File:Yin and Yang inverted (esoteric).svg

The symbol is a visual depiction of the intertwined duality of all things in nature, a common theme in Taoism. It is believed to be derived from the 11^th century Tiandi Zhiran Hetu (Heaven and Earth’s Natural Diagram of the River), Hetu (Diagram of River), Luoshu (Chart of Luo), Xiantian tu (Diagram of Preceding Heaven) and Taijitu (太極圖) (Diagram of the Great Ultimate).

In its conventional orientation, the hot, bright, white yang nature rises while the cold, dark, black yin nature descends. Taoist esoterics often invert the symbol because they believe in this configuration the heat from the yang will be able to cook the jing in the yin producing qi which leads toward longer life and immortality.