#LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL IN ALL ITS FACETS AND IT IS A GIFT

[sophiethewitch1]

the inherent romanticism of accidents. yes i spilled my coffee on you and there's no fate intertwining us but isn't that so lucky? arent I so lucky to have met you? even if it was never intentional, even if it was never meant to be, even if you might've not chosen me if you'd seen it coming from the beginning. we've changed each other, and whether its for the better or for the worse, its a sign you're here. it's a sign I'm not alone. it's a sign that no matter what, there's always going to be something out there for you. you just need to trip on it

[itsnotsoobiebobbie]

HIDDEN FEELINGS - CHOI SEUNGCHEOL

not fluent in english, forgive me for any mistakes!

genre: angst, fluff

photo credits: @renjwoo

Synopsis: The blue sky stretched infinitely above, dotted with white clouds like cotton, lazily drifting towards the horizon. The sun poured its golden rays over the idyllic scene, bathing everything in a soft, warm light that seemed to bring life to every leaf and flower.

In the distance, children laughed and ran, their happy giggles mingling with the gentle rustle of leaves. Couples strolled hand in hand, lost in intimate conversations, while the elderly reclined on wooden benches, soaking in the gentle afternoon sun with a serene smile on their lips.

Meanwhile, you hid behind a tree, tears streaming down your face. You were overwhelmed with the emotions that Cheol's confession had triggered. You cherished your friendship and didn't want to hurt him, but you also couldn't deny the feelings you harbored within yourself.

On a sunny spring day, you and Cheol decided to have a picnic in the park. You brought along a basket filled with delights, including sushi rolls he had skillfully prepared at home, and your painting materials. You had been friends since childhood and shared many passions, including art and cooking.

Sitting on the green grass under the shade of a leafy tree, you and Cheol began to paint. The park was peaceful, with only the gentle sound of birds and the whisper of the wind. As you dipped your brushes into the vibrant paints, you chatted enthusiastically about everything and nothing at the same time, enjoying each other's company.

To you, Cheol was more than just someone you shared laughs and conversations with. He was like an anchor in your life, a constant presence that helped you navigate the ups and downs of existence.

Every significant moment in your life was intertwined with his comforting presence. From the early days of school, when he stood up for you against bullies on the playground, to the summer nights spent chatting until the early hours about your deepest dreams and fears, you always knew you could rely on him.

Seungcheol understood you like no one else, even when you didn't understand yourself. You couldn't imagine your life without him by your side. He was an indelible part of who you were, a golden thread weaving through all facets of your existence. He challenged you to be a better version of yourself, always believing in you when you doubted yourself. His friendship was an invaluable treasure, a precious gift that you cherished more than words could express.

However, the feelings you harbored for your best friend went beyond friendship; they were like a silent storm roaring inside you, carefully kept hidden behind a facade. You couldn't help but feel your heart beat faster whenever you were near him, or smile wider when he told a silly joke. Every gentle gesture, every affectionate glance fueled the flame of your unrequited love, but it also filled you with paralyzing fear.

You feared that by confessing your true feelings, you might risk losing the preciousness of your friendship. The idea of jeopardizing the bond you had built over the years was like a tight knot in your stomach, causing you to retreat whenever you found yourself on the verge of revealing the truth.

Thus, you kept your feelings locked away in a deep place in your heart, holding onto them like a precious secret that you feared to reveal. You settled for being just his friend, even if it meant stifling the sighs of unrequited love that threatened to escape with every exchanged glance.

"Ah, what a beautiful contrast of light and shadow! I think I'll paint that imposing oak tree over there," you said excitedly, as you carefully observed the landscape.

"Sounds like a great choice," Cheol responded as he savored a piece of sushi. "That oak tree has an aura of mystery."

"And what about you, what are you going to paint?" you asked distractedly, as you dipped your brush into one of the paints.

"I think I'll portray the lake. I love how the water reflects the colors of the sky," Cheol responded thoughtfully, gazing out at the horizon.

Seungcheol felt a growing nervousness within him. He admired you not only for your beauty but also for your intelligence and kindness. Cheol watched you with a mixture of admiration and tenderness. To him, you were more than just a friend; you were the embodiment of everything he valued in a person. His eyes sparkled whenever you smiled, and his heart warmed at your mere presence. With each brushstroke, he found himself more and more in love with you. Finally, gathering all the courage he had, Seungcheol decided to open up.

"(Y/N)," he began, his voice slightly trembling, "there's something I need to tell you."

You looked at him, your eyes curious, waiting.

"I… I like you. More than just as a friend. I've fallen in love with you," he confessed, the words coming out in a whisper.

There was a moment of tense silence, where time seemed to stand still. You remained still, looking at Cheol with a mixture of surprise and confusion. Your heart began to beat faster as you tried to process what you had just heard.

You found yourself engulfed in a storm of emotions, a complex mix of joy, hope, and fear. Because, despite deeply wishing to express your feelings to him, you felt a tight knot in your throat every time you considered that possibility. You feared that a confession of love could ruin the precious friendship you shared. The fear of losing what you had built over the years paralyzed you, leaving you in a painful deadlock. You found yourself caught in an emotional dilemma, torn between the courage to move forward and the comfort of the familiarity of friendship.

Then, without saying a word, you abruptly stood up and ran towards the lake, leaving behind your painting materials and the picnic basket.

Seungcheol stood there, stunned and heartbroken. He couldn't understand what had just happened. Had he ruined their friendship with his confession?

Meanwhile, you hid behind a tree, tears streaming down your face. You were overwhelmed with the emotions that Cheol's confession had triggered. You cherished your friendship and didn't want to hurt him, but you also couldn't deny the feelings you harbored within yourself.

After some time, you decided to slowly make your way back to where they were. Your heart was racing, but a silent determination shone in your eyes.

With each step taken towards Cheol, your resolve strengthened. You thought of all the times you had shared laughter, tears, dreams, and secrets. You remembered the moments when your gazes met, creating a connection that transcended friendship.

He was sitting in the same spot, with a somber expression on his face. As you approached him, you felt a lump form in your throat, but you forced yourself to take a deep breath and remember what you had decided. You sat down beside him, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry for running away like that," you finally said, your voice faltering slightly. "I… I don't know what to say."

He looked at you, his eyes filled with sadness. "You don't need to say anything, (Y/N). I understand," he murmured, forcing a smile.

Summoning all the courage you had, you said, "Choi Seungcheol, I feel the same way too. I like you, more than just as a friend. I didn't know how to deal with what you said… I was scared and confused. The reason I ran… is because I also feel the same for you, for a long time."

A smile of relief spread across Cheol's face, lighting up his eyes. You looked at each other for a moment, sharing a mutual understanding and a sense of relief for finally having expressed your feelings to each other. Without hesitation, he leaned towards you and kissed you gently. It was a kiss filled with tenderness and complicity, a moment that sealed your special connection in a new and meaningful way.

