#biblical immersion

[thinkingonscripture]

Spiritual Growth Through Meditation on Scripture

The Lord instructed Joshua, saying, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Josh 1:8). This command involves a deep, reflective engagement with Scripture, allowing its truths to shape one’s…

[nashvillehotchicken]

oh routledge language textbooks thank you for my life

[what-even-is-thiss]

Some free or inexpensive comprehensible input, audio and video lessons, and listening practice stuff for popular languages because idk I felt like googling some stuff today

Arabic: Yale k-16 interactive reading, Arabic Comprehensible, Egyptic

Bengali: Bangla Shekho, Bengali Fairy Tales

Chinese (Mandarin): Comprehensible Chinese, hackingchinese.com, Acquire Mandarin, Comprehensible Mandarin, Blabla Chinese, Easy Mandarin, Mandarin Click

English: English Comprehensible input for ESL beginners, Dreaming English, EnglishClass101, British Council LearnEnglish, News in Slow English

French: French Comprehensible Input, alice ayel, Easy French, innerfrench.com, Little Talk in Slow French, Francais Authentique

German: DW Learn German, Naturlich German, Comprehensible German, Easy German, Löwenzahn, Deutsch Direkt, Learn German With Falk

Greek (modern): Natural Languages TRPS Greek, Helinka, Hellinic American Union, Easy Greek, Greekpod101

Greek (ancient): Easy Latin (Greek Course), Alpha With Angela (biblical [Kione] Greek), Chihon Teaches, Ancient Greek in Action, Athenaze

Hebrew: The Hebrew Adventure, Free Hebrew (Biblical Hebrew), Hebrew Time, thehebrewcafe.com

Hindi: Comprehensible Hindi, HindiPod101, Hindi TV, Easy Hindi

Hungarian: FluentBox, Magyar Hungarian, Speak Hungarian With Angie, Easy Hungarian,

Icelandic: Icelandic For Foreigners, icelandiconline.com, Ylhyra, Viltu laera islensku,

Italian: Italian For Americans, Easy Italian, Learn Italian With Lucrezia, teacherstefano.com

Japanese: Comprehensible Japanese, DailyJapanese, Akane Japanese Class, iroironanihongo, Japanese Immersion With Asami, Speak Japanese Naturally, Learn Japanese with Tanaka san,

Korean: Comprehensible Input Korean, Korean Patch, Immersion in Korean, Intuit Korean, Learn Korean in Korean, Hello Jadoo, MAVOCA, Storytime in Korean, Talk to Me in 100% Korean

Latin: Easy Latin, ScorpioMartianus, Quomodo Dicitur?, Found In Antiquity, The London Latin Course

Portuguese: Teach Yourself Portuguese, The Sounds of Portuguese, Portuguese With Leo, Easy Portuguese

Russian: Comprehensible Russian, Easy Russian, About Russian in Russian, Russian With Max, Russian from Russia, Real Russian Club

Spanish: Dreaming Spanish, Teacher Catalina. Hola Spanish, Easy Spanish,

[alvivaarts]

Writing Tips For You (as if I don’t currently have insane writer’s block)

-Can’t start a scene? Write the setting instead. What is the lighting like? Is this place comfortable? Is it familiar or not? What should you point out now so it doesn’t suddenly appear when it becomes important for the characters? SET! YOUR! STAGE!

-Everyone says “show, don’t tell”. I like to think of that as “what are your character’s physical reactions? What are they feeling?” You can say “Character looked dismayed”, or you can say “Character grimaced with dismay.” See the difference?

-Struggling with dialogue? Talk to yourself while you’re writing. You might be blocking yourself if you subconsciously think some dialogue feels unnatural.

-Context, context, context! This applies to everything from the small interactions to the big plots. Every force has an equal and opposite reaction, allow interactions and events to grow as such.

-Context, context, context pt 2! But worldbuilding! If your character is performing an act, how does that fit into the physical reality they already exist in? How is it possible? Can you imply (imply, not explain) that these things are commonplace or why they wouldn’t be?

