New Bleach Mythology

[arwen_luna]

Zommari as Vishnu etc (by bigcarm)

Zommari Leroux. "Ari [as in Ari-Krishnah] (Sanskrit), "the russet-red one," in French. "Mari," additionally, means "husband" in French, but I think that's just coincidental.

-Hari is another name for Vishnu (the supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism).
-Hari translates as "he who takes away" in Sanskrit, vocative tense.
-Another variant, hare is said to refer to "the energy of God."
-Zommari's special power was Amor, or "love," which is really "control."
-Thus, Kubo is basically saying that God's energy is the power to control.
-Speaking again about control, Hare says to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, "With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe."
-His zanpakutou's name is Brujeria (Spanish, "witchcraft," Japanese, "community/assembly of the bewitching eyes), which calls forth the image of a religious congregation, drawn together by love and their esteem for God.
-Again, the Bhagavad Gita, "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not despair."

-Vishnu, reduced to its root, vis-, is said to refer to the "the All-Pervading One."
-Zommari's other ability of note was to be so fast as to create up to five quasi-clones of himself (gemelos, or twin, sonido), which makes his presence somewhat pervasive.
-Additionally, Vishnu in Sri Vaishnavism, another school, assumes five different forms.

-In his released form, Zommari actually looks like Vishnu sitting atop a lotus.
-A crown adorns his head.
-On his chest is the srivatsa mark (or hollow hole).
-Around his neck, he wears a "Kaustubha" jewel (or bone necklace).
-He wears two earrings.
-And very notably, he holds the chakra in one of his hands, called Sudarshana. The name Sudarshana is derived from two words - Su, which means good, superior, and Darshan, which means vision or sight; together, it is "Superior Vision." You remember how Zommari had 52 eyes.
-Vishnu supposedly could use this weapon to help believers develop the higher spiritual vision and insight to realize God.
-In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, teaches Arjuna the nature of the Supreme being and the different processes of Yoga (Zommari also assumes yoga stances), ultimately culminating in devotional surrender (control via Brujeria).
-In the process, the text makes reference to a scene reminiscent of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi a la Kuchiki Byakuya: "If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky, their radiance might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that universal form."
Wonderwice (by bigcarm)
-White is a color of purity (almost universally in the west, and of death in Japanese culture).
-A person's "walk" describes personality, disposition, or else the course of one's actions.
-Wanderweiss was described as a pure creature by Tousen, so perhaps he is a creature of pure death?

-He has purple eyes and a purple zanpakutou.
-Purple is the color of the flag in Tokyo in the Kanto region. Historically, Tokyo was Edo, meaning "estuary," or a place where salt water from the ocean and fresh water meet, where the salt content is relatively low.
-Purple is associated with many historic royalties, because the dye was expensive and rare, and those who could afford it were aristocratic or royal. This made for titles of extreme importance like "Πορφυρογέννητος" or "born to the Purple," in ancient Greek society.
-A potential Πορφυρογέννητος, which you can think of as an newly born mega-elite citizen, had to meet certain distinctions before earning the title.
-First, the person must be born in the Πορφυρο chamber (Purple Room) of the Great Palace of Constantinople (or Las Noches). This location in modern-day Turkey overlooks the Sea of Marmora, whose salt content is lower than most oceans (about 22 parts per thousand only about two-thirds that of most oceans), much like an estuary.
-The second requirement is that the father be Byzantine Emperor. While Hollows evolve to become Arrancar typically, Aizen is a father figure to Wanderweiss, and basically everyone in Hueco Mundo (an oddly Greco-Roman world in its own right) treats Aizen as an Emperor.
-Wanderweiss wears a small crown, also.
-Ladies and gentlemen, I think that means we have our first confirmed Vasto Lorde.

-The Sea of Marmora is a place ancient Greeks traveled in order to reach the Black Sea, whose Turkish name comes from Kara (Black) and 'Ak (White)--life and death in Japanese, and phonetically similar to our familiar Bleach Karakura Town, though Karakura apparently refers to a night-demon in Turkish folklore! (Karakura also apparently means "doodle" in a south Indian language...so, manga?)
Barragan (by sonicom)


Barragan could be a derived name of Baligant (in French), a character present in a french mythical poem/story named "La Chanson de Roland" (the song of Roland).
So who was that Barragan and what about the song of Roland:

Well it's story about a knight during the reign of Charlemagne who is also a part of the story.It takes place during the fight between the Sarassin (Aizen/Espada) and Charlemagne (King of SS or Yama); some kind of holy war or crusades.In that "song" there is a "bad guy" named Baligant (in french).But we can also write it like that "Ballagan" (L and R are similar for japanese so we've got our Barragan).
So that Baligant/Barragan (Espada) received a demand from the Sarassin (composed by African, Muslim and Spanish) to help them for their war against Charlemagne.But who was Baligant/Barragan.
He was an emir from Babylon (the Cairo one), king of 40 country (the crown and jewels) and the strongest king of the Sarassin army.Barragan created an army for the Sarassin to fight Charlemagne (Espada ?).
And by the way an emir in Orient means commander (Barra takes the lead).
Now some desription about Baligant/Barragan.In the song, they said that Barragan is the alter-ego of Charlemagne (Yama).They both old, with great prestance, white hairs, brave and heroic etc... well a typicall great mythological hero but he wasn't christian and was the bad guy (Hollow/Espada and with Aizen).And he lived longer than Virgile or Homère Barragan looks very old).
Baligant/Barragan was also a famous swordsman equal to Charlemagne, in other words Baligant = Charlemagne.Baligant also takes his own decisions and takes advice from nobody (Haribell-Barragan)
The song also said that Baligant/Barragan had an ivory throne (bone throne) that was carry by his man/army.And Baligant/Barragan seems to have a kind of legendary sword called "precious" (no it's not LOTR) with some legendary power; we still don't know the Barragan's zampa.
Baligant/Barragan is described like someone with large shoulders, very muscular, a ligth skin and has some stigmat about his previous fights and victories (scars).
Baligant/Barragan has the largest army (5 Fraccions) called "the Dragons" by Charlemagne and he's been followed by two other powerful kings : Marsile (a guy-Stark) and Bramidoine (a girl-Haribell).
Baligant/Barragan used to seat on his throne and gave orders to his army on the battlefield; he was considered like an expert on military strategies.
Another details, Baligant/Barragan have the sun for symbol (his belt).Baligant/Barragan killed one of Charlemagne's army Vice-Captain (Sasakibe ?)
At the end Baligant/Barragan had an epic and legendary fight with Charlemagne (Yama) and almost killed the French King but he's been helped by a divine intervention of the archangel Saint Grabriel (Vizard/Royal guard ???) and could kill Baligant/Barragan.
Baligant/Barragan is also described like someone who was an absolute master (so number 1 ? and the way he talked about Aizen).
Rukia and Halibel bits(by UltimateX)
Rukia is Katakana for Lucia, Latin for light. (look at the KT American SJ interview) Before KT even mentioned it, I knew right off the bat Lucia (or Rukia) is Ichigo's light.

Halibel...well phonetically, the end of her name is the same as belle, meaning beautiful. I am taking phonetics legitimately thanks to the origins of Rukia's name.

Szayel (by UltimateX)
Szayel
Syazel also sounds Hebrew or something of that sort, something Biblical now that I think of it. Why combine Christianity with Greek/Roman mythology? Also Fornicas? Why the sex? Jesus was supposed to be without sin and without carnal desire, and to the Christians, sex is a big no no, since I do not see a ring on Apollo's finger.
I think this is the Christian symbol here: Apollo was about to reincarnate himself, not unlike jesus, and he was about to do it without actual fornication. He came back until a God of the underworld, Mayuri laid his hand down on Apollo.
Shunsui (by UltimateX)
Shunsui
I just found this on Shunsui. Kyou also means 10 Quadrillion (1000 billion) as in the number. His name could be talking about his many years of peace and tranquility, but when you look at his Shikai's release command ("Flower wind rage and flower god roar. Heavenly wind rage and heavenly demon sneer" (花風紊れて花神啼き天風紊れて天魔嗤う, hana kaze midarete, kashin naki, tenpū midarete, tenma warau)), it sounds rather dark and ominous as well as being an admonition of an unfathomable power coming to reek unspeakable cruelty. A God (albeit it is a flower God, but every rose has it thorns, and there are tons of plants out there that are poisonous) is roaring and a demon is sneering. That sounds like a contradiction of his character as well as foreshadowing of a change in his demeanor.
Looks like the lazy womanizer has a dark side.

Shunsui Name Interpretation (by Rufix)
As for Shunsui name interpretation.

I agree with spring part. It can also connect with him being carefree and all happy. As for water. All changes need water, it's also needed for life. It can be connected with him being through-breaker in Bleach (destroying Sougyoku [spelling?], he saved Ichigo's and Rukia's life [no way Ichigo would block next attack] everytime we see him he fights for changes and justice). Also water can be lovely, easy and cool, but it can become dangerous. Assuming him being a powerful captain, with rather carefree attitude, that changes when things go wrong, it's good connection.

Kyouraku can mean he prefers relax, and his peaceful way of being. Capital relax in free translation. Mainly relax. Capital can also refer to him being 1 of main captains.

Byakuya (by Rufix)
Kuchiki Byakuya

Ku means ward/district/clause/sentence/PARAGRAPH
Chiki means childness/naivete/acquaintance/appreciative friend

I find 'chiki' part rather connected with Rukia than Byakuya (she's not most mature character in Bleach [not only by look;P], also Ichigo appreciates her as friend). Though 'ku' is connected to Byakuya, also sentence=Rukia's sentence in SS/she sentenced Ichigo to being Shinigami. Paragraph is of course Byakuya.

Kuchiki can also connect to Byakuya as paragraph's friend (law is like most important to him).

Byakuya means 'winter night'. It can mean he's cold person that doesn't show his feelings, or even discards them. Just like winter (arctic) night is icy cold and dark/snowy so we don't see through it.

As night won't change and will always be dark and cold it can refer to his stubborness. He's got his strict rules and views that he won't change, no matter what.

Night is also time for assassins, ruffians (rufix?:P) and other evul guys. Byakuya fighting style isn't rly noble... it's like: First I'll disable you with my 1000^1000 petals and some Hadou 4, and than I can cut you with my sword. He rather avoids close range combat, he prefers avoiding it, injuring enemy step by step. Also his famous backstab trick used 3 times against Ichigo. It's typical assassin's move/guerilla tactic.

Aikawa Love (by Rufix)
Aikawa Love

As one of my topics said, he can be image of Shaggy (yes Mister Love Love Bombastic Plastic Fantastic). Love can refer to Shaggy's nickname - Mister Love Love. Same goes for his hair;P he's having Star alike afro 'nowadays' and typical affro in Back to Pendulum serie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG2h0NgJN9s

By this video you can see that they are pretty similar not only going by hair style. Maybe Shaggy's not having star on his head, but this can refer to his position in pop-culture:P

As for Aikawa. 'Ai' means 'love', he seems to be real Casanova with style, class etc just by few shots in manga/anime:P Can also refer to Shaggy:P [(Mister) Love Love].

'Kawa' means good story, river, leather, side, row, surroundings. Can refer to him as having lots of good love stories connected with him (I said he looks like a lover-type). Can also refer to Shaggy and his songs, they are mainly about love/girls/good sex xP Songs are kind of stories, and Shaggy's songs are rather good (except "Feel the Rush" [ooh feel it in your ass]<-that's bout sex too!xD).

Of course we know nothing about him tbh, so this can be taken very lightly as my fan-fiction and of course your interpretation can be else, though he surly looks like Shaggy, his name can refer to him and he looks like he could have all women in world! Is Kubo Tite same person as Shaggy?:O
Choujirou Name Analysis (by arthur11)
Sasakibe Choujirou
Sasa- can translate into Bamboo (Perhaps the same inclinations luna connected with ukitake) aswell as
-Stab (Good reference to his Shikai)
-Various words meaning support

But I wanted to ask about Kibe which i found through an internet source
Ligit?
http://www.saiga-jp.com/cgi-bin/dic.cgi?m=search&sc=0&f=0&j=chou&g=&e=&s=&rt=0&sta rt=1&sid=1222811925_56873

can mean either...

-Station....(kind of irrelevant unless there was a famous battle at a support station involving a curly mustached colonel at some point in human history...:s)

-Begrudge
+
-Decieve....Now thats abit ominous, decieving bamboo or a decieving support?

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I wasnt sure how to break up the second name as Chouji-rou or Chou-ji-rou

I know Chouji from naruto means Butterfly/love/forgotten but that seems to relate little to the Vice Captain...

but i found Chou can mean Chief whilst Rou can mean Old so Oldchief..makes sense with his image but again i got confuddled with the ji..anyone able to complete and match this up to any legends or what not with a turtleneck wearing, pompous looking gentleman or is it simply all descriptive?
Oomaeda Name Analysis (by arthur11)
Oomaeda
O

Tiny/Small (Irony Obviously:p)

+

Oma

Mr

+

Eda

Fat/Stout/Fertile

= Tiny Mr Fat

(Reference to both brain and matter? :P)

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Mare

-Uncommon/Pure (nobility)

Chiyo

-Sunshine

(Another Irony perhaps)
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Zampaktou

Ge-getsu-buri or Gegetsu-buri? I went with the first option.

Ge

-Sunshine

Getsu

Moon

-Explains its form sort of, as it is a black orb with spikes upon it, making it look almost like a black(night) sun or sunny moon if you prefer



Buri

-Yellow tail

This meaning threw me so I did some searching to find that....

