ARCHIVES

narrative writing & arts

 

 

GLOSSARY

AXIS MUNDI

Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci, 1487. Axis Mundi (meaning the central pole of the earth) is a universal mythological concept which describes the place where heaven and earth, spirit and matter, and/or the four points of the compass meet. There are many forms that are used to represent the concept, including plants, trees, humans, geometric forms, objects, and specific geographical locations. According to mythic tradition, the individual's experience of the axis mundi often correlates with the receipt of divine knowledge or gifts. The divine gifts can take many extraordinary forms: healing, writing, painting, prophecy, dreams and visions.