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The basic building blocks
Most symbols of western magic, astrology, and alchemy are based on a
common symbolic 'alphabet,' composites created from smaller symbols.
Knowing how to recognize these smaller units will allow you to decipher
many of the larger symbols whenever you encounter them. Knowing the
secret system behind these symbols can provide an incredible amount of
insight into even the most inscrutable signs.
The Circle is the most common and universal signs, found in all cultures. It is the symbol
of the sun. It has no beginning or end, and no divisions, making it the perfect symbol of
completeness, eternity, and the soul:
The equal armed cross, another nearly universal symbos, is in actuality two separate
signs. The vertical axis, representing man, the path from earth to heaven, and the spirit,
and the horizontal axis, representing the path from birth to death, and material existence.
When the two are combined in a cross shape, they represent the cube of space, the four
elements, and the conflict between matter and spirit.
(The maxim 'squaring the circle' is a hidden reference to the difficulty of reconciling
spiritual and material concerns.) A cross within a circle forms a solar cross or a
horoscope wheel, both symbols of spirit and matter. A horizontal bar within a circle is
the alchemical symbol for salt, material existence in its most exalted state. The equal
armed cross is often disguised as a four petalled flower, a cube, or a scepter)
The Tau cross is a similar device, with a horizontal bar balanced atop a vertical bar. It
represents birth, the tree of life, the connection between earth and the spiritual realm. The
tau cross is associated with sacrifice of the lower, base nature. Some examples of the Tau
cross are the cross of Attis, the egyptian Ankh (surmounted by a loop or circle), and the
Norse Irminsul.
The arc found in more complex symbols, especially planetary symbols, represents
ascension or striving. The arch has been a traditional element of architecture and often
figures in commemorative monuments of triunph. The sigils of the planet saturn and
Jupiter combine identical symbols, with very different results, using the arc in
conjunction with the cross. In the sigil of Jupiter, the arc of aspiration rises above the
struggle of matter and spirit, and symbolizes bounty, triumph, expansion, and success.
Saturn's sigil places the cross above the arc- ascension subverted by the material struggle,
and a symbol of Saturn's power to limit and confine:
The crescent represents the powers of the moon- reflective and receptive. A reversed
crescent represents emptiness and illusion.
The downward pointing triangle is sometimes referred to as the chalice. It is the symbol
of water (as it flows downward), the grace of heaven, and the womb.
The upward moving triangle is sometimes called the blade (the chalice and blade figure
ceremonially in many ritual magic operations). It is a symbol of aspiration or rising up,
male force, and fire.
http://www.pathwalkers.net/interactive/modules....ame=News&file=index&catid=1&topic=&allstories=1 (20 of 236) [12/25/2005 12:17:42 AM]