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Sao

Updated: Oct 11

Etymology… floats my boat.  Examining the origins of words, especially from ancient languages allows for, I feel, a deeper understanding of life’s mysteries.  Whist I was writing, a couple of years ago, I decided on the word ‘Saorsa’ as a title for my collection.  Connecting with the land of the Gaels, their word for ‘freedom, liberation’ felt fitting for the freeing process of my pen upon paper, the seas and the sights surrounding me.  There was a romantic, ‘brave-heart’ quality to the word, which seemed to have a Celtic-Christian influence, with a further definition cited as ‘salvation’ noted.  Which led me to further research, what the biblical notion of salvation actually was, how could it relate to me – ‘to be saved’.  We save ourselves; I have thought for a long time.  Well, it turns out I was, protected from harm, as part circumstance and part (the unconscious process of) my writings, and the sharing of such, had put me rather seriously, in harm’s way.  That whole story is for another day, when the world feels a little safer to explore certain topics and more in favour of ‘free-speech’ or ‘saorsa cainnt’.

 

Salvation also pertains to the idea of deliverance of the soul from sin… And as events unfolded, perhaps I was also protected from such, as emotive a term as that may be, we are of course, all sinners.  Some maybe more than others 😊 and some more judgemental than others too… I believe I was in part, protected due to the process I wrote about and by following the ‘map’ I had created.  As well as the help from some others.

 

And so, without all of the personal background that led me to Saorsa, and without shouting too loudly about ‘how it works’, I have still been sharing the main themes during my Saorsa yoga workshops (next one coming up 27th October).

 

About a year later, pouring over my ‘Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology’ for a little light reading, I came across Gróa, (from the old Norse for ‘growing’), a Norse goddess of knowledge who practiced seiðr, a form of magic relating to the telling and shaping of, the future.  The pronunciation is a bit different but seiðr looks a little like Saor to me, so what about the ‘sa’ in Saorsa.  There are multiple linguistic trails to follow but my favourites tend to be Gaelic, Aramaic (the language the Christ is said to have spoken) and Sansktrit.  In Sanskrit, I find, a connection for ‘sa’ as ‘powerful, mighty, over-coming, defying, capable of’.  Perhaps a little like the sea.  And yes, I would like to think Saorsa outlines a map that can be used, as an aid to help us become capable of creating and shaping a bright future for ourselves.  We need that, do we not?

 

As I further refine, and simplify the process and make more accessible, the word Saorsa, however, isn’t all that helpful due to pronunciation and spelling ambiguities.  ‘Shorten it.’ said my helpful niece. So as I was playing around with related words, I find SaɸirosProto-celtic for ‘craftsman’, who can mould and shape his art to create a beneficial future manifestation or outcome, if he is of course, a su-wiros (good man).  Immediately, I note, Saɸ and iros… almost like ‘eros’.  Sao, I find is one of the 50 Greek Nereids, daughters of the Aegen sea God, or helpful fairies in modern Greek folklore.  Sao specifically provided ‘rescue’ or ‘safe passage’, particularly for sailors lost at sea on their quest for their Kingship… Kingship, I see as I type, is rather close to kinship.  We can all feel a little lost at sea from time to time.  And so, Sao is the name of my current project.

 

But what of ‘Eros’ the other half of the craftsman.  The winged God of love, or Cupid, we cannot forsake, as we work our craft.  Eros is passion and is our desire.  So, when we can ‘rescue’ or ‘free’ our desire, our passion, our connection to who and what it is, we love and feel passion for, we can create more effortlessly.  Eros of course, fell hopefully, I meant to write hopelessly, but hopefully is much more lovely.  He fell hopefully in love with Psyche, representing the soul.  After some initial fleeing from the force of his feelings and fears, he returned to Psyche for Zeus to bless the lovers united for eternity.  Psyche found her salvation with with Eros… many would consider the over-expression of such, as sin.  Oh life’s contradictions. 😊

 

Zeus, or Jupiter, the great benefic in our skies these next weeks, is about to re-examine the path he’s been on when it comes to communications and contracts, to assist our creative process.  Some of the titles bestowed upon Zeus – The Freedom Giver, The Patron of Hospitality, The Avenger of Wrongs Done to Strangers… interesting times we’re living in.  😊

 

Sending some Sao, Saorsa, Saɸiros magic or whatever you might be in need of, your way today, 10/10.

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