King

The sceptre and the globe, the masculine and feminine principles

December 21st 2024

The sceptre and the orb are emblems of royalty and, more generally, of power. Each time someone is depicted holding a sceptre in the right hand and an orb in the left, we know that the person must be royal. But what do we know of the deep meaning of these two objects? And do monarchs themselves really know what these objects represent?
The sceptre is usually considered to be the symbol of authority, and the orb the symbol of the territory over which this authority reigns. In reality these symbols have an even greater meaning. The sceptre and the orb represent the two principles: masculine and feminine. The masculine principle is always represented by a straight line – a sceptre, a caduceus, a spear, a sword, a pillar, a tree… and by the right hand. And the feminine principle is represented by a curved line – any hollow or rounded object, a sphere, a vase, a goblet, as well as a chasm, a cave – and by the left hand. Holding the sceptre and the orb signifies that one understands the two principles and knows how to work with them.*
* Related reading:

The symbol of the Libra is universal and used, among other things, to represent justice. But above all, it is a powerful subject for meditation and reflection, for it is by balancing this Libra within us that we will achieve a greater understanding of ourselves, of life and of the whole of...