Symbols that fight stagnation and promote the continuation and perpetual renewal of the cosmic cycle are at the very heart of the Old European farmer's ideology. Whirling signs seem to ensure a smooth transition from one phase to the next, from one cardinal direction to another.These signs represent life and time. Four-fold designs are often composed of a central circle with four circles or loops around it, suggesting concepts of the center as cosmic source and of the unification of opposites. Rakhmani, Thesaly, end of 5th mill.B.C.
The Language of the Goddess, Marija Gimbutas Pg. 295-297