:)

[carex]

This photo called “Through the Garden” by Nicky Flint won 1st place in the category of Beautiful Gardens in the 2018 International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition. It’s of Great Dixter which we’ll explore on the first day of my May tour along with Sissinghurst & the private garden Fairlight End. Curious about both classic AND contemporary English gardens? Message me.

[colorel11]

© Julian Weyer

Dresden

[little-miss-rasputin-pageant]

Discovering a new Norse blog, but then finding out they're racist:

[crissyenchanted]

Sorry kids, Vikings were racist, we'd kill ya in a snap before we were christianized

[kimi-eats-gluten-free]

I’ve been living off of a big batch of lentil rice for the last few days and it’s good and so easy - steamed rice with added canned lentils, cumin powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, a bit of ground cinnamon, bottled lime juice and black pepper. This time I had it with baked spicy chicken strips (coated with smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and Fry Light cooking oil spray), spinach, cucumber and a tomato.

[silvaris]

Irish Pond by Jerry Martinez

[chintakaya-deactivated20190713]

[thelordismylightandmysalvation]

♥

[crissyenchanted]

Love lillies 💜

[astroalive]

Fronts the Signs Put Up

Aries: Agression - Arians are bold and strong but not naturally aggressive in the sense that most think. As the children of the Zodiac they can struggle to express themselves and view emotions in a somewhat immature way. They feel that revealing the soft, loving, delicate part of them that hopes and dreams in ways that no other Sign could ever is a weakness, so they cover it up with a mask of aggression.

Taurus: Confidence - Taureans can seem like the most put-together, strong, and intelligent individuals of the Zodiac but deep down they are afraid. They don’t feel secure emotionally so they put up a front of being above such feelings and are typically materialistic - objects won’t let them down or turn them away, people do. When they feel weak, alone and they need something to rely on, they fake it till they make it.

Gemini: Know-it-all - Geminis have a lot of information swirling around in their heads and they are very intelligent. But they can use this intelligence as a mask. They act like they know it all, as if their knowledge makes them better, because at times they feel like that’s all they have. And if they have nothing to offer, no one will listen to them, no one will talk to them or value them.

Cancer: Sensuality - Soft Cancerians, so desperate for love, will use their sexuality as a method of receiving attention, to make up for feeling unloved, or because their gentler, romantic view of love is not always viewed favorably by today’s society. They need love and true connections which can be stunted by the harsh world around them and lead to this coping method or front.

Leo: Pride - We all know about a Lion’s pride but very few realize why Leos put up this front. In short, it’s because they are insecure. They boast and seek to control the world around them because on the inside they are in fact self-conscious. The next time a Leo seems too abrasive or pushy cut them some slack, they are doing what they can to feel secure.

Virgo: Dependability - Virgos are dependable, don’t get me wrong, but they try very hard to be. Their biggest fear is to be useless. When they are being your shoulder to lean on, in a strange way they are leaning right back on you. They need to help others, or at least be needed by them, to feel worth something. Though they may see so stable all on their own, they truly need others but they aren’t always ready to admit it.

Libra: Perfection - Librans feel they must be perfect at all times, they allow themselves no room for error, all because they care so deeply about what others think of them. They must meet the approval of others, this is their greatest desire, so they seek to appear as perfect as possible whether perfection to them is top grades and a clean appearance or appearing as if they don’t care and are above it all. In reality they are just like the rest of us behind that mask.

Scorpio: Cynicism - Scorpios are not cynical and dark to their core, they are simply afraid to hope. They know the dark inner workings of the mind and society, so love and success can seem like a mere fantasy to them no matter how desperately they want it. Pessimism becomes a shield protecting them from being let down or worse. No matter how distant they may seem, on the inside they are still hoping.

Sagittarius: Independence - To Sagittarius, independence is perhaps the most important thing in their world so when they are in need, instead of seeking out support or someone to lean on, they pretend to need no one. Despite being social creatures who seek to communicate and learn from those around them, they can’t admit that they need someone to come home to at the end of the day, making them sometimes appear hot and cold to others. Instead of seeking out what they need, they put up a front.

Capricorn: Seriousness - Capricorns are ruled by severe Saturn so it only makes sense that they work so hard to seem strong and mature, but this is only another front. On the inside they are trapped children who often didn’t have a proper childhood - sometimes this is simply because they themselves expect too much. If you give them the chance they’ll show you just how awkward, loud, and immature they really are.

Aquarius: Intimacy - Aquarians have a complicated relationship with society. They have a lot of friends and are very social but no matter how outgoing and intimate they may seem they are truly closed off. They want to be social and popular but at the same time they are afraid to grow close to another person, to open up and share their emotions. They fear that they will always be outside looking in yet they also fear what might happen if they truly let go. So they get as close as they can and hide their fear behind a mask.

Pisces: Lightheartedness - That Pisces that always seems to be in their own little world, who giggles and never seems to take things seriously? They are burdened by thoughts and feelings beyond what your average person experiences let alone handles. Their lighthearted, unsophisticated behavior is all a front in hopes of lessening that burden. If you were haunted, would you be strong enough to bear that smiling mask?

- Lavinia Amoun

[sensorykitty]

x

[the-light-of-truth-world]

«Авва Макарий сказал: если мы будем помнить о зле, наносимом нам людьми, то в нас ослабеет память о Боге; если же будем помнить о зле, наносимом демонами, то избавимся от их уязвления». Господь заповедал нам любить человека, даже грешника, но ненавидеть грех. А изначально причина греха — в дьяволе, в демонах. Те страсти, которые нас мучат, происходят от нашего беснования, потому что мы отдаем свою душу демонам и они нами владеют. Нами то жадность овладевает, то сребролюбие, то объядение, то какая-то похоть злая, то уныние. Мы даже говорим иногда: настроение плохое. А кто нас настроил плохо? Ясно, что сатана. Поэтому если человек все время помнит о происках дьявола, все время старается с ними бороться, то он тем самым душу свою освобождает. А если человек будет помнить об обидах, которые наносят ему люди, о скорбях, горестях, то, наоборот, он теряет память о Боге. Он опускается в этот мир, начинает отношения с людьми налаживать, выяснять, обижаться, с одним разговаривать, с другим не разговаривать — то есть все время кипит в мирском котле. Протоиерей Димитрий Смирнов

[the-light-of-truth-world]

[the-light-of-truth-world]

В Крещенскую ночь вода из-под крана остаётся обычной водой из-под крана. Народное поверье считать, что ровно в полночь вся вода становится святой, ошибочно. Важно понимать, что крещенской считается только та вода, над которой был совершён особый церковный обряд — водосвятный молебен. Вот почему в Сочельник и в сам праздник Крещения Христова во всех православных храмах происходит так называемое Великое освещение воды — особое торжественное действие. Видите, не всё так просто. Святая вода не течёт из-под крана, зато её с избытком можно набрать в церковных приходах. К празднику священнослужители специально заготавливают много бочек, купелей и баков, чтобы её хватило на всех православных христиан. Протоиерей Алексей Уминский

[concupisco]

[stasianastasi]

Catherine K Chen

[officialaudreykitching-deactiva]

[the-light-of-truth-world]

Надо, не жалея себя, работать Господу… Отчего, например, вам не хочется встать вдруг? Себя жаль. Отчего не хочется стать на молитву? Себя жаль. Отчего не хочется отказать себе в той или иной пище? Себя жаль. И много, много подобного. Тело начинает кричать, как будто его ведут на виселицу. Покой тела – наш враг. Прогоните его. Рассердитесь на тело и помучьте его немного. Вот кто одолеет его, тот ревностно угождает Богу – и это можно каждую минуту, отказывая себе, без жалости к себе. Св. Феофан Затворник

[malglories]

The wine of her loveliness went to his head.

Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (via malglories)

[globalchristendom]

A Schema monk at Hilander Monastery on Mount Athos, Greece. (Credit: Flickr-user andelikos007)

[byzantine-nectarine]

to the other side… by Vladimir Kireev