Lions appear in the symbolism of multiple cultures. From the jungles of Africa, these enigmatic beasts adorn the doorways of temples, civic buildings and fountains in Europe, Asia and the…
Early Buddhist writers created a system that explains the realms of existence; heaven, hell and everything in between. The concept has been interpreted literally by some commentators so that people…
As a young boy, I had a recurring dream. Close to where I lived was a clearing with unkempt grass and a partly demolished brick wall. In my dream, the…
Yogic breathing exercises have been practised in India and further afield for thousands of years. Deep breathing is known to improve the efficiency of oxygen exchange in a way that…
It seems hard to imagine how rich in meaning a simple cross can be. But this most familiar of symbols has more esoteric meaning than you can shake a stick…
It is quite understandable why people dismiss gematria as mystical nonsense. How can numbers teach you lessons? Life does not work like that right? There is no cosmic magician conjuring messages for you from the depths of the Universe! Or is there?
I once gave a talk about interpreting ancient symbolism to the American International Women’s…
Buddhist legend says that when Gautama Buddha meditated under a Peepal Tree and reached nirvana in Bodh Gaya, east India, he realised “four noble truths.” History records that after some…
The symbolic meaning of 18 is an ambiguous number associated with the Moon and the Hermit. The Moon is a symbol of mystery and intuition, whilst the Hermit indicates the…
The symbolic meaning of the number ten signifies a new cycle of life has begun. The one and the zero are reunited whereby energy has take its full course and…
Shiva is the most powerful of the three Gods in the Hindu Trimurti and also the most complex….
According to mainstream Buddhism, the Umbrella or Parasol is a symbol of protection from illness…
Symbols used in Buddhism and other religions have hidden meanings. Organised groups give you one version which is a small piece of the jigsaw. The exoteric meaning you find on…
The lotus flower is the most distinguished and recognisable symbol of Buddhism (and Hinduism)….
The pentacle can be traced to Mesopotamia where it was used by the Sumerians and Babylonians…
Symbols have secret meanings. A lot of people don’t believe me when I say that. But they have…
The square is used symbolically in spiritual and esoteric artwork to represent attributes of the four…
Valencia on the east coast of Spain is an attractive and inspiring tourist destination. With a laid…
The sword is an alchemical symbol representing the power of thought, purification and transformation….
Even if you are not clued up on esoteric symbolism, I expect you will recognise the image of two crossed keys….
The official interpretation of serpent symbolism is that it means wisdom, but as I will explain in this article…
Throughout the course of history, the Celtic cross appears to have served several purposes; for both…
The Star of David and the Seal of Solomon are curious symbols that have a mysterious history….
In the abbreviated version decoding the symbolic meaning of the number 33, I illustrated in…….
On a recent visit to Zakynthos, also known as Zante, a small island off the east coast of mainland…
When Siddhartha Buddha emerged from his moment of enlightenment he realised there were four noble truths of suffering, of which, the final truth incorporates the Noble Eightfold Path. Also known…
Most people are probably familiar with the chant of Aum during meditation. It is also a symbol…
There are 33 Crore Gods (or 330 million – 1 Crore equals 10 million) in the Hindu Pantheon…
Once you notice symbols around you, they appear everywhere. The same ones will…
New meditators can often struggle with meditation. I certainly know I did when I first tried…
If scientists and religious leaders ever came together to agree on one principle, it would be that…
There is a misconception about mindfulness meditation. It seems to have become a buzzword and…
The Vesica Piscis represents balance and creation. But as I will demonstrate in this article…
Most people are familiar with the seven body chakras, that run up the spine. But Ayurveda yogis say….
Organised religions have a backstory which involves a historical founder. Yet curiously there is always…
The circle is the oldest symbol known to man. With a single point in the centre of a circle, it is…
Esoteric symbolism is different from standard symbolism. Esoteric means hidden information that is only known to those with specialist, or secret, knowledge. For example, now you are researching the esoteric…
Of all the Hindu Gods, Vishnu is the most difficult to interpret. The roles in which Vishnu appears in Hindu…
Nobody told me decoding ancient symbolism would be easy and it does require a lot of digging, but it…
The enigma of the number twenty-three has captured the imaginations of the public for decades. The mysterious number features repeatedly throughout history, is associated with the dates of births and…
Lord Ganesh is arguably the most recognisable of all the Hindu Gods. The distinguishable elephant…
The statue of the God, Shiva performing the cosmic dance, is one of the most iconic and enigmatic…
In ancient Vedic literature, Lord Indra is depicted as a war god, a destructive force that yields…
Be a Sinner and a Saint. Just as Nature Intended! Have you noticed the number seven appears a lot in ancient myth and religious scripture? This is not a coincidence….
