Signs & Symbols the origins and meaning...Mistletoe, a Sacred Plant in the Pagan Religion of the Druids

Source: Francis X. Weiser, Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs (New York: Harcourt, Brace

and World, Inc., 1958), pp. 103, 104. Copyright 1952 by Francis X. Weiser. Used by permission of the publishers.

[p. 103] The mistletoe was a sacred plant in the pagan religion of the Druids in Britain. It was believed to have all sorts of miraculous qualities: the power of healing diseases, making poisons harmless, giving fertility to humans and animals, protecting from witchcraft, banning evil spirits, bringing good luck and great blessings. In fact, it was considered so sacred that even enemies who happened to meet beneath a mistletoe in the forest would lay down their arms, exchange a friendly greeting, and keep a truce until the following day. From this old custom grew [p. 104] the practice of suspending mistletoe over a doorway or in a room as a token of good will and peace to all comers.

After Britain was converted from paganism to Christianity, the bishops did not allow the mistletoe to be used in churches because it had been the main symbol of a pagan religion. Even to this day mistletoe is rarely used as a decoration for altars. There was, however, one exception. At the Cathedral of York at one period before the Reformation a large bundle of mistletoe was brought into the sanctuary each year at Christmas and solemnly placed on the altar by a priest. In this rite the plant that the Druids had called "All-heal" was used as a symbol of Christ, the Divine Healer of nations.

The people of England then adopted the mistletoe as a decoration for their homes at Christmas. Its old, pagan religious meaning was soon forgotten, but some of the other meanings and customs have survived: the kiss under the mistletoe; the token of good will and friendship; the omen of happiness and good luck and the new religious significance.

Signs & Symbols the origins and meaning.....Ankh

Possibly one of the most widely recognised symbols other than the cross, sacred to the ancient Egyptians,  and often used as an amulet, this symbol is basically the T or Tau cross supporting a circular shape.  Giving the appearance of the shape of a key, in Egyptian hieroglyphics this symbol stands for life or living, and forms part of the Egyptian words such as 'health' and 'happiness'.  Linked with Egyptian gods and goddesses, such as Isis (eternal mother and High Priestess) and Osiris, most gods would appear to have possessed the ankh, to symbolise life and immortality, and it is thus often referred to as the Key of Life, or even the cross of life, because of its creative power. The loop of the ankh is considered to be the feminine, whilst the T shape is considered to be the masculine.  Together, these symbols reflect a continued existence.
Many illustrations of Egyptian gods show them wearing or carrying ankhs as an amulet to signify their immortality.  Combining the eternal with the physical, this symbol being both male and female, is worn by both sexes as an amulet.  If you are unfamiliar with the word amulet, it is basically a protector, or something which is considered to bring good luck to the wearer.  Coming from the Latin word amuletum, meaning 'means of defence', amulets are always considered to have inherent protective qualities, and have been used by many civilisations, not only the Egyptians who would have always had at least one amulet each, usually in the form of ornate jewellery, in their households.  Kings were given an amulet of an ankh by birthright.  A talisman, however, is a specific charm meant to have a specific purpose - such as attracting monetary gain, or helping to attract a partner.  It is well known that many witches wear the ankh as a protector.  An amulet of an ankh was given to all those who died, who, after their Day of judgement, were found righteous.
To some, the ankh signifies the Sun rising over the horizon, and thus regeneration, regrowth and renewal, whilst to others it resembles the human being, with arms extended, the loop representative of the head.  It is, interestingly, also the plan used by many churches and cathedrals rather than the standard crucifix.
Considered by many to have powerful protective qualities, this symbol is actively associated with health, prosperity and long life at every level -- Interpreting Signs and Symbols: A Beginner's Guide, p. 60.

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Ankh the most valued symbol of the ancient Egyptians, also known as crux aitsata, or the 'ansate' or 'handled cross'. It combines two symbols, the tau cross - 'life', and the circle - 'eternity', thus together 'immortality', and also the male and female symbols of the two principal Egyptian deities Osiris and Isis, thus the union of heaven and earth. In hieroglyphic writing, it stands for 'life' or 'living', and forms part of words such as 'health' and 'happiness'. Egyptians wore the ankh as an amulet to prolong life on earth, and were buried with it to ensure their 'life to come' in the afterworld; belief in the ankh's power was reinforced by its resemblance to a key which would unlock the gates of death. This 'key' symbol was also carved on canal walls on the Nile, in the belief that its presence would control the flow of water and so avoid both floods and drought. The ankh was adopted by the early Coptic Christians of Egypt who also used it on their monuments to symbolise life after death. In more recent times, the ankh has been used by witches in spells and rituals involving divination, fertility and health. During the hippie movement of the late 1960s, it became a popular symbol of peace and truth -- Guinness Encyclopaedia of Signs and Symbols, p. 91.

