Christian Symbolism  A to H

  Index

All A

Adam

Alpha

Anchor

Animals

Ankh

Apple

Ass

All B

Babylon

Bed

Bee

Beehive

Bird

Blood 

Book / Bible

Brazen Serpent

Bread

Breath

Butterfly

All C

Candle

Chalice

Chair

City

Circle

Cock

Columbine
Corn
Column

Cow

Crescent Moon

Crook/crozier

Cross

ChiRho

All D

Darkness

Desert

Dolphin

Door

Dove

Dragon

Double Cube

All E

Eagle

Easter Egg

Eye

All F

Fall

Fire

Fish

Fleur de lis

Flowers

Foot

Fountain

Fruit

Furnace

All G

Garden

Garments

Gate

Globe

Gold

Goldfinch

Grail

Grapes

Guardians

Geometry

All H

Halo

Hand

Heart

All I

Iconostasis

Iris

All K

Key

King

All L

Labyrinth

Ladder

Lamb

Lamp
Large M

Leaven

Light

Lily

Lion

All M

Magi

Man

Mandorla

Manna

Marriage

Maze

All M

Milk

Mill / Millstone

Miter

Mirror

Moon

Mountain

All N

Net

Nimbus

All O

Oil

Olive tree

Omega

Oven / Furnace

Ox

All P

Palm

Paradise

Peacock

Pearl

Pelican

Pharisees

Phoenix

Pilgrimage

Pillar

Plough

Pomegranate

Promised Land

Q

Quatrefoil

All R

Rainbow

Right and left

Ritual

River

Robe

Rock

Rod

Rood

Room

Rosary

Rose

Rosette

Ruin

Rose Window

All S

Sacrament

Sadducees

Salt

Sea

Seed

Serpent

Shell

Shepherd

Shepherd's Cross

Ship

Ship of Fools

Shoe

Skull

Soul

Spirit

Stairs

Star

Star of David

Stone

Sun

Sword

All T

Temple

Thistle / Thorn

Throne

Tower

Tree

Trefoil

Trinity

All U

Unicorn

Unleavened

All V

Vase

Veil

Vesica piscis

Vine

Vineyard

All W

Water

Well

Whale
Wheat

Wheel

Wheel of Fortune

Wilderness

Window

Wine

Winepress

Woman

Woodpecker

Word

Woven

All Z

Zodiac

All #'s

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Twelve

Fifteen

Forty

A -----------------------------

Adam: Hebrew adama, meaning "earth" and/or "the soil from which all breeds from."  Adam represents the first physical state of man or mankind.  Adam in artwork can also represent an original beginning (Genesis.)  The first man. His creation (Gen 1:26-28; 2:7; 1Co 15:45;  2:13). The history of, before he sinned (Gen 1:26-30; 2:16-25). His temptation and sin (Gen 3; Job 31:33, ftn; Isa 43:27; Hos 6:7; Rom 5:14-21; 1Ti 2:14). The subsequent history of (Gen 3:20-24; 4:1-2,25; 5:1-5). His death (Gen 5:5). Progenitor of the human race (Dt 32:8; Mal 2:10). A type of Christ (Ro 5:14). Brought sin and death into the world (1 Cor 15:22,45). 

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Alpha and Omega:  A title of Christ, meaning "The First and Last" and "The Beginning and End" (Rev 1:8, cf. 17; 21:6; 22:13; cf. Isa 41:4; 44:6; 48:12).The Alpha and the Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In Revelations 1:8 (the traditionally accepted Apocalyptic book of the Bible) God says, "I am the first and the last.  Who is and Who was and Who is to come."  In the same book - states:13 - Jesus says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."  Faith therefore requires it's followers to believe that God and Jesus are the prime cause, present motivation and conclusion to all existence and dimensions. Since this is not evident when portraying the Father or the Son, the A and the Omega represent that doctrine as well as the union of the Father and Son.
   Alpha @ MyDrawing Board     Omega @ MyDrawing Board......Return to Index


Anchor: A traditional symbol of steadfast safety.  If your Catholic cemetery allows it, it is often used over the grave of sailors. If not, usually the cemetery will allow you to stylize a latin cross into an anchor. In Christendom, as shown in Hebrews 6:19, the anchor symbolizes the assurance that Jesus has given all mankind salvation. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:19).  When the anchor is combined with the Dolphin it represents Christ on the cross.   When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along.(Acts 27:17)   Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. (acts 27:29)
You may come across an achor that looks like a latin cross atop a crescent. See CROSSES below.

