Post by opalraven on Feb 12, 2011 11:15:57 GMT -5
The Swastika
Also know as Gammadion
The Original Meaning
The word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika - "su" meaning "good," "asti" meaning "to be," and "ka" as a suffix.
The swastika is a very old ancient symbol that can be traced back to Hinduism,Buddhism and Jainism and has been used for over 3,000 years it also predates the ancient Egyptian symbol, the Ankh! but due to Hitler adopting it as his symbol for Nazism it is more or less now seen as a symbol with negative attachments when the actual meaning of this symbol is the reverse of that and stands for all things good.
Th swastika symbol has also been found on a pottery bowl named as "The Samarra Bowl" and can be viewed at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany, dated to be as early as 4000 BC, the symbol has also been found on Indus Valley seals which can be viewed at the British Museum in London, UK.
The swastika symbol can be traced and found in a number of different forms and in different cultures.
In Buddhism it stands for the law of Buddha which covers the four noble truths...
1 ~ Life means suffering.(Life as we know it ultimately is or leads to suffering/uneasiness)
2 ~ The origin of suffering is attachment.(Suffering is caused by craving.)
3 ~ The cessation of suffering is attainable.(Suffering ends when craving ends.)
4 ~ The path to the cessation of suffering.(Finding Enlightenment)
Also The Hopi Native American tribe used the swastika symbol to represent Earth(arms bent at right angles) and the Sun(arms bent at left angles)
The Circle
First of all the circle is present in our lives all the time in ways that we take for granted, "The Sun, The Moon, the Stars and The Planets" All that the universe is formed in a circular shape in some form or other and "The Iris and pupil" of the human eye is also circle shaped for which as some might say is the window into someones soul.
Some key aspects the circle represents is
Wholeness,Unity,Womb,Infinity and Completion and there is a whole lot more that the circle stands for, It is sacred and divine it embodies the energy of the universe!
In Alchemical Symbolism, circles are the symbol of wholeness and interconnection also a symbol of unity and spirituality, in alchemy the "Holy Grail" most commonly perceived as a chalice is seen as being that which reflects receptivity to the spirit above and a symbol of balance and unity.
To the Native Americans the circle represents the sun, the moon and her children, it also has a very deep spiritual meaning to Native Americans that can been seen in the form of medicine wheels, dream catchers and also Native American jewelery.
In Celtic culture the circle was perceived as a protective emblem, circles would be used to keep out evil forces, just as in the same way witches use it as a circle for their spell/ritual workings.
Celtic knot-work is formed of interlocking circles and spirals and has a lot of unspoken meaning behind the different forms of knot-work that can be found.
The Spiral
The Spiral is very prevalent in Celtic designs you will see it in a lot Celtic knot-work, some of the key aspects that the Spiral stands for are Balance, Progress, Direction, Initiation, Centering, Expanding, Awareness, Connection, Journeying, Development.
It is also associated with the cycles of time, the seasons, the cycle of birth, growth, death, and then rebirth.
You can find Spirals on a lot of things in nature as well such as on Tree trunks, Rams horns, Snails shells,Sea shells, A curled up snake,Tornadoes,Spiral galaxies and even down to the fingerprints on your hands.
The first appearance of the human creative Spiral dates back to over 24,000 years ago, It has found it's way into the spiritual iconography of nearly every society in the ancient world, In the modern world it is very common place you can find a spiral in almost anything from artwork to company logos etc, Not to forget also that the Spiral is also a tool that is used for Hypnosis.
The Spiral is a universal symbol it's first origins are hard to trace and it was of the symbols the every culture has used and Incorporated in their spiritual beliefs in one way or another and a symbol that no religion has put a claim on.
For it is a symbol of the Universe and belongs to the Universe and everyone and everything.
Also in Reiki the Cho Ku Rei "Power" symbol is constructed of a spiral.
There is a Gypsy spell that I like for clarity of the mind and it uses the Spiral it almost like walking the Labyrinth but walking it with your finger instead of your body it uses a crystal, a white candle and herbs and a chant, I changed the original spell a little bit to suit my own needs, but it is a very relaxing and nice spell to perform.
Of all the old symbols the Spiral is the one I feel is the most universal and the one I connect with the most.
Symbols are a language for our unconscious mind and our spiritual self and speak to us in a way that ego does not understand, which is why most of our personal experiences of symbols will either be through dream or mediation.
Symbols are also every changing and the meanings that get attached to them as seen in the history of the Swastika.
There is also room for new symbols to be created for if you create your own symbol and attach your own energies and beliefs to the symbol you create then this can work just as well for you as any of the ancient symbols.
The most sacred and ancient symbols contain the power they have because of centuries of belief and use of the unity of conscious.
