The palm branch is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace, and eternal life originating in the ancient Near east and Mediterranean Worlds.
A palm branch was awarded to victorious athletes in ancient Greece, and a palm frond or the tree itself is one of the most common attributes of Victory personified in ancient Rome.
The palm tree, to the Assyrians and Egyptians, was considered a tree of life, representing immortality.
It was sacred to Ishtar and Ashtarte as well as to Nut and Hathor. These deities utilized the palm tree nectars to keep the dead in a semi-animated state while they awaited their fate in the Underworld. It was believed that sometimes the fruit of the palm would keep these souls in this state of un-dead forever. The date palm was also associated with the sun god Ra, as a resurrection figurehead.
These aspects brought themes of victory, not only over the conflict between dualities, but victory over death as well.
In Christianity, the Palm Sunday, a week before Easter Sunday, commemorates the triumphal entry of JESUS into Jerusalem symbolizing the victory of the spirit over the flesh. Palm fronds were lain by His Followers on the path walked by Christ as HE rode into the city on a donkey, and called HIM "Hosanna" or "Savior." Christians see the palms as a symbol of resurrection (victory over death through the union with Christ), because it speaks about elements of attainment, welcoming, and all the wonderful qualities associated with the soul' s return to its Source.
In the account of the 4 canonical Gospels, JESUS' triumphal entry into Jerusalem takes place in the days before the Last Supper, marking the beginning of His Passion. Crowds gathered around JESUS and believed in HIM in John 12 after HE raised Lazarus from the dead, and the next day the multitudes that had gathered for the feast in Jerusalem welcome JESUS as HE entered Jerusalem. In Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12, JESUS descended from the Mount of Olives towards Jerusalem, and the crowds lay their clothes on the ground to welcome HIM triumphantly enters Jerusalem.
The palm tree, as dream symbol, shows the individual's ability to rise above conflict and spread out light brilliantly -letting it shine over the din of petty concerns- rising above disillusionment like the sun itself. It is also a message for the individual to resurrect aspects in its inner self and by doing that the person becomes a more wholly entity.
The palm tree shares its symbolic gender with predominantly energetic masculine tone together with feminine qualities found in the fruit it bears. The erect, towering trunk represent the male power rising into action, followed by a flowering, expansive display of long leaves nestling an offspring of rich, nutritious fruits. It is an icon for fertility and unification.
The palm tree, in its deeper meaning, is a symbol of androgyny as it possesses the perfect integration of both male and female attributes -to be wholly, pristinely balanced- equally united with polarity. The tree amalgamates the realms of seen and unseen -mixing them into a whole vision.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Saturday, April 1, 2017
THE SEINE RIVER.
The Seine River is a 777km/483mi river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the North of France. Paris lies 445km/277mi from the River Mouth and the slow-moving River is navigable by ocean-going vessels from Le Havre as far as Rouen,120km/75mi from the sea.
Rouen is capital of the region of Normandy, formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of Medieval Europe. Rouen was the seat responsible for the collection and management of taxes and revenues of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the 11th to the 15th CE.
Over 60% of Seine's length, as far as Burgundy, it is negotiable by commercial riverboats, and nearly its whole length is available for recreational boating.
Burgundy is a historical territory and a former administrative region of East-Central France. Historically the name 'Burgundy' has referred to numerous political entities, including kingdoms and duchies spanning territory from the Mediterranean to the Low Countries (Netherlands and Belgium, and the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Meuse, Scheldt, and Ems rivers). The first known inhabitants were Celts, who were incorporated in the Roman Empire as Gallo-Romans. During 4th CE, the Burgundians and the Germanic people settled in the Western Alps founding the Kingdom of the Burgundians, which was conquered by another Germanic Tribe, the Franks, continuing for several centuries. During the Middle Ages, Burgundy was the seat of some of the most important Western Churches and monasteries.
The water of the Seine is an important resource for the Central and Western France. Electrical power stations, thermal and nuclear, pull their cooling water from the River, and 1/2 the water used in the Paris region plus3/4 of the water used in the area between Rouen and Le Havre is also drawn from the River.
The Seine River rises at Source-Seine, 30km/18mi North West of Dijon in the Alps, at an elevation of 470m/1,542ft inside a wooden area, from waters in several closely clustered ditches/depressions. What is now the Source-Seine saw Gaulic pilgrimage beginning in the 1st BC. In the late 4th CE, Roman Emperor Theodosius I ordered the closure of non-Christian temples at the Seine's source and gave their property to Christian institutions. In accordance with this edict, in the 5th CE the Abbey of Sainte-Marie-de Cestra, the closest religious institution to the Seine's source, received a donation from the Roman government. In the 17th CE, rumors of the healing powers in the Seine were circulating around Paris. This led to the construction of a grotto dedicated to Seine Nymph and financed by its residents in the 19th CE. The city of Paris officially bought the Source of the Seine in 1864.
