Symbols

Offers photograph illustrations and essays on numerous symbols and symbolic imagery, exploring their archetypal meanings as well as cultural and historical context for how different groups have interpreted them.

Examines the use and meaning of Christian symbols found in Renaissance art.

This informative and engaging illustrated reference provides the stories behind 1,001 signs and symbols, from ancient hieroglyphs to modern-day political and subculture symbols. What in the world does Ω mean? And what about its meaning might have led my coffee date to tattoo it on his entire forearm? Where did the symbol ∞ originate, and what was its first meaning? How did the ampersand symbol & come about and how was it applied daily in book publishing? And what is the full story behind that staring eye on top of the pyramid on our American dollar bill? This comprehensive guide to signs and symbols explains. Find within: More than 1,000 illustrations An extensive collection of written and cultural symbols, including animals, instruments, stones, shapes, numbers, colors, plants, food, parts of the body, religious and astrological symbols, emojis, and gestures Historical facts culled from a wide variety of sources Learn all about the signs and symbols that surround us and their part in our rich world history.

This wide-ranging compendium traces symbolism to its ancient roots, examining a vast variety of symbolic images.

The word symbol is derived from the Greek, symbolon, and is a graphic sign for an idea, concept, or object. The oldest were of the five basic elements: fire, water, earth, sun, and wind, which evolved into elaborate Egyptian hieroglyphics. Despite alphabets and languages, symbols continue to develop and evolve in every culture. Featuring over 300 color photographs, Symbols looks at the meaning of over 1,000 signs, categorized into esoteric, ideology, philosophy, religion, and science.

In this pioneering scholarly work on occult symbols in literature, the reader is offered a vivid look into how W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot, and Franz Kafka--three masters of symbolic expression--utilized Tarot cards in their poetry and prose. Focusing on the Tarot's ancient associations with divine knowledge, its pictorial representation of both the Jewish and Christian Cabala, and the Tarot's more recent pedestrian affiliation with the occult, June Leavitt skillfully demonstrates how Yeats, Eliot, and Kafka align themselves in their uniquely individual ways with the Tarot symbols' mapping of reality. Paying close attention to the mystical nuances of the Tarot, Ms. Leavitt shows how Tarot symbols allow for radically new readings of the texts in which they are situated, and play a transformative role in the three writers' search for God. This search remained indecisive for Kafka, resulted in Eliot's conversion to Anglo-Catholicism, and went hand in hand with Yeats' passion for pagan gods and angels. Visit the author's website at http: //www.spiritualityteaching.com.

As human beings, we live in a world of symbols. From traffic signs to the very letters that comprise these words, symbols are woven into every aspect of daily life. Since prehistoric times humans have used symbolic representation to communicate with each other and with the divine. In Signs, Symbols & Omens, leading occult authority Ray Buckland describes the form and meaning of over 800 symbols from ancient and modern religions, magical traditions, and indigenous cultures around the world: Alchemy Ancient Egypt Astrology Australian Aborigines Aztec and Mayan Buddhist Celtic Ceremonial Magic Chinese Christian Freemasonry Gnostic Greek and Roman Hindu Islamic Judaic Magical Alphabets Native American Norse Rosicrucian Runic Shinto Sikh Travelers Voudoun Witchcraft Omens Understand the symbols used throughout human history and gain a deeper appreciation for the depth of the human experience and the vast uncharted realm of the collective unconscious.

From masks to the symbolic script of the Ashanti, symbols play an important role in all aspects of African life. These sacred items come in a breathtaking array of styles, and here, divided into six areas of cultural similarity, are some of the most beautiful, along with explanations of their meanings. Demons, for most Africans, are responsible for justice and retribution: the superb demon mask shown depicts Kponingo, who belongs to the mythical world of the Senufo in the Ivory Coast. A calabash with the beak of a hornbill, adorned with cowrie shells and made by medicine men, is a typical instrument of witchcraft. Other fascinating symbols include sculptures, cave paintings, status symbols, and art for everyday use.

A symbol is a picture that means something more (than meets the eye). Symbols are compact containers of meaning. They transcend language and can be understood by everyone. Scientists have also shown that we remember pictures better than the word that the picture represents. In this sense, a symbol is a picture that is worth a thousand words! The symbols presented in the book include world famous symbols such as the Olympic Rings, the Recycle symbol, and the Handicap symbol. The book also features lesser known symbols such as the Red Crystal, Mr. Yuk, and the Accessible Icon. I hope that by reading this book, the reader will better appreciate symbols and the communicative power they have.