#second sunday after epiphany

[the-other-art-blog]

How can anyone honestly believe Cressida changed???

Sorry, but I do not buy the whole "my dad is mean and my mom pressures me so much and society puts me against women. so that's why I have been the biggest bitch for the last three years."

And it's very telling how some people are ready to forgive her, but they treat Pen as if she murdered someone and is beyond redemption.

May I remind you that Cressida was one of the people who judged Eloise and called her a "radical ruffian" after LW published her column about her.

Are we to believe that weeks later, she had an epiphany and decided to be kind to Eloise? No! She noticed the rift between Pen and Eloise and decided to go after El. She gets a Bton connection and leaves Pen alone and defenseless. Cressida has a direct beef with Pen, like all bullies she has a fixation against one person.

What's interesting is that despite their supposed tight friendship, El hasn't invited Cressida to have tea with the family every Sunday. It's like El knows that this is not a real friendship and Cressida will never replace Pen or at least whatever they have is not even close to what she had with Pen (I realize that this sounds like I'm talking about a romantic relationship, but so what, they're the second love story of s3). Also, the fact that the rest of the family hates Cressida doesn't help this relationship.

In 3x01 she bullied Pen TWICE. If El hadn't distracted her, Cressida would have said something mean to Pen. In fact, that's why El called her because she knew she was going to bully Pen. Then, obviously, during the ball, even El apologized to her.

Even in this gif below, and any other time, El looks embarrassed and regretful to be with Cressida. She is miserable and deep down (or maybe not so deep), she knows what she is doing is wrong.

I'm convinced that the only reason why Cressida did not spread Pen and Colin's deal was because El had already called her out on her bullying in ep1. When El tells her that Pen may have a chance with Debling, she laughs! Why Cressida, why is it so far-fetched that Pen may attract the attention of a wealthy lord?

Oh, but my favorite is when Cressida said she tried to befriend El in s2. Like hell she did! First, she mocked her when it seemed El had screwed up her meeting with the Queen. But when El charmed the Queen (ten seconds later), suddenly she's offering her "a spot "an opening" in her circle, as if friendship with her was a selected club where only the worthy ones had access (Blair Waldorf who? And yes, it's an insult).

Cressida also complains about her lack of proposals as if she were a poor debutante who never got the chance to attract a suitor. The reality is that as the beautiful and popular single daughter of a lord, Cressida could have gotten married quickly. She didn't because even the horrible men of the ton could not stand her. Madame Delacroix said it in s1:

But to me, the biggest clue that she is still the ton's biggest bitch is her promo video. This last bit tells me that she's still the same.

Now, I'll be discussing spoilers for episodes 5 and 6 (because there's no way to avoid them unless you go offline). So, if you don't want to know, stop reading.

I will also be discussing potential spoilers that relate to s4.

You're reading this at your own risk!

So according to the ss that I've seen of ep 5 and 6 and the teaser, they are following the storyline from RMB where Cressida lies and tells everyone she is LW. In the book Lady D offers a reward, in the show, it will be the Queen. We know that Lord Cowper is practicing some economic violence by restricting Lady Cowper and Cressida's allowance until C marries someone wealthy. 5000 pounds is a huge amount of money in Regency England, so C will want it, plus all the attention from it. I don't know much else because I did not watch the recap videos. But this shows she's still an awful person.

Onto Benophie rumors.

Ready?

It is widely believed that the Cowpers are Sophie's family. Why? Because Lady Cowper's given name is Araminta. There were also mentions in s2 that Lady Cowper stole a servant from another house, something the Araminta of AOFAG did. That and a few comments on ig posts that mention Sophie were liked by the actresses. I'm very confident with this theory, especially with the amount of screen time the Cowpers have this season, including their domestic life. I'm sure Sophie is there working as a maid. I don't know if she is Lord Cowper's illegitimate daughter, but somehow she ended up there.

Behind the scenes, this is a recurring change adaptations use to economize in characters. The Cowpers and the Gunningworths can blend into one easily. Plus, imo, the Featheringtons already give the evil step-sisters vibe that would seem repetitive to people who haven't watched the show. They would seem to be mere replacements for the Featheringtons after they leave the show in s3.

If so, then Cressida fits the Rosamund character perfectly. Both are ultra-mean women, both spinsters, both capable of being cruel to someone like Sophie.

What about Posy? Here's where things get complicated, some believe that Cressida's redemption arc will make her a combination of Rosamund AND Posy. I think that is an absurd idea since as this post argues, there's no such redemption arc. Posy is a beautiful character who suffered domestic abuse from the very people who should have loved her. And I do not trust anyone who villanizes her for not speaking up earlier. She was the bravest person in the book for stepping up and defending Sophie, even at the risk of suffering Araminta's wrath. If Violet hadn't adopted her, who knows what would have happened to her.

I'm open to changing my mind after watching part 2, but right now, I would rather lose Posy completely in the show than give Cressida traits of her personality. Let her live in the books with her vicar! If Sophie has to lose her sole source of kindness in her house (aside from the servants), like Pen lost Felicity, then so be it.

ONE LAST THING: IF YOU HAVE MORE DETAILED SPOILERS, DO NOT SHARE THEM HERE, PLEASE!!!!! I DON'T WANT TO KNOW ANY MORE OF THE SEASON UNTIL I WATCHED IT ON JUNE 13TH. DON'T MESSAGE ME OR REPLY WITH SPOILERS.

WHOEVER SHARES MORE SPOILERS HERE WILL BE BLOCKED AND YOUR REPLY DELETED

[writingonleaves]

bundles of flowers (we'll wade through the hours of cold) - brock boeser

pairing: brock boeser x original female character

warnings: literally nothing, lots of fluff, flower research i did two years ago, not proofread

title: “promise" by ben howard

word count: 2.7k

author’s note: dug up a creative writing piece i wrote two years ago for a class and tweaked it a bit to create this. happy holidays to all. hope you all enjoy <3

*****

It’s a routine.

