What are the symbols of protection?

The symbols of protection appeared in the beginning of human history, in face of the need that primitive men had to search for defenses - first against nature's violent manifestations and, afterwards, in the fight against the world of darkness.

Man felt powerless to face these forces, but he already had in his conscience the idea of divinity, in which he would find protection. Soon, with the development of civilizations, this belief in a superior power was transferred to objects, which, for being material, could establish a link between man's origin and his divine essence.

The natural evolution of thought took care of spreading and improving these objects, which gained the name of talismans or amulets. Thus, either because of a pure faith or a series of variations of this faith, many symbols were created according to the culture and customs of each civilization.

In this article you will learn about seven of the oldest and most worshiped protection symbols: the Pentagram, the Solar Cross, the Hamsas, the Triquetra, the Eye of Horus, the Binbrunes and the Hexagram. Enjoy your reading!

Pentagram

The Pentagram is a symbol of protection that originates from the five-sided geometric figure, the pentagon, but its meaning goes far beyond this simplistic definition.

In fact, the unique mathematical properties of this figure, since ancient times, have drawn the attention of mystics and esotericists, who have attributed different interpretations to it, according to the religious and philosophical tradition of each civilization that has studied it. See more below!

Meaning in geometry

Anyone with a basic knowledge of geometry knows the pentagon, but the pentagram is not part of that common geometry teaching.

This is because the pentagram is obtained with a prolongation of lines, starting from the angles of the pentagon. By forming the star, the Divine Proportion appears, where all the segments of line of the figure follow the same pattern and can reproduce themselves to infinity.

Although the pentagram appears in several ancient civilizations, it was the Pythagoreans who were responsible for its greater diffusion. Leonardo da Vinci also contributed, exposing the relation between the number five of the pentagram with the five elements in the extremities of the human body and the five orifices in the head, in his painting The Vitruvian Man.

Meaning for the Hebrews

The first records of the pentagram are well before the Hebrew people and occurred among the Babylonians, about six thousand years ago. However, this did not prevent the Hebrews from appropriating the figure, as did other civilizations and mystical and esoteric organizations.

It is important to emphasize the context of the time, in which knowledge was a privilege of a few men who decided what was or was not the truth and what was sacred. Thus, when Moses wrote his laws on five scrolls, the number became associated with the pentagram, which came to represent the Pentateuch of Moses, or the Torah, which is the sacred book corresponding to the Christian Bible.

Meaning for Christians

Christianity emerged from a breakup of the Jewish people and, therefore, many centuries after the pentagram, which was already studied by other civilizations, including the Hebrews. Thus, Christians could not resist the power of this symbol and soon found a way to incorporate it into their beliefs.

In fact, the pentagram, with its number five, came to represent the wounds that Christ endured on the cross, which became known as the five wounds of Christ. Later, after the crusades, the high clergy associated it with the devil, as they were being used by the Templars, whom the church helped to persecute, during the inquisition.

Meaning for the Chinese

The history of China is much older than many other known civilizations and occurs even before the formation of the Roman Empire. In addition, Chinese culture states that man is a being that should be treated as body and spirit, which are connected to the five primordial elements, being the basis of Chinese medicine.

As no other symbol represents the five elements as well as the pentagram, the Chinese adopted it as the representation of TCM, as it is known as traditional Chinese medicine, in which acupuncture stands out.

Thus, the Chinese also took hold of the pentagram and each of the points came to represent one of the elements of TCM.

Meaning for paganism

In its original form, the term pagan means country man, or one who lives in the countryside, and derives from the Latin "paganus". With the passage of time and the formation of other religions that came to be dominant, the word paganism began to designate all those who had their beliefs different from these religions.

Although different from the others, the pagans had their rites and believed in the spirit as an entity separate from the body. Adding to this belief the constant contact they had with nature, the pentagram fitted perfectly to translate the four natural elements and the spirit.

Thus was formed the five ends of the pentagram, which came to represent safety and protection for the pagans.

Meaning of the Inverted Pentagram

An inverted pentagram means that the side that counts one end is down, as opposed to its traditional position where the two-ended side occupies that position.

Some who do not know the image do not even notice the difference or do not give importance to the fact, but they fall into error, since the inverted position signifies opposite ideologies. In fact, the duality that encompasses all things in this world is the cause of the inverted position of the Pentagram, which signifies an opposition to the dogmas of the Catholic church.

Although the date of the first appearance of the inverted pentagram is not known, the image was adopted by supporters of satanism in the middle ages and, according to satanic belief, the point that is downwards indicates the direction of hell.

Solar Cross

Considered as one of the oldest symbols of protection, the Solar Cross can be found under various names such as Odin's Cross, Wheel of Life, Sansara's Wheel among others.

The Solar Cross is an image of a cross inside a circle and symbolizes the movement of the Sun in relation to time, which, for many civilizations, was a wheel without beginning or end. Check out the meanings of this symbol of protection!

Light and Sun Movement

For the ancient peoples, the Sun has always been a great mystery and the light it provided was considered a blessing from the gods. As everything unknown causes fear, many superstitions have emerged and changed, according to the evolution of societies and their sciences.

In this context, symbols appeared as a way to represent what was seen, even if it was something misunderstood. Thus, the Sun was defined as a circle in which it is not possible to identify the beginning or the end of its movement. Over time, other elements were added, always in tune with the idea that the people wanted to transmit.

The guardians of the Four Directions

In a world where wild nature influenced all actions, men felt true terror before the unknown. To try to establish communication with the gods, they created symbols, such as the Solar Cross, which could have more than one meaning, depending on the version and stage of knowledge of each people.

Thus, for each mystery, a God or an entity that represented it was created. The Guardians of the Four Directions symbolized the fear of the unknown, since the distance to any of the cardinal points seemed infinite.

Thus, rituals of protection to undertake long journeys were created. In these, these guardians were evoked and, in some civilizations, the Solar Cross performed this function, because the arms of a cross point to the four main directions.

Balance and infinity

Many symbols appeared in antiquity with the intention of representing balance and infinity, since they were subjects of constant debate and concern in ancient wisdom, in which the mysteries and superstitions exerted great influence.

In the ancient tradition, the cross was one of the symbols of balance, because of the symmetry that exists in the distance between the center and the ends of the arms. To translate both concepts at the same time, the cross was inserted inside a circle, which means both perfection and infinity, besides other meanings.

Eternity and rebirth

Understanding what eternity and rebirth mean is a difficulty for many people. In this sense, eternity can mean the infinite and rebirth translates a new way of living, not necessarily being "born again" in the literal sense.

So, with so many ideas to express and a still restricted vocabulary, it was natural that a single symbol translated many things in a single image. Therefore, the Solar Cross absorbed this meaning over time, in an attempt to express what was still unknown.

Hand of Fatima or Hamsas

Hand of Fatima or Hamsas is another symbol that has several meanings that relate to a symbol of protection for the culture. Thus, its name and shape also suffered variations, according to the time. The term Hamsá and Hand of Fatima are the most common, but this is also known as Hand of Miriam, Hand of God, among others.

Below, see more information about this curious sacred symbol!

The all-seeing eye

The Hand of Fatima is actually a set of symbols and carries many different meanings that have been incorporated during its history. One of these symbols is the all-seeing eye, also known as the Eye of God and the Eye of Providence.

The Eye of God has undergone variations over time, both in name and in shape and meaning. Thus, the all-seeing eye, although it has its original meaning associated with Christians, has been absorbed by other sects, and is also used by Freemasonry.

In its primitive form, the image bears a triangle as the divine trinity, with rays of light signifying the radiance or glory of God and the eye signifying God's constant watchfulness over his creation.

The five fingers

An important symbolism in the Hand of Fatima or Hamsá are the five fingers that appear extended and separated, with the middle finger making a symmetry with the other four that appear, with identical proportions of length

The number five is present in several protection symbols due to its constant presence in the human body, which includes the five senses, the holes in the head and the fingers of each limb.

For Islam, the five fingers of the Hamsá translate prayer, charity, pilgrimage and faith, which form the pentagram of Islamic tradition. In another interpretation, the five fingers mean love, health, money, power and wisdom.

The hand

The figure of the Hand of Fatima, like all sacred symbols of protection that have gained universalistic meanings, has also undergone modifications to adapt to different cultures and traditions.

Thus, her name may pay homage to Fatima, daughter of Mohammed, or Miriam, sister of the Hebrew prophet Moses. The Greek eye also does not appear in all versions, as do the words written on the hand.

Something that does not change is the number of fingers, but their position may be different, depending on the culture. The symmetrical properties were kept, given the mysticism of the number five.

As for the meaning, what changes is the language, for the sense of protection against envy and bad luck and the recognition of divine authority are found in all facets, though in different words.

The Eye of Horus

The Eye of Horus is part of Egyptian mythology and is also known as the Eye of Ra, in reference to a mythological deity of ancient Egypt. In almost all known sacred symbols, mathematics is the great inspiration in the design of the Eye of Horus.

Moreover, this is a figure that is meant to represent the power and wisdom of the Egyptian deity. Check out its meanings below!

The divine power

One of the most common purposes of any symbol that has a religious foundation is to understand the divine power. Most of them arose, when this power was manifested, mainly through the forces of nature, such as storms, with their lightning and thunder.

The plagues that attacked civilizations, for example, signified the wrath of the Gods and the priests created amulets and rituals that could protect the people from these events.

With the Eye of Horus, they intended to achieve protection against these natural forces. But over time, protection against the evil eye and negative energies was added. In addition, the Eye of Horus supposedly offered clairvoyance and illumination into divine mysteries.

The shapes inside the eye

The design of the Eye of Horus copies the shapes of a human eye, including eyelids and eyebrows, as well as the iris. The distances inside the eye have symmetry in relation to the iris, right in the center of the symbol.

