The Triquetra Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on April 26, 2010
Posted in: Amulets, Celtic Jewelry, Celtic Lore, Christian Jewelry, Druid Jewelry, Multi Faith, Pagan Jewelry, Wiccan Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Triquetra simply means “triangle” and has been used to refer to a variety of three-cornered shapes but has been evolved into a symbol of depth. Often seen in the Book of Kells, some have surmised that because of its frequent use as ornamentation has been a part of folk lore pre-dating the creation of the ancient texts. It appears in stone and metal on crosses, markers, jewelry and other artifacts through-out Celtic history.

The Triquetra Amulet
The Triquetra Amulet

Because of the Christian Influence and their lore concerning the Trinity, many have attributed the shape to represent: “The Father, Son and Holy Ghost”, but it could easily represent any lore that embraces the Three: Parents and child; the three phases of human existence: Youth, Middle Age and the Elderly; Maiden, Mother, Crone; Green Man, Hunter, Sage. All Threes: a number of Manifestation in Creation.

In recent years it has been popularized within the Pagan and Wiccan communities, for they too love the manifestation of Three. It has even been embraced in the Television series “Charmed”; the Triquetra is embossed on the Grimoire of the Three Sisters.

The Triquetra Amulet represents the Trinity, the manifestation of Three and the integrity of one purpose through love. The Triquetra Amulet is for those who cherish the idea of the Trinity in its many forms.

Keepers of the Flame Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on April 22, 2010
Posted in: Amulets, Jewelry design, Pagan Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , . 4 Comments

Periodically, I find a stone that seems to call for a sculpture.
I found a piece of jasper some time ago and could see the shape of flames within.
As if the piece was complete,
I kept seeing a pair of flame spirits embracing the stone.
It was then I decided to create the Flame Spirit Amulet.

Keepers of the Flame

Keepers of the Flame

The original carving itself was that of wax:
I built up the shapes as if unbidden, as if they formed themselves around the stone.
Once completed, I cast the carving and set the jasper as a one of a kind piece.

Being as I was on the circuit at the time,
I placed it in my cases.
It only resided amongst the other amulets for a day before a lovely lady purchased it.

If you wish for something like it and found a stone that seems to speak to you,
I can create an amulet,
ring or brooch as a one-of-a-kind-creation.
We can start with a rendering:
images of the design for your approval,
or if you simply wish me to create “something like it”
and you have the stone you wish to guild
(or you want me to find one for you),
simply go to my custom page
where you can learn more about how we can get started
with your one-of-a-kind creation.

Dagda’s Shield Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on April 13, 2010
Posted in: Amulets, Celtic Jewelry, Celtic Lore, Druid Jewelry, Jewelry design, Pagan Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

A few years ago I created Jewelry for Isaac Bonewits.

He created renderings of several designs and sent them to me to create for his special line of Jewelry.

Dagda’s Shield Amulet

One of them is Dagda’s Shield.

In his Words:
“This talisman is meant to be used with a daily self-protection spell from Isaac’s book The Pagan Man.

“Dagda behind me, Dagda before me
Dagda to my left, Dagda to my right
Dagda beneath me, Dagda above me
Dagda in quiet, Dagda in danger
Dagda in the hearts of all that love me
Dagda in the mouth of friend and stranger.

“I bind unto myself the name, the strong name of the Dagda,
By invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three,
The mightiest of all the Gods, Father of the Queen of Arts,
The Supreme Knower, Lord of Fire, and King of Druids.

“This silver or bronze talisman has been made by Merlin of Amulets by Merlin, based on the above design by Isaac Bonewits (includes the ogham letters for “Dagda” on the back).The design (inspired by Ian Corrigan) has a Celtic triple spiral as found in the Boyne River in Ireland, plus three awens (see below), with a snake wrapped around the edge of the shield. The shield as a whole is curved to cover one-sixth of a sphere to aid in visualizing it at all six directions.”

Isaac’s Amulets are a beautiful combination of design, comfort and concept. Through his travels he presented these amulets with his books and other items; he even created a special portion of his website to feature the work. You may purchase these amulets through my site. You may purchase these amulets through my site. Each piece purchased Isaac’s Household receives a royalty to both help recover from the debt of his passing and to extend his legacy promoting good will, democracy and clarity to the world.
To learn about Isaac Bonewits, his writings and more, please visit his website.

The Chakra Tree

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on April 10, 2010
Posted in: Amulets, Jewelry design, Multi Faith. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 7 Comments

A few years ago
a friend of mine decided to have an amulet created
reflecting her perceptions of the chakras.

The chakras in classic yoga
are a series of seven places in the body
considered as energy centers.
Each place is a kind of akashic organ
imbued with certain qualities.
When trained properly,
one may tune and strengthen them to achieve health,
balance and spiritual clarity.

