What is a talisman?

A talisman is essentially a good-luck charm, used in various spells by the shaman, witch-doctor or primitive magician. A charm can come in the form of a birthstone, bone, a birds wing, a four-leaf clover, teeth, feathers or crystals. Equivalent relics can be found in most world-religions such as Christianity, in the form of pieces of the true cross, bones of saints etc.

When is a Talisman Used?

A talisman is generally used in pagan rituals such as healing ceremonies, but it is also used to perform blessings in religions such as Christianity. A talisman may be used in conjunction with some form of dance, or a long, ritualistic, hypnotic chant, where it could be used to summon the assistance of ancestors or other spirits to bless the harvest or heal a sick child. The talisman could then be used to control the spirit, as was the job of the shaman. Because a spirit could often be benevolent, a shaman would often carry charms in his pouch gifted to him by helpful spirits to aid in the defeating of this evil spirits.

Spiritual Vows

When a spirit gifted a shaman with a charm, it was as a vow to help or protect him or, very occasionally, to help and protect a whole community or tribe. In this case, the charm or totem will become the property of the tribal chief, and be passed down through the generations. The totem of a rival tribe was often sought in tribal wars, seeking to deprive the enemy of spiritual guidance. The loss of a charm like this could cause huge damage to the tribes morale.

The Gathering of Charms

One of the most important requirements of a charm is that the shaman had to actually gather it himself. If he wanted an eagle feather, he could not simply find one on the ground. He would have to pluck it himself from the back of an eagle. Likewise, if he wanted a four leafed clover, he had to find one for himself, he could not simply be gifted one by another human. This is because the charm maintained a link with the plant or animal if was taken from and importantly, it did not lose this when it was taken by a shaman. A wicca witch would ask permission from the god and goddess before taking a plant.

What is the Difference Between a Charm and a Talisman?

Whereas a charm is usually a simple natural object, a talisman is usually hand-crafted, and decorated with various arcane symbols. A second, more important difference is the use of a talisman. While a charm is used to summon spirits, a talisman is regarded as a repository for magical energy, like a battery. Also like a battery, you can recharge them with a spell when their magical effectiveness is running low.

What is Contagious Magic?

Wherever there is a charm or talisman, there is a direct connection with the spirit of whatever it was taken from. A voodoo doll is a good example. It maintains a connection with whoever it represents by way of hair, nail-clippings or other personal possessions belonging to the target. The voodoo witch-doctor can then inflict pain on the doll which is then transferred to the person it represents. The same can be done with a photograph, all be it on a smaller scale. Looking at a picture of a loved-one and wishing them well could be construed as the beginning of contagious magic. This is the reason many cultures across the world dislike the camera-they do not with to endanger their spirit.

Homeopathic Magic

Generally, the modern magician employs homeopathic magic as opposed to contagious magic. The difference is that homeopathic magic does not need a direct link as such; instead of blood or hair of the person, a simple picture will suffice. Instead of using blood, they may use red pigment, and in place of a tiger's tooth, they may paint its picture. Instead of the bones of ancestors, their name need only be spoken.