Wednesday, October 24, 2007

the greek gods and goddesses of mount olympus

As her name implies, Aphrodite (aphro="foam"+dite="arised"), was created from the foam of the crystal waters of Paphos in Cyprus, when the titan Cronos slew his father, the major titan Ouranos, and threw then his genitals into the sea.

Aphrodite was the most attractive goddess of Mount Olympus. She was the goddess of Love, Beauty and Eternal Youth and was connected with the death/rebirth of nature and human beings.

Aphrodite was married to Hepheastus, the smith of the Heaven and God of the Iron, but her heart was devoted to Ares, the God of War, with whom Aphrodite was keeping a love affair.






Apollo was born by the King of the Gods Zeus and the mortal Leto in the divine Greek island of Delos. He was the younger twin of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.

Apollo was the Greek god of the Music. He invented the lute but most popular he was for his playing the lyre that was invented by Hermes, the messenger of the gods. Apollo excelled in important music contests, competing against Greek god Hermes and the Satyr Pan as well as other deities.






Ares, the Greek god of War, was the son of Zeus and Hera. The half-sister of Ares was Athena, the goddess of Wisdom and Skill. Athena also was a goddess of War but approached war solely for the purposes of justice.

Ares had his residence up on Mount Olympus and his throne was upholstered with human skin. Usually he was accompanied by Eris, the goddess of discord. Ares' secret mistress was Aphrodite, the goddess of Love and Beauty; their union resulted to the birth of Armonia (Harmony), which was seen as a blend of two opposing powers.






Greek goddess Artemis was born in Mount Cynthus at the island of Delos in Greece as a daughter of Zeus, the Ruler of the Greek gods and the mortal Leto.

As a child, Artemis had asked from her father Zeus to remain an eternal virgin and therefore became one of the three Virgin Goddesses in Greek mythology. Artemis' twin brother was Apollo, the god of the Sun, whereas Artemis' cult was connected with the Moon. She had been born before Apollo and had helped her mother Leto to give birth to her little brother.

Artemis had absolute sovereignty over nature and was said to bring fertility to all places that worshipped her. Usually accompanied by Nymphs and Oceanids, Artemis loved to hunt with arrows dipped in poison.






Athena was born during the battle of the Giants by Zeus and Metis, Zeus' first wife, who was keeping inside herself all the world's wisdom.

Athena was the goddess who taught mankind various skills such as weaving and sewing to the women and agriculture and metallurgy to men and was always giving precious advice and stood by on any danger.






Greek god Hades was a son of the titans Cronus and Rhea. Hades wife was Persephone whom he abducted from her divine mother Demeter and took with him down to the Underworld.

Hades was the Greek god of the Dead and ruler of the Underworld. Almost never was Hades leaving his gloomy kingdom but was residing there instead, surrounded by darkness and silence.

Hades' helper was Charos, the angel of dead. Charos had the duty to transfer the dead people 's souls with a boat over the River Acheron from the world of the living to the world of the dead. Furthermore, Hades had a dog with three heads which was named Cerberus.






Hephaestus was the son of Zeus and Hera ,a lthough it was considered by some that he had been conceived prenuptially. Hephaestus was married to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of Beauty, although Aphrodite never devoted herself entirely to Hephaestus.

Hephaestus was a very kind and loveable god, but was the only deity who was physically ugly and lame. When his mother Hera saw him for the first time, she was so frustrated that she took her son and threw him from Mount Olympus to the depths of the seas, causing a deformation to his leg. Hephaestus was finally rescued by two Nereids, Thetis and Eurynome, who raised him for nine years inside a cave, far away and hidden from his cruel mother.












Born by the titans Cronus and Rhea, Hera was Zeus' sister and later on became also his wife.

The royal wedding of Zeus and Hera was celebrated with exceptional splendour. The couple gave birth to four children; Eilithyia, the goddess who was protecting the childbirth, Ares, the Olympian god of war, Hebe, the goddess of youth and Hephaestus, the Olympian god of metallurgy. According to some beliefs, Hephaestus was born without the intervention of Zeus.






Hermes was born on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia (Peloponnes) as the son Zeus, the King of the Gods, and the mountain Nymph Maea.

