01
What is being protected?
A traveller, home, relationship, memory, and spiritual practice lead toward different visual traditions.
Protection Symbols
137 symbols to explore
Meaning & historical contextBrowse protection symbols
137 symbols, with primary meanings first.
Primary meaning: Protection
Occult & Esoteric£0.99
Phallic Pendant
A deliberately provocative Roman amulet that used phallic and genital imagery to repel the evil eye.
3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialProtectionLuckHistorically supported
Primary meaning: Protection
Occult & Esoteric£0.99
Attic Eye-Cup Device
The bold paired eyes of an Archaic Attic drinking cup, often read as an apotropaic gaze but still open to debate.
3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialProtectionIdentityHistorically supported
Primary meaning: Protection
Occult & Esoteric£0.99
Crescent Lunula Amulet
A crescent-shaped amulet from Roman-period Egypt associated with divine lunar protection.
3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialProtectionFaithHistorically supported
Primary meaning: Protection
Occult & Esoteric£0.99
Isiac Sistrum
A Roman bronze sistrum used in Isiac worship, whose jingling ritual sound was understood to ward off evil.
3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialProtectionFaithHistorically supported
Primary meaning: Protection
Occult & Esoteric£0.99
Mano Fica Hand
A clenched hand with the thumb thrust between two fingers, used in Roman amulets as a provocative defence against the evil eye.
3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialProtectionLuckHistorically supported
Primary meaning: Protection
Occult & Esoteric£0.99
Protective Prayer Amulet
A Roman-period agate amulet whose protection was carried in an inscribed prayer rather than a single pictorial emblem.
3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialProtectionFaithHistorically supported
Primary meaning: Protection
Occult & Esoteric£0.99
Roman Bulla Pendant
A rounded Roman pendant worn especially by children as a personal safeguard against the evil eye.
3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialProtectionFamilyHistorically supported
Primary meaning: Protection
Occult & Esoteric£0.99
Winged Phallus Tintinnabulum
A fantastical Roman hanging charm combining a winged phallus with bells to protect a household and attract good fortune.
3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialProtectionLuckHistorically supported
Secondary meaning: Protection
Pythian Symbols£0.99
Pythian Falcon
A falcon used in Knights of Pythias insignia as an emblem of vigilance, documented particularly on ceremonial swords.
3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialIdentityProtectionHistorically supported
Secondary meaning: Protection
Eastern Star Symbols£0.99
Sword and Veil
The sword and veil associated with Adah, the blue point of the Order of the Eastern Star, teaching duty, fidelity, and moral courage.
3 variants12 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialFaithProtectionHumilityHistorically supported
Secondary meaning: Protection
Occult & Esoteric£0.99
Chnoubis Gem
A Roman-period gem of the lion-headed serpent Chnoubis, a protective figure whose gem type was especially associated with digestive healing.
3 variants9 filesPDFPNGSVG
CommercialHealingProtectionHistorically supported
About protection symbols
Protection symbols are associated with guarding a person, place, journey, boundary, or belief. Their meanings are often highly specific: a shield, amulet, eye, cross, knot, or threshold mark does not protect in the same way or come from the same tradition.
Historical context
Protective imagery appears on wearable amulets, buildings, ships, devotional objects, domestic goods, and funerary material. Its intended force might be religious, magical, social, commemorative, or simply emblematic. Historical objects should be understood through their material, inscription, placement, and users rather than reduced to a generic ward.
Modern protection artwork often combines older forms with contemporary needs such as safe travel, emotional boundaries, or solidarity. Where a design is newly composed, the Vault describes it as historically inspired instead of assigning it an invented ancient pedigree.
A note on interpretation
Symbolic meanings are not universal definitions. They change with period, place, material, belief, and use. Sanctum Hex separates documented historical context from later convention and modern personal interpretation.
Explore the Journal →Choose with context
How to choose a symbol for protection.
Start with the exact idea, then narrow it through history, tradition, and intended use.
02
Separate history from modern use
Look for an evidenced historical function before repeating a popular internet interpretation.
03
Consider visibility
Private protective tokens can be intimate; public marks should communicate clearly and avoid borrowed sacred authority.
Follow the context
Explore the worlds around protection.
These routes are generated from the structured metadata shared by the matching symbols.
Traditions
Eras
Objects
Uses
Styles
Emotions
Related meanings
Sanctum Hex Journal
Read beyond the catalogue.
Editorial research connected to protection and its historical settings.
Egyptian Symbols: Meanings, Origins, and Visual Language
Egyptian Symbols follows how Egyptian symbols carried life, kingship, protection, and afterlife belief through a tightly disciplined visual language.
Read article →
Witchcraft: Meanings, Origins, and Visual Language
Witchcraft explores how lunar signs, household rites, and protective marks shaped a practical visual language of witchcraft.
Read article →
Nautical & Maritime Symbols: Meanings, Origins, and Visual Language
Nautical & Maritime Symbols explores the history, meanings, and visual logic behind a tightly curated set of enduring seafaring motifs.
Read article →
Norse Symbols & Runes: Mythic Marks of Meaning
Discover the mythic power of Norse symbols and the Elder Futhark runes. This article explores the meanings behind iconic signs like Vegvísir, Valknut, Mjölnir and the Helm of Awe, and deciphers how ancient runes conveyed concepts such as wealth, strength, journey and protection.
Read article →
Traditional Nautical Tattoo: Meanings, Origins, and Visual Language
Traditional Nautical Tattoo looks at how classic flash symbols turned loyalty, danger, romance, and grit into instantly readable images.
