The mystery of the Sphinx is hidden in the mythological image of a creature with the body of a bull, paws of a lion, wings of an eagle and the head of a man. The answer to this riddle is the man himself, the child of the four elements.
The four elements of the Sphinx are the four hypostases of human nature. On which of these spheres the consciousness is most concentrated depends on the outcome of the mystical path of comprehending the truth and overcoming obstacles that arise over and over again at each new round of spiritual evolution.
- The bull is the earth and the zodiac sign of Taurus;
- Leo is fire and zodiac sign is lion;
- Eagle - air and scorpion sign;
- Man is water and the sign of Aquarius.
The Sphinx acquired in ancient Greece the halo of a fierce monster that kills everyone who cannot give answers to his questions. The archetype of the monster is the Shadow, the dark side of the personality, consisting of suppressed desires that only grow stronger with each attempt to find salvation from them in flight. The only possible favorable outcome is through the predominance of the spirit over the body. The victory of man over his inner demons in the form of lust and fear is the correct answer given to the Sphinx - the answer in favor of the power of consciousness over instinctive impulses.
The riddle of the Sphinx is an exam on the purity of the spirit, which everyone must pass on the path to knowledge. Why do you need what you are looking for? Do your motives come from a pure spirituality or from an animal nature?
The bird is the principle of action and the symbol of the holy spirit - the messenger of the creator sent to embody the divine idea on earth. The eagle in the riddle of the Sphinx is a sign of the sacred creative impulse expressed in the act of creation. His ability to soar above the ground connects him with the higher world of the spiritual and cosmic realms. Wings are the metaphysical essence of the ability of consciousness to rise above the realm of instinct and need.
The bull is a material form of earthly nature. The earth is a fertile soil capable of realizing ideas in reality. The body is a reflection of the soul, by the same analogy: the result of creativity is a reflection of the author himself. In the riddle of the Sphinx, the bull appears as a principle of volumetric form. In a metaphysical sense, this is the clay, from which the hands of the creator mold the body of the first man - the cosmic Adam.
The body is endowed with an instinctive consciousness that ensures existence in a wild environment. The bull is instincts and a symbol of the earthly principle in man, a sign of physical matter, as a foundation and natural power, with which all living things strive for life.
Leo is a symbol of the elements of fire and a sign of an active burning flame. This tremendous energy incinerates the weak in spirit. Leo in the riddle of the Sphinx denotes desires and the astral sphere. His royal nature turns around for a person and the other side, cultivating pride - the main vice and the main test that blocks the path to truth. The one who conquered the lion, having curbed his passion and arrogance, will become the ruler of his own life and will have the right to follow the path called the Path of comprehending the Great Truth.
Promotional video:
Sphinx. Archaeological Museum in Delphi.
Thus, the riddle of the Sphinx appears before every spiritual seeker. And its essence is the first ethical lesson, the outcome of which will determine whether a further path is possible. This lesson is humility, because only the meek in spirit will be able not to break on the pitfalls of pride, succumbing to the temptation of the brilliant world of form, and only the one who has submitted to his fate will be able, without flinching, to look into the eyes of the most terrifying of the monsters of the dungeon of his own mind.
Author: Elena Zakharchenko