Symbol dictionary
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Nazar evil eye, tree of life, triskelion, lotus, mandala: the documented origin of each symbol, its uses and the respectful way to wear it.
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Symbolic KeyThe key opens and closes: a symbol of access, knowledge, authority and passage. Janus, Saint Peter, the keys oDoveThe dove is the bird of peace in Western culture: Noah and the olive branch, the Holy Spirit, Aphrodite, PicasHorn of PlentyThe horn of plenty, or cornucopia, overflows with fruit and grain. Myths of Amalthea and Achelous, Roman FortuCrescent MoonThe crescent moon is a phase of the Moon and an ancient symbol. Astronomy (earthshine, the direction of the crAnkh CrossThe ankh, or crux ansata, is the Egyptian hieroglyph for life, held by the gods. Its origins, meaning, Coptic Metatron's CubeMetatron's Cube is a figure of thirteen circles joined by lines, popularised in the 1990s. What it actually de
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HorseshoeThe horseshoe is a European lucky charm nailed above doors. Origins in folklore, the legend of Saint Dunstan, Flower of LifeThe Flower of Life is a pattern of overlapping equal circles. Where the design comes from, its recent name, ho
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LabyrinthA labyrinth is a single path that leads to the centre; a maze is a network where you can get lost. The MinotauUnicornThe unicorn first appears in Ctesias in the 5th century BC, becomes a Christian symbol in the Middle Ages, insLotusThe lotus rises from the mud to bloom in the light: an image of renewal in Egypt and of purity in India and Bu
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Hand of Fatma (Hamsa)The hamsa, or Hand of Fatma, is an open hand often decorated with an eye, found in the Maghreb and the Near EaMandalaThe mandala is a circular diagram from Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism. The origin of the word, Tibetan sand man
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OmOm, or Aum, is a sacred syllable in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Its meaning in the Upanishads (three soundOuroborosThe ouroboros is a serpent or dragon that bites its own tail. Egypt, Greek alchemy, the Norse Jörmungandr, Jun
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PentagramThe pentagram is the five-pointed star drawn in one stroke. A neutral history: the Pythagoreans, the five wounPhoenixThe phoenix is a legendary bird that is reborn from itself. From the Egyptian bennu and Herodotus to Ovid, Chr
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ScarabThe sacred scarab is linked to Khepri, god of the rising sun. The history of seals and of the heart scarab, thSun and RaysThe disc surrounded by rays is one of the oldest symbols. Aten, Helios, Sol Invictus, Inti, Louis XIV, the flaSpiralThe spiral is a curve that coils around a centre: Newgrange, Malta, the Māori fern frond, galaxies, shells. Na
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Four-Leaf CloverThe four-leaf clover is a rare variant of the white clover. Why it brings luck in tradition, the odds of findiTriquetraThe triquetra is a knot of three interlaced arcs, known from insular art, Scandinavia and Christian iconographTriskeleThe triskele is a three-branched spiral motif, known since prehistory at Newgrange, in Greece and in Sicily. W
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Eye of HorusThe Eye of Horus, or udjat, is an Egyptian amulet whose name means “the whole eye”. The myth of Horus and SethNazar EyeThe nazar eye is a blue glass bead shaped like an eye, widely found in Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean. I
The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice.