It is easy to understand why the first recorded history of a symbolic bird that dies and then is reborn in magnificent glory is found in Egypt. The harsh living conditions had humanity clinging to life on the basin of the river Nile and everything came and went with the changing of the flood plain. The legend is that the the deity Bennu took the form of a large Heron (bird). This bird would frequent the top obelisk statues and therefore became associated with the living symbol of the God Osiris. This creature was a representation of the periodic flooding of the Nile river basin which was so essential for life at the time. That is what brought nutrients to the soil and fertility to the delta valley. The Heron would be reborn every 500 years or so, and so would follow Egyptian culture.
For millennia, this same concept has been adopted by almost every major culture on the planet. The Phoenix, from the Greeks. The Milcham in Judaism, The Garuda in Hinduism, The Native American Thunderbird, The Slavic Firebird and that is just the birds. You can dive into a variety of other themes in Christian, Buddhist, African and a variety of other stories and folklore passed down through countless stories.
I decided to dive into the legend of the Phoenix this morning. I was on an airplane all day yesterday and feeling really tired and sorry for myself, so I tried to watch a movie on the in flight wifi system. The marvel movie about the Dark Phoenix was on this list, I watched a few minutes. It was basically horrible, sorry Marvel fans. I decided to research the legend of the Phoenix instead. Spotty Internet connection aside, I learned quite a bit. The concept of rebirth is fascinating, and has been a theme throughout the history of mankind.
The Phoenix, in Greek mythology, is a magnificent bird that lives in the Heavens. It lived in brightness and glory somewhere past the Sun. The bird would live for a 1000 years and then it would begin to age. The bird would then make the journey to the mortal world. It would arrive at the herb and spice gardens in Arabia, collecting only the best and then finally arrive in Phoenicia (hence it’s name). It would use the best of these spiced, especially cinnamon, and build a nest then wait for the sunrise. When the sun would rise, the Phoenix would stand and sing the most beautiful song to be heard in the mortal world. As the Sun god would ride his chariot across the sky, a spark would ignite the nest of spices and the bird would be turned to ashes leaving only a small worm behind. Three days later, the beautiful bird would rise from the ashes again, and after carrying the ashes to a special resting place would return to the heavens for another 1000 years.
So the rebirth story of the Phoenix inspires us even today. From the Xmen saga to Harry Potter, we are fascinated by this concept as a culture. The reason why, I think is quite simple. We all need a rebirth now and then. A reboot if you will. A chance for renewal, a chance to start over. A jubilee, a bankruptcy on life. So lately, I have been thinking. Hmm. This sounds really good, and if I were to follow the course of the Phoenix then what would my renewal cycle be?
Well, why not once a week!? Sure, I am going to make mistakes, stumble, not quite be the person that I want but if I set myself up for a weekly rebirth from the ashes so to speak then every Monday is like a new dawn, a new rising! I can forget the past, which lays scattered behind me as the sun rises on a new week. Did not get to everything? Did not do the best I could? Did not keep up with what I thought I could? Oh well. This little worm rises from the ashes and brushes the dust of his new feathers and faces the sun and sings a new song.
So here I go. Week 1. Emulating the Phoenix.