The Yellow Dragon Huang long (Oryu in Japanese) appeared from the Chinese river huang long river to present the current emperor the skills of reading and writing. So far no good, but this dragon’s waking and breathing determined day and night, season and weather. Too much of a coincidence? Maybe this pinpoints to a future crazy bankai if he ever learns it lol J

The dragon also represents the fifth element, Quintessence, I thought this is a bit tooo much power for Oomaeda to be controlling. But I also found out that Quintessence in Greek is Aether and also the name of a Male Greek Deity, a personification of ‘Upper sky, space, and heaven, and the elemental god of the "Bright, Glowing, Upper Air.’

This could all just be reference to Oomaeda's Nobility.As appossed to his Zampaktou's Technique or Perhaps his Zampaktou's personality is that of a TRUE Nobleman in contrast to Oomaeda. Zampaktou's often seem to contrast to the user dramatically in personality.
Ayasegawa Yumichika, Fuji-Kujaku And Peacocks(by Yayap)
The peacock is considered to be a bird of protection & safe guarding. Some folklore states that to have a peacock feather within the home helps to safe guard the house from any of the energy in the environment. In the Buddhist tradition, the peacock is said to eat poisonous plants without being affected by them.

The peacock came to be regarded as a symbol of vanity. Some Christians had the idea that just as the beautiful peacock considers its own feet ugly, humans should take note and lament their own imperfections no matter how great their worldly glory. Legend says it hates gold and will not go near it.

The peacock is often depicted in Hindu mythology as a steed of the gods and is considered sacred. But I also found something which states it has "angels' feathers, a devil's voice, and the walk of a thief", though I haven't seen that bit mentioned elsewhere.

It is associated with Japanese and Chinese goddesses of mercy and in some Islamic traditions, it has been portrayed as the greeter at the gates of paradise. In ancient Persian texts the peacock represented eternal life and was associated with royalty. While in Mesopotamia there was a symbolic representation of a tree flanked by two peacocks, which is said to symbolise the dualistic mind (his zanpaktou's partial and full releases) and the absolute unity.

The Peacock is pure of heart, loyal and faithful to their partners. The male Peacock goes to great lengths to attract his hearts desire and it dies of grief, or remains single, if it loses its mate. And if a peacock cries more than usual, it is said to foretell the death of someone in the family to which it belongs.
Madarame Ikkaku (by UltimateX)
Ok, revising what I said about Ikkaku earlier, Madarame means a spot, blemish, patch; well, it seems what that word basically means (as opposed to literal definitions) is an instance or an occurrence of some sort.
Dragons are usually symbols of strength as well as raw emotion be it that emotion is love, rage, hate, etc and Ikkaku is a character striving for power to match his beloved idol, Kenpachi while wearing his heart on his sleeve. Ogre light, well Ikkaku does seek power and has shown to be an emotional one (emotional does not always mean sentimental. Ikkaku has shown to be emotional in many cases, one being when he asked for Kenpachi to kill him after Ikkaku lost, another cases in this last chapter or the one before, where Iba scolded him.) but he is not at all morally ambiguous; infact he has shown to be well natured, albeit somewhat crude and violent.

Here we have Madrame Ikkaku, the one horned ogre of light, seeking the dragon's crest which will bestow upon him great power.
Shunsui and Dionysus(by wintaer)

1. Dionysus was the Olympian god of wine, vegetation, pleasure and festivity:

* Need I say more?


2. He was depicted as either an older bearded god or a pretty effeminate, long-haired youth. Oftentimes, his countenance is depicted as languid, and showing a kind of dreamy longing; the head, with a diadem, or a wreath of vine or ivy, leans somewhat on one side; his attitude is never sublime, but easy, like that of a man who is absorbed in sweet thoughts, or slightly intoxicated:

* Shunsui is both bearded and long-haired.
* He is at the same time old (compared to Renji, Kira, Rukia, etc.) and young (compared to Yamamoto and Unohana)
* Shunsui usually appears languid, dreamy, having sweet thoughts (about Nanao?), easy-going, and slightly intoxicated
* We always see him with his flowered hat on

3. His attributes included the thyrsos (a pine-cone tipped staff), drinking cup, leopard and fruiting vine. He was usually accompanied by a troop of Satyrs and Mainades (female devotees or nymphs):

* Pine-cone tipped staff points to the power of nature/earth. Shunsui always has his zanpakutou, the release chant of which points to it having ties with the earth
* Drinking cup... Again, need I say more?
* Leopard.... Bit of a stretch, but think of Nanao and Lisa. Both are strong women who aren't afraid of showing their claws
* Fruiting vine... could point to his ever-present pink cloak/jacket or his ever-present sake bottle

* I'm sure that if he could, Shunsui would want to have a group of female devotees

4. Dionysus works with vines:

* Vines = nature/earth. As mentioned above, part of Shusui's zanpakutou release chant talks about flower petals, thus pointing to earth/nature.
* Also, the festival for Dionysus is usually thrown in the spring, when leaves begin to reappear on the vines. Again, Shunsui's zanpakutou talks about flower petals (not to mention the flowery cape/jacket he likes to wear). Flowers and spring anyone?

5. Dionysus is dual-natured:

* Dionysus rewards people by giving them vines and wine. He holds lavish parties that bring joy and ecstasy. However, when angered, he can call upon the vines to rise up and strangle his enemies. Not only that, he also has the power to make people go mad.
* Shunsui's twin zanpakutous symbolize his dual-nature; that of a jolly, laid-back, lazy man vs. a serious and strong warrior with very sharp intuition

6. Dionysus was considered to be born twice or rebirthed:

* Here are two different stories about his being twice-birthed/rebirthed:
o In one version, Dionysus is the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Semele. When Semele was pregnant, Hera went to her in disguise and convinced her she should see her lover as he really was. When Zeus next came to her she made him promise to grant her one wish. She went so far as to make him swear on the River Styx that he would grant her request. Zeus was madly in love and agreed. She then asked him to show her his true form. Zeus, was unhappy, and knew what would happen but, having sworn he had no choice. He appeared in his true form and Semele was instantly burnt to a crisp by the sight of his glory. Zeus did manage to rescue Dionysus and stitched him into his thigh to hold him until he was ready to be born. His birth from Zeus alone conferred immortality upon him.
o In this version, Dionysus is the son of Zeus and Persephone. Hera gets the Titans to lure the infant with toys, and then they rip him to shreds eating everything but Zagreus' heart, which is saved by either Athena, Rhea, or Demeter. Zeus remakes his son from the heart and implants him in Semele who bears a new Dionysus.
* We could say that Shunsui was born twice too. There is the obvious link of him being a shinigami (life --> death --> life as a shinigami), but there is also his relationship with Yamamoto. Yamamoto says that he views Shunsui as a son, and it's obvious that Shunsui has strong affection for Yamamoto. However, Shunsui must have had a set of parents before coming under Yamamoto's wing, so that could link with the dual-parentage. Also, Shunsui (along with Ukitake) were the prodigies of Yamamoto, and are so powerful as to give off a sense of "immortalness" in Seireitei, kind like how Dionysus's birth from Zeus conferred immortality upon him.

7. Supposedly, Dionysus hated the sight of an owl:

* This could point to how Shunsui doesn't like studying

8. There have been some mention of Dionysus being the god of homosexuality:

* For the Ukitake x Shunsui shippers, there ya go...

9. Also was mentioned as god of plays:

* When Shunsui first entered into the scene of his fight with Chad, he had everything staged really dramatically, what with the wrapped up in his cloak, hat drawn over his eyes, flower petals raining down and all...
Urahara as Hermes(by wintaer)
1. Hermes is the god of shepherds, land travel, merchants, weights and measures, oratory, literature, athletics and thieves, and known for his cunning and shrewdness. Most importantly, he is the messenger of the gods.

* Many shinigami, when coming into the real world, stop by his place to get stuff, and I bet they sometimes stay there too.
* Urahara himself is a merchant...
* Weights and measures reminds me of scientists and Urahara is a scientist
* Oratory... he has a silver-tongue and is able to say (or not say) things to manipulate things his way
* Athletics and thieves... As we've seen, he's a great fighter, and in the world of Bleach, I think we can safely equate athletics to fighting. Thieves are tricky, Urahara is tricky
* "Known for his cunning and shrewdness"... Don't think I need to elaborate...
* Messenger of the gods... Urahara acts as the sort of go-between between the real world and SS

2. Hermes is usually depicted with a broad-brimmed hat or a winged cap, winged sandals and the heralds staff. The clothes he donned were usually that of a traveler, or that of a workman or shepherd. Other symbols of Hermes are the cock, tortoise and purse or pouch.

* Broad-brimmed hat = THE HAT!
* Winged sandals... he wears getas and winged could be linked to his shunpo abilities
* Heralds staff... the cane/Benihime anyone?
* Traveler's clothing... to me, traveler's clothing are loose clothing. So are shepherd's clothing (I think)
* Purse or pouch symbolizing him... Urahara's a business man and loves money

3. Originally Hermes was a phallic god, being attached to fertility and good fortune, and also a patron of roads and boundaries.

* Phallic, fertility... Urahara is perverted. Enough said
* Good fortune... once again, business man
* Patron of roads and boundaries... same as before, shinigami coming into the real world seem to all stop by his shop

4. Was the god who guided the souls of the dead to Hades:

* He's a shinigami, self-explanatory

5. God of dreams of omens and rustic divination:

* Urahara is good at predicting the future/reading people/manipulating things to turn out his way/planning ahead

6. God of Language and Education:

* Urahara is a genius

7. One of his sacred plants is the strawberry-tree (I chuckled when I read this):

* Urahara trains Ichigo(strawberry) and makes sure that he doesn't die. Also uses Ichigo to fulfill his ends.

8. He helped Perseus in his quest to slay the monster Medousa, guided Herakles to the underworld in his mission to fetch the Kerberos, and assisted Odysseus in his encounter with the witch Kirke:

* Urahara helps Ichigo and co. and SS against Aizen

9. Hermes created a lot of things (lyres, flute, reed pipes, foot racing, boxing, etc.):

* Urahara has invented how many things? Gigais, mod souls, 3-day bankai, etc.
Urahara as the Zodiac Snake(by wintaer)
People born in the year of the snake may become philosophers, theologians, politicians, or cunning financiers. The snake is the most enigmatic of the twelve zodiac animals.

Such persons are elegant, and enjoy reading, listening to great music, tasting delicious food, and going to the theatre. They are fascinated with all beautiful things in life. Many of the most beautiful ladies and the men with strongest personalities were born in the year of the snake. Therefore, you should have good luck if you were born in that year.

A person born in the year of the snake usually acts according to his own judgment, and doesn't follow the views with others. He may be a religious believer or a pleasure-seeker. In either case, he would rather believe in his own conjectures than accept the advice of others, and he is generally right.

They are not annoyed by lack of money, and are usually lucky enough to own everything they need. If such a person is short of money, he can change the situation quickly. However, he shouldn't gamble, for he may lose everything he has. If he sustains great losses, he will soon come to realize his error and recover from it so that he will not be hit later. Generally, he will be cautious and alert when doing business.

These persons are oversuspicious, which is their nature. They hide their suspicions, acting as if nothing is on their minds. They are also generous with money. However, such a person may be famous for heartlessness. To realize an important goal, they may act to eradicate anyone who gets in their way, without any feeling of shame.

Some people born in the year of the snake may speak in a leisurely or listlessly way, but this does not mean that they are slow in thinking and action. They like to think deeply, plan carefully, and make a systematic and appropriate exposition of their views. They usually speak with great care.

A person born in the year of the snake often shows a strong desire for control when associating with others, and can be strict with them. To a certain extent, he will not trust his friends. He will never forgive anyone who breaks a promise. He easily becomes excessively nervous when he is frightened or feels doubtful about something.

When such a person is irritated, he will cherish a bitter hatred. However, he will act with such hostility in a secret way. He shows his resentment with ice-cold hostility instead of bitter words. Some of the people born in the year of the snake may strike their enemies a deadly blow.

People born in the year of the snake usually have a sense of humor. In desperate situations, they can enliven the atmosphere with jokes and talk cheerfully and humorously even under great pressure. However, there are some exceptions. Some of these people are icy, some often ridicule others, and some are even grim.

Now you can see that it is not easy to deal with a person born in the year of the snake, especially when he thinks one way and behaves in another. There always lies an alert heart behind his serene appearance. He has a strong will, and will try his best to hold fast to his position. He is so cunning that when you think you may have seized him, he has already slipped away.


A person born in the year of the snake is a passionate lover, who always makes eyes at persons of the opposite sex. You will make a mistake if you think that such a person is always in love, for they are sensitive toward and yearn for everything, and so their eyes shine with the enthusiasm of first love when they make a good deal.

People born in the year of the snake, especially those who like to be in the limelight and struggle for fame and gain, often lead turbulent lives that are full of passion, forcing them to rack their brains.

As the core force in disturbance and difficult situations, a "snake" will face danger fearlessly, and deal with unforeseen disasters. He has a strong sense of responsibility and clear goals. He may become most powerful if he combines his lofty ideals with inborn advantages.

And as for Earth Snakes...

The warm and spontaneous variety of Snake who will form slow but correct opinions of people. More principled, persistent and reliable, the Earth Snake will be able to communicate with the public and function effectively in group activities.

Armed with a peripheral vision and basic Snake ambition, he can take control and bridge gaps during times of confusion and panic. He or she will not be easy to intimidate and may refuse to be influenced by the crowd. This Snake reserves the right to pass his own judgment.

By and large, this will be the most graceful and enchanting of all the Snakes. Cool, collected and immensely charming, he will be loyal to friends and have an army of supporters.

Conservative and frugal with money, the hard-working and systematic Earth Snake will succeed in banking, insurance and real estate investments and can reconcile his needs with his resources. Here is a Snake who knows his limits and who will be careful not to overextend himself
Mayuri the Jizou con’t (by Cataclysm)

I just found some stuff on Jizou that are related to the nature of Konjiki Ashisogi Jizou and Ashisogi Jizou. Copied and Pasted from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ksitigarbha:

The statues can sometimes be seen wearing tiny children's clothing or bibs, or with toys, put there by grieving parents to help their lost ones and hoping that Jizō would specially protect them.

