As Above, So Below is an incredibly powerful phrase. It can mean different things depending on how you interpret it, but its main theme is that of connectivity and interdependence. The quote embodies the Principal of Correspondence taken from the Kybalion, a book of secrets and mysterious teachings. This book holds valuable information on the nature of the universe dating back to ancient Egypt.
As Above, So Below dictates the connection between the microcosm and the macrocosm — that is, the smallest parts and the largest parts. It emphasizes the importance of all things in relation to the functioning world. Even the tiniest cells in our bodies support the entirety of our consciousness and being. Further, they are bound intricately with the greater cycles of faraway galaxies we will never see.
As Above, So Below means that we are connected physically, spiritually, and mentally to the whole universe. Our actions affect it, and its actions affect us. So, how do we represent such an abstract concept? In this article, let’s look at various symbols humanity has created to depict the idea of As Above, So Below.
18 As Above, So Below Symbols
1. Six-pointed Star (Hexagram)
Comprised of two interlocking triangles, the six-pointed star (also known as David’s Star in Judaism and Shatkona in Hinduims) presents a mirror image of its top and bottom halves. The two sides are identical, a literal representation that things are above as they are below. The top half correlates to the realm of heaven or the spiritual world, while the bottom represents the physical. The two halves are connected in the middle, symbolizing the dependence that each of these realms has upon the other.
What happens in the physical world is born of the spiritual, and what is born in spirit cannot come to fruition without a physical plane to exist on. Jewish people believe the spiritual realm is God’s realm, and ancient Jews used the Star of David to symbolize God’s realm and the realm of men. They believed these planes were connected, like the star. They used their holy book, the Torah, as a conduit between the two worlds.
This symbol is also known as Satkona in Hinduism.
2. Ouroboros
The Ouroboros is a classic symbol of a snake eating its own tail. Believed to have originated in ancient Greece or Egypt, the Ouroboros represents the cyclic nature of creation and destruction so inherent to our universe. Much like the world, the Ouroboros is in constant flux. It circles round and round again, representing the planet’s rotation and indicating the endless nature of all cyclic things.
It also symbolizes the unified nature of these cycles and their reliance upon one another. The Ouroboros explains the cycle of life and illuminates hidden processes. We can see the snake’s physical head, but not its spiritual tail. We know the tail exists; we just can’t see it. Yet we trust it’s there. A perfect symbol for As Above, So Below, the snake connects that which exists in the spiritual world to that which exists in the physical.
3. Tree of Life
The Tree of Life symbol varies widely across different cultures, but it is always reflective. A mirror image of a tree’s branches stretching up towards the sky, while its roots sink far below the earth. The top half of the tree represents the heavenly or astral plane, while the bottom half represents the earthly plane. The tree is literally above as it is below—a perfectly-balanced, multifaceted organism stretching roots and branches out to seek knowledge and sustenance.
The image’s symbolism is enhanced by the nature of trees themselves and how connected they are to the earth and sky. Trees need both water and oxygen to grow, and even minute changes in soil composition or air quality can cause them to fail or flourish. This is reflective of how the microcosm affects the macrocosm, and the significance of small structures on larger structures in our world.
4. Kongo Cosmogram
The Kongo Cosmogram is a solar symbol which is also one of the oldest depictions of the human life cycle. Juxtaposed with the phases of the sun, the Cosmogram illustrates perfectly the idea of As Above, So Below. Humans follow the same cycle as our largest and most important celestial body; however, one travels through the sky and the other down on earth.
Humans are born, live, and die before being resurrected again. The sun rises, illuminates the sky, sets, and rises again the following day. Humans are the microcosm in this symbol, and the sun is the macrocosm. Both are interconnected and dependent on each other, albeit for different reasons. The sun gives us vital life-force and we could not exist without it. On the other side of the equation, the sun’s immense power could never be appreciated, measured, or quantified without humankind.
5. Vesica Diamond
The Vesica Diamond is the pointed oval inside the Vesica Pisces symbol. It represents union, harmony, and connectivity in all matters. The Vesica Diamond is a symbol for romantic partnership, as well as togetherness of the soul and the divine universe. With two opposing points facing upwards and downwards, the Vesica Diamond becomes a more literal symbol for As Above, So Below.
The two opposite points represent the astral plane and the earthly one. Between the two points is the connective doorway—where we pass from one realm to the other. The earthly plane is the realm of the physical where we conjoin our hearts and bodies to form new life. The astral plane is where our earthly connections can rise to form heavenly unions. Here, we can meet joyously with the divine and connect with the universe as a whole.
6. Gebo Rune
A simple “X” shape, the Gebo Rune is an ancient Nordic symbol. It was used as a tool for communicating with the gods and obtaining divine gifts. It acted like a cosmic doorway from the world of the gods to the realm of humanity, and was a way to exchange knowledge and power with beings on the astral plane. The Gebo eventually came to be the ultimate symbol of generosity and giving.
But the rune doesn’t just represent a connection. It represents the ongoing partnership between humanity, the earth, and the divine. The Gebo is a sign not only of altruistic giving but of reciprocity, trust, and unbroken promises. It is a signal to pay attention to our actions and the impact that they have on others. Even as a humble human, our actions can have a far-reaching effect which echoes throughout the universe.
7. Merkabah
The Merkabah is a three-dimensional tetrahedron shape. It resembles the Star of David and has special significance to the Jewish people. However, the Merkabah is also a vital symbol in sacred geometry. With individual energetic fields rotating in opposite directions, this shape creates a harmonious balance of energy embodying the phrase As Above, So Below.
