▁express ▁the ▁notion ▁of ▁" world wide , ▁global ". ▁The ▁modern ▁astronom ical ▁symbol ▁for ▁Earth ▁as ▁a ▁planet ▁uses ▁ ▁a ▁circle ▁with ▁a ▁cross ▁( re present ing ▁the ▁equ ator ▁and ▁one ▁mer id ian ) ▁is ▁ <0xF0> <0x9F> <0x9C> <0xA8> . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁earliest ▁type ▁of ▁symbols ▁are ▁alleg ories , ▁person ifications ▁or ▁de ifications , ▁mostly ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁an ▁Earth ▁god dess ▁( in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁Egypt ian ▁myth ology ▁a ▁god , ▁Geb ). ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁recognition ▁of ▁the ▁spher ical ▁shape ▁of ▁the ▁Earth ▁in ▁the ▁H ellen istic ▁period , ▁the ▁main ▁attribute ▁of ▁the ▁Earth ▁was ▁its ▁being ▁flat . ▁The ▁Egypt ian ▁hier og lyph ▁for ▁" ear th , ▁land " ▁dep ict s ▁a ▁stretch ▁of ▁flat ▁all uv ial ▁land ▁with ▁gra ins ▁of ▁sand ▁( G ard iner ▁N 1 6 : ▁ <0xF0> <0x93> <0x87> <0xBE> ). ▁Similarly , ▁the ▁S umer ian ▁c une iform ▁sign ▁for ▁" ear th " ▁K I ▁( <0xF0> <0x92> <0x86> <0xA0> ) ▁origin ates ▁as ▁a ▁picture ▁of ▁a ▁" th res hing ▁floor ". ▁ ▁Earth , ▁the ▁classical ▁element ▁In ▁Chinese ▁myst ic ism , ▁the ▁classical ▁element ▁" E arth " ▁is ▁represented ▁by ▁the ▁trig ram ▁of ▁three ▁broken ▁lines ▁in ▁the ▁I ▁Ch ing ▁( <0xE2> <0x98> <0xB7> ). ▁The ▁Wu ▁X ing ▁system ▁represents ▁the ▁element ▁Earth ▁as ▁ 土 ▁( t ǔ ) ▁( see