Swastika and Sauwastika

(e) 2006 Whare Atua Temple

on Ule Swnstika from a pre-I 920 edition, rul cJi-

lIE toEA THAT HIE FORM OF
lioll pllblishoo in Ule 1930s, "n~ Ule 1976 L'<li-
TilE SWASTIKA USED AS Tim
lion ofUle Encyclopacdiu BrilnlUtiC<.l.
SYMBOL OF NAZI GERMANY IS
EVIL, IS A MODERN FICTION THAT IS Ellcydol,.c~i. Bril.llllie.: PrL~1920
NOT KNOWN BEFORE AllOUT 1932. {17len: ;.1 110 sepamll! l!lIl1y Jar 'he SlI'(l$likil
By thal year, the Swastika, \ViUI anus bent ill early editiolLJ of tIle l!.llcyclopaCi/ill
tu point 10 lhe righi, hwJ ~'COl11e well known Brito/lllia,. 17lt fot/au-illg ;,r e:Clmctetl flu", fhe
Urruug,hullt the world us Ule symbol or Ule Nazi 011icle 011 the Cross.}
I'mty U",II",~ bc<.,.lolllt<.lw ill 1919, ,"l~ A~olr . . .
llitlcr lx.'came its leader in 1921. hi 1933 it TIle use of Ule cross us a religlolls symbol III
came Lo pUWCf, WIU Adolf Hiller became 'the prc-Cluistian limes, Wid wuong I1UII-Clui~liiUl
Challl:cllor urOcnnany. I~ples. may pr~bably be rcgunlet.l us ,u1Inust
U should be noled UmL Ute illtemalionm ulUversu1, Wid Ul very many cases It \\IUS
~)'I1tIXlI uf the 'llit..'osophiclli Society ulso cOlUlcdetl \ViUI some fonn of l~h~C . worship.
illdudcs u Swastika willi ils wms pointing to the T",? of Llte fom\S of Llte pre-Clmshun. cruss
right. Delure uoout 1930, Ule Swastika WDS wluch me pcrtll.lPS most f~cqu~nLly mel With arc
regarded, ulmost wiUlOut exception Llmmghollt Ute Tau cross,.so nnl11~ from Its rest:mblw.u,;e tu
the world, us propitious 110 maHer whidl its the Greek utplwlleUcr ru~ ~t<.l Ule S~JStik.a .ur
,Inns poinlCl1. 111~ u>lIunoncsl l(lnn of UIC Fylfot, ~so called GWlU1Ullhon, o\\:mg to Its
Swastika is that wiUI Ute lU11\S pointing to Ute fonn hemg Utat of four Greek C<.I}Jltal lellers
right, like thc Greek leiter GWlUna r rot. TIus Ganuna f, placed 10gcUler.
