#road with cypress and star

[abyssguard]

van gogh x blue period - yatora yaguchi & yotasuke takahashi 2 way acrylic stand (tokyo china-japan enterprise co. ltd., tokyo metropolitan art museum)

[a-fuked-up-mess]

hozier, van gogh's road with cypress and star and, thursday are the same. idk how, but they are

[rainbowofcrazy]

Circe Invidiosa, by John William Waterhouse

Jeanne Hebuterne in a Large Hat, by Amedeo Modigliani

Road with Cypress and Star, by Vincent van Gogh

Please check out my art shop at Rainbowofcrazy.com 🌈♥️

[mycatts-is-writing]

the road is bright.

even in the dark, the road is bright

the stars and moon shining high tonight

as all the people look and pass by

they see a cypress towering the sky

death stands tall as the dark tree grows

dividing the stars and dreamers below

only to see roiling blue chaos above,

passions and dreams dying despite the love

as the crescent moon shyly shows itself

shining light and hope under oneself

warm moonshine striking cool skin

blinding realities continue sinking in

even in the dark, the road is bright

the path reflecting the venus light

as you leave your love to fly

the road is long if you never try

[templeofelysium]

hekate: a history

hihi!! recently my friend expressed interest in learning more about hekate and I thought that I could do some research and put it into a post. I have an altar to her but I don't necessarily commune with her often, and I didnt know as much of her lore as I probably should've. let me know if there's another deity yall would like me to do another deep dive on. i will link the sources that i used at the very end!

Domain: magic, witchcraft, the night, the moon, ghosts, crossroads, boundaries, herbalism and necromancy. she ruled over sky, earth, and sea, and was often venerated as a part of the household deities. she is widely respected and revered, even by the other gods

Parentage: Perses, titan of destruction and known for his great wisdom; Asteria, titaness of falling stars and nighttime divination

Important Imagery:

-she is often depicted holding two torches, a key, a dagger, or snakes -her familiars include a dog--the Queen Hecuba who committed suicide or was received as Odysseus' consort after the fall of Troy--and a polecat (like a ferret)--or the midwife Galinthias who was transformed by the goddess Eileithyia -she was often given three heads or three bodies -her arrival is often preceded by the howling of dogs -she is sometimes shown flanked by lions or (multiple) dogs -in some depictions she will have an animal head, including anything from a cow, dog, boar, serpent, or horse -wheels and caves

Associated Offerings: garlic, cypress, oak, aconite, belladonna, dittany, mandrake, yew

Other Offerings: the typical historical offerings like myrrh and frankincense, wine, and barley. eggs or eggshells (cleansing, protection), black salt (protection from spirits), chocolate (underworld), coffee (underworld), lavender or cedar or sage (cleansing, magic), asphodel (underworld), black pepper (banishing, protection), camphor (dreams, psychic divination), clove (exorcism, wealth). evil eyes if its not cultural appropriation for you to use them. then of course keys, mirrors, bones, imagery of deceased, triquetra, jewelry or magic items like

Crystals: obsidian, smokey quartz, black tourmaline, black moonstone, lapis lazuli, amethyst, labradorite, jaspers (especially dalmation or star), howlite, opal, angelite, celestite, lepidolite, larimar, aventurine, citrine, malachite, jade, blue calcite, gems, gold/silver

Associated Holiday: Hekate's Deipnon (which I covered in my last post)

Lore:

-In Hesiod's Theogony he describes Hekate allying with Zeus against the Titans and how "Zeus the son of Kronos (Cronus) honored [her] above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea." -In the Homeric Hymns Hekate is described as a close companion of Persephone, as she (along with Hermes) helped deliver her back to Demeter after her capture by Hades -During the Deipnon she is said to lead the souls of the restless dead out of Hades during the night and must be placated with offerings -Hekate is also seen as a kourotrophos (probably because of her association with Eileithyia and Artemis), or protector of children, and is often invoked as such -Hekate is often seen as Medea's (from Jason and the Argonauts) patroness and the one who advised her of what to do to get over Aeetes' trials -Sometimes she is considered the mother of Circe and Medea

Epithets: (used like a surname to call upon her different aspects)

