Slide 2 Symbols Next Slide 3 Universal symbols Iconic symbols
Metaphoric symbols All symbols speak to human beings on a level
beyond words. When we encounter a symbol, we understand the
meaning. And, once we understand some mechanics of symbols, we can
gain a deeper understanding of how they impact us. Next Slide 4
Universal symbols are symbols that have the same meaning to all
people in the world, in all times, even the past. These are symbols
that are understood by humans on a conscious, or subconscious,
level due to their inherent relativity to the human experience of
life. What do you think is the meaning of this universal symbol,
the mountain? Photo credit:
http://www.maestronews.com/wallpaper/mountains/17638.html
http://www.maestronews.com/wallpaper/mountains/17638.html Next
Slide 5 Struggle? Accomplishing a goal? Getting closer to the
Sacred? All of the above? Photo credit:
http://www.windows-7-wallpapers.org/var/resizes/Lakes/mountain-wallpaper.jpg
Slide 6 A mountain can represent several different aspects relating
to humanity. The important idea to keep in mind is that this is
true for all people of all times and all ages. A mountain is a
universal symbol of struggle, as it is difficult work climbing a
mountain. It also serves as a symbol of accomplishing a goal as
reaching the top of a mountain is quite an accomplishment. Also, a
mountain serves as a symbol of a sacred place as we as humans
associate the mountain as a place closer to God, the Divine, or the
Sacred World. In Greek mythology, the gods even lived on Mt.
Olympus. When a mountain appears in a myth, painting or as part of
a metaphor in a piece of literature, you can think of how the
mountain contributes to the communication of one of these
circumstances and how it relates to what the author is attempting
to convey to the audience. Writings, myths and visual images
incorporating mountains appeal to the deeper levels of human
consciousness, whether a person was born in 6,000 B.C.E, or 1995
C.E. All people will interpret this symbol in the same manner.
Photo credit:
http://blogs.nailsmag.com/Healthy/archive/2009/03/25/There-Will-Always-Be-a-Mountain.aspx
Next Slide 7 When you have visited all the links, learn about
iconic symbols. How do we use water, symbolically? To clean our
souls? To clean our bodies? To flood the world? Think about water.
It is essential for life. Humanity could not survive without it. We
are water, and we cannot remain in our current form if we dont
continually take in water. Slide 8 We use water in religious
ceremonies in hopes of cleaning the dirt, sin or impurities from
the spiritual part of ourselves. All people use water to clean
themselves, or other objects, so we know that water serves as a
mechanism to cleanse. Removing soil restores our bodies, or an
object, to their natural, untainted glory. What wonders a hot
shower can do for the mind, not just the body. Therefore, we use
water in religious ceremonies to clean our souls. When we perform
an act in the physical sense, we can then transform that act to the
less tangible parts of us, like our spirit, removing the impurities
there as well. The water ceremonies are an outward action taken to
cleanse our inward selves. Again, keep in mind that water used in
this way is symbolic, universally, meaning this symbol can be
understood by any person in the past, present and futureat any
place on the planet. Photo credit:
http://www.southasianconnection.com/content_images/Baptism-BIG.gif
Back to links Slide 9 We do use water to clean our bodies, Im glad
to say, because refraining from doing so would be less than
pleasant, especially in a crowded venue. However, having a shower
in the morning doesnt really involve any symbolism, generally. In
religious ceremonies, such as Christian baptism, water is used
symbolically to clean deeper than the skin. These ceremonial acts
attempt to cleanse souls; restoring them to the pure state of
sinlessness. Back to links Slide 10 People didnt flood the world,
but there are many religious myths that relate that God, or the
Divine, did flood the world because humanity was not living up to
its potential. God cleansed the world of its impurities. You may be
familiar with the myth of Noah and the Ark, present in Judaism,
Christianity and Islam, in which God wiped out all of creation,
with the exception of Noah and his family, and the animals, of
course, because creation became impure. God cleaned the planet of
the impurities, using water, in order to start fresh.Noah and the
Ark A myth you may not be familiar with is a Babylonian myth of
Gilgamesh in which the hero of the story, Gilgamesh, encounters the
only man to survive the great flood, whose name is Utnapishtim. In
this myth, you can read a very similar story to that of Noah and
the Ark. The gods produced rain that fell to the planet creating a
great flood that cleansed the Earth of the impure human
race.Gilgamesh Utnapishtim Image credit:
http://www.circlecinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/earth_water_drop.pnghttp://www.circlecinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/earth_water_drop.png
Back to links Slide 11 Iconic symbols are those which provide
information in a picture, or icon, in order to convey a complex
message to the audience, in a single glance. Universal symbols are
often incorporated into iconic symbols as this is a way to
communicate consciously, or subconsciously, on a human to human
level. What are the names of the iconic religious symbols below?
