Symbols in Witchcraft and Paganism

Symbols in witchcraft and paganism are signs that carry meaning and power, such as the circle, the pentagram, the triple moon, and the witch's knot. Each one stands for something pagans and witches hold sacred, like the elements, the moon, a deity, or protection. Some come from Norse, Celtic, and Egyptian traditions, and others are modern.

Pagans and witches use symbols in magic and ritual. They draw them on candles, carve them into tools, wear them as jewelry, and write them in a book of shadows. A symbol can protect a home, mark a sacred space, honor a deity, or hold the intention of a spell.

Symbolism in Witchcraft and Paganism 

Magical Alphabets 

Resources and Gifts for Pagans and Witches

The circle symbolizes unity, wholeness, and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth in witchcraft and paganism. It has no beginning and no end. Pagans and witches cast a circle to make sacred space for ritual and magic, and many other symbols are built on it, including the pentacle, the sun wheel, and the Wheel of the Year.

The pentagram is a five-pointed star drawn in one continuous line, and the pentacle is a star inside a circle. In witchcraft and paganism, the five points are earth, air, fire, water, and Spirit, the five elements. Pagans and witches draw both on candles, tools, and doorways for protection, wear them as a sign of their faith, and set them on the altar to bless and charge what is placed there.

The triple moon is a waxing crescent, a full moon, and a waning crescent side by side. In witchcraft and paganism, it symbolizes the Triple Goddess as Maiden, Mother, and Crone, and the three phases stand for beginnings, fullness, and endings. Pagans and witches wear the triple moon, set it on the altar for full-moon rituals, and use it to honor a goddess of the moon.

The witch's knot is four interlaced loops drawn in one unbroken line, often with a circle woven through the center. In witchcraft and paganism, it is a symbol of protection, and the unbroken line is a barrier that unwanted energy cannot cross. Pagans and witches draw it over doors and windows, wear it as a charm, and use it in knot and cord magic. It is also called the witch's charm.

The triquetra is three pointed loops woven together from one continuous line, sometimes with a circle through them. It is also called the trinity knot. In witchcraft and paganism, it symbolizes the power of three, such as the Triple Goddess as Maiden, Mother, and Crone, or the three realms of land, sea, and sky. Pagans and witches wear the triquetra, carve it into candles and tools, and use it in magic for protection and for binding three things into one.

The spiral in witchcraft and paganism symbolizes the journey of life and the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The way a spiral is drawn changes its meaning. A clockwise spiral draws energy in for growth and abundance, and a counterclockwise spiral sends energy away for banishing and release. A spiral drawn toward its center is a journey inward, and one drawn out from the center is growth and new beginnings. The triple spiral, called the triskele or triskelion, is three spirals joined at the center. Pagans and witches draw spirals on candles, stones, and paper, and wear the triskele as a sign of their path.

The daisy wheel is a six-petaled flower drawn with a compass inside a circle, and it is also called the hexafoil. It was carved beside the doors, windows, and hearths of houses, barns, and churches to keep harm out. In witchcraft and paganism, it is drawn, carved, and painted at the thresholds of a home as a symbol of protection.

The elemental symbols are four triangles that stand for earth, air, fire, and water in witchcraft and paganism. The triangles for fire and air point up, and the triangles for water and earth point down. Pagans and witches draw them on candles, tools, and altar cloths to call on the four elements.

Runes are the letters of the Germanic alphabets, and each letter is also a symbol with its own meaning. The Elder Futhark of twenty-four runes is the one most used in witchcraft and paganism. Pagans and witches carve runes into candles, tools, and talismans, write with them, and cast them for divination. Working with runes one at a time, in order, is also a method of self-discovery. The witches' runes are a separate, modern set of thirteen picture symbols used the same way.

Ogham is the early Irish alphabet of twenty letters, each made of strokes cut along a central line. Many of the letters share names with trees, so it is also called the tree alphabet. In witchcraft and paganism, ogham letters are carved on staves, wands, and talismans, written in a book of shadows, and drawn for divination.

The Theban alphabet is a set of letters that stand in for the letters of the Latin alphabet, and it is also called the witches' alphabet. It was first published in 1518 by the abbot Johannes Trithemius in his book Polygraphia. In witchcraft and paganism, it is used to write spells, names, and book of shadows pages that only the writer can read, and to inscribe candles and talismans.

A sigil is a symbol made to hold one intention. In witchcraft and paganism, the words of a wish are reduced to a single drawn mark, which is charged and released as a spell. A bind rune is two or more runes joined into one symbol so that their meanings combine. Pagans and witches draw sigils and bind runes on candles, paper, skin, and doorways, and add them to a name ward.

A book of shadows is a witch's own record of spells, rituals, correspondences, and what came of them. A grimoire is a book of magical instruction to look things up in, and many pagans and witches keep both in one book. In witchcraft and paganism, symbols, magical alphabets, and sigils are written into its pages, both to record them and to keep the writing private.

Explore Witchcraft and Pagan Practices

• Spellwork, casting spells and making charms
• Herbal Witchcraft, the herbs used in witchcraft and what each one is for
• Pagan Divination, tarot, runes, scrying, omens, and other ways of reading
• Energy Work, grounding, centering, shielding, and cleansing
• Spirit Work, working with ancestors, deities, spirits, and familiars
• Animals in Witchcraft, familiars, omens, spirit animals, and animal correspondences
• Kitchen Witchcraft, cooking, cleaning, and keeping a home with intention
• The Four Elements, earth, air, fire, and water in witchcraft and paganism
• Wheel of the Year, the eight sabbats and how to celebrate them
• Crystals in Witchcraft, the stones pagans and witches carry, charge, and set out, and what each one is for
• Pagan Community, finding your people, covens, solitary practice, and families

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