Look Up The Number

 **Updated with Runic associations***

Another aspect of Beatles mythology that needs to be explored is the use of numbers. The Beatles used numbers quite a lot in their lyrics, imagery and references. The song, All Together Now: "One, two, three, four Can I have a little more? five, six, seven, eight nine ten I love you." and You Never Give Me Your Money: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 -- all good children go to heaven." John's famous association with the number 9 is another example. As well, as a special treat for their fans, they aligned the stars in the Magical Mystery Tour album so that when you held it to a mirror, you would see a series of numbers. The various numbers that came out of this were rumored to be actual phone numbers. The last recording session by the Beatles involved one more take of the song, "You Know My Name, Look Up The Number".

I'm going to go through a few of the numbers I feel are relevant to the Beatles Mystery, and may add numbers and sources over time. For the sake of relevance and brevity, I'm not going to list all known associations for these numbers, just the things I find interesting.


**please see end of blog for sources but briefly, for context: the first set of information is from a Signs and Symbols book that I use throughout my blog (ISSS), the items labeled (CE) are from Godwin's  Cabalistic Encyclopedia, and the items labeled (CE-AC) are from an appendix section from that book that includes Aleister Crowley's addition to the Cabalistic numeric associations.

1:One- I'm going to begin with the number one, mainly because it's logical, but at this time, the only references to "One" that I can think of (other than in the counts as noted above) is "One After 909" and Paul McCartney's song, "This One". 

"The straight line is one of the simplest basic symbols.[...] One is the number of confidence, and of the One God, but it is also the number of the "one-ness" of the many. It is the number of the first mythological human, Adam. It is the World Tree and the Axis Mundi. Turn this line on it's side, and it becomes the Horizon.

One is generally the number of the individual and the leader. It's often seen as the male "yang" number. This means the number one is also the number of the autocrat and the dictator as well as that of the divine. [...]

In the Yantric number system of the Hindus, One, or Ekah, stands for the universality of spirit, called the Para Brahman. This energy is beyond the laws of time and space. Despite the multitude of deities in the Hindu system, the One stands for the unifying spirit that binds them all into the same energy." (ISSS)

"Crown; Unity" (CE)

**Runic Connections~  1 is the rune of Dhoarnn, (ph, th-thorn). This means: Thorn, irritation, hostility, regeneration, Cone, horn, Inception, the White Virgin, Thistle. Hidden destructive forces- wait with patience- learn from the past- beware. Giant." (aleph) 

2:Two- There are several Beatles references involving two, including, "Two of Us" and the frequent number of times 2 Pauls are shown in instances such as in the Yellow Submarine, and of course, the PID concept that there were 2 Pauls. As well, there is Paul McCartney's 3rd solo album, McCartney II. Also the song Junk contains the line, "bicycles for two"

"`The Arabic number 2 does some interesting things when you hold it up to a mirror; it forms the shape of a heart, the universal symbol for love and, specifically, two people in love.[...]

Despite the number 2 being somehow better than the number 1, two is the number of division. [...]

The Pythagoreans saw 2, or the Duad, as a symbol of opposition and also of audacity, because it had the cheek to separate from the first number.[...] If 1 represents the Heavens, then 2 is the depths of the seas, which reflected the Heavens and therefore 2 was capable of illusion and became associated with Maya, the Great Void. The Magi carried mirrors with them as a reminder of this illusion, since mirrors reflect, another quality of the 2.

The number 2 gives us positive and negative aspects of all things; indeed, without the number 2, positive and negative themselves would not exist. Day and night, light and dark, good and bad, male and female, attraction and repulsion, life and death." (ISSS)

"Wisdom;
Duality, the Duad" (CE)

 **Runic Connections~ 2 is the rune of Tay-uk, Torc (b- beorc). This means: birch, white, breasts of mother earth, expansion, reproduction, fractilization, Iteration, Fertility, protection, growth, nurturing, circle of life cycles, natural evolution and progress. (Beth)  


3:Three-  Reference is made subtly by Ringo, John and George of there being "3 Beatles". Ringo's drum head during the "I Am The Walrus" portion of MMT looks to say, "Love the 3 Beatles". On the Sgt. Pepper album cover, there are 3 sticks crossed, laying on what looks like a left-handed bass, that could be thought to spell out "Paul?"

"It's because the number 3 gives us the potential circle- and a new dimension- that it becomes the first true magical number. There are countless examples of groups of three: the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost; the Triple Jewel of Buddhism in which Buddhists take refuge[...] the three Fates; and the three parts of time, Past, Present, and Future.

There's a satisfaction about things that happen in threes, a feeling of "third time lucky" and the completion of a cycle.

The Triad represents the first "equilibrium of unities" and it was for this reason that the God Apollo used a tripod from which to give oracles. Three was seen as the number of wisdom, understanding and knowledge." (ISSS)


"Understanding;
the triangle, triad" (CE)

"Father; to come, go" (CE-AC)

 **Runic Connections~ 3 is the rune of Yar, Yor (j- Ger). This means: seasonal cycle, marriage of heaven and earth, hypercube, hologram, grey, phase shift, fog, a years time, unit, a fertile season, beneficial outcome or harvest of labors, reward for hard work, the unfolding moment. (Gimel)

4: Four- Originally there were 4 Beatles, the Fab Four.

