hi,
my left shoulder is frozen shoulder.
so last night i brushed it with a toothbrush dipped in old urine. the
pain minimized.
then i dipped my sadra (sacred vest of zoroastrians, white cotton
cloth) in old urine and
put it there. the pain minimized.
and now it is paining again.
will take my psychiatrists appointment on monday/this week and go to
visit him.
4% of USA is manic-depressive.
Erach
On Mar 23, 4:38 am, "Rev. 11D Meow!" <Pif...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> ifyufy!
>
> "Rev. 11D Meow!" <Pif...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
messagenews:-7-dnc2EVbYVCnjanZ2dnUVZ_jqdnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> >http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4151657969091373844
A look at the ancient tradition of 'Haft Seen'...
For many people 'Haft Seen' just means putting seven objects beginning
with 'S' in the Persian alphabet on a table. However, the roots of
Haft Seen are actually far more spiritual and were not based on a
letter of the alphabet and were not limited to seven objects! Below we
look at the roots of this tradition and the symbolism of the the New
Year Table.
The New Year laid tablecloth
In ancient Iranian traditions, in every celebration and ceremony, a
table cloth (on a small table) was laid down.
On this table cloth apart from religious objects of blessing, such as
a fire pot and Virsem's angel, the season's various food products and
meals were placed. Eating this 'holy' meal was a tradition called
MAYZAD and was recommended.
This arrangement was placed on a platform higher than ground level and
the person assigned to distribution of the meal was called MIZADPAN
which means the person who serves the meals (MIZBAN). Today MAYZAD by
the use of the word MYZAD (or MYZ) and MAYZADPAN (or MIZBAN) are used
in every day language.
The arrangement of objects on the tablecloth is special and has
religious intonations and sacred numbers must be considered in such
arrangements. Efforts were made to decorate the New Year's tablecloth
with the best and most precious plates, candle holders, and fire pots.
This is still practiced in weddings and in mourning rituals and is
considered as a religious activity.
Haft Seen, the phrase
In the Sassanid's era, beautifully painted and precious plates made
out of CAOLINE were im****ted into Iran from China. This was one of the
precious commercial exchanges with China and the plates were later
called after the name of their manufacturers and location of origin
and thus they were called "Chiny". In other words they were also
referred to as SINEE, which finds its root in Arabic language.
"Chiney" or SEENEY, which means from china or Sina.
In Iran in order to differentiate between different im****ted plates
from China, those which were made of metal were called "SINEE" and
those made out of CAOLINE were called "Chinie".
In any case during the New Year's celebrations these precious and
picturesque plates from China were used on the New Year's table. These
plates were filled with sugar, candies and sweets and they were seven
plates named after the seven AMSHASEPAND which included the months of
Ordibehesht, Khordad, Amordad, Shahrivar, Bahman, Espandasmad and
Ahooramazda. It was in this season that this tradition was referred to
as seven SEENIE or seven plates and later on it was referred to as
seven seen. This is pronounced as seven SEENEE in some of the
villages. i.e. rather than saying 'Haft Seen' some villagers pronouce
it as 'Haft Seenee'.
Usually in name of each AMSHEPANDAN, a large picturesque SEENIE plate
was placed on the tablecloth and other meals were placed on other
plates around the table. Other things placed on the New Year's table
are as follows:
Freshly grown greens
The greens were grown a few days before the new year in seven plates
and at times in twelve precious plates, which is the number of the
holy months.
In royal palaces twenty days before the New Year, twelve pillars of
clay were built and on each of these they grew one of the cereal
grains. The good growth of each grain was considered as a good omen.
They were of the belief that the well grown grain will be a sign of
abundance in the coming year. Wheat, oat, rice, beans, lentils,
millets, lima beans, peas, and sesame seeds were grown on the clay
pillars. On the sixth day of the New Year the greens were then
harvested and distributed all over the hall floor as a sign of
abundance.
Families usually placed these plates of greens on the table cloth
symbolizing HOOMET (Andisheye Nik - good thoughts), HOOKHT (Goftare
Nik - good words) and HOOVERESHT (Kerdare Nik - good deeds). On the
side of these plates they grew wheat, oats and millet, which formed
the im****tant essentials for feeding people in order to cause the
abundance of these grains during the New Year.
