I keep dreaming of these vast fields of space occupied by patterns of energy.....
Once again I find myself without any physicality. I can feel the essence of what is me but have no physical form to contain it. My essence is moving in a cyclical way through a colorful expanse. I can feel the essence of many other beings flowing through this space as well. I am enjoying the ride through this sentient network feeling so light and free with no thoughts to intrude and no body to feel. Total expansion and contraction, the ebb and flow of pure energy. I relax into this state for a long while.....seemingly for several hours of the evening. Then my consciousness comes back to me and I want to examine this space I have been apart of further. I haven't fully been able to see what kind of field I have been moving through because my perspective was only showing me my immediate surroundings. I then separate my consciousness from my essence somehow. My essence is still flowing as it has been and my consciousness is able to zoom out in this field and watch it as an observer and not a participant. It zooms out until I can see a huge portion of the field. It is a wild sight! I'm not sure if I can explain it in a coherent way, but I will try! It is a infinite series of concentric circles. Each circle is a snake, I never see the head or tail of the snakes just the pattern on their backs. Or maybe it was just one snake wrapped around itself.... I'm not sure..... Each snake circle is circumambulating at a different speed. It is totally hypnotic. Even though I have zoomed out quite a bit I know I could never see how many circles make up this infinite mandala. I am thrilled that I am hovering over the center innermost circle of the mandala. Now I start to notice that not only is it this series of concentric snake circles all rotating around and around at different speeds but that the mandala as a whole is pulsing. It is breathing...... As it contracts the center circle goes back into space in a cone like way and as it expands it comes back out...... Spiraling concentric circles breathing in and out........ I become so mesmerized by the sight that my consciousness melts back into the the field. I am with my essence once more spiraling around in this insane snake mandala!!!
I played my didgeridoo for a while before I went to bed and suspect the didg spirits helped influence this dream.......
Seeing a snake or be bitten by one in your dream means hidden fears and worries that are threatening you. Your dream may be alerting you to something in your waking life that you are not aware of or that has not yet surfaced. The snake may also be seen as phallic and thus symbolize dangerous and forbidden sexuality. The snake may also refer to a person around you who is callous, ruthless, and can't be trusted. As a positive symbol, snakes represent transformation, knowledge and wisdom. It is indicative of self-renewal and positive changes.
In some cultures snakes are highly regarded and symbolise the ability to transcend into higher levels of consciousness or into areas of knowledge that exist outside perceived time and space. In the pre-Christian days, snakes were considered symbols of fertility, healing, and nurturing (the healing serpent representing a god). Post Eden, snakes are often considered symbols of temptation and evil, anger, and envy. Snakes emerging out of the ground may represent your unconscious or repressed materials coming to your conscious mind. Most snake dreams seem to be disturbing and they leave the dreamer feeling anxious and afraid. There are no simple interpretations to the snake dreams. Sometimes snakes may be phallic symbols and other times they represent negativity in our lives that hampers our progress and constantly threatens us. In the long run the snake may be a positive symbol; it may represent difficulties that lead us to the centre of personality and result in feelings of completeness.
Snake symbolic meaning, overwhelmingly and in various cultures, deals with primordial life force and usually turns our attention to gender supremacy (both male and female).
Consequently, snakes span the symbolic bridge between lunar and solar associations as well as aspects between water and fire.
Coiled within this polarity, we clearly see symbolism of duality and the search for balance. Other snake symbolic meaning includes:
Cycles
Rebirth
Patience
Fertility
Eternity
Balance
Cunning
Intuition
Awareness
Healing
Intellect
Protection
Solemnity
Rejuvenation
Transformation
Occult (hidden) Knowledge
Male/Female, Yin-Yang, Duality
As a Native American Indian symbol (depending on the nation/tribe) the snake can be a masculine symbol, associated with the phallus of lightning which is considered a medicine staff of tremendous assertive power. Other tribes lean in the direction of feminine attribution for the snake and pair it with mothering (creation), and lunar (moon) symbolism.
Whether raising itself in masculine authority, or encircling the Earth in a motherly fashion – the snake symbol of the Native American’s was highly regarded; utilized in ritual to invoke an element of pointed focus and weighty influence.
The ancient Celts were extremely nature-wise too, and approached snake symbolism from the behavior and life cycle of this magnificent creature. From the Celtic perspective, the snake was a symbol of secret knowledge, cunning and transformation.
