Magical charms can be both an object, such as a small bell, or a sort of magical prayer spoken out loud to bring the desired result.
This article will look at charms as magical words used to bring about some change.
In The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology (Rossell Hope Robbins), we find that:
“The distinction between a charm and a prayer was subtle, especially since, in the Christian period, charms incorporated holy names, used Latin phrases similar to those of the liturgy, and based their efficacy on the power of the Christian God.”
Some of the earliest examples of magic charms can be found in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and the spells and incantations of early medieval witches and wizards.
E.A. Wallis Budge (Amulets and Superstitions) explains that:
“The Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians wrote their spells on clay tablets, which were often baked in furnaces; the Egyptians wrote them on papyri, slabs of calcareous stone, potsherds, and figures of wood, stone, and wax…”
Many of these ancient magical charms and incantations have been translated, and many more will be found as new sites are uncovered.
How to Write a Charm
The first step to writing a charm is to focus on your intent.
For example, I wrote the following charm when my two adult children were little ones. It was a charm to get everyone to calm down, although I still use it today to calm myself down and refocus:
Hush like a whisper,
The wind through the trees.
Softer and softer,
A summer’s breeze.
- A spoken charm can be a short sentence or a brisk statement. It can be two sentences or longer.
- It can be written as a limerick, a haiku, or any other form of poetry.
- A charm does not have to rhyme, but rhyming can increase the effect of the magic.
- It needs to roll off the tongue.
Of course, charms can be far lengthier. For example, a manuscript from 1475 gave the following charm for ridding a fever:
Source: Observations on Popular Antiquities by John Brand. 1900.
Benefits of Using Charms
- Focus. The main benefit of spoken charms is that it allows us to focus on our intent.
- Creativity. Writing original charms boosts our creative abilities.
- Increase the odds. When it feels as though the odds are stacked against you and your desire, chanting self-written charms seems to help break the walls preventing us from the primary goal.
Charms have been with us for thousands of years, and they will continue to be with us as along as we continue with the ancient traditions.
