Solar Horus

A representation of Horus, the falcon God of the Egyptians, in his solar aspect. Horus was the protector God of the Egyptian Pharaoh, and represented the King’s divine authority. The common depiction of the American Eagle mascot is modeled on this image.

Horus

Winged Sun Disk

The winged disk emblem is found in many ancient cultures around the world. The winged sun disk is one of the oldest religious symbols on earth, and it is invariably a solar symbol.
 
The Egyptian figure pictured above is called Behedti, with the wings of Horus, and represents the omnipotence of the sun God Re, and the divinity of the Pharaoh.

An Assyrian winged disk represents the sun God Shamash:

A similar figure, the faravohar, is associated with the prophet Zoroaster.
Some believe the depiction of the winged disk in ancient cultures is based on the appearance of the sun’s corona during a solar eclipse, as seen below:

Knot of Inanna

The Knot of Inanna is a stylized bundle of reeds, an emblem of the Babylonian goddess Inanna.

This symbol was early written form of the name of the goddess, whose name was composed of two characters, the post and the ring of rushes..

It is related to the tyet knot of Isis. As a symbol of divine authority, it is the ancestor of the crozier, a staff carried by Catholic bishops.


Inanna with the ringposts

Mano Cornuto (Horned Hand)

Mano Cornuto means “horned hand” in Italian; the gesture is commonly depicted on charms against the evil eye. It is unclear whether the gesture originated as an image of horns or as a “poking out the eyes” gesture (against the malocchio or “evil eye”), but ancient lunar goddess charms depicting animal horns were used for similar protective purposes and are probably related to the gesture.

The use of the horns as a symbol of satanic belief is recent, and is evolved from its use by heavy metal musicians and fans.  The horned Hand gesture is also used occasionally by Wiccans as a symbol of the “horned God” or as the horns of the Moon Goddess, depending on tradition.

Binding Spell

A binding spell is a magical formula intended to “bind” or restrain a person’s will or behavior. Examples of binding spells include love spells, attempts to silence enemies, or any other magic intended to force or restrain the behavior or actions of another. As a form of sympathetic magic, many binding spells involve the use of knots, pins, or other symbolic restraints. In older spells, it is spirits or ghosts who are symbolically “bound” until they fulfill the demands of the spell caster. 

The binding spell is probably one of the oldest types of magic known to man. Examples have been found all over the globe, and they were especially popular in classical Greece and Rome. Other versions have been found in such diverse cultures as Celtic Europe and ancient Egypt. Most called on various deities or spirits to enforce the supplicant’s requests. The example illustrated below was created in Egypt around the fourth century, and is of a very common type. The little figurine is pierced with pins and accompanied by a lengthy Greek spell requesting the aid of numerous chthonic deities and spirits of the dead to compel fidelity and love:

“I entrust this binding spell to you chthonic gods, Pluto and Kore Persephone Ereschigal and Adonis also called Barbaritha and Hermes chthonian Thoth Phokensepseu Erektathou Misonktaik and Anoubis the powerful Pseriphtha, who holds the keys of Hades, and to you chthonic divine demons, the boys and girls prematurely dead, the young men and women, year after year, month after month, day after day, hour after hour, night after night; I conjure all the demons in this place to assist this demon Antinous.  Rouse yourself for me and go to each place, to each neighbourhood, to each house and bind Ptolemais whom Aias bore, the daughter of Horigenes, so that she should not be fucked, buggered, or should not give any pleasure to another man, except to me alone Sarapammon, whom Area bore; and do not let her eat nor drink nor resist nor go out nor find sleep except with me Sarapammon, whom Area bore.  I conjure you, Antinous spirit of the dead, in the name of the Terrible and the Fearsome, the name at whose sound the earth opens up, the name at whose sound the demons tremble in fear, the name at whose sound rivers and rocks burst asunder.  I conjure you, Antinous spirit of the dead, by Barbaratham Cheloumbra Barouch Adonai and by Abrasax and by Iao Pakeptoth Pakebraoth Sabarbaphaei and by Marmaraouoth and by Marmarachtha Mamazagar.  Do not disregard me, Antinous spirit of the dead, but rouse yourself for me and go to each place, to each neighbourhood, to each house and bring me Ptolemais, whom Aias bore, the daughter of Horigenes; prevent her from eating, from drinking, until she comes to me, Sarapammon, whom Area bore, and do not allow her to accept the advances of any man other than me alone Sarapammon.  Drag her by the hair, the guts, until she does not reject me, Sarapammon, whom Area bore, and I have her, Ptolemais, whom Aias bore, the daughter of Horigenes, subject to me for the entire extent of my life, loving me, desiring me, telling me what she thinks.  If you do this, I will release you.”

