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Thursday, November 08, 2007

TT #62: symbols

TT62

Thirteen symbols I like

After two weeks absence from TT I'm glad I'm back into the swing of it! This time I decided to share some symbols with you that are special to me.


  • pentagram pentacle pentagram & pentacle (a pentagram enclosed within a circle is known as a pentacle) - the five points of the star represent spirit, earth, air, fire and water (or love, wisdom, knowledge, law and power). The pentagram faces point upward to symbolize the triumph of spirit over matter. For a more detailed look at the history and meaning of this symbol: The Pentagram.

  • chalice well Chalice Well - This image graces the cover of the Chalice Well at Glastonbury, designed in the nineteenth century by archaeologist Bligh Bond. Crafted of wrought iron and wood, it depicts the Vesica Pisces, a symbol of the divine feminine, and Excalibur, the sword of the legendary King Arthur, who is believed by some to be buried at Glastonbury. For me it also stands for "as above so below" and the two worlds (spirit world and our world) intertwining.

  • ankh Ankh - The ancient Egyptian staff sign or god staff ankh, which was also the hieroglyph used to symbolize reproduction and sexual union. According to other sources it meant life and zest for life. Hathor, who was both the goddess of life and the goddess of death, carried it and gave life with it. This combination of male and female symbols (the cross and circle, see next item) in the ankh suggest fertility and creative power. The top loop also symbolises the sun on the horizon, and suggests reincarnation and rebirth.

  • female male female & male - also stand for the planets Venus & Mars, or the moon's daughter & the sun's son. The female symbol has been described as representing the mirror of the goddess and femininity, but is most likely a variation of the ankh. Alchemically, the male symbol is also the symbol of iron, the metal used to fashion implements of war.

  • virgo Virgo - My zodiac sign is Virgo, the virgin. It heralds the end of summer and nearing of the harvest. Virgo has always been a symbol of fertility and a representation of the production of crops. Even in prehistoric times, this zodiac sign was perceived as both a mother and a virgin. According to some astrological sources, Virgo's original symbol was the Sphinx, mythological poser of riddles.

  • horus eye Horus eye - Designed to resemble the eye of a falcon, this symbol is called the Eye of Ra or Eye of Horus and represents the eye of the Egyptian Falcon God Horus or Sun God Ra. It is believed to have healing and protective power, and was used as a protective amulet and as a medical measuring device (using the mathematical proportions of the eye to determine the proportions of ingredients in medical preparations) to prepare medications.

  • heart heart heart - The heart does not appear in any established sign system. It is an anarchistic graph that has yet to find a place in any conventional sign system. Nonetheless it is well known throughout the Western world as a sign for togetherness or love, especially sexual love, making love, affection and so on. The arrowed heart is a modern sign for sexual love in general and for being in love, hurt by the arrow of Amor, without any negative meaning.

  • goddess god Goddess & God - The Goddess is represented by the triple moon, the three aspects of the moon (waxing, waning, and full) and womankind (mother, maiden, crone), as well as the Lady, the feminine polarity of the universe. The God symbol is a stylized representation of the Horned God, who in Wicca represents the masculine polarity of the universe. The horned god is the archetypal horned Shaman, related to the ancient Gods of vegetation and the hunt: Greek Pan, the Celtic Cernunnos, and the Egyptian Ammon.

  • yinyang YinYang - The yin yang is the easily recognized Taoist symbol of the interplay of forces in the universe. In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang represent the two primal cosmic forces in the universe. Yin (moon) is the receptive, passive, cold female force. Yang (sun) is masculine- force, movement, heat. The YinYang symbol represents the idealized harmony of these forces; equilibrium in the universe. In ancient Taoist texts, white and black represent enlightenment and ignorance, respectively.

  • tree of life Celtic Tree - To the Celts, the tree was a source of basic sustenance- a bearer of food, a provider of shelter and fuel for cooking and warmth. Without trees, life would have been extraordinarily difficult. Trees were also a connection to the world of the spirits and the ancestors, living entities, and doorways into other worlds.

  • infinity lemniscate - the symbol for infinity. In the tarot, it represents the balance of forces and is often associated with the magician card. As far as time is concerned the most common similar medieval symbol is the snake biting its own tail, or the empty circle. It is as if the lemniscate represents a double endlessness or eternity.

  • spiral spiral - The spiral is probably the oldest symbol of human spirituality. It has been found scratched into rocks from thousands of years ago, on every continent in the world. In modern times, the spiral is still spiritually significant. It is the symbol of spirit and an emblem of the Goddess.

  • elvenstar septagram - the sevenpointed star, a continuously drawn figure having seven points. It is a sacred symbol to Wiccans who follow the Faery tradition, where it is called the Elven or Fairy Star. The septagram is also important in Western kabbalah, where it symbolizes the sphere of Netzach, the seven planets, the seven alchemical metals, and the seven days of the week.

sources: Symbols.com and About.com


~*~*~*~

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
~*~ Nap Warden ~*~ Sandee ~*~ Yuriko ~*~ Holly ~*~ busy91 ~*~ Janet ~*~ Chelle Y. ~*~ Nicholas ~*~ Sandy Carlson ~*~ Susan Helene ~*~ Joely Sue ~*~ Joyismygoal ~*~ Lori ~*~ Judy ~*~ Lara Angelina ~*~ Candy Minx ~*~ SJ Reidhead ~*~ grace ~*~ rae ~*~ Yen ~*~ bloggers ~*~ Xakara ~*~ raggedy ~*~ Maria ~*~ Tempest Knight ~*~ Darla ~*~ Mo ~*~ Claudia ~*~ julia ~*~ Lisa ~*~ Sue ~*~ Gattina ~*~ Mitchypoo ~*~


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37 comments:

  1. Horus eye...very cool! Great list!

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  2. A lot of these I didn't know. I did know Virgo, because I'm one too. Have a great TT. :)

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  3. I love celtic knots... :)

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  4. Thank you - I knew all of these except for the septagram. I like celtic knots myself and have a couple of pieces with them.

