The willow loves the small bird,
the small bird loves the willow, too.
Because their love is mutual
the grey falcon cannot harm them.
Tsangs Dbyangs Rgya Mtsho (”Ocean of Pure Melody”)
The VIth Dalai Lama of Tibet (1683 - 1706)
VINCENT VAN GOGH (1853 - 1890): WILLOWS AT SUNSET
Holland Cotter write in the New York Times:
“From his terrace, the world is blue and green - mountains and trees - or almost green. Spring is on the way; the geese are back. One, then two, alight on the river, with more still invisible but close behind. Pavilion living! The only way. With the city somewhere down there, and nature everywhere up here, he watches the mist rise. River meets sky.
The calm watcher is the 4th century scholar Wang Xizhi, artist of classical calligraphy and model for living an active life in retreat. He is depicted by the painter Quian Xuan, another connoisseur of reclusion, in a 13th century handscroll.”
QUIAN XUAN: WANG XIZHI WATCHING GEESE
Human activites are destroying forests, draining wetlands, cementing pastures. Artemis will take revenge. She is not a gentle goddess. She sends arrows of retaliation to those who destroy nature. We would be wise to honor Artemis by taking our ecological responsibilites seriously, saving the earth for our children.
Let me sing of the Goddess
of the wild chase and the busy spindle.
An archer, a hunter, she races
through the mountain shadows
and the windy hills, drawing her bow
and loosing her arrows.
The mountains tremble,
and the forest resounds.
Homeric hymn to Artemis
ANNA LEBEDEVA - OSTROUMOVA (1871 - 1955): BIRCHES IN SPRING
In ancient Greece, the 25th of March was the feast of Artemis, goddess of the wild animals and woods. Her Latin name is Diana. She was a hunter goddess, a protector of women and children. It is in our wild natures that we find the archetype of Artemis/Diana.
Maiden Goddess, holy one,
protector of hills and forest,
protector of mothers in labor,
protector of the buds of infancy,
triple goddess, I invoke you:
bless the trees around my home,
the ones that shade me,
the ones that screen the wind,
the ones that perfume the air.
May they protect me as you do.
Horace (65 BC - 8 BC)
ANTONIO ALLEGRI CORREGIO (1494 - 1534): ARTEMIS / DIANA
The owl as Athene’s sacred bird was the emblem of the city of Athens. ‘There flies an owl’ indicated that Athene had brought victory. The Greeks attributed magical properties to owls’ eggs. In medieval times, owls were associated with witchcraft and sorcery.
ARYBALLOS:
GREEK OWL POTTERY (630 BC)
Owl as a shamanistic bird teaches magic, being associated with the witching time of dusk, the death of the day whose somber light is called ‘owl light’.
If Owl appears in vision, she may be telling us to accept both, light and dark. Owl teaches us to look at our fears creeping out of the subconscious into light. They are blocking our progress and holding us back. We must deal with them before they can be dissolved.
BURROWING OWL (ATHENE CUNICULARIA)
The owl is the goddess Athene’s sacred bird, associated with clever tactics, far-sightedness, and wisdom. Owls are birds of prey, solitary and nocturnal hunters. Much of their hunting strategies depend on stealth and surprise, just like Athene’s tactics of warfare.
The serrated edges of the owl’s remiges muffle the wingbeats, allowing its flight to be practically silent, thus approaching its prey with stealth, by surprise.
TETRADRACHM
GREEK SILVER COIN WITH ATHENE’S HELMETED PROFILE ON ONE SIDE AND HER SACRED OWL ON THE OTHER SIDE
With their forward-facing eyes owls have binocular vision and are far-sighted. In low light their far vision is exceptionally good. Thus the goddess Athene’s wisdom was said to depend on her far-sightedness.
The Little Owl (Athene noctua) is small, with brown speckles, yellow eyes and white eyebrows.
LITTLE OWL (ATHENE NOCTUA)
Tomorrow I will be wearing the beautiful black onyx earrings with alpaca silver that my friend sent to me. I love their black lustre and like to put them on with black clothes.
Onyx is a cryptocrystaline form of quartz. The chemical composition is SiO2, Silicon dioxide. Its hardness on Mohs Scale is 7. The word Onyx is originally Assyrian, meaning “ring”, because onyx was used to make rings.
Variations of Black Onyx
Mentally black onyx helps self-empowerment, self-reliance, an unwavering sense of reality, analytical and logical thinking.
Spiritually black onyx helps to reach one’s aims by working towards them with great endurance and steadfastness.
My friend also offers black onyx and alpaca bracelets matching the earrings.
Bracelet “Midnight”: Black Onyx and Alpaca Silver
My friend’s Peruvian jewellery collection for sale can be seen on this website:
http://gypsybutterfly.myeweb.net/
Onyx is the birth stone of my Chinese zodiac sign, the Ox. It means prosperity through fortitude and hard work. In China, Ox is a powerful sign. Oxen are dependable and possess the innate ability of achieving great things. Oxen are calm and self-possessed. They need peace and quiet to work through their ideas. When they have set their minds on something it is hard for them to be convinced otherwise.
People born under the influence of Ox are articulate and eloquent. They are kind and caring souls, positive and filled with common sense. Their feet are firmly planted on the ground, and they love security. Oxen are not extravagant, and the thought of living off credit cards or being in debt makes them nervous. They will think twice before spending money, and when they have decided, they will pay cash.
All in all, Oxen can be seen as intelligent, strong-minded and stubborn individuals, who don’t take kindly being told what to do. They like to decide for themselves.
Chinese Zodiac: Ox
