Symbols are everywhere around us.  Architects and artisans decorate their creations with them.  Some are simple, some are complex.  Look a child’s drawing and you will see a sun, a house, a tree, a family, etc.  Tour a church or museum and notice a cross, an organ, a pulpit, a relic, painting or sculpture, lion, elephant, cow.  The symbols we see and recognize mean something to us…..good or evil, meaningful or irrelevant…..it’s all in what we believe.

Drive along a highway and we are directed by symbols:  numbers, arrows and icons representing gas stations, restrooms, restaurants and approaching hazards.

We’re all familiar with human icons, perhaps a movie star symbolizing fame and fortune, or an historical figure representing conquest and power, etc.  Today icons have taken on an interesting commercial aspect as well.  Golden Arches…..

And then we have emoticons symbolizing emotions and connections we have with others in social media such as talents, shared interests.  I just saw an episode of The Big Bang Theory in which anger was shown by a downturned mouth on a red “smiley face”.  The color red turned that frown from sad to angry.  I loved it and laughed a lot just looking at it.

I’ve loved the fleur de lis as long as I can remember.  I probably first became aware of it in french class in high school.  It has held an increasing fascination for me as I’ve read about it in historical and religious material. To many, it’s a beautiful decoration, to others it’s an important symbol of light and power bestowed on royalty, and still others believe it representative of the power of the Catholic  Church, the Virgin Mary, the cross.  To others it is imbued with occult power and meanings.

I’ve come to believe that I am the one with the power, not the symbol.  A symbol has the power my belief gives it.

I’ve recently painted a cross that is a powerful symbol for me:  Thee Crosss.  The top of the cross, two horizontal lines of yellow represent the double yellow lines painted down the middle of an asphalt road.  Two vertical lines, representing erosion, natural, universal  forces, run down the center of the painting from top to bottom, crossing the yellow lines through their center.  This symbol reminds me who I am and where I am in the grand scheme of life on this planet.

I love knowing that we are all continually evolving.  It’s wonderful to know that beliefs I hold are subject to change and that with every experience I have, they are changing.  Life is such a magical miracle