CHESMAYNE

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Wisdom

                      

01 Wisdom of Solomon: a book of the Apocrypha, on wisdom and its relation to righteousness. 

02 Wisdom: the quality or state of being wise - knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action - sagacity, prucence, or common sense - scholarly knowledge or learning: the wisdom of the schools - wise sayings or teachings.   Beard: symbol of masculinity, wisdom, Gods, sovereigns and heroes.   Egyptian QUs wore beards!   Also worn by dwarfs, philosophers and rhetoricans that grow grey with age and used as a sign of their lofty position. 

  

03 Wise: having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right - characterized by or showing such power - shrewd, judicious, or prudent - possessed of or by scholarly knowledge or learning - learned, erudite: wise in the law - having knowledge or information as to facts - circumstances, etc: ‘we are wiser for his explanations’ - Colloq: in the know (about something implied) - alerted; cognizant (often followed by ‘to’) - ‘they tried to keep it secret, but he was wise’; I am wise to your tricks - get wise - to face facts or realities - to learn something - ‘none the wise’ still in ignorance - ‘put wise’ to explain something (to someone especially a naive person) - to warn - wise up, colloq: to become aware, informed or alerted; face the realities - to make someone aware, informed or alerted. 

04 Mimir: Norse god: wisest of the Aesir.   In the ‘Prose Edda’ this Norse god is guardian of the fountain/well under the world-tree (Yggdrasil) in the land of the Frost Giants.   All wisdom flowed from this fountain but the price of drinking from it was the loss of an eye.    Mimir was given as a hostage to Vanir, who had him killed, but Odin kept his head (prophetic head) and consulted it for advice. 

05 Bran the Blessed/Welsh myth: lived in a giant land guarding a well of inspiration.  Another version of Bran the Blessed is of a giant owning a cauldron of rebirth.   Both lose their heads/decapitated, but the miraculous head continues to speak and prophesy. 

06 Philosophy: Greek: the love of wisdom - the study or science of the truths or principles underlying all knowledge and being and having three branches, moral, natural and metaphysical, accepted as composing this science. 

07 -wise: sidewise, lengthwise, clockwise, moneywise. 

08 Wiseacre: especially in ironical or humorous use: one who possesses or affects to possess great wisdom - a know-all - soothsayer. 

09 Anthroposophy: Wisdom arising from knowledge of the nature of man. 

10 Zulu Isanusi: ‘Wise-Men’.   Zulu word for God: ‘uKqili’ (the Wise-One).  

11 Abakulu-bantu: ‘Perfect Men’. 

12 Bodhisattvas: ‘Enlightened Ones’. 

13 Efik of Africa: tell how the sky-god Abassi set the first man and woman on earth.  Fearing they might excel him in wisdom, his wife forbade them to procreate and work.   But they ignored the gods by tilling the soil and mating, so Atai sent death, and made their children fight. 

14 Ahura Mazda: ‘Wise Lord’ of Persian-Zoroastrian mythology. 

15 Cherubim: Angels represented idealized projections of positive human imagination.   The Cherubim represent wisdom. 

16 India: The elephant-god ‘Ganesh’ is the god of practical wisdom, remover of obstacles.  Often shown on the first page of books, especially ledgers and text books and accompanied by a rat (both the elephant and the rat are symbols of wisdom). 

17 Jung: Archetype: ‘Wise Old Man’.   Jung thought the denial of archetypal values and messages were the source of that (peculiarly modern) sense of life as empty - a state which Africans call ‘loss of soul’ and which they consider the worst disaster that can befall a human being. 

18 Ashoka/India: Indian emperor.   This philosopher-KI erected the original Seven Pillars of Wisdom (in fact, there were nine).   These metal posts, set up across India, carried inscriptions making known his laws and convictions. 

19 Athene: Goddess of wisdom.   Symbol: the owl. 

20 Warrior Cultures: Everywhere it was customary to consume the bodies and blood of enemies slain in battle, to take on their bravery and wisdom.   In southeast Africa, when a brave enemy was slain, it was customary to burn his liver (seat of valor), ears (seat of intelligence), testicles (seat of strength), and other vital organs.   To eat the body of the defeated enemy was both to do him honor and to gain his strength.  

21 Confucius: 551-479 BC.   Chinese sage (‘K’ung fu-tsze’, meaning philosopher of the Family K’ung’.   His last words were to regret that no rulers existed who were wise enough to appreciate his teachings.   His 20th century descendent ruled a city enclave, much like the Pope (VC) in the Vatican. 

22 Cormac Macairt: Irish KI who restored the realm of Tara to its former greatness, so much so that he became known as the Irish Solomon.  It is said his wisdom came from a wonderful golden Cup of Truth.   This cup (which seems a precursor of the Holy Grail) was a gift from the sea-god Manannan MacLir. 

