Sacred Symbols is a series of volumes that introduce the ancient, universal wisdoms of humankind. Symbol and ritual go to the heart of human experience. Throughout history humans have developed elaborate symbolic systems to help allay their fear of the unknown and to tap the deep well-springs of spirituality. Today, people are discovering the relevance of these belief systems to life in the 1990s. This volume covers the symbols of Ancient Egypt. The whole observable world was, for the Ancient Egyptians, a symbolic representation. From the sun and the river Nile, which gave them food and sustenance, to the animal kingdom and even architecture, different phenomena were seen to have hidden meanings. Symbolism, at its deepest level, was the means by which the Egyptians interpreted the nature of life itself - the creation, the after-life and the struggle between good and evil.