Equal-Armed Cross

Equal-Armed Cross: Also called the Square Cross, Rose Cross, Balanced Cross, and the Peaceful Cross. The symbol of an equal-armed cross (sometimes within a circle), to an astrologer (whose science predates Christianity by fifteen hundred years), represents the planet Earth. This symbol also links with the four directions, the four elements, the four seasons and so on, making it a powerful magickal talisman. For this reason the equal-armed cross was drawn on hot-cross buns in olden times, to protect the bread from faeries. Sometimes this form of cross was used to represent the natural union between the male and female. It was the equal-armed cross that was used as a holy symbol by the Knights Templar.

An old rhyme goes: “Hot Cross Buns! / Hot Cross Buns! / One a penny, / Two a penny, / Hot Cross Buns! / If you have no daughters, / Pray give them to your sons! / One a penny, / Two a penny, / Hot Cross Buns!”