The spiral is probably the oldest known symbol of human spirituality. The spiral has been in rock carvings thousands of years old, on every continent in the world. The religious significance can only be guessed at, but it has been found on tombs, and almost certainly has a connection with the sun, which traces a spiral shape every three months in its travels. The double spiral found in neolithic Celtic stone art also follows the path of the sun, describing the movements of the heavenly body over the course of a solar year.

A triple spiral motif found on Celtic tombs is drawn unicursally (that is, in one continuous line), suggesting a cycle of rebirth or resurrection. (this hypothesis is bolstered by the fact that many of these appear to be deliberately placed where they catch the first rays of the sun on the solstice). The sun, dying and rising every day, is a natural symbol of rebirth, and the triple spiral gives an obvious connection between the solar symbolism and the nine months of human gestation. In modern times, the spiral is still spiritually significant. The spiral is the symbol of spirit in Wicca, an emblem of the Goddess. 

Spiral

Cernunnos is the mysterious horned deity worshipped by Iron age Celts across Europe until the end of the first century. Very little is known about Cernunnos except his name and his image, which appears on numerous stone carvings and other religious artifacts throughout Europe. He appears crowned with stag’s antlers, often seated in a meditative position, and is almost always depicted with images of wild game animals. His Celtic name is unknown, although he may be associated with Derg Corra, the early Celtic “Man in the Tree.” He may also be related to the Celtic god Fionn (Finn MacCuill), who had a close affinity with deer.
Cernunnos is a descriptive Roman name meaning “horned one.” He is often associated with Herne the hunter, a character of British folk myth, and the “Green man” of European architecture. Roman invaders associated Cernunnos with the god Mercury. He is later associated with Herne, a trickster character of European legend, and his appearance arguably influenced the appearance of the Christian Devil. The image which appears above is taken from the Gundestrup Cauldron, a ritual object of unknown use discovered in a peat bog in Denmark.
Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor describes the character of Herne:

“There is an old tale goes that Herne the Hunter, Sometime a keeper here in Windsor Forest, Doth all the winter-time, at still midnight, Walk round about an oak, with great ragg’d horns; And there he blasts the tree, and takes the cattle, And makes milch-kine yield blood, and shakes a chain In a most hideous and dreadful manner. You have heard of such a spirit, and well you know The superstitious idle-headed eld Receiv’d, and did deliver to our age, This tale of Herne the Hunter for a truth.”

Herne the Hunter Segment from the Gundestrup cauldron, a ritual object of worked silver discovered in a Denmark peat bog and decorated with images from Celtic mythology                                     Cernunnos (Horned God)

The ubiquitous Welsh Dragon at left is the national symbol of Wales. This particular image appears on the flag of Wales and is derived from an ancient standard of the Tudor family, which is in turn derived from the ‘Draco’ standard of the Roman Legion. 

Although attempts have been made to link the dragon with Arthurian tales of Merlin and his prophetic vision of battling dragons- red for Wales and white for England- the emblem has been in use in Wales for at least twelve hundred years.

Welsh Dragon (Y Ddraig Goch- The Red Dragon)

Triskele (Triple Spiral, Triskelion)

The triskele, or triple spiral, a symbol closely related to the triquetra, is a tripartite symbol composed of three interlocked spirals.
The triple spiral is an ancient Celtic symbol related to the sun, afterlife and reincarnation. The example above comes from the Neolithic “tomb” at Newgrange, where it is supposed by some to be a symbol of pregnancy (the sun describes a spiral in its movements every three months; a triple spiral represents nine months), an idea reinforced by the womb like nature of the structure. The symbol also suggests reincarnation- it is drawn in one continuous line, suggesting a continuous movement of time.

Triskeles are one of the most common elements of Celtic art; they are found in a variety of styles in both ancient and modern Celtic art, especially in relation to depictions of the Mother Goddess. They also evoke the Celtic concept of the domains of material existence- earth, water, and sky, and their interrelations.