 
Anchor @ MyDrawing Board........................................Return to Index

Ankh: also called the crux ansata: According to the Holisticshop Dictionary :  The Ankh, with its looped top, is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic representing the womb, and translated means life. It is a symbol found widely in Egyptian art, where gods and goddesses are shown clutching the ankh, the key to the afterlife and immortality. This symbol was also (wrongly((author's note))) known as the Key of the Nile, which provided water for Egypt to survive, thus further reinforcing the image of fertility and reproduction. It symbolizes the ability for life to evolve and be successful, and reminds us that life on earth is simply one aspect of creation, and that we are all eternal beings. According to the Holisticshop Dictionary.
   Beware that it has no useful symbol in Catholicism. It is viewed as an ancient, pagan symbol along the lines of a swastika. It was, however, adotped by Egyptian Catholics (Copts) as a sign of the cross. As such, your Catholic cemetery will likely not refuse an application for an Ankh incorporated in design. NOTE: Crux Ansata translate to Cross with a Handle.

 Ankh @ MyDrawing Board.......Return to Index

Animals: Although specific animals are listed in this section of the library, in Christian symbolism animals usually represent an amount of things.  Such as 12 sheep represent the 12 disciples of Christ.  Fabulous and spectacular beasts will represent the forces of nature. Most saints are represented by animals, ex: Christ the lamb, St. John the eagle. See: Ass, bird, dove, eagle

 

  Animals @ MyDrawing Board......................................Return to Index


Apple: The fall from Grace.  The forbidden fruit as well as the symbol of the knowledge of Good and Evil. When you employ the apple in a fashion where someone is eating it the symbolism is that of choosing the "ways" of the material world over those of the spiritual.  But then an apple can also be a symbol of a good thing as mentioned in Proverbs 25:11  A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
In short, apples represent salvation, sometimes sin.

 
 Apple @ MyDrawing Board...............................................................................Return to Index


 

Ass: Humility and patience. The ass is the beast of burden throughout the Bible.  A lowly creature, but the one which carried the Savior from harm's way and back again during the times when Herod was set on killing Him.  Later on (St. Francis of Assisi) not all too happy with the mule's stubborn nature affixed forever the present image of the animal as representing the "lower" or animal nature found (naturally) in man. Thus we all sit on our ass.

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B -----------------------------

  Babylon: Actually BABALON. Just as the city of Jerusalem took it's name from a prior pagan god - Salem - Babylon is the city of the pre-Zoraster god Babalon.  In Christendom, Babylon represents the original source of abominations - the "mother of harlots."  See also CITY.

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Bed:  Of course, the bed quickly brings to mind a place of solace and rest, dreaming and refuge. But in our craft it will almost always represent the deathbed. The deathbed is alike the employment of an empty chair, the bed poignantly transforms a familiar object into a memento-mori (mention of death.)

 
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Bee: 

Bees were thought to practice virgin birth: parthenogenesis. Bees represent the Incarnation of the Virgin Birth.  When employed for Old Testament symbolism, bees represent the Land of Milk and Honey - the Promised Land. 

