The Celtic Cross is a powerful symbol used to denote a deeply rooted belief in the power of the Lord in the Christian era and a belief in continuity of life in earlier times. The circle in the center of the cross represents eternity and the holes in the center represent passing from one phase of life to another. The Celtic Cross, as you might imagine, has been a favorite subject of jewelry designers and form makers in recent times. In ancient times, large stone crosses adorned with various symbols were erected. These can be found throughout Ireland and Scotland.
Category: Celtic Knots (page 1 of 2)
Designs used by the Celts.
The Tree of Life with its roots and branches woven together by surrounding knot work is a particularly attractive/meaningful design. The tree of life represents the interconnectedness between this world and the netherworld. It represents a central belief from Celtic times and relates to today’s world as well.
Four Square knots like the one in the illustration stand for protection.
This three-fold design is druid in origin and represents the triple goddess (maiden, mother, crone). These days it is often associated with women’s power.
The symbol above is a Triquetra or Trinity. In pre-Christian times it referred to a variety of associations depending upon the context (mind, body, & spirit, from a religious perspective, or planting harvesting fallow from an agricultural one). After the advent of Christianity the symbol refers to the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) . Naturally, the design appears in many Celtic products.
The double spiral is a common pattern thought to represent balance or equilibrium. Celestially it refers to the equinoxes…when day and night are of equal length. I’ve seen the pattern on tapestries, throws, books, and the like.
The triple spiral is a traditional Celtic design and has a variety of meanings depending upon the context in which it is found. For instance, it may have to do with agriculture (the three elements referring to the necessary balance needed between planting, harvesting and fallowing respectively) and reflects spirals found in nature (whirlpools for instance). The knot can also used to help one contemplate ones connection to the universe (i.e. as a Mandela). The spiral is also thought to represent the sun’s movement around the earth, which makes considerable sense when the spiral is found on a site devoted to tracking the sun’s movements.
The clockwise spiral generally refers to the sun and the length of the days throughout the year’s course. The spiral also refers to growth/expansion and can serve as a mandala with the eye naturally flowing to the center. This design and others like it are often incorporated in Celtic jewelry/clothing.