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The following is a list of symbols associated with the occult. [1] This list shares a number of entries with the list of alchemical symbols as well as the list of sigils of demons.
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| Name | Image | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ankh |  | Ancient Egyptian religion | Ancient Egyptian symbol for eternal life; now also associated with Kemetism and neo-paganism, as well as the Goth subculture. Yogi practitioners often claim they stretch an ankh symbol into their wrist. |
| Arrow (Belomancy) |  | Ancient divination | Arrows used to gain knowledge through divination. |
| Bagua |   | I ching, Taoism | Literally, "The 8 Directions," this early Chinese divination technique is described in the i ching, and is typically visualized as 8 trigrams around a Yin and Yang symbol. The bagua and trigrams are referenced throughout Chinese astronomy, astrology, geography, geomancy, anatomy, martial arts, Chinese medicine and various other cultural aspects. |
| Baphomet |  | Adopted by modern occultists and Satanists. Theistic Satanists may worship it as a deity or demon, while atheistic Satanists see it as a metaphorical symbol. The goat-headed Baphomet image seen here is a 19th-century drawing made by Eliphas Levi as a metaphorical symbol from Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie. It was not originally created as a Satanic symbol or a deity. See also: Sigil of Baphomet and Statue of Baphomet. | |
| Black Sun |  | Nazi occultism and later the neo-Nazi movement | A symbol of the sun composed of twelve sig runes first appearing on the floor of the north tower of Wewelsburg, after Heinrich Himmler ordered it to be remodeled, it gained modern popularity due to its use by Nazi occultists. It was later adopted by Satanists. The name "Black Sun" was coined by Wilhelm Landig of the Landig Group. |
| Solar symbol |  | Alchemy | The alchemical symbol for the sun and various sun gods. Also the alchemical symbol for gold which is the metal represented by the Sun which is the astral counterpart. |
| Cross of Saint Peter (Petrine Cross) |  | Peter requested to be crucified upside down, as he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ. | Used as a symbol of Saint Peter. A very common display in churches dedicated to Saint Peter. It has also been modernly used as a satanic or anti-Christian symbol. |
| Eye of Horus |  | Ancient Egyptian religion | The eye of the god Horus, a symbol of protection, now associated with the occult and Kemetism, as well as the Goth subculture. |
| Eye of Providence (All-Seeing Eye, Eye of God) |  | Catholic iconography, | The eye of God within a triangle, representing the Holy Trinity, and surrounded by holy light, representing His omniscience. |
| Heptagram |   | Judaism, Islam, Thelema, Paganism, Alchemy | Represents the seven days of creation. In Islam, it represents the first seven verses of the Quran. It is the symbol of Babalon in Thelema. In Wicca, it is known as the Elven Star, Fairy Star or Septagram. |
| Hexagram |  | Mandala and Judaism | An ancient symbol of the Jewish faith, also found on the Seal of Solomon. |
| Icelandic magical staves |  | Icelandic magic | Sigils created with magical powers by the Icelandic people. Pictured is the stave known as Ægishjálmur. |
| I'itoi |  | Uto-Aztecan O'odham peoples of Arizona | The I'itoi is an indigenous spiritual symbol that signifies the challenging and balancing decisions in one's life that lead us to our ultimate dream state from the product of all of our choices. The ideal is to reach the center of this maze of decisions we make, which is a manifestation of our purpose and dream, and is accepted by the Sun God upon our death. |
| Lilith Black Moon (Sigil of Lilith) |   | Judaism, Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology, Lilith Astrology | Depicts a crescent moon atop a cross with arms of equal length, representing mind and matter. In Jewish mythology, Lilith is considered to be the first feminist [ citation needed ] and first wife of Adam. The Sigil of Lilith symbolizes the she-demon Lilith, who was demonized for rebelling against God's word. |
| Monas Hieroglyphica |  | the works of John Dee | A symbol invented by John Dee, alchemist and astrologer at the court of Elizabeth I of England. It represents (from top to bottom): the moon; the sun; the elements; and fire. |
