cosmology
World Tree Axis
A vertical structure connecting cosmic levels — a tree, pillar, mountain, or ladder linking heaven, earth, and underworld around which the cosmos is organised. Yggdrasil binding the Nine Worlds in Norse cosmology, the Kalevala's Sampo as world-pillar, the Mayan ceiba, the Vedic Aśvattha, the shamanic central tree of Eliade's analyses. Cosmic-structural in character: distinct from sefirot_tree (a kabbalistic emanation diagram) and emanation_hierarchy (an ontological cascade); world_tree_axis is the cosmos's spine rather than the divine's outflow.
106 passages · 12 traditions
finnic35
The Kalevala | Rune I-b
“Surely would the winds destroy it, Far away the waves would wash it." Then the daughter of the Ether, Now the hapless water-mother, Raised her shoulders out of water, Raised her knees above the ocean, That the duck might build her dwelling,…”
The Kalevala | Rune II-a
“'S SOWING.
Then arose old Wainamoinen, With his feet upon the island, On the island washed by ocean, Broad expanse devoid of verdure; There remained be many summers, There he lived as many winters, On the island vast and vacant, well consi…”
The Kalevala | Rune II-c
“Straightway to the oak-tree turning, Thither stalks the mighty giant, In his raiment long and roomy, Flapping in the winds of heaven; With his second step he totters On the land of darker color; With his third stop firmly planted, Reaches h…”
The Kalevala | Rune VII-d
“This the reason for my weeping; I have lived in toil and torture, Since I left my home and country, Left my native land and kindred, Came to this the land of strangers, To these unfamiliar portals.
All thy trees have thorns to wound me, Al…”
The Kalevala | Rune VII-e
“Forged the air a hollow cover; Nowhere see we hammer-traces, Nowhere find a single tongs-mark." Thus replied the hostess, Louhi: "Him alone I'll give my daughter, Promise him my child in marriage, Who for me will forge the Sampo, Hammer me…”
The Kalevala | Rune VIII-a
“OF THE RAINBOW.
Pohyola's fair and winsome daughter, Glory of the land and water, Sat upon the bow of heaven, On its highest arch resplendent, In a gown of richest fabric, In a gold and silver air-gown, Weaving webs of golden texture, Inte…”
The Kalevala | Rune X-a
“FORGES THE SAMPO.
Wainamoinen, the magician, Takes his steed of copper color, Hitches quick his fleet-foot courser, Puts his racer to the snow-sledge, Straightway springs upon the cross-seat, Snaps his whip adorned with jewels.
Like the w…”
The Kalevala | Rune X-b
“From her temples beams the moonlight, From her breast, the gleam of sunshine, From her forehead shines the rainbow, On her neck, the seven starlets, And the Great Bear from her shoulder.
"Ilmarinen, worthy brother, Thou the only skilful bl…”
The Kalevala | Rune X-d
“From her dressing-room she hastens, To the hall she bastes and listens, Full of beauty, full of joyance, Ears erect and eyes bright-beaming, Ruddy cheeks and charming visage, Waiting for the hero-stranger.
Louhi, hostess of Pohyola, Leads…”
The Kalevala | Rune X-e
“On the second day, the blacksmith Downward bent and well examined, On the bottom of the furnace; From the fire, a skiff of metals, Came a boat of purple color, All the ribs were colored golden, And the oars were forged from copper; Thus the…”
The Kalevala | Rune X-f
“Modestly pleads Ilmarinen For the maiden's willing answer, These the words of the magician: "Wilt thou come with me, fair maiden, Be my wife and queen forever?
I have forged for thee the Sampo, Forged the lid in many colors." Northland's f…”
The Kalevala | Rune XIV-b
“Should thy mistress not awaken At the calling of thy flute-notes, Play again, and play unceasing, Make the golden tongue re-echo." Wild and daring Lemminkainen Steadfast prays upon his journey, Calling on the gods for succor, Hastens off th…”
The Kalevala | Rune XIV-e
“I shall never harshly treat thee, Never make thee fly too fleetly, On the way to Sariola, On the tracks of long duration, To the hostess of Pohyola, To her magic courts and stables, Will not lash thee on thy journey; I shall lead thee gentl…”
The Kalevala | Rune XV-f
“Now the mother speaks as follows: "Where may I procure the balsam, Where the drops of magic honey, To anoint my son and hero, Thus to heal my Lemminkainen, That again his month may open, May again begin his singing, Speak again in words of…”
The Kalevala | Rune XV-g
“God anoints his faithful children, With the honey of his wisdom, When they feel the pangs of sorrow, When they meet the powers of evil.
