Guest Author - Elizabeth Bissette

CREATURE FEATURE: PHOENIX

It's spring again, and in spring the Earth is re-born. Immortality is a central concept of all mythology, to the most ancient times. The Phoenix is the most enigmatic legend of all. It is a great bird that incinerates itself, then is born again from it's own ashes.

The legend is believed by many scholars to have orignated in the Middle East, but it is so old and obscure that it is impossible to tell where it really began. The only thing scholars seem to agree on is, as Socrates once said, we know only that we know nothing when it comes right down to it. In every version of the legend, the bird is immortal.

It seems to come from pre-historic spirituality. It represents our mortality, the very foundation of our being. A Phoenix represents the never-ending cycle of life; our own and of the universe itself.

In Greek and Egyptian mythology, the Phoenix is tied to the God of the Sun. it In Greek legend, he lives in the Middle East, by a well. It bathed in the well every day, and sang, as many of us do, in the bath. But the song of the Phoenix was so beautiful that the sun itself stopped first at it's well before making his daily journey across the sky.

Legend says that there is only one phoenix. Every 500-1,461 years, when it knows death is near, it builds a nest of sweet scented wood and then bursts into flame. It then re-emerges the fire and embalms the ashes of its former self in an egg all of myrrh. The Phoenix flies the egg to the Sun God.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT'S IN STORE FOR YOU THIS WEEK? GET A HEADS UP IN YOUR NOT-SO-HORRIBLE-SCOPE at my new Astrology site (people are telling me these are uncannily acurate maybe that's what makes them not-so-horrible):

http://astrology.suite101.com/article.cfm/NotSoHorribleScopesApril17

find out what's up for your Sun-Sign: http://astrology.suite101.com/article.cfm/OhMyStarsWeeklyHoroscope
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMING SOON:

While we're looking at Toltecs and Quetzacoatl, it's the perfect time to read the best-selling "Four Agreements" and "The Four Agreements Companion" by Don Miguel Ruiz. Look for a review of both here this month. You can look forward to an interview with Mr. Ruiz and a look at some more of his wise work in June.

In addition to continuing American Mythology pieces, more features, reviews and interviews are on the horizon! Topics include ancient Sumer, dreams and mythological archetypes, Leonardo DaVinci, magical creatures, Hoodoo and Voodoo, West African religion and Hindu myth.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AMERICAN PROVERB OF THE WEEK: "The man who has very great vision must follow it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky." Chief Crazy Horse.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------SITE OF THE WEEK: Indian Divinity: http://www.webonautics.com/mythology/ a beautiful Hindu Mythology site
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARMCHAIR SCHOLAR: The History Channel announces new programs, including one about lost worlds,

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=televisionNews&storyid=2006-04-17T070509Z_01_N17206776_RTRIDST_0_TELEVISION-HISTORY-DC.XML
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANTIQUITIES NEWS

Ancient roots of Easter:

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=televisionNews&storyid=2006-04-17T070509Z_01_N17206776_RTRIDST_0_TELEVISION-HISTORY-DC.XML

Gnostic Gospel of Judas is found and restored:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/3793360.html

Archaeologists dig the ancient city of Cana before developers destroy it:

http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20060417-093215-8408r

How a king in Nepal is living an ancient Hindu legend:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0604160363apr16,1,6443177.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

Pyramid in Bosnia?

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/story.asp?j=76779574&p=76779876&n=76779954

Archaeologists find the most ancient people of Australia (40,000-65,000 years old!)

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/science-pins-aborigines-ancient-past/2006/04/14/1144521508853.html

One of the earliest known carvings of a person has been found, (5,000 years old): http://www.payvand.com/news/06/apr/1134.html

Large group of ancient tombs found in China:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-04/15/content_4426669.htm