Symbols : The Cross

[Haruth]

The cross is one of the oldest and most wide spread symbolic forms.

When considered as the four outer points, it represents the four cardinal directions (North, East, South, West), the four seasons (as well as the equinoxes and the solstices), the four elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Water), and the four stages of life (childhood, youth, mature adult, old age).

In ancient China, the central point was included to give an association with five. This was particularly potent, as they recognised five colours, five musical tones, five planets and five metallic elements. Five was also regarded as the harmony of union between Yin and Yang.

Considering only the two arms of the cross, it was used to represent the meeting of opposite realms: heaven and earth, the living and the dead (particularly in the African tradition where it had deep association with the meeting of two roads - the crossroads).

In Asia, the vertical line symbolised the masculine 'active' principle, whilst the horizontal line represented the feminine 'passive' principle. The cross, therefore, symbolised the balancing of active and passive and, hence, (Wo)Man perfected.

When inscribed within a circle (particularly prevalent in Asiatic and ancient Germanic culture), the cross becomes a sun symbol. One expression of this in both societies was the Swastika.

As a symbol of Christianity, the cross took a long time to be accepted. As such, it is a symbol of Christ's triumph and suffering. It appears in many hidden forms in Christian art, including the Anchor.

A very old form, known as the forked cross (a stylised Y), refers to the Tree of Life. As such, it represents the paradise of Eden and the longed for fulfillment of that promise at the end of time. (As opposed to the Tree of Knowledge whose seductive fruits distract us from divine counsel).

Finally: the Ankh of the ancient Egyptians symbolised life; the key to the realm of the dead in funereal imagery; and the sun's blessings on the Earth.

[brifae]

represents mans journey and death on earth as an earthwalker (like jesus), also the four elements/directions, the number four being solid and construction (4 walls) so associated heavily with earth. The earth symbol is a circle with a cross in it. the four seasons, the sun travels through, the intersects are the equinox and solstices.

[brifae]

The cross and the swastika, paganism world cultures

[Reader]

Terrific info guys..... even though I don't find my religion being totally Chiristian... I'm more eclectic when it comes to religious beliefs... I do like the cross and wear one most of the time on a chain along with a Hamsa Hand.... I've also been wanting to add a evil eye and triquetra with them...

I like the symbolism of the cross meaning of the earth and four seasons and four elements.... and the part about Jesus... well that's really the only part of Christian belief I follow... but I see it more as he was a man... a great medium and healer that walked this earth and done everything from for tell the future to those that wanted to hear it and heal those that was sick....

[brifae]

Well smack me upside he head and call me ginger Sometimes I am DENSE.



I was looking at the right image of the ankh,
"collapse the ring" a voice said in my right ear!

The ring fell so that monad=earth, mars=hod and venus=jupiter, wheras moon stayed in the middle, like a circle with a dot in it! So spirit to earth, fire to air, mercy to love, and moon central! OMG as well as time, saturn being "outside" the flip down. As is you folded a piece of paper in half. top down.

Thennnn Looking at the pyramid on the right i saw the pythagorean principles, earth, air, fire and water, which i well knew. moon=water, venus fire, mercury air. superimposed under the flipped down circle. Anyone else see this?

[Celtaur]

Well smack me upside he head and call me ginger Sometimes I am DENSE.



I was looking at the right image of the ankh,
"collapse the ring" a voice said in my right ear!

The ring fell so that monad=earth, mars=hod and venus=jupiter, wheras moon stayed in the middle, like a circle with a dot in it! So spirit to earth, fire to air, mercy to love, and moon central! OMG as well as time, saturn being "outside" the flip down. As is you folded a piece of paper in half. top down.

Thennnn Looking at the pyramid on the right i saw the pythagorean principles, earth, air, fire and water, which i well knew. moon=water, venus fire, mercury air. superimposed under the flipped down circle. Anyone else see this?

This is fascinating. So Logos and Saturn would be outside the cross, when flipped down. The image above looks like the symbol for venus. Why is the ankh circle usually oval, as an elongated circle though?

[brifae]

Well your question goes back to the egyptian myths.
Isis had ten thoudand names and is likened to venus, aphrodite, cybele.
As well as Osiris, Isis and Horus are the Egyptian Trinity. in, a way.
The ankh is said to represent isis in the circular part, and osirus (who is the sun) by the cross, need
to understand the mysteries of death and rebirth was very important to them.
However some say the loop is holiness, and the cross the matriarchal ax(gentals) wheras a male is a sword):
per wiki:
This is a combination of the sacral knot (symbol of holiness) with the double-edged axe (symbol of matriarchy)[4] but it can be better compared with the Egyptian tyet which is similar. This symbol can be recognized on the two famous figurines of the chthonian snake goddess discovered in the palace of Knossos. Both snake goddesses have a knot with a projecting loop cord between their breasts.[5] In the Linear B (Mycenean Greek) script, ankh is the phonetic sign za.[6]
Venus=isis
The ankh is the handled cross.
cross=tree of life
ankh=life

[brifae]

Why is venus associated with the moon then? Maybe she is the circle, which the oval is the sandal strap of the moon/water element.
Also it is hard to asign one planetary energy to a deity, hence the ray system, one can be more than one color, in this example silver or purple and green for isis. ( a guess w/out going into the ray system at this time)

[brifae]

The gnostics worshipped a snake on a T, which is the snake of the tree or the tree of life
scorpio snake, ophicus snake holder, 2012, cross/ galactic alignment, cosmic cross,
qabbalah cross of light


the sun eat was the eclipse, sun eaten by snake (cosmic event).
snake and tree=eclipse of sun

solar snake, pleiades

J Campbell power of myth:
The Power of Myth, p. 45
...the snake is the symbol of life throwing off the past and continuing to live.
...The serpent sheds its skin to be born again, as the moon its shadow to be born again. They are equivalent symbols. Sometimes the serpent is represented as a circle eating its own tail. That's an image of life. Life sheds one generation after another, to be born again. The serpent represents immortal energy and consciousness engaged in the field of time, constantly throwing off death and being born again. There is something tremendously terrifying about life when you look at it that way. And so the serpent carries in itself the sense of both the fascination and the terror of life.
Biedermann: Dictionary of Symbolism
The Biblical serpent, the embodiment of Satan in the Garden of Eden, later becomes the "serpent of brass" "put upon a pole" by Moses [Numbers 21:8-9], interpreted as an archetype of Christ crucified [John 3:14-15]. Aaron's rod was transformed into a serpent capable of devouring those of Pharaoh's sorcerers [Exodus 7:9-12].
In Norse mythology a huge snake (Jormunjgandr) is wrapped around the earth, a symbol of the sea, not unlike its ancient Egyptian counterpart, the gigantic Apophis,

[brifae]

[QUOTE=Reader;20364
I like the symbolism of the cross meaning of the earth and four seasons and four elements........[/QUOTE]

If you fold the cross up you get a cube, of matter, tau/tav/ankh cross of earth, with the sun/son in the middle=in each cube hadit a flame burns(crowley)/spirit, in every man.

re: venus the ankh, yes it is a symbol of venus, her mirror, our perceptions of others we project from ourselves such as love or hate which is not love's opposite.