the power ofgems and charms - iapsop

THE POWER OF GEMSAND CHARMS

BY

GEO. H. gRATLEYAuthor of " The Art of Fascination," etc.

LONDONGAY AND BIRD

is and i3> HENRIETTA STREET, STRAND

1907

[All rights reserved)

PRINTED AND BOUND BY

HAZK.LL, WATSON AND V1NKY, EDLONDON AND AYLESBURY.

PREFACE

(VERY one who has theleast romance in his soulis interested in charms,though few of the presentage have ever troubledthemselves to inquire into

their origin and history. To openlydeclare one's belief in such things, whetherit be in any ordinary charm, in agem or jewel, is to lay oneself open toridicule, if nothing worse. Why is this ?The answer must be because of the inability to distinguish between superstitionand romance. To rise superior to superstition is progress and enlightenment, but,alas ! the day when romance ceases to

vi PREFACE

exist. Shakespeare, when he wrote,

"The man that hath no music in himself,Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,Is fit for treason, stratagems, and spoils,"

might have substituted the word"romance" for "music"; for verily,romance may be said to distinguish thehuman being from the animal. It is aproduct of the imagination, and animalshave no imagination, so far as we areaware. Every normal human being hasthis faculty of romance, either latent oractive ; and if this book can in somemeasure fructify or strengthen that facultyin its readers, then the writer will consider it has done good work. Let romancegrow along with knowledge and the resultwill be spirituality, but if with ignorancewe get superstition.Here the question will naturally arise :Is the belief in the power of charms allimagination ? To this the writer wouldemphatically say, No ; and it has been hisendeavour to show in the following pagesthe reason and logic of the power claimedfor these things.

PREFACE vii

But even if this work were but themeans of exciting the imagination of itsreaders into activity, then theirs will bethe benefit. Has the reader ever considered what imagination is ? It mustnot be confused with fancy, for it is thecreative or formative power of the mind—a power of the higher soul of man.Imagination with faith and will form thethree angles of the triangle of power,without which no creative work or materialisation of thought would be possible ;thus we see that a strong and well organised imagination adds to the creativepower of the human mind.A few years ago wireless telegraphy,aerial navigation, human radiations, andmany other achievements of modernscience would have been laughed at asthe vain imaginings of a superstitiousdreamer. To-day these things arelabelled science ; therefore the writerventures to suggest that the efficacy ofcharms and precious stones may berecognised and placed on a scientificbasis before many years are past.

viii PREFACE

In writing this work, it has beennecessary to borrow from various authors,ancient and modern, and to these thewriter acknowledges his indebtedness.Much of the matter in Sections II. andm, is original, and the outcome of yearsof study and investigation.

GEO. H. BRATLEY.

Harrogate.igo6.

CONTENTS

SECTION IHISTORICAL CHARMS

Chap. Page

I. JEWELLERY 3

II. GEMS AND COINS .... .18

III. VASES, GOBLETS, AND WEAPONS . 26

IV. STONES 30

V. BUILDINGS, TREES, AND HERBS . .36

VI. HUMAN SKULLS 41

VII. HUMAN BEINGS AND ANIMALS .16VIII. DIVERS CHARMS 52

IX. CHARMS IN RELIGION 09

is

CONTENTSChap. PageX. CHARMED WELLS AND HOLY WATER 69

XI. THE HORSESHOE AND SOME OLD-DAYCHARMS 74

XII. SOME CURATIVE CHARMS . . .80XIII. SPELLS, OR WRITTEN CHARMS . . 84

XIV. THE INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, TRIBAL, ANDNATIONAL CHARM 91

SECTION IIOCCULT JEWELLERY AND GEMSWhen, Where, and How to Use These

XV. WHAT THE WORLD SAYS . . .97XVI. DESCRIPTION OF STONES USED AS

CHARMS 102

XVII. NATIONS AND THEIR FAVOURITE GEMS 112

XVIII. THE LANGUAGE OF PRECIOUS STONES . 118

XIX. THE PLANETS AND BIRTH-MONTH STONES 127

XX. TALISMANIC ENGRAVED JEWELS . . 132

XXI. LUCKY MASCOTS AND TRINKETS . . 141

XXII. HOW TO WEAR CHARMS AND TALISMANS 144

CONTENTS xi

SECTION IIITHEIR EFFICACY

Ancient and Modern Theories

Chap. Page

XXIII. MAGIC 149

XXIV. ANCIENT OCCULT THEORIES . . .155

XXV. MODERN SCIENCE AND OCCULT THEORIES 162

XXVI. NATURE SPIRITS: THE POWER BEHINDTHE GEM 166

XXVII. CLASSIFICATION OF CHARMS . .170

XXVIII. GEMS: WHENCE THEIR EFFICACY . . 180

SECTION IHISTORICAL CHARMS

i

"Then speaks the lord, and waves it light,' This glass of flashing crystal tall,Gave to my sires the Fountain-Sprite ;She wrote in it : // this glass doth tall,Farewell then, O Luck of Edenhall! '"—Longfellow, " The Luck of Edenhall."

" They have their chrystals, I do know, and rings,And virgin parchment, and their dead men's skulls,Their raven wings, their lights, and pentacles,With characters; I ha' seen all these."

—Ben Jonson, "Devil's an Ass," I. 2.

"All things in earth and air,Bound were by magic spell,Never to do him harm;Even the plants and stones,All save the mistletoe—The sacred mistletoe."—Longfellow, " Tegner's Drapa. "

"And still o'er many a neighbouring doorShe saw the horseshoe's curved charm,To guard against her mother's harm."—Whittier, "The Witch's Daughter."

2

CHAPTER IJEWELLERY

AGIC, and not mere aesthe-ticism, was the originalmotive for wearingjewellery, said ProfessorRidgeway to the Anthropological Society in April,

1904. Numerous examples were givenwhich could not leave a doubt thatjewellery was always, and iseven now, subconsciously worn uotivefoi,for its magic properties. Any wearingjewel or gem so worn must Jewellery

be classed as a charm, whichword means anything worn to avert illor secure good fortune. Some prefer thename "mascot," which is the French fora little sorcerer or magician—anything

3

4 HISTORICAL CHARMS

bringing good luck. By this it is clearthat the French recognise magic as thepower acting through the charm. It isnot necessary that the object to whichthis power is ascribed need be a piece ofjewellery ; for charms have taken as many

forms in design and material

Yarious as tnere have been varieties offorms of magic practised by their use.charms Minerals, metals, precious stones

—indeed, all of Nature 's products—may be said to possess this magicalproperty ; while any object may be converted into a charm by one who possessedthe necessary knowledge and essentialqualifications. Among historical charmswe find gems, jewels, coins, vases, goblets,stones, weapons, herbs, trees, skulls,bones, buildings, animals, water, humanbeings ; there is also that large sectioncalled spells, where the charm consists ofa formula of words or written characters,often the object and formula being usedin conjunction. They may also be classedas individual, family, tribal, and national.There are numerous stories connected

JEWELLERY 5

with our subject, many of these wellauthenticated, which go to prove thatthere is more in this branch of magicthan is generally supposed. No doubtthe truth as to their efficacy is oftenoverlaid with much fiction and nonsense ;yet underneath, if we will but search,we may find a stratum of truth whichwill repay the trouble taken.We will now see what history has tocontribute to our subject.Rings appear to have been much inevidence in connection with magic, andmany are those to which this mysteriousfaculty is attributed. Solomon is creditedwith having possessed a ringin which was imprisoned spirits, Ring8 muchwho at their master 's com- in evidencemand performed the most as charms

marvellous acts. Many oldlegends relate to similar powers beingpossessed by owners of rings, served byevil spirits, made slaves to man's will byunlawful searching into the forbidden.Apollonius of Tyana is said to havechanged his rings daily, using a particular

6 HISTORICAL CHARMS

ring with the correct jewel for every dayin the week. Speaking of his magicalpower, Justin Martyr asks, " How is itthat the talismans of Apollonius havepower in certain members of creation ? ' '

There was long preserved in Westminster Abbey a ring which was reportedto have been brought to King Edwardby persons from Jerusalem : this ringwas said to prevent the falling sickness.Cardinal Wolsey was openly accused before the court of confederacy with a mannamed Wood, a sorcerer, who said that," My Lord Cardinale had suche a ryngethat whatsomever he askyd of the Kyngesgrace that he hadd yt. ' ' This case is to befoundin the record office of the Rolls House.The Emperor William of Germanypossesses a ring which has a very curioushistory. It is the talisman of the family.

Legend relates that since theThe time of the Elector John ofwXm'a Brandenburgh, every ruler ofring the House of Hohenzollern

has, when dying, if possible,handed a sealed packet to his successor.

JEWELLERY 7

This packet contains a ring in whichis set a black stone that was dropped byan enormous toad upon the bed of thewife of the Elector immediately aftershe had given birth to a son, the toadafterwards mysteriously disappearing.The stone was zealously taken care of,and the father of Frederick the Great hadit set in a ring. Schneider, the librarianof William I., declares that he witnessedthe handing over of the precious packetby Geiling, the treasurer, to his royalmaster on his accession ; and he furtherasserts that he read the full account ofthe stone to the Emperor, who fullyconfirmed it. The ring has ever sincebeen worn by the head of the House ofHohenzollern. William II. wears it onall great occasions, and he has greatrespect, like every Hohenzollern, for thecurious old jewel. In the archives atBerlin are many documents of that timereferring to it.A well-known story is that of theSpanish opal ; and many are the Spaniardswho believe that the long series of

8 HISTORICAL CHARMS

misfortunes that has befallen Spainand the present dynasty comes of a

opal Alfonso XII. The opal is of avery large size and of brilliant

colouring. It is set in filigree gold, andhas no other jewels about it. The ringbelonged to a famous beauty and adventuress, the Comtesse de Castiglione,who was in the glory of her beauty andpower during the reign of Napoleon III.Among her most ardent admirers wasAlfonso XII., then an outcast and apretender. When he became King andmarried one of his own royal blood, thejealousy of the Comtesse was aroused,and her hatred was terrible. A fewmonths after the King's marriage hereceived a package from the Comtesse,containing a beautiful opal ring of rarecolouring. It was called a wedding-giftand a memento of the friendship theKing had held for the Comtesse. TheKing showed it to his wife Queen Mercedes, who was charmed with its beauty

TheSpanish

cursed opal ring that a neglectedbeauty spitefully bestowed upon

JEWELLERY 9

and begged to keep it. Alfonso gave itto her readily, and she slipped it on herfinger. From that moment she commenced to ail, and in a few months shedied. The ring fell from her dead hand,and the King gave it to his grandmotherQueen Christina, who died a few monthslater. Next, the ring was given to Alfonso's sister the Infanta Maria delPilar, who wore it but a few days beforeshe died of a mysterious sickness. Thesister-in-law then came into possessionof it

,

the youngest daughter of the Dueand Duchesse de Montpensier, and inthree months the young Princess wasdead. After this series of fatalities theKing determined to keep the ring himself,and he slipped it on his little finger ; buthe did not wear it long, as his unhappylife shortly came to an end. QueenChristina, who is not in any way superstitious, took possession of the ring afterher husband's death, but the other members of the family begged her to destroy

it ; this she refused to do, but attachedthe fatal ring to a gold chain, which she

HISTORICAL CHARMS

hung round the neck of the Virgin ofAlmudena, the patron saint of Madrid.Not content with the evil influence ofthe cursed opal, Spain possesses anotherpiece of jewellery of deadly maleficence.

"Mephisto's ring," as it is

ring "hI8t°'8 called>is a gold ring set with

brings ill- a large emerald, the centre of

Spain0 which has been hollowed outand contains a ruby, sur

rounded with tiny diamonds. It cameto Spain (no one knows from whence)in the reign of Philip IL, and followingits arrival, came the succession of calamities which brought about the decline ofSpanish power. To those who ownedthe ring it seemed to bring personaldisaster ; and at the time of the SpanishAmerican war it was presented by theSpanish royal family to a church, possiblyin the hope that its baneful influencewould be thus neutralised. The churchwas burned to the ground, but the ringwas saved, and this time given to amuseum. The museum was afterwardsstruck by lightning twice, and the return

JEWELLERY 1 1

of the ring to the royal family wasfollowed by the defeat of the Spanisharmy and navy. The ring has now beenplaced in a strong box and buried.The Czar of Russia is said to be verysuperstitious and to have great confidencein relics. He wears a ring in which isembedded a piece of the truecross, and it is said to have The Czar ofthe virtue of shielding its wearer Russia hasfrom any physical danger. tworin«s

It was originally one of thetreasures of the Vatican, and was presented to an ancestor of the Czar fordiplomatic reasons. The value whichits owner sets upon the ring is shown bythe fact that he will never, if possible,move any distance without it. Someyears ago he was travelling from St.Petersburg to Moscow when he suddenlydiscovered he had forgotten the ring.The train was stopped immediately, anda special messenger sent back in anexpress for it ; nor would the Czar allowthe train to move until eight hoursafterwards, when the messenger returned

i2 HISTORICAL CHARMS

with the ring. It is said that when hisill-fated grandfather was so cruelly assassinated he had left the ring behind him.The Czar has also another ring with amore pleasant history to it

,

the story is

both pretty and romantic. It is a plainring and of a quaint Gothic design. Thering was given to Princess Charlotte ofPrussia, daughter of Frederick Williamlll.,by her governess, while the Princess wasstill a schoolgirl. On the inside of it

in faint characters, the words " Russia'sCzarina " are just legible. Many yearslater Prince Nicholas of Russia, thenwithout any hope of succeeding to thethrone, saw and fell in love with the youngPrincess, and, during dinner, on the firstevening of their meeting, begged her togive him a little remembrance as a signthat his love was returned. " Pray giveme that little ring, ' ' he whispered ; andsecretly it was handed to him. Eightyears later the prophetic words engravedwithin the ring came true. Nicholasbecame Czar of Russia and Charlotte itsCzarina,

JEWELLERY i3

Napoleon I. had great faith in a ringwhich he always wore. At the time ofhis abdication at Fontainebleau in 1814,and after his unsuccessful attemptto poison himself, he said to Dr. The fatedCorvisart, who attended him, ring of"I was not meant to die; I NaP°leon Ldid not think of my talisman. ' '

So saying, he pointed to his ring whichhe is supposed to have received from apriest after the Nile Expedition. Afterhis death the ring was transferred toQueen Hortense.The same ring played a part in the lifeof young Prince Imperial, who met hisdeath in Zululand in 1879. His fatherNapoleon III, became the possessor ofthe ring previously mentioned and woreit constantly. When he died it wasproposed that the ring should be removedand worn by his son. When the Princerefused to have this done, it was freelyprophesied that evil would come of it

,

and subsequent events go to show thatthese predictions were realised.But it is not only royalty who believe

HISTORICAL CHARMS

in the magic of charms, for we find thegreat composer Hadyn had a ring which

was his source of inspiration.

Station Without the ring he could rackdue to a his brain in vain for melodies :

rfnagrmed with it the music would leapto his fingers.

Mr. Rider Haggard, the novelist, wearsa quaint signet ring which once adornedthe finger of that Pharaoh who madeIsrael captive, and to this ornament thenovelist ascribes many virtues.M. Santos Dumont, the conqueror ofthe air, is stated to attribute his providential escape from injury in 1901 to

the fact that he was wearing

M Santos on his wrist a bracelet toDumont's which hangs a medal of St.bracelet

Benoit) given him by the Coun-tess D'Eu.

Miss Yvonne Lamor, the young Spanishprotegee of the late King of Servia, wearsa curious tortoiseshell brooch which hasan interesting history. It was, it seems,given to the King Milan by his mother.He in turn gave it to King Alexander.

JEWELLERY »5

A few days before his assassination, theKing sent for Miss Lamor and gave herthe brooch. " Wear it as a mascot, ' ' hesaid. " When you have it on you willhave good luck." She has worn it dailyever since.The well-known jeweller, Mr. Streeter,of Bond Street, though not afraid to walkunder ladders, spill salt, and do otherunlucky things, always carries attachedto his watch-chain a small, quaint, sharplycarved seal which was originally foundin an Egyptian coffin. He has worn itfor many years, and says he would notbe without it for anything.The clever black-and-white artist Mr.Austin Osman Spare once picked up agolden skull, bearing the word" One ' ' in opals. A black-

On the night he picked it up ™*^itehe dreamed that as long as he golden skullkept the trinket he would belucky. So far his dream has come true.It is for this reason that he signs hisdrawings " One. ' '

Miss Kellermann, the swimmer, pos

1 6 HISTORICAL CHARMS

sesses a little mascot in the shape of themodel of a diver.Madame Esty never appears in publicwithout a small green heart, which isattached to a delicate necklace of gold.She also values highly an antique topaztrophy, which she has converted into abrooch. This stone was once possessedby a famous Indian necromancer. Byappealing to its power he was able tocommand the appearance of food anddrink. One night he lay by the side ofa suffering comrade on the battlefield.He himself was wounded by a dart. Heheard his comrade moaning in an agonyof thirst, and, taking the charm fromhis bosom, threw it to the side of thesufferer, saying, " Wear it near thy heartif thy parched throat would find relief, ' '

and fell back dead. The strange command was obeyed, and when at dawn thegrateful soldier looked for his benefactor,no trace could be found. With this legendit was thought to be especially appropriatein the possession of a singer, and MadameEsty regards it with due reverence.

JEWELLERY 17

Mrs. Nicholas Longworth's favouriteornament is a beautiful jade necklace,

which was given to her when she visitedthe Empress of China. The Empressherself decorated Miss Roosevelt withthe necklace, and told her that thelinked bits of stone were very old, thatthey had been cut by an artist who hadthe reputation of being one half wizard,and that the ornament would bring to itsowner her heart's desire. Of the manyrich and curious gifts which Miss Roosevelt received during her tour, this wasthe only one which she kept for herselfand wore constantly. After her engagement to Congressman Nicholas Longworthwas made public, she confided to someof her friends that she believed therereally was virtue in the necklace.

