The Art and Science of Reading Symbols

[Neshamah]

Hey Everyone,

The concept of reading symbols came up in another thread; given that is the key to understanding Tarot, I thought this topic might deserve a thread of its own.

Have you ever spent time simply learning symbols used in the Tarot? Or, did you learn to read the symbols as a part of learning Tarot? I guess what I'm asking is this: Did you learn to read symbols separately from Tarot?

There are other types of art that contain symbols similar to the Tarot: Alchemical art; Iconography; the "symbolism" found on the Astral Plane; or perhaps, symbolism as a component of Greek, Roman, Egyptian (etc.) myth.

Post your comments, experiences, or questions in this thread. :yes:

Love and Light, with Peace Profound,

Neshamah

[Anibis]

Well the place to look I think is at the science of semiotics, which is the study of 'signs' and the way they convery meanings. In semiotic understanding a symbol is a type of sign which points to a system of meanings that itself is somewhat 'closed', or at least self-justifying. I picked up how to read symbols from Tarot, it's true but one needs to recognize that different systems will be different in what symbols mean. There may be overlap, or they may be quite different. One needs to think in terms of languages and dialects. Then there are the universal symbols, often they are what the Semioticians would call an 'icon'... they point to or stand in for something... the phallus and yoni are very iconic, but when they get integrated into systems of meaning they become symbolic, such as with the wand and cup... I don't know that much about this but I read a little Pierce, and some DeSausseure, who are the main originators of this discipline.
-Anibis

[MythMath]

Great thread topic...

Neshamah, I've read before about the symbolism of your
current avatar, but would love to hear your thoughts... :yes:

[Neshamah]

The Hermetic Cross has a lot of meaning for me; at its most superficial level, I suppose I like it because it represents nearly all the central tenets of Hermeticism - Qabalah, Elemental Magick, Enochian Magick, Alchemy, Sigils, and even Astrology (and maybe one or two I missed). On a more personal level, it represents Rosicrucianism, of which I am a part.

Thank you for asking, MythMath. :yes:

Love and Light, with Peace Profound,

Abrah Neshamah, F.R.C.

[Frater Yechidah]

The primary place I learned about symbols was actually in English class with poetry. While this is a verbal form, which has distinct differences to the visual form of others suggested in this thread, the same "rules of interpretation" very much apply. Indeed, I have always interpreted the Tarot cards as if each of them were poems, and as if the collection of them was a a multi-versed poem. English class (in Secondary/High School) is probably the earliest stage where this "analysis of symbols" is introduced to people, so I believe it should, in some way, form the basis (if even subconsciously or indirectly) of how we approach symbols.

LLLSHJ,
Yechidah.

[Anibis]

In this connection it is really worth reading Frances Yates' "The Art of Memory", which is a study of the history of the artificial memory. She traces it from ancient greece through the Medaeival period to Giordano Bruno in the Rennaisance and beyond. It is very important since it charts a mechanism whereby these symbolic systems evolved. They are very much tied into the nature of long term memory, and the architecture of what was once a mnemonic system devised by early rhetoricians to memorize their arguments, and eventually evolved into a metaphysical, and ultimatley a magickal method of 'capturing' the real in symbol. I cannot reccomend this book enough.
-Anibis