The Role of Symbols in Inner Work
How your Psyche speaks when words fall short.
Part of the Language of the Psyche Series
Symbols are how your unconscious communicates. They show up in dreams, triggers, art, and moments of deep emotion. Working with symbols means allowing them to speak, not through definitions but dialogue. Learning to interact with symbolic images unlocks new layers of meaning, integration, and healing.
The Role of Symbols in Inner Work
You’ve probably had this experience:
A dream image stays with you all day.
A particular animal keeps appearing.
A strange object shows up in meditation.
Or a wordless feeling-picture lingers for days.
That’s not random.
That’s a symbol - a message from your inner world.
And in depth psychology, symbols are how your psyche says:
“There’s more here than you realise. Come closer.”
What Is a Symbol?
A symbol is not just a sign or image.
It’s a carrier of meaning, especially from the unconscious.
A snake might represent fear, transformation, healing, or energy.
A cave might symbolise the unknown, descent, or refuge.
A key might carry themes of access, opening, or withheld knowledge.
Symbols aren’t fixed.
They don’t belong in a dictionary.
They belong to you - your story, your psyche, your associations.
Why Symbols Matter in Shadow Work
When we repress a part of ourselves, it often returns … as a symbol.
You reject your power → and dream of a wild animal.
You feel stuck → and see an image of a locked door.
You crave freedom → and can’t stop thinking about birds.
These images are clues.
They point toward what you’ve buried - and what’s ready to return.
How to Work With Symbols
Here’s a simple way to explore one:
1. Choose a symbol.
It could come from a dream, a visualisation, or something that won’t leave you alone.
2. Ask yourself:
What does this symbol remind me of?
How does it make me feel?
Where in my life does this symbol appear - internally or externally?
3. Let it speak.
Draw it. Dialogue with it. Move like it. Ask it why it came.
You’re not trying to “decode” it.
You’re building a relationship.
Symbols as a Bridge
Your ego speaks in thoughts.
Your unconscious speaks in symbols.
When you learn to honour those symbols, you build a bridge between the two, where transformation happens.
Final Thought
Symbols don’t obey logic.
They stir something older. Deeper. Wiser.
The invitation is not to interpret … but to interact.
That’s where the mystery becomes movement.
That’s where Shadow becomes gold.
That’s where healing begins.
A Helpful Guide to Read Next
The unconscious is the hidden part of your psyche holding repressed emotions, memories, and untapped potential. Engaging with it - through dreams, symbols, and triggers - can unlock profound healing and growth.