A few years ago I bought a Milagro charm necklace at a swap meet, and fell in love with their rustic craftsmanship. I have made a few pieces on Stranded with Milagro charms, and I have included the meanings of the charms here for your information.

The word milagro means "miracle" in Spanish. Milagros are small religious charms, which some believe have spiritual or magical powers for healing. If one prays with a milagro, some believe it can help restore and preserve well being and balance in their lives or the people they pray for. People might carry a milagro with them to reap its benefit such as curing a physical ailment or to ward off evil or bring about change or fortune.

Here are some typical Milagros that are commonly used:

HEART

This charm can represent the human heart, and it might be connected with cares or worries over a heart condition. It might also represent the love that one person feels for another. It can also represent the Sacred Heart of Jesus, or the Sacred Heart of Mary.

EYES

This charm is often connected with a popular Mexican saint --Santa Lucia --who, in her popular image, is shown with a tray with two eyes on it. The eyes can also represent the concept of watching or eye ailment. If one attaches the milagro to a frame of the image of a deceased love one, the belief is the spirit of that person is watching over us.

PRAYING WOMAN

This charm can represent an important woman, such as one’s mother or wife, or any other woman who is perceived as being faithful and fervent. It might also represent the prayers of a woman, or one’s own prayers or posture of prayerfulness if one is a woman. It can also represent any female saint, such as the Virgin Mary.

PRAYING MAN

This charm can represent an important man, such as one’s father or husband, or any other man who is perceived as being faithful and fervent. It might also represent the prayers of a man, or ones own prayers or posture of prayerfulness if one is a man. It can also represent any male saint, such as the San Isidro.

WOMAN’S HEAD

This charm might represent a woman, a woman’s head, a woman’s mind, a woman’s spirit, a condition such a headache, or whatever similar concept that the owner might assign to the charm.

MAN’S HEAD

This charm might represent a man, a man’s head, a man’s mind, a man’s spirit, a condition such a headache, or whatever similar concept that the owner might assign to the charm.

GIRL

This charm might represent one’s female child, or a niece, a grandchild, or any other girl. It might also represent the childlike qualities in anyone. It can also be connected to a saint one might have prayed to in order to give birth to a baby, and as a result of these prayers, a girl child was born.

BOY

This charm might represent one’s male child, or a nephew, a grandchild, or any other boy. It might also represent the childlike qualities in anyone, such as oneself. It can also be connected to a saint one might have prayed to in order togive birth to a baby, and as a result of these prayers, a boy child was born.

ARM

This charm might represent an arm itself or some condition associated with it, such as an injury or an arthritic condition. It might also represent ones strength or one’s ability to work. It might represent an embrace, and physical demonstrations of affection that involve embracing.

LEG

This charm might represent one’s leg, itself, and some condition associated with it, such as an injury or an arthritic condition. It might also represent one’s strength or theconcept of travel, such as, walking or a journey. It could even represent the idea that one might be safe driving back and forth from work everyday.

HOUSE

This charm usually represents one’s own home, and the blessings that might be had on it and the family that dwells there. It can also represent the hope of having one’s home when one has not yet achieved that, or it can represent someone else’s home, wherein one prays or hopes for blessings and well-being there. It might also represent any other building that is like ones home away from home. When traveling, it can be a charm to insure that one will arrive safely home again or it can establish a connection between the traveler and the loved ones at home.

HEN

This charm might represent one’s own hen with one seeking blessing so that she might always lay good eggs. Or, it might symbolize human qualities like those of a mother hen--the concept of mothering.

BULL

This charm represents the characteristics of a bull, such as strength, husbanding, protection, stamina, and endurance.

HORSE

This charm might symbolize the qualities of a man in being a workhorse, or it might symbolize travel and be involved in a prayer about a journey.

MULE

This charm, like the horse, might symbolize the qualities of a man in being a workhorse - being able to "work like a mule" --or it might symbolize travel and be involved in a prayer about a journey. It might also be involved in a prayer or a charm to overcome stubbornness, in either oneself or in another.

SHEEP

This charm might symbolize any of the Bible verses about sheep, such as the parable of the Good Shepherd, or the Agnus Dei--the Lamb of God. It could also symbolize the concept of togetherness, such as in a family. It might also be used as a charm to try to erase the effects of behavior that is typically described in a negative way, as being like that of a sheep. It might represents giving into peer pressure with negative results, or, say, the concern of a parent that her child may be involved with a harmful cult or some other group that one does not approve of.

DOG

This charm might represent loyalty. It could also symbolize protection, such as what a sheep dog affords the herd.

PIG

This charm might represent nourishment--"bringing home the bacon." It might also be used as a charm to try to erase the effects of behavior that is typically described in a negative way as being like a pig or showing a lack of control in one’s eating habits.

SOURCE: This information was gathered from http://www.faustosgallery.com/milagros1/

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