GIRAFFE: Quiet Strength

From prehistory, Giraffe has commanded people’s attention. Early writers described Giraffe as “magnificent in appearance, bizarre in form, unique in gait, colossal in height and inoffensive in character.” Pictures of Giraffes grace the cave walls in North Africa, drawn over 10,000 years ago. In Ancient Egypt, Queen Hatshepat brought Giraffe from the headwaters of the Nile, down to her zoo. The Kingdom of Malindi, in Africa, in 1414 presented China, Giraffe as a diplomatic gift (the first ever). In Paris, when Giraffe was first seen in 1826, the City went “Giraffe crazy” for a year.

Since the beginning of time, people have tried to explain why Giraffe looks the way He does. In Africa, after the Creator Gods finished with Camel and Leopard, some parts were left over. So They made an animal large like Camel with Leopard spots. Ancient Greeks and Romans called Giraffe “Camel-Leopard”, which now is the scientific name (Camelopardalis) for Giraffe.
 
Tallest of all land mammals, Giraffe is noted for his exceptionally long neck and legs. Giraffe uses his tallness to his advantage. From his elevated view, He can watch for predators, as well as eat leaves from the tops of trees. Because of his great height, Giraffe and His Friends are called a “tower”.

However, Giraffe has many other notable features as well. Like Camel, He can go for days without drinking, and can eat from thorny plants. With his flexible neck, He can eat from the tops of trees. With his horns, Giraffe can swing his head and ably defend himself. A blow from Giraffe’s head can prove deadly to a predator.

This peaceful quiet Animal is one of the most successful vegetarians of the African Savannah. He may seem fragile but Giraffe can ably defend himself. Quiet and unassuming, Giraffe always looks out for his friends. They return the favor when He is the most vulnerable – sprawled at the water hole drinking. Be a friend like Giraffe, and learn quiet strength from Him.

Giraffe’s Teachings Also Include:

“The giraffe represents the capacity to extend beyond the limitations of the physical plane. Its ability to obtain sustenance flourishing on a seemingly unattainable perch symbolizes the necessity to overcome limitations and to allow innovative ideas to flourish.” Copyright: “Animals Divine Companion”, Lisa Hunt.

“The giraffe’s vulnerability when it lowers its head to drink reminds us that if we lose sight of our greater vision and consciousness and sink into a mundane way of life, we risk losing our spiritual connection.” Copyright: Beyond the Rainbow (Constance Barrett Sohodski).

Giraffe’s Wisdom Includes:

Farsightedness

Seeing From the Heart

Foresight

Flexibility

WREN FAMILY: The Mysteries of Happiness

(Revised from a 2008 blog entry.)

Wrens, a family of little brown Birds, are well-known for their high energy and trilling songs. Friendly and active, House Wren is often called “Jenny Wren” in children’s storybooks. Meanwhile Carolina Wren, one of the largest Wrens, flits from perch to perch looking for tasty bugs, delighting gardeners.

Voracious in their nesting endevours, Wrens build nests in boots, mailboxes, and even car radiators. Quick and agile Cactus Wren builds his nest amongst the sharp spines of a cactus. To impress the Female Wrens, Marsh Wren frantically builds as many dummy nests that He can in the wetlands. The scientific name for Wrens is “Troglodytidae,” which means “cave dwellers.” This comes from the elaborate enclosed nests that many Wrens build. Besides housing eggs, these roofed nests also act as their communal roosts.

Although most wrens live secret lives in dense forests, Cactus Wren (Genus: Campylorhynchus) and his Friends live in the open semi-arid areas of the Americas. Gathering in small flocks, Cactus Wrens will help the Breeding Pair in feeding. One of the largest of the Wrens (the size of a starling), He is pugnacious in defending his territory whilst fending off larger birds.

Best known for their bubbly tunes, Wrens often have as many as 130 different songs in their repertoire. Although They do sing all year round, Wrens are most famous for being the joyful harbingers of spring with their trilling melodies. And, Winter Wren, a shy Bird, has the loudest songs of all the Wren Family.

In addition, Wrens’ songs have a magical quality to them. In some Native American stories, Wrens can bring the dead back to life with their powerful singing. Called the Snow Bird, Black-headed Wren is said to summon the snow. However, He does know the direction and time of the storm.

Wrens are legendary for their spiritedness. Whether defending their territory or building nests Wrens conduct themselves great zest. Let these little brown Birds induct you into the mysterious of happiness. Lose yourself in their songs, and be enriched beyond your dreams.
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Science Notes: 

1. Members of the wren family called the Troglodytidae. The wrens of Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand are not related and are not wrens. They belong to their own families. The New Zealand wrens are the Acanthisittidae, an ancient bird family. Meanwhile the wrens of Australia and New Guinea belong to the Maluridae Family, which includes fairy-wrens (Malurus), emu-wrens (Stipiturus) and grasswrens (Amytornis).

2. Firecrested wren is the common firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus), while golden-crested wren is the goldcrest (Regulus regulus). They belong to the Kinglet Family and are not wrens.

3. Antwrens (Myrmotherula and Herpsilochmus) are members of the antbird family (Thamnophilidae) of South America. Wren-babblers of South Asia are cupwings (the Pnoepygidae).

