A PERUVIAN PACKAGE AMULET:

METAL SAINTS, BROOM, AND ORMOSIA SEED
FOR SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES,
THE PATRON OF PERU



These two small package amulets from Peru combine indigenous and colonial Catholic imagery in a unique manner. Measuring only 1" by 2", their stapled vinyl films encase cast metal forms that incorporate two Catholic saints and a horseshoe. Glued to the center of each is a Catholic religious print. To the left is a miniature broom and to the right is a red-and-black seed of Ormosia nobilis.

The Catholic religious prints shown on here the package fronts are La Mano Poderosa, the Powerful Hand of God and Saint Hilarion. There are numerous others available, including the Virgin of Guadelupe and San Martin de Porres.

The meaning of the horseshoe -- a European importation -- is both protection and general good luck.

The Ormosia nobilis seed is called huayruru hembra in the Quechua language and signifies good luck. (O. nobilis is the only species of Ormosia in which the red and black markings vary from seed to seed, so it is readily identifiable by comparing the patterns on the two seeds shown here.)

The broom in Peruvian folklore has a different meaning than in African-American hoodoo symbolism. There it represents the sweeping away of evil influences; here it evokes San Martin de Porres, a Peruvian saint whose iconography shows him carrying a broom and feeding a dish of milk to several species of animals, representing the various races of mankind. Thus the broom in this context stands for the first African American man made a saint, for the humility to perform menial tasks, and for harmonious personal relationships in general and peace between those of varied races and classes in particular.

There are four saints cast into the metal frames -- two different ones on each amulet shown. I cannot name them with certainty due to the indistinct quality of the castings, but they appear as follows:



The backs of the packages vary a bit, as the fronts do. In each, a Catholic religious print forms a backer to a miniature metal horseshoe. One of the prints shown here depicts the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the other shows Saint Hilarion. Numerous other prints are available, including San Martin de Porres.

These package amulets are meant to be carried on the person or placed in a niche or the glove box of a vehicle. Depending on the nature of the saints depicted, they are used to bring luck, protection, and special favours from above.

To order Broom and Ormosia Seed Package Amulets from the Lucky Mojo Curio Co.
CLICK HERE

Here are all the illustrated package amulet pages in the Archive:

Latin American package amulets, general information
Guatemalan package amulet: miniature horseshoe with print of Maximon
Guatemalan package amulet: miniature pillow with print of Maximon
Mexican package amulet: miniature horseshoe with print of San Martin Caballero
Mexican package amulet: El Secreto de la Virtuosa Herradura
Mexican package amulet: saint wallet
Mexican package amulet: three coins, Holy Trinity, and the Seven African Powers
Mexican package amulet: stuffed bag with print of San Martin Caballero
Peruvian package amulet: collage of magical items
Peruvian package amulet: metal saints, broom, and Ormosia seed
post-modern package amulet: matchbox shrine

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
nagasiva yronwode: tyaginator, nigris (333), nocTifer, lorax666, boboroshi, !
The Lucky Mojo Esoteric Archive: captured internet files on occult and spiritual topics

copyright © 1995-2000 catherine yronwode. All rights reserved.
Send your comments to: cat yronwode.