Is that a Charm, Amulet, or Talisman?
And what the heck are the differences between the three?
I've seen in online spaces these three names being used interchangeably; and although it is really easy to mix these up as they are a little bit similar, they do have very different uses and contexts from one to the other.
This is why in this post I would like to clear up the confusion the best that I can! So, let's get into it!!
Charm:
Charms are items that hold significance because of their historical, religious, and/or folkloric beliefs that surround the item in question. Examples include: the Christian cross, horseshoes, four leaf clovers, or even a rabbit's foot. Because charms hold their own significance, you do not need to charge them with your intention. Charms ultimately have their own innate energy. What’s interesting about the word ‘charm’ is part of its origin and many contexts that it can be used in. Let me explain; the sense of "pleasing quality, irresistible power to please and attract" evolved by the 17th century (“Her eyes were charming to me.”). It is attested from 1590s as "any item worn to avert evil;" ("My rabbit's foot is my lucky charm”), the meaning "small trinket fastened to a watch-chain, etc." (a pocket watch is sometimes referred to as a ‘pocket-charm’) is recorded by 1865.
Amulets and Talismans are different because they are created by the single magical practitioner—imbued with the practitioner's own intention and/or energy. But then, what is the difference between these two? Depending on which culture you are from, or who you ask; these definitions can change quite a bit! So for this, I will be speaking in very broad terms.
Amulet:
The word “amulet” is of uncertain origin, though it could be related to the word ‘amoliri’(Latin) which means: "to avert, to carry away, remove." With that brief relation and/or definition, it is easy to see that amulets are typically created for personal protection.
They’re also typically something that the practitioner would wear physically on their being. They could be in the form of a necklace, like those super gorgeous ones that have the really large crystal(s)! That is a great example of an amulet for personal protection.
Also, if the practitioner were to give an amulet to someone; that would be symbolizing the practitioner’s energy protecting the receiver. So, Amulets are used to protect against and/or push away negative/unwanted energies.
Talisman:
The word Talisman has a little more of a complicated history, in the 1630s it generally meant a "magical figure cut or engraved on stone or metal under certain observances," this comes from the French word talisman as well as partly from the Arabic word tilsam (plural tilsaman). If we go back to the old times, as in; renaissance magic; you’ll see that Talismans were used in a variety of workings when the practitioner/group of practitioners wanted to evoke/invoke (and that is a definition difference for part one) a specific spirit into their magical working.
Naturally then, we can see that Talismans are made for attracting energy. With a talisman, you can attract specific spirits (as stated); or abstract ideas such as love and happiness. You can even attract physical things to yourself like money.
For example, if you were to create a talisman for peace and put it in your living room, then the talisman would be attracting more peaceful/calming energies into your living room. Typically speaking, Talismans are often physical objects; but they can also be symbols inscribed on something or just written on paper (fancy paper or otherwise).
Ending Notes:
So, yes! Those are the super basic differences between the three items, but I invite everyone to experiment with these! They are super fun to make, and if there’s an audience for it; I’ll go over how I make them too!
Have a great day!