Meaning of Yin Yang Symbol

The meaning of the yin yang symbol, also known as the T'ai Chi, is very rich indeed. Opposing yet equal energies that are complimentary and completely inseparable; this is just one aspect of the ancient diagram that symbolizes a key theory in feng shui.

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The yin yang symbol is quite popular in modern culture, but it's actually thousands of years old. Chinese scholars created it in an effort to observe the placement of the sun and better understand how the universe works. They placed a pole upright in the ground, and then recorded the length of the shadows cast on a daily basis. By using a circular chart and dividing the main circle into six circles of concentric size, as well as twenty-four pie segments, the scholars were able to chart the sun's movements and determine how many days were in the average year.

These scholars also charted seasonal information regarding the equinoxes and solstices. In fact, they noted that the longest day of the year occurred on the summer solstice while the shortest day occurred on winter solstice. By compiling all of this info and shading the resulting portion of the chart that marks the sun's position during the period from the summer to winter solstices, they created the basic form of the yin yang symbol that we know today.

At its most simplistic, the design of the yin yang can be described as a circle divided into equal portions by a backward letter "S." The entire circle represents all the matter and energy in the universe, while the separate halves of the circle represent the opposing energies that interact and create the flow of that energy, known as chi .

Half of the symbol is dark and represents the yin, while the other half of the symbol is light and represents the yang. These two energies are equal, so neither one can be considered superior to the other. Yin and yang are in constant movement, one literally pushing the other along.

Within the largest area of each half of the symbol is a smaller circle that is the same color as the opposite half. This shows that there is a little yin energy in yang and a little yang energy in yin; therefore, they can never be separated. Considered as a whole, the ultimate meaning of the yin yang symbol can be interpreted as one of universal balance and harmony.

The following table compares many of the various qualities of each type of energy.

Although it's possible to find many artistic variations of the yin yang symbol, there is really only one correct way to orient the two halves. That is by placing the yin half fully on the left side of the circle and the yang half fully on the right. This aligns the two energies directly side-by-side, with the highest point of yang energy represented at the top, and the highest point of yin energy at the bottom. Traveling clockwise from yang's high point, you'll see yin's energy begin to increase until it reaches its zenith. Continuing clockwise, yang's energy begins to increase until it reaches its zenith back at the top of the symbol. Therefore, the cycle goes on eternally.

This proper orientation is very important because the symbol is also a type of compass and seasonal marker. The top of the symbol shows summer and the summer solstice that brings the longest day of the year. Autumn is found in the same area on the right as the point of increasing yin. Winter, including the winter solstice, is found at the bottom of the symbol in the area of highest yin. Spring is located in the same area as increasing yang.

As a compass rose, the yin yang symbol is oriented quite differently than a western compass. The Chinese consider south the cardinal direction to orient by, so it's found at the top of the symbol. North is its polar opposite at the bottom of the symbol. Likewise, the positions of east and west are also reversed, so east is at the left and west can be found at the right.

As you can see, the meaning of the yin yang symbol has many layers based in science as well as philosophy. It is truly an amazing work.

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