Harbingers of hard rock, Led Zeppelin still boast a virtually unparalleled reputation within the world of rock and roll, over four decades since they split up. Since their very first record in 1969, the Jimmy Page-led group sought to redefine the landscape of rock and roll music, and they did so with style and apparent ease. Nevertheless, certain details about the iconic group remain unknown even to the most dedicated Led Zeppelin historians.

Rock and roll has a long and complex history with the world of the occult, with hard rock and metal bands, in particular, drawing upon influences of the mystical and supernatural to add a certain edge to their output. Of course, this interest in the occult also led to the ‘satanic panic’ of the 1980s, during which many parents and religious figures in the United States branded heavy metal as the devil’s music. Either way, metal’s obsession with the occult traces all the way back to the genre’s disputed inventors, Led Zeppelin.

For their early records, as was standard practice within the music industry at the time, Led Zeppelin had their band name splashed across their album covers. However, when it came time to put together Led Zeppelin IV in 1971, the band decided to try something a little different. In a charge led by guitarist Jimmy Page, it was decided that the album cover would instead bear a symbol which represented the band rather than the band name itself.

Initially, Page envisioned this idea as one symbol that represented all four members of Zeppelin. Something along the way, however, it was decided that each member would be granted their own unique symbol, which they could create themselves. “We decided that on the fourth album, we would deliberately play down the group name, and there wouldn’t be any information whatsoever on the outer jacket,” Page once recalled.

“Names, titles and things like that do not mean a thing,” the guitarist claimed, adding, “I had to talk like hell to get that one done.” Both John Paul Jones and John Bonham chose their symbols from Rudolf Koch’s The Book of Signs, while Robert Plant created his using iconography taken from the ancient Mu civilization.

Each of these symbols was supposed to represent something, either about the band members themselves or humanity as a whole. However, Jimmy Page has never fully revealed the meaning behind his chosen symbol. Often referred to as the ‘Zoso’ symbol, Page has claimed that the sign was never meant to resemble letters. Although some similarities have been drawn between the symbol and the alchemical symbol of Saturn, the exact meaning of the guitarist’s creation has never been revealed.

In fact, the guitarist has touched on the symbol very scarcely in interviews. At one point, during a 1994 appearance on the Australian talk show Denton, Page was asked by an audience member what his symbol meant, to which he jokingly replied, “I eat bananas”.

Elsewhere, Plant once claimed, Pagey once took me aside and said ‘Look, I’m going to tell you the meaning of this once, and then I shan’t ever mention it again–or at least, not for a long, long time anyway.’ And would you believe that I have since forgotten what it was, and now Pagey won’t tell me.” Again, it is likely that Plant was having a bit of fun in this anecdote, it is still unclear whether he is aware of what Page’s symbol truly means.

So, over 50 years since the world was first exposed to the ‘Zoso’ symbol, we are no closer to figuring out exactly what it means. Judging by the other band members and their symbols, it is not out of the question that Page’s symbol might be an amalgamation of other occult symbols with no real meaning or significance other than the fact that it looks cool. However, the guitarist’s deep and lasting obsession with the occult would certainly suggest that his symbol is rooted in some meaning. Perhaps, one day, Page will reveal all, but that day has yet to come.

So, is Jimmy Page still obsessed with the occult?
Since the very early days of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page’s interest in the occult has always been clear. Both in his songwriting and his everyday life, the guitarist has devoted a lot of time to exploring themes of mysticism and the supernatural. In fact, his interest in the occult goes deep enough that the guitarist is said to have attended multiple seances over the years and even sold Boleskine House in Scotland because he claimed that it was haunted by famous occultist Aleister Crowley, who had once lived there.

Much like the ‘Zoso’ symbol, Jimmy Page has often kept his cards close to his chest when it comes to his interest in the occult. As such, it is unclear whether his fascination with the supernatural has waned at all as he approaches his twilight years. Either way, the influence of the occult has had an undeniable presence throughout his musical career.