The world is full of different symbols. Some have meaning to a few, and others have meaning to many. Sometimes, anyone can look at a symbol and know what it means. These are very powerful symbols. Powerful symbols come from ages of use and belief. Here are some of the most powerful symbols in the world.
Cross
Symbols of protection, consecration, god, love, resurrection, hope, rescue, and the sun.
The cross is one of the original ancient symbols. It dates back to the first civilizations. The cross symbolizes the four elements (earth, wind, air, fire) and the four cardinal points (north, south, east, west). The ankh was one of the earliest cross symbols. It was from ancient Egypt. This ankh is a protection symbol and was used to portray life. In the Bronze age, the cross symbolized consecration as it pertained to burial. The cross was also used as a symbol for Tammuz, a god of the shepherds from Chaldea. The sun cross symbol, which encases the cross in a circle, signifies the sun. In Christianity, the cross is the symbol of love and resurrection. The cross was used to crucify Jesus, and afterwards, he was resurrected. The cross symbolizes God’s love. The Celtic Cross is a cross with a circle surrounding the center. This symbolizes the halo of Jesus and also a sun symbol. In modern times, crosses are found in churches and are used by different companies in their logos. The Red Cross is a humanitarian team with no religious or political ties. Their international symbol is a red cross, and it designates rescue and hope.
Moon
Symbol of fertility, wisdom, youthfulness, and protection.
The moon is considered a feminine symbol. It is associated with the tides and the seasons. The moon represents youthfulness, fertility, and wisdom, depending on its phase. The waxing moon is associated with youthfulness, the full moon with fertility, and the waning moon with wisdom. The moon represents the cycle of life and the rhythm of time. There are many gods and goddesses associated with the moon, including Yah, Artemis, Selene, Mawu, and Luna. The moon is worshiped around the world on all continents and is considered a symbol of protection and fertility. In Wiccan, there is the triple moon symbol, which represents the Goddess. It represents the Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Many ancient civilizations had calendars based on the moon. The moon directly affects fortune and fate in astrology. In Hinduism, Chandra is the moon and is the father of Mercury.
Heart
Symbol of God, love, creation.
So much more than a symbol of love on Valentine’s Day, the heart has a long history as a symbol. It represents the intellect, morality, emotional, and spiritual substance of a person. The heart sustains life and creativity. In India, the heart is the home of the Universal Principal. In Islam, the heart is thought of as the throne of God. In Christianity, the heart symbolizes God’s love and the kingdom of heaven. In ancient Egypt, Ptah, the god of creation, created the world through his heart. Also, in Ancient Egypt, the heart was placed on a scale in the underworld to determine where the soul would end up. Some believe that the heart symbol was derived from an ancient plant that was used medicinally. Hearts have been found on shields in Denmark from the 1100s. Coins from the 5th century BC have heart symbols on them. The heart was used as a symbol of love in the 12th century. It continues as a symbol of love in the present time.
Ankh
Symbol of life, unlocking, eternal life.
The Ankh is an Ancient Egyptian symbol that was created using an even earlier symbol called a sun cross. The sun cross was used in the Bronze age. The Ancient Egyptians used the Sun Cross as a creative design for the Ankh. Ankh is a symbol of life. The upper part of the Ankh was considered a feminine part, and the lower was masculine. They combined to symbolize life. It also symbolizes a key. The Ankh is a symbol or key to the otherworld after death. Isis, an Egyptian goddess, and Anubis, the Egyptian god of the underworld, are both pictured pressing the ankh against a body’s lips to give the soul life after death. The Egyptian goddess Ma’at, who is a goddess of justice, truth, and harmony, is often depicted holding an ankh. Osiris, the Egyptian lord of the underworld, also carries an ankh.
Peace Sign
Symbol of nuclear disarmament, hope, peace.
The peace sign was created by Gerald Holtom on Good Friday in 1958. He wanted to create a symbol that stood for peace and nuclear disarmament. Holtom used symbols from the semaphore alphabet to create the interior of the peace sign. The interior combines the letters N and D. The exterior circle represents oneness and the world. The circle as a symbol of the world can be traced to Native American symbolism. They used a circle to represent Mother Earth. In the Hindu culture, a circle represents wisdom. When the circle and interior symbols are combined, they create a symbol that represents hope for disarmament and peace throughout the world.
Lotus Flower
Symbol of fertility, spiritual enlightenment, and rebirth.
The lotus flower is a feminine symbol of rebirth and fertility. The lotus flower is beautiful and grows in the muck of ponds. At night, its petals fold up and then open again in the morning. This symbolizes rebirth. The Buddha is pictured sitting on a lotus flower, symbolizing his path to enlightenment from being reborn over and over. In Hinduism, the lotus represents prosperity, beauty, spirituality, and fertility. Brahma, the god of creation, came out of a lotus that sprung from the navel of Lord Vishnu, the preserver god. Ra, the Egyptian sun god, was believed to be born out of the primordial waters by a lotus flower. The Egyptians considered the lotus the holiest of flowers.
Triple Spiral
Symbol of life, birth, death; past, present, future; trinity, cycles.
This Celtic symbol dates back to the Neolithic ages and can be found carved into the entrance of Newgrange, Ireland. The triple spiral can symbolize life, birth, and death. It can also symbolize the past, present, and future. It also symbolizes mother, father, child, the spiritual world, the present world, the celestial world, and other triplicities. The triple spiral also represents the Holy Trinity – father, son, and the holy spirit. The spirals appear to be moving, which also represents cyclicity.
Yin and Yang
Symbol of light and dark, Heaven and Earth, interconnectedness.