When Amber Chen was a young girl, she spent most days after school at Petals Lab & Design, zooming through the front door into her father’s waiting arms, chattering about the meal she had whipped up in the play kitchen at Kindergarten that day. Customers would fawn at her pigtails as she hid shyly behind her father or skipped behind the counter and hoisted herself up on a stool, munching on apple slices her mother had cut.

During her high school days, she would be sure to lock her car twice, twirling her keys around her pointer finger as she walked in. She’d drop her backpack, placing her iced green tea in the center of the counter. If the shop was filled with customers, she’d go into the back room and check the whiteboard filled with her father’s scrawl. If the shop was empty, she’d lean her head on her chin while listening as her parents rattled on about shipments or what was going to for dinner that night. On Mondays and Fridays, it was just her and Xavier or Willow in the shop. On those afternoons, she blasted the music a little louder, swayed her hips a little bolder and dragged whichever poor soul was working that day into a dramatic dance that always left both of them laughing. 

Once Amber went to college, she still found herself coming in every other Sunday to help out, with a sample of whatever baked good she had made that week, an iced green tea, a hot black coffee and a cappuccino. Her mother would always roll her eyes, before reaching for a cookie or cupcake or brownie, chewing it thoughtfully for a couple of seconds and scrunching up her nose. 

“This is too sweet,” she’d say, or, “Too much chocolate.” 

Her father would then wander out, taking a small sip of his coffee first before placing a gentle kiss in her hair. 

“Missed you. How are classes?” Before she could answer, he would always get distracted by something else, whether it be a customer, a phone call or the sudden epiphany of remembering something he had to do hours ago. 

Amber knows that a bouquet of lilies was always acceptable for a funeral or that corsages cost $30 on average, and that yes, they can find a flower color to match the dress. She could rattle off cost estimation for bouquets by the time she was 13. She even finds herself from time to time sitting across from couples at a table tucked in the back corner of their shop, pulling out wrinkled papers to consult them about the floral arrangements for their wedding. 

One hot morning in July, she’s left completely alone to open the shop. Her parents are helping with preparations at a large wedding. She had decided to play one of her favorite playlists over the speakers, soft guitar plucking and the honey-like voice of John Mayer accompanying the routine of putting out the flowers that had arrived that morning. The music’s louder than usual, as people usually flock in about an hour after opening.

But this time, the bell rings after two songs, and she looks up to see a guy around her age, gray hoodie over his blonde hair, black vans covering his feet. The neutral color scheme of his outfit heavily contrasts the bright colors of the flowers around him. He has a calm aura about him, hunched shoulders as if he’s trying to make himself smaller to fit into the shop. She shoots him a tired smile before going back to stocking the bouquets of roses. She waits until the end of the song to speak up, finding him glancing at the orchids.

“Anything I can help you with today?”

He looks up, “Uh, not at the moment.” His hand reaches up to scratch the back of his neck. “My mom’s birthday is today, and I’m a jackass who is getting her something right before she wakes up.”

“Well, orchids are always a solid choice.” Amber backs away with a small nod. “Let me know if you need anything.” He hums in thanks, and she walks back to the register. 

She pulls out her laptop and looks over the materials her eventual boss sent her to read before her first day of work in a month,  singing along to “Daughters” under her breath, ears alert for the tinkling of the bell at the front door. 

She looks up to see the guy shuffling to the counter, and closes her laptop. He clears his throat, eyes bright and smile contagious. “Do you happen to do custom bouquets?”

“We do.” Amber walks from behind the counter and leads him to their lab, eyes going to the multitudes of flowers and brain already spinning with ideas. “Tell me about your mom. What’s your relationship with her like?”

He blinks. “Good. She’s literally always smiling. Has never yelled at me once. She’s the strongest woman I know.” He trails off as she gathers a couple of various stems. “That all you need?”

“Well, let’s see.” She points at each flower as she describes them. “Gerbera Daisies represent happiness, pink carnations represent gratitude and peonies represent prosperity and good health. Pair all that with some baby’s breath and you got a beautiful bouquet right there.” She raises an eyebrow. “Ultimately though, it’s your gift. I can do whatever you’d like.”

“No,” he shakes his head with a nervous chuckle. “It’s perfect. Go ahead.”

She flashes him a grin before methodically cutting the stems of the flowers, arranging them into a lively arrangement of colors and wrapping it all together with tissue paper and a ribbon to match.

He pays for the bouquet at the register, and when she comes around the counter to hand it to him, he thanks her before ducking his head down and walking back out into the muggy Saturday morning air. She blinks as she watches him get into his car, but shakes her head to herself as the phone starts ringing. 

A few weeks later, Amber finds herself waking up to a frantic call from her mother, asking if she can meet up at Camrose Hill for a wedding. Her father has to deal with a shipping miscommunication back at the store, and she needs one more helping hand. When Amber arrives, she steps out, travel mug filled with tea in her right hand and her left hand smoothing down her red floral dress. After asking around, she finds her mother next to carts filled with roses in various colors. With a quick hug, Amber gets to work on building the arch, the light breeze making her regret not putting her hair up. 

“Funny seeing you here.”

She looks up and blinks twice, standing up from her crouched position. 

“Good morning.” She eyes him up and down, admiring his white button up and black dress pants. 

“You here for the wedding?”

“I’m the Best Man, actually.” He chuckles, shoving his hand in his pockets. “My best friend’s getting married.”

“Congratulations,” she says softly, climbing onto a nearby chair to reach the top of the arch. “Beautiful place to do it too.”

He nods, eyebrows furrowing as she stumbles slightly in her heeled sandals. “Do you need help?”

“Absolutely not. You’re a guest. You shouldn’t even be out here right now.” He eyes her warily when she attempts to reach down to grab some roses off the cart, hands automatically going up as she almost falls over. She sighs, “Fine. Grab me five ivory ones and three pink ones, please. And the scissors.”

