Some Christian symbols and Holy Cross ( respectfuly )

The most well known cross is the Latin cross, which to Christians, represents the cross of Christ’s crucifixion. When shown with the image of Christ, it is called a crucifix.

The shape of a true Latin cross, when folded, creates a cube, an ancient symbol of earthly authority.

The cross of Christianity was a later symbol of the faith, replacing the lamb, fish, alpha/omega, and phoenix as emblems. It was previously considered a pagan symbol, with several early church fathers objecting to its use.

Wrote Christian father Minucius Felix, “You certainly, who worship wooden gods, are the most likely people to adore wooden crosses, as being parts with the same substance as your deities. For what else are your ensigns, flags, and standards but crosses gilt and purified? Your victorious trophies not only represent a simple cross, but a cross with a man upon it. When a pure worshiper adores the true God with hands extended, he makes the figure of a cross. Thus you see that the sign of the cross has either some foundation in Nature, or in your own religion, and therefore not to be objected against Christians.”

The original Christian cross, today called the Greek cross, is shaped like an X. The Greek Cross was an abbreviation of the name “Christ,” not a representation of the cross of the crucifixion. The Chi-Ro monogram of Constantine is closely related to this symbol. The latin cross came into favor later, when the mother of Constantine, the Empress Helena, claimed to have discovered the “true cross” of the crucifixion, the beginning of an endless trade in holy ‘relics.’





Greek Cross (Cross Imissa, Cross of Earth)

The Greek cross is a very early form of the Christian cross. Often found in conjunction with the ankh, the Greek cross predates the latin cross and was not intended to represent the cross of the crucifixion, but instead, the four directions of the earth, representing the spread of the gospel, and the four platonic elements. The Greek cross was a popular floor plan for eastern churches at one time.

This style of cross dates to ancient Babylon, where it was a symbol of the sun-god Shamash. It was also popular in pre and post Christian Celtic art.





Or if depicted like this




Also called "The Holy seals" The letters are in cirilc writing and they say "Jesus Christ victorius" ( NIKA means victory or can be used as verb , winning in Greece )

The Christian Ankh

Ankh (Crux ansata, Key of Life, Key of the Nile)
The ankh is an ancient Egyptian symbol of life. Also known as an Ansata (latin; handle) cross, it is a visual representation of a sandal strap. The horizontal and vertical bars of the lower tau cross represent the feminine and masculine energy, respectively. This combination of male and female symbols (the cross and circle) in the ankh suggest fertility and creative power. The top loop also symbolises the sun on the horizon, and suggests reincarnation and rebirth. The ankh appears frequently in Egyptian writings about rebirth, and this symbolism was adopted by Coptic Christians, especially gnostic sects, to symbolize the resurrection of Christ and the heavenly marriage. The ankh was an earlier form of the cross than the better known “latin” cross.



Cross of Lorraine (Cross of Anjou)

The Cross of Lorraine consists of one vertical and two evenly spaced horizontal bars. It is a heraldic cross, used by the Dukes of Lorraine (previously known as the Dukes of Anjou). This cross is related to the Crusader’s cross, the standard of Joan of Arc, and the six globes of the Medici family. The Lorraine cross was carried to the Crusades by the original Knights Templar, granted to them for their use by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Hermetic alchemists of the Renaissance used the emblem as a symbol of earth and spirit by combining the square earth cross with the cross of Christ.

When drawn symmetrically, it symbolized the hermetic maxim, “As above, so below.” The Lorraine Cross is used in Freemasonry as a degree symbol. In the Catholic Church, the equal-armed Lorraine Cross denotes the office of Cardinal.

In 1940, the cross of Lorraine was adopted by Admiral d’Argenlieu (commander of the Free French Forces) as a symbol of the French Resistance, chosen as a symbol to stand against the Nazi Swastika. A very old form of this cross, a depiction of a shepherd’s staff, was used in ancient Sumeria as an ideogram for rulership. The Cross of Lorraine is not a “Gothic” symbol, or a symbol of Satanism.




Cross Fitchy (Cross fitchée)
The cross fitchy (from the French, “fixed”) originated as a cross with a pointed bottom, designed for use by traveling Crusaders, with a sharpened point that could be thrust into the ground.

Because its shape resembles a sword, it became an apt symbol of the Crusader’s faith, and their willingness to use force in its cause.



Good for "pinning down disobedient" !

Chi-Rho (labarum, Constantine’s cross, Christogram, Monogram of Christ)
The Chi-Rho emblem can be viewed as the first Christian Cross.

As a pre-Christian symbol, the Chi-ro signified good fortune. The Chi ro became an important Christian symbol when adopted by the Roman Emperor Constantine, representing the first two letters in the name of Christ- the Chi, or ‘ch,’ and Rho, or ‘r.’ According to Church Father Eusebius, on the eve of the Battle of the Milvan Bridge, the Emperor saw the emblem in a dream, with the inscription, “By this sign, you shall conquer.” According to the story, the battle was won. In return for the victory, Constantine legalized the religion and erected Christian churches.

Unfortunately, this story is very unlikely, as Constantine’s conversion occured on his deathbed, if at all. In any case, the symbol was the standard of the Emperor’s army, prominently displayed on the Emperor’s labarum, or battle standard.

Before it became the monogram of Christ, the chi rho was the monogram of Chronos, the god of time, and an emblem of several solar deities.

The Chi-ro is also the origin of the tradition of abbreviating “Christ” in “christian” or “Christmas” to “X.”

In Hebrew, Chi-Rho equates to Tav-Resh. The chi rho was used in hermetic alchemical texts to denote time.



If depicted in circle it is an amulet of sucsess and victory , also good for overcoming the enemy. It may also be depicted with letters alpha and omega in that case speculated meaning Christ is a beggining and the end .



Seraphs

Seraphim in Hebrew means “flaming serpents.” In Judeo-Christian tradition, the Seraphim are the order of angels who surround the Throne of the Presence. They appear by name in the bible only once, in the vision of Isaiah:

“… I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the Seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.”

The Seraphs are also referred in the apocryphal Book of Enoch, and are associated with the “fiery serpents” who assaulted the Israelites in the Book of Numbers.

A seraph is most often depicted as one to four heads surrounded by six flaming wings, often covered with a multiplicity of eyes.

In magick, they are associated with the Sphere of Geburah, the sphere of justice on the Tree of Life.

They are possibly descended mythologically from the Egyptian flaming winged uraeus serpents who guarded the Pharaohs.



Keys of St. Peter
The image at right represents the Keys of St. Peter, an emblem of the Catholic Church which represents the divine authority invested in the apostle Peter before the death of Christ.

A symbol that appears frequently in Christian art and in the arms of the Popes, the crossed keys were formerly an emblem of the Roman God Janis and the Mithraic Zurvan, both gods of time and keepers of doorways, and removers of obstacles.

It is this symbolism that led to the folk legend of Peter as the bureaucratic keeper of the “pearly gates.”



Used for removing obstacles , opening doors, and astral projection .

Praying hands

By Albercht Durer in 15th centry are a symbol of faith , trust and sending prayers . Good for wish rituals , and all rituals that require quick resoults , burned in parchment with the pettition on other side as a ritual amplificator .