Yin-Yang
This is the primary symbol of
Taoist religious and philosophical beliefs. The yin-yang is also used in
Confucianism. Tao, "the way," theorizes that everything in the universe is made
of two conflicting forces: the yin and the yang. The yin is the negative,
passive power, depicted in black. The yang is the positive, active power,
depicted in white. Harmony can only be achieved when the two are perfectly
balanced, as in the circle. The small circle of the opposite color is contained
in each, signifying their interdependence. The yin may represent the soul,
night, darkness, the Earth, and sustenance, whereas the yang may represent the
spirit, light, day, heaven, creation, and dominance. As darkness preceded
creation, the yin precedes the yang.
Peace Symbol
Gerald Holtom designed the peace symbol in
1958 for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. The "N" and "D" are represented
by the corresponding flag signals, according to the discipline of the
"Semaphore" hand-held flag signalling system -- for more information, see the
site: http://osprey.erin.gov.au/flags/semaphore.html. (Many thanks to Patrick for pointing this out!)
Shamrock
In the fifth century, St.
Patrick used this clover with three leaves to illustrate the concept of the
Holy Trinity in converting people to Christianity. It has been associated with
Ireland ever since.
Four-Leaf Clover
According to legend,
after Eve was banished from paradise, she plucked a four-leaf clover from the
Garden of Eden and took it with her. Although cloves normally have only three
leaves, the presistent sleuth can eventually find one with four leaves and,
along with it, find good luck. (Maybe the good luck is just in finding
one.)
The Unicorn
This mythical horselike
creature, usually depicted as white, is unique because of the horn on its
forehead. It is said that the unicorn can only be caputred by a virgin, thus it
symbolized femininity, purity, and goodness. Sacred to Artemis and Diana in the
mythology of the Greeks and Romans, the unicorn often represents the moon in
heraldry.
Donkey
In 1828, U.S. President Andrew
Jackson made a humorous allusion to his perjorative nickname ("jackass"), and
the Democratic Party decided to incorporate the donkey in its symbolism. The
donkey has also been considered a symbol of stubbornness, and in other circles
a symbol of patience and gentleness. The "gentleness" symbolism is possibly due
to the fact that the Bible reported that the Virgin Mary rode a donkey to
Bethlehem and that Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem.
Elephant
The elephant has been a symbol of the
Republican Party of the United States ever since 1874, when Harper's
Weekly published a cartoon of an elephant trampling on inflation and chaos.
Due to its long lifespan, the elephant has come to represent longevity and long
memory. Buddha is said to have taken the form of a white elephant, and it thus
assumes the qualities of wisdom and patience. The term "white elephant"
(meaning an worthless object) is believed to have come from Thailand.
Cat
The cat was sacred to the Egyptian god Bast, but
it later became associated with witches (as "familiars") in the Middle Ages. A
black cat is considered bad luck in some countries, good luck in others. In
Ancient Greece and Rome, the cat was attributed to the goddess of liberty, and
it was sacred to the goddess of the moon, Diana (Artemis). A cat supposedly
saved Mohammed from the serpent, and it is thus revered in Moslem cultures. It
was also the guardian of homes and thus came to symbolize domesticity.
Playing Cards.......
The four suits in
playing cards, clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades, collectively represent the
four elements (wind, fire, water, and earth), the seasons, and cardinal
directions. They represent the struggle of opposing forces for victory in life.
The thirteen cards in each suit represent the thirteen lunar months. Playing
cards originated in Central Asia, and they were introduced into European
culture in the 14th century.
The Club
Otherwise known as trefoils, clubs
represent many things: fall, winter, night, darkness, males, fire, energy,
will, wealth, work, luck, and happiness.
The Diamond
Diamonds represent warmth, light,
femininity. In the Tarot, they symbolize earthly matter, money, courage, and
energy, but fortune-tellers often associate diamonds with spitefulness and
annoyance.
The Heart
Hearts represent the warmth of spring and
summer seasons and the power of light. They are the center of life and the
world. In the Tarot, hearts can also symbolize knowledge, love, life from
water, and fertility, and in fortune-telling, joy.
The Spade
The spade represents a leaf of the
"cosmic" tree, and thus life. Along with its companion suit, clubs, spades
represent fall and winter and the power of darkness. In the Tarot, they
symbolize intellect, action, air, and death.
Adinkra Symbols (Only six of several are
presented here.)
Tradition holds that Adinkera, a king of Gyaman (now the
Ivory Coast), angered the Ashanti king by committing the sacrilege of trying to
copy the designs of the sacred Golden Stool, the unifying force of the Asante
nation. Adinkera was slain in the ensuing war, and the decorated cloth that he
wore in battle was taken by the Asante people as a trophy. The Asante people
then developed the 19th century art of stamping cloth with symbols. Adinkra
symbols are woven into African brocade cloth. "Adinkra" itself means "goodbye."
The meanings of the various symbols are derived from proverbs, historical
events, attitudes, and animal behavior, among other sources.
Akoma (the heart)
or Owuo atwedie baako nfo (All men climb the ladder of death) --
a symbol
of love, patience, good will, faithfulness, and endurance.
Osram ne nsromma,
osrane ne nsoroma, osham ne nsoromma (the moon and the star) --
a symbol of
faithfulness, love, harmony, fondness, loyalty, benevolence, and feminine
essence of life.
Odo nyera fie kwan (love does not get lost on its way
home) --
a symbol of love, devotion, and faithfulness.
Gye
nyame (except God) --
a symbol of the omnipotence and immortality of God.
Nyame dua (an altar to the sky God or "God's tree") --
a symbol of the altar, a place of worship.
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