There is another legend about how Kṣitigarbha (Jizou) manifested in China, and chose his bodhimanda to be Mount Jiuhua, one of the Four Sacred Mountains of China in Buddhism.

In the Eastern Han dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Ming, Buddhism started to flourish, reaching its peak in the era of the Tang Dynasty, eventually spreading to Japan and Korea. At the time, monks and scholars arrived from those countries to seek the Dharma in China. One of these pilgrims was a former prince of Korea, which was at the time divided into three countries (Silla, Goguryeo and Baekje). The monk, whose Korean romanization was Kim Kiaokak (Ch: Jin Qiaojue(金喬覺)) was a prince from Silla who became a monastic under the name of Earth Store (Also called Jijang, the Korean pronunciation of Dizang). He came to the region of Anhui to Mount Jiuhua. After ascending, he decided to build a hut in a deep mountain area so that he may be able to cultivate.

According to records, the monk was bitten by a poisonous snake, but did not move, thus letting the snake go. A woman happened to pass by and gave the monk medicines to cure him of the venom, as well as a spring on her son's behalf. For a few years, the monk continued to meditate in his hut, until one day, a scholar named Chu-Ke led a group of friends and family to visit the mountain. Noticing the monk meditating in the hut, they went and took a look at his condition. They had noticed that the monk's bowl did not contain any food, and that his hair had grown back.

Feeling pity on the monk, Scholar Chu decided to build a temple as an offering to the monk. The whole group descended the mountain immediately to discuss plans to build the temple. Mount Jiuhua was also property of a wealthy person named the elder Wen-Ke, who obliged to build a temple on his mountain. Therefore, Wen-Ke and the group ascended the mountain once more and asked the monk how much land he needed.

The monk replied that he needed a piece of land that could be covered fully by his kasaya. Bewildered that a piece of sash could not be enough land to build a temple, the monk surprised them as he threw the kasaya in the air, and the robe expanded in size, covering the entire mountain! Elder Wen-Ke had then decided to renounce the entire mountain to the monk, and became the monk's protector. Sometime later, Wen-Ke's son also left the home life to start his life as a monk.

The monk lived in Mount Jiuhua for seventy five years before passing away at the age of ninety-nine. Three years after his nirvana, his tomb was opened, only to reveal that the body had not decayed. Because the monk led his wayplace with much difficulty, most people had the intuition to believe that he was indeed the transformation body of Kṣitigarbha.

Monk Jijang's well-preserved, dehydrated body may still be viewed today at the monastery he built on Mount Jiuhua.

The quotes in bold are indicative of why it's a poison type zanpakutou and why Konjiki Ashisogi Jizou had that long garment covering it's caterpillar-like body.
Ichigo as Heracles (by Afrojack)
Ichigo as Heracles:

1. Hercules was the son of Zeus and a mortal; Ichigo is the son of Masaki and Isshin, a mortal and a Captain-level Shingami.

2. Although he was not as clever as the likes of Odysseus (Urahara) or Nestor, Heracles used his wits on several occasions when his strength did not suffice; Ichigo is not known for his technique, experience, or intelligence, but he is able to use his wits to defeat enemies eg. Renji, Ikaku.

3. Heracles' iconographic attributes are the lion skin and the club; Ichigo is known for his tawny hair and gigantic Zanpaktou.

4. These qualities did not prevent him from being regarded as a playful figure who used games to relax from his labors and played a great deal with children; Ichigo after the SS arc was known to be hanging around the 11th squad house and to roam the streets of Rokungai and SS. Ichigo also likes to protect children, and is always very kind to them.

5. By conquering dangerous archaic forces he is said to have "made the world safe for mankind" and to be its benefactor; This needs no explanation.

6. Heracles was an extremely passionate and emotional individual, capable of doing both great deeds for his friends (such as wrestling with Thanatos on behalf of Prince Admetus, who had regaled Heracles with his hospitality, or restoring his friend Tyndareus to the throne of Sparta after he was overthrown) and being a terrible enemy who would wreak horrible vengeance on those who crossed him.

Okay, that's a loaded one. We know that he fought Byakuya, Kenpachi, and others on behalf of Rukia, and GJ and Ulq and others on behalf of Orihime, both of whom have been of great help to Ichigo. As for restoring a friend to the throne....Maybe that's Ichigo's destiny, to restore the Soul King to his throne somehow? Sounds interesting. But he is a also a terrible enemy who wreaks horrible vengeance: Byakuya (less so than others), GJ, Ulq...all have fallen or will fall to his vengeance. He has even gone so far as to state that he intends to fight them for his own pleasure, showing at times a disregard for his original mission to save Orihime.

7. A few months after he was born, Hera sent two serpents to kill him as he lay in his cot. Heracles throttled a snake in each hand and was found by his nurse playing with their limp bodies as if they were child's toys; A few days after Ichigo had awakened his powers, SS sent two snakes (Renji and Byakuya) to kill him. Ichigo only managed to throttle one, but the situation is similar, especially since Urahara finds him, though he actually has to save his life.

8. Heracles is driven to madness by a grievous sin (murdering his children under the spell of Hera) and then is told to undertake tasks set to him by a king whom he despises; Ichigo is driven to deep sadness at his self-perceived sin against Rukia, believing he owes it to her to go to SS and face the tasks set against him by the king (SS), whose rules and regulations he despises, while there.

9. After completing these tasks, Heracles joined the Argonauts in a search for the Golden Fleece. They rescued heroines, conquered Troy, and helped the gods fight against the Gigantes; Well, after completing his task of saving Rukia and battling the Captains, Ichigo sort of joins a different version of the Gotei 13 after Aizen's betrayal, especially since they give hm a badge, and together with SS, he will rescue Orhime, conquer HM, and slay the Gigantes (Espada and Aizen). The Golden Fleece could be something like the Hogyoku, but that's reaching unless it's SS since that was Ichigo's true mission, which he failed.

This is nowhere near all of the mythology surrounding Heracles, but this is what I found that immediately stuck. Perhaps someone might be willing to take a peek at the tasks of Heracles or similar characters in the mythos to try to find something, I would certainly be grateful, as there are those much better at this than I in this thread (Arwen_Luna, UltimateX, wintraer, etc.).

Heracles had a lot of wives, so Ichigo's love life I think probably is not derived from him, but I will say that Heracles apparently had a penchant for princesses.
Ichigo name analysis (by manymanymomok)
Kurosaki Ichigo (黒崎　一護)
Kuro (黒) means black
saki (崎) could refer to small peninsula
Ichi (一) is one
go (護) means to protect
一護
I would infer that Ichigo could mean 'sole protector/guardian' or 'the ONE' (which is sort of obvious through the entire series).
黒崎
I find it sort of symbolic that Kurosaki can be taken to refer to something like 'the black land' or 'the land of black(ness)'.

After all, a peninsula is a large piece of land nearly surrounded by water but connected to a main land via a small strip of land (isthmus). This seems to symbolize Soul Society pretty well.

As we know, KT's reasoning for naming bleach was related to the soul reaper's being black, and black being symbolic of death. Thus the name Kurosaki in itself seems to have some underlying hint that the Kurosaki family's fate is intertwined with death, hollows, and shinigami. It also supports the idea that the clue of Isshin's origins lie within SS(!)

一心
It is very similar to Ichigo's in the sense that they both have the word 'Ichi' or 'One' in them, just that Isshin's name has the word 'heart/mind/spirit' in it (shin, 心)
I take it to refer to his wholeheartedness to Masaki (and likely to his personality)
Nergal and Yama (proposed by Marszczyn; info by Athane)
Nergal was also the deity who presides over the netherworld, and who stands at the head of the special pantheon assigned to the government of the dead (supposed to be gathered in a large subterranean cave known as Aralu or Irkalla).

1.a) Bold fits SS, Yama and the Gotei 13 perfectly.

Yama is the CC of the Gotei 13, hence the "head of the special pantheon assigned to the government of the dead" or shinigami.

The warp-tunnel thing with the cleaners that you go through after entering a senkaiman, hence the gathering of said souls in a large subterranean cave (the pathway tunnel resembles a cave). Also the innermost courts of SS could be considered a cave as well (since there's that barrier that is created by those reiatsu sucking stones)

2.) Nergal's fiery aspect appears in names or epithets such as Lugalgira, Sharrapu ("the burner," perhaps a mere epithet), Erra, Gibil (though this name more properly belongs to Nusku), and Sibitti. A certain confusion exists in cuneiform literature between Ninurta and Nergal. Nergal has epithets such as the "raging king," the "furious one," and the like. A play upon his name -- separated into three elements as Ne-uru-gal (lord of the great dwelling) -- expresses his position at the head of the nether-world pantheon.

2.a)"Reduce all creation to ashes Ryuujin Jakka", "Don't tell me you want to be burned without even releasing your Zanpakutou". Yama-Ji is a very violent person

3.)In the late Babylonian astral-theological system Nergal is related to the planet Mars. As a fiery god of destruction and war, Nergal doubtless seemed an appropriate choice for the red planet, and he was equated by the Greeks either to the combative demigod Heracles (Latin Hercules) or to the war-god Ares (Latin Mars) -- hence the current name of the planet. In Babylonian ecclesiastical art the great lion-headed colossi serving as guardians to the temples and palaces seem to symbolise Nergal, just as the bull-headed colossi probably typify Ninurta.

3.a) Yama is a shinigami. (death god or God of Death) War brings about death and destruction. Self-Explanatory.

4.) Nergal's chief temple at Cuthah bore the name Meslam, from which the god receives the designation of Meslamtaeda or Meslamtaea, "the one that rises up from Meslam". The name Meslamtaeda/Meslamtaea indeed is found as early as the list of gods from Fara while the name Nergal only begins to appear in the Akkadian period. Amongst the Hurrians and later Hittites her was known as Aplu, a name derived from the Akkadian Aplu Enlil, meaning "the son of Enlil". As God of the plague, he was invoked during the "plague years" during the reign of Suppiluliuma, when this disease spread from Egypt.

4.a) This could be loosely equated to Yama's quarters and the receivment of designation's from the Central 46.

5.)Being a deity of the desert, and a god of fire, the negative aspects of the sun, and the underworld, and also being a god of one of the religions who rivalled Christianity and Judaism, Nergal was sometimes called a demon and even being identified with Satan. According to Collin de Plancy and Johann Weyer, Nergal was said to be the chief of Hell's "secret police", and said to be "an honorary spy in the service of Beelzebub".

5.a) Ties in with people speculating that Yama is going to betray SS. (This one is just thrown in there for added fluff).


Hitsugaya and Sagittarius: by wintaer

- Sagittarius is ruled by the planet Jupiter:
In Roman mythology (and Greek if one turns Jupiter into Zeus), Jupiter is the ruler of the heavens. Could be related to Hitsugaya in that his zanpakutou is the most powerful of all ice-based zanpakutous and that to release it, he tells it to "Soar in the Frozen Sky" (or something like that) aka heaven

- Jupiter is supposed to signify good fortune in astrology:
One could say that Hitsugaya has had good fortune what with that having lived in a too crappy section of Rukongai and being a prodigy and being captain of the 10th division

- As the ninth sign in the zodiac, Sagittarius is associated with the astrological 9th house, which is associated with natural Sagittarius matters - foreign travel and foreign countries and cultures, religion, the law and higher education:
1) Foreign travel and foreign countries: He got sent to the real world to see what the arrancars were like
2) Law: He's a captain of the Gotei 13, charged with upholding the law
3) Higher Education: He's a prodigy, and he's always doing paperwork which one could say is homework (lol)

- Sagittarius is associated with the centaur, which in Greek mythology is considered as adventurous, brave, and wise, but they were also given to brawling and uncivilized behavior:
1) Hitsugaya is brave and smart/wise
2) Brawling: Can be seen whenever Hitsugaya gets into arguments with people on how to address him
3) Uncivilized behavior: Seen when he was a kid and spit watermelon seeds at Hinamori (I think) and called her bed-wetter Momo, etc.

- Astrological symbol for Sagittarius has dual meaning. The first and most common is that of a bow and arrow. The second and less well-known is that of an arrow lifting up a cross-shaped burden, representing the struggle the Sagittarius faces:
1) Bow and arrow: Points to him being a warrior
2) Arrow lifting up cross-shaped burden: Could point to the burden of Hinamori and her obsession with Aizen

- In personal relationships, Sagittarius are reliable, seldom betraying any trust given to them. They can, however, be impulsively angry and both male and female Sagittarians know how to be outspoken and exactly what expressions will hurt their adversaries most. On the other hand they are magnanimous in forgiving offenses and are responsible when looking after the elderly in the family:
1) Seldom betraying any trust given to them: Hitsugaya has always struck me as a trustworthy person
2) Can be impulsively angry: He gets irritated easily
3) Know exactly what expressions will hurt their adversaries most: Seems to me that Hitsugaya is quite good at that too, what with his cold expressions and everything
4) Responsible when looking after the elderly in the family: Didn't want to go to the shinigami academy because he didn't want to leave his grandma alone

- The vices to which Sagittarians are prone are anger they tend to flare up over trifles; impatience - they want to rush every new project through immediately and demand too much of colleagues who cannot work at the pace they require:
1) Prone to anger, flare up over trifles, impatience: Self-explanatory
2) Demand too much of colleagues: Well, maybe Matsumoto feels that he demands too much from her just by asking her to do paperwork...