23 Abyss: an abyss of fresh water was associated with the God of Wisdom (ie, ‘Ea’ in Mesopotamia).   What appears divided on the surface (many rivers, streams, lakes etc), is all from one source, which is profound, deep, like the profoundest depths of the mind - with its refreshing qualities, once tapped.   Water is connected with everything fluid and ready to change - things put back into the melting pot and reformed. 

24 Bee: the inspiration or wisdom which discerns the essence of life: the essential oneness which underlies appearances is further emphasized by the way in which bees work together as a single unit.   Hence they are an image of corporate identity.   Each MP/mp is part of a great whole, the Chesmayne set, of which the KI or cosmic man is the symbol.   Bees are the sacred attributes of many goddesses, and honey is a divine food which nourishes wisdom, a symbolic manifestation of the sweetness of the Earth and the sap of life.   The owl and the pussycat who took honey and money when they set out on the sea of the unconscious. 

25 Wisdom: the sayings of Israel’s ‘wise men’, who shaped and recalled their people’s great truths about life and how it ought to be lived and enjoyed.   The so-called ‘Wisdom literature’: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon.  

26 Socrates 469-399 BC: At his trial said “above all I shall then be able to continue my search into true and false knowledge as in this world, so also in the next.   I shall find out who is wise and who pretends to be wise and is not”. 

27 Church of Santa Sophia: a monument to wisdom created by the Emperor Justinian.  

28 Isis: Egyptian goddess of Wisdom. 

29 Ahura Mazda: ‘Wise Lord’.   The name for God used by Zoroaster and his followers. 

30 The Hierophant (V in the Tarot deck) is found at the gateway to Wisdom and bears the triple crown

 and carries a triple scepter.   Sign: Taurus the Bull.   Revealer of Mysteries/Secret Things.   These secrets are never told and beyond words.   The function of hearing is assigned to the Hierophant (inner hearing). 

31 Vach (India): ‘Speech’.   Goddess of the word, eloquence and of language, human and divine.   Queen of the gods,  QU of Brahma and goddess of wisdom and comparable to the Greek Logos, the biblical ‘Chochma wisdom’ (Proverbs 8) and the Egyptian Apis, the divine word.  

32 Vikramaditya (India): ‘Shining Hero’, an adventurer KI, famous for his knowledge, wisdom and wit and his ability to answer all questions and solve all riddles. 

33 Tortise (China): symbol of longevity and wisdom. 

34 Viveka (India): wisdom, insight, literally - discernment (goal of Buddhists). 

35 Manjushri (India): oldest of the Bodhisattvas and confers upon the worshipper wisdom, memory, intelligence and eloquence. 

36 Minerva: goddess of wisdom, governing the inspired wisdom of the initiate.  

37 Morfessa (Irish): meaning ‘Great-knowledge.’ 

38 Salmon: symbol of wisdom in Celtic mythology (Fintan). 

39 Paramita: the 12 goddesses of wisdom (India):

39A Dana Charity  39B Shila Good conduct  39C Kshanti Patience  39D Prajna Foresight  39E Ratna Excellence  39F Virya Strength of character  39G Dhyana Reflection  39H Upaya Learning  39J Pranidhana Effort  39K Bala Power  39L Vajrakarma Perseverance 39M Jnana Knowledge

40 Pericles (495-429 BC): “Wait for that wisest of counselors, Time”. 

41 Sshakespeare

 (Macbeth): “There’s nothing serious in mortality - all is but toys”. 

42 Wordsworth: “Wisdom is oftimes nearer when we stoop, than when we soar”. 

43 Blue-eyed Maid: Minerva (goddess of wisdom).   Mentioned by Homer.   

44 Ibis: incarnation of Thoth (Egypt).   The Egyptian bird par excellence.   Being heart shaped it represented Thoth/Hermes as god of wisdom, writing and learning. 

45 Mulberry: in the ‘Language of Flowers’, White Mulberry (Morus alba) signifies wisdom.  

46 Proverbs 6:6 ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise’.  

47They say a dying man has wisdom in his words”. 

48Honest men, brilliant men, good men but no wise men’. 

49 Ape: symbol of wisdom, happiness.   Baboon: incarnation of Thoth shown with a moon on its head (moon god) and protective patron of scholars and scribes.   9th sign of the Chinese zodiac.   Sometimes shown with a mirror in his hand, (brought down by his own vices). 

“Wisdom does not mean knowledge but experiential understanding.   Wisdom helps you
to change radically your habits and perceptions, as you discover the constantly
changing, interconnected nature of the whole of existence”.
Martine Batchelor, “Meditation For Life”

Wisdom  Emotional Wisdom