#best indian poetry

[rashidalighazipuri]

Lihaafe bashar

Lihaafe bashar me fir raha hoon mainBerang hi in galiyon se guzar raha hoon mainTawaf e Ishq muyassar na hua ab takRooh se rooh ki qalb me bhatak raha hoon main… लिहाफ़े बशर में फिर रहा हूँ मैंबेरंग ही इन गलियों से गुज़र रहा हूँ मैंतवाफ़ ए इश्क़ मुयस्सर ना हुआ अब तकरूह से रूह की क़ल्ब में भटक रहा हूँ मैं… -Rashid Ali Ghazipuri

[annagxx]

Sometimes all you need in life is one special friend, someone who slaps the truth on your face and makes you believe that even the worst of you will be replaced by something better. Someone who cheers you up on days that you can't even be proud of yourself, someone who urges you to strive and be the best version of yourself. This one person who always stays true to you no matter what comes and they always stand by you through the worst storms and the darkest times of your life. And no matter what strikes you, they will always have the time to help you overcome your failures. Sometimes all you need in life is a best friend who will always walk with you no matter how tough life gets. It gets tough to be yourself but when you have someone who constantly walks with you as you grow with each other, then that's worth living for. I hope when you find your person, you learn to love them, cherish them and choose them on days they can't choose themselves.

[fictionadventurer]

In my continuing quest to learn more about Laura Ingalls Wilder as a writer beyond the Little House books, one of the most surprising things I've learned is that apparently she wrote a small collection of cutesy poems about nature fairies.

They were originally published in a children's column in the San Francisco Bulletin in 1915, and are apparently about a couple of fairy characters who paint flowers and bring dewdrops and bring about other natural phenomena. This post goes into more detail about the poems, and the interesting blend of practicality and whimsy that goes into her presentation of fairies.

It also provides one of the poems.

And this quote about the importance of giving children fairy tales that's almost Chestertonian.

Wilder explained why she preferred such magical images of natural processes in a column for the Missouri Ruralist called “Look for Fairies Now.” She argued that children needed tales of fairies to help them see beyond the surface and to use their imaginations. In the olden days, she explained, farmers left some of their harvest for the Little People who “worked hard in the ground to help the farmer grow his crops.” Perhaps this idea was just superstition, she continued, “but I leave it to you if it has not been proved true that where the ‘Little People’ of the soil are not fed the crops are poor. We call them different names now, nitrogen and humus and all the rest of it, but I always have preferred to think of them as fairy folk who must be treated right.

On the one hand, this feels like just another example of how it was apparently a requirement for female authors of a certain era to write cute nature fairy poems. But with the context of the quote, it's also surprisingly fitting for who she is as an author.

[fireandiceland]

Hetalia characters with dishes typical for their country - part 1 (part 2 here)

Italy: Maritozzo (cream bread) -> This Roman milk bread is said to be dated back to times of Ancient Rome. The baked good is filled with generous amounts of whipped cream and somtimes decorated with fruit or pistachio. Young man also used it in courtship by hiding jewellery or a ring in the filling.

Germany: Breze(l) mit Schokolade (chocolate dipped pretzel) -> A baked pastry with sweet or salty toppings, best known for its distinctive symetrical, knotted shape. Dipped in chocolate the soft pretzel is a popular snack at funfairs and markets, but there are also small, crispy pretzels that are to be eaten like crisps/chips.

Japan: 和菓子 (wagashi; plant based sweet) -> Originally meaning "Japanese confectionery" the term now refers to a traditional dessert made from plant based ingredients. It's artful shapes are influenced by season, nature, or even poetry.

France: Quiche Lorraine -> A savoury tarte traditionally made with a filling of eggs, heavy cream, ham, and bacon. Today cheese is often added, though it is controversial among professionals. (In the drawing there seems to be leek added too which is not mentioned in the original recipe either.)

England: Scotch Egg -> Supposedly inspired by the Indian nargisi koftas, this dish consists of a hard-boiled or soft-boiled egg wrapped in pork (sausage meat) which is coated in breadcrumbs and then baked or deep-fried. Often served in pubs and a popular cold snack as well.

