Recently in Symbols Category

"The activation of a superstition can indeed yield performance-improving effects." That's the conclusion of an upcoming article in Psychological Science, which observes that lucky objects can reinforce a person's sense of control and thereby actually increase the likelihood of achieving a desired outcome.

However, the same article notes that lucky charms tend not to be propitious in situations over which a person has little to no control--such as, say, an eBay auction for a lucky pendant:

The "Figa" is Brazil's omnipresent good luck symbol. The raised fist with thumb between first and second fingers is multi-functional - symbolizing fertility, passion, luck. Made from everything from broken stones to silver and semi-precious stones, it keeps evil spirits away.

These TARDIS dangle earrings--shrink plastic designed for a stained-glass effect--would be the perfect thing to wear to commemorate the announcement that The Doctor has replaced St. George as England's patron saint.

Not that the Church has actually made that decision--yet--but The Guardian's Adam Rutherford makes a compelling argument based on the role of narrative & design in defining national identity:

Although narratives play an important role in cultural membership, national icons are often fatuous and irrelevant. St George is a symbol about whom we know almost nothing and whose own narrative represents almost nothing, St George is a third of the reasons for Henry V's rousing battle cry, which is now mostly appropriated by adverts for sporting events. Other than that, and our crusade-inspired flag, George has not much to do with being English in the 21st century.

So I suggest a new one: The Doctor, the shape-shifting time-travelling guardian of humanity from Doctor Who. In fact, the Doctor shares many striking similarities with St George. Both are dragon-slaying outsiders, fighting on foreign shores to protect their adopted people. But we know so much more about the Doctor, and thus can proudly and sensibly sing his praises. If we as a people demand collective narrative from legend, we might as well make it a ripping yarn.

The Doctor possesses so many traits of Englishness to which we should all aspire: defiance and good humour in the face of adversity; a sense of style that is at once individual, traditional and contemporary; a special brand of cheeky conservative rebelliousness; a humbling reliance on hot companions. Follow your spirit and upon this charge cry God for Harry, England and the Doctor!

In the climactic clip below, Sarah Marshall pronounces judgment on her boyfriend's ecumenical taste in tattoos. On a related front, check out the final Q&A in the latest Dear Prudence on Slate, which reaches a similar conclusion.

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Actress Carol Castro held beads and crucifix in her Brazil Playboy shoot, prompting a court there to halt distribution after the archdiocese protested.

That couldn't happen in the U.S., right? But if she were holding a picture of Mickey Mouse . . .

Miss Clare sports spiritual symbols from a range of traditions--and a Sacred Carrot!--in this pic from the BMEZine.

Today's featured jewelry comes to us thanks to TrendHunters, which also spotted the NipTuck app below. It's the OctopusMe tentacle ring, part of an extensive collection of octo-themed offerings. As OctopusMe explains, "The Octopus is a symbol of Transformation and Regeneration."

Jan Daniel Cadinot was a famous director of gay porn. The following post appeared on his blog on April 23rd, the day he died of a heart attack:

Dear friends, critics and others,

If you're reading these words I will have put down my camera, switched off the lights, drawn the curtains and taken my final bow. May all the efforts and work of a whole life, the quest for the moment of pure truth in the sublime communion of two beings under the spell of the undefinable desire for the other, inspire those who inherit my heart.

The human being is made such that it only remembers the good and the beautiful, therefore I leave you with a free mind and a head overflowing with a myriad of young men, sometimes strong and vigorous, sometimes fragile and sensitive. All of them gave me these unforgettable moments of their most tender intimacy, moments that only a few really know but which I made in to images to allow you to admire them over and over again.

Never were success or personal fortune my creed. You offered me gratitude, and I thank you for that because I wanted nothing else. Cadinot salutes you. Remember a kindly fellow, an extreme observer given to rages and contradiction but who listened to others and was full of love.

"An erect phallus is a symbol of life, a cross a symbol of death."

Here's a fact about yours truly that might not be obvious from this site: when I was high school & college, I became an uber-strict fundamentalist. As in, not tolerating anything remotely connected to worldliness, which included, well, basically most of my pop culture obsessions. Star Trek espoused evolution. Star Wars--the Force, which was obviously (to the folks I listened to, anyway) satanic. Non-Christian comics likewise were deemed to be pure evil.

Which is why I refused invitations to go see Star Trek III & Return of the Jedi, which in retrospect wasn't as bad a couple of omissions as they felt at the time. Perhaps the most painful thing was getting rid of my rather sizable comic collection and all my 1st edition Complete EC Library sets, a series to which I was an original subscriber.

Y'know, that comic collection had a complete run of Batman and Detective going back into the early 1950s. Sold those for 200 bucks to buy tracts. To see how I feel about that transaction now, watch this video.

This experience came to mind today when I read the story making the rounds re Simon White, the guy in the UK who is selling his extensive Doctor Who collection now that he's a Christian. A few excerpts from the story below--although before he gets rid of everything, he may want to attend the Spirituality and Doctor Who conference in Sheffield on April 19.

By the by, did you note how I said "most of my pop culture obsessions?" That's because even when I was separating from everything that wasn't fundamentalist, the one thing that stayed was Doctor Who.

As a counterpoint to what is clearly my spiritual Achilles Heel, here's the confession of Simon White:

Dr Who and his materialistic obsession with it represents the "greatest lie that Satan ever told" according to Mr White.

He said: "I loved science fiction as a kid. It was the Tardis that did it for me. You could get in that box and go anywhere.

"I started collecting Dr Who stuff starting with the Dalek, which I got from an old exhibition in Brighton.

"Me and a friend spent two years making the Tardis and I became obsessed. I made a model of K-9, then a full size Cyberman with authentic Dr Who parts. I couldn't stop.

"I had to retire early from my job as a nurse at the Royal United Hospital in Bath in 1998 because I was suffering from bipolar disorder.

"I turned to drink and became an alcoholic and the Dr Who obsession was the only thing that kept me going. I wouldn't have given it up if you'd have put a gun to my head."

Having discovered Christianity Mr Smith has renounced his old life and is putting the whole collection up for sale in local trade magazines and on eBay.

He said: "God delivered me from the evil that is Dr Who, materialism and alcoholism.

"Through my relationship with Jesus I saw that none of this was making me happy and I was born again like Lazarus.

"It's a timely tale as we come up to Easter. I wanted to tell others that no matter what trouble you are in God can deliver you from the evil. If you are prepared to have a relationship with him then God can help. I have been resurrected. My old life is dead, my new life is alive."

Via Bogoff.com, found through Neatorama, which featured the following super-cool Masonic watch from the 1930s and made the spot-on joke I wish I'd thought of first.

Sacred Cut Metal Designs is a multifaith spiritual marketplace with designs that represent a diverse range of spiritual traditions. This informative article from a local paper explains reason for the name: they custom-cut each piece with "holy water and sacred sand"--"customers can request that any refinable liquid, sand or herb that is meaningful to them be used to make their jewelry."

Because the aim is to promote peace and goodwill for all people, Sacred Cut has pieces from a wide range of traditions and beliefs, such as Christian crosses . . .

and Stars of David

and Oms.

But what really sets Sacred Cut apart is the following item, which links the sacred number 7 with a truly divine name: