Tarot History · 12 min · 2026-07-18
From the cross to the fish, from water to fire — explore the profound symbols that have shaped beliefs and cultures throughout the centuries. This article takes you on a journey to understand the meaning of sacred symbols in the Christian tradition and other cultures.
Religious symbols are objects or actions that contain the profound views of a belief. Christianity has adopted the most popular and important symbols from all over the world and from all periods of history.
Many religious symbols exert real power when appealing to the intellect and emotions. Therefore, when choosing appropriate actions and objects, we often have difficulty avoiding similarities with symbols from other traditions. Even when planning to create completely new rituals, duplication is still unavoidable. In practice, begin with the position's job, then let the card image sharpen the answer.
Early churches widely used natural elements as symbols. For Christianity, water has a special meaning. In addition to baptism, water also represents purification and purity.
Fire, especially in the form of a candle, symbolizes the Spirit and Light. These symbols come from the Bible — for example, the fire of tongues representing the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, or the Light of the World originating from a description of Jesus' disciples. A useful check is to name the visible action on the card before choosing advice.
The Cross is one of the most widely known symbols today, and it has been used since the earliest times of Christianity. The image of the Cross evokes the suffering of Jesus and symbolizes His position.
The Christian Symbol is composed of the first two letters of the Greek word "Christ" — X (Chi) and P (Rho). Although not a real cross, it still evokes the suffering of Jesus.
The earliest form of the Christian Symbol appeared on the standard flag of King Constantine in the fourth century. According to history, the theologian Lactantius said that before the battle of Milvian Bridge in 312, Constantine saw God and was ordered to engrave this symbol on the soldiers' shields.
After the victory at Milvian Bridge, the Christ Symbol became the official coat of arms of the empire. Archaeologists have found this symbol on the helmets and shields of Constantine and his soldiers. This symbol was also engraved on coins and medals minted during this period.
Of the symbols used by early Christians, the Fish seems to be the most important. From historically significant objects such as tombstones, we know that the symbolic fish was known to Christians from the earliest times.
These symbols can be seen on Roman monuments such as the Capella Graeca Park and the underground catacombs of the Magi Calixtus. In the first decade of the second century, fish images were depicted as a Christian symbol.
ICHTHYS — Greek word "IXThUS" (Fish) — is a compound word of the Greek letters: - I (Iota) = Iesous (Jesus) - X (Genus) = Christos (Christ) - Θ (Theta) = Theou (God) - U (Upsilon) = Uios (Son) - Σ (Sigma) = Soter (Savior)
The complete phrase means: "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior."
Ancient people believed that the peacock's flesh would not decompose after death, so it became a symbol of immortal life. This symbol was used by early Christians, so many paintings and ceramic mosaics from this period often feature the image of a peacock.
Today, many people, especially in the East, still use the peacock symbol during Easter celebrations.
The Latin Cross (also known as the Protestant Cross or the Western Cross) is a symbol of Christianity. Before churches were built, it was a symbol of pagan beliefs, symbolizing a millennium.
You can see it in China and Africa. It appears on rocks from the Bronze Age of Scandinavia, depicted as the hammer of the God Bthunder. It is considered a magical symbol, bringing good luck and changing evil into good.
Some consider its four peaks to represent the four directions: East, West, South, North. Others believe it represents the human form.
Saint Francis chose the Tau Cross — an older symbol of salvation — to represent himself as he fulfilled his mission.
In commentaries on the Bible and early Christian texts (translated into Greek), the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet is translated as "T" in Greek. This Tau symbol then symbolizes how Christ opposed the old Adam and became the new Messiah.
The Jerusalem Cross (also known as the Crusade Cross) is composed of five Greek crosses. These five symbols represent: - a) The Five Wounds of Christ, and/or - b) The four Gospels and the four corners of the earth (four small crosses) along with Christ's personality (large cross)
This Cross was a common symbol in the wars against Muslim invasion.
When executed, Saint Peter chose to be hanged on an upturned cross as a tribute to Christ. Therefore, the inverted Latin Cross became his symbol, and later became the symbol of papal power.
Unfortunately, this symbol was later repurposed by devil worshipers for purposes of challenging Christianity (such as in "desecrated masses"), representing the removal of the cross from Christ and its overturning. The strongest interpretation usually connects image, position, and question in one sentence. Revisit the spread later and compare what changed in real life with what the image suggested.
The Keltia Cross combines the cross with a circle around it. It is associated with Keltian Christianity, despite its pre-Christian origins. These crosses were constructed from stone and often had elaborate decorations, known as "High Crosses" or "Irish Crosses".
