Sunday, August 25, 2019

Emerald in Ancient Lore and Legend


Emerald has been a source of fascination and reverence in many cultures for over six thousand years, sold in the markets of Babylon as early as 4,000 B.C. It was a stone worshipped by the Incas, believed by the Chaldeans to contain a goddess, and was highly honored in all major religions for its spiritual power and beauty. Emerald was considered a symbol of eternal life in ancient Egypt, a gift of Thoth, the god of wisdom, and was a favorite jewel of Queen Cleopatra. The Emerald mines in Upper Egypt, rediscovered a hundred years ago, are some of the oldest in the world and were called Cleopatra’s mines for her love of the stone. Emeralds were also talismans of Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, and the moguls of India. They’ve adorned the crowns and royal jewels of many countries for centuries, and fabulous collections and stunning gems continue to be treasured and displayed by the rich and famous today.

According to Indian lore, the name Emerald was first translated from Sanskrit as Marakata, meaning “the green of growing things.” The term we use today is believed to derive from an ancient Persian word that translated to the Greek as Smaragdus, meaning “green stone,” the term used in antiquity and referred to a number of other green stones. Over time the Old French or Vulgar Latin versions, Esmeraulde, Esmaralda or Esmaraldus became the current name, Emerald. 

St. Hildegard of Bingen, the noted lithologist, declared, “All the green of nature is concentrated within the Emerald.” 

Called the “Stone of Successful Love,” Emerald opens and nurtures the heart and the Heart Chakra. Its soothing energy provides healing to all levels of the being, bringing freshness and vitality to the spirit. A stone of inspiration and infinite patience, it embodies unity, compassion and unconditional love. Emerald promotes friendship, balance between partners, and is particularly known for providing domestic bliss, contentment and loyalty. 

In ancient Rome, it was attributed to Venus.

Emerald honors he Hindu Goddess Annapurna. 

Emerald honors Astarte, the Phoenician Goddess of Fertility, Love and War. She is known in many cultures by different names and is said to be the Queen of the Stars. She helps with troubled love, and keeps lovers faithful to each other.

Emerald also honors the three Celtic Goddesses of Sovereignty - Banbha, Eriu and Fodla. They provide protection, leadership and inspiration to anyone defending their faith, their homeland, or their way of life.

Green crystals honor Persephone, the Greek Goddess of Spring. She represesents celebration and the Earth alive with new growth.

Emerald has been the constant green stone throughout the ages, representing youth in the age of man. In ancient times green was used for those who died in the flower of youth, and sometimes an Emerald was placed upon the index finger of the corpse as a sign the light of hope was spent. 


In ancient Egypt, Emeralds were considered a symbol of eternal life.  It was believed to be the gift of Thoth.

The first-century Egyptian magician, Hermes Trismegistos, was said to carve on a pure Emerald tablet words that held the key to magic: “As above, so below.” For this reason Emeralds have always been considered a magical stone, connecting cosmic and Earthly realms, and for bringing thoughts and desires into reality. 

Hermetic tradition also maintained that an emerald fell from Lucifer’s forehead during his fall. 

As a revealer of truth, Emerald also held the power to protect one from enchantments, conjurations and spells. 

It was considered a gemstone of universal sight, strengthening memory, increasing intelligence, and giving the wearer the ability to foretell the future, especially if put on the tongue or worn on the left side of the body. 

In its prophecy, according to legend, the Emerald would even hurl itself from its mounting or change hues in order to forewarn of impending danger or illness. 

During the Middle Ages it was a symbol of fidelity, reputed to reveal the truth or falsity of a lover’s oath.

Inherent in a fine Emerald is the power to assist one in becoming an eloquent speaker. Aristotle, a great fan of the gem, wrote that owning an Emerald increases the owner’s importance in presence and speech during business, gives victory in trials, and helps settle litigation. 

The Emerald of old was believed to be born white within the mines then ripen to its mature perfect meadow-green, first assuming its verdancy in the part nearest to the rising sun. However, gathering these ripened gems may have given pause. Many Emerald mines were, and are still, famously steeped in superstitions and fear, believed to be the abode of demons or wicked spirits who guard the treasures within the mines and who would resent and retaliate for any intrusion. 

