Apple A temperate fruit of Europe and Western Asia, appearing in classical, Arabian, and ancient European mythology and folklore as "a means to immortality, an emblem of fruitfulness, an offering or a distraction in suitor contests, a cure, a love charm, a test of chastity, a means of divination, a magic object" (Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore); the Greek golden apples of the Hesperides and the Scandinavian apples of Idunn confer immortality; in the Arabian Nights the apple of Prince Ahmed cures every disease. Apples were used for divination in Druidic Britain. (SD).

(See also: Apple  , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Atlas (Greek) (from tlenai to bear)

In Greek mythology a titan, a sea god who supports on his shoulders the vault of heaven. Son of Iapetus and Clymene or Asia; brother of Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius; father of the Pleiades, Hyades, Calypso, and sometimes the Hesperides.

Also a mountain or range in West Africa. Mount Atlas, considered both geographically and mythologically, parallels Mount Meru of the Hindus. Both are intimately connected with the fourth root-race. Atlas is a symbol of the fourth root-race, and his seven daughters, the Atlantides, are the seven subraces (SD 2:493).

But Atlas is also the old continents of Lemuria and Atlantis, combined and personified in one symbol, and Mount Atlas is spoken of as a relic of Lemuria. "The poets attributed to Atlas, as to Proteus, a superior wisdom and an universal knowledge, and especially a thorough acquaintance with the depths of the ocean: because both continents bore races instructed by divine masters, and because both were transferred to the bottom of the seas . . ." (SD 2:762). Atlas was compelled to leave the surface of the earth and join his brother Iapetus in the depths of Tartarus, where he supports the new continents on his "shoulders."

(See also: Atlas, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Tree A variant of the cross or tau, to be considered in connection with the serpent which is wound round it. The two together symbolize the world tree with the spiritual, intellectual, psychic, and psychological aggregate of forces encircling the world tree and working in and through it -- these forces often grouped in the Orient under the name of kundalini. In minor significance, the two together symbolize the life-waves, or any life-wave, passing through the planes, spirit circling through matter, fohat working in the kosmos. Thus the tree symbol stands for the universe, and correspondentially for man, in whom the monadic ray kindles activity on the several planes; while the physiological key of interpretation applies to the analogies in the human body with its various structures through which play the pranic currents.

The tree, by its form, represents evolution, for it begins with a root and spreads out into branches and twigs; only as applied to the kosmos the root is conceived to be on high and the branches to extend downwards. Thus there is the Asvattha tree of India or bodhi tree, the Norse Yggdrasil, the tree Ababel in the Koran, the Sephirothal Tree which is 'Adam Qadmon. In the Garden of Eden it is stated that there were two trees, the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which signifies the two knowledges. It is said in Gnosticism that Ennoia (divine thought) and Ophis (serpent), as a unity, are the Logos; as separated they are the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge, the former spiritual, the latter manasic. Adam eats the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge which means in one important allegory of human evolution that mankind after the separation of the sexes became endowed with manas, or that when humanity began to be endowed with dual manas, the rays then separated into the opposite sexes; and lest he should partake of the Tree of Life and become immortal, in the then imperfect state of evolution, he is turned out of Eden.

 It is stated that buddhi becomes transformed into the tree whose fruit is emancipation and which finally destroys the roots of the Asvattha, which here is the symbol of the mayavi life. This latter tree is also the emblem of secret and sacred knowledge, guarded by serpents or dragons; it may also refer to a sacred scripture. Dragons guarded the tree with the golden apples of the Hesperides; the trees of Meru were guarded by a serpent; Juno, on her wedding with Jupiter, gave him a tree with golden fruit, as Eve gave the fruit to Adam. Blavatsky says of Eve: "She it was who first led man to the Tree of Knowledge and made known to him Good and Evil; and if she had been left in peace to do quietly that which she wished to do, she would have conducted him to the Tree of Life and would thus have rendered him immortal" (La Revue Theosophique 2:10).

See also ASVATTHA, YGGDRASIL

Both adepts and sorcerers were called trees. Tree worship in decadent times degenerated into a variety of phallicism.

(See also: Tree, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Ursa Minor is a constellation in the northern sky, the name of which means Small Bear in Latin. It is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also one of the 48 listed by Ptolemy. It is notable as the location of the north celestial pole, although this will change after some centuries due to the precession of the equinoxes. Ursa Minor - Notable features. Ursa Minor contains an asterism colloquially known as the Little Dipper because its seven brightest stars seem to form a ladle, or dippe ...

Including:

• Ursa Minor - Notable features
• Ursa Minor - Notable deep sky objects
• Ursa Minor - History
• Ursa Minor - Mythology
• Ursa Minor - Notable and named stars

Read more here: » Ursa Minor: Encyclopedia - Ursa Minor

In Greek mythology, the Crinaeae were a type of nymph associated with fountains. The Crinaeae included: Aganippe Appias (Roman mythology) ...

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The Zmeu (plural: zmei, feminin: zmeoaică/zmeoaice) is a fantastic creature of Romanian folklore and Romanian mythology. Sometimes compared to other fantastic creatures, such as the balaur or the "vârcolac", the zmeu is nevertheless distinct, because it usually has clear antropomorphic traits: it is humanoid and has legs, arms, the ability to create and use artefacts such as the weapons, or the desire to marry young girls. In some stories, Zmeu appears in the sky and spits fire. In other stories, it has a magical preci ...

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The theme of weaving in mythology is ancient, and its lost mythic lore probably accompanied the early spread of this mysterious art. Westward of Central Asia and the Iranian plateau, weaving is a mystery within woman's sphere, and where men have become the primary weavers in this part of the world, it is possible that they have usurped the archaic role. Weaving begins with spinning. Until the spinning wheel was invented in the 14th century, all spinning was done with distaff and spindle (see those entries for technical details ...

Read more here: » Weaving mythology: Encyclopedia - Weaving mythology

Boötes, a name deriving from Egypt, is one of the 88 modern constellations and was also one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy. Boötes is generally referred to as the Bear Watcher, since it appears to be watching over the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. It contains the third brightest star in the night sky, Arcturus. Note that the "ö" in the name is a diaeresis, not an umlaut. The constellation is located between 0° and +60° declination, 13 and 16 hours of right ascension on the celestial sphere. Including:

• Boötes - Notable features
• Boötes - Notable deep sky objects
• Boötes - Mythology
• Boötes - Stars

Read more here: » Boötes: Encyclopedia - Boötes

In Greek mythology, Ceto, or Keto (Greek: Κητος, Ketos, "sea monster") was a hideous aquatic monster, a daughter of Gaia and Pontus. She was the personification of the dangers of the sea, unknown terrors and bizarre creatures. Eventually, the word "ceto" became simple shorthand for any sea monster. It is still used in this way. Her husband was Phorcys and they had many children, collectively known as the Phorcydes. In Greek art Ceta where drawn as a serpentine fish. Ceto also gave name to the constella ...

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The Canary Islands are an archipelago of seven islands of volcanic origin in the Atlantic Ocean. They are located off the northwestern coast of Africa (Morocco and the Western Sahara). They form an autonomous community of Spain. The name comes from the Berber Canarii, tribe from the Atlas ( Morocco ) who occupied the island of Gran Canaria. Canary Islands - History. The Canary Islands have been known since antiquity. The peak of Teide on Tenerife can be seen on clear days from the African coast. It is possi ...

Including:

• Canary Islands - History
• Canary Islands - Physical geography
• Canary Islands - Political geography
• Canary Islands - Economy

Read more here: » Canary Islands: Encyclopedia - Canary Islands

The names of the species of the nymphs varied according to their natural abode. The Aulonaid (from the classical Greek αύλών; valley, ravine) was a nymph who could be found in the mountain pastures and vales, often in the company of Pan, the god of nature. Eurydice, for whom Orpheus traveled into dark Hades, was an Auloniad, and it is in the valley of the Thessalian river Pineios where she met her death at the hands of Aristaeus, son of the god Apollo and the nymph Cyrene, whose desire to ravage her led her to tread on a poisonou

Read more here: » Auloniad: Encyclopedia - Auloniad

Ursa Major (Ursa Maior in Latin) is a constellation visible throughout the year in the northern hemisphere. Its name means Great Bear in Latin, and is associated with the legend of Callisto. Ursa Major - Notable features. The seven brightest stars, located in the Bear's hindquarters and tail, form the well-known Big Dipper asterism. Except for Dubhe and Alkaid, the stars of the Big Dipper all have proper motions heading towards a common point in Sagittarius. A few other such stars have been identifie ...

