The meaning of Talismans
What is a talisman?
The word "Talisman," derived from the Greek verb "teleo," means, primarily, to accomplish, or bring into effect. The Talisman is an object marked with magic signs and is believed to confer on its bearer supernatural powers or protection. Virtually every religion in human history has offered as adherents small decorative objects which purpose is to do anything ranging between healing, protection or success.
Talismans and sacred geometry
Very often the talismans symbols are taken out of sacred geometry. The term "sacred geometry" is used by archaeologists, anthropologists, and geometricians to encompass the religious, philosophical and spiritual beliefs that have sprung up around. It is a term covering Pythagorean geometry and neo-Platonic geometry. Sacred geometry is often referred to as a language of G-d. Sacred geometry symbols are a means of bringing subtle, inner realities to a focus in outward expression. Within the fundamental unity of consciousness, certain symbols, such as the lotus lifting itself in purity above the muddy water, possess universal relevance and power.
Ancient Egyptian Talismans
Scarab beetle
The young scarab beetles emerged spontaneously from the burrow they were born in. Therefore they were worshipped as "Khepera", which means "the one who came forth". The scarab-beetle god Khepera was believed to push the setting sun along the sky in the same manner as the beetle with his ball of dung. In many artifacts, the scarab is depicted pushing the sun along its course in the sky.
Ankh
The Ankh is a symbolic representation of both Physical and Eternal life. It is known as the original cross, which is a powerful symbol that was first created in Ancient Egypt. Ankh is typically associated with material things such as water, air, sun, as well as with the Gods, who are frequently pictured carrying an Ankh.
Heart
In Egyptian history, the heart replaced the heart which was removed during mummification. Sometimes assimilated to the Bennu, "Soul of Râ", it brings the protection of both Osiris and Râ.
Other Egyptian talismans
Buckle or Knot of Isis, Djed, Ba, Two Fingers and Udjat or Eye of Horus.
Christian Talismans
The cross
The cross of Christianity was a symbol of the faith. It was previously considered a pagan symbol, with several early church fathers objecting to its use. The cross represents Christ's victory over death and sin, since it is believed that through His death he conquered death itself.
Fish
The fish's first known use as a Christian religious symbol was sometime within the first three centuries AD. Christians began using the Greek word for "fish" as an acronym for "Jesus Christ God's Son, Savior". Followers of Christianity were called Pisciculi; the root of this Latin word is "fish".
Jewish and Kabbalah Talismans
Star of David
The name David in ancient Hebrew (during the time of King David) is made up of three letters "Dalet", "Vav" and "Dalet". The letter Dalet in ancient Hebrew is actually a triangle. King David used the six pointed star as his signature (the two triangles of his name). The middle letter "Vav" means six - The six pointed star. The six-points symbolize that God rules over the universe and protects us from all six directions: North, South, East, West, Up and Down. King David used this symbol in the battlefield on his shield as an omen from God.
Hamsa
The Hamsa is known as the hand of Miriam or Hamesh hand. The Hamsa serves as an ancient talismanic way of averting the evil eye and providing a "protecting hand" or "Hand of God". The Hamsa often appears in stylized form, as a hand with three fingers raised, and sometimes with two thumbs arranged symmetrically.
Five metals ring
According to the ancient kabalistic text, the secret of the five metals ring success is that at the specific time of the creation of the ring with these five metals, Jupiter's influence is summoned forth. Jupiter is the star of development and expansion, and success is at it's strongest at the specific time of the ring's creation. The layer on the top of the five metals ring is pure gold. Below it there is a layer of lead and tin, and the last layer is copper, while the ring itself is made out of silver.
Tree of life
The Tree of Life is one of the most familiar of the Sacred Geometry Symbols. The structure of the Tree of Life is connected to the sacred teachings of the Jewish Kabbalah. The Tree of Life is explained in Sefer Yetzira ("Book of Creation"). The book explains the creation as a process involving the 10 divine numbers (sefirot) of God the Creator and the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The 10 sefirot together with the 22 letters constitute the "32 paths of secret wisdom".
Buddhist Talismans
Buddha
Buddha images provide a reassuring reminder of the basic tenets of Buddhist religion. Just as Buddhist religion is practiced in many different ways, the Buddhist image also serves a wide variety of ritual purposes and has different meanings for different people. Buddha can be invested with a huge amount of information, meaning and implication; they evolve and they are given life. The Buddha image cast in the human form gives it a value presented as calm, still and serene.
Mandalas
The Tibetans create their beautiful Mandalas from colored sand and if you'll take a metal plate and cover it with sand and make it vibrate with different sounds, you will be able to see different structures that are formed in the sand, that are very similar to the sand Mandalas. In the end, after a few weeks when the Mandalas is finished, they simply wipe the sand off Mandalas to show the non-attachment to the illusion of the external, and also to show the constant change and the process of life and death that takes place in the external world of illusion.
OM
Om (ॐ) is the most sacred syllable in Hinduism, first coming to light in the Vedic Tradition. The syllable is sometimes referred to as the "Udgitha" or "pranava mantra". The symbol of Om contains three curves, one semicircle and a dot. The large lower curve symbolizes the waking state; the upper curve denotes deep sleep (or the unconscious) state, and the lower curve (which lies between deep sleep and the waking state) signifies the dream state.
