Amulets by Merlin's Blog

Once there were a people
who thought if they built a tower
so tall
it could reach heaven;
they would not have to live
a virtuous life
to go there when they died,
all they had to do was to climb the tower.
Apparently God took exception to this idea
and blasted the tower with a bolt of lightening.
When everyone recovered from the tragedy
they tried to speak of the experience to one another;
but none could understand each others words.

Tower Amulet
Mars
the Mouth
“Peh”

When one creates a structure
one must first have a solid foundation.
If the foundation is flawed
then the entire structure will be unsound.
The views of what is real around us
are built on what we rely on as fact.
When the facts are discovered false,
then the structure based on those facts
is unreliable.
In the classic image of
The Blasted Tower of Babel,
we see a bolt of lighting,
the symbol of realization strikes the tower
and theories tumble to the ground.
We see tiny Yods fall from the Tower,
illustrating the strike may be harnessed:
the influence of the Hand of God
(the Hermit),
the blessings of Truth,
(however painful)
will sow seeds for a better outcome.
This Tower
is our inner construct of the world
as it is built up and torn down
over and over,
each time our understanding becomes stronger,
more solid
and reflects the truth.
When we try to re-group,
we often misunderstand each other;
new facts present a need to be re-sorted
and what was once the common
view is fractured.

Peh
is the letter associated with the Tower:
the Mouth.
Words.
The ability to speak
in ancient times
was considered sacred.
Think of it:
the ability to make mouth noises
to convey ideas.
Seems Magical!
With words we can sooth or crush.
The Tower
Speaks directly to this:
the bolt of realization is often carried by words,
so too a faulty foundation may be created.

Mars is the sign of the Tower:
the circle of spirit moving through Matter:
Mars Close In,
conflict if an opposing force attempts to slow it down;
Mars is a God of the sword and field,
associated with cattle,
the battle field produces the best wheat:
Mars clears chaos and order may grow in its wake.

The Tower Amulet
is patterned off of the Tarot Card:
a bedrock of a foundation with a block tower standing on its crest.
A shaft of lightning strikes the top of the tower to its heart.
Over the front of the Tower is the letter Peh.

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.

The Tower Amulet may be used as a Talisman
or it may be used as a part of a Three dimensional Tarot Deck
The Tarot Casters
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

The Court Jester is a strange little devil.
Should anyone but the little fellow
say unkind things to the king,
they would be missing appendages.
So why does the Jester continue to keep his head?

The Devil Amulet
Capricorn
reflection of truth
“Ayin”

He is a liar,
a scoundrel,
very uncomplimentary
and sometimes
he even tells the truth
at very inconvenient moments.
Should the King have a bright idea,
it is the Jester that shoots it down.
If the king says something stupid,
it is the jester that corrects him,
yet still he lives.

In the Book of Job,
God is in his heaven
and the Devil is sitting at his left hand.
“Check out that guy Job down there” he tells God.
“He really doesn’t honor you;
only out of habit does he make his sacrifices.”
Through persuasion,
the Devil convinces God to let him test his faith.
His land and wealth is stripped of him,
his wives and children are gone
and he is alone in the desert
covered with boils.
In the end of it,
God recognizes Job’s faith
and all is restored.

The Devil in both cases is testing the individual;
this corresponds with the influence
of the sea goat Capricorn
who is always testing the waters,
unsure of anything.
In the Native American folklore,
we find Coyote,
a totem of the tester
who also has a great sense of humor
and indeed here is the key:
Humor is the tool that sets you free.

The Hebrew letter Ayin is associated with the Devil Card:
the Eye.
As Heh (the Emperor) is attributed to the Window
(the influence of perception)
Ayin is the Eye itself.
It is both the physical Eye
(the acceptance of the illusion of matter)
and the inner eye (the recognition of what actually is).

In a nightclub we can find a comedian who is doing a “stand up” routine.
The entire time he is talking he is speaking in half-truth
and innuendo however the audience listens to him and laughs,
not taking his lies seriously at all.
This devil is funny because there is an association
between his lies and the lives of the audience.
They too have similar problems
and are able to see it through the eyes of another
and recognize the humor in their own lives.

In this testing,
this twisting of the truth to reveal it’s depth
we find where that trap lies:
believing the lie.
Urban legends, tall tales, terror-vision;
all become traps where people can get caught up
in the language rather than the story,
the fashion rather than the substance.
One can get entangled by the illusion
and think that what they are seeing is real.
By seeing through the illusion of humor,
one perceives the greater reality.
But if you want to know the truth you have to be open to it,
no matter what it is.

