Religious Symbols

[Quintessence]

Symbols are widely used to communicate ideas, and the world's religions make abundant use of them. It's not uncommon for a symbol or two to be strongly associated with a particular religion. I thought it would be neat to have a thread where members can post a symbol related to their religious tradition and share what it means to them. Some of these icons have rich history and meaning behind them, so offer any external references as appropriate as well. The study of symbolism is fascinating!



I'll start with this one:

​

This is an astronomical and astrological symbol used to represent the planet Earth. I don't actually use this symbol per-se, except when I am simplifying a more ornate version of it that I designed myself which has additional symbolic elements in the design. What it conveys is the same regardless - that my path is centered on the right here and the right now, or good 'ol planet Earth and its denizens. The circle is the shape of our planet, of course, but also represents the interconnectedness and wholeness of our biosphere. The equal-armed cross in the center is symbolic of the cardinal directions, the Four Elements, and the four seasons. There are many other symbolic elements that can overlay onto the design, from the lunar cycle to the solar cycle, from sacred animals to sacred plants or stones... lots of things.

Who else wants to share?

 

[SabahTheLoner]

I like the Ankh (also called Crux Ansata, or "cross with a handle"). It is the Egyptian representation of life and a religious symbol associated with many gods.

 

[PureX]

The yin/yang symbol representing the revelation that the opposites that we experience are just the result of our own desire-based duelistic cognitive perception of an incomprehensible whole.

That is the Tao.

"When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad."

"Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other."

"Free from desire, we realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, we see only the manifestations."

- from the Tao Te Ching

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Symbols are widely used to communicate ideas, and the world's religions make abundant use of them. It's not uncommon for a symbol or two to be strongly associated with a particular religion. I thought it would be neat to have a thread where members can post a symbol related to their religious tradition and share what it means to them. Some of these icons have rich history and meaning behind them, so offer any external references as appropriate as well. The study of symbolism is fascinating!



I'll start with this one:

​

This is an astronomical and astrological symbol used to represent the planet Earth. I don't actually use this symbol per-se, except when I am simplifying a more ornate version of it that I designed myself which has additional symbolic elements in the design. What it conveys is the same regardless - that my path is centered on the right here and the right now, or good 'ol planet Earth and its denizens. The circle is the shape of our planet, of course, but also represents the interconnectedness and wholeness of our biosphere. The equal-armed cross in the center is symbolic of the cardinal directions, the Four Elements, and the four seasons. There are many other symbolic elements that can overlay onto the design, from the lunar cycle to the solar cycle, from sacred animals to sacred plants or stones... lots of things.

Who else wants to share?

I love to draw and paint. A lot of my religious symbols or symbols of expression come from that. The top is the PRIDE rainbow. It has it's original colors (pink at the top which they took out because Baker didn't have enough pink for the flag. Printing press issues). He named each color by meaning...

The middle is a symbol of equality, the sun shining on people in equality. The water ripples are serenity. I love sitting by the water. The symbol itself is an interlocked semicircles.

I painted landscapes with the colors of the PRIDE flag. Most likely, other symbols will come up but this one was colored in cryon.

 

[Nakosis]

I like

Śūnyatā
the "emancipation of the mind by emptiness" (suññatā cetovimutti) being consequent upon the realization that "this world is empty of self or anything pertaining to self"

 

[Sunstone]

 

[YmirGF]

I'm old fashioned...
Gimmie an Om anyday...

or

 

[BSM1]

I'm old fashioned...
Gimmie an Om anyday...

or

I call it "the one-eyed 3 with a tail".

 

[sun rise]

The military gravestone symbols showing the diversity in America

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I find the power of symbols over people to be very fascinating. Personally, I don't feel any sense of power or mystery from symbols, but I have always doodled symbols I encounter, since I was a child, as I have a strong affinity for pattern, form, and shape.

I remember when I first encountered the swastika. I thought it was a really mesmerizing shape - I had no idea what it represented (perhaps, very abstractly). I was probably in first or second grade. I doodled them all the time in class, on worksheets or other things. I can only imagine what would happen in today's world if that happened.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Symbols are widely used to communicate ideas, and the world's religions make abundant use of them. It's not uncommon for a symbol or two to be strongly associated with a particular religion. I thought it would be neat to have a thread where members can post a symbol related to their religious tradition and share what it means to them. Some of these icons have rich history and meaning behind them, so offer any external references as appropriate as well. The study of symbolism is fascinating!



I'll start with this one:

​

This is an astronomical and astrological symbol used to represent the planet Earth. I don't actually use this symbol per-se, except when I am simplifying a more ornate version of it that I designed myself which has additional symbolic elements in the design. What it conveys is the same regardless - that my path is centered on the right here and the right now, or good 'ol planet Earth and its denizens. The circle is the shape of our planet, of course, but also represents the interconnectedness and wholeness of our biosphere. The equal-armed cross in the center is symbolic of the cardinal directions, the Four Elements, and the four seasons. There are many other symbolic elements that can overlay onto the design, from the lunar cycle to the solar cycle, from sacred animals to sacred plants or stones... lots of things.

Who else wants to share?

Don't know if this will be interesting to you or not: Looking at online images for alchemical symbols there are different alchemical charts. Different ones say that the crosshair-circle can mean 'Terra', 'Sulfur', or 'World Seed'. Also one says it means 'Aerugo' which is Latin for Rust.

 

[Sunstone]

I remember when I first encountered the swastika. I thought it was a really mesmerizing shape - I had no idea what it represented (perhaps, very abstractly). I was probably in first or second grade. I doodled them all the time in class, on worksheets or other things. I can only imagine what would happen in today's world if that happened.

You'd probably be in mandatory therapy with a police record at age seven.

 

[Vouthon]

Monumental T-shaped pillars from Göbekli Tepe - constructed 12, 000 years ago, in the PPN (pre-pottery Neolithic), they are the world's oldest example of megalithic religious architecture (or large-scale buildings of any kind, for that matter).

The mysterious T-shaped symbol is the site’s most prominent and most defining feature. While they remain faceless, the monuments depict arms, hands, and clothing, thereby identifying these up to 5.5 m high pillars as anthropomorphic, but distinctively also larger than life at the same time. Their highly abstracted character must be considered intentional.

Obviously, the abstract yet anthropomorphic "T symbol" was filled with meaning for these prehistoric people:

 

[shunyadragon]

I like

Śūnyatā
the "emancipation of the mind by emptiness" (suññatā cetovimutti) being consequent upon the realization that "this world is empty of self or anything pertaining to self"

The origin of my website name! Also spelled Śhūnyatā.

 

[Tumah]

The military gravestone symbols showing the diversity in America

The diversity of Christianity anyway...

Also no.45 is not a separate religion, its just a common thing that Jewish priest families put on their gravestones.

 

[DavidFirth]

 

[sun rise]

The diversity of Christianity anyway...

Also no.45 is not a separate religion, its just a common thing that Jewish priest families put on their gravestones.

To be more explicit - the image was to illustrate the diversity of religious belief and symbols in America, the OP, and not a list of religions since, for example, an atheist symbol is one of those included. And as you pointed out a religion can be represented by more than one symbol.

Specifically the current list which is explicitly called AVAILABLE EMBLEMS OF BELIEF FOR PLACEMENT ON GOVERNMENT HEADSTONES AND MARKERS can be found here:
https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/docs/emblems.pdf

 

[Nakosis]

The origin of my website name! Also spelled Śhūnyatā.

Wherein your "name" makes sense. I'm a little slow at catching these things sometimes.

 

[arthra]

The Greatest Name ring stone symbol is worn by Baha'is and the explanations for it I think are quite fascinating.. among the explanations of the symbol are the three worlds.. The world of God the world of the Manifestations and the world of creation including humanity.. The twin stars refer to the twin Manifestations for this day..the Bab and Baha'u'llah.

Read more at

Explanation of the Symbol of the Greatest Name

 

[Valjean]

The military gravestone symbols showing the diversity in America

Interesting that the Jain swastika isn't represented. Perhaps it wasn't needed, as Jains aren't likely to join the military, Or perhaps it carried some other, unpleasant associations.
The "farohar" is the name of the symbol. The religion it represents is Zoroastrianism.