Symbols are a silent and potent language which reaches our conscious awareness through the agency of subconsciousness, rising on wings of spirit from the deepest parts of our being as messengers from our soul. Haunting images, painted on cave walls in ancient France thirty thousand years ago, still send a powerful message across time of humanity’s need to express ourselves in a transcendent way.

A symbol is a representation, a mark, a picture or an image which stands for something else and is generally a graphic or pictorial emblem for a concept or idea. A symbol is a shorthand communication which bypasses linear, alphabetical language. For example, in a religious context, a cross has become the symbol for Christianity, a six-pointed star for Judaism, and a star in a crescent represents Islam. In a mysterious way that transcends logic we recognize these images and their meaning without words.

Symbols are perhaps the most enduring and fascinating characteristic of humanity. All communication, or transmission of ideas, takes place through the use of symbols. Pictures are shorthand for ideas and demonstrate concepts which might take pages of words to explain. In dream work there are three categories of symbols which may appear. Having a better understanding of a symbol’s significance to us personally can enhance our interpretation of a particular dream.

1. Universal

A universal symbol contains the intrinsic meaning of the symbol itself. This type of symbol is said to be recognized by the subconsciousness of everyone regardless of culture or creed. A smile is a universal symbol of good will, a beckoning hand is welcoming, hands held up palm out means do not approach. Another example is “X marks the spot,” an ancient emblem of a cross road, and “making your mark” used when most people were illiterate.

Numbers are a good example of universal symbols even if we don’t usually use them in their symbolic sense. While the number one represents a quantity of one, it also connotes the qualitative notion of singleness, being first or alone, and unity. These qualities are intrinsic to the nature of one. Two likewise is a quantity but also signifies the quality of a pair, duality, polarity, attraction and opposition.

Certain geometric shapes function as universal symbols. A circle shows both potential and a closed system. A triangle pointing upward implies spiritual aspiration and hierarchy, a square signifies stability, and displays a well-grounded balance.

2. Cultural

Cultural symbols, sometimes called collective, are recognized by groups of people and include such things as flags of nations, colloquialisms or slang such as the currently popular “cool,” clan plaids, family crests, and the seal of a monarch. Sports team identifiers like Rams, Bulls, Cowboys, and Eagles are cultural symbols as are state flowers or birds. The American eagle, the Chinese dragon or the Russian bear are cultural symbols of countries. Corporate logos and trademarks are also cultural symbols, like the world-recognized icons of the Golden Arches of McDonalds, and the mouse ears of the Walt Disney empire. A yellow happy face became an emblem of simple good will, while the Playboy bunny represented a lifestyle (or the unspoken desire for it) for a period of time.

Holiday icons (once holy days) such as a shamrock, a red heart, a black cat, a Halloween pumpkin, a Thanksgiving turkey, a Yule log or Christmas tree, Father Time and Baby New Year are associated with holidays without any written language. A four-leaf clover is a cultural sign of good luck since they’re rare. However, it’s always vital to examine the context of the symbol in a dream as these concepts are relative. Sometimes a good omen in one culture may be bad news in another context. Owls are a good example of this.

3. Personal

A personal symbol has meaning only to a single individual, evoking emotions and unique responses. Your signature is a personal symbol. Your son or daughter will represent something to you personally that is an individual response. Likewise dreaming of your parents or a particular high school teacher or past lover can invoke very specific meaning. One person may have a fascination with spiders, creatively spinning webs, while another person may feel terror of arachnids. Your feelings about the dream symbols can reveal what they are trying to communicate.

In a metaphorical sense, all of life can be experienced as a symbolic reflection, offering us wisdom and growth. Integrating these ancient and powerful methods of symbolic communication provides enhanced ability to decode messages from our soul, thereby aiding our spiritual path. Humans are creatures of choice, and therefore we can ignore the signals which come gently, and sometimes forcefully, from the inner reaches of existence. But I believe ignoring these messengers can be a great loss.

Julie Gillentine is the award-winning author of TAROT & DREAM INTERPRETATION and other books and articles. Each year she leads a sacred journey to Egypt. Julie can be reached through her web site www.queenofcups.com or in Colorado at 970-264-7474.