Today on a Pagan forum, someone asked for help making a protective talisman for someone being deployed in Iraq soon. Since I’m sure there are others out there who have loved ones going or currently in the Middle East, I thought I’d post here what I sent to her. With Yule coming up, some of you might want to do something like this to send to your loved one as a present. If anyone has any questions about any of the information here, please let me know. I can help you fine tune it if need be.
I’m not sure what kind of talismans you are familiar with making, but this is what I would do if I were making this charm myself. I have a preference for sewing herbal sachets. I’d take some white and red fabric (white for protection, red for vitality) and sew a pouch. You may sew protective and/or astrological symbols into the fabric, or symbols of specific deities that might be interested in his welfare. I’d suggest the astrological symbol for Mars as he is protective of warriors, or Thor or Tyr (hammer or sword) if he has a preference for Norse mythology. If neither Mars, nor Thor or Tyr are suitable, let me know what pantheons you or the person you want to make the talisman for prefer to work with, and I may be able to suggest something more specific. A star would not be a bad idea as a general protective symbol. I like to sew in a new penny that I have found and blessed into any protective charm I make as well. It’s important to me that it’s a found penny, maybe not so much to you. I tend to save all of my found money separately in a little box as a kind of luck repository. I prefer pennies because of the “find a penny” saying, but anything would probably work.
Now for what you fill the sachet with, that’s up to you. I don’t know if you have more of an affinity to herbs or stones. I find I work better with herbs and so I usually fill it with appropriate herbs and then anoint the exterior of the pouch with an oil. But if you have a better affinity for stones/metals, there are definitely stones that can be put int the pouch for the same purpose. I would not recommend metals and herbs because some herbs do not like metals. If you want to combine the two, it is possible to sew the metal to the exterior of the bag, separating it from the herbs. Make sure it is very secure though. For instance, if you intend to add a penny, you could use red fabric for the entire bag and white only for the star. Put the penny and any stones/metals you want to use under the star and you won’t have to worry about actually sewing them to the bag itself (which can be difficult). I also like to fine tune such charms to their recipient, so I reduce a person’s name and birthdate to numerological terms and sew those numbers into the charm somewhere. I’d suggest using white thread if you sew it into the red fabric or red if you choose to sew it into the star.
Now some common protective herbs are: Aloe, Alyssum, Amaranth, Angelica, Anise, Ash, Bamboo, Barley, Basil, Bay, Beans, Birch, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cactus, Cedar, Chrysanthemum, Cinnamon, Clove, Clover, Cotton, Cumin, Cypress, Dill, Dogwood, Elder, Euphorbia, Fennel, Fern, Flax, Fleabane, Foxglove, Frankincense, Garlic, Geranium, Ginseng, Gourds, Holly, Honeysuckle, Horehound, Ivy, Juniper, Larkspur, Lavender, Leek, Lilac, Lime, Linden, Marigold, Mint, Mistletoe, Mulberry, Mullein, Mustard, Myrrh, Oak, Olive, Onion, Orris, Papaya, Parsley, Peony, Pepper, Raspberry, Rhubarb, Rice, Rose, Rosemary, Rowan, Sage, Snapdragon, Thistle, Vervain, Violet, Wax Plant, Willow, Yucca
This is an abbreviated list, mostly of things you could find in a grocery store or in your backyard/environment. I have a few of these in my garden or as houseplants. I would tend to go with spiny or pungent smelling herbs. Many of these can be found in oils as well. Personally, I’d anoint the talisman with frankincense or myrrh oil. I underlined any herb that has an astrological affinity to Mars.
Protective stones include: agates, amethyst, amber, Apache tears, (black) jade, garnet, jet, labradorite, malachite, smokey quartz, (black) tourmaline
In all honesty, if you’re making this for a friend or loved one, I’d show him/her this list and ask if s/he has any preferences for any of the herbs or stones. That would help you attune the talisman to them even more. Also, if your friend has any animal guides, you could add that to the pouch, or if you do and would like to ask them to look out for him, you can add those symbols to the pouch as well.
November 26th
Paracelsus, the Swiss alchemist, was born today in 1493.
Comments (7)
Very nicely written and informative! I’m sure I’ll probably use this for reference in the future
As always, thanks for sharing!
@Jemstone05 - You’re welcome
Thank you so much. I may make one for my son.
A very informative entry, as always.
I’m pretty sure if I made one of these for my family, they’d be more creeped out than anything else (lol–still trying to convince themselves the “wicca thing” is a phase, I guess), but I always like to read about how other people make talismans because they’re so individual. I never would have thought about putting a found penny into a talisman for good luck–I’ll have to start collecting them now.
@Broom_Service - You’re welcome. I like coming up with talismans like this. One Yule I made everyone in my family a protective talisman for when they were driving.
@heidenkind - heh, your family will get over it. I got some self-hardening clay to make my horns for my Halloween costume. I’ve been thinking about trying out making talismans from the clay. It would be easy enough to fold things into the clay and to paint or press symbols into it while it’s still soft.
@harmony0stars - That was very thoughtful of you… and a wonderful idea, too.
Cool. Please let us know how the clay works out if you decide to try it.
@harmony0stars - Yeah, I like the clay idea, too.