animals WiTh symBolic meaning: albatross, ape, bat, bear, beaver, bee, beetle, bison, bull, butterfly, camel, cat, cicada, cougar, cow, coyote, crab, crane, cricket, crow, dog, dolphin, donkey, dove, duck, eagle, fish, fox, frog, goat, hare, hoopoe, horse, hummingbird, hyena, jaguar, kingfisher, lamb, lapwing, lion, magpie, monkey, moose, moth, mouse, ostrich, owl, panther, peacock, pig, porpoise, rabbit, rat, raven, rooster, salmon, sand dollar, scarab, scorpion, serpent, snail, sparrow, spider, stag, stork, swallow, swan, tiger, tortoise, turkey, turtle, vulture, whale, wolf, woodpecker, wren
aphrodisiacs: almond, anise, apple, asafetida, avocado, banana, champagne, cherry, chocolate, cinna- mon, clove, coriander, fennel, fig, ginger, ginseng, honey, mint, oyster, raspberry, rum, strawberry, tomato, wine
usage noTe: Scientists generally state that aphrodisiacs—a food or substance that increases desire or the libido—do not exist. The concept of an aphrodisiac is widely accepted, however, and may hold true in individual cases. Depending upon the setting, the mention of aphrodisiacs may seem perfectly plausible and could occur in the form of almost any food or beverage.
characTers WiTh symBolic meaning: Easter Bunny, Father Christmas, Father Time, New Year’s baby, New Year’s old timer, Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy
fanTasy creaTures WiTh symBolic meaning: angel, banshee, centaur, demon, double- headed eagle, dragon, fairy, ghost, goblin, griffin, harpy, incubus, mermaid, nymph, phoenix, satyr, siren, sphinx, succubus, unicorn, vampire, werewolf, zombie
figures associaTed WiTh symBols: arc, arrow (branching, diagonal, down, double-ended, left, right, starburst, up), blank space, circle, cross, dot, eye, line (diagonal, horizontal, vertical, wavy), loz- enge, moon, oval, segment, square, star, stick figure, sun, triangle, zigzag
planTs WiTh symBolic meaning: anemone, angel’s trumpet, aquilegia, basil, belladonna, broom shrub, camellia, Christmas rose, chrysanthemum, clover, daisy, dandelion, Easter lily, garlic, ginseng, grape, grass, hemlock, hemp, holly, hyssop, ivy, juniper, lily, lotus, mandrake, mistletoe, nettle, orchid, pansy, parsley, passion flower, peyote, poinsettia, poppy, rose, rosemary, saffron, sage, strawberry, sunflower, tea, thyme, thorns, tobacco, tomato, wormwood
usage noTe: This list is a sample of plants that have widely recognized symbolism.
symBols in magic and religion: aaskouandy, abraxas, adrinka, all-seeing eye, Asclepius, akhet, akwaba, almadel, ankh, apotrope, astrum argentums seal, atheist, awen, axis mundi, Ba, baphomet, black sun, bindhu, blazing star, caduceus, Cagliostro seal, cancellarious seal, celestial mirror, Celtic knot, chaos wheel, chi roh, chnoubis, choku rei, circle of life, cicatrix, cimaruta, Cintamani jewel, claddagh, clav- icle, compass, cosmogram, crescent moon and star, cross and crown, crow’s foot, crux dissimulata, cycle of life, dearinth, djed, dorje, druze star, elven star, emerald tablet, endless knot, enneagram, enso, evil eye, falun gong, farohar, feather, fire wheel, fleur-de-lis, five pillars of wisdom, flower of life, fruit of life, goat of mendes, gray wolf, Gungnir, halo, hand of Fatima, hand of glory, heavenly wheel, hex, hexagram, horned shaman, horns of Odin, Ichthys wheel, IHS, indalo, infinity, irminsul, Jain, Jizo, Kabbalah, key, khanda, knot, knot of Isis, kokopeli, kundalini serpent, labarum, labrys, labyrinth, ladder, lemniscate, lingam, lion of Judah, lingam, lotus flower, Magen David, magic circle, magic knot, magic seal, man in the maze, manaia, mandala, mandorla, mankolam, mark of the beast, mark of the bustard, maze, merkabah, Mesopotamian tree of life, Messianic seal, Metatron’s cube, monad, ouroboros, pax cultura, parasparopgraho jivanam, peace sign, pen-