In addition, an interesting detail are the tears, which signify the pain of the God when losing an eye in a battle. The shapes of the eye have inspiration in animals sacred to the Egyptians, such as the gazelle, the cat and the falcon.

Protection against bad energies

The supposed protection against bad energies arose with the departure of the Eye of Horus from Egypt and after its popularization. At the beginning of its history, the goal was only to acquire the power of the God, who could offer protection in battles, both in this world and in the world after death - since the Egyptians believed in the reincarnation of their Gods.

In modern times, its meaning has changed and has been trivialized, like all symbols that were considered sacred in ancient times. Thus, the Eye of Horus can be found for sale with the commercial purpose of offering protection against envy, evil eye and negative energies, but its original meaning was much deeper.

Triquetra or Celtic Shield

The symbol of protection Tríquetra (from the Latin Triquaetra, which means three points) has its origin in the traditional Celtic culture, before being assimilated by many other civilizations. The symbol is formed with the union of three intertwining arches and was intended to represent the three personalities of the Great Mother of the Celts: the Virgin, the Mother and the Elder.

Check out their meanings below!

Meaning for the pagans

The Celts believed in triads and that deities are always associated with three elements. Therefore, the pagan cults of the Celtic people linked the Triquetra, which is also known as the Celtic Shield, to the three primitive kingdoms, which would be earth, fire and water.

In relation to man, the meaning changes to body, mind and spirit. In addition, the union of the bows creates a central circle, which signifies perfection. Thus, the Celts used the symbol for protection in their villages to ward off demons and evil entities.

Meaning for Christians

Christianity, although it considered itself the new religion holder of the truth, having the intention of converting the pagans, absorbed much of the cultures it condemned. Thus, the Triquetra was also assimilated and came to represent a Christian symbol of protection, meaning the Holy Trinity, which, in Christian tradition, translates as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Moreover, the image of the arches bears much resemblance to the fish in the Christian tradition.

Eternal Protection

The search for eternity was something constant among the sages and priests of antiquity, who, in the end, were the ones who created the symbols, rituals and even the laws of ancient civilizations.

The Triquetra is also known as the Celtic knot, a knot in which it is not possible to identify its beginning or its end. Therefore, this impossibility generated the idea that this symbol of protection could offer a security for all eternity.

Bindrunes

Bindrune is a symbol that can serve both for protection and for many other different purposes, since you can create your own Bindrune. The Runes (mystery, secret) that form the Bindrune, according to a Northern European tradition, were not created by man, but offered by Odin to the human species.

To learn more about Bindrune, check out the topics below!

Runecrafting Combination

A Bindrune is formed from the union of one or more Runes, which you choose, according to the utility you wish to give to the amulet. Thus, in an analogy, creating a Bindrune is like creating a new word, making a combination of other words, so that the new word has a similar sense to the sum of the meanings of its formation.

In this sense, a combination of Runes will have the properties of the chosen Runes form a new Rune, only a much greater power. This power can be directed even towards evil spells, since the effects of Bindrune are greater than that of a Rune alone.

For protection

The Bindrune, if it is to act as a symbol of protection, which is only one of its multiple uses, must be derived from Runes that carry that specific function, for these differ greatly in meaning.

Therefore, according to supporters of this practice, a Bindrune made in the wrong combination can cause a totally opposite effect to what is desired.

Hexagram

A Hexagram is a geometric figure that is created by placing two equilateral triangles overlapping or intertwined in an inverted direction.

Its use as a symbol of protection depends on tradition, because it is also associated with demonic rituals of black magic. In addition, its origin is recorded over four thousand years BC. Check out more details below!

Brings protection

Also known as Star of David and present in the flag of Israel, the symbol of the Hexagram can bring protection to those who use it, but this protection refers mainly to the attack of demons and evil forces.

Harmony in relationships

A Hexagram can be interpreted in many different ways, with the two triangles in inverted positions representing the union of dualities, which signifies God's own power.

Thus, as a result, the Hexagram can promote harmony in the relationships of man with the divine, of the masculine with the feminine, of good and evil, for example.

Keep the peace

A symbol of protection, in general, has other uses besides its original purpose, including in black magic, as is the case of the Hexagram. However, this symbol is characterized as the one that promotes the union of opposites and translates into balance, which, in turn, is one of the main objectives of those who wish to maintain peace and inner harmony.

Is it possible to fully trust a symbol of protection?

To fully trust something is an individual attitude, which is related to faith in that in which one trusts and which can be either an entity or an object. Therefore, it is related to his formation and to the traditions that have been passed on to him by other generations.

Thus, what can be proved is that many civilizations and mystical and esoteric organizations had their protection symbols, but this did not prevent them from being decimated, extinct or absorbed by others that succeeded them and transformed their customs - and also their symbols.

Moreover, there is much difference between the original symbols of protection, which were based on faith, and those found today, which are sold on every street corner and which have acquired a purely commercial conception.

So if you already have a strong faith and positive energy, the object may not matter as much as the inside of it.