“So, what do they mean?”

“Hm?”

“The roses. What do they mean?”

She glances at him as she intertwines the stems together, wiggling her fingers at him for more flowers. “They’re roses. Roses are pretty typical for a wedding, generally symbolizing love. I’m sure you know that.”

“How about the colors?” 

“Your friend’s soon to be wife chose ivory instead of white, and ivory usually means gracefulness. Peach roses are usually given as a thank you gift, so gratitude and sincerity is tied to that one. I’ll admit that green roses are more rarer in weddings, but it means growth, so perhaps the start of growing together as a married couple?” She shrugs. “Or maybe she just likes the color combination.”

“Knowing Stacy? It was probably very methodical.”

Amber laughs airily, before sticking her hand out. “Help me down? I need to move the chair to the other side.”

Before he can respond, someone from inside the tent calls his name. He helps her down quickly, before running his hand through his hair. 

She hums. Brock. It fits. “So that’s your name.”

“Can I get yours?” He asks hopefully. 

His name is called again and Amber shrugs with a sly grin. “Another time. Think you’re needed, Best Man.”

With a slight huff, he backs away with a wave. Her attention goes back to her fingers as she threads the flowers into the white arch, listening to the chatter of the other employees preparing. She’s out of the venue before the guests have even started arriving.

The summer always brings in tourists from all over, many itching to take a peek at a shop that has a rainbow of flowers outside of its doors. Balancing her new job at a PR firm, she pops in to help her parents, fingers slowly getting scars and cheekbones beginning to hurt daily. 

On a day where the sun is shining bright and the shop is in a lull during lunch hour, Brock walks in. His smile is wide as he makes small talk with her mother across the shop. Amber freezes when she sees both sets of eyes on her, and swallows her tea as he walks over. 

“Hi again.”

“I came in yesterday looking for you,” he said. “Your parents told me to come back today.”

“Looking for me?”

“Yeah.”

“Did they tell you my name?” 

“Amber.” Fuck, her name rolls off his tongue so sweetly. 

“That’s what they call me.”

“Beautiful name for a stunning girl.”

She snorts, “What can I do for you?”

He grins slightly at her professional tone. “My mom was complaining about how her place isn’t homey enough, so I figured I’d come to my favorite flower shop and talk to the experts about how to fix that.”

“My parents could’ve helped you with that.”

“I know, but I wanted your opinion.”

She moves from behind the counter, lips lifting into a smile as he immediately follows her. “If you want just a bouquet, you can never go wrong with sunflowers. And judging from your sporadically timed visits, you’re probably not around town much, so it wouldn’t be wise to get a plant that you would actually have to take care of. Unless that’s what your mother wants.”

“How do you-”

She stops in front of the sunflowers, ignoring his question. “We got a fresh delivery this morning. If you don’t like these, there are plenty of orchids I’d suggest as well.”

“I’ll take the sunflowers. What’s the special meaning of these?”

“Exactly what they look like. They bring happiness into people’s day.”

“That they do.” She feels her cheeks flush from his stare.

She quickly rings him up and bids him farewell as he walks out the door, smiling to her parents along the way. They both turn their heads to look at her as soon as the door shuts, and she rolls her eyes before venturing into the back room, ignoring the shout of questions and comments.

Winter rolls around quickly. Every time someone has purchased sunflowers these past couple of months, she can’t help but think of Brock; the last image of him imprinted in her brain was him walking out the door with sunflowers in his hand. That was four months ago.

Since then, Amber’s figured out who he is. Brock Boeser. Vancouver Canucks. Minnesota’s very own. She’s spent many nights with a few glasses of wine deep thinking too much about it. 

She’s outside the shop one day after a long day of work, on top of a ladder, gloved fingers fumbling around with the string of lights. Her cheeks are rosy, snowflakes are sticking to her hair and she’s been yawning every five minutes for the last hour, but she’s determined to get these lights up before she locks up in 15 minutes. The poinsettias, mistletoe and holly are scheduled to arrive the next morning.

“Are you guys still open?”

She straightens up at the familiar voice and tightens the gray scarf around her neck. “Yep. I’ll be down in a minute.” She hangs the last of the lights and plugs them in. Wiping her eyes with the heels of her palms, she stores the ladder away and walks in. 

“Brock. Hey. What can I help you with today?” She asks, ducking into the back room to hang up her coat. The shop is quiet, crooning notes of Spotify’s “Christmas Coffeehouse” playing in the background. The dark blue button up peeking out of his black winter coat makes her smile. It’s the most color she has ever seen on him.

“Can you help me with a bouquet?”

“Of course.” She observes the half-empty buckets. “What things do you want to symbolize this time?”

“I actually know what I want.”

“Oh yeah? Great. What would you like?”

“Purple lilacs, irises, pink roses and baby’s breath, please.”

“Just give me a second. The roses are in the back.” She begins arranging the flowers and looks up as she’s grabbing the wrapping paper, noticing his confused stare. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, you just, didn’t tell me what they mean. Like, the flowers.”

Amber chuckles. “You’ve obviously done your research. You still want me to?” Brock nods. “Okay, purple lilacs symbolize first love, irises symbolize wisdom and eloquence. Roses are romantic, but pink ones specifically? That symbolizes admiration. So I would guess you’re giving this to someone you like, maybe a romantic partner? Someone you haven’t been with for long?”

He whistles, “Damn. You’re good.”

Her heart sinks the slightest bit as she shrugs, before a particular set of flower stems caught her eye. “I know it’s your bouquet, but how would you feel about adding daffodils? It would add a beautiful contrast to all the purple you have in here. I won’t even charge you for it.”

“Add them in, and charge me for it too.” She plucks the daffodils out of the bin, separating them throughout the bouquet. “What do those mean?” Brock asks. 

“The daffodils?”

“Yeah.”

She clears her throat. “New beginnings.”

After adding the finishing touch of a purple ribbon, she punches the sale in the register and walks from behind the counter to hand the bouquet to him. 

