Symbolica

The use of candles, oil burners and even good soft lighting can be powerful tools for transforming a person’s mood. By lighting candles in a conscious manner, we enhance the likelihood of moving from an agitated or unfocussed state to one of relaxation and focus.

Imagine the flame of the candle as a symbol for your soul. When you stare at the flame for a while, what thoughts go through your mind? Do you find yourself more connected to the sacred in life? Do you feel your daily life’s concerns slipping from your thoughts? Can this simple act become a part of your day?

It is the fifth day of Hanukkah -the Jewish Festival of Lights, and I thought I’d briefly look at the symbolism of the candle lighting in this festival.

One main aspect of the celebration is the lighting of a new candle every day for eight days, which relates back to a conflict between the Jewish people and the Greco-Romans in the second century B.C. As a consequence of the conflict, the sacred oil in the Jewish Temple of Jerusalem was defiled by the enemy. The eternal flame had only enough oil left to burn for one day but miraculously remained burning for eight days- just enough time in which to have some more sacred oil brought in.

An article written by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh which not only explains the origin of Hanukkah in depth but also goes on to discuss his views on Judaism and Science, which relates to the origins of the celebration of Hanukkah.

Have you been stuck in a behavioural pattern for a long time that’s making you unhappy?

Do you find yourself blaming the people around you, your environment, your lack of money etc. for your misery?

You might find an ally in the symbol of the LOTUS flower. The lotus is also very connected to the feminine qualities of nature and the ancient Egyptians referred to the Lotus as being the one of the first life forms to emerge from the abyss, who they referred to as NUN

If you are ready for a change follow me on a little journey towards a new beginning.

Whilst you’re blindly wallowing around in the murky depths of your life, imagine reaching out for something that feels like a thick soft stem. Yes that’s it! It’s beginning to move, pulling you upwards. Now hold on tight with all your might. Soon is will be dawn. Up you will swim through the black mud, towards the light above the surface. You break free and gasp for breath. Stop! I know you are excited but don’t swim for shore just yet, take another breath, a longer, deeper one this time.

Observe that attached to the life line that you still cling to is a ball of soft petals. She is unfurling to reveal her true inner beauty. You expected her to be covered in shit but no, she is magnificent in her pure white naked self. She turns away from you and tenderly stretches up to greet her lover, the sun, basking in his warmth.

What do you feel? Is this jealousy ? Is it sorrow or fear? Bowing your head, you begin to sink back to your place of stinking comfort.

But wait! What is this? As you sink you catch a glimpse of yourself.

Your hand is not a hand, your body is not your body. You are made of the same fabric as the flower. You are one and the same, magnificent and yet devoid of ego. You are now aware that you will return to the depths again, as sure as the sun will set. But now that you have witnessed your true nature you feel more resilient against the influence of the mud below.

The beauty of the Lotus flower remains intact untouched by the often putrid waters from which it emerges.

Remaining whole and centred despite the condition of our environment.

Life goes on….

The Egyptian white Lotus flower rises above the surface of the water each day at dawn to greet the sun, it returns to the murky depths below the surface at dusk.

Moving gracefully through the cycles of life- Birth, death & rebirth.

These are the qualities I think of when asked about the symbol of the Lotus.

From day one of my son attending daycare for two days a week I have fretted over the idea of him spending time away from mine or my husband’s loving protection. Despite this I really do feel that it is a healthy thing for our family, and our son is thriving.

I was pondering my role as a mother and my close bond with my son and I realised that this first experience of letting go is just the beginning of a lifetime of little ‘letting go’s’. I thought I could use some help so I went in search of a symbol or ceremony to remind me of the importance of being able to ‘let go’.

I found a Thai Buddhist ceremony which occurs once a year on the full moon of the twelfth month of their lunar calender. Amazingly the Loy Krathong (Loy meaning to “float” and Kratong is the Thai word for a sort of raft or boat) was celebrated in Thailand last night.

The people make the little Lotus shaped rafts made of banana leaves, decorate them with flowers, incense and candles, and release them to float away on a river’s surface. The ceremony serves as a way of ‘letting go’ of negative aspects of oneself or negativities in life and inviting good luck.