"Now a new shape can be made which had no way of existing previously. As the third point of the number three gave us the triangle, a fourth point gives us potential not only for the square, but also for the cross. [...].

Four is a masculine number and gives us, among countless other things, the number of the cardinal directions, North, South, East and West; the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; the four elements of earth, air, fire and water and so on.

Four has a wholeness about it, an organized an orderly number that likes to make sense of things. There's something about the square that is protective and stable, which holds things, box-like, within the embrace of its confines.[...] 



In alchemy, there are four key ingredients that go towards the Philosopher's Stone; these are sulfur, mercury, salt and azoth. In the Tarot, 4 is the number of the Emperor, the archetypal male figure, the father, the King, the patriarch, who likes to create order and harmony in the Universe that is enfolded within the number itself , which hold a hidden secret: if the numbers within 4 are added together- 1+2+3+4, the whole adds up to 10, which implies the start of a new cycle; a rebirth or reincarnation." (ISSS)

"Mercy; the number of human limbs; proud" (CE)

 **Runic Connections~ 4 is the rune of Dea (d- daeg). This means: Day, hope,  highest good, polarization, polarity of light and dark, magician, strength, period of prosperity, break-through, inspiration, great self change, challenges ahead." (dalet) 


5:Five- "the Fifth Beatle". Was that Brian Epstein, Mal Evans, Neil Aspinall, Pete Best, Stuart Sutcliffe, Billy Preston, George Martin....or Billy Shears/William Campbell/Billy Shepard?

"The dots that add up to 5, if placed symmetrically, give the potential for a five-pointed star (pentagram) or for a five pointed shape (pentagon). The 5, like the 3, is constructed from adding an odd number (3) to an even one (2), thus blending male with female. The pentagram itself is a mystical symbol that also holds within it the qualities of the 5

In the Western world there are four elements, but in the East there's a fifth, or quintessence, that binds them all together, called ether. Alchemists indicate this with the five-petaled rose in the center of a cross, redolent of the Rose Cross Lamen.[...] 

Pancha is the number 5 in the Yantric system, and it stands for the five functions of the Divine, namely: creation, preservation, destruction, obstruction, and liberation.

In the Tarot, 5 is the number of the Hierophant, or the Pope, who represents the face of God on Earth." (ISSS)


"Severity;
the number of senses; the number of fingers on one hand; the number of human limbs counting the head; the number of lumbar vertebrae in the human spine;
Food;
Vapor, Mist;
Elevation, top;
Pit, waterhole" (CE)

"Mist, Vapor; Back" (CE-AC)

**Runic Connections~ 5 is the rune of Yer (yr). This means: bow, artisan, creative skill, shaping space, craftsman's pride, time cycle, building, construction, turning harshness to comfort, arts venture, working with ones hands, creation. (Vav) 

8:Eight- The song "Eight Days a Week", and Ringo's album, "Liverpool 8" and Paul's song, "Figure of Eight"

"In general, eight is seen as a good number, a symbol of harmony and balance. The inter-cardinal points balance the four elemental directions.

For Pythagoras, the 8 or Ogdoad was called the "little holy number" and considered sacred for several reasons. The cube has 8 corners.[...] The serpents that twist up the staff of the caduceus make figure-of-eight shapes.

There are eight trigrams in the I Ching that go to make up the 64 hexagram, itself constructed of 8x8. [...]

In Hindu belief, each of the eight directions of the earth are ruled over by a God. These 8 divinities are related in turn to the eight petals of the lotus that resides, symbolically, inside the skull, a reminder of the microcosm and the macrocosm. Additionally there are said to be 8 qualities that belong to God; these are innocence, purity, self-knowledge and omniscience, freedom from impurities, benevolence, omnipotence, and bliss.

The figure of 8 itself forms a symbol called lemniscate, which is the scientific sign for infinity as well as having the same meaning at a more philosophical level, where it stands for the cycle of life, death and rebirth in the same way that the eighth day- following the six days of work and the seventh day of rest- denotes the day of renewal and invigoration.

In the Tarot, 8 is the number for Justice, again reflecting the universal idea that 8 is the number of balance. It is the first card of the second set of the Major Arcana, reinforcing the idea of 8 as a symbol of renewal.

"Splendor; the number of Sephiroth on the Sufi Tree of Life;
The number of Santa's reindeer;
Love; Then; Breast;
In itself, in the...is, that in it" (CE)

"To will, intend; Then
Desired, Beloved;
The entrance, threshold;
To be anxious, grieve;
Love; Beloved; breast; pleasures of Love" (CE-AC)

**Runic Connections~ 8 is the rune of Mann, Monn (M). This means: Humanity, mortal body, simplicity, androgyne, Tao, Know Thyself, be modest, do not seek credit, wait for reward, live in the present, understand the transitory, moon. (plus the rune standstill means, "I am") (Het) 


9:Nine- The most common number associated with the Beatles. John referred to this number often saying, "nine is a lucky number". There is quite a lot of connection between John and the number 9, as you can read more about here: <Read about John's connection to the number 9> Songs containing the number 9 include,, "Revolution #9" "One ofter 909" John's "Number 9 Dream", and both George and John refer to "Cloud 9" in solo songs. 