2

CHAPTER IIGEMS AND COINS

EMS are so beautiful andpossess such a mysteriousfascination for the humanmind, that it is in no waysurprising that they shouldhave received so large a

share of attention from the earliest periodsof human history.A large sapphire figures as the mascotof the Jews ; the same stone is believed tohave been the signet of the wise Solomon.It is supposed that this stone has its

home in the Holy of Holies, the

of th™aB°otvery centre of tne ark. It is

Jews much mixed up with the fortunesof the Jews, and was nearly

lost to them at the sacking of Jerusalemby the Roman Titus. Around it is built

18

GEMS AND COINS

the story of the Wandering Jew, Carta-philus ; while we find it mentioned ina story of Cornelius Agrippa, the famedmagician.One of the most famous diamonds isthe " Koh-i-Noor, " which is said to havebeen found near the Krishna river, andto have been worn more than five thousandyears ago by Karhma, one of the heroescelebrated in the Mahabharatha. In thecourse of centuries it often changedhands. In 1560 it was in the possessionof Baber, the founder of the Moguldynasty. In 1665 it is reputed to haveweighed 280 carats, but as it has so oftenbeen recut, it is impossible to say whatits original weight was. It was of suchimmense value as a charm thatone rajah who owned it is a fortunestated to have refused £100,000 the^Koh0-"!-offered by the Governor of India. Noor"The rajah said that the fortunesof his family were bound up with thestone, and he would not risk them byparting with it. One virtue ascribed tothis diamond is that the water in which

2o HISTORICAL CHARMS

it was placed would cure all diseases.When the Punjaub came under Britishrule the stone was presented to QueenVictoria, who had it recut for the lasttime. It is now the property of QueenAlexandra.Another celebrated diamond is onewhich was in the possession of the late

President Kruger, and his mis-President fortunes were believed by many

unTucky to ^e due to tn's stone. At onediamond time it belonged to Chaka, a Zulu

chief. Chaka himself owned it tillhis assassination by his brother, who thenentered into possession. The brother washimself assassinated, and within a fewyears the diamond changed hands fifteentimes, and in every case the owner dieda violent death.There are four rubies in existence whichhave brought misfortune on generationsof their possessor. One almost destroyeda native state in India, so that the peoplewith all due ceremony removed it tothe Himalayas and buried it secretly.Another has brought disaster on a

GEMS AND COINS

Russian house. It had been brought toEngland, but returned to assist in theSt. Petersburg riots and massacres. Cubans are now searching for a third whichhas involved that distressful island incalamities, and the fourth is in Egypt,where it surely merits the attention ofLord Cromer.The name of those who place faith incoins from the value of a farthing to aguinea is legion. Any one who has comeinto contact with gamesters orsporting-men will know how Coins as

many of this class keep their p™nnylucky coin to win the lucky toss, of Leeor how such a coin is reverentlypreserved, so that it may bring luck in anyhazardous undertaking. At Berwick, afisherman was charged with stealing the" lucky " coin from a fishing vessel. Itwas stated that a shilling was given tothe vessel some years ago by a localgentleman, and the coin had been nailedto a beam in the cabin for good luck. Butnot only as bringers of luck are coinsnoted, for perhaps the most famous coin is

HISTORICAL CHARMS

that known as "The Penny of Lee,"which has been rendered famous by SirWalter Scott's work, " The Talisman. "The story of this coin is that Sir SimonLockhart, a friend of and knighted byRobert Bruce, went on a crusade, andwhile in the Holy Land took a Saracenchief prisoner. The wife of the lattercame to ransom her husband, and whilepaying over the money, dropped a smallsilver coin with a precious stone in thecentre ; this the canny Scot at once pickedup and kept. This is the famed " Penny, ' 'and a remarkable point about it is thatit has the property of curing any ailmentof man or beast. It is only necessaryto immerse the coin in water and for thepatient to drink this. How highly it wasvalued for this purpose is shown by thefact that, during the plague of 1665, thetown of Carlisle borrowed the charm,depositing securities valued at thousandsof pounds for its safe return !The Russian Czar has recently comeinto possession of some charmed coins.Bernhard Tutnauer, a Jew, who lives at

GEMS AND COINS

Radautz, a town in the Austrian crown-land Bakevina, had, as a guest, threeyears ago, a wonder-workingrabbi from the Orient. On de- Charmedparting, the rabbi rewarded the £Z%£rhospitality shown him with by a Jewsome coins, saying, " My son,although these pieces may seem a poorgift, they will protect those far greaterthan you in time of danger. ' ' For threenights in succession the vision of Alexander III., the Czar's father, appeared toTutnauer, and told him the rabbi's coinswould shield any one who wears a crownfrom violent death. Tutnauer sent thecoins to the Russian Charge d' Affairesat Vienna, with a message which vividlydescribed his triple dream. The Chargeappeared visibly impressed, and undertookto have the magical coins sent to theCzar, who, on receiving them, sent amessage to Tutnauer, thanking him forthe mascot.Some time previous to King Alfonso'svisit to England he encountered an oldgipsy woman, to whom he offered some

HISTORICAL CHARMS

douros, but which were haughtily refused."King," said the woman, "keep thy

money. My race is older thanandgthe0n8° thine. I am the last of thegipsy

>Almoravides, who ruled over

talisman Morocco and the south of Spainin the eleventh and twelfth

centuries. It is I, on the contrary, whowill present thee with a piece of gold."With this the gipsy offered the King asequin, bearing the effigy of Ishag, son ofTachefin, the last of the kings of theAlmoravides. " Take good care of thistalisman," she added; "it will guardthee against all dangers. There existsonly one other sequin like it. I gave itto an exquisitely beautiful and highlycharitable young lady when I fell intoa ditch one day. I was badly wounded,and she dismounted and bound up myforehead with her handkerchief. Thosewho accompanied her addressed her asher highness. King, if ever thou shouldstmarry, wed only this young girl, she alonecan make thee happy." This story isspoken about a good deal in Madrid, and

GEMS AND COINS 25

it is asserted that the King was justshowing the sequin to M. Loubet whenthe bomb was thrown at himon his last official visit to Enapos-Paris. The talisman thus saved

B0M^,dthehis life. The story also goes sequinthat when in London the Kingascertained that the other golden sequinwas in possession of Princess Ena ofBattenberg, whom he has since taken ashis Queen.

CHAPTER IIIVASES, GOBLETS, AND WEAPONS

grave,

Thecharmedcap ofEdenhall

whoseof asaid toglassestells

ORE than one family'sluck is connected with avase or goblet. Edenhall,Penrith, Cumberland, isthe home of Sir Richardand the Hon. Lady Mus-mascot is in the formcup or vase of crystal,be one of the oldestin England. Legendhow the butler, having

gone to bring water from thewell, called St. Cuthbert's, near the hall,surprised a party of fairies dancing onthe lawn. They had left their cup lyingupon the grass. The butler seized holdof it,

and though called upon to restore

VASES, GOBLETS, AND WEAPONS 27

it,

he ran toward the hall, hearing thiscouplet as he ran :

" If e'er that cup should break or fall,Farewell the luck of Edenhall."

This cup is guarded with the mostjealous care, and has attained world-widecelebrity, partly because of its antiquity,though probably more through Longfellow's poem.Another family, that of Muncaster,possesses a goblet, claimed to be the onewhich King Henry VI. drank from whenhe was sheltered from his pursuersby Sir John Pennington in theyear 1461. The welfare of the Thefamily is believed to depend Muncasteron the safety of this goblet. mascot

During the great Civil War acareless servant dropped the box in which

it was kept, and we are told that formore than fifty years afterwards no oneof the family dared to open the case tosee whether the goblet was injured ornot. At last a young heir was boldenough to risk it. The case was unlocked,and, to the delight of all concerned, it was

28 HISTORICAL CHARMS

discovered that the Muncaster mascothad not received the slightest damage.Many are the weapons said to beinvested with magical qualities. Thereis a strange dread existing amongst

reigning houses that the exist-

superstition ence of the innocent but un-regarding hallowed weapons by whichweapons ru]ers have been assassinated

is fraught with peril to theirdescendants. Most of these weapons arenow destroyed.The Shah of Persia has a diamond setin a scimitar, which renders its possessorinvincible. He has also a dagger withthe same property, but it is ordained thatthose who use it shall perish by it

,

so it

is carefully kept shut up in a sandal-woodbox on which is engraved a verse fromthe Koran.Mr. C. W. Leadbeater in his work," The Other Side of Death, ' ' tells a storyof a charmed dagger. He says : "Afriend of mine has a dagger which wassaid to have the gruesome property ofinspiring any one who took hold of

VASES, GOBLETS, AND WEAPONS 29

it with a longing to kill some woman.My friend was sceptical, but still eyedthe dagger a little doubtfully ;for when he had himself taken Anseggedhold of it

,he felt so queer that dagger

he had to quickly put it downagain. There seemed no doubt thatat least two women had, as a matterof fact, been murdered with it." Mr.Leadbeater, who is a clairvoyant ofthe first grade, took the dagger away toexperiment with, and experienced a curiouskind of dragging sensation. He lookedto see what it was, and saw a wild-looking man who seemed very angry athis not going where he was trying topush him. This man, through a faithlesswife, had sworn revenge against the wholesex, and had killed his wife, his wife'ssister, and another woman beforehe himself was killed. He had a charmedattached himself to the dagger, thrlr™8and had met with some success womenin tempting its various ownersto murder women. The dagger wasbroken up and buried.

CHAPTER IVSTONES

l

ERTAIN stones are said tobe fated for luck or otherwise, and we find theseranging from those wornas ornaments to those

1 weighing many tons.Among the former class is one belonging to the famous Lady Ellenborough,known among the Arabs of Damascusand in the desert, after her last marriage,as Hanoum Medjouye. It was presented to her by a Druze from MountLebanon. This charm is a green stoneof a pentagonal form : at the bottomis engraved a fish ; higher, Solomon'sseal ; and still higher, the four Chaldaicletters which form the name of the Deity.

30

STONES 31

There are many strange stories connectedwith this stone.It is commonly thought that Mr.Leopold de Rothschild owes his luck inwinning the Derby with St. Amant to alittle green stone, carved in the shape ofa Hindoo god, which he carriesabout with him ; though it is The littlesuspected that his luck was anddth°eg°dstrengthened on the above Derbyoccasion through a soap-stonewhich some one anonymously sent himwith a letter saying that it often broughtits owners luck.Mr. B. L. Farjeon, the novelist, wearsa little green stone on his watch-chain,which he picked up many years ago inNew Zealand, and which is supposed tohold the eminent writer's luck.Madame H. P. Blavatsky had in herpossession a carnelian stone of a magicalnature. Writing of the Shamans of Tar-tary, she says, that they all have sucha stone, which they wear attached to astring and carry under the left arm. Onone occasion she was witness to some


weird sights and doings, brought aboutby a Shaman through one of thesecharmed stones, who appeared to be ableto separate his astral body from thephysical, and travel in this at the biddingof her unspoken wish.Among those stones which places themoutside of the category of jewellery or

ornaments, we must name the

The stone Coronation Stone in Westminstermascot of Abbey. Enclosed in the seatEngland of St Edward>s chair> it is a

stone to which some peculiarproperties are attributed. It is assertedto be the same which the Patriarch restedhis head upon in the plain of Luza, andis said to have been carried first toBrigantia, a city of Gallicia in Spain.From thence Simon Brech brought it intoIreland : he lived about seven hundredyears before Christ, and was the first Kingof the Scots. From there, about threehundred and seventy years later, it wastaken into Scotland by King Fergus. Inthe year 850- a.d. King Kenneth placedit in the Abbey of Scone, this being the

STONES 33

place where the Scottish kings wereusually crowned. In the year 1297 itwas brought into England by King Edward I., and placed in Westminster Abbey.The tradition is that it murmurs approvalat the coronation when the rightful heirassumes his or her seat on it. It was,in former times, carried at the head of thearmy as a mascot of victory, and thehooks by which it was suspended stillremain.Some curious stories attach to thestones on Stonehenge, one of these is thatwhen one of the large stones fall asovereign will die ; and it is said thatonly a few days before the deathof Queen Victoria one of the ^"Sjf*egreat blocks which help to form death ofthe old Druid temple fell from victoriaits place during a severe gale.In the island of Fladda Chuan thereis a chapel, dedicated to St. Columbus.On an altar a round blue stone rests,which is always moist. The fishermenwash this stone to procure a favourablewind. There is another stone in Iona

3


over which if a man stretches his armthree times he will never err in steeringa vessel.In the island of Bernora there is a stonein the form of a cross. At one time itwas the custom of the natives to erect itwhen they wished rain, and to lay it flaton the ground for dry weather. Fromthis it derived the name of the water cross.A green stone about the size of a gooseegg was the pride of the island of Arran.By laying it on the side of a person troubledwith pain in that part of the body,the patient immediately recovered, unlessthe patient was doomed to die, when thestone would move of its own accord fromthe side.

Just beside the chief gate of the ImperialPalace of Mukden stands an insignificant

black stone. It is nothing toThe black ^00^ at> an(* one might Pass itstone of the a dozen times without attach-Chinese jng &ny jmportance to jt. It

is an ordinary shaft of blackbasalt, eighteen inches high, octagonalin shape, old and worn. This stone is to

STONES 35

the Manchurian race the mascot of theirimperial position ; and the legend runsthat, when the Chinese dynasty losespossession of the black stone of Mukden,it will lose the throne of China as well.The celebrated Dr. Dee possessed acharmed stone of which he made inquiriesas to the future. This charm came intothe keeping of Horace Walpole, and waslong, if not now, in the Strawberry Hillcollection.

CHAPTER VBUILDINGS, TREES, AND HERBS

N all parts of the worldthere are houses that arepractically unletable onaccount of weird legendsattaching to them. " Givea dog a bad name and hang

him, " is an old saw which many ownersof property could easily para-

Uniucky phrase and then apply it to certainhouses are houses they possess and to whichunletable an m_fate appears to attach ; for

when this has once establisheditself, then the owner might as well razethe house to the ground. Ill luck or itsopposite may be said to be built into ahouse, and it is seldom that those who

, J

36

BUILDINGS, TREES, AND HERBS 37

erect costly mansions for their own uselive long to occupy them, sometimes itis death, or it may be ruin, that overtakesits owner." Unlucky Dalham, ' ' otherwise DalhamHall, Suffolk, where the late Colonel FrankRhodes died, is only one of the manyexamples of houses with reputations forbringing misfortune upon their possessors.It is only recently that a well-knownman, for superstitious reasons, it is said,refused to occupy a beautiful house hehad built until some one else, a perfectstranger, had lived in it for some littletime. We even find an intellectual manlike the late Lord Salisbury leasing asplendid house he had builtfor himself at Beaulieu on the SalisburyRiviera to strangers for several and his

, , , , T. r house atmonths before he or any of Beaulieuhis family would consent tooccupy it.The completion of Lord Revelstoke'spalace in Charles Street coincided with thebankruptcy of the great firm of BaringBrothers of which he was the principal,


and the house stands as a monument tothe futility of human ambition.The Empress Eugenie's sister, thelate Duchess of Alba, only occupied thepalace erected for her in the ChampsElysees a few months before she wasseized with a sudden illness, and died ina mysterious manner which gave riseto curious rumours. The palace wassubsequently pulled down.In history we find that there are sometrees, herbs, and vegetables to which thismysterious faculty has been ascribed, andwhich appear to have some strangeaffinity with individuals and families.Aubrey, in his writings, says, " I cannotomit taking notice of the great misfortunein the family of the Earl of Winchelsea,

who, at Eastwell in Kent, felledstrange down a most curious grove of

posseTsed8 trees near his own noble seatby trees and gave the first blow with his

own hands. Shortly after hiscountess died in her bed suddenly, andhis eldest son, the Lord Maidstone, waskilled at sea by a cannon ball. ' '

BUILDINGS, TREES, AND HERBS 39

At Bretley, near Burton-on-Trent, theold seat of the Stanhopes, and now of LordCarnarvon, by inheritance in the femaleline, the charmed tree is a fine old cedarnear the hall from whence a bough fallswhen a death occurs in the family. Itis stated that this tree is now chained upand banded with iron.For several hundred years it has beenaffirmed that prior to the death of anEarl of Seafield, there is a violent storm ;and a fir tree, which is the crest of theGrants, is invariably uprooted and castto the ground with its head lying in thedirection of the Seafield 's residence.Many people will have heard of theCoalstoun Pear ; this fruit was given asa talisman on her wedding day to thedaughter and heiress of the family by awizard more than three centuriesago, with the injunction that

^snaasnt^al

it was never to be eaten or cut. throughAt the close of the eighteenth J^gacentury the wife of the headof the family, out of curiosity, bit apiece out of the fruit. At once came


financial disaster, and part of the propertyhad to be sold. The remains of the pear,now shrunk to the size of a marble, arecarefully preserved in a silver casket.The mandrake, perhaps unsurpassedfor its mystic qualities, is said to bringgood luck to those who possess it. It isregarded as a species of elf in France,and Joan of Arc is thought to have owedher victories to a mandrake root.

CHAPTER VIHUMAN SKULLS

HERE are many charmedskulls in existence at thepresent day, and perhapsone connected with Burton Agnes Hall is themost celebrated. This

hall is the country seat of the Boyntons.In the time of Elizabeth thehall and estates became vested A weirdin three sisters, co-heiresses, Burton'who determined to have erected Agnes Hallfor themselves and their descendants the present mansion insteadof the older building. The younger ofthe three sisters, who had taken specialinterest in the erection of the new house,

4*


was brutally maltreated by some ruffianswhen paying a visit to Harpham Hall,the residence of Lady St. Quentin, anddied very shortly after. Before her death,she made her sisters promise that herhead should be removed from her bodyand preserved within the hall, to remainthere for ever. She also left a weirdmessage to future owners of the housethat if they disobeyed these injunctionsshe would render the place unhabitable.Her sisters, who had only made thepromise to pacify her, had the body interred in the church without decapitation.A very short time afterwards, such disturbances took place that the servantsrefused to remain in the hall, and itbecame, in truth, impossible to live there.The two sisters then consulted with thevicar of the parish, and had the coffinbrought up from the vault, and, on opening

it,

found the head severed from the body,and rapidly assuming the appearance ofa fleshless skull. The skull was dulybrought to the house and placed on a tablein the hall, where, with the exception of

HUMAN SKULLS

very short periods, it has remained eversince. On one occasion the Boynton ofthe day, ignoring or disbelieving hisancestress's power to make things unpleasant, caused the skull to be buriedin the garden. The result was thatdreadful wailings and numerous crashingswere heard about the hall, and the skullhad to be taken up again.At Bettiscombe House, near Bridport,in Dorsetshire, there is a charmed humanrelic known as the "Screaming Skull " ;it is said to be that of a negro, though thetrue history of the skull does notappear to be known. Tradition "Screamingsays that the negro had de-Skuii"ofclared before his death that if iou"eC°mbehis body was not taken to hisnative land his spirit would not rest. Thebody was buried, but such disturbancestook place in the house that it had to betaken up for peace and quietness. Theskeleton has gradually disappeared, butthe skull remains, and is kept as a charm.Another skull is preserved for similarreasons at Tunstead Farm, near Chapel


on-le-Frith, in Derbyshire. This is afemale skull, and if it is removed everything on the farm goes wrong. Theinhabitants of the locality have manytales to tell of its mystical performances.Wardley Hall, near Manchester, isnoted for its possession of an unburiedhuman skull. It is supposed to be theskull of Roger Downe, who was the heirto the property ; but having met his deathin a brawl in London, his head was sentto his sister, and this head has been kept

at the hall ever since, for anyA skull one trying to get rid of it isintends to punished severely—indeed, it isstay stated that, do what they will,

it is always sure to return. Theplace has changed hands many times, buteach succeeding tenant endures the skull 'spresence rather than put up with theannoyances and terrors which take placeon its removal.At the Old Manor House, Knares-borough, in Yorkshire, there is a hauntedroom called the Blue Bedroom, the doorof which cannot be kept closed. It has

HUMAN SKULLS 45

been locked and a chair placed againstit,

but to no purpose, for in the morningit is found open. When the house was

restored a few years ago, and the positionof the staircase was altered, the skeletonof a woman was unearthed. The skull

is kept in the house and would appear tohave something to do with the nightlyvisitant.

