I love symbols and the idea of symbols. In dreams I rely on certain objects or situations to be symbols for something else that is going on in my life. Sometimes I make my own symbol like things as little altars, of special things I've found, both natural or commercial. I worked for an Asian company many years and my boss was a bit obsessed with symbols, especially feng shui. When our new offices were built, he put a lot of energy into perfecting the feng shui. I had a picture window and one afternoon a bird flew into it. When I told him, he could barely hide his horror--then composed himself and said, 'that's a good symbol,' when i truly believe he felt it was not. The ultimate symbols to me are tarot cards. I haven't thrown my cards for quite a while bc they are so potent. Sometimes I just like to go in cold ):
Jeanine, that story of your boss is so funny! Symbols are potent and dream are very potent symbols. I don't resonate with the tarot images as much as I feel the power of the words interpreting them What really stuck out for me in what you said was the power of symbols and sometimes, its too much. I feel I would ask for signs when I was young but these days, I keep coming back to these body feelings. Thank you, I love the conversations we have!
First of all, I absolutely love the way you talk about pressing up against words, trying to understand their message. I love that image--like asking words what they're saying. It's so inviting! Thank you for that image.
I am also fascinated by signs. I see them everywhere, all day long and I track them. I believe they are breadcrumbs, letting me know that I'm on my soul's path. Once, I was out walking, talking on the phone with a friend I've known since high school. He and I have always connected deeply to trees, and he said, "Do you remember that time we were at Annabelle Taylor hall, and we were talking about how much we loved trees?" I did! That hall is a gothic stone building at a nearby university. We were standing in the entrance--a huge stone tower with a black baby grand piano in the center. And as we were talking about trees and their magnificence, one, gorgeous green leaf floated down from the top of the tower, and landed on the black piano. Both of us were stunned. Where did it come from? When we looked up there was a window open just a crack a few floors up, but the leaf would have had to work very hard to come through. Maybe it did!
Anyway, we were talking about this on my walk 30 years later, remembering not just that moment, but how long we have loved each other and the world.
When I came home, on the stone step to my house was a single leaf. The pigment in the center of it had darkened to make the perfect shape of a heart.
I could not believe it was real! But it was. I have a picture I would send you if I could figure out how to post pictures in the comments section. But I take that kind of thing very seriously. I believe it is the Universe letting me know that everything is talking and listening and this whole world loves to be alive. I don't care if this is real or not, I love the process of keeping track and engaging with being on planet earth this way.
Thank you so much, Priya, as always, for sharing your words, your heart, and your curiosity with me. I love all of it!
Ah, Rebecca, thank you for sharing this lovely memory. I will sometimes tell myself not to be silly and believe in signs. I will tell myself you just want it to be true. But, somewhere after I turned 50, it is as though some inner doorway has opened and now I can trust that my body knows when this magic is happening in front of me. I'm imagining the leaf twirling down onto the piano inside the building. Much love to you!
Your writing is so exquisite. I completely enjoy the thought provoking journeys you share with your readers.
The Symbolic Quest is certainly one of my favorites. I've not thought much about symbols, which is perhaps unusual for my character, as I am an INFP, a Gemini, and a very visual learner. For much of my adult life, I've surrounded my being with abstract art and jazz music. Obviously, there's meaning in the comfort of abstract, but I've not pursued it. I just find deep comfort in the art without object and the music without words.
Richard, good to hear from you! Thank you and I love that you've read The Symbolic Quest. It is one of my favorites as well.
You are making a really interesting point. Jung talks about symbols in Man and his Symbols and he says, "It implies something vague, unknown, or hidden from us." That we don't know for sure what it means. It's not the same as a sign whose meaning is clear. A symbol is more hazy. When you talk about abstract art, it makes me think how it is about meaning-making of hazy forms. Here's another quote from the book: "Thus a word or an image is symbolic when it implies something more than its obvious and immediate meaning. It has a wider “unconscious” aspect that is never precisely defined or fully explained. Nor can one hope to define or explain it. As the mind explores the symbol, it is led to ideas that lie beyond the grasp of reason." C.G. Jung, Man and his symbols
I look for signs from G-d letting me know everything will be ok. I do meditations that put me in touch with angels or my higher self. I am always seeking words or signs or symbols. Would love to know what these shapes mean to you.
Clarissa, for me, circles have something to do with completion and wholeness. What was strange was when I really sat down to see where in my life I lacked wholeness, I was able to see it almost immediately. I still like circles but at that time, they seemed magnetic! Thank you!
A great piece Priya. Really thought provoking. I loved your circle to wholeness realisation.
