The Dictionary of Symbols
More than a symbol, the year is, as it were, the prototype of all cyclic
processes (the day, the span of human life, the rise and fall of a culture, the cosmic
cycle, etc.). All cycles are composed of an ascending and a descending phase, i.e.
evolution and involution; sometimes, cycles are also subdivided into three or,
more frequently, four phases (seasons of the year, ages of man). The overall
division of the cyclic process, however, need not necessarily be symmetrical.
Thus, in a cycle composed of twelve units, such as the year (or the wheel of the
Zodiac), the ascending and descending phases can be taken either as 6 plus 6
(symmetrical division) or 8 plus 4 (asymmetrical division). The former is a more
geometrical, the latter a more empirical division. The year is usually represented
by the figure of an old man in a circle, with two or three outer rings containing
such items as: the names of the months, the cycle of work appropriate to each
month, the signs of the Zodiac and so on. Often the circle of the year is, in its turn,
enclosed in a square the corners of which are occupied by four figures personify ing the four seasons. The tapestry of the Creation, in Gerona cathedral, is a
famous example. Two interesting points in connexion with the annual cycle are:
(i) in Chinese tradition, the cycle is divided into two equal parts, corresponding
respectively to darkness/death, and light/life; (ii) there was a primitive belief that
every man undergoes a process of regeneration every year, from December to
June, symbolizing death and resurrection (51) (Plate XXXII).