Symbol Dictionary X-Z
Xikum: See Tree.
Xisuthros: See Ziusudra.
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Yab-Yum: This Tantric coital posture represents the union of gods and goddesses and positions both partners upright, facing one-another and free to move, according to Barbara Walker, in her book, The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983). This reenactment of intercourse between God and Goddess is not specific to Tantra. Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002), gives the example, in the “Babylonian cult of Inanna-Ishtar, the high priestess and the king would promote the land’s fertility by re-enacting sexual intercourse between the god and the goddess.” |
Yahweh: Originating from the Canaanite moon deity Yareah, Yahweh was one Hebrew vocalization of the Tetragrammaton, the secret name of god, as was Yah, Yahu, Jahveh, Jahi, and Jehovah, according to Barbara Walker, in her book, The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983).
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Yin and Yang: This Chinese dualistic concept of light and dark, male and female, summer and winter, death and life, is represented by this mandala. The Yin-Yang sign is ancient and quite popular in today’s metaphysical field. It has been adopted as a common symbol of duality and the dualistic nature of the universe. |
Yggdrasil: See Tree.
Yantra: Similar to the verbal mantra, the yantra is a tantric “meditation sign” such as the Sri Yantra or Great Yantra of two interlocking triangles symbolic of union between the Goddess and God and the cycle of time, according to Barbara Walker, in her book, The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983).
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Yoni: Tantric word for the “Vulva,” the Yoni was “symbolized variously by a triangle, fish, double-pointed oval, horseshoe, egg, and fruits,” and personified by the Goddess Kali or Cunti, or the Yoni Yantra, the Primordial Image (a triangle) and source of all life, and is often in association with the lingam (phallus). Symbolic representation of the Yoni is pictured on the left. |
Yoni/Cowrie Shell: Probably because this shell resembles the vulva, it has become the symbol of rebirth for many peoples. According to Barbara Walker, in her book, The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983) “the cowrie shell everywhere represented the divine vulva and usually conveyed the idea of rebirth.” Originally deriving its name from Kauri, or Kali-Cunti, the Yoni of the Universe, the cowrie has been used in association with death since the Solutrean period, 20,000 B.C.E. when skeletons were found decorated with cowrie shells. Egyptians also decorated sarcophagi with the shells. In India the cowrie shells are worn to shield the evil eye, Moslem women wear them during pregnancy, Japanese women decorate their wardrobes with them for luck, Gypsies wear them as a protective amulet, and in the Sudan it is used in magic, Romans believe it is a symbol of an Alma Mater (soul-mother), and it is valued by both Melanesians and Polynesians.
Yoni/Cunt: From its origins this word means “knowledge, learning, insight, remembrance, wisdom,” according to The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983), by Barbara Walker. This word comes from the Goddess Cunti of Kunda of the Orient, believed to be the Yoni of the Universe. Cunt as a slang word was not created alone but rather evolved in many languages, including Greece, Indian, Italian, Chinese and Egyptian, and comes from the same family of words as country, kin, and kind. Walker (1983) says, “’Kin meant not only matrilineal blood relations, but also a cleft or crevice, the Goddess’s genital opening.” Cunt as a synonym for women stems back to ancient times, but it was not used in a derogatory way. Although today this word has come to symbolize shame, dirtiness, and meanness, there is a movement to reclaim the word cunt. See Yoni.
Zen: The Japanese concept of Zen has its roots in the Sanskri dhyana or “contemplation” and the later Chinese ch’an. Barbara Walker, in her book, The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983), asserts that Zen is a “system of controlled meditation, to master various skills, especially the martial arts.”
Zero: See Numbers.
Ziggurat: This Babylonian pyramid, called the “Mountain of Heaven” was the contact point between heaven and earth and served as temple and palace, holding the sacred marriages between kings and the Goddess, according to Barbara Walker, in her book, The Woman’s Encyclopedia Of Myths And Secrets (1983). See Paradise.
Ziusudra: Sumerian legend of a “flood hero, carrying the seeds of the new universe through watery Chaos between destruction of one world and the birth of the next” and was the precursor to the Biblical Noah and his Ark.
Zodiac
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Zodiac Signs: Refer UMS Astrology Basics course for more detailed information. |
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Taurus: April 21-May 21. The Bull, according to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002), “it’s glyph is said to symbolize a bull’s head; it also represents the full and crescent moon, which is exalted in Taurus. Appropriately, therefore, the sign is ruled by Venus.” |
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Gemini: May 22-June 21. The Twins, according to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002), “its glyph could depict the number two in Roman numerals, or a gate, the sun enters the gateway of the summer solstice at the end of Gemini.” |
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Cancer: June 22-July 23. The Crab, begins the summer solstice. According to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002), “Its glyph may be based upon a crab’s claws, or symbolize the waxing and waning moon.” |
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Leo: July 24-August 23. The Lion’s “tail is sometimes said to be reflected in its glyph,” according to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002). |
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Virgo: August 24-September 23. The Virgin, according to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002), “whose glyph may represent her vagina, ovaries and uterus.” |
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Libra: September 24-October 23. The scales take their name from the chariot that carried Persephone into the underworld. It marks the Autumn equinox and its glyph may “show the sun on the horizon,” according to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002). |
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Scorpio: October 24-November 22. Representing death, the scorpion is the sign of autumn. According to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002), “for the Maya, it was the sign of the Death God, while the ancient Egyptians linked it with Anubis, the guardian of the necropolis.” |
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Sagittarius: November 23-December 21. According to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002), “Sagittarius is the archer, and so its glyph represents an arrow. It is usually depicted as a centaur firing an arrow.” |
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Capricorn: December 22-January 20. The Goat with the Fish tale is associated with the Babylonian god Ea. According to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002), “The Ancient Egyptians linked it to Set, the god of chaos and misfortune who was sometimes depicted as a goat. |
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Aquarius: January 21-February 19. According to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002), “The water-bearer Aquarius’s glyph represents water and communication.” |
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Pisces: February 20-March 20. The Fish, according to Rowena and Rupert Shepherd in their book 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean In Art And Myth (2002), “Its glyph represents this contradictory aspects: Pisceans often feel pulled in two directions; they are artistic, intuitive, imaginative and impressionable.” |
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Symbols Conclusion
This gives you an idea of various symbols in different cultures. You can see how a symbol can speak a thousand words if it is a familiar symbol. Symbols have been used to convey ideas and concepts for thousands of years. These symbols have survived throughout time. New symbols are being created daily. Even the rock musician named Prince came up with a symbol to represent his persona, and marketed himself as a symbol rather than a name in order to get around a record contract legality.
In the meditation that goes with this course, you will have a chance to come up with your own personal symbol. This symbol can represent you as a person, a goal you might have, or anything you choose. First, however, let’s look at colors and what their meanings are, since symbols and colors go hand in hand.