Rhombus tattoo. Studying the rhombic pattern of the Arkhangelsk region The meaning of the symbol is a diamond and a rhombus inside

The “rhombus” tattoo intrigues everyone with its originality. Many choose it, however, few people know the real meaning of this geometric figure.

The image of a rhombus has been known since ancient times and is found in the culture of almost all peoples of the world. For the Slavs, the figure of the Mother Ancestress, whose naked body was often covered with zigzags and diamonds, was a role model. Women, starting to prepare for any celebration, decorated themselves with the same pattern: designs in the form of a “diamond with hooks.” Such an ornament was a magical symbol and promised good luck and all kinds of benefits to its owner.


A rhombus - divided inside into 4 small rhombuses is a sign of fertility; it was associated with the field. A sign of fertility is the dots inside each diamond, which mean a sown field, while the empty figure inside is a sign of sterility. In general, a rhombus with a dot inside is a symbol of what can give birth, what will be a source of abundance and well-being.

The image of a rhombus is associated with mammoth tusks, the bone cut of which had the ornament of this geometric figure. Since this animal was the main source of food in ancient times, people believed that its tattoo meant prosperity and expressed the power and strength of its owner.

The rhombus, presented in the form of a Maltese cross, with 4 triangles adjacent to the corners from the outside, was known among cattle breeders and hunters, as well as in the agricultural environment. Thus, his tattoo symbolizes a successful hunt, abundance and satiety.

Nowadays, diamond tattoos are often found on prisoners. A diamond in a square applied to the ring finger indicates that the criminal belongs to the lower class. If a person is corrected, the diamond is shaded as a sign that he was punished according to criminal laws. In special schools, authorities make a diamond tattoo, where there is a dot in the upper corner and a cross in the lower corner.

In general, a diamond tattoo has a positive meaning and indicates the sensuality and emotionality of the person wearing it.

Diamond tattoos: photo


A tattoo with the image of a rhombus means: motherhood, fertility, spiritual knowledge, traditions, emotionality, sensuality.

The meaning of a rhombus tattoo

Most of the tattoos that are done these days have a meaning. Each tattoo can reward its owner with certain qualities. They can be both positive and negative. Therefore, before getting a tattoo, you should carefully study its origins and possible meanings. Tattoos that contain ancient symbols and signs deserve special attention.

The image of a rhombus can be found among all ancient peoples. Ancestors covered their bodies with drawings and symbols; the meaning was almost always the same. With the help of body painting, they sought to stand out in the tribe, show that they belonged to the upper class, and emphasize their uniqueness. Typically, such distinctive marks were worn by hunters, leaders and shamans.

The Slavs associated the rhombus symbol with the Mother Ancestress, her body was covered with drawings of geometric shapes. Women, in anticipation of some holiday, imitating the Goddess, also decorated their bodies with patterns. Most often these were patterns of diamonds and all kinds of hooks. They believed that this would bring good luck to the entire tribe. And for the housewife herself, such patterns foreshadowed prosperity.

The rhombus is part of the Slavic symbol “Makosh”. The name comes from the name of the Earth Goddess. In this interpretation, the rhombus is a field. A diamond divided into four equal parts means that the field is plowed, and the dots inside symbolize a rich harvest. Such symbols and signs were applied to clothing, weapons and placed on houses. So the ancient inhabitants asked for protection and patronage from the gods. In general, the symbol can be interpreted as fertility and abundance.

Also, the meaning of a tattoo with a depicted rhombus can be considered as a graphic analogue of the Odal rune. This ancient symbol represents family traditions, family, home and homeland. In the old days, it was used to demonstrate the greatness of the family and the nobility of its roots. Reward for refusal, another meaning of the rune. A tattoo with such a sign is considered a talisman and amulet. In the modern world, the rune is a sign of change for the better.

The diamond sign depicted on the body also has prison symbols. A diamond enclosed in a square on the ring finger in the criminal world indicates that the prisoner belongs to the lower class. If the prisoner reformed, the diamond is shaded and the tattoo changes its meaning. A filled diamond indicates that its owner was punished under criminal laws. Authorities in the “zone” also wear diamond tattoos. With a dot on the top side and a cross on the bottom, a tattoo is considered a form of expressing one’s own thoughts, in a way accessible to such places.

Nowadays, a diamond tattoo emphasizes the sensual and emotional component of a person. Also, a person with a diamond on his body can be called a great original and an extraordinary personality. Tattoos in which the rhombus is only an outline can have many meanings. The image inside the rhombus has a greater influence on its meaning.

Dot. Every phenomenon begins with a point. It underlies all dimensions, gives rise to a line in its development, and serves as the center and support of the cross and the circle. This is the Inevitable Middle among Taoists, the Seat of God, where all contrasts and contradictions are reconciled, among Muslims, the Holy Palace from Jewish Kabbalah.

Being itself unchanging and motionless, it gives rise to movement: for example, the rotation of a wheel, etc.

According to Kabbalistic teaching, the primary point is the center of the world of space and time. Unity, God, the Heart of the Universe, from which emerge endless spaces, directed up and down, right and left, forward and backward (in the Hindu tradition, these lines, diverging in all directions, symbolize the hair of Shiva).

The primary point is the unmanifested One forming the triplicity, the symbol of the Beginning, the Middle, the End, corresponding to the three elements of the mystical word AUM, which together form the letter iod; a hidden point representing the Foundation from which all other letters of the Hebrew alphabet, a symbol of the manifested world, come.

This is the center of the human Self: having reached the central point, the sage reaches the heart - peace, divine presence.

According to the mystical teachings of the Koran, the dot enclosed in a circle above the name of Allah represents the Name, the embodiment of the First Principle. The point and the circle strive to converge into a single Point, which is the Name. This connection is the process of “merging” the plural into the One, its deification.

Circle. The symbolism of the circle had a triple meaning: the circle of life, the time cycle and the divine principle.

If the center is the point from which movement and, in a broader sense, life itself originates, then the circle is the “development” of the central point, expansion in all senses, cyclical repetition of the seasons, life, death, day, night, etc. .

The circle contains the idea of ​​movement and embodies the time cycle, the eternal circulation of all things: the round dance of the planets around the Sun (zodiacal circle), which is reflected in circle-like temples, the circus arena, in the circle dance of dervishes, in the magical movement of Arab pilgrims around the Kaaba, Buddhists around stupas, a priest with a censer around the altar - symbolizing participation in the great rhythm of the Universe.

The symbol of Perfection in Islam, Divinity and Light in Egypt, the circle expressing the idea of ​​the absence of beginning and end, symbolizes Eternity in the form of a snake (symbol of life) biting its own tail, is none other than Ouroboros, the embodiment of the following formula: “The One is The whole, a certain Universal Substance, rarefied to the point of imperceptibility, forming the innermost Essence of things, the immaterial basis of the entire material world...”


The circle is also the “zero” of our numbering, denoting potential possibilities, an embryo. A circle with a central point is the embodiment of the “manifested essence”, harmony, order of the Cosmos - and has an objective correlation with the wheel.

The Kiilkor (meditation circle) is also a magical tool for Tibetan lamas: it outlines spiritual fluids and a mandala - a colored diagram drawn on fabric, paper, metal or earth, in the center of which is a torma (small pyramid), symbolizing the Deity.

Wheel close to the symbolism of the circle . Four spoke wheel symbolizes development in all four directions of space, the Quaternary rhythm of the phases of the Moon and the change of seasons. Six spoke wheel- this is the solar “wheel”, a horizontal projection of the six-pointed cross that the Gauls wore as an amulet. Later they began to write a monogram on it with the name of Christ, and the spokes of the wheel turned into the Latin letters I, X and P. This is also the Buddhist Wheel of Life, the spokes of which symbolize loka, that is, worlds: the world of gods, people, titans, the underworld, ghosts and animals . A wheel with eight spokes is a Celtic wheel, an image of the eight directions of space, a symbol of rebirth, renewal.

It is similar to the lotus flower and the octagon from the Chinese Pa-kuas (trigrams). The embodiment of eternal motion - the Dharmachakra, or the wheel of the Law - is a kind of cosmic and spiritual zodiac, a synthesis of the teachings of Buddha, the main symbol of all Buddhist schools. It creates space and time. Its spokes symbolize the eight paths of the Noble Eight Pointed Path, a continuation of the four fundamental truths of Buddhism (observance of moral principles, restraint of feelings, self-mastery and achieving a state of bliss). Five spoke wheel- a symbol of harmony that should exist between the heavenly and material worlds.

The ancients compared the principle of Integrity to the hub of a wheel: reality-in-itself is like a motionless moving force; tangible realities - the spokes and rim of the wheel. These realities are in constant interdependence, so philosophers argued that The One rules time and space, then how multiple entities are immersed in the flux of becoming and extension. In many civilizations (Central American, Chaldean, Assyrian, Egyptian) the idea of ​​Unity was embodied winged wheel .

Disk. Close to the symbolism of the circle, the disk and its derivatives (mandala, eagle, shield, ball, tonsure, etc.) are a solar symbol, and together with the rod and eye it refers to the four aspects of the solar deity, which is one and triune at the same time. He embodies the Judge God, or Reason, who has the ability to separate shadow from light, evil from good.

Socket. In the art of antiquity, where any detail spoke primarily in the language of the spirit and had a symbolic meaning, the rosette, a stylized image of a rose, personifies the solar disk (a rosette with eight unfolded petals), and sometimes the lunar disk (a spiral-shaped rosette).

It originates from the symbolism of the circle, wheel, solar flowers (rose, daisy, chamomile, sunflower), solar star and cross.

Sphere. The spatial analogue of a circle is a sphere. According to the Hermeticists, God is a sphere, the center of which is not only in heaven, but everywhere - on earth and even in the underworld. This concept is close to the Egyptian division of the world into three parts: Heaven, Earth, Duat.

For the ancients, the sphere was a symbol of the Universe, the extreme limit, the all-round power of the supreme deity (the sphere was held on the shoulders of Atlas).

The center of the world, the primary ether, was symbolized by the letter iodine, 10th in the Hebrew alphabet. In India, the symbol of iodine and the sphere was the lotus flower floating on the maternal waters - its petals contain the totality of lives that are to arise in all the kingdoms of nature. Similarly, the symbols of Life are the ball, ball, and also the apple.

The Stoics, Pythagoreans and Neoplatonists believed that the soul, freed from the body, takes on the shape of a sphere.

The symbol of the divine mind was a sphere crossed by two transverse stripes, decorated with a crescent and seven stars, or cut diagonally by two intersecting circles and a disk surrounded by the signs of the zodiac.

The upper hemisphere (dome) symbolizes religious inspiration, and the lower one is a vessel, similar in its symbolic meaning to a bowl, goblet or vase.

For the Egyptians, the sphere (winged ball) personified matter going through purification.

Spiral. The spiral principle is often found in nature, and this symbol has been widespread since the dawn of mankind. Spirals formed by the movement of water, the maternal and sacred elements, were considered manifestations of the life of the Universe, which was perceived as an animate being; thus, the spiral is a way of life. The spiral also served as a symbol of breath and, possibly, fire (solar rosettes with a spiral in the center, twisted columns, etc.).

Development occurs according to the principle of a spiral. Each turn is the end of one cycle and at the same time the beginning of the next. Each cycle is the flowering of those cycles that preceded it, and the preparation of more favorable conditions for subsequent ones.

The spiral along which the turbulent movement occurs is a symbol of development, eternal change, whose meaning is close to the symbolism of the shell and is associated with Water, Moon and Woman (fertility, birth and rebirth, love and marriage).

A flat spiral is like a labyrinth: it is development and regression (return to the center). The double spiral is represented by the caduceus snakes, on the brahman's staff there is a double spiral line, on both sides of the sushumna there are two thin channels, symbolizing opposite currents, opposing forces, a variable rhythm of movement, life, Yang and Yin.

In the spiral staircases of medieval cathedrals, a spiral is an invisible path winding around the walls of the temple, passing along which, unnoticed by the eyes of others, we comprehend the secret of the building of the spirit, revealed only to those who rise to the very sky.

Square. The square, associated with the symbolism of the number “four,” embodies the idea of ​​balance and orderliness of the Cosmos, the idea of ​​Perfection.

In Ancient China, the sacred square ensured world order and embodied the integrity of the Empire. The square is the basis of space: the Earth is square and is divided into squares, settlements are also square. The earth altar is also in the shape of a square hill.

In the Christian tradition, the square is a symbol of the cosmos and is placed at the base of many church buildings as the embodiment of stability. The square is a perfect figure, symbolizing constancy and solidity.

The obvious perfection of the square is a model of balance. He embodies the Cubic Stone, i.e. an ideally balanced individual, whose body unconditionally obeys all the demands of the mind.

Magic squares (the number of vertical columns is equal to the number of horizontal ones) are energy concentrators; they are endowed with the power given to them by the name or sacred number underlying them.

Cube is a symbol of inviolability, foundations. The holy center of Muslims in Mecca, the Kaaba, is a cube-shaped stone structure built in such a way that four lines radiate from its center towards the four corners, corresponding to the four cardinal directions. This cube is the “navel of the world”, the Mother of holy places, the throne of the caliph - God on earth.

Rhombus. The rhombus is one of the eight Chinese symbols of happiness, embodying the prosperous state of affairs in the state. It is also an emblem of victory .

The double diamond - two diamonds superimposed on one another - is considered a protective magical remedy in the West.

The Mayan Indians established a symbolic connection between the diamond and the jaguar (each of them contains the idea of ​​femininity): the jaguar protects the fields in the shape of a diamond and everyone who is within the boundaries of a giant diamond-shaped figure, reproducing the boundaries of the world.

There is also a diamond-shaped pattern on the shell of a turtle, a symbol of the lunar-earth goddess.

Triangle. The first geometric figure found in ancient ornaments.

In Egypt, it symbolized the triad of spiritual will, love-intuition and the higher mind of man, that is, his personality or soul.

In Hermetic ideography triangle with apex pointing upward, symbolizes Fire (flame rising upward) and corresponds to the idea of ​​ascension, spirituality, Dryness and Warmth, Summer, Red, Iron, the sign of Leo, the month of March and the Evangelist Mark. Triangle with a horizontal line is considered passive and signifies Air, moderate Fire, corresponding to Heat and Humidity, Autumn, Blue, Tin, Jupiter, Eagle, Scorpio and St. John the Evangelist. Inverted Triangle means a cup ready to receive Water, and corresponds to the feminine principle, passivity, Wisdom, generating the Main Idea, Humidity and Cold, Winter, Green, Copper, Venus, Angel and the Evangelist Matthew. Triangle of Air with a horizontal line symbolizes the Earth, motionless standing water and corresponds to Cold and Dryness, Spring, Black, Lead, Saturn, the Bull and the Evangelist Luke.

The Aztecs used image of a triangle with the vertex at the top connected to an inverted triangle, as a symbol of the time cycle.

Triangle combined with a cross forms the alchemical sign of Sulfur. Inverted, it means the completed Great Work.

Equilateral triangle, symbolizing, according to the ancient Greek tradition, perfection, among Christians it means the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

For Masons, the triangle symbolizes the Triplicity of the Cosmos, and its sides are Light, Darkness and Time.

High triangle(with an angle of 36° at the apex and two angles of 72° at the base) forms one of the rays of the pentagon; When this angle is increased by 10 times, a circle of 360° is obtained. Ten triangles adjacent to each other form a decagon.

