding his favourite horse, traveling home in the gathering dusk when, as he crossed a bridge, the four demons came galloping out of the woods and started to chase him. !he #ypsy managed to keep ahead of them as they raced across fields, 'umped hedges, and ran along roads. But Bad .uck started to gain on him. !he two horsemen drew away from the other three demons, then, as they crossed a road, the #ypsy s horse threw a shoe. !he horseshoe flew through the air and hit Bad .uck in the forehead, knocking him from his horse and killing him. !he #ypsy stopped to pick up the shoe and continued on to his campground. !he other three demons took their dead brother and buried him. !he #ypsy nailed up the horseshoe over the door of his vardo, telling the rest of the tribe how it had killed Bad .uck, !he ne)t day the three demons came looking for the #ypsy but when they saw, hanging over the door, the horseshoe that had killed Bad .uck, they turned tail and fled. If a #ypsy finds a horseshoe lying on the ground with its open end toward him and the calks pointing upward (the calks are the 0toes8 on the end of the shanks of the shoe$, then he will pick it up and throw it over his left shoulder while spitting. If the open ends is toward him but the calks are down, then he will pick up the shoe and hang it on the nearest tree branch or fence, so that the bad luck may run out of it. 7e will again spit before continuing on. But if the horseshoe is lying with the closed end toward him (calks up or down$, it is a sign of good luck and he may, if he wishes, pick it up and take it home hang over his door. -hether he takes it with him or not, he will be lucky that day. * hung horseshoe should always, of course, have the open end up and the closed end down, to hold in the good luck. In the modern days also, it is used to decrease the effects of ,ade4 sati and malefic effects of ,aturn in general. ,am#oo a"$ Serpe"t + * very old talisman, often seen depicted in ancient documents, consists of a ring bearing a number of triangles. .ying on the ring is a serpent crossed with a stick of bamboo, which invariably bears 9 knots. !he ring stands for eternity which, like the ring, never ends. !he triangles on the ring symbolise the !rinity. !he 94knotted bamboo stood for the seven degrees of learning which had to be ac%uired by all who aspired to rank among the learned. !he serpent is also an additional sign of wisdom. !his talisman was worn by all who attempted to gain skill and knowledge of a high degree. A"chor+ "eople who live near the sea regard the anchor as a symbol of hope, safety and good fortune. Eye+ !his amulet represents the ,un, which is spoken of as 3!he +ye of Day . It is symbolical of the *ll4seeing +ye of the Deity. !he open eye charm was used to forfend against evils of enchantment, enmity and diseases of all kinds. * talisman embodying both the eyes together (both ,un and (oon$ used to be prepared on the /ew (oon day falling during the months of 6ancer or .eo. !hese are the signs of (oon and ,un. During these

months, ,un is nearer the summer solstice and possesses its greatest strength which it transfers to the (oon. Double source of protection and strength are invoked by this combination. F!sh+ It is a symbol of wealth, fertility and good fortune. ,ymbol of Dolphin brings success to artists. Ha"$+ 1sually it represents the hand of 2atima, who was the daughter of "rophet (ohammed. !he fingers of the hand stand for the %ualities of 7ospitality, #enerosity, strength and #oodness. !his charm is supposed to imbue these virtues on the person who carries it. Heart+ It is a symbol of enduring love. .overs give a mascot of this shape to each other as a testimony of their affections. /eys+ !he #reek :ey, portrayed in many different patterns, symbolises life. * group of three keys stands for love, wealth and health. La$y #!r$s+ !hese creatures are supposed to bring financial luck to the possessor, but only as long as no harm is done to them. *ccordingly, people wear imitation ladybirds, so that they may en'oy the luck without causing any harm to the creatures. R!" + It is an unending eternity. -earing it during marriage is symbolic of a vow made which is to be kept for eternity. Swast!ka+ It is a very ancient mascot for luck and prosperity. !he word 3,wastika is derived from ,anskrit, meaning 3purveyor of good fortune . !his symbol is attributed to .ord #anesha. It makes our best efforts to succeed. Tau+ It is in universal use as a sacred emblem and has undergone many variations of from. !he simplest of these is the one formed by two straight lines, one being vertical and the other superimposed upon it hori;ontally. It wards off diseases, especially that of the skin. It preserves your beauty. "eople of different religions wear their gods and goddesses as lockets to protect them. ,ymbol of 3*um , planetary signs and birthday signs (*ries to "isces, generally ,un signs$ are also worn for luck. Rare art!cles o% occult s! "!%!ca"ce 0Ya"tra a"$ Ta"tra1+ ,patika shivlinga (made of crystal$ kept in pu'as is supposed to keep one free from worries. "arad ,hivlinga (an alloy of ,ilver and (ercury$ is used in !antrik practices. &udrakshas are thought to be very sacred and are available in /epal with different number of faces. 2ive4faced &udrakshas are commonly used for protection against evil. One4faced &udraksha is the most auspicious one. "andits ad !antriks wear this to make their practices more effective. It is an embodiment of .ord ,hiva. !here is another rare variety called #auri ,hankar &udraksha in which two &udraksha specimen are united together. ,aligrams are also kept in poo'as in our households. It is thought to be an incarnation of .ord <ishnu. 6at s chord, tooth of boar, horn of =ackal (,iyar ,inghi$, 7atha =odi (a herb$, one4eyed coconut, ,hankh (sea4shell with right4side opening$, idol of .ord #anesha made of white oak plant$ are some of the rarest tankrik articles which can bring all4round prosperity to the household. * talisman or amulet, worn or kept on person, gives a lot of assurance to him. By looking at the amulets often (may be unwittingly$, one will feel a little relived that a superior power stays with him and protects him. Wear the Amulet a"$ Feel the *ower'