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sandytree1 · 5 years

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Victorian craze for jewel names: Coral, Ruby, Pearl, Peridot,

Word names: Ember / Amber, Ebony,

Flowers: Lily, Rose, Daisy, Poppy, Bluebell,

Trees: Ask, Willow,

Virtue names: Hope, Faith, Grace,

Mythological: Freya, Angel, Venus,

Fictional: Alice, Ulysses,

Seasonal: Summer, April, June,

Other: Nieve, Mia, Amelia, EMily, Imogen, Louise, Jane, Anne, Karis, Sharon, Lucy, Serenity, Tiegan / Taegan, Scarlett, Sebastian, Willow, Mariella, Magnus,

English: Jessica, Samantha, Michael, Christopher

Biblical: Jack, George, Samuel, John, Jacob, Caleb, Lucas, Ethan, Simon

Scottish: Cameron, Finlay, Malcolm, Keir, Lachlan, Ivor, Graeme, Nessa, Jean, Euphemia, Marjorie, Sena, Skye, Caitriona, Fiona, Eileen, Elaine, Rowan, Heather, Effie, Eden, Erskine, Ross, Maeve, Avalone, Wren, Cordelia, GUinevere, Isolde, Morgana, Penrose, Rhonwen,

Short names: Emma, Ava, Noah, Liam, Finn, Bram, Tess, Mila, Isa, Ike, Leon, Rahm, Remy, Jim, Eve, Nick, Hilde,

Indonesian: Maret, Harimau, Putri, Lintang, Baskara, Satriya

Marjorie: pearl (Scottish). “attractive, lively, cheeky. Could have faded with the advent of the word Margarine.” Variants: Margery, Margaret, Marjorie (Scottish). Nicknames: Margie, Marge, Jorie.

Lyceion:

Hermione: messenge, earthly (feminine of Hermes) In ancient Greek myth, Hermione is the daughter of Spartan King Menelaus and his wife Helen; in pre-Potter lit, the name appears in Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale and in Walter Scott's novel The Fortunes of Nigel.

Valentine:

Celestine:

Alexander:

Hypatia: highest, supreme (Greek) Agora was a film about Hypatia of Alexandria, an early philosopher and scholar of mathematics and astronomy, as well as inventor of several scientific

Isidore: gift of Isis (Greek) A common ancient Greek name belonging to several saints. It was adopted by Spanish jews to the point where it was almost their exclusive property.

Charlotte: free man (feminine of Charles, French) An elegant royal name with many bearers. Charlotte Brontë, E.B. White’s Charlette’s Web, Charlotte York from Sex and the City. Appealing since it sounds feminine yet grownup, sophisticated yet lush.

Arianna: (Greek)

Arrietty: estate ruler. “A pretty, dainty name for one of the little characters in the children’s book series The Borrowers.” Harriet, Harry, Henriette/a, Henry. Henriette: Etta, Hetty, Hattie.

Josephine: Jehovah increases (French of Joseph). Josie, Jo, Joey.

Clementine: mild, merciful (French of Clement, Latin). Suggests peace and happiness, a lovely image. Other names with related meanings: Beatrice, Felicity, Hilary, Arcadia, Irina, Mercy.

Felicity: good fortune, happy (Latin). “A virtue name related to Hope, Faith and Charity. But much more feminine and hapier.” Nicknames: Flick, Fee, Felicia.

Aurelia: the golden one (Latin). Related: Aurelius, Aurora, Oriana.

Cedar: “A fresh and fragrant nature name more apt to be used for a boy.”

Clarence: bright (Latin)

Cordelia: heart (Latin), daughter of the sea (Celtic). Nicknames: Cora, Delia, Lia, Del, Cordie. Related: Coraline, Coral, Caroline.

Ciel: sky (French). Related: Seal, Celia, Ceil.

Brielle: hunting grounds (French). “Although it sounds modern, it’s a traditional Cajun contraction of Gabrielle.” Related: Gabrielle.

Daphne: laurel tree, bay tree (Greek). “Seen by Americans as quintessentially British. In Greek mythology, Daphne was a nymph who was saved from an over-amorous Apollo by her father, a river god, transforming her into a laurel tree. Her name was taken from that of the shrub and became part of the British vogue for plant names at the end of the nineteenth century.”

Minette: faithful defender. “Frenchified name of Henriette Marie rarely used in France.”

Fraser: French for strawberry (Scottish). Variants: Frasier, Frazier, Fraser.

Esperence: Spanish for hope, expectation (English). Variants: Esperanza, Sandra.

Giselle: pledge, hostage (German)

Larissa: citadel (Greek, Russian). “Name of nymph that’s daintily pretty and fresh alternative to Melissa or Alyssa.” Related: Larissa, Larisa, Melissa, Marissa, Alyssa, Lara.

Lillian: lily the flower (English from Latin). “More serious and subdued cousin of megapopular Lily. It probably originated as a pet form of Elizabeth.”

