The Emblem of the Theosophical Society is composed
of a number of symbols, all of which have been used from very
ancient times to express profound spiritual and philosophical
concepts about man and the universe. They are found in a variety
of forms in the great religions of the world and their universality
is further shown by their appearance in widely separated cultures.
Each symbol studied separately will yield a wealth of understanding.
Taken together, as in this emblem, they suggest a vast evolutionary
scheme embracing the whole of nature, physical and spiritual,
and their study may lead the serious inquirer to contemplate
some of the deepest mysteries of existence.
Partly because of their antiquity and partly because of the difficulty
of establishing their origin, the symbols cannot be interpreted
with a narrow precision. The interpretation here offered is to
be taken as suggestive of the truths they seek to convey rather
than as an exact statement of their meaning.
The Ankh: In the centre of the
two interlaced Triangles is what is known as the Ankh (or the
Crux Ansata). This comprises a circle surmounting the Tau Cross
(the type of cross which follows the shape of the letter 'T').
The Ankh is an Egyptian symbol of great antiquity and it portrays
the resurrection of the spirit out of its encasement of matter,
otherwise expressed as the triumph of life over death, of spirit
over matter, of good over evil. This concept of the 'Resurrection'
is found in all the great religions.
The Interlaced Triangles (often called the Double
Triangle, and known in the Hebrew religion as the Seal of Solomon
or the Star of David) are surrounded by a serpent. This combination
of the triangle and the surrounding serpent symbolizes the created
universe wherein creation is limited in time and space.
The Triangles, looked at separately, symbolize the three facets
of the manifestation which is known as the Trinity in various
religions and personified in Christianity as God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, and in Hinduism as Shiva,
Vishnu, and Brahma. The darker of the two triangles, which is
downward-pointing, and the lighter triangle, which is upward-pointing,
symbolize respectively the descent of the life of God into matter
and the ascent of that life out of matter into spirit, the perpetual
opposition between the light and dark forces in nature and in
man.
The Serpent: Apart from the significance of its surrounding
the triangles as mentioned above, the serpent itself has always
been a symbol of Wisdom. The Hindus call their wise men 'Nagas'
(a word meaning serpent). Christ adjured His disciples to be
as 'wise as serpents.' What is known as the Uraeus (or sacred
Cobra) seen on the forehead of a Pharaoh of Egypt denoted his
initiation into the sacred rites where knowledge was gained of
the hidden wisdom. The serpent swallowing its tail represents
the 'circle of the universe,' the endlessness of the cyclic process
of manifestation.
The Swastika is another of the numerous
forms in which the cross is found. It is the Fiery Cross, with
arms of whirling flame revolving (clockwise) to represent the
tremendous energies of nature incessantly creating and dissolving
the forms through which the evolutionary process takes place.
In religions which recognize three aspects of Deity, the Swastika
is associated with the third aspect, the Third Person of the
Trinity, who is the Creator: Brahma in Hinduism and the Holy
Ghost in Christianity.
The Aum: Surmounting the emblem
is the sacred word of Hinduism in Sanskrit characters, the three
letters representing the Trinity. There is also the idea of the
creative Word of Logos sounding throughout and sustaining the
universe. 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.' The emblem as a whole symbolizes
the Absolute, God, transcendent and immanent. God transcendent-that
is, in and beyond creation-(the sacred word AUM) overshadows
the cycle of manifestation (serpent) energized by the divine
activity (Swastika); and within this field of manifestation the
linked triangles of spirit and matter enshrine the symbol of
immortality (the Ankh), God immanent-that is, indwelling in all
created form.
Surrounding the emblem runs the motto of the Theosophical Society,
'There is no Religion Higher than Truth.' Truth is the
quest of every Theosophist, whatever his faith, and every great
religion reflects in some measure the light of the one eternal
and spiritual Wisdom.
We have given here only a slight indication of the great range
and depth of meaning contained in the emblem of the Society.
The study of its symbolism is almost inexhaustible. Those who
wish to pursue this study in greater detail are referred to The
Theosophical Seal by ArthurM. Coonor to
The Secret Doctrine, by H.P. Blavatsky. The Hastings Dictionary
of Religion and Ethics and some general encyclopedias also
contain useful articles on symbolism in general and on particular
symbols.
The Emblem of the Theosophical Society is composed
of a number of symbols, all of which have been used from very
ancient times to express profound spiritual and philosophical
concepts about man and the universe. They are found in a variety
of forms in the great religions of the world and their universality
is further shown by their appearance in widely separated cultures.
Each symbol studied separately will yield a wealth of understanding.
Taken together, as in this emblem, they suggest a vast evolutionary
scheme embracing the whole of nature, physical and spiritual,
and their study may lead the serious inquirer to contemplate
some of the deepest mysteries of existence.
The Ankh: In the centre of the
two interlaced Triangles is what is known as the Ankh (or the
Crux Ansata). This comprises a circle surmounting the Tau Cross
(the type of cross which follows the shape of the letter 'T').
The Ankh is an Egyptian symbol of great antiquity and it portrays
the resurrection of the spirit out of its encasement of matter,
otherwise expressed as the triumph of life over death, of spirit
over matter, of good over evil. This concept of the 'Resurrection'
is found in all the great religions.
The Interlaced Triangles (often called the Double
Triangle, and known in the Hebrew religion as the Seal of Solomon
or the Star of David) are surrounded by a serpent. This combination
of the triangle and the surrounding serpent symbolizes the created
universe wherein creation is limited in time and space.
The Serpent: Apart from the significance of its surrounding
the triangles as mentioned above, the serpent itself has always
been a symbol of Wisdom. The Hindus call their wise men 'Nagas'
(a word meaning serpent). Christ adjured His disciples to be
as 'wise as serpents.' What is known as the Uraeus (or sacred
Cobra) seen on the forehead of a Pharaoh of Egypt denoted his
initiation into the sacred rites where knowledge was gained of
the hidden wisdom. The serpent swallowing its tail represents
the 'circle of the universe,' the endlessness of the cyclic process
of manifestation.
The Swastika is another of the numerous
forms in which the cross is found. It is the Fiery Cross, with
arms of whirling flame revolving (clockwise) to represent the
tremendous energies of nature incessantly creating and dissolving
the forms through which the evolutionary process takes place.
The Aum: Surmounting the emblem
is the sacred word of Hinduism in Sanskrit characters, the three
letters representing the Trinity. There is also the idea of the
creative Word of Logos sounding throughout and sustaining the
universe. 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.' The emblem as a whole symbolizes
the Absolute, God, transcendent and immanent. God transcendent-that
is, in and beyond creation-(the sacred word AUM) overshadows
the cycle of manifestation (serpent) energized by the divine
activity (Swastika); and within this field of manifestation the
linked triangles of spirit and matter enshrine the symbol of
immortality (the Ankh), God immanent-that is, indwelling in all
created form.