The pomegranate is native to Persia, and has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. Pomegranate is a fruit much cultivated in warm countries, especially in the warmer countries of Asia, although it is also cultivated to a considerable extent in southern Europe and some portions of Africa and America. In a wild state the plant is a thorny bush, seldom ore than 12 or 15 feet high; but where cultivated it is a low tree with twiggy branches, and flowers at the extremities of the branches. The fruit is nearly as large as the orange, the cells being filled with numerous seeds, each of which is surrounded with pulp and enclosed in a thin membrane. Thus the pomegranate appears to be formed of a great number of berries packed together and compressed into irregular angular forms. The pulp is pink and of a pleasant flavor, very cooling, and therefore very grateful in warm climates. Pomegranates have long been imported into England from Portugal and northern Africa, but have never became an article of general demand like oranges. They are cultivated very largely in northern Mexico and to some extent in the southern states. The rind of the fruit is very astringent, and the tannin distilled from it is used for tanning certain kinds of leather. The pomegranate will bear the winters of as high latitudes as London or New York, when they are not too severe, but the fruit will not ripen.
The pomegranate as a symbol was known to and highly esteemed by the nations of antiquity. In the description of the pillars which stood in the porch of the Temple also known as HAL (see 1 Kings vii. 15,) it is said that the artificer "made two chapiters of molten brass to set upon the tops of the pillars." Now the Hebrew word caphtorim, which has been translated "chapiters," and for which, in Amos ix 1, the word "lintel" has been incorrectly substituted, signifies an artificial large pomegranate, or globe. It was customary to place such ornaments upon the tops or heads of columns, and in other situations. The skirt of Aaron's robe was ordered to be decorated with golden bells and pomegranates, and they were among the ornaments fixed upon the golden candelabra. There seems, therefore, to have been attached to this fruit some mystic signification, to which it is indebted for the veneration thus paid to it.
The Syrians of Damacus worshiped an idol which they called Rimmon. This was the same idol that was worshiped by Naaman before his conversion, as recorded in the second Book of Kings. The learned have not been able to agree as to the nature of this idol, whether he was a representation of Helios or the Sun, the god of the Phoenicians, or of Venus or Saturn. Rimmon is the Hebrew and Syriac for pomegranate. On Mount Cassius there was a temple (thought to have been built by descendants of the Cabiri) wherein Jupiter's image held a pomegranate in his hand which had a mystical meaning, Cumberland attempts to explain: "it discloses a number of seeds, signifying that those deities were being long lived, the parents of a great many children, and families that soon grew into nations, which they planted in large possessions, when the world was newly begun to be peopled, by giving them laws and other useful inventions to make their lives comfortable."
Pausanias says he saw, not far from the ruins of Mycenae, an image of of Juno holding in one hand a sceptre, and in the other a pomegranate but declines assigning any explanations of the emblem, merely declaring that it was "a forbidden mystery." That is one which was forbidden by the Cabiri to be divulged.
The Ark was looked upon as the mother of mankind, and on this account it was figured under the semblance of a pomegranate; for as this fruit abounds with seeds it was thought no improper emblem of the Ark, which contained the rudiments of the future world. This symbol was passed over to the Masons as a symbol of plenty, for which it is well adapted by its swelling and seed abounding fruit. In the context of the description of the pillars it is an allegory for Greenland.
In middle English pomegarnet was the pronunciation. Garnet is the name of a group of minerals which are found ditributed in crystals through many crystalline rocks. The most common form are crystals of 12 or 24 sides, and the most common shade is red but brown, yellow, green, and black varieties are known. The garnets of commerce are brought from Bohemia, Ceylon, Peru and Brazil; and the most esteemed kinds are commonly called Syrian garnets. Pomme is french for a fruit called the apple~apill~Apelles was a Greek painter who painted portraits of Phillipp and Alexander the Great, supposedly they would sit to no other painter. His most famous picture was Venus Rising from the Sea.