CHAPTER VIIHUMAN BEINGS AND ANIMALS

T is a well-established belief that some human

i beings possess, it may beunconsciously, this samestrange power, and arenotably lucky or unlucky

to those they come into close contact with.It is stated that the Rothschilds

Men and wiU never employ a man ifwomen they know him to have beenas charms unlucky- The writer of this

work is acquainted with a manwho boasts of his power as a mascot forgood luck to any one who has dealingswith him.In society Lady Bancroft was always

46

HUMAN BEINGS AND ANIMALS 47

credited with the power of being a mascot ;so much was this believed that many ofher friends begged some object from herthat she had worn, and to these favouredones she usually gave a shoe.Examples of human beings who act asunlucky forces are numerous, and probably the most prominent of these are tobe found among those of royalblood who have adopted a sea- Royalfaring life as a profession, sailors whoAmong these may be mentioned glve ill luck

the Grand Duke Alexis, theDuke of Coburg his brother-in-law, Archduke John, of Austria, and the Prince ofLeiningen.Mr. Darnborough, the successful American player at Monte Carlo, appears tohave discovered two human charms. Weare told that his luck changedwhen he substituted a gold pig asa luck-bringer for the two young the Monteladies who always accompanied ing'tabfes"him as mascots when he played.When he first went to the Casino, hewould not play unless he had one of these


ladies on each side and a number of stacksof gold pieces in front. Suddenly, hechanged his tactics. The ladies disappeared, and he put a little gold pig onthe table in front of him. Since then hehas had little luck.This same mystic force will often attachitself to a name, irrespective of the temperament of the individual bearing it.In 1664, on December 5th, the ship" Menai " was crossing the Straits, andcapsized in a gale. Eighty-one passengerswere on board, and only one was saved.His name was Hugh Williams. On December 5th, 1785, a schooner was wreckedon the Isle of Man. Sixty persons were

aboard, among them one Hughcharmed Williams and his family. Onlyname of one survived the shock, and thatWilliams was old Hugh Williams. On

August 5th, 1820, a picnic-ing party on the Thames was run downby a coal barge. Of the twenty-fivepicnicers, most of whom were undertwelve years of age, only one child, agedfive, returned to tell the tale. His name


was Hugh Williams. On August 19th,1889, a Leeds coal barge, with nine men,foundered. Two of them were rescuedby some fishermen. They were an uncleand his nephew, and both were namedHugh Williams.Turning to animals, we find that theblack cat is held in high favour as a luckbringer in Italy ; while manypeople in England look upon itTheblaokas a good omen when a strange cat as ablack cat comes and takes Up luck-bringer

its residence in the house.At Cowes, the Kaiser's Cup was wonby the Satanita, with Sir Maurice Fitzgerald's black cat on board.Three black cats are stated to have beentaken by Dr. Barton, the aeronaut, on oneof his trips, these were carried as luck-bringers.Mdlle. Nathalie Janotha, court pianist tothe German Emperor, possesses a mascotin the form of a cat, which is black, butanswers to the name of White-Heather.This cat wears a golden necklet, which hasbeen blessed by the Pope, and he possesses

4

So HISTORICAL CHARMS

gifts innumerable, for he has visited nearlyevery European Court, and a tuft of hishair is in possession of most of the crownedheads, who keep it as a charm. One day,while Mdlle. Janotha was playing to Mr.Gladstone, during his last illness, thisfavoured cat entered the room with asprig of white heather in his mouth, whichhe presented to the aged statesman.In the Park of Chartley, near Lichfield,a seat of the Ferrers family, was preserveda species of wild cattle. Their colourwas white, muzzles black ; the whole ofthe inside of the ear and about one-thirdof the outside, from the tip downwards,

red ; horns white, with black

The wild ^Ps- *s recorded that in thecattle of year when the battle of BurtonChartley Bridge was fought and lost,

that a black calf was born inthis herd, and the downfall of the houseof Ferrers happened about the same time.The belief was that the birth of a blackor dark-hued calf from this wild herd wasa sure sign of death within the same yearto a member of the Ferrers family. The


Staffordshire Chronicle of July, 1835, saysthat a calf of this description has beenborn whenever a death has happened inthe family of late years.The mascot of the Renown, the vesselwhich conveyed the Prince and Princessof Wales to India in 1905, was a rabbit,which died on the voyage and was consigned to the waves of the Bay of Biscay.

CHAPTER VIIIDIVERS CHARMS

HOSE readers who havevisited the British Museummay have noticed amummy case, No. 22,542.This case has a strangestory attached to it. All

those whose hands it has passed throughhave in some manner or other comeunder the curse of the Priestess of

Amen-Ra, whose body, ortheEgyp

of mummy> tne case ^as been thetian mummy covering to. Though thethe^ritish11

mummy s^ rests in its nativeMuseum land one of the hands was

brought to England. Amongthe list of the remarkable occurrenceswhich befell those who were connected

5*

DIVERS CHARMS 53

with it were four serious accidents andfour conflagrations.Hintlesham Hall, Colonel Lloyd An-struther 's place in Suffolk, is a very quaintold house, and has the reputation of beinghaunted. A long time ago the secondwife of a former owner was very jealousof her little stepson, and starved him todeath. After his death a model in waxwas made from his features, which is nowkept locked up in one of the rooms. Itis called the " Luck of Hintlesham ' ' ;for tradition says that if it is broken orharmed in any way, Hintlesham will passfrom the family.Perhaps one of the most gruesomecharms on record was worn by JeanCaviglioli, the famous Corsican bandit,who was captured near Ajaccio.In the early days of his career, An assassinCaviglioli slew a rival bandit watch-chainwith his poniard, and, cutting off ^tlm'shis beard, made a watch-chain beardof it. This he wore for severalyears, and he ascribed to it all the luck heexperienced. It is reported that the day


on which he was captured was the only oneon which he had failed to wear this charm.The Marquis of Ripon, who, thougha Roman Catholic, yet traces his descentback to Oliver Cromwell, possesses acurious relic of his ancestor. When thebody of the Lord Protector was taken fromits resting-place in Westminster Abbey,in order to be decapitated and buried underthe gallows of Tyburn, there was attachedto it an inscription on a metal plate. Thisplate passed to the daughter of the sergeant,who was entrusted with the horrible task,and came into the hands of theRipon family,where it has remained since as a mascot.A stream which is connected with thefortunes of the family is to be found onthe estates of the Countess of Cromartie.

Some time ago she lost her little

A fated child, and what made the deathstream of more than usually tragic is, thatwater it seemed to be the fulfilment

of an old prophecy, which wasto the effect that when this stream wasturned the estates would in future not goin direct succession ; and it happened that

DIVERS CHARMS 55

some alterations or improvements hadbeen made on her property which entailedthis being done.The Black Bed of the Otway family,which the owners will not part with forany price, is another mysterious possession.It is a gigantic four-poster made of ebonyand beautifully carved. A peculiarity of itis that all its furniture is as black as night.A curious story is told of the latePresident Kruger. Many years ago thePresident bought from an old half-breedwoman pedlar a meerschaum pipe, towhich she ascribed the powerof foretelling the future. The ^rmedold woman predicted that three pipe ofimportant changes in his life Kruger™'would be foretold by accidentsbefalling the pipe. Early in the year1 88 1, before the independence of theTransvaal was modified, the stem cameto pieces ; a little before the JamesonRaid he chipped a piece of the bowl ;just before his departure for the Bloem-fontein Conference the pipe fell to theground, and was smashed to fragments.


In Laing's " Travels among Timanni,the Kourankos, and the Soulimas, ' ' thereis a description by an English travellerof a very curious scene. A body ofpicked soldiers fired upon a chief who had

nothing to defend himself withBullet- but certain charms. Althoughproof men their muskets were properly

loaded and aimed not a ballcould strike him.A similar case is given by Salverte,in his "Philosophy of Occult Sciences,"where, in 1568, the Prince of Orangecondemned a Spanish prisoner to be shotat Juliers. The soldiers tied him to atree and fired, but he was not hurt. Theyat last stripped him to see what armourhe wore, but found only an amulet.When this was taken from him he felldead at the first shot.Nelson, the hero of Trafalgar, had

great faith in the luck of a

horseshoehorseshoe, an<* one was nailedto the mast of the ship Victory.

Among the numerous charms possessedby the Shah of Persia may be mentioned

DIVERS CHARMS 57

a gold star called Merzoum, which hasthe reputation of making conspiratorsimmediately confess. Another importantone is a cube of amber ; this is supposedto render the Shah invulnerable, and hewears it about his neck. A third charmis a little box of gold, set in emeralds, andblessed by the prophet.We must not pass the famous Rothschild talisman, which is an heirloom,and on the possession of whichthe fortunes of the family are The tails-thought to depend. It is in the BothschUdform of a small gold casket, familyabout the size of a snuff-box,but the secret of its power lies hidden inwords inscribed within.Lord Bacon was of opinion that if aman wore a planet seal it might aidhim in obtaining the affections of hissweetheart, give him protection at seaand in battle, and make him morecourageous.When at Paris, Lord Verulam had hishands covered with warts. They wereremoved by the English ambassador's


wife, who resorted to a charm for thispurpose.The famous wrestler, known as the"Terrible Turk," has a charm

« Terrible which was placed round his neckTurk" by his father : this charm nevercharm leaves him, for whether wrestling

or sleeping he always wears it.At a meeting of the Cheshire FootballAssociation, it was reported that a Barntonplayer, when taking part in a leaguematch at Davenham, had the misfortuneto break his leg, and that another playerattached to the same club had alsofractured a limb a fortnight later. Asboth men had worn the same pair ofboots, the club's officials believed thatthere was an affinity between the secondand the first accident, and promptlyordered the destruction of the boots.The Macleods of Dunvegan Castle,Syke, possess a fairy flag, said to bepowerful when waved to avert any misfortune to the family.

CHAPTER IXCHARMS IN RELIGION

F we turn to the variousreligions of the world, wefind that a belief in amagical power, such as hasbeen ascribed to amulets,charms, etc., has pre

vailed in some form or another, and evendoes at the present day. Either it is the belief in the miraculous power of relics, idols,consecrated water, or some of the othernumerous so-called superstitions foundamong the many religions and the differentraces. In a work of this kind it is onlypossible to give a few historical referencesfrom a vast number of cases which could,if space permitted, be gathered together.Descendants of Abraham believed that

59


their great ancestor wore, suspended fromhis neck, a precious stone, the sight ofwhich cured every disease.Josephus maintains that the preciousstones of Aaron's breast-plate were theThe precious Urim and Thummin, and thatstones on these possessed certain properties

breast-plate so that they discovered or pre-foreteiithe dieted the issue of events tou ure

those who consulted them.Many people are of opinion that theearrings which Jacob buried under theoak of Sechem were charms ; while wehave already seen that Solomon was thepossessor of a magic ring.Again, in the Western scriptures, Actsxix. ii, 12, we read : " And God wrought

special miracles by the hands

handker* of Paul : so triat from his bodychiefs in the Were brought unto the sickscriptures handkerchiefs or aprons, and

the diseases departed from them,and the evil spirits went out of them. ' '

It is quite probable that St. Johnalludes to the white carnelian, a gemwell known among adepts for its occult

CHARMS IN RELIGION 61

properties, when he says, " To him thatovercometh will I give to eat of the hiddenmanna, and will give him a white stone,and in the stone a new name written,which no man knoweth saving he thatreceiveth it " (Rev. ii. 17).Religiously disposed Jews wore charmswritten on parchment upon their armsor foreheads. The sacred word Jehovahread in a certain way was said to producemiraculous effects.In the Roman Catholic Church thereis much material which we may drawupon. At one time, if it was necessaryto extinguish a fire or stopan inundation, the holy father philters, andthrew a consecrated wafer intoves*8 Proofthe midst of the flames orSeoverflowing river, while consecrated oil was regarded as an infalliblecharm and love-philter.A holy vest was a gift often made by thePope to protect the wearer from violenceof every description. These vests gave thewearers courage in the hour of danger, andno weapon had power to harm them.


It was the custom at one time for thePopes to send a golden key to faithfulpriests,wherein was enclosed a small quantity ofthe filings of St. Peter's keys, kept sacredat Rome. These charms were worn in thebosom to protect the happy possessor fromdisease, misfortune, and evil spirits.It is stated that an angel delivered awritten charm to one of the Popes, and

A writtendirected him to take it to King

charm given Charles when he went to theto King battle of Roncesvalles. The holyCharles at Jthe battle messenger said that whoever

vaHes"068"cari-ie(l a C0Py of this writing,and every day said three pater

nosters, three aves, and one creed, wouldbe saved from all enemies and dangers.The charmed tomb of Abbe Paris, aJansenist, who died in 1727, is worthyof mention. Hume, in his PhilosophicalEssays, says, " There surely never wasso great a number of miracles ascribedto one person as those which were latelysaid to have been wrought in Franceupon the tomb of the Abb6 Paris."To-day we have a charm of great value


in the Holy Coat of Treves, which isperhaps the most famous of all thevarious religious charms ; its magicalproperties being attributed to its havingbeen worn by Jesus the Christ. Thiscoat is made of a dull brown materialunlike anything manufactured nowadays.It is about four feet six inches in length,the back being a trifle longerthan the front ; the width at coatofYthe chest is twenty-seven inches,

j^e*®8whilst at the bottom it is about propertiesthree feet and a half. Itis seldom that this coat is exposed topopular gaze—indeed, only three expositions have taken place during thelast century : the first was in 1810, whena hundred thousand people passed throughthe cathedral ; the second was in 1844,when the number of pilgrims exceededa million ; and in 1891 the numberexceeded all that had formerly beenknown. If we glance at these numbers,it will be difficult to say that the interestin charms is on the decrease. Manycures of various diseases and afflictions


took place during the last exhibition.Among these may be mentioned cases ofcomplete blindness, lupus, a witheredlimb, St. Vitus 's dance, an issue of blood,paralysis, and intestinal tuberculosis.These cures have of course been placeddown to imagination and suggestion ;but this explanation is placed out ofcourt, when we take into considerationthe cures of children, or rather, infantsunder two years of age, such as Peter Eul,

of Burdenbach. This child ofit is not little more than eighteen months

old is certified by Dr- Weber astion having completely lost the sight

of his right eye, owing to inflammation of the brain, while the sightof the left eye had become weak, andthe right arm had become paralysed.Medical treatment had hitherto had noresults, and any considerable improvement was almost out of the question.The child was taken to the cathedral,and the moment it touched the charmedcoat it uttered a cry, for it is alwaysnecessary to come into contact with this


charm if a cure is to be performed.When they offered the child food, itgrasped it with its paralysed arm, and, onreturning home, they found the childcould see. Two years later the doctorcertified that the child could see with botheyes, and the paralysis had completelydisappeared from its arm. This is onlyone case out of many which places thecures outside the realm of suggestionand imagination.Under the heading of religious charmsmust be placed the " Holy Hand," or, asit is sometimes called, the " Dead Hand. ' 'This hand is known to havebelonged to Father Edmund a dead handArrowsmith, a Jesuit, who suf- ti^ pro*fered the extreme penalty of the pertieslaw at Lancaster, on August 28th,1628. The story is that after his bodywas cut down the right hand was cut off,in compliance with his dying injunctionsand to fulfil his promise that he wouldwork miraculous cures on those it wasbrought into contact with. For manyyears the hand was kept at Bryn Hall ;

5


then it was removed to Sir Robert Gerard 'sresidence, Garswood Hall, and afterwardsit was placed in the custody of the priestin the Catholic Chapel at Ashton-in-Maskerfield. Numerous and marvellousare the cures placed to its credit.At one time Spedlin's Tower, whichstands on the bank of the Annan, possessed a Bible which acted as a charmto keep a restless spirit in order andconfine it to one portion of the building.On one occasion when the Bible wasremoved the spirit made such a commotion that the Bible was quickly recalledand placed in its usual position on thestaircase, after this had been done thedisturbance ceased.General Kuropatkin, the famous Russian general, had in his possession a

valuable ikon, or holy picture,General which was supposed to havekin™ holy the power of protecting him intalisman times of danger. This ikon

was presented to him by thetown council of St. Petersburg. It consists of six handsome paintings of saints


of the Greek Church, enclosed in amagnificent gold frame. The idea isvery prevalent among Russian soldiers,that it would be unwise to court dangerwithout some talisman of this kind.The famous stone of Caaba must beclassed as a holy charm. It is a blackstone, and sometimes is called the " BlackStone of Mecca. ' ' The faithful devoutlykiss it

,

and look upon it as a talisman.The Scarab, so called from its resemblance in form to that of a beetle, wasused as an amulet, and wasplaced over the heart of the The sacredmummy by the Egyptians, or th^Egyp-used to replace the heart itself, tiansThey are mostly composed ofa hard, yellowish or dark green stone.The Egyptians were firm believers in afuture state, and thought that the scarabwould help to re-unite the soul and bodywhen the time came for the soul to againinhabit the body, which was preservedfor this reason.The subject of beads is a vast one, andmany people have an idea that these were


manufactured for ornaments only, but

Beads were in ESYP^ they were worn as aoriginally religious charm. The lotus,charms

crux> ansat£lj and tat 0f Osirisare of this type, and were used as such.To-day we find the Hand of Maryand the Eye Bead of Syria used as amulets.

CHAPTER XCHARMED WELLS AND HOLY

WATER

HE well of St. Winefride,in North Wales, must belooked upon as one of themost ancient institutionsof the country, for it iscenturies older than Can

terbury Cathedral. It is now the propertyof the Duke of Westminster, butis leased by the Catholic Church. ftSSiuIts history may be called one of and itsthe fairy-tales of the Church. It £aat™eais stated how, twelve hundredyears ago, in the middle of the seventhcentury, there lived a certain Welshchieftain on the banks of the Dever, whohad the fairest daughter in the whole

69


countryside. Her name was Guenfrewi.Marriage had no attractions for her, andgreat was the consternation of the youthsin the neighbourhood when it was whispered that she was going to bury herbeauty in the cloister. One, named Cara-doc, determined that he would not losethe girl for want of courage and attention.He called at her parents ' house, and foundGuenfrewi all alone. Caradoc seized theopportunity, and offered her his heart andhis hand, but to all his pleading sheturned a deaf ear, and absolutely refusedto reconsider her decision to adopt amonastic career. Caradoc began tothreaten, and Guenfrewi rushed throughthe open door toward the church whereher parents were hearing mass celebrated by St. Beuno. Caradoc, who wasmore fleet of foot, overtook her, and,with a blow from his sword, severedher head from her body. Hearing thecommotion, her parents came on thescene and raised a piteous cry, whereonSt. Beuno left the altar and confrontedCaradoc, who stood with dripping sword

CHARMED WELLS 71

beside his victim. Seeing what had happened, the priest cursed the murderer,and in a moment the earthopened and Caradoc was swal- St. Beanolowed up. Taking up the severed p"j*®|head of Guenfrewi, St. Beuno Caradocfitted it as best he could to hershoulders and covered it over with hiscloak, returning to complete the celebration of mass. When this was overhe removed the covering from the corpse,when lo ! they found that a great wonderhad been worked, for the maiden wasalive and well ; her head had reunited toher body, and where the head of thebeautiful maiden had fallen, there sprungup a well of water, which from that dayto this has never ceased to flow. Guenfrewi, afterwards known as St. Winefride,entered into a religious course of life,and lived at Holy Well till St. Beuno died.She was subsequently canonised, andfrom that day to this remains an objectof devotion. The rush of pilgrims tothis charmed well is so great as to somewhat overwhelm the primitive resources

HISTORICAL CHARMS

of the little village of Holywell. Themagical properties of the water cannotbe doubted, and even the Lancet does

not seek to repudiate the truthThe of the cures, but admits their

ciratfve0"8 reality, and seeks to account forpower of them in the usual way ; but ascannot be with the Holy Coat of Treves,doubted it will be found a difficult task

to place all these cures down toimagination or suggestion.The charmed waters of Wales do notstand alone, for what Holywell is toBritain, so is Lourdes to France, andMugnano to Italy. The cures are ascribed to St. Winefride at the one, to theBlessed Virgin at another, and the honourgiven to St. Philomena at Mugnano.We need not take a journey to the

Charmed places mentioned to find charmedwater to be or holy water, for it is used inRoman a^ Roman Catholic Churches—

churchestkat *s> trie Priests have carried

esout their duty conscientiously.

Originally the position of the planetJupiter was taken into account in the

CHARMED WELLS 73

blessing of holy water. It is placed at thedoor, and the faithful on entering dip theirfingers into the water, and make with itthe sign of the Cross upon their foreheadsor breasts. This is done in order to driveaway from them evil thoughts or feelings,and to purify them for the services inwhich they are about to take part. Inbaptism, what we may term charmedwater is again used, and this not only inthe above Church, but also in the Churchof England.In the Southern Church of Buddhismin the East, there is a ceremony—that ofthe recitation of the verses of " Paritta, ' '—where charmed water is used. Ropesare held in the hands of the monks andconnected with a large vessel of waterduring the time taken to recite Thethe sacred verses. After the Buddhistsceremony the water is distributed SSVohannand the ropes cut into pieces, \n thej_r. ■ t_ • j .i_ Churchwhich are given away, and thepeople receiving a piece wear it as acharm.

