View allAll Photos Tagged Invoked
A paid of cuff links that were my Father-in-Laws, my Grandfathers Signet Ring and my Mothers Engagement Ring.
Each of these keepsakes invoke happy memories of people who have left us.
Vintage for Macro Mondays
#28 Evocative for 122 pictures in 2022
Firstly, a brief note about the song from the internet -
" In a VH1 True Spin special, the The Vapors were asked about this song, and they explained that it is a love song about someone who lost their girlfriend and was going slowly crazy. Lead singer Dave Fenton said: "Turning Japanese is all the clichés about angst and youth and turning into something you didn't expect to." It was inspired by Fenton's relationship problems.
That recognizable opening riff repeated a few places in the song is actually called "the oriental riff". It is often used when a Western song wants to invoke the Far East; other popular examples are Carl Douglas' "Kung Fu Fighting" and Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Hong Kong Garden."
One of the wonderful murals at Stem and Vine Plant Nursery in Brisbane, by Hannagan.
A large jenga-style structure which monkeys sit on or walk greets viewers as the walk into the gallery housing Stephanie Quayle’s installation. Some of her clay monkeys watch us from atop planks of wood, as if waiting our reaction – and subsequent reaction – to their plight. The jenga emits a palpable threat of instability, compounded by Quayle’s use of decaying joists from timber barns and old
wooden beams. As with the game of jenga, it appears the installation could collapse at any moment. Quayle invokes the instability inherent in jenga to highlight the precarious situation human hands have wrought upon wildlife as a result of deforestation and consequence loss of habitat.
"One evening , shortly before I'd have closed it, a hurt bird,
a scald crow, flew through my door. Without thinking, I held
out my hand, palm downwards. She perched on it. She
looked at me. She squawked three times. Then she flew back out, leaving her hurt behind.
I knew I would carry that hurt for the rest of my life."
ENFLAITH
From- "Invoking Ireland" by John Moriarty
Chester Cathedral and Chester Visual Arts present ‘Our Colour Reflection’ by international artist, Liz West. The installation creates a conversation between the viewer and the setting using hundreds of mirrors made of coloured acrylic.
West creates vivid environments that mix luminous colour and radiant light. Working across a variety of mediums, West aims to provoke a heightened sensory awareness in the viewer through her works. She is interested in exploring how sensory phenomena can invoke psychological and physical responses that tap into our own deeply entrenched relationships to colour.
Open Monday to Saturday: 9am – 5pm, Sunday: 11am – 4pm
FREE ENTRY – generous donations welcome
For more information about Chester Cathedral see:
For more information about Liz West see:
#ChesterCulture #ourcolourreflection
This is a very quick edit of Peninsula Point lighthouse. Taken with a Rokinon 14mm f2.8 lens on a Canon 6D at ISO 5000 for 30 seconds. I have yet to correct for lens distortion, the general blue hue, and lighten the Milky Way, but I liked how the beacon shines out through the Milky Way.
The above paragraph was written shortly after I edited this image. I have never gone back and really spent time editing it in the way I thought I would. For all it's flaws, this image has really grown on me over time. And I like it just the way it is because of the memories it invokes. I may eventually fix it as I intended, but for now, there's no need.
"Exploration"
This image is being submitted as part of the #Flickr21 Photo Challenge, celebrating Flickr's 21st anniversary on February 10, 2025. The theme for the 9th day of the 21 day photo challenge is "Exploration." The purpose of exploration is to go places you've never been before, and to do things you've never done before. To see around every corner, and to experience all that you can. Photography IS Exploration. I've been saying it for many years now, Photography is my excuse to do things I've never done and go places I never thought I'd see, much less even knew existed.
Never would I have thought when I picked up a camera for the first time that it would lead me through a nightmare forest nearly 3 hours from the nearest town to the remains of an abandoned and spider-infested lighthouse on the shores of Lake Michigan in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This was a stop on my photography club's 2018 lighthouse tour. We discovered it in 2016 and knew we had to go back. This time we spent several hours there, capturing a fantastic sunset and staying long enough lightpaint and capture the Milky Way. This place was fun, and we all took a ton of good pictures.
But this place is NOT easy to get to. It's hard enough during the day, and nearly impossible at night. And try to leave in the middle of the night when you're tired and cold. One must first navigate a narrow one-lane dirt road through a thick forest that is straight out of every Friday the 13th movie. Then one must navigate the dark, winding tree-lined roads while the thousands of deer who live there seemingly all appear in front of you all at once and at multiple points along the way. To attempt such a feat will leave one seriously mentally exhausted. While I would love to go back again, I think I can safely say I still have PTSD just thinking about this drive.
..And Anywhere he stood grew a field of love and understanding..
..This field was something vaguely familiar to me,
..as if the faint breeze of a happier past
..snuck by barriers reinforced by hurt,
..And revisited my Heart's realm.
.."Come in further", he said...
.."There is a place for you."..
..And he set out a welcoming hand... *words by ME est 2013
East to West Hardknott Pass runs from Eskdale to the Duddon Valley in the Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England. A view into an early morning of a slow Winter dawning.
© PHH Sykes 2024
phhsykes@gmail.com
Hardknott Roman Fort English Heritage
www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/hardknott-roman-...
Hardknott Roman Fort
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardknott_Roman_Fort
The Fort at River's Bend
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fort_at_River%27s_Bend
Roman Lake District Audio Guides
English Heritage Audio Guides
soundcloud.com/ehaudio/sets/roman-lake-district-audio-guides
Hardknott mentioned in this Sonnet.
William Wordsworth
From, The River Duddon, A Series Of Sonnets, 1820. Numbered XVII 17
A dark plume fetch me from yon blasted yew,
Perched on whose top the Danish Raven croaks;
Aloft, the imperial Bird of Rome invokes
Departed ages, shedding where he flew
Loose fragments of wild wailing, that bestrew
The clouds and thrill the chambers of the rocks;
And into silence hush the timorous flocks,
That, calmly couching while the nightly dew
Moistened each fleece, beneath the twinkling stars
Slept amid that lone Camp on Hardknot’s height,
Whose Guardians bent the knee to Jove and Mars:
Or, near that mystic Round of Druid frame
Tardily sinking by its proper weight
Deep into patient Earth, from whose smooth breast it came!
Another shot of Venice in the warm late afternoon light. Can't get enough of this beautiful place. So much to shoot, so little time.
The post above is a re-do of the original shot. There was a crane to the left of the domed structure, and a few Flickr friends suggested that it is a little distracting, so I invoked the powers of Houdini to make the crane go away :)
Appreciate all your kind visits and comments, thank you my friends!
There are three pairs of horned grebes that are living out their romance on the lake, building nests and preparing for the pleasures of summer. Then there is one single male who is not at all satisfied with his situation and one cannot avoid hearing his loud complaints. Of course he tries his luck with the females every now and then, invoking wrath and fury resulting in fights and sometimes unprovoked attacks by the other birds. It must be a hard life, I truly feel sorry for him.
So, I am finally back, sort of. After coming down with a condition called Costochondritis (Inflammation of soft tissue around ribs and sternum) from inhaling mold from the inside of an abandoned car, then discovering I have an acute allergy to dust as well, I am on an adventure to reshape my life health wise.
Now, about the photo, after watching a video, one of those top ten vids on YT, about dark things discovered on the internet (check out channel: Lazy Masquerade), it got me thinking about the many days during my younger years, my twenties and early thirties, when I DID view such extreme material frequently and why? I believe it was to do with drowning out my existing trauma, but viewing such extreme and graphic footage as well as invoking emotions in me, also spurred on by addiction, that also operated as a form of Self Injury (the emotional form).
It is quite common for those who have suffered such trauma(s), to seek extremes of things to essentially awaken something inside. It is in a bizarre way, one who is traumatised, essentially relives the trauma through invocation of extreme emotions, brought on this way.
If anyone finds themselves in this dilemma, please consider looking into yourself as to what it is that fuels these negative desires, that is something you need to cure. For me, I discovered this type of viewing simply left me feeling depressed and it weakens the soul, as is with thinking alcohol helps you hod on, it is a false therapy and does more harm than good, so I gave it up. Permanently!
I hope everyone is well and so as always, thank you.
PS: Please go to my Instagram page and look for my post alongside Italian Metal band Octo Crura: tinyurl.com/3umv49td
Córdoba (Spain).
ENGLISH
Here the Mezquita's Mihrab in all its splendor, indicating the qibla, or direction of prayer for the faithful. This is the crowning jewel of the expansion carried out by the great Caliph Al-Hakam II, during the height of Al-Andalus, the land of the Moors in the Iberian Peninsula.
The Eastern Roman Emperor, or Basileus, Nicephoros Phocas (Nicephorus II) sent Al-Hakam II fine mosaic glass of many colors, some covered with gold leaf, to decorate the new Mihrab of the expanded Great Mosque. A Greek master came to Cordoba to work for several years on the project, training the Caliph's artisans in his craft. In Arabic, this mosaic work was called fusaifisa.
The mihrab had been moved twice previously, as the Mezquita expanded to the south. Columns from the previous mihrab were re-used. Almanzor's later expansion to the east would put this jewel of the Ummayyad Caliphate out of center with the rest of the building, but to demolish it and build a new one was out of the question.
The inscirption in large letters reads: "(Allah) He is the knower of things hidden and manifest. He is the powerful one, he that is full of pity, the living one. There is no other god than him. Invoke him offering him a pure heart. Praised be Allah Lord of the Universe. Blessed be Iman Al-Mostainsir Bil-lah, favored by Allah, and the servant of Allah, Al-Hakam, Prince of Believers. Make him prosper, Allah, for the work of this sacred temple, which exceeds all other memorable constructions in its size, comfort and adornment. And the construction was concluded by his virtue and command. The blessing of Allah be upon Mohammed. And the peace. - The Iman Al-Mostansir Bil-lah, servant of Allah, Prince of Believers (May Allah favor him) commanded his freedman and Hachib Chafar-Ben-Baderraman (mercy on him Allah) carry out the construction of this temple and it was finished with the help of Allah under the supervision of Mohamed-Ben-Tamlih, Ahmed Ben Nasar, Jayd-ben-Haxim of the prefect's guard and of Motharrif."
Nearby, another inscirption reads: "In the name of Allah, the Merciful. Praise to Allah, who guided us to this place; we could not have been guided if it had not been by Allah! For this reason was sent the legate of our Lord with the truth. He commanded the Iman Al-Mostarsin Bil-lah, the servant of Allah, Al-Hakam, Prince of Believers (Allah protect him), his freedman and Hadrib Chafar Ben Abd-al-Rahman (may Allah be pleased with him) to add to these, and this was built with the fear of Allah and with his aid. This was concluded in the moon of Dhu al-Hijjah of the year four and fifty and three hundred." (Hijri calendar: year 354, Justinian: 965 AD).
Source: www.infocordoba.com
More info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezquita
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CASTELLANO
Aquí el mihrab de la Mezquita Omeya de Córdoba, indicando el qibla, o dirección hacia donde los fieles dirigen sus oraciones. Esta es la joya de la corona de la expansión llevada a cabo por el Califa Al-Hakam II, durante el esplendor de Al-Andalus, el país de los moros en la Península Ibérica.
El emperador romano de Oriente, o Basileus, Nicéforo Focas (Niceforo II) envió a Al-Hakam II un delicado mosaico de cristal de muchos colores, algunos cubiertos con pan de oro, para decorar el nuevo Mihrab en la expansión de la gran Mezquita. Un experto griego vino a Córdoba para trabajar en el proyecto que se prolongaría durante años, enseñando mientras tanto a los artesanos del califato su oficio. Este trabajo en mosaico es denominado en árabe fusaifisa.
El mihrab se trasladó dos veces en sucesivas expansiones. Se reutilizaron columnas del mihrab anterior. La expansión posterior de Almanzor hacia el este dejó este maravilloso mihrab fuera del eje central del edificio, pero se respetó.
La inscripción en letras doradas dice: "(Allah) Es el conocedor de las cosas ocultas y manifiestas. Él es el poderoso, el lleno de piedad, el vivo. No hay otro Dios sino Él. Invocadle ofreciéndoles un culto puro. Alabado sea Aláh Señor del Universo. Bendido sea el Imán Al-Mostansir Bil-lah, favorecido por Dios, siervo de Aláh, Alhaquem, Príncipe de los Creyentes. Prospérele Aláh, por la obra de este templo santo, que excede a toda otra construcción memorable en la amplitud para la comodidad. Lo que hay sobre ellos y sobre él de adornos. Y se concluó la construcción por su virtud y mandato. La bendición de Aláh sea sobre Mohoma. Y la paz. Mandó el Imán Al-Mostansir Bil-lah, siervo de Aláh, Príncipe de los Creyentes (ensálcele Aláh) a su liberto y Hachib Cháfar-Ben-Abderraman (compadézcale Aláh) disponer la construcción de este templo y se terminó con el auxilio de Aláh bajo la inspección de Mohamed-Ben-Tamlih, Ahmed Ben Nasar, Jayd-ben-Haxim de la guardia del prefecto y de Motharrif."
Otra inscripción cercana dice: "...Terminándose la construcción bajo la dirección de su liberto y Hachib Cháfar-Ben-Abd-al-Rahman... en la luna de Dzu-l-Hicháb del año cuatro y cincuenta y tres cientos." (354 de la Hégira, y 964 de J.C.).
Fuente: www.infocordoba.com
An oratory to St Roch. Wikipedia tells me he is is especially invoked against the plague and is patron saint of dogs, falsely accused people, bachelors, and "several other things".
España - Málaga - Teba
ENGLISH
High on a rocky saddle in the mountains east of Ronda, some 15km north of Ardales, the small (pop: 4,000) town of Teba has one of the most extraordinary historical connections of any of Andalucía's pueblos.
Like many of its neighbours - although Teba doesn't have that many neighbours in this wild, semi-agricultural mountain region - Teba has a history stretching back to Roman and Neolithic times. Its true to claim to fame, however, is in the events of 25 August 1330. In the thick of the Reconquest, that year Teba was under siege by the armies of King Alfonso XI of Castilla, determined to take this important strategic site from the occupying Moors.
That day in 1330, Alfonso's forces received unexpected police backup from the army being led to the Crusades by Sir James Douglas, or Black Douglas, a fearsome warrior whose name was invoked against misbehaving children for centuries afterwards. Douglas had helped Robert the Bruce defeat Edward II and the English at Bannockburn in 1314. When Robert the Bruce died in 1329, his heart was cut out and placed in a small silver casket, said to be one of the king's favourites, and was taken by Douglas on his Crusade, ostensibly to give cheer to the soldiers.
En route through Spain, Douglas encountered Alfonso's army, and presented himself and a letter of introduction from then King Edward III. The bloodthirsty Crusader eagerly threw his forces behind those of Alfonso's, and in an attempt to inspire his men into even greater bravery hurled the locket containing Robert the Bruce's heart into the fray, plunging in after it.
The locket was retrieved but, alas, Black Douglas wasn't. The locket was returned to Melrose Abbey, where the new king, David II, son of Robert, wanted it buried. During archaeological investigations in 1996, a small container was found in the alleged site of the burial. It was found to contain a small conical casket about ten inches high by four in diameter at its base, tapering to a flat lid at the top about one and a half inches across. Although worn with age the casket was still in good condition and bore a legible inscription: 'The enclosed leaden casket containing a heart was found beneath Chapter House floor, March 1921, by His Majesty's Office of Works.' The casket containing the heart was not re-opened on this occasion, but buried again during a private ceremony at Melrose Abbey on 22 June 1998.
This was by no means Teba's only unlikely collision with Scottish history. The Moors repelled Alfonso and the unfortunate Black Douglas that year. A later passing Scottish Crusader army, led by the Earl of Selkirk, also engaged Teba's Moorish rulers, leaving behind a one-ton slab of Dumfriesshire marble, which is nowadays a commemorative plaque in the town's central Plaza de España, renamed Plaza de Douglas in the Crusader's honour. Alfonso's force s finally took the town in 1389.
Teba's earlier history is less dramatic. There is evidence of Neolithic settlements here and nearby in the Pilarejoarea and in the Palomas caves. The Romans considered it an important settlement, building the first defensive settlement at the hilltop site they called Attegua but now known as Teba la Vieja (Old Teba). It is said to have been the site of a famous battle between Julius Caesar and Pompey. In the 8th century invading Moors reinforced the Roman site with a walled interior precinct, or bailey, but shortly after the Moorish invasion the settlement was moved below the abandoned castle, and the settlement renamed Ostipo.
In its remote situation, Teba 'sat out' much of post-Reconquest history, perched above vast, dramatic sweeps of largely uninhabited farmland owned by the so-called latifundistas, basically, absentee landlords. Its wealth can be seen in the many mansions and handsome town houses lining its streets.
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ESPAÑOL
Teba es villa y municipio de la provincia de Málaga, en la comunidad autónoma de Andalucía, España. Está situado en el noroeste de la provincia, en la comarca de Guadalteba y dentro del partido judicial de Antequera.4
Su término municipal está atravesado por el río que da nombre a la comarca y ocupa una extensión de 142,95 km² que se extienden sobre un paisaje alomado de campos de cereales y olivar, a una altitud media de 555 msnm. Tiene una población de 4.001 habitantes, según la revisión del padrón municipal de 1 de enero de 2014.
El núcleo urbano de Teba se compone de casas blancas de arquitectura vernácula andaluza y viviendas señoriales y palacetes, presididos por un castillo andalusí y una iglesia barroca del siglo XVIII.5 La economía del municipio se sustenta en la agricultura y la ganadería, especialmente en la cría de porcinos y el cultivo del trigo y el olivo.
Los distintos yacimientos del municipio indican que el territorio de Teba estuvo poblado desde el Paleolítico y que fue un asentamiento íbero, romano y andalusí. Fue incorporado a la Corona de Castilla en 1330 por Alfonso XI, siendo instaurado el Condado de Teba en 1522 cuando la localidad y sus tierras ya estaban dominadas por el clan de los Guzmanes. Durante los siglos XIX y XX Teba destacó entre su entorno por la fuerza con que arraigó el movimiento obrero.
El término municipal de Teba tiene una extensión de 142,95 km². El casco urbano se encuentra situado a una altura de 555 metros sobre el nivel del mar. El terreno es predominantemente montañoso y abarca los cerros de Román y Gordo, que lo separan del municipio de Campillos; el de la Higuera, que limita con Ardales; el de Altamira, junto al límite con Almargen; los de San Cristóbal, la Camorra y el Camorrillo en la denominada Sierra de Teba o de La Camorra, la loma de La Lentejuela en la Sierra del mismo nombre y el de Enmedio en la Sierra de Ortegícar. Las mayores alturas las alcanzan el Cancho de Enmedio con 895 msnm y la Sierra de la Camorra con 750 msnm.
Todo el municipio se encuentra en la cuenca del río Guadalhorce, siendo los ríos principales el río Almargen o de La Venta y el río Guadalteba, el primero afluente del segundo, que a su vez es afluente del Guadalhorce. Los restantes cursos de agua son arroyos de escasa importancia que vierten sus aguas al mencionado río o directamente al Embalse del Guadalteba.
Planet Earth is 4.5 billion years old. Mankind is about 140 thousand years old. If we compress the Earth's existence into a normal full day of 24 hours, then we’ve been on this planet for... 2.5 seconds.
In 2.5 seconds we’ve become the dominant species with a rapidly growing population, causing a catastrophic impact on the environment. We have created the industrial revolution and burned fossil fuels creating more carbon in the atmosphere than ever before. We have caused global warming at a record pace, endangering our own existence. We have cut trees and destroyed forests more than ever before, polluted air, water, and soil. We have created an island of waste, the size of the state of Texas, in the middle of the ocean. We have caused the 4th mass animal extinction. Three-quarters of Earth’s land surface is under pressure from human activity. In just 2.5 seconds we’ve turned the planet into our own personal factory.
It took almost 4.5 billion years of evolution for us to exist and we have changed so much in so little time.
The problem is us. And it is up to us if we want to make it to the 4th second.
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With my project “2.5 seconds” I hope to bring awareness about climate change, to start a conversation about the issue and to educate more people about the facts, the urgency of the crisis and the seriousness of its consequences. The project is a series of photographs that highlight the environmental crisis through metaphors and symbolism. Each one of them illustrates and represents a specific environmental issue using allegorical figures and subjects, props, costumes and natural landscapes.
I used “2.5 seconds” as a title because I wanted to invoke the power of numbers and perspective to create a strong, straightforward and shocking effect.
It all started with an idea I had almost 3 years ago. I have always loved nature, and have been both amazed and captivated by our planet’s beauty. I've traveled to many places before, but none of them could compare to what I felt and saw in Iceland. Visiting Iceland for the first time had a great impact on me and made me realize that our planet is fragile and its beauty may disappear. The thought that nature is being affected and destroyed by the changing climate became personal, shocking and upsetting. I wanted to capture and preserve Iceland's incredible beauty through my art while I still can.
The pressure from human activity is having a catastrophic impact on the environment that endangers our own existence. But I feel like ecology problems that are threatening our environment and affecting everyone on the planet do not get enough media attention.
I am using photography as my unique voice to express how I feel and share my fear for the future. I want to bring more meaning to my work and create a strong message for all the people out there. I hope my art will be louder and clearer than words.
The time to act is now.
ALTRI POPOLI MA STESSO CREDO
Nelle vetrine della città si respira l'aria del Natale a pieni polmoni e tutto sembra gioioso e luminoso....come sembra lontano il dramma dell'Ucraina e lo scempio che si consuma in Iran senza parlare delle guerre in Africa e le tensioni in Corea....insomma, si deve sempre invocare la Pace ma è la Guerra a dominare il mondo.
La speranza per fortuna è l'ultima a morire.
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OTHER PEOPLES BUT SAME BELIEVE
In the shop windows of the city you can breathe the Christmas air deeply and everything seems joyful and bright....how distant the drama of the Ukraine and the havoc that is being consumed in Iran seems far away without mentioning the wars in Africa and the tensions in Korea....in short, one must always invoke Peace but it is War that dominates the world.
Luckily hope is the last to die.
Immagine realizzata con lo smartphone HUAWEI MATE 20 PRO
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click to activate the icon of slideshow: the small triangle inscribed in the small rectangle, at the top right, in the photostream;
or…. Press the “L” button to zoom in the image;
clicca sulla piccola icona per attivare lo slideshow: sulla facciata principale del photostream, in alto a destra c'è un piccolo rettangolo (rappresenta il monitor) con dentro un piccolo triangolo nero;
oppure…. premi il tasto “L” per ingrandire l'immagine;
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
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This photographic story was made on the occasion of the "Laurel and Sacred Oils feast" which took place this year 2022 on Easter Monday in the Sicilian town of Forza D'Agrò (in the province of Messina), after a long stop due to the Covid-19 pandemic; this is a traditional event that has taken place for centuries with changes that have come about over the years, in fact once the population of Forza D'Agrò went in procession to the Norman monastery of Saints Peter and Paul where the Holy Oils were kept: this church is located in the village of Casalvecchio Siculo (Forza D'Agrò and Casalvecchio Siculo are located on two mountains, the two villages are visible to each other, since in ancient times this represented a very fast means to be able to communicate visually between them, in case of raids by Saracen pirates), this church was built by the Normans, it was originally located on the opposite side of where it is now located, this is because a flood of the Agrò river had endangered this structure, which had also been sacked by the Arabs, it was decided to secure it, it was completely dismantled, and then rebuilt, on the opposite side and further up from the river bed); the feast then took place when Roger II, called the Norman, granted the abbot Cerasino the possibility of rebuilding this abbey (diploma of donation of 1117), but not only ... the monks of this abbey were, again by Roger II, equipped with some fixed income, and even the complete ownership of an entire village, the current Forza D'Agrò, was given to them, with absolute power of the monks over the things and people of the village. Then, the Sacred Oils were brought from this Abbey to the church of San Michele Arcangelo (today a ruin) which is located in a district of Forza D'Agrò, with the population who used to adorn themselves for this procession with colored silk ribbons, to which over time, laurel branches were added, also carried by devotees in procession. The festival is essentially based on three strongly symbolic elements, the laurel, the Holy Oil, and the "cuddure". "The laurel" represents the "victory of Christ over Death", in fact the festival takes place on the "Day of the Angel, during the Easter period", a day that recalls that the Resurrection of Christ took place; laurel is a strongly symbolic and fragrant plant, it is used in this context, for elaborate compositions that adorn "the banners", they can be small because they are made by children, up to very large and high (difficult to hold up when there is wind due to the strong "sail effect" they cause), are made with load-bearing structures made of cane or wood, which serve to hold the fabrics on which they are sewn one by one, laurel leaves, creating drawings of a religious nature, banners that participate in a competition for the best realization (each banner in fact carries a number, as a reference for the voting jury); "Holy Oil", an element used for anointing the sick and invoking their healing, represents "redemption from sin" and "spiritual healing", is carried in procession, also a symbol of the Holy Spirit who embraces the body and soul of man and that refers to Christ, "the Anointed"; finally "the cuddure" (they are small circular loaves, with naturally leavened intertwined and dough, on which a symbol is imprinted), and they symbolize "prosperity", but also "charity", and that is why the brothers of the SS. Trinity distribute them to the people present at the feast as a sign of gift. This year, however, due to the restrictions of Covid-19, the "cuddure" did not take place, the "blessing of the Holy Oils" was performed in the Mother Church, and not in the characteristic square in the center of the town , while the procession was made along a short route, and not along the traditional route which, after having crossed the center of the town, then circumscribes it along its entire periphery. As explained above, this festival is also called "'a festa d'u d'auru" (the laurel feast), or "' the feast of cudduredde" (the feast of small donut-shaped loaves); the "banners awarding" will close this characteristic feast, to the great joy of all those who participated.
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Questo racconto fotografico, è stato realizzato in occasione della “festa dell’Alloro e degli Oli Sacri” che si è svolta quest’anno 2022 il giorno del Lunedì dell’Angelo nel paese siciliano di Forza D’Agrò (in provincia di Messina), dopo un lungo stop a causa della pandemia da Covid-19; è questo un evento tradizionale che si svolge da secoli con delle modifiche che sono venute a crearsi negli anni, infatti un tempo la popolazione di Forza D’Agrò andava in processione fino al monastero normanno dei Santi Pietro e Paolo ove erano custoditi gli Oli Santi: tale chiesa si trova nel paese di Casalvecchio Siculo (Forza D’Agrò e Casalvecchio Siculo si trovano su due monti, i due paesi sono visibili l’un l’altro, poiché anticamente questo rappresentava un mezzo rapidissimo per poter comunicare visivamente tra loro, in caso di scorribande di pirati saraceni), tale chiesa fu costruita dai Normanni, essa originariamente si trovava sul versante opposto rispetto a dove è situata ora, questo perchè una piena del fiume d’Agrò aveva messo in pericolo tale struttura, ma essa era anche stata saccheggiata dagli Arabi, si decise così di metterla in sicurezza, fu smontata completamente, per poi essere riedificata, sul versante opposto e più distante in alto rispetto al letto del fiume); la festa quindi ebbe luogo quando Ruggero II, detto il Normanno, concesse all’abate Cerasino la possibilità di riedificare tale abazia (diploma di donazione del 1117), ma non solo…i monaci di tale abazia furono, sempre da Ruggero II, dotati di alcuni redditi fissi, ed addirittura venne data a loro la completa proprietà di un intero villaggio, l’attuale Forza D’Agrò, con assoluto potere dei monaci su cose e persone del villaggio. Quindi, gli Oli Sacri venivano portati da tale Abazia alla chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo (oggi un rudere) che si trova in una contrada di Forza D’Agrò, con la popolazione che anticamente usava adornarsi per tale processione con nastri di seta colorati, ai quali col tempo, sono andati ad aggiungersi i rami di alloro, portati anche questi dai devoti in processione. La festa si basa essenzialmente su tre elementi fortemente simbolici, l’alloro, l’Olio Santo, e le “cuddure”. “L’alloro” rappresenta la “vittoria del Cristo sulla Morte”, infatti la festa si svolge il “Giorno dell’Angelo” durante il periodo Pasquale, giorno che rievoca che è avvenuta la Resurrezione del Cristo; l’alloro è una pianta fortemente simbolica e profumata, essa viene utilizzata in questo contesto, per elaborate composizioni che adornano “gli stendardi”, i quali sono dei drappi-vessilli, possono essere di piccole dimensioni perché realizzati dai bambini, fino a molto grandi ed alti (difficili da reggere quando c’è vento per il forte “effetto vela” che essi causano), sono realizzati con delle strutture portanti fatte di canna o di legno, che servono a reggere le stoffe sulle quali vengono cucite una ad una, le foglie di alloro, realizzando dei disegni di carattere religioso, stendardi che partecipano ad una gara per la migliore realizzazione (ogni stendardo infatti porta un numero, come riferimento per la giuria votante); “l’Olio Santo” è un elemento usato per l’unzione dei malati ed invocarne la guarigione, rappresenta la “redenzione dal peccato” e la “guarigione spirituale”, viene portato in processione (insieme a delle foglie di alloro), anch’esso simbolo dello Spirito Santo che abbraccia corpo ed anima dell’uomo e che rimanda a Cristo, “l’Unto”; infine “le cuddure” (sono dei piccoli pani di forma circolare, con la pasta lievitata naturalmente ed intrecciata, su cui è impresso un simbolo), esse simboleggiano la “prosperità”, ma anche la “carità”, è per questo che i confrati della SS. Trinità li distribuiscono alle persone presenti alla festa in segno di dono. Quest’anno però, a causa delle restrizioni causate dal Covid-19, le “cuddure” non si sono fatte, la “benedizione degli Oli Santi” è stata eseguita nella Chiesa Madre, e non nella caratteristica piazza che si trova nel centro del paese, mentre la processione è stata fatta lungo un breve percorso, e non lungo il percorso tradizionale, molto più lungo, che dopo aver attraversato il centro del paese, poi lo circoscrive lungo tutta la sua periferia. Per quanto esposto prima, tale festa viene chiamata anche "a’ festa d'u d'auru" (la festa dell'alloro), oppure "a’ festa di cudduredde" (la festa dei piccoli pani a forma di ciambella); la "premiazione degli stendardi" chiude questa caratteristica festa, tra la grandissima gioia di tutti coloro che vi hanno partecipato.
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Festa dell'Alloro 2015 Forza d'Agrò
Forza D'Agrò (Me) - La tradizionale "Festa dell'Alloro"
La festa dell'alloro di Ferza d'Agrò
FORZA D'AGRO' - Festa dell'Alloro - 28 Marzo 2016
Festa dell'alloro e della cuddura a Forza D'Agrò
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OH MIO DIO Trailer della commedia di Giorgio Amato
OH MIO DIO | Intervista al regista Giorgio Amato
LE TESTIMONIANZE DI CHI HA SENTITO PARLARE GESU'
Oh mio dio marzullo Giorgio amato
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This photograph was taken in Kanazawa Castle Park Gyokusen’inmaru garden during our recent visit to Japan.
The camera on tripod was placed adjacent to the Gyokusen’an Rest House, looking towards the garden and stone walls during the light-up sequence. The lighting sequence, with music, invoked the garden at sunset, evening or moon gazing. The colours of the lights and projections on stone walls changed during the sequence, resulting in captivating scenes.
The still water in the small ponds provided mirror-like reflections to the trees and other structures.
.……………………………….
- “Do not touch me…”
Gospel of John, chapter 20, verse 17 (John 20, 17)
+++++++++++++++++++++
I was with you, Father,
at the moment of creation.
I could not fail to know the elements and master them.
What would it be to
lift the stone of a tomb
compared to your will as Creator?
You taught me how the world is composed
and made me your son,
but I was a participant
in creation.
The followers who followed me
believed in You and in me,
Your son.
They will be happy to see me rise again,
but I will weep
for those still chained
in hell,
and my hands
will silence their strident cries.
Poor souls,
who migrate toward nothingness.
The fear,
God,
of these blind depths,
of these people who have not had
the splendor of your reins.
Because you do not know,
Father,
what it means
to sit at Your right hand
as a king.
A gentle but not cowardly king
who mediates
between your divine wrath
and the lust and unbelief of man.