Brock shakes his head. “Nope.”

Her eyebrows furrow. “Sorry?”

“They’re for you, actually.” She raises an eyebrow, and he continues, flexing his fingers continuously. “It’s my stupid way of asking if you would like to go on a date with me.”

She looks down at the bouquet and back up at him, raising an eyebrow. “Right now?”

“If you’re free. Or in a couple weeks. I, uh, I don’t work around here, unfortunately. So I won’t be back in Minnesota until about a month or two.”

“I know who you are, Brock Boeser.” She hands the flowers to him again. “Hold these while I close up?”

“Is that a yes?”

Amber grins, scanning the shop. “Yeah. It’s not stupid, by the way.” She shuts off the lights, grabs her coat and locks the front door, her date for the night following her obediently. “It’s actually really sweet.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah.” She tentatively reaches for his fingers with her other hand as she admires the bouquet. “Do you wanna know something?”

“Anything,” He says, leaning down so he can hear her better.

“Daffodils are actually my favorite flower.”

“Like, ever? Out of all flowers?”

“Out of all flowers.”

He leads her to Osteria La Buca with a wink that has her stomach flipping. “What a coincidence.”

She looks down at the bouquet with a smile.

[anastpaul]

Our Morning Offering – 14 January – In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost By St Hilary

Our Morning Offering – 14 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family” – Second Sunday after the Epiphany and the Feast day of St Hilary (315-368) Confessor, Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy GhostBy St Hilary (315-368)Father & Doctor of the Church Father, keep us from vain strife of words.Grant to us constant…

[forthosebefore]

Meet the sisters who purchased Woodland Plantation

Twins Jo and Joy Banners purchased the home where their ancestors were enslaved, which was also the location of Ameria’s largest slave revolt.

Growing up in Louisiana, in the bayous of the Mississippi River, identical twins Jocynita "Jo" Banner and Joyceia "Joy" Banner always heard stories from their grandmother Grace, who would tell them about their enslaved ancestors and their history of fighting back at the very plantation the two women now own.

"I know that she is really proud," Jo Banner said, referring to her grandmother. "She just served as this vessel to connect us to an energy that is informing and providing us the sustenance of what we need now for this fight."

The Banner twins are the founders of The Descendants Project, a nonprofit that fights for historic and cultural preservation for descendants of enslaved people. It was through their nonprofit that they bought Woodland Plantation, the birthplace of the 1811 slave revolt.

Raised on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, the twins were steeped in the tales of their grandmother, who recounted the harrowing events of the 1811 revolt known as the 1811 German Coast Uprising.

Often overshadowed in historical narratives, the rebellion saw the brave resistance of Charles Deslondes, two other leaders known as Kook and Quamana, along with approximately 25 others who sought freedom amidst the brutal oppression of slavery. They attacked on Epiphany Sunday. After injuring Manuel Andry and killing his son Gilbert, they armed themselves with more weapons and military uniforms.

The revolters walked through plantations on the east bank of the Mississippi River, along the River Road, and down the German Coast—through what is now St. John the Baptist, St. Charles, and Jefferson parishes— in an attempt to conquer the city of New Orleans, gathering as many as 500 more freedom seekers along the way. It became America’s largest “slave revolt”. By the end of the January 1811 rebellion, the white planters had brutally beheaded more than 100 enslaved men, put the rebels’ heads on spikes, and displayed them for 40 miles along River Road, from the center of New Orleans deep into plantation country. (Watch this video from CrashCourse with host Clint Smith III)

According to Britannica, “Even though the government and whites tried to minimize the uprising, surviving rebels and others passed down the stories, and Deslondes, Kook, and Quamana became legends among the enslaved people and their descendants.

Some 213 years later, Jo and Joy Banner became the newest owners -- and first Black owners -- of the historic Woodland Plantation site. It's the second plantation they've bought through the Descendants Project, the first being the Many Waters Plantation in Wallace, Louisiana.

The sisters said they purchase these lands to preserve their history -- they call it defensive buying. But they're also fighting for the freedom and protection of the historic homelands of their enslaved ancestors from industrial companies they claim are polluting the area, compromising the health of the land and the local population, a predominantly Black community.

"In addition to preserving that culture and aiming to get more recognition for that culture, we also do our best to protect the descendant communities, which are our descendant communities who are also fighting against a lot of environmental injustice, a lot of environmental racism," Jo Banner said.

Woodland Plantation is located on an 85-mile stretch of land along the Mississippi known as "Cancer Alley." Running from north of Baton Rouge to south of New Orleans, the area is surrounded by almost 200 industrial facilities releasing emissions linked to cancer in the region. Woodland itself is located in the most concentrated stretch, known as the "chemical corridor." Residents in this area have a 95% higher risk of cancer due to air pollution compared to the rest of the country, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA announced last month that it was calling for the plants in this area to reduce toxic emissions linked to cancer.

In January, the international non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch singled out the state of Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, saying they had failed for decades to protect locals from industrial pollution and uphold federal safety standards, making the region the largest concentration of fossil fuel and petrochemical facilities in the western hemisphere.

About 20 minutes away from Woodland in Wallace, situated in St. John the Baptist Parish — and still in Cancer Alley — the Banner twins are also in a legal battle to stop a grain export facility from being built near their home and the Descendants Project headquarters. Read the full article here.

Source: ABC News, NOLA.com, The Drum Newspaper

Visit www.attawellsummer.com/forthosebefore to learn more about Black history.

Need a freelance graphic designer or illustrator? Send me an email.

[heyifinallyhaveablog]

The Defeated

Borderline proud of myself yet again for not succumbing to laziness, and sleeping my way through the Sunday. And bringing myself to finally see this through.

The taglist remains:

@melancholicmonody , @ambidextrousarcher, @chaanv, @vidhurvrika, @bleedinknight, @stxrrynxghts, @supernatasha, @kalpansh, @alwaysthesideofwonder, @raat-jaaga-paakhi, @slayerofthevampire, @demonkidpliz and anyone else at all.