I am adapting this idea for my own purpose by releasing a boat as a symbol not of releasing negativity but as a symbol of my acknowledgement of my son’s independent path.

Loy Krathong Away http://www.flickr.com/photos/enda/290935555/

Australia is about to have a federal election and I was thinking about how much I dislike politics, especially around election time. I hear this view mirrored often by other people through the media.

Yesterday I purchased a copy of The Big Issue and Alan Attwood’s editorial struck a chord with me. He reminded me to spare a thought for the people of countries where voting for your choice of government is not an option. These people would find it hard to understand our complaints listening to the likes of John and Kevin battle it out for the throne.

I’m not so proud of my political lethargy so I went searching for a symbol for democracy to help kick me out of it. I found a very interesting, and powerful symbol called the Goddess of Democracy. The linked article was informative and very moving and it educated me on the events leading up to the Tiananmen Square Massacre in China in 1989. What I found especially moving was the statement by it’s creators.

The 33 foot high styrofoam and papier mache statue was built by students of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in hopes of bolstering the faltering Democracy movement during the Tiananmen Square protests. Once the statue was installed the numbers of protesters are reported to have grown from a waning 10,000 to as many as 300,000 in a couple of days.

The goddess was built to unite the people and to help them focus on the one goal- A cry for freedom and democracy for the people of China. I think she is an excellent example of the powerful effect symbols can have for humans.

When I go to the polls on November 24th, I’ll remember the symbol of the Goddess of Democracy, the people of China, the people of Burma, and all the other people around the world who don’t enjoy my privilege to be heard.

Wearing jewellery is a symbolic act. What you choose to wear may say a lot about what you believe, what is dear or important to you, and of course your taste.

It makes sense that throughout history we have worn our symbols close to our bodies in the form of jewellery. That way we can remain connected to our personal meaning through a physical representation of what symbolises that meaning. We don’t have to leave it on our altar or on the wall at home.

My wedding ring is my most precious piece of jewellery and is of course a symbol of the wonderful bond I have my husband.

What sort of jewellery do you wear? Does it serve a purpose for you? What aspects of your personality does it represent? What or who does it connect you to?

I find by asking these questions of myself I bring some of my unconscious aspects to the surface, which gives me a better understanding of who I am.

Recently my family was plagued by a winter virus, which lasted for many weeks and manifested in a variety of symptoms.

For me the virus seemed to endure through three distinct phases. Each phase ending in a crescendo of sorts, which made me wonder whether there was some sort of divine message I should be heeding.

First of all I lost a good deal of my hearing. For more than two weeks it felt like having my head half submerged in a bath. I was shouting a lot and everyone else had to shout back. It can lead to lots of misplaced feelings of anger all that shouting.

Next came the laryngitis. More debilitating, as I had no voice – to speak of- but this affliction only lasted a few days, thankfully, as this was also stressful for my son, who was beginning to lash out at me. He had no sympathy for me and I suspect he thought I was playing a particularly nasty and protracted joke on him by refusing to join him in ten rounds of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’

Then, of course, you guessed it, came the plague on my eyes. I caught a dose of conjunctivitis which got infected. I gladly didn’t lose my eyesight but did look rather pathetic and toxic for a few days.

So what does one do when cut off from the world in such an cruel manner? I rushed off to my books to look up the Eastern symbol of The Three Wise Monkeys, See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil.

According to my book The Secret Language of Symbols, these three monkeys represent our ability to control and discipline our minds, and to rise above our tendency to spread gossip and gloat over the misfortunes of others.

I did find other explanations and meanings for this symbol, but I liked the simplicity of this explanation.

I really don’t know if I had partaken in gossip about anyone during this period of time, I don’t think so, it never makes me feel good.

I do think that this symbol is a very good reminder for us all that it is an unpleasant facet of human nature to get caught up in this kind of behaviour.

So if I did gossip or gloat about your misfortune recently, (my higher self must have caught me out!) I’m truly sorry- and I’ll write it one hundred times on the blackboard.

I See Nothing! I Hear Nothing! I Say Nothing!

My son is about to turn two, which leads me to thinking about presents and what might be a good symbolic present to give a child of two?

