Signs, Symbols & Omens: An Illustrated Guide to Magical & Spiritual Symbolism
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Aztec and Mayan
The Aztecs and the Mayans have been compared to the Romans and the Greeks. The Aztecs, like the Romans, were warlike, building on the ruins of those they conquered. They also organized and developed government. Like the Greeks, the Mayans were an intellectual, artistic people. They developed architecture, sculpture, painting, and even astronomy.
Aztecs
The Aztecs were not fully established until 1325 c.e., at which time they obtained their freedom from the king of Colhuacan, who had held them in servitude. They found a place that fulfilled a prophecy and there established their main city of Tenochtitlan (what was later to grow into Mexico City).
The Aztecs believed in a world with gods of nature, but with a supreme deity. In Wicca, and other religions, male and female are seen throughout nature as necessary for life. This led to the belief that there must also be male and female with the gods. In similar fashion, the Aztecs saw their supreme power as being both male and female. This deity was named Ometecuhtli (also sometimes known as Tloque Nahuaque), which means “Two-Lord.” Sometimes figures of Ometecuhtli show a hermaphroditic figure. He is the original bestower of all life and was addressed in religious poems as “Cause of All.” He dwells in the highest heaven. Beneath him are found, in order, the Place of the Red God of Fire, the Place of the Yellow Sun God, and the Place of the White Evening Star God. The oldest of the gods, however, was Ueueteotl (meaning “old, old, god”), whose place of honor was the fireplace in every homestead.
Double-Headed Serpent
The double-headed serpent was a popular image associated with life-giving rain. It was part of the rites of Tlaloc, god of the mountains, rain, and springs.
Tlacolteutl, an earth and fertility goddess, is represented here much like a European witch, riding astride a broomstick. She holds a serpent, which is red—the Aztec symbolic color for sex.
Precious Metals
Gold
Turquoise
Mosaic
Jade
Obsidian
Place names often incorporate hieroglyphs for local vegetation, and city names may include the time of year, or even the day, the town was founded. The following symbols are the names of some Aztecan places. The series of rectangles on the first, Caltepec, which may also be seen within the last, Tecalco, is the hieroglyph for a house (calli). What looks like a pair of animal feet, in Miztlan, Itztlan, and Petlatlan, is the hieroglyph for teeth (tlan).
Names of Aztecan Places
Caltepec
Itztepec
Atepec
Pantepec
Miztlan
Itztlan
Petlatlan
Tecalco
The Twenty Days of the Month
on the Aztecan Calendar
Crocodile (Cipactli)
Wind (Ehecatl)
House or Temple (Calli)
Lizard (Cuezpallin)
Snake (Coatl)
Death (Miquiztli)
Deer (Mazatl)
Rabbit (Tochtli)
The Twenty Days of the Month
on the Aztecan Calendar (continued)
Water (Atl)
Dog (Itzcuintli)
Monkey (Ozomatli)
Herb (Malinalli)
Reed (Acatl)
Jaguar (Ocelotl)
Eagle (Quauhtli)
Vulture (Cozcaquauhtli)
The Twenty Days of the Month
on the Aztecan Calendar (continued)
Movement (Olin)
Stone (Tecpatl)
Rain (Quiahiutl)
Flower (Xochitl)
Here are the symbols for specific years, or “year bearers”: Wind year; Deer year; Herb year; Movement year. Since there are no month signs recorded, the small circles indicate the number of times in the year that the particular day has appeared; for example, the eleventh occurrence of the day in that year.
Year Symbol
Specific Years
Wind Year
Deer Year
Herb Year
Movement Year
Mayans
The Mayan Indians developed in the humid lowlands of Central America, especially in the Yucatan Peninsula. They predate the Aztecs by almost 2,000 years, having their calendar system working as early as 600 b.c.e. Their most brilliant period was from 300 to 900 b.c.e., generally known as the Maya Golden Age. This time period covered the most sophisticated calendrical observations utilizing a 260-day almanac in conjunction with a 365-day calendar.
Mayan art was superior to Egyptian art (for example, in their drawing of the human figure), because the Mayans could draw the human figure in front view and pure profile without distortion. Yet humans were seldom dealt with in Mayan art, since the gods were not in human form. At best they were half human and half animal. Most common was a serpent motif, though that was seldom represented realistically. Parts of other creatures might be added to a serpent, with scrolls and other elaborate details added. For example, sometimes a human head would be placed in the serpent’s distended jaws.