Granite meaning "gritty" or "grainy" is a well known rock, made up of quartz, felspar and mica in crystal grains. Granites are fine grained or coarse grained. The coarser grained kinds are called pegmatite. Other minerals, as beryl, tourmaline and garnet in the granite, though sometimes scattered through the body of the rock. This rock is usually found in the great bosses or shapless masses, and often forms the nuclei or starting points of mountain chains. It is an igneous rock, at any rate, in the great majority of cases, and was made solid at considerable depths in the earth's crust. The more lasting kinds of granite are largely used in building bridges, engineering works, public buildings and houses. The difficulty of working it makes it expensive. It cannot be cut like most building stone with saws, but is worked first with large hammers, and then with pointed chisels. The success of the Egyptians in using this hard stone is very extraordinary. They worked and polished it in a way that we cannot excel, if, indeed, we can come to it, and they also covered some of the blocks with the most delicate and sharply cut hieroglyphics. The rock is worked in Italy, Sardinia, Elba, Normandy, Britany, Sweden, Finland, the Tyrol, Switzerland, etc., in Europe. In North America it is worked most largely in Maine, New Hampshire also called the "granite state"
Viola! V10lets are called pansies from the French word "pensees" (thoughts) "heartsease," "none-so-pretty," "love-idleness," "Johnny-jump-up," and "kiss me at the garden gate." The color violet was the mark of grief, especially among kings and cardinals. In Christian art, the Saviour is clothed in a purple robe during his passion and it is the color appropriated to martyrs because like their divine Master, they undergo the punishment of the passion. In China Violet is the color of mourning why? because they are mourning for their own deaths of course but they don't know that, red and blue equals the purple dawn~its always dark before dawn~NEW MAN. Among those people blue is appropriated to the dead the crypts and red to the living the bloods this is genetic engineering folks. The red symbol of life is tinged with the blue of immortality, and thus Masons wear the violet when they are mourning to declare their blind brain dead bobble-head trust in the New Man to come. Crocus is a very beautiful flower abundant in the Mediterranean countries and Asia Minor.
Hyacinth is a lily like plant, the flower is fabled to have sprung from the blood of the beautiful Spartan, Hyacinthus, beloved by Apollo and Zephyrus. Zephyrus, jealous because Hyacinthus favored Apollo, caused Apollo's quoit to strike and kill the beautiful youth while the two were of play. The Oriental hyacinth. is a native to Asia Minor, Syria and Persia. Pere Hyacinthe is the former monastic name of Charles Loyson, born at Orleans, France march 10, 1827. He studied at St. Sulpice, and in 1851, becoming a priest, taught philosophy and theology at Avignon and Nantes. Afterwards he became a Carmelite, came into notice as a powerful preacher, and gathered crowds from all ranks of society to hear him at the Madeleine and Notre Dame in Paris. He was very bold in denouncing abuses in the church, which led to his being excommunicated in 1869. One of the reforms which he urged was that priests be allowed to marry, and in 1872 he married an American woman. In 1879 he established a Galliacan congregation in Paris.
Of the three august daughters of Kronos and Rhea, Hera alone is the reigning queen of Heaven: while Hestia and Demeter exercise their beneficent influence upon the earth; the one impregnating it with sacred, fertilizing warmth, and the other calling forth the nourishing ear of corn. Demeter was the mother of Persephone, was evidently a goddess of the earth, whom some ancient system married to Zeus, the god of the Heavens. In Homer she is but slightly mentioned, and she does not appear among the deities of Olympus. She seems to have been early distinguished from the goddess called Earth, and to have been regarded as the protectress of the growing corn, and of agriculture in general.
Demeter was the happy mother of Persephone; to whom, however, the sweet light of day was granted but a short time; youth and beauty in her soon becoming a prey of inexorable Orcus~Sucrose. Orcus was a god of the underworld, punisher of broken oaths in Italic and Roman mythology. He was more equivalent to the Roman Pluto than to the Greek Hades, and later identified with Dis Pater. He was portrayed in paintings in Etruscan tombs as a hairy, bearded giant. Persephone, sang the Homerid, was in the Nysian plain with the ocean nymphs gathering flowers. She plucked the rose, the V10let~, the crocus a the beautiful flower abundant in the Mediterranean countries and Asia Minor, the hyacinth, when she beheld a Narcissus of surprising beauty, an object of amazement to "all immortal gods and mortal men," for one hundred flowers grew from one root,
"And with its fragrant smell wide heaven above
And all earth laugh'd, and the sea's briny flood."
And all earth laugh'd, and the sea's briny flood."
Unconscious of danger, the maiden stretched forth her hand to seize the wondrous flower, when suddenly, the wide earth gaped; Aidoneus in his golden chariot rose, and catching the terrified goddess, carried her off in it, shrieking to her father for aid, unheard and unseen by gods or mortals, save only be Hecate, the daughter of Persaeos, who heard her as she sat in her cave, and by king Helios, whose eye nothing on earth escapes.
So long as Persephone beheld the earth and the starry heaven, the fishy sea, and beams of the sun, so long as she hoped to see her mother and the tribes of the gods; and the tops of the mountains and the depths of the sea resounded with her voice. At length her mother heard; she tore her head attire with grief, cast a dark robe around her, and like a bird hurried over moist and dry. Of all she inquired tidings of her lost daughter; but neither gods, nor men, nor birds could give her intelligence. Nine days she wandered over the earth with flaming torches in her hand; she tasted not of nectar nor ambrosia, and never once entered the bath. On the tenth morning Hecate met her; but could not tell who had carried away Persephone. Together they proceeded to Helios; they stand at the head of his horses, and Demeter entreats that he will say who is the ravisher. The god of the Sun gives the required information, telling her that it was Aidoneus, who, by the permission of her sire, had carried Persephone away to his queen; he then exhorts the goddess to patience, by dwelling on the rank and dignity of the ravisher.
