These words denote something that is regarded as having magical powers. A talisman is a material object that is supposed to work wonders because it possesses and transmits certain qualities. It is believed to have a positive power in itself. A talisman may be carried on the person, or, like Aladdin’s lamp, simply be put to use as desired or needed. Aaron’s rod in the Old Testament is a talisman , as are the magician’s wand and the cap of invisibility in folklore. In a figurative sense, a talisman is something that produces, or is capable of producing, extraordinary effects: The young queen’s dignity and beauty were talismans against unfavourable public opinion.

In common use, talisman and amulet are frequently confused. An amulet is a piece of stone, metal, bone or wood inscribed with a magic incantation. It is almost always worn on the person and is supposed to protect the wearer from danger, disease and witchcraft, or to ensure him of success, as in love or war. Unlike the talisman , the amulet is supposed to confer passive and preventive protection and not produce active magic.

Charm is the most general word and includes anything that has occult powers. Talismans and amulets may both be referred to as charms . In modern times the small metal miniatures worn on chains or bracelets, and called charms , are no doubt a carry-over from the old or primitive custom of wearing amulets . But, in the strictest sense, a charm is the uttering of words or rhymes supposed to produce magical results. By extension, charm is the power to allure or delight: the charm of a beautiful child; the charm of Mozart’s music.

In animistic religions, a fetish is an object worshipped by primitive peoples because they believe it to be the dwelling of a friendly spirit. Among such objects used as fetishes are stones, teeth, carved bits of wood, and plants. Figuratively, a fetish is something to which one is excessively devoted: housewives who make a fetish of cleanliness. Psychiatrically, it can refer to any object or part of the body on which a deviant’s eroticism is fixated: confessed to a fetish for women’s underclothing; a foot fetish .