Love and Light
OpalRaven
{Disclaimer: Information is attained from different sources and compiled by myself in my own words.}
Also know as Gammadion
The Original Meaning
The word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika - "su" meaning "good," "asti" meaning "to be," and "ka" as a suffix.
The swastika is a very old ancient symbol that can be traced back to Hinduism,Buddhism and Jainism and has been used for over 3,000 years it also predates the ancient Egyptian symbol, the Ankh! but due to Hitler adopting it as his symbol for Nazism it is more or less now seen as a symbol with negative attachments when the actual meaning of this symbol is the reverse of that and stands for all things good.
Th swastika symbol has also been found on a pottery bowl named as "The Samarra Bowl" and can be viewed at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany, dated to be as early as 4000 BC, the symbol has also been found on Indus Valley seals which can be viewed at the British Museum in London, UK.
The swastika symbol can be traced and found in a number of different forms and in different cultures.
In Buddhism it stands for the law of Buddha which covers the four noble truths...
1 ~ Life means suffering.(Life as we know it ultimately is or leads to suffering/uneasiness)
2 ~ The origin of suffering is attachment.(Suffering is caused by craving.)
3 ~ The cessation of suffering is attainable.(Suffering ends when craving ends.)
4 ~ The path to the cessation of suffering.(Finding Enlightenment)
Also The Hopi Native American tribe used the swastika symbol to represent Earth(arms bent at right angles) and the Sun(arms bent at left angles)
The Circle
First of all the circle is present in our lives all the time in ways that we take for granted, "The Sun, The Moon, the Stars and The Planets" All that the universe is formed in a circular shape in some form or other and "The Iris and pupil" of the human eye is also circle shaped for which as some might say is the window into someones soul.
Some key aspects the circle represents is
Wholeness,Unity,Womb,Infinity and Completion and there is a whole lot more that the circle stands for, It is sacred and divine it embodies the energy of the universe!
In Alchemical Symbolism, circles are the symbol of wholeness and interconnection also a symbol of unity and spirituality, in alchemy the "Holy Grail" most commonly perceived as a chalice is seen as being that which reflects receptivity to the spirit above and a symbol of balance and unity.
To the Native Americans the circle represents the sun, the moon and her children, it also has a very deep spiritual meaning to Native Americans that can been seen in the form of medicine wheels, dream catchers and also Native American jewelery.
In Celtic culture the circle was perceived as a protective emblem, circles would be used to keep out evil forces, just as in the same way witches use it as a circle for their spell/ritual workings.
Celtic knot-work is formed of interlocking circles and spirals and has a lot of unspoken meaning behind the different forms of knot-work that can be found.
The Spiral
The Spiral is very prevalent in Celtic designs you will see it in a lot Celtic knot-work, some of the key aspects that the Spiral stands for are Balance, Progress, Direction, Initiation, Centering, Expanding, Awareness, Connection, Journeying, Development.
It is also associated with the cycles of time, the seasons, the cycle of birth, growth, death, and then rebirth.
You can find Spirals on a lot of things in nature as well such as on Tree trunks, Rams horns, Snails shells,Sea shells, A curled up snake,Tornadoes,Spiral galaxies and even down to the fingerprints on your hands.
The first appearance of the human creative Spiral dates back to over 24,000 years ago, It has found it's way into the spiritual iconography of nearly every society in the ancient world, In the modern world it is very common place you can find a spiral in almost anything from artwork to company logos etc, Not to forget also that the Spiral is also a tool that is used for Hypnosis.
The Spiral is a universal symbol it's first origins are hard to trace and it was of the symbols the every culture has used and Incorporated in their spiritual beliefs in one way or another and a symbol that no religion has put a claim on.
For it is a symbol of the Universe and belongs to the Universe and everyone and everything.
Also in Reiki the Cho Ku Rei "Power" symbol is constructed of a spiral.
There is a Gypsy spell that I like for clarity of the mind and it uses the Spiral it almost like walking the Labyrinth but walking it with your finger instead of your body it uses a crystal, a white candle and herbs and a chant, I changed the original spell a little bit to suit my own needs, but it is a very relaxing and nice spell to perform.
Of all the old symbols the Spiral is the one I feel is the most universal and the one I connect with the most.
Symbols are a language for our unconscious mind and our spiritual self and speak to us in a way that ego does not understand, which is why most of our personal experiences of symbols will either be through dream or mediation.
Symbols are also every changing and the meanings that get attached to them as seen in the history of the Swastika.
There is also room for new symbols to be created for if you create your own symbol and attach your own energies and beliefs to the symbol you create then this can work just as well for you as any of the ancient symbols.
The most sacred and ancient symbols contain the power they have because of centuries of belief and use of the unity of conscious.
Love and Light
OpalRaven
{Disclaimer: Information is attained from different sources and compiled by myself in my own words.}