cycles of life
The Spiritual Symbolism Of The Circle
The circle has a profound and universal meaning in spirituality across cultures and belief systems. It symbolizes a variety of spiritual concepts and offers insights into the interconnectedness of life, the cyclical nature of existence, and the infinite potential for growth and transformation.
The circle represents unity and oneness. It is a symbol of completeness because it has neither beginning nor end. This circular continuity reflects the eternal nature of the soul and the interconnectedness of all living beings.
In Native American spirituality, for example, the medicine wheel represents balance and harmony between all aspects of life, including the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Similarly, in Hinduism, the concept of samsara refers to the continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth, with the circle symbolizing the eternal journey of the soul.
In Christianity the circle represents eternity and sacred union. It is referenced in the Bible as the shape of heaven, and as the beginning and ending of time. For Christian couples, the unending circle of a wedding ring is also the symbolic expression of their sacred, eternal union.
Embrace The Fall Equinox In Mind, Body And Soul
As the vibrant colors of summer begin to fade and the air becomes crisper in the northern hemisphere, we stand on the threshold of the fall season of transition and transformation. It is a sacred time to prepare our minds, spirits, and bodies for the winter months ahead.
Today’s autumnal equinox is a poignant reminder of the cycles of life and the eternal rhythm of nature. Steeped in ancient tradition and folklore, this celestial event occurs each year around September 21st and marks the point at which day and night are of nearly equal duration. Spiritually, it symbolizes equilibrium; a momentary pause in time between the warmth of summer and the cold of winter. It invites us to reflect on balance and harmony.
Ancient civilizations held a deep reverence for celestial events such as the autumnal equinox, which were often seen as significant markers of time and the cycles of nature. The traditional interpretations and beliefs surrounding the autumnal equinox varied from culture to culture, but they generally recognized its importance in agricultural, spiritual, and cultural contexts, and saw it as a time of transition, balance, and connection between heaven and earth.
In many agricultural societies, the autumnal equinox signaled the time of the year’s harvest. The ancient Egyptians and Babylonians celebrated this event with festivals and rituals dedicated to their agricultural deities. This often included feasting, music, and offerings to ensure a bountiful harvest.
Make Today Your New Miracle
No matter how hard we try, it often feels that nothing in life ever changes. The truth is, something always changes. We change.
We have all said the wrong thing, at the wrong time and to the wrong person. We have all yelled at the gods in some way, or blamed the wrong people for choices we made ourselves. We have all felt badly about ourselves. We are not always happy at the end of a day. But somehow we always make it through.
We sometimes wonder why we spend so much time alone, yet we fail to realize that our very aura puts out an energy that builds a wall around us, so no one wants to come in. We don’t realize that no matter how we pretend to ourselves that we are trying to be positive, no matter how much we want to make it about “no one loves me, I’m going to go eat some worms,” our pity for ourselves creates an aura, an energy, that tells others that we don’t like ourselves.
The truth is, the very people we think are avoiding us, are in their own private minds also not wanting to share the hurt, the disappointment, the loneliness they are feeling.
Spirit most often feels sad, very sad, when someone says “I’m always alone.” Because in truth, we are never alone. We each have spirit guardians, guides, protectors, instructors around us.
Today is a new day. We can change our day, by not repeating yesterday. We can begin to change our life by just doing one thing different today.
The Empowering Symbolism Of The World Card
The World card in the Tarot remains one of my firm favorites. I am all for personal and spiritual growth, the completion of cycles, and new beginnings. The World represents exactly that: the ending of a cycle and pause in life, before the next major cycle begins with the fool.
The journey from the new beginnings of The Fool to the fulfilling endings of The World is a constant evolutionary process in our everyday lives that is represented by the sequence of the 22 Major Arcana cards of the Tarot. The World is the 22nd trump and therefore final card of the Major Arcana.
I have reflected on the imagery of the Rider-Waite version of this Tarot card in great detail. Rider-Waite is probably the most popular and universally recognized Tarot deck. The illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith at first glance appear simple, but the details and backgrounds feature abundant mystical symbolism.
The World pictures an empowered figure within a wreath – traditionally a symbol of victory, success, achievement, and eternal life. The figure holds a wand in each hand, which is reminiscent of the Magician card and the Two of Wands. However, while The Magician holds only one wand, the two wands in the The World card represents fulfillment, wholeness, balance and coming full circle.
The card is framed by four animals on the diagonal. The depiction of these four creatures parallels the four animal symbols used in Christian art to represent the four Evangelists, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The four animals also represent the zodiac signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, the four fixed signs in Western Astrology, which in turn represent the classical four elements of Earth, Fire, Water and Air.