When you pulled away, your eyes met, shining with a mix of happiness and mutual affection. You knew you had found something special in each other, something that went beyond friendship and opened the doors to an exciting new chapter in your lives.

Together, you continued to enjoy the picnic as the sun slowly set on the horizon, illuminating your newly discovered love with golden hues and promises of a bright future.

[buriedpentacles]

Hi! I'm not sure if you've mentioned it on your blog, but I'd love to ask about your relationship with Mother Nature! How do you communicate with her? Are there specific signs that let you know when/if she's reaching out?

I love any excuse to talk more about my great Mother so here's some more on my relationship with Mother Nature:

I initiated the relationship, she didn't "reach out" to me in some special way, instead I chose to worship her. I was struggling with my understanding of the world, of gods and faith, and so I decided to step away from that and worship something real and tangible - that was Nature.

I have always admired nature and the decision to worship it as my deity felt so much more "right" than the other practices I had dabbled in. After a few weeks of offerings, prayers and messy attempts at communication, Mother came to me in a dream and we spoke. I decided I wanted a relationship beyond just worship and she agreed. Over time I have grown in my works with her, and am now a devotee - I have given my life to Mother Nature.

I am a zoology student, my years of study at University are dedicated to Her, entirely.

I spend weekends exploring forests, hiking mountains, cleaning beaches, all in Her name.

My future career, my home, my life will always be intwined with Nature. I will work in natural science education or conservation, I will ensure my home is full of life and I will have a garden if I have space, I will make the best decisions I can to protect nature. I am devoted to Nature not just in a spiritual sense, but in a tangible manner.

There are many facets to Mother Nature, all of them are as beautiful and powerful as the next. She is an impartial judge, an unmoving observer of cause and consequence, she is a cold winter that kills and culls and has no mercy or kindness, she is a beloved mother sheltering those in need, she is a warrior who defends her home. Mother Nature is life and birth, she is spring flowers and slow rivers, she is rot and death, harsh winters and lethal rapids, she is autumn and change, the wind beneath a bird's wings and the gravity that drags it down, she is the summer warmth and dew drops on the grass. She is all of this and more. I have seen her in many forms, from the long haired nymph to the stag-headed mother, from the hooded man to the small child, from the crow and fox, to the maggots and morels. I am grateful to see her in all her cloaks.

I speak with Mother through my tarot cards a lot - I am good at interpreting them, it is familiar and easier for me, she has her own devoted deck. I often use oracle cards in tandem as well. However, Mother Nature is pushing me to communicate with her in more ways. I use charm casting and bone throwing with her, grateful for my new set built from the sheep (?) teeth she gifted me. She also speaks to me in much less obvious ways - I find her messages in the world around me, written on cobwebs and in the needles of thistles, her whispers echo in the rustle of leaves and the crash of waves. I feel her more than I hear or see her, images and visions flashed in my waking and sleeping mind, feelings that aren't mine, conclusions I would not reach, understanding that was previously out of my grasp.

She is all around me and so I never feel like I must reach for her, I need only speak and I know that she will hear me.

This has been quite the tangent and I know its probably not quite what you were looking for - if you think Mother Nature is reaching out to you, or if you desire a relationship with her please send in more asks or dm me!! I would love to hear from any other worshippers or devotees!

[thestartarot]

Aquarius North Node / Leo South Node analysis

My own observations, take what resonates.

18 y/o and over due to sensitive topic nature. Thank you.

Trailblazers, we are entering age of Aquarius.

Soul color: blue

Destiny point: to build a society that allows your liberty to be upheld and keeps the people around you safe. To overcome societal norms by being their authentic self. Find middle ground in all manners of life. Discover creativity. Discover equality. Acceptance despite differences.

How to overcome: Be your own self and live in your own truth. Be Aquarius, don’t reject it. Don’t repress who you are and anything that is associated with inauthenticity like lying, cheating, or overtly objectifying yourself and others. Love yourself and people for the facets of who they are. Society brings structure and hope. Build your own moral code that points you in a direction of good. Use your thoughts as modes of creative expression instead of internalizing them and feeling jaded.

Full disclosure: this really is a wild turkey placement. Childhood will vary dramatically. There are certain threads that are shared in different generations of this placement. I will discuss those. I have frequently said this is also a polarizing placement and mental health needs to be a top priority. I’m going to discuss the polarity associated with Aquarians. In a simple way to demonstrate a complexity, imagine the concept of Aquarius as a line. On one side, there’s one extreme it falls to when depressed or under developed, on the other side, we see the Aquarian at its best living its truest self. It’s important to pay attention to how you are feeling and learn ways to self soothe (hot bath, go get a coffee, put on a skincare mask)

Isolation, Stoic,

Unemotional,

Deeply traumatized

Society and people

Become means of control

And a source of pain &

Pleasure

<——————————————————————————>

Unhealthy mindset A true libertine

When developed, Aquarians want people to embrace themselves, want a society where one can be accepted. In private, loves to enjoy themselves. Society and people are objects to be understood and admired. Fairness.

So the Aquarian already living in a very polarizing existence all the time and very inwardly (unlike Gemini who demonstrates polarizing mentalities outwardly.) Honestly, it’s an air sign thing. Y’all think so much you create different modes of thought all running at the same time and frequency and sometimes these modes aren’t too grounded in reality.

My moon is in Aquarius, and it squares off with some very important planets which is why I take my own mental health seriously, there are many ways I relate. - I struggle in social situations and sometimes I feel like I’m in a constant state of being misunderstood or disenfranchised by the people around me. It’s okay, to feel disconnected from society, but there are slippery slopes to that and particularly this placement (edit: 08/10/24)

Childhood: really varies for everyone with this placement. The most common thread I see is a hunt for the innermost & sometimes primal need for success & fulfillment in whatever that looks like for the individual. Success can be happiness, it can be owning a house of their own with a beautiful partner, being great at one’s job. However, success happens when working collectively and this placement may have felt indifferent socially. Childhood may have been stressful because of a lot of inner repression. Possibly conflicting beliefs or attitudes with family members. A lot of outer resentment towards the world because of coming into a world in active war time. The Leo South Node feels discouraged and disconnected because something is stealing the torch (war, politics, social inequalities, fundamental rights but society not granting those.) So the Aquarius in this placement at birth is a gift but also was born under uncertainty making society feel quite scary and uncomfortable. Parents or parental figures (lots of extended family dynamics, unusual or drifter upbringing) were just trying to get by too and they wanted you to fit in but they couldn’t always concentrate on you and when you weren’t perfect upon random inspection, you may have been punished (grounding, abuse). They need good teachers. Aspecting planets or houses may change this but at some point may have had more fascinations of death in the general sense of the word. There will be many hurdles to overcome in childhood and adulthood. You may feel lost. Always feeling like you are in a crowd. Or never seen. The Leo south node in this placement daydreams of fame and not having responsibility. The battle of finding one’s place in society, feeling misunderstood, and isolated can lead to substance abuse disorder / dissociations very young. The polarity in this placement will need lots of love and care because despite the mental framework, the Aquarian wants to succeed and thinks a lot about how to be the best. So, I stress mental health and great teachers. This placement often gets the “tough luck” approach.

