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Lucky Charms, Amulets, and King Solomon Seals

From the litter beetle to the fig leaf, the cameo has always been the most important artifact in human history. Anthropologists have concluded that the cameos were used in different cultures as early as the iron and Neolithic periods. This tradition continues until today and evolves with time.

For generations, the main aspiration of mankind was to obtain luck and success. This ambition has lead people to seek the help of sorcerers and fortune-tellers, in order to amend their lives and destiny. The tradition of using lucky charms and amulets is common to most religions, cultures and nationalities, from historic times to modern civilization. People have always been looking for earthly link to spiritual properties by using lucky charms and cameos. The use of charms and cameos has a variety of manifestations and forms. Charms are used to enhance prosperity, success, marriage, health, finding companionship, restoring lost love and happiness. They served as a remedy for security, luck and protection since ancient periods.

The Amulet (Cameo)
The name “Cameo" was first mentioned in the Jerusalemite Talmud, in tractate of Sabbath chapter 36, paragraph 71. ; The name “Cameo” indicates a means of connecting the body with an object, such as “Tefillin”.

Cameo names are variable in different cultures. However - in most cases, the cameo functions as an object that attributes luck, success, cure, as well as a remedy against evil eye, bad spells, black magic, etc. The cameo is most effective while being held close to the person, either in the pocket, around the neck or inside the house.

History researches have concluded that the cameos were used in different cultures as early as the iron and Neolithic periods. The cameo is one of the most important artifacts in human history. It was used in religious rituals of the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Buddhists, Arabs, Indians and Hebrews. Ancient Egyptian leaders used to wear the cameo regularly on their necks. These traditions are still in use at modern times as amulets and charms are still in vast use today. According to the researchers, most of the cameos found in caves from the prehistoric periods were ordained against the evil eye.

The cameo has a special power to give its owner a sense of protection. For example: The cameo was a necessity among the Turkish warriors who never departed from their cameo in the battlefield, even for a split of a moment. Another example is taken from the Sumo wrestling tradition, where the wrestler carries the cameo inside the diaper on his groin.

In Middle Eastern countries, the cameo serves women as well. Pregnant women do not depart from their cameo throughout their pregnancy.

Along history, cameos were elaborated and used as jewelry. The most famous cameo in history, for example, was the Pharaoh Beetle, which was an emblem dedicated to RA, God of the Sun.

According to the ancient Egyptian faith, the litter beetle was a symbol for universal creation and divinity. According to the Jewish Kabbalah, this beetle was a symbol of infinity .The Egyptian cross “Anah” with the ring around its head, was a sacred cameo like the beetle, and similarly represented the power of eternity.

In Christianity, the crucifix played a major role as a cameo. Since middle ages, Kabbalah was the inspiration to creating cameos which contained angel’s names or names related to God. Kabbalah and the use of the Hebrew letters have also influenced Christian mysticism.

The Many Faces of the Cameo:
Cameos are divided into two main categories: One type serves as jewelry, and the other is based on virtue writing, and contain ancient scripts, angel writing and King Solomon seals. The cameos that appeared later in history were considered as giving powers or solving problems to those who carried them. In Egypt, the belief was that carrying a snake’s skin was a virtue for medicine, probably because snake’s slough symbolized rebirth and was associated with cure. Marteseger, the Egyptian snake goddess was considered as the guardian of the Kings Valley. A women who could not conceive knelt in front of her image or sculpture for blessing.

The symbol of Aesculapius, the Roman Medicine God was a snake wrapped around a bed. Among Indian tribes, the American snake is associated with lighting and thunder. The snake rod served the Indians in rituals to bring rain and ensure plentiful harvest.

Apart from the snake, another fertility symbol is the fig leaf that serves as virtue for men or women who suffer of sterility. A blue cloth serves as virtue for the birth of a boy and a red cloth, as a virtue for the birth of a girl. As we can see, a certain color was also a virtue for protection. In Arab traditions, the blue color is used to drive ghosts and demons away.

The use of the blue color is also present in the Arab symbol known as “Hamsa” (also called “Hand of God”), and as components of plant and spices packages.

Different plants have also inspired the infusion of protection symbols. Some religions used garlic to scare away demons and evil eye.

Unlike other religions, Judaism has made a unique usage of a cameo: the Mezuzah (doorpost). According to the Jewish belief, troubles and sicknesses at home are directly linked to a disqualified, invalid or the absence of a Mezuzah. In certain periods, the Jews used tattoo symbols on their bodies. Religious leaders did not allow these customs, as they related them to pagan witchcraft rituals.

Hand Written Amulets:
Most hand written Kabbalistic cameos contain verses from the Torah (the Jewish Bible) angel’s names and God’s names. In order to prepare them properly, the Kabbalists put a great emphasis on writing the precise combination of saints and God’s names (the letters are retrieve from the asking person and his mother’s names). There are Cameos that contain combinations of consecrations retrieved from the Kabbalah and ancient sacred scriptures.

During middle ages, mystics have created amulets according to S?ance and channeled instructions. These cameos were written combinations of letters and symbols. They were written according to the person’s request and his particular problem. This tradition continues until today and evolved with time.

We can see the connection between the mystical mediums who serve as a channel between the supernatural and the human being. Through channeling, the medium concieves the letters and symbols that are to be implemented in the amulet. Written combinations of these letters and symbols are placed inside the cameo mantle along with other components from the vegetation or animal’s world.

King Solomon Seals are the most powerful symbols in Judaism and Christianity. Each symbol carries its own typical characteristics and conceals powerful attributes. According to practical Kabbalah, the King Solomon Seals are famous for their tremendous powers, and are used widely for amulet writing.

The sercret of writing amulets properly, is laid in the hands of a few masters who know how to write a faultless and full-required Seal. A specific script is used for each person’s individual request,. The text is written in ancient Hebrew scripts and angel writing on a special kosher (legal) parchment, made of deer’s skin (same material that is used for Mezuzah scrolls), using feather and ink. It is well elaborated and written according to the name, the birth date, and the mother’s name of the person ordering it, and fitted to solve the problem or the request.

The most effective hand written amulets are the ones dedicated to the requester personally and prepared according his/her name, mother’s name and date of birth.

Is it necessary to carry a cameo in everyday life?
Yes, it is. When everything is running smoothly and there are no restrictions or negative energies on our way, it is still important to carry a Cameo. In fact, exactly when we feel that luck is with us, these are the moments that we are exposed to the evil eye. Some are people may envy us when they see us succeed in everything we do. Jealousy and bad energies that are aimed at us may cause blockages and restrictions. In order to prevent such cases and protect ourselves, it is important to hold a Cameo.

You can see it as protection of our home from strangers by locking our doors with a latch. Same way - it is important to carry a means of protection close to our body, a personal cameo for our security, success, to enhance our family member’s security, our business place, or our closest relationships.