About my Logo

I would like to tell you what symbols my logo references, but indeed it is impossible to reflect on all facets in a short or even a long article. This is the power of symbols, there is always much more to understand, even after you think you have read everything about them.

A tree is in the center of my logo. It references the Tree of Life, the Tree of Knowledge, the world-tree Yggdrasill, the Bodhi-tree, and others. It is one of the most important symbols for both East and West. Rooted in the earth with branches in the air, trees are intermediaries between Under and Upper World, not unlike the human psyche stretching from its roots, grounded in the unconscious and stretching up to the conscious light. Trees are universally regarded as a symbol of the relationship established between Heaven and Earth. They bring all elements together: water, earth, air, and fire. In many cultures, trees were regarded as divine, and therefore the place of dwelling of divinities and various elemental spirits with whom humans related not only materialistically (wood), but also emotionally and spiritually. The tree was also widely seen as AXIS MUNDI (the world-tree Yggdrasill) around which the universe is organized. The Christian symbolism of the tree is also very important and rich.

I would like to point out two aspects of the symbol of the tree used for my logo: it is a linden tree and it is rooted in the heavens. In the German-speaking world, linden trees were growing at the center of each village; they were sacred to the goddess Freyja, and symbolized the village community, protection and justice. In Slavic countries the linden tree had similar significance, and it was also famous for the honey collected from the linden blossoms. Both lime-blossom tea and honey were and still are regarded as having very powerful healing properties. Traditionally the linden-tree is depicted with leaves in the shape of hearts. The linden tree is of the deciduous family. It sheds its leaves and grows new foliage each year, therefore symbolizing the cyclical character of cosmic development, death and regeneration. In Russian «LINDEN» is pronounced «LIPA», the root of my family name: Lipadatova.

In both East and West traditions the Tree of Life is often inverted, which reflects the concept that the tree draws life from above (sunshine and divine source of life) and instills life below: life came from Heaven and was instilled into Earth. In my logo this tradition is symbolized with stars on a blue background. In Hindu, Jewish esotericism, and Islam, the symbolism of the inverted tree is expressed very clearly.

In my logo, the tree is inside two spheres that intersect in the shape of an EYE (the eye of God, the mirror of the soul), the symbols of SUN and MOON representing the center (the pupil). The sun and the moon are equally represented there, and we see only half of each. That refers to their divine and mysterious nature which can never be fully known.

The symbols of the sun and moon are like the symbol of the tree, one of the most important universal ones. I like the Babylonian interpretation of the sun as «you who illuminate darkness, light up the heavens, and annihilate evil above and below…» In many traditions sun is a male symbol, while moon is female. From the point of view of neurobiology we could see sun as representing the left hemisphere (rational, logical thinking), and moon as representing the right one (three-dimensional, associated with color, art).

All heavenly symbols are important to me, but I will comment only a few words on the RAINBOW, which is surrounding the upper sphere of m logo. In many cultures this splendid natural phenomenon is understood as a manifestation of divine benevolence (God's covenant with Noah). The colors of the rainbow had various meanings, and to me they represent unity and complexity (like the spectrum of a beam of light). Rainbow was often seen as a bridge, connecting the opposites, distant endeavors, symbol of union of YIN and YANG (China). In the popular European tradition a rainbow has been taken as an omen of future wealth or the finding of a treasure.

This is only a very brief reflection on the symbolic aspects of my logo. It means a lot more to me, and I keep on discovering these meanings. I wish that this logo talks to those who take a moment to look at it, to connect to it. It might tell you much more than any word would.