Aya

Adinkra symbol of the fern: endurance and resourcefulness.

Aya means fern, and the Adinkra symbol of the fern stands for endurance and resourcefulness. The fern is a hardy plant that grows in difficult places: on rocks, in poor soil, in the cracks of walls. Its presence says that life can hold on where you would not expect it to. The symbol is also read as I am not afraid of you, the stance of someone who has come through hardship and no longer flinches.

The shape is a stylised fern frond, with leaves branching from a central stem. Like other Adinkra symbols it is printed on cloth with calabash stamps, and it is popular as a sign of perseverance, often chosen by people who have survived a hard period in their lives.

In Akan thought, endurance is not the same as stubbornness. The fern bends with the wind and survives by being modest in what it needs. Its resourcefulness is the art of making the most of little, which is why the symbol speaks to anyone building a life from scarce means.

It sits naturally beside Nkyinkyim, the twisting road of life, and Denkyem, the adaptable crocodile.

In dreams, ferns, green plants growing from stone, or a plant that survives a storm can be read in an Akan way with this meaning. Such dreams often come during long efforts: an illness being recovered from, a study or a job that asks a lot, a family situation that does not change quickly. Read with Aya, the dream does not promise an end to the hardship, but recognises the strength already shown, and encourages you to keep growing in the place you are.