America: Hamburger -> A popular fastfood consisting of a patty (traditionally made from ground beef) between two halfs of a sliced bun. There are countless variations made with all kinds of additional ingredients and condiments, including expensive high-end versions with edible goldflakes.

Russia: пирожки́ (Pirozhki; stuffed bread) -> This popular street food is a baked good made from yeast-dough is typically boat-shaped and filled sweet or savory with meat, vegetables, fruit, jam or tvorog (an Eastern European fermented milk product with a consistency similar to curd cheese)

China: 小籠包 / 小笼包 (Xiaolongbao; steamed bun) -> Steamed dumplings made from leavened or unleavened dough traditionally filled with minced pork, traditionally eaten for breakfast. The top of the dumpling is closed by folding and pinching it. Authentical dumplings have at least 14 folds, preferably 18.

[nu1lst4rs]

doodled human designs for a few neutral aus! (pt.1)

(click for better quality)

can you tell i lost motivation... thank you to chandr for doing the last 3's lineart for me. legit couldn't get freshs colours to fit with the rest. eugh. its the best you're going to get out of us for these guys.

Nightmares gang, star sanses, neu au pt.2, extras

COLOUR, CLASSIC, PAPYRUS, EPIC and ANY REQUESTS will be in the next neu au post 3_^ so please please request me to draw neutral peoples... gonna open general requests in a separate post.

some hcs under the cut!

warning for alot... i mean.. alot of text..

> Ccino (he/they)

indian... ccino... mbghbgb. MAINLY BECAUSE I WAS EATING GULAB JAMUNS AND I WAS LIKE "huh this reminds me of ccino."

trans masc! you should be more surprised if someone wasn't trans at this point

just for individuality, i feel like he'd have cat features. toe beans, tail, but no ears. personal preference.

hopeless romantic. wants to fall in love so bad, like so bad. but doesn't have anyone to fall in love with.

his AU is a neutral where the player killed all bosses. because of this, ink had offered them a pocket AU with just their cafè. ccino still visits their old au from time to time, but otherwise lives in the cafè.

one of the youngest AU's/sanses, only a few hundred years old

> error (he/they/xe)

spanish + colombian

as a divergence from classic, he maintains a similar body shape. also the fact he eats nothing but chocolate.

^ similarly, his eye is covered by a star glitch. xe never equates this to the fact they were geno, and just see it as some weird cool glitch.

rocks an alliance with both NM and dream, so wears both the stars pin and gangs patch. he always choses the side of who benefits him the most in that moment. neither of the groups are happy about it, but see error as too valuable to deny.

has arthritis and bad joints. his strings usually dig into his fingers, causing scaring and pain. (bsp related: he gets taught how to relieve these pains by nms gang because they all have chronic pains of some kind)

taking strings from his eyes is PAINFUL. its basically his unraveled code and magic combined, glitching and stuttering.

illiterate. he cannot read anything but code.

brother of ink. annoying brothers that HATE eachother. but love eachother at the same time.

> cross (they/he)

spanish. it fits him. and its relatively canon.

cross is indecisive. they've jumped between nightmares gang and the stars several times, easily being swayed. as of my AU right now, they're with the stars.

they're colourblind! their AU was monochrome, and thats how they see everything. everything is just a shade of purple. he's never told people about it, but most people catch onto ir.

autism. cross has horrible sensory issues, and gets overwhelmed easily. also bad at social queues.

THIS MAN IS THE DEFINITION OF DOG POETRY. they would go on pinterest daily and cry about it.

is a great artist. ink taught him the basics when they were stuck in the void, so they built on it. they're really self conscious about it, and keep their sketchbook locked away tightly. (in their bedside drawer)

> reaper (he/him)

egytpian. i feel like he'd embody their idea of dying.

bird claws. bird wings. everything bird.

seen as a parental figure to dream and nightmare because of his extensive knowledge of the universe and balance n all that.

