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Symbolism at its simplest, is the use of iconic representations to carry or convey particular conventional meanings. "Symbolism" may refer to a way of choosing representative symbols in line with abstract rather than literal properties, allowing for the broader interpretation of a carried meaning than more literal concept-representations allow. Symbolism was largely a reaction against Naturalism and Realism, anti-idealistic movements which attempted to capture reality in its gritty particularity, and to elevate the humble and the ordinary over the ideal. These movements invited a reaction in favour of spirituality, the imagination, and dreams; the path to Symbolism begins with that reaction.

A religion can be described as a language of concepts related to human spirituality. Symbolism hence is an important aspect of most religions. The interpretation of abstract symbols has had an important role in religion and psychoanalysis. As envisioned by Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, symbols are not the creations of mind, but rather are distinct capacities within the mind to hold a distinct piece of information. In the mind, the symbol can find free association with any number of other symbols, can be organized in any number of ways, and can hold the connected meanings between symbols as symbols in themselves. Jung and Freud diverged on the issue of common cognitive symbol systems and whether they could exist only within the individual mind or among other minds; whether any cognitive symbolism was defined by innate symbolism or by the influence of the environment around them.

Angels

Angels are a manifestation of the traditional belief that there are spiritual creatures superior to man. "Creation was thought of as a ladder, with its top rung occupied by angels, immaterial beings made of pure spirit, whereas man consisted of both matter and spirit, a body and a soul". They are the messengers of God, liaisons between heaven and Earth, they are enlightenment. Angelic symbols include: flaming swords, trumpets, sceptres, musical instruments, lilies. Gothic art tends to express the protective and sublime aspects of the angel, while the Romanesque stresses its other-worldly nature.

Butterfly

In its metamorphosis from the common, colorless caterpillar to the exquisite winged creature of delicate beauty, the butterfly has become a metaphor for transformation and hope; across cultures, it has become a symbol for rebirth and resurrection, for the triumph of the spirit and the soul over the physical prison, the material world. Among the ancients, is an emblem of the soul and of unconscious attraction towards light. It is the soul as the opposite of the worm. In Western culture, the butterfly represents lightness and fickleness. In China, secondary meanings of joy and bliss. Is very closely related to love, especially with wings and when being burned in Cupid's hand that is not holding the bow. Wantonness, especially in Shakespeare. In Yeats, the opposite of the hawk, intuition as opposed to logic.

Circle

The circle is a universal symbol with extensive meaning. It represents the notions of totality, wholeness, original perfection, the Self, the infinite, eternity, timelessness, all cyclic movement, God ('God is a circle whose centre is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere'. As the sun, it is masculine power; as the soul and as encircling waters, it is the feminine maternal principle. "It implies an idea of movement, and symbolizes the cycle of time, the per petual motion of everything that moves, the planets' journey around the sun (the circle of the zodiac), the great rhythm of the universe. The circle is also zero in our system of numbering, and symbolizes potential, or the embryo. It has a magical value as a protective agent, ... and indicates the end of the process of individuation, of striving towards a psychic wholeness and self-realization").
Cross

It is a world centre and therefore a point of communication between heaven and earth and a cosmic axis, thus sharing the symbolism of the cosmic tree, mountain, etc. The cross represents the Tree of Life and the Tree of Nourishment; it is also a symbol of universal, archetypal man, capable of infinite and harmonious expansion on both the horizontal and vertical planes; the vertical line is the celestial, spiritual and intellectual, positive, active and male, while the horizontal is the earthly, rational, passive, and negative and female, the whole cross forming the primordial ANDROGYNE, it is the salvation through Christ's sacrifice; redemption; atonement; suffering; faith. The cross also signifies acceptance of death or suffering and sacrifice". Crossroads are often thought of as symbolizing points of intersection between the paths of living and the dead; and as a framework for coordinates, the cross gives people the ability to orient themselves within space and time. Acts as an amulet against danger, weapon against monster, even devil.

