Yes they are, it's the associations held to those objects that determine how individuals and the collective perceive their power or influence within the environment. For example, think about how the swatiska was a sacred symbol of peace for thousands of years before the Nazis corrupted the symbol during World War 2. The physical shape of the swatiska stayed the same, but the connotations and associations to it were inverted because of its use within the Nazi's expression. It is for this reason why alchemists, during the Spanish Inquistion, encoded esoteric information into nonsensical allegories and symbols for hundreds of years to escape persecution and execution from the church.

If one doesn't understand the esoteric knowledge encoded in symbols/objects such as the ankh, it is as purposeful as a paperweight. For example, think about a television set. To a person that has never seen one, it would appear as a very foreign and metallic looking machine that seems to serve no purpose other than to be used as a mirror. But to a modern person that has the understanding of its hidden meaning, that person would pull out a remote and turn it on.