Further, the snake Celtic symbol comes from observations of the European viper (also known as the adder) which is the only (along with the common grass snake) species able to tolerate the colder climate of the ancient Celts.
In the keen Celtic mind, snake symbolic meaning of transformation came from the shedding of its skin. Physical evidence of leaving its form behind (casting off the old self), and emerging a sleeker, newer version made the snake a powerful symbol of rebirth and renewal.
As far as the occult (hidden) symbolic meaning in Celtic and other cultures, this can be connected to the sleuth-like ways of the snake.
Disappearing in colder months and summoned by the sun marks the snake’s connection to the shadow worlds with its successful ability to live within the dark realms for extended periods of time. Alternatively, the snake softly moves into the embrace of the sun, and so it encapsulates the ancient magician's creed of moving in perfect rhythm of natural forces.
In Eastern Indian myth the Sanskrit word for snake is naga and these are associated with the element of water. Picking up water’s symbolism of emotion, love and motion, nagas in this light are considered a feminine aspect and embody nurturing, benevolent, wise qualities.
To wit, the practice of nagayuna in Eastern Indian alchemy seeks to achieve loving harmony between the physical and ethereal. Simply put, all of us striving to better ourselves by calmly easing into places of personal balance within the cosmic balance of the whole are practicing this ancient technique.
Snake tattoo symbolism varies according to the bearer of the mark. For example, I have a back piece depicting two serpents (nagas) wrapped around the seven prime chakras down the length of my spine. This (to me) incorporates the kundalini power available to all humans.
Additionally, this entwined snake imagery hearkens to the caduceus, in which the staves of Asclepius are made of two polar (and copulating) serpents which symbolizes balance, equanimity, union and regeneration.
Double snakes are common in almost all cultural symbolic languages. Ultimately the double snake is an icon representing:
Connection between primal forces
Integration of opposites
Advanced communication
Joining together on a divine level
Making whole what was once fragmented and doing so in a magical, organic way.
Snake Double HelixCarrying this dual snake imagery a step further, we could look to the language of science. Observe the formation of DNA and how it forms a perfect, serpentine double helix (shown left). This prompts us to consider how the energetic mind is connected to the grander whole, and how it so effortlessly makes graceful connections between the basic building blocks of data with the manifestations of the natural world.
There is no doubt, the snake is a unifying force embodying infinite messages to those who are energetically available to perceive them. Alchemists understood this, and thus incorporated the philosophy of snakes in their grimoires, practices, and even their daily life.
Indeed, alchemy literature is rife with the image of the uroboros which is symbolic of conceptualizing totality – embracing the whole of consciousness and devouring it with unquenchable passion.
As an animal totem, the snake surfaces into our awareness with all the power of the symbolic attributes listed on this page (and more). Those who are drawn to the snake (and vice versa) are gifted at perceiving life through an uncommon lens. Other characteristics of those who are connected to snake energy include:
A natural ability to balance energies (you’re likely a gifted healer)
Diplomatic and eloquent in areas of speech and writing
Dynamically intuitive (often knowing other’s thoughts and emotional states without trying)
Impulsive, but not without careful consideration – this may sound paradoxical, but those with the snake totem know what I mean here.
I invite you to step into the calming energy of the snake, and see what this noble creature offers you in the form of messages, growth, and enlightenment.
Further, it should be understood this page is but a miniscule sampling of the diverse snake symbolic meaning s available to us. Therefore, I encourage you to slither into your own personal ruminations, research and meditation of the snake.
You will find your investment to be infinitely rewarding.
By shedding its skin, the snake symbolizes change in the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. It counts among its strengths the power of creation, of se xuality, of the soul, as well as of transformation and immortality. Snake-people are higher cast, because as part of their experiences they have had to come into contact with poison (physical or mental) and have been able to transform the poison in their bodies into something harmless. The snake belongs to the element of fire, which causes desire and passion in the physical realm and, in the spiritual realm, creates a connection with the Great Spirit and leads to all-encompassing wisdom. Whenever the snake appears in your dreams, it is a sign of change as you come ever closer to perfection.
This animal gives you the ability to let go of things that are worn out and no longer useful - just like the snake sheds it skin when it is no longer needed.