The green color of this vegetation was the national and religious
color of Iranians and they beautified the appearance of the New Year
tablecloth. They represented the Amordad of EMSHASPAND, which had to
be placed on the tablecloth. People intended to have the FARVARS visit
these greens and the seeds during the spring.
Bowl of fire
The bowl of fire taken from the ancestor's fire, which was used in all
religious rituals and along with other traditional and religious
objects were placed in the middle of the tablecloth. Blessed grains,
wild rue and incense were also placed on the New Year's tablecloth.
Moon Crescent shaped Barsam (Mahrooye Va Barsam)
One of the im****tant objects on the New Year's tablecloth was the moon
crescent shaped Barsamdan. They cut thin and short branches of
pomegranate tree or willow tree or fig tree or olive tree in the
length of one finger and they assigned these on the New Year table in
bunches of three, seven, twelve or twenty one. Barsam was usually also
placed on the New Year's table, and this symbolized abundance
resulting through blessings.
People held a bunch of these in their hands while praying before they
commenced eating.
In the Sassanid's era, in order to increase the majestic appearance of
the royal dinning table, they made these BARSAMS out of gold. They
were placed in the New Year's table and they called them golden Tarkeh
(Thin golden branch).
Gradually metallic BARSAMS found their way into religious rituals and
they were used instead of wood BARSAMS.
(Barsam is a bunch of thin and short branches normally of pomegranate
trees used by Zoroastrians who poured water on them and the water
dripping down from these branches was considered as blessed water.
They were sometimes made out of metal as well and were crescent
shaped.)
Holy Book
One of the objects that was placed on the New Year's table was the
Holy Book. In view of the fact that these celebrations were considered
national events, each family would place their own religious book on
the New Year's table. In the Sassanid's era they placed the book of
AVESTA on the table and they read a part of it which usually was the
Farvardine Yasht and they recalled the FARVARS of the royal families,
the innocent ones, the pious and the courageous whose names were
mentioned in the Frvardin Yasht of AVESTA.
Today on the New Year table the holy Quran is usually placed by
Iranian (Islamic) families and a verse from it is cited. Familites of
other religions use their own holy book and many Iranian families also
put the book of poems by Hafez, the famous Iranian poet.
Clay Water Jug (KOOZEH-E-AB)
Clay water jugs which were filled with water from down stream of mills
were filled by young girls and they were placed on the New Year's
table decorated with necklaces. Even today many Iranians use small
decanters on the outer surface of which they grow lentils or wheat or
oats and are decorated by ribbons.
Bread
Bread symbolizes abundance and in Sassanid's era they baked bread the
size of the palm of the hand or smaller which were called DRON. These
were placed on the New Year's table and they were blessed by a prayer.
Today some people still put a plate of bread or a large SANGAK bread
on the New Year's table, and this is done also in wedding ceremonies.
At times they wrote congratulations on this bread by sesame seeds. In
the Sassanid's era on the corners of New Year's tablecloth, they wrote
"to be increased" which was supposed to bring abundance of things
every year. They also engraved this on the coins of the time.
Candle holder
On two sides of the bowel of fire, they placed precious candle holders
or lights and these were lit.
Light and brightness were considered an im****tant principle by
Iranians. The lighted and bright world was the land of AHOORAMAZDA and
wherever there was light, AHREEMAN (the devil) could not enter.
Milk
Fresh milk on the New Year's table is an image of the food for the
newly born of the skies, as according to the Zoroastrian story of
creation, the human being was born on the cradle of HAMSEDATMEDAM or
the three hundred and sixty fifth day of the year. Therefore in
celebrating the creation of the human being, similar to the need for
milk by the newly born babies, the heavenly newly born also needs
fresh milk. This was considered highly sacred in ancient Iranian
religions. In religious rituals milk was treated as sacred and, at
times, they mixed it with crushed HOOM before drinking.
HOOM is a plant found in Iran and mountains of Afganistan which has a
short branch and a milky juice and they crushed it while the holy
AVESTA book was cited.
Cheese was also placed on New Year's table as it was composed of milk,
yeast, symbolizing fertility and transformation within it.
Sassanid's kings ate a date, which was submerged in milk along with
fresh cheese, and this was meant to add to the abundance of things to
come.
