A man’s home is his/her castle. It’s also chock full of symbolic furnishings and doodads. Give your story some symbolic zing by being familiar with a few of the household symbolic heavyweights.
Books: Wisdom and learning.
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Is the book old or new?
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Are pages torn out (think Dead Poet’s Society) or bent?
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ls print large or small? Do the book need a translation?
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Does book contain esoteric or forbidden or dangerous information? ( Remember the movie The Mummy when the Egyptologist yells,”You must not read from the book!” )
Bowls: The feminine—it’s a womb thing. Prosperity.
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Is bowl full or empty?
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What are the contents?
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What material is it made from?
Box: The unconscious mind—think Pandora. Containment of emotions. Limitations. Close-mindedness.
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Is the box open or closed? Locked?
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What is box made of?
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Where is box kept?
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Who opens box?
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Who locks box?
Broom: Spiritual cleaning. Ridding home of evil. Protection against curses. Witch transportation.
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Who is doing the sweeping?
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What problem is swept away?
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Is broom constructed from a specific ( and therefore symbolic) wood?
Fan: Femininity. Social class. Dispels evil spirits. Releases soul into immortal realm (Taosim).
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Who is holding fan?
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How is it used— to cool, hide, flirt, conceal?
Hearth: Home. Family. Emotional warmth. Females. Maternal nurturing.
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Is fire smoldering, blazing, or cold?
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Who is tending the fire?
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Who is beneficiary of the warmth?
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What is burning? ( a romantic or incriminating letter, a body, evidence?)
- How big is the fireplace?
- Is hearth ornate or simple? Luxurious, pretentious, or utilitarian?
Key: Access to wisdom. Freedom. Success. Secrets. 2 crossed keys are a Christian emblem of the Gates of Heaven.
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What is key made of?
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Who is using key?
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Why is door locked?
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Does key work in the door?
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Who and why does someone steal the key?
Knife: Death. Sacrifice. Cutting away emotions/ideals/prejudices/etc.
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Who is wielding blade?
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What is being cut?
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Is blade dull or sharp?
Loom: Mother Goddess. Luna goddess. Feminine power.
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Who is looming?
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What pattern is created? What colors woven?
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What material is used?
Mirror: A zillion meanings—well, almost. Vanity. Truth. Clarity. Distortion. Reflection of soul. Inner calm (Taoists). Transitory nature of reality (Hinduism).
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Who or what is reflected?
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What is NOT reflected?
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How is mirror framed?
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Does the mirror break? And if so, what really broke?
Pen & Ink: Learning. Creativity. Destiny.
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What is written?
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Who is the writer?
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Does writer make mistakes or blot paper?
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Is script illegible, elegant, precise?
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What surface is written on?
Purse: Wealth. Vanity. Prosperity. St. Matthew—once a tax collector. Judas Iscariot—betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
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Is purse full or empty?
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What material is purse? Remember you can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear.
Screen: Mystery. Concealment.
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Who is behind the screen? Is it titillating or frightening?
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Who is looking at the person /thing behind the screen?
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What material is screen made of?
Table: The Last Supper. Equality—of round. A coming together. Circle of Life. The Divine.
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What shape is table?
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What material is it made from?
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Who sits at the head of the table?
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Who arrives and who leaves?
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Is something spilled upon the table?
Thread: One’s lifetime as determined by the gods.
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Who cuts thread?
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What material is thread?
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What is thread stitching together?
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Did thread become loose?
Timepiece: Mortality.
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Does clock run fast, slow, or exact?
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Does someone stop time?
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Is time more important for one character than another?
Have fun with symbolism!
- Related Links: Rock Your Writing; Symbolism & more symbols;
- Click Amazon link to novels.
