Land n Sand Jan / Feb 2014 | Page 54

Did you know that The apple is a symbol of ecstasy, fertility and abundance as well as love. Gaia supplied apples to Hera on her wedding signifying love and union. Split apart, the Apple conjures an image of vulva, signifying feminine love & beauty. In China the Apple stands for peace and its blossom for adoration. Cupid or Eros means desire in Greek. According to Hesiod, Eros was the deity who came from Chaos (“The Yawning Void”) and represented the primal forces of desire. Eros is said to have been born from the union of Aphrodite and Ares. Known as Amor (meaning love) to the Romans, the Cupid was often shown blindfolded in art to symbolize love’s blindness. The Harp is a symbol of love in the form of lyrical art, poetry, and music. The Harp shares mythical connections to the Celts representing the bridge of love connecting heaven and earth. Magicians and Alchemists used the Heart symbols for incantations pertaining to matters related to love and romance. They were also used in rituals with a goal to strengthen relationships. The Heart has long been recognized across cultures as being a symbol for charity, joy and compassion. Roses are the perfect love symbol because they represent all things sensual, sacred, pure and romantic. In ancient Greece and Rome the rose was sacred to Aphrodite (Venus) and was her emblem of beauty. In the Western traditions the Rose is a symbol of passion, desire, voluptuousness, and physical perfection. Because of the Shell’s hard casing, it is a protective image - protecting life (sheltering pearls) and also symbolizes the protective quality love sometimes takes. In Roman mythology, Venus, the goddess of love, was said to be created from the foam carried ashore atop a scallop shell. (http://www.whats-your-sign.com/ love-symbols.html)