From what religions did they originate? Click the image to reveal
if you are correct. When finished viewing all the links,
http://acmos.net/files/2009 /03/stellaris_yin_yang.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2Ks _Im1Ni8c/TRh9Sf1vbNI/
AAAAAAAACWU/6Rh2UOm KXaY/s1600/Christian-Cross-
Background-Wallpaper.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Cb2Ts
Qpuv5A/TIQLm22jY_I/ AAAAAAAAAKw/liefn-T4Jp0/s 400/6a00d83451cfe0
69e200e551743d8b8833-800wi.jpg http://library.thinkquest.org
/05aug/00157/images/hinduswastika.jpg learn about metaphoric
symbols. metaphoric Slide 12 The yinyang is a symbol of the
universe as a single, whole entity. The universe consists of two
opposites: yin and yang. The dark half of the symbol is yin while
the light half is yang. Yin = dark, cold, female, wet and night.
Yin is also the sole aspect of the Earth and moon. The Earth and
moon contain no yang. Yang = light, heat, male, dry and day. Heaven
and the sun are entities which possess only yang without yin. With
the exception of the Earth, moon, Heaven and the sun, all objects
in the universe are comprised of both yin and yang. This is
indicated in the symbol with the use of the dots. There is a dot of
yin in the yang and a dot of yang in the yin, meaning that even yin
contains yang and yang contains yin. In terms of the whole
universe, these dots symbolize that each object in the universe
(which is whole) contains both yin and yang. Yin and yang are not
competitive. Yin and yang together constitute balance and harmony.
Together they complete the whole, which is the universe. An example
of this follows: without the concept of light, there would be no
concept of darkness and without darkness, there would be no concept
of light. If only one existed, it wouldn't be labeled and its
existence would probably go unnoticed as there would be nothing to
which it could be compared. In contrast, if only darkness existed,
something other than darkness would go unnoticed because the human
mind could not even fathom its opposite. Therefore, the complete
opposite concepts need one another to exist at all. This is called
interdependence. Everything in the universe is interdependent. A
portion of this material is taken from: Chinese Religions, by
Christian Jochim: Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New
Jersey; 1986. Balance & Harmony Back to icon linksicon Slide 13
The cross is actually a pre-Christian symbol that was well known
well before the birth of Christianity. The cross is representative
of the intersection of two lines. The horizontal line represents
humanity, while the vertical line represents God. The most
significant area of the cross symbol is the area where the
intersection of the two lines occurs. Thusly, the cross is a
powerful symbol illustrating the coming together of God and
humanity. Isnt that the point of all religion? Prior to
Christianity, the cross was used to convey the idea that the quest
of humanity in religion is to find the point at which a person can
intersect with God. Back to icon links Slide 14 The evil eye is a
stare that is thought to have the power to cause misfortune,
illness and even death. Many religions of the world have an amulet
to protect a person against such a stare. This is the case with
Islam, which has the Hand of Fatimah. We see similar amulets in
Judaism and Buddhism. The five fingers of the Hand of Fatimah are
thought to represent the five pillars of Islam, the five important
leaders of Islam after Prophet Muhammad, and the five daily
prayers. The color blue is thought to have special properties for
warding off evil. The eye in the middle of the hand can block the
stare from a person sending the evil eye to another, keeping the
owner of the hand safe and free of misfortune. Image credit:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zibieS-OZmo/http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zibieS-OZmo/
TpicKKf8FEI/AAAAAAAAAds/TkkzK4Pwz0s/s1600/ FATIMA-HAMSA_for-FB.jpg
Back to icon links Slide 15 Please view this video about the
swastika. I realize that near the end of the video, it is a little
opinionated, but nothing that is really offensive. I found the
video to be a nice general introduction as to how the swastika is
used in religion, which is why I think it is valuable to view.
swastika The swastika is a symbol that has been used for centuries
before it was adopted by the Nazis, who in a very short time,
ruined its good name. The swastika has been used, arguably, for
more than 10,000 years. The absolute origin of the symbol is not
known, but it is a prominent symbol used in Hinduism and Buddhism,
as well as traditional Native American religions. The symbol is a
cross with 90 degree angled arms. It is thought to represent the
universe and the turning of the universe. The word, swastika,
carries a connotation of goodness and good luck. It is often used
as a charm to bring good fortune and keep away misfortune. It is
theorized that the arms of the cross represent the seasons, or good
health. Image credit:
http://s3.hubimg.com/u/2019214_f260.jpghttp://s3.hubimg.com/u/2019214_f260.jpg
Photo credit:
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archivehttp://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive
/02038/swastika_2038895i.jpg Back to icon links Slide 16 You are a
rock star! Life is a journey. The United States is a melting pot.
