Symbols
Alternative Religion Symbols
Symbols are a quick way to communicate often complex ideas. Religions, particularly esoteric ones, commonly employ a great amount of symbolism to represent their beliefs.
Baha'i Faith Symbol Gallery
Symbols associated with the Baha'i Faith.
Faravahar - Winged Symbol of Zoroastrianism
The history and meaning of the Faravahar symbol now associated with Zoroastrianism as well as Persian culture.
Geometric Shapes
Because basic geometric shapes are so simplistic in construction, they are found all over the world with a wide variety of uses and meanings. However, there are a variety of meanings that are more commonly ascribed to these shapes, particular when used in a religious or magical context.
Raelian Symbols
Commonly used symbols by the Raelian Movement.
Rastafari Symbols - Star of David, Lion of Judah, Old Ethiopian Flag
A brief discussion of three Rastafari symbols.
Temple of The Jedi Order Symbol
Meaning behind the symbol of the Temple of the Jedi Order, one of many online resources for followers of Jedi religion.
The Flaming Chalice
The most common symbol of Unitarian Universalism (UU) is a flaming chalice within two circles. This symbol, and the components which make up the symbol, can represent different ideas to different people. This is a discussion of some common interpretations of it.
Vodoun Veves
Vodoun religious practices commonly include appealing to the loa, or spirits, and inviting them to temporarily take possession of human bodies. Voudoun symbols known as veves are employed when appealing to the loa, with each loa having its own veve.
What's your Favorite Religious Symbol?
Readers discuss their own favorite religious symbols and why thee symbols appeal so much to them personally.
Yin Yang
The yin-yang is an Eastern symbol that has migrated into Western consciousness. It represents the natural balance of things, of opposites coming together to create a unified whole.
Symbol Gallery
Images Associated with Alternative Religions
Eye of Providence
The Eye of Providence is a realistic eye depicted within a triangle, cloud, or burst of light and represents divine presence or approval. It has appeared in many different locations over the centuries, from the stained glass of churches to the seals of various cities to the Great Seal of the United States.
Eye of Providence
The Eye of Providence is a realistic eye depicted within a triangle, cloud, or burst of light and represents divine presence or approval. It has appeared in many different locations over the centuries, from the stained glass of churches to the seals of various cities to the Great Seal of the United States.
Octagrams - Eight-Pointed Stars
Octagrams – eight pointed stars – show up in a variety of different cultures, and modern users of the symbol borrow liberally from these sources.
Triquetra
The triquetra shows up in a variety of different contexts, many of which re largely unconnected. What do various groups associated with this three-pointed symbol?
Octagram Gallery
A gallery of eight-sided stars, their uses and meanings.
Spirals
Spirals are less often found in established iconographies, but they nevertheless have a long history dating back to neolithic times that influence the way people way see spirals in religious and spiritual contexts today.