Marcella: warlike (Latin). “Depicted as the world's most beautiful woman in Don Quixote, this long neglected name seemed dated for decades but just might be ready for restoration. Saint Marcella was a Roman matron of strength and intellect who organized a religious sisterhood at her mansion, which St. Jerome guided in religion and learning.” Related: Marcella, Mercellina.

Meredith: great ruler (Welsh). Nicknames: Merry, Merri.

Flower names: Lily, Lillian;

Cisneros:

Mozart:

Sophia:

Emma:

Olivia:

Mercedes: Merche: Marzia: Mneme Naiara

Natascha

Reginold

Nicasia: victorious (Latin) from Nike, the personification of victory. Related to Nicole.

Niara: nebula, mist (Hindi)

Tiara: crown, jeweled headdress (Latin)

Odette: wealthy (French, from German) Name of the white swan in Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake. A particularly soigne, sophisticated yet upbeat choice. The black swan is named Odile.

Peridot: a green gemstone (Arabic) symbolising the August month. Said to be used for helping people put the past behind them. In ancient time it was a symbol of the sun. Highly valued in Hawaii where they’re believed to be the tears of the volcano goddess Pele.

Pele: goddess of fire (Hawaii)

Opal:

Seraphina: ardent, fiery (Hebrew) Seraphim is among the highest ranking angels with six wings.

Serena:

Violet:

Sidonie: from Latin Sidon. Chic French favorite. Sidony, Sydney.

Collette: people of victory (Greek), French feminine of Nicholas.

Sabrina: Latin for River Severn, deriving from Celtic mythology. Sabina, Serena

Samantha: told by god (Hebrew) feminine of Samuel. Samara

Siobhan: the lord is gracious (Irish Gaelic) variation of Joan, feminine of John. A lovely Irish name whose perplexing spelling has inspired many phonetic variations, but using the original form preserves the integrity of one of the most beautiful Irish girls' names. Variants: Joan, Johanna, John, Siobhan

Vanessa: species of butterfly; literary invention.

Esther: star (Persian)

Tiffany:

Madonna:

Kimberly:

Teal:

Alden: old, wise friend (English)

Valeska: strength, health, spirited (French/Slavic of Valerie) Name of Red Riding Hood in the 2011 update. Peaked in 1960s and was in the top 100 until 1988. Word is associated to the word valor. Valerie, Valeria

Chrysanthe:

Cybele: mother of all gods (Greek) and goddess of fertility, health, nature. Often confused with Sybil.

Corisande:

Mythological names

Rhea: a flowing stream (Greek). “mythological earth mother of all the gods. A lot better than the Roman equivalent: Ops. Rhea reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015. Its only previous appearance on the list since 1968 was 2004.”

English names

Margareth: pearl (Greek) Nicknames: May, Mary, Marge

Elizabeth: pledged to God (Hebrew) Mother of John the Baptist, and two notable English queens. Another memorable bearer was Elizabeth Taylor. Isabel is the Spanish version. Related: Lisette, Lise, Isabel. Nicknames: Lizzie, Eliza, Beth, Libby, Bess, Tibby, Betty, Betsy.

Theodore: gift of God (Greek). “An extremely attractive and exotic choice, with several equally attractive user-friendly nicknames, and more edge and sheer phonic apeal than the English form.” Variants: Theodora (Swedish), Tiodoria (Spanish). Nicknames: Ted, Teddy, Theo, Thea, Dora, Dory.

Laurence: from Laurentium, a city noted for its laurel trees, which was a symbol for wisdom and achievement. (Lawrence, Lauro, Larry, Lorenzo, Renzo, Enzo)

Leonard: brave lion (German)

Madeleine: high tower or woman from Magdala. Variants: Magdalen (Aramaic), Maddie.

Nicole:

For their meanings

These names I’ve included since they aid as components that many other names are constructed from.

Isis: throne (Egyptian) Before the rise of the political group, Isis was best known as the name of the supreme Egyptian goddess of the moon, sky, magic, motherhood and fertility, revived by feminists and others willing to cross into arcane territory.

Shorter names

Ella: all, completely (English) or fairy maiden (German)

Naia: to flow (Hawaii) Exotic variant of Maia

Maia: mother (Greek) Maia is one of those light, ethereal girls' names with mystical overtones and mythical roots. In Greek legend, she was the fair-haired daughter of Atlas who mothered Zeus's favorite illegitimate son, Hermes. To the Romans, Maia was the incarnation of the earth mother and goddess of spring, after whom they named the month of May. It's a favorite among Nameberry users.

Atlas: a Greco-Roman god that was strong enough to carry the world on his shoulders. Previously thought too powerful for a baby boy.

Mary: bitter (Hebrew) Variants: Marietta, Marie (French)

Katherine: pure Variants: Karen (Danish), Kieran (Irish), Kerenza, Karina, Kyra

Linda: pretty (Spanish, Portuguese, Italian) Lives forever in baby name history for toppling Mary from its 400 year reign as no. 1. queen of names in 1947.