Helios urges on his steeds; the goddess, incensed at the conduct of Zeus, abandoned the society of the gods, and came and dwelt among men. But she now was heedless of her person and no one recognized her. Under the guise of an old woman - "such," says the poet, "as are the nurses of law-dispensing king's children, and house keepers, in resounding houses," she came to Eleusis and sat down by a well beneath the shade of an olive. The three beautiful daughter of Keleos, a prince of that place, coming to the well to draw water, and seeing the goddess, inquired who she was, and why she did not go into the town. Demeter told them that her name was Dos, and that she had been carried off by the pirates from Crete, but that when they got on shore at Thoricos, she had contrived to make her escape, and wandered thither. She entreats them to tell her where she is; and wishing them young husbands and as many children as they may desire, begs that they will endeavor to procure her a service in a respectable family.
The princess Callidice tells the goddess the names of the five princes, who with her father governed Eleusis, each of whose wives would, she was sure, be most happy to receive into her family a person who looked so god-like: but she prays her not to be precipitate, but to wait till she had consulted her mother, Metaneira, who had a young son in the cradle, of whom, if the stranger could have the nursing, she would obtain a large recompense.
The goddess bowed her thanks, and the princesses took up their pitchers and went home. As soon as they has related their adventure to their mother, she agreed to hire the nurse at large wages:
And they as fawns or heifers in spring time
Bound on the mead when satiate with food
So they, the folds fast holding of their robes
Lovely, along the hollow cartway ran;
Their locks upon their shoulders flying wide;
Like unto yellow flowers.
Bound on the mead when satiate with food
So they, the folds fast holding of their robes
Lovely, along the hollow cartway ran;
Their locks upon their shoulders flying wide;
Like unto yellow flowers.
The goddess and accompanied them. As she entered the house a divine splendor shone all around. Metaneira, filled with awe, offered the goddess her own seat, which, however, she declined. Iambe, the serving, maid, then prepared one for her "deep bosomed" daughter, till Iambe by her tricks contrived to make her smile and even laugh. Metaneira offered her a cup of wine, which she declined, and would only drink the kykeon, or mixture of flour and water. She undertook the task of rearing the babe, who was named Demophoon, and beneath her care "he throve like a god." He ate no food; but Demeter breathed on him as he lay in her bosom, and anointed him with ambrosia, and every night she hid him "like a torch within the strength of fire," unknown to his parents, who marveled at his growth.
It was the design of Demeter to make him immortal; but the curiosity and folly of Metaneira deprived him of the intended gift. She watched one night, and seeing what the nurse was about shrieked with affright and horror. The goddess threw the infant on the ground, declaring what he had lost by the inconsiderateness of his mother, but announcing that he would be great and honored, since he had "sat in her lap, and slept in her arms." She then tells who she is, and directs that the people of Eleusis should raise an altar and temple to her without the town on the hill Callicchoros.
Thus having said, the goddess changed her size
And form, old age off-flinging, and around
A lovely scent was scattered, and afar
Shone light emitted from her skin divine:
And yellow locks upon her shoulders waved;
While, as from lightning, all the house was filled
With splendor.
And form, old age off-flinging, and around
A lovely scent was scattered, and afar
Shone light emitted from her skin divine:
And yellow locks upon her shoulders waved;
While, as from lightning, all the house was filled
With splendor.
She left the house, and the maidens waking at the noise found their infant brother lying on the ground. They took him up, and kindling a fire, prepared to wash him; but he cried bitterly, finding himself in the hands of such unskillful nurses.
In the morning the wonders of the night were narrated to Keleos, who laid the matter before the people, and the temple was speedily raised. The mourning goddess took up her abode in it, but a dismal year came upon mankind; and the earth yielded no produce. In vain the oxen drew the curved ploughs in the fields; in vain was the seed of barley cast in the ground; "well garlanded Demeter" would suffer no increase. The whole race of man ran the risk of perishing, and the dwellers of Olympus of losing gifts and sacrifices, had not Zeus discovered the danger and thought on a remedy.
He dispatches "gold-winged Iris" to Eleusis to invite Demeter back to Olympus, but the dissatisfied goddess will not comply with the call. All the other gods are sent on the same errand, and to as little purpose. Gifts and honors are proffered in vain; she will not ascend to Olympus, or suffer the earth to bring forth, until she shall have seen her daughter.
