Friday, December 12, 2008

Roses in December II


















Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I was drawn to the iconography just before converting to Catholicism, and only later learned the detailed mythology, history, and associations with December, my birthday month, the roses in December, the Spanish-Mexican-Indian syncretism.



















http://eriklerouge.blogspot.com/2006/12/roses-in-december.html



















Here's a scarier version, Our Lady of Guadalupe fighting off evil. One doesn't have to be a fan of Guadalupe to recognize and fight evil. In times like these, we see it swirling all around us at every level and in every corner of the globe.




















December 9, 2008, was John Milton's 400th birthday. His epic Paradise Lost (1667-1674) makes as compelling reading now as ever (there's even a movie adaptation in the works). Milton shows Lucifer's perspective: Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven. Earthly corruption, corrosive greed and hubris. We need more people to serve here on Earth, with compassion, with competence and with fairness. Is this asking too much?

Today's Rune: Separation (Reversed).

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes.--Blago

Distributorcap said...

milton is 400? he doesnt look a day over 40

Charles Gramlich said...

I agree, we need more people to serve with compassion, but it seems that isn't good theater and so we never hear about them. Awards go to the greedy and vapid and vain.

Ok, enough ranting. There are good folks out there.

Anonymous said...

TODAY IS ALSO ST. LUCIA DAY IN SWEDEN BY WAY OF SICILY. SWEDES ONCE OCCUPIED THAT ISLAND.

Lana Gramlich said...

Is it asking too much? You'd surely know the answer from THIS die hard cynic, I'm sure.
I love the photo of the woman in the headdress!

jodi said...

I had a very zealous, catholic aunt that had very scary religious art and iconery around. That stuff was weird and I don't know where she found it.