Signs & Symbols of the World: Over 1,001 Visual Signs Explained Introduction Every day of our lives, signs and symbols give us information that we can instantly file away or put to immediate use. We take for granted these things that we see every day, but imagine what life would be like without them. The world would be covered in billboards that spelled out every little thing we need to do on a daily basis. Imagine traffic without directional, guiding, or even STOP and GO lights? All-Seeing Eye A mystical symbol of protection the world over. Americans will be familiar with this symbol from the back of the one-dollar bill. Just to add a bit more confusion, the Eye of Horus is commonly depicted as the All-Seeing eye. Tarot Deck Symbols This set of symbols represent the major arcana of a tarot deck. The glyphs are handy when reading the various card layouts during a tarot reading. Chinese Astrology Chinese astrology does not use constellations or the positions of objects in the sky; instead, the Chinese zodiac measures the passage of time, with regards to the five elements (or “phases”) of Chinese astrology: Earth, Water, Fire, Wood, and Metal (sometimes called “Gold”). Celtic Symbols Open-ended knotwork can represent “no beginning and no end” or infinity. However, Celtic scholars tend to agree that to the ancient Celts, the knotwork was purely decorative; it was a pretty space-filler at the ends of artwork and everyday objects Fallout Shelter Symbol Following the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, in World War II, the world came to realize that the hazards of nuclear war were devastating and horrific. One result was the proliferation of so-called “fallout shelters.” These were typically underground bunkers (but could sometimes be lead-lined buildings) which were outfitted with many months of supplies of food, water, and other necessities. Caduceus Any discussion of medical symbolism has got to start with this iconic symbol. The caduceus has been a symbol of the medical profession since the twelfth century CE—or has it? The US Army Medical Corps made the caduceus their official symbol in 1902. However, historically it was not this winged staff that stood for healing but a very similar symbol called the Rod of Asclepius. Horus & Thoth The Egyptians had a number of birdheaded gods as well. Horus was a falcon’s head on a man’s body, revered as god of all Egypt. Also known as Tehuti, Thoth was the god of literature, writing, and philosophy, with the head of an ibis on the body of a man. Thoth was also depicted as the ibis itself, a wading bird of Egypt with a long, recurved bill that it used to fish. Shiva Nataraja This is the Dancing God, an avatar of Lord Shiva depicting him as the King of Dance, and depicting both the creation and destruction of the universe at the same time. In his right hand the god holds a dumroo (a two sided hand drum) symbolizing the first sound of creation; in his left he holds agni, the fire that destroys the cosmos. Nataraja demonstrates the cyclical nature of time and the power of music and dance to destroy ignorance
✔ Author(s): D.R. McElroy
✔ Title: Signs & Symbols of the World: Over 1,001 Visual Signs Explained (Volume 4) (Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia, 4)
✔ Rating : 4.5 out of 5 base on (199 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 1577151860
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about Signs & Symbols of the World by D.R. McElroy
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