Russian Fairy Tales :

The Signs as Female Shakespeare Characters

Aries: Katherine Minola (The Taming of the Shrew)

“If I be waspish, best beware my sting”

Taurus: Viola (Twelfth Night)

“Make me a willow cabin at your gate and call upon my soul within the house, write loyal cantons of contemnèd love, and sing them loud even in the dead of night”

Gemini: Cleopatra (Antony & Cleopatra)

“Sir, you and I have loved, but there’s not it; That you know well. Something it is I would— O, my oblivion is a very Antony, and I am all forgotten”

Cancer: Cordelia (King Lear)

“I am sure my love’s more ponderous than my tongue”

Leo: Titania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

“These are the forgeries of jealousy; And never, since the middle summer’s spring, met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead, by paved fountain, or by rushy brook, or in the beached margent of the sea, to dance our ringlets to the whistling wind”

Virgo: Juliet Capulet (Romeo & Juliet)

“Although I joy in thee, I have no joy of this contract tonight. It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, too like the lightning, which doth cease to be ere one can say ‘It lightens.’“ 

Libra: Portia (The Merchant of Venice)

“You see me, Lord Bassanio, where I stand, such as I am: though for myself alone I would not be ambitious in my wish, to wish myself much better; yet, for you I would be trebled twenty times myself; A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times more rich”

Scorpio: Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing)

“But manhood is melted into curtsies, valor into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones, too. He is now as valiant as Hercules that only tells a lie and swears it. I cannot be a man with wishing; therefore I will die a woman with grieving”

Sagittarius: Miranda (The Tempest) 

“O, brave new world, that has such people in ‘t!”

Capricorn: Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)

“The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements. Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe topful of direst cruelty!”

Aquarius: Rosalind (As You Like It)

“It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue; but it is no more unhandsome than to see the lord the prologue. If it be true that good wine needs no bush, 'tis true that a good play needs no epilogue; yet to good wine they do use good bushes, and good plays prove the better by the help of good epilogues”

Pisces: Ophelia (Hamlet)

“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray, love, remember; and there is pansies, that’s for thoughts…There’s fennel for you, and columbines; there’s rue for you, and here’s some for me; we may call it herb of grace o’ Sundays. O, you must wear your rue with a difference”

It’s all Hallows Eve the moon is full  

                                              will she trick or treat  I bet she will

– list of historical films –

– 1500s–1600s –

1. the other boleyn girl (2008)

2. elizabeth (1998)

3. elizabeth: the golden age (2007)

4. anonymous (2011)

5. shakespeare in love (1998)

6. the libertine (2004)

7. the three musketeers (1948)

8. lady jane (1985)

9. stage beauty (2004)

– 1700s –

1. the duchess (2008)

2. marie antoinette (2005)

3. pride and prejudice (tv, 1995)

4. sense and sensibility (1995)

5. becoming jane (2006)

6. the madness of king george (1994)

7. perfume: story of a murderer (2006)

8. a little chaos (2014)

9. girl with a pearl earring (2003)

10. belle (2013)

– 1800s –

1. young victoria (2009)

2. mrs brown (1997)

3. victoria and abdul (2017)

4. jane eyre (2011)

5. mr. turner (2014)

6. wilde (1997)

7. dorian gray (2009)

8. the woman in black (2012)

9. anna karenina (1948)

10. the importance of being earnest (2002)

11. bright star (2009)

12. viceroys house (2017)

13. miss potter (2006)

14. creation (2009)

15. the invisible woman (2012)

16. from hell (2011)

17. the limehouse golem (2016)

18. hysteria (2010)

19. effie gray (2014)

20. great expectations (2012)

21. far from the madding crowd (2015)

– 1900s –

1. maurice (1987)

2. brideshead revisited (tv, 1981)

4. suffragette (2015)

5. the englishman who went up a hill but came down a mountain (1995)

6. enid (tv, 2009)

7. sunset song (2015)

8. finding neverland (2004)

9. war horse (2011)

10. a dangerous method (2011)

11. another country (1984)

12. jimmy’s hall (2014)

13. the edge of love (2008)

14. their finest (2017)

15. gosford park (2001)

16. glorious 39 (2009)

17. easy virtue (2008)

18. dunkirk (2017)

19. the danish girl (2015)

20. atonement (2007)

21. queen & country (2014)

22. private peaceful (2012)

23. the book thief (2013)

24. testament of youth (2014)

25. boy in striped pyjamas (2008)

26. the others (2001)

27. anthropoid (2016)

28. zoo keepers wife (2017)

29. the royal night out (2015)

30. a united kingdom (2016)

