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Lucky Charms

Advertising cards issued by W.G. & H. O. Wills of Bristol & London 1923.

Page 2 of 5.

Part Two: Religious Symbols

Cards 25, 23 and 18

Christian and Jewish Symbols

All of these are ancient symbols. The two crosses (the Tau or St. Andrew's on the left and the Roman on the right) have become Christian symbols. The "Seal of Solomon" in the center is now thought of as a Jewish symbol. See the flag of Israel. See also the Money Museum.

Cards 38 and 37

Symbols of Other Religions

The inscribed stone is an Egyptian gnostic charm. There are figures of Egyptian gods on one side and an inscription on the other. The inscriptions were usually meaningless to the uninitiated. Gnosticism was an occult amalgam of Christian and pagan ideas popular in the early centuries A.D.

The charm case (leather or metal) is an old device for carrying a written charm. It was used in ancient Egypt and in Early Historic India. Today it is usually associated with Muslims, who commonly carry a surah of the Qoran or a numerical magic square in it. Beads in glass and stone have been made to represent this case.

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