Identification and analysis of the visual vocabulary and secret language that shapes our thoughts and dreams and dictates our reactions to the world.

The visual vocabulary and secret language that shape our thoughts and dreams and dictate our reactions to the world, with more than 2200 vivid images Many symbols carry an elemental power that transcends boundaries and holds significance for other cultures. This comprehensive and beautiful book discusses and illustrates thousands of these symbols and assesses their position in language, art, literature, mythology, magic, religion and psychology. In the second half of the book, how we dream and how we interpret dreams is analysed as a way of accessing our subconscious fears, desires and preoccupations. The erudite text provides a wealth of cultural background to primal metaphors that are part of mankind's universal language. The book is both a journey of discovery into the importance of symbolism and dreaming and a vast visual resource of signs and symbols.

Unlock the lost and hidden meanings of the world's ancient and modern signs and symbols. This is the most comprehensive reference book on symbolic objects that you'll ever find.

Unlock the lost and hidden meanings of the world's ancient and modern signs and symbols with the latest in the hugely popular series of 'Element Encyclopedias'. This is the biggest A-Z reference book on symbolic objects you'll ever find.

Did you know that dreams about houses symbolise exploration of the self. And that water symbolises fertility, creativity and potential. Dreams provide vital clues to hidden feelings, fears and desires; understanding your dreams can lead to greater self-awareness and self-healing. Each image that appears in a dream has a meaning and The Dream Dictionary is an invaluable, detailed guide to decoding these meanings. The book introduces the classic theories of Freud and Jung, to more recent ideas on dream analysis, it provides a wealth of background information on the study of dreams and on the images examined in the dictionary section. From abandonment to zodiacal signs, the comprehensive dictionary has more than 700 entries. Each entry gives a range of possible interpretations for a particular dream symbol, allowing you wide scope for deciphering your dream and for assessing its implications. Cross-referencing throughout, the dictionary allows you to examine all aspects of individual symbols.

This informative and engaging illustrated reference provides the stories behind 1,001 signs and symbols, from ancient hieroglyphs to modern-day political and subculture symbols. What in the world does Ω mean? And what about its meaning might have led my coffee date to tattoo it on his entire forearm? Where did the symbol ∞ originate, and what was its first meaning? How did the ampersand symbol & come about and how was it applied daily in book publishing? And what is the full story behind that staring eye on top of the pyramid on our American dollar bill? This comprehensive guide to signs and symbols explains. Find within: More than 1,000 illustrations An extensive collection of written and cultural symbols, including animals, instruments, stones, shapes, numbers, colors, plants, food, parts of the body, religious and astrological symbols, emojis, and gestures Historical facts culled from a wide variety of sources Learn all about the signs and symbols that surround us and their part in our rich world history.