Masonic & Occult Symbols Illustrate

The idea of wings is very important in mythology. In A Dictionary of Symbols we find: “Wings In the more general sense, wings symbolize spirituality, imagination, thought. The Greeks portrayed love and victory as winged figures, and some deities, such as Athena, Artemis and Aphrodite were at first—though not later— also depicted with wings....In alchemy, wings are always associated with the higher, active, male principle; animals without wings are related to the passive female principle.”

Mercury is one god who has a number of wings on his being. He has the caduceus (with winged snakes) and his hat and sandals also have wings. The winged hat (called a petasus) and winged sandals symbolize Hermes’ swiftness. In fact, he is called the “flying man.”

In Roman mythology Mercury: “was the god of commerce and travel, and the patron of thieves, gamblers, and ambassadors. The Greeks called him Hermes or Cyllenius, because he was born on Mount Cyllene, in Arcadia. He was the son of Jupiter (Zeus) and Maia, a daughter of Atlas. Pan, the god of shepherds, was the son of Mercury.”