Gravestone Symbolism & Magick

I think gravestones are beautiful. Many of the graves on our cemetery date back to the mid 1800s and many of them are very similar. What does differ is the symbols you can find on them.

Unsurprisingly, the Victorians had their own language for symbols. People weren’t generally cremated back then, and many people were illiterate, so symbols were an important way to communicate thoughts, feelings and information.

This is fascinating when you consider that symbolism is used a lot in Witchcraft. We may carve an image on a candle, use one in our magickal writings, or draw one onto a petition before burning it. Whilst it’s always good to create our own magickal correspondences, you could consider using gravestone symbolism in your magick. These time-worn symbols have been used by many people over hundreds of years.

Scholars still debate the various meanings and interpretations of cemetery symbols, and they may differ from country to country (and even region to region), but here are ten common gravestone symbols and their suggested meanings:

Angels - Messengers between God and man

Bat wings - Death, misfortune

Bone - Death

Candle - Life

Heart - Romantic love

Key - Knowledge, entrance to Heaven

Lamp - Knowledge, spiritual immortality

Oak leaf - Strength, stability, endurance

Phoenix - Resurrection

Winged Death’s Head - Mortal remains of the deceased

Fabulous Folklore: The Celtic Cross

The Celtic cross is known as a symbol of Irish heritage. It is a form of cross that emerged in Ireland, France and Great Britain in the Early Middle Ages. It’s not clear exactly where the first crosses originated, but the wave of cross building in Ireland came to an end in about 1200 AD. Most of the examples in Britain were destroyed during the Protestant Reformation. They gained popularity in the 19th Century, the name “Celtic cross” coming from that time.

These crosses are usually intricately carved, often with Bible stories and knot work, and a variety feature inscriptions in ogham. Some historians have suggested that the shape of these crosses may have mirrored trees, which the Celts revered, and that the symbol of Christianity was linked with the Sun Cross to appeal to early Pagans. Some assert that placing the cross on top of the circle represents Christ’s supremacy over the Pagan sun.

No one really knows why these huge stones were erected, by they’re typically located by important monasteries, and are popular for funerary monuments. This cross is situated in Duloe village, Cornwall.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: King Doniert's Stone

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Sheela-na-Gig

Fabulous Folklore: Phallus Worship

This sculpture of a toadstool shaped in the form of genitalia is an exhibit at the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic; which used to be displayed in the window in Cecil Williamson’s day.

I can’t remember what the purpose of this exact artefact was, but phallic worship has been present around the world since the beginning of time. Phallic symbols have been found by archaeological expeditions all over the world.

One of the oldest phallic representations is the Hohle phallus, a 28,000 year old siltstone piece which was discovered in the Hohle Fels cave in Germany. As well as being used as a representation for genitalia, this artefact is also believed to have been used for knapping flints - a very practical dual purpose!

The phallus represents fertility, procreation and potential. Worship of the reproductive powers of nature is common in many cultures, and is often symbolised by this organ. In some cultures it was a protective symbol, and helped to avert the evil eye. In Bhutan, for example, wooden phalluses, with white ribbons emerging from the tip, deter evil spirits when hung from the doorways of houses.

Phalluses play a big part (excusing the pun!) in classical antiquity. They appear a lot in ancient Greek, Roman and Indian mythology; usually in relation to fertility.

Do you use a phallic symbol in your practice? Have you seen any good examples of phallic worship on your travels? 

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Storm Callers

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Sheela-na-Gig

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Wicker Man

Simple Magick: Is It A Sign?

It’s important to remember that not everything you see is a sign.

Sure, it’s good to be open to receiving signs, and keeping an eye out for them; but it’s important to maintain a level of objectivity, too.

I have four crows that regularly frequent the cemetery, so I can’t depend on crows to be a sign in this location. Unless I choose to interpret their behaviour as divinatory; a method known as augury.

But on walking through the middle of a neat, cut grass field, with no trees nearby, I saw this. The only sticks around, they almost seemed deliberately placed. Do you think this is a sign?

It reminds me of the Nauthiz rune in the Elder Futhark, which represents Need (naudh).

“Need makes for a difficult plight; 

the naked freeze in the frost.

Need is the pain of the bondmaid,

and a hard plight,

and toilsome work.”

Taken from Northern Magic: Rune Mysteries & Shamanism by Edred Thorsonn.

This stave represents the resistance or friction that can be found in all parts of the world; in nature, in society, and in ourselves. Whilst this resistance or friction may come from an outside source, it is up to us to utilise the energy of this resistance, on the understanding that we have the power and the control to do so.

Magickally, this stave can be used to overcome distress ~ or even stress ~ so perhaps that’s the message for me in this sign. I need to employ Nauthiz.

Do you look out for signs often? Do you get answers to your questions? What’s the biggest sign you have ever received?

NEXT - Simple Magick: Storing Tarot Decks
NEXT - Simple Magick: The Shadow
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Black Annis 

Review: Devi Oracle Cards

Today I’m showing you the beautiful Devi Oracle Cards designed by Mahalakshmi, who is the beautiful soul over at @mysticmamacafe. She channels and works with the spiritual realm to empower, and through her worship of and work with the Divine Feminine, she has been guided to create this gorgeous deck.

There are 90 cards and they are grouped into ten different aspects of the Divine Feminine; the Great Wisdom Goddess, or the Mahavidyas. The ten Mahavidyas are: Kali, Tara, Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshvari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamala.

Firstly an Oracle deck, there is also a mantra for each card, with instructions on how to use it to tap into the Divine Feminine, and to bring about all sorts of spiritual progress and change. There are manner of ancient and divine symbols in here; from the spiral, to the Eye of Horus, to the Hand of Fatima, to the Om.

Taken from the book that comes with the deck: “Sati felt Shiva didn’t treat her as the Mother of the Universe, hence she took on ten different forms of the Divine Mother. The Goddesses of Wisdom represent an entire spectrum of divinity, right from horrific goddesses to the beautiful and most peaceful deities. The Mahavidyas are the Goddesses who collectively guide us, inspiring us to search for and find the spiritual beings lying dormant within us”.

This is such an inspiring deck, with insightful illustrations throughout. The book is full of helpful information which will guide you. The deck has been developed with women in mind, but I believe can be used by anybody. The aim is to help us reach and acknowledge the different aspects of feminine wisdom within us; and using that knowledge, guide us to our divine power. The cards are a tool to help you understand the messages sent to you by the Divine Feminine. I feel this deck will help me understand myself, and my changing role, as a woman.

This deck is TRULY a masterpiece and whilst I’m still getting to grips with it, I can see already what a profound and wonderful tool this will be for my practice. Thank you Mahalakshmi, I am so honoured to have a copy of this incredible creation that you must be extremely proud of!

NEXT - The Book of Candle Magick by Madame Pamita 

Simple Magick: Baphomet Explained

Baphomet is often a misunderstood, and even feared, figure.

He is the ‘Sabbatical Goat’ incorporated into mystical traditions. He contains binary elements representing the equilibrium of opposites. In other words, duality.

He stands for good and evil, pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, male and female, light and dark, life and death. He has a half-human, half-animal body.

He reminds us that we all have a ‘shadow’, and that these “halves” make a “whole”. 

He has ‘Solve’ and ‘Coagula’ (Solve et Coagula) inscriptions on each arm; this means ‘dissolve and coagulate’ - separate and join - processes involved in Alchemy, Shadow Work, and life.

Alchemy is the art of transformation; the process of breaking something down into its most basic parts before transforming it, magickally, into something else. An example is the destruction of ego before the realisation of the true self.

We must undertake the pain of Shadow Work and break ourselves down (and then build up) to become the most authentic, creative, energetic, awake, and together versions of ourselves.

Baphomet appears as the Devil card in the Rider Waite Tarot. Many have been wary of Baphomet, for fear that he was something entirely ‘dark’, completely missing the point that he just represents the ‘shadow’ part of our human form.

Baphomet is the profound message that all things must be in balance. You cannot truly experience pleasure without having experienced (at least some) pain, there is no light without dark, and there is no life without death. There is no human without Shadow. The ‘darker’ parts of us are what make us truly human. With this reminder we can find space and energy for Shadow Work, and self-love and self-acceptance.

NEXT - Simple Magick: Birthday Rituals
NEXT - Simple Magick: 6 Simple Snow Spells
NEXT - Autumn Equinox Blessings!

Sacred Symbols: Thor’s Hammer

It’s Protection & Defence Month over at @witch.with.me and this week’s prompt is home protection.

Displayed here is our Thor’s Hammer, created for us and given to us by a good friend. It was created with protection in mind, and it hangs in the entrance hall of our home. The famous weapon belonging to Thor was not only a symbol of destructive power, but also one of protection against the forces of evil and violence.

The reason we were given a hammer, and not a different protective symbol, is for several reasons. The friend who created it for us hails from Orkney, once a seat of great power in the Norse empire, and it reflects our time spent there, our residence in the Danelaw, plus our own Scandinavian heritage. It also nods to the fact that we have spent some time in the past as Viking reenactors.

Orkney remained part of a Scandinavian kingdom until 1468 when the islands were pawned to the Scottish Crown by Christian I of Denmark as a dowry for his daughter’s  marriage to James III of Scotland. If you ever get a chance to visit Orkney it has some amazing places - the Brough of Birsay, the Broch of Gurness, Maeshowe Chambered Cairn, Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, and St Magnus Cathedral; the medieval cathedral at the heart of the Earldom of Orkney.

Until we get back to those shores, our hammer will keep us safe!

NEXT - Sacred Symbols: Runes
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: Norse Magick
NEXT - Witchy Quotes: Gudrun of Mirmirsbrunnur - Prayer For Receiving Stewardship of Land

Fabulous Folklore: Door Knockers

This fabulous door knocker is found on the door of The Covenstead Witchcraft B&B in Glastonbury, where we stayed last September. Isn’t he delightful?

Apparently door knockers are found in England more than any other place. The door knocker at Durham Cathedral, dating from the 11th century, is very special. As far back as 740, the Bishop of Lindisfarne offered sanctuary to any criminal who could reach the White Church (later Durham Cathedral) and strike the knocker.

Heavy door knockers have been a way for people to announce their presence from around the 16th century, but they have also had another use; they are seen as guardians to the home. The lion’s head design has been very popular, it is a symbol of Great Britain, and it symbolises strength, pride, nobility, valour and protection. It is also said that lions are a symbol of the Sun. Lion’s head knockers were popular in America until Eagles overtook them.

Gargoyles and other scary faces have also been used, such as the one shown, to scare away those who would bring trouble to a door. Palm-shaped knockers are also popular, it is thought that they originate from the Hand of Fatima, a palm-shaped amulet used to protected the bearer from the evil eye.

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Knockers of Cornwall

NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Lincoln Imp

Sacred Symbols: The Witch’s Foot

The Witch’s Foot is composed of three lines of equal length; one that runs straight down, and two intersecting at an angle to create a snowflake-type shape.

Its composition is such that you can break it down into several parts, depending on how you look at it. There is one central point; and three long lines, or six short lines radiating from the centre.

The pattern of the world is realised in this device. The power that flows from above, the power that flows from below, and the power that flows from the four cardinal directions, with the witch being the point in the centre.

The central line, the spine, represents the balance between light and shadow, silence and expression, inner and outer influences. The power from above and the power from below, which brings me on to the saying “As above, so below”, the idea that whatever happens in the astral plane is reflected on the Earth, and vice versa. That whatever happens in the microcosm, the world of the individual, affects the macrocosm, and vice versa. The balance in all this is the centre point, where the witch stands, and to keep this line straight and strong to support the other two lines, the witch must accept herself, shadows and all, to find balance.

The diagonal lines represent the four cardinal directions. They represent our emotions and intellect, our experiences and wisdom. I also relate these lines to the Four Planes of Existence, and to the tenet “To know, to will, to dare, to be silent”, the conscious and unconscious mind, and the World of Matter and the World of Spirit.

The witch is where all these lines meet. The witch is where these worlds intersect.

The Witch’s Foot is used in a myriad of ways, and is a powerful device for invoking the presence of Spirit. It is also used for meditation and for Riding the Hedge.

NEXT - Sacred Symbols: The Pentagram
NEXT - Word Magick: As Above So Below
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Witch's Familiar 

Sacred Symbols: The Om

Today I thought I’d talk about a symbol that is not witchy, but has always held deep meaning and significance to me.

The Om, or Aum. 🕉

It is considered to be the first sound, and is a spiritual symbol in eastern religions and spirituality. The meaning and connotations of the Om vary within and across traditions; broadly speaking it is a syllable that is chanted within Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

It has been associated with concepts of "cosmic sound" or "affirmation to something divine".

Other descriptions include "the sacred sound, the Yes!, the Vedas, the Udgitha (song of the universe), the infinite, the all encompassing, the whole world, the truth, the ultimate reality, the finest essence, the cause of the Universe, the essence of life, the Brahman (reality, entirety of the universe, truth, divine, supreme spirit, cosmic principles, knowledge), the Atman (soul, self within), and the vehicle of deepest knowledge, and Self-knowledge".

In super basic terms, Om is all encompassing, the essence of ultimate reality, and unifies everything in the universe. It is imperishable, and that it is all states of time, past, present, future, as well as transcending time itself.

The Om sound is a short ‘seed' mantra, and is considered a tool for meditation, empowering one to know the divine within. The vibrations that Om creates are believed to energize the chakras, especially the third eye and crown chakras, which help us connect with our Divine selves.

The Om symbol represents the sound in a visual form.

Do you have a symbol, word, prayer, device, mantra, or some other vehicle for spirituality that is not connected to witchcraft, but still holds deep significance for you?

NEXT: Sacred Symbols: Elhaz of The Elder Futhark
NEXT - Simple Magick: The Threefold Law 
NEXT - Simple Magick: Baphomet Explained 

Sacred Symbols: The Pentagram

The Pentagram was used in Babylonia and Ancient Greece, and is found in faiths and traditions around the world. Used by many Witches and Wiccans, the pentagram was banned in many US schools in the 1990s because of perceived associations with Satan. This was later found to be a violation of student rights, and they found their way onto pencil cases, bags and notebooks once more.

Despite being such a misunderstood symbol you can find it on several flags around the world; Morocco and Ethiopia’s national flag, and on city flags for Nagasaki (Japan) and Haaksbergen (Netherlands).

In the Chinese tradition the five points represent wood, fire, earth, metal, water; and for those of a Pagan persuasion it is usually earth, air, fire, water and Spirit.

I have both a pentagram and a pentacle (pentagram contained in a circle) tattooed on me; it is an honour to carry these symbols with me at all times.

NEXT - Sacred Symbols: The Om
NEXT - Simple Magick: 12 Tips For New Witches 

Personal Magick: Our Handfasting Besom

I’m filled with so much joy when I see this picture. This is my lovely friend and Witch-Sister Noelle decorating our hand-fasting besom with Rosemary just before our ceremony at Beltane, 2016. It was such a lovely day, although it was very windy, and absolutely freezing, as it usually is at Avebury Stone Circle. We were hand-fasted by our friend Terry Dobney, the Arch Druid of Avebury.

The best part of the day was ‘Jumping the Broom’ where you jump over the broom together, symbolising the leap from your old life into the new.

I got so caught up in the moment I panicked when I saw the besom at shoulder height - I had totally forgotten that it gets dropped down at the last minute, even though I’ve held the besom myself at others’ handfasting - silly me! 

NEXT - Personal Magick: My Beltane Handfasting
NEXT - Fabulous Folklore: The Ring Stone at Avebury
NEXT - Pagan Holidays: Beltane

NEXT - Personal Magick: What My Craft Means To Me 

Tasseography

Day 17 #witchwithme – TASSEOGRAPHY

Tasseography is a method of divination which involves the reading of tea leaves, coffee grounds, or wine sediments. It’s not an art I practice, and as I don’t like tea or coffee (and I don’t drink!), it would be a bit tricky! However, I couldn’t help but admire these gorgeous cups and saucers at the Covenstead B&B in Glastonbury.

It is believed that Tasseography can be traced to medieval fortune tellers who used molten wax and lead, reading the splatters - sounds dangerous! This evolved into tea-leaf reading in the 17th Century.

Many interpretations for symbols exist; these can be people, animals, inanimate objects. When I look at these cups I really wish I liked tea.