Freemasonry has long been a subject of discussion due to its esoteric nature and claimed secrets. Read ahead to know more about the Freemason symbols.
Claudia Miclaus
Symbols stand for the simplification of a concept, of an idea, which is accepted as a representative of that idea.
For instance, the cross is recognized as a symbol of Christianity, the symbol "+" as a symbol of addition in mathematics and the symbol "$" stands for the US currency.
But the question is - what happens when the symbols to which we give a certain meaning, start representing more than we can imagine? Such symbols are: the star of David, the pentagram, the symbol of infinity, the heart, the Svastics, the flower of life.
Symbolism can be confusing, as there is much information and concepts in ourselves and surrounding world. Apart from these symbols, there are plenty forgotten, hidden, waiting to tell their story.
Such an example is the common, largely-spread symbol of heart. It is an ancient symbol related to judgement and feelings than the organ.The symbol dates back way before ice age and represents love and affection.
We could notice the funny meaning the symbol has in Sweden, where it is associated to toilets and physiological needs.
Among many interpretations of this symbol we could notice: sign of carnal pleasures, of passion when shown as being crossed by an arrow, even a Voodoo symbol, the sign of a goddess of love, or the symbol of friendship in the Irish culture - Claddagh. Claddagh is formed of 2 hearts close to one heart, for friendship and a crown over the heart, for loyalty.
Another characteristic of the Catholic religion is the representation of the Immaculate Heart of Virgin Mary, a symbol of pain and suffering. The heart is symbolized as being pierced by a knife and surrounded by roses and lilac petals.
There are two different representations of the heart in Christianity, often misused or confused by ignorants.
One of them is the so-called Sacre-Coeur (sacred heart). It is known from the 17th century, born out of the visions of sister Mary Margaret. According to this saint, the image symbolizes the connection between the human and the divine.
Another symbol is one of the infinite. It is interesting to see the connection between the symbol of the infinity and the symbol of the sulfur. The symbol of infinity has been discovered in 1655 by the mathematician named John Wallis and Bernoulli called it 40 years later "lemniscus", which is the Latin equivalent of "bow".
Another Freemason symbol would be the so-called "flower of life" spread in the world since ancient times. It is said to represent rebirth, transformation of the being, creation, manifestation, form, content, wisdom, knowledge, truth and reality.
What does it look like exactly? While this flower is very similar to jasmine, it only has the exact number of 6 petals. This symbol can be re-found in many cultures all over the world, whether ancient or modern, and also in Romania, especially in the north, but not only.
According to those using this symbol, the so-called flower of life has all elements of the universe, called as "platonic solids". Those who believe the symbol say that it is related to tree, fruit and seed of life.
It is interesting how such symbols appeared all over the world, in unknown times, and also, how the mystery some claim that these symbols hold, actually bring confusion into people's minds.
It's like watching documentary after documentary, trying to find out the mysteries of the universe, answers to bold questions that only few dare to ask, but the answers never seem to come, consequently this could make us really doubt their significance.