Possibly experienced one too many early passings of childhood friends.

Adulthood: Aquarius is one of the most dominant signs in my personal opinion because I see the sign so heavily pronounced in culture and eras of time making it an undeniable Renegade. An Artist. A visionary. The inspiration in the stars. A moody and rebellious lost soul forced to live in the world alone. I have a theory that the innate liberty of Aquarius inspires the Leo to move towards the collective instead of the controlling. An Aquarian can manipulate the environment around you and the environment can manipulate the Aquarian into feeding their delusions. The Aquarian sign here can feel so detached from reality because they are so focused on the social framework around them and how to navigate it, they might not develop their natural talents that Leo south node came bursting in with. The most important thing stressed here is Aquarius is such a fixed sign that the intensity of your presence can cause people to go through changes. It’s not your fault, you are very statuesque and people are moved in emotion by you. Take it in stride. Don’t take it as an attack. The only way you are going to move forward is to be vulnerable and not feel shame. In this vulnerability is where you will shine and find your creative light.

Early and perhaps untimely deaths are associated with this placement and it may be because death does seem to follow them in the shadows. & usually at their own hand, drugs, or someone else’s. Y’all be safe you agents of change! The 27 club has presence here.

10 celebrities to unalive young with NN in Aquarius

Kurt Cobain

Heath Ledger

Janis Joplin

Jimi Hendrix

Brittany Murphy

Bruce Lee

Brandon Lee

James Dean

Aaliyah

River Phoenix (List credited to ChatGPT)

How to overcome: be your authentic self, don’t let society determine who you are and who you can’t be. Let the bare bones of truth be your armor. In healthy ways, be involved in society. Watch out for the polarity you have to deal with and don’t let the Leo south node be too consuming and too angry, use the creativity that comes with Leo to express your emotions. Take caution of those around you, people often like to dominate the Aquarius because the intensity in their presence can come off as a threat.

If I had three tarot cards to throw at this placement, it would be Death, The Star, and Judgement. Don’t let being an outsider turn you astray, be creative and use that philosophical and fantastical mind to good use. You’re great!!!

I stress mental health (journaling specifically, take note of song ^^) and to further emphasize the polarity and repression in this placement, here are five serial killers with a North Node in Aquarius:

Ted Bundy

Jeffrey Dahmer

Edmund Kemper

John Wayne Gacy

Richard Ramirez (List Credit to ChatGPT)

***all of these trash piles are aspected by Saturn in an earth sign.

So we have Kurt Cobain and John Wayne Gacy in the same sign, both experiencing tragic death. Kurt uplifted so many people while the other was pure trash. The reason is, Kurt Cobain was more successful at expressing his truth, rip forever. Placements should not use substances. Therapy advised if feeling disenfranchised, would look into counseling.

Final thoughts, Aquarius is a beautiful sign that wants to be happy and free. Leo wants Aquarius to bloom. What is dished out to this sign will be dished back out out 10 fold. But, the struggle will be, does one embrace the collective society or does one let society consume them and act cynical and cruel? When Aquarian placements learn how to love in a healthy manner, they are great lovers.

Also, keep in mind that everything I’m writing is opinion and not fact and this placement and your Saturn placement could be beneficial and make all of this irrelevant. That’s why I said it’s a wild turkey &&& also nothing takes precedence over experience and faith.

— Casper

Copyright © 2024 thestartarot | All rights reserved.

[swornbutch]

i live and breathe for you. my perfectly moody brat of a prince in the light of day… my softly shy, dainty princess all through the night. i adore every facet of you, my rose. you honor me with the generous gift of your moonlit trust. i’ll always be your loyal dog, princess. i would sooner fall on my sword than let the world’s misfortunes ever find your gentle heart.

i swore a sacred oath to protect your precious pussy with my life, sweet girl. my princess has the most heavenly pussy in the world… delicately tight and throbbing, ever slick from neglect. i’m spellbound by its dripping, dewy beauty, my lady. cherishing and guarding your achingly fertile sex gives my life its meaning. your highness inspires devotion in the depths of me… your hound’s loyal cock is pledged only to my beloved charge. please princess, lay back on your regal bed and relax. let me spoil your neglected body and spirit with pleasure. ill show you the definition of loving dedication with my eager mouth and thick fingers. a good girl like you should never be lonely under the moon’s light again.

[beesmygod]

JJBA PART 5, VENTO AUREO IS THE UNDERBAKED MESS I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT FIXING...PART 2

FIX 2: WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A PROBLEM LIKE GIORNO?

thats the homo photo of my dad

answer: i dont know.

the unfortunate and honest to god truth of the matter is that the protagonist of JJBA part 5, giorno giovanna, fucking sucks.

what if that little shithead from the twilight zone episode "it's a good life" was gay and watched "goodfellas". you might think "wow that sounds great" but, well, somehow it's not.

it is months later and i have been struggling with writing this for a bazillion reasons: i got sick, real life events occurred, i had to work on comic, i died, etc. but the most strenuous reason of all in the end was facing the impenetrable, tangled, and deeply complicated gordian knot that is the little ladybug loving bitch named giorno and not knowing where the fuck to even begin.

i had to think long and hard about how to approach the problem of "giorno giovanna". he is like a diamond of sucking ass: multi-faceted and beautiful in his perfection but is, ultimately, just a stupid fucking rock from the dirt. he completely lacks the innate charisma and personality inherent in previous jojo protagonists AND antagonists; despite having both the joestar AND brando gene pools to pull from, he manages to snag a net total of 0 personality traits. this problem is multiplied 100 fold once he starts actually doing things to move the plot along and the universe repeatedly bends itself like a pretzel in order to gift him undeserved and unrewarding (to us, the audience) win after win after win.

his theme goes hard as hell tho

if you were to ask me what is wrong with giorno, i would have no problem making a long and detailed list of why i want to slap the little cinnamon rolls of his head. i have no idea how to organize that list into a more coherent form of criticism that points at the overarching structural weakness of part 5. part 5 really, really wants you to like and root for giorno. it hinges on it. his victories are explicitly supposed to be emotionally and morally gratifying. they are instead trite and annoying.

for years, YEARS, my only experience with the entirety of part 5 outside of infamous panels and the most basic information about the story, was this incredible, evergreen and laser targeted tweet:

i thought this was a funny shit post. all i knew giorno had some kind of "life creation" power. what i didnt know was:

giorno says this exact line and then turns cars into frogs so that they (the bad guys) cant catch them (they do catch them)

giorno's power IS fucking stupid

i fucking hate him

he should stop using it

abbacchio was right. he was right about everything

how DO you talk about giorno? giorno's blandness permeates any situation he has the misfortune of attending and the parts of the narrative where he's missing for one reason or another are significantly improved by his absence. in comparison with the deuteragonists (bruno bucciarati) and tritagonists (the members of bruno's squad in the mafia family passione), he has all the flavor of a communion wafer. his character arc is non-existent. emotionally, he might as well have just gone to the store and back by the end of the story.