Dip thy winglets in this honey, Steep thy plumage in His sweetness, Hither bring the all-sufficient Bal…”
The Kalevala | Rune XVII-c
“"Thence arose the violation, Thence arose the first destruction, Thence came all the evil-doings: From the neighborhood of wizards, From the homes of the magicians, From the eaves of vicious spirits, From the haunts of fortune-tellers, From…”
The Kalevala | Rune XVII-f
“"I shall set my forge and bellows Deeper, deeper in thy vitals; I shall swing my heavy hammer, Swing it with a greater power On thy heart, and lungs, and liver; I shall never, never leave thee Till I learn thine incantations, Learn thy many…”
The Kalevala | Rune XVIII-i
“I shall choose without his treasures Ilmarinen for his wisdom, For his worth and good behavior, Him that forged the wondrous Sampo, Hammered thee the lid in colors." Spake the hostess of Pohyola: "Senseless daughter, child of folly, Thus to…”
The Kalevala | Rune XIX-a
“'S WOOING.
Ilmarinen, hero-blacksmith, The eternal metal-worker, Hastens forward to the court-room Of the hostess of Pohyola, Of the master of the Northland, Hastens through the open portals Into Louhi's home and presence.
Servants come w…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXVI-h
“Then the stout-heart, Kaukomieli, Deeply thought and long considered: "It is as my mother told me, This the wall that she predicted, Stretching from the earth to heaven; Downward deep are serpents creeping, Deeper still the rails extending;…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXXVIII-c
“Happier far my life hereafter, With the cunning fox to wander, Than with this ill-mannered suitor; Reynard's fur to me is finer Than the robes of Ilmarinen." Thereupon the metal-worker Shut his lips in sore displeasure, Hastened on the high…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXXIX-a
“'S SAILING.
Wainamoinen, old and faithful, Spake these words to Ilmarinen: "O thou wonder-working brother, Let us go to Sariola, There to gain the magic Sampo, There to see the lid in colors." Ilmarinen gave this answer: "Hard indeed to se…”
The Kalevala | Rune XXXIX-e
“Dost not know him at the rudder, Nor the hero at the row-locks?" Spake the wizard, Lemminkainen: "Well I know the helm-director, And I recognize the rower; Wainamoinen, old and trusty, At the helm directs the vessel; Ilmarinen does the rowi…”
The Kalevala | Rune XLII-a
“OF THE SAMPO.
Wainamoinen, old and truthful, With the blacksmith, Ilmarinen, With the reckless son of Lempo, Handsome hero, Kaukomieli, On the sea's smooth plain departed, On the far-extending waters, To the village, cold and dreary, To th…”
The Kalevala | Rune XLII-b
“Ilmarinen, magic blacksmith, Well anointed all the hinges, All the bars and locks anointed, And the bolts flew back by magic, All the gates unlocked in silence, Opened for the great magician.
Spake the minstrel Wainamoinen: "O thou daring…”
The Kalevala | Rune XLII-d
“Quick she journeys to the entrance To the copper-bearing mountain, Speaks these words as she approaches: "Woe is me, my life hard-fated, Woe to Louhi, broken-hearted!
Here the tracks of the destroyers, All my locks and bolts are broken By…”
The Kalevala | Rune XLII-e
“Wainamoinen, brave and mighty, Seizes quick the water-monster, Lifts him by his ears and questions: "Iku-Turso, son of Old-age, Why art rising from the blue-sea?
Wherefore dost thou leave thy castle, Show thyself to mighty heroes, To the h…”
The Kalevala | Rune XLIII-a
“SAMPO LOST IN THE SEA.
Louhi, hostess of Pohyola, Called her many tribes together, Gave the archers bows and arrows, Gave her brave men spears and broadswords; Fitted out her mightiest war-ship, In the vessel placed her army, With their sw…”
The Kalevala | Rune XLIII-b
“"Let from these arise a mountain From the bottom of the deep-sea, Let a rock arise in water, That the war-ship of Pohyola, With her thousand men and heroes, May be wrecked upon the summit, By the aid of surging billows." Instantly a reef ar…”
The Kalevala | Rune XLIII-c
“Thus the Northland hostess answered: "I will not divide the Sampo, Not with thee, thou evil wizard, Not with wicked Wainamoinen!" Quick the mighty eagle, Louhi, Swoops upon the lid in colors, Grasps the Sampo in her talons; But the daring L…”
The Kalevala | Rune XLV-a
“OF THE NINE DISEASES.
