Turtle Island

I asked Michael Beckwith to sign my purchase "Trish and Turtle Island." He hesitated briefly and I explained that I always like to include Turtle Island. He commented that he knew it must be something that "I carried" and as he spoke the words he drew a circle with his hand at his upper body. I so appreciated this response...this knowing and understanding.

In The Rainbow Book is a picture of The Hindu Universe. It's a turtle above a coiled serpent who has his tail in mouth. Above turtle are elephants holding a half dome which holds a mountain. The description reads: "In a great many of the religions of the world some member of the reptile family symbolizes the nature of time. This element in the iconography of cosmograms is found not only in India, but alos around the Aztec calendar, and in the Alchemical image of a drgon-like creature biting its tail. As a rule, the symbol may be understood as a representation of the very outside edge of is, outside of which is infinity."