The Anchor Pendant

The Anchor represents stability and strong foundations.  It provides reliability, safety, consistency and is referred to as the symbol for “a well grounded hope”.   For sailors, the anchor represents the implement of salvation during stormy weather, a ray of hope in desperate times. 
My father is a man of the sea.  His love for sailing runs through ever fiber of his being and he has passed this love on to me.  One day we will sail the world together!  Until then, I wear the anchor to honour him, his unrelenting passion and our Mother Ocean.  Why do you love your Anchor Pendant?

Birds On A Wire Necklace

 
The "Birds On A Wire" necklace represents the juxtaposition between the natural and the man-made.  We have all seen this familiar silhouette against light skies and it is becoming an even more common sight as the trees come down and the poles go up.  To me, it is both an image of irony and a reminder of the natural beauty all around us.  Even in the most urban environment our connection to nature is omnipresent.  Though human beings live in fancy houses and flat iron their hair, we are actually just animals living among other animals.  When I wear the birds on a wire necklace, I feel inspired to get outside and interact more with the natural environment.  There is nothing like fresh air and a good hike to get some perspective!

Fingerprint "Loving Touch" Designs

Buy a CUSTOM Fingerprint Jewelry Design

 The silver fingerprints were originally inspired by my niece and nephew.  Being a very emotionally bonded and out-of-town Auntie, I wanted a piece of my precious ones with me at all times.  They are continuously teaching me lessons about the world, about myself, about the most important aspects of being and I am eternally grateful to have them in my life.  I wish I could be around them more often, until then, I have Skype and their fingerprints around my neck.  Many times throughout each day I find my self just playing with these “Loving Touch” pendants and thinking of the joy those kids bring me.  

 I have now made myself fingerprint designs of almost everyone else in my family so that I will also always have a little part of them.  These will be legacy pieces that I know I will pass down to my niece and nephew one day.  I wish I had thought of this and figured out how to make them years ago, before I lost some of my loved ones.  I really wish I had the "Loving Touch" of my Grandparents fingerprints in my jewelry collection.  What do your "Loving Touch" Designs mean to you?

Seashell Pendant

Buy a Seashell Necklace

When I was a child, my parents had a conch shell in our living room.  It was brought back with them from Hawaii before I was born.  I used to hold it up to my ear and listen to the sea.  I was completely in the moment, almost meditative, just listening to the sea and connecting with the Source.  Even the memory of that shell is relaxing to me.  When I got older, I developed an interest in math and the sciences and learned of the Fibonacci sequence, the golden ratio and the logarithmic spiral.  For those that don't yet know about these things, I highly recommend that you google them... seriously, your mind will be blown...
The Seashell pendant is my homage to the logarithmic spirals in nature.  It is a reminder that we are connected to everything in our universe including each other, in ways that we can't fully comprehend.  I wear mine to express this awareness and my gratitude for the fact that I am never really alone... even when it feels like it.  What does your Seashell Necklace mean to you?

Thanks to NASA for the pictures!

Clam Shell Pendant

Buy a Clam Pendant

When was the last time you though about a clam?  I doubt it was recently.  It seems like such a strange image to consider, but it is one of the most used symbols throughout art history.  I am fascinated how common themes are found in very different works of art from completely different time periods.  The pictures shown above are a perfect example of this occurrence.  "The Birth Of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli was painted in 1485, "Slightly Open Clam Shell" by Georgia O'Keeffe was created with pastel on cardboard in 1926 and the "Clam Pendant" created by me a couple of weeks ago.  How is it that these three pieces have anything at all in common?  Amazing! 
Anything that has to do with the sea makes me feel more connected and humbled.  The clam shell necklace, specifically, connects me to my femininity and my personal power through artistic expressions.  It is also a reminder that it doesn't really matter where you are from, or even when you are from, we as humankind are all sharing in this experience of life.  We all have something to teach and we all have something to learn.  What does your Clam Shell Necklace mean to you?

Honeybee Necklace

Buy a Honeybee Necklace

I believe in spirit animals and animal guides... I can almost hear all the eyeballs rolling...  Anyhow, my spirit animal guide is the bee.  This means that when I meditate, part of my inner journey is guided by either a honey bee or a bumblebee.  This connection naturally led me to my interest in beekeeping and I hope to have my own hives one day. 
Bees have a lot to teach us about team work and generosity.  When you think about it, we as animals heavily rely on the pollination from these cute little creatures.  Though an obvious oversimplification, Einstein predicted "If the bee became extinct, man would only survive a few years beyond it". 
This is not too far from the truth and we are already seeing a rapid decline in healthy bees worldwide.  Why you ask... Insecticides?  Yes.  Toxic contamination?  Yes.  Electromagnetic radiation?  Yes.  Completely the human's fault?  Absolutely!  The only contributor, that I can think of, that is not of our own making would be parasites... but I actually think that this is likely our fault too and we just haven't found the link yet... 
When I wear my bee totem I feel connected to a part of my most internal self and my most external self all at the same time.  The bee helps me to be more generous with myself, for myself and forces me to more carefully consider my "footprint" on the world.  What does your Honeybee Necklace mean to you?

Sproul Hall Pendant, Freedom of Speech Movement

Buy a Sproul Hall Necklace

"There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part; you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop.  And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!  Now, no more talking.  We're going to march in singing "We Shall Overcome."  Slowly; there are a lot of us.  Up here to the left-- I didn't mean the pun."  ~taken from Mario Savio's Speech before the FSM

Does that get you pumped up or what!?!  I am so moved by this speech.  Engaging in this type of political action can have severe repercussions, so one must be sure of their intentions and consider the entire ripple effect... and if they still believe that it is worth all the risk, they are almost obligated to act.  At least the responsible activists follow this kind of holistic thinking before acting formula... yup, I said it!  

