Throughout the world there are lucky charms, each with its own characteristics and origins. Although their origins are usually in a particular culture, globalization allowed many of them to reach new homes, and are used by many people who want to attract good fortune, health and abundance into their lives.
What are the talismans that crossed borders and cultures? In this note, a tour of their stories.
Lucky horseshoe
Up or down? That is the point of this amulet, which is used to ward off the evil eye. The superstition grew from the legend of Saint Dunstan, who was a blacksmith before becoming Archbishop of Canterbury.
Legend has it that the devil entered Dunstan’s shop and asked him to put a shoe on his horse. Dunstan pretended not to recognize him and did; but instead of nailing it to the animal’s leg, he nailed it to the demon’s foot. Dunstan agreed to remove it, though only after he promised her that he would never walk into a home with a horseshoe nailed to the door.
Hand of Fatima (hamsa)
This symbol is traditional in Muslim and Sephardic Jewish cultures, where it has the same meaning: “five”. The amulet, also known as “the hand of God”, dates back to ancient times and can be seen in Jewish iconography as early as 244 AD in the parietal frescoes of the Dura Europos Synagogue. According to specialists, the hand protects from evil by stopping it with the palm of the hand, prevents diseases and attracts good luck.
Legend has it that the name of the hand of Fatima comes from the Muslim, the prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam had a daughter named Fatima, who married Ali. On one occasion, Fatima was very busy in the kitchen preparing food when her husband, Ali, arrived unexpectedly. Hearing this, Fatima left her chores and went to meet him. However, she was sadly disappointed when her husband arrived accompanied by a beautiful young concubine.
Prudent, Fatima kept silent and, tormented by jealousy, returned to the kitchen. But, immersed in dark and sad thoughts, she did not pay attention to what she was doing: she had a pot on the fire with boiling broth and, more attentive to her sadness than to her work, she put her hand inside and began to stir the stew.
So absorbed was she that she felt no pain, but Ali saw what she was doing and, horrified, lunged at her, screaming. It was then that Fatima realized that she was burning her hand and pulled it out of the pot.
Since then “the hand of Fatima” became an important symbol in the Muslim world. It brings good luck and endows the virtues of patience, fidelity and fertility, in addition to its power of protection, especially to pregnant women, for its protection of the womb.
Figa
The figa, although it is not known why it bears that name, is represented as a hand closed in a fist, with the thumb sticking out between the index and middle fingers. The fertility of women is thus represented, and it is possible that the name has to do with it because fig trees are also related to that aspect.
There is documentation of its use by the Etruscans, in the Roman era, when they represented the female genitalia as a sign of fertility. In Brazil it is considered that it has the ability to capture all the good luck that its owner did not have until the moment of acquiring it.
It protects from bad vibrations and purifies the spirit, which makes the wearer free from envy. It is capable of attracting money: This is achieved by carrying the amulet inside the wallet or placing it next to a piggy bank.
4 Leaf Clover: An Irish Charm
Four-leaf clovers are an ancient Irish symbol of good luck. The Celts believed that a four-leaf clover could help them see fairies and avoid their mischief, a common source of bad luck. They believed that the four leaves represented faith, hope, love and luck. Other legends point to fame, wealth, health and love.
There are many variations of the four-leaf clover, but lucky clovers come from the white clover plant, also called Trifolium repens.
True four-leaf clovers are rare, only one in 10,000 plants bears this type of lucky leaf, but it is possible to find them (with a bit of luck!).
The Red Thread
Have you ever heard of the evil eye? In Hebrew it is called ayin ha’ra. In Italian, mal ochio, in English evil eye, in Farsi (Iranian) bla band. All these cultures and hundreds of others have an expression to refer to him. But what is it really?
According to Kabbalah, the hostile and malicious looks that we sometimes receive from people around us can be envious and affect us and prevent us from realizing our full potential in all areas of our lives.
The red thread is believed to be a very strong energy shield. This is worn on the left wrist because according to Kabbalists it is the receiving side of the body and soul, thus sealing the protective energy in and at the same time intercepting the negative influences that exist in our environment.
With it you can protect yourself and obtain success, wealth, happiness and health. Kabbalists say that the thread must be made of natural wool and must be brought from a sacred place. Also only those people who wish you well have to tie this thread for you.