The Spiritual Warrior

I bought this plaque back in 1988 in a little shop in Cambridge England when I was there for a study abroad program. Though I was drawn to the plaque, at the time I had no idea the deep meaning behind it. I was taking a Shakespeare class and an English history class that summer at Cambridge University, so the knight felt like it kind of fit into the general theme.

The other day, I took a close look at it and (because of all that I’ve been studying recently) was suddenly able to see all the symbology wrapped up in it. It turns out that the myriad depictions of knights slaying dragons that we see everywhere across the world symbolize the hero’s journey and the quest to tame the lower self. That is the self that holds us back from taking on the challenges of this life through love and virtue, and instead traps us in a haze of lies and distractions. And the self that keeps us mired in victimhood.

The knight on this plaque has tamed his animal self, so to speak, and is standing atop it, victorious. (As you can see there are dragons on his armor to convey this concept as well.)

Anytime you see a knight in armor like this, it also represents the seven pieces of the armor of God for defense against evil as told in the Bible, book of Ephesians 6:10-18. (Or perhaps it was in the Hogwarts “Defence Against the Dark Arts” class… I forget which now.) The seven pieces of armor are also another example of “six around one”, which is a very important concept that I touched upon in my video introducing the Family Mystery School I’ve recently started. In any case, here they are:

1. The belt of truth
2. The breastplate of righteousness
3. The shoes of peace
4. The shield of faith (though the shield is not depicted on this plaque)
5. The helmet of salvation
6. The sword of the spirit – the word/wyrd (which speaks our world into existence)

And the seventh piece is the spirit of the knight himself through prayer. Therefore, the six pieces of armor surround the knight himself.

This leads to the praying hands. The hands in the prayer position represent a life of balance. Bringing the hands together in a prayer pose are bringing the two halves of our body together into unity, including the left and right hemispheres of our brain. We are pointing our fingers heavenwards understanding the power of God above who is also within ourselves. (The physiology of our hands themselves link us directly to God, but that is a subject for another time.)

The prayer pose also works the same way as the hand positions (or mudras) in kundalini yoga to create actual physiological changes in the body while in meditation or prayer.

Another important symbol found on the knight’s armor is the fleur-de-lis, which represents the trinity. The trinity is not only found in Christianity, but throughout numerous cultures, such as in Druidry, the triquetra (Celtic trinity knot), the shamrock, and the poetic Triads. In Asatru it is the valknut (Norse trinity symbol). It is also found in the many trinities of gods such as the Egyptian Khemetan trinity of Osiris, Isis and Horus, or the Hindu trinity of Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva.

What the trinity represents is the totality of our lives: the creator, preserver, and destroyer… the past, present, and future. In Christianity, God the father is the creator and the future, just as we ourselves have the power to create for the future. Christ (the present) is the preserver – the ability to be in the now and to be in the flow of life. And the Holy Ghost is the past – the destroyer of that which does not serve us, and which we need to let go of in order to grow and rise so we may be of service.

The trinity represents the journey we are on in this life and how to go about that journey. Each is part of a whole life, and therefore is all One. Just as we have the beginning, middle, and end of a story, it is only one story. In Christianity the trinity is represented as a triangle – three separate lines creating one geometric shape.

Thus we have a picture of the spiritual warrior who has conquered his foe, even if only for a moment, but is ever ready to fight the necessary battles to return to his highest self. There is a knowing that is so complete that a stillness and calm can always be found at the center within.

We may wonder why it is necessary to have to fight battles in life. Why would a loving God send us to a place where there is evil? But this is because we are given the opportunity to go on this journey to find our way back home to love and to God. God did not create evil, but he gave us free will in order to fully experience goodness. If we did not experience evil, we would not understand the beauty and joy of grace. Just like we cannot fully appreciate light without dark, or happiness without sadness.

Evil comes from people who separate themselves from God (or goodness). This is not to say that we let evil-doers have their way. But we still love them, as they too have that spark of God within them. And ultimately we can understand what our quest is here in this life, giving us peace and assurance that we are in God’s hands, allowing us to be able to shine our light also for others who are struggling.

And if we fail… well, we get to come back and do it all over again. For the concept of reincarnation is also found in the Bible. (Again, a subject for another time.)

But in the end, if our hearts are found to be as light as a feather like in the Egyptian Book of the Dead “weighing of the heart” ceremony, we will reunite with God for eternity. We will be found to have the sacred heart of Jesus within us. For Christ himself shows us the way of the hero’s journey.

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints

Ephesians 6:10-18 KJV – The Holy Bible

I pray that you find this helpful and meaningful whatever path you may be traveling. The insights I share here are part of an ancient wisdom tradition which is based on verifiable truth found within the study of the seven liberal arts of the trivium and quadrivium.

Sending you much love and many blessings,

Jean