Starship Asterisk*

http://www.slideshare.net/mikemull/macbeth-intro wrote:

From Robert Fludd, Utrisque comsmi... historia (1617-19).
By permission of Duke University Library.

Macbeth Intro - Presentation Transcript

# Microcosm / Macrocosm

• * The individual (microcosm) is a reflection of the state and the universe (macrocosm).
  * Shakespeare’s characters and the world they inhabit are always microcosms of the universe.
  * What they do affects all reality.

# In addition to characters, images can be microcosms:

• * Gardens and Gardeners
  * Castles
  * Beds
  * Meals and Banquets

http://www.jstor.org/pss/2866458

Ann wrote:
from a cosmic point of view, the Earth itself is probably bluer than most things in the universe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_palmatum wrote:
<<Acer palmatum, called Japanese Maple or Smooth Japanese Maple (Japanese: irohamomiji, イロハモミジ, or momiji, 紅葉) is a species of woody plant native to Japan, North Korea, South Korea, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia. Many different cultivars of this maple have been selected and they are grown worldwide for their attractive leaf shapes and colors. They are highly sought after and are relatively costly trees given their size.

When Swedish doctor-botanist Carl Peter Thunberg traveled in Japan late in the eighteenth century, he secreted out drawings of a small tree that would eventually become synonymous with the high art of oriental gardens. He gave it the species name palmatum after the hand-like shape of its leaves. This would hardly surprise the Japanese who for centuries referred to their group of maples as kaede and momiji, references to the 'hands' of frogs and babies, respectively. For centuries Japanese horticulturalists have developed cultivars from maples found in their country and nearby Korea and China. They are a popular choice for bonsai enthusiasts and have been used throughout the history of the art.

Example of leaf variation among various cultivars of Japanese Maple

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Acer palmatum is a deciduous shrub or small tree reaching heights of 6–10 m often growing as an understory plant in shady woodlands. In habit, it is often shaped like a hemisphere (especially when younger) or takes on a dome-like form, especially when mature. The leaves are 4–12 cm long and wide, palmately lobed with five, seven, or nine acutely pointed lobes. The flowers are produced in small cymes, the individual flowers with five red or purple sepals and five whitish petals. The fruit is a pair of winged samaras, each samara 2–3 cm long with a 6–8 mm seed. The seeds of Japanese maple and similar species require stratification in order to germinate.>>