Hindu mythology teaches us about the creation of the universe, human nature and the essence of…
For the past week, I have been in Chiang Mai, Thailand and keep seeing elephants. Not the enigmatic…
In a nutshell, Vedanta is a philosophy of life that teaches mankind how to liberate the mind from the…
When you visit a Buddhist temple in Asia, you will probably see a statue of an elephant and a monkey….
As the hexagon is found throughout nature, organised religions insist it is a symbol of harmony and balance….
In an earlier article, titled “What are the Lokas in Hindu Mythology”, I explained how the esoteric…
The jewel of Yogyakarta is undoubtedly the majestic temple complex of Prambanan. Built in the…
Before you can be formally recognised as a Buddhist, initiates are encouraged to “take refuge”…
The golden fish in Buddhist symbolism has been lifted directly from ancient Vedic mythology. The Hindu God….
The victory banner is a symbol in Tibetan Buddhism that celebrates enlightenment. More precisely it…
Today the vase is typically used to collect money, thus alludes to material wealth. However,….
The Endless Knot is perhaps the most complex of Buddhist symbols to understand. The orthodox meaning is typically shallow, and the true meaning is complicated. However, I will do my…
In esoteric symbolism, the number two represents duality. The deeper meaning of this is a reflection of the Self because two is derived from one plus one. At the deepest…
The symbolic meaning of 22 has both positive and negative meanings. When things are going well for you, 22 is a number you want to see recurring in your life….
The number 19 is a card of enlightenment, represented by The Sun in the Tarot. In gematria 1+9 = 10 which is further reduced to 1+0 = 1, the number…
The esoteric meaning of the number 16 indicates you have recently acquired new knowledge and face a decision. You will need to call upon qualities such as strength and self-control….
The symbolic meaning of the number twelve is a number we find consistently appearing in ancient myths and legends and modern-day organised religions. In one sense, the symbolic meaning of the…
In my opinion, the symbolic meaning of the number 11 is often misrepresented. Whilst angel numbers put a position spin on the symbolic meaning of 11, 111 and 1111 (which…
The esoteric meaning of nine relates to the ultimate completion of a life cycle, after which the sequence of numbers reverts to zero as we find in gematria. The nine…
Whereas the number seven represents completion, the symbolic meaning of the eight is an indication that you have acquired wisdom and are operating at a higher vibration. The symbolic meaning…
The symbolic meaning of zero primarily relates to potential. It is the starting point from which all other numbers follow. The same principle can be applied to life; every reality…
The lessons to learn from the symbolic meaning of six are harmony, balance, sincerity, love, and truth. We are required to call upon the energy of the six when dealing…
25km south-east of the Laos capital, Vientiane, is Buddha Park, a collection of curious sculptures featuring over 400 stone carvings inspired by Hindu mythology. Built in 1958, by a Hindu-Buddhist…
The symbolic meaning of 15 is best explained by the 15th card of the Major Arcana in the Tarot deck – The Devil. In the alchemical table, the archangel Uriel…
The symbolic meaning of the number 17 is associated with transformation or resurrection, given it is the manifestation of knowledge acquired at the stage of the number 16. The result…
The number 21 is a deeply spiritual number that ultimately brings together the third cycle 7th cycle of energy transformation. Energy transmutes in stages of three and seven times three…
The spiritual meaning of the number five is believed to be magical, but more often than not is a number associated with mankind. The five-pointed star is said to represent…
The symbolic meaning of number four is another highly predominant number that consistently reveals itself in ancient symbolism. It represents stability, the body, and the illusion of time – the…
The number seven in alchemical thought may not be the pinnacle, but it is certainly the goal. It represents spiritual awareness and inner-wisdom that can bring forth extra-sensory power seen…
The symbolic meaning of the 13 is often associated with bad luck. Or possible good luck. In England, the expression, “unlucky for some,” is attributed to this mystical and magical…
The three is one of the most important numbers in ancient symbolism as it represents completion, or to create something in the physical realm. The hermetic principle of three is…
The sounding of a bell is a signal that informs us of something; the start or end of mass or class, an emergency, a wake-up call or, in the case…
When you see synchronicity in numbers and symbols over a short space of time (say like 2 days to a week), you should stop and take notice. The repetition of…
It has become a custom in Europe to play pranks on one another on April 1st. We call it April Fools’…….
The esoteric meaning of the 14 relates to, introspection, self-control and independence. But for those that fail, the 14 signals a time of turmoil. The 14 has the double power…
The Dharma Wheel is a core symbol of Buddhist teaching. Together with the lotus flower, it is the most…
Stupas are universal throughout Asia. They are said to represent the burial mound the historical Buddha, Prince….
Interpreting Ancient Symbolism at Phra Prang Sam Yod Travellers meandering through Thailand might want to check out Lopburi. Or maybe not. There’s not much there other than ancient Khmer ruins…
Once you understand the meanings of esoteric symbolism, churches, cathedrals and temples make much…