Hermes was having wings on his sandals and therefore was the speediest of all Greek gods. Because of his speed, Hermes received the role of the messenger and conductor of souls to the Underworld.

Hermes was the only Olympian god who was authorized to visit Heaven, Earth and also the Underworld and enjoyed this way popularity among all the Greek gods and spirits.









Greek goddess Hestia was the eldest daughter of the titans Cronus and Rhea and the most ancient olympian goddess.

Hestia personified the fire hat was burning in the hearth of every home. All families were pouring sweet wine in her name and the fire was not allowed to go out by any family unless it was ritually extinguished. Hestia herself was never leaving her residence, the sacred mountain of Olympus.

All Olympian deities respected and loved Hestia because of her kind, forgiving soul and her discrete character, since Hestia never participated in any disputes or wars. Hestia may not have had a public cult, but she was always worshipped in any temple, regardless of the god it was dedicated to.






Poseidon, the Greek god of the seas, was born by the major Titans Cronus and Rhea.

Poseidon was considered to be the bad-tempered, moody and greedy god among the Olympians. He possessed two palaces, the one was up in Mount Olympus and the other was located in the depths of the seas and was bejewelled with gold and precious gems. Usually Poseidon preferred to stay with his wife Amphitrite beneath the ocean.

Poseidon was the Greek god responsible for natural and supernatural events, mainly the ones associated to the sea world. He possessed a trident which was so powerful that it could shake the earth. Poseidon could cause tempests and earthquakes, drown lands, shatter rocks and had the ability to finally bring back peacefulness.







Zeus was the last child of the titans Cronus and Rhea. Zeus had his golden throne on the highest summit of Mount Olympus and was respected and awed by all Gods and mortals. He was the "Lord of Justice", punishing anyone who lied or broke an oath, but was fair and always striving to keep a balance of all things.

Furthermore, Zeus was responsible for the weather and was shaping it according to his temper. When in high spirits, Zeus was blessing the world with fine weather; in case of bad mood, however, he would throw rain, winds, lightnings and thunderbolts to cause disaster to the mortals.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

preparing for your future

Preparing for your future

Our parents and teachers always say: study hard and aim high. I know this is often ignored and taken for granted. Perhaps it’s because some students think that it is a burden, to have to work harder and be pressured to become perfect. Well, the truth is that statement is more of an advice than a warning or scolding, because as you get older and wiser, more is really expected from you. If you’re not prepared you might lose a very important opportunity that can decide your future. Stop to think about your li9fe now. Like me, I am in the sixth grade, and I realize that I am getting older and, in a few months, I will be in high school already. I need to study hard now so I can get a good job and better future! Think about it. You’re not a kid anymore. You don’t have time to play and waste your time. I am encouraging you to start preparing yourself and start studying for the upcoming tests, like the National Elementary Achievement Test, or the NEAT, for the grade 6. The NEAT is conducted to test your academic skills and see how much you’ve learned and understood in school. When preparing for it, you should have discipline and concentration. You must stay in a room free from distractions like music, TV, or cell phones. You should also read not just to memorize, but to understand. Do not move on to the next topic until you fully understand what you are reading. If you practice this regularly, taking the test would be so much easier, compared to if you didn’t review regularly.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

music newsletter

Music is part of our lives. Without music, our life would be boring and empty.
Music is wonderful! But what exactly are the benefits you get from music?

Well, for starters, music can improve your brain power. Studies show that children who have music lessons have better memory and iQ than those who don’t. Not only classical music but almost any kind of music is good for you. Actually listening to music activates the endorphins in your brain, hormones that make you happy and feel good about yourself. Some say that music can have the power to heal and extend your life.
Learning how to play a musical instrument also teaches discipline. You have to be disciplined to master playing your instrument. Practice makes perfect ;). Playing a musical instrument certainly teaches you a lot of good traits, and could also turn out to be your profession in the future.
Listening to music relieves stress. Music is calming and keeps your mind away from worries. That is why you feel good after listening to music, especially when you are the one playing it. And, music can trigger a certain memory, so listening to music makes you relive or remember that memory.
In the end, listening to or playing music is just fun. Sometimes it just makes you feel good to dance along or sing along to the music and not care what anyone else thinks ;) . I encourage you to start listening to music more or to enroll in music lessons and look forward to a happier life.