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Symbols – Picts – Constellation - Whale [Cetus]
Identifier
026516
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Pictish stones were used as signposts. They described in pictures the sacred site to which the pilgrim was being directed, they gave directions in which it was to be found and they gave the constellations that could be used for navigation by the stars. Every constellation represents a symbol and each picture of the symbol then maps onto the constellation.
The symbol here is a whale or sea monster. In the case of this symbol the DIRECTION in which the symbol faces is key as there are three constellations that are very alike - Cetus the whale faces left, Capricorn faces right and Delphinus the dolphin faces left Delphinus, however, has no arms, whereas Cetus does. So this stone shows the constellation Cetus.