#natal 2017

[lugaresinexistentes]

natal do castelo rá tim bum no grand plaza shopping são paulo, 2017

status: foi uma atração temporária para o natal de 2017 somente.

enviado por: luiz @Mr_luiz_hp_gradin obrigada pela contribuição! <3

[purejoyblog]

im curious what’s your venus sign and what’s your favorite perfume/ scent?

[edsonjnovaes]

Manchester, a beira mar

Título original: Manchester by the Sea (2016). Wikipedia Drama Dirigido e escrito por Kenneth Lonergan. A produção é estrelada por Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler e Lucas Hedges. Lee Chandler é forçado a retornar para sua cidade natal com o objetivo de tomar conta do sobrinho adolescente após o pai do menino, seu irmão, falecer precocemente. Esta volta ficará ainda mais…

[psikonauti]

Vince Natale

The One that Got Away, 2017

Oil on panel

[ducktoonsfanart]

Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera and Gyro Gearloose (Fenro) celebrate Christmas and New Year's Eve together with Scrooge McDuck and Boyd Gearloose (formerly Beaks) at McDuck Manor - Duckblr Santa - Duck Santa - My gift for a friend - Ducktales 2017 - My style

It's time for Duckblr Santa and this drawing I drew is my gift to @amaolly and that I am your Duckblr Santa for this year - @duckblr-secret-santa. I drew Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera and Gyro Gearloose as a Fenro couple, who are together wearing a winter Christmas sweater and drinking hot chocolate during the winter and these joyful holidays. In addition to them, there is also Scrooge McDuck in a Christmas sweater in his own style in his McDuck Manor, and there is Boyd, Gyro's invention and a baby parrot who became Gyro and Fento's child who plays with the train. Of course there is also Little Helper, or Lil Bulb. As an addition, I also drew Young Emo Donald Duck and Young Della Duck as a memory of their Christmas when they were children. Yes, I drew in Ducktales 2017 style, in my own way, since I am not a fan of the Ducktales 2017 style, but I am certainly of these characters. I hope you like these drawings and these characters and I hope you to like my gift for you. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you! Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo anche a te!

I hope you like this drawing and these characters and feel free to like and reblog this, just don't copy the same ideas without mentioning me and Amaolly. Thank you! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and happy holidays!

[punkpandapatrixk]

🐶The Moon’s Message to Your Inner Child ♦︎ Timeless Pick A Card

This PAC is in collaboration with @faerytreealtars and her part of the PAC covers a message from the Sun🌞Check out her PAC to get a full circle reading~🍃😉

["Wisdom from the Sun" – how to reach your divine self]

‘Do you like to draw with crayons? I’m not very good at it. But it doesn’t matter. It’s the fun of doing it that’s important. Now, I wouldn’t have made that if I’d just thought about it. No matter how anybody says it is, it feels good to have made something. The best thing is that each person’s would be different. In a way, you’ve already won in this world. Because you’re the only one who can be you. And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.’ – Mr Rogers

SONG: Take Me by Miso

MOVIE: Finding Neverland (2004) & Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017)

[PAC Masterlist] [Patreon] [Paid Readings]

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 1 – Kinder and Kinder to Your Younger Self

VIBE: BAD MODE by Utada Hikaru

your heart’s secret desires – XIX The Sun

You are actually somebody who believes deeply in world peace. You desperately want to see the world become a sweetly welcoming place for all, especially children and animals. You have a belief that children and animals are so deserving of gentleness and safety. But you often forget that all adults are just as deserving of the same kindness we bestow children and cute animals.

At some point if Life, you grew up and became tough. I think you thought that you needed to become so. I think your environment made you believe it was important to become so tough the world you wouldn’t beat you to it. You’ve experienced quite a bit of hardships, too, so it was rather easy to fall prey to this cruel notion that adults must all toughen up.

‘If you’re tough with yourself, the world will be gentle with you.’ ??

