The Signs As Famous mistresses

disco magic 💃⭐️🍸 a playlist for a funky night out (click here to listen)

you should be dancing - bee gees (1976) | hot stuff - donna summer (1979) | sunny - boney m. (1976) | summer night city - abba (1978) | last train to london - electric light orchestra (1979) | boogie shoes - kc & the sunshine band (1975) | don’t stop ‘til you get enough - michael jackson (1979) | upside down - diana ross (1980) | da ya think i’m sexy - rod stewart (1978) | miss you - the rolling stones (1978) | i wanna be your lover - prince (1979) | one way ticket - eruption (1979) | le freak - chic (1978) | he’s the greatest dancer - sister sledge (1979) | brick house - commodores (1977) | every 1’s a winner - hot chocolate (1978) | stayin’ alive - bee gees (1977) | that’s the way (i like it) - kc & the sunshine band (1975) | boogie wonderland - earth, wind & fire (1979) | funkytown - lipps inc. (1980) | ladies night - kool & the gang (1979) | heart of glass - blondie (1978) | december, 1963 (oh what a night) - frankie valli and the four seasons (1975) | sunset driver (demo that didn’t make it on 1979s “off the wall” album but too good to pass up) - michael jackson | weekend - earth and fire (1979) | voulez-vous - abba (1979) | sorry i’m a lady - baccara (1977) | i feel love - donna summer (1977) | i’m coming out - diana ross (1980) | play that funky music - wild cherry (1976) | golden years - david bowie (1976) | night fever - bee gees (1977) | disco inferno - the trammps (1976) | i can’t stand the rain - eruption (1978) | the hustle - van mccoy (1975) | fly, robin, fly - silver convention (1975) | ma baker - boney m. (1977) | blame it on the boogie - the jacksons (1978) | september - earth, wind & fire (1978) | grease - frankie valli (1978) | get down tonight - kc & the sunshine band (1975) | gimme gimme gimme (a man after midnight) - abba (1979) | tragedy - bee gees (1979) | burn this disco out - michael jackson (1979)

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”

ig: @v__make__up

The Scarlet Flower illustrated by Nadezhda Komarova

What are your favourite pieces of classical music?

 I don’t have the slightest musical education so my apologies for the possible abuse of the term “classical” but lately I’ve grown a special affection for the following pieces:

Bach-Capriccio on the departure of a beloved brother- (the way it starts as a grave farewell and then becomes light reminds me of Catullus 65) Cello Suite No.1 and Concertos for Oboe

Corelli- La Follia (or Vivaldi’s version, if I’m feeling extra extra)

Monteverdi- Zefiro Torna, Lamento della Ninfa and many of his madrigals

Jean Baptiste Lully- Armide

Franz Schubert- Serenade, Fantasy in F Minor

Frédéric Chopin- Nocturne, Funeral March, La Polonaise (reminds me of dziady!)

 Felix Mendelssohn- Midsummer Night’s Dream

 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky- Rococo Variation, Pas de deux from the Nutcracker

I’m in love with the Impressionists: Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin was the first work to make me interested in classical music, and I also love Jeux d’eau, Daphnis et Chloe, Introduction and Allegro, String Quartet- Assez Vif

Claude Debussy: Suite Bergamasque

Erik Satie:  Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes (for cloudy Sunday mornings)

The Signs as Symphonies (or just symphonic works)

Being someone who just graduated with my BA in music and is will be pursuing my MA in Musicology in the fall, I'm a bit of a music nerd. This was a long time coming, but here it is. Please enjoy!

Aries:

Schubert - Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished” (1822)

The DRAMA. But seriously, this symphony is so beautiful. It’s beautiful balanced, it occasionally has huge outbursts of drama and sudden dynamic changes. It frequently modulates to major which provides a nice balance to the otherwise minor work. It goes from dramatically chaotic and quick to a calm waltz-like melody. The work itself only has two movements, hence it being nicknamed the “Unfinished” symphony. These sudden changes in mood, the short-lived dramatic/passionate outbursts, and the fact that this work was left unfinished is what lead me to associate this with Aries. Their outbursts rarely last long, they often leave things unfinished, and they can be a bit dramatic at times.

Taurus:

Beethoven - Symphony No. 7 (1811-12)

An amazingly stable and consistent work with subtle hints of sensitivity. It has incredibly driving rhythms which I think can be compared to the stubbornness of a Taurus. There is some drama, as with much of this music but it’s much more calm in this case. It’s driving but in a way that feels more like a steady, determined walk than a climatic charge forward. This work was composed when Beethoven was working on improving his heath in a Bohemian spa town. This is a creative work born from a time when the composer was working on his self-care. Sound familiar?

Gemini:

Elgar - Enigma Variations (1898-99)

This isn’t a symphony, but this is something full of orchestral works so I’m including it anyway because it seems appropriate. This work consists of fourteen different variations on a theme, each variation represents someone in Elgar’s close circle of friends. There’s a wide variety of sounds in this work, similar to the way Geminis can easily switch between topics. Additionally, this work reflects the importance of the friends which Elgar had in his life, similar to how a Gemini’s complexity and occasional bubbliness can lead to popularity. I had the hardest time figuring out what work to give Gemini.

Cancer:

Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique” (1893)

The Russian title of this symphony is “Патетическая” meaning “passionate” or “emotional.” It’s truly a work that tug’s on one’s heart strings, and it’s quite dramatic. Tchaikovsky himself had a hard time composing the work and even tore up the manuscript at least once when he was doubting his abilities. It’s said that his brother Modest suggested the title after hearing it. When it was time for first perform the work Tchaikovsky was quite excited about it. The emotions surrounding this work and the beautiful emotional roller coaster it takes you on when listening to it are wholly appropriate for the sign ruled by the Moon. (Tchaikovsky, unfortunately, died 9 days after premiering this work)

Leo:

Semtana - Má vlast (1874-79)

This is technically a set of 6 symphonic poems, not a symphony. However, this work is a representation of the Czech composer’s intense pride in his homeland (hence the title, “Má vlast” = “My homeland”) and everything he loves about it from the course of the Vltava to the warrior Šárka and the legend of the Blaník mountain. The beautiful harp opening of the first poem and the immense pride and love you can hear from the brass and strings. Although the emphasis (and love) of home that this work has almost leans into Cancer territory, it’s the pride and the occasional fanfare-ish instrumentation that makes me say Leo.

Virgo:

Mozart - Symphony No. 25 (1773)

There’s no programmatic backstory with this one but the clear organization of this work while cleanly organizing various themes screams Virgo to me. It’s not too extensive, everything is clean cut and in its place. It opens a bit dramatically but it never develops too intensely. There were, indeed, risks taken which are interesting for the time it was written, however, nothing was too extreme because the crowd at its debut still absolutely loved this work.

Libra:

Haydn - Symphony No. 104, “London” (1795)

This opens with a monothematic movement (a movement that uses one theme as a basis for the entire thing). It has the occasional drama to draw in your attention, but overall it’s simply a very well balanced, easygoing piece of music. Some may refer to it as boring but it’s still beautiful and well written with some subtle innovations to keep the listener entertained and to keep the work interesting. It never gets too gritty, sticks to traditional form and remains as beautiful as ever. Even at its most suspenseful, it remains light.

Scorpio:

Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique (1830)

I was originally gonna list this as Pisces because most of this is a prime example of escapism and living in an opium induced dream. However, the drama, extremes, and obsessiveness of this work scream Scorpio. This may be a dream but it doesn’t end well, he actually dreams of his own doom and of his soul being dragged to hell before being taunted by witches. This work transforms from a quiet dreamy opening to a light dance movement then eventually it becomes a dramatic work reflecting the beheading of the main character and the damnation of his soul--all of which is tied together by the idée fixe. It’s appropriate for Scorpio if you ask me.

Sagittarius:

Dvořák - Symphony No. 9, “From the New World” (1893)

This work is inspired by the experiences that Dvořák had while living in the United States in the 1890s. It draws influence from the music he heard across the US from various cultures (namely Black Americans and Natives). Some of the music he heard while in the States reminded him of music he heard in some European countries. He was influenced by not only the music but also the things that he saw. The blending of cultures and experiences that he does in this work is truly worthy of being associated with Sagittarius if you ask me.

Capricorn:

Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4, “Fate” (1877-78)

I honestly love this symphony, it has a lot going on in it and it’s beautiful. It was dedicated to Tchaikovsky’s best friend Nadezhna von Meck, which was quite something at the time because it meant he was acknowledging her to be his equal. Tchaikovsky stated that the opening of this work is representative of the the ways the universe prevents one from attaining their happiness. He says that there’s no way to escape this reality and one just has to take it as it is, “no haven exists.” He also incorporates traditional Russian themes into the final movement, a touch of tradition. This heavy emphasis on the grimness of reality as well as the dedication to a friend he was long loyal to, is all Capricorn.

Aquarius:

Beethoven - Symphony No. 3, “Sinfonia Eroica” (1803-04)

This work was dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, the man which Beethoven believed to embody the anti-monarchal ideals of the French Revolution (at some point he even titled the work “Buonaparte”). It’s a representation of heroics (eroica=heroic), being someone who saves the people and works for the greater good. A work dedicated to the idea of revolution while also being a landmark piece in western music history? What could be more Aquarian?

Pisces:

Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherazade (1888)

This is another one that isn’t technically a symphony, it’s actually a symphonic suite. It opens big and includes a well known violin solo, the texture frequently changes in this work. It was intentionally written to create a sensation of fantasy, like a dream. The composer intentionally avoided creating movement titles that were too specific, and instead decided he wanted to create titles which were more vague. He wanted the listener to hear this work as something vaguely themed, he wanted it to take the listeners through a fairytale. The only thing he kept clear was the main title “Scheherazade” because he wanted the listeners to know the main inspiration for the style in which he wrote this work. The vagueness and the elements of some fantastical story is undoubtedly Piscean.

Little Dark Age - Foreign animation These are the foreign animations that deserved love. A response to Oscar. Version: Vimeo GD Youtube (Extended)

Song: Little Dark Age - MGMT Inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dae1m2Z6fQ0&t=7s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwlCXVujrWE&t=28s

List of the clips (including overlays): Breadwinner Song of The Sea The Secret of Kells The Phantom Boy The Illusionist Birdboy: The Forgotten Children The Swallow of Kabul Klaus The King of Pigs The Congress Waltz with Bashir The Tragedy of Man April and The Extraordinary World Calamity, A Childhood of martha Jane Cannary The Bear’s Famous Invasion of Sicily. Flee  Johnny Corncob Son of The White Mare Wolfwalker Yellow Submarine Where is Anne Frank? The Swallows of Kabul Have A Nice Day Gandahar The Time Masters Fantastic Planet The Triplet of Belleville The Rabbi’s Cat Nocturna The Cat in Paris Felidae Plague Dogs Watership Down The Prophet Chico and Rita Another Day of Life MFKZ Funan Cinderella The Cat The King and The Mockingbird I Lost My Body Kirikou and The Sorceress  The Crossing  Marona’s Fantastic Tales Long Way North Josep Mia and The Migoo The Summit of Gods Ernest and Celestine Eleanor’s Secret My Life as a Courgette Aya of Yop City One Night In City The Big Bad Fox and the Other Tales Ruben Brandt Collector The Painting Loving Vincent Azur and Asmar The Red Turtles Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles Crulic Allegro Non Troppo The Nose or The Conspiracy of Maverick Wrinkles My Sunny Maad Ethel and Ernest

(ENG)  Intensive learning of the cyanotype process with @vera_eikona and @annelou.buzot these last days. Thank you 🤩! I’m so much happy and enthusiastic about this technique straight out of the 19th century. I was able to experience it on two of my photos. There is no doubt about it, it’s an other charm than a digital print! Silhouette lost in the night 🌙 Now I will need a lot of perseverance to assimilate all this knowledge and continue this learning… What do you think? . . (FR)  Apprentissage intensif du procédé cyanotype auprès de @vera_eikona et de @annelou.buzot ces derniers jours. Un grand merci 🤩 ! Je suis tellement contente et enthousiasmée par cette technique tout droit sortie du 19ème siècle ! J'ai pu l'expérimenter sur deux de mes photos. Il n'y a pas à dire, c'est un tout autre charme qu'un tirage numérique ! Silhouette de nuit perdue. Maintenant il va me falloir beaucoup de persévérance pour assimiler toutes ces connaissances et pour suivre cet apprentissage… Vous en pensez quoi ?

The Native Cinema Renaissance: Films