Recognizing The Occult---Part 4

 

This is the fourth 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

Ambiguous Occult Symbols

These symbols require careful discernment, as their meaning shifts with context—sometimes serving legitimate conventional purposes, other times signaling the occult.

Butterflies

Meaning: Sometimes it simply is used to show something pretty and decorative in the home. The occult meaning is the soul’s metamorphosis. The butterfly symbolizes transformation and immortality—in Greek, psyche means both “soul” and “butterfly.” Its life cycle (caterpillar-chrysalis-winged insect) provides a visual metaphor for the soul’s liberation from earthly limitations. 

Origin: Treasured across cultures for millennia, Aztecs used butterflies to represent souls of slain warriors, Greeks portrayed Psyche with butterfly wings as a mortal freed from death, and early Christians adopted the butterfly to symbolize the soul leaving the body at death and eternal life. 

Uses Today: Appears frequently in décor, fashion, memorial art, and tattoos signaling transformation and new life. Used by Carl Jung to reflect psychic vigor and stages of self-discovery. Popular as a wholesome symbol of renewal and resurrection. 

How it should be used: Early Catholics rightly embraced this imagery for resurrection (caterpillar-chrysalis-butterfly mirroring life-death-resurrection), but believers must distinguish Christ’s once-for-all triumph from pagan narratives of souls endlessly transmigrating through lifetimes via false/heretical reincarnation. 

Bees

Meaning: Lost in the swarm. In Freemasonry, the beehive represents “industry,” cooperation, and a well‑ordered community of workers laboring together under the “Great Architect.” In various occult and neo‑pagan traditions, the bee and queen bee are linked with the “Divine Feminine” and the generative power of nature. They are sometimes used to express ideas of group consciousness or a “hive mind,” where the individual is subordinated to the collective. 

Origin: In ancient Mediterranean religion, bees were regarded as sacred and as messengers between worlds, associated with the souls of the dead and the underworld. Priestesses of Demeter and Artemis were called Melissae (bees), serving the goddess of the hive with absolute obedience. Many ancients also believed that bees were born spontaneously from the carcasses of cattle (a practice known as bugonia), making them symbols of life emerging from death and of agricultural rebirth. 

Uses Today: In the occult, it is central to “honey jar” spells (popular in Voodoo and witchcraft), which are used to “sweeten” a target’s disposition or bind them in sticky emotional attachment. The hive also endures as a visible badge of “state-building” theology, appearing on Masonic aprons and as the official emblem of Utah (Mormonism’s “State of Deseret”) to mark a commitment to the collective work. Culturally, the “hive” label has been secularized by super-fandoms (like Beyoncé’s “BeyHive”) to signal a fierce, shared identity centered on a matriarchal figure. 

How it should be used: If a symbol of diligence ("busy as a bee") and spring in someone's home, there' no problem. Otherwise, no one should have anything to do with a symbol employed by the Synagogue of Satan.

Caduceus

Meaning: The wand of the deal-maker. Featuring two serpents entwined in a figure eight around a winged staff, it represents commerce, negotiation, and the alchemical “union of opposites.” In the occult, it is a symbol of Hermetic power and balance. In culture, it represents the trickster god Hermes—patron of merchants, thieves, and liars —making its frequent use in healthcare a bitter irony. 

Origin: Ancient Mesopotamia (c. 2600 BC) and Greece. It was the herald’s staff of Hermes, granting him safe passage between worlds. Its association with medicine is a modern error; historically, it has nothing to do with healing. 

Uses Today: Often mistakenly used as a medical symbol by some health organizations (the Rod of Asclepius, not Caduceus, is the historically accurate medical emblem). In occult contexts, it functions as a marker in alchemical art and mystical diagrams, signifying supernatural power and hidden wisdom. 

How it should be used: In medical settings, the Caduceus typically means healthcare, not magick, and can be accepted as a conventional professional sign. However, in Hermetic or alchemical settings, it signals a rival spirituality to avoid. Traditionalists must discern context and reject uses that promote occult worldviews. 

Rod of Asclepius

Meaning: The true sign of the healer. A single serpent wrapped around a rough staff, it represents the physician’s art: the intuition and skill needed to use potentially harmful substances (like snake venom) for restoration. It symbolizes the reality that healing often requires facing death and poison to extract life. 

Origin: The badge of the Cult of Asclepius, who was revered as the first physician and Greek god of medicine. Sick pilgrims would sleep in his temples among non venomous snakes, seeking a cure. It is the historically accurate emblem of medicine, distinct from the magical associations of the Caduceus. The symbol may have originated from a medical procedure for removing parasites by winding them around a stick. 

Uses Today: The historically accurate medical emblem for hospitals, medical associations, and healthcare organizations worldwide. Often confused with the Caduceus but represents legitimate medical practice and care. WARNING: Some think the symbol imparts healing. That is occult.

How it should be used: This symbol is appropriate as a conventional sign representing healthcare and the physician’s profession. However, Traditionalists must reject any notion that the image itself conveys spiritual power. God heals through ordinary means and sometimes miracles.

 Crescent Moon

Meaning: The distinctive curved shape of the waxing or waning moon, representing the changing lunar cycle. Symbolically connected to the feminine principle, water, fertility, renewal, and growth. When resting on its back, it resembles a chalice or vessel. 

Origin: Deeply rooted in antiquity, predating modern religious use by thousands of years. Historically associated with powerful goddesses like Artemis/Diana and the Moon Goddess Tanit. The Ottoman Empire adopted it as an imperial emblem after founder Osman witnessed it stretch across the sky in a dream. 

Uses Today: Appears as a national or religious emblem on flags of several nations and mosque architecture, particularly in Islamic contexts. Also found in jewelry, charms, and Neopagan lunar-magic iconography for ritual timing and practice. 

How it should be used: Sometimes a crescent moon will appear on children's pajama's to be a sign of nighttime/bedtime. No problems there. However, those who look to the moon in the occult are often seeking a “divine feminine” tenderness and a rhythm to life that feels more intuitive than rigid; they want to be held by a cycle greater than themselves. The "greater than themselves" they seek can only be found in Christ and His One True Church. 

Conclusion

As I wrote in my first three posts 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.