Symbols: behind their meanings

 I originally wrote this for a team called Angels of Light Paranormal Society.

 I wrote this back in 2016.

In the paranormal world we deal with symbols painted on buildings, tattooed on people, and just showing up where we least expect them. How do we decide their meaning, or even what they are? We research. A lot of people who see pentagrams, or upside down crosses tend to immediately think that these symbols are evil. No second thought of why they are there, no second thought of other possible meanings. Lets see if I can shed some light on three misunderstood symbols.

The Pentacle

Lets start with the Pentacle. Most commonly known as a star placed in an upright or inverted position. Some people see it as just a star and nothing more. Others see it as a very positive symbol, yet even a larger majority see it as one hundred percent evil. Where did this negativity come from? Lets start with the history or the closest time in history of when the Pentacle was first used.

Its first known use as an English word was in 1561. Over time it was used as a talisman, representative of the five elements, goddess worship, and devil worship. How did a simple five pointed star go from being just a star to have multiple meanings? The answer is simple. The people and/or religious leaders dictate what is good and what is bad. In the pagan belief system the Pentacle represents the five elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit). Right side up meaning the goddess and inverted meaning the male god. Over time when Christianity began to grow and spread, the symbol began to take on new meaning to represent the sign of the devil. The Pentacle in this manner is represented by the inverted star.

Some have come to believe that it is supposed to represent the goat head of the devil. Today the Pentacle still has both positive and negative feeling surrounding it. Where some still use it in their pagan practices, others just wear it as nothing more than a fashion statement. The symbol its self is neither good or bad.

When seen in an abandoned building or a place that is said to be haunted, it is unfortunate that most people will place it as an evil symbol and give no second thought to why the Pentacle was placed there. Most will jump to the conclusion it was placed there to call the devil or other evil spirits. Its just as likely it could have be placed there as a symbol of protection against the evil that may lurk within.

Alchemy Symbols

What happens when its more than one symbol used like in Alchemy? These symbols are seen alone or with others. Alchemy symbols were first used before the 17th century. These symbols were used to denote the elements, planets, compounds, etc. During the 16th century superstition ruled many people's minds. It was thought that these symbols had some sort of a connection to magic.

With that kind of knowledge the people of the 16th century thought that these symbols could do many things from protection, causing harm, calling up angles or devils, to possibly bring someone back from the world of the dead. Sometimes the symbols would be used in conjunction with the Pentacle. The symbols would be placed either around the star in a circle or placed at the star's points. This would be drawn on the walls, floors, or ceilings of peoples homes, businesses, and places of worship.

Over time these symbols were thought to be in decline and no longer used. Today Alchemy symbols are seen graffiti-ed in cemeteries, old abandoned churches, and sometimes abandoned asylums. It does not matter if those symbols where placed there to call forth the devil, or bring forth protection, unfortunately it gives most people the sense that evil was conjured there.

The Cross

Now the cross in today's world is seen by many as a very good symbol to have around, but what if I told you that was not always the case. One of the earliest known uses of the cross was in Egyptian hieroglyphs over a thousand years ago. When placed on the walls of their temples and tombs its meaning was 'to protect, guard and/or avenge'. Later they would use a similar symbol that meant 'beauty and perfect'. The symbol of the Cross was seen in many cultures, yet in the early infancy of Christianity the Cross was depicted as a gruesome way to publicly execute of people. The Christian were very reluctant to use it as a holy symbol of their faith. It is in debate with scholars of when the Cross started to have a positive light to be used in a positive manner.

Now the Cross seen in an upright position is normally seen as a symbol of faith of God in the Christian world. The upside-down Cross however has received an evil connotation over the last few hundred years. Not many people realize that the the upside-down Cross

originated during the times of the ongoing crucifixions by the Romans In fact it comes from the Catholic tradition of the crucifixion of Peter. It was written some time after 200 A.D., that Peter requested to be crucified upside-down as he felt he was unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus had. In later years some Christians came to know this Cross as a symbol of humility. Even the Catholics Pope's symbol has an upside-down Cross with keys crossing over it. Unfortunately in today's society there are people that choose to use the upside-down cross as a satanic icon.