April: to open (Latin)

August:

June: named after goddess Juno, queen of the heavens (Latin) Juni, Juno, Djuna

Regis: kingly (French) Rex

Virgil: staff bearer (Latin) The name of the greatest Roman poet and an early Irish saint who believed the earth was round, Virgil is rarely heard nowadays, but it retains a certain pleasantly fusty feel and likable southern twang.

Edith: prosperous in war (English) Among the oldest surviving Anglo-Saxon names. WIdely used in 19th century novels. Edith was a hugely popular name a hundred years ago that's being revived among stylish parents in Stockholm and London. It's currently beginning to gain traction in the US among those with a taste for old-fashioned names with a soft but strong image.

Source

Nameberry.com

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dexterbrains97 · 7 years

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5 Star Hospital

Entrance to the Qawaloon complex which housed the notable Qawaloon hospital.

Resuscitation room bed after a trauma intervention, showing the highly technical equipment of modern hospitals

The church at Les Invalides in Paris, showing the typically close connection between hospitals and the Catholic church

A ward of the hospital at Scutari where Florence Nightingale worked and helped to restructure the modern hospital.

The evolution of the hospital is traced from its onset in ancient Mesopotamia towards the end of the 2nd millennium to the end of the Middle Ages. • Medicine was magical and mythological, and diseases were attributed mostly to the supernatural forces. The foundation of modern medicine can be traced back to ancient Greeks. Priests/doctors were part of the ruling class with great political influences and the temple/hospital was also a meeting place. • In the earliest prehistoric days, a different kind of medicine was practiced in countries such as Egypt, Greece, Rome, Mesopotamia, India, Tibet, China, and others. MESOPOTAMIAN MEDICINE • Medicine as an organized entity first appeared 6000 years ago in the ancient region of Southwest Asia known as Mesopotamia , between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which have their origin in Asia Minor and merge to flow into the Persian Gulf. • The first recorded doctor’s prescription came from Sumer in ancient Babylon under the rule of the dynasty of Hammurabi (1728-1686BC). Hammurabi’s code of law provides the first record of the regulation of doctors ‘practice, as well as the regulation of their fees. • The Mesopotamian civilization made political, educational, and medical contributions to the later development of the Egyptian, Hebrew , Persian and even Indian cultures. GREEK MEDICINE • The classic period of Greek medicine was the year 460- 136 B.C. • An early leader in Greek medicine was Aesculapius(1200 B.C).Aesculapius bore two daughters- Hygeia and Panacea. Hygeia was worshipped as the goddess of health and Panacea as the goddess of medicine. Hygeia and panacea give rise to curative and preventive medicine. • The temples of Saturn, Hygeia and Aesculapius, the Greek god of medicine all served as both medical schools for practitioners and resting places for patients under observation or treatment. • Hippocrates(460-370 B.C), the father of medicine, Hippocrates is usually considered the personification of the rational non-religious approach to medicine, and in 480 BC, he started to use auscultation, perform surgical operations and provide historians with detailed records of his patients and descriptions of diseases ranging from tuberculosis to ulcers. • Hippocrates’s lectures and writings, as compiled later by the Alexandrian scholars into the “corpus Hippocraticum.” Hippocrates was an epidemiologist , his concept of health and disease stressed the relation between man and his environment. • Although patients were treated by magic rituals and cures were related to miracles and divine intervention, the Greek recognized the natural causes of diseases and rational methods of healing were important. • Greeks believed that matter was made up of four elements_ earth, air, fire and water and were represented in the body by the four humors_ phlegm, yellow bile, blood and black bile similar to the “tridosha theory”. ROMAN MEDICINE • By the first century B.C., the centre of civilization shifted to Rome. • Galen(130-205 A.D), a medical teacher, gave a important contribution in the field of comparative anatomy and experimental physiology. Galen observed the disease is due to three factors- predisposing, exciting and environmental factors. • In Roman times the military and slave hospitals which existed since the 1st century AD, were built for a specialized group and not for the public, and were therefore also not precursors of the modern hospital • Around 370AD St Basil of Caesarea established a religious foundation in Cappadocia that includes a hospital, an isolation unit for those suffering from leprosy and buildings to house the poor, the elderly and the sick. • St Benedict at Monte Cassino, founded early in the 6th century, where the care of the sick was placed above and before every other Christian duty. • It was from this beginning that one of the first medical schools in Europe ultimately grew at Salerno and was of high repute by the 11th Century. The Roman military hospitals and the few Christian hospitals were no match for the number, organization and excellence of the Arabic hospitals. CHINESE MEDICINE • Chinese medicine developed as a concept of yin and yang, acupuncture and acupressure, and it has even been used in the modern medicine. • During medieval Europe, major universities and medical schools were established. In the ancient time, before hospitals had developed, patients were treated mostly in temples. MIDDLE AGES(500 -1500 A.D), “Dark Ages of Medicine” • Developed the Unani system of medicine. • During the time of Mohammed, a real system of hospitals was developed. He was the first to order the establishment of small mobile military Bimaristan (hospital) . • In addition, Islamic physicians were responsible for the establishment of Pharmacy and chemistry