Association of Emerald with sight and the eyes has been reported by many civilizations throughout time, both for its soothing quality and the belief it cured diseases of the eyes. Egyptians of the High Empire used it to enhance vision, and the Greeks and Romans stuck small Emeralds in the corners of the eyes of those nearsighted or farsighted. Light, transparent Emeralds were polished and used as a magnifying glass, and developed into the very first eyeglasses. The Emperor Nero was well-known for observing the feats of gladiators through an eyeglass of Emerald. 

In antiquity,  Emerald was considered an antidote for poison, venomous bites, and taken as an elixir, cured all fluxes, especially dysentery. 

The ancient Greeks and Romans believed Emerald to be controlled by the planet Venus, with its reproductive energies of life and nature. In the East, however, Emerald was often ascribed to Mercury, for its wisdom and eloquence. Some claimed Jupiter to be its influence. 

In Central America, the stone was associated with rain and blood and all the symbols of the lunar cycle. It was regarded as a token of fertility. The Aztecs associated the emerald with the bird quetzal, symbol of the renewal of spring, and the stone was thereby linked with the East and with everything connected with the worship of Quetzalcoatl.

In Jewish history, Emerald is listed in Exodus as the fourth stone in the Breastplate of the High Priest, though original manuscripts translate the smaragdus, Emerald, as being the Bareketh, the third stone, engraved with the tribe of Levi. Legend also relates Emerald as one of four precious stones given by God to King Solomon, endowing him with power over all creation. 

In the Apocalypse of St John, God appears surrounded by a rainbow “in sight like unto an emerald”.
  
In the Christian middle ages, certain Egyptian and Etruscan beliefs survived (such as the stone placed on the tongue enabling one to converse with evil spirits). Thus the emerald was the jewel of clairvoyance.

The emerald is also the Papal jewel. 

A text from the 1600s, the Magick of Kiram, is said to be sought after by the learned but seen by few, and kept in the Vatican in Rome, instructs one to carve upon a Smaragdus (Emerald or other precious green stone) a Bird Harpe, with a Sea Lamprey under its feet. When worn, it protects against disturbance, dreams, and stupidity, and gives rest to lunatics and those afflicted with colic. 

The famous “San Graal” of King Arthur’s time was reputed to be a miraculous chalice made of a single precious Emerald, sent from Heaven and endowed with the power of preserving chastity, prolonging life, and other wonders. This chalice was believed to have been brought directly from the hands of God by angels, and was the actual cup from which Christ drank at the Last Supper. 

At the time of the Spanish Conquest, an immense Emerald the size of an ostrich egg was adored by the Peruvians in the city of Manta. This “Emerald goddess”, named UmiƱa, was only displayed on high feast days, when the Indians flocked to the shrine bringing gifts to the goddess. Less than scrupulous priests especially recommended donation of Emeralds, saying these were the daughters of the goddess, who would be pleased to see her offspring. The immense horde of these precious gems, however, fell into the hands of Pedro de Alvarado, Garcilasso de la Vega, and their companions during the conquest of Peru. Only the mother Emerald survived, being so cleverly concealed by the priests of the shrine that the Spaniards never succeeded in gaining possession of it.

Legend claims Herman Cortes, the conqueror of Mexico, tried to return home with huge chunks of Emerald that he took from the Aztecs. However, one of his ships became shipwrecked, losing forever, rare and delicately carved Emeralds in the shape of flowers and fish, and one particularly large Emerald the size of a man’s hand. 

The Emerald is the seasonal gem of spring, traditionally given on the occasion of a 55th wedding anniversary. Today the American Gem Trade Association lists it as the stone for a 20th anniversary.


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Saturday, August 24, 2019

The dance of the serpents (kundalini)


Hermes, the messenger god on Mount Olympus, had a magic wand called a Caduceus, which was given to him by Apollo. The Caduceus is a rod or staff framed by two intertwined snakes; at the top of the staff are two wings. 
     
The Caduceus symbolizes the spinal column, the central conduit for the Psychic Force, or nerve energy, which animates all the organs and members of the body. The places where the snakes cross represent the spinal energy centers or chakras of the subtle body.