Cornucopia (Horn of plenty, Horn of Amalthea)

The Cornucopia (Latin, ‘horn of plenty’), a spiraling, woven basket overflowing with an abundance of produce, is an ever-present symbol of harvest prosperity. The symbol dates back to an ancient tale of the Nymph Amalthea,* who, as a reward from the infant Zeus for a meal of Goat’s milk, was given an enchanted goat’s horn which gave whatever one wished for.** 

The cornucopia became a ubiquitous symbol of fortune and plenty, and was associated with many Goddesses, including Fortuna, the goddess of good fortune, and Ceres, Goddess of agriculture. 


Amalthea feeds Zeus from the horn 

*Sometimes, Amalthea herself is the goat. 

**Similar tales include the Finnish Sampo and the Celtic legend of the Cauldron of Plenty.

Solomon’s Knot (Comacine Knot)

The image at right is the most common of several decorative devices referred to as “Solomon’s Knot,” a simple design of interlaced, endless loops. 

This particular design is very ancient, and appears all over the architecture of the ancient world, and further back, in stone-age carvings. 

The design is frequently used in the designs of ancient synagogues, which probably gave rise to the symbol’s association with King Solomon.

Interlaced designs of this type took much skill to execute; reportedly, this symbol was a particular hallmark of the medieval Italian stonemasons known as the Comacines,* who imbued it with mystical meaning, a symbol of eternal motion and the intertwining of space and time.
Solomon’s knot is related to the swastika and the shield knot; the knot is often interchangeable for these solar emblems. 

* According to Masonic lore, the Comacines were the forerunners of the Freemasons.

Minotaur

The Minotaur was the legendary monster of Cretan mythology, a hybrid man-bull creature, the offspring of Pasiphae, the wife of the King of Minos, and a bull. 

The minotaur lived at the center of a great labyrinth. According to legend, Minos demanded tribute from the Athenians in the form of seven pairs of male and female virgins, who were sacrificed to the Minotaur. This practice was ended by the hero Theseus, who, aided by the daughter of Minos, was able to slay the monster.

The minotaur and his labyrinth are generally viewed as symbolic of internal conflict and the struggle with one’s animal nature. 


The Minotaur

Tetraktys (Tetrakt)

This Tetraktys (from the Greek, tetras, four) is a triangular figure composed of the first ten points arranged in the shape of a pyramid. The tetraktys was devised by the Greek philosopher Pythagoras as a symbol of the Cosmos. It is composed of the integers one through ten, aligned in four rows (tetraktys means ‘fourfold).

The tetraktys was so sacred to the Pythagoreans that it formed the basis of their oath: “By that pure, holy, four lettered name on high, nature’s eternal fountain and supply, the parent of all souls that living be, by him, with faith find oath, I swear to thee.”

The dots represent numbers, and their descent symbolizes the order of creation of the known universe, and the increasing complexity of its manifestation. The four lower numbers represent the four elements; the upper, the monad, or first principle. The tetraktys and its mysteries influenced the early kabbalists, who devised a similar form to expound upon the Tetragrammaton (the four lettered name of god in Hebrew scripture). The Kabbalistic Tree of Life, with its spheres of emanation, is derived from the tetraktys.