"As it is 3x3, the number 9 has magic status and is a sacred number. For Hindus, it is the number of the Lord Brahma, the Creator. It is also seen as a symbol for perfection and unity[...]

The Pythagoreans recognized the 3x3 as the Ennead, which is the first square of an odd number, sometimes even seen as evil because it is the inversion of the number 6. However, it was also considered limitless because there was nothing beyond it but infinity as represented by the number 10, the perfect Decad.

The Eleusinian mysteries described the nine spheres through which human consciousness must pass in the journey of its rebirth into a new body.[...] The Ancient Romans held feasts of purification for newborn boys when they were 9 days old, and buried their corpses nine days after actual death.

In the Tantric system, 9 is called Nava. There are nine virtues of Dharma, the rules of living according to divine law.

Because it is the last single-digit number, there is a sense of completion and wholeness about the number 9. It is for this reason that nine represents achievement and culmination of a task. In addition, nine is the zenith of achievement for a single-digit number. Because human embryos need nine months of gestation, nine is the number of man. Man also has nine physical apertures, symbolizing the nine channels of communication with the world. There are nine known planets in our Solar system. In the Tarot, 9 is the number for the Hermit.

It's interesting to note that 666- also described as the number of the Beast- adds up to 18 using numerology, and 1+8 is 9. No great evil there, but a simple matter of fact." (ISSS)

"Foundation; Brother;
Booty, Prey;
Come, come in, come out, come upon, go down;
Back; Shout of Joy" (CE)

"Ventriloquus: the special 'fire' of black magic; Whence Obi Obeah;
He kindled; Brother; Garment;
Became powerful, grew high;
Middle; Splendor" (CE-AC)

 **Runic Connections~ 9 is the rune of (th)Ing. It means: Here, God, consort of earth goddess, generative force, creative power, great potential energy, sexuality, magic, new path, heroism, divine guide, emergence from habit. (Tet) 


                                     For your consideration:

11:Eleven- On the Drum head on the cover of the Sgt. Pepper album, if one holds a mirror up to the design, it says, 1 One IX, He Die. Some people take this to mean Paul died on November 9th (11-9), but considering they were British, and the British write the dates the other way, it could mean September 11th (9-11). Either way, 11 is involved. 

"Eleven is considered to be the number of woman, since the female has 11 apertures in her body. The unborn child receives 11 divine powers via these holes. Numerologists consider that 11 is a "Master Number" that should not be reduced down into a single digit.

However, some traditions are suspicious about 11. If 10 is the number of completion and wholeness, then there is an idea that 11 must be the number of excess and extravagance.[...] The eleventh hour has a sense of urgency about it. since the clock runs to 12, then this is that last hour in which something can be done. The First World War ended on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, of course.

The black magician Aleister Crowley was especially fond of the number 11, since it carries occult significance. The "K" that he added to the word "magic" enjoys special status because it is the eleventh letter of the alphabet.

The eleventh card of the Tarot is either Justice or Strength. This card stands at the mid-point of the numbered series of cards." (ISSS)

"The number of Magic (according to Crowley);
Where? Island;
Feast; Gold, Golden; Arrogant" (CE)

"Ahah;
Firebrand, volcanic fire: the special 'fire' or 'light' of the Sacred Magic of Light, Life and Love- hence 'Odic Force'
Where?; When?;
to tear, cut, attack;
Gold; Proud, haughty; to conceal;
A circularity of form or motion; a feast" (CE-AC)

 **Runic Connections~11 is the combination of the runes for 1 and 10 (Dhoarnn and Assk). They work together to create a synthesis of meaning. Combine the meanings of Dhoarnn from 1, above, with the meanings for Assk.

1 is the rune of Dhoarnn, (ph, th-thorn). This means: Thorn, irritation, hostility, regeneration, Cone, horn, Inception, the White Virgin, Thistle. Hidden destructive forces- wait with patience- learn from the past- beware. Giant." (aleph) 


10 is the rune of Assk (ae, a, aesc). This means: Ash, spear, cloak, shelter, protection, nobility, magic weapon, protection from persons in higher rank, denotes use of secret weapon, clues of power, signals, of a mercurial nature. (Yod) 

One of the resulting sound combinations if "Phae" or Fae, another way to say fairy. 



23:Twenty-three - This number is significant because it is seen on the Yellow Submarine movie poster, and is closely associated with the Illuminati. 

"Known as the Royal Star of the Lion, in purely numerological terms 23 is an auspicious number, announcing help from higher places or people, success and fame. However with 23, all is not quite so simple and much of the mysticism surrounding this number comes from a relatively recent source, Discordianism, more of which in a moment.


If 22 is somehow able to encompass the whole of the Universe, then what of the numbers that come after it? As its immediate successor, logically, 23 must herald the beginning of a completely new world, a world not ruled by the same harmonious laws of the preceding 22. In addition, 23 comprises 2 (female) plus 3 (spiritual energy), combining to make 5, the number of harmony and balance, reflected nicely by the 23 chromosomes that are contributed by the male and female during conception.

Discordianism is a modern, "prankster" spiritual movement, which started in 1958, and one of its central tenets is called the "23 Enigma", a belief that everything in the universe and all events are somehow connected to the number 23. The goddess who presides over the Discordians is called Eris, the Greek Goddess of Strife and Discord, who is also known as the Queen of Night.