Glowing Delta is an isosceles triangle (with an angle of 108° at the apex and two angles of 36° at the base), in the middle of which are located the Divine Eye (the visible Sun, giving Light and Life, Logos, Creative Origin) or the sacred Tetragram I E V E, the name of God, which the Jewish high priest spoke only once a year. Its three sides are an expression of the formula: “Think right, speak right, do right,” or the slogan: “Freedom, Equality, Fraternity.” The three vertices mean: Past, Present, Future, and the entire triangle: Eternity. Three corners: Wisdom, Strength, Beauty - divine virtues, symbolizing the three kingdoms of nature and the three phases of human life: Birth, Life and Death.

The sacred triangle of the Egyptians (the vertical side of which was three units in length and symbolized the masculine principle, the base - four units, the symbol of the feminine principle, and the hypotenuse - five units, symbolized the fruit of their union; the result was an impeccable right angle) was a symbol of the Nature of All That Is. In this triangle, as Plutarch writes, the number three is perfect and higher than all the others, Four is a square built on the side of the paired reality, and as for the number Five, it belongs, on the one hand, to the Father, and on the other hand to the Mother, and consists of Triad and Duality.

Using two triangles connected to each other, Arab architects built an ellipse and drew the domes of their buildings.

Seal of Solomon. This figure, formed by the intersection of two equilateral triangles - white and black, and representing a hexagram in the form of a star, symbolizes, according to Jewish and alchemical traditions, the image of the world, the Star of the Macrocosm or the Great World - the main content of the Hermetic teaching. It contains ideograms of the main elements: fire (a white triangle with the vertex at the top), water (a black inverted triangle), air (a white triangle cut off by the base of a black triangle) and earth (a black triangle cut off by the base of a white triangle). The white triangle also symbolizes God or the forces of development. The black triangle, opposed to the white one and complementing it, is the reverse movement, earthly forces.

Some occultists consider the triangle to be a symbol of the Kabbalistic solar Christ, and when inverted, an ideogram of the solar Shadow, or the spiritual fall of Satan. Thus, the seal is an image of the true Sun, uniting good and bad influences into a single whole.

The seal is one of the symbols of the Philosopher's Stone, the goal of the Great Work, which combines the seven metals of royal art, seven planets, representing the sky in its entirety: Silver - Moon - the upper peak; Lead - Saturn - lower peak; Iron - Mars - top left; Venus - Copper - upper vertex on the right; Jupiter - Tin - lower apex on the left; Mercury - Quicksilver - lower vertex on the right; Gold - The Sun is the center, the point of unique perfection.

In Masonic symbolism, the Seal means the Officers: Venerable (President of the Masonic Lodge) and the Wardens who lead the Lodge, as if forming an ascending triangle (white) and a descending triangle symbolizes the Speaker, Secretary and Roofers engaged in organizational work.

The image of the crossed Square and Compass, similar to the Seal of Solomon, expresses the idea of ​​the infinite, Spirit and Matter among the Masons.

Hexagram. Consisting of two equilateral triangles superimposed on each other (the second is inverted relative to the first by 180°) and forming a six-pointed star, the hexagram is a universal symbol.

For Hindus, the hexagram symbolizes primary energy, the source of any creation, and expresses the penetration of the lingam into the yoni, or the union of the male and female principles.

The 64 Chinese hexagrams, based on 8 trigrams, are geometric figures formed by combinations of Yang and Yin strokes that make up the I Ching, or Book of Changes. (Associated with a number, element, color, direction, planet, part of the body, animal, period, etc., these hexagrams each correspond to a specific symbol and are used in fortune telling.)

Trigram. Trigrams, or pa kua, call a series of 8 figures composed of broken and continuous lines - linear images of yin and an. Formed by the interaction of two principles, these symbolic figures, the meaning of which is explained in the Book of Changes, are images of everything that happens in the Universe, and express the movement of things and their transformations: Like the circular image of yin and an, they symbolize the dual aspect of nature: its non-duality and at the same time duality; in other words, the unity of Being and the diversity of the world of phenomena.

These trigrams are located in an octagon, the perimeter of which represents time, and what is inside represents space. In various combinations, they form 64 hexagrams, the totality of which gives a picture of the interaction in the universe of the negative forces of yin and positive yang, and the transformations that occur during this process.

Pentagram. The pentagram in the form of a pentagon or a five-pointed star is associated with the symbolism of the number five, the symbol of man: a human figure is inscribed in it, over whose four limbs the head (the spirit ruling the four elements) dominates.

In magic it is the Star of the Microcosm, or the pentacle of Will, used as a means of spell and mastery.

It is also a symbol of marriage, fulfillment: its five rays represent the fruitful union of the three, the masculine, and the two, the feminine.

The pentagram, inscribed in an invisible circle, means for the Pythagoreans the silence of the initiate: its five ends symbolize the five years of silence and teaching that precede initiation.

In the same sense, the sign flaming star, which a Mason receives upon reaching the degree of Apprentice, symbolizes a person who has reached Illumination, the quintessence, or essence of the Self, released through painstaking work on oneself, and implies free thought, cleared of all prejudices and superstitions.

The inverted pentagram is a symbol of destruction, the Devil (goat's head), lust and rude instincts.

Star(as a symbol) dates back to Ancient Babylonia, where Three Stars, located in a triangle, embodied the triad: Sin, Shamash, Ishtar, that is, Moon-Sun-Venus.

Star served as an ideogram for the embodiment of the concepts of God and Heaven (this emblem of Heaven decorates the New Year and Christmas tree).

polar Star, “around which the firmament revolves,” was considered as the primary source of energy, a symbol of superiority. (In China she is navel of the world, pillar of the sun).

Herald Star appeared in the legend of the birth of Buddha (five centuries before the birth of Christ): she was seen washing him in a dream. The legend of the Nativity of Christ tells of a star that was seen by the Magi.

A star with five rays (the Star of the Magi) existed in all ancient civilizations. She is the matrix of Cosmic Man, a symbolic image of man in the proportions of the Universe, the embodiment of the human microcosm: This is the blazing star of the alchemists, the five rays of which correspond to the four limbs and head of man (therefore denoting the supreme power); placed between the surveyor and the compass, it symbolizes in Freemasonry the rebirth of a person who has been initiated at the time of completion of his term as an apprentice. The pentagram corresponds to both the Golden Number of the Pythagoreans and the Divine Proportion of Leonardo da Vinci, who defined the ideal canon of man, “whose navel divides the body according to the Golden Section, controls the logarithmic spiral along which living beings develop without changing their forms.”

Inverted star(top down) becomes a satanic symbol belonging to the Prince of Darkness, and personifies the raw instincts, lustful desires that animals possess.

Star with six rays - emblem of Judaism and the official flag of Israel, symbol of peace and balance of the emblem of wisdom: This is the Shield of David (the result of the crossing of two triangles), which was once a talisman of battle (therefore it is considered as the force set in motion, the emblem of wisdom). This is the Seal of Solomon, one of the designations of the Philosopher's Stone of the alchemists, the goal of the Great Work, thanks to which the human microcosm is in relationship with the universal macrocosm.

Eight-pointed star among the Egyptians - a divine sign, a solar symbol, the embodied radiance (contains the solar circle, the cross of the solstices and equinoxes and the cardinal directions). This is the wheel of the crowned Cybele-Demeter, the Indian wheel, the octopus of pre-Columbian America, it adorned the shields of the Knights of the Templar Order.

Cross. The cross, signifying harmony between God and the Earth, is one of the oldest cosmic symbols. Pointing to the four cardinal directions, it underlies all symbols of orientation: earthly, celestial, spatial and temporal. The vertical axis connects the poles relative to the equator, the horizontal axis relates to the equinoxes and solstices. At the point of their intersection is the center.

The cross also symbolizes the unity of opposites. According to alchemists, the crossing of a vertical line (directed upward, active, piercing through and fertilizing) and a horizontal line (lying across, passive, female) is mainly a sign of life (fruitful union and realizing power). This is the personification of the lingam-yoni pair.

