Djembe of Fire Amulet

After drumming in a drum circle for a little while, one gets the feeling that the rhythm carries you, the music swells and you ride it like a wave: dancers spin and prance, the down beat provides the foundation of the rhythm. Looking down your hands seem to know what to do of their own accord. Rhythm pours and spills from your drum out to the circle only to be caught up and cast forth by elegant hands and prancing feet. Every beat says: “Joy”…

To celebrate this moment, I present to you the new design from amulets by Merlin: Djembe of Fire Amulet. I have captured the fire of the Drumcircle by placing its circle at the bell of the Djembe, flames lick up the front and the hands themselves form a tongue of flame. This amulet is one and a quarter inch tall, carved as a relief including the knots used to tune the drum: the diamonds, rings and the left over flaps of the goat skin for a drum head. A bail is placed behind the amulet to be worn on a chain or cord.

This amulet is for anyone who loves rhythm, who create it , hear it and dance to it.

Flame Sprite Necklace

As the heat of summer wanes and we huddle around our fires to keep warm through the cold of autumn, we often watch the flames flicker and pop, perhaps unconsciously deciphering the images in the flames. Some of us see dragons curling through the logs…

More often than not, I have seen the presence of the fire elementals: the flame Sprites dancing in the fire place or the fire circles. Composed of fire herself: she catches tiny sparks and releases them up into the pops and sizzles of the surrounding flames

I have attempted to capture the concept of the Flame Sprite’s dance in the flames and freeze her in sterling silver. The Flame Sprite holds a flame in one hand and releases it in the other. I have placed her on a flame chain: a hand fabricated chain composed of flame shapes long enough to fit an 18 inch length. For those that want an additional flare, I can create a custom setting and extend the motif of the fire: holding a flame stone. I have also created Flame earrings, bracelet or the Flame Chain that may be worn sans the sprite.

Fire is consuming, transforming and passionate. This is a necklace designed for the fiery personality, the warm hearted, and the dancer of the fire circle.

The Amulet of Pan

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

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

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

In creating an Amulet of Pan, I chose his musical aspect: He plays his pipes wreathed in Grape leaves with a grape cluster as a foundation. This is to inspire a Panorama: good music, good wine and a celebration of life itself.

Gye Nyame Amulet

Some years ago a fellow requested that I create an amulet of his ancestral home land in Ghana. He then presented me with a rather large wood carving of the symbol. Although he had a hard time with the pronunciation, the basic concept was even more obscured. The translation he gave me was a mix of Christian doctrine and the quote from the fellow from which he purchased the Teak carving.

Because of the kind of work I do, I wanted to be sure that I understood the piece before I stared. Unfortunately the resource material I relied on was spotty, however after some digging, the symbol‘s information flowered.

Gye Nyame is a symbol meaning “I am afraid of none but God,” or: “Nyame biribi wo sor” suggests that good things come from above.

This unique and beautiful symbol is omnipresent in Ghana. It is the most popular in decoration: a reflection on the deeply religious character of the Ghanaian people. Symbol of the Omnipotence and the Omnipresence Of God. From the Akan aphorism: Abode santann yi firi tete; obi nte ase a onim ne ahyease, na obi ntena ase nkosi ne awie, Gye Nyame. Literal translation: This great panorama of creation dates back to time immemorial; no one lives who saw its beginning and no one will live to see its end, Except God.

The symbol reflects the Akan belief of a Supreme Being, the Creator. This symbol is considered the oldest “Monotheistic” symbol in existence demonstrating the Africans to have a firm belief in a Supreme and Almighty God. Those who follow the Akan Akom Tradition are indigenous to Ghana of West Africa, the Ivory Coast, Togo, the Congo, the Caribbean and the United States. Akans believe that God is the Supreme Being in whom all things begin, end, and upon whom all things are dependent. God is everywhere but beyond the reach of humans. We know Him by many appellations such as Otweidiampon, Okokroko, Onyame, Awurade, Odomankoma-the One who can give us grace, Nyankopon, Asasse Yaa-Mother earth, pure, unpolluted, motherly, protective, fruitful—He is the Great one, the faithful One, Eternal, Infinite, transcending everything.
Traditional Ghanaians do not worship God directly. They believe that there exists a world a world of spirits. It is believed that Spirits are everywhere. Nyame is the Father and Creator of those spirits. They are ministers of the Supreme Being: the lesser gods; they have no power unto themselves but work independently, doing the good work of healing and protecting the people who worship them. They are called Abosom(plural) or Obosom (singular), sometimes referred to as the Deities. These spirits are embodied in the elements and manifestations of Nature. Through the Abosom, one receives blessings, prosperity, protection, guidance and direction and more.

I set about to create this piece for my friend, included a pair of earrings developing an entire set. While the earrings are carved “flat”, the main pendant holds the curves to accentuate the flow of the design, thus I developed the Gye Nyame Amulet.

In my site I now offer the set or the individual pieces: a large and smaller version and a pair of earrings. Wearing these amulets connects one to a tradition that is well over 5000 years old from the continent of humanities’ cradle.