Factual corrects, comments, and constructive criticism are always welcome.

Also, please feel free to drop in with any prompts that you may have. I'm officially out of ideas for any writing at all, and hence on the lookout for inspiration to dawn as an epiphany.

__________________________________________

Fandom: Mahabharat | Star Plus Mahabharat

Pairings: Bheema/Draupadi

Warnings: Mentions of War | PTSD | Trauma | Bloodshed

Summary: The Second Pandava deals with ghosts of the War. Alone.

Disclaimer: This is entirely a work of fiction, based on an idea I had while reading C. Rajagopalachari’s version of the Mahabharata. But I do have to say this, this has a lot to offer that is different from the Mahabharata that is actually popular. I just hope that this resonates with the readers, and you read this, and find this worth your time and your feedback. Please leave a short comment or a like, whatever you may deem fit. And as always!

THANK YOU!

Note: Link to the said source: Here

Links:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2, and

Chapter 3

____________________________

Chapter 4

The Ghosts

“The Grandsire’s Mother,” Draupadi said, after an eternity, “hasn’t been able to cleanse all, it seems.”

“I’d felt it, My Love,” Bheema rose from her lap, breathing into his palms as if trying to regain his breath, “when Jyeshth performed his last rites. The Holy River is never turbulent, never acerbic. She took in all his penance, while he cried himself hoarse. She let him vent his grief, but-”

- “I doubt even she could have borne it all. I felt his grief assume the most tangible form it could as I held him, as I might have heard her calm whisper, as if she unburdened some his grief on my form.”

- “Trust me Panchaali, Pavanputra hasn’t granted me the strength to heave this angst.”

As if it were in Him to erase the sanguine trail of Kurukshetra.

____________________

She thinks of it all, once again.

The Kuru Palace seemed to assume the form of a grandiose crematorium. Dead bodies everywhere.

Gone were the decorated halls, and, perfumed chambers.

Gone were the regal, elephantine embellishments, of gold and silk.

Gone was the resplendence. 

All was bereft of everything, but death, and the pallor of destruction.

Krishna always seemed to emphasise that the means were warranted for the end. But, at the end of it all, what deific poultice could heal wounds that were irreparable? Which God could reverse the deaths of those multitudes?

Could the land of Kurukshetra be cleanse of the rank odour, and sanguine of The Great War, even if their burden was to be meant to be borne by posterities on end?

She tries to not let her memory go down that rabbit hole. The incidents, haven’t yet let themselves take leave of the inner recesses of her memory. Her being still doesn’t allow it.

“I still wonder, Arya,” she breathes, “what if I hadn’t been-”

“Don’t, Panchaali,” Bhima cuts her short.

That was another mark of shame that his mighty frame had been unable to bear, even after all these years -

- Even today, now that the War was over.

- Long over.

It was for them to deal with the Ghosts of their past, their present, and

Their future.

[fakehallmarkmovieplots]

Tiffany’s Epiphany

this is a movie about Orthodox/Coptic Christmas and Epiphany. after an underwhelming family Christmas, Tiffany has an epiphany on Epiphany Sunday at her Catholic Church: she doesn’t love her life! She breaks up with her long-time boyfriend and immediately leaves the church, unknowingly embarking on a quest for true love. Then she sees the most beautiful woman ever outside her church and follows her (she happens to be on her way to service at HER church, but she’s Coptic so it’s a Christmas service). the woman confronts Tiffany about being followed but then is like, “you need some people” and invites her to spend Christmas with her. Tiffany gets a second chance at Christmas! they end up hanging out everyday until Tiffany comes along to Coptic church again on Coptic Epiphany, and there she has another epiphany: she’s in love with this woman. guess what, they both love each other and they live happily ever after the end

[gwendolynlerman]

Deutschribing Germany

Public holidays

Public holidays can be set by the federal government or the Länder. Only the Day of German Unity is set by federal law; the rest of them, even those celebrated all over Germany, are made holidays by state legislation. As a result, there are between ten and thirteen (in Bavaria), depending on the state. Most states have either ten or eleven public holidays.

The nine holidays observed nationwide are the following: 

January 1 - Neujahrstag (New Year’s Day)

Karfreitag (Good Friday)

Ostermontag (Easter Monday)

May 1 - Tag der Arbeit (Labor Day)

Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day): it commemorates the ascension of Jesus into Heaven and takes place 39 days after Easter Sunday.

Pfingstmontag (Whit Monday): it celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit and marks the resumption of ordinary time. It takes place fifty days after Easter.

October 3 - Tag der Deutschen Einheit (German Unity Day): this holiday commemorates German reunification in 1990.

December 25 - Weihnachtstag (Christmas Day)

December 26 - Zweiter Weihnachtsfeiertag (Boxing Day)

Public holidays observed in only some states include:

January 6 - Heilige Drei Könige (Epiphany) - Baden-Württemberg (BW), Bavaria (BY), and Saxony-Anhalt (ST): it celebrates the visit of the Three Wise Men after the birth of Christ. Groups of children dressed as the Three Wise Men known as Sternsinger (star singers) go from door to door to sing, ask for donations for worthy causes, and perform the traditional house blessing by marking the year over the door with chalk.

The numbers indicate the year, while the letters mean either the names of the Three Wise Men (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar) or the Latin phrase Christus mansionem benedicat (May Christ bless this house).

March 8 - Frauentag (Women’s Day) - Berlin (BE) and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV)

Fronleichnam (Corpus Christi) - BW, BY, Hesse (HE), North Rhine-Westphalia (NW), Rhineland-Palatinate (RP), and Saarland (SL): it celebrates the Eucharist, that is, the body and blood of Christ embodied in sacramental bread and wine. It takes place sixty days after Easter Sunday.

