“You can see a rose both in two ways. First, through its beautiful petals. The other, through its thorns”

“Let us make our way through these low valleys of the humble and little virtues. We shall see in them the roses amid the thorns, charity that shows its beauty among interior and exterior afflictions, the lilies of purity.”

“The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose.”

“An emperor walks with his court through many fields of roses until they come to a barren spot. There he sees one rose. "It's the most beautiful rose I've ever seen!" the emperor cries. Those walking with him point out that he'd just been through a field of similar roses. "Yes, but THIS one I can see.”

“I have two definitions for the word "magick." The first is knowing that I can effect change through my own will, even behind these bars; and the other meaning is more experiential - seeing beauty for a moment in the midst of the mundane.”

“Every rose has its thorns.”