Phanes: The Primordial Deity as a Symbol of Non-Dual Emergence

In the realm of timeless symbols, Phanes emerges as a profound emblem of non-duality. This primordial deity, with wings of an eagle and cloven feet, merges the masculine and feminine, the celestial and the terrestrial, embodying the unity of all existence. Encircled by serpents, Phanes holds an egg ablaze with transformative flames, representing the cyclical nature of the cosmos—birth, death, and rebirth.

Phanes, whose very name suggests bringing to light, stands not just as a deity but as a concept, a metaphor for the emergence of consciousness. The serpents that crown and embrace Phanes signify wisdom and the eternal cycle of life, while the fiery egg hints at the boundless potential within every moment of creation.

The fire upon which Phanes stands is a dance of passion and vitality, a visual testament to the dynamic essence of the cosmos. The staff in hand is not just a symbol of authority but a rod of manifestation, guiding the infinite possibilities of creation.

The encircling Zodiac is a cosmic embrace, an acknowledgment of the interwoven nature of the universe. Each sign, each celestial body, is a note in the symphony of existence, and Phanes is the conductor, the orchestrator of harmony within the vast expanse of the cosmos.

Phanes transcends duality, embodying the non-dual truth that all is one. In the presence of Phanes, we see not the separation of light and dark, good and evil, but the realization that these are but threads in the same tapestry, aspects of the same divine dance.

In the vision of Phanes, we are invited to see beyond the veil of separation, to embrace the unity that underpins our existence. Here, in the reflection of this ancient deity, we find a mirror of our non-dual nature, a reminder of the interconnected fabric of being that we are all a part of.

Phanes as a figure does not merely exist within the confines of myth but stands as a perennial beacon, illuminating the path to an awakened understanding, a consciousness that sees the unity in diversity, the oneness in the many.

This is the lesson of Phanes: that within the heart of creation, within the flames that forge existence, lies the whisper of non-duality, the truth that we are all one, intimately connected in the dance of creation, destruction, and rebirth. In this understanding, we find the dawn of compassion, the awakening of a consciousness that moves with love, that recognizes the self in the other, and the other in the self.

Phanes in the Red Book by Carl Jung

When we read this passage on Phanes from the Redbook by Carl Jung we can see that Jung was beginning to perceive non-duality….

“Phanes is the resplendent day. He is the immortal present. He is the gushing streams. He is the soughing wind. He is hunger and satiation. He is love and lust. He is mourning and consolation. He is promise and fulfillment. He is the light that illuminates every darkness. He is the eternal day. He is the silver light of the moon. He is the flickering stars. He is the shooting star that flashes and falls and lapses. He is the stream of shooting stars that returns every year. He is the returning sun and moon. He is the trailing star that brings wars and noble wine. He is the good and fullness of the year. He fulfills the hours with life-filled enchantment. He is love’s embrace and whisper. He is the warmth of friendship. He is the hope that enlivens the void. He is the magnificence of all renewed suns. He is the joy at every birth. He is the blooming flowers. He is the velvety butterfly’s wing. He is the scent of blooming gardens that fills the nights. He is the song of joy. He is the tree of light. He is perfection, everything done better. He is everything euphonious. He is the well-measured. He is the sacred number. He is the promise of life… (Black Book 7, pp. 16-9).

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