as sciences. • the best known of the great hospitals in the middle Ages were in Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo. • In the early Middle Ages (6th to 10th century), under the influence of the Benedictine Order, an infirmary became an established part of every monastery. During the late Middle Ages (beyond the 10th century) monastic infirmaries continued to expand, but public hospitals were also opened, financed by city authorities, the church and private sources. Specialized institutions, like leper houses, also originated at this time. • Religion continued to be the dominant influence in the establishment of hospitals during the middle age. • Religious communities ” Monasteries” assumed responsibility for care of the sick . • Yet hospital construction increased in Europe during the middle Ages for two reasons. First, Pope Innocent III in 1198 urged wealthy Christians to build hospitals in every town and second, increased revenues were available from the commerce with the crusaders. • The oldest hospital still in existence are the “Hotel –Dieu” in Lyons and Paris, France. • Military hospitals came into being along the traveled routes: the knights Hospitalers of the Order of St John in 1099 established in the Holy Land, a hospital that could care for some 200 patients. • It is to the Christians that one must turn for the origin of the modern hospital. Hospices, initially built to shelter pilgrims and messengers between various bishops, were under Christian control developed into hospitals in the modern sense of the word. Renaissance Age: • The renaissance period lasted from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries. • The gradual transfer of responsibility for institutional healthcare from the church to civil authorities continued in Europe after the dissolution of the monasteries in 1540 by Henry VIII, which put an end to hospital building in England for some 200 years. • Only the powerful hospitals in London survived when the citizens petitioned the King to endow St Bartholomew, St Thomas and St Mary of Bethlehem hospitals. • The loss of monastic hospitals in England caused the secular authorities to provide for the sick, the injured and the handicapped, thus laying the foundation for the voluntary hospital movement. • . The first voluntary hospital in England was probably established in 1718 by Huguenots from France and was closely followed by the foundation of such London hospitals as the Westminster hospital in 1719,Guy’s hospital in 1724 and the London Hospital in 1740. • In 1506, the Royal College of Surgeons was organized in England, followed by organization of the Royal College of Physicians in 1528. • The major contribution of the Renaissance to the development of hospitals was in improved management of the hospital, the return to the segregation of patients by disease, and the higher quality of medicine provided within the hospital. Royal Victoria Hospital INDIAN MEDICINE • The Indian medicine system development are Ayurveda and Siddha system . Dhanvantari was considered as “the Hindu god of medicine”. • The celebrated authorities in Ayurvedic medicine were Atreya, charaka, Susruta and Vaghbhatt. • Atreya(800)- is the first Indian physician and teacher lived in ancient university of Takshashila. • Charaka(200A.D)- compiled his famous treatise on medicine the “Charaka samhita” • Susruta( father of surgery)- compiled the surgical knowledge of his classic “susruta samhita”. • Ayurveda is a “Tridosha theory of disease” The doshas are: vata(wind), pitta( gall) and kalpa( mucus). INDIAN MEDICINE • Historical records show that efficient hospitals were constructed in India by 600 BC . • During the splendid reign of King Asoka (273-232 BC), Indian hospitals started to look like modern hospitals. They followed principles of sanitation and cesarean sections were performed with close attention to technique in order to save both mother and child. • Physicians were appointed –one for every ten villages-to serve the health care needs of the populations and regional hospitals for the infirm and destitute were built by Buddha. HOSPITAL IN INDIA • The Indian medicine begins to decline from the Mohammedan invasions in the tenth century. • During Akbar’s period the Unani medicine system spread all the way through the greater part of India.. • During his period, there were a good number of government hospitals, as well as private clinics run by many physicians. • The modern system of medicine in India was introduced in the 17th centaury with the arrival of Christian missionaries in South India. • In the 17th centaury, British empire established first hospital at Chennai in 1664. • Organized medical training was started with the first medical college opening in Calcutta in 1835, two in Delhi in 1835 and 1836, followed by Mumbai in 1845 and Chennai in 1850. • The oldest college of Asia was established in Calcutta on JAN 28 1835 followed by Madras Medical College . • MPUH i.e. Muljibhai Patel Urological Hospital, Nadiad (Gujarat/India), popularly known as Nadiad Kidney Hospital, is the first hospital in Gujarat to have da Vinci Si Robot for robotic-assisted surgeries. • AIIMS is established in 1956 which is leading hospital in India in 21st centaury.

The History of Hospitals The evolution of the hospital is traced from its onset in ancient Mesopotamia towards the end of the 2nd millennium to the end of the Middle Ages.

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itsraininginspace · 7 years

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Wiccan Symbols and Their Meanings

We have shed light on a great deal of ancient symbols here in this section of Mythologian. Now it is time for the next part of that journey to begin. Here is our detailed post about Wiccan symbols and their meanings.

Hollywood is responsible for a great many misconceptions, and their skewed misrepresentation of Wicca and Wiccans is perhaps one of the most egregious of them all. Beliefs that predate most ‘modern’ religions have been vilified to the point that positive, empowering symbols are looked upon with fear and suspicion.

