The alchemical/magical symbol for water is an inverted triangle, symbolizing downward flow. The downward pointing triangle is an ancient symbol of femininity, being a representation of female genitalia. One of the four alchemical elements, water has the properties cold and moist, and symbolizes intuition, the unconscious mind, and the enclosing, generating forces of the womb.
When paired with the fire triangle, or upward moving force, the Seal of Solomon is created. The water triangle is often represented by a chalice or cup; the symbol of water in tarot is the cup.
In Ritual magick and some Wiccan traditions, the elemental spirits of water are Undines.
Zodiac signs ruled by water are: Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio.
See also: Tools of Magick/Tarot Hallows
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| Water chalice, from the tarot |
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The upward pointing triangle is the alchemical symbol for fire. One of the four classical elements, fire has the properties of heat and dryness, and symbolizes the “fiery” emotions- love, hate, passion, compassion, empathy, anger, etc., as well as spiritual aspiration- those actions of intent which bring us closer to the divine. Fire is represented in numerous cultures as the triangle, symbolizing rising force.
The symbolism of the upward-pointing triangle symbolizes rising energy. The element is sometimes represented by a sword or knife; when paired with the chalice of water, it is referred to as the blade.
In Paracelsian alchemical tradition, the elemental spirits of fire are salamanders.
The fire symbol is derived from the medieval magical Seal of Solomon.
Zodiac signs ruled by the element of fire are: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.
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| Fire triangle, Tibetan painting |
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“From the roots of his hair to the bottom of his chin is a tenth of a man’s height; from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head is one eighth of his height; from the top of the breast to the roots of the hair will be the seventh part of the whole man. ”
~ Notebooks of Leonardo
Although made famous Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci, the figure known as the Vitruvian Man is actually named for the man who created him, the Roman architect Vitruvius. Vitruvius, a proponent of the Sacred Geometry of Pythagoras, designed temples based on the proportions of the human body, believing them to be perfect. This perfection, wrote Vitruvius, was evidenced by the fact that the extended limbs of a perfectly proportioned human fit into both the circle and the square.
According to Pythagorian tradition, the circle represents the spiritual realm; the square, material existence, so the human body represented the perfect marriage of matter and spirit, which was is reflected in its proportions.
Leonardo was one of many artists who attempted to depict Vitruvius’ perfect man, and the only one who succeeded; his version is considered the most accurate depictions of the human body.
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, one of the most well known images in the world.
An earlier attempt at rendering the perfectly proportioned man, by Cesar Cesariano.
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- Vitruvian Man View more artist’s renderings of the Vitruvian Man.
The Dreidel is an easily recognized symbol of the Jewish holiday Chanukkah. The dreidel (the word dreidel is a corruption of the German word for ‘top’) is a four sided spinning top inscribed with Hebrew characters, adapted from an old German gambling game. As rules prohibiting gambling games were traditionally relaxed during the holiday, the dreidel became inseparably associated with Chanukah.
Over time, the dreidel began to be seen as a means of teaching the meaning of the holiday: the letters are used form an acronym: 
(nun, gimel, heh, shin), which stands for “Nes Gadol Hayah Sham,” A great miracle happened there, referring to the miracle of the oil (The exception being dreidels used in Israel, which read: “
,” for: “A great miracle happened here.” )
The dreidel is a traditional gift at Channukah, and used to gamble for candy, raisins, or coins (chocolate ‘gelt’ coins are popular). Players ante into a pot, and take turns spinning the dreidel:
Nun, (nisht, nothing): player gets nothing
Gimel (gantz, all): player takes
Heh, (halb, half): player takes half the pot.
Shin, (shtel, give): players ante into the pot.
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The image at right is the most common of several decorative devices referred to as “Solomon’s Knot,” a simple design of interlaced, endless loops.
This particular design is very ancient, and appears all over the architecture of the ancient world, and further back, in stone-age carvings.
The design is frequently used in the designs of ancient synagogues, which probably gave rise to the symbol’s association with King Solomon.
