The Mother of the World Depicted by Roerich

Roerich, Mother of the World

Roerich, Mother of the World

 

Tree of Life

 

Robert Fludd

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Mother Earth

 

Kahlil Gibran, Mother Earth

Jenness Cortez Perlmutter, Mother Earth

Kundalini, Al Buraq

Al Buraq was the angelic being who transported the Prophet Muhammad through the seven heavens to Jerusalem. This spiritual journey, known as the Miraj, is symbolic of the ascent of the Kundalini through the seven chakras to reach the Sahasrara.

Al Buraq is often depicted with the face of a woman. Similarly, the Kundalini is a feminine aspect of the Divine.

Shri Chakra

The Shri Chakra or Shri Yantra is a cosmic diagram or mandala considered sacred in esoteric Hinduism. It is particularly associated with the worship of the Goddess Shri Lalita or Shri Tripurasundari, a form of Shri Parvati. 

The diagram consists of nine superimposed triangles, five pointing downwards (representing Shri Shakti, the feminine aspect of the Divine) and four pointing upwards (representing Shri Shiva, or the masculine aspect). In the centre is a dot (bindu) representing the non dual Self.

The interlocking triangles are enclosed by two lotuses, of eight and sixteen petals, representing creation. The outermost design is a temple with four gates facing the four directions of space.

Three dimensional representations of the Shri Chakra, in a mound form, also represent the sacred Mount Meru.

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi has explained that the Shri Chakra is a representation of the subtle system of seven chakras seen vertically.

Sri Shiva's Cosmic Dance of Creation

Shri Shiva Nataraj, the Cosmic Dancer. The Star of David represents the six-petalled lotus of the Swadisthana Chakra, the chakra of Creation.
Though He is also the form of the Divine repsonsible for cosmic dissolution, the dance of Shri Shiva brings the Universe into being.

Thanks to Pavan for this image.

The Protective Mother Archetype

A friend emailed me an image of this statue of the Virgin Mary and Child Jesus. It appears to be from a Latin country (Italy?) and is unusual in that it depicts the Queen of Heaven wielding a cudgel or stick to strike a devil, prone beneath Her right foot. I have never before seen the Madonna portrayed in this martial aspect.
It is remarkably similar to Hindu depictions of the Mother Goddess, Shri Durga, battling with the demon Mahishasura. She holds underfoot the buffalo form Mahisha took, and She prepares to strike his true form as it emerges from the wounded animal.
Where an archetype is important in the human collective psyche, it will reappear, even where it has been suppressed, or within religious traditions that seem unsympathetic to it.
If anyone knows any more information about this statue, please add a comment.