Eternal Life or the Rebirth of the Spirit
Eternal life is represented by cycles and the perpetual rebirth of things. Its ancient symbol is the serpent biting its own tail: the end of one cycle and the beginning of another.
This allegory is present on an archetypal level. The bird symbolizes this rebirth: it possesses the knowledge of the Word. This Word is manifested in the sky with its own language.
Understanding the breaths is the key.
It is also present on an olfactory level: fumigation mirrors the tree of life. Straight rising smoke is the ascent toward the divine. This verticality embodies the divine principle on earth, and fragrances are the expression of life.
The understanding of eternal life is never an infinite duration. It is a state, a quality of being, a cycle that does not break. In both Western and Eastern symbolism, it refers to three major axes: the unveiling of the three days of the soul. The decomposition of these three days can be compared to the three levels of a ship.
The first cycle gives us knowledge of the law, of death, of return, and continuity.
The second cycle is the revelation of a light to come, a light that does not extinguish and crosses the ages without concern for passing time.
The third cycle is access to ontological memory: the soul dwelling in its principle.
According to tradition, the man who ascends spiritually is like a tree (the tree of life) whose roots lie near the source.
Perfumes and Fragrant Waters
(see Blue Bird text)
The vision of the ancient Egyptians, the Indians of India, and the medieval world considers scented waters as waters of life, and fountains as sacred sources. In ancient thought, water is linked to perfume: it is the matrix of life.
Light is the source of life par excellence — it is its principle. To honor the original light, sacred white flowers (jasmine, kewra, tuberose, orange blossom) are used. They are the inner dimension of awakened consciousness, like a light that reveals, purifies, and presides over the rebirth of the spirit.