Symbols for the Journey

Our spiritual journeys last our entire lives. Practicing our current beliefs is kind of like driving down a freeway; occasionally we see interesting exit signs pointing to off ramps. We take those exits and explore what the exit offers, and then perhaps just merge back onto the freeway again once we see that whatever the exit promised wasn’t as fulfilling as where we were originally going. Then there are times where the exits prove very intriguing indeed, enough to get a hotel room for a while so we can really explore this new exit destination. We may even get onto a new freeway altogether then, heading in a completely different direction.

This is as it should be (just don’t run out of gas and quit the journey!). A spiritual path should never have a permanent destination, where the “truth” has been definitively and permanently found and the quest can therefore end. How dull that would be! I don’t want to stop learning and growing.

As an educator, one who seeks to be a lifelong learner myself and who tries to instill the desire to keep learning in younger generations, I draw joy from delving deeper into traditions that intrigue and motivate me. I recently took a spiritual off ramp, merged onto a whole new freeway, and am probably exceeding the speed limit as I engage in a deep dive of what this will mean for me as my entire spiritual paradigm undergoes a fundamental shift. I haven’t “abandoned” my beliefs from before taking the exit, but am rather engaged in the intellectual and spiritual gymnastics of learning to integrate the traditions into an eclectic, personalized path with which my soul truly resonates. It is such an enjoyable journey. I hope everyone, even those who have never wavered in their beliefs and convictions throughout their lives, can still find a way to keep their traditions new and fulfilling for them.

I am not sure what to call the new freeway I am barreling down, but the lights are green and I’m stepping on the gas. If I had to name this new path, I guess I would attempt to label it as Norse/Celtic/Roman Stoic Animism; a mix of at least three ancient polytheistic and philosophical systems to which I claim mental, spiritual, and ancestral association. That’s a lot of stuff to attempt to reconcile into a coherent life philosophy and belief system. That’s the joy and challenge of it though.

It will be years before I have established routines and rituals for myself that I feel do the foundational traditions justice while fulfilling the needs of my mind and soul. I have already encountered my share of “caution” signs while researching and exploring this diverse and unique path. So much of what was really believed and practiced in the ancient world has been lost to us; we have to draw on the scant resources we have: epic poems, sagas, stone inscriptions, archaeological discoveries–and then work to reconstruct them in ways that honor yet recreate them for our own times.

There are scholars and enthusiasts who work to engage in this reconstruction with rigorous integrity, and then there are also charlatans who make everything up and seek only to amass followers and make money preying on the pocketbooks of those who let their raw enthusiasm outrun their scholarly skepticism. We have to have patience and be willing to learn, read, listen, and honor that which has come before us, while filling in gaps in our knowledge with meaningful additions that are appropriate for our own times and needs. So, fellow seeker, follow your heart and mind as you continue to seek your truth, but be patient and thorough as you go.

I wanted to share what for me has been the most powerful tool of connectivity for me as I set out on this daunting attempt to fuse these disparate systems into some sort of coherent world/universe view that inspires and empowers me. Maybe something here will work for you too. If not, then I of course wish you well as you keep learning and growing in your own way.

For me, I need to surround myself with physical symbols that serve as permanent, ever-present reminders of what I believe. I don’t need them in the sense that without them my faith would falter. No. I need them to help me when the world around me is working to weaken, tempt, or deceive me. Too many people today let others dictate what they should do, wear, listen to, read, or think. We are assaulted 24/7 by articles and videos produced by self-appointed gurus and “influencers” that each claim to possess the silver bullet that will solve whatever personal challenges we are facing. We are tempted by vices that insidiously challenge our attempts to remain virtuous and true.

I personally need the symbols to simply be there when such temptations and distractions arise, to snap me out of it and reconnect me with the essence of the spiritual and moral commitments I have made. They help me summon the strength to resist that which is not in my best interests. They don’t give me that strength; it’s already in there (as it is in all of us). There are times when I just need it more than others. If I am overly hungry, didn’t get enough sleep, and am suddenly slammed by a frustrating or stressful situation, then I might speak or act in ways that contradict what I believe. My raw emotions take over, even for just a second, and regret soon follows. To minimize this, I keep the symbols close at (sometimes directly on) my hand. Here are some of them.

