Halo Cross
Crosses often appear with a circle or arc, and these can be called Halo Crosses.
Synonyms for Halo include Nimbus, Aureole, Glory and Gloriole.
Halo Cross
The three cross arms of this halo represent the Holy Trinity
The word halo comes from the Greek halos, which means the ring of light shown around the Sun. The word was borrowed for the name of the light, real or imaginary, appearing around a holy person. Artists have used this to represent the spiritual light from holy people "The righteous shall shine forth as the Halo in the kingdom of their Father." (Matthew 13:43)
A circle or arc is much easier to draw or carve than an image of a holy person, and just the halo on its own can represent a holy person. Halo Cross is a generic term for many crosses with such shapes. For example:
Sun Cross
likely to have originally represented the oldest god and most powerful god - the Sun. No surprise therefore that the symbolism transferred into other religions such as Christianity and Buddhism.
Celtic Cross
probably the most widely seen Halo Cross
Rainbow Cross
tells us of God's promise to mankind
Ankh Cross
reminds us of the rebirth possible through Jesus' sacrifice
Crown of Thorns
worn by Jesus when He was crucified
Wreath Cross
made from leaves, plucked from bushes and trees, sacrificed to make the wreath.
Despite its horseshoe shape, this symbol represents light. The rainbow after the storm of living in this world.
An enshrined cross atop a Christian tomb in Okinawa.
