THE PHOENIX: World of Symbols by Michelle Synder

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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">World of Symbols</span><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Michelle Snyder, M. Phil, Symbolist</span><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span>

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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The legend
of the Russian Firebird</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is the ancestor of the Phoenix. The Firebird is a large bird
in majestic plumage that glows with red, orange, and yellow light. The feathers
do not cease glowing if removed; one feather can light a large room. In Faerie
tales the Firebird is typically the object of a difficult quest, usually
initiated by the finding of a lost feather. The hero</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sets out to find and capture the live bird. At first the hero
is charmed by the wonder of such a creature, but eventually the hero blames the
bird for his troubles. Like the Firebird, the Phoenix is a fabulous bird known
for extreme longevity, capable of auto-combustion, and can self-regenerate from
its own ashes. This peculiar bird is part of mythologies all over the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Phoenix is related to the Roc</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the Garuda</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of Hindu</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mythology. The fabulous creature was friend to Quetzalcoatl</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, bringing blessings and
happiness to the Aztec</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, Toltec</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, and Maya</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">. In Chinese</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lore the Phoenix is called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Feng Hwang,</i> one of the four sacred
creatures of the directions, representing the solar Yang and lunar Yin powers.
Japan</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>calls it the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ho-O</i>,
a bird representing the sun,</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which comes to earth in successive ages to herald a new era.
In Arabia</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, the Phoenix is associated
with the sun; in their legends the bird sits in a nest that is ignited by solar
rays. The Greek name for the palm-tree is Phoenix; in some folklore the Phoenix
nest is on top of a palm tree; the branches of the palm tree have long been
associated with the sun. In Christian</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>iconography</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, the three-day rebirth of
the Phoenix is considered a perfect figure to represent the resurrection of the
Christ</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on the third day, and it was the only creature in the Garden
of Eden</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to resist the temptation of Eve</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like many ancient symbols and myths the
Phoenix has its roots in astronomical observations, and ancient cultures that
recorded them. The myth of the Phoenix grew from observations of the
spectacular disappearance and reappearance of the sun during a total eclipse</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">. Venerated as the
manifestation of the sun god of Heliopolis</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, the Phoenix appears only
once every thousand or so years. Legends claim there is never more than one
Phoenix at a time in the world; total solar eclipses are rare events; although
they occur somewhere on earth every eighteen months, they have been estimated
to recur at any given place only once every few centuries. As the eclipse
progresses, the corona and sun flares become visible to the eye. They could be
described as a great bird that catches fire, dies, and then is reborn. Our
ancestors observed and recorded the phenomenon, and legends of the Firebird,
and later the Phoenix, were born.</span></div>
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