Yin
Yang
Pa Kua of the Later Heaven
Double Wheel, representing infinity; earth’s eternal cycles of life
The Five Elements
Earth Element
Fire Element
Metal Element
Water Element
Wood Element
The Four Celestial Animals
Green Dragon (abundance and prosperity)
White Tiger (protection)
Crimson Phoenix (opportunity)
Black Turtle (support)
Christian
Christianity appears in a wide variety of forms, perhaps the most prominent today being Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. At its inception, Christianity was an amalgam of Judaism and the Graeco-Roman religion, taking its name from Jesus of Nazareth who was regarded by some as the “Chosen One,” or “Anointed One”; the Christ, of God (from the Greek Christos).
As the Christian Church has grown and spread over the past two thousand years, it has incorporated a vast number of symbols, some of which have, like many other aspects of the religion, been adopted from earlier Pagan uses. The most prominent symbol is the cross. Although devout Christians revere the cross, most are unaware that it is actually an ancient symbol that has long been venerated by a wide variety of Pagans. Early examples of crosses were used by the ancient Assyrians and the Sumerians. Most such early examples were equal-armed crosses and represented the sun. Equal-armed crosses within circles similarly represented the sun. The cross can also be seen to represent the four seasons, though this would seem to be a later symbolism. A variation of the cross is the swastika (also known as the gammadion, the tetraskelion, the fylfot, and the cross cramponnée), a cross with extended, bent arms.
The cross was not used openly as a symbol of Christianity until the fourth century c.e., by which time the faith had become the official religion of the Roman Empire. In medieval art, the cross on which Jesus was crucified is often depicted as a tree. The most common form of the cross—with the extended lower leg—is known as the crux capitata. The cross has also been shown to be T-shaped (the crux commissa) or even X-shaped (the crux decussata).
The fifth century brought a popular form of the cross known as the monogrammatic cross, since it was a modification of a monogram made up of the two Greek letters Chi and Rho, the first two letters of Christos.
One form of the cross has two cross pieces. The second, smaller piece symbolizes the scroll bearing Jesus’ name that was nailed to the cross of crucifixion. Occasionally a third, even smaller cross piece is added to represent the foot board.
Crosses and Variations
Celtic Cross
Coptic Cross
Crosses and Variations (continued)
Cramponnée Cross
Croissantée Cross
Cross of Lorraine
Crosslet Cross
Crux Décussata
Eastern Cross
Fichée Cross
Fitchée Cross
Crosses and Variations (continued)
Fretée Cross
Jerusalem Cross
Maltese Cross
Papal Cross
Monograms of Christ (i)
Monograms of Christ (ii)
Fish (vesica piscis)
The fish, as a Christian symbol, was again taken from Paganism. The son of the sea goddess Atargatis (also known as Aphrodite, Delphine, Derceto, Pelagia, and Tirgata) was Ichthys, which is also the Greek word for “fish.” At some point it was suggested that ichthys was an acronym for “Jesus Christ, Son of God,” and the fish became a Christian symbol. Ichthys was also the name of the fish that swallowed Osiris’ penis, and is generally associated with female genital symbolism.
Key
The key is accepted, in Christianity, as representing St. Peter. It is, in effect, the key to the door into the Christian heaven. The idea is based on the Pagan goddess Persephone, who possessed the key to Hades, the afterlife.
Orb
The orb, a symbol of the earth, in Christianity is usually presented surmounted by a cross, symbolizing the Church’s domination of the earth.
Tau
Star of Bethlehem
The so-called Star of Bethlehem is no more than the Pagan pentagram, symbolizing the life force.
Eight-Pointed Star of Regeneration
Holy Spirit
Ten Disciples of Jesus
Twelve Tribes of Israel
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Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a worldwide initiatory fraternity, which is broken into groups known as lodges. Although Freemasonry is publicly acknowledged, with its lodges and meeting places openly identified, its proceedings are supposedly secret. An oath is taken by initiates, who promise to keep the secrets of Freemasonry.
Freemasonry began in medieval times as an association, or trade union, of craftsmen; of workers in stone. The symbols used in today’s rites and rituals are based on items connected with the art of building. The teaching of Freemasonry is done primarily through symbolism. There is only space here to show a small, but representative, fraction of the total number of symbols used.
In the late seventeenth century there was a period known as the Age of Accepted Masonry, when nonworkers were allowed to join the established guilds and their lodges. Prior to that time there had been a tradition of apprenticeship for a would-be mason, though many workers who had not apprenticed would also vie for available jobs. Those who had been apprenticed would recognize one another through certain words and handshakes, so that they could distinguish between themselves and the cowans, who might not have been properly schooled. Gradually, however, these cowans, and even nonworkers and gentlemen, got into the lodges and some even started new lodges. By the eighteenth century, there were more nonmasons than true masons in the membership, and Freemasonry had become symbolic, or speculative, as it is today. In Robert Plot’s The Natural History of Staffordshire, published in 1646, he says that the custom of “admitting Men into the Society of Freemasons” was “spread more or less all over the Nation.” He found “persons of the most eminent quality, that did not disdain to be of this Fellowship.”