Even though there are many symbols in the world that have multiple meanings, most are greeted with ill will and thought only as being evil and never having the chance to be anything else. These symbols have been seen in countless graveyards, old churches, and other places that have been abandoned. Most people will not take the time to know learn the back history of a symbol, but would rather let their imaginations run wild. Perhaps the next time you are lurking about in a place that may seem or look sinister, keep in mind that what you see may have more than one meaning. In some cases we may never know the actual intent of why the symbols were drawn in these places.

Was that the past??...a paranormal experience

I originally wrote this for a team I was apart of called Angels of Light Paranormal Society. 

 I wrote it in collaboration with a former teammate in 2017.

Photo courtesy of the USS Hornet Web Page

A year ago fellow teammate Scott Wolf and I (Jennifer Furgerson) experienced a phenomena neither one of us could fully explain away. Each year our team, or sometimes only a few team mates attend the paranormal conference Grey Ghost in Alameda aboard the USS Hornet aircraft carrier. The conference is your typical meet and greet, along with speakers from TV shows and other paranormal areas and then an investigation later that evening of all areas of the ship. Many have had their share of paranormal experiences ranging from having their hair messed with, being poked, and even seeing full body apparitions. After a long night of roaming the ship, we go to the bunks/cots/bedding we have been assigned to. The area we were in was on the second deck aft(rear) and port(left) side of the ship. Among our area were an array of men and women almost taking up every bed. Some had gone to sleep early (2 am) where others climbed into bed somewhere around 4 am. The lights are turned off and its not very quiet with all the different people snoring, or mumbling in their sleep. After awhile one tend to get used to the ambient sounds and eventually drifts off to sleep.

This is where our story begins.

Scott's Experience
"Strange experiences are common when you are a paranormal investigator. Many cases leave you with something that you can't quite explain. Most times you try to think through it logically and move on. Sometimes, like the experience Jennifer and I had aboard the USS Hornet, there is just no logical explanation for what transpired and the experience is one that is etched in your memory forever.

After a long day of enjoying the conference and a long night of investigating, I decided it was time to head down to my bunk to get some sleep. My team mates were still investigating, but I was exhausted and could barely keep my eyes open.

I made my way, through the dark, to my bunk. All lights were off and everyone around me was asleep. A few die-hard investigators were still up, but they were in other areas of the ship. Except for the snoring, it was quiet.

The bunks were three high and there was very little room in-between. For some strange reason I chose to sleep in a middle bunk. Since I am extremely claustrophobic, this was a terrible choice! I figured I was so tired that I would just fall asleep and sleep the few hours I had left before they woke us up to depart the ship. Things didn't quite work out that way.

I fell asleep and woke up probably about 30 minutes later, in a full panic from the closeness of the bunk above me. I tried the best I could to block it out of my mind and soon fell back asleep. As soon as I would fall asleep I would wake in a panic. It was a cycle that repeated throughout the rest of the night.

At one point I awoke, but not from the panic I experienced before. I heard a strange commotion happening around me. As I opened my eyes I noticed something strange. The lights, which were off when I went to sleep, were all on. I looked around and there was no one sleeping in the bunks around me. My first thought was that it was morning time, everyone had already left the area, and some how I slept through it. I sat and thought about it and knew there was no way that could happen because the others I was there with would have woke me.

The commotion grew louder. The sound of heavy footsteps were all around me. As I listened to what sounded like people running in all directions, my first thought was how rude it was for people to be coming back from investigating, turning on all the lights, and running around like a bunch of fools! It made no sense!

I turned my head to look at the bunks across from me. Since I was in the middle bunk, I could only see what was in-between the top and bottom bunk. I could see what looked like the torsos of dark figures as they ran back and forth in the open walkway. They never shouted or spoke, they just ran frantically. All you could hear were their footsteps.

As soon as it began, it was over. I looked around and the lights were off. There was no more running. All I could hear was the sounds of the people sleeping around me. I was tired and at the time I just figured it was a bunch of rude people trying to get back to their bunks to go to sleep. I drifted off to sleep unable to fully process what I had just witnessed, but also too tired to care.

The morning came, the loud speaker blared that it was time to get up, and the lights came on. I gathered my things and made my way up to the hanger deck where everyone would gather for breakfast. I was still dead tired from not sleeping very much. What happened never even crossed my mind. The only thing on my mind was getting on the road so I could get back home and take a nap.