 
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Beehive: Although not employed much  the late 1800's, the beehive is the symbol of the Virgin Mary.  It is also for obvious reasons, the symbol of the Catholic Church. It has been a popular non-secular monument design when incorporated with bees, thus symbolizing honey. When designed as such it symbolizes the abundance of the Jewish Promised Land because of honey's preservative and aphrodisiac qualities which in turn represent immortality and fertility.
A hive can be employed when representing Saint Ambrose. An eloquent person is sometimes said to have a voice of honey because he attracts people with the sweetness of his speech. According to legend, when Saint Ambrose was an infant, a swarm of bees settled on his mouth, causing his elders to predict gifts of oratory and eloquence. He spoke on many occasions to defend the Church against heresy. Thus he is represented by the beehive.

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Birds 

Careful, birds symbolize the transcendent soul when in spiritual form. When a bird is pictured within foliage (originally from Medieval iconography)  it represents the soul entangled in the materialism of this world. Be careful in you work not to allow your birds to look like doves which represent the Holy Spirit. 

You will come across birds used to represent happy couples - love birds. And several families will want to use birds as signs for children. Depending on the bird itself, the symbol can be very specific as the eagle represents the USA and is often the sign of the Empire. In various forms eagles are found throughout the Bible - especially Daniel and the Book of Revelations.
Also see Phoenix

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Blood: Difficult to depict unless it is blood poured. When depicted as poured blood the representation is the salvation from the Crucifixion of Christ. When depicted as in a cup (very difficult to do in stone or glass - the image is in memory of the communion of souls, thus the last supper.  See also Chalice.
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Book / Bible: 

The Book of Life is not a Christian symbol, although Jewish, it is used through Christendom. When a book is depicted in Christian art it represents the Word of God.  The Bible. Often used on the gravestones of clergymen and scholars.

 
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Brazen Serpent:

 Depicts the Crucifixion and Redemption but in an indirect fashion. This symbol originates from the Old Testament (Numbers 21:8) Moses is instructed by God to take a fiery serpent and set it on a pole. Anyone who dares touches it "shall live."  This suggests a "healing" power to the symbol. It crosses over into Christendom through John (John 3:14-15) "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up..." Thus the Crucifixion imagery.  And to continue John: "...that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life."  Thus the Redemption image.  (As with most Western religions, escaping self demise is plainly the ultimate Redemption and thus the essence of "healing.")

 
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Bread: Bread has a dual meaning: spiritual as well as physical sustenance. It depicts the mundane rather than the superlative. Example: "Man can not live by bread alone." As opposed to the Eucharist being first bread.  Bread should not be employed to depict the Eucharist because the miracle of the Eucharist is the actual changing of bread into the body of Christ.  Bread also symbolizes the process of transformation of the spirit from this world to the beyond.  It gets that meaning from the process of making bread; the different elements and baking.  Although it's a tough message to get across - due to the symbol of the fish - you can depict Jesus' feeding of the masses with a clever use of bread. Jesus fed the people fish and bread. See also Fire, Fish, Leaven and Oven.
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Breath: Another Old Testament reference to the Breath of Life AKA: spirit. Difficult to depict in art work.
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Butterfly: 

The Resurrection for all the obvious reasons: because it emerges from a chrysalis and subsequently takes flight. Aside Christian symbolism, the butterfly is both a symbol of metamorphosis and beauty.

 
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C -----------------------------

 

Candle: 

The Divine light which illuminates the darkness. Christ as the Light of the World.  When you employ two candles (as on any typical altar) you are depicting the dual human and divine nature of Christ.  It is common to carve candles on stones for those who "lead the way" as for a father, husband, community leader. See also Cross, Lamp and Light.

 
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Chair: The chair should be carefully employed.  If ornate, it might well be a throne not a chair. If enlarged, but not ornate - it's the seat of God and/or holiness.   But a simple chair represents just that; a comfy and favorite respite.  The symbol was familiar during the Georgian culture of the early 18th century. When vacant it once represented the remorse for a lost child. Of course, the image here on your left are chairs awaiting Cathy and I somewhere on our paradise island.

