Personal Flag and Arms

I designed and adopted this coat of arms for myself in 2016 (with some minor alterations made later):

Arms: Per fess gules and azure on a fess wavy between in chief an open book and in base scales of justice all or five torteaux.

Crest: Upon a helm with a wreath or and gules a demi-ram argent armed and unguled or bearing a banner azure charged with a phoenix or rising from flames proper, mantled gules doubled or.

Motto: Ratio, Libertas, Justitia (“Reason, Liberty, Justice”).

By English heraldic practice I am not entitled to supporters (they are limited to peers, certain knights and some corporate bodies). However, these arms are self-assumed and not necessarily subject to the practice of the College of Arms. I have devised supporters to be used as part of my arms if and when it seems appropriate.

Supporters: Two rams argent armed and unguled or, the dexter bearing a quill and the sinister a scepter both or, statant upon a grassy mount vert strewn with roses gules and trillium flowers argent.

A banner of the arms serves as my personal flag:

Symbolism

Knowledge, learning and reason, as alluded to by the book, hold a central place in my life. The scales are emblematic of justice – another core value – as well as my longstanding interest in law and government. The arms also contain a double pun on my family name of Liberman: the book is liber in Latin and the scales are libra.

The red, blue and gold have no special significance, apart from being a color combination I find pleasing. Likewise, the five roundels simply reflect my particular fondness for the number five.

In the crest, the sheep (a favorite animal) carries a banner representing my affiliation with the Kingdom of Æfira as well as my interest in vexillology.

The three values expressed by the motto are an important part of my character. The use of Latin is a nod to my study of that language and, by extension, my interest in languages generally.