Contents

INTRODUCTION EDITOR'S FOREWORD

Traditional Symbolism and Some of Its General Applications

1. The Reform of the Modern Mentality 2. Spirit and Intellect 3. The Eternal Ideas 4. Word and Symbol 5. The Sacred Heart and the Legend of the Holy Grail 6. The Holy Grail 7. Tradition and the Unconscious 8. The Science of Letters (_'Ilm al-huruf_) 9. The Language of the Birds

Symbols of the Centre and of the World

10. The Idea of the Centre in the Traditions of Antiquity 11. Symbolic Flowers 12. The Triple Enclosure of the Druids 13. The Guardians of the Holy Land 14. The Land of the Sun 15. The Zodiac and the Cardinal Points 16. The _Tetraktys_ and the Square of Four 17. A Hieroglyph of the Pole 18. The Black Heads 19. The Letter G and the Swastika

Symbols of Cyclic Manifestation

20. Some Aspects of the Symbolism of Janus 21. The Hieroglyph of Cancer 22. Seth 98 23. On the Significance of Carnivals 101 24. Some Aspects of the Symbolism of the Fish 105 25. The Mysteries of the Letter Nūn 109 26. The Wild Boar and the Bear 113

_Some Symbolic Weapons_

27. Thunderbolts 121 28. Symbolic Weapons 124 29. The Sword of Islam (_Sayf al-Islam_) 128 30. The Symbolism of Horns 131

The Symbolism of the Forms of the Cosmos

31. The Cave and the Labyrinth 139 32. The Heart and the Cave 145 33. The Mountain and the Cave 148 34. The Heart and the World Egg 151 35. The Cave and the World Egg 153 36. The Exit from the Cave 156 37. The Solstitial Gates 159 38. The Symbolism of the Zodiac Among the Pythagoreans 162 39. The Solstitial Symbolism of Janus 166 40. Concerning the Two Saint Johns 168

The Symbolism of Building

41. The Symbolism of the Dome 175 42. The Dome and the Wheel 179 43. The Narrow Gate 182 44. The Octagon 184 45. The Cornerstone 187 46. 'Lapsit exillis' 198 47. Al-Arkān 201 48. Gathering What Is Scattered 204 49. The Black and the White 207 50. Black Stone and Cubic Stone 209 51. Brute Stone, Hewn Stone 212

Axial Symbolism and Symbolism of Passage

52. Symbols of Analogy 217 53. The World Tree 220 54. The Tree and the Vajra 224 55. The Tree of Life and the Draught of Immortality 225 56. The Symbolism of the Ladder 228 57. The Eye of the Needle 231 58. Traversing the Waters 233 59. The Seven Rays and the Rainbow 235 60. _Janua Cæli_ 239 61. _Kala-mukha_ 242 62. Light and Rain 245 63. The Chain of the Worlds 249 64. The Roots of Plants 256 65. The Symbolism of the Bridge 260 66. The Bridge and the Rainbow 263 67. The Chain of Union 266 68. Frameworks and Labyrinths 268 69. The 'Sign of Four' 273 70. Bonds and Knots 276

The Symbolism of the Heart

71. The Radiating Heart and the Flaming Heart 283 72. Heart and Brain 287 73. The All-Seeing Eye 294 74. The Mustard Seed 296 75. The Ether in the Heart 302 76. The Divine City 308

LIST OF ORIGINAL SOURCES 313 THE BOOKS OF RENÉ GUÉNON 314 INDEX 315