#summer solstice 2018

[talonabraxas]

Golden Gate by Talon Abraxas Silver Gate and Golden Gate

"The constellation Ophiuchus the "Serpent holder",the missing 13th zodiac sign sits 180 degrees accross Orion(Osiris).The Greeks removed this sign because it reprisents the resurrection of the Gods.

The are only two Gates/entry ways into Orion(Osiris/Asar).One being the intersection between Taurus and Gemini is known as the "silver gate" of heaven. The intersection between Scorpio and Sagittarius,were ophiuchus is located is known as the "Golden gate" of heaven. The galactic center lies visually from our solar system along a line that passes through the golden gate.

The constellation Ophiuchus,the missing 13th zodiac sign, sits in the direction towards the center of our galaxy. The ancients called it the 'Gate of the Gods'. Orion(Osiris) sits in the opposite of this direction,which would be considered the 'anti-galactic center' and the ancients called this direction, the 'Gate of man'.

The directions of Ophiuchus and Orion offer opposites,as they lie 180 degrees across from each other.Face one you face the galactic center,face the other you have your back to the galactic center.

Heru/Horus Hawk-Bird reprisents Scorpio in Eagle form,and Sets' sata(snake)ophiuchus the serpent bearer.

In the Greek tale,Ophiuchus tramples on scorpio and having recieved the elixir of life from the serpent,restores Orion(osiris)to life.

As Orion/Osiris "dies" (sets at sunrise) on the winter solstice, Scorpio does rise -- but with Ophiuchus on its back, rising heliacally(rising with the sun). And as Scorpio "dies" -- when Orion rises heliacally(rising with the sun) in the summer -- Ophiuchus also is setting, driving the Scorpion down into the Underworld beneath her.

At the time, Orion(Osiris) set at sunrise on the winter solstice, thereby symbolically entering the Underworld, to be reborn as he rises heliacally on the summer solstice.

Ophiuchus and Orion reprisent part of our 'cycle of life' that we all incarnate into as going from "earthly beings" through the 'gate of man'-"eternal beings' through the 'gate of Gods'.

[the-forest-library]

May 2024 Reads

Ready or Not - Cara Bastone

Playing for Keeps - Jennifer Dugan

Right on Cue - Falon Ballard

Truly, Madly, Deeply - Alexandria Bellefleur

Happily Never After - Lynn Painter

Check & Mate - Ali Hazelwood

Love at First Book - Jen McKinlay

Lavash at First Sight - Taleen Vaskuni

Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame - Olivia Ford

The Book of Doors - Gareth Brown

Harriet the Invincible - Ursula Vernon

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents - Terry Pratchett

The Horse and His Boy - C.S. Lewis

Summer: A Solstice Story - Kelsey E. Gross

Dalmartian - Lucy Ruth Cummins

Mr. Postmouse's Rounds - Marianne Dubuc

Mr. Postmouse Takes a Trip - Marianne Dubuc

Bunny's Book Club Goes to School - Annie Silvestro

Yours in Books - Julie Falatko

Be Prepared - Vera Brosgol

Perfect Example - John Porcellino

Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man - John Porcellino

King-Cat Comics and Stories #74 - John Porcellino

Hawkeye, Volume 4 - Matt Fraction

She-Hulk, Volume 4 - Rainbow Rowell

One Star Wonders - Mike Lowery

My Good Life in France - Janine Marsh

My Four Seasons in France - Janine Marsh

The Backyard Bird Chronicles - Amy Tan

90s Bitch - Allison Yarrow

Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered - Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstark

The Land Before Time Management: ADHDinos - Ryan Keats

ADHD is Awesome - Penn Holderness, Kim Holderness

The Planets - Dave Sobel

The Secret History of Bigfoot - John O'Connor

The Age of Magical Overthinking - Amanda Montell

Everyday Vitality - Samantha Boardman

The Autoimmune Cure - Sara Gottfried

The Anxiety Reset Method - Georgie Collinson

Hit 'Em Where It Hurts - Rachel Bitecofer

Bite by Bite - Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Cooking in Real Life - Lidey Heuck

Seriously So Good - Carissa Stanton

Bold = Highly Recommend

Italics = Worth It

Crossed Out = Nope Thoughts:  Favorite fiction of the month: Ready or Not, which takes a whole bunch of tropes I don't love, but makes me love them. Loved the audiobook narrator, as well.

