Throughout life, we form attachments to people, places, things, and ideas. Over time, these elements can become essential parts of our personality.
I was listening to a podcast the other day in which a woman was talking about her attraction to wrathful deities and how it naturally parlayed into working with poisonous plants. It got me thinking that each of us has a personal lexicon of symbols. The items we have a strong affinity to hold particular significance for us and can help us dig deeper into our personal mythologies. By cataloging our things, exploring our interests, and investigating the attachment, we can understand more about ourselves, our patterns, and even our wounds. We can map our most significant archetypes and symbols and use them to better navigate challenges.
I have a friend who loved The Wizard of Oz, to the degree that whenever anyone who knew her saw a trinket from the movie, they’d grab it for her. This friend, like Dorothy, could NOT WAIT to leave her monochrome life in Flint, Michigan, and run away to the bright lights and stunning colors of New York City. My friend moved to the city as soon as she was able. Interestingly, the story in The Wizard of Oz proved to be a significant myth for her that served a lesson she’d eventually learn. Wherever you travel in the world, humans and human life are basically the same. City life may serve up more fashionable people, taller buildings, and subtly different challenges, but ultimately, wherever you are, you meet similar characters experiencing parallel struggles. The podcast made me think of the types of symbols I’ve aligned myself with throughout my life as well as other, less apparent affinities. I thought of the things people say remind them of me. It made for a fun exercise to think about how Mary Poppins and Persephone have symbolic significance to me and how the truths they express and embody are core to my experience. It made me consider why I feel most comfortable in silk clothing and can only feel grounded in black shoes. It was an unexpectedly enlightening exercise.
Over the years, I’ve known people who loved certain animals; examples include wolves, owls, and koala — all creatures unlikely to be pets or habitual companions. I also knew a woman who loved huskies so much she decided to spend her life raising them. What might these affinities say about them? Animal symbolism is fun because humans have had a long relationship with wild things, and there is a rich existing history of symbolic translation for these associations. This is also true for numbers and colors. Of course, myth and folklore are loaded with allegorical significance. What I am getting at is, human life, now so spiritually antiseptic, was once rich with meaning, and there are lots of resources for looking into this treasure trove of deep, ancestral wisdom. A good friend of mine wears fly earrings because they remind her to receive all the important symbolic messages present in daily life. I know many who recognize the importance of seemingly mundane signs and symbols and use them to navigate challenging situations. This practice can enrich and empower, providing a means of communicating with our wiser, primal selves.
Try this for yourself. Think of the people, places, things, or ideas, you think of as your own, or the one others habitually associate with you. Make a list of items that make you feel abnormally possessive. An excellent example is a fragrance. Many people feel a strong sense of ownership over the perfume or cologne they wear. I’ve known some who won’t even share the name of a signature scent with others. It seems irrational until you consider how deeply fragrance entwines with memory and emotion. I bet if you have a signature scent, brainstorming will uncover the unexpected, symbolic significance you associate with it. Go deep, research the primary fragrances included in the perfume and see what you come up with. For example, sandalwood is a parasitic plant, and orris root has all kinds of magical uses. Are you a lover of woody fragrances or floral? What does it say about you?
The language of symbol is deep and strange.
Think also of the films that resonated deeply with you in childhood. Did E.T. crack your little heart, or was it Annie or Star Wars? Ask yourself why. What truth did the film express and why did it resonate with you. Did you sleep with a copy of Jane Eyre under your pillow? Why did that story have such an impact? Which animals make you swoon? Which cities or landscapes cause your heart to skip a beat? Is there a flower you just love? Flowers were once used to communicate and there is whole language of flowers to investigate. Take the time to explore and map your inner landscape, draw pictures, clip articles, and look up the origins of words. Start building a working reference document that catalogues your own symbolic language. Think of it as the key to your allegorical self. I promise you’ll find things that surprise you! You’ll certainly discover that you’ve got some mysterious nooks and crannies you’d long forgotten and a few areas hidden in shadow that have been waiting for you to reveal them.
Happy hunting!