CHAPTER XITHE HORSESHOE AND SOME OLD-

DAY CHARMS

HE belief in the efficacyof the horseshoe as alucky charm is widespread, and ever since it wasrecognised as a horseshoe,it appears to have been

accounted lucky. It may be seen usedas such in any town, village, or

The horse- hamlet throughout England ; itversa* Tuck is popular in the United States :bringer the belief flourishes among

the Teutonic and Scandinavianraces, and as far east as India. Nowitch is said to be able to enter a building,no evil come where a horseshoe is nailed,prongs downwards. Popular superstition

74

THE HORSESHOE 75

has for ages endowed the metal iron withprotecting powers, while the half-circleor crescent is also considered fortunate.Many are the explanations given as towhy this crescent of iron, the horseshoe,was, and still is, looked upon as such apowerful charm.One story is that the holy St. Dunstan,who is the patron saint of blacksmiths,was one day at work in his forge whenSatan assailed his virtue, disguised infemale beauty. St. Dunstandetected the personation, and St. Dunstanwhen the Satanic courtesan was wi°£ ^dXottrying to fascinate him through horseshoes,

his forge window, he nipped thedemon's nose with hot pincers. AgainSatan tried his luck in similar disguise,but St. Dunstan tied him to the forge-rack,and shod him with red-hot horseshoes.From that day forth Satan avoids blacksmiths, and even a horseshoe strikes himor his followers with terror.The Mohammeden says it is becauseof the form, which is the sacred crescentof Islam. The Cingalee use them because


of the resemblance to the sacred snake,Nagendra, one of their deities. The

Jew looks upon it as a symbolWhy is the of Passover» where the bloodhorseshoe sprinkled upon the lintel andlucky? door-posts appeared in the form

of an arch. The Arabs and theTuscan peasants associate the shoe withthe new moon. Here, we appear toapproach very near to the true origin ofthe belief and why it is so frequentlyfound on doors and entrances ; for thecrescent was the symbol of the Moongoddess Diana, who was supposed to bethe guardian of doors and houses. Thereis another explanation based on astrology,and one which is worth taking into consideration. The horse is ruled by Jupiter,so is therefore considered lucky ; andanything that has been worn by thisanimal becomes a charm, especially whenin the form of a crescent and made of thelucky metal iron.Another popular luck-bringer, and onemuch sought after by sailors and fishermen,is a child's caul. If hung in a cabin it

THE HORSESHOE 77

is supposed to prevent the ship fromsinking, and the sailor who carries one ofthese cannot be drowned. Atthe present day it is no un- Thesailoi,scommon thing to see in the ad-' mascot, avertisement columns of the daily child'scaul

press some one advertisingfor oneof these cauls, or that one can be obtainedat a certain address.The hair watch-guard is still with usto-day, for human hair is thought to bea strong and powerful amulet—hence wefind many forms of jewellery for theholding of hair very common.During the war between Russia The beliefand Japan, lockets and brooches inhumancontaining hair were given by hair

lovers and friends to soldiersas amulets against the bullets of theJapanese.Among the ancient Egyptian charmswe find the "Ankh, " the emblem oflong life ; the " Sistrum, ' ' which protectsfrom evil, and the "Nefer, " bringinggood luck and happiness.In glancing through the works written


by some of the magicians and philosophersof the past, we find mention of manyquaint and peculiar objects, and some ofthese are used and believed in at thepresent day.One writer tells us in all sincerity howto make a charmed comb which willremove any headache. If the pain ison the right side of the head, the combmust be made from the right horn of aram ; if the other side, then use the lefthorn.The hare has always been looked uponas a "mystery " animal by those who

believe in these things. Theand the fox uttle Done in the knee- joint ofare

nthe hind leg of a hare will

animal"7 quickly cure the cramp if thepart afflicted is touched with it.

Of the fox we learn that : "A smallpiece of the tongue of a fox beingmoistened and made soft in vinegar, afterbeing dried, draweth out a thorn or anyother thing deep in the flesh by layingit thereon."The heart of a kite, worn about the neck

THE HORSESHOE 79

or finger, mitigates choler, wrath, contention, and preserves the wearer fromall evil effects thereof. It also stopsbleeding of every kind.Albertus Magnus says of the herbheliotropion, that if a man wrap it in abay leaf with a wolf's tooth no one canspeak an angry word to the wearer. Putunder a pillow, it will bring a vision beforethe eyes of the man who has been robbed,and he will see the thief and all his belongings.The heart of a toad suspended by ablue ribbon round the neck will cure theking's evil. The skin of a civet-cat,worn in battle, will protect the wearerfrom injury. A weasel's tailcarried in the pocket will repel 8king tail8)the attacks of savage dogs. A and tongueschameleon's tongue carried byofanimalsa man, he can defy all thesharpers in the world. Moonwort is apowerful charm ; it will loosen fetters,locks, and the shoes from horses' feet.One bone of a frog will engender love,another will cause hatred.

CHAPTER XIISOME CURATIVE CHARMS

'RAMP-RINGS were muchworn during the middleages, and their use invarious forms has notbeen discarded at this day.

1 At one time they wereblessed and used by every English Sovereign from Edward the Confessor down toQueen Mary. They were worn chiefly

as a virtue against the cramp,

Mened iby*" rheumatism, or falling sickness,every In 1529 Henry VIII. wished toSovereign be divorced from Catherine

of Arragon. Stephen Cowleywas dispatched to Rome to plead withPope Clement to grant it. Ann Boleynwas naturally interested in the success

80

SOME CURATIVE CHARMS 81

of the mission, and sent several rings,with the following letter :" Mr. Stephen,—I send you here thecramp-rings and pray you to distributethem, as she (you may assure them) willbe glad to do them any pleasure whichshall be in my power. And thus I makean end, praying God send you Good Health." Written at Greenwich, 14th day ofApril, 1529,

" By your assured friend,"ANN BOLLEIN."

These cramp-rings gained their efficacyfrom the fact that they were made fromthe King's Good Friday offering of gold,and blessed with a very elaborate ceremony.Among many of the Spanish peasantsa belief exists that a candle is acharm against colds or coughs, coughs'"1A small box made of a piece cured byof a peculiar bark is filled with gjfifwet earth. A candle is thentaken and fixed at one side of the box.On retiring to rest the candle is lighted

6


and set near the patient 's bed. When thecandle is burnt out the cough will havedisappeared.In the agricultural districts of Englandit is a popular idea that all those whocarry a raw potato in the pocket cankeep off all forms of rheumatism. Theseare sometimes carried until it is difficultto distinguish them from a large polishedpebble.The seventh son of a seventh son is ahuman charm, for he possessesthe charmedtouch or gift of healing. This belief is

sometimes varied by being ap-The seventh

pHed tQ & seyenth male childseventh son in succession whether or not hisof healing" father has been a seventh son.

In Lupton's "Notable Things,"ed. 1 660, we find : " It is manifest byexperience that the seventh male child byjustorder (nevera girl or wench being born

between) doth heal only with touching,through a natural gift, the king's evil,which is a special gift of God, given tokings and queens, as daily experiencedoth witness."

SOME CURATIVE CHARMS 83

The number seven plays a great part inall magical operations ; thus we find thata certain cure for blindness is to takeseven pieces of spleen from seven heifers,and use these as food which a friend mustpartake of. After eating, the friend mustbreak the plate they were served on or hehimself will become blind. Rabbi Hunagave a charm for fever, and thepatient had to take seven dif- The numberferent grapes from seven differentgrapevines, seven chips from in charmsseven joists, seven nails fromseven bridges, seven small quantities ofashes from seven stoves, seven bits ofearth from seven holes in the ground,seven pieces of pitch from seven ships,seven grains of cumin, seven hairs froman old dog. Bind all these together andwear them over the nape of the neck.

CHAPTER XIIISPELLS, OR WRITTEN CHARMS

HERE are many forms ofwords and designs bymeans of which certainoccult results are supposedto be achieved, these areusually called spells. Per

haps the most common one is thewell-known word " Abracadabra, ' ' sometimes written as " Abrasadabra. ' ' Thisword must be written on parchmentor paper, the first line in full, then the

second line has the last letterThe mystic omitted, and so on, till in the

last line there only remains theletter A, the whole forming aninverted cone. It is used for

the curing of diseases. Lord Byron, whowas a believer in the power of such

word" Abracadabra "

84

SPELLS, OR WRITTEN CHARMS 85

things and who had a knowledge ofmany Scotch spells, recommends thischarm for the curing of ague.Another specimen of these old spellsis one to obtain favour and love. Thefollowing words are written on virginparchment : " Sator, Arepo, Tenet, Opera,Rotas, Jah, Jah, Jah, Enam, Jah, Jah,Kether, Chokmah, Binah, Gedulah, Ge-burah, Tiphereth, Netzach, Hod, Yesod,Malkuth, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Shad-rach, Meshach, Abednego, be ye allpresent in my aid and for whatsoeverI shall desire to obtain."The following words engraved upon acornelian which was taken from anancient tomb at Cirencester are a goodexample :

RotasOperaTenetArepoSator.

The words may be read backwards orforwards, up and down at will.


One of the old-day charms used forgood or evil contains the following verse :

" It is not this blood I wish to burn,But . . . heart I wish to turn ;Let them not eat, sleep, drink, nor restUntil they come to me and do my request."

There is a spell in India named the.Scorpion charm, and this is used for thetreatment of scorpion bites and neuralgicpains. It is made in the form of a five-

pointed star with the figure of

^onohar'ma scorpion in the centre, the

of India for whole enclosed in a double

neuralgia cirde in which is written theeighteenth verse of the six

teenth chapter of St. Mark.A short inscription on paper, skin, orcloth is the most widespread form ofcharm known in the Eastern Countries.The writer of these charms often goesthrough a special course of instructionto prepare him for the work. Amongthese are those which will enable thewearer to discover treasure, to win thefavour of a woman or man, to discovera runaway wife, to deliver a house or


person from evil spirits, and even thoseto bring friction between husband andwife or to compass the death of an enemy.Some of these professional charm-writershave over two hundred of these spellsto choose from.It is not usually known that eachPsalm of our Western Bible is a potentspell, yet this is found to be so if weread the Mosaic books of the Cabalaand the Talmud. For example, of Psalmseventeen it is written that : ^^" A traveller, who prays this bookofg'Calpsalm early in the morning,

*f ^{j}*},*1^with ardour, together with the gpeiis forproper prayer, in the name certain pur-of Jah, will be secure from allposesevil for twenty-four hours. The prayer isas follows : ' May it be thy holy will, O Jah,Jenora, to make my journey prosperous,to lead me in pleasant paths, to protect mefrom all evil, and to bring me safely backto my loved ones, for thy mighty andadorable name's sake. Amen.' "Psalm twenty- one will give safety instorms, we read : " During an existing


storm at sea, when there is danger athand, mix rose-oil, salt, water, resin ;pronounce over it slowly this psalm, andthe holy name Jehaen, and then pourthe consecrated salve into the foamingsea while uttering the following prayer :' Lord of the world, thou rulest thepride of the foaming and roaring sea, andcalmest the terrible noise of the waves.May it please thee for the sake of thymost holy name, Jehaen, to calm thestorm and to deliver us mercifully fromthis danger. Amen. Selah. ' "In Psalm twenty-three we find a charmby which we may receive reliable instructions in regard to something through a

dream or vision. The method is

brSg So£t to purify by fasting and bathing ;prophetic pronounce the Psalm with thevisions holy name Jah seven times, and

pray at the end of each repetition : "Lord of the world, notwithstandingthy unutterable might, power, exaltationand glory, thou wilt still lend a listeningear to the prayer of thy humblest creature,and wilt fulfil his desires. Hear my


prayer also, loving Father, and let it bepleasing to thy most holy will to revealunto me in a dream, whether (here theaffair of which correct knowledge isdesired must be plainly stated) as thoudidst often reveal through dreams thefate of our forefathers. Grant me mypetition for the sake of thy adorablename, Jah. Amen. Selah. "If compelled to travel alone by night,pray the one hundred and twenty-firstPsalm reverently seven times, and you willbe safe from all accidents and evil occurrences. Psalm one hundred and twenty-seven written upon pure parchment, placedin a clean bag, and suspended from the neckof a newborn son immediately after birth,no evil can ever befall him.Before entering college or under- j^JJtaking mental work Psalm one strengthenhundred and thirty-four should theirmental, , , . , , powers andbe repeated ; it consists of have successonly three verses. The division" Beth ' ' in the one hundred and nineteenthPsalm may also be used for the samepurpose.

HISTORICAL CHARMS

Other scriptural charms are Chapter5 Job, verses 22 and 23 are goodagainst furious beasts. Verses 19, 20,and 24 against trouble in general. Forthe overcoming of enemies take Isaiah,Chapter 12, verse 2 ; Chapter 13, verse 10 ;and Chapter 17, verse 14 ; while to protectfrom peril by fire and water Isaiah,Chapter 43, verse 2 is potent.

CHAPTER XIVTHE INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, TRIBAL,

AND NATIONAL CHARM

NDER the first headingmust be placed charmsoutside of those handeddown from one person toanother, for the individual

1 charm is of benefit toone person only, and may be one whichhas been found or bought because of some impression or Thein.presentiment that it would dividualbring good luck. An exampleof this class will be the goldenskull mentioned as belongng to Mr.Austin Osman Spare, the artist. Theseindividual charms appear to come into

charm

91

HISTORICAL CHARMS

the life at some period, and to heraldluck or to shield from danger, andto lose their efficacy and drop out ofhistory at the death of the one theyhave benefited.The family class is a large one, andconsists of those handed down from fatherto son, or by one member of the familyto another, and such as appear to affect

the whole family. Here we canThe family place the toadstone ring of thecharm German Emperor, the Spanish

opal, the ring of the Napoleons,the vase of Edenhall, and many othersgiven in the previous part of thiswork.Under the heading of tribal we caninclude various religions, organisations,and bodies, and though this is not so large

as the family class, yet it willThe tribal not be difficult to give somecharm example. We have the various

religious sects with their relics :the Mohammedans with their black stoneof Mecca ; the jewels with their Cabalistic designs of the Masons ; the gems

THE INDIVIDUAL CHARM 93

of the Gnostics ; the sapphire mascotof the Jews ; the totems of the manytribes of North American Indians. Thetribal charm has other attributes besidesbringing good luck to the people ; it hasalso a binding and strengthening influence, and is used for holding the tribeor body together in fraternal bonds, sothat it will not be a great stretch ofimagination to class the colours andstandards of various regiments under thisheading.Coming to the national charm, perhapsone of the best illustrations of this typewill be the Coronation stone, which maybe termed the English nationalcharm. The Jews have their Theark, also Aaron's breastplate nationalof precious stones said to be the oharm

Urim and Thummin which possessed properties of an occult nature,each stone representing one of thetwelve tribes. For the Chinese we getthe black stone of Mukden. For thesame reason as we claimed the standardsand colours as tribal charms, so under


the national we will include the UnionJack, the Stars and Stripes, and all otherflags used to inspire the many nationswith patriotism and the soldiers withcourage.

SECTION IIOCCULT JEWELLERY ANDGEMS: WHEN, WHERE, ANDHOW TO USE THESE

95

" A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him thathath it : withersoever it turneth, it prospereth."

—Proverbs xvii 8." Sweet are the uses of adversity,Which, like a toad, ugly and venomous,Wears yet a precious jewel in his head."

Shakespeare.

" He who possesses a turquoise will always be sureof friends."—Unkno WB.

" Of Talismans and Sigils knew the power,And careful watch'd the Planetary hour."

—Pope.

" Oh, mickle is the powerful grace that liesIn herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities."

—Unknown.

96

CHAPTER XVWHAT THE WORLD SAYS

;IEPfi it , f—f t-fi-••M -• • •:• ' ■

ROM time immemorial anopinion has obtained thatevery gem and metal possess peculiar virtues. Asthere is a language offlowers, so there is also

one of gems. Every stone has a powereither for good or evil ; and wehave seen how the important Every gemevents in the lives of celebrities a charm forappear to have been in many fi00d or eYl1

cases connected with some classof charm." Are we less superstitious than ourancestors, or are we more cautious indisclosing ourselves ? ' ' Such is the queryone of the leading papers propounds ; it

97 7


then gives the answer by stating that," A glance into the fashionable jewellersof London is sufficient to answer thequestion negatively. Here is an amuletof ancient Egyptian workmanship, a tinyfigure of Amen-Ra, or a miniature of thegod Osiris, which is supposed to bring my' ladye fayre ' luck at bridge or at Goodwin.Little amulets, usually in the form ofdogs or horses are being worn on watch-chains or bracelets, and ancient gems ofweird and mystic design are hung uponslender neck-threads and tucked out ofsight, but touched on occasion to ensuregood luck to the wearer. ' '

A writer in The Referee says, " Thebelief in ' mascottes ' or talismans is verypopular. Charms in the form of horse-

A" lucky shoes' pigs» four-Ieaved clover,bean "worn and countless other fancies are

yearsvbya ver^ Senera^> an<* at present verywriter in fashionable. I have worn alease*'

' lucky Dean ' for seven yearsand never lost it. I should

very much dislike to part with it,

andhave a sort of half-belief in its bringing

WHAT THE WORLD SAYS gg

me luck, or at least ' keeping off ' ill-luck. » »

From another source we read : "Afancy is now shown for wearing stonesor other things which are supposed tobring good fortune. Some women weara pendant or charm made of New Zealandjade, known as Pounamu stone. Then,others have faith in some ornament foundon a mummy and worn by anEgyptian princess when the f^g"*world was young. Such, for Bernhardt'sexample, are the quaint jewels mascot

te

owned by Mrs. Clarence Mackay,or the weird cornelian necklace, given bySir John Scott to the Hon. Mrs. St. JohnBrodrick at the time of her marriage.Madame Sarah Bernhardt 's favourite 'mascot ' is a necklet of nuggets, given her bythe miners in California ; and an Englishactress, Miss Irene Vanbrugh, pins herfaith to a girdle of splendid uncut turquoises. ' '

Under the title of " The Present Crazefor Pretty Mascots, ' ' another paper says," The jewellers have little to complain

ioo HISTORICAL CHARMS

about in these days. Customers whocome in and ask for tiaras that cost tenthousand pounds or so may not be ascommon as raindrops in February, but

the number of people who buyThe King pretty little ornaments now far

horseshoe exceeds those of a generationbrooches ago. ' ' Again : " The King him

self has revived the popularity ofgemmed horseshoe brooches by givingone set with rubies to a recent bride. ' '

It is also stated that the King is partialto those little charms in the shape ofdogs, and has presented many of theseto his friends. Miss Constance Collier,we are told, inclines to the black sweepas a mascot which brings luck. Twolittle wooden clogs are cherished for thesame purpose by Miss Louie Freear ; andMiss Charlotte Granville believes in theefficacy of white heather as a charm,but also wears the lucky pig of greenstone that hails from New Zealand. Thegold heart is the fancy of Miss BeatriceFerrar, who always wears one given byher sister for good luck.

WHAT THE WORLD SAYS 101

In Pearson's Weekly, January, 1905, itis stated : " Many Society women arethe proud possessors of a novel ring.With it on her finger she is sureto be lucky in love and fortunate Pearson'sin business enterprise. The gem ^eo^u\twhich is appropriate to the jewellerymonth in which the owner wasborn is in the centre."These are but a few cases culled fromthe daily press, and are given here toshow the belief which exists at the presentday in charms and amulets ; in short,the wealth of examples which can begathered from all quarters cannot leavea doubt as to the truth of what we havepreviously mentioned, " that jewellerywas always, and is even now, subconsciously worn for its magic properties. ' '

CHAPTER XVIDESCRIPTION OF STONES USED

AS CHARMS

jHE following list will givesome idea of the largenumber of stones used inoccult jewellery, some ofwhich are very rare andseldom met with. Readers

will be able to classify any gems theymay possess by referring to this list.Agate.—A semi-pellucid, incrystallizedvariety of quartz, of which there are manykinds. The same specimen presents various tints, and the colours are delicatelyarranged in stripes or bands, or blendedin clouds. The fortification agate orScotch pebble, the moss-agate, and theclouded agate are familiar varieties.

