The cross-quartered circle is the symbol of the Light. It contains the cross of earth within the circle of spirit. As a simplified mandala, it represents birth, the cycle of life and death, nature, growth, and the spirit; by contrast, the dark represents destruction, cold, and annihilation.

The mandala is a geometric figure composed of a circle containing a pattern characterized by radial symmetry. It is generally associated with spirit and often used as a meditation device (as Will does when, tracing the signs with his finger, he transports himself to the Huntercombe Manor of 100 years in the past). The mandala is also one of the oldest artistic designs, being found in Paleolithic artwork. However, the rector of the Huntercombe church associates the crossed circle with his own religion.

Light and dark are among the most common symbols of good and evil, respectively. Humans generally see darkness as threatening. It brings cold and obscures vision, depriving people of perspective and making them vulnerable to predators that see better. It can cause people to lose their way. Obstacles one can see and avoid in daylight become a threat at night. Darkness also suggests nothingness—the destruction that the Dark in the novel promises.