In the Christian tradition latin cross, previously called the seal of God, symbolizes the crucified Christ. (The sign of the cross is a symbol of Faith, a sign of the All, a sign of Redemption: on the cross Jesus saved all humanity, with the cross he sanctifies all people to the very depths of the being of each of them). The cross on Calvary is not only a sign of crucifixion and death, but also a symbol of the Tree of Life. Connecting with the underworld, where Christ descended to free the damned, the cross reaches the heavenly spheres, where he ascended to reign.

The symbol of Faith, a cross made of red material served as a sign of belonging to the crusaders setting off to conquer the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

Tau(St. Anthony's cross) - cross without apex- was a symbol of the universe and origin before the Christian tradition adapted it as a symbol of Salvation: it was erected at crossroads and in church courtyards. According to Holy Scripture, the angel of the Apocalypse marks the forehead of God's chosen ones with the cross of St. Anthony.

Inscribed in a circle, the cross personifies the process of creation and acts as a symbol of the sun.

Egyptian cross in the shape of the letter "T", topped with a loop (tau with a loop at the end). Also called the key of the Nile, it symbolizes the creative principle. It is held in the hands of deities and is depicted on the graves of illustrious persons. It is a symbol of life and eternity. This cross forms the basis of the cathedral's plan. The cross is also one of the main forms in the structure of the medieval church, the meeting of time and space, heaven and earth. In the “crucified” space of the cathedral, man is at the center of “existence.” Wandering gives way to turning to the heart of the cross, which here is not an instrument of torture, but a symbol of Eternal Life.

Swastika. The cycle of the Sun's revolution (in addition to the wheel) is also symbolized by rotating figures: this is the origin of the solar cross ( swastikas), whose four extremities end in paws or legs facing in the same direction. It may depict animals or hands radiating from a common axis, which in Ancient Egypt symbolized the ubiquitous trinity in the movement of the worlds and testified to the Egyptians’ desire for harmony with the cosmos. The swastika was a symbol of life.

Like a cross inscribed in a circle, a swastika means a rotational movement around a fixed center, for example, the sun (the action of the Beginning in relation to the world). In the Christian world, the center of the swastika embodies Christ, and the angular scales represent the four evangelists. As a result of the fact that, unfortunately, the swastika was borrowed by the German fascists, this symbol has undergone degradation - it has become a disgusting symbol of intolerance and death.

In India, the swastika served as a symbol of the Sun, Fire and Light and was often depicted along with the sun wheel and lightning.

Expressing the idea of ​​rotation around a fixed center, the swastika is a symbol of the influence of the Primary principle on the world, its manifestation, cycle and continuous renewal.

In China, the swastika (Lei-Wen, lightning scroll) once symbolized the four cardinal directions, and then acquired the meaning of “ten thousand”, or the number of infinity. Even later, it began to be called the seal of the Buddha's heart.

Mandala. Mandala (translated from Sanskrit as “sacred circle”) is a cosmogram, a geometric projection of the Universe. It represents the Universe not only as inert space, but also as rotating through time; dynamics and statics are considered here as a life process, developing from a basic principle (beginning), revolving around a central axis, Mount Sumeru, axis mundi, on the top of which the sun rests, and the base goes into the mystical underground depths.

We find here the symbolism of the Babylonian ziggurat, the Chinese imperial, as well as the Iranian city, images of the world, in the center of which man merges with the universal forces, the psychic energy of which he assimilates.

The mandala serves as a visual support for meditation, necessary for initiation into various tantric cycles. Applied to the ground with rice powder or multi-colored sand, or on silk fabric, its design obeys unchanging rules. Each detail has a symbolic meaning and helps the meditator in his effort to concentrate, directing the emotional and mental currents towards a spiritual perspective, bringing them closer and closer to the center of the individual, to his true Self.

The mandala consists of a square inscribed in a circle divided into three parts. The outer, fiery circle of the mandala (or fiery mountain), consisting of five colors, is a barrier to the uninitiated, symbolizing the elements and knowledge that should burn away ignorance and guide the meditator to the sought knowledge.

The second circle is a diamond belt, or vaira, symbol of higher knowledge, bodhi- a state of enlightenment that, once experienced, remains unchanged, like a diamond.

The third circle is represented by a belt of lotus petals and symbolizes a state of purity, conducive to the harmonious flow of meditation. Inside it is drawn a mandala, or palace, a square divided into four triangles, on each side of which there is a ledge representing a door leading to one of the cardinal directions, guarded by four cosmic guards and decorated with half a pearl.

The perimeter of the square, which represents the wall, is painted in five primary colors.

The center of the mandala is identified with Mount Meru - the axis of the world. It is surrounded by a circle of vaira and looks like a lotus flower with eight petals, in the center of which is the object of veneration - a deity, his attribute or symbol. The bud dispels the radiant emanations of Buddhas or their symbols, originating from the rays of the Void.

A principle similar to the mandala principle underlies the construction of temples.

On a spiritual level, returning to the center occurs with the help of mandalas And labyrinth . The Bodhisattva, who has received illumination from above, reaches it in full - having united with the highest consciousness, he sits on a diamond throne, in the ideal center of the world in the absolute plane.

Yantra. Hindu yantras are line diagrams that serve as a support for meditation, used instead of a mandala and expressing its principle.

Although the deities depicted on the mandala are replaced by lines, its essence remains unchanged; we are talking only about a simplified depiction of the quintessence of the same idea.

An example of a yantra would be Sri wheel, that is shakti, or divine power, the driving force of the Universe, through which God manifests itself in all things. It consists of four isosceles triangles of different sizes intersecting with each other, the vertices of which are directed upward, and of five triangles with the vertices directed downward. There is an invisible point in the center bindu (compressed universe.

In the first circle enclosing these figures are drawn eight petals, symbolizing the lotus of creation; in the second there is a lotus with sixteen petals, enclosed in a triple circle ( trimechala), which, in turn, is contained in a square oriented to the four cardinal directions, a symbol of the Earth.

All together this means reflections of the primordial Force in its main manifestations.

Five triangles, turned downwards, symbolize the five-part image of the Force, and their tops - desire for realization.

Four upward-pointing triangles symbolize Shiva, and their apexes - return.

The images of deities in a Buddhist mandala are sometimes replaced with Sanskrit letters, which are placed in the corners. Each of them has its own special nasal ending (like each petal, each corner, each figure) and means one of the specific energies of the human being, as well as a goddess ( yogini), living in this part of the body.

Moreover, each deity or power of a human being has its own yantra and responds to a special spell - mantra y, which is called soul of the yantra.

As in the mandala, the meditator begins from the outer layer, from the external, physical forces of the body, and moves inward, to the internal, supersensible forces.

During initiation ceremonies, a bowl of fragrant water is placed in the center of the yantra, into which the deity is to descend.

Tai Chi, Tao. The circle and spiral, one of the oldest decorative motifs known in China, where it probably once had a cosmological meaning, was adopted by the Neo-Confucians of the Sun Dynasty to express the basic concept of their philosophy as expressed in the Book of Changes (I-king). .

In the circle, symbolizing the Ultimate Principle or the Absolute, yin and yang mingle and mutually generate each other in an eternal circular motion. When yang reaches its apogee, it turns into yin...then yin grows and, having reached its maximum, turns into yang. In reality, yang contains the element yin (black dot), and yin hides the germ of yang (white dot), which ensures their interaction.

The alternation of yin and yang rules everything changes in the world of phenomena, with all rhythms - cosmic, human, physical (seasons, heartbeat, etc.), regulates the life of humans, animals and plants, psychological manifestations (alternating joy and sadness, absent-mindedness and concentration).

The Japanese equivalent of yang and yin is tomoyo, - a figure containing a triple helix.

