Eclectic
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.
Weaving two Celtic knots into a central knot has come to be known as the wedding knot. It symbolizes the joining of two families for eternity. This pattern seems to intensify when both the husband and wife wear matching rings emblazoned with Celtic knots.
Many Celtic knots feature an unbroken line indicating that everything is related to everything else. Beyond that various patterns of the Celtic Knot take on additional meanings. For example, the Celtic Knot displayed here is a love knot because it has two knots intertwined in the center. This particular design is very popular on rings for obvious reasons. If you look closely, you will see two intertwined hearts.
