May 10, 2009

Cross My Heart

What part of these magazine covers are all the same?

Something odd has been happening to our magazines... they've grown crosses. I started noticing it about two years ago - here a cross, there a cross - is this discrete little plus sign a new graphic design fad? Why do art directors suddenly think a tiny red cross is cool? Do magazine covers with crosses outsell magazine covers without crosses? What gives?

The red cross is also the sign of the Templars, a sign that might signal all the way back to that ancient mark of Cain:

Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."

But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. --Genesis 4:14-16

It makes me wonder. Cain is the "bad guy" of the Genesis story, but he is also necessary - even receiving a mark of protection from the Most High God. Cain was the son of Eve and (according to legend) Lucifer... the Snake in the Garden. Perhaps red signifies blood, and the cross signifies a cross... breed. The hybrid creation of angel/alien and man/ape?

3 comments:

The Secret Sun said...

Thanks for pointing that out- I've noticed this as well. Subtle conditioning or collective premonition? Time will tell...

David Stewart said...

It is even poor design work as it causes my eye to come to a stop. An "and', "also", or ampersand are required for the narrative to flow. A mathematical sign just makes me wonder what we are supposed to add up!

Michael said...

Yea... it's weird. the sign does nothing for the cover, but they keep appearing. Maybe I should ask an art director...

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