heart meanderings

Meandered along the beach this moring looking for heart shaped stones. Which got me wondering about the symbology of the heart, which a friend suggested actually bears a closer resemblance to a lower down organ in the chicks of the species..Which is interesting to bear in  mind when reading the following..
Ab was the Egyptian word for heart-soul, most important of the seven souls bestowed by the seven birth godesses (Hathors). The 'ab' was the soul weighed in the balances of Maat after death, to see how it stood up to weighing with her Feather of Truth. The ab was the central blood-soul emanating from the blood essence of the mother which lead to the saying that a pregnant woman carries her child 'under her heart' and why a mother called her child 'hearts blood'.
Significantly, the meaning of the Egyptian word for the mother given heart was reversed in Hebrew where 'ab' was redefined as 'father'.
The Egyptian heiroglyphic for ab was a dancing figure referring to the mystic dance of life going on in the body-the heartbeat. The same mystic symbol in India was the Dance of Shiva, who was supposed to dwell at the beating heart of the cosmos within the world body of Kali.Shiva went through periodic deaths until resurrected by his mother as did Osiris in Egypt.
Early Christian Gnosticsequated Jesus to the dancing god within.
Although the Christian church outlawed ecclesiatical dancing early on, the theme of the God within the dancing heart was not forgotten and was translated into the Sacred Heart symbol.
So you can see the spiritual valuing of the heart that underpins its use as such a strong emblem, although these days its more likeli to be referred to on a valentines day card or in a deck of cards than in practices of sacrifice, death and rebirth.

Info taken from the wonderfull "Womans Book of Myths and Secrets" by Barabara  G.Walker.

Amulets n talismans...

The tale of amulets is one ranging from waaay back in prehistoric times upto the now. Amulets are among the most common objects found by excavators at archaelogical sites, not confined to any time or place in the story of peoples. An amulet is a device, the purpose of which is to bring luck and protect, but by magical means rather than practical. A lump of meteorite worn against gunfire is an amulet, a bullet proof  vest aint. One type of amulet are those protecting against the evil eye, often made from blue glass and circular with concentric circles in the form of an eyeball....

Often used interchangably with the word talisman, there is some confusion about the boundaries between the two. But a talisman tends to be made specifically with intent for a certain person, or for the self. often used in ritual.

In my understanding, and practices, both can also be an epitomy of a certain element, deity or totem designed to amplify their energy and draw it into your environment
 

The substance and form of both deeply symbolic. Each material used has some inherant quality that empowers the whole. Most are of universal application, such as owl claws for wisdom, insight and seeing in the dark, but some are culture and locale specific such as the feathers of a particular species of owl with particular talents beyond the general. Gemstones, in general, are magical with correspondances but there may be a stone found in a small area that might have a individual relevance to folks from that area, like an ochre found by a river on traditional homelands. Infact it can be a joy to make an amulet to travel with that bears materials from home and may be valued because of its limited range like sea shells. Making a talisman for yourself can be a funky way to acknowledge what you value and carry a little of that with you wherever u may go, kind a a porta altar.....

Resources: Amulets: A World of Secret Powers, Charms and Magic by Sheila Paine
                  The Complete Book of Amulets and Talismans by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler
                  Cunninghams Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic by Scott Cunningham

Some of the amulets available at noo 'made it' store

Just pop on over to www.madeit.com/Opalessence to have a peek...

Ocean washed heart stones....

Today was such a georgeous day I couldnt be inside, so pulled the ol flocati rug out onto verandah and gathered supplies. Garage saling this morning i scored a heap of beads so got them, last night I was experimenting with binding up sea washed heart stones I found at the beach with copper wire so got them, plus several browsing books and a pot o tea. The end results, besides having a lovely day, were these heart stone amulets, which, just in case your interested, are for sale. the copper wire may look flimsy but shes sturdy as a 1950s bra!