January 31, 2013 |
“In China the 4 cardinal points of the compass are related to ‘4 Celestial Animals’. These are: the dragon of the east, the tiger of the west, the phoenix of the south and the tortoise of the north.” Out of all these noble creatures, it is the tortoise that fascinates us most. Why? Prada, of course. In particular, a rather attractive tortoiseshell necklace. Like the one on this page. Tortoiseshell chain links scattered with delicate pink flowers and tiny crystals that glint in the light. “In Chinese symbolism the tortoise represents the beginning of creation, time, longevity and wisdom. It is said that the Goddess of Creation – Nu Kua – used the feet of the Cosmic Tortoise for the ‘4 Corners of the Earth’ and its shell for the ‘Vault of the Heavens’. The tortoise is sometimes known as the ‘Dark Warrior’ and in this role its qualities are seen as strength, endurance and regeneration. Its inanimate shell represents the lifeless rock that is acted upon by the elements of nature and by divine inspiration (the breath of the heavens) to produce life.” Being ones to interprets thing rather too literally, we have come to the conclusion that being in possession of a tortoiseshell necklace will cause us to metamorphose into a dark warrior. A warrior princess like Xena. All powerful. Blessed with a feminine grace and strength and an inner beauty that can be rivalled by no other. We may appear to be a lifeless rock, but you would be wrong to underestimate us, for thanks to the breath of the heavens, we can produce life. We would also like to mention that, technically, the tortoise is the keeper of the secrets of the I Ching. For around 3000 BC, the Emperor Fu Xi was meditating by the Yellow River, when a tortoise emerged from the water and the markings on its shell revealed to him the trigrams of the I Ching. The tortoise basically wrote the Book of Changes on its shell, and so we, in turn, by wearing this Prada tortoiseshell necklace, could claim to be the keepers of further secrets of the I Ching that have yet to be revealed but one day will be – to us. They will be written upon the tortoiseshell chain around our necks. They will speak of a love that is universal. They will speak of a higher love that is to be found in pink flowers. Flowers like the ones that, it just so happens, we wear around our necks.
by Natalie Dembinska
