symbolism
by Tara Ciampa / Editor
Belief systems such as Wicca, Druidry, Shamanism, Goddess Spirituality, Sacred Ecology, the Northern Traditions popularized in Europe. Most Pagans believe that no one belief system is correct, and that each person has the freedom to choose their own religion. The Pagan Federation, the largest umbrella organization for Paganism in Europe, has set out three principles as follows:

Love for and Kinship with nature: rather than the more customary attitude of aggression and domination over Nature; reverence for the life force and its ever-renewing cycles of life and death.

The Pagan Ethic: 'Do what thou wilt, but harm none'. This is a positive morality, not a list of thou-shalt-nots. Each individual is responsible for discovering his or her own true nature and developing it fully, in harmony with the outer world.

The Concept of the Goddess and God as expressions of the Divine Reality: an active participation in the cosmic dance of the Goddess and God, female and male, rather than suppression of either the female or the male principle.

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Pentacle
..The five-pointed star within a circle is the most common Pagan symbol, and it is typically used to identify oneself as a Pagan or Wiccan. The five points represent the 4 elements plus the spirit, and the circle connects them all.

..A five-pointed star without the circle is sometimes called a pentagram, rather than a pentacle. Based on numerology, the five points means the pentacle symbolizes the Earth element and can be used as an Earth symbol on an altar.

Inverted Pentacle
..The inverted (or upside down) pentacle is a symbol of some reputation. It is typically associated with Satanism, though that is not a completely accurate description.

..The true emblem of the Church of Satan is the sigil of Baphomet, which is a symbol with a goat's head and an inverted pentacle. Within Wicca, the upside down pentacle stands for the 2nd degree in some traditions.

The Green Man
..The Green Man is a mysterious figure depicted mainly in medieval European stonework, believed to represent an ancient vegetation deity.

..The Green man is nearly always depicted as a "foliate head," that is, a face made of leaves and vines. Sometimes, it appears as a human face peering out from leaves, other times with animal features. The Green Man serves as a sort of mascot of the Neopagan religious movement, where he serves as the embodiment of untamed nature, an emblem of the male principal, and a symbol of fertility and vibrant life energy.

Eye of Horus
..It is seen sometimes as the right or sometimes as the left eye. The left eye is Eye of Horus and is connected with the moon. When it's the right eye, it's the Eye of Ra, and associated with the sun. Though some sources say there is no distinction at all.

..The Eye represents the eye that was lost by Horus when he fought with Seth over the murder of his father, Osiris.The symbol is worn for for protection and to ward off evil spirits.

Ankh
The short and traditional meaning for the ankh symbol is "everlasting life". This symbol is a heiroglyph seen in countless ancient Egyptian carvings, usually held in hand by Gods and pharohs to show how they preside over life (in other words, are immortal). In these images, the ankh is held by the loop rather than the base.

The ankh is a popular symbol among Pagans, likely due to the similarity to a Christian cross which makes the ankh much less shocking to others, as compared to a pentacle.

Septagram
..The seven pointed star has a few names: septagram, septacle, Elven star or fairy star. The number seven corresponds to the spirit realm, which is why this symbol is associated with elves or fairies.

..There are no set representations for each of the points, but they are sometimes labelled: earth, air, fire, water, above, below and within. The septagram is also associated with astrology because the classical view of the sky contained seven planets.

Triskele
..There are many variations on the basic Triskele (or triple spiral) symbol. The one illustrated here is very simple to illustrate the basic look of the symbol. The triskele is a Celtic symbol, and symbolizes the power of life and rebirth.
It combines the spiral (often used to illustrate the cycle of life) and the number 3 is a sacred number, as seen in the phases of the triple Goddess. This symbol is also referred to as a triskelion.

Hexagram
..The unicursal hexagram is a variation of the 6-pointed star. The more traditional way of drawing a 6-pointed star is in the double triangles of the Star of David.
Aleister Crowley created his own design, to create a symbol that could be drawn in one continuous line.The number 6 represents unity and balance, specifically balance between man and the Divine.

Triple Moon
..The triple moon is a Goddess symbol that represents the Maiden, Mother, and Crone as the waxing, full, and waning moon. It is also associated with feminine energy, mystery and psychic abilities.
You will often see this symbol on crowns or other head-pieces, particularly worn by High Priestesses.

Hecate's Wheel
..This maze-like symbol is associated with the triple aspect of the Greek goddess Hecate. She is considered a 'dark' goddess by some, and rules over cross-roads and the Underworld.
Hecate is also known as the Goddess of the Witches. This isn't a particularly common symbol among Wiccans, but you do see it occasionally.


The opinions, beliefs and practices presented within this article are- NOT- necessarily those of the Visionsmagazineonline.com editorial staff. However, we do believe in giving our readers diversity in the many subjects we put forth in front of you. The words in this article are those of the author. They are edited for content and clairification. The Author's methodology, procedures, and evidence presented here in this article are theirs and theirs alone. We are not endorsing nor condemning them for these practices. We are presenting you with information of what other people involved in paranormal investigations today are doing on a worldwide basis. The choice is yours.

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