103

DESCRIPTION OF STONES 103

Alexandrite. —A newly discoveredprecious stone, and so named because itwas found in Russia on the birthday ofthe present Czar. In daylight it is green,and in artificial light red—the Russianwar colours.Amber.—A yellowish translucent resinfound as a fossil in alluvial soils, or onthe seashore in many places. By frictionit becomes strongly electric.Amethyst.—A variety of crystallizedquartz of a purple or bluish violet colour.An Oriental Amethyst is similar to asapphire.Ammonite.—A fossil cephaloped shellrelated to the nautilus : usually darkor black, and round in shape and perforated in one or two places. Sometimescalled the serpent stone.Aquamarine.—A sea-green variety ofberyl.Beryl.—A mineral of great hardness ;there are many shades of colour, sea-green or bluish green, yellow, pink, andwhite.Bezoar or Beza.—There are two kinds :

HISTORICAL CHARMS

one found in India, and the other in Peru ;it is a calculous concretion found incertain animals, as the wild goat, thegazelle, and the lama.Bloodstone.—A green siliceous stone,sprinkled with red jasper as if with blood.It is also called the heliotrope.Brazilian Pebble.—A transparent andcolourless rock crystal.Brilliant.—A precious stone of sea-green colour, though it is applied to othergems of the finest cut, formed into facesand facets, so as to reflect and refract thelight, by which it is rendered morebrilliant.Bufonlte.—An old name for the toad-stone, so called because this stone issupposed to have been found in the headof a large yellow species of toad.Carbuncle. —A beautiful gem of a richred colour found in the East Indies.When held up to the sun it loses its deeptinge and becomes of the colour of aburning coal. Sometimes this name isapplied to the ruby, sapphire, red spinel,and garnet.


Carnelian or Cornelian.—A variety ofchalcedony, of a clear, deep, red fleshcolour, or reddish white ; often used forseals.Cat's Eye.—A variety of quartz orchalcedony, exhibiting opalescent reflections from within, like the eye of a cat.It is also applied to other gems affordinglike effects. It is sometimes termed thechrysoberyl.Chalcedony. —Includes various varietiesof quartz. It is usually of a whitishcolour and a lustre like wax. The agate,onyx, carnelian, etc., are varieties of this.Chalchihultl.—The Mexican name forthe turquoise.Chrysoberyl.—See Cat's Eye.Chrysolite. —Composed of silica, magnesia, and iron, of a yellow to green colour.The yellow varities of topaz and tourmaline.Coral.—The red coral used in jewelleryis the stony axis of the stem of a gorgonian.Cornelian.—See Carnelian.Corundum.—The earth alumina asfound in a crystalline state, including

io6 HISTORICAL CHARMS

sapphire, which is the fine blue variety ;the oriental ruby or red sapphire ; theoriental amethyst, or purple sapphire ;and adamantine spar, the hair brownvariety. The gem varieties of the corundum have always been considered byOriental nations as the most valuableafter the diamond.Crocldollte—A mineral occurring insilky fibres of a lavender-blue colour.A variety of this is named the Tiger'sEye.Crystal.—The material of quartz incrystallization, transparent or nearly so,and either colourless or slightly tingedwith grey.Diamond.—A precious stone or gem,excelling in brilliancy and beautiful playof prismatic colours, remarkable for extreme hardness. Usually colourless, butsome are yellow, green, blue, and evenblack. They are said to be of the firstwater when very transparent, and of thesecond or third water as the transparencydecreases. The rose diamond, one sideof which is flat and the other cut into


twenty-four triangular facets in tworanges, which form a convex face pointedat the top.Egyptian Pebble.—A brownish yellowvariety of jasper.Emerald.—A variety of beryl of a richgreen colour.Feitsul.—The Chinese name for palegreen jade.Fire-stone. —A name given to the carbuncle.Garnet.—This is a silicate ; there arewhite, green, yellow brown, and blackvarieties. The transparent red stonesused as gems are related to the car

buncle of the ancients.Heliotrope.—See Bloodstone.Hyacinth.—A red variety of zircon,consisting of silica and zirconia.Jacinth.—See Hyacinth.Jade.—A stone commonly of a paleto dark green colour, sometimes whitish.A pale green jade is the feitsui or yu-chiof the Chinese.Jargon.—Pale yellow or smoky brownvarieties of zircon.

io8 HISTORICAL CHARMS

Jasper.—An opaque variety of quartzof red, yellow, and other dull colours.When the colours are in stripes it is calledstriped or banded jasper. See EgyptianPebble.Lapis-lazulL —An aluminous mineral of arich blue colour, known as Armenian stone.Malachite.-—A stone usually of a concentric fibrous structure ; in colour, greenor blue.Moonstone—A pellucid variety of feldspar, showing pearly or opaline reflectionsfrom within. The best specimens aresaid to come from Ceylon. It derives itsname from its fancied resemblance inlustre to the moon. See Selenite.Ojo de Buey.—A jewel-like product ofnature, probably a fossil bean. In sizeand appearance it resembles an ox's eye.Olivine.—A common name of the yellowish green mineral chrysolite.Onyx.—A veined gem ; chalcedony inparallel layers of different shades ofcolour. It is used for making cameos,the figure being cut in one layer with thenext as a ground.


Opal.—There are many varieties : theypresent a peculiar play of colours ordelicate tints. The harquelin has a variedplay of colour in a reddish ground ; thefire opal has colours like the red andyellow of flame ; common opal has amilky appearance.Ophite.—A greenish porphyry, spottedlike a serpent.Ox's Eye—See Ojo de Buey.Pearl.—A shelly concretion, usuallyrounded and having a brilliant lustrewith varying tints. Found in the shellof the pearl oyster.Peridot.—A green variety of chrysolite.Ruby.—A precious stone of a carminered colour, sometimes verging into violetor intermediate between carmine andhyacinth red. It is a red crystallizedvariety of corundum.Sapphire.—The blue transparent varietyof corundum, usually bright blue, but inartificial light is nearly black. A newvariety called the New Mine Sapphirekeeps its colour at night and shines veryluminously.

HISTORICAL CHARMS

Sardonyx.—A variety of onyx of areddish-yellow colour, consisting of sardand white chalcedony in alternate layers.Scotch Pebble.—Varieties of quartz asagate, chalcedony, etc.Selenite.—See Moonstone.Slderlte.—An indigo variety of quartz.Snakestone. —This stone, or rather,bone, is said to be taken from the headof the cobra, and is only found in onecobra out of a great number, making thatsnake a king cobra. It is similar incomposition to the toadstone. -

Spinel.—A mineral of great hardnessand various colours, as red, green, blue,brown, and black. The red variety beingthe spinel ruby.Starstone.—The asteriated sapphire.Stone-of-Memphis. —A small pebble,round, polished, and very sparkling. Dio-scorides and Pliny give a full descriptionof this famous stone.Tiger's Eye.—A yellow-brown varietyof crocidolite, similar to the cat's eye.Toadstone.—See Bufonite.Topaz.—A mineral occurring in rhom

DESCRIPTION OF STONES m

bic prisms, generally yellow and pellucid,sometimes massive and opaque.Topazolite.—A. topaz-yellow variety ofgarnet.Tourmaline—A name given to a stonein Ceylon of which there are many shades,black is the most common, but there arealso blue, red, green, brown, and white.The red and green when transparent arevalued as jewels.Turquoise.—A fine light blue colour ;a hydrous phosphate of alumina containing a little copper. Often writtenTurcois and Turkois. See Chalchihuitl.Yu-Chi.— See Jade.

CHAPTER XVIINATIONS AND THEIR FAVOURITE

GEMS

0 widely spread was thebelief in the mystical properties of precious stonesthat we find Pliny citingthirty-six writers on thissubject. Nearly all na

tions have their favourite gem : thus opals

Thirty-six were favoured by the Greeks,ancient and were thought to possess

rheoccuu great power of giving the giftproperties of prophecy and foresight toof gems y|e owner, provided he usedit not for selfish gain. If he did, itbecame an unfortunate stone, the ownerbecoming unlucky in his loves and de

112

NATIONS' FAVOURITE GEMS 113

sires, and disappointment became hiscompanion. Perhaps the modern idea ofthe opal being unlucky had its foundation in this Grecian belief. In ancientMexico the opal was the most sacred ofstones, and said to contain the Soul ofTruth. It is the stone of the hermits, andthe gem of the gods who live alone. TheMexicans claimed that it was the Soul ofFire which created worlds and men.Among the Romans the emerald helda high place, and it was taught thata serpent would become blindif it merely looked upon an Theemerald, and that every other ob- ISwSl byject of detestation and contempt the Romanswould become overwhelmed inits presence.The Japanese commune with the Deityby gazing earnestly and intently on alarge globe of pure crystal placed in thecentre of the room, the family sittingaround on mats with a fixed, somnolentgaze upon the stone. The answer totheir petitions and desires comes throughthe crystal.

8

ii4 HISTORICAL CHARMS

The carnelian is valued by the Shamansof Siberia and Tartary because of its

magical power, through whichThe magic they are able to perform many

siberia'and wonderful feats. One of theseTartary stones, the Odem, in the breast

plate of the Jewish High Priest,possesses a great medicinal power.The sapphire, above all other gems, ishonoured by the Hindus, and is the onemost frequently consecrated to theirdeities. A sacred occult power is ascribed to it

,

and the Buddhists say it willopen barred doors and dwellings. Itproduces a desire for prayer and bringswith it more peace than any other gem,but he who would wear it must lead apure and holy life.The Hebrews claimed the diamond asthe most powerful of all gems. It isthe emblem of the sun and the charmof the Invisible Fire. This stone wasknown to the Greeks as the HolyNecessity.The moonstone, called by the Easterns,chandra-kanta, is said to be formed and


developed under the moon's rays, thisgiving it occult and magical power.If we turn to the Western Bible we shallfind how important a part has beenplayed by gems in religious

The imporsymbolism. In the Book of taut partRevelations we read of the fiSJi.'SL

. gems in thetwelve foundations of the Westernholy city. The prophet Isaiah, Bible

among the good things promised to theGentiles, speaks of sapphires and carbuncles. We find mention of them inEzekiel, Job, Exodus, and many otherbooks, while in Proverbs we read : " Agift is as a precious stone in the eyes ofhim that hath it : whithersoever it turn-eth, it prospereth. " In the Cabala thewriters specially dedicated a branch toprecious stones, called Notarium, in conjunction with Lithomancy. Turning toIndia we have the magic necklace of Vishnu, which is made Tnencck.of five precious stones—namely, lace ofthe pearl, ruby, emerald, sap- ¥lshnu

phire, and diamond ; while gemsof fabulous price are found in the temples

n6 HISTORICAL CHARMS

and in the construction of the imagesthroughout the country. In the greatepic poem of the Ramayana, it is relatedhow the demi-god Maha-Bali is slain,and that the different parts of his bodybecame the germs for the various gems.From his bones came diamonds, fromhis eyes sapphires, from his blood rubies,from his marrow emeralds, from hisflesh crystals, from his tongue corals,and from his teeth pearls.The ruby is the sacred stone of theBurmese, who liken it to a human soulabout to enter the sacred precinctsof Buddha, and, consequently, in thelast stage of transmigration beforeentering the eternal embrace of divinelove.There is rather a pretty idea about the

Burmah ruby in Burmah. The nativesholds a believe that their colour changesnefabout gradually, while they ripen inprecious the earth, like a fruit. Atstones

grg^ ftiey S3Lyt the stone iscolourless ; then it becomes yellow,green, blue, each in turn, the final stage


being red. When redness is attained,the ruby is ripe. The ruby is said toinfluence the wearer very strongly forgood or evil.

CHAPTER XVIIITHE LANGUAGE OF PRECIOUS

STONES

HE following list will givethe attributed virtues ofthose gems used for jewellery, and are those mostlyworn for this purpose atthe present day.

Agate.—This stone is cooling and allaysfevers, quenches thirst, and quiets thepulse and heart throbs, insures goodhealth and a long and prosperous life.They are also said by the ancients torender their wearer invisible. Bound onthe horns of oxen will give a good harvest.Amber.—Is excellent for the fires ofthe soul, for the eyes, and for glandularswellings of the throat and lungs. It

1X8

LANGUAGE OF PRECIOUS STONES 119

insures the wearer good luck, and a verylong enjoyment of the qualities whichmake the wearer attractive.Amethyst.—This is a sure averter ofdrunkenness ; it preserves from strongpassions, and brings peace of mind ; itpromotes chastity, and will strengthenthe will power. In battle it renders thewearer brave, far-seeing, and honourable.Ammonite.—It is used in the religiousceremonies of the Hindus, and is said, ifplaced near the deathbed of one dying,to introduce his soul to the deities.Beryl.—Used by the South Sea Islanders as a rainmaker, and said to beequally efficacious in bringing droughton their enemies.Bezoar orBeam—A charm against plagueand poison. Tavenier, the traveller, inhis works, mentions this stone, andhow to tell the true from the counterfeit, he says, " There are two infallibletests : one is to place it in the mouth,and if it is genuine it will give a leapand fix itself on the palate ; the otherconsists in placing the stone in a glass

HISTORICAL CHARMS

of water, and if true bezoar the waterwill boil. ' '

Bloodstone.—Gives courage, success,and wisdom in perilous undertakings.In the West Indies it is used for the cureof wounds, being wetted in cold water,and in magical works it is used in incantations. A favourite stone with theGnostics, who employed it largely intheir gems and talismans. Also calledthe heliotrope.Bufonlte.—Cures the bite of snakes andother poisonous reptiles.Carbuncle. —Corrects evils resulting frommistaken friendships ; it holds to theowner the passionate love of all thosewhose love may be desired.Carnelian or Cornelian.—Gives contentand friendship. Promotes astral vision.Cat's Eye,—A charm against witchcraft. It is lucky and possesses the virtueof enriching the wearer. Same as thechrysoberyl.Chrysolite.—Cures madness and despair,banishes misfortune, and gives hope.Coral —Guards against evil. It is used


in difficulties of the heart, lungs, and inindigestion ; it excites nerve power, brilliancy and gladness, and is a true health-giver.Crystal.—Brings calm, sweet sleep, andgood dreams ; it enables the inner soulto hear the silent voice of the oracle andto foretell future events.Diamond.—Gives faith, purity, life, joy,innocence, and repentance. Good fordeveloping concentration and to promotespiritual ecstasy. Loses its brilliancy withthe health of the wearer, and only regainsit when the owner recovers. Capable ofdetecting poisons by exhibiting a moistureor perspiration on its surface.Emerald.—Gives faith ; success in love,discovers false friends, promotes constancy of mind and warm, true friendship,felicity in domestic life. It changescolour when false friends or false witnesses are near, and as a love token itregisters the degree of love. If it is pale,then love is waning ; if it loses colourentirely, the lover is false and the lovegone for ever. Its soft green colour has


a beneficial effect upon the wearer's owneyes, and is a good talisman for any eyetrouble ; but serpents are said to becomeblind if they even look at an emerald.If worn about the neck or finger isefficacious against fits and prevents convulsions in children.Garnet. —Constancy and fidelity in everyengagement ; gives cheerfulness and theability to hold one's own in the world.If worn out of season promotes discordbetween lovers.Hyacinth. —Worn on the neck or fingerwill preserve thewearer from infection evenif he go into an infected place ; giveshonour, the support and esteem of superiors.Jade.—A powerful bringer of luck.All Chinese have a great belief in itsfortune-bestowing powers.Jasper.—Courage, wisdom, and firmness ; success in dangerous enterprises.Lodestone. —Will increase the mentalpowers, and enables the wearer to foretellfuture events.Malachite.—Brilliant success and happiness in every circumstance of life.


Moonstone. —Protects from harm anddanger ; very cooling in fever if appliedto both temples. Good fortune in lovematters.Olivine.—Frees the mind from sadnessand evil passions.Onyx.—Disturbs the slumbers and themind ; gives frightful dreams.Opal.—Denotes hope and good fortune ;it sharpens the sight and strengthens thefaith of the possessor. The fiery opalpossesses the united virtues of all thegems into whose distinctive hues it isemblazoned : the ruby's strength andcourage ; blue, the prosperity of theturquoise ; green, the emerald's faithfulness, and so with the other colours. Ithas long been a superstition that the opalis an unlucky stone to wear, but itsoriginal significance was good luck. Itmay safely be worn if it is the stone ofthe birth-month, or if one's birthstoneis worn at the same time. If these rulesare not observed, it is fatal to love and willbreak friendships, also the female wearingit will bear no children.

HISTORICAL CHARMS

Ophite.—Gives the power to see visionsand hear the voices of the invisible.Pearl.—Gives purity and innocence,also clearness to physical and mentalsight. The pearl's beauty depends muchon the health of the wearer.Peridot.—Cheers the mind, preventsirritability, and removes depression.Ruby.—Divine power, love, dignity,and royalty. Holds to the owner thelove of those loved ; corrects evils resultingfrom mistaken friendships ; discoverspoison ; will quicken the blood and increase the will of the animal body, andwill give vivacity ; will cause obstaclesto melt away, and inspire with braveryand zeal. It will bring one's due inmoney that has been misappropriated.Sapphire.—Truth and constancy ; denotes repentance ; frees from enchantment ; signifies piety and goodness ;insures protection against many diseases,and will warn of hidden dangers. If thepossessor wears it in any haunt of dissipation his actions will at once be knownto the one he holds dearest.


Sardonyx. —Gives conjugal felicity ;favours fortune. The woman whose stoneit is and who neglects to wear it is doomedto a lonely existence.Snakestone. —Renders its possessor invulnerable against the bite of snakes.Stone-of-Memphls. —Applied to any partof the body on which it is necessaryfor the surgeon to operate upon it preserves that part from any pain in theoperation.Tiger's Eye.—A lucky stone ; it enriches the wearer.Topaz.—Fidelity in friendship ; prevents bad dreams ; cheers the wearer ;strengthens the intellect ; brightens thewit ; protects against the perils of the sea ;will lose its colour in the presence ofpoisons ; gives nerve strength, and helpsthe heart and digestion.Turquoise. —Success, happiness, andmany friends ; prosperity in love, andobtains friends as is verified by the oldsaying : " He who possesses a turquoisewill always be sure of friends. ' ' If givenby a lover, it will lose its colour should

J26 HISTORICAL CHARMS

the love wane, or will change colourif danger threatens the wearer.The twelve foundations of the NewJerusalem are supposed to represent asmany apostolic virtues, such as :

1. Amethyst: Sobriety and temperance.2. Beryl : Goodness of mind at all times.3. Chalcedony : Ardent zeal.4. Chrysolite : Restrained by no obstacles.5. Chrysoprase : Severity towards sin.6. Emerald: Suavity of manner.7. Jasper: Firmness and constancy8. Hyacinth : Calmness in all things.9. Sapphire : Heavenly and beautiful thoughts.10. Sardius : Readiness for martyrdom.11. Sardonyx: Variety in teaching.12. Topaz: Healing power.

