Shoe Stop

This post started because of a dream. Yep. I dreamed about shoes. Hundreds of shoes at my doorstep. I only now vaguely remember the context but it involved some long, arduous, often humorous journey through the woods, around cities, all over the place. With the children in tow, we traveled around the country on foot, pursuing some unremembered task. I think we all wore leather sandals. What I do specifically remember was having occasional views of my front porch that was literally covered with hundreds of pairs of shoes. All kinds. Sneakers, sandals, high heels, baby shoes, clogs, dress shoes, casual shoes, it was like a dream advertisement for Footlocker or something. Some were new, some were old. SO:

Dream dictionary:

Shoes

In general, shoes represent your approach to life. It suggests that you are well-grounded or that you are down to earth. It also represents your convictions about your beliefs. If you are changing your shoes, then it refers to your changing roles. You are taking a new approach to life. If your forget your shoes, then it suggests that you are leaving restraints behind you. You are refusing to conform to some idea or attitude.

To see old and worn shoes in your dream, signifies that through diligence and hard work, you will find success. It may also mean that you have come to grips with accepting who you are.

To see new shoes in your dream, suggests that you are overconfident in your success. Alternatively you may be on a life path that is unfamiliar to you.

To find shoes in your dream, suggests that you have regained your foothold on life. You are back on the right path again.

The day after this dream, I saw this news story:

Fox steals more than 100 shoes

REUTERS/Andy Clark Fri Jun 12, 10:39 am ET

BERLIN (Reuters) – A fox has been unmasked as the mystery thief of more than 100 shoes in the small western German town of Foehren [a wooded stretch of land], authorities said Friday.

A forest worker stumbled upon shoes strewn near the fox's den and found a trove of footwear down the hole which had recently been stolen overnight from outside locals' front doors.

"There was everything from ladies' shoes to trainers," said a local police spokesman. "We've found between 110 and 120 so far. It seems a vixen stole them for her cubs to play with."

Although many were missing laces, the shoes were in good condition and their owners were delighted to reclaim them, he said, adding that no reprisals were planned against the culprit.

(Reporting by Dave Graham; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

That fox is giving Imelda Marcos a run for the shoe money!














[Imelda and her 1200 pairs (R)]



Then, I wondered what cultural traditions were associated with shoes:

Wiki - Shoes:
In most parts of the world (Asia, Eastern Europe, parts of the Middle East and Africa, much of Northern Europe and Canada, as well as Alaska) it is customary to remove shoes when entering a house. In some areas of the United States, especially the Midwest, it is expected that visitors remove their shoes unless a host specifically invites them to leave their shoes on. People do this to avoid bringing dirt, mud or snow into the house.

For some societies, including those in Asia, indoor footwear may be provided for guests. In the Middle East, parts of Africa, Korea and Thailand, it is considered rude to show the soles of the feet to others (even accidentally, such as by crossing the legs). Shoe throwing is a great insult in some areas in the Middle East and in India, according to Jamal Elias, an Islamic Studies professor from the University of Pennsylvania.[3] In addition, in Thailand, it is an extreme insult for the foot, socks, or shoes to touch someone's head or be placed over it. [remember ducking George and the photoshoejournalist!]

Although feet touching heads is an extremely rare occurrence in any society, some Muay Thai boxers insult each other by "kicking" the opponent's head with their foot (most Muay Thai kicks are executed with the shin).






Arguably, the most famous shoes of all time:

In L. Frank Baum's original novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy wore silver shoes. The movie's creators changed them from silver to ruby to take advantage of the chromatic possibilities of the new Technicolor film process.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

This is the only book in the original series to feature the Silver Shoes directly. They are the property of the Wicked Witch of the East until Dorothy's house lands on and kills her. They are then given to Dorothy by The Good Witch of the North, who tells Dorothy that "there is some charm connected with them; but what it is we never knew"(L. Frank Baum-The Wizard of Oz). When Dorothy is captured by the Wicked Witch of the West, she tries to steal the shoes. She finally gets one by tricking Dorothy into tripping over an invisible iron bar. Dorothy then melts the Witch with a bucket of water and recovers the shoe. In the final chapters of the book, Glinda, the Good Witch of the South explains that the shoes can transport the wearer anywhere they wish. If the Silver Shoes had any other powers they are never outlined in the books. [courtesy Wiki]



Silver shoes reminded me of the moon:

The symbol for the Moon has been used since ancient times to represent silver.

The word "silver" appears in Anglo-Saxon in various spellings such as seolfor and siolfor. [sounds like "sulfur" to me! ]
A similar form is seen throughout the Teutonic languages (compare Old High German silabar and silbir). The chemical symbol Ag is from the Latin for "silver", argentum (compare Greek árgyros), from the Indo-European root *arg- meaning "white" or "shining".

Silver has been known since ancient times. It is mentioned in the book of Genesis, and slag heaps found in Asia Minor and on the islands of the Aegean Sea indicate that silver was being separated from lead as early as the 4th millennium BC using surface mining.

In the Gospels, Jesus' disciple Judas Iscariot is infamous for having taken a bribe of thirty coins of silver from religious leaders in Jerusalem to turn Jesus Christ over to the Romans.

Because of the significance problem of neonatal conjunctivitis, all hospitals (most required by state law) routinely used silver nitrate or antibiotic drops, such as erythromycin, in a newborn's eyes to prevent disease. Silver nitrate is no longer commonly used, and has been mostly replaced by antibiotic eye drops.
[Talk about putting the stars (moon) in your eyes!]

