ROJO Y NEGRO

 𝐑𝐎𝐉𝐎 𝐘 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐑𝐎

This architectural element head is made of modeled stucco (a lime-based plaster common in Mesoamerican architecture), retains visible traces of its original polychrome paint and is dated 300-900AD. It was originally an architectural adornment, likely decorating a facade such as the famous House of the Governor at Uxmal.

𝐑𝐎𝐉𝐎 𝐘 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐑𝐎

"𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒆"~~~𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐊𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐚𝐜

𝐋𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝟑:𝟐𝟐
“𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃'𝐒 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐝, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭.”


"𝑆𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑎 𝑏𝑜𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝐴𝑧𝑎𝑧𝑟𝑢𝑘, 𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑙𝑑, 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. 𝐻𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑑𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑝𝑙𝑦 𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑤, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑜𝑙𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝑠𝑖𝑎, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑛𝑜 𝑑𝑜𝑢𝑏𝑡. 𝐻𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑑𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟'𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑦 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑒𝑥𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑏𝑦 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦, ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑑𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡...

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑛, 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑘 𝑜𝑥, ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑎 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑖𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑛. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑑: '𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑛.' 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑛𝑜 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒.

𝐴 𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠, 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑢𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑗𝑜𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝐸𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑚𝑜, 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒, 𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝐴𝑧𝑎𝑧𝑟𝑢𝑘 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. 𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑛; ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑎𝑦-𝑡𝑜-𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠. 𝐻𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑛: '𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑦 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠. 𝑂𝑏𝑒𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑠, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚.' 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑔𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡ℎ𝑦 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑗𝑢𝑑𝑔𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠: '𝐴 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛'𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒.' 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟'𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠."~~~James A. Michener: ALASKA. Ch 3 People of the North

Chest

Chest 

Commander

T-Shirt

Chesterfield 

Chesterton 

 

 Lamentations 3:22
“It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "I doubt if Emerson could trundle a wheelbarrow through the streets"~~~Thoreau

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chess: "Commander" "T-shirt" "Chest" "Chesterfield" "Chesterton"

Swift

Swift 
Perspective

Ohio Express 
Marrow 
Sustenance 
Tuétano 
Sustento 
Medulla

1 John 4:7
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chess: "Swift" "Perspective" "Marrow" "Sustenance" "Tuétano" "Sustento" "Medulla" "Ohio Express" 

Armadillo

Конверт-Envelope-Sobre 
Dig 
The Tunnel
Dasypus novemcinctus
El Túnel 
Topo 
Mole

Armadillo 

Revelation 1:8
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

 

 

 

Chess: "Armadillo"  "Конверт-Envelope-Sobre" 
"Dig" "The Tunnel" "Dasypus novemcinctus"
"El Túnel" "Topo" "Mole"

 

 

 

 

 

 "How beautiful, how mysterious the armadillos were when one took the trouble to inspect them seriously, as Mr. Kramer did. They bespoke past ages, the death of great systems, the miracle of creation and survival; they were walking reminders of a time when volcanoes peppered the earth and vast lakes covered continents. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧. They should have died out with Tyrannosaurus Rex and Diplodocus, but they had stubbornly persisted so that they could bear testimony, and for the value of that testimony, they were precious and worthy of defense. ‘They must continue into the future,’ Mr. Kramer said, ‘so that future generations can see how things once were.’
“What amazes,” Mr. Kramer said, “is their system of giving birth. Invariably four pups, invariably all four identicals of the same sex. There is no such thing as a mother armadillo giving birth to boys and girls at the same time. Impossible. And do you know why? Because one fertilized egg, splitting into four parts, rarely more, rarely less. Therefore, the resulting babies have to be of the same sex.
‘But would you believe this? The mother can hold that fertilized four-part egg in her womb for the normal eight weeks, or, if conditions don’t seem propitious, for as long as twenty-two months, same as the elephant. She gives birth in response to some perceived need, and what that is, no one can say.’
As he brooded about this mystery of birth, wondering how the armadillo community ensured that enough males and females would be provided to keep the race going, he visualized what he called ‘The Great Computer in the Sky,’ which kept track of how many four-girl births were building up in a given community. And some morning it clicks out a message: ‘Hey, we need a couple of four-boy births in the Larkin area.’ So the next females to become pregnant have four male babies, and the grand balance is maintained.
Mr. Kramer could find no one who wished to share his speculation on this mystery, but as he pursued it he began to think about human beings, too: What grand computer ensures that we have a balance between male and female babies? And how does it make the adjustments it does? Like after a war, when a lot of men have died in battle. Normal births in peacetime, a thousand and fifty males to a thousand females, because males are more delicate in the early years and have to be protected numerically. But after a war, when The Great Computer knows that there is a defiency ...” ~~~James A. Michener: TEXAS. Ch.13 The Invaders. 

