It is widely believed that the shape and height of the forehead indicates mental abilities. The forehead is low and leaning forward, signifies a weak...

Baldness from the forehead (especially early) speaks of curiosity that will persist into old age. The owner of such a sign will have a hectic and boring life with many ups and downs.

Wrinkles on the forehead are signs of life's worries. The more noticeable the wrinkles, the more things a person has to worry about. Their nature can be determined by the ancient Mongolian system of reading wrinkles (however, this technique requires additional verification and adaptation):

The uppermost, Saturn wrinkle, located at the edge of the hair, indicates that the person is most concerned about what his descendants will think of him. If it is curved in the shape of a bow, then its owner is ambitious and does everything to leave a good memory. His life is smooth, his old age is calm and wise. The sinuous shape of this wrinkle indicates that its owner will achieve fame by any means and will place his descendants in the most advantageous places. If it is deep and ragged, then its owner is distinguished by an irrepressible sexual temperament and often does not know how many descendants he has. However, he is very ashamed that he cannot arrange their lives and achieve their respect; we can say that children are his “sore topic.” The decline of his life is often accompanied by a nervous breakdown.

The next one down, the wrinkle of Jupiter, speaks of spiritual values ​​(religious and political beliefs, abstract ideas, principles, etc.). The curved shape indicates that a person values ​​​​his reputation and does not compromise on principles even in small things. The sinuous form, on the contrary, indicates great flexibility of principles and beliefs: such a person “does not compromise principles” only in words, but in fact constantly deviates from them. However, he will always be able to justify himself to himself. Such a person has good health and is usually happy in life.

If there is a fracture in the center of Jupiter’s wrinkle, then this indicates the enormous spiritual strength of a person. A single straight wrinkle of Jupiter (in the absence of other wrinkles) is characteristic of travelers.

In the middle of the forehead there is a wrinkle of Mars - a sign of aggressive inclinations and the will to win. It is very good for the military and athletes and not very useful for representatives of other professions. A continuous and well-defined wrinkle is a sign of winners; torn indicates a lack of will. In the latter case, a person should not get involved in protracted conflicts; if victory is not achieved immediately, it is better to acknowledge your position and retreat.

Below it follows the wrinkle of the Sun - a sign of careerism and veneration of rank. A person endowed with such a wrinkle always strives to become a boss and often reaches high ranks. A torn and poorly defined wrinkle foretells failure in such enterprises, since it indicates that its owner cannot concentrate properly on his career.

Even lower is the wrinkle of Venus. This is a lucky wrinkle: its owner knows how to take care of himself and understand in time what is useful for him and what is harmful. He acts according to circumstances and does not make long-term plans; he is always ready to refuse to continue a business that has reached a dead end and to support any enterprise that promises success. Therefore, Mongolian fortune-tellers call the wrinkle of Venus “a sign of power and God’s chosenness”: its owners often reach the heights of life and are considered “lucky”.

Next comes the Mercury wrinkle, indicating susceptibility to disease and suffering. Those who have it clearly are usually very concerned about their health and the health of their loved ones. The slightest ailment can throw him into panic and force him to take extraordinary measures. Such a person is very sensitive to messages about human troubles and suffering; As a rule, he is not very happy in life and does not achieve great heights.

At the very bottom, almost close to the brow ridges, is the wrinkle of the Moon. Its owner seeks love and knows how to love. However, only a straight and deep wrinkle indicates the depth of feelings; a weakly marked and torn wrinkle indicates that feelings are shallow and changeable.

If a person has two equal deep wrinkles above his eyebrows, this indicates that he is talented and diversified. The presence of many small and fine wrinkles above the eyebrows indicates poor human health.

If there are five wrinkles of equal length in the middle of the forehead, this indicates that this person is of great intelligence, open and principled, both at home and at work. He will live a rich, but most likely short life, which will be cut short by an accident.

Transverse wrinkles are interpreted as follows:

A straight line in the center of the forehead means luck;

Wavy - danger from water:

Slant on the forehead - an unhappy fate;

Slant over the left eye - a tendency to violence,

The “fountain” above the bridge of the nose is the sign of a sailor;

The cross in the middle of the forehead is an evil fate;

Letter T - beware of head injuries;

Letter C - beware of poisoning.

Along the central axis of the forehead there are three important physiognomic zones. The area at the roots of the hair reflects the connection between a person and his parents. An uneven, stained surface in this area indicates unloving parents and, possibly, an anxious childhood. A dark stripe (especially if it stretches across the entire forehead) is a sign of evil fate. Discolored eternal skin is a sign of the failure of all hopes and aspirations. A deep area at the roots of the hair is quite rare and is a sign of extremely unlucky fate.

In the center of the forehead is the so-called “Place of Honors”. It indicates prospects for obtaining and maintaining official positions, especially in government. The radiant, reddish-yellow hue in this area is a very favorable coloring, a sign that the person will either get a good job or will soon receive a promotion. Dark or dull skin color in this area is a sign that its position is under threat.

The area between the EYEBROWS above the bridge of the nose is the so-called “Stamp Place”. It is used to judge whether a person is destined to achieve a high social position and prosperity. A good sign it is considered if this area is wide (at least three and a half centimeters), fleshy and marked with deep vertical grooves, indicating enormous vitality and the will to power. Dents and distortions indicate that a person is unlikely to achieve his plans; smooth shiny skin - about success in family life and artistic talents. The “bump” (raised area) in the “Place of the Brand” indicates outstanding mental abilities. Skin color defects indicate a predisposition to diseases: bluish color - kidney disease, reddish - heart disease.

Moles on the forehead are clearly interpreted as a sign of wealth and success, and in women - a sign of fertility. It should also be added that Kroner considers only moles on the right side of the forehead to be “lucky”. Moles on the left half, in his opinion, indicate that “the person is extravagant, but weak-willed, he will most likely be disappointed.” It is also known that a mole in the “Place of Stigma” is a sign of chronic diseases.

The history of the sign of the cross begins from the moment when the Lord accomplished our Salvation by stretching out his hands on the cross. From this time on, thinking about the Cross of Christ and a desire appears, which was especially clearly expressed by the Apostle Paul: “We always carry the Lord Jesus in the body of the dead” (2 Cor 4.10). Saint John tells us about the seal “on the foreheads of the servants of our God” (Rev 7.3, 9.4, 14.1).

Mark on the forehead

The gesture of the sign of the cross on the forehead was called by the Latin fathers “signum, signaculum, tropaeum”, and by the Greeks - συμβολον y σφραγις (this term is used by St. John). The first Christians fell in love with this sign, which is why Tertullian already in 211 instructs: “At every success and good fortune, at every entrance and exit, when dressing and putting on shoes, starting a meal, lighting lamps, going to bed, sitting down for any activity, we protect our forehead with the sign of the cross (signaculo frontem terimus)” (“On the Warrior’s Crown,” 3). Such a detailed description suggests that this sign has been used previously. This is evidenced by the writings of the Gnostics - the acts of St. John, Thomas and Peter, who already in the 2nd century turn to the Lord, saying: “Jesus Christ! In Your Name I speak, overshadowed by Your holy sign” (Actus Petricum Simone 5.6 51). From these texts it becomes clear that the sign was made on the forehead; this is confirmed by other Western and Eastern authors, for example, Hippolytus: “Shade your forehead with the Sign of the Cross in order to defeat Satan and be glorified for your faith” (Can. Ip. 247) or John Chrysostom: “The sign of the Cross is daily inscribed on our forehead, as if on the pole." The sign-gesture was precisely the cross: “If we say to the catechumen: “You believe in Christ.” He answers: “I believe” and becomes enlightened. He already wears the cross of Christ on his forehead and does not blush at the cross of his Lord” (St. Augustine, In epistolam Ioannis ad Parthos, 11.3). Augustine also testifies that the sign of the cross was used during the ancient Liturgy. “By the sign of the cross the Body of Christ is sanctified, the baptismal well is blessed, priests and other ministers are ordained. Everything that is to become holy through invocation of the Name of Jesus is sanctified” (Sermo 181, de tempore).

On the forehead, on the lips and on the chest

Over time, the sign of the cross begins to appear not only on the forehead, but also on other parts of the body. This is evidenced, for example, by the Apostolic Tradition, a revered liturgical text of the 3rd century: “Overshadow the catechumen three times during the last exorcism: forehead, ears and nose” (Trad. Apost., 28). The Roman Christian poet Prudentius also speaks of the sign of the cross “on the forehead and on the heart” (Cathemerinon, 131.132). St. writes especially vividly. Gaudentius on the triple cross: “Let the word of God and the sign of Christ be in the heart, at the mouth and at the forehead” (Tractatus Vel Sermones Qui Exstant Sermo 8, De evangelii lectione primus, PL 20. 890-91). We still make this gesture today when we read the Gospel during Holy Mass or when we make the sign of the cross three times with the thumb of our right hand: first on the forehead, saying: “through sign of the cross”, then the lips, pronouncing “from our enemies”, and finally the chest: “Lord free us!”

Usually with one finger

It is curious that the first Christians made the sign of the cross with one finger. Blessed Jerome writes that Reverend Paula before her death, “holding her finger over her lips, she made the sign of the cross on them” (Epistole 108, 28 (if as in quotations from the Bible, then 108.28). “When you sign yourself with a cross,” says Chrysostom, “then imagine all the significance of the cross. Not just it must be depicted with a finger, but this must be preceded by a heartfelt disposition and complete faith.” either the index finger or thumb. Considering that this sign has been made with the thumb for thousands of years during the Latin Mass, most researchers agree that the sign of the cross was most often made with the thumb. We still make this sign of the cross today, for example, when a bishop teaches Confirmation, or when the priest, parents and godparents make the sign of the cross on the forehead of a child during the sacrament of Baptism.

From left to right

It is curious how the first Christians were baptized: from right to left or from left to right? Nobody knows this for certain. B.A. Uspensky, a leading specialist in the field of history and cultural studies, believes that the antiquity of the custom of baptism from left to right is beyond doubt, since in all liturgical traditions priests bless from left to right. In addition, this custom unites two earlier traditions: Catholics and Monophysites (Armenians, Copts, Ethiopians, Syrians). Uspensky suggests that the custom of baptizing from right to left refers to the process of catechesis of children, when catechesis of adults ceased to be a common occurrence: “Indicative in this sense is the rite of catechesis of a child, which was once accepted in the Auxitan church: the priest crosses the child’s right hand with his thumb, while saying : “I pass on to you the sign of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ in your right hand...”; after this he baptizes him, i.e. child, right hand, saying: “I signify you with the sign of the holy cross of our Lord...”. Thus, the sign of the cross is performed simultaneously by both the hand of the priest and the hand of the catechumen... In this case, the priest moves his hand in relation to himself from left to right, as is generally customary (in all traditions) when blessing, while the catechumen, on the contrary, moves his hand in relation to from right to left... (Uspensky B.A. The Sign of the Cross and Sacred Space. M.: Languages Slavic culture, 2004, p. 31-32).

Conclusion

Not a single modern tradition of the sign of the cross coincides with the early Christian one. But when we Catholics make the sign of the cross with our thumb three times, we can feel like heirs of the first Christians.

father Alexander Burgos

IN christian church exists seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, communion, repentance, priesthood, wedding and unction. These are all considered the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. But the first Christians did not know confirmation. After baptism, in order to show the convert that the Holy Spirit had now descended on him, the apostles (and later bishops) laid their hands on the head of the believer and thus conveyed the grace of the descent of the Holy Spirit to the new member of the Christian community. This was done in memory of how John the Baptist laid his hands on the head of Jesus Christ, and after baptism in the Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended on the Savior in the form of a dove.

During baptism, each person is cleansed of all his voluntary or involuntary sins and appears before God and people in a pure, pristine form. At this moment of special purity and sinlessness, once only, he is given the gift of the Holy Spirit. From this moment and throughout the rest of life, the Holy Spirit will not leave a person, will protect him and save him - unless, of course, the person himself rejects faith from his heart.

Protection of a sinless state, salvation (subject to the conditions of a righteous life) from the torments of hell - this is the main meaning of the apostolic or episcopal laying on of hands. Often, in addition to the laying on of hands, the forehead was anointed with myrrh (church aromatic oil) or incense - symbolically this meant that the convert had become an “anointed one,” that is, a Christian. How in due time Jesus became God's anointed because the Holy Spirit "anointed him with his power."

