The Caduceus
The
caduceus is generally known as the staff used in ancient Greece who
identified the bearer as a merchant and was therefore provided
unhindered access during their travels. In Greek mythology it was the
staff of Hermes (the Roman god Mercurius) and this Hermetic wand was
chosen by the followers of Hippocrates as their guild emblem, which is
why today the medical profession is symbolized by the caduceus of
Hermes.
The staff represents two entwined snakes around a rod. Sometimes a
"French Lily flower" (Fleur-de-Lis) was included on the staff. It
is believed that the staff symbolizes protection and healing and
transcendence from duality to Oneness. The rod symbolizes heaven
and earth, above and below, and the serpents represent the
opposing principles in our universe that is known as "duality". The goal
of Oneness or Divinity, which is symbolized by the wings and the single
knob at the top, would be accomplished by the reconcilement of these
counterparts.
Hindu philosophy (including yoga and tantra) explains these
serpents as a representation of the so-called Kundalini
energy; a for many people usually dormant spiritual energy that, when
activated by meditation, flows from the bottom of the spine through
the spine in upward direction passing through the chakra's (wheels of
cosmic energy) towards the top of the head where the 7th chakra
resides which is called the "crown" chakra (Sahasrara).
This chakra would connect one with the Divine Source, and the
awakening and rise of this energy would increase creativity,
inspiration, transformation, healing, energy, consciousness and
understanding.
The "Fleur-de-Lis"
The nowadays called: "fleur-de-lis" (old French for "Lily flower") is one of the oldest known symbols from the history of mankind. As being an ornament or an emblem, it had been used by almost all known civilizations of the old and new worlds. It spans across many eras and civilizations from the ancient Assyrians to the more modern French chivalric coat of arms and emblems; It is found on Assyrian and Egyptian bas-reliefs, Mycenean pottery, Sassanid textiles, Gaulish and Mameluk coins, Indonesian clothes, Indian necklaces, Japanese emblems, and totems of the Dogon tribe. The symbol could even be identified on the carved lid of the sarcophagus of the Mayan ruler K'inich Janaab' Pakal (603-683 CE). Many writers about the topic however, agree that the symbol has little resemblance to the lily itself, as it looks more like an Iris flower.
The
fleur-de-lis was a common Jewish symbol. Lilies were
frequently mentioned in the songs of king David and early Jewish
coinage featured similar lilies. The Kabbalistic book: The
"Zohar", begins with a exposition of the mystical
significance of the lily, which it describes as being the symbol of
the Jewish congregation during that time. One of the oldest
known depictions of this symbol could be seen on the Assyrian
bas-reliefs from the 3rd millennium BC. The Fleur-de-Lis
eventually began to be adopted as the heraldic symbol of the House of
Capet and the kings of France with king Philip I (1052-1108 CE).
In
esoteric circles, the Fleur-de-Lis regarded as an esoteric emblem
consisting of the pineal gland, the pituitary gland and the thalamus
in the centre, which forms the third eye triad. An unblocked third
eye would be a gateway for incoming "psychic" insights,
communication and impressions from higher dimensions, such as
clairvoyance, and one would be able to witness subtle energies, like
energy fields that are not visible with merely the physical eyes. One
can also find the motive of the Fleur-de-Lis on certain medieval
crowns, what is not strange, because the gold and precious stones
worn on the head were by some believed to expand the mind to
stimulate the wisdom of the king for making the right decisions.
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The "Star of David"
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the
"Shield of David" or "Magen
David", consist of two intertwined equilateral triangles; one pointing
up and one pointing down. It is usually believed that one triangle
represents the ruling tribe of Judah and the other the former ruling
tribe of Benjamin. However, it could be the seal that symbolizes king
David's covenant with God. (King David = earth, pointing down;
God = heaven, pointing up.)
It actually looks like a
two-dimensional
presentation of a
three-dimensional object (seen on the image left) known as the
"stellated octahedron, "stella
octangula", and also as "star tetrahedron". This geometric figure
consist of two interlocked three-sided "pyramids", called: tetrahedra,
where one is pointing up while the other is pointing down. The vertex
arrangement of the two tetrahedra is shared by a cube.
According to ancient Egyptian esoteric knowledge, the star
tetrahedron
symbolizes the blending of "heaven" (metaphysical/spirit) and "earth"
(physical/matter) and also models the energetic body (the aura) of
planet Earth and the energy bodies of all beings living upon it; which
are all individually and energetically connected to both the physical
and metaphysical dimensions. The energy body would have the pattern of
two tetrahedrons where one of them is pointing up and the other
pointing down, and rotating in opposite direction from each other for
the generation, taking in and taking out of subtle energy (light).
