Qabalah

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Tarot ~ Second Resonance

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on April 18, 2011
Posted in: Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 1 comment

This is the second of a series of articles we examine
the Major Arcana using the Grand Spread
to better understand and harness ourselves, our talent,
intelligence, experience and gifts.

The Grand Spread

The Grand Spread
The Tarot Casters
of
Amulets by Merlin

An introduction is found in the previous article.

Next to the Magician is the second card:
The High Priestess

The High Priestess

The High Priestess
~The Moon~

From the single point of consciousness
The Magician (the ability to focus on the Now)
Consciousness takes root in the Present, stretches into the Past,
exploring Memory… The High Priestess:
(Depth of the Past, Memory: personal and ancestral)
like stepping into a waterfall of consciousness
cascading down upon you,
flowing through your awareness,
providing a sense of infinite depth.
Experience allows the Mercurial substance
(consciousness)
to flow and take form of memories:
personal, historical, metaphysical; providing self reflection.

In the second line we find the Hermit under the High Priestess.

The Hermit: the Spark of Truth.

The Hermit

The Hermit
~Virgo~

The image of the Hermit
(referred to as the Hand of God)
moving from one place to another “looking for an honest man”
is shining this Light of Truth
to better understand a situation.
With the roots of lore and experience,
the Hermit gains a better perspective.
We learn from our mistakes
and learn to ride the currents of events.

Below this card is The Tower.

The Tower

The Tower
~Mars~

Noted as the Tower of Babble we recall the fable:
as a misconception of physics and theology,
the folk of Babble attempt to build a tower so they may reach heaven.
Angered by their folly,
God strikes the tower with a bolt of lighting causing it to crumble.
When trying to piece together what had happened,
every one found they didn’t speak the same language
the entire community fell apart:
everyone went in different directions.

The key to this tale are these points:
Misconception of a situation:
the structure was built on a faulty foundation.
Realization of the flaws.
The structure is torn down to it’s basic elements,
what is left is only what is True.
Human speech is limited by language;
some experiences are simply ineffable.

Second Resonance

Second Resonance
The Tarot Casters
of
Amulets by Merlin

These three keys strengthen our ability to better understand consequences
and respond appropriately

The Second Resonance of the Fool’s Journey is:

The High Priestess, The Hermit, The Tower.

The Magician
(once the Fool)
steps into the flow of consciousness
gaining the wisdom of the Ages,
recalls History, Experience,
and builds a foundation on the Bedrock of Reality.
Ever watching the skies for the storm,
welcoming it’s correction so the Tower of one’s perception is dependable.
Place these three cards together
and observe the delicate balance produced.
Set these cards on your alter,
use them as meditations,
place them in your pocket or wear the combination as amulets.

2011 Wall Calender of Amulets by Merlin

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on February 21, 2011
Posted in: Amulets, Calendar, MetaPlace, Tarot, Zodiac Amulets. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

I have been asked to do this each year for well over a decade: to make a calendar featuring the imagery developed from the Tarot Amulets and Casters. In the original creation of these pieces, I had envisioned this as a break from the traditional “card” presenting a scene. The Amulets are focused into an almost Iconic form so it may be used in a very tangible “casting forth” if the pieces. “Roll the bones” as it were.

After some consideration, I decided to develop images from our work in MetaPlace. I have enhanced the images and added writings from my Tarot Archives and added images from my Zodiac pieces. Each month presents the corresponding Tarot Amulet, the Astrological association, and a meditation on the Tarot’s meaning in relation to the Hebrew letter. Additional assistance in the imagery was developed in MetaPlace by Allyn McElrath and Michael Woody.

Announcing the Second Wall Calender of Amulets by Merlin:

Start the Decade out right with Tarot Images for a new Aeon.

2011 Wall Calender of Amulets by Merlin

2011 Tarot Garden Wall Calender

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on September 16, 2010
Posted in: Calendar, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 comment

Presenting the Tarot Garden Calender featuring the imagery developed from the Tarot Amulets and Casters. In the original creation of these pieces, I had envisioned this as a break from the traditional “card” presenting a scene. The Amulets are focused into an almost Iconic form so it may be used in a very tangible “casting forth” if the pieces. “Roll the bones” as it were.