In designing this amulet I chose the five point star.
It symbolizes (amongst other things) Ideal Man (human rather than male-ness).
Each of the points represents an element,
the fifth on the top point being of Spirit representing its balance and influence.
I reflected the image:
the mirrored star is a reflection of the truth.
On the star pointing up I have inscribed the classic triangles,
in the reflected image I used Hebrew letters,
representing an interpretation of those elements.
In the middle of the two stars:
a hand holding a torch thrust downward, gutting smoke;
the light is cloaked:
the truth is obscured.
The Letter Ayin placed over the hand representing how the Eye
may be directed to see many facets of reality.

The Devil 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.

The Devil Amulet may be used as a Talisman
or it may be used as a part of a Three dimensional Tarot Deck
The Tarot Casters
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

When we hear the word “Temperance”
we think of the enforcement of a government’s social attitude
concerning substances that are “currently considered evil”,
or perhaps the avoidance of such substances.

The Temperance Amulet
Sagittarius
Transformation
“Nun”

However the Tarot presents the more classic concept
from Alchemical studies.
The classic image in the Tarot Card is that of an Angel
with one foot on land and the other in water
pouring liquid from one vessel to another.
The act of “tempering” is taking a substance and moving it from one extreme to another:
Hot and Cold.
As with the other Tarot Images,
Water represents Consciousness,
the vessels that are being uses are “states of being”.
As we are being stressed by our everyday lives
we are experiencing “tempering”
and provided with the opportunity
to strengthen our Spirit and focus our Will.

In Metallurgy
the making of a blade requires heat
for the steel to be worked.
Then is quenched by water, hardening it.
This is repeated until the shape is accomplished
and the metal is worked to create an edge.

It is much like the process of alchemy.
One’s Being is separated into its elements
heated, cooled and combined for the final tempering;
the result is the Philosopher’s stone,
which in fact is You.

Samekh is the Hebrew letter attributed to this concept:
sometimes referred to as The Womb Preserving Life.
In this way we see a kind of containment
(much like the Chariot)
yet this is used to strengthen and preserve.

In the elder days
when folks talked about the mysteries
they used everyday images.
They would ask the Crone
(the old woman who is the keeper of the knowledge of the Tribe):
“What is it like?”

“Well”, she looks around and spies the fireplace.
“It is like that old cauldron over the fire.
We set the great pot in the fire place
(the alchemical crucible)
and fill it with water (consciousness)
and your Father would go out and hunt a deer
(The God) and place it into the pot.
Your Mother goes into the garden
and collects herbs and vegetables
(aspects of the Goddess in nurturing, healing and cultivation)
and that too is placed into the pot.
It is heated and cooled,
from that we fill our bowls and feast.”

We derive nourishment form the source itself,
and in fact we find it delicious,
here by demonstrating an Art in this expression:
food is both a sacrament of the body and the spirit,
nourishing us in every way,
even aesthetically.

The classic image of Sagittarius
a centaur drawing a bow and aiming at the stars.
This tension and release is fundamental in the composition of music,
the greatest music of the ages utilizes
drawing your attention and holding it,
causing the listener to physically sit on the edge of a seat
for the chord progression to resolve,
teasing us when it doesn’t.

For the Temperance Amulet
I have placed a cauldron with a Crone of Wisdom behind it,
form finger tip to finger tip we see a rainbow,
representing the tension (like the bow of archery) and the assurance of success.
She stands before a cauldron brewing a stew of nourishment
containing everything you need to learn and grow,
aesthetically pleasing to the pallet.
On the cauldron is the letter Samekh
signifying the alchemical crucible
in which we must endure in order to gain the necessary experience
to transcend our current position.
The image is to convey the process of Art itself:
a process that can open the mind and heart
to deeper realization and the potential for growth.

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
we gain a better understanding of the Art of Living.

The Temperance Amulet may be used as a Talisman
or it may be used as a part of a Three dimensional Tarot Deck
The Tarot Casters
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

The image of the Tarot Card Death:
the grim reaper with a scythe,
twisted in a way no living person could pose;
scattered before him are the heads of King and Pauper alike.
Shafts of wheat spring up around the body parts;
Death cuts them down as a farmer tending to his crops.

