Monday, August 19, 2013

Blog Design: Symbolism by Design


The world is becoming smaller and smaller as time goes by... With world travel, the internet and the combining of cultures - Many symbols and historically cultural elements are showing up in the main stream. They show up on the shelves of home decor retailers and enter the main stream as lovely accents for our interior. Sometimes they are featured in art or advertising... Visually appealing, but usually without reference to their historical significance or cultural meaning. There are symbols from all over the world from many cultures and religions that adorn our decor and we merely think of them as a pattern or accessory.


One such important symbol is the evil eye.  




Party of my journey within includes expanding my view on design, people and my world. Traveling the world has offered me a look at symbols that weave throughout our societies... bleeding over from one to the other beauty and design transcend.

I discovered the evil eye on my trip to Turkey. The evil eye is a Turkish talisman, a look that is believed by many cultures to be able to cause injury or bad luck for the person at whom it is directed for reasons of envy or dislike. It is thought that a person who is envious, has ill-will or bad luck may have a negative energy. By wearing or displaying the evil eye, that negative energy is reflected back to the giver and the person displaying the eye is protected. 

The evil eye is a representation of an eye...Belief in the evil eye is strongest in the Middle East, East and West Africa, South Asia, Central Asia, and Europe, especially the Mediterranean region. Versions vary slightly and I encourage you to read and research it deeper. For purposed of this blog... I only desire to introduce you to new and maybe slightly varying views of what you see around you on a daily basis.

The Turkish use of the evil eye and the vibrant blue glass beads is one of the oldest. It is used to make the owner feel safe, happy and to provide protection for visitors as a type of hospitality. Don't take me wrong, it is taken seriously. It's not frivolous... But, it is worn for protection and is seen as something positive and worn as a symbol of pride, protection and happy health. Westerners may misinterpret it as brooding, being wary or superstitious... However, that is not the intent or the tradition. It is a more of a positive proactive superstition. The receiver of the evil eye is not even thought to know that there negative energy is being reflected back at them. A silent protector to keep what I call their happy place and energy consistent. There is no doom and gloom... It is a beautiful positive, a proactive symbol that keeps showing up in history and now throughout the world. When being explained to me it was never presented as a a symbol like we would think of as garlic, or chicken claws or sometimes the cross... It is not to ward off evil spirits as much as it is to repel bad energy or people with negative intentions. It was always surrounded with smiles and positive conversations. I have also had this conversation with my Persian friends, who have expressed a similar view. 

Consistently in human history, man has looked for the assistance of magic objects called talismans to defy evil forces. Talismans are present today in many forms. My Native American Ancestors had many that represented peace and nature. The eye has shown up for thousands of years in many cultures and religions. 


Pay attention to your environment as you move through your space and you will see that the eye shows up over and over again in fabrics, tapestries, accessories, art, literature, songs, jewelry and more.... The evil eye is now a popular item for tourists. However, it has significant cultural and religious origins. Often when tourists take a liking to an item and it crosses borders, that item can make it's way into the mainstream. An unintentional connection. It's carried over for  it's beauty and aesthetic appeal... 
Like with most things that show up in our lives... they have a history and a story. 






Kimberly R Lifestyle by Design 
Designing a life with grace and ease 

 

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