#symbolism — Public Fediverse posts

Facsimile of the Codex Borgia, ca. 16th century (1831–48) by Agostino Aglio, from Antiquities of Mexico.

Source: Smithsonian Libraries and Archives / Internet Archive

Available to buy as a print.

https://pdimagearchive.org/images/28cfc67c-3b46-4115-9941-5e6954f5988d

#mayans #circles #mexico #aztec #symbolism #human-animal-hybrid #antiquities #colonialism #art #publicdomain

Free download codes:

Andy Nechaevsky - Paper Angels - Single

"Where Do Angels Live (plus Paper Angel DIY How-to)"

https://getmusic.fm/l/B1UT9Z

#instrumental #acoustic #christmas #kalimba #structuredimprovisation #impressionism #tubularbells #mbira #tankdrum #symbolism #christmasjazz #music

✮ The Pop Has Finally Lost Its Fizzle ✮

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✮ The Pop Has Finally Lost Its Fizzle ✮

Subscribe to keep reading

Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.

✮ The Pop Has Finally Lost Its Fizzle ✮

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Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.

Use Literary Devices to Propel Readers Past Chapter Endings

In my last post, I discussed why chapter endings can be tricky (because they provide a natural stopping point for readers) and how to counteract that. By using a variety of endings—cliffhangers, something unexpected, a goodbye, comforting closure—you can end a chapter in a way that sustains momentum and encourages readers to keep reading. But...
The post Use Literary Devices to Propel Readers Past Chapter Endings appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/07/use-literary-devices-to-propel-readers-past-chapter-endings/

#Endings #ReaderInterest #Symbolism #Theme #WritingCraft

Use Literary Devices to Propel Readers Past Chapter Endings

In my last post, I discussed why chapter endings can be tricky (because they provide a natural stopping point for readers) and how to counteract that. By using a variety of endings—cliffhangers, something unexpected, a goodbye, comforting closure—you can end a chapter in a way that sustains momentum and encourages readers to keep reading. But...
The post Use Literary Devices to Propel Readers Past Chapter Endings appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/07/use-literary-devices-to-propel-readers-past-chapter-endings/

#Endings #ReaderInterest #Symbolism #Theme #WritingCraft

Use Literary Devices to Propel Readers Past Chapter Endings

In my last post, I discussed why chapter endings can be tricky (because they provide a natural stopping point for readers) and how to counteract that. By using a variety of endings—cliffhangers, something unexpected, a goodbye, comforting closure—you can end a chapter in a way that sustains momentum and encourages readers to keep reading. But...
The post Use Literary Devices to Propel Readers Past Chapter Endings appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/07/use-literary-devices-to-propel-readers-past-chapter-endings/

#Endings #ReaderInterest #Symbolism #Theme #WritingCraft

The Three Lions

There are few symbols in England more instantly recognisable than three golden lions marching proudly across a field of red.

Today they adorn football shirts, cricket caps and rugby jerseys. They are painted on pub signs, stamped on passports, embroidered onto military uniforms and waved from terraces whenever England dares to dream.

Millions sing Three Lions without ever stopping to ask a simple question.

Why three?

Why lions?

And why has this particular emblem survived almost nine centuries while kings, dynasties, empires and governments have all faded into history?

Like so many ancient symbols, the answer lies somewhere between history and mythology.

The lion itself had never roamed Britain. Wolves, bears and wild boar once stalked these islands, but lions existed only in stories carried home by pilgrims, crusaders and Roman writers. To medieval Europe, the lion represented everything a king was expected to be: courageous, just, noble, watchful and fierce.

Long before heraldry became an organised system, lions appeared throughout Christian art. Medieval bestiaries claimed that lion cubs were born dead before being brought to life by the breath of their father three days later. Whether believed literally or symbolically, the tale became an obvious parallel with the Resurrection of Christ. Lions were therefore not merely dangerous beasts; they were creatures associated with kingship, divine authority and eternal life.

It is hardly surprising that Europe’s rulers eagerly adopted them.

