Tag Archives: symbolism

Wednesday Wander – Times Square and Rockefeller Plaza, New York

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It’s Wednesday, and time for another wander. I’m continuing with our recent trip to New York – apologies for the number of posts but there was just so much to see, as we crammed in as much as we could in the few days we had! This week, I’m wandering to Times Square and Rockefeller Plaza.

I have to admit that Times Square isn’t really my kind of place. A bit too frantic, a bit too touristy. But, at the same time, there is a kind of intensity to the neon insanity and towering structures, and I do believe that it’s somewhere you need to see when you visit New York, even if you just wander through.

Times Square is located at the intersection of 42nd and 7th, and was originally called Long Acre Square, after the original in London. Originally the location for William H. Vanderbilt’s American Horse Exchange, in the late 1800s the area was seen as a prime spot for advertising and, when the New York Times building was completed in 1905, the name of the square was changed to reflect the newest tenant. The New York Times eventually moved on to another location, but before they did so they started the tradition of the New Year’s Eve spectacular, which continues to this day.

The advertising and screens around the square are almost overwhelming, content scrolling through and changing every moment, flashing lights and bright colours competing for attention, like some sort of dystopian future city. It was fun to experience for a little while, but we didn’t stay too long, as we had other places to see.

Continuing our wander, we headed towards Rockefeller Plaza, and the famous Top of The Rock observation deck, which we’d been told was the best spot to see the views. However, when we got there, the deck was clouded in – we were told we could take the trip up but there was no guarantee we’d see anything. As it was quite expensive, and the gorgeous girl wasn’t too keen on either the long elevator ride or the height, I opted to stay with her while hubby went up and took his chances with the low cloud. He wasn’t able to see much, but did take a couple of wonderfully atmospheric shots of the Empire State building.

After we went out to see the famous skating rink, with its golden statue of Prometheus (which to me looked as though he’d slipped over while skating). The rink itself is not large – it can hold only 150 skaters and it’s recommended that you book tickets in advance.

We stood at the edge among the flags of the world and watched skaters spin on the ice, dark against the pristine white. Wisdom watched from the main entrance above, another of the many examples of wonderful Art Deco works that decorate the Rockefeller Centre, inside and out. Conceived by John D. Rockefeller as a ‘city within a city’, the Rockefeller Centre comprises several landmark building, including the Radio City Music Hall. Built in the 1930’s, it is a wonderful example of the architecture of the time, and is home to many works by famous artists of that period.

Then it was time to wander up to Fifth Avenue, through gardens decorated for Easter with lilies and blossom and eggs, a touch of colour on a gloomy day. (it was tough to get a shot without getting someone else, also taking a photo, in it, as you can see)

Along Fifth Avenue there were more Art Deco wonders to see, such as this doorway featuring the Industries Of The British Empire, gilded against a bronze panel. The sun at the bottom is symbolic of the phrase ‘The sun never sets on the British Empire.’

We continued on and another wonder was revealed, inset between two buildings. The giant statue of Atlas is one of the iconic figures of the Rockefeller Centre, and has even appeared on a US postage stamp. It is extraordinarily impressive to see in real life.The rain was starting to fall in earnest, but we pressed on, heading north on Fifth Avenue to our next destination, Central Park…

Thanks for coming on another Wednesday Wander with me – see you next time!

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Maiden Mother Crone, Part 5 – The Maiden

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Stone and rain. Rain and stone. It seemed to be a theme of the weekend. No matter the weather, when we reached any stone of significance the rain would fall. From soft misty drizzle to gale force rain storms, we experienced just about all the types of rain Scotland seemed to offer, often in the space of just a couple of hours.

And so it was at our next two sites, both of which featured carved Pictish stones. I’d never seen such stones in real life before, so it was a thrill to see the first one, even though it had been reconstructed and sat in the middle of a modern housing estate. There had been a circle there, once, still marked with a ring in the grass, but it had been pulled down long ago, in days when such monuments were no longer revered, their carefully chosen stones broken for use in stone fences and buildings. Some still remained on site, said to come from the original circle, and, despite the cracks crossing the face of the carved stone, the images were still clear, a serpent and spear, thought perhaps to represent the nearby river, and a semi-circle and broken spear, the shape of which came to have more significance for me, later in the day. The rain was still falling as we got into the cars, a soft cool drizzle, dampening the stones but not our spirits, as we headed out into the landscape once more.

A short while later we pulled up alongside the road and saw the towering Maiden Stone. Sue has covered the legend of the Maiden Stone in her excellent post, but the short version is this: the stone is said once have been a young woman who, when tricked by the devil, ran from him. He caught her by the shoulder, creating the distinctive notch shape, and she was turned to stone forevermore.

I saw no woman in the stone, only the enigmatic carvings left on one side by the mysterious Picts, centaur and dolphin creatures, spear and shield, comb and mirror. One of the companions shared an experience he’d had at Easter Aquhorthies, which shed some light on the significance of the comb and mirror. It involved the moon and the role of priestess, a theme we encountered again and again over the weekend. It is not my story to share, but all of us felt it to be valid. In fact, that was one of the lovely things about the group, and something I’d also encountered on my last weekend away with them – that such experiences, thoughts and ideas could be shared freely and taken seriously, with no fear. I can appreciate that, to some, the things I ‘see’ when I’m on these weekends (and at other times too), can seem a bit out there, a bit like the imaginings of an overwrought author. And there are times when I think that as well. So, when you can share these ideas with others and have them corroborated, there is a validation there, a growth in trusting yourself and your intuition, that is a real joy.

Christian imagery had been carved on the other side of the stone, though the carvings were far more weathered than the earlier Pictish work. An intricate cross and wheel, as well as a figure supposed to be Jesus holding two ‘sea-monsters’. Carving continued along the edges of the stone, criss-cross diamond shapes it was said could represent energy patterns, and more intricate knotwork.

The setting itself was beautiful – next to a curving road, the land rising to one side of the stone, a tall row of pines the other side. I imagine when it was new the stone would have stood out in the landscape, its size and the bright colours that once decorated it making it visible for miles around. The symbols themselves are a mystery – the Picts left no explanation as to why they carved the images they did, but they appear over and over again. Theories range from clan markings to maps to storytelling, but it is all conjecture.

We stood around the stone, each of us taking photographs, sharing our thoughts about what we could see and feel. There was a wonderful sense of age to the site, of something that had been standing since long before we were born, and would continue to do so for centuries to come. But we couldn’t stay for too much longer – it was heading into the afternoon and we still had another site to visit, a site that had tested us the last time we were there. What would it hold for us this time?

This is my account of my recent weekend away with The Silent Eye in Scotland. Click to read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, you can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ,  Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon. Visit my Amazon Author Page to see more.