What's in a Name?

This post is simply feeling out experiences in my life with a sense of wonder. I am starting to see God's hand in an ever-growing pattern of my life. I have little doubt there are similar evidence in other's lives when one looks for it. In this post, I will review names in particular.

I was born in raised in a town on Long Island, an island (a long island, in fact) just off of New York City. In fact, half the island's population is within New York City's borders (Queens and Brooklyn (formerly "Kings")). Just looking at those two names, "Queens" and "Kings," echoes something: We are all Children of God, so in essence, we all bear royal lineage. In biblical prophecies, it is also mentioned that Yeshua (Jesus) will share His throne with us. I hope my readers note, both "Queens" and "Kings" are plural - there is more than one.

Interesting to note, however, Manhattan, was the name the Native Americans (American Indians) gave the main island of New York City. Manhattan was their word for "Hellgate"...

Narrowing down the geography a bit, I was born and raised in a town called "Plainview." The name is a simple compilation of two words "plain" and "view." Perhaps this indicates I will gain a plain - or clear - view of life. I will be able to see things more clearly and understand things a lot better. 

When I was nine, we moved to the other side of town. This home perched upon the second-highest hilltop on the island. One could literally have a view of what was once the grass plains, stretching as far as New York City, about 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) away. So, yes, that is the given origin of the town's name.

But the town had another name; the Dutch settlers (1648) called that area "Mannatto (later Manetto) Hill." Mannatto is a translation of the Native American name "Manitou," which is their word for God or Great Spirit. So from the age of nine, I lived and grew up on "God's Hill." This is also when I first became aware of things most people could not see or hear. I wasn't completely alone in these talents, so I was fortunate to have a pair of others who could help confirm what I see and hear during those years. Some experiences were quite beautiful; others were quite hair-raising and horrific. But I digress.

There is a beautiful story about Manitou Hill I would like to share with my readers. Before Europeans settled on Long Island, the island had a vast grassland where the tribes hunted bison, deer and other game as well as planted their crops. One year, there was a great drought and all the "kettle ponds" left behind from the ice age dried out. With salt-water from the Atlantic surrounding the island, there was no fresh drinking water to be found.

So the People went to Manitou Hill to pray to God and ask for help. The shaman climbed the hill while the rest of the People waited at the foot of the hill; the hill itself was a sacred place. There, the Great Spirit (God) communicated with the shaman and told him what needed to be done so the People would have drinking water. The shaman told the chief, "Shoot an arrow into the air. Where it falls, dig." Without question, the chief did just that. They dug into the ground where the arrow fell and within the first few handfuls, water began to seep up out of the ground. This was the first discovery of the underground aquifers that to this day provides water to literally millions of people on Long Island.

Since leaving Long Island, I have lived in many different towns and States. Currently, though, I reside in yet another significant place-name. Glastonbury has roots in both Celtic and Christian legends. It's a place where Beltane is still celebrated today, as well as where many legends place the Holy Grail.

Then there is the name I carry with me: Tara, my given name at birth. It is an Irish version of Teresa, which echoes the names of both Mother Theresa (who is both an inspiration and great source of quotes for me) and St. Teresa, who experienced the Love of God in a passionate ecstasy.

Tara is also a strong name itself. It represents crag towers or strongholds in Ireland. The Hill of Tara (a connection to Manitou Hill), is the place where the great High Kings of Ireland ruled. This, like the town in which I currently reside, also connects to my Celtic ancestry.

Tara is also the name of a goddess/divinity - not one, but two.

In Buddhism, Tara is a female version of Buddha, known as the "mother of liberation" and represents virtues of success in work and achievements. Tara is also a tantric mediation deity to develop compassion and emptiness, which interestingly connects to BOTH Mother Teresa and St. Teresa.

In Hinduism, Tara is a goddess whose name means "star" and is second of the Great Wisdom Goddesses. Interestingly, I named my other blog "Evening Star Aglow" where I use the signature, "~ESA." One reader connected that to "Esa," which is also "Isa." "Esa/Isa" is the Arabian name for Yeshua, who is also known as "Jesus," as it appears in the Koran/Qur'an. Yeshua is also known as the Morning Star.

The Hindu Tara is seen as the "absolute, unquenchable hunger that propels all life." There are many images of Tara nursing Shiva.

However, there are also many similarities between the Hindu Tara and Kali. Most disturbing are descriptions of Tara wearing a necklace of severed human heads with blood oozing from her mouth. (Ick!) No, that is definitely not like me. I abhor blood sacrifices and find them both repulsive and sad, even if my Celtic ancestors practiced those sacrifices on the Hill of Tara...

There is another place named Tara that has some popularity - the estate "Tara" from the Movie Gone with the Wind. It was a setting in the American Civil War which was once a great plantation that fell into disrepair and despair when the South lost the war. The main character, Scarlet, resided there and it was at Tara that she made her stand and rose from the ashes of the dying south to redefine her life. Not only was this a popular movie when it came out in the late 1960's (when I was born), it also seems a fitting for 2012. Many predict the world will end this year, or at least the world as we know it. In 2011, we have seen many changes around the world, from natural disasters (Haiti, Japan and Iceland's volcano), to changes in governments (Egypt and others). What will 2012 bring? I don't know, but no matter what happens, I plan to survive as long as I can, rising from the ashes of the world that was into a world that will be.

In addition to my birth-name, I do use my Confirmation name, Mary, as part of my full name. I've always felt close to Mary (Marium), the mother of Yeshua. My family attended Mass at Our Lady of Mercy Church. I went to Our Lady of Mercy for grade school, then Our Lady of Mercy Academy for High School. For a time, I wondered if the "calling" I was receiving (as the Sisters of Mercy called it) was for me to become a nun. Obviously I did not and realized God has other plans for me. Yet, Mercy is still a big aspect of my life and personality. Mary continues to be an inspiration. I still say the rosary from time-to-time. Also, I've learned today that some of Mary's titles include, "Bride of Christ," "Bride of Heaven" and "Bride of the Father." I know the first is true, as we are all (together as one) the Bride of Christ.

As a final note, I'd like to review the names of some of my family members. My mother's father was named Emmanuel. Yes, as in "God is with us." No joke! He was a Polish descent and apparently it is not that unusual a name. But I smile each time I hear the angel in the Nativity story say, "He shall be called Emmanuel, for God is with you."

My own father was "James Joseph." Joseph, or Yoseph, was the father in Yeshua's life on Earth. James is Yeshua's brother: "James, the brother of Jesus." It is also the name of my brother, my nephew, my great-uncle and his father. The name ended up skipping sideways in a generation, as my father's uncle died childless in Pearl Harbor during World War II.

My other brother's name is Daniel, another strong biblical name. He certainly had lions to contend with in his life. Yeshua is also known as "the lion" as well.

While my sister's name, Patricia, is a feminine version of the Saint Patrick who brought Christianity to Ireland, one of my pen names is "Brigid." I used that pen name before learning that Saint Brigid also brought Christianity to Ireland. Though, unlike Patrick, Brigid is also the Celtic goddess of poetry; my tweets as @JesusSister are poetical rhymes. The name "Brigid" is also a derivative of the word "Bride." While the Celtic Brigid may  be "bride," Saint Brigid was a wet-nurse. One of the legends of Saint Brigid claims she went back 500 years to suckle the new-born Christ Child. This is an interesting parallel to the Hindu Tara, who suckled Shiva. 

I know this particular post seems to have a whole lot of pointless rambling. To me, it teaches me two things. (1) There are many things interconnected in this world and in our lives. And (2) God is part of the weave and can use these musing to show how much (S)He cares and is part of our lives too.