A Kabbalistic tetraktys, designed by Christian mystic Jakob Boehme

Hygeia (Bowl of Hygeia)

The bowl of Hygeia is a modern emblem for pharmacy, used interchangeably with the Rx symbol. 

The goddess Hygeia was the daughter of Asklepios, the god of healing and medicine. (see: wand of Asclepius) Hygeia was often pictured holding a cup, (a kylix, or wine cup), with a snake coiled about her body or arm.
The serpent is a symbol of resurrection; the cup, medicine. 

Hygeia’s cup may have been an early inspiration for grail stories. 

Fasces (Colon)

The word fasces comes from the the Roman word meaning bundle. The fasces itself is an axe or pointed weapon surrounded by bundled rods of wood- usually elm. It’s original use and true meaning is lost, although it probably originated as a phallic emblem.

The fasces was a symbol of authority in ancient Rome, most often associated with magistrates. Bundles of rods without a weapon were called bacilli, the emblem of the duumviri, magistrates without the power to pass a sentence of death. It is supposed that the bundles rods represented the unified people; the axe, authority and power.

The fasces remained a popular heraldic emblem.  It was frequently used as a symbol of government, unity, and order. It was  adopted as an emblem by Mussolini’s Fascist party during World War two, and is the origin of the word “fascist.” 

On early American coins and other symbols, the fasces symbolizes the unity of the colonies- strength in numbers (A single stick may be broken, but a number of sticks bound together are invincible).


Fasces

Knot of Hercules (Love Knot, Heracles Knot)

The marriage-knot or knot of Hercules, a strong knot created by two intertwined ropes, originated as a healing charm in ancient Egypt, but is best known for it’s use in ancient Greece and Rome as a protective amulet, most notably as a wedding symbol, incorporated into the protective girdles worn by brides, which were ceremonially untied by the new groom. This custom is the likely origin of the phrase “tying the knot.”

According to Roman lore, the knot symbolized the legendary fertility of the God Hercules; it probably relates to the legendary Girdle of Diana captured from the Amazon Queen Hippolyta. In this, the marriage-knot was probably a representation of the virginity of the bride. 

The symbolism of the knot survived well beyond its religious use, and was a very common symbol in medieval and Renaissance love tokens.

Greek girdle, 3rd cent. BCE

Cimaruta (Cima di Ruta, Sprig of Rue, Rue Amulet)

Cimaruta, in Italian, means “Sprig of Rue,” and the rue amulet is one of Italy’s oldest cultural objects. The amulets, which are made of silver, depict a rue sprig with various small symbols in its branches, most commonly keys, crescent moons, daggers, stars, and flowers. The cimaruta of today is evolved from ancient Etruscan amulets; historical uses are as protective charms against malevolent magic, witchcraft, and the evil eye, especially for infants.

Ironically (perhaps intentionally so), the cimaruta has become associated with Strega (an Italian/Roman flavor of Wicca), and so-called Italian Traditional Witchcraft, which appears to be largely based on the works of Charles Geoffrey Leland, a nineteenth century folklorist who penned several volumes on Italian witchcraft, including Aradia (The “Gospel of the Witches”), purporting to be the gospel of a secret Dianic Roman witchcraft tradition.

Cimaruta amulet

Asclepius (Aesculapius) Wand

This Asclepius wand, often confused with the Caduceus wand of Hermes, is the true symbol of the medical profession. It dates to antiquity, and was a symbol of the Greek God of healing, Aesculapius. An explanation often given on the origin of the emblem is that the serpent-twined staff originated with an early form advertisement for parasite removal, but this is unlikely, as the snake was the symbol of a number of deities associated with healing. The symbol of a serpent entwined staff also appears in the biblical book of Exodus, wherein Moses is instructed to erect a brass pole with a serpent; whoever looked upon it was healed.


Asclepius with his wand

Trinacria (triarca, trincaria)

The Trinacria ( “Trincaria” means triangular), a three legged design resembling a triskele, is a symbol of the Isle of Sicily.” The three points represent the three capes of Sicily, also known as Trinacria in ancient times. 