Tai Chi, the circle of Unity (monad), symbolizes the DAO, the inextricable unity of the cosmos and man, the Higher Order. Being essentially a philosophy of human responsibility, Tao shows man the Path (the path of the Sky, Stars and Sun, in their incessant movement influencing the Earth), a principle that should guide his behavior, preventing him from disrupting the order and movement of the world - after all, it is man who bears responsibility for Universal harmony.

Noteworthy in this regard are the observations of Bill Gardner, who analyzed 22 thousand logos and identified “logos of the future”:

1) Bizarre stars are a “symbol of meaning.”

2) Mosaic alloys: based on a spiral - “synthesis”, development.

3) Illumination (no vector contours).

4) “Tongues of flame” - fire: heat, speed, spirit of rebellion.

5) Braided balls - the strength and complexity of organization, the idea of ​​merging.

6) Woven texture (thread!) - internal meaning, interconnected lines add strength, repetition creates rhythm = Labyrinth of connections (unsaid content).

7) Arcs - the idea of ​​flight (bend - destination point).

8) Inflatable 3D logos.

9) Lines of dots - molecular structure, electronic printed circuit board, etc.

10) Waves and circles on the water.

11) Plant life (plant leaves) - birth/death, life cycle, environmentally friendly solution, sun and shadow, beauty, growth, etc. (butterfly from leaves, for example).

12) Blurry - the idea of ​​movement.

13) Curls (cyclical movement of the pen, handwriting).

14) Sausages (independent pieces with rounded edges) Composition: if together - the unity of joint action, separately - self-sufficiency, individuality.

15) SMUK colors - blue, purple, yellow, black.

Palmistry is an ancient science that is based on determining human destiny through the study of the skin of the palms of the hands. Just as there are no absolutely identical patterns on the fingers, there are no practically similar patterns on our palms. However, there are repeating threads on people's hands that collectively are a sign of something. Symbolism and various kinds of signs are also of great importance. Let's look at what palmistry is, a diamond on the hand and its meaning in a person's destiny.

Over many years of study in palmistry, several dozen such threads have been found, whose meanings are revealed differently, depending on their location. One of the most common symbols is the diamond sign on the hand in palmistry.

It is often called a square or rectangle. It can be characterized from a positive point of view. It gives a person protection from various failures and troubles, being a kind of “guardian angel”.

This designation is quite rare on the skin of the hands. A diamond in the palm of your hand in palmistry indicates that a person has a certain inner strength that helps him go through life, overcoming adversity - from the smallest to the largest.

A sound mind, a sober mind, a mature outlook on life in general, correct prioritization - this is how you can characterize the character of this person.

Since ancient times, the ability to view one’s destiny and a person’s character from the palm of one’s hand has been known. However, not everyone had this skill, and even now it will be quite difficult for an ordinary person to recognize all the lines of the palm without the appropriate knowledge and practice. The science that deals with solving the fateful lines on the palms is called palmistry. In this article we will talk about what a star in the palm of your hand means (palmistry). …

Palm location

A rhombus in palmistry is usually located on one of the main lines on a person’s palm:

  • heart lines
  • life lines
  • lines of the mind
  • lines of fate.

A good omen is if the square symbol is on a line break:

  1. By themselves, breaks and breaks on these important lines do not bring anything good for a person.
  2. But the square, covering them, as if ties the broken line together, preventing a crisis state.
  3. In a state of life, this may mean that a person skillfully circumvented a difficult situation; it threatened him, but, fortunately, did not happen.

Negative interpretation

With such a positive outcome, there is one caveat:

  1. It is necessary to look at the exact locations of the sign to find out what diamonds mean in palmistry.
  2. If the square is located on the line of life, on the Mount of Venus (it is located at the bottom of the phalanx of the thumb), this means that at some period of life the person will be deprived of freedom - physical and moral:
  • imprisonment;
  • a serious illness that has occurred to a person;
  • army or military service.

But you shouldn’t be scared in advance, you need to see exactly how all the threads intersect, how they work in interaction with each other, only then will it become clear what a rhombus means in palmistry and in the case of a specific person.

Symbol in the main line system

Combining together with the main lines on our palms, a rhombus can form wonderful, sometimes irregular figures:

  1. One of these combinations is called table hands. Moreover, the more correct this combination is in its form, the more ideal the square, the better the person’s personal qualities.
  2. He is sociable and has excellent health. And vice versa, if the square on a person’s hand is of irregular shape, then he does not have inner strength, is cowardly, fearful and not confident in his own abilities.

Palmistry is a teaching that predicts a person’s fate based on the lines on the palm. It can hardly be called science, but many have believed in such fortune-telling for more than one millennium. Sometimes the threads form symbols similar to letters of the alphabet. Each such sign carries a certain meaning that tells about the soul and destiny of a person. The symbol “M” is most often found on human palms. ….

How to choose the hand that is best for guessing

How can a beginner in palmistry decide which hand is best to use to guess, because the patterns on both hands may be similar in appearance, but upon closer examination they are fundamentally different:

  1. First you need to determine your leading hand. If a person is right-handed, then feel free to guess by the right hand, it is dominant.
  2. But the left hand should not be ignored; from it you can recognize a person’s past, his inclinations, capabilities, abilities and talents.

The right hand will point us to:

  • the path ahead;
  • on health status;
  • character;
  • relationships that a person develops in a family;
  • life expectancy.

For a person with an active left hand, this rule applies exactly the opposite.

Money sign

There is also a type of rhombus sign on the hand as a monetary sign. This symbol is synonymous with monetary well-being and prosperity for a person in the future (near and not so far).

A money symbol can take several forms:

  • The first appearance is the table of the hand, or the massive quadrangle, which was mentioned above. This sign consists of a connection between the heart line, the fate line and Mercury.
  • An important factor when determining the meaning of a sign is its size. The larger and wider it is, the smoother its shape, the better a person’s financial affairs will be.
  • The second appearance of the money diamond sign is a triangle, which is located exactly in the middle of the palm. This line is also a symbol of protecting a person from failure.
  • In the life of the owner of a career, money and financial prosperity will not take long to arrive.

In addition, this person himself has brilliant organizational skills, which will help in successfully climbing the career ladder.

Moles or birthmarks usually appear from the very birth of the baby. Further, in areas with increased pigmentation, the marks remain for the rest of life. Since ancient times, the meaning of moles on different parts of the human body has been assessed differently and great attention has been paid to this. ….

What should you pay attention to when reading a symbol?

  1. A diamond on the hand in palmistry is a positive omen. It protects a person throughout life from everything negative that can happen.
  2. It is worth paying attention to where exactly the diamond is located. If it is located on a break in one main line, then this is a good sign, indicating that a person will be able to avoid crisis situations in his life.

  1. The larger the square, the better the person’s position in society; he is a strong person - spiritually and physically. An uneven square is a sign of a person’s lack of self-confidence; he is a selfish person with his own weaknesses.
  2. The symbol on the hand can take on different guises, depending on what lines and patterns it is intertwined with. A money diamond is a sure sign of a person’s financial well-being.
  3. He has organizational skills, knowing how to direct his abilities in the right direction.
  4. The triangle in the middle of the palm is a kind of human shield from failure, which also protects the person, predicting well-being in his career and money.

This is interesting material

The double diamond - two diamonds superimposed on one another - is considered a protective magical remedy in the West.

The Mayan Indians established a symbolic connection between the diamond and the jaguar (each of them contains the idea of ​​femininity): the jaguar protects the fields in the shape of a diamond and everyone who is within the boundaries of a giant diamond-shaped figure, reproducing the boundaries of the world.

There is also a diamond-shaped pattern on the shell of a turtle, a symbol of the lunar-earth goddess.

Triangle. The first geometric figure found in ancient ornaments.

In Egypt, it symbolized the triad of spiritual will, love-intuition and the higher mind of man, that is, his personality or soul.