But at that time it was not necessary to draw crosses on the forehead or other parts of the body. However, early Christian times have passed. Christianity from a persecuted religion turned into a church, the number of believers rapidly began to multiply. And there were no longer either apostles or a sufficient number of bishops to supply the believers with the gifts of the Holy Spirit with the help of their hands. In 343, at the Council of Laodicea, it was decided to abandon the episcopal laying on of hands and replace it with another rite, symbolizing the descent of the Holy Spirit - the anointing of all parts of the body of a baptized person with myrrh. Miro was prepared for this according to a special recipe.

According to legend, when the body of Jesus was brought into the cave and washed for burial, before being wrapped in a shroud, it was anointed with a specially prepared composition for better preservation. The main component of that composition was myrrh. It was this special recipe for the Jewish mixture for preservation that began to be used in the sacrament of anointing.

The resolution of the council read: “It is fitting for those who are enlightened to be anointed with the Heavenly Anointing, and to be partakers of the Kingdom of God.” This rule was accepted by both Western and eastern churches. Baptism, receiving grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit became a common rite for all churches. Since then, in the Orthodox Church, the most conservative, the formulation has been preserved: You were baptized, you were enlightened, you were anointed.” That is, from the moment of confirmation, the recent catechumen (a person who has not been baptized, but has already been enlightened in matters of faith) became a full member of the community of believers.

Confirmation began to mean not only the descent of the Holy Spirit, but also the seal placed by the Holy Spirit on the human body. The seal is the consolidation of an alliance with heaven. The heavenly seal showed the demons that this newly converted soul did not belong to them and would never belong to them. That is why the “sealing” of the convert’s body was (and is still being done) very carefully. The priest draws crosses with the world on the hands, feet, chest, ears, nostrils, lips, eyes and forehead of a person.

In Orthodoxy, confirmation is still performed once in a lifetime - during baptism. The second time it can only be received by the king who ascends the throne and, as it were, being born again for his service, and no one else. Since baptism and confirmation are united among the Orthodox and are considered a double sacrament, then the necessary actions are performed for the baby Godfather or godmother. It is not the child himself who goes around the font in which he was baptized, but he is carried around this font.

The right to anointing, as it was centuries ago, still remains with the bishops. However, it is clear that no bishop will go to baptize a child in a remote village or even in a provincial town. Nevertheless, according to church regulations, no one other than the bishop should perform this ritual. The Orthodox resolved this difficulty in a simple way: they recognized the right of anointing to the same priest who immerses in the font. Only the chrism for anointing must be consecrated by the bishop! Twice a year, bishops consecrate the church chrism, and then it goes to all, even the most distant churches.

Catholics also understood very well that there would not be enough bishops for all newborns. But they came out of the situation in a different way - they simply separated baptism and confirmation by years of waiting. Any priest, regardless of rank, baptizes a child. And confirmation (confirmation of baptism) is carried out by the bishop. Although in rare cases this can also be done by a simple priest, but only with the special permission of the bishop. In Catholicism, confirmation is also carried out only once in a lifetime, but not in unconscious infancy, but between 7 and 14 years, when the child undergoes the rite of confirmation.

During baptism, the baby’s head is also anointed, but this ritual is not considered anointing; it has a simple protective function - saving the child from the dangers of the world into which the baby has entered. A teenager can already consciously choose what he wants. Therefore, he enters the church with full awareness of his responsibility before God and people. Usually children are confirmed at 12-13 years old. They may refuse confirmation if they do not want to become members of the church community or postpone confirmation if they have doubts. An Orthodox child is deprived of this free will - his parents made the choice for him.

During the Reformation, Protestant churches that broke away from Catholicism revised some church dogmas. Including what related to anointing. Some Protestants recognized it, others did not. Lutherans, for example, excluded confirmation from the list church sacraments. During confirmation, the Lutheran pastor simply requires the catechumen to read the Creed, then delivers a moral sermon and prays for the new member of the community. Confirmation (also at the conscious age of 13-14 years, not earlier) is usually carried out at the very beginning of the service during major church holidays. It is not forbidden for an ordinary pastor to confirm new converts. But today, increasingly, it is the Lutheran superintendent who does so.