These tetrahedrons together one also calls the Mer-Ka-Ba: the
light/spirit/body-complex.
The "Flower of Life" (The overlapping circles grid)
In
various historical artefacts from different cultures from the 7th
century BC and onwards, there can be found a pattern of overlapping
circles, together forming a larger circle or pattern. This pattern is
generally known as the "overlapping circles grid", but is also known as
the "Flower of Life", as Drunvalo Melchizedek called this pattern by
this name in his book: "The Ancient
Secret of the Flower of Life (1999)".
The pattern had been found in temples and other sanctuaries from all over the world. It was a frequently used ornament in the Roman Empire period and survived into medieval artistic traditions and both in Islamic and Gothic art. In certain cases the pattern has a hexagonal outline within the outer circle, which makes it look flat and two-dimensional , and in other cases the pattern also fills the outer circle, which makes it look round and three-dimensional. Some locations where the pattern has been found:
Also in the Louvre Museum in Paris there is a Cypro-Archaic cup with
mythical scenes - very similar to ancient Mesopotamian art - which is
also depicting the rounded, three-dimensional version of the Flower of
Life in the middle. (See the image here
at Wikimedia Commons.)
In his work: "Codex Atlanticus", Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) also drew this pattern, as he studied its mathematical properties. Its is needless to say that many people are intrigued by the Flower of Life. This is because it is a symbol that is clearly meant to convey a certain concept.
From reading a number of internet sites about this pattern, it seems
that not much people seem
to understand its actual meaning. In essence, it is a representation of
our universe. A pattern of circles within circles, forming a whole, bigger
circle together, symbolizes holism; That everything in the
universe is interwoven, interconnected, overlapping and being all
together part
of the bigger whole, part of the All (God). The single outer circle (if
available) around the other circles is to imply that everything in the
universe is part of the whole and therefore all is one, as the large circle embodies all the smaller ones.
The Ankh
The ankh of
ancient Egypt was a powerful and much used symbol that survived
later in Christianity in the form of the cross. The ankh was used
mostly practical as a staff to balance the energy body of a human being
in cause of illness, and to harmonize and revitalize. It was often made
of brass (an alloy of copper and zinc), which one charged with a high
vibrational energy, that probably happened within a temple or pyramid.
Because of the geometric shape, the Ankh matches the specific energy
pattern of a human being, by which the energy could be carried over to
the human energy body.
This geometric shape exists out of two poles which are opposite to each
other but still form one wholeness, where the upper part represents the
receiving female energy and the lower part the giving male energies.
Both poles are needed to exist, for example without darkness there can
not be light. We find this polarization everywhere in the universe,
such as light and darkness, love and fear, man and women, the intellect
and the intuition, the genitals, in electronics (earth and
electricity), in communication (receiver and sender), in computer
science (0 and "switch" 1), and the relation between the metaphysical
and physical dimensions between heaven (above) and earth (below).
The ankh was also used as a holy symbol that was later adapted
by Christianity in the form of the cross, what symbolically only
represents the male aspect what is typical for a patriarchal
society
that is based on power and domination. During Egypt's golden age of
peace and enlightenment, Egypt would have been a matriarchal society
based on oneness and equality.
The
Winged Disk and the Solar Disk
A depiction of a
being with wings is often thought as being a symbol for divinity.
Images of a winged disk were commonly seen at wall reliefs and wall
paintings of ancient cultures including Sumer, Assyria, Babylonia,
Persia (modern day Iran), Anatolia, and ancient Egypt.
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Depicted above-left is the Farohar (or Faravahar/Fravahar)
from Zoroastrian religion which still has much followers specifically
in India. The Farohar is generally thought to be only a symbol of
Zoroastrian religion, but its origins are much older, as similar
looking "winged disks" can also be seen on the much older
Sumerian clay tablets (see above-right), which are known as the
oldest currently known form of writing.
The Farohar is one of
the primary symbols of Zoroastrianism and is often associated with
their god, named Ahura Mazda. "Ahu" means: immortal, "Raa"
means: radiant, "Maz" means: great and "Da"
means: wisdom; thus Ahura Mazda could be translated as: "the
great wise radiant immortal". According to the Old Persian
descriptions there were two rivalling groups, namely: the "Ahuras"
with their chief god Mazda, and the Daevas". The Avestan words:
"Ahura" and "Daeva", and the Indo-Iranian words:
"Asura" and "Deva", are closely related to each
other.