(THE GAY FLAG WAS A MISTAKE) he's bi. and loves his wife. (life)

aroace spec! completely ace, and demiromantic.

sorry guys i dont have the best hcs for him 💔

> geno (he/they)

spanish + colombian

needs a portable oxygen tube to breath. he can live without it, but its really painful to not have it.

some parts of his body are decomposed, while others are held together through determination. practically constant agony.

same reasoning as error for body shape.

> fresh (they/it)

parasite. its ass doesn't have a race nor nationality.

not the hotest with a few sanses. dream and nightmare don't like someone demeanour not being affected in the slightest by the amount of pain and agony they're in. error hates how the code overlaps and glitches. and overall they're just a bit crazy.

wears either heelies or rollerskates. refuses to EVER walk anywhere, and always rolls.

i don't got much for him.

eugh. i am so sorry if the hcs are lazy, i am not good hcing with aus im not familiar with. if anyone wants to input please do! i'd love to learn about them. <3 anyways i am sleeping because i need to stop staying up till 4am..

[hotvintagepoll]

FINAL POLL OF ROUND 3

Propaganda

Glynis Johns (Mary Poppins, The Court Jester)—LISTEN, I'd let that woman's voice with all its gravely hoarseness (positive) wash over me all goddamn day, but if that's not enough she managed to play the straight woman to Danny Kaye's jester, all with her cleavage so plunging it might as well have been catapulted into the ocean right after Basil Rathbone

Meena Kumari (Sharada, Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam)— Meena Kumari was Indian actress and poet, regarded as the "Tragedy Queen of Bollywood" due to her legendary performances in emotionally charged roles. Using words from her biographer: "She had many dimensions — she read poetry, had many literary friends, [and] aspired to the higher life." Meena had an incredibly difficult life, and translated this pain into her volatile acting performances. She is an artist beloved and revered by her fans.

This is round 3 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Glynis Johns:

She walks the line between sexy and cute. Her best role for me is in "The Court Jester as Maid Jean. She's fantastic as the soft but tough captain of the outlaw band and she looks stunning in every gown she wears throughout the film. And of course we can't forget her iconic turn as the suffragette mother, Mrs. Banks, in Mary Poppins! Also shoutout to her distinctive and beautiful voice, kind of smoky and husky. Extremely hot and set her apart from many of her peers."

"She was amazing in Mary Poppins (the Suffragette song is severely underrated) and apparently she was Welsh? National pride! And she advocated for arts funding in Wales, which is very cool. Also, she died recently (RIP) making her one of the last survivors of the Golden Age of Hollywood, according to Wikipedia. Also also, she just has a cheeky energy I like? And her eyes are beautiful!"

"She had this wonderful wit and charm to her no matter the role and the most distinctive, striking voice!"

"I mean, incredibly beautiful and talented, can do drama can do comedy. And she was a mermaid."

"Like Bette Davis she has eyes to die for. Unlike Bette Davis you felt comforted by them, even when she was batting her eyelashes at you. Would glady go to Downing Street with her and throw things at the Prime minister"

"Listen, listen. I was raised on Mary Poppins and "Votes for women! (step in time)" single-handedly taught me how to be a feminist. Also The Court Jester is one of my favourite movies of all time and she is UNBELIEVABLY gorgeous, charismatic, funny, and clever in it. She knocks several men out. Absolute icon."

"I love Glynis Johns. Most of the reason is The Court Jester where she's a sensible and capable foil to whatever what going on with Danny Kaye at the time. She was also the first star I based an OC on. An OC that I still have to this day! Anyway here have some YouTube links love u bye"

Mermaid clip:

Court Jester (sharing a bed trope):

Court Jester (seducing the king):

"VOTES FOR WOMEN! Well, votes for this woman. Please."