-Build the action. (Stealing this from theater class like twelve years ago.) You can’t just put a character into the scene and say ‘they made a sandwhich’. What has to happen for the sandwhich to be made? Your character has to walk into the kitchen, open the cupboard, get out a plate, get out the jam and peanut butter, get out the knives, open the fridge, get out the bread, close the fridge, open the bread bag, lay down two slices of bread on the plate, close the bag, open the first jar, pick up the first knife, scoop up the jam, slather it on the bread, put the knife down, close the first jar- and so on and so forth. Every small step is necessary for you to understand, and to engage your readers. You don’t have to go into ridiculous detail like I just did, but even understanding that for yourself helps remember the ‘state’ of your scene at any given moment.

-See above, but it’s not a scene and a sandwhich. The scene is your whole story and the sandwhich is your plot. What small steps MUST happen to reach the climax? Does changing one of those small steps change the result? How?

-Emotions are best portrayed when you have experienced them or can get insight from those who have experienced them. Let yourself get emotional in a scene. Allow yourself to be empathetic and vicariously experience what your characters are.

-Reread your own work! Your writing style and characterizations can change over time, but if you feel like you’re losing them, don’t be afraid to look at where you started to ground yourself!

-Proofread your own work 2-12 hours after you finish a section! Not while you’re writing! Don’t let yourself get carried away with writing things ‘right’, just get the ideas out.

-Have a friend or volunteer proofread for you too! This can help pick out things you repeatedly say, words you might misuse, grammar and punctuation that might need correction, and phrases that are hard to digest or don’t make sense.

-Make sure you’re making an effort to use regionally/era specific words and slang both in dialogue and in your writing. There are plenty of websites and videos online that list and discuss regional and era slang worldwide. Not to mention, we can connect with people all over the world using the web just to ask! Using incorrect phrases can really break immersion and make characters feel- well, out of character! I.E. an 80s jock saying ‘dope bruh’, American characters (generally) saying ‘lift’ instead of ‘elevator’, so on and so forth.

-Research research research! Research bloodloss limits, research how laws and jobs operate in different regions and countries, research weirdly specific myths and biblical themes, research as much as you can! You can only build a richer environment to write in!

-If you actively want to implement themes, allow them to reflect the experiences of your character. Example character is an Italian American who was orphaned at 13 after his orthodox Catholic parents died, he has been in and out of foster care his whole life, and the moment he got out his military job became strict and he allowed himself to be blackmailed to protect a child in a similar position. This has plenty of fun themes and symbolisms, like sacrifice, fate, lack of control, love, losing autonomy, etc, all of which can be framed under the impactful history of his Catholic childhood. This evokes the imagery of farm animals, servitude, animal tags/dog tags, holy spaces being used for other purposes. Play with it!

-Build three base playlists! One for your overarching story, one for songs that remind you of the main character and their story arc, and one for how you feel when you’re writing/songs that weirdly remind you of your story. You can cycle through these to help get into your mood.

-Consume other media! If all you do is focus on writing, you WILL lose steam and inspiration. Don’t be afraid to watch new shows, read new books, look at more artwork, read more poems, listen to more music. You might get a flicker of inspiration for themes, motives and ideas, and you’ll continue to fill yourself instead of dumping your focus out on your writing.

-Understand how each major character thinks and instinctively reacts to things. Some characters can stay calm, but others might instinctively react to things ‘angrily’, others might try to run away. This is an easy way to figure out character flaws and impliment easy conflicts.

And last but not least:

-Take breaks! Don’t worry about forcing yourself to keep a posting schedule (unless you’re being paid. I’m not. I’m doing this shit for free and for funsies) if all you do is spend all your time worrying about your writing, you won’t be able to relax your brain. Spend time with friends, play games, go outside!

I hope this helps!

[mvrdermeharder]

So in the wake of ch 294, i’ve been thinking about what’s left for Kaiser’s development…

Unfortunately, as i had expressed in one of my prev posts, i think his story has a very high chance of ending in tragedy (by which i mean death).

BUT, as he’s my fav trash boy, i’m not willing to give up on hope just yet. So i kinda want to ramble a bit about Archangel Michael’s history and iconography to find a leeway towards a better ending… and i’ll possibly do a deep dive in another post.

As i’m in the midst of editing… “deep dive” lmao as if this post didn’t end up as long as it did.

