10 Surprising Occult Symbols That Are Seen Everywhere

Article Points:

• Mystery and secrecy surround the occult.
• Cultural significance of occult symbols.
• Exploration of ten surprising occult symbols.
• Influence and interpretation of symbols in various traditions.
• Impact of comments from viewers on future content.

It is no surprise that there is so much mystery and secrecy surrounding the occult. After all, the word means to hide, conceal, and secret. But over time, there's certain symbols linked to the occult that have become less and less of a secret. In this episode of FTD Facts, I'm exploring ten surprising occult symbols that exist.

Hey, guys! Welcome back to FTD Facts. My name is Leay Kenton, and every culture that you can think of has some sort of occult practice, symbol, or belief. This episode won't be an exhaustive look at these symbols, but you'll definitely shed a lot of light on them. But before we continue, leave a like on this video as well as subscribe and ring that bell if this is your first time here at FTD Facts. That way you'll be notified of future episodes like this.

All right, so let's jump right into this episode. Starting at number 10, we have Baphomet. The image of Baphomet was originally created back in 1854 by the occultist Eliphaz Levi for his book Dogmas and Rituals of High Magic. Even before this depiction, Baphomet was a deity that the Knights Templar were accused of worshiping. It was then incorporated into the occult and mystical traditions.

The name Baphomet appeared in the trial transcripts for the Inquisition of the Knights Templar starting back as early as 1307. This symbol reflects a number of principles that are considered to be fundamental to occultists and was influenced by Kabbalah, hermeticism, alchemy, and other beliefs. Baphomet, depicted as a goat face in an inverted pentagram, is also a very popular occult symbol.

Number 9, we have the Tetragrammaton. You wouldn't really think that this next one would have anything to do with the occult, but it actually does. God is called by many names in Hebrew, and the word Tetragrammaton is a Greek term meaning "word of four letters." This was one of the names that the Jews would write down but never pronounce, as it was considered too holy to be spoken aloud.

Early Christian transliterators pronounced this name "Jehovah" from the 17th century and beyond. By the time we got to the 19th century, the word was retransliterated into "Yahweh." The letters that make up the Tetragrammaton are Yod, He, Vah, and He. In English, they're commonly written as YHWH or JH, V. The J and Y, as well as V and W, can be translated into the same pronunciation.

Occultists based in Judeo-Christian mythology consider Hebrew names of God, such as Adonai and Elohim, to hold significant power. Yet none hold as much power as the Tetragrammaton. In the occult, God is most commonly represented by this Tetragrammaton. Even occultists believe that you should not say this word due to its immense power—many don’t even understand the true power it holds. Even Aleister Crowley noted, "This word is very powerful."

Now, moving on to number 8, we have the Rosy Cross. The Rosy Cross is often associated with a number of different schools of thought, including the Golden Dawn, Thelema, OTO, as well as the Rosicrucians, also known as the Order of the Rose Cross. Each of these groups has a different interpretation of the symbol and utilizes it in various ways. This should not be surprising, as magic and occult symbols often communicate ideas that cannot be adequately expressed through speech alone.

Every group will, of course, have a different perspective. A pentagram is displayed at the end of each arm of the cross, where each pentagram symbolizes the five elements. There's a wheel for spirit, a bird's head for air, and the zodiac signs for fire (Leo), earth (Taurus), and water (Aquarius).

Number 7 may not come as a surprise to many—the Pyramid. The pyramid is a key symbol in Freemasonry and is often said to be a symbol used by the Illuminati, especially when depicted with a separated capstone. In some occult circles, the All-Seeing Eye refers to a significant divide among people. Each level of the pyramid represents a socioeconomic class, while the capstone with the eye symbolizes the elite's status among humankind.

The Tree of Life is also a prominent occult symbol, known as "e Chaim" in Hebrew, and is a common depiction of the ten sephirot of Kabbalah. Each sephirot represents an attribute of God through which he manifests his eternal will. The Tree of Life does not represent a single system, but can be related to the formation of both physical and metaphysical worlds, as well as one's own soul and state of understanding.

