The Awen is a not genuine symbol of ancient Druidry, but associated with several modern groups. The word Awen in the Gaelic language means means “inspiration,” or “essence,” and refers to to poetic inspiration (traditional) or spiritual illumination (modern). The three parts of the Awen symbol represent the harmony of opposites- the left and right rays symbolizing female and male energy; the center bar their harmonious balance (somewhat akin to the Taoist yin-yang symbol). The symbol is referred to as the “Bardic symbol” in Charlotte Guest’s translation of the Mabinogion, a collection of traditional Welsh Arthurian tales, where it is said to represent the entirety of the Celtic Ogham alphabet as discovered by the Welsh hero Menw.

In reality, the emblem was probably conceived by the eighteenth century poet Iolo Morganwg, and reproduced in his book of purported Druidic philosophy, which was later discovered to be spurious. An actual, recognizable symbol in ancient Druidry was the Sun wheel, or Wheel of Taranis, a Celtic sun/thunder God.