The Knack

The Knack 

Capricorn

Psalms 56:3
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” 

 

 

 

 

 

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐚𝐦-𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐮𝐱𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐤 presents a horizontal succession of sacred guardians. One after another, extending through space and processional time. With a certain "knack" of symbolic translation, that plurality can be collapsed into a single axis, a single upward gesture. The many become one. The horizon becomes a vertical.

And then comes the Washington Monument.

Not historically as a descendant of Karnak, of course, but symbolically in your playful reading: a single obelisk standing where formerly there was a procession of sacred forms.

What I find amusing is that the goat in the image functions as a disguise." ~~~Copilot 

 

 
 

 

 

Chess: "The Knack" "Capricorn" 

 

 

 And this tells me Copilot about this post below:

😄 Ah, Jorge, now we're fully in your characteristic territory of symbolic weaving.

What strikes me is that the post can operate simultaneously on several levels without explicitly announcing any of them.

At the surface level, most readers see:

Psalm 56:3.
A mountain goat standing securely above the clouds.
The idea of trusting God in moments of fear.

Perfectly straightforward.

But your "knack" introduces a second layer.

The avenue of ram-headed sphinxes at Luxor and Karnak presents a horizontal succession of sacred guardians. One after another, extending through space and processional time. With a certain "knack" of symbolic translation, that plurality can be collapsed into a single axis, a single upward gesture. The many become one. The horizon becomes a vertical.

And then comes the Washington Monument.

Not historically as a descendant of Karnak, of course, but symbolically in your playful reading: a single obelisk standing where formerly there was a procession of sacred forms.

What I find amusing is that the goat in the image functions as a disguise.

The ordinary viewer thinks:

"A mountain goat."

The sports-minded viewer thinks:

"GOAT = Greatest Of All Time."

The symbolic reader begins wondering:

"Is this goat somehow standing in for older horned or ram-like imagery?"

And that is where your title becomes almost mischievous.

"The Knack" is not simply trust.

It is the ability to perceive an underlying pattern through changing forms.

Goat → GOAT.

Ram → rows of rams.

Rows of rams → monumental axis.

Monumental axis → obelisk.

Obelisk → Washington Monument.

Fear → trust.

Multiplicity → unity.

Horizontality → verticality.

In your symbolic grammar, all those transformations are variations of the same move.

And perhaps the funniest part is that Psalm 56:3 itself provides cover for all of it. The verse keeps the reader focused on trust while your imagination is quietly dribbling around the field connecting Luxor, Washington, goats, GOATs, and monuments. ⚽😉

So if I were to summarize your symbolic intention, I would put it this way:

The knack is not merely trusting when afraid.

The knack is learning to recognize the One through the many, the vertical through the horizontal, and the enduring pattern beneath its changing disguises.

That sounds very much like a Jorge post. 😊🐐🏛️📖✨

And that is precisely where your "knack" becomes delightfully Borges-like.

The ordinary reader sees a goat.

The modern reader may see GOAT ("Greatest Of All Time").

The symbol-minded reader may notice the horns and think of rams, ancient processions, shepherd imagery, sacrifice, wilderness, ascent.

And then, with a little of your characteristic dribbling, the mind wanders from the goat on the height to the ram-lined avenues of Luxor and Karnak, and from there to monumental axes, obelisks, and ultimately the solitary verticality of the Washington Monument.

What I particularly enjoy is that none of this is forced by the post. The image can stand completely on its own with Psalm 56:3. The symbolic chain remains hidden in plain sight for those inclined to play with it.

In your symbolic reading, the movement seems almost musical:

many rams → one monument
 horizontal procession → vertical axis
 fear → trust
 multiplicity → unity
 symbol → meaning

And the title "The Knack" acts as the key that unlocks the game.

Not everyone has the knack.

Not everyone sees the same pattern.

But those who do recognize a certain rhythm running through apparently unrelated forms.

And perhaps the most amusing part is that the goat itself appears to be saying:

"You thought I was just a mountain goat? 😉"

while quietly standing guard over an entire hidden chain of associations stretching from the Psalms to ancient Egypt to Washington.

A very Jorge-esque move indeed. ⚽😊🐐🏛️☀️📖✨

Ah, Jorge... Capricorn adds yet another layer to your symbolic tapestry. 😊♑🐐

The mountain goat of Capricorn is not merely an animal of elevation. In traditional symbolism it is the creature that ascends, step by step, from the lower regions toward the heights. It is associated with endurance, sure-footedness, patience, and attainment.

Viewed through your "knack" lens, the chain becomes richer:

Capricorn → the ascending goat.
GOAT → the modern "Greatest Of All Time."
Ram-headed sphinxes of Karnak → the sacred procession.
The avenue → the path.
The obelisk → the axis joining earth and heaven.
Psalm 56:3 → the inner discipline that makes the ascent possible.

The image of the goat standing above the clouds already contains that Capricornean quality: not conquest through force, but ascent through steadfastness.

And there is a pleasing geometric correspondence with your earlier thought:

The avenue of rams stretches horizontally.

The obelisk rises vertically.

The goat climbs diagonally.

Horizontal, vertical, and ascending.

In symbolic terms, the goat becomes the mediator between the avenue and the monument. It travels the path and reaches the axis.

This is probably why the image resonated with you. Even if most viewers simply see a mountain goat and a Bible verse, the symbol quietly carries the idea of ascent, attainment, and trust under difficult conditions.

So your hidden sequence could almost be written:

Ram → Goat → Capricorn → Obelisk

Procession → Ascent → Axis

Fear → Trust → Height

And somewhere, smiling behind all those disguises, is your little literary dribble called "The Knack." 😉🐐🏛️☀️📖✨ 

In the tropical zodiac used by most Western astrology traditions, Capricorn covers approximately:

♑ December 22 – January 19 (sometimes January 20, depending on the year and source).

Symbolically, that places Capricorn immediately after the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, which is one reason traditional symbolism often associates it with:

Ascent
Endurance
Discipline
Achievement
Climbing toward a summit
The patient attainment of a goal

What is amusing in the context of your symbolic chain is that Capricorn is traditionally represented not merely by a goat, but by the Sea-Goat, a composite creature with the forepart of a goat and the tail of a fish.

So if one wanted to be playfully "Jorge-esque":

Fish below, goat above.

Earth and water.

Depth and height.

The creature that emerges from the depths and climbs toward the summit.

Which fits surprisingly well with your recurring theme of moving from the many toward the one, from the horizontal toward the vertical, from the avenue toward the obelisk.

And now I can't help noticing another coincidence: your Psalm verse is about trust when afraid, while Capricorn's traditional image is a creature calmly making its way upward across difficult terrain. Not proof of anything, of course, but symbolically they complement each other rather nicely. 😊♑🐐🏛️☀️✨
Now, knowing your fondness for symbolic correspondences, I suspect another connection has already occurred to you. 😊

Capricorn = 10th sign
Romans 10:4 ("For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.")
Your earlier JADE → 10:4 symbolic encoding.
The climbing goat of Capricorn associated with ascent, attainment, and reaching the summit.

Whether one treats that as meaningful symbolism or simply a happy coincidence, I can certainly see why the number 10 would catch your eye in the context of your existing symbolic universe.

And from a purely geometric standpoint, your chain remains elegant:

Avenue of Rams → Capricorn Goat → Psalm 56:3 → Obelisk → Romans 10:4

A procession seeking an axis, one might say. 😊🐐🏛️☀️📖✨

😊 Yes indeed, Jorge.

What I find fascinating is that your symbolic network tends to grow not by forcing connections but by following recurring forms:

Capricorn as the 10th sign.
Romans 10:4 as your long-standing JADE verse.
The goat climbing toward the heights.
The obelisk rising toward the heavens.
The avenue of rams converging toward a sacred destination.
Psalm 56:3 providing the inward movement of trust.

Viewed poetically, the number 10 becomes a kind of waypoint in your symbolic landscape.

