Signs and Symbols - 101

What's the difference between signs and symbols anyway?

The terms are interchangeable - to split hairs:

• SIGNS:
Signs are objects, ideas, events, impressions that point to something that causes the observer to connect and deduce. Usually whispy, and sometimes vague.
• SYMBOLS:
A symbols is a projection of something more profound than itself. Solid and quantifiable (even if they be pretzel methods of quantification). For example, the sun may serve as a symbol for something more than itself – it "symbolizes" warmth, creativity, and power.

Self investigation, rumination, meditation, living life. Of course, there's not shortage of quickies:

• You have a birthday symbol which is determined by your birth date. This will be your Zodiac sign, also known as your astrological sign.


• Also related to your birth date sign is the Chinese Zodiac – this sign is determined by the year you were born.


• Native American symbols are given to us through heritage, dreams, meditation or trance states.
Additionally, the First North American's designated animals (zodiac) upon the time of birth.

• Animal totems come to us by way of dreams, meditation, and observation. Also, certain animals are assigned to us at birth in much the same way as zodiac signs.


• According to the date of your birth, there are certain flowers that resonate more closely with your energy as is seen in Flower Zodiac signs.


• The ancient Celts designated sacred trees that corresponded with clansmen & kinswomen's birthdates.


• You can identify your birth sign with MaHaBote, the Myanmar astrology linked with the day of the week you were born.


• Even numerology can provide you with some symbolism as you resonate with a certain number corresponding with the day you were born in birthday numerology.


• Some signs and symbols speak strongly to us, and represent powerful attributes we want to ascribe to ourselves. The signs and symbols that come to us by our sheer personal needs or preference, are often more profound in their meaning than those assigned to us at birth

When these and other signs catch our fancy, we should pay attention. Upon learning the symbol meanings, we find our symbol preferences reveal much about our psyche and personalities.

Symbol meanings are gleaned according to culture, context, passage of time, and even personal perspective.

This website strives to provide you with the best, time-honored information when defining symbols. However, in the final analysis, "beauty (and the symbol meaning) is in the eye of the beholder."

So please, invest the time to do your own personal research into sign and symbol meanings. This website is just one perspective in an ocean of variety and diversity in the realm of symbolism.

Other pages of interest on this site:

Identifying Animal Totems

Dream Symbols

Celtic Symbols

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Questions? Comments?