| Ouroboros |  | Ancient Egypt and Persia, Norse mythology | A serpent or dragon consuming its own tail, it is a symbol of infinity, unity, and the cycle of death and rebirth. |
| Pentacle |  | Mesopotamia | An ancient symbol of a unicursal five-pointed star circumscribed by a circle with many meanings, including but not limited to, the five wounds of Christ and the five elements (earth, fire, water, air, and soul). In Satanism, it is flipped upside-down. See also: Sigil of Baphomet. |
| Rose Cross |   | Rosicrucianism / Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn | A symbol associated with Christian Rosenkreuz, with many different attributions of symbolism. |
| Runes |  | Norse mythology | Ancient alphabet used throughout North Europe and prominent in Scandinavia, used in modern times by various religious faiths, such as Asatru. |
| Seal of Solomon |   | Alchemy, Christian and Islamic esotericism | A ring attributed to king Solomon in Jewish and esoteric tradition. Also modernly used in Western occultism to symbolize the union of male and female through magic rituals. |
| Seal of the Theosophical Society |  | Theosophy (Blavatskian) | A seal consisting of a Manji, Star of David, Ankh, Om, and Ouroboros, used by the Theosophical Society, an organization formed in 1875 to advance Theosophy. |
| Septenary Sigil |  | Order of Nine Angles | The main symbol of the Order of Nine Angles, a neo-Nazi Satanic and Left-hand occult group based in the United Kingdom. |
| Sigil |  | Renaissance magic | Images created for magical purposes, sometimes attributed as signatures of demons, angels, and other beings. |
| Sigil of Lucifer |  | Grimorium Verum | A sigil used in rituals invoking Lucifer, first recorded in the 18th-century True Grimoire. Known among Theistic Satanists as the Seal of Satan, the symbol is also associated with music groups including Zeal & Ardor. |
| Sigil of Baphomet |    | 19th century French Occultism, Joy of Satan Ministries | Official emblem of the Church of Satan, consisting of the head of a goat transfixed upon a reversed pentagram flanked by the Hebrew letters of the word "Leviathan" (לִוְיָתָן). The right image is the same sigil in cuneiform from the Joy of Satan Ministries, a recreation of the sigil of Baphomet incorporated with cuneiform lettering instead of Hebrew to spell out "Satan", and made after Maxine Dietrich's reinterpretation of the ideology of spiritual Satanism. |
| Sigillum Dei (Seal of God) |  | Europe, late Middle Ages | A magical diagram, composed of two circles, a pentagram, and three heptagons, and is labeled with the name of God and his angels. |
| Squared circle |   | Alchemy | A symbol of the Philosopher's stone. Depicted on the left image is Michael Maier's Emblem XXI from Atalanta Fugiens . |
| Sriramachakra |  | Tamil mysticism | A mystic diagram used for astrology. |
| Sri Yantra |  | Shri Vidya school of Hinduism | A yantra consisting of nine interlocking triangles. Four upward ones which represent Shiva, and five downward ones representing Shakti that surround the central bindu point. In three dimensions, it represents Mahāmeru, and in particular, all yantras emerge from Sri Yantra. It symbolizes the evolution of the multiverse as a result of natural divine will of the mother goddess Aadi Paraa Shakti. |
| Sulfur crosses | Alchemy; Satanism | Alchemical symbols for sulfur, associated with the fire and brimstone of Hell. The third pictured, alchemical for black sulfur, is also known as a 'Leviathan Cross' or 'Satan's Cross'. | |
| Sun |  | Alchemy and Hermeticism | A symbol used with many different meanings, including but not limited to, gold, citrinitas, sulfur, the divine spark of man, nobility and incorruptibility. |
| Sun cross |  | Iron Age religions and later gnosticism and neo-paganism. | An ancient pagan symbol of the sun, adopted by gnostics, neopagans and occultists. |
| Supreme Polarity (Taijitu) |  | Zhou Dunyi (1017-1073 AD), Taoism | "Explanation of the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate", which became the cornerstone of Neo-Confucianist cosmology |
| Symbol of Chaos |   | Michael Moorcock, Aleister Crowley and chaos magic | A symbol originating from The Eternal Champion, later adopted by occultists and role-playing games. |
