The Power of Amulets in Folk Medicine

In folk medicine, there is a connection between the spiritual and the material. A good example of this spiritual/material holism is seen in the use of amulets. Although amulets are material items, they are imbued with a spiritual power when used in folk medicine.

Amulets are used in folk medicine either to protect against the bad or attract the good. They are used to ward fire, violence, disease or anything that is harmful. Amulets can also be used to attract health, luck, success, etc.

Amulets come in many varying forms for use in folk medicine. The most popular amulets among Americans are the rabbit's foot and the horseshoe. Both of these amulets are thought to bring good luck to the bearer.

There are many other such amulets used in folk medicine. A mole's foot, for example, worn around the neck is thought to ward off illness and encourage longevity in the southern United States. The horseshoe is hung above the door to bring good fortune to any who pass beneath it. As such, amulets can be placed on houses, property, material objects, even pets and animals to protect them.

Plant Amulets

Plants and parts of plants are among the most common things used as amulets in folk medicine. Sometimes the plant amulets used in folk medicine are quite elaborate, requiring many different plants while others are very simple. A clove of garlic, for example, might be the best known of the plant amulets used in folk medicine. The garlic clove is known universally to repel evil.

Another example of plant amulets used in folk medicine is the buckeye. I remember gathering buckeyes as a little girl and my grandmother telling me that they would bring me good luck if I carried one in my pocket. These seeds of the horse chestnut tree are all-purpose plant amulets used in folk medicine for attracting luck and health.

Metal Amulets

Metal amulets are used in folk medicine throughout the world. It is often been proposed that the wearing of jewelry may have sprung from the use of metal amulets. Copper is often used as a metal amulet in folk medicine. It is believed that wearing this shiny metal will repel arthritis.

Although some skeptics say that the use of metal amulets is ridiculous, those of us who practice folk medicine know better. The metal in these amulets provide us with their inherent energies that result in curative effects.

Other Amulets

Anything can be used as an amulet in folk medicine, from written charms to a sealed bag of herbs and flowers. What makes an amulet is the intent with which it is used. In some places, amulets are used to hex or cause illness to another person. In others, amulets are used to protect against illness and hexes.

Amulets used in folk medicine are as varied as the people who practice it but they do have power. Whether it's the power of the maker/user/bearer of the amulet or the actual material itself is always a matter of debate.