England’s relationship with lions began with the Norman kings. William the Conqueror himself probably bore no official coat of arms because heraldry had not yet fully developed, but by the twelfth century shields and banners had become increasingly important on crowded battlefields. Knights hidden beneath mail and helmets required instantly recognisable devices.

The first English royal lions seem to appear during the reign of Henry I. Henry married Matilda of Scotland, linking Norman and Anglo-Saxon royal bloodlines. Some historians believe one lion may have entered the royal family’s symbolism through this marriage, while another emerged through subsequent dynastic alliances.

Heraldry during this period was fluid, with symbols evolving rather than appearing fully formed. The decisive moment arrived with Henry’s son, Richard I.

Richard Plantagenet.

Richard the Lionheart.

Few English monarchs have acquired such legendary status. Ironically, Richard spent remarkably little time in England. He spoke French, regarded his continental possessions as more important than his English kingdom, and devoted much of his reign to warfare and the Crusades. Yet he became the king most closely associated with English courage.

Richard originally used seals depicting two lions passant guardant – walking with one forepaw raised while turning their faces towards the viewer. During his reign a third lion appeared, creating the royal arms that remain instantly recognisable today.

Whether Richard consciously chose three lions or inherited an evolving design remains debated by historians, but by the end of the twelfth century England possessed one of Europe’s most distinctive coats of arms. Three gold lions with blue claws and blue tongues, marching one above another upon a crimson shield.

In heraldic language the animals are not technically “lions” at all. They are described as lions passant guardant. Passant refers to the walking pose. Guardant means the head faces directly towards the observer. To medieval eyes this posture conveyed confidence rather than aggression. A rampant lion, rearing upon its hind legs, symbolised battle. A passant lion suggested calm authority – a ruler who possessed strength but had no need to prove it.

There may also have been another layer of symbolism. Throughout medieval Europe, the number three carried profound meaning. Three represented the Holy Trinity. Birth, life and death. Past, present and future. Faith, hope and charity. The symbolism would have been immediately understood by contemporary audiences. Whether Richard deliberately chose three lions because of religious symbolism remains uncertain, but medieval rulers rarely ignored such powerful associations.

Once adopted, the badge spread rapidly.Royal seals, coinage, castles, government documents,military banners. It became the visual signature of the English Crown.

As English armies marched across France during the Hundred Years’ War, three golden lions marched with them. The emblem flew above the armies of Edward III, the Black Prince and Henry V. It fluttered above muddy battlefields at Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt, becoming associated not simply with monarchy but with English identity itself. Ironically, the badge survived periods when the monarchy itself seemed close to collapse.

During the Wars of the Roses, rival claimants fought beneath variations of royal heraldry. Under the Tudors, dragons, roses and portcullises joined the royal display, yet the three lions remained.

When James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne in 1603, the royal arms expanded dramatically. Scotland’s rampant lion and Ireland’s golden harp joined the shield, yet England’s three lions retained their place.

Empires rose. Empires fell. The lions remained.

One reason for their remarkable survival maybe lies in what they came to represent. Originally they belonged solely to the king. Gradually they became the property of the nation.The shift happened slowly over centuries. The English Civil War challenged royal authority. The Industrial Revolution transformed society. The British Empire reshaped Britain’s place in the world. Yet somehow the ancient lions adapted, and by the nineteenth century they had become less a symbol of monarchy than of England itself.

Then came football.

In 1863, when the Football Association sought an emblem, it turned naturally towards the ancient royal arms. The modern FA crest retained the three lions while adding Tudor roses between them. Few sporting badges possess such extraordinary ancestry. Every England football shirt carries a design whose origins stretch back to the Crusades. Every chant echoes nearly nine hundred years of history. Every major tournament briefly reconnects modern England with a medieval kingdom.

Of course, symbolism rarely remains fixed. To Victorian imperialists the lions represented national destiny. During the World Wars they became symbols of resilience. For football supporters they came to embody hope, frustration and stubborn optimism in equal measure.

The song Three Lions, first released during the European Championships in 1996, captured something far older than football itself. “It’s coming home” resonated not simply because the game originated in England, but because the badge itself already felt timeless. The lions seemed to belong to history rather than any particular generation.

