”You will see, in the future I will live by my watercolors.” Winslow Homer

LEGACY

Homer believed that his watercolors were essential to his artistic legacy. In his writings, the artist acknowledged their critical role in the establishment of his reputation and in his ability to earn a living. Following Homer’s death in 1910, Kenyon Cox reflected on his fellow artist’s mastery of the medium, asserting that “in the end he painted better in watercolors…than almost any modern has been able to do.” Homer’s watercolors ae celebrated for their technical brilliance, fluid immediacy, and striking, saturated tones. In them, the artist explored on a more intimate scale the powerful themes that preoccupied him across his career: epic scenes of distress on the ocean, conflict between humans and nature, and the transience of life.

From the Exhibition: Winslow Homer: Crosscurrents. April 11th - July 31st, 2022

www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2UtGDMKyxA&t=202s

An Introduction to Winslow Homer | National Gallery

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ActPUeFrfbQ

Winslow Homer American 1836 – 1910

Woods at Prout’s Neck , 1887

Watercolor on paper

Private collection, New York

Perhaps imagined, this scene brilliantly conveys the charged tension and ambiguity that define so much of Homer’s imagery. In his depiction of two women clad in what looks like elegant mourning dress and mysteriously nestled in a burst of Maine autumn foliage, the artist showcases his ability to enliven paper surfaces with a range of startling, saturated hues of pigment. The watercolor dates to a period when Homer wrote to his brother Charles, “I am very busy painting in watercolor which means something that I can sell for what people will give,” adding, “I have money in plenty.”

From the Placard: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

www.metmuseum.org/

I believe that this red bead is called a Humble Stitch acknowledging that only god can make something perfect.

Here’s my first ever NON Barbie obsession since I started collecting… say hello to Tuesday Taylor! For the uninitiated, Tuesday Taylor was released around 1975 or 76 by that historic toy company Ideal (Acknowledged inventors of the Teddy Bear and makers of such famous dolls as Little Miss Revlon, Tammy and later, the hugely successful Crissy and friends dolls whom all had hair that ‘grew’, similar to Growing Pretty Hair Barbie and Francie) to compete directly with Barbie, a year after their 18 inch doll Tiffany Taylor was released. The great gimmick about these dolls was that you didn’t have to choose between blonde or brunette …. you could have both at the twirl of the scalp! I was a kid when she was released and lots of my friends had her so she was quite successful even here in Australia, but something about that rotating scalp freaked me out back then so I didn’t care much for her… I wish I had got her back then, though, as she is actually fantastic quality (even has rooted eyelashes!) and in hindsight, had a much cooler, groovier, more sophisticated look than Miss Superstar, IMHO. She looks like she would definitely be hanging out at Studio 54 with Halston and Liza … and what about that penthouse she had? ( Now THAT, I remember wanting REALLY badly as a kid, but never got it…. STILL badly want it to this day but they are SO hard to come by now and really pricey :( . I also want the convertible summer/winter vacation home that is perfect for this version of the doll…) This was the second version released in 1977/78, called Suntan Tuesday Taylor and she has a really cool added gimmick of being able to ‘tan’ when left in the sun. My one was NRFB, (though the box was a little damaged, so I had no problem de-boxing her,) complete with that very funky and bold tribal printed cover-up, sexy gold accented bikini and those WILD sunglasses that scream 70’s. This little gal hadn’t seen the sun in 40 years so she couldn’t wait to soak up some rays like the true 70’s babe she is, (Melanoma, Shmelanoma! LOL ) And it still worked!!! She actually goes a very lovely ‘sunkissed’ golden colour all over… and yes, she got those inevitable tan lines! (They don’t show up so much in the photos, but they are there!) She also came with some ‘doodle’ stickers you can put on her skin to leave some differently shaped ‘tattoos’ when her skin tans.

My one has a really weird rooting pattern on the blonde side that looks like someone mistakenly started rooting the front part for the bangs that were on all the 1st versions but then stopped when they realised that this version doesn’t have them… so I am so tempted to cut her some bangs!!! But then again, it probably makes her quite unique and looks really cool when centre parted, as you can see in the shot with her cover-up on, standing next to her box.

Unfortunately, Tuesday didn’t last long on toy store shelves… there were a couple of versions after this, but they didn’t have the twisting scalp feature (still wanna collect them, though!) and she was gone by the time the 80’s dawned… I think that the issue was her feet. Even though she fits some of Barbie’s clothes quite well (even though, like most fashion models of her time, she’s not as busty as Barbie, and has a slightly thicker waist and more angular body) her feet are much larger, and her available footwear was quite limited…some collectors say that only the white sandals you see here were the only shoes for her, though a few told me that the Mego Cher shoes fit her quite well, and they were right, which is great as they came in many more colours so there’s more variety to match her fashions! Tuesday also had a very cool friend that I was thrilled to get, so she will be making her debut soon, along with some very HTF minty fashions of hers. In the meantime, check out these very cool Tuesday Taylor commercials on YouTube (The first one is of that earlier, larger doll Tiffany Taylor.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA2lOTHeqpc

-Story People

life is so beautiful, even all the cracks and imperfections.

i'm learning to find beauty in every single thing i see, in every single day, good or bad.

it's there all the time, just waiting for you to acknowledge it.

A recognised international organisation of some antiquity, Freemasonry as a fraternity officially established in Queensland in 1859. According to its guidelines, Freemasonry promotes the development of personal character, supports extensive and varied charities, acknowledges a non-political but patriotic lifestyle, and allows the free expression of religious beliefs amongst its members. Traditionally the Freemasons Lodges that were formed throughout Brisbane and the state, adhered to different national constitutions, the English, Scottish and Irish, and resisted attempts to unite them in one grand Lodge.

The Wynnum Lodge was formed under the Irish Constitution in 1894 with 24 foundation members and met for a considerable time in the Divisional Board Hall. Some original members of the Lodge included J W Wassell, RB McIntyre, Henry Randel and F H Clarke. By 1896 the lodge operated as the Wynnum Lodge No 342. Other Masonic Lodges to meet at the Divisional Board Hall (or sometimes in St. Peters Church Hall) were the Moreton Lodge (English Constitution) formed in 1913 and the Tuscan Lodge (Scottish Constitution) formed in the following year.

In 1919 a decision was made to erect a Masonic Lodge in Wynnum. In that year, title of the land passed to Henry Clarke and Arthur Dickins as trustees. A bill of mortgage for £1 500 to the Bank of New South Wales was taken out in July 1920, followed by an additional mortgage of £3 000 in December 1920. This Georgian Revival style temple was built in 1920 at a cost of £4 000. The property was again mortgaged in September 1922 for an additional £3 000. The designer and builder of the new lodge was Veritable Worship Brother F.J. Wilkes, whose photograph has remained on display in the Lodge.

The erection of the building only just preceded the creation of the United Grand Lodge of Queensland in April 1921, uniting Lodges of the various constitutions after many years of division. The Lodge at Wynnum played an important role in the community by performing charitable works and making regular donations to institutions including the Wynnum Fire and Ambulance Brigades and the Brisbane General Hospital. A widows and children’s fund was another Mason initiative at Wynnum. The charitable activities of the Masonic lodges were not, however, made public, as the Masons preferred to work quietly for the community without fanfare. The Masonic Lodges also held social events in their hall as well as in the Hemmant hall and the Wynnum School of Arts hall.

Many Masons were themselves important personalities in the local community, for example, Joe Sands, who was the Shire Clerk at Wynnum from 1907 and the District Engineer from 1925 when the various Brisbane Councils were amalgamated. Mr Sands had a long association with the Wynnum Masonic Lodge from the 1920s as a member of the St. Andrews Cross Lodge, including the positions of secretary and treasurer. Joe Sands had many other community commitments including the office of Treasurer at the Wynnum Baptist Church for some 30 years and positions on the Fire Brigade and Ambulance Boards.

In 1933 Thomas Kilby and Joe Sands joined Henry Clarke as Trustees for the property, and an additional mortgage was taken out over the property. Finally, in 1958 the interest in the mortgage was transferred to the Trustees of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Queensland. Title of the land is now held by the trustees of Moreton Lodge No 226.

Source: Brisbane City Council Heritage Register.

I want to acknowledge and thank each and every one that has visited my photo stream, favored my photos, and chosen to follow my gallery. I really appreciate that people such as yourselves, that have so much incredible talent and artistry like my photos. Peace and love to all. Thank you for the confidence boost!

MANY PLACES MAY HIDE SECRETS

When I visited Croome Court I enjoyed both the exterior and the interior and I remebered part of my own Story.

1. My mother's choice of secondary school was École gréco-française des Ursulines

2. I have lived 5 years in Birmingham as a University student and I always have nice memories about my life in the City and England in General.

I graduated a couple of years after the School at Croome was closed and was unaware of what had been going on until my visit in December 2019.

In one of the rooms there was a memorabilia exhibition of the ex-students and infromation about the life in the School.

You can read this CATHOLIC HERALD

More Information Here: The Sunday Telegraph -Pressreader

Come clean on mansion’s dark past, Trust told

Abuse inquiry lawyers say ‘glowing’ references to schoolboy pranks and cycle rides cover up truth

Lunch in the Long Gallery, left, when Croome Court, right, was St Joseph’s Special School

It is promoted by the National Trust as a triumph of restoration. But lawyers acting for victims of child sexual abuse are asking Croome Court to come clean about its “ugly” history when it was run as a Catholic boarding school.

Visitors to the Worcestershire stately home are told the one-time residence of the Earl of Coventry has many distinguished features, including the gardens designed by Capability Brown.

Although the Trust’s website says Croome Court was once used as a school, the descriptions are lighthearted: “When the nuns weren’t looking, some of the boys used the dumb waiter as a lift to the ground floor with contraband biscuits.”

It also recalls: “In 1962, during the school’s tenure, a section of the M5 was built, slicing through the Croome estate. Four boys tried to escape from Croome on bicycles on the M5 and were brought back by the police.”

Lawyers at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse claim the incident hides a disturbing truth: the boys were trying to escape beatings from the nuns and sexual assaults by teachers and priests at the special needs school, run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham.

The lawyers are calling on the Trust not to play down this period in the building’s history. On Thursday, during the final day of evidence into the archdiocese, Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC spoke of Croome Court’s “ugly history” and criticised the Trust’s depiction of “a very glowing background”. She asked that the inquiry, headed by Professor Alexis Jay, recommend that the Trust and archdiocese work together with survivors to acknowledge what really happened at Croome Court.

Among those whose stories of abuse at Croome Court were told to the inquiry was victim D2 who was regularly beaten, including by one religious sister known as “the karate nun” because of the way she would kick children.

John Wakefield, D2’s solicitor, said: “The description of Croome Court’s schooldays on the Trust’s website really grates with my client. Its history is undoubtedly known to the Trust, as what was endured by those pupils is on public record. They are ignoring it.

“While the National Trust is not responsible for the abuse, this gives the impression they are complicit with the archdiocese in covering it up because they think it will cause reputational damage. Protecting reputations has been a common theme at the inquiry.” He said Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Birmingham at the time and now Cardinal Archbishop of Westmin- ster, had twice ignored letters from and on behalf of D2 requesting an apology.

Croome Court was sold to the archdiocese in 1948 and it became a boarding school for 140 boys aged 7 to 11, eventually closing in 1979.

Some victims of the abuse took decades to speak out and one attempted suicide, the inquiry heard. Last night the Trust, which has received lottery grants for an oral history of Croome Court, said: “We already (and have for many years) worked with ex-pupils at Croome and continue to do so.

“The National Trust has not played any part in this hearing as it deals with matters prior to our involvement.”

to acknowledge that i cannot do it all.

to admit that i make mistakes.

to embrace my commonness.

And Earth acknowledged that she is being recognized today by releasing these beautiful crocus blooms so shortly after ice storms, snow storms and other inhospitable conditions of Ottawa’s winter.

5-17-10

(camera:Nokia n95)

Note: Please don't use my photos on tumblr or on any other sites without my permission. Thank you.

This image acknowledges the existence of the grid while challenging it's visibility. The grid was present in the mind of the artist whose explicit use of special disorientations and irreconcilability with actual physical space is part of the reality.

On Gordon Point are the remains of Fort Ballance, a defence site that was once Wellington's primary source of protection against sea-borne invasion. Built in 1885 following fears of an impeding war with Russia, Fort Ballance is one of the best preserved of a string of nineteenth century coastal defences constructed to protect New Zealand from a naval attack. In 1885, the Government, reluctantly acknowledging that they could not rely solely on Britain for protection, commissioned engineer Major Henry Cautley to design a series of fortifications to protect the country's main ports.

Fort Ballance, Wellington's main fortification, was built by the Armed Constabulary, day labourers and prison inmates. Erected on the former site of Te Mahanga Pa the fort was named after the then Minister of Defence, John Ballance [1839-1893]. In the event of war Fort Ballance was to prevent enemy ships entering the inner harbour and provide covering fire for the minefield between Gordon Point and Ward Island. Supported by positions at Kau Point and Point Halswell, when fully armed, Fort Ballance had more guns than any other fort in New Zealand.

One style sometimes acknowledges another. There is a place of reference at the beginning that sometimes is not the conclusion, rather it reveals a pathway with significant moments upon the journey. This figure laid out on the skyline goes through all the variations of the atmospheric conditions each year wearing snow and lush green growth with light and shadow from the Sun and from clouds. The diversity of each day and night bring about variations.

© PHH Sykes 2023

phhsykes@gmail.com

The theme for a 11/2 lifetime is bringing life into a sense of balance through the analyzing and synthesizing of ideas. Learning to trust in yourself, your intuition, and your psychic abilities.

Justice and the High Priestess (Papess) represent form the gateway into an 11/2 lifetime. Justice (ruled by the planet Libra) places focus on harmony, understanding others, and finding a sense of balance in life. Libra is by nature active and social, with the need to balance between nurturing self and helping others. The High Priestess (Papess) is ruled by the Moon, which places focus on our inner selves, our inner needs, intuition, unconscious, and psychic abilities. Here we are looking at reacting, rather than taking action. The nature here is a passive one. Personal empowerment is the ability to focus our personal and spiritual energy in a manner that enhances how we experience our life. As we define our true power, we actualize out potential and begin to live life from a core of inner confidence.

theworldoftarot.wordpress.com/2014/03/15/birth-card-pairs...

The occult has moved from secrecy to mainstream acceptance, and tarot card reading stands as a testament to this shift. The Rider-Waite deck, named after the mystic A.E. Waite and publisher William Rider and Son, is considered the definitive tarot deck. However, the captivating imagery and symbolism that define this deck come from the artistic genius of Pamela Colman Smith, a woman often forgotten in the history of the occult.

Smith, an artist with possible Jamaican roots, led a bohemian lifestyle and was introduced to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn by the renowned poet William Butler Yeats. She joined the secret society, which explored occult and paranormal aspects, as well as philosophy and magic. There, she met A.E. Waite, who would later request her artistic talents in creating a new deck of divination cards. Despite the immense popularity of the Rider-Waite deck, Smith’s role in its creation was largely forgotten.

However, many tarot enthusiasts today have started acknowledging her contributions by calling it the “Smith-Waite” deck or using decks that feature her name prominently.

culture.org/the-unseen-mothers-of-the-occult-pamela-colma...

"Gospel according to "Myriam" and this Mary is generally identified, without certainty, as being Mary of Magdala....In Christian tradition, the Three Marys also refers to three daughters – all three called Mary – whom Anne, the maternal grandmother of Jesus would have had with three successive husbands. According to Fernando Lanzi and Gioia Lanzi, this tradition would have been condemned by the Council of Trent (16th century), but it is still very much alive, particularly in German-speaking countries16 and in the Netherlands. then retired to the cave of Sainte-Baume where she lived for 30 years as a hermitage, with her only clothing, the fleece of her hair, and as her only food, the song of the angels who daily raised her to the heavens, seven times a day, it is said. She left Sainte Baume to die with Saint Maximin, one of the 72 disciples, in the small town where he had built his oratory and which today bears his name. He buried the saint in an alabaster sarcophagus.The name Magdala comes from Magdal in Aramaic or Migdal in Hebrew and designates a construction in the shape of a tower, representing faith, very similar to the House of God (The Tower) in Marseille's Tarot !

The Tarot de Marseille would then be a testimony to the teaching of Mary Magdalene. In Spanish-speaking countries, the Orion Belt Asterism is called “Las Tres Marias” (The Three Marys). In other Western countries, it is sometimes called "The Three Kings", a reference to the "Magi who came from the East" of the childhood narrative added to the Gospel according to Matthew and to the tradition of the three Magi, bearers of gifts for the child Jesus, whose oldest witnesses are found in Tertullian and Origen (early 3rd century). My "Mary Magdalene theory" is fortunately supported by thousands of codes that all come interconnected. "You will progress on a healthier basis with someone you know. Be authentic. Make sure you reserve moments of relaxation and do not pull too much on the rope, you tend to exceed your physical limits. Mary (mother of Jesus) Mary Magdalene Mary of Clopas. These three women are very often represented in art, as for example in this picture. The Three Marys (also spelled Maries) are women mentioned in the canonical gospels' narratives of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Mary was the most common name for Jewish women of the period. Mary speaks of strange encounters with Creator Beings. Read about her experiences with them, and how their decree changed her life with Jesus. In this final volume of the trilogy, Magdalene appears to the author by the river in Rennes les Bains, France. There she reveals an ancient healing technique called The True Baptism. Mary illustrates how to organize the life force from the matrix of The All and allow it to trigger our genetic code. Mary then answers more of your questions, this time about the hidden properties of gold, the evolution of her bloodline with Jesus, free will, inner earth, the star knowledge, and much more. The Tarot, in both its origin as a card game and in its transformation into an occult divinatory tool, functions as an iconographic mirror of a particular culture's time and place. By the examining the evolution of the World card, from the 14th century Italian decks to contemporary ones, we will see a shift from male Christ imagery to female anima mundi imagery. Parallel to this iconographic shift is the figure of Mary Magdalene, who in Renaissance painting began to be portrayed less as a sinner and more of a penitent saint. The assumption of Mary Magdalene in art correlates with the finalized form of the World card. The alterations of Christian iconography and symbolism in Tarot cards are the result of occultists’ reappropiation of the Tarot in the late 1700s. The fear/distrust/disbelief of God and Christianity that began at this time funneled into an interest in the occult; in the Tarot, we see a preservation of the luminous but a problematic relationality with Christianity. The World card, as it has been handed down to us today, is a synthesis of the assumption of Mary Magdalene, the Christus Victor, and the anima mundi. A sacred priestess of the ancient Womb Rites, Mary Magdalene was at the center of a great and enduring Mystery tradition. Unveiling the lost left-hand path of the Magdalene, the authors offer rituals and practices to initiate you into the Womb magic of the ancient priestesses and access deeper dimensions of sexuality and feminine power.

www.innertraditions.com/books/magdalene-mysteries

Tarot historians are in agreement that the appropriation of the cards by occultists occurred in the late 18th century. The first known interpretation of the Tarot through an esoteric lens was penned by the French occultist Court de Gebelin. He believed the deck was the lost Egyptian Book of Thoth, containing the secret mysteries of Egyptian wisdom and magic; following Gebelin, occultists began syncretizing the Tarot with the systems of Kabbalah, Hermeticism, and alchemy. I believe we can locate the apex of this appropriation in the Waite-Smith deck from 1909 – the most familiar and popular deck to the contemporary reader. Later we will consider the effect this had on the Tarot symbolism and its relationship to the shifts in religious understanding in France and other European countries.Although there is a clear historical distinction between Tarot as “playing cards” and as occult divination tools, this is not to say that the imagery of the early decks are absent of symbolism or meaning. Rather than esoteric, the early cards are exoteric in their imagery; the symbols are clear referents to religion, culture, and mythology. While they seem esoteric today, as much of Christian iconography is to the contemporary viewer, these cards were probably not hard to decipher by their audiences. While much is admittedly conjecture, (as is a lot of Tarot historical studies), there is still much we can tease out of the visual evolution of the cards over time. It is surprising that there has been so little work done on the correlations and similarities between Tarot and Christian symbolism and iconography. My research hit a lot of dead-end roads in terms of proof, but I believe it is important to reveal my initial observations to show that, while perhaps not conscious, there is a great deal of Christian symbolism in Tarot, even in decks from the post-occult turn of the 18 and 19 centuries and from today as well.In the Waite-Smith deck, the most obvious Christian card is the 20 Major Arcana, Judgment, in which an angel blows a trumpet and the souls of dead bodies rise from coffins. Another obvious example is the Tower card, clearly a depiction of the fall of the Tower of Babel. Less obvious, perhaps, is the Fool card. It depicts a young man walking up to a cliff precipice, as though he does not see it; he carries a bag of money and is followed by a dog. Does this not recall the story of blind Tobias, who also carries money and is followed by a dog? Although in painting he is normally portrayed being guided by the angel Raphael, the similarities are astounding. How did this come to be?

The Hanged Man card is surprisingly consistent from the early Italian decks to the contemporary post-occult decks, and is one of the most mysterious within esoteric interpretation. In the Waite-Smith deck, it depicts a man hanging from a Tau cross by one leg; his other leg is crossed underneath the other to form another cross, and a nimbus glows around the head. Most occult interpretations of this card go along the lines that it is a symbol of self-sacrifice for spiritual gain. Robert Place argues that this can be understood as Christ, in that Christ was executed as a traitor by the state.3 Furthermore, a numerical reading of the card offers insight – being card 12, it might refer also to the self-sacrifice and martyrdom of the twelve disciples. By employing basic gematria, we can add the digits one and two to reach three, which could be the Trinity.

www.academia.edu/8851376/Tarot_and_Christian_Iconography_...

The Gospels refer to several women named Mary. At various points of Christian history, some of these women have been identified with one another..look at this picture from the Waite-Rider-Smth tarot:from left to right 1 Mary Magdalene 2 Mary of Jacob (mother of James the Less) 3 Mary, mother of Jesus (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; Luke 24:10) Mary of Clopas (John 19:25), sometimes identified with Mary of Jacob. Mary of Bethany (Luke 10:38–42, John 12:1–3), not mentioned in any Crucifixion or Resurrection narratives but identified with Mary Magdalene in some traditions. Another woman who appears in the Crucifixion and Resurrection narratives is Salome, who, in some traditions, is referred to as Mary Salome and identified as being one of the Marys. Other women mentioned in the narratives are Joanna and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.Marie-Madeleine, Marie Salomé and Marie de Clopas are the 3 Maries of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, a French town, capital of the Camargue, in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône. The designation "of-the-sea" derives from the fact that after the death of Jesus, the three Marys crossed the sea by boat to there and then lived there, thus helping to bring Christianity to France and Europe. These 3 Marys were present during the execution of Jesus and, they were the first witnesses of the empty tomb at the resurrection of Jesus... After the death of Jesus, around 42 J.C. the Christians were persecuted, and the three Marys were arrested and expelled from Palestine. They therefore embarked, with many other Christians, on a ship named "The Ship of Peter" devoid of oars and sails which, led by Providence, managed to reach the shores of Provence, in the south of France in a place which now bears their names.This is where the three Marys were welcomed by Sara, according to some texts, according to others, Sara, herself would be the Holy Grail, the direct descent of Mary Magdalene and Jesus. Only Marie Salomé, Marie Jacobé and Sarah will remain; Marie Madeleine, will retire to a hermitage in a cave...This is a historically attested fact, because Christianity began to spread in Europe precisely from Gaul, which thus became the gateway to the new religion in Europe. Mary Magdalene occupies a privileged place for Christ, at the head of a group of women who accompany him. She will be the first witness to the Resurrection of Christ, the first to whom the Lord appears on Easter morning, a sign, whether we believe in it or not, of an exceptional position. She is Jewish like Christ, like him from the North of Palestine (Israel), from Galilee, probably from Magdala, near Nazareth and Cana. It is believed that she was an aristocrat born in the year 3 AD, who after attending the court of the king of the Jews Herod, was converted by Christ, changed her life and decided to follow him and put her fortune at the disposal of the group. Arrived in the Camargue, with the two other Maries, she evangelized the Marseillais, then withdrew to the cave of Sainte-Baume where she lived 30 years in hermitage, with as only clothing, the fleece of her hair, and as only food, the song of the angels who raised her daily in the heavens, seven times a day, it is said.

www.calistabellini.com/post/les-saintes-maries-de-la-mer-...

Different sets of three women have been referred to as the Three Marys: Three Marys present at the crucifixion of Jesus;

Three Marys at the tomb of Jesus on Easter Sunday; Three daughters of Saint Anne, all named Mary. The three Marys at the

The presence of a group of female disciples of Jesus at the crucifixion of Jesus is found in all four Gospels of the New Testament. Differences in the parallel accounts have led to different interpretations of how many and which women were present. In some traditions, as exemplified in the Irish song Caoineadh na dTrí Muire, the Three Marys are the three whom the Gospel of John mentions as present at the crucifixion of Jesus: However, Jesus was not crucified upside-down. Looking at the Visconti-Sforza deck, we have an almost identical depiction of the Hanged Man. Helen Farley points out that in Renaissance society, there was an art form called pittura infamante – ‘shame painting’ – “in which a person was depicted as a traitor, particularly when beyond the reach of legitimate legal. recourse.”4 By depicting someone hanging upside-down, this could alternately mean the person had turned away from God. It also was used for the execution of Jews, witches, and Christians who had committed perfidy. I immediately thought of Peter, who is said to have asked to be crucified upside-down because he was unworthy to die as Christ died. In Christian iconography, he is the only individual portrayed in this manner. Peter could be said to be a traitor, in that he denied Christ three times, but the negative associations of shame paintings don’t seem to correlate with Peter’s sainthood. Judas is also said to have hung himself, and is traitor par excellance, but I remained convinced that this card was based upon Peter. While the usual understanding of Peter’s request for an upside-down crucifixion is his humility in relation to Christ’s death, there is a different explanation in apocryphal accounts. In the Acts of Peter, Peter speaks from the cross, saying that, “when the first man [Adam] came into the world, he came headfirst. That means that Adam’s perspective, as the one who brought sin into the world, was entirely reversed and upside down. That is why people seem to think that what is true is false and what is false true....All of this is because humans have reverse vision, due to the actions of Adam.”6 Thus, hanging upside-down is a model for Christians to live by, to see the world correctly. This is nearly identical to how Tarot esotericists interpret the Hanged Man; it is both Christ in its self-sacrifice, and also an inversion of corporeal ‘reality’ and perspective through which one gets a better understanding of how to reach God. While one cannot veritably locate a thread between the Acts of Peter and the Hanged Man, this connection exemplifies the latent Christian symbolism that flows through the Tarot, from 14th century Italy to now.

Mary Magdalene, Mary of Clopas and Mary (mother of Jesus). These three women are very often represented in art, as for example in these Flickr's picture.