-Perseis: destroyer (after her father) -Aionios: eternal, ever-flowing -Apotropaia: the one that protects -Brimo: angry, terrible one -Indalimos: the beautiful -Aidonaia/Chthonia: of the underworld -Propolos: who serves -Soteira: savior -Trimorphis: three-formed -Trioditis: off the cross roads/three-way -Enodia: of the way/road -Propulaia: before the gate -Nyktipolos: night wandering -Phosphoros: light bringing -Atalos: tender, delicate -Kourotrophos: nurse of the young -Skylakagetis: leader of the dogs -Kleidouchos: holder of keys (of Hades) -Liparokredemnos: bright-coiffed -Anassa eneroi: queen of those below

Things That Are Probably Neopagan But I Can't Tell:

-Hekate being seen as a maiden-mother-crone triple goddess -Hekate's wheel symbol

Sources:

theoi.com

wikipedia on hekate

wikipedia on the deipnon

wikipedia on kourotrophos

some ancient greek holidays

hekate: a history

[mizusnose]

Kiss away the forces of my mind

fem!reader x mizu spending their holiday at a ryokan. Drabbles of them together in a little onsen town. (I miss Japan a lot today, okay) Art by @/cypress on X

Traveling on the bullet train to the seaside town that borders the steep and hilly shore. A town housing multiple hot springs, small shrines, and a creek that freezes over in the wintertime.

You’re both exhausted by the time you get there: late evening sun dipping into the horizon like a ripe mandarin. The narrow roads make you car sick, and Mizu holds your hand, rubs her thumb into your underside of your arm: the space just beneath your elbow.

The ryokan is two stories, five total rooms. Mizu brags about how well she did after you’ve both settled into your room. The sliding doors and house slippers snug on your feet, she pulls you into a kiss. Looks at you mischievously and says, onsen?

Mizu booked a private outdoor one for two hours. The steam puffs and pulls above the water, dissipating into the cold brisk air above. The crispy winter air mixes with the cold mountain breeze.

Mizu gets in before you. She’s always been quicker washing up beforehand, sitting simply on the upturned bucket, legs long and back bare: beautiful, you think.

The stars above you as you sink in besides Mizu cures all the aches and strains your body has endured from travel. Mizu’s palm on your shoulders, digging into the knots there calm you even more.

Mizu swims off to the other end, puts her head beneath the small rushing waterfall there. She hums and you envision her curled up and tucked under a ray of sunshine—just like a cat would.

You both return to the room soft and damp. Mizu has a cowlick that won’t stay down no matter how hard she pushes it down. You kiss her as a distraction.

The best part: the beer you both grabbed from the complimentary drink station. It’s taste crisp and cold on your mouths.

It’s the happiest you’ve been. You tell Mizu as much, her cheeks reddened and her words slow. She looks syrupy, ready to cuddle as soon as you open your arms as you get ready to sleep.

You think of the sky: a stripped back bowl of ink and flecks of stars above you both. You smooth Mizu’s hair back when she starts to softly snore against your chest. Kiss her hairline, the small widow’s peak there.

You both go to a shrine the day afterwards. Mizu becomes a blushing mess when you both realize it’s a fertility shrine. Jokingly, you buy an omamori as a joke to rile her up: a simple embroidered 愛 on it.

She doesn’t take it off her bag even after you start getting embarrassed about it.

———

I miss having a cold beer after the onsen :,)

[wildflowercryptid]

For the last/surnames for your mjv pieces, is there any specific meanings/symbolism when you give them those surnames? Like “Hinoki” for Kieran & Carmine, since Hinoki means “cypress” and it’s a real life tree.

(Sorry if this is a specific question. This is my autistic brain and curiosity of fictional name symbolism)

YES, THERE IS!! i'm also an autistic person who's obsessed with name etymology so i love giving characters ( original or otherwise ) names that symbolizes something about them or something they're associated with.

since i didn't do this before, i'm gonna use this as an excuse to explain the etymology behind the full names i gave the SV kids! some of them are more interesting than others, fair warning.

putting it under a cut since this may get a little long.

CRATER CREW + KITAKAMI KIDS

FLORIAN RUSSEL CAVALLARI & JULIANA SIGAL CAVALLARI

> cavallari ( spanish, from "caballero" meaning knight, cavalier, or rider ) — referencing their connection to koraidon, the designated ride pokémon of scarlet. > russel ( french, little red ) — meant to signify his role as the protagonist of scarlet. > sigal ( hebrew, viola ) — meant to signify her role as the protagonist of violet.