Favorite non-fiction of the month: Bite by Bite, which is a love letter to food and family. Check it out if you like Ross Gay.

Goodreads Goal: 192/200 2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads | 2022 Reads | 2023 Reads | 2024 Reads

[the-wildwitch]

BLESSED LITHA

And Happy Summer Solstice!

Today is the day we celebrate the sun!

My plans today:

- put together a peach, mint, green tea to infuse in the suns rays

- a little sunny craft

- bake this amazing honey cake in my honeycomb silicone mold: https://www.moodymoons.com/2018/06/12/honey-cakes-summer-solstice-recipe/

What do you have planned for today?

[lamaisongaga]

LADY GAGA PERFORMS AT NEMACOLIN SUMMER SOLSTICE

In honor of the grand reopening of their Chateau, Pennsylvania-based resort Nemacolin hosted a Summer Solstice event for three days and invited a variety of superstars such as Lionel Richie, Jimmy Fallon and, of course, Lady Gaga!

The first look of her jazz set was this stunning full Ralph Lauren ensemble which included the Spring/Summer 2024 Braydon copper metallic mesh with tonal, light-catching crystals and high knot neckline ($8,000).

"My Spring 2024 women’s collection is about a new kind of romance—cool and sophisticated. It’s about the freedom of creating a personal style through the artistry of faded denims and painterly florals, the modern sophistication of timeless icons reimagined in black and gold, or the eclectic mix of bold colors, shine, and luxurious handcrafted details. These are the stories of the woman I design for, whose individuality and artistic spirit are a canvas for her own self-expression." Ralph said.

She also wore a custom long stole version of the Fall/Winter 2012 hand-painted black and metallic gold marabou shawl.

Gaga's look was completed with another custom plummet showgirl awe by Arturo Rios...

...and her beloved Jimmy Choo Anouk pumps in black patent leather.

This outfit intrigued and surprised me both at the same time.

When it comes to fringe mini dresses of the same silhouette, she usually goes to Adrián Manceras. But last night, she chose to dig into the archives of Naeem Khan and pull out this Fall/Winter 2020 sunset-inspired awe.

Tonal gold accessories completed the look! The stunning metallic mottled palm leaf fascinator is signed by Aimee Fuller Millinery...

...while the metallic Anouk pumps are by, you knew it already, Jimmy Choo!

This look, as you already know, is total Giorgio Armani which comprises this plush black velvet strapless bustier column dress with crystal band embellishment ($4,777) and the Fall/Winter 2018 Privé Haute Couture pink ostrich coque feather coat.

Her new pale pink Julia veiled fascinator (£395) is from Carrie Jenkinson Millinery's Spring/Summer 2024 collection...

… and the Melissa opera-length black velvet gloves (£160) are by Cornelia James.

It‘s Michael Costello‘s world and we‘re just living in it! His third custom dress for our girl this week is this uuuuuultra sexy black satin number with one-shoulder caftan silhouette, trimmed with luxurious ostrich feathers by Mother Plucker Feather Company and featuring beaded appliqués on the shoulder and waist.

It was finished off with this vintage Philip Treacy 1996 black feather firework headpiece which has already been previously worn by Gaga back in London in 2015!

[santoschristos]

Silver Gate and Golden Gate

"The constellation Ophiuchus the "Serpent holder",the missing 13th zodiac sign sits 180 degrees accross Orion(Osiris).The Greeks removed this sign because it reprisents the resurrection of the Gods.

