There are a lot of questions about various amulets, talismans, amulets and pectoral crosses, but, unfortunately, there are few answers. Different sources of information interpret information differently. Most likely, you have already heard somewhere that you cannot give a cross, because this amulet is given to a person only once in a lifetime during the sacrament of baptism. However, what to do in a situation if the vest given at baptism was lost?
If you listen to folk signs, then a person should walk without a cross at all until the end of his life. But on the other hand, going to church without this religious item is not recommended according to the canons and traditions. Let's try to figure this out today.
Is it possible to give a cross according to folk signs
In the circles of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, there is such a sign that in no case should a pectoral cross be given as a gift. Let's think Where did this superstition come into our lives?. In the past, wearers were taken very seriously. They were passed down from generation to generation and reverently kept in the circle of one family.
The reason for this attitude is very simple: some three hundred years ago, not everyone could buy a beautiful wearable amulet made of silver or gold. These things were considered very expensive, and only wealthy people could afford them. Since in those days there were no stamping machines that could make several hundred identical crosses a day without any difficulties.
Previously, each cross was made by the master by hand, and this took quite a lot of time and effort, which, of course, then reflected on the final cost of the product. Therefore, such jewels were highly valued and reverently kept.
Folk signs forbid anyone to re-gift their talisman.
Ordinary people with limited finances he managed with ordinary wooden crosses or talismans made with his own hands from stone or animal bones. Children's crosses were made by fathers or grandfathers. Therefore, these amulets were of great value to a person. You won’t come to your grandfather and say: “I lost the cross that you made for me with such love, do it again.” It is for these reasons that our ancestors were very strict about body amulets.
In our world, everything is a little simpler. Almost every person can afford to buy an ordinary silver or gold cross. Therefore, the attitude towards wearers has become a little different.
Orthodox Church also calmly refers to the issues of pectoral crosses. It is believed that these products can be safely donated or re-gifted if there is a reason for such a gift. The main thing is that the cross be consecrated according to all the rules of the church, because an unconsecrated amulet is considered an ordinary trinket.
Is it possible to wear a worn cross
This question often arises among people if the family has some expensive cross that belonged to the grandparents. And why not wear such a talisman? The main thing is that this product was transferred grandchildren with love without any malice. If you think sensibly, then it is unlikely that a normal grandmother will wish something bad for her grandchildren, so her amulet is not only possible, but must be worn. After all, it contains the great love of parents for their grandchildren and the powerful positive energy of the whole family.
Well, if you still doubt the good intentions of your grandparents, then, of course, you should not put on an undershirt. Sometimes situations happen that you, for example, put on someone else's jewelry, and various troubles begin to happen to you: you cut your finger with a knife, then a bowl of hot water falls on your leg, then some other meanness happens, then you will definitely wear the product do not do it.
Was it worth wearing cross found on the street? But in this situation it is worth considering. Some believe that talismans are able to protect their owner from illness and even death. In such cases, the amulet takes on negative energy and is lost so as not to harm its owner. Therefore, the church says that if you are walking along the road and met a cross on your way, then you should take it and take it immediately to the church. You simply cannot pass by, since it is believed that the cross should not just lie on the floor, but you should not wear it, even if it is made of gold, since you can take on other people's problems.
Can I put on the cross of a friend or girlfriend? This question is also quite difficult to answer. It all depends on the situation in which the vest was transferred to you.
- If a man made a present from the bottom of my heart and with good intentions, then there can be no questions, put a gift on yourself and enjoy life. It will bring you good luck, benefit, protect against diseases, bring financial well-being and become a good helper in life.
- But in the case when the cross was received under unclear circumstances, for example, was stolen or lost, and you found it, then such jewelry should be kept away. If you don’t have the strength to admit that the cross fell into your hands, let’s say softly, “illegally”, then it’s better to take it to the church and leave it there. This amulet will only attract trouble to a person.
- Sometimes situations happen when a guardian of a friend / girlfriend who has already gone to another world comes to you. Here again, the situation is ambiguous. If the gift was made from the heart, consider yourself lucky, you can safely wear the talisman without fear. And if the wearer came to you purely by accident, then it is better to return it to the family in which it was purchased.
Is it possible to give a cross for a birthday
If you decide to give your loved one a cross with a chain for their birthday, then there are no problems. Feel free to go to the store and choose the amulet that you like. However, remember that if you want to purchase not just jewelry, but a talisman for a person, then you will need to consecrate it.
Remember that giving a pendant without a chain is not entirely ethical, since the person may not have a free chain on which he can wear your present.
For a birthday, it is better to choose a gift made of gold. Such a gift will be highly appreciated and will always be held in high esteem. If you want to present a cross as a gift to a man, then it is better to choose some large, weighty amulet that will be felt on the body. Small items on men look ridiculous and are constantly lost on the chain. The privilege of small amulets belongs to women.
