Symbols

**Symbols** are a series of seals and markings used extensively by witches, drawn as representations of various magical concepts. They are usually incorporated into rituals though, they may also act as physical representations of spells as well. Different symbols come in a variety of designs ranging from simple to intricate.

Although rarely, symbols in the series may not always have a mystical significance attached to them

## Throughout The Vampire Diaries Series

Various symbols have appeared in different images and forms and have been considered symbols of power, corruption and many other meanings.

### Pentagram

The Pentagram is a five pointed star encased in a circle and one of the most common symbol used by witches. It is the representation of the main elements that abound in the world: Air, Earth, Fire, Water and Spirit. In the series, several powerful witches use the pentagram to strengthen their magic or destroy a threat.

* Emily Bennett was the first witch seen to use this symbol to prevent the release of the vampires of the tomb. She destroyed her talisman using the pentagram and the magic of her descendant.
* Sheila Bennett used the pentagram to open the door of the tomb, but due to the hard work and magic used to maintain the seal down, the original spell canceled, and the seal is broken, freeing the vampires.
* Esther uses this symbol when she attempted to use a spell to reverse the vamprism in the Original Vampires. According to her words, each of the points of the pentagram is for each of her children: Elijah, Finn, Niklaus, Kol, Rebekah.
* Aja was seen using a pentagram along with her coven when they attempted a spell that would cleanse Bonnie of Expression.
* The Witch of The Five was the witch who created symbols of the Hunter's Mark found on the left arm on each of the members of the Five of which, a pentagram is included. During their creation, each hunter stood at five points surrounding the witch, it can be assumed that each hunters represents an edge of the pentagram.
* Freya used the pentagram when she attempted to bind Hope's werewolf side in order to save the latter's mother. She chanted the incantation while putting the moonstone in the middle of the pentagram then proceeded to move the stone toward Hope's forehead. She was stopped by Klaus, who angrily halted the ceremony.

### Triquetra

The Triquetra is typically shown as a symmetrical, triangular shape with three interlaced lobes encased within a circle. It is a symbol commonly used to link three objects or people together for various reasons. Each point of the triqueta represents one of the three objects being bound. In *Death and the Maiden*, Qetsiyah has been the only witch that has been seen using this symbol, which was done when she linked Amara, Elena and Katherine together to draw power to perform the Anchor Transference Ritual to bestow Anchor-ship to Bonnie.

### Lockwood's Cave Symbols

The Lockwood's Cave are full of archaic symbols engraved or painted in deep caves dug under the property of the Lockwood founding family. They were used by natives to express significant events that occurred during that time. Many of their meanings still remain a mystery however, several of them have be discovered by Alaric during his study of them.

* **Life and Death:** A drawing is shown of to represent a being alive when it is faced upwards. If it is faced downwards, they represent said being to be dead.    **Vampire:** Vampires in these drawings are represented with an image, rather ironically, of the sun and two fangs. The Sun is used as part of the symbol for vampires due to it being used in Esther's spell. The fangs are the main feature of the vampires for their livelihood.
* **Werewolf:** The werewolves in these drawings are represented with the moon and two fangs. The Moon is used as part of the symbol for werewolves due their nature of turning on the full moon. The fangs are the main feature of the werewolves for their livelihood.
* **Witch:** A witch is represented by a drawing of the object which they used most frequently. In many cases, the design of their talisman.
* **Animal:** Unlike other symbols, animals are symbolized with its own form, or in ancient times, was the most common animal in the land representing others.
* **Human:** Generally, humans were represented by a basic shape, which has two arms, two legs, a balanced body and a head. The face, and other brands, were rarely painted, because the ancients consider themselves equal since Creation.

### The Ouroboros

The Ouroboros was originally depicted in *We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes* as representation of Silas, the first immortal. The symbol itself shows a serpent or dragon eating its own tail in a never ending cycle in a sense of constant re-creation. This is fitting for Silas and his doppelgängers as the doppelgängers were Nature's way of creating something that could die in Silas' stead as they are mystically recurring and the only balance to true immortality.

### Hunter's Mark

The Hunter's Mark symbols are very similar to the Icelandic Vegvísir, but distinct as the Vegvísir has eight arms while the Hunter's mark has six. This symbol apparently is related to the Supernatural Hunter, is a kind of map that unfolds every time one member of the five hunters kills a vampire or hybrid leading to the Tomb of the immortal Silas. Only a potential hunter can see the symbol.

### Expression Triangle

The Expression Triangle is the representation of twelve humans, twelve demons (hybrids), and twelve witches sacrifices in places strategically located which form a triangle. The images inside the triangle are two skeletons and a flower. The symbols of three species in the book where it describes the Expression Triangle, are symbols of three planets in the solar system.

* The humans' symbol represents "Earth". The Earth is the planet on which our lives become manifest, and the cross of matter is placed in the center, surrounded by the circle of Spirit, within which all life is contained.
* The demons' symbol represents "Neptune". Neptune is the crescent of soul impaled upon the cross of matter. Soul reaches upwards but is penetrated, or trapped, by matter. It symbolizes soul's suffering while it is encased in matter, and its longing to return to its source - the spirit.
* The witches' symbol (Lalande version) represents "Uranus". Uranus shows the cross of matter bracketed by two arcs of soul facing away from each other, one towards the past and one towards the future, harnessed by the cross of matter between them, over a small circle of spirit indicating the power of the mind to harness natural forces.

SacrificialSymbol.pngPapa Tune's Sacrificial SymbolMikaelSacrifice1.pngFinn's Sacrificial SymbolNormal TheOriginals216-2504.jpegEva Sinclair's Sacrificial Symbol