Attributed to this Tarot Card is the Hebrew letter Nun or the Fish.
In Alchemical terms
the “Fish” represents the “First Matter”, “Primary Imagination”.
In Death, what is carried forward is the primary spark of what we are and our power to create.

Scorpio is attributed to the Death Card,
an astrological symbol that is transformation itself.
It is a sign that starts as a scorpion,
transforms into an eagle and then again as a phoenix.
Each time it transforms it “dies” as one thing and is reborn the next.

The Death Amulet ~ Scorpio
Transformation
“Nun”

In the creation of this amulet I chose the Threshold of Transition.
Large heavy Gates swing towards you on posts of skulls;
and the letter Nun is spanning the top.
Transition, an initiation,
a rite of passage that leads to something else on the other side.
In the Tarot Garden I developed this concept in the game engine:
you may approach the Virtual Amulet and pass through it,
finding a pit of decay on the other side.
Beyond you find yourself in a field of flowers under a vault of Stars.
This is to illustrate Death as a Process of multiple facets,
a transition rather than a static state with which
you discover more about yourself that you had dreamed possible.

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 short yet important periods in one’s life.

The Death Amulet may be used as a Talisman
or it may be used as a part of a Three dimensional Tarot Deck
The Tarot Casters
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

This is one of the more Iconic Images in Western Lore.

We are reminded of the Story of Odin.
Following several adventures in a search for a better understanding of the World;
One encompassing an exchange of an Eye for wisdom with the Giant Mimir;
Odin continued deep into the Heath in search for wisdom.
Struggling deeper until he found the stark tree Fogmoon in the twilight,
his coat got tangled in the branches
rendering him bound:
immobile,
suspending him for nine nights.

The Hanged Man Amulet
Baptismal Water
Sacrifice
“Mem”

As his head cleared,
wisdom formed in his mind.
He was able to then free himself,
then carve glyphs into the tree
which held him hostage
and he named them Runes (to whisper).

An image of Self Sacrifice and suspense.
A man is hung upside down over a pool of water.
In some versions of this card,
he is suspended from a rough shape of the Hebrew letter Tav
(the Material World) .

The suspension of time
when the mind is no longer distracted from the body
we can process information.
Much of that time may not be able to be expressed in words

When one takes a Vision Quest
one is cut off from other influences,
it is just you and where you are.
You don’t have to perform a roll as a parent,
friend or child.
This kind of suspension from the mundane
To take it one step farther,
when you are in deep meditation
or deep sleep
you step beyond your senses
in pure thought.
The first step is to recall the sensation of suspense:
floating in water,
completely relaxed in liquid
– ungrounded.

The element associated with The Hanged Man is:
Baptismal Water
(the Fool was Baptismal Air);
and the letter Mem:
also Water.

In Alchemical Terms
and in the Tarot,
Sacrifice
is interpreted as a Transmutation from one thing to another.
In the old sense of offering a sacrifice,
the ancients would take the best animal of their herd,
place it on the alter and burn it for the Almighty,
accompanied with prayers for a good harvest,
fertility, and a better year.

Odin sacrificed his time, energy,
even an eye in search of Wisdom.
Finally when he was completely bound and suspended,
beyond help he bore deep into himself.
Equating his tangled coat with his role in life,
he realized Noble Truths
and was able to communicate what he discovered with others.
Concepts which became the building blocks of their language.

There are times when reaching into darkness
you may draw forth Light.

The Hanged Man Amulet is designed with these things in mind:
the triangle of Elemental Water is the central focus;
the suspended inverted figure in Water (Consciousness),
is embossed on the front with the letter of Mem on the top.
The position of the legs on the suspended figure
is the same as in the classic image of
The Emperor: the use of Mind is suspended as well as Body.
This is the Amulet of Self Reflection,
absorbing knowledge while suspending disbelief,
the Vision Quest.

The Hanged Man Amulet
is for any one who meditate,
go on a Vision Quest,
Enjoys Solitude.

The Hanged Man Amulet may be used as a Talisman
or it may be used as a part of a Three dimensional Tarot Deck
The Tarot Casters
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

In his dialogue Republic, Plato describes Justice:

“… is the having and doing of what is one’s own. A just man is a man in the right place,
doing his best and giving the precise equivalent of what he has received”.

In civic discourse, we look for a way to balance various infractions between people,
social organizations, corporations and so on.
Descriptions of details varies between cultures,
~ seeking a balance is a constant.