That dude is a pig. Dont date a snake like that! My mother is a
saint. These are metaphors. A metaphor is a statement that uses an
object to help describe something beyond the object itself. Often
the most significant aspects of life are difficult to explain using
words, therefore, we need to create pictures with words that will
help to make a point more poignantly. I bet you use metaphors often
when you are speaking about all kinds of people, events, feelings
and the like. What are your favorites? Lets look at some metaphors
in the well-known myth of Adam and Eve. Well use the example from
the Jewish text, Genesis 3, as our reference point. Please watch,
Genesis 3 - The Twisted Story, which is an interesting You Tube
video that retells the myth in a modern mannerjust to get you in
the mood for metaphors.Genesis 3 - The Twisted Story Image credit:
http://a4.mzstatic.com/us/r1000/028/Purple/fa/4a/6b/mzi.ncfyhuwf.p
ng
http://a4.mzstatic.com/us/r1000/028/Purple/fa/4a/6b/mzi.ncfyhuwf.p
ng Next Slide 17 Photo credit:
http://www.stephenahn.com/wp-http://www.stephenahn.com/wp-
content/themes/arthemia-free/images/TreeAtDusk-150x150.jpg The Tree
of Knowledge, as it is labeled in the book of Genesis, obviously,
isnt an ordinary tree, right? It is a Tree of Knowledge. Already
that is extraordinary. What kind of knowledge?...the knowledge of
good and evil. Hmmmmmm. Have you ever seen a tree stand as a symbol
before, say, oh, I dont knowmaybe at an institution of higher
learning, likeHFCC? The tree that serves as a symbol of our College
is located on our campus. Many of you sit under it on the deck
outside the Student Center. How can a tree serve as a metaphor of
knowledge? How do the parts of a tree stand for something beyond
themselves? Consider this and then click the tree parts below to
compare your conclusions to mine. Maybe your understanding will be
more refined than mine. Roots Branches Fruit Once you have viewed
all the links, click here. Slide 18 The roots of a tree are what
keeps it standing firm. Without the roots, a tree couldnt live
because the roots collect nutrients and water from the Earth to
nourish the tree. How can this be translated in a Tree of
Knowledge? What do the roots of the Tree of Knowledge collect? How
do the substances that the roots collect help nourish a Tree of
Knowledge? The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil has roots that
dig deep into the Earth and supply the tree with that which can be
learned. The world consists of opposites: hot/cold; night/day;
in/out; God/humanity; Heaven/Hell, and good/evil. In the case of
the Genesis tree, we can say that the roots supply the tree with
knowledge about goodness and evil, and all the opposing forces, in
the world. Image credit:
http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~leivant/foc/treeroot2.gifhttp://www.cs.indiana.edu/~leivant/foc/treeroot2.gif
Back to tree links Slide 19 Why does a tree need branches? The
branches serve to expand the width of the tree. When the tree
attains enough nutrients, it can grow long arms that reach out into
the world. How can this be translated symbolically to the Tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil? When the tree absorbs the knowledge of
the opposing forces within the world, because it is rooted in the
Earth, it becomes bigger as the tree drinks in the essence of the
planet. Once it consumes these forces or elements of the world, it
grows bigger and bigger. The more of the Earth that it ingests, the
more it can extend itself into the world by branching out. The
branches then provide a space for the leaves, which can gather more
nutrients from the Earth, feeding the tree more worldly nutrients.
Image credit:
http://logos.co/1024/royalty-free-stock-logo-of-a-tree-with-branches-and-leaves-shaping-earth-by-geo-images-2.jpghttp://logos.co/1024/royalty-free-stock-logo-of-a-tree-with-branches-and-leaves-shaping-earth-by-geo-images-2.jpg
Back to tree links Slide 20 Photo credit:
http://cache2.artprintimages.com/http://cache2.artprintimages.com/
p/LRG/24/2457/SSHKD00Z/art-print/gavin-hellier-
stained-glass-window-depicting-adam-and-eve-in-
the-garden-of-eden-addis-ababa-ethiopia.jpg What can the fruit from
the Tree of Knowledge represent, other than fruit itself? What
meaning can the fruit attribute to the story? The fruit is the
produce from the tree. It is the product the tree produces as a
result of its maturity and growth. Because the tree took in enough
nutrients, it can produce something unique that can provide
nutrients to those that consume it. In the case of the Tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil, the fruit can be a symbol of something
other than itself. The fruit can represent knowledge that can be
understood by those that eat the fruit. Eating of an object in a
story can be a symbol of internalizing it, or making it a part of
ones general knowledge, as it is then digested by a person, or
known. Before Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they didnt know about the
opposite nature of the universe, but after eating it, they became
like God and knew about the dual nature of the universe; that it
contains good and evil, Heaven and Hell, nakedness and being
clothed, etc. Prior to the eating of the fruit, they had no
knowledge of such duality in the worldthey only knew Paradise. And
they lived happily ever after Back to tree links Slide 21 Om Image
credit: http://www.heartsong.org.uk/aum.jpg The End