Though it may seem like those words contain so much practical wisdom, deep down, your heart is terribly disturbed by it. There’s just something that’s not quite right about it. If everybody is hard on themselves… how can anybody be gentle with someone else?

in your element – 2 of Swords

Irrespective of what your Moon Sign is or where in your natal chart it is placed, you’re technically not a person who wants to toughen up. I think you’re a deeply sensitive Soul who still believes that patience and compassion can solve many of the world’s problems. Because in fact, your Higher Heart knows this to be true. You’re somebody who can make real compromises to accommodate the needs of others and you’re genuinely capable of real charity because you’re the type that tries to understand wholeheartedly where somebody else is coming from.

When you help others, you do so with their best interest at heart and you don’t even expect anything in return. When you are useful to other people, when your existence can improve other people’s life situations, you feel most like yourself. All that you hope for is that people are at minimum grateful because when people are grateful, they’re really only increasing their own ability to manifest even more ease and abundance. You’re not even expecting them to be grateful to you. My goodness, you must be God🤩

But uhm… You sure, honey, you’re not compromising way too much because you’re also somewhat people pleasing for a lack of gentleness in your childhood?

making dreams a Reality – V The Hierophant

See, The Sun is no.19 in the Major Arcana; that reduces to 10. The Hierophant is no.5 and this is telling me that you’re about halfway to manifesting all your dreams of ease and world peace. The half of your manifestation is already stored in your Higher Heart and you have nothing to worry about it. What you do need to focus on is learning to be kinder and gentler with your own younger self. You’re so kind and accommodating to others but often forget that you need tender care yourself.

There’s a possibility that you grew up with stern adults who didn’t know how to be gentle with children. You grew up being a victim to this kind of behaviour so you overcompensate by being overly nice to others because you don’t want to become like them. But you’re still hard on yourself because this is like already programmed in your subconscious, and if you notice, you have a tendency to also be quite stern with those closest to you. And wow… that often kinda gets messy.

Can you imagine if you became a parent yourself? You could become a perpetrator of a cycle of old people pointing fingers at young people who are still trying to figure out their place in the world. I don’t think you’d be happy with yourself in your older years when you realise you haven’t broken this pattern yourself. I believe you’re someone who wants to leave a legacy of a more peaceful nature🍂It begins by creating a new world by creating a new you, after forgiving yourself for past mistakes you made when you didn’t yet know so much🍃

INNER ALCHEMY🔻❤️

balancing logic and emotions – Silver Astrologer (John Dee)

speaking with conviction – Priestess of Inspiration

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 2 – Baby Venus, You Came Here to Beautify This World

VIBE: Forever by aespa

your heart’s secret desires – Ace of Cups

You are for sure a Lightworker. Maybe even a Starseed. Or something of a cosmic mystic. Could also be from the faery or elven realm. The point is, your Soul is deeply connected to a realm other than this Earth we perceive consciously right now. That makes your heart EXTRA pure and sparkly because the essence of your being is more refined, baby!

What does it even mean to be Human? Often you don’t have an answer to that. Only thing is, a lot of things about common human conducts that seem to denote their humanness don’t seem all too humane for you. It’s like you’re wondering, ‘If these are the traits that make people Human… then what am I? Because I certainly am not that harsh, deceitful, destructive, or whatever else!’

You have a strong morality about you and you should damn well honour this. The Human world is ugly, indeed, and from your place of beauty, your Soul volunteered to be born here to teach Humans about beauty. Beauty is nice. Beauty is good. Beauty elevates the Human Spirit and if only more people would open themselves to the possibilities, surely everyone would be a lot happier than they are now.

That’s your philosophy, more or less✨🪷

in your element – VI The Lovers Rx

You may resonate to a large extent with being an activist of sort. Whether or not you call yourself an activist or are involved in any real activist project, you know deep down that you’ve always been an activist before even knowing such a term exists. You want to fight for something good in this world. You want to bring an end to all these uncomfortable things that you are witnessing being perpetuated in the Human world. Problem is…

It's been quite hard for you to find people who are on the same bandwidth of frequency as yourself. I think you have a lifelong mission to find your Soul Tribe whilst being incarnate on Earth. I mean, your kind is far and between, honey. It may take some time to find each other and unite for a good cause.

