What does north south east west mean in the bible? The cardinal points of the compass have spiritual meaning. These meanings and symbols can help us in living a more meaningful life. More importantly, some direction is better than no direction at all, right? Here are the meanings and symbolism of north, south, east and west. Check the north south east west symbols.
There are four cardinal directions—north, south, east and west. Everything in the world can be described with these words. The North Star is located in the north of the sky. It is about 16 degrees from the celestial pole. The Big Dipper in the northern sky is one of the most famous star groups to people. People also refer to it as a “ladle”. If you are familiar with the Big Dipper, you can actually use it to find Polaris.
The spiritual meaning of north, south, east, and west is based on the journey of life.
The north is where we begin our lives. It’s where we are born and raised. We know nothing else but what we grow up with. We are taught to believe that this is all there is—it’s the only way to live.
North Direction Spiritual Meaning
In the spiritual context, the north direction is often associated with wisdom and knowledge. It is believed to be the direction from which divine guidance and clarity can come. Just as the North Star has been used for centuries as a navigational tool, the north direction is seen as a guiding force in one’s spiritual journey. North represents a moment of serious contemplation where the lessons we’ve learned truly integrate. We become shining lights, beaming with spirituality and well-being. North also represents the in-between times and our afterlife in the Astral realm.
In the Bible, the north is often portrayed as a place of righteousness. In the book of Isaiah, it is mentioned in relation to God’s justice and rule: ”Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you” (Psalm 89:14, NIV). This verse highlights the importance of righteousness and justice in the north direction.
Additionally, the north direction symbolizes stability and steadfastness. In Proverbs 25:3, it is written, “As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.” This verse suggests that just as the north remains fixed and constant, a person who is aligned with the north direction can find stability and strength in their faith.
The north direction is also associated with winter and the element of earth. Winter is a time of introspection and reflection, where one can focus on personal growth and self-discovery. The earth element represents stability and grounding, encouraging individuals to anchor themselves in their beliefs and values.
What Does North South East West Mean In The Bible
As we grow older, we start to gain experience in different ways of living our lives. We begin to explore other cultures and ways of thinking. We begin questioning what we have been taught. This is where the west comes in: it represents a time when you’re ready to break free from your comfort zone and go out into the unknown world in order to find answers for yourself.
It’s also where you might have some doubts about your beliefs or about what you thought was true before—but now you have new experiences that make those doubts seem less important than they once did. This is why the west represents doubt: because it allows us to question everything we’ve ever known before so that we can find out what really matters in life (and who).
When you reach this stage of exploration and questioning, it doesn’t mean that everything
The four directions are a source of power for many cultures, and there are many spiritual meanings associated with the four cardinal points. In fact, the concept of four directions can be found in nearly every religion and spiritual belief system, from Native American traditions to Taoism.
North is often associated with coldness and darkness, as it is the opposite of the sun. Likewise, it is associated with honesty and integrity, because it is the opposite of lies and deceit which come from south. East is associated with creativity and new beginnings, while west represents endings and death. South is associated with warmth and lightness in comparison to north’s coldness; it is also associated with passion compared to east’s calmness and west’s despair.
The four directions play an important role in many creation stories across various cultures; for example: In Hinduism, Vishnu holds up the earth at each corner so that humans may live on its surface; in Norse mythology Odin sacrificed his eye to gain wisdom from Mimir’s Well (a well located at the center of Yggdrasil), which contained all knowledge of past present future life death earth sky heaven hell air fire water earth sea etc…
Spiritual Meaning of Cardinal Directions
North, East, South, and West. Symbolized by the circle in magic (which connects the points), the four elements, and the watchtowers.
The Tradition of Cardinal Points and Their Corresponding Elements
What are Cardinal Points? The four elements; the fire, water, air and earth, all have corresponding cardinal points. Air is in the east, water in the west, fire in the south, and earth in the north. This is an arrangement which is normally attributed to the four winds of the earth plane, but based on astrology, the arrangement is as follows: Earth is in the south ,fire in the east, water in the north, and the air in the west.
According to traditions, the following is how the elements are placed in the cardinal points and this tradition dates back to the cultures that developed astrology.
Astrological Cardinal points
The astrologers associate fire with East (Aries), Air with the west (Libra), Earth with south (Capricorn) and water with north (Cancer). When Agrippa wrote his book – Three Books of Occult Philosophy – Scale of the Four Numbers, these are the cardinal points which correspond to the elements.
Who Invented the Cardinal Points?
It is not clear how the cardinal points were invented. In traditional societies, direction depended on culture, myths, and language. In every spiritual tradition, each direction has specific correspondences. There are those who have a color, wind, an animal symbol, deities, a guardian or a season. In Zuni tradition, they have six directions, the four cardinal points plus below and above.
Each of the directions has a specific creature and a color which is to honor their fetishes. The Feng Shui use Rabbit to represent the East, Rat represents the north, horse, representing south and a rooster representing the west.The Celtics align the direction with four elements; Air for East, Water for West, Fire for the south, and Earth for the north. The Lakota tribe does it differently by the north being assigned to wisdom, south to inceptions, east to redemption and west to closings. For astrologers, Taurus represents east, Scorpio represents the west, Leo represents south, and Aquarius represents the north.
