Symbols of the Center

As an interesting comparative Indo-European feature, the Indian Yantra (magical diagram) known as Yantra-rája (The King of Yantras) seems to represent a similar cosmology to what we are describing for the Celts. I quote from The Myths and Gods of India by Alain Daniélou:

” The King of Yantras is described in the Mahánirvána Tantra. ‘Draw a triangle with the Seed of Illusion (the character hrim) within. Around it draw two concentric circles. Draw in pairs the sixteen filaments and, besides, the eight petals of a lotus. Around them is the Earthly City, which should be made of straight lines with four entrances and should be of pleasing appearance. “In either order to cause pleasure to the deity the worshiper should draw the yantra with a gold needle or with the thorn of a bel tree on a piece of gold, or silver, or copper which has been smeared with either the svayambhú, kunda, or gola flowers, or with a sandal, fragrant aloe, kunkuma or red-sandal paste’ (Mahánirvána Tantra 5.172-176.)”

“The purpose of this yantra is to create contacts with supranatural worlds. With its help, the worshiper can gain all worldly and supranatural powers.”

“In the center of the yantra, the character hrím stands for the divinity of fortune, Laksmí.”

“Around her is the fiery triangle which draws into its ascending movement the coiledenergy (kundaliní), the circle surrounding it. The sixteen filament of the lotus represent the attainment of perfection (sixteen is the perfect number); the eight petals represent the all-pervading ascending tendency, that is Visnu.”

“The outer circle is creation, the circular movement of which all things are born. The power over the manifest world is shown by the square, symbol of the earth. On the four sides are the four gates leading from the earth to the worlds beyond.”

“To the north (i.e. on the left) is the gate to the way-of-the-gods (devayána). To the south (i.e. on the right) is the gate to the way-of-Ancestors (pitr-yána). To the east (upward) is the gate to the priestly solar way, and to the west (downward) is the gate to the royal way, the way of the lord-of-the-waters (Varuna). The four gates lead to these four directions, forming the cross, symbol of universality. This cross further develops into a double svastika which indicates the return to the principle through both the left-hand and the right-hand path.”

In this yantra, we see that an Indo-European people have described the cosmos in terms that match well with what is presented for the Irish. The seed at the beginning (in the center) is either the sacred tree or its potential (this is also the marriage of the king to the Land). The triangle represents the tripartite way in which creation can manifest. The central circle is the mound of kingship which is surrounded by eight other compartments, each containing a manifestation of

deity (or in the case of Lugh: his foster-fathers). The outer circle is the area of the people and their circumnavigation of the sacred center. The square is the world or the plain around the people. The four gates are symbolized by four treasures which are the gateways to the esoteric knowledge of each of the four cities where wizards reside. The north is the gate of Destiny, the Lia Fail. the south is the gateway of fertility, the Spear of Lugh. The east is the gate of Light, the Sword of Nuada. The west is the gateway of Renewal, The Dagda’s Cauldron. The four treasures are arrayed around the sacred center to the four directions forming the cross of Brighid, symbol of all that is. There are two ways to approach Her, though the left-hand path or the righthand path.

It is clear to me, that our own cosmology must honor and use both the tripartite and cardinal aspects of the worship of the ancestors. This is what the Indian Yantras does for that people. How much better for us would be a similar ordering of our own ancestral knowledge? Shall we ignore one part of their wisdom for another? I think not.

I’d also like to say that these yantras are drawn as flat objects but they represent multiple dimensions. They are considered to be the visual equivalent of the mantra or thought-form. Every symbol on a yantra represents a deity or an element of creation. Each yantra is itself a symbolic representation of creation. Our ritual space should also be such a representative of creation. We already know that the Sword represents Nuada, the Spear represents Lugh, the Cauldron represents the Dagda and the Lia Fail represents Fate. I think that we can also see that the cross represents Brighid, the square is the Land, the circle is a world or realm. Each city of the Otherworldly North is representative of a gateway to esoteric knowledge and each wizard is a description of the form of that knowledge. The Triscele is representative of the power of becoming. In one direction, it is the ascension of fire. In the other direction it is the well of wisdom. To this day Celtic myth and practice supports these assertions in the use of the words deiseal and tuathal.

---