AMULETS & CHARMS

Its hard to say definitively what power these have – One man’s “Expecto Partronem” is another mans bit of old stick!

When I lived in England we did occasionally receive Objects, that you could tell were imbued with Power without knowing anything about the source of, or reason for it. Often they were from Africa, were black, wizened, often sharp, and painful (physically and spiritually) to hold, so generally we didn’t.

Perhaps-apocryphal tales from around the world tell of the power of death-dealing “Pointing Sticks”, or voodoo dolls, but even when they do seem to work, is it because they had the Power or their victims believed they did?

For the most part, the so-called ritual objects or tools made in the Western Religious or Occult traditions that we obtained from Ecclesiastical Suppliers, Glastonbury shops, and other fringe religious sources in Europe and the USA seemed, to me at least, not to contain power or even the vestiges of it.

But was this because it wasn’t there, or because I didn’t believe in it? Or believe in it, enough?

In the last few years I have come to believe you can make anything a focus – a focus of power (some would say Merit) that can help you in all sorts of ways… Many Thai’s (from all classes and educational backgrounds) wear Amulets containing Buddhist Images, because they believe they will bring luck or protection from misfortune.

Many others get tattooed by Monks with special designs, likewise believed to be Auspicious, and to offer the wearer protection from harm. I have been filming this process for some years now, especially the once-yearly Festival, at which the guys with these tattoos come to have them “re-charged”…



I now wear various personally selected Amulets (when I’m being good, anyway – It doesn’t ‘do’ to act disrespectfully toward them – When you take them off, at night for example, they should always hang somewhere higher than your head).

I am considering getting some Sak Yant or religious tattoos, when I’m ready. Getting them for decoration, or without believing, is Wrong in my view.