the beauty of symbols is that they are wonderfully objective. we all use symbols in our own way. we find our own meanings, apply them to how we live our lives, even use them to forecast the future sometimes. some of us only have one to live by; others have many for different situations they find themselves in.
living in china exposed us to a whole new set of symbols - some we were already familiar with - and others that are not so common in western culture. it was fascinating to learn how lives revolved around auspicious symbols and important decisions were made based on individual interpretations.
because of what is happening in our own universe (read: getting married!), we found meaning in the lotus flower.
based on chinese customs and buddhist beliefs, the lotus flower is a powerful symbol for beauty, faithfulness, and light. they are used to inspire people to continue striving through difficulties, to mirror the way the lotus flower itself grows: bringing beauty and light from the murky darkness at the bottom of the pond.
The words for lotus in Chinese have the same meanings as: to bind, connect (in marriage), one after the other, uninterrupted, to love, and modesty.
who knows how accurate these interpretations may be, but like i said, the beauty of symbols lie in our own ability to apply it to our personal experience.
*thanks to these sites for info*
chinese symbols
lotus legend
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