NEMONA CAMINO VALIENTE

> camino ( spanish, road ) — references her role as the main companion of the victory road storyline. > valiente ( spanish, brave or bold ) — meant to signify her forward and adventurous nature.

ARVEN MITO ALFARO

> mito ( spanish, myth or legend ) — references his role as the main companion of the path or legends storyline. > alfaro ( spanish, the lighthouse ) — references the poco path lighthouse, the professor's old lab and his childhood home.

PEONELOPE " PENNY " CASSANDRA ESPINOSA

> peonelope ( peony + penelope ) — there's no real significance to this name choice, i just thought it'd be funny if peony continued the trend of shoehorning his own name into his kids' in increasingly ridiculous ways. > cassandra ( greek, to shine or excel ) — meant to sound similar to cassiopeia. it also made me think of shining like a bright star. > espinosa ( spanish, thorn ) — meant to reference penny's relation to chairman rose through her father, peony. this is actually her mother's maiden name, peony took her surname to distance himself from rose and kept it even after getting divorced.

CARMINE & KIERAN HINOKI

> hinoki ( japanese, species of cypress native to central japan ) — references their family's craft of mask making, as hinoki wood is commonly used to make noh masks.

TEAM STAR CAPTAINS

GIACOMO LAUREANO MORENA

> laureano ( spanish, laurel ) — larry's name from the spanish translation of sv. meant to reference my headcanon that larry is giacomo's father. > morena ( spanish, dark-haired ) — a loose reference to his dark type specialization.

MELA CANDELLA LUCERO

> candella ( spanish, candle ) — a loose reference to her fire type specialization. > lucero ( spanish, derivative of " luz " meaning light or morning star ) — also meant to reference her fire type specialization, along with her role as team star captain.

ORTEGA ÁLVARO VERA REGINO

> álvaro ( spanish, elf warrior ) — meant to signify his fairy type specialization. > vera ( spanish, river bank ) — pulled from veracidad, which i headcanon is the apparel company that ortega's family owns. it also references the ruchbah squad's base's proximity to the water. > regino ( spanish, from the latin " regis " meaning king ) — meant to signify the affluence of his family.

ATTICUS HENZO

> henzo ( from the scientific name of the fall-blooming anemone, eriocapitella hupehensis ) — atticus's name from the spanish & italian translations of sv. i thought it sounded fitting and i thought it was cool that it could be referencing hattori hanzō, ( who's name could be read as to partially conceal. )

ERI NESPERA

> nespera ( portuguese, common name for loquat ) — eri's name from the italian translation of sv. i just thought it sounded pretty.

BB ELITE FOUR

LACEY TAMAYO TURNER

> tamayo ( japanese, generational jewel ) — loose reference to her relation to lian, clay's hisuian ancestor. > turner ( from turnip ) — clay's name in the german translation of bw/bw2.

AMARYS NERINE

> nerine ( from the genus nerine ) — amarys's name in the original japanese of sv.

CRISPIN HINO

> hino ( japanese, fire ) — reference to his fire type specialization.

DRAYTON LIRIO

> lirio ( spanish, iris or lily ) — draydon's name in the spanish translation of bw/bw2.

also, here's the first post i made about their names, along with age, gender. and sexuality headcanons!

[the-cricket-chirps]

Vincent van Gogh, Road with Men Walking, Carriage, Cypress, Star, and Crescent Moon Sketch/Letter, 1890

Vincent van Gogh, Road with Cypress and Star, 1890

[mikeywayarchive]

x

Electric Century: My Chemical Romance's Mikey Way on Blending Music and Comics

The My Chemical Romance bassist reveals the inspiration for his new graphic novel.

BY MIKE AVILA

UPDATED: APR 28, 2021 2:06 PM

POSTED: APR 28, 2021 1:53 PM

Full interview under the cut:

Mikey Way is busier than ever.

Despite having many 2020 plans derailed by the pandemic, the former bassist for My Chemical Romance (and brother of lead singer Gerard Way) revived his musical project, Electric Century, and turned it into a multimedia outlet for his creative energies. The result is EC’s self-titled sophomore album which reunites Way with singer David Debiak, as well as a new companion graphic novel written by Way and Shaun Simon and illustrated by Toby Cypress, and published by Z2 Comics.

