The most famous Sphinx is the Egyptian Sphinx, but there were Sphinxes all over the ancient world. What were the ancients trying to tell us with Sphinxes? Symbolically Sphinxes were guardians of entrances. I have shown in previous work how cherubs are actually Sphinxes, but what is the meaning of the Sphinx? In order to answer that we must look at how the Sphinxes were used in legends and myths. To actually understand a symbol you must go back to the origin.
In legends and myths when a person came upon a Sphinx that person would be asked to solve a riddle. If they could solve the riddle they were allowed to pass. If they could not solve the riddle, the Sphinx destroyed them or devoured them. This is why Sphinxes are in front of doorways. The true doorway they guard is mental and spiritual. They guard the doorway to higher wisdom and higher planes.
The Egyptian Sphinx had the head of a woman at one time and when patriarchy took hold in this world the head was chiseled down to a male Pharaoh’s head. Everything about patriarchy is ignorance. The reason why it had a female head is because it was created when the sun was leaving Virgo and entering Leo. The sun left Virgo and entered Leo about 11,000 BCE. The Egyptian Sphinx was guarding the entrance to Leo. It was also a time stamp to show when the Ancient Egyptian civilization began.
In the Tarot the Sphinx is on top of the Wheel of Fortune. The Wheel of Fortune is life cycles. It is the 10th card of the Major Arcana. 10 is completion. As one cycle ends another one begins. The newer cycle is a higher degree and these cycles are eternal. The Sphinx is the guardian of the mystery of yourself and nature. As you go on your spiritual, alchemical or magical path you must solve mysteries. Once you solve them they become wisdom. You conquer the riddle and in the process you conquer the Sphinx, but as you enter a new realm another Sphinx is there waiting for you with another riddle.
The Sphinx is in your everyday life too. Whenever you start something new, you must answer to the Sphinx. When you start a new job, go to a new school, learn a new language, learn magic, go on a new adventure, etc. You are standing in front of the Sphinx trying to acquire new wisdom or knowledge. We are usually anxious and uneasy when we start something new. Learning the new thing or taking the new adventure is the riddle of the Sphinx! When you master your new skill you are allowed to enter into new knowledge. Other doors appear, but with each new door new Sphinxes with new riddles appear too.
The Sphinx is the inner and outer world. It is there to make sure you go step by step and learn. You can not just jump right in and master something. Its a step by step procedure. With the Sphinx its a door by door procedure. You need to solve the rookie and intermediate riddles first. When you solve the riddles and learn something new you obtain wisdom you didn’t have before. After each riddle is solved new riddles with new wisdom will present themselves for you to conquer and learn. This cycle is eternal because you can never know everything. So stand in front of the Sphinx on what you want to learn and solve the riddle. The hardest Sphinxes are the ones that guard the gates of your inner world. Will you conquer the Sphinx or will you run?