18 The Moon Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 19, 2009
Posted in: Amulets, Jewelry design, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

A crayfish crawls from pool of water. The Path extends past a wolf and a dog past a stone wall and continues into the mountains. The Moon lights the path and from it tiny Yods descend, lighting the way.

Like the crustacean, our beginnings are very self-centered. As small children we learn that we are not the center of the universe we are on a journey of knowledge and self discovery where by we may begin to learn wisdom. Our defenses are strong to protect the fragile ego within. We move onto the Path and grow out of our shells.

The Moon Amulet
The Moon Amulet

Two canines stand on either side of the road: the wolf representing our animal, feral instincts: desire for dominance, comfort and so on where as the dog represents out need to be accepted by our culture and society. By striking a balance between both yet never giving control to either, we stay true to ourselves, understating and evolving beyond both. We travel past the towers: symbols of the limits of our human experience and the path leads on beyond the distant hills, beyond human experience.

The Moon rides in the sky, sometimes waxing sometimes waning, sometimes in the brilliant full light giving us guidance on our path. However even in the darkness of the New Moon, we are still on our Spiritual Path learning all the while the lessons needed to grow and develop. The descending Yods are like a rain of blessings, not always pleasant but consistently enlightening.

The letter associated with The Moon is Qoph: back of the head. This is referring to several things at once: The Sun Card is often referred to as the Continence, thus Qoph is representing the anterior of the Sun. Qoph’s light is but a reflection of it’s light source. This also speaks to one of the many aspects of sleep: a reflection of reality’s qualities.

Pisces is attributed to The Moon: a changeable Water sign, always in flux. Like Pisces, The Moon Card is in constant turmoil, hardship and challenges wait at every turn. In the Classic definition of Good Karma, it is not a life’s path of calm waters and blue skies, it is a life of challenges, opportunities offered, conflict to over come and painful lessons to be understood. Much like the Chinese blessing: May you live in Interesting times, The Moon Card reminds us that balance in experience is nourishing to the soul.

The Moon Amulet is the Moon Itself, obscured by cloud: evident that it is there, yet veiled in a way to keep its mystery: our life’s path may at times be uncertain, yet each time new experiences arise we have the opportunity to gain a better understanding. A Qoph is centered in the amulet: recalling both Visions and Dreams.

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.

17 The Star Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 18, 2009
Posted in: Amulets, Jewelry design, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

A Sky-Clad Woman kneels before a pool
and pours water from two containers
creating little streams that merge and flow into the pool.
Above the figure we see a cluster of stars
with a single brighter beacon of light.
Behind her is a tree and in it an Ibis.

The Star Amulet
Star Amulet

Nudity in the Tarot represents Truth Exposed
and has little to do with sexuality.
When the figures are clothed,
it refers to things unrevealed
whether we are not able to understand them
because of our position
or that we are simply not yet evolved
to understand it at all.
The Tree in the background
has two fold meanings:
it is the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life.
The former is a reference to the choices we make
whether we are to live out lives with good or ill intent,
the results are obvious:
the Intent is the Key.
The Tree of Life is a glyph that represents the entire universe
whether it has manifest or not.
It is the symbol that helps us understand the Tarot
and it interrelationships and correspondences.

The Ibis is a bird associated with the Egyptian god Thoth:
the god of Communication (among other things)
representing the importance of understanding and communication,
tools on the path of perfection.

In the Tarot,
water is the symbol of consciousness.
As the liquid assumes the shapes of these containers
they tend to take on their characteristics.
When poured again the water resumes its transient state.
When poured onto the ground it takes on the shape of the earth it flows across.
So too does consciousness flow through our bodies and our senses.
When in the end our liquid returns to the collective unconsciousness
again it will transmute into that form.
In the process of meditation we learn to observe
the ebb and flow of thought; the forms it takes.

Attributed to it is the Hebrew letter Tzaddi
often referred to as the fish hook.
The process of meditation is likened to “fishing”,
one drops one’s hook (the Star) into the Waters
(The Hanged Man)
to catch Fish (The Death Card:
Transformation of Consciousness).

Aquarius is the Sun Sign associated with the Star.
It is the experimenter, the manipulator.
Considered assign the Fixed Air sign,
meaning that it is both variable and constant.
Like the Star Card itself
it is always in process and requires a specific direction
for it to be of any positive use.
Here again the practice of Meditation keeps it on the right track.
To be able to have a goal that would improve
the health and well being of themselves and others around them
would keep its power influences on the right track.
Without the necessary perspectives,
this sign will create chaos for its own sake.

When I created the Star Amulet
I selected the star itself as its single symbol.
This is an eight pointed star:
four primary directions (the elements of Fire water air and earth)
and four secondary
(the many combinations of the elements: of states of mind).
This constellation of ideas and study
is condensed into a single celestial body.
The central letter of Tzaddi in the center.

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

16 The Tower Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 17, 2009
Posted in: Amulets, Jewelry design, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

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.

The Tower Amulet
The Tower Amulet

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.