limn is knowlI in India os Ule SWl.Isliku lFigure llte ucu.lltnnce of thc word' Fyllot as Lllc
14u from 7111! A'!igmtioll o/Symbol.s", by Goblet English fXluivulcnt for Ulis peculiar limn of Utc
tf'Alllietfll, /892j. l11c cross rests UltJy,
lilnn wilh ullns pointing acconli.ng 10 tht: Ncw
10 Un: lell .., is callet..l U,C a b English Dictionary, 011 a
SlIuS,,,,,,lik,, Wigure 14b MS. or aboul 1500 ill
Irum 711l! A·/igmliwI of ~ ~ u\C LunsUowllc
.~I'I1I"O/.s"j. wllediun, whidl gives
II is ililimllative to llt:lails' of n mcmorial
compnrc rdercnces to stUinoo-gh.lss ~'1JlUOW,
UIC Swastika ill sm:ccss- "...Ult: tyllot Ul UIC
ivc editiolls uflhe Eney- FIG. 14. GAMMADIONS. nwcnllosl panc wldcr
dl)pal,.'l1i~1 BrilmUliul. Lller I knelc..."; ill UIC
Ilcre 1l,IIow U,C entries sketch givcn with Lllc
 Su't.ulika ami SUIf.fU'cwilw
ill:-;lOldiutls n crnss ncctlpics lhc sp;:u:c 11luiCllcU. Ellq'cltll,aedt. Dritan"ict\, t 976 ctlitinn
Il illi n qucstion, thcrcliH'c, WhCU1Cf "Iylfot" is n SWAS11KA, (Sanskril Sm:utikt,. "cul1tJllcivc ttl
HmHc lOr nny device stlilnblc to "rill Ule fool" of well-belng,1t derived from 5\1.., "wcll": asti, "it
nllY lbign. or Ute lIame pcc..ldiar 10 Utis is"); an aluilalernl cross wlth nnlls bent at right
pnrtk.111nr [nnn of cross. llle \vonl is not, ns \Va., llnglcs, 011 in U,C ~Ile rntmy direction, tl~u:.1l1y
It,nncrly nu;qltctl, n oormJllion of Ute Old doe;k,,';sc. 'nlC Swnstika n., A ~YTl\hnl of IlmS)>LT-
English fcu\\'crlCle, rour-roolctl. ity mid gexxl fortune is \"';dc1y dillilrihutctl
11K: S\\iJslika has 8 very \..,;oc runge o[ UtrolIghout UIC ancioltal1d modern world. Il wa,'
distrihution, Dnd is fount! on nil kinUs of objeclo:;. 0 favourite ~nbol on Dncicllt Mc.';ollotmlli:1lI
11 \\ll' usoJ AS A rcligiotL'\ emblem ill India nnd winagc:, it oppcnrcd in enrly Christinn ;:U1d By-
Clun•." nt lcust ten centuries before the Chrisl¥U' 7.l1ntine nrt (where it bemJnc known a~ the gall1-
cm, nnd il' mel \\,;UI on Buddhist coins. hud m..1clion cros., IJCC01L~ iL, anns ~lI\lle the
inscription' fmm V<lrill\lS part,; ofbtdia. Greek letter gaJlUl\3t, rum it (Iu.1IITt.-tl ill SOUUI
A line sqJl.llchml tim fOUlId al Shmphmn iJl nnd Ccnlml America (muong the Mayas) luKl in
Nnrrblk m1cl now in Ule British MusclUn, hIlS North Americn (principally omong the NaWljoo).
three b.nds of cruciform ommnods romKl il In hxJin it ronllllllcs to be Ule 1110St widely
"11M: two uppermost of UlCSC nrc plain circles, used ntL'qlicious symbol or Ilindus. J<'Iinas, nnd
endl of which olnlnills 0 plain aos.~ Ule lower Ducklhists. Among Ule Jninas Ule S\\nstika is U,e
h.-llId is fhnnal of a sales of squares, in each of emblem of Uleir sevenU, Tuthankarn (saint) Dnd
wluclt is n Swastika. is also said to remind Ule W0I1i1rippcr by its for
In "the Vnticon MUSCWll, U1Cre is ru, anns or Ule fOUT possible plnccs of rcbirth - in
Etruscan fibula which is marked wiU, Ihe Ute rumnal or pl0l11 worM, in hell, 011 earth. or ill
SwulIillka. It is n devicc of such com111on Ule ~iril world. TIle Hindus mm also joinns) use
1)Cl.1IITClICC 011 objecl' of pre-Chrislinn migill, Ute Svm,';;tika 10 mnrk Ule opcning Jlngcs o[ UlciT
Uml it i, I.trdly n=ry 10 specify individual acwunt books. UtrCSholds. Uoors. and oni.';ng,.