I had an experience a few years where I kept drawing the same sort of picture over and over, there would be a central image of a lion or shark or bird or whatever and tnay central was ALWAYS black and white, and then in the background of always make it really colourful. And eventually, I realised that that black and white central image was the part of myself I was showing the world and the colourful background was everything I was hiding from the world. That realisation was something that helped nudge me to be more authentic. :)
I love symbols and the idea of symbols. In dreams I rely on certain objects or situations to be symbols for something else that is going on in my life. Sometimes I make my own symbol like things as little altars, of special things I've found, both natural or commercial. I worked for an Asian company many years and my boss was a bit obsessed with symbols, especially feng shui. When our new offices were built, he put a lot of energy into perfecting the feng shui. I had a picture window and one afternoon a bird flew into it. When I told him, he could barely hide his horror--then composed himself and said, 'that's a good symbol,' when i truly believe he felt it was not. The ultimate symbols to me are tarot cards. I haven't thrown my cards for quite a while bc they are so potent. Sometimes I just like to go in cold ):
Jeanine, that story of your boss is so funny! Symbols are potent and dream are very potent symbols. I don't resonate with the tarot images as much as I feel the power of the words interpreting them What really stuck out for me in what you said was the power of symbols and sometimes, its too much. I feel I would ask for signs when I was young but these days, I keep coming back to these body feelings. Thank you, I love the conversations we have!
So do I, Priya!
First of all, I absolutely love the way you talk about pressing up against words, trying to understand their message. I love that image--like asking words what they're saying. It's so inviting! Thank you for that image.
I am also fascinated by signs. I see them everywhere, all day long and I track them. I believe they are breadcrumbs, letting me know that I'm on my soul's path. Once, I was out walking, talking on the phone with a friend I've known since high school. He and I have always connected deeply to trees, and he said, "Do you remember that time we were at Annabelle Taylor hall, and we were talking about how much we loved trees?" I did! That hall is a gothic stone building at a nearby university. We were standing in the entrance--a huge stone tower with a black baby grand piano in the center. And as we were talking about trees and their magnificence, one, gorgeous green leaf floated down from the top of the tower, and landed on the black piano. Both of us were stunned. Where did it come from? When we looked up there was a window open just a crack a few floors up, but the leaf would have had to work very hard to come through. Maybe it did!
Anyway, we were talking about this on my walk 30 years later, remembering not just that moment, but how long we have loved each other and the world.
When I came home, on the stone step to my house was a single leaf. The pigment in the center of it had darkened to make the perfect shape of a heart.
I could not believe it was real! But it was. I have a picture I would send you if I could figure out how to post pictures in the comments section. But I take that kind of thing very seriously. I believe it is the Universe letting me know that everything is talking and listening and this whole world loves to be alive. I don't care if this is real or not, I love the process of keeping track and engaging with being on planet earth this way.
Thank you so much, Priya, as always, for sharing your words, your heart, and your curiosity with me. I love all of it!
Ah, Rebecca, thank you for sharing this lovely memory. I will sometimes tell myself not to be silly and believe in signs. I will tell myself you just want it to be true. But, somewhere after I turned 50, it is as though some inner doorway has opened and now I can trust that my body knows when this magic is happening in front of me. I'm imagining the leaf twirling down onto the piano inside the building. Much love to you!
And just as much back to you!
Your writing is so exquisite. I completely enjoy the thought provoking journeys you share with your readers.
The Symbolic Quest is certainly one of my favorites. I've not thought much about symbols, which is perhaps unusual for my character, as I am an INFP, a Gemini, and a very visual learner. For much of my adult life, I've surrounded my being with abstract art and jazz music. Obviously, there's meaning in the comfort of abstract, but I've not pursued it. I just find deep comfort in the art without object and the music without words.
Richard, good to hear from you! Thank you and I love that you've read The Symbolic Quest. It is one of my favorites as well.
You are making a really interesting point. Jung talks about symbols in Man and his Symbols and he says, "It implies something vague, unknown, or hidden from us." That we don't know for sure what it means. It's not the same as a sign whose meaning is clear. A symbol is more hazy. When you talk about abstract art, it makes me think how it is about meaning-making of hazy forms. Here's another quote from the book: "Thus a word or an image is symbolic when it implies something more than its obvious and immediate meaning. It has a wider “unconscious” aspect that is never precisely defined or fully explained. Nor can one hope to define or explain it. As the mind explores the symbol, it is led to ideas that lie beyond the grasp of reason." C.G. Jung, Man and his symbols
Thank you for that further explanation! I’ve been distracted for a while with some health issues. I hope soon to reclaim time for reading and writing.
I
I love searching out the origin of words, those little symbols that echo back into time. So commonplace, but so ancient.
My current work involves a lot of writing and it's fascinating to see how the meaning of some words have changed over time.
What do circles mean to you?
I look for signs from G-d letting me know everything will be ok. I do meditations that put me in touch with angels or my higher self. I am always seeking words or signs or symbols. Would love to know what these shapes mean to you.
Clarissa, for me, circles have something to do with completion and wholeness. What was strange was when I really sat down to see where in my life I lacked wholeness, I was able to see it almost immediately. I still like circles but at that time, they seemed magnetic! Thank you!
A great piece Priya. Really thought provoking. I loved your circle to wholeness realisation.
I had an experience a few years where I kept drawing the same sort of picture over and over, there would be a central image of a lion or shark or bird or whatever and tnay central was ALWAYS black and white, and then in the background of always make it really colourful. And eventually, I realised that that black and white central image was the part of myself I was showing the world and the colourful background was everything I was hiding from the world. That realisation was something that helped nudge me to be more authentic. :)
That's so great, Michael! I think art is such a great way to peer into ourselves. Thank you!
Definitely.
Thanks Priya :)