Debunk Paranormal

A Anchor - seafaring profession; Hope; wrapped in vines it represents firm Christian faith. Angel - Flying it would mean rebirth or resurrection; Trumpeting means resurrection; Weeping symbolizes grief and mourning. An angel is the messenger between god and man. Ankh - Reincarnation, peace, eternal life. Arches - Victory in death. Arrow - Mortality; martyrdom. B Bible (Holy Book) - Wisdom; divine word of God; personal accomplishment. Two holy books on a Mormon grave indicates the Bible and Book of Mormon. Three holy books on a Mormon grave indicates the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine & Convenants. Bird - Eternal life. If it’s flying, it stands for eternal life. Bouquets/flowers - Morning of life; renewal of life; condolences; grief; sorrow. Broken column - Loss of the head of a family; end of life; sorrow; a life cut short; the eventual ruin or decomposition of us all. Broken ring - Family circle severed. Buds/Rosebud - Morning of life; the renewal of life. Bugles - Resurrection; the military. Butterfly - Short lived; an early death. C Caduceus - (Two snakes entwined around a staff) The symbol of a physician or a healer. Candle being snuffed - Time; mortality. Chain links (3) - The divine trinity. Cherub - Angelic; young child. Coffin, Father Time, Picks and Shovels - Mortality. Columns - Heavenly entrance. Corn - Ripe old age. Crescent Moon - Virginity; rebirth; victory. Cross - Emblem of faith. Crossed Swords - High-ranking military person. Crown - Glory of life after death; righteousness. Cup or Chalice - The Sacraments. D Door - Heavenly entrance. Dove - Purity; devotion; innocence; gentleness; peace; the holy ghost. Dragon - Imperial power; universe; chaos. Draped Urn - Sorrow; mourning. Drapes - Mourning; mortality. E Eye of God - God sees all. F Flame or light - Life; resurrection. Flower - Fragility of life; with a severed stem it represents a shortened life. Flying birds- Flight of the soul. Freemason symbols: Laurel leaves and branches - represent special achievement and distinction. The square - represents morality. Chain links - are the Goodfellows organization symbol. Eastern Star - a member of a Freemason group for women. Fruits - Eternal plenty. Full-blown Rose - Prime of life. G Garland - Victory in death. Grim Reaper - Death personified. Gun - Served in the Military H Hands pointing up - pathway to heaven; heavenly reward. Hands clasped - the goodbyes said at death. Hand of God chopping - Sudden death. Handshake - Farewell; friendship; unity; partnership. Hand on the neck - Sacrifice. Hand and eye - Clairvoyance. Praying - Prayer; hope for the afterlife. Holding - Marriage, farewell. Harp - Praise to the maker. Heart - Love; love of god; seat of the soul; mortality. Horns - The resurrection. Horse - love of horses; horseback riding. Hourglass - The swift passing of time. If flying- time flies, short life. Hummingbird - Wisdom; joy; happiness. I IHS - Found often on Celtic crosses, IHS is taken from the Greek “in hoc salus” which literally means “there is safety in this”. In the Middle Ages, this was incorrectly interpreted as meaning “Jesus Hominum Salvatore” or “Jesus Savior of Mankind”, since the first three letters in the Greek spelling of Jesus are IHS. Imps - Mortality. Inverted Torch - Extinction of life; death. Ivy - Immortality, Friendship, Faithfulness. L Lamb - Innocence; purity; gentleness; sacrifice; most often found on the graves of children or stillborn babies. Laurel branch and leaves - Special achievement, distinction; success; heroism. Lily or Lily of the Valley - Virgin; innocence; purity; resurrection. Leaves - regeneration; immortality; friendship. Lion - Courage. Lotus - Purity; resurrection; evolution; potential. Lyre - Harmony and heavenly accord; music and song in praise of god. M Morning Glory - Beginning of life. O Oak leaves/acorn - Maturity; ripe old age. Open book/bible - Deceased teacher or minister. P Pall - Mortality Palm Tree or branch - Victory; rejoicing; righteousness; resurrection; martyrdom. Pick- Death; Mortality. Pine cones - Full long life with children. Poppy - Sleep. Portals - Passageway to eternal life. Pyramid - Eternal life, resurrection R Rod/Staff - Comfort for the bereaved. Rooster - Awakening; resurrection. Rose - Completion; brevity of earthly existence; perfection. S Scythe - Death; the divine harvest. Seashell - Resurrection; life everlasting; life’s pilgrimage. Sextant - Navigator; explorer. Sheaf of wheat - Ripe for the harvest; divine harvest. Ship - Hope; seafaring profession; faith will carry you through life. Shriner symbols - Crescent moon Scimitar Star - divine presence; enlightenment; human aspiration. Urn Skull - Mortality. Skull/Crossed bones - Death. Skeleton - Life’s brevity. Snake(tail in mouth) - Everlasting life in heaven. Spade - Mortality; death. Stars and Stripes around an Eagle - Eternal vigilance; Liberty. Sun - Rising means renewed life; Shining means life everlasting; Setting means death. T Thistle - Scottish descent. Thistles - Remembrance. Tomb - Mortality. Torch - Inverted it represents death and a life cut short. Right side up it represents life, truth, intelligence and regeneration. Tree - Life. Tree trunk - Brevity of life. Tree trunk leaning - Short interrupted life. Tree stump - Life interrupted. Tree stump with ivy - Head of family; immortality. Tree sprouting - Life everlasting. Trumpets - Heralds of the resurrection. U Urn - Immortality Urn with Blaze - Undying friendship. Urn with Wreath or Crepe - Mourning. W Weeping willow tree - Perpetual mourning; grief; Nature’s lament. Wheat - The divine harvest; reap what we sow. Willows - Earthly sorrow. Winged face - Effigy of the deceased soul; the soul in flight. Winged Skull - Flight of the soul from mortal man. Winged Sun disk - Lifegiving power of the sun; spiritual attributes of the heavens. Woman with Anchor - Masonic symbol of hope. Wreath - Victory. Wreath on Skull - Victory of death over life.

Old Tombstone Carvings: The term "Relict" on a tombstone means that the woman was a widow at time of death, consort means that her husband survived her. "Cenotaph" engraved on a tombstone indicates an empty grave, with the stone erected in honor or memory of a person buried elsewhere - often erected in honor of a person lost at sea. Meanings of Carvings: Arches--- Victory in Death Arrows--- Mortality Bouquets/Flowers--- Condolences, grief, sorrow Buds/Rosebud--- Morning of Life or Renewal of Life Roses--- Brevity of earthly existence Portals--- Passageway to eternal journey Bugles--- Resurrection and the Military Crossed Swords--- High-ranking military person Flying Birds--- Flight of the Soul Fruits --- Eternal plenty Garlands --- Victory in death Imps--- Mortality Shells--- Pilgrimage of Life Thistles--- Remembrance Tombs--- Mortality Trees--- Life Trumpeters--- Heralds of the Resurrection Willows--- Earthly Sorrow Morning Glory--- Beginning of Life Butterfly--- Short-lived; Early Death Full-Blown Rose--- Prime of Life Palm Branch--- Signifies Victory and Rejoicing Ivy--- Friendship and Immortality Laurel--- Fame or Victory Oak Leaves & Acorn--- Maturity, Ripe Old Age Weeping Willow--- Emblem of Sorrow Corn--- Ripe Old Age Sheaf of Wheat--- Ripe for Harvest, Divine Harvest, Time Poppy--- Sleep Lamb--- Innocence Dove--- Innocence, Gentleness, Affection, Purity Cherub--- Angelic Cross--- Emblem of Faith Anchor/Ships--- Hope or Seafaring profession Broken Ring--- Family Circle Severed Broken Column--- Loss of Head of Family Torch Inverted--- Life Extinct Urn with Blaze --- Undying Friendship Harp--- Praise to the Maker Handshakes--- Farewell Hearts--- Soul in Bliss or Love of Christ Horns--- The Resurrection Hourglass--- Swiftness of Time Open Book/ Bible--- Deceased Teacher, Minister, etc. Lily or Lily of Valley--- Emblem of Innocence and Purity Tree Stump w/Ivy--- Head of Family; Immortality Urn with /Wreath or Crepe-- Mourning Stars & Stripes Around Eagle--- Eternal Vigilance, Liberty Hourglass w/Wings of Time--- Time Flying; Short Life Candle being Snuffed--- Time, mortality Coffin, Father Time, Picks/Shovels, Darts--- Mortality Hand of God Chopping--- Sudden Death Winged Effigies--- Flight of the Soul Meaning of Tombstone Initials AF&AM (masonic) AOF Ancient Order Of Foresters AOKMC Ancient Order Of Knights of Mystic Chain AOUW Ancient Order Of United Workmen ALOH American Legion of Honor AUM Ancient Order of Mysteries- Masonic Order BPOE Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks BPOEW Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of theWorld CK of A Catholic Knights of America COOF Catholic Order of Foresters CTAS Catholic Total Abstinence Society CBKA Commander Benevolent Knights Association CCTAS Crusaders-Catholic Total Abstinence Society CSA Confeserate States Army DAR Daughters of American Revolution EBA Emerald Beneficial Association FAA Free and Accepted Americans F&AM - Free and Accepted Masons. FLT-Friendship, Love, & Truth (Independent Order of Oddfellows) FOE Fraternal Order of Eagles GALSTPTR German American Legion of St. Peter GAR Grand Army of the Republic GLAUM Grand Lodge Ancient Order of Mysteries-Masonic Order GUOOF Grand United Order of Odd Fellows IHSV Red Cross of Constantine IOI Independent Order of Immaculates IOKP Independent Order of Knights of Pythias IOOF Independent Order of Odd Fellows IORM Improved Order of Redmen ISH Independent Sons of Honor IWW Industrial Workers of the World JAOUW Junior Order-Ancient Order of United Workmen JOUAM Junior Order-Order of United American Mechanics KGL Knight Grand Legion KM Knights Militant KC Knights of Columbus K of C Knights of Columbus K of FM Knights of Father Matthew< KFM Knights of Father Matthew K of H Knights of Honor K of L Knights of Loyola K M Knights of Malta (Masonic) KMC Knights of the Mystic Chain KPC Knights of Peter Claver KP Knights of Pythias K of P Knights of Pythias KSC Knights of St. Columbkille KG Knights of St. George KSTG Knights of St. George KSTI Knights of St. Ignatius K of SJ Knights of St. John KSTJ Knights of St. Joseph KSL Knights of St. Lawrence KSTM Knights of St. Martin K of STP Knights of St. Patrick KSTP Knights of St. Paul KSTP Knights of St. Peter KSTT Knights of St. Thomas K of STW Knights of St. Wenceslas KT Knights of Tabor K of T Knights of Tabor KWM Knights of Wise Men KGE Knights of Golden Eagle KHC Knights of Holy Cross KKK Knights of Klu-Klux Klan KOTM Knights of Macabees KSF Knights of Sherwood Forest KT Knights Templars (Masonic) LAOH Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians LK of A Loyal Knights of America LOM Loyal Order of the M.O.O.S.E. MOLLUS Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States MRA Royal Arcanum MWA Modern Woodsmen of America NOK New Order Knights (see KKK) OES Order of the Eastern Star OUAM Order of United American Mechanics PM Patriarchs Militant (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) POSA Patriotic Order of the Sons of America RMOKHSJ The Religious and Military Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem RSTV Rite of St. Vaclara RSTV Rite of ST. Vita RK Roman Knights SR Scottish Rite (Masonic Order) RAM Royal Arch Masons RO-AUM Rosicrucian Order (Masonic) SBCL Saint Bonifazius Catholic Union SBL Society B. Lafayette SCV Sons of the Confederate Veterans SAR Sons of the American Revolution SNA-AUM Shrine of North America (Masonic) SV Sons of Veterans TH Temple of Honor-Independent Order of Odd Fellows TOTE Totem of the Eagle (goes with IORM) UCV United Confederate Veterans UDC United Daughters of the Confederacy VFW Veterans of Foreign Wars WOW Woodsmen of the World