The word Merkabah is taken from three separate words connected to form one. “Mer” meaning light, “Ka” meaning body, and “Ba” meaning spirit. “Ka” and “Ba” represent both the physical and astral planes, respectively. “Mer” is the divine force which drives each of them to exist in the first place. The Merkabah is also a symbol of sacred dualities. Masculine and feminine, dark and light, spiritual and physical. It depicts the idea that each is sacred and inherently necessary to the balance of the world.
8. Number 3
The number 3 has always been an important number. It is the only number which is equal to the sum of all numbers below it on the counting scale—that is, 0+1+2=3. In contrast, 1+2+3 does not equal 4, nor do any other numbers above it boast that property. Because 3 is equal to the sum of its lesser parts, it is considered a perfectly balanced number. It is truly above as it is below, and has come to represent this phrase.
3 is a sacred number for many other reasons as well. The sun has three visible phases in the sky consisting of sunrise, noon, and sunset. Our lives have three stages of birth, middle age, and death. Even consciousness and existence have three parts: mind, body, and spirit. All of these planes of being are connected to one another and rely on each other to uphold themselves.
9. Anahata chakra symbol
The Anahata is the Heart Chakra, located behind the sternum in the center of the chest. Anahata has a few meanings when literally translated from Sanskrit, including “boundless,” “infinite”, and even “unhurt”. The Anahata is a symbol for connectivity both physical and spiritual. This chakra literally connects the upper-body chakras with the lower-body chakras.
It acts as a bridge between all regions of the body which allows communication and correspondence to flourish between cells. It also acts as a connective doorway between us, other people, and the divine. We open ourselves to outside energy via the Anahata and transmit our own energy and intentions outward through it. In this way, Anahata is a powerful symbol for reciprocity and connection.
10. Boa Me Na Me Mmoa Wo
Boa Me Na Me Mmoa Wo is quite a mouthful, and it has a larger-than-life meaning to go along with it. It translates roughly to “help me, and let me help you”. This is a wonderful way to ascribe a literal meaning to an abstract phrase like As Above, So Below. The people of West Africa use Boa Me Na Me Mmoa Wo to symbolize unity and interdependence. It stands for putting aside differences to form a bond of friendship and loyalty for common advancement.
The symbol itself has two inverted triangles surrounded by an oval. Each triangle sports an opposing shape on its outside and inside walls. This can be taken as a symbol of the distinctive nature of all things within the parameters of correspondence. Going further, it can be taken as the idea that all these distinctive things are intricately connected and exist in a harmony of dependence.
11. Hourglass
An hourglass consists of two equally shaped glass bulbs connected together via a narrow neck. When placed vertically, the sand (or liquid) in the top bulb drops down to the lower bulb. And by turning the other end up, the lower bulb (which now contains the sand) becomes the top bulb and the process can be repeated indefinitely. This way an hourglass is the perfect symbol representing the concept of, ‘as above, so below’.
12. The double spiral
The double spiral is a Celtic symbol that represents the intricate connection that exists between creation and destruction. It denotes that everything comes out of a single source and goes back into that single source.
If you start from the center of one spiral and go inside out, you will end up at the center of the other spiral going outside in. Going inside out, represents creation and going outside in represents all of creation going back to the source only to arise again.
This is why the double spiral represents both duality as well as oneness. It also represents that everything is connected and the microcosm is a reflection of the macrocosm and vise versa.
13. Lakota symbol (Kapemni)
The Lakota is an ancient Native American symbol that depicts a triangle pointing upward, symbolizing the heavens (or the spirit world) and a triangle pointing downward, symbolizing earth. This symbol was used to represent the concept that earth or the world below perfectly mirrors the heavens or the world above.
14. Tarot Magician card
In most traditional tarot decks, you will find The Magician (also known as ‘The Magus’ or ‘The Juggler’) as the first card or the Major Arcana card. This card depicts a man standing before an altar with one hand pointing toward the sky and the other hand pointing downward toward the earth. This symbolizes the concept of, As Above, So Below.
15. Unicursal hexagram
The unicursal hexagram is a six pointed star that can be draw in one continuous line unlike a regular hexagram. The unicursal hexagram has an arrow like shape pointing upward and downward symbolizing the above and below and the intricate relationship between the two.
16. Number 8
The number 8 which looks like a vertically drawn infinity symbol is a great representation of infinity, interdependence, interconnectivity and correspondence.
17. Aleph letter
Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The letter can be seen as comprising of two ‘Yods’ (one going up and one going down) and a diagonal ‘Wav’. Yod and Wav are Hebrew alphabets too.
According to Jewish sages, upper Yod represents the spiritual realm and hidden aspects of God, whereas the lower Yod represents the physical realm or the revelation of God in the physical world. The diagonal Wav acts as a hook that connects the two realms. Aleph represents the connection that exists between the above and below and that one is just a reflection of the other.
18. The Lightning Bolt
For lightning to strike it requires two opposing forces, one coming from above (the negative charge present in the storm clouds) and one coming from below (the positive charge present in the ground). When these two opposing charges meet, a lightning bolt is formed. In fact, just like the double spiral symbol we saw earlier, a lightning bolt consists of two spirals of energy, one spinning clockwise and one spinning counterclockwise. The lightning bolt symbolizes the correspondence that exists between the material world and the sprit world and how one cannot exist without the other.
Conclusion
As Above, So Below is a phrase that encourages us to live each day with intention and respect. It is a reminder that our actions have a far-reaching impact on the greater macrocosm, whether that be physical or spiritual in nature. By making sure our actions reflect the type of world we want to live in, we can influence both the Above and the Below in a positive way.
If you need some gentle guidance on setting balanced intentions, consider bringing some of these symbols into your home. They will help you remember how connected you are with the universe and give you motivation to live your life with joyful purpose.
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