Art and Nature: The Alchemy of Blue (2 of 2)

In France, the manufacture of paint was controlled by the Academie de St. Luc (the Painters’ Guild of France).  In 1764, this guild seized a local factory making Prussian Blue, claiming that the production of the pigment was not authorized by them.  Then, the factory owners asked the Paris Academy of Sciences to determine the nature of Prussian Blue.  They stressed that they were manufacturing a chemical widely used by various groups such as textile manufactures as well as artists.  Was this synthetic pigment a paint or a chemical?  The French chemist Jean Hellot (1685 - 1715) determined that Prussian Blue was a product of chemistry and not art.  Therefore the painters’ guild had no control over its manufacture.  The factory was allowed to reopen, and to continue manufacture this synthetic pigment.

Because of its unique chemistry, Prussian Blue is used by art experts to detect earlier fakes.  The first painting to use this pigment is “Entombment of Christ” by Pieter van der Werff (Dutch, 1665-1722) in 1709.  (The sky and the Virgin Mary’s veil are Prussian Blue.)Through the use of searching for Prussian Blue in paintings, several fakes were uncovered such as “Entrance to the Cannaregio” purported to be painted by Francesco Guardi (Venice, 1712-1793).

The chemical composition of Prussian Blue is structurally complex.  The synthetic pigment is an iron hexacyanoferrate complex compound called iron ferrocyanide.  The idealized chemical formula for Prussian Blue is Fe7(CN)18.  This pigment is produced by the oxidation of ferrous ferrocyanide.  Since the cyanide of the pigment is tightly bound to the iron, Prussian Blue is nontoxic.  

Because Prussian Blue is so easily produced, it became the preferred blue of artists.  By 1713, this pigment was used by Prussian artists in painting official court portraits.  Later, Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973) used Prussian Blue extensively during his famous “Blue Period”.

Besides painting, Prussian Blue has other uses.  The color “Midnight Blue” of crayons is made from this pigment.  The blue of blueprints is Prussian Blue.  Meanwhile, pathologists use the pigment to detect iron in biopsies.  In addition, this pigment is effective therapy for people who have ingested thallium.

A success story of alchemy, Prussian Blue became one of the essentials of the modern world.  In the 18^th Century, it became indispensable for color work.  Later Prussian Blue came to be used in textiles, printing, and other manufacturers. Combining art and science, this pigment symbolizes humanity’s ability to invent beauty out of usefulness.  Like the exploration of color, Prussian Blue was at the junction of artistic and useful pursuits.

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Works Used:

Bartoll, Jens, “The Early Use of Prussian Blue in Paintings”, paper, International Conference on NDT of Art, Israel, May 2008. http://www.ndt.net/article/art2008/papers/029bartoll.pdf,

Boddy-Evans Marion, “All About Painting”, About.com, http://painting.about.com/,

Copeland, Jessica and Christy Rochelle, “Pigments and Binders: Prussian Blue”, Chemistry and Art, Swanee University, 1998, http://www.sewanee.edu/chem/Chem&Art/Detail_Pages/Pigments/Prussian_Blue,

Douma, Michael, “Pigments through the Ages”, Institute for Dynamic Educational Development, 2008, http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments,

Leland, Nita, “Exploring Color”, North Light Books: Cincinnati, 1998.

Lowengard, Sarah, “The Creation of Color in 18^th Century Europe”, Columbia University Press, 2006, http://www.gutenberg-e.org/lowengard/,

Bat Family: Facing the Shadows

 The Bat Family (The Order Chiroptera) accounts for one fifth of the mammal species on earth. The only Mammals on earth to fly, Bat Family is divided into two groups – Megachiroptera, the large Fruit Bats of the Old World, and Microchiroptera, the smaller Bats that people know worldwide.

 Known as “Flying Foxes”, Megachiroptera have foxlike faces with large eyes. Flying with steady wing beats, Flying Foxes rely on their sense of smell and sight to navigate. With wide spans the size of a small adult, These Bats, also, use their wings as flippers for swimming. Flying Foxes feed on fruit, pollen, and nectar. 
Vital to the forests they live in, They promote the growth of new plants.

Microchiroptera hunt at night, using echolocation to locate Insects. In addition, these Bats eat fruit and pollen. They roost in caves, under bridges, any place where the temperature of the air remains stable.

Bats are social animals living in huge colonies. In their colonies, They have Nurseries for Mothers and Pups. Contrary to superstitions, Bats do not become entangled in people’s hair. Exceptionally long lived for small Mammals, Bats will enter a state of torpor to conserve energy.

 In Western countries, Bats thought are symbols of desolation and the underworld. One reason is because They could not be classified as any known animal. In the Medieval European mind, this is in violation of God’s Laws. However, in China, Bats bring good luck and happiness. In fact, the Chinese word “fu” means either “bat” or “blessings”.

Fear of bats is fear of the shadows. Bats teach you to face your fears. They navigate through dark places with their echolocation. Bats can be your guides through the known places of your fears.  

Bat Family’s Wisdom Includes:
Listen to Echoes
Finding New Understandings
Living in Cities
Finding Your Way in Unfamiliar Places
Developing a Fresh Outlook and Perspective

Conservation Note: Many bat species are endangered.