THE RING-PASS-NOT

Among the numerous esoteric expressions found in the occultist Helena Blavatsky’s 1888 book ‘The Secret Doctrine’ is the term “Ring-Pass-Not”; an evocative concept appearing in Śloka 6 of Stanza V. The passage is preceded by a sequence of geometrical symbols that have been interpreted numerically as corresponding to the mathematical constant π (3.1415), the ratio used to determine a circle’s circumference from its diameter. The “Ring-Pass-Not” is described as a term with several meanings within Theosophical teachings. It refers to a limiting boundary of consciousness — a frontier that no being can cross until it transcends the illusion of separateness and desire. In this sense, it marks the extent to which consciousness can reach within the planes of existence. The 2010 article titled ‘The Mystery of “Ring-Pass-Not”’ begins by recalling that the term appears in Stanza V and notes that it’s represented by the symbol of a circle (sometimes with a dot like a circumpunct, the alchemical symbol for gold). The article explains that the Ring-Pass-Not represents the boundary of consciousness for any being under the influence of delusion or separation. This boundary is not fixed to a particular condition but applies wherever a conscious being finds itself unable to move to a higher state because of some lingering limitation.

The popular novelist Dan Brown gives the following explanation of the circumpunct: “There was one symbol [the circumpunct] that reigned supreme. The oldest and most universal, this symbol fused all the ancient traditions in a single solitary image that represented the illumination of the Egyptian Sun-god, the triumph of that alchemical gold, the All, the wisdom of the Philosopher’s Stone, the dominance of the astrological Sun [as Saturn], the moment of Creation, the Rosicrucian Rose, and the omniscient All-Seeing-Eye that hovered over the pyramid”. In his 1980 book ‘The Saturn Myth’, comparative mythologist David Talbott interprets a celestial alignment of Saturn, Venus, and Mars as a “gate”. Talbott discusses evidence describing a planetary alignment — abbreviated here simply as the SPC — which he characterized as gateway through which God comes through. This phenomenon was termed the “Saturn Stargate” by Nick Hinton. Moreover, Talbott links the SPC to the symbol of the circumpunct, noting: “The ancients preserved more than mythical-historical accounts of Saturn’s reign. From one section of the world to another the planet-god’s worshippers drew pictures of the [SPC] and these pictures became the universal signs and symbols of the ancient past. In the lexicon of symbols the most common images are the enclosed [Saturn] Sun as ⊙ and ⊕”.

In his book ‘The Trap’, David Icke explores the concept of a Ring-Pass-Not in connection with Leviathan and Saturn, noting: “There have been endless symbolic descriptions in various cultures of a limit or point that humans have to cross to get to ‘Heaven’. Gnostics symbolized this (appropriately) as a dragon endlessly swallowing its own tail: ‘The outer darkness is a great dragon, whose tail is in his mouth, outside the whole world and surrounding the whole world’”. Icke explains that this figure, called the Ouroboros or Leviathan, represents the boundary separating the Upper and Lower Aeons, with Saturn also symbolically associated with this threshold or limitation. Leviathan’s mentioned in the Bible, where it’s described as a sea-monster or dragon — embodying chaos and destructive forces. Within Ophite Gnosticism, Leviathan’s equated with Ouroboros, functioning as a cosmic barrier that separates the divine realm from the human or material world by encircling it. The comparative mythologist Georges Dumézil highlights a linguistic and symbolic connection, demonstrating that the name Kronos (Latin Saturn) derives from the same root as the Russian xpaH, chran, meaning whale or Leviathan. This association resonates with Greek myth, where Kronos swallows his children (analogous to a whale swallowing its prey).

Saturn is distinctive in that it possesses a persistent hexagonal formation at its north pole. Various hypotheses have been advanced to explain this phenomenon. A 2020 mathematical study demonstrated that a stable hexagonal structure can form on any planetary body when a central storm is encircled by an anticyclonic ring — winds rotating in the opposite direction to the primary vortex. While such models give plausible explanations, more speculative interpretations also exist. Some theorists propose that Saturn’s hexagon may indicate the presence of a worm-hole or energy portal at the planet’s core. Ethnopharmacologist Dennis McKenna has suggested that the hexagon could be the visible signature of a “gravitationally stabilized worm-hole”. Likewise, science writer Ed Lukowich, in his book ‘Trillion Theory’, posits the existence of a “cloaked black-hole” within Saturn, asserting that the planet’s iconic rings may be a manifestation of accreted matter orbiting it. In known astrophysical models, material drawn toward a black-hole forms a rotating disk due to angular momentum, preventing complete inward collapse. Thus, Saturn’s rings and hexagonal storm are interpreted as symbolic or physical expressions of such a cosmic structure — raising the question of whether Saturn conceals a deeper, multidimensional black-hole.

The Australian Theosophist and scholar Gottfried de Purucker gives a profound interpretation of the Ring-Pass-Not, describing it as “a profoundly mystical and suggestive term representing the circle or bounds of frontiers within which is contained the consciousness of those who are still under the sway of the delusion of separateness”. De Purucker emphasizes that this boundary is not tied to a single condition or moment, but rather serves as a universal principle applicable to any state in which a being, having reached a certain level of spiritual advancement, encounters a limitation. As he explains, this occurs when consciousness is “laboring under some delusion, be that delusion mental or spiritual”. In the book ‘The Ultimate Guide on Wicca’, Julia Steyson extends the concept into astrological symbolism, associating the Ring-Pass-Not with Saturn, the planet linked with restriction and limitation. She observes that: “Saturn: It’s known as the ‘Ring-Pass-Not’ because the planet Saturn with its recognizable rings was considered to be the guardian”. Likewise, the British astrologer Alan Leo echoes this linkage, writing: “Just as the planet Saturn is ringed, so does his influence mark the ‘ring pass not’ between each plane of consciousness.” Together, these interpretations see Saturn as a symbol of limitation, marking the threshold of spiritual advancement.

❝Saturn’s rings-pass-not represent the barriers to cosmic consciousness. It’s also the door to cosmic consciousness through discipline❞

Phillip Hurley and ‎Leigh Hurley (Kundalini: Tantra Yoga in Practice)

Robert Wilkinson conceives of Saturn and the Ring-Pass-Not as expressions of a singular esoteric principle: The universal binding force that simultaneously restricts and instructs the soul. He interprets it as the outer boundary of awareness — an energetic threshold each individual must eventually transcend. For Wilkinson, Saturn represents this “universal binding force”, governing the limits that represent our duties, responsibilities, and capacities for self-improvement. Such boundaries are not punitive but rather initiatory — representing the frontier of consciousness and the challenges essential for spiritual maturation. As the ruler of the Ring-Pass-Not, Saturn delineates the domain where humans confront their deepest fears and illusions, those forces that obscure recognition of the divine self. In this manner, Wilkinson therefore frames the Ring-Pass-Not as a dynamic evolutionary threshold. Through the disciplined acceptance of Saturn’s teachings — embracing responsibilities, dispelling illusion, and transforming limitation into wisdom — the aspirant dissolves the illusion of separateness and approaches what Wilkinson says is the “Threshold of Revelation”, the state in which the soul’s latent potential emerges. In broader cosmological terms, the Ring-Pass-Not represents the ultimate boundary of manifestation.