Ah, protective charms. Humans have created signs and sigils with the aim of protecting them for millennia; from the eye of Horus, the cross, to gargoyles and more. Often not much more than a swirling line, they’re steeped in tradition and symbolism. Protective symbols and charms are all around us. The ancient Egyptians are famous for their pendants, whilst this article looks at Medieval beliefs. I’m currently looking at my wedding ring – the circle supposedly symbolising eternity with no beginning or end, symbolism in infused in every aspect of our life.
As part of Women in Horror Month, I thought it would be fun to use up some of our old Fimo and create our own protective charms. Cue some research in the assorted esoteric books we’ve got, plus a bit of doodling and I had a few ideas of what I wanted to make.
I got all the Fimo out and explained to the Lamb what we were going to make but as usual, she had other ideas (what do they say about working with children and animals?). In a nutshell, we’ve recently discovered the fun of Mario Kart and so she wanted to make her favourite character, Yoshi. I kinda figured that Yoshi does help and protect Mario, so who was I to argue?
I find Fimo a harder medium to work with than air-drying clay but it does have the benefit of all those beautiful colours, plus it’s really tough after it’s been baked so perfect for little (and big, clumsy) people who may drop things.
What do you think? We were really pleased with how Yoshi turned out and he’s now taking pride of place, next to Goofy, on the mantlepiece. I’m sure we’ll get around to our protective charms soon and I’ll share when we do.
Have you used Fimo to make protective charms, or alternatively cartoon characters? Let me know in the comments below.
While you’re here, why not check out my books, free fiction or shop. Alternatively, you could buy me a coffee and help keep my blog running!