The Anglican Church recognizes all sacraments, including confirmation. But he considers the sacrament of communion to be the most important. Confirmation among Anglicans is practically no different from Catholic rite. They, too, prefer that confirmation be performed only by the bishop. If the bishop of the diocese to which the parish belongs cannot do this, then the bishop of a neighboring diocese can replace him. In addition to confirmation, in Orthodoxy there is a very similar rite - anointing.

At the same time, the priest also draws a cross on the forehead of the believer. But anointing has no such global significance, determining a person’s life. The cross that the priest draws with oil simply means the outpouring of God's mercy on the believer. This ritual has an ancient Old Testament tradition and was transferred to Christianity from Judaism. Is it true, Old Testament, where it has its roots, did not give the right to anointing of oil to all believers, but only to selected clergy, the descendants of Aaron. And they didn’t draw crosses on their foreheads. IN Orthodox churches parishioners' foreheads are anointed with oil more than once in their lives, but for everything church holidays and on Sundays. If you stood at Matins, listened to the reading of the Gospel, you will receive the unctuous cross!

The abbess of the monastery, Mother Nonna (Bagaeva), worked on regional TV in Vladikavkaz before her tonsure. “I was baptized as a student, and when I began to actively work in directing, a thought stuck in my head: even if I make good, positive programs, I still manipulate the consciousness of the audience, because I pull out of them the emotions that I need. I loved my job very much, but unexpectedly during confession I asked the priest: “Maybe, if this is not pleasing to God, should I change my profession?” The priest said that with such a fateful question we should go to the elder. Prior to her tonsure, Abbess Nonna (Bagaeva) worked as a TV director. Photo from the monastery archive

The next day, looking at me with his bottomless blue eyes, the priest said: “Do you know that you are a nun?” I was indignant: “How can you say such things if you see me for the first time in your life!” The priest made a sign with his index finger. a cross on his forehead: “And the monks’ crosses here glow.”

Prayer from the Mountains Instead of three days, Natalya (as mother was called in the world) stayed in the monastery for a month, trying to make a film. The film “The Elder”, which Mother Nonna finally released recently, on the tenth anniversary of the death of Father Hippolytus. It contains stories of spiritual children and rare lifetime footage of the elder. “Father didn’t teach us anything special. He was simply a living example himself. His life was the life of a saint - by chastity, by non-covetousness, by pleasing God and, above all, by love, says Abbess Nonna. - Once you got into the cloud of this holiness, your soul could no longer live any other way. Next to the priest I felt grace and purity. He greeted everyone like family, loved one, which I have been waiting for a long time. Many Ossetians can tell about miracles through the prayers of the priest that happened in their personal lives. But still, the main miracle is the creation of monasteries in Ossetia. Father said: “Return home, maintain unity with Russia, build monasteries, and everything will be fine.” Father had never been to Ossetia, but with spiritual vision he saw the place that should be chosen for the monastery and showed it to us almost to the nearest kilometer. He predicted that we would have lakes and fish.

Ossetia in the Russian Caucasus is today the only Orthodox republic. Before the revolution in Vladikavkaz there were 30 churches, men's and convents which were closed. The abbess of the convent, Abbess Claudia, was burned alive. And in the 21st century, through the prayers of the priest, the Holy Dormition Monastery for men was created in Ossetia, and then our women’s Epiphany Monastery. Father said that from here, from the mountains, prayer will go to Russia.” Because of mass baptisms, the lake of the monastery is called the holy font of Alanya. Entire families are often baptized here. Photo from the monastery archive

Natalya took monastic vows two years after her first trip to Elder Hippolytus. A few months before his death, she managed to come to him in monastic robes. And then for a long time I couldn’t get out to the elder’s grave: “Over these years I have lived ten lives. We had Beslan, then the war in South Ossetia. We live with the pain of Beslan and, probably, we will die with this pain.

A year after the tragedy, we were able to take 40 mothers from Beslan to the Holy Land. One of them repeated: “What a blessing that I buried my little girl intact.” There were parents who were allowed to bury two of their child’s teeth. Before leaving, one of the mothers dreamed of her dead daughter, the woman said: “My girl pushed away the cloud with her hand and, smiling, said: “They will give you white shirts, you will swim in a wonderful river.” When we were on the Jordan and the pilgrims were actually given white shirts, everyone felt living prayer murdered children. Then in our group in the Holy Land in Jordan those women who had not been baptized before were baptized. One had a son after the trip, the other had two children.”

