The Circumpolar Stars - Image via Wikipedia
"The sight of the stars makes me dream."
- Vincent Van Gogh
All of us have probably seen a time-lapse photo of the night
sky which shows the stars circling around the polar center.
This phenomenon is caused by the earth rotating on its axis
and the center of this stellar rotation is the point in the
heavens to which the earth's axis is aligned.
These stars which rotate around the polar center are called
the Circumpolar Stars. The Circumpolar Stars which are
nearest to the polar center never set below the horizon of
the earth. As the distance from the polar center increases,
the outermost stars do disappear below the horizon for a
period of time only to reappear at some later time.
The Circumpolar Stars which do not disappear below the
horizon were referred to by the ancients as the Eternal
Ones or the Imperishable Ones. It is these stars which
were considered to be the heavenly domain of all souls
which returned to the cosmic spiritual realm once their
incarnation on earth was completed.
Furthermore, it is these Circumpolar Stars, which never
disappeared below the earth's horizon, which Symbolized
the branches of the World Tree in the various mythologies
of our planet. And it is these Circumpolar Stars that are the
subject of this article, and, the basis of the Symbolism of
the Egyptian Shen Ring.
Egyptian Shen Ring and Cartouche - Image via Wikipedia
The Shen Ring is a Circle tied to a horizontal bar; a Circle
tied to a straight line. The Circle Symbolizes the eternal,
"The All", the cyclical, and the Source of all physical
manifestation. The horizontal bar Symbolizes the horizon,
the earthly, the linear, the temporary, and the manifested.
Therefore, the Shen Ring is a Symbolic reminder that
temporal linear Time ( the horizontal bar ) is tied to, and is
only a temporary manifestation of, the ever-repeating
Cycles of Eternity ( the Circle ).
Furthermore, the horizontal bar represents the earth's horizon
while the Circle represents the Circumpolar Stars which never
set below the earth's horizon. This again reminds us that the
temporary manifestations which appear on the earthly realm
are only a small part of the vast and eternal Cycles of the
heavens.
It is also a reminder that we are all tied to, and thereby are a
part of, eternity. Furthermore, it is also a Symbolic reminder
that all personal, societal, and worldly achievements and
failures are nothing more than a temporary linear "moment"
occurring in the unknowable vastness of eternity.
The Horizon tied to the heavens Symbolizes the finite
( temporary ) tied to the infinite ( timeless ); "as above,
so below".
The Shen ring can also be equated to the upper portion of
the Egyptian Ankh
In ancient Egypt, in order to insure that the Pharaoh's
precise name and memory would endure for all eternity,
and that he, or she, would become one with the
"Imperishable Ones" mentioned at the beginning of this article,
the hieroglyphs which spelled out his (or her) name were to
be inscribed within the protective Circle of the Shen Ring.
However, since the hieroglyphs required to properly spell
out the Pharaohs name took up more space than was
available within the Shen Ring, an adjustment to the Shen
Ring became necessary. This was resolved by elongating
the Shen Ring into what is today the familiar cartouche.
Cartouche is a fairly modern French word which means
"cartridge". During Napoleon's expedition to Egypt, his soldier's
noticed how similar this elongated Symbol was to the
cartridges they used in their own rifles. Therefore they named
this Symbol a "cartouche"; a term which has since become
the commonplace expression of this ancient Symbol.
The important thing to remember about the cartouche is that
it contains the title of the person being referred to. It does not
contain the birth-name of that person; only the title name.
A great many Lessons are handed down to us from ancient
Egypt; and they mostly refer to the Pharaoh. However, Keep
in mind that, although the lessons handed down to us from
ancient Egypt pertain to the Pharaoh of the kingdom, we too
are the Pharaoh of our own personal kingdom. Therefore, the
lessons which are addressed to the Pharaoh pertain to us just
as well. And it is in our own best interest that we understand
and adhere to these most ancient Lessons; so that, when our
Incarnation on this plane of existence in finished, we too can
join our Spiritual Ancestors - The Imperishable Ones - who
occupy the Circumpolar Region in the heavens.
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My Email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.
Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.
© copyright Joseph Panek 2021
No comments:
Post a Comment