 
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Chalice: The cup from which the 'Blood of Christ' was drunk at the Last Supper. Very often a designer will depict the Chalice gathering the blood from the dying Christ on the cross. Then you are depicting both the Eucharist and the Redemption of mankind.  In modern design, the Chalice alone has come to symbolize the human's heart yearning to be filled with the true (wine) spirit of the Lord. Seldom it is observed as a cup running over (of it's contents.) Such symbolism is not Catholic and leans toward Hebrew, non-secular design. See also Blood, Grail, Heart, Vine and Wine.
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ChiRho: Medieval monogram of Christ, sometimes spoken of as XP, as it is a combination of these two letters - X P. The Chi Rho maybe the earliest cruciform symbols used by Christians. It is formed by superimposing the first two letters of the word "Christ" in Greek, chi = ch and rho = r. Not technically a cross, the Chi Rho invokes the crucifixion of Jesus as well as symbolizing his status as the Christ. The earliest evidence of the Chi Rho symbol is Constantine's use of it on the labarum, the imperial standard, in the early 4th century AD. Lactantius, a 4th century Christian apologist, reports that on the eve of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, Constantine had a vision of God in which he was commanded to mark his men's shields with a symbol of a shepherd's staff laid cross-wise over a cross. After Constantine's success at the Milvian bridge, the Chi Rho became the official imperial insignia. The success at Milvian bridge, represented by the display of the imperial chirho produced a unification of the Roman Empire (that is controversial as many see it as the beginning for the Dark Ages.) Archaeologists have uncovered evidence demonstrating that the Chi Rho was emblazoned on the helmet and shield of Constantine as well as those of all of his soldiers. Coins and medallions minted during Constantine's reign also bore the Chi Rho. By the year 350 AD, the Chi Rho began to be used on Christian sarcophagi and frescoes. There is much literature proclaiming the symbol used before Constantine, however, no such evidence has reached my desk as yet.
In your designs employ this symbol as a display of unification and of trimuphance. 

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Circle: Normadic tribes arranged their tents in a circle for obvious reasons. Their world was (and is) dynamic, full of activity, lure and danger and always in a state of change. The shape of the world is always moving as opposed to the square of plots, houses and agricultural tribes and sedentry people. All life begins within this state of affairs. All life evolves from this state. The circle is a female symbol as opposed to the square being a male - earth, straight, settled, architectural. 
To make best friends, honor their traditions.  Almost all linear symbols - stars, circles, archs, pyramids, etc - are pagan and pre-Christendom. So as the Church won over pagans with the good news of Christ, most of their symbols - like their holidays - were hard to erase and often made as much sense as the new Christian symbols.  The circle is likely history's very first symbol and says very clearly GOD, All That Is, Eternity and Infinity.  Although the circle should be drawn alone to denote that God is untouchable and that He is without influence, it very seldom is drawn as such.  Such as you see I enhanced the circle with a Celtic flair. Also see Geometry. A squared circle is called the conjunctio which means the mergence of heaven and earth. A circle with a dot is the symbol of the Sun in Astrology and the symbol of supreme power in Taoism. Circles with designs - usually flowers within carry different meanings and are called Mandalas. The cross enclosed in a circle denotes Paradise. 

