Theos-Talk Archives (April 1998 Message tt00636)

>Jerry Schueler wrote:
>
>> >CIRCLE or SPIRAL ?
>>
>> The idea of a circle rather than a spiral is not an original invention
>> of mine. Virtually all mystics for centuries have said that spiritual
>> enlightenment is like...
>>
>> The notion of a spiral, as far as I know (please correct me if I am
>> wrong) is a Theosophical invention based on the idea of eternal
>> progress...
>
>The spiral, as a symbol representing specific truths, isn't a
>Theosophical invention, for, Jerry, it's origin far antedates the TS and
>modern Theosophy. It has always been a symbol in all the genuine Mystery
>Schools of the Brotherhood. To none is it exclusive, even as it has no
>exclusivity to a time in this planet's history as world cycles come and
>go in accordance with the Law of Cycles. This symbol, my brother, is
>even part of the teachings of the Rosicrucian Order (AMORC), the
>genuine Ascended Master Teachings, etc. I would also say, my brother,
>the spiral, as with all of the major symbols of this ilk, are truly
>universal, for they are used as such by the inhabitants - the generality
>of the population to varying degrees and of course, the Adepts - of
>other planets.
>
>You see, Jerry, one of the problems students create for themselves is
>the all too often propensity to take up the cause, so to speak, of a
>symbol or set of symbols of which appeal, for whatever reason, to
>them, only to build an entire philosophy, a teaching, if you will,
>around that symbol or set of symbols, while at the same time excluding
>all other symbols and denying their validity. This is indeed an error,
>for not only does it go against the grain of the perennial and arcane
>teachings, as embodied in Theosophy and similar organizations and
>Mystery Schools of the Great White Brotherhood, but it forsooth creates
>a dichotomy in the very philosophy being espoused by the misguided
>student. For it is ever the truth that the Ancient Wisdom, yes, the
>Theosophia, embraces the totality of the legitimate symbols, some of
>which may well be caste aside as nonsense by the student who is
>essentially a neophyte in respect to symbology.
>
>The circle is a legitimate symbol with specific and numerous meanings,
>but it's only one of many, many symbols, my brother. We have the
>various crosses, the square and the triangle, to name only a few. Each
>has its place in the grand scheme of things; each is representative of
>aspects of truth; each, likewise, my brother, represents a Cosmic Law.

>Thus, Jerry, the circle represents the Law of the One; the cross
>represents, even more the so the many forms of the swastika, the Law
>of the Sacred Four; the triangle represents the Law of the Triangle
>(Law of Three).
>
>Two books I would recommend containing the symbols representing
>the Law of the Sacred Four and a part of the teaching thereof are:
>
> 1. The Lost Continent of Mu
> by Colonel James Churchward
>
> 2. Lemuria: The Lost Continent of the Pacific
> by W. S. Cerv=E9
> (pseudonym of the late Dr Harvey Spencer Lewis,
> Imperator of AMORC)
> With a special chapter by Dr James D. Ward
>
>Apart from these, my brother, let us not forget the T'ai Chi. This
>symbol contains so much as not to be fully appreciated even by the most
>illumined student. You, no doubt, realize its general significance as
>imparted to it by the Chinese, as well as other Oriental races that
>have adopted this symbol, and those in the Western world who have
>studied the philosophies and religions pertaining to these nations of
>peoples, while others have imbibed from the expansions on the teaching
>thereto imparted by the Masters themselves (these know of whom and to
>what I speak), and others have recognized that the T'ai Chi also
>represents these manifold aspects of truth alongside the respective
>laws. Yes, the circle of the Law of the One circumscribes the duality,
>in accordance with the Law of Polarity, of the Yin and the Yang.
>
>Now, my brother, we can argue, ad infinitum, as some almost would, that
>duality is mayavic, which is true; nonetheless, in manifestation, a
>thing some tend to forget, the Law of Polarity is brought to play upon
>the field of creation, whereby we find in expression the other. The Law
>of Duality can be best expressed in the words of Anaximander, the
>ancient Greek philosopher, in what he termed "the contraries in nature;"
>and Empedocles, another ancient Greek philosopher, explained that the
>coming together of these contraries is responsible for the changes we
>experience in Nature.
>
>Hence, my friend, the T'ai Chi faithfully illustrates for us that which
>was mentioned in a preceding paragraph of the unity in diversity. It's
>not a contradiction, as it may appear. The only contradiction lies in
>our knowledge and understanding. Ignorance and misconception are the
>very nature of illusion.
>
>> ...The philosophical problem with it is that spirals are basically
>> linear in that that have to start and end somewhere, while a circle is
>> endless and beginningless.
>
>The above statement of yours which seeks to qualify your general
>argument anent the circle and the spiral on the "theos-talk" e-mail
>mailing list, Jerry, suggesting the linearity of the spiral against the
>endlessness and beginninglessness of the circle can, in another context,
>be said of the circle. How is this? It all depends upon one's viewpoint,
>Jerry. It could well be said that a circle represents linearity because
>of its circumference, forcing us, then, to perpetually travel in
>circles, or back and forth from one point of the circle to another but