Triskele (Triple Spiral, Triskelion)

Celtic Cross (Ionic Cross, Cross of St Columba)

The Celtic Cross (Ionic cross) has its roots in a pre-Christian variation of the Solar cross. Examples of the Celtic cross date back as far as 5000 years BCE.  The origin of the Celtic cross are not clear, but it was known to be an early symbol of the Gallic sun god Taranis. After the conversion of the Celtic people to Christianity, the Celtic Cross became an emblem of the Celtic Christian Church. Irish legend holds that the cross was introduced to Ireland by St. Columba, so it is sometimes referred to as Columba’s cross, or the Ionic cross, after his monastery on the isle of Iona.

Irish stone Cross	Celtic god Taranis with solar Wheel								More on Celtic Cross

Druid Symbols

Arguably, most early Celtic symbols could also be referred to as “Druid symbols“  In this section, however, we will describe those most commonly associated with the various branches of modern Druidry. These can be divided into two main areas: ancient Celtic symbols associated with Druids, and recently created emblems of modern Druid organizations. Some of the more well known symbols associated with Druidry include:
The Wreath and Staves, or Druidic sigil:

The so-called Druid sigil is the identifying symbol of one of the earliest Druid reconstruction organizations, Reformed Druids of North America. It is strictly a modern symbol, having no root in historic Druidry. It originated in the sixties, but the inspiration behind the design is unknown- the most likely origin is from heraldic designs, which often featured wreaths of oak leaves. The Awen, or ‘rays,’ is a glyph with three vertical lines or rays of light converging at the top:
The Awen is a not genuine symbol of ancient Druidry, but associated with several modern groups. The word Awen in the Gaelic language means means “inspiration,” or “essence,” and refers to to poetic inspiration (traditional) or spiritual illumination (modern). The three parts of the Awen symbol represent the harmony of opposites- the left and right rays symbolizing female and male energy; the center bar their harmonious balance (somewhat akin to the Taoist yin-yang symbol). The symbol is referred to as the “Bardic symbol” in Charlotte Guest’s translation of the Mabinogion, a collection of traditional Welsh Arthurian tales, where it is said to represent the entirety of the Celtic Ogham alphabet as discovered by the Welsh hero Menw.
In reality, the emblem was probably conceived by the eighteenth century poet Iolo Morganwg, and reproduced in his book of purported Druidic philosophy, which was later discovered to be spurious. An actual, recognizable symbol in ancient Druidry was the Sun wheel, or Wheel of Taranis, a Celtic sun/thunder God.
The sun wheel has six or eight spokes, patterned after the wheel of a wagon:
The wheel is identical to other solar wheels and represents the solar calendar, with points marking the position of the sun at the equinoxes and Solstices. The solar cross and Celtic cross motifs are derived from this symbol. The most recognizable symbol of modern Druidry is the Tree of Life, with branches and roots entwined. It is a motif common in Celtic art from pagan times, and adopted as well for Christian use, often identical with the biblical tree of life:
The world tree, like its Norse counterpart, represents man- the branches symbolize the cosmos, the roots the underworld, the tree their union in mankind. The Tree of Life is depicted in various ways, but most often as symmetrical vines emanating from a pot, or as a tall pillar of entwined branches. You can read more about the Celtic Tree, or about the Universal Tree of Life.

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Bride’s Cross (Brighid’s Cross)

Usually known as “Bride’s Cross,” this equal-armed cross is traditionally woven from straw in honor of Ireland’s Saint Bridget (Also known as: Bride, Brighid, Brigid) on her holiday, Candlemas, observed on the second of February. 

There is a very strong likelihood that there never was such a personage as St. Bridget, and that she may have been a cover for worship of the Celtic Goddess of the same name. 

The cross itself is a type of solar cross, and both the symbol and the woven representation probably predate Christianity in Ireland. Another clue to the identity of Brighid lies in the timing of her holiday, formerly Imbolc (“In milk”), the Celtic observation of the coming of spring with the lactation of the ewes, and sacred to the goddess as protector of livestock.

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