Swastika in Retromancer?

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neomety
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So I'm not really a SF fan but i fell over (literally) Retromancer in a used bookstore (whoever thought it was a good idea to keep books in piles on the floor?), and the cover was so shiny I read the back and thought "sounds fun".
I read it, and very much enjoyed it, so much so that I bought the Brentford Triology and the Brightonomicon on Amazon a couple of days ago. But there was one thing that puzzled me:
On the drawing of the 11th tarot card there is what appears to be a swastika on the tailfin of the Zeppelin, but it is inversed. The points are counterclockwise unlike the swastika the NSDAP used during WWII.
And so my question: Is this on purpose or merely a mistake? 

Nursewhen
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Re: Swastika in Retromancer?

I wondered that. On the rejected cover art work, the swastika goes in the NAZI direction, but the retromancer one goes in the older and more acceptable direction.
I too would like to know why the left one was used.

Bryanp1973
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Re: Swastika in Retromancer?

Was very surprised when visting Hong Kong seeing a swastika on the big buddha. This is because of
 The swastika (Sanskrit: स्वस्तिक) is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing (卐) form or its mirrored left-facing (卍) form. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient India as well as Classical Antiquity. It remains widely used in Indian Religions, specifically in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
The swastika symbol (right-hand) is alleged[citation needed] to have been stamped on Gautama Buddha's chest by his initiates after his death. It is known as The Heart's Seal.[citation needed] The swastika figures on the Pillars of Ashoka
Geometrically, the swastika can be regarded as an irregular icosagon or 20-sided polygon. The proportions of the Nazi swastika were fixed based on a 5 × 5 diagonal grid.[5]
Characteristic is the 90° rotational symmetry and chirality, hence the absence of reflectional symmetry, and the existence of two versions of swastikas that are each other's mirror image.
The mirror-image forms are often described as:

clockwise and anti-clockwise;
left-facing and right-facing;
left-hand and right-hand.

"Left-facing" and "right-facing" are used mostly consistently referring to the upper arm of an upright swastika facing either to the viewer's left (卍) or right (卐). The other two descriptions are ambiguous as it is unclear whether they refer to the arms as leading or being dragged or whether their bending is viewed outward or inward. However, "clockwise" usually refers to the "right-facing" swastika. The terms are used inconsistently (sometimes even by the same writer), which is confusing and may obfuscate an important point, that the rotation of the swastika may have symbolic relevance, although little is known about this symbolic relevance. Less ambiguous terms might be "clockwise-pointing" and "counterclockwise-pointing."
Nazi ensigns had a through and through image, so both versions were present, one on each side, but the Nazi flag on land was right-facing on both sides and at a 45° rotation.[6]
The name "sauwastika" is sometimes given to the left-facing form of the swastika (卍).[7]
Not really an answer to the question posed though, it seems either way is correct.
 
 
 
 

Grand Master
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Re: Swastika in Retromancer?

No one else seems to have noticed. I did it on purpose, as I did not want the "Evil" Nazi swastica on the cover of my book.
Well done for noticing.

Nursewhen
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Re: Swastika in Retromancer?

Huzzah, thanks for clearing that one up. Smiling