Talisman
A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed permanently in architecture. Talismans are closely linked with amulets, fulfilling many of the same roles, but a key difference is in their form and materiality, with talismans often taking the form of objects (e.g., clothing, weaponry, or parchment) which are inscribed with magic texts.
Talismans have been used in many civilizations throughout history, with connections to astrological, scientific, and religious practices; but the theory around preparation and use has changed in some cultures with more recent, New Age, talismanic theory. Talismans are used for a wide array of functions, such as: the personal protection of the wearer, loved ones or belongings, aiding in fertility, and helping crop production.
Etymology
The word talisman comes from French talisman, via Arabic ṭilasm (طِلَسْم, plural طلاسم ṭalāsim), which comes from the ancient Greek telesma (τέλεσμα), meaning "completion, religious rite, payment," ultimately from the verb teleō (τελέω), "I complete, perform a rite."
In Islam
In Islam, using amulets as protection is considered Shirk. However, use of verses of the Qur'an in slips of parchment rolled inside talismanic objects has been common throughout the Muslim World. For example, Muslim Ibn al-hajjaj instructed military commanders to inscribe Quran 54:46 on a cloth with rosewater, musk, and amber when Libra is rising and in the hour of the sun, and to carry it to the battlefield to prosper over oppressors and nonbelievers.
In the Islamic world, talismans were regularly employed for personal, social, political, and ideological reasons at both popular and elite levels. They function as a conduit for divine protection, which can involve both the attraction of positive energies to the wearer and the deflection of disease, danger and the evil eye. They may also be referred to as a hafiz, (protector) as well as a himala (pendant) often affixed to or suspended from the body, for example as a necklace, ring, talismanic shirt, or a small object within a portable pouch.
Islamic preparation
The 10th century ‘Abbasid mathematician, Thabit ibn Qurra, was considered to be an expert on talismans. In one of his texts on talismans, he wrote, "The noblest part of astronomy is the science of talismans." According to the 12th century translator John of Seville and Limia's version of ibn Qurra's Arabic text, De imaginibus, he saw talismans and astronomy to be more crucial for gaining wisdom than the studies of geometry and philosophy. In Adelard of Bath's translation of the same text, it is stressed that extensive knowledge of both astronomy and astrology is needed for creating a talisman. This information is necessary because talismans should be made at the moment of an auspicious celestial event. One's birth horoscope could also be a factor in the efficacy of talismans. The maker cannot have any distractions or doubts, otherwise their talisman will be powerless.
Adelard's translation specifies that to make a talisman which could earn love from a king, family member, or peer, one should use lead, iron, bronze, gold, or silver. To make a harmful talisman for creating conflicts between others, receiving money, defending or destroying a place, or winning a legal battle, one should use pitch and tar, bitumen, and aloes.
Occult usage
According to occult talismanic practices, features with magical associations—such as colors, scents, symbology, and patterns, figures—can be integrated into the creation of a talisman in addition to the chosen planetary or elemental symbolism. However, these must be used in harmony with the elemental or planetary force chosen so as to amplify the intended power of the talisman. It is also possible to add a personal touch to the talisman by incorporating a verse, inscription, or pattern that is of particular meaning to the maker. These inscriptions can be sigils, bible verses, or sonnets, but they too must be in harmony with the talisman's original purpose.
During the Medieval period in Europe, amulets and talismans were widely prescribed by medical practitioners. The use of such charms and prayers was " rarely a treatment of choice because such treatments could not be properly justified in the realm of Galen's medical teachings. Their use, however, was typically considered acceptable; references to amulets were common in medieval medical literature.
For example, one well-known medieval physician, Gilbertus, writes of the necessity of using a talisman to ensure conception of a child. He describes the process of producing this kind of talisman as "...writing words, some uninterruptible, some biblical, on a parchment to be hung around the neck of the man or woman during intercourse."
Pseudo-Aristotelian Hermetica
The Pseudo-Aristotelian Hermetica, a series of closely related Arabic texts attributed to Hermes Trismegistus and perhaps dating to the ninth century CE, explores the concept of ruhaniyyat, i.e., angels from spiritual force/realm in the natural world, and how an individual can gain access to those forces. A text relating a conversation between Alexander the Great and Aristotle explores a variety of instructions of how to harness these spiritual forces through talisman, concoctions, amulets, and more that are each used for a designated purpose. Alexander himself wore a talisman or amulet made of chrysoprase on his armor.
Some instructions include placing a carved stone on top of a ring that is then placed on a dead black ram when Mars is in a specific degree of Scorpio and the moon is in Cancer. These texts dates are unknown however, they were the basis of many mystical practices in the Islamic medieval world.
The Pseudo-Aristotelian text Sirr al-Asrar offers more instructions specifically with "kings talisman" which keeps harm away. It tells that when there are certain astrological marks, a ruby red stone should be carved on a Thursday with a man with wings and a crown riding a lion with a flag, while six other hairless men bow under his hands. This should then be burned in an extensive ritual where after a ruhaniyyat will visit in your dreams telling you your ritual was successful, from there, you will repel snakes and scorpions.
Seal of Solomon
The Seal of Solomon, also known as the interlaced triangle, is another ancient talisman and amulet that has been commonly used in several religions. Reputed to be the emblem by which King Solomon ruled the Genii, it could not have originated with him. Its use has been traced in different cultures long before the Jewish Dispensation. As a talisman it was believed to be all-powerful, the ideal symbol of the absolute, and was worn for protection against all fatalities, threats, and trouble, and to protect its wearer from all evil. In its constitution, the triangle with its apex upwards represents good, and with the inverted triangle, evil.
Swastika
The swastika, one of the oldest and most widespread talismans known, can be traced to the Stone Age, and has been found incised on stone implements of this era. It can be found in all parts of the Old and New Worlds, and on the most prehistoric ruins and remnants. Both forms, with arms turned to the left and to the right, seem equally common. On the stone walls of the Buddhist caves of India, which feature many of the symbols, arms are often turned both ways in the same inscription.