CHAPTER XIXTHE PLANETS AND BIRTH-MONTH

STONES

CCORDING to the laws ofjudicial astrology, we findthat each day of the weekhas a particular stone devoted to it ; and in carryingout the correspondence of

nature, we get a stone for each month,or each sign of the zodiac, and for eachof the seven planets.The gems with their equivalent signsare :

SIGN

AriesTaurusGeminiCancerLeo

SYMBOL GEM

The Ram BloodstoneThe Bull SapphireThe Twins EmeraldThe Crab AgateThe Lion Ruby

137


SIGN

VirgoLibraScorpio ...SagittariusCapricornAquarius...Pisces

SYMBOLThe VirginThe BalanceThe ScorpionThe ArcherThe GoatThe Water-bearerThe Fishes

GEM

SardonyxChrysoliteOpalTopazTurquoiseGarnetAmethyst

The stones peculiar to the planets areas follows :Saturn, onyx ; Jupiter, emerald andsapphire ; Mars, amethyst and bloodstone ; Mercury, agate, jade, and olivine ;Venus, turquoise and lapis-lazuli ; Sun,ruby and chrysolite ; Moon, selenite,pearl and opal.Certain stones are lucky to every one,these are diamonds, turquoises, andemeralds ; but the stone to wear for generalluck is the one which is yours by right

of birth. Any other stones may

How to find ">e worn at tne same time, butthe birth- the birthstone should never bemonth stone giyen thfi second piace and

sacrificed to fashion. To ascertain the birth-gem the following tableshould be consulted, where it will be seen

BIRTH-MONTH STONES 129

that the months are not to be taken as wehave them in the almanac, but accordingto the sun and the zodiac and the timethe sun occupies one sign. The dates towhich the various gems belong are asfollows :

DURATION OF SIGNSIGN AND SUN'S

PERIOD THEREINGEM

The Water- \bearer / ... Jan. 21 to Feb. 18 . Garnet

The Fishes Feb. 19 to Mar. 20 ... AmethystThe Ram Mar. 21 to April 20 BloodstoneThe Bull ... April 21 to May 21 SapphireThe Twins May 22 to June 21 EmeraldThe Crab ... .. June 22 to July 23 AgateThe Lion .. July 24 to Aug. 23 RubyThe Virgin .. Aug. 24 to Sep. 23 SardonyxThe Balance .. Sep. 24 to Oct. 23 ChrysoliteThe Scorpion Oct. 24 to Nov. 22 ..., OpalThe Archer ... Nov. 23 to Dec. 22 . TopazThe Goat .. Dec. 23 to Jan. 20 Turquoise

The above dates are all inclusive. Ifborn August 26, the sardonyx will be thestone ; for April 21, the sapphire ; July 23,the agate, and so on.It has previously been stated thatApollonius of Tyana changed his rings

9

HISTORICAL CHARMS

daily, wearing the one with the gemfor the day. Madame Blavatsky, perhaps

the most prominent occultist ofThe days of last century, writing in her work,anVthek

" The Secret Doctrine," is ingems favour of this especially where a

person has to mix much in thesociety of others.The stones for the day will be :Sunday, the ruby and chrysolite ;Monday, the selenite, pearl, and opal ;Tuesday, amethyst and bloodstone ; Wednesday, agate, jade, and olivine ; Thursday, emerald and sapphire ; Friday,turquoise and lapis-lazuli ; Saturday, theonyx.The old magicians wore a ring whichthey called the "ring of strength ' ' contain

ing, as it did, the seven gems—

strength"0 a ruby, emerald, selenite, ame-worn by thyst, onyx, turquoise, and agate,

magicians Those readers who wish for ajewel of this description should

have as a centre stone their birth-gem,which should of course hold the mostprominent position in the ring, the other

BIRTH-MONTH STONES 131

six stones may be set round this in acircle or arranged three on each side ofthe centre gem. " Wear it and fear noman, for thou wilt be invincible as Achilles, " says Philadelphus.The seven colours in heraldry havealso their symbols in preciousstones, namely: Or, topaz ; The preciousArgent, crystal; Sable, diamond ; £S?Sok5wiGules, ruby ; Azure, sapphire ; in heraldryVert, emerald ; Purpure, amethyst.

CHAPTER XXTALISMANIC ENGRAVED JEWELS

N this branch of our subject we approach the

i true science of talismans,charms, and amulets, andtrespass on the fringe ofpractical magic. But little

can be given along practical lines in awork written for the general

^reisvare public, for this branch mustpart of always apply to the individual,practical

&nd the efficacy Qf the talis_manic gem will depend on the

time of birth and the planetary positions on the day ; so that only with aknowledge of astrology can the talismanbe constructed with the correct metal,

132

TALISMAN IC ENGRAVED JEWELS 133

gem, and design, and the right time takenfor the making of it. As it is impossibleto give the special talisman to each reader,we will give those names and designswhich may be used for the month ofbirth and engraved on the birthstoneor metal so as to enhance its naturalmagical power.Gems are not classed as talismanic tillthey have passed through the engravershands, where they are engraved and setcabalistically ; up till that timethey are charms depending on Gems intheir natural or artificial power, ^not™The Gnostics, Kabalists, and talismansother occultists of the middle agesconsidered that this natural power of thegem was greatly enhanced by this process.The Egyptians, being great believers inastrology, were accustomed to have anengraving of one of the signs of theZodiac on some gem which was mountedas a ring. The Romans favoured engravings of certain gods and goddesses ;Venus engraved on onyx was supposedto impart strength and beauty ; Jupiter


gave the necessary ambition to honoursand renown ; the beryl, engraved with afrog and set in gold in the form of a pendant, is a great love talisman; the cornelian, bearing a man with a sceptre, thesardonyx, engraved with an eagle, aregood for fortune ; the topaz, with afalcon, procures sympathy for its possessor ; the red coral, with a man bearinga sword, will protect the wearer fromepidemics ; the onyx, inscribed with thehead of a camel, will produce frightfuldreams.Very potent for good or evil are someof the geometrical designs, such as Solo

mon's seal, the pentacle andSolomon's pantacle, the seals of the planets,

magic™*1 their magic squares, the signssquares and names of the planetary

spirits, and many other curiousfigures which are used to bring the wearerinto touch with the denizens of otherplanes.The appropriate metal in which tohave set the birth-gem and the designor name to have engraved on the metal

TALISMANIC ENGRAVED JEWELS 13s

or gem will be found in the followingtable :

No.BIRTH-GEM

METALSET IN NAME DESIGN

X. Garnet Lead ... Tzakmaqiel The Water-bearer

a. Amethyst Tin ... Vacabiel ... The Fishes3- Bloodstone Iron Sarahiel ... The Ram4- Sapphire ... Copper Araziel The Bull5- Emerald ... Platinum Saraiel ... The Twins6. Agate Silver Phakiel ... The Crab7- Ruby Gold ... Seratiel ... The Lion8. Sardonyx Platinum Schaltiel ... The Virgin9- Chrysolite Copper Chadakiel The Scales10. Opal Iron Sartziel ... The Scorpion11. Topaz Tin ... Saritiel ... The Horse

man12. Turquoise Lead ... Semaqiel ... The Goat

The name or design may be engravedalone or both if desired. The designsmay be found in any almanac, and caneasily be copied from Zadkiels.The astrological symbols for the Zodiacalsigns are : Aries r, Taurus », Gemini n,Cancer 25, Leo a, Virgo nx, Libra ==,

Scorpio m, Sagittarius t, Capricorn w,Aquarius «, Pisces x. These may beengraved in place of the other design.


Each of these engraved jewels hasspecial rule over various affairs connectedwith life besides bringing good luck tothose who wear them by right of birth.

More than one may be worn at^tato£dybyethe same time, but it must bethe twelve remembered, as previously stated,jewels"1 that in all cases the birthstone

must always be worn. Theaffairs and events they have rule over,and the class of people they should beworn by are given below. The numberscorresponding to those in first column ofthe foregoing table.1. For good health, content, and todevelop the psychic powers. Should beworn by the sick and depressed or thosedesirous of seeking into the mysteries ofnature.2. For protection from evil influencesand enemies, gives dominion over thepassions and animal nature. Those whowish to break the fetters of vice, or cementbroken friendships, should possess thisjewel.3. For fruitfulness and propagation.

TALISMANIC ENGRAVED JEWELS 137

Should be worn by the newly married ;by those interested in husbandry and thebreeding of animals.

4. For financial matters, and prospersall transactions and enterprises. Of valueto speculators, bankers, and those dealingwith money.5. For success in travel and changes ;protects against dangers and mishaps intravel on land or water. Should be wornby sailors, commercial travellers, and allthose having much activity.6. Gives luck in connection withlegacies and wills ; is helpful for thediscovery of hidden treasure ; conferseloquence and enlightens the mind.Orators, actors, and those interested inmining and seeking of treasure shouldhave this jewel.7. Good for pleasure, hazardous risks,harmonious relations with children, success to actors, and in all love matters.Should be worn by gamblers ; those connected with the stage ; is of luck to children, to teachers, and those who seek togain the affections of the opposite sex.


8. For health ; success to servants ;gives luck in the breeding of small animalsand poultry. Should be used by the sick ;those in subordinate positions ; breedersof dogs, cats, birds, etc.

9. For friendship, justice, marriage, orlaw. Useful to those who are engagedto marry, or who are married ; to judges,lawyers, and all those seeking favour orfriendship.10. Success in warfare, contests, dangerous pursuits, and in handling medicine.Soldiers, doctors, chemists, surgeons, thoseentering into contests, or wherever thereis risk to life should wear this.11. Gives success to voyagers, emigrants, pioneers, and those living in foreigncountries. Should be used by adventurers,explorers, those going abroad or dealingwith foreigners.12. For honour, preferment, seekingfavour, for enlightening the understandingand conferring reason. To be worn bythose seeking position or the favour ofthose in authority. Politicians and rulersshould possess this jewel.

TALISMANIC ENGRAVED JEWELS 139

It may be that there are those who wouldlike to follow in the steps of Apolloniusand change their gems daily.If so the gems given to each day jjpowerfulmay be converted into potent taiismanictalismans and worn on their day^h'/ayirrespective of birth data.They will be as below :Sunday.—A ruby or chrysolite set ingold, and engraved on the gem or metala sceptred king upon a lion, or a queenwith a sceptre.Monday.—A selenite, pearl, or opalset in silver ; the design, a king ridingon a doe, or a woman with a bow andarrow.Tuesday.— An amethyst or bloodstoneset in iron ; design, a king on a wolf,or a female warrior.Wednesday.—An olivine, agate, or jadeset in platinum ; design, a king ridingupon a bear, or a woman spinning.Thursday.—An emerald or sapphire setin tin ; design, a king with a javelinriding on a stag, or a woman bedeckedwith flowers.

HISTORICAL CHARMS

Friday.—A turquoise, beryl, or lapis-lazuli set in copper ; design, a king on acamel, or a naked maiden.Saturday.—An onyx set in lead ; design, a king, crowned and seated on adragon, or a witch.

CHAPTER XXILUCKY MASCOTS AND TRINKETS

NDER this heading we wilclass those trinkets sold byjewellers as luck-bringers.There are hundreds ofthese whose luck dependschiefly on their shape and

the objects they represent. " There isquite a craze for these prettym ascots, ' ' says one writer : this How to. . r_

» . choose yourbeing so, we hope to show that luckythere may be some method in *0^j„gt*c"this craze and that they can be magical lawworn according to the law ofcorrespondence and other laws little re- .cognised by the majority.

141


Among these mascots we find the modelof a mummy and case, an Egyptiancharm from Karnac, the Buddhist prayer-

wheel, the New Zealand green-

to6 £he°olnstone 20<*> tne Lincoln imp, the

Mikko6Mikko monkey, the lucky bean,

andother black-sweep, gold horseshoe, themascots little clogs, the four-leafed clover,

snakes, spiders, grasshoppers,beetles, pigs, dogs, and many others.Many people do not rely on thesetrinkets, but create their own mascots ;perhaps a sudden stroke of good luck willmake them cast around for the compellingcause, this may be found in having thatmorning picked up a peculiar stone, havingreceived in changing money a lion shilling,a farthing, or crooked sixpence—anythinga trifle out of the common may appealto the romantic nature ; and this is thenregarded as the cause, and looked to forluck in the future.Those who place faith in these littlemascots may work according to magicallaw by selecting their luck-bringers fromthe table here given :

LUCKY MASCOTS AND TRINKETS 143

BIRTHDAY

Jan. 21 to Feb. 18, orDec. 23 to Jan. 20.

Feb. ig to Mar. 20, orNov. 23 to Dec. 22.

Mar. 21 to April 20, orOct. 24 to Nov. 22

April 21 to May 21, orSep. 24 to Oct. 23

May 22 to June 21, orAug. 24 to Sep. 23

June 22 to July 23

July 24 to Aug. 23

NAME OF MASCOT TO BEWORN

The sweep, mummy and case,the monk, Lincoln imp, skull,the elephant, ass, mouse,mole, pig, tortoise, frog, owl,crow, bat, eel, beetle.The Buddhist prayer-wheel,the clog, ivy-leaf, almond,acorn, bean, coins, horseshoe, horse, stag, unicorn,bee, eagle, dolphin, the fish.The soldier, smith, arrow,mailed fist, dagger, sword,pistol, bomb, ram, dog, wolf,tiger, weasel, hawk, falcon.The dancer, scales, figure ofJustice, the mask, Cupid,lover's knot, the two hearts,the clasped hands, the bull,swan, dove, and pigeon.The motor-car, the windmill,the juggler, winged Mercury,book, racquet, serpent, fox,squirrel, Mikko monkey, cat,spider, parrot, jay.The ship, compass, spade,anchor, sailor, diver, shell,crab, lobster, duck, water-hen, otter, chameleon.The heart, dice, ace, crown,playing-card, sceptre, jockey,lion, cock, phcenix.

CHAPTER XXIIHOW TO WEAR CHARMS AND

TALISMANS

IT one time for people towear amulets, charms, ortalismanic jewellery openlywas to lay themselves opento charges of witchcraft,so it was an art of the

goldsmith to disguise jewellery into innocent semblance. The incantation ring

was often a perfectly plain gold

a crime to* ring set with two gems, and on

wear talis- pressing these stones a spring

jewellery opened and disclosed the surfacebeneath, inscribed with mystical

signs and the names of the spirits. To-day

it is not considered a crime to wear these

144

HOW TO WEAR CHARMS I4s

things, so many are worn openly, as pendants, brooches, pins, some attached tobangles, watch-chains, and neckthreads ;yet even now many are worn secretlyespecially among men, and though it isnot uncommon to see men with bangleson their wrists, yet more are worn abovethe elbow- joint, for there are many whoare desirous to avoid being branded assuperstitious. It is stated that the wearingof bangles is a common practice withalmost all the crowned heads of the world.To those of either sex who desire towear any charm secretly, the correctmethod is to have it placed in a smallblack silk bag and suspended from theneck by a thin red silk cord, so that ithangs on the breast or under theleft arm. Another method is SSSTSt*to have it attached to a bangle wearing aand worn above the elbow. With charmwritten spells it is an easymatter to have them placed in a piece ofjewellery such as a locket, brooch, orring.When the charm takes the form of a

10


pretty piece of jewellery, it is hard andalmost seems a crime to hide it awayfrom the sight of others, though theancients were very emphatic in statingthat no person should be allowed tohandle or see the talisman or charm ofanother.A charm should be used intelligently,and where luck or success are soughtafter the wearer must do his part and notleave it to the charm to bring about theresults alone. A charm or gem is notonly useful for success in material things,but may be used to develop the spiritualside of the nature. Hold it between thefinger and thumb and gaze at it steadily,or if in the dark simply hold it. Con

centrate your thoughts on your

The charm highest ideal, and contemplateas an aid to faithfully the conditions whichspirituality vou desire, a few minutes spent

every day in such quiet meditation will put you in tune with the infiniteand give the wearer faith, strength, andcourage.

SECTION IIITHEIR EFFICACY: ANCIENT AND

MODERN THEORIES

«47

" Thus measuring things in heav'n by things on earthAt thy request, and that thou may'st beware,By what is past, to thee I have revealedWhat might have else to human race be hid."

—Milton.

"Ye spirits of the unbounded universe!Ye who do compass earth about, and dwel

In subtler essence ;I call upon ye by the written charm,Which gives me power over you—Rise ! Appear !"

—Unknown.

"An active principle subsistsIn all things, in all natures, in the starsOf azure heaven, the unending clouds,In flower and tree, in every pebbly stoneThat paves the brooks, the stationery rocks,The moving waters, and the invisible air."

"Whate'er in nature is thine own,Floating in air or pent in stone,Shall rive the hills and swim the sea,And, like thy shadow, follow thee."

—Emerson.

148

CHAPTER XXIIIMAGIC

T will now be necessary tomake a short study of

i magic, if we desire anything like a reasonableexplanation as to the

1 power behind and manifesting through charms and kindred objects. It may be that the world has risensuperior to such " superstitions " but before taking it for granted that superstitionand magic are the same thing, and thatthe theories of the old philosophers arenot suited for the present age, it will bewell to read what Prof. E. B. Tyler writeson Magic in the " Encyclopaedia Britan-nica. ' ' He says, " From age to age wholebranches of what was magic passed into

149

i5o HISTORICAL CHARMS

the realm of science. ' ' If this is so, thenif we trace the analogy back to first

principles there is no magic, and

ofyeTterday this name is only another namemay be the for science, or the name of a

tomorrow scientific fact before it is understood. Perhaps if we take some

of the writings of the old magicians andphilosophers, we may find that theirexplanations dressed in modern languageby our professors and scientists pass asscientific theories.Cornelius Agrippa, writing on magic,says, " Magick is a faculty of wonderfulvirtue, full of most high mysteries, containing the most profound contemplationof most secret things, together with thenature, power, quality, substance, andvirtues thereof, as also the knowledge of

A whole nature ; and it doth instruct

SSan us concerning the differing andCornelius agreement of things amongstand his themselves, whence it produceth

of mighT wonderful effects, by unitingthe virtues of things the applica

tion of them one to the other, and to their

MAGIC

inferior suitable subjects, joining andknitting them together thoroughly by thepowers and virtues of the superior bodies.This is the most perfect and chief science,that sacred and sublimer kind of philosophy, and, lastly, the most absoluteperfection of all most excellent philosophy. For, seeing that all regulativePhilosophy is divided into Natural, Mathematical, and Theological, Natural Philosophy teacheth the nature of those thingswhich are in the world, searching andenquiring into their Causes, Effects, Times,Places, Fashions, Events, their Wholeand Parts ; also

The Number and the Nature of those thingsCall'd Elements, what Fire, Earth, Air forth brings,From whence the Heavens their beginnings had,Whence Tide, whence Rainbow in gay colours clad.What, makes the Clouds that gathered are, and black,To send forth Lightnings, and a Thundering crack;What doth the Nightly Flames, and Comets make;What makes the Earth to swell, and then to quake ;What is the seed of Metals, and of Gold,What Virtues, Wealth, doth Nature's Coffer hold.

All these things doth Natural Philosophythe viewer of Nature, contain."Again, he writes, " Now Theological


Philosophy or divinity teacheth what Godis, what the mind, what the intelligence,what an angel, what a devil, what the

soul, what religion, what sacred

feafhesthe institutions, rites, temples, ob-secretand servations, and sacred mysteriesmysteries of are jt instructs us also con

cerning faith, miracles, the virtues of words and figures, the secretoperations and mysteries of seals ; and,as Apuleius saith, it teacheth us rightlyto understand, and to be skilled in theceremonial laws, the equity of holy things,and rule of religions Pythagoras,Empedocles, Democritus, Plato, and manyother renowned philosophers travelled farby sea to learn this art; and being returned,published it with wonderful devoutness,

esteeming of it as a greatPyihn.g0i.ras secret. Also it is well knownand Plato . ,travelled that Pythagoras and Plato went

theo0coSitrnt0 tne ProPhets of Memphis

secrets to learn it,

and travelledthrough almost all Syria, Egypt,

Judea, and the schools of the Chaldeans, that they might not be ignorant of

MAGIC

the most sacred memorials and recordsof magick, as also that they might befurnished with divine things. Whosoever,therefore, is desirous to study in thisfaculty, if he be not skilled in NaturalPhilosophy, wherein are discovered thequalities of things, and in which arefound the occult properties of every being,and if he be not skilful in the mathematics,and in the aspects and figures of the stars,upon which depend the sublime virtue andproperty of everything, and if he be notlearned in theology, wherein are manifested those immaterial substances whichdispense and minister all things, he cannotbe possibly able to understand the rationality of magick. For there is no workthat is done by mere magick, nor anywork that is merely magical, that dothnot comprehend these three faculties. ' '

It will thus be seen that magic is ahigh system and state of knowledge in both philosophy and

T^eto™tscience. At an early period magicit was divided into four classes.These were : ist, Natural Magic ; and,


White Magic ; 3rd, Black Magic ; 4th,Divine Magic. We need only touchthat class to which our subject belongs,and that is chiefly the first, or NaturalMagic, where we are brought into connection with the spiritual world throughartificial or natural agents.