The are only two Gates/entry ways into Orion(Osiris/Asar).One being the intersection between Taurus and Gemini is known as the "silver gate" of heaven. The intersection between Scorpio and Sagittarius,were ophiuchus is located is known as the "Golden gate" of heaven. The galactic center lies visually from our solar system along a line that passes through the golden gate.

The constellation Ophiuchus,the missing 13th zodiac sign, sits in the direction towards the center of our galaxy. The ancients called it the 'Gate of the Gods'. Orion(Osiris) sits in the opposite of this direction,which would be considered the 'anti-galactic center' and the ancients called this direction, the 'Gate of man'.

The directions of Ophiuchus and Orion offer opposites,as they lie 180 degrees across from each other.Face one you face the galactic center,face the other you have your back to the galactic center.

Heru/Horus Hawk-Bird reprisents Scorpio in Eagle form,and Sets' sata(snake)ophiuchus the serpent bearer.

In the Greek tale,Ophiuchus tramples on scorpio and having recieved the elixir of life from the serpent,restores Orion(osiris)to life.

As Orion/Osiris "dies" (sets at sunrise) on the winter solstice, Scorpio does rise -- but with Ophiuchus on its back, rising heliacally(rising with the sun). And as Scorpio "dies" -- when Orion rises heliacally(rising with the sun) in the summer -- Ophiuchus also is setting, driving the Scorpion down into the Underworld beneath her.

At the time, Orion(Osiris) set at sunrise on the winter solstice, thereby symbolically entering the Underworld, to be reborn as he rises heliacally on the summer solstice.

Ophiuchus and Orion reprisent part of our 'cycle of life' that we all incarnate into as going from "earthly beings" through the 'gate of man'-"eternal beings' through the 'gate of Gods'.

Silver Gate and Golden Gate art: Mahaboka

[poorchoicesallaround]

choices chronology

(a complete timeline of the debut of all choices books since 2016. mini stories/short stories have an asterisk beside them, and only books with exact debut dates are included. vip books are included with their early access date, not their public debut.)