If your birthday boy does not recognize gold, then buy a silver cross. This alloy also has a lot of positive properties:
- Scientists believe that silver products can even affect cancer cells. There is a hypothesis that the chemical properties of the alloy can positively affect a person with a terrible diagnosis.
- Silver jewelry is recommended for people to wear for vision improvement, normalization of the heart, recovery after serious injuries and operations.
- White alloy jewelry protect against infectious and viral diseases.
As for the style of jewelry, minimalism is in fashion today. In other words, stylists recommend wearing things with a minimum number of inserts, various decorations, patterns, etc.
If you choose a gift for a woman / wife / girlfriend / lover, then you have to be very careful. For the most part, women love gold items, so don't count on a cheap gift. You have no problems with earnings - then it is better to purchase a gold cross with diamond inserts. These stones have always been and will be in fashion.
If you heard a superstition somewhere that a wife cannot give a cross to her husband or a husband cannot present such a charm to his wife, then do not believe it. The Orthodox Church does not forbid making such gifts to each other. There is nothing wrong or illegal here.
Is it possible to give your cross to another person
It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to this question. From the point of view of the beliefs of our ancestors, it is impossible to give your cross to another person who does not belong to your family. This is because such an amulet carries a huge energy of the clan, and it is simply impossible to transfer the talisman to another clan, since children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will work off the sins of not only their parents, but also the mistakes of someone else's family.
А here with your family It is possible and even necessary to give a pectoral cross. They say that such an amulet will protect its owner even more than a new cross bought at baptism in a church.
From the point of view of church traditions There are no restrictions on the transfer of talismans from generation to generation. The priests claim that the belief that diseases, bad fate, karma, corruption, evil eye and other troubles are transmitted with the cross are simple superstitions in which there is no truth. However, if the cross has not been consecrated, then it must be transferred to the church to perform the ceremony, and only then can you safely wear the amulet on yourself.
However, if you do not believe in various superstitions, but still afraid to wear someone else's talisman, then you should not torture yourself, even if other people or relatives strongly insist on this. Just put the amulet in the sacred corner of your apartment, where there are different icons, and let it be kept in this place. In any case, the talisman will favorably influence you, even without being on the body. And if there is no such corner, then you can take the amulet to the church and give it to good hands.
For example, very often grateful parishioners hang various jewelry on Orthodox icons. So a cross that you do not want to wear or even keep for yourself can be of benefit to other people. In good places, these decorations are usually left as a memory of good events that happened to people.
And now to real situations. Imagine that your friend decided to give you a cross for no reason at all, and you did not give a reason for such a gift. Here you have to be very careful. Very often, young girls and women (men a little less often) suffer from envy or jealousy, trying to harm their girlfriends by throwing various charmed gifts. It is good if the donated little thing does not carry any negative energy.
But if the situation is the opposite, and a friend through a thing decided to harm you, then you can suffer greatly from such gifts. Therefore, before accepting amulets, crosses, rings, chains or any other things from people, you need to make sure that the gift is made from a pure heart, without a catch and with good intentions.
A few more rules about underwear
If we have already raised such a serious topic as body amulets, then we want to give you a couple more tips for the future so as not to end up in an unpleasant situation and not harm yourself.
- Never give your pectoral cross into the hands of anyone even to look. Very often, girls show off their new jewelry and present them to their friends so that they can carefully consider and evaluate everything. If the conversation is about earrings or ordinary pendants, then there are no problems. However, it is not recommended to give body amulets into the hands of strangers, because they carry colossal energy in themselves, which can simply suffer. Or it also often happens that girls, picking up someone else's jewelry, even without a "second thought", can, with their envy, bring illness or problems to a person. Therefore, with talismans, amulets, amulets or crosses, you need to be very careful.
A pectoral cross is a very personal thing that requires a special attitude from its owner.
- Don't let anyone measure your undershirt. If the jewelry looks very beautiful, for example, your cross is decorated with a scattering of diamonds, then one of your friends may ask you to let the product be measured or even worn. It's not worth going on about even with your best friend. Remember: body jewelry is like underwear, you can’t give them to anyone to wear, otherwise troubles that you could not even imagine could also rain down on you.
- If someone asks you for your personal pectoral cross, then also in this situation it is better for a person to refuse. After all, if such a little thing falls into the hands of a bad person, then only meanness can be expected.
We hope that our article helped you figure out that you can give a pectoral cross without any problems. However, if you want to use it not only as a decoration, but also as a talisman, then you should first consecrate the cross in the church, observing all traditions, so that the amulet protects you and helps you.
And also remember that you can’t give a cross to anyone, transfer and re-gift without urgent need, it’s not for nothing that Orthodox crosses have been called underwear for many centuries. They should be worn on one person, in contact with the body under clothing, and the product should not be exposed to the outside world, so the talisman will serve you faithfully all your life.