Rebirth, wisdom, fluidity, wholeness, transmutations, sexuality, look for transitions, changes and new opportunities. Creative forces are awakening with heightened intuition. Snake can teach about shedding what is not needed; perceptions, attitudes, ideals. Snake shows how to access vitality, ambitions and dreams along with intellect and personal power. What things are surfacing that you need to strike out and take advantage of? Perhaps a time to rest and reflect? Listen to your intuition and visions at this time. Contemplate the colors, striking ability and activity of the snake type to further understand what snake is saying.
This is a Hindu term for a circle. It is a kind of yantra (instrument,
means or emblem), in the form of a ritual geometric diagram, sometimes corresponding to a specific, divine attribute or to some form of enchantment (mantra)
which is thus given visual expression (6). Cammann suggests that mandalas were
first brought to Tibet from India by the great guru Padma Sambhava in the 8th
century A.D. They are to be found all over the Orient, and always as a means
towards contemplation and concentration—as an aid in inducing certain mental
states and in encouraging the spirit to move forward along its path of evolution
from the biological to the geometric, from the realm of corporeal forms to the
spiritual. According to Heinrich Zimmer, mandalas are not only painted or drawn,
but are also actually built in three dimensions for some festivals. One of the
members of the Lamaist convent of Bhutia Busty, Lingdam Gomchen, described
the mandala to Carl Gustav Jung as ‘a mental image which may be built up in the
imagination only by a trained lama’. He maintained that ‘no one mandala is the
same as another’: all are different because each is a projected image of the
psychic condition of its author, or in other words, an expression of the modifcation brought by this psychic content to the traditional idea of the mandala.
Thus, the mandala is a synthesis of a traditional structure plus free interpretation. Its basic components are geometric figures, counterbalanced and concentric. Hence it has been said that ‘the mandala is always a squaring of the circle’.
There are some works—the Shri-Chakra-Sambhara-Tantra is one—which prescribe rules for the better imagining of this image. Coinciding in essence with the.
mandala are such figures as the Wheel of the Universe, the Mexican ‘Great Calendar Stone’, the lotus flower, the mythic flower of gold, the rose, and so on. In a
purely psychological sense it is feasible to identify the mandala with all figures composed of various elements enclosed in a square or a circle—for instance, the
horoscope, the labyrinth, the zodiacal circle, figures representing ‘The Year’ and
also the clock. Groundplans of circular, square or octagonal buildings are also
mandalas. As for the three-dimensional form, there are temples built after the
pattern of the mandala with its essential counterbalancing of elements, its geometric form and significant number of component elements. The stupa in India is
the most characteristic of these temples. Again, according to Cammann, there are
some Chinese shields and mirror-backs which are mandalas. In short, the mandala
is, above all, an image and a synthesis of the dualistic aspects of differentiation
and unification, of variety and unity, the external and the internal, the diffuse and
the concentrated (32). It excludes disorder and all related symbolisms, because,
by its very nature, it must surmount disorder. It is, then, the visual, plastic
expression of the struggle to achieve order—even within diversity—and of the
longing to be reunited with the pristine, non-spatial and non-temporal ‘Centre’,
as it is conceived in all symbolic traditions. However, since the preoccupation
with ornamentation—that is, with unconscious symbolism—is in effect a concern for ordering a certain area—that is, for bringing order into chaos—it follows
that this struggle has two aspects: firstly, the possibility that some would-be
mandalas are the product of the simple (aesthetic or utilitarian) desire for order,
and secondly, the consideration that the mandala proper takes its inspiration
from the mystic longing for supreme integration. In Jung’s view, mandalas and all
concomitant images—prior, parallel or consequent—of the kind mentioned above,
are derived from dreams and visions corresponding to the most basic of religious
symbols known to mankind—symbols which are known to have existed as far
back as the Palaeolithic Age (as is proved, for example, by the Rhodesian rock
engravings). Many cultural, artistic or allegorical works, and many of the images
used in numismatics, must have sprung from this same primordial interest in the
psychic or inner structure (with its external counterpart to which so many rites
pertaining to the founding of cities and temples, to the divisions of heavens, to
orientation and the space-time relationship, bear eloquent testimony). The juxtaposition of the circle, the triangle and the square (numerically the equivalents of
the numbers one and ten; three; and four and seven) plays a fundamental rôle in
the most ‘classic’ and authentic of oriental mandalas. Even though the mandala
always alludes to the concept of the Centre—never actually depicting it visually
but suggesting it by means of the concentricity of the figures—at the same time it
exemplifies the obstacles in the way of achieving and assimilating the Centre. In
this way, the mandala fulfils its function as an aid to man in his efforts to regroup
