by: Sam Stevens
Many of you already own several lucky charms or talismans. You just may not be aware of the object's symbolism or meaning. Below I have compiled a list of some of the more popular and common good luck symbols that can be purchased in the form of jewellery, paintings or statues.
The Ring: A ring made of gold represents eternity and the circle of life. A diamond on a gold ring symbolizes fidelity. The tradition of the wedding ring goes back to the ancient Romans. Puzzle rings that interlink symbolize the integration of the spirit with the mind. When you give a puzzle ring to a friend, it means that you never want the two of you to part ways.
The Clover: The three-leafed clover is a symbol of health and vitality and for the Celts, symbolized The Holy Trinity. A four-leafed clover symbolizes sudden good fortune. A five-leafed clover symbolizes a happy marriage.
The Heart: A heart is the classic symbol of love. A picture or lock of hair carried inside a locket is thought to be the ultimate way to symbolize the carrying of another's spirit in your heart. As an amulet the symbol of the heart protects against heart disorders, anxiety and the tendency to blame others.
The Pentagram: This five-sided star is also known as the Druid's foot. It helps as a talisman to fulfill wishes, invoke spiritual powers and activate inner powers. It also serves as a protective amulet against the "evil eye" and casts evil back to where it came.
The Star of David: This six-pointed star is also known as the Seal of Solomon and the Hexagram. It consists of two interlocking triangles and is used as a talisman to attain harmony, gain knowledge and invoke the aid of the angels.
The Heptagram: Also known as the Mysterious Star or the Love Star, this seven pointed star is sacred to Venus and helps one radiate beauty and attractiveness as well as radiate harmony and love.
The Crescent and Star: This symbol is a powerful love talisman that also symbolizes sexuality, wisdom and well being.
The Eye in the Triangle: This is an amulet that finds its origins in the culture of Europe, Asia and Africa. An image of an eye within a triangle is thought to reflect evil back to the wisher of bad luck and protect against envy, jealousy and misfortune.
The Eye in the Hand: These good luck tokens which feature a human eye centered in the palm of a human hand originate in the Near East and are of Jewish-Arabic origin. The open hand represents the intervention of God and the eye represents the all-seeing eye of Go. This talisman is thought to bring God's mercy, strengthen faith and protect against bad luck.
The Ankh: This looks like a Christian Crucifix but with a loop at the top. This lovely ancient Egyptian symbol represents love and long life.
Thor's Hammer: This talisman usually looks like a small axe or very blunt edged cross. Carrying this symbol is thought to help achieve social success and protect against petty quarrels, making the wrong move in life and losses on the stock market!
The Pictic Knot: This is a Celtic charm that looks like three interlooping triangles. It is represents the three realms of consciousness and is worn to protect from black magic, magickal mistakes and dangers in general.
The Celtic Knot: These come in many designs and look like knotted threads. The knots based on mirror images or the number two represent passion, inspiration and a happy marriage. Knots based on the quadrupling of an image represent personal power and wisdom.
The Medicine Wheel: For about 5.000 years, almost all Native American Indian tribes have designed some form of a medicine wheel. The design varies but basically medicine wheels are Mandalas whose imagery is based on the number four. Medicine Wheels help you develop personal power and equilibrium, attain wisdom and understand the ups and downs of life!
The Dorje: This is a Buddhist "thunderbolt" that also resembles sceptre or a dagger. They are usually freestanding brass objects about the size of a paperweight done. This symbol is thought to repel demons, help one follow the true path and not be misled by false prophets.
Roman Coins: Antique Roman coins are thought to bring prosperity and good fortune to those who wear them as jewellery.
The Two Headed Ax: This image is found in almost all cultures: ancient Crete, Asian, Northern Europe and African cultures. It represents justice, authourity, and strength of character.
The Human Skull: Human skulls, whether bone or silver are usually worn to protect one from death. Shamans wear them to symbolize the accessing of deceased spirits.
The Devil's Trap: This is a circular gold or silver coin or talisman which features tiny Hebrew text that spirals more and more tightly inward towards the center of the circle. The idea is that the "Devil's Energy" is trapped inside the circle so it can't escape. This is worn or placed near doorways to protect from evil and clear one's path of obstacles.
The Zen Symbol: This looks like a black teardrop shape and white teardrop shape embracing each other in a circle. It is from the Far East and is also known as the Ying Yang or Tai'Chi symbol. It is worn to achieve equilibrium, balance and harmony between the sexes.