Symbol Dictionary Ta-Th
Talisman: From the Greek telesma, a Talisman is a charmed object, often with inscription. In China they were written on paper in a language thought to be understood by the spirits, called “ghost script.” In Japan the gofu talisman offers good fortune and are sold and given away at Shintu shrines. The tawiz is an Islamic talisman of stone or metal inscribed with a quote from the Qu’ran. The “magic square” of a word or sum that can be read in any direction inspired the Jewish Kabbalah and European alchemical and hermetic traditions. Hindus use a variety of objects (Shepherd, 2002).
Tao: Tao or “The Way” is the Chinese practice of conserving vital energy force, similar to Tantrism, according to Barbara Walker, in her book, The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983). Men abstained from sex in order to nurture their Yang energy, thought to be absorbed by the Yin energy force of a women’s orgasm.
Tara: See Earth.
Tarot: Predecessor of the modern deck of playing cards, the Tarot originated with the Saracens and was brought to Europe by gypsies. According to Barbara Walker, in her book, The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983), “The Tarot has been linked with several non-Christian mystical systems: the Cabala, Hermetic magic, classical paganism, witchcraft.” Moreover, Alfred Douglas states, “The Tarot speaks in the language of symbols, the language of the unconscious, and when approached in the right manner it may open doors into the hidden reaches of the soul” (quoted in Walker, 1983). The Tarot, along with many books of pictures, was originally used in the east, to teach the illiterates mystical doctrines. See UMS Divination Systems course.
Tartarus: Greek name for the underworld. See Hell.
Tattoo/Scarification: Men get tattoos as signs of honor, courage, and manhood in the South Pacific islands, according to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002). In Africa tattooing, scarification, and painting all have religious and tribal significance. In ancient China and Japan they are used to denote social groups and classes. Unfortunately tattooing was also used during the Holocaust and so it has become a symbol for concentration camp survivors.
Taurus: See Zodiac Signs.
Ten: See Numbers.
Ten Thousand: See Numbers.
Terra Firma: See Earth.
Thirteen: See Numbers.
Three: See Numbers.
Three Hundred Sixty: See Numbers.
Throne: Modern monarchs as well as Greco-Roman to Egyptian deities use the throne to symbolize authority. Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002), explain, “A throne is a special seat symbolizing the authority of a god or a sovereign—the authority represented by a throne may be temporal or spiritual.”
Thistle: See Tree.
Thumb: The soul was frequently described as “the size of a thumb,” which the Hindus referred to as “the innermost Self, [that] dwells forever in the heart of all beings” and the Katha Upanishad also states, “deep within the heart. He is the lord of time, past and future,” according to Barbara Walker, in her book, The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983). The image of a thumb-sized person stamping out a heartbeat within the heart (similar to the Dancing Shiva stamping out the rhythm of the universe), traveled to Europe and survived in the form of folklore such as Thumbelina.