Crosses and other religious symbols

: Many people use crosses and other religious symbols to demonstrate their beliefs. The use of the cross as a religious symbol predates Christianity by many years. Early religious crosses were found in Scandinavia, where they were symbols of the god Thor. In Babylon, a cross adorned with a crescent moon symbolized a moon god, while a sun god was represented by an Assyrian cross that demonstrated the four directions the sun shines by its corners. Both earthly and celestial states are shown in Hindu crosses. The ankh is a cross topped with a loop that was used in early Egyptian religions. It was associated with Maat, the Egyptian goddess of truth. The ankh can be seen in jewelry today and is still a symbol displayed by many people. Since ancient times in Europe, the representation of a human figure on a cross has been seen. This was originally a pagan symbol related to crop fertility, but was later seen in Christian crucifixes. The first use of a cross in Christianity is believed to be on a mid-5th century Vatican sarcophagus. Today both plain religious crosses and crucifixes are symbols with great meaning to those with Christian beliefs as they represent the manner in which Jesus Christ died. Crosses can be made of many different materials, including precious metals. They are often worn on chains around the neck as jewelry. They can also be displayed in the home in the form of wall plaques or statues. When you meet someone who is wearing or displaying a cross, you will know they treasure their Christianity. Other Christian religious symbols While the cross may be the most popular symbol of Christianity, there are other well-known Christian religious symbols. One that is often seen is the fish. Normally shown as a simple outline, it was originally a pagan symbol representing the Mother Goddess. Other ancient cultures, including the Chinese, the Egyptians, the Romans, the Scandinavians and the Greeks also used the fish to represent gods in their religions. The fish symbol was acknowledged in Christianity by the requirement of eating fish on Friday, a practice that was ended fairly recently. This tradition may have arisen from the early Greek worship of the fish goddess, Aphrodite Salacia. Her followers ate fish on Friday, her sacred day. Another source of the former Christian fish eating practice may have been the Scandinavian goddess Freya. Her name is the source of the present day name for the sixth day of the week, Friday and fish was eaten in her honor. Images of angels and saints are other significant Christian religious symbols. These symbols can be seen in paintings, sculptures and jewelry. Many people believe that angels and saints can have a positive influence on different aspects of their lives and may pray to them for assistance.

Are we approaching a new era soon

Unless one is living on another planet, one would have most likely sensed that our world is changing rapidly. If you have been following my articles, you will know that I, at times, receive messages of a spiritual nature. Much of my dreams and visions had foretold personal and some global level occurrences. The following is part of a messaged dream that I had in September 2005: "In the dream, a huge leopard appeared and moved towards me. He was a very awe-inspiring beast with an almost human aura about him that exuded a raw powerful presence. He appeared to have a slightly coloured glow and his bright eyes shined through blue pupils. He started talking to me. He said " Meditating and trying to get enlightened is not enough. We must upgrade our bodies. There are 2 periods in this planet’s history that require us to upgrade our bodies… now and the Year 1750. " At that moment, I was thinking to myself… “Am I not doing enough?”. He seemed to convey the following message to me.. “Yes, you are not doing enough and THIS IS THE HINT”. He did not say it in a putting-you-down manner but rather in a calm, saintly way. " Dreams are often symbolic representation of certain issues and occurrences. The leopard (in the dream) is representative of a spiritual aspect. Much of what was being conveyed in the dream pertains to my own personal self-growth. But there is also an universal message being conveyed here... I believe that the Year 1750 mentioned in the dream may not be of the past, but may be referring to a future timeline. It may be referring to the year 1750 of a NEW future era. When this new era will begin is however unknown to me. But this dream does appears to coincide with certain prophecies. If you have been following ancient prophecies, you will know that many ancient cultures foretold of a new golden era. The Mayan stated that the end of our era is in the year 2012. Tibetans have a prophecies called the Kalachakra prophecy which also states that we are approaching a new era. Dear Reader, I will like to ask of you to momentarily suspend any skepticism...to embrace my article with an open mind. Could there be a validity to the dream message? Could it be that we are really about to enter a new era that will transform us mentally, emotionally and physically as well? What does your instinct tell you? For your necessary discernment.