Here are some of the most powerful Wiccan symbols, some common, others not so. The odds are that you have seen some of them many times before, but have never been given the opportunity to understand their true meanings.

Wiccan Pentagram and Pentacle

We begin with the pentagram and pentacle because they are by far the most easily-recognizable Wiccan symbol, and one most commonly associated with the practice of the religion. It can be said that the pentagram and pentacle are equivalent to the Cross and the Star of David in Christianity and Judaism respectively.

The pentagram is a five-pointed star and the pentacle is the pentagram depicted within a circle with the five points touching its circumference. Both shapes are usually drawn with a regular pentagram, meaning that each of the star’s five arms is at the same angle from its immediate neighbors. However, irregular pentagrams are not uncommon either.

The most common – and perhaps the most obvious – variation we see with pentacles and pentagrams is whether the star is shown with a single point at the top or flipped vertically to have that point on the bottom.

In true Wicca, the five points represent the five elements: earth, air, fire, water and spirit. The upward-pointing star is a representation of the triumph of the spirit over matter and earthly desires. The transposed star symbolizes personal gratification over spiritual ones.

It is arguably the Church of Satan’s use of the latter version, with a goat’s head overlaid on the original shape that has fueled so much misunderstanding. They have also copyrighted that image.

Hecate’s Wheel (Strophalos of Hekate)

Hecate (hek-a-tee) was the Greek goddess of magic, witchcraft, necromancy, ghosts, crossroads and entrance ways. She is often depicted as a woman with three aspects wearing a crown with long, protruding spikes (similar to that of the Statue of Liberty).

Hecate’s Wheel has at its center a 6-sided spiral within a circle. Surrounding the circle is a larger circle whose circumference branches of into three spokes. Each of those spokes then branch off into arcs that ring the central design but do not touch each other.

The Strophalos is a symbol of identification but its true meanings remain clouded in mystery. According to the Chaldean Oracles, a two-millennia-old Alexandrian text, the three-spoked shape surrounding the spiral symbolizes a labyrinthine serpent. The serpent was a representation of rebirth.

The spiral in the center is an ‘Iynx’ (plural Iynges), a picturisation of the force that is said to bind Man to the Father (God). Iynges are said to be the channels on which the celestial world communicates with the material one, or act as couriers between gods and men.

Hecate is sometimes referred to as the ‘Queen of Witches’ for her role as patron of magical craft and control of the unseen world. The Wheel is an homage to her, but also references the male personification of God at its center for an enigmatic coming together of both aspects of the divine.

Triquetra (Trinity Knot)

Triquetra is a Latin word that means three-cornered. The first triquetras that we know of were those found on ancient Indian sites dating back over five millennia. However, they have also been found as far away as the Scandinavian countries.

Today, the design is most commonly associated with the Celts, where it first emerged in their art approximately 1,400 years ago.

The fact that the Trinity Knot has a place in such a diverse range of cultures almost necessarily hints at the fact that it means many things to many people. In Wiccan tradition, it has come to symbolize the three roles that the Goddess takes in our lives, as mother, maiden and crone.

The mother is symbol of nurturing love, of creation and the cycle of Life. The maiden represents beauty and fertility, and also innocence. The trait of wisdom is personified by the crone. It is believed that the interlocking design is a testament of how each role merges into the other and ties to the eternal nature of Life and the soul.

Others see the three points as depictions of the three essential elements of nature as envisioned by ancient pagans – earth, water and fire. The Celts’ interpretation of the triplicate design was as the three domains: land, sea and sky.

Athame (Dagger)

An athame (er-thay-may) is a ceremonial dagger, usually with a black handle. Blades are a common feature in many Wiccan rituals and ceremonies and the athame is used primarily as a metaphorical symbol of killing the old and the unwanted (referring mainly to emotions and unpleasant memories) or as a cleaving of what is to be left behind.

The athame is usually represented with its blade pointing upwards and is thus associated with the elements of air and fire, whose representations are upward-facing triangles.

Athames used for rituals have to be consecrated before they can be used in Wiccan rituals. In earlier times, they were single-edged because practitioners of the craft used them for associated activities like the shaping of candles. Today, since most objects for ritual use like candles are readily available, athames may also be double-edged. However, Wiccans may still blunt the edges and the point as a precautionary measure.

It is a common mistake to confuse the athame with the ‘boline’. A boline is used for actual cutting of ingredients and twine and rope to be used for rituals; inscriptions are usually carved with bolines and they usually come with a white handle.

The ‘Casting of the Circle’, the ritual drawing of the boundary of a magic circle (usually 9 feet in diameter), may be done using an athame.

Witch’s Knot (Witch’s Charm)

The Witch’s Knot is another common Wiccan symbol, and as is often the case with the most common symbols, the interpretation of its meanings have diverged significantly from its original purpose.