Interlaced designs of this type took much skill to execute; reportedly, this symbol was a particular hallmark of the medieval Italian stonemasons known as the Comacines,* who imbued it with mystical meaning, a symbol of eternal motion and the intertwining of space and time.
Solomon’s knot is related to the swastika and the shield knot; the knot is often interchangeable for these solar emblems.
* According to Masonic lore, the Comacines were the forerunners of the Freemasons.
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This simple illustration is easily recognizable in Freemasonry as an illustrated proof of the Pythagorean Theorem, better known in Masonry as the 47th problem of Euclid. (It is so named because it was number forty-seven in a collection of geometrical problems produced by the Alexandrian mathematician Euclid) This ubiquitous emblem is found on badges and jewels, lodge decorations and more, and has been associated with Masonry for hundreds of years.
(Most of us are familiar with the theorem from high school: “In any right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the sides.” The theorem is the basis of Trigonometry.)
The 47th problem has been referred to as “the foundation of Freemasonry.” Why one of many possible solutions to a particular geometrical problem should become emblematic of Freemasonry probably has more to it the long standing tradition of Sacred Geometry, but the importance of the symbol is largely unknown.
One possibility might be found in Egypt- the historian Plutarch notes that the triangle is emblematic of the Egyptian trinity of Osiris, Isis, and Horus. The symbol has sometimes referred to as “the bride’s chair,” referring to its resemblance to the Mystical Throne of Isis.
Noted kabbalist Alan Bennet speculated that the three squares represented the magical squares of Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars. Masonic author Albert Pike, in his Morals and Dogma repeats Plutarch’s comments and suggests that the triangle represents matter (Isis), spirit (Osiris), and the union of the two (Horus)…and indeed, the sum of the two smaller squares equals the larger.
An illustration of the theorem overlaid on the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci
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The Greek mathematician Pythagoras is credited with the discovery of the Golden Rectangle. The Golden Rectangle is built on the “golden ratio” or “golden proportion,” which is determined by the irrational number known as Phi. (Symbolized by its namesake, the Greek letter phi:
)
To put it simply, a golden rectangle is a rectangle divided in such a way as to create a square and a smaller rectangle that retains the same proportions as the original rectangle. To do this, one must create a rectangle based on the golden ratio.
To find the Golden Ratio, one must divide a line so that the ratio of the line to the larger segment is equal to the ratio of the larger segment to the smaller:
A is to B as B is to C
To get a golden rectangle, you simply turn the larger segment of the line into a square:
If you add a square to the long side of the “golden rectangle,” you’ll get a larger golden rectangle. If you continue to add squares in this way, you’ll see the basis for nature’s logarithmic spiral patterns.
The golden proportion appears in numerous places in nature and in art and architecture. It forms the basis for Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Divine Proportion,” the ideal illustrated in his drawing Vitruvian Man. The face of the Parthenon in Athens is a perfect golden rectangle. The shell of the nautilus is a famous example of a spiral based on the golden mean, as is the spiral of the human DNA molecule.
See also: Fibonacci Sequence and the Divine Proportion
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One of the most common symbols of Freemasonry is the symbol of the crossed compass and set-square. The compass and square are architect’s tools, and symbolize God as the architect of the universe, among other things.
As measuring instruments, the tools represent judgment and discernment.
The compass, which is used to draw circles, represents the realm of the spiritual- eternity. It is symbolic of the defining and limiting principle, and also of infinite boundaries.
The angle measures the square, the symbol of earth and the realm of the material. The square represents fairness, balance, firmness, etc., which is reflected in phrases such as “on the square” and “squared away.” Something that is squared is something that is stable, a foundation for building upon.
Together, the compass and square represent the convergence of matter and spirit, and the convergence of earthly and spiritual responsibilities. The two symbols together form a hexagram, the union of earth with the heavens, matter and mind, etc.
A personification of Geometry with square and compass
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Humanity has always had a close relationship with bees, whose honey has have been a food staple since before the dawn of civilization. As a symbol, the bees’ lifestyle mimics that of the human social order- a cooperative, productive social hierarchy.
