June 3

Image Lucy Pringle Copyright 2007

This year has already seen some pretty amazingly complex and beautiful formations in barley. The Eastfield crop circle is no exception. This design reflects 3 ancient symbols in somewhat modified, or perhaps evolved, versions: the three-rayed sun, the triple alpha and the triquetra all related to the Goddess as Creator and Generator of Creation.

Three-rayed Sun

The Alton Barnes formation of June 3, 2007 seems to portray a progressed version of an ancient symbol called the Three-rayed Sun. Rather than the seemingly static older version with equal crossbars at the end of each arm, we see in the crop formation that the crossbars have almost become indicators of a spiral movement around, or perhaps coming from the circle and its centre? something is moving in this situation.

?The Three-rayed Sun represents the sun suspended in the midst of heaven by the power of the triple Goddess Who was supposed to have given birth to it. According to Tantric tradition, the Goddess concealed Herself behind the sun's brightness; it was ?the mayik vesture of Her who is clothed with the sun?. This image reappeared in the New Testament as ?the woman clothed with the sun? (Revelation 12:1).? (Walker 39)

Triple Alpha

Within the circle of this formation, we find renditions of two other ancient symbols, one of which is called the Triple Alpha. In the crop formation, we see that the outer triangles have curved, rather than the straight sides in the traditional symbol; nonetheless, the resemblance is striking.

The Triple Alpha is made of three repetitions of the letter Alpha, so it constituted a talisman of protection for women in childbirth. This symbol also includes three appearances of the double triangle. This repetition of three was used as a graphic invocation of the Triple Goddess, whom early Gnostic Christians entitle ?Triple-formed Primal Thought? (Trimorphic Protennoia), ?She Who exists before the All?, and ?Invisible One within the All.? The first letter of ancient sacred alphabets was usually a symbol of creation. (Walker 41)

Triquetra

The other symbol found in partial form is the Triquetra. This symbol is composed of three interlaced vesicas that are at times interlaced with a circle. In the crop formation, we see only the part of the triquetra that is circumscribed by the circle, however we can imagine the continuation of lines, which would form a complete and proper triquetra.

The Triquetra is an ancient symbol of the female trinity. (Walker 42)

- Michelle Jennings

Sources:
Walker, Barbara. The Woman?s Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred
Objects. Castle Books. New York. 1988.

See Also:

• Reconstruction of the 2007 Eastfield Formation .