- They have both profound and widely ranging minds, equipped with foresight and good judgement, and have an urge to understand conceptions that are new to them. They think rapidly, are intuitive and often original, but are better at adapting than inventing and are at their best when working with colleagues of other types of character that compliment their own. They are strong-willed and good at organizing, a combination that gives them the ability to bring any project they undertake to a successful conclusion:
1) Profound and widely ranging minds, etc. etc: He's a prodigy/genius/really really smart
2) Best when working with colleagues of other types of character: Works surprisingly well with Matsumoto, despite differences in personality
3) Strong-willed and good at organizing: *points to him in office and stacks of organized paperwork* Self-explanatory

- They are honorable, honest, trustworthy, truthful, generous and sincere, with a passion for justice. They are usually on the side of the underdog in society they will fight for any cause they believe to be just, and are prepared to be rebellious. They balance loyalty with independence:
Self-explanatory really...
Lions and Toushirou by Rufix
Lions are considered kings of all animals, Toushiro's Zanpakutou is Hyourinmaru which is the most powerful Ice Based Sword... KING of all Ice Zans.

I think 'ice' connection is clear- Hyourinmaru, but also Hitsugaya's attitude, he's rather cold, calculating and planning person, closed, keeping his feelings and emotions for his own consideration.

As for Hyourinmaru, he looks like typical Chinese/Japanese dragon, both got kind of lion head.

Bleach, the River Styx and Purgatory by Afrojack
I prefer the idea of the River Styx over purgatory. Even most Christians (that I know) think Purgatory is a joke. The whole point of Jesus' death was to put an end to inbetween realms. Jesus' main task was to eliminate man's sin (karmic debt), by dying on the cross. This is why Christianity was adamantly against the theory of reincarnation, which was a staple in perhaps the majority of religions before Christianity, even in early Judaism's scriptures, because it was the model that nature provided. Jesus was the end-all be-all.

After him, it was supposed to be either Heaven or Hell, but the Church came up with Purgatory as the place for "unworthy but not-evil" souls because they had taken the universality out of Jesus' message, saying that only through them, the Church, could one achieve salvation, that only they had the authority to interpret the Gospels, and that only by following them and obeying all their rules could one possibly attain heaven. This lasted up until the time that the Church was granting salvation for money, when people wised up and started realizing that the Church was corrupt.

Purgatory is nothing more than a lie that was told to people by the early Church as a way to explain why they had the authority they did, when Jesus had said that forgiveness was but a request away. When people asked what would happen to unbaptized souls that had not lived evilly enough to go to Hell, they stalled by answering with Purgatory. A nice way of saying "you need us to get to heaven, otherwise it's hell or eternal boredom." It is a farce, and a poor substitute for the legitimate system of reincarnation, which the Church had already denied the validity of. Rather than earning salvation over many lives (reincarnation), a soul had to do penance in what can only be described as a holding cell, until they went to heaven. Instead of reneging, they made something up. That is Purgatory.

The River Styx however, was a journey taken by all souls, sort of like everyone in Bleach becomes a plus before becoming a shingami, a hollow, or remaining in that state. Similarly, Styx led to three main paths: The Elysian Fields, for heroes (Sereitei), Tantulus, for wicked souls who displeased the Gods (Hell), and the Asphodel fields, where those buried properly went to. Everyone encountered the Styx, and if one was buried with a coin under their tongue (soul-burial), they would be taken to the other side, where past Cerebrus, lay the Asphodel Fields, where the majority of the dead lead a dull existence (Rokungai).

Those who were not buried properly, however, were forced to wander the edge of the Styx (which is a symbol of the line between life an death, much like the soul chain represents that line for pluses), until they found the pauper's entrance into the underworld. This to me sounds very much like a hollow. Those not buried properly, or those who remain attached to their lives, cannot cross over, and so must wader the afterlife until finding a pauper's entrance, or a less efficient/comfortable way across, which is to become a hollow and be purified by a zanpaktou.

Ganju Shiba by arthur11


Ganju - Resolve/Waves

Shiba - Rock/Eagle

Prometheus connections

Prometheus was a greek titan who insulted and tricked the Olympians and ultimatley was punished severely. I think in bleach the order of events, if taking from the Prometheus myth are skewed but here are some interesting comparisons.

-Prometheus tricked and insulted the gods by offering them bull meat inside and ox's stomach -> Ganju's weapon looks not disimilar to a meat cleaver.

-After being accepted by the olympians, he stole fire from the sun and gave it to the humans. The rocket he gave to ichigo and co.

-He was punished by being chained to a great rock where an eagle feasted on him everyday whilst he healed over night due to his immortality, Hercules broke his bonds.

^I feel this could be metaphoric for how the death of his brother Kain due to his shinigami status, trapped and tortured Ganju's soul. Hercules could only be seen as Ichigo, freeing him from his bonds.

The only inchorence is the fact that Prometheus gave fire to the humans before he was punished but you understand what i mean.

Some decent Freyr Connections:

Freyr was a Norse god of Fertility who had a sister Freya (Kuukaku translates to sky crane = Cranes are signs of fertility in modern literature), both rode great boars.

His ship Skíðblaðnir could take him over land and sea and could be folded into his pocket...fireworks? This he lent to Loki, a mischiefous god, Ichigo, to use as reperation...Ichigo's atonement for his part in Rukia being taking away perhaps...

He had three servants who followed him everywhere, reference to his crew.
Vizard, a mask, a visor: by Rufix
# (v. i.) To wear a mask; to be disguised in any way.
# (n.) In a permanent fortification, a redoubt which protects the caponiere.
# (n.) A festive entertainment of dancing or other diversions, where all wear masks; a masquerade; hence, a revel; a frolic; a delusive show.
# (n.) A grotesque head or face, used to adorn keystones and other prominent parts, to spout water in fountains, and the like; -- called also mascaron.
# (n.) A screen for a battery.
# (v. t.) To disguise; to cover; to hide.
# (n.) A dramatic performance, formerly in vogue, in which the actors wore masks and represented mythical or allegorical characters.
# (v. t.) To conceal; also, to intervene in the line of.
# (n.) A cover, or partial cover, for the face, used for disguise or protection; as, a dancer's mask; a fencer's mask; a ball player's mask.
# (n.) The lower lip of the larva of a dragon fly, modified so as to form a prehensile organ.
# (v. t.) To cover, as the face, by way of concealment or defense against injury; to conceal with a mask or visor.
# (v. t.) To cover or keep in check; as, to mask a body of troops or a fortess by a superior force, while some hostile evolution is being carried out.
# (v. i.) To take part as a masker in a masquerade.
# (n.) That which disguises; a pretext or subterfuge.
# (n.) A person wearing a mask; a masker.
# (n.) The head or face of a fox.<-shinji? xP
The Chrysanthemum, 1st Division Flower: by Rufix
In some countries of Europe (e.g., France, Poland, Croatia), in Korea and in Japan, white chrysanthemums are symbolic of death and are only used for funerals or on graves - similarly, in China, white chrysanthemums are symbolic of lamentation and/or grief. In some other countries, it represents honesty. In the United States, the flower is usually regarded as positive and cheerful.

* The Chrysanthemum Throne: The Chrysanthemum Crest (菊花紋章, kikukamonshō or kikkamonshō) is the name given to the position of Japanese emperor. The chrysanthemum is the monshō ("badge" or "crest") of the emperor of Japan, and therefore the flower represents the emperor and Imperial House.
* The Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum: a Japanese honor awarded by the emperor.
* In Japan the chrysanthemum is also a metaphor for homosexuality in poems, as the tightly gathered petals are supposed to represent the male anus (is Yama-jii gay?;o)
* The chrysanthemum is one of the "Four Gentlemen" (四君子) of China (the others being the plum blossom, the orchid, and bamboo<-Ukitake as bamboo post;P). The chrysanthemum is said to have been favored by Tao Qian, an influential Chinese poet, and is symbolic of nobleness.<-matches Vice-Captain
* The chrysanthemum is the flower of the American musician fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
* The white chrysanthemum is the flower of Triangle Fraternity, a society of engineers, architects, and scientists.
* Chrysanthemums were recognized as the official flower of the city of Chicago in 1961.
* The term "chrysanthemum" is also used to refer to a certain type of firework shell that produces a pattern of trailing sparks similar to a chrysanthemum flower.
* The chrysanthemum is also the flower of November.
* A Chrysanthemum Festival is held each year in Tongxiang, near Hangzhou, China.
* The "golden flower" referred to in the 2006 movie Curse of the Golden Flower is a chrysanthemum.
* Chrysanthemums are common visual hallucinations induced by the psychoactive Dimethyltryptamine.
* The city of Nihonmatsu, Japan hosts the "Nihonmatsu Chrysanthemum Dolls Exhibition" every autumn in historical ruin of Kasumigajo castle.
The Iris and bird of paradise by Rufix
The iris symbolizes good news and luck. It is also said the its three upright petals symbolize faith, valor, and wisdom.

History
The iris got its name from the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris. She was the messenger of the gods, and would ride on the rainbow to and from Earth in her beautiful, multicolored robes. She acted as the link between heaven and earth. It is told that irises were planted at the graves of women. People believed that this would summon the goddess to guide the souls in their journey to heaven.

France
During the Middle Ages, irises became linked to the French monarchy. Eventually, this flower became the French national symbol, the fleur-de-lis.

Other meanings
The iris is also recognized as the February birth flower, the 25th wedding anniversary flower, and the state flower of Tennessee.



The bird of paradise flower represents magnificence, excellence, royalty, and most of all (not surprisingly) paradise. These flowers got their name because of their resemblance to a brightly colored bird in flight, the Bird of Paradise. These flowers are native to Africa. They are also known as "crane flower."

Anniversary flower
Birds of paradise are the 9th wedding anniversary flower.
The Camellia, Tulip, and Yarrow: by Afrojack
Camellia (6th Squad):

1. The single, wild form of Camellia is said to drop its flowers abruptly, suggesting sudden death. Because of this, it has come to be a symbol for losing one’s life.

Byakuya is known to kill people quickly, as with most situations involving either form of his sword. In most every case except Ichigo’s third encounter, he has ended his fights with relative firmness and speed, and the person always either comes close to losing or does lose his life.

2. In the Victorian language of flowers, white camellias denoted the sentiments of unpretending excellence and steadfastness, whereas red represented loveliness.

Byakuya's zan uses pink petals, so it makes sense that he is not only one of the most powerful and stoic (excellence and steadfastness) shingami in the SS, but also one of its most famous as well, suggesting that he has overall aescetic qualities (loveliness).

3. William Roscoe, and English poet wrote, “The chaste camellia’s pure and spotless bloom/ That boasts no fragrance and hides no thorn”

Byakuya is intent on following the law, and so has a spotless record, and he obviously isn't catering to anybody but himself (boats no fragrance, hides no thorn).

If somebody wants to do other members of the 6th squad or can find more in general, please do.

Tulip (2nd Squad)

1. It is said in a Persian legend that a young man, Farhad, was in love with a beautiful woman, Sharin. One day, Farhad received news that his lover was dead. In his grief, he jumped off a high cliff, and where his body landed, there the tulips first began to grow. The saddest part was that the message was sent by a jealous rival, and Sharin was actually still alive.

This can be related to Soi Fon any way that is best, because mine will no doubt be lacking. I don't remember a lot about Soi Fon, but I recall her being quite obsessed with Yoruichi, a beautiful woman, and IIRC received news about her leaving and in a way committed suicide, losing her individuality by conforming to SS the way she does, only considering the rules when dealing with people, even her former love (Yoruichi). Perhaps SS could be the jealous rival, since it is quite bitter for Soi Fon when she saw Yoruichi, whom had, for all intents and purposes, been dead to Soi Fon for many years. Soi Fon is also associated with yellow, and a yellow tulip symbolizes hopeless love, which furthers the connection between her and Yoruichi.
Yarrow (11th Squad)

Also known as the Achillea, it is named after the hero Achilles of Homer's Iliad, who was said to have given this plant to his soldiers to help stanch the flow of blood from their wounds during the Trojan War. Modern tests on the plan have found that it does indeed contain chemicals that help blood to clot.

Zaraki and his squad are obviously very battle-oriented, so it makes sense that they have a flower named after Achilles. We've seen Ikkaku staunch his wounds during battle against Ichigo, and Zaraki just doesn't care, although we see that he wears bandages and does bleed quite a bit. One could even stretch it to Ichigo, whose wounds had to be staunched by Zangetsu to continue his fight against Zaraki, the 11th squad captain. And it's also almost certain that Ichigo, if he doesn't become a captain, will be in the 11th squad, where he spent time after the climax of the SS arc.
Aizen as the Hierophant (Tarot), 5th Card (5th Squad Captain) by Afrojack

Symbols: Throne, hand raised in blessing, two acolytes.

Aizen intends to rule over the heavens, leaves with his hand raised, and has two faithful acolytes, Gin and Tousen.

The Hierophant is a wise teacher and holy man. Acolytes kneel before the man, ready to hear and pass on his teachings.

Aizen is SS is considered to be one of the wisest and most personable Captains, with a devoted squad that he personally tutored. Tousen and Gin could also fill this role.

The Hierophant is quoted as saying, "Either give up that which you fear to lose so it no longer holds any power over you.”

One of Aizen’s most famous lines is, “Admiration is the furthest thing from comprehension.”

When the Hierophant appears as a person, he's likely an old, favored teacher, therapist, counsellor, advisor, or sponsor. That young Priest with progressive ideas, or the old Rabbi who was always so down to earth and fun, or maybe an uncle who always offered such common sense advice.

This fits Aizen to a tee. Though he does not appear old, it is obvious from the various flashbacks in Bleach that he has been around for a long time, and as previously stated, seems as a Captain to be generally looked upon in good light for his calm demeanor and wisdom. He obviously has very progressive ambitions (hollowification and ruler ship), but is also revered for his down-to-earth and gentle manner and is often approached for advice (Hinamori).

When things are going very wrong in the world, the Hierophant is the one who wades in, quiets the panic, and offers good, practical advice. He symbolizes a connection to the divine, which answers with a very human voice, never oblique or mysterious.

