One in Spirit Sculpture from Amulets by Merlin

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on October 9, 2015
Posted in: Drum Circles, Sculpture. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

There are few things in life that can inspire such joy.
It is one thing to perform while an audience watches:
expectations, stage fright, critics…
it is quite another when a group of people create music
for the sole purpose of making each other happy.
Many music groups describe sessions
where it was “just the band”,
pure beauty and healing in just the experience.
In a healthy Drum Circle,
one can see an entire community gather together
to create something fresh,
unique and joyful.
Each drummer “holds” the down beat
providing a “floor”
where the community dances both figuratively and physically.

One in Spirit Sculpture

One in Spirit Sculpture

I have taught “Drum Circle Dynamics” to children for years,
helping them to realize how to interact through rhythm.
On more than a few occasions
a little one would approach
and want to play my drum with me.
In those moments I felt a bonding with the younger generation
transcending nearly every other experience.

In an attempt to capture these moments,
One in Spirit”
featuring a drummer and a small boy learning the down beat,
a moment that erases gender,
age, generational perspective
and sync the two into a single moment:
Playing as One in Spirit.

This sculpture
features details in the hair,
ropes on the drums,
texture in the clothing
and joyful expressions of the participants.

Seven inches high
cast in bronze upon request.

To get your copy please visit my
One in spirit Sculpture page

more of Merlin’s Sculpture may be seen at the
Merlin’s Sculpture Gallery
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

The Drum Mom Sculpture from Amulets by Merlin

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on October 8, 2015
Posted in: Drum Circles, Sculpture. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

If you have never attended an Open Public Drum Circle,
you have missed a great deal of fun!
One of the many things to watch is how children respond to the experience.
They naturally move with the beat and want to participate in every way they can.
As the older ones can dance and drum just as well as many of the adults,
some are still a bit too little
and could be easily stepped upon by spinning bodies and the like.

Drum Mom Sculpture

Drum Mom Sculpture

Typically, the Drum Mom is a position held by one of the mothers attending.
She supervises the water and snacks
and watches over the health and welfare of the Drum Circle:
as drummers tire and take a break through out the night
(even if we are not doing an “all nighter”)
the Drum Mom makes sure that they are cared for
and makes a safe place
for the dancers to gather to share drink, snacks and words.

I have attempted to capture
the many aspects within the Drum Circle
through my work:
mostly jewelry, however I still love to revel in my first love: sculpture.
I indulged myself in this one:
The Drum Mom.

This piece holds an aspect of the tiny struggle
between the Drum Mom and a pair of little ones
who are more exuberant then for their own good.
One struggles to climb into her lap
while the older of the two wants to break away into the circle,
armed with a shaker.

The Sculpture is a tiny moment,
a single beat in the Drum Circle,
in fact in one’s life;
yet it is an iconic position,
one of honor.
Every healthy Drum Circle has such people
looking after each other;
in this way the drummers and dancers
may focus on their purpose:
to generate Joy and Bright Blessings.

more of Merlin’s Sculpture may be seen at the
Merlin’s Sculpture Gallery
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

If you wish to commission a statue,
please visit Merlin’s how to order custom page

Academy of Judaic Christian and Islamic Studies Amulet from Amulets by Merlin

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on October 7, 2015
Posted in: Custom Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Back in the Eighties my Father:
Dr. Robert B. McLaren
was a Professor in the Humanities Department
of California State University Fullerton.
At the time,
tensions between the east and west were extreme.
In order to bring a better understanding
between the three “Faiths of Abraham”
as my father put it,
he assisted in the creation of
The Judaic Christian and Islamic Studies
and became Vice President of the Academy.
The goal was to develop line of communication
between the religious leaders in Orange County, California.

Academy of Judaic Christian and Islamic Studies Amulet

Academy of Judaic Christian and Islamic Studies Amulet

The Academy sponsored meetings
giving a forum to clear misconceptions,
air out differences
and reach mutual understandings between the Faiths.
Feeling the importance
Ideals were to be grounded in some material form,
my Father asked me to create
some kind of Amulet
which would symbolize their efforts.
“It needs to be comprehensive: start with the letter A”, he told me.

The result was the simple block letter,
the two sides solid and in a form of the triangle,
one of the most stable structures in architecture.
The ribbon holds the letters “JCI”
representing tenuous lines of communication
and a reminder of the effort required
to keep those lines open to each other.

As the first Iraq War heated up,
the Academy became a hot bed of controversy;
however it kept the religious community in close touch
and provided them with the necessary links
to defuse many misunderstandings between them in our community.

With the passing of its founders
and a host of other problems,
the Academy of Judaic Christian and Islamic Studies
eventually dissolved as an organization,
however the friendships continued.

It is my hope that the amulets
are a reminder of how open communication
and honesty
is a continued step towards peace and prosperity.

If you are interested
in learning more about custom work for your organization,
please visit my How to order custom page

more of Merlin’s Promotional Jewelry may be seen at the
Merlin’s Promotional Jewelry Page
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

The Leaf Chain from Amulets by Merlin

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on October 6, 2015
Posted in: Jewelry design, nature Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

To enhance my amulets and pendants
I have created chain to carry the motif.
When I designed the Green Man it came upon me:
what was needed was a chain of leaves.

