Members Editorial
Amulets
Members editorials are the expressed personal opinions of the members who wrote them and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the Haunt Masters Club as a whole.
If you are a paranormal investigator, you may one day run into what is known as an entity. This is a violent spirit often refered to as a “demon,” that torments or physically attacks a family. In such a situation, it may be a good idea to wear an amulet.

The word amulet comes from the Latin word amuletum, which means "an object that protects a person from trouble.” Most commonly, people wear a crusafix to ward off ill fortune and negitivity, and pentagrams have been worn by neopagans, however, there are many more examples of amulets from different cultures:

In Paleolithic times, amulets were considered those things that protected animal life, such as sea shells and turtle shells. In certain parts of Africa, the cowrie shell is also used as an amulet, because the bottom looks like it has teeth.

Certain gemstones have been believed, by different cultures, to repel negivitity. Most of these stones are also said to have the homeopathic benefit of removing sorrow; some of them include:

  • Apache Tear: This Arizona obsidian is said to have been created when the calvary drove a band of Native North American Apache Indians off a cliff. When the women who loved the hunters came to the cliff to mourn, their tears hit the ground and formed this stone.
  • Bloodstone: Medieval magicians believed this stone repelled evil. In Christian mythology, it is believed that when Jesus died on the cross, the places his blood dropped to the ground turned into this stone.
  • Garnet: In Christian mythology, this stone was used to protect from misfortune, accidents and all manner of spiritual attack.
  • Hemitite: This stone is believed to absorb negitivity.
  • Jasper: Considered one of the oldest protective stones.
  • Malachite: Carried for protection.

Even scents have been considered protective:

  • Copal: Indigenous cultures of Mexico use this resin in purification rites, such as sweat lodge cemeonies in which the person sweats out all impurities.
  • Hyssop: Mentioned in Psalm 51: “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean.”
  • Myrrh: The word itself if Hebrew, which means, “bitter.” It has a pungenat smell and it may have originated as a ward because it was used in ancient Rome to cover the smell of corpses.
  • Rose: In Romanian mythology, the undead cannot come near roses.
  • Rosemary: Used by medieval megicians to repel “demons.” This could be because most people believe the name arrives from Mary, mother of Jesus, when in fact is comes from the Latin rosmarinus, meaning “dew of the sea.”
  • Sage: Used by various Native North American Indian tribes in purification ceremonies. One rite, called smudging, is done by placing sage, though white sage is sometimes prefered, into a abalone shell or other fireproof container and using a white feather to fan the smoke.

These herbs can be carried to ward off entities, as well.

For those of the Catholic demonination or those who have certain folk beliefs, certain saints have been used for protection from spiritual attack.

  • Saint Benedict: His image, metal, scapular and prayer has been known to have an effect akin to exorcism on malicious spirits: “We thank you O Lord for the inspiration you gave us thru your servant St. Benedict. All great things begin in silence and St. Benedict founded the way of life that is built upon silence. We all need to collect our thoughts and begin to listen to the voice of God. From silence great things can arise; Amen”
  • Saint Michael: This archangels image, metal, scapular and prayer has been known to dominate malicious spirits and protect people from further attacks: “Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the Divine Power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls; Amen."

The best amulet, however, is a prayer or affirmation, depending on your religious persuasion. Asking whatever divine being you believe in, or asking your spirit guides or guardian angels to watch over you usually helps immensely.

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