Although you may feel misunderstood and lonely from time to time, the way I see it, you could view this whole journey to finding kindred spirits as a wholesome adventure story. Like a fairy tale, you know. After all, you are a faery. Your Life Story has a purpose to beautify the human spirit later when all’s weaved together to create a grander story with your kindred spirits. It’s all written in the stars already, so might as well enjoy the story writing itself from now🧚🏻‍♀️

making dreams a Reality – II The High Priestess

For you really aren’t of this world, I sense that you actually possess some kind of a superpower. Sure, others might think you’re a weirdo (even a freak for some of you) and that your interests and hobbies are strange and taboo. But what do they know? These mortals are prisoners of their own fake realities.

Since you were a kid, you’ve always known there are holes within this perceived reality and somehow, you’ve always believed there are ways you can bend reality with thought alone. You kinda just didn’t know exactly how that works, you just know it. Like breathing—unless you’ve studied biology, you wouldn’t know how to explain how breathing works but you just know that it happens and how it feels. Something like that.

Your connection to your personal spirituality, your personal occult practices, and everything else of that nature, holds the key to making your Divine Dreams a part of this mortal reality. It’s a beautiful process that only you can experience in your own divine ways, so I can’t tell you what to do exactly to manifest your Destiny. You’ve just gotta keep going at what you know to be your truth🧜🏻‍♀️

And the truth is, you are a magical being who doesn’t even play in the same dimension as the mortals😉Keep doing your magical shit!

INNER ALCHEMY🔻💗

balancing logic and emotions – Silver Astronomer (Galileo Galilei)

speaking with conviction – Priestess of Illumination

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 3 – Don’t Kill Your Dreams No Matter How Wild

VIBE: Anata (Darling) by Utada Hikaru

your heart’s secret desires – 5 of Cups

Hellow, wildchild. It seems you’ve been through quite a bit in Life. There was something in your childhood that erupted in ways your child mind couldn’t have anticipated and it broke you emotionally and spiritually. You’re a pretty logical person, actually, so there’s a part of you that’s been wishing you could get over this heartache. But it hasn’t been easy, at all.

The reason for that is that you care too much. Because you’re incredibly sensitive and kind, you couldn’t help but care. Your heart gets easily disturbed by any small distortion you perceive in this Matrix Reality. You have spidey senses for this kind of thing. Your inner world is so expansive and this is partly why you always feel like you want to help. You want justice to win over evil.

You tend to feel like you’re the one who has to be strong and prove everything to everyone. Not only are you helpful, but you’re truly heroic! That’s how I see it😎The problematic thing is… human beings are not exactly a grateful bunch, so… Maybe being so helpful and heroic isn’t always the best way to nurture your Soul whilst living in this human world?

in your element – Page of Wands Rx

I’m not saying you should stop caring and become a coldhearted bitch. But perhaps posing to be one is a good strategy to preserve your sanity?😜The truth of the matter is that you’re really too precious for this world. You know when people say, ‘We don’t deserve this man or woman or dog or cat.’ You’re exactly like that.

Your passion for making the world a better place is often used against you. I’m kind of thinking of someone like Elon Musk in your case. He was bullied badly at school, but look what he’s doing now. He’s making attempts to improve the lives of everybody that even those bullies are bound to benefit from his passionate work. The haters today are probably gonna benefit just the same, right?

Well, I’m a coldhearted bitch, so my petty view is that these losers don’t deserve to benefit from the works of Elon Musk LMAO But what do you think of yourself? I know that in this lifetime you are going to make great leaps that will improve the lives of those you care about. But what about your heart? Will you be able to forgive those who have made hell out of your Life? Or will you become a vengeful barbie bitch who shows them the door to hell of their own making?