Meena Kumari:

Gifset 1

Gifset 2

Gifset 3

Gifset 4

[onlyfridaynights]

fuck it some of my jamie hc

hot chili sauce gang

refuses to wear any shoes except red converse

adores supernatural stuff

good at advanced math

has a loud laugh

always wears the sun necklace that regulus gifted to him

nothing new but james and sirius’s mental stability genuinely relied on the consistency of one another

he gives the BEST forehead kissies and u can‘t change my mind

james "small shirt big pants" potter

has back dimples

he‘s a picky eater. like i see him confidently eating anything that effie (and himself) cooks, naturally indian spicy food and so much distrustful of EVERYTHING even the best toasties someone can make (aka remus toasties)

his favourite dessert is maracuyá (passion fruit) cheesecake

he despise tomatoes, period.

has the leo constellation tattooed in his chest, with regulus star just in the middle, right where his heart is (ty @sebbianas this is amazing i adore it and now can’t get it out of my mind)

bisexual king

sometimes calls monty "papi"

fluent in hindi and urdu (ofc!!!) and knows a lil bit of french and spanish

he usually don’t show his anger but everytime gryffindor loses a quidditch match u can hear him curse his way into the lockers room

james always writes notes to the poetry books regulus gives him

has this thing to study while singing a song hes obsessed at the moment so like that he can learn faster and if he forgets summat in the exam he just sing the song and remembers everything

i like to think he‘s left-handed

he let lily dye his hair lemon green once in fourth year

also he lets sirius paint his nails black

james potter mullet agenda

he loves when people play with his hair, especially regulus. cause reg always leads james head to his chest and let james rest on top of him, all coddled up and sleepy

and very different from what everyone thinks, james has a very hard time getting up in the mornings

[rashidalighazipuri]

Hazar chehre badal liye hain

Kya kya rokoge kya kya tabaah karogeDhadkano ko bhi ab kya bewajah kahogeJo aag lagayi hai tumne wo aag hi to haiHazar ghar bhi jale aur tum use dhuaon kahogeBahane banoage hazar aur bheed me bhi chalogeMaut ki taskaree karoge fir use shifa kahogeHazar chehre badal liye hain fir use wafa kahogeKaun ho tum aur khud ko kya kahogeShaitan ki hai fitrat aur khud ko Insaan kahoge … क्या-क्या रोकोगे,…

[srbachchan]

DAY 5680

Jalsa, Mumbai Sept 5, 2023 Tue 12 :10 PM

Birthday - EF Renate Deuring .. EF Santosini Tripathy Wednesday, 6 September .. and all the good wishes for the day for them that have been with the family for years .. ❤️🌹

I felt this morning .. or as I lay desperately trying to get the eyes to shut for the dreams of dreams .. that .. what I had put up on various media platforms was perhaps not quite understood .. or where it came from ..

the words were composed by me , inspired by the famous Kabir doha

“गुरू गोविन्द दोऊ खड़े काके लागूं पांय, बलिहारी गुरू आपने गोविन्द दियो बताय "

guru govind dou khade kaáke lagün paáya, balihaari guru aapne govind diyo bataáy ...

Kabir Das ..

Kabir (1398–1518)  was a well-known Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das, and Kabir Sagar of Dharamdas.

Born in the city of Varanasi in what is now Uttar Pradesh ..

the Doha, or a poetic style of writing, means, and what Kabir expresses is :

that Guru and the Almighty both stand before me ; who's feet should I touch for blessings ?

and the Doha says :

bow down your head at the feet of the Guru, for he was the one that introduced you to the Almighty - told you about the Almighty

SO .. when I saw the picture of Abhishek and myself at the GOJ , I remembered the Doha of Kabir and designed one, inspired by the Kabir Doha , and wrote -

' पिता पुत्र दोनों खड़े, काके करूँ प्र��ाम , जीव दीन बाबूजी इनको, करें उन्हें साष्टांग ' ~ ab

pita putr dono khade, kaáke karü pranaam ,

jeev deen babuji inko, karén unhën sashtaang ..

meaning ..

(this as though someone from the crowd asks this question to the two Father and Son .. that the Father and Son both before me , who do I greet first with pranaam , namaste, namaskaar 🙏)

and the line next says in meaning :

life was given to them, Father and the Son, by Babuji, ( as I address my Father publicly ), do sashtaáng pranaam to him - to Babuji ..

saáshtaáng is the deepest gesture or posture of placing yourself in obeisance before the feet of any :

the deeper meaning then be that .. do not give your respectful namaste to us Father and Son .. do a sashtang to my Father, Babuji , for he created the two of us ..

and the reference goes back to the original Kabir Doha of Guru and the Almighty .. pay the respect first to the Guru, for he was the one that introduced you to the Almighty ..

