WORLD AXIS, UMBILICAL CORD

HANDS TO NAVEL SYMBOL

CONTENTS — FIND IN PAGE

HANDS TO NAVEL SYMBOL VIDEO — NAVEL IN SATURN THEORY — NAVEL SYMBOL IN INDIA — BRONZE AGE — THUNDERBOLTS.INFO SOURCES — OLDEST NAVEL DEPICTIONS — MIRCEA ELIADE SAME — RENS VAN DER SLUIJS AXIS MUNDI — EV COCHRANE: CONNECTING PLANETS

HANDS TO NAVEL SYMBOL VIDEO

The above video "Why Does This Ancient Symbol Appear Everywhere? - Archaic Lens Interview" covers mainly the common ancient symbol of hands on abdomen.

AI: The gesture of hands by the navel in ancient art and ritual symbolized birth, creation, life force, fertility, and the cosmic center, and was often used to invoke protection, divine connection, or to mark the origin of life and civilization.

NAVEL IN SATURN THEORY

Ev Cochrane and David Talbott—both central figures in the "Saturn Theory" school—interpret navel symbolism as deeply connected to ancient cosmology, especially the concept of the cosmic center and the role of Saturn as the axis or focal point of the heavens. They have indeed discussed the idea that the ancients regarded the cosmic axis as analogous to an umbilical cord, connecting the earth (or the "world navel") to the heavens or the realm of the gods.

On Thunderbolts.info, a site associated with both Talbott and Cochrane, it is explicitly stated that ancient metaphors such as the child, womb, amniotic fluid, and umbilical cord were chosen to reflect the perceived connection between the earth and the heavens. The cosmic axis—often represented as a pillar, world tree, or column—was seen as the conduit or tether linking the terrestrial and celestial realms, much like an umbilical cord connects a child to its mother.

In The Saturn Myth, Talbott describes how symbols such as the omphalos (navel stone), sacred pillars, and world mountains all grew out of ancient Saturn worship and the perception of Saturn as the central, organizing force in the sky. While the book does not always use the phrase "umbilical cord" directly, it makes clear that the navel and related symbols were understood as points of connection—between earth and sky, humanity and the gods, or the mundane and the divine.

The navel (omphalos) and the cosmic axis were thus both seen as points of origin and connection, and the umbilical cord metaphor naturally followed: the axis was the "cord" through which life, power, or divine order flowed from the heavens to the earth.

This interpretation is also reflected in broader ancient practices, such as omphalomancy (divination by the navel or umbilical cord), which further underscores the symbolic importance of the navel/cord as a link between worlds.

In summary:
Talbott and Cochrane have argued that many ancient cultures conceived of the cosmic axis as an umbilical cord, a vital connection between the earth (often symbolized by the navel or omphalos) and the heavens or divine realm. This axis/cord motif is central to their interpretation of ancient cosmological symbolism.

References: Thunderbolts.info; TheSaturnMyth

NAVEL SYMBOL IN INDIA

Navel contemplation—the focused meditation on the navel as a spiritual center—has deep roots in ancient Indian tradition, but the precise historical beginnings are difficult to pinpoint. Here’s what is supported by the sources and scholarship:

Mythological and Symbolic Origins

• Vedic and Puranic Tradition:
  In ancient Indian cosmology, the navel of Vishnu is described as the center of the universe and the source of life. From Vishnu’s navel springs a lotus on which Brahma, the creator, is seated—this image appears in many ancient Indian sculptures and texts. The navel here is a cosmic symbol, not just anatomical, representing the origin of the world and the axis connecting the divine and the earthly realms.

• Hindu Ritual and Temple Symbolism:
  The concept of the "navel of the earth" (Bhu-nabhi) appears in Hindu texts, where the temple’s sanctum is regarded as the cosmic center, a point of convergence between heaven and earth. This symbolism is ancient and underpins the ritual and architectural focus on centrality.

{Navel symbolism spread westward with domestic animals too.}

BRONZE AGE

The ancient symbol of hands by the navel (or "hands on abdomen") is rich in meaning and appears in various cultures, especially in prehistoric and Bronze Age figurines and monuments.