Louhi, hostess of the Northland, Heard the word in Sariola, Heard the Dews with ears of envy, That Wainola lives and prospers, That Osmoinen's wealth increases, Through the ruins of the Sampo, Ruins of the lid in colo…”
The Kalevala | Rune XLVI-d
“Have no care, thou much-loved Otso, Let not anger swell thy bosom As thy coat we view with pleasure; We thy fur shall never injure, Shall not make it into garments To protect unworthy people." Thereupon wise Wainamoinen Pulled the sacred ro…”
The Kalevala | Rune XLVI-f
“"Now I take the eyes of Otso, Lest he lose the sense of seeing, Lest their former powers shall weaken; Though I take not all his members, Not alone must these be taken.
"Now I take the ears of Otso, Lest he lose the sense of hearing, Lest…”
The Kalevala | Rune XLIX-c
“Thus they asked the hero-stranger.
"Magic swimmer of the Northland, Son of evil, what the message That thou bringest from thy people, What thy mission to Pohyola?" Wainamoinen, old and truthful, Thus addressed the hosts of Louhi: "For the…”
The Kalevala | Rune L-f
“In thy years, for greater follies, Greater sins and misdemeanors, Thou wert not unjustly punished.
In thy former years of trouble, When thou gavest thine own brother, For thy selfish life a ransom, Thus to save thee from destruction, Then…”
← Collapsetheosophy30
The Secret Doctrine | Page 4 (part 2)
“T HE ROOT REMAINS, THE LIGHT REMAINS, THE CURDS REMAIN, AND STILL O EAOHOO IS ONE.
6.
T HE ROOT OF LIFE WAS IN EVERY DROP OF THE OCEAN OF IMMORTALITY, AND THE OCEAN WAS RADIANT LIGHT, WHICH WAS FIRE, AND HEAT, AND MOTION.
D ARKNESS VANIS…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 4 (part 3)
“T HEY MAKE OF HIM THE MESSENGER OF THEIR WILL.
T HE D ZYU BECOMES F OHAT, THE SWIFT SON OF THE D IVINE SONS WHOSE SONS ARE THE L IPIKA, RUNS CIRCULAR ERRANDS.
F OHAT IS THE STEED AND THE THOUGHT IS THE RIDER.
H E PASSES LIKE LIGHTNING TH…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 6 (part 2)
“No Orientalist, so far, seems to have thoroughly comprehended the real sense of the verses in the Purana, that treat of "creation." Therein Brahma is the cause of the potencies that are to be generated subsequently for the work of "creation…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 6 (part 3)
“The Lotus thus typifies the life of man and also that of the Kosmos; for the Secret Doctrine teaches that the elements of both are the same, and that both are developing in the same direction.
The root of the Lotus sunk in the mud represen…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 7 (part 9)
“He is Purusha (spirit), but he is also Prakriti (matter).
Therefore it is only after separating himself into two halves -- Brahma-vach (the female) and Brahma-Viraj (the male), that the Prajapati becomes the male Brahma.
------- STANZA II…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 13 (part 3)
“It is already the outline of the two "Supremes" -- God and Satan.
But in the Stanzas no such idea exists.
Most of the Western Christian Kabalists -- pre-eminently Eliphas Levi -- in their desire to reconcile the Occult Sciences with Churc…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 13 (part 6)
“Others moving in parabolic curves generally escape destruction, owing to their velocity.
Some very critical readers will perhaps imagine that this teaching, as to the cometary stage passed through by all heavenly bodies, is in contradictio…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 13 (part 7)
“Three further higher grades have to be conquered by the Arhan who would reach the apex of the ladder of Arhatship.
There are those who have reached it even in this fifth race of ours, but the faculties necessary for the attainment of these…”
Show all 30 →norse15
The Poetic Edda: Hovamol | Section 1i
“50 Foul scorn was my meed | from the crafty maid, And nought from the woman I won.
* * * 103.
Though glad at home, | and merry with guests, A man shall be wary and wise; The sage and shrewd, | wide wisdom seeking, Must see that his speech…”
The Poetic Edda: Hovamol | Section 1j
“On his ring swore Othin | the oath, methinks; Who now his troth shall trust?
Suttung's betrayal | he sought with drink, And Gunnloth to grief he left.
* * * 111.
It is time to chant | from the chanter's stool; By the wells of Urth I was,…”
The Poetic Edda: Hovamol | Section 1m
“I ween that I hung | on the windy tree, Hung there for nights full nine; With the spear I was wounded, | and offered I was To Othin, myself to myself, On the tree that none | may ever know What root beneath it runs.