He’s more independent now. His communication skills are improving so quickly it’s hard to keep up . Kids are surrounded by symbols, shapes and pictures of all descriptions from the moment they are born. As they grow they start to learn the words and names for these objects and now I think it’s time to take my son’s understanding of these symbols to the next level.

Because of my keen interest in the magical qualities of life, I enjoy encouraging and nurturing his imagination. I’m making him a series of simple books that will take a symbol, for instance the moon, and give him some simple facts about it as well as weave in some the magical symbolic qualities of the moon.

Below are my first draft ideas for the content of the first book, though I am no expert on childhood education. Any suggestions on wording would be most welcome.

• This is the moon.
• We usually see it at night in the sky.
• Sometimes we also see it in sky in the day time.
• It looks like a big circle. But it’s actually a giant ball.
• Sometimes it’s shaped like a banana. Like it’s hiding behind a curtain.
• Some people say it’s made of cheese. It’s actually made of rocks and dirt.
• Sometimes it s small like a baby ball.
• Sometimes its big like a Papa ball.
• Sometimes it’s high in the middle of the sky.
• Sometimes it’s low, resting on the sea or the buildings.
• Some people say there’s a man in the moon.
• Some people say the moon is a woman.
• Whatever people say the moon is a very good friend to all of us.

This is going to come up time and time again. So without further ado I must mention the obvious. Symbols, no matter how popular and strong their history are still subject to personal taste, and sometimes strong factors like cultural history the Swastika being a good example of a symbol that holds very different meanings for many people.

We are all so different (thank God, Buddha, or You- whoever you might believe in!) We can’t all possibly follow the same path. So please remember this when taking my suggestions (or anybody else’s) on board. If a symbol doesn’t resonate for you then don’t work with it. Find something else that will work.

If you are looking for a symbol for someone else you have to remember to consider many other aspects to the person’s personality , not just the basic need

Consider the list below:

• cultural background
• Is the ‘need’ a sensitive issue for the person or is it even acknowledged by them? (Or is it perhaps an issue you may secretly have)
• What are a few of their favourite things?(…..Rain drops on roses, whiskers on kittens?)
• Are you aware of their dislikes?
• Have you got an idea how they might use a particular symbol? eg meditation, contemplation, wear as jewellery, stick to their computer screen, wear in a 1000 year old shaman’s pouch around their neck?
• Maybe the Symbol would be well received on a card with a handwritten note by you.

These are just some things to consider but it is important to remember that symbols work as well as you believe in them.

How many times can you read over the same post or work over the same artwork before you declare them finished and ready for the rest of the world?

I have quite a few half-finished or ‘nearly finished’ posts and I’m wondering if there is a symbol out there that I might use at the end of each post to help me let it go. Below are a few obvious ways to indicate the ending or to celebrate the completion of a project.

• A signature
• The End
• A gold Star
• A rubber stamp
• A tick
• A knife and fork lined up together on a plate
• A chocolate
• A cigarette
• A simple flourish

For me, whatever it is, it needs to feel like a reward to look forward to, an incentive to finishing the task at hand.

Do you reward yourself when you complete a task? If so how? Could you be creative with that reward? Could you symbolise the good feelings you experience when you achieve a goal? Could you use that symbol as an incentive to remind you of those satisfied feelings when you are having trouble finishing a task.

For me, when I complete a task I do feel satisfied and proud. I usually also find myself looking forward to starting the next project. Humour is an important part of my life, so when brainstorming this question for myself I kept coming up with fun things like my son’s stamps- so I think I’ll use them for now.

I’ve found the best way to decide what symbol to look at next is to follow my intuition and take note of what’s going on around me. I suspect I will get better at this as time goes on and I get into a flow.

So the reason for the heart is simply because I came across a tattoo of a heart within a heart whilst looking for a symbol to help my friend who is going through a difficult time coping with a six month old babe with sleep issues.

I wanted to be able to give my friend a symbol that would help her feel supported and loved by her family and friends, and for that love to flow around and through her to her daughter as well.

I liked this symbol because of the way it connects the mother’s heart to that of the the child. If a mum is feeling anxious or depressed about their role, taking time out to focus on the love that is present underneath all the responsibility and ‘doing’ that is required, can be a positive step.