That damned symbol. It had been all she could think about since her dream of Other Ashdown.
What did it mean?
Who wrote it?
And why was it everywhere?
Well -- whatever it was, she was going to find out, come hell or high water.
The artist slumped down in a hard four-legged chair in front of a computer, and then got to work typing up where she could locate the symbolism books. Mentally, she thanked god for computerized catalogs in the library. If she had to use the dewey decimal system or an outdated card-catalogue, she probably would have pulled both her hijab and her hair out. Her mind went to Erin as she wrote down the location of the books on a scrap of paper, and she smiled. Technology made things so much easier, and she could see why Erin was so fond of it.
With the location of the books in hand, Asiya then delved into the labyrinth that was the stacks of the library. Libraries weren’t unfamiliar territory for her, having gone to college and all of that. Even her art school had a library, and she could lose herself for hours in there as she thumbed through books. Without this prior knowledge, Asiya would have gotten lost in the Ashdown library. Shelves upon shelves of tomes, on a wide variety of subjects, lined the halls, and it would have been easy for anyone to get lost. Yet she reached her destination with minimal difficulty, and then proceeded to pull a number of different books on symbolism.
With her arms full of as many books as she could possibly carry, Asiya then plopped down at a table and dove into researching. Better to have too many books than too few, after all. She wanted to be as thorough as possible when it came to the peculiar glyph.
Crowns. The headgear worn by a monarch or deity was symbolic of many things. It represented power, legitimacy, victory, triumph, honor and glory. It also could represent immortality, righteousness, and resurrection. Within her own belief system, crowns could also represent knowledge and power.
Swords. Like crowns represented power, swords did as well. They could also symbolize solidarity, defense, clarity, honor and force. Swords were often a symbol of war, and they could also mean protection. Then there were also swords that could be seen as symbolic of prophecy, such as Excalibur.
Stars. Most obviously, the stars were meant to represent the heavens. A lot of stars also had particular religious significance. Six-sided stars were symbolic of the Star of David in Judaism, five pointed stars could represent the star of Bethlehem in Christianity, or the pagan pentagram, depending on how it was tilted. Then there was the star and crescent of Islam, though the stars in the symbol of other Ashdown were by themselves. Stars also seemed to be associated with magic, particularly in media and popular culture.
Asiya took as many detailed notes as she possibly could, categorizing and highlighting each respective section. After what seemed like hours, she eventually closed up all the books she had borrowed, and returned them back to the shelves. With her notebook in hand and her new-found knowledge on the numerous symbols, the artist then made her way back out into the real Ashdown. She had to share her conclusions with someone. Perhaps then she might find even more definitive answers.
[Word Count: 702]
