玄武

“The True Self does not become enlightened or unenlightened; there is just an unveiling of the mind.

The One hidden behind the veil is the Self, the One that is lifting the veil is the Self.” 

北方玄武 — Běifāng Xuánwǔ

(Black Tortoise of the North)

Winter

玄武 『Xuánwǔ』 lit. "Dark Warrior" or 『Warrior of the Dark』is usually depicted as a tortoise entwined together with a snake. It is the eponym and is identical to an important Daoist god 玄武 『Xuánwǔ』or 玄帝 『Xuándì』, who is sometimes (as in 西遊記 "Journey to the West" in which he is the king of the north who had two generals serving under him, a "Tortoise General" and a "Snake General" sometimes also referred to as 萬公 General Wan Gong and 萬媽 General Wan Ma) portrayed in the company of a turtle and a snake, tortoise and serpent both thought to be spiritual creatures symbolizing longevity.

The graphical origin of 武 as “to stop the violence” — the ultimate state of just warfare — is traditionally attributed to 楚莊王 Chǔ Zhuāng Wáng [597 B.C.E.] King Zhuāng of Chǔ:

 楚子曰：「非爾所知也。夫文，止戈為武。」

Although linguistically, likely it might have been a misinterpretation, as 止 was frequently used to mean “to walk” (趾), not “to stop”.

玄武 Xuánwǔ or 玄帝 Xuándì, also known as 真武 Zhēnwǔ "True Warrior" or "Truly Valiant" or 真武大帝 Zhēnwǔdàdì "True Martial Great Emperor" or "Truly Valiant Great Emperor", was originally a butcher who had mercilessly killed many animals. As time passed though, he became conscious of the cruelty he had displayed and he felt remorse for his actions. Repenting, he abandoned his trade and 深山修道 retired to a remote mountain in order to cultivate the Dao.

One day, after assisting a woman in labour and as he was cleaning her blood-stained clothes in a river nearby, the words 玄 "Dark (or Mysterious) Heavenly Highest Deity" (玄天上帝 Xuántiān Shàngdì) appeared before him. The woman in labour was a manifestation of 觀音 the goddess Guānyīn. So, to redeem his sins, he dug out his own 胃 stomach (龜 tortoise) and 腸子 intestines (蛇 serpent) and washed them in the river. The river then became dark and murky before flowing once again clear and pure.

玄武 Xuánwǔ, during that operation, regrettably lost his stomach and intestines. 玉皇大帝 the Jade Emperor moved by his sincerity and determination to clear his sins made him an immortal with the title of 玄天上帝 Xuántiān Shàngdì.

The very fruit of the womb is blessed.

After he became an immortal, his 五臟六腑 stomach and intestines absorbed the essence of the earth. His viscera transformed into a 魔龜 demonic turtle and 魔蛇 a demonic snake, who started to hurt people. As no one could subdue the demonic animals, it was 玄武 Xuánwǔ, who eventually, returned to earth to subdue them. After defeating them, he used them as his subordinates.

Hail 觀音 Guānyīn-Mary,

Je vous salue Marie,

Full of Grace,

pleine de grâce,

The Lord is with thee.

le Seigneur est avec vous.

Blessed art thou among women,

Vous êtes bénie entre toutes les femmes

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles, est béni.

Holy Mary,

Sainte Marie,

Mother of God,

Mère de Dieu,

pray for us sinners now,

priez pour nous, pauvres pécheurs,

and at the hour of our death.

Amen

maintenant et à l’heure de notre mort.

Amen

*******

कृष्ण (kṛṣṇá) black (the colour) or dark-blue, कृष्ण Krishna is often depicted as 牛飼, 牧人 a young cowherd boy 『牛仔』 with a dark or blue complexion playing the flute (as in भागवत पुराण “Stories of ancient times told in a new manner” the Bhāgavata Purāṇá) or a youthful prince giving philosophical direction and guidance (as in भगवद्गीता the Bhagavadgītā) He is the divine speaker of भगवद्गीता the Bhagavadgītā and the eighth अवतार avatāra, “descent of a deity from a heaven” of विष्णु Viṣṇu that is blue in colour and has four arms: with each hand holding either a lotus, a mace, a conch shell or चक्रम् cakrám, a discus weapon also named सुदर्शन चक्र, sudarśana cakra, lit. "disc of auspicious vision" a spinning discus weapon having 108 serrated edges used as well by विष्णु, lit. 'the pervader', Viṣṇu or कृष्ण, Kṛṣṇa.

Tabula Smaragdina Hermetis

Rosicrucian Rose -- a circular diagram of alchemical symbolism with seven planets at the top, and a Latin "VITRIOL" acronym around the circumference.