In an exclusive interview with IGN, Way opens up about the personal inspirations behind the GN, which tells the tale of a burnt-out former TV star who winds up trapped inside a hypnotic fever dream in mid-'80s Atlantic City. Way describes talked how his childhood in New Jersey and the immense fame he experienced during the My Chem era informed key aspects of the story.

The Origins of Electric Century

EC in many ways has been a lifeline for Way ever since MCR broke up in 2013. Meant to be the outlet for his and Debiak’s love of new wave and Britpop music, the first album came out just as Way checked into rehab in 2014. That scuttled any plans for touring with the album.

Now this one is out, and Way had some big ideas for taking the new record out on the road, in a way that would bridge the worlds of music and comics he’s constantly traveling between. Except, COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill.

“There were cool plans at San Diego Comic Con [in 2020] for this graphic novel,” Way says. “We were going to play at Comic-Con, too, and then, bam! The pandemic happened. This is maybe the second time that happened where we were planning to do an Electric Century show and it didn't happened. So it was like someone was telling me, “Am I not supposed to play a show?”

The writer-musician did like everyone else did; He adjusted to the restrictions of pandemic life. After discussions with Z2 Comics, it was decided to take a more organic and less calendar-timed approach to the release of the Electric Century GN. Available directly through Z2’s website , fans can either order the book separately or as part of a package with the album and other merchandise. It’s also available through other retail outlets.

"But we pivoted and we're going to do other different, cool stuff with it," Way adds. "And the cool thing about this project is there's no timeline. We’re just going to let this organically grow.”

Of course, 2020 was also when Way was supposed to be rejoining his brother Gerard and the rest of My Chemical Romance for the highly anticipated reunion tour. Like nearly all other musical tours, those plans have been put on hold while the world recovers from COVID, so there is no practical update for MCR’s return. Given the nature of such mega-band tours, lots of I’s must be dotted and T’s crossed before things can happen, so Way politely steers clear of tour talk.

With regards to Electric Century, however, he’s an open book. The graphic novel came into play as recording for the album was nearly complete. It was conceived to be a parallel creative journey to the music that exist independently of each other. Way credits some of the inspiration for the dual project to the hitmaking virtual band Gorillaz.

“I have a lot of respect for [Gorillaz co-creator] Damon Albarn, I'm a huge fan of all of his musical projects. He always thinks outside the box, and it was brilliant what he did with Gorillaz, where it was this fictional band and video projections and screens. So basically, my mind just went from there. I started listening to the album over and over and an old idea I had for a story kind of peeked out.”

The seeds for the story that would eventually see print in the graphic novel were planted in 2014, after Way had exited rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. Seeking different types of therapy to help with his recovery, he attempted hypnotherapy, where hypnosis is used to create a state of focused attention during which positive suggestions and guided imagery are used to help people deal with issues. That experience made a lasting impression on him, especially as a potential story.

“I kind of had the idea of writing a story where somebody goes through hypnotherapy but they actually get transported somewhere and they can't get back,” he says.

Who Is Johnny Ashford?

That’s how Johnny Ashford came to be.

Ashford is the alcoholic former sitcom-star who is the main character of EC. He sees a hypnotherapist who transports him to his “happy place,” which turns out to be the Electric Century casino in Atlantic City in the 1980s. The visits to the Boardwalk spark new obsessions and before long he realizes his life depends on figuring out how to escape the Electric Century.

Having grown up in the Garden State and visited Atlantic City often, Electric Century afforded Way the chance spend quality fictional time at a place he visited often as a kid. It also gave him a chance to tap into his familiarity with the pitfalls and pressures of immense fame, having experienced it during MCR’s halcyon days.

“I used some of my personal experience [for the book],” he admits. “But I also had a fascination with eighties child stars since I grew up in that time. You know, back in the eighties, celebrity was different. If you were famous, you were like, legit famous. Everyone knew who you were, but there was intrigue. The only information was what was in magazines or on television. There was no social media, nobody was willingly giving any information about their lives on a daily basis. So these people seemed larger than life.”

For young Mikey Way, the young stars of shows like Diff’rent Strokes and Charles in Charge seemed to be kids you'd hang out with after school. Which is what he did, coming home from school to watch reruns daily.

“And then at some point, as I got older, I saw the sad side of show business and how a lot of [child stars] get discarded. That always made me sad because they were so important to people.”

Nostalgia plays an important role in Electric Century. New Jersey landmarks like Lucy the Elephant, the oldest surviving roadside attraction in America, show up in the book. But the the remembrances are soaked in melancholy.

