Customer Reviews

The Complete Book of Amulets & Talismans (Llewellyn's Sourcebook)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Migene Gonzalez Wippler has dedicated her life to scholarly research and mysticism and this comprehensive source book reflects that. This is one of the most indepth, cross-cultural guides to amulets and talisman that I've come across and that includes over 25 years of research in this field. I have subtracted 1 star because at times the author is a little too much of an erudite for the general reader who may become bogged down with jargon. Nevertheless the dense text, great illustrations and multicultural analysis make this book wwelcome on the shelf of anyone studying magic, mysticism or esoteric symbolism. As a paperback it is reasonably priced which is an additional benefit.

This is without doubt the most comprehensive book on the subject that I have ever read. I was astonished at the wealth of deatil that is found in the text and the great illustrations that are scattered in every page. I had no idea there was such a voluminous amount of information available on amuelts and talismans. Gonzalez-Wippler'reputation as a meticulous researcher is strongly validated in this book. What a tremendous amount of research it must have taken to compile all this fascinating information. Congratulations are in order and I thank her for her brilliant work.

I am currently working on my doctorate in cultural anthropology with my dissertation concerning the cross cultural use of talismans. This book is without equal and most certainly the most useful book in this field. I can not not begin to say enough so I will leave it at that.

Once in a while during self-imposed studies, it is nice to reward yourself with a book to just browse through. I got this Book of Amulets with that in mind, and it has since become one of the favorites on my reference shelf. Not just a book of symbols, this book also describes history and origin of things like rabbit's feet, Marzipan skulls from Mexico, tarot cards, and crosses. Learn how the swastika used to be a beautiful and powerful symbol, long before Hitler used it as his own. You will often refer to this book to look up the meanings of symbols you run across in your studies, and you'll surely find ideas on how to make an amulet with your own personal meaning.

I picked up this book when I was doing research for my book on ceremony and ritual. It proved to be invaluable. From generally accepted meanings of numbers, planets and colors to world-renowned, as well as obscure symbols and their common-day uses, it is filled with easy-to-understand explanations and references for the beginner and the professional interested in unlocking some of life's mysteries.

There are numerous amulets and talismans which provide comfort and protection - both healing powers and defenses against evil - and COMPLETE BOOK OF AMULETS & TALISMANS covers them all; from the Star of David and the Crucifix to natural amulets from Hindu and third world traditions. Both the history and the uses of amulets around the world are presented in a guide which explains magical properties of hundreds of symbols and shows how to create and empower a personal talisman.

I am somewhat familiar with the subject as I publish esoteric books....
This one is too scholastic and not sufficiently on track of the mysteries of talisman magic. Any book that does not contain yantras, numerology, magic squares is incomplete at best.

I love to put metaphysical symbols in my art work, this is a GREAT book for it!

This book, although filled with a wealth of knowledge, is very confusing, and lacks pictures to help explain what is being described. If you're up for a night of frusrtation, read this, but don't expect any real answers.

4 stars out of 5. Good enough. This book lacks system of data organization and proper sources of information. and it makes me feel that the author actually believes in the power of all kinds of amulets...On the other hand, the information is inspiring and gave me lots of new ideas. Yes, do not evaluate the book by its cover :)