When the Ego Destroys the Soul of the Pattern
In decorating, I am most concerned with the ego altering the pattern and the ego not aware of the change. A change of this sort can create a pull of energy. The ego is so powerful regarding symbols that it can sometimes reverse the meaning, something to be aware of. In Patterns and Symbols in Decorating, Lesson VII Part C – the Ego, let’s look at an example of an altered symbol.
This symbol is probably the oldest on the planet. Among The National Museum of the History of the Ukraine for Kiev’s most prized possessions is a small ivory figurine of a female bird carbon dated to 15,000 B.C. It is decorated with this ancient symbol. The symbol has been found all over the world except for parts of Africa and South America. It has been found on 6,000 year old rock and cave paintings, clothing, urns, vestments, coins, Ashanti gold weights, Armenian jewelry and Buddhist temples.
The symbol is said to represent the universe with its spinning constellations at the celestial north pole. It signifies life, the vivifying role of the supreme principle of the universe, the absolute God, infinity, fertility, continuing creation and love.
In the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, the symbol means well-being.
What is This Most Cherished Symbol
In the West, it has been known to symbolize auspiciousness and good luck. Coca-Cola used it and Carlsberg incorporated it on their beer bottles. The Boy Scouts used it, and the Girl’s Club of America named their magazine after it.
The Navahos integrated the symbol in a healing ceremony known as whirling logs, a sacred geometry homage pulling in the four directions.
This symbol represents the descent of the Holy Spirit as wind and spirit.
Its origin is questionable. Some feel its symmetry and simplicity led to its independent development everywhere. Others felt it was spread by diffusion. Carl Sagan thought it was based on a four-armed comet that probably came close to earth. He found it woven on an ancient Chinese silk atlas of cometary forms. His idea holds merit since the symbol is mostly found in the northern hemisphere.
Who could resist this symbol? I, for one, would certainly not be able to do so, especially when I read that it represented the auspicious footprints of the Buddha.
I could not until the day I found out that the symbol was a swastika.
The Ego is So Powerful Regarding Symbols
The symbol was based on the pattern found in the heavens and for this reason it was so powerful. It was taken over by a group desperately needing to establish an uplift to the ego. Hitler, who loved the occult, adopted the symbol for the Nazi flag, which caused a rich history of a spiritual symbol to become associated with evil. Today, Germany has banned its use. It is an anathema in the West. Like Chernobyl, it will be a long time before the symbol can be used again.
Symbols with Special Patterns
I have found that the most powerful symbols get their energy from the mathematical patterns of nature. The ego is addicted to that power. Besides the swastika whose pattern was most likely the tail of a comet, the pentagram or five-pointed star is also sought after by ego-based institutions. Its pattern is based on many repetitions of the Golden Ratio.
Its oldest use was the chosen symbol of the Order of Pythagoreans in the 6th century BC. The Pythagoreans called the pentagram ὑγιεία Hugieia, meaning health. Because of the form’s incredible array of Golden Mean proportions found in all living creatures, they saw in the pentagram a magical mathematical perfection.
The five-pointed star was brought to America by the founding fathers to be part of the flag. It had a mystical history of which some of our Freemason founding fathers were aware. Today, the five-pointed star is a common ideogram in the Western world with particularly strong associations with military power and war. The five-pointed star encases a pentagon, another symbol of the military.
Fortunately, the five pointed star has not changed in meaning. It is still used in the teachings of Sacred Geometry since its hidden scaffolding is found on countless items in nature.
In Conclusion
So in Patterns and Symbols in Decorating, Lesson VII Parts A, B & C, we have explored the interplay between patterns and symbols.
- We have seen how the ego can fool us into not seeing when a pattern is non-harmonious.
- We have explored an important item in decorating, color, to better understand how to interpret it as a pattern and not a symbol.
- We have looked at how the meaning of a beautiful pattern-based symbol can be changed through the power of the ego.
Now it is important to use these ideas in a practical way. In Patterns and Symbols in Decorating, Lesson VII , D- What to Do, find some practical suggestions.
The History of the Swastika, The Holocaust Encyclopedia
*****
There are two parts to this website, The Lessons, which are more difficult in concept, and the blogs, which are lighter in nature. A blog that you might enjoy with the same theme as Patterns and Symbols in Decorating, Lesson VII, Part B is:
Please note that my website allows you to leave comments at the end of the blogs but not at the end of each lesson. If you have a comment or question about a lesson, you may email me at ruta@rutas-rules.com