Adda-Nari



“This pantheistic image represents Religion or Truth, terrible for the profane and gentle for initiates . It has more than one analogy with the Cherub of Ezekiel. The human figure is placed between a bridled bull and a tiger, thus forming the triangle of Kethar, Geburah, and Gedulah, or Chesed. In the Indian symbol, the four magical signs of the Tarot are found in the four hands of Addha Nari—on the side of the initiate and of mercy are the sceptre and the cup on the side of the profane, represented by the tiger, are the sword and the circle, which latter may become either the ring of a chain or an iron collar. On the side of the initiate, the goddess is clothed only with the skin of the tiger on that of the tiger itself she wears a long star-spangled robe, and even her hair is veiled. A fountain of milk springs from her forehead, falls on the side of the initiate, and about Addha -Nari and the two animals it forms a magic circle, enclosing them in an island which represents the world. The goddess wears round her neck a magic chain, formed of iron links on the side of the profane and of intelligent heads on that of the initiate; she bears on her forehead the figure of the lingam, and on either side of her are three superposed lines which represent the equilibrium of the triad, and recall the trigrams of Fo-Hi.” - Eliphas Levi