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City: The dwelling place and a microcosm, most artists serving Christian themes allude to the city wrongly - especially memorialists and architects.  In Christian symbolism there are only two cities: Heavenly and Babylon.  And it is easy to see how the image was formed. Any economic turn can ruin or boom such large communities. Even worse, people had to surrender the bliss of rural life for the loneliness and racket found in cities from time in memorial. Even in America (that bright "city" upon the hill,") once a perfect image of dignity through rural family life, until the Industrial Revolution and the "Big Bucks" came to town and everyone moved into cities, life changed forever the worse. In your depictions exemplify the heavenly city as man's ultimate residence and the dwelling place of the Almighty (Rev. 21-22:5.) The heavenly city will overthrow Babylon on Judgement Day (Rev. 18.)  See also Babylon and Garden.
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Cock: Vigilance. The watchful eye of the cock as depicted on so many weather-vanes across the world are, in themselves symbolism at its finest: "Watch therefore - for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow...lest he suddenly find you asleep." (Mark 13:35-36.)  On a non-secular level the cockcrow represents "awakening the world"  to a message (usually alluded to in the design.)
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Columbine: Dovelike: the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Most often represented as a flaming Columbine to the apostles at Pentecost.
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Corn: Sheaves of corn denote the fertility of the enlighted mind. It is rarely Christian specific, it's symbolism hails back to Greece and the Eleusinian mysteries. It is also a native North and South American symbol denoting the the birth of mankind.
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Cow: Before the "rat-race" of the Industrial Revolution and before Newton started the hands of our mental clocks to tick-tock our lives away owning a cow gave you milk, leather, meat and something to build a family upon. The cow is the symbol of fertility and plenty.
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Crescent moon: A symbol of the Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven.  This is a traditional symbol.  Meaning that it does not originate from any one source.
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Crook/crozier: Purely a Catholic symbol of the authority of a bishop as shepherd of his flock. See also Shepherd. A fish hanging from a crozier specifically denotes Saint Zeno.
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Cross: The Crucifixion of Christ. The salvation and redemption of mankind through the death and Resurrection of Christ. That is the prime symbolism. When directed at mankind it depicts the crucifixion of the "man" or "old self.  "He who loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matt. 16:24-25.) When you depict the cross as timber or in tree form you recall the Fall of Man from the Garden of Eden.  In non-secular imagery the cross represents the conjunction of horizontal and vertical and the duality in the union of opposites. The first image shown above is that symbol.
Crosses are very stylized although all represent Christ's victory over sin and death. The Russian cross is a cross with the IRNI inscription and a footrest. The Calvary cross shows 3 crosses. The Celtic will often show a circle to represent eternity and the sun.  To add the Islam Crescent without fuss from cemetery authorities consider a cross that looks a lot like an anchor. An upside down cross is the Cross Of St. Peter who was crucified upside down.
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D -----------------------------

Darkness: Since modern man bequests the universe with a beginning - the Big Bang - and with that "event" the birth of space and 'Time,' Darkness as a symbol of the primordial may very well evaporate one day soon.  Since we can not say there was a "before"  before time existed, this symbol will surely undergo some changes.  But darkness as a symbol of the realm of "dark forces" such as hell and evil and the devil will likely survive. (Even the big brains are hard wired to believe in God.)

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Desert: A place far from the city.  Barrenness, a withdrawal from community and the material world.  The desert signifies desolation and abandonment.

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  Dolphin: A popular symbol for the western church.  As the dolphin has held for ages the reputation of saving sailors from troubled waters, in Christendom it depicts salvation through Christ. See also Fish.

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Door: Though seldom employed (the Gates of Heaven have surmounted doors) depict the Door to the Kingdom of Heaven. It is Biblical: "I am the door: if any one enters by me, he will be saved..." (John 10:9) More generic, but still Christian the door signifies the entrance to a new life and/or passage from one world into another - thus why so many Cathedral doors are so highly decorated.

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Dove: Holds a unique place in Christen symbolism.  Like angels which are messengers of God, and are always a messenger of God, the dove represents the Holy Spirit in all and any depictions.  It shows several times throughout the Bible but whether carrying an olive branch to Noah after the Flood or appearing as a flaming Columbine to the apostles at Pentecost or as a snow white dove to Mary during the Incarnation, and to St. Ann at the Annunciation or before John the Baptist and Christ Himself as a direct messeage from God the Father, the dove is the always displayed as the logo of the third person of the Trinity.

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Double Cube: So often seen in the grip of your local preacher - the pulpit. Not in modren structures, however.  The double cube is a symbol, not a sign. It is the symbol of the Divine.  The cube is the expression of transcendental perfection.  6 sides; 6 is the number of perfection. The cube doubled and made manifest on earth is a powerful and profound concept. Until the explosive use of modren artistic forms it was - and remains - the traditional shape of the altar especially placed horizontallly.