It’s up to you and it should be a very exciting spectacle to anticipate👻

making dreams a Reality – XII The Hanged Man Rx

The Hanged Man is a card that has some relations to The Lovers (to think you even get the Priestess of Love for the bonus content🤯). The Hanged Man often talks about compromises and sacrifices. It’s like, when you love and care so much you’re bound to make sacrifices because the world is far from utopian. In an ideal world we wouldn’t have to hurt just to manifest blessings and abundance, for ourselves or everybody else. But… this is what we have, so…

But although this world is messy and hurtful, it wouldn’t be wise for you to reduce the brilliance of your dreams just to avoid heartache or disappointments. You’re avantgarde; not that many people can see the value of what you wish to achieve with your talents. Never kowtow to the convention. Although you’re helpful and a very pleasant person to be around, you’ve got your own big dreams that are needed by the community. I think you just haven’t allowed yourself to fully embrace this idea.

Know that you’re supported by the cosmos in pursuing to improve what you know to be your true talents. One day, the world will be so grateful that you never gave up on your Light. But when that day comes, what’s your care? Gratitude is the least of your concerns. Basically you just want to live on your own terms and create magical pathways for the world to enter into🌏Whilst at it, might as well do whatever you like🌞

INNER ALCHEMY🔻🧡

balancing logic and emotions – Gold Historian (Raphael Holinshed)

speaking with conviction – Priestess of Love

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

[PAC Masterlist] [Patreon] [Paid Readings]

[eternal-echoes]

“Below are a nearly a dozen different factors that can sometimes influence a person's sense of sexual identity. Rather than saying any of these things "cause gender dysphoria," it is more accurate to say that they could contribute to a person feeling dysphoric about his or her body. Some individuals might find that some of the factors resonate deeply with them, while others might not relate to any of them. The goal isn't to provide an exhaustive list, but to encourage individuals who experience gender dysphoria to listen with compassionate curiosity to their own story.

Pornography

Although many people assume that nearly all pornography is consumed by males, current studies show that approximately three of four women have viewed it within the past six months.(32) However, more than 80 percent of the most popular porn videos involve the violent degradation of women. When young girls witness adult women being humiliated, objectified, and abused, it is understandable that they might feel disgusted and afraid of sexual intimacy. When they see impossible standards of sexualized beauty, they are likely to devalue their own attractiveness.

How might these things relate to a young woman's sense of gender? In a survey of one hundred detransitioners, 71 percent of women who medically or surgically transitioned said that they did so because "[i]t made me uncomfortable to be perceived romantically/sexually as a member of my natal sex/natal gender."(34) A young women who experiences a significant amount of anxiety regarding her sexuality and identity might fixate on the possibility of becoming another gender as a method of curbing her anxious thoughts. It becomes an escape from sexism, objectification, and societal or romantic expectations.”

-Jason Evert, Male, Female, or Other: A Catholic Guide to Understanding Gender

—

Work cited:

32) Cf. M. Daspe et al., "When Pornography Use Feels Out of Control: The Moderation Effect of Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction," Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy (December 2017).

33) Cf. A. Bridges et al., "Aggression and Sexual Behavior in Best-Selling Pornography Videos: A Content Analysis Update," Violence Against Women 16 (2010), 1065-1085.

34) Littman, "Individuals Treated for Gender Dysphoria with Medical and/or Surgical Transition Who Subsequently Detransitioned: A Survey of 100 Detransitioners," 3359.

—

For more recommended resources on gender dysphoria, click here.

