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As_above_so_below_pose typically refers to a pose where the character's right hand is raised, the index and middle finger pointed up in a two-finger salute, and the left index and middle fingers pointed downward similarly. The pose is meant to symbolize harmony and the tie between the spiritual and the physical

Baphomet is popularly depicted holding this pose while sitting down, and the_magician_(tarot) traditionally features a standing man in a similar pose with a baton in his right hand and his left index pointed downward. While both examples are a variation of the pose, they both hold the same meaning: harmony, as above so below.

"As above so below" originates from the second verse of the Emerald Tablet, a Hermetic text dated to to the late eighth or early ninth century. The phrase refers to the effects of celestial mechanics upon terrestrial events. This would include the effects of the Sun upon the change of seasons, or those of the Moon upon the tides. It was later appropriated by occultists, and subsequently used in artistic depictions of Baphomet and the like.

See Also

• pointing
• pointing_up
• pointing_down
• gesture