Although Masons were obliged to honor God and the Church, Freemasonry came to be condemned by Pope Clement XII in 1738. Since then the Roman Catholic Church has repeatedly excommunicated any of its members who became Masons, holding that by its beliefs and observances, Freemasonry is a deistic or Pagan religion and that the Masonic oath and the secrecy are unlawful. Yet today the Bible is always present on the Masonic altar, and a belief in god is called for. God is, in fact, regarded as the Grand Architect of the world.
Despite his earlier hostility to Freemasonry, Benjamin Franklin was elected Grand Master of Masons in Pennsylvania in 1734, with the beginnings of Freemasonry in America. By the second half of the twentieth century there were fifty independent Grand Lodges in the United States—one in each state—with a total membership of approximately four million men. In Britain there had been three degrees of advancement within Freemasonry: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. By the end of the eighteenth century this number had increased, though those three remain the basis of the Masonic system. With different Rites—Scottish, York, Cryptic, Capitular, Templar, etc.—there can be found as many as thirty-three degrees, though the thirty-third one is honorary.
Masonic rituals are held in the Lodge Room, which is f
urnished especially for the ritual. The officers include the Worshipful Master, Senior and Junior Deacons, Senior and Junior Wardens, Treasurer, and Secretary. Outside the main room, the Tyler guards the entrance door.
Square and Compasses
The best-known symbol of Freemasonry is the Square and Compasses. The Square is a symbol of morality and was originally drawn as a true carpenter’s square, with one leg longer than the other. American Masons have got into the habit of drawing it not only with equal-length legs, but with inches marked on it, making it a measuring square rather than a trying square (i.e., a 90º measure for testing, or “trying,” the accuracy of the edges of bricks and stones). The Compasses are a symbol of virtue. The Square and Compasses have come to be the symbol or badge of Freemasonry. They are often depicted with a letter G in the middle. This G is said to stand for “God” or for “Geometry,” since God is seen as the Grand Architect.
Lodge; Lodges (used in correspondence)
Trinity (a symbol of deity)
Fylfoot
The Fylfoot, or Jaina Cross, is one of the symbols of the degrees in the Scottish Rite system. Its position, and the color of the ink used, indicates the rank of the person whose signature it follows.
Signature Marks
Here are some examples of Signature Marks, known as Characteristics, which were written as prefixes to signatures of Brethren of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. Shown are those for the Sovereign Grand Master, Sovereign Grand Inspector General, and Brother, or Sublime Prince, of the Royal Secret. Each is written in red ink.
Level and Plumb
The 24” gauge represents the hours of the day and night; the plumb rule, a narrow board with a plum line and plumb bob hanging from it, indicates the true path from which the Mason must not deviate; the gavel symbolizes the power of consciousness; and the chisel represents the advantages of education. The Square, the Level, and the Plumb are called the Immovable Jewels of the Lodge, meaning that they have set positions in particular parts of the Lodge: the Square to the east, the Level to the west, and the Plumb to the south.
Trowel
The trowel is the working tool of the Master’s Degree. It symbolizes the spreading of kindness and affection, to unite the Masonic fraternity.
Gavel
All-Seeing Eye
The All-Seeing Eye is the symbol of the Supreme Omnipresent Deity.
Ladder
The ladder symbolizes progressive advancement. In advanced Freemasonry, there are seven rungs to the ladder, representing Justice, Equity, Kindness, Good Faith, Labor, Patience, and Intelligence. For the First Degree there are only three steps: Faith, Hope, and Charity.
Skull and Cross Bones
The Skull and Cross Bones symbolize mortality and death. In Masonic Templarism, the skull alone is a symbol of mortality. The Skull and Crossbones are used in the Chamber of Reflection, in the French and Scottish Rites, as a trigger to the mind for contemplation of serious subjects.
Coffin
The coffin is part of the symbolism of the Third Degree; this is part of the palingenesis, the symbolical death and rebirth motif.
Winding Stairs
The symbol of the Winding Stairs was adopted by the Freemasons of the eighteenth century and introduced into the Fellow Craft’s Degree in the American Rite. In the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, the Winding Stairs are known as cochleus, a spiral staircase. The number of steps have varied: five, seven, fifteen, thirty-eight, etc. The Candidate for the degree climbs the stairs, pausing at intervals to receive further knowledge.