The oldest explanations of its use describe The Witch’s Charm as a symbol of protection against malevolent witchcraft. A key aspect to its power was the unending design that revealed no beginning or end. The four loops were designed to point in all four cardinal directions so that they protected the occupants from evil intent from every point of approach. Hence the reason why The Witch’s Knot is considered as one of the prominent Wiccan protection symbols.

When created, it is recommended that a Witch’s Knot is drawn in a single, continuous process without breaks (a unicursal). This enhances the efficacy of the intention behind its existence and the pwer of the magic.

The Witch’s Knot was often inscribed above doorways of homes and stables. The four pisces are often said to represent the female ‘yoni’ but the number ‘three’ is more closely associated with the divine feminine (as we see with the Triquetra) while four is more closely aligned with the male force.

The circle in the center is meant to denote eternity and the circle of Life itself.

Hexagram (Unicursal)

In symbology, the hexagram is most commonly represented as two interlocking triangles as in the Star of David in Jewish tradition. The unicursal (can be drawn in a single line) hexagram is a more complicated figure, and is the six-sided shape more common to Wiccan tradition.

There are two main vertices, one pointing above and the other below, and four secondary vertices, two on either side.

The topmost vertex is said to be representative of the Divine or the divine plane, while the downward-pointing vertex is commonly believed to symbolize Man or the earthly realm.

The unicursal hexagram is basically two letter ‘Z’s, one drawn normally and the other as a mirror reflection superimposed so their two edges touch. There is very little material available that actually explains how the shape was designed apart from that it was used by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

The Rose Cross of the Golden Dawn organization exhibits the same mysterious four triangles emerging from its center like the unicursal hexagram.

Crescent Moon

For Wiccans, the Moon is not just a symbol; she is a Goddess in her own right. The moon probably came to be so closely associated with the divine feminine because of the periodicity it shared with the female menstrual cycle.

Most crescent moon symbols show the waxing moon, a representation of new beginnings, growth and creativity. In Wiccan female symbolism, the life of a woman is associated with three stages, that of the mother, maiden and crone. All three stages are depicted in another popular Wiccan symbol, the Triple Moon.

The waxing crescent moon aligns with the maiden at the peak of her existence on earth, fertile and innocent, with her life before her brimming with infinite possibilities.

Very often, we associate femininity with weakness and a need for protection. That was not the case when these symbols gained their power. It was at a time when women were hardy and strong, running their households as wives and mothers, holding the fort alone when menfolk went off to work the fields or were engaged in warfare.

The true spirit of the crescent moon alludes to the powerful feminine, and that is the reason it is popularly adopted by so many practitioners of Wicca today.

Horned God

Where the Triple Moon represents the entirety of female earthly life, the Horned God is the symbol of the male aspect of the Divine. Together, they form the dual aspect of the Wiccan pantheon.

The Horned God is the symbol of virility (how we get our word ‘horny’), strength and the Hunt.

While the original view of Wicca tradition was that the male and female were opposite but equal, the modern interpretation of Wicca places considerably less emphasis on the male facet.

In Wicca, adherents believe that while the Goddess is eternal (through the three-stage cycle of mother, maiden and crone) while the Horned God is born in winter, impregnates the Goddess, then passes on during the autumn months. He is reborn in the coming winter and the cycle repeats itself.

This conforms to a parallel system of belief that ascribes the role of a ‘lesser god’ or an ‘under-god’ to the Horned one. It is said that he is a mediator between the earthly plane and the true God which we are unable and incapable of perceiving or knowing.

Wiccans also see this entity as the Lord of Death. In this capacity, he comforts and consoles those whose life on earth has ended while they wait for the cycle of rebirth to transport them back to the earthly plane.

Cauldron

Besides the witch’s hat, the cauldron is probably the most cartoonishly-depicted of all things Wicca by Hollywood. In true Wicca lore, it is the vessel in which all life floats until it returned to the cycle of rebirth, and is symbolic of the womb of the Goddess.

The use of a vessel to hold something of spiritual or magical value is not limited to Wicca. It is an important aspect of Christian belief in its use as a chalice used in Catholic rituals or with the Holy Grail itself.

The Wiccan cauldron was a symbol of healing and knowledge for its origins at a time when a medicine woman or shaman would prepare a poultice or a healing concoction within it. For simple folk in ancient times who had no access nor knowledge of medicine, it would have represented a vessel full of eternal promise, an object through which the gods would bless them with the benevolence of good health or extended life.

In practice today, the cauldron is used to burn items during a ritual, or as a container for brewing spells and potions. It may also be used or scrying, either from the images in seen in the contents of the cauldron or from the steam rising from it.

The post Wiccan Symbols and Their Meanings appeared first on Ragnar Lothbrok, Lagertha, Rollo, Vikings, Ouroboros, Symbols and Meanings.

Source: http://mythologian.net/wiccan-symbols-meanings/

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themadbomber187 · 7 years

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DYLAN ROOF IS SENTENCED TO DEATH. TODAY IS A GOOD DAY!!!!

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Dylann S. Roof, the impenitent and inscrutable white supremacist who killed nine African-American churchgoers in a brazenly racial assault almost 19 months ago, shocking the world over the persistence of extremist hatred in dark corners of the American South, was condemned to death by a federal jury on Tuesday.

The jury of nine whites and three blacks, who last month found Mr. Roof guilty of 33 counts for the attack at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, S.C., returned their unanimous verdict after about three hours of deliberations in the penalty phase of a heart-rending and often legally confounding trial.

The guilt of Mr. Roof, who coolly confessed to the killings and then justified them without remorse in a jailhouse manifesto, was never in serious doubt during the first phase of the proceedings in Federal District Court in December. By the time the jurors began their deliberations on his sentence, it seemed inevitable that they would lean toward death, not only because of the heinous nature of the crimes but because Mr. Roof, 22, insisted on denying any psychological incapacity, called no witnesses, presented no evidence in his defense and mostly sidelined his court-appointed lawyers.

Mr. Roof, who showed no emotion as the verdict was read, will be formally sentenced on Wednesday. The decision effectively capped Mr. Roof’s first trial for the killings on June 17, 2015, the Wednesday when, after six scouting visits to Charleston, he showed up in Emanuel’s fellowship hall and was offered a seat for Bible study by the Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney. Mr. Roof sat quietly, his head hung low, for about 45 minutes while the group considered the meaning of the Gospel of Mark’s account of the Parable of the Sower.

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Then, with the parishioners’ eyes clenched for a benediction, Mr. Roof brandished the .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun he had smuggled into the church in a waist pouch. First taking aim at Mr. Pinckney, who was a state senator and the youngest African-American ever elected to South Carolina’s Legislature, he began to fire seven magazines of hollow-point rounds.

The reverberation of gunfire and clinking of skittering shell casings subsided only after more than 70 shots. Each victim was hit repeatedly, with the eldest, Susie Jackson, an 87-year-old grandmother and church matriarch, struck at least 10 times.

During the brief siege, the youngest victim, Tywanza Sanders, 26, pleaded with Mr. Roof not to kill. “You blacks are killing white people on the streets everyday and raping white women everyday,” Mr. Roof said during the rampage, according to a jailhouse manifesto he wrote after his arrest.

Before leaving shortly after 9 p.m., Mr. Roof told one of three survivors, Polly Sheppard, that he was sparing her so she could “tell the story.” He stepped over one minister’s bleeding body on his way out the side door, Glock pistol at his side. The killer expected to find officers waiting for him, and had saved ammunition to take his own life, Mr. Roof said in his confession to two F.B.I. agents.

But the police, alerted by 911 calls from Ms. Sheppard and Mr. Pinckney’s wife, Jennifer, who was hiding with their 6-year-old daughter under a desk in the pastor’s study, had not yet arrived. Mr. Roof got into his black Hyundai Elantra and drove north through the night on country roads.

Officers in Shelby, N.C., detained Mr. Roof the next morning after a florist on her way to work spotted his car, which had been depicted in nationally broadcast alerts based on images from the church’s security cameras. Mr. Roof offered no resistance, admitted that he had been involved in the shootings and directed the officers to the murder weapon under a pillow on the back seat.

In addition to Ms. Jackson, Mr. Pinckney and Mr. Sanders, six other people were killed: Cynthia Hurd, Ethel Lee Lance, the Rev. DePayne Middleton Doctor, the Rev. Daniel L. Simmons Sr., the Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton and Myra Thompson.

They were familiar, frequent presences at the church known as Mother Emanuel, the oldest A.M.E. congregation in the Deep South and one with a storied history of resistance to slavery and civil rights advocacy over nearly 200 years. In 10 days of testimony, their names and photographs appeared again and again. Family members filled the reserved seats on the right side of the courtroom each day, and 23 relatives and friends delivered emotional testimonials to their character and the impact of their loss.

Ms. Hurd, a librarian, had adopted a simple motto for her life: “Be kinder than necessary.” Ms. Lance was a perfume aficionado with a gentle smile that unified her family. Ms. Middleton Doctor’s first sermon had been titled “The Virtuous Woman.” Mr. Simmons, a veteran of the Vietnam War, had been among the first blacks in South Carolina hired to drive a Greyhound bus. Ms. Coleman-Singleton was a beaming mother whose ebullient preaching made her a popular figure in Charleston’s churches. Ms. Thompson was a workhorse of Emanuel who had chaired its trustee board. Mr. Sanders, whose parents found hundreds of poems in his bedroom, aspired to become an entertainment lawyer.

“That night, they were getting basic instructions before leaving earth,” Felicia Sanders, Mr. Sanders’s mother and a survivor of the attack, testified.

The jury found Mr. Roof guilty in December of hate crimes resulting in death, obstruction of religion and use of a firearm to commit murder during a crime of violence. Eighteen of the 33 counts carried a potential death sentence.

Although Mr. Roof declined to testify or present any evidence, his trial was unusual for the jury’s ability to hear from an accused mass murderer in his own unapologetic words. They watched video of his two-hour confession to the F.B.I., and heard readings of his online manifesto, a journal found in his car, suicide letters to his parents, and a jailhouse essay written within seven weeks after his arrest.

