Here at Your Symbols, every item we offer contains one or more individual symbols. We built this page so you can directly explore individual symbols themselves, see from where in the world or culture the symbol comes, to which Your Symbols collection(s) it belongs, and to which "Way" it belongs. You can then go to the corresponding collection and find the item that contains the symbol that may have caught your interest.
All Symbols
Journey
An arching line represents either 'journey' or 'hidden.' The animal head differentiates the arch to mean journey. [Native North American] (Petro-People, Seeking Far and Inner Light)
Sun
Pair text with an image to focus on your chosen product, collection, or blog post. Add details on availability, style, or even provide a review. [Native North American, Mesoamerican] (Petro-People, Day Bright)
Item, Place
The rectangle may indicate a town or village. It may indicate something like 'the place of the sun, water, etc.' [Native North American] (Petro-People, The Offering)
Speaking, Speech, To Speak
If this symbol comes in pairs it means 'double speak' and is meant to convey that someone lied or broke a treaty. [Native North American] (Petro-People, Talk True)
Peace In The Heart Turning Onto Itself
The diamond indicates two arrowheads 'base-to-base' which means 'peace.' The 'turned' arrows means 'turning back on itself.' The pot represents the heart. [Native North American] (Petro-People, Self-Compassion)
Healing, To Heal, Feather
Several tribes consider feathers to integral to the process of healing, clearing, cleansing, etc. [Native North American] (Petro-People, Rise Above)
Bone Awl
One of the most important day-to-day living items in many a primitive culture is the bone awl. In some cultures bone awls were so important they were passed down from one generation to the next. [Native North American] (Petro-People, Making Amends)
'The Way Up,' 'Up,'
Directional indicator. Up and down are indicated by the clockwise or counterclockwise trajectory of the swirl. Traveling through canyon labyrinths of the American Southwest, these indicators came in handy. [Native North American] (Petro-People, Letting Go)
Ancestors, Family
The exact meaning is unknown, but rows of peaople like this often indicate 'group,' 'family,' 'clan,' and the like. Figures placed 'above' other figures indicates ancestry. [Native North American, Mesoamerican] (Petro-People, Own Path)
Open, Light
This symbol is unique in that it occurs in both the old and new world, and it means 'light' in both places. In the americas it also means open or openness. [Native North American, Mesopotamian] (Petro-People, Open Self and Inner Light)
Power, Authority, Buffalo Skull
As a symbol of power and authority, the significance of the buffalo skull to Native American peoples cannot be overstated. [Native North American] (Petro-People, Inner Courage)
Heart, Pot, Vessel
Across five continents and across hundreds of years, the pottery vessel was used in petroglyph language to convey 'heart.' [Native North American, Mesoamerican Egyption, Ancient Asian, European,] (Petro-People, Heart Change)
Treaty, Friendship, Relationship
The interlocked (as if swirling together) lines represent the relationship. Form your hands in to cups, then lock your hands together in front of your chest. This is a sign in sign language of some tribes. [Native North American] (Petro-People, Freeing Bonds)
Mountain, Temple, Fortified Place
The 'stairstep building' is a common symbol is Mesoamerica. The 'bars' at teh bottom of the image occurs in egypt inscriptions to represent foundations. [Native North American, Egyptian] (Petro-People, Fortification)
Making, Doing, Action, Creating
Several ancient cultures across the globe used the hand to represent things that people do with their hands. It was a simple symbol but full of these multiple meanings. [Native North American, Sumerian] (Petro-People, Creative Spirit)
Fire, Central
A tribe northern Arizona creates beautiful images using multiple colors of sand. These 'sand paintings' convey a wide variety of stories and concepts. In the middle of most of thee sand paintings can be found the symbol for fire. Two logs stacked perpendicular to each other. [Native North American] (Petro-People, Center Fire)
'Look That Way'
The double dots often would represent a directional marker as if to say 'look in that direction,' and would often point to other petroglyph panels, or something otherwise interesting, or even life-saving like a hidden spring of water. [Native North American] (Petro-People, Arrive)
Triple Peace
What looks like a diamond is actually two arrowheads configured base-to-base, which means peace. The triple diamond (used extensively by the some tribes even in modern times for decorating baskets) means a lot of peace. [Native North American] (Petro-People, Peaceful Regard)
Spring of Water
For ancient cultures living in desert regions, springs of water were extremely important. The symbol for spring can also mean, 'gathering place,' or even 'sacred place,' This symbol occures across at least three continents. [Native North American, Australian Aborigine, European] (Petro-People, Inner Light)
Gratitude In The Heart
Pair text with an image to focus on your chosen product, collection, or blog post. Add details on availability, style, or even provide a review. [Native North American] (Petro-People, Grateful Heart)
Deliverance
Hexagram from the I Ching. It's general meaning is Taking Apart, Deliverance, Untangled, Liberation [China] (HexaBindRune Butterflies, Letting Go)