The Mystic Spiral: Journey of the Soul (Art and Imagination, 1)

ISBN: 0500810052

Author: Purce, Jill

Condition: New

The spiral is the natural form of growth, and has become, in every culture and in every age, mans symbol of the progress of the soul towards eternal life. As the inward-winding labyrinth, it constitutes the heros journey to the still center where the secret of life is found. As the spherical vortex, spiraling through its own center, it combines the inward and outward directions of movement.In this original and engrossing book, Jill Purce traces the significance of one mans central symbols from the double spirals of Stone Age art and the interlocking spirals of the Chinese Yin Yang symbol to the whorls of Celtic crosses, Maori tattoos and the Islamic arabesque. Many of the superb images here were intended as objects of contemplation; for the spiral is a cosmic symbol.Art and Imagination series: These large-format, gloriously-illustrated paperbacks cover Eastern and Western religion and philosophy, including myth and magic, alchemy and astrology. The distinguished authors bring a wealth of knowledge, visionary thinking and accessible writing to each intriguing subject. 174 Illustrations, 32 in color