The Sphinx (A Esfinge)

The Sphinxes play a crucial symbolic role in several Ancient Mythological Traditions.
They are Hybrid creatures which mix human body parts with animal body parts   (feminine and masculine) and also of other mythological creatures, such as dragons.
The Sphinxes mystery are bound to the third evolutionary timeline of human creation (The Anthropogenesis), The third Lemurian Mother-Race , which developed itself tens of millions years ago.
In the middle of the third Lemurian Mother race, the Human evolution was lag behind, as a result of the lunar´s chain interruption, 3ª evolutionary phase of the universe (Cosmogenesis).
In Lemuria, humans resembled more to animals, even the mythological cyclops, had very high stature (over 4 meters tall), they were androgynous, their consciousness, were directly tied to the neuro-vegetative system, moreover they had no ego, in other words, individualized personalities.
In order to hasten the process of human evolution, The Law created a “Strike against the future”, fact known by Orient Traditions as “Tarakamaya” ( the war of heavens) and in Christian-Hebrew Tradition as “ Fall of the Angels “,  when parts of the Luceferic hierarchies were thrown on the Matter.
In order to have a better insight of the related facts regarding the           “ Queda das Hierarquias”( Fall of the Hierarchies), we suggest the reading of the Post “ Guerra do céu: Tarakamaya, already published on this website.
“A Queda das Hierarquias ( Fall of the Hierarchies)” resulted on the process which reached its highest point with the personality individualization, given by the “donation” of the Concrete Mental Awareness to Humans, thus forming, the psyche.
The focus of the consciousness is moved to the Cerebrospinal System, the pineal gland is internalized and the corporeal conformations start to shape up closest to the current Human structure.
Humans now, gifted with sense of individuality, become responsible for their own actions, by the free Will.
Consequently, The Law of Karma originates, or Law of Cause and Effect, symbolically expressed on the Biblical Old Testament as the           “ Expulsion from the Paradise”.
In addition, humans are no longer androgynous, by the polarization of the feminine principle (woman) and masculine principle (man), and the human reproduction starts to be through sex.
It´s also the beginning of the idea of good and evil polarity, consciousness and ignorance, light and darkness, which means, the balance being underpinned by the Law (Dharma), the balance is the neutrality.
In this context, The Sphinx as a totemic symbol, emerges as a summary of this  enormous process, preserving the Greater Secrets related to the “strike against the future” which took place during the 3ª Lemurian Mother race.
As a result, the Greater Secrets Keys are safe from the human initialization itself, towards the superior triad reconnection, The spirit represented by the arduous path of transmutation “ Vida energia em Vida Consciência (Life-Energy into Life-Consciousness)”
There are several sphinx representations in the ancient cultures and traditions, mainly, for instance, the Egyptian Sphinx of Giza( Sesheps), composed of human´s head and lion´s body and also the greek sphinx of Thebes composed of woman´s head, feline´s body, bird of prey´s wings and serpent´s tail.
According to Theosophy, the Sphinx summarizes into 4 “totems”, eagle, lion, bull and an angelical face being, it´s the quartenary manifested in all its correlations.
These totems are symbolized on the arcane XXI of Oswald Wirth´s Tarot (or XXII, depending on the perspective in question), “the World” which encloses a feminine figure inserted into a laurel wreath, that as a fifth principle, mirrors the latent Spiritual Trinity in human beings, which connection is the fifth Abstract Mental Awareness State.
Among several meanings of the arcane “ the world”, undoubtedly one of the mainly ones is to exhibit the sphinx as a result of the initiation process, of self- knowledge, Consciousness, such as the greek  old saying registered on the Delphic oracle in Apollo´s temple, “ know thyself and you shall know the universe”.
In the context of the tarot, sphinx figures also expressed on the arcane 2, “the moon”, arcane 7 “the car “, arcane 10, “wheel of fortune”, and even so on the arcane 15, “the devil ”, since the sphinx is, above all, a symbol of confrontation.
Confrontation because, in order to truly know himself, the human being,  has to look into himself , which implies facing the most hidden dark forces of his own psyche, enabling the refinement of his soul, leading to the “Great Light” of the Spirit.
In this way, The Sphinx has a very close meaning to the mythic “Threshold Guardian”, a source of teaching by many initiatic traditions;
The enigma of The Greek Sphinx of Thebes “Decipher me or I devour you” keeps this essence, of facing the darkness of our souls, enabling our self- knowledge and conscious work of transmutation from  “rough stone (?) to philosopher´s stone(?)”
It is interesting to note that, in this context, etymologically speaking, the Sphinx originates from the greek term “sphinx”, that means, to tighten, to squeeze.
The Sphinx pushes us in order to instigate us to our inner journey, unveiling to the ones which succeed in solving one´s enigmas.
Not reaching the success in solving it, the “devour” means that one´s consciousness will remain focused on inferior quaternary, on the matter, enslaved by instincts, desires, emotions and dense thoughts, in detriment of the highest levels of conscience, expressed in the Spirit.
As a reflection, regarding the Sphinxes Mysteries, we can not forget to mention, highly symbolic passage, the Greek myth of Oedipus.
According to the myth, the feared Sphinx of Thebes, eager to devour everyone who was not able to solve its enigmas, casts on Oedipus ( The swollen feet) the following challenge: „What is it that, walks on four legs in the morning, on two at noon, and on three in the evening?”
Oedipus answered that it was the Man itself who, as a child crawls on four legs, as an adult, walks on two legs and in an old age, uses a stick as a third leg and solved the riddle.
After decoding the enigma, the Sphinx throws itself from the top of a cliff, and dies shattered between the rocks, while Oedipus greeted by Thebes people, is proclaimed king.
The Sphinx

By Samya Kenda