and, look, araki likes to play fast and loose with how powerful a stand is or what its abilities are. im not here to measure power levels or fucking whatever stupid shit people get up to. the more wild and insane he gets with his incredibly "unique" ""understanding"" of science and geometry, i'm 99% on board for. but giorno's stand, gold experience, is whatever the narrative needs it to be at any given time with no consistency. it's OP as hell long before he gets the 11th hour power boost; his stand has the extra trans-dimensional ability to remove any tension from a fight scene. through this, gold requiem can destroy the psyche of the audience, truly making it the most powerful stand of all time.

people used to love to bitch about not understanding how the villain's stand works in this part, but if anyone tells you they understand what the fuck THIS means they're lying to you.

anyway, there is only one solution i can think of when it comes to how to approach this: assess the major story beats in order. i think jumping around in the progression of events to highlight individual flaws in the character will not adequately impart the suffering one feels as an audience member while the narrative yo-yos between being rollicking good fun and being at the mercy of the little 15 year old twink with god mode on.

and so, having made it past koichi's tiny ass role (and his tiny ass) in the story and addressing how we can proceed, we can cover bruno (a genuinely wonderful character), polpo, and the wasted character building opportunity of the piss drinking scene, which vexes and infuriates me to this day. [thinking about the piss scene and getting mad again] ooooh!!!!

[dawn-of-worlds]

Salt

The King Irradiant begins turn 4 with 12 points: 2 (left over) + 2 (non-hoarding bonus) + 8 (roll)

Shape Land (-3): An arterial spatter of rocky little islands where, no doubt, nothing of importance will ever happen.

Shape Climate (-2): Jungles in the south, Mediterranean/monsoon in the north.

Create Race (Cooperative), -6 (total cost 15, 9 from others, 3 each from Siarruk, Aatos, and Zoreinak):

Between the storms that shake the new-wrought jungles, bright and clouded, calm and tempestuous, bursting with life and alive with death, there is a rain of dust:

Some from the mountains that force themselves through the skin of the weary land...

Some that slipped the grasp of the many-coursed moon...

Some kicked up by the joyful wars of the elder race...

Some from the crashing fire that burnt the skies and clove the earth...

...and some from the stars above.

For three days, it settles like a scent, lies down in the gullies and the mud, soaking it in dryness.

Then the rains come. Hot, too hot for rain, sickening whatever drinks of them, withering the green. Where the pools and puddles dry, the monkeys gather to lick at the thin white stains...

For a night and a day, it rains salt water.

The mud it leaves is warm and thick and supple, and, at night, the brightest star just visible, hanging on the horizon above the canopy, the monkeys work with their hands at an art they know not, dim ambitions flitting in their starstruck minds.

And what a piece of work they make! Four gracile limbs, hair on the head, two eyes big and expressive and rich in many colors. In the end, there’s only one thing to be made in the image of.

From Kirrik, mother of all flesh, the new race takes the gift of life; from the King, the gift of death — a soul and a bargain to keep. And...

...from Siarruk:

“They walk sideways like a crab, brachiate, or otherwise have unusual means of locomotion.”

Let’s, uh, get into the swing of things. (They can still walk.)

“They have great powers of speech and song.” Man is like God because he speaks, but he sings like the devil himself. Or the Moon herself, if you’d rather. In the jungles, they howled to summon the moon and sang to mourn the dead. The cities of the world to come will echo with song — shrill, haunting, wild, even to them, echoes bouncing in the hollows of the soul.

“They clean themselves often with water or other substances.” They have a thing about baptism.

“Regardless of the above, their eyes will be beautiful to Siarruk in some way: very rounded, faceted, and/or having many colors.” This race has large, round, charismatic eyes — blue, brown, lavender, pink, amber. Many are a lunar shade of pale grey. Sometimes, in the half-light, ever so slightly, they shine. In the blind elders of this race, they will turn starry.

...from Aatos:

“they favour innovation, experimentation, and industry.”

“they experience euphoria when separating living or dead flesh, whether by butchery, vivisection, execution, or self-mutilation.” They nurse a perverse attachment to the destruction of flesh, to its separation and division. They will feel it in the throes of their white-hot rages and the deepest folds of their desires, in their nightmares, in their mythologies and psychopathologies, in the rituals of their religions and sciences. Does the heart not war with itself? Does the will not turn over and over in its sleep? Does what is one not yearn to multiply? The desire to bring forth children, fictions, innovations — the procreative act itself — all a sort of mutilation, self from cosmos, future from past, desire from self, self from self.

...from Zoreinak:

There looms in the future of this race an immanent confusion and profusion of tongues whose details are yet to be settled upon but which will take on an appropriately MYTHIC register, that it may echo menacingly from the pulpits of a million churches yet unbuilt.

...and a little more from the Lighter of Paths:

The secret word caught in them like sand in a pearl, the word all their songs will try to sing and every mutilation try to reach.

A fascination with laws and contracts, the terms that structure the world.

The pull of the stars — astrology, divination, an ear for the tick-ticking of the divine clockwork.

An overweening ambition which will, before the game ends, destroy three great things.

These are humans, a little long in the limbs; their skin is a medium brown, their hair black, brown, or sandy blonde. They will diversify and differentiate as they spread.

And afterward, the clay knew rest, but the newborn race did not, and nor did the gods.

1 point remains.

[There was absolutely no way to make this one short. It works if you consider each contribution an action.]

[freddiemercurylegendabovelegends]

Freddie Lives! 👑✨✨

September 5, 1946 - Forever ✨

Among the most influential artists in the history of rock, composer, songwriter, musician, extraordinary interpreter, sublime singer, entertainer, unforgettable performer, unattainable frontman, crowd puller...

and then:

skilled draftsman, stylist, perfectionist,

it's still:

style icon, art lover, refined collector, esthete...

Visionary artist: brought together different musical styles (world of rock music and opera). He is the first and only person to have done this

...and above all a man of uncommon generosity!!

September 5th, 2023 ends the exhibition at Sotheby's which allowed us to get to know a little more closely the man who lived behind the artist with all the facets of him to thus deepen his artistic culture ....

Freddie an all-round artist who loved art in its entirety, without borders!!!

Thank you Mary for allowing all of this!

👉 👉 "THE COLLECTION TAKES YOU DEEPER WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL, AND THE MAN I KNEW.

YOU SEE THE SPECTRUM OF HIS TASTE, WHICH IS QUITE ECLECTIC

Freddie was a naturally gifted, articulate and intelligent collector who showed us that there is beauty and fun and conversation to be found in everything.

He relished the emotive qualities of everything he bought. He was inspired by them, he talked about them, and he shared them with all the visitors to his beloved home. Garden Lodge.

