Showing 131 articles
The Symbolism of the Rooster
Author: M.A. Carrillo de Albornoz & M.A. FernándezSeptember 22, 2014
The rooster is a universal solar symbol because its crowing announces the dawn. In India, it is the attribute of Skandha, personification of solar energy. In Japan, its crowing, associated with the songs of the gods, lured Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun, out of the cave where she had been hiding, corresponding to the manifestation [...]
The Symbolism of the Egg
Author: M.A. Carrillo de Albornoz & M.A. FernándezSeptember 22, 2014
The egg is a universal and self-explanatory symbol because it holds the seed from which the whole of manifestation will spring. The idea that the universe was born from an egg is shared by nearly all ancient civilisations and cultures. The primordial man also originates from an egg, like Prajâpati. In general, the cosmic Egg, [...]
Gather Around the Fire
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaAugust 27, 2014
In the first of the twelve doorways that await us in this year 1983, it is good – or perhaps simply inevitable – to sharpen the sight and hearing of the Soul in order to detect what the future holds in store for us, based on the interaction between our own characteristics and the environment, [...]
The Power of Symbols
Author: Alex WarrenAugust 27, 2014
Symbols hold a powerful attraction for people. Even today, in an age in which materialistic perspectives rule human thought, many ancient symbols such as the ankh, the yin/yang, American Indian designs, pyramids, and many other symbols are quite popular in jewelry and in the home. Why do symbols of the ancient civilizations continue to be [...]
The Symbolism of the Elephant
Author: M.A. Carrillo de Albornoz & M.A. FernándezAugust 26, 2014
The elephant, in its most global and universal meaning, symbolizes strength and power, not only physical but also mental and spiritual. In Hindu tradition, elephants call up the image of Ganesha, symbol of knowledge, son of Shiva and Parvati. His human body is the microcosm, manifestation, and his elephant’s head is the macrocosm, non-manifestation. He [...]
The Symbolism of the Lotus
Author: M.A. Carrillo de Albornoz & M.A. FernándezAugust 26, 2014
In the Orient, this flower has various symbolic aspects but its main characteristics stem from the fact that it blossoms on stagnant waters. This is why the lotus is seen as a symbol of purity; although blossoming on murky waters it remains immaculate. Rising out of the darkness to blossom in full sunlight, this flower [...]
The Symbolism of Wings
Author: M.A. Carrillo de Albornoz & M.A. FernándezAugust 22, 2014
Wings are the symbol of lightness, spirituality, the possibility of flying and rising up to heaven. Wings are the expression of the aspiration of the soul towards a higher than human condition, in other words the aspiration to transcend the human condition. Wings are related to the cognitive faculty, imagination, thought, freedom and victory. According [...]
The Symbolism of the Thread
Author: M.A. Carrillo de Albornoz & M.A. FernándezAugust 22, 2014
The symbolism of thread is essentially that of the relation existing between all states of being and between the latter and their First Cause. This symbolism is clearly expressed in the Upanishads where thread links this world to the other world and to all beings. This thread is both Âtma and Prâna. Because it is [...]
The Symbolism of Chess
Author: M.A. Carrillo de Albornoz & M.A. FernándezAugust 22, 2014
Though the origin of the game of chess is still unknown and mysterious, it is quite certain that it originated in the East, though it is the West that became infatuated with it. We also know that, in its beginnings, the game of chess was part of the strategy of war and was therefore applied [...]
The Symbolism of the Charioteer
Author: M.A. Carrillo de Albornoz & M.A. FernándezAugust 22, 2014
The charioteer is the symbol of calmness, self-control and mastery of the mind and psyche, so ever changing and unstable. He reduces the manifold, reaching us from the outside world, to the inner unity of will. The horses of the chariot are our instincts and passions. In general there are four of them, corresponding to [...]
The Occult Philosophy in the English Renaissance
Author: Julian ScottAugust 5, 2014
The official history we learn at school or read in most books gives us only a partial view of reality and leaves out things that do not fit into the prevailing view. A case in point is the English Renaissance and its links with occultism. The standard history of that age tells us of the [...]
An Opera in Stone: Hampi
Author: Manjula NanavatiAugust 4, 2014
Libretto Hampi’s history melds so seamlessly into legend that it is difficult to establish where one ends and the other begins. This tiny hamlet lay nestled within the area known as Kishkinda which, according to the Hindu epic Ramayana, was the realm of the Monkey Gods. Following Ravan’s abduction of Sita, Ram and Lakshman arrived [...]