myths symbols sandplay

The Aegis

 

 

 

 

 

 

The female goat and the male goat have opposing symbolism. The female goat is usually viewed as nurturing and protective while the male goat is interpreted negatively. In Greek mythology, the she-goat Almathea nursed the infant Zeus. Her skin became the aegis, the projector and preserver, and her horn became the cornucopia that symbolize abundance and plenty (Cooper).

Jobes describes the aegis as "the skin of the goat which acted as Zeus’s foster mother and, by Hephaestus, made into an invulnerable breastplate or shield for Zeus. Zeus lent it to other deities and finally gave it to Athena" (pg 38). Jobes goes on to describe the aegis as "a goat skin covered with dragon scales, bordered by serpents, and had the head of the Medusa attached to it, all symbols of fertility and growth. 

The origin or use of goat skin as an item of clothing is discussed by Beidermann, "The divine robes of Pallas Athena include the original Greek ‘aegis’, the skin of the female goat, which according to  Herodotus [IV, 189] was a garment worn by Libyan women and (along with the Olive tree, which was sacred to Athena and imported from Libya) suggest the North African origins of the goddess" (pg 152). Cooper states that the aegis represented "protection; preservation; fecundity. The aegis was worn, while the shield was carried" (pg 10). The aegis was worn by Minerva, Italian goddess who is "represented in art as grave and majestic, wearing a long robe, bearing the aegis on her breast, armed with helmet and spear" (Jobes pg 1106).

See Bibliography for resources.

Goat Symbolism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 10th sign of the western zodiac is Capricorn. "Its dual nature, expressed allegorically in the form of a goat whose body terminates in a fish’s tail, refers to the dual tendencies of life towards the abyss (or water) on the one hand, and the heights (or mountains) on the other; these two currents also signify, in Hindu doctrine, the involute and evolute possibilities: the return to or the departure from the ‘wheel of rebirth’ (that is, the Zodiac)." (Eberhard, pg 38).

The goat has a broader symbolism aside from the zodiac sign of Capricorn. As with most symbols the goat has positive and negative symbolism. The goat represent agility, fertility, generative heat, reproductiveness, sociability, abundant vitality; also lasciviousness, poverty, stench, stupidity, and winter. In some traditions, the goat symbolizes the masculine principle and the reproductive powers of the sun. "The goat typifies foolishness in the valley, but that which is far-seeing and sure footed when on the mountain" (Jobes, pg 665).

The dream significance of a black goat is inconstancy in love; a white goat represents coming misfortune. In heraldry, the goat is the symbol of "the warrior who wins a victory by diplomacy or policy rather than by physical valor" (Jobes). In the northern sky the constellation Capricornus is also known as the Horned Goat. According to Jobes to goat is "in various European languages called gat, ged, geit, get, goot, gote, the radical of all being ‘at’ Egyptian for goat, which also meant heat. In Sanskrit the word is aga," which yields might A, which means mighty sun.

In China, the goat represented yang and is guardian of the direction south, southwest, and west; the hours one to three p.m.; and Wei, the eighth of the twelve terrestrial branches. The goat also symbolizes the good and peace.

In Christianity, the goat "symbolizes those damned in the last judgment…[and is] shown to distinguish sinners from the righteous" (Jobes). The scapegoat is Christ burdened by the sins of the world. The goat is also a familiar of witches and a form of the devil. The goat represented sharp hearing in Egyptian and Hebrew symbology. Early Hebrews considered the goat to be clean and therefore sacrificed goats to Jehovah to atone for sins. "In Greek mythology a goat nursed the infant Asclepius. The aegis of Athena was made from the hide of Amalthea, that she-goat which had nursed Zeus" (Jobes). The goat was also a form of Dionysus, the god of the grape harvest, winemaking, and wine. Pan had the ears, horns and limbs of a goat. The Minoan god of the waning year was the goat.

See Bibliography for references.

Goat Miniatures

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I review photos of clients’ sandplay scenes, the most frequent use of the goat is its placement among other farm or domesticated animals in several children’s scenes. I am aware that the children may have access to several petting zoos whose main attraction is usually an active and hungry heard of small goats. Is the use of the goat in their scenes a reflection of their possible interaction with goats at petting zoos, their association with typical farm animals, and/or a representation of a deeper symbolic meaning? As I recall the cases associated with the sandplay scenes, there are other more dominant themes and miniatures in their sandplay. As I research information for goat symbolism, I generate more to think about than answers to my questions.

Crown Shyness

"If you look up toward certain types of towering trees—including eucalyptus, Sitka spruce, and Japanese larch—you may notice a unique phenomenon: the uppermost branches don't touch. Known as “crown shyness,” this natural occurrence results in rupture-like patterns in the forest canopy that seem to perfectly outline the trees' striking silhouettes.

Since scientists first started studying the topic in the 1920s, crown shyness has been observed between trees of the same and different species in locations across the globe. Regardless of tree type or environment, crown shyness appears to always culminate in the same aesthetic, characterized by gaps that resemble meandering channels, zig-zagging cracks, and winding rivers.

While no one is quite sure why certain trees exhibit this unique behavior, several hypotheses have been presented by numerous scientists. One possibility is that it occurs when the branches of trees (particularly those in areas with high winds) bump into each other. Another suggested explanation is that it enables the perennial plants to receive optimal light for photosynthesis. Perhaps the most prominent theory, however, is that the gaps prevent the proliferation of invasive insects."

from https://mymodernmet.com/crown-shyness-trees-phenomenon/

Photo by Samuel Counil