The obiects he surrounded himself with were not only of visual beauty, but also pieces that reflected a love of romance and often a hidden narrative that intrigued him or with which he found a natural empathy. From the artistic methods of the Japanese block prints to the intimate 18th-century portraiture, we feel the stories within.

His tastes were varied but always led by his love of a piece in whatever form that took.

This sale and this beautifully curated book are opportunities for me to now lovingly respect his wishes while sharing all the many facets of Freddie, both public and private, so the world can understand more about, and celebrate, his unique and beautiful spirit.

It is indeed the word 'celebrate' that means so much to me in the context of this sale.

👉 It is, most importantly, a celebration of his life, his intellect and his influence.

I hope you all enjoy it and find as much wonderment in it all as I have over the years"

- Mary

👉 Foreword

by Mary Austin

© Sotheby's

📸 Freddie Mercury on stage -

'Works Tour' ('August '84 / May '85)

[red-fuzz]

The car made a sharp turn to the right and crawled up the steep slope to their point of arrival.

The air was getting too stuffy. At least, it seemed to Jemma that with every dozen meters that passed, the interior of the car was heating up even more strongly and quite noticeably. The fact that she was wearing a heavy fur coat as black as an old raven's feather also did not make any good at all; she was unbearably hot.

Jemma reached for the lever to open the crystal-clear window, letting the cool air make its way into the car interior, like a small stream of sweet smoke from a bakery that creeps into the icy winter air of Zubrowka. Tilting her head to the crack, she took a couple of breaths of frosty air, her curled hair, this time not framed by her ordinary cap, trembled slightly from the wind.

After a couple of long minutes that seemed to her to be the length of a lifetime and a couple of fleeting seconds of afterlife in addition to this, the car began to approach the large and imposing building, which was already visible from the windshield of the car. Jemma hastily closed the window and shifted slightly in her seat, then turned to the passenger sitting to her right:

"Eloise, I'm very nervous. I don't understand what is happening to me!" she held out her black velvet-gloved hands, palms down: they slightly trembled like the delicate wings of a frozen bird. " This has never happened to me, and I can't calm my nerves for the life of me..."

The sparkly wide eyed woman quite immediately snatched her hands similarly to an alligator hunting after awoken from a nap. White gloved petit hands with surprising grasp reached.

"Oh deary no no do not fret. You're utmost perfect in all facets dearest you shan't ever feel the need to worry. Such things purely cause unfathomable wrinkles in your face and those won't do will they?" as if it were invitation one such white dressed hand raised to her cheek, brushing away any dirt that may have hallucinative nature. Eyes focusing on each single detail as the lids lowered in calming manner. Yet darting as though a ghost went by beneath.

"Always keep up that beautiful bewitching smile upon your face, ah! The sun, the hymn of our wretched lives. Such things brought you this attention all after all no? No for not one teensy tiny second you shall be worrying in this pretty little head of yours."

With a light tap onto her forehead she felt inclined to flash her red lipped smile further. The smile of a girl discovering a kitten found on Christmas as gifted. Her hand remains in Jemmas, warmth soothing through the gloves.

"After all, you're our Hermes, our divine messenger of the gods. A utmost wonderful part in our lives which would make it dull without you"

If one may be inclined to look to the side to a rather disgruntled woman squeezing her windy legs adorned with unnecessary high heels into the backseat. Eyes resting on the moving landscape reflected in the glasses. A hand rested on chin in unfeminine manner. Particularly not invested in participation.

[vcenvs3000f24]

Blog post 4

When considering "What gives me the right to express nature through art?" My upbringing and Guatemalan ancestry have influenced me to be close to the natural world. Growing up, I listened to stories about Guatemala's breathtakingly beautiful mountains, lakes, and landscapes. Though I grew up elsewhere, the stories and cultural context shaped my view of the natural world. Painting nature is more than the artistic ability to me; it's about grabbing opportunities that arouse emotions and relating them to my path.

Guatemala has great natural beauty. One is always in awe of the vivid flowers, great volcanoes, and abundant vegetation. From the vivid colours of the marketplaces to the songs of birds at dawn, it permeates everyday experience. Even in Canada, when I'm outside, I often return to those things from home, which helps me see things differently. A basic sunset or a wind across the woods calls for unity and belonging. It's about the emotions it arouses as much as its outward look. The capacity to identify the emotions nature arouses and share them with others is fundamental to our knowledge of her.

I enjoy photographing events and talking with people about what appeals to a location. Knowing nature is about relating to those sensations and the emotions they accompany. When I photograph a sunrise or take a calm walk in the forest, I transmit the feelings accompanying those times in addition to a picture or story. In some ways, that defines art. It's a means for people to interact with a giant intent—something they would not have noticed otherwise.

Though they may not know it, I believe everyone can value the "gift of beauty" nature presents. Beauty includes the emotions you carry inside as well as outward. Whether gently sitting in a park or strolling along a trail, being in nature gives me a fantastic sense of peace and belonging, as though I am spun into a larger whole. It emphasizes the need to appreciate the small things we usually ignore and to look after our surroundings. These little moments of beauty are gems from the natural world that ground us independent of the chaos in our lives.

Expressing nature in art is about helping others to experience the same feelings. It goes beyond possessing all the answers or being an expert in nature or art. Whether photographed, told in a narrative, or discovered in a brief moment of contemplation, it's about motivating people to value the beauty in their surroundings. Even if I am not an artist, I can convey the beauty I find in nature, it shows others experiences they might have overlooked or never given thought to.

In the end, one may find the core of nature easily. It's about showing your relationship with the planet and guiding people toward theirs. My history, experiences, and ability to value beauty in the most everyday facets of life all strongly point toward that relationship. By means of this sharing, I hope to encourage others to value and protect natural beauties in their original forms, therefore honouring the daily beauty all around us.

me in guatemala :) and in BC

[setthishouseablaze]

Spotify Wrapped - Miss Americana & The Scarf

The video opens on this pair, Miss Americana and an anthropomorphized red scarf they are standing inside TS right eye. Being hidden within her eye they are just below the skyline, between the Cornelia St sign and the dice roll. There are two shots of them. In the space of a few seconds the sun (her pupil) rises behind them as they meet, join hands, drop hands off-camera, but then come back together and press against one another back to back, they disappear in a literal blink of an eye just before the final zoom out. The sky is blue, fluffy cartoon clouds go by, seagulls fly through the shot, and orange-red leaves fall from the mask worn by the scarf.

Miss Americana is one of the few characters completely unmasked in the video only glitter obscures her face, I interpret this as her being a facet of TS who is more exposed to the public eye, she wears a tight pink dress with a giant bow covering her chest, very feminine, she's wearing the Miss Americana title spelled out in black friendship bracelet beads like a beauty pageant sash. The black and white beads are a notable contrast to the blue/purple/pink beads of the other friendship bracelets worn by Mountain Taylor. Both of her wrists are covered in bracelets and I think that her earrings are made of tiny versions of those beads too but they're all illegible, the earring looks like lazy daisy petal outline.

Daisies have history in Taylor's lyricism "I once was poison ivy, but now I'm your daisy" and in her online public presence particularly in the run up to the launch of Lover and in the context of her relationship with KK.

The Scarf is a woman clad in a loose red satin robe layered with a giant red pointed scarf, aside from a toothy smile her face is obscured by orange leaves (shades of a Cheshire cat smile.) The leaves that make up the mask are the same colour as the flames of the burning house and the leaves in the snow-globe/crystal ball. Her left hand is always hidden.

The All Too Well scarf is represented another time in the video, wrapped around a cat in the foreground, but, TS says that whenever we see a cat it's just to remind us that she really likes cats so maybe that one is ignored by association?

Miss Americana is most obviously paired with The Heartbreak Prince, so does scarf-lady represent the prince as well or is the prince just absent? If so were they ghosted in favour of 'the castle' or are they just missing a direct representation because every figure in the video is part of her personal mirror-ball? All Too Well og version was on Red and the scarf represents innocence/girl-hood, is that something she could be reclaiming or, uh, re-gifting, through Miss Americana in the Lover era?

Pageants are pretty universally a feminine pursuit, and in the TS universe they're something that can be worn as a mask, and something that might be avoided to frustrate old fashioned expectations. In MAATHP "no cameras catch my pageant smile" as she ripped up her prom dress "running through rose thorns" when she saw the political landscape and ran for her life. In Dorothea the muse is "Skipping the prom just to piss off your mom and her pageant schemes."

In MAATHP she addresses a You throughout the song, no pronouns, but "the damsels are depressed"/"we're so sad, we paint the town blue" it's easy to read THP as being female. It sounds like an apologetic plea to a lover a - you know I love you but this is a terrifying time of loaded dice and there's an unfavourable scoreboard so lets not fight with each other lets just run away together and we'll come back to this battle when the time is right. I can't help but wonder if it was originally written as Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Kid.

The image of a rising sun in music always reminds of the song House of the Rising Sun which despite the popular radio version has its origin as a folk song in which the protagonist is either a prisoner or a prostitute or both. The idea of being trapped/caged/locked in to a certain image is a theme throughout Taylors work. Of course there are more obvious connections to Taylors own work, Lovers pre-launch name was Daylight, and the song Happiness references "a glorious sunrise" both of which I've blogged about here before with the general theme of Sunrise being a metaphor for coming out of the closet. Sunrises generally signify beginnings, it's interesting that in this clip the sun rises over this relationship but never sets, just becomes hidden away.

The seagulls in this clip reference a prevalent part of the imagery for 1989 both og and re-recording, they have long been rumoured to be covert symbols of sapphic love in the TS universe. Here are some 'lesbian seagull' references if you're curious. :) [1] [2] [3]

Eye Theory is another really straight-forward link to this clip and as it's a well established piece of gaylore so I'm just going to pop a link to the @9w1ft master-post. [4]

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/1977/11/23/archives/extensive-homosexuality-is-found-among-seagulls-off-coast-of.html

[2] https://medium.com/ostem-ucsd/how-lesbian-seagulls-changed-the-gay-rights-movement-dd88493da8e0

[3] https://genius.com/Engelbert-humperdinck-lesbian-seagull-lyrics

[4] https://9w1ft.tumblr.com/post/707733730978037761/been-seeing-a-lotta-people-on-twitter-asking

[melanieenvs3000f23]

Week 4: Exploring Nature Through the Lens of Art

As I pursue this transformative journey of exploring nature through the lens of art, I find myself contemplating the profound question: Who am I to interpret nature through art, and what does it mean to unravel "the gift of beauty"?

At its core, this exploration is a recognition of my inherent connection to nature. I am not a passive observer but an active participant in the intricate web of life that surrounds us. Through art, I assume the role of a storyteller, a translator of nature's language into forms and expressions that resonate with the diverse spectrum of human perception. In essence, I become a conduit, bridging the gap between the raw, unfiltered beauty of nature and the varied perspectives of those who may not perceive it in the same light.

Art, as a unique lens for interpreting nature, transcends the boundaries of scientific analysis. It captures the emotions, sensations, and awe that nature evokes, weaving them into a narrative that speaks to the depths of human experience. Therefore I am not merely an interpreter; I am a mediator, shaping an emotional connection between people and the natural world. Through this process, I aspire to foster a deeper appreciation for nature, invoking a sense of stewardship and responsibility.

"The gift of beauty" extends beyond surface aesthetics; it encompasses the delicate balance of ecosystems, the rhythmic dance of seasons, and the resilience of life in the face of adversity. As an artist, I see myself as unwrapping this gift, revealing its multifaceted brilliance through various artistic mediums. Painting, sculpture, photography—they all become tools through which I explore and express the nuanced beauty inherent in the natural world.

Navigating through different lenses in this course, I am reminded that each perspective adds a layer to my understanding of nature. Science, philosophy, and art are not mutually exclusive but complementary facets of a multifaceted jewel. Through the lens of art, I can amplify the emotional and spiritual dimensions of nature, enriching the overall tapestry of interpretation.

In expanding upon the exploration of nature through art, I recognize that this endeavor is not isolated but part of a broader dialogue between humanity and the environment. Art grants me the privilege to distill the essence of the natural world into expressions that resonate with the human soul. With this privilege comes a responsibility to inspire others to recognize their role as stewards of the planet, fostering an awareness of the profound interconnectedness that defines our existence.

My journey as an interpreter of nature through art is a dynamic process of discovery and expression. Through my artistic endeavors, I hope to contribute to a collective awakening—a shared realization of the beauty that surrounds us and the responsibility we bear to nurture and protect it. This, then, is my humble answer to the question: Who am I to interpret nature through art? I am a storyteller, a mediator, and a steward of the gift of beauty.

Melanie

[dj1981]

I wrote this poem about how it was love at first sight when I met my wife almost 20 years ago. We have been married almost 18 years now. We have been through a lot together, but our love remains even after all those years! Here is my poem, Enjoy!

Title: Eternal Love's First Glimpse

In a world where time stood still, Where destiny wove its tender will, I gazed upon a wondrous sight, A vision bathed in golden light. Her eyes, like sapphire pools, so deep, Drew me in, made my heart skip a beat. Blonde locks cascaded, a radiant crown, Her beauty surpassed all I had known. She possessed a figure, heavenly blessed, Curves that enticed, left me breathless. And oh, that smile, a celestial ray, Melting doubts, chasing shadows away. A flirtatious charm danced in her gaze, A playful spirit set my heart ablaze. Her Giggles and laughter filled the air, Her energy infectious, beyond compare. She was a goddess, my heart's decree,In her presence, I felt joyfully free. Every facet, every glimpse, perfection defined, A love so immense, it transcended time. If I could relive those early days, A single day, in love's sweet haze, I'd seize the chance with a beating heart, To bask in love's glow from the very start. For even after the first date's embrace, It felt like we'd known each other for days. Amidst skepticism, doubts others had sown, We proved them wrong, our love had grown. Differences whispered by naysayers' tongues, But love's power silenced their misguided runs. Nearly eighteen years of marriage, hand in hand we've walked, Together, forging a bond that can't be blocked. From that very first moment, I knew it was true, A love that would last, forever me and you. Through highs and lows, trials that came our way, Our love endured, growing stronger each day. So let them marvel at our enduring flame, As we dance through life, united in name. For love's first glimpse, a gift divine, A lifetime of devotion, yours and mine.

