The symbols are the related to the symbological arrangement of elements; the entire basic array is tattooed on a person because there's no way of knowing a person's elemental affinity until they've started practicing.

There's really no way to know whether or not you'll be able to perform Symbology without having you actually try; even if you do have potential, there's no telling how well that'll translate into another world's system of elements, you know?

[...] Basically, it'd be difficult. No telling how difficult.