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October 31, 2023

The hamsa, also sometimes referred to as the Hand of Fatima or the Eye of Miriam, is a symbol of a hand with an eye in the center. The hamsa relates to the belief in the evil eye, with the hamsa itself offering protection from the evil eye.

It’s been connected to a number of traditions for centuries, and remains a popular symbol for warding off negativity today. As assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Denver, Dheepa Sundaram, Ph.D., tells mindbodygreen, it has connections to Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

“Within Islam and Judaism, it’s about warding off the evil eye—the idea of the protector,” Sundarama explains, adding, “In Hinduism, it’s often used as a synonym for the supreme spirit or the ultimate reality, which is called ‘Brahman,’ as well as a vehicle for knowledge. In Buddhism it represents the universal spirit and being released from the cycle of rebirth, or samsara.”

And FYI, if you’re unfamiliar, the concept of the evil eye is thousands of years old, too, and is based on the idea that someone can put a spell or curse on you with just ill will or a dirty look alone. Many countries and cultures believe in the evil eye. Psychology expert and owner of Psychic Medium Witch, Leigh Ann Romano Rogers, M.A., tells mindbodygreen, “Belief in the evil eye is a cross-cultural phenomenon found throughout Europe, the ancient Egyptians, North and East Africa, the Middle East, the Philippines, and Latin America, among other cultures.”

In the hamsa symbol, the evil eye is incorporated into the hand, “whose five fingers symbolize the five pillars of Islam or simply the fingers of the hand in Jewish tradition,” explains shamanic healer, spiritual teacher, and adjunct professor at California State University-San Bernardino, Jonathan Jay Dubois Ph.D.

The exact origins of the hamsa are mysterious, though the earliest records suggest it could have been around since ancient Mesopotamia. What we do know is the hand has been symbolically used in artwork and religion for generations, with one tomb at Khirbet el-Qom showing a hamsa-like hand dating back to the 8th century BCE.

The Hand of Venus was also believed to boost fertility and protect against the dangers of pregnancy and childbirth in the ancient world, according to associate professor of Islamic history, law, and society at Georgetown University, Amira El Azhary Sonbol Ph.D.

As she writes in her book Beyond the Exotic: Women’s Histories in Islamic Societies, “A survey of ancient and modern amulets throughout the world surprisingly concludes that the image of the open right hand was a universally recognized and employed sign of protection, from the early mesopotamian amults to the Qāt Ištar and the Qāt Inana, the mano Pantea, the right hand of the Buddha in the mudra of teaching or protection, and the Hand-of-Faitma.”

Finally, the hamsa can also represent fertility and protection during pregnancy. Childbirth is still quite the undertaking nowadays, but back when this symbol was first used, it posed a serious risk to mother and child. And giving birth itself was also considered a liminal space that left the pregnant mother extremely vulnerable, but also extremely powerful.

As such, the hamsa with the fingers pointing down (as opposed to up, which is more traditional) relates more to fertility and the safe delivery of manifestations.

If you’re looking to use the hamsa today, you’ll be happy to know that anyone can wear or hang up a hamsa, so long as you’re doing it with knowledge and respect for the cultures from which it came.

You can wear a hamsa as jewelry, such as a necklace, bracelet, ring, or earrings. And of course, you can also display it as decor to protect your entire home from the evil eye, which is a favorite practice of artist and interior design icon, Justina Blakenely.

She previously told mindbodygreen her collection of hamsas were the most sentimental decor she owned: “I’ve always been attracted to this amulet of protection and grew up seeing it in a lot of Judaica we had in our home,” she says, adding, “Once I started traveling, I noticed that the hamsa was present in many cultures, and I loved that, so I started collecting them.”

Whether you wear the hamsa or hang it up for protection, this ancient symbol works like all symbols: through intention. As you go about your day, the hamsa can remind you that you don’t have to let anyone’s ill wishes impact you.