About Us

A Brief History

ORIANA was born in 1980 as ORIANA Academy. Registered as a nonprofit organization, the intent of ORIANA Academy was to provide an educational facility that reflected the goal of Plato's Academy - to produce enlightened individuals. Though the facility was not realized, the dream has not faded.

In 1990, ORIANA was incorporated as ORIANA Communications Inc. ORIANA's educational soul provided a sound core for designing, developing, and delivering exceptional and effective documentation and training.

A significant part of the ORIANA Academy curriculum embodied small-scale agriculture and forestry. In the late 1990s, ORIANA merged with Pinnacle Farms, an established organic farm. ORIANA is currently developing web-based material to explain why many are switching to an organic way of eating and living. In so doing, ORIANA Communications Inc. is beginning to develop the courseware envisioned in 1980 for ORIANA Academy. ORIANA has come one full revolution on the upward spiral of evolution.

The Word

The word oriana is the feminine gender of the Latin 'oriens' and means 'place of the dawning'. ('oriens' can also be translated as 'the east' and the word 'Orient' is derived from it.)

The Logo

In the logo, the upper circle symbolizes the rising Sun and represents the retreat of ignorance in the increasing light of knowledge. The lower circle symbolizes the Earth and represents experience, the accumulation of knowledge realized and applied.

The inner T-like symbol depicts a tower characteristic of ancient China. The tower was constructed on high ground to provide a wide view of the country. At the same time, when situated on a mountain, it became a signpost that could be seen for miles around. Thus, the tower was both landmark and lookout.

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At ORIANA, the tower symbolizes our intent to incorporate practical guidance and wider vision in all our products and services: to deepen wisdom.

Our Motto

The synergy of the name ORIANA with the three parts of the logo gives rise to ORIANA’s motto:

Wisdom dawning through knowledge and experience

URL for this page: http://www.pinnaclefarms.ca/ORIANAsite/AboutNameandLogo/AboutORIANALogo.html

Page Credits

 

Information on the Chinese towers was derived from the Richard Wilhelm / Cary F. Baynes edition of the I Ching, Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-09750-X