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Dragon: Man's primordial enemy: the "dark forces."  Usually personified in Satan.  The dragon should always be depicted as a combination of matter and spirit - a serpent and a bird.

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E -----------------------------

Eagle: Because eagles are considered the king of birds, an eagle may represent Christ Himself and usually depicts the Ascension.  Saint John, one of the four evangelists, was often represented as an eagle. As an aside: Eagles are often seen on gravestones of Civil War veterans.

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Easter Egg: Renewal of life. Unless you're a master artist, know the trickiness of carving more than one egg on a monument - especially if the viewer finds the number of eggs equal to the number of interred. Best leave that for a MBNA magazine cartoon.

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Eye: "Window to the soul." Albeit, that line is not biblical, but conveys the message.  "The light of the eye rejoices the heart." (Prov. 16:30).  The eye is the lamp of the body..."(Matt. 6:22)  The eye represents physical and spiritual sight. Depicted here it would infer evil vision because this eye I have selected is of Egyptian origin and Egypt symbolizes imprisonment of the soul and body.

 

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F -----------------------------

Fall: Moses - our Moses here at MyDrawing Board - sent me that wonderful drawing you see posted here on your left of Adam and Eve's expulsion from Paradise.  Like 20% of everything he sends us the file was too complex and large for any of our tools over here to convert and then post into the open archive.  Such images I put aside and one day will redraw them so we can use them...one day.  The Fall from God's Grace is an essential and resounding symbol in Christendom.

 

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Fire:The flames of Hell if you place the image in a dire setting.  The "tongues of fire" given by the Holy Spirit when designed so. It can denote the Resurrection (see Phoenix) and the process of physical and spiritual transformation by which man becomes a better and/or spiritual being. This last image most difficult to construct in your art, so be careful and subtile.

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Fish:The term "vesica piscis"  translates from Latin literally as "fish bladder."  The Vesica Piscis symbol appears frequently in medieval art and architecture, and the symbol's roots go back further still to the Book of Tobit (Tobit 6).  In that Biblical story the angel Raphael tells Tobias of the magical properties of a particular fish's bladder.  The Vesica Piscis is made by linking two cicles together, bringing the outside edge of each to the midway point of the other. The almond-shaped center of the image is called a mandorla (Latin for almond; "vesica" or "vesica piscis" is sometimes also used to describe only this almond-shaped center.) The mandorla can easily be seen as a grail or chalice, connecting the symbol to Avalon.  When the Vesica Piscis is displayed vertically, the mandorla forms the shape of a fish. The word "fish" translates into Greek as "ichthys", which is an acronym for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior." (Iesous CHristos, THeou Yios Soter). Early Christians adopted the fish symbol as their own, and used it as sort of secret code to identify themselves to one another and avoid persecution. The followers of that early sect were called pisciculi - little fish. As previously stated, the mandorla has been much used in art and achitecture:as a frame for Jesus and the saints, or as the passage between heaven and earth through which Jesus ascends.

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Fleur de lis: French for lily. But in that style which is so french, it looks nothing like a lily.  The 3 prongs of a Fleur de lis represent the Trinity. This like several other symbols are "Church" related more than Biblical.

 

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Flowers:Individual flowers take on meanings. Flowers en mass symbolize life and fertility. They also strongly suggest the hearth.

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Foot: The point of contact with the earth - materialism. The symbol of our lower or earthly nature.  Remember when drawing figures that "going bare-footed" is a symbol of poverty and/or humility.  Also, as in Ex.3:5 and again in Josh.5:15 the removal of shoes  shows a casting off or renunciation of earthly things - "put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."

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Fountain: The fountain is a universal favorite among the tired and hot, the thirsty and beauty lovers alike. Until modern times a fountain was purely a source of drinking water so the symbol most noted is the well or source of life giving water.  Or as it is written in Songs 4:15, "A well of living waters."  These being the living waters of purification and redemption.  "A fountain sealed' (song 4:12) is a type for the Virgin Mary, from whom the spiritual water of salvation (example: the wine/blood of Christ) will flow.  See also: water.