Dijon (310km/193mi South East of Paris; 190km/118mi North West of Geneva; 190km/118mi North of lyon) is a city in Eastern France, capital of the Cote-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Compte region. It is situated at the heart of a Plain drained by 2 small converging rivers: the Suzon, which crosses it mostly underground from North to South, and the Ouche, on the Southern side of the town. Further South is the hillside (cote) of vineyards that give the department its name. The earliest archaeological finds date to 10,200 BC. Later a Roman settlement was located on the road from Lyon to Paris, named Divio, which means 'Sacred Fountain'. The province was home to Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th centuries and Dijon was the place of tremendous power and wealth, one of the great European centers for art, learning, and science.
The Duchy of Burgundy was a key in the transformation of Medieval Times toward Early Modern Europe.
The Seine River is France's 2nd longest River, after the Loire. The River then flows 776km/482mi before it passes between the coastal communes of Le Havre and Honfleur, on the Normandy coast, emptying into the sea at the English Channel. The average depth is about 9.5m/31ft.
Le Havre is an urban French commune in the Normandy region of North Western France. Its port is the 2nd largest in the country, after that of Marseille, for total traffic, and the largest French container port,
The name 'Le Havre' means 'The Harbor' of 'The Port.' Its inhabitants are known as Havrais(es).
The city and port was founded by the King Francis I of France in 1517. Early economic development was hampered by religious wars, conflicts with the English, epidemics and storms. It was from the end of the 18th CE that Le Havre started growing and took off 1st with the slave trade and the 1970s marked the end of its golden age. In the year 2000, the city port increased the city path of reconversion, developing the service sector and new industries (Aeronautic, Wind turbines). In 2005 UNESCO inscribed the central city of Le Havre as a World Heritage site. The Andre Malraux Modern Art Museum is the 2nd of France for the number of impressionist paintings.
Honfleur is a comune in North Western France. It is located on the Southern bank of the partially enclosed coastal body of the Seine (estuary) across from Le Havre. Its inhabitants are called Honfleurais. It is especially known for its old, beautiful picturesque port, characterized by its houses with slate-covered frontages, painted many times by artists, which contributed to the appearance of the Impressionist movement. The Sainte-Catherine church, which has a bell tower separate from the principal building, is the largest church made out of wood in France.
The 1st written record of Honfleur is a reference by Richard III, Duke of Normandy, in 1207CE. By the middle of the 12th century, the city represented a significant transit point for goods from Rouen to England. The city profited from its strategic position from the start of the 100 Years War. At the end of this period, Honfleur benefited from the boom in maritime trade until the end of the 18th CE. Trade flow was disturbed during the wars of religion in the 16th CE. The port saw the deparure of a number of explorers, in particular in 1503 of Binot Paulmierde Gonneville to the coasts of Brazil. In 1506, local man Jean Denis departed for Newfoundland island and the mouth of Saint Lawrence. An expedition in 1608, organized by Samuel de Champlain, founded the city of Quebec in modern-day Canada. After 1608, Honfleur thrived on trade with Canada, the West Indies, the African coasts and the Azores. As a result, the town became one of the 5 principal ports for the slave trade in France. The wars of the French revolution and the First Empire, and in particular the continental blockade, caused the ruin of Honfleur. It only partially recovered during the 19th century with the trading of wood from Northern Europe. Trade was however limited by the silting up of the entrance to the port and development of the modern port at Le Havre. The port however still functions today.
There are 37 bridges within Paris and dozens more spanning the Seine River outside the city. Examples in Paris include the Pont Alexandre III and Pont Neif, the latter of which dates back to 1607. Outside the city, examples include Pont de Normandie, one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the World.
Rouen is capital of the region of Normandy, formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of Medieval Europe. Rouen was the seat responsible for the collection and management of taxes and revenues of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the 11th to the 15th CE.
Over 60% of Seine's length, as far as Burgundy, it is negotiable by commercial riverboats, and nearly its whole length is available for recreational boating.
Burgundy is a historical territory and a former administrative region of East-Central France. Historically the name 'Burgundy' has referred to numerous political entities, including kingdoms and duchies spanning territory from the Mediterranean to the Low Countries (Netherlands and Belgium, and the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Meuse, Scheldt, and Ems rivers). The first known inhabitants were Celts, who were incorporated in the Roman Empire as Gallo-Romans. During 4th CE, the Burgundians and the Germanic people settled in the Western Alps founding the Kingdom of the Burgundians, which was conquered by another Germanic Tribe, the Franks, continuing for several centuries. During the Middle Ages, Burgundy was the seat of some of the most important Western Churches and monasteries.
