Trident
The trident is a three-pronged spear used for spear fishing, commonly referred to as both the
signature weapon and symbol of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea(aka Neptune, the Roman god of
the sea). Supposedly crafted by the three cyclops, the trident is a main source of power and essence to
Poseidon, as the thunderbolt is to Zeus. Poseidon is known to control the different bodies of water
using his trident. Roman scholar Maurus Servus Honoratus claimed the trident has three prongs
because “the sea is said to be a third part of the world, or because there are three kinds of water: seas,
streams, and rivers”. Some believe the sea is a world or dimension unto itself, that it is controlled and
manipulated by various divinities(including Poseidon), using the very trident. I have dreamt of
Poseidon using his trident to portal himself into the material world through the ocean, to manifest
himself as a water spout, and to cultivate the features of his mer-body and pull himself towards me.
Some say when Poseidon is angry he causes earthquakes when he strikes the earth with his powerful
weapon. Some say when he is angry and upset he causes tsunamis and sea storms with his trident,
drowning those he wants rid of. Others have claimed Poseidon saved them while at sea, by using his
trident to control the flow of the water, so they were not consumed by sea storm. Tridents have been
associated with many sky gods and marine divinities referred to as Tritons(mermen), who hold and
carry the weapon. Lucifer, Satan, Shiva, Parvati, Durga and Kali are also depicted with a trident.
In Hinduism, the trident is a sacred, divine, and principal symbol known as a trishula(Sanskrit for
“triple-spear”, like three thorns). Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction/death/fertility and the third god
of the triumvirate carries the trishula as part of his regalia, using it to stave off negativity, bad energies,
and evil wrongdoers. Supposedly, Shiva tore Ganesha’s head off using his trishula. The sharp points
of the trishula represent the three gunas and various trinities, which bear many different kinds of
symbolism and meanings, varying from culture to culture and philosophy to philosophy.
Philosophically speaking, the points of the trishula have many representations, ascertaining different
aspects of the human psychology, personality, innate nature, quality, and spiritedness of every person.
It is also said to represent the place at the brow where the energy channels of the human body meet.
Some say Shiva creates a blissful state by using his trishula to destroy the three
worlds(material/physical, ancestors, and mind) into a single plane of existence; essentially, a state of
non-duality. Parvati, the Hindu goddess of strength/fertility/devotion and Kali, the consort of Shiva
and the complex Hindu goddess of time/doomsday/violence/death also wield the trishula for great,
protective, and formidable powers.