CHAPTER XXIVANCIENT OCCULT THEORIES

IT is well known by studentsof the occult that spiritdoes not act immediatelyupon matter ; there mustalways be a medium between them. Spirit and

matter are the two poles of one and thesame substance needing an intermediate middle as a point The in3,li'- . j , pcnsableof conjunction and exchange agent ofof energy. Seeing this, then.J™^it may not be inappropriate formanceto suggest that this medium isthat invisible, mysterious something inwhich the matter atoms float, calledby the Hindus, Akasa ; by the Hermetic

155


philosophers, Azoth ; by the Occultists andMagicians, Astral Light, or Anima Mundi ;by the Rosicrucians, the Universal Fire ;and by Modern Scientists, LuminiferousEther. It is the indispensable agent ofevery magical performance, religious orprofane. It permeates all things, goingthrough flesh and blood, steel and glass,the diamond and sapphire, with thefacility of water through a net. It is thelink between all things, between the starsand the human body, between plants andminerals, and is the media by means ofwhich all our spiritual efforts can be

exerted upon nature. ThroughThe secret it each body may produceand anti-e8 certain changes in the activitypathies of life in another body that

is in sympathy with the former ;on it rests the whole teaching of affinitiesand antipathies.We have quoted Agrippa on Magic,and will now see what he has to say onthis medium. He writes as follows :" The ever-changing universal force, the' soul of the world, ' can fecundate any

ANCIENT OCCULT THEORIES 157

thing by infusing in it its own celestialproperties. Arranged according to theformula taught by science, these objectsreceive the gift of communicating to ustheir virtue. It is sufficient to wear themto feel them immediately operating onthe soul as on the body. ' '

Paracelsus, one of the most learnedphilosophers and mystics, says, " Thesun and the stars attract something from us and we attract Paracelsussomething from them, because nature ofour astral bodies are in sym- talismanspathy with the stars, and the starsare in sympathy with our astral bodies ;but the same is the case with the astralbodies of all other objects. They allattract astral influences from the stars.Each body attracts certain particularinfluences from them : some attract more,others less ; and on this truth is basedthe power of amulets and talismans andthe influences which they may exerciseover the astral form of the bearer. Talismans are like boxes in which siderealinfluences may be preserved."


Again, he says, " There are certainstars whose influence corresponds to themedical qualities of certain metals, andothers that correspond to those of certainplants, and they may act for good or forevil if they are attracted by correspondingelements in the sidereal body of man.If, for instance, a woman is deficient inthe element whose essence radiates from

Mars, and consequently suffersHow Mars from poverty of blood and want

tahe8h"iJman of nervous strength, anaemia,body we may give her iron, because

the astral elements of iron correspond to the astral elements containedin Mars, and will attract them as amagnet attracts iron."Dr. Hufelans, in a work on Magic,profounds the theory of the universalmagnetic sympathy between men,animals, plants, and minerals, and confirms the testimony of Campanella, VanHelmont, and Servius, as to the sympathyexisting between the different parts of thebody as well as between the parts of allorganic and even inorganic bodies.


In an old work on Magic it is stated," In the grand laboratory of nature thereare many singular compositions of herbsand minerals, which have a surprisingeffect in themselves without the leastassistance from supernatural agency ; forin the commixture of bodies of a similarnature, there is a twofold power andvirtue, first when the celestialproperties are duly disposed in TJle *ccul*

4. 1 u t. 4.1.affinity of

any natural substance, then naturalunder one form divers influences thin^s

amongof superior powers are com- themselvesbined ; and, secondly, when fromartificial mixtures and compositions ofnatural things, combined amongst themselves in a due and harmonical proportion,they agree with the quality and force ofthe heavens under certain correspondentconstellations. This proceeds from theoccult affinity of natural things amongthemselves. ' '

In 1643 Father Kircher, a monk, wroteseveral works on Magic, wherein hestated that a needle can be magnetisedby simply being held in the hand of a


strong-willed man ; so that man canimpart his own life, and, to a certaindegree, animate inorganic objects.Coming to the end of last century, wefind Madame H. P. Blavatsky refers frequently to this force in her works, " IsisUnveiled," and "The Secret Doctrine."She writes, " The occult power of plants,animals, and minerals, magically sympathise with the superior natures, andthe divine soul of man is in perfect intelligence with these inferior ones."

Speaking of magic, she says,

The corner-" The corner-stone of magic is

stone of an intimate practical knowledgemaglc of magnetism and electricity :

their qualities, correlations, andpotencies. Especially necessary is afamiliarity with their effects in andupon the animal kingdom and man.There are occult properties in many otherminerals equally strange with that in thelodestone, which all practitioners of magicmust know, and of which so-called exactscience is wholly ignorant. . . . Onecommon vital principle pervades all things,


and this is controllable by the perfectedhuman will."From the foregoing it will be seen thatthe ancients were familiar with a forceto which they gave various names—auniversal force, which is thelink between man and nature. A uni", .

, . versal forceThey were also aware that, which is thethough this force interpene-linkbetweeni. * 11 -j. ii. man andtrates all space, it gathers more naturethickly or becomes more densearound certain centres, such as the brainof man, the heart, the spine, the roots offlowers, and the seeds of minerals. Itwas a specialisation of this force whichwas the " luminous sphere " of Paracelsus ; on it Mesmer based his theory of" Animal Magnetism " ; while it was the" Od " and " Odylic Fluid " of Reichen-bach, for this force manifests in manyconditions.

II

CHAPTER XXVMODERN SCIENCE AND OCCULT

THEORIES

HOSE interested in mysticism who are living atthe present day, find themselves in the position wherethey are able to provethose words of Prof. E. B.

Tyler, which were previously quoted,that, " From age to age wholebranches of what was magic passed intothe realm of science. ' ' The magic of

the ancients is still with us ;for through the far past andon to the present century,it has flowed down throughmany channels, these usually

being the various occult lodges and so-

Ancientmagic isstillwith us

162

MODERN SCIENCE 163

cieties whose work it was to keep alivethis knowledge, and the " discoveries ' 'and lines of investigation pursued by ourmodern scientists have justified many ofthe statements made in the past by theseancient magicians, and handed on to thetrained scientist of to-day by the modernoccultist. It is not difficult to recognisethe ether of our scientists as the universalforce of the ancients, akasha, and just asreadily may be seen in what is termedthe compounds of modern chemistry theelements of the old alchemists.In its new dress of hypnotism we findthe force spoken of by Father Kircher,the Animal Magnetism of Mesmer, and theMesmerism of Dr. Esdail, and manyothers. The N-rays of R.Blondlot, the Human Radia- 1?°N"r.Sy!, ' , _ . . ol Blondlottions of M. Tessier d Helbaicy, are but theand those mentioned by Prof.Charpentier and others, are but occultistsother names for the " luminoussphere," "ed," " odylic fluid," and" aura " of those occult writers and investigators, Paracelsus, Baron Reichen


bach, Madame Blavatsky, Dr. Hartmann,C. W. Leadbeater, J. C. F. Grumbine, andW. J. Colville.R. Blondlot says that all objects storeup and radiate what he terms theseN-rays ; ancient and modern occultiststell us that everything organic or inorganic has its astral counterpart, whichpenetrates and surrounds it. Reichen-bach spoke of a mysterious kind of lightemanating from crystals, magnets, andfrom human finger-tips.Our latest discoveries go to prove thatthese various rays are of great curativepower, that human rays or emanationscan be manipulated by the human will

and given the power of evil"a7benraySor good> so that they may bemanipulated made poisonous or vitalisinghuman will by the thought of the person

emitting them. Experimentshave been tried on plant-life, two plantsof the same age, and both in a healthycondition, are subjected to these humanrays, one is treated with affection andwilled mentally to grow to perfection, the

MODERN SCIENCE 165

other, though cared for and watered atthe same time, and having the samesurroundings, does not receive the mentalaffection and good thoughts, but is cursedand thoughts of hate sent out to it. Theresult is, that in two or three weeksthe cursed plant begins to wither, whilethe other grows healthy and strong.What is this but the witchcraft of the middle ages ? Is it Witchoraftnot akin to the "evil eye," and theso much believed in at the evlleye

present day in Italy ? In theexperiment given the victim is a plant, inwitchcraft and with the " evil eye," it isan animal or a human being.All magnetic healers are aware thatin treating a patient they actually drawsomething away from the person, and ifnot careful will themselves take on theaches, pains, or disease which they haverid their patients of.

CHAPTER XXVINATURE SPIRITS: THE POWER

BEHIND THE GEM

9 T has been shown that bothancient and modern scien-

1 ■ tists are at one in a beliefin a general principle ofnature to which they have

—* given various names ; andthough this has cleared our ground insome measure, there is yet another fact innature to examine before our theory as

to the efficacy of charms, especi-Nature ally gems, can be made clear.an natural6 And nere we a differenceforces between the science of the

ancients and of the moderns.Modern scientists have not yet " discovered ' ' those living intelligences which

1 66

NATURE SPIRITS 167

function through and guide all naturalforces ; so far they have not acceptedfrom that middle man, the present dayoccultist, this truth handed to him bythe past grand masters of magic.We are told that humanity only playsa small part in nature, that there are otherevolutions beside ours, and that eachkingdom of nature has its inhabitants, andthough these may be invisible to us,nevertheless they exist and play a greatpart in the evolution of the universe.They are called Natural Elementals, orNature Spirits, and those we have to takeinto account in our subject are dividedinto five main classes ; they are thecreatures evolved in the kingdoms ofether, fire, air, water, and earth.Readers of mythology may tTahnetjn0hfabi-recognise them in the pixies, ether, fire,fairies, elves, and brownies. *nd earth"'They are distinct creations, andit is seldom they make themselvesvisible to man, being engaged in thecarrying out of the activities connectedwith their own elements, for they are the


powers of nature, and do what is usuallyascribed to her. In the Kabala we findthese creatures as ministering everywherefrom the Zodiac down to the smallestworm. It is stated that there is not athing in the world, not the least herb over

which is not set a spirit, for itA spirit is these which are concerned in

growth*!* the building of the various formsevery herb of minerals, plants, and animals,

also in the building of the humanphysical body. Their bodies are formedof a rarer class of matter than the humanphysical body, thus their invisibility.Among them is found different grades ofunintelligence, as in humanity. By understanding their nature or knowing themethods of their control, as the oldmagicians did, they can be made to renderservice.Comte de Gabalis says, " When youshall be numbered among the childrenof the philosophers, and when your eyesshall have been strengthened by the useof the most sacred medicine, you willlearn that the elements are inhabited

NATURE SPIRITS 169

by creatures of a singular perfection, fromthe knowledge of, and communicationwith, whom the sin of Adam has deprived his most wretched posterity. Yon vast space stretching No part inbetween earth and heaven has far space un-nobler dwellers than the birds lnhabited

and gnats ; these wide seas holdother guests than the whales and dolphins ;the depths of the earth are not reservedfor the moles alone ; and that elementof fire, which is nobler than all the rest,was not created to remain void anduseless. ' '

Ages ago these elementals were classified and names and sigilla were used toexpress these forces ; so powerful werethey considered that it wasthought to be dangerous to utter °auUer°U8these names in certain places their namesa. i • j in certainat certain times and seasons, piacesfor at particular configurationsof the planets they were said to have greatpower.

CHAPTER XXVIICLASSIFICATION OF CHARMS

[F^^^l Let us first gJance atwhat we will term artificial charms, theseappear to owe their efficacy to some

outside influence, usually theArtificial human will or thought, andcharms this may be brought about con

sciously or unconsciously. Underthis heading we will class those charms,such as religious relics and images.These have been converted into such andstrengthened in their power by every

HIS is a difficult matter forthe forces at work, thoughsometimes distinct willoften unite and work inconjunction.

170

CLASSIFICATION OF CHARMS 171

devotee ; and though in most cases thishas been done unconsciously, yet theyhave become soaked with human magnetism of a devotional nature, so that therelic or image has become, as ColonelOlcott terms it

,

a " psychic dynamo. ' '

Another type of artificial charm, thoughconsciously made so, is holywater which has been mag- Religiousnetised by the priests with a psych"6definite object ; for water easily dynamostakes on the magnetism ofany one, and a sensitive individualcan distinguish between water whichhas been magnetised, and that whichhas not. Holy water impregnated bythe good thoughts of a man is highlycharged with magnetism and very potentfor good. In the same way any object,whether valuable or worthless, may beconverted into an artificial charm forgood or evil. If charged by some one oftrained will and one having a knowledgeof the forces brought into play, thepower will remain in the object for

a long period, and if it is made to

HISTORICAL CHARMS

radiate at the same rate of vibration asthat of the maker, it can be made achannel for his good or evil influence.

Mr. Leadbeater says that somePowerful of the amulets and talismans

the Braru"shn in the British Museum evenMuseum retain their magical power

now.All objects worn by people take on theirmagnetism and become tuned to theirrate of vibration, these may be termedartificial charms, some objects taking thison more than others, thus their chiefpower will have much to do with the character of the wearer. This is the reasonwhy something worn by a lucky man iseagerly sought for, and will in a certainmeasure help to bring luck to its newowner ; much depends on whether the

former owner or the present

Jouet£netheone's vibrations are the stronger,

charm, or or, in other words, whether the

tune's'you1 charm's vibrations are strongerthan the new owner's, for the

stronger will tune the weaker to itsvibration. The same applies to those


things worn by the unlucky, or by thegood or evil. Those worn by the eviltake on the low vibrations of the evilperson, those worn by the good andpure take on the high vibrations, andwill help to fructify the germ of goodor evil in any one who may wear them.Their strength depends on the individuality of their former owner, and whetherhe was an ordinary or an extraordinarypersonage.It is not wise to wear the cast- . . „, , , , 4 It is danger-off clothing of others, unless ous to wearthe character of their previous second-hand

„ < r goodswearer is well known.Natural charms may be said to owe theirpower to both outside and inside influences.To this class belong all virgin metals,minerals, stones, and most plants andanimals. They appear to possess a magicalpower of their own, and probablythey owe this to the elements of Naturalwhich they are composed, and charmsto the nature spirits ensoulingor watching over their growth. Theirefficacy depends chiefly on the sym


pathy existing between them and thewearer or possessor, thus we find thatcertain stones are of value to one individual and not another ; the same withplants and herbs, as witnessed in curativework. For this reason it is recommendedthat the gem belonging to a person byright of birth should be worn. The variousgems have each their own natural rate

of vibration, and that of the ruby

rate oftUral differs from that of the turquoise,vibration of and so with all. This law of

stones™8 sympathy and antipathy is thereason why gems lose their

brilliancy with the health of the wearer ;and in the case of the ruby it is said tochange colour when misfortune threatensits wearer. At the present day medicalmen recognise the natural curative vibrations of amber, and recommend its beingworn as a charm against certain ailments.Magical charms will be our next class,where we have the natural power of acharm greatly enhanced by the humanwill consciously directed for this purpose.The knowledge of the various rates of


vibration and the law of correspondencewith the ability to apply it

,

makesof that man a practical magician, hence the name of magical Magicalcharm. Any gem or metal charmswhose natural virtue has beenstrengthened by such a man will havegreat power either for good or evil. Ifthe gems of Solomon and of the Jewsare to be accredited, they would belongto this class.Closely related to the magical charm

is talismanic jewellery, talismans, andwritten spells. Though related there is

a difference between charms andtalismans, and the talismanic Talismanicjewellery would appear to bridge iXS,this. While a charm may be and spellsanything from a worthless pieceof fabric to a precious stone or evenman, the talisman is more or less anartificial production, which may be constructed of metal, stone, or parchment,depending for its efficacy on the bindingof or constraining of the elementarypowers to aid the behests of the possessor.


This is done by preparing them at certaintimes and by observing many singular

forms and ceremonies. We haveThe binding mentioned that the forces behind

elementary nature are intelligent, and whenpowers we add that they have many

grades and classes from comparatively insignificant lives to the supermundane orders, and that these are atthe back of real talismanic magic it willbe seen that the forces worked with arenot to be scoffed at.Writing of these forces, Baron duPotet, says, " How did I come to findout that art ? Where did I learn it ?In my thoughts ? No ! it is natureherself who discovered me the secret.And how ? By producing before my

Baron daown eyes» without waiting for

Potent says me to search for them, indisput-

*£eseforces abie facts of sorcery and magic,

friends and And what is it determinesunderstand these attractions, these suddentraced signs . »

impulses, these raving epidemics, antipathies, and crises, these convulsions which one can make durable ?


What if not the very principle we employ,the agent so decidedly well known to theancients ? What you call nervous fluidor magnetism, the men of old calledoccult force. . . . An element existing innature, unknown to most men, gets holdof a person and withers and breaks himdown as the fearful hurricane does abulrush. It scatters men far away ; itstrikes them in a thousand places at thesame time without their perceiving theinvisible foe, or being able to protectthemselves. All this is demonstrated.But that this element should choosefriends and select favourites, obey theirthoughts, answer to the human voice, andunderstand the meaning of traced signs—that is what people cannot realise andwhat their reason rejects, and that iswhat I saw ; and I say it here mostemphatically, that for me it is a truth anda fact demonstrated for ever."Every force in nature is expressible bya formula or similitude, by the operation and expression of which it may bearoused to action. Iamblichus says, " The

12


Theurgist, through the power of arcanesignatures, commands mundane nature ;

no longer as man, nor as em-

powerof" Paying a human soul, but asnumbers existing superior to them in the

trioafforms order of the gods, he makes useof greater mandates than pertain

to himself, so far as he is human. ' ' Forthis reason the magical properties ofnumbers and of geometrical forms arerelied upon by the true magician, whoknows that they are expressive of certainactive principles in nature, and he therefore uses them to bring these principlesinto operation. The engraved gems ofthe Gnostics and all talismanic jewellerymust be placed in this division, while alltalismans, magical squares, phylacteries,and those charms depending for theirefficacy on traced signs, must also beincluded in this class.There is another form of charm towhich we will give the name of obsessedcharm, as this depends for its power onsome entity, often a human disembodiedone, attaching itself to the object which


forms the charm. Such are most ofthe skulls, and those things to whichthe haunting of houses areplaced. Weapons which have Thebeen used for crime are some- charmtimes obsessed by the spirit ofthe doer of the crime, and perhaps thisis the reason why most of these weaponsare destroyed. The mummy-case mentioned in another part of this work wouldalso come under this heading.

CHAPTER XXVIIIGEMS: WHENCE THEIR EFFICACY

AVING given precious stonesa prominent place amongcharms, it may be as wellto devote a few pages tothem alone, giving varioustheories as to whence they

derive their efficacy. Almost all philosophers have sought to find the reason why acertain gemwill help a particular individual,and manyhave been the explanations given.Pythagoras said that all things havea soul, and in the hidden subliminal

self, concealed in the soul ofthe stone, their virtue would befound. That when a man gazed

upon a stone whose soul was in affinitywith his own, it threw out certain

The soul ofthe gem

i8q

GEMS: WHENCE THEIR EFFICACY i8t

radiations that charmed him as a serpentmay charm a bird.Aristotle says, " The virtue in stonesis in the heat and cold. The heat inducesform, the form subsists in the aqueouspart. ' ' Hermes taught that all powerwas due to planetary causes, that virtueof things below must come from thingsabove. Albertus Magus asserted thatall power lay in form.Another writer states that the stoneis a family of mineral egos. Theophras-tus held that all metals were ofwater, but the precious stone The gem aof earth. Plato believed that S/alofthey held a sort of personality egosthat infused its virtue into them.Democritus said, " All things are fullof gods. ' ' Reichenbach states that," Every crystal, natural or artificial, exertsa specific action on the animal nerve ;feeble in health, powerful in weakness."Jacob Boehme declared that preciousstones had their origin in the flash oflight caused by love. He calls them theeye of the natural world. Other writers

18a HISTORICAL CHARMS

hold that certain lower intelligences belongto different gems, and when their ownercalls upon them they obey.These old-day ideas will hardly satisfythe scientific mind, so we will see ifmodern science has anything to give onprecious stones which will help us todiscover their power. Modern theories

trace the genesis of gems to the

The genesis early workings of fire and water,of gems through which our planet has

passed in the far past ages,while most agree that their constituentatoms must have been at one time ineither the liquid or gaseous state ; andscientists may be divided into two classes,one holding the aqueous, and the otherthe igneous theory. As to the colouringmatter of gems, most are agreed that thisconsists of various metallic oxides, thoughiron appears to play a prominent part inthis matter, but it depends on the amountof oxygen and certain combinations asto the colour given. Hauy says thereare exceptions, and some gems owe theircolour to other metals.