Jennifer was already on the hanger deck. She was full of energy. She told me about the rest of their time investigating. Then, she told me about this crazy experience she had during the night. I was listening, but what she was saying didn't really kick in. It wasn't until I had exited the ship and started walking to my car that what had happened to me started coming back.

I thought about it the entire drive home. It consumed me. I wished I would have been able to talk to Jennifer about because it seemed like we experienced the same thing. One person's personal experience ends up being just a great story, if you don't have anything to back it up. Two people experiencing the same thing, is much harder to ignore. Later that night I would send Jennifer a message and we talked about our experiences.

It's now been a year since that experience. I still think about it all the time. Jennifer and I still talk about what happened and try to figure out what the heck we experienced. Our team mate, Faye, was there and she didn't experience it. In fact, she had a recorder running the entire time and didn't capture anything that sounded like what we experienced. The only thing that could be heard was snoring.

Did we somehow travel back in time? Did only two of us experience a residual haunting? I guess our experience, much like many things in the paranormal field itself and the strange happenings on-board the USS Hornet, will remain a mystery!"

Jennifer's Experience
"I honestly thought I had experienced this phenomenon alone... I was out investigating on the second deck of the Hornet when I realized that it would probably be a good idea to get some sleep. It was after 4 am and I decided to head back to the assigned berthing area. Not to long after I closed my eyes and attempted to settle into slumber, the room we were in began to sound of a low murmur of voices and feet walking fast and hard on the metal floor. There was metal clanking, and loud banging. All I could think was "what the hell are the people doing while so many of us are sleeping". It began to irritate me, I rolled to my left side (since I was against the wall). Upon opening my eyes, I see the lights were on, but instead of the normal brightness of the lights, it was an odd glow of pale yellow.

I was puzzled about the lights being on and from where I was laying I could see people walking very fast heading from one end of the room to the other. Who ever these people were, they needed to get into the next room quickly then back out again. All I could see from where I was laying were people from the waist down. The row of beds obscured the rest of their bodies. I could see that each person wore dark blue high water pants and dark shoes. In what seemed like a mater of minutes, the lights went out and the people that were running were just gone. They had vanished and the room went dark again. I turned on my back and closed my eyes trying to make sense of what I just saw. Moments later while laying there with eyes closed attempting to relax, I hear foot steps approaching. They stopped right in-front of where I was laying. At this point I just wanted sleep, and I was ready to roll over and tell whom ever it was to please leave me alone. I rolled, opened my eyes to find that it was still dark, and no one was there.

Come morning, everyone received that lovely wake up call of reveille and then the announcement of sweeping your bunk area. In other words, wake up, clean up your area, pack up your gear because you are all heading to the mess for breakfast.

My teammates Faye and Scott joined up with me in the hanger bay and we all started to recant our experiences, our irritations, and especially what I had witnessed. I was very excited about what I saw, and I kept repeating that I know I was not dreaming. Faye was quick to point out that the light switch was right next to where she was sleeping, and was the only one who asked how to turn on an off the lights. We continued on to breakfast with those images still fresh in my mind.

It was not till later that day, on my way home, that I remembered something crucial to this odd event. I received a message from Scott asking what I remembered, and the realization that we both recalled that everyone who had been sleeping in this berthing area were no longer there to be seen. I do not know why I had not thought about it before. It baffles the mind to think that maybe I was pulled into the past, or perhaps the past was repeating at that moment. Either way it does not explain why we did not see the people who were sleeping in the same area.

Faye was recording audio that night while the room slept, but told Scott and I that none of the noises we heard or from what we saw ended up on her recorder. Once again Scott and I are baffled. So what really happened to us? We both experienced it at the same time, but did not know it till the next day. We both could describe what the people looked like, yet I saw the bottom half, while he saw the top.

This has stayed fresh in my mind, as I am sure it has with Scott. We both have talked about it over the year. We have looked at pictures from different time periods to see if we could pin point the time of the past we had seen. I have asked docents and other people who have stayed aboard, if they ever experienced anything like this. So far our phenomenon is currently unique to the ship."

You say Witch like its a bad thing.....

I have never hid the fact that I practice witchcraft, call myself a witch, or live my life in the beliefs of Pagan roots. It amazes me that people still have this bitter taste in their mouths when the word "witch" is spoken. Let's go down the list of the top ten reasons people think of "witch" or calling someone a "witch" is a bad thing...