In terms of the Tarot,
we look to the Ideal Manifestation of which the card represents:
Look beyond Human Judgement and behold what is manifesting around us.
Discover is the interconnectedness of
All Things.
If you make a disturbance for good or ill,
there will be a reaction
The more powerful the change – the greater the response,
typically in kind.
Hopefully we learned these lessons from The Wheel of Fortune.
In Justice, we see The Law in action.

The Justice Amulet
Libra
We Balance
“Lamed”

Attributed to Libra: “We Balance”
and the Hebrew letter Lamed: the Ox-goad,
a whip used to keep the Ox on the road.
The Fool is the Ox;
hence the concept Justice keeps the Fool on his path.

In a larger sense,
Justice is the force that keeps thing in check
with or without our interaction.
Although we may choose to keep in balance,
the very act of that choice is a function of Justice.
The Wise know that whether we choose it or not,
a dynamic balance in our lives must be maintained
in order for us to function.

The Justice Amulet
hold qualities presented by the card;

Similar to the High Priestess,
she becomes the process:
Lady Justice is standing with her arms outstretched;
her arms are the scales that judge the balance of a given situation.
She stands on the globe of the world;
her hair streams out to encompass all things signifying her influence.
She is crowned with the letter Lamed
This is the balance of all things: action and reaction.
A sword is strapped to her back signifying:
“that which is unwanted or unnecessary must be cut away”
whether you want it to or not.

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.

The Justice Amulet may be used as a Talisman
or it may be used as a part of a Three dimensional Tarot Deck
The Tarot Casters
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

The classic image is an eight-spoked wheel
turning amidst mythological creatures.
When viewing the classical image of the Wheel of Fortune,
The Name of the Tarot is spelled at the “points of the compass”
with the Tetragrammaton or the “holy unspeakable name of God”.
This has roots in the ancient Hebrew concept:
deity unspoken refers to an unfathomable power,
silence shows respect.

The power of The Wheel has set in motion
all things within the Universe.

Wheel of Fortune Amulet
Jupiter
grasping hand
“Caph”

Again, in the classical image of the Wheel of Fortune,
The four corners have animals representing four realms of the Elements;
each examining books representing the Law.
All things (even the elements themselves) are reliant on the Law:
gravity works, every action has a reaction and so on.
The elemental beings reading books illustrate:
not all is understood,
that which seem to defy the laws of nature may only be responding
to a set of patterns that have not yet received.

The image I chose to represent this is the cyclone,
at the four points are the classical symbols of the elements,
in the center is an eye.
Above it the Hebrew letter Caph or the “grasping hand”.
Jupiter:
that which stabilizes.
The hand that grasps: stabilizing Oneself.
The eye symbolizes the act of Centering:
an important part of martial arts.

In Aikido,
Centering is one of the first things one is taught:
One learns to move about an area
never loosing position within the center of combat.
By Centering we bring our minds to focus on the center of the body,
in turn recall the center of one’s spirit and purpose.
When we Center we find ourselves within
what was once perceived chaotic
and recognize the elements of the cyclone.

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.

The Wheel of Fortune Amulet may be used as a Talisman
or it may be used as a part of a Three dimensional Tarot Deck
The Tarot Casters
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

A lot of Led Zeppelin fans would recognize the image from the Zofo album:
an old man with a staff holding a lantern high while looking over a cliff.
Attributed to Virgo:
the Earth sign of the Virgin:
totally innocent and untouched by corruption;
yet grounded and potentially fertile.
It is also attributed to the letter “Yod”,
the smallest component of the Hebrew alphabet.
Within all the letters we see time and again this tiny “tongue of flame”

“Yod” represents the “Hand of God”.

Wheel of Fortune Amulet
Jupiter
Hand of God
“Yod”

For you Star Wars fans,
“Yoda” is from whom Luke Skywalker learns the secrets of the “Force”.
George Lucas must have known his Tarot!
Like Yoda, the image of the Hermit walks his own path,
not a follower (or leader in the normal sense)
but makes his own way in life,
discovering it on his own.
In the process of finding his way
he lifts a lantern
which inadvertently gives us a direction as to where to go:
teaching by example yet completely unconscious of the fact.

Although alone,
the Hermit is never lonely:
He moves about his daily routine,
doing the “right thing” as his conscience moves him.

The Hermit card is part of our popular culture and mystical heritage.

A hand holding the lantern with the Yod as the flame within.
the letter itself is the guiding light we see:
the hand that holds the lantern is the Hermit;
the Flame is his intent and purpose.