When everything seems to be going wrong, Aizen is always calm and undisturbed, though that is because he has usually orchestrated it. However during these times he often reveals uncomfortable truths to whoever is in the crisis. He also does it with simple, profound words, even going so far as to say that using strong words make one seem weak (Komamura).
Two and Urahara+Yoruichi (Rufix)
Two: The symbolic meaning of number Two is kindness, balance, tact, equalization, and duality. The number Two reflects a quiet power of judgment, and the need for planning. Two beckons us to choose. The spiritual meaning of number Two also deals with exchanges made with others, partnerships (both in harmony and rivalry), and communication. Two urges us out of our indecision, calls us to unite with like-minds, and like-ideals. Two asks us to exert our natural flow of judgment to do what is best for our souls.

Both are kind, if we merge them we get balanced being, Yoruichi is noble, Kisuke grown up with nobles tact is sure, equalization of man and woman, duality of man and woman. Both are planners, knowing their abilities and chance to win. They are partners. They both are kinda mentors to Ichigo (Kisuke surly more). They both know that united forces got higher chance of winning.

Aizen/Hinamori and Seven (Rufix)
Before someone states he should be Five, Seven is number of his name.
Seven:Sevens, like Threes, deal with magical forces. Sevens deal with esoteric, scholarly aspects of magic. Representative of scholarly activities, mystery, and the focused search for esoteric meanings. Seven deals with the activation of imagination and manifesting results in our lives through the use of conscious thought and awareness. Ruled by Saturn, Seven can represent impractical dreaming, but with a deeper understanding of the aspects of Seven, you can quite deftly utilize its magical vibration to your own benefit.

Kidou 90 without incantation 1 shotting Komamura, he's searching for way to get past limits by secret knowledge (Hollowfication). Just now he's manifesting his work on battlefield. He's concious and aware, planner, very confident.

Hinamori is Kidou specialist that's no doubt, she's also idealizing Aizen what he by deep analize of her, used to his own benefit.

Four and Ulquiorra(Rufix)

Four: The symbolic meaning of number Four deals with stability and invokes the grounded nature of all things. Consider the four seasons, four directions, four elements all these amazingly powerful essences wrapped up in the nice square package of Four. Fours represent solidity, calmness, and home. A recurrence of Four in your life may signify the need to get back to your roots, center yourself, or even "plant" yourself. Fours also indicate a need for persistence and endurance.

He's amazingly powerful, he does he's job best he can (solidity), he's calm, he's not getting mad, he's majordomo of Las Noches.
Halibel as Echidna (Cataclysm)
Because of what was found on those three, I managed to find a little bit myself. The creator of all monsters in Greek Mythology was Echidna, meaning "she viper". One of Echidna's offspring was the Chimera. I have an extract as well describing her:

the goddess was nasty who is half a nymph with glancing eyes and fair cheeks, and half again a huge snake, terrible smelling, with greasy skin, eating raw flesh beneath the secret parts of the holy earth. And there she has a cave deep down under a hollow rock far from the deathless gods and mortal men. There, then, did the gods appoint her a glorious house to dwell in: and she keeps guard in Arima beneath the earth, grim Echidna, a nymph who dies not nor grows old all her days

Whilst we don't know much about Halibel, and whilst this is a stretch, she sound like she fits some of this description. Her eyes and her mask around her cheeks.. I just hope she doesn't have greasy skin ><

Found some more.. She has the upper body of a beautiful woman (as we can see) and the lower half of a snake, sometimes with two tails. She has numerous mates, but her husband or her most used mate or whatever was called Typhoeus, a disgustingly ugly god of wind(Typhoeus - Typhoon?)that had 100 serpent heads. Sometimes depicted as a human god of storms, relating to his wind power and the time where he stole Zeus' thunderbolts.

Also, it seems that Hercules had some children with her as well O.O Two different "races" of people (meaning from a certain town or city/region) and one monster..
Greek mythology and Kamaitachi (Yayap)
The Chimera was ferocious beast, and breathed a very bright fire which was ultimately killed by Bellerophontes & Pegasus. Although unable to hurt it at first, Bellerophon got a large block of lead, attached it to his spear, and lodged the block of lead inside the Chimera's throat. The beast's fire-breath melted the lead, and blocked its air passage, causing it to suffocate.
In Greek mythology, Stymphalian birds were flesh-eating birds with wings of metal, iron beaks and bronze or brass claws. They had sharp iron feathers which they could launch at their victims (and their dung was highly toxic!!). They were said to be pets of the god of war, Ares. Heracles was to rid the land of them as the 6th of his 12 great labours.
Ikkanzaka Jiroubou (fought Ishida in SS arc with flying blades) is known as the Kamaitachi for his “mastery” of projectiles – the ability to kill without actually touching the enemy. The Kamaitachi was traditionally classified as a wind spirit. There are different ideas of its form, the most common being a trio of weasels with sharp claws, riding on a gust of wind and cutting the skin on people’s legs. The first weasel knocked down the victim, the second cut their flesh & the third healed the wounds, leaving the victim with painful wounds that weren't bleeding.

The sai is a relatively small weapon, with a very distinctive shape. With skill, it can be used against a long sword by trapping the sword's blade in the sai's handle. If the user is skillful enough she may be able to fracture a blade or other weapon with the sai. There are several different ways of wielding the sai in the hands, which give it the versatility to be used both lethally and non-lethally. The sai is primarily used as a striking weapon or for short jabs into the solar plexus. The sai also has many defensive uses in blocking other weapons. (source: wikipedia)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (by Rufix)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr_Jekyll
Richard Enfield tells a gruesome tale of assault to Mr Utterson. The tale describes a sinister figure named Mr. Hyde who tramples a young girl, disappears into a door on the street, and re-emerges to pay off her relatives with a cheque signed by a respectable gentleman for 100 pounds. Because both Utterson and Enfield disapprove of gossip, they agree to speak no further of the matter. It happens, however, that one of Utterson’s clients and close friends, Dr. Henry Jekyll, has written a will transferring all of his property to this same Mr. Hyde. Soon, Utterson begins having dreams in which a faceless figure stalks through a nightmarish version of London. Puzzled, the lawyer visits Jekyll and their mutual friend Dr. Hastie Lanyon to try to learn more. Lanyon reports that he no longer sees much of Jekyll, since they had a dispute over the course of Jekyll’s research, which Lanyon calls “unscientific balderdash”. Curious, Utterson stakes out a building that Hyde visits, which, it turns out, is a filthy shack attached to the back of Jekyll’s home. Encountering Hyde, Utterson is amazed by how undefinably ugly the man seems, as if deformed, though Utterson cannot say exactly how this is so. Much to Utterson’s surprise, Hyde willingly offers Utterson his address. Jekyll tells Utterson not to concern himself with the matter of Hyde.A year passes uneventfully. One night, a servant girl witnesses Hyde beat to death, without cause, an old man named Sir Danvers Carew, who is a member of Parliament and a client of Utterson. . The police contact Utterson who suspects Hyde of the murder. He leads the officers to Hyde’s apartment, feeling a sense of foreboding amid the eerie weather (the morning is dark and wreathed in fog). When they arrive at the apartment, the murderer has vanished, but they find half of the murder weapon left behind a door. The weapon is a cane given to Jekyll by Utterson. Shortly thereafter, Utterson again visits Jekyll, who now claims to have ended all relations with Hyde. Jekyll shows Utterson a note, allegedly written to Jekyll by Hyde, apologizing for the trouble he has caused him and saying goodbye. That night, however, Utterson’s clerk points out that Hyde’s handwriting bears a remarkable similarity to Jekyll’s own. For a few months, Jekyll reverts to his former friendly and sociable manner, as if a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. Later, Jekyll suddenly begins to refuse visitors, and Lanyon dies of shock after receiving information relating to Jekyll. Before his death, Lanyon gives Utterson a letter, with instructions that he not open it until after Jekyll's death. Utterson goes out walking with Enfield, and they see Jekyll at a window of his laboratory; the three men begin to converse, but a look of horror comes over Jekyll’s face, and he slams the window and disappears. Soon afterward, Jekyll’s butler, Mr. Poole, visits Utterson in a state of desperation and explains that Jekyll has secluded himself in his laboratory for several weeks, and that now the voice that comes from the room sounds nothing like the doctor’s. Utterson and Poole travel to Jekyll’s house through empty, windswept, sinister streets; once there, they find the servants huddled together in fear. After arguing for a time, the two of them resolve to break into Jekyll’s laboratory. Inside, they find the body of Hyde, wearing Jekyll’s clothes and apparently dead by suicide. They find also a letter from Jekyll to Utterson promising to explain the entire mystery. Utterson takes the document home, where first he reads Lanyon’s letter and then Jekyll's. The first reveals that Lanyon’s deterioration and eventual death were caused by the shock of seeing Mr. Hyde drink a potion and, as a result of doing so, metamorphose into Dr. Jekyll. The second letter explains that Jekyll, seeking to separate his good side from his darker impulses, discovered a way to transform himself periodically into a creature free of conscience, this being Mr. Hyde. The transformation was incomplete, however, in that it created a second, evil identity, but did not make the first identity purely good. At first, Jekyll reports, he delighted in becoming Hyde and rejoiced in the moral freedom that the creature possessed. Eventually, however, he found that he was turning into Hyde involuntarily in his sleep, even without taking the potion. At this point, Jekyll resolved to cease becoming Hyde. One night, however, the urge gripped him too strongly, and after the transformation he immediately rushed out and violently killed Sir Danvers Carew. Horrified, Jekyll tried more adamantly to stop the transformations, and for a time he proved successful by engaging in philanthropic work. At a park, he considers how good a person he has become as a result of his deeds (in comparison to others), believing himself redeemed. However, before he completes his line of thought, he looks down at his hands and realizes that he has suddenly once again become Mr. Hyde. This was the first time that an involuntary metamorphosis had happened in waking hours.Far from his laboratory and hunted by the police as a murderer, Hyde needed Lanyon’s help to get his potions and become Jekyll again; when he undertook the transformation in Lanyon’s presence, the shock of the sight instigated Lanyon’s deterioration and death. Meanwhile, Jekyll returned to his home, only to find himself ever more helpless and trapped as the transformations increased in frequency and necessitated even larger doses of potion in order to reverse themselves. It was the onset of one of these spontaneous metamorphoses that caused Jekyll to slam his laboratory window shut in the middle of his conversation with Enfield and Utterson. Eventually, the potion began to run out, and Jekyll was unable to find a necessary ingredient to make more. Ironically, Jekyll learns that this most necessary ingredient was in the first instance of his experiments, sullied. Subsequent supplies are pure and thus lacking the quality that makes the potion successful for his experiments. His ability to change back from Hyde into Jekyll slowly vanished. Jekyll writes that even as he composes his letter he knows that he will soon become Hyde permanently, and he wonders if Hyde will face execution for his crimes or choose to kill himself. Jekyll notes that, in either case, the end of his letter marks the end of the life of Dr. Jekyll. With these words, both the document and the novel come to a close.
Dr. Jekyll x Bleach interpretation (Rufix)
So what are those motives?

1. Urahara Kisuke as Dr Jekyll. Urahara Kisuke respected Shinigami, a Captain, a researcher, a genius, he'd invented Hthingy that let him break the barrier between Hollow and Shinigami, though seeing it's too dangerous he tries to destroy it, just as Jekyll tried to supress Mr Hyde. Somehow diffrent though is that Urahara tried to merge Hollow and Shinigami and Jekyll tried to divide his evil and good personalities. Though motives are diffrent result are very similar.

2. Kurosaki Ichigo as Dr Jekyll. Ichigo's got his inner Hollow that often took control over him in very unexpected moments, sometimes doing more evil than Ichigo intended (so any evil matches;P). Both Jekyll and Ichigo are afraid of transformation and do everything to avoid it, though it happens more and more frequently. After Jekyll's last transformation, that was supposed to be end of his life, Mr Hyde suicides in Jekyll's laboratory. Ichigo's fate is similar though outcome isn't so tragical. So seeing that he won't be able to hold Shirosaki anymore Ichigo visits Vizards that help him. He passes the last transformation into Hollow, though Ichigo wins his inner battle and takes control over his alter ego, what Jekyll couldn't.

3. Aizen Sousuke as Dr Jekyll. Jekyll shows his alter ego in night. When Aizen shows his true intence in "Turn back the pendulum" it's also night. He's respected and liked VC then and soon becomes a Captain, no one knows about his evil side, which is showed when he leaves to Hueco Mundo in the end of SS arc. What is interesting Jekyll after transformation, already as Mr Hyde, suicides. Seeing Aizen's powerlevel this can be a very logical end of him, but that's just a speculation.

4. Hirako Shinji as Lanyon. Lanyon is the first and only person to see Hyde's transformation into Jekyll. After seeing that he dies because of shock. Also Shinji is the first person to see Aizen's true identity and personality. Shinji doesn't die though, he's saved by Urahara.

5. Central 46 as Sir Danvers Carew. It's rather strange to compare institution to person but read further. Sir Carew is a kind old man, important member of Parliament, killed in the streets of London by Mr. Hyde in a murderous rage. Aizen wiping out C46?
Ulquiorra as Horus (Kyouraku-taichou)
It's concerning Ulquiorra's release, and specifically his eye, where there is a lot of evidence that suggests his release will be based off of Horus, the Egyptian god of the sky. Let's look at the evidence.
1. The remains of his mask, usually referred to as a helmet, at least partially resemble Horus' own head (or something that covers his head).
http://www.logoi.com/pastimages/img/horus_3.jpg

2. Ulquiorra's left eye has the ability to be removed, crushed into dust, and then completely heal itself. This this is similar to how Horus' left eye was injured during a battle with another god, Set. This same eye was later healed by yet another god, Thoth (just so we are clear; I'm not claiming Ulquiorra's eye was injured during a fight with someone, and someone else healed it; I'm referencing how both eyes healed themselves after injury).

