The ancient Babylonians believed that an 8 pointed star represented the goddess Ishtar, associated with the planet Venus. In Judeo-Christian culture, it is an agent for new beginnings.

Egyptians believed that it represented 8 deities, 4 male gods and 4 female gods, known as the Ogdoad. However, a universal meaning of such stars is that they stand for life, from our birth to death and the wisdom we all possess, no matter how rich or poor we are.

Most cultures have at some time worshipped the Sun as the supreme cosmic power - the life-force that enables all things to thrive and grow. As the source of heat, the Sun symbolises vitality, passion and youth. As the Source of light. it represents enlightment. It is also an emblem of royalty and empire. Its rising and setting symbolises birth, death and ressurection.

The Sun represents vitality, energy and passion, while the Moon symbolises intuition, emotion and cycles of change. Together, they create a powerful symbol of balance and unity.

The mysterious Moon has always captured the human imagination. Its luminous presence in the night sky made it a symbol of Hope and enlightenment. Like the Sun, it is often associated with birth, death and resurrection, but it also controls the water and is a fertility symbol.

Its feminine qualities bind it to the Mother Goddess.

Representing divine guidance, guardianship and hope, stars are hugely important symbols. American Indians believed that they represented the campfire of their ancestors, and other cultures thought they were gateways to Heaven or angelic messengers of the God.

Harbinger of Hope and Springtime, the swooping swallow signifies good fortune. Its annual migration and habit returning to the same nesting site associate it with both departure and return, representing death and resureccion.