Tibetan Knot
The Tibetan knot (Srivatsa or the endless knot) is one of the eight symbols of the Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetan knot can stand for karmic consequences: pull here, something happens over there. It is an apt symbol for the Vajrayana methods: Often when we tug at one part of a knot while trying to loosen it, another part becomes tighter. You have to work with the knot to enable it to come undone. In its endless configuration, it evokes the cyclic nature of rebirth and also calls karmic connections to mind.
David related work - Talismans jewelryArticle source - TalismansWritten by David Weitzman – Ka Gold Jewelry artist
Risks Associated With Nuclear Power Plants
Start a discussion group on nuclear power and it will grow heated very quickly. No pun intended. Objectively, there are a few definitive risks associated with such plants.
Risks Associated With Nuclear Power Plants
A nuclear power plant is a unique bit of technology. The goal of the design and technology is twofold - to maintain control of a nuclear molecular reaction and to harness energy from it. Surprisingly, the design of most reactors is fairly simple, but much thought is given to safety issues. Despite these efforts, the nature of nuclear fission is such that it can be very dangerous.
There are a variety of risks associated with a nuclear power plant. The biggest can be summarized as meltdown, nuclear waste and attractiveness as a military or terror target. Each is a valid issue, so let's take a look at them.
A meltdown at a nuclear power plant was historically considered a possibility, but not a particularly likely event. Then Chernobyl suffered a meltdown in 1986 and the property, health and scope of damage opened the eyes of many skeptics. The risks associated with a meltdown are the introduction of massive amounts of radiation to the surrounding areas and atmosphere where it is carried for hundreds or thousands of miles to slowly fall on population centers.
In the case of Chernobyl, the meltdown produce more than 300 times the radioactive fallout of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The fallout spread as far as Western Europe. The devastation led to the evacuation of 300,000 people, and some estimates attribute over 270,000 cases of cancer to the fallout. Birth defects in the areas hit by radioactive fallout are incredibly high.
Nuclear waste is another risk associated with plants. The simple problem is there is no way to safely dispose of it. This leads to tremendous arguments and litigation over locations where it can be stored.
The third area of risk associated with nuclear power plants concerns intentional acts to damage them. Simply put, nuclear power plants are large, stationary targets. Given the devastation caused by a meltdown, as seen with Chernobyl, these plants make great targets for both military and terrorist attacks. Keep in mind that the population centers around Chernobyl were relatively small. In the United States, millions of people live close to most plants, which means a meltdown would result in far more damage on just about every level.
The risks associated with nuclear power plants are pretty scary. The situation with Chernobyl makes that clear enough.
Richard Monk is with FactsMonk.com - a site with facts about everything. Visit us to read more about energy facts.
Hydropower As An Energy Platform
Much like solar and wind power, hydropower has been a constant energy source for man. Following is an overview of hydropower.
Hydropower As An Energy Platform
Hydropower can be defined simply as using the energy of flowing water to generate power. With early man, this power was experienced in the form of propulsion as in moving wheels to grind food materials. With modern man, hydropower is used to turn turbines that produce electricity. In cases such as the Three Gorges Dam in China, this platform can be the basis of providing huge amounts of energy to countries in need.
Let's take a look at an overview of developments in hydropower:
Over 2,000 years ago, hydropower was used by the Greeks to turn grinding wheels to turn wheat into flour.
In the 1770s, French engineer Bernard Forest de Bélidor wrote Architecture Hydraulique, a four-volume series detailing mechanisms that could be used to convert flowing water into power.
1880 - Michigan's Grand Rapids Electric Light and Power Company showcased the first commercial application for electricity generated from hydropower. The company used a turbine to provide power to a whopping 16 lamps at the Wolverine Chair Factory.
1881 - Niagara Falls votes to convert all lamps on streets to electricity provided by hydropower, which made sense considering their location.
1882 – The first power plant devoted entirely to hydropower electricity production goes online in Wisconsin. The power is produced from water in the Fox River.
1886 – Hydropower plants are so popular that over 40 are functioning in Canada and the U.S.
1889 – Only three years later, the number of hydropower plants in the two countries grows to 200.
1907 – Hydro plants produce 15 percent of the electrical power needs of the United States.
1920 – Hydro plants produce 25 percent of the electrical power needs of the United States.
1933 – Hydropower comes to the forefront with the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
1940 – Hydro plants provide a whopping forty percent of all electricity produced in the United States.
2003 – At the turn of the century, hydropower has lost much of its allure. Population growth results in power needs so high that hydropower is not viewed as a solution. Environmental issues also cause a slow down. Only ten percent of the electricity in the U.S. is produced by hydropower.
Today, roughly twenty percent of all the electricity in the world is produced through hydroelectric power plants. The largest producer of electricity through hydropower is Canada followed by the United States, Russia, Brazil and China. Egypt is highly dependent on hydropower via the Nasser Dam. Norway produces nearly all of its electricity needs through hydropower. In many other countries, hydropower is being looked to as the solution for growing energy needs.
Hydropower has definite downsides. It can be unreliable in countries that suffer droughts, as many African nations have learned. The environmental impact of large dams, as seen with the three gorges dam in China, is also a concern. Notwithstanding these concerns, hydropower is a proven renewable energy platform that certainly is better than fossil fuel alternatives.
Richard Monk is with FactsMonk.com - a site with facts about everything. Visit us to read more about energy facts.