3. Ulquiorra's eyes bear some resemblence to the Eye of Horus, an Egyption symbol of power, mainly in his tear lines (you can see the Eye of Horus has a similar line; it stops shorter than Ulquiorra's lines, but it's there).
http://www.stickergirl.com/images/EyeofHorus.jpg

3. Ulquiorra claims that his eyes see everything. Someone else suggesting this could suggest an owl-like release, since owls have great eyesight. Horus is depicted as having the body of a man and the head of a falcon, which is a bird of prey (like owls) and also have great eyesight. Horus' animal form is also that of a falcon. Also, Horus' left eye (the one that was damaged) was claimed to be the "all seeing" eye (just check the back of a US dollar bill and you'll see it), and Ulquiorra claims he can see everything with his eyes.... seems like fairly strong evidence to me.

5. Than finally there is his tsuba, which is noticeably very eye-shaped (even the stupid wikipedia guys included that detail in the Ulquiorra article when it still existed). This could be another reference to the Eye of Horus, and ultimately Horus himself.

So, those are the five reasons I could come up with. One could also argue that his coat tails could somehow resemble the tail or even wings of a falcon (drawing falcon back to Horus), but that may be a stretch; idk. That's my point though; Ulquiorra's release could be based on Horus/a falcon.

Note: this theory is not originally mine; it was first envisioned by someone on deviantART in one of their deviations.
The Chimera and Halibel's fraccion interpretation (Alan the Cowboy Killer)
Apache - silver, over at BA they translated as cierva, which is spanish for deer or stag. Fitting, supposing that horn of hers could be an antler, might be similar to a unicorn, which I have hoped hers to be.

Mila Rose - leona, spanish for lion. Hrm, another cat release? I guess Kubo is a cat man.

SunSun - anaconda. Yeah.

The Chimera Parka likely refers to the mythlogical Greek monster Chimera, which the good ppl at BA have already noted. The Chimera has the head of a lion, body of a goat, and the tail of a snake, so it would be apt name for a combo attack between all three fraccion (if this turns out to be true). Maybe Kubo though goats were too lame to deserve a release, and subsituted a better bovid (good thinking, TK).

However, what I find interesting is that if you continue the Greek mythos aspect, you might find out more bout what Halibel's fraccions' releases will be like; in particular the 12 Tasks of Hercules:

1) His first task was to slay the Nemean Lion, which had an invincible hide. Perhaps Mila Rose's release will have a tough hierro, tougher than you would expect for a fraccion. Though we've seen plenty of tough hierro types already (Nnoitra, Yammy, Ulqy, Barragan's fatso), perhaps this will have a different element to it.

2) His second task was to slay the Lernaean Hydra, which was described as both serpentine and aquatic, which befits an anaconda. If you cut off a hydra's head, two will grow in its place, perhaps SunSun has some ability akin to that? Though her release command is strangle to death, so it's likely something to do with constriction.

3) Hercules' third task was to capture the Golden Stag of Artemis, or in Spanish, Cierva de Cerinía, or Cierva of the Gold Horns. Again, a reference to horns. The Golden stag was supposedly very fast, so maybe Apache's release will emphasize sonido. When Hercules did catch it, Artemis was mighty pissed.

What might give this some credence is that, if Kubo decided to use this as a reference, he would have used the first three tasks instead of randomly picking three out of the twelve, giving it more coherence. It would be interesting if it worked out the way, seeing a Greek mythos theme for Halibel's fraccion, while in comparison Grimmy's and Barry's did not have any sort of theme (although fatso and Vega were both prehistoric releases). Perhaps, Halibel could be something akin to Artemis, goddess of the hunt? It would be cool, dontcha think?
In desert and in barrens (Rufix)
Ok I think this here matches Nel really well, though I'm not sure if i'll pass all required information.

"W pustynii i w puszczy" (english title should sound "In desert and in barrens") is very popular Polish novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz (awarded with Noble Award). So what's the connection?

So it shows adventures of 2 kids, their 2 black friends. So they are boy and girl. Boy is 14 and is blonde (kinda similar to Ichigo's orange hair) he's also brave and responsible guy, that will protect his friends even for the price of his own life. Girl is called Nell, she's 8 (Nel look ~5, but doesn't matter).

Action happens during war between Sudan and Great Britany (HM/SS). After running from caravan (that was supposed to transport them as political prisoners-more info in book) they are travelling through deserts (Hueco Mundo anyone?;>), after some time they find an elephant that they eventually tame and use as mount (Bawabawa anyone? or how was it called?)

Two of their friends are named Kali and Mea, they're black and as for native people of late XIX century Africa aren't really intelligent, though they are very good friends etc. Both pledged allegience to Nell. So those 2 would be Pesche and fatguy (Dondochakka? maan those names are at least crazy o.O).

Eventually they get back to their fathers (found by English patrol on desert in very crucial moment, and tell me it doesn't resemble Kenpachi&co intervention).When they are adult Staś and Nell get married (IchiNel ftw^^)

Maybe those connection are loose but still something^^ I've read that book good 6-7 years ago so I can't really find anymore connections but travel (forced) to sultan's palace in desert matches IchiNel journey to Las Noches.

Can't find anything bout her character but she cared about her friend though she was rather annoying and somehow insistent. Also she falling on fever can be linked with Neliel's 'illness', but it's doubtful:P
Lions (Athane)
Lions are powerful animals who usually hunt in coordinated groups and stalk their chosen prey. However, they are not particularly known for their stamina - for instance, a lioness' heart makes up only 0.57 percent of her body weight (a male's is 0.45 percent of his body weight), whereas a hyena's heart is close to 10 percent of its body weight. [60] Thus, although lionesses can reach speeds of 59 km/h (40 mph),[61] they can only do so for short bursts[62] so they have to be close to their prey before starting the attack.


When I read that it reminded me of how Hitsugaya has 3 Ice petal's floating over him when he goes Bankai. He can't hold it for long but can fight for short bursts during that time and when they disappear his bankai is gone. However if there's water in the atmosphere Hyourinmaru can regenerate itself.
Number 4 numerology (wintaer)
Dunno if this has been brought up before, but 4 can also reflect the 4th division/Unohana and about how they're supposed to heal people and save them/bring them back from the brink of death

Perhaps we can even link Unohana to what Sonicom said about the number 4 and its relation to the sport team's captain. One could say that in this scenario, Yamamoto is the coach and Unohana (being one of the Big 4 and senpai to Ukitake and Kyouraku), is the captain

Death can also be linked to 4th division/Unohana in that it's been mentioned that she's very scary when angered, and also when one thinks about that one part in the manga where 11th division members are throwing a fit in the 4th division, and Unohana walks up saying something along the lines of "while they're in the 4th division, their lives are in her hands". She can be a dealer of death in that (1) she's powerful and scary in her own way (2) she could refuse to heal someone, thereby handing them over to death

And, taken from Luna's post about Ulquiorra and the #4:

-Four is the number of stability, discipline, intellectuality, methodical nature and balance. I think Ulquiorra is best described as intellectual and methodical in his actions and thought processes etc.
• I believe that Unohana is also stable, disciplined, intellectual, methodical, and balanced in nature

-4 Positive Traits: Strong sense of order and values, struggle against limits, steady growth, highly practical, scientific mind, attention to detail, foundation for achievement, a genius for organization, fine management skills.
• She also has a strong sense of order and values, is highly practical, has a scientific mind, pays attention to detail (something about Aizen's 'dead' body was bothering her), and must have fine management and organization skills in order to be a captain
• One can say that her healing Renji after his battle with Byakuya could be her way of "struggling against limits" or rather, her way have expressing her disapproval of Rukia's impending execution without openly rebelling/going against it
• Attention to detail is also shown when she confronts Aizen in the Chambers of the 46
-4 Negative Traits: Lack of imagination, caught up in detail, stubborn fixed opinions, slow to act, too serious.
• She's always struck me as a relatively serious person who isn't as imaginative as the rest
• Also, the lack of her outright opposition in face of her disapproval of Rukia's execution (unlike Kyouraku and Ukitake), seems to be a bit of that stubborn fixed opinion

-The Tarot Card The Emperor:
• Fathering, Stability, Authority, Power (applies)
• Control, Discipline, Command, Common Sense (applies)
• Status Quo, Order, Structure, Egocentrism (applies, except for maybe the egocentrism part?)
• Tradition, Rigidity, Leadership, Experience (applies, maybe not as rigid as Yamamoto though)
• Inflexibility, Conservative Ways, Organization (applies, same thing as above on the inflexibility part)

-In Biblical numerology 4 stands for law and order, measurement, the physical and material realms, reason, logic, the square and the cross.
• Still upholds the law despite her disapproval, is reasonable and logical
Toushirou the lion (Rufix)
Lions are considered kings of all animals, Toushiro's Zanpakutou is Hyourinmaru which is the most powerful Ice Based Sword... KING of all Ice Zans.

I think 'ice' connection is clear- Hyourinmaru, but also Hitsugaya's attitude, he's rather cold, calculating and planning person, closed, keeping his feelings and emotions for his own consideration.

As for Hyourinmaru, he looks like typical Chinese/Japanese dragon, both got kind of lion head.
Hitsugaya and Sagittarius: (wintaer)

- Sagittarius is ruled by the planet Jupiter:
In Roman mythology (and Greek if one turns Jupiter into Zeus), Jupiter is the ruler of the heavens. Could be related to Hitsugaya in that his zanpakutou is the most powerful of all ice-based zanpakutous and that to release it, he tells it to "Soar in the Frozen Sky" (or something like that) aka heaven

- Jupiter is supposed to signify good fortune in astrology:
One could say that Hitsugaya has had good fortune what with that having lived in a too crappy section of Rukongai and being a prodigy and being captain of the 10th division

- As the ninth sign in the zodiac, Sagittarius is associated with the astrological 9th house, which is associated with natural Sagittarius matters - foreign travel and foreign countries and cultures, religion, the law and higher education:
1) Foreign travel and foreign countries: He got sent to the real world to see what the arrancars were like
2) Law: He's a captain of the Gotei 13, charged with upholding the law
3) Higher Education: He's a prodigy, and he's always doing paperwork which one could say is homework (lol)

- Sagittarius is associated with the centaur, which in Greek mythology is considered as adventurous, brave, and wise, but they were also given to brawling and uncivilized behavior:
1) Hitsugaya is brave and smart/wise
2) Brawling: Can be seen whenever Hitsugaya gets into arguments with people on how to address him
3) Uncivilized behavior: Seen when he was a kid and spit watermelon seeds at Hinamori (I think) and called her bed-wetter Momo, etc.

- Astrological symbol for Sagittarius has dual meaning. The first and most common is that of a bow and arrow. The second and less well-known is that of an arrow lifting up a cross-shaped burden, representing the struggle the Sagittarius faces:
1) Bow and arrow: Points to him being a warrior
2) Arrow lifting up cross-shaped burden: Could point to the burden of Hinamori and her obsession with Aizen

- In personal relationships, Sagittarius are reliable, seldom betraying any trust given to them. They can, however, be impulsively angry and both male and female Sagittarians know how to be outspoken and exactly what expressions will hurt their adversaries most. On the other hand they are magnanimous in forgiving offenses and are responsible when looking after the elderly in the family:
1) Seldom betraying any trust given to them: Hitsugaya has always struck me as a trustworthy person
2) Can be impulsively angry: He gets irritated easily
3) Know exactly what expressions will hurt their adversaries most: Seems to me that Hitsugaya is quite good at that too, what with his cold expressions and everything
4) Responsible when looking after the elderly in the family: Didn't want to go to the shinigami academy because he didn't want to leave his grandma alone

- The vices to which Sagittarians are prone are anger they tend to flare up over trifles; impatience - they want to rush every new project through immediately and demand too much of colleagues who cannot work at the pace they require:
1) Prone to anger, flare up over trifles, impatience: Self-explanatory
2) Demand too much of colleagues: Well, maybe Matsumoto feels that he demands too much from her just by asking her to do paperwork...

- They have both profound and widely ranging minds, equipped with foresight and good judgement, and have an urge to understand conceptions that are new to them. They think rapidly, are intuitive and often original, but are better at adapting than inventing and are at their best when working with colleagues of other types of character that compliment their own. They are strong-willed and good at organizing, a combination that gives them the ability to bring any project they undertake to a successful conclusion:
1) Profound and widely ranging minds, etc. etc: He's a prodigy/genius/really really smart
2) Best when working with colleagues of other types of character: Works surprisingly well with Matsumoto, despite differences in personality
3) Strong-willed and good at organizing: *points to him in office and stacks of organized paperwork* Self-explanatory

- They are honorable, honest, trustworthy, truthful, generous and sincere, with a passion for justice. They are usually on the side of the underdog in society they will fight for any cause they believe to be just, and are prepared to be rebellious. They balance loyalty with independence:
Self-explanatory really...
The river Styx etc (afrojack)
I prefer the idea of the River Styx over purgatory. Even most Christians (that I know) think Purgatory is a joke. The whole point of Jesus' death was to put an end to inbetween realms. Jesus' main task was to eliminate man's sin (karmic debt), by dying on the cross. This is why Christianity was adamantly against the theory of reincarnation, which was a staple in perhaps the majority of religions before Christianity, even in early Judaism's scriptures, because it was the model that nature provided. Jesus was the end-all be-all.

After him, it was supposed to be either Heaven or Hell, but the Church came up with Purgatory as the place for "unworthy but not-evil" souls because they had taken the universality out of Jesus' message, saying that only through them, the Church, could one achieve salvation, that only they had the authority to interpret the Gospels, and that only by following them and obeying all their rules could one possibly attain heaven. This lasted up until the time that the Church was granting salvation for money, when people wised up and started realizing that the Church was corrupt.