[138.
In the manuscrip…”
The Poetic Edda: Hovamol | Section 1n
“Knowest how one shall write, | knowest how one shall rede?
Knowest how one shall tint, | knowest how one makes trial?
Knowest how one shall ask, | knowest how one shall offer?
Knowest how one shall send, | knowest how one shall sacrifice…”
The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1b
“The roving Norsemen of the tenth century, very few of whom had as yet accepted Christianity, were nevertheless in close contact with Celtic races which had already been converted, and in many ways the Celtic influence was strongly felt.
It…”
The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1c
“stanza 47 and note), of the dark elves (Svartalfaheim), of the dead (Niflheim), and presumably of the dwarfs (perhaps Nithavellir, cf.
stanza 37 and note, but the ninth world is uncertain).
The tree: the world-ash Yggdrasil, [fp.
4] symb…”
The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1d
“Ithavoll ("Field of Deeds"?): mentioned only here and in stanza 60 as the meeting-place of the gods; it appears in no other connection.
8.
Tables : the exact nature of this game, and whether it more closely resembled chess or checkers, ha…”
The Poetic Edda: Voluspo | Section 1f
“Lothur : apparently an older name for Loki, the treacherous but ingenious son of Laufey, whose divinity Snorri regards as somewhat doubtful.
He was adopted by Othin, who subsequently had good reason to regret it.
Loki probably represents…”
Show all 15 →western_esoteric9
The Book of Ceremonial Magic (A.E. Waite) | Page 5 (part 5)
“The technicalities of the occult sciences may seem hard to the beginner, and they are actually hard like the wilderness, because they are barren wastes, but they are in words of one syllable if compared with the little catechisms of eternal…”
The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) | Atlantis and the Gods of Antiquity-k
“The Argonautic expedition, listening to the advice of Orpheus, stopped at the island of Samothrace for the purpose of having its members initiated into the Cabiric rites.
Herodotus relates that when Cambyses entered the temple of the Cabir…”
The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) | The Hiramic Legend-f
“The arrant enemies of universal democracy have ever been the crown, the tiara, and the torch.
Thus CHiram symbolizes that ideal state of spiritual, intellectual, and physical emancipation which has ever been sacrificed upon the altar of hu…”
The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) | The Tree of the Sephiroth-f
“This is located where the horizontal line connecting Chochmah and Binah crosses the vertical line joining Kether and Tiphereth.
While Daath is not mentioned by the first Qabbalists, it is a highly important element and its addition to the…”
The Tarot of the Bohemians (Papus) | Page 14 (part 1)
“THE JUGGLER THE JUGGLER .
1.
א 1st Hebrew letter (Aleph).
ORIGIN OF THE SYMBOLISM OF THE FIRST CARD OF THE TAROT.
The Aleph hieroglyphically expresses Man himself as a collective unity, the master principle, ruler of the earth.
From th…”
The Tarot of the Bohemians (Papus) | Page 46 (part 2)
“(Love, the fertile Power, the Being, ו); and in order that this Trinity may be repeated in the whole septenary of our distribution we will make it the root of 3 great divisions, representing the 3 terms of the Trinity, which will divide the…”
Transcendental Magic I: The Doctrine (Éliphas Lévi) | Introduction-e
“They have gathered again and have shared the fruits of the tree of knowledge, so that they might become masters of the world.
The judgement pronounced against them is higher and far older than the tribunal of pope or king: “On the day that…”
Transcendental Magic I: The Doctrine (Éliphas Lévi) | 3. The Triangle Of Solomon-c
“These shells, envelopes petrified or carnified, were such an expression possible, are the source of errors or of evil, which connects with the heaviness and hardness of animal envelopes.
In the book Zohar , and in that of the Revolution of…”
Show all 9 →celtic6
The Mabinogion | Tale THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN-c
“The man looked upon me, and he smiled and said, ‘If I did not fear to distress thee too much, I would show thee that which thou seekest.’ Upon this I became anxious and sorrowful, and when the man perceived it, he said, ‘If thou wouldest ra…”
The Mabinogion | Tale PWYLL PRINCE OF DYVED-d
““Lord,” said they, “thy wisdom was never so great, and thou wast never so kind or so free in bestowing thy gifts, and thy justice was never more worthily seen than in this year.” “By Heaven,” said he, “for all the good you have enjoyed, you…”
The Mabinogion | Tale MATH THE SON OF MATHONWY-l
“Said the man of the house to the swineherd, “Well, youth, hath thy sow come in to-night?” “She hath,” said he, “and is this instant returned to the pigs.” “Where doth this sow go to?” said Gwydion.