iJlslllnCC."l. A dcnr distinction is made belween UIC
right-ll3nd Swnstiko, which move.o; in t1
En()'clltflncdla Britannica In the 19JO~ dockwise direction, ond UIC Icn~hand SWllstiku
SWAS'llKA: A UculTlltive m><l ,ymbolic on",- (morc wrreclly coiled U,e SnnSlm,[ika). which
menl consisting of n cmss \"';ll1 equ.ol anns, 10 moves in n counlaclockwisc din.>t,;lioll. TIlc
the Clld or each of which is ollnched n Iille nul- right~mll<1 S"""lik. i' con'ideral 0 solar
ning 01 riphl wlgles to ii, 011 UteSe extensions ov symbol row imitates in Ule rotatiml of its nI'1US
curring on lite smne relative side, so Uml all four U", COl""" laka. <1aily by U,e SIUl. which ill U,e
e:dClLo:;iol1s have Ule snme roInry din:clioll in NorU1CIll1-1onisphere oppemslo pass from ensl.
relation 10 Ihe centre. UlCI. ""uU,. 10 west (sa: pmtlak,illa). 11,e
111c S\\1l'\tikn is (HIe of Ule most ancicnt wKl 1c1l~.,.><1 S"""likn morc ollal 'lalllb fur lIighl,
widesp,md of 011 OOllllllClllnl foo.\" al'penriog Ihe tatifyillg gocklcss Kali. m><l magi",,1
in lxdh 11CIIli"l~lCfCS. 11 i, gcrlCfOlly illte'J'rcled J1'lICli=. Durillg U", Nazi regin'" ill Gcn....ny. a
as 0 SID' ""nbol. 11 ou.ws ill Aegeall m><l nrcl"'ic block S,mslikn became U", cl.,mclcnslic
Greek l.,itay. hI SOIl'" examples il oPJl"'lf'l os emblan of~lilla's pmty.
two ilkntical S-curves, intasecting in Ule [E1><1 of.EllcteIOJJOedi~.!3rilmU\icn elllIics]
miUl1le ml<! set atrighl aogles. occru;iollOlly Utree ,
ann' orc fOloK!, rol<! U", hernldic symbol ofU""" Encydupacdia Britannica got it wrong
mlUling leg.,; set rndially. may be n develollment As Goblet d'Avielill in 11,C Migration or
Adolr Wiler IlmUe UlC Swastika Gelll,,"'y' Symbols, makes clear. "In ImlilJ, it bears the
nuliollal ,ymlx,1. nmne of Swastika when Ihe anns 8rc bellt
 Swa3lika and Sau$W(Utika
10wor~.lhe righl (fig. 14. on lhe firsl page of
Ihis orliele), olld SanSwaslil;a when Ihey are
lllmed ill the oll,er directioll. (fig. 14b)
TI", scholarly 51 page article 00 U'"
Swoslika in 'The Mig",'iOlI o/SYfllools", by U'"
inlemalionally TalOWlted an;hooologist, Goblet
d'Alyiell., is far 100 long 10 reprodnce here.
Originally publislted in 1892, il is oopiously
iIIuslruled wll! gives detailed references 10 the
soun:es ofits inl""naliou.
TI", lina! scnlence of U'" paragraph quoted
enrlier concerning its righl and lell forms is:
•Among U'" Hindus, as wnongsl U'" Blll!dllisls,
its rq"cscnloli'>1 Iws ulwnys pnssed foc a
propitious sign" WId he relin to 0 IXIpcr by Pro(
Mo., Mnller.
A Iillic IDrther on he infonn. us I1l8t Ihe
Swnslika is Ult~ "lirst of Ule sixty-live marks
of Ule Blld~h., while Ihe flll1rth of U,e lIIarks
is Ihe SauSwastika. A drawing of lite Feel of
the Buddh. (see figure on this page) includes
cleyen Swastikas, oil pointing 10 Ihe righi,
i.e. spilming nnliclockwise, like lhe Swnslika
all the Nozi nag.
