All in a Name
“Words have meaning but names have power.”
- Author Unknown
The power of a name can be profound, reflecting identity, culture, and meaning. Names can signify heritage, create connections, and shape how we see ourselves and others.
The name CERES and each of the names used in the community relect the spiritual, medicinal, and connective elements of food and the history of our land.
CERES is the Roman goddess of argriculture and the harvest and is considered a protector of farmers. She embodies a universal nourishment that permeates everything we touch and are touched by.
CERES also symbolizes women through the various transition of their lives.
There are many pronuciations of CERES. Americans say "see·reez.” Italians say “cheh·rais.” French say “say·rez.” Regardless of the pronunciation, CERES Chattahoochee Hills is about living deliciously.
STREET NAMES
1) BILLIA CRESCENT (“retail crescent”) A nod to Billye Aaron, who was the previous landowner, an inspirational civil rights activist, and the widow of baseball great Hank Aaron, the billia tree symbolizes protection and power.
2) AMARANTH LANE (“main drag”) An ancient grain and superfood, amaranth is one of a few plants that boasts a perfect blend of beauty, healing, and nutrition. Amaranth plants have been used by ancient cultures for centuries to signify rebirth and immortality and their flower symbolizes everlasting beauty, love, power, and life.
3) VERVAIN STREET Vervain or wild verbena was called the “sacred herb” by the ancient Greeks because of its powerful healing properties. Vervain is considered a force for good and known to ward off evil.
4) ANGELICA PLACE Also known as the “Angel’s herb,” angelica’s sweet flavors are used in food, liqueur, and herbal remedies, and are known to stimulate imagination and inner peace. The flower symbolizes feminine strength and compassion.
5) DEWBERRY MEWS A cousin to the blackberry, the dewberry symbolizes sweetness in life and community unity. Farmers have long valued dewberries for their extended harvest, using them as natural fences that offer both bounty and barrier.
6) BERGAMOT TERRACE (“the outer loop”) A type of orange grown in Italy and Spain, bergamot symbolizes luck, prosperity, and that you are in your perfect place.
7) THE FROND The leafy part of a fern, the frond symbolizes peace, victory, and triumph. The Frond is not a street name but rather the name of our community park.
8) BUSK PLACE The Green Corn Ceremony or Busk is one of the most important ceremonies practiced among various Native American peoples, including the Creek who once inhabited the land. It celebrated the ripening of new corn and environmental and agricultural renewal. The ceremony also celebrates the sense of community that shaped their lives.
9) PURSLANE ALLEY Revered and respected as the most nutritious food on the planet, purslane symbolizes solid unions and the attraction of opposites.