In MetaPlace, a now defunct virtual reality developed as a game engine, I created a garden one could stroll though, interact with various pieces set like sculptures. For the Calendar I have enhanced screen shots the world with prose from my Tarot Archives and added images from my Zodiac Collection. Each month presents the corresponding Tarot Amulet, the Astrological Amulet and a meditation.

To see images from the Calender and learn more Click Here.

2010 Wall Calender of Amulets by Merlin

The Charm Holder

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on April 7, 2010
Posted in: Amulets, Jewelry design, Multi Faith, Skull Jewelry, Totem Jewelry, Zodiac Amulets. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 comment

A custom “Charm Holder” and necklace.

The Charm Holder

The Charm Holder
A custom necklace
to hold various amulets

After searching “high and low” (as she put it) for several years,
such a thing was not to be found.
Apparently my client had a charm holder made in the ‘70s,
but due to her allergy to gold and the problem of breakage,
she sought a jeweler to re-create the piece.
After sending me a rather blurry image with a written description
I created a rendering fro her approval.
Because of her purposes for the piece
I added the triple moon at the top harnessing a hinge and clasp for the armature to swing out,
change the amulets out as needed and clasp again behind the triple moon shield.
I did not add stones because it would “color” what it is
holding to a narrow spectrum of purpose.

Shown here are three amulets in combination:
the High priestess, Leo and an ancestor skull bead.
This combination holds the vitality and perseverance of Leo,
the qualities of the Akashic amulet of the High Priestess
and the wisdom of the ancestors.
As the bearer of this Charm Holder,
she is able to construct a pattern of influences
needed for a specific purpose
or to develop a matrix of intent
for a period of time
and then reconstruct the holder for other purposes in the future.

Although this piece is a one of a kind,
I can create a charm holder of similar make and construction for you
with your choice of symbol at the top and size of armature.
Custom work is one of my favorite things to create,
so all you need to do is ask.

The 2010 Amulets by Merlin Wall Calendar

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on December 12, 2009
Posted in: Calendar, MetaPlace, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 comment

I have been asked to do this each year for well over a decade: to make a calendar featuring the imagery developed from the Tarot Amulets and Casters. In the original creation of these pieces, I had envisioned this as a break from the traditional “card” presenting a scene. The Amulets are focused into an almost Iconic form so it may be used in a very tangible “casting forth” if the pieces. “Roll the bones” as it were.

After some consideration, I decided to develop images from our work in MetaPlace. I have enhanced the images and added writings from my Tarot Archives and added images from my Zodiac pieces. Each month presents the corresponding Tarot Amulet, the Astrological association, and a meditation on the Tarot’s meaning in relation to the Hebrew letter. Additional assistance in the imagery was developed in MetaPlace by Allyn McElrath and Michael Woody.

Announcing the Second Wall Calender of Amulets by Merlin:

Start the Decade out right with Tarot Images for a new Aeon.

2010 Wall Calender of Amulets by Merlin

The Tarot Garden in Metaplace

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on November 22, 2009
Posted in: Amulets, MetaPlace, Multi Faith, Pagan Jewelry, Tarot, Wiccan Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

I have created a video illustrating the Tarot Garden: a virtual world in Metaplace: a social hub of various VR worlds where people create games, demonstrations, exhibits and other Virtual experiences. The Tarot Garden is a series of environments featuring the Tarot Casters. Each of the Tarot pieces has its own point of interest, description, associated tone and short video demonstrating it’s location on the Tree of Life.

The High Priestess

The video is embedded in my website for your review. It demonstrates the functions of the Garden including animation, environmental sounds and videos teaching aspects of the Tarot.

Metaplace is free to join and browse the various worlds created by its users. After a brief introduction to the VR platform, you may see the Tarot Garden and experience its sights and sounds. Experience the first Tarot Virtual Reality at Metaplace!