This belief has had far-reaching effects, and it's fair to say that the Discordians influenced writers such as Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, who write about the 23 Enigma and the rule of 5s (2+3=5) in their Illuminatus Trilogy. There are even two movies about this phenomenon. The most recent is The Number 23, starring Jim Carrey, in which his character is so much in the thrall to the number that he believes is controlling his life that he gradually descends into madness. The other movie is also called 23, further enhancing the conspiracy theories surrounding the number with its plot- computer hackers stumble upon secret societies that all share a link to the number 23." (ISSS)

"Corresponds to water;
Life, living, living thing;
'lesser;" (CE)

"Parted, removed, separated;
Joy; A thread'
Life" (CE-AC)

 **Runic Connections~23 is the combination of the runes for 20 and 3 (Kaen and Yar). They work together to create a synthesis of meaning. Combine the meanings of Yar from 3, above, with the meanings for Kaen (20).


20 is the rune of Kaen, (K, C, cen). It means: Torch, light, warmth, fire, illuminate, flail, new light on old matters, clearing misunderstanding, the light of reason, new clarity, ability (can). (Kaf). 


3 is the rune of Yar, Yor (j- Ger). This means: seasonal cycle, marriage of heaven and earth, hypercube, hologram, grey, phase shift, fog, a years time, unit, a fertile season, beneficial outcome or harvest of labors, reward for hard work, the unfolding moment.


Together they make the word "York", and JC. 


Sources:
(ISSS)- The Illustrated Signs & Symbols Sourcebook: An A to Z Compendium of Over 1000 Designs
by Adele Nozedar; Metro Books, NY. 2010.
(CE)- Godwin's Cabalistic Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide to Cabalistic Magic by David Godwin; 3rd Edition. Llewellyn Publications. 2002.
 (CE-AC) the Last 'Appendix' in the above book, "Sepher Sephiroth"; reprinted from Aleister Crowley's book The Equinox. 1912. 

{Flowers Revisited}: Carnations

Please see the Introduction To Rabbit Hole Legend A-Z post for information about sources and purpose 

 Also, please see "Flowers" for more symbolism of flowers related to the Beatles, the ultimate flower children.

Carnation: In the movie, Magical Mystery Tour, the end segment involves a song-and-dance number called, Your Mother Should Know. In this, the Beatles are seen wearing white tuxedos and all but Paul wear a red carnation in the lapel. Paul has a black carnation...have you ever seen a black carnation? The explanation for this generally given has been that they ran out of red carnations, and only had black ones lying around, so he used that. This is despite the fact that red carnations can clearly be seen in the bouquet in his hand. He is the only one carrying flowers. Again...why did they just have black carnations lying around? You have to go through a lot of expense and effort to acquire black carnations....

"(Red) My heart aches for you, admiration." (CESS)

"For the most part, carnations express love, fascination, and distinction, though there are many variations dependent on colour. [...] Purple carnations indicate capriciousness. In France, it is a traditional funeral flower, given in condolence for the death of a loved one. In France and Francophone cultures, carnations symbolize misfortune and bad luck. Pink carnations have the most symbolic and historical significance. According to a Christian legend, carnations first appeared on Earth as Jesus carried the Cross. The Virgin Mary shed tears at Jesus' plight, and carnations sprang up from where her tears fell. Thus the pink carnation became the symbol of a mother's undying love. [...]

Some scholars believe that the name "carnation" comes from "coronation" or "corone" (flower garlands), as it was one of the flowers used in Greek ceremonial crowns. Others think the name stems from the Latin "caro" (genitive "carnis") (flesh), which refers to the original colour of the flower, or incarnatio (incarnation), which refers to the incarnation of God made flesh." <Follow link to Source>

"[Red Carnations] Their color means love, pure gratifying love. Light red carnations stand for respect and admiration while deep red, scarlet carnations have a deeper meaning, a meaning of desire and passionate love. They are used in fraternities as a symbol of loyalty and survival and they became, in 1904, the official state flower of Ohio.

Red inspires beauty, heat, strength – red is the color of the heart, and mixed up in the blooms of the carnations, it can only express one feeling – love.<Follow Link to Source>

" If you are invited to a German's house, bring a gift such as chocolates or flowers. [...] Do not give carnations as they symbolize mourning. Do not give lilies or chrysanthemums as they are used at funerals.

 Some older French retail old-style prohibitions against receiving certain flowers: White Lilies or Chrysanthemums as they are used at funerals; Red Carnations as they symbolize bad will; any white flowers as they are used at weddings." <Source>

"Black carnations are filled with mystery. They are often associated with negative things, but even though they seem dark and scary, black carnations can be quite elegant and fancy.

Black carnations are not naturally obtained flowers, they do not exist in nature as such. They are dyed or genetically modified, just like blue flowers.[...]

 Black carnations are obtained by using genetic engineering and hybridization techniques. The Australian company Florigene obtained black carnations by taking the blue pigment from the genes of a petunia and insert it in the DNA of a deep red carnation.[...]

 Black carnations are quite rare and avoided mostly because they symbolize mourning and, therefore, death. Also, there are a few stories in the folklore in which giving a black carnation to someone means that you want the death of that person." <Follow Link to Source>

{Birds Revisited}: Ravens

 Please see the Introduction To Rabbit Hole Legend A-Z post for information about sources and purpose.