In Hermetic ideography triangle with apex pointing upward, symbolizes Fire (flame rising upward) and corresponds to the idea of ​​ascension, spirituality, Dryness and Warmth, Summer, Red, Iron, the sign of Leo, the month of March and the Evangelist Mark. Triangle with a horizontal line is considered passive and signifies Air, moderate Fire, corresponding to Heat and Humidity, Autumn, Blue, Tin, Jupiter, Eagle, Scorpio and St. John the Evangelist. Inverted Triangle means a cup ready to receive Water, and corresponds to the feminine principle, passivity, Wisdom, generating the Main Idea, Humidity and Cold, Winter, Green, Copper, Venus, Angel and the Evangelist Matthew. Triangle of Air with a horizontal line symbolizes the Earth, motionless standing water and corresponds to Cold and Dryness, Spring, Black, Lead, Saturn, the Bull and the Evangelist Luke.

The Aztecs used image of a triangle with the vertex at the top connected to an inverted triangle, as a symbol of the time cycle.

Triangle combined with a cross forms the alchemical sign of Sulfur. Inverted, it means the completed Great Work.

Equilateral triangle, symbolizing, according to the ancient Greek tradition, perfection, among Christians it means the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

For Freemasons, the triangle symbolizes the Triplicity of the Cosmos, and its sides are Light, Darkness and Time.

High triangle(with an angle of 36* at the top and two angles of 72* at the base) forms one of the rays of the pentagon; When this angle is increased by 10 times, a circle of 360* is obtained. Ten triangles adjacent to each other form a decagon.

Glowing Delta is an isosceles triangle (with an angle of 108 * at the top and two angles of 36 * at the base), in the middle of which are located the Divine Eye (the visible Sun, giving Light and Life, Logos, Creative Origin) or the sacred Tetragram I E V E, the name of God, which the Jewish high priest spoke only once a year. Its three sides are an expression of the formula: “Think right, speak right, do right,” or the slogan: “Freedom, Equality, Fraternity.” The three vertices mean: Past, Present, Future, and the entire triangle: Eternity. Three corners: Wisdom, Strength, Beauty - divine virtues, symbolizing the three kingdoms of nature and the three phases of human life: Birth, Life and Death.



The sacred triangle of the Egyptians (the vertical side of which was three units in length and symbolized the masculine principle, the base - four units, the symbol of the feminine principle, and the hypotenuse - five units, symbolized the fruit of their union; the result was an impeccable right angle) was a symbol of the Nature of All That Is. In this triangle, as Plutarch writes, the number three is perfect and higher than all the others, Four is a square built on the side of the paired reality, and as for the number Five, it belongs, on the one hand, to the Father, and on the other hand to the Mother, and consists of Triad and Duality.

Using two triangles connected to each other, Arab architects built an ellipse and drew the domes of their buildings.

Seal of Solomon. This figure, formed by the intersection of two equilateral triangles - white and black, and representing a hexagram in the form of a star, symbolizes, according to Jewish and alchemical traditions, the image of the world, the Star of the Macrocosm or the Great World - the main content of the Hermetic teaching. It contains ideograms of the main elements: fire (a white triangle with the vertex at the top), water (a black inverted triangle), air (a white triangle cut off by the base of a black triangle) and earth (a black triangle cut off by the base of a white triangle). The white triangle also symbolizes God or the forces of development. The black triangle, opposed to the white one and complementing it, is the reverse movement, earthly forces.



Some occultists consider the triangle to be a symbol of the Kabbalistic solar Christ, and when inverted, an ideogram of the solar Shadow, or the spiritual fall of Satan. Thus, the seal is an image of the true Sun, uniting good and bad influences into a single whole.

The Seal is one of the symbols of the Philosopher's Stone, the goal of the Great Work, which combines the seven metals of royal art, seven planets, representing the sky in its entirety: Silver - Moon - the upper peak; Lead – Saturn – lower peak; Iron - Mars - top left; Venus – Copper – upper vertex on the right; Jupiter - Tin - lower peak on the left; Mercury - Quicksilver - lower vertex on the right; Gold - the Sun - the center, the point of unique perfection.

In Masonic symbolism, the Seal means the Officers: Venerable (President of the Masonic Lodge) and the Wardens who lead the Lodge, as if forming an ascending triangle (white) and a descending triangle symbolizes the Speaker, Secretary and Roofers engaged in organizational work.

The image of the crossed Square and Compass, similar to the Seal of Solomon, expresses the idea of ​​the infinite, Spirit and Matter among the Masons.

Hexagram. Consisting of two equilateral triangles superimposed on each other (the second is turned 180* relative to the first) and forming a six-pointed star, the hexagram is a universal symbol.

For Hindus, the hexagram symbolizes primary energy, the source of any creation, and expresses the penetration of the lingam into the yoni, or the union of the male and female principles.

The 64 Chinese hexagrams, based on 8 trigrams, are geometric figures formed by combinations of Yang and Yin strokes that make up the I Ching, or Book of Changes. (Associated with a number, element, color, direction, planet, part of the body, animal, period, etc., these hexagrams each correspond to a specific symbol and are used in fortune telling.)

Trigram. Trigrams, or pa kua, call a series of 8 figures composed of broken and continuous lines - linear images of yin and an. Formed by the interaction of two principles, these symbolic figures, the meaning of which is explained in the Book of Changes, are images of everything that happens in the Universe, and express the movement of things and their transformations: Like the circular image of yin and an, they symbolize the dual aspect of nature: its non-duality and at the same time duality; in other words, the unity of Being and the diversity of the world of phenomena.

These trigrams are located in an octagon, the perimeter of which represents time, and what is inside represents space. In various combinations, they form 64 hexagrams, the totality of which gives a picture of the interaction in the universe of the negative forces of yin and positive yang, and the transformations that occur during this process.

Pentagram. The pentagram in the form of a pentagon or a five-pointed star is associated with the symbolism of the number five, the symbol of man: a human figure is inscribed in it, over whose four limbs the head (the spirit ruling the four elements) dominates.

In magic it is the Star of the Microcosm, or the pentacle of Will, used as a means of spell and mastery.

It is also a symbol of marriage, fulfillment: its five rays represent the fruitful union of the three, the masculine, and the two, the feminine.

The pentagram, inscribed in an invisible circle, means for the Pythagoreans the silence of the initiate: its five ends symbolize the five years of silence and teaching that precede initiation.

In the same sense, the sign flaming star, which a Mason receives upon reaching the degree of Apprentice, symbolizes a person who has reached Illumination, the quintessence, or essence of the Self, released through painstaking work on oneself, and implies free thought, cleared of all prejudices and superstitions.

The inverted pentagram is a symbol of destruction, the Devil (goat's head), lust and rude instincts.

Star ( as a symbol ) dates back to Ancient Babylonia, where Three Stars, located in a triangle, embodied the triad: Sin, Shamash, Ishtar, that is, Moon-Sun-Venus.

Star served as an ideogram for the embodiment of the concepts of God and Heaven (this emblem of Heaven decorates the New Year and Christmas tree).

polar Star, “around which the firmament revolves,” was considered as the primary source of energy, a symbol of superiority. (In China it is navel of the world, pillar of the sun).

Herald Star appeared in the legend of the birth of Buddha (five centuries before the birth of Christ): she was seen washing him in a dream. The legend of the Nativity of Christ tells of a star that was seen by the Magi.

A star with five rays (the Star of the Magi) existed in all ancient civilizations. She is the matrix of Cosmic Man, a symbolic image of man in the proportions of the Universe, the embodiment of the human microcosm: This is the blazing star of the alchemists, the five rays of which correspond to the four limbs and head of man (therefore denoting the supreme power); placed between the surveyor and the compass, it symbolizes in Freemasonry the rebirth of a person who has been initiated at the time of completion of his term as an apprentice. The pentagram corresponds to both the Golden Number of the Pythagoreans and the Divine Proportion of Leonardo da Vinci, who defined the ideal canon of man, “whose navel divides the body according to the Golden Section, controls the logarithmic spiral along which living beings develop without changing their forms.”

