TheBookofSymbolscombinesoriginalandincisiveessaysaboutparticularsymbolswithrepresentativeimagesfromallpartsoftheworldandallerasofhistory.Thecompellingtextsandover800beautifulfull-colorimagescometogetherinauniquewaytoconveyhiddendimensionsofmeaning.Eachoftheca.350essaysexaminesagivensymbol’spsychicbackground,andhowitevokespsychicprocessesanddynamics.Etymologicalroots,theplayofopposites,paradoxandshadow,thewaysinwhichdiversecultureshaveengagedasymbolicimage--allthesefactorsaretakenintoconsideration.Authoredbywritersfromthefieldsofpsychology,religion,art,literature,andcomparativemyth,theessaysflowintoeachotherinwaysthatmirrorthepsyche’sunexpectedconvergences.Therearenopatdefinitionsofthekindthattendtocollapseasymbol;astillvitalsymbolremainspartiallyunknown,compelsourattentionandunfoldsinnewmeaningsandmanifestationsovertime.Ratherthanmerelycategorize,TheBookofSymbolsilluminateshowtomovefromthevisualexperienceofasymbolicimageinart,religion,life,ordreamstodirectlyexperiencingitspersonalandpsychologicalresonance.TheBookofSymbolssetsnewstandardsforthoughtfulexplorationofsymbolsandtheirmeanings,andwillappealtoawiderangeofreaders:artists,designers,dreamersanddreaminterpreters,psychotherapists,self-helpers,gamers,comicbookreaders,religiousandspiritualsearchers,writers,students,andanyonecuriousaboutthepowerofarchetypalimages.
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