Symbols, those of the circle and the spiral, act as triggers that alter our states of awareness, in which insights go beyound what words can reveal. They speak to our psyche with an inner knowledge, that is both felt and intuited. They are primitive symbols that are woven into every culture that ever existed, they are sign posts of that which is sacred, meant to be visualized, meditated on, and played with deep within the imagination where their mysteries can resonate. Herein, is a tiny reminder that the sacred dwells among us, both outside and inside.     ~ The Circle ~        Throughout history, sacred traditions around the world have used the circle to represent both life itself, and the Life-Force behind the life we experience with the five senses. Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature. Before Yahweh, before any of the prophets of the Axial Age - from Buddha to Confucius to the Hebrew prophets - before any human even had the idea to write anything down - people gathered in circles around fires to worship that which they sensed was most sacred - life itself, expressed in the cycles of the seasons, of birth and death and rebirth.   Our encounter with nature inspires both. Through earth-centered traditions range from simple to complex, from tribal to universal, each taps a power that no book or creed can begin to approximate �?the power of creation. This is true even of the simplest faith �?man, woman, fire, food, sun, rain, star. Early animists felt the earth and all its powers �?thunder, lightening, floods, volcanoes �?to be alive, even divine.        The circle shows us no begining, no end but is a vortex for energy and a path between the worlds. It is a place of protection and power when you are working your magic or paying homage, or empowering yourself. Sacred circles provide a means of self-transformation and connecting with the universe. I invite you to use them to expand the capacity of your mind, to activate positive energy, and in meditation to increase your level of personal awareness.   "The Sacred Circle has neither beginning nor end. It encircles us in it's form. It teaches us about the cycle of life with motion and movement. A symbol of the divine strength rooted deeply inside all people." Zahasha Whitewolfe             ~ The Spiral ~       The old symbols were drawn from observation of recurring patterns in nature. Some have merely been deepened by our expanded knowledge of those patterns. For example, the spiral was the ancient symbol of death and rebirth. We now recognize it as the shape of the DNA molecule, which sets the pattern for organism's growth, and so it takes on a whole new level of meaning. The galaxy is a spiral; "as above, so below".        Energy flows in spirals. Its motion is always circular, cyclical, wave-like. The spiral motion is revealed in the shape of galaxies, shells, whirlpools, the coiled serpent , and DNA. Sound, light and radiation travel in waves - which themselves are spirals viewed in a flat plane. The moon spirals through its cycles, as do the tides, and our own vitality.        The implications of the spiral model are many. Essentially, it means that no form of energy can be exerted indefinitely in one direction only. Always, it will reach a peak, a point of climax, and then turn. And so moves the Spiral of Life- Cycle of life and death and rebirth.   Image: Equinox  ~ Jeffery K. Bedrick