| Celtic Crosses - An Ancient and Powerful Symbol | | | | symbolize chaos, death, order and rebirth. As you |
| 03rd May 2007 | | | | can see, four again which is such an important |
| Author: Martin Mallett | | | | number with the Celts. |
| The cross of the Celts and Celtic Christianity is a | | | | The symbol, in some form or another, actually |
| symbol of beauty and also a possessor of many | | | | dates back long-long before Christianity. The |
| meanings. It resembles a traditional Christian cross, | | | | reason is, that a cross has arms facing four |
| with a circle drawn around the joints of the two | | | | directions. This could mean four elements, four |
| arms of the cross. It is regularly referred to as | | | | navigational directions, and so on. The circle is |
| the Irish Cross or the Cross of Iona (both an | | | | another ancient symbol, associated with |
| island and a Gaelic name). | | | | perfection, even the ancient Egyptians have used |
| One feasible meaning of the cross is the unity of | | | | it. |
| two types of belief systems. The cross | | | | Regretfully, in these modern times, the ancient |
| symbolizes Christian belief, while the circle | | | | symbol has been abused and used by some |
| symbolizes a pagan moon Goddess. This coincides | | | | extremely radical political parties. Usually they |
| with the Irish legend, that St. Patrick introduced | | | | simplify the cross and circle design by just |
| this symbol when trying to convert the pagan | | | | drawing a circle with a plus sign inside, extending |
| people of the Emerald Isle. Some say that the | | | | outward (regularly referred to as the sun cross). |
| circle actually represents the Sun, another | | | | The link between the symbol and radical factions |
| powerful symbol in the pagan belief system. | | | | have become so firm that in Italy they have |
| Many times the cross and circle design is only just | | | | even banned it from being publicly shown in |
| part of the picture. Complex designs and carvings | | | | stadiums. |
| are prominent on Celtic crosses. One such | | | | Martin Mallett is the co-owner of - a family run |
| common motif is of an interweaving thread, | | | | online store with a new and exciting range of |
| actually interviewing figures of eight, which | | | | Celtic jewellery especially beautiful Celtic bangles. |