The Symbol Atlas
An archive of the signs humans have given meaning to. Symbols have travelled through cultures, religions and centuries. Discover where they came from — and what people have believed they mean.
Yin-Yang (Taijitu)
Daoist and Chinese philosophical tradition
A circular symbol consisting of two interlocking comma-shaped halves — one dark (yin) and one light (yang) — each containing a small dot of the opposite colour. It represents the fundamental Daoist principle of yin and yang: the complementary, interdependent, and continuously transforming opposites that underlie all reality.
White Feather
A small, soft sign that many people report noticing at meaningful moments.
The Unalome
Thai Buddhist and Sak Yant tradition (meaning debated)
A visual symbol consisting of a spiral or curling line that gradually straightens into a series of lines or a simple zigzag, sometimes topped with dots. In its popular contemporary interpretation, it represents the path from the complexity of life to spiritual clarity.
The Tree of Life
Multiple cultural traditions (meaning varies)
A widespread symbol found across many cultures depicting a tree that represents life, growth, connection between realms, and the structure of existence. The specific meaning differs significantly between traditions.
The Spiral
Multiple cultural traditions (meaning varies)
A curving line that winds around a central point, either opening outward or inward. The spiral is one of the oldest and most widespread geometric motifs in human art, appearing in prehistoric rock carvings, ancient pottery, and sacred architecture across the world.
The Scarab
Ancient Egyptian religious tradition
An amulet in the shape of a scarab beetle, one of the most important and common symbols in ancient Egypt. The scarab was associated with the god Khepri — a form of the sun god — and with the concept of rebirth and the rising sun.
The Pentagram & Pentacle
Pythagorean and Western esoteric tradition
A five-pointed star drawn with a single continuous line. When enclosed in a circle, it is often called a pentacle. The pentagram is one of the oldest geometric symbols, with a history spanning ancient Greece, early Christianity, Hermeticism, and modern esoteric traditions.
The Ouroboros
Ancient Egyptian and Greek philosophical tradition
An ancient symbol depicting a snake or serpent eating its own tail, forming a circle. The word 'ouroboros' comes from Greek, meaning 'tail-devouring.' The image represents cyclicality, eternity, and the idea that endings are also beginnings.
The Nazar
Eastern Mediterranean and Anatolian folk tradition
A blue, eye-shaped glass amulet designed to ward off the 'evil eye' — the belief that an envious or admiring glance can cause harm. The nazar boncuğu is the Turkish glass-bead form, recognisable by its concentric circles of blue, white, and sometimes yellow.
The Mandala
Hindu and Buddhist traditions
A geometric, symmetrical diagram representing the cosmos, the sacred, or the structure of reality in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Mandalas are used as tools for meditation, ritual, and spiritual development. The word 'mandala' means 'circle' in Sanskrit.
The Lotus
Hindu, Buddhist, and ancient Egyptian traditions
A flowering aquatic plant (Nelumbo nucifera) that grows in muddy water but produces a pristine flower above the surface. The lotus has been a powerful symbol across multiple cultures and religions, though its specific meanings differ between traditions.
The Key
European folk and Christian tradition
A tool for locking and unlocking, used symbolically to represent access, knowledge, opportunity, and the power to open what is closed. The key is one of the most intuitive symbolic objects, as its literal function maps directly onto its metaphorical meanings.
The Horseshoe
European folk tradition
A U-shaped iron shoe for a horse, used as a folk symbol of good luck and protection. When hung above a doorway, it is traditionally positioned with the opening facing upward to 'catch' luck, though some traditions hang it opening downward to let luck 'pour' onto those who pass beneath.
The Hamsa
North African and Middle Eastern tradition (Muslim and Jewish)
A hand-shaped amulet, typically symmetrical with five spread fingers (sometimes with an eye in the centre of the palm), used to ward off the evil eye. The word 'hamsa' or 'khamsa' means 'five' in Arabic and Hebrew, referring to the five fingers.
The Eye of Horus
Ancient Egyptian religious tradition
An ancient Egyptian symbol representing the eye of the falcon god Horus, also known as the wedjat or udjat eye. It depicts a stylised human eye with the markings of a falcon: the characteristic 'teardrop' below the eye and the spiral above.
The Dreamcatcher
Ojibwe / Anishinaabe tradition
A handmade object consisting of a willow hoop wrapped in sinew or thread, with a woven web in the centre, often decorated with feathers and beads. In its original Ojibwe tradition, the dreamcatcher was hung above a sleeping person — particularly a child — to protect them from harmful dreams.
The Crescent Moon
Multiple traditions; strongly associated with Islam in modern context
The curved shape of the moon when it is in its waxing or waning phase. As a symbol, the crescent moon has been used across many cultures, from ancient Mesopotamia to the modern Islamic world. Its meaning varies significantly depending on the tradition.
The Ankh
Ancient Egyptian religious tradition
An ancient Egyptian hieroglyph shaped like a cross with a loop at the top. It is one of the most recognisable symbols of ancient Egypt and was used as a hieroglyph meaning 'life' — the concept of living and existence.
Robin
A small, distinctive bird often associated with remembrance and the presence of loved ones.
Owl
A nocturnal bird long associated with wisdom, the unseen, and the hours of darkness.
Om (Aum)
Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh traditions
Om (or Aum) is a sacred syllable and sound in Hindu and other Indian religious traditions. It is first and foremost a sound — a vibratory mantra — that is chanted and meditated upon. As a written symbol, it represents this sacred sound.
Mirror
A symbol of reflection, self-knowledge, and the relationship between the seen and the unseen.
Key
A small, potent symbol associated with access, unlocking, and the opening of what was closed.
Dragonfly
A delicate, iridescent insect associated with transformation, light, and the ephemeral.
Crow
An intelligent, dark-feathered bird associated with messages, the liminal, and the boundary between worlds.
Butterfly
A widely recognised symbol of transformation, change, and renewal.