There is a famous legend in Ireland that the Keltia Cross was introduced by St. Patrick or possibly St. Declan when he was doing missionary work. Although there is no specific evidence from this period.
Keltian Nodes are formalized (often timeless) knots and symbols used as decoration by the ancient Keltians. These buttons are most famous for appearing in the decorations of Christian monuments and manuscripts such as the eighth-century Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels.
There is currently no clear evidence that these knots carry specific philosophical or religious significance, beyond the most obvious aesthetic aspect — they represent the natural complexity and sophistication of human works.
The word "Dara" comes from the Irish word doire, meaning "oak tree". The Dara Keltia node relates to the root system of the oak tree. The Keltians, especially the Druids, considered the oak tree sacred. They often receive meaningful messages through these trees to adapt to daily life.
The oak tree is a symbol of fate, power, strength, wisdom, leadership and perseverance. Therefore, all these qualities are associated with the Dara Keltia Node. The oak tree root expressed as the Dara Keltia Node is a symbol of the inner strength or spiritual resources we possess.
Determining the exact meaning of the Keltia symbols is difficult due to a lack of concrete or textual evidence. In many cases, we must rely on the artists' interpretation of a particular symbol.
The Keltia Tuquan node can symbolize the four directions (East, West, South, North). This symbol can also represent the four natural elements: earth, fire, water and air.
The Single Spirali is one of the most popular Keltian culture symbols. It is overlapping spirals on the same line. This symbol represents radiant spiritual energy.
However, Single Spirali has many different meanings. The most prominent meaning is birth, growth and death, or consciousness, perseverance and expansion of knowledge.
Khai Hy symbolizes eternity and life. The gods are often depicted holding a Khai Hy to the lips of humans, symbolizing the "breath of life". It is a gift of breaths you may need in the afterlife.
Khai Hy often appears in Egyptian catacomb paintings and other works of art, often at the fingertips of a god or goddess, symbolizing the gift of life that the gods bestowed upon the mummy of the dead.
Egyptians often wore Khai Hy as a protective bracelet. It exists independently and in combination with two other glyphs meaning "strength" and "health".
Eye of Horus, or Eye of Wedjat, symbolizes healing and protection. This eye is personified by the goddess Wedjat (also spelled Uadjet, Wedjoyet, Edjo or Uto).
Horus was the ancient Egyptian god of the sky, often depicted as a falcon. His right eye is linked to the sun Ra. This eye symbol represents the markings around the falcon's eyes, including the "tear" marks sometimes seen under the eyes.
The left eye, or mirror image, sometimes represents the moon and the god Djehuti (Thoth).
#### Four Leaf Clover
Four Leaf Clover is famous for representing luck. Whoever finds it is expected to have good luck. Its four leaves represent: - First leaf: Faith - Second leaf: Hope - Third card: Love - Fourth card: Luck
In Irish folk lore, the three-leaf clover symbolizes the Holy Trinity: one leaf represents God the Father, one leaf represents God the Son, and one leaf represents the Holy Spirit. If you find a clover with a fourth leaf, that leaf represents God's blessing.
#### Horseshoe
Horseshoe is a symbol of luck. People often hang it in their homes to protect their family's fortunes and wish him to bring luck.
Horseshoes are created by blacksmiths. Since the work of a blacksmith involves processing fire and magical metals from the four elements, and people believe that fire and metal have special powers, blacksmiths are considered a very lucky profession. Therefore, horseshoes are also considered a symbol of luck.
#### Amber Branch
Amber can enhance a person's vitality, maintain the balance of yin and yang, enhance people's compassion, protect people from sin and unwanted injuries, and bring good luck.
#### Dolphin
The Dolphin is considered a symbol of luck by many people around the world, including the ancient Greek, Sumerian, Egyptian and Roman cultures.
For Christians and Native Americans, dolphins are symbols of protection. Its image is said to bring good luck. This belief originates from a famous event: ancient sailors stayed at sea far from shore for months or years; when they saw dolphins swimming around the ship, it meant they were close to land — a most important sign.
#### The Feather
The Feather is an ancient jewelry that can bring luck to its wearer. They symbolize the soul's journey to another realm.
#### Kitten Is Waving
Waving kittens are considered a symbol of luck, especially in Asian countries. It is sometimes placed near stores to symbolize welcoming profits and customers.
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Reference source: zhihu.com — Symbols Derived from Christianity and Mysterious Symbols
Reading note: Check these meanings against the cards beside them before settling on one keyword. When an interpretation feels too dramatic, narrow it to the practical step it actually supports.
Source: Zhihu
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