Symbolic Geometry

Circles and squares and triangles and stars, oh my! No, this is not a post about your sugariffic breakfast cereal but about the symbolic—often esoteric—power of shapes. Before man carved pictographs and told the Gods’ tales in cuneiform, the meanings of shapes denoted meanings and were imbued with mystical power.

The following is a blog-quick look at a few common shapes.

Circle/sphere:

universal symbol of completeness and perfection
God
the sphere of Heaven
circle of life
movements of the stars and heavens
Hindus and Buddhists associate it with birth, death, and rebirth
Wheel of law in Buddhism
A round table ( early management style first practiced by the legendary King Arthur ) denotes equality—all stakeholders having an equal share in solving a problem
Dante saw Hell as a series of concentric circles
A ring denotes a pledge or promise
a sphere represents the spiritual aspect of Heaven/Universe, which is why domes top many religious buildings
spirals are symbolic of energy
spirals drawn in a woman’s womb indicate fertility
the helix is also a fertility symbol and the double helix has become the visual representation of DNA—guess those ancients were on to something

Triangles—associated with the number 3

beginning, middle, and end
trinities of gods
body, soul, and spirit
man, woman, and child
an upward-pointing equilateral triage represents the male organ
fire
a down-ward pointing triangle is the symbol for a woman or her womanly parts
water
the base of a pyramid represents the earth; the apex, heaven

Square/cube

a pausing or suspension—not necessarily associated with negative aspects
stability
lasting perfection
the four directions
In Islam it represents the heart’s susceptibility to the divine, angelic, human, and diabolic forces
square halos in Christian art indicates the person was alive when painted
a cube is symbolic of the material universe
wisdom, veracity, and moral fortitude
the cloistered courtyard of religious structures indicate endurance and security

Stars

wisdom
spiritual counsel or advice
light of wisdom shining in the dark ( sinful ) world
mythological figures or deities
the dead
the Star of Bethlehem symbolizes Christ’s birth
the 5-pointed pentagram pointed upward represents a human ( the top point is the head, 2 arms on the side points, 2 legs of the downward facing point )
flip the pentagram around and it’s the sign of the Devil—the two upward pointing points becoming the Devil’s horns
the 6-pointed hexagram—2 interlocking triangles— is symbolic of: 1) the conjoining of male and female; 2) the four elements; 3) Star of David; and 4) Judaism
the merkabah is an ancient geometry dating back 3 thousand years. Some believe the shape has Egyptian origins. The symbol is shrouded in mystery and attributed with supernatural ( even divine ) power that allows one to enter enlightenment, zen, achieve spiritual and/or physical ascension, or even experience cosmic transport!
the 7-pointed heptagram is: 1) a magic symbol for pagans; 2) symbolic of the 7 days of creation; and 3) the 7 steps of enlightenment for Buddhists