Christian

Celtic Cross

Celtic Cross - Sterling Silver with Lapis Lazuli. Height 56mm, Width 39mm.

A Celtic Cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. The symbol is associated with Celtic Christianity, although it has older, pre-Christian origins. Such crosses form a major part of Celtic art. A standing Celtic cross, made of stone and often richly ornamented, is called a high cross or Irish Cross.

Celtic crosses may have origins in the early Coptic church. The similarity between the ankh, symbol of "life" and variations of the cross or ankh with a circle on Coptic stella and textiles from as early as the 5th century clearly show that the combination of circle and cross were used in early Christian Egypt. Although some experts say that they were originally carved horizontally on stone, their Geometrical ring construction and the fact that the lights in east-facing high crosses can be seen to refract early morning sunlight is indicative of vertical construction.

In Ireland, it is a popular myth that the Celtic cross was introduced to the island by Saint Patrick or possibly Saint Declan during his time converting the pagan Irish. It is believed that Saint Patrick combined the symbol of Christianity, a cross, with the symbol of the sun (or possibly the moon), to give pagan followers an idea of the importance of the cross by linking it with the idea of the life-giving properties of the sun.[

Moline Cross

Moline Cross. Sterling Silver. Height 33mm, Width 28mm.

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Ichthus Pendant

Ichthys (Christian Fish) Pendant. Sterling Silver. 34mm Width, 11mm Height.

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Ichthys, is the Ancient and Classical Greek word for "fish." In English it refers to a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs, the ends of the right side extending beyond the meeting point so as to resemble the profile of a fish, said to have been used by early Christians as a secret symbol and now known colloquially as the "sign of the fish" or the "Jesus fish."

Societies of Christians in Hellenistic Greece and Roman Greece, prior to the Edict of Milan, protected their congregations by keeping their meetings secret. In order to point the way to ever-changing meeting places, they developed a symbol which adherents would readily recognize, and which they could scratch on rocks, walls and the like, in advance of a meeting. At the time, a similar symbol was used by Greeks to mark the location of a funeral, so using the ichthys also gave an apparent legitimate reason for Christians to gather

Within astrology, the symbol of the fish can also have the double meaning of the sign of Pisces. According to some astrological theorists, Jesus Christ represents the central figure of the Age of Pisces, which is now giving way to the Age of Aquarius. The Ages go backwards through the signs of the Zodiac. Prior to the birth of Christ there was the Age of Aries and before that Taurus and so on. Each Age lasts approximately 2,000 years.