Easter Around the World

I know this is a day after the fact, but sometimes the best time to reflect on something is after it already happened.  After all, hindsight is 20/20 while foresight is often blind.

In Christianity, the celebration of Easter is about Jesus rising from the dead.  He was reborn as a full man into the same life three days after his death.  Why?  To let everyone know his sacrifice was to cover their sins.  He was the sacrificial lamb, so it would no longer be necessary to slaughter animals to cover their sins and appease God. 

Baptism in Christianity is a symbol of rebirth as well.  With Baptists you are fully immersed in water to symbolize you being buried in the earth with Christ and, as you are lifted up, you are born again into a renewed life where Christ is your center.


In Egypt, the Ankh is a symbol of rebirth.  Look at the symbol.  It looks like someone standing tall with their arms out.  Where the heart would be there is a shield.  A shield is a weapon as well as a means of defense.  You cannot stop your enemy's sword without one. 

The ankh is also called the "key of life" or translated in heiroglyphs as "eternal life".  The gods were often depicted carrying these symbols, sometimes carrying two at a time.  Isis in particular was known to be associated with this symbol and was also the goddess to have brough Osiris back from the dead.

In Greece, Persia, China, Israel, and other areas the Phoenix is the symbol of rebirth.

The phoenix must suffer pain and fire before being able to be birthed from its own ashes.  An author colleague of mine, Angela Wallace, had done a fantastic job blogging on the Phoenix in June of 2011.  Her research went into a book called, Phoenix Feather, which is a delightful read and it's available at Amazon.

The Native Americans have ceremonies where those leaving childhood behind to enter into adulthood receive a new name.  This is a form of recognizing the death of one life and the entering into a new one.  But, Native Americans, also believed in the existence of the soul and its rebirth into new lives.  Warren Jefferson wrote a book entitled, Reincarnation beliefs of North American Indians, where he narrates a Winnebago Shaman's two previous lives and what happened inbetween them.

Then there is the ultimate symbol to represent rebirth, renewal, reincarnation: infinity.  The twisting band goes on forever, never meeting its beginning or end because neither exist  This is what I think of in terms of our soul: never-ending.

I'm sure there are far more to discuss, but what will I write about next year if I pen them all now?

I hope you enjoyed your weekend and have a fabulous week.

Happy Reading!

One of the Lucky Ones

While I technically didn't get officially elected, I'm taking from James Garcia Jr.'s post and Tameri Etherton's post that I have been unofficially selected to be a winner of the Lucky 7 Meme.  Thanks, Jimmy and Tameri!  Happy Birthday to you both as well!  So, with no further ado, let's see what we have.

Here are the rules:
1) Go to page 77 of your current WIP.
2) Go to line 7.
3) Copy down the next seven sentences, lines, paragraphs (I've seen it done many ways).
4) Tag 7 other authors.
5) Let them know.

I've elected to post seven paragraphs per item 3) above.  Please be forewarned, there is very adult content here.  I even had to change my blog's settings for mature content.  This is from my upcoming first book of a trilogy on Atlantis.  The current working title is Before Atlantis:  From Mediterranean to Mesopotamia.

“How to service me.”

            Her will rose to the surface, wanting to do something violent to this man to protect her freedom, but she forced her docile expression to stay fixed.  “I am a seeress of my people, not a whore, Yemeni, although I know there are followers of this army who are very well versed in the art of servicing men of your tastes.”  She wanted to suggest he summon one of them, but held her tongue.  The violence in his expression spiked and she was treated to another slap across the face, opening up her lip.  She tasted her own blood, but didn’t wipe it from her face as she looked up at him with childlike hurt in her expression. 
            “None of them look as fresh and rare as you, woman,” he said, his voice dripping with contentment with the blood on her face. 
            She bowed her head feigning her acceptance of her fate.  “Will I be yours alone or shared by all the men?” she asked in a meek voice.
            Yemeni looked at the men who brought her in and ordered them out to guard the entrance to the tent.  Inwardly she grinned in triumphant.  He came closer to her and grabbed her hair to pull her up.  The pain that lanced through her skull was intense and caused her muscles to clench and try to curl away only to cause her more pain in her neck and shoulders as he nearly dragged her to a pallet with cushions adorning it.  He threw her on the cushions and began to peel off his robes.  She sent a quick inner probe to ensure her child was safe, then rose to her knees and grinned at him. 
            Yemeni paused in removing his breeches at her strange smile.  She curled a beckoning finger to him.  Surprised, he moved closer and she put her hands on his thighs, ignoring the throbbing member jutting up at her from his breeches that still required removal.  Her blue eyes bore into his.  Suddenly, he collapsed beside her.  Sighing, she rubbed her head at the ache and felt new warmth on her upper lip.  Swiping at her nose, she discovered by the red smear on her wrist that blood was dripping from it.  She sighed.  Too much power use for her body.  She will be helpless soon.  She ripped Yemeni’s robes into strips and bound him.  After ensuring his bonds were sufficient, she touched his temples and infiltrated his mind, trying to find something good to work from. 

 Chapter 14

Ashur was in no condition to give commands.  No nightly attack would happen.  No one wished to risk harming Nimuan while she was in the enemy camp and Ashur was coaxed away from the front line by his mother in the early morning hours.  She took him home and managed to get him to sit on his pallet in his room.  She fixed him some tea and brought it to him, startled to find him in the exact place and position she left him in.   Light was beginning to brighten the sky as she knelt before him and cupped a hand to the cup she handed him that steamed.  His grip took the stone cup, but he simply held it. 

Now for the seven nominees.  So many have already received this wonderfully fun award, so it will be a difficult choice.

1. Rose Pressey
2. Angela Wallace
3. Amaleen Ison
4.  Kait Nolan
5.  Michelle Krys
6.  Jackie Miller
7.  M.E. Franco

If it seems random, it was.  I tried to go through my Twitter follower list and looked at a bunch of you to see if you have 1) a blog and 2) not received this award yet.  I'm looking forward to seeing what those lucky 7 have for their WIP excerpts.

Happy Reading!