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Order II · Seals of Theurgy and Invocation
Padma Mudra
पद्म मुद्रा · padma mudrā · Σφραγὶς τοῦ Λωτοῦ
Also: Lotus Mudra
20
The heart opens like a lotus. The hands rise as a bud and unfold into a flower.
- Meaning
- Seal of the Lotus
- Tradition
- Yoga and Hindu iconography
- Hands
- Both hands, joined at base, little fingers and thumbs
- Placement
- In front of the chest, at the heart.
- Associations
- Heart chakra.
- Level
- Intermediary
Formation
- Place the hands before the chest, heels together, as a closed bud.
- Open the hands, keeping the tips of the little fingers and the outer edges of the thumbs together.
- Spread the other fingers wide, like the petals of a lotus.
Example Meditation
Bring the hands before the heart, open them into the lotus and breathe deeply into the open chest. With each breath, feel the heart open like the flower; then close the hands back into a bud. The seal opens the chest, restores the heart and purifies feeling.
Effects
PhysicalΣῶμα
- Opening of the chest. The spread fingers and open palms widen the chest with each breath.
EmotionalΘυμός
- Restoration. Given for feeling drained, exploited, misunderstood or lonely.
IntellectualΝοῦς
- Communication. It favours goodwill, affection and communication.
SoulΨυχή
- Purity of the heart. The lotus rises clean from the mud; the seal is purity and love unfolding from the heart centre.
AscentἈνάβασις
- The flower of the soul. From bud to blossom: the soul opens upward to the light of the Gods while its roots stay in the world.
Finger Key
| Finger | Element | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thumb | Fire | meets the left thumb | meets the right thumb |
| Index | Air | spread wide open | spread wide open |
| Middle | Aether | spread wide open | spread wide open |
| Ring | Earth | spread wide open | spread wide open |
| Little | Water | meets the left little finger | meets the right little finger |
Cautions and Variants
Variants. The image shows the open flower.
Sources
Recommended for Every Zevist Library
Gertrud Hirschi, Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands
The standard practical manual of the hand seals, with their indications and meditations. The Temple of Zeus recommends it as a purchase for every Zevist library, personal or communal.