As children, we ran in circles, turned in circles, and people swung us around in circles until we dizzied ourselves and couldn’t stand up. We drew circles on paper and in the sand; it was circles of fun!
Believe it or not, we’re still obsessed with circles!
Round, spherical, or circular things are a large part of our lives.
Can you imagine not having round eyes? It may be kinda hard to visualize anything else.
The round shape of our eyes is one among thousands of naturally rounded or circular things in our world. Of course, the moon, sun, Earth, and other planets are round.
Circles pervade our society relative to the creative and human-made objects we use daily. What about the change in your purse: pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, etc.? I can’t imagine dangling square coins and trying to pick one of them up off a counter.
The circle symbolizes completeness, whereby there is no beginning or end. If I drew a perfect circle, no one could determine where it begins or ends. The symbol is continuous, unbroken, whole, and without interruption.
It’s more pleasing to look at a circle than a square or some other geometric form.
Hugging and handling a circle is easier than some other geometric forms. Think of the many fitness or exercise balls.
It’s no accident that wheels are circular due to their practical form and functions. Who wants to ride a Ford 150 on four hexagon tires?
Circular things have functionality in our lives but also have universal and cultural symbolism or meanings.
Circles symbolize unity.
People pray in circles in oneness or one accord – the same purpose of mind and spirit. Athletic teams and other groups gather in a circle for unity in spirit, effort, and goal. One for all and all for one! Go! Fight! Win!
Circles symbolize safety.
Think about the safety and protection that circles represent. The circle forms a barrier between what’s inside and what’s outside.
One variation of a well-known poem states, “You drew a circle that shut me out; God drew a circle that kept me in.”
The circle has spiritual meanings.
The circle represents eternity, the evolution and continuous and never-ending transformation of everything in life.
The circle of life is a part of the transformation: birth, growth, reproduction, and death. This circle continues until time is no more. Beyond this circle are rebirths and eternity.
Why is time visualized and represented with a clock with hands moving in a circular motion? Time cycles and never ends. Although our days run in 24-hour cycles, time has no edges or beginning or ending markings.
Time runs a race that no human can compete and win.
The circle is a symbol of love.
The wedding rings are exchanged during marriage ceremonies to symbolize the bond and love between two people.
There are many more symbolic meanings of circles in various cultures in the world.
The Earth orbits in a circle around the sun once a year and makes one complete rotation on its axis once every 24 hours.
Around and around we go!
Be well.