PUT THE LINK HERE photos on Flickr

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Notes

1. "Bombay Blood Type (hh type)"

•Characteristics: A rare blood type that lacks the usual ABO antigens — cannot be classified as A, B, or O.

•Discovery: First identified in 1952 in Mumbai, India (formerly Bombay).

•Prevalence: Roughly 1 in 10,000 people in India; globally, about 1 in 2.5 million.

•Transfusion Compatibility: Only compatible with blood from other Bombay type donors.

2. 2024 Harvard University Valedictorian Speech – The Power of Not Knowing

3. Shots Fired at Trump Rally

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54639396885/in/dateposted...

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Saipan. USA. 2016. LUMIX G3 shot … 12 / 12

サイパン。アメリカ。２０１６。LUMIX G3 shot … 12 / 12

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僕の新しい小説。

　B♭　（ビーフラット）

まだまだ投下します。😃

(最終稿ではありません。)

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場面　ガーデン３−４

　指揮官席に深く腰を落としていたジャックは、青白いモニター群をくまなく睨んでいた。

　カメラ番号A17、A18、A19──いずれもアリーナ中央を捉えている。だが、スタンド席西側の警備員の視線が集中していたのは、そこではなかった。彼が見つめていたのはセクション212の非常扉だった。その扉のセンサーが、わずか一度だけ、反応を示し、ディスプレイに赤い警告が走った。

「不審な動きだな。ドアのセンサーが一瞬、点いた」

　ジャックの低い声が、ベンのイヤピースを震わせた。

　ベンは即座に頭上のモニターを見上げ、囁くように言った。

「行くか？」

「…いや。持ち場は離れるな。俺が行く」

　ジャックの声がわずかに低くなった。

「たぶん、気のせいだ。ただし──全員、警戒は解くな。そのまま、周囲に意識を集中しておけ」

　それぞれのイヤピースに静寂が落ち、張り詰めた空気で満ちた。

　モニターに今映っている扉は、開くことも、閉じることもなく、ただ沈黙している。

　ジャックはブリーフィングルームを飛び出し、スタンド席、西側が見渡せるアリーナまで、地下から駆け上がった。

　マジソンスクエアガーデンの平坦な天井は、吐き出された人の熱気でいつもより膨らんでいるように、ジャックには見えた。大統領候補を歓迎する声とそれを罵倒する叫び声が錯綜し、鼓膜の奥を揺らした。どうやら反共和党も紛れ込んでいるようだ。

　ジャックは、スタンド席西側へしばらく目を凝らしてから、手元のアイフォンに目を落とした。画面には、いくつかのSNSが同時に広がっており、それぞれが激しい書き込みによって文字が流れてゆく。右下の、メタの書き込みに、ジャックは目を留めた。殺害予告のメッセージが走り、赤く灯っている。ジャックは喧騒に満ちた通路を駆け抜け、スタンド席西側へ着くと、警備員へ声を掛けた。

「おつかれ。異常はないか？」

　ジャックはさりげなく背筋を伸ばした。ジャケットの背中越しに、腰の中央──背骨の下に沿ってぴたりと固定されたグロック19の存在を確かめた。

「どうも。こちらは異常ありませんよ。何かありましたか？」

　黒のスーツで、胸元にネクタイはない、プレーン・クロースの私設セキュリティだ。視線は沈着で、イヤピースから伸びるコードが耳の下に覗いている。男は一瞬、ジャックを睨むように見たが、ジャケットの裾を軽く持ち上げ、ホルスターの形をわずかに見せた。男に敵意はなかった。それが合図だった。ジャックも同じように、背筋を伸ばしながら無言で頷いた。この沈黙こそが、互いの訓練と経験を示していた。

「ドアのセンサーが一度反応した。目視で確認する」

　ジャックは、冷たい金属の取っ手を掴み、扉の奥を一瞥した。辺りは暗闇に沈み、静まり返っていた。

　ジャックはその場からすぐにイヤピースで伝えた。

「スタンド席西側に異常はなかった。セキュリティーにも問題はない」

　ジャックは、男の肩を軽く叩いて、いった。

「引き続き、頼む」

　男が笑顔でジャックに挨拶すると、アリーナの照明が一気に落ちた。

　闇の中、赤いレーザーがガーデンの天井から床まで、縦横に切り裂き、重く低く唸るような打ち込みの硬質なバスドラがアリーナの底から噴き上がった。ハイハットが16分音符で刻まれ、深く沈むキックドラムが四拍を正確に打つ。そこに、低くうねるベース・シンセが重なり、会場全体の空気そのものが脈打つように震え始めた。

　観客の鼓動が、低く分厚い音にシンクロし始めた。スモークが舞い、赤いレーザーが切り裂く中、床の震えが増していった。低いベース音に重なった奥から、加工された男性の声が繰り返し聞こえてくる。

“Strength.（強さ） Order.（秩序） America.”

　場内のスモークが、光を濁らせるようにさらに舞うと、巨大なセンター・ハング・スクリーンに文字が浮かび上がった。

J U S T I N・B R A D F O R D

　その瞬間、中央のスポットライトが、ひとつだけ点いた。赤から青へ──そして白へと、アメリカの三色をなぞるように変化する演出だ。

　その光の中、男が姿を現した。

ジャスティンだ。ダークネイビーのテーラードスーツに、共和党を示す真紅のネクタイを巻いている。胸元には一輪の白いバラのピンバッジが添えられていた。

　数秒遅れて、彼の背後にもうひとつ光が射した。漆黒のドレスを纏ったエリノア・ブレイクがスポットライトを浴びている。

　ふたりは笑顔で手を取り合うと、ゆっくりステージ中央へ歩み始めた。彼らの歩みに迷いはなかった。強さと秩序の意志を現した姿に、観客の誰もがその姿を見上げ、歓声を上げている。

ー　アメリカを取り戻せ！　ー

　マイクスタンドへ近づくにつれ、アリーナの熱はさらに帯び、波のようにうねった。

　赤、青、白の光がジャスティンらの足元を錯綜した。

　エリノアを残し、ジャスティンは、一歩前に出て、マイクの前に立った。

　音楽が静かにフェードアウトし、照明が再び落ちていく。

──　その瞬間、全アリーナが沈黙に包まれた。

　彼は、何も言わず、ただ口元に微笑みを浮かべた。その微笑みが、宣戦布告に等しかった。

　語らずに、何かを語っている。

　それが、世界でもっとも権力を持つ、アメリカ大統領の姿勢なのだ。

　ジャスティンは、しばらく観衆を見渡してから、穏やかな口調でいった。エリノアと同じ金色に煌めく髪とブルーの瞳が、彼の言葉をさらに支えるようだ。

「こんばんは。ニューヨーク。今日は、いいことがあったかい？」

　ジャスティンは、微笑みながら、最前列の女性に問いかけた。彼は、父のルールを守っていた。多くの聴衆に語るのではなく、たったひとりの身近な人へ言葉を伝えるのだ　ーー

「僕は今日、駐車場に着いた時、気が滅入ったよ。ひどい湿気に陰鬱になった。でも、ここにいるエリノアが僕に言ったんだ。あなたを守るために、スタッフは最善の手段を選んだ、とね。そして、スタッフはみな、僕のために命を賭けてくれると」

　歯切れよく言い切ったジャスティンの言葉に、再び観衆は沸いた。数万人の熱波がステージへ押し寄せた。

　ジャスティンの目には、ステージにあった光を収束させたような輝きがあった。もちろん、エリノアの青い瞳にもだ。

「今夜、僕らがここに集まったのは、それぞれの意志を、再びこの国の中心に叩き込むためだ。アメリカが忘れかけている“光”を、もう一度我々の手に取り戻すためだ。この4年間、我が党は経済を立て直し、治安を取り戻し、国家の秩序を再構築した。今、私たちはその“光”をもっと強く照らす時に来ている。それは、ただの希望ではない。責任だ。アメリカが再び輝けば、世界はそれに倣う。そして、もっと強い、鮮明な光を私たちは手にしなければならない。アメリカが強い光を取り戻すことで、世界をくまなく照らすことができるのだ。私たちには、もっとそれができるはずだ」

　ジャスティンの声が、再び会場を震わせた瞬間、乾いた銃声が響いた。ステージ中央あたりからだ。ジャックは音と同時に身を屈め、アリーナの頭上に展開した巨大なセンター・ハング・スクリーンに目をやった。ジャックには映る全ての時間が止まっていた。ジャスティンの身体が弾けたように背後へ揺れた。ジャケットの裾がゆっくり翻り、左肩から崩れてゆく。たぶん、最初の弾は左肩に着弾した。その後、再びジャスティンは前屈みになった。二発目は左腹部だ。ジャスティンの身体は、床へスローモーションのように崩れ落ち、うつぶした。

　「ジャスティン！」

　エリノアの矯正がステージに響いた。大きく見開いた瞳が、一点を見つめまま、細かく揺れている。一瞬にして透明な薄い膜が幾重にも重なって滲み、零れた。

　ジャスティンへ近づこうとするエリノアの体を前面から覆うようにしてSPが抑え込み、引き離している。

「伏せろ！」というSPと観客からの声が同時に周囲を支配した途端、観客席は混乱に包まれた。

　女性らの悲鳴が錯綜し、誰か、とやはり別の女性の声がかぶさった。すでに消えている銃声の余韻が、巨大な会場に重く残って覆っている。

　ステージにいた者以外は、一聴しただけでは気づかなかったがジャックの耳は聴き分けていた。弾は間違いなく２発だった。騒然とした場内をよそに、ジャックは静かに目を閉じた。発射音から着弾までを想像した。一発目の弾は、ジャスティンのほぼ頭上からだった。そして、もう一発もだ。発射音から着弾までの様子からしておそらくかなりの近距離だ。

「ベン、どこだ」

　ジャックは、出口へ卒倒してゆく観客らを抗うようにしてステージへ近づいていく。ベンの冷静な声がすぐに聞こえてきた。

「ジャスティンのそばだ。心臓ははずれているが、左肩と左腹部をかすめているようだ。動脈には達していないが出血がひどい」

「車列にあった救護班がすぐにいく。ジャスティンはボンベイブラッドだ。救急車にブラッドバッグが二つ備えてある。とりあえず輸血するはずだ」

「足らなかった場合は、イライジャのところか？」

「いずれにしても搬入だ。ベルビュー病院にブラッドバッグが保管されている。予備の輸血だ。三日前に確認した」

　ボンベイブラッドとは、１９５２年にインドのムンバイ、旧ボンベイで初めて確認された、通常のA、B、Oには分類されない特殊な血液型だ。インドでは１万人にひとり程度だが、世界的には２５０万人に１人ともいわれているもので、同じボンベイ型からボンベイ型への輸血しかできない。

　ベンは、冷静にわかったといった。

　マジソンスクエアガーデンに最も近いベルビュー病院にジャスティンを運び込む。ジャックは、病院で控えているイライジャに直接電話した。ワンコールが切れる前にすぐイライジャは反応した。

「ジャック、大変だ。血液がない。ボンベイブラッドがないんだ」

　ジャックは、耳を疑った。

「三日前に、俺は直接担当の、名前は忘れたな。とにかく目の前でブラッドバッグを確認したぞ」

　イライジャは、数秒の沈黙の後、応えた。

「その血液の管理者は、きのう、交通事故で亡くなったんだ」

　ジャックがその言葉に沈黙していると、場内にジャックの声でアナウンスが流れた。すでに震えているガーデンをさらにその声が震わせた。ジャックは、再びスクリーンに目をやったが、音声だけがジャックの声だった。

「みなさん、落ち着いてください。私はシークレットサービスのジャック・バンスです。この建物には爆薬が仕掛けられていますが、みなさん、落ち着いて、出口へ向かってください。繰り返します。私は….」

　場内の空気が一瞬にして、硬直した。同時に、崩壊した。パニックはすぐに伝染した。数千の観客は、波紋のように大きく揺れ、一斉に出口へ傾れ込んだ。しかし、ジャスティンへの発砲と同時に出口は封鎖されていた。

　メインアリーナの出入口は合計8つ――だがその多くは、来賓警備や車列誘導のためにすでに封鎖されていた。群衆の大半が、残された3つの出入口に集中した。

　低い声から高い叫び声。倒れた人間を踏みつける足。転倒した白いブラウスの少女はすでに黒ずんでいる。小さな熊のぬいぐるみの顔が真っ平らになっている。

　人は、逃げるときに後ろを見ない。出入口の一つでは、すでに数人が折り重なるように倒れ、その上をさらに何十人もの足が越えていった。荷重により手すりが歪み、出口の一部が完全に塞がれる。

　「ドアが開かない！」

　「子どもが――！」

　叫び声が乱れ飛び、場内警備は現場への到達すら困難な状態だった。あらゆる指示が雑音にかき消され、もはや群衆は誰の言葉も聞いていなかった。

　制御不能の肉の波――それが、人間の集団というものだった。

「この程度の混乱ではなかったぞ、ジャック」

　ザカリアの声が切ったはずのPAから場内へ響いた。同時に、ジャックら警備スタッフへのスマートフォンへリンク先の案内がいっせいに届いた。

「メールが届いただろう？　リンク先を開け。安心しろ、ウィルスは除去済みだ」

　ザカリアが笑いを抑え、皮肉混じりにいった。

　ジャックは後ろポケットから慌てて、アイフォンを開いた。１件のメール着信を開くと、サイトが現れた。

「こんばんは、ニューヨーク。そしてロサンゼルス。私の名前はザカリア・ハッダード。本名だ。５年前、ガザに住んでいた。今は、みなさんがよく目にする部屋を真似た部屋に私はいる」

　褐色の、顎髭をたくわえたザカリアは、アメリカ大統領執務室とほとんど同じ部屋の椅子に座っていた。背後に見える三つの大きな窓には、グリーンのカーテンが掛けられている。預言者ムハンマドが好んだ色だ。

　壁面には、剣ではなく詩と理性で世界を導こうとした男、イブン・シーナーの肖像画が掛けられていた。その眼差しは、ワシントンよりも深く、リンカーンよりも繊細なもので、遥か遠く、消え去った時間の底からこちらを見据えているようだった。

　ザカリアは腕時計に目を落としてから、再び、カメラに視線を向けた。目には言葉にできない喜びのような暗い影が落ちている。

「そろそろブレイキングニュースだ。スマートフォンの速報に注目して欲しい」

　ザカリアがそういった途端、速報が流れた。

【民主党前大統領のオーウェン・リードがロサンゼルス・コンベンション・センターで銃撃された模様です】

　ザカリアは、一瞬俯いて笑いを堪えながらいった。

「悲しい速報じゃないか。アメリカのみなさん。でもどうか悲しまないで欲しい。私が経験したガザではこの55,000倍だ。55,000人以上の大切な人を失い、そして、涙を流した」

　ザカリアはカメラから目を逸らし、俯いた。そして両手を固く握りしめ、力強く机を叩きつけた。部屋の空気が硬直した。重く固まった空気が画像からも伝わってくる。しかし、顔を上げたザカリアの目にはうっすらと涙が溢れていた。静かな涙だった。

「私たちは、お金を求めない。また、死による名誉も求めない。私たちが欲しいのは、55,000人が流した涙と同じだけの涙だ。流された涙と同じだけの涙だけが、私たちを癒す」

　両肘を机につき、両手を組むと、ザカリアは静かに顎を乗せた。目を閉じて、しばらく沈黙が続いた。目尻が細かく震えているようだった。

　ザカリアはデスクにあったフォトフレームをカメラへ向け、反転させた。

「私の家族だ。私の命よりも大切な家族だ。すべて一瞬で奪われたよ」

　彼の言葉に憎しみはなかった。語尾には、亡くなったものへの敬意とたくさんの優しさを詰め込んだ静けさが含まれている。続けて、ザカリアはゆっくり口を開いた。

「55,000人のうちの私はひとりに過ぎない。私が消えても55,000人もの意思は決して消えず、引き継がれる。私は、私たちの意思をここに表明するためにいる」

　ザカリアは、向かって右手の机の引き出しにそっと手を伸ばした。引き出しから、グロック１７を取り出すと、スライドしてチャンバーに弾を流した。そして、銃口を自分のこめかみに当てた。ザカリアの目からは憎悪は消えていた。穏やかで、亡くなった家族を包み込むようなやさしい眼差しだった。

　スンニ派である彼は、まっすぐにカメラを見つめ、いった。

「神のご加護を。アメリカ」

　執務室の三つの窓から差し込んだ眩い逆光の中、ザカリアは、静かに目を閉じると、トリガーを真っ直ぐに引いた。乾いた銃声が部屋に響いた。一瞬、カメラが横へぶれたが、映像は瞬時に黒へ切り替わった。

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これまでのメモ

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54628511025/in/dateposted...

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54599616429/in/dateposted...

追記　この小説を多少説明しました。

youtu.be/3w65lqUF-YI?si=yG7qy6TPeCL9xRJV

iTunes Playlist Link::

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メモ

「Bombay型（ボンベイ型、hh型）」

•特徴：通常のABO血液型を持たない（A、B、Oに分類されない）特殊な型。

•発見地：1952年、インド・ムンバイ（旧ボンベイ）で初めて確認。

•発生頻度：インドでは1万人に1人程度だが、世界的には約250万人に1人とも。

•輸血制限：同じBombay型しか輸血できない。

2024年ハーバード大学首席の卒業式スピーチ『知らないことの力』

Shots fired at Trump rally

British Columbia / B.C. Postal History / Registered Piece - 15 July / 9 September 1913 - Victoria, B.C. to REXMOUNT, B.C. (split ring / broken circle cancel / postmark) returned - FROM REXMOUNT, B.C. (straightline) by Treasures from the Past

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Capture The Love Gift Kit by Lisa Zins

11 2

I just received the ClayPaws® the original paw print kit™ in the mail. I ordered this one to make Jeremiah's paw print. Hopefully it will turn out like Joshua's.

Since I wanted both of their prints to look alike I also ordered an acrylic display case, the alphabet stamp kit and the heart stamp kit. I previously ordered the glaze to coat Joshua's print with.

The beige looking "paper" on the right is actually the plastic coated Patty Pad. The red ring laying in the center is the mold to lay the clay in to form a circle. This is a separate piece, I just happened to lay it there. The mold comes in a circle, oval and heart shape.

The clay (which comes in white, soft white and terra cotta) is the square at the bottom right of the photo. I wanted white to match Joshua's print. (The clay is non toxic)

Also included is a paw print ribbon and a small red heart.

After making your pet's paw print it is then baked in the oven, cooled and coated with gloss (if you choose to. The gloss can be purchased from the same company.)

The company that I purchased this kit, along with the stamp kits, is called World By The Tail, Inc. One great thing about the company is that they employ people with disabilities who assemble the kits.

Here is a link to their product page: www.veterinarywisdom.com/pet-parent-products

I would definitely recommend using this company.

Now if I can just get Jeremiah to cooperate and put his paw into the clay I'll be happy! ha.

A Guy on the Bridge by regentlad

13 3

To enable the move from trams to buses Edinburgh Corporation put a large new bus fleet into service. Included in the newcomers were 70 Guy Arab IV double deckers with Alexander bodywork. The first batch of 50 arrived in 1955 followed by a further 20 in 1956. Fleet 940, part of the first batch was placed on service 8 after arrival.

The majority of these buses saw constant service from Central garage regularly working services 8, 14, 19 and 20. However by 1965 a small number of these robust buses were at Tollcross for services 24/29 and 27. Here on Waverley Bridge 940 awaits time to depart for Greenbank on service 41. This service linked at the northern end with service 18 requiring a peak requirement of 14 buses shared by Central and Tollcross garages. The diagram was 18 Burdiehouse to Barnton, 41 Barnton to Greenbank, 41 Greenbank to Barnton and 18 Barnton to Burdiehouse. A service 18 leaving Tollcross garage at 05.20 would form the 05.44 from Burdiehouse to Barnton following the diagram and returning to Burdiehouse 3 and a half hours later at 09.10! Confused ? No need to be as the Corporation's successors Lothian seldom follow these 'links' However this did ensure a link between Cramond and Barnton and a saving on lay-over time.

During the 1960's the Government encouraged people to buy savings bonds often using bus advertisements for that purpose and we see a display for National Investment Bonds which were limited to an investment of £2,500. However these were replaced in 1968 by National Savings Bonds which allowed a much higher investment. At the time In the charts a group from Islington named after their brilliant lady drummer had stomped their way to number 1 . Name of group? the drummers first name followed by her occupation !

18 1

(from - Wrigley's 1918 British Columbia Directory) - REXMOUNT (sometimes spelled REXMONT) - a post office and ranching settlement on Bridge River wagon road, 18 miles west of Mission, in Dewdney Provincial Electoral District. Reached by stage. Nearest railway station at Bridge River crossing on the P. G. E. Railway, distant 18 miles. Has telephone; nearest telegraph office at Lillooet. Local resources: Mining, stock-raising and mixed farming.

The Rexmount Ranch was located on the north side of the Bridge River, Between Moha and Goldbridge. It was flooded as a consequence of the Bridge River Power Project and now lies under the water of Carpenter Lake. A Post Office and store operated at this isolated spot between - 1 December 1912 and - 31 October 1925.

LINK to a list of the Postmasters who served at the REXMOUNT Post Office - www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/postal-heritage-philately/...;

- sent from - / • VICTORIA • B.C. • / 17 / JUL 15 / 13 / CANADA. / - cds cancel

- sent by registered mail - / R / - large "R" in oval (black ink)

- arrived at - / REXMOUNT / SP 9 / 13 / B.C. / - split ring arrival - this split ring hammer (A1-1) was proofed - 16 November 1912 - not delivered.

returned to Victoria - / R / - large "R" in oval (purple ink) and

- FROM REXMOUNT, B.C. - straight line marking in purple ink

Walter William "Nosebag / Jonesey" Jones

(b. 1858 in Wisconsin, USA - d. 17 August 1928 at age 70 in Bridge River, British Columbia) - he arrived in British Columbia in 1896 - he never married. On the 1921 Canadian census he is listed as manager of the REXMOUNT Road House. He served as Postmaster from - 1 December 1912 to - 10 April 1922.

Obituary clipped from - The Province newspaper - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - 21 August 1928 - W. W. Jones, Pioneer of Cariboo, Passes Away - LILLOOET, Aug. 21. Lillooet and Bridge River mourn the loss of another old-timer, W. W. Jones, 70, of Rexmont, who died of heart disease. The remains were Interred at Lillooet Cemetery, services being held tn the United Church which was filled to capacity. Three boatloads of miners and other friends came down Seton Lake. Mr. Jones had been packer, miner and rancher and was formerly postmaster of Rexmont.

An unusual piece cut from a registered envelope (possibly one that could not be delivered and was being returned to Victoria). Dated - 15 July 1913 at Victoria and - 9 September 1913, at Rexmount. The purple ink straightline FROM REXMOUNT, B.C. may have been a private marking used by W.W. Jones, who was postmaster here from the opening of the office until 1922.

- from - The Prospector newspaper - 19 January 1905 - W. W. Jones just arrived in town, from the Big Horn Ranch, 35 miles, having walked most of the way; the last 14 miles by water.

- from - The Prospector newspaper - 10 April 1914 - The last time W. W. Jones came to town happened to be on a Sunday, and he went straight to church, after just completing a 40 mile trip. He arrived again Tuesday and headed straight for one of our banks. With the assistance of John Lynes, Mr. Jones is doing more effective work in the abolition of the liquor traffic than all of the temperance orators in this district.

Clipped from - The Province newspaper - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - 17 April 1914 - Mr. W. W. Jones ("Nosebag") of Bridge River, who runs the Falrhaven ranch on Bridge River, about forty miles from Lillooet, is on his annual visit to Vancouver arranging for supplies. Mr. Jones says that in the Bridge River district there are indications of one of the best seasons that the section has ever seen. A number of English syndicates that have held options for some years propose to actively operate this season. Mr. Jones is well known throughout that section of the province. How he got his name can be explained very simply. He was the first man to take a pack train into the Bridge River district with those attachments so dear to the London cab-horse. The First Nation could not understand why he muzzled his horses. They thought he was trying to smother them. Mr. Jones kept repeating "nosebag" to often to the First Nations, and explaining its uses that he became known to them as "Nosebag" Jones, and when less venturesome prospectors and explorers followed him and asked for some one to whom they could talk, they were Inevitably guided by the First Nations to "Nosebag" Jones. Mr. Jones Is not ashamed of the fact that he showed "Lo, the poor First Nation," how his horse might be fed even if it was tethered to a barren rock. Mr. Jones expects to leave for Bridge River about the end or the week. These well known men of the near North are making their headquarters at the Commercial Hotel.

- clipped from the - LILLOOET PROSPECTOR newspaper - 14 April 1916 - Mail Carrier's Difficulties. Mr. W. W. Jones, postmaster at Rexmount, tells an interesting story of the difficulties he experienced in delivering the mail to the residents of Bridge River during the past winter. He was caught in the snowdrifts at Mission and was nine days breaking a trail to the summit of the mountain, where he was compelled to leave his horses from January 22nd to March 28th. He made several trips to and from Lillooet, carrying the mail on his back. All the mail had arrived at Rexmount on April 3rd and was delivered two days afterwards, the mail-carrier having to make a trail three miles long above the regular road in order to get the horses through, and had a large gang of men employed for a considerable time. He thinks it will be some time in May before the road will be fit for automobile or wagon traffic. J. K. More, general road superintendent, is expected to be in Lillooet shortly to look after the opening of the road and put it in shape for travel.

Clipped from - The Vancouver Sun newspaper - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - 28 July 1923 - Mail Service Bad, Is His Complaint - Editor The Vancouver Sun: Sir, We were very interested In your photograph of post office officials of Vancouver which you published in a recent issue under the heading, "The Men Who Are Responsible for Our Mall Coming Through." We here, would be far more interested if you could obtain a photograph of the men who are responsible for our mail NOT coming through. Week after week, we are losing mail, outgoing and Incoming, and lost mail never turns up. The matter is getting to be a nuisance and should be looked into. It is little use subscribing for papers when we receive one or two copies a week and never see the rest. FRED PARSONS. Rexmount P. O.

Clipped from - The Province newspaper - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - 14 November 1926 - Our first stop was at Rexmount, where we called on a delightful old gentleman named Jones "Jonesey" for short, or sometimes "Nosebag" "Jonesey. From him Nosebag Creek takes its name. When we had said: "How d' you do," I asked Jonesey where he hailed from. The old chap fixed me with his eye and said: "Young feller, where do YOU come from because, if you say you're a Yank, then so am I; you say you come from England; well, so do I also;" Later it developed that Jonesey was born In Wisconsin, but his mother was from Liverpool and his father from the States. He was full of a quaint philosophy of life, and interlarded his entertaining conversation with an amazing variety of picturesque interjections. He told me that he had kept a diary for forty years. Now, as you know, Jim, I keep a diary, so naturally I was interested. Jonesey took me off into his log shack. Up the twisted stairs we went to his bedroom. From under the bed he drew a tin box, which he unlocked with a key kept in his pocket (maybe there are burglars In the Bridge River Valley)! He produced an amazing collection of little diaries, all neatly sewn together with thread, recording the daily doings of the old man for forty years past. Then he brought out a collection of papers, aged and discolored, tied up in a handkerchief old photographs of relatives of half a century ago, a picture of two little girls, relatives of his who must be parents or grannies themselves by now. It appeared that an uncle of Jonesey, head of a big store in Liverpool, wrote to him some years ago, inquiring about his life in far-off British Columbia. Jonesey was puzzled how to answer, but at length, he composed the epistle which I give you here. Apart from its charming style, surely it sums up much of the philosophy of life, the absolute contentment and peace-with-the-world feeling which is the priceless possession of those who choose to live in the "great open spaces." Here is Joncsey's letter: LETTER EXPRESSES HOPE OF ALL MINERS. "Dear Uncle, You'll find enclosed photos of nature's paths leading to the homes of strange people whose great wealth is hope. I've often wondered why we stay in the mountains and struggle and live this way, when, if our imaginary millions were sold under the business hammer of the commercial world, they would not bring one cent. "Then we wonder where our long summer days have went. Snow falls, shivery and cold we quit our search for gold. With hope we struggle the winters through, When nature warms her parlor we begin anew. "The answer may be this: 'Heaven only can describe the pure happiness when a person's mental dwelling is with nature.' " I'll leave you for the moment, Jim, to ponder over these delightful sentiments. Yours, aye.

Annual Summary for 1918. The following table of distances along the Bridge River wagon-road from Mission Station, on the Pacific Great Eastern, Seton lake, may be useful to intending travellers in the Bridge River district: Mission to Rexmount Post-office, 18 miles; Mission to Tyaughton creek, 28 miles; Mission to Gun creek, 38 miles; Mission to South fork of Bridge river, 42 1/2 miles; Mission to Lorne Mine Post-office, 50 1/2 miles; Mission to Pioneer mine, 53 1/2 miles.

"blue box" handcuff cover by Rainer Zufall

28 1

Here, the handcuff cover is used in combination with a martin link belly chain which fixes the handcuffs at waist level. This provides a rather uncomfortable restraint and may result in injury to the individual if maintained for an extended period of time. The arms being hold in a parallel position, the restraint will cause the wrists to spread outwardly in an angular relationship. As the handcuff cover provides a rigid structure, the individual's wrists may be bruised or cocked, restricting blood circulation.

If you get put in these one day: congrats, you hit the jackpot! It's one of the most uncomfortable restraints being used in modern correctional practice. But from an officer's view, they provide enhanced security. So perhaps it was your fault that brought you in that situation? Anyhow, don't complain, that won't make it better. Stay compliant, don't resist. Keep your hands as still as possible. Accept these restraints as part of your punishment.

On A Red Carpet! by Kacey CD

41 6

No, it wasn't rolled out just for me but pretending it was sure was fun!

I recently put my culture & comportment training to the test in the real world at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' holiday presentation of Handel's Messiah! The show was marvelous and I'm pretty sure I would have gotten a passing grade too!

My ensemble for the evening consists of a very pretty black nylon & lace minidress with black leatherette accents from venus.com, my shiny black Platino Luxe 40 denier pantyhose from shapings.com over Hanes Alive Barely There support hose from onehanesplace.com and my black leatherette knee boots with the 3" heels from alloy.com.

To see more pix of me in other tight, sexy and revealing outfits click this link:

www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157623668202157/

To see more pix of me in clothes from venus.com click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157645732296346/

To see more pix of me showing off my legs click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157623668202157/

To see more pix of me in sexy boots click here: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157622816479823/

To see more pix of me in my super shiny Platino pantyhose click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157633156315924/

To see more pix of me in more conventional ensembles click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157613893896474

To see more pix of me out & about click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157632318953102/

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Lagos in Portugal - May 2012 by Saffy H

25 26

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagos,_Portugal

With the fall of Roma, the towns of Lagos were occupied in the 6th century by the Visigoths from the Kingdom of Toledo and later by the Byzantines.

Kingdom

Geography

Physical geography

Ecoregions/Protected areas

Lagos has many natural interest sites, including:

•Ponta da Piedade (English: Mercy Point)

•Grutas da Costa d'Oiro (English: Golden Coast Grottos)

•Laguna de Alvor (English: Lagoon of Alvor)

Beaches

•Praia Solaria (Sunny Beach);

•Praia dos Estudantes (Students' Beach);

•Praia do Canavial (Canavial Beach);

•Praia de Camilo (Camilo Beach);

Human geography

Population of

Lagos

(1801 - 2011)

YearPop.±%

18019,789—

184911,012+12.5%

190013,937+26.6%

193016,210+16.3%

196017,060+5.2%

198119,700+15.5%

199121,526+9.3%

200125,398+18.0%

200929,298+15.4%

201130,755+5.0%

The municipality is composed of the following 6 parishes:

•Barão de São João

•Odiáxere

•Santa Maria

•São Sebastião

towns — Sister cities

Lagos is twinned with:

• Torres Vedras, district of Lisbon, Portugal

• Ribeira Grande, island of São Miguel, Azores

• Ribeira Grande de Santiago, island of Santiago, Cape Verde

• Palos de la Frontera, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain

Economy

The Marina de Lagos has 460 berths and has become an important centre for long-distance cruisers, and it is also known for its modern drawbridge.

Lagos also has plenty of cultural and night-life entertainment venues.

Architecture

Prehistoric

•Menhir of Cabeço do Rochedo (Portuguese: Menir da Cabeço do Rocheado)

Civic

•Barracks of the Guarda Fiscal of Lagos (Portuguese: Quartel e Posto da Guarda Fiscal)

•Building of the Caixa Geral de Depósitos (Portuguese: Edifício da Caixa Geral de Depositos)

•Building of the Correios, Telégrafos e Telefonos (Portuguese: Edifício dos Correios, Telégrafos e Telefones de Lagos)

•Building of the Portagem (Portuguese: Edifício Antigo da Portagem)

•District Courthouse/Palace of Justice (Portuguese: Tribunal da Comarca/Palácio da Justiça)

•District Jailhouse of Lagos/Cultural Centre of Lagos (Portuguese: Cadeia Comarcã de Lagos/Centro Cultural)

•D. Maria Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Dona Maria)

•Fonte Coberta Dam (Portuguese: Barragem da Fonte Coberta)

•Gil Eanes Secondary/Commercial-Industrial School (Portuguese: Escola Industrial e Comercial de Lagos/Escola Secundária Gil Eanes)

•Hotel Tivolli Lagos (Portuguese: Hotel de Lagos)

•Municipal Hall of Lagos (Portuguese: Edifício dos Paços do Concelho)

•Lighthouse of Ponta da Piedade (Portuguese: Farol da Ponta da Piedade)

•Pillory of Lagos (Portuguese: Pelourinho de Lagos)

•Slave Market/Customshoues of Lagos (Portuguese: Mercado de Escravos/Vedoria/Alfândega de Lagos)

Military

•Bulwark of Alcaria/Freiras (Portuguese: Baluarte da Alcaria/das Freiras)

•Bulwark of Porta dos Quartos (Portuguese: Baluarte da Porta dos Quartos)

•Bulwark of Santa Maria/Porta da Vila (Portuguese: Baluarte de Santa Maria/da Porta da Vila)

•Bulwark of São Francisco/Jogo da Bola (Portuguese: Baluarte de São Francisco/do Jogo da Bola)

•Castle of Senhora da Luz (Portuguese: Castelo da Senhora da Luz)

•Fort of Meia Praia (Portuguese: Forte da Meia Praia)

•Fort of Pinhão (Portuguese: Forte do Pinhão)

•Military Barracks of Lagos (Portuguese: Edifício Militar em Lagos/Trem de Artilharia)

•Musketeers' Workshop/Warehouse and Saddlery (Portuguese: Edifício Oficina do Espingardeiro/Armazém do Espingardeiro/Selaria)

•Regimental Warehouse/Church of São Brás (Portuguese: Armazém Regimental e Desparecido Igreja de São Brás)

•Tower of Atalaia (Portuguese: Torre da Atalaia)

•Walled/Tower Fortifications of Lagos (Portuguese: Muralhas e Torreões de Lagos)

Religious

•Chapel/Hermitage of São João Baptista (Portuguese: Capela/Ermida de São João Baptista)

•Church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo (Portuguese: Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Carmo)

•Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz (Portuguese: Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Luz)

•Church of Odiáxere (Portuguese: Igreja de Odiáxere)

•Church of Santa Maria (Portuguese: Igreja de Santa Maria/da Misericórdia)

•Church of São Sebastião (Portuguese: Igreja de São Sebastião/de Nossa Senhora da Conceição)

•Hermitage of São Pedro de Pulgão/Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos (Portuguese: Ermida de São Pedro do Pulgão/Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos)

•Ruins of the Hermitage of Santo Amaro (Portuguese: Ruinas da Ermida de São Amaro)

•Ruins of the Convent of the Trinity (Portuguese: Ruinas do Antigo Convento da Trinidade/dos Frades Trinos)

Culture

Many local traditions are celebrated in the municipality and range from gastronomy to traditional handicrafts.

Notable citizens

•São Gonçalo de Lagos (c. 1370 - Torres Vedras; 15 October 1422), saint of the Order of Saint Augustine

•Soeiro da Costa (c. 1390 — c. 1472), navigator and one of the Heroic Twelve of the Lusiadas

•Gil Eanes (born 15th century - died 15th century), navigator and explorer of the 15th century

•Lançarote de Freitas (born 15th century - died 15th century), navigator and merchant during the 15th century

•Júlia Barroso (11 August 1930 - Lisboa; 23 December 1996) actress, singer and teacher

•Júlio Dantas (19 May 1876 — Lisboa; 25 May 1962), doctor, poet, journalist, screenwriter, politician and diplomat

•José Reis, first Portuguese geriatric medic

112/365 {mellow yellow} by Laura L. Ruth

14 26

Put your hands on the wheel

Let the golden age begin

Let the window down

Feel the moonlight on your skin

Let the desert wind

Cool your aching head

Let the weight of the world

Drift away instead

These days I barely get by

I don't even try

It's a treacherous road

With a desolated view

There's distant lights

But here they're far and few

And the sun don't shine

Even when its day

You gotta drive all night

Just to feel like you're ok

These days I barely get by

(not a huge Beck fan, but this is so mellow. here's the link if you're curious)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnboZTs0ZXw&feature=fvsr

Kedleston Hall 18th-century mansion with Adam interiors, colonial history and vast parkland NT by tedesco57

13 3

Kedleston Hall is a neo-classical manor house owned by the National Trust, and seat of the Curzon family, located in Kedleston, Derbyshire, approximately 4 miles (6 km) north-west of Derby. The medieval village of Kedleston was moved in 1759 by Nathaniel Curzon to make way for the manor.[2] All that remains of the original village is the 12th century All Saints Church, Kedleston.[3]

Background

The current house was commissioned in 1759 by Nathaniel Curzon and designed by Robert Adam.[4]

The Curzon family, whose name originates in Notre-Dame-de-Courson in Normandy, have been in Kedleston since at least 1297, and have lived in a succession of manor houses near to or on the site of the present Kedleston Hall. The present house was commissioned by Sir Nathaniel Curzon (later 1st Baron Scarsdale) in 1759. The house was designed by the Palladian architects James Paine and Matthew Brettingham and was loosely based on an original plan by Andrea Palladio for the never-built Villa Mocenigo.

At the time a relatively unknown architect, Robert Adam, was designing some garden temples to enhance the landscape of the park; Curzon was so impressed with his designs that Adam was quickly put in charge of the construction of the new mansion.

On the death of Richard Curzon, 2nd Viscount Scarsdale in 1977, expenses compelled the heir, his cousin (Francis Curzon), to transfer the property to the care of the National Trust.[5]

Exterior

Kedleston Hall was Brettingham's opportunity to prove himself capable of designing a house to rival Holkham Hall. The opportunity was taken from him by Robert Adam who completed the North front (above) much as Brettingham designed it, but with a more dramatic portico.

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The design of the three-floored house is of three blocks linked by two segmentally curved corridors. The ground floor is rusticated, while the upper floors are of smooth-dressed stone. The central, corps de logis, the largest block, contains the state rooms and was intended only for formal entertaining. The East block was a self-contained country house in its own right, containing all the rooms for the family's private use, and the identical West block contained the kitchens and all other domestic rooms and staff accommodation.

Plans for two more pavilions (as the two smaller blocks are known), of identical size and similar appearance, were never executed. These further wings were intended to contain, in the south-east a music room, and in the southwest a conservatory and chapel. Externally these latter pavilions would have differed from their northern counterparts by large glazed Serlian windows on the piano nobile of their southern facades. Here the blocks were to appear as of two floors only; a mezzanine was to have been disguised in the north of the music room block. The linking galleries here were also to contain larger windows, than on the north, and niches containing classical statuary.

The north front, approximately 117 yards [107 m] in length, is Palladian in character, dominated by a massive, six-columned Corinthian portico; however, the south front (illustrated right) is pure neoclassical Robert Adam. This garden facade is divided into three distinct sets of bays; the central section is a four-columned, blind triumphal arch (based on the Arch of Constantine in Rome) containing one large, pedimented glass door reached from the rusticated ground floor by an external, curved double staircase. Above the door, at second-floor height, are stone garlands and medallions in relief.

The four Corinthian columns are topped by classical statues. This whole centre section of the facade is crowned by a low dome visible only from a distance. Flanking the central section are two identical wings on three floors, each three windows wide, the windows of the first-floor piano nobile being the tallest. Adam's design for this facade contains huge "movement" and has a delicate almost fragile quality.

Hall

Marble Hall 1763, decoration completed in 1776-7

Entering the house through the great north portico on the piano nobile, one is confronted by the marble hall. Nikolaus Pevsner describes this as one of the most magnificent apartments of the 18th century in England.[6] It measures 67 feet (20 m) by 37 feet (11 m) in plan and is 40 feet (12 m) high.

Twenty fluted pink Nottingham alabaster columns with Corinthian capitals support the heavily decorated, high-coved cornice. Niches in the walls contain casts of classical statuary by Matthew Brettingham the Younger and others;[6] above the niches are grisaille panels of Homeric subjects inspired by Palladio's illustration of the Temple of Mars. The stucco in the ceiling was created by Joseph Rose in the 1770s.[6]

The floor is of inlaid Italian marble. Matthew Paine's original designs for this room intended for it to be lit by conventional windows at the northern end, but Adam, warming to the Roman theme, did away with the distracting windows and lit the whole from the roof through innovative glass skylight.

The overmantels to the fireplaces are by Joseph Rose with firebaskets by Robert Adam.[6]

At Kedleston, the hall symbolises the atrium of the Roman villa and the adjoining saloon the vestibulum.

Saloon

The saloon

The saloon, contained behind the triumphal arch of the south front, like the marble hall rises the full height of the house, 62 feet (19 m) to the top of the dome, where it too is sky-lit through a glass oculus. Designed as a sculpture gallery, this circular room 42 feet (13 m) in width was completed in 1763.

The decorative theme is based on the temples of the Roman Forum with more modern inventions: in the four massive, apse-like recesses are stoves disguised as pedestals for classical urns.[1] The paintings of ruins are by Gavin Hamilton and the grisaille panels have scenes of British worthies painted by John Biagio Rebecca.[6]

The four sets of double doors giving entry to the room have heavy pediments supported by scagliola columns, and at second-floor height, grisaille panels depict classical themes.

From the saloon, the atmosphere of the 18th-century Grand Tour is continued throughout the remainder of the principal reception rooms of the piano nobile, though on a slightly more modest scale.

State bedroom

The "principal apartment", or State bedroom suite, contains fine furniture and paintings.

The state bed was constructed by James Gravenor of Derby.[7] The state bed posts are carved to represent palm tree trunks which soar up and break into flamboyant foliage at the top, sweeping in palm-fronds behind.[8]

Drawing room

Settee by John Linnell in the Drawing Room dated from around 1765.

The drawing room with huge alabaster Venetian window is 44 feet (13 m) by 28 feet (8.5 m) by 28 feet (8.5 m). The doorcase is also alabaster. The fireplace with a scene of virtue rewarded by honour and riches is flanked by large female figures sculpted by Michael Henry Spang.[6] The gilt sofas by John Linnell date from around 1765.[9] They were commissioned by the 1st Baron Scarsdale and supplied, together with a second pair of sofas to Kedleston in 1765.

Dining room

The dining room

The dining room, with its gigantic apse, has a ceiling that Adam based on the Domus Augustana in the Farnese Gardens. The apse contains curved tables designed by Adam in 1762[6] and a giant wine cooler. The ceiling contains panel paintings of the continents by Antonio Zucchi, the seasons by Gavin Hamilton and the centre is by George Morland. The original wall panels are by Francesco Zuccarelli, Frans Snyders, Claude and Giovanni Francesco Romanelli.

Music Room

The Music Room has Ionic doorcases and delicate plaster ceiling designed by Adam. The marble chimneypiece is inlaid with Blue John. The pipe organ was second hand by John Snetzler with the case designed by Robert Adam and built by Robert Gravenor.[10] A second manual with Hautboy was added in 1824 by Alexander Buckingham.[11] The organ was restored in 1993 by Dominic Gwynn.

Library

The Library

The library contains a Roman doric doorcase leading to the Saloon. The bookcases were designed by Robert Adam[6] and built by James Gravenor of Derby.[12] The plaster ceiling is divided into octagonal patterns. The library desk was built in 1764 by James Gravenor. Wikipedia

A Happy Cat! by Kacey CD

39 4

The exquisite sensations of being clad in my clingy wet look lycra spandex catsuit, firmly hourglass shaped in my black satin corset balanced with my black lurex opera gloves and black vinyl thigh boots is exactly the kind of thing that puts a smile on my face!

I'm modeling my wet look silver lycra spandex front zip catsuit from milanoo[dot]com that I've matched up with my black lurex spandex opera gloves & black satin over bust corset both from wickedtemptations.com, and my black vinyl thigh high platform boots with the 5½" heels from electriqueboutique.com.

To see more pix of in other clingy & curve hugging catsuits & unitards click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157623726915059/

To see more pix of me in other tight, sexy and revealing outfits click this link:

www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157623668202157/

To see more pix of me in sexy boots click here: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157622816479823/

To see more pix of me in shiny wet look spandex outfits click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157625106117954

To see more pix of me wearing shiny silver ensembles click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157622346231067

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Enochian magic…Synesthesia…The Magic Sword..GOLDEN DAWN 5 6..PAMELA COLMAN SMITH…Ceremonial magic… The Magical Sword...R.R. A.C.ZELATOR ADEPTUS MINOR...positive pole is attributed to the element of swords, Air,....Waite–Smith tarot deck by Hughes Songe

Enochian is an angelic language used by angels in Heaven. They communicate over angel radio using this language, though in more recent years, they began communicating in English predominately. The angels, the Knights of Hell, and the Men of Letters are also familiar with an archaic dialect of the angelic language called "Pre-Enochian" or "Old Enochian". Castiel used sigils from this Enochian dialect to bind Alastair in a devil's trap he made. The Knights of Hell like Abaddon used the old Enochian sigil associated with them as their crest, leaving it behind in areas where they strike. Belphegor reveals that very few demons like Lilith, Crowley, and Abaddon have been known to understand Enochian. Enochian sigils are powerful glyphs that can be used against angels and demons and protect an area from angelic and demonic interference. Throughout Season 5, Castiel uses one to conceal Sam, Dean, and Adam from every angel in creation by carving it into their ribs.

www.supernaturalwiki.com/Enochian

Enochian has also been used in reciting various spells that can be used against some of the most dangerous creatures in all creation. Lily Sunder became a practitioner of Enochian Magic after Ishim taught her all their secrets, using spells that burn off pieces of her soul in exchange for longevity and access to angelic powers until it's completely burned away. The Whore of Babylon uses what appears to be an Enochian spell to harm Castiel. Lucifer's Cage can be opened and closed with the rings of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and an Enochian phrase. When angels are reverted to their "factory settings", they relay any information hidden in their minds encrypted in Enochian.

The Two of Swords shows a blindfolded woman, Pamela Smith has become an impetrant, she begins her initiation into Enochian magic, the artist is dressed in a white dress, holding two crossed swords. The blindfold tells us that Pamela is confused about her inner light and cannot clearly see either the problem or the solution. She may also be missing relevant information that would make her decision much clearer if she were to get it. The swords she holds are in perfect balance, suggesting that she is weighing her thoughts and addressing both sides of the situation to find the best resolution.

Behind the woman is a body of water dotted with rocky islets. Water represents emotions, and while the costume of swords is traditionally associated with the mind and intellect, its presence shows that Pamela must use both her head and her heart to weigh her options. The islands represent obstacles in his path and suggest that his decision is not as clear cut as it seems. It will have to consider the situation as a whole. The crescent moon to her right is a sign that Pamela should trust her intuition to make her choice. Pamela is also alone on the beach. His eyes are blindfolded, his arms are tied. Eight swords planted in the ground form a prison around her. However, the circle is not completely closed. So there is an exit that the blindfold prevents you from seeing. The Two of Swords indicates that you are faced with a difficult decision, but you do not know which option to take. Both possibilities may seem equally good – or equally bad – and you don't know which will lead you to the better result. You need to be able to weigh the pros and cons of each choice and then make a conscious judgment. Use both your head (your mind and intellect) and your heart (your feelings and intuition) to choose the path that is most in alignment with your Higher Self.

Pamela Smith represented in this card wears a blindfold, indicating that she cannot see the entirety of her circumstance. You may lack the information you need to make the right decisions. You may be missing something, such as the threats or potential risks, alternative solutions or critical pieces of information that would help guide you in a particular direction. Once you remove the blindfold and see the situation for what it really is, you will be in a much better position to find your best path forward. Research your options more, seek outside opinions and feedback and ask yourself what you might be missing.`` Alone, far from the city and its ramparts, this woman seems very isolated. The sky is gray, the landscape is bleak. There emerges from the Card a feeling of uncertainty and absence of hope. The Eight of Swords symbolizes the feeling of helplessness of the Consultant. Lost, disoriented, the Consultant does not know what to do to overcome the obstacles or challenges of his environment. The Consultant experiences the very unpleasant feeling of being “stuck”, trapped. However – and this is important to stress – the Eight of Swords is not a fatalistic card. On the Map, the young woman could free herself from her fabric ties and remove the blindfold covering her eyes. She could regain the comfort and safety of the city behind her. The blockage, the "prison" of these Swords planted in a circle therefore symbolize first of all a situation created by the Consultant himself. Quite logically, he or she could get rid of it and get by on his own. The blockage is notably due to limiting beliefs on the part of the Consultant. These limiting beliefs go on and on: “You are not capable of…”; “A man like that, caring about you!? Do not even think about it ! » ; "Returning to training at your age to change paths will never work..." These limiting thoughts end up defining our possibilities and therefore we are no longer able to do otherwise, innovate or find solutions. It also happens that the feeling of helplessness is generated by external circumstances. The Consultant “wakes up”, dissatisfied with his environment and his life and wonders how he or she could have come to this.The Eight of Swords reveals that you feel trapped and restricted by your circumstances. You believe your options are limited with no clear path out. You might be in an unfulfilling job, an abusive relationship, a significant amount of debt or a situation way out of alignment with your inner being. You are now trapped between a rock and a hard place, with no resolution available. However, take note that the woman in the card is not entirely imprisoned by the eight swords around her, and if she wanted to escape, she could. She merely needs to remove the blindfold and free herself from the self-imposed bindings that hold her back. When the Eight of Swords appears in a Tarot reading, it comes as a warning that your thoughts and beliefs are no longer serving you. You may be over-thinking things, creating negative patterns or limiting yourself by only considering the worst-case scenario. The more you think about the situation, the more you feel stuck and without any options. It is time to get out of your head and let go of those thoughts and beliefs holding you back. As you change your thoughts, you change your reality. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones, and you will start to create a more favourable situation for yourself. The Eight of Swords assures you there is a way out of your current predicament – you just need a new perspective. You already have the resources you need, but it is up to you to use those resources in a way that serves you. Others may be offering you help, or there may be an alternative solution you haven’t yet fully explored. Be open to finding the answer rather than getting stuck on the problem. The Eight of Swords is often associated with a victim mentality. You surrendered your power to an external entity, allowing yourself to become trapped and limited in some way. You may feel that it isn’t your fault – you have been placed here against your will. You may feel like the victim, waiting to be rescued, but is this energy serving you? If not, it is imperative you take back your power and personal accountability and open your eyes to the options in front of you. The fact is you do have choices, even if you do not like them. You are not powerless. At times, the Eight of Swords indicates that you are confused about whether you should stay or go, particularly if you are in a challenging situation. It is not as clear-cut as you would like, making the decision very difficult. You have one foot in, hoping things can work out, but your other foot is out the door, ready to leave. The trouble is that you worry either option could lead to negative consequences, and so you remain stuck where you are. Again, this card is asking you to get out of your head and drop down into your gut and your intuition so you can hear your inner guidance. Your thoughts are not serving you right now, but your intuition is. Trust yourself. In any case, it is necessary to "take back control" of the circumstances and to remember that in life, we always have a choice. The possibilities in front of you may not be ideal, easy or desired… but they exist! You have to be able to look them in the face, and choose the best… or the least bad.

www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/minor-arcana/suit-...

In 1903 Waite succeeded Yeats as Grand Master of the Golden Dawn. His first act under his new status was a reform of the fundamental principles of the Order: he proclaimed the primacy of spiritual achievement (emphasis on esoteric knowledge and the search for Truth) over material fulfillment (which occultism in general, and magic in particular, presupposes). Seeing in this act of negating the very foundation of the Golden Dawn (namely the practice of the occult sciences) the outright annihilation of the Order, former Grand Master Yeats strongly opposed Waite.

Two camps were then formed: one bringing together the supporters of the reform and represented by William Alexander Ayton, (relatively fearful in terms of operability), Waite's right-hand man, and the other bringing together, alongside the former Grand Mr. Yeats, the curators. The feud lasted two years, after which the Yeats camp ended up going on to found its own order (La Stella Matutina, the "Morning Star")—a perfect transposition of the Golden Dawn before Waite's reform, seceding from what took then the name of Holy Order of the Golden Dawn ("Holy Order of the Golden Dawn"; the expression "holy order" illustrating more the new mystical tendencies instilled by Waite) and which continued to be shaken by internal strife until disbanded in 1915, following Waite's departure.

After this "schism of 1905", which was the real coup de grace for the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, certain initiates who had remained neutral in the struggle between Camp Yeats and Camp Ayton preferred to go and found, alone or in groups, their own brotherhood.

Arthur Edward Waite (1857-1942), wanted to be a true scholar in occultism. He wrote, among other things, "The Holy Kaballah" and "The Key to the Tarot", published in London in 1910. For Waite, symbolism is the key to the Tarot. In "The Key to the Tarot" he says, "True tarot is symbolic; it uses no other languages or other signs". One of the unique characteristics of the Arthur Edwart Waite tarot and one of the main reasons for its popularity is that all the cards, including those of the Minor Arcana, depict scenes complete with figures and symbols. The images of all Pamela Coman-Smith's cards lend themselves to an interpretation based on the conscious and unconscious reading of the scene, without the need to consult explanatory texts.

What is striking in the Tarot Rider-Waite, therefore, is above all the Minor Arcana, which are difficult to translate with the Tarot of Marseilles for most of those interested, but have suddenly become emblematic with the Tarot that Waite offers us. Therefore, these mysteries illustrated with scenes are easier to interpret.The Tarots of Wirth and Knapp Hall are to be considered to be Tarots based on "hermetic science". A science which will be strongly included in the broad fields of esoteric exploration to which the golden dawn will give access...The first decks that can be designated as decks born from the ideologies of the Golden Dawn and created according to their cosmogony is undoubtedly the Tarot Rider-Waite... It is the result of a long and meticulous research on esoteric symbols and their correspondence.

But the first member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn to have designed a Tarot is obviously doctor Gérard Encausse, Papus, who joined the members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1895. The Papus tarot would have been designed around 1899... At the beginning, it was certainly reserved for a few insider circles only... It was seen for the first time in illustration in the works of Papus, among others in "Le Tarot des Bohémiens , absolute key to the occult sciences" (1889), but the book will only be really known and accessible to the general public from its 3rd edition published in 1926. Then will follow the work "The divinatory tarot. Key to card printing and fates" (1909), reissued in large circulation also the same year of 1926. From then on, the Tarot of Papus will gain much popularity and the public will seek to obtain it... The Tarot of Papus will be diffused little by little print from the 1930s.

While the tarots of Papus, Wirth and the Knapp Hall were appearing almost simultaneously, the renowned house of Grimaud, for its part, was preparing to publish the Tarot which would become the reference for the general public, it was this famous modified reproduction of the Conver, proposed by Paul Marteau. It will appear in 1930 and will become the most fashionable tarot... Despite the modifications made to this Tarot, it has no affiliation with occult groups and is intended to be a Tarot in the tradition of the Tarot de Marseille.

That said, the Tarot which will set the tone and which will be the reference for the members of the Golden Dawn is undoubtedly the Tarot developed by Rider and Waite.

There are already a hundred decks that derive directly from the tarot originally designed by Rider-Waite. Not to mention pirated copies, clones, etc... This tarot has long been a reference for budding occultists and kabbalists... It still is...

So, in fact, there are many tarots that were designed in the ideology of the Golden Dawn!!!

It will first be the Tarot of Aleister Crowley which, following the Rider-Waite, will stand out and bring modifications to the "esoteric" Tarot, always with reference to the Golden Dawn, to the Kabbalah, to ancient Egypt initiates, etc... With in addition, references to sexual magic...The members of the Golden Dawn mainly used the Tarot of Waite, but during the 1950s, 1960s, they put a lot of effort into creating a Tarot that could finally be directly linked to the precepts and esoteric teachings of the Golden Dawn... A Tarot which originally wanted to be, once again, a Tarot exclusively reserved for members of the Order. This is the famous "Tarot of the Golden Dawn", so the Tarot which wants to be "officially" attested by the order...

But beware !! This name known as "Tarot of the Golden Dawn" is confusing... Several Tarots are decked out with the label "of the Golden Dawn"...

In truth, of all these tarot cards there is only one that is truly recognized by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and as such, and that is the one developed by Israel Regardie and Robert Wang from esoteric works of Samuel Liddel Matthers.

Robert Wang will also create the "Jungian Tarot", very appreciated also by the followers of the Golden Dawn; and perhaps even more by those interested in "modern theosophy" and in the principles elaborated by Jung.

The "Jungian Tarot" is quite similar to the so-called "Golden Dawn" Tarot, but is intended more for "personal evolution" than for the initiatory journey of the Order, strictly speaking... In truth these two tarots are the results of extensive research in matters of esotericism, research that has been carried out by the study centers of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Its construction, on the basis of the four elements, the celestial phenomena, the Holy Kabbalah, and a highly evolved psychology, can apparently lead its followers into the inner recesses of psychic and intuitive awareness.

Above all, this tarot can be used as a basis for occult study, in order to learn to possess all the aspects of the traditional "center-wisdom", and "high-science" kabbalistic... (There are many Rosicrucian references , and also references to Freemasonry and alchemy).

Originally, the Golden Dawn Tarot was only reserved for members of the official Order. It began to be broadcast from 1975.

Despite the claim of these creators, it should still be known that the vast majority of members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, will study the Tarot from the "Tarot B.O.T.A.", or the original Rider-Waite. What is striking in the Tarot Rider-Waite, therefore, is above all the Minor Arcana, which are difficult to translate with the Tarot of Marseilles for most of those interested, but have suddenly become emblematic with the Tarot that Waite offers us. Therefore, these mysteries illustrated with scenes are easier to interpret.

THE TAROT B.O.T.A.

It is actually a very special version of the Rider-Waite Tarot presented in a "black and white" version, and the members were invited to color their own tarots... The study of symbolism esoteric was first done using this Tarot Rider-Waite in its original version (in black and bench). Indeed, the Waite-Rider Tarot in its black and white version is the most used by Golden Dawn followers and should be considered the official Golden Dawn Tarot.

A nearly similar version is still used by members of the B.O.T.A. and followers of hermetic schools. (The initials B.O.T.A. mean "Builders of the Adytum", it is a traditional and fraternal association founded by Paul Foster Case, continued and extended by Ann Davies...

A popular theory is that author William Walker Atkinson co-wrote the legendary "Kybalion" tome with Paul Foster Case. This theory is often defended by members of the "Builders of the Adytum". B.O.T.A. offers courses and techniques based on the study of the mystical teachings of the Holy Qabalah and TAROT. In fact, this confusing story about the Tarot B.O.T.A. and writing the "Kybalion", seems to have started with a breakaway group from the B.O.T.A., "The Brotherhood of Hidden Light" (which emphasizes the "secret (or lost) knowledge of the sages of Atlantis") .

The members of the Golden Dawn like the members of the B.O.T.A., consider that the Rider-Waite tarot is the ultimate "reference"...

secretsdutarot.blogspot.com/2013/01/les-tarots-dits-de-la...

This dissertation seeks to define the importance of Waite’s interpretation of mediaeval and Renaissance esoterica regarding the contacting of daemons and its evolution into a body of astrological and terrestrial correspondences and intelligences that included a Biblical primordial language, or a lingua adamica. The intention and transmission of John Dee’s angel magic is linked to the philosophy outlined in his earlier works, most notably the Monas Hieroglyphica, and so this dissertation also provides a philosophical background to Dee’s angel magic. The aim of this dissertation is to establish Dee’s conversations with angels as a magic system that is a direct descendant of Solomonic and Ficinian magic with unique Kabbalistic elements. It is primarily by the Neoplatonic, Hermetic, Kabbalistic, and alchemical philosophy presented in the Monas Hieroglyphica that interest in Dee’s angel magic was transmitted through the Rosicrucian movement. Through Johann Valentin Andreae’s Chymische Hochzeit Christiani Rosencreutz anno 1459, the emphasis on a spiritual, inner alchemy became attached to Dee’s philosophy. Figures such as Elias Ashmole, Ebenezer Sibley, Francis Barret, and Frederick Hockley were crucial in the transmission of interest in Dee’s practical angel magic and Hermetic philosophy to the founders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Enochian Angel Magic: From John Dee to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn www.academia.edu/921740/Enochian_Angel_Magic_From_John_De...

The rituals of the Golden Dawn utilized Dee’s angel magic, in addition to creative Kabbalistic elements, to form a singular practice that has influenced Western esoterica of the modern age. This study utilizes a careful analysis of primary sources including the original manuscripts of the Sloane archives, the most recent scholarly editions of Dee’s works, authoritative editions of original documents linked to Rosicrucianism, and Israel Regardie’s texts on Golden Dawn practices."In Whose hands the Sun is as a sword, and the Moon as a through- thrusting fire." An elegant equation, defining the parameters of the. creation. The god declares dominion over planetary forces (Sun-Moon) and elemental forces (fire-air). He also declares control over the two types of dualities: those in which one pole is projective and the other responsive (Sun-Moon) and over those in which two forces of similar polarity are balanced (fire-air). Within the area of creation, the positive pole is attributed to the element of swords, Air, and the anti-positive pole is attributed to the element of Fire. This is reflected in the precedence followed by the elements throughout the Tablets and Calls: Air first, then Water, Earth, and Fire. "Which measure your garments in the midst of my vestures..." The word translated here as "garments" is used uniformly to mean "creation" or "being" elsewhere in the Keys. Another word is used for

"garments" in the next sentence of this same Key. Another word is also used for "midst" further on in this Key. So the translation here is questionable. A magickal image given to define this phrase shows the scene through the god's eyes as he pulls endless threads of living light out of a lamen on his chest.

Enochian magic is a system of ceremonial magic based on the 16th-century writings of John Dee and Edward Kelley, who wrote that their information, including the revealed Enochian language, was delivered to them directly by various angels. Dee's journals contain the record of these workings, the Enochian script, and the tables of correspondences used in Enochian magic. Dee and Kelley believed their visions gave them access to secrets contained within Liber Logaeth, which Dee and Kelley referred to as the "Book of Enoch".In the early 1580s, John Dee had become discontented with his progress in learning the secrets of nature. Dee wrote: I have from my youth up, desired and prayed unto God for pure and sound wisdom and understanding of truths natural and artificial, so that God's wisdom, goodness, and power bestowed in the frame of the world might be brought in some bountiful measure under the talent of my capacity... So for many years and in many places, far and near, I have sought and studied many books in sundry languages, and have conferred with sundry men, and have laboured with my own reasonable discourse, to find some inkling, gleam, or beam of those radical truths. But after all my endeavours I could find no other way to attain such wisdom but by the Extraordinary Gift, and not by any vulgar school, doctrine, or human invention. Enochian magic involves the evocation and commanding of various spirits.He subsequently began to turn energetically towards the supernatural as a means to acquire knowledge. He sought to contact spirits through the use of a scryer or crystal-gazer, which he thought would act as an intermediary between himself and the angels. Dee's first attempts with several scryers were unsatisfactory, but in 1582 he met Edward Kelley (1555–1597/8), then calling himself Edward Talbot to disguise his conviction for "coining" or forgery, who impressed him greatly with his abilities.Dee took Kelley into his service and began to devote all his energies to his supernatural pursuits. These "spiritual conferences" or "actions" were conducted with intense Christian piety, always after periods of purification, prayer and fasting. Dee was convinced of the benefits they could bring to mankind. The character of Kelley is harder to assess: some conclude that he acted with cynicism, but delusion or self-deception cannot be ruled out. Kelley's "output" is remarkable for its volume, intricacy and vividness. Through Kelley, the angels laboriously dictated several books in this way, some in a previously unknown language which Dee called Angelical — now more commonly known as Enochian.The two pillars of modern Enochian magic, as outlined in Liber Chanokh, are the Elemental Tablets (including the "Tablet of Union") and the Keys of the 30 Aethyrs. The Enochian model of the universe is depicted by Dee as a square called "The Great Table" (made up of the 4 Elemental Tablets and incorporating the Tablet of Union), surrounded by 30 concentric circles representing the 30 Aethyrs or Aires. The Angelical Keys:

The essence of Enochian magic involves the recitation of one or more of nineteen Angelical Keys, which are also referred to as Calls. These keys are a series of rhetorical exhortations which function as evocations when read in the Enochian language. They are used to effect the "opening of 'gates' into various mystical realms." The first eighteen keys are used to 'open' the realms of the elements and sub-elements, which are mapped onto the quadrants and sub-quadrants of the Great Tablet.[clarification needed][citation needed]. The nineteenth key is used to 'open' the Thirty Aethyrs. The Aethyrs are conceived of as forming a map of the entire universe in the form of concentric rings which expand outward from the innermost to the outermost Aethyr. The Great Table: The angels of the four quarters are symbolized by the Elemental Tablets — four large magical word-square Tables (collectively called "The Great Table"). Most of the well-known Enochian angels are drawn from the Elemenal Tablets of the Great Table. Each of the four tablets (representing the Elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water), is collectively "governed" by a hierarchy of spiritual entities which runs (as explained in Crowley's Liber Chanokh) as the Three Holy Names, the Great Elemental King, the Six Seniors (aka Elders) (these make a total of 24 Elders as seen in the Revelation of St. John), the Two Divine Names of the Calvary Cross, the Kerubim, and the Sixteen Lesser Angels. Each tablet is further divided into four sub-quadrants (sometimes referred to as 'sub-angles') where we find the names of various Archangels and Angels who govern the quarters of the world. In this way, the entire universe, visible and invisible, is depicted as teeming with living intelligences. Each of the Elemental tablets is also divided into four sections by a figure known as the Great Central Cross. The Great Central cross consists of the two central vertical columns of the Elemental Tablet (the Linea Patris and Linea Filii) and the central horizontal line (known as the Linea Spiritus Sancti). In addition to the four Elemental Tablets, a twenty-square cell known as the Tablet of Union (aka The Black Cross, representing Spirit) completes the representation of the five traditional elemental attributes used in magic - Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Spirit. The Tablet of Union is derived from within the Great Central Cross of the Great Table. The Thirty Æthyrs : The 30 Aethyrs are numbered from 30 (TEX, the lowest and consequently the closest to the Great Table) to 1 (LIL, the highest, representing the Supreme Attainment. Magicians working the Enochian system record their impressions and visions within each of the successive Enochian Aethyrs. Each of the 30 Aethyrs is populated by "Governors" (3 for each Aethyr, except TEX which has four, thus a total of 91 Governors). Each of the governors has a sigil which can be traced onto the Great Tablet of Earth.

The Holy Table: a table with a top engraved with a Hexagram, a surrounding border of Enochian letters, and in the middle a Twelvefold table (cell) engraved with individual Enochian letters. According to Duquette and Hyatt, the Holy Table "does not directly concern Elemental or Aethyrical workings. Angels found on the Holy Table are not called forth in these operations."

The Seven Planetary Talismans: The names on these talismans (which are engraved on tin and placed on the surface of the Holy Table) are those of the Goetia. According to Duquette and Hyatt, "this indicates (or at least implies) Dee's familiarity with the Lemegeton and his attempt, at least early in his workings, to incorporate it in the Enochian system."] As with the Holy Table, Spirits found on these talismans are not called forth in these operations. The Sigillum dei Aemeth, Holy Sevenfold Table, or 'Seal of God's Truth': The symbol derives from Liber Juratus (aka The Sworn Book of Honorius or Grimoire of Honorius, of which Dee owned a copy). Five versions of this complex diagram are made from bee's wax, and engraved with the various lineal figures, letters and numbers. The four smaller ones are placed under the feet of the Holy Table. The fifth and larger one (about nine inches in diameter) is covered with a red cloth, placed on the Holy Table, and is used to support the "Shew-Stone" or "Speculum" (crystal or other device used for scrying). Scrying is an essential element of the magical system. Dee and Kelly's technique was to gaze into a concave obsidian mirror. Crowley habitually held a large topaz mounted upon a wooden cross to his forehead. Other methods include gazing into crystals, ink, fire or even a blank TV screen.Little else became of Dee's work until late in the nineteenth century,[citation needed] when it was incorporated by a brotherhood of adepts in England. The rediscovery of Dee and Kelley's material by Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in the 1880s led to Mathers developing the material into a comprehensive system of ceremonial magic. Magicians invoked the Enochian deities whose names were written on the tablets. They also traveled in their bodies of light into these subtle regions and recorded their psychic experiences. The two major branches of the system were then grafted on to the Adeptus Minor curriculum of the Golden Dawn.

According to Aleister Crowley, the magician starts with the 30th aethyr and works up to the first, exploring only so far as his level of initiation will permit. According to Chris Zalewski's 1994 book, the Golden Dawn also invented the game of Enochian chess, in which aspects of the Enochian Tablets were used for divination. They used four chessboards without symbols on them, just sets of colored squares, and each board is associated with one of the four elements of magic. Florence Farr founded the Sphere Group which also experimented with Enochian magic.Aleister Crowley's work with Enochian magick generally follows the Golden Dawn system. He is known primarily for his explorations of the 30 Aethyrs, published in "The Vision and the Voice". This work established the idea that Aethyr might represent a means of initiation, and set a standard for methodical exploration, which few have equaled. It also fixed Crowley's particular perspective on the process of transcendence in the minds of many students of the occult. Crowley envisioned the Aethyr as being related to the sephiroth of the tree of life in groups of three. He also mentions that each Aethyr "bends" into the next Aethyr above it, in a way, so that in progressing through the Aethyrs from the last to the first, one also withdraws one's being from the lower levels and already experienced (this is parallel to the technique he describes in the Liber Yod, in which the magician achieves union with the deity by gradually banishing all other levels and powers.Under this conception the Aethyrs ZAX, whose parts have names formed from the cross of union, is the highest of the three attributed to Chesed. Thus, it is the last Aethyr encountered before entering the Supernal Triad and achieving transcendence. Crowley envisioned this movement as crossing an "abyss" or space, during which the magician encounters an Enochian devil named Choronzon dwelling therein. Crowley's other contribution to Enochian magick was adapting the pyramid system of the GD for use with the sex magick of the O.T.O. In this technique, physical representations of the pyramids are made for an angel's name, but inverted to form the square "cups". These serve as talismans, which are charged using the end product of the sex magick operation.

Paul Foster Case (1884–1954), an occultist who began his magical career with the Alpha et Omega, was critical of the Enochian system. According to Case, the system of Dee and Kelley was partial from the start, an incomplete system derived from an earlier and complete Qabalistic system, and lacked sufficient protection methods. Case believed he had witnessed the physical breakdown of a number of practitioners of Enochian magic, due to the lack of protective methods. When Case founded his own magical order, the Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A.), he removed the Enochian system and substituted elemental tablets based on Qabalistic formulae communicated to him by Master R.The first Enochian Key or Call is a recapitulation of the steps by which the creator of the system brought it into being. The Key follows the same macrocosmic-to-microcosmic progression used in the example consecration ritual, but then supplements this with a response from the microcosm directed at the macrocosm. Note that the description of the downward current contains seven significant phrases, suggesting the planets and sun, the macrocosm, while the description of the response contains five significant phrases, suggesting the four elements and elemental spirit, the microcosm."...and trussed you together as the palms of my hands." The magickal image continues by showing the god gathering the fibers of light into a bundle or cable. The god concentrates the energies within the area of work in preparation for shaping."Whose seats I garnished with the fire of gathering, which beautified your garments with admiration." Having generated the positive or spiritual pole of the creation, the god now looks to the anti-positive or material pole. The "seats" are the squares of the tablets in their two-dimensional form. The god embodies a part of his will in the Tablets, defining the order and place to which the spiritual energies will be attracted and attached. When the energies are attached to the Tablets, the pattern of will embodied in the Tablets extends back along their path to the positive pole, conditioning all the perceptible expressions (the "garments") of the energies.. The usual assumption of later magicians (which is not universally accepted) is that the remaining Calls refer to the "Minor Angles" within the Tablets.

The Golden Dawn method of associating the Callings with the tablets and Lesser Angles has become the accepted "standard". Donald Tyson recently proposed an alternative method which has received some attention

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enochian_magic

SUMMARY OF PATH POSITIONS IN ACHAD'S TREE OF LIFE

Path Trump Connects with:

Aleph The Fool Malkuth Yesod

Beth The Magician Malkuth Hod

Gimel The Priestess Yesod Hod

Daleth The Empress Malkuth Netzach

Heh The Emperor Tiphereth Geburah

Vav The Hierophant Hod Netzach

Zain The Lovers Hod Tiphereth

Cheth The Chariot Yesod Netzach

Teth Strength Netzach Tiphereth

YodT he Hermit Hod Geburah

Kaph The Wheel of Fortune Kether Chokmah

Lamed Justice Netzach Chesed

Mem The Hanged Man Yesod Tiphereth

Nun Death Geburah Chesed

Samek Temperance Chesed Chokmah

AyinThe DevilTiphereth Binah

PehThe Tower Geburah Binah

Tzaddi The Star Binah Chokmah

Qoph The Moon Tiphereth Chesed

Resh The Sun Tiphereth Chokmah

Shin Judgement Kether Tiphereth

TauT he Universe Kether Binah

"To whom I made a law to govern the holy ones," The word translated as "holy ones" appears to derive from the same root as the enochian words for "fire", suggesting that the holy ones are those who possess the spiritual will. The god specifies the manner in which his creation will respond to the mages and adepts."Moreover, you lifted up your voices and sware obedience and faith..."The connection between the two poles having been made, and the conditions of their interaction being set, the angels of the creation voice their response to the god, swearing to continue to follow the god's will. "...to him that liveth and triumpheth," The spirits of the Tablets affirm the existence of their creator by saying that he lives, and affirm the success of the act of creation by saying that he triumphs. The echoing of the god's statements by the spirits of the tablets also suggests that the conditions the god laid on the creation as a whole

are reflected in miniature within the creation. It shall be shown that this is the case with the Tablets as we proceed.In the remainder of the Key, the magician using it calls upon the

spirits to respond to him fully and openly. The word translated here as "servant" might be better rendered as "minister" or "representative". The magician asserts that he has a right to demand a response from the spirits because his acts are in accord with the will of their creator.

www.sacred-texts.com/eso/enoch/1stkey.txt

Angelic chatter, but very little solid information. Additionally, the reader must deal with forays into apocalyptic religion, Elizabethan politics, Dee's and Kelly's personal issues, and the various irrelevant issues Dee insisted on inserting into the work. Chronologically, Dee and Kelly's work falls into three highly productive periods separated by months when nothing of particular value was received. The material received in each period generally stands on its own, and is only loosely related to that of the other periods. but the term is often applied to all work. First Period: The Heptarchia Mystica. Equipment: Ring, Lamen, and Holy Table The angels claimed that the ring they designed for Dee was the same one used by Solomon to control demons. The ring had a full band, to which was attached a rectangular plate. The letters PELE (coming from Latin for "he will do miracles") were inscribed in the four corners. In the center was a circle crossed by a horizontal line, with the letter "V" inscribed above and the letter "L" below. Two different lamens were given to Dee. The first bears a generic resemblance to various sigils of goetia being an assortment of free-form lines and oddly placed letters. The giving being indicated that it was to be made of gold and worn every time and place for the purpose of protection. given by an evil spirit. During the spring session of 1583, the angels indicated that a session had been scheduled in which detailed instructions would be given for the use of Heptarchic magick. If this session took place, it is not in the records that have survived; but some idea of the general technique can be gathered from the comments in other parts of the recording. The magician would be seated at the Holy Table, wearing the ring and lamen. table in front of him. He would hold an appropriate Heptarchic king's talisman in one hand, with a talisman of the names of the king's ministers placed beneath his feet. The magician would then invite the king with petition and prayer, followed by petitions to his prince, and invocations of the six chief ministers. They would appear in the stone of clairvoyance, whereupon the magician would instruct them to accomplish the task he desired.The Liber Loagaeth is the most mysterious part of Dee and Kelly's work. It is also known by different names like

book of Enoch and the Liber Mysteriorum Sextus et Sanctus. So far no one has seriously attempted to use it, or to understand its nature, beyond what is found in the diaries. According to the angels, "loagaeth" means "speech of God", this book is supposed to be, literally, the words by which God created all things. It is supposed to be the language in which the "true names" of all things are known, giving power over them. As described in the Liber Mysteriorum Quintis, the book was to consist of 48 "leaves", of which each contains a 49x49 grid. Infact, the book actually presented to Kelly is somewhat different. It contains 49 "invocations" in an unknown language, 95 square tables filled with letters and numbers, 2 similar tables not filled, and 4 drawn tables twice the width of the others. 2 "leaves" are recorded, but these are not included in the final book, and apparently serve as an introduction or prologue to the work. this term. There is no translation by which this could be judged in detail, but the text lacks the logical repetitions and word placements which are characteristic of the 48 Enochian invocations given in later years. There is no apparent grammar in the text. Donald Laycock remarks that the language is strongly alliterative and repetitively rhyming, while Robert Turner calls it "glossolalic". many "languages", all being spoken immediately. The purpose of the Loagaeth has been said to be the unleashing/introduction of a new age on earth, the last age before the end of all things. Instructions for use for this purpose were never given; the angels continually put it off, saying that only God could decide when the time has come. During the presentation of the two leaves of the Liber Mysteriorum Quintis, in the stone of clairvoyance an angel moved successively towards letters, and Kelly pronounced the names of the angelic character. Dee transcribed a version using the Roman alphabet, apparently with the intention of redoing it in angelic characters at a later date. of Kelly; this light was seen by both of them. Once the light entered Kelly's head, his consciousness was transformed so that he could understand the text as he read it. He was strongly commanded not to provide a translation, explaining that God would choose the time for it to be revealed. He provided the translation of a few of the words, but it was insufficient to capture the meaning of the text as a whole. When the light withdrew from Kelly's head, he immediately ceased to understand the text, and could no longer see it in the stone. On a few occasions, the light continued to work within him for a short time after the session ended, and at those times Dee noticed that Kelly said many wonderful (and unrecorded) things about the nature of the texts. But the moment the light went out, Kelly couldn't understand it anymore, nor remember what he had said during the previous moment. The record indicates that the 23rd line of the first leaf was a preface to the creation and distinction of the angels, and the 24th line a pleasant invitation to the good angels. Nothing else is recorded concerning the purpose of this book.

Enochian Magic and the Apocalypse

There are 2 major threads of thought in Christian millennialism. One thread, called postmillennialism, is largely utopian in nature. He sees the millennium as the beginning of a period of progressive perfection of conditions on Earth; the basic principle is that the world must be perfected and the city of God built on earth before Christ returns, and only after Christ returns will the world end. Two decades after Dee, this form of millennialism was the driving force behind the religious groups shoeing the English colonization of America. Dee's own thought contains many post-millennial ideals in the search for Enochian magick, one of his goals was to gain means to bring earthly governments and societies to God's design, thereby bringing the return of Christ closer. quickly. The other thread, called premillennialism, is the more catastrophic variety. In this version, the typical scenario is the return of Christ, and then mankind's current "evil" societies will be destroyed in worldwide disasters, while the elect are preserved from evil. After the world is destroyed, Christ will join the faithful in a city built by God to rule over the earth for a thousand years. While there is a strong millennial flavor to the angel's statements, they are almost uniformly of the postmillennial variety. The angels divided the world into four ages. The first of these ages began with the creation and ended with the flood; the second ended with the appearance of Christ. The revelation of Liber Loagaeth ended the third age and triggered the final age, in which the world would be brought to perfection before Christ's return. . A particular passage makes this clear.

The Enochian Magical System of Golden Dawn

Regardie, Israel, The Golden Dawn, Llewellyn Publications, 1971, St Paul, MN. Reprinted at regular intervals. Contains detailed descriptions of the Enochian Magical System developed from GD. Zalewski, Pat. Golden Dawn Enochian Magic, Llewellyn Certainly there are influences of the Qabalah (the Sigillum Dei Aemeth, the communications of Uriel, Michael...) but this is not the originality and the strength of the system. Some practitioners of Enochian magic said that it was a Qabala (when I hear a Qabala I tend to write Kabbalah, like in the theater) that put into action the world of Atziluth, the highest of the four Qabalah classic. It's quite difficult to verify...even ! (See the introduction to the Necrono-micon at Belfond Editions).

But back to Enochian magick proper. The successors of the G.. D.. today reorganize its system and Schueler in his Enochian Magic) gives the material and the rituals "step by step" ("step by step"). Americans (and us too) like to practice if it is simple and impressive... The investigation by Enochian magic generally gives results, we cannot really say that they are controllable since they do not correspond to any standard of experiences already lived by the inventors of this practice.

Be that as it may, the Enochian, this language with its grammar and its syntax, this magical system and its original Theogony, remains a mystery that should not be taken for a simple variant of this or that traditional system already known. It is therefore useful when approaching it to master the fundamental elements which are used for its use without being subservient to the rituals of the pentagrams and hexagrams, to their signs, to the notions of Qabala of the G., D.., etc. This will make it possible to know what is original or what is borrowed in the Enochian, and what one can think of such or such contemporary development. A culture that will provide some points of reference in our consumer society where the practice of magic has much in common with video games or the daily television session.

In this, the most honorable goal (if it can be a question of honour) is the success of the experience known as the "Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel", i.e. contact with one's true will, devoid of intention, in other words his heart. But it also applies to solving the various problems of life. After all, a magic is white or black only according to the use that is made of it... Let's say that we are still far from the religious John Dee. In fact not, for if Dee's conscious aims and methods were very far from those of our contemporaries, would ultimately the adventures and misadventures of his life, the problem of his relationship with Kelly evidently culminating in the ritually ordered exchange what they did with their wives would not be indications that this practice was beginning to ferment the elements of their consciences into a quintessential non-conformist?

MATTHEW LEON.

This text constitutes the introduction to the "Book of the gathering of forces" Editions RAMUEL 1994

Today we can no longer answer, lacking the benchmarks of a conventional morality no longer existing in the heart of the modern magician. But what is left? On what do we base ourselves if our practice has not yet allowed us an unambiguous contact with our heart, if our magical training lets us wander in the imagination that we have shaped? Publications 1990, St Paul, MN.

Synesthesia (American English) or synaesthesia (British English) is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People who report a lifelong history of such experiences are known as synesthetes. Awareness of synesthetic perceptions varies from person to person. In one common form of synesthesia, known as grapheme–color synesthesia or color–graphemic synesthesia, letters or numbers are perceived as inherently colored.In spatial-sequence, or number form synesthesia, numbers, months of the year, or days of the week elicit precise locations in space (e.g., 1980 may be "farther away" than 1990), or may appear as a three-dimensional map (clockwise or counterclockwise). Synesthetic associations can occur in any combination and any number of senses or cognitive pathways. Little is known about how synesthesia develops. It has been suggested that synesthesia develops during childhood when children are intensively engaged with abstract concepts for the first time. This hypothesis—referred to as semantic vacuum hypothesis—could explain why the most common forms of synesthesia are grapheme-color, spatial sequence, and number form. These are usually the first abstract concepts that educational systems require children to learn. The earliest recorded case of synesthesia is attributed to the Oxford University academic and philosopher John Locke, who, in 1690, made a report about a blind man who said he experienced the color scarlet when he heard the sound of a trumpet. However, there is disagreement as to whether Locke described an actual instance of synesthesia or was using a metaphor. The first medical account came from German physician Georg Tobias Ludwig Sachs in 1812. The term is from the Ancient Greek σύν syn, 'together', and αἴσθησις aisthēsis, 'sensation'.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

When Pamela Coleman Smith was attending the Pratt Institute of Art, she realized that she possessed a high degree of sound-color synesthesia, i.e., she was able to visualize colors and forms while listening to music and could transmit those visualizations into tangible works of art. Modern psychologists define synesthesia as a crossing-over of sensory input. Depending upon the type of synesthesia, individuals are able to hear colors, see music, smell words, etc. Many people, particularly artists, possess this phenomenon to some extent; however, Pamela possessed sound-color synesthesia to an exceptionally high degree. She was able to create sound paintings just by unconsciously drawing while listening to passages of music. She embodied the Symbolist ideal in this area. Many examples of her work in this area have survived, including three watercolors in the possession of the Stieglitz/Georgia O'Keeffe Archive. In July 1908, an article appeared in The Strand Magazine entitled "Pictures in Music." The article included six black and white images of her music paintings (see below) and provided a long quotation by her which described how her art was created. A pertinent excerpt from that article is as follows: Do you see pictures in music? When you hear a Beethoven symphony or a sonata by Schumann, do mystic human figures and landscapes float before your eyes ? It is by no means new or uncommon for a composer to have a distinct picture in his mind when he sets himself to create a work. Schumann saw children at play in an embowered wood, dancing merrily until, lo ! the sudden advent of a satyr sent them shrieking to their homes. Few, however, have been able to delineate their hallucinations born of music.

Mendelssohn, who was no mean draughtsman, was often asked to do so, but always refused. "It is like asking a sculptor to paint a portrait of his statue," he once said. " All art is one, just as the human body is one, but each of the members has its functions. It is the function of music to hear, not to see." Nevertheless, it is highly interesting to see music translated in the terms of a sister art, and this is what a clever artist, Miss Pamela Colman Smith, has done, in pictures which are published now for the first time in The Strand Magazine. Many of the compositions selected by the artist will instantly be recognized as conveying, in quite a surprising way, a vivid idea of the music as a whole. Every reader can ascertain for himself whether he possesses this peculiar psychic gift—this power of conjuring up music pictures. When you next hear a famous sonata, close your eyes and see what, if any, "pictures" pass before the eye of your brain. Under the magical influence of music the soul has glimpses of wondrous shapes, lit by the light that never was on sea or land. "You ask me how these pictures are evolved," said Miss Colman Smith. "They are not pictures of the music theme — pictures of the flying notes—not conscious illustrations of the name given to a piece of music, but just what I see when I hear music—thoughts loosened and set free by the spell of sound. "When I take a brush in hand and the music begins, it is like unlocking the door into a beautiful country. There, stretched far away, are plains and mountains and the billowy sea, and as the music forms a net of sound the people who dwell there enter the scene; tall, slow-moving, stately queens, with jewelled crowns and garments gay or sad, who walk on mountain - tops or stand beside the shore, watching the water - people. These water-folk are passionless, and sway or fall with little heed of time; they toss the spray and, bending down, dive headlong through the deep. "There are the dwellers, too, of the great plain, who sit and brood, made of stone and motionless; the trees, which slumber till some elf goes by with magic spear and wakes the green to life ; towers, white and tall, standing against the darkening sky— Those tall white towers that one sees afar, Topping the mountain crests like crowns of snow. Their silence hangs so heavy in the air That thoughts are stifled. "Then huddling crowds, who carry spears, hasten across the changing scene. Sunsets fade from rose to grey, and clouds scud across the sky. "For a long time the land I saw when hearing Beethoven was unpeopled; hills, plains, ruined towers, churches by the sea. After a time I saw far off a little company of spearmen ride away across the plain. But now the clanging sea is strong with the salt of the lashing spray and full of elemental life; the riders of the waves, the Queen of Tides, who carries in her hand the pearl-like moon, and bubbles gleaming on the inky wave. "Often when hearing Bach I hear bells ringing in the sky, rung by whirling cords held in the hands of maidens dressed in brown. There is a rare freshness in the air, like morning on a mountain-top, with opal-coloured mists that chase each other fast across the scene. "Chopin brings night ; gardens where mystery and dread lurk under every bush, but joy and passion throb within the air, and the cold moon bewitches all the scene. There is a garden that I often see, with moonlight glistening on the vine-leaves, and drooping roses with pale petals fluttering down, tall, misty trees and purple sky, and lovers wandering there. A drawing of that garden I have shown to several people and asked them if they could play the music that I heard when I drew it. They have all, without any hesitation, played the same. I do not know the name, but— well, I know the music of that place."

pcs2051.tripod.com/synesthesia.htm

beinecke.library.yale.edu/digitallibrary/asgo.html

The Laziest Luxe Life Top 10 by Bran Beckman Archive

14 24

I am a new collector this year! I don’t have a lot of knowledge or experience yet, and this year has been a whirlwind of dolls for me! As a new collector there are a lot of dolls I don’t have any versions of yet! I don’t have any Poppy! Hardly any main line FR, and sort of a random collection so far. That being said I don’t have to worry about having “too many” of a particular sculpt yet, and I’m just starting to get into some of the older characters (I saw someone comment somewhere that Natalia should retire, but I think her last two releases were pretty fierce!?)

Most of the convention dolls initially did nothing for me, but then quite a few grew on me quickly the more I looked at them. When I saw other people redressing their dolls then a few stood out that I hadn’t seen the potential for!

Quite a shock to myself to see THREE Poppys on the list!

So here are my top 10 picks in reverse order (though honestly the order is mostly imaginary!)

All photos credit to my eBay recently viewed list!? It feels SO tacky and tasteless to do it this way, but this way you can all really see into my psyche!😹)

Sort of an honorable mention, but she made the list anyways, #10: Gold Snap Poppy Parker.

She seemed so plain and a bit basic, and a revamp or tribute to an older look I have seen very recently. But she is really quite lovely, she has great neutral tones, and when viewed as a whole with her accessories: gloves, fur, boots, necklace; she makes a great doll for a beginning collector like me.

#9: Diving Evening Victorie Roux. (Really: Divine Evening, my autocorrect changes it, but that’s okay, I found her diving through eBay and saw her there before I saw any photos of her on Flickr.)

Her price and availability should make her much further up the list, but the more I look at her and others (and make more poor eBay choices) the more I can live without her. I really liked her expression and her hair color, though I would want to take the updo down. I liked her dress because I love the color green, but my brain wants to compare it to Sea Devil’s gown and it begins to fall short. I love the accessories and jewelry for this doll, the gloves and over-the-top necklace are pieces I might try to find separately.

#8: Lemon Frost Poppy Parker.

I liked the look of the her when the first photos of her at the convention came up on Flickr. Then I overloaded on eBay images, and in all of the, where she is in the box she looks washed out and terrible! Almost ghoulish in some photos!! eBay did not do her coloring justice, but she still had cute accessories, gloves, jewelry... then I saw this: www.flickr.com/photos/disenchanted-2012/45085270394/

Just about shat myself. So now she is on the list! (I hope it’s okay that I just threw the link in here Deb Buckner!😉😻)

#7: Luxuriously Gifted Natalia

I. Really. Like. Her. She is so affordable she should absolutely be higher up the list, but I have reasons.

I’ve been staring at the fashion of Monogram Echelon recently, because I kinda like it, but not enough to get it. This feels like that same look, super classy suit, but still a bit silly and poofy. With the black bodysuit under the jacket the look feels so much fresher. I like her makeup, the pink and purple eyeshadow is fun, but I would probably tone down the over-filled lipstick on her top lip! I know she looks gorgeous with the full lip, but I like the pout that following the line of her lip sculpt gives her. I would also absolutely take her hair down, and am so glad people are seeing her potential now that people are restyling her!

All of that being said: Resurgence Natalia already has an understated top lip AND her hair is down, and she’s such a nice skin tone, and her outfit is GORGEOUS, and her accessories, and how cool would she look wearing young and fresh from the Lovesick Collection, so, she stays down the list.

#6: A Fabulous Life Rayna

Oh is she gorgeous!! I love everything about the doll, and I love all of her jewelry and accessories. Love the red and black, the skulls, the jewels. I want to re-style her hair in crazy ways (does anyone remember the old MTV Cartoon Aeon Flux? Or the movie remake with Charlie’s Theron?)

She looks like she is going to be super versatile, dressed up or down I’m sure she will look good in anything, and be able to pull off any look. The only reason she is so low down my list is the affordability, I think! Maybe down the road I will find her nude for a song!

#5: Affluent Demeanor Agnes

She wowed me when the centerpiece photos started being posted! I loved her look. I don’t know how I feel about her dress, I want to think it is a bit silly with all the poof and sparkle, but I don’t dare because I just like her so much! I don’t know if that make sense!

I love her hair, and her crown. Her crown reminds me of The Empress Tarot card, a crown full of stars. I really want to see her with her hair down! The stripes are intriguing; after being braided like that it would be wavy too. I think it would be a cool effect to see her hair down in loose waves with the crown back on her head. Maybe wearing something more “gentle.”

I also want to see her with armor on over that dress! Tell me an ornate Spanish breastplate wouldn’t look amazing with that skirt and crown! A conquering queen!

#4: The Entire Miss Behave Style Lab Collection Including the Build A Poppy

Honestly mostly just the fashion! I really liked a few of the dolls like Lark and Hollis, but not enough to lose it over them. All the fashion sets are so versatile, and so many pieces would mix-and-match SO WELL! Does anybody else get the feeling that each set represents a different style decade? Some of it seems mixed up though! (I swear I recently saw a vintage Black Francie on eBay wearing the exact same outfit as Not Your Puppet Janay!! Cherry Bomb reminds me of the outfit on the old Starr Doll, but admittedly that’s a stretch.)

The prices the dolls and fashion are currently selling at seem a bit high, I will have to check again when the madness dies down and the items are actually physically available!! It seems like a brilliant business plan to go to the convention and buy multiples of everything in the Style Lab, get your three build-a-Poppy dolls, and sell all the stuff you don’t want on eBay from your hotel room. I’m really hoping people did this, and will start selling their fashion off when they get it!!

#3: Gilded Oligarch Tatyana

Oh, she is gorgeous. I love the color of her makeup! the deep rich sparkle rose pink lipstick, the dark smoky green eyeshadow. Her glance and expression is great and I’ve seen some amazing photos of her. I really like her, but there is something I cannot place that made me decide just to skip her over and put her out of my mind. I think I can just anticipate having a difficult time bonding with her even though I like her so much!

She is another Luxe Life doll that I can’t help but compare to the Sacred Lotus incarnation. Something about Goddess Tatyana just really wows me. I saw Dolldiva67 say somewhere that she has spooky eyes!! I think that’s why I like her. I ACCIDENTALLY bought her on ebay, so it looks like I won’t be going for Gilded Oligarch in the near future (and now probably not Violaine either😿)

But I do want to get Legacy Janay’s coat for Goddess with Color Clash Alyssa’s pink dress, orange tights, and blue sparkle shoes; something fun and young and fresh to make her spooky eyes pop!

#2: Style Lab Jade Wearing Soft Focus

How 90’s is she?!!! I don’t know why I like her, let alone like her enough that she is in the number two spot!

I do like her coloring, and she is pretty cute with her green eyes in simple cat-eye makeup. I really like this floaty floral dress and boots combo, but it is terribly 90’s. Has my excitement for seeing photos of Feelin’ Extra Jade nude-in-box clouded my judgement of this Jade? Maybe! But she is still super cute!

#1: Chiller Thriller Poppy Parker

????

I’m not really a huge poppy fan? I really enjoy seeing her, but there hasn’t been one yet that I needed. I don’t know if I “need” this one.

I don’t know!! Look at how she stares at me in all of those pictures! I’m hooked by her gaze! Love her coloring and simple clean makeup. She looks like she could be both soft and sharp, not either/or the way a lot of Poppys seem to be either sweet or bitchy. As with the other Poppy picks on my list, as a whole she has great accessories for a beginner collector! I was looking at her nude because she is so much more affordable, but how could I have her and not her silver boots?! Or gloves?! That jewelry! But really aren’t silver boots a staple in

any Poppy wardrobe? And Gold Boots, so I’ll need Gold Snap too... Poppy is a slippery slope!!

I need to calm down and refocus. I already had my sights on Kimiko Gunn for my “first Poppy,” she has been on my wish list a while. After my credit card recovers from this year! For now I really shouldn’t even be touching something connected to the internet where I constantly emotionally shop for dolls and then “accidentally” buy them. We will see what happens when Resurgence Natalia comes out! I think I really want her!!!

I still don’t know tagging etiquette and who to tag for the tag game!

凤凰[编辑].....鶤雞... 鵾雞...Fenghuang...Peacock Symbol by Hughes Songe

鳳凰，亦稱丹鳥、火鳥、鶤雞、威鳳，是中國古代傳說中的百鳥之王，在中華文化中的地位和龍相同。其羽毛一般被描述為赤紅色，“鳳”為雄性，“凰”為雌性[1]。其圖徽常用來象徵祥瑞。

受中國文化的影響，鳳凰的形象在漢字文化圈各區域中普遍出現。英文稱之為Chinese Phoenix或簡稱Phoenix（實際上Phoenix指的是西方傳說裡的不死鳥）。

在甲骨文中，鳳與風為同字，皆寫為鳳凰之形，而後鳳加上凡聲，之後又將鳳形改為虫形創造出風字，由此可見鳳凰與風的關係

據《爾雅·釋鳥》郭璞注，鳳凰特徵是：「雞頭、燕頷、蛇頸、龜背、魚尾、五彩色，高六尺許」。

《山海經·圖贊》說有五種像字紋：「首文曰德，翼文曰順，背文曰義，腹文曰信，膺文曰仁。」[3]

《廣雅》：「鳳凰，雞頭燕頷，蛇頸鴻身，魚尾骿翼。五色：首文曰德，翼文曰順，背文義，腹文信，膺文仁。雄鳴曰卽卽，雌鳴曰足足，昬鳴曰固常，晨鳴曰發明，晝鳴曰保長，舉鳴曰上翔，集鳴曰歸昌。」

另，《說文》云：「鳳之象也，鴻前麟後，鸛顙鴛腮，龍文龜背，燕頷雞啄，五色備舉。」

鳳是人們心目中的瑞鳥，天下太平的象徵。古人認為時逢太平盛世，便有鳳凰飛來。

鳳凰也是中國皇權的象徵，常和龍一起使用，鳳從屬於龍，用於皇后嬪妃，龍鳳呈祥是最具中國特色的圖騰。民間美術中也有大量的類似造型。鳳也代表陰，儘管鳳凰也分雄雌，更一般的是將其看作陰性。「鳳」、「凰」常見於女性名。宋朝就常使用龍鳳旗，還使用龍鳳作為吉祥標記，使用在物品上，比如龍鳳團茶。

鳳凰被認為是百鳥中最尊貴者，為鳥中之王，有「百鳥朝鳳」之說。

按陰陽五行之說，鳳色赤，五行屬火，是南方七宿朱雀之象。另也為中國民間指的四靈之一（《禮運》，龍、鳳凰、麒麟、龜）。

而鳳凰亦有「愛情」、「夫妻」的意思；語本詩經大雅卷阿：『鳳皇於飛，翽翽其羽。』李白·早夏於將軍叔宅與諸昆季送傅八之江南序：「重傅侯玉潤之德，妻以其子，鳳凰于飛，潘楊之好，斯為睦矣」。因此鳳凰在中國文學中常比喻為「真摯的愛情。」[來源請求]

中華龍鳳文化研究中心主任龐進認為，在中國的象徵文化體系中，鳳凰是完美主義的化身，鳳凰文化的精髓是「和美」。通過研究，龐進發現鳳凰是「合」的神物，它的出現是中國古人對自然界各種生物理解、尊重、敬畏、愛戀、審美的結果，這與道家強調的「天道自然之和」即「天和」相一致。

而凰，古音與光相通，有的研究者[谁？]認為是一種與光有關的鳥，即太陽鳥。

鳳則同風相通，也可理解為「風神」。

鳳亦被視為火神。《初學記》卷三十引緯書《孔演圖》說：「鳳，火精」。

《鶡冠子·度萬第八》：「鳳凰者，鶉火之禽，陽之精也。」

《抱朴子》說：「夫木行為仁，為青。鳳頭上青，故曰戴仁也。金行為義，為白。鳳頸白，故曰纓義也。火行為禮，為赤。鳳嘴赤，故曰負禮也。水行為智，為黑，鳳胸黑，故曰尚知也。土行為信，為黃。鳳足下黃，故曰蹈信也。」——頭部呈青色，頸部呈白色，喙部呈赤色，胸、背部呈黑色，趾、爪呈黃色。

中華民國初期的國旗為五色旗，一說取自鳳凰五色，同時也代表仁，義，禮，智，信五德。[來源請求]

香港中文大學以鳳作為校徽。原因是自漢代以來，鳳即被視為「南方之鳥」，且素為高貴、美麗、忠耿及莊嚴之象徵。以紫與金為校色，取意在紫色象徵熱誠與忠耿，金色象徵堅毅與果敢

楚人尊鳳是由其遠祖拜日、尊鳳的原始信仰衍化而來的，迄今已逾七千多年有文物可考的歷史。楚人的祖先祝融是火神兼雷神。漢代《白虎通》說，祝融「其精為鳥，離為鸞。」《卞鴉·絳鳥》注曰：「鳳凰屬也」。可見，祝融也是鳳的化身。《山海經·大荒北經》中說：「大荒之中，有山名曰北極櫃。海水北注焉。有神九首，人面鳥身，句曰九鳳」。楚文化遺跡中除了龍以外還存在大量人首蛇身、人首鳥身和九頭神鳥的圖騰，開啟了中國傳說文化中「龍鳳呈祥」的文化淵源。從圖騰崇拜在氏族制時期所反映出的突出特點來看，鳳為楚人的祖先，故被楚人作為本氏族的圖騰加以崇拜、尊愛便是必然的事了。

鳳不僅是神鳥，也是楚人、楚國尊嚴的象徵。楚人尊鳳的影響便透到各個領域。如在楚國的文物中，鳳的圖像、繡像和雕像不勝枚舉，楚人衣服上的刺繡圖案也是以鳳為主要內容。此外，還有「鳳鳥雙連環」、「虎座鳳架鼓」、「鳳龍虎繡羅禪衣」等，楚國的鳳紋彩繪可謂千姿百態，無奇不有。

《論衡校釋》：「五鳥之記：『四方中央皆有大鳥，其出，眾鳥皆從，小大毛色類鳳皇。』」；《說文解字》：「五方神鳥：東方發明，南方焦明，西方鷫鷞，北方幽昌，中央鳳皇。」（注：焦明即鷦明。）[7]

《禽經》：「青鳳謂之鶡，赤鳳謂之鶉，黃鳳謂之焉，白鳳謂之肅，紫鳳謂之鷟。

天方國古有不死鳥「菲尼克司」（Phoenix，常見譯名為「鳳凰」），滿五百歲後，集香木自焚，復從死灰中更生，鮮美異常，不再死。郭沫若所作詩歌《鳳凰涅槃》中的鳳凰，即指西方傳說中的不死鳥。古埃及神話中也有一種稱為「貝努」的鳥。古埃及人認為，貝努和鷹一般大小，全身長有金色的羽毛，閃閃發光的翅膀、斑斕的外表、鳴聲悅耳，能給人降福添壽；同時認為世界上只有一隻貝努，而壽命為五百年。在臨死之時，貝努會採集芳香植物的樹枝、香草築成一個巢，然後點火自焚，在熊熊火燄中，一隻幼貝努誕生了。新生的幼貝努就將老貝努的骨灰裝進藥蛋中，在蛋上塗上防腐的香料油，帶著它飛到太陽神那裡，由太陽神將它放在太陽廟的神壇上。

以上所提及的「火鳥」，與中國傳說中的鳳凰有一定的差別，但華人在翻譯與認知上習慣把不死鳥當成鳳凰。然而西方傳說中的火鳥形象上比較像老鷹，東方傳說中的鳳凰在形象上則是較像雞、雉。此外，中國神話傳說並無鳳凰會浴火重生的說法，「凤凰涅槃」此詞是郭沫若所作詩歌《鳳凰涅槃》中歌頌不死鳥所創的詞，混淆了不死鳥與鳳凰。比較相近的是從佛教傳說中會因吞食那伽而自燃而死的迦樓羅（金翅鳥）。不過中國不會把鳳凰與迦樓羅混淆在一起，而且迦樓羅也不會重生。

zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%87%A4%E5%87%B0

Fenghuang:The fenghuang has very positive connotations. It is a symbol of high virtue and grace. The fenghuang also symbolizes the union of yin and yang. Shan Hai Jing's 1st chapter “Nanshang Jing” records each part of fenghuang's body symbolizes a word, the head represents virtue (德), the wing represents duty (義), the back represents propriety (禮), the abdomen says credibility (信) and the chest represents mercy (仁).[4]

Portrait of an empress, possibly Empress Xiaoxianchun, (wife of the Qianlong Emperor) sitting on a chair decorated with Phoenix

In ancient and modern Chinese culture, they can often be found in the decorations for weddings or royalty, along with dragons. This is because the Chinese considered the dragon and phoenix symbolic of blissful relations between husband and wife, another common yang and yin metaphor.

Bowl with dragons, phoenixes, gourds, and characters for happiness, used on Guangxu Emperor's wedding ceremony, from Peabody Essex Museum. In some traditions it appears in good times but hides during times of trouble, while in other traditions it appeared only to mark the beginning of a new era. In China and Japan it was a symbol of the imperial house, and it represented "fire, the sun, justice, obedience, and fidelity.When describing chinoiserie or authentic Asian ceramics and other artworks, English-speaking art historians and antique collectors sometimes refer to it as hoho bird,[6] a name derived from hō-ō, with a second extraneous h added. Hō-ō is simply the Japanese pronunciation of fenghuang. The seemingly vast difference between hō-ō and fenghuang is due to Chinese vowels with ng usually being converted to ō in Go-on reading. The Japanese also use the word fushichō for this image.

Phoenix talons (S:凤爪 T:鳳爪) is a Chinese term for chicken claws in any Chinese dish cooked with them.

Fèng or Fènghuáng is a common element in given names of Chinese women (likewise, "Dragon" is used for men's names).

"Dragon-and-phoenix infants" (S:龙凤胎 T:龍鳳胎) is an expression meaning a set of male and female fraternal twins.

Fenghuang is a common place name throughout China. The best known is Fenghuang county in western Hunan, southern China, formerly a sub-prefecture. Its name is written with the same Chinese characters as the mythological bird.

In Korea, this bird is known as Bong Hwang 봉황, this merely being the Korean pronunciation of fenghuang. An alternate term of Bul Sa Jo 불사조 (不死鳥), or "immortal bird" is used to refer to the type of phoenix that never dies (i.e. the Greek "phoenix"), with bong hwang being reserved for the Asian variety. Bong Hwang is often seen used within the royal emblem (especially for queens - the dragon being the emblem of the king) and appears twice in the current presidential emblem.[citation needed] North Jeolla's football club uses it as its symbol.

The Vermilion Bird, (Suzaku in Japanese) one of the Four Symbols of Chinese myth, sometimes confused with the fenghuang, from which it is a distinct entity.[7]

Phoenix Television (鳳凰衛星電視) is a Hong Kong-based media company

Typhoon Fung-wong has been a meteorological name for three tropical cyclones. The term was contributed by Hong Kong and is the Cantonese pronunciation of fenghuang.A common depiction of fenghuang was of it attacking snakes with its talons and its wings spread. According to the Erya's chapter 17 Shiniao, fenghuang is made up of the beak of a rooster, the face of a swallow, the forehead of a fowl, the neck of a snake, the breast of a goose, the back of a tortoise, the hindquarters of a stag and the tail of a fish.[1] Today, however, it is often described as a composite of many birds including the head of a golden pheasant, the body of a mandarin duck, the tail of a peacock, the legs of a crane, the mouth of a parrot, and the wings of a swallow.

The fenghuang's body symbolizes the celestial bodies: the head is the sky, the eyes are the sun, the back is the moon, the wings are the wind, the feet are the earth, and the tail is the planets.[2] The fenghuang is said to have originated in the sun.[2] Its body contain the five fundamental colors: black, white, red, yellow, and green.[2] It sometimes carries scrolls or a box with sacred books.[2] It is sometimes depicted with a fireball.[2] It is sometimes depicted as having three legs.[citation needed] It is believed that the bird only appears in areas or places that are blessed with utmost peace and prosperity or happiness.

Chinese tradition cites it as living atop the Kunlun Mountains in northern China.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenghuang

The bird is generally thought to be a symbol of freedom.

They can walk on the earth and swim in the sea as humans do but they also have the ability to soar into the sky.

Birds are free to roam to earth and the sky. Many cultures believe that they are a symbol of eternal life; the link between heaven and earth.A comprehensive guide to Peacock Symbol:

Meaning of Peacock symbol

Peacock symbol - Facts

Dream explanation, what is the significance of seeing a Peacock in a dream?Peacock SymbolThere is no exact definition for any symbol; each symbol is open to interpretation and birds are no exception to this. Their symbolism can vary greatly depending on different cultures and religion. The Peacock is a male peafowl and is generally thought to be a symbol of the sun.

It is believed that the round tail of the peacock symbolizes heaven and the markings or 'eyes' on the tail are the stars.

In Buddhism, the 'eyes' in the peacocks tail is a symbol of watchfulness.

Peacock Symbol - Meaning; The definition of a Peacock is a male peafowl; having a crested head and very large fanlike tail marked with iridescent eyes or spots. The peacock is the male of the species and has large colorful feathers which it uses to attract a mate. The female is known as a peahen and unlike the

‎ Peacock feathers are considered to be unlucky, it is thought the 'evil' eye on the feather will be a symbol of bad luck for the owner... The peacock is often used as a symbol of vanity due to its beauty and the way it displays his tail feathers The Hindu god Murugan is a popular Hindu deity among Tamil Hindus. In Tolkāppiyam literature, Murugan, is described as being "the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and resplendent," as " the favoured god of the Tamils."Muruga rides a peacock and wields a bow in battle His peacock mount is a symbol of the destruction of the ego... Native Aborigines believed that birds carried stories..The Peacock's beautiful tail feathers are more than a metre in length... Peacocks are always males! The female of the species is called a peahen and lacks the beautiful coloring of the male (as shown in the image below)

Peacock Symbol - Seeing a peacock in your dream is a symbol of spring, birth, and new growth... A Peacock is a symbol of a good omen, signalling prestige and success and contentment with your career

It is also a symbol of your confidence and even arrogance over your success

Peacock Symbol - Christian Significance

The following definition of the peacock is taken from the Easton Bible Dictionary:(Heb. tuk, apparently borrowed from the Tamil tokei). This bird is indigenous to India. It was brought to Solomon by his ships from Tarshish (1 Kings 10:22; 2 Chr. 9:21), which in this case was probably a district on the Malabar coast of India, or in Ceylon. Dream Interpretation - Significance of Bird Symbol..The following explanation of dreams involving birds in general is taken from the book entitled 'Dream Dictionary (10,000 Dreams Interpreted - by Gustavus Hindman Miller)':

It is a favorable symbol in a dream to see birds of beautiful plumage. A wealthy and happy partner is near if a woman has dreams of this nature..Moulting and song less birds, could denote merciless and inhuman treatment of the outcast and fallen by people of wealth... To see a wounded bird, is a symbol of fateful of deep sadness caused by erring offspring

To see flying birds, is a symbol of prosperity to the dreamer. All disagreeable environments will vanish before the wave of prospective good...To catch birds, is not at all bad. To hear them speak, is owning one's inability to perform tasks that demand great clearness of perception.Peacock is a bird that has symbolized different things in different religions and cultures.

Christians associate it with immortality, ancient Mesopotamians associated a symbol of a tree flanked by two peacocks with the dualistic mind, while the bird and its feathers have been used in Hindu religion and mythology. In Buddhism, it represents wisdom.Peacocks are associated with bodhisattvas. Peacocks are capable of eating poisonous plants with out any harmful effect and similarly a Bodhisattva is able to transform ignorance into enlightenment, desire and hatred to positive feelings.

When a person comes across an enlightened thought or bodhichitta his mind opens just like an open tail of a peacock that exhibits all colors. Excatly how a peacock uses poison to nurture his body and become healthy a bodhisattva uses negativity to emerge more beautiful in all colors. They are considered to be a vehicle of Buddha amitabha representing desire and attachment.In Asia, the feathers of the peacock are considered auspicious and protective. However in the early part of the 20th-century in the West, it was considered very bad luck to keep them in the home. Lucky treasure pot from a home in Bhutan.One silly explanation for this superstition is that it was promoted intentionally to prevent people from eating this large, delicious member of the pheasant family. In that way, the bird would be protected from extinction, for many people thought it was rare -- a quintessential rara avis.The reason for the superstition has more to do with the eye-like markings at the tips of the feathers which, around the Mediterranean, recall the dreaded "evil eye"-- the ever watchful and envious glance of the she-demon, Lilith.

She was blamed for otherwise inexplicable deaths of infants, among other misfortunes.Only partly as a result of this association with the evil eye was it believed that the flesh of the peacock is poisonous. But in any case, that is nonsense.

At the height of both the Greek and Roman cultures, the bird was served at formal dinners with its feathers cunningly pasted back on, possibly with a honey mixture used as glue, so that the dramatic beauty concealed the roasted fowl. At the excessive and luxurious banquets of European kings and queens of the Renaissance, there was an epicurean delight consisting of stuffed roast birds one inside the other like the famous Russian wooden mamushka dolls. The outermost shell was the glorious peacock, its many-eyed train stretching the length of the middle of the "groaning board." As Margaret Visser, in Much Depends On Dinner points out: People have always thought that what looks amazing must certainly taste wonderful, too. From the time of Cicero until the Renaissance, no truly sumptuous European feast was held without a dish of peacock, often adorned with the bird's feathered head and fan of tail feathers.

(A dish of swan could also be similarly displayed, the impressive wings taking pride of place instead of the fan.)

According to "Food fashions of the Renaissance" in Food:

The History of Taste, where you can see illustrations of tables set with these extravagant dishes, it was the rapid rise in popularity of the meat of the North American turkey that ended the reign of "peacock supreme."Deities and Royalty..The peacock was associated with the Middle Eastern deity, Tammuz, consort of the goddess, Anat. In Greece, it was sacred to Hera, queen of heaven and lawful wife of Zeus -- a pair of them drew her chariot --, and they were kept at her temples. In the Roman Empire, peacocks were Juno's birds and on coins symbolized the females of the ruling houses, the lineage princesses. In both the Hindu and the Buddhist traditions, the peacock's influence is mainly in the realm of worldly appearance. (This is in contrast to the swan which is a symbol of the higher realms. ) Hence, the Mother-of-Buddhas, Mahamayuri-vidyarajni (Skt.) has a peacock as her vehicle. In Japan, she appears as Kujaku. Skanda (also called Murugan,) one of the two sons of Indian god, Shiva, has a peacock for his mount. Lord of the elements of form, he is also a war god. A standard made of peacock feathers used to indicate the presence of a 19th-century rajah, whose power is worldly.

In the old Chinese bureaucratic system, members of the third highest level displayed a peacock as the insignia of rank. These badges were in the form of large embroidered squares applied to the front of an official's formal gown. (A similar system for indicating status was used in the Byzantine Empire.) Peacocks are considered sacred in India, especially in the north where its feathers may be burnt to ward off disease, and even to cure snakebite. In a Buddhist tale about the travels of some Indian merchants to Baveru or Babylon, we learn that the inhabitants of that great city marvelled at the gorgeous bird which the merchants had brought with them.The motif of two peacocks, one on each side of the Tree of Life, is a well-known feature of Persian decorative arts. A pair of peacocks stands for the "psychic duality of man" similar to the role played by the Gemini in western astrology, says Cirlot (A Dictionary of Symbols.) However it must be said that the notion of two natures -- in man or in the world that surrounds him -- is certainly not a universal one.

Because of that, in the iconography of European alchemy and hermaneutics, the peacock represents the soul. In Christianity, it stands for immortality and the incorruptibility of the soul, as in this XIth-century Byzantine image.

It is an obvious solar symbol, too, because of the resemblance between the rays of the sun and the circular fan of the tail in full display.

J.E. Cirlot points out that in the Ars Symbolica of Hieronymus Bosch this blue-green bird represents the blending of all the colours of the spectrum (rainbow) and hence, the idea of totality. Tibetan culture among many others also views green as the mixture of all hues.

Among the Muslims of Java in Indonesia there is a myth about how the peacock guarding the gates to Paradise ate the devil, and that is how he managed to get inside.

This myth makes a unity of the duality of good and evil, and also explains the bird's mysterious iridescent colour. It also incorporates the Indian notion of the incorruptibility of the peacock.

Purification

As we have seen, in the Hindu tradition the peacock is the vehicle [Skt.: vahana) of, or animal associated with, Kartikkeya, a.k.a. Skanda the 6-armed, 6-headed god of war who is a son of Lord Shiva.

Kumari (Skanda/Subrahamanya's shakti) rides a peacock in the retinue of the Goddess Durga.

Its [[[Wikipedia:Latin|Latin]]] scientific name, pavo, derives from a Sanskrit epithet, Pavana (purity) that refers to the Hindu deity Vayu, the wind who is also the breath of life and the father of the hero Rama's friend, Hanuman.

It is said that at the time of Creation of the universe, when the primordial poison was churned out of the Sea of Milk and transmuted into the amrita of immortality, it was a peacock that absorbed the negative effects. Thus the bird is thought of as a protector, though its flesh is consequently considered to be poisonous.

Since a potentially deadly emotion such as anger is depicted as a serpent, and the peacock is immune, the peacock also symbolizes victory over poisonous tendencies in sentient beings. Hence the title of a well-known text for training the mind, Peacock in the Poison Grove by Dharmarakshita, a Tibetan classic in translation.

In the discourse, The Wheel of Sharp Weapons, another Buddhist treatise by Dharmarakshita, the peacock is credited with an ability to neutralize and use black aconite (aconitum ferox) as a nutriment. This highly toxic plant, also known as “'wolf-bane,” is an important ingredient in traditional Asian medicine including that of Tibet. Mixed with other ingredients, it was used in treatments for mental illness, among other complaints.

Goldenglow

Long ago, Brahmadutta was king of Benares, and he had wealth, treasure and possessions galore. He also had a most beautiful and elegant wife with a face that was lovely beyond compare, and her name was Peerless. This noblewoman was especially dear to the King, and he gladly satisfied her every whim.

At the time, on the southern slope of Kâilâsh, king of mountains, there lived a peacock whose name was Goldenglow, and he ruled a flock of five hundred followers. His limbs and body gleamed and his beak was like a jewel. Everywhere he went, he was acknowledged the grandest of all the peacocks.

One night, within the city of Benares, the call of the peacock-king rang out in the middle of the night and the following day, every one in the city was talking about it. The wife of Brahmadutta happened to be on the her terrace that night, so she asked the king, "Sire, whose stirring and mellifluous voice was that, last night?"

The King answered, "Princess, though I have never seen him, from its remarkable qualities, that voice must belong to Goldenglow, king of the peacocks, who lives on the southern slope of Kâilâsh.

Then the Queen said, "Sire, please have the king of peacocks brought here." The King replied, "But what good is it to see him going through the air?"

But the Queen said, "Sire, if you do not let me see this Suvar.naprabhâsa, I shall surely die."

So the King, who was very much in love with her, gave in saying, "All right, I will send for my huntsmen and fowlers." This he did, and he said to them, "They say that on the southern slope of Kâilâsh, chief of mountains, lives the peacock king, Suvarnaprabhâsa, whose limbs and body are glossy, and whose bill is like a jewel. Go, net or snare him, and bring him back. If you succeed, fine. But if you fail, I will have all of you put to death."

So the hunters and fowlers, in fear of losing their lives, took up their nets and snares and started off for Kâilâsh's southern slope. When they arrived at their destination, they set up their nets and set their traps all over the peacock- king's terrain, but though they waited seven days, they couldn't catch him, and they were all out of provisions, and very hungry.

Finally, out of compassion for them, the king of peacocks appeared and said, "You are hunters. Why do you stay here in this one place when you are starving?"

They replied, "This is the reason, Peacock-king: King Brahmadutta given us orders to 'Go, and with your nets and snares, catch me Suvarna-prabhâsa, the peacock king, whose limbs and body are glossy, whose bill is like a jewel, and who lives with five hundred followers on the southern slope of Kâilâsh, chief of mountains. If you bring him here, well and good, but if you do not, you shall all be put to death;' so in fear of our lives, we have come to try and capture you."

The king of peacocks responded, "Violent Ones, I cannot be taken by means of snares and nets, but if the King of Benares wants to see me, let him have the city swept, sprinkled with scented water, and decorated with flowers. And let him raise white awnings and banners, and burn incense. Let him prepare chariots bedecked with the seven jewels, and then, if in seven days he arrives in the company of his

entire army, I will go back to Benares with him, of my own free will."

So the hunters packed up their nets and snares, and returned to the King and told him everything that had happened, and what Suvarnaprabhâsa had proposed.

King Brahmadatta decided to take the King Peacock up on his offer, and he had the city of Benares prepared as the bird had instructed and then, his chariots ornamented with the seven kinds of precious stones, and surrounded by his cohorts he went off to the southern slope of Kâilâsh, chief of mountains.

The king of the peacocks, Suvarnaprabhâsa, also riding in a chariot decked with seven kinds of precious stones, uttered a cry which was heard by the whole army. King Brahmadatta was thrilled, and such joy filled his heart that he felt impelled to do homage to the bird. He prostrated to him and made offerings; and honouring him, they all went back together to Benares.

When they arrived at the town gates, the peacock again uttered his cry, and it was heard throughout the whole city. From all quarters, men, women, boys and girls all rushed to the gates. Then King Brahmadatta again honoured the peacock king, paying homage, making offerings, and bowing to him.

Once at the palace, he went to get the queen, and said to her, "Princess, the king of the peacocks, Suvarnaprabhâsa, has arrived at your dwelling."

Now King Brahmadatta had undertaken to make daily offerings of fruits and flowers to the great Peacock, but it so happened that there came a day that the King was very busy, and so he thought, "Who can make the proper offerings to Suvarnaprabhâsa?" and it occurred to him that Princess Peerless was both knowledgeable and skillful, and that she could certainly do it.

So King Brahmadatta sent for her and said, "Princess, please make the offerings to the king of the peacocks exactly as I have done," and the King's consort did so.

Time passed, and it so happened that the peerless queen had an affair and found out that she was pregnant. She realized that if she did not want the King to find out her adultery and have her put to death, she would have to silence the bird. So this

woman tried to poison the king of the peacocks by feeding him poisoned food and drink, but the more she gave him, the healthier he appeared -- he became even more lovely and resplendent, and the Queen was amazed.

Then Suvarnaprabhâsa called out, "Shame, shame on you! I know your kind. Because you are carrying another man's child, and this bird knows about it , you think that you can poison me so that the King will not find out from me and put you to death. But you never kill me with poison!

On hearing that, the Queen fainted and lost a great deal of bright blood. She wasted away, and when she finally died, she was born in hell.

"The King of Benares is now Shariputra, and I (Buddha) was Goldenglow, king of the peacocks."

~ Edited from the "Shariputra Sutra" as translated by Wm. Woodville Rockhill (1897.)

Protector and Preserver

One of Green Tara's many epithets is The Peahen ( Skt. Mayuri.)

Mahamayuri is green with 8 arms and 3 heads. Her faces are white, green and blue. Her eight hands display: Right side -- varadamudra, a sword, vajra and jewel; left side -- a bowl, a treasure jar, a bell and a flower. Seated on a lotus throne, she wears all the ornaments and celestial garments of a bodhisattva.

According to the Mahamayuri Sutra of Pancharaksha, there was a bhikshu in the Buddha's sangha called Svati, who was newly ordained. He was unfortunately bitten by a poisonous snake and fainted. Seeing his condition, Ananda reported this incident to Buddha Shakyamuni. Out of compassion for the newly ordained monk and for the future ones, Lord Buddha disclosed a dharani capable of eliminating poisonous harm and malignant diseases. This is the dharani of Arya Mahamayuri.

Maha-Mayuri became in Japan, a male figure called Kujaku Myo-o. This Buddhist wisdom deity associated with the peacock (whose call is believed to herald the rain) protects against calamity, especially drought. Palden Lhamo, (pron. Penden Hamo, Skt. Shri Devi) the dark blue protector of all Tibetan Buddhist denominations who rides her mule through a burning [with wisdom) sea of blood (life in bodily form] is sheltered by a peacock-feather umbrella.

Lakshmi, wife of the Hindu god, Vishnu, sometimes is depicted with armbands in the form of peacocks. The birds are sacred to her since their cries are associated with the rainy season and hence, fertility. The hero of the Indian epic, Mahabharat is called Arjun, a name that refers to the peacock. Also, there is a north Indian/Nepali deity called Janguli who protects against snakebite and poisoning. Described as having 3 faces, 6 arms, her vehicle is, not surprisingly, a peacock.n Nepal, practitioners of Jhankrism, a shamanic tradition pre-dating both Buddhism and Hinduism, wear a tall head-dress of peacock feathers as an essential part of their regalia. Also notice the type of drum that is typical among shamans.

The peacock's beautiful and distinctive colouring is said to be a gift from the god, Indra. One day the King of Gods was doing battle with Ravana, the Demon King. The peacock, which in those days resembled his plain brown hen, took pity on Indra and raised its tail to form a blind or screen behind which Indra could hide himself. As a reward for this act of compassion, the bird was honored with the jewel-like blue-green plumage that it bears to this day.

Krishna, the avatar of Vishnu who is God-as-the-one-responding -to-devotion, is also depicted in the company of peacocks. One of Krishna's roles is as the irresistible divine suitor. Perhaps that is the link to the recommendation in The Kama Sutra that, if a man wishes to appear attractive to others, he can wear a peacock's bone covered in gold tied to his right hand.

Amitabha

The association of this jewel-tone bird with its sun-like fan of a tail evocative of the Wheel of Dharma -- the Buddha's teachings; its connection to the ideas of immortality and compassion, and the unification of views or opposites, as well as the correspondence with the Garden which is the Pure Land, demonstrates in Mahayana Buddhism the archetypical nature of the relationship between the peacock and Amitabha.

In the depiction of this Buddha of Eternal Light, he is seated under a tree; we see its flowers and leaves peeking through the pavilion. Tenga Rinpoche says, " . . . birds, in particular, have strong desire and craving, so, as a symbol of craving transformed into discriminating wisdom, Amitabha's throne is supported by peacocks."

There are actually eight peacocks that support his throne, one at each corner of the base. They stand for the idea that no matter the misdeeds committed during one's lifetime[s], rebirth is possible in Sukhavati, the Pure Land of Great Bliss that is the Western Paradise of Opameh (Tibetan for Amitabha). Any and all evil-doing is eventually absorbed.

Six peacock feathers arranged as a fan ornament the vase (bumpa) and sprinkling utensil used for distributing the blessing or purifying water in Tibetan Buddhist empowerments and other rituals. In this role they are not only a symbol of compassion, but also a symbol of immortality by virtue of their capacity to absorb and neutralize, and to act as a universal antidote against poisons including the kleshas [imperfections or obscurations) such as anger, greed and ignorance that are inherently human.

Natural History

The peacock is the male of a variety of the pheasant species, pavo cristatus. The female is a peahen; both are known as peafowl. It is native to India and Shri Lanka. A green variety, p. muticus, is found in neighbouring countries of south Asia. The Phoenicians introduced the peafowl to the pharaohs of Egypt, then it made its way to Europe among the spoils of Alexander of Macedon's returning army.

Each mature male may keep a harem of around 5 hens which it wins in fierce competition with other males. Screeching, preening, displaying [strutting and raising and lowering the "fan"] and a vigorous rustling of the tail-feathers are some elements in the courtship competitions. After the mating, the female lays a clutch of 4 to 6 spotted eggs in a hidden nest.

Peafowl spend most of the day on the ground pecking for food but as evening falls, they roost in the trees. In the spring, and when disturbed, the male can produce a sound very like that of a diesel truck's air horn. These birds are fairly intelligent, and can be trained to come when called. They are very hardy, adapting to fairly extreme temperatures. They are sometimes kept on estates not only as decorative birds, but as reliable "watchdogs."

3rd domestic bird on page is the peafowl. Hear its usual cry.

The peacock flies beautifully, but requires at least a 5-metre "runway" in order to get the lift required for take off. A surreal sequence of a white peacock in flight through lightly falling snow at the beginning of the 1973 Fellini film Amarcord is reason alone to get the dvd.

Two important writers who featured the peacock are Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964) who knew them well, and Raymond Carver (1938-1988) in Feathers.

Treasure pot: Buried or kept to attract prosperity or otherwise benefit a dwelling. Read about the Peace Vase Project for the types of contents.rara avis: A Latin expression used to emphasize, often ironically, the exotic singularity of an individual. Of course the peacock is not rare at all and should not be confused with Birds of Paradise, the paradisidae species that are rapidly disappearing from New Guinea due to loss of habitat as well as the demand for gorgeous feathers. Dharmarakshita: Known as Serlingpa in Tibetan, for having come from Sumatra, "the land of gold," he was Atisha's teacher (11th century.) He is the author of Wheel of Sharp Weapons. An earlier monk (ca. 261 BCE) of that name, who some say was a Greek, was invited to India by King Ashoka.Goldenglow: Skt. Suvarnaprabhasa or Suparna, for short. Rockhill calls him "Golden-Sheen." At the time of the Churning: An alternate view is that Lord Shiva's throat is dark because it was He who drank the poison, thus his epithet, Neelakantha. Shiva is also Mahakala, meaning both "Great Dark One" and "Great Time," the embodiment of Impermanence.

www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php/Peacock_Sy...

Kyler Schogen - The Kyler Schogen Band - EXPLORED with thanks! by Sheree Zielke

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(Couldn't decide between the two of these images, so I'll put both up.)

Famers markets yield up more good things beside fresh-baked lemon tarts, sweet cherries, and vibrant flowers.

You'll find musicians there, too. I did.

This is Kyler. He plays with Phil (posted Phil's shot earlier).

I was visiting Edmonton's downtown farmers market with my grandkids, recently. They spit cherry pits, while I shot this image.

Kyler provided me with a little more info:

"The Kyler Schogen Band, also known as K.S.B. has been playing live and recording since 1996 and has covered ground from Whitehorse to the Mexican Border.

We just released our third CD, "Electric Life" and are in the process of recording our fourth, "Pocket Fulla Nothin'", which is slated to be releaed at the beginning of December 2009 on SunCave Records."

cdbaby.com/cd/kylerschogen

Blessings,

Sheree

PS Here is his MySpace link with club dates, too.

www.myspace.com/kylerschogen

Wien, 1. Bezirk (the art of very popular gardens at the old center of Vienna), Volksgarten (giardino del popolo, people's garden, jardin du peuple, jardín de la gente), Löwelstraße/Burgring/Doktor-Karl-Renner-Ring (Theseustempel) by alfred lex

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The roses in the People's Garden

Plan

Rosarium History - Classification

Floribunda - new color range - Casting

Tree roses - new plantings - Pests - Winter Care

Rambling Roses - fertilizing, finishes

Shrub Roses - Rose Renner - Sponsorship - variety name

The history of roses in the People's Garden

The People's Garden, located between the Imperial Palace and the ring road is famous for its beautiful roses:

1000 standard roses

4000 Floribunda,

300 rambling roses,

(Also called Rose Park) 200 shrub roses.

Noteworthy is the diversity: there are about 400 varieties, including very old plants:

1859 - Rubens

1913 - Pearl of the Vienna Woods

1919 - Jean C.N. Forestier

The above amounts are from the Federal Gardens. My own count has brought other results:

730 tree roses

2300 Floribunda

132 rambling roses

100 shrub roses

That's about 3300 roses in total. Approx. 270 species I was able to verify. Approx. 50 rose bushes were not labeled. Some varieties come very often, others only once or twice.

Molineux 1994

Rubens 1859

Medialis 1993

Swan lake 1968

Once flourished here Lilac and Rhododendron bushes

1823 People's Garden was opened with the Temple of Theseus. Then made multiple extensions.

The part of today's "Rosarium" along the Ring Road was built in 1862. (Picture fence 1874)

What is so obvious to today's Vienna, was not always so: most of the beds in the People's Garden originally were planted with lilac and rhododendron.

Only after the second World War II it was converted to the present generous rose jewelry.

Since then grow along the ring side creepers, high stem and floribunda roses. On the side of Heroes Square, with the outputs, shrub roses were placed, among which there are also some wild roses.

1889 emerged the Grillparzer Monument.

(All the pictures you can see by clicking the link at the end of the side!)

Rhododendrons, output Sisi Avenue, 1930

Classifications of roses

(Wild roses have 7 sheets - prize roses 5 sheets)

English Rose

Florybunda

Hybrid Tea Rose

Rambling Rose

At the Roses in the People´s Garden are hanging labels (if they do not fall victim to vandals or for souvenirs) with the year indication of breeding, the name of breeding and botanical description:

Hybrid Tea Rose (TB): 1 master, 1 flower;

Florybunda (Flb): 1 strain, many flowers;

English Rose (Engl): mixture of old and modern varieties Tb and Flb.

Called Schlingrose, also climbing rose

Florybunda: 1 strain, many flowers (Donauprinzessin)

Shrub Roses - Floribunda - Tree roses - Climbing Roses

Even as a child, we hear the tale of Sleeping Beauty, but roses have no thorns, but spines. Thorns are fused directly to the root and can not be easily removed as spines (upper wooden containers called).

All roses belong to the bush family (in contrast to perennials that "disappear" in the winter). Nevertheless, there is the term Shrub Rose: It's a chronological classification of roses that were on the market before 1867. They are very often planted as a soloist in a garden, which them has brought the name "Rose Park".

Hybrid Tea Rose: 1 master, 1 flower (rose Gaujard )

Other classifications are:

(High) standard roses: roses are not grafted near the ground, but at a certain strain level. With that, the rose gardener sets the height of the crown.

Floribunda roses : the compact and low bushy roses are ideal for group planting on beds

Crambling roses: They have neither roots nor can they stick up squirm. Their only auxiliary tool are their spines with which they are entangled in their ascent into each other

English Rose: mixture of old varieties, hybrid tea and Florybunda (Tradescanth)

4000 Floribunda

Floribunda roses are hardy, grow compact, knee-high and bushy, are durable and sturdy

There are few smelling varieties

Polyantha classification: a tribe, many small flowers; Florybunda: a tribe, many big blossoms

New concept of color: from red to light yellow

The thousands Floribunda opposite of Grillparzer Monument shimmer (still) in many colors. From historical records, however, is indicated that there was originally a different color scheme for the Floribunda than today: At the entrance of the Burgtheater side the roses were dark and were up to Grillparzer monument ever brighter - there they were then already white.

This color range they want again, somewhat modified, resume with new plantings: No white roses in front of the monument, but bright yellow, so that Grillparzer monument can better stand out. It has already begun, there was heavy frost damage during the winter 2011/12.

Colorful roses

2011: white and pink roses

2012: after winter damage new plantings in shades of yellow .

Because the domestic rose production is not large enough, the new, yellow roses were ordered in Germany (Castor).

Goldelse, candlelight, Hanseatic city of Rostock.

Watering

Waterinr of the Floribunda in the morning at 11 clock

What roses do not like at all, and what attracts pests really magically, the foliage is wet. Therefore, the Floribunda roses are in the People's Garde poured in the morning at 11 clock, so that the leaves can dry thoroughly.

Ground sprinklers pouring only the root crown, can not be used because the associated hoses should be buried in the earth, and that in turn collide with the Erdanhäufung (amassing of earth) that is made for winter protection. Choosing the right time to do it, it requires a lot of sense. Is it too early, so still too warm, the bed roses begin to drive again, but this young shoots freeze later, inevitably, because they are too thin.

1000 Tree roses

Most standard roses are found in the rose garden.

During the renovation of the Temple of Theseus the asphalt was renewed in 2011, which was partially only a few centimeters thick, and so was the danger that trucks with heavy transports break into. Due to this construction site the entire flower bed in front had to be replaced.

Now the high-stem Rose Maria Theresia is a nice contrast to the white temple, at her feet sits the self-cleaning floribunda aspirin. Self-cleaning means that withered flowers fall off and rarely maintenance care is needed.

Pink 'Maria Theresa' and white 'aspirin' before the temple of Theseus

Standard tree rose Maria Theresa

Floribunda aspirin

The concept of the (high) standard roses refers to a special type of rose decoration. Suitable varieties of roses are not grafted near the ground, but at a certain height of the trunk. With that the rose gardener sets the height of the crown fixed (60 cm, 90 cm, 140 cm)

Plantings - Pests - Winter Care

Normally about 50 roses in the People's Garden annually have to be replaced because of winter damages and senility. Till a high standard rose goes on sale, it is at least 4 years old. With replantings the soil to 50 cm depth is completely replaced (2/3 basic soil, 1/3 compost and some peat ).

Roses have enemies, such as aphids. Against them the Pirimor is used, against the Buchsbaumzünsler (Box Tree Moth, Cydalima perspectalis) Calypso (yet - a resistance is expected).

In popular garden roses are sprayed with poison, not only when needed, but also as a precaution, since mildew and fire rose (both are types of fungi) also overwinter.

Therefore it is also removed as far as possible with the standard roses before packing in winter the foliage.

Pest Control with Poison

The "Winter Package " first is made with paper bags, jute bags, then it will be pulled (eg cocoa or coffee sacks - the commercially available yard goods has not proven).

They are stored in the vault of the gardener deposit in the Burggarten (below the Palm House). There namely also run the heating pipes. Put above them, the bags after the winter can be properly dried.

Are during the winter the mice nesting into the packaged roses, has this consequences for the crows want to approach the small rodents and are getting the packaging tatty. It alreay has happened that 500 standard roses had to be re-wrapped.

"Winter Package" with paper and jute bags

300 ambling roses

The Schlingrosen (Climbing Roses) sit "as a framing" behind the standard roses.

Schlingrose pearl from the Vienna Woods

Schlingrose Danube

Schlingrose tenor

Although climbing roses are the fastest growing roses, they get along with very little garden space.

They have no rootlets as the evergreen ivy, nor can they wind up like a honeysuckle. Their only auxiliary tool are their spines with which they are entangled in their ascent mesh.

Climbing roses can reach stature heights of 2 to 3 meters.

4 x/year fertilizing

4 times a year, the soil is fertilized. From August, but no more, because everything then still new drives would freeze to death in winter. Well-rotted horse manure as fertilizer was used (straw mixed with horse manure, 4 years old). It smelled terrible, but only for 2 days.

Since the City of Vienna may only invest more plant compost heap (the EU Directive prohibits animal compost heap on public property), this type of fertilization is no longer possible to the chagrin of gardeners, and roses.

In the people garden in addition is foliar fertilizer used (it is sprayed directly on the leaves and absorbed about this from the plant).

Finishes in the Augarten

Old rose varieties are no longer commercially available. Maybe because they are more sensitive, vulnerable. Thus, the bud of Dr. F. Debat already not open anymore, if it has rained twice.

Roses need to be replaced in the People's Garden, this is sometimes done through an exchange with the Augarten Palace or the nursery, where the finishes are made. Previously there were roses in Hirschstetten and the Danube Park, but the City of Vienna has abandoned its local rose population (not to say destroyed), no exchange with these institutions is possible anymore.

Was formerly in breeding the trend to large flowers, one tends to smell roses again today. Most varieties show their resplendent, lush flowers only once, early in the rose-year, but modern varieties are more often blooming.

200 shrub roses

Some shrub roses bloom in the rose garden next to the Grillparzer Monument

Most of the shrub or park roses can be found along the fence to Heroes' Square. These types are so old, and there are now so many variations that even a species of rose connoisseurs assignment is no longer possible in many cases.

The showy, white, instensiv fragrant wild rose with its large umbels near des Triton Fountain is called Snow White.

Shrub roses are actually "Old Garden Roses" or "old roses", what a time

classification of roses is that were on the market before 1867.

Shrub roses are also called park roses because they are often planted as a soloist in a park/garden.

They grow shrubby, reaching heights up to 2 meters and usually bloom only 1 x per year.

The Renner- Rose

The most famous bush rose sits at the exit to Ballhausplatz before the presidential office.

It is named after the former Austrian President Dr. Karl Renner

When you enter, coming from the Ballhausplatz, the Viennese folk garden of particular note is a large rose bush, which is in full bloom in June.

Before that, there is a panel that indicates that the rose is named after Karl Renner, founder of the First and Second Republic. The history of the rose is a bit of an adventure. President Dr. Karl Renner was born on 14 in December 1870 in the Czech village of Untertannowitz as the last of 18 children of a poor family.

Renner output rose at Ballhausplatz

He grew up there in a small house, in the garden, a rose bush was planted.

In summer 1999, the then Director of the Austrian Federal Gardens, Peter Fischer Colbrie was noted that Karl Renner's birthplace in Untertannowitz - Dolni Dunajovice today - and probably would be demolished and the old rosebush as well fall victim to the demolition.

High haste was needed, as has already been started with the removal of the house.

Misleading inscription " reconstruction"?

The Federal Gardens director immediately went to a Rose Experts on the way to Dolni Dunajovice and discovered "as only bright spot in this dismal property the at the back entrance of the house situated, large and healthy, then already more than 80 year old rose bush".

After consultation with the local authorities Peter Fischer Colbrie received approval, to let the magnificent rose bush dig-out and transport to Vienna.

Renner Rose is almost 100 years old

A place had been found in the Viennese People´s Garden, diagonal vis-à-vis the office where the president Renner one resided. On the same day, the 17th August 1999 the rosebush was there planted and in the following spring it sprouted already with flowers.

In June 2000, by the then Minister of Agriculture Molterer and by the then Mayor Zilk was a plaque unveiled that describes the origin of the rose in a few words. Meanwhile, the "Renner-Rose" is far more than a hundred years old and is enjoying good health.

Memorial Dr. Karl Renner : The Registrar in the bird cage

Georg Markus , Courier , 2012

Sponsorships

For around 300 euros, it is possible to assume a Rose sponsorship for 5 years. A tree-sponsorship costs 300 euros for 1 year. Currently, there are about 60 plates. Behind this beautiful and tragic memories.

If you are interested in sponsoring people garden, please contact:

Master gardener Michaela Rathbauer, Castle Garden, People's Garden

M: 0664/819 83 27 volksgarten@bundesgaerten.at

Varieties

Abraham Darby

1985

English Rose

Alec 's Red

1970

Hybrid Tea Rose

Anni Däneke

1974

Hybrid Tea Rose

aspirin

Florybunda

floribunda

Bella Rosa

1982

Florybunda

floribunda

Candlelight

Dagmar Kreizer

Danube

1913

Schlingrose

Donauprinzessin

Doris Thystermann

1975

Hybrid Tea Rose

Dr. Waldheim

1975

Hybrid Tea Rose

Duftwolke

1963

Eiffel Tower

1963

English Garden

Hybrid Tea Rose

Gloria Dei

1945

Hybrid Tea Rose

Goldelse

gold crown

1960

Hybrid Tea Rose

Goldstar

1966

deglutition

Greeting to Heidelberg

1959

Schlingrose

Hanseatic City of Rostock

Harlequin

1985

Schlingrose

Jean C.N. Forestier

1919

Hybrid Tea Rose

John F. Kennedy

1965

Hybrid Tea Rose

Landora

1970

Las Vegas

1956

Hybrid Tea Rose

Mainzer Fastnacht

1964

Hybrid Tea Rose

Maria Theresa

medial

Moulineux

1994

English Rose

national pride

1970

Hybrid Tea Rose

Nicole

1985

Florybunda

Olympia 84

1984

Hybrid Tea Rose

Pearl of the Vienna Woods

1913

Schlingrose

Piccadilly

1960

Hybrid Tea Rose

Rio Grande

1973

Hybrid Tea Rose

Rose Gaujard

1957

Hybrid Tea Rose

Rubens

1859

English Rose

Rumba

snowflake

1991

Florybunda

snow white

shrub Rose

Swan

1968

Schlingrose

Sharifa Asma

1989

English Rose

city of Vienna

1963

Florybunda

Tenor

Schlingrose

The Queen Elizabeth Rose

1954

Florybunda

Tradescanth

1993

English Rose

Trumpeter

1980

Florybunda

floribunda

Virgo

1947

Hybrid Tea Rose

Winchester Cathedral

1988

English Rose

Source: Federal leadership Gardens 2012

Historic Gardens of Austria, Vienna, Volume 3 , Eva Berger, Bohlau Verlag, 2004 (Library Vienna)

Index Volksgartenstraße

www.viennatouristguide.at/Altstadt/Volksgarten/volksgarte...

Marcel and James in 'The Liberties' Celebrating James' 143rd Birthday Last Sunday (February 2nd, 2025) by Marcel Mac Duchamp and Rroseeen Ní Shélavy in Infrat(h)in

24 2

Happy belated birthday, James! We can't wait to see you in your UBU creations from Lanech!

"From the Liberties, out for the day. Mrs Florence MacCabe, relict of the late Patk MacCabe, deeply lamented, of Bride Street.

One of her sisterhood lugged me squealing into life.

Creation from nothing. What has she in the bag? A misbirth with a trailing navelcord, hushed in ruddy wool. The cords of all link back, strandentwining cable of all flesh. That is why mystic monks. Will you be as gods? Gaze in your _omphalos_. Hello. Kinch here. Put me on to Edenville. Aleph, alpha: nought, nought, one."

Ulysses, Chapter 2, 'Proteus', P. 38, The 1922 text.

Church Of The Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel. by PHOTOGRAPHY by DM & DBM.

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The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. According to traditions dating back to the 4th century, it contains the two holiest sites in Christianity: the site where Jesus was crucified, at a place known as Calvary or Golgotha, and Jesus's empty tomb, where he is believed by Christians to have been buried and resurrected. Each time the church was rebuilt, some of the antiquities from the preceding structure were used in the newer renovation. The tomb itself is enclosed by a 19th-century shrine called the Aedicule. The Status Quo, an understanding between religious communities dating to 1757, applies to the site.

Within the church proper are the last four stations of the Cross of the Via Dolorosa, representing the final episodes of the Passion of Jesus. The church has been a major Christian pilgrimage destination since its creation in the 4th century, as the traditional site of the resurrection of Christ, thus its original Greek name, Church of the Anastasis ('Resurrection').

Control of the church itself is shared, a simultaneum, among several Christian denominations and secular entities in complicated arrangements essentially unchanged for over 160 years, and some for much longer. The main denominations sharing property over parts of the church are the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic, and to a lesser degree the Coptic, Syriac, and Ethiopian Orthodox churches.

Following the siege of Jerusalem in AD 70 during the First Jewish–Roman War, Jerusalem had been reduced to ruins. In AD 130, the Roman emperor Hadrian began the building of a Roman colony, the new city of Aelia Capitolina, on the site. Circa AD 135, he ordered that a cave containing a rock-cut tomb be filled in to create a flat foundation for a temple dedicated to Jupiter or Venus. The temple remained until the early 4th century.

After allegedly seeing a vision of a cross in the sky in 312, Constantine the Great began to favor Christianity, signed the Edict of Milan legalising the religion, and sent his mother, Helena, to Jerusalem to look for Christ's tomb. With the help of Bishop of Caesarea Eusebius and Bishop of Jerusalem Macarius, three crosses were found near a tomb; one which allegedly cured people of death was presumed to be the True Cross Jesus was crucified on, leading the Romans to believe that they had found Calvary. Constantine ordered in about 326 that the temple to Jupiter/Venus be replaced by a church. After the temple was torn down and its ruins removed, the soil was removed from the cave, revealing a rock-cut tomb that Helena and Macarius identified as the burial site of Jesus. A shrine was built, enclosing the rock tomb walls within its own.

In 327, Constantine and Helena separately commissioned the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to commemorate the birth of Jesus.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, planned by the architect Zenobius, was built as separate constructs over the two holy sites: a rotunda called the Anastasis ("Resurrection"), where Helena and Macarius believed Jesus to have been buried, and across a courtyard to the east, the great basilica, an enclosed colonnaded atrium (the Triportico, sometimes called the Martyrium) with the traditional site of Calvary in one corner. The church was consecrated on 13 September 335. The Church Of The Holy Sepulchre site has been recognized since early in the 4th century as the place where Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead.

This building was destroyed by a fire in May of AD 614, when the Sassanid Empire, under Khosrau II, invaded Jerusalem and captured the True Cross. In 630, the Emperor Heraclius rebuilt the church after recapturing the city. After Jerusalem came under Islamic rule, it remained a Christian church, with the early Muslim rulers protecting the city's Christian sites, prohibiting their destruction or use as living quarters. A story reports that the caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab visited the church and stopped to pray on the balcony, but at the time of prayer, turned away from the church and prayed outside. He feared that future generations would misinterpret this gesture, taking it as a pretext to turn the church into a mosque. Eutychius of Alexandria adds that Umar wrote a decree saying that Muslims would not inhabit this location. The building suffered severe damage from an earthquake in 746.

Early in the 9th century, another earthquake damaged the dome of the Anastasis. The damage was repaired in 810 by Patriarch Thomas I. In 841, the church suffered a fire. In 935, the Christians prevented the construction of a Muslim mosque adjacent to the Church. In 938, a new fire damaged the inside of the basilica and came close to the rotunda. In 966, due to a defeat of Muslim armies in the region of Syria, a riot broke out, which was followed by reprisals. The basilica was burned again. The doors and roof were burnt, and Patriarch John VII was murdered.

On 18 October 1009, Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah ordered the complete destruction of the church as part of a more general campaign against Christian places of worship in Palestine and Egypt. The damage was extensive, with few parts of the early church remaining, and the roof of the rock-cut tomb damaged; the original shrine was destroyed. Some partial repairs followed. Christian Europe reacted with shock and expulsions of Jews, serving as an impetus to later Crusades.

In wide-ranging negotiations between the Fatimids and the Byzantine Empire in 1027–28, an agreement was reached whereby the new Caliph Ali az-Zahir (al-Hakim's son) agreed to allow the rebuilding and redecoration of the church. The rebuilding was finally completed during the tenures of Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos and Patriarch Nicephorus of Constantinople in 1048. As a concession, the mosque in Constantinople was reopened and the khutba sermons were to be pronounced in az-Zahir's name. Muslim sources say a by-product of the agreement was the renunciation of Islam by many Christians who had been forced to convert under al-Hakim's persecutions. In addition, the Byzantines, while releasing 5,000 Muslim prisoners, made demands for the restoration of other churches destroyed by al-Hakim and the reestablishment of a patriarch in Jerusalem. Contemporary sources credit the emperor with spending vast sums in an effort to restore the Church of the Holy Sepulchre after this agreement was made. Still, "a total replacement was far beyond available resources. The new construction was concentrated on the rotunda and its surrounding buildings: the great basilica remained in ruins."

The rebuilt church site consisted of "a court open to the sky, with five small chapels attached to it." The chapels were east of the court of resurrection (when reconstructed, the location of the tomb was under open sky), where the western wall of the great basilica had been. They commemorated scenes from the passion, such as the location of the prison of Christ and his flagellation, and presumably were so placed because of the difficulties of free movement among shrines in the city streets. The dedication of these chapels indicates the importance of the pilgrims' devotion to the suffering of Christ. They have been described as 'a sort of Via Dolorosa in miniature'... since little or no rebuilding took place on the site of the great basilica. Western pilgrims to Jerusalem during the 11th century found much of the sacred site in ruins." Control of Jerusalem, and thereby the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, continued to change hands several times between the Fatimids and the Seljuk Turks (loyal to the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad) until the Crusaders' arrival in 1099.

Many historians maintain that the main concern of Pope Urban II, when calling for the First Crusade, was the threat to Constantinople from the Turkish invasion of Asia Minor in response to the appeal of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. Historians agree that the fate of Jerusalem and thereby the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was also of concern, if not the immediate goal of papal policy in 1095. The idea of taking Jerusalem gained more focus as the Crusade was underway. The rebuilt church site was taken from the Fatimids (who had recently taken it from the Abassids) by the knights of the First Crusade on 15 July 1099.

The First Crusade was envisioned as an armed pilgrimage, and no crusader could consider his journey complete unless he had prayed as a pilgrim at the Holy Sepulchre. The classical theory is that Crusader leader Godfrey of Bouillon, who became the first Latin ruler of Jerusalem, decided not to use the title "king" during his lifetime, and declared himself Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri ("Protector [or Defender] of the Holy Sepulchre"). By the Crusader period, a cistern under the former basilica was rumoured to have been where Helena had found the True Cross, and began to be venerated as such; the cistern later became the Chapel of the Invention of the Cross, but there is no evidence of the site's identification before the 11th century, and modern archaeological investigation has now dated the cistern to 11th-century repairs by Monomachos.

According to the German priest and pilgrim Ludolf von Sudheim, the keys of the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre were in hands of the "ancient Georgians", and the food, alms, candles and oil for lamps were given to them by the pilgrims at the south door of the church.

Eight 11th- and 12th-century Crusader leaders (Godfrey, Baldwin I, Baldwin II, Fulk, Baldwin III, Amalric, Baldwin IV and Baldwin V — the first eight rulers of the Kingdom of Jerusalem) were buried in the south transept and inside the Chapel of Adam. The royal tombs were destroyed by the Greeks in 1809–1810. It is unclear if the remains of those men were exhumed; some researchers hypothesize that some of them may still be in unmarked pits under the church.

William of Tyre, chronicler of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, reports on the renovation of the Church in the mid-12th century. The Crusaders investigated the eastern ruins on the site, occasionally excavating through the rubble, and while attempting to reach the cistern, they discovered part of the original ground level of Hadrian's temple enclosure; they transformed this space into a chapel dedicated to Helena, widening their original excavation tunnel into a proper staircase. The Crusaders began to refurnish the church in Romanesque style and added a bell tower. These renovations unified the small chapels on the site and were completed during the reign of Queen Melisende in 1149, placing all the holy places under one roof for the first time. The church became the seat of the first Latin patriarchs and the site of the kingdom's scriptorium. It was lost to Saladin, along with the rest of the city, in 1187, although the treaty established after the Third Crusade allowed Christian pilgrims to visit the site. Emperor Frederick II (r. 1220–50) regained the city and the church by treaty in the 13th century while under a ban of excommunication, with the curious consequence that the holiest church in Christianity was laid under interdict. The church seems to have been largely in the hands of Greek Orthodox patriarch Athanasius II of Jerusalem (c. 1231–47) during the Latin control of Jerusalem. Both city and church were captured by the Khwarezmians in 1244.

There was certainly a recognisable Nestorian (Church of the East) presence at the Holy Sepulchre from the years 1348 through 1575, as contemporary Franciscan accounts indicate. The Franciscan friars renovated the church in 1555, as it had been neglected despite increased numbers of pilgrims. The Franciscans rebuilt the Aedicule, extending the structure to create an antechamber. A marble shrine commissioned by Friar Boniface of Ragusa was placed to envelop the remains of Christ's tomb, probably to prevent pilgrims from touching the original rock or taking small pieces as souvenirs. A marble slab was placed over the limestone burial bed where Jesus's body is believed to have lain.

After the renovation of 1555, control of the church oscillated between the Franciscans and the Orthodox, depending on which community could obtain a favorable firman from the "Sublime Porte" at a particular time, often through outright bribery. Violent clashes were not uncommon. There was no agreement about this question, although it was discussed at the negotiations to the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699. During the Holy Week of 1757, Orthodox Christians reportedly took over some of the Franciscan-controlled church. This may have been the cause of the sultan's firman (decree) later developed into the Status Quo.

A fire severely damaged the structure again in 1808, causing the dome of the Rotunda to collapse and smashing the Aedicule's exterior decoration. The Rotunda and the Aedicule's exterior were rebuilt in 1809–10 by architect Nikolaos Ch. Komnenos of Mytilene in the contemporary Ottoman Baroque style.[citation needed] The interior of the antechamber, now known as the Chapel of the Angel, was partly rebuilt to a square ground plan in place of the previously semicircular western end.

Another decree in 1853 from the sultan solidified the existing territorial division among the communities and solidified the Status Quo for arrangements to "remain in their present state", requiring consensus to make even minor changes.

The dome was restored by Catholics, Greeks and Turks in 1868, being made of iron ever since.

By the time of the British Mandate for Palestine following the end of World War I, the cladding of red marble applied to the Aedicule by Komnenos had deteriorated badly and was detaching from the underlying structure; from 1947 until restoration work in 2016–17, it was held in place with an exterior scaffolding of iron girders installed by the British authorities.

In 1948, Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan and the Old City with the church were made part of Jordan. In 1967, Israeli forces captured East Jerusalem in the Six Day War, and that area has remained under Israeli control ever since. Under Israeli rule, legal arrangements relating to the churches of East Jerusalem were maintained in coordination with the Jordanian government. The dome at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was restored again in 1994–97 as part of extensive modern renovations that have been ongoing since 1959. During the 1970–78 restoration works and excavations inside the building, and under the nearby Muristan bazaar, it was found that the area was originally a quarry, from which white meleke limestone was struck.

East of the Chapel of Saint Helena, the excavators discovered a void containing a second-century[dubious – discuss] drawing of a Roman pilgrim ship, two low walls supporting the platform of Hadrian's second-century temple, and a higher fourth-century wall built to support Constantine's basilica. After the excavations of the early 1970s, the Armenian authorities converted this archaeological space into the Chapel of Saint Vartan, and created an artificial walkway over the quarry on the north of the chapel, so that the new chapel could be accessed (by permission) from the Chapel of Saint Helena.

After seven decades of being held together by steel girders, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) declared the visibly deteriorating Aedicule structure unsafe. A restoration of the Aedicule was agreed upon and executed from May 2016 to March 2017. Much of the $4 million project was funded by the World Monuments Fund, as well as $1.3 million from Mica Ertegun and a significant sum from King Abdullah II of Jordan. The existence of the original limestone cave walls within the Aedicule was confirmed, and a window was created to view this from the inside. The presence of moisture led to the discovery of an underground shaft resembling an escape tunnel carved into the bedrock, seeming to lead from the tomb. For the first time since at least 1555, on 26 October 2016, marble cladding that protects the supposed burial bed of Jesus was removed. Members of the National Technical University of Athens were present. Initially, only a layer of debris was visible. This was cleared in the next day, and a partially broken marble slab with a Crusader-style cross carved was revealed. By the night of 28 October, the original limestone burial bed was shown to be intact. The tomb was resealed shortly thereafter. Mortar from just above the burial bed was later dated to the mid-fourth century.

On 25 March 2020, Israeli health officials ordered the site closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the keeper of the keys, it was the first such closure since 1349, during the Black Death. Clerics continued regular prayers inside the building, and it reopened to visitors two months later, on 24 May.

During church renovations in 2022, a stone slab covered in modern graffiti was moved from a wall, revealing Cosmatesque-style decoration on one face. According to an IAA archaeologist, the decoration was once inlaid with pieces of glass and fine marble; it indicates that the relic was the front of the church's high altar from the Crusader era (c. 1149), which was later used by the Greek Orthodox until being damaged in the 1808 fire.

The courtyard facing the entrance to the church is known as the parvis. Two streets open into the parvis: St Helena Road (west) and Suq ed-Dabbagha (east). Around the parvis are a few smaller structures.

South of the parvis, opposite the church:

Broken columns—once forming part of an arcade—stand opposite the church, at the top of a short descending staircase stretching over the entire breadth of the parvis. In the 13th century, the tops of the columns were removed and sent to Mecca by the Khwarezmids.

The Gethsemane Metochion, a small Greek Orthodox monastery (metochion).

On the eastern side of the parvis, south to north:

The Monastery of St Abraham (Greek Orthodox), next to the Suq ed-Dabbagha entrance to the parvis.

The Chapel of St John the Evangelist (Armenian Orthodox)

The Chapel of St Michael and the Chapel of the Four Living Creatures (both are disputed between the Copts and Ethiopians), giving access to Deir es-Sultan (also disputed), a rooftop monastery surrounding the dome of the Chapel of St Helena.

North of the parvis, in front of the church façade or against it:

Chapel of the Franks (Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows): a blue-domed Roman Catholic Crusader chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, which once provided exclusive access to Calvary. The chapel marks the 10th Station of the Cross (the stripping of Jesus's garments).

Oratory of St. Mary of Egypt: a Greek Orthodox oratory and chapel, directly beneath the Chapel of the Franks, dedicated to St. Mary of Egypt.

The tomb (including a ledgerstone) of Philip d'Aubigny aka Philip Daubeney (died 1236), a knight, tutor, and royal councilor to Henry III of England and signer of the Magna Carta—is placed in front of, and between, the church's two original entrance doors, of which the eastern one is walled up. It is one of the few tombs of crusaders and other Europeans not removed from the Church after the Khwarizmian capture of Jerusalem in 1244. In the 1900s, during a fight between the Greeks and Latins, some monks damaged the tomb by throwing stones from the roof. A stone marker[clarification needed] was placed on his tomb in 1925, sheltered by a wooden trapdoor that hides it from view.[citation needed]

A group of three chapels borders the parvis on its west side. They originally formed the baptistery complex of the Constantinian church. The southernmost chapel was the vestibule, the middle chapel the baptistery, and the north chapel the chamber in which the patriarch chrismated the newly baptized before leading them into the rotunda north of this complex. Now they are dedicated as (from south to north)

The Chapel of St. James the Just (Greek Orthodox),

The Chapel of St. John the Baptist (Greek Orthodox),

The Chapel of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (Greek Orthodox; at the base of the bell tower).

The 12th-century Crusader bell tower is just south of the Rotunda, to the left of the entrance. Its upper level was lost in a 1545 collapse. In 1719, another two storeys were lost.

The wooden doors that compose the main entrance are the original, highly carved arched doors. Today, only the left-hand entrance is currently accessible, as the right doorway has long since been bricked up. The entrance to the church leads to the south transept, through the crusader façade in the parvis of a larger courtyard. This is found past a group of streets winding through the outer Via Dolorosa by way of a souq in the Muristan. This narrow way of access to such a large structure has proven to be hazardous at times. For example, when a fire broke out in 1840, dozens of pilgrims were trampled to death.

According to their own family lore, the Muslim Nuseibeh family has been responsible for opening the door as an impartial party to the church's denominations already since the seventh century. However, they themselves admit that the documents held by various Christian denominations only mention their role since the 12th century, in the time of Saladin, which is the date more generally accepted. After retaking Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187, Saladin entrusted the Joudeh family with the key to the church, which is made of iron and 30 centimetres (12 in) long; the Nuseibehs either became or remained its doorkeepers.

The 'immovable ladder' stands beneath a window on the façade.

Just inside the church entrance is a stairway leading up to Calvary (Golgotha), traditionally regarded as the site of Jesus's crucifixion and the most lavishly decorated part of the church. The exit is via another stairway opposite the first, leading down to the ambulatory. Golgotha and its chapels are just south of the main altar of the catholicon.

Calvary is split into two chapels: one Greek Orthodox and one Catholic, each with its own altar. On the left (north) side, the Greek Orthodox chapel's altar is placed over the supposed rock of Calvary (the 12th Station of the Cross), which can be touched through a hole in the floor beneath the altar. The rock can be seen under protective glass on both sides of the altar. The softer surrounding stone was removed when the church was built. The Roman Catholic (Franciscan) Chapel of the Nailing of the Cross (the 11th Station of the Cross) stretches to the south. Between the Catholic Altar of the Nailing to the Cross and the Orthodox altar is the Catholic Altar of the Stabat Mater, which has a statue of Mary with an 18th-century bust; this middle altar marks the 13th Station of the Cross.

On the ground floor, just underneath the Golgotha chapel, is the Chapel of Adam. According to tradition, Jesus was crucified over the place where Adam's skull was buried. According to some, the blood of Christ ran down the cross and through the rocks to fill Adam's skull. Through a window at the back of the 11th-century apse, the rock of Calvary can be seen with a crack traditionally held to be caused by the earthquake that followed Jesus's death;[78] some scholars claim it is the result of quarrying against a natural flaw in the rock.

Behind the Chapel of Adam is the Greek Treasury (Treasury of the Greek Patriarch). Some of its relics, such as a 12th-century crystal mitre, were transferred to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Museum (the Patriarchal Museum) on Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Street.

Just inside the entrance to the church is the Stone of Anointing (also Stone of the Anointing or Stone of Unction), which tradition holds to be where Jesus's body was prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea, though this tradition is only attested since the crusader era (notably by the Italian Dominican pilgrim Riccoldo da Monte di Croce in 1288), and the present stone was only added in the 1810 reconstruction.

The wall behind the stone is defined by its striking blue balconies and taphos symbol-bearing red banners (depicting the insignia of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre), and is decorated with lamps. The modern mosaic along the wall depicts the anointing of Jesus's body, preceded on the right by the Descent from the Cross, and succeeded on the left by the Burial of Jesus.

The wall was a temporary addition to support the arch above it, which had been weakened after the damage in the 1808 fire; it blocks the view of the rotunda, separates the entrance from the catholicon, sits on top of four of the now empty and desecrated Crusader graves and is no longer structurally necessary. Opinions differ as to whether it is to be seen as the 13th Station of the Cross, which others identify as the lowering of Jesus from the cross and located between the 11th and 12th stations on Calvary.

The lamps that hang over the Stone of Unction, adorned with cross-bearing chain links, are contributed by Armenians, Copts, Greeks and Latins.

Immediately inside and to the left of the entrance is a bench (formerly a divan) that has traditionally been used by the church's Muslim doorkeepers, along with some Christian clergy, as well as electrical wiring. To the right of the entrance is a wall along the ambulatory containing the staircase leading to Golgotha. Further along the same wall is the entrance to the Chapel of Adam.

The rotunda is the building of the larger dome located on the far west side. In the centre of the rotunda is a small chapel called the Aedicule in English, from the Latin aedicula, in reference to a small shrine. The Aedicule has two rooms: the first holds a relic called the Angel's Stone, which is believed to be a fragment of the large stone that sealed the tomb; the second, smaller room contains the tomb of Jesus. Possibly to prevent pilgrims from removing bits of the original rock as souvenirs, by 1555, a surface of marble cladding was placed on the tomb to prevent further damage to the tomb. In October 2016, the top slab was pulled back to reveal an older, partially broken marble slab with a Crusader-style cross carved in it. Beneath it, the limestone burial bed was revealed to be intact.

Under the Status Quo, the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Armenian Apostolic Churches all have rights to the interior of the tomb, and all three communities celebrate the Divine Liturgy or Holy Mass there daily. It is also used for other ceremonies on special occasions, such as the Holy Saturday ceremony of the Holy Fire led by the Greek Orthodox patriarch (with the participation of the Coptic and Armenian patriarchs). To its rear, in the Coptic Chapel, constructed of iron latticework, lies the altar used by the Coptic Orthodox. Historically, the Georgians also retained the key to the Aedicule.

To the right of the sepulchre on the northwestern edge of the Rotunda is the Chapel of the Apparition, which is reserved for Roman Catholic use.

In the central nave of the Crusader-era church, just east of the larger rotunda, is the Crusader structure housing the main altar of the Church, today the Greek Orthodox catholicon. Its dome is 19.8 metres (65 ft) in diameter, and is set directly over the centre of the transept crossing of the choir where the compas is situated, an omphalos ("navel") stone once thought to be the center of the world and still venerated as such by Orthodox Christians (associated with the site of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection).

Since 1996 this dome is topped by the monumental Golgotha Crucifix, which the Greek Patriarch Diodoros I of Jerusalem consecrated. It was at the initiative of Israeli professor Gustav Kühnel to erect a new crucifix at the church that would not only be worthy of the singularity of the site, but that would also become a symbol of the efforts of unity in the community of Christian faith.

The catholicon's iconostasis demarcates the Orthodox sanctuary behind it, to its east. The iconostasis is flanked to the front by two episcopal thrones: the southern seat (cathedra) is the patriarchal throne of the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, and the northern seat is for an archbishop or bishop. (There is also a popular claim that both are patriarchal thrones, with the northern one being for the patriarch of Antioch — which has been described as a misstatement, however.)

South of the Aedicule is the "Place of the Three Marys", marked by a stone canopy (the Station of the Holy Women) and a large modern wall mosaic. From here one can enter the Armenian monastery, which stretches over the ground and first upper floor of the church's southeastern part.

West of the Aedicule, to the rear of the Rotunda, is the Syriac Chapel with the Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, located in a Constantinian apse and containing an opening to an ancient Jewish rock-cut tomb. This chapel is where the Syriac Orthodox celebrate their Liturgy on Sundays.

The Syriac Orthodox Chapel of Saint Joseph of Arimathea and Saint Nicodemus. On Sundays and feast days it is furnished for the celebration of Mass. It is accessed from the Rotunda, by a door west of the Aedicule.

On the far side of the chapel is the low entrance to an almost complete first-century Jewish tomb, initially holding six kokh-type funeral shafts radiating from a central chamber, two of which are still exposed. Although this space was discovered relatively recently and contains no identifying marks, some believe that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were buried here. Since Jews always buried their dead outside the city, the presence of this tomb seems to prove that the Holy Sepulchre site was outside the city walls at the time of the crucifixion.

The Franciscan Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene – The chapel, an open area, indicates the place where Mary Magdalene met Jesus after his resurrection.

The Franciscan Chapel of the Apparition (Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament), directly north of the above – in memory of Jesus's meeting with his mother after the Resurrection, a non-scriptural tradition. Here stands a piece of an ancient column, allegedly part of the one Jesus was tied to during his scourging.

The Arches of the Virgin are seven arches (an arcade) at the northern end of the north transept, which is to the catholicon's north. Disputed by the Orthodox and the Latin, the area is used to store ladders.

In the northeast side of the complex, there is the Prison of Christ, alleged to be where Jesus was held. The Greek Orthodox are showing pilgrims yet another place where Jesus was allegedly held, the similarly named Prison of Christ in their Monastery of the Praetorium, located near the Church of Ecce Homo, between the Second and Third Stations of the Via Dolorosa. The Armenians regard a recess in the Monastery of the Flagellation at the Second Station of the Via Dolorosa as the Prison of Christ. A cistern among the ruins beneath the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu on Mount Zion is also alleged to have been the Prison of Christ. To reconcile the traditions, some allege that Jesus was held in the Mount Zion cell in connection with his trial by the Jewish high priest, at the Praetorium in connection with his trial by the Roman governor Pilate, and near the Golgotha before crucifixion.

The chapels in the ambulatory are, from north to south: the Greek Chapel of Saint Longinus (named after Longinus), the Armenian Chapel of the Division of Robes, the entrance to the Chapel of Saint Helena, and the Greek Chapel of the Derision.

Chapel of Saint Helena – between the Chapel of the Division of Robes and the Greek Chapel of the Derision are stairs descending to the Chapel of Saint Helena. The Armenians, who own it, call it the Chapel of St. Gregory the Illuminator, after the saint who brought Christianity to the Armenians.

Chapel of St Vartan (or Vardan) Mamikonian – on the north side of the Chapel of Saint Helena is an ornate wrought iron door, beyond which a raised artificial platform affords views of the quarry, and which leads to the Chapel of Saint Vartan. The latter chapel contains archaeological remains from Hadrian's temple and Constantine's basilica. These areas are open only on request.

Chapel of the Invention of the Cross (named for the Invention (Finding) of the Holy Cross) – another set of 22 stairs from the Chapel of Saint Helena leads down to the Roman Catholic Chapel of the Invention of the Holy Cross, believed to be the place where the True Cross was found.

An Ottoman decree of 1757 helped establish a status quo upholding the state of affairs for various Holy Land sites. The status quo was upheld in Sultan Abdülmecid I's firman (decree) of 1852/3, which pinned down the now-permanent statutes of property and the regulations concerning the roles of the different denominations and other custodians.

The primary custodians are the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic churches. The Greek Orthodox act through the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate as well as through the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre. Roman Catholics act through the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. In the 19th century, the Coptic Orthodox, the Ethiopian Orthodox and the Syriac Orthodox also acquired lesser responsibilities, which include shrines and other structures in and around the building.

None of these controls the main entrance. In 1192, Saladin assigned door-keeping responsibilities to the Muslim Nusaybah family. The wooden doors that compose the main entrance are the original, highly carved doors. The Joudeh al-Goudia (al-Ghodayya) family were entrusted as custodian to the keys of the Holy Sepulchre by Saladin in 1187. Despite occasional disagreements, religious services take place in the Church with regularity and coexistence is generally peaceful. An example of concord between the Church custodians is the full restoration of the Aedicule from 2016 to 2017.

The establishment of the modern Status Quo in 1853 did not halt controversy and occasional violence. In 1902, 18 friars were hospitalized and some monks were jailed after the Franciscans and Greeks disagreed over who could clean the lowest step of the Chapel of the Franks. In the aftermath, the Greek patriarch, Franciscan custos, Ottoman governor and French consul general signed a convention that both denominations could sweep it. On a hot summer day in 2002, a Coptic monk moved his chair from its agreed spot into the shade. This was interpreted as a hostile move by the Ethiopians and eleven were hospitalized after the resulting fight. In another incident in 2004, during Orthodox celebrations of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a door to the Franciscan chapel was left open. This was taken as a sign of disrespect by the Orthodox and a fistfight broke out. Some people were arrested, but no one was seriously injured.

On Palm Sunday, in April 2008, a brawl broke out when a Greek monk was ejected from the building by a rival faction. Police were called to the scene but were also attacked by the enraged brawlers. On Sunday, 9 November 2008, a clash erupted between Armenian and Greek monks during celebrations for the Feast of the Cross.

In February 2018, the church was closed following a tax dispute over 152 million euros of uncollected taxes on church properties. The city hall stressed that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and all other churches are exempt from the taxes, with the changes only affecting establishments like "hotels, halls and businesses" owned by the churches. NPR had reported that the Greek Orthodox Church calls itself the second-largest landowner in Israel, after the Israeli government.

There was a lock-in protest against an Israeli legislative proposal which would expropriate church lands that had been sold to private companies since 2010, a measure which church leaders assert constitutes a serious violation of their property rights and the Status Quo. In a joint official statement the church authorities protested what they considered to be the peak of a systematic campaign in:

a discriminatory and racist bill that targets solely the properties of the Christian community in the Holy Land ... This reminds us all of laws of a similar nature which were enacted against the Jews during dark periods in Europe.

The 2018 taxation affair does not cover any church buildings or religious related facilities (because they are exempt by law), but commercial facilities such as the Notre Dame Hotel which was not paying the municipal property tax, and any land which is owned and used as a commercial land. The church holds the rights to land where private homes have been constructed, and some of the disagreement had been raised after the Knesset had proposed a bill that will make it harder for a private company not to extend a lease for land used by homeowners. The church leaders have said that such a bill will make it harder for them to sell church-owned lands. According to The Jerusalem Post:

The stated aim of the bill is to protect homeowners against the possibility that private companies will not extend their leases of land on which their houses or apartments stand.

In June 2019, a number of Christian denominations in Jerusalem raised their voice against the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the sale of three properties by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate to Ateret Cohanim – an organization that seeks to increase the number of Jews living in the Old City and East Jerusalem. The church leaders warned that if the organization gets to control the sites, Christians could lose access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In June 2022, the Supreme Court upheld the sale and ended the legal battle.

The site of the church had been a temple to Jupiter or Venus built by Hadrian before Constantine's edifice was built. Hadrian's temple had been located there because it was the junction of the main north–south road with one of the two main east–west roads and directly adjacent to the forum (now the location of the Muristan, which is smaller than the former forum). The forum itself had been placed, as is traditional in Roman towns, at the junction of the main north–south road with the other main east–west road (which is now El-Bazar/David Street). The temple and forum together took up the entire space between the two main east–west roads (a few above-ground remains of the east end of the temple precinct still survive in the Alexander Nevsky Church complex of the Russian Mission in Exile).

From the archaeological excavations in the 1970s, it is clear that construction took over most of the site of the earlier temple enclosure and that the Triportico and Rotunda roughly overlapped with the temple building itself; the excavations indicate that the temple extended at least as far back as the Aedicule, and the temple enclosure would have reached back slightly further. Virgilio Canio Corbo, a Franciscan priest and archaeologist, who was present at the excavations, estimated from the archaeological evidence that the western retaining wall of the temple itself would have passed extremely close to the east side of the supposed tomb; if the wall had been any further west any tomb would have been crushed under the weight of the wall (which would be immediately above it) if it had not already been destroyed when foundations for the wall were made.

Other archaeologists have criticized Corbo's reconstructions. Dan Bahat, the former city archaeologist of Jerusalem, regards them as unsatisfactory, as there is no known temple of Aphrodite (Venus) matching Corbo's design, and no archaeological evidence for Corbo's suggestion that the temple building was on a platform raised high enough to avoid including anything sited where the Aedicule is now; indeed Bahat notes that many temples to Aphrodite have a rotunda-like design, and argues that there is no archaeological reason to assume that the present rotunda was not based on a rotunda in the temple previously on the site.

The New Testament describes Jesus's tomb as being outside the city wall,[l] as was normal for burials across the ancient world, which were regarded as unclean. Today, the site of the Church is within the current walls of the old city of Jerusalem. It has been well documented by archaeologists that in the time of Jesus, the walled city was smaller and the wall then was to the east of the current site of the Church. In other words, the city had been much narrower in Jesus's time, with the site then having been outside the walls; since Herod Agrippa (41–44) is recorded by history as extending the city to the north (beyond the present northern walls), the required repositioning of the western wall is traditionally attributed to him as well.

The area immediately to the south and east of the sepulchre was a quarry and outside the city during the early first century as excavations under the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer across the street demonstrated.[citation needed]

The church is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Old City of Jerusalem.

The Christian Quarter and the (also Christian) Armenian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem are both located in the northwestern and western part of the Old City, due to the fact that the Holy Sepulchre is located close to the northwestern corner of the walled city. The adjacent neighbourhood within the Christian Quarter is called the Muristan, a term derived from the Persian word for hospital – Christian pilgrim hospices have been maintained in this area near the Holy Sepulchre since at least the time of Charlemagne.

From the ninth century onward, the construction of churches inspired by the Anastasis was extended across Europe. One example is Santo Stefano in Bologna, Italy, an agglomeration of seven churches recreating shrines of Jerusalem.

Several churches and monasteries in Europe, for instance, in Germany and Russia, and at least one church in the United States have been wholly or partially modeled on the Church of the Resurrection, some even reproducing other holy places for the benefit of pilgrims who could not travel to the Holy Land. They include the Heiliges Grab ("Holy Tomb") of Görlitz, constructed between 1481 and 1504, the New Jerusalem Monastery in Moscow Oblast, constructed by Patriarch Nikon between 1656 and 1666, and Mount St. Sepulchre Franciscan Monastery built by the Franciscans in Washington, DC in 1898.

Author Andrew Holt writes that the church is the most important in all Christendom.

Jerusalem is an ancient city in West Asia, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, and is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Both Israel and Palestine claim Jerusalem as their capital; Israel maintains its primary governmental institutions there, and the State of Palestine ultimately foresees it as its seat of power. Neither claim, however, is widely recognized internationally.

Throughout its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice, besieged 23 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, and attacked 52 times. The part of Jerusalem called the City of David shows first signs of settlement in the 4th millennium BCE, in the shape of encampments of nomadic shepherds. During the Canaanite period (14th century BCE), Jerusalem was named as Urusalim on ancient Egyptian tablets, probably meaning "City of Shalem" after a Canaanite deity. During the Israelite period, significant construction activity in Jerusalem began in the 10th century BCE (Iron Age II), and by the 9th century BCE, the city had developed into the religious and administrative centre of the Kingdom of Judah. In 1538, the city walls were rebuilt for a last time around Jerusalem under Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire. Today those walls define the Old City, which since the 19th century has been divided into four quarters – the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim quarters. The Old City became a World Heritage Site in 1981, and is on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Since 1860, Jerusalem has grown far beyond the Old City's boundaries. In 2022, Jerusalem had a population of some 971,800 residents, of which almost 60% were Jews and almost 40% Palestinians. In 2020, the population was 951,100, of which Jews comprised 570,100 (59.9%), Muslims 353,800 (37.2%), Christians 16,300 (1.7%), and 10,800 unclassified (1.1%).

According to the Hebrew Bible, King David conquered the city from the Jebusites and established it as the capital of the United Kingdom of Israel, and his son, King Solomon, commissioned the building of the First Temple. Modern scholars argue that Jews branched out of the Canaanite peoples and culture through the development of a distinct monolatrous—and later monotheistic—religion centred on El/Yahweh. These foundational events, straddling the dawn of the 1st millennium BCE, assumed central symbolic importance for the Jewish people. The sobriquet of holy city (Hebrew: עיר הקודש, romanized: 'Ir ha-Qodesh) was probably attached to Jerusalem in post-exilic times. The holiness of Jerusalem in Christianity, conserved in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, which Christians adopted as their own "Old Testament", was reinforced by the New Testament account of Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection there. In Sunni Islam, Jerusalem is the third-holiest city, after Mecca and Medina. The city was the first qibla, the standard direction for Muslim prayers (salah), and in Islamic tradition, Muhammad made his Night Journey there in 621, ascending to heaven where he speaks to God, according to the Quran. As a result, despite having an area of only 0.9 km2 (3⁄8 sq mi), the Old City is home to many sites of seminal religious importance, among them the Temple Mount with its Western Wall, Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Today, the status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, West Jerusalem was among the areas captured and later annexed by Israel while East Jerusalem, including the Old City, was captured and later annexed by Jordan. Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War and subsequently effectively annexed it into Jerusalem, together with additional surrounding territory.[note 6] One of Israel's Basic Laws, the 1980 Jerusalem Law, refers to Jerusalem as the country's undivided capital. All branches of the Israeli government are located in Jerusalem, including the Knesset (Israel's parliament), the residences of the Prime Minister (Beit Aghion) and President (Beit HaNassi), and the Supreme Court. The international community rejects the annexation as illegal and regards East Jerusalem as Palestinian territory occupied by Israel.

Etymology

The name "Jerusalem" is variously etymologized to mean "foundation (Semitic yry' 'to found, to lay a cornerstone') of the pagan god Shalem"; the god Shalem was thus the original tutelary deity of the Bronze Age city.

Shalim or Shalem was the name of the god of dusk in the Canaanite religion, whose name is based on the same root S-L-M from which the Hebrew word for "peace" is derived (Shalom in Hebrew, cognate with Arabic Salam). The name thus offered itself to etymologizations such as "The City of Peace", "Abode of Peace", "Dwelling of Peace" ("founded in safety"), or "Vision of Peace" in some Christian authors.

The ending -ayim indicates the dual, thus leading to the suggestion that the name Yerushalayim refers to the fact that the city initially sat on two hills.

Ancient Egyptian sources

The Execration Texts of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (c. 19th century BCE), which refer to a city called rwšꜣlmm or ꜣwšꜣmm, variously transcribed as Rušalimum, or Urušalimum, may indicate Jerusalem. Alternatively, the Amarna letters of Abdi-Heba (1330s BCE), which reference an Úrušalim, may be the earliest mention of the city.

Hebrew Bible and Jewish sources

The form Yerushalem or Yerushalayim first appears in the Bible, in the Book of Joshua. According to a Midrash, the name is a combination of two names united by God, Yireh ("the abiding place", the name given by Abraham to the place where he planned to sacrifice his son) and Shalem ("Place of Peace", the name given by high priest Shem).

Oldest written mention of Jerusalem

One of the earliest extra-biblical Hebrew writing of the word Jerusalem is dated to the sixth or seventh century BCE and was discovered in Khirbet Beit Lei near Beit Guvrin in 1961. The inscription states: "I am Yahweh thy God, I will accept the cities of Judah and I will redeem Jerusalem", or as other scholars suggest: "Yahweh is the God of the whole earth. The mountains of Judah belong to him, to the God of Jerusalem". An older example on papyrus is known from the previous century.

In extra-biblical inscriptions, the earliest known example of the -ayim ending was discovered on a column about 3 km west of ancient Jerusalem, dated to the first century BCE.

Jebus, Zion, City of David

An ancient settlement of Jerusalem, founded as early as the Bronze Age on the hill above the Gihon Spring, was, according to the Bible, named Jebus. Called the "Fortress of Zion" (metsudat Zion), it was renamed as the "City of David", and was known by this name in antiquity. Another name, "Zion", initially referred to a distinct part of the city, but later came to signify the city as a whole, and afterwards to represent the whole biblical Land of Israel.

Greek, Roman and Byzantine names

In Greek and Latin, the city's name was transliterated Hierosolyma (Greek: Ἱεροσόλυμα; in Greek hieròs, ἱερός, means holy), although the city was renamed Aelia Capitolina for part of the Roman period of its history.

Salem

The Aramaic Apocryphon of Genesis of the Dead Sea Scrolls (1QapGen 22:13) equates Jerusalem with the earlier "Salem" (שלם), said to be the kingdom of Melchizedek in Genesis 14. Other early Hebrew sources, early Christian renderings of the verse and targumim, however, put Salem in Northern Israel near Shechem (Sichem), now Nablus, a city of some importance in early sacred Hebrew writing. Possibly the redactor of the Apocryphon of Genesis wanted to dissociate Melchizedek from the area of Shechem, which at the time was in possession of the Samaritans. However that may be, later Rabbinic sources also equate Salem with Jerusalem, mainly to link Melchizedek to later Temple traditions.

Arabic names

In Arabic, Jerusalem is most commonly known as القُدس, transliterated as al-Quds and meaning "the holy" or "the holy sanctuary", cognate with Hebrew: הקדש, romanized: ha-qodesh. The name is possibly a shortened form of مدينة القُدس Madīnat al-Quds "city of the holy sanctuary" after the Hebrew nickname with the same meaning, Ir ha-Qodesh (עיר הקדש). The ق (Q) is pronounced either with a voiceless uvular plosive (/q/), as in Classical Arabic, or with a glottal stop (ʔ) as in Levantine Arabic. Official Israeli government policy mandates that أُورُشَلِيمَ, transliterated as Ūrušalīm, which is the name frequently used in Christian translations of the Bible into Arabic, be used as the Arabic language name for the city in conjunction with القُدس, giving أُورُشَلِيمَ-القُدس, Ūrušalīm-al-Quds. Palestinian Arab families who hail from this city are often called "Qudsi" (قُدسي) or "Maqdasi" (مقدسي), while Palestinian Muslim Jerusalemites may use these terms as a demonym.

Given the city's central position in both Jewish nationalism (Zionism) and Palestinian nationalism, the selectivity required to summarize some 5,000 years of inhabited history is often influenced by ideological bias or background. Israeli or Jewish nationalists claim a right to the city based on Jewish indigeneity to the land, particularly their origins in and descent from the Israelites, for whom Jerusalem is their capital, and their yearning for return. In contrast, Palestinian nationalists claim the right to the city based on modern Palestinians' longstanding presence and descent from many different peoples who have settled or lived in the region over the centuries. Both sides claim the history of the city has been politicized by the other in order to strengthen their relative claims to the city, and that this is borne out by the different focuses the different writers place on the various events and eras in the city's history.

Prehistory

The first archaeological evidence of human presence in the area comes in the form of flints dated to between 6000 and 7000 years ago, with ceramic remains appearing during the Chalcolithic period, and the first signs of permanent settlement appearing in the Early Bronze Age in 3000–2800 BCE.

Bronze and Iron Ages

The earliest evidence of city fortifications appear in the Mid to Late Bronze Age and could date to around the 18th century BCE. By around 1550–1200 BCE, Jerusalem was the capital of an Egyptian vassal city-state, a modest settlement governing a few outlying villages and pastoral areas, with a small Egyptian garrison and ruled by appointees such as king Abdi-Heba. At the time of Seti I (r. 1290–1279 BCE) and Ramesses II (r. 1279–1213 BCE), major construction took place as prosperity increased. The city's inhabitants at this time were Canaanites, who are believed by scholars to have evolved into the Israelites via the development of a distinct Yahweh-centric monotheistic belief system.

Archaeological remains from the ancient Israelite period include the Siloam Tunnel, an aqueduct built by Judahite king Hezekiah and once containing an ancient Hebrew inscription, known as the Siloam Inscription; the so-called Broad Wall, a defensive fortification built in the 8th century BCE, also by Hezekiah; the Silwan necropolis (9th–7th c. BCE) with the Monolith of Silwan and the Tomb of the Royal Steward, which were decorated with monumental Hebrew inscriptions; and the so-called Israelite Tower, remnants of ancient fortifications, built from large, sturdy rocks with carved cornerstones. A huge water reservoir dating from this period was discovered in 2012 near Robinson's Arch, indicating the existence of a densely built-up quarter across the area west of the Temple Mount during the Kingdom of Judah.

When the Assyrians conquered the Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE, Jerusalem was strengthened by a great influx of refugees from the northern kingdom. When Hezekiah ruled, Jerusalem had no fewer than 25,000 inhabitants and covered 25 acres (10 hectares).

In 587–586 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar II of the Neo-Babylonian Empire conquered Jerusalem after a prolonged siege, and then systematically destroyed the city, including Solomon's Temple. The Kingdom of Judah was abolished and many were exiled to Babylon. These events mark the end of the First Temple period.

Biblical account

This period, when Canaan formed part of the Egyptian empire, corresponds in biblical accounts to Joshua's invasion, but almost all scholars agree that the Book of Joshua holds little historical value for early Israel.

In the Bible, Jerusalem is defined as lying within territory allocated to the tribe of Benjamin though still inhabited by Jebusites. David is said to have conquered these in the siege of Jebus, and transferred his capital from Hebron to Jerusalem which then became the capital of a United Kingdom of Israel, and one of its several religious centres. The choice was perhaps dictated by the fact that Jerusalem did not form part of Israel's tribal system, and was thus suited to serve as the centre of its confederation. Opinion is divided over whether the so-called Large Stone Structure and the nearby Stepped Stone Structure may be identified with King David's palace, or dates to a later period.

According to the Bible, King David reigned for 40 years and was succeeded by his son Solomon, who built the Holy Temple on Mount Moriah. Solomon's Temple (later known as the First Temple), went on to play a pivotal role in Jewish religion as the repository of the Ark of the Covenant. On Solomon's death, ten of the northern tribes of Israel broke with the United Monarchy to form their own nation, with its kings, prophets, priests, traditions relating to religion, capitals and temples in northern Israel. The southern tribes, together with the Aaronid priesthood, remained in Jerusalem, with the city becoming the capital of the Kingdom of Judah.

Classical antiquity

In 538 BCE, the Achaemenid King Cyrus the Great invited the Jews of Babylon to return to Judah to rebuild the Temple. Construction of the Second Temple was completed in 516 BCE, during the reign of Darius the Great, 70 years after the destruction of the First Temple.

Sometime soon after 485 BCE Jerusalem was besieged, conquered and largely destroyed by a coalition of neighbouring states. In about 445 BCE, King Artaxerxes I of Persia issued a decree allowing the city (including its walls) to be rebuilt. Jerusalem resumed its role as capital of Judah and centre of Jewish worship.

Many Jewish tombs from the Second Temple period have been unearthed in Jerusalem. One example, discovered north of the Old City, contains human remains in a 1st-century CE ossuary decorated with the Aramaic inscription "Simon the Temple Builder". The Tomb of Abba, also located north of the Old City, bears an Aramaic inscription with Paleo-Hebrew letters reading: "I, Abba, son of the priest Eleaz(ar), son of Aaron the high (priest), Abba, the oppressed and the persecuted, who was born in Jerusalem, and went into exile into Babylonia and brought (back to Jerusalem) Mattathi(ah), son of Jud(ah), and buried him in a cave which I bought by deed." The Tomb of Benei Hezir located in Kidron Valley is decorated by monumental Doric columns and Hebrew inscription, identifying it as the burial site of Second Temple priests. The Tombs of the Sanhedrin, an underground complex of 63 rock-cut tombs, is located in a public park in the northern Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sanhedria. These tombs, probably reserved for members of the Sanhedrin and inscribed by ancient Hebrew and Aramaic writings, are dated to between 100 BCE and 100 CE.

When Alexander the Great conquered the Achaemenid Empire, Jerusalem and Judea came under Macedonian control, eventually falling to the Ptolemaic dynasty under Ptolemy I. In 198 BCE, Ptolemy V Epiphanes lost Jerusalem and Judea to the Seleucids under Antiochus III. The Seleucid attempt to recast Jerusalem as a Hellenized city-state came to a head in 168 BCE with the successful Maccabean revolt of Mattathias and his five sons against Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and their establishment of the Hasmonean Kingdom in 152 BCE with Jerusalem as its capital.

In 63 BCE, Pompey the Great intervened in a struggle for the Hasmonean throne and captured Jerusalem, extending the influence of the Roman Republic over Judea. Following a short invasion by Parthians, backing the rival Hasmonean rulers, Judea became a scene of struggle between pro-Roman and pro-Parthian forces, eventually leading to the emergence of an Edomite named Herod. As Rome became stronger, it installed Herod as a client king of the Jews. Herod the Great, as he was known, devoted himself to developing and beautifying the city. He built walls, towers and palaces, and expanded the Temple Mount, buttressing the courtyard with blocks of stone weighing up to 100 tons. Under Herod, the area of the Temple Mount doubled in size. Shortly after Herod's death, in 6 CE Judea came under direct Roman rule as the Iudaea Province, although the Herodian dynasty through Agrippa II remained client kings of neighbouring territories until 96 CE.

Roman rule over Jerusalem and Judea was challenged in the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), which ended with a Roman victory. Early on, the city was devastated by a brutal civil war between several Jewish factions fighting for control of the city. In 70 CE, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Second Temple. The contemporary Jewish historian Josephus wrote that the city "was so thoroughly razed to the ground by those that demolished it to its foundations, that nothing was left that could ever persuade visitors that it had once been a place of habitation." Of the 600,000 (Tacitus) or 1,000,000 (Josephus) Jews of Jerusalem, all of them either died of starvation, were killed or were sold into slavery. Roman rule was again challenged during the Bar Kokhba revolt, beginning in 132 CE and suppressed by the Romans in 135 CE. More recent research indicates that the Romans had founded Aelia Capitolina before the outbreak of the revolt, and found no evidence for Bar Kokhba ever managing to hold the city.

Jerusalem reached a peak in size and population at the end of the Second Temple Period, when the city covered two km2 (3⁄4 sq mi) and had a population of 200,000.

Late Antiquity

Following the Bar Kokhba revolt, Emperor Hadrian combined Iudaea Province with neighbouring provinces under the new name of Syria Palaestina, replacing the name of Judea. The city was renamed Aelia Capitolina, and rebuilt it in the style of a typical Roman town. Jews were prohibited from entering the city on pain of death, except for one day each year, during the holiday of Tisha B'Av. Taken together, these measures (which also affected Jewish Christians) essentially "secularized" the city. Historical sources and archaeological evidence indicate that the rebuilt city was now inhabited by veterans of the Roman military and immigrants from the western parts of the empire.

The ban against Jews was maintained until the 7th century, though Christians would soon be granted an exemption: during the 4th century, the Roman emperor Constantine I ordered the construction of Christian holy sites in the city, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Burial remains from the Byzantine period are exclusively Christian, suggesting that the population of Jerusalem in Byzantine times probably consisted only of Christians.

Jerusalem.

In the 5th century, the eastern continuation of the Roman Empire, ruled from the recently renamed Constantinople, maintained control of the city. Within the span of a few decades, Jerusalem shifted from Byzantine to Persian rule, then back to Roman-Byzantine dominion. Following Sassanid Khosrau II's early 7th century push through Syria, his generals Shahrbaraz and Shahin attacked Jerusalem (Persian: Dej Houdkh) aided by the Jews of Palaestina Prima, who had risen up against the Byzantines.

In the Siege of Jerusalem of 614, after 21 days of relentless siege warfare, Jerusalem was captured. Byzantine chronicles relate that the Sassanids and Jews slaughtered tens of thousands of Christians in the city, many at the Mamilla Pool, and destroyed their monuments and churches, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This episode has been the subject of much debate between historians. The conquered city would remain in Sassanid hands for some fifteen years until the Byzantine emperor Heraclius reconquered it in 629.

Middle Ages

After the Muslim conquest of the Levant, Byzantine Jerusalem was taken by Umar ibn al-Khattab in 638 CE. Among the first Muslims, it was referred to as Madinat bayt al-Maqdis ("City of the Temple"), a name restricted to the Temple Mount. The rest of the city "was called Iliya, reflecting the Roman name given the city following the destruction of 70 CE: Aelia Capitolina". Later the Temple Mount became known as al-Haram al-Sharif, "The Noble Sanctuary", while the city around it became known as Bayt al-Maqdis, and later still, al-Quds al-Sharif "The Holy, Noble". The Islamization of Jerusalem began in the first year A.H. (623 CE), when Muslims were instructed to face the city while performing their daily prostrations and, according to Muslim religious tradition, Muhammad's night journey and ascension to heaven took place. After 13 years, the direction of prayer was changed to Mecca. In 638 CE the Islamic Caliphate extended its dominion to Jerusalem. With the Muslim conquest, Jews were allowed back into the city. The Rashidun caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab signed a treaty with Christian Patriarch of Jerusalem Sophronius, assuring him that Jerusalem's Christian holy places and population would be protected under Muslim rule. Christian-Arab tradition records that, when led to pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest sites for Christians, the caliph Umar refused to pray in the church so that Muslims would not request conversion of the church to a mosque. He prayed outside the church, where the Mosque of Umar (Omar) stands to this day, opposite the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. According to the Gaullic bishop Arculf, who lived in Jerusalem from 679 to 688, the Mosque of Umar was a rectangular wooden structure built over ruins which could accommodate 3,000 worshipers.

When the Arab armies under Umar went to Bayt Al-Maq

Mexican people, after more than two centuries of experiments, have faith only in the Virgin of Guadalupe and the National Lottery. by April

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Description below is directly from wikipedia, as indicated in the tags. It does not represent my personal beliefs, feelings or emotions.

According to the first accounts of the Guadalupan apparition, during a walk from his village to the city on December 9, 1531, Juan Diego saw a vision of a Virgin at the Hill of Tepeyac. Speaking in Nahuatl, Guadalupe said to build an abbey on the site, but when Juan Diego spoke to the Spanish bishop, Fray Juan de Zumárraga, the prelate asked for a miraculous sign. So the Virgin told Juan Diego to gather flowers from the hill, even though it was winter, when normally nothing bloomed. He found Spanish roses, gathered them on his tilma, and presented these to the bishop. When the roses fell from it an icon of the Guadalupe remained imprinted on the cloth.

Documentation

A number of primary historical documents are used to support this apparition account, including: the Nahuatl-language Huei tlamahuiçoltica or Nican mopohua ("here it is recounted"), a tract about the Virgin which contains the aforementioned story, and which was printed in 1649; a Spanish-language book about the apparitions titled Imagen de la Virgen María ("Image of the Virgin Mary"), printed in 1648; a seventeenth-century engraving by Samuel Stradanus which used the Virgin's image to advertise indulgences; and the Codex Escalada, a pictographic account of the Virgin on Tepeyac, printed on deerskin and said to date back to 1548.

The apparition account is also strengthened by a document called the Informaciones Jurídicas of 1666, a collection of oral interviews gathered near Juan Diego's hometown of Cuautitlan. In the "Informaciones Jurídicas," various witnesses affirmed, in interview format, basic details about Saint Juan Diego and the Guadalupan apparition story.

Some historians and clerics, including the U.S. priest-historian Fr.Stafford Poole, the famous Mexican historian Joaquín García Icazbalceta, and former abbot of the Basilica of Guadalupe, Guillermo Schulenburg, have expressed doubts about the historicity of the apparition accounts. Schulenburg in particular caused a stir with his 1996 interview with the Catholic magazine Ixthus, when he said that Juan Diego was "a symbol, not a reality."

One problem with the apparition tradition is that Juan Diego is said to have met the Virgin in 1531, while the earliest account about their meeting was published in 1648. When discussing the 117-year gap between the apparition and written accounts describing it, apparition believers point to the Codex Escalada, a recently-discovered document which illustrates the Tepeyac apparition and which dates to 1548. The document, a painting on deerskin which illustrates the apparition and discusses Juan Diego's death, was used to shore up Juan Diego's 1990s canonization process. Critics, including Stafford Poole and David A. Brading, find the document suspicious -- partly because of when it was discovered, and partly because it contains the handiwork of both Antonio Valeriano (a man many apparition partisans believe to be the true author of the Nican mopohua) and the signature of Bernardino de Sahagún, the Franciscan missionary and anthropologist. Brading said that within the context of the Christian tradition, it was rather like finding a picture of St. Paul's vision of Christ on the road to Damascus, drawn by St. Luke and signed by St. Peter.

Believers in the Codex counter that the Codex has been vetted by scientific tests which prove it is an authentic 16th-century document. Zumárraga was silent on the topic of the apparition: there is no mention of Juan Diego nor the Virgin in any of his writings. In a catechism written the year before his death he stated: “The Redeemer of the world doesn’t want any more miracles, because they are no longer necessary.” Furthermore, in 1531 Zumárraga was not Mexico's Archbishop but merely Bishop-elect: he would not be consecrated until 1533.

Guillermo Schulenburg, the Basílica's abbot for over 30 years, declared in 1996 Juan Diego as a symbol and myth, a constructed character made to conquer the hearts of the native people and seize their religiosity in order to redirect it to the Vatican's will. He also commisioned a serious study, "out of sheer love for truth", which demonstrates the Lady of Guadalupe as a man-made painting, with no supernatural elements whatsoever. There is ample evidence of a 16th century shrine to Guadalupe at Tepeyac: however skeptics contend that this shrine was dedicated to the Spanish icon Our Lady of Guadalupe in Extremadura.

Symbol of Mexico

Guadalupe's first major use as a nationalistic symbol was in the writing of Miguel Sánchez, the author of the first Spanish language apparition account. Sanchez identified Guadalupe as Revelation's Woman of the Apocalypse, and said that

"this New World has been won and conquered by the hand of the Virgin Mary...[who had] prepared, disposed, and contrived her exquisite likeness in this her Mexican land, which was conquered for such a glorious purpose, won that there should appear so Mexican an image."

In 1810 Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla initiated the bid for Mexican independence with his Grito de Dolores, yelling words to the effect of "Death to the Spaniards and long live the Virgin of Guadalupe!" When Hidalgo's mestizo-indigenous army attacked Guanajuato and Valladolid, they placed "the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which was the insignia of their enterprise, on sticks or on reeds painted different colors" and "they all wore a print of the Virgin on their hats." Royalists responded by putting Guadalupe's image on the soles of their shoes.

When Hidalgo died, leadership of the revolution fell to a mestizo priest named Jose Maria Morelos who led insurgent troops in the Mexican south. Morelos was also a Guadalupan partisan: he made the Virgin the seal of his Congress of Chilpancingo, stating "New Spain puts less faith in its own efforts than in the power of God and the intercession of its Blessed Mother, who appeared within the precincts of Tepeyac as the miraculous image of Guadalupe that had come to comfort us, defend us, visibly be our protection."

He inscribed the Virgin's feast day, December 12, into the Chilpancingo constitution, and declared that Guadalupe was the power behind his military victories. One of Morelos' officers, a man named Felix Fernandez who would later become the first Mexican president, even changed his name to Guadalupe Victoria. Simón Bolívar, noticed the Guadalupan theme in these uprisings, and shortly before Morelos' death in 1815 wrote: "...the leaders of the independence struggle have put fanaticism to use by proclaiming the famous Virgin of Guadalupe as the queen of the patriots, praying to her in times of hardship and displaying her on their flags...the veneration for this image in Mexico far exceeds the greatest reverence that the shrewdest prophet might inspire."

In 1914, Emiliano Zapata's peasant army rose out of the south against the government of Porfirio Diaz. Though Zapata's rebel forces were primarily interested in land reform --"tierra y libertad" (land and liberty) was the slogan of the uprising -- when Zapata's peasant troops penetrated Mexico City, they carried Guadalupan banners. Nobel laureate Octavio Paz wrote in 1974 that "Mexican people, after more than two centuries of experiments, have faith only in the Virgin of Guadalupe and the National Lottery"

The Virgin of Guadalupe has also symbolized the Mexican nation since Mexico's War of Independence. Both Miguel Hidalgo and Emiliano Zapata's armies traveled underneath Guadalupan flags. The Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes once said that "...one may no longer consider himself a Christian, but you cannot truly be considered a Mexican unless you believe in the Virgin of Guadalupe."

More recently, the contemporary Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) named their "mobile city" in honor of the Virgin: it is called Guadalupe Tepeyac. EZLN spokesperson Subcomandante Marcos wrote a humorous letter in 1995 describing the EZLN bickering over what to do with a Guadalupe statue they had received as a gift.

In 1994, the mexican sculptor Eduardo Leal de la Gala make a tree dimension version in wood of the Lady of Guadalupe for the Cultural Center of the Mexican Embassy in Paris, France.

Mestizo culture and Mexican identity

Guadalupe is often considered a mixture of the cultures which blend to form Mexico, both racially and religiously Guadalupe is sometimes called the "first mestiza" or "the first Mexican". In the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Mary O'Connor writes that Guadalupe "bring[s] together people of distinct cultural heritages, while at the same time affirming their distinctness."

One theory is that the Virgin of Guadalupe was presented to the Aztecs as a sort of "Christianized" Tonantzin, necessary for the clergymen to convert the Indians to their True Faith. As Jacques Lafaye wrote in Quetzalcoatl and Guadalupe, "...as the Christians built their first churches with the rubble and the columns of the ancient pagan temples, so they often borrowed pagan customs for their own cult purposes." An alternate view is that Guadalupe-Tonantzin gave the native Americans a hidden method to continue worshipping their own goddess in a Christianized form; similar patterns of syncretic worship can be seen throughout the Catholic Americas (e.g. Vodun, Santería). Guadalupan religious syncretism is both lauded and disparaged as demonic.

Some theologians also associate the Virgin of Guadalupe with a special relationship between the indigenous peoples of the American continents and the Catholic Church. This perspective developed as the scriptural terms of truths "hid ... from the wise and prudent" but "revealed...unto babes" (Matthew 11:25), but later developed into the "spiritual mestizaje of the Americas", and the "option for the poor" provided by Liberation theology.

The author Judy King asserts that Guadalupe is a "common denominator" uniting Mexicans. Writing that Mexico is composed of a vast patchwork of differences -- linguistic, ethnic, and class-based -- King says "The Virgin of Guadalupe is the rubber band that binds this disparate nation into a whole."

This sentiment was echoed by two celebrants interviewed in the New York Times at the Virgin's feast day in 1998: "We say that we are more Guadalupanos than Mexicans," said the Jesuit Brother Joel Magallan. "We say that because our Lady Guadalupe is our symbol, our identity." David Solanas, another feast-goer, agreed, saying "We have faith in her. She's like the mama of all the Mexicans."

The origin of the name "Guadalupe" is controversial. According to a sixteenth-century report the Virgin identified herself as Guadalupe when she appeared to Juan Diego's uncle, Juan Bernardino. It has also been suggested that "Guadalupe" is a corruption of a Nahuatl name "Coatlaxopeuh", which has been translated as "Who Crushes the Serpent. In this interpretation, the serpent referred to is Quetzalcoatl, one of the chief Aztec gods, whom the Virgin Mary "crushed" by inspiring the conversion of indigenous people to Catholicism. However, many historians believe that the 1533 Guadalupan shrine was dedicated to the Spanish Lady of Guadalupe in Extremadura -- not to the Mexican Virgin venerated today. Thus, while the name "Guadalupe" would have had certain connotations to Nahuatl speakers, as noted above, its ultimate origins would be the Arabic-Latin term "Wadī Lupum", meaning "Valley of the Wolf".

María Guadalupe, or just Lupe, is a common female and male name among Mexican people or those with Mexican heritage.

Controversies

As early as 1556 Francisco de Bustamante, head of the Colony's Franciscans, delivered a sermon disparaging the holy origins of the painting: “The devotion that has been growing in a chapel dedicated to Our Lady, called of Guadalupe, in this city is greatly harmful for the natives, because it makes them believe that the image painted by Marcos the Indian is in any way miraculous.”

In 1611 the Dominican Martin de Leon, fourth viceroy of Mexico, denounced the cult of the Virgin of Guadalupe as a disguised worship of the Aztec goddess Tonantzin.The missionary and anthropologist Bernardino de Sahagún held the same opinion: he wrote that the shrine at Tepeyac was extremely popular but worrisome because people called the Virgin of Guadalupe Tonantzin. Sahagún said that the worshippers claimed that Tonantzin was the proper Nahuatl for "Mother of God" -- but he disagreed, saying that "Mother of God" in Nahuatl would be "Dios y Nantzin."

In 2002, art restoration expert José Sol Rosales examined the icon with a stereomicroscope and identified calcium sulfate, pine soot, white, blue, and green "tierras" (soil), reds made from carmine and other pigments, as well as gold. Rosales said he found the work consistent with 16th century materials and methods.

Norberto Rivera Carrera, Archbishop of Mexico, commissioned a 1999 study to test the tilma's age. The researcher, Leoncio Garza-Valdés, had previously worked with the Shroud of Turin. Upon inspection Garza-Valdés found three distinct layers in the painting, at least one of which was signed and dated. He also said that the original painting showed striking similarities to the original Lady of Guadalupe found in Extremadura Spain, and that the second painting showed another Virgin with indigenous features. Finally, Garza-Valdés indicated that the fabric on which the icon is painted is made of conventional hemp and linen, not agave fibers as is popularly believed. The photographs of these putative overpaintings were not available in the Garza-Valdés 2002 publication, however. Gilberto Aguirre a San Antonio optometrist and colleague of Garza-Valdés who also took part in the 1999 study, examined the same photographs and stated that, while agreeing the painting had been tampered with, he disagreed with Garza-Valdes' conclusions. Gilberto Aguirre claims the conditions for conducting the study were inadequate. No control of the lighting and the fact that the painting was shot through an acrylic plate scientifically invalidates any results. He also questions Garza-Valdés' claim of ultraviolet light revealing two underlying images because according to Aguirre, ultraviolet light can't penetrate sub-surfaces. The team did take Infrared pictures but those didn't show additional images underneath the present one.

Similar Marian apparitions have been reported in many cities and towns throughout Mexico; in the Mexican town of Tlaltenango in the state of Morelos, a painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe is claimed to have miraculously appeared in the inside of a box that two unknown travelers left in a hostel. The owners of the hostel called the local priest after noticing enticing aromas of flowers and sandalwood coming out of the box. The image has been venerated on September 8 since its finding in 1720, and is accepted as valid apparition by the local Catholic authorities.

It is important to note that at least 300 apparition of the Virgin Mary are reported every year to local church authorities, most of them seen in burnmarks in pieces of toast and Tortillas. In one of the most recent cases, believers have seen a vision of the Virgin of Guadalupe in a humidity stain in the Mexico City metro. This apparition is called the "Virgin of the Subway."

Religious theories regarding the image

Artistic symbolism

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is often read as a coded image. Miguel Sanchez, the author of the 1648 tract Imagen de la Virgen María, described the Virgin's image as the Woman of the Apocalypse from the New Testament's Revelation 12:1: "arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." Mateo de la Cruz, writing twelve years after Sánchez, "argued that the Guadalupe possessed all the iconographical attributes of Mary in her Immaculate Conception". Likewise, a 1738 sermon preached by Miguel Picazo argued that the Guadalupe was the "best representation" of the Immaculate Conception.

Many writers, including Patricia Harrington and Virgil Elizondo, describe the image as containing coded messages for the indigenous people of Mexico.

"The Aztecs...had an elaborate, coherent symbolic system for making sense of their lives. When this was destroyed by the Spaniards, something new was needed to fill the void and make sense of New Spain...the image of Guadalupe served that purpose."

Her blue-green mantle was described as the color once reserved for the divine couple Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl; her belt is read as a sign of pregnancy; and a cross-shaped image symbolizing the cosmos and called nahui-ollin is said to be inscribed beneath the image's sash.

Yet another interpretation of the image is offered by the historian William B. Taylor, who recounted that Guadalupe has also been "acclaimed goddess of the maguey [agave]" and pulque was drunk on her feast day. A 1772 report described the rays of light around Guadalupe as maguey spines.

Alleged miraculous properties

Some consider it miraculous that the tilma, supposing it's still the original, maintains its structural integrity after nearly 500 years, since a replica of the image was once made, using the same colors and the same material for the tilma, and it lasted only about 15 years before it disintegrated.In addition to withstanding the elements, the tilma resisted a 1791 ammonia spill that made a considerable hole, which was then completely repaired in two weeks with no external help. In 1921, an anarchist placed an offering of flowers next to the image. A bomb hidden within the flowers exploded and destroyed the shrine. However, the image suffered no damage.

Photographers and ophthalmologists have claimed to locate images reflected in the eyes of the Virgin.In 1929 and 1951 photographers found a figure reflected in the Virgin's eyes; upon inspection they said that the reflection was tripled in what is called the Purkinje effect. This effect is commonly found in human eyes.The ophthalmologist Dr. Jose Aston Tonsmann later enlarged the image of the Virgin's eyes by 2500x magnification and said he saw not only the aforementioned single figure, but rather images of all the witnesses present when the tilma was shown to the Bishop in 1531. Tonsmann also reported seeing a small family -- mother, father, and a group of children -- in the center of the Virgin's eyes.

In response to the eye miracles, Joe Nickell and John F. Fischer wrote in Skeptical Inquirer that images seen in the Virgin's eyes could be the result of the human tendency to form familiar shapes from random patterns, much like a psychologist's inkblots -- a phenomenon known as religious pareidolia.

Richard Kuhn, who received the 1938 Nobel Chemistry prize, is said to have analyzed a sample of the fabric in 1936 and said the tint on the fabric was not from a known mineral, vegetable, or animal source.

In 1979 Philip Serna Callahan studied the icon with infrared light and stated that portions of the face, hands, robe, and mantle had been painted in one step, with no sketches or corrections and no paintbrush strokes.

Catholic devotions

With the Brief Non est equidem of May 25, 1754, Pope Benedict XIV declared Our Lady of Guadalupe patron of what was then called New Spain, corresponding to Spanish Central and Northern America, and approved liturgical texts for the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours in her honour. Pope Leo XIII granted new texts in 1891 and authorized coronation of the image in 1895. Pope Saint Pius X proclaimed her patron of Latin America in 1910. In 1935 Pope Pius XI proclaimed her patron of the Philippines and had a monument in her honor erected in the Vatican Gardens. In 1966 Pope Paul VI sent a Golden Rose to the shrine.

Pope John Paul II visited the shrine in the course of his first journey outside Italy as Pope from 26 to January 31, 1979, and again when he beatified Juan Diego there on 6 May 1990. In 1992 he dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe a chapel within St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. At the request of the Special Assembly for the Americas of the Synod of Bishops, he named Our Lady of Guadalupe patron of the Americas on January 22, 1999 (with the result that her liturgical celebration had, throughout the Americas, the rank of Solemnity), and visited the shrine again on the following day. On July 31, 2002, he canonized Juan Diego, and later that year included in the General Calendar of the Roman Rite, as optional memorials, the liturgical celebrations of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (December 9) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (12 December).

Replicas of the tilma can be found in thousands of churches throughout the world, including Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome, and numerous parishes bear her name.

DCU Green Lantern Corps #62 The Gift by King Clown

17 3

To go along with the issue, here is the track for Issue 3. So if you care to, you can listen to it before, during, or after the read.

The Gift

"Daddy?"

Alan's eyes slowly opened, the light from the hallway illuminating his room. At the door of his room was his daughter, the two year old holding onto a small toy of the Flash. It's helmet had been torn off from play, but she still carried it everywhere.

"What is it, princess?" he asked, sitting up in his bed. His head turned to the clock on his nightstand, the hands pointing to 2:30 AM.

"I… I had a bad dr… drrr..."

"A bad dream, sweety?" he interjected, helping the girl with the word. She nodded slightly, looking at the ground. "C'mere."

The girl walked over to the side of the bed, Alan lifting her up and into the center of the bed.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" He asked, brushing his hand through her hair. "If not that's okay, sometimes they are really scary."

The girl was silent. Alan smiled slightly, glad she was able to fall asleep so quickly, lifting his hand to cover the two of them up.

"You left…"

Alan looked back down at the girl, tears in her eyes. "What?"

"Y-you… were like mommy… we put you under us… with the rock," she explained, her arms clutching onto the Flash toy much tighter. "AJ left too and I was by myself…"

"Jade…" he whispered, pulling her head closer to his chest. "I will never just leave you, princess."

"B-b-but mommy did," she whimpered. "I want you and AJ to stay forever."

Alan kissed her on the top of the head, letting go of the hug. "You won't ever need to worry," he reassured, pointing to her heart. "Even if we aren't together, I'll always be right here. Always."

"Resurrecting the dead?"

Jade stood atop her apartment complex's roof in her costume. Next to her was her brother, fully in costume aside from his mask. Both John and Guy had arrived bringing the news of the prophecy.

"It's something different every other Tuesday," continued Todd, sighing as he shook his head.

"They already brought back… brought back someone who meant someone to me," John informed, looking downwards. "They may send more, or people targeted to any of you."

Jade's body paled, her head pointing downwards. A hand on her shoulder caused her to look up, her brother smiling at her.

"Hey, it's… it's gonna be okay," he reassured, pulling his mask over his face. "We are heroes for a reason, for him."

Jade grew a soft smile, her eyes gaining a bright glow. "Right."

-^-

"AJ?" Alan asked, kneeling down next to his five year old son. The boy sat on the porch of their house, his elbows on his knees with his hands holding his chin.

"Hmm?" he responded, his lips narrowed and eyebrows tilted.

Alan opened his mouth to speak, but noticed the streaks of red on his face. "AJ, were you crying?"

"N-no…" he responded, turning his head away from his dad.

Alan frowned, placing his palm on AJ's cheek and turning his head to look at him, "Did something happen at school?"

AJ's lips began to quiver, the corners turning downwards into a frown. "I… dad… I…"

Tears began to run down his face, his body leaning forward to hug his Alan. Alan's eyes widened at the action, wrapping his own arms around the boy.

"A-at school… we had to… to draw what we w-w-would look like… when we grew up," the boy explained, his voice shaky. "W-when I drew mine… the t-t-t-teacher yelled at me… and threw it away…"

Alan felt anger boil in his stomach. Jade had shown him her drawing when she got home from school. He wondered why his son hadn't shown him.

"Why would she do that?" he asked, keeping his anger down. "I thought Mrs. Wall liked you two."

"It… I…" he started, stopping after each time he tried to speak. His head lowered, reaching into his pocket. Alan watched him pull the crumbled piece of paper out. "The older kids heard about it too… they kept calling me these mean names."

Alan took the balled up paper from AJ, unfolding it carefully. His face took on surprise as he viewed the drawing.

AJ, white hair and black eyes, stood holding hands with another stick drawing, it's hair brown and eyes blue. Under the drawing was the words "ME + HUZBEN".

Alan looked up to his son who was looking down at his feet. "They started calling me a fag and a sissy," he spoke, not looking up. "I don't know what I did."

Allen felt tears well up in his eyes, moving forward and hugging his son. "Nothing," he cried. "You did nothing wrong… nothing at all."

"But everyone said…"

"Don't worry about what everyone said, AJ," Alan spoke, smiling as he rubbed his shoulder. "I'll never stop loving you, no matter what you do or who you love. Never."

Todd's eyes traced the moving object that flew through the sky, a trail of blackness following close behind. He felt a pain in his chest as he watched the figure land a rooftop away from them.

"Is it…" Jade asked, looking across the rooftop.

"It's him," he responded, removing his hands from the inside of his cloak. "It's time."

Both Guy and Hal stepped in front of his sister and him, Guy turning his head back, "We got this, you two… you can sit this one out."

"No," Jade responded, lighting up both of her hands, "this is our fight."

"We may not have been able to save him before," started Todd, shadows welling around his feet, "but we will save him from the reaper."

-^-

Alan stumbled as he walked through the darkness of the cave. The only light source he had left was the glow of the torch-lit lantern he had brought with, but the area it shined on was small.

A week had gone by since his ring stopped working. It had never happened before, but the power completely stopped, the rings glow even disappearing. He tried powering it by the sun, by electricity. He even had Jay take it across the world to see if someone could help.

This was his last idea. Go back to the cave where he originally found it. Back then, he grabbed the ring and left, the lantern getting left behind, maybe it had something to do with it?

As he stepped into the deepest part of the cavern, a chill went down his spine. In front of him was a pentagram, at the center a pedestal with the green lantern sat on it. When he had retrieved the ring, the pentagram came to life, the ring slipping onto his finger being the only reason he got out in time.

This time wouldn't be the same though, he didn't have the ring.

He took cautious steps forward, his right foot crossing the edge of the bloodstained drawing on the floor. He gulped the lump in his throat down as his other foot crossed, his full body now encompassed by the pattern.

As his hand reached forward, he felt a chill once more. A voice in his head screaming for him to turn. To let go of the battery and leave the cave. To go home to his kids and never worry about the ring again.

It's what his conscience told him to do, and what he wanted to do. Things didn't happen as he wished them to. He felt the ring on his finger light up, pulling his hand forward. Before he could stop it, his hand took a hold of the lantern.

The pentagram roared to life, the blood flowing a fiery red. Before he knew it, Alan saw nothing. Pure blackness… nothingness.

Nothingness. Blackness. A void of darkness gnawing at his soul. It's what he felt. Powerlessness and helplessness. He felt as if he were floating, drifting through a starless night sky.

The last thing he could remember was the agonizing pain. The feeling of his arm being bursted from the inside out. He also can remember the feeling of… accomplishment, of fulfillment. He can't remember why though; why his heart feels full and empty at the same time.

He was fighting someone now, though, but he couldn't tell who. A sun and a moon, both radiating energy of purity. The sun felt warm, positive, and compassionate; the moon felt thoughtful, calm, and protective.

They reminded him of someone, but he didn't know who. He wanted to know who.

Who were the sun and moon?

-^-

Todd launched forward a shadow that wrapped around his father's torso, the corpse bursting free with his power ring.

John wiped the sweat from his forehead, panting audibly. Alan was much stronger than Tommy was, which meant some semblance of power had to transfer from when they were alive.

"Is he… done?" John asked, looking down at Tommy's corpse. Guy had the body pinned to the ground by the waist, keeping it from attacking.

"No," he replied, creating a blade construct. "Hal said removing the ring from it's body will… put it back to rest."

John lowered his head, nodding. Guy lowered the knife construct, cutting the ring finger from Tommy's hand. A screeching noise echoed from the ring as it melted like a candle, the black liquid vaporizing into the air.

"Johnny?"

John looked up to see Tommy looking up at him. "I thought you said…"

"That's what Hal told me," Guy responded.

"Heh, so 'dis is what was goin' on, eh?" Tommy asked, slightly chuckling. "I was wondering what was going on."

"Tommy… are you… you?" John asked cautiously.

"I'd hope so," Tommy responded. "Don't know who else I'd be."

John felt a smile crawl into his face. "Tommy you're…" he started before his eyes glanced down to his feet. Tommy's feet were gone, his legs slowly crumbling into a pile of dust on the floor.

"His body's turning to ash," Guy said, turning to look at John.

"Huh, guess I am, huh?" Tommy asked, once again chuckling. "Guess 'ya only get one shot at life, eh?"

"Tommy… I… I'm sorry," John pleaded, dropping to his knees, grabbing onto his hand. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Fa' what?" Tommy asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

"I… I let you die!" John shouted, his eyes leaking. "I…"

"Aye, Johnny," Tommy called as his hand and torso added to dust, "I ain't gonna forgive 'ya, cause there ain't no reason t'be sorry."

"But…"

"Heh, see 'ya 'round, GL," beamed Tommy as his head turned to dust, the last expression on his face a smile.

John lowered his head, his tears dropping onto the floorboards.

They needed to remove the ring from his finger, but they couldn't even get close to him. His ring mixed with the starheart gauntlet was too overpowering, even for all four of them.

"This isn't working," called out Guy, recovering from being blasted into the pavement. "We need to break through that gauntlet's defense!"

"Obsidian! Jade!" John yelled, gaining the two's attention. "You two have to get that gauntlet, our rings are useless against it!"

"It… it hurts…" she responded, looking done. "To fight him… it hurts."

"He did everything for us…" Todd agreed, dropping to a knee. "He…"

"I know that, but it's not him!" John shouted back. "Your father was a hero, a damn good one at that. He gave his life to make sure you two could live on, so you could save the lives that he couldn't."

Jade looked down, tears dropping from her eyes.

"Even if we aren't together, I'll always be right here. Always."

Todd's cloak fell over his shoulders, his fist clenched.

"I'll never stop loving you, no matter what you do or who you love. Never."

"You're the only two who can stop that power because it's yours!" he asserted, pointing to Alan. "The gift he gave to you, so use it!"

"On it!" "Right away."

The two flew forward, each in opposite directions around the corpse. Jade's fists glowed brighter than before, Todd's shadows the blackest they'd ever been.

"For dad," the two muttered simultaneously.

-^-

The sky felt… lessened. When he reached out, he could feel things. He could feel the moon hold onto him, the sun beaming. The feeling was… familial.

As the sky cleared, so did his vision. Things were more visible. The moon started to shift, from the grey rock to a black and blue human. The sun did the same, but green and white.

The familiarity felt like… kin. Like… children.

The fog was gone. The black smoke clouding around him and his thoughts cleared.

He was in his body, even if he could not move it. He could see out of his eyes, even if he could not choose where to look.

He could feel.

As he attempted to move his arm, he heard a clatter. Looking down, he saw the chain linked from his wrist to the platform he knelt on.

Both arms were chain down, his ankles locked into the platform as well. Two chains that shot from his neck down his chest and back kept his head locked in place. He was trapped, purgatory once again.

'Jade! Todd,' he tried to shout, but he could not open his mouth, it was nailed shut. He was locked in place, forced to watch his children fight for their lives.

Against him.

-^-

Jade dipped under a blast from the Starheart Gauntlet, soaring through the air firing back energy blasts. Todd pushed his hands forward, two shadow hands reaching for Alan.

The corpse cut the shadows in half with the gauntlet, blasting back Todd in the process. As Jade swooped down for a surprise attack, Alan used his black ring to create a hand, launching her away.

"We aren't strong enough, even together," Jade exclaimed, looking to her brother.

Todd kept his head down, breathing heavily. "I… still have one… one more card up my sleeve…"

As he spoke, Todd brought himself to a stand, clasping his hands together. His eyes closed inside of his mask as he took a deep breath.

"Shadowlands… I call upon your power," called Todd, his feet encompassing in darkness.

"Todd?"

Suddenly, Todd screamed, his body being encompassed by darkness. The shadows, vantablack in color shot into the sky, their shape taking on Todd's own.

-^-

'TODD!' Alan attempted to scream, once again being stopped by his shit mouth. He stuggled immensely against the bindings, needing to free himself. He had to help save the…

"Nekron's Curse: Sky of the Damned."

Alan focused his eyes to the real world, watching his body raise it's left hand and uttering the words. Out of the black ring emerged the black goo, it's shape slowly forming into that of an eight pointed star. The gauntlet on his right hand lit up, green energy feeding onto the star. As the star turned green, a ring circled around.

The star shot forward, ripping through the gigantic shadow that Todd had created. The agonizing scream caused tears to fall down Alan's eyes, watching as the shadow disappeared back into Todd's body.

As his body floated towards them, he could see Todd lying on the rooftop, barely holding himself up. Jade was stood in front of him, her eyes glowing, but tired. Hurt.

She still stood.

His vision flashed to them younger. To Jade standing in front of Todd on the floor, fending off the bullies he'd attracted. Defending her brother from pain.

He was that pain.

He pulled on his left arm again, the chain clattering. He pulled again, using all the strength he could.

'For them,' he screamed into the nailed metal. 'I can't give up!'

He pulled, harder. He had to. He had to get out. He couldn't give up, not when they were in danger.

He had to save them.

It was the next time he pulled when he felt a burst of energy course through him. He pulled again, feeling the energy flooding through his body like a current of electricity.

"Alan Scott"

Alan's eyes shifted, widening at the sight in front of him. Floating idly in the void was a glowing green shark, it's eyes pure white.

"You have exhibited a willpower strong enough to be detected by Ion.

Alan watched as the shark floated towards him. As it made contact, he began to feel the energy, stronger than it was before. It was pure. His strength felt insurmountable, unstoppable.

As he flexed his arms, the chains changed, the black color fading into a bright, powerful green. He pulled again, snapping the chains like twigs. The locks over his ankles crumbled as he touched them, as did the collar around his neck and metal over his mouth.

As he stood, he raised his hand, his mouth moving on its own.

"In brightest day,"

-^-

Jade stood in front of Todd. His attack… it failed. Their dad burst through the shadow instantly with his attack. The blast knocked both John and Guy down, leaving her the last standing as they recovered.

She readied her arms to fight as her dad landed on the rooftop they were on. Her hands lit up bright, but the energy faded moments later. All of her energy was used up in the fight.

As Alan raised his arm, she closed her eyes.

"In brightest day,"

Jade raised her head, watching as Alan's body twitched, his left hand shaking.

"In blackest night, no evil shall escape my might," spoke Alan, the scratchy voice it had filtering out. His hand became steady, the black ring cracking to reveal green light.

"Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power…"

The explosion of green energy caused Jade to shield her eyes, the brightness unrivaled. As she moved her hand away from her eyes, her face was struck with awe.

"Dad?"

Stood on the rooftop, green energy swirling around him was Alan Scott, his hair and skin restored to their natural colors. He wore a red sweater and green pants, red boots running up her legs. Around his neck hung a purple cape with a collar to match.

His right hand wore the Renegade Gauntlet, it glowing more vibrant than before. On his left hand sat a green lantern ring made of pure energy, it's glow shining as bright as the central battery on Oa.

"Green Lantern's Light."

Wells Cathedral - Wells Anglican Cathedral - Anglican Cathedral - Cathedral Church Of St Andrew The Apostle, Wells, Somerset, England. by PHOTOGRAPHY by DM & DBM.

8 4

Wells Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England, dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, whose cathedra it holds as mother church of the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Built as a Roman Catholic cathedral from around 1175 to replace an earlier church on the site since 705, it became an Anglican cathedral when King Henry VIII split from Rome. It is moderately sized for an English cathedral. Its broad west front and large central tower are dominant features. It has been called "unquestionably one of the most beautiful" and "most poetic" of English cathedrals.

Its Gothic architecture is mostly inspired from Early English style of the late 12th to early 13th centuries, lacking the Romanesque work that survives in many other cathedrals. Building began about 1175 at the east end with the choir. Historian John Harvey sees it as Europe's first truly Gothic structure, breaking the last constraints of Romanesque. The stonework of its pointed arcades and fluted piers bears pronounced mouldings and carved capitals in a foliate, "stiff-leaf" style. Its Early English front with 300 sculpted figures is seen as a "supreme triumph of the combined plastic arts in England". The east end retains much ancient stained glass. Unlike many cathedrals of monastic foundation, Wells has many surviving secular buildings linked to its chapter of secular canons, including the Bishop's Palace and the 15th-century residential Vicars' Close It is a Grade I listed building.

The earliest remains of a building on the site are of a late-Roman mausoleum, identified during excavations in 1980. An abbey church was built in Wells in 705 by Aldhelm, first bishop of the newly established Diocese of Sherborne during the reign of King Ine of Wessex. It was dedicated to St Andrew and stood at the site of the cathedral's cloisters, where some excavated remains can be seen. The font in the cathedral's south transept is from this church and is the oldest part of the present building. In 766 Cynewulf, King of Wessex, signed a charter endowing the church with eleven hides of land. In 909 the seat of the diocese was moved from Sherborne to Wells.

The first bishop of Wells was Athelm (909), who crowned King Æthelstan. Athelm and his nephew Dunstan both became Archbishops of Canterbury. During this period a choir of boys was established to sing the liturgy. Wells Cathedral School, which was established to educate these choirboys, dates its foundation to this point. There is, however, some controversy over this. Following the Norman Conquest, John de Villula moved the seat of the bishop from Wells to Bath in 1090. The church at Wells, no longer a cathedral, had a college of secular clergy.

The cathedral is thought to have been conceived and commenced in about 1175 by Reginald Fitz Jocelin, who died in 1191. Although it is clear from its size that from the outset, the church was planned to be the cathedral of the diocese, the seat of the bishop moved between Wells and the abbeys of Glastonbury and Bath, before settling at Wells. In 1197 Reginald's successor, Savaric FitzGeldewin, with the approval of Pope Celestine III, officially moved his seat to Glastonbury Abbey. The title of Bishop of Bath and Glastonbury was used until the Glastonbury claim was abandoned in 1219.

Savaric's successor, Jocelin of Wells, again moved the bishop's seat to Bath Abbey, with the title Bishop of Bath. Jocelin was a brother of Hugh (II) of Lincoln and was present at the signing of the Magna Carta. Jocelin continued the building campaign begun by Reginald and was responsible for the Bishop's Palace, the choristers' school, a grammar school, a hospital for travellers and a chapel. He also had a manor house built at Wookey, near Wells. Jocelin saw the church dedicated in 1239 but, despite much lobbying of the Pope by Jocelin's representatives in Rome, did not live to see cathedral status granted. The delay may have been a result of inaction by Pandulf Verraccio, a Roman ecclesiastical politician, papal legate to England and Bishop of Norwich, who was asked by the Pope to investigate the situation but did not respond. Jocelin died at Wells on 19 November 1242 and was buried in the choir of the cathedral; the memorial brass on his tomb is one of the earliest brasses in England. Following his death the monks of Bath unsuccessfully attempted to regain authority over Wells.

In 1245 the ongoing dispute over the title of the bishop was resolved by a ruling of Pope Innocent IV, who established the title as the "Bishop of Bath and Wells", which it has remained until this day, with Wells as the principal seat of the bishop. Since the 11th century the church has had a chapter of secular clergy, like the cathedrals of Chichester, Hereford, Lincoln and York. The chapter was endowed with 22 prebends (lands from which finance was drawn) and a provost to manage them. On acquiring cathedral status, in common with other such cathedrals, it had four chief clergy, the dean, precentor, chancellor and sacristan, who were responsible for the spiritual and material care of the cathedral.

The building programme, begun by Reginald Fitz Jocelin, Bishop in the 12th century, continued under Jocelin of Wells, who was a canon from 1200, then bishop from 1206. Adam Locke was master mason from about 1192 until 1230. It was designed in the new style with pointed arches, later known as Gothic, which was introduced at about the same time at Canterbury Cathedral. Work was halted between 1209 and 1213 when King John was excommunicated and Jocelin was in exile, but the main parts of the church were complete by the time of the dedication by Jocelin in 1239.

By the time the cathedral, including the chapter house, was finished in 1306, it was already too small for the developing liturgy, and unable to accommodate increasingly grand processions of clergy. John Droxford initiated another phase of building under master mason Thomas of Whitney, during which the central tower was heightened and an eight-sided Lady chapel was added at the east end by 1326. Ralph of Shrewsbury followed, continuing the eastward extension of the choir and retrochoir beyond. He oversaw the building of Vicars' Close and the Vicars' Hall, to give the men who were employed to sing in the choir a secure place to live and dine, away from the town and its temptations. He had an uneasy relationship with the citizens of Wells, partly because of his imposition of taxes, and he surrounded his palace with crenellated walls, a moat and a drawbridge.

John Harewell raised money for the completion of the west front by William Wynford, who was appointed as master mason in 1365. One of the foremost master masons of his time, Wynford worked for the king at Windsor, Winchester Cathedral and New College, Oxford. At Wells, he designed the western towers of which north-west was not built until the following century. In the 14th century, the central piers of the crossing were found to be sinking under the weight of the crossing tower which had been damaged by an earthquake in the previous century. Strainer arches, sometimes described as scissor arches, were inserted by master mason William Joy to brace and stabilise the piers as a unit.

By the reign of Henry VII the cathedral was complete, appearing much as it does today (though the fittings have changed). From 1508 to 1546, the eminent Italian humanist scholar Polydore Vergil was active as the chapter's representative in London. He donated a set of hangings for the choir of the cathedral. While Wells survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries better than the cathedrals of monastic foundation, the abolition of chantries in 1547 resulted in a reduction in its income. Medieval brasses were sold, and a pulpit was placed in the nave for the first time. Between 1551 and 1568, in two periods as dean, William Turner established a herb garden, which was recreated between 2003 and 2010.

Elizabeth I gave the chapter and the Vicars Choral a new charter in 1591, creating a new governing body, consisting of a dean and eight residentiary canons with control over the church estates and authority over its affairs, but no longer entitled to elect the dean (that entitlement thenceforward belonged ultimately to the Crown). The stability brought by the new charter ended with the onset of the Civil War and the execution of Charles I. Local fighting damaged the cathedral's stonework, furniture and windows. The dean, Walter Raleigh, a nephew of the explorer Walter Raleigh, was placed under house arrest after the fall of Bridgwater to the Parliamentarians in 1645, first in the rectory at Chedzoy and then in the deanery at Wells. His jailor, the shoe maker and city constable, David Barrett, caught him writing a letter to his wife. When he refused to surrender it, Barrett ran him through with a sword and he died six weeks later, on 10 October 1646. He was buried in an unmarked grave in the choir before the dean's stall. During the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell no dean was appointed and the cathedral fell into disrepair. The bishop went into retirement and some of the clerics were reduced to performing menial tasks.

In 1661, after Charles II was restored to the throne, Robert Creighton, the king's chaplain in exile, was appointed dean and was bishop for two years before his death in 1672. His brass lectern, given in thanksgiving, can be seen in the cathedral. He donated the nave's great west window at a cost of £140. Following Creighton's appointment as bishop, the post of dean went to Ralph Bathurst, who had been chaplain to the king, president of Trinity College, Oxford and fellow of the Royal Society. During Bathurst's long tenure the cathedral was restored, but in the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685, Puritan soldiers damaged the west front, tore lead from the roof to make bullets, broke the windows, smashed the organ and furnishings, and for a time stabled their horses in the nave.

Restoration began again under Thomas Ken who was appointed by the Crown in 1685 and served until 1691. He was one of seven bishops imprisoned for refusing to sign King James II's "Declaration of Indulgence", which would have enabled Catholics to resume positions of political power, but popular support led to their acquittal. Ken refused to take the oath of allegiance to William III and Mary II because James II had not abdicated and with others, known as the Nonjurors, was put out of office. His successor, Richard Kidder, was killed in the Great Storm of 1703 when two chimney stacks on the palace fell on him and his wife, while they were asleep in bed.

By the middle of the 19th century, a major restoration programme was needed. Under Dean Goodenough, the monuments were moved to the cloisters and the remaining medieval paint and whitewash removed in an operation known as "the great scrape". Anthony Salvin took charge of the extensive restoration of the choir. Wooden galleries installed in the 16th century were removed and the stalls were given stone canopies and placed further back within the line of the arcade. The medieval stone pulpitum screen was extended in the centre to support a new organ.

In 1933 the Friends of Wells Cathedral were formed to support the cathedral's chapter in the maintenance of the fabric, life and work of the cathedral. The late 20th century saw an extensive restoration programme, particularly of the west front. The stained glass is currently under restoration, with a programme underway to conserve the large 14th-century Jesse Tree window at the eastern terminal of the choir.

In January 2014, as part of the Bath film festival, the cathedral hosted a special screening of Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ. This provoked some controversy, but the church defended its decision to allow the screening.

In 2021, a contemporary sculpture by Anthony Gormley was unveiled on a temporary plinth outside the cathedral.

Since the 13th century, Wells Cathedral has been the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells. Its governing body, the chapter, is made up of five clerical canons (the dean, the precentor, the canon chancellor, the canon treasurer, and the archdeacon of Wells) and four lay members: the administrator (chief executive), Keeper of the Fabric, Overseer of the Estate and the chairman of the cathedral shop and catering boards. The current bishop of Bath and Wells is Peter Hancock, who was installed in a service in the cathedral on 7 June 2014. John Davies has been Dean of Wells since 2016.

Employed staff include the organist and master of choristers, head Verger archivist, librarian and the staff of the shop, café and restaurant. The chapter is advised by specialists such as architects, archaeologists and financial analysts.

More than a thousand services are held every year. There are daily services of Matins, Holy Communion and Choral Evensong, as well as major celebrations of Christian festivals such as Christmas, Easter, Pentecost and saints' days. The cathedral is also used for the baptisms, weddings and funerals of those with close connections to it. In July 2009 the cathedral undertook the funeral of Harry Patch, the last British Army veteran of World War I, who died at the age of 111.

Three Sunday services are led by the resident choir in school terms and choral services are sung on weekdays. The cathedral hosts visiting choirs and does outreach work with local schools as part of its Chorister Outreach Project. It is also a venue for musical events such as an annual concert by the Somerset Chamber Choir.

Each year about 150,000 people attend services and another 300,000 visit as tourists. Entry is free, but visitors are encouraged to make a donation towards the annual running costs of around £1.5 million in 2015.

Construction of the cathedral began in about 1175, to the design of an unknown master-mason. Wells is the first cathedral in England to be built, from its foundation, in Gothic style. According to art historian John Harvey, it is the first truly Gothic cathedral in the world, its architects having entirely dispensed with all features that bound the contemporary east end of Canterbury Cathedral and the earlier buildings of France, such as the east end of the Abbey of Saint Denis, to the Romanesque. Unlike these churches, Wells has clustered piers rather than columns and has a gallery of identical pointed arches rather than the typically Romanesque form of paired openings. The style, with its simple lancet arches without tracery and convoluted mouldings, is known as Early English Gothic.

From about 1192 to 1230, Adam Lock, the earliest master-mason at Wells for whom a name is known, continued the transept and nave in the same manner as his predecessor. Lock was also the builder of the north porch, to his own design.

The Early English west front was commenced around 1230 by Thomas Norreys, with building and sculpture continuing for thirty years. Its south-west tower was begun 100 years later and constructed between 1365 and 1395, and the north-west tower between 1425 and 1435, both in the Perpendicular Gothic style to the design of William Wynford, who also filled many of the cathedral's early English lancet windows with delicate tracery.

The undercroft and chapter house were built by unknown architects between 1275 and 1310, the undercroft in the Early English and the chapter house in the Geometric style of Decorated Gothic architecture. In about 1310 work commenced on the Lady Chapel, to the design of Thomas Witney, who also built the central tower from 1315 to 1322 in the Decorated Gothic style. The tower was later braced internally with arches by William Joy. Concurrent with this work, in 1329–45 Joy made alterations and extensions to the choir, joining it to the Lady Chapel with the retrochoir, the latter in the Flowing Decorated style.

Later changes include the Perpendicular vault of the tower and construction of Sugar's Chapel, 1475–1490 by William Smyth. Also, Gothic Revival renovations were made to the choir and pulpitum by Benjamin Ferrey and Anthony Salvin, 1842–1857.

Wells has a total length of 415 feet (126 m). Like Canterbury, Lincoln and Salisbury cathedrals, it has the distinctly English arrangement of two transepts, with the body of the church divided into distinct parts: nave, choir, and retro-choir, beyond which extends the Lady Chapel. The façade is wide, with its towers extending beyond the transepts on either side. There is a large projecting porch on the north side of the nave forming an entry into the cathedral. To the north-east is the large octagonal chapter house, entered from the north choir aisle by a passage and staircase. To the south of the nave is a large cloister, unusual in that the northern range, that adjacent the cathedral, was never built.

In section, the cathedral has the usual arrangement of a large church: a central nave with an aisle on each side, separated by two arcades. The elevation is in three stages, arcade, triforium gallery and clerestory. The nave is 67 feet (20 m) in height, very low compared to the Gothic cathedrals of France. It has a markedly horizontal emphasis, caused by the triforium having a unique form, a series of identical narrow openings, lacking the usual definition of the bays. The triforium is separated from the arcade by a single horizontal string course that runs unbroken the length of the nave. There are no vertical lines linking the three stages, as the shafts supporting the vault rise above the triforium.

The exterior of Wells Cathedral presents a relatively tidy and harmonious appearance since the greater part of the building was executed in a single style, Early English Gothic. This is uncommon among English cathedrals where the exterior usually exhibits a plethora of styles. At Wells, later changes in the Perpendicular style were universally applied, such as filling the Early English lancet windows with simple tracery, the construction of a parapet that encircles the roof, and the addition of pinnacles framing each gable, similar to those around the chapter house and on the west front. At the eastern end there is a proliferation of tracery with repeated motifs in the Reticulated style, a stage between Geometric and Flowing Decorated tracery.

The west front is 100 feet (30 m) high and 147 feet (45 m) wide, and built of Inferior Oolite of the Middle Jurassic period, which came from the Doulting Stone Quarry, about 8 miles (13 km) to the east. According to the architectural historian Alec Clifton-Taylor, it is "one of the great sights of England".

West fronts in general take three distinct forms: those that follow the elevation of the nave and aisles, those that have paired towers at the end of each aisle, framing the nave, and those that screen the form of the building. The west front at Wells has the paired-tower form, unusual in that the towers do not indicate the location of the aisles, but extend well beyond them, screening the dimensions and profile of the building.

The west front rises in three distinct stages, each clearly defined by a horizontal course. This horizontal emphasis is counteracted by six strongly projecting buttresses defining the cross-sectional divisions of nave, aisles and towers, and are highly decorated, each having canopied niches containing the largest statues on the façade.

At the lowest level of the façade is a plain base, contrasting with and stabilising the ornate arcades that rise above it. The base is penetrated by three doors, which are in stark contrast to the often imposing portals of French Gothic cathedrals. The outer two are of domestic proportion and the central door is ornamented only by a central post, quatrefoil and the fine mouldings of the arch.

Above the basement rise two storeys, ornamented with quatrefoils and niches originally holding about four hundred statues, with three hundred surviving until the mid-20th century. Since then, some have been restored or replaced, including the ruined figure of Christ in the gable.

The third stages of the flanking towers were both built in the Perpendicular style of the late 14th century, to the design of William Wynford; that on the north-west was not begun until about 1425. The design maintains the general proportions, and continues the strong projection of the buttresses.

The finished product has been criticised for its lack of pinnacles, and it is probable that the towers were intended to carry spires which were never built. Despite its lack of spires or pinnacles, the architectural historian Banister Fletcher describes it as "the highest development in English Gothic of this type of façade."

The sculptures on the west front at Wells include standing figures, seated figures, half-length angels and narratives in high relief. Many of the figures are life-sized or larger. Together they constitute the finest display of medieval carving in England. The figures and many of the architectural details were painted in bright colours, and the colouring scheme has been deduced from flakes of paint still adhering to some surfaces. The sculptures occupy nine architectural zones stretching horizontally across the entire west front and around the sides and the eastern returns of the towers which extend beyond the aisles. The strongly projecting buttresses have tiers of niches which contain many of the largest figures. Other large figures, including that of Christ, occupy the gable. A single figure stands in one of two later niches high on the northern tower.

In 1851 the archaeologist Charles Robert Cockerell published his analysis of the iconography, numbering the nine sculptural divisions from the lowest to the highest. He defined the theme as "a calendar for unlearned men" illustrating the doctrines and history of the Christian faith, its introduction to Britain and its protection by princes and bishops. He likens the arrangement and iconography to the Te Deum.

According to Cockerell, the side of the façade that is to the south of the central door is the more sacred and the scheme is divided accordingly. The lowest range of niches each contained a standing figure, of which all but four figures on the west front, two on each side, have been destroyed. More have survived on the northern and eastern sides of the north tower. Cockerell speculates that those to the south of the portal represented prophets and patriarchs of the Old Testament while those to the north represented early missionaries to Britain, of which Augustine of Canterbury, St Birinus, and Benedict Biscop are identifiable by their attributes. In the second zone, above each pair of standing figures, is a quatrefoil containing a half-length angel in relief, some of which have survived. Between the gables of the niches are quatrefoils that contain a series of narratives from the Bible, with the Old Testament stories to the south, above the prophets and patriarchs, and those from the New Testament to the north. A horizontal course runs around the west front dividing the architectural storeys at this point.

Above the course, zones four and five, as identified by Cockerell, contain figures which represent the Christian Church in Britain, with the spiritual lords such as bishops, abbots, abbesses and saintly founders of monasteries on the south, while kings, queens and princes occupy the north. Many of the figures survive and many have been identified in the light of their various attributes. There is a hierarchy of size, with the more significant figures larger and enthroned in their niches rather than standing. Immediately beneath the upper course are a series of small niches containing dynamic sculptures of the dead coming forth from their tombs on the Day of Judgement. Although naked, some of the dead are defined as royalty by their crowns and others as bishops by their mitres. Some emerge from their graves with joy and hope, and others with despair.

The niches in the lowest zone of the gable contain nine angels, of which Cockerell identifies Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel. In the next zone are the taller figures of the twelve apostles, some, such as John, Andrew and Bartholomew, clearly identifiable by the attributes that they carry. The uppermost niches of the gable contained the figure of Christ the Judge at the centre, with the Virgin Mary on his right and John the Baptist on his left. The figures all suffered from iconoclasm. A new statue of Jesus was carved for the central niche, but the two side niches now contain cherubim. Christ and the Virgin Mary are also represented by now headless figures in a Coronation of the Virgin in a niche above the central portal. A damaged figure of the Virgin and Christ Child occupies a quatrefoil in the spandrel of the door.

The central tower appears to date from the early 13th century. It was substantially reconstructed in the early 14th century during the remodelling of the east end, necessitating the internal bracing of the piers a decade or so later. In the 14th century the tower was given a timber and lead spire which burnt down in 1439. The exterior was then reworked in the Perpendicular style and given the present parapet and pinnacles. Alec Clifton-Taylor describes it as "outstanding even in Somerset, a county famed for the splendour of its church towers".

The north porch is described by art historian Nikolaus Pevsner as "sumptuously decorated", and intended as the main entrance. Externally it is simple and rectangular with plain side walls. The entrance is a steeply arched portal framed by rich mouldings of eight shafts with stiff-leaf capitals each encircled by an annular moulding at middle height. Those on the left are figurative, containing images representing the martyrdom of St Edmund the Martyr. The walls are lined with deep niches framed by narrow shafts with capitals and annulets like those of the portal. The path to the north porch is lined by four sculptures in Purbeck stone, each by Mary Spencer Watson, representing the symbols of the Evangelists.

The cloisters were built in the late 13th century and largely rebuilt from 1430 to 1508 and have wide openings divided by mullions and transoms, and tracery in the Perpendicular Gothic style. The vault has lierne ribs that form octagons at the centre of each compartment, the joints of each rib having decorative bosses. The eastern range is of two storeys, of which the upper is the library built in the 15th century.

Because Wells Cathedral was secular rather than monastic, cloisters were not a practical necessity. They were omitted from several other secular cathedrals but were built here and at Chichester. Explanations for their construction at these two secular cathedrals range from the processional to the aesthetic. As at Chichester, there is no northern range to the cloisters. In monastic cloisters it was the north range, benefiting most from winter sunlight, that was often used as a scriptorium.

In 1969, when a large chunk of stone fell from a statue near the main door, it became apparent that there was an urgent need for restoration of the west front. Detailed studies of the stonework and of conservation practices were undertaken under the cathedral architect, Alban D. R. Caroe and a restoration committee formed. The methods selected were those devised by Eve and Robert Baker. W. A. (Bert) Wheeler, clerk of works to the cathedral 1935–1978, had previously experimented with washing and surface treatment of architectural carvings on the building and his techniques were among those tried on the statues.

The conservation was carried out between 1974 and 1986, wherever possible using non-invasive procedures such as washing with water and a solution of lime, filling gaps and damaged surfaces with soft mortar to prevent the ingress of water and stabilising statues that were fracturing through corrosion of metal dowels. The surfaces were finished by painting with a thin coat of mortar and silane to resist further erosion and attack by pollutants. The restoration of the façade revealed much paint adhering to the statues and their niches, indicating that it had once been brightly coloured.

The particular character of this Early English interior is dependent on the proportions of the simple lancet arches. It is also dependent on the refinement of the architectural details, in particular the mouldings.

The arcade, which takes the same form in the nave, choir and transepts, is distinguished by the richness of both mouldings and carvings. Each pier of the arcade has a surface enrichment of 24 slender shafts in eight groups of three, rising beyond the capitals to form the deeply undulating mouldings of the arches. The capitals themselves are remarkable for the vitality of the stylised foliage, in a style known as "stiff-leaf". The liveliness contrasts with the formality of the moulded shafts and the smooth unbroken areas of ashlar masonry in the spandrels. Each capital is different, and some contain small figures illustrating narratives.

The vault of the nave rises steeply in a simple quadripartite form, in harmony with the nave arcade. The eastern end of the choir was extended and the whole upper part elaborated in the second quarter of the 14th century by William Joy. The vault has a multiplicity of ribs in a net-like form, which is very different from that of the nave, and is perhaps a recreation in stone of a local type of compartmented wooden roof of which examples remain from the 15th century, including those at St Cuthbert's Church, Wells. The vaults of the aisles of the choir also have a unique pattern.

Until the early 14th century, the interior of the cathedral was in a unified style, but it was to undergo two significant changes, to the tower and to the eastern end. Between 1315 and 1322 the central tower was heightened and topped by a spire, which caused the piers that supported it to show signs of stress. In 1338 the mason William Joy employed an unorthodox solution by inserting low arches topped by inverted arches of similar dimensions, forming scissors-like structures. These arches brace the piers of the crossing on three sides, while the easternmost side is braced by a choir screen. The bracing arches are known as "St Andrew's Cross arches", in a reference to the patron saint of the cathedral. They have been described by Wim Swaan – rightly or wrongly – as "brutally massive" and intrusive in an otherwise restrained interior.

Wells Cathedral has a square east end to the choir, as is usual, and like several other cathedrals including Salisbury and Lichfield, has a lower Lady Chapel projecting at the eastern end, begun by Thomas Witney in about 1310, possibly before the chapter house was completed. The Lady Chapel seems to have begun as a free-standing structure in the form of an elongated octagon, but the plan changed and it was linked to the eastern end by extension of the choir and construction of a second transept or retrochoir east of the choir, probably by William Joy.

The Lady Chapel has a vault of complex and somewhat irregular pattern, as the chapel is not symmetrical about both axes. The main ribs are intersected by additional non-supporting, lierne ribs, which in this case form a star-shaped pattern at the apex of the vault. It is one of the earliest lierne vaults in England. There are five large windows, of which four are filled with fragments of medieval glass. The tracery of the windows is in the style known as Reticulated Gothic, having a pattern of a single repeated shape, in this case a trefoil, giving a "reticulate" or net-like appearance.

The retrochoir extends across the east end of the choir and into the east transepts. At its centre the vault is supported by a remarkable structure of angled piers. Two of these are placed as to complete the octagonal shape of the Lady Chapel, a solution described by Francis Bond as "an intuition of Genius". The piers have attached shafts of marble, and, with the vaults that they support, create a vista of great complexity from every angle. The windows of the retrochoir are in the Reticulated style like those of the Lady Chapel, but are fully Flowing Decorated in that the tracery mouldings form ogival curves.

The chapter house was begun in the late 13th century and built in two stages, completed about 1310. It is a two-storeyed structure with the main chamber raised on an undercroft. It is entered from a staircase which divides and turns, one branch leading through the upper storey of Chain Gate to Vicars' Close. The Decorated interior is described by Alec Clifton-Taylor as "architecturally the most beautiful in England". It is octagonal, with its ribbed vault supported on a central column. The column is surrounded by shafts of Purbeck Marble, rising to a single continuous rippling foliate capital of stylised oak leaves and acorns, quite different in character from the Early English stiff-leaf foliage. Above the moulding spring 32 ribs of strong profile, giving an effect generally likened to "a great palm tree". The windows are large with Geometric Decorated tracery that is beginning to show an elongation of form, and ogees in the lesser lights that are characteristic of Flowing Decorated tracery. The tracery lights still contain ancient glass. Beneath the windows are 51 stalls, the canopies of which are enlivened by carvings including many heads carved in a light-hearted manner.

Wells Cathedral contains one of the most substantial collections of medieval stained glass in England, despite damage by Parliamentary troops in 1642 and 1643. The oldest surviving glass dates from the late 13th century and is in two windows on the west side of the chapter-house staircase. Two windows in the south choir aisle are from 1310 to 1320.

The Lady Chapel has five windows, of which four date from 1325 to 1330 and include images of a local saint, Dunstan. The east window was restored to a semblance of its original appearance by Thomas Willement in 1845. The other windows have complete canopies, but the pictorial sections are fragmented.

The east window of the choir is a broad, seven-light window dating from 1340 to 1345. It depicts the Tree of Jesse (the genealogy of Christ) and demonstrates the use of silver staining, a new technique that allowed the artist to paint details on the glass in yellow, as well as black. The combination of yellow and green glass and the application of the bright yellow stain gives the window its popular name, the "Golden Window". It is flanked by two windows each side in the clerestory, with large figures of saints, also dated to 1340–45. In 2010 a major conservation programme was undertaken on the Jesse Tree window.

The panels in the chapel of St Katherine are attributed to Arnold of Nijmegen and date from about 1520. They were acquired from the destroyed church of Saint-Jean, Rouen, with the last panel having been purchased in 1953.

The large triple lancet to the nave west end was glazed at the expense of Dean Creighton at a cost of £140 in 1664. It was repaired in 1813, and the central light was largely replaced to a design by Archibald Keightley Nicholson between 1925 and 1931. The main north and south transept end windows by James Powell and Sons were erected in the early 20th century.

The greater part of the stone carving of Wells Cathedral comprises foliate capitals in the stiff-leaf style. They are found ornamenting the piers of the nave, choir and transepts. Stiff-leaf foliage is highly abstract. Though possibly influenced by carvings of acanthus leaves or vine leaves, it cannot be easily identified with any particular plant. Here the carving of the foliage is varied and vigorous, the springing leaves and deep undercuts casting shadows that contrast with the surface of the piers. In the transepts and towards the crossing in the nave the capitals have many small figurative carvings among the leaves. These include a man with toothache and a series of four scenes depicting the "Wages of Sin" in a narrative of fruit stealers who creep into an orchard and are then beaten by the farmer. Another well-known carving is in the north transept aisle: a foliate corbel, on which climbs a lizard, sometimes identified as a salamander, a symbol of eternal life.

Carvings in the Decorated Gothic style may be found in the eastern end of the buildings, where there are many carved bosses. In the chapter house, the carvings of the 51 stalls include numerous small heads of great variety, many of them smiling or laughing. A well-known figure is the corbel of the dragon-slaying monk in the chapter house stair. The large continuous capital that encircles the central pillar of the chapter house is markedly different in style to the stiff-leaf of the Early English period. In contrast to the bold projections and undercutting of the earlier work, it has a rippling form and is clearly identifiable as grapevine.

The 15th-century cloisters have many small bosses ornamenting the vault. Two in the west cloister, near the gift shop and café, have been called sheela na gigs, i. e. female figures displaying their genitals and variously judged to depict the sin of lust or stem from ancient fertility cults.

Wells Cathedral has one of the finest sets of misericords in Britain. Its clergy has a long tradition of singing or reciting from the Book of Psalms each day, along with the customary daily reading of the Holy Office. In medieval times the clergy assembled in the church eight times daily for the canonical hours. As the greater part of the services was recited while standing, many monastic or collegiate churches fitted stalls whose seats tipped up to provide a ledge for the monk or cleric to lean against. These were "misericords" because their installation was an act of mercy. Misericords typically have a carved figurative bracket beneath the ledge framed by two floral motifs known, in heraldic manner, as "supporters".

The misericords date from 1330 to 1340. They may have been carved under the direction of Master Carpenter John Strode, although his name is not recorded before 1341. He was assisted by Bartholomew Quarter, who is documented from 1343. They originally numbered 90, of which 65 have survived. Sixty-one are installed in the choir, three are displayed in the cathedral, and one is held by the Victoria and Albert Museum. New stalls were ordered when the eastern end of the choir was extended in the early 14th century. The canons complained that they had borne the cost of the rebuilding and ordered the prebendary clerics to pay for their own stalls. When the newly refurbished choir opened in 1339 many misericords were left unfinished, including one-fifth of the surviving 65. Many of the clerics had not paid, having been called to contribute a total sum of £200. The misericords survived better than the other sections of the stalls, which during the Protestant Reformation had their canopies chopped off and galleries inserted above them. One misericord, showing a boy pulling a thorn from his foot, dates from the 17th century. In 1848 came a complete rearrangement of the choir furniture, and 61 of the misericords were reused in the restructured stalls.

The subject matter of the carvings of the central brackets as misericords varies, but many themes recur in different churches. Typically the themes are less unified or directly related to the Bible and Christian theology than small sculptures seen elsewhere within churches, such as bosses. This applies at Wells, where none of the misericord carvings is directly based on a Bible story. The subjects, chosen either by the woodcarver, or perhaps by the one paying for the stall, have no overriding theme. The sole unifying elements are the roundels on each side of the pictorial subject, which all show elaborately carved foliage, in most cases formal and stylised in the later Decorated manner, but with several examples of naturalistic foliage, including roses and bindweed. Many of the subjects carry traditional interpretations. The image of the "Pelican in her Piety" (believed to feed her young on her own blood) is a recognised symbol for Christ's love for the Church. A cat playing with a mouse may represent the Devil snaring a human soul. Other subjects illustrate popular fables or sayings such as "When the fox preaches, look to your geese". Many depict animals, some of which may symbolise a human vice or virtue, or an aspect of faith.

Twenty-seven of the carvings depict animals: rabbits, dogs, a puppy biting a cat, a ewe feeding a lamb, monkeys, lions, bats, and the Early Christian motif of two doves drinking from a ewer. Eighteen have mythological subjects, including mermaids, dragons and wyverns. Five are clearly narrative, such as the Fox and the Geese, and the story of Alexander the Great being raised to Heaven by griffins. There are three heads: a bishop in a mitre, an angel, and a woman wearing a veil over hair arranged in coils over each ear. Eleven carvings show human figures, among which are several of remarkable design, conceived by the artist specifically for their purpose of supporting a shelf. One figure lies beneath the seat, supporting the shelf with a cheek, a hand and a foot. Another sits in a contorted manner supporting the weight on his elbow, while a further figure squats with his knees wide apart and a strained look on his face.

Some of the cathedral's fittings and monuments are hundreds of years old. The brass lectern in the Lady Chapel dates from 1661 and has a moulded stand and foliate crest. In the north transept chapel is a 17th-century oak screen with columns, formerly used in cow stalls, with artisan Ionic capitals and cornice, set forward over the chest tomb of John Godelee. There is a bound oak chest from the 14th century, which was used to store the chapter seal and key documents. The bishop's throne dates from 1340, and has a panelled, canted front and stone doorway, and a deep nodding cusped ogee canopy above it, with three-stepped statue niches and pinnacles. The throne was restored by Anthony Salvin around 1850. Opposite the throne is a 19th-century octagonal pulpit on a coved base with panelled sides, and steps up from the north aisle. The round font in the south transept is from the former Saxon cathedral and has an arcade of round-headed arches, on a round plinth. The font cover was made in 1635 and is decorated with the heads of putti. The Chapel of St Martin is a memorial to every Somerset man who fell in World War I.

The monuments and tombs include Gisa, bishop; † 1088; William of Bitton, bishop; † 1274; William of March, bishop; † 1302; John Droxford; † 1329; John Godelee; † 1333; John Middleton, died †1350; Ralph of Shrewsbury, died †; John Harewell, bishop; † 1386; William Bykonyll; † c. 1448; John Bernard; † 1459; Thomas Beckington; † died 1464; John Gunthorpe; † 1498; John Still; † 1607; Robert Creighton; † 1672; Richard Kidder, bishop; † 1703; George Hooper, bishop; † 1727 and Arthur Harvey, bishop; † 1894.

In the north transept is Wells Cathedral clock, an astronomical clock from about 1325 believed to be by Peter Lightfoot, a monk of Glastonbury. Its mechanism, dated between 1386 and 1392, was replaced in the 19th century and the original moved to the Science Museum in London, where it still operates. It is the second oldest surviving clock in England after the Salisbury Cathedral clock.

The clock has its original medieval face. Apart from the time on a 24-hour dial, it shows the motion of the Sun and Moon, the phases of the Moon, and the time since the last new Moon. The astronomical dial presents a geocentric or pre-Copernican view, with the Sun and Moon revolving round a central fixed Earth, like that of the clock at Ottery St Mary. The quarters are chimed by a quarter jack: a small automaton known as Jack Blandifers, who hits two bells with hammers and two with his heels. At the striking of the clock, jousting knights appear above the clock face.

On the outer wall of the transept, opposite Vicars' Hall, is a second clock face of the same clock, placed there just over seventy years after the interior clock and driven by the same mechanism. The second clock face has two quarter jacks (which strike on the quarter-hour) in the form of knights in armour.

In 2010 the official clock-winder retired and was replaced by an electric mechanism.

The first record of an organ at this church dates from 1310. A smaller organ, probably for the Lady Chapel, was installed in 1415. In 1620 an organ built by Thomas Dallam was installed at a cost of £398 1s 5d.

The 1620 organ was destroyed by parliamentary soldiers in 1643. An organ built in 1662 was enlarged in 1786 and again in 1855. In 1909–1910 an organ was built by Harrison & Harrison of Durham, with the best parts of the old organ retained. It has been serviced by the same company ever since.

Since November 1996 the cathedral has also had a portable chamber organ, by the Scottish makers, Lammermuir. It is used regularly to accompany performances of Tudor and baroque music.

The first recorded organist of Wells was Walter Bagele (or Vageler) in 1416. The post of organist or assistant organist has been held by more than 60 people since. Peter Stanley Lyons was Master of Choristers at Wells Cathedral, and Director of Music at Wells Cathedral School in 1954–1960. The choral conductor James William Webb-Jones, father of Lyons's wife Bridget (whom he married in the cathedral), was Headmaster of Wells Cathedral School in 1955–1960. Malcolm Archer was the appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers from 1996 to 2004. Matthew Owens was the appointed organist from 2005 to 2019.

There has been a choir of boy choristers at Wells since 909. Currently there are 18 boy choristers and a similar number of girl choristers, aged from eight to fourteen. The Vicars Choral was formed in the 12th century and the sung liturgy provided by a traditional cathedral choir of men and boys until the formation of an additional choir of girls in 1994. The boys and girls sing alternately with the Vicars Choral and are educated at Wells Cathedral School.

The Vicars Choral currently number twelve men, of whom three are choral scholars. Since 1348 the College of Vicars had its own accommodation in a quadrangle converted in the early 15th century to form Vicar's Close. The Vicars Choral generally perform with the choristers, except on Wednesdays, when they sing alone, allowing them to present a different repertoire, in particular plainsong.

In December 2010 Wells Cathedral Choir was rated by Gramophone magazine as "the highest ranking choir with children in the world". It continues to provide music for the liturgy at Sunday and weekday services. The choir has made many recordings and toured frequently, including performances in Beijing and Hong Kong in 2012. Its repertoire ranges from the choral music of the Renaissance to recently commissioned works.

The Wells Cathedral Chamber Choir is a mixed adult choir of 25 members, formed in 1986 to sing at the midnight service on Christmas Eve, and invited to sing at several other special services. It now sings for about 30 services a year, when the Cathedral Choir is in recess or on tour, and spends one week a year singing as the "choir in residence" at another cathedral. Although primarily liturgical, the choir's repertoire includes other forms of music, as well as performances at engagements such as weddings and funerals.

The cathedral is home to Wells Cathedral Oratorio Society (WCOS), founded in 1896. With around 160 voices, the society gives three concerts a year under the direction of Matthew Owens, Organist and Master of the Choristers at the cathedral. Concerts are normally in early November, December (an annual performance of Handel's Messiah) and late March. It performs with a number of specialist orchestras including: Music for Awhile, Chameleon Arts and La Folia.

The bells at Wells Cathedral are the heaviest ring of ten bells in the world, the tenor bell (the 10th and largest), known as Harewell, weighing 56.25 long hundredweight (2,858 kg). They are hung for full-circle ringing in the English style of change ringing. These bells are now hung in the south-west tower, although some were originally hung in the central tower.

The library above the eastern cloister was built between 1430 and 1508. Its collection is in three parts: early documents housed in the Muniment Room; the collection predating 1800 housed in the Chained Library; and the post-1800 collection housed in the Reading Room. The chapter's earlier collection was destroyed during the Reformation, so that the present library consists chiefly of early printed books, rather than medieval manuscripts. The earlier books in the Chained Library number 2,800 volumes and give an indication of the variety of interests of the members of the cathedral chapter from the Reformation until 1800. The focus of the collection is predominantly theology, but there are volumes on science, medicine, exploration, and languages. Books of particular interest include Pliny's Natural History printed in 1472, an Atlas of the World by Abraham Ortelius, printed in 1606, and a set of the works by Aristotle that once belonged to Erasmus. The library is open to the public at appointed times in the summer and presents a small exhibition of documents and books.

Three early registers of the Dean and Chapter edited by W. H. B. Bird for the Historical Manuscripts Commissioners – Liber Albus I (White Book; R I), Liber Albus II (R III) and Liber Ruber (Red Book; R II, section i) – were published in 1907. They contain with some repetition, a cartulary of possessions of the cathedral, with grants of land back to the 8th century, well before hereditary surnames developed in England, and acts of the Dean and Chapter and surveys of their estates, mostly in Somerset.

Adjacent to the cathedral is a large lawned area, Cathedral Green, with three ancient gateways: Brown's Gatehouse, Penniless Porch and Chain Gate. On the green is the 12th-century Old Deanery, largely rebuilt in the late 15th century by Dean Gunthorpe and remodelled by Dean Bathurst in the late 17th century. No longer the dean's residence, it is used as diocesan offices.

To the south of the cathedral is the moated Bishop's Palace, begun about 1210 by Jocelin of Wells but dating mostly from the 1230s. In the 15th century Thomas Beckington added a north wing, now the bishop's residence. It was restored and extended by Benjamin Ferrey between 1846 and 1854.

To the north of the cathedral and connected to it by the Chain Gate is Vicars' Close, a street planned in the 14th century and claimed to be the oldest purely residential street in Europe, with all but one of its original buildings intact. Buildings in the close include the Vicars Hall and gateway at the south end, and the Vicars Chapel and Library at the north end.

The Liberty of St Andrew was the historic liberty and parish that encompassed the cathedral and surrounding lands closely associated with it.

The English painter J. M. W. Turner visited Wells in 1795, making sketches of the precinct and a water colour of the west front, now in the Tate gallery. Other artists whose paintings of the cathedral are in national collections are Albert Goodwin, John Syer and Ken Howard.

The cathedral served to inspire Ken Follett's 1989 novel The Pillars of the Earth and with a modified central tower, featured as the fictional Kingsbridge Cathedral at the end of the 2010 television adaptation of that novel. The interior of the cathedral was used for a 2007 Doctor Who episode, "The Lazarus Experiment", while the exterior shots were filmed at Southwark Cathedral.

An account of the damage to the cathedral during the Monmouth Rebellion is included in Arthur Conan Doyle's 1889 historical novel Micah Clarke.

The cathedral provided scenes for the 2019–2020 television series The Spanish Princess.

From The Tower Friday--Cheneyville by SE Delmar tower

14 5

Chicago, Terre Haute & Southeastern agent/operator Walter E. Chapman is shown at his desk at Cheneyville, Illinois tower, ca. 1915-1920. It appears that he is communicating via telegraph. Here is some info I have on this photo...

The operator--Walter E. Chapman started working on the CTH&SE on September 8th, 1915 and at the time of this photograph was working Cheneyville. As of a seniority roster dated 10-1-1943, Walter was shown working at Dewey tower on 1st. He showed there until 1946, which is the last trace I have of him.

The tower--Cheneyville or "CY" tower was built around the end of 1905 and possibly into 1906 by the Chicago Southern Ry. I have a copy of the original blueprint from 12-1-1905 showing that Delmar, Webster, Cheneyville and Humrick would all be built identical and all have US&S machines. The latest photo I have of the 2-story tower is from the 1950's and the earliest photo I've seen of the replacement cabin is from 1976, so somewhere in the time frame (1950's - 1970's) the tower was changed. The tower was located in the S/W quadrant. In the photo, the interior is shown looking at the north wall (with train order hoops hanging) and to the right would be the east wall (facing the Milw).

The plant--Cheneyville has never in my research had anything other than 4 signals and 2 train order signals. There were wyes located in the S/W & S/E quadrants. In later years south of the tower, double track was added from the route 9 crossing, through the new location of "Coalton" and ending at Heaton, about 3 miles.

The railroads--Initially, this was the crossing of the Chicago Southern Railway and the Lake Erie & Western. The Chicago Southerns RR later became the CTH&SE, then CM&StP and finally CMStP&P. The Lake Erie & Western became the New York, Chicago & St. Louis and later Norfolk & Western. Today, the KB&S owns it all I think.

Rates Of Pay at this time: At Cheneyville at this time, the rate of pay was .33 cents an hour with a monthly rate showing as $68.00.

The trains--At this time, according to my CTH&SE and LE&W employee timetables, scheduled traffic was as follows:

CTHSE

#71 & #73 southbounds.

#72 & #74 northbounds.

LE&W

#1, #5, #59 & #63 westbounds

#2, #6, #58, #64 & #66 eastbounds.

Cheneyville was founded in 1871 and platted in 1880. It was named for J. H. Cheney, the vice-president of the Lake Erie and Western Railroad.

This photograph was taken by the Hoopeston, Illinois newspaper and put in the paper way back in the day. I wish I had that entire newspaper, or better yet, a time machine.

Below is a link to a John Barriger photo of this tower, ca. 1935.

www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/12346820345/in/albu...

Title: As Night Falls by Mitsushiro Nakagawa

69 5

Title: As Night Falls

(Shot with FUJIFILM GFX50R)

Hawaii. United States. 2019. … 8 / 8

(Today’s photo. Previously unreleased.)

My new novel.

B♭ (B-flat)

I'm releasing it. This will truly be the last time I share it.

I won't release any more after this.

It's just a rough draft from the beginning — more like notes.

If you're interested, please give it a read. :)

The setting is New York.

僕の新しい小説。

　B♭　（ビーフラット）

公開します。これで本当に最後の公開です。

これ以上は公開しません。

冒頭からの走り書きです。メモ程度です。

よかったら読んでください。:)

舞台はニューヨークです。

Images.

Bryony Jarman-Pinto … Water Come

youtu.be/z1ZAkZ5bSLs?si=56ao-cHyPzpnDsgp

::Photo Music and iTunes Playlist Link::

music.apple.com/jp/playlist/photo-music/pl.u-Eg8qefpy8Xz

_________________________________

B♭ (B-Flat)

Further excerpt released. Just a rough draft from the beginning. Like a note. Please read if you'd like. :)

Setting: New York City.

Red, Yellow, Blue——

It was just past 7 p.m. when a light drizzle began to fall on East 52nd Street.

Anaya Patel leaned against the wall of the building next to Tot Ramen, where she was supposed to meet someone, and absently stared at the traffic light at the intersection to her right.

It was already July, yet the summer felt cooler than last year’s. She regretted stepping out in just a T-shirt.

When the light turned green, Anaya squinted, narrowing her gaze.

Kana, her old classmate, was waving and smiling as she ran toward her——

The flat ceiling of Madison Square Garden seemed to bulge slightly with the heat of the crowd, or so it appeared to Jack.

Cheers welcoming the presidential candidate clashed with shouts of outrage, rattling deep inside his ears.

Jack scanned the arena quickly before glancing back down at his iPhone. Several social media apps were open at once, and furious posts streamed across the screen.

One post in the bottom right corner—on Meta—caught his eye.

A death threat.

Presidential candidate Justin Bradford was about to take the stage with his fiancée, Eleanor Blake.

As a red spotlight—the color of the Republican Party—lit up the center of the stage, the couple stepped out.

And at that exact moment, a gunshot rang out.

It was subtle enough to be missed at first—but Jack heard it. Two shots.

As chaos erupted around him, Jack quietly closed his eyes, picturing the trajectory.

The first bullet—likely from his right, near the PA system. But that area should have been covered by agents from his own unit.

He calculated the second shot. It probably came from the left side of the stage.

It was aimed with precision, taking into account the positioning of both Justin and Eleanor.

There might have been a leak.

Then came a second report.

His colleague Ben Holloway’s voice, calm as ever.

The heart was missed, but both bullets had hit. One had grazed it and lodged in the epigastric area, just under the diaphragm.

Jack replied, equally calm.

“Justin’s Bombay blood. I confirmed it three days ago with Bellevue Hospital. They have reserves stored.”

Ben responded in a low voice, as if nothing had happened.

“Understood.”

Justin was rushed to Bellevue, the closest hospital to Madison Square Garden.

Jack called Elijah Kane directly from his smartphone.

Using WhatsApp or any other messaging app was strictly forbidden in the Secret Service.

Elijah answered before the first ring ended.

“Jack, it’s bad. We don’t have it. No Bombay blood.”

Jack was stunned.

“I confirmed it three days ago. I spoke directly to the person in charge—can't recall their name—but I saw the blood bags myself.”

After a pause, Elijah replied.

“That person died in a car accident yesterday.”

Anaya Patel waited for her husband Arjun at Tot Ramen.

With her was Mika (Sato), her best friend since college—Japanese.

Just as the server placed a steaming bowl of ramen in front of her, Anaya’s phone rang.

The caller ID said Bellevue Hospital.

She answered without hesitation.

Mika looked on, concerned.

“Is this Anaya Patel? I’m Sasha Wilson from Emergency.

You may have heard—Republican presidential candidate has been shot.

We need your blood.

Stay where you are. A Secret Service vehicle is en route.”

Following Mika’s gaze, Anaya turned to the display above the counter.

A live report from MSG was playing.

Then, a man in a sleek blue suit with brown skin approached her.

“I’m Rohan Shah, Secret Service.

Please come with me to the hospital.

The car is ready.”

He reached for her hand with urgency.

Just then, Anaya’s iPhone buzzed again. An unfamiliar number.

She tapped it.

“Hello?”

“Anaya Patel?”

“Yes. Who is this?”

“Jack. Jack Vance. Secret Service. I’ll be there shortly.”

“How do you know where I am?”

“We’re professionals. We have our ways.”

“But the Secret Service guy is already here.”

“No—he’s not!” Jack’s voice roared through the phone.

At that instant, the man in front of her pulled a rifle from under his jacket and aimed it at her forehead.

A small gunshot rang through the restaurant.

Anaya froze.

She couldn’t speak.

As the man collapsed to the floor, another figure emerged—also pointing a gun at her.

It was her husband, Arjun.

“Freeze! FBI!”

NYPD officers in uniform and FBI agents in gray suits stormed in.

“Hands behind your head! Get down on the floor!”

The cliché movie-like commands rang out as Anaya trembled. Mika, too.

But probably no one shook more than Arjun.

Jack arrived moments later.

“Anaya Patel!”

Still trembling, Anaya answered without looking up.

“That’s me.”

Jack, drenched in sweat, pulled her upright.

“We’re going to the hospital.”

A message from Elijah arrived with a link.

Jack, now in the passenger seat with Anaya, tossed her his iPhone.

“Open it!”

She tapped it—it appeared to be a livestream.

“Good evening, New York. And Los Angeles.

My name is Zakaria Haddad.

That’s my real name.

A few years ago, I lived in Gaza.

Now I’m in a room that mimics one you know very well.”

A man with brown skin and a beard sat in what looked almost exactly like the Oval Office.

He looked at his watch, then back at the camera.

“It’s time for breaking news.

Keep your eyes on your phones.”

Just then, an alert popped up:

BREAKING: Former Democratic President Owen Reed reportedly shot at the Los Angeles Convention Center

Zakaria bowed his head slightly and chuckled.

“A sad headline, isn’t it?

But don’t be sad, America.

In Gaza, we endured 55,000 times worse.

We lost more than 55,000 loved ones.

We wept—endlessly.”

Still looking down, he clenched his fists and slammed the desk.

When he looked up, tears glistened in his eyes.

“We do not seek money.

Nor honor through death.

All we want—

are tears.

Tears equal to the ones we shed.

Only those tears can heal us.”

Placing both elbows on the desk and clasping his hands, Zakaria gently rested his chin on them. He closed his eyes, and a heavy silence filled the room. The corners of his eyes seemed to tremble ever so slightly. Then, slowly, he began to speak.

“I am just one among fifty-five thousand. Even if I disappear, the will of fifty thousand others will remain—unchanging, undying, carried forward. I am here to give voice to that will.”

Zakaria opened the desk drawer, took out a Glock 17, and slid the action, chambering a round. He raised the gun to his temple.

A Sunni Muslim, he looked straight into the camera and spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

“God bless you. America.”

Zakaria closed his eyes and pulled the trigger straight back. A dry crack echoed through the room.

The screen cut to black in an instant.

To be continued...

iTunes Playlist Link::

Notes

1. "Bombay Blood Type (hh type)"

•Characteristics: A rare blood type that lacks the usual ABO antigens — cannot be classified as A, B, or O.

•Discovery: First identified in 1952 in Mumbai, India (formerly Bombay).

•Prevalence: Roughly 1 in 10,000 people in India; globally, about 1 in 2.5 million.

•Transfusion Compatibility: Only compatible with blood from other Bombay type donors.

2. 2024 Harvard University Valedictorian Speech – The Power of Not Knowing

3. Shots Fired at Trump Rally

youtu.be/PfJzQuqWSSE?si=Y2g0HzhoVjnR46zS

_________________________________

Exhibition in 2025

Theme

The Nightfly

My next novel, B♭

This exhibition will reflect its imagery.

A portion of the novel will be excerpted and shared publicly.

Images

Taylor Swift – This Love [Japanese Translation]

Mitsushiro Nakagawa

Organizer

Design Festa

Venue

Tokyo Big Sight

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54271473379/in/dateposted...

Date

Fall 2025

Contact

exhibition.mitsushiro.nakagawa@gmail.com

_________________________________

“A.I. - About Apple’s Identity”

---

### Will Apple Listen to Mark Zuckerberg’s Criticism?

I Don’t Think So—At Least Not for Someone Enchanted by the Apple Vision Pro.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, recently appeared on a well-known podcast, where he criticized Apple for failing to release an innovative product since the iPhone and for experiencing a decline in sales.

_________________________________

Photo Music and iTunes Playlist Link::

music.apple.com/jp/playlist/photo-music/pl.u-Eg8qefpy8Xz

_________________________________

消えた境界線から生まれたもの　～去ってゆく川村記念美術館を振り返って～

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54020588671/in/dateposted...

What Emerged from the Vanishing Boundaries~ Reflecting on the Departing Kawamura Memorial Museum ~

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54020588671/in/dateposted...

_________________________________

8mm film of our honeymoon resurrected after decades.

m.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/50656401427/in/dateposted-p...

_________________________________

Important Notices.

I have relaxed the following conditions.

I will distribute my T-shirt to the world for free.

m.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/50613367691/in/dateposted-p...

_________________________________

Notice regarding "Lot No.402_”.

From now on I will host "Lot No.402_".

The work of Leonardo da Vinci who was sleeping.

That is the number when it was put up for auction.

No sign was written on the work.

So this work couldn't conclude that it was his work.

However # as a result of various appraisals # it was exposed to the sun.

A work that no one notices. A work that speaks quietly without a title.

I will continue to strive to provide it to many people in various ways.

October 24 2020 by Mitsushiro - Nakagawa.

_________________________________

Profile.

In November 2014 # we caught the attention of the party selected to undertake the publicity for a mobile phone that changed the face of the world with just a single model # and will conclude a confidentiality agreement with them.

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

_________________________________

Here’s a translated version with a style suitable for a news site introduction:

---

### **Interview and Novel: My Work**

I published a book in the past.

At that time, I uploaded my interview as a PDF online, both in Japanese and English.

Now, I am making it available for free.

More details can be found on Amazon.

**Writing a Novel.**

**Photography Techniques.**

**The Sense of Distance Between the Creator and the Work.**

These all share a common theme.

I put into words the things I felt and left them behind as a record.

I hope my text reaches many readers.

Thank you.

**Mitsushiro**

🔗 **[Access the Files Here](drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...)**

### **Contents**

📄 **1. Interview (English Version)**

📖 **2. Novel: *Unforgettable* (English Version)**

📄 **3. Interview (Japanese Version)**

📖 **4. Novel: *Unforgettable* (Japanese Version)**

*(This novel is dedicated to future artists.)*

*(456 pages in Japanese manuscript format.)*

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

---

### **Synopsis**

Kei Kitami, a student preparing for university entrance exams, meets Kaori Kamimura, an event companion six years his senior, through social media.

Kaori has come to Tokyo with a dream—to befriend famous artists.

To achieve this, she needs the influence of Ryo Osawa, a well-known radio producer.

During a live radio broadcast, Osawa speaks directly to Kaori:

*"I have a wife and child. But still, I want to see you."*

Meanwhile, Rika Sanjo, Kei’s classmate who secretly harbors feelings for him, is closely watching Kaori’s every move...

---

Main story

There are two reasons why a person faces the sea.

One to enjoy a slice of shine in the sea like children bubbling over in the beach.

The other to brush the dust of memory like an old man who misses old days staring at the shine

quietly.

Those lead to only one meaning though they do not seem to overlap. It’s a rebirth.

I face myself to change tomorrow a vague day into something certain.

That is the meaning of a rebirth.

I had a very sweet girlfriend when I was 18.

After she left I knew the meaning of gentleness for the first time and also a true pain of loss. After

she left # how many times did I depend too much on her # doubt her # envy her and keep on telling lies

until I realized it is love?

I wonder whether a nobody like me could have given something to her who was struggling in the

daily life in those days. Giving something is arrogant conceit. It is nothing but self-satisfaction.

I had been thinking about such a thing.

However I guess what she saw in me was because I had nothing. That‘s why she tried to see

something in me. Perhaps she found a slight possibility in me # a guy filled with ambiguous unstable

tomorrow. But I wasted days depending too much on her gentleness.

Now I finally can convey how I felt in those days when we met.

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

_________________________________

iBooks. Electronic Publishing. It is free now.

0.about the iBooks.

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

1.unforgettable '(ENG.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)

itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216576828?ls=1&...

2.unforgettable '(JNP.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)

itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216584262?ls=1&...

3. Streamlined trajectory.(For Japanese only.)

itunes.apple.com/us/book/%E6%B5%81%E7%B7%9A%E5%BD%A2%E3%8... =11

_________________________________

My Novel : Unforgettable'

(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)

Kei Kitami, a student preparing for university entrance exams, meets Kaori Kamimura, an event companion six years his senior, through social media.

Kaori has come to Tokyo with a dream—to befriend famous artists.

To achieve this, she needs the influence of Ryo Osawa, a well-known radio producer.

During a live radio broadcast, Osawa speaks directly to Kaori:

*"I have a wife and child. But still, I want to see you."*

Meanwhile, Rika Sanjo, Kei’s classmate who secretly harbors feelings for him, is closely watching Kaori’s every move...

Mitsushiro Nakagawa

All Translated by Yumi Ikeda .

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related

images.

U2 - No Line On The Horizon Live in Dublin

Main story

There are two reasons why a person faces the sea.

One to enjoy a slice of shine in the sea like children bubbling over in the beach.

The other to brush the dust of memory like an old man who misses old days staring at the shine

quietly.

Those lead to only one meaning though they do not seem to overlap. It’s a rebirth.

I face myself to change tomorrow a vague day into something certain.

That is the meaning of a rebirth.

I had a very sweet girlfriend when I was 18.

After she left I knew the meaning of gentleness for the first time and also a true pain of loss. After

she left # how many times did I depend too much on her # doubt her # envy her and keep on telling lies

until I realized it is love?

I wonder whether a nobody like me could have given something to her who was struggling in the

daily life in those days. Giving something is arrogant conceit. It is nothing but self-satisfaction.

I had been thinking about such a thing.

However I guess what she saw in me was because I had nothing. That‘s why she tried to see

something in me. Perhaps she found a slight possibility in me # a guy filled with ambiguous unstable

tomorrow. But I wasted days depending too much on her gentleness.

Now I finally can convey how I felt in those days when we met.

1/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24577016535/in/dateposted...

2/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24209330259/in/dateposted...

3/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/23975215274/in/dateposted...

4/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24515964952/in/dateposted...

5/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24276473749/in/dateposted...

6/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24548895082/in/dateposted...

7/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24594603711/in/dateposted...

8/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24588215562/in/dateposted...

9/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24100804163/in/dateposted...

Fin.

images.

U2 - No Line On The Horizon

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related

_________________________________

Title of my book : unforgettable'

Author : Mitsushiro Nakagawa

Out Now.

ISBN978-4-86264-866-2

in Amazon.

Unforgettable’ amzn.asia/d/eG1wNc5

_________________________________

The schedule of the next novel.

Still would stand all time. (Unforgettable '2)

(It will not go away forever)

Please give me some more time. That is Japanese.

_________________________________

My Works.

1 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48072442376/in/dateposted...

2 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48078949821/in/dateposted...

3 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48085863356/in/dateposted...

_________________________________

Do you want to hear my voice?

About the composition of the picture posted to Flicker. First type.

About the composition of the picture posted to Flicker. Second type.

About when I started Fotolog. Architect 's point of view.

Why did not you have a camera so far?

What is the coolest thing? The photo is as it is.

About the current YouTube bar. I also want to tell # I want to leave.

About Japanese photographers. Japanese YouTube bar is Pistols.

The composition of the photograph is sensibility. Meet the designers in Milan. Two questions.

What is a good composition? What is a bad composition?

What is the time to point the camera? It is slow if you are looking into the viewfinder or display.

Family photos. I can not take pictures with others. The inside of the subject.

About YouTube 's photographer. Camera technology etc. Sensibility is polished by reading books.

About the Japanese newspaper. A picture of a good newspaper is Reuters. If you continue to look at useless photographs # it will be useless.

About Japanese photographers. About the exhibition.

Summary. I wrote a novel etc. What I want to tell the most.

_________________________________

I talked about how to make a work.

About work production 1/2

About work production 2/2

ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimesis

1 Photo exhibition up to that point. Did you want to go?

2 Well # what is an exhibition that you want to visit even if you go there?

3 Challenge to exhibit one work every month before opening a solo exhibition at the Harajuku Design Festa.

4 works are materials and silhouettes. Similar to fashion.

5 Who is your favorite artist? What is it? Make it clear.

6 Creating a collage is exactly the same as taking photos. As I wrote in the interview # it is the same as writing a novel.

7 I want to show it to someone # but I do not make a piece to show it. Aim for the work you want to decorate your own room as in the photo.

8 What is copycat? Nowadays # it is suspected to be beaten. There is something called Mimesis?

kotobank.jp/word/Mimesis-139464

9 What is Individuality? What is originality?

_________________________________

Explanation of composition. 2

1.Composition explanation 2 ... 1/4

youtu.be/yVbvneBIMs8

2.Composition explanation 2 ... 2/4

youtu.be/LToFez9vOAw

3.Composition Explanation 2 ... 3/4

youtu.be/uTR0wVi9Z7M

4.Composition Explanation 2 ... 4/4

youtu.be/h2LjfU6Vvno

_________________________________

My shutter feeling.

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/49127115021/in/dateposted...

Today's photo.

It is a photo taken from Eurostar.

This video is an explanation.

I went to Milan in 2005.

At that time # I went from Milan to Venice.

We took Eurostar into the transportation.

This photo was not taken from a very fast Eurostar.

When I changed the track # I took a picture at the moment I slowed down.

Is there a Japanese beside you?

Please have my video translated.

In the Eurostar to Venice . 2005. shot ... 1 / 2

_________________________________

Miles Davis sheet 1955-1976.

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

_________________________________

flickr.

_________________________________

instagram.

_________________________________

Pinterest.

_________________________________

YouPic

_________________________________

twitter.

_________________________________

facebook.

_________________________________

threads.

_________________________________

Blue sky.

www.amazon.co.jp/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AHSKI3YMYPYE5UE...

_________________________________

Amazon.

_________________________________

My Statistics (as of May 12, 2025)

Flickr and YouPic views:

Flickr 25,354,244 View

Youpic 8,533,634 View

My statistics (as of December 15, 2024)

How many views have you had on Flickr and Youpic

Flickr 24,260,172 Views

Youpic 7,957,826 Views

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

My statistics (as of August 1, 2024)

How many views have I had on Flickr and Youpic

Flickr 23,192,383 Views

Youpic 7,574,603 Views

My statistics. (As of February 7, 2024)

What is the number of accesses to Flickr and YouPic

Flickr 21,694,434 Views

Youpic 7,003,230 Views

What is the number of accesses to Flickr and YouPic?

(As of November 13, 2023)

Flickr 20,852,872 View

Youpic 6,671,486 View

_________________________________

Japanese is the following.

Title of my book unforgettable' Mitsushiro Nakagawa Out Now. ISBN978-4-86264-866-2

_________________________________

Title.

夜のはじまり。

( FUJIFILM GFX50R shot )

ハワイ。アメリカ。2019. … 8 / 8

(今日の写真。それは未発表です。）

僕は小説のタイトルを決定しました。

僕の新しい小説のタイトル。

B♭ （ビーフラット）

僕はもう少し書き加えました。

Images.

Bryony Jarman-Pinto … Water Come

youtu.be/z1ZAkZ5bSLs?si=56ao-cHyPzpnDsgp

::写真の音楽とiTunesプレイリストをリンク::

music.apple.com/jp/playlist/photo-music/pl.u-Eg8qefpy8Xz

_________________________________

僕の新しい小説。

　B♭　（ビーフラット）

さらに公開します。

冒頭からの走り書きです。メモ程度です。

よかったら読んでください。:)

舞台はニューヨークです。

— 赤、黄色、青ーーー

イースト５２ndストリートに小雨が舞いはじめたのは、午後七時過ぎだった。

アナヤ・パテルは、待ち合わせたトットラーメンのとなりのビルの壁面にもたれ、右手に見える十字路の信号機をぼんやり眺めていた。もう７月だというのに、昨年よりも冷夏に感じ、Tシャツ一枚で出かけてきたことを後悔していた。

十字路の信号が青に変わると、アナは目を細め、凝視した。同級生のカナがこちらへ手を振りながら微笑み、駆け寄ってきていた——

マジソンスクエアガーデンの平坦な天井は、吐き出された人の熱気でいつもより膨らんでいるように、ジャックには見えた。大統領候補を歓迎する声とそれを罵倒する叫び声が錯綜し、鼓膜の奥を揺らしていた。

ジャックは、軽く場内の隅々まで目を凝らしてから、再びアイフォンに目を落とした。画面には、いくつかのSNSが同時に広がっており、それぞれが激しい書き込みによって文字が流れてゆく。

右下の、メタの書き込みに、ジャックは目を留めた。殺害予告だ。

大統領候補のジャスティン・ブラッドフォードは、フィアンセのエリノア・ブレイクとともに間も無くステージに立つ。

共和党を示す赤い光がステージ中央に差し込むと、二人は同時に現れた。

と、同時に、銃声が響いた。

一聴しただけでは気づかなかったがジャックの耳は聴き分けた。弾は二発だ。

騒然とした場内をよそに、ジャックは静かに目を閉じた。発射音から着弾までを想像した。

一発目の弾は、ジャックの右手、たぶん、PA近辺からだ。しかし、ジャックと同じ配属のシークレットサービスが張り込んでいたはずだ。もうひとつの弾丸をジャックは再び目を閉じて計算した。

弾は、たぶん、ステージ左手側からだ。ジャスティンとエリノアの二人の立ち位置を計算しているようだ。ひょっとしたら情報が漏れていたかもしれない。

ジャックの耳に第２報が入った。同僚のベン・ホロウェイの冷静な声だ。心臓ははずれたものの、2発の弾丸が打ち込まれていた。弾は心臓をかすめ、心窩部、ちょうど横隔膜の下に食い込んでいた。

ジャックも冷静に、ベンへ伝えた。

「ジャスティンはボンベイブラッドだ。三日前にベルビュー病院に確認した。予備の血液は保管されている」

ベンは、何事もなかったかのように、わかったと静かにいった。

マジソンスクエアガーデンにもっとも近いベルビュー病院に、ジャスティンを運び込む。ジャックは、病院で控えているイライジャ・ケインにスマートフォンから直接電話した。シークレットサービスではもちろんワッツアップなどのSNSはご法度だ。

ワンコールが切れる前にすぐイライジャは反応した。

「ジャック、大変だ。血液がない。ボンベイブラッドがないんだ」

ジャックは、耳を疑った。

「三日前に、俺は直接担当の、名前は忘れたな。とにかく目の前でブラッドバッグを確認したぞ」

イライジャは、数秒の沈黙の後、応えた。

「その血液の管理者は、きのう、交通事故で亡くなったんだ」

アナヤ・パテルは、夫のアルジュンをトットラーメンで待った。

学生時代からの親友、ミカ（佐藤）（日本人）も一緒だ。

店員が、アナヤの目の前にラーメンを差し出したとき、スマートフォンが鳴った。

登録してあるベルビュー病院からだった。

アナヤは、躊躇わずに出た。着信を見たミカは不安げにアナヤを見守った。

「アナヤ・パテルさんですか？　私は救急部のサーシャウィルソンと言います。すでにご存知かもしれませんが、共和党大統領候補が撃たれました。あなたの血が必要です。すぐに病院へ来てください。シークレットサービスの車が迎えに行きます。動かないでください」

アナヤは、呆然としているミカの視線を追って、背後を振り返った。カウンターのちょうど左上に下がったディスプレイには、MSGの現在が男性レポーターによって放映されている。

アナは開いた入り口に目を移した。青い、洗練されたスーツをまとった褐色の肌の男性が、足早にアナに寄ってきた。

「シークレットサービスのロハン・シャーと言います。私と一緒に病院へ来てください。外に車を用意してあります」

彼は真剣な眼差しでアナへ伝え、手を引こうとした瞬間、アナのアイフォンが再び震えた。番号だけ浮かびあがっている。登録されていないようだ。アナは慌てて、タッチした。

「はい」

「アナヤ・パテルさん？」

「ええ、あなたは？」

「ジャック。ジャック・ヴァンス。シークレットサービスです。もうすぐそちらへ到着します」

「わたしの場所をどうやって？」

「わたしたちはプロだ。あらゆる手段を用意しています」

「もう、シークレットサービスの人が来てるわ」

ジャックの、違う！　という怒声が響いた瞬間、目の前の男性はスーツの内から小銃を引き抜き、アナの額に向けた。

店内に小さな銃声が響いた。

アナは、震えることすら忘れ、言葉を失い、放心していた。

目の前の男性がゆっくり床へ崩れると、夫のアルジュンが、やはりアナに銃を向けて現れた。

「フリーズ！FBI ！」

数人の制服を着たNYPDとグレイのスーツを纏ったFBIが叫んだ。

「全員、手を頭の後ろに回して床に伏せろ！」

映画のようなお決まりのセリフに、アナは震えていた。もちろん、ミカも。たぶん、アナの夫のアルジュンが最も震えていただろう。

遅れて、ジャックが店内に向け、叫んだ。

「アナヤ・パテル！」

アナは、見上げることなく、そのままに応えた。足がまだ震えている。

「わたしです」

額に汗を浮かべたジャックは、アナの身を起こすと、いった。

「すぐに病院へ行く」

病院にいるイライジャから、リンク付きのメッセージが届いた。

助手席に乗り込んだアナへジャックはアイフォンを放り投げると、リンク先を開け、と叫んだ。

慌てて、アナが触れると、どうやら生放送のようだった。

「こんばんわ、ニューヨーク。そしてロサンゼルス。私の名前はザカリア・ハッダード。本名だ。

数年前、ガザに住んでいた。今は、みなさんがよく目にする部屋を真似た部屋に私はいる」

褐色の、顎髭をたくわえたザカリアは、アメリカ大統領執務室とほとんど同じ部屋の椅子に座っていた。

腕時計にゆっくり目を落としてから、再び、カメラに視線を向けた。

「そろそろブレイキングニュースだ。スマートフォンの速報に注目して欲しい」

ザカリアがそういった途端、速報が流れた。

【民主党前大統領のオーウェン・リードがロサンゼルス・コンベンション・センターで銃撃された模様です】

ザカリアは、一瞬俯いて笑いを堪えながらいった。

ザカリアは、再び俯いたまま、両手を固く握りしめ、力強く机を叩きつけた。

顔を上げたザカリアの目にはうっすらと涙が溢れていた。

両肘を机につき、両手を組むと、ザカリアは静かに顎を乗せた。目を閉じて、しばらく沈黙が続いた。目尻が細かく震えているようだった。そのままゆっくり口を開いた。

「55,000人のうちの私はひとりに過ぎない。私が消えても５万人もの意思は決して消えず、引き継がれる。私は、私たちの意思をここに表明するためにいる」

ザカリアは、机の引き出しから、グロック１７を取り出すと、スライドしてチャンバーに弾を流した。そして、自分のこめかみに向けた。

スンニ派である彼は、まっすぐにカメラを見つめ、皮肉混じりにいった。

「神のご加護を。アメリカ」

ザカリアは、目を閉じると、トリガーを真っ直ぐに引いた。乾いた音が部屋に響いた。映像は、瞬時に黒へ切り替わった。

つづく。

iTunes Playlist Link::

メモ

「Bombay型（ボンベイ型、hh型）」

•特徴：通常のABO血液型を持たない（A、B、Oに分類されない）特殊な型。

•発見地：1952年、インド・ムンバイ（旧ボンベイ）で初めて確認。

•発生頻度：インドでは1万人に1人程度だが、世界的には約250万人に1人とも。

•輸血制限：同じBombay型しか輸血できない。

2024年ハーバード大学首席の卒業式スピーチ『知らないことの力』

Shots fired at Trump rally

youtu.be/PfJzQuqWSSE?si=Y2g0HzhoVjnR46zS

_________________________________

２０２5年の展示

テーマ

The Nightfly

僕の次の小説。B♭（ビーフラット）

そのイメージになります。

小説の一部分を抜粋し、公開します。

Images.

Taylor Swift … This Love 【和訳】

Mitsushiro - Nakagawa

主催

デザインフェスタ

場所

東京ビッグサイト

m.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/50656401427/in/dateposted-p...

日程

2025年秋。

exhibition.mitsushiro.nakagawa@gmail.com

_________________________________

重要なお知らせ。

僕は以下の条件を緩和します。

僕はTシャツを無料で世界中へ配布します。

m.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/50613367691/in/dateposted-p...

_________________________________

タイトル

“” A.I. 　アップルのアイデンティティについて””

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54271473379/in/dateposted...

マークザッカーバーグ氏の批判に、アップルは耳を傾けるだろうか。

僕にはそう思えない。アップルヴィジョンプロに夢を見せられた僕には。

_________________________________

新婚旅行の8mmフィルムを数十年ぶりに復活😃

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

_________________________________

” Lot No.402_ ” に関するお知らせ。

今後、僕は、” Lot No.402_ ”を主催します。

このロットナンバーは、眠っていたレオナルドダヴィンチの作品がオークションにかけらた際に付されたものです。

作品にはサインなどがいっさい記されていなかったため、彼の作品だと断定できませんでした。

しかし、様々な鑑定の結果、陽の光を浴びました。

誰にも気づかれない作品。肩書がなくとも静かに語りかける作品。

僕はこれから様々な形で、多くの皆様に提供できるよう努めてゆきます。

2020年10月24日 by Mitsushiro - Nakagawa.

_________________________________

プロフィール

2014年11月、たった1機種で世界を塗り替えた携帯電話の広告を請け負った選考者の目に留まり、秘密保持同意書を結ぶ。

_________________________________

インタビューと小説。

僕の本について。

僕は、昔に本を出版しました。

その際に、僕のインタビューをPDFでネット上へアップロードしていました。

その日本語と英語。

僕は、無料でを公開します。

詳細は、アマゾンのサイトへ解説しました。

小説の書き方。

写真の撮影方法。

作品への距離感。

これらはすべて共通項があります。

僕は、僕が感じたことを文章にして、残しました。

僕のテキストが多くの人に読んでもらえることを望みます。

ありがとう。

Mitsushiro.

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

１　インタビュー　英語版

２　小説。unforgettable’ 英語版。

３　インタビュー　日本語版

４　小説。unforgettable’ 日本語版。(この小説は未来のアーティストへ捧げます)

(四百字詰め原稿用紙４５６枚)

　あらすじ

　大学を目指している北見ケイは、SNS上で、6歳年上のイベントコンパニオン、上村香織に出会う。

　上京してきた香織の夢は、有名なアーティストの友達になるためだ。

　そのためにはラジオ局のプロデューサー、大沢亮の存在が必要だった。

　大沢は、ラジオの生放送中、香織へ語りかける。

　「僕には妻子がある。しかし、僕は君に会いたいと思っている」

　ケイの同級生で、彼を想っている三條里香は、香織の動向を探っていた。。。。。

本編

人が海へ向かう理由には、二つある。

　ひとつは、波打ち際ではしゃぐ子供のように、今の瞬間の海の輝きを楽しむこと。

　もうひとつは、その輝きを静かに見据えて、過ぎ去った日々を懐かしむ老人のように記憶の埃を払うこと。

　二つは重なり合わないようではあるけれども、たったひとつの意味しか生まない。

　再生だ。

　明日っていう、曖昧な日を確実なものへと変えてゆくために、自分の存在に向き合う。

　それが再生の意味だ。

　十八歳だった僕には大切な人がいた。

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

５　流線形の軌跡。　日本語のみ。

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

_________________________________

iBooks.電子出版。（現在は無料）

0.about the iBooks.

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

1.unforgettable’ ( ENG.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)

itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216576828?ls=1&...

2.unforgettable’ ( JNP.ver.)(この小説は未来のアーティストへ捧げます)

itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216584262?ls=1&...

3.流線形の軌跡。

itunes.apple.com/us/book/%E6%B5%81%E7%B7%9A%E5%BD%A2%E3%8...

_________________________________

僕の小説。英語版　

My Novel Unforgettable' (This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)

Mitsushiro Nakagawa

All Translated by Yumi Ikeda .

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24577016535/in/dateposted...

1/9

2/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24209330259/in/dateposted...

3/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/23975215274/in/dateposted...

4/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24515964952/in/dateposted...

5/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24276473749/in/dateposted...

6/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24548895082/in/dateposted...

7/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24594603711/in/dateposted...

8/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24588215562/in/dateposted...

9/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24100804163/in/dateposted...

Fin.

images.

U2 - No Line On The Horizon Live in Dublin

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related

_________________________________

Title of my book : unforgettable'

Author : Mitsushiro Nakagawa

Out Now.

ISBN978-4-86264-866-2

in Amazon.

Unforgettable’ amzn.asia/d/eG1wNc5

_________________________________

僕の作品。

1 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48072442376/in/dateposted...

2 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48078949821/in/dateposted...

3 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48085863356/in/dateposted...

_________________________________

あなたは僕の声を聞きたいですか？

フリッカーへ投稿した写真の構図について。１種類目。

フリッカーへ投稿した写真の構図について。２種類目。

Fotologを始めた時について。建築家の視点。

なぜ、今までカメラを手にしなかったのか？

何が一番かっこいいのか？　写真はありのままに。

現在のユーチューバーについて。僕も伝え、残したい。

日本人の写真家について。日本のユーチューバーはピストルズ。

写真の構図は、感性。ミラノのデザイナーに会って。二つの質問。

良い構図とは？　悪い構図とは？

カメラを向ける時とは？　ファインダーやディスプレイを覗いていては遅い。

家族写真。他人では撮れない。被写体の内面。

ユーチューブの写真家について。カメラの技術等。感性は、本を読むことで磨く。

日本の新聞について。良い新聞の写真はロイター。ダメな写真を見続けるとダメになる。

日本の写真家について。その展示について。

まとめ。僕が書いた小説など。僕が最も伝えたいこと。

_________________________________

作品制作について 1/2

作品制作について 2/2

１　それまでの写真展。自分は行きたいと思ったか？

２　じゃ、自分が足を運んででも行きたい展示とは何か？

３　原宿デザインフェスタで個展を開くまでに、毎月ひとつの作品を展示することにチャレンジ。

４　作品とは、素材とシルエット。ファッションと似ている。

５　自分が好きなアーティストは誰か？　どんなものなのか？　そこをはっきりさせる。

６　コラージュの作成も写真の撮り方と全く同じ。インタビューに書いたように小説の書き方とも同じ。

７　誰かに見せたい、見せるがために作品は作らない。写真と同じように自分の部屋に飾りたい作品を目指す。

８　パクリとは何か？　昨今、叩かれるパクリ疑惑。ミメーシスとは？

　　https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ミメーシス

　　https://kotobank.jp/word/ミメーシス-139464

９　個性とはなにか？　オリジナリティってなに？

おまけ　眞子さまについて

という流れです。

お時間がある方は是非聴いてください。

_________________________________

構図の解説２

1.構図の解説２ ... 1/4

2.構図の解説２ ... 2/4

3.構図の解説２ ... 3/4

4.構図の解説２ ... 4/4

_________________________________

僕のシャッター感覚

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/49127115021/in/dateposted...

In the Eurostar to Venice . 2005. shot ... 1 / 2

_________________________________

Miles Davis sheet 1955-1976.

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

_________________________________

flickr.

_________________________________

YouTube.

_________________________________

instagram.

_________________________________

Pinterest.

_________________________________

YouPic

www.fotolog.com/stealaway/

_________________________________

fotolog

_________________________________

twitter.

_________________________________

facebook.

_________________________________

threads.

_________________________________

Blue sky.

www.amazon.co.jp/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AHSKI3YMYPYE5UE...

_________________________________

Amazon.

_________________________________

僕の統計（2025年5月12日現在）

フリッカー、ユーピクのアクセス数は？

Flickr 25,354,244 View

Youpic 8,533,634 View

僕の統計。（2024年12月15日現在）

フリッカー、ユーピクのアクセス数は？

Flickr 24,260,172 View

Youpic 7,957,826 View

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

僕の統計。（2024年8月1日現在）

フリッカー、ユーピクのアクセス数は？

Flickr 23,192,383 View

Youpic 7,574,603 View

僕の統計。（2024年2月7日現在）

フリッカー、ユーピクのアクセス数は？

Flickr 21,694,434 View

Youpic 7,003,230 View

僕の統計。（2023年11月13日現在）

フリッカー、ユーピクのアクセス数は？

Flickr 20,852,872 View

Youpic 6,671,486 View

_________________________________

Japanese is the following.

Title of my book unforgettable' Mitsushiro Nakagawa Out Now. ISBN978-4-86264-866-2

_________________________________

” Lot No.402_ ” に関するお知らせ。

今後、僕は、” Lot No.402_ ”を主催します。

このロットナンバーは、眠っていたレオナルドダヴィンチの作品がオークションにかけらた際に付されたものです。

作品にはサインなどがいっさい記されていなかったため、彼の作品だと断定できませんでした。

しかし、様々な鑑定の結果、陽の光を浴びました。

誰にも気づかれない作品。肩書がなくとも静かに語りかける作品。

僕はこれから様々な形で、多くの皆様に提供できるよう努めてゆきます。

2020年10月24日 by Mitsushiro - Nakagawa.

_________________________________

Exit [Titles for six photos: Riding in a Taxi. :)] by Mitsushiro Nakagawa

75 2

Title:

Exit

[Titles for six photos: Riding in a Taxi. :)]

( LUMIX G3 shot )

Paris. France. 2012. … 5 / 6

(Today's photo. It is unpublished.)

Images.

Chris Stapleton - Bad As I Used To Be

youtu.be/p13Cn0mONP8?si=vpHfua7k0oDdolV5

::Photo Music and iTunes Playlist Link::

music.apple.com/jp/playlist/photo-music/pl.u-Eg8qefpy8Xz

_________________________________

“A.I. - About Apple’s Identity”

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54271473379/in/dateposted...

---

### Will Apple Listen to Mark Zuckerberg’s Criticism?

I Don’t Think So—At Least Not for Someone Enchanted by the Apple Vision Pro.

Appearing on a podcast originating from Apple and then proceeding to criticize the company might seem like a lighthearted joke, but I believe he was serious.

Why? Because he now wields a weapon—the AR glasses.

With the support of various institutions and a team of highly skilled professionals, he has likely achieved some notable milestones. Yet, as someone who has been a devoted Apple user since the PowerBook 540c, I still do not sense any real craftsmanship or identity in what he creates.

This sentiment extends to other IT giants that currently dominate the world—Meta, Amazon, Tesla, Microsoft, and Google.

Just by listing their names, readers of this text are likely already picturing their respective CEOs.

In the past, I wrote that Steve Jobs was not an artist.

What he excelled at was weaving together scattered ideas from across the world, expanding upon them, and linking them to the future.

The true creator was Jonathan Ive.

A minority of people may share this perspective with me.

However, when I see these IT moguls quickly shifting their corporate stances the moment the possibility of Trump returning to power emerges, I feel compelled to speak my mind.

The AR glasses, the cars—everything they create lacks a fundamental concept.

Call it ideology or, in lighter terms, identity.

It is true that Tim Cook and Apple’s current team have become more prone to letting slip details about upcoming products before their official release.

I have always loved music.

Artists shut themselves in a studio, cutting off the outside world, pouring their anger, hatred, joy, and sorrow into each note with intense focus.

It’s as if they are entrusting something to their music.

And when they finally release their album, they explain the emotions and thoughts behind its creation.

(Prince, whom I admire, rarely spoke about his work, so understanding his art required engaging with the final product itself.)

Until an album is complete and released, artists say nothing.

It was those artists who moved me to my core.

The faint glow of Apple’s innovation still remains within me.

Not even last year’s widely criticized "failure"—the Apple Vision Pro—could extinguish it.

In fact, it shines even brighter than the iPhone.

Because beyond its cutting-edge electronic components, I can sense a concept, an ideology.

Unfortunately, I will never feel the same from Meta’s AR glasses or Tesla’s cars.

I have written at length, but here is the key article:

**Tim Cook Donates Over $1.5 Million to Trump’s Inauguration Ceremony**

🔗 [Gigazine Article](gigazine.net/news/20250104-apple-ceo-tim-cook-donates-1-m...)

At first glance, this might make it seem like Tim Cook, like other tech CEOs, has sold his soul. But that is not the case.

While Cook personally donated to Trump, Apple itself did not follow the same path as other companies.

Apple refused to bow to Trump.

If asked what Apple’s ideology truly is, I would answer this:

**Apple is a group of individuals who believe in themselves.**

Steve Jobs, watching from heaven, is probably chuckling at this overly serious text I wrote.

A company that does not pander to Trump—

That is Apple. :)

### January 15

After reading a heartwarming article.

**Mitsushiro Nakagawa**

---

**Postscript:**

Corrections made:

Before: "Appearing on Apple's podcast"

After: "Appearing on a podcast originating from Apple"

_________________________________

Photo Music and iTunes Playlist Link::

music.apple.com/jp/playlist/photo-music/pl.u-Eg8qefpy8Xz

_________________________________

消えた境界線から生まれたもの　～去ってゆく川村記念美術館を振り返って～

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54020588671/in/dateposted...

What Emerged from the Vanishing Boundaries~ Reflecting on the Departing Kawamura Memorial Museum ~

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54020588671/in/dateposted...

_________________________________

8mm film of our honeymoon resurrected after decades.

fujifilmmall.jp/conversion/?_gl=1*1smvac9*_gcl_au*NTA1NDU....

We found the 8mm film of our honeymoon for the first time in decades, and burned it onto a DVD.

On June 6, 1993, we got married, and headed straight to Nassau, Bahamas, via New York.

Our destination was the pink sand beach where the late Princess Diana went on her honeymoon.

If you're heading to the Bahamas, this might be a good reference.

The hotel we stayed at was the Ramada Hotel, which no longer exists.

My wife is showing us the hotel room.

But now you can see the beautiful scenery in real time.

When I played the DVD that arrived, it showed footage of our arrival in the Bahamas.

Please take a look if you'd like.

This time, we asked Fujifilm to make the DVD.

I'll post the link below.

Digitize videos and photos and convert them to DVDs | Fujifilm

#Bahamas #Nassau #PinkSandBeach #Honeymoon #1993

_________________________________

Important Notices.

I have relaxed the following conditions.

I will distribute my T-shirt to the world for free.

m.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/50656401427/in/dateposted-p...

m.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/50613367691/in/dateposted-p...

_________________________________

Exhibition in 2025

Theme

The Nightfly

Images

Donald Fagen … I.G.Y.

youtu.be/Ueivjr3f8xg?si=xmqGPQjyIKoTs4Q5

Live.

youtu.be/Di0_KYtmVKI?si=CLFpU2n0gXahqLPB

Mitsushiro - Nakagawa

Organizer

Design Festa

Location

Tokyo Big Sight

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

Date

Autumn 2025.

exhibition.mitsushiro.nakagawa@gmail.com

_________________________________

Notice regarding "Lot No.402_”.

From now on I will host "Lot No.402_".

The work of Leonardo da Vinci who was sleeping.

That is the number when it was put up for auction.

No sign was written on the work.

So this work couldn't conclude that it was his work.

However # as a result of various appraisals # it was exposed to the sun.

A work that no one notices. A work that speaks quietly without a title.

I will continue to strive to provide it to many people in various ways.

October 24 2020 by Mitsushiro - Nakagawa.

_________________________________

Profile.

_________________________________

Here’s a translated version with a style suitable for a news site introduction:

---

### **Interview and Novel: My Work**

I published a book in the past.

At that time, I uploaded my interview as a PDF online, both in Japanese and English.

Now, I am making it available for free.

More details can be found on Amazon.

**Writing a Novel.**

**Photography Techniques.**

**The Sense of Distance Between the Creator and the Work.**

These all share a common theme.

I put into words the things I felt and left them behind as a record.

I hope my text reaches many readers.

Thank you.

**Mitsushiro**

🔗 **[Access the Files Here](drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...)**

### **Contents**

📄 **1. Interview (English Version)**

📖 **2. Novel: *Unforgettable* (English Version)**

📄 **3. Interview (Japanese Version)**

📖 **4. Novel: *Unforgettable* (Japanese Version)**

*(This novel is dedicated to future artists.)*

*(456 pages in Japanese manuscript format.)*

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

---

### **Synopsis**

Kei Kitami, a student preparing for university entrance exams, meets Kaori Kamimura, an event companion six years his senior, through social media.

Kaori has come to Tokyo with a dream—to befriend famous artists.

To achieve this, she needs the influence of Ryo Osawa, a well-known radio producer.

During a live radio broadcast, Osawa speaks directly to Kaori:

*"I have a wife and child. But still, I want to see you."*

Meanwhile, Rika Sanjo, Kei’s classmate who secretly harbors feelings for him, is closely watching Kaori’s every move...

---

Main story

There are two reasons why a person faces the sea.

One to enjoy a slice of shine in the sea like children bubbling over in the beach.

The other to brush the dust of memory like an old man who misses old days staring at the shine

quietly.

Those lead to only one meaning though they do not seem to overlap. It’s a rebirth.

I face myself to change tomorrow a vague day into something certain.

That is the meaning of a rebirth.

I had a very sweet girlfriend when I was 18.

After she left I knew the meaning of gentleness for the first time and also a true pain of loss. After

she left # how many times did I depend too much on her # doubt her # envy her and keep on telling lies

until I realized it is love?

I wonder whether a nobody like me could have given something to her who was struggling in the

daily life in those days. Giving something is arrogant conceit. It is nothing but self-satisfaction.

I had been thinking about such a thing.

However I guess what she saw in me was because I had nothing. That‘s why she tried to see

something in me. Perhaps she found a slight possibility in me # a guy filled with ambiguous unstable

tomorrow. But I wasted days depending too much on her gentleness.

Now I finally can convey how I felt in those days when we met.

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

_________________________________

iBooks. Electronic Publishing. It is free now.

0.about the iBooks.

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

1.unforgettable '(ENG.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)

itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216576828?ls=1&...

2.unforgettable '(JNP.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)

itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216584262?ls=1&...

3. Streamlined trajectory.(For Japanese only.)

itunes.apple.com/us/book/%E6%B5%81%E7%B7%9A%E5%BD%A2%E3%8... =11

_________________________________

My Novel : Unforgettable'

(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)

Kei Kitami, a student preparing for university entrance exams, meets Kaori Kamimura, an event companion six years his senior, through social media.

Kaori has come to Tokyo with a dream—to befriend famous artists.

To achieve this, she needs the influence of Ryo Osawa, a well-known radio producer.

During a live radio broadcast, Osawa speaks directly to Kaori:

*"I have a wife and child. But still, I want to see you."*

Meanwhile, Rika Sanjo, Kei’s classmate who secretly harbors feelings for him, is closely watching Kaori’s every move...

Mitsushiro Nakagawa

All Translated by Yumi Ikeda .

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related

images.

U2 - No Line On The Horizon Live in Dublin

Main story

There are two reasons why a person faces the sea.

One to enjoy a slice of shine in the sea like children bubbling over in the beach.

The other to brush the dust of memory like an old man who misses old days staring at the shine

quietly.

Those lead to only one meaning though they do not seem to overlap. It’s a rebirth.

I face myself to change tomorrow a vague day into something certain.

That is the meaning of a rebirth.

I had a very sweet girlfriend when I was 18.

After she left I knew the meaning of gentleness for the first time and also a true pain of loss. After

she left # how many times did I depend too much on her # doubt her # envy her and keep on telling lies

until I realized it is love?

I wonder whether a nobody like me could have given something to her who was struggling in the

daily life in those days. Giving something is arrogant conceit. It is nothing but self-satisfaction.

I had been thinking about such a thing.

However I guess what she saw in me was because I had nothing. That‘s why she tried to see

something in me. Perhaps she found a slight possibility in me # a guy filled with ambiguous unstable

tomorrow. But I wasted days depending too much on her gentleness.

Now I finally can convey how I felt in those days when we met.

1/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24577016535/in/dateposted...

2/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24209330259/in/dateposted...

3/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/23975215274/in/dateposted...

4/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24515964952/in/dateposted...

5/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24276473749/in/dateposted...

6/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24548895082/in/dateposted...

7/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24594603711/in/dateposted...

8/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24588215562/in/dateposted...

9/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24100804163/in/dateposted...

Fin.

images.

U2 - No Line On The Horizon

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related

_________________________________

Title of my book : unforgettable'

Author : Mitsushiro Nakagawa

Out Now.

ISBN978-4-86264-866-2

in Amazon.

Unforgettable’ amzn.asia/d/eG1wNc5

_________________________________

The schedule of the next novel.

Still would stand all time. (Unforgettable '2)

(It will not go away forever)

Please give me some more time. That is Japanese.

_________________________________

My Works.

1 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48072442376/in/dateposted...

2 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48078949821/in/dateposted...

3 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48085863356/in/dateposted...

_________________________________

Do you want to hear my voice?

About the composition of the picture posted to Flicker. First type.

About the composition of the picture posted to Flicker. Second type.

About when I started Fotolog. Architect 's point of view.

Why did not you have a camera so far?

What is the coolest thing? The photo is as it is.

About the current YouTube bar. I also want to tell # I want to leave.

About Japanese photographers. Japanese YouTube bar is Pistols.

The composition of the photograph is sensibility. Meet the designers in Milan. Two questions.

What is a good composition? What is a bad composition?

What is the time to point the camera? It is slow if you are looking into the viewfinder or display.

Family photos. I can not take pictures with others. The inside of the subject.

About YouTube 's photographer. Camera technology etc. Sensibility is polished by reading books.

About the Japanese newspaper. A picture of a good newspaper is Reuters. If you continue to look at useless photographs # it will be useless.

About Japanese photographers. About the exhibition.

Summary. I wrote a novel etc. What I want to tell the most.

_________________________________

I talked about how to make a work.

About work production 1/2

About work production 2/2

ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimesis

1 Photo exhibition up to that point. Did you want to go?

2 Well # what is an exhibition that you want to visit even if you go there?

3 Challenge to exhibit one work every month before opening a solo exhibition at the Harajuku Design Festa.

4 works are materials and silhouettes. Similar to fashion.

5 Who is your favorite artist? What is it? Make it clear.

6 Creating a collage is exactly the same as taking photos. As I wrote in the interview # it is the same as writing a novel.

7 I want to show it to someone # but I do not make a piece to show it. Aim for the work you want to decorate your own room as in the photo.

8 What is copycat? Nowadays # it is suspected to be beaten. There is something called Mimesis?

kotobank.jp/word/Mimesis-139464

9 What is Individuality? What is originality?

_________________________________

Explanation of composition. 2

1.Composition explanation 2 ... 1/4

youtu.be/yVbvneBIMs8

2.Composition explanation 2 ... 2/4

youtu.be/LToFez9vOAw

3.Composition Explanation 2 ... 3/4

youtu.be/uTR0wVi9Z7M

4.Composition Explanation 2 ... 4/4

youtu.be/h2LjfU6Vvno

_________________________________

My shutter feeling.

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/49127115021/in/dateposted...

Today's photo.

It is a photo taken from Eurostar.

This video is an explanation.

I went to Milan in 2005.

At that time # I went from Milan to Venice.

We took Eurostar into the transportation.

This photo was not taken from a very fast Eurostar.

When I changed the track # I took a picture at the moment I slowed down.

Is there a Japanese beside you?

Please have my video translated.

In the Eurostar to Venice . 2005. shot ... 1 / 2

_________________________________

Miles Davis sheet 1955-1976.

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

_________________________________

flickr.

_________________________________

instagram.

_________________________________

Pinterest.

_________________________________

YouPic

_________________________________

twitter.

_________________________________

facebook.

_________________________________

threads.

_________________________________

Blue sky.

www.amazon.co.jp/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AHSKI3YMYPYE5UE...

_________________________________

Amazon.

_________________________________

My Statistics (as of May 12, 2025)

Flickr and YouPic views:

Flickr 25,354,244 View

Youpic 8,533,634 View

My statistics (as of December 15, 2024)

How many views have you had on Flickr and Youpic

Flickr 24,260,172 Views

Youpic 7,957,826 Views

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

My statistics (as of August 1, 2024)

How many views have I had on Flickr and Youpic

Flickr 23,192,383 Views

Youpic 7,574,603 Views

My statistics. (As of February 7, 2024)

What is the number of accesses to Flickr and YouPic

Flickr 21,694,434 Views

Youpic 7,003,230 Views

What is the number of accesses to Flickr and YouPic?

(As of November 13, 2023)

Flickr 20,852,872 View

Youpic 6,671,486 View

_________________________________

Japanese is the following.

Title of my book unforgettable' Mitsushiro Nakagawa Out Now. ISBN978-4-86264-866-2

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Title.

出口。

【６枚の写真のタイトル。タクシー乗車中。:)】

( LUMIX G3 shot )

パリ。フランス。2012. … 5 / 6

(今日の写真。それは未発表です。）

Images.

Chris Stapleton - Bad As I Used To Be

youtu.be/p13Cn0mONP8?si=vpHfua7k0oDdolV5

::写真の音楽とiTunesプレイリストをリンク::

music.apple.com/jp/playlist/photo-music/pl.u-Eg8qefpy8Xz

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重要なお知らせ。

僕は以下の条件を緩和します。

僕はTシャツを無料で世界中へ配布します。

m.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/50656401427/in/dateposted-p...

m.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/50613367691/in/dateposted-p...

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２０２5年の展示

テーマ

The Nightfly

Images

Donald Fagen … I.G.Y.

youtu.be/Ueivjr3f8xg?si=xmqGPQjyIKoTs4Q5

Live.

youtu.be/Di0_KYtmVKI?si=CLFpU2n0gXahqLPB

Mitsushiro - Nakagawa

主催

デザインフェスタ

場所

東京ビッグサイト

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54271473379/in/dateposted...

日程

2025年秋。

exhibition.mitsushiro.nakagawa@gmail.com

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タイトル

“” A.I. 　アップルのアイデンティティについて””

マークザッカーバーグ氏の批判に、アップルは耳を傾けるだろうか。

僕にはそう思えない。アップルヴィジョンプロに夢を見せられた僕には。

メタのマークザッカーバーグ氏は、有名なポッドキャストに出演し、アップルはアイフォン以来革新的な製品を発売せず、売り上げも落ちていると批判したようだ。

アップル発祥のポッドキャストに現れ、アップルを批判すると言うのは軽いジョークに思えるが、真剣に訴えたんだろうと僕は思う。

なぜなら、今の彼はARグラスという武器を手にしているからだ。

おそらく、さまざまな関係機関や優秀なスタッフが彼を支え、それなりの目標を達成したんだろうが、パワーブック５４０cから使い続けてきた僕のような古いアップルファンからしてみれば、まだ物作りのアイデンティを彼からはまったく感じない。

これは他の、現在世界を制覇しているIT企業らも含む。

メタ、アマゾン、テスラ。マイクロソフト。グーグル。

社名が並ぶだけで、このテキストを読まれている方は名前と顔をすでに浮かべているはずだ。

僕は以前、スティーブ・ジョブズはアーティストではないと書いた。

彼は、現世界に散らばったイメージを紡ぎ合わせ、それを膨らます。そして未来へリンクさせる。それが得意だっただけだ。

実際に創作していたのはジョナサンアイブだ。少数ながらも僕のような意見を持っている方もいるだろう。

しかし、先述したIT関連の面々が、トランプ氏に再び権力が戻るとなった途端に会社の方針を覆す様子を見ていると、僕は一言、どうしても意見したいのだ。

彼らが作ったARグラスや車などには、肝心な観念が欠けている。思想という重い言葉や、軽めのアイデンティティと言い換えてもいい。

確かに、ティムクック氏やアップルの現在のスタッフらは、発売前の商品に関して口を滑らせることが多くなった。

僕は、以前から書いているように音楽が大好きだ。

外界を断ち、アーティストらがスタジオにこもって、怒りや憎しみ、喜びや悲しみを一心不乱になって一音に吹き込む。何かを託すと言ってもいい。

そして、完成したアルバムを発表し、どんな思いを込めて制作したのかを語る。（僕が好きなプリンスはほとんど語らなかったので、完成された作品を理解する必要があった）

アルバムが完成し、発表するまで、彼らはひとことも語らない。

僕の胸を震わせたのは、そんなアーティストらだった。

僕の中に淡く灯っているアップルの革新性は、いまでも消えていない。

それは昨年、大失敗だと批判されたアップルヴィジョンプロでさえも消すことはできない。むしろ、アイフォン以上の強烈な光を放っている。

ただの斬新な電化製品ではなく、細かな電気部品の向こうに観念や思想を感じるからだ。

残念ながら、メタのARグラスやテスラの車に、僕がその観念や思想を感じることは今後もないだろう。

長々と書いてきたが、結論は以下の記事だ。

1.5億円超をAppleのティム・クックCEOがトランプの大統領就任式に寄付

gigazine.net/news/20250104-apple-ceo-tim-cook-donates-1-m...

一読すると、ティムクック氏も他のIT会社同様、魂を売ったのかと思われるがそうではない。

ティムクック氏は個人的にトランプ氏へ献金をするが、アップル社だけは他社と同じようには献金していない。

アップルは、トランプ氏になびかなかったのだ。

アップル社の観念や思想とは、具体的に何かと訊かれたら、僕はこう答える。

アップルとは、自分自身を信じる人間が集まっているグループだ。

たぶん、天国のスティーブ・ジョブズは、僕がクソ真面目に書いたテキストを、鼻で笑っていることだろう。

トランプ氏に媚びない会社。

それがAppleさ。:)

１月１５日

嬉しい記事を読んだ後で。

Mitsushiro Nakagawa.

追記。

修正しました。

修正前　アップルのポッドキャストに現れ、

修正後　アップル発祥のポッドキャストに現れ、

_________________________________

新婚旅行の8mmフィルムを数十年ぶりに復活😃

fujifilmmall.jp/conversion/?_gl=1*1smvac9*_gcl_au*NTA1NDU....

新婚旅行の8mmフィルムが数十年ぶりに出てきて、DVDに焼きました。

１９９３年６月６日、僕らは結婚し、そのままニューヨークを経由して、バハマのナッソーへ向かいました。

目的地は、亡くなられたダイアナ妃が新婚旅行へ向かったピンクサンドビーチです。

もしもこれからバハマへ向かうならば、参考に見てもよいかもしれません。

泊まったホテルは、今はもうないラマダホテル。

妻がホテルの部屋を紹介しています。

でも、今はリアルタイムで美しい景色が見られますね。

届いたDVDを再生したら、バハマに到着したところからの映像でした。

もしもよかったら見てください。

今回、DVD化を依頼した場所は、富士フィルムさんです。

下にリンクを貼っておきます。

ビデオや写真をデータ化しDVDに変換 | 富士フイルム

#バハマ #ナッソー #ピンクサンドビーチ #新婚旅行 #1993

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” Lot No.402_ ” に関するお知らせ。

今後、僕は、” Lot No.402_ ”を主催します。

このロットナンバーは、眠っていたレオナルドダヴィンチの作品がオークションにかけらた際に付されたものです。

作品にはサインなどがいっさい記されていなかったため、彼の作品だと断定できませんでした。

しかし、様々な鑑定の結果、陽の光を浴びました。

誰にも気づかれない作品。肩書がなくとも静かに語りかける作品。

僕はこれから様々な形で、多くの皆様に提供できるよう努めてゆきます。

2020年10月24日 by Mitsushiro - Nakagawa.

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プロフィール

2014年11月、たった1機種で世界を塗り替えた携帯電話の広告を請け負った選考者の目に留まり、秘密保持同意書を結ぶ。

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

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インタビューと小説。

僕の本について。

僕は、昔に本を出版しました。

その際に、僕のインタビューをPDFでネット上へアップロードしていました。

その日本語と英語。

僕は、無料でを公開します。

詳細は、アマゾンのサイトへ解説しました。

小説の書き方。

写真の撮影方法。

作品への距離感。

これらはすべて共通項があります。

僕は、僕が感じたことを文章にして、残しました。

僕のテキストが多くの人に読んでもらえることを望みます。

ありがとう。

Mitsushiro.

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

１　インタビュー　英語版

２　小説。unforgettable’ 英語版。

３　インタビュー　日本語版

４　小説。unforgettable’ 日本語版。(この小説は未来のアーティストへ捧げます)

(四百字詰め原稿用紙４５６枚)

　あらすじ

　大学を目指している北見ケイは、SNS上で、6歳年上のイベントコンパニオン、上村香織に出会う。

　上京してきた香織の夢は、有名なアーティストの友達になるためだ。

　そのためにはラジオ局のプロデューサー、大沢亮の存在が必要だった。

　大沢は、ラジオの生放送中、香織へ語りかける。

　「僕には妻子がある。しかし、僕は君に会いたいと思っている」

　ケイの同級生で、彼を想っている三條里香は、香織の動向を探っていた。。。。。

本編

人が海へ向かう理由には、二つある。

　ひとつは、波打ち際ではしゃぐ子供のように、今の瞬間の海の輝きを楽しむこと。

　もうひとつは、その輝きを静かに見据えて、過ぎ去った日々を懐かしむ老人のように記憶の埃を払うこと。

　二つは重なり合わないようではあるけれども、たったひとつの意味しか生まない。

　再生だ。

　明日っていう、曖昧な日を確実なものへと変えてゆくために、自分の存在に向き合う。

　それが再生の意味だ。

　十八歳だった僕には大切な人がいた。

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

５　流線形の軌跡。　日本語のみ。

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

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iBooks.電子出版。（現在は無料）

0.about the iBooks.

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

1.unforgettable’ ( ENG.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)

itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216576828?ls=1&...

2.unforgettable’ ( JNP.ver.)(この小説は未来のアーティストへ捧げます)

itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216584262?ls=1&...

3.流線形の軌跡。

itunes.apple.com/us/book/%E6%B5%81%E7%B7%9A%E5%BD%A2%E3%8...

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僕の小説。英語版　

My Novel Unforgettable' (This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)

Mitsushiro Nakagawa

All Translated by Yumi Ikeda .

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24577016535/in/dateposted...

1/9

2/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24209330259/in/dateposted...

3/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/23975215274/in/dateposted...

4/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24515964952/in/dateposted...

5/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24276473749/in/dateposted...

6/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24548895082/in/dateposted...

7/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24594603711/in/dateposted...

8/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24588215562/in/dateposted...

9/9

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24100804163/in/dateposted...

Fin.

images.

U2 - No Line On The Horizon Live in Dublin

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related

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Title of my book : unforgettable'

Author : Mitsushiro Nakagawa

Out Now.

ISBN978-4-86264-866-2

in Amazon.

Unforgettable’ amzn.asia/d/eG1wNc5

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僕の作品。

1 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48072442376/in/dateposted...

2 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48078949821/in/dateposted...

3 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48085863356/in/dateposted...

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あなたは僕の声を聞きたいですか？

フリッカーへ投稿した写真の構図について。１種類目。

フリッカーへ投稿した写真の構図について。２種類目。

Fotologを始めた時について。建築家の視点。

なぜ、今までカメラを手にしなかったのか？

何が一番かっこいいのか？　写真はありのままに。

現在のユーチューバーについて。僕も伝え、残したい。

日本人の写真家について。日本のユーチューバーはピストルズ。

写真の構図は、感性。ミラノのデザイナーに会って。二つの質問。

良い構図とは？　悪い構図とは？

カメラを向ける時とは？　ファインダーやディスプレイを覗いていては遅い。

家族写真。他人では撮れない。被写体の内面。

ユーチューブの写真家について。カメラの技術等。感性は、本を読むことで磨く。

日本の新聞について。良い新聞の写真はロイター。ダメな写真を見続けるとダメになる。

日本の写真家について。その展示について。

まとめ。僕が書いた小説など。僕が最も伝えたいこと。

_________________________________

作品制作について 1/2

作品制作について 2/2

１　それまでの写真展。自分は行きたいと思ったか？

２　じゃ、自分が足を運んででも行きたい展示とは何か？

３　原宿デザインフェスタで個展を開くまでに、毎月ひとつの作品を展示することにチャレンジ。

４　作品とは、素材とシルエット。ファッションと似ている。

５　自分が好きなアーティストは誰か？　どんなものなのか？　そこをはっきりさせる。

６　コラージュの作成も写真の撮り方と全く同じ。インタビューに書いたように小説の書き方とも同じ。

７　誰かに見せたい、見せるがために作品は作らない。写真と同じように自分の部屋に飾りたい作品を目指す。

８　パクリとは何か？　昨今、叩かれるパクリ疑惑。ミメーシスとは？

　　https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ミメーシス

　　https://kotobank.jp/word/ミメーシス-139464

９　個性とはなにか？　オリジナリティってなに？

おまけ　眞子さまについて

という流れです。

お時間がある方は是非聴いてください。

_________________________________

構図の解説２

1.構図の解説２ ... 1/4

2.構図の解説２ ... 2/4

3.構図の解説２ ... 3/4

4.構図の解説２ ... 4/4

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僕のシャッター感覚

www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/49127115021/in/dateposted...

In the Eurostar to Venice . 2005. shot ... 1 / 2

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Miles Davis sheet 1955-1976.

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...

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flickr.

_________________________________

YouTube.

_________________________________

instagram.

_________________________________

Pinterest.

_________________________________

YouPic

www.fotolog.com/stealaway/

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fotolog

_________________________________

twitter.

_________________________________

facebook.

_________________________________

threads.

_________________________________

Blue sky.

www.amazon.co.jp/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AHSKI3YMYPYE5UE...

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Amazon.

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僕の統計（2025年5月12日現在）

フリッカー、ユーピクのアクセス数は？

Flickr 25,354,244 View

Youpic 8,533,634 View

僕の統計。（2024年12月15日現在）

フリッカー、ユーピクのアクセス数は？

Flickr 24,260,172 View

Youpic 7,957,826 View