“I wanted to play upon everyone's natural inclination to be nostalgic about something,” Way says. “That concept fascinates me because I often think if you could walk through a tunnel and be in some other time in your past, would you love it still? Or would your perspective now be, “I'm not into this anymore.” I'm a 40 year old man now; how would I process Atlantic city in 1988? No idea.”

Even though the two Electric Century projects were designed to exist separately, the track “Alive” is a seamless fit to accompany the graphic novel. It’s a song that Way wrote about five years ago – it was originally meant to be on the first Electric Century record – and he considers it one of his best compositions. “It's kind of reminding you to be alive and be in the moment,” Way says of the song. “And I think that's something I'm guilty of not doing, I think everyone in the world is guilty of not doing. I like to think about that when I hear that song to, you know, snap out of it, live in the now and stop worrying about where you've been.”

What's Next After Electric Century?

Way has several comics-related assignments in various stages of development. Up next is a story he’s writing with his big brother Gerard for the graphic novel tribute to the Anthrax album Among The Living, which Z2 is releasing on May 12. He also couldn’t contain his excitement over one project. “I’ve got something that I'm very excited about that I'm working on right now,” he says. “I don't know where it's going to end up. We're talking to some places, but it will be very cool.”

Finding himself at this stage in life where writing comics is such a big part of his life isn’t some fluke. Way doesn’t view comics as just a fun side project to do in-between albums and tours. Like his brother, comics have been a part of his life longer than music.

“I’ve been a fan almost the entirety of my life,” he says. “When I was three, four years old, I was thumbing through comic books at the barber shop, learning how to read from comic books, because I wanted to know what they were saying instead of just asking, “Gerard, what does this say?””

The Way Brothers became hooked on comics with titles like Superman, Spider-Man, Captain America and other superhero series. But for Mikey, G.I. Joe was a major influence. He not only enjoyed the stories but studied the format and how the story unfolded over 22 pages. When it came time to do his first full-length comic, Collapser for DC Comics’ Young Animal imprint, he took the same approach he had when MCR was formed. And he’s continuing to work at the craft.

“I was a super amateur guitar player-turned-bassist for My Chemical Romance and it was something I just had to practice,” Way says. “That's kind of what is going on with me and comic books now. I'm learning from all my peers that are top-tier professionals.”

Some of the comics pros Way reaches out to for advice include DC’s Chief Creative Officer and comics legend Jim Lee.

“Jim was somebody who was very instrumental in my comics career. He'd come to me numerous times and be like, 'When are you going to write a comic?' That's kind of how Collapser came about.”

He admits to being afraid to make that jump into comics, for a number of reasons.

“I was busy a lot and I'm a bad multitasker, so I always just kind of pushed comics to the side,” he says. “I would write stuff out. But when My Chemical Romance broke up, Jim had mentioned to me, 'When are you going to do this?' And then I pitched him something, which turned out to be Collapser.”

As he continues to sharpen his comic book storytelling chops, Mikey Way is also trying his hand at yet another skill: Cooking. Being on lockdown during the pandemic motivated Way to apply his creativity to the kitchen.

“Cooking is a new thing for me. For the whole duration of My Chemical Romance, I think I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at a restaurant. Even when I was home, I would just eat out, or I would order takeout.”

“It’s definitely fun, but it's difficult. It's very, it's very difficult,” he continues. “There's a learning curve, but my family is very encouraging to me in my endeavors. But yeah, I'm a novice. A true novice.”

Electric Century is available in bookstores now.

[icyday]

A couple of Van Gogh studies in crayon (Crayon Gogh) to close out this sketchbook.

Top: Irises

Bottom: Road with Cypress and Star

[oilpaintinggallery]

Road with Cypress and Star

Artist: Vincent van Gogh

[japanesedoramaandanimelover91]