>never going beyond the circumference. I'm not actually suggesting here
>that the circle is an inadequate symbol to express the truths it does
>convey, including that of depicting in symbolic form the idea of no
>end and no beginning, rather I seek here to illustrate for you the other
>side of the argument as may be posited by another.
>
>Whereas, contrary to your conception of the spiral, the movement is not
>merely in an upward or downward motion (the ascending arc and descending
>arc, Theosophically speaking), but in an ever expanding motion as well.
>
>Speaking of ascent and descent, there is another symbol that is utilized
>to explain this idea in the teachings of the Traditional Martinist Order
>(TMO), wherein a symbolic representation of the step pyramid is used to
>convey the Path of Descent and the Path of Ascent.
>
>The idea of the spiral, then, is that it's not compounded of coils of
>equal size along its length, but of coils of increasing size as we
>proceed from below upwards or decreasing size as we proceed from the top
>downwards. This signifies the expansion of consciousness and vistas as
>we ascend the spiral and the increasing limitation thereof as we descend
>the spiral. It is said, Jerry, that the spiral depicts more correctly
>the actuality of this idea, simply because it incorporates more than
>does the symbol of the ladder as in Jacob's Ladder.
>
>Furthermore, it should be appreciated, as I'm sure you do if your
>statement in the second paragraph of the first quote of yours in this
>response to your posting is meant, that although the symbol of the
>spiral is depicted, as all creations in the world of form are, of a
>beginning and an ending, comprising the body of the symbol, it remains
>contrariwise in respect to the idea and actuality behind the symbol.
>Meaning, evolution, spiritual development, continues ad infinitum. This
>has perforce to be so, for were it not, Jerry, then in no wise could the
>Absolute, the Universal, be infinite. Unless, my brother, one posits a
>theory of limitation of development of individualizations of the
>Universal, which would result in a contradiction in itself considering
>the individualized God Self supposedly takes after the nature of the
>Universal.
>
>We should be able to see from this, my brother, that, in effect, only
>part of the Mysteries are revealed by a symbol. Were it otherwise, there
>would be no need for multiple symbols. Even the Senzar, of which you may
>have heard, being as it is the ancient sacerdotal language of the
>initiated Adepts, and having been spoken of by H. P. Blavatsky and the
>Masters, comprises manifold symbols, some of which I have mentioned
>herein. Professor Nicholas Roerich also refers to Senzar in his book
>"Shambhala."
>
>Extending this further, each letter of each alphabet, like each numeral,
>is a symbol in itself of the thought, the manifestation, etc., it
>represents. So, too, each word, sentence, phrase and so on. If I were to
>intone or write the letter A, for instance, in my communication with
>you, but didn't precede or proceed it with other letters to form a word,

>thence, my brother, other words to form a sentence, other sentences to
>form a paragraph, and finally, other paragraphs to form an entire
>exposition, you wouldn't have the whole picture.
>
>Just so, Jerry, with symbols. Apart from this, if you recall, my friend,
>the Kabalah especially utilizes the symbolism of the Hebrew alphabet.
>
>Returning to our consideration of the spiral, Jerry. Interestingly, it
>is an extension of the symbol often called the point within the circle.
>We can see this from the viewpoint of looking at a spiral from its top
>or bottom, where we see it as a central point surrounded by circles of
>smaller to increasingly larger size. In the esoteric context, the spiral
>begins at its centre. The centre, in this context, is the point or dot
>from which the spiral evolves, whereby it distinguishes itself from its
>relation the single circle. It, therefore, consists of numerous and
>continuous circle like spiralling.
>
>There are, as you would realize, variations on the basic spiral form.
>Some of these are:
>
> 1. Caduceus
>
> 2. Serpent coiled around the Cosmic Egg
>
> 3. Cagliostro's Serpent coiled around the Tau Cross
>
> 4. Snail
>
>And so on.
>
>The Comte de A llesandro Cagliostro (18th century Freemason, Rosicrucian
>& Grand Cophte of the Egyptian Rite of Freemasonry) incorporated in his
>Egyptian Rite, the three degrees thereof (1=B0, Apprentice; 2=B0,=
 Companion;
>3=B0, Master), the caduceus.
>
>What's more, in the "La Tr=E8s Sainte Trinosophie (The Most Holy
>Trinosophia [Three-fold Wisdom]) attributed to the illustrious
>Comte de St. Germain, we find in some of the illustrations the spiral
>as:
>
> 1. Winged serpent coiled around a spear upon
> which rests the cup of Everlastingness
>
> 2. Elaborate candlestick, its base formed of
> two intertwined serpents
>
> 3. Youth holding the caduceus
>
>Fraternally,
>
>Maurice
>
>Maurice de Montaine <mauriced@trump.net.au>