344- What’s in a Language – What’s in a Word? – Meeting new Cultures is Key (Free)

A while back I asked to meet an Arabic speaker who knows the culture and Koran. This episode is that request fulfilled. The reason for this request is because I often find things I am familiar with, when delivered through a different language and culture, often end up teaching me the most. Additionally we are told that alchemy made it to Spain (Europe) through the Middle East and I have long admired the old wisdom teaching from this ancient place – Omahr Kyyam, as an example, who I quoted often in Shoot the Moon. Then there is my fascination with the Skyclock which still holds a myriad of star names in that ancient tongue of the desert. As a matter of fact it was my knowledge of the Arabic star names, in the sign of Libra, that allowed me to unfold knowing about our current zodiac – those stars in Libra being Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali, or the southern and northern claws of the scorpion (yes in Libra – hint, hint). I hope you find this conversation as valuable as I did and I will close with one of my favorite sages of the Arab world! “And this inverted Bowl we call The Sky, Whereunder crawling coop’t we live and die, Lift not thy hands to it for help — for It Rolls as impotently as Thou or I.” ― The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam