Bee

A symbol of Diana, said to bring plenty through inspiration and intuition also fertility.  Known as a messenger of the Gods. Purity, piety and prudence, favours creative or artistic endeavours.  I have a book just on the symbology of the bee.

 

Beetle or ladybug

The Ladybug is associated with spirituality and religious devotion. The name Ladybug originated in Europe during the Middle Ages, when insects were destroying the crops. Catholic farmers were said to have prayed to the Virgin Mary for help. Soon after, Ladybugs appeared and began eating the pests and saved the crops from destruction. The farmers began to call the Ladybugs “the Beetles of Our Lady” and eventually they were known as Lady Beetles. The Ladybug's red wings are said to represent the Virgin's cloak and the black spots her joys and sorrows. The Ladybug is widely considered a symbol of luck and is seen as a good omen when it comes a calling. In Sweden, it is said that if one lands on a young woman's hand, she will soon get married. In France, it is said that if you are ill when one lands on you, it will fly away with your illness. Ladybugs are also considered to be symbols of fire and the Sun. Ladybug teaches life is short and it teaches to let go of ones' worries and fears, to trust in spirit and enjoy life. It brings the gifts of renewal and regeneration. The message of the Ladybug could be asking you to “Let go and let God”.

 

Butterflies
The Butterfly represents transformation and is a symbol of metamorphosis. They are symbols of creativity and freedom and bring the gift of soul evolution. The Butterfly teaches the never-ending cycle of self-transformation. The Butterfly reminds us to stay in the moment and signals that you are ready to undergo some sort of transformation. Metamorphosis of butterflies and moths is one of the mysteries of Nature. The ability of these insects to change from the crawling caterpillar to the flying adult is almost magical. Many people are so awe inspired by the metamorphosis that they believe that butterflies and moths could never have evolved over millions of years without a God behind it

 

Cherubs

In the Christian religion the cherubs - or cherubim - are divine spirits that serve God closely. As such they became known as "angelic spirits" and were placed with the seraphim in the 1st and highest triad of the hierarchy of angels. Some people use the word cherub as a general term for all forms of angel. Cherubs are assigned to guard the Tree of Life and prevent Adam and Eve from returning to the Garden of Eden after their expulsion. A cherub uses his sword to point the way out of the garden in Michelangelo's The Fall and the Expulsion from Paradise in the Sistine chapel. In the book of Ezekiel cherubs are said to bear the chariot of God.

Cross

There are many types but they are all considered highly protective. Primordial sign for the union of opposites, spirit – matter, positive – negative, male – female and sacred – secular.

 

Dolphin

The Dolphin is associated with Apollo and is depicted on the walls of his temple in Delphi.  It was also a popular symbol of salvation and immortality before Christians took it over for use in the Catacombs.

 

Dragonflies
Double sided Dragonfly's spectacular shifting of colour and movement reminds us of a time when magic ruled the land. Dragonfly magic allows us to break our illusions in order to be transformed. The message of Dragonfly may be prompting you to let go of any illusions that impede your progress.

 

Elephant

Ancient Power, Strength and Royalty. The elephant has a tremendous amount of myth and lore surrounding it, the white elephant is considered the most sacred. Elephants show great affection and loyalty to each other.  Older calves will help younger siblings.  Grown elephants will help sick and wounded comrades.  In the elephant are the ideas of true societies.

 

Feather

Popular with the Egyptians, believed to represent Ra and Thoth a symbol for wealth and the mind. A symbol of the wind, the heavens and the soul’s journey to other realms also said to help with games of skill rather than strength.

 

Fish

The symbolic nature of fish is as inseparable from that of WATER as the two are connected in life. In psychology, water symbolizes the depths of the unconscious, and fish are the "live material from the depths of the personality, relating to fertility and the life-giving powers of the maternal realms within us" (Biederman, 131). Fish can also be symbolic of the faithful submerged in the waters of life. Yet fish are also cold-blooded, not driven by passion, and often represent such emotionless entities. In Latin Christian symbology, the fish is related to Christ. Jesus told Peter (the first apostle), a fisherman by trade, that he would become a "fisher of men" if he were to follow Christ. For its connection with Christ it has also come to embody resurrection and immortality, as well as the saviour. Often with ICTHS - Jesus Christ, son of god, saviour.

 

Flowers

Manifestations of developing life and nature, and represent spring and beauty.  Can signify the successful completion of a contract, personal or business. Across all cultures flowers are a symbol of love, appreciation and devotion to whom they are given. Flowers represent purity and sweetness.

 

Hearts

Open Hearts - this is how our hearts should be, open and light not closed and heavy

A symbol of love and friendship, worn to bring love to their owners.  For Egyptians is said to represent the soul.  A silver heart given by a woman would acknowledge her own femininity. Divine protection.

Hummingbird

Signifies pleasure and joy and also the fierce warrior.  This bird achieves stillness by fast movement, giving the idea of dynamic stillness suggesting a spiritual vibration.  When I was staying near San Francisco my hosts strongly warned me against getting too near them as their beaks are very sharp and you need to take care of your eyes.

 

Leaf

The symbol of the leaf concerns rejuvenation, hope and revival of energy.  It can also represent recovery from illness and denote prosperity in business.

 

Lizard

Associated with vision especially far-sightedness and the ability to create an acceptable future.  To me it will always represent dreamtime with part of it in the physical and the other part in the spiritual. A charm against weak eyesight.

 

Mermaids

For those with associations with the power of the sea. The oldest form of the mermaid in mermaid mythology is the goddess Atargatis from Syria. A famous statue of Atargatis shows her as a woman from the waist up and a fish from there down. All sea goddesses inherit the sea's qualities. Just as the sea could be gentle and nurturing or violent and deadly, so could they. These are the same contradictory qualities we see in mermaids to this day: beautiful, cruel, tender, loving, destroying, etc. In a larger sense this is man's view of nature. The mermaid, a fantastic creature, is nature herself.

 

Mouse

Represents innocence, faith & trust and reminds the wearer of the need for an eye for detail and to scrutinize what is happening around you. Totem of the Greek Sun God Apollo-Smitheus.

 

Mushroom

Stands for hidden wisdom and mystic power.  Ruled by the moon, mushrooms grow at night and are said to bring business success and domestic happiness.

New Moon

Moon energy is subtle, feminine and inward looking. The Moon rules the instinct, emotions and psychic abilities. This energy helps to explore the emotions and works at a deep level to develop the intuition and imagination. Anyone who wears this symbol is under the protection of the Goddess.

 

Penguin

The father Emperor penguin keeps the egg warm on top of his feet and under his feathers for two months until it hatches when the mother takes over. Because the penguin can leap straight from the water which symbolises the astral plane and land on its feet so is a symbol for Lucid Dreaming, Astral Projection and out of body experiences

 

Rainbow

In Greek mythology, the rainbow was considered to be a path made by a messenger (Iris) between Earth and Heaven. In Chinese mythology, the rainbow was a slit in the sky sealed by Goddess Nüwa using stones of five different colours. In Hindu mythology, the rainbow is called Indradhanush, meaning the bow of Indra, the God of lightning and thunder. In Norse Mythology, a rainbow called the Bifröst Bridge connects the realms of Ásgard and Midgard, homes of the gods and humans, respectively. The Irish leprechaun's secret hiding place for his pot of gold is usually said to be at the end of the rainbow. This place is impossible to reach, because the rainbow is an optical effect which depends on the location of the viewer. When walking towards the end of a rainbow, it will move further away.

Sacred Spiral

Symbol of continuous creation and unfolding spiritual growth.

 

Sun

Deities such as the Egyptian Gods Ra & Horus and Oriental Goddess Omikami Amaterasu as well as others have been associated with the sun.  The Sun is associated with male energy and the Moon the female energies.

 

Tiger

In the East the Tiger is the king of the beasts, it represents royalty, ferocity, power and wrath, and it is always a power symbol. In China the God of Wealth rides a tiger. The tiger is a yin symbol representing Earth, Lunar and matter, the nocturnal and darkness and the New and Full Moon. Tiger mothers raise the young and teach them to hunt, most tigers are solitary and come together usually only to mate.

 

Turtle/Tortoise

Said to represent spirit - upper shell, mental – the body, physical – the lower shell.  Used for spiritual protection especially against psychic attack.  In Egypt it was used as a protection against evil.  When I was in Montreal a Cree Indian explained to me how the turtle represented mother earth because of its shape and how everything goes in cycles/circles.  In fact a Kenyan I met at Reading University echoed this by saying that life is a constant cycle, birth/life/death.