In fact, beekeeping is one of the earliest markers of civilized society- bees provided many of the necessities of advancement, providing not only food, but wax for metalworking, cosmetics, and medicines, as well as the ever-important pollinization of fruit trees and other food crops.
Hieroglyphic Bee symbolising the Kingdom of Lower Egypt
The cultivation of honey was a sacred charge often imbued with ritual symbolism and associated with the mother goddess, whose nurturing protection of mankind was symbolized by the the abundance of honey provided to bee society under the reign of the queen bee.
As it was widely believed that bees were born spontaneously, they were widely viewed as symbols of chastity and purity. The Bee’s never-flagging labors made them an emblem of hard work, industriousness, teamwork, perseverance, charity, selflessness, and constancy. These virtues are recalled in many heraldic emblems and personal seals, as well as in the emblems of Freemasonry, the Church of Latter-Day Saints, and in countless trademarks.
Masonic Beehive emblem
Observances of the annual hibernation of the hives also resulted in the belief that bees died and were reborn annually, and this, along with their coloring, made them a natural solar symbol- and later, an emblem of Christ in to Christian believers. Greek followers of the goddess Demeter believed her priestesses would be reincarnated as bees; the priestesses of the Ephesian Diana wre called melissae- bees.
Bee-headed Goddess medallion, from Knossos, Crete, 1500 BCE
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- Bee, Beehive View more artist’s renderings of the Bee, Beehive.
The Eagle is the universal emblem of the gods of the sky. The cosmic eagle is a symbol of the highest aspirations of the spirit, and its triumph over the carnal nature. This is why the eagle is so often depicted in combat with serpents or bulls, creatures who symbolize earthly desire (bull) or evil (serpents). It is most often a solar symbol, but sometimes it is thunder or lightning. The divine eagle is often a hybrid or transformed man, often a king or hero of great virtue.
Astrologically, the eagle is the highest aspect of the sign Scorpio; its lower aspect is a serpent. Alchemically, it is the emblem of the element of air and is associated with the process of sublimation, wherein the volatile principal is heated until it “flies up to heaven.” A double-headed eagle represents the union of opposites and is an important emblem of Freemasonry.
In Christianity, the divine eagle is the emblem of John the Evangelist, one of the four tetramorphs representing the four gospels of the New testament.The sybolism is drawn from much older sources.
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It was the eagle Aquila (once the king Periphas) that retrieved the thunderbolts of Zeus and carried his messages- it is from his name we get the English word ‘eagle.’ The eagle was the standard of ther Caesars and the national symbol or Rome, a standard inherited from the Persian empires.
The Aztec sun-god Hiutzilopochtli took the form of an eagle (cuauhtli) in a well-known prophecy of the settlement of Mexico. As the legend goes, the god told the wandering Aztec tribes to search until they found an eagle perched upon a nopal (prickly pear) cactus. Whether or not that eagle was clutching a snake has been a matter of some debate, but the familiar symbolism struck a chord with Mexico’s European settlers, and the iconic image of a serpent-swallowing eagle was adopted as the coat of arms of Mexico.
The lion-headed Imdugud (the largest and best known of the giant Anzu birds) was closely associated with the god Ningirsu, and his temple in the Sumerian city of Lagash. Imdugud is the personification of storms.
It is also an eagle who carries the Sumerian king Etana to the heavens seeking after the tree of life. As the story is told in ancient poems, the eagle and serpent lived peaceably until the eagle devoured the serpent’s offspring. In revenge, the great snake hurls the eagle into a great pit, where he languishes until rescued by Etana. The remainder of the story is lost.
In Vedic mythology, the eagle is Garuda, the serpent-swallower. Garuda is variably the transport of Vishnu or an appearance of the god himself. Garuda often battled the great naga serpent Kaliya.
In Norse mythology, the storm-giant Thiassi (storm-bringer) sometimes takes the form of an eagle.
The eagle was the symbol of Roman legion, and is the national symbol of the United States.
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