“Worship me in the symbols and images which remind thee of me.” Bhagavata Purana XI, Chapter 5.
The Kundalini Hamsa can be viewed here: http://www.onevidya.com/symbols/kundalini-hamsa/
The Kundalini Hamsa
The symbolic Kundalini Hamsa combines and leverages the prevalent Hamsa (important in many extant religious traditions) with symbology (archetype references) of the frequently misunderstood Kundalini Shakti (also referenced as the Holy Spirit or the Divine Mother).
Hamsa Origins and Current Use
The Hamsa (five fingered hand with an eye in the palm) is generalized as the Hand of God and is commonly utilized in jewelry (on necklaces, amulets or bracelets) or as a protective marking or design. Although known as the Hamsa Hand, the symbol is commonly utilized across many religious traditions and is known by its specific name in each religion. Its meaning and usage vary upon the religious or geographic context, but the Hamsa is generally associated with happiness, health and good fortune, and it is commonly used to ward off evil (the hand protects against the evil eye).
Although Islam, Judaism and Christianity each claim the Hamsa Hand as part of their religious symbology, archeological evidence shows the Hamsa (eye in the hand symbol) may have originated with the Phoenicians, where it was used as a protective symbol for an ancient fertility goddess.
The Hamsa symbol is a beautiful symbol for ONE vidya as it highlights an additional connection among prominent orthodox religions. Each of the Islamic, Jewish and Christian traditions utilizes the Hamsa Hand as part of its religious symbology:
Muslims refer to it as the Hand of Fatima where it symbolizes the hand of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, Fatima Zahra, who was the epitome of faith and tolerance. The five fingers of the Hamsa are also reported to represent the Five Pillars of Islam.
In Christianity, the symbol is associated with the hand of the Virgin Mary and is used to protect women against malicious gazes (protection against the evil eye) and to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
In Jewish and Kabbalistic traditions, the five fingers on the hand represent the five books of the Torah, and the symbol is known as the Hand of Miriam (the sister of Moses and Aaron). The symbol is used in Judaism to banish negative energy and to bless its owners with good luck and good fortune.
Kundalini Shakti – The Divine Mother
Kundalini is frequently misunderstood, trivialized and misapplied in the West as a mere source of significant (and potentially uncontrollable) energy. The proper understanding of Kundalini is as the Divine Mother – Kundalini Shakti – herself. Within the Holy Trinity, Kundalini Shakti is the Holy Spirit. Shiva is the Great Light, the un-manifest Infinite Awareness, and Kundalini is the divine energy (Shakti) and the cutting edge of creation, preservation and destruction within the manifest world.
Within the OM symbol, Shiva is the bindu point, and Kundalini Shakti is the transformative power to guide man through the various stages to break through the raif/ maya (symbolically represented as the swoosh in the OM symbol) and ultimately reside at Bindu. Again with reference to the Holy Trinity, man is the son whose spiritual journey can be viewed through the OM symbol (reflected within the OM symbol – starting with the waking state to ultimately pass through the raif/ maya – symbolically the swoosh in the OM symbol) to arrive and merge with Shiva at bindu.