Righi-handed and Len-handed
hi • foolnole added 10 llis book, d'Alviella England, FIlIIlCC ond Scandinavia.
noles U..I Sir George Birdwood writing in
ReJlOl1 011 ,h. OUI Reconls of,------'------~ growds ill Sudl diswntly
".. II.lio OBice. J89JJ, SIlys:
"1110 righl-ll81ded
SWlIstika is, wiU, U'"
Hudns, U.. cmblcm of U'"
ged GWlCSh; ill'CJ"CSCllts U'"
1I.,1e principle; it typifies U'"
SIUI ill its daily course lium
ea.,l 10 wes~ laslly, it
symbolises ligh!, liti: wd
glocy. 1110 len~l81ded
. S\Yllslika oc SaIlSwasliku, 011
Ute contmry. is Ute emblem
of U'" Goddess ludi; it
repm'ill::nls Ule rannle
principle, lytlifics U'" course
uf UlC SlUl in Ule
SUblerrwlCllJI world from THE FEET OF THE BUDDHA
wesllo east, llIld symbolises wu1mess, denlh wul
destructioll.
Handbook of Design. & Dcvle<s 11932)
In 1932, C. P. HOOllOlg, of Colwllbio
University. publislted his HllIldbook, -.llidl
SUIlII1lIIriges the standonI Ulinking of llis ern 011
U'" various symbols in rommon use U,roUghOllI
U'" world. His bibliOil/llphy ineludes all U'"
major \\Q\cs 00 design publislted wilil U",n.
TI", following exlrBct OWl be token 10 sigllify U'"
general attitude Iowards U'" Swoslika before il
becwue shnosl indelibly associaled wiUI Hiller
wll! U'" Nuzi porty.
"TIus mystic symbol, COllUUOll to both
euslem and ,,,,sian peeples, seems 10 appeor
wd reappent eousislenlly, yet always is its
sigJu6cance one of hOPI'Y omen. reverenced ill
India SOllie 3000 years beliJTe Cluist, as a chllOn
against evil, its inOuence h.. \asled 10 Utis day.
In Chino it has meanl perfectiOl~ infinily, IIIWly
blessings. hl J.pon, where il is coiled nUlnji, il
rqX'eSet1ls U1C nwnber len UlOusnl1d, wluch
symbolises U,"I wIlid, is inlillile, perlec!, wid
excellenL It is employed as • Sigll of felicily. II
1185 t-r fowrd in P=ia, Italy, G""""" Cyprus,
In America it is fOlUd ill prehistoric bwial
sepornled Imds as Mexico,
YOOlIon. Paroguoy, wd UIC
U,liled Stu.... From U'"
I· earliest IU11CS Ulis fWllOUS
sigll lmdoubledly ildicated
U'" roIalion of U.. layens,
expressed U'" power of UIC
sun gods, sky gods, wd
mill gods, wd symbolised
011 hl101IOIlious 1l1OYal1Cl11
springing from a cenlrul
source. '
It is not w~iOble 10
imngine it as W\ early
ideogmph of U,e ...I's disk
as 0 circle wiU, n.xiul
lIIotion udlicyed by U,e
 Swastika ami SClIIswastika
cJin:dion of UIC tums. 'ntuS it imlicalcd Ule daily Raleigh cut It wrune
1I10Vl.'lllCllt of Ule sun, wld perhaps also Ule Which is all very ,veil, excqlt Umt RalciHlI
wUlunl change of lhe scasons. llic luany got il wrong. hI bKliu, which Rulcigh elsewherc
interpretations assignw to Ule Swnstikn nre claims as UM: sourre of his ullormation, Ule right
inJCClI lx:wildering. lllC scholnr may lrnce its hUlling Swnstikn menus the on~ whose nons
histury UI order to colllprehend the IlOwer uf poim to the light. Ule len hUlling SauSwustika,
ancicnt symbolism. But Ibr Ute sake uf brevity wltid, is less oonunon, has its anus poi"ting to
wc limy col1cluue by saYUlg Uml in tlloUcm luncs the lefl.