31. another mother’s son (2017)

32. the woman in gold (2015)

33. the king’s speech (2010)

34. the monuments men (2014)

35. the wind that shakes the barley (2006)

36. the man who knew infinity (2015)

37. suite française (2014)

38. the theory of everything (2014)

39. the imitation game (2014)

40. the railway man (2013)

41. the magdalene sisters (2002)

Fav Period Dramas <3

Well, @nightmaredaisy asked me about this and so I made a little list :D these are some of my favorite period dramas. Be aware that some of these are biographical films and/or short television serials, mostly produced by BBC and thus can be quite long XD

Andersen, Life Without Love (2006) [biographical fiction film based on the life of H.C Andersen]

Jane Eyre (2006)

Chéri (2009) [My personal fave <3]

Les Miserables (1998)

Mary Reilly (1996)

A Little Chaos (2015)

The Piano (1993)

Bright Star (2009) [biographical fiction film based on the life of John Keats]

Modigliani (2004) [biographical fiction film based on the life of Amedeo Modigliani]

Creation (2009) [biographical fiction film based on the life of Charles Darwin]

North & South (2004) - [My mom’s favorite :3]

Neverland (2004) [biographical fiction film based on the life of James Barrie]

Amadeus (1984) [biographical fiction film based on the life of W.A.Mozart]

Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)

The Scarlet Letter (2015)

The English Patient (1996)

Far from the Madding Crowd (2015)

The Great Gatsby (1974) [I like the Robert Redford movie better than the Di Caprio one.]

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)

Elisabeth the Golden Age (2007) [biographical fiction film based on the life of Queen Elisabeth I]

Goya’s Ghosts (2006) [biographical fiction film -partially- based on the life of Francisco Goya]

Special mentions even if these aren’t ‘real’ period dramas:

Midnight in Paris (2011)

The Theory of Everything (2014) [biographical fiction film based on the life of Stephen Hawking]

female character deaths in shakespeare

Winter 2018 Anime Watchlist

Wow, this is almost inexcusably late Dx I’m so sorry, this should’ve gone up last week. It took me so long because I was waiting for Fate/Extra -which premiered three weeks into the season for inexplicable reasons- and then other stuff came up during the week. The good side is that it’s allowed me to get a better grasp on what these shows are doing and rank them more accordingly to my expectations rather than just the first impressions (except Fate Extra because I’ve only watched one episode -_-. Anyway, here’s the list for the Winter shows I’m watching

Dropped

Pop Team Epic: Not my kind of comedy. Honestly that’s all there is to this show, whether it’s type of comedy (or anti-comedy) works for you. It didn’t extract a single chuckle from me, so no point in watching more of it.

KOKKOKU: The premise is interesting, the interactions between the family members felt very human and realistic and the main character was pretty cool, but the look of the show is terrible and the pacing is stressfully slow. At the end of episode 2, the nephew and the brother hadn’t been rescued yet -and there seemed to be no hurry in that regard- and that just made gratuitously anxious

Sora Yori Tooi Basho: I think that this show, like Girls’ Last Tour, has a lot of potential, but I’ve been burned before and with the pacing of episode two I just had this nagging feeling that the show would manage to flounder around all season without the girls ever making it to Antarctica, which would be a bummer. So I’ll wait for the season to end, and if they do end up getting there I’ll pick it up again.

Citrus: Citrus leaves me in a complicated position because Yuzu is a very charming lead and it’s very easy to root for her, I strongly feel that I want to follow her story. But on the other hand, her love interest / stepsister (thanks Japan) is utterly unlikable, and so far every “romantic” advancement in the story is basically sexual assault. It’s odd because Yuzu herself feels realistic, but the development of the romance is immensely artificial. By the end of episode 2, Yuzu declares she’s inequivocally in love with her sister (idr her name), even though none of the events of the show to that point make her quick infatuation believable at all, considering the sister in question only insults her, dismisses her or sexually assaults her every time they interact. (Update: After episode 4 I want nothing to do with the Everyone is a Lesbian and All Lesbians are Rapists show)

Chopping Block

Basically, I’m gonna drop one or more of this shows sooner than later. I’m still not sure of which one

