Pagan Symbols and Their Meanings (Pentacle, Triskelion, etc.)

Symbols are the oldest language of humankind. Before the written word, before formalized religions, people carved, painted, and wore symbols to express their deepest spiritual insights. In paganism, symbols serve as bridges between the seen and unseen, embodying layers of meaning that transcend words. A single mark etched on stone or drawn in ritual space can contain whole cosmologies, histories, and teachings. Pagan symbols are not arbitrary decorations but living emblems of power and presence, each carrying stories that root them in culture, myth, and practice.

These symbols endure because they are not bound to a single era or faith but speak to universal patterns—the cycles of life, the forces of nature, the balance between light and dark. They are both artistic and mystical, resonating across generations and cultures. To explore pagan symbols is to enter a world where geometry, myth, and spirituality converge, revealing how ancient peoples encoded their relationship with the cosmos into sacred forms.

The Pentacle: Circle and Star in Harmony

Perhaps the most widely recognized symbol of modern paganism is the pentacle—a five-pointed star enclosed within a circle. To the uninitiated, the symbol has often been misunderstood, associated with occult fear or distorted through media portrayals. Yet its history and meaning are deeply spiritual, embodying harmony, protection, and balance.

The five points of the star are often interpreted as representing the five elements: earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. These forces form the foundation of pagan cosmology, each essential to life. The encompassing circle symbolizes unity, infinity, and the cycle of life. Together, the pentacle reflects the interconnection of all things, the balance between the material and spiritual worlds.

Historically, the pentagram has appeared in cultures from Mesopotamia to Greece, where Pythagoreans revered it as a symbol of mathematical perfection and health. In medieval times, it was considered a protective sign, even used in Christian contexts to represent the five wounds of Christ. Its modern association with paganism arose in the twentieth century, where it became a symbol of Wicca and broader neopagan identity. For practitioners, wearing or drawing the pentacle in ritual is an act of grounding, alignment, and protection.

The Triskelion: The Triple Spiral

The triskelion, or triple spiral, is an ancient Celtic symbol found inscribed on Neolithic stones such as those at Newgrange in Ireland, dating back over five thousand years. It is composed of three spirals radiating from a central point, flowing outward in perpetual motion.

The triskelion’s meaning is layered and multifaceted. It is often interpreted as a representation of triplicity, a theme pervasive in Celtic spirituality: land, sea, and sky; birth, death, and rebirth; past, present, and future. Its spiraling motion conveys dynamism, transformation, and continuity, reminding practitioners that life is ever in motion, never static.

Modern pagans often see in the triskelion the cycles of personal growth and spiritual evolution. Its ancient origin and mysterious endurance make it one of the most powerful emblems of Celtic heritage, linking contemporary practice to a lineage stretching back to prehistory.

The Triquetra: The Knot of Three

Another prominent symbol of Celtic and pagan tradition is the triquetra, or “three-cornered knot.” Formed by three interlaced arcs, it has no beginning and no end, signifying eternity and interconnectedness.

In pagan interpretation, the triquetra frequently represents the Triple Goddess—maiden, mother, and crone—archetypes of feminine divinity and the cycles of life. It can also embody other triads, such as body, mind, and spirit, or land, sea, and sky. In Norse tradition, similar interlacing designs appear in runic inscriptions, linking the symbol to ancient northern European spirituality.

The triquetra was later adopted into Christian iconography to symbolize the Holy Trinity, a reminder of how pagan symbols often transcend and adapt across religions. For modern pagans, wearing or invoking the triquetra is a way of honoring both ancestral heritage and the eternal cycles of transformation.

The Spiral: Path of Growth and Renewal

The spiral is among the oldest and most universal symbols in human culture. Found carved on stones across Europe, the Americas, and Africa, it reflects the natural patterns of shells, galaxies, and whirlpools. Its meaning is tied to growth, evolution, and the cycles of life.

In pagan spirituality, the spiral often represents the inward journey of the soul and the outward journey into the cosmos. Walking a spiral path, whether in meditation or ritual, symbolizes the turning inward for reflection and then returning outward with new wisdom. It is a dynamic emblem of transformation and rebirth.

For many modern pagans, the spiral remains a meditative symbol, used in art, ritual, and personal practice to embody the journey of becoming. Its simplicity belies its depth, making it one of the most universal expressions of spirituality.

The Sun Wheel: Solar Power and Cycles

The sun has always been a focal point of reverence, and symbols of solar power abound across pagan traditions. The sun wheel, often depicted as a circle with rays or a cross within a circle, embodies the vitality, warmth, and cycles of the solar year.

In Norse and Germanic traditions, the sun wheel was a symbol of divine energy and the rhythm of seasons. Its form later influenced the Christian cross and the wheel of the year used by modern pagans. The sun wheel is also connected to fire festivals, where wheels were sometimes set ablaze and rolled down hills to invoke fertility and abundance.

For contemporary pagans, the sun wheel symbolizes not only the solar cycles but also the cosmic order of balance between light and dark. It serves as a reminder of the vital relationship between the sun’s energy and life on earth.

Symbolism in Practice

The use of symbols in paganism is not merely theoretical but practical. Symbols are drawn on altars, inscribed on tools, worn as jewelry, and visualized in meditation. They are not seen as empty icons but as containers of energy, channels through which divine presence flows. A pentacle traced in the air can mark sacred space. A spiral walked in ritual can induce states of transformation. A triquetra worn around the neck can serve as daily protection and reminder of spiritual alignment.

Symbols also provide continuity with the past. They link practitioners to ancestors who carved the same marks into stone, who invoked the same patterns in ritual. In a modern world often disconnected from history, these symbols anchor the practitioner in a lineage of reverence stretching back thousands of years.

The Enduring Power of Sacred Symbols

What makes pagan symbols so enduring is their universality. Though cultures may interpret them differently, their core speaks to the human experience of cycles, balance, and connection with the sacred. They transcend language and geography, finding resonance in hearts and imaginations across generations.

For modern pagans, these symbols are not relics of the past but living emblems of a spirituality rooted in nature and community. They are reminders that the sacred is both within and around us, that every star, spiral, and element of the earth speaks a deeper truth. In carrying, carving, or meditating upon them, practitioners step into a timeless current, one where meaning flows as endlessly as the spirals etched upon stone.