The two snakes represent the two complementary halves of the nervous system: motor and sensory, sympathetic and parasympathetic. For optimal functioning of the nervous system, these complementary halves must be balanced.

Hermes, also called Mercury by the Romans, is sometimes pictured as a hermaphrodite, or a person who is half male and half female. So it is with the nervous system; it is neither emissive/masculine/Yang, nor is it receptive/feminine/Yin, because it incorporates both principles, or polarities.

The essence of the nervous system is communication, and Hermes, or Mercury, is the god of communication, transportation, and commerce. Greek mythology also depicts Hermes as a clever trickster, sent out on missions by Zeus and other Olympian gods to do their dirty work. And so, Hermes symbolizes the Mercurial adaptability of the mind, which must survive by living by its wits and ingenuity.

Esoterically speaking, the two intertwining snakes of the Caduceus symbolize the lunar Ida and solar Pingala channels of yogic philosophy, which must be cleared and balanced in order for the kundalini energy, or serpent power, to ascend from the base of the spine to the crown, producing enlightenment. In the Western esoteric tradition, this is called the Alchemical Marriage.

Snakes also have a profound symbolic significance in science, medicine and healing. The snake, which periodically molts, or sheds its skin, is a symbol of healing, regeneration and renewal. In ancient Greece snakes, which move about without any visible means of support or locomotion, were considered to be the wisest and cleverest of all animals.

Asclepius' staff has only one snake entwined around it, which symbolizes healing, regeneration, and the consummate skill of the medical art. Hermes' Caduceus has two intertwined snakes, which, in addition to all the above, also represent the need for balance, or homeostasis, for optimum health maintenance and disease prevention.

It seems as if snakes were also solar symbols. Apollo, who gave the Caduceus to Hermes, is often pictured with snakes. And the staff of Asclepius, son of Apollo, has a snake entwined around it. The sun, as the source of all Life and energy in our universe, is deeply connected with healing and the expression of vitality and wellbeing in general.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Energy Transmutation and the Way of the Tao


In the Taoist Tradition sexuality and spirituality are bound together, as the Taoists focus on harmonizing mind, body and spirit.  Spiritual development requires a balance of physical health and mental clarity, and our sexuality plays an important role in that.

Sex is natural and we are sexual beings – women, born with hundreds of eggs, they have the capacity to generate hundreds of lives! (And man with a single ejaculation could repopulate North America!).  The Taoist believes that if we were not to use this energy to create life itself, we can use it to enhance our own life. 

In this light sexuality is beyond sex, being the most powerful energy of creation, the expression of our creativity, that can be used for pleasure, healing, to cultivate health, rejuvenation, longevity; to attain goals, to realise dreams, and ultimately, to connect with the Divine, the universal source or ‘Re-Union with the Tao.’ In other words, by using the sexual energy for spiritual development, we come by ‘the short path to enlightenment’.

Taoism is the foundation of Chinese philosophy and medicine. It is a comprehensive physical and spiritual system that helps individuals to reach their highest potentials. It is perhaps best known in this country as the basis for traditional Chinese medicine, which includes acupuncture, herbal therapy, nutrition, massage, the energetic meditation called Chi Kung, and the martial art called Tai Chi Chuan. The Universal Tao system was developed by Mantak Chia to teach Taoist meditative and exercise techniques to balance the body and increase and refine one's vital energy, or chi. The sexual practice, or Healing Love, is an essential part of this system.

"Chi," the Chinese word for life energy, is the force within our bodies and within the universe that engenders life. The word itself has many translations, such as energy, air, breath, wind, or vital essence. There are 49 cultures around the world that understand the concept of chi in one form or another; examples include Ki (Japanese), Prana (Sanskrit), Lung (Tibetan), Neyatoneyah (Lakota Sioux), Num (Kalahari Kung), and Ruach (Hebrew).

