Every religion has their own symbol to represent them and every symbol has their own meaning. In this paper I will be taking about three different symbols. Those symbols are the Pentagram, the Star of David and the Jain Emblem
The pentagram originated around 3500 BC; it was found on broken pottery with some of the earliest findings of language (Wolf). Many different types of people have used this symbol including Mesopotamians, Hebrews, Egyptians, Christians, and Gnostics (Wolf). The Mesopotamians used in art in royal inscriptions as a symbol of imperial power. For the Egyptians it was a symbol of the underground womb and had a symbolic relationship to the concept of the pyramids. The Christians connected it with the five wounds of Christ; but after some time it was later transformed it in reaction to the neo-pagan use of it (Wolf).
The pentagram symbol is from the Wiccan religion is also called witchcraft. Wicca is a diverse and decentralized religion, and is a part of the nature movements (Legge). For a very long time the ones who practiced this religion were persecuted. They see that everything has a divine spirit meaning it is a polytheistic religion. Wiccan’s honor the elements of nature; earth, air, fire, water, and spirit and their associated directions north, east, south, and west (Legge). This information ties into the meaning of the symbol.
The pentagram’s top point is associated with the divine figures in the religion (Sabrina 67-81). The lower four points connect with the four important elements; fire, water, air, and earth. These elements are important because they are the four ties with nature and to maintain life (Sabrina 67-81). Understanding these elements is very important in the teaching of the Wic...
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Works Cited
"Jain Symbol." jainworld.com. N.p.. Web. 19 Feb 2014. .
"Jain Symbols." ejainism.com. N.p.. Web. 19 Feb 2014. .
"Judaism." Canada and the World Backgrounder 12 1999: 53-9. ProQuest. 17 Feb. 2014 .
Legge, Gordon. "What is Wicca." Calgary Herald [Alberta] 16 11 1991, Sunday Final Edituib A1. Print.
Sabrina, Lady. Exploring Wicca: The Beliefs, Rites, and Rituals of the Wiccan Religion. New Page Books, 2001. 67-81. eBook.
Silberberg, Naftali . "What Is the Mystical Significance of the Star of David?." Chabad.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb 2014. .
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Rehder, John B. "Folk Remedies and Belief Systems." Appalachian Folkways. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 2004. 224-43. Print.
"American Native Spirituality." American Native Spirituality. Tahtonka, 28 Feb. 1998. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. .
Voodoo, sinister cult or respected religion? You be the judge after reading my brief report on this exotic religion. To create this report I have reviewed three current articles on voodoo and one encyclopedia entry. In its entirety the report will consist of some history of voodoo, misconceptions, purpose of rituals and my personal reflection. Using these current articles I am going to take a in depth look at one of the most misunderstood religions ever.
Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. “Wicca.” The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft & Wicca. 3rd ed. 2012. Print.
Bacon, Elizabeth E. “Witchcraft.” Encyclopedia Americana. Volume 29. Pages 83 – 84. Connecticut: Grolier Incorporated, 1999.
Yardley, Meg. “Social Work Practice With Pagans, Witches, and Wiccans: Guidelines for Practice With Children And Youths.” Social Work 53.4 (2008): 329-336. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
The Wiccan religion is one of the fastest growing religions in the United States as well one of the most misunderstood due to the controversies surrounding its history and mystery shrouding its beliefs and doctrines. Due to a series of popular TV series that have shown Witchcraft in a positive light, such as Sabrina, the Teen-aged Witch and Charmed, the popularity of Wicca has grown, especially amongst teenagers; but sadly this popularity has not been partnered with a growth in understanding and respect (Kaminer). Although Wicca offers a nature-oriented, egalitarian belief system with a rich collection of customs and rituals, ignorance and historically-rooted misconceptions still dominate public opinion.
Wicca, commonly known as the “Craft” or “Old Ways” is an expression used to describe various traditions of contemporary Paganism, an earth-centered religion that shows a substantial amount of respect for nature; celebrating the changes in the season and lunar cycles (Mankiller, Wicca); As stated by Morrison Wicca celebrates, “the beauty of the moon, the stars, and the sun (5)”; and the worshipping of the deities (Morrison, 2001). Those who follow the path of Wicca are usually referred to as “Witches” or “Wiccans” derived from the Anglo-Saxon term wicce, which can be translated as “Sorceress” or “Wise One” (Morrison, 2001), they are nothing like the witches seen in modern media (Mankiller, Wicca). Throughout History Wicca has been depicted as a Satanist related religion, leading to mass persecution of those who adhere to its principles (as seen in the Salem Witch Trials); few truly fathom the Wiccan faith. The real truth about Wicca is that, it is a religion centered on the theology of the deities in form of the Patron Goddess and God, it is a matriarchal religion, with varying traditions and religious branches, that doesn’t believe in predestination, and has basic tenets that must be followed.
Yardley, Meg. "Social Work Practice With Pagans, Witches, And Wiccans: Guidelines For Practice With Children And Youths." Social Work 53.4 (2008): 329-336. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
Another symbol is the Pallas. . It seemed that the bird had a purpose for
Iconography, in art history, the study of subject matter in art. The meaning of works of art is often conveyed by the specific objects or figures that the artist chooses to portray; the purpose of iconography is to identify, classify, and explain these objects. Iconography is particularly important in the study of religious and allegorical painting, where many of the objects that are pictured—crosses, skulls, books, or candles, for example—have special significance, which is often obscure or symbolic.
Holland, Eileen, and Raymond Buckland. The Wicca Handbook. San Francisco, CA: Red Wheel/Weiser, LCC, 2008.
Lehmann A. C. & Myers J. E. Magic, Witchcraft and Religion – An anthropological Study of the Supernatural (Fourth Edition) (Mayfield Publishing Company, 1997)
III. Smithson, Jayne. “Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion.” Class lectures. Anthropology 120. Diablo Valley College, San Ramon 2004.