Manipura or the solar plexus chakra is the third primary chakra in the Vedic tradition. The Manipura symbol is made up of ten petals bearing the Sanskrit letters pha, pa, na, dha, da, tha, ta, nna, ddha, and dda. Its seed sound is the RAM as seen in the middle of the symbol within a…
The tau cross is a T-shaped cross, commonly depicted with expanded three ends. It is called a “tau cross” because it resembles the shape of the Greek letter tau in an upper-case form, which looks similar to the Latin letter T. The tau cross is the emblem used by the Franciscan Order, founded by Saint…
The Ichthys or ichthus is a symbol comprised of two arcs crossing, with the ends of the right side reaching past the meeting point to resemble the profile of a fish. While many Christians hang a cross necklace or rosary inside their cars, the fish sticker on the car is said to be a more…
Chi Rho, pronounced as “KEE-roe,” is an old Christian symbol—a Christian monogram or Christogram formed by combining the first two letters of the Greek word Christos, which means “Christ.” The Chi Rho symbol was employed by early Christians to symbolize both Jesus Christ and Christianity. It is attributed to Constantine I, the Roman Emperor who…
The sacred bull calf Nandi has been identified as the Hindu deity Shiva’s animal vehicle or vahana—“mount”—since the Kushan dynasty around the 1st century CE. Nandi is Shiva’s gatekeeper and chief attendant. He is frequently depicted as carrying a spear or a golden staff. He provides music for Shiva when the god dances the Tandava…
Swadhisthana is also called the sacral chakra. It is the second of the 7 main chakras in Hindu tantrism. Swadhisthana is often referred to as a black lotus. The symbol is depicted in the image of a vermillion-colored flower with six petals opening from the circle in the middle. Written on each petal are the…
The Vishuddha symbol is made up of a 16-petaled circle with a crescent bearing a circle within. It represents the throat chakra, which is the fifth of the primary chakras. It stands for communication—internal and external, as well as verbal and non-verbal. Certain behavioral and psychological characteristics are linked with Vishuddha or throat chakra. It…
In the Hindu Yogic, Buddhist Tantric, and Shakta traditions, the heart chakra is known as Anahata. The fourth main chakra, Anahata represents the heart, which stands for the wisdom that endows us the capacity for love and compassion. The Anahata symbol is comprised of 12 petals which are bluish in color. These petals bear the…
The dharmachakra or wheel of dharma is a major symbol of Buddhism. However, it is also employed in other Indian religions such as Hinduism and Jainism. The dharma wheel or dharmachakra, is the “wheel of law.” It is an ancient symbol revered by Buddhists as it symbolizes their faith, denoting the Buddha’s first sermon in…
The sacred lotus plays a major role in several Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. A lotus throne is a stylized lotus flower employed as the base for a figure. It is the usual pedestal used for divine figures in both Buddhist and Hindu arts. It’s interesting to note that like no…