"Western culture" and allopathic medicine, often called Western or conventional medicine, is one of the few cultures that does not have a similar concept, although it recognizes the role of energy at the molecular level. Western medicine is extremely effective for treating acute disease and traumatic injuries. However, some believe that it is, in part, the absence of this concept of "life force" that limits its effectiveness in treating chronic illnesses. Western medicine is just beginning to recognize what the Taoists have known for more than 2,000 years, that directing the flow of our life force, our chi can improve our health and vitality.

You can learn to use your concentration and your breath to activate and move your energy; this practice is called Chi Kung. It involves both concentration exercises and simple movements to facilitate the flow of chi. Used throughout China and now widely practiced in the United States, Chi Kung is an ancient and effective practice for many health issues. 

Once you become aware of your chi, you'll find that it's rather easy to notice and feel it. Try this simple exercise. Briskly rub your palms together until you produce heat. Now slowly separate your palms until they are about an inch apart. You should feel a "cushion" of air between them that may feel like pressure, heat, or tingling. This sensation is the chi passing between your hands.

In all traditions meditative practices calm and focus the mind. The Healing Tao meditative practices do this by focusing on the movement of chi. The basic practice is based on circulating chi through a body circuit called the Microcosmic Orbit, which is like an energy superhighway in the body. The Microcosmic Orbit runs from your tailbone up your spine to your brain (the Back Channel) and then returns down the front of your body in the midline (the Front Channel). By using the focus of your mind, you can direct the chi up the spine as you breathe in and let it "fall" down the Front Channel to your abdomen as you breathe out.

The Taoist masters advocate for men not to ejaculate. Now, for all those men groaning out there, this doesn’t mean the end of your sex life, in fact your sex life can be greatly improved. There is no end to lovemaking when the sperm is not expelled, and you can become multi-orgasmic. This practice also ensures a blissful experience for your partner. 

This sexual kung fu takes time and practice to learn, but has a tremendous impact on your health, sexual expression and life force. 

Mantak Chia is a master practitioner, and was taught the sacred ancient Tantric practices by a Taoist Master. According to Mantak Chia, the primary purpose of conducting sexual practices is to save and transform sexual energy into more refined energy (transmuting Jing into Chi).  In the genuine Taoist thought, however, this is only possible if the sexual essence is spiritually guided and purified by the heart, only then can its virtue transform into Chi. That’s why the Taoists who want to achieve true inner cultivation only practice sexual methods with utmost care, love and respect towards their sexual partner. If you’re playing solo, you can also cultivate your sexual awareness and energy. 

The Taoist sexual practices help rejuvenate the body by managing the seed essences of sperm and the ovaries that control hormone and blood quality. this reduces loss or waste of sexual energy.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

5 Tibetan Energy Rejuvenation Rites


The five Tibetans are a unique sequence of yoga poses reputed to be the key to longevity. According to legend, the sequence was created by Tibetan monks in a Himalayan monastery and then brought into the world by British Army Colonel Bradford. The colonel was amazed by the monks' vitality and superior health. They credited their religious observances, simple diet and the five Tibetans.


1. Whirling Dervish

The first of the five Tibetans is a standing exercise. To perform this exercise, stand up straight with your arms held out to your sides at shoulder height. Spin to the right and keep looking forward. Let your vision blur as you spin. Breathe deeply into your abdomen. Slowly work up to 21 spins.

2. Tibetan leg lifts

The second of the five Tibetans is similar to an abdominal exercise called leg lifts. To begin, lie on your back with your legs straight and your arms at your sides. Touch your legs together. Inhale as you lift your legs until they are perpendicular with the floor. Raise your head off the floor at the same time, bringing your chin toward your chest. Exhale as you lower your head and legs back to the floor. Work up to 21 leg raises.

3. Moving through camel pose

The third of the five Tibetans promotes flexibility of the spine and gently stretches the back, chest, abdomen and neck. The exercise is similar to camel pose used in other styles of yoga but is a less extreme back bend.

To perform the exercise, kneel on the floor and relax your arms against your sides. Your back is straight with your hips, shoulders and knees in line. First, exhale and bend your chin toward your chest. Then, inhale as you bend your head back to look up and you gently arch your lower back. Slide your hands up to your lower back as you bend backwards. Repeat up to 21 times.