So basically, it’s a fact that bllk is full of christian symbology and references (mainly when it comes to kainess, to be specific), and it’s obvious that not only Kaiser’s given name, but also his appearance is inspired by how Saint Michael is represented in the most famous paintings:

Long(er) blond hair, androgynous facial features, wearing a blue tunic + often a red piece of cloth floating around him (Kaiser is permanently wearing these two colors on his body: red eyeliner tattoo, blue rose tattoo. Blue is also just his signature color in general.)

But here’s what i find even more interesting: Kaiser’s character is not only based on Archangel Michael, but it also incorpores a lot of visual elements that Lucifer is represented with (Lucifer is God’s ex-favorite angel, who CHALLENGED AND REBELLED AGAINST GOD, so then God kicked him out of heaven basically… you’ll likely know this angel by the name of Satan)

Now, the representations of Lucifer/Satan vary throughout history, with the earliest representations being in Egypt… so i won’t mention everything bc we’d be here for hours, instead i’ll just boil it down to only those characteristics that Kaiser and Lucifer have in common in SOME representations.

So, Lucifer/Satan is often represented as the most beautiful angel of all, sometimes in blue/red clothing, completely nude, OR in a demon like form: a goat-man with hooves, horns, and bat like wings. In the panel below, Kaiser takes up an anthropomorphic form (humanlike traits mixed with animalistic traits) as he immerses himself in his own malice: his legs and feet remind me of the hooves of a goat-man, aka Lucifer.

So despite Kaiser being a sort of reincarnation of Archangel Michael, his personality morphs into that of the cruel and sadistic Lucifer. He wants to rebel against God, he longs to cast his malice on the world’s football players to feel joy (just like how Satan finds enjoyment in tormenting humans), and in the latest chapter he claims that it was wrong to let go of his malice towards Yoichi, and that he should rely on his malicious urges to steal…

(For context, i’m using panels w the official translations, NOT the more widespread PO2 ones)

So now that i’ve explained how Kaiser takes on the characteristics of both of these angels, i want you to scroll back a bit to the paintings of St. Michael.

What we see in these paintings is the battle between St. Michael and Lucifer. We see Michael stepping down on Lucifer, in a complete victory. (The sword in his hands represents rightful justice, but that’s not very important rn)

And the way i see it, the manga might follow this story. But not in the traditional way of physical conflict between two bodies, instead, it’s an incredible internal and psychological conflict!

The great battle takes place in Kaiser’s mind, and if Kaneshiro intends to follow the famous biblical story, this conflict will end with the “defeat” of Kaiser’s unhealthy mentality (=defeat of his satan-like qualities).

Or at least that’s what I’m hoping for w this theory. I really don’t want to see my boy dead due to his fucked up mentality (Mick Moon theory… oh how i loathe u)

Paintings that i’ve used for reference:

Guido Reni - Archangel Michael defeats Satan

Luca Giordano - Saint Michael

Antonio Maria Esquivel - The Fall of Lucifer

Luca Giordano - The Fall of the Rebel Angels

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino - (Little) Saint Michael

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino - Saint Michael Vanquishing Satan

Francisco Goya - Witches' Sabbath

[primaphomet]

Why choose between a silly or angsty AU when it can be both?

A Leosagi AU where a freshly-made paladin finds himself in a whirlwind romance with the very divine being he is sworn to serve and protect 😳

brain dump of my thoughts below the cut

So first of all this features my risesona, Biblically Accurate Leo. However, he is his own character in this AU and is not a representation of me in this setting. If you see Baleo without Paladin Usagi, she's probably in sona mode lmao (I basically thought one day "what would leosagi look like with my risesona concept" and it evolved from there)

I imagine Baleo is a "young" angel, so he still retains the laidback and silly demeanor like in the show. Usagi being a new paladin means he isn't a total stick-in-the-mud like older paladins, so their excitable personalities would bounce off of each other really well

The downside to Baleo being a young angel is that he still doesn't fully understand humanity. He would probably treat them like pets or a very immersive game; there's this disconnect. Unfortunately this applies to Usagi as well (like how you have a favorite fictional character and you're like aaaa my blorbo!! but they're not Real so you don't treat them to the same standards as a real person)

This AU might also explore catholic guilt, especially with the idea of a person who is deeply ingrained in a role within the church. Imagine preparing for a position for a long time, perhaps even your whole life, and when it happens it is everything you've ever dreamed of and more, and you finally feel like you have a purpose in life because that is what you've always been told. But... there's something off, something sinister underlying it all, and you KNOW that something is wrong but you've been working for this for so long, how could you even question it? Yeah that's Usagi, wish him luck 🫡

[mammonscheeks]

my obey me mc / oc headcanons ₊⊹

✎a/n: these hcs are all based on how MY OWN mc or oc would be! so don't be mad if the specific ones don't apply to you :) my mc's name is akira (she/her) but imma just write mc for these!

