LF Insignia
“..Thine is the wand which causes sleep to fly -
or lulls to slumberous rest, the weary eye;
for Persephone through Tartarus, dark and wide,
gave thee for ever flowing souls to guide.
Come, blessed power, the sacrifice attend,
and grant thy mystics' works a happy end."
~ Orphic Hymn 57 to Chthonian Hermes
For the past few centuries, the Caduceus is often mistakenly associated with the Greek demigod Asclepius (god of healing, medicine and physicians). In Greek mythology, Asclepius carries a single staff featuring one entwined serpent -so it’s easy to confuse the two.
(I am admittedly one of the formerly confused…and on occasion, I am amongst the presently confused).
The caduceus (a blatant influence of my insignia) is actually a herald’s staff, carried by Greek god Hermes (and his Roman equivalent, Mercury) .
The entwined serpents of the caduceus are believed by many to represent the opposition of life and death.
The sphere at the crest of the scepter is said by some to represent the pineal gland - which make perfect sense, seeing as though it was instrumental in the delivery of dreams to mortals and had the ability to rouse the sleeping.
Sometimes referred to as the “third eye” or the “seat of the soul”, the pineal gland is a tiny endocrine organ that resembles a ‘pine cone’ (from which its name originates ). Nestled deep, near the center of the brain, the pineal gland’s main function is to synthesize and secrete melatonin - a hormone which regulates sleep by constantly monitoring the fluctuations of darkness and lightness of your external environment. Dysfunction in the pineal gland often results in disordered sleep.
Due to his speed, verbal eloquence and craftiness,
Hermes had quite the imposing portfolio of
celestial authority and contribution.
God of communication and boundaries (dividing life and death).
A protector of shepherds, merchants and thieves,
Hermes is most notably remembered as the swift-moving messenger of gods
Amongst his most important obligations, however, was that of a ‘psychopomp’ or ‘soul guide’.
An escort of spirits to the underworld and deliverer of dreams to mortals, Hermes was the middleman between earthlings and the divine.
With its power to revive the dead and settle disputes, the caduceus remains a powerful symbol of peace and immortality.
