A traditional Catholic calendar and diagram of the Summa Theologica by Aquinas are my two largest projects.

My favorite thing about art is connecting with people when they give my work as gifts. See both projects in this thread, or here in my shop:

📦 owen-cyclops.myshopify.com

What if we could no longer practice our faith publicly?

Look at this cross-shaped structure in the attic of a house more than 300 years old in northern Japan.

Researchers believe it may be one of Japan’s oldest surviving Hidden Christian homes.

The family also preserved a gold cross concealed behind a statue of Amida Buddha.

When this house was built, Christians were still being executed nearby.

Imagine being a Catholic parent, teaching your children to pray, knowing that one careless word could put your entire family in danger.

Yet the faith survived. Parents passed it to their children, who passed it to theirs.

We are free to profess the faith they had to hide.

May their courage strengthen ours.

About the ongoing revolution in America, Swedish King Gustav III writes: “It is such an interesting drama to see a nation create itself, that I, if I now had not been who I am, would go to America to follow up close every phase in the emergence of this new republic. This is ry. This new republic […] may perhaps take advantage of Europe some day, in the same manner as Europe has taken advantage of Europe for two centuries.”

Full moon and fall color over the Virginia Piedmont this morning 🌕🍂

📌 Charlottesville, VA

Appalachian autumn views in my old hometown. Can’t beat it with a stick.

📍Tazewell, VA

When historians want to explain the decline and fall of empires, they get into finance and logistics and other such things.

Sound like accountants.

Bet when you look at how empires rise, it's not about prudent financial management and carefully weighing up costs and pursuing mpires rise when you have 1, 2 or 3 generations in a row of exceptionally brave, ambitious and competent warriors who also enjoy national unity and religious fervour.

They don't care about finances and logistics.

When an empire is rising, it feels like a rush of blood through the body. Like a crackle of electricity. There's a restlessness, a kind of anxious energy.

People on the move, crossing oceans, fighting battles where they are outnumbered 10 to 1. Hundreds, thousands of men seeking death or glory.

An empire is a sudden burst of energy.

Empires fall when they lose this. As a side effect, they also go broke and logistically collapse. But that is not the root cause.

In June of 1765, a Portuguese-speaking boy was found crying on a dock at City Point, Virginia.

He was about five years old. He was well-dressed But he had no parents, no papers and he couldn’t even speak English.

The locals could only understand two words he kept repeating:
his day, we don’t know for certain where he came from. Whatever truly happened, that boy was now an orphan on an American dock.

He was taken in by Judge Anthony Winston, who happened to be Patrick Henry’s uncle.

Winston put him to work in the fields. Then in the blacksmith shop. And Pedro, who now went by Peter, did not stop growing.

By the time he was fifteen years old, he stood six feet six inches tall. He could pound iron all day in the heat of a forge.

In March of 1775, Judge Winston was a delegate to the Second Virginia Convention in Richmond. He brought his giant ward along.

And according to tradition, the fifteen year old Peter Francisco stood outside the windows of St. John's Church and listened as Patrick Henry shouted his fiery and famous speech:

"Forbid it, Almighty God. I know not what course others may take. But as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

A year later, Peter Francisco enlisted in the Tenth Virginia Regiment of the Continental Army.

He was sixteen years old.

He was already bigger than most full-grown men.

And he was ready to go to war.

Everyone thinks it's Article V allowing the Constitution to be amended, but in reality it's Article III.

Theoretically, nothing stops a party with a majority in Congress and the White House from abolishing all lower courts, establishing new courts in their place, doubling the size of the Supreme Court, and, in doing so, gaining absolute control over the Judiciary at all levels of government and thus eliminating any opposition to whatever policies they'd like to impose.

You want to sue Congress when it grants sweeping powers to the President? The lower courts don't even stay the law.

You appeal to the packed Supreme Court? They refuse to hear the case.

You complain that the President and Congress have overstayed their term in office? The courts rule that the Constitution does not mandate Federal elections every two years during a state of emergency.

You take to the streets and protest? The President declares a state of rebellion and Congress suspends habeas corpus.

Any political party sufficiently united in its desire to completely destroy the political system, and having obtained even the slimmest majorities in both the legislative and executive branches, can essentially overthrow any republican system of government.

All of this is procedurally allowed. There is no constitutional order, including our own, that can ultimately guarantee its own continuation through constitutional procedures alone.

By early 1933, the NSDAP was:

– past its electoral peak, having suffered a -4.2% decrease from the July 1932 election to the November 1932 election (which was especially shocking to the Nazis themselves after years of constant growth)

– rife with infighting; aside from the SA's rabble-rousing & Röhm's homosexuality scandal creating problems for the party, the Strasserist northern faction was internally challenging Hitler's authority to the point of a potential party split (a more serious one than the previous Black Front split in 1930), & their leader Gregor Strasser was actively in the process of defecting to Schleicher's Querfront plan

– perhaps most importantly, on the verge of bankruptcy as an organization; this was rectified only *after* Hitler's appointment to the chancellorship, through a private meeting with industrialists, who funded the NSDAP for the March 1933 election more out of a concern for government stability (since now Hitler was already in power) rather than genuine sympathy

All of this means that if Hitler hadn't been *given* power precisely at the beginning of 1933, the Nazis would've likely lost their moment & entered an inexorable decline (& many among the NSDAP leadership thought so themselves), especially since the German economy was only going to get better from there on out thanks to Schleicher's just-announced public works program

P.S. By the early '30s the Weimar system was virtually doomed to an authoritarian outcome anyway, but it probably would've happened as a military-backed conservative coup rather than as a seizure of power by the Nazis (or by any other mass party)

American Old West painter Charles Marion Russell dies in Great Falls, Montana. He was 62.