Aiba Masaki in a new advert for "Aqura Home". Aiba-san relieves the tension of the child actors by playing with their hands. While filming the commercial, Aiba-san was friendly with the stars and staff, making them feel at ease. In between takes, he tried to relieve the tension of the child actors by playing with his hands. On the other hand, when it was time to film, he turned into a sharp and enthusiastic staff member. The scene showed Aiba-san's professional side as he switched from one job to another and also showed his kindness. The scene in the meeting room included lines that only a flashy employee, played by Aiba-san, is capable of. In the scene in the meeting room where he states: "I'm going to build a building using nothing but wood!" he says: "Do you want to do it or not?" When this was cut, he and his fellow filmmakers were positive and couldn't help but smile. Aiba-san smiles with a birthday cake customised by "Aqura Group". It was Aiba-san's birthday on 24 December, the day after information about the commercial was released. After filming the commercial, Aiba-san's birthday was celebrated with a cake decorated with biscuits from the "Aqura Group" headquarters building and an official "Aqura Home" character. "That's the headquarters! The level of reproduction is amazing!" marvelled Aiba-san. "It's a pity to eat it! Thank you!" The filming ended without incident. Interview with Masaki Aiba. Question:-What were your impressions of filming this commercial? Aiba:-We filmed in Japan's first eight-storey wooden building, which is the headquarters of the "Aqura Group", and the delicious smell of cypress trees prompted us to shoot right away! Question:-Would you like to live in a city where wooden houses are common? 💚 Of course! I've heard that wooden construction has a positive effect on reducing CO2 emissions and is carbon neutral. It seems to me that living and working in such a wooden space would be progressive and sustainable. In such a forest-like space, it might even be more soothing to have music with birdsong playing in the background! (Laughs.) Question:-The commercial impressed with Aiba-san's uncompromising statement about his passionate dream, but is there something you're more passionate about than anyone else these days? 💚 I love NBA basketball and i watch a lot of games. I can also watch games on an app, so i put on my headphones and cheer on the road. Question:- At the beginning of the commercial, there was a scene where Aiba-san was telling the kids, "Don't give up!" Looking back to 2024, please tell us about the episodes where you said, "I didn't give up!" 💚 It's work! (Laughs) Like today, every day i focused on what i need to do now rather than in the past or future. I do my best to cherish every day and not regret anything! Question:-What are your aspirations or challenges that you would like to achieve in 2025 without giving up? Aiba:-I would like to challenge myself to do something i have never done before, like wooden architecture "Aqura Group" and become the one and only! I'm going to do my best! (Laughs.) The commercial will be broadcast from the first of January next year.

[ruivieira1950]

Vincent van Gogh, Road with Cypress and Star, 1890.

[alchemicon]

Romiosini

Original by Yiannis Ritsos

Translated, from the Greek, by Catherine Nina Evarkiou

These trees are not content with less sky.

these stones are not content under foreign steps

these faces are not content except in the sun,

these hearts are not content except in justice.

This place is as harsh as silence,

it squeezes into its bosom its scorched rocks,

it strangles its orphan olive trees and its vineyards in the light,

it gnashes its teeth.  There is no water.  Only light.

The road is lost in the light and the shade of the stone hedge is steel.

The trees, the rivers, and the voices have turned to stone in the whitewash of the sun.

The root stumbles on the marble.  The dusty cattails.

The mule and the boulder.  They pant.  There is no water.

Everyone thirsts.  For years now.  All chew a mouthful of sky in excess of their bitterness.

Their eyes are red from insomnia,

one deep gash wedged in between their eyebrows

like a cypress in between two mountains at sunset.

Their hand is glued to the gun

the gun is an extension of their hand –

their hand is an extension of their soul

they have anger on their lips

and they have suffering deep inside their eyes

like a star in a basin of salt.

When they shake hands,  the sun is confident of the people

when they smile, a small swallow escapes from their wild beards

when they sleep, twelve stars fall from their empty pockets

when they are being killed, life travels uphill accompanied by flags and drums.

[torchwood-99]

Descriptions of Ithilien

Description: "...a fair country of climbing woods and swift-falling streams. Before them, as they turned west, gentle slopes ran down into dim hazes far below. All about them were small woods of resinous trees, fir and cedar and cypress. and other kinds unknown in the Shire, with wide glades among them; and everywhere there was a wealth of sweet-smelling herbs and shrubs. The long journey from Rivendell had brought them far south of their own land, but not until now in this more sheltered region had the hobbits felt the change of clime. Here Spring was already busy about them: fronds pierced moss and mould, larches were green-fingered, small flowers were opening in the turf, birds were singing. Ithilien, the garden of Gondor now desolate kept still a dishevelled dryad loveliness.

