Exactly why horseshoes are believed to be lucky is something of a mystery. This is not because people don’t have theories but because they have too many. Some believe that it is representative of the Greek letter Omega while others suggest that it was derived from the shape of the laurel wreath worn by Roman Emperors.
It has been claimed that the “Male” symbol (the planetary symbol for Mars) represents a shield and a spear – the warrior. This explanation appears to have originated in the 19th century at the height of modern revisionist sanitisation of ancient beliefs. There is also a claim that the original male symbol was the inverted female symbol.
The origin of the design has many sources. The symbol to the left is the representation of the “Female” and is also the planetary symbol for Venus named after the Roman Goddess of Love.
The “compass and square” of the Freemasons is one of the most recognised designs associated with this secretive society – although it is far less secret today than it once was. The symbol is depicted with or without the letter G.
It is estimated that women worldwide spend more than $43 billion on fashion-related footwear per annum. It could be much more! A pair of Manolo Blahniks (made famous by the TV sitcom ‘Sex in the City’) can easily cost more than $500 a pair (2007). It is worth understanding shoe signals.