[ms-m-astrologer]

Transiting Venus enters retrograde zone

Timeline

Friday, January 10, 09:59 UTC - transiting Venus’ greatest eastern elongation, 7°35’ Pisces

Tuesday, January 28, 20:22 UTC - transiting Venus enters retrograde zone, 24°37’ Pisces

Tuesday, February 4, 07:57 UTC - transiting Venus enters Aries

Sunday, March 2, 00:36 UTC - transiting Venus stations retrograde, 10°50’ Aries

Sunday, March 23, 01:07 UTC - Sun-Venus inferior conjunction, 2°39’ Aries

Thursday, March 27, 08:41 UTC - transiting Venus retrogrades back into Pisces

Sunday, April 13, 01:02 UTC - transiting Venus stations direct, 24°37’ Pisces

Wednesday, April 30, 17:16 UTC - transiting Venus re-enters Aries

Friday, May 16, 06:04 UTC - transiting Venus exits retrograde zone, 10°50’ Aries

Sunday, June 1, 07:34 UTC - transiting Venus’ greatest western elongation, 25°14’ Aries

*+=+*+=+*+=+*

Let me warn everyone right now - this is probably the only stand-alone post I’ll make about Venus Rx in 2025. What I plan to do instead is write more about each step in my weekly forecasts. So if it’s important to you, screenshot that timeline and write the dates down in your planner!

Astrologically, the timing and placement of this particular Rx Zone just boggle my mind. Here is Venus moving back and forth over late Pisces/early Aries - as the Lunar Nodes move from early Aries/Libra to late Pisces/Virgo - as Saturn and Neptune begin their year-long transition from Pisces to Aries - and as transiting Mercury gets in on the action, having its Rx Zone cover exactly the same Zodiacal ground beginning the day before Venus stations retrograde.

JFC.

Anyway, during Venus retrograde times, we are meant to reflect upon our sense of self-worth and our relationships. Can’t have one without the other...? It’s comparable to the stories of the Mesopotamian goddess Inanna descending to the Underworld (most likely woven around Venus’ Rx cycles) - Inanna ends up stripping herself (or being stripped) of all her outer accoutrements, in order to be reborn.

Some general warnings about this time period, based on Venus’ areas:

Arts - without fail, every time Venus has an RZ, I get an idea for some grandiose, complicated project for knitting or crocheting. And without fail, every time this grand project ends up abandoned. It’s okay to continue working on the art projects you already have going, but hold off on starting anything new.

Beauty - how many impulsive, disastrous makeovers have occurred during Venus Rx, I wonder? DO NOT CHOP OFF ALL YOUR HAIR. Instead, consider ways to revamp your wardrobe and image. Consider, but don’t act until Venus is direct again.

Love - traditionally, this is a time when past lovers reenter our lives. Equally traditional is the end result, namely, asking ourselves in horror, “What was I thinking?” Some love karma may not be quite as paid off as we presumed. It’s a good time to search out what it was we were supposed to learn from the experience.

Money - get-rich quick schemes based off our own gullibility. Throwing money away on whatever is our escapist vehicle of choice - booze, drugs, food, TV, gaming, the list goes on and on.

Look to the house(s) in your birth chart, which contain the sliver of Zodiac between 24° Pisces and 10° Aries, to see where the action will be. Natal 2nd House? Pay attention to your budget! Natal 7th House? Beware those returning past partners!

And since Venus Rx is cyclical, think back eight years to February-May 2017 - Feb-May 2009 - even Feb-May 2001 - and review what happened then. (These RZs are in my natal 5th House, and sure enough, I was exclusively concerned with my kids and their drama during those times.)

We have a week of Venus/Pisces before she moves on to Aries - a week of wistful daydreaming. Take note of what seems to pop up; you’ll revisit it during the next few months. Something wonderful you don’t want to let go - something wonderful you don’t dare believe could be meant for you.

There is also a spectacular set up between February 1-3, when Venus, Neptune, and the North Node all are conjunct in very late Pisces - joined on Saturday the 1st by the Moon attaining her Crescent phase, and all of them semi-square the Aquarius Sun. What Pisces-type quality are you lacking, or maybe have too much of, that holds you back?

