Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

In the dictionary the first definition of symbology is: the art of expression by symbols.

Some form of symbology is practiced by most everyone.  Cross necklaces, St. Christopher pendants, and wedding rings are all emblems worn often to symbolize beliefs or customs that are important.  The symbols we wear are the items that remind us of our beliefs and the things we hold dear and important. 

I love symbols, and as someone who likes to constantly carry reminders of what those sigils mean. I love to look down and get a little nudge from something on my person that will remind me of what is real and important. I have collected these symbols over my lifetime, gaining a new one here and there to represent some other facet of the elements that are symbolic to who I am.  I have several that stay with me permanently.  All of which tend to raise a little suspicion amongst the unknowing.  These symbols may not be common here in the South, and tattoos especially have not been considered a usual choice for women of Southern roots, but that does not make them evil or bad.  Perhaps, they just need a little more explaining.

The symbol I have worn the longest is a silver ring of Celtic knot-work with a five-pointed star as the center focal point. I have worn this ring almost every day for over half of my life.  That being said…it’s this ring that gets the most attention here in the South.  More often than not, people stare at the ring as if it might bite them, but occasionally, they work up the courage to ask the inevitable question.  “Is that one of those witch symbols?” Or even better.  “That’s devil’s stuff.”  Now, this gets mentioned so much that mostly I answer with a shrug and say, “It’s a star.  That’s a shape like a triangle or a square.” But, that is not the entire truth.  Stars are very important to me, so much so that they are included in many of my other symbols.  The five points of my star remind me that everything is made up of the five elements, that in the end we really are made from star dust.  The star is my talisman that represents that we are all connected to something much deeper than our everyday lives. Stars represent wisdom, which brings me to the next symbol.

The constellation Pleiades is tattooed on my shoulder.  It is a constellation that has been mentioned in every major and most minor religious works ever written.   It is also the closest open star cluster to the constellation Taurus. The name Pleiades comes from Greek mythology story of the seven sisters, but is called many other names in different cultures.  The symbolic meanings of Pleiades are so vast that it is easier to imagine those stars as the observers of all wisdom and knowledge.  Those stars have touched almost every culture and every age.  So, when I get the quirky looks for have a cluster of stars permanently inked into my body I tell them it’s a reminder that my life might be short compared to the span of time, but Pleiades is a reminder that I am part of something that has always existed.  That curiously brings me to the next symbol.

Another tattoo, this is a picture of the Hindu God Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, which is in the shape of an Om symbol. Om simply put represents the divine, all-encompassing consciousness. Of all the symbols I carry with me, this one gets the most positive comments.  It seems that whether they know what it means or not, everyone thinks it’s a pretty tattoo.  I secretly think this have something to do with the deeper aspects of both Ganesh and the Om symbol, but I would never say so.  When people ask what it means, I try to give an uncomplicated yet truthful answer.  Ganesh, being the remover of obstacles, reminds me to have faith that whatever difficulty I might be experiencing can be overcome.  Om reminds me that meditation and communication with/ on the divine is where peace of mind is found. 

The last symbol Triskele or the triple spiral is a Celtic symbol I have tattooed on my foot.  This symbol has represented many different triads over time.  Land, Sea and Sky.  Maiden, Mother and Crone.  Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.  Why did I choose this symbol?  Because, it celebrates the different strengths of being a female at any age.  This holds true no matter where you are from or what you believe. 



We all carry signs and symbols with us.  Some wear a lucky shirt, or their grandmother's brooch or other jewelry.  A lucky bowling shirt, a special ball, or a tree planted in honor or a loved one...all these and much more are just symbols that tell the world that we are alive and honor memory, and life.  Others remember their family using their china at the family dinner table.  Through years, cattle have been branded, gates and doorposts have included carvings of leaves or acorns and other items of meaning.  Symbols are a good present reminder of the past.