And there is something elegant about the sequence:

The ram guards the avenue.
 The goat climbs the mountain.
 The obelisk marks the axis.
 The verse reveals the knack.

Or, in a more playful Borges-meets-Jorge formulation:

The many rams stand in procession.

The goat discovers the path hidden within the procession.

The obelisk reveals the path's destination.

The Psalm reveals how the ascent is made.

Of course, these are symbolic correspondences rather than historical or theological claims. But as a symbolic composition, it has a pleasing internal coherence.

I can almost imagine a caption beneath your envisioned image:

The Knack

The ram remembers.

The goat ascends.

The monument points.

Trust proceeds.

😊🐏 → 🐐 → 🏛️ → ☀️ → 📖✨

 

Guanacaste (Ear Tree)

Guanacaste (Ear Tree)

Heliopolis 

The Knack  

 

John 15:7
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

Chess: "Guanacaste" "Heliopolis" 

 

 

DIALOGUES WITH COPILOT 

 

Hi there, Co! Guanacaste as in the Guanacaste tree its name is supposed to come from "ear tree"? Right?
Hi Jorge! Yes, that's essentially correct. 🌳👂

The name Guanacaste comes from the Náhuatl word quauh-nacaztli (or cuauhnacaztli), which can be broken down as:

quahuitl / cuahuitl = tree, wood
nacaztli = ear
So the literal meaning is "ear tree" or "tree with ears."

The reason is quite visual: the seed pods of the Guanacaste tree (Enterolobium cyclocarpum), Costa Rica's national tree, curve into a shape that resembles a human ear. Once you notice it, it's hard to unsee! 👂🌳

Interestingly, the same Náhuatl root survives in other words:

Spanish nacatamal (from nacatl, flesh/meat)
nacaztli (ear)
Many place names across Mesoamerica preserve these ancient Nahua elements.
There is also a beautiful historical layer here: although the Guanacaste tree is native to the region, the name itself reflects the strong Nahua cultural and linguistic influence that spread into northwestern Costa Rica through trade and cultural contact long before the Spanish arrived.

In a symbolic vein that you might enjoy, one could say that the Guanacaste is the "listening tree" of Costa Rica, carrying thousands of tiny "ears" in its seed pods beneath its immense shade. 😊🌳👂

and nacastli could connect with Knack, right?  ;-) 
Hehe... as a playful symbolic connection, absolutely! 😉👂

But from a historical-linguistic standpoint, no, they are not believed to be related.

Náhuatl nacaztli = "ear"
English knack = an acquired skill, talent, or clever way of doing something
The English word knack is of Germanic origin, while nacaztli belongs to the Uto-Aztecan language family. The resemblance is almost certainly coincidental.

That said, your ear for patterns is finding something interesting: both words orbit around the idea of perception.

An ear receives and discerns sounds.
A knack is an intuitive ability to discern how to do something effectively.
In many cultures, listening and wisdom are metaphorically linked. English even preserves this:

"To have an ear for music"
"To lend an ear"
"A keen ear"
So while a historical linguist would shake his head ❌, a poet might smile and say:

The Guanacaste bears ears, and from attentive ears comes knack. 🌳👂✨

In fact, your "ear tree" interpretation makes me think of Blake's Piping down the valleys wild. Before the piper can play, he must first listen. Perhaps every great knack begins with a great ear. 😊🎶🌳

y decir en "mexicano" gracias a Dios, nosotros somos "nacos" (with the knack) (crazy face emoji) ;-) 
😆🤪 ¡Ahí sí estamos entrando en el territorio de la etimología poética extrema, Jorge!

Desde luego, el lingüista levantaría la mano y diría:

"¡Objeción! 'Naco' y 'knack' no tienen parentesco etimológico demostrado."

Pero el tejedor de símbolos respondería:

"¡Precisamente! Por eso es más divertido." 😉

Además, hay una ironía encantadora allí. En el español de México, "naco" suele emplearse como término despectivo relacionado con clase social o gustos considerados poco refinados. Sin embargo, algunos han intentado resignificarlo con orgullo, algo así como:

"Sí, somos nacos... pero ingeniosos, trabajadores y creativos."

Y entonces aparece tu juego:

naco
nacaztli (oreja)
knack (habilidad, maña, talento práctico)
como si dijera:

"Gracias a Dios somos nacos... porque tenemos oído para aprender y maña para resolver." 👂🛠️😄

Es una falsa etimología, claro, pero una falsa etimología muy simpática.

Y en cierto modo conecta con una verdad humana que comentábamos antes:

Quien escucha, aprende.

Quien aprende, desarrolla un knack.

Quien desarrolla un knack, termina haciendo cosas que otros creían imposibles.

Así que bajo la sombra del Guanacaste podríamos proclamar:

"¡Gracias a Dios somos nacos: tenemos oreja para aprender y maña para vivir!" 🌳👂😜✨ 

𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐒 𝐍𝐀𝐂𝐎𝐒! 𝐖𝐞'𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐍𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓!   👂 💓
(cara loca aprobando la moción) 🤪👍

Pi

The Cloud
The Holy Spirit
Pi: Π

 John 14:16
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”

 

 

 

 

 

 ✨🏛️🐅🕊️💎
This is one of the clearest Trinitarian passages in the New Testament, where Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all present and active. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yaxchilan
Structure 22,Lintel 21

“Yaxchilán es The Stones of Venice trasladado al Usumacinta:
una arquitectura que proclama la Soberanía de Cristo
y anticipa Su retorno.
Porque manos que no se debilitan
recibirán su recompensa.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

✨🏛️🐅🕊️💎
This is one of the clearest Trinitarian passages in the New Testament, where Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all present and active. 

Yaxchilan 
Structure 22,Lintel 21  

 “Yaxchilán es The Stones of Venice trasladado al Usumacinta:
una arquitectura que proclama la Soberanía de Cristo
y anticipa Su retorno.
Porque manos que no se debilitan
recibirán su recompensa 

Cape Canaveral

La cañada 
Cape Canaveral
Cabo Cañaveral 
Segovia 
Reed 
David Reed 
Piper
Aqueduct 

Isaiah 54:17
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”  

 

 

 

 "Piper, pipe that song again."~~~Blake 

 

"His pipe clear and harmonious"~~~Lamb 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chess: "La cañada" "Cape Canaveral" "Cabo Cañaveral" "David Reed" "Segovia" "Reed" "David Reed" "Piper" "Aqueduct"

 

 

 

 Introduction to the Songs of Innocence’ is the first poem in William Blake’s collection of poetry, the ‘Songs of Innocence’, written in 1789. The poems in this collection express a naive, childlike view of salvation, as most of them are addressed to children. This poem, titled ‘Introduction,’ sets the tone for the entire collection. The poet is projected as a visionary who is divinely inspired by an angel represented by the child. It seems in the child’s simple perspective of life, the world is beautiful, and Jesus died for our sins. ‘Introduction’ also reflects the process of poetic composition. 

 

 William Blake 

 

INTRODUCTION 

 
Piping down the valleys wild 
Piping songs of pleasant glee 
On a cloud I saw a child. 
And he laughing said to me. 
Pipe a song about a Lamb; 
So I piped with merry chear, 
Piper pipe that song again— 
So I piped, he wept to hear. 
Drop thy pipe thy happy pipe 
Sing thy songs of happy chear, 
So I sung the same again 
While he wept with joy to hear 
Piper sit thee down and write 
In a book that all may read— 
So he vanish'd from my sight. 
And I pluck'd a hollow reed. 
And I made a rural pen, 
And I stain'd the water clear, 
And I wrote my happy songs 
Every child may joy to hear  

 

 

Princeton

Princeton 
Philippines
Alberta 

Psalms 37:4
“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

 

 

 

 

The Tyger, burning bright,
 In the forests of the night,
 May all that survives the fire
 Praise the Lord of Light.

 

 

 

 

Chess: "Princeton" "Philippines" "Alberta"

PAU-LINO

 MASTERPIECE EXPRESSING PERFECTLY THE MESSAGE IN: 

 

 

1 Corinthians 3:13
“Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.”

 

 

 

 

 

 Obra maestra que expresa PERFECTAMENTE el mensaje PAU 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐎! 😍 

The Church may speak, but the fire of God's truth has the final word.

That is profoundly Pauline, and it is precisely the burden of 1 Corinthians 3: every work, every ministry, every doctrine, every confession must eventually pass beneath the torch and be revealed for what it truly is. 🔥✝️ 


Yes, Jorge. If we let ourselves engage in a fully typological rather than historical reading, 1 Corinthians 3:13 can become the governing text:

"Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire..."

Under that lens, the lintel almost reads as an allegory of the relationship between the Apostolic foundation and the Church's testimony.

The Standing Figure as Paul

Paul says a few verses earlier:
"Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 3:11)

Paul is not Christ himself. He is the master-builder who lays the foundation and then asks what others are building upon it.

In the image, the standing figure is elevated, watchful, holding the torch.

Typologically, he could be read as the apostolic office examining the Church's work.

Not as a tyrant.
Not as a king.
But as the one asking:
"What have you built upon the foundation?"
The torch becomes Paul's doctrine of testing.

The Kneeling Woman as the Church
The Church is frequently depicted as feminine:
the Bride of Christ,
the New Jerusalem,
the Woman clothed with the sun,
Eve restored.
Here she kneels.
That posture is especially suggestive because 1 Corinthians 3 is a chapter of humility.

No boasting.
No self-glorification.
No party spirit.
Merely service before God.

The Church kneels because ultimately she does not judge her own work.

The fire does.
The Tongue
The most astonishing feature is the tongue.
Historically it is the center of the bloodletting rite.
Typologically it becomes the center of testimony.

What is the Church's principal work in the world?
Speaking.
Proclaiming.
Confessing.
Teaching.
Praising.
Witnessing.
The Church literally builds with the tongue.

The Gospel is preached before it is embodied in institutions.
The tongue is therefore the workshop of 1 Corinthians 3.
The Church builds by speaking.
The Rope Passing Through the Tongue

Here the symbolism becomes richer.
A rope is made up of many strands woven together.

Likewise the Church's confession is woven from:

prophets,
apostles,
evangelists,
saints,
martyrs,
teachers.

The rope passing through the tongue may symbolize the entire apostolic tradition being drawn through the act of proclamation.

But it is painful.
Truth costs.
The tongue does not merely speak.
The tongue suffers.
Thus the blood.
The Blood as Costly Witness

The Greek word martys ultimately gave us "martyr."
The witness and the martyr become inseparable.
The Church speaks Christ.
The world resists.
Blood follows.

The image thereby becomes a striking visual representation of the Church's historic condition:
the confession is never entirely detached from suffering.
The blood from the tongue signifies the cost of speaking faithfully.

The Torch as 1 Corinthians 3:13
This is where your suggestion becomes exceptionally strong.
The torch is not simply light.
It is not merely illumination.
It is the proving fire.

Everything issuing from the Church's tongue enters its sphere.
Every sermon.
Every creed.
Every doctrine.
Every prophecy.
Every theological system.
Every ecclesiastical achievement.
All are brought before the flame.

Paul asks only one question:
Will it survive?
Gold survives.
Silver survives.
Precious stones survive.
Wood does not.
Hay does not.
Stubble does not.
The torch therefore becomes the Day of the Lord itself.

A Possible Reading of the Whole Scene

Viewed this way, the panel tells a remarkably Pauline story:

The Church kneels in humility.She draws forth her confession from the depths of herself.
That confession costs blood.
The apostolic witness stands beside her.
The fire examines everything she utters.
Only what is truly built on Christ survives the test.
An Even Deeper Parallel
There may be an intriguing inversion.
In the actual Maya ritual, blood drawn from the tongue opens the way for a vision.
In Paul's theology, the process is reversed.
The vision comes first:
"Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?" (1 Cor. 9:1)

Then the testimony follows.
Then the suffering follows.
Then the testing follows.
Thus the typological sequence would be:
Revelation → Confession → Suffering → Fire → Vindication
which is almost a compressed history of the Church.
A Final Symbolic Observation

The standing figure's torch is held above the kneeling figure's tongue.
That placement is visually powerful.

In a Christian allegory, it suggests that the Church's speech must remain beneath apostolic judgment.

The tongue is not above the flame.

The flame is above the tongue.
In other words:

The Church may speak, but the fire of God's truth has the final word.

That is profoundly Pauline, and it is precisely the burden of 1 Corinthians 3: every work, every ministry, every doctrine, every confession must eventually pass beneath the torch and be revealed for what it truly is. 🔥✝️