The Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects
If you look up the wordlionin the dictionary on your desk, odds are you'll learn it's a  large, carnivorous mammal. The entry may note that it's the emblem of Great Britain, too, and mention  courage and literary acumen, but you won't find out that two lions pulled the chariot of the goddess Cybele  when she took it out for a spin. To learn that, you'd need to flip throughThe Woman's Dictionary of  Symbols and Sacred Objects. At the top of each page are drawings of the symbols discussed on that  page. This well-organized tome is fascinating reading with a female-centric spin. Thus,poppetis  not just a doll, but one used by witches as a proxy for the person they wanted to harm.Vasesymbolizes the Earth Mother's womb, and, according to author Barbara G. Walker, the Greek word for  vase,pithos, was mistakenly translated aspyxis, box, in that tale about Pandora.