The Hermit Amulet
for those that are self starters, innovators,
those who serve humanity because of their own convictions
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.
To stabilize one’s journey in life
and remind us to hearken to our own inner voice
rather than to follow a leader,
group of movement
walk the path of Virtue.

The Hermit Amulet may be used as a Talisman
or it may be used as a part of a Three dimensional Tarot Deck
The Tarot Casters
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

In the classic image of the Strength Card,
we see a woman holding a lion’s mouth open,
remarkably she is not being eaten.
The Strength card is attributed to both
Leo (the Lion) and the Hebrew letter Teth (the Snake).

Strength Amulet
Leo
the Snake
“Teth”

This path is similar to the Empress:
it unites the two opposing pillars of Mercy and Severity (see “the Tree of Life”),
however instead of the imagination it is through inner Strength.
This uniting force between opposites resides within the realm of the Will.

Strength represents
the patience of learning a situation to such a degree
you are able to see the issue from all perspectives.
The classical image of a woman opening the mouth of a lion
refers the process of teaching the beast to speak,
thus able to perceive the conflict from an opponent’s perspective.
The champion of the Strength card is the negotiator.

This is also the card of harnessing the energies within the body and mind itself.
The study of Kundalini, the Charkas, Aikido,
Ti Chi and Trance Dance (example: whirling dervish).
Each of these studies incorporates the harnessing of such energies
when focused become quite formidable.
This inner strength is sometimes called “harnessing of Chi”,
a practice where one may use the powers of passion
for purposes beyond the lusts of the flesh.

In making the Strength Amulet,
I combined the powerful Leo image and the body of Serpent Power,
uniting the images of power between the East and the West.
With the Hebrew letter of Teth on the forehead and touched with a touch of fire:
the Strength Amulet is to be focused on one’s True Will
(the driving force of one’s life)
and the strength to maintain focus and control.

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.

The Strength Amulet may be used as a Talisman
or it may be used as a part of a Three dimensional Tarot Deck
The Tarot Casters
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

The Chariot is a classic image.
A man resides in a chariot at a stand still,
harnessed by two Sphinxes,
the mythological creature that demands of you the important questions in life:
Who are you?
Why are you here?
What is your purpose?
Although the vehicle is designed to move,
it appears to be stationary.
This is implying that the vehicle (the body)
contains the spirit and moves
from one plane of existence to another while in meditation.
The Chariot is associated with the Hebrew letter Cheth:
the letter meaning “Enclosure” much like the Crab of Cancer.
It is hard on the outside and soft and sensitive on the inside.
Within the shells of ego,
we carry images of ourselves for protection and self identity.
Like an old cart our perceptions are fragile,
one small stone in the road will make the vehicle fly apart.

Chariot Amulet
Cancer
Enclosure
“Cheth”

This card is also about the space within the circle:
Sacred Space;
like our bodies the walls defining the Sanctuary of a church or circle in a grove.
Sacred space is a place of purpose or the commitment of an oath taken.
If a breach of this sacred space is corrupted,
then it must be cleansed,
cleared or torn down and started anew.
Trust is a sacred Space,
one that must be honored by those who are a party to it.
It can ruin a friendship,
tear apart a marriage
or start a war.
Sacred Space provides a place of Health,
Virtue and other nurturing qualities.

When creating the Chariot Amulet,
I focused on the circle as the primary shape;
replaced the Sphinxes with Unicorns,
emphasizing the importance of Truth.
In Western Lore,
the only person that can see the Unicorn
is an Innocent: a Virgin.
The Idea is simple,
only those who are Pure of Heart can know Truth.
I placed the Charioteer as the central figure and his background is of stars:
when beholding the Truth,
we may encompass All Things.
The I-Ching refers to this state as “Witnessing the Tao”.

The Chariot Amulet 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.

The Chariot Amulet may be used as a Talisman
or it may be used as a part of a Three dimensional Tarot Deck
The Tarot Casters
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

Amulets by Merlin's Blog

Reflections of the Art of Merlin

16 ~ Tower Amulet

15 ~ Devil Amulet

14 ~ Temperance Amulet

13 ~ Death Amulet

12 ~ The Hanged Man Amulet

11 ~ Justice Amulet

10 ~ Wheel of Fortune Amulet

9 ~ The Hermit Amulet

8 ~ The Strength Amulet

7 ~ The Chariot Amulet

Amulets by Merlin

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