it is best known as a symbol of mution, gouti At this time, over sixty years laler, w~
lur11Ule, heulUl. wld long HIe. I'emmot 1~t1 how or why Ral~igh 11IU1.J~ this
mistake. It might have bc~n lII.lt alrcauy the
Occult Gc,"nctry 119J2) use of the right hWld, gooc..l fortune Swastika
In the s..1111C year that Jlunlllllg publishctl on the Nazi nag was already oolouring
his schuhtrly work, nn Americnll occultist, people's utlitndes, so (hat Raleigh
A.S. Rllicigh, pllblishc..I a book of lessolls automatically assumed that tht:: Nazi
nbuul occult symbols. Its full title is : Swastika wos evil nnd dcstnlclive.
Tu me, the hnpurtunt thing 15 (ha(
'OCCULT GEOMETRY
the bulk ur "riling un (he variuus
blterprt:Ls And Explains Symbols, Nature's
rurms ur (he S\YUStil<1I made nu
UniverS31 Languagc. Shows How God
distinctlun bet"ecn the tnn rurnu,
Geumetrizcs To Proouee TIle Uni verse AJld
rcganling them buth as symbuls ur
MUll Ami TImt In Understanding lIimself.
good rurtune.
Mall Undt:rstanus 'nle Big Universe."
TIle Ollly report of any distim.:tioll being
Ralt.!igh makes u distinction behveen the made betwecn the meanings of the two limns
two !tmns of the Swuslika but, wiUl(llIt nny prior to Raleigh's book lIppcurs to be
cxplunalinn, rCVL"SCS Ihe mCl.1ni.l1gs of UI~ Uirdwood's in 1891, lind this is tJuoted
Swastika and &llISwilstikn. almost wurd for word in the la(~r editiuns of
He says: "ll\Cfc nrc two ronns of Ule the Encyclopaedia BritUiUlil.:3.
S"",-,tikn; one represents Ute wheel of fire Enc..:ydopaetlia Brilamum ntakcs a curious
revolving to Ule right, (hus Ute anus bent remarl<. Nler lIllking of UIC I"" kinUs of
bock\wuU 10 Ute lell; Ute olher represents Ute Swastika. it says, "Dtuing Ute Nazi I\."gime in
SWHstika revolving to Ule lell. and UIUS Ule anns Gennany, a bl.ck Swaslika bewme Ute
benl back lo U,e right. ·n,e righllulIld Swustikn, charndcristic emblem of IliUcr's party." llus is
Uwl is Ule one WiUI the nous bent to Ule lefl, is literully lnle. TI1C Nazi l1ug \\IDS n..'lI un wluch
UIC tme SWJstikn, rcprcsentulg Ule constructive wus a whHc cin;le in wluch was a bl<lCk
principle of IIlIlore. llte len hand S"'.lSIikn, Ute righl-ruming S\\'IlSliklt Howevcr, I sllspeel UCII
(Mk: with UIC unus lx'nl to Ule right is Ute
deslTlletive principle, Ute len hand paUt,
going 10 Ute len wid, U"""fore, deslroying,
0= UIC gratuitous choice uf UI~ wonJ black'
indiwles UIDI Ute Vorilcr W.IS Irying III link Ute
Nazi Swustikn wiU. Ute Kali SanSwllslikn.
disilllcgrntuig. TIle one is Ule principle of Despi~e Ihe facl Ih.1 Raleigh got Ihe
l:TC1Itioll, UIC olher or tlestnK;lioll. ll,e one Swustika ond SauSwasUka round the wrung
rCllrest::IILs Ule cenlrillclal, Ule oUler Ule way, his cssay on the symbol proviues nnu.:h
t:Clltrililgil1 principle. 'nlC riHilt hallu Swastika, material for meditative thuught UllcJ I have
Uterclore, is U,e symbol of Kosmic creation. mode it inlo 0 separute article, along with
while the letl hanu Swustikn is Uk: symbol of some cOllunents 011 the SWtlstiku by thc
Kosmic c..IcstntdiuIl· theosophisl Madmn B1avutsky. •