Key Interpretations

• Birth, Rebirth, and Life Force:
  At sites like Göbekli Tepe and Easter Island, statues with hands meeting at the navel are widely interpreted as symbols of birth or rebirth. The navel (omphalos) was seen as the center of creation, the point of origin for life, and a cosmic connection between earth and sky. In shamanic and ancient Near Eastern beliefs, the navel was the conduit for life energy, linking the human to the divine or cosmic order.

• Fertility, Pregnancy, and Protection:
  In the Aegean Bronze Age and other ancient Mediterranean contexts, the "hands on abdomen" gesture—especially in female figurines—has been interpreted as a sign of prayer for fertility, safe pregnancy, or protection of the fetus. It could also express religious reverence, supplication, or healing. This gesture is sometimes performed by male figurines as well, suggesting broader symbolic meanings beyond just fertility.

• Centrality, Creation, and Cosmology:
  The navel was often regarded as the center of the world (as at Delphi, called the "navel of the world"), a point of cosmic centrality and creation. It symbolized the connection between humans and the divine, the mortal and immortal, and was sometimes seen as a mark of humanity’s origin or separation from the gods.

• Divination and Mysticism:
  In ancient rituals like omphalomancy, the navel and umbilical cord were used in divination, believed to reveal destiny, family size, or fortune at birth. The navel thus also became a site of mystical and magical significance.

Summary Table

Symbol/Context; Main Meaning(s); Example Sites/Cultures

Hands on navel (statues); Birth, rebirth, life force, cosmic connection; Göbekli Tepe, Easter Island

Hands on abdomen (figurines); Fertility, pregnancy, prayer, healing; Aegean, Anatolia, Mycenaean

Navel as omphalos; Centrality, creation, link to divine; Delphi, Inca Cusco, Jerusalem

Omphalomancy; Divination, destiny, mystical ritual; Ancient Greece, Near East

{World’s earliest known copper furnace is in Kosovo/Serbia northwest of Turkey.}

• There is a correlation between the appearance of "navel idols" and the spread of early agriculture, copper use, and metallurgy. The guest notes that these artifacts often appear in the archaeological record alongside the earliest evidence of farming and metalworking, indicating they may have been part of a broader cultural package disseminated with these innovations.

• The documentation of these idols was done personally by the guest, who traveled to over 20 countries and museums to photograph and catalog them. This extensive fieldwork underpins the claim of the motif’s ubiquity and cross-cultural significance.

Ancient cultures did not always draw a literal cord from sky to earth, but they consistently used the navel, cord, or axis imagery to symbolize the vital, life-giving connection between the human world and the divine.

THUNDERBOLTS.INFO SOURCES

Thunderbolts.info – "The Navel of the Earth: Omphalos Symbolism"
"The Lotus and the Navel: Indian Cosmology," Journal of Hindu Studies
"Omphalos: The Navel of the Earth in Ancient Greek Religion," Classical Quarterly

• Thunderbolts.info Forum discussion referencing omphalos and navel symbolism:
  Thunderbolts Forum: Myths & Secrets – Omphalos

• Thunderbolts Project PDF on myth and symbolism (may discuss omphalos and cosmic symbolism):
  Thunderbolts Project PDF

• Omphalos history and symbolism overview:
  Symbol Sage: Omphalos

• Symbols.com entry on Omphalos:
  Symbols.com: Omphalos

• Wikipedia entry on Omphalos:
  Wikipedia: Omphalos

• Study.com lesson on Omphalos:
  Study.com: Omphalos Stone Origin, Symbolism & Significance

OLDEST NAVEL DEPICTIONS

Neolithic Vinca Culture (Serbia, 6000–3500 BC):
The oldest actual omphalos-like stones identified by archaeologists come from the prehistoric Vinca culture along the Danube in Serbia, predating the Greek examples by several millennia. These early stones are believed to have served a similar symbolic function as a center or "navel" of ritual space.