all that is dispersed around a single axis—the Jungian Selbst. It is of interest to note that the same problem occupied the alchemists, except that a very different
aspect of being was under investigation. Jung suggests that the mandala represents an autonomous psychic fact, or ‘a kind of nucleus about whose intimate
structure and ultimate meaning we have no direct knowledge’ (32). Mircea Eliade,
speaking as an historian of religions and not as a psychologist, sees the mandala
chiefly as an objective symbol, an imago mundi rather than a projection of the
mind, without, however, discrediting the latter interpretation. The structure of a
temple—the Borobudur temple for instance—in the form of a mandala has as its
aim the creation of a monumental image of life and the ‘distortion’ of the world to
make it a suitable vehicle for the expression of the concept of supreme order
which man—the neophyte or initiate—might then enter as he would enter into
his own spirit. The same is true of the great mandalas traced on the ground with
coloured threads or coloured dust. Here, rather than serving the purposes of
contemplation, they have a ritual function in which a man may move gradually
towards the inner area, identifying himself with each stage and each zone as he
goes. This rite is analogous to that of entering into the labyrinth (denoting the
quest for the Centre) (18), and the psychological and spiritual implications are
self-evident. There are some mandalas which counterbalance not enclosed figures
but numbers arranged in geometric discontinuity (for instance: four points, then
five, then three), and are then identified with the Cardinal Points, the Elements,
colours, and so on, the significance of the mandala being wonderfully enriched by
these additional symbolisms. Mirrors of the Han dynasty depict the numbers
four and eight balancing each other and disposed round the centre in five zones
which correspond to the five Elements (that is, the four material Elements plus
the spirit or quintessence). In the West, alchemy made quite frequent use of
figures having a definite affinity with the mandala, composed of counterpoised
circles, triangles and squares. According to Heinrich Khunrath, the triangle within
the square produces the circle. There are, as Jung has pointed out, ‘distorted’
mandalas different in form from the above and based upon the numbers six, eight
and twelve; but they are comparatively rare. In all mandalas in which numbers are
the predominant element, it is number-symbolism which can best plumb its
meaning. The interpretation should be such that the superior (or the principal)
elements are always those nearest the centre. Thus, the circle within the square is
a more developed structure than the square within the circle. And the same
relationship to the square holds good for the triangle; the struggle between the
number three and the number four seems to represent that between the central
elements of the spirit (corresponding to three) and the peripheral components,
that is, the Cardinal Points as the image of ordered externality (corresponding to four). The outer circle, on the other hand, always fulfils the unifying function of
overriding the contradictions and the irregularities of angles and sides by means of
its implicit movement. The characteristics of the ShriYantra, one of the finest
mandala-instruments, have been explained by Luc Benoist. It is composed around
a central point which is the metaphysical and irradiating point of primordial
energy; however, this energy is not manifest and therefore the central point does
not actually appear in the drawing, but has to be visualized. Surrounding it is a
complex pattern of nine triangles—an image of the transcendent worlds; four of
these triangles have the apex pointing upwards and the other five downwards.
The intermediate—or subtle—world is suggested by a triple aureole surrounding
the triangles. An eight-petalled lotus (signifying regeneration), together with others of sixteen petals, and a triple circle, complete this symbolic representation of
the spiritual world. The fact that it exists within the material world is suggested
by a triple-lined serrated surround, signifying orientation in space (6).
To see a mandala in your dream, signifies that you will experience some positive changes in your waking life. It also symbolizes wholeness, unity, healing, inner peace, spirituality, and harmony.
Seeing a mandala in your dream means that positive changes are occurring in your waking life. It also symbolizes wholeness, unity, healing, spirituality, and harmony.
To see green fields in your dream, symbolize great abundance, freedom, and happiness. You may also be going through a period of personal growth. Alternatively, this dream may simply be an expression for your love of nature.
To see freshly plowed fields in your dream, signify growth, early rise to wealth and fortunate advancements to places of honor.
To see dead or barren fields, signifies lack, pessimism and your jaded prospects for the future.
To dream of dead corn or stubble fields, indicates to the dreamer dreary prospects for the future.
To see green fields, or ripe with corn or grain, denotes great abundance and happiness to all classes.
To see newly plowed fields, denotes early rise in wealth and fortunate advancement to places of honor.
To see fields freshly harrowed and ready for planting, denotes that you are soon to benefit by your endeavor and long struggles for success.