15 The Devil Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 16, 2009
Posted in: Amulets, Jewelry design, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

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
The Devil Amulet

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 the jest,
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.

Help for the Clueless

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 15, 2009
Posted in: Help for the Clueless, Jewelry design. Tagged: , , , , , . 4 Comments

In the mid Nineties
I attended a festival called “Starwood”
located in upper state New York.
This festival is a celebration of counter cultures of all kinds,
what ever branch of tree you are up in.
They celebrate life through dance, song, drumming, body painting,
costumes or what have you,
pure fun – for most of us.
Some folks consider it a refuge for the Clueless…

One of the problems we face in our lives
is when we choose to work in environments
where people are on vacation.
I discovered this early when I worked in Yosemite in my youth:
people on vacation had spent the better part of a year
grinding away at their jobs
and finely have a week or two to blow off some steam
only to discover that when they packed their suitcase,
the usually forget their common sense.

Starwood is a prime example of this:
only to an extreme.
Perhaps it is the kind of tension we carry within ourselves
while we work so hard only to find release when we have time off.
Perhaps it is the opportunity to spend a few care-fee days
without having to punch a clock.
Perhaps it is because Starwood has a huge bar that never seems to close
(although I actually saw it closed on several occasions,
only to discover that people have bottles stashed in their tents).

Never the less
I found myself for several years running
attending Starwood,
each year
more and more silliness occurred
in high fashion and full color.
After setting up my booth and living space
(we spent two weeks there,
attending the festival that is the week before Starwood:
Sirius Rising, more of a family event than Starwood)
only to discover that because of the contour of the field
people mistook the break between my tents
as a pathway to the restroom.

Through the day and night
folks stumbled through our encampment,
sometimes even waking through our camp fire
to find relief.
After a couple of days of this and following much debate,
M’Lady Tony decided she had had enough.
She sought out a large stick and wrote with a heavy marker
KLU by 4
and drove it into the middle of the now worn path
and glared at the first attempted trudging through our encampment.
The second attempt was made by an unwary,
yet full bladdered man
only to find M’Lady step up
and threaten him with a sound beating
with a Clue-by-four.
This did not go un-noticed.
I had tried to appease her with a few words
about the vacationing man and his lack of brains in his luggage,
but to no avail.
She was Determined!
Later she decided to post a guard at our “gate”:
a small waif of a girl in a fairy costume
planted herself across the path with the clue-by-four across her knees
and a scowl that would send most smart people running.
There were several people over the days ahead
who found themselves being herded about with the stick
and eventually
(the last two days of such “coaxing”)
we were able to have a meal in our encampment
without dirt flying into our food
due to a hast trip to the lue.

I was Inspired.

The Clue Fairy Amulet
“The Clue Fairy”

In ’95
(or there-a-bouts)
I introduced to my line of Jewelry
“The Clue Fairy”
She is a tiny yet well detailed creature with tattered wings,
a baseball cap turned around on her head
and shouldering the Clue-by-Four:
ready to give you a clue!
However
I felt that it was not enough.
I also created the Clue Coin.
A tiny coin of some girth and a portrait of a clueless “DUDE”
(sometimes referred to as the “Dude Coin”).
Although it is only good for half a clue,
it is well worth carrying.
Many have found that by holding the clue coin on them
they are armed against their offspring:
“Dad, you simply don’t have a clue!”
but indeed they are wrong!
Present them with the coin to prove it!
If you use three coins to roll the I Ching,
you already start with a clue and a half:
fortune is already smiling on you!

Over the past fourteen years
(or so)
the stories of the clue fairy have become legendary.
I have been able to offer help for the clueless
at science fiction conventions,
festivals and gatherings
through out the eastern seaboard.
Doing my part to raise the bar
or perhaps waive the clue-by-four about
for those in need!

What is an Amulet?

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 14, 2009
Posted in: Amulets, Jewelry design, Multi Faith, Totem Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , . 2 Comments

For as long as people have ascribed objects with special affinity
they have harnessed the use of Talismans:
objects associated with “magic” or “special powers”.
Amulets have come in a variety of shapes and sizes:
tools, weapons even vehicles.
Amongst these objects,
jewelry has been the most popular of Talismans:
the Amulets.

An Amulet can be a ring or pendant made of metal,
stone, bone or other substance;
however the intrinsic value is the focus here.
In its basic Latin translation: amuletum,
the “Amulet” was to “repel trouble”;
however as society has progressed
and our needs and desires have become more sophisticated,
the use of amulets has expanded.
A common amulet used today is a wedding ring:
it represents special meanings:
love, trust and a reminder of a promise made.

The Chakra Tree Amulet

The Chakra Tree Amulet

From the 12th century the creation of amulets became more sophisticated:
the greater Key of Solomon
and its various seals
have expanded the purpose of the Amulet to a wide variety of uses:
bringer of rain, lucid dreaming, clarity of thought and so on.
Our history is filled with Amulets from many cultures
including Native American, Gypsy, Romanian, and Celtic;
nearly every culture has its amulets and their use.

