The well known Celtic cross and Celtic Christianity is a thing of beauty and is also a possessor of very many meanings. In appearence, it resembles a traditional Christian cross but with a circle drawn around the joints of the two arms of the cross. It is also regularly referred to as the Irish Cross or sometimes the Cross of Iona (both an island and a Gaelic name).

One meaning that is possible is the cross is the unity of two types of belief systems. The cross symbolizes Christian faith, while the circle symbolizes a pagan moon Goddess. This coincides with the Irish legend of St. Patrick introducing this symbol when he converted the pagan people of the Emerald Isle. Some also say that the circle actually represents the Sun, another strong image in the pagan belief system.

Many times, the cross and circle shape is only just part of the picture. Complex designs and carvings are prominent on Celtic crosses. One such design is an interweaving thread, actually interviewing figures of eight, which symbolize order, chaos, death and rebirth. As you can see, four again.

The image, in some form or another, certainly dates back long-long before Christianity. The reason is, that a cross has arms facing in four directions. This could mean the four elements, four navigational directions, and so on. The circle is yet another ancient symbol, associated with perfection, even the ancient Egyptians have used it in their designs.

Regretfully, in modern times the symbol has been abused, and taken by radical political parties. Commonly they simplify the cross and circle motif by just drawing a circle with a plus sign inside, extending outward (regularly referred to as the sun cross). The link between the emblem and radicalism has become so strong that in Italy they have banned it from being publicly displayed in stadiums.