9 replies to this topic

[Saille Willow]

Reflection of Infinity

Ancient land I stand upon,
seedbed of evolution
uninterrupted
once a lake
now dry
yet life still abundant
seeking to see
the future

Millions of years have passed by
underneath my feet,
highest form of all the passings,
here I am

Warm breeze
caress me into present awareness
warm and gentle
I look up into the sky
Stars
so many
layers of stars
between clouds of stars
breathless

I watched the shooting stars
dart across the sky
until I ran out of
wishes
and just watched

I let the windhounds
of the deepest rooms
in my heart
run free
and frolic among the stars

Breakfast table. Seven years old, on my way to school. A cereal box in front of me. On it a painting of a goldilocks girl with rosy cheeks, in a field of golden wheat. The purple mountains of the Boland beyond. In her hand the box of cereal that stands infront of me. On it an exact image of the bigger one. Suddenly my mind is riveted. How many times will the image repeat itself? Further than my mind could stretch. Without end. Enlessly into infinity.

Uninterrupted
no end
A beginning and no end in linear time
Where do I begin
and where do you end
Where do you begin
and where do I end?

Endless
boundless
ceaseless
continuous
limitless
measureless
unbounded
undivided
unending
everlasting
infinite
immortal

Stars
vast
how small the city in focus
how short the view.

Infinity in the instant of now.

Edited by Saille Willow, 22 November 2003 - 10:47 AM.

[stemcellcloning]

Appreciated greatly thankyou.

[Saille Willow]

A pleasure to share.

[stemcellcloning]

Do you know the name of your picture the eternity symbol, and its origin?

I like it very much.

[Saille Willow]

Yes, it is the serpent oroboros, symbolic of consciosness absorbed in itself in the archaic period of humanity. The particular symbol that I use is the African symbol for Immortal.

[stemcellcloning]

Oroboros, thankyou.

I lik it, I have wanted a tatto of it for like 6 years but havent known about it enough to get one.

Is it originaly from africa? I have seen it in norsk and oriental depictions also.

[Saille Willow]

I have found the symbol to be pretty universal. As with most ancient symbols there are many levels of interpretation. Always assiciated wih it is the aspect of eternal, time without end, cycle of existence through renewal originating in the archaic, originative consciousness, consciousness in its embryonic form. Interesting that the foetal position is so similar in form.

"Narayana, with whom Vishnu is identified, the oldest of all beings, who, carried on the coils of Sesha or Ananta, the serpent "without end," the symbol of eternity, appeared at the beginning of things floating above the primordial waters." - Barth, Religions of India

As Africa is the cradle of mankind, Sub-Saharan Africa in particular, if you want to find origins, it is a good place to look for it. The snake itself represents in most ancient cultures continuous renewal -as the snake sheds its skin. Among the Chokwe, pregnant women are believed to have a snake in their womb. It is an ancestral spirit, which supports the embryo in its growth and prepares it for life. Among the San the snake is considered the mediator between life and death.

Among the Venda, Tsonga and Batsonga peoples there is a belief that it was a python that first taught the men and women about the mysteries of sex. The Venda maidens still performs the famous python dance in honour of the great snake, also seen as the symbol of the Earth Mother, on entering womanhood.

It is also well known that the serpent symbolises the creative energies. (Kundalini for example)

The snake is also associated with healing and there are many legends about the huge serpents of the lakes that teaches the traditional healer the secrets of healing. Still part of the traditional healers initiation ceremonies is the dunking under waters of particular lakes or rivers.

The same symbolism can be found throughout the world; ancestral connection, primordial waters, creative and sexual energies, renewal, healing and the awakening of the supersensible.

[stemcellcloning]

Its meanings are well represented in it, thankyou for sharing them.
I feel the sense of eternity quite strongly from it.

Any other glyphs or symbols you know of with such a immortal essence?
That is what im trying to capture in my to be tattoo.

I think it will be on the back of my hand so it is a kind of constant reminder to me of what I striving for.

[Saille Willow]

It surprised me how few symbols there were for Immortality. The only other ones I have come across are the Caduceus in all it's local forms, the infinity symbol, the inter-twined dragons, the Ankh, the Apple (Avalon), the Grail cup, the fountain/spring of life/youth.

The Caduceus - "according to Buddhism, the wand of the caduceus corresponds to the axis of the world and the serpents refer to the Kundalini which, in Tantrist teaching, sleeps coiled up at the base of the backbone - a symbol of the evolutive power of pure energy." - Senor Cirlot

If you dissect the symbols through their surrounding myth, to their origins, they all seem to center around the same symbolism; the snake/dragon , central focus, the water element, circles or interlocking circles. Much the same in most cultures I have come across. Not much to choose from. Choose the one that will keep you focused.

[chubtoad]

Interesting how most of the people on this site aren't just the stereotypical naturalists, with little or no creativity (I unfortunatley still am).