joganben.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

At the gates of some Chinese courts, you may see a blue, qilin-shaped beast with a horn—Xie Zhi (獬豸). Said to detect lies, it’d gore the guilty and spare the innocent. Legend says Gao Yao, ancient judge & sage, called on it to solve cases no human could. #mythology

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Barnahely Castle, Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork. It's history stretches back to 1169 when a Norman chief named Miles De Cogan acquired the surrounding land and built the castle and a tower to guard it #Ireland

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Sunrise at Stonehenge today (8th June) was at 4.54am, sunset is at 9.17pm

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Ohara Koson (1877-1945) Cat and Goldfish #japanese #woodblock

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A look back to on this day 8th June with our farmily of farm animals

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Trouble-prone Caravaggio was sued by his landlady for cutting holes in the ceiling of his rooms, but hey, it apparently created the nifty diagonal lighting for this sumptuous 1605 still-life of fruit & vegetables on a stone ledge. It was one of only two still-lifes he ever did

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Tengu, a creature from Japanese folklore, lives in the mountains and is known for its red face, long nose, and wings. Often holding a leaf fan said to repel evil, Tengu appears in many forms—including the crow-faced Karasu Tengu, a smaller, bird-like variation. 👺

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"And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind is closed... the citizenry infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader." —Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare #ShakespeareSunday

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"I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked. Give me my armor." —Macbeth, William Shakespeare #ShakespeareSunday

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Smoky sunrise today here in Glastonbury. The sun cleared the horizon and stayed the same shape and brightness until it got quite high in the sky. It took a good hour before it actually got brighter. Photo taken on Glastonbury Tor.

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Gyoshū Hayami Japanese, 1894 - 1935 Tea Bowl and Fruits 1921 The National Museum of Modern Art | Tokyo @momat_museum

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The Greek goddess of magic, Hecate, had a weasel as her familiar & companion. As symbols of powerful magic, weasels were also often incorporated into folk-magic cures and charms, especially those that dealt with female reproduction. #FolkloreSunday mythcrafts.com/2025/04/18/g...

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In Japan, the older the village or land, the more stone statues modeled after Buddha can be found standing along the roadsides. Local residents offer various foods and flowers to these statues, constantly praying for peace in the area. #Illustration #CommentPls #RTpls

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Eerie and orange. This morning's sunrise from Glastonbury Tor. The strong orange colour was caused by the smoke from the Canadian wildfires.

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In ancient China, summer banquets sometimes featured wine sipped through lotus stems—a tradition believed to infuse the drink with the flower’s cooling scent. During the Wei Qi era, Lord Zheng Que hosted such gatherings in Shijun Forest. Wine was poured into lotus leaves set on inkstone racks, 1/2

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWRC...

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Remembering the legendary Prince who was born on this day in 1958.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4P...

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Junichiro Sekino (1914-.1988) Siamese cat with kitten #japanese #woodblock

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Let's take a quick tour through Japan today. #travels #japan

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Tea time 🍵 🌷 🌿 #greenwitchtea #greenwitch #tea #organictea #whitetea #greentea #herbaltea #teatime #teaparty #tearitual #peace #ritual #balance

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Sunrise at Stonehenge today (7th June) was at 4.54am, sunset is at 9.17pm

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"Death is before me today Like the fragrance of myrrh, Like sitting under sail on a breezy day. Death is before me today Like the fragrance of lotus, Like sitting on the shore of drunkenness." —Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms, Miriam Lichtheim #BookWormSat

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Have patience and the mysteries within the tree trunk will reveal themselves. #nature #birds #photography

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The sky may be very grey this morning but look at the wonderful wildflowers blooming at the moment. #SaturdayVibes #weather #GoodMorning

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It's useless to fight against people’s rigid ways or irrational concepts. You'll only waste time & make #self rigid in the process. The best #strategy is to accept rigidity in others; but work to maintain your open #spirit, let go of bad habits & deliberately cultivate new ideas. ~ Robert Greene 💚

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Happy Saturday from Glastonbury. 💙

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Appearing before great battles as the Celtic goddess of war, death, and fate, the Morrígan offered prophecy and favor to heroes and gods alike. She was often depicted circling the battlefield in the form of a raven to carry away and eat carrion, #FolkyFriday 🧵

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In "Records of the Grand Historian", Lin Xiangru, newly promoted, faced hostility from General Lian Po, who vowed to humiliate him. But Lin avoided conflict—not out of fear, but to protect their state's unity. “Why fight among ourselves while enemies watch?” he said. Realizing 1/2

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Sunrise at Stonehenge today (6th June) was at 4.54am, sunset is at 9.16pm

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Wow the emotional depth and intense movements, gorgeous work by Betty Jiang for the previous God of War 20th Anniversary Exhibition at ‪@gallerynucleus.bsky.social‬ #beautifulbizarre #contemporaryart #realism #horse #fantasyarart #surrealart #artcollectors #artmagazine #artinspo #art

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Friday morning colours #sunrise

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🗺️🏯THE SECRET GARDEN🌿🍃 Aman Kyōto (アマン京都) is a luxury resort that shares its forested slopes with Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺), the 'Golden Pavilion'. We were fortunate enough to be invited to explore its historical grounds...a wonderland of moss, and rocks worthy of a castle keep. #Kyoto #京都 #アマン京都 #AmanKyoto

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Himalayan Honeysuckle is also known as Pheasant-berry. It was originally introduced, in the Victorian era, from China & Tibet as a shrub & planted as cover for pheasants. www.wildflowersofireland.net/plant_detail...

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Green person of the day - Jade burial suit from the Han dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD) in China. Collection: National Museum of China, Beijing. #greenman #greenpersonoftheday #foliatehead #folkyfriday

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Peace, love, yoga ☮ 💚 🕉 #greenwitchtea #greenwitch #animism #health #healing #peace #love #yoga #selflove #bethechange

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'Two Egrets by a Willow' - Watanabe Seitei, ca. 1950s. #JapaneseArt #birds

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Hare’s-tail cottongrass is turning our peatlands white! Lovely to see it in the #YorkshireDales at the moment 💚 Did you know this key peat-forming bog species once doubled as wound dressing and pillow stuffing? #WorldEnvironmentDay

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Compass stone and reflections. Taken on Glastonbury Tor.

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Inro are traditional Japanese portable containers worn suspended from the obi (sash) of a kimono. These multi-compartment cases held personal items like medicines, seals, or money. Made from wood, they were secured with silk cords and often featured decorative netsuke toggles.

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Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates. Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? 🌸Buddhist wisdom🌸

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Marsh Thistle #wildflowerhour #nature

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🐚SHELL GAME🎴 To while away those rainy afternoons...a game of 'kai-awase' (貝合わせ). Traditional or seasonal scenes are painted in elaborate detail on the inside of shells. The aim of the game is to find pairs amongst the shells (each half related in some way). #貝合わせ #京都 #Kyoto #kaiawase #Japan

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Heath Bedstraw at the Hellfire #wildflowerhour #nature

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Silk's beauty begins with the spring silkworm, but not all tales of its origin are gentle. In "In Search of the Supernatural", a Jin Dynasty text, a girl in ancient Shu missed her father so deeply that she jokingly vowed to marry the horse if it brought him back. The horse did—and was killed 1/2

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