a cache of captured internet text files
pertaining
to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects.
Spelling and format editing has occurred within these posts; some email addresses may be out of date. These posts are copyright by their respective authors as noted, and all rights are reserved. In other words, the contributions of these authors are not to be mirrored to other web sites or copied into print without the express permission of each individual author. ------------------------------------------ From: eballard@sas.upenn.edu (Eoghan) Newsgroups: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.lucky.w,alt.magick.folk,alt.magick,alt.paranormal.spells.hexes.magic,alt.religion.orisha Subject: Re: Amulets and Talismans (was How do you make a Talisman?) Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 09:52:25 -0500 Superstition, by the books, is any practice or action or belief that is held unthinkingly and practiced without rational consideration. It is not a belief that is held without ritual form, as indeed most superstitions involve some form of ritual action, such as walking around ladders, etc. By definition the use of various plant, animal or mineral substances found in nature and presumed to have innate powers of their own without further preperation is not superstitious. It is a rational practice based upon the foundation of the understanding of the natural world to have its own powers and energies which the person can make use of without the need of further enhancing them. One can of course argue that by combining various substances unaltered into a packet or bag constitutes a form of alteration, but that is belaboring the point. I would further argue that while I have not looked too closely at Middle Eastern or far Eastern practices, at least the Native American system does exactly the same thing as the African. In most Native American belief systems, the various animals and other natural objects have their own spirits and either the spirit of this power visits one spontaniously in vision and then gives or causes the individual to find a symbol or object that contains their power which is kept without further "Empowering" or "charging" it. This notion is a patently European idea, in my experience and one that is fairly recent at that. It seems to me to come straight out of Christianity. The ancient Celts for example always viewed the most powerful objects and forces to belong to unchanged nature and not to manmade objects. Totally manmade objects, such as swords might need to be charged, but if you found a staff of a special wood that was discovered in a sacred location, nothing more needed to be done to empower it. In fact, human tinkering was more likely to lessen its effectiveness than otherwise. Eoghan Tata Nganga Ensasi Calunga Ensulo Quimbisa eballard@sas.upenn.edu Eoghan Ballard Center for Folklore & Ethnology University of Pennsylvania
SEARCH THIS SITE: a local search engine and a named link to each Lucky Mojo page
Lucky Mojo Site Map: a descriptive entry-level index to the whole Lucky Mojo pile
Lucky W Amulet Archive Home Page: an online museum of folk-magic charms
Sacred Sex Home Page: essays on tantra yoga, karezza, sex magic, and sex worship
The Sacred Landscape Home Page: essays on archaeoastronomy and sacred geometry
Freemasonry for Women Home Page: a history of mixed gender freemasonic lodges
The Lucky Mojo Curio Co.: manufacturers of spiritual supplies for hoodoo and conjure
The Comics Warehouse: a source for back-issues of comic books and trading cards
catherine yronwode, the eclectic and eccentric author of all the above web pages
tyagi nagasiva: tyaginator, nigris (333), hara/mulla, nocTifer, lorax666, boboroshi, !
The Lucky Mojo Esoteric Archive: captured internet files on occult and spiritual topics
The Lucky Mojo Esoteric Archive is copyright by the authors cited.
Send comments to the Esoteric Archivist: nagasiva@luckymojo.com.