Including:

• Ursa Major - Notable features
• Ursa Major - Notable deep sky objects
• Ursa Major - History
• Ursa Major - Mythology
• Ursa Major - Notable and named stars

Read more here: » Ursa Major: Encyclopedia - Ursa Major

In Greek mythology, Hesperos (Greek Ἓσπερος (The Evening Star), sometimes Latinized as Hesperus) was a son of Eos, by either Atlas, Astraios or Cephalus. His Roman equivalent was Vesper. Hesperus - Variant Names. Hesperus is the personification of the evening star, the planet Venus. His name is sometimes conflated with the names Eosphorus (Εώσφορος, "bringer of dawn"; Latin Aurora) or Phosphorus (Φώσφορος, "bringer of light", translated as Lucifer ...

Including:

• Hesperus - Variant Names
• Hesperus - Hesperus is Phosphorus
• Hesperus - Neopagan Mythology

Read more here: » Hesperus: Encyclopedia - Hesperus

Dryads are female tree spirits in Greek mythology. In Greek drys signifies 'oak,' from an Indo-European root *derew(o)- 'tree' or 'wood.' Thus dryads are specifically the nymphs of oak trees, though the term has come to be used for all tree nymphs in general. "Such deities are very much overshadowed by the divine figures defined through poetry and cult," Walter Burkert remarked of Greek nature deities (Burkert 1986, p174). The nymphs of ash trees were called the Meliai. The ash-tree sisters tended the infant Zeus ...

Read more here: » Dryad: Encyclopedia - Dryad

The "Lost city" of Atlantis was an ancient mythical island, whose existence and location have never been confirmed. The first references to Atlantis are from the classical Greek philosopher Plato, who said it was engulfed by the ocean as the result of an earthquake 9,000 years before his own time. Plato claimed it was somewhere outside the Pillars of Hercules, now known as the Strait of Gibraltar. While there are many theories about Atlantis, nearly all serious research shows that Atlantis never existed as Plato described it, although elements of ...

Including:

• Atlantis - Origin
• Atlantis - Plato
• Atlantis - Aristotle
• Atlantis - Other Greek accounts
• Atlantis - Modern interest
• Atlantis - Nineteenth century
• Atlantis - Nationalism and Socialism in abuse of Atlantis
• Atlantis - Recent times
• Atlantis - Location hypotheses
• Atlantis - The Mediterranean
• Atlantis - Outside the Mediterranean
• Atlantis - Atlantis in Fiction
• Atlantis - Source Writings

Read more here: » Atlantis: Encyclopedia - Atlantis

An Art sale is the practice of selling objects of art by auction. In England this dates from the latter part of the 17th century, when in most cases the names of the auctioneers were suppressed. Evelyn (under date June 21, 1693) mentions a "great auction of pictures (Lord Melford's) in the Banquetting House, Whitehall," and the practice is frequently referred to by other contemporary and later writers. Before the introduction of regular auctions the practice was, as in the case of the famous collection formed by Charles I., to ...

Including:

• Art sale - Mid-19th century
• Art sale - Late 19th century
• Art sale - Bibliography

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May Librids Serpens Caput Virgo Hydra Centaurus (corner) Lupus Scorpius Ophiuchus Libra (Latin for balance, symbol , Unicode ♎) is a constellation of the zodiac. It is a fairly inconspicuous constellation and has no star of first magnitude, lying between Virgo to the west and Scorpius to the east. As the names of the brighter stars testify, it was at one point part of Scorpius' claws. Libra - Notable featu ...

