Talismans and amulets are the material manifestation of spiritual symbology.
Talismans are purported to bring power and skill, while amulets ward off or protect the wearer from other powers.
Above is a talisman from the Renaissance designed and made by Nostradamus for Catherine de Medici in the 16th Century.
On the right side, we see a talisman of Venus, designed by Nostradamus to help Catherine de Medici be loved by her Husband (Henri II), whose Mistress, Diane de Poitier overshadowed her, and also to assist her in getting pregnant. It has a mixture of Astrological Symbols, contributions from Kabbalah, such as the Names of Planetary Angels, Magic Squares (taken from the works of Agrippa) as well as the sigils of the Angels or the use of the "Magic" or "Sorcerer" Alphabet " in order to encrypt his Works.
Why are sigils important?
Traditional practitioners believe that sigils are the representation of entities that exist on another plane. So in the case of the talisman above, on the left is an illustration of a representation of Anubis presenting to Jupiter who is sitting on a throne. On both sides of the talisman, we can see the names of several Kabbalistic Angels, ANAEL, HAGIEL, ASMODEL, and HANIEL. Then throughout, the smaller sigils with circles on the end are the corresponding celestial correspondences to each of the Angels called upon. The sigils are a way of connecting or asking for permission to connect to a specific angel, in order to request an action.
Do they work? The entire Christian community often calls upon Angels, Saints, and of course God for assistance. This talismans are just a way of taking a further step by asking more directly.
Whether you are asking for assistance from an Archangel, or Kabbalistic angel - depending on your perspective; or even an Angel of the Shemhamephorash, there is often a similar process. Knowing the name of the specific angel is key. Biblical scholars have long argued that there are not many angels named in the Bible because to know a name is to be able to speak directly or even control something. Secondly, every angel or celestial entity (in the talisman above we have Jupiter and Venus) called upon has a corresponding sigil. Finally, most entities have a corresponding demon they rule over.
The use of a sigil is important because it provides you with the correct way to speak to such entities, that is, in a way that they prefer. Amulets are created in the same way, although the purpose is different, that is to protect or repel energies or entities.
In forthcoming articles I will begin breaking down the use of sigils and building a library of their use. Of course, you can use a sigil in a million different ways, and even create your own. But for the purposes of our methodology here at Tarot Pathworking, I will continue to view the use of sigils through the lens of Hermeticism, Kabbalah and the Shemhamephorash. This way, those who wish to expand their practice into one of these, will be able to use this along side other traditional or primary sources.
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