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The Good Ahura Mazda fighting the Evil Ahriman.

In Zoroastrianism, the battle was between Mazda, the good god, and Ahriman, the devil and evil god (Boyce, 2001).These superior beings were always in mortal combat, each trying to dominate. Ahriman is the embodiment of destruction and seeks to destroy all of existence through his divine servants. He represents the shadow, the importance of bringing the destructive aspects of the mind to consciousness. Ahriman is in the black circle with a thin sliver of light overtaken by black forces of darkness.

His Persian name is written upside down in the four quadrants. By living a good life and overcoming evil, Zoroastrianism provided redemption for those that suffered because they would to be rewarded with an afterlife in heaven although many Zoroastrians viewed heaven and hell as a state of mind about right and wrong than physical places.

At the top of the symbol, the Good Ahura Mazda is fighting the evil Ahriman (Angra Mainyu, “Destructive Spirit”). At the bottom, the evil spirit Ahriman is in the center of the circle; the Middle Persian word Ahriman written in all four quadrants, traditionally was always written upside down. The word “evil” is placed at the four watch towers in the circle. The watch towers were established as a locking mechanism to keep the devil in his abyss and in an attempt to stop the influence of hell. The Zoroastrian concepts continue to be used by the Church of Ahriman.