Author: Mandrake WindWillow

Originally printed in Witchvox, August 31, 2008.
If you intend to republish this page, please contact  Mandrake Windwillow

Three years ago this spring my group was throwing around the ideas of what we wanted in our group, we had decided to create a chosen family from what were the ruins of a former group gone for some time. We looked at what we had learned, what we had gained, and what we foresaw as issues and solutions. We also looked at symbols.

We each sat down at our former Priestess’ kitchen table and considered an assortment of shapes, celestial bodies, and other symbols that would best incorporate what our ideals were for our own small fledgling of a coven. We had decided from the start to eliminate the pentacle as our “official” symbol, as we had multiple people who were still in the proverbial closet and we wanted something we could wear and display with pride without having to worry about stigma and problems.

We had a member research the various other stars and eventually decided upon the seven-pointed star, also known as the septagram, the pleiadian star, the faery star, or the elven star. We chose it because of the association with the seven sisters of Pleiades, the significance of the number seven and most importantly to us, the fact that we had started out with seven core members. We viewed the story of the seven sisters as a story of a celestial family and we were attempting to create a family within our group.

From there our symbol evolved, and our former Priestess suggested incorporating a triple moon in some way with the septagram. She suggested we see how it would look and meditate on it to see if the meanings and symbols would be appropriate.

What we came up with is our own symbol belonging to us and having our own power and energy to it. It has evolved over the past three years into an instantly recognized symbol of our family and our members and the divinity that is both surrounding and within us. It is our own coat of arms, our own symbol of our family and has really become a focus point of pride and joy that we can call it our own creation, for us by us. Having been created by our group it does not carry with it the powers of others, associated stigmas or misinformation about the meaning behind it or the reasons for using it. It exists to be a reminder of the family, the core of that family and most importantly, the divine. It fills that existence well.

My point in writing this is not to show you what we have created or to tell you that every coven should do what we have done, but to inspire you to think about the symbols that you choose to incorporate into your life, into your practices, and into your subconscious.

Symbols are powerful carriers of meaning, myth, and often misinformation. A commonly recognized miss-used symbol is the inverted pentagram associated with Satanism, Occultism, and Evil by the public and media. This is a typically the symbol of upper level training in some traditions of Wicca, usually the second degree having been attained. Its significance and meaning depends upon your level of education about the symbol and if you understand its true meaning and connotations.

Simply finding a design visually appealing is usually not enough reason to use it in spiritual endeavors. Examine the history of the symbol, the stories behind the symbol and if appropriate, the numerological meanings behind the makeup of the symbol. Examine how many strokes it takes you to draw the symbol, for that has meaning too.

Meditate on what meaning that symbol evokes within you, because even if every book printed tells you that such-and-such a symbol means one thing and every time you see it you think of something completely different it will affect the usefulness of the symbol.

What I am getting at here is delving deeper, seeking more, and making informed decisions. Do not simply wear a symbol because it is popular or pretty or adversely, shocking and appalling. Wear it because it signifies something deep within you that you want to show with an outward object. Be able to tell a curious person what the symbol means, it shows that you care about what you are wearing and what you choose to adorn your body with.

If you do not know the meaning of the symbol, why would you permanently embed that symbol into your skin? I’ve encountered way too many people in my years attending renaissance fairs, public events and Pagan festivals that are carrying around symbols in their skin that they have no idea what the meaning of them is. This is not just a Pagan problem but also more a problem of the larger culture. I am certainly not saying not to get a tattoo, as I proudly have several. I am saying that people should educate themselves on these powerful designs and choose wisely when making permanent decisions about their skin.

We currently live in a culture of eye candy and visual stimulation. Our brain processes what it sees faster than any other sense. This is why it is so easy for us to become entranced by flashy advertisements, graphics heavy games, and hours of television programs, movies, and Internet content. Even as Pagans and Witches, we use a visual component to our practices, on our altars, in our rituals and in our forms of sacred offerings. Knowing this, we should be extra careful that we are not clouding our intentions with improperly used symbols.

They are the visual carriers of meaning to our brains and should therefore be respected and honored by proper use. This starts with education and research but the rewards are infinite. Not only will it deepen your appreciation for the symbol, but also you will begin to see the similarities between cultures, symbols, and meanings across cultures and recognize the interconnectedness that resonates with in us all.

Therefore, the next time you see a symbol you do not recognize, do not simply take it as appealing or appalling, but delve deeper and understand its true meaning for learning is the secret of the path, and it never stops.