The Celtic Cross

Often associated with the Tree of Life, the Celtic Cross predates Christianity, the oldest example being from 10,000 BC. The first cross symbols represented the sun. In the megalithic age and in the Celtic epoch, the sun was considered to be the devine center of the cosmos, the "light of the world". The sign of the sun is the circle with a center. The circle represents the whole, the encircling spirit, the sun illuminating - an all-embracing essence of light. In the Celtic Cross, it is the center where all forces come together. The cross is the cosmic wheel, representing the four seasonal positions of the sun - cosmic order - the four directions, elements, four seasons.