Here we have the death rune taken over by the peaceniks of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. According to the myth, this design was created by Gerald Holtom.  According to Holtom, the circle represents the world, and the N and D joined together create the line down through the circle and the two arms pointing downwards on either side of it (???). Confused? That’s because Holtom is spinning you a yarn.

In fact, those with the slightest inkling of the pagan roots of this symbol, will know straight away that this is a ‘broken cross’ reflecting the inverse of the Pythagorean symbol for life and the Teutonic rune of death, as displayed in the Futhark runic alphabet.

On the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War’s first march it was Bertrand Russell who selected the symbol to be placed on buttons and banners. When you know the history of dear philosopher Russell, it is no coincidence that he wished to promote this false symbol of peace.

According to the Book of Signs, written by Rudolph Koch, the symbol without a circle indicates “the death of man,” and, with the circle around it means “the total death of all people.” Quite fitting for the man who stated the following:

“Scientific societies are as yet in their infancy. . . . It is to be expected that advances in physiology and psychology will give governments much more control over individual mentality than they now have even in totalitarian countries. Fitche laid it down that education should aim at destroying free will, so that, after pupils have left school, they shall be incapable, throughout the rest of their lives, of thinking or acting otherwise than as their schoolmasters would have wished.”

“Diet, injections, and injunctions will combine, from a very early age, to produce the sort of character and the sort of beliefs that the authorities consider desirable, and any serious criticism of the powers that be will become psychologically impossible.”

“Gradually, by selective breeding, the congenital differences between rulers and ruled will increase until they become almost different species. A revolt of the plebs would become as unthinkable as an organized insurrection of sheep against the practice of eating mutton.”

— Bertrand Russell, “The Impact of Science on Society”, 1953, pg 49-50

There are many different types of peace sign earrings to choose from. You can readily opt for pieces that match your individual style and references. It is worth looking at some of the most popular options so that you can figure out whether they are right for you or not.

Stud peace sign earrings of chandelier ones – which is the better option? Stud models can be very elegant and impressive, but they cannot match the feminine exquisiteness of chandelier models. If you want more casual earrings, you should definitely go for stud ones. If you want to wear the pieces of jewelry at the office or at a trendy evening event, you are highly recommended to consider models with a dangle. These do not look unnatural. Quite the opposite, the decorative elements are beautifully stylized to create unified pieces.

Plain or adorned – this is another important choice that you have to make. Plain peace sign earrings without decoration are more casual in a way. They will most likely not go well with an office outfit or with an evening dress. The same applies to the models with engraved decorative motifs.

Some have simple scrolls while other earrings have small peace signs engraved to highlight the idea behind the main design. These do not boast with great elegance and lavishness, but they can be quite artistic. You can readily use them to give an entire new appeal to an outfit.

The earrings adorned with gemstones are elegant and stylish. The really great thing about them is that they can go well with an outfit for a club and with an office outfit. Of course, it all depends on the design of the pieces of jewelry, but gemstones certainly give a kind of opulence to any accessory.

There are some practical considerations to take into account when choosing peace sign earrings. Most models available on the market are made from silver. When choosing between such jewelry pieces, you must ensure that the item which you pick is made from sterling silver with 92.5 percent purity. If you decide to go for earrings made from gold, you should know that 14k gold items are good and affordable choices.

If you’d like to learn more visit this page on peace sign earrings or this page on peacesign stud earrings. I hope you’ve found this article informative and enjoyable to read. Good luck.

By Michael L Leigh

It is its intricate craftsmanship and usage of high-quality gemstones that makes the handmade antique jewelry stand out of all. You will find a wide variety of designs and styles in this category. The periods from where it is taken include Mid-Victorian, Early-Victorian, Late Victorian, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco and Retro, and Edwardian.

Buying old-fashioned ornaments is certainly a fun and great experience. Whatever you purchase, make sure you know what you would be buying. There are quite a few essential things that you must look into before ending up buying wrong trinkets.

For most people, finding such a handmade jewelry piece is a real treasure and so they never miss out the opportunity to collect them. In comparison to others, collecting these handmade antique items is more meticulous. But, if you make yourself acquainted with the essential things that you must know about them then it won’t be a difficult task.

Today, people are mostly keen towards collecting antique ornaments in order to sell them at huge amount later. This idea not only fetch you good amount but the ones you keep aside for yourself make you stand out of crowd. When you wear the exquisite pieces, people around you either envies you or compliments your look.

Another important factor you must remember is to avoid being fooled by picking up the fake materials. As replication and duplication have now been the standard procedures with most jewelry, you should be very careful while importing pieces for your collection.

In order to avoid purchasing the restored and fake ones that comes in less value, all you need to do is look for professional assessment of the items. It is always better to seek professional help, which will lead you to pick up the genuine ones.

Apart from taking interest in collecting the traditional handmade jewelry items are you keen towards any peace sign jewelry? If so, then you are truly having a good sense of jewelry collection. This particular item has been in style almost over a half century.

Such costume jewelry first started out as peace sign necklaces with rainbow of colors in form of beaded cross pendants hung with a support of a string. Wearing this jewelry is an excellent way to make people understand that how much you love peace. You can wear the peace sign jewelry with anything you prefer. If you choose silver then it will truly adorn your fashion statement.

If you really want to spread peace all over, you can definitely start by wearing any peace sign ornaments. This medium will surely promote what exactly you want people around you to understand. So, pick the one that best suits your style and add to your fashion statement as well.

There are several other things to know about both handmade jewelry and peace sign jewelry.

The peace bracelets are available in a variety of colors and styles. You can even get something customized to include your name. It is easy to find a bracelet to suit your personal preferences.

You can now buy the peace bracelets on the internet. It is more convenient compared to visiting stores in person. And you can compare different options easily without walking from one store to another. When you buy it from online store, usually, each of the bracelets comes with detailed descriptions to make sure you choose the right one. If you have a family member in the army or know anyone who has been posted to Afghanistan, it is a good choice to use peace bracelet to remember them everyday.

Peace bracelets are timeless and fashionable. You can easily combine them with any outfit. If you have a company, you can get several of them for your team to wear in support of our troops. It may seem like a subtle message but it has a great impact because wearing the bracelets is a way to unify people. Peace Bracelets are great gifts to military moms or husbands. It is sentimental because it shows that you appreciate the service provided by their family member.

Peace bracelets can stretch therefore you can easily wear it and remove it from your hand. They also come in a variety of sizes therefore you can get some for your children as well. If you are shopping for children, you can get different colors to allow them to match their clothes. Peace bracelets are also relatively small and light in weight. They are not cumbersome even when you are wearing other types of jewelery.

There are different styles of peace bracelets that are available. There are conventional ones for those who work in formal environment. There are cool look styles ones too. The cool ones look great if you are a student. Some of them are wild and they are a suitable choice for those who want to make a statement. If you want it to show your personal style, you can choose the customized peace bracelets when you are shopping online.

Except looking stylish, most important thing is that, peace bracelets allow you to contribute to a great cause. A significant percentage of the amount you pay for the peace bracelets goes towards charities. Some of the money is also used to get supplies for troops to make them feel appreciated even when they are far away from their families.

Our troops are fighting enemies in the war. They can not have time to be with their family and friends. Peace bracelets allow us to show support for the troops from any part of the world. It is a nice thing to wear.

Wool Area Rugs Make a Difference. Peace Cord is a partnership between two nonprofits to support US troops overseas.

There is also information about tattoos in general that may help you if you are deciding to get a tattoo, whether a peace sign or other designs.

The peace sign originally was designed in the year 1958 by a British artist named Gerald Holtom. He designed it for the movement for British nuclear disarmament and he designed the symbol to represent despair, making the symbol look like a person who held both their arms out in despair to the side. Nuclear disarmament was the original meaning of the peace sign.

Since then, the peace sign has come to mean so much more. It was enveloped by hippies in the decade of the 1960′s during the so-called hippy movement as a symbol of opposition to the war in Vietnam.

Peace signs covered clothing, faces, and other body parts. There is even a hand gesture that represents the peace sign and is used to convey peace and harmony.

In modern day society, you will see people from all walks of life and income level sporting the tattoo. For some people, it is a corporate worker rebelling against the bosses and men or women above him and for others, it may be someone considering themselves to be a modern day “Hippy” and wanting Peace and Love for all. It is a symbol that is accepted by the broad base of society and has, for the most part, only positive association with it.

If you are looking for small feminine tattoos or want to get a tattoo and aren’t sure exactly what you want, the peace sign is a positive and feel-good tattoo that everyone likes. You can get really creative and include some unique styles of Tattoo lettering fonts to include a quote or saying you really believe in as well.

There are many different styles and colors that can make up a peace sign tattoo so always see a tattoo artist who is a professional and understands your style, theme, and design. Be sure to know that the design is what you were thinking of before you have it put on your body in permanent ink.

People get tattoos to represent many different things. There are a variety of ages that get them, from teenagers to young adults to middle-age people.

Some people get them to look or feel cool, some have a very special and significant reason for getting them, and some have other reasons. A lot of people are even “addicted” to getting tattoos and have them all over their bodies.

Whatever the reason is that you decide to get a tattoo, know that it is a permanent part of you. Consider what part of the body you get it on, as certain things can sag and wrinkle as you age. It is not something to take lightly and you should think about it seriously before you get one.

Do your research, take your time to decide on the tattoo design that really resonates with you and your personal beliefs, and you will have skin ink to cherish for the rest of your life.

If you are considering which tattoo design suits you best, the information here should help narrow down your search and make a decision: http://www.squidoo.com/small-feminine-tattoos There are so many possibilities when looking for a tattoo design. Be creative and choose something that is meaningful to you.

These days a tattoo is more than just an image or picture. Lettering tattoos have become very popular. They add spark to a picture or echoes the style of the person wearing the tattoo.

Lettering also shows a quote that is important to the wearer, reflects their attitude towards life or their thoughts. Learn more about Tattoo lettering fonts here: http://www.squidoo.com/tattoo-lettering-fonts Do your research when deciding on a tattoo design and tattoo lettering fonts so you can have a personalized and unique tattoo.

By Helene M Malmsio

EzineArticles.com

The British artist Gerald Holtom, creator of the CND sign, penned a solemn note to Hugh Brock, editor of Peace News, before its first public outing on a London peace march in 1958. “I was in despair,” he wrote, explaining how the symbol came about. “Deep despair”.

I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya’s peasant before the firing squad. I formalised the drawing into a line and put a circle round it.”

Holtom died in 1985. If he had been alive to see this month’s Vogue or Tatler, he might have been surprised to see an advertisement for Tiffany & Co in which Lily Cole wears a platinum and diamond peace sign pendant. Half a century after its creation, this potent ideological symbol has become one of the world’s most recognisable designs – and one of its most commercialised too. With 4.8 carats of round-cut diamonds set into platinum, the Tiffany pendant has a price tag of £2,550.

Holtom, who was a conscientious objector during the second world war while working on a farm in Norfolk, would probably not have been too impressed. But Tiffany is not alone in cashing in on the design, which has adorned Fendi bags, limited-edition Volkswagen cars and Madonna’s favourite Ed Hardy T-shirts. This autumn Barney’s, the chic New York department store, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the peace sign with its Peace and Love holiday extravaganza.

Barneys’ British creative director, Simon Doonan, has strong memories of the symbol in its original context: growing up near the Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment, he remembers “going with my parents and seeing the CND sign held up on broomsticks”. These days, he believes, “a lot of people don’t necessarily know the sign came out of the nuclear disarmament movement. But it still has meaning to people, it still carries a positive message of peace. It’s become almost akin to a smiley face.” He has asked designers including Nicolas Ghesquière of Balenciaga, Alber Elbaz of Lanvin, Phillip Lim and Alexander Wang to create dresses inspired by the peace sign. The store has commissioned a plethora of hippy-inspired products: tie-dye Converse hi-tops, psychedelic backgammon boards and high-fashion accessories including a Fendi baguette bag with a peace-sign key chain.

All this rampant consumerism doesn’t sit easily with the principles of turn on, tune in and drop out. Sadly for CND (and for Gerald Holtom’s estate) a copyright was never sought for the sign, which allows it to be commandeered for pretty much anything – including Tiffany pendants – although CND do ask for a donation from companies who have used the symbol.

Doonan disputes the idea that Barneys’ “Have a Hippy Holiday” campaign is at odds with the original message of the peace sign. “Sure, it’s probably not what the hippies had in mind, for it to become a marketing campaign for a department store. But it’s a symbol of the mainstreaming of counter-cultural ideas, of things that were part of the alternative lifestyle – like environmentalism, and organic food. Isn’t that ultimately what the hippies would have wanted?”

Not necessarily, says Christopher Breward, head of the V&A’s research department, who suspects “Holtom is probably spinning in his grave now. The original anti-bomb marchers came from a very anti-fashion perspective.” Next month the V&A opens Cold War Modern: Design 1945-70, which will delve into the relationship between fear and fashion and design during the postwar decades.

Breward sees correlations between our current economic and social climate and the prevailing mood in the 60s and early 70s. “These decades offer answers to present problems; think of the 70s eco movement, an alternative way of living. There’s a really strong connection between then and now.”

Ever since the summer of love, fashion has drawn inspiration from hippie style and symbols. Yves Saint Laurent took his cues from the bohemian band of friends who populated his Marrakech riad, including Talitha Getty. Kenzo also took hippy style and gave it a high-fashion spin, while Tom Ford created his own tribute to the summer of love while at Gucci in the early 90s.

Now designers are plundering the look once more. After a summer of wedge sandals, maxi dresses and festival dressing (where even orange-faced Wags were hopping on the hippy bandwagon), autumn sees the return of gilets, tasseled boots and folky prints.

The look is most pronounced at Gucci, where creative director Frida Giannini has fused Russian bohemia with a hefty dash of 70s rock chick. There are fringed boots and tight velvet pants, low-slung embellished belts and printed peasant tops all topped off with piles of jangly charm bracelets and necklaces. The current advertising campaign for Gucci’s “hippy deluxe” range shows a gaggle of models prancing around in a meadow in what seems like a post-festival haze – complete with whopping great Gucci bags, of course.

The day after Giannini’s autumn/winter show back in February, newspapers were cooing over the brazen commerciality of it all. (Ironically, the reviews probably started Giannini brooding in her Via Pontaccio office – few fashion designers like to be tarred with the commercial brush.) But the critics had a point – there is something very saleable about the style of the late 60s and 70s. As Christopher Breward puts it: “Everyone can have a piece of this look as it’s so simple – it’s a fashion shorthand and it’s incredibly accessible.”

So accessible, in fact, that Giannini delved deeper into the 70s for her resort range (which will go on sale around November) with printed maxi dresses, flared trousers and numerous tributes to Talitha Getty and Jane Birkin, who both inspired the collection. And Giannini isn’t the only one.

Michael Kors gives a nod to the style in his resort collection too, with long tie-dye kaftans and patchwork dresses. Meanwhile, this autumn Dolce & Gabbana ditches its usual ultra-sexy style in favour of shaggy long gilets and midi-length skirts. There are more fluffy gilets at Isabel Marant and Etro, while Bally, the Swiss firm that is now steered by ex-Versace designer Brian Atwood, has faded-print peasant tops and slouchy suede boots.

It’s all a far cry from the thrift-store aesthetic of the original hippies. Any residual meaning in hippy style – and probably the peace symbol – has been virtually sucked dry by the fashion business, with the look becoming a moneyspinner for global luxury brands. Next year sees the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. Giannini is probably rummaging through the archive pictures already.

· This article was amended on Tuesday August 26 2008. Not quite as many years have passed since Woodstock as we led readers to believe in the article above. Next year is the 40th anniversary of the festival (held in August 1969), not its 50th. This has been corrected.

Source: guardian.co.uk

The creator of this sign was British artist Gerald Holtom, a conscientious objector during World War II. He wrote of his creation, “I was in despair. Deep despair. I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya’s peasant before the firing squad.

I formalised the drawing into a line and put a circle round it.” The symbol’s first public appearance was in a London peace march in 1958, and it was once the logo for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, or CND. Holtom never copyrighted it.

Holtom died in 1985. He might be surprised today by the fashion industry’s use of his symbol in gearing up for their fall season. Women’s Wear Daily reports that Barney’s New York will be using the peace sign and other looks from the sixties for its fall fashion line this year.

Their tag line will be “Peace and Love: Have a Hippie Holiday.” Erica Dahl of Boulder, Colorado’s Savvy, says the peace symbol will be everywhere this fall. Even the retailer Target will be selling a new line of peace sign jewelry designed by New York-based accessories artist Dean Harris.

The symbol of peace does seem to be everywhere. From Olympic gold medal winner Shawn Johnson’s earrings to Michelle Obama’s choker to the peace signs I’ve been seeing this summer on young people’s tee shirts, shorts, bags and more, a resurgence is surely underway.

Foam fingers at the DNC displayed it, and bumper stickers and merchandise transforming the O of Obama abound. Indeed, the current social and economic climate seems to foster a return to the peace and environmental movements of the sixties.

Of course, the peace sign is still more than a fashion statement for many. For some it is still a symbol of peace, for some rebellion. Its popularity may ebb and flow in future years, but it will never die out completely. For me, its beauty is in its simplicity and its expression of hope for a better world.

Long may it live, and make dreamers of us all. Maybe by the time it turns 100 years old, the human race will have learned to live together and take care of the planet that is our shared home.

By Janet McKetchnie

Janet McKetchnie
collector of all things peace sign
http://peacesignjewelry.topicster.com

Source: EzineArticles.com

You will be hard pressed to find a symbol more recognized than the peace symbol. It was designed on February 21, 1958, by Gerald Holtom, who was an artist in Britain. It was first used for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). Many do not know that he used naval semaphores as the basis for his design. (The semaphore is a signaling system where flags are held in each hand in different positions.

Each position of the arms and hands indicate a different letter or number. The two letters N for Nuclear and D for Disarmament were used in the symbol to represent peace. The N is formed by holding two flags down in an upside down V, and the letter D is formed by holding one flag pointed straight up and the other pointed straight down. It was first used in 1958 during a Easter weekend anti-nuclear march.

A peace symbol tattoo can stand for many things including serenity, harmony, tranquility, freedom, non-violence, silence, calmness, hope, victory, pacifism, respect, justice and goodwill. For some it represents art. For others it is simply another popular tattoo choice, like cross tattoos or star tattoos. As such artful designs they may not mean anything on a grander scale to most. Like heart tattoos that say Mom and the like, they can merely be iconic tattoos for those who only want to get inked.

But for others, in fact, for most, their tattoo designs are very personal.

Peace sign tattoos have a broader scope of typical meanings than the peace sign jewelry, clothing and necklace designs so frequently marketed by the man (corporate America).

Though we don’t tend to acknowledge our troops as we did in WWI and WWII, our young men and women are still serving in the armed forces overseas. Tattoos are a way for them to announce their views in a more permanent fashion, either commemorating those who died in service, or their desire for peaceful times and to be home.

The GLBT community are partial to rainbow peace sign designs. Presumably because it symbolizes peace for their community.

For others it represents, oddly enough, a rebellion of sorts, and as such, the opposite of peace. Those who still espouse the drug scene, the rebellious music popularized in the 60s and the counter culture mentality.

It can stand for peace with oneself or with one’s family, as well as larger organizations; all derivations on the original hippie meaning.

Peace signs can be found most anywhere on the body. Some of the most popular include peace sign tattoos on feet, arms, shoulders and the hip. For some reason foot tattoos are very popular. I suppose it is because the peace symbols fit so well near or on the ankle.

If you are looking for unique tattoo ideas for peace tattoos you can look at celebrity designs, pictures in magazines, Myspace layouts or pics in search engines or at Miami Ink, a popular tattoo parlor.

By: Jacob Simon

Article Directory

Jacob Simon writes about peace sign tattoos, bohemian clothing frequently on his site. He enjoys all kinds of hippie stuff including alternative energy, gaming, gardening, crochet, quilting and emergency preparedness. Visit he and his wife’s site to learn more.

The olive branch came from ancient Greece, the dove from the Bible … but where did that circle with the chicken-footprint come from?

Rewind back to 1958 when London textile designer, Gerald Holtom, wanted to create a symbol for marchers to carry on banners and signs at a “Ban the Bomb” march planned by the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War (DAC). The event was Britain’s first major demonstration against nuclear weapons — a 52-mile march from London to the town of Aldermaston, home to an A-bomb research center.

Members of the DAC came to the march emblazoned with Holtom’s circle-with-lines symbol; but to bystanders, its meaning was a mystery.

Nowadays we all know what the symbol stands for, but what is the meaning behind the design? Holtom created the symbol by combining flag semaphore signals, an alphabet signalling system where flags are waved in a particular pattern to symbolize different letters. The system was used in the maritime world in the 1800s to convey information at a distance.

Holtom used the signals for the letters “N” for nuclear and “D” for disarmament and put them in a circle. The symbol is essentially a logo for the concept of nuclear disarmament! Such graphic elegance.

Later the symbol was adopted by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). In 1960, the peace sign was imported to the United States via a peace sign button brought from the U.K. to the U.S. by Philip Altbach, a freshman at the University of Chicago.

The symbol had shown up here and there in the U.S. prior to that, but when Altbach convinced the Student Peace Union to adopt the sign as its symbol, the popularity of the peace sign grew immensely. By the late 1960s, the peace sign had become an international symbol adopted by anti-war protesters, and it doesn’t seem to be losing steam any time soon.

By Melissa Breyer, shine.yahoo.com

As she wanders out of her toddler years into full-scale childhood, you can acknowledge this very special rite of passage by providing your daughter with a fresh but affordable new look for her room with the help of some cute and snuggly kids bedding.

Linens designed specifically with growing girls in mind are available in so many different colors and styles now that even parents working with very limited funds can definitely find a quality collection that will transform an existing space without forcing them to completely redecorate.

A successful “partial makeover” can be an extremely gratifying experience for both you and your girl, but the process does require some careful planning and a little patience.

Girls bedding can be of the highest quality without costing so much that it sinks the average family’s budget, although shoppers who buy one or more collections on sheer impulse usually live to regret their purchases–and almost inevitably end up spending much more than they originally intended.

Prevent this by brainstorming with your little one about the sort of color and style she might like for her own lovely hideaway before venturing online to investigate the ocean of possibilities that await your mutual inspection.

For example, if your daughter still loves the original pink of her nursery but now wants to images of butterflies or flowers or horses, then you can begin browsing online for pink sets that meet that requirement while making sure you choose only those ensembles whose materials, care instructions, and price range are a good fit for your family; once that work is done, present her with a list of the finalists.

Taking this approach means you will end up with an easy-care and affordable set while allowing your brand new big girl to ultimately make her own decision.

Peace sign bedding is an increasingly popular choice with parents and children alike–and for very good reason: These fun and funky collections fill any space with a sweet retro feel that will delight your daughter throughout this new chapter in her life’s journey.

Better yet, introducing peace sign linens into the room allows you to double up on themes, so several different motifs will be right at home along with them.

Most peace sign collections are characterized by quilts that include skillfully outlined appliques; most also feature sheets, pillow shams and matching skirting that continue the signature symbol in an array of of lively and blessedly machine washable scatter prints.

Your sweetie’s hip and happening haven can be easily finished with a few inexpensive retro peace sign posters and simple accents rugs–and all for a final bill sure to leave you feeling very peaceful indeed.

By Fenella McPherson

Fenella McPherson is a writer for Baby Bedding Zone, an online retailer of girls bedding, including a wide selection of kids bedding.

Source: EzineArticles.com