Seeing green fields in your dream, symbolizes great abundance, freedom, and happiness. You may also be going through a period of personal growth. Alternatively, this dream may simply be an expression for your love of nature.` Seeing freshly plowed fields in your dream means growth, early rise to wealth and fortunate advancements to places of honor. Seeing dead or barren fields means lack, pessimism and your jaded prospects for the future.
Dreaming that you’re in a field can have differing meanings, you have to look at all the details carefully and make an interpretation based on how it made you feel; still, green and pleasant fields are usually a symbol of happiness and great prosperity in your personal and working life. If the field has withering crops and is dried up it signifies completely the opposite. If you are in a newly ploughed field it can signify that you will achieve everything you want so long as you put in the hard work, you reap what you sow as it were.
At times it is synonymous with the circumference, just as the circumference is often equated with circular movement. But although its general meaning
embraces both aspects, there are some further details which it is important to
emphasize. The circle or disk is, very frequently, an emblem of the sun (and
indisputably so when it is surrounded by rays). It also bears a certain relationship
to the number ten (symbolizing the return to unity from multiplicity) (49), when
it comes to stand for heaven and perfection (4) and sometimes eternity as well
(20). There are profound psychological implications in this particular concept of
perfection. As Jung observes, the square, representing the lowest of the composite and factorial numbers, symbolizes the pluralist state of man who has not
achieved inner unity (perfection) whilst the circle would correspond to this ultimate state of Oneness. The octagon is the intermediate state between the square
and the circle. Representations of the relationship between the circle and the square are very common in the universal and spiritual world of morphology,
notably in the mandalas of India and Tibet and in Chinese emblems. Indeed,
according to Chochod, in China, activity, or the masculine principle (Yang), is
represented by a white circle (depicting heaven), whereas passivity, the feminine
principle (Yin) is denoted by a black square (portraying earth). The white circle
stands for energy and celestial influences and the black square for telluric forces.
The interaction implicit in dualism is represented by the famous symbol of the Yang-Yin, a circle divided into two equal sections by a sigmoid line across the
diameter, the white section (Yang) having a black spot within it, and the black
(Yin) a white spot. These two spots signify that there is always something of the
feminine in the masculine and something of the masculine in the feminine. The
sigmoid line is a symbol of the movement of communication and serves the
purpose of implying—like the swastika—the idea of rotation, so imparting a
dynamic and complementary character to this bipartite symbol. The law of polarity has been, the subject of much thought among Chinese philosophers, who
have deduced from this bipolar symbol a series of principles of unquestionable
value, which we here transcribe: (a) the quantity of energy distributed throughout
the universe is invariable; (b) it consists of the sum of two equal amounts of
energy, one positive and active in kind and the other negative and passive; (c) the
nature of cosmic phenomena is characterized by the varying proportions of the
two modes of energy involved in their creation. In the twelve months of the year,
for example, there is a given quantity of energy drawn from six parts of Yang and
six of Yin, in varying proportions (13). We must also point to the relationship
between the circle and the sphere, which is a symbol of the All.
To see a circle in your dream, symbolizes perfection, completeness, immortality and/or wholeness. On a less positive note, it may also mean that you are going around in circles in some situation. Or the circle can indicate monotony and endless repetition.
To see circles within circles in your dream, indicate that you are well protected or that you are being overly guarded. You may need to let down your defenses. Alternatively, the dream may highlight the notion that you are going around in a vicious circle. You need to somehow find a way to break this circle.
To see an imperfect or incomplete circle in your dream, suggests that you will face many obstacles and setbacks toward achieving your goals. You need to work on your inner self and develop more knowledge. Eventually, you will overcome these obstacles and find that your struggles are well worth it.
To see a circle with a cross, symbolizes earth. It may also serve as guidance toward the center and self-orientation.
To dream of a circle, denotes that your affairs will deceive you in their proportions of gain. For a young woman to dream of a circle, warns her of indiscreet involvement to the exclusion of marriage.
Seeing a circle in your dream, foretells that you will have fabulous luck in securing your fortune and happiness. The circle symbolizes perfection, completeness and wholeness. On a less positive note, it may also mean that you are going around in circles in a particular situation.. Seeing an imperfect circle in your dream means that you will face many obstacles and setbacks in achieving your goals. In the end, you will overcome these obstacles and you will find that your struggle was well worth it. Seeing a circle with a cross, symbolizes earth. It may also serve as guidance toward the center and self-orientation.
