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!

11 The Justice Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 9, 2009
Posted in: Jewelry design, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 5 Comments

Justice is a very old concept.
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,
however seeking a balance is a constant.

In terms of the Tarot,
we look to the Ideal Manifestation of which the card represents.
Here, we look beyond Human Judgement and behold what is manifesting around us.
What we discover is the interconnectedness of
All Things.
If you make a disturbance for good or ill,
there will be a reaction of some kind.
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
Justice Amulet

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;
however I have modified the image:
Like my design of 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.
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.

To learn more about concepts,
it’s placement on the Tree of Life
or to purchase please visit Amulets by Merlin’s Justice Amulet page.

10 The Wheel of Fortune

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 7, 2009
Posted in: Jewelry design, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

The classic image is that of an eight-spoaked wheel turning amidst mythological creatures.
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.

The Wheel of Fortune Amulet
Wheel of Fortune Amulet

In the four corners are 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 illustrates:
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 been understood.

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: stabilizes oneself.
The eye symbolizes the act of Centering:
an important part of martial arts.
In Aikido,
Centering is one of the first things taught:
one learns to move about an area and never loose position within the center of combat.
By Centering we bring our minds to focus on the center of the body,
and in turn recall the center of one’s spirit and purpose.
When we Center we find ourselves within
what was once perceived chaotic
and we can then 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.

What is that Sound?

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 7, 2009
Posted in: Jewelry design. Tagged: , , , , . 3 Comments

I was asking myself that question as I entered my tent.
Years ago I attended the FreeSpirit Event in Maryland,
a festival in a beautiful setting of rolling hills
and forest located between DC and Baltimore.
I was wearing a cloak and entering my tent
when I hear a very high squeaking,
but it was both loud and piercing
in a way that alluded me as to where and what it was.

Sleeping Bat Amulet

Sleeping Bat Amulet

After a little bit of discovery
I found that a very tiny bat had fallen from the tree into my cloak
and was clutching the fabric will all of its might.
The little thing was barely an inch in length
and so young it couldn’t open its eyes.
Afraid that I might hurt the little creature,
I arranged my cloak so that it would settle down for the day
and it fell asleep there on my bed.

Through out the day folks came in to see the tiny little thing,
cooed over its cuteness and made soothing noises.
I never saw a bat sleep all stretched out like that!
I drew a few sketches of the baby bat over the course of the day,
between attending my booth
(where I sold jewelry to the guests of the event)
and teaching classes.

Later that evening the crying of the bat alerted us
it was time to find Mama.
It wasn’t hard.
After some minutes we heard a much louder
and more piercing sound:
Mama Bat.
I brought the cloak,
baby bat and all
to the tree and folded the cloth
so that she could retrieve her young one.
Apparently helping the baby find it’s mother was not enough
because she commenced to tell me
(in bat language, something I and not fluent)
what for!
Later
the next morning
I found the two of them hanging on the bark of the tree
in blissful slumber.

When I returned home
I looked over my sketches and decided to create
a Sleeping Bat Pendant of the little one’s mother:
hanging upside down as I saw her sleeping at the festival.
I carved the amulet from the sketches.
Folded up like she is sleeping on the tree trunk,
I added a loop behind the feet
so it would look like the critter is hanging in slumber.

A heavy three dimensional carving of a bat
with feet and folding wings
a bail placed behind the feet
so it would appear the critter
is clinging to the chain or cord.

Each time I look at the piece
I recall the day I babysat a bat in Maryland!

09 The Hermit

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on July 6, 2009
Posted in: Jewelry design, Tarot. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 5 Comments

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

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” comprises all the other letters. “Yod” represents the “Hand of God”.

The Hermit Amulet
Hermit Amulet

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.

In creating the Hermit Amulet,
I developed an image of the hand holding the lantern with the Yod as the flame within.
In this way,
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
would be appropriate for those that are self starters, innovators,
those that serve humanity because of their own convictions
rather than because they are told to do so.
A Hermit need not be one who lives off in the wilderness
but one who is at peace in a crowd and in solitude alike.
The Hermit Amulet is intended 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:
to walk the path of Virtue.