The Tarot Casters: Reading techniques

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on September 15, 2009
Posted in: Multi Faith, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 1 comment

We often see someone request a Tarot reading with a question about money or love, and usually they want to know what will happen in the future.

The Tarot Casters

If you want to get a snapshot of your psychic health or an over view of what kind of options you have in a difficult situation: the Tarot is a powerful tool and you may get more than you bargained for.

The process for reading a standard 2D Tarot deck is deceptively simple: first one shuffles a deck of the 78 Tarot cards and selects a few and place them in a pattern on a flat surface. The pattern has several pre-assigned positions, each a designated concept: “this is your present” – “this is your past” – “these are the powers that you have control over”, and so on. The reader examines the combination of position and meaning of each card and akin to an algebraic equation estimates an interpretation. This formula is a launching pad for one’s intuition, a starting point: one meditates on a combination of concepts and “reads the Querent” for resonance.

This works for a combination of reasons. First, the Tarot is a pictorial representation of 78 aspects of one’s being. Each of the Major Arcana (the first 22) represents of life’s architectural bardos: lore developed from centuries of experience from a variety of cultures. The remaining cards (the Minor Arcana) represent situations that every one experiences and the lessons associated with them.

Because we are addressing imagery rather than text, the interpretation of these images may be broad. The reader uses knowledge and experience to open channels of intuition. The Tarot offers door ways to one’s self with a planet full of lore to back it up.

One of the reasons I created the Tarot Amulets was to apply the concepts of the Tarot as talismanic in use, the other reason was to develop the Tarot Casters.

Typically a two dimensional deck (cards) is limited to how a card would be placed in a reading: up or down, perhaps across. Tossing a deck to get a random throw can be messy and consumes a lot of space and is only used as a parlor trick – for the most part.

The term “Tarot Casters” was inspired by the Star Card: the Hebrew letter associated with it is Tzaddi: the “Fish Hook”. Meditation (according to the Tarot perspective) is like a fish hook dropped into the waters of the unconscious to see what may be found. In the creation of these pieces I discovered the process was more like casting a net to discover what lies under the surface of mundane thought.

I did not translate then entire deck: only the 22 pieces of the Major Arcana: the core concepts of the Tarot or The Fool’s Journey.

The Casters produce a random pattern when dropped. The pattern is first considered by the querent as a rorschach blot, open for interpretation. Should the querent describe the scattered pieces as a bird, then the components of the reading (the casters themselves) are perceived like the anatomy of a body. For example: the head of the bird is the High Priestess which in turn points towards the body; therefore the mind of the querent is at its best position to receive information from dreams and other subconscious input; memories and other feminine powers. This flow will color every piece down the “neck” and into the body. As before this provides the reader a springboard for meditation; as you can see once the pieces are no longer in predetermined positions, it forces the reader to step directly into an intuitive state of mind.

It has been described as “Reading without a net” by some readers; others found it “liberating”, no longer constricted by simple pre-described patterns; they have discovered the system actually strengthens their precognizance, heightening their ability to flex intuitive muscles and able to see more of their “inner workings” through random patterns. A client who purchased the set found after some months of reading that he was able to see the random patterns in clouds and the movement of trees, triggering leaps of intuition. He credited the experiences to his use of the Tarot Casters.

The Tarot Caster System is a step forward in bringing the human touch back into the Mysteries. I invite you to discover a step forward into the use of Oracles by experiencing the Tarot Casters through a reading or by acquiring your own set. I still make each set one at a time as they are ordered; accompanied by a hand made bag used as a reading cloth and a small book of introduction. Since I developed them in 1992 after 13 years of study and meditation.

If you wish to have your own Tarot Caster set, you may place your order by going here.

The Tarot as Amulets

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on August 11, 2009
Posted in: Amulets, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 3 comments

The High Priestess Amulet

It is hard to decide which of the Tarot Amulets would be right for you. Much depends on where you are in life or the kind of work you are doing. The previous posts give detailed explanations of each piece; however I have been requested to post a list of all the Tarot Amulets in the Tarot Cycle for a “quick review”. And so, here is the list of the Tarot amulets, and their possible applications:

00 The Fool Amulet – A fresh start, new beginnings, gift for baby or Youth who has come into his/her own. Newlyweds or some one who has decided to re-start their lives. Children and young people who have graduated, adolescents who have reached the threshold of adulthood..

