Crystals, glitter and iron maidens

In the time of legends, considered to be the Golden Age, were fabulous robots made of gold, silver, bronze and precious metals. Some of the most famous of these artifacts were the beautiful handmaidens of Hephaistos, the metal working god of Greek myths. These maidens were made entirely of gold. They were able to move like women and they had the ability to talk. They were called the Kourai Khryseai.

Homer, Iliad 18. 416 ff (trans. Lattimore) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) :
"[Hephaistos left his bellows] took up a heavy stick in his hand, and went to the doorway limping. And in support of their master moved his attendants. These are golden, and in appearance like living young women. There is intelligence in their hearts, and there is speech in them and strength, and from the immortal gods they have learned how to do things. These stirred nimbly in support of their master."

The idea of robots and other intelligent machines has existed in myths and legends for ages. Even Leonardo de Vinci designed drawings of a robot knight. Certain dolls are types of robots in a way. Beside the fascination with robots, there are imaginary machines that were once organic living beings. One of the best and earliest science fiction films called "Metropolis" (1927) by Fritz Lang featuresthe appearance of a robotrix woman nicknamed Hel. Women robots have flowered in films and literature ever since. The golden robotic girl Dot Matrix in "Spaceballs", the Stepford Wives, Fembots, and many other machine women serving as attendants, playthings or seeds of warfare. In "Terminator 3", the female cyborg T-X or Terminatortrix was the deadliest of all as she set off nuclear explosions.

As we're in the industrial age, a time when most women have hardened with the rise of machines, is it possible that we're evolving? A few decades ago, the UK's first woman prime minister Margaret Thatcher, was nicknamed the "iron lady". Many iron ladies have come after her reign. Even actresses and women pop stars of today are not so flowery as those before (gentle and sweet). They're quite metallic (harder, tougher, acidic, cold).  Women, politicians, entertainers and all those who move in the system, seem to pick up the energy of metals and minerals. Iron maidens and iron ladies such as Hillary Clinton, Madonna and even Beyonce represent the women who live alongside machines.

Let's not forget that as humans we're still very much part of the earth. We're not seperate. Having machines to aid us is what the gods intended for us to have, in order to assist us in living, to help those of us who are sick and diabled, and help restore the planet, animals and land from damage. Technology is a tool craft and a gift that we need to help communicate also and keep close together if we're too far away because, no matter what people think, we're not really that telepathic! Machines and technology is both useful and important, it's an artform and it's also a healer and helper, it should teach us more about the universe. One day machines, if developed properly could show us how to become better people spiritually.

This is where I'm going to sound mad. Instead of focusing too heavily on the machines as metals, let us consider the under respresented power of gemtsones and how crystals help manufacture rockets, medicinal equipment, computers and space technology.  Crystal power, unlike metal power, touches the esoteric and other worldly. While miderals are part of the physical world, it can help to heal emotions and restore ones life mentally and block negative energies. I imagine a future of spiritual machines that can be a source of healing.

Nazca geoglyph dog and more puzzles

Recent storms have revealed new geoglyph shapes on the vast Nazca Plain, a mountainous and desert region of Peru. One of the new hill figures is called The Dog due to it's canine like features and long snarling muzzle. The oddest part of the Nazca figure, as seen with other animal figures, shows that The Dog is double tailed.

Other newer forms have revealed a massive Snake figure at about 60 metres long and 5 metres wide. There are also giant llama figures, birds and trapezoids. Some say that the Nazca shapes represent an art focused civilisation, particular to the ancient Ica people who lived near the site thousands of years ago. These people's culture was creative and mysterious. They made relics, artwork, pottery and statues showing similar looking animals to those found on the landscape of Nazca. But how did they make them all and why is a question everyone's been asking.

The mystery gets weirder, depending on how you observe it. It's easier to assume that the present landscape of Nazca, which is severe and desertlike, was different thousands of years ago, maybe. There are criss cross patterns of gigantic straight lines, as if someone used a rular to draw across it. The lines can be seen from outer space. Who made those and how did they do it? It's anyones guess.

Other hill figures show dozens of creatures, even more than one species. They include fish, a monkey, hummingbirds, condor, spider, humanoids, plants, frigate, lizards, pelican, rhino (that to me resembles a triceratops), dragon (? some call it a Snakebird), parrot, pelican (it actually looks like a pteradactyl by the way), peacock, spirals, squares, geometric patterns, stars, and many more oddities.

One of the taller standing humanoid figures seems to be a person dressed in a space suit, wearing a large domed helmet. It's called an "Astronaut". Closest to the Astronaut figure is The Dog beside him with trapezoids on the other side.      

The Dog looks closely similar to the ancient breed of domestic dogs in Peru called the Peruvian inca orchid dog, distinctive for it's hairlessness but not the two tails. The Dog is nearest to the human Astronaut and so could provide a clue as to the relationship humans always have with dogs, the story of humans introduction to the Earth and how the two share a connection of friendship. Even all the figures might be a gigantic clock calendar but that's an idea.

All the hill figures at Nazca are only visible from the air. Space satallites reveal even more complex details and how precise, accurate and clever these shapes are embedded on the land.

I will point out that a number of the animals listed here are just some of many of the animals and more bizarre shapes. Most of the figures are easily identified as local animals although others on the Nazca site look like mythical and prehistoric creatures. 

More info on Nazca geoglyphs:

Nazca dog
Photos of Nazca shapes 
Nazca lines
Mystery Peru

 

Poisonous & Beautiful: Pterois

To be fair this particular subject is venomous and not necessarily poisonous. But I include creatures with venom in this project too on Poisonous and Beautiful lifeforms.

The Pterois is a venomous and lovely looking exotic fish. Most people know these fish as Lionfish. They have incredible and fascinating striped spines. Some species have one bright colours of the sprectrum. There are many types of lionfish, red lionfish, green lionfish, black lionfish, blue lionfish, ect.

Often found in the Pacific Ocean, the lionfish with fanned spines have large opal eyes and broad faces. Lionfish prefer to rest in shadowy undersea tunnels, hidden among corals, vegetation and caverns. Their wide fanning spines are a dorsal fin spine that must be avoided because of its venom. Also touching the base fins (pelvic and anal fins located under it's belly part) is also quite venomous.

The venom protects the lionfish from predators. It's thought that lionfish are successful because of their physical defences and because of that they don't have any natural predators although some claim to have witnessed sharks eating lionfish.

Humans are possibly the lionfish's greatest predator as lionfish food is quite popular in restaurants. There is a delicate way of preparing lionfish meat to avoid touching the venomous areas. 

More on this venomous fish:

Lionfish Lair