The Flower of Life is a simple yet intricate design that holds significant depth and meaning. It's among the most recognized geometric symbols in the magical world of Sacred Geometry, and it symbolizes unity in everything that originates from one source.
The unique flower-like pattern has a meaning as a whole, even in the symbols you get when you break down the flower of life.
What is the Flower of Life Symbol?
The symbol consists of 19 circles spaced evenly and overlapping each other. It comes from a base of seven circles, also called the Seed of Life, which is a part of a larger circle.
The Sacred Geometry symbol features a six-fold symmetry and a unique hexagonal pattern. Every circle will overlap the six circles around it and form a flower pattern.
Deep symbolic meanings, mathematical properties, and even interesting histories are associated with Sacred Geometry. These symbols refer to the laws and the patterns that support creation in this universe.
History of the Flower of Life Symbol
The Flower of Life symbol has been around since ancient times. The oldest drawings of this symbol date back to 535 B.C.E. in Egypt on the granite of the Temple of Osiris.
It’s also present in various other locations, including ancient Chinese temples, Golden Temple in Amritsar, the Louvre, Beijing’s Forbidden City, and multiple spots in Spain, among other places.
Although this symbol has been around for many centuries, it only got its name in the 1990s, creating new interest in it.
Meaning of Flower of Life
People believe that the symbol Flower of Life is the basic creation template. Many geometric forms are present within it, including sacred shapes like Metatron’s Cube, Platonic Solids, and the Merkaba.
Symbolic Meanings
The design is symbolic of creation and is a reminder that there is unity in everything, which originates from one source. It also depicts the fundamental design of every object, from the configuration of an atom to the base of every life and thing.
The Flower of Life serves as a visual representation that there is a connection between all living beings. It represents that life stems from one source, just as the other circles stem from one center circle. It also indicates the mathematical as well as the logical order of nature.
Is the Flower of Life a Religious Symbol?
The Flower of Life symbol appears in numerous religious contexts, such as Christianity and Judaism.
The Seed of Life symbol in Christianity represents the Holy Trinity and the world’s four corners. When put together, the elements make up the building blocks of life. The Flower of Life stands for both the expansion and interconnectedness of these elements.
Regarding Kabbalah, the mystic Jewish practice, this symbol connects with another symbol – Sefirot. Also called the Tree of Life, Sefirot depicts ten channels of spiritual practice and divine life force. Some people consider Sefirot to be the chakras.
However, one common theme in all these spiritual symbols is the belief that all life is derived from an original source.
What Does the Flower of Life Symbol Look Like?
Simpler shapes or structures make up the Flower of Life symbol. The base of the design is a vesica piscis, a geometrical shape that consists of 2 overlapping circles of similar size. An additional 17 circles are added to the two spheres.
There is another identical design with seven interconnected circles – Seed of Life. Like flowers originate from natural seeds, the symbol of Seed of Life becomes a building block for Flower of Life.
Flower of Life Symbol in Art and Culture
Leonardo Da Vinci was fascinated by geometry and its direct implications in Sacred Geometry. He incorporated sacred shapes into his artwork to add deeper meanings to it.
In modern times, Leonardo da Vinci investigated the form of the unique symbol of the Flower of Life. He found many other laws and concepts within the Flower of Life, including the Fibonacci Spiral, the Five Platonic Solids, and the Golden Ratio of Phi.
Historians had a belief that his drawing Vitruvian Man was based on the Flower of Life. The artwork includes a square that overlaps a circle.
Some say that Leonardo da Vinci was trying to use the square to depict that humans bridge the gap between the material or physical world and the spiritual world represented by the circle.
Flower of Life Symbol Tattoos
The Flower of Life Tattoo, and many of its derivative shapes, is a popular tattoo option. It’s an elegant, simple, and two-dimensional design that expresses the deep-rooted meaning of life and existence.
It serves as a reminder of the profound connection one has to the world and each other. People trying to achieve enlightenment or find deep meaning in their life also get the Flower of Life as a tattoo.
The Flower of Life is a visual representation of the fact that life and all beings are interconnected. Artists, architects, and philosophers consider it the perfect form that represents the harmony of proportion.
Pagans considered it a Sacred Geometry symbol that depicts the basics of time and space and geometric patterns and laws that create everything in the universe.