In the ancient Indian text called the Rig-Veda
(believed to came into existence between 1,700 and 1,100 BC), the
Devas were described as the "younger gods" which were in
conflict with the "Asuras", the older gods", and
probably this was about a struggle between the new and the older
generations. (Rig-Veda 10.124.3.) In other parts of the Rig-Veda
however, the term "Deva" is variously applied to most gods,
including many of the Asuras, and in general "Deva" is
considered as a collective name for all beings who are at a
higher plane of existence, compared to humans. In Avestan language
"Daeva" translates to: "a being of shining light",
or "shimmering one", in other words: a supernatural or
angelic being. In Buddhist context, Asura is sometimes translated as
"Titan" (which could be related to the war between the Olympian
gods and the Titans), demigod or anti god.
The Persian prophet
Zarathustra or Zoroaster (speculated to have lived between 1,400 and
1,200 BC) begat a vision from the god Ahura Mazda. He believed
the Ahuras to be good divinities and that the Daevas were deceiving
people, and because of this he changed the structure of this term
from Daeva to "Dev-a"; "Dev" means cheater or
deceiver. Likewise the Vedics changed the term Ahu-ra or Asu-ra (the
divine immortal) to A-sura, meaning: "the impure". It could
be possible that the "Asuras" and the "Devas"
were the ancient rivalling factions that were called by the the "sons
of the Law of One" and the "children of Belial" during
the times of Atlantis, from the Edgar Cayce material and that of Dr.
Douglas James Cottrell.
Darius
the Great's "Behistun Inscription"
The "Behistun Inscription" is a multilangual
inscription and large rock relief on a clifff at Mount Behistun near
the city of Kermanshah in western Iran. It was carved for king
Darius. The Old Persian word for Behistun is "Bagastana"
which means: "the god's place (or land)". The Behistun
inscription was to the decipherment of cuneiform what the Rosetta
Stone was to the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Here we can a
humanoid being that likely represents God (Ahura Mazda) or a godly
being, floating above a number of people. Among the people there is
one man who is in the front (most likely king Darius himself) who
seems to greet God or the godly being who also greets him. (The pose
is a sign for reverence).
This image looks special compared to
most other depictions of the Winged Disk in the sense that it shows a
little more depth. We see the image of a bearded man within a winged
rim, flying or floating in the air. Because of the wings, the lower
part of the skirt that could also be seen as a tail and the long
extensions that somehow look a bit like paws; it also seems to
resemble a bird - and even a bit like a modern space satellite. In
some images these extensions are shown stretched all the way down to
some people, touching them. In his book: The 12th Planet",
Zecharia Sitchin proposed these Winged Disks could have been some
kind of spacecraft in which the Anunnaki came to Earth. (See:
"Extraterrestrial
Visitors".) If the image however was not symbolically meant
for divine forces or a simplistic depiction of a spacecraft, it seems
more like a device that allows people floating in the air, perhaps
using anti-gravitational technology.
According to a session of
trance clairvoyant Dr. Douglas James Cottrell, the Winged Disk was a
symbol to illustrate the awakening of the spiritual
consciousness - despite that it took on the flesh before and
adulterated itself from the Source - and that this was ever present
and possible, thus also in the flesh. It originated from the limited
understanding of the ancient beings who came to our planet since the
times of Lemuria; The memory of ancient civilizations of the divine
coming into the world, taking on the flesh and overcoming the
temptations of the flesh to return to heavens as an enlightened
being. (Source: "Dr.
Douglas James Cottrell: Mystical and sacred symbols' origin and
meaning", by Rammsteinregeln.)
Mesopotamian
"Winged Disk" at the palace of Susa
During the 5th Egyptian dynasty, the symbol was expanded
with a "sun-disk" between the wings, known as the Behedeti
("He of the Colourful Feathers"). Historians assume that a
pair of falcon wings were a symbol for heaven. The serpents (uraei)
are the symbol of wisdom, and were seen on depictions from the
late Old Kingdom. The ancient Egyptians saw the sun itself
as an
egg, namely the egg of the sun god Ra (pronounced as "ray")
which was radiating with light. According to various occultists, it
would refer to the shell, egg or vehicle of the
soul.
Egyptian
"Winged Solar Disk"
According to occultist "Madame" H.P. Blavatsky's
work: "the Secret Doctrine" (1888) ", the egg was the
symbol of immortality and infinity, and of (re)birth. This winged
"egg" was the representation of "devachan"; the
heaven/nirvana, and both the rebirth of man and his spiritual
renewal. This was the symbol of hope and the second birth, meant both
physical and spiritual. Upon death, the soul shall, after his
cleansing in "amenti" (the underworld), grow in this egg of
immortality and would be re-born from here into a new life on Earth.
The author Reuben Swinburne Clymer called this
symbol the "Winged Globe" in his book: "The
Rosicrucians: Their Teachings" (1910), and his explanation
is as follows:
"The Winged Globe is the symbol of the perfected soul making its flight back to the source of its creation in the Elysian fields beyond."