Silver reminded me of ancient alchemy:



[from rsc.org]
The art of alchemy was handed down through the centuries from Egypt and Arabia to Greece and Rome, and finally to western and central Europe.

The word is derived from the Arabian phrase "al-kimia," which refers to the preparation of the Stone or Elixir by the Egyptians. The Arabic root "kimia" comes from the Coptic "khem" that alluded to the fertile black soil of the Nile delta. Esoterically and hieroglyphically, the word refers to the dark mystery of the primordial or First Matter (the Khem).

Simplified, the aims of the alchemists were threefold: to find the Stone of Knowledge (The Philosophers' Stone), to discover the medium of Eternal Youth and Health, and to discover the transmutation of metals. To the medieval alchemist’s mind the different elements were but the same original substance in varying degrees of purity. Gold was the purest of all and silver followed closely.

In the early days of alchemy, the astronomical signs of the planets were also used as alchemical symbols. Then in the centuries of medieval persecution and suppression every alchemist invented his own secret symbols. Charlatans, quacks and cheats took over and alchemy became, along with sorcery and witchcraft, infamous for fraud and extortion. In the 18th century scientists tried to pry loose the real achievements in chemistry, pharmacology and medicine from this confusing cornucopia of science and magic.




That alchemy text reminded me of ancient folklore:

Folklore and the Moon from the Old Farmer's Almanac:

The Moon has inspired much folklore. In many cases, the Moon brings good luck. But not always! Read on...
It's Lucky to...
It is lucky to see the first sliver of a new Moon "clear of the brush," or unencumbered by foliage.
It is lucky to own a rabbit's foot, especially if the rabbit was killed in a cemetery by a cross-eyed person at the dark of the Moon.
It is lucky to hold a moonstone in your mouth at the full Moon; it will reveal the future.
It is lucky to have a full Moon on the "Moon day" (Monday).
It is lucky to expose your newborn to the waxing Moon. It will give the baby strength.
It is lucky to move into a new house during the new Moon; prosperity will increase as the Moon waxes.
It's Unlucky to...
It is unlucky to see the first sliver of a new Moon through a window; you'll break a dish.
It is unlucky to point at the new Moon or view any Moon over your shoulder.
It is unlucky to sleep in the moonlight, or worse, be born in the moonlight.
It is unlucky to see "the old Moon in the arms of the new" or the faint image of the full disk while the new crescent Moon is illuminated, especially if you're a sailor. Storms are predicted.
It is unlucky to have a full Moon on Sunday. (Some say Saturday ... )

Irish folklore

To see your future, for good or ill, take a mirror outside. Let the light of the moon fall on the surface and stare into it. Any face that appears will be connected with your future.

In Western astrology:
[astrology online]
The Moon () is the ruling planet of Cancer. In Roman mythology, the Moon was represented by Diana, the hunter goddess. In Western astrology The Moon is said to represent the feeling nature of the individual.[1]

The moon is associated with a person's emotional make-up, unconscious habits, rhythms, memories and moods. It is also associated with the mother, maternal instincts or the urge to nurture, the home, and the past.

The moon is used to characterise the inner child within us, as well as the past and how we have been as individuals rather than how we are now. It is also used to represent the perception one has of one's mother ....

All that brought me here:

For the Lakota Sioux, the moon and turtle (earth) are closely associated:

Animal Symbolism in the Sioux Culture

The Turtle (ke-ya)

You will often see the turtle symbol in Sioux Art. The Lakota Oyate observed the changes occurring with each new moon. Each moon was identified in descriptive terms by the occurrences of that month. The Lakota also observed the changes in the stars in the night sky.

Certain star constellations appeared during each season. From these observations, they determined the equinox and the changes in the seasons.

The Lakota identified 13 months in a year because of the 13 new moons; each moon has 28 days from one new moon to the next.

The Lakota Oyate also observed some creatures that reflected natural phenomena. For instance, the keya (turtle) has 13 large scales on its back, and 28 small scales around the shell. Because of these and other natural occurrences the keya became an important symbol in Lakota society.



turtlehaven.org :

Turtle Folk Lore

In ancient myths and legends, the turtle is almost always seen as a symbol of strength, stability, benevolence, and wisdom.

Turtles have roamed the earth for 200 million years. They survived the extinction of the dinosaurs who were wiped out 60 million years ago. In another Chinese myth, an immense turtle actually became the world, which is contained within his shell. The bottom, flat part of his shell (the plastron) contained the oceans and the earth's floor. The great, domed upper half (the carapace) formed the heavens, complete with stars and planets.




American Indians probably created the greatest number of folk tales in which the turtle plays an important role. For many tribes, the land on which they lived was the back of a huge "mother turtle," floating in a vast, primal sea.

Ancient Greeks regarded the turtle as sacred, and even believed their gods felt the same way. Of course, the legendary Greek storyteller, Aesop, is credited with the well-known fable in which a tortoise, through determination and wisdom, wins a race with a hare.

The turtle reminded me of other natural gifts:

Nature has given us the most amazing gifts over the years. One of the most stunning (not for its beauty) was a polished, heart-shaped stone found half-buried in the dirt somewhere outside of Tucumcari, New Mexico. I literally tripped on it. Since it was highly polished and more than likely cut by hand like a heart, someone must have dropped it - long forgotten. The rain and winds probably, gradually started to cover it over with soil. It was a great find. Now for the weird. There are a number of images in the natural veins of the stone. I put it on the scanner and captured the image of the most startling one: