Religion & Politics in Colors and Symbols

Why most of political parties choose certain colors and symbols for their logos and slogans - WHY ?

How countries select their flags’ colors and some put symbols on them?

Why it is important to a country or a political party to have specified colors and symbols to reflect their political trends?

How does religion interact with politics through numbers, colors and symbols?

Cultural, religious, political, social individuals and groups use colors to represent their traditional concepts or feelings, or to evoke physical reactions. They express in colors some kind of communication or gestures.

Generally speaking colors refer to certain personal moods, or reflect certain resemblance; for instance, BLACK is the color of night and its mysteries. Sometimes represent evil, and can also be relating to elegance or class. It may also refer to power, sophistication, wealth, sadness, depth, anger and mourning. It is taken to symbolize Anarchism, Fascism and Catholicism.

WHITE on the other hand is sacred and pure, and is the color of Gods, Angels, peace, purity, simplicity, youth, but can also refer to sadness and mourning. It can be symbol to humility, winter, cold and sterile and refers to Monarchism.

Whereas BLUE is mostly known as Virgin Mary's color, accompanies pure and innocent females. It is the color of oceans, skies and indicates life, calmness, stability, security, loyalty, technology and depression.

BROWN is always associated with Earth, Home, comfort, endurance, simplicity. GREEN represents nature, environment, good luck, youth also jealousy and misfortune. It is also associated with some Islamic groups and countries.

ORANGE associates with balance, warmth, enthusiasm and demanding of attention.

PINK goes with innocence and child-like character. It is also considered as color of good health. Sometimes it accompanies love, femininity, sexuality and purity.

PURPLE can be color of royalty, nobility, wisdom, enlightenment, also cruelty and arrogance.

RED is the color of blood and can symbolize strong emotions, life and vitality. It indicates to the Sun as symbol of energy.

RED and WHITE together mean happiness, and used in weddings and ceremonies mainly in far eastern countries. The combination is also the color of bond and commitment. It is associated with Socialism, Communism and Nationalism.

YELLOW is joy and happiness and signifies optimism, idealism, gold and also dishonesty, cowardice, deceit, illness and danger. It also signifies Liberalism, and symbolizes extremity.

Symbols in general are signs or marks that define certain brand or idea and represent some information. Most of old languages started as symbols before they were developed to characters and words. Symbols are found in Religious, Artistic, Alchemical, Astronomical, Chemical, Electrical and Mathematical works. Maybe symbols go back to the time of creation when they were perhaps the only means of communication.

By time, ancient civilizations were founded, nations started to choose certain colors and symbols to indicate their identity. The same ancient symbols and colors resemble today the political or religious or social definitions.
Symbols surround us in many forms and most of them are taken for granted today as static signs of religious or secular life that was created long ago. Over time, they have acquired layers of increasingly complex meaning, and this evolution of meaning tells us many ideas about how the nature of life and universe was developed.

The CIRCLE for example is the most common and universal signs, found in all cultures. It is the symbol of the sun in its limitless or boundless aspect. It has no beginning or end, and no divisions, making it the perfect symbol of completeness, eternity, and the soul. It is also the symbol of boundary and enclosure, of completion, and returning cycles. The wedding ring symbolizes not just a pledge of eternal love, but the enclosure of the heart- a pledge of fidelity.

SOLAR CROSS

The equal armed SOLAR CROSS is another universal symbol, and the first truly theological emblem, marking not only the points of the solar calendar, but the juxtaposition of the realm of the material with the realm of the divine.

The ARC is found in more complex symbols, especially planetary symbols, represents ascension or striving. It is a traditional element of architecture and often figures in commemorative monuments of triumph and achievement.

The CRESCENT represents the powers of the moon- reflective and receptive. A reversed crescent often represents emptiness and illusion.

The TRIANGLE is associated with Christian trinity or Freemasonry. To the ancient Pythagoreans, the triangle was, as the first complete polygon, the womb of number and the essence of stability.  The upward moving triangle is sometimes called the blade and it is a symbol of aspiration or rising up, male force, and fire. The downward pointing triangle maybe referred to as the chalice. It is the symbol of water, the grace of heaven, and the womb, a representation of the genitalia of the goddess.

The ARROW is known to be a symbol of power and also shows swiftness and knowledge. It was used by the Greek goddess Artemis and the Greek god Apollo who were both known as hunters.  Also used by Greek god Eros, Roman god Cupid, and the Hindu god Kama – all are known as gods of sexual attraction.

The LION is a symbol of power, also indicates bravery and ferocity.

A CRESCENT MOON is a symbol of the aging goddess (crone) to contemporary witches and victory over death. In Islamic lands, crescent can be seen enclosing a lone pentagram.

DRAGON is a mythical monster made up of many animals: serpent, lizard, bird, lion... It may have many heads and breathes fire. To medieval Europe, it was dangerous and evil, but people in Eastern Asia believe it has power to help them against more hostile spiritual forces. In the Bible it represents Satan, the devil.

HEXAGRAM or Six-pointed Star when surrounded by a circle, it represents the "divine mind" (a counterfeit of God's wisdom) to numerous occult groups through the centuries. Many still use it in occult rituals. But to Jewish people, it is their Star of David.

SPIRAL is linked to the "circle". It is as ancient symbol of the goddess, the womb, fertility, feminine serpent force, continual change, and the evolution of the universe.
The square represents the physical world. Like the quartered circle, it points pagans to the four compass directions: north, east, south and west. While the circle and "spiral" symbolize female sexuality in many earth-centered cultures, the square represents male qualities.

SWASTICA

SWASTIKA  is an ancient occult symbol of the sun and the four directions. Revived by Hitler, it represents racism and the "white supremacy" of Neo-Nazis. Like other occult symbols, it is often placed inside a "circle".

UNICORN means power, purification, healing, wisdom, self-knowledge, renewal and eternal life. Medieval myths suggested it could only be caught with help from a virgin who would befriend it.

All-seeing EYE in the PYRAMID is the official symbol for DARPA Total Information Awareness, a surveillance and information system established by they U.S. government.

CADUCEUS

 CADUCEUS is a figure of two serpents wrapped a center rod where the rod is a symbol of transforming alchemical power. The two serpents represent polarity or duality. Together with the sprouted wings depict the caduceus having an alchemical meaning of balance, duality and following the alchemical process leading to unity. The caduceus is also seen in medical circles.

PENTACLE is a symbol of harmony, health and mystic powers. The Pythagoreans adopted it as a sign of health and the marriage of heaven and earth. As a sign of heaven, earth, as well as human body and mind, the pentacle holds great power.

The LABYRINTH

The LABYRINTH is a winding, maze-like path, often resembling a spiral and almost always has spiritual significance.

The Symbol of SCIENTOLOGY consists of the letter “S” interlaced with two triangles. Each triangle represents three inseparably linked concepts; the KRC (Knowledge, Responsibility and Control) and the ARC” (Affinity, Reality and Communication).The S, stands for “Scientology.”

Aesculapius

The ASCLEPIUS (Aesculapius) Wand is the true symbol of the medical profession. It dates to antiquity, and was a symbol of the Greek God of healing, Aesculapius. The symbol of a serpent entwined staff also appears in the biblical book of Exodus, wherein Moses is instructed to erect a brass pole with a serpent; whoever looked upon it was healed. It is the symbol of medicine and pharmacists.

The eight points in the STAR OF ISHTAR represent the movements of the planet Venus associated with this Goddess, and the eight gates of the city of Babylon.

BABYLONIAN TREE OF LIFE

BABYLONIAN TREE OF LIFE (Mesopotamian Tree of Life) in Babylonian mythology was a magical tree that grew in the center of paradise. The Apsu, or primordial waters, flowed from its roots. It is the prototype of the tree described in Genesis: the biblical Tree of Paradise evolved directly from this ancient symbol; it is the symbol from which the Egyptian, Islamic and Kabbalistic tree of life concepts originated.

TETRAGRAMMATON

The Four letters in the TETRAGRAMMATON (Greek, ‘four letters’) is the true’ name of the God of the Hebrew Scriptures. It never appears complete in written form; only the four consonant letters, YHVH (Hebrew, Yod Heh Vau Heh, read right to left), or in the Latin version, IHVH. In modern Judaism, the Tetragrammaton is commonly referred to as “HaShem,” meaning, “The Name,” and the pronunciation rules still apply.

