Aum Research Paper

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Many people associate Hinduism with meditation and the sound Aum. However, not many people understand that Aum or Om is more than just a sound made during meditation. The Aum symbol is one of the most important of Hindu symbols. The three letters that spell out Aum, each have their own meanings. They represent a state of being, waking, dreaming, and dreamless sleep (Williams Kyle). In Hinduism Aum is the considered the most sacred of the Hindu mantras. Another possible meaning for the syllable is that it represents the three worlds, the three major gods, and the three sacred Vedic scriptures. The sacred books of Hinduism, the Upanishads contain mentions of the Aum symbol. The Aum symbol is also the entire subject matter of one of the Upanishads,…show more content…
This duo theistic religion is free of a structured clergy and congregational hierarchy but often there is a priest and priestesses in a scholarly position. Wicca considers all life as sacred and the main teaching is harming none. There are many religious ceremonies that take place within the Wiccan faith. These ceremonies make use of a number of symbols, including the pentacle. In many neo-pagan religions, including Wicca, the pentacle is an ancient symbol with many uses and representations, such as, the elements and the divine. The pentacle is a five point star encased by a circle. Many pentacles can vary in modifications, depending on the artist and intended purpose. Some variations of the pentacle include the addition of crescent moons, wording, or other details, yet it is always seen with the apex pointing upwards, representing the divine spirit, while the lower four points represent the elements earth, air, fire, and water. No matter the variation, the pentacle is always drawn with the outer circle, which represents the flow of life or energy. The origins of the pentagram go back to remotest historical antiquity. As far back as pre-Babylonian Sumer, it has been venerated by many civilizations. To the Jewish peoples, it symbolically designated the Pentateauch; the Five Books of Moses It has survived under a variety of titles, such as "The Druid's Root" and "The Witches Star". For modern-day Pagans, the Pentacle contains many wonderful layers of symbolism. The five points symbolize the four directions with the fifth point as the sanctity of Spirit, within and without. The circle around the star symbolizes unity and wholeness. It represents the quest for Divine Knowledge, a concept which is ancient in origin and universal in scope from the earliest written ritual texts in Babylonia, to the Celts, to the Native American traditions. Similar to other figures

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