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

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?

What symbols of your religion do you wear, if any?
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.
Reply:here's my symbol to you





wiccan witch





http://xnguyen.com/images/Foru...





burn in hell beotch! Report It

Reply:Dang Tirya_is, that was unnecessarily harsh! Report It

Reply:I always have at least one one pentagram on...I am very out in the open about my beliefs when questioned. I will hide my pentagram when the others hide their crosses....lol...I am one person you don't want to get going on your *** when I feel like sharing what I think, so I think that actually intimidate alot people. I live in myrtle beach area and it is a real bible belt...I have had one or 2 people say something about me going to hell...I told them it was their hell they can burn in it....lol
Reply:No, I can't find the one that I want. Maybe I'll get it custom made someday...
Reply: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.
Reply: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!
Reply: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.





_()_
Reply:I'm not into wearing religious symbols as jewelery, but if I were to don one, I'd definately wear Kerkeryion [The Wand of Hermes], or a Ligthing Bolt.





Heck, if I had a Kerkeryion, I'd wear it.
Reply:I wear a CTR ring - it's in the shape of a sheild with the letters CTR in it (which stands for "choose the right"). The sheild is a biblical reference to the armor of God (the shield of faith).





I don't really get much reaction from it, while it's a pretty popular item within my faith (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), not very many people outside of my faith know what it is. - I guess you do now :)
Reply: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....
Reply:Good question. I wear a CTR ring, although that's not really symbolic of being Mormon in a religious sense. CTR stands for Choose The Right. While we are the only ones I know that have a CTR ring, it's not a requirement, or anything. It helps me remember to try to make good choices in all that I do.
Reply:triquetra


triple crescent moon


the words "chaos, order, balance" written in Theban


(tattooed)
Reply: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.
Reply:I always wear my Ganesh pendant that has His image on the front and His yantra on the back.


Lately I've been wearing a Tulsi prayer beads because they are very lightweight and comforting (I also have lotus beads one but they are very, very large and heavy!)


I haven't gotten a reaction from those...yet..but I have photos of Ganesh, Durga, Shiva and Hanuman in my office and a few people have made snide comments...
Reply: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!
Reply:I wear a Pentacle on occasion. Not that I'd openly display it around my family. They'd freak yet again and I'd have to explain Witch and Druid and Buddhist again. It's about an inch across and made of copper. I got it one eBay. It's unsealed, so the tarnish is starting already, but it looks great.
Reply: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.
Reply: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, %26amp; FL, I have never had anyone just walk up to me %26amp; in a negative way comment on my jewlry...
Reply:I've got a relatively plain pewter sheild-knot on a black cord, but I don't wear it too often. Even that's not an obvious religious symbol, per se - just a little bit of knotwork.
Reply:I wear a pentacle, however I wear it under my shirt almost all the time, not because I am ashamed of my faith but because I don't see a need to advertise my faith. My faith is my choice, let others find their own path that makes them happy.





Around the outside of my pentacle is the elder Futhark because that is my chosen form of divination and because I liked the design of it, I guess you could say it called to me.





Blessed Be )O(
Reply:I'm a Witch and I wear two different pentagrams and a teardrop hematite on a silver dogtag necklace. I think we should all be proud to be pagan.





lilmiss witch
Reply: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.
Reply:Greetings,


Did Jesus or His Apostles wear some kind of symbol??????? NO!!!!!!! How then does wearing a symbol better you??????? Anyone can wear a symbol,but it does't mean squat. Actions or deeds convey more than any symbol ever could to let people know where you are in your life and beliefs.