An interesting Chinese symbol representing immortality/eternity, happiness, protection and good fortune:

• rich Chinese families would put a jade cicada in the deceased’s mouth believing that it would immortalize his/her ancestors giving him/her a good life after death
• wearing it represents a symbol of long life, happiness and eternal youth as the cicada is believed to the longest living insect.
• as a protection symbol as the Chinese believed that by wearing an image of the Cicada, the wearer will be warned and protected from danger from unfaithful or jealous friends, business colleagues, scheming bosses and enemies.
• as a symbol of good fortune omen.

Century 3, Quatrain 32:

Le grand sepulchre du peuple Aquitanique,

S’approchera aupres de la Toscane:

Quand Mars sera pres du coing Germanique,

Et au terroir de la gent Mantuane. 

The huge sepulchre of the French people will approach from near to Italy, when war is near the German corner and in the territory of the Italian people.

This was a war in which Italy and Germany inflicted heavy losses on the Frenchmen- a clear indication of the Second World War. Mussolini of Italy and Hitler of Germany joined together against the Allies.

Century 2, Quatrain 1:

Vers Acquitaine pars insuls Britaniques

 De pars eux mesmes grands incursions

Port Selin fortes fera invasions 

Towards Aquitaine by British assaults, by them also great incursions. Rains and frost make the terrain unsafe. Against Port Selin they will make strong invasions.

Nostradamus’ prediction of the First World War period when France and Britain were deadlocked on the Western Front. The Allies under Winston Churchill were persuaded to attack Dardanelles in order to reach Constantinople ( Port Selin). The troops had to suffer dreadful weather, which was a cause for the failure of the plan

In Nostradamus’s Century 10, Quatrain 26, he predicted the assasination of Robert Kennedy:

Le successeur vengera son beau frere,

Occupera regne souz umbre de vengeance,

Occis ostacle son sang mort vitupere,

Long temps Bretaigne tiendraavec la France.

[ The successor will avenge his handsome brother and occupy the realm under the shadow of vengeance, he killed the obstacle of the blameworthy dead; for a long time Britain will hold France]

Being intepreted:this quantrain predicts the assassination of Robert Kennedy, just as his handsome brother, John F Kennedy died, both within a short span of time. His stand for his brother’s causedid him no good.The last line are predictions of events to come.

In the Century 1, Quartrain 57, predicted by Nostradamus:

Avant Conflict le grand tombera,

Le grand a mort, mort, trop subite & plainte,

 Nay imparfaict: la plus part nagera,

 Aupres du fleuve de sang la terre tainte

[ Before the battle the great man will fall, the great one to death, death too sudden and lamented. Born imperfect, it will  go the greater part of the way; near the river of blood the ground is stained.]

Being interpreted: John F Kennedy had a great deal of charisma. He was born with chest problems, but that hardly affected his administrative efforts. He violently opposed Khrushchev’s attempt to set up missile bases in Cuba and was successful in containing their efforts. But soon after, he was killed at Dallas, in 1963

GAYATRI MANTRA

Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah;

Tat Savitur varenyam bhargo devasya Dhimahi;

Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat 

Translation:

Om-Brahmaor Almighty God

Bhur-Embodiment of vital life force energy ( Pranava)

Bhuvah -Destroyer of sufferings

Svah-Embodiment of happiness

Tat - That

Savitur -Bright, luminous like the sun

Varenyam-best, choicest

Bhargo -Destroyer of sins

Devasya -Divine

Dhimahi- Intellect

Yo - Who

Nah -Our

Pracodayat -May inspire

We meditate on that spiritual effulgence of that adorable supreme divinity reality, the source or projector of the three phenomenal world plans-the gross or physical, the subtle or psychical and the potential or causal, both macrosmically and microcosmically-who is fit to be worshipped, who is the embodiment of knowledge and light and who is the destroyer of all sins and ignorance. May that supreme divine being stimulate our intelligence, so that we may realise the ultimate truth.