01 The Magi Amulet – For focus and concentration. Good for student or scalar. Strengthens resolve in marinating concentration on projects and seeing them to their conclusion.

02 High Priestess Amulet – Memory both one’s own and of the Greater Unconsciousness. Aide in strengthening memory. Also good fore devotees of the Feminine both socially and spiritually.

03 The Empress Amulet – Fertility excellent in the beginning processes of projects, starting a business, starting a family, nurturing investments. The Empress Amulet is perfect for the Artist, Team leader, Executive, anyone whose task it is to Manifest the Vision. It is also for the Environmentalist: the symbol of Gaia, all things natural to the formation of Life on the Earth is symbolized by the Empress Amulet.

04 The Emperor Amulet – Vision –The Emperor represents both the perception of the world and the manipulation of it through precise control. More than an amulet of influence, it is one of perception so that one would know the right response to in a give situation. Process, Procedure and Ritual. This is an amulet for Clergy, C.E O., President, or chairman, Fathers or anyone with Duties and Responsibilities of others under their care.

05 Hierophant Amulet – Authority – Aide in keeping your feet on the ground with poise when trouble brews. The Hierophant Amulet is one for teachers, nurses, healers of all kinds, clergy and any one who has chosen the path to serve the community through Teaching, Healing and Service.

06 The Lovers Amulet – Dynamic balance of opposites – Communication – The Lovers Amulet is for Fathers and Mothers, Siblings, Special Friends, Husbands and Wives, Sweethearts and Grandparents for people that are working toward inner balance, anyone who wants to offer Love to others.

07 The Chariot Amulet – Protection, shields, sacred ground – is for those who create and maintain Sacred Space, whether it is a lawyer working with contracts, Clergy that would be performing Marriages, someone who creates and maintains sanctuaries, alters, courtrooms, homes and gardens. It is for Healers and other body workers, marinating the Temple of the Body, Guardians and Keepers of the Peace, the Home Guard. The Chariot Amulet represents Health, Honor, Protection and Virtue.
Second Set

08 Strength Amulet – Inner strength – Self control and discipline, focused Will -Individuals who are studding Kundalini, Yoga, martial arts, warriors, firefighters and other people whose life is demanding Inner Strength would find appreciate the Strength Amulet.

09 the Hermit Amulet – Purity, Truth, Development- The Hermit Amulet would be appropriate for those that are self starters, innovators, those that serve humanity because of their own convictions rather than because they are told to do so. A Hermit need not be one who lives off in the wilderness but one who is at peace in a crowd and in solitude alike. The Hermit Amulet is also one that is intended to stabilize one’s journey in life and remind them to hearken to their own inner voice rather than to follow a leader, group of movement: to walk the path of Virtue.

10 the Wheel of Fortune Amulet – the Law, Rhythm, The patterns of the seasons, Centering- The Wheel of Fortune Amulet would be a good tool for one who has lost direction and feels jumbled in life. The Amulet would assist in centering one’s self and others: a team leader, someone who is in combat or in an ER; Centering and stabilizing one self, one’s family, community and world.

11 Justice Amulet – Natural Balance, Maya and Karma – The Justice Amulet would be good for those who are dedicated to the Law: Judges, Lawyers, social workers. The Amulet would also be good for those people that are in charge of clearing spaces: Housekeepers, Maids, folks that work a Kitchen, police or security officers or in any way in charge of keeping spaces clean and clear of unwanted objects, clutter or energy of any kind.

12 The Hanged Man Amulet – Suspension, sacrifice, Turning the mundane to the arcane – The Hanged Man Amulet is for any one who wishes to harness daily activates would normally be considered physical into acts of Spirit. From Homemakers to Clergy, Nurses, massage therapists, interior designers and gardeners. Those dedicated to social work, volunteers both in the public eye and those who perform acts of charity without the need of payment or fanfare. In other words, just about everybody.

