| The most universal Celtic symbol for the sun is | | | | of existence perhaps for its life giving essence. |
| called the Sun Cross. This symbol comprises a | | | | These were a people who lived many centuries |
| simple cross inside a circle and has been found | | | | before Christianity and today their beliefs and |
| amongst artifacts dating back to prehistoric | | | | worship symbols are legendary. It is believed that |
| Europe during the Bronze Age. It is particularly | | | | they made their appearance in Britain as far back |
| attributed to the ancient Celts, in particular the | | | | as 1000 BC. Their social culture was a mix of |
| Druids and paganism. The Sun cross is a simple | | | | cosmic religion and pagan worship. They left no |
| representation of the polarities of the western | | | | written word that could explain their practices. |
| world and stood for the sun and the tree of life. | | | | Instead they left us symbolism and as a result |
| The Wheel | | | | their exact meanings are lost forever. |
| Another sun symbol dating back to the Bronze | | | | The Celtic symbol for the sun depicted by a circle |
| Age is connected with the chariot wheel. It is not | | | | is easy to understand. The cross captured inside |
| clear whether it has roots in Celtic culture but the | | | | the circle is easy to understand as being the tree |
| four-spoke wheel was meant to represent its | | | | of life. Why they coupled the two together is |
| solar connection. | | | | evident as they were a people who worshiped |
| However, the sun wheel was an important | | | | nature and attributed great power to its elements. |
| symbol and was often depicted in their art. The | | | | . |
| ancient Celts presented wheels as offering to the | | | | The word Druid is derived from the Greek word |
| gods. They left them at shrines, threw them into | | | | Druidae. Today we understand it to mean |
| rivers and many are found in tombs cast as | | | | someone immersed in knowledge. Each clan had |
| amulets in bronze and worn as decoration. | | | | their own sacred tree called the Tree of Life |
| The Celtic sun wheel is associated especially with | | | | which stood as totem in the middle of their |
| the Celtic sky god Taranis. Taranis was depicted | | | | territory. This tree was purported to being the |
| wielding a thunderbolt and a wheel. Celtic coins are | | | | center of their universe. The fact that they |
| also thought to depict wheels yet more | | | | coupled it with the sun speaks of the importance |
| importantly they correspond to pagan sun cult | | | | they placed on the sun and its symbiotic |
| worship as the wheel for the druids represented | | | | relationship with the center of the universe. |
| the sun. | | | | The symbolism of sun crosses |
| Celtic mysticism | | | | What is less obvious is what the druids read in the |
| Apart from the wheel representing the sun, the | | | | meaning of this sun symbol. There are different |
| ancient Celts created the symbol we are most | | | | schools of thought pertaining to the symbolism |
| familiar with today and which we call the sun | | | | attached to this pagan cross. One school believes |
| cross. The sun cross was used in many pagan | | | | that the four sections of the arm are equidistant |
| pre-Christian religious ceremonies and rituals. Some | | | | from the center and depict their desire to |
| say it may even have been used in druid | | | | understand self, nature, wisdom and the gods. |
| sacrifices. The druids attributed its power with | | | | Where the arms meet is said to symbolize the |
| being able to preserve and create life. | | | | concentration of cosmic power. |
| Celtic Cross Meanings | | | | Other explanations tell us that this symbol is |
| The sun has long been attributed with cosmic | | | | rooted in the four elements of the earth while |
| power and is commonly found in ancient Celtic | | | | others believe these four sections depict the four |
| artifacts. It is thought that the druids attributed | | | | compass points. Where the arms join it is meant |
| many powers to the sun such as strength, | | | | to imply the joining of heaven and earth. |
| energy, force and life and they placed female | | | | There is a belief too that the ancient Celts saw |
| powers within its rays. Today we see many of | | | | the sun as being something different from that of |
| these depicted in Celtic symbols such as wheels, | | | | a cosmic power capable of giving life. Instead |
| spirals and circles. The triple spiral in particular is | | | | they believed the sun to be a god and the name |
| associated with the Sun | | | | given this sun god differed from tribe to tribe. |
| The pagans considered the sun to be the center | | | | |