The water of the Seine is an important resource for the Central and Western France. Electrical power stations, thermal and nuclear, pull their cooling water from the River, and 1/2 the water used in the Paris region plus3/4 of the water used in the area between Rouen and Le Havre is also drawn from the River.
The Seine River rises at Source-Seine, 30km/18mi North West of Dijon in the Alps, at an elevation of 470m/1,542ft inside a wooden area, from waters in several closely clustered ditches/depressions. What is now the Source-Seine saw Gaulic pilgrimage beginning in the 1st BC. In the late 4th CE, Roman Emperor Theodosius I ordered the closure of non-Christian temples at the Seine's source and gave their property to Christian institutions. In accordance with this edict, in the 5th CE the Abbey of Sainte-Marie-de Cestra, the closest religious institution to the Seine's source, received a donation from the Roman government. In the 17th CE, rumors of the healing powers in the Seine were circulating around Paris. This led to the construction of a grotto dedicated to Seine Nymph and financed by its residents in the 19th CE. The city of Paris officially bought the Source of the Seine in 1864.
Dijon (310km/193mi South East of Paris; 190km/118mi North West of Geneva; 190km/118mi North of lyon) is a city in Eastern France, capital of the Cote-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Compte region. It is situated at the heart of a Plain drained by 2 small converging rivers: the Suzon, which crosses it mostly underground from North to South, and the Ouche, on the Southern side of the town. Further South is the hillside (cote) of vineyards that give the department its name. The earliest archaeological finds date to 10,200 BC. Later a Roman settlement was located on the road from Lyon to Paris, named Divio, which means 'Sacred Fountain'. The province was home to Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th centuries and Dijon was the place of tremendous power and wealth, one of the great European centers for art, learning, and science.
The Duchy of Burgundy was a key in the transformation of Medieval Times toward Early Modern Europe.
The Seine River is France's 2nd longest River, after the Loire. The River then flows 776km/482mi before it passes between the coastal communes of Le Havre and Honfleur, on the Normandy coast, emptying into the sea at the English Channel. The average depth is about 9.5m/31ft.
Le Havre is an urban French commune in the Normandy region of North Western France. Its port is the 2nd largest in the country, after that of Marseille, for total traffic, and the largest French container port,
The name 'Le Havre' means 'The Harbor' of 'The Port.' Its inhabitants are known as Havrais(es).
The city and port was founded by the King Francis I of France in 1517. Early economic development was hampered by religious wars, conflicts with the English, epidemics and storms. It was from the end of the 18th CE that Le Havre started growing and took off 1st with the slave trade and the 1970s marked the end of its golden age. In the year 2000, the city port increased the city path of reconversion, developing the service sector and new industries (Aeronautic, Wind turbines). In 2005 UNESCO inscribed the central city of Le Havre as a World Heritage site. The Andre Malraux Modern Art Museum is the 2nd of France for the number of impressionist paintings.
Honfleur is a comune in North Western France. It is located on the Southern bank of the partially enclosed coastal body of the Seine (estuary) across from Le Havre. Its inhabitants are called Honfleurais. It is especially known for its old, beautiful picturesque port, characterized by its houses with slate-covered frontages, painted many times by artists, which contributed to the appearance of the Impressionist movement. The Sainte-Catherine church, which has a bell tower separate from the principal building, is the largest church made out of wood in France.
The 1st written record of Honfleur is a reference by Richard III, Duke of Normandy, in 1207CE. By the middle of the 12th century, the city represented a significant transit point for goods from Rouen to England. The city profited from its strategic position from the start of the 100 Years War. At the end of this period, Honfleur benefited from the boom in maritime trade until the end of the 18th CE. Trade flow was disturbed during the wars of religion in the 16th CE. The port saw the deparure of a number of explorers, in particular in 1503 of Binot Paulmierde Gonneville to the coasts of Brazil. In 1506, local man Jean Denis departed for Newfoundland island and the mouth of Saint Lawrence. An expedition in 1608, organized by Samuel de Champlain, founded the city of Quebec in modern-day Canada. After 1608, Honfleur thrived on trade with Canada, the West Indies, the African coasts and the Azores. As a result, the town became one of the 5 principal ports for the slave trade in France. The wars of the French revolution and the First Empire, and in particular the continental blockade, caused the ruin of Honfleur. It only partially recovered during the 19th century with the trading of wood from Northern Europe. Trade was however limited by the silting up of the entrance to the port and development of the modern port at Le Havre. The port however still functions today.
There are 37 bridges within Paris and dozens more spanning the Seine River outside the city. Examples in Paris include the Pont Alexandre III and Pont Neif, the latter of which dates back to 1607. Outside the city, examples include Pont de Normandie, one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the World.
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