| Tetractys (Tetrad) |  | Greek school of Pythagoreanism | The tetractys is an equidistant and equiangular arrangement of ten points inside a triangle, akin to the fourth triangle number. It was developed by Pythagoras, and collectively signifies cosmic unity in the form of The Decad, as well as the musica universalis , or collective abstraction of the music generated by heavenly cosmic bodies. It also represents the four elements of nature, as well as the dimensional organization of space-time. Learning and adhering to its metaphysical knowledge was a requirement inside the occult Pythagorean religions. |
| Tetragrammaton |    | Judaism, Kodesh, Kabbalah | Considered to be the unspeakable name of God, written as YHWH . The four letter name has many pronunciations and can be seen over 7,000 times throughout the Hebrew Bible. As symbol, it was incorporated into the Greek Tetractys by Jewish Kabbalistic occult tradition as an evolving arrangement of ten letters. In gematria, YHWH has a numerical value of 72 (center image). The right image contains the Tetragrammaton in tetractys formation, accompanied by the late-Renaissance Pentagrammaton, below. |
| Tree of Life (Kabbalah) |   | Kabbalah | The tree of life is a diagram used in various mystical traditions. It usually consists of 10 nodes symbolizing different archetypes and 22 lines connecting the nodes. The nodes are often arranged into three columns to represent that they belong to a common category |
| Unicursal hexagram |   | Aleister Crowley's Thelema | Symbol of the Thelema religion, a hexagram that can be drawn with one line. |
| Vishvarupa (Cosmic Man) |  | Vaishnavism, Hinduism | This iconographical form of the Hindu Trimurti god Visnu, whose body represents the structure and form of the entire cosmos. The different domains of Hell are represented by the legs and feet, with the Earthly and harmonious Heavenly realms represented by the upper stomach and chest, arms, and head; the navel represents the Unmanifest realm that is connected with pure sound and vibration, and absolute silence, which connects everything together. |
| Zodiac Man (Homo Signorum, or 'Man of Signs') |  | Astrology | A graph correlating zodiacal names with body parts. |
A cross is a compound geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a saltire in heraldic terminology.
The occult is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysticism. It can also refer to paranormal ideas such as extra-sensory perception and parapsychology.
Necromancy is the practice of magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future events and discover hidden knowledge. Sometimes categorized under death magic, the term is occasionally also used in a more general sense to refer to black magic or witchcraft as a whole.
The Magician (I), also known as The Magus or The Juggler, is the first trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional tarot decks. It is used in game playing and divination.
Thaumaturgy, derived from the Greek words thauma (wonder) and ergon (work), refers to the practical application of magic to effect change in the physical world. Historically, thaumaturgy has been associated with the manipulation of natural forces, the creation of wonders, and the performance of magical feats through esoteric knowledge and ritual practice. Unlike theurgy, which focuses on invoking divine powers, thaumaturgy is more concerned with utilizing occult principles to achieve specific outcomes, often in a tangible and observable manner. It is sometimes translated into English as wonderworking.
Chaos magic, also spelled chaos magick, is a modern tradition of magic. Emerging in England in the 1970s as part of the wider neo-pagan and esoteric subculture, it drew heavily from the occult beliefs of artist Austin Osman Spare, expressed several decades earlier. It has been characterised as an invented religion, with some commentators drawing similarities between the movement and Discordianism. Magical organizations within this tradition include the Illuminates of Thanateros and Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth.
A sigil is a type of symbol used in magic. The term usually refers to a pictorial signature of a spirit. In modern usage, especially in the context of chaos magic, a sigil refers to a symbolic representation of the practitioner's desired outcome.
A hexagram (Greek) or sexagram (Latin) is a six-pointed geometric star figure with the Schläfli symbol {6/2}, 2{3}, or {{3}}. The term is used to refer to a compound figure of two equilateral triangles. The intersection is a regular hexagon.