August 15 - Mariä Himmelfahrt (Assumption of Mary) - BY and SL: this holiday celebrates Virgin’s Mary ascension into Heaven after her death.

September 20 - Weltkindertag (World Children’s Day) - Thuringia (TH)

October 31 - Reformationstag (Reformation Day) - Brandenburg (BB), Bremen (HB), Hamburg (HH), MV, Lower Saxony (NI), Saxony (SN), ST, Schleswig-Holstein (SH), and TH: it celebrates the onset of the reformation, as Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on this day.

November 1 - Allerheiligen (All Saints’ Day) - BW, BY, NW, RP, and SL: this holiday commemorates all Christian saints.

Buß- und Bettag (Repentance and Prayer Day) - SN: it falls on the second Wednesday before the First Sunday in Advent.

While Father’s Day has a fixed date (Ascension Day), Mother’s Day takes place on the second Sunday of May. Furthermore, there is another unofficial holiday, Rosenmontag (“rose Monday”), which takes place on the Monday before Ash Wednesday. It is a de facto holiday in Catholic western and southern Germany, and especially celebrated in Carnival strongholds such as Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Mainz.

Some public holidays (Good Friday, All Saints, and Prayer and Repentance Day) are quiet days (stille Tage), which means that public dancing, live music at inns, and noisy activities around the house, such as playing loud music, vacuuming, and construction with electric tools, are prohibited.

Holidays that always fall on Sunday are not determined by law but are quiet days: Volkstrauertag (Memorial Day), which takes place two Sundays before the first day of Advent and commemorates people who died in armed conflicts, both military and civilian, and Totensonntag (Sunday of the Dead), which is the Protestant equivalent of All Souls’ Day that commemorates the faithfully departed and falls on the last Sunday of the liturgical year in the Evangelical Church.

Some days that are not designated as public holidays are quiet days in certain states, such as Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Holy Saturday, All Souls’ Day, and Christmas Eve (beginning in the afternoon).

[landrysg]

New on YouTube from the Netherlands Bach Society:

J.S. Bach, Cantata "Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange" ("My God, how long, ah, how long") BWV 155

First performed in Weimar on the second Sunday after Epiphany, January 19, 1716

[astrology-with-charu]

Weekly Astrology Horoscope 18 to 24 September 2023

Fog to Greatest Illumination

𝕂𝕖𝕪 𝔸𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕤 (𝔼.𝕋.)

𝟙𝟡 𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥 𝕊𝕦𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕍𝕚𝕣𝕘𝕠 𝕆𝕡𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕤 ℕ𝕖𝕡𝕥𝕦𝕟𝕖 𝕚𝕟 ℙ𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕖𝕤 @𝟚𝟞º𝟙𝟞’

𝟚𝟙 𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥 𝕊𝕦𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕍𝕚𝕣𝕘𝕠 𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕤 ℙ𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕠 𝕚𝕟 ℂ𝕒𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕟 @𝟚𝟟º𝟝𝟡’

𝟚𝟛 𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥 𝕊𝕦𝕟 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕃𝕚𝕓𝕣𝕒! 𝔼𝕢𝕦𝕚𝕟𝕠𝕩

This would be a week of epiphanies and realisations though it doesn’t seem to start that way when I look at the aspects made by the active planets this week.

We are coming out of three weeks of Mercury retrograde so its not a surprise that we would have our mind clearer and some clear agenda items ahead of us to achieve in flesh considering its last week of Virgo season. So many things so little time. Tik tok the clock is ticking… so it seems.

Yet the week starts with a rather confusing and to some extend physically debilitating aspect of Sun in Virgo opposing Neptune in Pisces at 26º16’ - Monday blues strike and they seem to extend to Tuesday. But they are not honestly blues as this aspect is an annual defogger. Wherever our idealism has escaped the real life - we seem to suddenly wake up from a stupor of sorts. For some it’s the Sunday sermon, for some that Monday morning meeting and for some the eventual end of summer fun laced with chaos. It’s an annual get back to school aspect and it comes with Mercury going direct at 8º Virgo which is very much a go back to school degree too.

It’s the degree of “Potentiality of Initiation” as Rudhyar described it. Taking that transitional step to mastery of something that may have been your dream but you may not have all the tools, education or skills to achieve it. Sabian symbols depicted it as - A five year old child takes a first dancing lesson. Neptune plants many surreal, beyond imagination, ethereal dreams and Venus retrograde which just concluded has surely woken up some buried old passions & things we want to achieve. Virgo season and the new moon that we are under influence of till end of the month - help equip us with the practical tools to achieve them. It starts with epiphany or knowledge or to some extend dissatisfaction of not yet “being there”, whatever there is - cause wishes and dreams have no end.

As we get more realistic about the passionate and eager five year old within us without making him/her loose the wish to pursue our need to express our individuality - we finally take our first dancing class. We initiate a journey of mastery. The new moon in Virgo came with a positive aspect to Uranus. It ushers change, leaf change color with equinox ahead of us waiting to change seasons. This is the week of epiphanies of acceptance of what we are good at and what we need a teacher, a guru, an education on. And we experience the aspect of focus in second half of the week to go after it with Sun in Virgo making a beautiful grounding earth trine of real progress if we go for it with Pluto in Capricorn at 27º59’.

Through it all we are tempted to act on a lower frequency as thats Neptune - it holds duality. You want to live in self deception and fear or would you like to take some real steps to what you do know now you want. Venus would reach its Greatest illumination on 19 Sept, with the symbol of love, abundance, money, passions shining brightest for 2023. She has finally transitioned from being an evening star all year - accepting what comes, trying to attract what it could, being in its traditional feminine energy to now its Lucifer mode. The morning star Venus knows what she wants and knows how to get it, she doesn’t hide in the night looking pretty and aloof - though nothing wrong with that traditional mode, this is not that time of the year anymore. It’s the time of pursue. Full phase of Venus on 19 Sept doesn’t just make the Venus shine brightest - it also like every planet’s full phase brings realisations on money, on love, on how we want to receive / give / achieve what we love. 13 August started new phase of Venus which resonates across its 8 years cycles of 2015, 2007 and 1999. How you evolved in those years in your feminine or masculine energy might be worth looking back to as the light of Venus gains full illumination on 19 Sept.