Darling in the FRANXX: If you thought Welcome to the Ballroom was aggressively heterosexual, DarliFra wants you to hold its beer. Episode 1 was a little iffy with its eyeroll inducing cliché meet-cute between the two leads, itsheteronormative central conceit (a man-woman pair is necessary to operate the giant robots and they take on roles named after the reproductive parts of flowers), but if that wasn’t enough for you, episode 2 is 24 minutes of cheap juvenile innuendos at least 70% of the dialogues have very obvious, very intentional double-meanings- coupled with extremely unsubtle “hyuk hyuk they are totally not in a sexual position” imagery, plus an infinite numer of ass shots (only of the girls, obviously). The whole thing reeks of sleazy, hipocritically critical of the dystopian society it depicts whilst simultaneously objectifying and sexualizing its adolescent leads with the most bottom of the barrel, lowest common denominator possible jokes and framing. Depending on how episode 3 goes I’ll either drop it or choose it as my hatewatch show of the season. (Update: Episode 3 was a mixed bag, so I guess I’ll keep watching for now)

Basilisk Ouka Ninpou Chou: We’re three episodes in and it doesn’t feel like this story is going anywhere. The production values are terrible, and the initial conceit -that Oboro and Gennosuke had time to make babies at some point during the original Basilisk series- makes literally no sense whatsoever. I’m a huge fan of the original Basilisk, but this is giving me nothing so far. Honestly the only thing keeping me around is how close the designs are to the original, basically the character designers are invoking my fondness for the original series and cheating me into believing I like this one too. Which I don’t, but for the time being I’ll hang on.

Violet Evergarden: I’m having war flashbacks to the Summer of 2017 when all the shows I was most excited about turned out to be hugely disappointing. Violet isn’t “hugely disappointing” yet but it’s very… eh.  Violet herself (or, in the incredibly wise words of @shaniajurgen​ , “Full Metal Saber”) is just incredibly unrelatable and unoriginal as a character. I’ve seen this exact same story (emotionally stunted lead learns about human emotions) at least a dozen times, and the stories we’re seeing here so far are following the same plot beats as other stories of the ssame kind. The production itself is beautiful, but Violet feels more like a kuudere waifu than an actual character. I’m hoping it will improve and that it’ll have stories I haven’t already seen 10 times before, and that the emotional payoff is worth it

Koi wa Ameagari no you ni: This is a complicated show to talk about because the subject matter is inherently iffy -a 17 year old girl falls in love with a 45 year old man- The opening also pretty much gives away that they will in one way or another pursue a romantic relationship, so no hopes of this turning into a heartwarming parental dynamic like Amaama to Inazuma . It is important to note that writing fictional stories with fictional characters about this subject matter is not in itself problematic, but the framing of it can absolutely be malicious. Thus, if someone feels uncomfortable about it, that doesn’t make them a prude, but at the same time, enjoying the show doesn’t make you a pedophile. Bottomline is that the framing will make or break the show, and so far, it’s treading a very delicate line in that regard. On one hand, both Akira and Kondo are treated as realistic human characters; on the other, there are certain aspects of the narrative that seem to play up to the ‘nice guy’ mentality -she was throwing herself at me! I’m completely harmless!-. It’s not heavyhanded enough to be off-putting, but it does make me feel cautious about where they’re going with this. (Update: Episode 4 was definitely off-putting, enough to make me consider dropping it.)

??????

Stuff I’m watching that I’m not super passionate about I guess

Fate/Extra Last Encore: Well, this sure is a SHAFT show. Of course, Extra has a disadvantage against the other shows, having aired one episode vs the others’ 3-4, so for now I’ll keep it on a trial run. It’s bizarre and overly criptic and please don’t cut yourself on that edge son. I’m also not a fan of bringing back the original Fate cast, just replacing the original Palurdo with a different Wake ME Up INSIDE Palurdo. Apocrypha was decent because it avoided most pseudo philosophical Nasu bullshit, but they’re doubling down on that here, so that could be a problem. We’ll have to see how they handle the action scenes and whether they’re able to create compelling character dynamics

How to keep a Mummy: It’s a cute show. An aggressively cute show. Occassionally too triehard in its cuteness. If you’re into cute shows this is for you, if not, there’s really nothing to chew on. I hope we get the new monsters soon or some sort of character arc, much as I enjoy the cuteness, I do need a little bit more meat in my Chinese cartoons

Classicaloid: My feelings on Classicaloid vary wildly depending on the last episode I watched, and in this case, the latest episode wasn’t really good. I loved the part with Beethoven being blown away by the performance of the 9th, but otherwise the jokes felt like cheap potty humor. You can do much better Classicaloid

Hakumei to Mikochi: So, rather than a fantasy adventure, this is actually a fantasy slce of life. Which is fine in itself, but in a season that has a dozen feel-good slice of life stuff, it needs an extra punch to stand out. The characters are good and fun to watch and the stories are cute, the visuals have a lovely children’s book look, but there’s not much that is particularly memorable. But it’s cute and there are worse shows I’m watching, so I’ll keep it around.  

Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens: This is a weird show because I slept through most of episodes 1 and 2 but the final cliffhanger of each episode made eager to keep watching. After episode 4, I’m definitely interested in seeing where they go with this premise. The dynamic between Lin and Banba is great and although the direction and production are mostly uninspired, the story seems interesting enough to grant some attention

Finally some good stuff

My favorite stuff of the season and the only thing keeping me from launching myself into the sun given how sucky my classes this semester are

GARO Vanishing Line: The plot thickens as our heroes approach the mysterious El Dorado. Now that we’ve had a Gina-centric and a Sword-centric episode the cast feels well rounded and their deynamics have evolved in a really wonderful way. I definitely love the family-like relationship they have now, with the latest episode shedding some light on how Sword may be seeing her sister in Sophie. I’m really happy with how this show has developed since its early episodes. 

Yowamushi Pedal Glory Line: There’s not much I can say about Yowapeda at this point, you either like to see 3 kilometers of a bicycle race stretched into an hour of television or you don’t. I do find it interesting that Onoda seems to have fallen completely to the sidelines, hardly appearing in the first four episodes. I also wonder how long this’ll be because we’re 4 episodes in in and we haven’t been able to finish the first day of the race, even though we started like 3km off of it, so unless this is two-cour I worry we won’t see the end of the Inter High.

Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of the Commandments: I’m quite ahead of the manga for this one so there are hardly any surprises here. I think implementing the numerical power levels was very stupid and I’m not sure what Suzuki was thinking when he decided to add it but w/e. Ban is my favorite character so ‘m enjoying these first episodes centered on him. I’m mostly excited to see Escanor though! And the choreography of the Diane vs Gowther fight was superb.

Sanrio Danshi: I must admit this show has fallen a little from my good graces in the recent episodes. Episode 2 was brilliant and it made me think maybe this show could be better written than your average toy commercial. And although it is, episodes 3 and 4 haven’t lived up to the highs established by 2. Instead of just focusing on the issues the boys face from liking Sanrio things, they’ve overcomplicated the conflicts, making them incomprehensible, and the resolutions feel rushed here’s hoping we have more episodes like 2.

Gakuen Babysitters: The surprise of the season! Although it stumbled a little in the first half of episode 3, this overall wins for the cutest show of the season, and the one with most heart. It’s struck an excellet balance showing the chiildren’s cutest and also most obnoxious sides too. The end of episode 1 in which Ryuuichi realizes he can’t call his parents for help was extremely well executed, striking at the heartstrings with a very realistic and human approach to tragedy. Also, I love Kirin and her kirin plushie. Hope we get a Kirin centric episode soon. Just delete the “pedo” character please.

Mahoutsukai no Yome: My thoughts on this show are about the same as last season, it’s a lovely story with extremely powerful moments that is occassionally brought down by weird pacing choices, like how they rushed Chise’s transformation into a fox. I do have to call the show out for the OP, it’s the laziest thing I’ve ever seen, completely made up of recycled shots from the first cour. As much as I love May’n, the song falls short to the power JUNNA’s Here had. If they weren’t gonna add anything to the OP that was relevant to the second cour they should’ve just kept the first one.

Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card: I am so happy and so relieved to see Sakura has escaped the curse of “20 year later reboot” that befell on other classics. They nailed the feel of the show to a tee, and I’m just overall so happy to get to see the characters I so love once again. I am concerned about the repetitive plot beats and about the original cards getting seemingly forgotten, but I’m confident in this team that has proved to make justice for such a beloved show. 

That’s the winter season, a few standouts, a few great surprises, a lot of stuff that is just kinda there and a shitload of slice of life. What are you thinking about the season? Which are your favorite shows and which ones have you dropped so far? 

Alphabet

THE WICCAN REDE

The Wiccan Rede is a statement that provides the key moral system in your Path. It’s important to acknowledge, in any discussion about the Rede that this is simply a guideline. There is a significant amount of variance from one path to the next and even from one individual to another. There is a good deal of room for interpretation and personal alteration. Many Wiccans even choose to claim the shorter rendition which reads simply as such: 

SHORT VERSION

“Eight words the Rede fulfill, ‘And it harm none, do what ye will.”

“An” is an unnecessarily archaic way of saying “as long as” or “if.”  It’s intended to be conditional. If this happens, that happens. It’s a “cause-and-effect” statement.  It implies that “doing no harm” is transitory, because it is a condition that might, or might not, be present.  If you are doing no harm, then you can do what you will.

I would argue that “doing no harm, ever” is simply not possible. Have you ever eaten a steak?  The cow was butchered and you consumed it.  How about a celery stick? That plant was destroyed for your sustenance. It’s not realistic to believe that one can live life and do no harm; just that one should go out of one’s way to minimize harm!  

A Wiccan should do their best not to cause harm; and that means that we should do our best to consider the effects of everything we do; magickally or otherwise. Moral decisions should then be made according to what is going to cause the least harm, including to ourselves.

FULL VERSION (Angelfire Rendition)

“Being known as the counsel of the Wise Ones: Bide the Wiccan laws ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust. Live and let live, fairly take and fairly give. Cast the Circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out.

To bind the spell every time, let the spell be spake in rhyme. Light of eye and soft of touch, speak ye little, listen much. Honor the Old Ones in deed and name, Let love and light be our guides again. Deosil go by the waxing Moon, sing and dance the Wiccan rune. Widdershins go when the moon doth wane, and the Werewolf howls by the dread Wolfsbane.

When the Lady’s Moon is new, kiss thy hand to Her times two. When the Moon rides at Her peak then your heart’s desire seek. Heed the Northwind’s mighty gale; lock the door and trim the sail.

When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss thee on the mouth. When the wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast. When the West wind blows o'er thee, departed spirits restless be.

Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them quick a’ burn them slow. Birch in the fire goes, To represent what the Lady knows. Oak in the forest towers with might, In the fire it brings the God’s insight. Rowan is a tree of power, Causing life and magick to flower. Willows at the waterside stand, Ready to help us to the Summerland.

Hawthorn is burned to purify, And to draw faerie to your eye. Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning, Adds its strength to the bright fire burning. White are the flowers of Apple tree, That brings us fruits of fertility. Grapes grow upon the vine, Giving us both joy and wine. Fir does mark the evergreen, To represent immortality seen. Elder is the Lady’s tree, Burn it not or cursed you’ll be.

Four times the Major Sabbats mark, In the light and in the dark. As the old year starts to wane, The new begins, it’s now Samhain. When the time for Imbolg shows, Watch for flowers through the snows. When the wheel begins to turn, Soon the Beltaine fires will burn. As the wheel turns to Lammas night, Power is brought to magick rite. Four times the Minor Sabbats fall, Use the Sun to mark them all.

When the wheel has turned to Yule, Light the log the Horned One rules. In the spring, when night equals day, Time for Ostara to come our way. When the Sun has reached it’s height, Time for Oak and Holly to fight. Harvesting comes to one and all, When the Autumn Equinox does fall. Heed the flower, bush, and tree , By the Lady blessed you’ll be. Where the rippling waters go, Cast a stone, the truth you’ll know. When you have and hold a need, Harken not to others greed. With a fool no season spend, Nor be counted as his friend. Merry Meet and Merry Part, Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

Mind the Three-fold Law you should, Three times bad and three times good. When misfortune is enow, Wear the star upon your brow. In love you must be ever true, Unless your love is false to you.

Eight words the Rede fulfill, ‘And it harm none, do what ye will.’“

BREAKING IT DOWN

Now isn’t that a mouthful! Believe it or not, each line has its own special meaning, which of course is up for personal interpretation from the individual. Here are some examples from Angelfire to get you started in your studies.  

“Bide the Wiccan Laws ye must, In perfect Love and perfect Trust.” Basically, this refers to Perfect Love and Trust in the Divine, not necessarily in a human person. Remember, all Wiccans are human first, and they will have the same faults and shortcomings as everyone else. Honor them for their knowledge and experience, but don’t expect them to be saints! “Live and let all else live, Fairly take and fairly give.” Pretty self-explanatory… “Cast the Circle thrice about, To keep unwelcome spirits out.” This refers to casting the circle first with your athame, sword, staff, or whatever tool you use, then casting again around fully with salt & water, then a third casting is done with the Incense. (Not necessarily in that order - it goes by tradition) “To bind the spell every time, Let the spell be spake in rhyme.” This refers to your "younger self” or subconscious mind, which hears and reacts more quickly and more fully to rhymes and chants. It also makes it fun for your inner child, and this will enhance your magickal workings.

“Light of eye and soft of touch, Speak ye little, listen much.” “Light of eye” is an injunction against staring forcefully at another, and comes from the “evil eye”. Be gentle in both your gaze and touch. Avoid violence! The second line has always been sage advice. “Honor the Old Ones in deed and name, Let love and light be our guides again.” Similar to "Honor thy father and mother” but this means anyone elder, not just family. Somehow politeness is being lost in today’s society.  “Deosil go by the waxing moon, Sing and dance the Wiccan rune.”

"Deosil” means clock-wise, or sun-wise, and the waxing moon is from New Moon to just before the Full Moon, while the moon is “filling out. This is the time to ask for what you want to have joyful in your life. "Rune” is another name for spell, but specifically a rhymed, chanted, spell working. This is evolved from the use of a single rune (such as today are used for divination) to represent the person’s desire.

“Widdershins go when the moon doth wane, and the Werewolf howls by the dread Wolfsbane.” Now “widdershins” is counter clockwise, and the waning moon is after the full moon, when it is “dwindling.” This is the time to get rid of unwanted habits, weight, bad feelings, or anything you wish to be rid of. “Baneful” comes from “banish” and that’s what it means. “When the Lady’s moon is new, Kiss the hand to Her times two.” It was the custom in days gone before to send kisses to the New Moon. It must have been a very wide spread custom as I have seen references to the Inquisition warning people that those who did it would be closely watched for signs of heresy and witchcraft! “When the moon rides at Her peak, Then your heart’s desire seek.” This of course is the Full Moon, and the time when the magick of the Moon is at full power. “Heed the North winds’ mighty gale, Lock the door and trim the sail.” These next four verses are “wind wisdom” and refer to the times when the wind comes from the four directions, and also refers to the four seasons. The North wind is well known for the winter storms it brings. Lock everything up tight!

“When the wind comes from the South, Love will kiss thee on the mouth.” The warm southern wind brings Springtime, when young fancies turn to romance. “When the Wind blows from the East, Expect the new and set the feast.” The second line refers to the tendency the East wind has to bring changes, and unexpected visitors. “When the West wind blows o'er thee, Departed spirits restless be.” The West is the direction that the souls of those passing on to the Summerland will take. (I suppose they have to work harder when the wind is against them!) “Nine woods in the Cauldron go, Burn them quick a’ burn them slow.”

Nine woods are placed in the Beltain fires and each one is significant. “Birch in the fire goes, To represent what the Lady knows. Oak in the forest towers with might, In the fire it brings the God’s insight. Rowan is a tree of power, Causing life and magick to flower. Willows at the waterside stand, Ready to help us to the Summerland. Hawthorn is burned to purify, And to draw faerie to your eye. Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning, Adds its strength to the bright fire burning. White are the flowers of Apple tree, That brings us fruits of fertility. Grapes grow upon the vine, Giving us both joy and wine. Fir does mark the evergreen, To represent immortality seen. Elder is the Lady’s tree, Burn it not or cursed you’ll be.” Count them, Elder is the 10th tree, and the Balefire only gets Nine. This is a warning to those who would burn the elder, and refers to the English elder, but I don’t burn the American one either. “Four times the Major Sabbats mark, In the light and in the dark.” The eight Sabbats are divided in two: the Major and Minor Sabbats. The Major Sabbats are: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas. “As the old year starts to wane, The new begins, it’s now Samhain.” For many Wiccans, Samhain marks the New Year and is the most important Sabbat. It’s the time to remember the ancestors, and the time to celebrate the harvest and all that has been accomplished over the year.   “When the time for Imbolg shows, Watch for flowers through the snows.” Imbolg, is a preparation for spring. At Imbolg, Wiccans clean and organize their living environments, as well as their minds and hearts, in preparation for the upcoming season of growth. It’s a time to shake off the doldrums of late winter and light the fires of creativity and inspiration. “When the wheel begins to turn, Soon the Beltaine fires will burn.” Beltane is the time of the marriage and union of the Goddess as Mother Earth and the God of the Greenwood. It is an ancient fertility festival marking the beginning of the planting cycle. The festival was to ensure a good growing season and a bountiful harvest. Beltane is light-hearted and joyful. “As the wheel turns to Lammas night, Power is brought to magick rite.” For the ancient Pagans, Lammas was a time of both hope and fear. They held hope for a bountiful harvest and abundant food, but they feared that the harvest wouldn’t be large enough and that the cold months would be filled with struggle and deprivation. At Lammas, modern Wiccans also face their fears, concentrate on developing their own abilities, and take steps to protect themselves and their homes.   

“Four times the Minor Sabbats fall, Use the Sun to mark them all.” Now these Sabbats are called “Minor” simply because they happen at the start of the season, when the sun is just entering the Fixed Astrological signs of the four seasons. All of the Sabbats are considered “solar, meaning that they are calculated by the sun. These Minor Sabbats include Yule, Ostara, Litha, and Mabon.  “When the wheel has turned to Yule, Light the log the Horned One rules.” Yule is the longest night and the shortest day of the year. Some Wiccans consider Yule to be either the year’s beginning or the end. This is the time to celebrate the return of the light. Yule is the solar turning of the tides, and the newborn Sun offers a fresh start and, literally, a new day. It’s a time of renewal and hope. “In the spring, when night equals day, Time for Ostara to come our way.” Winter is now over. Light is increasing. The day and night are equal in length at the equinox. Spring has arrived or is coming soon. Ostara is the time of fertility, birth, and renewal. The ice is thawing, and the growing season for plants and animals begins. Growth is the theme of the day.   

