Activate Your Intentions with the Power of Symbols
And the Sacred Symbols that are Guiding Shadybrook’s New Chapter
Many of us have set intentions in our lives. We have worked on getting the words just right, on clearly envisioning our desired reality, on feeling this reality in our bones.
But did you ever consider that you don’t have to create all this energy by yourself? There is a whole wealth of rich energy woven throughout our collective consciousness waiting to support you.
Picture in your mind a temple, a church, or an altar. What do you see? I do see written words—that’s true. But I also see rich symbols rooted in tradition and meaning.
Symbols are powerful tools of ritual and manifestation that have been used by every major religion and culture throughout history.
Symbols Speak
From cave paintings, to hieroglyphics, to grave frescos, to religious architecture, one thing is clear: Symbols say something universal. When words fall short, symbols speak.
Carl Jung, the preeminent psychologist, studied symbols extensively. He said:
“A term or an image is symbolic if it means more than it describes or expresses. [Symbols] have a comprehensive ‘unconscious’ aspect, which can never be exactly defined or exhaustively explained.”
Jung saw symbols as representations of the archetypes – those universal images and stories that we find echoed throughout cultures across the world.
He considered these archetypes and symbols to be woven into the fabric of all human life in what he called “the collective unconscious”.
Harness the Power of Your Subconscious Mind
One of Jung’s most famous quotes was this:
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
These symbols and archetypes run in the background of our programming, making decisions, deciding what to draw our attention to, issuing automatic feelings and thoughts. In all those moments that we are not conscious, intentional, and aware, something is running the show – our unconscious.
So why not activate our unconscious and align it to our intentions?
For those of you who joined us for Dr. Jane Kukula, AUD’s recent program on “Crafting Healing Rituals”, this idea will be no surprise. We can intentionally select symbols that align with our desires and surround ourselves with them. Whether that is placing a symbol on our altar, creating symbolic art, or even getting a tattoo of a powerful symbol.
We can tap into the symbols woven into the collective unconscious, make their power conscious, and weave our future and our fate.
The Symbols of Shadybrook
Symbols were very intentionally chosen for Shadybrook as energies that we want to invite into the experiences that we offer and the community that we are building here:
The Spiral
The spiral is an ancient symbol of the cycle of life – birth and growth, prime of life, decline, death, and rebirth.
We see this symbol living in the seasons– Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.
We see the spiral echoed in archetypal stories and religious myths across cultures. Through the Christian resurrection story. Through the stories of Persephone and Demeter.
We see these cycles in our own lives:
We release what no longer serves us.
We mourn old versions of ourselves.
We take time to rest and nourish ourselves.
We step into the bright energy of new beginnings.
We thrive.
The Vortex
Vortexes are places that invite transformation – spheres of swirling energy.
They invite us to turn within and find our inner wholeness and healing. Then they invite us to emerge anew and to share our wisdom with the world. You can see that energy of drawing within and the energy of emerging out in the swirl of the vortex.
The Circle
The circle represents our vision for community. We see the circle in King Arthur’s round table, where there is no head, no rank. In wedding rings, that represent unity.
A circle is a place where everyone has a seat at the table.
A place where all are equal and all are valued.
A place where everyone has wisdom to share.
And where, by bringing our own wholeness, our community is made whole.
The circle holds the container for our growth, our celebration, our grief, our transformation.
Swirling Leaves
A nod to our roots of the Shadybrook tree, we also see the symbol of swirling leaves. Swirling leaves represent change, release, growth, and transformation.
Think of the Autumn trees releasing the leaves that have served their purpose with the help of an elemental gust of wind.
They fall in the spiral of transformation.
They return to the earth where they can break down and nourish the next phase of growth—among them seeds to be planted.
These are the symbols that we are calling on to energetically support the work of Shadybrook.
These are the symbols that we are inviting into each experience we have together.
These are the symbols we have chosen—or that have chosen us—to represent the Spirit of Shadybrook.
These are just a few of the powerful symbols that are woven into humanity’s collective consciousness.
Symbols abound.
We invite you to reflect on what symbols resonate with you. What symbols are calling to you? Explore what symbols may align with your current intentions. Place them on your altar. Doodle them in your journal. Call on the energy of these symbols to activate your intentions.
Make the unconscious conscious and reweave your fate.
Their energy is here to support you.
What Symbols Are Resonating With You?
Share your favorite symbols in the comments. Let’s build our symbol library.