The circle symbolises infinity, the circle of life and the eternal unknown. You, the dreamer, may have come to a greater degree of spiritual awareness, so the dream could be spiritual in nature. It is one of the most important dream symbols that represent the psychic centre of personality. It is symbolic of wholeness, completeness and unity of the self. However, as always, examine all of the details in the dream, as well as its tone and mood, and rule out the possibility of "going in circles" as the primary message in the dream.
In a manner of speaking, space is an intermediate zone between the
cosmos and chaos. Taken as the realm of all that is possible, it is chaotic; regarded
as the region in which all forms and structures have their existence, it is cosmic.
Space soon came to be associated with time, and this association proved one of
the ways of coming to grips with the recalcitrant nature of space. Another—and
the most important—was the concept of space as a three-part organization based
upon its three dimensions. Each dimension has two possible directions of movement, implying the possibility of two poles or two contexts. To the six points
achieved in this way, there was added a seventh: the centre; and space thus
became a logical structure. The symbolisms of level and of orientation were
finally brought to bear in order to complete the exegesis. The three dimensions of
space are illustrated by means of a three-dimensional cross, whose arms are oriented along these six spatial directions, made up of the four points of the
compass plus the two points of the zenith and the nadir. According to René
Guénon, this symbolism—because of its structural character—is identical with
that of the Sacred Palace (or the inner palace) of the Cabala, located at the centrepoint from which the six directions radiate. In the three-dimensional cross, the
zenith and the nadir correspond to the top and the bottom, the front and back to
East and West, the right and left to the South and North. The upright axis is the
polar axis, the North-South axis is the solstitial line, the East-West the equinoctial. The significance of the vertical or level-symbolism concerns the analogy
between the high and the good, the low and the inferior. The Hindu doctrine of the
three gunas—sattva (height, superiority), rajas (intermediate zone of the world
of appearances, or ambivalence) and tamas (inferiority, or darkness)—is in itself
sufficient to explain the meaning of the symbolism of level up and down the
vertical axis. It is, in consequence, the intermediate plane of the four-directional
cross (that which incorporates the cardinal points and which implies the square)
which represents the world of appearances. Taking next the East-West axis,
traditional orientation-symbolism associates the East—being the point of sunrise—with spiritual illumination; and the West—the point where the sun sets—
with death and darkness. Passing next to the North-South axis, there is no one
definite interpretation. In many oriental cultures, the zenith coincides with the
mystic ‘Hole’ through which transition and transcendence are effected, that is,
the path from the world of manifestation (spatial and temporal) to that of eternity. But it has also been identified with the centre of the three-dimensional cross,
taken as the heart of space. Reduced to two dimensions—those of the contrasting
horizontal and vertical arms—the cross comes to represent harmony between
extension (associated with width) and exaltation (with height). The horizontal
arm concerns the implications of a given gradation or moment in an individual’s
existence, and the vertical pertains to moral elevation (25). William of SaintThierry, describing the seven gradations of the soul, observes that it ascends these
steps in order to reach the celestial life (14). If we seek an interpretation which
will justify the four points of the horizontal plane’s being reduced to two (the left
and right), we can find a basis for it in Jung’s assertion that the rear part coincides
with the unconscious and the front with the manifest or consciousness; and since
the left also can be equated with the unconscious and the right with consciousness, the rear then becomes equivalent to the left and the front to the right (32).
