Symbol Dictionary Cr-D
Crossroad:
Crossroads became a symbol of esoteric meeting grounds between pagans
and gods, witches and the devil, a place where justice was created and
ghosts walked the earth. Originally, it was revered as the symbol for
the crossing over of the dead. The Greeks and Roman’s believed that
Diana was the mistress of the crossroads, and her children were the “spirits
of the crossroads.” Travelers made offering to her and Compitalia
festivals were held at roadsides. The Hermetic cross, a Greek equal armed
cross carved with twin serpents became a talisman that travelers left
at crossroads in 10th century Ireland as the roads were sometimes dedicated
to Hermes. As crossroads became a symbol for meeting, gallows and crucifixes
were erected there. Criminals and suicides were buried at crossroads as
sacrifices because it was believed that “The Goddess as Mother Earth,
dispenser of ‘natural law’ and creatress of birth-and-death
cycles, was always present where the dying god died,” according
to The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983), Barbara
Walker.
Crown:
Crowns are usually the most important part of the regalia of divine and
early rulers. According to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000
Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002), “In the case of
mortals, it is associated with the bestowal of divine right upon a sovereign
during a coronation ceremony.” In India the crown of kings is called
the mukut; the Hindus call their crown of divine kingship Kiritamukuta;
the Buddha wears the Muktadharin. In Symbols Of Church Seasons And Days
(1997), by John Bradner, “the use of crowns to denote sovereignty
and kingship, or in other cases as wreaths to denote victory, is very
ancient.” Western alchemists believed the crown symbolized completion
and perfection of a metal. See Head-Dress.
Cuckold: This label, taken from the cuckoo bird, was given to people who
attended the May-day games in Medieval Europe. This fertility ritual included
socially sanctioned promiscuous behavior. Barbara Walker, in her book
The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983) says, “The
man who became a cuckoo, or cuckold, was one who didn’t care whether
his wife was faithful or not, for both of them attended the Maytime festivities
when ritual promiscuity was the rule- of fertility charm- as late as the
16th century.”
Cupid: This Roman God of erotic love is called Eros in Greece, and Kama
in Hinduism. Son of Venus and Mercury (also called Aphrodite and Hermes),
Cupid symbolizes sexual union, but during the Renaissance period, was
depicted as the diminutive winged baby with love arrows. The Woman’s
Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983), by Barbara Walker, says “ancient
talismans of Cupid were not babies; they were winged phalli of bronze,
ivory, or wood.”
Death: Death is a formidable part of every society and religion on earth
and what happens after death has been the motivating factor for many religions.
The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983), by Barbara
Walker says, “It has been said that Death came into existence only
with the rise of man’s consciousness, a roundabout way of saying
death is more real for humans than for any other animal, because only
humans foresee it. Religions owe their existence to the unique ability
of the human animal to understand that it must die… It’s hard
for any perceiving mind to perceive its own nothing, with cessation of
all perception.” Death has been called the Dreamless Sleep by worshippers
of Kali, the House of Dust or Road Of No Return in Babylon, and the Intermediate
State by Tantric Buddhism. Usually concepts of Death still include perception
with a sense of place.
Deer: See Animals.
Demon: From the original Greek word daimon, demon originally was used
to describe a friendly spirit or guardian angel. During medieval times,
when Christianity was degrading all Pagan beliefs, demon became a negative
term for the messenger of Satan that was either spirit or animal in form.
Unfortunately animal demons were used as proof during the witch trials
of the 12th and 13th centuries. The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths
And Secrets (1983), by Barbara Walker says, “Not once in the recorded
trials did authorities question witnesses’ ability to distinguish
these demons from ordinary animals. It was taken for granted that anyone,
even a small child, could recognize His Satanic Majesty no matter how
cleverly he disguised himself as an apparently normal beast.” See
Gods/Underworld Guardians.
Devi: See Goddess.
Devil: See Gods/Underworld Guardians.
Diamond: This precious gem has become a symbol for commitment, virginity,
and love as the rock of wedding bands. Diamond itself literally translates
into “World-Goddess” and was believed to be “solidified
drops of the divine essence, embedded in rocks when the world was created,”
according to The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983),
by Barbara Walker. These rocks were considered sacred to the Goddess because
they were harder then any other stone, and consequently revered by the
cults of Virgins or priestesses (predecessors to the convent). In Tibet,
the Earth-Goddess Tara assumes the form of a Diamond Sow, which is considered
the female counterpart to the Dalai Lama. The Tarot cards, predecessors
to the modern playing cards, have a diamond suit, representing the ancient
pentacle or sign of the Mother Earth. See Convent and Tarot.
Four Directions
Directions:
Each culture has oriented itself around systems of directions. Many have
included 6 directions, North, South, East, West, Above, and Below. The
indigenous Americans called this the medicine wheel, and sculpted it with
large rocks onto the plains as well as symbolizing it in fetishes and
art. Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes
Mean In Art And Myth (2002), explain, “The simplest form of orientation
was by the sun,” thus the east was based on the rising sun and west
the setting sun. The meeting point of the directions varied, for the Inca,
it was their capital city Cuzco, for the Moslems, it is Mecca.
North:
On the medicine wheel, North represents “air, animals, the mind,
heart, wisdom, balance harmony and white races who know the ways of mind,
science, research and technology,” according to Rowena and Rupert
Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols:What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002).
In Chinese tradition it depicts winter, water, and a tortoise with a snake
around it. Buddhists of Japan believe north is protected by the blue god
Bishamonten, while the Yoruba of Nigeria associate it with red and the
god Ogun.
East: On the medicine wheel, East represents “fire, the human world,
spirit, the spark of life, spirituality and the place from which one sets
out on the vision quest; it is also related to the yellow races, masters
of the ways of meditation,” according to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd
in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002). In
Chinese tradition it depicts spring, wood, and a blue or green dragon.
Buddhists of Japan believe east is guarded by the red-faced deity Komokuten,
while the Yoruba of Nigeria associate it with green and yellow and their
god Eshu.
South: On the medicine wheel, South represents “water, plants, emotions
and movement, the innocence of the child and the red race who know how
to dance in harmony with the earth,” according to Rowena and Rupert
Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth
(2002). In Chinese tradition it depicts summer, fire, and the phoenix
or a red bird. Buddhists of Japan believe south is guarded by the white-faced
Zochoten, while the Yoruba of Nigeria associate it with white and the
god Obbatal.
West: On the medicine wheel, West represents “earth, minerals, the
body, dreaming, intuition, memories, and the black races, who know how
to dance and drum the natural rhythms of the earth,” according to
Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean
In Art And Myth (2002). In Chinese tradition it depicts autumn, metal,
and a white tiger. Buddhists of Japan believe West is guarded by the green-faced
Jikokuten, while the Yoruba of Nigeria associate it with black and their
lightening deity, Shango.
Dog: See Animals.
Dolphin: See Animals.
Dragon: See Animals.
Dream Symbols: See Dreams and Dreaming course.
Drum: Used by the priest, magician, and shaman of indigenous people, the
drums were used in a variety of rituals and magical practices, including
signifying special occurrences or events, during religious ceremony, to
communicate messages, to frightening off evil spirits (believed to prevent
storms and earthquakes), and as a musical instrument. Man, Myth And Magic:
The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Mythology, Religion And The Unknown (1995),
edited by Richard Cavendish states, “The throbbing beat of the drum
in many societies forms a bridge to the supernatural.”