 The references to birds in Beatles music and imagery is a common theme. Please see the full, original post, "Birds" for more on the meanings of birds of the Beatles.

Raven:  Though not mentioned specifically by the Beatles in lyrics, I would argue the imagery of "Blackbird", for many people leads to the visualization of a Raven or Crow, especially with the "dead of night" setting; therefore I will include some Raven symbolism. Since Edgar Allen Poe is prominently on the Sgt. Pepper's album cover, and he is most notably known for his poem "The Raven", I feel the raven is rightly tied in. 

 "The raven belongs to the most intelligent of all the birds. To give some idea of its intelligence, if the average IQ for a human being is measures at the 100 mark, then the average IQ of a raven is 138. Its linguistic skills are legendary, and it is possible that the raven can understand as well as imitate human words. It is this intelligence, and the playful nature of the raven. that makes it the ultimate symbol of the trickster. [...]

Even if the raven has never been taught to speak in human languages, its voice carries a surprisingly human inflection and tone. This led to a belief that the bird knew everything, as personified by the ravens that belonged to the Norse god Odin. Called Hugin and Munin, from the words for thought and memory, the birds flew back to the gods at the end of every day where they whispered into his ears all the doings of mankind. Odin- also known as the Raven God- had daughters, Valkyries, who appeared as ravens, and similarly, witches are said to be able to shape-shift into the form of ravens, which is how they travel, anonymously, to their meetings.

More sinisterly, the raven is seen as a harbinger of death, as personified in the Morrigan, the great Battle Goddess of Celtic myth who takes the form of a raven. The raven is a carrion bird and was often to be seen at the site of battles, making a grim meal of the bloody remains of the defeated army. In addition, the spooky black appearance of the bird certainly lends itself to the dark imagery posited by horror stories. In the Mahabharata, the bird is a messenger of death, but paradoxically to those of a Western sensibility, this does not mean that the bird is a symbol of ill omen. [...]

The ravens at the Tower of London are a symbol of protection par excellence. Birds have been kept in this spot for a thousand years, due to the ancient legend that the country would be safe from invaders while the Ravens remained there. Indeed this idea is so firmly entrenched in the national psyche that when the raven population dwindled during the Second World War, Winston Churchill arranged that ravens be "imported" from Wales to keep the country safe.

Despite its color, the Ancient Greeks had the raven as a solar symbol, and it is dedicated to the Goddess Athena and the God Apollo." (ISS)

"[...]The raven's intelligence is possibly its most winning feature. Indeed, these birds can be trained to speak. This speaking ability leads into the legend of ravens being the ultimate oracle. In fact, the raven is often heard to cackle utterances that sound like "cras, cras." The actual word cras is tomorrow in Latin. This lends more fuel to the legendary fires that distinguish the raven as a bird who can foretell the future, and reveal omens and signs.

Countless cultures point to the raven as a harbinger of powerful secrets. Moreover, the raven is a messenger too, so its business is in both keeping and communicating deep mysteries.

Raven symbolism of wisdom and knowledge-keeping is connected with the Welsh hero Bran, the Blessed whose name means raven. Bran was the holder of ancestral memories, and his wisdom was legendary. So much so, that he had his head (the vessel of his powerful wisdom) removed and interred in the sacred White Mount in London. Ravens are still roosting there (in the Tower of London), and they're thought to keep Bran's wisdom protected and alive by their presence."       <Follow link to source site>; Also- It's very worthwhile to learn more about Bran as a Celtic oracle here:More about Bran and Celtic Skulls Symbolism}

See also Blackbird for more on Blackbird symbolism

Legend: Sun

 Please see the Introduction To Rabbit Hole Legend A-Z post for information about sources and purpose

Sun: Beatles song titles include Here Comes the Sun, Sun King, Good Day Sunshine, I'll Follow the Sun and from the Love album "Nus Gnik". There is also Paul McCartney's Good Times Coming/Feel The Sun, Sun is Shining, and Ou Est la Soleil. Also there is the association with Cirque Du Soleil with the Love Album Show. See also Dawn and Sunflower for more relationships 

"Although the Sun is generally masculine element that balances the feminine Moon, there are nevertheless several Sun Goddesses as well as Sun Gods. For many, though, the glory of the Sun makes it the absolute physical manifestation of the Godhead- or the Supreme Being- and therefore beyond mere sex. The sun also equates to the Eye of God, as depicted, for example, in the sun-like rays of the All Seeing Eye of the Masonic tradition. Some tribal peoples see the sun as the "good," right eye of this Divine Being, whereas the moon is the "bad," left eye. 

To our ancestors, when the sun tipped over the edge of the sky on the western horizon it disappeared into the Land of the Dead. They believed, therefore, that as well as being the bringer of life, the Sun could also take life away- Godlike powers indeed. [...] As such, the Sun becomes a malevolent force. Generally, however, the heat and light of the Sun are seen worldwide to be celestial gifts conferred to our planet and all the life to which it plays host.