13 Death Amulet – The threshold – death/re-birth, the bardo – The Death Amulet would be for those in a powerful transition: a lad who has “become a Man”, a girl’s transition into Womanhood. One who suffered a major loss and re-forming their lives would find this piece useful: embrace the break in the pattern and start anew. Like a tonic, the Death Amulet is for a short yet important periods in one’s life.

14 Temperance Amulet – Art, purpose, Creation – The Temperance Amulet is for the Artist, Actor, Musician or Dancer. The filmmaker that can inspire and inform their audience. The Temperance Amulet would be for those that are more subtle in their abilities to express themselves for the benefit of those around them: home makers that can turn their dwellings into places of inspiration; a chef that can create food, helping one transcend their daily routine. It is within the context of Temperance that we gain a better understanding of the Art of Living.

15 The Devil Amulet –Humor, satire, the power of fiction – This amulet would be an amulet for writers, comics, filmmakers, anyone who creates fiction, images or media that can inspire, reveal the truth or test one’s metal. This is for the trickster, the joker or the teller of tales. It is an amulet representing Humor, the telling of stories and the practical joker. It is also for the scientist: one who tests theories, weighs ideas for their merit. It is for the Editor, one who looks to stories and weighs the validity of their meaning and truth.


16 The Tower Amulet – the destruction of falsehood, Truth reviled – There are those whose jobs it is to give us the necessary jolt of reality: Judges, Police Officers, Solders and Oracles. However, the Tower Amulet is more of a tonic rather than an every day piece. If you are in confusion, unable to decide what to do, if you feel like you have been lied to and wish to know the truth, then the Tower would be a good tool in meditation. This would be ideal to keep on hand for a spiritual councilor, to use for short periods of time and then to be put aside to build again.

17 The Star Amulet – meditation, experimentation, discovery through self reflection – The Star Amulet would be excellent for those that have decided to use meditation as a practice on their lives. This tranquil amulet may be used to calm and clarify one’s perspective and achieve a better understanding of themselves and their environment. Practitioners of Yoga and martial arts, Religious parctionars who use Meditation and Prayer would find this amulet helpful in their daily lives.

18 The Moon Amulet – Dream experience, the spiritual path, development through maintaining balance – The Moon Amulet is for those that have realized their Life’s Path and have committed themselves to walk their talk. Although not an advertisement for being a Spiritual Leader, one teaches by example, treats others with the respect due them and learns from children as well as their Elders of community. This is a good amulet for councilors, advisers, leaders and solitaries.

19 The Sun Amulet – Masks, filters, seeking the truth through discovery of the universe – The Sun Amulet may be used as a constant reminder and dedication to the Divine. It can also be a reminder not to take things at face value, that there are always layers of assumption between us, no matter how close we are to others. This amulet would be good for Actors, representatives, politicians, teachers and others that interface with the public.

20 The Judgment Amulet – Perpetual fire consuming the unneeded, lessons through hardship, the amalgamation of the personalities – People that would find this amulet useful in daily life would be Judges, arbitrators, housekeepers, and maintenance crews, gardeners, any whose task it is to clear, cleanse and renew environments, relationships and patterns of behavior. The Judgment Amulet is a potent symbol of Spiritual purification. It may be worn by those that are going through upheaval in their lives, watching their positions being discarded, acquaintances being revealed as unhealthy and discarded; all this and keeping balance, knowing that this period on one’s life is to be harnessed as a positive and necessary thing.

21 The Universe Amulet – The ever expanding entirety of knowledge and experience, discovering the infantine through limitation – The Universe Amulet is for those that are explorers, scholars, students, those who have taken on the quest of Life: ever searching for meaning, the source, and themselves. The Universe Amulet is for musicians, dancers, lovers of music and the arts; those that push the envelope and are unafraid of new experiences, new ideas and a larger Universe.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Tarot Prose Cards

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 29, 2009
Posted in: Amulets, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

It was in 1986 when I requested Russ McClay to create the cards
to accompany the Tarot Amulets.
I had written a series of verse to describe the individual Tarot Amulets:
still in the works.
I had already invested nearly ten years of study in the Tarot
and felt it was time to move forward with the project.