Many crosses besides the normally thought of Christian one: Simple (orientation on a plane surface), St. Andrew's (union of the Upper and Lower worlds), Arrow-head (centrifugal/away from the center forces), doubled (parallel forces), Maltese (centripetal forces), Templars (forces around a circumference), Teutonic (four triangles, centripetal tendency), Ovals (continuous movement), Knobbed extremeties (four Cardinal Points of space).

Diamond

Its incomparable hardness makes this precious stone an appropriate symbol for durability and constancy; its clarity yields the notions of constancy, sincerity, and innocence. The diamond is LIGHT, life, the SUN; it is an emblem of purity and perfection, of invincible spiritual power, and it is the stone of commitment, faithfulness, and promise between husband and wife. Symbol of light and brilliance; unconquerable; treasures, riches, intellectual knowledge.

Flower

The flower and the blossom are both universal symbols of young life. Flowers are associated with the SUN, because the arrangement of its petals is reminiscent of the shape of a STAR; they may be innocent representatives of spring, or they may designate lust and the realm of the erotic. They are transitory, evoking a certain "joie de vivre," or an understanding of the fragile quality of childhood. The flower is often a representative of beauty. The color of the flower often has a great deal to do with the symbolism it carries; red is love and passion, white is innocence and blamelessness.
Virtue, goodness and purity are three widely associated traits. However, it can be temptation as well: proverb "Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under't." Love, especially feminine, with the vulva and virginity - a girl is deflowered when she loses her virginity. Scattered flowers often mean joy, especially in context with rose bearers of a wedding.

Gold

Gold is illuminating, sacred, durable; it is precious. It is almost universally associated with the SUN, or the highest stage in spiritual development. The first is black - sin and penitence; then white - remission and innocence; then red - sublimation and passion. It is heralded as embodying the powers of the EARTH, and it is light. It is the heart of the earth, so it is symbolic of superiority.
Has many symbols of fertility, the Tree of Life supposedly had gold roots, plus wealth and abundance. Its immunity from rust brings it connotations of immortality and incorruptibility. It is an amulet for wounded people. Along with being the heart of the earth, gold represents heart, love and blood. In Melville's Moby Dick, sun, blood and gold are together. Combinations: a golden apple is immortality, ball is wisdom, sun, chain is honor, dignity, respect and wealth.

Halo

The halo links individuals with divine power. It commonly emphasizes wisdom and life force emanating from the head, and it usually tied with the notion of the supernatural. They originate from the power and luminosity of the SUN. In art is often an expression of a man's destiny; the cage within which every man can move about his own predetermined being. Also sometimes associated with the MOON.

Heart

The heart is the locus of physical and spiritual being, and represents the "central wisdom of feeling as opposed to the head-wisdom of reason". It is compassion and understanding, life-giving and complex. It is a symbol for love. Often known as the seat of emotions, the heart is synonymous with affection. In Egypt, represented life-essence, as the mummified had their heart preserved, first part of man to live, last to die. Hearts also carry senses of intellect and understanding, as well as connotations of the soul, along with come will and courage. Is the central point (with the brain and sexual organs being the endpoints) of the vertical scheme of the human.

Key

The key is the mechanism of the powers of opening and closing, and denotes liberation, knowledge, mystery, and initiation. SILVER keys usually refer to temporal power, while GOLD ones refer to spiritual power. In Christianity, it is the emblem of St Peter as the guardian of the GATE of HEAVEN, and the key may either confine or release. In addition, elements of secrecy and discretion coincide. Many Christian connections, the key to heaven, power to absolve sin, sign of fidelity, faith. When paired with a male dove, is the spirit opening the gates of heaven. Key hole is a vulva, phallic when key is placed inside.