The Chakra Tree

The Chakra Tree

For example
the heart chakra,
located approximately where the physical heart is in the body,
only more in aligned with the spine.
The heart chakra’s quality is compassion,
healing and love of all things.
Illustrated in Hindu art as well as renaissance paintings of Christ
(the sacred heart) the heart chakra is recognized in many cultures.
Those who naturally have powerful heart chakras
are healers and peacemakers.

In chakra lore,
it is best to train each of them equally
so they may balance naturally.
Doing this often requires practice in concentration,
visualization and breathing techniques
accompanied with a physical training which stimulate the chakra centers.

Beyond traditional Yoga,
many people have harnessed the studies of the chakras
by adapting the knowledge to their own traditions.
My friend’s vision encompassed her love of nature
and infused the imagery into a series of sketches and renderings.
The ultimate design transcended
beyond a conglomerate of simple geometric shapes
into an almost story book mural of metal and stone.

A raven flies overhead symbolizing transcendence,
wisdom and knowledge just beyond reach.
Stones aligned by the chakra formation down the trunk of the tree,
each stone of the kind associated with each chakra as per her choosing.
The amulet is four and a half inches made of silver
(the leaves, secondary branches and roots)
and bronze (main trunk and primary branches).
The rough bark extended into the settings
give a feeling of the stones being in the tree itself,
the top two chakras (third eye and the crown)
in contrast made smooth to accentuate
the higher level of consciousness.
Leaves extend the growth of the tree into the chain.
Below is an opal symbolizing the pool of consciousness,
much akin to the Star Card of the Tarot.

The Chakra Tree Amulet
was made as a one of a kind,
special commission and now resides in a private collection.

If you wish to have something special made for you,
Please visit my How to order Custom page

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 Fellowship of the Celtic Cross

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on March 31, 2010
Posted in: Celtic Jewelry, Christian Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

One of the last efforts my Father worked on was to return to his favorite project:
the education of young men and women.
A devout Presbyterian Minister,
professor of Philosophy
and a member of the Humanities Department in Cal State Fullerton,
Dr. Robert B McLaren began his quest of promoting virtue
by working with the youth in Boys town of Chicago.

The Fellowship of the Celtic Cross

The Fellowship of the Celtic Cross

In each of the churches he served with in Illinois, Montana, Texas and California,
he worked closely with the youth with scholarly lessons of the New Testament,
often focusing on the book of Luke.
His method was to first go over the text,
then re-discover the context by studying the politics, technology
and social conditions of the period to help them understand the milieu of the work.

For a period during the 70 and 80s, Dr. R. B. McLaren took a break from youth fellowship
and focused primarily on his University Efforts,
finishing his Doctorate
and moving ahead in his service with the Academy of Judao, Christian and Islamic Studies,
the World Council of Churches and the Parliament of World Religions.
After his “retirement” he was asked by the local Church
to return to his teaching the Youth of his community.

We had several conversations over the matter
and he decided that it would be helpful to have crosses made for them.
Noting if the cross was to have a special meaning for them
I recommended that the group design the piece.
This experience of creativity would mark the moment in their lives,
help them recall the ideas that they were working with at the time,
empower them and give them the experience of collaboration
both with each other and with their instructor.
The members busily drew a host of images,
then created a composite of the designs.
From the images of the Youth Group,
I created their Cross Amulet. On the completion of their studies,
they were then blessed with a copy of their own design.

In each of his talks,
classes lectures and sermons the main focus of his message was to celebrate life,
each other and joy.
In every conversation his salutation was:
“Be of Good Cheer!”
I find great comfort in knowing I was able to contribute to his legacy.

If you are interested in a specially designed piece for your church, circle, grove or organization,
Please view my How to order custom page

The Icarus Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on March 27, 2010
Posted in: Greek Mythology Jewelry, Jewelry design. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

The image of Icarus from the ancient Greek Legend.

The Icarus Amulet

The Icarus Amulet
Front and Back

Icarus and his father Daedalus attempted to escape prison at the hands of King Minos.
Daedalus fashioned wings out of wax and feathers for himself and his son.
Before they took off,
Daedalus warned his son not to fly too close to the sun,
nor too close to the sea.
Overcome with the sense of flight,
Icarus soared through the sky,
but flew too close to the sun,
melting the wax.
Without his wings Icarus fell into the sea which bears his name.
This tale strikes deep into the heart of those who attempt the impossible,
risking themselves for the sake of their vision or desire for freedom.

The Icarus Amulet

The Icarus Amulet
one-of-a-kind
Custom Amulet

With a basic sketch and a written description from my client
I rendered out multiple images before the right feel of the piece was approved.
The idea was to use a large cabochon as the sun,
the rays extending out from the orb as the setting,
then overlaying the image of Icarus over the top.
Because of the shape of the stone,
the sculpture has the figure’s knees bent as if falling towards you.
To provide the ability for work to be done on the amulet in the future,
I used a “clock-work setting” for the stone.
This setting on the back allows the stone to be fed behind the artwork,
thus protection the amulet from damage from bench jewelers should the amulet last longer that I do!