tacle, pentagram, question mark, quintessence, Raelian star, rangoli, rebis, ringstone symbol, roma chakra, ru, sacred heart, scales, scallop shell, Scientology symbol, scythe, seal of Shamash, Seal of Solomon, seal of the Knights Templar, seal of the truth of God, secret of Hermes, seed of life, sefer yetzirah symbol, seven- pointed star, shatkona, sheela na gig, shield knot, shou, sigil of ameth, sigil of Lucifer, smaragdina tablet, solar winged disc, Solomon’s knot, spiral, star and crescent, Star of David, star of lakshmi, sufi winged heart, sun sign, swastika, talisman, tattvas, tetragrammaton, tetramorphs, theosophical society symbol, tetraktys, three jewels of Buddhism, tilaka, tiratana, tomoe, triple goddess, tripod of life, triquetra, triskele, trisula, tyet, unicursal hexagram, Unification Church symbol, uraeus, urim and thummim, valknut, vesica piscis, V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (visita interiorem terrae rectifando invenies operae lapidem), voudon veves, wheel, winged disc, wings, wisdom eyes of Buddha, world axis, yab yum, yantra, yin-yang, Y of Pythagoras, zia pueblo sun
oBJecTs in magic and religion: asson, athame, athanor, bell, bell-book-and-candle, besom, boline, book, broomstick, bull roarer, bulla, calumet, candle, cauldron, cha cha, chalice, chess pieces, corn dolly, cornicello, crucifix, crystal ball, daruma, divining rod, dreamcatcher, dreidel, drilbu, fetish, ghanta, go- pura, incense, japa mala, kapala, mask, maypole, medicine wheel, menorah, mezuzah, miraculous medal, mir- ror, Navajo sand painting, nazar, ner tamid, New Testament, Old Testament, omamori, omphalos, onniont, palad khik, palm cross, phurba, prayer flag, prayer rug, prayer stick, prayer string (lestovka, komboloi), prayer wheel, red string, rudraksha bead, scepter, Sefer Torah, shofar, staff, tablernacle, three-pronged candelabrum, thyrsus, Torah, torii, totem, totem pole, trident, troll cross, tsa tsa, vajra, voodoo doll, wand, witch ball, wreath
crosses: Atlantis, Brighid’s, Celtic, globus cruciger, inverted, Jerusalem, Latin, Leviathan, Lorraine, Mal- tese, Orthodox, rose, rosy, saltire, Scientology, serpent, St. Andrew’s, St. John’s, St. Peter’s, sun, tau, Templar
papal symBols: crossed keys, fisherman’s ring, papal cross, triregnum, umbraculum
foods WiTh religious or riTual significance: ambrosia, bitter herbs, bread, cakes, champagne, chocolate, eggs, honey, hyssop, lamb, manna, mead, milk, nectar, oil, olives, oplatek, rice, soma, unleavened bread, water, wedding cake, wine
pennsylvania duTch heX signs: benevolent protection of all things great and small, blessed year, change, daddy hex, double distlefink, double-headed eagle, double trinity tulips, earth blessings, eight- pointed star, fertility, heart, inspiration, natural balance, oak leaf, paradise willkom, pointed rosette, protec- tion from evil eye, protection from witch, rosette, single distlefink, triple star
secular symBols: beckoning cat, cornucopia, cosmic egg, cowrie shell, crossroads, cube, door, doorway, double happiness, egg, fasces, fu, furka, gammadion, Great Seal of the United States, green man, horseshoe, hourglass, I Ching symbols, maneki neko, manikin, manji, mehendi, olive branch, orb, orphic egg, pa kua, paisley, scepter, skull and crossbones, smiley face, swastika, world egg, zoso
