Charms, Amulets and Talismans.. oh my!

Charms, Amulets and Talismans are in the most basic terms like uncharged batteries, it is when you give the words or object meaning and imbuing it with your energy does it have any magical power. Nowadays the three terms are used interchangeably, however from a historical perspective they are not the same. 

To begin you need to respect the traditions in which they originated and understand why each is unique and it is important to learn this, so you can make an informed decision on which you may be using.

Here are the meanings to wrap your head around. When presented in a clear manner they are pretty easy to distinguish and define them. 

Charms

Charms are probably the basis for the original forms of portable magic. The word Charm most likely comes from the Latin word Carmen which means incantation and maybe even song. This gives rise to the theory that at least in the beginning they were simply words uttered by a witch with her intent clear in her mind and heart. 

Much later the word was coined to small symbolic objects you could carry on your person, to ward off evil and to inspire good luck to come your way. Whether they are a spoken word or a small symbolic object, once they have been created and (unless you intend otherwise) they remain active, and typically the energy you have placed into them lasts less than a year. 

Quote:
Charms play an important role in many various magical traditions. In many tribal cultures, a person could not all themselves a Shaman until he or she knew how to contrive dozens of different traditional charms

Amulets

Amulets on the other hand are passive until something external gives them a purpose for their energies and therefore their energy tend to last a little longer than that of a charm. The main purpose of an Amulet is to give the wearer protection; more specifically it wards of any unwanted or harmful magic or any other influence that could be baneful to you. In some cases, amulets have been created for purposes similar to that of a charm; such as improving strength, adding to personal wealth and augmenting. The word Amulet comes from the Latin word amulet which means, if you haven't guessed it charm.

No wonder people have trouble keeping the definitions straight in their heads.

Talismans

Talismans are used as active participants on magic. A witch’s wand is a very good example of how the Talisman operates; this is because the wand transports energy and in so doing helps them with casting a spell. A witch’s wand is a Talisman of power (not to different from The Staff of Moses). Many stories of old tell us that many talismans had spirits dwelling within them, who were commanded by the person using the magic to do specific tasks. 
It is extremely rare to see instances of this in nature today, the word Talisman is now used to refer to any token or item that has been created in important astrological times, and using the right materials. 

Quote:
Aladdin's lamp was a kind of Talisman. The lamp held a genie (jinni), which is a VERY powerful spirit, constrained to obey its owner

The Rainbow Witch 17-09-2013 ~)O(~


~)O(~ The Rainbow Witch 03/07/2011