The symbolique is a term coined by the French esotericist and Egyptologist René Adolphe Schwaller de Lubicz (1887-1961) to describe the symbolic language and worldview of ancient Egypt. According to Schwaller, the symbolique was not a mere system of signs and representations, but a mode of perception and expression that revealed the underlying unity and harmony of nature, cosmos, and spirit. The symbolique was based on the principle of analogy, which stated that everything in existence was interconnected and corresponded to each other on different levels of reality. The symbolique was also based on the principle of functional consciousness, which stated that human beings could access and participate in the cosmic order through their intuition and imagination.
Schwaller applied his concept of the symbolique to the study of ancient Egyptian architecture, art, science, religion, and philosophy. He claimed that the ancient Egyptians had a profound knowledge and understanding of the laws and patterns of nature and cosmos, which they encoded and expressed in their monuments, temples, tombs, statues, paintings, hieroglyphs, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, alchemy, and theology. He argued that the ancient Egyptian civilization was not a product of historical evolution, but a manifestation of a primordial wisdom that originated from a divine source.
One of the main sources of Schwaller's inspiration and research was the temple complex of Luxor in Upper Egypt. He spent fifteen years (1937-1952) studying and measuring every aspect of the temple, which he considered to be a masterpiece of the symbolique. He published his findings and interpretations in a monumental work titled The Temple of Man (1957), which he dedicated to his wife Isha Schwaller de Lubicz, who was also an esotericist and Egyptologist. In this work, he demonstrated that the temple of Luxor was not only a religious and ceremonial center, but also a cosmological and anthropological model that reflected the structure and function of the universe and the human being.
According to Schwaller, the temple of Luxor was designed according to the principle of analogy, which meant that every part of the temple corresponded to a part of the cosmos or the human being. For example, he showed that the temple's orientation, layout, dimensions, proportions, geometry, colors, materials, decorations, inscriptions, and rituals were all related to astronomical phenomena, such as the solstices, equinoxes, zodiac signs, planets, stars, etc. He also showed that the temple's structure mirrored the structure of the human body, mind, and soul. For example, he showed that the temple's entrance represented the mouth; the first courtyard represented the lungs; the second courtyard represented the heart; the hypostyle hall represented the brain; the sanctuary represented the pineal gland; etc.
Schwaller also argued that the temple of Luxor was designed according to the principle of functional consciousness, which meant that the temple was not only a passive representation, but also an active participation in the cosmic order. He claimed that the temple was a living organism that could communicate with the divine forces and energies that animated the universe and the human being. He d that the temple's architects, priests, and initiates that developed a high level of intuition and imagination, which enabled them to perceive and express the hidden meanings and connections behind the apparent forms and phenomena. He claimed that the temple's visitors, worshippers, and pilgrims could also experience a transformation of consciousness, which allowed them to transcend their ordinary perception, reasoning, qnd emotions, and access a higher state of awareness, understanding, and harmony.
Schwaller's concept of the symbolique was not limited to ancient Egypt. He also applied it to other ancient civilizations and cultures that he believed had preserved or inherited traces of the primordial wisdom. He compared and contrasted various archeological sites from different regions and periods that he considered to be expressions or reflections of the cosmic order. Some examples are:
- The Parthenon in Athens: Schwaller admired this temple as an example of classical Greek architecture that embodied beauty and harmony through mathematical proportions, geometric harmony, optical refinements, and sculptural decorations. He also recognized that this temple was dedicated to Athena, who was not only a goddess of war and wisdom but also a symbol of cosmic order.
- The Angkor Wat in Cambodia: Schwaller appreciated this temple as an example of Khmer architecture that represented the Hindu cosmology and theology. He also noted that this temple was oriented along an east-west axis that aligned with the rising and setting sun on certain days of the year, which symbolized the connection between the temple and the cosmic order.
- The Temple Mount in Jerusalem: Schwaller respected this site as a sacred place for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which housed various monuments and structures that related to different religious traditions and beliefs. He also observed that this site was based on sacred geometry, orientation, symbolism, and architecture that expressed the divine presence and plan.
- The Sagrada basilica in Barcelona: Schwaller admired this church as an example of modernist architecture that was inspired by nature and its organic forms, which he considered to be a manifestation of God's creation. He also remarked that this church was based on a system of proportions and measurements that reflected the golden ratio, or the divine proportion, which he considered to be a universal principle of beauty and harmony.
In conclusion, Schwaller's concept of the symbolique was a way of understanding and appreciating the ancient Egyptian civilization and its legacy, as well as other ancient and modern civilizations and cultures that shared or expressed similar values and visions. Schwaller's concept of the symbolique was also a way of challenging and transcending the dominant paradigms of scientific materialism and historical evolutionism that reduced reality to quantifiable units and linear sequences. Schwaller's concept of the symbolique was ultimately a way of reconnecting and participating in the cosmic order that underlies and unifies all existence.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 6/11/2023
(1) The Sign and the Symbolique: Participative Epistemologies from Bergson .... https://epochemagazine.org/48/the-sign-and-the-symbolique-participative-epistemologies-from-bergson-to-schwaller-de-lubicz/.
(2) Divine justice and cosmic order in early Greek Epic. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-hellenic-studies/article/abs/divine-justice-and-cosmic-order-in-early-greek-epic/CB65E5DCCDC3012ADCB581871BBC262F.
(3) MODELS OF COSMIC ORDER: Physical expression of sacred space among the .... https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ancient-mesoamerica/article/abs/models-of-cosmic-order-physical-expression-of-sacred-space-among-the-ancient-maya/1FF04D7F61A252BAB726BE97F9A7EADA.
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