Göbekli Tepe T-Pillars

Reproduction of T-shaped pillars from Enclosure D, Göbekli Tepe, with engraved arms, displayed in the Şanlıurfa museum

The T-pillars at Göbekli Tepe are carved with arms and hands, and in some cases, the hands are depicted meeting at the front, just above or at the area corresponding to the navel. This gesture—hands meeting at the navel or lower abdomen—is widely interpreted as a symbol of birth, rebirth, or the channeling of life force. Some researchers explicitly connect this to shamanic beliefs about the earth taking its life force from the sky via a "navel cord," which is a metaphorical umbilical cord. The name "Göbekli Tepe" itself means "navel hill" in Turkish, reinforcing the centrality of navel symbolism at the site.

Easter Island Moai statues often display hands resting over the lower abdomen, with the thumbs sometimes touching or nearly touching, highlighting the navel area. According to local tradition, this posture is associated with birth or rebirth, and the navel (pito) is considered a sacred point of power and connection to the earth and ancestors.

The earliest ancients used trees, mountains, pillars, ladders, ropes, columns of smoke or fire, and navel stones as powerful symbols to express the connection between heaven and earth. These forms—natural and artificial—are the foundation of the axis mundi concept found in myth, ritual, and sacred architecture across the ancient world.

MIRCEA ELIADE SAME

Mircea Eliade and Navel Symbolism in Ancient Myths

The Omphalos: Navel as the Center of the World

Mircea Eliade identified the navel (Greek: omphalos) as a powerful and recurring symbol in ancient myths across cultures. He argued that the navel represents the center of the world—a sacred point that connects the earthly realm with the divine or cosmic order. This symbolism is not limited to a single tradition but appears in various forms worldwide, often associated with sacred mountains, temples, or stones that are believed to mark the world's center.

Axis Mundi and the Sacred Center

Eliade linked the navel to the concept of the axis mundi—the cosmic axis or world pillar that connects heaven, earth, and the underworld. In many mythologies, the navel or omphalos is seen as the spot where communication with the divine is possible, serving as the point of origin for creation and the axis around which the universe is ordered. This central point is often ritually marked in temples or shrines and is thought to be the place where the sacred breaks into the profane world.

Functions and Meanings

• Sacred Space: The navel symbolizes the transition from chaos (profane space) to order (sacred space). By marking a center—such as a temple, altar, or mountain—ancient peoples established a cosmos from the surrounding chaos, making that spot the most sacred.

• Ritual Reenactment: Myths and rituals often return to this center, reenacting the original moment of creation. Through ritual, participants symbolically return to the navel of the world, reconnecting with the sacred origins of existence.

• Universality: Eliade found that this concept is nearly universal, appearing in ancient Greek, Indian, Mesopotamian, and many other mythologies, each with its own version of the world’s navel or axis.

Critical Perspectives

While Eliade’s theory of the navel as the world’s center has been influential, some scholars have noted that the symbolism is not always universal or interpreted identically in all cultures. Nonetheless, Eliade’s work highlighted the deep significance of the navel as a symbol of cosmic order, sacredness, and the possibility of transcendence.

RENS VAN DER SLUIJS AXIS MUNDI

Rens van der Sluijs has explored the symbolism of the navel, omphalos, and umbilical cord in ancient mythologies, focusing on their roles as representations of the cosmic center and the connection between heaven and earth.

Key Points from van der Sluijs’ Work

• Omphalos as Cosmic Center: Van der Sluijs discusses how many ancient cultures identified a specific stone or site as the "navel" (omphalos) of the world, such as the famous omphalos at Delphi, which was believed to mark the center of the earth. He notes that similar "navel stones" or conical markers were found in places like Petra and that these served as symbols of the cosmic axis or world center.

• Symbolism Beyond Geography: He highlights that the tradition of marking a world center with a navel stone is widespread, with examples from Greek, Israelite, and Islamic traditions (e.g., the Ka‘ba in Mecca), and that these sites were seen as the point where the sacred and the earthly realms meet.