Broken Column
Part of the Third-Degree symbolism is known as the Monument and shows the scene of a weeping virgin holding a sprig of acacia in one hand and an urn in the other, with a broken column before her. On the column rests a copy of the Book of Constitutions (the rules and regulations for the government of the fraternity of Freemasons). Behind her, Time tries to disentangle her hair. Each component of the scene is part of the complex symbolism of Freemasonry.
Ark, or Substitute Ark
The Ark, or Substitute Ark, is used in the ceremonies of a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, and in a Council of Select Masters according to the American system. It is based on the Ark of the Covenant.
Apron
According to the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and Kindred Sciences, written by Albert G. Mackey and revised and enlarged by Robert I. Clegg, “There is no one of the symbols of Speculative Freemasonry more important in its teachings, or more interesting in its history, than the lambskin, or white leather apron.” It is the first gift received by a neophyte. Initially varying in form, according to the whim of the owner, in 1813 the Union of Grand Lodges established a standard for color, material, and size. Other than blue edging and, for some degrees, three rosettes, the apron should be plain. This was in sharp contrast to earlier ones, which were frequently smothered in painted or embroidered symbols.
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Gnostic
The name Gnostic comes from the Greek gnostikos, meaning “those who know.” It was originally applied to a sect that started in the eastern part of the Roman Empire in the first and second centuries c.e. The Gnostic doctrine was a mixture of Babylonian, Egyptian, Indian, Christian, and Judaic beliefs, with some astrology and magic thrown in. The “knowledge” came from inspiration and revelation, rather than from learning and experiencing.
Gnostic priests would make talismans and charms, and perform exorcisms. The Carpocratians—one of the Gnostic sects—tied in their rites and mysteries with those of the Egyptian goddess Isis. The Simonians (named after Simon Magus, a Jewish heterodox teacher and later a prominent Gnostic) saw much of their mysteries in the symbolism they found in the Book of Genesis (in the Bible). Simon Magus stated that the image of Sophia, the “first idea of God,” generated the world. The Ophites also adopted Egyptian rites and had a serpent present as the focus of their rituals.
The basic teachings were believed to come “from the heart,” rather than from scientific or even philosophical knowledge. Where other religions were god-centered, the Gnostics were self-centered. Many of the major Gnostic systems were inspired by personal experiences, with a focus on god as a suffering deity. They thought the world was created and ruled by evil powers. They rejected the god of the Jews to the status of demiurge and similarly rejected the Old Testament. Talismans were needed to protect and ward off the ever-present evil.
The Valentinians (a sect named after the most prominent leader of the Gnostic movement, the Roman Valentinus) said that “Gnostics know that they were originally spiritual beings who have come to live in souls and bodies; they once dwelt in the spiritual world above but have been made to fall into this world of sense and sin.”4
The symbols of Gnosticism were mainly taken from elsewhere and used to assist in the propagation of their beliefs. Many were taken from Semitic and other sources. The numerous astrological symbols seen on many of the Gnostic talismans came from Babylonia and Sumeria.
Chnoubis
Here is Chnoubis over a Bacchic altar, with words meaning “I, even I, am the Good Spirit.” Chnoubis is associated with the serpent seen on the staff of Aesculapius (see the chapter on Greek and Roman symbols), and is regarded as a god of healing and a renewer of life.
Abraxas
The god Abraxas, or Anguipede, has the head of a cockerel, a human body, and legs that are serpents. Abraxas is an All-God, or Pantheus.
Ouroboros
Ouroboros, the Gnostic name for the great World Serpent, is a serpent biting its own tail (and also the alchemical symbol for completion; see the chapter on Alchemy). It symbolizes the enclosure of the whole world. To the
Gnostics it was also known as Nahash, and Nehushtan. The snake was an important symbol for the Gnostics, especially the Naassene sect, whose name comes from naas, “snake.”
World Triad
Found in Japan as mitsu tomoe and in Tibet as the Cosmic Mandala, the World Triad was adopted by the Gnostics as a symbol for the threefold nature of destiny. It can also be found as symbolizing eternity.
Harpokrates
Here, Harpokrates, the Child Horus, is seated on a lotus and is in the magical boat of IAΩ. One end of the boat terminates in the head of Horus, and the other end terminates in the head of Anubis in the form of an ass. There is a crescent moon and the morning star.
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4. J. J. Hurtak, trans., Pristis Sophia (Pretoria: Academy of Future Sciences, 1999).
Greek and Roman
It has been said that it was in Greece that the ancient world rose to its greatest height of creativity. Certainly a wealth of material has been left to us in the myths and legends of those people. Their religious views and their closeness with the deities were both vivid and realistic. The sense of the gods and goddesses was an accepted part of everyday life. Notable was the understanding that, however gifted, the gods were always ready and willing, if not eager, for association with mortals—a trait today found perhaps only in such a chthonic religion as Voudoun.
Signs, Symbols & Omens: An Illustrated Guide to Magical & Spiritual Symbolism Page 5