symBols of freemasonry: acacia, angle of the compass, apron, ashlar, blazing star, column, compass, 47th problem of Euclid, GAOTU, hammer and chisel, Hiram Abiff, letter G, level and plumbline, point within the circle, ruler, six-pointed star, square, temple floor, trestle board, triangle
uniTed sTaTes dollar Bill: all-seeing eye, annuity coeptus, bald eagle, crown of thirteen stars, e pluribus unum, Great Seal of the United States, novus ordo seclorum, olive branch, pyramid, thirteen ar- rows, thirteen olives
holidayS
neW year: auld lang syne, baby, ball drop, champagne, clock, dance, horns, kiss, midnight, noisemakers, old man, party, party hats, Times Square, toast
valenTine’s day: arrow, candles, candy, champagne, chocolate, Cupid, diamond, dinner, engagement, engagement ring, flowers, heart, heart-shaped candy box, jewelry, pink, red, romance, roses, wedding, white
sT. paTricK’s day: beer, clover, Erin go Bragh, four-leaf clover, green, green beer, Ireland, Irish dancer, leprechaun, luck, pot of gold, rainbow, St. Patrick
Symbology & Symbolic objectS and PlaceS
may day: dancing, flowers, May basket, May pole, ribbon
Independence day: 1776, bunting, Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, fireworks, founding fathers, flag, George Washington, holiday, Independence Hall, John Adams, John Hancock, July 4, Liberty bell, marching band, parade, parade float, Philadelphia, picnic, red-white-and-blue, thirteen colo- nies, Thomas Jefferson
halloWeen: All Hallows’ Eve, black cat, bobbing for apples, candy, candy corn, chocolate, cobweb, coffin, corn maze, corn stalks, costume, decorations, dry leaves, full moon, ghost, ghoul, haunted hayride, haunted house, headstone, jack-o-lantern, makeup, mask, monster, orange and black, party, pillow case, pumpkin, scarecrow, spider web, spooky noises, trick-or-treat, trick-or-treat bag, vampire, witch, witch’s broom, witch’s hat
ThanKsgiving: cooking, cornucopia, cranberries, dinner, dressing, flowers, football, fruit, gourds, gra- vy, green bean casserole, horn of plenty, Mayflower, napkins, Native Americans, Pilgrims, potatoes, prayer, pumpkin pie, relatives, relish tray, stuffing, table, tablecloth, thanks, turkey, wine, whipped cream
chrisTmas: Advent, Advent candle, Advent wreath, angel, animals, A Visit from St. Nicholas, bell, Bethlehem, boots, bow, box, Caesar Augustus, cake, camel, candy cane, cards, carols, census, charity, Charles Dickens, chimney, church bell, church service, Clement Moore, clothing, coal, cookies, crèche, decoration, department store, dinner, doll, donkey, Ebenezer Scrooge, eggnog, elf, Father Christmas, fireplace, frankin- cense, frosting, fruitcake, fudge, garland, gift, gift card, gift exchange, gift wrap, gold, holly, hooks, hot choco- late, icicle, Jesse tree, Jesus, jewelry, jingle bell, King David, King Herod, King Wenceslas, kissing ball, lights, list, little drummer boy, Magi, manger, Mary and Joseph, midnight Mass, mistletoe, mittens, movies, myrrh, Nativity, naughty or nice, Nazareth, North Pole, nutcracker, Nutcracker Suite, oplatek, ornament, ox, pep- permint, pine, pipe, poinsettia, post office, prayer, present, punch, red and green, red and white, red nose, red suit, reindeer, relatives, ribbon, ribbon candy, rooftop, sack, Santa Claus, secret Santa, sheep, shepherd, shopping, shopping mall, sled, sleigh, snow, snowflake, stable, star, St. Nicholas, stocking, stollen, stress, tags, tape, teddy bear, Three Kings, tree, tree skirt, tree stand, tin horn, tinsel, Tiny Tim, toys, toy soldier, travel, vacation, velvet, visitors, wise men, wooden soldier, wrapping paper, wreath, yard decorations, Yule log