The trial became a duel of competing narratives on the slightly-built, ninth-grade dropout from the Columbia area. In the prosecution’s depiction, Mr. Roof was the personification of evil, a racist ideologue, radicalized on the internet, who plotted an intensely premeditated assault over more than six months, waiting only until he was 21 and old enough to buy a weapon.

He downloaded a history of the Ku Klux Klan 10 months before the attack, used the online handle LilAryan to communicate with like-minded white nationalists, created the website www.lastrhodesian.com to post a deliberative screed against blacks, Hispanics and Jews, and audaciously adorned his canvas prison shoes with supremacist symbols, even wearing them to court. He proudly embraced his mission to incite a race war, and admired himself in his writings for having the courage to carry out actions that less-committed racists only prophesied.

“Sometimes sitting in my cell,” Mr. Roof wrote while in jail, “I think about how nice it would be to watch a movie or eat some good food or drive my car somewhere, but then I remember how I felt when I did these things, and how I knew I had to do something. And then I realize it was worth it.”

But in the portrayal suggested by defense lawyers, Mr. Roof was a deeply disturbed delusionist who most demonstrated his incapacity by denying it. Indeed, Mr. Roof insisted on representing himself during the sentencing phase for the purpose of preventing his experienced capital defender, David I. Bruck, from introducing potentially mitigating evidence about his family, educational background or mental health. Mr. Roof sat impassively at the defense table, almost every minute of every day, showing no interest or expression even when his own words were read aloud.

The results of at least two psychiatric evaluations have been kept under seal by Judge Richard M. Gergel, who ruled Mr. Roof competent to stand trial and to represent himself. Jurors heard little of Mr. Roof’s family, which arrived in Lexington County from Germany in the first half of the 18th century and included Lutheran ministers, Confederate soldiers, slaveholders and two county sheriffs, according to a family genealogy.

His paternal grandfather is a well-regarded lawyer and his father a construction contractor. Mr. Roof was born in 1994 to parents who had already divorced but had briefly reconciled. Mr. Roof began his online treatise by absolving them of any responsibility for his beliefs: “I was not raised in a racist home or environment.” Experts on white supremacists said Mr. Roof was younger than most who resort to violence, and stands apart for his lack of contact with organized groups.

Carol S. Steiker, a Harvard law professor who has written extensively about the death penalty, said that the two narratives about Mr. Roof were not necessarily inconsistent, and that a concealed psychological defect could have left Mr. Roof susceptible to a disconnected worldview. “It’s pretty hard to tell the difference between bad and mad, between evil and crazy,” she said, “and that’s why we need the investigation needed to present a mitigating case.”

Mr. Roof’s rampage staggered this area, which was already reeling from the April 2015 shooting death of an unarmed black man, Walter L. Scott, by Michael T. Slager, a white police officer in North Charleston.

But two days after the church shootings, with Mr. Roof standing expressionless in the Charleston County jail, five relatives of the victims publicly offered him forgiveness during an extraordinary bond hearing. The following week, President Obama argued in a soaring eulogy for Mr. Pinckney, which culminated in an a cappella rendition of “Amazing Grace,” that the attack’s lessons offered a way forward for race relations.

Later, South Carolina lawmakers voted to remove the Confederate battle flag from the grounds of the Statehouse in Columbia, where it had flown for more than a half-century and enjoyed decades of political protection.

The Justice Department announced last May that its prosecutors would seek the death penalty for Mr. Roof, in part because of what officials described as his “substantial planning and premeditation” and his “hatred and contempt” toward black people. Although federal capital prosecutions are complex and expensive, the government rejected Mr. Roof’s offer to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence.

Federal law classifies the jury’s decision as a binding “recommendation,” and Mr. Roof will be sentenced formally at a later hearing, when survivors of the attack and relatives of the victims may testify without constraints in the trial intended to preserve his due process rights.

Yet the verdict confers no certainty about whether Mr. Roof will ever be put to death at a federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind. His case could spur years of appeals — the courts could well consider his mental competency and even the tearful tenor of the sentencing phase — and the scarcity of lethal injection drugs could hinder his execution.

The federal government has not killed one of its prisoners since 2003. Mr. Roof also faces a separate capital prosecution for murder in South Carolina, where no inmate has been put to death in more than five years. The state trial, initially set for Jan. 17, has been indefinitely postponed.

That it at times seemed more important to Mr. Roof to not be depicted as mentally ill than to avoid execution prompted some in the courtroom to question whether he simply preferred to die than to serve a long life in prison. His writings and confession offered evidence on both sides of that question, wavering between glimmers of hope — even that he might someday be pardoned — and an attraction to the prospects of martyrdom. But his commitment to his cause — the restoration of white power through violent subjugation — never publicly flagged.

“I have shed a tear of self pity for myself,” he wrote in 2015. “I feel pity that I had to do what I did in the first place. I feel pity that I had to give up my life because of a situation that should never have existed.”

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