I,
who am just,
love man
and ask your forgiveness
through this slow agony
that has lasted for centuries
for the world.
Behold, Lord, I give you back my spirit
in the form of a white dove
that will fly toward heaven.
And no other way
have you built peace
than with the groins of a bird
that brings the olive branch to your lips.
Father,
I will rise again,
and I will sit at your right hand.
POEM OF THE CROSS - Alda Merini
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- “Noli me tangere …”
Vangelo di Giovanni, capitolo 20, versetto 17 (Giovanni 20, 17)
++++++++++++++++++
- Ero con te, Padre,
al momento della creazione.
Non potevo non conoscere gli elementi e dominarli.
Cosa vuoi che sia
sollevare la pietra di un sepolcro
in confronto alla tua volontà di Creatore.
Tu mi hai insegnato come è composto il mondo
e mi hai reso figlio,
ma ero partecipe
della creazione.
I seguaci che mi hanno seguito
hanno creduto in Te e in me,
Tuo figlio.
Saranno felici di vedermi risorgere,
ma io piangerò
per quelli che sono ancora incatenati
nell'inferno
e le mie mani
faranno tacere i loro stridori.
Povere anime,
che migrano verso il nulla.
Lo spavento,
Dio,
di queste profondità cieche,
di questa gente che non ha avuto
lo splendore delle tue redini.
Perché tu non sai,
Padre,
cosa vuol dire
sedere alla Tua destra
in veste di re.
Un re mite ma non codardo
che fa da intermediario
tra la tua collera divina
e la lussuria e la miscredenza dell'uomo.
Io,
che sono giusto,
amo l'uomo
e ti chiedo perdono
attraverso questa lenta agonia
che dura da secoli
per il mondo.
Ecco, Signore, io ti rendo il mio spirito
in forma di bianca colomba
che volerà verso il cielo.
E non altrimenti
Tu hai costruito la pace
se non con gli inguini di un uccello
che porta l'ulivo alle tue labbra.
Padre,
io risorgerò,
e siederò alla Tua destra.
POEMA DELLA CROCE - Alda Merini
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This photographic story, with text, which I propose as my last work for Flickr in 2025 (2026 is now just a few minutes away), tells of the procession of the Holy Crucifix of Aracoeli, which took place in March of this year 2025 in the town of San Marco d'Alunzio (in the province of Messina). The procession normally begins on the morning of the last Friday of March each year, but there is an exception to this rule: when it coincides with Good Friday, then the procession is brought forward to the previous Friday. The procession of the Holy Crucifix of Aracoeli is an ancient penitential rite. On the feast day of the Crucifix, Holy Mass is celebrated in the Church of Aracoeli in San Marco d'Alunzio. On this occasion, the Holy Crucifix is celebrated. Crucifix (which is located in the church at the end of the right nave, at its feet is the painting of the Virgin of Sorrows pierced by seven swords), Christ on the Cross is removed by the devotees from the hook on which it is hanging, is carried outside the church, here it is raised and fixed on the float, the sermon of the priest who has climbed onto the float next to the Crucifix takes over, under the Cross is fixed the painting of His Sorrowful Mother, then they are carried in procession by the men (and women) in blue hoods called "babbaluti", they proceed invoking the pity and mercy of the Lord with a constant and rhythmic lament, saying "Signuri, Misericordia, Pietà!"; this is the norm, but this year the bad weather has brought some changes, the float on which they hoisted the SS. The crucifix with the kneeling babbaluti was not located in the churchyard, but inside the church. Christ was covered with a large sheet of cellophane to protect it from the rain, while the painting of the Madonna with swords in her heart was placed at her Son's feet only after the procession returned to the church. San Marco d'Alunzio is a charming town in the Messina area, located in the Nebrodi Mountains of Sicily. The procession takes place in honor of the Holy Crucifix of Araceli. This religious-penitential event is also known as the "procession of the babbaluti." These are those who, by vow or grace received, have chosen to carry the fercolo containing the crucifix and the painting on their shoulders in procession. they head to the nearby Church of Santa Maria dei Poveri or to some private home nearby where, sheltered from the curiosity of the faithful, they wear a simple but characteristic indigo-colored cloth habit, consisting of a tunic and a conical hood that covers the entire body and leaves only the eyes and hands free. It is not uncommon, however, for the penitents, rendered anonymous by the habit they wear, to also include women, who, to avoid any possibility of recognition, wear a pair of gloves; The babbaluti are 33 in number to commemorate the 33 years of Christ. The number is odd, in fact the 33rd babbaluto does not carry the vara. He (should be the “capo vara”) proceeds backwards, looking towards Christ and his Mother, and at the same time checks that everything is in order among the babbaluti, guiding the vara along the path, even if it is moving backwards (this is a way of proceeding in carrying the vara or fercolo, present in various Sicilian religious processions). So, the 32 (+1) "babbaluti" carry on their shoulders the float that bears the Holy Crucifix of the Araceli church (the statue of Christ was created by Scipione Li Volsi, in the year 1652, he was a sculptor and plasterer of the Sicilian Baroque), at whose feet, on the float, is tied the painting of Our Lady of Sorrows, whose chest appears pierced by seven swords (it is an 18th century painting), however, as already described, this year the painting, to protect it from the rain, was placed on the float only upon the return of the procession to the church. Before the procession begins, the babbaluti advance barefoot, wearing only heavy, hand-knitted stockings of raw wool. Before entering the church, they must walk a path of purification. When they approach the ancient church of Araceli, they bow and kiss the ground, thus receiving permission to enter the church. This, however, occurs through a side door, called the "false door" (in Sicilian dialect, "porta fausa"). Having entered the church from the side, they now exit through the main entrance, allowing them to take their places, kneeling in front and behind the float. To enter the "porta fausa," the babbaluti proceed in pairs, with the last babbaluti, the eldest, proceeding alone. After the priest's long-awaited speech, the procession can begin, winding through the streets of the picturesque and welcoming village of San Marco d'Alunzio. Along the way, the Babbaluti pace their steps, accompanying the mournful and plaintive jugular vein that invokes the Lord. Devout men and women walk alongside the Babbaluti, walking alongside the float, touching it, sometimes caressing it... just to have physical (and spiritual) contact with it. Finally, after completing a specific route, the procession returns to the ancient church (of Norman origins) of Aracoeli. Every time I attend this touching event, I am completely overwhelmed by emotion (which, however, I cannot abandon, lest I lose concentration while taking photos). The highlight is when the crucified Christ is removed from the hook fixed to the wall by expert men, and then carried (it seems to float) above the heads of the devotees, supported aloft with their hands, and hoisted and secured to the float. In these moments of intense emotion, it is common to see in the eyes of the devotees, shining with tears, that profound emotion of their relationship with this Christ, which has lasted forever: it is as if they were in the presence of the true Christ, in flesh and blood. This is the atmosphere experienced in those moments, this is the magic of the procession of the Most Holy Crucifix and His Mother, represented by the painting of Our Lady of Sorrows pierced by seven swords (an iconography of Spanish origin).
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Il presente racconto fotografico, con testo, che propongo come ultimo mio lavoro per Flickr dell’anno 2025 (oramai mancano pochi minuti al 2026) parla della processione del Santissimo Crocifisso di Aracoeli che si è tenuto nel marzo di quest’anno 2025 nel paese di San Marco d’Alunzio (in provincia di Messina). La processione normalmente inizia la mattina dell’ultimo venerdì del mese di marzo di ogni anno, c’è però una eccezione a questa regola, quando si realizza la coincidenza col Venerdì Santo, allora la processione viene anticipata al venerdì precedente. Quella del SS.Crocifisso di Aracoeli è un antico rito penitenziale, il giorno della festa del Crocifisso, a San Marco d'Alunzio si celebra la S. Messa nella Chiesa dell'Aracoeli, in questa occasione il SS. Crocifisso (che si trova nella chiesa in fondo alla navata di destra, ai suoi piedi è posto il quadro della Vergine Addolorata trafitta da sette spade), il Cristo sulla Croce viene tolto dai devoti dal gancio sul quale è appeso, viene portato all’esterno della chiesa, qui viene innalzato e fissato sulla vara, subentra il sermone del sacerdote salito sulla vara accanto al Crocifisso, sotto alla Croce viene fissato il quadro di sua Madre Addolorata, quindi vengono portati in processione dagli uomini (e donne) incappucciati di colore blu detti “babbaluti”, essi procedono invocando la pietà e la misericordia del Signore con un costante e ritmato lamento, dicendo “Signuri, Misericordia, Pietà!”; questa è la norma, ma quest’anno il cattivo tempo ha portato qualche cambiamento, la vara sulla quale hanno issato il SS. Crocifisso con i babbaluti messi in ginocchio, non si trovava sul sagrato davanti la chiesa, ma era dentro la chiesa, il Cristo veniva ricoperto con un ampio foglio di cellophane per proteggerlo dalla pioggia, mentre il quadro della Madonna con le spade nel cuore, è stato messo ai piedi di Suo Figlio solo al rientro della processione nella chiesa. San Marco d’Alunzio è un ameno paese del territorio Messinese, sito sui monti Nebrodi, in Sicilia; la processione si svolge proprio in onore del Santissimo Crocifisso di Araceli, è questa una ricorrenza religioso-penitenziale conosciuta anche come "processione dei babbaluti", essi sono coloro che per voto o per grazia ricevuta, hanno deciso di portare in processione sulle loro spalle il fercolo con il Crocifisso ed il quadro; essi si dirigono nella vicina Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Poveri o in qualche abitazione privata lì vicino dove, al riparo dalla curiosità dei fedeli, indossano un semplice ma caratteristico saio di tela di colore indaco, costituito da una tunica e un cappuccio di forma conica tale da coprire l'intero corpo e lasciare liberi solo gli occhi e le mani, non è raro purtuttavia che tra i penitenti, resi anonimi dal saio che indossano, vi siano anche delle donne, le quali per evitare qualsiasi possibilità di riconoscimento, indossano un paio di guanti; i babbaluti sono in numero di 33 per rievocare i 33 anni di Cristo, il numero è dispari, infatti il 33° babbaluto non porta la vara, egli (dovrebbe essere il “capo vara”) procede all’indietro, rivolgendo lo sguardo al Cristo ed a sua Madre, e nel contempo controlla che tutto sia in ordine tra i babbaluti, guidando la vara lungo il percorso, anche se il suo andamento è a ritroso, (questo è un modo di procedere nel portare la vara o fercolo, presente in diverse processioni religiose siciliane). Quindi, i 32 (+1) "babbaluti" portano sulle loro spalle la vara che reca il Santo Crocifisso della chiesa dell’Araceli (la statua del Cristo è stata creata da Scipione Li Volsi, nell'anno 1652, egli fu uno scultore e stuccatore del barocco SIciliano), ai cui piedi, sulla vara, viene legato il quadro della Madonna Addolorata, il cui petto appare trafitto da sette spade ( è un dipinto del XVIII secolo), purtuttavia come già descritto, quest’anno il quadro, per proteggerlo dalla pioggia, è stato messo sulla vara solo al rientro della processione in chiesa. I babbaluti prima dell'inizio della processione avanzano a piedi scalzi indossando solo delle pesanti calze di lana grezza realizzate a mano, devono percorrere, prima di entrare in chiesa, un cammino di purificazione: quando essi giungono in prossimità dell'antica chiesa dell'Araceli, essi si chinano e baciano in terra, ricevendo in tal modo il permesso per poter accedere dentro la chiesa, questo però avviene da una porta laterale, chiamata "falsa porta" (In dialetto siciliano “porta fausa”), una volta entrati in chiesa lateralmente, ora fuoriescono dall'ingresso principale, potendo così prendere posto, inginocchiandosi sul davanti ed alle spalle, della vara; i babbaluti per accedere alla “porta fausa” procedono in coppia, l’ultimo babbaluto procede da solo, lui è il più anziano tra i babbaluti; seguirà l'atteso discorso del sacerdote, terminato, potrà iniziare la processione che si svolge per le vie del pittoresco ed accogliente paese di San Marco d'Alunzio. Lungo il percorso i Babbaluti cadenzano la propria andatura accompagnandosi alla mesta e lamentosa giugulatoria che invoca il Signore . Ci sono uomini e donne devoti che procedono assieme ai babbaluti camminando a lato della vara, toccandola, ora accarezzandola...pur di avere un contatto fisico (e di rimando spirituale) con essa. Infine, dopo aver compiuto un preciso percorso, la processione fa rientro nell'antica chiesa (di origini Normanne) dell'Aracoeli. Ogniqualvolta sono presente a questa toccante ricorrenza sono completamente inondato da emozioni (alle quali però non posso abbandonarmi, perderei la concentrazione nel realizzare le foto), il momento clou è quando il Cristo Crocifisso viene tolto dal gancio fissato sul muro da uomini esperti, per poi essere portato (sembra galleggiare) sopra la testa dei devoti, sostenuto in alto con le mani, ed essere issato e fissato sulla vara; in questi momenti di intensa emozione è comune vedere negli occhi dei devoti, lucidi di lacrime, quella emozione profonda del loro rapporto con questo Cristo, che dura da sempre: è come se si trovassero al cospetto del Cristo vero, in carne ed ossa, questa è l’atmosfera che si vive in quei momenti, questa è la magia della processione del SS. Crocifisso e di Sua Madre, rappresentata dal quadro dell’Addolorata trafitta da sette spade (iconografia di origine spagnola).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
.……………………………….
- “Do not touch me…”
Gospel of John, chapter 20, verse 17 (John 20, 17)
+++++++++++++++++++++
I was with you, Father,
at the moment of creation.
I could not fail to know the elements and master them.
What would it be to
lift the stone of a tomb
compared to your will as Creator?
You taught me how the world is composed
and made me your son,
but I was a participant
in creation.
The followers who followed me
believed in You and in me,
Your son.
They will be happy to see me rise again,
but I will weep
for those still chained
in hell,
and my hands
will silence their strident cries.
Poor souls,
who migrate toward nothingness.
The fear,
God,
of these blind depths,
of these people who have not had
the splendor of your reins.
Because you do not know,
Father,
what it means
to sit at Your right hand
as a king.
A gentle but not cowardly king
who mediates
between your divine wrath
and the lust and unbelief of man.
I,
who am just,
love man
and ask your forgiveness
through this slow agony
that has lasted for centuries
for the world.
Behold, Lord, I give you back my spirit
in the form of a white dove
that will fly toward heaven.
And no other way
have you built peace
than with the groins of a bird
that brings the olive branch to your lips.
Father,
I will rise again,
and I will sit at your right hand.
POEM OF THE CROSS - Alda Merini
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- “Noli me tangere …”
Vangelo di Giovanni, capitolo 20, versetto 17 (Giovanni 20, 17)
++++++++++++++++++
- Ero con te, Padre,
al momento della creazione.
Non potevo non conoscere gli elementi e dominarli.
Cosa vuoi che sia
sollevare la pietra di un sepolcro
in confronto alla tua volontà di Creatore.
Tu mi hai insegnato come è composto il mondo
e mi hai reso figlio,
ma ero partecipe
della creazione.
I seguaci che mi hanno seguito
hanno creduto in Te e in me,
Tuo figlio.
Saranno felici di vedermi risorgere,
ma io piangerò
per quelli che sono ancora incatenati
nell'inferno
e le mie mani
faranno tacere i loro stridori.
Povere anime,
che migrano verso il nulla.
Lo spavento,
Dio,
di queste profondità cieche,
di questa gente che non ha avuto
lo splendore delle tue redini.
Perché tu non sai,
Padre,
cosa vuol dire
sedere alla Tua destra
in veste di re.
Un re mite ma non codardo
che fa da intermediario
tra la tua collera divina
e la lussuria e la miscredenza dell'uomo.
Io,
che sono giusto,
amo l'uomo
e ti chiedo perdono
attraverso questa lenta agonia
che dura da secoli
per il mondo.
Ecco, Signore, io ti rendo il mio spirito
in forma di bianca colomba
che volerà verso il cielo.
E non altrimenti
Tu hai costruito la pace
se non con gli inguini di un uccello
che porta l'ulivo alle tue labbra.
Padre,
io risorgerò,
e siederò alla Tua destra.
POEMA DELLA CROCE - Alda Merini
-----------------------------------------------------------------
click to activate the icon of slideshow: the small triangle inscribed in the small rectangle, at the top right, in the photostream;
or…. Press the “L” button to zoom in the image;
clicca sulla piccola icona per attivare lo slideshow: sulla facciata principale del photostream, in alto a destra c'è un piccolo rettangolo (rappresenta il monitor) con dentro un piccolo triangolo nero;
oppure…. premi il tasto “L” per ingrandire l'immagine;
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
…………………………………………………………………
This photographic story, with text, which I propose as my last work for Flickr in 2025 (2026 is now just a few minutes away), tells of the procession of the Holy Crucifix of Aracoeli, which took place in March of this year 2025 in the town of San Marco d'Alunzio (in the province of Messina). The procession normally begins on the morning of the last Friday of March each year, but there is an exception to this rule: when it coincides with Good Friday, then the procession is brought forward to the previous Friday. The procession of the Holy Crucifix of Aracoeli is an ancient penitential rite. On the feast day of the Crucifix, Holy Mass is celebrated in the Church of Aracoeli in San Marco d'Alunzio. On this occasion, the Holy Crucifix is celebrated. Crucifix (which is located in the church at the end of the right nave, at its feet is the painting of the Virgin of Sorrows pierced by seven swords), Christ on the Cross is removed by the devotees from the hook on which it is hanging, is carried outside the church, here it is raised and fixed on the float, the sermon of the priest who has climbed onto the float next to the Crucifix takes over, under the Cross is fixed the painting of His Sorrowful Mother, then they are carried in procession by the men (and women) in blue hoods called "babbaluti", they proceed invoking the pity and mercy of the Lord with a constant and rhythmic lament, saying "Signuri, Misericordia, Pietà!"; this is the norm, but this year the bad weather has brought some changes, the float on which they hoisted the SS. The crucifix with the kneeling babbaluti was not located in the churchyard, but inside the church. Christ was covered with a large sheet of cellophane to protect it from the rain, while the painting of the Madonna with swords in her heart was placed at her Son's feet only after the procession returned to the church. San Marco d'Alunzio is a charming town in the Messina area, located in the Nebrodi Mountains of Sicily. The procession takes place in honor of the Holy Crucifix of Araceli. This religious-penitential event is also known as the "procession of the babbaluti." These are those who, by vow or grace received, have chosen to carry the fercolo containing the crucifix and the painting on their shoulders in procession. they head to the nearby Church of Santa Maria dei Poveri or to some private home nearby where, sheltered from the curiosity of the faithful, they wear a simple but characteristic indigo-colored cloth habit, consisting of a tunic and a conical hood that covers the entire body and leaves only the eyes and hands free. It is not uncommon, however, for the penitents, rendered anonymous by the habit they wear, to also include women, who, to avoid any possibility of recognition, wear a pair of gloves; The babbaluti are 33 in number to commemorate the 33 years of Christ. The number is odd, in fact the 33rd babbaluto does not carry the vara. He (should be the “capo vara”) proceeds backwards, looking towards Christ and his Mother, and at the same time checks that everything is in order among the babbaluti, guiding the vara along the path, even if it is moving backwards (this is a way of proceeding in carrying the vara or fercolo, present in various Sicilian religious processions). So, the 32 (+1) "babbaluti" carry on their shoulders the float that bears the Holy Crucifix of the Araceli church (the statue of Christ was created by Scipione Li Volsi, in the year 1652, he was a sculptor and plasterer of the Sicilian Baroque), at whose feet, on the float, is tied the painting of Our Lady of Sorrows, whose chest appears pierced by seven swords (it is an 18th century painting), however, as already described, this year the painting, to protect it from the rain, was placed on the float only upon the return of the procession to the church. Before the procession begins, the babbaluti advance barefoot, wearing only heavy, hand-knitted stockings of raw wool. Before entering the church, they must walk a path of purification. When they approach the ancient church of Araceli, they bow and kiss the ground, thus receiving permission to enter the church. This, however, occurs through a side door, called the "false door" (in Sicilian dialect, "porta fausa"). Having entered the church from the side, they now exit through the main entrance, allowing them to take their places, kneeling in front and behind the float. To enter the "porta fausa," the babbaluti proceed in pairs, with the last babbaluti, the eldest, proceeding alone. After the priest's long-awaited speech, the procession can begin, winding through the streets of the picturesque and welcoming village of San Marco d'Alunzio. Along the way, the Babbaluti pace their steps, accompanying the mournful and plaintive jugular vein that invokes the Lord. Devout men and women walk alongside the Babbaluti, walking alongside the float, touching it, sometimes caressing it... just to have physical (and spiritual) contact with it. Finally, after completing a specific route, the procession returns to the ancient church (of Norman origins) of Aracoeli. Every time I attend this touching event, I am completely overwhelmed by emotion (which, however, I cannot abandon, lest I lose concentration while taking photos). The highlight is when the crucified Christ is removed from the hook fixed to the wall by expert men, and then carried (it seems to float) above the heads of the devotees, supported aloft with their hands, and hoisted and secured to the float. In these moments of intense emotion, it is common to see in the eyes of the devotees, shining with tears, that profound emotion of their relationship with this Christ, which has lasted forever: it is as if they were in the presence of the true Christ, in flesh and blood. This is the atmosphere experienced in those moments, this is the magic of the procession of the Most Holy Crucifix and His Mother, represented by the painting of Our Lady of Sorrows pierced by seven swords (an iconography of Spanish origin).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Il presente racconto fotografico, con testo, che propongo come ultimo mio lavoro per Flickr dell’anno 2025 (oramai mancano pochi minuti al 2026) parla della processione del Santissimo Crocifisso di Aracoeli che si è tenuto nel marzo di quest’anno 2025 nel paese di San Marco d’Alunzio (in provincia di Messina). La processione normalmente inizia la mattina dell’ultimo venerdì del mese di marzo di ogni anno, c’è però una eccezione a questa regola, quando si realizza la coincidenza col Venerdì Santo, allora la processione viene anticipata al venerdì precedente. Quella del SS.Crocifisso di Aracoeli è un antico rito penitenziale, il giorno della festa del Crocifisso, a San Marco d'Alunzio si celebra la S. Messa nella Chiesa dell'Aracoeli, in questa occasione il SS. Crocifisso (che si trova nella chiesa in fondo alla navata di destra, ai suoi piedi è posto il quadro della Vergine Addolorata trafitta da sette spade), il Cristo sulla Croce viene tolto dai devoti dal gancio sul quale è appeso, viene portato all’esterno della chiesa, qui viene innalzato e fissato sulla vara, subentra il sermone del sacerdote salito sulla vara accanto al Crocifisso, sotto alla Croce viene fissato il quadro di sua Madre Addolorata, quindi vengono portati in processione dagli uomini (e donne) incappucciati di colore blu detti “babbaluti”, essi procedono invocando la pietà e la misericordia del Signore con un costante e ritmato lamento, dicendo “Signuri, Misericordia, Pietà!”; questa è la norma, ma quest’anno il cattivo tempo ha portato qualche cambiamento, la vara sulla quale hanno issato il SS. Crocifisso con i babbaluti messi in ginocchio, non si trovava sul sagrato davanti la chiesa, ma era dentro la chiesa, il Cristo veniva ricoperto con un ampio foglio di cellophane per proteggerlo dalla pioggia, mentre il quadro della Madonna con le spade nel cuore, è stato messo ai piedi di Suo Figlio solo al rientro della processione nella chiesa. San Marco d’Alunzio è un ameno paese del territorio Messinese, sito sui monti Nebrodi, in Sicilia; la processione si svolge proprio in onore del Santissimo Crocifisso di Araceli, è questa una ricorrenza religioso-penitenziale conosciuta anche come "processione dei babbaluti", essi sono coloro che per voto o per grazia ricevuta, hanno deciso di portare in processione sulle loro spalle il fercolo con il Crocifisso ed il quadro; essi si dirigono nella vicina Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Poveri o in qualche abitazione privata lì vicino dove, al riparo dalla curiosità dei fedeli, indossano un semplice ma caratteristico saio di tela di colore indaco, costituito da una tunica e un cappuccio di forma conica tale da coprire l'intero corpo e lasciare liberi solo gli occhi e le mani, non è raro purtuttavia che tra i penitenti, resi anonimi dal saio che indossano, vi siano anche delle donne, le quali per evitare qualsiasi possibilità di riconoscimento, indossano un paio di guanti; i babbaluti sono in numero di 33 per rievocare i 33 anni di Cristo, il numero è dispari, infatti il 33° babbaluto non porta la vara, egli (dovrebbe essere il “capo vara”) procede all’indietro, rivolgendo lo sguardo al Cristo ed a sua Madre, e nel contempo controlla che tutto sia in ordine tra i babbaluti, guidando la vara lungo il percorso, anche se il suo andamento è a ritroso, (questo è un modo di procedere nel portare la vara o fercolo, presente in diverse processioni religiose siciliane). Quindi, i 32 (+1) "babbaluti" portano sulle loro spalle la vara che reca il Santo Crocifisso della chiesa dell’Araceli (la statua del Cristo è stata creata da Scipione Li Volsi, nell'anno 1652, egli fu uno scultore e stuccatore del barocco SIciliano), ai cui piedi, sulla vara, viene legato il quadro della Madonna Addolorata, il cui petto appare trafitto da sette spade ( è un dipinto del XVIII secolo), purtuttavia come già descritto, quest’anno il quadro, per proteggerlo dalla pioggia, è stato messo sulla vara solo al rientro della processione in chiesa. I babbaluti prima dell'inizio della processione avanzano a piedi scalzi indossando solo delle pesanti calze di lana grezza realizzate a mano, devono percorrere, prima di entrare in chiesa, un cammino di purificazione: quando essi giungono in prossimità dell'antica chiesa dell'Araceli, essi si chinano e baciano in terra, ricevendo in tal modo il permesso per poter accedere dentro la chiesa, questo però avviene da una porta laterale, chiamata "falsa porta" (In dialetto siciliano “porta fausa”), una volta entrati in chiesa lateralmente, ora fuoriescono dall'ingresso principale, potendo così prendere posto, inginocchiandosi sul davanti ed alle spalle, della vara; i babbaluti per accedere alla “porta fausa” procedono in coppia, l’ultimo babbaluto procede da solo, lui è il più anziano tra i babbaluti; seguirà l'atteso discorso del sacerdote, terminato, potrà iniziare la processione che si svolge per le vie del pittoresco ed accogliente paese di San Marco d'Alunzio. Lungo il percorso i Babbaluti cadenzano la propria andatura accompagnandosi alla mesta e lamentosa giugulatoria che invoca il Signore . Ci sono uomini e donne devoti che procedono assieme ai babbaluti camminando a lato della vara, toccandola, ora accarezzandola...pur di avere un contatto fisico (e di rimando spirituale) con essa. Infine, dopo aver compiuto un preciso percorso, la processione fa rientro nell'antica chiesa (di origini Normanne) dell'Aracoeli. Ogniqualvolta sono presente a questa toccante ricorrenza sono completamente inondato da emozioni (alle quali però non posso abbandonarmi, perderei la concentrazione nel realizzare le foto), il momento clou è quando il Cristo Crocifisso viene tolto dal gancio fissato sul muro da uomini esperti, per poi essere portato (sembra galleggiare) sopra la testa dei devoti, sostenuto in alto con le mani, ed essere issato e fissato sulla vara; in questi momenti di intensa emozione è comune vedere negli occhi dei devoti, lucidi di lacrime, quella emozione profonda del loro rapporto con questo Cristo, che dura da sempre: è come se si trovassero al cospetto del Cristo vero, in carne ed ossa, questa è l’atmosfera che si vive in quei momenti, questa è la magia della processione del SS. Crocifisso e di Sua Madre, rappresentata dal quadro dell’Addolorata trafitta da sette spade (iconografia di origine spagnola).
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The Year of the Dragon
( Sorry I am a little late on this)
Outfit: Brillance Ling Set
( Red & Gold)
Unleash the power of the dragon within and venture into the mystique of the East with this exquisite outfit. Complete with a customizable top, bottoms, and shoes, each piece is crafted to fit mesh bodies such as Legacy, Perky, Maitreya, Petite, Reborn, and Gen X. Elevate your style and embrace the allure of the East today!
Hair: Sintiklia Mei Hair ( White)
Makeup: Huadian Empress *Red* Glitter Art
littleaxolotl Tang Set
Tattoo: GIF Yuki Tattoo
Avi Accessory: {egosumaii} Profane Guardian Rare
Skin: Poppet (Suki) Snow
========================
Brillance Info
•TP - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Champagne/78/154/22
•VK - vk.com/brillancia •Flickr - www.flickr.com/photos/157778862@N04/
•Flickr grup - www.flickr.com/groups/14738318@N25/pool/
•Marketplace - marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/208881/
.……………………………….
- “Do not touch me…”
Gospel of John, chapter 20, verse 17 (John 20, 17)
+++++++++++++++++++++
I was with you, Father,
at the moment of creation.
I could not fail to know the elements and master them.
What would it be to
lift the stone of a tomb
compared to your will as Creator?
You taught me how the world is composed
and made me your son,
but I was a participant
in creation.
The followers who followed me
believed in You and in me,
Your son.
They will be happy to see me rise again,
but I will weep
for those still chained
in hell,
and my hands
will silence their strident cries.
Poor souls,
who migrate toward nothingness.
The fear,
God,
of these blind depths,
of these people who have not had
the splendor of your reins.
Because you do not know,
Father,
what it means
to sit at Your right hand
as a king.
A gentle but not cowardly king
who mediates
between your divine wrath
and the lust and unbelief of man.
I,
who am just,
love man
and ask your forgiveness
through this slow agony
that has lasted for centuries
for the world.
Behold, Lord, I give you back my spirit
in the form of a white dove
that will fly toward heaven.
And no other way
have you built peace
than with the groins of a bird
that brings the olive branch to your lips.
Father,
I will rise again,
and I will sit at your right hand.
POEM OF THE CROSS - Alda Merini
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- “Noli me tangere …”
Vangelo di Giovanni, capitolo 20, versetto 17 (Giovanni 20, 17)
++++++++++++++++++
- Ero con te, Padre,
al momento della creazione.
Non potevo non conoscere gli elementi e dominarli.
Cosa vuoi che sia
sollevare la pietra di un sepolcro
in confronto alla tua volontà di Creatore.
Tu mi hai insegnato come è composto il mondo
e mi hai reso figlio,
ma ero partecipe
della creazione.
I seguaci che mi hanno seguito
hanno creduto in Te e in me,
Tuo figlio.
Saranno felici di vedermi risorgere,
ma io piangerò
per quelli che sono ancora incatenati
nell'inferno
e le mie mani
faranno tacere i loro stridori.
Povere anime,
che migrano verso il nulla.
Lo spavento,
Dio,
di queste profondità cieche,
di questa gente che non ha avuto
lo splendore delle tue redini.
Perché tu non sai,
Padre,
cosa vuol dire
sedere alla Tua destra
in veste di re.
Un re mite ma non codardo
che fa da intermediario
tra la tua collera divina
e la lussuria e la miscredenza dell'uomo.
Io,
che sono giusto,
amo l'uomo
e ti chiedo perdono
attraverso questa lenta agonia
che dura da secoli
per il mondo.
Ecco, Signore, io ti rendo il mio spirito
in forma di bianca colomba
che volerà verso il cielo.
E non altrimenti
Tu hai costruito la pace
se non con gli inguini di un uccello
che porta l'ulivo alle tue labbra.
Padre,
io risorgerò,
e siederò alla Tua destra.
POEMA DELLA CROCE - Alda Merini
-----------------------------------------------------------------
click to activate the icon of slideshow: the small triangle inscribed in the small rectangle, at the top right, in the photostream;
or…. Press the “L” button to zoom in the image;
clicca sulla piccola icona per attivare lo slideshow: sulla facciata principale del photostream, in alto a destra c'è un piccolo rettangolo (rappresenta il monitor) con dentro un piccolo triangolo nero;
oppure…. premi il tasto “L” per ingrandire l'immagine;
www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/winners-...
www.fotografidigitali.it/gallery/2726/opere-italiane-segn...
…………………………………………………………………
This photographic story, with text, which I propose as my last work for Flickr in 2025 (2026 is now just a few minutes away), tells of the procession of the Holy Crucifix of Aracoeli, which took place in March of this year 2025 in the town of San Marco d'Alunzio (in the province of Messina). The procession normally begins on the morning of the last Friday of March each year, but there is an exception to this rule: when it coincides with Good Friday, then the procession is brought forward to the previous Friday. The procession of the Holy Crucifix of Aracoeli is an ancient penitential rite. On the feast day of the Crucifix, Holy Mass is celebrated in the Church of Aracoeli in San Marco d'Alunzio. On this occasion, the Holy Crucifix is celebrated. Crucifix (which is located in the church at the end of the right nave, at its feet is the painting of the Virgin of Sorrows pierced by seven swords), Christ on the Cross is removed by the devotees from the hook on which it is hanging, is carried outside the church, here it is raised and fixed on the float, the sermon of the priest who has climbed onto the float next to the Crucifix takes over, under the Cross is fixed the painting of His Sorrowful Mother, then they are carried in procession by the men (and women) in blue hoods called "babbaluti", they proceed invoking the pity and mercy of the Lord with a constant and rhythmic lament, saying "Signuri, Misericordia, Pietà!"; this is the norm, but this year the bad weather has brought some changes, the float on which they hoisted the SS. The crucifix with the kneeling babbaluti was not located in the churchyard, but inside the church. Christ was covered with a large sheet of cellophane to protect it from the rain, while the painting of the Madonna with swords in her heart was placed at her Son's feet only after the procession returned to the church. San Marco d'Alunzio is a charming town in the Messina area, located in the Nebrodi Mountains of Sicily. The procession takes place in honor of the Holy Crucifix of Araceli. This religious-penitential event is also known as the "procession of the babbaluti." These are those who, by vow or grace received, have chosen to carry the fercolo containing the crucifix and the painting on their shoulders in procession. they head to the nearby Church of Santa Maria dei Poveri or to some private home nearby where, sheltered from the curiosity of the faithful, they wear a simple but characteristic indigo-colored cloth habit, consisting of a tunic and a conical hood that covers the entire body and leaves only the eyes and hands free. It is not uncommon, however, for the penitents, rendered anonymous by the habit they wear, to also include women, who, to avoid any possibility of recognition, wear a pair of gloves; The babbaluti are 33 in number to commemorate the 33 years of Christ. The number is odd, in fact the 33rd babbaluto does not carry the vara. He (should be the “capo vara”) proceeds backwards, looking towards Christ and his Mother, and at the same time checks that everything is in order among the babbaluti, guiding the vara along the path, even if it is moving backwards (this is a way of proceeding in carrying the vara or fercolo, present in various Sicilian religious processions). So, the 32 (+1) "babbaluti" carry on their shoulders the float that bears the Holy Crucifix of the Araceli church (the statue of Christ was created by Scipione Li Volsi, in the year 1652, he was a sculptor and plasterer of the Sicilian Baroque), at whose feet, on the float, is tied the painting of Our Lady of Sorrows, whose chest appears pierced by seven swords (it is an 18th century painting), however, as already described, this year the painting, to protect it from the rain, was placed on the float only upon the return of the procession to the church. Before the procession begins, the babbaluti advance barefoot, wearing only heavy, hand-knitted stockings of raw wool. Before entering the church, they must walk a path of purification. When they approach the ancient church of Araceli, they bow and kiss the ground, thus receiving permission to enter the church. This, however, occurs through a side door, called the "false door" (in Sicilian dialect, "porta fausa"). Having entered the church from the side, they now exit through the main entrance, allowing them to take their places, kneeling in front and behind the float. To enter the "porta fausa," the babbaluti proceed in pairs, with the last babbaluti, the eldest, proceeding alone. After the priest's long-awaited speech, the procession can begin, winding through the streets of the picturesque and welcoming village of San Marco d'Alunzio. Along the way, the Babbaluti pace their steps, accompanying the mournful and plaintive jugular vein that invokes the Lord. Devout men and women walk alongside the Babbaluti, walking alongside the float, touching it, sometimes caressing it... just to have physical (and spiritual) contact with it. Finally, after completing a specific route, the procession returns to the ancient church (of Norman origins) of Aracoeli. Every time I attend this touching event, I am completely overwhelmed by emotion (which, however, I cannot abandon, lest I lose concentration while taking photos). The highlight is when the crucified Christ is removed from the hook fixed to the wall by expert men, and then carried (it seems to float) above the heads of the devotees, supported aloft with their hands, and hoisted and secured to the float. In these moments of intense emotion, it is common to see in the eyes of the devotees, shining with tears, that profound emotion of their relationship with this Christ, which has lasted forever: it is as if they were in the presence of the true Christ, in flesh and blood. This is the atmosphere experienced in those moments, this is the magic of the procession of the Most Holy Crucifix and His Mother, represented by the painting of Our Lady of Sorrows pierced by seven swords (an iconography of Spanish origin).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Il presente racconto fotografico, con testo, che propongo come ultimo mio lavoro per Flickr dell’anno 2025 (oramai mancano pochi minuti al 2026) parla della processione del Santissimo Crocifisso di Aracoeli che si è tenuto nel marzo di quest’anno 2025 nel paese di San Marco d’Alunzio (in provincia di Messina). La processione normalmente inizia la mattina dell’ultimo venerdì del mese di marzo di ogni anno, c’è però una eccezione a questa regola, quando si realizza la coincidenza col Venerdì Santo, allora la processione viene anticipata al venerdì precedente. Quella del SS.Crocifisso di Aracoeli è un antico rito penitenziale, il giorno della festa del Crocifisso, a San Marco d'Alunzio si celebra la S. Messa nella Chiesa dell'Aracoeli, in questa occasione il SS. Crocifisso (che si trova nella chiesa in fondo alla navata di destra, ai suoi piedi è posto il quadro della Vergine Addolorata trafitta da sette spade), il Cristo sulla Croce viene tolto dai devoti dal gancio sul quale è appeso, viene portato all’esterno della chiesa, qui viene innalzato e fissato sulla vara, subentra il sermone del sacerdote salito sulla vara accanto al Crocifisso, sotto alla Croce viene fissato il quadro di sua Madre Addolorata, quindi vengono portati in processione dagli uomini (e donne) incappucciati di colore blu detti “babbaluti”, essi procedono invocando la pietà e la misericordia del Signore con un costante e ritmato lamento, dicendo “Signuri, Misericordia, Pietà!”; questa è la norma, ma quest’anno il cattivo tempo ha portato qualche cambiamento, la vara sulla quale hanno issato il SS. Crocifisso con i babbaluti messi in ginocchio, non si trovava sul sagrato davanti la chiesa, ma era dentro la chiesa, il Cristo veniva ricoperto con un ampio foglio di cellophane per proteggerlo dalla pioggia, mentre il quadro della Madonna con le spade nel cuore, è stato messo ai piedi di Suo Figlio solo al rientro della processione nella chiesa. San Marco d’Alunzio è un ameno paese del territorio Messinese, sito sui monti Nebrodi, in Sicilia; la processione si svolge proprio in onore del Santissimo Crocifisso di Araceli, è questa una ricorrenza religioso-penitenziale conosciuta anche come "processione dei babbaluti", essi sono coloro che per voto o per grazia ricevuta, hanno deciso di portare in processione sulle loro spalle il fercolo con il Crocifisso ed il quadro; essi si dirigono nella vicina Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Poveri o in qualche abitazione privata lì vicino dove, al riparo dalla curiosità dei fedeli, indossano un semplice ma caratteristico saio di tela di colore indaco, costituito da una tunica e un cappuccio di forma conica tale da coprire l'intero corpo e lasciare liberi solo gli occhi e le mani, non è raro purtuttavia che tra i penitenti, resi anonimi dal saio che indossano, vi siano anche delle donne, le quali per evitare qualsiasi possibilità di riconoscimento, indossano un paio di guanti; i babbaluti sono in numero di 33 per rievocare i 33 anni di Cristo, il numero è dispari, infatti il 33° babbaluto non porta la vara, egli (dovrebbe essere il “capo vara”) procede all’indietro, rivolgendo lo sguardo al Cristo ed a sua Madre, e nel contempo controlla che tutto sia in ordine tra i babbaluti, guidando la vara lungo il percorso, anche se il suo andamento è a ritroso, (questo è un modo di procedere nel portare la vara o fercolo, presente in diverse processioni religiose siciliane). Quindi, i 32 (+1) "babbaluti" portano sulle loro spalle la vara che reca il Santo Crocifisso della chiesa dell’Araceli (la statua del Cristo è stata creata da Scipione Li Volsi, nell'anno 1652, egli fu uno scultore e stuccatore del barocco SIciliano), ai cui piedi, sulla vara, viene legato il quadro della Madonna Addolorata, il cui petto appare trafitto da sette spade ( è un dipinto del XVIII secolo), purtuttavia come già descritto, quest’anno il quadro, per proteggerlo dalla pioggia, è stato messo sulla vara solo al rientro della processione in chiesa. I babbaluti prima dell'inizio della processione avanzano a piedi scalzi indossando solo delle pesanti calze di lana grezza realizzate a mano, devono percorrere, prima di entrare in chiesa, un cammino di purificazione: quando essi giungono in prossimità dell'antica chiesa dell'Araceli, essi si chinano e baciano in terra, ricevendo in tal modo il permesso per poter accedere dentro la chiesa, questo però avviene da una porta laterale, chiamata "falsa porta" (In dialetto siciliano “porta fausa”), una volta entrati in chiesa lateralmente, ora fuoriescono dall'ingresso principale, potendo così prendere posto, inginocchiandosi sul davanti ed alle spalle, della vara; i babbaluti per accedere alla “porta fausa” procedono in coppia, l’ultimo babbaluto procede da solo, lui è il più anziano tra i babbaluti; seguirà l'atteso discorso del sacerdote, terminato, potrà iniziare la processione che si svolge per le vie del pittoresco ed accogliente paese di San Marco d'Alunzio. Lungo il percorso i Babbaluti cadenzano la propria andatura accompagnandosi alla mesta e lamentosa giugulatoria che invoca il Signore . Ci sono uomini e donne devoti che procedono assieme ai babbaluti camminando a lato della vara, toccandola, ora accarezzandola...pur di avere un contatto fisico (e di rimando spirituale) con essa. Infine, dopo aver compiuto un preciso percorso, la processione fa rientro nell'antica chiesa (di origini Normanne) dell'Aracoeli. Ogniqualvolta sono presente a questa toccante ricorrenza sono completamente inondato da emozioni (alle quali però non posso abbandonarmi, perderei la concentrazione nel realizzare le foto), il momento clou è quando il Cristo Crocifisso viene tolto dal gancio fissato sul muro da uomini esperti, per poi essere portato (sembra galleggiare) sopra la testa dei devoti, sostenuto in alto con le mani, ed essere issato e fissato sulla vara; in questi momenti di intensa emozione è comune vedere negli occhi dei devoti, lucidi di lacrime, quella emozione profonda del loro rapporto con questo Cristo, che dura da sempre: è come se si trovassero al cospetto del Cristo vero, in carne ed ossa, questa è l’atmosfera che si vive in quei momenti, questa è la magia della processione del SS. Crocifisso e di Sua Madre, rappresentata dal quadro dell’Addolorata trafitta da sette spade (iconografia di origine spagnola).
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According to Pliny, the Roman historian, (died AD 79 as a result of the eruption of Vesuvius), garlic and onions were invoked as deities by the Egyptians, at the taking of oaths.
If you smell garlic on the breath of lawyers or politicians, then you know the reason why, and what their religious tendencies might be.
A recent return to traffic for 37099 "Merl Evans 1947-2016" after its release from a lengthy overhaul saw its split headcode box removed, however a fresh lick of paint has freshened up its tired appearance. The tractor is seen in early morning sunshine at Raynors Crossing, Stenson, returning from a night of activity around Merseyside, with the 3Q89 20.50 (Thurs) Derby RTC-Derby RTC via Liverpool Lime Street and Southport test train, running 15 minutes early. While an image doesn’t really invoke a depiction of sound, the noise of it pulling away from North Staffs Junction was great.
Taken with the assistance of a pole.
The early morning sky sat like a layered merengue on the base of the lower fells. The sign was set in focus at f8 and it is superbly well pictured as I was shaking slightly. Modern camera and lens combinations can combat some human flaws. My human flaws are really bothering me, but equipment is performing minor miracles at times. This sign in a 35mm frame handheld from a zoom lens could easily have been either a wasted frame, or scene that I would have pictured differently with a tripod and a remote release. Technology does not cure everything, it can at times be an almost unbelievable boo. IBIS as In-Body Image Stabilization and lenses with OSS that’s Optical SteadyShot Image stabilization is giving me access to lower ISO and to more creative control of Aperture and Shutter Speed. My ill shaking self surprised me in editing this picture that at f.8, 1/250 of a Second with digital simulated 400 ISO the resulting file was sharper on the chosen point of focus than I thought was going to be the RAW file.
© PHH Sykes 2024
phhsykes@gmail.com
Hardknott Roman Fort English Heritage
www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/hardknott-roman-...
Hardknott Roman Fort
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardknott_Roman_Fort
The Fort at River's Bend
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fort_at_River%27s_Bend
Roman Lake District Audio Guides
English Heritage Audio Guides
soundcloud.com/ehaudio/sets/roman-lake-district-audio-guides
Hardknott mentioned in this Sonnet.
William Wordsworth
From, The River Duddon, A Series Of Sonnets, 1820. Numbered XVII 17
A dark plume fetch me from yon blasted yew,
Perched on whose top the Danish Raven croaks;
Aloft, the imperial Bird of Rome invokes
Departed ages, shedding where he flew
Loose fragments of wild wailing, that bestrew
The clouds and thrill the chambers of the rocks;
And into silence hush the timorous flocks,
That, calmly couching while the nightly dew
Moistened each fleece, beneath the twinkling stars
Slept amid that lone Camp on Hardknot’s height,
Whose Guardians bent the knee to Jove and Mars:
Or, near that mystic Round of Druid frame
Tardily sinking by its proper weight
Deep into patient Earth, from whose smooth breast it came!
Last minute entry for Thirty Thursday, invoking the GE 30 clause. Amtrak P30CH pooch No. 707 and litter mates hang out at the Sanford FL diesel shop in September 1987, as seen from the vestibule of the Silver Meteor.
能 - 百万
Noh - Hyakuman
---小川-Portfolio---
***Art Limited**Tumblr**Fotoblur*5px 小川 *5px B&W* *Béhance*
© Ogawasan 小川/Bach.sacha.Photography. All Rights Reserved.
España - Málaga - Teba - Castillo
ENGLISH
High on a rocky saddle in the mountains east of Ronda, some 15km north of Ardales, the small (pop: 4,000) town of Teba has one of the most extraordinary historical connections of any of Andalucía's pueblos.
Like many of its neighbours - although Teba doesn't have that many neighbours in this wild, semi-agricultural mountain region - Teba has a history stretching back to Roman and Neolithic times. Its true to claim to fame, however, is in the events of 25 August 1330. In the thick of the Reconquest, that year Teba was under siege by the armies of King Alfonso XI of Castilla, determined to take this important strategic site from the occupying Moors.
That day in 1330, Alfonso's forces received unexpected police backup from the army being led to the Crusades by Sir James Douglas, or Black Douglas, a fearsome warrior whose name was invoked against misbehaving children for centuries afterwards. Douglas had helped Robert the Bruce defeat Edward II and the English at Bannockburn in 1314. When Robert the Bruce died in 1329, his heart was cut out and placed in a small silver casket, said to be one of the king's favourites, and was taken by Douglas on his Crusade, ostensibly to give cheer to the soldiers.
En route through Spain, Douglas encountered Alfonso's army, and presented himself and a letter of introduction from then King Edward III. The bloodthirsty Crusader eagerly threw his forces behind those of Alfonso's, and in an attempt to inspire his men into even greater bravery hurled the locket containing Robert the Bruce's heart into the fray, plunging in after it.
The locket was retrieved but, alas, Black Douglas wasn't. The locket was returned to Melrose Abbey, where the new king, David II, son of Robert, wanted it buried. During archaeological investigations in 1996, a small container was found in the alleged site of the burial. It was found to contain a small conical casket about ten inches high by four in diameter at its base, tapering to a flat lid at the top about one and a half inches across. Although worn with age the casket was still in good condition and bore a legible inscription: 'The enclosed leaden casket containing a heart was found beneath Chapter House floor, March 1921, by His Majesty's Office of Works.' The casket containing the heart was not re-opened on this occasion, but buried again during a private ceremony at Melrose Abbey on 22 June 1998.
This was by no means Teba's only unlikely collision with Scottish history. The Moors repelled Alfonso and the unfortunate Black Douglas that year. A later passing Scottish Crusader army, led by the Earl of Selkirk, also engaged Teba's Moorish rulers, leaving behind a one-ton slab of Dumfriesshire marble, which is nowadays a commemorative plaque in the town's central Plaza de España, renamed Plaza de Douglas in the Crusader's honour. Alfonso's force s finally took the town in 1389.
Teba's earlier history is less dramatic. There is evidence of Neolithic settlements here and nearby in the Pilarejoarea and in the Palomas caves. The Romans considered it an important settlement, building the first defensive settlement at the hilltop site they called Attegua but now known as Teba la Vieja (Old Teba). It is said to have been the site of a famous battle between Julius Caesar and Pompey. In the 8th century invading Moors reinforced the Roman site with a walled interior precinct, or bailey, but shortly after the Moorish invasion the settlement was moved below the abandoned castle, and the settlement renamed Ostipo.
In its remote situation, Teba 'sat out' much of post-Reconquest history, perched above vast, dramatic sweeps of largely uninhabited farmland owned by the so-called latifundistas, basically, absentee landlords. Its wealth can be seen in the many mansions and handsome town houses lining its streets.
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ESPAÑOL
Teba es villa y municipio de la provincia de Málaga, en la comunidad autónoma de Andalucía, España. Está situado en el noroeste de la provincia, en la comarca de Guadalteba y dentro del partido judicial de Antequera.4
Su término municipal está atravesado por el río que da nombre a la comarca y ocupa una extensión de 142,95 km² que se extienden sobre un paisaje alomado de campos de cereales y olivar, a una altitud media de 555 msnm. Tiene una población de 4.001 habitantes, según la revisión del padrón municipal de 1 de enero de 2014.
El núcleo urbano de Teba se compone de casas blancas de arquitectura vernácula andaluza y viviendas señoriales y palacetes, presididos por un castillo andalusí y una iglesia barroca del siglo XVIII.5 La economía del municipio se sustenta en la agricultura y la ganadería, especialmente en la cría de porcinos y el cultivo del trigo y el olivo.
Los distintos yacimientos del municipio indican que el territorio de Teba estuvo poblado desde el Paleolítico y que fue un asentamiento íbero, romano y andalusí. Fue incorporado a la Corona de Castilla en 1330 por Alfonso XI, siendo instaurado el Condado de Teba en 1522 cuando la localidad y sus tierras ya estaban dominadas por el clan de los Guzmanes. Durante los siglos XIX y XX Teba destacó entre su entorno por la fuerza con que arraigó el movimiento obrero.
El término municipal de Teba tiene una extensión de 142,95 km². El casco urbano se encuentra situado a una altura de 555 metros sobre el nivel del mar. El terreno es predominantemente montañoso y abarca los cerros de Román y Gordo, que lo separan del municipio de Campillos; el de la Higuera, que limita con Ardales; el de Altamira, junto al límite con Almargen; los de San Cristóbal, la Camorra y el Camorrillo en la denominada Sierra de Teba o de La Camorra, la loma de La Lentejuela en la Sierra del mismo nombre y el de Enmedio en la Sierra de Ortegícar. Las mayores alturas las alcanzan el Cancho de Enmedio con 895 msnm y la Sierra de la Camorra con 750 msnm.
Todo el municipio se encuentra en la cuenca del río Guadalhorce, siendo los ríos principales el río Almargen o de La Venta y el río Guadalteba, el primero afluente del segundo, que a su vez es afluente del Guadalhorce. Los restantes cursos de agua son arroyos de escasa importancia que vierten sus aguas al mencionado río o directamente al Embalse del Guadalteba.
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- “Do not touch me…”
Gospel of John, chapter 20, verse 17 (John 20, 17)
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I was with you, Father,
at the moment of creation.
I could not fail to know the elements and master them.
What would it be to
lift the stone of a tomb
compared to your will as Creator?
You taught me how the world is composed
and made me your son,
but I was a participant
in creation.
The followers who followed me
believed in You and in me,
Your son.
They will be happy to see me rise again,
but I will weep
for those still chained
in hell,
and my hands
will silence their strident cries.
Poor souls,
who migrate toward nothingness.
The fear,
God,
of these blind depths,
of these people who have not had
the splendor of your reins.
Because you do not know,
Father,
what it means
to sit at Your right hand
as a king.
A gentle but not cowardly king
who mediates
between your divine wrath
and the lust and unbelief of man.
I,
who am just,
love man
and ask your forgiveness
through this slow agony
that has lasted for centuries
for the world.
Behold, Lord, I give you back my spirit
in the form of a white dove
that will fly toward heaven.
And no other way
have you built peace
than with the groins of a bird
that brings the olive branch to your lips.
Father,
I will rise again,
and I will sit at your right hand.
POEM OF THE CROSS - Alda Merini
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- “Noli me tangere …”
Vangelo di Giovanni, capitolo 20, versetto 17 (Giovanni 20, 17)
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- Ero con te, Padre,
al momento della creazione.
Non potevo non conoscere gli elementi e dominarli.
Cosa vuoi che sia
sollevare la pietra di un sepolcro
in confronto alla tua volontà di Creatore.
Tu mi hai insegnato come è composto il mondo
e mi hai reso figlio,
ma ero partecipe
della creazione.
I seguaci che mi hanno seguito
hanno creduto in Te e in me,
Tuo figlio.
Saranno felici di vedermi risorgere,
ma io piangerò
per quelli che sono ancora incatenati
nell'inferno
e le mie mani
faranno tacere i loro stridori.
Povere anime,
che migrano verso il nulla.
Lo spavento,
Dio,
di queste profondità cieche,
di questa gente che non ha avuto
lo splendore delle tue redini.
Perché tu non sai,
Padre,
cosa vuol dire
sedere alla Tua destra
in veste di re.
Un re mite ma non codardo
che fa da intermediario
tra la tua collera divina
e la lussuria e la miscredenza dell'uomo.
Io,
che sono giusto,
amo l'uomo
e ti chiedo perdono
attraverso questa lenta agonia
che dura da secoli
per il mondo.
Ecco, Signore, io ti rendo il mio spirito
in forma di bianca colomba
che volerà verso il cielo.
E non altrimenti
Tu hai costruito la pace
se non con gli inguini di un uccello
che porta l'ulivo alle tue labbra.
Padre,
io risorgerò,
e siederò alla Tua destra.
POEMA DELLA CROCE - Alda Merini
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This photographic story, with text, which I propose as my last work for Flickr in 2025 (2026 is now just a few minutes away), tells of the procession of the Holy Crucifix of Aracoeli, which took place in March of this year 2025 in the town of San Marco d'Alunzio (in the province of Messina). The procession normally begins on the morning of the last Friday of March each year, but there is an exception to this rule: when it coincides with Good Friday, then the procession is brought forward to the previous Friday. The procession of the Holy Crucifix of Aracoeli is an ancient penitential rite. On the feast day of the Crucifix, Holy Mass is celebrated in the Church of Aracoeli in San Marco d'Alunzio. On this occasion, the Holy Crucifix is celebrated. Crucifix (which is located in the church at the end of the right nave, at its feet is the painting of the Virgin of Sorrows pierced by seven swords), Christ on the Cross is removed by the devotees from the hook on which it is hanging, is carried outside the church, here it is raised and fixed on the float, the sermon of the priest who has climbed onto the float next to the Crucifix takes over, under the Cross is fixed the painting of His Sorrowful Mother, then they are carried in procession by the men (and women) in blue hoods called "babbaluti", they proceed invoking the pity and mercy of the Lord with a constant and rhythmic lament, saying "Signuri, Misericordia, Pietà!"; this is the norm, but this year the bad weather has brought some changes, the float on which they hoisted the SS. The crucifix with the kneeling babbaluti was not located in the churchyard, but inside the church. Christ was covered with a large sheet of cellophane to protect it from the rain, while the painting of the Madonna with swords in her heart was placed at her Son's feet only after the procession returned to the church. San Marco d'Alunzio is a charming town in the Messina area, located in the Nebrodi Mountains of Sicily. The procession takes place in honor of the Holy Crucifix of Araceli. This religious-penitential event is also known as the "procession of the babbaluti." These are those who, by vow or grace received, have chosen to carry the fercolo containing the crucifix and the painting on their shoulders in procession. they head to the nearby Church of Santa Maria dei Poveri or to some private home nearby where, sheltered from the curiosity of the faithful, they wear a simple but characteristic indigo-colored cloth habit, consisting of a tunic and a conical hood that covers the entire body and leaves only the eyes and hands free. It is not uncommon, however, for the penitents, rendered anonymous by the habit they wear, to also include women, who, to avoid any possibility of recognition, wear a pair of gloves; The babbaluti are 33 in number to commemorate the 33 years of Christ. The number is odd, in fact the 33rd babbaluto does not carry the vara. He (should be the “capo vara”) proceeds backwards, looking towards Christ and his Mother, and at the same time checks that everything is in order among the babbaluti, guiding the vara along the path, even if it is moving backwards (this is a way of proceeding in carrying the vara or fercolo, present in various Sicilian religious processions). So, the 32 (+1) "babbaluti" carry on their shoulders the float that bears the Holy Crucifix of the Araceli church (the statue of Christ was created by Scipione Li Volsi, in the year 1652, he was a sculptor and plasterer of the Sicilian Baroque), at whose feet, on the float, is tied the painting of Our Lady of Sorrows, whose chest appears pierced by seven swords (it is an 18th century painting), however, as already described, this year the painting, to protect it from the rain, was placed on the float only upon the return of the procession to the church. Before the procession begins, the babbaluti advance barefoot, wearing only heavy, hand-knitted stockings of raw wool. Before entering the church, they must walk a path of purification. When they approach the ancient church of Araceli, they bow and kiss the ground, thus receiving permission to enter the church. This, however, occurs through a side door, called the "false door" (in Sicilian dialect, "porta fausa"). Having entered the church from the side, they now exit through the main entrance, allowing them to take their places, kneeling in front and behind the float. To enter the "porta fausa," the babbaluti proceed in pairs, with the last babbaluti, the eldest, proceeding alone. After the priest's long-awaited speech, the procession can begin, winding through the streets of the picturesque and welcoming village of San Marco d'Alunzio. Along the way, the Babbaluti pace their steps, accompanying the mournful and plaintive jugular vein that invokes the Lord. Devout men and women walk alongside the Babbaluti, walking alongside the float, touching it, sometimes caressing it... just to have physical (and spiritual) contact with it. Finally, after completing a specific route, the procession returns to the ancient church (of Norman origins) of Aracoeli. Every time I attend this touching event, I am completely overwhelmed by emotion (which, however, I cannot abandon, lest I lose concentration while taking photos). The highlight is when the crucified Christ is removed from the hook fixed to the wall by expert men, and then carried (it seems to float) above the heads of the devotees, supported aloft with their hands, and hoisted and secured to the float. In these moments of intense emotion, it is common to see in the eyes of the devotees, shining with tears, that profound emotion of their relationship with this Christ, which has lasted forever: it is as if they were in the presence of the true Christ, in flesh and blood. This is the atmosphere experienced in those moments, this is the magic of the procession of the Most Holy Crucifix and His Mother, represented by the painting of Our Lady of Sorrows pierced by seven swords (an iconography of Spanish origin).
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Il presente racconto fotografico, con testo, che propongo come ultimo mio lavoro per Flickr dell’anno 2025 (oramai mancano pochi minuti al 2026) parla della processione del Santissimo Crocifisso di Aracoeli che si è tenuto nel marzo di quest’anno 2025 nel paese di San Marco d’Alunzio (in provincia di Messina). La processione normalmente inizia la mattina dell’ultimo venerdì del mese di marzo di ogni anno, c’è però una eccezione a questa regola, quando si realizza la coincidenza col Venerdì Santo, allora la processione viene anticipata al venerdì precedente. Quella del SS.Crocifisso di Aracoeli è un antico rito penitenziale, il giorno della festa del Crocifisso, a San Marco d'Alunzio si celebra la S. Messa nella Chiesa dell'Aracoeli, in questa occasione il SS. Crocifisso (che si trova nella chiesa in fondo alla navata di destra, ai suoi piedi è posto il quadro della Vergine Addolorata trafitta da sette spade), il Cristo sulla Croce viene tolto dai devoti dal gancio sul quale è appeso, viene portato all’esterno della chiesa, qui viene innalzato e fissato sulla vara, subentra il sermone del sacerdote salito sulla vara accanto al Crocifisso, sotto alla Croce viene fissato il quadro di sua Madre Addolorata, quindi vengono portati in processione dagli uomini (e donne) incappucciati di colore blu detti “babbaluti”, essi procedono invocando la pietà e la misericordia del Signore con un costante e ritmato lamento, dicendo “Signuri, Misericordia, Pietà!”; questa è la norma, ma quest’anno il cattivo tempo ha portato qualche cambiamento, la vara sulla quale hanno issato il SS. Crocifisso con i babbaluti messi in ginocchio, non si trovava sul sagrato davanti la chiesa, ma era dentro la chiesa, il Cristo veniva ricoperto con un ampio foglio di cellophane per proteggerlo dalla pioggia, mentre il quadro della Madonna con le spade nel cuore, è stato messo ai piedi di Suo Figlio solo al rientro della processione nella chiesa. San Marco d’Alunzio è un ameno paese del territorio Messinese, sito sui monti Nebrodi, in Sicilia; la processione si svolge proprio in onore del Santissimo Crocifisso di Araceli, è questa una ricorrenza religioso-penitenziale conosciuta anche come "processione dei babbaluti", essi sono coloro che per voto o per grazia ricevuta, hanno deciso di portare in processione sulle loro spalle il fercolo con il Crocifisso ed il quadro; essi si dirigono nella vicina Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Poveri o in qualche abitazione privata lì vicino dove, al riparo dalla curiosità dei fedeli, indossano un semplice ma caratteristico saio di tela di colore indaco, costituito da una tunica e un cappuccio di forma conica tale da coprire l'intero corpo e lasciare liberi solo gli occhi e le mani, non è raro purtuttavia che tra i penitenti, resi anonimi dal saio che indossano, vi siano anche delle donne, le quali per evitare qualsiasi possibilità di riconoscimento, indossano un paio di guanti; i babbaluti sono in numero di 33 per rievocare i 33 anni di Cristo, il numero è dispari, infatti il 33° babbaluto non porta la vara, egli (dovrebbe essere il “capo vara”) procede all’indietro, rivolgendo lo sguardo al Cristo ed a sua Madre, e nel contempo controlla che tutto sia in ordine tra i babbaluti, guidando la vara lungo il percorso, anche se il suo andamento è a ritroso, (questo è un modo di procedere nel portare la vara o fercolo, presente in diverse processioni religiose siciliane). Quindi, i 32 (+1) "babbaluti" portano sulle loro spalle la vara che reca il Santo Crocifisso della chiesa dell’Araceli (la statua del Cristo è stata creata da Scipione Li Volsi, nell'anno 1652, egli fu uno scultore e stuccatore del barocco SIciliano), ai cui piedi, sulla vara, viene legato il quadro della Madonna Addolorata, il cui petto appare trafitto da sette spade ( è un dipinto del XVIII secolo), purtuttavia come già descritto, quest’anno il quadro, per proteggerlo dalla pioggia, è stato messo sulla vara solo al rientro della processione in chiesa. I babbaluti prima dell'inizio della processione avanzano a piedi scalzi indossando solo delle pesanti calze di lana grezza realizzate a mano, devono percorrere, prima di entrare in chiesa, un cammino di purificazione: quando essi giungono in prossimità dell'antica chiesa dell'Araceli, essi si chinano e baciano in terra, ricevendo in tal modo il permesso per poter accedere dentro la chiesa, questo però avviene da una porta laterale, chiamata "falsa porta" (In dialetto siciliano “porta fausa”), una volta entrati in chiesa lateralmente, ora fuoriescono dall'ingresso principale, potendo così prendere posto, inginocchiandosi sul davanti ed alle spalle, della vara; i babbaluti per accedere alla “porta fausa” procedono in coppia, l’ultimo babbaluto procede da solo, lui è il più anziano tra i babbaluti; seguirà l'atteso discorso del sacerdote, terminato, potrà iniziare la processione che si svolge per le vie del pittoresco ed accogliente paese di San Marco d'Alunzio. Lungo il percorso i Babbaluti cadenzano la propria andatura accompagnandosi alla mesta e lamentosa giugulatoria che invoca il Signore . Ci sono uomini e donne devoti che procedono assieme ai babbaluti camminando a lato della vara, toccandola, ora accarezzandola...pur di avere un contatto fisico (e di rimando spirituale) con essa. Infine, dopo aver compiuto un preciso percorso, la processione fa rientro nell'antica chiesa (di origini Normanne) dell'Aracoeli. Ogniqualvolta sono presente a questa toccante ricorrenza sono completamente inondato da emozioni (alle quali però non posso abbandonarmi, perderei la concentrazione nel realizzare le foto), il momento clou è quando il Cristo Crocifisso viene tolto dal gancio fissato sul muro da uomini esperti, per poi essere portato (sembra galleggiare) sopra la testa dei devoti, sostenuto in alto con le mani, ed essere issato e fissato sulla vara; in questi momenti di intensa emozione è comune vedere negli occhi dei devoti, lucidi di lacrime, quella emozione profonda del loro rapporto con questo Cristo, che dura da sempre: è come se si trovassero al cospetto del Cristo vero, in carne ed ossa, questa è l’atmosfera che si vive in quei momenti, questa è la magia della processione del SS. Crocifisso e di Sua Madre, rappresentata dal quadro dell’Addolorata trafitta da sette spade (iconografia di origine spagnola).
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Not original by any means but for me this image just invokes the memory of what I think of when I’m missing being out west in Wyoming.
Under Tolai law, a person administering punishment acting as a Duk Duk spirit (dressed in the traditional ceremonial costume on the photo) was not liable because it was said to be done by a spirit invoked and residing in that man's body. This included cases when Duk Duk burnt houses and killed people including their own relatives.
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- “Do not touch me…”
Gospel of John, chapter 20, verse 17 (John 20, 17)
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I was with you, Father,
at the moment of creation.
I could not fail to know the elements and master them.
What would it be to
lift the stone of a tomb
compared to your will as Creator?
You taught me how the world is composed
and made me your son,
but I was a participant
in creation.
The followers who followed me
believed in You and in me,
Your son.
They will be happy to see me rise again,
but I will weep
for those still chained
in hell,
and my hands
will silence their strident cries.
Poor souls,
who migrate toward nothingness.
The fear,
God,
of these blind depths,
of these people who have not had
the splendor of your reins.
Because you do not know,
Father,
what it means
to sit at Your right hand
as a king.
A gentle but not cowardly king
who mediates
between your divine wrath
and the lust and unbelief of man.
I,
who am just,
love man
and ask your forgiveness
through this slow agony
that has lasted for centuries
for the world.
Behold, Lord, I give you back my spirit
in the form of a white dove
that will fly toward heaven.
And no other way
have you built peace
than with the groins of a bird
that brings the olive branch to your lips.
Father,
I will rise again,
and I will sit at your right hand.
POEM OF THE CROSS - Alda Merini
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- “Noli me tangere …”
Vangelo di Giovanni, capitolo 20, versetto 17 (Giovanni 20, 17)
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- Ero con te, Padre,
al momento della creazione.
Non potevo non conoscere gli elementi e dominarli.
Cosa vuoi che sia
sollevare la pietra di un sepolcro
in confronto alla tua volontà di Creatore.
Tu mi hai insegnato come è composto il mondo
e mi hai reso figlio,
ma ero partecipe
della creazione.
I seguaci che mi hanno seguito
hanno creduto in Te e in me,
Tuo figlio.
Saranno felici di vedermi risorgere,
ma io piangerò
per quelli che sono ancora incatenati
nell'inferno
e le mie mani
faranno tacere i loro stridori.
Povere anime,
che migrano verso il nulla.
Lo spavento,
Dio,
di queste profondità cieche,
di questa gente che non ha avuto
lo splendore delle tue redini.
Perché tu non sai,
Padre,
cosa vuol dire
sedere alla Tua destra
in veste di re.
Un re mite ma non codardo
che fa da intermediario
tra la tua collera divina
e la lussuria e la miscredenza dell'uomo.
Io,
che sono giusto,
amo l'uomo
e ti chiedo perdono
attraverso questa lenta agonia
che dura da secoli
per il mondo.
Ecco, Signore, io ti rendo il mio spirito
in forma di bianca colomba
che volerà verso il cielo.
E non altrimenti
Tu hai costruito la pace
se non con gli inguini di un uccello
che porta l'ulivo alle tue labbra.
Padre,
io risorgerò,
e siederò alla Tua destra.
POEMA DELLA CROCE - Alda Merini
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This photographic story, with text, which I propose as my last work for Flickr in 2025 (2026 is now just a few minutes away), tells of the procession of the Holy Crucifix of Aracoeli, which took place in March of this year 2025 in the town of San Marco d'Alunzio (in the province of Messina). The procession normally begins on the morning of the last Friday of March each year, but there is an exception to this rule: when it coincides with Good Friday, then the procession is brought forward to the previous Friday. The procession of the Holy Crucifix of Aracoeli is an ancient penitential rite. On the feast day of the Crucifix, Holy Mass is celebrated in the Church of Aracoeli in San Marco d'Alunzio. On this occasion, the Holy Crucifix is celebrated. Crucifix (which is located in the church at the end of the right nave, at its feet is the painting of the Virgin of Sorrows pierced by seven swords), Christ on the Cross is removed by the devotees from the hook on which it is hanging, is carried outside the church, here it is raised and fixed on the float, the sermon of the priest who has climbed onto the float next to the Crucifix takes over, under the Cross is fixed the painting of His Sorrowful Mother, then they are carried in procession by the men (and women) in blue hoods called "babbaluti", they proceed invoking the pity and mercy of the Lord with a constant and rhythmic lament, saying "Signuri, Misericordia, Pietà!"; this is the norm, but this year the bad weather has brought some changes, the float on which they hoisted the SS. The crucifix with the kneeling babbaluti was not located in the churchyard, but inside the church. Christ was covered with a large sheet of cellophane to protect it from the rain, while the painting of the Madonna with swords in her heart was placed at her Son's feet only after the procession returned to the church. San Marco d'Alunzio is a charming town in the Messina area, located in the Nebrodi Mountains of Sicily. The procession takes place in honor of the Holy Crucifix of Araceli. This religious-penitential event is also known as the "procession of the babbaluti." These are those who, by vow or grace received, have chosen to carry the fercolo containing the crucifix and the painting on their shoulders in procession. they head to the nearby Church of Santa Maria dei Poveri or to some private home nearby where, sheltered from the curiosity of the faithful, they wear a simple but characteristic indigo-colored cloth habit, consisting of a tunic and a conical hood that covers the entire body and leaves only the eyes and hands free. It is not uncommon, however, for the penitents, rendered anonymous by the habit they wear, to also include women, who, to avoid any possibility of recognition, wear a pair of gloves; The babbaluti are 33 in number to commemorate the 33 years of Christ. The number is odd, in fact the 33rd babbaluto does not carry the vara. He (should be the “capo vara”) proceeds backwards, looking towards Christ and his Mother, and at the same time checks that everything is in order among the babbaluti, guiding the vara along the path, even if it is moving backwards (this is a way of proceeding in carrying the vara or fercolo, present in various Sicilian religious processions). So, the 32 (+1) "babbaluti" carry on their shoulders the float that bears the Holy Crucifix of the Araceli church (the statue of Christ was created by Scipione Li Volsi, in the year 1652, he was a sculptor and plasterer of the Sicilian Baroque), at whose feet, on the float, is tied the painting of Our Lady of Sorrows, whose chest appears pierced by seven swords (it is an 18th century painting), however, as already described, this year the painting, to protect it from the rain, was placed on the float only upon the return of the procession to the church. Before the procession begins, the babbaluti advance barefoot, wearing only heavy, hand-knitted stockings of raw wool. Before entering the church, they must walk a path of purification. When they approach the ancient church of Araceli, they bow and kiss the ground, thus receiving permission to enter the church. This, however, occurs through a side door, called the "false door" (in Sicilian dialect, "porta fausa"). Having entered the church from the side, they now exit through the main entrance, allowing them to take their places, kneeling in front and behind the float. To enter the "porta fausa," the babbaluti proceed in pairs, with the last babbaluti, the eldest, proceeding alone. After the priest's long-awaited speech, the procession can begin, winding through the streets of the picturesque and welcoming village of San Marco d'Alunzio. Along the way, the Babbaluti pace their steps, accompanying the mournful and plaintive jugular vein that invokes the Lord. Devout men and women walk alongside the Babbaluti, walking alongside the float, touching it, sometimes caressing it... just to have physical (and spiritual) contact with it. Finally, after completing a specific route, the procession returns to the ancient church (of Norman origins) of Aracoeli. Every time I attend this touching event, I am completely overwhelmed by emotion (which, however, I cannot abandon, lest I lose concentration while taking photos). The highlight is when the crucified Christ is removed from the hook fixed to the wall by expert men, and then carried (it seems to float) above the heads of the devotees, supported aloft with their hands, and hoisted and secured to the float. In these moments of intense emotion, it is common to see in the eyes of the devotees, shining with tears, that profound emotion of their relationship with this Christ, which has lasted forever: it is as if they were in the presence of the true Christ, in flesh and blood. This is the atmosphere experienced in those moments, this is the magic of the procession of the Most Holy Crucifix and His Mother, represented by the painting of Our Lady of Sorrows pierced by seven swords (an iconography of Spanish origin).
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Il presente racconto fotografico, con testo, che propongo come ultimo mio lavoro per Flickr dell’anno 2025 (oramai mancano pochi minuti al 2026) parla della processione del Santissimo Crocifisso di Aracoeli che si è tenuto nel marzo di quest’anno 2025 nel paese di San Marco d’Alunzio (in provincia di Messina). La processione normalmente inizia la mattina dell’ultimo venerdì del mese di marzo di ogni anno, c’è però una eccezione a questa regola, quando si realizza la coincidenza col Venerdì Santo, allora la processione viene anticipata al venerdì precedente. Quella del SS.Crocifisso di Aracoeli è un antico rito penitenziale, il giorno della festa del Crocifisso, a San Marco d'Alunzio si celebra la S. Messa nella Chiesa dell'Aracoeli, in questa occasione il SS. Crocifisso (che si trova nella chiesa in fondo alla navata di destra, ai suoi piedi è posto il quadro della Vergine Addolorata trafitta da sette spade), il Cristo sulla Croce viene tolto dai devoti dal gancio sul quale è appeso, viene portato all’esterno della chiesa, qui viene innalzato e fissato sulla vara, subentra il sermone del sacerdote salito sulla vara accanto al Crocifisso, sotto alla Croce viene fissato il quadro di sua Madre Addolorata, quindi vengono portati in processione dagli uomini (e donne) incappucciati di colore blu detti “babbaluti”, essi procedono invocando la pietà e la misericordia del Signore con un costante e ritmato lamento, dicendo “Signuri, Misericordia, Pietà!”; questa è la norma, ma quest’anno il cattivo tempo ha portato qualche cambiamento, la vara sulla quale hanno issato il SS. Crocifisso con i babbaluti messi in ginocchio, non si trovava sul sagrato davanti la chiesa, ma era dentro la chiesa, il Cristo veniva ricoperto con un ampio foglio di cellophane per proteggerlo dalla pioggia, mentre il quadro della Madonna con le spade nel cuore, è stato messo ai piedi di Suo Figlio solo al rientro della processione nella chiesa. San Marco d’Alunzio è un ameno paese del territorio Messinese, sito sui monti Nebrodi, in Sicilia; la processione si svolge proprio in onore del Santissimo Crocifisso di Araceli, è questa una ricorrenza religioso-penitenziale conosciuta anche come "processione dei babbaluti", essi sono coloro che per voto o per grazia ricevuta, hanno deciso di portare in processione sulle loro spalle il fercolo con il Crocifisso ed il quadro; essi si dirigono nella vicina Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Poveri o in qualche abitazione privata lì vicino dove, al riparo dalla curiosità dei fedeli, indossano un semplice ma caratteristico saio di tela di colore indaco, costituito da una tunica e un cappuccio di forma conica tale da coprire l'intero corpo e lasciare liberi solo gli occhi e le mani, non è raro purtuttavia che tra i penitenti, resi anonimi dal saio che indossano, vi siano anche delle donne, le quali per evitare qualsiasi possibilità di riconoscimento, indossano un paio di guanti; i babbaluti sono in numero di 33 per rievocare i 33 anni di Cristo, il numero è dispari, infatti il 33° babbaluto non porta la vara, egli (dovrebbe essere il “capo vara”) procede all’indietro, rivolgendo lo sguardo al Cristo ed a sua Madre, e nel contempo controlla che tutto sia in ordine tra i babbaluti, guidando la vara lungo il percorso, anche se il suo andamento è a ritroso, (questo è un modo di procedere nel portare la vara o fercolo, presente in diverse processioni religiose siciliane). Quindi, i 32 (+1) "babbaluti" portano sulle loro spalle la vara che reca il Santo Crocifisso della chiesa dell’Araceli (la statua del Cristo è stata creata da Scipione Li Volsi, nell'anno 1652, egli fu uno scultore e stuccatore del barocco SIciliano), ai cui piedi, sulla vara, viene legato il quadro della Madonna Addolorata, il cui petto appare trafitto da sette spade ( è un dipinto del XVIII secolo), purtuttavia come già descritto, quest’anno il quadro, per proteggerlo dalla pioggia, è stato messo sulla vara solo al rientro della processione in chiesa. I babbaluti prima dell'inizio della processione avanzano a piedi scalzi indossando solo delle pesanti calze di lana grezza realizzate a mano, devono percorrere, prima di entrare in chiesa, un cammino di purificazione: quando essi giungono in prossimità dell'antica chiesa dell'Araceli, essi si chinano e baciano in terra, ricevendo in tal modo il permesso per poter accedere dentro la chiesa, questo però avviene da una porta laterale, chiamata "falsa porta" (In dialetto siciliano “porta fausa”), una volta entrati in chiesa lateralmente, ora fuoriescono dall'ingresso principale, potendo così prendere posto, inginocchiandosi sul davanti ed alle spalle, della vara; i babbaluti per accedere alla “porta fausa” procedono in coppia, l’ultimo babbaluto procede da solo, lui è il più anziano tra i babbaluti; seguirà l'atteso discorso del sacerdote, terminato, potrà iniziare la processione che si svolge per le vie del pittoresco ed accogliente paese di San Marco d'Alunzio. Lungo il percorso i Babbaluti cadenzano la propria andatura accompagnandosi alla mesta e lamentosa giugulatoria che invoca il Signore . Ci sono uomini e donne devoti che procedono assieme ai babbaluti camminando a lato della vara, toccandola, ora accarezzandola...pur di avere un contatto fisico (e di rimando spirituale) con essa. Infine, dopo aver compiuto un preciso percorso, la processione fa rientro nell'antica chiesa (di origini Normanne) dell'Aracoeli. Ogniqualvolta sono presente a questa toccante ricorrenza sono completamente inondato da emozioni (alle quali però non posso abbandonarmi, perderei la concentrazione nel realizzare le foto), il momento clou è quando il Cristo Crocifisso viene tolto dal gancio fissato sul muro da uomini esperti, per poi essere portato (sembra galleggiare) sopra la testa dei devoti, sostenuto in alto con le mani, ed essere issato e fissato sulla vara; in questi momenti di intensa emozione è comune vedere negli occhi dei devoti, lucidi di lacrime, quella emozione profonda del loro rapporto con questo Cristo, che dura da sempre: è come se si trovassero al cospetto del Cristo vero, in carne ed ossa, questa è l’atmosfera che si vive in quei momenti, questa è la magia della processione del SS. Crocifisso e di Sua Madre, rappresentata dal quadro dell’Addolorata trafitta da sette spade (iconografia di origine spagnola).
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The two photo’s (Light in the Forest, Forest of Light) are connected by location and subject.
This one is taken in a small wooded area surrounding Keele Hall, Staffordshire and depicts the light shining through the trees and has the title “Light in the Forest”
The Other is a night time view of a sculpture a few hundred yards away by Diane Maclean, titled “Forest of Light” situated in the grounds of Keele University, Staffordshire.
Both images together invoke many meanings and connotations to an individual, I’ll leave it to you to decide……………...
Saint Roch or Rocco (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79 (traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327) was a Catholic saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy. He is specially invoked against the plague. He may also be called Rock in English, and has the designation of St Rollox in Glasgow, Scotland, said to be a corruption of St. Roch's Loch. He is a patron saint of dogs, falsely accused people, bachelors, and several other things. He is also the patron saint of Casamassima, Italy
Meyer Optik Trioplan 100mm 2.8
Aperture was wide open.
Everything around a cottage seems to invoke the wisdom of relaxation. A thing is either shrouded in cobwebs or speckled with pinecones, dock spiders roam unchecked, and the smartest response might be to say "I'm okay with all that."
In the island's northwest lies this sinuous canyon seemingly carved into the earth by a master builder. The exposed rock and lack of plant life are quite startling and invoke a quiet sense of awe. The canyon's rounded edges and sharp corners create a symphony in stone of imposing proportions. You can climb up to the intersection of two narrow vertical canyons and drink from a chah (well) that has been used by shepherds for centuries.
The Angolan Pavilion for the 56th Biennale di Venezia is titled “On Ways of Travelling,” yet the exhibition more accurately invokes some of the barriers to the freedom of movement that are experienced by many in Angola, and elsewhere in Africa – visas, economic hardship, borders and road traffic. Yet “travel,” in this context, is not only meant to signify physical movement; it also refers to the meeting of disparate worldviews, lifestyles and temporalities, as well as to states of dreaming, desire and longing for change. The subject is nowhere more relevant than the present context in La Biennale di Venezia, an essential destination for international art tourism and an early precedent for the phenomenon of the ‘global exhibition’ of contemporary art.
Approaching the Pavilion itself feels like a form of travel through time and space: the exhibition is mounted on the second floor of the Palazzo Pisani, a Baroque Venetian palace on the Grand Canal that now houses the Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello. In order to reach the installations, one traverses a richly decorated entrance hall to the sound of music students convening and rehearsing.
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*At МЕЙ ѲЙLЧ ЕѴЕЙТ opening Oct 20, 2023 - Nov 15, 2023.
•.: CORAZON:. Tattoo GHOST :.
•-L'Emporio&PL::*Invoked*::for Swallow XL Gauged
•blaink. - The Hall FatPack
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*At ТМD ЕѴЕЙТ opening Nov 5, 2023 - Nov 31, 2023.
•f u o e y . Jean
•[MAGNIFICENT] JOEY Hair / Smart HB LeL
•[Traume] Intrusion Pants Black - .
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•Orsini Jewelry MARCO Necklace🚖ѲЯЅІЙІ JЕШЕLЯЧ ЅТѲЯЕ🚖
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*At ТНЕ ШАЯЕНѲUЅЕ ЅАLЕ ЕѴЕЙТ opening Oct 23, 2023 - Nov 18, 2023.
•[TNK x TRV] - WIZARD MANDRAKE
There are thousands of species of flies in the world.
Flies are one of the weakest, yet strongest insect ever. All attempts to get rid of those flies failed.
Flies are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُوا ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ ۖ وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْئًا لَّا يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ۚ ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ (73) مَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ (74) اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ (75) يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۗ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ (76) يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ارْكَعُوا وَاسْجُدُوا وَاعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَافْعَلُوا الْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ۩
[The Holy Qur'an 22:73:77]
A translation of the meaning of the above verse follows:
(73) O people, an example is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allah will never create [as much as] a fly, even if they gathered together for that purpose. And if the fly should steal away from them a [tiny] thing, they could not recover it from him. Weak are the pursuer and pursued. (74) They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.
(75) Allah chooses from the angels messengers and from the people. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing. (76) He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them. And to Allah will be returned [all] matters.
(77) O you who have believed, bow and prostrate and worship your Lord and do good - that you may succeed.
Here is a recitation of the above verses in Arabic. Hope you like it:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsEzKH4Tl9g
Why is it so hard to swat a fly?
This image invokes a sense of tranquility and calm when I look at it now. That's kind of funny, because the overpowering emotion that I had when I took the shot was pure frustration.
I had spent a good part of a day scouting for locations near Mt. Shuksan in Washington state's Cascade Range. Wildflowers were few and far between but I found a handful by this small lake. You could only see Shuksan's reflection from a tiny part of the lakeside, but it was perfect. I marked the spot on my GPS and returned a few hours later for sunset.
Unfortunately, another photographer and a group of her friends were already set up in 'my' spot.
With the light fading, I ranged back and forth along the bank taking photos from spots to their left and right with a growing sense of frustration. I was ticked off at myself for not getting their earlier and prayed that they would move....but they stayed firmly rooted until the last of the sun's red glow faded from the snow atop Shuksan.
In retrospect, being forced to shoot from a non-ideal location may have actually been a good thing. It forced me to concentrate and work with what I had available taking time to really think about my framing, focus and composition.
Jeff
My Website ¦ My Blog ¦ Google+¦ Facebook
PS: The location is Highland Lake, which is only a few minutes from the more popular Picture Lake.
Featured in Explore on Sept. 21, 2017
Sagrada Família, Barcelona, España.
El Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia, conocido simplemente como la Sagrada Familia, es una basílica católica de Barcelona (España), diseñada por el arquitecto Antoni Gaudí. Iniciada en 1882, todavía está en construcción (noviembre de 2016). Es la obra maestra de Gaudí, y el máximo exponente de la arquitectura modernista catalana.
La Sagrada Familia es un reflejo de la plenitud artística de Gaudí: trabajó en ella durante la mayor parte de su carrera profesional, pero especialmente en los últimos años de su carrera, donde llegó a la culminación de su estilo naturalista, haciendo una síntesis de todas las soluciones y estilos probados hasta aquel entonces. Gaudí logró una perfecta armonía en la interrelación entre los elementos estructurales y los ornamentales, entre plástica y estética, entre función y forma, entre contenido y continente, logrando la integración de todas las artes en un todo estructurado y lógico.
La Sagrada Familia tiene planta de cruz latina, de cinco naves centrales y transepto de tres naves, y ábside con siete capillas. Ostenta tres fachadas dedicadas al Nacimiento, Pasión y Gloria de Jesús y, cuando esté concluida, tendrá 18 torres: cuatro en cada portal haciendo un total de doce por los apóstoles, cuatro sobre el crucero invocando a los evangelistas, una sobre el ábside dedicada a la Virgen y la torre-cimborio central en honor a Jesús, que alcanzará los 172,5 metros de altura. El templo dispondrá de dos sacristías junto al ábside, y de tres grandes capillas: la de la Asunción en el ábside y las del Bautismo y la Penitencia junto a la fachada principal; asimismo, estará rodeado de un claustro pensado para las procesiones y para aislar el templo del exterior. Gaudí aplicó a la Sagrada Familia un alto contenido simbólico, tanto en arquitectura como en escultura, dedicando a cada parte del templo un significado religioso.
The Expiatory Church of the Sagrada Familia, known simply as the Sagrada Familia, is a Roman Catholic basilica in Barcelona, Spain, designed by architect Antoni Gaudí. Begun in 1882, it is still under construction (November 2016). It is Gaudí's masterpiece and the greatest exponent of Catalan modernist architecture.
The Sagrada Familia is a reflection of Gaudí's artistic plenitude: he worked on it for most of his professional career, but especially in his later years, where he reached the culmination of his naturalistic style, synthesizing all the solutions and styles he had tried up to that point. Gaudí achieved perfect harmony in the interrelationship between structural and ornamental elements, between plasticity and aesthetics, between function and form, between content and container, achieving the integration of all the arts into a structured and logical whole. The Sagrada Familia has a Latin cross plan, five central naves, a three-aisled transept, and an apse with seven chapels. It boasts three façades dedicated to the Birth, Passion, and Glory of Jesus. When completed, it will have 18 towers: four at each portal, making a total of twelve for the apostles, four over the transept invoking the evangelists, one over the apse dedicated to the Virgin, and the central dome tower in honor of Jesus, which will reach 172.5 meters in height. The temple will have two sacristies next to the apse and three large chapels: the Assumption Chapel in the apse and the Baptism and Penance Chapels next to the main façade. It will also be surrounded by a cloister designed for processions and to isolate the temple from the exterior. Gaudí applied a highly symbolic content to the Sagrada Familia, both in architecture and sculpture, dedicating each part of the temple to a religious significance.
For Macro Mondays Group
Subject: In A Line
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These are Buddhist prayer flags that are strung across my bookshelf. Each flag presents a symbol and one word of the Sanskrit mantra 'Om mani padme hum'.
Tibetan Buddhists believe that saying the mantra (prayer), Om Mani Padme Hum, out loud or silently to oneself, invokes the embodiment of compassion. Viewing the written form of the mantra is said to have the same effect -- it is often carved into stones and placed where people can see them.
This is a shot of burning the efigy of Kumbhkarna,brother of King Ravana.
On left is the efigy of Ravana ....we were very near to the the place so had to run few yards to save ourselves from crackers inside the efigy.
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Dussehra, also called Vijayadashmi, is one of the fascinating festivals of India and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm for ten continuous days.
The first nine nights are spent in the worship of goddess Durga and hence these nights are known as "Navaratri". This festival falls in the month of Ashwin (September / October).
The tenth day of the Dassera day is in honour of Durga Devi.
It also commemorates the death of the evil king Ravana along with his son Meghanath and brother Kumbhakaran, at the hands of Rama.
The farmers invoke her blessings because this festival coincides with the period of rest and leisure after their strenuous work in the fields. The farmers with her blessings wait with tremendous hopes for a bountiful harvest.
Legend of Dusshera Festival
According to the Ramayana, Rama was the exiled prince of Ayodhya. While living in the forest, his wife Sita was abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka. Rama, assisted by an army of monkeys, attacked Lanka to rescue her.
A fierce battle ensued between the two armies for many days as it was proving very difficult to beat the mighty Ravana. Rama then prayed for nine days to nine different aspects of Durga and accumulated enough strength to defeat Ravana.Durga divulged the secret to Ram how he could kill Ravana.
Then after vanquishing him, Ram with Sita and Laxman returned victorious to his kingdom of Ayodhya on Dassera day. Therefore, the festival of Durgotsava and Dassera is celebrated more in honour of Prabhu Ramchandra than Durgadevi .
Ramalila, a dance-drama narrating the story of Rama's life according to the Ramayana, is enacted for the nine days preceding Dussehra. Almost every area stages its own version of the play, preparations for which take place many days in advance.
Abraham Rattner
Valley of Dry Bones, 1963
Lithograph
“The macabre vision that God gives Ezekiel in 37:1–14 is to me one of the most compelling in all of scripture. In it God brings Ezekiel to a valley filled with dried-up human bones (the aftermath of a battle) and commands him to prophesy life to the bones. As he does, they start to reassemble into human shapes, then they grow tissue, then flesh. But they have no breath. So Ezekiel invokes the Spirit of God to come fill the corpses, and when the Spirit does, the corpses transform into live beings.
The dry bones in the vision represent the hopelessness of divided, dispersed Israel. She was “dead” as a nation, deprived of her land, her king, and her temple. But God promises to restore Israel physically and spiritually. The reanimation of the dry bones is a sign of that promise”
Genesis 6:11 “The [population of the] earth was corrupt [absolutely depraved—spiritually and morally putrid] in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence [desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power].”
A Canadian Federal court ruled that invoking the Emergencies Act during the Trucker Freedom Convoy was not justified and led to infringement of Charter rights.
Sagrada Família, Barcelona, España.
El Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia, conocido simplemente como la Sagrada Familia, es una basílica católica de Barcelona (España), diseñada por el arquitecto Antoni Gaudí. Iniciada en 1882, todavía está en construcción (noviembre de 2016). Es la obra maestra de Gaudí, y el máximo exponente de la arquitectura modernista catalana.
La Sagrada Familia es un reflejo de la plenitud artística de Gaudí: trabajó en ella durante la mayor parte de su carrera profesional, pero especialmente en los últimos años de su carrera, donde llegó a la culminación de su estilo naturalista, haciendo una síntesis de todas las soluciones y estilos probados hasta aquel entonces. Gaudí logró una perfecta armonía en la interrelación entre los elementos estructurales y los ornamentales, entre plástica y estética, entre función y forma, entre contenido y continente, logrando la integración de todas las artes en un todo estructurado y lógico.
La Sagrada Familia tiene planta de cruz latina, de cinco naves centrales y transepto de tres naves, y ábside con siete capillas. Ostenta tres fachadas dedicadas al Nacimiento, Pasión y Gloria de Jesús y, cuando esté concluida, tendrá 18 torres: cuatro en cada portal haciendo un total de doce por los apóstoles, cuatro sobre el crucero invocando a los evangelistas, una sobre el ábside dedicada a la Virgen y la torre-cimborio central en honor a Jesús, que alcanzará los 172,5 metros de altura. El templo dispondrá de dos sacristías junto al ábside, y de tres grandes capillas: la de la Asunción en el ábside y las del Bautismo y la Penitencia junto a la fachada principal; asimismo, estará rodeado de un claustro pensado para las procesiones y para aislar el templo del exterior. Gaudí aplicó a la Sagrada Familia un alto contenido simbólico, tanto en arquitectura como en escultura, dedicando a cada parte del templo un significado religioso.
The Expiatory Church of the Sagrada Familia, known simply as the Sagrada Familia, is a Roman Catholic basilica in Barcelona, Spain, designed by architect Antoni Gaudí. Begun in 1882, it is still under construction (November 2016). It is Gaudí's masterpiece and the greatest exponent of Catalan modernist architecture.
The Sagrada Familia is a reflection of Gaudí's artistic plenitude: he worked on it for most of his professional career, but especially in his later years, where he reached the culmination of his naturalistic style, synthesizing all the solutions and styles he had tried up to that point. Gaudí achieved perfect harmony in the interrelationship between structural and ornamental elements, between plasticity and aesthetics, between function and form, between content and container, achieving the integration of all the arts into a structured and logical whole. The Sagrada Familia has a Latin cross plan, five central naves, a three-aisled transept, and an apse with seven chapels. It boasts three façades dedicated to the Birth, Passion, and Glory of Jesus. When completed, it will have 18 towers: four at each portal, making a total of twelve for the apostles, four over the transept invoking the evangelists, one over the apse dedicated to the Virgin, and the central dome tower in honor of Jesus, which will reach 172.5 meters in height. The temple will have two sacristies next to the apse and three large chapels: the Assumption Chapel in the apse and the Baptism and Penance Chapels next to the main façade. It will also be surrounded by a cloister designed for processions and to isolate the temple from the exterior. Gaudí applied a highly symbolic content to the Sagrada Familia, both in architecture and sculpture, dedicating each part of the temple to a religious significance.
The golden autumn in the forest in impressionistic style.
"The depiction in photography of emotion or character by details intended to achieve a vividness or effectiveness more by invoking subjective and sensory impressions than by recreating an objective reality.
The key to seeing the world's soul, and in the process wakening one's own, is to get over the confusion by which we think that fact is real and imagination an illusion. It is the other way around.
The great tradition of still photography is documentation, the representation of objective reality. The photographer observes a scene, situation, or object and responds to it by endeavouring to show it as it appears. The average person on vacation, the parent who is photographing his or her family, and probably a large majority of serious amateurs and professionals operate mainly within this tradition. However, there is a second tradition, that of altering physical reality for the purpose of expressing the photographer's personal response to specific subject matter or to a concept or idea."
Freeman Patterson.
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