₊⊹ knows a surprising amount of biblical mythology lore since she's middle eastern/levantine. --"mc, how did you already know our sins based on our names?"

₊⊹ did NOT believe that she was actually in hell when she first came to the devildom. it took an exasperating week for all the brothers to convince her they weren't just some weirdos cosplaying demons in someone's sweltering ass basement

₊⊹ she and solomon fuck with demons by claiming false things about humans --"mammon, did you know that humans can speak to each other through telepathy? look, I can tell you what solomon is thinking right now!"

₊⊹ she carries around chocolate gold coins and gives them to mammon whenever he's good. he tries to pawn them off to lesser demons as a "luxury human world treasure"

₊⊹ is not as cautious as she should be. literally walks around the devildom at night, alone, no matter how many times the brothers tell her not to. talks back to lucifer with no fear. stands up for herself when lesser demons threaten her.

₊⊹ diavolo invites her for tea once a week to talk extensively about humans so he can learn more. --"mc, please tell me what 'slay' means... and is it true that your intestines are 20 feet long?"

₊⊹ she goes to barbatos's kitchen once a week to bake with him and luke. the three exchange recipes from their own respective realms. the kitchen has only lit on fire once so far!

₊⊹ whenever she has lots of work or assignments to do, she quietly slips into lucifer's room. the two listen to classical music and silently study together. --"I'm glad that my study habits motivate you to do better, mc."

₊⊹ is always the last to hear about pop culture news/does not keep up with celebrities. leviathan is shocked to hear that he knows more about human celebrities than her. --"mc, you're telling me you haven't heard this album yet? this is literally from YOUR realm!"

₊⊹ immediately feels sleepy/tired whenever mammon or simeon walks into the room. this is because they're her favorites and she feels the safest around them, so she lets her guard down when they're near.

₊⊹ begs simeon to take her to the celestial realm so that she can talk to the angels that she has prayed to since she was little. she has a fascination with angels after growing up immersed in religious mythology. --"mc, I promise I'll take you once this exchange program is over."

₊⊹ makes dark jokes with belphie about what he did to her. she's not petty, it's just her humor. --"what are you going to do, belphegor... kill me again over this sushi?"

gonna link some picrews i've made of my mc!

[mybeingthere]

Tanya Marcuse began making photographs as an early college student at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. She went on to study Art History and Studio Art at Oberlin and earned her MFA from Yale. Her photographs are in many collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the George Eastman Museum. In 2002, she received a Guggenheim fellowship to pursue her project Undergarments and Armor.

In 2005, she embarked on a three part, fourteen year project, Fruitless | Fallen | Woven, moving from iconic, serial photographs of trees in Fruitless to lush, immersive, allegorical works in Fallen and Woven. The photographs in Woven are as large as 5 x 13 feet. Fueled by the Biblical narrative of the fall from Eden, these related projects use increasingly fantastical imagery and more elaborate methods of construction to explore cycles of growth and decay and the dynamic tension between the passage of time and the photographic medium.

Tanya is a student of martial arts and boxing as a method of cultivating mental and physical concentration and discipline. Tanya’s books include Undergarments and Armor (Nazraeli Press, 2005), Wax Bodies, (Nazraeli Press, 2012) and Fruitless | Fallen | Woven (Radius Press, 2019) and INK (Fall Line Press, 2021). She teaches Photography at Bard College.

