Phoenix  

Immortality/Eternal Life—Rebirth—Wisdom—Strength

The phoenix is a bird that is as old as time itself.  It is known worldwide. Almost every culture has a story about it.  Most believe that the legend stems from Arabia, but it is difficult to pin down where the story began as all the ancients believed in its existence.  From, Greece, Rome, Japan, China, Russia, Finland, Korea, Arabia, the Philippines, and Ancient Egypt the phoenix has been known.  Even the American Indians had their own version of the phoenix myth long before the Europeans entered the New World.  With all of these cultures believing in the bird’s existence, one must wonder if perhaps there is some truth to the legend.

So, who, or what, is the phoenix?   

Typically, the phoenix is red and gold, but it can also be other colors.  The phoenix is believed to be one of a kind.  Only one exists in the world.  Every 500 years the phoenix turns into flame and is reborn from the ashes.  Some stories have the phoenix spontaneously combusting, while others insist that the bird builds a pyre out of cinnamon and frankincense and sets itself on fire.   In Arabic tradition the phoenix lays a single egg; from that it is reborn.   Because of its constant rebirth, the phoenix has come to symbolize immortality, or eternal life.

The Egyptians equated the phoenix with the sun, even calling it the sun bird.  They believed that the majestic bird could fly into the sun and that was where it got it power.

 

The phoenix is said to possess immense strength to carry the burdens that many people cannot.  However, some believe that its strength pertains to emotional as well as physical.  You can lay burdens at the feet of the phoenix and it will give you the strength to move on.  

Many believe that the bird is very wise and its wisdom is often sought.  Many cultures believe that wisdom is far more valuable than gold or gems.

In literature the phoenix is constantly used to symbolize rebirth or the desire for wisdom.  In Harry Potter Dumbledore’s pet is a phoenix as he pursued magical knowledge for the reason of understanding it.  Of course, that was late in his life that he did that; his early years were wasted for selfish reasons.

The phoenix makes in appearance in the poems Romance of the Rose and The Rime Of Michelangelo.  Other poems include: The Exeter Book and Euphues of The Anatomy of Wit.  

The phoenix is older than time.  It has been with us since the ancients; I am confident that it will remain with us for millennia to come. 




All pictures came from https://www.google.com/search?q=Royalty+free+phoenix+images&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=5Dk&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=0Y7wT_jfNqbj0QHOnun7Ag&ved=0CG0QsAQ&biw=1366&bih=638