Rough Notes:

SPIRAL 5

Golden spiral leaf StairNauvoo3 Symbols116
Symbols115 Symbols114
Symbols111 Symbols103 Symbols102 Symbols098
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ASCENT/DESCENT
Coming soon…

CREATION
“Spirals are a sign of growth and transformation through resistance. While their sizes and substances vary widely, nature’s spirals result from an interplay of opposites…”
Michael S. Schneider, A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe, 155

See “Man + Woman (as co-creators)”

DIVINE PROPORTION (PHI)
See Five

ENERGY
Coming soon…

LIFE
Coming soon…

MAN + WOMAN (AS CO-CREATORS)
“The single spiral or swastika’s traditional connection to creation is even more appropriate when it appears in LDS temples in the opposing male-female form. There it potentially signals a sacred union resulting in endless offspring into the eternities… Spirals and swastikas have had ancient connection to men, women, and creation for thousands of years.”
Val Brinkerhoff, The Day Star – Reading Sacred Architecture (Book 1), 166

QUATREFOIL 145

Quatrefoil with four leaves Floral Quatrefoil Barbed Quatrefoil, San Antonio Temple, courtesy Debbie Reed
Barbed Quatrefoil, San Antonio Temple, courtesy Debbie Reed Baptismal font at the General Theological Seminary, New York. (Fr. Bob Solon, Jr.)
© 2007, Michael Provard. via LdsChurchTemples.com "The Sacrifice of Isaac", by Lorenzo Ghiberti, Northern Doors of the Baptistery, Museo dell Bargello, © 2007, Richardfabi
St. Guthlac, Croyland Abbey, © 2007, Thorvaldsson
AtonementFiveFourMan + WomanMarriageOneResurrectionThe Father + The SonWhite
FUSION OF EARTHLY AND HEAVENLY
Although variations of the quatrefoil are used on many LDS temples, from the St. George to the San Antonio temple, it has been difficult finding any information on potential meanings related to this symbol. While the context of each symbol is very important, there are a few things we can observe visually and potentially connect them to doctrinal themes. The “petals” or “leaves” of the quatrefoil may imply the number 4, while the circular elements may imply the number 1, similar to the squared circle. What makes the quatrefoil stand out from the squared circle, is how the 4 and 1 elements are “fused”. Where the squared circle features 2 distinct shapes, the quatrefoil merges them into a new shape altogether. This fusion of 4 and 1 (4 representing the body and 1 representing the spirit) reminds one of the resurrection.

MAN + WOMAN AS ONE
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
Genesis 2:24

“And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.”
Mark 10:8

RESURRECTION
“The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.”
Alma 11:43

See “Fusion of Earthly and Heavenly”

THE FATHER + THE SON
“And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son—The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son—And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth.”
Mosiah 15:2-4

Symbol History
“The word quatrefoil means “four leaves”, from Latin quattuor, four, plus folium, a leaf…The quatrefoil enjoyed its peak popularity during the Gothic and Renaissance eras. It is most commonly found as tracery, mainly in Gothic architecture, where a quatrefoil can often be seen at the top of a Gothic arch, sometimes filled with stained glass.”
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatrefoil

“The barbed quatrefoil is a quatrefoil pierced at the angles by the points of an inscribed square, which gives an image akin to an heraldic rose, which is termed “barbed” due to the stylized thorns which project at the intersection of each pair of petals.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatrefoil

DAY STAR 15

pentagram11d pentagram-phi christ-pentagram From the Baptistery of the St. John (Šibenik) Cathedral in Plit, Croatia, Dated to the 1100s.
Santa-Maria-do-Olival-pentagram-ca1150 By El Comandante (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons The Passage of Venus from James Ferguson's "Astronomy Explained Upon Sir Isaac Newton's Principles”, 1799 IMG_5058
IMG_0349_2 collegiate-notre-dame-vitry-le-francoise_27893
dsc_2092 800px-Eljaröds_kyrka,_pentagram 153131636_c4a4a184b2_z
kaarma_church_pentagram The "Lone Star" is a popular motif in Texas and is frequently featured as a star within a circle. daystar Nauvoo Day Star windows feature blue, white and red, perhaps representing water, spirit and blood pent0a
Earth, Venus and the Sun align 5 times over an 8 year cycle. United States Medal of Honor KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA
An Early U.S. Flag 640 synagogue DSC02555
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Windows on Notre Dame OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA 3455327211_f5dff1fa36_b
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FiveGreenJesus ChristLifePhiResurrectionVenus
THE DAY / MORNING STAR (VENUS)
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:”
2 Peter 1:19

“I Jesus…am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”
Revelation 22:16

“And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star.”
Revelation 2:26-28

JESUS CHRIST
Jesus referred to himself as the “morning star” while Peter referred to him as the “day star” which is a reference in reference to the planet venus. In the sky, stars and planets look practically identical, so how is Venus indicated symbolically? One of the ways that this can be done is by a star symbol, since stars and planets appear similar in the sky. You can imply difference by flipping the star upside-down. The top of the star will then be pointing towards the earth, potentially symbolic of Christ’s condescension, or the way the planet Venus reflects light toward the Earth. In LDS Symbology an upside-down five-pointed star is potentially connected with the idea of Christ being the “day” or “morning” star.

See “The Day/Morning Star (Venus)”

DEATH + RESURRECTION
Coming soon…

THE FIVE WOUNDS OF CHRIST
Coming soon…

ETERNAL LIFE
Coming soon…

References
Restoring the Pentagram to its Proper Place