Author Archives: Symbol Reader

The Symbolism of the Heron

Posted on November 8, 2025 by Symbol Reader

Ever since I watched The Boy and the Heron by Hayao Miyazaki – twice, drawn back by the questions it left me with – I’ve been captivated by the symbolism of these enigmatic birds. Herons appear frequently in Japanese art, … Continue reading →

Posted in Heron | Tagged Athena, augury, Bagalamukhi, Bennu, Birds, consciousness, Egypt, Gimbutas, goddess, Greece, Heron, Iliad, Japan, magic, Mahavidyas, Mary Oliver, Miyazaki, mythology, Odysseus, omens, ornis, phoenix, Shakti, shapeshifter, Soul, symbolism, symbols, trickster, unconscious, Yeats | 6 Comments

The Reality of Radical Evil

Posted on September 27, 2025 by Symbol Reader

“The sight of evil kindles evil in the soul—there is no getting away from this fact. The victim is not the only sufferer; everybody in the vicinity of the crime, including the murderer, suffers with him. Something of the abysmal … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged archetypes, C.G. Jung, Carl Jung, Chaplin, depth psychology, dragon, evil, grandiosity, Jung, narcissism, psychology, radical evil, Roger L. Moore, Self, symbolism, symbols, The Great Dictator | 10 Comments

Disasters and Their Symbolic Dimensions

Posted on July 13, 2025 by Symbol Reader

“In the beginning, there was nothing at all that anyone could have discerned – only a yawning gap that stretched in all directions – featureless, indefinite, without orientation.” Sarah Iles Johnston, Gods and Mortals: Ancient Greek Myths for Modern Reader … Continue reading →

Posted in Disasters | Tagged alchemy, archetypes, Blatten, C.G. Jung, calamities, catastrophe, depth psychology, Derborence, disaster, Enkidu, enlightenment, Gilgamesh, hope, landslide, literature, mountain, nature, Pandora, Piuro, psyche, Ragnarok, Ramuz, Switzerland, unconscious | Leave a comment

The Rose as a Symbol

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Symbol Reader

Rose,the unfading rose beyond my verse—rose that’s full and fragrant,rose of the black garden in the deep of night,rose of any garden and any night,rose that’s born again by the art of alchemyout of tenuous ash,rose of the Persians and … Continue reading →

Posted in The Rose | Tagged albedo, alchemy, Aphrodite, archetypes, art, astrology, Briar Rose, C.G. Jung, Dante, death, depth psychology, Dionysos, Eros, etymology, goddess, love, Mary, Mystical Rose, pain, Paradiso, Rilke, Rosalia, rose, rose window, rubedo, Sleeping Beauty, Soul, suffering, symbolism, symbols, thorns, transition, Venus, Virgin Mary, wine, Yeats | 10 Comments

Mythical Lisbon

Posted on February 28, 2025 by Symbol Reader

This year, I traveled to Portugal for the first time, and throughout my journey, I felt as though I was encountering something deeply mysterious. The country struck me as a land of silence and secrecy, and I became captivated by … Continue reading →

Posted in Lisbon | Tagged Alfama, archetypes, azulejos, Baixa, Baixa Pombalina, Belem, caduceus, cities, Critias, fado, hermeticism, initation well, Jeronimos, Knights Templar, light, Lima de Freitas, Lisbon, Lusitiania, Masonry, Odysseus, Odyssey, Ophiussa, pavement, Plato, Portugal, Quinta de Regaleira, ravens, saint Vincent, saudade, serpents, Sintra, Soul, symbolism, symbols | 8 Comments

Kafka’s Book of Images – Part 2

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Symbol Reader

SATURN’S SHADOW Reiner Stach published the second volume of Kafka’s biography in 2013 under the title Kafka: The Decisive Years. The volume covers the years 1910 (Kafka’s 27th birthday) till 1915. This period, spanning Kafka’s late twenties to early thirties, … Continue reading →

Posted in Franz Kafka | Tagged archetypes, astrology, biography, C.G. Jung, death, devouring, father, Franz Kafka, Judgement, Kafka, Kafkaesque, libido, literature, metamorphosis, Reiner Stach, Saturn return, symbolism, symbols, transformation | 4 Comments

House as a Symbol

Posted on December 29, 2024 by Symbol Reader

Snails and hermit crabs both carry their homes, but in distinctly different ways. A snail’s shell grows with it, a steadfast and secure refuge crafted by nature. In contrast, the hermit crab embodies adaptability, seeking shelter in the discarded shells … Continue reading →

Posted in house | Tagged archetypes, astrology, Booker Prize, C.G. Jung, Cancer, depth psychology, dreams, holocaust, Home, homeless, house, house drawing, psyche, psychology, Quasimodo, refugees, Safekeep, shelter, symbolism, symbols, the Netherlands, trauma, War, Yael van der Wouden | 10 Comments

Symbolreader on the Black Madonna Speaks Podcast

Posted on November 6, 2024 by Symbol Reader

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Stephanie Georgieff on her podcast The Black Madonna Speaks. We discussed the inspiration behind my blog, Symbolreader, and my pilgrimages to various Black Madonna sites in Switzerland and Spain. Stephanie brings … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Black Madonna, interview, podcast, Stephanie Georgieff, symbolreader, The Black Madonna Speaks | 2 Comments

Symbolism of Mermaids: The Beauty and Danger of Unconscious Depths

Posted on October 31, 2024 by Symbol Reader

“Her hair was as a wet fleece of gold, and each separate hair as a thread of fine gold in a cup of glass. Her body was as white ivory, and her tail was of silver and pearl. Silver and … Continue reading →

Posted in Mermaids | Tagged alchemy, anima, archetypes, art, Atargatis, C.G. Jung, church, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, consciousness, depth psychology, enlightenment, Eros, fantasy, gender fluidity, goddess, hybrid, incarnation, liminal, Little Mermaid, Melusine, mermaid, Mermaids, merpeople, merperson, monster, morality, mythology, Odysseus, Odyssey, passion, Picasso, Pisces, psyche, queer, seduction, selkie, sexuality, sirens, Soul, Starbucks, symbolism, symbols, the unconscious, Typhon, Warsaw, Wild Woman | 9 Comments

Kafka’s Book of Images – Part 1

Posted on September 8, 2024 by Symbol Reader

Each volume of Reiner Stach’s Kafka biography is a gem in its own right. The Early Years, which, due to legal issues, was published last in the trilogy, offers a treasure trove of insights into Kafka’s childhood and formative years. … Continue reading →