Merinda's Idea

[CJ]

Hi all,

Here's a modest proposal. If there's a symbol that many all over the world are already familiar with, it's the Yin-Yang icon, usually associated with Taoism.



Aside from the fact that I've modified the colours to suit this topic, this symbol has many interesting features, not the least of which are:

-- it's a circle; in its native cultural meaning, it represents femininity
-- it's dynamic, it moves; again, in its traditional meaning, it represents the cyclical nature of the world we live in (this ebb and flow is something we can perhaps recognize in our own psyches as far as crossdressing goes)
-- its design illustrates the popular conception that, at its fullest point--its moment of greatest swelling--everything already contains the seed of its opposite
-- the two halves are shaped like teardrops, which I take to represent the sorrows we've been through to get where we are
-- the two halves, girly pink and boy-o blue, mesh together in a harmonious whole
-- the band surrounding the icon is my own addition; it's outward-looking, it's what we want to show the world (or even just our own bedroom mirror). The band's colour is self-explanatory, I think.

Anyway, this symbol is rich in both meaning and possible design. It could be a contender, no?

Love,
CJ

P.S.
A thousand thanks to Beauty, the Hostess with the mostess.

[Lorna]

Now THAT'S pretty, CJ! I like that a lot...

[Kathy]

CJ, I really do think you should try your hand as a writer!

The symbolism here is wonderful and well presented. A contender - YES.

[Lorna]

I have also seen this symbol on many TG websites...

[CJ]

Oh, yeah... isn't that the symbol formerly used by the artist formerly known as the "Artist Formerly Known As 'Prince'"?

[Beauty]

Hi CJ,

Here's is Prince's symbol.



Beauty

[Lorna]

Oh, yeah... isn't that the symbol formerly used by the artist formerly known as the "Artist Formerly Known As 'Prince'"?

LOL!!! How'd I know you were going to say that? I guess they do look similar...

But Beauty did post the Prince symbol... Maybe we can get Prince to sell his symbol to the TG community... he's always been fairly androgenous!

:: Owwwwwaaa! ::

[Celia]

The yin-yang mandala almost begs a nomination, CJ. The drawback that occurred to me, though, is that it already has considerable religious/philosophical significance attributed to it. I'd hate to think that anyone with regard for the symbolism would object, but--pessimist that I am--I can almost hear someone whining "That's not what it means!" or "Why did you people have to appropriate the symbol?". Of course, I would be legitimately disappointed upon hearing such things from people who one would hope were more circumspect--it's not as though we were trying to use a cross as our symbol, after all--but such criticisms, though not fair (or even valid), still tend to sting.

Incidentally, if you factor out the potential death threats, suicide bombings, inquisitions, abductions with torture/murder, etc., a cross mightn't be a bad symbol for us--we are crossdressers, and we do seem to suffer a lot of crucifixion (metaphorical, if not literal). Ok, OK--it's just a joke, people! You can put your fireams away!

Yours,
Celia

[Jamie Ann]

Hi all,

Here's a modest proposal. If there's a symbol that many all over the world are already familiar with, it's the Yin-Yang icon, usually associated with Taoism.
          .
          .
          .
Anyway, this symbol is rich in both meaning and possible design.   It could be a contender, no?

Love,
CJ

Hey CJ,

     Yes, it certainly could! In fact, your suggestion is absolutely brilliant!  Taoism is not a highly formalized religious faith with a lot of fanatical, bigoted adherents, so the resemblance between this proposed CD symbol and the yin-yang symbol is not likely to spur much venom from Taoists. Moreover, the clear resemblance in appearance is matched by a rather clear resemblance in meaning. Our symbol would be a special case of a broader philosophical principle — and a particularly apt one!

     Yin-Yang (Definition): Taoist symbol of the interplay of forces in the universe. In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang represent the two primal cosmic forces in the universe. Yin (moon) is the receptive, passive, female force. Yang (sun) is initiating, active, male force. The yin-yang symbol represents an idealized balance of the forces, and equilibrium encompassing both aspects.

     I definitely would vote for this! It incorporates Merinda’s insightful idea about colors, also the idea of a female-male harmony within one person.  Splendid suggestion!      

[CJ]

Hi all,

Thanks for the input.

I think both Celia and Jamie Ann are right: although a symbol traditionally associated with Taoism, I find it difficult to imagine that any strong objection would come from Taoists themselves, one of the central tenets of that philosophical tradition being the necessity to cease resisting the natural order of things, to "go with the flow," if you will. I tried to play around with variations of the symbol that wouldn't be so, well, so Taoist, I guess, but, in the end, I always came back to the circle (which, in most cultures across the globe, also represents the egg, the origin, the beginning, the creation of all things).

The only possible difficulty with this icon that comes to my mind is the fact that many people associate it with duality or polarity (light-dark, male-female, sky-earth, dry-moist, etc., etc.) while forgetting that this polarity is meant to be subsumed under the "whole," (the circle comes first, then its twin aspects).

About Prince's symbol, yes, I was familiar with it--hence my comparing it with the currently favoured TG symbol we find throughout the net. For such is what the Prince symbol is, a combination of the Mars/Male symbol (only, Prince drew the arrow down at six o'clock instead of up at two o'clock, superimposing it over the Venus/Female symbol, with its cross down at its usual six o'clock position), the said Venus/Female symbol, and what I take to be a vertical representation of a musical symbol (a stylized treble clef, perhaps, or a note, or a musical instrument of some kind?), giving the whole icon the form of a cross (spirituality? the soul?). I've never come across an explanation of the symbol by Prince himself and, although I did take courses, while in school, on iconology and iconography, they mostly had to do with religion, not pop culture, so anything I say here may be way off the mark.

Still, I find the symbols we use to represent ideas or values almost as fascinating as the stories we tell ourselves in our attempts to explain ourselves to ourselves.

Love,
CJ

[Merinda]

Hi all ,

I just had a silly idea come to me'

If you are electical or electronic minded you may get this one,

imagine the scematic symbol of a transformer in colour , the primary coil is in blue ( power going in ), the core is purple , and the secondary coil is pink
( output ).

I'm sorry I dont have the computer skills to add a diagram , but this would represent blue transforming to pink , male transforming to female, and the core is purple , representing who we are and the ability to change .

[CJ]

Hi all,

Merinda,

Not a bad suggestion. Perhaps this could be a symbol that may be used in special transgender cases, such as for, say, Deborah and Jadeanne, our resident Techno-Goddesses.

I like the idea of "transformation" in your suggested symbol. If only we could find a way to make the symbol rounder, fuller, more curvy somehow. Of course, the colour scheme remains.

Love,
CJ

[Alexandra]

like this?

[Loretta Ann]

That outta do it Alexandra,

[Merinda]

The symbol if you can imagine , draw a purple square with thick lines , on the left hand side a blue spiral wrapped around it with leads off at top and bottom .
repeat with pink spiral and leads on the right hand side .
Confused???
OK! heres a another one - take the female symbol of a circle with the cross ,add the male symbol of circle with arrow and draw as one.
what you will end up with is the female symbol with the point of an arrow meeting under the crossarm.

There are many different ways a symbol could be made so keep sending the ideas

Your ariel transformers are small over there , thanks for the pic!