Including:

• Libra - Notable features
• Libra - Mythology
• Libra - Astrology
• Libra - Stars

Read more here: » Libra: Encyclopedia - Libra

Benghazi (Arabic بنغازي, transliterated Banġāzī) is a seaport in Libya, Africa. The present name is derived from that of a pious benefactor of the city named Ghazi or "Sidi Ghazi," as the locals called him, who died about 1450. The city was renamed "Bani Ghazi". The population was 500,120 in 1995 (census) and an estimated 637,000 in 2003. Benghazi - History. Modern Benghazi, on the Gulf of Sidra, lies a little southwest of the site of the ancient Greek city of Berenice ...

Including:

• Benghazi - History

Read more here: » Benghazi: Encyclopedia - Benghazi

Polycephaly - Greek mythology. Greek mythology contains a number of multi-headed creatures. Typhon, a vast grisly monster with a hundred heads and a hundred serpents issuing from his thighs, is often described as having several offspring with Echidna, a creature with the body of a serpent but the face of a beautiful woman. Their offspring account for all the major monsters of Greek mythos, including: The Nemean Lion – a lion often depicted with multiple heads Cerberus – a monstrous three ...

See also:

Polycephaly, Polycephaly - Mythological occurrences, Polycephaly - Greek mythology, Polycephaly - Other mythologies, Polycephaly - Real occurrences, Polycephaly - Humans, Polycephaly - Animals, Polycephaly - Other occurrences, Polycephaly - Demonology, Polycephaly - Film, Polycephaly - Literature, Polycephaly - Fantasy series, Polycephaly - Other

Read more here: » Polycephaly: Encyclopedia II - Polycephaly - Mythological occurrences

The age of opera seria corresponded with the rise to prominence of the castrati, often prodigiously gifted male singers who had undergone castration before puberty in order to retain a high high, powerful soprano voice backed by decades of rigorous musical training. They were cast in heroic male roles, alongside another new breed of operatic creature, the prima donna. The rise of these star singers with formidable technical skills spurred composers to write increasingly complex vocal music, and many operas of the time were written as ...

See also:

Opera seria, Opera seria - Structure, Opera seria - Metastasio, Opera seria - The age of opera seria

Read more here: » Opera seria: Encyclopedia II - Opera seria - The age of opera seria

Ursa Minor contains an asterism colloquially known as the Little Dipper because its seven brightest stars seem to form a ladle, or dipper shape. The star at the end of the dipper handle is Polaris, the North Star. Polaris can also be found by following a line through the two stars which form the end of the "bowl" of the Big Dipper, a nearby asterism found in the constellation Ursa Major. The seven stars are the origin of the Latin word septentrion meaning "north," and now found as the adjective septentrional (northern) in French and Spanish, to go with adjectives for the other three di ...

See also:

Ursa Minor, Ursa Minor - Notable features, Ursa Minor - Notable deep sky objects, Ursa Minor - History, Ursa Minor - Mythology, Ursa Minor - Notable and named stars

Read more here: » Ursa Minor: Encyclopedia II - Ursa Minor - Notable features

Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - The diffusionist view. Theories of pre-Columbian contact have been fairly popular in the Western world since the 16th century. Several reasons may account for the spread of these diffusionist theories, including political propaganda, apology of colonialism, and the backing of priority claims. Proponents of such contacts often stated or implied the ethnocentric premise that Native Americans — generally portrayed as savages — could not have developed the sophisticated techn ...

See also:

Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Overview, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - The diffusionist view, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - The isolationist view, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - The Bering Land Bridge model, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - The isolationist dogma, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Lessening of the dogma, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Bering Land Bridge model in question, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Feasibilty of trans-oceanic travels, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Historical long-range travels, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Modern experiments, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - The Vikings in Newfoundland, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Claims based on cultural and biological similarities, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Polynesians, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Africans, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Egyptians and Mesopotamians, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Phoenicians Greek and Romans, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Chinese, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Indians, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Claims based on legends and documents, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Carthaginians, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Saint Brendan, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Prince Madoc of Wales, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Zichmni aka Robert Sinclair, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Late contacts, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Zheng He, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Spanish, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Portuguese, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Dutch, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Reverse contacts, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Caecilius Metellus, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Antonio Galvano, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Bartolomé de las Casas, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Lost continents flying saucers and La Merika, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Religious accounts, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Bibliography

Read more here: » Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact: Encyclopedia II - Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact - Overview