In my own work I began with the Tarot.
Each card has a specific meaning and purpose,
reflections of how we think and respond to each other,
the fine tuning of a person’s virtue and their lessons.
I then developed the metaphors that step beyond the two dimensional image,
allowing the bearer of the amulet to focus on the idea and intent
of each of the Major Arcana.
From there I have studied and implemented a host of symbols
to provide a wide variety of Amulets for many purposes.

How do I get a piece of jewelry to work as an Amulet?

It is preferable to harness a piece of jewelry
has already been targeted to work as an amulet.
The important step is to find a connection with the piece,
something that first “reminds” you of the intent.
For example,
if you wished to become pregnant
(provided you have a partner that will assist you in the physical step),
you would find an amulet that would represent fertility to you.
To activate the amulet is simply developing an affinity with the piece.
“This pendant makes me feel fertile”.
Touching that “place” may require some work on your part:
you need to discover that fertile part within
and connect with the amulet you are using.
A great example is found in the first book of the legendary series:
The Sword of Shannara.
Towards the end of the story,
our hero finds it difficult to activate his Talisman
until he discovers the spark of truth within himself
necessary to ignite the “Magic” of the blade.
Although a book of fiction,
the principle is the plain:
to harness such things one must first find that part within one’s self
before the enhancement can take place.

Looking again to the Tarot Amulets,
each piece is designed to help one find that spark within through lore,
imagery and intent.
If one is studying the Chakras, Kundalini and Yoga,
then the Strength Amulet would be a good tool
to help one focus on one’s studies,
exercises and meditations.
It is an enhancement;
it does not take the place of real practice and study.
A lens in of itself does not create light:
it magnifies and focuses the light
giving one more control over what is already there.
With Amulets and Talismans it is not so much the object
rather it is the relationship between the person and their amulet
that makes the difference.
It is not the Wedding Ring that makes you married
it is the relationship between all parties concerned
that creates the marriage:
the rings enhance the marriage and give it a physical point of reference to focus on;
the symbol of the eternal circle and the experience of its presentation at the ceremony.

I have created hundreds of designs;
and always creating more.
On occasion a person will need a piece that will help them accomplish a task,
focus purpose or celebrate life.
Many times he or she will produce a design providing
the necessary connection to their desired goal.
From their art
(or from a description of the design)
I then create what they would like.
To see my line of Jewelry,
sculpture and other works of art and to learn more about how your amulet can be made,
please visit my how to order custom page.

14 The Temperance Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 13, 2009
Posted in: Amulets, Jewelry design, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , . 2 Comments

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
The Temperance Amulet

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.

13 The Death Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 12, 2009
Posted in: Jewelry design, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

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
The Death Amulet

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.

12 The Hanged Man

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 11, 2009
Posted in: Jewelry design, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

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 Justice Amulet

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).

We also recognize this as 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 hung from a rough shape of the Hebrew letter Tav
(the Material World) .

In both cases,
it is the suspension of time when the mind is no longer distracted from the body
when we can process information.
Much of that time is not rely englishable
(meaning 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
is much like the Hanged Man.

To take it one step farther,
when you are in deep meditation
or deep sleep
you step beyond your senses
into 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.

Dragon Money Clips

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 10, 2009
Posted in: Dragon Jewelry, Jewelry design, Money Clips. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 14 Comments

It all started a few years a go when a fellow who was a big fan to the Movie “Face-off” saw and fell in love with the money clip that John Travolta was proffering. He asked me if I could make a clip “just like it”. The problem was that there are copyright issues in design and being as I specialize in Jewelry design I respect the sanctity of another person’s work. I told him that I would be only too happy to make him a Dragon Money Clip, but I would not make a “copy” of the one in the movie. After a little discussion and examining the clip in a screen shot, we decided to re-design the piece: I increased detail in the scales and re-shaped the skull.

Original Dragon Money Clip

The result was a Dragon Money Clip similar in size, it functions like the original: the jaws articulated to grasp the bills but the detail was more intense.

After the creation of the Original, another person liked it, bought it and decided he wanted to “up-grade” the clip: a larger version. And so I increased the jaws, added even more detail in the scales and flames across the face, making it more distinct than the original design and provided a larger bite for the bills. This Dragon Money Clip I named “Flame”.
Flame the Dragon Money Clip
“Flame Dragon Money Clip”

My most recent commission is a one-of-a-kind Dragon Money Clip. The size was nearly doubled (four inches long!), even more detail in the scales and the eyes. Now the retina and the pupils of the eyes are of garnet and the “whites” of the eyes are in Sterling as is the entire piece. The jaws are also articulated as the original but because of the increased size it can hold a wad of cash that would be the envy of any High Roller.

Custom One-of-a-kind Dragon Money Clip

I have also created a variety of Other Money Clips as well, skulls with stones in the eyes, cross bones and a Jolly Roger perfect for Pirates, Bikers and other lovers of the Skull.

For your Pleasure, I have posted more images of the original Dragon Money Clip, Flame and now the new GIANT Dragon Money Clip in my website.

More about Dragon Money Clips!