Amulet Making: 101

This Monday, I plan on having my Protection and Prosperity Amulets up on the website, ready to go. It’s been a long time coming. Creating amulets is actually what really pushed me to creating Green Mountain Mage.

When I refer to amulets, I realize that some may not know what I’m talking about. The amulets that I make are meant to bring about a change in the wearer through a variety of means. Metaphor. A physical reminder to your brain to correct your actions to bring about a desired effect. A focus point. An object infused with a certain type of etheric energy to help guide the wearer’s etheric energy in a desired direction.

As for the amulets for the store, I’ve almost finished making my first batch. Actually, the bags themselves have been ready for a while. The materials were chosen. The runes hand embroidered into the front, my mind focused on stitching in the energies and purpose of the amulet to be. The prayer braid created for a drawstring, woven together with more concentration on the purpose and energy I’m trying to create. The herbs and stones picked out and ready to be put into the bag.

Then, the blessing part itself. I bless the space I’m working in, call to the corners, to the elemental energies. Call to the heart of the planet. Call to the Solar powers. Call to the Creator. Focus that all into the amulets I’m working on. Voila! Ready to go!

I’ve always enjoyed making things like this. The creation of an object with the intention of directing the more subtle universe around it puts me into a meditative state. It’s a little selfish, in that I find it relaxing for me, a great way to connect to the energies I’m making manifest. It’s a ritual of its own.

Each herb I work with has a planetary and zodiac correspondence that I keep in mind when formulating an amulet (or powder or incense, for that matter). Mix that with traditional uses, and the general feel of the plant, I can usually come up with a group of herbs and objects that work well together towards the intended point. Not that I’m adverse to using tried and true formulas. I can usually mine something good from one of the books that I cite at the end of this entry. Eventually, though, it comes to a Mage’s tastes, as well as what plants he or she works better with in general.

Let’s take my Protection amulet as an example. I start with old fire blankets my friends and I have used as safety when fire spinning (for those of you who don’t know about one of my favorite pastimes, click HERE to find out about my fire troupe). Red is a powerful color, and, having been used to keep my friends and I safe in its previous life, it already has meaning a a force of protection.

I then take orange embroidery thread, and start stitching in the shape of the protection rune Algiz. The orange furthers the solar/fiery color scheme. As I embroider, with every stitch, I visualize an energy of protection flowing through me, through the needle, and getting caught in the thread. Perhaps use a protection mantra to help with focus. Same for when I sew the bag together and hem the top. Same for when I braid the drawstring. This is what I refer to when I say that I’m doing something “with intention.” I’m using my actions as a focus for whatever “vibe” I’m trying to work with.

Now for the filling of the amulet bag. I start with a nail. Preferably iron, if I can get it. If not, it’s okay. I bend it into a circle. Drop it into the bag. Take a small piece of paper. Jot down a few more protective sigils. Fold it up, and put it in the circle of the nail.

Now the herbs and salt. I don’t always use salt for amulets, just (so far) the Protection Amulet. Salt has quite the historical use is protection and banishment magic, and I felt that the Protection Amulet would be remiss without it. Its use still echoes in the superstitious act of throwing salt over your shoulder when you spill some. Being Sea Salt, it also has earthy and watery qualities, desired aspects to balance out all the fire qualities of the herbs. Salt will also absorb etheric qualities of mixed herbs, which bring us to the three herbs of the amulet.

The number of herbs isn’t random. Three is a magical number. So, most of the amulets I make have a triad of herbs. The nail, the salt, and the herbs also make a triad, as well as the three sigils inside.

First is Angelica. It’s astrological correspondences are the Sun in Leo. That alone is very fiery, protective, and cleansing. In Christian lore, it has a connection to Archangel Michael (hence the name of the plant), and was used for dispelling all sorts of bad juju.

Then there’s St. John’s Wort. Another plant with its place in Christian mythology, and its astrological correspondences being the Sun in Leo, with its place in history as a medicinal herb also used for protection and cleansing.

Finally, to both empower and support the general energy of the amulet, as well as balance all that fire with its Venus in Gemini, I add Vervain. Vervain has a more pagan reputation, being connected to the Ancient Druids. It also has a history of being used for protection (amongst a host of other things).

Mix it all together in ceremony, bless it, and we get a Green Mountain Mage Protection Amulet.

Now, you may be asking what this is meant to protect one from, exactly, and how it does this. That is a great segue into my next post, where I will tackle the daunting project of defining my understanding of magic.

 

Until next week

 

- The Green Mountain Mage

 

Ps- If the subject of amulet making interests you, allow me to suggest three books. They are what I have drawn a lot of my information and inspiration from.

 

“Natural Magic” by John Michael Greer

 

“The Master Book of Herbalism” by Paul Beyerl


“The Complete Book of Incense, Oils, and Brews” by Scott Cunningham