Prose Card of the Star Amulet

Prose Card
of
the Star Amulet

I had Met Russ four years earlier at Corona Trucking.
After two years of grueling work
we found jobs where we worked for subcontractors at the post office;
our duties did not take every waking minute as it did with Corona.
Each day we met for our lunch break and spoke about our interests in philosophy,
religion and the state of current affairs.

Tarot Prose Card ~ The Empress

Tarot Prose Card
The Empress

Russ McClay at that time was well known for his Calligraphy:
his work was prominently displayed in signage in the Newport and Huntington Beach area
of Orange County as well as framed works of art
and on various fliers distributed in the better known shops of the Southland.
In a time before desktop publishing,
his hand work out shown the shaky fingers of his contemporaries
and was the envy of those of us who wanted good calligraphic art.

With my offer of the sound montage: “Something Happening”,
he agreed to create the cards.
It was a monumental task that took months of pen to paper,
running down to the photocopier to reduce them down to the right size;
creating layouts and a host of other steps.
I frustrated him with my revisions and “improvements” as he,
with great patience and endurance of my own foibles
produced what I consider to be
some of the finest Calligraphy I have ever seen.

I still have the original printing of these cards
and include them with the purchase of The Tarot Amulets.

Merlin’s prose and McClay’s flowing penmanship.

The Tarot Garden

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 28, 2009
Posted in: Amulets, MetaPlace, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 3 comments

Some months ago Allyn burst into my home with the news of MetaPlace. For some years he and I worked on the creation of video games; for years my hope was to create an environment where one could experience the Tarot in a virtual reality. Allyn announced that MetaPlace could provide us with that very thing.

Between Allyn, my good friend Michael Woody and our ever faithful Tech support provided by Robert, we focused our efforts to create two worlds: one a Virtual Gallery where you can see my sculpture as if you were in a museum and shrink you down to the size of the jewelry in virtual cases, and more.

    The High Priestess in the Tarot Garden

The Second world is the Tarot Garden. We focused most of our time in there. After honing our efforts in creating animations that simulate fire, water, wind energy flows and other interesting figments, we were able to cobble together a series of “places” within the world.

You first arrive in the Court Yard: the landing pad if you will, designed to familiarize you with the presentation. There is a short video that you can click on in the center of a grotto: a three dimensional “Tree of Life”. From there you can see the “Three Gardens” of the Major Arcana.

The First Garden lands you before the Fool Amulet suspended in space. There is a harp that you may click that plays the tone attributed to that piece. There is a short video that presents the location of the amulet on the Tree of Life. Each amulet is “clickable” opening a window that presents a short description and a link directly to the corresponding page in my website, should you want to learn more about the piece or purchase a copy.

Following that you walk on a path leading to The Magician, also suspended in space, only there is an animation that illustrates the energy flow. Each amulet is similarly presented with the corresponding elements, videos and tones. Benches are provided for your avatar to perch presenting the screen framed perfectly for viewing. Sound effects add immersion of the experience. The Second Garden holds the Strength amulet through Temperance while the Third Garden holds the Devil through the Universe: all framed in appropriate environmental sights and sounds.

MetaPlace is often referred to as a “Social Network” but is also a “Sandbox” style of game engine. This provides folks who want to develop their ideas into interactive environments the opportunity to display their passions and ideas. Game, demonstrations, concerts and exhibits are throughout the MetaPlace Universe. In order to participate, there is a brief avatar selection and tutorial before you can go out and explore, however this hurdle is a very low impact, well worth the five minutes to get familiar with the system.

If you are a student learning the Tarot or a seasoned professional, you will find the Tarot Garden an experience that will lift your spirits and provide you with a moment of good cheer. Please come see the Tarot Garden and enjoy a virtual world of Tarot come to life.