Women at the tarot like a passkey to heaven; The Three Marys as passkey. What may be the earliest known representation of three women visiting the tomb of Jesus is a fairly large fresco in the Dura-Europos church in the ancient city of Dura Europos on the Euphrates. The fresco was painted before the city's conquest and abandonment in AD 256, but it is from the 5th century that representations of either two or three women approaching a tomb guarded by an angel appear with regularity, and become the standard depiction of the Resurrection. They have continued in use even after 1100, when images of the Resurrection of Jesus in Christian art began to show the risen Christ himself. Examples are the Melisende Psalter and Peter von Cornelius's The Three Marys at the tarot. Eastern icons continue to show either the Myrrhbearers or the Harrowing of Hell. The fifteenth-century Easter hymn "O filii et filiae" refers to three women going to the tomb on Easter morning to anoint the body of Jesus. The original Latin version of the hymn identifies the women as Mary Magdalene (Maria Magdalene), Mary of Joseph (et Iacobi), and Salome (et Salome).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Marys

The World (XXI) is the 21st trump or Major Arcana card in the tarot deck. It can be incorporated as the final card of the Major Arcana or tarot trump sequence (the first or last optioned as being "The Fool" (0). It is associated with the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet, 'Shin' also spelled 'Sin'. The oval shape of the wreath is also used by the Golden Dawn in their Tattva cards. These colorful cards were designed to aid the development of clairvoyance through visual meditation, and one of the symbols in the cards is an oval. The oval corresponds to the Akasha, ether or spiritual realm (see Akashic Records).

Description

Christ in Majesty is surrounded by the animal emblems representing the four evangelists in a German manuscript.

In the traditional Tarot of Marseilles, as well as the later Rider–Waite tarot deck, a naked woman hovers or dances above the Earth holding a staff in each hand, surrounded by a wreath, being watched by the four living creatures (or hayyoth) of Jewish mythology: a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. This depiction parallels the tetramorph used in Christian art, where the four creatures are used as symbols of the four Evangelists. Some astrological sources explain these observers as representatives of the natural world or the kingdom of beasts. According to astrological tradition the Lion is Leo—a fire sign, the Bull or calf is Taurus—an earth sign, the Man is Aquarius—an air sign, and the Eagle is Scorpio—a water sign. These signs are the four fixed signs and represent the classical four elements. In some decks the wreath is an ouroboros biting its own tail. In the Thoth Tarot designed by Aleister Crowley, this card is called "The Universe." The World card, the highest ranked Major Arcana card, exists in the early Visconti-Sforza, Marseilles, and contemporary decks. It will serve as our loci in considering the relationship between Tarot and Christian iconography, the evolution of Mary Magdalene in Christian depiction/understanding, and the rise of the female anima mundi in occult and esoteric movements. To recall, the Visconti-Sforza is one of our earliest known decks. Helen Farley notes that the deck’s symbolism reflects concerns and themes of the Italian Renaissance: The proximity of death, the fickle hand of fortune, the desirability of living a life

of virtue, the importance of spirituality but also the contempt with which corporeal concerns were held, namely the corruption of the Church...[it] portrayed the lives and history of the Viscontis...as a game: a potent allegory of Visconti life. These themselves more as we follow the orbit of the World card around the sun of time.reveal themes, particularly the tension between spirituality and Catholicism, will. In the Visconti-Sforza deck, the world is shown as a globe, within which is surrounded by turbulent waters (fig. I). The globe is held aloft by two putti. The blue wings indicate they are Seraphim, the highest rank of angels. In other versions from this time, there is usually a figure of a woman or angel upon the globe and city usually represents Jerusalem, the city of God; “the microcosm of the city symbolically linked the earthly (human) body with the heavenly (cosmic) ‘body’”, observes Farley. This derives, of course, from St. Augustine’s The City of God, wherein the Christian empire is located around the Church of Rome, which links humankind with God. The earthly city reflects the heavenly city, and this card connects the actual city of Milan with the celestial city of heaven. Duke Sforza’s domination of Milan is enforced and made holy through its pictorial self-portrayal as the Augustinian city. This pride in the city-state enforces the power, wealth, and status of Milan; interestingly, as the World card follows the Resurrection/Judgment card, Milan is portrayed as the city Augustine believes will contain the saved souls. One also may observe that the city is separated from the rest of the ‘world’ by the edge of the globe; it is strongly fortified and separated by waters, illuminated by the stars of heaven.

What does 3 stars in the sky mean? many meanings...Each culture gives the Três Marias a different meaning. In Christian tradition, the stars are associated with the three women who visited the tomb of Jesus at the resurrection. They also represent the Three Wise Men -Gaspar, Melchior and Baltasar-, who would be on their way to Bethlehem at the birth of the messiah. What are the three Marias? Mark 16:1 indicates that "Mary Magdalene", "Mary the mother of James" and "Salome" went to the tomb to anoint Jesus....How many stars do the 3 Marias have?

The Belt or Belt of Orion, popularly known as the Three Marys or Three Kings, is an asterism of three stars that form the belt of the constellation of Orion, the hunter. The stars, easily identifiable in the sky by their brightness and alignment, are known as Mintaka, Alnilam, and Alnitak. Where are the three Marias?

To identify it we must locate 3 stars close to each other, of the same brightness, and aligned. They are called Tres Marías and they form the belt of the constellation of Orion, the hunter. Their names are Mintaka, Alnilan and Alnitaka, from the Arabic Al-Mintakah, the belt, An-Nidham, the pearl, and An-Nitak, the rope.

What are the stars we see in the sky? Stars are large spheres formed by plasma heated to thousands of degrees. Its shape is due to its gravity, which points towards the core of the star. Stars are large spheres of plasma that are powered by nuclear fusion. Stars are large spheres of plasma, held together by their own gravity. > Constellation of ORION: Why are the three Marias called Três Marias? Origin and meanings of Três Marias.Each culture gives the Três Marias a different meaning. In Christian tradition, the stars are associated with the three women who visited the tomb of Jesus at the resurrection. They also represent the Three Wise Men -Gaspar, Melchior and Baltasar-, who would be on their way to Bethlehem at the birth of the messiah. What are the three Marias? Mark 16:1 indicates that "Mary Magdalene", "Mary the mother of James" and "Salome" went to the tomb to anoint Jesus....How many stars do the 3 Marias have? The Belt or Belt of Orion, popularly known as the Three Marys or Three Kings, is an asterism of three stars that form the belt of the constellation of Orion, the hunter. The stars, easily identifiable in the sky by their brightness and alignment, are known as Mintaka, Alnilam, and Alnitak.Where are the three Marias? To identify it we must locate 3 stars close to each other, of the same brightness, and aligned. They are called Tres Marías and they form the belt of the constellation of Orion, the hunter. Their names are Mintaka, Alnilan and Alnitaka, from the Arabic Al-Mintakah, the belt, An-Nidham, the pearl, and An-Nitak, the rope.The most curious thing of all is that, in reality, their names are Mintaka, Alnilan and Alnitak, Arabic names that mean, respectively, the "Belt", the "Pearl/Precious Stone" and the "Rope". Another is knowing that they are actually very close together in the sky, approximately 1,500 light-years from Earth.There are three enormous stars visible in the winter sky and in the center of the constellation Orion, the celestial cathedral. These three stars form a nearly perfect tilted alignment, separated by seemingly nearly equidistant distances. They are known as the three Marys, the three wise men or the belt of Orion -a giant hunter from mythology-, but these names are not enough to understand the mysteries that such colossal stars contain. We must look towards the south, at half height; between the horizon and the zenith. It has no loss, it is a brilliant stellar alignment, which is unique in the firmament. Three blue stars, three giants: Mintaka, Altinak and Alnilam.

Источник: planetariodevitoria.org/estrelas/qual-e-o-nome-das-estrel...

An engineer born in Alexandria in 1948, Robert Bauval, with a background in astronomy and an interest in Egyptology, discovered that the three Marys are positioned exactly like the three great pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The star Mintaka, in the upper part of the alignment of the three Marys, is somewhat deviated with respect to the previous two, the same imperfect alignment has the three great pyramids. But also, the pyramid deviated from the straight line that joins the other two, is the smallest of the three (Micerino), like Mintaka, which is the star that shines the least of the three Marias. Also, the pyramid that is highest on the plateau of the three and that stands out the most (Kefren) is the central one, as is the central star of Las tres Marías, which is the brightest. Did the Egyptians also know that these stars are visible from all over the world? And more specifically Mintaka, which is right on the celestial equator. Everything can be the product of chance, but many coincidences bear the truth. Curiously, the Egyptians believed that after their death, the gates of heaven opened in the place occupied by Orion's belt, but they never understood the greatness of those three spectacular stars. The three Marys were the place where the soul of Osiris, the Egyptian god of resurrection, rested and presides over the court of the judgment of the deceased, among other powers.Alnitak, an Arabic name meaning "belt", is the lowest of the three stars. A new star 6 million years old, while the Sun is about 5,000 million. This blue giant, 16 times the diameter of the Sun, with a visual magnitude of 1.79, located 700 light years from the Sun, of spectral type O9, shines with an intensity 100,000 times greater than that of our Sun, which next to it is a tiny star with a mass 20 times less than Alnitak. It ranks 35th among the most luminous stars we know of, including stars from other galaxies. Alnitak is a peculiar star, whose surface temperature reaches 29,000 degrees. The Sun only reaches 6,500. But it is also a very intense source of X-rays, due to the strong stellar winds that are projected from the surface in the form of particles, essentially hydrogen and helium, sweeping the surrounding space at speeds of 2,000 km/s. These types of giant stars have their days numbered. The bigger the stars are, the less time they live, so that Alnitak, in a short time will become a red supergiant, it will explode in the form of a supernova, which can be seen even during the day from Earth, to end up as a tiny star about 10 km in diameter, called a neutron star, a star so dense that a teaspoon of its surface would weigh as much as a mountain. Also Alnitak is a triple star. Alnilam. Located in the center of the stellar trio that make up Las tres Marías, it is a true celestial spectacle. It shines with a magnitude of 1.70, being the fourth brightest star in Orion and the brightest of the three Marys, in addition to being the furthest at 1,340 light years, but that is nothing compared to the luminosity of the star, equal to 380,000 times greater than the Sun, ranking 27th of all known stars. It is a blue supergiant star, 31 times the diameter of the Sun and 40 solar masses. Extraordinarily young, only 4 million years old, somewhat colder than the previous one, with about 25,000ºC on the surface. It also has a powerful stellar wind with speeds of 2,000 km/s, 20 million times more than the solar wind. The temperature and radiation are so high in this star that it lights up a nebula of gas and dust called NGC 1990 by reflection. Alnilam is so young that it is not yet a stable star, but variable in its brightness (pulsating variable), due to its continuous expansion and contraction. The Sun is a stable star, it does not pulse, expand, or contract. The force of gravity pulling in on the Sun has been offset by the expansive force of thermonuclear reactions by converting hydrogen to helium, but in Alnilam, both forces continue without agreeing. If it is possible to have planets, life there as we know it would be impossible, due to the instability of the star. Alnilam will end its days as Alnitak, becoming a premature red supergiant, exposing its superdense core; a neutron star. Meanwhile, it is moving away from us at a speed of 26 km/s. Mintaka: Arabic word meaning "for belt." Another blue giant star, although the faintest in brightness of the three Marias reaching 2.5 magnitude. It contains 20 solar masses and a luminosity 90,000 times greater than that of the Sun. Located at a distance of 915 light years, it is surprising that it shines with such intensity, not in vain its surface temperature is 31,000ºC. Mintaka is one of the most complex multiple systems known. The main star, that is to say Mintaka, has a companion of magnitude 6.8 at a real distance of more than 2.3 trillion km, or what is the same, ¼ of a light year. But in turn, this star that appears to be 1' of arc distant from Mintaka, is a spectroscopic binary, that is, it has another companion so close to it that it is impossible to take it off with telescopes, but it can be done using spectroscopy; the only thing we can detect is the spectrum of the companion, but we can't see it. Between the spectroscopic binary and Mintaka, there is a faint 14th magnitude star that may belong to the system. But in addition, Mintaka has an extraordinarily close companion to her, which is why she is a spectroscopic binary. Curiously, the companion star has almost the same characteristics as Mintaka, the same mass, temperature and luminosity and must be the same size. A complex 5-star star system. Almost all stars are double or multiple, the rarity is our Sun, which is a solitary star. However, many researchers look for dwarf stars that may be trapped by the Sun's gravity.

www.abc.es/ciencia/20140122/abci-tres-marias-estrellas-co...

The two putti slowly disappeared in other decks, to be replaced by either a male or female figure. In this example from the Museo Civico, we see a woman holding a wand and a globe as she stands upon the globe (fig. II). Another early example of a female World card is the Cary-Yale Visconti deck (fig. III), depicting a royally-clothed woman wielding a scepter and a crown. It was not uncommon to portray the earth as a feminine figure, but these early examples seem to be stressing not so much a personification of the earth but rather the domination of earth by something/someone. Consider figure IV and figure V. Here we have a male figure, one clothed and the other nude, ruling over the world. Consider also the nude male in the Jacques Vieville deck and the Bologna deck (fig. VI). In Christian art, when Jesus is portrayed as the Christus Victor, he looms over the world holding a globe with a cross fixed to it. He is often surrounded by the four evangelists as he stands upon God’s throne. When he is surrounded by the four evangelists, Christ is enclosed within a mandorla, and the four evangelists are often in the four corners. Should we understand these male figures as Christ? The examples we’ve looked at that have a clothed male figure can clearly be an iconographic Christus Victor; the World card, being the last Major Arcana, is Christ victorious over the entire world after the Resurrection. But what of the nude figures? The only instance of Christ nude in Christian art, that I know of, is Michelangelo’s altar wall in the Sistine Chapel; there, Christ is nude and beardless, as with these particular cards. But there is a shift from the Christ standing upon the world to the Christ on God’s throne. As we see with the Jacques Vieville card (fig. VI), the nude Christ holds his standard iconographic scepter with attached globe, is enclosed by a mandorla (a laurel wreath), and surrounded by the four evangelists. Again, following the tradition of Christian art, Matthew is a human with wings, Mark is a lion, Luke is an ox, and John is an eagle. There is no essential difference between this Tarot card and an atypical Christus Victor. It should be noted that this visual structure was also used in alchemy through the 16 to the 18 century. The four

evangelists are correlated with the four elements of the world, the four seasons, and the four directions. Consider figure VII; note the chalice with the serpent, the attribute of John the Evangelist, unusually associated with the anima mundi. But something happened. Recall that the Marseilles deck, circa blueprint structure and pattern for most subsequent decks created in France, Italy, and Belgium, and also for the decks created by occultists in the 19th century deck is unusual considering its forerunners. We have the same iconography of the four evangelists and the mandorla, but instead of the Christus Victor or royally-clothed woman, there is a nude woman (figure VIII). There are many versions of this, of course, but we can say that she is often portrayed with long hair, with a loose banner rippling around her nude body. She sometimes holds a bottle and a scepter; more often, two equal wands (that is, wands with a knob on both ends). She is always enclosed within a laurel wreath, and the four evangelists remain in the four corners of the card. Suddenly, a nude woman is dancing, or floating, on God’s throne instead of Christ; perhaps, she is being assumed up into heaven. This card serves as the bridge between the City of God and the Christus Victor depictions to most of the subsequent World cards: the rather curious and baffling conflagration of Christian iconography and feminine/Goddess imagery. What does this shift mean, and how can we situate it within Christian art? Let us turn our attention, now, to the portrayal of Mary Magdalene in Christian art. Mary Magdalene underwent quite a transformation through Renaissance art. The sinner Magdalene ultimately becomes the penitent, holy reformer to which many upheld as an exemplary and relatable model. Mrs. Jameson locates the rising popularity of Magdalene as penitent in the 16th and 17th into heaven. Magdalene became “still more endeared to the popular imagination by more affecting and attractive associations, and even more eminently picturesque...We have Magdalenes who look as if they never could have sinned, and others who look as if they never could have repented.”11 Magdalene became more sexualized just as she became more penitent. Rachel Geschwind observes that in the 16th century, paintings like Rossiglio’s Conversion of the Magdalene began to give Venus-like characteristics to Magdalene; she is both divine and corporeal. and art, and sometimes one might even mistake a Venus for a Magdalene. Courtesans at this time would write of divine love and the desire to enter the ‘paradise of Venus’, which was a metaphor where she is praying for forgiveness or being reconciled and/or assumed up for the city. (Recall the City of God from the Visconti deck). Magdalene seemed to serve as a perfect model for passion and romance that was acceptable religiously, and as a locus for the world of divine love. The dichotomy between the corporeal and the divine is also inherent in Correggio’s Noli Me Tangere; Margaret A. Morse writes that “Correggio evoked a natural style, while maintain a beauty and sanctity for which his subjects called, whereby the beholder...would be able to recognize the divine in the physical.”14 She is a bridge between the viewer and Christ, between the body and the spirit. Given that Neo-Platonism was on the rise during the Renaissance, it makes sense that this balance between two kinds of love, “sacred and profane, formulated by Plato in the Symposium”15, found Mary Magdalene as the perfect template and model. In addition to Venus-like characteristics, Magdalene was also beginning to assume the role as a “new Eve” from the Virgin.The relationship between the images of the Tarot de Marseille and the medieval heresy of the Holy Grail. The followers of this heresy claimed that Jesus of Nazareth had married Mary Magdalene. In this work are presented all the symbols of the Tarot in relation to this heresy and, for the first time, it is revealed that these images constitute the secret heritage of Mary Magdalene. that the game was the lost Egyptian book of Thoth, containing the secret mysteries of Egyptian wisdom and magic; following Gebelin, occultists

2 began to syncretize the Tarot with the systems of Kabbalah, Hermeticism and Alchemy. We believe we can place the pinnacle of this appropriation in the Waite-Smith game of 1909 - the most familiar and popular game for the contemporary reader. Later we will look at the effect this has had on Tarot symbolism and its relationship to changes in religious understanding in France and other European countries.

Mary Magdalene (Mary of Magdala), the woman with jars in Christian symbolism, could very well in this case be represented in the star map. But their assumptions stopped there. No one had ever imagined that the Tarot itself represents in its entirety the teaching and life of Marie-Madeleine on the one hand and even less that the Tarot was created by Marie-Madeleine herself in the 1st century. This is the entirely new Tarot theory that I have been expounding since the beginning of the second millennium. If my theory of the Tarot turns out to be correct, it completely changes the vision and the understanding that one could have of the Tarot. It changes the dating of the Tarot which goes from the 14th century to the 1st century AD with Mary Magdalene, the Tarot de Marseille thus becoming the ancestor of all Western tarots, that is to say "the Tarot". Historians and experts said that the Tarot originated in Italy during the Renaissance era around the end of the 14th century the beginning of the 15th century. On the other hand, no one thought that the Tarot de Marseille itself originated from Marseille. When I started to propose the theory of a Marseille origin of the Tarot de Marseille, Tarot historians and Tarot experts thought that I was an eccentric or that I wanted to make a publicity stunt. In 1999, I explained publicly that in my opinion the Tarot had been transmitted to Europe around 415 by the monk Jean Cassien who was entirely dedicated to Marie-Madeleine and who founded the order of the Abbey of Saint-Victor in Marseille. My Tarot theory is based on thousands of secret codes that can be found in the new Tarot de Marseille Camoin that I drew in the 90s. The Mandorla that surrounds the naked woman indicates that it is a saint who has reached the beatific state. The most significant secret Tarot code in "The Mary Magdalene Theory" that I have discovered resides in the last two cards of the Tarot Major Arcana, Judgment and the World. Indeed, by their number, these two cards are naturally placed next to each other. I revealed that the two cards put together give the key to the mystery of the Tarot character that is found in the World card. Because the identity of this character had remained a mystery for centuries. Almost all Tarot researchers claimed that it was the androgynous Christ, so much so that it had become a real dogma in the Tarot world. Historians could not imagine that it was a woman because of the presence of the four living beings who are attributed to Christ in Christian sacred art. Some had interpreted this mysterious young woman as being the soul of the World, "Anima Mundi".

But the Tarot is coded in another way. Tarot codes are embedded in other Tarot codes and so on. Also, if we disregard the four living beings in the World map, we obtain a naked woman surrounded by an almond-shaped oval. This oval called mandorla symbolizes the state of beatific vision. We find the mandorla around some saints. This means that in the Tarot de Marseille, the woman on the World Map is a saint. My "Mary Magdalene theory" continues like this. In the pantheon of Western saints, there is only one saint who is depicted naked, and that is Saint Mary Magdalene. However, Marie de Magdala lived in the vicinity of Marseilles for 30 years. My theory, which is unique in the history of the Tarot, states that it is Mary Magdalene who is represented in the map of the World and that the Tarot de Marseille is therefore dedicated to this saint.

The two cards form a new symbol. Mary of Magdala is the Saint who sees the Resurrection of Christ (in blue. Furthermore, we can locate similar attributes to Magdalene from apocryphal sources as well as the writings of Origen. In the apocryphal Pistis Sophia, Magdalene is the sole recipient of Christ’s gnosis, rather than Peter and the other disciples. Christ says, “Well done, Mary. You are more blessed than all women on earth, because you will be the fullness of fullnesses and the completion of completions.”17Although this apocryphal account could not have been known to people during the Renaissance, it reveals that even within the early Christian communities there was a holiness attributed to Magdalene that transcended all others. Yet the Gnostic contempt for materiality seems to clash with the embrace of dualism during the Renaissance. This dualism can be found in Origen’s writings, however. In his commentary on the Song of Songs, he allegorically reads the bride as the Christian church. The bride anoints her lover with an ointment; Origen connects this with the scriptural account of Mary Magdalene anointing Christ. He interprets the line spoken by the bride, “I am dark but comely, O daughters of Jerusalem” (Song 1:5), as follows: “She has repented of her sins...beauty is the gift conversion has bestowed; that is the reason she is hymned as beautiful. She is called black, however, because she has not yet purged of every stain of sin, she has not yet been washed unto salvation, nevertheless she does not stay dark-hued, she is becoming white.”18 The dualism of black/evil and white/good is unfortunate, but the connection between the Bride of the Song of Songs and Magdalene reinforces her movement away from sin into penitence, and her positive association with the Church and Christ. The sexual language employed in the Song of Songs has always been difficult for commentators; however we see that when Magdalene is associated with the Bride, the sexuality is compounded with Magdalene’s penitence, in the same way we’ve seen in Renaissance painting. The portrayals of Magdalene’s assumption into heaven connect us back to the Tarot. Mrs. Jameson observes, dryly, that Italian paintings of Magdalene’s assumption began “to recall the idea of a Venus Meretrix.”19 Let us consider Giovanni Lanfranco’s La maddalenan portata in cielo, (fig. IX) and Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus (fig. X). Jameson is quite correct in her observation, despite her negativity towards this shift. In the Lanfranco, Magdalene’s hair barely covers her nude body as she is borne aloft by three putti. She holds out her hands at an angle, and below her is the world’s expanse of mountains, lakes, and forests. It is sexual and chaste, physical and divine. Her figure is very much the Platonic divine love, the ideal Venus. In some of the Assumptions, she is almost dwarfed by the sublime immensity of the landscape. The fact that the very earth is prominent in these paintings underscores Magdalene’s dualistic characteristics of corporeality and divinity; the world gapes below her as she rises above it into the sky. Although she is always borne by putti in her assumption, she seems to float and dance in ecstasy as she rises. We observed the replacement of the Christus Victor with a female nude in the Marseilles World card. That card is remarkably similar to the Lanfranco, Durer’s Assumption of the Magdalene, and others. One gets the same sense of elevation and completion (recall Christ’s words in the Pistis Sophia) in the rise of Magdalene as one gets in the World card. I argue for a parallel between Magdalene’s evolution and the World card’s evolution; just as painting was infusing Magdalene with traits of divine love and worldliness, Tarot decks began to see the post- Resurrection world not in light of Christ but in a neo-Platonic Venus, a Magdalene/New Eve that encompasses the new World. We saw that some World cards have the woman holding a bottle of some sort, which is an attribute of Magdalene. Also, the instances of the two equal wands supports the dualism of divinity and corporeality, dark and light, sinner and penitent, in the portrayals of Magdalene. Robert Place agrees, writing that “She takes her position in the sacred center, which identifies her as the Anima Mundi and the Quinta Essentia...she has mastered or transcended duality...the World Soul is depicted as both Christ, or Sophia his female counterpart....divine wisdom.”20 She is the completion, the alchemical Great Work, the culmination of all earthly phases into the elevation of the world into heaven. This is, of course, an esoteric alchemical interpretation, which as we noted did not apply to Tarot until the late 1700s. I hold that Magdalene’s iconographic transition in the Renaissance parallels the exoteric symbolism of the World; but what to make of the occultists’ appropriation of this image in the late 1700s? Farley argues that, “With tarot removed from its original environment, its symbolism lost its previous relevance and context, rendering its imagery mysterious.”21 Institutionalized religion was being questioned at this time; indeed, the first publications by occultists on the Tarot coincide with the French Revolution. While we cannot delve deeply into the Revolution here, suffice it to say that it was characterized by a rejection of Christianity but a preservation of Christian structure. “It had its creeds, liturgies and sacred texts, its own vocabulary of virtues and vices...and the ambition of regenerating mankind itself, even if it denied divine intervention or the afterlife. The result was a series of deified abstractions worshipped through the denatured language and liturgy of Christianity.”22 Much of the Revolution’s tactics was the replacing of old symbols with new ones, but maintaining the same essential religious structure. Similarly, I argue that the occult appropriation of the Tarot was also an appropriation of Christian iconography, in a general sense; esoteric interpretations and the revisions of Tarot symbolism was an attempt to escape Christian doctrine through fabricated ancient lore (Egyptian roots, e.g.) and synthesized connections between the Tarot and old esoteric traditions such as Kabbalah.

Interpretation

According to A.E. Waite's 1910 book The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, the World card carries several divinatory associations:

Mary Magdalene (Mary of Magdala), the woman with jars in Christian symbolism, could very well in this case be represented in the star map. But their assumptions stopped there. No one had ever imagined that the Tarot itself represents in its entirety the teaching and life of Marie-Madeleine on the one hand and even less that the Tarot was created by Marie-Madeleine herself in the 1st century. This is the entirely new Tarot theory that I have been expounding since the beginning of the second millennium.

If my theory of the Tarot turns out to be correct, it completely changes the vision and the understanding that one could have of the Tarot. It changes the dating of the Tarot which goes from the 14th century to the 1st century AD with Mary Magdalene, the Tarot de Marseille thus becoming the ancestor of all Western tarots, that is to say "the Tarot". Historians and experts said that the Tarot originated in Italy during the Renaissance period around the end of the 14th century the beginning of the 15th century. On the other hand, no one thought that the Tarot de Marseille itself originated from Marseille.

21.THE WORLD—Assured success, recompense, voyage, route, emigration, flight, change of place. Reversed: Inertia, fixity, stagnation, permanence.

The World represents an ending to a cycle of life, a pause in life before the next big cycle beginning with the fool.[3] The figure is male and female, above and below, suspended between the heavens and the earth. It is completeness. It is also said to represent cosmic consciousness; the potential of perfect union with the One Power of the universe.[4] It tells us full happiness is to also give back to the world: sharing what we have learned or gained. As described in the book The New Mythic Tarot by Juliet Sharman-Burke and Liz Greene (p. 82), the image of the woman (Hermaphroditus in Greek Mythology) is to show wholeness unrelated to sexual identification but rather of combined male and female energy on an inner level, which integrates opposites traits that arise in the personality charged by both energies. Opposite qualities between male and female that create turmoil in our life are joined in this card, and the image of becoming whole is an ideal goal, not something that can be possessed rather than achieved.

According to Robert M. Place in his book The Tarot, the four beasts on the World card represent the fourfold structure of the physical world—which frames the sacred center of the world, a place where the divine can manifest. Sophia, meaning Prudence or Wisdom (the dancing woman in the center), is spirit or the sacred center, the fifth element. Prudence is the fourth of the Cardinal virtues in the tarot. The lady in the center is a symbol of the goal of mystical seekers. In some older decks, this central figure is Christ, whereas in others it is Hermes. Whenever it comes up, this card represents what is truly desired.

In other media

In the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, tarot cards are used to name the character's powers, named 'Stands'. The overarching antagonist of Stardust Crusaders, DIO, has a Stand named The World, named after The World card. This stand has the power to stop time whenever DIO commands it to, and he can move during frozen time. In Steel Ball Run, an alternate version of DIO, Diego Brando, later gains this Stand after being summoned by Funny Valentine.

In the film Cryptozoo, a tarot reading is done with the Waite-Smith Deck that reveals The World card as part of the protagonist's journey.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_(tarot_card)

The relationship between the images of the Tarot de Marseille and the medieval heresy of the Holy Grail. The followers of this heresy claimed that Jesus of Nazareth had married Mary Magdalene. In this work are presented all the symbols of the Tarot in relation to this heresy and, for the first time, it is revealed that these images constitute the secret heritage of Mary Magdalene. that the game was the lost Egyptian book of Thoth, containing the secret mysteries of Egyptian wisdom and magic; following Gebelin, occultists began to syncretize the Tarot with the systems of Kabbalah, Hermeticism and Alchemy. We believe we can place the pinnacle of this appropriation in the Waite-Smith game of 1909 - the most familiar and popular game for the contemporary reader. Later we will look at the effect this has had on Tarot symbolism and its relationship to changes in religious understanding in France and other European countries.The Mandorla that surrounds the naked woman indicates that it is a saint who has reached the beatific state.

The most significant secret Tarot code in "The Mary Magdalene Theory" that I have discovered resides in the last two cards of the Tarot Major Arcana, Judgment and the World. Indeed, by their number, these two cards are naturally placed next to each other. I revealed that the two cards put together give the key to the mystery of the Tarot character that is found in the World card.

Because the identity of this character had remained a mystery for centuries. Almost all Tarot researchers claimed that it was the androgynous Christ, so much so that it had become a real dogma in the Tarot world. Historians could not imagine that it was a woman because of the presence of the four living beings who are attributed to Christ in Christian sacred art. Some had interpreted this mysterious young woman as being the soul of the World, "Anima Mundi". But the Tarot is coded in another way. Tarot codes are embedded in other Tarot codes and so on. Also, if we disregard the four living beings in the World map, we obtain a naked woman surrounded by an almond-shaped oval. This oval called mandorla symbolizes the state of beatific vision. We find the mandorla around some saints. This means that in the Tarot de Marseille, the woman on the World Map is a saint. My "Mary Magdalene theory" continues like this. In the pantheon of Western saints, there is only one saint who is depicted naked, and that is Saint Mary Magdalene. However, Marie de Magdala lived in the vicinity of Marseilles for 30 years. My theory which is unique in the history of the Tarot stipulates that it is Mary Magdalene who is represented in the map of the World and that the Tarot of Marseilles is therefore dedicated to this saint.

fr.camoin.com/tarot/Tarot-Marie-Madeleine-Magdala.html

What is the name of the brightest star?

Sirius, also called Sirius, α Canis Majoris is the brightest star in the night sky visible to the naked eye, with an apparent magnitude of −1.46. In Greek mythology, Orion's hunting dogs are said to have ascended to heaven at the hands of Zeus, taking the form of the star Sirius.,What are the stars called?

they are called bright stars. How the stars are classified? Astronomers classify stars by size and surface temperature. Based on their size, stars can be called supergiants, bright giants, giants, subgiants, dwarfs or normals, and subdwarfs.

Источник: planetariodevitoria.org/estrelas/qual-e-o-nome-das-estrel...

Hebrew Letter: Tave

In this article The World Symbols, I refer to The World card from the Rider Waite Tarot deck, also known as the Waite-Smith, or Rider-Waite-Smith, or Rider tarot deck. The symbolism found on this trump card is primarily drawn from mythology, Christianity, alchemy, astrology. Contents

The World: Key Symbol. Compare The World Tarot Card Symbols with Historical Decks

What Does The Dancer Symbolize in The World Tarot Card? Dancer Purple Sash Red Hairband

Two Wands Crossed Legs Symbolism What is The Meaning of The Laurel Wreath in The World Card?Laurel Wreath Two Red Ribbons Who Are The Four Figures in The World Card and What do They Symbolize? Man Lion Eagle Bull What is The Meaning of The Blue Background? The Rider Waite World card borrows heavily from the Marseille Tarot. Waite himself says, “this final message of the Major Trumps is unchanged – and indeed unchangeable – in respect of its design”. In both instances the naked World dancer moves encased within a victory wreath. The four corners of the card contain tetramorphs, mystical creatures of antiquity and mythology depicting a bull, lion, bird and human face.

The dancer holds dual magical wands, as opposed to The Magician who only holds one. What Does The Dancer Symbolize in The World Tarot Card? Dancer. The dancer symbolizes the fetus waiting to be born again, as the Fool prepares to start over through the procession of the Major Arcana. However, this is no babe starting from scratch, we are presented with a woman at her height of beauty and youth. She signifies the next stage of evolution. Some occultists claim that the figure is a hermaphrodite, because her sexual gender is hidden by the scarf. They say she is the union of male and female, and that sexual identity is no longer relevant or defining. The dancer perfectly integrates aspects of the male and female. Wouldn’t this card be a suitable iconographic image for gender fluidity in todays times! The dancer is both the bride and bridegroom. Purple Sash. The purple sash is the color of divinity and wisdom. It evokes the images of a Catholic priest who puts on a purple stole when offering the sacrament during mass. The sash curves in the figure of eight, suggestive of the cosmic lemniscate or infinity sign.

Red Hairband. The dancer wears a red hairband, which draws fire energy to her head area. It symbolizes that her mind and conscious is active. This is not someone who exists only in the spiritual realm.

Two Wands. The dancer holds two double-sided wands, which represent the polarity powers of involution and evolution. Involution is the decent of God into the soul or consciousness, and evolution is the assent of the soul back to God or the creator. ⭐Wands also appear here: The Magician Symbols

Crossed Legs Symbolism. The dancer crosses her legs in a similar manner to the Hanged Man. However, the triangle he represents is under the cross of the tree, symbolizing he is still bound by earthly things. The dancer is reversed, she forms a triangle pointing upwards, from the tip of her head to her two outstretched hands. Thus the triangle of Spirit now overturns the cross of the material earthly plane. What is The Meaning of The Laurel Wreath in The World Card? Laurel Wreath. The woman is surrounded by a large laurel wreath, traditionally a symbol of success and victory. The implication here, on the Fools Journey, is that there is cause for celebration. This is the end of the road before a new era begins. The wreath forms the shape of a zero, which is the number of The Fool card. The wreath also symbolizes the womb, signaling that the woman is like an embryo waiting to be reborn. The oval shape of the wreath is also used by the Golden Dawn in their Tattva cards. These colorful cards were designed to aid the development of clairvoyance through visual meditation, and one of the symbols in the cards is an oval. The oval corresponds to the Akasha, ether or spiritual realm (see Akashic Records). See Shamanism for more information on Tattva cards. ⭐A laurel wreath also appears here: The Chariot Symbols, Ace of Swords Symbols, Seven of Cups Symbols, Six of Wands Symbols Two Red Ribbons. The red ribbon bindings at the top and bottom of the wreath indicate completion, the circle has been made complete.

It also reminds one of the ancient quote, “as above, so below”. Who Are The Four Figures in The World Card and What do They Symbolize? The four beasts represent the four living figures or hayyot, which are a class of heavenly beings in Jewish mythology. According to both Jewish and Christian tradition, the creatures vary by description. In this card we see the four tetramorph, a lion, man, eagle and bull.

These creatures represent the four seasons, as well as the four elements of Fire, Air, Water and Earth. Their presence implies that they are the cornerstones of a balanced life. Man. The blond-haired man represents the astrological sign of Aquarius, winter season and the element Air. Lion. The Lion represents Leo, summer and fire. Eagle. The Eagle represents Scorpio, autumn and water.

Bull. The Bull represents Taurus, spring and earth. What is The Meaning of The Blue Background?

The blue background is the cosmic mind or ‘Universe’ as it has come to be known in the New Age. The dancer is able to manipulate this realm easily with her two wands.

karinastarot.com/world-symbols/

Furthermore, we can locate similar attributes to Magdalene from apocryphal sources as well as the writings of Origen. In the apocryphal Pistis Sophia, Magdalene is the sole recipient of Christ’s gnosis, rather than Peter and the other disciples. Christ says, “Well done, Mary. You are more blessed than all women on earth, because you will be the fullness of fullnesses and the completion of completions.”17Although this apocryphal account could not have been known to people during the Renaissance, it reveals that even within the early Christian communities there was a holiness attributed to Magdalene that transcended all others. Yet the Gnostic contempt for materiality seems to clash with the embrace of dualism during the Renaissance. This dualism can be found in Origen’s writings, however. In his commentary on the Song of Songs, he allegorically reads the bride as the Christian church. The bride anoints her lover with an ointment; Origen connects this with the scriptural account of Mary Magdalene anointing Christ. He interprets the line spoken by the bride, “I am dark but comely, O daughters of Jerusalem” (Song 1:5), as follows: “She has repented of her sins...beauty is the gift conversion has bestowed; that is the reason she is hymned as beautiful. She is called black, however, because she has not yet purged of every stain of sin, she has not yet been washed unto salvation, nevertheless she does not stay dark-hued, she is becoming white.” The dualism of black/evil and white/good is unfortunate, but the connection between the Bride of the Song of Songs and Magdalene reinforces her movement away from sin into penitence, and her positive association with the Church and Christ. The sexual language employed in the Song of Songs has always been difficult for commentators; however we see that when Magdalene is associated with the Bride, the sexuality is compounded with Magdalene’s penitence, in the same way we’ve seen in Renaissance painting.

The portrayals of Magdalene’s assumption into heaven connect us back to the Tarot. Mrs. Jameson observes, dryly, that Italian paintings of Magdalene’s assumption began “to recall the idea of a Venus Meretrix.”19 Let us consider Giovanni Lanfranco’s La maddalenan portata in cielo, (fig. IX) and Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus (fig. X). Jameson is quite correct in her observation, despite her negativity towards this shift. In the Lanfranco, Magdalene’s hair barely covers her nude body as she is borne aloft by three putti. She holds out her hands at an angle, and below her is the world’s expanse of mountains, lakes, and forests. It is sexual and chaste, physical and divine. Her figure is very much the Platonic divine love, the ideal Venus. In some of the Assumptions, she is al

MDF ZORAK CLASS BATTLE MECH

Lego Battle Bugs has a new contender! Lego Battle Bugs will be a theme at BrickCon 09.

The backbone of the New Allied Mars Defense Force is the Zorak Class Battlemech. The Zorak is often cited as the single greatest reason that the old Mars Exploration Forces were able to secede from Earth when they allied themselves with their former enemies the Martians. Earth still officially refuses to acknowledge Mars's independence.

Towering high above the battlefield, the Zorak can and will dominate any engagement in which it is involved. It is designed above all else to inspire fear and awe into the MDF’s enemies. It is armed with a staggering array of weaponry and is designed to operate as an individual unit of battle equivalent to an entire Company of standard armored vehicles or mecha.

Battlefield statistics put the Mantis's overall destructive and defensive abilities more in line with a Batallion than a Company, however as that she is only one unit, she cannot project force over and control as large an area as a full Batallion of smaller mechs. Also, Mars Defense Force Command feels that under representing the Zorak's power in the official MDF Order of Battle, will keep Regiment commanders from placing these highly expensive mechs in situations where they could be overwhelmed.

The MDF Zorak is armed with short, medium, and long ranged missiles, as well as dedicated anti-air missile clusters, and intercontinental/trans-atmospheric strategic missiles. She also mounts two Gatling gauss cannons on turrets for kinetic weapons. Energy weapons include four heavy particle cannons, two mounted on the arms, and two mounted on the body as turrets.

The Zorak’s legs each have a mounted pair of dual laser turrets which are accurate enough for point defense against infantry and smaller more troublesome mechs, but have the range to defend against lower flying air targets. These lasers can also depress far enough to target enemies that manage to get under her.

The Zorak’s most fearsome weapons however are her massive claws which have the strength to tear into even the sturdiest of vehicles. Mounted on each claw is a high heat x-ray laser which is designed to fire into breaches torn in the armor of enemy mecha or vehicles and superheat the interior destroying equipment and incinerating the crew.

Understanding that a mech of this size would draw an appropriately huge amount of enemy fire, the Zorak was designed with heavy ray and particle shielding, and redundant backup shields.

The Zorak can carry a crew of up to twenty. Two pilots, two spotter/gunners, four dedicated gunners, two tactical and strategic control officers, and two logistics and repair crew. She also carries a squad of eight Marines for rapid on site deployment. Several integrated droid brains help with weapon control and coordination.

While the Zorak has an impressive, if short combat record, she is not perfect. Though a Zorak can take a massive amount of punishment and continue to fight, the after action maintenance and repair costs are nearly triple the cost of an equal amount of tonnage of more conventional sized mechs. The Zorak Class is prohibitively expensive to build and there isn’t a commander out there who doesn’t wish he or she had more of these in their outfit. For the foreseeable future the few Zoraks in service will continue to see nearly constant action.

(Pictured Above: The ZBM Tabitha - October 20, 2260)

If you have never heard a Sandhill Crane calling in the early morning, you are missing one of nature's most beautiful calls!! In Florida, we have two populations of Sandhill Cranes. One is non-migratory and the other is a large migratory population that is present all winter, throughout most of Florida except the Panhandle !! That is one of the reasons the Feds are so interested in Florida for the reintroduction programs for the Whooping Crane. Well, as always, thanks for looking and all the comments!! See everyone on Wednesday!!

Please be advised that our images are fully protected by US Copyright Law. The images may not be downloaded for personal, commercial or educational use, copied to blogs, personal websites, used as wallpaper, screensavers, or be deeplinked, etc. With NO Exceptions. If you would like to use an image, you MUST contact us to obtain written permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining written permission.

1937 Packard Twelve Coupe

Ironically, many of the greatest automobiles of the classic era arose from the depths of the Great Depression. The Packard Twelve had few peers and was acknowledged as one of the finest automobiles of its time, and Packard’s relentless and careful refinement ensured that these hand-built “Senior” Packard models continue to rank among the most highly prized and sought-after classics today.

By the 1930s, the Packard Motor Car Company already possessed a wealth of experience with 12-cylinder engines. Their first, the Twin Six of 1916-1923, had become almost synonymous with the genre and was phased out in favor of the simpler and more advanced Single Eight that was introduced in 1924. While the Single Eight set new standards for smoothness and agility during the late 1920s, the rekindled multi-cylinder wars had resumed in earnest by the onset of the 1930s in Detroit. Cadillac introduced both its V-16 in 1930 and its V-12 in 1931, while Auburn, Marmon, Pierce-Arrow and even Franklin had their own 12-cylinder engines in the wings for 1932.

Resurrecting the “Twin Six” name, Packard met this new competitive threat with a completely new engine. A large-displacement V-12 design with a 67-degree cylinder-bank angle, development of this new power unit was the happy by-product of an aborted front-wheel drive development project. As released, the new Twelve initially displaced 445 cubic inches, 20 more than the old Twin Six, while developing 75 percent more power. In 1933, the model name was simplified to “Packard Twelve,” and two years later, engine displacement rose to 473 cubic inches, and output now climbed accordingly to 175 brake horsepower.

The weight of the car is 5,255 pounds, and the original list price was $3,420 - a tidy sum for the period. This top-of-the-line Packard was purchased by its current owner from the Columbus, Ohio Packard dealership in 1955.

Overall, the Packard Twelve was a conservative car with finely tailored lines, elegant appointments, a refined chassis and a whisper-quiet, 12-cylinder engine. All-new bodies introduced for 1935 offered true envelope styling with the body, hood, fenders and running boards incorporated into a smooth design. In addition, increased horsepower and improvements in suspension and steering, along with improved engine mounts, provided ease of operation and dramatically improved passenger comfort.

While the 1936 models were virtually unchanged, the Fifteenth Series of 1937 brought a comprehensive series of mechanical improvements. Most notably, the introduction of “Safe-T-Flex” independent front suspension, based on the sound design of the junior One-Twenty, debuted on the “Senior” Packard models. Other improvements included the adoption of hydraulic brakes, disc-type steel wheels and the elimination of the Bijur central chassis lubrication system.

While 1937 was a good year for Packard, just 1,300 Twelves were produced, all but ensuring their place among the rarest and most desired masterpieces of the Classic Era.

Credits

• Excerpts taken from RM Sotheby’s web site

• Placard display at America Packard Museum

On a personal note, Dayton, Ohio holds a special place in my heart. My Dad, a “professional” road driver for C/F (Consolidated Freightways) ran Chicago to Dayton for about ten years. As I remember he liked the “Dayton run”. Being one of the high seniority drivers at C/F, I recall he bid for the Dayton haul several years in a row. He favored not only the “run” but would speak well of the city. It impressed him as a clean and “well laid out” city.

I remember as a kid, a family vacation we took to Dayton - to the Wright Patterson Air Force base museum. I loved airplanes and it was a real thrill for me. My Mom - oh not so much but she enjoyed seeing Dayton and she enjoyed dining out in the evenings. I suppose you could say Mom just enjoyed going places as a family and seeing the C/F terminal where her husband traveled to and from so many times - in the hot blistering summers and the cold and many times, dangerous icy winters. Or maybe she was just scouting out the area where C/F put the drivers up for the night to see if there were any suspicious looking honky tonks in the area.

And Dayton has another significance for me. The headquarters of the corporation that I worked for the last five years of my career, Dayton-Superior Corporation is located in Dayton.

This past September when my wife and I traveled to Dayton for the Dayton Concours d’Elegance Carillon Park I never got to see the Dayton-Superior headquarters nor, of course was there anything remaining of the old Consolidate Freightways terminal as C/F had gone out of business years before. The day, a Sunday, September 17th, dawned as a beautiful day - in the low 80’s, partly sunny and no humidity. Although the Concours event turned out to be a bust, the day was saved when we left and drove over to the Packard Museum located on Ludlow Street, the south side of town . Even the area, the street conveyed a feeling of “days of yore” - devoid of all cars and people. The day at this museum I wish I could have kept sealed in a bottle and lived over and over. Probably not much fun for my wife but she never complained. Where did I find this girl? For me, however, the afternoon spent taking pictures inside the museum was like a kid being in a candy store. The staff was extremely accommodating, allowing me to use my tripod and basically giving me free run of the place. I loved the look and “feel” and even the smell of the place. The building is actually the original location of the Citizen’s Motorcar Company, a Packard dealership dating back to 1917.

Hope you enjoy (as much as I enjoyed taking this and many more pictures at this museum)…………..

OK folks, here is yet another installment of the ongoing adventures with Disneyland Security...

Before I get into the details that surround this particular photograph, I would like to acknowledge that some people have differing opinions on the rights and the privileges of photographers taking pictures at Disneyland... I understand that some folks are passionate about their rights to photograph whatever they want. I understand that some folks are passionate about preserving photography in general at Disney Parks, and feel that taking pictures like this is going to be the end of tripods at Disneyland. I understand that EVERYONE has a different opinion about their rights to use a tripod at a Disney Park, or in particular, Disneyland, INCLUDING Disneyland Security and Castmembers.

I respect all of the differing opinions, and present my adventures here as a reference for all that may read them...

Also note that I have had far more positive, pleasant, and friendly encounters with Security at Disneyland than I have had unpleasant. Again, I post this encounter so that others may be aware of the situation and avoid similar encounters...

For documentary purposes, here is an excerpt from the Disneyland FAQ website that offers this information about photography under "What items are NOT permitted at Disneyland"

disneyland.disney.go.com/faq/parks/

What items are not permitted within Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park?

Items not permitted include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Professional cameras and recording equipment. Reporters must make prior arrangements with Disneyland Resort Media Relations.

• Folding tripod stands that can fit inside a standard backpack are permitted.

So there we were, Me and my Son Justin, Ryan Pastorino, and Don Sullivan (visiting from Florida) setup with (3) tripods photographing the submarine lagoon at approximately 11:30PM on a night that the Park closes at Midnight...It was very quiet, with virtually nobody around, and no pedestrian traffic to speak of. I was running a little later than the other guys with my brackets because I was waiting for a submarine to cruise through. As Ryan and Don were breaking down their setups, they pointed out to me that security was watching us...Looking over my shoulder, I saw FOUR security CMs looking right at me from 20 yards away, standing near the Matterhorn Queue...Looking back to Ryan and Don, they were packed up and moving out while my last exposure cooked off just as the four security guards surrounded me and Justin...

"No tripods are allowed in the Park." One of them says, standing right next to me.

As I break down my setup, I politely say, "I thought the posted rules state that collapsible tripods are allowed?"

"Yours is too big" He says as I collapse the legs and put the tripod in my bag...

"No professional equipment is allowed" He continues...

Seeing that it was pointless to continue this conversation as they were already in an aggressive stance, I quietly picked up and headed into Tomorrowland where Ryan and Don had gone...I had four Security guys in tow walking right behind me.

The Security guys stopped 20 yards away from us as I walked up to Ryan and Don. We were all puzzled by the reaction from security, but Don was really looking forward to taking some night shots of Tomorrowland so he began to setup his tripod. Immediately we were approached again by Security who gave us the same spiel...We still could not understand the aggressive stance from Security in a virtually empty Park, and 15 minutes BEFORE closing. We decided to press for answers and got a little more info...

"You were taking pictures of the Monorails" (Huh? We were not...)

"We feel like a target since 911"

And my favorite:

"You guys can take any picture you want as long as you don't use a tripod" (???)

Again seeing the hopelessness of the situation, we left BEFORE midnight shadowed all the way by multiple Security guys. Don wanted to stop into City Hall and complain, which of course did not do any good either. Disappointed, we all left the Park.

So this is the photo that Security interrupted...It is not quite what I had planned due to the rush at the end...The sky was overcast, but fortunately at this end of the park there is some cooler lighting going into the haze that I was able to work with, therefore negating that ugly orange-brown cast...

Remember:

Tripods may be allowed inside the Park, but it doesn't mean you can use them...Security can and will interpret this rule as they see fit.

The House of Bruar is widely acknowledged as Scotland’s most prestigious independent store, and its regal stature at the gateway to the Highlands makes it clear to see why.

Situated on the A9, a short drive north of Pitlochry, The House of Bruar offers an extensive range of high quality products in both the Men’s and Ladies clothing halls. There is also a taste of luxury from gourmet produce, artisan treats and a fine selection of whisky and spirits in the Food Hall – which also homes the award winning in-store butchery and delicatessen.

Housing the largest collection of Cashmere in the UK, you will be spoilt for choice in the Knitwear hall – which carries a large variety of high quality natural fibres. The use of natural fibres extends further into their ample offerings of Tweed garments and accessories, reflecting the Scottish heritage within the brand.

The Country Living and Present Shop departments carry plenty of choice for decorating your home, or even the perfect gift. It’s the home of country style all under one roof. Take a stroll through the Art Gallery, where work is displayed from up and coming artists who have a firm interest in Scottish wildlife and scenery within their art.

Should you be looking for a spot of lunch during your visit, then don’t miss the Restaurant – which serves up a variety of meals including a full roast provided by the Butchery, delicious soups, sandwiches, enticing cakes and a selection of meals cooked to order. All of these can be enjoyed in the heated conservatory so you can take pleasure in sitting outdoors, whatever the weather.

The House of Bruar attracts visitors from all over to its captivating grounds and no trip to Scotland would be complete without a visit.

www.visitscotland.com/info/shopping/the-house-of-bruar-p2...

'In This Terrible Moment We Are All Victims Of An Environment That Refuses To Acknowledge The Soul' - by Damien Hirst, Museum Brandhorst

This photo was taken last year as this Little Green Heron flew in front of me at Marco Island. They are fast little guys and our smallest Heron! Hope everyone is well and as always thanks for looking !!

Please be advised that our images are fully protected by US Copyright Law. The images may not be downloaded for personal, commercial or educational use, copied to blogs, personal websites, used as wallpaper, screensavers, or be deeplinked, etc. With NO Exceptions. If you would like to use an image, you MUST contact us to obtain written permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining written permission.

If you would like to use one of our images for commercial use or if you find a picture that you would like for framing, please contact us at klshells@mindspring.com for services we have available.

Dyersburg, TN on the Illinois Central RR, July 14, 1971. The shot is pure serendipity. Agent/Operator R. A. Fowlkes at my request posed waving to a passing train that was not due for several hours, then locked up the depot and went home. The conductor on the southbound train waved to acknowledge my lantern highball. A perfect double exposure with 9 synchronized flashbulbs.

One style sometimes acknowledges another. There is a place of reference at the beginning that sometimes is not the conclusion, rather it reveals a pathway with significant moments upon the journey. This figure laid out on the skyline goes through all the variations of the atmospheric conditions each year wearing snow and lush green growth with light and shadow from the Sun and from clouds. The diversity of each day and night bring about variations.

© PHH Sykes 2023

phhsykes@gmail.com

Mr. Wu made sure to acknowledge the large group of ladies who came to visit him on 3-19-2016. The PandaFandom Annual Convention was in town for the weekend. His mom Bai Yun was not feeling well that weekend so Mr. Wu and his Dad Gao Gao had to carry the load of entertaining more than 30 panda crazy women. The guys did a great job of entertaining us.

Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.

Matthew 10:32

Macro Monday: Once Upon A Time

A Silkworm was one day working at her shroud: the Spider, her neighbour, weaving her web with the greatest swiftness, looked down with insolent contempt on the slow, although beautiful, labours of the Silkworm. “What do you think of my web, my lady?” she cries; “see how large it is, and I began it only this morning, and here it is half finished, and is very fine and transparent. See and acknowledge that I work much quicker than you.” “Yes,” said the Silkworm, “but your labours, which are at first designed only as base traps to ensnare the harmless, are destroyed as soon as they are seen, and Swept away as dirt and worse than useless; whilst mine are preserved with the greatest care and in time become ornaments for princes.”

Aesop's Fables from the JBR Collection 1874

June 2004 'Mediators'. Fordham Gallery, Princelet Street, London

A Kind of Anchorage (A work/mediation in progress)

My title derives from, and acknowledges, Harold Pinter's 'A Kind of Alaska'. Although it shares its title with the name of the capital of that cold state, my subject for mediation is of another state completely. It is geographically divorced from that region of America.

It relates more to the Anchorage or Anchorhold of medieval self-imposed isolation. There is a fundamental difference between the hermit and Anchorite of that distant time. Whilst the hermit removed him or herself from the community and went into self-imposed exile, the Anchorite chose to be incarcerated or isolated within the community. These Anchorholds were usually a small cell carbuncled onto a church where the Anchorite was immured. His (the Anchorite) or her (the Anchoress) role was thenceforth to be that of mediator between the community and what was held to be the divine.

Pinter's play, in turn, was inspired by 'Awakenings' by Oliver Sacks. Pinter acknowledges this in the introduction.

"In the winter of 1916-17, there spread over Europe, and subsequently over the rest of the world, an extraordinary epidemic illness which presented itself in innumerable forms--as delirium, mania, trances, coma, sleep, insomnia, restlessness, and states of Parkinsonism. It was eventually identified by the great physician Constantin von Economo and named by him encephalitis lethargica, or sleeping sickness.

Over the next ten years almost five million people fell victim to the disease of whom more than a third died. Of the survivors some escaped almost unscathed, but the majority moved into states of deepening illness. The worst affected sank into singular states of "sleep"-conscious of their surroundings but motionless, speechless, and without hope or will, confined to asylums or other institutions.

Fifty years later, with the development of the remarkable drug L-Dopa, they erupted into life once more."

In Pinter's play Deborah describes this incarceration:

'Oh dear. (the flicking of her cheek grows faster)

Yes, I think they're closing in. They're closing in.

They're closing the walls in. Yes. (She bows her head, flicking faster, her fingers now moving over her face)

Oh.well.oooohhhh.oh no.oh no.(during the course of this speech her body becomes more hunch-backed) Let me

out. Stop it. Let me out. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.

Shutting the walls on me. Shutting them down on me. So tight, so tight. Something panting, something panting.

Can't see. Oh, the light is going. They're shutting up shop. They're closing my face. Chains and padlocks.

Bolting me up. Stinking. The smell. Oh my goodness, oh dear, oh my goodness, oh dear, I'm so young. It's a

vice. I'm in a vice. It's at the back of my neck. Ah.

Eyes stuck. Only see the shadow of the tip of my nose.

Eye's stuck. (She stops flicking abruptly, sits still.

Her body straightens. She looks up. She looks at her fingers, examines them) Nothing.'

Between these spaces, this disease-imposed Anchorage, and the chosen Anchorhold of the medieval Anchorite is the area I want to pillage and mediate.

I love that 'spellcheck' wants to correct my Pinter quote.

I couldn’t let any series of photos of live in Australia go without acknowledging the important and iconic role of the Country Women’s Association of Australia or as it is commonly known, the CWA.

It was formed in Queensland and NSW in 1922, thereafter spreading to other states. It is still the largest women’s association in Australia with 44000 members in 1855 branches.

It was formed with the aim to “Improve the conditions of country women and children and to try to make better for women and their families, especially those women living in rural and remote Australia”. It is self funded, non partisan and non sectarian.

The associations usually run out of a hall facility in each town in which they have a presence and also often operate hostels for women. They are fantastic supporters of their local communities and form a fantastic network for women in Australia’s often remote and far flung communities.

This photo is of the small unassuming hall and hostel in rural Kilcoy which is north east of Brisbane about an hour and a quarter away depending on traffic. The various branches face the same sort of challenges to continue operations as those that impact small and remote rural communities throughout of very large country.

They make great food I have to admit, real country style feasts.....and every hall and kitchen probably has a large set of iconic white crockery and the all important white enamel metal jugs with blue trim for serving Fruit Cup cordial! And they are always there to help with sustenance and support, whether there is a local emergency or in my distant experience, a train load of railway enthusiasts lands in some small town for a meal and all the local shops are closed. If you give them notice of course!

So thanks for all you have done ladies, fellow Aussies no matter where you come from and long may you continue your work.

Thanks to Wikipedia for some potted history, where much more can be learnt.

Lens: Jupiter 8 50mm f/2 (~85mm equiv.)

One style sometimes acknowledges another. There is a place of reference at the beginning that sometimes is not the conclusion, rather it reveals a pathway with significant moments upon the journey. This figure laid out on the skyline goes through all the variations of the atmospheric conditions each year wearing snow and lush green growth with light and shadow from the Sun and from clouds. The diversity of each day and night bring about variations.

© PHH Sykes 2023

phhsykes@gmail.com

Six Aboriginal language groups are the traditional owners of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area:

Darug.

Gundungurra.

Wanaruah.

Wiradjuri.

Darkinjung.

Tharawal.

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I work and live, and recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. I pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

Glen Davis is an old shale mining town located 70 kilometres north of Lithgow in the Capertee Valley, Glen Davis constituted the only attempt to commercially produce petrol from shale oil in Australia.

In the Glen Davis park there is an amenities block and a number of B.B.Q's. Camping is allowed. There are no petrol or general store facilities.

From Lithgow take the Mudgee Road across the overhead pass, driving past the Wallerawang Power Station. Following the Mudgee Road you pass several coal mines until you reach Capertee. Turn right onto the gravel road and follow the road through beautiful scenery and spectacular escarpments. Oil shale was first discovered in the northern side of the Capertee Valley around 1865 by local grazier Mr. B.R. McLean. Glen Davis still has the largest seam of high grade oil shale in the world. The first shale oil lease was granted in 1891 to MPI Mining Development which later abandoned the scheme. This site was the centre point for the future development.

The wartime petrol shortage caused the Government to organise a revival of oil shale mining and treatment in 1940. Mr. G, F, Davis of Davis Gelantine undertook the proposed development and a new company was formed (National Oil Pty. Ltd.). Much of the equipment from the abandoned Newnes oil shale works was transferred to Glen Davis.

A pipeline was built so that products could be pumped to storage tanks at Newnes Junction. The pipeline followed the route of the Newnes railway line which was removed in the 1940's. In 1940 the first oil was produced and in 1941 some 4,273,315 gallons were produced. 170 miners were employed.

Initial housing conditions were deplorable. Lack of schooling facilities, unreliable food supplies and endemic diseases accentuated the already poor living conditions. By 1947 the situation had improved. A hotel, barracks, staff cottages and permanent housing had been built. The town population of 1,600 had access to a school, post office, hall, cinema, bank, chemist, butcher and general stores.

By 1950 production levels were dropping and operating costs were continuing to rise. The years of industrial trouble, difficulties with retorts, Labour, material shortages and the importing of middle east crude-oil finally led to the closure of the works in 1952. The plant was sold at auction.

A Son of Niobe, later called a Wounded Niobid (marble, 1822) - by James Pradier, Louvre. Niobe was the daughter of Tantalus. She, mother of fourteen, insulted the goddess Leto, mother of two, by boasting. Leto's children Apollo and Artemis avenged their mother by killing all of Niobe's offspring. The statue here depicts one, moments before dying. It was inspired by an ancient Greek low relief, and acknowledged as an exemplary male nude study.

Berkeley, CA - November 2009. It's incredibly sad to me that the graffiti community has no concept of (or refuses to acknowledge) how disrespectful their so-called freedom of expression is, and instead they focus on their perceived victimization. In reality, they are the perpetrators, and the building/propertly owners are the victims. It breaks my heart to see how many young people have this shift-the-blame/take-no-responsibility/it's-all-about-me attitude, and that they use "freedom of expression" as an excuse. It also means that historic preservation of old buildings and signage is even more of an uphill battle than I had previously thought. To all the people who come here to just spout off about your assumed "rights": with your selfish actions, you are probably stepping on someone else's rights, and creating art should not do that. Please read ALL of the discussion below; it might show you a bigger picture that you had not considered before.

If, for example, I were to take the pro-graffiti approach of "express yourself with no regard to anyone else's rights", I would have my band set up on the front porch (it's ok, because they have no respect for private property, so I won't either) of a tagger. We would then play our music at top volume, 24 hours a day. I wonder how long it would take for them to see the other side of this argument...

Taggers whine about how they don't get respect for their "art", yet they have ZERO respect for anyone else's art, property or space: murals, architecture (which is an art form), neon signs (which are an art form), private property and vehicles. HOW in the world can they demand respect when their whole mission is based on disrespecting other people's art-possessions-property? Because they are HYPOCRITES.

And to those of you who say, "Graffiti doesn't hurt anyone", read all the comments below. It DOES hurt people, in the case of the property owners who get fined by the city and who have the constant hassle to remove it. And it hurts the regular working people (like my husband, mentioned below) who get stuck removing it or painting over it when their workplaces are vandalized. I have also noticed that the pro-graffiti posters conveniently ignore my points where they can't come up with a justification for their side--they have yet to present a compelling argument that completely justifies their actions and accounts for the effect graffiti has on other people and their property. They insist on seeing only their side of the argument, instead of both sides. Maybe they will understand someday. I hope so.

Acknowledge your wings and fly!

This is my last entry for this year.

I wish you all a happy and healthy new year!

Winged Elephant wet-folded from a 50 x 50 cm square of double-colored "Elefantenhaut"-paper (two papers where glued together with MC to achieve the double-colored effect).

Design by me.

I do not allow the commercial use of my artwork without my approval!

President Barack Obama acknowledges applause before he delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

Originally uploaded Nov 08, bumped Jul 10 to acknowledge its publication in Tom Ang's latest book, The Complete Photographer.

_ _ _ _ _

You'll love the detail on the concrete when viewed large

This shot very nearly didn't happen: it was Halloween, our last night away, and access to the site was only possible having used a car park of the sort frequented by those with voyeuristic sexual tendencies. It was cold enough for a hat and gloves. Luckily, since I died for my art, I'm not easily put off...

After a couple of high ISO test shots for the composition and the light inside, I noticed the likelihood of a plane trail creeping into the frame but didn't have time to test.

As the next plane approached I opened the shutter and figured I was spot on to catch its trail. It was dark enough that the plane's wing strobes were lighting up the area with each flash.

So I disappeared inside to paint the green (gelled LED lantern) and then lit the outside with the same lantern ungelled.

After a five minute exposure (would have been longer but a nearby house had a Halloween party and I was worried about their security floodlight interfering with my shot) I closed the shutter and packed up my gear whilst the on-board noise reduction did its thing. I walked back to the car (no action) and drove home.

It wasn't until the next morning I checked the shot and saw a second plane trail arcing right through the frame. Didn't realise I'd been inside that long.

Night, no moon, five minutes, ISO100, f/4. Oh yeah, straight out of camera too.

I've just dug a bit further on flickr and, according to Bernard Matthews (!), this is a Type 24 pillbox.

Italien / Toskana - Pitigliano

Pitigliano is a town in the province of Grosseto, located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) south-east of the city of Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy.

The quaint old town is known as the little Jerusalem, for the historical presence of a Jewish community that has always been well integrated into the social context and that has its own synagogue.

History

Pitigliano and its area were inhabited in Etruscan times but the first extant written mention of it dates only to 1061. In the early 13th century it belonged to the Aldobrandeschi family and by the middle of the century it had become the capital of the surrounding county.

In 1293 the county passed to the Orsini family, signalling the start of 150 years of on-again/off-again wars with Siena, at the end of which, in 1455, a compromise of sorts was reached: Siena acknowledged the status of county to Pitigliano, which in exchange placed herself under the sovereignty of Siena.

From then onwards the history of Pitigliano resorbs into the gradually wider ambit first of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (1562) then of the united Kingdom of Italy.

Population

Synagogue and Jewish community

For several hundred years Pitigliano was a frontier town between the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and, to the south, the Papal States. For this reason, the town was home to a flourishing and long-lived Jewish community, mostly made up by people fleeing from Rome during the Counterreformation persecutions. Jews of the town used one of the caves for their ritual Passover matzoh bakery, the "forno delle azzime" described in detail in Edda Servi Machlin's "Classic Cuisine of the Italian Jews." After the promulgation of racial laws under Nazi influence, all the Jews of the town reportedly escaped capture with the help of their Christian neighbors. Although there are almost no Jews left in town, not enough to provide a minyan, the synagogue (1598, with furnishings of the 17th and 18th centuries) is still officiated from time to time. It was restored in 1995.

Main sights

Etruscan remains

Pitigliano is home to a series of artificial cuts into the tufa rock to varying depths ranging from less than 1 metre (3.3 ft) to over 10 metres (33 ft). At the bottom of these cuts (Italian: tagliate) are carved channels, apparently for water, although some take the form of steps. The purpose of the cuts is not known: the three main theories are that they were roads, quarries, or water conveyance schemes; they radiate outward from the base of the butte of Pitigliano, down to the rivers then back to the top of the plateau that surrounds the town. A few very brief Etruscan inscriptions are said to have been found on the walls of the cuts, but are ill documented.

Medieval and Renaissance structures

The Cathedral of Santi Pietro e Paolo, Pitigliano.

The church of Santa Maria.

The Orsini Fortress, which achieved its present state in 1545 but represents a reworking of the earlier medieval fortress

the town's walls and gates, the best preserved of which is the Porta Sovana.

remains of a tall and very visible aqueduct at the very top of the butte.

Tempietto

The Tempietto ("Small temple") is a small cave, probably of natural origin but considerably reworked by human hands, lying a few hundred meters outside the central district, yet far above the Lente valley. Its purpose and builders remain unknown. Locally it is referred to as a "paleochristian tempietto", but this has never been confirmed; it must date to Late Antiquity or the early Middle Ages, although it may replace an Etruscan or Roman arcosolium.

(Wikipedia)

Pitigliano ist eine italienische Gemeinde mit 3732 Einwohnern (Stand 31. Dezember 2019) im Südosten der Provinz Grosseto in der Toskana, zwischen steil eingeschnittenen Tälern gelegen mit einem mittelalterlichen Stadtkern.

Die Gemeinde ist Mitglied der Vereinigung I borghi più belli d’Italia (Die schönsten Orte Italiens).

Geografie

Der Tuffstein dieser Gegend ist auf die vulkanische Vergangenheit dieses Teils der Toskana zurückzuführen. Etwa 20 km von Pitigliano entfernt liegt der Bolsena-See, eine Caldera von etwa 14 km Durchmesser. Sie ist das Ergebnis enormer vulkanischer Explosionen, die sich vor etwa 300.000 Jahren ereignet haben. Der Monte Amiata, ein 1738 m hoher erloschener Vulkan, ist von Pitigliano aus zu sehen, im Winter ist er ein beliebtes Skigebiet. Pitigliano selbst liegt an den Flüssen Lente und Meleta.

Einziger Ortsteil (Frazione) ist Casone (524 m, ca. 130 Einwohner).

Zu den Nachbargemeinden gehören Farnese (VT), Ischia di Castro (VT), Latera (VT), Manciano, Sorano und Valentano (VT).

Geschichte

Die Stadt liegt im ursprünglich etruskischen Stammland und ist auf einen ca. 300 m hoch gelegenen Tuffsteinfelsen gebaut. Der Tuff ist auch das hier übliche Baumaterial, das in Ziegelform aus dem Fels geschnitten wird. Pitigliano ist von den tiefen Schluchten der Bäche Lente und Meleta umflossen, die sich im Lauf der Zeit in das Plateau geschnitten haben. Zusätzlich zu den natürlichen Canyons finden sich rund um die Stadt viele sogenannte „Vie Cave“, Wegsysteme der Etrusker, die in den Tuffstein gegraben wurden. Diese Etruskerstraßen sind zum Teil mit ausgeklügelten Entwässerungssystemen versehen.

Die erste schriftliche Erwähnung der Stadt stammt aus dem Jahr 1061. Im frühen 13. Jahrhundert gehörte die Stadt zum Besitz der Aldobrandeschi und wurde zum Hauptort der Umgebung. 1293 ging sie dann an die Orsini, Anfang des 17. Jahrhunderts an die Medici, welche sie 1604 in das Großherzogtum Toskana eingliederten. Im Zuge des Risorgimento im 19. Jahrhundert wurde sie Teil des Königreichs Italien.

Die Geschichte der Stadt ist stärker als an anderen Orten der Maremma von Juden mitgeprägt, die im 16. Jahrhundert in Pitigliano Zuflucht vor Verfolgung und Vertreibung fanden. Ein Verein kümmert sich um das jüdische Erbe der Stadt, so dass die Synagoge und das jüdische Viertel einer seit 1500 bestehenden sephardischen Gemeinde („Klein-Jerusalem“, Piccola Gerusalemme) in der Altstadt heute restauriert und wieder zu besichtigen sind.

Sehenswürdigkeiten

Die Kathedrale „Santi Pietro e Paolo“ geht auf das Mittelalter zurück. Im 16. Jahrhundert und danach wurde sie stark verändert und hat heute eine spätbarocke Fassade. Enthält zwei Werke von Pietro Aldi. Der Campanile, im Kern ein zum Kirchturm umgebauter mittelalterlicher Geschlechterturm, überragt weithin sichtbar die Stadt.

Die Kirche San Rocco ist die älteste Kirche der Stadt und wurde schon 1274 urkundlich erwähnt. An der äußeren Nordwand befindet sich ein Steinrelief aus dem 12. Jahrhundert.

Der Palazzo Orsini wurde am einzigen natürlichen Zugang zur Stadt als Verteidigungsanlage errichtet und wurde über mehrere Jahrhunderte immer wieder erweitert. In der Burg befindet sich heute der Bischofssitz, ein Museum religiöser Kunst sowie das städtische archäologische Museum.

Der beeindruckende Aquädukt wurde in der Mitte des 16. Jahrhunderts begonnen, aber erst im 17. Jahrhundert unter den Medici vollendet.

Im Bereich des ehemaligen jüdischen Viertels sind die Synagoge, sowie die Überreste einer Mikwe, einer koscheren Schlachterei und Bäckerei zu besichtigen.

Rund um Pitigliano finden sich eine große Anzahl von Grabstätten der Etrusker, deren bekannteste die „Tomba Ildebranda“ ist. Sie ist fälschlich benannt nach dem berühmten Ildebrando von Sovana, der im 11. Jahrhundert als Papst Gregor VII. in die Kirchengeschichte einging. Die Ausgrabungsstätte ist öffentlich zugänglich.

Nahe Pititgliano befinden sich Via Cave.

Ein weiteres bedeutendes Zeugnis der etruskischen Kultur in der Umgebung der Stadt sind die Reste der Siedlung „Poggio Buco“ zwischen Pitigliano und Manciano, wo sich auch ein Museum befindet, das sich mit der Geschichte der Gegend befasst.

(Wikipedia)

President Barack Obama acknowledges the crowd during an event at McArthur High School in Hollywood, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

I grew up thinking that it is a truth universally acknowledged that #JohnSingerSargent was a big ole homo, right? 💁 I mean, the man “was notorious in Paris and Venice, positively scandalous. He was a frenzied bugger,” according to one of his early sitters. However, his sexuality is vehemently resisted; it spoils this idea of him as a noble defender of upper-class privilege. I had hopes that @metmuseum's summer show Sargent: Portraits of Artists the and Friends ("Friends!") would be more progressive, but it was dishearteningly conservative. Dozens of portraits of young men and even some early queer personalities, and not a single word. Apparently, I heard, the Met was powerless against pushback from their British co-organizers and high society lenders. 🙍 However, just the other day, I noticed a humble exhibition of Sargent’s sketches from the Met's own collection, discreetly lining a side wall. Huh, so quickly after the big Sargent show; that's weird. What were they of? Oh, just drawing upon drawing of casual male nudes. 😈 I've never loved the Met's Drawings Department more. Vive la résistance. 👊 #iwanttobelieve #gayart #queer #nycart #artmuseum #artgallery #exhibition #gallery #museum #artnerd #arthistory #instaart #art #nyc #artwork #artsy #galleryart #masterpiece #creative #artoftheday #art #culture #arte #ArtWatchers #sargent #metmuseum #drawing #gayartist #queerhistory

Acknowledged as one of the world's premier aerobatic display teams, the Red Arrows are renowned throughout the world as ambassadors for both the Royal Air Force and the UK. So expect plenty of flair and precision-flying when the team takes to the skies above RAF Fairford to demonstrate their breath-taking close-formation flying. The team formed at RAF Fairford in 1965 and flew Folland Gnat jet trainers until 1980 when they transferred to the BAE Hawk T1.

The driver acknowledges the 'right away' after the stop at Munich Ost, before departing with the 07:15 to Muhldorf.

A small fleet of Class 245 TRAXX diesels operate the RE40 services, alongside the aging Class 218s.

Shelter, From All the Wrong Reasons

Depression isn't triggered by a world filled with sadness. Depression is having blessings in your life, actually acknowledging the fact that they are CONSIDERED blessings, but simply not finding their value. Depression is building a shield. One that’s supposed to protect, but instead keeps all the joys from entering. Depression is seeing your weaknesses better than everyone. Depression is feeling that you’re both too good and too worthless to be in this world.

Depression isn't a feeling. It’s not synonymous with sadness. It’s is knowing that you’re too small to change anything in anybody’s life.

And you’re probably sometimes correct.

And you know it.

And you hate it.

It starts as a little tiny idea in the back of your head. The universe is HUGE. You are one miniscule person, and your odds are most likely scattered around being average. Not everyone who works hard makes it. And ‘making it’ is very relative. You’re too small to make a difference: this toxic mindset starts creeping its way into anything and everything you do. So you start thinking that going to work or school today isn't really going to affect anybody in anyway. Then you think that hanging out with this friend today isn't really going to affect anything. So you start missing important occasions, because yes they seem important to this friend today, but how does it matter 15 years from now? And anyway, are you really that important to make a significant difference with your presence? This feeling that everything including your being is worthless drags on to your family and lover and school and work and hobbies and every little aspect of your life, till you actually become it. Fake it till you make it, or in this case, fake it till you break it. Your friends start noticing that even when you’re present you barely have any contribution. They start valuing you less and less. People you meet for the first time now think you’re just too silent, or shy, or maybe stuck-up or anti-social. You find yourself sitting idle in group discussions thinking ‘what’s the point of even trying to convince anyone about anything?’ You think of a clever joke or comeback but you stop yourself before a word comes out because there’s no point or purpose... Then all you EVER think is ‘what’s the point’.

What’s the point of getting out of bed?

What’s the point of getting a job?

What’s the point of having a friend?

What’s the point of eating?

What’s the point of working hard?

What’s the point of success?

What’s the point of being alive? … and… is it necessary?

At this point you barely have any friends, and even those few people who are magically still in your life resent you for not being both physically and emotionally present for them. You can’t relate to anybody and no one understands you simply because you don’t let them in. You spend most your days in bed trying to sleep it all off. You fail your courses and you lag behind on everything else.

This makes it worse, because you were right. You’re jobless, friendless, and lonely; you’re a worthless failure. To make it even worse, everybody keeps reminding you of that. They tell you should be more active. You should go out more. You should work harder. You should get yourself together. And the fact is, you don’t have a clue that you’re depressed. You just think ‘This is the way I am, a worthless piece of crap that disappoints everybody’. New acquaintances validate that, because they’ve only seen the vacant skeleton you’ve become. They don’t know you. You sometimes try to follow your few friends’ advice and be more active but it backfires, because you’re in so deep in this vicious whirlwind that you end up hating yourself for not being able to ‘ just snap out of it’.

SNAP OUT OF IT!

SNAP OUT OF IT!

SNAP OUT OF IT!

..the worst thing any depressed soul can hear.

There comes a point –hopefully- where you have the realization that you’re depressed. That this is not really YOU. That this is just a mindset you can shed off. And you feel positive for the first time since what feels like forever, because you finally know what’s wrong! So you hurry and tell the couple of people you still trust. And what a mistake that can be. They go right ahead and list your countless blessings and tell you to just STOP BEING SAD because there’s nothing to be sad about. But you’re not sad! You’re just incapable of happiness, because what’s the point of being happy and is happiness even real? These are just some questions raised that, if answered properly, could start a chain of thoughts that would end all this mess. If you’re strong and fortunate enough, you’d do your research and realize the baby steps to make to get out of this whirlwind. And if you’re lucky enough, you’d have someone trustworthy help in slowly and carefully pulling you out of this disintegrating mindset.

If not,

you’d linger on that last question…

What’s the point of being alive? … and is it necessary?

If not, I pray a miracle happens before you do what you think is the only sensible way out.

Next time you see someone depressed, please don’t assume they’re in a long-term sadness or grief. Don’t assume they’re delusional. And please don’t tell them to just snap out of it.

Next time you see someone depressed, genuinely tell them how valuable they are in your life, which might be all they need.

FACEBOOK!

awakening

acknowledging

al/gimp/pixlr

abstract

"Grant, almighty God, that we may glory in the Feast of the blessed Apostle Thomas, so that we may always be sustained by his intercession and, believing, may have life in the name of Jesus Christ your Son, whom Thomas acknowledged as the Lord. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever."

– Collect for the feast of St Thomas (3 July).

Stained glass detail from a window in St Dominic's Priory church in San Francisco.

(This is what happens to me when I spend a week researching the Prohibition and the growth in Organized Crime around it.)

Chief Anderson stood in front of my desk, glaring across the piles of papers, photos, and evidence boxes that supposedly sat upon my desk, buried somewhere beneath. I last saw it early January. It was now mid September. I pondered when if there really had ever been a desk there, and not just a mountain. More specifically, I pondered this to avoid acknowledging that Chief Anderson's glare was fixed on me specifically. He cough, clearing his throat. I shifted uncomfortably in my rickety office chair.

"You do this, Frank, and it'll be your badge."

"Yeah, Anders, I know."

Like it mattered. I was slowly growing the suspicion that the badge was growing useless except as something to hold me back. Perhaps I ought to go vigilante, get more work done that way...

"No, you don't. Look, you're a good officer, but you just can't keep playing solo here. I warned you, disobey orders again and you are out."

"Yeah, I know."

It was a favorite threat of his, and I know I deserved it, sure.

"And that was three of your... stunts ago. Three!"

"Yeah."

Two, actually.

"Look, even if you are right, you know I can't authorize this. Sure, the system above is corrupt, and I've tried my best play straight, but this is risky. If I don't put my foot down, there are way too many political connections at stake. It'll be my neck, Frank, and yours too."

"Yeah, probably."

An idea was starting to form in the back of my head just then. Yes, I think I knew how this'd work out.

"Dammit, Frank, don't be like that. Look, I know you've got your man, but you and I both know that it isn't that easy. He is an untouchable, Frank, I'm sorry but it is true."

"What if I go against orders?"

He didn't like this, and he instantly saw where I was going.

"No, Frank, just no. Don't start thinking like that. That is foolish, dangerous."

"I'm serious, Anders."

"Yeah, I know, Frank, I know. That was what I was afraid of."

"So then, I'll be going."

He sighed, pounded his fist on my desk, or for that matter the pile of papers that had overgrown my desk, with frustration.

"Yeah. I'll call Officer Lewis into my office. He'll forget to lock the armory."

"Thanks Anders."

"Just don't get shot up, Frank."

I nodded, sitting up and reaching for my coat.

"Yes, Anders."

"And don't take anyone else with you, I don't want you getting any of the younger officers caught up in your schemes."

I paused. Bob Schilling had worked with me on several parts of this case. The kid was persistent, he'd follow even if I didn't ask.

"Even Bob?"

"Especially Bob."

"He'll follow me anyways."

Anders sighed. "Yes, yes he will. I just want to know I tried, in case something happens to him."

"You're a good man, Anders."

"Thanks Frank."

I fished around my desk, finding my hat in an emptied evidence box.

"And Frank."

"Yeah?"

"If you don't come back with your man..."

"I know, I know... I'm gone."

"Yes."

(Comments and notes on the gun are very welcome.)

(Comments on the story are desired. Also, let me know if you think I should continue this story or not)

The British paralympic runner Richard Whitehead acknowledging the crowds as he passes Crossharbour station, about 17 miles into the 2014 London Marathon. Whitehead came to prominence with his remarkable finish in the 200m at the London 2012 Paralympics

Now I can see the shields between the people and the memorial lights for our 400,000 pandemic dead. We the living are fortunate to still be alive and to still have our democracy.

Inaugurated in 1847, Marché Bonsecours is acknowledged as one of Canada's ten finest heritage buildings and has become an essential stop on any visit to Old Montréal.

It is named for the adjacent Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel. In 1849 the building was used for the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. The Market building also housed Montreal City Hall between 1852 and 1878. Closed in 1963 as a farmer's central market, it was slated for demolition. Today, the market is multi purpose facility.

Headquarters of the Conseil des métiers d'art du Québec (Québec Crafts Council), the Marché houses 15 boutiques featuring top-quality “made in Québec” creations: crafts, fashions, accessories and jewellery, design items, reproduction Quebec furniture and more.

Its restaurants and their terraces are opened during warm weather and offer local fare.