Refusal Of Sacrifice (Symbol And Metaphor)

"Iron rusts from disuse;
water loses its purity from stagnation...
even so does inaction sap the vigour of the mind."
- Leonardo da Vinci

(This article is the conclusion of the article on Sacrifice)

As previously alluded to, The Act of Sacrifice is an act of
Creative Destruction. It is the act of giving up, and leaving behind
us, that which we have already become, and using our Past
achievements, Lessons, and experiences, as stepping-stones to
new Adventures.

Sacrifice is a metamorphosis. It is a Doorway, a Threshold, a
Vesica Piscis we must step through in order to experience all of
the personal, mental, and spiritual growth available to us during
our Current Incarnation.

But, what happens to us when we refuse to accept, and submit
ourselves to, the Act of Sacrifice?

From the moment we refuse to Sacrifice who we currently are for
who we can ultimately become, we find ourselves frozen in Time;
our Incarnation stagnates and solidifies; and our future becomes a
crystallized, monotonous repetition in which we basically re-live the
same day over and over for the remaining days of our "life".

Metaphorically, when we refuse to submit ourselves to Sacrifice and
Transformation, we allow ourselves to be "nailed to the cross of
matter" upon which we stagnate, deteriorate, and decay.

To use another metaphor, Refusal of Sacrifice is to voluntarily
confine ourselves within a narrow and high-walled Tower of our
own design wherein we simply horde whatever possessions we have
accumulated while forsaking imagination, enthusiasm, and desire
for any future growth, achievements, or new Adventures.

This restrictive Tower, which we slowly, methodically, and
unconsciously construct around ourselves, not only deteriorates
with time, but is constantly being attacked by external forces. And
the more we attempt to fortify and defend this self-created fortress
of ours, the more we find ourselves fighting a losing and futile battle
with the timeless forces of evolution, progress and growth. And, in
the end, as our protective Tower slowly becomes our self-created
prison, we finally find ourselves crying out for help and pity as our
short-lived material world crumbles all about us.

We see the sad and lonely results of the Refusal of Sacrifice all
around us every day. Those who Refuse the Act of Sacrifice are
those who ferociously cling to their old selves and their old
accomplishments. These time-worn individuals are so intent on
watching their old "pots" and "nests" that they do not notice the
great abundance of pots and nests that are continually passing
them by. Their lives become a stale, moldy repetition simply
because, at some point in their Incarnation, they Refused to step
through the beckoning Threshold of Sacrifice and embrace the
greater achievements, and bolder Quests, which are the rewards
of Change, Transformation, and Sacrifice. They are the faceless
masses we encounter every day who have traded personal, mental,
and spiritual growth for the illusion of security, conformity, and
complacency.

We live in a realm of Duality and Choices in which we are constantly
encountering Crossroads, or Forks-In-The-Road, where life-altering
Decisions must be made. One such Fork-In-The-Road presents us
with the Choice of traveling upon either the "Road of Sacrifice" or
the "Road of the Refusal of Sacrifice". The Road we ultimately
Choose to travel is entirely up to us. For only we can determine
whether we will travel upon the "Road of Refusal of Sacrifice":
which leads us to stagnation, complacency, and conformity…or the
"Road of Sacrifice": which continually leads us to new Adventures,
broader Horizons, and Enlightenment.

(This article is the conclusion of the article on Sacrifice)

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
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 2010

Crossroads - Symbol And Metaphor

"It is our choices that show what we truly are,
far more than our abilities."
- Professor Dumbledore in J.K. Rowling's
"Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets"

A Crossroad is any point where two or more Paths Intersect. This
intersection Symbolizes the focal point of Decision and Creation. It
represents a "meeting place", or a period of contemplation, where
Thoughts and Ideas must Marinate before becoming either a
Decision or a Creation. It also represents a midpoint where the
gods bring people, ideas, and Events together in order to satisfy
Destiny.

Symbolically, a Crossroad is represented by either the Symbol X,
or the Symbol Y.

When represented by the Symbol X, the Crossroad portrays
Creation or Decision in the material realm. This is due to the fact
that the X has four distinct "legs", and four is the number which
represents matter. The Midpoint of this Symbol, the point at which
its two lines intersect, represents the Union of Duality. Therefore,
the Symbol X represents the Union of Duality in the material
realm; or material creation.

An example of this concept can be found in the familiar surroundings
of the corner tavern, park, or general store where people congregate
and where fellowship is shared and enjoyed; after which everyone
returns from whence they originally came. It is at Crossroads such
as these that the Seeds of new friendships, and new ideas, take
root, grow, and blossom.

A prime example of such a Crossroad is the ancient city of
Alexandria which was a central meeting place for people of all
cultures. It was at Alexandria that people from all different walks of
life met, shared, and deposited their knowledge and Beliefs. It was
the ideal Midpoint for the Blending of Differences.

When represented by the Symbol Y, the Crossroad signifies
Creation or Decision in the mental or spiritual realm. This is due
to the fact that the Symbol Y has three distinct "legs", and three
is the number which signifies creation in the unseen world; the world
of Mind and Spirit. The Midpoint of this Symbol, the point at which
its three lines intersect, is the focal point of all abstract Creation
and Decision (See: "Trivia" and the "Three Gunas").

The Y Crossroad is the lonely fork-in-the-road where we gaze at
two separate roads which fade into the Horizon and must decide
which Road we will travel. It is the point at which the Lone Traveler,
or the Lone Wolf, must make an important Choice. For although
we can see to the Horizon, we cannot see that which is beyond.
The Adventures we experience beyond the Horizon of the Road we
ultimately Choose to travel will change our life forever, and we will
not return as the same person who initially ventured forth.

