Sacred Symbols

The evil eye, the hamsa, the pentacle, the triple moon and the flower of life — on oils, bracelets, beeswax candles, tapestries and sound instruments, from a $3.95 incense burner to a 22-inch gong.

In short: the sign is the same at every price; choose the object you will pass every day.

A hammered brass evil eye disc, a silver hamsa pendant and a gold pentacle charm on dark green marble, lit by a single candle with drifting smoke

Sacred symbols: five signs, carried by very different objects

This page gathers everything in the shop that carries one of five old signs — the evil eye, the hamsa, the pentacle, the triple moon and the flower of life, with the merkaba and the all-seeing eye alongside. They turn up on anointing oils, a room mist, bracelets, necklaces, figural beeswax candles, incense holders, tapestries, a pendulum, a hand drum, a quartz singing bowl and a gong. Seeing them together is the quickest way to understand what each sign is for, and which object suits the way you actually live.

What each sign means

The evil eye is a mirror: a watchful eye that, in the folklore of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and beyond, returns envy and ill will to where they came from. The hamsa — the Hand of Fatima or Hand of Miriam — is a blessing rather than a counterstrike, asked to cover a household. The pentacle is a five-pointed star inside a circle; in modern practice the points stand for earth, air, water, fire and spirit, and the circle is the protection that holds them. The triple moon describes time — waxing, full, waning; Maiden, Mother and Crone. The flower of life and the merkaba are sacred geometry, patterns taken to stand for the order underneath things.

The price buys the object, not the sign

The evil eye costs $9.95 as an anointing oil, $12.95 on a sodalite bracelet, $17.95 as a 4 oz room and body mist, $27.99 on a hand-painted Jaipur blue pottery incense holder and $55.95 as a wall tapestry. The flower of life runs from a $3.95 printed wood incense burner to a $138.95 goatskin frame drum and an $847.95 16-inch quartz singing bowl; the moon phases from a $17.95 black tapestry to the $1,695.95 Meinl 22-inch gong. Decide which object belongs in your home first, then choose the sign.

Choosing by format: wear, burn, hang or play

To wear: the Triple Moon Pentacle cord bracelet ($14.95, seven colorways), the Triple Moon Goddess necklace ($17.95), the Pentacle Chain Necklace ($18.95) and the Hamsa Hand Bracelet Set with citrine, moonstone and labradorite and a flower of life clasp ($49.95). To burn: pentacle beeswax tealights (four for $23.95, about an hour each), the figural Hamsa Hand ($20.95), All-Seeing Eye Pyramid ($22.95) and Pentagram Merkaba ($25.95) spell candles, and the Pentacle of Protection kit ($39.95). To place: the All Seeing Eye Pyramid in labradorite and obsidian ($29.95), the Jalini hamsa and moon phase incense holder ($20.99), the moon phase suncatcher ($26.95) and the selenite hamsa lamp ($59.95). To work with: the Triple Moon Pentacle chakra pendulum ($23.95).

Where to put a protective sign

The makers of these pieces agree on one instruction: put the sign where you actually pass it. The evil eye tapestry is meant to hang facing the entrance to the room; the mist is worked on doorways and entryways first. Threshold, desk, bedside and the wall you see first when you walk in are the classic places — a sign on a shelf you never look at is decoration. On the figural candles, read the color names on the product you are buying: the same maker labels blue as Healing on the Hamsa Hand candle and as Reconciliation on the Pentagram Merkaba candle, and the Pentacle of Protection kit names every color as a direction of protection.

From the magazine: Evil eye protection: symbols and traditions · Hamsa hand meaning: up or down · Pentacle vs pentagram · Sacred geometry and the flower of life · Merkaba meditation for beginners · Can you wear a pentacle at work? For more, see Protection, Entryway & Front Door and Wall Art & Tapestries.

Frequently asked questions

Does the evil eye curse you or protect you?

It protects. In the folklore the “evil eye” is the harm — envy or ill will directed at a person. The blue eye charm is the answer to it: an eye that looks back and returns what was sent. That is why it is worn openly and hung facing the door.

What is the difference between a pentagram and a pentacle?

A pentagram is the five-pointed star; a pentacle is that star enclosed in a circle. In modern practice the points stand for earth, air, water, fire and spirit, and the circle is the protection that holds them together. Both forms appear on this page.

Should a hamsa hand point up or down?

Both are traditional. Pointing up, with the fingers spread, it is usually read as a shield against harm; pointing down, as a blessing that invites abundance and good fortune. Choose the one that matches what you are asking for.

Which wrist should I wear a protective bracelet on?

Some makers in this range say left to receive and right to send. If you do not work with that distinction, wear it on the wrist you notice more, because a protective bracelet is a daily reminder rather than a special-occasion piece.

Are these symbols tied to one religion?

No. The evil eye and the hamsa are shared across North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and the Mediterranean, by people of several faiths and none. The pentacle and the triple moon belong to modern pagan and witchcraft practice, and the flower of life is a geometric pattern found in many cultures.

What is the most affordable piece?

The $3.95 flower of life incense burner if you want the pattern in the room; the $12.95 evil eye sodalite bracelet or the $14.95 triple moon pentacle cord bracelet to wear; the $9.95 evil eye oil to anoint; or the pentacle beeswax tealights, four for $23.95, to burn.

Offered as traditional, devotional and decorative objects, not medical devices. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition.