My rebels are out there fighting, but to my critical eye, they seem disorganized. They need some kind of unifying motif, a symbol. Problem is, I can't seem to decide on one. I can't write music, most gestures have been taken, and I can't draw. What's a good symbol for folks rebelling against a theocracy?
Usually an act of martyrdom or commonly-sought concept leads to a symbol. What major restrictions pushed everyone over the edge? Take those elements, or the strongest one, and think of something that represents that.
There's a few options here - First; inverted symbols of the theocracy. Not all symbols are as easily turned upside down as a crucifix but the intent is the same: rejecting what it stands for. Second; 'the symbols of the old gods' like pentagrams. The rebels see it as a sign of a world without the church even if they don't believe in the old beliefs. Third; hermetic or mystic symbols like the eye of providence or alchemy symbols. The rebels adopt these because they are secret sighs known only to friends, and because they symbolise the idea of 'truth revealed': you know the truth about the church so you resist. Finally, you have the closed fist. It's a traditional rebellious sign that means both solidarity and the strength to resist. It's good because anyone can make it without having to carry a symbol. You can easily put your own spin on this. Perhaps a fist with a papal/bishops ring? Or a fist with stigmata? Hunter S Thompsons Gonzo Party had a fist with a thumb on each side as their logo. Fists holding items have been used too, and fists in a myriad of colours. Less interesting but it's a classic.
The symbol used to denote electrical resistance is the Greek letter omega (Ω). That might be a good choice.
You could unify them with uniform. In their case it would probably just be a worn cloth (that they wear, not that is worn by time). Or face paint? Something that helps them identify one another. Alternatively you could get some graphic designer to make up a symbol for you. You can recognize one of those from the way their eyes glow in their profile picture.
Slight problem with the inverting the Symbol. Because the Theocracy's symbol is... This: http://www.symbols.com/gi.php?type=1&id=2485&i=1 It simply can't be inverted because it's symmetrical in two different ways. Also, There were no "old beliefs". This society was always secular until this church came around and ruined everything. In fact, a big chunk of my novel is dedicated to promoting secularism and showing how our world no longer needs religion.
I'm a big fan of Firefly and the browncoats, so the "____ Coats" has definitely come to my mind as a possible symbol.
It's more thematic than that. Secularism was 'the world before the church' and presumably is what the resistance wants to get back to, right? So pick a symbol from that former culture. Humans are crazy tribal, we cover everything in symbols. Look at our world today - The UN symbol, the EU symbol, the eagle of the US, the portcullis of parliament, the Red Cross, the darwin fish, every flag we've ever made. All of these can be symbols to a group. The symbol it's isn't the rallying cry, it's what it means. And if everyone remembers 'the old republic' as a golden age, the flag of that republic is what people would naturally rally around even if it's not an especially exciting one. It has meaning that people outside the resistance can understand and can mobilize people who might otherwise think that the resistance are terrorists, simply because they cloak themselves in the guise of humanities glorious past. For your resistance think about what ideals the people really have and find something from the world before that fits with that aspiration - That's why I like masonic symbols; because the theme of the whole masonic deal is 'enlightenment' and that's one of the key facets of secularism. Enlightened enough to not need a god. Edit - Oh and for your symbol you can just invert some (or all) of the crosses. So you shift the crossbar down on top of the circle, make it another colour and now instead of 4 crucifixes around the circle (metaphorically the world) you have the head of crosses buried under the world. It's be a nice thing for the resistance to graffiti over the top of church propoganda, no?
Every rebellion has a few characters that are famous, and died in the process of supporting said rebellion. How did they die? Was it in combat? Weapon symbolism is often a good choice. Did they die heroically? What's something they were remembered for? Why is the rebellion taking place? Political reform? Religion persecution? When you think of the Rebellion: What's the first thing that comes to mind regarding it? Just a few thoughts.
Are the Rebels religious in any way? Or are they fighting for knowledge, logic, and reason? A little context will give everyone a better idea of a concept symbol for you.
Ok then. Will get back to you with something later today then, that reflects something bonded to knowledge.
I would pick a letter from the greek alphabet as well. Pick one of the less common ones (so not omega, gamma, alpha, delta, or beta). the lowercase XI looks pretty cool. However, since it is rebels fighting, it would make more sense to choose a symbol that also doubles as a mascot of sorts (like the mockingjay in the hunger games). Do you have a favorite animal that you would want to use? Maybe you could look up animals and what they represent in different cultures around the world to help you decide.
Perhaps looking at historical anti-religion elements may help? There should be some slogans associated with the French revolution and other Anarchist movements: "No Gods, No Masters" comes to mind.
I'd do some sort of apple, you could say it was newtons or it symbolizes the 'forbidden' knowledge in the garden of Eden.
