Amulet Manual, The – A complete guide to making your own

Kim Farnell is an astrologer who writes regularly for a variety of publications. She has also published Understanding Star Signs (Starfire) and Understanding the Runes (Zambezi).

This is a valuable resource. A true source book rather than just a cookbook, it allows you to be as serious about making amulets as you wish. The history of amulets is covered taking in many different cultures, not just the usual suspects. Farnell takes you through methods, materials, colours, astrological symbolism and correlations, and timing considerations for constructing your amulet, covering many levels of skill and/or available resources. You will find instructions using intricate metal work ranging to felt tip and paper. Blending practical application with theory, this is a book which you will return to again and again irrespective of your level of experience. Claire Chandler, President of the Astrological Lodge of London This is a wonderful book for those interested in learning about amulets and how to create them. It would take someone with an immense breadth and depth of knowledge in this subject to be able to present the essential details to the reader so simply and effortlessly. Farnell's expertise, gathered through her lengthy and detailed research of the symbolism underlying occult and astrological practices, makes her the ideal guide. Her knowledge is sound and her instructions are always clear and easy to follow. There is a worthy collection of historical facts that serve as a testament to Farnell's passion and involvement with this subject. But the strength of this book lies in it being one of easy access and also very well presented in its structure and internal logic. It makes an ideal reference book for anyone of a serious interest, being equally suited to beginners and experts alike. Deborah Houlding, author of The Houses: Temples of the Sky Ms Farnell is to be congratulated on this excellent book which encompasses everything anyone might conceivably want to know about charms, talismans and amulets. She has the perfect combination of skills for such an enterprise: she is a thorough historian, commanding a wide range of different cultures and epochs with ease; she writes crisp, lively prose, so that the exposition never drags; and she has a practical and commonsensical approach to her subject. This last comes particularly into play when she explains how to design and make your own amulet. Whatever your amulet-related needs - whether historical, theoretical, or practical - this book can be heartily recommended. Garry Phillipson, author of Astrology in the Year Zero