Inverted star(top down) becomes a satanic symbol belonging to the Prince of Darkness, and personifies the raw instincts, lustful desires that animals possess.

Star with six rays - emblem of Judaism and the official flag of Israel, symbol of peace and balance of the emblem of wisdom: This is the Shield of David (the result of the crossing of two triangles), which was once a talisman of battle (therefore it is considered as the force set in motion, the emblem of wisdom). This is the Seal of Solomon, one of the designations of the Philosopher's Stone of the alchemists, the goal of the Great Work, thanks to which the human microcosm is in relationship with the universal macrocosm.

Eight-pointed star among the Egyptians - a divine sign, a solar symbol, the embodied radiance (contains the solar circle, the cross of the solstices and equinoxes and the cardinal directions). This is the wheel of the crowned Cybele-Demeter, the Indian wheel, the octopus of pre-Columbian America, it adorned the shields of the Knights of the Templar Order.

Cross. The cross, signifying harmony between God and the Earth, is one of the oldest cosmic symbols. Pointing to the four cardinal directions, it underlies all symbols of orientation: earthly, celestial, spatial and temporal. The vertical axis connects the poles relative to the equator, the horizontal axis relates to the equinoxes and solstices. At the point of their intersection is the center.

The cross also symbolizes the unity of opposites. According to alchemists, the crossing of a vertical line (directed upward, active, piercing through and fertilizing) and a horizontal line (lying across, passive, female) is mainly a sign of life (fruitful union and realizing power). This is the personification of the lingam-yoni pair.

In the Christian tradition latin cross, previously called the seal of God, symbolizes the crucified Christ. (The sign of the cross is a symbol of Faith, a sign of the All, a sign of Redemption: on the cross Jesus saved all humanity, with the cross he sanctifies all people to the very depths of the being of each of them). The cross on Calvary is not only a sign of crucifixion and death, but also a symbol of the Tree of Life. Connecting with the underworld, where Christ descended to free the damned, the cross reaches the heavenly spheres, where he ascended to reign.

The symbol of Faith, a cross made of red material served as a sign of belonging to the crusaders setting off to conquer the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

Tau(St. Anthony's Cross) – cross without apex- was a symbol of the universe and origin, before the Christian tradition adapted it as a symbol of Salvation: it was erected at crossroads and in church courtyards. According to Holy Scripture, the angel of the Apocalypse marks the forehead of God's chosen ones with the cross of St. Anthony.

Inscribed in a circle, the cross personifies the process of creation and acts as a symbol of the sun.

Egyptian cross in the shape of the letter "T", topped with a loop (tau with a loop at the end). Also called the key of the Nile, it symbolizes the creative principle. It is held in the hands of deities and is depicted on the graves of illustrious persons. It is a symbol of life and eternity. This cross forms the basis of the cathedral's plan. The cross is also one of the main forms in the structure of the medieval church, the meeting of time and space, heaven and earth. In the “crucified” space of the cathedral, man is at the center of “existence.” Wandering gives way to turning to the heart of the cross, which here is not an instrument of torture, but a symbol of Eternal Life.

Swastika. Cycle of the Sun's revolution (in addition to the wheel ) also symbolize rotating figures: this is the origin of the solar cross ( swastikas), whose four extremities end in paws or legs facing in the same direction. It may depict animals or hands radiating from a common axis, which in Ancient Egypt symbolized the ubiquitous trinity in the movement of the worlds and testified to the Egyptians’ desire for harmony with the cosmos. The swastika was a symbol of life. Like a cross inscribed in a circle, a swastika means a rotational movement around a fixed center, for example, the sun (the action of the Beginning in relation to the world). In the Christian world, the center of the swastika embodies Christ, and the angular scales represent the four evangelists. As a result of the fact that, unfortunately, the swastika was borrowed by the German fascists, this symbol has undergone degradation - it has become a disgusting symbol of intolerance and death.

In India, the swastika served as a symbol of the Sun, Fire and Light and was often depicted along with the sun wheel and lightning.

Expressing the idea of ​​rotation around a fixed center, the swastika is a symbol of the influence of the Primary principle on the world, its manifestation, cycle and continuous renewal.

In China, the swastika (Lei-Wen, lightning scroll) once symbolized the four cardinal directions, and then acquired the meaning of “ten thousand”, or the number of infinity. Even later, it began to be called the seal of the Buddha's heart.

Mandala. Mandala (translated from Sanskrit as “sacred circle”) is a cosmogram, a geometric projection of the Universe. It represents the Universe not only as inert space, but also as rotating through time; dynamics and statics are considered here as a life process, developing from a basic principle (beginning), revolving around a central axis, Mount Sumeru, axis mundi, on the top of which the sun rests, and the base goes into the mystical underground depths.

We find here the symbolism of the Babylonian ziggurat, the Chinese imperial, as well as the Iranian city, images of the world, in the center of which man merges with the universal forces, the psychic energy of which he assimilates.

The mandala serves as a visual support for meditation, necessary for initiation into various tantric cycles. Applied to the ground with rice powder or multi-colored sand, or on silk fabric, its design obeys unchanging rules. Each detail has a symbolic meaning and helps the meditator in his effort to concentrate, directing the emotional and mental currents towards a spiritual perspective, bringing them closer and closer to the center of the individual, to his true Self.

The mandala consists of a square inscribed in a circle divided into three parts. The outer, fiery circle of the mandala (or fiery mountain), consisting of five colors, is a barrier to the uninitiated, symbolizing the elements and knowledge that should burn away ignorance and guide the meditator to the sought knowledge.

The second circle is a diamond belt, or vaira, symbol of higher knowledge, bodhi- a state of enlightenment that, once experienced, remains unchanged, like a diamond.

The third circle is represented by a belt of lotus petals and symbolizes a state of purity, conducive to the harmonious flow of meditation. Inside it is drawn a mandala, or palace, a square divided into four triangles, on each side of which there is a ledge representing a door leading to one of the cardinal directions, guarded by four cosmic guards and decorated with half a pearl.

The perimeter of the square, which represents the wall, is painted in five primary colors.

The center of the mandala is identified with Mount Meru - the axis of the world. It is surrounded by a circle of vaira and looks like a lotus flower with eight petals, in the center of which is the object of veneration - a deity, his attribute or symbol. The bud dispels the radiant emanations of Buddhas or their symbols, originating from the rays of the Void.

A principle similar to the mandala principle underlies the construction of temples.

On a spiritual level, returning to the center occurs with the help of mandalas And labyrinth . The Bodhisattva, who has received illumination from above, reaches it in full - having united with the highest consciousness, he sits on a diamond throne, in the ideal center of the world in the absolute plane.

Yantra. Hindu yantras are line diagrams that serve as a support for meditation, used instead of a mandala and expressing its principle.

Although the deities depicted on the mandala are replaced by lines, its essence remains unchanged; we are talking only about a simplified depiction of the quintessence of the same idea.

An example of a yantra would be Sri wheel, that is shakti, or divine power, the driving force of the Universe, through which God manifests itself in all things. It consists of four isosceles triangles of different sizes intersecting with each other, the vertices of which are directed upward, and of five triangles with the vertices directed downward. There is an invisible point in the center bindu (compressed universe.

In the first circle enclosing these figures are drawn eight petals, symbolizing the lotus of creation; in the second there is a lotus with sixteen petals, enclosed in a triple circle ( trimechala), which, in turn, is contained in a square oriented to the four cardinal directions, a symbol of the Earth.

All together this means reflections of the primordial Force in its main manifestations.

Five triangles, turned downwards, symbolize the five-part image of the Force, and their tops desire for realization.

