Up: [[Shape Symbolism]] Created: 2026-09-29 Once again, this is a favourite symbol. I use spirals a lot in art making, they’ve become an identifiable mark for me. ![[Codex - Spiral.webp|600]] Spirals are absolutely everywhere, from the nebulas of space to an octopus’s tentacles to the metaphysical spirals of a human life. This last is the symbolism of the spiral that most interests me. #### Key Features of Spirals - Spirals compress energy, offering less resistance in movement. When snakes coil into a spiral, for example, they are able to spring faster at their prey. - Spirals are also efficient. For example, spirals in nature, such as a nautilus shell, grow evenly, keeping their shape. And the double spiral of DNA is able to pack a lot of information into tiny spaces. - If the distance between the curves of a spiral are the same, this is an Archimedian spiral. If they increase, it’s a logarithmic spiral. - The centre is essential in a spiral. We are always aware of it. #### Meanings of Spirals There are a bazillion interpretations depending on the particular spiral. For example, people have looked at the spiralling air in storms or the movement of water and seen it as a sign of fertility or dynamic movement. But for my interest in spirals, these interpretations are most appealing: **Death and Rebirth** Entering the womb at the core of the earth, and passing out again by the same route, such as the entrance stone at Newgrange in Ireland. Sacred dances imitated this movement, which is why so many European folk dances use a spiral line of dancers circling into a centre and out. ![[Spiral Skaters 3.webp|400]] Psychologically, we can think of moving inward to the centre, such as when reflecting on [[Shadow]] qualities or [[Dreams]], as returning to source, and then outward from the centre as manifestation or rebirth. **Cycles** Archaeologists interpret the spirals in many ancient sites as calendars of the sun or of seasons. We can also see spirals in the cycle of the creative process as we draw inward to form and nourish our intention, collect our energy, and then let go in an outward expression. There’s a nice connection here to the Latin *spirale*, meaning to breathe (inspire, expire). **Time** This is the idea shared in [[Quotes - Spiral]] of life not as a circle, but a spiral. Although we go through the same experiences and deal with the same complexes, over and over, each time we make the loop, we’re in a slightly different place, a bit above or below where we were the last time and, as we age, a bit deeper, a bit closer to centre. **Energy** Kundalini energy moves in double spiral, one solar (rightward) and one lunar (leftward). This is very similar to the Hermetic caduceus with twin serpents twining around a central staff, and it is very similar to the double helix of DNA. **Spiritual Journey** Labyrinths and spiral staircases echo the death and rebirth theme and also, for staircases in particular, the twists of fortune on the spiritual journey. I was fascinated to learn that Roman diviners who marked out the [[temenos]], used a magical staff called a lituus, which terminated at a spiral. ![[Lituus.webp|500]] #### Spiral Practices - Spirals are often used in Neurographica drawings to create flow, energy, and transformation. - Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and [[Donna Eden Daily Energy Routine]] use spiralling movements for various purposes. - Walking a labyrinth or tracing a spiral pattern or labyrinth with your finger is a meditative exercise. .