List of occult symbols
The following is a list of symbols associated with the occult. This list shares a number of entries with the list of alchemical symbols as well as the list of sigils of demons.
List
Name | Image | Origins | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Ankh | Ancient Egyptian religion | Ancient Egyptian symbol for eternal life; now also associated with Kemetism and neo-paganism. | |
Arrow (Belomancy) | Ancient divination | Arrows used to gain knowledge through divination. | |
Baphomet | Knights Templar | Adopted by modern occultists and Satanists after the Knights Templar were accused of worshiping it. Theistic Satanists may worship it as a deity or demon, while atheistic Satanists see it as a metaphorical symbol. The goat-headed Baphomet image seen here is a 19th century drawing made by Eliphas Levi as a metaphorical symbol from Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie. It was not originally created as a Satanic symbol or a deity. See also: Sigil of Baphomet and Statue of Baphomet. | |
Black Sun | Nazi occultism and later the neo-Nazi movement | A symbol of the sun composed of twelve sig runes first appearing on the floor of the north tower of Wewelsburg after Heinrich Himmler ordered it to be remodeled, it gained modern popularity due to its use by Nazi occultists. It was later adopted by Satanists. The name "Black Sun" was coined by Wilhelm Landig of the Landig Group. | |
Circled dot | Alchemy | The alchemical symbol for the sun and various sun gods. Also the alchemical symbol for gold which is the metal represented by the Sun which is the astral counterpart. | |
Cross of Saint Peter | Christianity, later adopted by Satanism | Used paradoxically both as a symbol of Saint Peter and as Anti-Christian sentiment. The symbol comes from the crucifixion of Saint Peter, in which he requested to be crucified upside-down as he didn't see himself as worthy to die the same way as Jesus. | |
Eye of Horus | Ancient Egyptian religion | The eye of the god Horus, a symbol of protection, now associated with the occult and Kemetism. | |
Eye of Providence (or the all-seeing eye of God) | Christian iconography | The eye of God within a triangle and surrounded by holy light, representing His omniscience. | |
Heptagram | Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Thelema, Paganism, Alchemy | In Christianity, it represents the seven days of creation. In Islam, it represents the first seven verses of the Quran. It is the symbol of Babalon in Thelema. In Wicca, it is known as the Elven Star, Fairy Star, or Septagram. | |
Hexagram | Mandala and Judaism | An ancient symbol of the Jewish faith, also found on the Seal of Solomon. | |
Icelandic magical staves | Icelandic magic | Sigils created with magical powers by the Icelandic people. Pictured is the stave known as Ægishjálmur. | |
Monas Hieroglyphica | the works of John Dee | A symbol invented by John Dee, alchemist and astrologer at the court of Elizabeth I of England. It represents (from top to bottom): the moon; the sun; the elements; and fire. | |
Ouroboros | Ancient Egypt and Persia | A serpent or dragon consuming its own tail, it is a symbol of infinity, unity, and the cycle of death and rebirth. | |
Pentagram | Mesopotamia | An ancient symbol of a unicursal five-pointed star circumscribed by a circle with many meanings, including but not limited to, the five wounds of Christ and the five elements (earth, fire, water, air, and soul). In Satanism, it is flipped upside-down. See also: Sigil of Baphomet. | |
Rose Cross | Rosicrucianism / Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn | A symbol associated with Christian Rosenkreuz with many different attributions of symbolism. | |
Runes | Norse mythology | Ancient magical symbols used by Norsemen, used in modern times by various religious faiths, such as Asatru. They were popular among Nazi occultists. | |
Seal of Solomon | Alchemy, Christian and Islamic esotericism | A ring attributed to King Solomon in Jewish and esoteric tradition. | |
Seal of the Theosophical Society | Theosophy (Blavatskian) | A seal consisting of a Swastika, Star of David, Ankh, Om, and Ouroboros, used by the Theosophical Society, an organization formed in 1875 to advance Theosophy. | |
Septenary Sigil | Order of Nine Angles | The main symbol of the Order of Nine Angles, a neo-Nazi Satanic and Left-hand occult group based in the United Kingdom. | |
Sigil | Renaissance magic | Images created for magical purposes, sometimes attributed as signatures of demons, angels, and other beings. | |
Sigil of Lucifer | The Grimorium Verum | A sigil attributed to Lucifer himself, used in Satanism and Luciferianism. | |
Sigil of Baphomet | 19th Century French Occultism | Official emblem of the Church of Satan, consisting of the head of a goat transfixed upon a reversed pentagram flanked by the Hebrew letters of the word "Leviathan" (לִוְיָתָן). | |
Sigillum Dei (Seal of God) | Europe, late Middle Ages | A magical diagram, composed of two circles, a pentagram, and three heptagons, and is labeled with the name of God and his angels. | |
Squared circle | Alchemy | A symbol of the Philosopher's stone. | |
Sriramachakra | Tamil mysticism | A mystic diagram used for astrology. | |
Sulfur crosses | Alchemy; Satanism | Alchemical symbols for sulfur, associated with the fire and brimstone of Hell. The third pictured is also known as a 'Leviathan Cross' or 'Satan's Cross'. | |
Suns in alchemy | Alchemy and Hermeticism | A symbol used with many different meanings, including but not limited to, gold, citrinitas, sulfur, the divine spark of man, nobility, and incorruptibility. | |
Sun cross | Iron Age religions and later gnosticism and neo-paganism. | An ancient pagan symbol of the sun, adopted by gnostics, neopagans, and occultists. | |
Symbol of Chaos | Michael Moorcock, Aleister Crowley and chaos magic | A symbol originating from The Eternal Champion, later adopted by occultists and role-playing games. | |
Tetragrammaton | Judaism, Kodesh | Considered to be the unspeakable name of God. The four letter name has many pronunciations and can be seen over 7,000 times throughout the Hebrew Bible. | |
Tree of Life (Kabbalah) | Kabbalah Christian cabala | The tree of life is a diagram used in various mystical traditions. It usually consists of 10 nodes symbolizing different archetypes and 22 lines connecting the nodes. The nodes are often arranged into three columns to represent that they belong to a common category | |
Unicursal hexagram | Aleister Crowley's Thelema | Symbol of the Thelema religion, a hexagram that can be drawn with one line. | |
Zodiac Man (Homo Signorum, or 'Man of Signs') | Astrology | A graph correlating zodiacal names with body parts. |
See also
References
- Art and Symbols of the Occult: Images of Power and Wisdom by James Wasserman (Destiny Books, 1993)
- Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated by Cathy Burns (Sharing, 1998)
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