[puckinghischier]

no like i need Quinn BIBLICALLY. all the new media of him is making my brain think of up a thousand thoughts and now i need to spend the rest of my day immersed in fan fiction

he’s literally the on my mind 24/7 anymore. like…he used to pop up every now and again, but my god he literally took his seat at the table and ain’t ever leaving i guess

every time i open both instagram and tik tok the first thing i see is all of the content from the nhl ‘25 photo shoot and i can’t handle it. literally teetering on the edge of insanity

[la-galaxie-langblr]

me knowing logically that immersion will provide more long term gains for language learning vs 5 new vocab flashcards and some grammar exercises go brrrrrrrrr

[phoenixculpa]

pick up where we left off, art-i-choke, justify each push out the door (plain thought biblically billows—)—“listen to your—“ afterthought chronically jaded in dark golden eye,

telekinesis touch, forgot each cardinal direction with keen scent of a dog,

say it doesn’t hurt to lack the indiscriminate, cry a rain cloud to each day sunlit as saharan desert, “tengo sed,” no me entiendes, honey

graphic indulgence, immersive 3D kaleidoscope suction: starbucks laments sleeping solo shot espresso like a trenta could fill vacuous hope

Grumpy dwarfed—volatile nebulae, voices carry every cycle shut

[i-needserotonin]

Religious Imagery and Symbolism in Eli Ever:

Note : everything in this analysis was or could have been linked in a more generalized and not necessarily true theology, only as a way to try to associate or make connections with the mentioned character.

Baptism

His first death can be likened to a Baptism.

Baptism is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three times, once for each person of the Trinity. 

" The baptized person emerges from a watery grave into a new life."

Baptism is a symbol of Christ’s burial and resurrection. The entrance into the water during baptism identifies Christians with Christ’s death on the cross, His burial in the tomb and His resurrection from the dead.

The parallel between Eli's first death and baptism is evident. Just as a baptized person emerges from a "water tomb" into a new life, Eli undergoes a transformation after his first death.

"signifies that "you" have died to your old self and sin, emerging as a new creation."

This means that, in the same way, Eli's death represents a passage into a new phase, where he leaves behind his previous "self", emerging as a new creation, almost like a rebirth.

“Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising from the dead as he did Christ." Colossians 2:12-14

Furthermore, there is an evident connection between sin, death, and God's gift of eternal life. As mentioned next.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

Three

The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is the central doctrine concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

The Christian Church has celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ on a Sunday—three days after remembering his death on Good Friday. This timeline of three days is based on numerous references in the New Testament. Jesus predicted it many times, the three-day timeline matters to the biblical narrative because it is the special day on which God creates new life and activates his covenant with humanity.

three times he shot victor.

three years since they met.

three times he died ( manifesting he coming back and dying again)

" He met his gaze in the mirror and began to unbutton his shirt, exposing the scars from the bullets of Eli’s gun one by one. He ran his fingers over them, touching the three spots where he’d been shot the way a man might cross himself." Part One; Chapter XXVI , Vicious.

In the Bible, we can find more examples of the use of the number three as sacred or a persistent and symbolic repeating pattern, but I only mentioned these few situations that I found relevant or that fit the narrative of 'Vicious'.

Cross

The Cross, is the principal symbol of the Christian religion, recalling the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the redeeming benefits of his Passion and death. The cross is thus a sign both of Christ himself and of the faith of Christians. In ceremonial usage, making a sign of the cross may be, according to the context, an act of profession of faith, a prayer, a dedication, or a benediction.

"to outline the form of a cross as a Christian religious act by moving the hand from the forehead to the breast and then from one shoulder to the other, seen as representing the trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

The use of blood as part of a ritual is laden with symbolism.

"Wouldn’t You?” He cut deeper, through to bone, over and over, until the floor was red. Until he’d given his life to God a hundred times, and a hundred times had it given back. Until the fear and the doubt had all been bled out of him. And then he set the knife aside with shaking hands. Eli dipped his fingertips in the slick of red, crossed himself, and got back to his feet. "Part Two; Chapter IV, Vicious.

In the context of this specific text, Eli blessing himself with his own blood appears to represent a desperate quest for answers and validation from God regarding his identity and the powers he possesses.

This action can be seen as an extreme act of devotion and sacrifice. It may represent the intensity of Eli's search for a divine answer or for God's forgiveness. Making the sign of the cross with his own blood suggests that he is willing to sacrifice or suffer in search of a deeper spiritual connection or proof of divine will.

Blood, Red & White

"And by the law almost all things are made clean with blood, and without blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:22

In the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were a means of seeking forgiveness and reconciliation with God. The shedding of blood in these rituals symbolized the payment for sins.

