Religion is not only a belief, traditions, and a certain moral code, but also it is a set of symbols. Believers wear these symbols hoping that they bring enlightenment and protection. However, in recent years, the trend to wear jewelry with symbols of world religions has spiraled to new heights. Not only symbols of widespread religions in your country, but also the symbolism of distant lands is on the radar of fashionistas. Whether or not to wear such jewelry is up to you, although people of faith do not approve such a frivolous attitude towards religious shrines. If you dare to put on a necklace or ring with religious symbols, you need to know what they mean.
Table of Contents
Buddhism
The most revered charms in Buddhism are the wheel of Samsara (the wheel of law, dharmachakra). Its appearance resembles a seven-spoke wheel. Each spoke represents a postulate of religious teaching. Other popular images In Buddhism are:
two fish – its role is to attract unity;
an umbrella – a symbol of protection from bad thoughts;
a vase – it attracts longevity;
a lotus – a symbol of divine salvation;
an endless node, a signifier of the eternal life, is used to draw in energy and retain wisdom.
Om – is a visualization of mantra designed to purify the mind and contribute to the comprehension of the Higher Truths.
Islam
One of the most popular symbolic charms in Islam is Panegyric. It looks like a horseshoe that carries out three important tasks: praise to the Almighty, Panegyric to the Lord, Panegyric-Talisman (it protects its owner from evil faith).
The hand of Fatima (the hand of Miriam, the hand of five, khamsa) is a palm with symmetric digits. Its mission is to safeguard its owner against the evil eye and help women in labor.
Judaism
These symbols are known for everyone, even if you have nothing to do with Judaism – a six-pointed star (the Star of David) and a golden candlestick for 7 candles called Menorah.
The Star of David isn’t originally a Jewish symbol. The roots of its origin go to Ancient India. In the Far East, it was a symbol of the goddess Astarte. In the Middle Ages, the hexagram received the name “The Seal of David”. It was common as a talisman among Christians while Muslims often depicted it in national ornaments. The six-pointed star can be frequently seen on the medieval books dedicated to witchcraft, alchemy, and magic. In Jewish manuscripts, it appeared only in the XIII-XIV centuries.
The golden Star of David is designed to emphasize a person’s religious views, as well as his social status and wealth. The Star of David made of silver is a sacred symbol of the connection between the male and female elements. It denotes the earthly and divine principles along with the divine control of the world. There are more than 10 interpretations of the hexagram.
According to legends, a gold candlestick for 7 candles, menorah, accompanied the Jews in their wanderings across the desert. After that, it became the sacred utensil in the Jerusalem temple, symbolizing light, faith, and hope.
Christianity
The most common symbol in Christianity is, hands down, a cross. A pectoral cross or crucifix represents belonging to Christianity. A cross is not for people’s eyes; therefore, it should be kept under clothes.
Since a cross became more than a religious symbol, we have been witnessing a trend of flaunting exaggerated crosses in an ostentatious fashion. Of course, such crosses have nothing to do with religion. Their sole purpose is to show off boldness, defiance, or wealth. From necklaces and pendants, a cross migrated to other jewelry items – earrings, rings, bracelets, etc. If these items tickle your fancy, you can find them in abundance at https://www.bikerringshop.com/collections/cross-rings.
Along with crosses, we can often see medals, medallions, pendants, and lockets featuring the icons of saints and angels. You can choose your patron (for example, sharing the same name or occupation with you). Women seek patronage from the holy virgins – Virgin Mary, St. Agatha, St. Agnes of Rome, St. Anna, and others. For men, the choice of patrons is even greater – from St. Aaron to St. Zacharias.
If you don’t prefer any particular saint, you can opt for jewelry depicting Christian symbols – fish, anchor, dove, ship, vine, the all-seeing eye, and many others. Some symbols are universal for literally every Christian movement while there is a group of images characteristic of exclusively Orthodox or Catholics.
Lately, there has been a trend to utilize church attributes for fashion purposes. For instance, Bishop rings have turned into a trendy accessory thanks to the imposing design and an eye-catching inlay of purple amethyst. Pope’s rings, the Fishermen rings, have also been seen on fashionistas’ fingers. This confirms one simple truth – religious symbols no longer belong to believers. Today, they are for everyone.