Benefits of chanting Gayatri mantra:

• said to dispel fear, sorrow and misery and lead to the attainment of peace, prosperity and harmony in society as it purifies the mind
• eventually gives liberation or emancipation from the cycle of birth and death.

More salient points on Gayatri mantra:

• the word “Gayatri” means the Universal Energy which is constantly working in various ways(”gayam” means the cosmic and universal energy, and “tri” means working in various ways)
• can be recited by anyone, irrespective of caste, creed or religion
• forms the universal prayer for all Hindus
• greatest prayer mantra which incorporates all the ideas of the universal cosmic sound,Om
• gayatri is the name of a particularly sacred verse of the Rigveda
• the Vedas proclaim that Gayatri is the mother of all mantras
• a mantra which inspires righteous wisdom and is the source of all energies in this universe- is for the enlightenment of all human beings to enable them to realize the supreme truth
• one of the holiest and most efficacious mantras

Others sources on Gayatri mantra:

• Isha Upanishad:

         - this mantra is also known as Savitri mantra as it is

            addressed to the Sun (Savita) who is the symbolic

           representation of the supreme divinity, for he destroys

           darkness and promotes life and is identified with the

           inner self of man

• Mundala Upanishad:

          - states about the Gayatri mantra: ” Taking the

             almightly Upanishadic weapon as a bow, fix on it the

             arrow sharpened by constant meditation. And having

             drawn it to the full with a mind absorbed in its

             thought, penetrate the target, the immutable reality”

• Chandogya Upanishad:

           - mentioned that “Gayatri indeed is all this, whatever

             being exists. Speech indeed is Gayatri; for speech

             indeed sings and removes fear of all that exists… Such

             is the greatness of this Gayatri”

The Eight Treasures of Buddhism consist of eight articles which can bring good fortunes.By combining these eight symbols, they bring complete future in term of material and spiritual fortune. Hence these articles are adopted in many Chinese design.

Conch shell:

it is believed that conch shell can produce a beautiful sound like Buddha’s speaking hence it can bring good fortune

Wheel:

it is turning wheel which never ceases, the emblem of birth and death: which indicates that life can exist forever.

Umbrella:

The symbol of protection, the shelters of masses

Canopy:

Symbol of the help from Buddha, it can help the masses against poverty and disease.

Lotus:

symbol of purity. Lotus grows in swamps, stemming from mud but not defiled.

Vase:

the emblem of knowledger and achievement and virtue.

Fish:

usually in pairs, the symbol of strength, happiness and also believed to get rid of evils.

Endless knot:

symbol of longevity.

The eight symbols can also be displayed collectively as paintings on walls or drawn as eight separate objects and then embroidered onto heavy materials to be used in front of rooms as door coverings, as room dividers and as screens.

These eight objects are also used as feng shui tools. Some examples are:

• wall hangings with these eight objects remedies bad feng shui of doors being placed one after another in a straight line. Used as a door curtain which transform fast moving shar chi to slow down
• as a room divider /wall hanging embroidered with these eight objects eg if the door is too close to the staircase

Grape has flourishing leaves and clusters of fruits. The Buddhist Scripture said that grape symbolizes an abundant harvest of all food crops.

The Chinese folks use grape as a decorative pattern to indicate good harvest, wealth and longevity.

Peony is a typical traditional Chinese flower with beautiful color and sweet smell. Its long lasting appeal attracts many people.

In the past, many Chinese poets praise the peony. For example in the Tang Dynasty where there was a poetry which denotes peony as ” the Queen of the flowers” whilst in Song Dynasty, there is poetry which named “peony which has a noble character”.

In fact,during the Tang dynasty, every year there is a Peony fair held during their blooming seasons.

Hence peony patterns are often used in Chinese traditional pattern which denotes/express thriving and prosperity, peace and happiness.

Tawny daylily is also called day lily.

It looks like orchid and its corolla is in a funnel shape. Day lily has many different kinds, some of them have 6 to 9 flowers in a stem and has great variety.

Chinese poets regarad it as the plant which willd rive away one’s worries which in Chinese called ” Wang You Cao”