Staff

The staff is a symbol of power and leadership, whether it is a scepter in the king's hand, the shaman's rod, or the shepherd's staff. A staff indicates a guide.

The modern image of a wizard almost always includes a staff, an instrument for channeling energy and casting spells. But even in older stories, the staff is associated with leadership, magic, and power; for example, Shakespeare's Prospero in The Tempest, Moses in the Old Testament, Hermes in Greek mythology, and Odin in Norse mythology. (See also Spear.)

The staff also symbolizes ascension and is associated with Indian beliefs about Kundalini energy, which relates to awareness and enlightenment. (Compare Mountain.)

If one dreams that one cannot find a staff, it may illustrate that one lacks the ability to control the current situation. If the staff breaks, it may indicate that the energy can no longer be channeled in the desired direction (as dramatically illustrated in The Lord of the Rings, where the mighty wizard Saruman becomes a rather pitiable figure when his staff is broken).

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