A personal theory about the Egyptian Ankh

Hi to all ATSers,


I recently stumbled the famous and well known Egyptian ankh. Everything in this post (as the title says) is a whole personal theory/perception of my own related to this symbol/artifact.

So here it is :



Image of a typical ankh.


This symbol of Egyptian culture has many different names. Some name it barely the ankh, others name it the key of life, while others prefer to call it simply a wtf is this cross? (sarcasm)

Nevertheless I think this is a symbol which seems to mean a lot and not so much at the same time. The first time someone see it, he might ask himself what is this? Another possibility is to have that someone knowing what it is, "bah it is an egyptian ankh you know".

What is interesting although is when we try to interpret its real meaning to further understand what it is. The Egyptians could not simply crave on walls so many times such a symbol for no reason, so it must be of some importance in my opinion.


Another way to depict it is like the following image:




Do you see any difference? Maybe, or maybe not ... but you can clearly see on this second image (simplified of the ankh symbol) the ankh seems to be a composition of 2 elements.

It goes with a circle and two lines, one horizontal and the other is vertical. "Yeh right ... so what?"

Well if we push this a little deeper we can see that it is a composition of not three elements, but two instead.
(This is where I say this is my personal viewpoint on this symbol.

It reminds me a composition of these two elements :


The Omega symbol



A straight line.


Add these two together and you get the ankh. "Umm, yes but still... ???"

Well, considering that throughout history, curved lines/aspects were/are associated with femininity and straight lines/aspects were/are associated with masculinity, it would mean that the ankh is about the union of male and female aspects.

This is just a theory of mine.


Just to add to this, it was believed too that the ankh could symbolize immortality, mmh ...

So immortality could be reached while there is a union of the male and female aspect? (again this is my theory)

Analyzing this the way I just did led me to this conclusion.


Take it with a grain of salt though (maybe you will not see sexuality the same way you did after this),




Sincerly yours ATSers,





Thruthseek3r

Very good theroy. There are studies stating that healthy, consistent sex can add years onto ones life. Good eye on the two elements as well. I personally love the overall meaning of the aunk and therefore have always admired it and try to put it in aspects of my life.

Thanks for giving me a different new way of seeing this symbol.

reply to post by thruthseek3r

It was also featured in the sci-fi movie "Logan's Run"

Logan 5 is a Sandman along with his friend Francis 7. After chasing and killing one Runner, Logan finds an ankh among his possessions. Later, he meets Jessica 6, a citizen who also wears an ankh pendant. Logan takes the Runner's possessions to the computer, where he is told that the ankh is a symbol of a group of people that are helping the Runners to find "Sanctuary".

Yes, I think it represents immortality, and the "eye of the needle" referenced by Jesus, as in "you see, it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than it is for a rich man (attached) to enter the kingdom of heaven."

Very interesting theory. I really like how you found the omega symbol and staff.. makes one think a little.

Ankh - simbol of life

Some info for thought.

Nice post!

Makes sense.
male and female would definitely represent life.
the looped cross stands for fertility and life.

Another theory holds that the ankh was symbolic of the sunrise, with the loop representing the Sun rising above the horizon, which is represented by the crossbar

The loop of the ankh is believed to represent the Nile River, and the cross represents the path of the sun from east to west. Symbolizing life and immortality, the ankh represents regeneration, regrowth and renewal.

I'm surprised no one has broken it down like you did, so simple yet so logical.

Originally posted by horseplay

Symbolizing life and immortality, the ankh represents regeneration, regrowth and renewal.

Cool. So it's an evolutionary symbol, very nice, will have to get one.

I've always liked the ankh and have been fascinated with it also.

I do kung fu and my sifu is a kind of a Rastafarian who wears one. He told me it represents male and female union. the straight bit is the penis and the hole is the vagina and the arms are the offspring.

I also heard somewhere that it represents tantric energy. When you orgasim the energy goes from your root all the way through your body and out the top of your head, but if you practise trantric sex you can make this energy go back down and loop over and over to be in a permenant state of orgasim! Hence the looped part at the top of the cross symbolises the energy looping and not escaping out of the top of the head.

Further to this, I studied Qi Gong medatation and it believes when you orgasim alone you loose Qi (Energy/Ether) so masturbation is not encouraged. Andt here was me thinking it just made you blind!

The thing to remember is that God used to be a lady. So the Ankh, Yoni, Christian fish, Eye of Horus, and various other disc-shaped symbols are pretty much representative of a female deity.

Originally posted by Blue Shift
The thing to remember is that God used to be a lady. So the Ankh, Yoni, Christian fish, Eye of Horus, and various other disc-shaped symbols are pretty much representative of a female deity.

God used to be a lady?
what did I miss?
I have read about the representations of male/female parts and all.
Moving avatars should be banned by the way. just sayin..... not to you Blue Shift.....

I once read a shriner book on the subject.. a one dr malachi z york, self proclaimed high elder of the degrees of freemasonary...something about there being way more than 33dergees only privvy to black people or something..

but in the book i remember him stating the the circle was infact the sun the line across was the horizon on which the sun set and the line going down was the shadow the sun set on the water..

it was an interesting read and i remember sending the book to italy so my aunty could read it as she was into these kinds of things...

the book was titled jesus found in egipt.. (see link below)

nuwaubian.blogspot.com...

Funny I had an attack of googleitis yesterday and did the little research I could find on the ankh,two things stood out they held the thing by the ring side and then gave that side to people to kiss,also whentheir gids held the ankh to give it to them it was the same way,it just seems weird to let them kiss the part you held in your hand and not hygenic either direction,an odd ball way I would think that they would just keep holding it by the circle and let people kiss?the thing.

