And last, but not least, there is the addition of the swirled line which is believed to represent a lighting bolt – which just happens to Jupiter’s (and Zeus’) weapon of choice. The line through the symbol is consistent with this, since it would indicate that it was an abbreviation for Zeus’ name. Additionally, the symbol can stand for a “Z,” which is the first letter of Zeus – who was Jupiter’s Greek counterpart. It has been said to represent an eagle, which is Jupiter’s bird. Jupiter’s sign, which looks like an ornate, oddly shaped “four,” also stands for a number of symbols. Additionally, it is the same sign as the one used to represent “male”, and hence is associated with self-assertion, aggression, sexuality, energy, strength, ambition and impulsiveness. For this reason, the symbol associated with Mars represents the god of wars’ shield and spear. Mars is named after the Roman god of war, owing perhaps to the planet’s reddish hue, which gives it the color of blood. Mars, as photographed with the Mars Global Surveyor, is identified with the Roman god of war. In fact, perhaps owing to the simplicity of the design, cross-shaped incisions have made appearances as petroglyphs in European cult caves dating all the way back to the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic, and throughout prehistory to the Iron Age. These include, but are not limited to, Norse mythology (where it appears as the Solar or Odin’s Cross), Native American cultures (where it typically represented the four spirits of direction and the four sacred elements), the Celtic Cross, the Greek Cross, and the Egyptian Ankh. This symbol is not just limited to Christianity though, and has been used in various culture around the world. It has also been interpreted as the Globus Cruciger, an old Christian symbol for Christ’s reign on Earth. The most popular view is that the circle with a cross in the middle represents the four main compass points.

The symbol is also the chemical sign for copper since copper was used to make mirrors in ancient times.Įarth’s sign also has a variety of meanings, although it does not refer to a mythological god. This representation of femininity makes sense considering Venus was the goddess of love and beauty. Not only is it the sign for “female”, but it also represents the goddess Venus’ hand mirror. Image Credit: NASA/JHU/Carnegie Institution. Mercury, as imaged by the MESSENGER spacecraft, which was named after the messenger of the gods because it has the fastest orbit around the Sun.

Ancient glyphs on saturn's moons