This week I decided to talk about something we come across every day. Something so common most of the time we don’t think about them when we see them, or don’t even pay attention to them. I’m talking about symbols.
Symbolism plays a massive role in our lives and most people never realize it. Symbols are images used to convey messages and ideas. Many of the symbols we see today have been around for centuries but we never think about them because we see them all the time, such as images of the cross and fish for christianity and the Star of David for Judaism.
The most common symbols we see today are right in front of you. Literally. Letters are symbolic of the sounds we make, strung together to create words to convey spoken thought into a written format. Any time you write anything down or type something out you’re using symbolism! But what are some other ways symbolism is strewn about our lives?
Symbols are used consistently in advertising. When you see a giant yellow “M” you instantly think of McDonalds. Do you happen to think of the latest iphone when you see a picture of an apple with a bite taken out of it? The logos for these companies are visual representations of the brand. They use these logos because they’re effective for advertising, but why is that?
The human subconscious speaks in symbolism. This is why our dreams are seldom literal, and even then it’s usually vague. So when we see an emblem or a logo repeatedly it impresses the messages conveyed in that logo to our subconscious. This explains why when you see a fast food logo, you get hungry for it, even if you generally eat healthy. It’s why you see the Apple logo and you think about buying the latest iphone. The effects of symbolism are so great that you don’t even have to consciously see the symbol or logo to take effect. Just seeing it out of the corner of your eye can during a cursory glance in the room. This is why it’s always important to always be on alert and guard the gates of your mind.
Symbols can range in complexity. Each tarot card represents messages within the complex images they present, alone or in combination with other cards. The reverse can be true. Runes used in divination are simple to look at but each contain deep meanings and archetypes. Sigils are similar in this regard. They’re images conveying a statement of intent/spell that’s been condensed down into simple designs to impress upon the subconscious mind.
Colors and sounds are symbolic as well. Blue representing cold and red representing hot to name simple examples. Think of music and how certain sounds and rhythms are representing a calming feeling or and intense angry feeling.
Symbolism isn’t regulated to just images. Actions can be symbolic, such as when we look at Protestant Christian baptisms we see the person being dunked backwards into the water, and then raised back up. This act represents the death and then resurrection of Jesus.
Objects are symbols as well. Wedding rings symbolize unending commitment between two people. Statues are literal symbols representing the person/creature they resemble. Certain animals represent concepts like an eagle represents freedom in the United States.
Different energies have symbols to represent them as well. Anyone who studies numerology can attest to this. In this field each number represents certain energies. 1 represents new beginnings, 4 represents hard work. They all correspond to different things, but I won’t be going into detail on them all in this article.
Another example of energies having symbols are the different zodiacs and their signs. In Tropical (Western) and Vedic, Scorpio represents secrets and mysteries for example. The Vietnamese and Chinese Zodiacs use animals to represent energies as well. For instance the dragon represents power, and the cat represents someone who observes and analyzes.
Magickal practitioners use symbolism in their spells and rituals all the time. Why is this? As I stated earlier, the subconscious speaks in symbolism. Having these symbols throughout the ritual implants their meaning and the desired outcome into their subconscious. Once there the outcome is implanted out into the universe, matrix, whatever you want to call it and begins the process of manifestation. It doesn’t have to be a full blown ritual either. Intense meditation on a set of runes or sigil can help achieve the same results. There are many ways the symbolic representations can be used. The use of candles is representative in all the elements. It’s solid like earth, melts and runs like water, burns with fire, and the fire is fed by air, and the flame is used to connect to the other side.
Symbols surround us constantly in our daily lives and we seldom think about or even notice them. It’s the symbols we don’t pay attention to that often affect us the most. Always be aware and make sure what your mind is taking in is acceptable to you, and do your best to make sure to catch those that aren’t. Each type of symbol I’ve mentioned here has countless books about them all and if this has tickled your fancy I recommend taking a look and diving in deeper into this subject. It’s truly fascinating how simple images and actions affect us on the subconscious level.
I hope you enjoyed this article. Thank you for reading, and have an enlightening day.
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