4. Staff to upward plank pose

The fourth exercise combines two popular yoga postures, the staff pose and a variation of upward plank pose. The exercise strengthens the wrists, arms, core and legs.

To begin, sit with your legs together and straight in front of you. Place your hands on the floor next to your buttocks with your fingers pointing forward and flex your feet toward your shins. This is staff pose. Inhale as you bend your knees and raise your hips off the floor. Lift up until your spine is parallel to the floor and your knees are in line with your ankles. Look at the ceiling. Exhale as you lower back into staff pose. Perform up to 21 repetitions.

5. Down dog to cobra pose

The fifth exercise moves from downward-facing dog pose to cobra. The Tibetan exercise strengthens the arms, shoulders and chest while also stretching the abdomen, shoulders and legs.

To begin, assume push-up position with your hands shoulder-width apart. Inhale and press your hips up toward the ceiling. Your arms and legs are straight. Push your heels down and align your neck with your spine. This is down dog. Exhale as you lower your hips and arch your back. Lift your chest to face forward as you tilt your head to look up. Your hips are inches from the floor and your arms are straight. Perform up to 21 reps.

Starting off the day with the five Tibetans provides energy and increases alertness. The sequence can also provide a burst of energy in the afternoon or evening, when many people's energy levels drop.


Also read: The Swimming Dragon: Qigong exercise for beauty, health, and high energy

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Best moon quotes to inspire you


“The Moon is the first milestone on the road to the stars.“
—Arthur C. Clarke

"I always look up at the moon and see it as the single most romantic place within the cosmos." 
—Tom Hanks

"With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon who could not be happy?" 
—Oscar Wilde

"I will never be a morning person, for the moon and I are much too in love." 
—Christopher Poindexter

"When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator."
― Mahatma Gandhi


"The moon puts on an elegant show, different every time in shape, colour and nuance."
―Arthur Smith

“The full moon – the mandala of the sky.”
― Tom Robbins

“I like to think that the moon is there even if I am not looking at it.“
― Albert Einstein

“The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to.“
― Carl Sandburg

“And if you’re ever feeling lonely just look at the moon.
Someone, somewhere is looking right at it too."

 "Always remember we are under the same sky, looking at the same moon." 
—Maxine Lee


"The moon looks upon many night flowers; the night flowers see but one moon."
—Jean Ingelow

"The Sun, Moon and Stars are there to guide us."
―Dennis Banks

“The moon is magic for the soul and light for the senses.”

“Under the full moon she had never felt crazy. She had only ever felt connected.” 
—C. Churchill

"I'm as old as the moon and the stars, and as young as the trees and the lakes." 
—Afrika Bambaataa

"Our great symbol for the Goddess is the moon, whose three aspects reflect the three stages in women's lives and whose cycles of waxing and waning coincide with women's menstrual cycles."
—Carol P. Christ


"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."
― Buddha

"The sun watches what I do, but the moon knows all my secrets”
―J.M. Wonderland 

“She was like the moon… part of her was always hidden."

“Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.” 
― Mark Twain

“We are all like the bright moon, we still have our darker side.” 
― Khalil Gibran

“The moon is a reminder that no matter what phase I am in, I’m still whole"


“And if you are to love, love as the moon loves; it does not steal the night it only unveils the beauty of the dark.”
― Isra al-thibeh

"The sun loves the moon so much that he dies every night to let her breathe, and in return, she reflects his love." 
―Jeffrey Fry

"Everyone wants to be someone’s sun to light up someone’s life, but why not be someone’s moon to brighten in the darkest hour."

“Just like the moon, half of my heart will always love the dark."

And the moon said to me - my darling daughter, you do not have to be whole in order to shine.
―Nichole McElhaney


"I am a dreamer, of both beautiful and dark things. Like the moon, full of sun and beloved shadows.”
— Cassandra Martin

"She and the moon could always be found playing in the darkness." 
—A.J. Lawless

"She is lost under the spell of the moon again and doesn't want to be found”
—Daniel Mercury

— "The moon will guide you through the night with her brightness, but she will always dwell in the darkness, in order to be seen." ―Shannon L. Alder

“The moon stays bright when it doesn’t avoid the night…”
― Rumi



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