Recognizing The Occult---Part 2

 

This is the second of some posts I will publish on occult symbolism. I've written much on occult practices and how it influences things like music and movies, but not so much on occult symbols. Sometimes my friends will ask, "I want to buy [certain item they show me] but a writing or a picture on it looks strange. Is it occult?" Good question. Sometimes someone will know something is occult, but they don't know exactly why it's bad, other than the general condemnation of the occult by the Church and found in the Bible. 

This post will continue to expose occult symbolism. While many things today are occult, not every symbol or writing we don't understand is automatically "occult." We must learn to discern. You may be better equipped to help a family member or friend who has some occult symbol in his/her possession and may not realize it, thinking it harmless. My first post in this series was published on 4/27/26.  It is well worth reading first if you have not already done so--it gives some background on symbolism which I will not repeat here. 

I claim no credit for any of the material in this post. All I did was compile the research on the occult into a terse and reader-friendly installment on this blog. The material comes from many online and print resources.  I hope you find it useful. Please comment and let me know if you got something out of it.

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

Ritualistic and Divinatory Occult Symbols

These systems promise guidance and control over the future, replacing trust in God's sovereignty with confidence in alleged "hidden forces." 

The Tarot

Meaning: The Tarot is more than a card game; it is a system that invites us to project our anxieties onto archetypal images. It divides life into the “Major Arcana” (22 cards representing the fool’s journey of spiritual evolution) and the “Minor Arcana” (56 cards for daily life). It promises that if we just shuffle the deck right, we can peek behind the curtain of time and find certainty in a chaotic world. 

Origin: Originally created in 15th-century Italy as a card game called Tarocchi. It was not until the late 18th century that occultists adopted the imagery for divination. Later groups combined the cards with Hebrew letters, linking the 22 Major Arcana to the 22 paths of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.

 

Uses Today: Modern usage ranges from fortune-telling to psychological self reflection. Cards are arranged in specific "spreads" to interpret life events. Advanced practitioners use "pathworking"—a form of guided visualization to mentally enter and interact with the card’s symbolic landscape. 

Why it should not be used: All forms of divination are condemned by the Church without exception. Tarot appeals to those desperate for certainty about an uncertain future, promising control through a "destiny" dealt in the cards. Not only the cards themselves, but any symbol used in the Tarot must be shunned.

The Zodiac

Meaning: Cosmic fatalism. It divides the sky into twelve sections, telling us that our temperaments and destinies are dictated by the position of the sun, moon, and planets at our birth. It offers the comfort of believing our flaws are “written in the stars” rather than issues of the heart, replacing personal responsibility with celestial programming.

Origin: The concept began in ancient Babylon (c. 2000 BC), but the Greeks developed the specific horoscope system used today. In the 2nd century AD, Ptolemy organized these beliefs into his book Tetrabiblos, effectively framing astrology as a serious science rather than just superstition. Uses Today — Beyond daily horoscopes, modern astrology has shifted from predicting the future to analyzing personality. People use detailed “birth charts” to define their identity, understand their emotions, and determine romantic compatibility.

Uses Today: Beyond daily horoscopes, modern astrology has shifted from predicting the future to analyzing personality. People use detailed “birth charts” to define their identity, understand their emotions, and determine romantic compatibility.

Why it should not be used: All forms of divination are condemned by the Church without exception. Astrology offers a ready-made identity, reducing the complexity of your soul to a “cookie-cutter” profile based on a timestamp. The Church offers something far richer: you are not a product of planetary alignment, but the “masterpiece” of a personal Creator.

Saturn

N. B. Besides this symbol, the planet with the ring is sometimes used as well.

Meaning: Represented by the scythe and the heavy metal lead, Saturn is the taskmaster of the zodiac. It symbolizes limitation, hardship, and “karmic debt.” Wearing it is an acknowledgement of life’s heavy burdens, often in an attempt to appease the forces that cause suffering or to master the “Saturn Return”—the astrological crisis point of mid-life maturity. 

Origin: Saturn was identified with the Greek god Cronos (Time), who devoured his own children. In alchemy, it represented the “blackening”—the death, restriction, and putrefaction necessary before spiritual transformation. 

Uses Today: Prominent in pop culture as a symbol of “adulting” and hard lessons, appearing in songs by artists like Adele, SZA, and Ariana Grande referencing the “Saturn Return.” It is a popular motif in jewelry and tattoos representing resilience. In the occult, it remains essential for talismanic magic, where practitioners use magic squares (kamea) and sigils to bind enemies, curse, or seek protection from the “evil eye” and bad luck. 

Why it should not be used: Any use of "magic charms" is pagan/occult sand has no place in the life of a Traditionalist. Saturn is the taskmaster of the zodiac, enforcing a worldview of cosmic debt (karma) where every mistake must be paid; this is more paganism/occultism. The whole idea of "karma" is also attached to the false and heretical idea of reincarnation. 

 

The Triple Moon

Meaning: The rhythm of the goddess. It offers women an identity rooted in biology rather than theology. By linking the waxing, full, and waning moon to the Maiden (youth), Mother (fertility), and Crone (wisdom/death), it divinizes the aging process. It suggests that our power comes from the shifting tides of nature rather than the unchangeable nature of God. 

Origin:  A 20th-century Wiccan (the religion of witches) and neopagan symbol influenced by Robert Graves's The White Goddess (1948), which popularized the  Maiden‑Mother-Crone lunar archetype from earlier goddess themes. In his book, Graves asserts that European poetic inspiration stems from the worship of a single, ancient moon goddess who embodies birth, love, and death.

Uses Today:  Prominent in contemporary witchcraft, it appears on altars, common jewelry, and ritual tools to honor the divine feminine and the sacred rhythms of nature’s cycles. It is mostly (although not exclusively) used by women.

Why it should not be used: The Triple Moon is pure paganism, and seeks the "divine feminine" within nature's cycles, offering identity through the Maiden-Mother-Crone archetype. It is also used frequently among modern day Wiccans (witches). Christ offers women (and men) something better: permanent identity as God's beloved image-bearers and adopted children (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Conclusion

As I wrote in my last post on this topic:

Symbols have deep meaning and are important. They link things tangible to realities that are intangible. We can't see love, but when a man brings red roses to his wife, love is symbolized. The ultimate symbol of love is the crucifix, God died so we may live forever. Those are wonderful symbols. However, when the symbol is linked to intangible evils by symbolizing heresies, immoralities and calling upon (evil) spirits for "protection" they become an invitation (wittingly or not) for evil to enter your life. Invite evil in and it will take you up on your request.