The yin and yang symbol represents duality, such as lightness and darkness, or male and female. It also represents the splitting of the World Egg into Heaven and Earth. The symbol itself is half black and half white. On the interior of the white half is a black dot, and on the interior of the black half is a white dot. This symbolizes the interconnectedness of everything. Each side complements each other, and each side contains some of the colours from the other side. Yin is the feminine, and Yang is the masculine. Yin and Yang were born from chaos and exist in the world’s center. Pangu, the first human, was born from Yin and Yang. In the I Ching, it is said that when Yin and Yang are out of balance, catastrophes like floods and plagues can occur. This is an important symbol in China and Japan.
Pentagram
Symbol of protection, victory, and earthly desires.
The pentagram symbol is a five-pointed star, sometimes within a circle. All of the angles are equal, and the lines are the same length. This symbol was used to ward off evil. In Christianity, the star represents the five wounds that Christ received on the cross. It was considered a good luck symbol. In Taoism, the pentagram represents the five elements: fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Wiccans use the pentagram to symbolize their faith and their five elements: fire, water, earth, air, and spirit. They wear the pentagram pointing up to symbolize the victory of spirit over matter. The circle around the pentagram binds all of the elements together. Satanists use an inverted pentagram to identify themselves. The inverted pentagram symbolizes earthly desires.
Lightning
Symbol of power, life, victory, illumination.
Lightning is an ancient symbol that has different meanings. Native Americans associated lightning with the Thunderbird. Lightning flew from the Thunderbird’s eyes and beak. Native American Warriors would paint lightning bolts on their faces to give them speed, power, and victory. Zeus wielded a lightning bolt as a symbol of his power. He would use the lightning bolt to smite his enemies. Lightning is also symbolic of illumination and knowledge. Lighting also represents fire. Fire and water are the essentials for life. They both give and take life. Fire can be used to cook food, but it can also destroy a home. Lightning is a worldwide symbol that many different cultures have used.
Trident
Symbol of power and positivity.
The trident is a symbol of Poseidon, the god of the seas. The trident prongs are made from the teeth of sea creatures. He wields his trident and can use it to control the ocean. He can summon a storm or calm the seas. In the Hindu culture, Shiva, the destroyer god, wields a trident. The three prongs on Shiva’s trident represent the hierarchy of the three levels of manifestation, past, present, and future time. Shiva uses the trident to fight off negative energy. In Taoism, the trident symbolizes the three highest gods, also called the Three Pure Ones. It symbolizes the highest power in heaven.
Flower of Life
Symbol of creation, life.
This symbol comprises nineteen circles that overlap and are evenly spaced from one another. It is a mystical symbol that takes on the appearance of a symmetrical flower. It is found in most of the world’s major religions. This symbol represents the cycle of creation from the innermost circle to the outermost. The circles overlap and form the seeds of the flower. Everything is connected. One of the oldest portrayals of the Flower of Life is found in Egypt in a temple of Osiris. It is dated around 600 BC. The Tree of Life evolved from the Flower of Life, taking from the concentric patterns of the flower. The Golden Ratio, developed by Leonardo Di Vinci, was taken from the Flower of Life. The Flower of Life contains the mysteries of the Egg of Life and the Fruit of Life. Metatron’s Cube is also found within the Flower of Life. It is the foundation for sacred geometry.
Om
Symbol of enlightenment, power, self-actualization.
Om is a Sanskrit word and a mystical symbol. Om is a sacred symbol in the Hindu religion. It is the manifestation of the sound of creation. It represents the movement from the primeval center. It relates to the actualization of the highest importance. Om represents the ultimate reality. This symbol refers to the self within and ultimate reality, Atman and Brahman. It is found in religious texts and is used in Hindu ceremonies and rites of passage, along with private prayers and meditation. Om is said at the beginning and end of prayers and religious readings. Om is the song of the universe. Om is placed at the beginning of mantras in Tibetan Buddhism. Om is the totality of consciousness, sound, and existence. The Om symbol represents all four states of consciousness: the waking mind, the mind in deep sleep, the dreaming mind, and the unknown level of consciousness.
Star and Crescent
Symbol of power, chastity.
The Star and Crescent symbol originated in Sumeria. It was associated with a powerful god and goddess, Sin and Ishtar. The Star and Crescent symbol also symbolized Selene, the moon goddess. The stars represent the morning and evening stars. This symbol was also used on Crusader coins by early Christians. In Greece, the Star and Crescent symbol represents female chastity and is attributed to Luna and Diana, moon goddesses. The Star and Crescent symbol is also associated with Islam, but not by all Muslims. The Star and Crescent represent either the sun and moon or the moon and two stars. The sun and moon symbolize darkness and light, while the moon with two stars represents the lunar goddess and chastity.
Star of David
Symbol of power, martyrdom, heroism.
The Star of David is a six-pointed star made up of two equilateral triangles. This symbol was considered a powerful good luck symbol and a magical symbol. The Star of David symbol contains four basic elements. The top point of the star represents fire. The bottom point represents water. Between the points on the left is air, and between the points on the right is earth. The four basic humours (hot, moist, dry, and cold) are also represented. The upper left point of the Star of David between fire and air represents hot. The lower left point between air and water represents moisture. The point on the upper right side of the Star of David between fire and earth represents dryness, and the point on the lower right side between earth and water represents coldness. This is a symbol of oneness. It also combines the seven basic metals and the seven planets in the Hermetic belief system that comprise Heaven’s totality. The Star of David, since the seventeenth century, has been used as a symbol in Jewish culture. During World War II, Jewish people were ordered to wear a yellow Star of David. This has led the Star of David to become a symbol of heroism and martyrdom.