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This is a symbol for the goddess Osiris. It symbolises sex, fertility, and reincarnation. The ankh was a very powerful symbol in Egyptology. Most pictures drawn in that period have ankhs in them. The Pharaohs were buried with this symbol because they believed it would help them in their next life -- Who's Watching the Playpen?, p. 136.
Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph signifying "life," a cross surmounted by a loop and known in Latin as a crux ansata (ansate, or handle-shaped, cross). It is found in ancient tomb inscriptions, including those of the king Tutankhamen, and gods and pharaohs are often depicted holding it. The ankh forms part of hieroglyphs for such concepts as health and happiness. The form of the symbol suggests perhaps a sandal strap as its original meaning, though it has been seen as representing a magical knot. As a cross, it has been extensively used in the symbolism of the Coptic Christian church -- Copyright 1994-1998 Encyclopaedia Britannica.

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Signs & Symbols the origins and meaning....Caduceus

The idea of wings is very important in mythology. In A Dictionary of Symbols we find:

"Wings In the more general sense, wings symbolise spirituality, imagination, thought. The Greeks portrayed love and victory as winged figures, and some deities, such as Athena, Artemis and Aphrodite were at first-though not later-also depicted with wings... .In alchemy, wings are always associated with the higher, active, male principle; animals without wings are related to the passive female principle."

Mercury is one god who has a number of wings on his being. He has the caduceus (with winged snakes) and his hat and sandals also have wings. The winged hat (called a petasus) and winged sandals symbolise Hermes' swiftness. In fact, he is called the "flying man."

In Roman mythology Mercury:

"was the god of commerce and travel, and the patron of thieves, gamblers, and ambassadors. The Greeks called him Hermes or Cyllenius, because he was born on Mount Cyllene, in Arcadia. He was the son of Jupiter (Zeus) and Maia, a daughter of Atlas. Pan, the god of shepherds, was the son of Mercury."

Apollo gave him:

"a magic wand called the caduceus. Mercury used this to guide the souls of the dead to the Lower World. He also could control the living and the dead with it, or turn anything to gold."

In one book on mythology, you will find Mercury "seated naked on a rock... ." A book on witchcraft informs us that Mercury was the "inventor of incantations [and] was wont to be invoked the rites of magicians...." Mercury was also one of the names of gods invoked in Roman Necromancy. Necromancy is sorcery communication with the dead. Other books mention that Mercury "the conductor of the dead to Hades [hell] ." Masonic author, Albert Pike, of course, claims that Mercury is the "Guardian and guide of Souls." Do you want a god that is conjured up by magicians and is the conductor of the dead to hell to be the guardian and Guide" of your soul?

This god is portrayed in Masonry and the Eastern Star-but a different guise. In the Eastern Star, the "Star in the East," the inverted/Satanic pentagram, is a depiction of Mercury. In Masonry, Orator is a representation of Mercury. Albert Pike states:

"Of Hermes, the Mercury of the Greeks, the Thoth of the Egyptians, and the Taaut of the Phoenicians, we have therefore spoken sufficiently at length. He was the inventor of letters and of Oratory, the winged messenger of the Gods, bearing the Caduceus wreathed with serpents; and in our council he is represented by the orator."

Are you beginning to get a picture of the god that is being portrayed in Masonry and the Eastern Star? Their god has magical powers. He is the god of the underworld (hell) and the patron of thieves and gamblers. Note also that Mercury's son is Pan.

The caduceus (or magic wand) that Mercury carries "consists of three elements: a rod, a pair of wings and two intertwined serpents. The rod is emblematic of power and authority. In the hands of primitive man, the largest club and the power to wield it were mighty persuaders as to just who was the leader of the tribe." The caduceus "was reported to have the power of producing sleep. Milton refers to it as the opiate rod."

In A Dictionary of Symbols we find:

"For the Romans, the caduceus served as a symbol of moral equilibrium and of good conduct. The wand represents power; the two snakes wisdom; the wings diligence; and the helmet is the emblem of lofty thoughts... According to esoteric Buddhism, the wand of the caduceus corresponds to the axis of the world and the serpents refer to the force called Kundalini, which, in Tantrist teaching, sleeps coiled up at the base of the backbone-a symbol of the evolutive power of pure energy. Schneider maintains that the two S-shapes of the serpents correspond to illness and convalescence. In reality, what defines the essence of the caduceus is the nature and meaning not so much of its individual elements as of the composite whole. The precisely symmetrical and bilateral arrangement, as in the balance of Libra, or in the tri-unity of heraldry (a shield between two supporters), is always expressive of the same idea of active equilibrium, of opposing forces balancing one another in such a way as to create a higher, static form. In the caduceus, this balanced duality is twice stated: in the serpents and in the wings, thereby emphasising that supreme state of strength and self-control (and consequently of health) which can be achieved both on the lower plane of the instincts (symbolised by the serpents) and on the higher level of the spirit (represented by the wings)."

Pike explains the caduceus like this:

"It was originally a simple Cross, symbolising the equator and equincoctial Colure, and the four elements proceeding from a common centre. This Cross, surmounted by a circle, and that by a crescent, became an emblem of the Supreme Deity-or of the active power of generation and the passive power of production conjoined,-and was appropriated to Thoth or Mercury. It then assumed an improved form, the arms of the Cross being changed into wings, and the circle and crescent being formed by two snakes, springing from the wand, forming a circle by crossing each other, and their heads making the horns of the crescent; in which form it is seen in the hands of Anubis."

The caduceus, says Pike, additionally symbolises the four elements. Of course, the four elements figure prominently in witchcraft. One witch writes:

"In casting a magic circle we first purify the space we will use with the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. We walk around the area that will become the magic circle carrying a bowl of salt and water (for earth and water) and an incense burner (for fire and air). As we walk the path of the circle we say, 'By water and earth, by fire and air, by Spirit, be this circle bound and purified as we desire. So mote it be."

Did you notice that the caduceus "became an emblem of the Supreme Deity" and that it represented "the active power of generation and the passive power of production conjoined"? In other words, this emblem is a veiled symbol for the sex act and it is this symbol that represents the Supreme Deity of the Masons (and, by extension, the Eastern Stars as well)! Eliphas Levi, the occultist whom Albert Pike plagiarised in Morals and Dogma (which we are told by Masonic author Lucien V. Rule "is the greatest single work on Masonic philosophy ever given to the world"), also mentions that the god Mercury was assigned "to the parts of generation."

Blavatsky remarks:

"That the Serpents were ever the emblems of wisdom and prudence is again shown by the caduceus of Mercury... The two serpents, entwined around the rod, are phallic symbols of Jupiter and other gods who transformed themselves into snakes for purposes of seducing goddesses. . . .The serpent has ever been the symbol of the adept, and of his powers of immortality and divine knowledge....It shows the dual power of the Secret Wisdom: the black and the white magic."

Of course, one Masonic symbol after another has this sexual connotation, but in spite of the sexual innuendoes, Past Master Albert L. Woody, Grand Lecturer in Illinois, tells us:

"As late as 1812, in Pennsylvania, the Deacons in procession carried columns-the same columns which now rest on the Wardens' pedestals. Deacons first carried blue rods tipped with gold, symbolising friendship and benevolence; later these were tipped with a pine cone in imitation of the caduceus of Mercury, the messenger of the gods."

One Masonic book, after explaining about the caduceus, brags: "The rod of the Master of Ceremonies is an analogue [equivalent or parallel]." Another Masonic book claims that "Mercurius Caducifer [Mercury], the bearer of the herald's staff, finds his analogue in a Mason's Lodge, in the Senior Deacon, who accompanies the initiate throughout the ceremonies, and assists at restoration, although himself unable to restore life."

The caduceus is also a symbol for immortality. Of course, Mercury is not the only god who carries a caduceus. Pike indicates that it was also borne "by Cybele, Minerva, Anubis, Hercules Ogmius the God of the Celts, and the personified Constellation Virgo, was a winged wand, entwined by two serpents.

The Migration of Symbols reveals that the caduceus "has alternately been considered to be an equivalent of the Thunderbolt, a form of the Sacred Tree, a contraction of the Scarab, a combination of the solar Globe and the Crescent of the moon, and so forth -- Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated, pp. 148-152.

Signs & Symbols the origins and meaning....Makeup/Bodypaint

Body painting is also a magical practice.

Both men and women use some type of makeup as a form of magic in Witchcraft....Native Americans, Polynesians, the ancient Egyptians, the Chinese and Japanese, and African tribal peoples have also used makeup and body paint for magical purposes. The use of colour affects our behaviour and emotional dispositions."

Cabot elaborates:

"Outlining the eye emulates the Goddess, who is often portrayed with large, distinctive eyes, capable of seeing through space and time as well as into our innermost hearts. Ishtarte, the Goddess of Light, was known in the ancient Middle East as the Eye Goddess because the light she brings from heaven to earth illuminates the world. The Egyptian Goddess Maat originally possessed the All-Seeing Eye, which later was transferred to Horns. In Syria the Goddess Man had large, strong eyes that could see deep into the human soul. The Goddess's ability to see and know all things became a terrifying concept in patriarchal times, and her mystical eye was turned into the 'evil eye,' associated during the time of the Inquisition with Witches....

"But the tradition of outlining the eye to honour the Goddess of Love and to make one's own eyes more radiant and mysterious is a time-honoured custom. Green, rose, or copper eyeshadow or eyeliner draw in energy from Venus, the planet of love and romance. Pink eyeshadow, blush, or lipstick will strengthen self-esteem. Glitter refracts and reflects light and will send out light to others. Affixing jewellery to your body or face is also powerful. Remember to charge your makeup and jewellery and body paint before you use them, catalysing them with the specific intention of your spell."
Another magazine states:
"The use of makeup is also said to stem from witchcraft where the painting of one's face was believed to ward off evil. Makeup was used extensively by American Indian witch doctors and European witches. Mascara was particularly a charm inasmuch as it is made of antimony, an old witch metal."
On three occasions the Bible refers to face painting. Jeremiah 4:30 and Ezekiel 23:40-44 refer to wicked women who tried to lure men into the sins of immorality. II Kings 9:30 mentions that Jezebel painted her face. Of course, Jezebel was a pagan woman who practised witchcraft (II Kings 9:22) and worshipped Baal. King Ahab married her and he also started to worship Baal (I King 16:31-32). Since the pagans painted their face, it is no surprise to see Jezebel doing the same thing. In fact, wicked and immoral women today are often called a "Jezebel."
"In this connection, I should like to share an incident. About 25 years ago, a returned missionary from China spoke at our church and related the following. He had been in China for seven years, and upon return to this country for furlough he immediately noticed something different about the American women. In the seven years that he had been gone, many of the women had adopted the popular fad of painting their faces [makeup]. In China, the prostitutes were the only women who painted their faces, wore ear rings, and had long painted fingernails. This was their means of identifying themselves to their men-partners in sin. The shocking thing to the missionary was that the American women had taken on the custom of the heathen harlot."
The Bible says: "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (I Thessalonians 5:22) and "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11) -- Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated, pp. 308-310.

Signs & Symbols the origins and meaning....Earrings

According to Magical Arts evil spirits were thought to be able to enter the body through any of its
openings and take control. "The first earrings were probably worn to bar the way to these spirits and so was the first lipstick."

"Earrings are rings that are worn in the ears. Piercing the lobes to allow the wearing of earrings is an ancient practice.

"Most parts of the body have been pierced for various magical and religious reasons throughout the ages. Ears may have been among the first, along with the nose which is still pierced in India for protective, as well as cosmetic reasons.

"Folklore still surrounds this practice. Pierced earrings m general are often recommended to strengthen weak eyes- if set with emeralds, they are particularly effective. Gold earrings are often worn by those wishing to cure headaches, though some say to wear one gold earring and one silver for this purpose."

In Genesis, when God told Jacob to go the Bethel, Jacob:

"said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem" (Genesis 3 5:2-4).

When Jacob's household was ready to seek God, they got rid of all their earrings and idols. What some people don't realise is that Satan is a liar and a deceiver. Instead of these items protecting an individual from the evil spirits, they are actually attracting evil spirits.

Hosea 2:13 says that Israel "decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat Me, saith the Lord."

I Timothy 2:9-10 advises: "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works."

Concerning pierced ears, a former witch, David Meyer, reports:

"I think it is interesting to note at this point that Hillary Clinton said that she did not allow Chelsea to have her ears pierced until she was 13. There is, of course, a very good reason for that. It is a known fact among occultists that when a girl is 13, she is taken into what is called the 'outer court' of a coven, and the token of this child becoming a neophyte witch is the piercing of the ears."

Earrings were also a symbol of slavery. -- Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated, pp. 305-307.