Yet there is another, older way of looking at them.

Folklore often blurs the line between animal and guardian. Across Britain, churches possess spectral black dogs, castles harbour ghostly ravens and forests boast white stags. England’s lions occupy a similar symbolic space. Not literal creatures. Guardians. Sentinels. Beasts that exist not in the countryside but in the collective imagination of a nation.They have watched Norman knights become Tudor courtiers, Georgian soldiers become Victorian industrialists, and factory workers become football fans. They have witnessed plague, civil war, empire, Blitz, victory and defeat. Kings have died beneath them. Queens have ruled beneath them. Governments have come and gone. The lions simply continue their silent march.

Unlike flags, or borders, which shift. Unlike politicians, who disappear into history. The three lions remain reassuringly constant. Almost nine hundred years after Richard the Lionheart’s reign, children still draw them in school exercise books. Soldiers still wear them into battle. Sportsmen still carry them onto the world’s biggest stages.

Most never think about where they came from.But perhaps they should because hidden inside those three ancient beasts lies the story of England itself. And it’s a story of crusaders and kings, of heralds and holy symbolism, of battlefields and belief, of history transformed into legend.

And that is one of the greatest mysteries of all.

Not that three lions came to symbolise England.

But that, after nearly nine centuries, England still instinctively recognises them as its own.

The Kintsugi Man

A Story Told In Tanka Form

Once I was broken,
a man of many pieces,
cracked beyond repair,
so many tiny places 
scattered like leaves in the wind. 

Healing was a dream.
Restoration was elusive.
Much of me was lost. 
I could not find the missing,
my eyes dry from the seeking.

Then mercy found me.
The Great Artist touched my heart,
gathered me to me,
glued the pieces one by one
until I was whole again.

Why do the cracks show?
My question rose to the sky. 
The scars are ugly.
Must they remain forever?
I wondered if I was healed.

Wait, you gently said. 
Dipping your finger in gold,
your love traced the scars -
beauty in my brokenness.
The cracks let the soul's light out.

The Kintsugi Man

A Story Told In Tanka Form

Once I was broken,
a man of many pieces,
cracked beyond repair,
so many tiny places 
scattered like leaves in the wind. 

Healing was a dream.
Restoration was elusive.
Much of me was lost. 
I could not find the missing,
my eyes dry from the seeking.

Then mercy found me.
The Great Artist touched my heart,
gathered me to me,
glued the pieces one by one
until I was whole again.

Why do the cracks show?
My question rose to the sky. 
The scars are ugly.
Must they remain forever?
I wondered if I was healed.

Wait, you gently said. 
Dipping your finger in gold,
your love traced the scars.
beauty in my brokenness.
The cracks let the soul's light out.

From Chap-books of the Eighteenth Century (1882).

Source: University of Toronto Libraries / Internet Archive

https://pdimagearchive.org/images/9e11814b-ce52-497a-a726-bc29439b1f64

#symbolism #chapbooks #skeletons #trumpets #hourglasses #spades #art #publicdomain

Free download codes:

Andy Nechaevsky - Paper Angels - Single

"Where Do Angels Live (plus Paper Angel DIY How-to)"

https://getmusic.fm/l/f2XlWg

#instrumental #acoustic #christmas #kalimba #structuredimprovisation #impressionism #tubularbells #mbira #tankdrum #symbolism #christmasjazz #music

Pretty pink #CherryBlossoms.
It's that time of year again 🌸

The cherry blossom is associated with love & femininity in Chinese culture. It's a symbol of hope/renewal. The delicate, ephemeral nature of cherry blossoms are a reminder to appreciate our present moments & to cherish the beauty of life.