[worldsandemanations]

Vince Natale The One that Got Away, 2017

[lugaresinexistentes]

natal do castelo rá tim bum no grand plaza shopping são paulo, 2017

status: foi uma atração temporária para o natal de 2017 somente.

enviado por: luiz @Mr_luiz_hp_gradin obrigada pela contribuição! <3

[siennazhou]

☤ ༄.° 𝓈𝒾𝑒𝓃𝓃𝒶'𝓈 TIMELINE

a trajetória de Sienna Zhou: antes do acampamento, sua a vida como semideusa e os acontecimentos atuais.

༄.°  antes do acampamento

2000: 23 de outubro; sienna nasce, filha de mãe solteira, em Manhattan, NY. 2009: sienna perde a mãe; por um ato impulsivo, sua mãe perde a vida e sienna carrega essa culpa até hoje;  2009 – 2014 (09 - 14 anos): após a morte da mãe, sienna é enviada para um orfanato da cidade de manhattan e frequenta (e é expulsa) algumas das escolas públicas da cidade; aqui ela começa a aprender que suas mãos leves lhe são extremamente úteis e que ela é muito boa em adquirir o que quer; 2014 (14 anos): após tentar (e falhar) roubar dracmas de ouro do bolso de um sátiro rastreador, sienna e outro meio-sangue são levados até o acampamento;

༄.°  no acampamento

2015: foi reclamada por Hermes e se tornou oficialmente uma moradora do Chalé 11;  2015 – 2017 (15 - 17 anos): saída em missões e treinamento no acampamento todos os verões; elevação de nível I para nível II e aperfeiçoamento de seu poder (teletransporte); 2017 – 2019 (guerra contra gaia; 17 - 19 anos): teve participação ativa na preparação para a guerra contra gaia; durante a guerra, combateu inimigos corpo a corpo e auxiliou os irmãos Stoll no posicionamento correto das armadilhas. 2019 – 2023 (período de paz; 19 – 23 anos): elevação de nível II para nível III e total domínio de seu poder, usando-o a seu favor e do acampamento; (2021) sienna se torna instrutora de lança no duelo com armas especializadas e após receber acesso à sua herança, deixa o acampamento para viver em Manhattan, trabalhando como artista plástica e vendendo seus desenhos para marcas (estampas), galerias e afins.

༄.°  eventos atuais

DEZ/23 — O INÍCIO: ao receber o chamado, sienna imediatamente arruma suas coisas e usa seu poder para se teletransportar para o acampamento e descobre que não consegue usar de suas habilidades para deixar o local; DEZ/23 — CELEBRAÇÃO DE NATAL: apesar de sua mãe nunca ter sido religiosa, ela e sienna sempre celebraram os natais juntas e poder fazê-lo no acampamento, junto de sua nova família, trouxe acalento ao seu coração e aliviou, momentaneamente, todas as preocupações e incertezas acerca dos acontecimentos recentes; JAN/24 — O ATAQUE: sienna toma parte do ataque e ajuda os demais semideuses contra o manticore e a quimera; foi ferida e envenenada pela última, o que lhe rendeu alguns poucos dias na enfermaria, onde pôde observar de perto Petrus, ainda em seu estado irresponsivo, enquanto esteve por lá. FEV/24 — A FESTA DOS LÍDERES: sienna, junto dos demais filhos de hermes, ajudou a espalhar a notícia da festa e, portanto, marcou presença na mesma, o que não foi surpresa nenhuma para quíron (ou qualquer outra pessoa). FEV/24 — O SUBMUNDO MANDA UMA SURPRESA: após o incidente com petrus e a abertura da fenda, sienna suspeita do filho de hades, mas não verbaliza nada para ninguém além de seus amigos mais próximos; sua curiosidade sobre a fenda é grande e sempre que possível ela ia até o limite da barreira mágica para poder observar. MAR/24 — UM DEUS INTERROMPE O JANTAR: sienna não foi escolhida para nenhuma missão por zeus, tampouco integrou alguma equipe; limitou-se às suas tarefas e obrigações dentro do acampamento. ABR/24 — SEGREDOS REVELADOS: após as informações serem divulgadas, da mesa de hermes é possível ver sienna dizendo "eu sabia que tinha Algo Esquisito sobre ele", mas apesar de vitoriosa, ela também se compadece pelas memórias roubadas e a forma como ele parece estar intrínsecamente envolvido nos últimos acontecimentos. ABR/24 — ELIMINANDO O MONSTRO: sienna tomou parte da caçada ao cão infernal e, no bosque, ajudou a eliminar os escorpiões que saíram da fenda; JUL/24 — UMA DEUSA NOS CONVIDA A RELAXAR: sienna aproveitou e muito sua estadia na ilha de circe, mas isso não significa que não trabalhou; foi uma das voluntárias na criação, desenvolvimento e posicionamento estratégico de armadilhas na ilha, conforme solicitado pela deusa. AGO/24 — FECHANDO A FENDA: durante o fechamento da fenda, sienna ajudou no combate a Campe e, apesar de ter se ferido, sua curta estadia na enfermaria foi devido ao uso exaustivo de seu poder.