Different schools of thought, like Kabbalistic Judaism and modern Western occultism, offer varied interpretations of this symbol. At number 5, we have the Evil Eye. This curse is believed to be cast when an evil glare is given, usually unbeknownst to the person receiving it. Many cultures believe that receiving an evil eye will result in misfortune or injury, so be cautious, guys! The evil eye is frequently sold as jewelry or decorations, designed to protect against evil eyes or spirits.

Number 4 brings us to the Hieroglyphic Monad. Created by John Dee and described in Monas Hieroglyphica back in 1564, this symbol represents the reality of the monad, which is a singular entity believed to be the source of all material things. The symbol is constructed from four distinct symbols: the astrological signs for the Moon and the Sun, along with the zodiac sign of Aries, represented by two semicircles at the glyph's base.

The symbol at number 3 is the Seal of the Truth of God. The Sigillum Dei Aemeth, or the Seal of the Truth of God, is most widely known through the writings and artifacts of John Dee, a 16th-century occultist and astrologer at the court of Elizabeth I. While older texts do mention the symbol, Dee was not satisfied with them and is believed to have received guidance from an angel to create his own version of it.

The system of angelic magic known as Enochian is deeply rooted in the number seven, which correlates with the seven traditional planets of astrology. The Sigillum Dei Aemeth is predominantly made up of heptograms, which are seven-pointed stars, and heptagons, or seven-sided polygons. Now, let's turn to the Created Universe Symbol.

Renaissance occultists offered conflicting views of the created universe, grappling with the struggle between spirit and matter. Material things are viewed as imperfect compared to spiritual ones, per modern Christian teachings. The illuminated occultist Robert Fludd often promoted this view. As Christianity presents God as a tripartite being—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost—unified within a single Godhead, the triangle became a commonly used symbol for God.

In this symbolic representation, the upper triangle with the Tetragrammaton symbolizes the totality of God. The lower triangle features three circles, with the center being a solid mass—representing physical reality—while the circles symbolize three realms: the physical, celestial, and angelic.

Finally, at number 1, we have the Lightning Bolt. Surprisingly, Satanic worshipers identify this symbol with 777. Aleister Crowley made this number famous in his writings, stating that he so loathed God that he named himself 777—because 666 was already in use. Crowley's instructions to his followers included learning to speak, write, and walk backward to open themselves to communication with the demonic realm. This lightning bolt also often appears in the shape of the letter "S," symbolizing Lucifer’s fall from heaven, as described by Jesus in the New Testament of the Bible. In Satanic circles, this emblem represents the destroyer—whom Satan is called.

All right, guys! That wraps up this episode on 10 surprising occult symbols that exist. Were some of these occult symbols new to you, or did you know all of them? Sound off down below; I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments about anything I've covered in this episode!

Now, before I head out, I'll be replying to some of your comments from a video we did titled "10 Most Popular Gods That People Worship." Let's jump into those comments right now.

The first comment comes from Malcolm Baxter, who says, "FTD Facts, I'm loving the trends of gods and stuff that you're covering and explaining. Keep it up, good job!" I know many of you have been asking for content related to God and spirituality and for us to create videos about different beliefs because there’s so much to discuss. I'm glad you're enjoying this and if it’s something you’d like to see more of, keep letting me know in the comment section.

Next, we have Super Sayed saying, "God is someone who created everything simple." Well, that depends on your definition of God! In some contexts, God with a lowercase “g” refers to a ruler or someone of elevated status, like the famous Indian cricket player Sachin Tendulkar, often called the "God of Cricket." This doesn’t mean he is a creator god, but simply that he played the game exceptionally well above anyone else in cricket.

Now let's see what Starfire had to say. You left out one very, very important God that people have worshiped since before Zeus and still openly worship today—Money. Honestly, this comment resonates deeply because it’s true! We often say, "I need money" or "Oh my God, I don’t have any money!" and we let money become our God. But in reality, money is just a tool—a medium of exchange created by humans.

Great comment! It definitely got me thinking more!

All right, guys, that’s it for me. Before you go, I'll leave you with a related video coming up right now, so definitely stay tuned until the end screen! It’s been great hanging out and chatting with you in this episode. I’ll see you next time!