The Sun is personified, symbolically, in many differing ways, including the petals of flowers (particularly the Sunflower), [...] For the Druids, the Stag represents the Sun. In alchemy, gold is the metal of the sun." (ISS)

"As the celestial body that outshone all others, the sun became an inevitable symbol of royalty. In the long Egyptian history of Sun worship, Pharaohs were so identified with the sun itself that even priests of the great reforming Pharaoh Akhenaten described him as being formed from soar rays. The symbolic links between royalty and the sun were transferred to the metal and hue Gold. At their accession , rulers of the Inca empire in Peru were once covered in resin sprayed with gold dust, hence the Amazonian legends of E Dorado (the gilded ones). At their death they were embalmed as 'children of the sun' and seated in temples on golden thrones.

Sixteenth-century English courtiers made play with the idea of Henry VIII as the sun around which they revolved, and in the following century the architecture and statuary of Versailles were designed to symbolize the absolute monarchy of Louis XIV as the Sun King.

(under Divinity) The sun was seen everywhere as the center of the universe and has been worshiped as an actual divinity in innumerable cultures and traditions, if not always as the supreme deity. The Emperors of Rome abandoned the cult of Sol, their sun deity, only when Constantine converted to Christianity in 324ce. So popular with the Roman army was the male solar cult of Mithraism based on the Indo-Iranian sun god) in the 3rd century, that the Emperor Aurelian names 25 December as the birthday of Mithras, the 'Unconquerable Sun'- a choice of date which was soon taken over by Christianity as the emblematic birthday of Jesus, the new God of Light.

In Peru and Egypt, where sun cults reached their highest form of development, the supposed kinship between the monarchy and the 'father' god, allowed kings to claim divine status for themselves.

Purely as a symbol of divinity, the sun is often seen as the principle agent of a supreme being. In Christian, Islamic and Hindu tradition, it represents the Eye of God, an embodiment of his all-knowing, all-seeing power and a guiding force radiating love and life-force. Dante declared that no other visible thing was more suitable a symbol of God himself."" (1,001S)  

Legend: Egg

Please see the Introduction To Rabbit Hole Legend A-Z post for information about sources and purpose.

Eggs (Eggmen):"I am the Eggman, they are the Eggmen, Goo Goo G'Joob!"

"The egg is as powerful in its symbolism as it is potent as a life-force. The World Egg is a ubiquitous symbol for the egg from which the Universe is said to have hatched, an idea that appears in creation myths from all parts of the world. The Celts, Hindus, Egyptians, Greeks and Phoenicians and many more agree about this idea.

The form this cosmic hatching takes is variable though. Often the egg risen from primeval waters and is incubated by a bird; in Hindu belief, this is the Hamsa, a goose [(See link after "swan" entry)]. When the egg hatches, the yolk and the white become heaven and earth.[...]

The egg is a symbol of new life, and this idea is borne out with chocolate eggs at Easter, which in itself is a celebration of the pre-Christian fertility goddess, Eostre, who also gives her name to the hormone estrogen. The subsequent celebration of Christ's death and resurrection meant that the egg kept its significance as a symbol of immortality and rebirth.

In alchemy, the Philosopher's Egg symbolizes the seed of spiritual life, and depicts the place wherein a great transformation takes place. " (ISS)

"To ancients in all lands, the egg was the symbol of generation and immortality. In Scandinavia and Russia clay eggs were put in tombs to ensure life after death. A similar idea was signified in ancient Egypt by the winged egg floating above the mummy, carrying the soul to another birth. The Chinese believed that the first archetypal man sprang from an egg dropped by Tien, a great bird. The alchemists spoke of the philosophical egg which combined all the elements of life, the container of thought and matter. The Greeks thought of the egg as the seven-fold vault of space, a symbol originally  compounded in the dual septenary planes of the Cosmic Egg of Hindu tradition.

Reverence for the egg is evoked by its form as well as by its mystery. Its elliptical form describes the movement of heavenly bodies and of the earth itself. It describes the sphere of light that surrounds all living things. It is in the oviform that the potency of spirit in matter manifests. The Katakopanisad teaches that in the Spiritual Egg, Purusha or Divine Spirit stands before primordial matter and from their union springs the great Soul of the World." <Read more at Sources site>

And then there's "Humpty Dumpty", the great Eggman, and his famous last words, "Goo Goo g'Joob"; which are a little less clearly sourced then many folks believe it to be, most likely from Finnegan's Wake, "GooGoo Goosth", but attributed by the Beatles-fans as being the last thing he says after falling off the wall, "He was an Egg, after all".
                             
                       

Legend: Dawn or "Here Comes the Sun"

Please see the Introduction To Rabbit Hole Legend A-Z post for information about sources and purpose.                                                                                        

Dawn: The Arising of the Sun after the darkest hour of the night is a common theme with the Beatles with: Here Comes The Sun, (Here Come the) Sun King, Good Day Sunshine; and George's Rising Sun.