The New Testament sees the shedding of Jesus' blood on the cross as the ultimate act of redemption. Christians believe that through His blood, believers are forgiven of their sins and reconciled with God.

And also associated with purification and cleansing.

As we know, Eli associates his murders with a distorted view of divine justice. He believes he is eliminating those people he considers unnatural or threats to society, as a purification, justifying his murders as a way of protecting the world from “villains” with extraordinary powers, this vision can be easily associated, by the way he thinks and acts throughout most of the narrative as a clear link to the Christian view of sacrifice and blood itself.

Red, associated with sacrifices, sin, power, sinfulness. can be conected with redemption and atonement. It represents the idea that through Christ's sacrifice, believers can be cleansed of their sins and find redemption, also linked to martyrdom. Martyrs who died for their faith are often depicted wearing red, symbolizing their willingness to shed their blood for their beliefs.

&

White, purity, innocence, righteousness. Associated with the idea of resurrection and new life in Christ. It signifies the hope of eternal life after death, it can also represents the state of being free from sin.

And for red and white, which are colors normally associated with the character as they continue to be described with him in the narrative or mainly associated with the vision that people have of him, with white clothes, gun and glasses being one of the easiest ways to identify him, we can see that both colors connect with sacrifice, martyrdom, purification and eternal life, which are elements present in the character and his narrative.

Name.

In the Villains series, the name theme remains, whether in a satirical way, a reference to comic books or just a way of demonstrating what a character represents.

Eliot means “The Lord is my God", “Jehovah is my God.”

With the meaning of his name I would like to close this brief summary that I tried to make about the symbolism that I could notice predominantly in the narrative of his character, from his name to the meaning of eternal life and the usual theme, we can see that Eli is a character strongly linked to religiosity and can be easily associated with various concepts of Christianity.

Final Note: Thank you if you read this far and I hope you enjoyed it.

[unusual]

There’s a lot of hate online for religious people (of all faiths but kind of christianity focus here) but something to remember is even though there are for sure right wing freaks and biblical literalists within christianity etc who use religion as a weapon there are also plenty of good regular kind and loving people who just have a strong faith and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Obviously there are institutional issues with christianity and many other organized religions + I’m absolutely not saying everyone has to be super hardcore religious or anything but I do think it’s good to generally extend more compassion to people who are more than likely just regular people who believe in a god rather than to tell someone their god doesn’t exist/stop believing in fairytales etc(?!). There seems to be an idea that in doing this you’re somehow clapping back at the average homophobic racist rich white man but needless to say there are TONS of people of color or people who have been affected by hardship who are immersed in their religious faith, and many people who go to church regularly or read the bible are in fact just normal people who still deserve empathy and compassion

[pmamtraveller]

THE FACE OF WAR | c.1941 | by SALVADOR DALÍ

This is a powerful and unsettling painting that captures the horrors of war and its devastating impact on humanity. Created during a tumultuous period in history, between the end of the SPANISH CIVIL WAR and the beginning of WORLD WAR II, this work is a testament to DALÍ'S unique surrealist style and his ability to convey the darkest aspects of human experience.

The painting depicts a disembodied, withered head hovering against a desolate desert landscape. The face is a picture of fear and misery, with identical faces appearing in its mouth and eye sockets, creating an infinite cycle of suffering. Snakes swarm around the face, symbolizing the relentless attacks on innocent people even after they have endured immense hardship. The use of snakes also alludes to the biblical story of the GARDEN OF EDEN, where the serpent represents evil and temptation.

DALÍ employed his signature surrealist technique to create a sense of unease and discomfort. The painting's color palette is predominantly brown, evoking a sense of desolation and hopelessness. The only hint of color is a faint blue in the distant sky, suggesting a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. The artist's use of oil on canvas adds depth and texture to the work, making the scene feel more realistic and immersive.

"THE FACE OF WAR" is not only a commentary on the devastating effects of war but also a personal reflection of DALÍ'S own experiences and emotions. The painting is a testament to the artist's ability to transform his emotions into powerful works of art that continue to resonate with audiences today.

