The Phoenix



via Amazon.com

 The US cover of the Jonathan Stroud's latest book sports a gorgeous specimen of the phoenix. Don't you think?

The Ring of Solomon is a prequel to the Bartimaeus Trilogy. This installment of the series is based on the grandfather of all djinn tales, King Solomon's supposed connection to the djinn and an infamous ring talisman. Even I couldn't avoid mentioning it my MS. But back to the phoenix. I love those too and I guess I'm not the only one who thought it was a fitting creature for a djinn. Except my use of the phoenix is more symbolic and sometimes metaphysical.

For example, some important lore that led to my use of the Phoenix for dinn nature and more specifically, my MC:

• Phoenix Rising has many similarities to Kundalini, which I use as an energy source for djinn.
• A phoenix is a creature (or person) rising from the ashes of the former self. An arabian Phoenix is born of fire, dies by fire, and is symbolic of rebirth.
• In Chinese culture, the phoenix represents the female or the yin. The Taoist idea of duality of all things is the balance of Yin and Yang.
• The bird famously kills snakes - even a basilisk. If you read my earlier post, The Seed, you'll know where I'm going with this.

Related articles

• The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud (collectedmiscellany.com)
• Kundalini in ancient Greek and other non-Indian cultures (auromere.wordpress.com)

Auras



Pier.Bover via Flickr

 I was out celebrating the Beaujolais Nouveau release and started up a discussion with a friend of mine about auras. (Couple glasses of wine will bring out interesting conversation, you know...)

Over the years, I've noticed many of my closest friends love orange. They have orange rooms, orange candles, orange furniture.  Me? I love blue. All shades, but especially peacock. Do I give off a matching vibe? I don't know, but I do think favorite colors are indicative of personality. I also know I'm not the first one to come up with the idea.  

Auras are important to the concept of the third eye, Kundalini, chakras and Zoroastrianism. Halos behind saints, prophets and kings in Abrahamic religions are an example of the aura in the mainstream.

Guess what? My djinn have auras too. Remember my post on amber orbs?

As I was telling my friend, grey areas are the best place for my writerly mind to dwell.

Related articles

• World Beliefs in Aura Reading (brighthub.com)

Kundalini Rising

Image via Wikipedia Tradition says djinn are created from smokeless fire. I've even read they are "the fire of a scorching wind" so I made fire and energy a big part of being a djinn. Then I needed to figure out how to tame that energy.

My solution stems from Kundalini Yoga. Yogis who practice Kundalini energy management strive to ultimately free their souls from their bodies. They use the The Third Eye  to reach the superconscious through spinal energy centers called the chakras.  

The philosophy is shared by world religions using different names. The strongest example is Plato's explanation of psyche in his work Timaeus, but its also found in Sufism, Kabbalah, and Eastern Orthodox Hesychasm.


Kundalini is represented by a coiled sleeping serpent or goddess at the base of the spine. Years of training are required to awaken it. If the energy is released improperly, the Kundalini Syndrome, may result. This negative experience reportedly results in uncontrollable physical and mental impulses which resemble psychosis. Kundalini Rising is the positive experience of uncoiling the serpent in the form of energy, either creative or sexual. The energy follows the spine, up through each Chakra, from the sacrum to the crown of the head. 

Sybil struggles with her energy while she is human and learns to use it as a djinn. Kundalini rises when she finds balance. Talk about character arc!

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Kundalini Energy (socyberty.com)
• Qigong and Energy Arts Forum - September 2010 (martialdevelopment.com)