(this is my personal order, my own personal beliefs, and research)

Number 10 ~ The Salem Witch Trials

Mass hysteria inserted itself into a very God fearing town of New Salem. What started as perhaps innocent play among the your children, people who feared that the pretense the children presented was from the Devil himself. This placed neighbor against neighbor. The rich seemed to thrive where the poor and the meek quickly became victims. This mass hysteria started in the year 1692 and it continued for almost a whole year. Most of the children that claimed to be inflicted sent many to the gallows. Were these people witches? More than likely not. If there had been anyone actually practicing the old pagan ways, they probably lived far away from any of the christian towns, or they lived a quiet life and no one knew.

Number 9 ~ Superstition

Many items and acts land under this category. It ranges from owning black cats to liking to wear all black. However it is never so simple. Ever since the dawn of the age of writing there have been sayings and mannerisms from people all over the world. People blame bad luck on being cursed or bewitched by someone. Beliefs in these superstitions have lead to paranoia and people holding on to their deeply related Christian views. 

Number 8 ~ Occult/Satanism

Its very easy to lay blame on anything that is not christian based.


The definition (according to freedictionary.com) of an Occult is:

1. Of, relating to, or dealing with supernatural or magical influences, agencies, or occurrences:
2. Available only to the initiate; secret or mysterious:
3. Beyond the realm of human comprehension; inscrutable:
4. Hidden from view; concealed:


The definition (according to freedictionary.com) of Satanism is:

1. The worship of Satan characterized by a travesty of the Christian rites.
2. A body of doctrine and practice based on the celebration of individual will, explicit rejection of monotheistic notions of virtue.
3. Profound wickedness.

Number 7 ~ The New Age

Around the late 1960 to the early 1970's a craze of new ideas were born. These ideas were peace-loving, inner spiritual attunement and mediations just to name a few. The ideas of chakras and aura readings became popular. Not to mention certain types of drugs that claimed could put a person into a trance and get to know their higher self. The age of self aware was born, and society norms did everything in their power to push it back. 

Number 6 ~ Not Believing in the Christian God

Not much can be said on this. If a person does not follow any christian faith, then there must be something Godless about the person. This has been pressed into many christian faiths.

Number 5 ~ Not Liked in the Community

This can be traced back to early writings before 1AD. Stories that for one reason or another a person has been singled out due to any number of reasons. One reason that seems to echo through many countries was merely the fact that the person choose to live their life differently from everyone, or from what was expected of them. The person could be an old man that just wants to be left a lone and seems mean to everyone else do to this isolated behavior. In some cases, psychics get singled out, yet people will not hesitate to seek one out to get advice. However in doing so, that person doing the seeking may cover their tracks so that they do not become an outcast in the town they live in. 

Number 4 ~ Being Eccentric

Eccentric is defined as 'of a person or their behavior unconventional and slightly strange'. A person who may like to dance while waiting for the buss, a person who paints with their body or even a person who might have OCD would fall under this category.

Number 3 ~ Herbalist

Someone who knows the medicinal qualities of plants. One that has been known to work with things in nature. One who may know how to use herbs in aroma therapy, tinctures, salves, etc...  

Number 2 ~ Psychics

People that can either see the future. They tend to get feeling from things they interact with either by just being near or by actually touching. The recieve messages, and sometime can see the things that have happened in the past. 

Number 1 ~ The Bible

According to the King James version, there are many passages about witches.

Exodus 22:18
'You shall not allow a witch to live.'

Leviticus 19:31
'Do not turn to mediums or spiritualists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.'

Leviticus 20:6
'As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritualists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.'

Leviticus 20:27
'Now a man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritualist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones, their blood-guiltiness is upon them.'

Deuteronomy 18:10
"There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer.'

Deuteronomy 18:11
or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritualist, or one who calls up the dead.

1 Samuel 28:3
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed from the land those who were mediums and spiritists.

Jeremiah 27:9
"But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers or your sorcerers who speak to you, saying, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon.'

Jeremiah 27:10
"For they prophesy a lie to you in order to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out and you will perish.'

(references from biblehub) (cross referenced from the King James Bible)