The Witch's Necklace

By David Rankine - originally published in Witchcraft & Wicca Magazine

The witch's necklace represents the circle of life, death and rebirth, and is symbolic of the power of the goddess. Classically the witch's necklace is usually thought of as being made of amber and jet. Some medieval examples also have snake bones strung between the amber and jet.

All three of these materials started life as living things, and bring different qualities to the necklace. Jet is formed from fossilized wood, and amber is the resin of an extinct form of pine tree from sixty million years ago.

When we look at the qualities and properties associated with these materials, and what they symbolise, it is easy to see why they should be so popular in combination to make the symbol of the witch.

 

Amber
Amber has been used by many cultures, since the dawn of time. The yellow-orange colour of amber is very solar, and although other colours of amber exist (like green and red) they are not normally used in witch's necklaces.

Amber was believed to protect the bearer from evil charms, and the evil eye. It was also thought to be a very powerful healing stone, and has been used by doctors since the time of ancient Egypt. Even today amber is still used by the medical profession in most countries, in the form of Oil of Amber, also known as Oil of Succinate, which is used in the preparation of liniments.

Amber was sacred to Apollo and Helios in ancient Greece, showing its association with the sun. However in the Norse countries it was sacred to the goddess Freya, and her magickal necklace Brisingaman was supposed to have been made of amber.

Due to its age and creation, being formed from resin that saw the sun sixty million years ago, amber is a great stone to work with for improving your memory, and for past life work.

Amber is a very good storer of magickal charge, and can help you to empower healing work that you are performing. It is also used to develop courage and overcome indecisiveness.

 

Jet
Jet has been used as an amulet since pre-history, and has been found in ancient burial mounds. The dull black surface of jet is seen as being very good for absorbing negative energy. This is why it was used for protection from spells, illusions and enchantments, and also as a funeral stone for mourners.

Jet was thought to protect travellers when they made long journeys, and keep the bearer safe from thunderstorms. Jet can also protect the wearer from nightmares and bad dreams.

If you are looking to develop your psychic abilities jet is a good stone to wear. It can help you develop your psychic senses, and has the added benefit of being used to protect the wearer from psychic attack.

Jet was sacred to Pan, so it can be seen as representing the fertilizing phallic power of the horned god. Jet was also sacred to Cybele, the Dark Mother of ancient Roman times.

Jet absorbs negative energy like a sponge absorbs water. For this reason you will need to clean it regularly or it will become overloaded and start to allow negative energy to permeate your aura. If you wear jet on a daily basis, clean it at least once every three months with running water.

Jet was highly prized in ancient times, and Whitby jet has been found in what was Mesopotamia, showing how far it travelled in trade. Take care when searching for jet though, the substance called "French Jet" is in fact black glass. This is often sold as jet, but if it is shiny you know it isn't real jet!

 

Snake Bone
Snakes are traditionally associated with wisdom and regeneration. They are also a symbol of fertility and transformation. By using the bones of the snake's spine the qualities of the snake would be perceived as being absorbed by the wearer, making her wiser and more magickally potent.

The snake is an interesting creature, as it can be seen as both a phallic symbol of the Horned God, and a symbol of the wisdom and transformative qualities of the Goddess.

As you can see, the witch's necklace is a powerful charm, with both protective amuletic qualities and also attractive talismanic ones. It represents the powers of both the Goddess and God, and symbolises the eternal journey of the soul.