Babuji in his autobiography may have said that Amitabh is my best poetry ..

BUT ..

He, Babuji was the poet !!

Love and respect and 🙏

Amitabh Bachchan

[doomsayings]

my list of favorite movies I watched for the first time this 2024! honestly lots of solid watches this year. Ken Russel remains up there for me…

my thoughts/reviews under the cut!

Cemetery Man (1994)

Honestly my top watch of the year! Literally in the first 60 seconds I already knew it was going to be my fave movie of the year. There’s a certain style about it, a certain camp that is exactly what I look for in my horror movies (consider my favorite watch last year: lair of the white worm) and I could see immediately it was going in that direction. Though it even exceeded my expectations in that! While being a good slapstick horror comedy, it has a lush gothic atmosphere and romance that it approaches very earnestly…. All romantic leads should be crypt keepers! Tbh!

All About Eve (1950)

Believe it or not first movie I ever watched in theatres by myself despite my big age! I chose this over East of Eden which I will have to get to next year, but I don’t regret it. Made me fall in love w/ Bette Davis, who I already loved, like one million times over. Genuinely kept me on the edge of my seat and moved me with how generous and loving it is of its lead. Watching in an empty theatre with only like a group of three gay guys who kept going “oh my god I LOOOVEE bette” felt very fitting…

Amadeus (1984)

Shockingly perfect movie. Absolutely no notes. I had no idea this centered around toxic gay rpf plot when I watched but I was absolutely enthralled for all 160 minutes of the run time. Salieri underrated guy of all time

The Lion in Winter (1968)

Another shockingly perfect movie that I would struggle to add any notes to. Probably best dialogue in a movie ever? Also phenomenal acting by literally everyone in it. A Christmas movie for the ages…

Conclave (2024)

It’s very rare that an actual new release makes my favorites of the year list, but wow I really adored this one. There is such an optimism and real, true belief at the center of this that I found very moving and even devastating as a recovering catholic… aside from being just a precise well-crafted movie. No line is wasted, every shot is beautiful.

Mikey and Nicky (1976)

Probably my second top fave of the year…I fell head over heels in love with it when I watched and told my sister to watch it…she said within the first 40 minutes that she looked up to see if the director was a woman because no man can be that self aware about masculinity WHICH. Pretty much sums up how I feel about it. Has such an insight about the human experience and relationships and shame and guilt it’s almost uncomfortable to watch but… I love it

Ghostwatch (1992)

Took me a very long time to get to despite the fact that I am a known found footage aficionado… it’s easy to imagine why this would have been such a scandal, and I��m glad I saw it before late night with the devil! They make a good double feature

Dante’s Inferno (1967) + The Devils (1971)

To be honest, it’s probably overkill to have two Ken Russel movies with the same actor on this list but I couldn’t decide which one to keep.. The Devils is clearly the masterwork here, is iconic for a reason but I adored the poetry of Dante. Lush and romantic as befitting a movie about the pre-raphaelites…

the haunting (1963)

Far from a perfect adaptation, but so much better than the mike flanagan one I can’t help but be preferential. Still has the ambiance and tension I expect, and great casting. This is my Eleanor….

Nagina (1986)

Spiritually related to my love of lair of the white worm, and the trope of the snake woman my new beloved… also this year has been my first foray into Indian cinema since my girlfriend is a noted Bollywood enjoyer

May December (2023)

I was conflicted whether or not to include this one, it seemed the reception to it was controversial and I watched it randomly on plane while not knowing anything about the premise but it actually kind of blew me away. I was enthralled and upset the entire movie, and all three lead performances were incredible. I think it’s an interesting approach to the topic, considering we are in an era or true crime/ biopics happening while everyone is still alive and relevant. Definitely under explored topic and it left me thinking about it for a long time

[nargisnasheen-mastam]