GEMS: WHENCE THEIR EFFICACY 183

Glancing at their electrical capacity,we find that nearly all precious stonespossess this quality in varyingdegrees, being either positive or Theeieo-negative. Amoretti's investi- Jggjjjgations of the electric polarity stonesof precious stones shows thatthe diamond, the garnet and amethystare negative, while the sapphire is positive. Experiments have shown the tourmaline is positive at its one end andnegative at the other—a feature whichthe topaz is also said to possess.We have here sufficient to enable usto establish a theory whereby we canshow how precious stones may be relatedto human beings ; for if the colour of thegem depends on iron, then it is well toremember that we have two principalforms of iron in the human blood, viz.,protoxide of iron and peroxideof iron, a compound of the two *^£f caf

.

constitutes what was formerly tween manknown as lodestone, or black *tn^grecl0UBmagnetic oxide of iron. Perhaps science may find that certain gems


are tuned to the human body throughvibrations generated by this magneticprinciple. At any rate there must besome degree of affinity between the gemand the man so tuned, therefore we haveestablished a physical relationship.For any other affinity we must lookto the nature spirits or elementals previously mentioned, as these can be said tobe related to one of the kingdoms, i.e..fire, air, earth, or water, on the onehand, and to one of the four temperaments on the other, the temperament de

pending on the element whichThe secret predominates in the body orof luck nature of the man ; for man

is composed of all elements, andthe element which predominates in hisconstitution at birth will be the rulingelement throughout life, and all thingsof like element will be in sympathy withhim. This is the secret of what we term"luck." Here we find the reason whysome people are lucky in one thing andnot in another. Those with the earth,or gnomic element, having preponderance

GEMS : WHENCE THEIR EFFICACY 185

are lucky with metals and earthy matters ;those with the fire element strong findtheir luck with fire or in occupationshaving to do with this, and so on. Ifpeople had a knowledge ofthe law of correspondence, and *fta?'realised that they have as their colour asheritage a certain gem, metal, heiuageand colour, and if this knowledgewere applied, then we should hear offewer unlucky people.We have seen how our scientists aredivided as to the origin and nature ofgems—some leaning to fire, others towater. Probably both sides have a littleof the truth. May not all the elements have their representatives in themineral kingdom and among preciousstones, as is suggested by the Easternsin the story of the magic necklace ofVishnu ?As far evolved as man may be he is onlynear the centre, or standing midwaybetween the planets with their gods andthe minerals with their elementals ; yetis he linked equally to both, for all things,

13


from the highest to the lowest, are like beadson a thread, and this thread is one of the

rays of the seven planets. TheMan stands ray on which a man is strung on

t^e*nathee' depends on what planet had chiefplanetary rule at the time of his birth. Ifthe gemd it was Mars, then will he be tunedelemental to all things of the Mars ' nature.

The root of all is One or theAbsolute ; and from this impersonal principle emanates the rays. The ray whichis guided by the great planetary spiritof Mars is tuned to the vibrations of thisplanet, and passes through the variousorders of spirits and highly evolved beingsuntil it reaches man, and so on, downthrough the animal, vegetable, mineral,and lower kingdoms—a magnetic ladderfrom the mineral to the gods. All things,

from the lowest to the highest,A ladder which are tuned to this ray, must

nXeraUo be in close affinity one with thethe gods other. In this way we find that

each planet has its representatives on every plane and in every kingdomof nature.

GEMS: WHENCE THEIR EFFICACY 187

When the earth was in its making theserays went forth upon their mission, andfalling upon an aggregate of atoms inprocess of crystallization, the vibrationsof the ray were caught and fastened inthe rock or precious stone, there to lielatent until roused into activity by vibrations of a like nature playing upon them.We find a similar law at work in coalwhere the sun's energy or vibrations liehidden to be set free by other heat vibrations. May it not be that the vibrationof a human will, keyed to the same rayas the precious stone, can call into actionthe hidden virtue and ensouling elementalof that stone ?Each gem is the emblem of one of theseven great planetary hierarchies ; eachindividual belongs unalterablyto a certain hierarchy, and will Man,g placehave the peculiar conditions of in thethat one within himself as theuni*erseguiding principle, and to whichvibrations he will be tuned. Each hierarchy has its special work, and thoughapparently differing in their method, yet


each is filling a part of the divinethought :

" All are but parts of one stupendous whole,Whose body nature is, and God the Soul."

—Pope.

INDEX

Aaron's Breastplate, 60, 93Abbey of Scone, 32" Abracadabra," 84Abraham, The Precious Stoneof, 59Affinities and Antipathies, 156,

174

Agate, 102, 118, 127, 137, 139

Agrippa, Cornelius, 19, 150,

156

Akasa, 155Alba, Duchess of, 38

Alexandra, Queen, 20

Alexandrite, 103

Alfonso XII., 8Almudena, Virgin of, 10Amber, 56, 103, 118Amen-Ra, Priestess of, 52, 98

Amethyst, 103, 119, 126, 128,131, 136, 139

Ammonite, 103, 119

Amorettl's Investigations, 183

Amulet, 56, 68, 77, 98, 175:

Ancient Egyptian Charms, 77

Anecdotes, 5, 6, 10-17, 19, 20,

22, 24, 26-28, 30-33, 38, 39,

42, 43, 44, 47-50, 52-58, 63-

69, 74, 75, 81, 82, 116

Angel's Written Charm, 62Anima Mundi, 156Animals, 49, 50, 78, 79, 83"Ankh,"77Anthropological Society, 3

Apollonlus of Tyana, 5

Aquamarine, 103

Aquarius, The Sign, 128Arabs, 30Arc, Joan of, 40Aries, The Sign, 127Arrowsmlth, Father, 65

Astrological Symbols, 135

Astrology, 76, 127, 133

Aura, 163Azoth, 156

Baber, Founder of Mogul Dy

nasty, 19Bacon, Lord, 57

INDEXBancroft, Lady, as a Mascot, 46Barton, Dr., the Aeronaut, 49Beads as Charms, 67Bed of Otway Family, 55Berlin, Archives of, 7Bernhardt, Madame Sarah, 98Bernora, Island of, 34Beryl, 103, 119Bettlscombe House, Skull at, 43Beza, 103, 119Bible at Spedlln's Tower, 66Birth-month Stones, 128"Black Sweep," Mascot, 100Blavatsky, Madame H. P., 31,160,164Blondlot, R., N-Rays of, 163Bloodstone, 104, 120, 127, 136,139

Bone of a Frog, 79Boots, Charmed, 58Bracelet of M. Santos Dumont,14

Brazilian Pebble, 104Breast-plate, Aaron's, 60Brilliants, 104British Museum, 53Brooch, Tortoiseshell, 14Buddhist Church, Strange Ceremony in, 73Buddhist " Prayer Wheel," asa Mascot, 142Bufonite, 104, 120Bullet-proof Men, 56

Burmese Beliefs, 116Burton Agnes Hall, Skull of, 41

Caaba, Stone of, 67Cancer, Sign of, 127Candles, Coughs Cured by, 81Capricorn, Sign of, 128Carbuncle, 104, 115, 120

Carnarvon, Lord, Charmed Treeof, 39Carnelian, 31, 60, 85, 105, 114,120,134Cast-off Clothing, 173

Cat, Civet, 79Cats, Black, 49Cattle of Chartiey, 50Cauls as Luck-bringers, 76Caviglioli, Jean, 53Chaka the Zulu King, 20Chalcedony, 105, 126Chalchihuitl, 105Chameleon, 79Charms—Artificial, 170Correct Method of Wearing,145

Dreams and, 88For Mental Development, 89For Protection from Animals,90

For Travellers, 89Historical, 4Jewels Classed as, 3

INDEX

Charms— Gon tin ued

Magical, 173

National, 173

Natural, 173

Obsessed, 28, 178

Psalms as, 87Writer's, 87Written, 84-90Chartley Cattle, 50

China, 17, 34, 93— Empress of, 17Chrysoberyl, 105

Chrysolite, 105, 120, 126, 128,

138, 139

Chrysoprase, 126

Clogs as Mascots, 100

"Coalstoun Pear," 39Coat, Holy, of Treves, 63, 72

Coins, Charmed, 21, 22, 24, 142

Colouring of Gems, 182

Colours in Heraldry, 131

Colville, W. J., 164Comb, Charmed, 78

Comtesse de Castiglione, 8

Coral, 105, 116, 120, 134

Coronation Stone, 32, 60, 93

Corsica, 53Corundum, 105Corvisart, Dr., 13Countess D'Eu, 14Cramp Rings, 80Crocidolite, 106Cromartie, Countess of, 54

Cromwell, Oliver, 54

"Crux Ansata," 68Crystal, 106, 113, 116, 121, 131

Cuba, 21

Dalham Hall, 37Darnborough, Mr. at Monte

Carlo, 47

Days of Week and Gems, 130,

139

"Dead Hand" of FatherArrowsmith, 65

Dee, Dr., 35Diamonds, 10, 19, 20, 28, 106,

114-6, 121, 131

Dog Trinkets, 100

Earrings, 60Edenhall, Cup of, 26

Edward, Ring of King, 6

Egypt, 21, 67, 77

Egyptian Pebble, 107

Elector John of Brandenburgb,

6

Electrical Poles of Gems, 183

Elementals, 168, 176, 186

Ellenborough, Lady, and the

Arabs, 30Emerald, 10, 57, 107, 113, 115,

116, 121, 126, 127, 131, 137,

139

Ena, Princess, 25England, 23, 26, 74

192 INDEXEsty, Madame, 16Evil Eye, 165Experiments with Plants, 164

Family Charms, 92Farjeon, B. L., the Novelist, 31Feitsul, 107Fire-stone, 107Fitzgerald's, Sir Maurice, Black

at 49Flags as Charms, 58, 94Fox, 78France, 4, 25, 40, 62Frederick the Great, 7French, Magic recognised bythe, 4

Frog, 79, 134

Gabalis, Comte de, on Magic,168

Garnet, 107, 122, 128, 136

Gem—

Genesis of, 182Philosophers and, 180The Soul of a, 180

Gemini, The Sign, 127German Emperor, 6, 49Germany, 6Gladstone, W. E., 50Gnostics, 92, 178

Goblet as a Charm, 27Gold Heart, 100Gold Skull, 15

Grecian Beliefs, 113Greece, 113

Grumbine, J. C. F., 164

Hadyn the Composer, 14

Haggard, Mr. Rider, 14Hair, Human, 53, 77Hall, Bryn, 65— Burton Agnes, 41— Dalham, 37— Garswood, 66— Hintlesham, 53— Wardley, 44Hand as a Charm, 65Handkerchief, Curative, 60

Hare, 78Hartmann, Dr., 164Haunted Rooms, 41-5, 179

Hebrew Beliefs, 114

Heliotrope, 107Heliotropian, 79Henry W., 27Heraldry and Gems, 131Herbs, 4, 79, 168, 174

Hindu Beliefs, 114Hintlesham Hall, 53Historical Charms, 4Hohenzollern, House of, 6

Holy Coat of Treves, 63— Hand, 65— Land, 22— of Holies, 18— Vests, 61

INDEXHoly Water, 69, 72Horseshoe, 56, 74-6, 100House, Bettiscombe, 43— Duchess of Alba's, 38— Lord Revelstoke's, 37— Lord Salisbury's, 37— Unlucky, 36Hufelans, Dr., 158Human Beings as Mascots, 46-9,82— Blood, 183— Rays, 164— Will, 174, 187Hyacinth, 107, 122, 126

Ikon, 66India, 16, 19, 20, 51, 74, 114Individual Charm, The, 91"Isis Unveiled," 160Italy, 165

Jacinth, 107Jacob, 60Jade, 17, 31, 99, 107, 122, 139Janotha, Mdlle. Nathalie, 49Japan, 77, 113Japanese Beliefs, 113Jargon, 107Jasper, 108, 122, 126Jerusalem, 6, 18, 126Jewellery, 3-17, 80, 97-101,130, 136, 141-4

Jews, 18, 76, 93, 114Justin Martyr, 6

Kabala, 87, 92, 115, 133, 168Kellermann,Mlss,the Swimmer,15

Keys, St. Peter's, 62Kircher, Father, on Magic, 159,163

Kite, 78Knaresborough, Manor House,44

"Koh-i-Noor " Diamond, 1»Koran, 28Kruger, President, 20, 55Kuropatkin's, General, Ikon, 66

Lamor, Miss Yvonne, 14Lapis-lazuli, 108, 140Leadbeater, Mr. C. W., 28, 164Lee, The Penny of, 22Leo, Sign of, 127Libra, Sign of, 128"Lincoln Imp," 142Lockhart, Sir Simon, 22Lodestone, 122, 183Longworth, Mrs. Nicholas, 17Luck, 4, 21, 47, 46, 53, 74, 184Lucky Animals, 49— Human Mascots, 46-9— Names, 48, 84, 85

Madrid/Patron Saint of, 10

194 INDEX

Magic, 3, 4, 31, 114, 132, 134,

149-54, 158-60, 162, 174

Magic, Corner Stone of, 160

Magical Charms, 175

Magnetic Healing, 165

Magnetism, 177

Malachite, 108, 122

Manchnrian Mascot, 35

Mandrake, 40

Man's Place in the Universe,

187

Mars, The Planet, 158, 186

Mascot, 3, 15, 16, 18, 27, 32,

35, 46, 47, 49, 51, 54, 93,

98-100, 141-3

Mecca, Blackstone ol, 67, 92

Medal of St. Benoit, 14

"Mephisto's Ring," 10Mesmer, 161

Metals, 4, 76, 132, 134, 135,

151, 158, 182, 185

Mexico, 113

"Mlkko Monkey," 142Monte Carlo, 47

Moonstone, 108, 114, 123

Morocco, 24

Moss-agate, 102Mommy, 52, 99, 142, 179

Muncaster Mascot, 27

Musgrave, Sir Richard, 26

Mystery Animals, 78

N-Rays, 163

Names, 48

Napoleon I., 18— III., 8National Charm, 93

Natural Charms, 173

Nature Spirits, 166, 167Necklace, Jade, 17— of Vishnu, 115"Never," 77Nelson, 56

New Zealand, 31, 99

Nile Expedition, 13

North American Indians, 93

Numbers, 83, 178

Occult Jewellery, 101

"Od," 163" Odylic Force," 163Ojo de Buey, 108

Olcott, Colonel, 171

Olivine, 108, 123, 139

Onyx, 108, 133, 134, 140

Opal, 7, 15, 92, 109, 112, 113,

123, 128, 138, 139

Ophite, 109, 124

Original Motive for Wearing

Jewellery, 3

Osiris, 68, 98

Otway Family, 55Ox's Eye, 109

Pantacle, 134

INDEX i95

Paracelsus on Talismans, 157,— 163Parchment Charms, 61Pear, Coalstoun, 39Pearl, 109, 115, 124, 139Pennington, Sir John, 27Pentacle, 134Peridot, 109, 124Persia, 28Pharaoh, 14

Philosophers and Magic, 152,168, 180

Pipe, Charmed, 55Pisces, The Sign, 128Planetary Hierarchies, 187

Planets and their Gems, 128

Potato Charm, 82Potet, Baron du, 176

Precious Stones, 4, 22, 60, 112,

115, 183

Psalms as Charms or Spells,87-9" Psychic Dynamo," 171

Rabbit as a Mascot, 51Ramayana, Epic Poem of, 116Reichenbach, 161, 164, 181

Religious Relics as Charms, 171"Renown," Mascot ot, 51Revelstoke, Lord, 37Ridgeway, Prof., on Jewellery,3

Ring Apollonius of Tyana's, 5

Ring and Magic, 5— Cramp, 80— Cursed Spanish Opal, 7— Czar of Russia's, 11, 12— Fated, of Napoleon I., 13— German Emperor's, 6, 92— Hadyn's, 14— in Westminster Abbey, 6— King Edward's, 6— Mephisto's, 10— of Strength, 130— Rider Haggard's, 14— Solomon's, 5— To prevent Falling Sickness,6

Ripon, Marquis of, 54

Roman Beliefs, 113Rosicrucians, 156

Rothschild, Leopold de, 31— and Luck, 46— Talisman, 57Ruby, 10, 20, 109, 115, 116,124, 127, 131, 137, 139

Russia, 11, 21, 22, 66, 67

Sagittarius, Sign of, 128Salisbury, Lord, 37

Sapphire, 18, 93, 109, 114-6,

124, 126, 127, 131, 137, 139

Sardius, 126Sardonyx, 110, 125, 126, 128,

134,138

Scarab, 67

INDEX

Schneider, Statement of, 7

Scorpio, Sign of, 128Scorpion Charm, 86

Scotch Pebble, 110

Scott, Sir Walter, in "Talisman," 22Seafleld, Earl of, 39Seal, Charmed, 15— Planet's, 134— Solomon's, 134"Secret Doctrine," 160Secret of Luck, 184Selenite, 110, 139

Servia, 14

Seven, Number, 83

Seventh Son, 82

Siderite, 110"Sistrum," 77Skull, Burton Agnes Hall, 41— Golden, 15, 91— Knaresborough Manor, 44— Screaming, 43— Tunstead Farm, 43— Wardley Hall, 44Snake Stone, 110, 125

Snuff Box, 57

Socerer and Cardinal Wolsey,6

Solomon's Ring, 5— Seal, 30, 134Spain, 8, 10, 24, 32, 81Spanish American War, 7— Opal, Cursed, 7

Spells, 4, 84-6

Spirits of Solomon, 5St. Benoit, 14

St. Beuno, 70

St. Columbus, 33

St. Dunstan, 75

St. Edward, 32

St. John, 60St. Peter, 62

St. Philomena, 72

St. Winefride, 69

Star Stone, 110

Stars and Stripes a Charm,

94

Stone, Coronation, 32, 60.

93— Green Heart, 16— of Bernora, 34— of Caaba, 67— of Iona, 34— of Memphis, 110— of Mukden, 34, 93— Toad, of Germany, 7— White, in Revelations, 61Stonehenge, 33

Streeter, Mr., of Bond Street,15

Table of Apostolic Virtues,

126— of Birth-month Mascots,143

INDEX 197

Table of Gems, Metals, Names,and Designs, 135— of Zodiacal Signs and Birth-stones, 127, 128— to find Birth Gem, 129Talisman, 22, 24, 39, 57, 132,144, 157, 172, 175

Talmud, 87Taurus, Sign of, 127"Terrible Turk," Wears aCharm, 58Tiger's Eye, 110, 125Toad, 79Toad-stone, 7, 92, 104Tomb, Charmed, 62Tooth, 79Topaz, 16, 110, 125, 126, 128,131, 134, 138

Topazolite, 111Totems, 93Tourmaline, 111Trees, Charmed, 38Treves, Holy Coat of, 63, 72Tribal Charm, 92Tunstead Farm, 43Turquoise, 99, 105, 111, 125,128, 138, 140

Tutnauer, Bernard, 22

Union Jack a Charm, 94United States, 74Universal Force, 161

Unlucky Cattle, 50

Unlucky Dalham, 37— Houses, 36, 37— Mummy, 52— Names, 48— Royal Sailors, 47— Stream, 54— Trees, 38, 39Urim and Thummin, 60, 93

Vase, Charmed, 26

Vatican, Ring from the, 11Verulam, Lord, 57Vests, Holy, 61Vibrations of Precious Stones,174

Victoria, Queen, 20

Virgo, Sign of, 128

Waters, Consecrated, 61

Wardley Hall, 44Warts, Charming Away, 57

Watch-chain, Human Hair,53

Water, 69, 72, 73

Wax Mask as a Charm, 53Weapons, 28, 179Weasel, 79Wells, Holy, 69-72Well, St. Winefride's, 69— Lourdes, 72— Mugnano, 72

198 INDEX

White Heather, 50, 100

William, Emperor, of Germany,6, 49, 92

Williams, Hugh, a Lucky Name,

48

Winchelsea, Earl of, 38Witchcraft, 165

Wolf, 79

Wolsey, Cardinal, Accused of

Sorcery, 6

Yu-Chi, 111

Zodiac, 127, 135

Zulu Chief, 20Zululand, 13

PRINTED AND BOUND BY

HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD. ,LONDON AND AYLESBURY.

the power ofgems and charms - iapsop

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