Top 5 Saints #1: Saint Francis of Assisi

Widely revered, always respected, but with lessons all too seldom heeded. We look at the Patron Saint of Animals, Saint Francis of Assisi.

Top 5 Saints #2: Saint Michael the Archangel

Not a true Saint, but an archangel – we look at Michael, the sword and shield of God and the judge of our souls at Judgement Day.

Top 5 Saints #3: Saint Julian of Norwich

A lesser known Saint is our #3 – Saint Julian of Norwich. She was an anchoress, a woman whose religious devotion was shown through isolation to a small cell.

Top 5 Saints #4: Saint Sebastian

Our #4 Saint is Saint Sebastian, a harrowing image of martyrdom when done right and an absolute beast of a man immune to pain in the depictions I prefer because they’re hilarious.

Top 5 Saints #5: Saint Mary

Saint #5 is the most important woman in the Christian tradition – Mary, the mother of Christ. Why is she so important?

Animals as Symbols: A Lion Attacking a Stag

Animals and Us The personification of animals in modern wildlife documentaries is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand it makes their lives relatable to us, helps us empathise with the ups-and-downs of a wild living, helps us appreciate the wonderful, safe bubble we have built around ourselves and makes an otherwiseContinue reading “Animals as Symbols: A Lion Attacking a Stag”

Cats in Culture

A look at the cultural importance of cats to humans down through the millennia, examining what, exactly, the portrayal of cats says about us rather than vice versa. Released for International Cat Day 2021.

We Lack Discipline Reads: The Bet – Chapter 1

We Lack Discipline analyses the first chapter of Vivienne Tuffnell’s excellent novel ‘The Bet’. A hard open, with lots of natural symbolism of death, decay, pain and suffering.

Fishbourne Roman Palace: A Must See!

If you know anything about Roman Britain which, if you’re on my website, I’m hoping you don’t know a lot, you will know that just outside Chichester, a place I looked at last time out, is a place called Fishbourne. Where’s Fishbourne? In the sea, dickhead! Fishbourne is the site of one of the mostContinue reading “Fishbourne Roman Palace: A Must See!”