The symbolism of the Phoenix, like the mystical bird
itself, dies and is reborn across cultures and throughout time. In Greek mythology
they tell the story of the Phoenix, a large grand bird that is the colour of
fire with eyes of sapphire blue and at the end of its long life cycle it
smoulders into ash and an egg is left from which the phoenix is reborn and the
cycle begins anew.
The role of fire in the
symbol of rebirth is best known through the phoenix. The mythical phoenix dies
by spontaneous combustion. It bursts into flames and disintegrates into ashes.
Then, from the ashes, a new phoenix is born to live its live again.
In mythology, the
phoenix has a life span of 500 to 1000 years, and at the end of this, it builds
a nest out of twigs that then ignite, consuming both bird and nest in flame. Once
reduced to ashes, a baby phoenix is born, ready to follow the life cycle.
Did you know that the
Phoenix has been used as a Christian symbol of the resurrection since the first
century? In a typical version of the myth, the phoenix is said to have been an
eagle-like bird with beautiful red and gold plummage that lived in Arabia. Only
one phoenix existed at a time.