The Occult Cardinal Points
The occult traditions use the four cardinal points as elements of rituals, spells, in divination and crafting amulets. According to occult theorists, the energy of the earth’s magnetic field is the one which influences and empowers such undertakings.
North represents the element of earth, the new moon, time of midnight, and the season of spring; west represents the water element, waning moon, dusk, and the season of fall; east represents the air element, the waxing moon, sunrise, and the season of spring; south represents the fire element, the full moon, noon, and the season of summer.
How The Cardinal Points Affect The Occult
Each element corresponds to a cardinal point and gives it a specific characteristic. The west is tied with water corresponds to emotional nature, so when casting a spell that focuses on matters of the heart, one has to face in the west direction. If you have just fallen out of a relationship, then the waning moon and sun setting are even more symbolic.
Due to the fact most Neopagan and other esoteric belief systems do personalize their beliefs; the aforementioned can quickly change from person to person.
north south east west symbols
North:
North represents the cycle of life and death, and is associated with winter. It’s also associated with coldness and darkness, which can be comforting and protective when you’re feeling vulnerable.
South:
The south is associated with summer and fertility. It’s a direction that encourages growth, success, and prosperity—but it can also bring trouble if you’re not careful.
East:
The east is associated with sunrise and new beginnings, as well as knowledge and wisdom. It symbolizes understanding, peace, harmony, and balance.
West:
In contrast to the east, west represents sunset and endings; it’s a place where you can find renewal after a long day or let go of something that’s been weighing on your mind for too long.
D is for Directional Orientations (North, South, East, West)–A to Z Blog Challenge
D is for Directional Orientations (North, South, East, West)
Symbols in Stories from Around the World
Coming and going from any which direction differs from coming and going to a specific direction such as North, South, East, and West. Your fortune and the personalities you encounter depend on it. Though, combine all those directions together and you have entered the cosmos that encompasses all that is around us.
Many times the directions or the winds blowing from those directions are personified and become intriguing characters with folklore. The most forceful and intimidating of the winds has always been the North Wind, known to bring about miserable or wintry weather. The four elements—earth, fire, water, and air—relate to the four cardinal points of the compass. A square by itself or a square within a square can also represent those four cardinal points. Each line of the square takes on a direction while declaring that we exist in a world that balances opposites.
The Egyptian pyramids were built upon an East/West axis with the entrance facing the Pole Star. The pyramids acted as a world axis or were being the center of the universe. Muslims face Mecca when they pray and use a special compass called a qiblah to determine which way to position themselves. Squares and compasses emerge as main symbols within freemasonry and the use of compass points in imagery.
Here are some examples of what the cardinal directions mean for different cultures—
Chinese:
- North = winter, water, has image of tortoise with a snaked wrapped around it
- South = summer, fire, has image of the red bird/Phoenix
- East = spring, wood, has image of blue or green dragon
- West = autumn, metal, has image of white tiger
Japanese Buddhists:
- North = Protection by Blue God Bishamonten
- South = Protection by White-Faced Deity Zochoten
- East = Protection by Red-Faced Deity Komokuten
- West = Protection by Green-Faced Jikokuten
Celtic:
- North = earth, home, security, fertility
- South = fire, energy, passion, creativity
- East = air, communication, new beginnings, new growth
- West = water, emotion, psyche, movement
Lakota (Native American):
- North = wisdom/thought
- South = beginnings/purity
- East = salvation/spirit
- West = conclusions/fullness
Navajo Medicine Wheel (Native American): based on wind directions, creatures of the Mother, and colors of the races within the spirit realm
- North = Adult Phase, Image of the Buffalo, Place of Air, Animals, Mind, Heart, Wisdom, Balance and Harmony, Relates to White Races who know the ways of the Mind, Science, Research, and Technology
- South = Child Phase, Image of the Mouse, Place of Water, Plants, Emotions and Movements, Relates to Red Races who knows how to Dance in Harmony with the Earth
- East = Birth Stage, Image of the Eagle, Place of Fire, the Human World, Spark of Life, Spirituality and where one sets out on the Vision Quest, Relates to Yellow Races who have Mastered the Way of Meditation
- West = Death Stage, Image of the Bear, Place of Earth, Minerals, the Body, Dreaming, Intuition, Memories, Relates to Black Races who know how to Dance and Drum the Natural Rhythms of the Earth
Nigerian Yoruba:
- North = Color red and with the god Ogun
- South = Color white and with the deity Obbatal
- East = Colors green and yellow and with the god Eshu
- West = Color black and lightning deity Shango
Directions in Relation to Time:
- North = Eternity
- South = Present
- East = Future
- West = Past
Some stories that use the cardinal directions or at least personified wind forms:
- “East of the Sun, West of the Moon,” Norse tale, a girl must find the one-cursed-as-a-polar-bear prince and travels by the winds of all four directions
- “The Lad and the North Wind,” Scandinavian tale, where the North Wind is kind and gives gifts to a poor boy that keep getting stolen by a greedy innkeeper
- “The North Wind and the Sun,” Aesop’s Fable, contest of who can get the man to remove his coat