I think that the Sproul Hall Necklace is a great gift idea for a political thinker, activist, believer in free speech or even an empowered student at University of California.  I wear mine knowing that this is the texture that all those students in protest were running their fingers across in 1964.  Imagine the collective power of the people! 

What does your Sproul Hall Necklace mean to you?

 *actual FSM 1964 photo taken by Mike Friedman  http://www.fsm-a.org/

Wheat Necklace

Buy a Wheat Necklace

The Wheat Necklace was originally a custom design for a woman whose father was in agriculture.  It was a memorial piece to honor him and the positive influence that he had on her life.  After working with the North Dakota wheat, I started to develop a real fondness of this "giving grain".  I started to honor it, as many cultures do, as a symbol for prosperity, fertility and rebirth.  It quickly became clear that wheat is also a major catalyst for developing community.  Now I was really invested!  Connection after connection started in my brain and I realized that the maternal side of my family is from the prairies... and had a farm!!!  They had pigs, chickens, cows, mosquitoes the size of birds, they grew oats, barley and WHEAT! 
I wear my wheat necklace to remind me of my own agricultural ancestry and to represent the many small farms that need our support.  I now pay more attention to the origin of my produce and I try to buy from farmers markets as often as possible.  What does your wheat necklace mean to you?

Be Bamboo Pendant

Buy A "Be Bamboo" Necklace

We seldom see a bamboo plant collapsed.  Through harsh weather and high winds, the bamboo remains standing strong.  Some may measure strength by size and rigidity, but it is the flexibility of bamboo that allows it to sway in the wind and keeps it from being broken by the storms.  A perfect example of this concept may be described best by a woman who wears this necklace.  In her words, this is the story...

“When my ex-husband left, I felt completely broken - like a broken bag of bones on the floor. My healing progressed to where I felt like I was put together, but in a complete body cast, bandaged up and in the ICU. Next, I felt like glass - together without bandages, but still very fragile. My desire as I continued was to get stronger, but, not want to be as strong as iron or steel, where I was inflexible, but I wanted to be strong enough to withstand a heavy wind. My therapist said to me, "You want to be bamboo", to which I responded, EXACTLY!"

“Be Bamboo” is a philosophy that has had a profound effect on my life and has taught me to let go of cemented control and go with the flow.  What does your Be Bamboo necklace mean to you?

Saint John of Nepomuk Pendant

Buy a Saint John of Nepomuk Pendant

Prague is in my soul.  I am spiritually connected to that city... and the rest of the Czech Republic for that matter.  I can't say enough about how beautiful it is there.  The rich history is part of it's beauty and if you ever get the chance to go there, DO IT! 

I have taken many impressions off of meaningful historical landmarks, but I think this one is really special.  As I took the impression, I prayed to John of Nepomuk and felt humbled by his strength and conviction.  Through this piece, I hope to bring some of this culture, history and magic to you. 

Saint John of Nepomuk was the priest to King Wenceslaus and the confessor of the queen of Bohemia.  Afraid that the Queen had a lover, John of Nepomuk was tortured for information by order of the King.  The priest refused to betray the seal of confession and tell the King of his wife’s secrets, so the King had him drowned in the River Vltava.  He was thrown off of Charles Bridge and after his death he was canonized as a Saint.  

I wear my Saint Nepomuk necklace not only to honor him and his beautiful sacrifice, but also to help me feel more physically connected to the magic of the plaques.  I hold in my hand and pray... but my lips remain sealed!  What does the St.Nepomuk pendant mean to you?

The Bird Nest Ring

Buy A Bird's Nest Ring

I grew up on an island, one that is the size of Maryland mind you, but an island nonetheless.  It could be isolating, however, not being distracted by the pressures found on "the mainland", I was able to focus on the value of what was in front of me.  I truly believe that being surrounded by ocean profoundly affected the way I interact with people, especially my family.  Relationships are precious, delicate and take an extraordinary amount of effort to make strong.
This is what I see when I look at a birds nest.  Individual to the species, but the same in purpose.  They are carefully crafted to ensure the success of a family.  What a beautiful concept, nesting... lovingly cooperating with ones environment to build a safe and supportive place for loved ones to flourish in.  We need to take notice and learn this lesson!
I wear my birds nest ring as a reminder of the care that is required to create and maintain healthy, loving relationships.  What does the bird's nest ring mean to you?

More Info On The Major Arcana

For more information on the ideas of meaning/interpretations of the Tarot Major Arcana, please visit these links!   Just click on the card name and be directed to Aeclectic Tarot.

The Fool

The Magician

The High Priestess

The Empress

The Emperor

The Hierophant

The Lovers

The Chariot

Strength

The Hermit

Wheel Of Fortune

Justice

The Hanged Man

Death

Temperance

The Devil

The Tower

The Star

The Moon

The Sun

Judgement

The World 

The Business Cards

The World Touch business cards were designed and printed with the help of Chrissy Lavdovsky at Classic Engraving.  The concept is to be able to physically feel the texture of the card, like you can many of my jewelry pieces.  The embossed image is my signature and is represented as dp in my jewelry makers mark.  I do not have my name on the card to deliberately separate my personal identity from the identity of the work.  This was a risky move, but I think that the intention behind it was honorable, as it  allows the work to represent itself.