    Smiles,

    Holly

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  5. welcome back,i took a break too, but i'm back. I know all of those signs, pretty cool aren't they.

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  6. I've never seen the Chalice Well before, very pretty! I love hearts, too...used to have a homemade tattoo of a heart on my right forearm. Also love the yinyang and the spiral :-)

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  7. I do not know anything about signs, except sign- language! Haha!

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  8. Anonymous8/11/07 02:06

    Interesting. I remember a time when the Ankh was used on costume jewellery, tee shirts, and many other places, and yo saw it everywhere, though very few people knew what it was called.

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  9. That was an education. The spiral hit home because I have been walking a few labyrinths, which are similar and get you to the same place.

    The Celtic tree was fascinating, too.

    Thanks for this post.

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  10. Neat symbols, Tink. I've missed you the past few weeks; glad you're back and things are okay.

    happy TT!

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  11. Neat--I didn't know the facts behind many of these. (I missed the last two weeks too.) Happy TT!

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  12. Great list...cool symbols. Happy TT and thanks for sharing.

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  13. A very interesting list! I'm familiar with most of those--not the Celtic tree. I like that one.

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  14. Welcome back, TT'er!! I love the Celtic knots!
    Happy TT -- glad to have you back!

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  15. These are beautiful and as usual...I loved your TT list and finding out so much info.

    I love the horus so much. I love spirals too...a perfect mysterious and powerful symbol.

    Missed you in the past few weeks! Glad to see you!

    Here is my TT list:

    http://gnosticminx.blogspot.com/2007/11/pop-stars-and-sunglasses.html

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  16. No Parking - that's my favorite!

    The Pink Flamingo
    http://thepinkflamingo.blogharbor.com/blog

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  17. Anonymous8/11/07 08:52

    I only saw some of these in The Da Vinci Code..great list. Happy TT!

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  18. I love your list I have a few of those symbols I have a Pentagram & a Pentacle I also have always liked the Ankh & the symbol for Goddess & God Happy TT-http://inraesworld.blogspot.com/

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  19. Anonymous8/11/07 11:24

    WOW! Pretty cool idea for a TT! :D

    Mine is up here;
    Thursday Thirteen
    Happy TT!

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  20. How cool. I love celtic symbols.

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  21. Anonymous8/11/07 11:53

    Great list, Tink.

    You hit on some symbols very important to me, the YinYang(my personal symbol), ankh, pentacle, triple goddess and celtic tree dominate a great deal of what I own and draw towards me. It was great to see them and read your descriptions. :)

    Glad to have you back in TT

    ~X

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  22. Very cool symbols and what is behind them! I like the Celtic Tree.
    Terrific Thursday Thirteen!
    My TT is posted.
    Have a wonderful day!
    Happy TT'ing!
    *^_^
    (=':'=)
    (")_ (")Å 
    Raggedy

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  23. Cool list! I'm partial to the "Virgo" symbol myself. ;0)

    Hop on over to mine if you'd like to get added to my TT blogroll (and you can check out my 13 immunity-boosters for the cold and flu season).

    Maria
    www.jubileeonearth.com

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  24. I wear the ankh and the triquetra on my chains.

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  25. Oh, very cool. I'd wondered what the difference between a pentagram and a pentacle was.

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  26. I, too, have always had a 'thing' for the yin/yang & the fairy star (and, of course, the pentacle); the mister seems drawn to ankhs.

    Very intriquing TT.

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  27. Wow. I don't think I've ever seen some of these. Thank you for taking the time to explain them. It's funny how some resonate. Like I love the Chalice well. Just love it and have never seen it before.

    Cool! Happy TT!

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  28. My favorite is lemniscate/infinity. What a great TT! Enjoyed it very much. More, please.

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  29. Very well done! I am so glad you put the true meaning of the pentagram there ... I hate seeing it misconstrued. And I have long been attracted to anything swirly in nature and now I know why.

    GREAT 13!

    Lisa at Snarkypants.com

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  30. Great list, and thank you some much for stopping by! :)

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  31. Very intersting ! for the moment I see a lot of symbols here especially on jewelery ! We have 32 deg everyday it's a dream. Rosie apparently misses me a lot !

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  32. Hi Tink! This is very interesting! Great list!

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  33. thanks for the info on those symbols! I, myself, and a taurus and i have the taurus glyph tattooed on the inside of my right wrist. i am contemplating having the venus symbol tattooed on the inside of my left wrist, as taurus is ruled by venus.

    I am also considering a spiral at the top of my neck just at the hair line, and possible a pentagram on my shoulder blades. My whole life i have been drawn to these symbols.

    cheers.

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  34. I'm always impressed with the time and effort you put into a post. Today's post is very interesting. You have inspired me to try and post again. Thank you!

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  35. i love pentacles, spirals and the goddess image. there were a few that i am unfamiliar with. thanks for a comprehensive and interesting list.

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