Purgatory is nothing more than a lie that was told to people by the early Church as a way to explain why they had the authority they did, when Jesus had said that forgiveness was but a request away. When people asked what would happen to unbaptized souls that had not lived evilly enough to go to Hell, they stalled by answering with Purgatory. A nice way of saying "you need us to get to heaven, otherwise it's hell or eternal boredom." It is a farce, and a poor substitute for the legitimate system of reincarnation, which the Church had already denied the validity of. Rather than earning salvation over many lives (reincarnation), a soul had to do penance in what can only be described as a holding cell, until they went to heaven. Instead of reneging, they made something up. That is Purgatory.

The River Styx however, was a journey taken by all souls, sort of like everyone in Bleach becomes a plus before becoming a shingami, a hollow, or remaining in that state. Similarly, Styx led to three main paths: The Elysian Fields, for heroes (Sereitei), Tantulus, for wicked souls who displeased the Gods (Hell), and the Asphodel fields, where those buried properly went to. Everyone encountered the Styx, and if one was buried with a coin under their tongue (soul-burial), they would be taken to the other side, where past Cerebrus, lay the Asphodel Fields, where the majority of the dead lead a dull existence (Rokungai).

Those who were not buried properly, however, were forced to wander the edge of the Styx (which is a symbol of the line between life an death, much like the soul chain represents that line for pluses), until they found the pauper's entrance into the underworld. This to me sounds very much like a hollow. Those not buried properly, or those who remain attached to their lives, cannot cross over, and so must wader the afterlife until finding a pauper's entrance, or a less efficient/comfortable way across, which is to become a hollow and be purified by a zanpaktou.

Halibel and 2; Urahara and 9 Numerology (Rufix)
Urahara Kisuke as Numerological 9:

-Nine's represent attainment, satisfaction, accomplishment, and our success to achieve an influence on our circumstances.

-The spiritual meaning of number Nine deals with intellectual power, inventiveness, influence over situations and things.
I think this one, I don't have to explain, everyone who read some manga know Kisuke, those who didn't... spoilerring suck

-Nine beseeches you to recognize your own internal attributes, and extend these abilities out into the world to make a positive, influential difference.

He knows his abilities and tries to extend them to make world better, just check Return to Pendulum serie. He did lots great things.



Numerological 2:
The symbolic meaning of number Two is kindness, balance, tact, equalization, and duality. The number Two reflects a quiet power of judgment, and the need for planning. Two beckons us to choose. The spiritual meaning of number Two also deals with exchanges made with others, partnerships (both in harmony and rivalry), and communication. Two's urge us our of our indecision, calls us to unite with like-minds, and like-ideals, as well as exert our natural flow of judgment to do what is best for our souls.

Matches Halibel very well, she seems to treat everyone as equal, she acts with tact - GJvsIchi fight, when she comments, it and way she talks to Fraccion make her look kind and calm. Her statement about Ichigo's Reiatsu, and fight with Grimmjow (2 Espada fight), makes me think about her 'power of judgement'.

I made Haliber-2 comparision as she's main candidate to Espada 2 position.
The tree of life (AizenvsUrahara)
After hearing about the Tree of Life theory were each Espada corresponds to one of the 10 Sephirot of the Tree of Life and did a little search about it and this is what i found
The Sephirot are listed in order of:
1. Keter - Crown - Divine Plan/ Creator/ infinite light/ Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh - I AM THAT I AM (Supreme/ Total Consciousness)
2. Chokmah - Divine Reality/ revelation/ Yesh me-ayin - being from nothingness (Power of Wisdom)
3. Binah - Understanding/ repentance/ reason (Power of Love)
4. Chesed - Mercy/ Grace/ Love of (intention to emulate) God (Power of Vision)
5. Gevurah - Judgment/ strength/ determination (Power of Intention)
6. Tipheret - Symmetry/ balance/ compassion (Creative Power)
7. Netzach - Contemplation/ Initiative/ persistence (Power of the Eternal Now)
8. Hod - Surrender/ sincerity/ steadfastness (Intellectual/ Observational Power)
9. Yesod - Foundation/ wholly remembering/ coherent knowledge (Power of Manifesting)
10. Malkuth - Lower Crown - Kingdom/ physical presence/ vision and illusion (Power of Healing/ Accomplishment/ Level of Realization of Divine Plan)

1st: Stark
Keter - Crown - Divine Plan/ Creator/ infinite light/ Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh - I AM THAT I AM (Supreme/ Total Consciousness)

Keter ("Crown" in Hebrew: כתר) also known as Kether, is the topmost of the Sephirot of the Tree of Life in Kabbalah. Since its meaning is "crown", it is interpreted as both the "topmost" of the Sephirot and the "regal crown" of the Sephirot. It is between Chokmah and Binah (with Chokmah on the right and Binah in the left) and it sits above Tiphereth. It is usually given three paths, to Chokmah, Tiphereth, and Binah.

Keter is so sublime, it is called in the Zohar "the most hidden of all hidden things", and is completely incomprehensible to man. It is also described as absolute compassion, and Rabbi Moshe Cordovero describes it as the source of the 13 Supernal Attributes of Mercy.

Keter, although being the highest Sephirah of its world, receives from the Sephirah of Malkuth of the domain above it (see Sephirot). The uppermost Keter sits below no other Sephirah, although it is below Or Ein Soph which is the source of all Sephirot
2nd: Barragan Luisenbarn
Chokmah - Divine Reality/ revelation/ Yesh me-ayin - being from nothingness (Power of Wisdom)

Chokhmah, the second of the ten sefirot, is the first power of conscious intellect within Creation.

Chokhmah appears in the configuration of the sefirot at the top of the right axis, and corresponds in the tzelem Elokim ("the Divine image") to the right hemisphere of the brain.

In its fully articulated form, Chokhmah possesses two partzufim ("faces" or "features"): the higher of these is referred to as Abba Ila'ah ("the higher father"), whereas the lower is referred to as Yisrael Saba ("Israel, the Elder"). These two partzufim are referred to jointly as Abba ("father").

Chokhmah is associated in the soul with the power of intuitive insight, flashing lightning-like across consciousness. The partzuf of Abba Ila'ah is associated with the power to spontaneously extract such insight from the superconscious realm, whereas the partzuf of Yisrael Saba is associated with the power to subsequently direct it into consciousness.

The "wisdom" of Chokhmah also implies the ability to look deeply at some aspect of reality and abstract its conceptual essence till one succeeds in uncovering its underlying axiomatic truth. These seeds of truth can then be conveyed to the companion power of Binah for the sake of intellectual analysis and development.

Chokhmah is the primary ("beginning") force in the creative process, Creativity, as it is said: "You have made them all with Chokhmah ." The first word of the Torah (in Genesis, Breishit means "In the beginning (God created the heavens and the earth)", is translated (Targum Yonatan) as "With Chokhmah (God created...)."
3rd: Halibel
Binah - Understanding/ repentance/ reason (Power of Love)
Binah, (meaning "Understanding"; בינה), in the Kabbalah of Judaism, is the second intellectual Sephirah on the tree of life. It sits on the level below Keter (in the formulations that include that Sephirah), across from Chokmah and directly above Gevurah. It is usually given four paths: to Keter, Chockmah, Gevurah, and Tiphereth (some Kabbalists place a path from Binah to Chesed as well.) In an anthropomorphic visualization, it may be alternatively related to the "left eye", "left hemisphere" of "the brain" or the "heart."

Binah is "processed wisdom," also known as deductive reasoning. It is davar mitoch davar -- understanding one idea from another idea. While Chockmah is intellect that does not emanate from the rational process; it is either inspired or taught. Binah is the rational process that is innate in the person which works to develop an idea fully.

Binah is associated with the feminine. This feminine association is not just used amongst the modern movements. “For you shall call Understanding a Mother.” This point was reflected in the Jewish Kabbalistic work Bahir. Classical Jewish texts state Binah yeterah natun l'nashim ("an extra measure of Binah was given to women").

In its fully articulated form, binah possesses two partzufim: the higher of these is referred to as Imma Ila'ah ("the higher mother"), whereas the lower is referred to as Tevunah ("comprehension"). These two partzufim are referred to jointly as Imma ("the mother").
Non-Jewish associations
In Western occultism, Binah is seen to take the raw force of Chokhmah, and to channel it into the various forms of creation. For example, in a car, you have the fuel and an engine. While Chokmah is the fuel, pure energy, Binah is the engine, pure inert mechanism. Either one without the other is useless.

In its role as the ultimate Object, as opposed to Chokmah as the Subject, its role is similar to the role of Shakti in Indian mysticism. It is feminine, because it literally gives birth to the whole of creation, providing the supernal womb, with Chokmah providing the raw energy.

The name of God associated with Binah is Jehovah Elohim, the archangel that presides over it is Tzaphkiel, the order of angels that resides in it are the Aralim ( the Thrones ) and the planet associated with it is Saturn.

The aspect or attribute of being associated with the feminine, is why Binah is often associated with various occult things that reflect the females. It is related to the Yoni, and to the womb. It is related to the priestess card in the occult tarot (according to Arthur Edward Waite's "Pictorial Key to the Tarot") and Liber 777 associating it with Isis, Cybele, Demeter, Rhea, Woman, The Virgin Mary, Juno, Hecate, Yoni, The Three Threes of the Tarot, etc. etc. etc.

Occultists have tried to compare the sephirah with the Chakras of Indian mysticism, and one such comparison is in comparing both Binah and Chokmah with the Ajna chakra, which is where both Shiva and Shakti are united.

For its negative opposite on the Tree of Death, it has Sathariel.

In the correlation of Binah with Shakti and Chokmah with Shiva, Shakti is the animating life force whereas Shiva is dead, a corpse, without her energy.
4th: Ulquiorra Schiffer
Chesed - Mercy/ Grace/ Love of (intention to emulate) God (Power of Vision)

Chesed ("Kindness"; חסד) is the fourth Sephirah on the tree of life in the Kabbalah of Judaism. It is given the association of kindness and love, and is the first of the emotive attributes of the Sephirot. It sits below Chokhmah, across from Gevurah and above Netzach. It is usually given four paths. To Chokhmah, Gevurah, Tiphereth, and Netzach (some Kabbalists place a path from Chesed to Binah as well.)

The first three of the Ten Sephirot, are the attributes of the "intellect," while Chesed is the first sephira of the attribute of "action."

Chesed translated as kindness is often thought of as being synonymous with niceness, but the connotation of Chesed is much deeper. Chesed can be properly described as an act that has no "cause."

Chesed is proactive -- it is the initiator of interaction, and must therefore be the first in the sephirot of action. Chesed deals with the level of visible, and in the chain of social dynamics is the primary spark that initiates subsequent action.

5th: Nnoitra Jiruga
Gevurah - Judgment/ strength/ determination (Power of Intention)
In the Jewish Faith
Gevurah is the fifth of the ten sefirot, and second of the emotive attributes in Creation.

Gevurah appears in the configuration of the sefirot along the left axis, directly beneath binah, and corresponds in the tzelem Elokim to the "left arm."

Gevurah is usually understood as God's mode of punishing the wicked and judging humanity in general. It is the foundation of stringency, absolute adherence to the letter of the law, and strict meting out of justice. This stands in contrast to chesed.

We thus speak of God's primary modes of action as being the kindness and unaccountability of chesed, versus the stringency and strict accountability of gevurah. It is called "strength" because of the power of God's absolute judgment.

Gevurah is associated in the soul with the power to restrain one's innate urge to bestow goodness upon others, when the recipient of that good is judged to be unworthy and liable to misuse it. As the force which measures and assesses the worthiness of Creation, gevurah is also referred to in Kabbalah as midat hadin ("the attribute of judgment"). It is the restraining might of gevurah which allows one to overcome his enemies, be they from without or from within (his evil inclination).

Chesed and Gevurah act together to create an inner balance in the soul's approach to the outside world. While the "right arm" of chesed operates to draw others near, the "left arm" of gevurah reserves the option of repelling those deemed undeserving. (Even towards those to whom one's initial relation is that of "the left arm repels," one must subsequently apply the complementary principle of "the right arm draws near").

Ultimately, the might of gevurah becomes the power and forcefulness to implement one's innate desire of chesed. Only by the power of gevurah is chesed able to penetrate the coarse, opposing surface of reality.

The numerical value of Gevurah, 216, is 6 times 6 times 6. The tablets of the covenant that Moses received at Sinai were 6 by 6 by 6 handbreadths. The Torah was given to Moses and Israel from "the Mouth of the Gevurah." It is most significant that the name of no other sefirah is used by our sages to connote God Himself, other than gevurah (In the Bible, God is referred to as "the netzach [eternity] of Israel" (Samuel 1 15:29), but not as netzach alone). Here, gevurah implies God's essential power to contract and concentrate His infinite light and strength into the finite letters of Torah (especially those engraved on the tablets of the covenant, the Ten Commandments).

Gevurah = 216 = 3 times 72 (chesed). Each of God's 72 hidden Names possesses three letters, in all--216 letters. Meaning inheres to words and names. The ultimate "meaning" of every one of God's Names is His expression of love (chesed) for His Creation. Each Name expresses His love in a unique way. The components of each word and name, the "building blocks" of Creation are the letters which combine to form the words. The letters, "hewn" from the "raw material" of "pro-creation" (the secret of the reshimu, the "impression" of God's infinite light which remains after the initial act of tzimtzum, "contraction") reflect God's gevurah.