[jakethesequel]

Just read Ducks, by Kate Beaton

last night. I bought it a few weeks ago on a whim, with a Christmas gift card. I read Hark, a Vagrant! when I was younger, so I recognized the author, and decided to check it out even if just to support a fellow local comic creator. I was vaguely aware she had released a book about the oil sands to great reviews, but hadn't looked much into it. Finding out it was a memoir, and that she had worked on the oil sands to pay off her art school debt, interested me enough to buy it.

Nevertheless, it just hung around on my shelf for weeks. That's often the way it is with me, I have a constant backlog of books waiting to be started, and even more waiting to be finished. But I've been trying to make more time for reading in my life, so I cracked it open last night, hoping to read for maybe ten minutes before bed.

I read the whole book. All 400-some pages of it. Before I finally went to sleep, I cried.

A work of art making me cry is a very rare thing. Maybe the estrogen treatment makes me more emotional, but it still came as a shock. But, maybe I shouldn't be surprised. The memoir is incredibly close to so many facets of my own life, it was nearly impossible to detach my feelings.

The very format of the book is in service to its emotional impact. The sign, in my opinion, of a master comic artist is not just to tell a great story through the medium, but to know how to use the medium to enhance a great story. Beaton does wonderfully. Most of the book is formatted in 9-panel grids, on book-size paper rather than a TPB's ~6.67x10.25in pages. It does wonders to enhance the claustrophobia of living in either the Maritimes or the Alberta work camps, and makes it all the more intense when panels expand outward for emotionally critical moments. Especially when Beaton devotes to a single or even double page spread to the landscapes of her journey, from the sad and beautiful shores of Atlantic Canada to the eerie marvel of Northern Alberta oil fields.

Beaton is from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia; and I'm from Prince Edward Island. Very similar places, all things considered, though PEI at least has the benefit of being its own province. The privilege of hosting the Confederation conference, I suppose. We're islands on the exact same latitude in the exact same bay, only separated by the Northumberland Strait.

We have the highest concentration of Scottish people in the world outside of Scotland, to the point that there's even a small minority of Gaelic speakers, and thats bleeds through into those who haven't lost their accents. (Of course, we all seem to get it back when we get pissed off.) I recognize every little quirk Beaton puts into the dialogue, and from it I know how a character would say any other word. PEI has a higher concentration of Scots than Nova Scotia as a whole, though I'd not be surprised if Cape Breton specifically was higher than us.

We're both fuck poor, but the whole Atlantic region is, really. Beaton calls Cape Breton "the have-not region of a have-not province," and that strikes pretty true. I didn't grow up in what you might consider the have-not region of PEI (though you might say my mother did), but to tell the truth, there isn't much even in the more populated part of PEI. Our provincial capital is most other places' small town, and even then, it isn't built for the Islanders. It's built for the tourists, like the rest of the Island.

Halifax, Nova Scotia is probably the closest we have to a proper city in the three Maritime provinces. That is to say, it can almost support its population on its own. And still, it's the least affordable city for young people to live in the whole country. An average deficit every month of $1290 (956USD). So it's no oasis. It's not entirely right to say it's supporting its population on its own, either, considering it hosts the country's largest military base.

Cape Breton's main industries are seafood, coal, steel, and what little Atlantic ocean shipping that wants a port a little bit closer to Europe than Halifax is already. But like the book shows, most of those industries are getting smaller and paying less.

Here in PEI, pretty much all we have is seafood, potatoes, and tourism. Farming and fishing is honest work, but hard on the body, and often difficult cut a profit unless you own the farm or the boat. And good luck with that, there's only so much to go around on an island. When a farmer or fisherman dies without heirs it usually gets bought up by a corporation anyway. Tourism -- fuck the tourism. A majority of our hospitality industry is run by members of the same goddamn rich family. The rest is government, like the national park. That fucking tourism industry takes every cent of public money to make the place look quaint and perfect for tourists to have a beach day without thinking about the people who live here. It's a fucking sham.

"Our main export is people" is a quote from the book, but also a truism I've hear time and again in the Maritimes. There's nothing for us here. Most of us, as the book mentions, don't really want to leave, we love the land and the sea. But we can't afford to stay.

I went to school in Arizona for a year. It's an incredibly beautiful place. But I think any east coaster, especially an Islander, feels inherently disoriented when landlocked. The sea is a constant, an even better navigator than a compass point. Taking it away feels like losing one of your senses. There's a scene in Ducks where the author stands in the Atlantic water before leaving for Alberta, and it reminded me of when I came home from Arizona. I'm not big with exercise, and I'm not huge on swimming because of body image stuff, but I made sure to go out and swim that summer, to walk out and just float effortlessly in the salt. It was rejuvenating, it felt like I was beyond myself, like I was a part of the island, in the way seaweed is.

Now that I'm back, I'm training to be a welder. Arizona didn't work out for a variety of reasons. I told myself before I started training that I'd never work in the oil industry. I can't justify it knowing the environmental impact and harm to indigenous people. But I'm very familiar with the process Beaton describes, people leaving home for the work camps so they can make money they'd never be able to here. I can't say it isn't tempting, considering my lack of money, apartment, car, anything. Hell, some places I wouldn't even have to finish my training. They'd take me as an apprentice and train me on the job. But I can't.

Still, I can't avoid its prescence. It's mentioned in classes all the time, which is no surprise. I'm sure half my classmates will be off there afterwards, it'd be insane for the instructors not to mention the most likely employ. It's mentioned by people when I say I'm learning welding. It's even been proposed by my environmentalist mom and stepdad, which surprised me. Even when I do find work, there's always going to be the knowledge I could be making more money with less work if I just sold my soul. I imagine I'll think about it with every bill.

CW Sexual Assault, Misogyny, Transphobia

I've never been sexually assaulted, so I won't speak too much about that element of the book, except to say that it's portrayal was incredibly moving.

I don't pass -- equally by choice as by circumstance -- so I am not a target for violent and aggressive sexual interest. But I am painfully aware of what the men around me think and say. I hear them just inside earshot. I see the graffiti on their locker doors. I know many of them, if they went out to the fields, would be no better than the men in Beaton's memoir.

I also know what it's like to feel unsafe as the minority in and around work in trades. To have to be always on your toes around the cis men that surround you. I'm forced to be aware of the height of every bathroom stall, to make sure I don't pull my underwear down far enough that someone might see. I'm lucky work clothes are ambiguous and baggy enough to grant plausible deniability. I still have to remind myself to keep my jumpsuit zipped up as often as possible, because I don't want to know what would happen if one of the guys saw a bra strap by the neck of my shirt. Or even just the outline of my bra through my shirt. They can be extremely perceptive when they aren't busy being ignorant. It's a dangerous world out there, if you aren't the social norm.