Signet rings: I have always been fascinated by the concept of the signet ring. Ancient or medieval rulers would wear the rings, which had family crests or insignia they could press into dollops of melted wax to seal official orders or correspondence. I bought such rings when I was in high school and college; class rings that uniquely reflected my connection to those institutions and the experiences I had there. My high school ring (representing Pullman High School in Washington State) has a dark blue stone (our colors being blue and grey) engraved with a large capital “P,” representing the school letter awarded to varsity athletes. One side of the ring has a football helmet, with “C-50” set above it (my position, “center,” and number on the football team). The other side has a greyhound in stride, with the word “Greyhounds” above him. To this day, I can pull out that ring and a kaleidoscope of memories flood through my mind: victories, defeats, challenges, and friendships forged in hardship and brotherhood. The symbols on that ring have meaning even today. I rarely wear that ring today, but when I discovered that I could obtain similar rings that reflect my current beliefs (and for much less of a cost) I began collecting them this year. Thus far, I have obtained a ring depicting Thor’s Hammer, Mjolnir, and one depicting Odin’s ravens, Hugin and Munin (thought and memory). The symbols were deeply researched before I acquired them, and I hope to continue to earn the right to wear them. Rings can go with you anywhere, all the time. You never have to take them off. Just choose the right finger for them, find the size you need, and you’ll have a constant reminder of what is most important to you no more than a glance at your hand away.
Medallions: I have nine Stoic medallions, talismans that I can carry in my pocket and hold in my hand to serve as reminders of my commitment to live by the cardinal virtues practiced by the ancient Stoics (wisdom, justice, temperance, and courage). Each has a symbol and quotation that illustrates a Stoic maxim, and I am able to select which one to hold depending on the situation I am facing at the time. They help to center my thoughts and keep things in perspective when facing the challenges of everyday life. They are readily available for minimal expense, and will last the rest of my life (just be careful with them–I lost one once carrying it in my pocket. I like to think someone out there found it and is benefiting from its message even now).
Statues: I discovered a company called Veronese Design that manufactures metal/resin statues (they look like they are made of bronze, they just aren’t as heavy as a solid metal sculpture would be) of literary and mythological figures from many different traditions. So far, I have five statues in the collection: Cuchulainn of the Red Branch (basically the Irish Achilles, main character of the Irish epic The Tain–almost the exact statue stands in the General Post Office in downtown Dublin, Ireland as a symbol of resistance and defiance), King Arthur, Odysseus from The Odyssey, Odin the “All Father,” and Sisyphus in the Underworld, representing the ongoing pursuit of challenge to improve ourselves. The statues are positioned around my home in different locations so that I can always look up and be reminded of and inspired by characters from the “great stories” of Western Civilization, stories I have taught to young people for decades. The statues are never more than $100 or so, depending on the size, and I only get new ones as Christmas/Birthday gifts.

My son has gotten into amulets/pendants as his symbols, and he wears them selectively depending on his needs at the time. There is no end to the possibilities as to what shape your symbols can take. You might even choose, as many do, to tattoo your most sacred symbols directly on your body. Whatever you need to do to keep them readily available to your eyes and spirit. You may then choose to create a sacred space in your own home, an altar, where you may keep your symbols when not being worn or on display elsewhere, so you have a central location for any rituals or meditations in which you might want to engage.

Rings. Medallions. Statues. Amulets. Tattoos. Stones. Feathers. The list of possibilities for personal symbology is as endless as your own imagination. Again, you may not need them at all, but if you feel they might help sustain and defend your beliefs and values in the face of forces that would tempt you or lead you astray, I wholeheartedly recommend starting a collection of objects that you can come to value as representative symbols of all you stand for. The most valuable symbols of all that I possess are:

My wedding ring.
A wooden football my father carved for me when I was in high school.
A stone my son found on a beach and handed to me when he was two, which miraculously is almost the exact size and shape as the football my dad carved–two symbols bookending the generations of my family.

I am sure you are surrounded with physical symbols that resonate with you. I hope this has inspired you to reflect on them, hold them close, and continue to acquire them as your own beliefs evolve along the journey. Enjoy that quest, my friends.

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