The TRIQUETRA

The TRIQUETRA makes an ideal Christian symbol. It is a perfect representation of the concept of “three in one” in Christian trinity beliefs, and incorporates another popular Christian symbol, the fish, in its original form of the Vesica Pisces. It is sometimes enclosed within a circle to emphasize the unity aspect.

EYE OF HORUS

The right EYE OF HORUS/Eye of Ra (Udjat, Wedjat) reflects solar, masculine energy, as well as reason and mathematics. The left eye reflects fluid, feminine, lunar energy, and rules intuition and magic. Together, they represent the combined transcendent power of Horus. The Masonic all seeing eye, the Eye of Providence symbol found on American money, and the modern Rx pharmaceutical symbol are all descended from the this symbol.

STAR AND CRESCENT

The STAR AND CRESCENT OF ISLAM emblem is commonly recognized as the symbol of the Islamic faith, is very ancient, dating back to early Sumerian civilization. The symbol was adopted by the Ottoman Dynasty, who is mainly responsible for its association with Islam. Today, the star and crescent is widely accepted as a symbol of the Islamic faith, and is used in decorative arts, jewelry, and national flags- much like the cross in Christian countries.

The HAMSA

The HAMSA, Hand of Fatima is an ancient symbol, used as a protective amulet by both Jews and Muslims. The name Hamsa is derived from the Semitic root meaning “five.” The hand symbol is called the Hand of Fatima by Muslims, named for the daughter of Mohamed, and is sometimes said to symbolize the five pillars or tenets of Islam. In Jewish use, it is sometimes called the hand of Miriam, after the biblical heroine. The eye in hand is considered a powerful talisman against the ‘evil eye,’ and is usually worn around the neck or hung on walls or over the doors of homes and businesses.

WINGED HEART

The WINGED HEART is a symbol of the Sufi movement, a mystic branch of Islam. The symbol is a heart with wings, symbolizing ascension; the five pointed star represents divine light, the moon responsiveness to this light.

The MASONIC SQUARE AND COMPASS

The MASONIC SQUARE AND COMPASS is one of the most common symbols of Freemasonry. The compass and square are architect’s tools, and symbolize God as the architect of the universe, among other things. As measuring instruments, the tools represent judgment and discernment. The compass, which is used to draw circles, represents the realm of the spiritual- eternity. It is symbolic of the defining and limiting principle, and also of infinite boundaries. The angle measures the square, the symbol of earth and the realm of the material. The square represents fairness, balance, firmness, etc.
Together, the compass and square represent the convergence of matter and spirit, and the convergence of earthly and spiritual responsibilities. The two symbols together form a hexagram, the union of earth with the heavens, matter and mind, etc.

DOUBLE-HEADED EAGLE

The DOUBLE-HEADED EAGLE is the emblem of the thirty second and thirty-third (and highest) degrees of Scottish Rite Freemasonry. Alchemically, the eagle was a symbol of purified sulfur, and was used in alchemical images to portray the ascending spirit. The double heads are often emblematic of the reconciliation of matter and spirit. Other elements in the Masonic eagle reinforce the alchemical symbolism- a sword representing heavenly fire, and the crown of spiritual attainment.

circumpunct

The point within the CIRCUMPUNCT is a symbol used in Freemasonry. It is a solar-phallic symbol used in ancient Egypt to represent the eternal nature of the sun god Ra. The lines which enclose the circle call to mind the Akhet, the ancient ‘gate’ of the sun, a symbol of rebirth and resurrection. To the Pythagoreans, the point and circle represented eternity, whose “center is everywhere and the circumference nowhere.”

The Golden Rectangle

The Greek mathematician Pythagoras is credited with the discovery of the GOLDEN RECTANGLE. The Golden Rectangle is built on the “golden ratio” or “golden proportion,” which is determined by the irrational number known as Phi. (Symbolized by its namesake, the Greek letter phi.). To put it simply, a golden rectangle is a rectangle divided in such a way as to create a square and a smaller rectangle that retains the same proportions as the original rectangle. To do this, one must create a rectangle based on the golden ratio. To find the Golden Ratio, one must divide a line so that the ratio of the line to the larger segment is equal to the ratio of the larger segment to the smaller:



Sami Cherkaoui