Leaf

While GREEN leaves depict hope, renewal, and revival, dead leaves represent decay and sadness. In general, leaves are symbolic of fertility and growth, and in the Chinese tradition the leaves of the Cosmic Tree represent all of the beings in the universe. Leaves also connote people by way of their vast number, and relate back to dress in context with Adam, who covered himself with a leaf after first learning the shame of human nakedness. They often give a scary feeling, as the rustling of nearby leaves can mean evil is lurking near. The term 'turning over a new leaf' is a Western idiom offering people a chance to start anew and amend their past mistakes. However, this term does not exist in cultures that do not isolate time and space, such as the Hopi Indians; to these people, the self is the culmination of a person's past, and therefore the two cannot be disconnected.

Marriage

A wedding is a union, often between two opposites; it is a complementary relationship, the whole forming an entity higher than its individual parts. It is a sacred union, a duality as potent as HEAVEN and EARTH, male and female; husband and wife together forming a new life as one being.

Moon

The moon is a feminine symbol, universally representing the rhythm of time as it embodies the cycle. The phases of the moon symbolize immortality and eternity, enlightenment or the dar k side of Nature herself. It might reflect inner knowledge, or the phases of man's condition on earth, since it controls the tides, the rains, the waters, and the seasons. It is the middle ground between the light of the sun and the darkness of night, and thus often represents the realm between the conscious and the unconscious. In astrology, the moon is a symbol of the soul, and in the horoscope it determines the subject's capacity for reflection and adaptation. It also provides analogy for the stages of human development: the new moon is infancy, the crescent is youth and adolescence, the full moon is maturity and pregnancy, and the waning moon represents the decline of life, sleep.

Ring

The ring is a tangible manifestation of the CIRCLE; it represents infinity and eternity, divinity and life. The ring also represents power, dignity, sovreignty, and strength. Thus, to bestow a ring is to indicate a transferrence of power. As is exemplified by the traditional wedding ring, the object is also binding, as with husband and wife, or as a spiritual union with the Church itself.

Rose

In mythology, the first red roses are said to have arisen from the BLOOD of Adonis for the love of Aphrodite; thus, they have become symbolic of love, and often resurrection. In Christian symbolism, the RED rose stands for the blood shed by Jesus on the CROSS; it has also become a symbol for earthly love, a tradition which continues today. The rose may represent the Virgin Mary, and thus virginity, or fertility and passion. It is beauty and perfection, happiness and grace, yet it is also sensuality and seduction.

Silver

When opposed with GOLD (masculine), Silver is usually feminine. Silver often represents the moon, virginity, purity, the QUEEN. The culmination of these symbols can be seen in the Greek goddess Artemis, twin sister of Apollo, the SUN God. She was one of the few virgin goddesses, the moon was her symbol, and she hunted with silver bow and arrows.

Star

The star is the "presence of the divinity"; it is hope, the EYES of the NIGHT. It is a symbol of constancy.

Sun

The sun is the absolute cosmic power; it is the universal FATHER, while the MOON is the universal MOTHER; it is often symbolized by the WHEEL or the disk, a CIRCLE or a BALL; it is the center of being and intuition, it is knowledge and warmth, glory and splendour. 


Tree

The tree is dynamic life itself, the result of HEAVEN, EARTH, and WATER; it is the feminine, nourishing, sheltering image of the Great MOTHER, rooted in the earth and reaching toward the heavens, evocative of eternity. An evergreen symbolizes immortality, and the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge are both in Paradise.

Triangle

The triangle is one of the simplest and most fundamental geometric symbols; it is often interpreted as a female pubic symbol, or as representative of the Holy Trinity. The triangle can also be a symbol for FIRE, as one of the FOUR ELEMENTS.

Yin-Yang

The yin is the ancient Chinese feminine principle and the yang is the masculine; together, they represent universal complementary opposites, dualities. The yin comes before the yang because it is the primordial DARKNESS that exists before the lightness of creation Yin is the EARTH, yang is the heavens.