/CW

What I'm trying to get at is that this book is an intensely personal read, and strikes at the emotional core of fundamental subjects in my own life. To describe the feeling of reading it, it was like a conversation with your sibling about shared trauma you both previously left buried. Of course, I'm not actually that close with my sibling. But I am that close with this book. It felt like kin. Long-lost family, from just across the Strait.

[baboutinepd]

Quite understandable, your despise of slice of life stories. You made excellent points, these stories frequently show things one does on a daily basis. Brushing of teeth, eating breakfast, reading on a corner, listening to music, going to the store. Mundane things, stuff that a busy brain like yours would scoff at because come on, these are things seen and done every day, why must I read of it anymore?

But for those who aren't in the know, these mundane, day to day slice of life things could mean everything. I have recently come across this lovely human being who resides from the same province as you do, and it's fascinating seeing these places, these mundanities, these day to day things, that could possibly be your mundanities as well.

How funny would it be if one day they show a random place and there you are, just existing? Going about your own daily mundanities, not giving a care about the world while caring about the world all at the same time. Seeing you in a place I know you exist in, but never see the rest of, yet there you are, being your usual brilliant self, outside of the comfort of the funny velvet chair or the gray sofa.

The same streets you've driven on. The same spots you've haunted. The same Costco or the same fucking Walmart. Who knows? It's like seeing a faerie in an urban setting. Annatar, doing their grocery shopping. The Giver of Gifts, domestic version. Do you know of Frank, too?

Basic things you may despise and not want to see in your readings, but for someone who wishes to know everything — every facet of life, every street corner, every step, every traffic light, every building, every park, every restaurant, every cafe, it all matters. It's all important. Mundane, yes, trifle, even. But important. Heck, if I could I'd memorise the entire map of Montreal or Toronto, and know in a heartbeat the time where you're at, like a semi-omniscient deity that just exists to observe and nothing else. Just watch the lovely creation move and go about their daily mundane life. How lovely would that be.

Gives me the very same feeling when I read of our beloved creatures of the night. Lestat haunting the streets of Paris. Armand roaming around Venice. Maharet and Jesse exploring California. Louis strolling around the quaint, picturesque avenues of New Orleans. Dorian driving around the roads of Toronto.

How fascinating, truly. Seeing the parts of the world where you exist in, through the eyes of other people who share the same space as you do. Going about the same daily routines. Worrying about the same problems, dealing with the same politics, caring for the same people. Like how Rae played the entire otome game but didn't pay attention to the main characters, but to the villainess. How she fell in love not with the princes but with Claire. Quite a lovely story indeed.

I would bend the laws of the universe and become God, just so I can see you and your beauty in all its glory.

[techygeeks]

Exploring the Timeless Songs of Kal Ho Naa Ho

Released in 2003, Kal Ho Naa Ho remains etched in the hearts of Bollywood fans, in large part due to its soulful soundtrack. Each song from the film resonates with a depth of emotion, perfectly capturing the essence of love, friendship, and the bittersweet uncertainty of life. Composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy with lyrics by Javed Akhtar, the music of Kal Ho Naa Ho is as timeless as the story it accompanies. Let’s take a closer look at the songs that continue to inspire and touch listeners around the world. And for those who want to relive these moments, tune in to Ruh Radio on 1440 AM, where we celebrate these Bollywood gems every day!

1. "Kal Ho Naa Ho" – The Anthem of Hope

The title track, "Kal Ho Naa Ho," sung by Sonu Nigam, has a unique charm that instantly stirs up a mix of emotions. With poignant lyrics, the song speaks about living in the present and embracing life with open arms, as no one knows what tomorrow may bring. Nigam's voice, combined with a beautiful piano introduction, makes this song a timeless anthem of hope and resilience. It's more than just a song—it’s a gentle reminder that every day is a gift. You can catch this heartwarming track on Ruh Radio, where we celebrate Sonu Nigam's artistry and the message this song carries.

2. "Maahi Ve" – The Festive Love Song

"Maahi Ve" is the celebration song of the album, a joyful number that plays during a family wedding in the film. With its upbeat tempo and a mix of traditional and modern beats, it’s an invitation to dance. Sung by Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, and others, this song is known for its lively rhythm, catchy chorus, and memorable dance sequence. Every time "Maahi Ve" plays on Ruh Radio, you can feel the urge to celebrate, no matter where you are, as it embodies Bollywood’s flair for family, love, and joyous gatherings.

3. "Kuch To Hua Hai" – The Sweetness of New Love

"Kuch To Hua Hai" is a duet by Alka Yagnik and Shaan that captures the budding romance between the lead characters. It’s a soft, melodic expression of discovering love for the first time, a feeling so pure and fresh. Javed Akhtar’s lyrics make it all the more heartwarming, blending innocence with excitement. This song has become synonymous with the gentle thrill of falling in love, and it’s one of the songs we love to feature on Ruh Radio, 1440 AM. Its sweetness never fades, and listeners continue to connect with its relatable charm.

4. "Pretty Woman" – A Bollywood Twist on a Classic

Kal Ho Naa Ho gave a Bollywood twist to the classic "Pretty Woman," with Shah Rukh Khan delivering an unforgettable performance. Sung by Shankar Mahadevan and Ravi "Rags" Khote, the track is energetic and playful, seamlessly blending Western pop with Bollywood style. "Pretty Woman" became a crowd favorite, and even years later, its catchy beats still bring a smile. It’s the kind of song that brightens up our playlist on Ruh Radio, bringing a refreshing vibe to any day.

5. "It’s the Time to Disco" – The Party Anthem

Adding to the album’s variety, "It’s the Time to Disco" was an instant hit among partygoers. With the lively voices of Vasundhara Das, KK, Shaan, and Loy Mendonsa, this track captures the energy of youth and friendship. It was one of the first songs to define the modern Bollywood party song, with its upbeat music and colorful visuals in the movie. For fans looking to relive the energy and spirit of Bollywood parties, Ruh Radio, 1440 AM, is your station—we keep the disco alive!

Why Kal Ho Naa Ho’s Soundtrack Lives On

The soundtrack of Kal Ho Naa Ho remains unforgettable because it brings together songs that are perfect for every mood—be it love, celebration, hope, or nostalgia. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's composition, combined with Javed Akhtar’s heartfelt lyrics, crafts a musical journey that resonates across generations. Each track offers a different facet of life, and together, they create a musical masterpiece that feels as fresh today as it did when it first hit the airwaves.

So if you’re in the mood to relive the magic of Kal Ho Naa Ho, tune in to Ruh Radio on 1440 AM. We bring these beloved Bollywood tracks to life, playing the songs you love and sharing stories behind their creation. Join us on Ruh Radio for an unforgettable musical experience, where every song is a reminder of life’s precious moments.

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