Mother’s Symbol

      Words of the Mother

      The central circle represents the Divine Consciousness.

      The four petals represent the four powers of the Mother.

      The twelve petals represent the twelve powers of the Mother manifested for Her work.

      *

      Words of the Mother

      The central circle represents the Supreme Mother, the Mahashakti.

      The four central petals are the four aspects of the Mother – and the twelve petals, Her twelve attributes.

      *

      Words of the Mother

      It is the symbolic design of the white Lotus of Supreme Consciousness, with the Mahashakti (the form of the Mother as universal creation) at the centre in her four aspects and twelve attributes.

      *

      Words of the Mother

      Mother, in your symbol the twelve petals signify the twelve inner planes, don’t they?

      It signifies anything one wants, you see. Twelve: that’s the number of Aditi, of Mahashakti. So it applies to everything; all her action has twelve aspects. There are also her twelve virtues, her twelve powers, her twelve aspects, and then her twelve planes of manifestation and many other things that are twelve; and the symbol, the number twelve is in itself a symbol. It is the symbol of manifestation, double perfection, in essence and in manifestation, in the creation.

      What are the twelve aspects, Sweet Mother?

      Ah, my child, I have described this somewhere, but I don’t remember now. For it is always a choice, you see; according to what one wants to say, one can choose these twelve aspects or twelve others, or give them different names. The same aspect can be named in different ways. This does not have the fixity of a mental theory. (Silence)

      According to the angle from which one sees the creation, one day I may describe twelve aspects to you; and then another day, because I have shifted my centre of observation, I may describe twelve others, and they will be equally true.

      *

      Words of Sri Aurobindo

      I have frequently been thinking of the Mother’s symbol (chakra) and its significance. I have understood it as follows:

      Central circle – Transcendental power.

      Four inner petals – Four powers working from the Supermind to Overmind.

      Twelve outer petals – Division of four into twelve powers from Overmind to Intuition and mind.

      Is my conception at all tenable?

      Essentially (in general principle) the 12 powers are the vibrations that are necessary for the complete manifestation. These are the 12 seen from the beginning above the Mother’s head. Thus there are really 12 rays from the sun, not 7, 12 planets etc.

      As to the exact interpretation of the detail of the powers, I see nothing against the arrangement you have made. It can stand very well.

      * * *