Mercury, the symbol of our mind, communication and commerce will also become visible reaching its greatest western elongation on 22 Sept. This is a very brief period and marks transition of Mercury our mind to morning star mode which is also about risk taking, pursue and experimentation. Becoming visible in its sign of strength is even more rare for Mercury. Making end of this week esp. 21/22 Sept great for decisions and making up our mind or business discussion. Avoid those on 19 Sept if possible.

While Mercury and Venus are both still in shadow, meaning still walking the degrees they have walked before - meaning our heart and mind are still dealing with old matters but they are renewed - same things are looked at from a different perspective and pursued … at accelerating speed. Tik tok…

Have a great week ahead !

Much Love 💕

Charu

[furmity]

The Yules, 35° South

After much back and forth between different calendars and almanacs, much counting of days- the dates are set! Trying something different this year...

June:

11. 🌓 Gaudette Sunday

15. Tunderman's Night and Tulya's E'en together because it's Thor's day: trolls on the loooooose!

16. Helya's Nicht

18. 🌑 First lunar month begins

21. Lussinatta, "Christmas Eve", etc.

22. ☀️ Vintersolstånd, solar Jul, "Christmas Day", etc.

July:

3. Twelfth Night, "Epiphany Eve", etc.

4. 🌕 Jultungel, lunar Jul, "Epiphany", etc.

11. "St Knut's Day"

15. Up Helly Aa: put those trolls back where they came from or so help me!

16. 🌑... I think. Rather different dates given. Second lunar month begins.

(Top tier photography brought to you by Aspera)

Take a peak @thehazeldruid 🌞

[septembersung]

Today is the Second Sunday after Epiphany and the gospel is the wedding at Cana. Reminding me forcibly that faith lives in obedience and it’s in obeying that our prayers are answered.

[the-turin-project]

with many thanks to u/lbrey and u/jejwood from the wonderful reddit.com/r/latin, I have just recently managed to cobble together a translation of the admonitions portion of the instructions.

A leap year has two letters, of which the first flourishes from 1 January continuously to 24 February inclusive. The other all the way to the end of the year. Accordingly, January will be the style adapted of the first letter, from which a step will be made on 25 February, to another, which must follow immediately, this second [one] staying with the epacts; for it is no concern because passing through, however rarely, this is evident from 1 January to 24 February, the first [letter] does not stay, for the second letter is has its own of the year, because it obtains the larger part [of the year]. And because it is the main thing, to look to the Passover to rule, from which the rest of the moving [feasts] receive the law.

No letter has twice the same number of epacts, except D, which has two locations 24 and 25. In this case, when the Dominical letter D should happen with the epacts 24 or 25, the second D should always be accepted, except if it has been a leap year, that is, D [?]. C: in whose case it must be accepted D is placed in the first position.

There are some feasts, or solemnities which are neither properly movable nor properly immovable (for those are properly called movable whose date depends on that of Easter); therefore for the churches of Turin the time is assigned as follows. 

The Second Sunday after Epiphany is the Feast of the the Most Holy Name of Jesus, 2nd Class, with a commemoration of the Sunday: Sunday within the octave of the Feast of the Assumption is the Feast of St Joachim, duplex major, with a commemoration of the Sunday and of the Octave day: The second Sunday of August is the Feast of the Most Holy Sacrament, duplex major, commemoration of the Sunday: Sunday within the Octave of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Feast of the Most Holy Name of the same (i.e. the BVM), duplex major, commemoration of the Sunday: Sunday in the kalends of October, or the 1st Sunday after, is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Rosary, duplex major, commemoration of the Sunday: 

The circle of movables indicates the spring and summer ember days, but those of autumn are celebrated on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross [these are the ember days], and those of winter after the third Sunday of Advent, but the Sunday after the 26th of November will be the 1st Sunday of Advent.

Denotes: 1.cl. = first class 2.cl. = second class Maj. = two times as large D = two times as small S = half of two times

Printed by Peter Joseph Zappata, & sons

as one may observe, the admonitions for the liturgical calendar are exceedingly complex. I was pointed towards B. Hausmann’s Learning the Breviary (1932) as a means for learning more about the history of the Catholic calendar and the ranking of feasts and sundry. 

regarding the calendar’s provenance, the name of Zappata is an excellent lead to follow for learning more about the craftsmen who made this piece. 

now that we have the instructions, the next steps will be to attempt putting them into practice. more on that to come.

[chrishansler]

My Imperfect Holiday Observance

     I didn’t grow up observing Advent. I was a Baptist, then a Pentecostal (which is funny in itself), neither of which observed Advent. I didn’t know anything about it. Even through Bible college and my first 20+ years of ministry I was apparently under an Advent rock because I knew relatively nothing about it. I was a Christmas guy. I did all of the Christmas things - carols, lights, trees, decorations, sledding, presents, stress - all of it. And then in about 2007 at the age of 44 I stumbled across an initiative called Advent Conspiracy, and I began to learn. And I fell in love with this historic, widely-observed practice that is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. I learned that it starts four Sundays before Christmas. I learned that it is a period to slow down and to  reflect, even somber reflection as we recognize the darkness in the world and admit to our part in it. I learned about the advent wreath and the weekly themes of hope, peace, joy and love. But I also learned that those are a particular Western approach and that there are other themes and rituals in other historical parts of the church. I learned that Advent comes from the word “parousia” which means “appearing” and that Advent is a time of anticipation of the coming of Christ - not just His first coming at Christmas, but also His second coming where He will make all things new. Advent is a time to remember that we are in the in-between time and we wait with great anticipation for His coming. And then I learned that December 25th is actually the 1st day of Christmas, and all of the sudden the song “The 12 days of Christmas” made sense to me. The first day is Christmas, and the 12th day, January 6th is Epiphany - the reminder of the coming of the Wise Men.       But my observance of Advent is imperfect. I would drive an Advent purist crazy, because while I observe Advent and do a daily Advent reading and light my Advent wreath each Sunday, I also put my Christmas decorations up around Thanksgiving. I get my Christmas tree, hang my lights and play Christmas music. But then I also play Advent Hymns. Perhaps I am defeating much of the purpose of Advent in my imperfect observance. I am impatient in my waiting for His coming and I want to bask in the celebration of His first coming.       But there are no perfect holiday celebrations. Sometimes the lights don’t work right or 1/2 of a strand decides to go out in mid-December after they are on the house. Sometimes I can’t find the right Advent candles so I make do. Some believe in lots of lights and some don’t put lights up. Some think they should be every color and some think they should only be white. Some love Christmas trees, some don’t believe we should have Christmas trees. Some play only “Christian” Christmas songs and some mix in a little Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby or even the dreaded “Santa Baby.” Some think Santa detracts from the focus and some think He adds to the celebration.       I have a big manger scene in my front yard, lights on my house (white, red and green which of course are the right colors), stockings hung on my fireplace mantle with some other little manger scenes inside the house, a Christmas tree in my living room with ornaments that mean more to me this year than ever, a little Santa by my fireplace and an Advent wreath on my dining room table. It’s a little of everything. I know it’s not perfect and maybe I’m not doing it “right.” But who is it all for? It is all to remind me of Jesus. I don’t have kids at home. My wife is gone. It’s just me in this house. But it all reminds me that I’m not alone because Jesus came, and I’m not without hope because He’s coming again to make it all new!      Maybe your holiday observance isn’t perfect either. Maybe it’s been a hard year. Maybe like me you’ve experienced loss. Maybe your decorations aren’t just right, some of your lights are tangled beyond your level of patience, or maybe you just don’t have the energy this year to put them up. Maybe you have a sort-of-Advent, sort-of-Christmas thing going like me. But what matters is who you are celebrating. Jesus will not frown on your imperfect observance. Jesus did a lot of things that broke with religious convention to remind us that God is for us. So be free and do what helps you celebrate Jesus. That’s what matters, and He’s worth every light, candle, ornament, manger scene, wreath, tree, fruitcake, Christmas cookie, song or silent moment that you have. 

[anastpaul]

One Minute Reflection – 14 January – Why did our Lord change water into wine as His first Sign? – St Ephrem

One Minute Reflection – 14 January – “The Month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of the Holy Family”– Second Sunday after the Epiphany and the Feast day of St Hilary (315-368) Confessor, Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church – Romans 12:6-16; John 2:1-11 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ “This, the first of His Signs, Jesus worked at Cana in Galilee and manifested His Glory and…

[buggie-hagen]

Yes, just the catechism is enough for us to oppose false prophets. ~Martin Luther, "Sermon on the Second Sunday after Epiphany (1536)," WA 41:511.37-38. See also WATR 2:352, no. 2202b.

[scarletunit6]

Yes, we do have a wide and varied cuisine in Britain today, no more do we suffer under the image of grey boiled meat! After years of disparagement by various countries (especially the French) Britain now has an enviable culinary reputation. In fact some of the great chefs now come from Britain, I kid you not!

However Britain's culinary expertise is not new! In the past British cooking was amongst the best in the world. Mrs Beeton is still one of the renowned writers of cookery books, her creations have now gained international popularity, years after her death.

Traditional British cuisine is substantial, yet simple and wholesome. We have long believed in four meals a day. Our fare has been influenced by the traditions and tastes from different parts of the British empire: teas from Ceylon and chutney, kedgeree, and mulligatawny soup from India.

A BRIEF HISTORY

British cuisine has always been multicultural, a pot pourri of eclectic styles. In ancient times influenced by the Romans and in medieval times the French. When the Frankish Normans invaded, they brought with them the spices of the east: cinnamon, saffron, mace, nutmeg, pepper, ginger. Sugar came to England at that time, and was considered a spice -- rare and expensive. Before the arrival of cane sugars, honey and fruit juices were the only sweeteners. The few Medieval cookery books that remain record dishes that use every spice in the larder, and chefs across Europe saw their task to be the almost alchemical transformation of raw ingredients into something entirely new (for centuries the English aristocracy ate French food) which they felt distinguished them from the peasants.

During Victorian times good old British stodge mixed with exotic spices from all over the Empire. And today despite being part of Europe we've kept up our links with the countries of the former British Empire, now united under the Commonwealth.

One of the benefits of having an empire is that we did learn quite a bit from the colonies. From East Asia (China) we adopted tea (and exported the habit to India), and from India we adopted curry-style spicing, we even developed a line of spicy sauces including ketchup, mint sauce, Worcestershire sauce and deviled sauce to indulge these tastes. Today it would be fair to say that curry has become a national dish.

Among English cakes and pastries, many are tied to the various religious holidays of the year. Hot Cross Buns are eaten on Good Friday, Simnel Cake is for Mothering Sunday, Plum Pudding for Christmas, and Twelfth Night Cake for Epiphany.

Unfortunately a great deal of damage was done to British cuisine during the two world wars. Britain is an island and supplies of many goods became short. The war effort used up goods and services and so less were left over for private people to consume. Ships importing food stuffs had to travel in convoys and so they could make fewer journeys. During the second world war food rationing began in January 1940 and was lifted only gradually after the war.

The British tradition of stews, pies and breads, according to the taste buds of the rest of the world, went into terminal decline. What was best in England was only that which showed the influence of France, and so English food let itself become a gastronomic joke and the French art of Nouvell Cuisine was adopted.

Hand, L.R. (2019). British Food - British culture, customs and traditions. [online] Learnenglish.de. Available at: https://www.learnenglish.de/culture/foodculture.html. ‌