el laberinto

Henri Breuil, The Sorcerer, Trois-Frères Sanctuary Cave, France, c. 1925

"The Sorcerer is one name for an enigmatic cave painting found in the cavern known as 'The Sanctuary' at Trois-Frères, Ariège, France, made around 13,000 BC. The figure's significance is unknown, but it is usually interpreted as some kind of great spirit or master of the animals. The unusual nature of The Sanctuary's decoration may also reflect the practice of magical ceremonies in the chamber. In his sketches of the cave art, Henri Breuil drew a horned humanoid torso and the publication of this drawing in the 1920s influenced many subsequent theories about the figure. However, Breuil's sketch has also come under criticism in recent years. A single prominent human figure is unusual in the cave paintings of the Upper Paleolithic, where the great majority of representations are of animals."

Richard Flood, "Not About Mel Gibson" from Unmonumental, 2007

Evelyn De Morgan, Azrael the Angel of Death, 1881

Russian Icon Sophia, the Holy Wisdom, 1812 (via magdelene)

'Sophia means “Wisdom,” and like the Logos this term is considered a primal form. While the Logos is personified as male, Sophia is female. Logos has a direct and intellectual basis for guidance, Sophia is inspirational (sometimes even sensual). The basic idea is comparable to wisdom being Sophia (sofia) or “Holy Spirit” in the form of pure wisdom. Pistis, means faith, hylic, or Prunikus Sophia refers to the imperfect or earthly state of the living, or earthly form from Pleromic origins.'

Sebastian Munster, Europa Regina, Basel, Switzerland, 1570