Season or color? What's in a name?
My given name is Autumn. And although I didn't automatically like having a unique name as a child, by my 20's I grew to love my name. I embraced being different, knowing that if my name was said in a crowd, there wouldn't be 10 other people turning their head. I grew to understand symbolism held within the name of Autumn. A season of change and transition. A time where gentle warmth and crisp cool air can live side by side. A space where colors, leaves, and the air have a feeling to them that softens space from the harsh intensity of summer and before the frigid winter sets in.
Autumn is a space of unassuming beauty that radiates from within and shines on its own, not bothered by the passage of time or anticipation of all there is to do in the summer. Autumn allows life to ease into a calm rhythm. A sun basked morning that gently wakes the soul, a warmth to the day, and a cool breeze in the evening that invites people to enjoy a cup of warm tea or pull on a sweater and enjoy lingering for a moment longer. And yet, autumn is also fleeting and temporary. It can stay for a while, or change quickly, leaving one longing for more gentleness.
I know I am biased because of my name, but autumn is my favorite season, and inspires me to live my life worthy of the season I bear witness to by existing.
And yet, the universe seems to have embraced the side of me that loves a mystery and a good laugh, and has played the long game of a joke on me. For the better part of the last 20 years, in nearly every setting of my life, I have been called Amber. At first, I would correct people, simply thinking they didn't know me well yet, and two unique names that start with A must be the reason for the mix up.
But then it continued. Email replies calling me Amber after I introduced myself, had my name in the email address, introduction, and signature; people in the deaf community, after I finger-spelled my name; individuals over the phone who had not seen me before; through text message; in large groups and small. I have been called Amber in multiple countries, in multiple communication methods, for 20 years. Even this past month, and again today, I was called amber, prompting this post.
Those first few times, so many years ago, I was a little annoyed at being called amber, but then I found it amusing. Like I was part of a cosmic joke and the universe feels that my name should be different. Then I became curious.
What does Amber mean in the universe? What is the origin of the word itself? What symbolism has the gem held over the centuries that perhaps is part of my story?
These questions led me to pour over various websites, from jewelry stores to spiritual and New Age sites, and back again to stories of civilizations in antiquity. A story began to emerge.
Amber is ancient and has been revered by humanity for millennia.
It is the fossilized resin from trees.
Occasionally life has been encapsulated within the resin, such as bugs or hair. Amber is most frequently found in hues of orange, yellow, or red, although it has been found in around 300 different colors across the globe.
Amber has been mentioned in literature as far back as Homer's Odyssey and worn by or filled the homes of royalty such as Cleopatra and the last Czar of Russia.
Across civilization, amber has been believed to embody the essence of life due to its origins from trees as well as the binding property that holds living things and symbolically holds the elements of earth, air, water, and fire together.
Spiritually, amber is believed to contain healing elements that cleanse negative emotions, relieve pain, open the chakras, and bring balance between creation and destruction.
Linguistically, the English version of amber derived from Middle English, ambre, which derived from Medieval Latin, ambra, which derived from Arabic anbar ambergris. In light of my latest endeavor to dive into learning Arabic, learning that amber can trace its roots to Arabic is a pocket of joy in itself.
In reading through these sources, I do not claim that others are saying I embody these qualities, but they do give me cause to reflect. Is the universe saying that some of these attributes are found within me, or do I need to develop more of these characteristics and bring more amber into my life?
Perhaps it is time to embrace the historical thread of amber's message across the centuries and allow the healing and balancing energy to dispel any negative vestiges that have been present in my life over the past 20 years, and move into a new era of creation, healing, life, and open the chakras within me.
Sources:
(there are many more that I didn't track the site or source on, rather absorbed info while looking for patterns and themes over the course of months and years).
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