The two hands which act together to form all reality, chesed (72) plus gevurah (216) = 288 = 2 times 12 squared. 288 is the number of nitzotzot "fallen sparks" (from the primordial cataclysm of "the breaking of the vessels") which permeate all of created reality. Through the "dual effort" of chesed and gevurah, not only to form reality, but to rectify reality (through the means of "the left arm repels while the right draws near"), these fallen sparks are redeemed and elevated to return and unite with their ultimate source. In a universal sense, this is the secret of the coming of Mashiach and the resurrection of the dead.
In the non-Jewish faith
Gevurah is seen as God's terrible aspect, the aspect that allows death and suffering in the world, the aspect of God the Bible entreats us to 'fear'. It is a limiting, restrictive aspect, and is responsible for taking away that which is not necessary, and destroying that which is not wanted. However, this does not mean it is evil, except when it is out of balance. It is opposed in the tree of life by Chesed, Mercy, which is God's aspect of pouring his energy into the world. Gevurah is compared with the second day of creation, in which God separates the heaven and the earth. In imposing limits, creation can exist in all its myriad forms, and therefore Gevurah is an essentially creative power. This is seen when it is balanced in Tiphereth, Beauty, in which the two forces of Chesed and Gevurah are balanced in perfect proportion, and creation can flourish.

The name of God associated with Gevurah is Elohim Gebor, the archangel that presides over it is Khamael, the order of angels that resides in it are the Seraphim ( Fiery Serpents ) and the mundane chakra associated with it is Mars.

In 777 it has the associations to the four fives of the Tarot, Red, Horus, Nephthys, Vishnu, Death, Thor, Aries, Hades, Mars, Christ Returning, Basilisk, Oak, Nettle, Ruby, Sword, Spear, Iron, Sulphur, and Tobacco. (Not a complete list)

Attempts are made to reconcile the system of the kabbalah with the chakra system of Indian mysticism. One such association is with the Vishuddha, which is a creative chakra, and which is also associated with moral choices, yama and niyama, the do's and do-not's of yoga.
6th: Grimmjow Jeagerjaques
Tipheret - Symmetry/ balance/ compassion (Creative Power)
It has the common association of "Spirituality", "Balance", "Integration", "Beauty", "Miracles", "Compassion", and "Masculinity".
Tiferet

Tiferet is the force that integrates the sfira of Khesed ("Compassion") and Gevurah ("Overpowering"). These two forces are, respectively, expansive (giving) and restrictive (receiving). Either of them without the other could not manifest the flow of Divine energy; they must be balanced in perfect proportion (by sharing), and this is the role of Tiferet, wherein the conflicting forces are harmonized, and creation flowers forth.

Tiferet is unique amongst the Sephirot as it is connected to all the other Sephirot (except Malkuth and Daath) via the subjective paths of the unconscious. Its position down the center between Keter and Yesod indicates to many Kabbalists that it is somewhat of a "converting" Sephirot between form (Yesod) and force (Keter). In other words, all crossing over the middle path via Tiferet results in a reversed polarity. The law of conservation of energy and mass tends to corroborate this - in all cases of energy transmutation, a sacrifice is necessary so a new form may be born.

Tiferet is the middle of the tree. Five Sefirot surround it: above are Chesed at the right (south) and Gevurah at the left (north), and below are Netzach at the right, Hod at the left, and Yesod directly below. Together these six comprise a single entity, Zer Anpin, which is the masculine counterpart of the feminine sefira Malkuth. In certain contexts, Tiferet alone represents all the sefirot of Zer Anpin, so that the entire tree appears with only five sefirot: Keter, Chochmah, Binah, Tiferet, and Malkhut.

In the standard tree, Tiferet has eight paths, leading (counterclockwise) to Keter (through Daat), Binah, Gevurah, Hod, Yesod, Netsach, Chesed, and Chokmah.

Tiferet can be also a variation of the word "Tifarah" and in Modern Hebrew used in Israel is translated as "Glory" (from God - "Elohim, Adonay)
In Christian Cabala, Tiphereth is especially associated with Jesus Christ, 'God the Son' (as opposed to Kether, which is God the father, and Yesod, the Holy Spirit). This is because this is the Sephirah in which the divine force 'sacrifices' itself, transmutating into the forces of energy and matter, in order that creation might come to be. It is the sephirah in which 'God becomes a mortal man'. Illustrative of the process of Tipharet is Jesus' teaching in the book of John "No one comes to the Father except through me". Kether is raw energy as the Godhead and is as such unknowable by the conscious mind - Tiphareth (the son) balances the force and form of Kether and Yesod respectively allowing Kether to assume a knowable form. A Christian mystic, in relating to Jesus, repeats the process in the other direction, by transmutating that which is lower, in order to achieve the divine. In terms of the Kabbalah, Tipharet encompasses not only "God the Son" but also the related myths of Osiris and other sacrificial gods.

The archangel of this sphere is Raphael, and the Malakhim is the Angelic order.

Christianity primarily focuses on Tipharet as a driving spiritual force, emphasising the points of love, beauty, self sacrifice and service in its greater aspect. Particularly the Osirian sect and other derivations of pantheistic religions, with their personification of Gods, emphasise the unknowable from the standpoint of Yesod. The eastern religions, particularly Taoism and Buddhism are more closely related to Kether, with their focus on unity and the indefinable aspect of the Divine.

Tiphereth is associated with divine love, with healing, balance and harmony. In comparing with Eastern traditions, Tiphereth is usually associated with the central Anahata chakra in tantric tradition, which contains many of the same archetypal ideas.

777 attributes Tiphereth as the four sixes of the tarot as well as the Princes and Emperors cards, Ra, Rama, Buddha, Apollo, Adonis, God the Son (Jesus), Phoenix, Lion, Bay, Laurel, Topaz, Lamen of he Rosy Cross, Abracadabra, Coffee, and Alcohol.

7th: Zommari Leroux
Netzach - Contemplation/ Initiative/ persistence (Power of the Eternal Now)

Netzach is paired with Hod and comprises the third group of sephirot, the "tactical" sefirot, meaning that their purpose is not inherent in themselves, but rather as a means for something else.

Understanding the attributes of Netzach and Hod gives us a new perspective into understanding what is happening in the world. No longer do we merely look at an act at face value, and attempt to understand it as such, but we must look at it also in terms of "a means to an end."

These sephirot mark a turning point. Whereas the first two groups of sefirot deal with God's intrinsic will, and what it is that He desires to bestow upon man, these sephirot are focused on man: What is the most appropriate way for man to receive God's message? How can God's will be implemented most effectively?

Netzach refers to actions of God that are chesed, "kindness," in essence, but are presented through a prelude of harshness. Hod refers specifically to those events where the "wicked prosper." It is retribution —Gevurah, "strength/restraint," in essence, but presented by a prelude of pleasantness.

Netzach is "endurance," the fortitude, and patience to follow through on your passions. It is paired with Hod as the godly attributes related to group interactivity, with Netzach being leadership, the ability to rally others to a cause and motivate them to act; while Hod is community, the ability to do the footwork needed to follow through on ideas and make them happen. Netzach is identified with the right leg or foot when the Tree of Life is portrayed on the human form, while Hod is the left leg or foot.

Netzach is the sphere of Venus: the feminine aspect of God, which stands for receptivity and acceptance, also known as the Earth Mother in its fructifying aspect. Just as the mother goes through labor and pain to bring forth life, so does the earth mother endure and support every life-form. Netzach stands for Earthly love and acceptance (as opposed to the Heavenly love: judgemental and correcting —Chesed): the Great Mother's love.
8th: Szayel Aporro Granz
Hod - Surrender/ sincerity/ steadfastness (Intellectual/ Observational Power)
Hod ("Majesty"; הוד) in the Kabbalah of Judaism is the eighth sephira of the Kabbalistic tree of life. It is derived from hod הוד in the Hebrew language meaning "majesty" or "splendor" and denoting "praise" as well as "submission".

Hod sits below Gevurah and across from Netzach in the tree of life; Yesod is to the south-east of Hod. It has four paths commonly which lead to Gevurah, Tiphereth, Netzach, and Yesod.

All the sephirot are likened to different parts of the body, and netzach and hod are likened to the two feet of a person: right foot and left foot. Feet are usually only the means for a person's activity. While the hands are the main instrument of action, the feet bring a person to the place in which he wishes to execute that action.

Hasidic Judaism's view of Hod is that it is connected with Jewish prayer. Prayer is seen as form of "submission"; Hod is explained as an analogy - that instead of "conquering" an obstacle in one's way, (which is the idea of Netzach), subduing oneself to that "obstacle" is related to the quality of Hod.

In a mystical sense, in which the Tree of Life is supposed to be a roadmap to "consciousness", Hod is where form is given by language in its widest sense, being the key to the mystery of form. (Perhaps this may be an adopting of a point of view of the psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan), our unconscious desires come from Netzach, and are given form in the symbolic realm by Hod, manifesting unconsciously through Yesod to Malkuth.
Non-Jewish occult associations
Hod is described as being a force that breaks down energy into different, distinguishable forms, and it is associated with intellectuality, learning and ritual, as opposed to Netzach, Victory, which is the power of energy to overcome all barriers and limitations, and is associated with emotion and passion, music and dancing.

Both these forces find balance in Yesod, foundation, the world of the unconscious, where the different energies created await expression in the lowest world of Malkuth, the Kingdom.

The archangel of this sphere is Michael, and the Bene Elohim is the Angelic order.

Hod is said to be the sphere in which the magician mostly works. An example is given by Dion Fortune. Imagine primitive man is meditating in the wilderness, and comes in contact, begins to understand, some energy which surrounds him. In order that he can grasp it better, he creates some form, perhaps the form of a god or a symbol, in order to have something with which he can relate. He then uses that statue or that symbol in future ceremonies in order to get in contact with that intangible energy once again. This is the role that Hod plays in magic, while the music and dance that may be present in such a ceremony is the role that Netzach might play, providing the raw energy to reach the higher levels of consciousness.

In comparing with Eastern systems, both Hod and Netzach are sometimes associated with the Manipura chakra, which is associated with the breaking down and releasing of energy, anabolism and catabolism.

777 associates Hod to the Four Eights of tarot, Anubis, Thoth, Hanuman, Loki, Hermes, Mercury, Jackal. Hermaphrodite, Opal, Storax, and quicksilver (Not a complete list)
9th: Aaroniero Arruruerie
Yesod - Foundation/ wholly remembering/ coherent knowledge (Power of Manifesting)
Yesod

The sephirah of yesod, translates spiritual concepts into actions that unite us with God.

It is often associated with the moon, because it is the sphere which reflects the light of all the other sephirot into Malkuth, and it is associated with the sexual organs, because it is here that the higher spheres connect to the earth.

It plays the role of collecting and balancing the different and opposing energies of Hod and Netzach, and also from Tiphereth above it, storing and distributing it throughout the world. It is likened to the 'engine-room' of creation.

The archangel of this sphere is Gabriel, and the Cherubim is the Angelic order
Non-Jewish Kabbalah
In Christian kabbalah it is compared to the 'Holy Spirit', that aspect of God that descends upon the earth and sanctifies it, and it occupies a point on the central pillar, along with Keter ( God the Father ), and Tiphereth ( God the Son ).

Occultists compare it with the idea of 'Ether', from the traditional elements, and it is the cross-over from consciousness to matter. For that reason, some occultists compare it with the modern-day concept of a quantum field, pointing to the different theories suggesting that in quantum mechanics, human consciousness plays a vital role in physical processes.

Comparing with forms of Eastern mysticism, Yesod is most commonly associated with the Swadhisthana chakra, which is associated with the moon, with sexuality, and with the unconscious.
10th: Yammy
Malkuth - Lower Crown - Kingdom/ physical presence/ vision and illusion (Power of Healing/ Accomplishment/ Level of Realization of Divine Plan)
Malkuth ("kingdom"; מלכות), or Shekhinah is the tenth of the sephirot in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. It sits at the bottom of the Tree, below Yesod. This sephirah has as a symbol the Bride which relates to the sphere of Tipheret, symbolized by the Bridegroom.

Unlike the other nine sephirot, it is an attribute of God which does not emanate from God directly. Rather it emanates from God's creation -- when that creation reflects and evinces God's glory from within itself.
Hermetic & Christian Kabbalah

Malkuth means Kingdom. It is associated with the realm of matter/earth and relates to the physical world, the planets and the solar system. It is important not to think of this sephirah as merely "unspiritual," for even though it is the emanation furthest from the divine source, it is still on the Tree of Life. As the receiving sphere of all the other sephirot above it, Malkuth gives tangible form to the other emanations. It is like the negative node of an electrical circuit. The divine energy comes down and finds its expression in this plane, and our purpose as human beings is to bring that energy back around the circuit again and up the Tree.

Some occultists have also likened Malkuth to a cosmic filter, which lies above the world of the Qliphoth, or the Tree of Death, the world of chaos which is constructed from the imbalance of the original sephirot in the Tree of Life. For this reason it is associated with the feet and anus of the human body, the feet connecting the body to Earth, and the anus being the body's "filter" through which waste is excreted, just as Malkuth exretes unbalanced energy into the Qliphoth.

The archangel of this sphere is Sandalphon, and the Ishim (souls of fire) is the Angelic order. The name of God is Adonai Melekh or Adon ha-Arets. There is also a connection to the tenth card of each suit in Tarot.

Symbols associated with this sphere are a Bride (a young woman on a throne with a veil over her face) and a double cubed altar. Where Binah is known as the Superior Mother, this sphere is referred to as the Inferior Mother. It is also referred to as the bride of Macroprosopos, where Macroprosops is Kether.[2]

From a Christian viewpoint this sphere is important since Jesus preached that we should "seek first the Kingdom of God".

In some systems, it is equated with Daat, knowledge, the invisible sephirah.

In comparing with Eastern systems, Malkuth is a very similar archetypal idea to that of the Muladhara chakra, in Shakta tantra, which is also associated with the Earth, the plane in which karma is expressed.

Although Malkuth is seen as the lowest Sefirah on the tree of life, it also contains within it the potential to reach the highest. This is exemplified in the Hermetic maxim 'As above so below'.