Mother calls the monastery a hospital for souls: “We do not see grace, but we feel it. Grace is the gift of God, the presence of the Holy Spirit. By grace the evil becomes good, the sick becomes healthy. Grace is when you pray for two, three, four hours at a service, not for yourself, your loved one, but for everyone without exception: for friends and enemies. And such prayer still holds back the flows of evil that flood our world.”

When a monastery was built here, in the Alagir Gorge, in a bare place, the first thing they did was not build a temple, but a rehabilitation center for the children of Beslan, who were killed in a monstrous terrorist attack on a school in 2004. They thought that over time the center would begin to accept children from ordinary families, but in the summer of 2008 it was filled with refugees from Tskhinvali, which was attacked by the Georgian army. The monastery stands on the Trans-Caucasian Highway, which connects North and South Ossetia. Mother Nonna took women and children out of Tskhinvali in an old Niva under bullets. By some miracle, up to 8 people could fit in the car. Destroyed Tskhinvali. Photo by russianlook.com A line of Russian military equipment walked past the monastery in Tskhinvali. The nuns handed out crosses and silk ribbons to the soldiers with the prayer “Alive in the help of the Most High...”. Young guys hid paper icons of the Virgin Mary on their chests. And in the monastery itself there were shouts: “My husband died, the house burned down, I have four children and a fifth under my heart.” I will have an abortion!” Mother Nonna shouted in response: “The Nazis are killing Ossetian children!” Do you want to kill your own?! Do you know that during the war my grandmother was left with 9 children, her husband died at the front, and even a cow was stolen. She didn’t go hang herself - she raised the children.” The child was saved - a red-haired and green-eyed girl who became the goddaughter of the abbess. This woman's husband turned out to be alive, the house was repaired.

Language of love

“Today Ossetians have a colossal thirst for life in Christ,” says Mother. - Ossetia was once Alania, where Christianity was adopted before Rus'. We are returning to our spiritual roots - over the past 8 years, more than 7 thousand people have been baptized in the monastery. They come in families, the last time the youngest was 6 months old, and the oldest was 86 years old.” Up to 500 pilgrims gather in the new refectory here for the holidays. In winter, so many people came to Epiphany that 12 bonfires had to be lit - pilgrims prayed during the service on the street. Recently, the foundation of a new large church was laid in the monastery.

Before leaving, I take one last look at the mountains, spring flowers, and temple domes. Southernmost convent Russia. Can the screams and cries of refugees disturb this peace again? The answer is: “We must teach our children to speak not in the language of machine guns, but in the language of love and respect.” These are the words of a mother who lost her only child in Beslan. Are we really not going to listen to them?

The dream of the cross predicts fate and warns of trials, while demanding tolerance and determination. Praying to a cross in a dream is a sign of joy and receiving a gift from a loved one. Kissing a cross in a dream is a sign of approaching trouble, which will be a real test for you. Seeing an iron cross in a dream is a sign of protection; Seeing a fenced grave cross in a dream is a harbinger of joy and peace; cross by the road - receiving good news; seeing a cross across the road in a dream foreshadows failure in business; flowers next to a cross in a dream mean joy, a pleasant meeting, peace of mind. Seeing a golden cross in a dream foretells receiving good news. Seeing a cross on yourself is a sign of fate: it all depends on how it looks. Seeing a cross on others in a dream is a sign of trials. Putting a cross on others (or passing it on to others) in a dream means that you are entrusting certain responsibilities to that person.

Removing the cross from yourself in a dream means that you will want to change your life, despite the remorse that you will then experience. Finding a cross in a dream is a harbinger that your life may soon change. Kneeling in front of a cross in a dream means that you will experience repentance for sins, humiliation, and emotional distress. A broken cross in a dream portends that your real life will collapse like a house of cards. Seeing a pectoral cross in a dream is a sign of happiness and good luck. Holding a cross in your hands means sadness, grief.

To see a golden cross in the hands of an angel in a dream is a sign of God’s will, God’s blessing.

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