#pagan symbol

[nocnitsa]

Franz Stassen- The Norns, 1917.

[aqua-regia009]

Bill Mayer (American, b.1951)

https://www.thebillmayer.com/

[illustratus]

The Parca and the Angel of Death by Gustave Moreau

[keysatthecrossroad]

What are the symbols and attributes of Hekáte?

Hekáte’s primary symbols include torches, keys, and dogs. She is frequently depicted holding torches, which symbolize Her role as a guide through darkness and the underworld. Dogs are sacred to Her, often appearing as Her companions. As a Goddess of boundaries, keys represent Her control over the crossing points between the physical and spiritual worlds.

[violetmoondaughter]

The star of Ishtar

The Octagram symbol is a star ideogram that commonly appears in ancient Babylonian iconography. The eight-pointed star is usually associated with ancient goddesses such as Ishtar, Innana, Isis and Venus. These goddesses were all seen as protectress of love, fertility, beauty, divine law and power.

The symbol was originally seen as a representation of the seven heavens ruled by the goddess and later became a representation of the planet Venus associated with fertility goddesses. The planet is the third brightest object in Earth's sky after the Sun and the Moon and in the past, it was referred to as the morning or evening star. In the Old Babylonian period, the planet Venus was known as Ninsi'anna translates to "divine lady, illumination of heaven".

In many myths, Inanna’s descend into the netherworld and return to the heavens may correspond with the movements of the planet Venus in the sky, setting in the West and then rising again in the East.

The discontinuous movements of Venus relate to both to the myth as well as Inanna's dual nature. Other theories recognize the story of Inanna's descent into the underworld as a reference to an astronomical phenomenon associated with retrograde Venus.

The symbol refers to the cosmic power of the goddess as ruler of sky and heavens and connected with the transcendental world. Her power stands in the mystery of magic and creation of the universe itself and for this reason the octagram became a powerful sigil used in antiquity as a devotional iconography connected with the goddess worshippers.

[beautiful-basque-country]

Solar symbol on a menhir in Aezkoa (Nafarroa).

[moonandserpent]

Croatian Fir Tree and Ear of Wheat Pendants by Moon and Serpent

[i-am-trans-gwender]

I was today years old when I found out that Baphomet (aka the goat demon/deity/symbol) is bigender as they are meant to represent "the equilibrium of opposites". They are half animal and half human, half good and half evil and of course half male and half female.

You could say they are the goat in both senses.

[castilestateofmind]

"In Tradition, every authority is fraudulent, every law is unjust and barbarous, every institution is vain and ephemeral unless they are ordained to the superior principle of Being, and unless they are derived from the above and oriented 'upward'".

-Julius Evola.

[occultesotericart]

1600’s celestial engraving by Athanasius Kircher

[thesilicontribesman]

Viking Brooch, Jorvik Viking Centre, York

[darkcranemedia]

Symbols have been used by people for millennia to represent many things. In spell craft, they can help to focus the mind and the intention of the ritual. I have put together some common symbols that are often used. These are basic representations but can often be combined with other symbols for more involved or specific purposes.

[casualwitchbitch]

[illustratus]

Sorcerers by Nicholas Roerich

[selenophiliiaaa]

got a new book from a local witchy store and i am So Excited to read it - its “Secrets of Greek Mysticism; a modern guide to daily practice with the Greek gods and goddesses” by George Lizos,,, im only a couple chapters in but it seems like itll be a really good read !!

[beautyofaphrodite]

Happy Friday!

As Friday is a day to honor Lady Aphrodite, I like to create a post similar to this every week, with a chance for you to respond to a question and do a challenge if you’d like. Last week’s post can be found here. What’s written in this post most likely doesn’t apply to everyone, but I try to make it apply to many.

Today’s topic: Signs and Symbols

As a worshipper of Lady Aphrodite, I tend to look for and notice Her symbols everywhere. There’s a rose right there, that’s the call of a dove, etc. It’s so amazing to see Her in the world around me.

The gods in general are everywhere, all around us. Lady Aphrodite can be found in random strangers giving you compliments, that outfit that brings you so much joy, the people you love and care about most, and so much more. She is everywhere.

I know for many of us, it can be hard to differentiate between signs from Her and mundane, though amazing, things. It’s really important to know how to tell whether or not something is really a sign. Though most of the examples I mentioned already probably aren’t sent from Her specifically, they’re great excuses to say hi to Her and to thank Her for Her presence all around us.

Today’s question:

Where do you see Lady Aphrodite in the world around you?

Bonus:

How do you tell whether or not something is a sign?

Challenge:

Try to notice Lady Aphrodite’s symbols all around you.