I am about to embark on a ten-day break going down South to Australia to catch some of the cold winter weather that I love so much. The Southern hemisphere is going through winter while we are having year round summer! We are travelling to Melbourne, and by the time you read this, we will have returned, refreshed and hopefully re-energized by the snow-covered mountains of Falls Creek, described as the largest alpine resort in Victoria.
I have not decided if I will actually ski, but just being with the family, especially sharing time with the boys, my grandsons as they enjoy their vacation is sure to give me such a high! I do love being a glamorous active grandmother, as does my husband, who is in his Eighties and still going strong.
We are travelling a lot this year. I have the #3 star in my astrological location of West, so it is beneficial to “cross the great waters”, which is a Chinese metaphor for travelling abroad. Crossing the oceans is always beneficial when your astrological sign is being afflicted by negative stars, and in my case, in addition to doing this, I also wear a lot of red this year. This signifies the Fire element, which exhausts the Jade Star 3, otherwise the Rooster born (c’est moi!) is likely to suffer a great deal of stress and mental afflictions. Happily, my feng shui remedies keep me well-balanced and well-adjusted.
I have to make sure I do not forget my travel amulets when I board the flight tomorrow. Most important are my range of scarf amulets. Over the years, I have found that having the special inscriptions of travel mantras touching my upper heart and throat chakras allows me to go through immigration and customs checkpoints most pleasantly. The amulets ensure that the officers I meet are friendly and accommodating, and this is vital, as it gives one’s holiday such a fabulous start. It is as if the local spirits of the place we are visiting are happy to welcome us.
I remember several years ago when I landed at San Francisco airport en route to Las Vegas to give a feng shui talk. One of my staff was with me and unfortunately, he had forgotten his scarf amulet, so I loaned him mine so he would not be asked to go for a special screening. He belongs to the demographic which has to endure a special screening, and since this usually takes an additional hour, I thought to save him the hassle. Alas, without my faithful amulet, I got stuck at Customs instead. Anyone entering the US must declare the amount of cash they are carrying and unfortunately, I had miscounted the cash I had inside my three wallets, each carrying a different currency. Added up, my cash came up to over US$12K and I had declared only US$10K. For that, I found myself delayed for over an hour.
Realizing what had happened, I quickly unpacked my large suitcase and took out my other amulet scarf, a spare one that had the magnetizing amulet and wore it. The lady was so nice after that, carefully explaining why we had to declare our cash amounts and even apologizing for inconveniencing me!
Boy, what a turnaround! It was after this incident that I was so inspired to come out with my beautiful range of mantra and amulet scarves focusing very much on the travel scarves. Over the years, this has made so many people’s travel experiences nothing but pleasant and happy. No more missed flights, rude attendants or lost luggage!
Travel amulets do more than smooth your journey. They also safeguard and protect the wearer, ensuring you are never at the wrong place at the wrong time, and in these days of metropolitan dangers increasing at such a scary rate, it really can be such a boon knowing one can stay safe when on holiday. The vital thing is never to forget to wear your amulet scarf!
Boy, what a turnaround! It was after this incident that I was so inspired to come out with my beautiful range of mantra and amulet scarves focusing very much on the travel scarves. Over the years, this has made so many people’s travel experiences nothing but pleasant and happy. No more missed flights, rude attendants or lost luggage!
Wearing talismans for travel is nothing new
In the street markets of Bangkok, around the Stupa in Katmandu, in the side streets of Queens Road Central in Hong Kong and in many night markets of countries around Asia, there is no lack of unusual travel talismans to pick up. Indeed, there’s hardly a taxi, a bus, a tuk tuk or even a luxury limo in the Asian cities you care to visit that does not have its share of medallions, cards, stickers and charms hanging from a rearview mirror or sitting on the dashboard. Belief in talismans, amulets and charms are derived from faith in people’s favourite deities and protector gods.
I guess I am no different.
I have so much faith in my TARA medallions, my DAKINI charms, my TAOIST deities and so much else. In the early years when I was a young career woman, my faith in these lucky charms was not strong. I did not really believe in them. I also did not disbelieve either. Mine started because of my kiasu attitude. Maybe I should carry an amulet, wear a lucky charm, keep a mala bead in my handbag – just in case… after all, what did it cost me? Better to be safe than to be sorry.
Today, looking back at nearly 60 years of travel, I realize that my conviction and faith in the efficacy of talismans and amulets has only increased. I know also that many talismans are spiritual, almost religious in nature in the way Christians believe in wearing the crucifix to stay safe, the Jews wear the Star of David, and of course, the Chinese wear a golden likeness of the Goddess of Mercy.
And of course, it is useful to know that a talisman brings good luck, while an amulet protects against bad things happening to you!
But both talismans and amulets are blessed with special powers. They come in different shapes and forms, have many different images and they tend to be one-dimensional in the special blessings or protection they bring. Thus travel amulets protect against the ripening of negativities that come when one is on the road, travelling to a new country where the local spirits are as alien as the people you meet there.
To have a pleasant journey, to staying safe from accidents, robbers, terrorists, to avoid getting caught in unpleasant incidents, one literally needs an invisible guardian angel. This is what an amulet means to me. Thus my belief is always in the Buddhas – powerful omniscient beings whose blessings totally subdue all things negative. When it comes to protection, rabbit’s foot or shark’s teeth, animal claws or bird feathers surely cannot protect me. It is the invocation that I send out to the high beings to protect me that I believe in, hence their sacred mantras or their powerful seed syllables!
My amulets are designed around these mantras and seed syllables. These carry great power.
I am happy to say that they give me a great deal of genuine comfort each time I travel. And more than that, inside every suitcase, I also always carry the complete “Golden Light Sutra” which is printed to look like a golden ingot. Just having this King of Sutras with you will keep you and everyone travelling with you safe. No matter if you are travelling by car, on a cruise ship or travelling by plane, the sutra creates an aura of powerful protection!