TO BE CONTINUED...

[psikonauti]

Vince Natale

Moon Goddess, 2017

Oil on panel

[eddy25960]

*A moment in the reeds* 2017

Un momento en el lago

Leevi regresa a su Finlandia natal durante el verano para ayudar a su padre a renovar la casa familiar del lago y poder venderla. Tareq, un sirio que busca asilo, acaba de ser contratado para ayudar. Cuando su padre regrese a la ciudad por trabajo, los dos jóvenes establecerán una conexión.

[bretodeau99]

Margaret Atwood on the rollback of women's reproductive rights in Texas - from 2017

"Sometimes people have to live their dream. So if living their dream means a lot of dead women and orphans, maybe they're going to have to live that dream. And maybe they're just then going to have to figure out who's going to have to pay for this. Who's going to pay for the orphans, and the dead women? Because that's what you're going to have.

I'm waiting for the first lawsuit in which the family of the dead woman sues the state, and I'm also waiting for a lawsuit that says, if you force me to have children that I cannot afford, you should pay for the whole process. You should pay for my pre-natal care, you should pay for my otherwise very expensive hospital delivery, you should pay for my health insurance, you should pay for the upkeep of this child after it is born (because that's where the concern seems to cut off with these people - once you take your first breath, out the window with you), and it is really a form of slavery to force women to have children that they cannot afford, and then to say that they have to raise them.

So if that's not going to be the story, you're going to end up with Romania under Ceaușescu, in which the orphanages fill up. [Ceaușescu] mandated four children per woman, and you had to have a pregnancy test every month, and if you did not get pregnant you had to state why - why you had not gotten pregnant. It was nuts. And it did result in a number of suicides and a number of kids being put into orphanages with no proper care at all. It was just horrible. So if that's what you want, State of Texas, live your dream. We can all watch and see what that looks like, and whether you're actually going to go so far as to force this upon women, and families, and not pay for any of it.

If you're drafted into the army - the other situation in which the state seizes control of your body - at least you get three meals a day, clothing, and a place to sleep. So if you're going to do that to women, pay up."

Watch here

[krautjunker]

The One that Got Away

Oil on panel, Vince Natale, 2017

[susieporta]

Forse tutti avete visto la foto che ritrae l’allineamento della Luna con la Basilica di Superga e il Monviso. È una foto perfetta che racconta di un’attesa lunga sei anni. Io però voglio raccontarvi un’altra storia, quella del fotografo che l’ha scattata. Una storia di pazienza, di tenacia e di coraggio. Coraggio di cambiare radicalmente strada nel momento più difficile della propria vita.