"The joyful, optimistic start to a new day, the Greeks personified the dawn as Eos, who, regular as clockwork, opens the gates of Heaven every morning with her rosy fingers for the Sun God, Helios, to ride through. Dawn symbolizes the triumph of light over dark and, consequently, of good over evil. WE say that 'the darkest hour comes before dawn,' meaning that things are often at their most difficult when the end is in sight." (ISS)

"[In regards to the Rose Coss from Freemasonry] ' The ROSE, was anciently sacred to Aurora and the Sun. It is a symbol of Dawn, of the resurrection of Light and the renewal of life, and therefore of the dawn of the first day, and more particularly of the resurrection: and the Cross and Rose together are therefore hieroglyphically to be read, the Dawn of Eternal Life which all Nations have hoped for by the advent of a Redeemer.' Albert Pike 1871"   <Source here>


"Seval is the noble red rooster who heralds each dawn, calling all to awake and arise. He is a symbol of the imminence of spiritual unfoldment and wisdom. As a fighting cock, he crows from Lord Skanda's battle flag."<Follow like to source site>

This calls to mind the sound of the Rooster at the beginning of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise; and if you follow the link about the Goddess Aurora you will learn, "Wanting to be with her lover for all eternity, Aurora asked Jupiter to grant immortality to Tithonus. Jupiter granted her wish, but she failed to ask for eternal youth to accompany his immortality, and he became forever old. Aurora turned him into a grasshopper". Grasshoppers can be heard at the beginning of Sun King. Lovely! All linked together from learning about Dawn!

                                         "Rising Sun" by George Harrison.
 From original poster: "Track from the album Brainwashed released in 2002 shortly after George's passing. Jeff Lynne produced and polished up George's basic track along with George's son Dhani! I added rare pics of George, shots taken just before he died."

Legend: Birds

Please see the Introduction To Rabbit Hole Legend A-Z post for information about sources and purpose.

                                       Free As a Bird (a little music for your reading pleasure)

Birds (Parrot, Swan, Blackbird/Raven): Birds are a frequent image in Beatles' lyrics, with songs like, "Black Bird", "Blue Jay Way", "And Your Bird Can Sing", Paul's, "Jenny Wren", "Birds of Paradise", and "This One", which sounds like "This Swan" and features lyrics and imagery about swans. As well, Ringo recorded, "Bye-Bye Blackbird", Paul recorded, "Cold Turkey", and their post-mortem (John's at least) swansong, "Free as a Bird".  As well, the Magical Mystery Tour features a green bird (parrot?) as one of the 4 "mystery animals". 

"[Birds'] primary symbolic function is as messengers from the spiritual realms, from the gods. Arguably, the generic symbolism of the bird is one of the most universal of any." (ISS)


{Blackbird: Obviously, "Black Bird singing in the dead of night, take the broken wings and learn to fly...take these sunken eyes to see....". 
"Birds robed in black do not give up their secrets easily. They love to watch us marvel over their messages. Black birds demand our commitment to learning their wisdom, and do not reveal their meanings unless they are convinced we've devoted ourselves completely to the path of understanding (both dark and light sides of) energy.

This concept correlates to lunar themes too. The symbolic meaning of blackbirds is eternally linked to the "dark vs light" phases of the moon. I'm talking nocturnal awareness. Illumined lunar understanding which requires a different use of the senses. Sense which can only be utilized when transformative devotion is made. A commitment to higher knowing (flight) and an acceptance of the void (infinite vastness that eludes the ego and rational mind).

This is a fundamental concept of alchemy which is: Transition and Transformation. The bird is symbolic of life in the heavens (higher ideals, higher path of knowing) and the color black is symbolic of pure potential. Between the two, there is no limit to human transformation - all we have to do is close the shutters of the rational mind, and start sojourning with our darkly feathered friends.

Black birds (in general) are archetypes of living life in higher realms, and are symbolic of: Higher Intelligence, Higher Thought, Higher Ideals.

This is because birds are (metaphorically and mythologically speaking), situated in proximity to the higher energies of the Universe. This also positions them as heavenly or divine oracles and messengers in cultural myths across the globe.

Blackbirds and birds of black or dark colors are special among their airy clan as they are the symbolic of:: Mystery, Magic, Secrets, The Unknown Pure Potential, Non-obvious Perception"<follow link to internet source>

{Parrot: "Possibly the best-known quality of the parrot is its ability to talk, or more specifically mimic. To learn something "parrot fashion" is to memorize something without necessarily knowing what it means. It is not determined whether the parrot famed as a pet of Julius Caesar that was taught to shriek "Hail Caesar" whenever its master was near, was fully aware of what it was saying.[...] There's a traditional series of folktales, originally written in Sanskrit, called "Tales of a Parrot,' which is a "chain" of stories similar in style to the Arabian Nights. In this morality tale, the parrot relates 70 stories to stop a woman from taking the wrong path in life." (ISS)}

{Raven:  Though not mentioned specifically by the Beatles in lyrics, I would argue the imagery of "Blackbird", for most people leads to the visualization of a Raven or Crow; therefore I will include some Raven symbolism. Since Edgar Allen Poe is prominently on the Sgt. Pepper's album cover, and he is most notably known for his poem "The Raven", I feel the raven is rightly tied in.

 "The raven belongs to the most intelligent of all the birds. To give some idea of its intelligence, if the average IQ for a human being is measures at the 100 mark, then the average IQ of a raven is 138. Its linguistic skills are legendary, and it is possible that the raven can understand as well as imitate human words. It is this intelligence, and the playful nature of the raven. that makes it the ultimate symbol of the trickster. [...]

Even if the raven has never been taught to speak in human languages, its voice carries a surprisingly human inflection and tone. This led to a belief that the bird knew everything, as personified by the ravens that belonged to the Norse god Odin. Called Hugin and Munin, from the words for thought and memory, the birds flew back to the gods at the end of every day where they whispered into his ears all the doings of mankind. Odin- also known as the Raven God- had daughters, Valkyries, who appeared as ravens, and similarly, witches are said to be able to shape-shift into the form of ravens, which is how they travel, anonymously, to their meetings.

