October 15th, 2024

​When it comes to drawing in or deflecting certain energies, a popular method used is to create either a talisman or an amulet. I have seen these two terms used interchangeably; however, this is not exactly so. Let’s break it down.
An amulet is described as an item (like a trinket or piece of jewelry) that provides protection Wikipedia says “the word "amulet" comes from the Latin word amuletum, which Pliny's Natural History describes as "an object that protects a person from trouble"”.
Whereas, a talisman is said to be an object of magical power that attracts good luck. Meriam-Webster describes the origins of this word as “The English language may have borrowed talisman from French, Spanish, or Italian; all three include similar-looking words for a lucky charm that derive from an Arabic word for a charm, ṭilsam. Ṭilsam traces to ancient Greek telein, which means "to initiate into the mysteries."”.
Both of these magical objects can include sigils or writings and are charged with the particular intent they were created for. They are both, also, often beautiful and inconspicuous ways to carry a magical object with purpose out in the open without attracting undue attention. Sometimes we can create one without really meaning to. This can happen when we buy an item like a ring or pendant that has a sigil/symbol on it that already holds meaning to us, like a pentagram, the evil eye, or a four-leaf clover. We already believe that symbol holds a particular power or meaning for us, and so we project that intent onto it whenever we use it or carry it with us, thus charging it with that intent.
That said, regardless of what you call it, it is the intent you put into it that matters most. The rest is semantics (which I know I can be a bit picky about sometimes, but that is a “me” problem lol).
Are you a crafty witch? Do you like to make your own amulets/talismans, or buy them and cleanse/charge them for your own purpose? Or is it all situationally dependent?