What symbols of your religion do you wear, if any?

Question

Even atheists can answer--I know pansies are an old-school symbol, for instance. I am Pagan and wear a pentacle almost every day, usually strung with semi-precious gemstones that have good associations or beads in "lucky" colors or just beads that match my outfits. Sometimes people say "Blessed be" or want to ask me questions about Wicca and Paganism. In the Deep South and Midwest, I get asked if I'm Jewish (one point too few on the star, y'all...); in Orlando and New York City, most people know better. If you wear a symbol, what is it, and what reaction do you get? If you don't wear symbols of your beliefs, why not?

Cobravetor, um, thanks. Really.

Michelle, I like to string my own beaded jewelry. So instead of hanging a pentacle on a chain, I usually put the pendant in the center of a beaded necklace, and choose beads according to my needs and wants. Often I'll simply cut the string, spill the beads on my worktable, and start over for another outfit or magickal need! I'm very much into color and gem magick.

Answer 1

I wear my pentacle 24/7, with very few exceptions. I've occasionally gotten the "Are you Jewish?" question, too. I've had a couple of people say "Blessed be" (including one clerk at a store, which floored me for a sec, then we got to talking). I have gotten compliments on it from other Pagans, because of the design. It's simple silver, but with the phases of the moon surrounding it. I felt a connection to it the first time I saw it - the cycles of the world around us have a strong presence in my beliefs.

In general, it doesn't get much of a reaction (at least not that I'm aware of), but in general I don't make a big deal about it, so that may be part of it. It's no different than a Christian Cross or a Jewish Star of David or any other symbol of belief, and I don't try to hide it or draw attention to it.

Answer 2

I too wear a pentacle on occasion, I have many different designs and sizes. I also wear the elekes ( Santeria beaded necklace) representing the Orisha, Oya.
I have found that even if I wear a pentacle that is 3" in diameter, 99% of the people I meet do not comment or even act as if they notice it. For the most part, I believe that people are not interested enough or aware enough to pay much attention or bother to recognize the religious significance in someones jewelry. So, unless I point it out, it only matters to me.
I have been wearing "pagan" jewelry for 25 years now and out of every piece I own the only thing that ever consistently gets noticed is my antique wedding ring ( which is not pagan in design)
I wear what "speaks" to me when I get dressed, sometimes I do the matching thing, but I always have something on which keeps me connected...or that gives me something to fiddle with like a bracelet or ring.
I have lived in CA, KS, OK, & FL, I have never had anyone just walk up to me & in a negative way comment on my jewlry...

Answer 3

This is a really good question. I think questions like this really make you think about what you do and why.

I wear a pentacle when I'm not at work, but also have a hawk shaped necklace representing Horus which I wear on occasion.

I rarely wear religious symbols to work because of the nature of my work. I'm a secondary school teacher and so two reasons arise:

1) with the ongoing debate as to whether students should wear religious symbols to school I don't think it is appropriate for me to be wearing them on display, and
2) I am fully aware of the fact that I am a role model and because the pentagram still has quite a negative press I feel that some students would view me wearing such an item in the wrong light. That isn't to say that I hide my religion - if a student asks me anything to do with my religion then I am very willing to explain to them my beliefs. At least this way there can be no misunderstandings.

I think ultimately I don't feel the need to show my religion, but am willing to discuss it with anyone who shows an interest.

Answer 4

Although I am not a Christian, I have worn my mothers cross when I have been thinking of her or just contemplating the statement Jesus made as a political activist and what a beautiful person he was. I think of the risks I have taken for what I believe in and take comfort in that and the lives of others who have stood up for what was right at their own peril. I did stop though because it has more conflictual coding in it that is not about peace and unconditional love that is historically based.
I have wondered about getting a lot of different symbols and with informed assistance, wear them each in turn and document how people react to them, to me. It would be interesting. I did that with my hair colour once. Fascinating on a crowded transit system. Wonder if it's changed. Hope so.
I have a pendant, very simple, that could be interpreted as Christian but that I feel, is the universal embrace of love symbol. I wear that every now and then.

I like the sound of your pentagram. Quite lovely. There is a woman in our area who makes copper jewlry and she will put ancient symbols of protection and so on on them and bless them. They are quite amazing, I hope to get one of her bracelets one day. A kind thought, nothing 'evil', cough!
However, what I wear all the time is my body, a symbol of my commitment to life, love, compassion, truth and devotion to the Divine. I have scars on my body from ceremonies I have to wear every day. (I am a piercing Sundancer). They are on my arms and hands. I usually wear long sleeves so that they don't show out of modesty and even more than that it is that I find people get confused by them thinking I cut myself or have had some kind of skin 'condition'. LOL!
However, I like sleeveless shirts and when it is hot out I just say to myself..."it's hot, the body is a natural and beautiful thing, a gift, and its how I carry myself that really counts and shows what I am about". That is the most powerful symbol of my beliefs...how I walk my talk.

Peace through love and neutral ground.

Answer 5

I wear a Thor's hammer. I have a picture of it in my blog somewhere.


All too often (Christians mainly) mistake my Thor's hammer pendent for an inverted cross. What gives? A hammer looks nothing like a cross yet I get people giving me dirty looks and asking me why I am wearing a "Satanic symbol". (Yes, I live in the South too.)

I have however also had some very positive reactions from others, I've had a lot of people come up and ask what it is, ask where I got my Thor's Hammer (Sweden), I've had other Heathens ask me if I was Asatru, etc.. This worked out good because when I was in Iceland I actually ran into some Icelandic Asatruars, it was pretty cool.

Answer 6

Really good question.

I liked your details, found it very interesting. Thank you for sharing. The pendent you wear, from what I understood you can take the colored beads out, interchangeable? Does sound very pretty.

I wear two different pendents. The Miraculous Medal. It's a picture of Our Mother on a globe crushing head of a serpent. There is a back to it, no one can see that. The response I get is "Who is that?" or "You have Mary I see...what is she doing" and the most inane (and memorable one) was "Is that a magic charm?" http://amm.org/medal.htm

The second one is a cross with the Crucifixition. Notice that it is only Catholics that wear a crucifix. Other Christian sects do not; they will wear a cross, bare.

Blessings to you!

Answer 7

As a Catholic Witch with Celtic (French and Scottish) and Native roots, I consider the eclectic use of symbols to be a genetic trait for me! My favourite symbols harken to water and to the catholic saints.
It mostly depends on my mood for the day, but I wear combinations of the following: "miraculous medals" and other pendants with catholic saints, especially those passed on through my family, also freshwater pearls, seashells, moon pendants, jewelry with water motif (waves).
Sometimes I don't wear any man-made adornment, but make a point of letting my hair dry naturally - which is waist-length - so that it waves and ripples down - also a water symbol. It creates an impression of natural beauty, serene power and sensuality which suits my witchy tendency very well!

Answer 8

I have a small cuew-type pentacle I wear, but not at work, because it gets in the way.

I usually get "that's pretty" and "Oh, what does that mean," and "is that a pentacle."

Although since we incorporated it YEARS ago, it is now being co-opted by Pagans who don't get it.

You can see it on most of the CUEW websites, http://www.cuew.org

Edit: I often handle dangerous chemicals at work, and anything that dangles is right out. Even my very long hair is in a tight braid.

Answer 9

I wear an "Om mani padme hum" pendant, scrolled in Tibetan characters and sometimes I wear a Buddha. Any of the pendants I wear generally get a neutral reaction and seldom a bad one. Pendants I wear that reflect my shamanistic side tend to get the odd reactions, but then people tend to react before they actually LOOK at what they're reacting to then are embarassed when you call 'em on it.

When I was Wiccan I got a whole range of reactions to my pentacle. One amusing reaction was when I was visiting a patient on a ward at the hospital and one male nurse was trying to be a sweetie and said "Blessed be" to me, in passing, and shocked me, even though he immediately said didn't understand much about it. He spent the next 10 minutes asking questions and I shared. Kind of a nice thing for him to do.

If I get a negative reaction I try to meet it with patience and compassion and clue them in quickly in a kind manner.

_()_

Answer 10

I like pentacles and triquertes . But from the other hand you would be missunderstund by some people if you wear a pentacle, maybe they will think that you are a satanist.
I wear a celtic symbol, a deer. Symbol of god cernunnos. Symbol of fertility, love etc....