| ~Mazohir's Ankh ~ |
| Use and Symbolism |
| "One of the early forms of the cross was known in the ancient Egypt. It had a loop at the top and was (and still is) known as the Crux Ansata, the looped cross, Isis' sandal strap, and the Ankh. Many people following a spiritual path try to ignore the inherent sexuality of the Ankh. The vertical bar represents the erect male organ while the loop and the split horizontal bar represent the female sexual organ. Together, indicating sexual intercourse, they are a symbol of fertility. With this understanding it is easy to see how the Ankh has evolved into a symbol of life, eternal life, reincarnation and rebirth. Why should a sandal strap of Isis represent eternal life as some have claimed? Why, as one group maintains, would the shadow of a person with his or her arms outstretched (which looks like an Ankh) represent life after life? This cross is a pre-Christian and non-Christian symbol. Curiously, the Ankh is used by Roman Catholics! In their robes, the back, with a common loop. When wearing this outfit, the loop is placed over the head, which gives rise to speculation over sexual symbolism and spirituality." |
| Kraig, Donald Michael. Modern Magick. Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts. St. Paul, Minnesota: Llewelleyn Publications 1994. |
| "The Ankh-cross is a sacred symbol which alludes to the manifestation of the Divine Life Force. It also signifies the Divine Union of opposites; active and passive, male and female. The Ankh combines the masculine Tau shape with the feminine oval, alluding to the powers of generation. The shape of the Ankh expresses a profound idea; that of the circle of life spreading outwards from its origin and manifesting into the four elements. From another point of view, the circle of the Ankh alludes to the sun, the horizontal line to the sky, and the vertical line to the earth. As a microcosmic sign, the circle would represent the human head or reasoning powers (or the sun, which gives man life), the horizontal line his arms, and the upright line his body. The Ankh can also be interpreted as an early form of the emblem of Venus. In any case the Ankh, the sign of Divine Light and Life, is the most sacred and enduring symbol of the ancient Egyptians." |
| "The shape of the Ankh is nearly the same as the symbol of Venus, the only planet whose sigil contains all the spheres of the Tree of Life. This, too, is symbolically very significant to the makeup of the nemyss. To wear an Ankh in the form of a headress signifies the striving for Eternal Life which only spiritual attainment can bring. In the mysteries of Egypt, the initiate encountered all varieties of actual and visualized dangers, holding above his head the Crux Ansata, before which the dark powers fled. In Hebrew trdition, the back of the head (Qoph) is covered so that symbolically no impure or unbalanced energies or thoughts may "slip in." By covering one's head with the sacred emblem of the Ankh, the Golden Dawn Magician puts himself in a magickal state of mind, and calls upon the Forces of Eternal Life and Light. But in addition to this, the initiate is covering the Supernal Sephiroth in his/her Sphere of Sensation for power and protection from all outside influences." |
| "Of primary importance here is the fact that the Ankh is a form of the symbol Venus, the planet whose wall is the door into the Vault of the Adepti (i.e. the Second Order). It is thus the symbolic "Key" into the Temple of the Inner Order, the "Key of Life" and another form of the Rose and Cross. Venus is the only planet whose sigil embraces all of the Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. Therefore the wand is painted to represent the force of the ten Sephiroth in nature, divided into a Hexad and a Tetrad. The oval embraces the first six Sephiroth, and the Tau cross contains the lower four, answering to the four elements." |
| "The three main Adepts in the 5=6 Ceremony, the Ceremony, the 3rd, 2nd and Chief Adept, use their Crux Ansatas to infuse the candidate with the Light of LVX, causing the Higher Self to descend into his/her Ruach by awakening the Sephiroth of the Middle Pillar in the candidate's Aura. The Crux Ansata can also be used by a magician to charge his/her own Sphere of Sensation with the forces of the Middle Pillar. The "Key of Life" is a potent tool for unlocking centers of energy within the Adept: creating a pathway for the natural influx of Divine Light." |
| Cicero, Chic and Sandra Tabatha. Secrets of a Golden Temple. St. Paul, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications, 1992. |
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| The nemyss along with the robe form the potent symbol of the Ankh when worn by the magician. |