“When the Sun has reached it’s height, Time for Oak and Holly to fight.” Litha is the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Light triumphs, but will now begin to fade into darkness as autumn approaches. The crops are planted and growing. The woods and forests have reached their peak fullness. This is the time of abundance for wildlife, including people! The holiday is joyous. “Harvesting comes to one and all, When the Autumn Equinox does fall.” At Mabon, the day and the night are equal in length, in sublime balance. For many locations, Mabon coincides with the final harvest of grain, fruits, and vegetables. Mabon, also called Harvest Home, is the time of thanksgiving. The beauty and bounty of summer gives way to the desolation of winter, and the darkness overtakes the light.   

“Heed the flower, bush, and tree, By the Lady blessed you’ll be.” All life is Sacred to the Goddess, and proper respect should be shown for the sacrifice of Her Creatures and Plants so that we may eat and survive. “Where the rippling waters go Cast a stone, the truth you’ll know.” This is referring to a water divination, where one tosses a pebble into the surface of still water to watch the ripples and divine the future. “When you have and hold a need, Harken not to others greed.” One should not do magick out of greed, but out of need. So if someone offers you money to do a spell for them, what is your motivation? And what is theirs? Do you want to attract dependent people to you who could possibly put so many demands on your energy that you have no time for yourself? This one is thought provoking, isn’t it? “With a fool no season spend, Nor be counted as his friend.” Or in other words, people know you by the company you keep…. “Merry Meet and Merry Part, Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.” Also self explanatory… we’re all pretty happy to see one another, and open expressions of affection are encouraged. “Mind The Threefold Law you should, Three times bad and three times good.” The Threefold Law is a religious tenet held by some Wiccans that states that whatever energy a person puts out into the world, be it positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times. “When misfortune is enow, Wear the star upon your brow.” In this form, it means to open your third eye and listen to your higher self/Spirit Guide/Guardian Angel whenever you find yourself in difficulties.  “In love you must be ever true, Unless your love is false to you.” A witch does not give her or his word lightly… and a vow of true love is also not spoken lightly. However, if your lover is untrue to you they have already broken vows with you. “Eight words the Rede fulfill, ‘And it harm none, do what ye will.’” This is the law by which most Wiccans live, with harm to none. 

WHAT’S YOUR RENDITION?

As mentioned before, in any discussion about the Rede, this is simply a starter’s guideline. There is a significant amount of variance from one Path to the next and even from one individual to another. It’s all about your personal beliefs, your key moral system in your Path. There is a good deal of room for interpretation and personal alteration. With that being said, I want to know your personal Rede! Do you use a pre-written traditional Rede or your own Rede? Leave a comment or reblog with your own version (if you’d like to share) and (if you have the time) what it means to you! 

Blue and Red Symbolism in “The Prince of Egypt”

One of the cool overarching artistic themes in “The Prince of Egypt” is blue versus red. It doesn’t work 100% of the time - for instance, Zipporah’s clothing is blue, but she’s not associated with the Egyptians - but overall, blue and red have their own distinct, separate symbolism. Blue represents Egypt, while red is the color of Moses’ family, the Hebrews, and their God Elohim. 

Now I’m going to quickly rush from start to end of the film and point out the major blue and red moments I’ve noticed.

The opening shot is red, while the musical theme for God is playing in the background.

The Hebrew infants are being slaughtered, and the color of the streets is amazingly red. The Egyptian guards themselves, however, are carrying blue shields - the only blue in these frames.

Jochebed, Aaron, and Miriam are all wearing red. Even the baby Moses is wrapped in a red blanket. Jochebed is also wearing blue; she’s making a choice based upon the dangers of Egyptian society.

All the Egyptians are wearing blue. Rameses II even has a blue tie around his ponytail and a blue necklace. The entire tint of this moment is basically blue… blues and purples. It’s a huge visual contrast from the baked, bloody red from which baby Moses has escaped.

Blues, blues, blues everywhere. The headdress of the Pharaoh on the statue is blue. Later, painted murals of the Pharaoh will show the same blue.

The next shot, we see Moses and Rameses as young adults. Moses is still sticking with the red theme, which cues viewers subtly that he’s out of place in Egyptian society. Moses’ horses are decorated in red, so is his chariot, and so are accents of his clothing. Rameses, meanwhile, perfect little Egyptian boy that he is, has all that in blue and aqua.

Tuya wears blue around the collars, the Pharaoh Seti’s cane is aqua blue, and the priests are wearing the same bluish accents. Rameses II is, as I mentioned before, wearing the same color. In fact, everyone in this room has the same shade of blue on except for Moses.

If we really want to go crazy overanalyzing, even the punch bowl that Moses dumps on Hotep and Huy is red.

Egyptian magic is blue.

So is the ring that Rameses gives Moses. Now this ring is symbolic. While Moses wears it, he has a connection to his Egyptian family, his Egyptian brother. When he returns to Egypt to ask the Pharaoh to let the Hebrew slaves go, he returns the ring. He is revoking his kinship and connections with the Egyptians at this moment. He’s revoking the blue.

There is a deep blue tint during the night scene Moses meets Miriam and Aaron and first learns he’s actually Hebrew by birth. Moses’ mind is concerned with the fact he’s blue - an Egyptian - even though that’s not the truth. Oh, right, and all three siblings - Moses, Miriam, and Aaron - are wearing red.

While Moses struggles with the shocking news he’s actually a Hebrew, he runs into his Egyptian home. The places where he stands to comfort himself are blue, blue, blue everywhere. He wants to think that this is where he belongs - in this comforting Egyptian blue.

But then you get to Moses’ bedroom, and you realize it’s red. He’s a Hebrew at heart, deep beneath it all. He just doesn’t realize it yet.

After Moses enters Midian, Jethro gives him a red cloak. 

And it is to note that Jethro, while a Midianite rather than a Hebrew, is the one who speaks to Moses about looking at life through Heaven’s eyes. This helps pave the way for Moses to become acquainted and receptive to the Hebrew God Elohim. Jethro wears red. Even the tent he lives in is red. It’s all red.

When Moses sees the burning bush, at first the atmosphere is blue. His cloak and the bush are the only things with reddish tinges on them.

The colors which wrap around him, though, are a bit more red than blue.

Excited Moses tells the news he’s going to deliver the Hebrews in a red tent.

Rameses’ royal chambers in Egypt are very blue. Moses, wearing red, sticks out from the rest of the people and things in the room.

Hey, look, more blue Egyptian magic. There is some stark red in this scene, too. Blue generally predominates, and all the time conjurations happen, it’s with blue (or greens, at least) as the main color.

The biggest exception is the fact that the Egyptians pull out red snakes. It’s almost as though to hint those snakes are going to be eaten by Moses’.

I want to point out that, of the three siblings, only Miriam wears complete red. Moses also is wearing a greenish, tealish undershirt, while Aaron’s shorts are blue-green. It’s as if to point out that Moses has to struggle through both sides, while Aaron is someone whose mind isn’t deep on faith, and gets too caught up in the worries of current Egyptian society. Miriam, the great woman of endless faith, is the one who wears the complete red associated with God.

The ideal place to relax for the Pharaoh and his son is in a rather blue boat.

Moses drowns out that blue and replaces it with the red of blood, directly with God’s power.

However, the Pharaoh has not relented. He won’t let the Hebrews go. And before the plagues begin, the Egyptian world is still overall blue in tint.

Not so much once the plagues hit and turn the whole world red.

And if you still don’t believe in the red versus blue symbolism, check out this screenshot below. Moses and Rameses II are shown facing one another in opposition. Rameses, blue. Moses, red. The two figureheads for Egypt and Israel, coming in conflict, depicting these two thematic, symbolic colors. 

The doors are painted with the blood of lambs to protect Hebrews from the angel of death.

But there is death amongst the Egyptians, and a foreboding - depressing - blue ambience within that dark. Moses leaves Rameses II enshrouded in blue. It’s so blue you can’t even see the red on Moses’ cloak.

Rameses returns to attack the Hebrews in blue. It’s the most blue he’s ever worn, in fact.

But God returns. He comes as a pillar of flame - a bright, red, magnificent red pillar of flame. And when the Hebrews travel through the Red Sea, they light flames themselves, bringing some sparks of red into the blue passageway.

As I said before, the blue versus red symbolism isn’t perfect. There are times that it diverges, or that blue is simply blue and red is simply red. However, I think there is still a strong correlation between red associating with the Hebrews and blue with the Egyptians. The artwork is beautiful in and of itself, but the fact that the color pallet seems to be so symbolically intentional gives me a whole other level of respect for the creators of this movie.

“I can fix her” but this is her: