Which direction does a "proper" ying-yang spin: clockwise or counter-clockwise?

Hi blort,

This is incredibly complex.  It does indeed spin clockwise (right).
And counter-clockwise (left).  It is up to the artist to determine the
intent of the art, and to select the proper orientation.  I didn't
find a site that said that EXACTLY, but they explain it nevertheless.

Why Yin Yang Symbol looks like this way?
http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/yinyang.htm
This page explains in painful detail why the symbol "should" spin clockwise. 
..."In general, the Yin Yang symbol is a Chinese representation of the
entire celestial phenomenon. It contains the cycle of Sun, four
seasons, 24-Segment Chi, the foundation of the I-Ching and the Chinese
calendar..."

The balance of Yin and Yang  (scroll down to this title)
http://www.168fengshui.com/Articles/whatis.htm
..."Shown above, the image represents the true orientation of the Yang
and Yin. Yang, representing heat rises on the left (or East) and
reaches its peak at the top (South). Yin representing coolness
descends on the right (West) and reaches its maximum at the bottom
(North)..."


Even sites that "SEEM" to contradict this, do not, if you read them
carefully.  They state the same principles, and explain the opposite
orientation.  The clockwise orientation relates to the celestial
(heavenly), and counter-clockwise to the "terrestrial" (earthly).

Example:

Orientation of the yin yang symbol
http://users.belgacom.net/symbolisme/orientannex2.htm
Scroll down to "Orientation Choice"
...These orientation questions do not only seem complex, but are
complex. We have not only to pay attention to any possible confusion
between various associations, but also, within any association, to the
predominance of left or right according to the celestial or
terrestrial way considered..."

So, as an artist, your only responsibility to the symbol, to render it
in it's proper rotation... is to determine the INTENT of your art:
celestial as relating to heaven, stars, etc.  or --terrestrial, as
relating to earthly concerns.

I hope this shelps...

~~Cynthia


Search Terms used at Google:

"yin yang" orientation
"yin yang" direction

---

Clarification of Answer by cynthia-ga on 23 Dec 2004 09:19 PST

blort,

THANK YOU so very much for the 5 star rating, and especially the $25.00 tip !!!

I almost didn't Answer your Question because it was nearly expired, I
wasn't sure if you still wanted an Answer, --but I'm very glad I did.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours....

Sincerely,

~~Cynthia

Outstanding!  Thank you SO much for the help!  This site is great - I
will definitely use it from now on.  Thanks again!  -Josh

Paul Halsall, a professor at Fordham University has created something
called the Internet History Sourcebooks Project, for use in historical
research. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/

One of his sourcebooks is on East Asian History:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/eastasia/eastasiasbook.html

If you search for "yin-yang" on his page, there will be a link to an
image of a yin-yang:
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/images/yinyang.gif

It spins clockwise.

This was the closest to an authoritative source I could find.. ! But
also, just searching for "yin-yang" on Google Images will show
predominantly clockwise signs, if that helps any.

Yes, it is nice that the image at the link you point-to at fordham.edu
spins clockwise, as does the image on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_yang

But the images at Encarta.com go counter-clockwise:
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/search.aspx?q=yin+yang

as do the ones at Britannica.com:
http://www.britannica.com/search?query=yin+yang&ct=

Even more confusing, the Korean flag's ying-yang spins
counter-clockwise, but the Mongolian flag's yin-yang spins clockwise.

What I'm looking-for is some definitive explanation of when or why the
yin-yang should spin a particular direction.  For example, if it is
per the rotation of the earth in relation to the sun, this would mean
it would be clockwise in the Northern hemisphere, but
counter-clockwise in the Southern hemisphere
(http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/yinyang.htm).  OR, please find
a source that explicitly states that it just doesn't matter at all and
the symbol can spin either direction and that it is stated explicitly
to be up to the whim of the artist.

Thank you!
-Blort