Druidism sits at the core of Celtic traditions and culture and their existence can be traced back as far as 2,000 BCE (years before the Christian era). However, much of what we know about them today we owe to the symbols they left behind. Ancient Celts had no written words, but they depicted in their symbols a deep reverence for nature, the universe, the world around them and their relationship with everything and one another.

The advent of Roman invasions and persecution caused these ancient people to scatter and settle in distant lands. Over time they were converted to Christianity and many of the ancient beliefs and practices were all but lost. However, Christianity itself took on many of their symbols and attributed their own meanings.

Even though there is tangible evidence of pagan symbolism what is known comes mostly from mythology and folklore. Celtic symbology and Celtic symbols with meaning are today a source of much debate worldwide.

Celtic Culture
The Celts were skilled people, master craftsmen, successful warriors, farmers, builders and artists. They shared spiritual traditions and lived in harmony with nature. However they were considered uncivilized due to their beliefs and their lifestyle. They were considered pagan because of the Druids and their practices.

It was to the Druids that people turned for wisdom and council and it was they who made up the clan elders, astronomers, diviners, healers, historians, musicians, philosophers and keepers of the secrets of the universe. They were far from being pagan although their practices may have seemed so.

The life of the ancient Celt was rooted in tradition and mysticism. They revered their ancestors and the earth and the things on it were attributed with great powers. They believed in the interconnectedness of man and his surroundings and used symbols as a way to illustrate it.

Celtic symbols with meaning were a way to continue their traditions and explain their interlacing and intricate relationship with that around them.

Celtic Symbology
The Celtic culture was all but lost with the appearance of the Romans and later as a result of Christianity. While much of their symbology exists, the exact meanings no longer do. What has been preserved however has been salvaged from Celts such as the tribes from Great Britain and Ireland. What they could, they put into writing in the Middle Ages.

It is thanks to these writings that today we know that they had no written form; in fact it is known that the Druids were forbidden from writing. For this reason they turned to symbolism as a form of communicating their ideas and beliefs.

Celtic symbol with meanings
Early Druids were the keepers of all things spiritual which they passed on. In order to do so and the absence of the written word they used symbols to do so. One of the earliest Celtic symbols that today has great meaning is the tree of life. So powerful is this symbol that it has transgressed cultures. Yet its meaning is rooted in Celtic symbology. The druids and Celts believed trees were living entities endowed with great powers. Not only were they gatekeepers of the present world, the underworld and the gods, but they were able to give and sustain life.

The Sun Cross is another ancient Celtic symbol that was used to illustrate the relationship between spirits and the earth. consisting of a circle with a cross in its center, the circle depicted the sun which was believed to have cosmic powers. The sun was considered to be the center of the universe. The cross was meant to illustrate the connection of the sun with self, wisdom, nature and the gods. However, it could also have depicted the four seasons or the four directions.

Celtic Knots in Celtic Symbol meaning
Celtic knots are perhaps the most identifiable of all Celtic symbols and held great meaning. The strands that made up a knot were intertwined with one another which symbolized protection and unity. It is also said to symbolize how everything is interconnected. Yet Celtic symbols seen depicted in knot work are more Christian than pagan in origin.

Celtic Symbols seen in Spirals
Around 500 BCE Celtic symbols started taking the form of swirling patterns which they used to symbolize their spiritual connection to the natural world. Although not as well known as knot work, the spiral is perhaps the oldest of all Celtic symbol designs. For many the Celtic symbol and meanings attached to the spiral depicted the balance between consciousness and the cosmos. Other meanings attributed to the spiral were mystical powers capable of preventing evil spirits entering sacred tombs. They could also signify the seasons of life, the cycles of time or the three pronged spiral was said to represent the three stages of womanhood, the holy trinity or three cycles of life.