Secong the Sumerians gods also held a modified ankh but definately an ankh.

Was whatever good thing about it something to do with touch?Tast?Adrug?A communicator?

What would you hold like that functionally and then offer to someone like that?And what would you accept like that,and what would be given from gods to men then kings to servants??

Anybody here heard of Dr. Rafiq Bilal? He passed away, but his theory makes the most sense to me, and it compelled me to put the ankh in my visual path as much as possible.

The typical hypothesis and meaning is that it represents "life". According to Erykah Badu (she got her info from the aser aset sect) the loop represents the womb, the straight line represents the penis, and the horizontal, under the loop represents the ovaries.

Dr. Rafiq Bilal, agrees with that theory, and adds another:

The horizontal line, represents the earth, literally ground level. The straight line represents bodies of water on earth. And the loop, represents evaporation, and precipitation. Another fundamental part of life.

We wouldn't be here if it weren't for wombs, penis', ovaries, evaporation, and precipitation....

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine


Bingo,the Ankh is symbolic of the process that is used to produce the Philosophers Stone.the process by which immortality is attained.

The evaporative process is key in the understanding of the process by which the stone is grown.

Originally posted by horseplay

Originally posted by Blue Shift
The thing to remember is that God used to be a lady. So the Ankh, Yoni, Christian fish, Eye of Horus, and various other disc-shaped symbols are pretty much representative of a female deity.

God used to be a lady?
what did I miss?
I have read about the representations of male/female parts and all.
Moving avatars should be banned by the way. just sayin..... not to you Blue Shift.....

We all used to be ladys ....Us males that is.....All male mamalls begin life in the womb as females...Its only after a few weeks some embryos mutate into males,,,,,,So if like me you are a man ...Remember you are just a mutant female..Thats why all male mamalls have nipples a remnant of our female beginings,

Originally posted by horseplay

Originally posted by Blue Shift
The thing to remember is that God used to be a lady. So the Ankh, Yoni, Christian fish, Eye of Horus, and various other disc-shaped symbols are pretty much representative of a female deity.

God used to be a lady?
what did I miss?
I have read about the representations of male/female parts and all.
Moving avatars should be banned by the way. just sayin..... not to you Blue Shift.....

This is why I am not monotheistic. I believe in a Divine Unity between the Male and Female... There is not one God, but a Goddess and her Mate. The biggest cover up in history, IMHO. That we think God would be male is laughable, that we think he did it all alone is even more ridiculous.

Now, I have no proof of this. It is only in the depths of my spirit I feel the truth, she speaks to me there.

This is the only way to attain true Enlightenment, to live and acknowledge the importance of the two halves of the whole. To believe otherwise, you will never have Wisdom.

Sexuality, Eternal Life, this is our precious Ankh. Life is born of the unity of Male and Female, and may it be Carried onward.

There is no Positive and Negative... But there is Female and Male... we get evil from the extremes of the two, when the energy is unbalanced. Now, our earth is Negative from such a powerful presence of Male energy, with no Female influence. I have a personal theory that the ancient earth met it's previous demise from the reverse, a powerful Female presence with little male, thus the enthusiasm to patronize femininity. Again, only a conclusion I have personally come up with through intense meditation and self reflection.

The only way the world will achieve peace is balance.. which is where we are slowly but surely heading.

I've worn an ankh, every day for the past 6 years, to remind myself that my soul is Everlasting. May we all regard the importance of this symbol. (:

namaste, OP, thread much appreciated.

Originally posted by MrSpiderMonkey
I do kung fu and my sifu is a kind of a Rastafarian who wears one. He told me it represents male and female union. the straight bit is the penis and the hole is the vagina and the arms are the offspring.

I also heard somewhere that it represents tantric energy. When you orgasim the energy goes from your root all the way through your body and out the top of your head, but if you practise trantric sex you can make this energy go back down and loop over and over to be in a permenant state of orgasim! Hence the looped part at the top of the cross symbolises the energy looping and not escaping out of the top of the head.

Further to this, I studied Qi Gong medatation and it believes when you orgasim alone you loose Qi (Energy/Ether) so masturbation is not encouraged. Andt here was me thinking it just made you blind!

edit on 6-12-2011 by MrSpiderMonkey because: typo

Mmh, I heard about the possibility of permanent orgasm, but I never heard about tantric sex. Something I might try to find more info on.

Thanks for the reply ,



Thruthseek3r

I am very surprised ATSers,

I see many people talking about their theories and knowledge, and what astonishes me is that I did not thought it was that much widespread. I still am happy to have understood what I just wrote though, it gives me a feeling that I am maybe onto something here.




Thruthseek3r

I must add to this thank you all for your replies,

much appreciated,

even more if it made sense to you ,



Thruthseek3r

I have notice that some one holds it near some ones mouth?
not touching the lips like a kiss.
more like they speak to it?

are they using it to speak a promise to.
like a microphone that records the promise to it.
a promise to the gods.

just a gut feeling when I look at it in the pictures.
why else would they show it in a picture?
maybe I was there in a past life?
next time you see Egyptian pics have a look.

Originally posted by phaesporia63incarnate

Originally posted by thruthseek3r

This is the only way to attain true Enlightenment, to live and acknowledge the importance of the two halves of the whole. To believe otherwise, you will never have Wisdom. ...

The only way the world will achieve peace is balance.. which is where we are slowly but surely heading.

You all are so enlightening! i want so badly to learn, to progress.
It's nice to see fresh ideas, fresh insight, new and logical thoughts.
I'm not any particular religion, I haven't been to a church since, well, I can't remember.
thank you