Here are some of his works:

The end of Temple Hitlerism, and the beginning of Rabbinic Hitlerism

As villages lose their soul, loneliness is spreading like an epidemic. Reach out to your friends and family❤️

1497. John Cabot reaches the mainland of North America.

Giovanni Caboto, also known as John Cabot, was an Italian navigator who planted the English banner on the shore of Newfoundland, the first European to do so since the Vikings. The English foothold in the New World began r westward path to the riches of Asia, he sailed for 35 days on a northerly route aboard a small caravel.

On the morning of June 24, 1497, they sighted land, went ashore, raised the banners of England, and took possession in the name of King Henry VII.

The crew never ventured more than a crossbow shot inland. They found a coast of staggering abundance. Signs of people were everywhere, but no one appeared.

The waters teemed with fish, so thick, his men said, “The sea is swarming with fish, which can be taken not only with the net, but in baskets let down with a stone.”

Five years after Columbus opened the southern route, Cabot secured the northern route, and the beginning of the Anglo-American story.

Not gold or spices, but a foothold for British settlement of the continent that would one day produce the United States.

“John Cabot Discovers North America, 1497” by A.S. Warren

Japanese saxophonist Chika Asamoto (朝本千可) outside Kowloon City 

In 1988,  Asamoto travelled through Hong Kong for a documentary called “STRAY - Hong Kong: A City of Nonbelievers.”

You are probably familiar with the story in the Babylonian Talmud (Yoma 39b), where four extraordinary signs are listed as having begun 40 years before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

The lot for the Lord ceased coming up in the high priest's right hand; the scarlet the scapegoat no longer turned white; the western lamp of the Temple no longer burned continually; and the doors of the Temple began opening by themselves.

This was brought about by Christ's death and resurrection. The Old Covenant waxed old (Hebrews 8:13) before it was brought an end to by Titus and his Roman soldiers.

What is lesser known, however, is what was happening in the Gentile world.

For centuries, the pagan nations had consulted oracles: supposedly supernatural voices that communicated through priests and priestesses at temples dedicated to Apollo and other false gods. Demonic power seemed to reign supreme.

Kings consulted these oracles before going to war, cities sought their guidance in times of calamity, and the common people lived in fear of their pronouncements.

Yet now the ancient oracles began falling silent.

The Roman writer Cicero openly questioned why the famous oracle at Delphi had ceased delivering its former prophecies. The Greek geographer Strabo likewise observed that the once-celebrated oracle of Ammon had become almost deserted.

Plutarch, himself a pagan Greek philosopher and priest at Delphi, devoted an entire treatise to this extraordinary phenomenon, entitled On the Cessation of Oracles (Περὶ τῶν ἐκλελοιπότων χρηστηρίων).

He observed that places once renowned for their supernatural pronouncements had become utterly silent. In some regions, nearly every oracle had disappeared. The pagans were perplexed, and various explanations were proposed for this remarkable decline.

But perhaps the most astonishing account preserved by Plutarch concerns an event during the reign of Emperor Tiberius—the very emperor under whom our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified.

A ship was sailing through the Mediterranean when, near the island of Paxi, a mysterious voice called out to an Egyptian pilot named Thamus. After calling him three times, the voice commanded: “When you come to Palodes, announce that Great Pan is dead.”

Pan was one of the deities worshiped by the ancient Greeks.

The passengers were terrified; Thamus nevertheless resolved to deliver the message if the sea remained calm.

When the ship approached Palodes, he turned toward the shore and cried out: “GREAT PAN IS DEAD!”

Plutarch records a tremendous groaning was heard, not from one voice, but from many, accompanied by cries of astonishment.

When Emperor Tiberius heard about this in Rome, he ordered an investigation into the matter.

This matters theologically, of course.

The prophets had expressly foretold that the coming of the Messiah would bring about the overthrow of idolatry.

Isaiah 2:18 declares: “And the idols he shall utterly abolish.”

And Zechariah 13:2: “I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered.”

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ demonstrated His absolute authority over the powers of darkness. The demons trembled at His presence, confessed His divine identity, and obeyed His commands. But His victory did not end at Jerusalem; it went beyond Judaea and Samaria to the ends of the earth.

Following His death, resurrection, and ascension, the Gospel began spreading throughout the nations. The strongholds of pagan superstition were shaken. Ancient temples were deserted. The worship of idols was overthrown, and those who had formerly lived in darkness were brought to the knowledge of the true and living God.

In the Jewish world, the signs of the Temple were changing. In the Gentile world, the ancient oracles were being silenced. The pagan philosophers recognized that something extraordinary was happening, but they could not explain its true cause. By God's grace however, we Christians can.

The crucified and risen Christ had triumphed over the principalities and powers of darkness. The nations that had so long been held captive by idolatry were now being summoned to worship the Son of God.

As we read in Psalm 2:8: “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”

The coming of Jesus Christ marked the beginning of the overthrow of paganism and the gathering of the Gentile nations into His kingdom.

The oracles of the false gods fell silent, while the Gospel of the risen Christ went forth into all the earth.

My theory is that Indians never understood why the British marched, but they knew that they did and that they kicked their asses so they decided there must be some connection between marching and fighting ability, and that the harder you march the better you fight

When Emperor Maximilian formed Landsknecht companies in 1480s, he allowed them to dress however they wanted, ignoring strict sumptuary laws at the time that restricted clothing by social rank.

His reasoning was that because their lives were "brutish and short", they should be fun and pride.

This led to Landsknecht mercenaries dressing as flamboyantly as possible, taking full advantage of this exemption, giving us these amazing warrior aesthetics!

To give some more context.

From the late Middle Ages into the 18th century, strict sumptuary laws were in effect in the Holy Roman Empire. These laws were meant to keep social classes visually distinct by limiting who could wear certain clothes. The prohibitions included banning certain fabrics and even specific fashion styles.

Non-nobles would generally be banned from wearing silk, velvet, gold, silver and pearls; they were also forbidden flamboyant fashion styles like extreme slashing, huge puffs and oversized feathered hats.

The laws existed because, contrary to modern stereotypes about the period, there were a lot of wealthy commoners at the time (merchants, successful artisans, wealthy peasants etc.) who could technically afford the same luxurious clothes and fabrics as nobles. In order to distinguish the social ranks and enforce hierarchy, laws were enacted that banned or limited specific types of clothes to most social classes, so that the nobles would continue to stand out, and hierarchy among classes would be visually recognized.

The first city-level "Kleiderordnungen" (clothing ordinances) appeared from the 13-14th centuries onward, and by 15th century they were becoming common all over Holy Roman Empire, differing slightly from city to city. In 1530 the Diet of Augsburg issued imperial dress regulations.

However Landsknecht mercenaries were given a formal exemption at Diet of Augsburg in 1503 and were allowed to "dress as they see fit".

Landsknechts took full advantage of that and deliberately dressed as flamboyantly as they could, wearing colorful, slashed, and puffed clothing. The ones who could afford it wore the finest materials like silk and gold chains. The look was deliberately ostentatious to signal their status.

A Landsknecht mercenary of lowly origin could suddenly dress in better fabrics and wore more flamboyant clothes than wealthy merchants, having the same fashion privileges as the most powerful nobles. So there was definitely a lot of pride involved in dressing like this and showing off.

One could image how impressionable youths at the time saw Landsknechts dressed like this and wanted to join them. In this way, you can see how Emperor Maximilian giving them this exemption was a way to increase recruitment and promote mercenary lifestyle, at the time when he badly needed pike infantry of his own to counter the Swiss pikemen.

There were also some practical reasons for why Landsknecht clothing looked the way it did. Late medieval civilian clothing was often tight and restrictive. Slashing the outer fabric (especially sleeves, shoulders and hose) let the garment expand and move more freely when marching or fighting with a long pike. Silk was preferred because it didn't stick in wounds as much as linen.

At the time, uniform clothes for soldiers did not exist yet and while on campaign, Landsknechts often had to use whatever cloth they could get to repair their damaged garments. The deliberate slashing style made it easy to insert or display a contrasting lining or patch without needing skilled tailoring.

So the iconic Landsknecht fashion was a mix of being given the privilege to wear what they wanted and some practical reasons.

It was a fashion befitting of a warrior lifestyle!

Every time I see something like this about the British Navy i think about the fact that the US Navy went toe-to-toe with them in the War of 1812 with like six frigates and a bunch of privateers and it got so bad that the British admiralty forbade ships from engaging American frigates unless they had a two to one advantage.

The year is roughly 90 AD. Some apostles may still be alive. And the Church is already carrying a written instruction manual so detailed it tells you what prayers to say at Mass, word for word.

It's called the Didache. And it dismantles the idea that early worship was spontaneous and structure-free.

A thread.

1876.
The samurai era has just ended.
A few years earlier, Christianity was still illegal in Japan.

Japan sends for one American to build a college on its frozen northern frontier.

A Civil War colonel from Massachusetts.
William S. Clark.

He's given one year.
He gets it done aches farming. Science. Discipline.
And he brings his Bible.

His students sign a covenant of faith.

April 1877.
The day he leaves, they ride beside him for 13 miles.
Nobody wants to say goodbye.

At the last stop, he turns his horse.
Looks at them one last time.
And shouts:

"Boys, be ambitious!"

Then he's gone.
He never sees Japan again.

One of the boys from his school ends up on Japan's 5,000-yen bill.

Nearly 150 years later, every Japanese kid knows his words.

Most Americans have never heard his name.

Now you have.

Be proud of him, America.
Japan still is.