Celtic signs and symbols
For centuries, Celtic signs and symbols held incredible power for the ancient Celts in all senses of life.
Today, we can learn about this power and what it uses by learning the language of Celtic symbols.
The word «Celtic» refers to people who lived in Britain and western Europe between 500 BC and 400AD. The Celts were from the Iron Age and lived in small villages that were led by warrior chiefs.
The remaining written records of the Celts of Europe are scarce so Celtic signs, Celtic horoscopes and Celtic symbols can be difficult to determine and trace. Many facts come through the Romans, who conquered the Celtic lands during the rise of the Roman Empire.
In any case, thanks to time-honored traditions (such as storytelling) quite a bit of history was rescued and the Celtic heritage remains strong.
In honor of the bravery and magic of the Celts and to celebrate their rich history, we are now going to find a wealth of information.
Note: We strive to offer the most detailed information about Celtic signs and symbols and their wisdom. Unfortunately history has a funny way of getting distorted… especially over a few thousand years.
If you find inconsistencies between the information in «The Lovers» and your own research, don't panic. Keep up the research, do your best to find the commonalities across all your sources that help inform your own beliefs/ideals. Sometimes the answers just can't be 100% clear. In some cases, I rather think it's a good thing. Gaps in concrete evidence allow our greatest selves (our spirit, intuition, creativity) to fill in the blanks.
Having said this, let's detail the different meanings.
Common Celtic Symbols and Their Meanings
The meaning of Celtic symbols are difficult to trace because there is minimal known surviving writings indicating the specific meanings of Celtic symbols.
Some understanding of the Celtic use of symbols comes from the conjectures and assumptions of authorities and historians of ancient Celtic culture.
This allows us to tap into the mystery of the Celtic way, to keep it in our hearts and open up to our intuition when it comes to Celtic symbolism.
Triskelion:
A Greek term meaning «three legs» and therefore this sign looks a lot like three running legs. The Celtic symbol meaning here is appropriate because this symbol represents competition and progress for man.
Triqueta:
In Latin it means «three-cornered.» It is a sacred symbol, and has many meanings. It varies in its aspect of spirit, nature, being, and the cosmos.
Triple Spiral:
It represents the drawing of the three powers of the maiden, mother and old woman. It is a sign of feminine power and above all power through transition and growth.
Three rays:
The first and third rays in this Celtic symbol represent masculine and feminine energy (respectively). The central ray represents the balance of both energies.
Spiral:
Individual represents the ethereal energy you radiate (or inward depending on your perspective) It also symbolizes growth, birth and expansion of consciousness.
Five times:
This symbol represents balance. The four outer circles symbolize the four elements: earth, fire, water, air. The central circle unites all the elements with the aim of achieving balance between the four elements or energies.
Triple:
You see a triple spiral. The center of this symbol represents the «center» which means the unity of the three powers.
Double spiral:
A symbol of balance and also representative of the equinoxes.
Crosses:
It represents the bridge or the past between heaven and earth. The circle on the ringed cross means infinity and eternal spiritual love.
Meaning of Celtic Animal Symbols
Celtic animals were commonly depicted in their life and history. Animal symbols are seen in Celtic jewelry, tapestries, sculptures, clothing, etc.
Celtic animal symbols, like all symbols, signs or totems have incredible power and fascination for all of us.
More importantly, animal symbols serve as reminders of qualities (i.e. strength, courage, patience) that we all want to have. As a reminder, these animal signs convey a deeper meaning and also provide us with an illustrative focus – providing an aid on our path to obtaining the qualities of virtue we desire.
By understanding the meaning of Celtic animal symbols, we can adopt these meanings into our lives. The Celts knew this and called upon the spirit of the animal to provide them with the knowledge and qualities they needed.
The adoption of Celtic animal symbols is an honorable and ancient practice of self-improvement. It is a concentrated effort to obtain the desired attributes of the animals themselves. In addition, it is a path for internal investigation. Animals do urge us to open ourselves to internal exploration and ultimately put us on the path to understanding.