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Fruit: The fruit of the Fall would be, of course, the apple (see apple) and it symbolizes worldly attraction.  Christ is also referred to as the "First Fruit of the Virgin," (Phil. 1:11) and as such the Redemption of man comes through Christ, the second Adam, bearer of the fruits of Righteousness.  Fruit, in general like our little down-loadable still life over on the left depicts the good life, abundance and sustenance.  Set upon water as I have it here, depicts a fullness of inner reflection.

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G -----------------------------

Garden: The Garden of Eden dwells outside of Spacetime and is where man dwelt in harmonious union with God and His Creation. It is the original paradise state of being from where man goes out into the world - after the Fall. And although Milton wrote a groovy poem about Paradise Lost, in Christendom God promises that again we shall be restored to the Garden.  God holds out to man the promise of a new Paradise. This is the Promised Land to which we shall return after our eons of wandering in the Wilderness; or the Heavenly City which is revealed to man at the Fall of Babylon.  If you depict an enclosed garden you represent the Virgin Mary (Song 4:12).  Depict a garden within a heart or a figure and you recall St. Antonine who encourages us to " cultivate the little garden of the soul" so that Christ may be born within us.  This is a powerful symbol for it a truly human experience to reach lofty heights and gather greatness only to continue to lack and need the fruits found only in the promised garden - preferably within us as the saint recommends.  A garden in shrouds and draped in twilight depicts Christ's Agony in the Garden.  Also see: Babylon, City, Fall, Paradise, Promised Land, and Wilderness

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Garments: A perfect symbol for concealment as well as protection. "And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them." (Gen.3:21) Outer garment may reflect the nature of the person wearing them. "For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing," (Luke12:23)  Or the position a person may be in - such as our happy couple over on the left. The parable of the patched garment illustrates the Jesus' message cannot be compromised or adapted to fit into old beliefs: 'No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it upon an old garment: if he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.' (Luke5:36)  See also: Woven Fabric.

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Gate: The gate or gateway is so popular in stone design that it is common.  The gate shares the symbolism of the door - as Christ is the 'door.'  Yet, as many a monument will show you, we lean more toward Mary than Jesus. The Virgin Mary is known as the 'gate of heaven.'  Mary is also called the porta clausa, 'the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east; and it was shut....for the Lord, the God of Isreal, has entered by it; therefor it shall remain shut.  Only the prince (Christ) may sit in it...' (Ezekiel 44:1-3)  The gate depicts the entrance to a new life within this life and/or the next) or level which is transversed in humility or spiritual poverty, 'Enter by the narrow gate...(Matt 7:13)  ..As an antidote: when I was back there in seminary school - studying to be ordained as a Brother of the Order of the Sacred Heart - that is before I discovered girls - Brother Regis told us that if we prayed to the Virgin Mary and lead a life of sin; not to worry. Even if Jesus closed the gates of heaven to us, Mary would open all the windows.  Gosh, I sure hope so!

 

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Geometry:

"God is a circle whose center is everywhere and circumference is nowhere." So said the ancient Alchemist Hermes Trismegistus. Thus Stephen Hawking echoed Hermes many centuries later when the good professor said, "The universe is space whose center is everywhere and circumference is nowhere."  Linear and geometric figures are considered Sacred Geometry. Sacred Geometry is a pagan term, it is not Catholic and dubiously cult among Protestants. Multi-sided figures such as triangles, hexagons, etc represent the Trinity and the multi-dimensional aspects of the subject you mean to portray.  Some geometric forms do have set symbols: A square = earth, A cube = heaven, octagon = rebirth and the triangle = Trinity.

 

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Globe: The Globe surmounted by a cross signifies Christ's rule over the earth as its Saviour.  The Globe depicts our world.  And is a useful symbol and a easily read one.  Can you guess what that image on your left represents?  Yes, peace on earth - exactly.