Capturing freedom,
motion and the source of All,
the piece is of sterling silver and garnet.
The Icarus Amulet is a talisman of freedom and daring,
a one of a kind piece worn by a noble and free soul
who continues to attempt the impossible with Good Intent.

More about how to order Custom Jewelry

The Fire Drum Sculpture

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on March 24, 2010
Posted in: Drum Circles, Sculpture. Tagged: , , , , , . 1 Comment

Of all the sculptures I have created thus far, the Fire Drum is the strangest. This sculpture is a bronze Djembe including ropes, rings and a goat skin head (all in bronze of course!). In the center of the drum head is a bonfire where dancers move with the rhythms of the circle. Below are the guardians, protecting the scared space; each facing one of the four directions.

Fire Drum Statue

The Fire Drum was intended to represent the entirety of the Drum Circle. In a real sense the observer is the drummer: by seeing the drum and all of the various participants you view a manifestation of what the circle is: the community coming out to celebrate music and movement, all of which is the wellspring of life itself. The drum holds the foundation: the beat and rhythms of the community. The Fire is the heart: ever changing, transforming the raw materials gathered into light (truth), heat (nourishment) and smoke (the Mystery obscured by the material world). The dancers move about the circle, keeping the time; weaving the sound into new music with every gesture.

Herne is present, with his head adorned with the stag horns that representing the Old God. Here Herne manifests are “The Lord of the Dance” as often said in song. Below Watches and Guardians do not allow themselves to become entranced with the Mystery of the Drum Circle, they gaze out from the circle, protecting the community from harm and keeping the Sacred Circle protected from the Ill Will of those that would do harm.

I once attended a drum circle where to enter it one had to pass a sign where it read:
“You are entering Sacred Ground, leave your problems here” and there was a small pot with salt. Beside it were a collection of small objects: rocks, twigs woven into twisted figures and the like. When I entered the circle I noticed the burdens people carried, the squabbles and self doubt seemed missing. I turned around to see the back of the sign: “See, you really didn’t need all that after all”.

The Fire Drum is dedicated to the Drum Circle itself, a manifestation of what beauty a community can create with care and love: ever reaching out to those of Good Will to participate and enjoy the fruit of Joy and Companionship. This sculpture is a one of a kind piece now in a private collection.

The Bezl Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on March 23, 2010
Posted in: Drum Circles. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

I first met Bezl LaBonte while I was on the fair circuit.
I spent many years traveling from one festival to another,
one year I attended five Beltane Festivals,
each just a little more south than the weekend before.

Bezl

Bezl
and his works of art

Bezl popped into my tent and sat quietly for some time before he became a little fidgety.
Without saying a word he picked up a metal salad bowl and began to tap on it.
The conversation around him died as we listened to his gentle rhythm,
tuning the sound by shaping various flat spaces on the bowl,
We sat entranced as he was apparently unconscious of our attention for nearly twenty minutes.
Music seized him as he produced what turned into symphonic splendor.
Then,
with out any apparent concern,
simply placed the bowl down.
Seconds later a host of people outside the tent began to applaud with great enthusiasm.

I often heard people comment that he doesn’t talk much,
but only those that haven’t heard him play say such things.

Later at the drum circle he made his impromptu performance
as he breathed life into his drum:
playing classic phrases from Africa inverted over poly rhythms never heard before;
he drummed until the sun rose the following morning.

Music is not his only means of expression.
He sculpts wood into musical instruments,
human and free form shapes,
furniture and high relief.
Years later Bezl commissioned me to develop his symbol as an amulet he ties into the drums he creates.
Many people add charms and amulets to their drums,
marking festivals, circles and other experiences.

Bezl is the only one I know
who applies a Talisman
as the Birthing Amulet
for a Drum.

I am honored to be a part of it.

For more about custom:
Please visit
Amulets by Merlin

The Flowing Lady Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on March 19, 2010
Posted in: Amulets, Drum Circles, Drum Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

It has been often said: “when choosing a subject in your art, choose something you know”. I have attended drum circles for many years and one of the things I have seen most often are the dancers. Once the beat starts up the flow of movement begins to circle around the fire. The dancers emerge to fill the air with movement: inspiring the drummers to drum to their flow and gestures.

The Flowing Lady Amulet
Flowing Lady Amulet

Creating images “frozen in time” I have developed a series of Drummers and Dancers as amulets, pendants and charms. They are very small yet fully sculpted in three dimensions: front and back; in this way they “continue to move” as they are worn. Many have added them to their drums to denote their enthusiasm of the Drum Circle.

One of which is the Flowing Lady Amulet. Like the rest of the collection, she is fully sculpted on all sides with a loop or “bail” behind the head, fashioned to look like hair. She wears a skirt to add to her flowing nature. This exotic Lady is perfect for the drummers dedicated to their counterparts in the circle, or any dancer that loves movement to music.