Leaf Chain

Leaf Chain

Small leaves to make a chain:
maple, oak, apple, larch and several others
eleven in all (so far!).
I now offer the leaf chain as both an enhancement to other pieces
bracelets, necklaces, hand flowers and waist chains (like belts for dancers).
Each chain is unique in that the order of the leaves vary
according to the time of their creation.
Most do not “repeat” a pattern;
they are composed in a completely random fashion.
Some of the leaf chains are “custom”:
they are created in the order of the client’s desire.
Every link is held together by a silver jump ring
soldered to make the chain solid.
In the past I created “eternal” chains
with no clasp
designed to simply put over the head;
but typically they are accompanied with a lobster clasp
for spring loaded security.

The Leaf Chain is an original design of Amulets by Merlin;
each chain is made one at a time by the artist.

more of Merlin’s Chains may be seen at the
Hand crafted Chain Page
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

The Amulet of Pan from Amulets by Merlin

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on October 5, 2015
Posted in: Amulets, Greek Mythology Jewelry, Multi Faith, music amulet, Music Jewelry, music pendant, Pagan Jewelry, Wiccan Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Pan is the son of Zeus,
(or Hermes or Dionysus);
his mother a nymph (or sometimes Dryope?).
In fact, his parentage is so unclear
some historians consider him Pre-Olympian.
Because of his effect on people
his qualities appear to be more a nature spirit (or elemental).
As an entity,
he inspires panic,
sexual arousal
or in the higher form: musical ecstasy.

Amulet of Pan

Amulet of Pan

Syrinx was a exquisite water-nymph of Arcadia,
daughter of Landon,
the river-god.
As she was returning from the hunt one day,
Pan met her.
In fear of his amorous interest the fair nymph ran away.
He pursued her until she caught up with her sisters
who immediately changed her into a reed.
In his search for her he noticed the air
blowing through the reeds produced a melancholic melody.
The god, still infatuated,
took a handful because he did not know which reed she became,
and cut seven pieces and formed a musical instrument.
He has carried her with him ever since.

Contrary to Plutarch,
Pan is not dead.
In Jitterbug Perfume:
Tom Robbins describes the continued life of Pan
and his exploits as he sailed to the New World
and lived in America….
but that is another story.

The Amulet of Pan,
Features his musical aspect.
The Pan amulet is not a simply relief;
it is a 3D sculpture from his waist up,
framed in grape leaves playing his pan pipe.

An amulet to inspire a Panorama: good music,
good wine and a celebration of life itself.

more Amulets may be seen at the
Amulets Page
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

Custom God and Goddess Amulet from Amulets by Merlin

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on October 4, 2015
Posted in: Amulets, Jewelry design, Pagan Jewelry, Pentacles. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

Custom is my specialty.
In most cases I am approached by a client who has a specific vision in mind:
a design that they have worked up or seen in a dream.
A sketch is created and either emailed to me
or perhaps sent in the regular mail.
Not so with this particular piece.
A fellow approached me at a festival
and handed me a very rough stone
and told me he wanted the design to have four basic elements:
a tree, a star and the image of a God and Goddess.
The stone had special meaning to him
He carried it for years
and wanted to be able to wear it on special occasions.

“Just make the piece and I am sure that I will like it” he told me. The amulet you see here is the creation he requested. The God and Goddess Amulet is a one of a kind piece in sterling silver with rough quartz at its heart.

The God and Goddess Amulet

The Custom
God and Goddess Amulet

The design holds the intent of a balance of God and Goddess
influences born from nature
and blessed with the symbol of the star:
all elements in health and harmony.
He was very pleased.

If you are interested in learning more about having something made especially for you.
Please visit my How to order Custom Page.

Cross of Joy Amulet from Amulets by Merlin

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on October 3, 2015
Posted in: Amulets, Celtic Jewelry, Celtic Knot Jewelry, Celtic Lore, Christian Jewelry, Crosses. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

I met my friend Kevin in the late 80s.
Among his many talents,
he creates Knotwork designs.
Kevin typically creates very complex,
free form knots and then tools them into leather
for his garb for the Society of Creative Anarchisms
(SCA)
of which he is a part.

The Cross of Joy Amulet

The Cross of Joy Amulet

Unlike the typical border work of a more standard,
symmetrical knot,
Kevin’s style is to create broad sweeps
and then tiny inter-weavings to populate a design.
Creating knots of one,
two and three strands,
depending on the use of the knot it can become very complex
because you are not using any formulas or pre-made patterns.

I had asked him to design a cross for me and he smiled.
“I will design this knot
and teach you how it is done
so long as we call the amulet:
“Joy”,
for my friend” he told me.
He had not seen her in years
yet wanted to dedicate the design to her.

