The Tree of Life also called World Tree, Tree of Knowledge or Cosmic Tree has great spiritual meaning for many people and religion. The Tree of Life is a universal symbol found in many spiritual traditions. It stands for many things, including wisdom, protection, strength, bounty, beauty, and redemption. Two main forms are known and both employ the notion of the world tree as centre. In the one, the tree is the vertical centre binding together heaven and earth; in the other, the tree is the source of life at the horizontal centre of the earth. In the vertical, tree-of-knowledge tradition, the tree extends between earth and heaven. It is the vital connection between the world of the gods and
Edward Burne-Jones, British (1833 - 1898) A Sea-Nymph, c. 1881 Oil on canvas Minneapolis Institute of Art For thousands of years, the legends and symbols of fish-tailed woman, called mermaids, have captured the imagination of everyone. “Mermaid” comes from old english mĕre “deep and marshy lake or ocean” and maiden that means virgin girl. The mermaid appears in folklore from all over the world, including Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, West and Central Africa, and Japan. Accordingly to such a wide geographical range, the mermaid has many variations in symbolic and mythological meaning. And the meanings have changed with time. Some mermaid species are dangerous while others are benevo
The Hamsa is an extremely famous symbol popular throughout the Middle East and North Africa. It’s mainly used in jewelry and wall hangings, though sometimes it’s displayed in art. But it predates Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. “Khamsah” is an Arabic word that means "five", but also "the five fingers of the hand". It may also be taken as a reference to the primary number itself. Museum:The Israel Museum, Jerusalem Item Type:Hamsa Location:Morocco Period:Early 20th century Domain:Judaica Classification:Jewish Items Technique: Silver, cast and engraved Origin The earliest known appearance of the Hamsa was in ancient Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq area). Here it could be seen in the amulets wor