Voglio iniziare però proprio da quello scatto, e da una domanda: si possono aspettare sei anni per scattare una #fotografia? Alla fine del 2017 Valerio aveva segnato sul calendario tutte le date delle fasi lunari, in particolare quelle in cui la luna tramontava in un determinato punto. Ogni sera “giusta” partiva per provare a portare a casa l’immagine che aveva sognato, ma c’era sempre un problema: le nuvole, la pioggia, la nebbia, la foschia… Così per sei volte, all’inizio di ogni anno, ha compilato il calendario e non ha mai sprecato una data possibile, ma senza successo. Alla fine, alle 18:52 del 15 dicembre 2023, la lunga attesa è stata premiata e la sua vita è cambiata.

All’inizio l’idea era quella di allineare la Basilica di #Superga e il #Monviso per fotografarli insieme. Valerio si era fatto aiutare dal mappamondo di Google Earth e aveva individuato quattro possibili punti. Il punto ideale lo aveva trovato a nord-est di Torino, sopra Castagneto Po, a 380 metri d’altezza. La prima volta che c’è salito si è reso conto che in quell’istantanea che aveva immaginato poteva entrare anche un terzo soggetto: la luna. Da quel momento si è messo a studiarne le fasi per scoprire che ci sarebbe stato soltanto un giorno perfetto in tutto l’anno.

E al sesto tentativo, dieci giorni prima di Natale, ha capito che forse ce l’avrebbe fatta: il cielo era limpido e l’aria asciutta. Così si è messo ad aspettare e quando tutto si è allineato e ha visto la sagoma del Monviso disegnata sulla Luna ha scattato. La mattina dopo, soddisfatto del risultato, ha spedito il file alla #Nasa, per partecipare al concorso “Astronomy Picture of the Day”, la risposta non si è fatta attendere: per l’ente spaziale americano la sua è stata la foto del giorno di Natale.

«È come se questa foto avesse sbloccato qualcosa, migliaia di persone hanno condiviso quell’immagine e hanno scoperto le mie foto che sono uscite dal Piemonte e sono andate in giro in tutto il mondo».

Conosco Valerio Minato pH da più di dieci anni, da quando ho notato il suo banco sotto i portici di Piazza Vittorio a Torino. Non vendeva libri, borse di cuoio, gioiellini, ma le sue fotografie, stampate su un supporto rigido e a prezzi accessibili a tutti. Ricordo che mi avevano colpito i soggetti ricorrenti: il Monviso, la Mole Antonelliana, il Po, le vecchie vetture del tram, ritratti però con prospettive originali.

Lo vedevo ogni fine settimana, con qualsiasi tempo, dietro il suo banco dalla mattina alla sera. Ho cominciato a fermarmi a chiacchierare e siamo diventati amici. Valerio è nato nel 1981 a Biella e nella sua vita la fotografia è arrivata dopo i trent’anni. Si era diplomato perito chimico tintore, aveva trovato subito un lavoro in un’industria tessile, poi era passato in una fabbrica chimica del settore gomma: «A 24 anni, dopo cinque passati in fabbrica, ho avuto un bruttissimo incidente sul lavoro: ho quasi perso un braccio, risucchiato da una macchina. Sono stato un mese e mezzo in ospedale, ho subito cinque interventi chirurgici, e tra un’operazione e l’altra ho deciso di cambiare tutto».

Così ha lasciato Biella e si è iscritto all’università a #Torino: Scienze forestali e ambientali. «Volevo una vita nuova, stare in un mondo completamente diverso. Volevo la natura e l’aria aperta».

All’ultimo anno di università compra una macchina fotografica e per gioco inizia a scattare, dopo la laurea trova lavoro in un’azienda, ma la passione per l’immagine occupa sempre più spazio dentro di lui. «Quando mi hanno offerto un contratto a tempo indeterminato ho deciso di dire di no, di fare una scelta ancora più totale di libertà. Ispirato dai banchi sotto i portici di Via Po mi sono iscritto all’albo degli “Operatori del Proprio Ingegno” e ho aperto il punto vendita delle mie foto».

Mario Calabresi