Celtic Symbols and Traditions

Some of the symbols of the Boston Celtics are the championship banners hanging from the rafters and the retired numbers of the Celtics finest. Johnny Most’s golden microphone from high above courtside will take fans back to the day when the gravelly voiced veteran announcer loved the men in green but called their opponents outlaws.

There are other Celtic symbols that celebrate the Irish heritage. For centuries Celtic symbols and signs held incredible power for the ancient Celt’s. The Celts lived during the Iron Age and lived in small villages led by warriors. The records found from the Celts of Europe are almost nonexistent. The Celts had a time-honored tradition of storytelling so their word has lived on and their history salvaged. Celtics were also believers in symbolism. Every sign had a meaning and those symbols and meanings added to the history and the story of their people.

The Triskelion is a Greek word meaning three legged. The symbol looks like three legs running and is symbolic of mans progress and competition. The Triskelion holds two major components of meaning. The first is it is in constant forward motion. The second meaning is a collection of three such as “spirit, mind, body,” Father, Son and Holy Ghost”, and creation, preservation and destruction.

The Triquetra is from Latin meaning three cornered. It is a sign of holiness and has many meanings, spirit, nature, cosmos and being-ness. It may also symbolize the solar and lunar aspects of life.

Triple Spiral represents the three powers of women: maiden hood, motherhood and old crone. It is a sign of the power of women through transition and growth. Some of the other spiral meanings are progress, balance, centering, initiation and development.

Five –fold is a pattern of five circles that represents balance. The four outer circles symbolize earth, water, fire and air, the four elements of nature. The fifth circle units all the elements with a goal to reach balance between all four elements.

Threefold is the symbol that represents the hub which signifies the three powers. It might also have signified the lunar or solar phases. The Celts of old honored the Great Mother, a lunar goddess who was three personifications in one.

The Celtic Cross is the desire to know and experience the unfolding mystery of life, especially the crosses with arms equidistant to the center. The cross is also a symbol representing the meeting place for the Divine energies and the center of the cross is where the concentration of cosmic power accumulates. Each arm of the cross symbolizes a branch of higher wisdom. If the symbol includes an encircling symbol to represent unification of the four elements, then the center of the cross will be the focal point of spiritual destination.

The single spiral represents ethereal energy radiating out or in depending on how you look at it. It also symbolizes birth, growth and expansion of consciences.  There are many examples of the single spiral. They are found in the decorative aspect of a wrought iron or cast iron fence, detail around a door or window or even the peak of a roof.