[zebratoys]

Every year before the month of Elul, I get this call to visit the Holy City of Safed. This ancient city makes me feel like a tourist and I fall deeply in love with it over and over again. Experience wondrous expeditions of paved stone alleys inlaid with beautiful art galleries and breathtaking ancient synagogues. Discover the beauty and allure of Safed to soothe your soul with holiness and radiate glowing healing energy into the world. Nurture your longing for the sacred in 5784 while wandering the old city shimmers of Light blue called תכלת. In Hebrew the word is linked to תכלית which means purpose. In the 16th century, Kabbalah mysticism was revived in Israel at the Holy City of Safed where it grew into a significant esoteric Jewish stream of profound impact, shining its sacred glow of love across the world. The Kabbalah is the most eminently sacred realm of Judaism, denoted by oneness and the longing to unite with the Holy of Holies. The Holy City of Safed Immerses your sacred soul with the holy essences of Kabbalah illuminated by the holy glow of the Zohar and the Ten Sefirot divine powers of the source. The "Ten Sefirot" known as the ten attributes of God are arranged in a Tree of Life formation, with elevated branches reaching into Heaven and roots delving deep into Earth, symbolizing the nature of God, the universe, and the human soul. Enhance the flow of holiness and oneness that enlightens a Heaven and Earth vertical alignment with Safed's ancient Synagogues and Jewish Art that glimmer holiness coded with mesmerizing Torah Biblical verses and decorated with holistic elements of Judaic holy symbols and Aramaic holy meanings. An experience designed for a loving soulful journey blessed by God's providence. Join the "Sail Away with Me" LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9810358

[holdy-caulfield]

My book review.

Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said by Phillip K. Dick

Contains one spoiler, which I’d say is minor, because it was for me obvious from the beginning.

Genre: Sci-fi, dystopia, psychedelic, cyberpunk, thriller

Pages: 231

Key words: celebrity culture, corruption, paranoia, intelligence, body modifications, persecution, self-identity, kindness, drugs, cruelty

TW: police cruelty, incest, p*dophilia, drug addiction & drug overdose

Highlights: characters, plot, atmosphere, dialogue

Downsides: unnecessary epilogue

Vibe/tone: realistic, paranoid, tense

This is the second novel I have read by Philip K. Dick and it left a strong impression.

The writer is a master at combining different themes that are worthy of separate novels, while avoiding the impression of the topic being undisclosed.

First plot: a celebrity wakes up in the world where he doesn’t exist.

Second: a dystopia where a police dictatorship reigns over a grim society (age of consent is lowered to 12, drugs are legalized, concentration camps, Afro-American community is almost completely erased).

There are also themes of identity, genetic modification, and even according to the author, biblical allusions (gotta love how there appears a religious character out of nowhere, the author in the real life says “he’s right” and does not elaborate) & obviously a critique on police cruelty and corruption. The world’s atmosphere and setting also reminded me of Blade Runner/Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by the same author.

The world feels real. Characters are vividly portrayed, each leaving a mark, even if they don’t reappear. They play a role, but they live their own life, separate from the plot and the main character. I liked the approach of the secondary characters not always having an arc, while it is expected, although having a clear and interesting backstory.

There are two main characters.

Jason Taverner is a celebrity, popular with women, very smart, logical, and I would say, he is understandably selfish but… Kind. Maybe even sincere. Can be funny at times. Not inclined to violate other people’s boundaries. I would say charismatic.

Felix Backman is a policeman. A very ambiguous person. He understands that he lives in a very wrong system and tries to somehow fight for justice, but he is corrupt just like everyone else, hypocritical (admitting it), manipulating, cares mostly about his desires. I would say he is a coward… [SPOILER] And he is in romantic relationships with his sister (obviously, very uncomfortable to read, but it’s about hypocrisy and it’s dystopian, the book has a lot of screwed up moments) [/SPOILER].

It was interesting for me to read about both of them on the same level. I cared about both of them despite them not being positive characters.

The only critique from me is the epilogue. It broke the immersion. I would prefer Mr Dick either leaving the ending open or just write one phrase if he didn’t want to leave the readers in the dark regarding main character’s fate.

Highly recommended, though as stated above it contains unsettling, unpleasantly detailed scenes.

The book is quite unusual and I’ll be happy to read it again.

Below are the images that gave me off the vibe of the book in my opinion.

9/10