The Pentacle and the Triskele: Symbols Without Labels

Not a Label, Just Meaning

One of the questions I've occasionally been asked is whether I'm Wiccan or a Druid. The short answer is no.

The slightly longer answer is that symbols don't necessarily belong exclusively to the traditions most associated with them, and people often find meaning in them for reasons that are entirely their own.

Two symbols in particular have followed me for years: the pentacle and the triskele.

Neither represents membership in a specific religious path for me. They're not declarations of doctrine. They're reminders. Anchors, perhaps.

The Pentacle as Protection

The pentacle is probably the one people make assumptions about most quickly. Popular culture has spent decades doing it no favours, treating it either as a spooky occult emblem or as shorthand for anything vaguely Pagan. In reality, its history is much more varied than that.

For me, the pentacle's meaning is simple: protection.

Not protection in the sense of a magical forcefield. Not protection from every bad thing that might happen. Rather, it represents the idea of being grounded and guarded against the things that would pull me away from myself. Fear. Self-doubt. The endless noise of the modern world. The pentacle reminds me to stand firm.

It's a symbol of boundaries as much as safety. A reminder that not everything deserves access to my energy, my attention, or my peace of mind.

The Triskele and Cycles

The triskele speaks to a different part of my life.
I've always been drawn to cycles.
Not because life repeats exactly, but because it rhymes.

Every year has its own rhythms. Seasons change. Projects begin and end. Friendships drift apart and reconnect. Interests fade and return.
Even my own life seems to move through recurring phases of growth, uncertainty, reflection, and renewal.
The triskele captures that beautifully.

Three spirals, each moving outward while remaining connected. Motion without a final destination. Progress that isn't strictly linear.
That resonates with me more than the idea of a straight path ever has.

Looking back over the last few years alone, I can see countless cycles. New communities replacing old ones. Creative projects beginning in a burst of enthusiasm, disappearing for months, then returning stronger than before. Periods of confidence followed by periods of questioning.
The wheel turns, and somehow I keep turning with it.

The triskele reminds me that change isn't failure. Returning to a familiar place in life doesn't mean I've gone backwards. Sometimes you're simply entering another turn of the spiral.

Why These Symbols Stay

I think that's why these symbols have endured for me.

They're meaningful without requiring strict adherence to a particular religious identity. They express ideas I carry with me every day: protection, balance, change, continuity, and growth.

Symbols are, at their core, tools for communicating ideas. Sometimes the most powerful ones are the ones that continue speaking to you long after you've stopped worrying about what category you're supposed to fit into.

The pentacle reminds me to protect what matters.

The triskele reminds me that life moves in cycles.

And honestly, that's enough.

Function Over Faith

On a more practical level, they also just work visually. I use them as decorative elements across my site because they carry a certain balance and simplicity that fits the aesthetic I'm building.

Even stripped of deeper meaning, they hold up as strong, clean symbols that make the space feel intentional rather than empty.