More sinisterly, the raven is seen as a harbinger of death, as personified in the Morrigan, the great Battle Goddess of Celtic myth who takes the form of a raven. The raven is a carrion bird and was often to be seen at the site of battles, making a grim meal of the bloody remains of the defeated army. In addition, the spooky black appearance of the bird certainly lends itself to the dark imagery posited by horror stories. In the Mahabharata, the bird is a messenger of death, but paradoxically to those of a Western sensibility, this does not mean that the bird is a symbol of ill omen. [...]

The ravens at the Tower of London are a symbol of protection par excellence. Birds have been kept in this spot for a thousand years, due to the ancient legend that the country would be safe from invaders while the Ravens remained there. Indeed this idea is so firmly entrenched in the national psyche that when the raven population dwindled during the Second World War, Winston Churchill arranged that ravens be "imported" from Wales to keep the country safe.

Despite its color, the Ancient Greeks had the raven as a solar symbol, and it is dedicated to the Goddess Athena and the God Apollo." (ISS)

"[...]The raven's intelligence is possibly its most winning feature. Indeed, these birds can be trained to speak. This speaking ability leads into the legend of ravens being the ultimate oracle. In fact, the raven is often heard to cackle utterances that sound like "cras, cras." The actual word cras is tomorrow in Latin. This lends more fuel to the legendary fires that distinguish the raven as a bird who can foretell the future, and reveal omens and signs.

Countless cultures point to the raven as a harbinger of powerful secrets. Moreover, the raven is a messenger too, so its business is in both keeping and communicating deep mysteries.

Raven symbolism of wisdom and knowledge-keeping is connected with the Welsh hero Bran, the Blessed whose name means raven. Bran was the holder of ancestral memories, and his wisdom was legendary. So much so, that he had his head (the vessel of his powerful wisdom) removed and interred in the sacred White Mount in London. Ravens are still roosting there (in the Tower of London), and they're thought to keep Bran's wisdom protected and alive by their presence."       <Follow link to source site>; Also- It's very worthwhile to learn more about Bran as a Celtic oracle here:More about Bran and Celtic Skulls Symbolism}



{Swan: The song "This One" by Paul McCartney features swans, Krishna and hand mudras.  "The appearance of a swan, an ethereal, otherworldly creature, floating gracefully upon the calm waters that resemble the spirit world and the ethereal feminine, packs a powerful symbolic punch even without any prior knowledge of the myths and legends surrounding the bird that have aided and abetted its significance. Its pure white color, its strength, and its beauty make it a symbol of light, both of the direct light of the sun, and the reflected light of the moon.

Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, the swan is believed to be silent until its moment of death, when its song is said to be the first and last sound it utters. Therefore, ":Swansong" has come to mean the final expression of an artists work, for example, or the late resurgence before a final demise. Curiously, though, the name "swan" comes from an Anglo-Saxon word sounder, which has the same root as "sound" or "sonnet".

Swans are said to mate for life and so are emblematic of fidelity and longevity.

Leda and The Swan - Leonardo da Vinci

In the UK, the swan is under the protection of the Crown. This legislation is believed to date back to the twelfth century, even today only the household of the ruling monarch is allowed to eat the meat of the swan. In Germany, oaths were taken upon the swan.

The swan is a symbol of the poet; Druidic bards wore cloaks made of swans feathers as a shamanic totem to enable them to contact the spirit of the muse. It was because of this that Ben Johnson refers to Shakespeare as the "sweet swan of Avon". In ancient Greece, the swan was the attribute of the muses and the symbol for Apollo, the god to whom poetry and song belong. Apollo could shape-shift into the form of a swan, and when he was born, seven swans flew around the island of his birth, seven times.

Two swans are frequently depicted as being joined by a chain. This imagery appears all over the world, and although there is likely some conjecture about what this symbol means, it is likely to signify the spiritual and material worlds that the bird symbolizes, because it moves in the elements of water, earth and air. Sometimes one of the birds appears with the solar wheel, signifying the fourth element, fire. Swans pulled the chariot of the Sun. Eros, too, the God of Love, traveled in a chariot drawn by swans in their guise as symbols of fidelity and love.

The otherworldly appearance of the swan has led to its being regarded as one of the shape-shifting birds, and stories from all over the world have the swan transform into a beautiful human girl who will live among humankind until circumstances conspire to return her to her own world once again.

Hindu belief supports this idea supports this idea of the swan as symbolic of a creature that resides between two worlds. Because it moves in the elements of water and air, the swan represents both the spiritual and material world. Some myths have the goose as the bird that laid the egg from which the Universe hatched, but in India, the swan is given this honor: the Hamsa is a mythical water bird that symbolizes the union of spirit and matter and is symbolized with two swans. The Parama Hamsa represents the Supreme Self, and its name means Supreme Swan." (ISS) See also: The Cygnus Mystery Swan-goose

Bonus: "Rinse the Raindrops" by Paul McCartney, "See the sunlight, break the ice/ For the birds of paradise/ Listen to the song they sing/ Awakening [...]