Four upward-pointing triangles symbolize Shiva, and their tops are return.

The images of deities in a Buddhist mandala are sometimes replaced with Sanskrit letters, which are placed in the corners. Each of them has its own special nasal ending (like each petal, each corner, each figure) and means one of the specific energies of the human being, as well as a goddess ( yogini), living in this part of the body.

Moreover, each deity or power of a human being has its own yantra and responds to a special spell - mantra y, which is called soul of the yantra.

As in the mandala, the meditator begins from the outer layer, from the external, physical forces of the body, and moves inward, to the internal, supersensible forces.

During initiation ceremonies, a bowl of fragrant water is placed in the center of the yantra, into which the deity is to descend.

Tai Chi, Tao. The circle and spiral, one of the oldest decorative motifs known in China, where it probably once had a cosmological meaning, was adopted by the Neo-Confucians of the Sun Dynasty to express the basic concept of their philosophy as set out in the Book of Changes (I-king). .

In the circle, symbolizing the Ultimate Principle or the Absolute, yin and yang mingle and mutually generate each other in an eternal circular motion. When yang reaches its apogee, it turns into yin...then yin grows and, having reached its maximum, turns into yang. In reality, yang contains the element yin (black dot), and yin hides the germ of yang (white dot), which ensures their interaction.

The alternation of yin and yang rules everything changes in the world of phenomena, with all rhythms - cosmic, human, physical (seasons, heartbeat, etc.), regulates the life of humans, animals and plants, psychological manifestations (alternating joy and sadness, absent-mindedness and concentration).

The Japanese equivalent of yang and yin is tomoyo, - a figure containing a triple helix.

Tai Chi, the circle of Unity (monad), symbolizes the DAO, the inextricable unity of the cosmos and man, the Higher Order. Being essentially a philosophy of human responsibility, Tao shows man the Path (the path of the Sky, Stars and Sun, in their incessant movement influencing the Earth), a principle that should guide his behavior, preventing him from disrupting the order and movement of the world - after all, it is man who bears responsibility for Universal harmony.

Noteworthy in this regard are the observations of Bill Gardner, who analyzed 22 thousand logos and identified “logos of the future”:

1) Bizarre stars are a “symbol of meaning.”

2) Mosaic alloys: based on a spiral – “synthesis”, development.

3) Illumination (no vector contours).

4) “Tongues of flame” - fire: heat, speed, spirit of rebellion.

5) Braided balls - the strength and complexity of organization, the idea of ​​merging.

6) Woven texture (thread!) - internal meaning, interconnected lines add strength, repetition creates rhythm = Labyrinth of connections (unsaid content).

7) Arcs – the idea of ​​flight (bend – destination point).

8) Inflatable 3D logos.

9) Lines of dots – molecular structure, electronic printed circuit board, etc.

10) Waves and circles on the water.

11) Plant life (plant leaves) - birth/death, life cycle, environmentally friendly solution, sun and shadow, beauty, growth, etc. (butterfly from leaves, for example).

12) Blur – the idea of ​​movement.

13) Curls (cyclical movement of the pen, handwriting).

14) Sausages (independent pieces with rounded edges) Composition: if together - the unity of joint action, separately - self-sufficiency, individuality.

15) SMUK colors – blue, purple, yellow, black.

3.5. Logo as a symbol of identification within the framework of the “Global Organization” technology

So, a logo represents an organization (a virtual or real group of individuals united by one plan, the same values, common skills, etc.) or a brand, but it is also a symbol of their identification. According to Wally Olins, there are three types of identification:

1) Monolithic identification, according to which the organization uses its socionym (its social image) and one single visual style wherever it indicates its presence. – In this case, the logo represents the organization-brand, that is, it takes on the function of representing the values ​​of the enterprise.

2) Identification through transferable characteristics, according to which the organization provides its logo with most of its brands, thereby communicating their origin, product quality and the fact that the company is the guarantor and manager of these brands. In this case, two logos coexist on each product: the brand logo (Nescafe) and the organization logo (Nestlé). The function of the first logo is to saturate the product with additional meaning by introducing special value characteristics of the brand (emotional, gaming, etc.) beyond the purely functional value already present in the product. The second logo represents the organization and seeks to vouch for the brand by confirming that it meets all quality and safety standards that are set by the said organization. The second logo serves as a “signature” here.

3) Identification through brands, according to which the organization decides not to act independently, but to give its brands complete autonomy. In this case, it is brands that play the role of an intermediary authority that establishes relationships between the organization and its customers. (However, the organization itself does not disclose its institutional characteristics to the general public).

3.6. Visualization of corporate brand architecture:

1) Monolithic structure.

Characterized by a high degree of attachment to the parent brand (master brand): The logo of the subsidiaries is identical to the logo of the parent company. Differentiation is achieved through a byline (“a word, phrase or short phrase, usually located near the logo and directly describes the company’s area of ​​activity”).

(This graphical solution is suitable for a holding company in which all companies operate in one or several very close markets).

2) Monolithic structure and color coding:

Each logo, with the same graphic design, can have its own color. The color can be used: in the sign itself or in bylines; other options are possible.

The introduction of color identifiers can be useful in complex structures and a large number of subsidiaries. Most often used when a company is developing from within.

3) End-to-end structure.

It is used when it is necessary to combine disparate styles of companies whose names are already well remembered by consumers and there is no point in abandoning them:

In this case, the sign, color and composition of all logos remain unchanged, only the company names change. All companies have a cross-cutting graphic element that visually unites them. (The group of companies becomes more visible and looks like a single brand).

4) End-to-end structure and color coding:

An individual color can be added to the previous version of a single logo design.

5) Support structure:

In this case, the unity of style of the companies included in the group is achieved through the use of a graphic master brand or a single, recognizable style of design of the signs of the companies included in the holding.

6) Supporting structure and color coding:

In addition to the previous type, a color is introduced into the sign, individual for each company. (A verbal and graphic master brand may also be used.)

7) Individual support structure:

Visual unity is achieved by maintaining a single composition of all signs and their single stylistic solution. (The color may be the same, or vary slightly, or be individual).

8) Individual structure.

It is used when companies operate in different markets for different consumers and have different positioning, or the goal is to hide the true size of the company.

With this type of structure, all components of the company's style can change (at best, one or two components can be preserved).

You cannot start work with one logo, for example, the parent company, and then “multiply” its style to the rest. The decisions made must be applied to all companies. In this regard, it is necessary:

1. Collect information about all companies included in the group.

2. Be clear about the existing brand architecture and how the company plans to grow in the future. “This will help create an expanding structure.”

3. Study past experience in positioning companies. - Maybe a new positioning is needed?

4. Analyze all company names (length, structure, appearance). – Perhaps they require unification or new ones are needed.

5. Determine whether their areas of activity are homogeneous (this may affect the choice of style, sign, font).

6. Understand the need to create a sense of continuity for one or more companies. (Identify anything of value that can be saved.)

7. Decide whether to introduce color identification. Decide what you want to convey with color: to emphasize unity, clarify brand architecture, or highlight the differences between different lines of business. (Make sure the decision you make is flexible and has been made consciously.)

8. Find out the technological limitations and features of media for logos of companies included in the holding. - It may turn out that some marks will require stenciling (for example, on a tank) or will require significant reduction (stamps, marks on small items such as watches or microcircuits), casting, stamping, etc.

9. Conduct interviews with all top managers of the company to clarify requests and wishes: there may be contradictions in the answers - resolve controversial issues.

10. Do not introduce any additional complication without unnecessary need - follow the principle of “necessary and sufficient.”

3.5. The logo cannot act as a simple sign. Instead, it appears as a collection of visual identifying characteristics that interact with each other and receive meaning only within the framework of an overall system. One could say that a logo is the result of a set of plastic invariants (name, plastic sign and color system).