“Every day, when the sty is opened, she g…”
The Mabinogion | Tale THE DREAM OF MAXEN WLEDIG-a
“Maxen Wledig was emperor of Rome, and he was a comelier man, and a better and a wiser than any emperor that had been before him.
And one day he held a council of kings, and he said to his friends, “I desire to go to-morrow to hunt.” And th…”
The Mabinogion | Tale THE DREAM OF MAXEN WLEDIG-c
“And in the dream I beheld a maiden, and because of the maiden is there neither life, nor spirit, nor existence within me.” “Lord,” they answered, “since thou judgest us worthy to counsel thee, we will give thee counsel.
And this is our cou…”
The Mabinogion | Tale THE STORY OF LLUDD AND LLEVELYS-b
“And by the common counsel of the nobles, Lludd the son of Beli went to Llevelys his brother, king of France, for he was a man great of counsel and wisdom, to seek his advice.
And they made ready a fleet, and that in secret and in silence,…”
biblical3
Genesis (American Standard Version, 1901) | 28:4-28:22
“[28:4] and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land of thy sojournings, which God gave unto Abraham.
[28:5] And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, s…”
The Gospel According to John (American Standard Version, 1901) | 1:30-2:1
“[1:30] This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man who is become before me: for he was before me.
[1:31] And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water.
[1:32] And John bar…”
The Revelation of John (American Standard Version, 1901) | 21:15-22:8
“[21:15] And he that spake with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
[21:16] And the city lieth foursquare, and the length thereof is as great as the breadth: and he measured t…”
mesopotamian2
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet V — The Fight with Humbaba | Tablet V, Section 1a
“THE FIFTH TABLET.
OF THE FIGHT WITH HUMBABA.
.
Stood they and stared at the Forest, they gazed at the height of the Cedars, Scanning the avenue into the Forest: (and there) where Humbaba 5.
Stalk’d, was a path, (and) straight were his t…”
Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablet IX — Gilgamish in Terror of Death Seeks Eternal Life | Tablet IX, Section 1
“THE NINTH TABLET. GILGAMISH IN TERROR OF DEATH SEEKS ETERNAL LIFE. . Gilgamish bitterly wept for his comrade, (for) Enkidu, ranging Over the desert: "I, too—shall I not die like Enkidu also? 5. Sorrow hath enter’d my heart; I fear death as…”
native_american2
The Soul of the Indian | Chapter III-a
“CEREMONIAL AND SYMBOLIC WORSHIP Modern Perversions of Early Religious Rites.
The Sun Dance.
The Great Medicine Lodge.
Totems and Charms.
The Vapor-Bath and the Ceremonial of the Pipe.
The public religious rites of the Plains Indians ar…”
Myths of the Cherokee | Myth 111a
“THE MOUNDS AND THE CONSTANT FIRE: THE OLD SACRED THINGS Some say that the mounds were built by another people.
Others say they were built by the ancestors of the old Ani′-Kĭtu′hwagĭ for townhouse foundations, so that the townhouses would b…”
egyptian1
The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani) | Chapter 9 (part 1)
“THE ABODE OF THE BLESSED.
The Egyptian heaven.
The gods of the Egyptians dwelt in a heaven with their ka's , and khu's , and shadows, and there they received the blessed dead to dwell with them.
This heaven was situated in the sky, which…”
hinduism1
The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter XV, Section 1
“CHAPTER XV. The Deity said: They say the inexhaustible A s vattha has (its) roots above, (its) branches below; the Kh andas are its leaves. He who knows it knows the Vedas. Upwards and downwards extend its branches, which are enlarged by th…”
jewish_mysticism1
The Book of Concealed Mystery (Siphra Dtzenioutha) | 1f
“[The letters of the Hebrew alphabet are divided into three classes, the three mothers as they are called, AMSh; the seven duplex letters, BGDKPRTh, so called because they are sometimes tenues and sometimes aspirates, according to whether th…”
shinto1
The Kojiki: The Beginning of Heaven and Earth | Section 1
“p. 15 RECORDS OF ANCIENT MATTERS [SECT. I.—THE BEGINNING OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.] The names of the Deities 1 that were born 2 in the Plain of High Heaven 3 when the Heaven and Earth began were the Deity Master-of-the-August-Centre-of-Heaven, 4…”