THE COMPLETE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SIGNS & SYMBOLS --- IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE VISUAL VOCABULARY THAT FORMULATES OUR THOUGHTS AND DICTATES OUR REACTIONS TO THE WORLD AROUND US by Mark O'Connell and Raje Airey. Hermes House/Anness Publishing Ltd, 2005, 2006
    AMAZON SUMMARY (from the Internet, summer 2007)

      A fascinating guide containing over 1600 visual symbols, including photographs, fine art paintings, and line illustrations with in-depth commentary, definitions and explanations. With this guide, you can identify and analyze your visual vocabulary and interpret the unconscious codes and secret languages of your most ancient emotions. Illustrations show how signs and symbols have been interpreted and represented throughout history in art, mythology and religion.

    INTRODUCTION (p6-7)

    PART 1 --- SIGNS OF LIFE (p8-7)

      1) ANCIENT SYMBOLS (p10-35)

        (1) Primordial beginnings (p10-11)

        (2) The "Cradle of Civilization" (p12-13)

        (3) Ancient Egypt (p14-15)

        (4) The "Classical Age" (p16-18)

        (5) Pagan Europe (p20-21)

        (6) The "Middle East" (p22-23)

        (7) Tribal Africa (p24-25)

        (8) South and South-east Asia (p26-27)

        (9) Oceanic traditions (p28-29)

        (10) Central and South America (p30-31)

        (11) Native North Americans (p32-33)

        (12) Arctic Traditions (p34-35)

      2) SYMBOLS OF SPIRITUALITY (p36-49)

        (1) Shamanism (p36-37)

        (2) Taoism (p38-39)

        (3) Hinduism (p40-41)

        (4) Buddhism (p42-43)

        (5) Judaism (p44-45)

        (6) Christianity (p46-47)

        (7) Islam (p48-49)

      3) SYMBOLS OF MIND (p50-61)

        (1) Freud and Jung (p50-51)

        (2) Archetypal symbols (p52-53)

        (3) Process-oriented psychology (p54-55)

        (4) The symbolic "Life-Path" (p56-57)

        (5) Dream symbolism (p58-59)

        (6) Symbols in synchronicity (p60-61)

      4) SYMBOLS IN SOCIETY (p62-79)

        (1) Meaning and connection (p62-63)

        (2) Roles and relationships (p64-65)

        (3) Taboos (p66-67)

        (4) Group identity (p68-69)

        (5) Traditional storytelling (p70-73)

        (6) Art (p74-75)

        (7) Advertising (p76-77)

        (8) Symbolism and science (p78-79)

    PART 2 --- SYMBOLS WE LIVE BY (p80-203)

      5) EVERYDAY LIVING (p82-103)

        (1) Common themes (p82- )

        (2) Dwellings as symbols (p84- )

        (3) The gateway (p14- )

        (4) Traveling and journeys (p88- )

        (5) The garden (p90- )

        (6) The home (p92- )

        (7) Status and wealth (p94- )

        (8) Alphabets and writing (p96- )

        (9) Body language (p100- )

        (10) Body art (p102- )

      6) PATTERNS AND GRAPHICS (p104-115)

        (1) Numbers (p104- )

        (2) Dots and lines (p106- )

        (3) The cross (p108- )

        (4) Spirals and circles (p110- )

        (5) Triangles and squares (p112- )

        (6) Color (p114- )

      7) MYTHS AND THE COSMOS (p116-141)

        (1) The creative process (p116- )

        (2) The sun (p118- )

        (3) The moon (p1120- )

        (4) The stars (p122- )

        (5) The Zodiac (p124- )

        (6) Gods and Goddesses (p126- )

        (7) Heaven and Hell (p130- )

        (8) Demons and Angels (p132- )

        (9) Fairies and "nature spirits" (p134- )

        (10) Fantastic creatures (p136- )

        (11) The "dragon" (p140- )

      8) CONNECTING WITH SPIRIT (p142-153)

        (1) Sacred objects (p142- )

        (2) Alters and sacred places (p144- )

        (3) Alchemical "transmutation" (p146- )

        (4) Labyrinths and mazes (p148- )

        (5) Mandalas and Yantras (p150- )

        (6) Oracles and divination (p152- )

      9) THE CYCLE OF LIFE (p154-169)

        (1) The human body (p154- )

        (2) Birth and death (p158- )

        (3) Sex and fertility (p160- )

        (4) Love and kinship (p162- )

        (5) Rites of passage (p164- )

        (6) Childhood and games (p166- )

        (7) The wheel (p168- )

      10) FLORA AND FAUNA (p171-186)

        (1) Trees (p170- )

        (2) Plants, herbs, and spices (p172- )

        (3) Flowers (p174- )

        (4) Fruit (p176- )

        (5) Animals (p178- )

        (6) Birds (p180- )

        (7) Aquatic creatures (p182- )

        (8) Insects (p184- )

        (9) The snake or serpent (p186- )

      11) THE LIVING PLANET (p188-203)

        (1) Seasons and time (p188- )

        (2) The Earth (p190- )

        (3) Maps and direction (p192- )

        (4) The land (p192- )

        (5) Water (p196- )

        (6) Air and sky (p198- )

        (7) Fire (p200- )

        (8) Rainbow (p202- )

    PART 3 --- DIRECTORY OF SIGNS (p204-249)

    ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (p250)

    INDEX (p251-256)
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