Read article →
Symbolic Forms Mythological Creature: Meanings, Origins, and Visual Language
Embody resilience and mythic guardianship with iconic hybrid creatures whose legendary forms signal protection, power, and renewal across cultures and eras.
Read article →
Guidance Symbols
Guidance symbols gather marks associated with wayfinding, orientation, protection, and keeping a clear path through uncertain conditions.
Read article →
Medieval Pilgrim Protective Symbols (1100-1600): Meanings, Origins, and Visual Language
Medieval Pilgrim & Protective Symbols from 1100-1600 evoke spiritual journeys and divine safeguard, blending iconic badges and crosses with sacred geometry in a vivid contemporary curation.
Read article →
Curated sets
Collections with related symbols.
Collection overlap is shown against the symbols on this meaning page.
25 matching symbols
Greek & Roman Protective Signs, c. 600 BCE-400 CE
Greek Roman Protective Signs C 600 Bce 400 Ce gathers 25 symbols shaped around 25 distinct protective and apotropaic forms tied to named Greek, Hellenistic, Roman Republican, Roman Imperial, or Late Roman objects and contexts from c. 600 BCE to 400 CE, with each mark chosen for clarity, historical resonance, and a strong editorial silhouette.
23 matching symbols
Symbolic Forms Mythological Creature Collection
Symbolic Forms Mythological Creature gathers 25 symbols shaped around mythic beasts and legendary creature symbols shaped as compact, cut-safe emblem forms, with each mark chosen for clarity, historical resonance, and a strong editorial silhouette.
19 matching symbols
Witchcraft Collection
Witchcraft gathers 25 symbols shaped around folk magic, lunar ritual, protective signwork, and the symbolic language of domestic and ceremonial witchcraft, with each mark chosen for clarity, historical resonance, and a strong editorial silhouette.
16 matching symbols
Egyptian Symbols Collection
Egyptian Symbols gathers 25 symbols shaped around temple relief, royal regalia, Nile symbolism, and the measured sacred language of Egyptian signwork, with each mark chosen for clarity, historical resonance, and a strong editorial silhouette.
13 matching symbols
Nautical & Maritime Symbols Collection
Nautical & Maritime Symbols gathers 25 symbols shaped around ropework, anchors, beacons, ships, swallows, hearts, stars, and the symbolic shorthand of maritime life, with each mark chosen for clarity, historical resonance, and a strong editorial silhouette.
9 matching symbols
Medieval Pilgrim Protective Symbols (1100-1600) Collection
Medieval Pilgrim Protective Symbols (1100-1600) gathers 25 symbols shaped around pilgrim badges, journey signs, devotional monograms, protective emblems, shrine souvenirs, manuscript motifs, and symbols of faith, endurance, healing, identity, and safe return, with each mark chosen for clarity, historical resonance, and a strong editorial silhouette.
9 matching symbols
Traditional Nautical Tattoo Collection
Traditional Nautical Tattoo gathers 25 symbols shaped around traditional flash language, protection motifs, bold line symbolism, and heirloom Americana composition, with each mark chosen for clarity, historical resonance, and a strong editorial silhouette.
7 matching symbols
Sumerian and Early Akkadian Motifs of Southern Mesopotamia
A curated set of 25 historically documented visual motifs from Sumerian and early Akkadian southern Mesopotamian art, spanning c. 3500–1800 BCE. Includes iconic emblems like celestial stars, divine hybrids, foundation pegs, and royal standards drawn from seals, sculptures, and temple artifacts.
6 matching symbols
Pictish Symbol Stones Documented Marks Of Early Medieval Scotland C 300–900 Collection
Pictish Symbol Stones Documented Marks Of Early Medieval Scotland C 300–900 gathers 25 symbols shaped around documented Pictish composite signs, geometric marks, object motifs, and animal forms tied to named early medieval carved stones in Scotland, with each mark chosen for clarity, historical resonance, and a strong editorial silhouette.
Research trail
Sources behind the matching entries.
These references support the individual symbol histories on this page. They are not presented as evidence for one universal meaning.
What Are Witches' Marks?
What Are Witches' Marks? Historic England.
Historic England
Spellbound - Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft
Spellbound - Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft, exhibition overview, 31 August 2018-6 January 2019.
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Agu-'nsi figure, Witch in a Bottle, and Rowan Loops
Agu-'nsi figure, Witch in a Bottle, and Rowan Loops. Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.
Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford
Tattoo Flash
Unidentified artist. Tattoo Flash, twentieth century, object 1998.84.50F.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Body Art During World War II
Russo, Carolyn. Body Art During World War II, from the Lyle Tuttle Tattoo Art Collection, 9 September 2020.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Matthew Hopkins witch-finder
The discovery of witches, Matthew Hopkins, London, 1647, British Library E.388.(2).
The National Archives
Witchcraft
Witchcraft - early-modern records and trial documents. The National Archives.
The National Archives
Amulets and Charms Introductory Guide
Small Blessings - Amulets and Charms Introductory Guide. Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.
Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford
A pagan perspective on Feminine power - the divine to the demonic
A pagan perspective on Feminine power - the divine to the demonic. British Museum, 5 September 2022.
British Museum
The Witches' Sabbath
Hans Baldung Grien. The Witches' Sabbath, woodcut, 1510, object 1852,1009.203.
British Museum
A spiritual revolution? Wicca and religious change in the 1960s
A spiritual revolution? Wicca and religious change in the 1960s. Open University, 22 October 2020.
The Open University
Dr Dee's Magical Mirror
Obsidian mirror associated with John Dee, object 1966,1001.1, sixteenth century.
British Museum