The factors that can influence a buyer as to whether they ultimately end up buying a property are daunting.  While numerous "generalities" can be made as to how best to "present" your property for sale, there will always be elements----or reactions to elements----that can not be predicted or foreseen. 

     At a recent condo inspection I snapped the following picture of the tile entryway into the building.  I have shown this picture to several people since and received an almost "universal" negative reaction. 

      There are probably people that would not buy a property with this symbol on it----thinking it to be the Nazi version of the Swastika.  The truth is that the arms point the wrong way for the "typical" Nazi version; and, countless religions, since the beginnings of Sanskrit (1500 BC), have used this symbol regardless of the way the arms point----and with other variations as well. 

     The one pictured was installed during or slightly after World War I,----so no "evil" intentions were likely implied or intended.

     When I saw it, I know I reacted negatively (kept to myself however).  I actually had to go home and look it up on Wikipedia to see what I might be missing about it.  It seemed odd to me that this symbol would not have been "erased" or re-done in all these years----or turned into some other symbol.  The four corners of this entryway each had a different symbol----none evoked the feelings that this one did.

     Some symbols are so powerful that, even when they turn out to NOT be what we thought they were, we can still have a "negative" response to them.  Some of these negative responses seem almost beyond our control.  Some only have meaning in the context of the whole picture-----like the symbol in this next picture----

----as when seen----

----on the spider itself.

     Fierce and dangerous critters of all types often have symbols that have come to elicit specific responses.  Often this is a "good" thing, and can actually help keep us alive.

     I am curious how the stagers here on ActiveRain would stage around something like this----not the spider----he could be set free, left alone, or put on a leash.

Charles Buell  

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