Representations of the Moon
Sun and Moon Hieroglyph
Moon, as depicted in a “celestial band”
The Four Directions
East
North
West
South
Face Numerals
Here are some examples of face numerals found in Mayan inscriptions. In most cases, these are the faces of gods.
1
3
4
5
Face numerals (continued)
6
9
10
It seems likely that the Mayans first had a lunar-solar calendar of twelve months of thirty days each. Later they reduced the number of days in a month to twenty, and increased the number of months to eighteen. Then an extra five-day month was added to make 365 days. The extra quarter-day per year was understood but not worked into the calendar.
Here are the nineteen month signs (eighteen plus Uayeb, the five-day month), as given both in the inscriptions and in the codices.
The 19 Month Signs, as Given in the
Mayan Inscriptions
Pop
Uo
The 19 Month Signs, as Given in the
Mayan Inscriptions (continued)
Zip
Zotz
Tzec
Xul
Yaxkin
Mol
Chen
Yax
The 19 Month Signs, as Given in the
Mayan Inscriptions (continued)
Zac
Ceh
Mac
Kankin
Muan
Pax
Kayab
Cumhu
The 19 Month Signs, as Given in the
Mayan Inscriptions (continued)
Uayeb
Zero
The 19 Month Signs, as Given i
n the
Mayan Codices
Pop
Uo
Zip
Zotz
Tzec
Xul
The 19 Month Signs, as Given in the
Mayan Codices (continued)
Yaxkin
Mol
Chen
Yax
Zac
Ceh
Mac
Kankin
The 19 Month Signs, as Given in the
Mayan Codices (continued)
Muan
Pax
Kayab
Cumhu
Uayeb
Zero
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Buddhist
Gautama Siddhartha (c. 563–483 b.c.e.) was a young prince of northeast India who suddenly, at age twenty-nine, discovered the pain and suffering that existed in the world. Up until that time his father had sheltered him from all contact with anything but pleasure and luxury (his mother had died shortly after his birth). Siddhartha was born among the Sakyas, a tribe of the Kshatriya warrior caste in what is now Nepal. His father ruled the Gautama clan, and in later years Siddhartha himself became known as Gautama, though it was not his given name.
Upon his “rude awakening,” Siddhartha renounced his home and family and set out to seek the “supreme peace of Nirvana.” He was taught by two Brahmin religious teachers, but, unsatisfied, he looked elsewhere. After trying many practices, including extreme asceticism, he finally found what he was looking for through meditation. It is said that it came to him as he sat under a boddhi tree, or Tree of Wisdom. He determined that the cause of all the suffering in the world, and of the endless series of birth and rebirth, was what he saw as selfish craving or desire. If this can be extinguished, there can be freedom from the Wheel of Life and the never-ending suffering associated with it. In discovering this, Siddhartha became Buddha, or “the Enlightened One.” For the next forty-five years he wandered the country teaching what he had learned. He organized a community of monks, known as the sangha, to continue his teachings after his death. They preached “The Word,” known as the Dharma.
Buddha’s simple formula is: “I take refuge in the Buddha; I take refuge in the Dharma; I take refuge in the Sangha” . . . the Buddha, the Teaching, and the Order. There is no priesthood and there are no other rites or creeds. All that the teacher can do is set the listener on the path by example and precept. It was not until sixty years after his death that Buddha’s teachings were set down in writing. These teachings became known as the Sutras (from the Sanskrit meaning “thread”).
Buddha’s enlightenment consisted of the realization of four basic truths, usually referred to as the Four Noble Truths: Life entails dissatisfaction (pain); dissatisfaction is a result of clinging and craving; there’s an end to all dissatisfaction; the way to the end of dissatisfaction is the path. In turn, “the Path,” or the Eightfold Path, is wisdom (right view, right thought), morality (right speech, right action, right livelihood), and meditation (right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration).
Buddhism is today the religion of Burma, Thailand (Siam), Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Tibet, half of Japan, much of China, and is found in many other countries around the world. It has a large following in the United States, where there are now more Buddhists than can be found in India.
Aids to meditation, and in particular to Tantric meditation, are known as mandalas, a Sanskrit word meaning “circle.” The word is used in Hindu and Buddhist ritualism to denote a mystical diagram. It is one of the most widespread of all symbols, with hundreds of variations. Many are composed of a circle enclosing a square with a central symbol. A mandala is also the enclosure of sacred space—imago mundi—much like a ceremonial magician’s magic circle.
The mandala shown here is known as the Sri Yantra, or “Great” Yantra. It is made up of interlocking triangles surrounded by an eight-petal and a sixteen-petal lotus, with the border symbolizing the four directions. The whole is a mystical representation of the creative process.
The Daiji, or yin-yang, is the symbol of Samsara (the cycle of rebirth) and Nirvana. It was originally a Chinese symbol of opposites.
Triratna
The Triratna is the symbol for the “Three Jewels” of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
Naga
Naga is the protector of Buddha’s law.
Swastikas
The swastika is a symbol of Buddha’s law and a sign of good fortune.
With no beginning, middle, or end, this infinite knot is symbolic of long life and love. The Shrivasta is a common symbol in Tibetan Buddhism. It harmoniously weaves simplicity and profundity, motion and rest. Like Buddha’s knowledge, it is infinite.
Dharmachakra
The Dharmachakra symbolizes the Wheel of the Law, the eight spokes representing the Eightfold Path.
Buddha’s Footprint
Here is the Buddha’s Footprint, which includes the swastika, mace, fish, vase, conch shell, and the Wheel of the Law. There is a parallel with the “Footprint of Vishnu.” Many ancient peoples felt that it was necessary to stand barefoot on holy ground in order to absorb the sacred energies there.
Trisula
The Trisula is sometimes referred to as Buddha’s monogram, other times as a symbol of the Dharma. Indian worshippers of the god Shiva look upon it as the symbol of Shiva’s trident.
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Celtic
Celt, or Kelt, is from Keltoi, the Greek word (from at least the sixth century b.c.e.) for the Pagan people who were spread across Europe and the Iberian Peninsula. In Latin it became Celtæ. Spreading across the English Channel and the Irish Sea, these people took root in the British Isles. The Celts had a rigidly structured social and religious organization, the latter administered by their priesthood, the Druids.
The Celts were basically farmers and cattle herders. They were also great hunters and they enjoyed physical combat. They would steal one another’s cattle and fight at the slightest provocation. The gods they worshipped were offered—among other things—the heads of the Celts’ enemies. They were, in effect, headhunters. Along with the main deities they worshipped, the Celts also acknowledged a whole host of minor spirits, demons, and fabulous creatures. Some of these, they believed, could change shape at will. Although they built no formal temples, the Celts did have sanctuaries that were clearly defined, often utilizing natural features of the land, such as hills, valleys, springs, and groves of trees.
The Celts lived in tribes and it was to the individual tribe that allegiance was sworn. They had no written language, yet they influenced the art of Britain, and especially of Ireland. Medieval Irish monks wrote of the Celts with greater accuracy than did the classical Greeks and Romans, and their heritage lives on in Ireland.
The Celts brought the knowledge of iron to Western Europe and helped spread that knowledge, inventing iron plowshares, scythes, and even primitive reaping machines. They were the first to put iron rims on the wheels of their carts and chariots. Although they never developed a written language, and built no great cities, the Celts left a legacy including artwork in stone, iron, bronze, pottery, gold, and precious metals.
St. Magnus Cross
The St. Magnus cross is a Celtic design that was found carved into the stonework below the large East Window of St. Magnus Cathedral, in the Orkneys, Scotland. Construction of the cathedral began in 1137 c.e., by Earl Rognvald Brusison.
Celtic Knots
Celtic Knots
Celtic knots, as an imitation of basketry, plaiting, and we
aving, were used for decoration on stone and wood, and on jewelry. Some exquisite knotwork may be seen in some of Ireland’s treasured masterpieces such as the gold-trimmed silver Ardagh chalice and the Tara brooch. This knotwork was later also picked up in manuscripts written by Christian priests. In the latter, for example, the elaborate interlacing was often used on initial letters and elsewhere, sometimes incorporating figures of humans, animals, and reptiles. Although similar interlacing borders and panels can be found in the art around the Mediterranean area, those of the Pictish school of Celtic art seem to be the most elaborate.