Kristy Bowen

A nagual, also known as a nahual, is a Mesoamerican guardian animal spirit. It is part of the belief systems of many tribes throughout the regions of Central America, including the Mayan, Toltec, Zapotec, Olmec, and Aztec peoples. While the nature and specifics of the Nagual spirit vary throughout time and location, the common thread is the human connection to an animal counterpart, typically determined by a link between the calendar system and the individual's birthdate. An individual's nagual often served as a protector against evil and guardian for individuals, ensuring luck and safety.

Urban design is a field dedicated to the creation and planning of not only urban areas and cities, but other suburban and rural spaces that are designed with attention to human needs. Described as the ''art of making spaces,'' urban design often includes elements of architecture, urban planning, functionality, aesthetics, and sustainability.

Urban design encompasses not only the spaces themselves in the form of buildings, public areas, and streets, but also infrastructure and use. An urban designer will typically work as an architect or a city planner, harnessing the interests of multiple par

The Renaissance was an unprecedented period of progress and development that spanned the 1400s through the 1600s in Europe. Focused in Italy, the innovations in art, culture, and science quickly spread to France, England, and Germany by the end of the 17th century. In addition to the often-discussed wealth of art and architecture created by artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo Davinci, the Renaissance was a time of immense development in science and technology that included discoveries in astronomy, mechanics, medicine, and anatomy. It also changed how knowledge traveled and was

Kurma is one of several avatars, meaning form or incarnation, of the Hindu god Vishnu. The story of Kurma the avatar is relayed in The Puranas, the sacred texts of Hinduism written between 400-1500 CE. In these texts, Vishnu takes on many forms; in some versions, 10 different incarnations; in others, over 24. Vishnu is the central god of the Hindu belief system, usually depicted as the creator, protector, and destroyer, which is manifested through various incarnations throughout history. They include his original form as half fish, half god Matsya; half boar, half man Vahara; and several huma

n Greek mythology, dryads, or hamadryads, are a tree-dwelling variety of nymphs believed to inhabit the forests, groves, and countryside of the ancient Greeks. Nymphs is a general term for lesser goddesses in the Greek pantheon, usually associated with the natural world and tied to places like streams, rivers, forests, and fields. As lesser goddesses, they did not wield the power of major goddesses like Artemis or Aphrodite. However, they were often described as influencing human emotions, evoking awe, wonderment, and fear as they looked at the natural world.

The mythical sea dragon is a creature that spans many cultures and millennia, often appearing in various myths, legends, and stories. While physical characteristics also vary, sea serpents are typically described as sea-dwelling and vast, boasting features that combine serpent or snake forms with other marine animal parts, like legs and fins. Such creatures were based not only on mythologies but also on occasional sightings of unexplained wildlife in the oceans.

Tarot cards are a variety of playing cards developed as early as 15th century Europe, first as a game, then later used for divinatory, or fortune telling, purposes. The word tarot is drawn from the Italian term tarocco, a reference to tarocho, meaning fool, referencing the card that was added to the Italian parlor game during that century.

The Palatine Chapel in Aachen, Germany, is one of the most famous examples of a palatine chapel, defined as a religious structure built by a ruler specifically for their residence. This example, in Aachen, was constructed by Emperor Charlemagne, who ruled the vast Holy Roman Empire around 800 A.D, and has also been called The Palace Chapel. Modeled on the famous San Vitale of the 5th century, in what is now Italy, the chapel was a mix of both French and German influences, or Frankish, style and the more eastern-influences of the Byzantine Empire. After Charlamagne died in 814, the Palatine Cha

Speyer Cathedral, located in southwest Germany, is the world's largest Romanesque church. Located in the small, walled city of Speyer, where the Rhine River meets the Speyer River, the cathedral began construction as early as 1030 under the leadership of ruler and Holy Roman Emperor Konrad II. The structure is formally called the Imperial Cathedral of the Assumption and St. Stephen.

The Golden Temple, also known as Sri Darbar Sahib and Sri Harmandir Sahib, is located in the Indian city of Amritsar in India. The temple is the principal place of worship for the Sikh people, allowing equal entry to all casts, creeds, and races. The temple is part of a larger complex organized around an artificial pond, or sarovar, on which it appears to float, connected by a long causeway to the surrounding structures. The Golden Temple of India's more formal name, Harmandir, comes from the combination of its architect, Guru Arjan Sahib, with "Hari" or "god" and "mandre," meaning "house." As

Whitehall Palace was once the seat of the British monarchy during the 16th and 17th centuries. Located in Westminster, London, it was once one of the largest royal residences in Europe, rivaling only the mammoth Versailles outside Paris. Whitehall Palace was the home of Henry VIII and subsequent British rulers, including his famous daughter Queen Elizabeth I, until two separate fires destroyed the palace during the 1690s.

The Lotus Temple, or the Baha'i House of Worship, is a famous religious structure located in New Delhi, India that is dedicated to providing a monument for the Baha'i faith. The temple also serves as a place of meditation and worship, welcoming all faiths and practitioners equally within its unique walls. India's Lotus Temple's unique lotus shape, a flower significant to the Buddhist and Hindu faiths, was designed by Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba. The building has been praised for its unique and compelling design, as well as its structural beauty, which from the sides and aerial view resemb

The Tempietto del Bramante is a rounded structure known as one of the most definitive examples of High Renaissance architecture. Built during the early 1500s, the Tempietto, or "little temple" was meant to mark the site of St. Peter's crucifixion, including the very spot where the crucifix was placed in the ground in Rome. Created by famed Renaissance architect Donato Bramante, the small, 4-meter diameter structure was built in the courtyard of the larger San Pietro de Montorio church. Like many Renaissance structures, Bramante's Tempietto was designed with a range of classical influences from

Astarte was a Phoenician and Canaanite goddess associated with love, sex, and fertility in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions. By the 4th millennium BC, Astarte was worshipped widely, usually in conjunction with her consort, the storm god Ba'al, though Astarte enjoyed wider popularity. Many believe Astarte evolved from the Sumerian goddess Inanna or Ishtar, who was known to embody many similar principles in the Babylonian world. Her name, Astarte (sometimes Ashtart), takes its roots in the name Ishtar. Inanna/Ishtar was also associated with war and hunting, and by connection, death and

Pelops is a Greek mythological figure who plays a large role both on Olympus and in the human world as a King of the Peloponnesus area of Greece. The son of Tantalus, he is killed by his father only to be restored by the gods. He becomes a beloved mortal of the sea god Poseidon before marrying Hippodamia and becoming ruler of her father Oenomaus' domain by sabotaging the older man's chariot with the help of his charioteer, Myrtilus, to whom he makes false promises. When Pelops kills Myrtilus by throwing him into the sea, he curses Pelops and his descendants, including his son Atreus. This curs