Symbols1

Symbols

The use of symbols can help us to attain the experience of the Divine. Symbols are important spiritual and magickal tools, but often there are many ways of symbolizing the same thing, or achieving the same psychological or spiritual state and we should not get too attached to a particular symbol itself.
Ritual gestures are symbols, and in magick we make use of all the senses to achieve an altered state of consciousness. We use symbolic smells in the form of oils, incenses; symbolic images in the form of artwork, God/dess forms, and visualizations; symbolic sounds in the form of mantras, chants, music and intonation; symbolic tastes in the form of ritual food and drink; and symbolic sensation in the feel of power objects, robes, and ritual regalia. Sacred dance employs the kenetic sense of the feel of body movement, and is a symbol.

Always bear in mind that a symbol always means more than can be expressed in words. It is up to you to explore these symbols and find out what they mean to you, and how they speak to your unconscious.

There are many different symbols, all of which have different meanings and representations. This page should explain the most common, most of which you should already know, and a few others for good measure.

The Pentagram
The pentagram symbolizes the human microconism, and upright can be seen to represent the human body standing with outstretched arms and legs. It is endless, drawn from a single line, and thus represents the perfection and infinity of the circle, and thus a whole. It also represents the four cardinal points, plus the fifth point, the centre; it represents the five elements, Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit.
Five is a number of the Sacred Marriage, being composed of the feminine two, and the masculine three; it is Matter (composed of the four elements) and Spirit (the Unity of the Divine).
It also symbolizes the five senses. Each point of the pentagram is assigned to an element (shown left).

Upright it shows Spirit above Matter, and is a symbol of the Goddess and Woman.
It represents God ruling over the world of matter.

Upright Pentacle

Inverted it shows Matter above Spirit, or Spirit made manifest in Matter, and is a symbol of the Horned God and Goat of Mendes.
It also represents Satan or the world of matter ruling over God, which would be the same as denouncing God.
If worn it wold attract evil and negative energy around you. It is normally worn by Satanists or devil worshipers.

Inverted Pentacle

The Yin Yang
The Yin Yang is an ancient Chinese symbol which represents two opposites. It depicts the prfect balance of the two great forces of the universe. The two forces are contained within a circle, the representation of totality, revolution and dynamism, and the whole represents the perfectionof balance and harmony. The two forces are mutually dependant partners, one in essence, but two in manifestation.
In Witchcraft, the Goddess and God may be likened to the Yin Yang symbol, although seeing them in human-like form may enable some people to relate to them better than they can to the abstract image of the Yin Yang.

Yin Yang

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