Eggs
Egg is considered the root and the foundation of the New Year table
and all kinds of white and painted eggs should be placed on haft seen.
This was based on the belief that eggs symbolized fertility. The egg
skin (shell) is an image of the sky and the ceiling of universe. The
god of MITRA, according to a story, came from an egg from the sky.
In villages, it is customary to place an egg on a mirror and they
believe that at the instant of changing of the year, when the cow from
the sky, ****fts the world from one horn to the other, the egg moves on
the mirror. This story comes from the ancient beliefs on fertility, as
the mirror represents the power of ADVE****, which is to come down to
FARVARS and draws its shape from heaven. The movement of the egg on
the mirror is an image of birth and movement in the New Year. This
interpretation still stands among some villagers.
Mirror
The word mirror (Ayneh) comes from ADVE**** which means to see and
ADVE**** is one of the forces which assists in the creation of man.
The word ADVE**** is formed by a prefix of AD and a root of VEN which
means to see and mirror is an object with which one can see images.
During the first day of the New Year when the people of the world mix
with the heavenly FARVARS and other forces, the mirror symbolizes an
image of that on the New Year table.
For this reason a mirror is placed on top of the New Year's table
cloth and another mirror is placed under the egg.
Placing of a mirror in front of the bride and groom in wedding
ceremonies is to have the same objective, as marriage is an
introduction for fertility and FARVARS assist with the creation of
sperm (egg) and birth of children.
Samanoo
Samanoo is made of juice of germinating wheat. It is generally stated
that FARVARS cause the growing of vegetation and germination. FARVARS
make sprouts (buds) fertile and eating these fertile sprouts result in
gaining strength and fertility in the years to come.
Senjed (kind of tree with fruit resembling the mountain ash)
Senjed is a fruit, which is to be placed on the New Year table as the
aroma of its leaves, and its blossoms stimulate love which is of
fundamental and primary im****tance in fertility and having children.
Placing Sanjed on the New Year table was to motivate the world's
births.
Fish
The month of Esfand is in the HOOT (large fish) period. On the eve of
the New Year the month of HOOT (Esfand) gives its place to the HAMAL
(the month of Farvardin) and this is the reason for placing an image
of changing of the year on the New Year's table. Additionally, the
fish is one of the symbols of ANAHITA, which is the angel of water and
fertility and carries the main duty of the New Year, which is
fertility. Its placement on the New Year's tablecloth therefore
results in abundance and fertility. Eating fish on the eve of the New
Year is based on the same thinking.
Apple
Apple is one of the fruits, which was and is still placed on the New
Year's table. Villagers kept the apples in special cases and gave them
to friends and acquaintances before the New Year as gifts to be placed
on the New Year's table. In ancient Iranian stories, the apple was
very much related to giving birth. More often the medical men
(Dervishes) split the apple in two halves and gave one half to the man
and the other half to the woman. This was supposed to prevent
infertility and sterility. It can therefore be concluded that the
placement of apple on the New Year's table represents another image of
fertility and giving birth.
Yellow and white coins
Yellow and white coins placed on New Year's table is an image of
Shahrivar month from AMSHASPAND which represents metals and their
being on the New Year's table is intended to result in abundance and
enormous amount of money in the wallets and purses.
***** willow flower (Bidmeshk)
***** willow flower is an image from SEPANDARMAD AMSHSPAND and is the
special flower of the month of Esfand.
Orange
Orange symbolizes the globe and when it floats on a bowl of water, and
it still makes an appearance on some 'Haft Seen' tables, it
symbolizes the globe within the universe. When it rotates in the
water, it symbolizes the twelve months of the year and announces the
arrival of the New Year.
The Espand Seeds
The Espand seed finds its root in the ancient AVESTA term of "SPENTA"
which means sacred. These seeds existed in ancient sacred times and
were used during prayers.
Even today, they are burnt over the fire in order to protect people
from the cast of an evil eye. Villagers these days pass thread through
the seeds and use them as decorations in their rural houses.
Other objects are also put on the New Year table. Of these one can
name sweets and also candies, which symbolize objects of gratification
and also flour which symbolizes abundance. All these are to result in
abundance, prosperity and health during the New Year.
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