You might turn a ring while you’re thinking, hold a key in your pocket or find the edge of a pendant without looking. A talisman can become part of a gesture like that, with a meaning of your own.
Finding a moment
It could be before you leave home, at the end of the day or just before an important appointment. You hold the piece for a moment and remember why you chose it. You don’t need particular words or a set number of movements.
You can also just wear it because you like it. Giving the piece a place in a personal ritual is a choice, rather than something you have to do.
Finding your way around the piece
La Moneta has two sides. You can follow the siren’s relief with your fingers, or turn it over to trace the spiral. How you hold it will depend on where it sits and what feels comfortable.
Research into haptic perception looks at how we explore objects through touch. It doesn’t tell us that this particular gesture improves wellbeing. [1]
What it means to you
A talisman might remind you of someone, a gift or a decision you made. You may be able to explain that connection easily. You may want to keep it to yourself.
Perhaps you’ll find yourself reaching for it at the same moment each day. Perhaps you’ll hardly notice it until someone asks about it. You can let it find its own place in your life.
[1] Lederman and Klatzky, The neural basis of haptic object processing, 2007. Abstract consulted.