Although open to dispute, the derivation of this word from Greek narke (numbness) would help to explain the connection of this flower with the cults of the Underworld and with the initiation ceremonies associated with the worship of Demeter at Eleusis.
The question we must ask ourselves is a simple one. Is our knowledge of self strong enough, and dedicated enough, to fend off civilization's contamination of our natural self. In this sense, have we become dependent upon technology?
In this article we treat only two interpretations of the astrological symbolism of this planet. In astrology Neptune embodies the principle of passive receptivity displayed equally in inspiration, intuition, mediumistic powers and paranormal faculties as in unworldliness, madness, aberration and irrational fears.
In Ancient Rome a class of gladiator, the retiarius, was armed with a net which he used to immobilize his opponent by entangling him in the meshes, thus placing him at his mercy. In psychology, this fearful weapon has become the symbol of those complexes which entangle the subject's internal and external life and the meshes of which it is so difficult to loosen.
Night is a common symbol of the unconscious; the 'dark' other side of your personality; the primitive or negative ('evil') aspects of yourself. The complex symbolism of night involves mystery, danger and erotic seduction.
