Blog

On Amulets and Talismans

Model Aleah Hyvonen wears the Michael Amulet Necklace, along with the Ra Signet Ring, Rollo Band, and Portal Bracelet. Photo by Chiara Garland.

I often get asked what on earth an amulet or a talisman is, let alone a sigil, so I figured it was high time I hopped on the blog and talked a little more about the woo-woo side of what I do. Don’t let my abstract, modernist sensibility fool you, Talisman is indeed called Talisman for a reason. I use this collection as a means of bridging my art and spiritual practice, in order to create a means of earning a living. Pretty neat, if you ask me.

In the simplest terms, an amulet is “an ornament or piece of jewelry believed to give protection against evil, danger or disease.” The term amulet or talisman can be used fairly interchangeably, as a talisman is considered “a small, portable object or piece of jewelry thought to possess spiritual or magical powers to protect, heal, or even harm individuals for whom they’re made.” In essence, they’re (usually) good luck charms. To be more specific, though, amulets and talismans are pieces of jewelry that can be imbued with a specific energy or intention by the maker, in order to achieve a specific goal for the wearer. Here is where I come in…

Model Sunshine Fox holds several Talisman pieces, including the Phoenix Amulet Necklace and the Protective Eye Y Necklace. Photo by Kristen Hatgi Sink.

Take for example, the Michael Amulet Necklace: this piece is made to carry the vibration of Archangel Michael, who is a protective guardian against evil for those who believe. Underneath the molten, abstract surface of this medallion, I’ve inscribed a symbol that is widely regarded as a magical sigil invoking Michael. What’s a sigil, you ask? A sigil is a written or drawn symbol that is considered to have magical power - often connected to the energy of a specific deity or spirit, though it also can be intuitively drawn as a symbolic representation of the magic practitioner’s own desired outcome. Whew, that got wordy! Long story short, I use sigil magic in my own spiritual practice, and many of Talisman’s pieces have secret sigils inscribed on them in order to bring you healing, protection, good luck, or other specific positive energies. The Michael Amulet and Phoenix Amulet are among those.

The the thing is, with these two pieces as well as the rest of the collection, my magic isn’t always obvious. That’s because I come from a background of melding two somewhat opposite worlds - fashion and spirituality. I’m a bridge person, residing at the threshold to connect people between those worlds. Fashion witch, if you will. With a love of modern art, and a background working in fashion for almost 20 years, though, I’m much more of a minimalist, abstract kind of girl. I want my pieces to be wearable and stand out as art objects, on their own. That’s why the magic behind them may not be so in-your-face to some. But trust me, it’s there.

Close up of the Michael Amulet Necklace and Solomon’s Seal Necklace. Photo by Chiara Garland.

Even for Talisman’s pieces that don’t have specific sigil inscriptions, like the Michael or Phoenix Amulets, or something so obvious as the Solomon’s Seal Necklace (which is a very powerful magical symbol that even predates its use in Judaica), magic and intention is always a part of my process. Before I even sit down at the bench, I begin each day with a meditation and channeling practice, along with some yoga movement and qigong to get my energy flowing. I focus a lot on my hands, and when I work on each piece, they’re usually vibrating with the energy that I am imbuing into the jewelry. Furthermore, when I work on custom pieces, I always have that end user’s needs and energy in mind as I’m working, so as to energetically charge that piece of jewelry with it.

Last but not least, I have an altar in my studio (Yes, I’m that woo guys. Are we really surprised at this point? Probably not LOL). This particular atar, if you care to know, is dedicated to Goddess energy, as embodied by deities such as Aphrodite, Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and a few others. That’s because those are some of my personal deities that I work with in my spiritual practice. So I set pieces on the altar for a time before they get shipped out to you, in order to receive some last blessings and cleansing.

So hopefully that gives some clarity for any of you who were a little unclear about just what an amulet, talisman or sigil is. And therefore probably not totally sure what I do, beyond making pretty jewelry. But hey, that’s a-ok if that’s all you think I do too ;)

Behind the Scenes of the Spring/Summer 2022 Lookbook Shoot

Handmade driftwood mobile by my late Great Aunt Susan <3 - something we were able to incorporate as a prop during our Talisman photoshoot

Journey with us to Phoenix, Arizona, where photographer Andrew Vanasse and myself ventured for a sun-soaked photoshoot of the latest Spring 2022 collection arrivals. While lookbook shoots may seem simple enough, many customers don’t realize just how many hours of concepting, planning and effort go into them (and after the fact as well). This one even involved a cross-country jaunt to the Sonoran desert, but hey, it was February and we weren’t complaining. With major, statement-making new pieces like the Mary Pendant and Metanoia Chain in the mix, we wanted a major shoot to showcase them in. Plus, where else were we going to photograph the new Phoenix Amulet Necklace than in Phoenix itself, right?

Andrew Vanasse uses a square-patterned wooden wall, some old boxes we found, and my family’s ceramic vase as a backdrop for the Plane Earrings and Phoenix Amulet Necklace (coming soon)

The earthy, bohemian vibe of an adobe house in Paradise Valley, on the outskirts of east Phoenix, provided just the right backdrop for the highly sculptural new wares. The scene we laid out had a look akin to an artist’s messy desert studio, and thus we mixed in an assortment of fruits and other (very) random foods for our still life shots - as if our artist had just plucked them off the table for a snack between working on her latest pieces. Fun side note here: I was also able to incorporate some of my family’s heirlooms into the pics too - including some handmade ceramic vessels and a driftwood mobile made by my late Great Aunt Susan. How special is that? Given the handmade nature of my jewelry - the Metanoia Chain alone took nearly 100 hours to make! - it all made sense together.

Snack, anyone? A cool mid-century stucco wall at sunset played backdrop to the Portal Bracelet, Mary Pendant (coming soon), and Demeter Cigar Band

Another fun fact: I oftentimes find during photoshoots that, even with the concept nailed down before hand, themes present themselves on the fly. When that happens it’s best to go with it. That’s definitely what occurred here… Rather unintentionally, fish kept making their way into the photos. Don’t ask me why, but when selecting food for the shoot at the local grocery store, the fishmonger called to me, and once we arrived at the location, we stumbled upon some decorative terra cotta fish that just sort of fit the bill. So we went with it. Fish, after all, are said to symbolize rebirth, the higher self, prosperity, abundance and good luck, among other things. I took it as a good omen. And thus, I present to you: the making of “Pisces’ Studio,” a lookbook shot by Andrew Vanasse in creative collaboration with myself, with hand modeling by (my dear cousin) Alianna Martinez. Stay tuned for the final result, coming to the web soon!

Did we make our hand model Alianna touch the fish? You’ll just have to check back in to find out ;) Pictured here are the Aphrodite Hugs, Plane Earrings, and the new Metanoia Chain (coming soon). Alianna wears the Rollo Band.

XX,

Vanessa