Trinity or Triangle? The Faces of The Divine Trinity and Its Shadow

In the Bible we are told that God made man in his own image (Gen 1:27). Christianity, as well as many other ancient teachings are founded on the revelation of God as being a holy trinity, “three-in-one”: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word (Son), and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one.” (1 John 5:7)

Since we are all made in God's own image then wouldn't it make sense that we too are three-fold beings? It certainly makes sense to me that each of us, as reflections of the One Trinity, are also ourselves made up of a trinity. It follows in my line or reasoning that deeply embedded within each of us there may well be a “tri-cell of origin” that contains the code for our own inner essence. In fact, sacred geometry claims this indeed is the case.

“For it is written that the foundation of all things is the three.” (*Manley P Hall; The Secret Teachings of All Ages)

Theologians and ancient philosophers like Pythagoras used the equilateral triangle as a symbol representing the three aspects of divinity in God (and man). And again according to sacred geometry this divine trinity remains essentially whole and untouched in the physical form, located precisely at the center point of the body at the base of the spine, which in eastern philosophy is known as the “root chakra.”

This understanding of man as being a three part reflection of the tri-fold being of God is a wonderful validation of an ancient Hermetic axiom, “As above, so below” suggesting that there is within us a tri-fold Divine Inner Spark, or Sacred Code/DNA, that reflects the Holy Trinity. This, then, is our divine center.

The Holy Trinity represents the three “personalities,” or “selves” of God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each symbolizes a specific divine attribute with its own distinct function and purpose. 

The Father, (of the Trinity) is the masculine principle that signifies the One Mind. Because the Father is the origin of all the thoughts in the universe, He is often described as “Germinal Reason.”

Bringing life and creation to Earth with His penetrating mental intention and clear-headed acuity and analysis, He is just and strong. Serving as the Great Overseer of all mankind, the Father is That which sits upon His mighty throne holding the sword of truth and righteousness. He governs with sound reason over His earthly domain. He is the active and rational principle of the cosmos. He is the Law and denotes the right use of power. He is the Builder and the source of all activity. He is the Great Manifester. He is the Father of All.

The Holy Spirit is the part of the Trinity that seems to be least understood. The dictionary simply defines it as the “Third person of the Christian Trinity.” A great deal of mystery has surrounded the Holy Spirit for centuries. Perhaps this is partly because of the early church's resistance to attributing a feminine face to God. Many scholars and seekers believe that the feminine was purposely left out of the Trinity due to the ruling patriarchs disdain for women.

However to me it seems the feminine face of God is not missing at all, for the characteristics ascribed to the Holy Spirit, even as elusive as they may be, fit well the Divine Feminine Archetype.

References in the Bible allude to the Holy Spirit with phrases such as, “… helps us in our weakness…” and “… intercedes for us….” (Romans 8:26). Biblical attributes of the Spirit include, ” … love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control…” (Galatians 5:22). Some of the Gnostic and ancient writings show no hesitation in openly proclaiming the Holy Spirit as the Divine Feminine.

She was referred to as “Aima, the Great Mother … from whose body the generations issue forth.” (*Manley P Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages)  From such references we recognize that the Holy Spirit is the nurturing, care-giving aspect of Divinity.

Known as the Great Comforter, this personality of the God-head brings consolation and inspiration. When called upon the Holy Spirit intervenes for us in much the same way a good mother might intercede on behalf of her child. This Divine Mother, or Holy Spirit, holds the memory of who we truly are; she knows our highest potential. Within her vast remembrance is contained all we have ever been, or can ever become. From her unsurpassed compassion and understanding of what has been and can be all intuition flows. She is the vessel of receptivity from which great things are conceived and held in gestation until the time is right for delivery. She is the Holy Mother who intercedes for us all.

The third aspect of the Trinity is simply referred to as the “Son.”  The son is the progeny or manifestation of God, flesh of that flesh, and one with him. He is the “Logos,” the “Word” born from the union of the Father and the Holy Spirit.

The Bible describes the Son as “The Word became flesh … who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)  “For the law was given through Moses…” but “… grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

He represents the principles of love, truth, and surrender. By illustrating the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, He is the Way-shower and the Great Transformer.  He is the bridge between Heaven (Father) and Earth (Mother) and between our own higher and lower selves. Modeling the path to transcendence through service, He is the sacrificial Lamb of God, and is that part of us that is in service to the Will of the Father.

These are the three personalities of God. But I do not believe that they belong only to our External Source, or God; they are also personalities contained within every one of us.

These divine selves are the direct expression of all that is authentic within the human being. They make up our innermost Reality; they are the core of our eternal essence. Rather than being something “out there” which belongs to an unapproachable and distant God, these personalities lie as dormant potential within us, potential that is waiting to be activated.

This sacred trinity then is the seed of our own Essential Self, containing within it the birthright that is both our right and responsibility to realize. We might think of the tri-cell within as our own embedded “cosmic chip” that is designed to mirror the One Source, God.

This cosmic chip, our own individual spark of Divinity, is what we refer to as our higher-self. It is this receptor site for Source that links us to the eternal Present and our Creator. It is this connection at the very core of our being with Source, however that we all appear destined to forget.

For it is true that long before we recognize that there resides within us this sacred trinity, we come to experience the trinity within us in its inverted or “shadow” form – as the victim triangle.

We come to know the dark expressions of trinity first in negative detail as we play out the shadow version of these three roles on what is known as the Victim Triangle.

To some degree we all experience the chaos and turmoil of victimhood for it is part of the fabric or design of life in this Reality. The symptoms of victimhood – alienation, isolation and shame – are all part of our ongoing life process of birth, growth and change.

The experience of separation and pain we experience on the Victim Triangle is not something that happens accidentally. Separation and alienation are the primary illusions that go with putting on a body suit.

The victim state of consciousness we all experience to some degree is pre-ordained and, I believe, even a necessary part of the human experience. We are here to walk this journey as humans on the way to our divine inheritance and part of that walk is the experience of the trials that accompany alienation. Why? For the sole purpose of expanding our consciousness to the point that allows us to reclaim our birthright – the holy trinity within.

Like the acorn that holds the map of unfoldment for the magnificent oak, we too contain within us the sacred code of an inner and Divine Trinity that continues to radiate goodness and guidance throughout our lives, awaiting a time when we will once again remember  and awaken to who we truly are.