#Spring #Wsanec #Yinghua #Hanami #sakura #Bloomscrolling #florespondence #symbolism #AsianMastodon #flowers #PrettyInPink #blossoms #blooms #nature #Saanich #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #April #Seasonal

The image depicts a distorted representation of the American flag, suggesting a potential commentary on national identity or current events. #AmericanFlag #Symbolism

Art and synchronicity ✨🧚‍♂️🪷

Arte e sincronicità 💫🖌️✨

#art #symbolism #dreamscapes #mindscapes #poetry #synchronicity

https://youtube.com/shorts/LJeB_Vs5vHM?si=LTJZ9f0K7dOXF_Ol

Free download codes:

Andy Nechaevsky - Paper Angels - Single

"Where Do Angels Live (plus Paper Angel DIY How-to)"

https://getmusic.fm/l/Ag8aju

#instrumental #acoustic #christmas #kalimba #structuredimprovisation #impressionism #tubularbells #mbira #tankdrum #symbolism #christmasjazz #music

Recognizing oneself in a dream. Tribute to "The Color of Pomegranates."

#dreamscapes #pomegranates #symbolism #symbolicart #symbolicjourney #film

https://youtube.com/shorts/csmnZoVA1mY?si=8fTZbYou9IW-GVdt

Table d’Émeraude
Une relecture de la Tabula Smaragdina, entre iconographie populaire et gravure alchimique issue de l’Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae (XVIe–XVIIe s.).

https://fumiferus.etsy.com/listing/4424173335

#pyrography #woodburning #art #craft #alchemy #hermeticism #symbolism

Il melograno immaginario✨🍁🍑 The imaginary pomegranate

At the beginning of the year, the symbolism of #Persephone and #Sibyl, liminal figures of the shadow, of the boundary between the earthly and the otherworldly, seems to me even more dense with meaning.

#poetry #imagery #Sibilla #books #symbolism #pomegranate #nature #youtube

https://youtube.com/shorts/I9wJdJSZAB8?si=_fgl6auBDhu5hszD

Free download codes:

Andy Nechaevsky - Paper Angels - Single

"Where Do Angels Live (plus Paper Angel DIY How-to)"

https://getmusic.fm/l/A0UMTD

#instrumental #acoustic #christmas #kalimba #structuredimprovisation #impressionism #tubularbells #mbira #tankdrum #symbolism #christmasjazz #music

https://youtu.be/EgGfQdv_rPc

#agriculture #animism #apocrypha #astrology #bible #collectivism #civilization #christianity #culture #cosmology #cosmos #earthmother #esotericism #individualism #judaism #knowledge #materialism #monism #monotheism #motherearth #mothergoddess #nephilim #neuroscience #neuropsychology #pantheism #philosophy #poetry #polytheism #psychology #religion #secretsociety #spiritualism #spirituality #symbolism #theism #theology #society

(2/6)

From Chap-books of the Eighteenth Century (1882).

Source: University of Toronto Libraries / Internet Archive

https://pdimagearchive.org/images/9e11814b-ce52-497a-a726-bc29439b1f64

#symbolism #chapbooks #skeletons #trumpets #hourglasses #spades #art #publicdomain

NOTHING CHANGES NOTHING #AbuGhraib #Hooded #Prison #Torture #HumanRights #Scandal #Violations #Images #Spectacle #Hyperreality #Simulacra #Baudrillard #Culture #War #Iraq #Guantanamo #Abuse #Controversy #Visual #Ethics #Symbolism #Trauma #Manipulation #Reality #Simulation

😺🐻🐰 #satire #humor #parody #society #religiouscritique #rationalism #iconography #symbolism #symbols #cult #community #transparence #cat #cats #teddy #teddies #digitalart #generativeart #aicreation #aiart https://instagram.com/p/DK-KF2hTz8v/

Jesus the Occultist: The Esoteric Meaning Behind His Teachings
https://youtu.be/duFipdahhOo
#Jesus #Occult #EsotericChristianity #HiddenTeachings #Mysticism #Christianity #Symbolism #AncientWisdom #Gnostic #Theology #InnerTransformation #SacredKnowledge #Philosophy #TruthSeeking

...new work... FORTITUDE (2021 297x420mm ink/acrylic/250gsm medium grain paper) #bozmugabe #demonscrawler #inkjunkie #symbolism #artistsofmastodon #art #artofmastodon ... more at www.bozgallery.com