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Description of the Emblem
of the Theosophical Society
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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 fors 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.
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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
religi
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The
Interlaced Triangles:
They are often called the Double Triangle (or the Seal of Solomon or the Star
of David in Hebrew) and 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 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.
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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.
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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.
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Motto
of the Theosophical Society
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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/her faith, and every
great religion reflects in some measure the light of the one eternal and
spiritual Wisdom.
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TheTheosophical
Society in Detroit