The Y Crossroad is the Crossroad which appears in Mythology
and Legend and is a metaphor for the lone, personal, enigmatic,
and life-changing Decisions which constantly confront us as we
journey through our Current Incarnation.

As no great decision should ever be made lightly, the Y Crossroad
also represents a time and place of pause, contemplation, and
Marination of Thought which we all must suffer through, and accept,
prior to moving onward.

As we travel from one Crossroad to another we begin to understand
that every Decision we make brings forth a Creation into our life. We
also begin to understand that every Creation which manifests itself in
our life is but the result of some Decision we made at some previous
Crossroad in our Past.

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
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 2010

Trivia - Three Paths

"Learning is the very essence of humility,
learning from everything and from everybody.
There is no hierarchy in learning.
Authority denies learning and a follower will never learn."
-Krishnamurti

"The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names."
-Chinese Proverb

The word Trivia has come to be associated with any information or
knowledge which is either insignificant, purposeless or has only
minuscule value.

However, upon taking a closer look, we find that the word Trivia is
actually composed of two roots: tri and via. Tri means "three" and
via means "road" or "path". By combining these two roots we
discover that the word Trivia actually means "Three Paths".

Suddenly, a word which we have always thought to mean one thing,
in fact, actually means something entirely different.

When we look up its etymology (the ancient roots of modern words)
we learn that Trivia is the plural of the Latin word trivium which
means "a place where three roads meet". *** Therefore, the word
Trivia, being plural, actually means "places where three roads meet".

Three is the number of Creation which is Symbolized by the
Christian, Gnostic, and Esoteric Trinity. Three is also the number of
sacred Gunas which are revealed to us in Vedic teachings.

A "place where three roads meet" is Symbolized by the letter Y,
which is also the Symbol for "crossroads".

As we can see, the midpoint of this Symbol unites Three individual
branches, legs or roads. This mid-point is the Esoteric focal-point
where Three essences, energies, Thoughts or Pathways meet in
order to manifest in a synergistic manner; whereby the final
Creation is greater than the sum of the original Three parts. This
synergistic manifestation can take place on any of the Three planes:
physical, mental or spiritual.

In fact, the esoteric focal point of the Three roads can also Symbolize
Creation which simultaneously combines a physical path, a mental
path, and a spiritual path; thereby representing manifestation on
the grandest of all scales - Enlightenment!

When Alexander the Great founded Alexandria he wanted it to be
the "crossroads", the "meeting point", the "focal point" for all
Wisdom, knowledge and theologies of the known world. He realized
that when we combine our diverse physical, mental, and spiritual
faculties we not only share and create, but we also grow synergistic-
ally as individuals, cultures, and nations.

In this he succeeded, and the numerous cultural diversities which
were blended together in his Alexandria found their way to the
most distant parts of the then-known world. Alexandria's Trivia
became the world's Fortune.

So, as we can see, Trivia is not so "trivial" after all. It is amazing
how, after time, the true meaning of this word has been turned
completely around and is no longer used and understood in its
proper context. This is an excellent example, a metaphor if you will,
of how Wisdom and Truth lie openly hidden all around us and we
simply fail to "see" them.

Words are powerful. Their specific meanings not only Name, but also
describe and limit those things to which they are referring. It is by
delving into, and tracing back, the ancient roots of our modern
Words and phrases that we can begin to understand the essences
and Wisdom which our most distant ancestors have passed down
to us.

*** Reference: The Barnhart Dictionary Of Etymology

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
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 2010

Neith - Egyptian Goddess Of Weaving (Symbol and Myth)

Duality is "Symbolically" represented by two separate, parallel lines
( I I ). When referring to Thoughts, Duality can refer to either two
entirely different Thoughts or Beliefs, or, it can refer to two similar,
but not exact, Thoughts, Beliefs, ideas, notions, or concepts.

Union of Duality is represented by two crossed lines ( X ). The
Point where the two lines intersect represents the "Meeting-of-the-
Minds". It is the Point where Two Different Worlds Meet. It is the
Point where two different Thoughts, Beliefs, ideas, notions, or
concepts interact. This Point represents the Magic of Creation;
it is the Point where new ideas and concepts are born.

Keeping in mind that nothing can manifest in the material world
without first being a Thought, this point of intersection is the
meeting place, or Crossroad, where two existing Thoughts merge
so that new ideas can be created. These New Ideas then manifest
themselves in the material world as new inventions or new ways
of life. Nothing can be "born" in the material world until the
"two lines", or two aspects, of Duality intersect and Create.

This concept is wonderfully Symbolized by the Egyptian Neter
(goddess) Neith. Neith is an Ancient Divine Principle who
represents the concept of Weaving. She is portrayed with
either two crossed-arrows, two crossed-bows, or a patch of
cloth above her head.

Neith also represents the Divine Principles of "Reasoning"
and "Discernment".

The crossed-arrows, crossed-bows, and patch-of -cloth which
appear above the head of Neith Symbolize the following concepts:

An Arrow represents Thought. Two crossed-arrows represent the
union of two different Thoughts, ideas, or notions.

The two Crossed-Bows represent the Vesica Piscis, or Border
Between Realms, where two separate ideas, concepts, or Beliefs
merge with each other and live in Peace and Harmony.

The Patch-of-Cloth Symbolizes the Final Fabric that is created
from the Weaving together of Individual Threads. The Final
Fabric is synergistically stronger than the total strength of
all of its Individual Threads.

Neith Symbolizes the person we ultimately become by way of the
Weaving together of all of our prior Thoughts and Actions. She
reminds us that we must be very cautious of the Thoughts we
harbor because Our Thoughts are the Threads that Weave
the Tapestry of our Lives!

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
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 2008