"Sumbolon" and Symbols

Ladder-Sepia, Intaglio Print with color

In my ongoing quest for finding more meaning and symbology in the Spirit Boat, I found an interesting history of the word symbol. In Claire Gibson's book, Signs and Symbols, she writes that the word symbol "derives from the ancient Greek custom of breaking a clay slate into pieces and giving a piece to each member of a group before their dispersal; when they reconvened, the pieces would be re-assembled- sumballerin, "to throw together"- like a jigsaw, and the individual's group identity would thus be confirmed. So it was that the Greek word sumbolon, "a mark of recognition" came into being, from which the Latin, symbolum evolved." You can find more of Claire's on-going work with symbols at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mrs-Symbols/155840131135411
This sparks the idea that a Spirit Boat can be used for community building. People are introduced to ideas around the theme of Spirit Boat with the intention that this symbol can represent  transition to a desired state of being. "Clay" is the metaphor of the the boat being formed as a physical structure. Individual's break off a hunk of this "clay" to work on their own boat making process imbuing this with what has heart and meaning for them. After they have made their boat, they bring it to the dock, the common meeting place, where they are reaffirmed as fellow spiritboatists who find new purpose to guide future actions. Their spirit boat arouses an emotional response as a trigger and reminder of the intention:  to move towards what is desired, and feel supported by the group.
In one of my latest prints, segments form a ladder that one can use for moving up or down.  The marriage of the ladder with the boat navigating the universe as one feels empowering.