 

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Gold: One would not expect Gold to be a religious symbol.  Albeit, an ambiguous symbol as it depicts both matrial wealth and inner spiritual treasure.  The sin of idolatry arises from the corruption of one quality with the other. Such as Aaron and the Golden Calf (Ex 32:1-8).  As an aside, in Alchemy Gold symbolizes the transmutation of all that is base in man into pure spirit.  I mention this in our context here because several minorities retain a cultic-Christianity wherein you'll find popular symbols mixed with and alongside of tradional ones - such as golden pentagrams imposed on crosses.  A pentagram depicts man as a balanced holistic being - when the pentagram is pointed up. Hollywood's habit of the pentagram being used to denote devil worship is when the star tilts or is up-side-down.

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Goldfinch: The flower.  It's numerous thorns and thistles symbolize the suffering of Christ - particularly the Passion.  See also: Thistle and Thorns.

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Grail: The Holy Grail is either the dish on which the Paschal Lamb was served at the Last Supper or the cup or chalice with Christ instigated the Eucharist.  The Grail is, alas, more a thing of legend.  But as such only enriches the symbol more. The symbol conveys the medieval 'Quest for the Holy Grail' as the 20th century notion of the 'Impossible Dream' and combines both Christian and Celtic symbolism in the mystical saga of man's search for the Grace of God and eternal life. That there was a cup and/or dish at the Last supper is not disputed. This cup, however, was used by Joseph of Arimathea to collect the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.  Thus it's relic and magical significance.  (let's hope it's never demeaned by one day being discovered in someone's burned out basement.)

 

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Grapes: Grapes are transformed into wine.  The obvious symbol for the transformation of Christ's blood into wine (food) for his flock.  When you employ grapes into your design in a generic setting you convey the thirst quenching 'juiciness' of the fruit. Bring the design to stone or to stain glass and you speak of man's spiritual transformation.  Add to the design a cross to make specific the transfiguration of Christ.  Add a chalice (or Grail) and the image is specific to the Eucharist. See also: Vine and Wine.

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Guardian:
Guardians are (in Christendom and Paganism) always animals, usually fabulous animals. Jason had a Cyclops. Alibaba had a Genie. Notre Dame has its gargoyles. Guardians can usually only be overcome by a hero and most often in mortal combat.  This drama either incurs death for the hero or else he enters into a new phase of his adventure. Fantastic figures such as Angels, Fairies, and trolls are not to be confused as Guardians, they are messengers and protectors. The so called "Guardian Angel" is a hybrid and ranks as the lowest of all angels - see Catholic Encyclopedia.
Think "standing guard" when you employ Guardians.

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H -----------------------------

Halo: Often portrayed as a golden light around the central figure in a painting signifying the person as blessed in the sight of God.  Christ's halo usually incorporates the cross.  The halo functions more as a sign than a symbol; saying 'this is the guy I'm drawing about. See?'  Yet, if you place a halo around the head of an ant 90% of your viewers would think you have bestowed the thing with divinity.  In that sense, it is a symbol.  Be careful not to confuse the halo with an Nimbus. See also: Nimbus.

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Hand: In Christian art the "Hand of God" is depicted emerging from a cloud; it symbolizes His divine presence.  Due to ancient reference of the left hand being the hand of the evil one; please always make that hand from the clouds the right hand.

 

 

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Heart: Man is what is in his heart.  'where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.' (Matt. 6:21 and also Luke 6:45) There is one sacred heart (not any others - there are no sacred hearts of Mary or St. Joe, or anyone else.) that of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which should be drawn as a heart pierced by three nails and encircled by the Crown of Thorns. Very often in recent art work the three nails is eliminated for space or when the Sacred Heart is depicted on a figure of Jesus (making the symbol obvious.) The "Immaculate" Heart of Mary should be drawn as pierced by a sword (for the sufferings she bore being the mother of Jesus) and encircled by a wreath of roses.  Again, when the heart is obviously Mary's - as pictured on the left here - artistic license will take play. 

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