A. Venefica’s Weblog: Symbolic Meanings

The following is an excerpt from an interview I conducted with Swedish artist,  Göran Jönsson.  my intent with this interview is to share the special wealth of wisdom Göran has to offer, and to illustrate how symbolism can effectively serve as muse, inspiration, and artistic expression in all our lives.

WYS: How important is symbolism in your sculpted jewelry & artwork?

G: It’s a big part of the language I have inside me, which is the base of everything I make. On my website I make this statement: “Slate – Silver: For centuries, man has been using these materials to make beautiful things. The objective has been to honor or influence the powers that one believed in. Amulets were worn so as to receive some of their protective powers. These pieces of sculpted jewelry are a continuation of this long tradition.”

WYS: Which system of symbols (i.e., Greek, Hindu, nature, pop culture, Native American) do you find yourself drawn to the most?

G: I can’t tell you any specific culture, because I don’t have enough knowledge of all the different symbols in all cultures to make any kind of final judgment. This is one of the reasons why I appreciate the information on www.Whats-Your-Sign.com, there is an amazing amount knowledge on symbolism here.

What I can say is that many of the old native cultures appeal to me. These are indigenous peoples who lived very close with nature, and intimately understood the connection between humanity and earth. Some examples of these closely connected cultures are:

• Indians of North America
• Eskimos
• Sami (Lappish) people
• African Native people
• Aboriginals

WYS: Why do these cultures & symbol collections appeal to you the most?

G: Because these cultures respect and coexist with nature. Their way of living fills me with admiration and sometimes gives me hope for mankind. We could learn so much from them about how to live our own lives as well as how to respect life itself.

Click here for the full interview on Whats-Your-Sign.com.

To learn more about Göran Jönsson and his sculpted jewelry, visit his website at www.SculptedJewelry.se

Prime symbolism of silver deals with the moon and as such it is an attribute of feminine energy.

Chaldeans referenced silver by the female name of Nanna.

Rosicrucian alchemists attributed silver to the goddesses Artemis (Greek).

Renaissance alchemists divined with silver using Diana’s (Roman) personification.

Arabic alchemists invoked the feminine name of Manat when working with silver as an alchemical symbol.

Some quick symbolic meanings of silver:

• Purity
• Clarity
• Awareness
• Focus
• Single-ness of Purpose
• Femininity
• Persistence
• Vision
• Strength

Silver is symbolic of such attributes as awareness, clarity, and vision because of its bright/clear appearance. 

Silver is a symbol for strength because this metal withstands abuse, weathering, and even heat.  Nevertheless, it can still be molded into desired forms. 

This is symbolic of a subtle strength.  The message here is that we ourselves can be flexible enough to be molded into something better - but strong enough to keep our core integrity in tact.

Discover more about symbolism and silver by reading my interview with Göran Jönsson, an artist of sculpted jewelry made of primarily silver and slate.

Recently a reader asked me about the symbolic meanings of palladium.  She was designing a wedding ring with this metal, and wanted to delve into the symbolic properties this material represents.  To which I responded:

Dear Metal Monger: 

Palladium is in the Platinum family, and as such it shares many of its attributes:

• Strength
• Awareness
• Clarity
• Courage
• Hope
• Integrity
• Stability

Palladium is unique because of its relationship to hydrogen (it loves the stuff).  This casts a neat shadow on the spiritual properties of Palladium as hygrogen, as you likely know is the lightest element of the universe. Therefore, we can add the following symbolic properties to Palladium:

• Enlightenment
• Light-heartedness
• Ascension
• Progression

Further, Palladium is a moon metal, however hydrogen is a sun gas - this gives you a very yin-yang feel to the metal, and is good for wearers who require more balance in their lives. Furthermore Palladium loves to be worked on in the full moons and in the summer months - these times are at the peak of its vibratory power.

I hope this helps you in your creative processes while working with Palladium.

Regards & blessings to you,

A. Venefica