Richard Swatton

whilst this book is a classic, and therefore of tremendous value, it persuades the reader to further study, thought and research becasue the limitations of space only allow fundamental and synoptic evaluations of the certain key symbols. the astrological signs for example give good food for thought whereas astrology itself has released masses of written material from these 12 fundamental images. so... the writing itself about symbols are a beginning from which the reader can spring into further adventures of his or her own. what i found of particular interest and value, apart from the main of the text and its valuable information about particular symbols - inlcuding spaical and directional symbols as well as images - is the introduction about symbolism itself. here Cirlot shows his calibre of understanding about the subject brining in Jung, Tillich etc. the most amazing find in this intro however - at last for me - is a reference to a general law of validity regarding symbolic associations: "the law of sufficient identity" a principle that collects symbols of similar identity a around a common core; something that symbols must have if they are to belong together as a group or family of symbols and therefore possess synonymic value. this idea of is special significance to all those interested in symbolic systems such as astrology, tarot etc., hat usually have their own brand of correspondances linked through the concept of similarity and likeness. recommended without doubt.