Circle

The word "circle" derives from the Latin "circulus," a diminutive of "circus," meaning "ring" or "circle." This Latin root is linked to the Proto-Indo-European sker-, meaning "to turn" or "to bend." The concept of a circular form and its symbolic meaning predates recorded language, appearing in ancient art and cosmology.

There are several "Circles" with mystic adjectives attached to them. Thus we have: (1) the "Decussated or Perfect Circle" of Plato, who shows it decussated in the form of the letter X; (2) the "Circle-dance" of tlie Amazons, round a Priapic image, tlie same as the dance of the Gopis around the Sun (Krishna), tlie shepherdesses representing the signs of the Zodiac; (3) the "Circle of Necessity" of 3,000 years of the Egyptians and of the Occultists, the duration of the cycle between rebirths or reincarnations being from 1,000 to 3,000 years on the average. Tliis will be treated under the term "Rebirth" or "Reincarnation ' '.

The humble circle, a shape so ubiquitous it often fades into the background of our visual field, is in fact a profound repository of ancient wisdom. Mircea Eliade, in his seminal work "The Myth of the Eternal Return," illuminated how archaic societies perceived time not as a linear progression but as a cyclical phenomenon, mirroring the celestial movements and the rhythms of nature. The circle, in this context, was not merely a geometric form but a sacred symbol of cosmic order and divine perfection.

In the Hermetic tradition, the circle is the All, the boundless, the divine mind from which all emanates and to which all returns. It is the perfect, unbroken line that signifies the absence of limitation, a stark contrast to the often-constricted boundaries we impose upon ourselves and our understanding of reality. The Sufi practice of the whirling dervish, the Sama, is a vivid embodiment of this cosmic dance, a physical manifestation of the soul’s ecstatic journey towards union with the Divine, mirroring the celestial spheres in their ceaseless, circular motion.

The Buddhist mandala, far from being mere decoration, is a meticulously constructed cosmic map, a gateway to meditation that leads the practitioner through the universe of enlightened consciousness. It is a visualization of wholeness, a reminder that liberation lies in understanding the interconnectedness of all phenomena and the cyclical nature of samsara. Similarly, in Hinduism, the vast cosmic cycles, the Kalpas, underscore a worldview where creation and dissolution are part of an eternal, circular unfolding.

The Kabbalistic Sephirot, the emanations of the divine, are often arranged in circular diagrams, illustrating the intricate web of creation and the flow of divine energy. The Taoist emphasis on the Tao, the ineffable principle of the universe, as a force that is both everywhere and nowhere, without beginning or end, resonates with the circular ideal of ultimate reality. Even within Christian mysticism, the concept of God as an eternal, unchanging presence, a perfect circle whose center is everywhere and circumference nowhere, echoes this ancient symbolism.

For the modern seeker, the circle offers a potent counterpoint to the often-fragmented and linear experience of contemporary existence. It invites contemplation on unity, on the wholeness that underlies apparent multiplicity. It is a reminder that endings are often beginnings in disguise, that cycles of transformation are not to be feared but embraced as the very pulse of life. To meditate on the circle is to touch upon the eternal, to recognize the fundamental rhythm that binds the cosmos and the individual soul.

RELATED_TERMS: Mandala, Cosmos, Eternity, Unity, Cycle, Whirling, Perfection, Ain Soph