Other equivalents are: left side with the past, the sinister, the repressed, involution, the abnormal and the illegitimate; the right side with the future, the felicitous, openness, evolution, the normal and the legitimate (42). In all this, there is an apparent contradiction with the corresponding number-symbolisms: Paneth
observes that, in most cultures, the uneven numbers are considered to be masculine and the even numbers to be feminine. Since the left side is the zone of origin
and the right that of the outcome, the corresponding number-symbolisms would
seem to be one (the uneven or masculine number) for the left side (that is, the
past) and two (the even or feminine number) for the right side (the subsequent or
outcome). The solution is to be found in the fact that the number one (unity)
never corresponds to the plane of the manifest world or to spatial reality: it is the
symbol of the centre, but not in the sense of occupying any situation in space
which might imply a sequel. Hence we must conclude that two is the number
corresponding to the left side and three is that related to the right. Guénon
explains the way in which the cosmic order conforms with all this in a lucid
exposition of the relevant Hindu doctrines to the effect that the right hand zone is
the solar region; the left-hand the lunar. ‘In the aspect of this symbolism which
refers to the temporal condition, the Sun and the right eye correspond to the
future, the Moon and the left eye to the past; the frontal eye corresponds to the
present which, from the point of view of the manifested, is but an imperceptible
moment, comparable to the geometrical point without dimensions in the spatial
order; that is why a single look from the third eye destroys all manifestation
(which is expressed symbolically by saying that it reduces everything to ashes),
and that is also why it is not represented by any bodily organ; but when one rises
above this contingent point of view, the present is seen to contain all reality (just
as the point carries within itself all the possibilities of space), and when succession is transmuted into simultaneity, all things abide in the “eternal present”, so
that the apparent destruction is truly a “transformation” ‘ (26). Now, the seven
aspects that define space have been regarded as the origin of all septenary groups,
and in particular of the seven planets, the seven colours and the seven kinds of
landscape (50). Hence Luc Benoist can assert that the Christian Church, by
building on earth a mighty, three-dimensional cross of stone, has created for the
entire world the co-ordinate lines of a supernatural geometry. Benoist then quotes
Clement of Alexandria as saying that the six directions of space symbolize—or
are equivalent to—the simultaneous and eternal presence of the six days of the
Creation, and that the seventh day (of rest) signifies the return to the centre and
the beginning (6). Once the cosmic sense of spatial symbolism has been demonstrated, it is simple to deduce its psychological applications. And once the static
laws have been determined, it is easy to grasp the dynamic-implications, always
bearing in mind the symbolism of orientation. Here, we must point out that the
swastika—a solar and polar symbol—implies a movement from right to left, like the apparent movement of the sun; and that Clotho—one of the Parcae—spins
her ‘wheel of destiny’ in the same direction, that is, the opposite way to existence, so destroying it. Right-handedness is characteristic of all symbols of natural
life (28); hence, in the Egyptian system of hieroglyphs, to enter is to go towards
the right and to go out is to go towards the left (19); orienting these hieroglyphs,
we have the right corresponding with the rise and the left with the setting of the
sun. Similarly, the right side takes on an extra implication of birth and life, while
the left side acquires an association with death (17). Another consequence, apparent in allegories and emblems, is that the right side corresponds to the higher
virtues—if one may put it that way—such as compassion, and the left side to
justice. All of the above conclusions are logical deductions drawn from the study
of oriental tradition, supported by the findings of experimental psychology. But
they are conclusions which have also been verified by anthropologists and sociologists in their studies of the habits of diverse peoples. Ania Teillard, for example, has collated a mass of facts; she quotes J. J. Bachofen as asserting (in his
Mutterrecht und Urreligion und Grabersymbolik der Alten) that, in the important
and very common equation ‘right hand=masculinity’, the left hand harbours
magic powers and the right hand the force of reason, and also that in matriarchal
societies one always finds the idea of superiority attributed to the left side, and
conversely. To turn to the left is to look back upon the past, the unconscious,
implying introversion; to turn to the right is to look upon the outside world,
implying action and extraversion. At the same time, ethnologists are agreed that
during the first stage of any period of sun-worship, the right side becomes preeminent, whereas in lunar cults it is the left side which prevails (56). In paintings,
reliefs and other artistic creations of man, the left side is characterized by a more
vivid projection of the self (that is, by identification) and the right side is more
extravert.
Seeing or dreaming that you are in space, represents exploration. You are an independent thinker.
To dream that you are energetic, symbolizes growth, activity, expansion and insight. You need to channel your energy in a positive way.
Symbolically, to breathe is to assimilate spiritual power. Yoga
exercises place particular emphasis upon breathing, since it enables man to absorb
not only air but also the light of the sun. Concerning solar light, the alchemists had
this to say: ‘It is a fiery substance, a continuous emanation of solar corpuscles
which, owing to the movement of the sun and the astral bodies, is in a perpetual
state of flux and change, filling all the universe. . . . We breathe this astral gold
continuously.’ The two movements—positive and negative—of breathing are
connected with the circulation of the blood and with the important symbolic paths of involution and evolution (3). Difficulty in breathing may therefore symbolize difficulty in assimilating the principles of the spirit and of the cosmos. The
‘proper rhythm’ of Yoga-breathing is associated with the ‘proper voice’ demanded by the Egyptians for the ritual reading of the sacred texts. Both are
founded upon imitation of the rhythms of the universe.