The gorgon in the center implies the protection of the Goddess Athena, the Patron Goddess of the Isle. (In early mythology, Medusa was the destructive aspect of Athena, and later, a monster slain by the hero Perseus, who adorned Athena’s shield.)

Orphic Egg (World Egg, Cosmic Egg)

The Orphic egg is usually represented as an egg surrounded by a coiled serpent. The egg symbolizes the belief in the Greek Orphic religion that the universe originated from within a silver egg. The first emanation from this egg, described in an ancient hymn, was Phanes-dionysus, the personification of light:

“ineffable, hidden, brilliant scion, whose motion is whirring, you scattered the dark mist that lay before your eyes and, flapping your wings, you whirled about, and through this world you brought pure light.”

The image below depicts Phanes’ birth from the egg:

Crucified Bacchus

This unusual amulet dates from the third century AD. It is intended as a magical charm, and depicts a crucified figure of the wine god Bacchus. Above the figure is a crescent moon, and seven stars, the meaning of which is unknown. It is unusual as it depicts a crucified figure other than Christ at a time when similar images of Jesus were rare.

Solar Cross (Odin’s Cross, Sun Cross, Wheel of Taranis)

The Solar cross is probably the oldest religious symbol in the world, appearing in Asian, American, European, and Indian religious art from the dawn of history. Composed of a equal armed cross within a circle, it represents the solar calendar- the movements of the sun, marked by the solstices. Sometimes the equinoxes are marked as well, giving an eight armed wheel. The swastika is also a form of Solar cross.

The sun cross in its most simplified form (shown above) is known in Northern Europe as Odin’s cross, after the Chief God of the Norse pantheon. It is often used as an emblem by Asatruar, followers of the Norse religion. The word “cross” itself comes from the Old Norse word for this symbol: kros.

The Celtic cross is a symbol of the Celtic Christian Church, borrowed from the pre-Christian Celtic Pagan emblem of the sun God Taranis:

A similar symbol is the emblem of the ancient Assyrian God Shamash:

The Lauburu (four heads), a traditional Basque emblem, is also a form of solar cross:

The lauburu’s origin is unclear, although it is undeniably a solar emblem.  In recent times, it most often used as a charm for good luck and protection, and an emblem of Basque pride. The Etruscan God Ixion was often depicted crucified on a solar wheel (note the similarity to the Chi-Ro cross):

The Aztec solar deity Quetzalcoatl, depicted crucified on an equal armed cross:

Labyrinth

The labyrinth is a winding, maze-like path, often resembling a spiral. Labyrinths are found in many ancient cultures, and almost always have spiritual significance. Nearly identical labrynth patterns are found in neolithic art, on native American petroglyphs, and even in ancient Vedic sites. Ancient Minoan labyrinths were associated with the cult of the mother Goddess, and were possibly used in initiatory rituals.

Labyrinths carried into medieval times, where they were often laid on the floors of cathedrals. They were used as a sort of miniature pilgrimage- often, these ‘pilgrims’ traveled the path on their knees while praying continuously. Labyrinths today have seen a kind of revival- they are common today both in churches and Neopagan sanctuaries. (It is estimated that there are now more than fifteen hundred labyrinths in churches in the US alone.) 


Greek Labyrinth

Cretan/Minoan Snake Goddess (Knossos snake charmer)

An image of a Serpent-bearing Goddess figure found in the remains of a temple in Knossos, Crete.She is one of several such figurines unearthed.

The name and purpose of the figure has never been deciphered, but she is associated with animals- mainly bees and snakes, and associated with the labyrinth and the labrys symbols.

Minoan Bee Goddess

A figure of a Minoan Goddess in the shape of a bee,* one of several portrayals found in the art and religious artifacts of ancient Minoan culture.
These artifacts are assumed to be related to the local Mother Goddess cult, but very little is known about Minoan religion.

*Or, a representation of the Melissae (bees), the priestesses of the cult.