Doctor Occult is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Doctor Occult is an occult detective, private investigator and magic user who specializes in cases involving the supernatural. Doctor Occult first appeared in 1935 during the Platinum Age of Comic Books. He was published by National Comics Publications and Centaur Publications within anthology titles. He is the earliest recurring, originally featured fictional character still used in the DC Universe. He is sometimes affiliated with the All-Star Squadron and has appeared in paranormal-related stories by DC and Vertigo Comics titles.
The Typhonian Order, previously known as Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis (T.O.T.O.), is a self-initiatory magical organization based in the United Kingdom that focuses on magical and Typhonian concepts. It was originally led by British occultist Kenneth Grant (1924–2011) and his wife Steffi Grant, and is now led by their deputy Michael Staley.
Armanen runes are 18 pseudo-runes, inspired by the historic Younger Futhark runes, invented by Austrian mysticist and Germanic revivalist Guido von List during a state of temporary blindness in 1902, and described in his Das Geheimnis der Runen, published as a periodical article in 1906, and as a standalone publication in 1908. The name seeks to associate the runes with the postulated Armanen, whom von List saw as ancient Aryan priest-kings. The runes continue in use today in esotericism and in Germanic neopaganism.
The Black Sun is a type of sun wheel symbol originating in Nazi Germany and later employed by neo-Nazis and other far-right individuals and groups. The symbol's design consists of twelve radial sig runes, similar to the symbols employed by the SS in their logo. It first appeared in Nazi Germany as a design element in a castle at Wewelsburg remodeled and expanded by the head of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, which he intended to be a center for the SS.
Rudolf Koch was a German type designer, professor, and a master of lettering, calligraphy, typography and illustration. Commonly known for his typefaces created for the Klingspor Type Foundry, his most widely used typefaces include Neuland and Kabel.
Esoteric Neo-Nazism, also known as Esoteric Nazism, Esoteric Fascism or Esoteric Hitlerism, represents a fusion of Nazi ideology with mystical, occult, and esoteric traditions. This belief system emerged in the aftermath of World War II, as adherents sought to reinterpret and adapt the ideas of the Third Reich within the context of a new religious movement. Esoteric Nazism is characterized by its emphasis on the mythical and spiritual dimensions of Aryan supremacy, drawing from a range of sources including Theosophy, Ariosophy, and Gnostic dualism. These beliefs have evolved into a complex and often contradictory body of thought that seeks to justify and perpetuate racist and supremacist ideologies under the guise of spiritual enlightenment.
Hermetic Qabalah is a Western esoteric tradition involving mysticism and the occult. It is the underlying philosophy and framework for magical societies such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, has inspired esoteric Masonic organizations such as the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, is a key element within the Thelemic orders, and is important to mystical-religious societies such as the Builders of the Adytum and the Fellowship of the Rosy Cross.
Nevill Drury was an English-born Australian editor and publisher, as well as the author of over 40 books on subjects ranging from shamanism and western magical traditions to art, music, and anthropology. His books have been published in 26 countries and in 19 languages.
This is a list of writings published by Carl Jung. Many of Jung's most important works have been collected, translated, and published in a 20-volume set by Princeton University Press, entitled The Collected Works of C. G. Jung. Works here are arranged by original publication date if known.
James Wasserman was an American writer and occultist. A member of Ordo Templi Orientis since 1976 and a book designer by trade, he wrote extensively on spiritual and political liberty.
The esoteric insignia of the Schutzstaffel were used from the 1920s to 1945 on Schutzstaffel (SS) flags, uniforms and other items as symbols of various aspects of Nazi ideology and Germanic mysticism. They also represented virtues seen as desirable in SS members, and were based on völkisch mystic Guido von List's pseudo-runic Armanen runes, which he loosely based on the historical runic alphabets. Some of these insignias continue to be used by neo-Nazi individuals and groups.
John Michael Greer is an American writer and druid who writes on ecological overshoot, ecological economics, appropriate technology, oil depletion, societal collapse, ecocentrism, pantheism, and the occult.
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