Charmed

Wearing charms has a long history that sits deep in protection, magic, power and spirituality. I love charms and over the years have collected a few that I mix and match depending on what's going on in my life. A favorite is my little lady bug, being bearers of good luck. Being a little girl, seeing a lady bug made my day, especially if she landed on me. I would tell her my wish and she would fly away, leaving a little sprinkling of good luck behind. In my mind, she went around collecting wishes from little boys and girls to fly up to heaven to whisper into God's ear. Then she came back down to munch on some leaves and go to sleep under a BIG leaf to repeat the same mission tomorrow. Since she has super powers, she could do it, no space ship required. Everyone likes to believe in something, anything that gives us comfort, and that's what charms really are, a comfort of sorts. Religious symbols, semi-precious stones, four-leaf clovers, a loved ones' initial, all a protective shield. I've lost my favorite pair of earrings at least four times, yesterday being one of them. I had given them up for lost, forever. We went to the lake yesterday and coming out of the water, I realized my left earring was gone. When the area we were in emptyed out a little, I actually went back into the water, doing a two-step. I probably looked so silly. I didn't care that I was waltzing solo, as I hoped to step on my lost earring, that I imagined was laying on the bottom of the lake, waiting for me. After my sad dance time in the water, I came out, empty-handed. Sitting with disappointment, in my beach chair, I said a prayer to St. Anthony, "St. Anthony, St. Anthony please come around something has been lost and can't be found." Packing up a little later on, I was getting over it, "It's just a thing" I told myself. Later on that night, I sat on the couch reading and my husband came over to me with a smile on his face, "Is this what you were looking for?" My lost earring!!! I was in disbelief, and so the charm that I wear at times, its' symbolism connected to the patron saint of lost things, worked! He heard my prayer! :)

Here is my little collection of protective amulets, I love mixing and matching them! I've found most of  these in jewelry shops or street fairs, I'm still looking for a really small cross.
Going down:
 Row 1: the Holy Spirit over the Holy family medallion, a key with a peace dove, a chunk of amethyst, a stone  that bring a calm and serenity.
 Row 2: a ladybug, Hamsa hand, a hand of protection.
 Row 3:  St. Anthony medallion (thank you for my earring!) an hour glass, a reminder of precious time and a branch, that is a tradition from Norway, as one girl explained to me, when one went into the forest, you would break off a branch of a tree for protection, to guard you against a storm, when it came along. Translated beautifully into a sterling silver branch worn as protection during a personal storm.
Hope this inspired you to start a collection of your own that makes you feel good. :)