In the middle of no where for no one to see a National Guard overflight spots a massive earth etching in an Oregon dry lake bed.
Air National Guard pilot Bill Miller was the first to report the earth etching during a fly-over on August 10, 1990. The massive formation was a quarter mile in width etched into a dry lake bed east of Steens Mountain about 70 miles southeast of Burns, Oregon in an area known as Mickey Basin. Reported in the wire services on Sept. 14th, it was identified as an ancient Hindu meditation icon.
The Sri Yantra consisted of 13.3 miles of lines each ten inches wide and scored to a depth of three inches in the hardpan.
Ufologist's Don Newman and Alan Decker went to the site on the morning of September 15, 1990 and reported the symbol as being furrowed into the dry lake bed about 3" deep. The area was noticeably missing any signs of tire tracks or foot prints even though their own tire tracks left 1/4" deep marks on the crusty surface of the dry lake bed. After further investigation their colleague, Jim Deardorff, wrote the story for UFO Magazine.
A little over a year later, October 1991, Jim Deardorff learned from Jennifer Brown-Jacobs, who at the time had been head of the Portland UFO Group, that two men had a UFO sighting in the area during this period. They'd been camping with a sail-plane group at the western edge of the Alvord Desert near that dry lake bed. Their sighting took place the evening of July 5 or 6th around 10 pm. They reported seeing an array of three bright lights the color of sodium-vapor lamps forming an equilateral triangular with the apex facing upwards to the northeast. The array occupied about three degrees width and lasted ten minutes.
They didn't think much of it at the time and when they looked that way again 20 minutes later the lights were gone. However, they noticed a strange small puffy cloud where the lights had been. Extending from the cloud were two straight appendages positioned at 2:30 and 8:30 respectively at 12 degrees overall. They estimated its location as eight miles away and 15 degrees above the horizon. This placed it directly over the dry lake bed. They watched the stationary greyish cloud for about an hour. Due to these eyewitness accounts the formation was sighting was classified as an unidentified and naturally associate with the Sri Yantra earth etching. After the story broke a few people claimed they had created the Sri Yantra, but their claims were found to be baseless.
After reviewing all the evidence of this case and the improbability of what these men claimed, a serious question must be asked as to the origon of this desert etching and why this group of older, well dressed men from another state, have gone to such lengths to convince the public that they are responsible.
Sri Yantra
Yantras are expressions of the Deity in geometrical form. Among Shakti worship, the Sri-Yantra is considered the holiest and the most significant of these.
A Yantra is an instrument, or a talisman or a mystical diagram usually in silver or copper. It is also drawn or illustrated sometimes on a special paper using various colors and symbols pertaining to the method of the Yantra to be made. It is a technique or path, considered the simplest and shortest, through which one can attain one's desires, and fulfill one's wishes. It is said that the 'Devas' (Gods) or Deities (Goddess) reside in the Yantras and by performing 'Puja' or worship of Yantras, one can appease the Deities, remove the malefic effects of planets, and increase the flow of positive influences.
Just as each planet has a mantra, a special sound energy, each planet also possesses a yantra or special energy pattern. The Yantra is a special geometric design, which is the visible form, the energy body, of the mantra, and the planet to which it corresponds. Yantras sometimes supplement the power of mantras and are as strong as the mantras themselves. If a mantra is the invisible driving force, the yantra is the visible means to gain power and wealth, ward off evil and illnesses, nullify the ill effects of planets, bring you luck in love & life, enhance your capabilities - and bless you with almost any material comfort or spiritual benefit you desire.
The elements of Yantra:
According to Vedic philosophy, the natural elements produce different effects in the Yantra when it is energized through worship and meditation.
The five elements in this universe are: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether (Akash)
The best for you to energize your Yantra would be to sit on the ground in an open space, where you can have a clear vision of the sky.
Generally a Yantra is composed of a square on the outside with four projections forming a T-shape structure, circles, a row of Lotus petals, and triangular forms inside the Lotus petals. Sometimes there are two triangles overlapping each other, making a six pointed star; sometimes many triangles are superimposed on each other in a pyramid form; and inside all these Geometrical forms is a point or a sound.
The Point (Bindu):
A point, called Bindu in Tantra, holds a very significant position in the Yantra and is the center of the geometrical structure. The point signifies unity, the origin, and the principle of manifestation and release of the supreme consciousness. The point has great metaphysical significance and is the point of the union between the aspirant and divine. It gives to invisible form a substance, and manifests the invisible. It gives ability to the aspirant to be able to connect to the divine.
The Circle:
A circle is the expansion of a point. The point is the most condensed form of energy, and a circle is its extension. With the radius of desire, this point draws a circumference around itself and it expands. This expansion is growth in dimension, which broadens the scope of a point, yet it also imprisons the point as an individual unit, making an individual consciousness out of cosmic consciousness. Thus, you can connect your individual desire to the cosmic consciousness by concentrating on the circle during the energizing worship.
The Triangle:
A triangle, which is composed of three lines, is needed to make a pattern or form. A horizontal line representing inactivity and stability forms the base of the triangle. The two vertical lines meeting at a point on the box of the horizontal line represents the principle of movement - transition from static to dynamic. A triangle pointing upwards draws the attention up and away from the world; it represents the male energy or the Yang forces. A triangle pointing downwards takes the attention down and represents the female energy or the Yin forces. Equilateral triangles represent balance or harmony between the Yang and Yin forces, so that as our desires take shape or form, we do not loose our balance.
The Square:
A square is made of four lines, two of which are vertical lines representing movement and two are horizontal lines representing stability. Together it creates a balance. Thus the confined space inside the square represents our materialistic need in life, stability, solidity and contentment.
Lotus Petals:
A Lotus represents the 5 natural elements of the universe; Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Ether in its purest form. The lotus petals in a Yantra usually appear in a circle, which itself is inside a square. These lotus petals are known as the lunar mansion or Chandra (Moon) Mandal and the circle outside is known as the Solar Mansion or the Surya (Sun) Mandala.
The Surya Mandal is portrayed by 12 lotus petals. This represents the twelve signs of the zodiac the Sun moves through during the year.
The Lunar mansion is shown with sixteen petals because the Moon has 16 phases or 16 kalas during its cycle from new moon to full moon.
If the petals do not represent either solar or lunar mansions in the Yantra, then it refers to the manifested reality; which is eight fold. This eight fold manifested energy is the phenomenal world consists of fire elements of Universe. Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Ether together with mind, intellect and ego. A Lotus represents these elements in its pure form.
Concentric Circles:
Finally, the concentric circles around or inside a triangle represent the three Gunas. These are the three primal qualities of nature called "SATWA", "RAJAS" and "TAMAS".
"SATWA", is the highest quality and is the nature of light, lightness, clarity, harmony, balance and intelligence. It is the divine quality that brings about the upward movement of the soul. It creates peace, love, and faith and brings the person into the spiritual life.
"RAJAS" is the intermediate quality and is the nature of energy, action, turbulence, distraction, disturbance, violence and passion. It is the demonic quality and keeps the soul in the middle worlds. It creates aggression, competition and drives the person to seek worldly acquisition and achievement as the main goal in life.
"TAMAS" is the lower quality and is the nature of inertia and darkness. It is the animal quality that keeps the soul bound in the lower and unconscious realm.
Each of these three qualities is necessary in nature. "TAMAS" give stability as in the roles of the Earth and the physical body. '"RAJAS" give energy, drive and desire as in the atmosphere and the vital body. "SATWA'" gives light as in the place of heaven and mind. The insertion of concentric circle in the Yantra creates the right mix of "'SATWA", "RAJAS" and "TAMAS" in a person.
The Sri Yantra consists of a series of nine triangles superimposed around a small central circle known as Bindu, forming forty-three Konas (or triangular projections). Four of them called Srikanthas (or the shiva triangles), having their apex upwards. The other five are superimposed upon the former with apex dowards. They are the five shiva-yuvatis (or shakti-triangles).
The Bindu, represents shiva-shakti in union in the casual state from which all the other parts of the diagram, representing the cosmos, are evolved. These are surrounded by two circles of lotuses, one with eight petals (Vasudalam) and the other with sixteen petals (Kalasram). The whole mandala of 16 petals is called 'Fulfiller of Desire'. The the red devi is Tripureshi, her vidya is Aim Klim Sauh. She is described as ornamented with all gems, carrying a book and a rosary. The 16 yoginis are associated with the attainment of desires by the cultivation or strengthening of power over mind, ego, sound, touch, sight, taste, smell, intellect, steadiness, memory, name, growth, etheric body, revivification, and physical body. Outside these, are three circles (mekhalatraya) around and a rectangular enclosure (Bhupura) of three lines for the whole figure, with four entrances on the four sides.