Finding there was no other remedy, Zeus sends "gold rodded Argos-slayer" to Erebos, to endeavor to prevail on Hades to suffer Persephone to see the light. Hermes obeyed, quickly reached the "secret places of earth," and found the king at home seated on a couch with his wife, who was mourning for her mother. On making known to Aidoneus [~ Lord of Artificially Inseminating Hermaphrodites!] the wish of Zeus, "the king of the Subterraneans smiled with his brows" and yielded compliance. He kindly addressed Persephone~The Purse Phone a.k.a. The Telecommunicating Bag Lady, granting her permission to return to her mother. The goddess instantly sprang up with joy, and heedlessly swallowed a pomegranate which Hades presented to her.
The many ruling Aidoneus yoked
His steads immortal to the golden car
She mounts the chariot, and beside her mounts
Strong Argos-slayer, holding in his hands
The reins and whip: forth from the house he rushed
And not unwillingly the coursers flew.
Quickly the long road they have gone; not sea,
Nor streams of water, nor the grassy dales,
But o'er them going, they cut the air profound.
His steads immortal to the golden car
She mounts the chariot, and beside her mounts
Strong Argos-slayer, holding in his hands
The reins and whip: forth from the house he rushed
And not unwillingly the coursers flew.
Quickly the long road they have gone; not sea,
Nor streams of water, nor the grassy dales,
But o'er them going, they cut the air profound.
Hermes conducted his fair charge safe to Eleusis: Demeter, on seeing her, "rushed to her like a Maenas on the wood shaded hill," and Persephone sprang from the car "like a bird," and kissed her mother's hands and head.
When their joy had a little subsided Demeter anxiously inquired if her daughter had tasted anything while below; for if she had not she would be free to spend her whole time with her mother; whereas, if but one morsel had passed her lips, nothing could save her from spending one third of the year with her husband; and the other two she could pass with her and the gods:
And when in spring time with sweet smelling flowers
Of various kinds the earth doth bloom, thou'lt come
From gloomy darkness back - a mighty joy
To gods and mortal men.
Of various kinds the earth doth bloom, thou'lt come
From gloomy darkness back - a mighty joy
To gods and mortal men.
Persephone ingenuously confesses the swallowing of the grain of pomegranate, and then relates to her mother the story of her adventures. They pass the day in delightful converse:
And joy they mutually received and gave.
"Bright veiled Hecate" arrives to congratulate Persephone, and hencforward becomes her attendant. Zeus sends Rhea to invite them back to Heaven. Demeter now complies,
And instant, from the deep soiled cornfields fruit
Sent up; with leaves and flowers the whole wide earth
Was laden.
Sent up; with leaves and flowers the whole wide earth
Was laden.
She taught "Triptolemus, horse lashing Dioclese, the strength of Eumolpos, and Kelos the leader of the people," the mode of performing her sacred rites. The goddess then returned to Olympus. "But come," cries the Homerid,
But come, thou goddess who dost keep the land
Of odorous Eleusis, and round flowed
Paros, and rocky Anthron, Deo queen
Mistress, bright giver, season bringer, come;
Thyself and child, Persephoneia fair,
Grant freely, for my song, the means of life.
But I will think of thee in other songs.
Of odorous Eleusis, and round flowed
Paros, and rocky Anthron, Deo queen
Mistress, bright giver, season bringer, come;
Thyself and child, Persephoneia fair,
Grant freely, for my song, the means of life.
But I will think of thee in other songs.
Throughout the whole of this attractive fiction, may be traced the idea of the mysterious development of the grain hidden in the lap of the earth, the inward secret life of nature , and of this step-by-step hidden agenda Genetic Modification of the Human Race to a Single Hermaphroditic Gender all to benefit the Deans of Dollars aka HAL ultimately. There is no other object found in nature, in which to appearance life and death border so closely to~get~her, as in the grain of seed buried in the earth, never again to appear to the eye of man; but, at the moment when life seems entirely extinct, a fuller and richer existence begins anew. Demeter, who is said to have bestowed the blessing of grain upon mortal men, is in the chain of divine beings, that one, who, through the medium of her person, carries the blessed influence of the sky down to the dark dominions of Hades. Hades, who is called the subterranean of Stygian Jupiter, is married to the beautiful daughter of Jupiter Olympius, and in this manner the opposite ideas of life and death being united in the person of Persephone, she connects with the mysterious band the high and the deep - Olympus and Orcus.
Upon ancient marble coffins, the ravishment of Persephone is often met with; and in the mysterious festivals which were celebrated in honor of Demeter and her daughter, it seems as if the close connection of the terrible and beautiful had been intended to fill the minds of the initiated with astonishment and awe; and at last, all that appeared opposite and contrary in the beginning, melted away, and was lost in harmony and beauty.