• Umbilical Cord and Axis Mundi: Van der Sluijs references myths from various cultures that describe a "navel-string" or umbilical cord connecting heaven and earth. For example, he cites a Khasi myth in which the "navel-string of heaven" once connected a hill on earth directly to the sky, and its severing resulted in the separation of heaven and earth. He draws parallels to similar motifs in African and Mesoamerican traditions, where a rope, ladder, or cord (sometimes described as "flesh-like") links the terrestrial and celestial realms.

• Interpretation of the Motif: He suggests that these myths about the navel, omphalos, and umbilical cord are symbolic expressions of the axis mundi—the world axis or cosmic pillar that unites different levels of the cosmos. Van der Sluijs also discusses how the imagery of the navel or cord as a living, connecting force is a recurring theme in world mythology, often associated with the original unity of heaven and earth and their subsequent separation.

• Critical Perspective: While acknowledging the work of earlier scholars like Mircea Eliade and Wilhelm Roscher, van der Sluijs argues that the iconography and mythic imagery of the navel and axis mundi may have been inspired by actual celestial phenomena (such as plasma columns or auroras) that ancient people interpreted as physical connections between earth and sky.

EV COCHRANE: CONNECTING PLANETS

Ev Cochrane, in Martian Metamorphoses, highlights the profound significance of the navel, omphalos, and umbilical cord as mythological symbols representing the connection between heaven and earth and the axis mundi—the world axis or cosmic pillar. Drawing on a wide range of global myths, Cochrane argues that these motifs are not mere poetic metaphors but encode memories of extraordinary celestial events witnessed in ancient times.

Most Significant Points from Martian Metamorphoses

• Celestial Navel-String as Axis Mundi:
  Cochrane cites myths, such as the Khasi tradition, describing a "navel-string of heaven"—a living, flesh-like cord that once physically linked a hill on earth to the sky. The severing of this umbilical cord is said to have caused the separation of heaven and earth, a theme echoed in African, Mesoamerican, and other traditions. This motif is interpreted as a mythic memory of a direct, visible connection between the terrestrial and celestial realms.

• Omphalos and World Center:
  The omphalos (navel-stone) is discussed as a marker of the cosmic center, a physical symbol of the axis around which the heavens revolved. Cochrane notes that such stones or markers—like those at Delphi or Petra—were seen as the "navel of the world," a place where communication with the divine was possible and where the cosmic order was anchored.

• Living Cord and Cosmic Connection:
  Cochrane emphasizes that myths often describe the connecting cord as "flesh-like" or alive, paralleling Maya and other indigenous accounts of a living rope or ladder uniting heaven and earth. This living connection is a recurring theme, suggesting that ancient peoples perceived the axis mundi as a dynamic, vital link rather than a static object.

• Interpretation in Catastrophist and Plasma Cosmology Context:
  Cochrane, following the "Electric Universe" and catastrophist perspectives, suggests that these universal motifs may reflect ancient observations of dramatic plasma formations or celestial phenomena—such as luminous columns or filaments—connecting planets or linking earth to the heavens. He proposes that these awe-inspiring sights were mythologized as umbilical cords, navels, or world axes.

Ev Cochrane explicitly relates the omphalos (navel-stone) to the primeval hill in mythological traditions. He discusses how many ancient cultures conceptualized the omphalos not only as the "navel of the world" but also as a representation or symbol of the first land to emerge from the cosmic waters—the primeval hill or mound.

Cochrane notes that the omphalos serves as a physical and symbolic marker of the cosmic center and is often associated with creation myths in which the world originates from a central mound or hill that rises from the primordial sea. This primeval hill is seen as the axis mundi, the place where heaven and earth are joined, and where creation begins. The omphalos, as a stone or marker at the center of temples or sacred sites (like Delphi), is thus a later, ritualistic echo of this original, mythic hill.

Cochrane further explores how this motif appears in Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and other mythologies, where the first land (benben in Egypt, for example) is both a literal and symbolic navel of the earth, reinforcing the connection between the omphalos and the primeval hill as central to the world's structure and order.

Maybe the picture above is something like what the ancients saw, which they interpreted as an umbilical cord connecting the heavenly planet/s with the primeval hill of the Earth. Pyramids seem to have been built to imitate the primeval hill.