While doing a little shopping online, I ran across an interesting store named the Gothic Lolita. They have a beautiful selection of unique stainless-steel jewelry. Each piece contained a symbol engraved on a pendant, ring, or bracelet. That got me thinking. We wear symbols on our clothes and jewelry. We also display them as decorations in our homes. I thought I’d take a deeper look into the meaning of a couple of popular symbols.
People have been using magical symbols for centuries to convey deeper meanings and unlock hidden knowledge. Some symbols have multiple meanings based on the beliefs of the individual using or displaying the symbol.
The Pentagram: People have used the pentagram as a religious symbol throughout the world from the beginning of recorded history. The basic pentagram is a five-point star drawn with one continuous line broken into five line segments and with one point of the star facing up. Typically, it’s enclosed within a circle.
The ancient Chinese and Japanese religions used the pentagram to symbolize the five elements of life. In Christian symbolism, the basic pentagram (without a circle) was originally used to represent the five wounds of Jesus Christ. Although the church replaced the pentagram symbol with the cross. For hundreds of years after Jesus’ resurrection, the pentagram was still recognizable as a Christian symbol.
In Wicca, they consider the encircled, upright pentagram a symbol of protection. Pagan groups use the pentagram in rituals and ornamentation because it symbolizes infinity, the binding of the five elements, and protection of the self.
Around the mid-1800’s, a researcher of magic declared the inverted pentagram as a symbol of evil because it presented an inversion of the natural order, placing matter over the spirit world. Since then, the inverted pentagram has had associations with occult practices and black magic. The Church of Satan uses the inverted pentagram as part of its copyrighted logo, adding a goat’s head, framed by the star.
Today’s horror films, thrillers, and crime dramas reinforce the pentagram’s association with black magic and occultism. We shouldn’t automatically fear the symbol, since many cultures use the pentagram for different reasons. Although we should know what other people are communicating through it.
The Eye of Horus: The Eye of Horus, also known as the Udjat eye, is an ancient Egyptian symbol representing protection, healing, and restoration. The Eye became one of the most recognizable and powerful symbols in Ancient Egypt. Amulets with the eye were produced as far back as 3,000 BC, and were prominent well into Roman times. Archaeologists have found hundreds of amulets made from a variety of materials.
According to the Egyptian myth, Horus lost his left eye in a struggle with Seth, another Egyptian god. Hathor, goddess of woman, fertility, and love, magically restored the eye. This restoration came to symbolize the process of making whole and healing.
In many homes in the Middle East, you will find the eye of Horus as a decorative item to offer protection from the “evil eye”. They believe the eyes are powerful and people can use them for good or bad. By keeping the Eye of Horus around as the “good eye”, it can counter any evil eye that enters the house.
Many people will wear Eye of Horus jewelry or even get a tattoo of the symbol as a way to keep themselves safe.
Often touted as the “third eye,” the Eye of Horus embodies intuitive and inner wisdom. It’s said that the symbol helps foster clarity, especially when you need to make a hard decision.
The Eye of Horus even has its place in the history of medicine. As Hathor magically restored the eye, it became the symbol of healing and sacrifice. This magical left eye resembles the letter “R”, which many believe is the root for the Rx symbol. Others believe the Rx symbol to be the abbreviation for the Latin word for “Recipe.” Maybe it’s both.
I spent an enjoyable afternoon researching so many interesting stories and facts I hadn’t known or heard before. Do you have a favorite symbol you wear?