By far, one of the most incredible & revelatory highlights of my journey as a creative-researcher has been the emphasis placed on rigorous process documentation in our line of work. Looking back through this personal journey highlights the circle of life, that true wisdom never goes stale, & that all Great Truths bear the need for constant repetition & revision. In Indian Aesthetics, the philosophy of eroticism transcends bodily functions, & finds a home in ritualising everything in & around us, infusing it with sensory flavour. During my artistic-research work’s initial days in 2022, I scrapbooked my process to cultivate an investigative performance experience. And somewhere in the midst of that, as I contemplated Sringara Rasa (the flavour of love’s pleasure), I jotted this thought down– “Sringara also implies that there is inherent beauty everywhere & that everything can be loved.”

Everything can be loved.

Singer, poetess, & witch, Florence Welch wrote about her journal-to-book, ‘Useless Poetry’ –

"Songs can be incredibly prophetic, like subconscious warnings or messages to myself, but I often don't know what I'm trying to say till years later. Or a prediction comes true and I couldn't do anything to stop it, so it seems like a kind of useless magic."

Sringara Rasa, & the philosophy of Rasa & Bhaava thrives by imbuing meaning in the mundane, seeing the world not slightly altered from reality but instead accepting that there are multiple realities within even just a singular conscious, perceiving mind & soul. One truth does not have to negate another, but can coexist unbothered. It underlines the importance of respecting emotional states as a communication with something transcendent.

This was a reminder I needed, one I would’ve only felt the impact of, in the way I did, if I was the one telling it. So going through my journals towards the end of 2024, as I prime myself for another creative immersion for the love of wisdom, I cannot help but be amazed at my past self’s foresight. What my art does for others is one thing, but what it does for me is truly so magical. And I trust that a lot of what I do now, resonates throughout time, even if I do not have the ability to comprehend the sheer scale or nuance of it right now. And perhaps, it is best this way.

Be as Rilke would gently guide us to live & love the questions now, like a tongue we do not yet know. So we can live along some distant day into the answer. Zora Neale Hurston’s opening remark in ‘And Their Eyes Were Watching God,’ similarly echoes: “There are years that ask questions & years that answer them.”

Any & all creativity is alchemy geared towards transmutation, if not for now, then for tomorrow or for yesterday. Time-travel that is so unassuming that it might just pass you by if you are not actively cultivating the habit of noticing, or as Mary Oliver would’ve put it, if you are not praying the prayer of attention.

[the-whispers-of-death]

do you have any voice claims for your ocs?

Not really, no. The best I can do is describe their voice and tell you if they have an accent or not.

Stone has a thick Indian accent, somehow. He hasn't been with his father for about eighteen-nineteen years, but he still retains the Indian accent that he picked up from all those years alone in a house with his father (who had gotten the accent from his own father). His voice is deep and cold (you know it is). Also, he's almost always speaking loudly, he doesn't even notice it. It's just the way he talks.

Kali has a southern accent, everyone knows it. His voice is lyrical though, deep but smooth even with the accent. It's not a thick southern accent, since he has a hint of an Indian accent mixing in with it.

Sarabi has a thick Russian accent, also somehow. He was home-schooled until he was a freshman in high school and despite the many years around other Americans, he never shook off the accent. His voice is super gruff, like he has been a chainsmoker but he has never smoked in his life. His voice is only soft when reciting poetry.

Simba has a Californian accent. Right sounds like "raught", time sounds like "Tom". Everyone thinks it's funny, even him. His voice is actually high-pitched, I said it. He sounds feminine (even with the testosterone shots he's taking) and he doesn't really care.

Nala has a New York accent, because he grew up in New York. Every word is laced with it, it's inescapable. His voice is neither deep nor high-pitched, it's rather neutral.

Ladder's accent is indistinguishable, she lived in an area with people who had a ride range of ethnicities and so it's just a blend of all those accents. Her voice is soft and sweet, sickening sweet. It's how she gets people to underestimate her long enough so she can pull the wool off their eyes in the most hilarious way possible. Yeah, think she's a weak, defenseless woman, she'll eventually show you whether by sparring or lifting a ladder.

Heartthrob gives me Midwestern vibes, I don't know why. So he has a slight midwestern accent. His voice is also sweet, but unlike Ladder, he's actually completely friendly (not that she's not friendly). He just exudes warmth, okay?

Hellstorm has an indistinguishable accent like Ladder does, but it's because he mostly grew up with white people who had no accent. His voice is kind of deep and painfully monotone, like he's constantly bored. (And here I am, wanting to set him and Sarabi up in the Teacher!AU.)

[blood-orange-juice]

I keep procrastinating a long post so I'll just write a short one.

Genshin Narcissenkreuzers are an obvious reference to Rosenkreuzers of the real world (Rosicrucians in English), The Brotherhood of Rose Cross, a 17th century spiritual movement. Rose is just substituted with a daffodil there.

(I'm not sure if cross has any actual symbolism in Genshin, or what the Teyvatian meaning of daffodils is. I know rose symbolism in Teyvat is different from our world)

It's a mishmash of Kabbalah, Hermeticism, alchemy and Christian mysticism. And the best part? The author who wrote one of the Manuscripts That Started It All eventually revealed it was a literature game, acknowledging its origin in a romantic fantasy that he wrote before he was 16 years old.

(do you see the parallels? magic born out of a childhood game)

The even better part is that it influenced European mysticism immensely, inspiring the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and then Thelema. A huge part of esotericism you see online these days is a development of their practices or just straight-out their old practices (tarot cards, astral travel, etc).

It influenced a lot of things indirectly too. For example, the concept of seeing "energy" (and the whole esoteric concept of energy as we know it now) was created by Madame Blavatsky by mixing the Rosicrucian concept of "light ether" (the primary 'proto-element' from which all matter is created) and Eastern concepts of prana and qi (which, if you try to study Indian and Chinese texts, turn out to be closer to the actual physical definition of energy or maybe even information than to pop-esoteric "energy").

A similar thing happened to Wicca. It has its roots in Celtic revival and Neobardic tradition, which were in many ways influenced by Iolo Morganwg. That guy wrote a beautiful book Barddas, absolutely soaked in Mason and Rosicrucian teachings, passing it for a compilation of authentic Welsh bardic and druidic texts, forever tainting Celtic paganry with Rosicrucian influence too.

(it's a beautiful story in itself, full of poetry of all kinds. maybe one day I'll tell it)

(also, iirc, Wicca also heavily borrowed from the Order of the Golden Dawn too, so now it's hard to say what comes from where).

You might not know the name but Rosicrucians are everywhere. Their practices, the names they used for things, their way of thinking.

And so is the Narcissenkreuz Ordo.

[dosai-maavu]

if the characters of ponniyin selvan were to be in a modern-day indian high school, what personalities do you think they'd have?

here's my take:

aditha karikalan - 12th grade, the overacheiver, good at everything he does, kinda wild, the sorta person who can get piss drunk the day before but still get a 100 on a test the next day, very respected but unapproachable, is involved in literally every society but is particularly interested in sports and chess

vandiyathevan - 12th grade, charming and friendly, very popular, mischievous, gets into trouble a lot but none of it is serious, students love him, teachers like him too but gotta be strict bc he plays too many pranks, in the literature society

kundavai - 11th grade, also good at everything she does, much friendlier than her brother, respected by both students and teachers, the senior you go to when you got a problem bc she just gives the best advice, not too much into physical activities but amazing at debate, MUN's and quizzes

nandini - 11th grader, quiet, mysterious transfer student who hides her intelligence, the girl who will claim to fail but will actually pass with 99%, competitive, hates losing, always achieves her goals, in the chess, tennis and debate societies, good at all of them

arulmozhi - 9th grade, innocent, sweet and helpful, people usually cannot believe he's aditha's brother, doesn't do as well as his siblings in academics because he already knows he's not interested in it, very creative, is part of all artistic societies, is best at poetry and music

vanathi - 9th grade, shy and a little awkward, isn't really good at socializing but is the most animated one when she's with her friends, is fairly good at academics but her real passion is classical dance, in the dance society, almost always plays krishna in their dances

poonguzhali - 10th grader, the "weird" one, quiet, a little unapproachable and eccentric, she usually scares of people who try to talk to her, to her few friends she is wise and thoughtful, doesn't really enjoy academics or other school activities, loves swimming, is secretly an amazing singer but will not sing for anyone

sendhan amudhan - 10th grader, the teacher's pet but you can't hate him because he is literally a golden retriever, topper-in-training, isn't interested in after school societies but he loves going to the library and reading history books, passionate about social justice, spends his weekends volunteering at various charitable organizations

some headcannons:

kundavai and nandini have a fierce rivalry. they cannot stand it when one of them does better than the other. it's usually entertaining but when things get too intense aditha and vandiyathevan have to restrain them so they don't bite each other's heads off.

no one knows where nandini goes after school. she spends sometime at a flat nearby where she claims her grandparents live, but after that she takes off on her cycle. aditha got very close to finding out once but nandini saw it coming and diverted him to a lake on the outskirts of town.

vanathi and arulmozhi had been in the same class ever since preschool but on the first day of 9th grade, they were separated. vanathi felt terrible about it and spent a whole period crying in the washroom. kundavai heard it and felt sorry for her, so she took her under her wing. kundavai and vanathi develop a very deep, sisterly bond after that. .

aditha appears very confident but he secretly cries every other week in his room because the stress of being perfect gets to him. sometimes, when it gets too much, he sneaks out onto the roof for a smoke. vandiyathevan occasionally joins him with some nicotine gum.

vandiyathevan flirts with every girl around his age, but never with kundavai. this is partly because she's his best friend's sister but majorly because he wants to genuinely impress her and flirting won't work. kundavai for her part feels bad when she sees him flirt with other girls but never her. she reasons that it's probably because she's his best friends sister, but she sometimes wishes he would flirt with her too

[scotianostra]

April 15th 1865, saw the birth of children's poet Walter Wingate.

Walter Wingate’s name is not as well known as his poetry is, even in his native Scotland but there are many people who will smile with fond recognition at some of his words, especially You've hurt your finger? Puir wee man! Your pinkie? Deary me! Noo, juist you haud it that wey till I get my specs and see! Which are taken from what is possibly his best known poem The Sair Finger

His father David was also a noted poet (David Wingate 1828-1892 AKA The Collier Poet) and, on his mother's side he is related to Robert Burns (she was Mary Thompson, Burns’ grand daughter)

Wingate’s father had a respect for learning and ensured his son was well educated, first at Hutcheson's Grammar School in Hamilton and then at Glasgow University where he studied fine arts before graduating with a degree in mathematics in 1885 at the age of 20.

Walter had formed a desire to join the Indian Civil Service but, although he passed the academic tests easily, he failed the medical examination due to his poor eyesight. Instead he took up mathematics teaching, gaining a post at St. John's Academy in Hamilton which he held until his death 33 years later.

Walter married Agnes Thom in 1907 and the couple had two children, David and Duncan. Sadly his wife died young in 1916.

Much of Wingate’s poetry is written in the vernacular although he used a variety of accepted poetic styles. His poems reflect his love of nature and his respect for youngsters. He had a good sense of humour and a was a shrewd observer of the ordinary events in life, many of which are subjects for his poems. His work has much in common with that of fellow Scot Robert Louis Stevenson.

Walter Wingate was also a very good artist and left watercolour paintings.

Wingate’s only book of poetry "Poems by Walter Wingate" was published by Gowans and Gray in 1919 the year after he died but he is regularly anthologised and some of his poems have been set to music.

Sair finger

You’ve hurt your finger? Puir wee man! Your pinkie? Deary me! Noo, juist you haud it that wey till I get my specs and see!

My, so it is – and there’s the skelf! Noo, dinna greet nae mair. See there – my needle’s gotten’t out! I’m sure that wasna sair?

And noo, to make it hale the morn, Put on a wee bit saw, And tie a Bonnie hankie roun’t Noo, there na – rin awa’!

Your finger sair ana’? Ye rogue, You’re only lettin’ on. Weel, weel, then – see noo, there ye are, Row’d up the same as John!