Celtic animals and their symbolic meanings
The Bull:
The bull is highly revered among Celtic animals, with several different translations. Above all, the Celtic bull symbolizes strong will, uncompromising, and even belligerent, the bull signifies inflexible, stubborn personality traits – leading to the expression «bull head». On the other hand, the bull is also a virile sign for men and a sign of fertility for women. Dressing in the Celtic symbol of the bull in the chamber (represented on sheets, robes, pillows, etc.) is said to improve the state of mind – leading to sexual strength and stamina. A third representation of the sign of the bull is that of wealth. Probably due to the fact that this creature was a great source of food to the Celts, it can easily be associated with the easiest, fairest and most abundant times in the Celtic peoples.
The Butterfly:
Research reveals that the symbolic meaning of the butterfly is similar across most cultures and time. Invariably, this beautiful Celtic symbol represents transformation, inspiration and rebirth. The concept of rebirth with the Celts is particularly important in terms of recycling life – in both the spiritual and physical realms. Transition is common throughout nature and the Celtic woman would be very aware of its presence. As such, butterflies adorn maternity dresses, blankets and sheets as a sign of smooth transition when welcoming the new babies in town.
Celtic cat:
From the Egyptians to the Romans and from the Celtic Romans came the transfer of the symbolism of cats. Unanimously, the cat represents the guardian of the other world (or underworld, according to which texts are read from various regions). Stoic, silent, and mysterious, cats fit the bill of otherworldly guardians quite well. They keep the secrets of the other world eternally to themselves, as they gaze cunningly upon a world that neither sees nor understands the depth of their knowledge. Cunning and intelligent, they not only make great guards of the other world, they are also links to mystical realms. When invoked, they can grant the caller a variety of insights regarding more esoteric ethereal knowledge. It is not surprising that the cat is a prize among Celtic animals.
The Celtic Dog:
The Celtic dog symbol also maintains a root meaning pure across time and culture. That meaning is loyalty, of course. Man (and woman) are their best friend, the dog symbolizes the strong bond of companionship that was felt between humans and animals. The dog was considered good luck in the people, and as such, the dog symbol is commonly found in Celtic decoration, clothing, etc. There are reports that the dog symbol is an omen of good health. Most likely, the dog's companionship jumped and brought illnesses and caused rejection. In addition, a Celt finds a dog nearby, rarely hunting. Dogs were the necessities of life and therefore highly appreciated.
Celtic dolphin:
More than one story has been told about the magic of dolphins. Its appearance in the things of Ireland urged the Celts to contemplate an unknown universe – the sea. Those who could not conform simply meditated – the people of the Celtic seas held the dolphin in high esteem. It became the symbol of friendship, intelligence and good luck. Its lucky condition was probably related to the fact that the dolphin was most often observed in the seas, when the weather and waves were calm and fair. The Celts understood the intimate relationship between nature and animals. However, did he look to luck, dolphins cause good weather, or was it the weather that beckoned him in their depths? Clearly, it is a question of which came first – the chicken or the egg. Regardless, the dolphin is seen as quite lucky – and this combined with the quality of its cunning and speed in the waters made the dolphin highly respected in the world. celtic animals
Celtic Ducks and Geese:
Ducks, along with geese, share the same symbolism of transition due to their migratory nature. Ducks are also symbols of honesty, simplicity and ingenuity. These birds were common sights in the green lands of Ireland, and their migration was due to the ever-observant Celts. The sign of the goose urges us to consider our mood and heart changes. The Celts understand that unity of thought leads to unity of work, so invoking the geese aids in our ability to understand why we have these changes in thought, and what we can do to ground our thoughts so that our actions are not in any way. On the other hand, these birds are also a strong symbol of house and home. They always return to the same place each spring, identified by their keen sense of homecoming. The Celts are fierce patriots, the sign of the goose was a strong symbol in the home, depicted to encourage the safe return of the Celtic warriors.
Celtic animal symbols
The ancient Celts have found symbolic gold when drawing from nature's energetic matrix for divinatory wisdom. There is nothing that is beyond the reach of the trees. Nothing. All life is touched by trees-branch-hands, or root-foot trees. The druids knew this intimately. I could feel waves of life radiating from the trees and understanding their connection was the…