Blake Benson

Most people would recognize an angel by its wings. They’re practically the first thing we expect to see, whether the angel appears in a church …

At first glance, there’s nothing especially miraculous about this round piece of bronze. Its surface is tarnished, its colors have faded into shades of green …

Traditional astrologers believed part of the zodiac was unusually difficult to cross. They called it the Via Combusta, usually translated as the “Burning Road,” “Fiery …

Chiron has been retrograde since August 3. Late on September 17, it crosses back from Taurus into Aries, reopening the final chapter of a story …

These angels look as though they’re dressed for a royal celebration. Their sleeves are enormous, their clothing is covered in elaborate patterns, their hats are …

The sky on September 18 makes forward motion feel necessary, but it may leave us struggling to find the right direction. At nearly 26 degrees …

In Japan, paper figures known as hitogata have been used in purification rituals to symbolically carry away the things people would rather not keep holding …

The bronze face on Durham Cathedral’s north door has an ominous appearance. The cathedral knocker depicts a lion swallowing a man while snakes bite at …

Most people disappear from history without leaving behind their height. But not Marta. Sometime in 18th-century Ethiopia, a narrow prayer scroll was created especially for …

The monk is just about 16 inches tall. When you wind a key inside it, the figure comes to life—walking, turning its head, raising a …