Tag Archives: Shiva

Shiva and Parvati: the Birth of Kali

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Symbol Reader

I have across a fascinating version of the birth of goddess Kali. In this myth she came to the world as a result of Parvati’s anger, which she shed and transformed during her spiritual practice. Lake Manasarovar at the foot … Continue reading →

Posted in Kali | Tagged archetypes, Gauri, goddess, Hinduism, Indian mythology, Kaali, Kailasa, Kailash, Kali, meditation, Parvati, shadow, Shiva, symbolism, symbols, tapas | Leave a comment

Reading The Red Book (41) – Seven Sermons to the Dead

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Symbol Reader

We have now reached the fifth Sermon to the Dead, which you will find in the third section of The Red Book called Scrutinies. At the dawn of civilization Greece was inhabited by Pelasgians, who are viewed as the indigenous, … Continue reading →

Posted in The Red Book by C.G. Jung | Tagged archetypes, Basilides, C.G. Jung, creation, Eros, Eurynome, Gnosticism, Liber Novus, logos, Ophione, Pelasgians, Philemon, Seven Sermons to the Dead, sexuality, Shakti, Shiva, Soul, symbolism, symbols, trident, Ukraine | 3 Comments

Symbolism of the River

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Symbol Reader

“I do not know much about gods, but I think that the river is a strong brown god,” so begins the third of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets. The divinity of rivers has been recognized by all mythologies since the beginning … Continue reading →

Posted in The River | Tagged ancient Egypt, archetypes, banks, Buddhism, C.G. Jung, Christianity, death, Four Rivers of Paradise, Ganga, Hapi, Hinduism, Kumbh Mela, life, myth, mythology, Nile, nirvana, paradise, rebirth, religion, Rene Guenon, river, Shiva, Source, symbolism, symbols, Upanishads, World Axis | 14 Comments

On Play

Posted on May 13, 2018 by Symbol Reader

The vision of the world as an unfolding game is a very alluring idea. Once you start viewing all reality through that lens, it is quite hard to step back into ordinary perception. In Hinduism, the concept of Lila, divine … Continue reading →

Posted in Play, Uncategorized | Tagged archetypes, Brahman, child, consciousness, dice, Eric Berne, gambling, Game, Hinduism, homo ludens, Huizings, Kairos, leela, lila, number seven, Parvati, Play, prakriti, purusha, Shiva, Smoley, symbolism, symbols, transactional analysis | 16 Comments

Shiva and Shakti – Consciousness and Power

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Symbol Reader

I. “Since Shiva is only the silent, immobile witness, whereas she is the power herself, the devotees of Shakti and Devi have concluded that it might be best to direct one’s attention and prayers exclusively to the Goddess. Not the … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged feminine, goddess, masculine, Shakti, Shiva, tantra | 8 Comments

Your Golden Hair Margeurite: Hair as a Symbol

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Symbol Reader

Rapanzel, via http://haleys-comet.deviantart.com/art/Rapunzel-Let-Down-Your-Hair-110501671 In an old pagan ritual known as the Maypole dance, on the Eve of May Day, female dancers circled the pole the counter-clockwise direction, which is sacred to women and associated with the moon while male dancers … Continue reading →

Posted in Hair | Tagged Apollo, archetypes, Auschwitz, Berenice, braids, Coma Berenices, Death Fugue, hair, holocaust, isis, Louis XIV, maypole, mythology, Osiris, Paul Celan, plaits, Samson, Shiva, symbolism, symbols, wigs | 23 Comments

Cartography of the Deep Human Psyche (2)

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Symbol Reader

Concerning matter we have been all wrong. What we have called matter is energy, whose vibration has been so lowered as to be perceptible to the senses. There is no matter. Albert Einstein This iconic painting by Monet shows very … Continue reading →