He drew it in one sitting:
smiling the entire time.
It is an eternal knot:
one strand from beginning to end
forming the cross with the circle of spirit in the center:
the “Empty Cross” (He is Risen) design.
Though Catholic:
“she won’t mind” he told me;
“Think of it as a compromise.”
Kevin isn’t Christian!

more about Cross Amulets may be seen at the
Cross Amulet Page
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

The Elvin Moon Amulet from Amulets by Merlin

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on October 2, 2015
Posted in: Amulets, Celtic Jewelry, Celtic Lore, Moon Jewelry, nature Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

An unfeasible image:
a tree rooted in a crescent moon,
the branches hold tiny stars
a cosmos within itself.

Elvin Moon Amulet

Elvin Moon Amulet

Modern fantasy stories of a race existed long before Mankind walked the earth.
European Lore refers to the race as one
lived with one foot in the realm of Fairy
one foot in the “mundane” world.
The Old Religion based on the forces of nature
describes these stories with images of sacred trees
so large
the very branches themselves
reached into the stars.

The Old stories remind us
of the Truth hidden in fiction;
children’s stories that hold the lessons of life
are only truly realized when we reach adulthood.
The impressions of virtue
to the pure of heart
and to those new to life captured
in tales of elves and fairies
struggling to bring peace to a troubled world.
The Fairy Tale may at times be more true to the heart
than the most mundane experience
because it hearkens to a time when we could see with our hearts
without the jaded perspective of a crushed hope.

Merlin’s Elvin Moon Amulet:
A Moon Talisman,
from it a tree with seven stars in the branches
and roots in the cradle of a crescent.

more of Merlin’s Amulets may be seen at the
Merlin’s Amulet Page
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

The Pentacle of Brotherhood from Amulets by Merlin

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on September 30, 2015
Posted in: Amulets, Pagan Jewelry, Pentacles, Wiccan Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

Community
is derived from the Old French communité
resulting from the Latin communitas,
a term for fellowship or structured society.
The word is often used in reference to a group
organized around common values and social cohesion
within a shared physical locality;
however in modern time it may refer to groups of people
spread out over a large area
who exchange ideas through the internet,
phone lines and other forms of communication.

Pentacle of Brotherhood

Pentacle of Brotherhood

The Pentacle is a symbol representing
(among other things)
the ideal human being in perfect balance with him/herself:
the elements represented by the lower four points
with the top point symbolizing Spirit
keeping matter in balance.

The Pentacle of Brotherhood
is a symbol representing Community in its ideal form:
open communication between its members,
addressing the toughest issues
with a clear mind and an open heart.
Each of the portions of the Pentacle
is comprised of clasping hands in friendship,
reserving nothing that would inhibit health and well being.
Maintaining such a balance between Perfect Love and Perfect Trust
is the most difficult of efforts.
It requires the members of the community to be honest with each other,
true their own nature
and respecting another position without compromising one’s own ethic.
Perfect Love means
to embrace each other for what they are
without objectifying each other;
Perfect Trust is earned over time,
not simply given.
A community using these ideals as their cornerstones
would stand the test of time,
transcending hardship,
pain and suffering of life’s turmoil
demanding on one’s mortality,
able to put aside petty squabbles and differences.

This amulet is a dedication to these ideals
in hope that we can rise above the flesh that separates us
and embrace each other
for the Radiant Beings that we are.

Other Pentacles may be seen at the
Pentacle Page
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

The Venus Amulet from Amulets by Merlin

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on September 29, 2015
Posted in: Amulets, Greek Mythology Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
The Venus Amulet

The Venus Amulet

Venus was commonly associated with
the Greek goddess Aphrodite
and the Etruscan deity Turan,
making use of aspects from each.
As with most other gods and goddesses in Roman mythology,
the literary concept of Venus
was borrowed from literary Greek mythology of her counterpart:
Aphrodite.
The early Latin goddess of gardens
became associated with the Greek Goddess Aphrodite.
In some Latin mythology
Eros was the son of Venus and Mars,
the god of war.

Venus was revered in her many aspects:
Venus Acidalia was derived from the well Acidalius
near Orchomenus,
in which Venus used to bathe with the Graces;
others connect the name with the Greek acides or cares or troubles.
Venus Cloacina: “Venus the Purifier”;
Venus Erycina: embodied “impure” love,
and was the patron goddess of ill repute.
Venus Felix: “Lucky Venus”,
Venus Libertina: “Venus the Freedwoman”,
Venus Murcia: “Venus of the Myrtle”,
Venus Obsequens: “Graceful Venus”,
Venus Urania: “Heavenly Venus”;
Venus Victrix: “Venus the Victorious”,
Soubriquet for Venus included Venus Amica: “Venus the Friend”,
Venus Armata: “Armed Venus”,
Venus Caelestis: “Celestial Venus”,
Venus Aurea: “Golden Venus”,
Venus Genetrix: “Mother Venus”
was Venus in her role as the ancestress of the Roman people,
a goddess of motherhood and domesticity.
A festival is held in her honor on September 26.

The classic symbol if Venus:
the circle of spirit over the cross of matter
illustrating the direct connection between these aspects.
It the image of the Goddess of Love
standing sky-clad before you,
arms outstretched invitation to share and enjoy
all that love has to offer.

To get your Venus Amulet,
please visit my Venus Amulet Page.

Other amulets may be seen at the
Amulets Page
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin