Hamsa – a protective amulet

What is a Hamsa?

The Hamsa Hand is an ancient Middle Eastern amulet symbolising the Hand of God. An extremely famous symbol used in many countries around the world for the past 1800 years. In all faiths it is a protective sign. It brings its owner happiness, luck, health, and good fortune. The hamsa hand has a wide variety of different spellings, which includes hamesh, hamsa, chamsa, and khamsa.

The wearer of the hamsa hand can wear it facing up or down and it is believed to give the owner success, harmony, and protection from the “Ayin Ha’ra,” also known as The Evil Eye. The hamsa hand sometimes includes an evil eye symbol, which is thought to protect against the evil eye. It is often worn as a pendant or a necklace but also is found on rings, earrings, bracelets.

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Hamsa Hand Symbology
The word "hamsa" or "hamesh" means five. There are five digits on the hamsa hand, but the number five has additional symbolic meaning in the Jewish and Islamic traditions. Five (hamesh in Hebrew) represents the five books of the Torah for Jews. It also symbolizes the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, "Heh", which represents one of God's holy names. It symbolizes the Five Pillars of Islam for Sunnis, and the Five People of the Cloak for Shi'ites.

In the Jewish religion, the Jewish hamsa hand also symbolizes the Hand of God. Many Jews believe the hamsa pendant symbolizes the Hand of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron.

In the Islamic faith, the hamsa hand symbolizes The Hand of Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Mohammed.

For Hindus and Buddhists, it symbolizes the interplay of the chakras, the energy flow in the body, the five senses, and the mudras that affect them.
Each finger has it’s own energy:

• Thumb-Fire element, solar plexus chakra.
• Forefinger-Air element, heart chakra.
• Middle Finger-Ethereal elements, throat chakra.
• Ring Finger-Earth element, root chakra.
• Pinkie Finger-Water element, sacral chakra.