South and west it looked towards the warm lower vales of Anduin, shielded from the east by the Ephel Dúath and yet not under the mountain-shadow, protected from the north by the Emyn Muil, open to the southern airs and the moist winds from the Sea far away. Many great trees grew there, planted long ago, falling into untended age amid a riot of careless descendants; and groves and thickets there were of tamarisk and pungent terebinth, of olive and of bay; and there were junipers and myrtles; and thymes that grew in bushes, or with their woody creeping stems mantled in deep tapestries the hidden stones; sages of many kinds putting forth blue flowers, or red, or pale green; and marjorams and new-sprouting parsleys, and many herbs of forms and scents beyond the garden-lore of Sam. The grots and rocky walls were already starred with saxifrages and stonecrops. Primeroles and anemones were awake in the filbert-brakes; and asphodel and many lily-flowers nodded their half-opened heads in the grass: deep green grass beside the pools, where falling streams halted in cool hollows on their journey down to Anduin. TTT, Book IV, Ch 4, Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit

Great ilexes of huge girth stood dark and solemn in wide glades with here and there among them hoary ash-trees. and giant oaks just putting out their brown-green buds. About them lay long launds of green grass dappled with celandine and anemones, white and blue, now folded for sleep; and there were acres populous with the leaves of woodland hyacinths: already their sleek bell-stems were thrusting through the mould.

TTT, Book IV, Ch 7, Journey to the Cross-roads

Ithilien - Places - Henneth Annûn (henneth-annun.net)

Just sounds like a really gorgeous place. Love imagining Eowyn arriving for the first time and exploring every corner of it with Faramir.

[fearsmagazine]

Florence + the Machine cover No Doubt's "Just A Girl" for "YELLOWJACKETS"

SHOWTIME has released the official trailer for season two of the Emmy-nominated drama “YELLOWJACKETS.” The season two trailer also marks the release of Florence + The Machine’s exclusive new single “Just A Girl,” a cover of No Doubt’s iconic song from 1995. The single is produced by Florence Welch and Mark Bowen of IDLES.

Season two of “YELLOWJACKETS” will debut on demand and on streaming Friday, March 24 for all SHOWTIME subscribers, before making its on-air debut on Sunday, March 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Season one, which has a rare 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and received seven Emmy nominations, averaged over 5 million weekly viewers across platforms and was the second-most streamed series in SHOWTIME history. “YELLOWJACKETS” is produced for SHOWTIME by studio Entertainment One (eOne).

“I’m such a huge fan of ‘YELLOWJACKETS’ and this era of music, and this song especially had a huge impact on me growing up, so I was thrilled to be asked to interpret it in a ‘deeply unsettling’ way for the show,” says Florence Welch. “We tried to really add some horror elements to this iconic song to fit the tone of the show. And as someone whose first musical love was pop punk and Gwen Stefani it was a dream job.”

Listen to Florence + The Machine’s “Just A Girl” HERE

Click on link below to hear the full version.

Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Narcos), “YELLOWJACKETS” is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over. In season two, two months have passed since Shauna gave Jackie the cold shoulder— to disastrous results. In the face of their deepening hunger and fear, the tension among our Yellowjackets has only grown worse. The harsh conditions of winter are intensifying by the day, and the psyches of our survivors are deteriorating just as fast. Threatened by the darkness of the wilderness— and the haunting memories of it in the present— our former state champs will be forced to make impossible decisions. As they confront the horrible truth of what survival entails, the real nightmare for each of them will be to figure out who they are— and what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stay alive.

Equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, “YELLOWJACKETS” stars Emmy nominee and Critics Choice Award winner Melanie Lynskey (Castle Rock), Oscar® and Emmy nominee Juliette Lewis (Camping), Emmy nominee Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything) and Tawny Cypress (Unforgettable). Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under, Servant) and Simone Kessell (Obi-Wan Kenobi) have also joined the second season as series regulars, along with Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) in a season-long guest arc. Season two also stars Sophie Nélisse (The Book Thief), Jasmin Savoy Brown (The Leftovers), Sophie Thatcher (Prospect),  Samantha Hanratty (SHAMELESS), Courtney Eaton (Mad Max: Fury Road), Liv Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet), Steven Krueger (The Originals), Warren Kole (Shades of Blue) and Kevin Alves. “YELLOWJACKETS” is executive produced by Lyle, Nickerson and fellow showrunner Jonathan Lisco. Drew Comins of Creative Engine serves as executive producer along with Ameni Rozsa, Sarah L. Thompson and Karyn Kusama who directed the pilot.