Talismans and Amulets

I don't know why, but I've always been attracted to talismans and amulets. It's not that I believe in them, because I don't, they've never been part of my culture, my reality or my experience. I'm attracted to the idea of them, their appearance, the ritual and prayer that surround them, their essence of magic and mystery, their many layered levels of meaning. I like the idea of being able to protect yourself or influence the outcome of events with ritualistic objects. I want to try make some of my own, and invent my own little magical rituals and symbols....not because I'd expect them to work, but just because the idea of them appeals to me immensely.