2016

the crown & the flame, book 1 - august 17

most wanted - august 17

the freshman, book 1 - august 17

the freshman, book 2 - august 22

* chris: luxury getaway - august 22

* james: masquerade ball - august 22

* kaitlyn: the perfect date - august 22

the crown & the flame, book 2 - september 7

rules of engagement, book 1 - september 22

* the freshman: love bites - october 19

* the freshman: snowed in - december 7

endless summer, book 1 - december 15

the freshman, book 3 - december 22

#lovehacks, book 1 - december 22

* the haunting of braidwood manor - january 4

2017

* the freshman: game of love - february 8

rules of engagement, book 2 - january 25

the crown and the flame, book 3 - march 29

the royal romance, book 1 - april 13

the freshman, book 4 - may 3

#lovehacks, book 2 - june 2

endless summer, book 2 - june 30

hero - july 12

the sophomore, book 1 - july 12

high school story, book 1 - september 7

the royal romance, book 2 - september 22

high school story, book 2 - october 6

it lives in the woods - october 18

* the freshman: hartfield horror story - october 18

the sophomore, book 2 - december 6

home for the holidays - december 13

red carpet diaries, book 1 - december 15

endless summer, book 3 - december 22

2018

high school story, book 3 - february 28

perfect match, book 1 - february 28

the royal romance, book 3 - march 2

bloodbound, book 1 - march 30

the junior - april 9

veil of secrets - june 1

red carpet diaries, book 2 - june 13

rules of engagement, book 3 - june 21

america's most eligible: season 10 - june 27

desire & decorum, book 1 - july 30

across the void - august 20

perfect match, book 2 - september 5

the senior - september 14

big sky country - september 21

high school story: class act, book 1 - october 8

it lives beneath - october 10

the elementalists, book 1 - october 24

* rules of engagement: newlyweds - november 8

a courtesan of rome - november 14

the heist: monaco - december 10

desire & decorum, book 2 - december 17

2019

america's most eligible: all stars - january 16

ride-or-die: a bad boy romance - january 25

high school story: class act, book 2 - february 11

open heart, book 1 - february 22

the elementalists, book 2 - march 15

passport to romance - march 20

wishful thinking - april 15

nightbound - april 24

bloodbound, book 2 - may 17

platinum - may 30

red carpet diaries, book 3 - june 7

the royal heir, book 1 - june 22

sunkissed - june 26

bachelorette party - july 18

big sky country, book 2 - july 27

desire & decorum, book 3 - august 4

mother of the year - august 30

america's most eligible: wedding edition - september 18

save the date - september 29

the royal masquerade - october 18

high school story: class act, book 3 - october 30

bloodbound, book 3 - november 9

* the royal holiday - november 19

* the elementalists: winters past - november 27

baby bump, book 1 - december 9

hot couture - december 19

with every heartbeat - december 19

* bloodbound: dark solstice - december 21

* desire & decorum: first winter - december 22

2020

the royal heir, book 2 - january 24

blades of light and shadow, book 1 - january 29

a very scandalous proposal - february 5

open heart: second year - february 29

witness: a bodyguard romance - march 16

distant shores - april 3

the nanny affair, book 1 - may 13

the unexpected heiress - july 22

queen b, book 1 - june 26

my two first loves - july 27

the royal heir, book 3 - august 21

ms. match - october 3

rising tides - october 28

baby bump, book 2 - november 20

foreign affairs - december 30

2021

open heart: third year - february 19

slow burn - march 26

laws of attraction - april 27

the nanny affair, book 2 - june 18

the royal finale - july 28

shipwrecked - august 27

queen b, book 2 - september 22

wake the dead - october 27

surrender, book 1 - november 26

crimes of passion, book 1 - december 22

2022

untameable - february 25

the princess swap - march 25

the cursed heart, book 1 - april 27

immortal desires, book 1 - may 25

the nanny affair, book 3 - june 24

murder at homecoming - july 29

the phantom agent - august 31

guinevere - october 26

wolf bride - december 23

kiss of death - november 25

surrender, book 2 - december 28

2023

getaway girls - january 25

roommates with benefits, book 1 - february 24

first comes love - march 29

the duchess affair - april 28

kindred - may 26

crimes of passion, book 2 - june 28

the billionaire's baby - july 26

dirty little secrets - august 18

blades of light and shadow, book 2 - september 1

alpha - october 13

(if you see an errors, please let me know!)

[44hive]

on love, light, and mo salah

tumblr post by @/tturing • gq photoshoot, february 2022 (x) • love and other poems: summer solstice, alex dimitrov • mo salah after liverpool vs barcelona, 7/5/19 (x) • mo salah after the champions league final, 1/6/19 (x) • the song of achilles by madeline miller • mo salah celebrating his golden boot award, 2018 (x) • mo salah at anfield, 2022 (x) • journal of my other self, rainer maria rilke

happiest of birthdays to my internet wife and my soulmate across the hemisphere, miss @salahattricks ,,,, i love u w my whole heart nd hope u have the loveliest day angel <3

[atinyjules]

OPPOSITES ATTRACT FT. PARK JISUNG - ch 1

A/n: I made some little changes here and there 🥹✨️

The mini masterlist for this series can be found here

Genre: Romance, school rivalry, fluff, angst, forbidden love, humour.

Pairings: Jisung x Lia (female oc)

Warning: strong language, rivalry, mentions of bullying, fighting, violence etc.

"Welcome back my dear students! I hope all of you had a great summer break but I hope you got enough rest because it's gonna be hectic starting from now on!" As the Principal of Neo greeted the students and warned them of the upcoming schedules Park Jisung the star of Neo's hip-hop dance team couldn't help but daze in broad daylight, already missing his summer holidays.

He had been busy the whole break with dance competions, exhibitions and workshops. And in a blink of an eye the summer holidays were over even before he could lie down on his bed peacefully. So he couldn't help but let out a sigh as he went back to his thoughts when a certain something his Principal said caught his attention.

"This year our school will be hosting the Winter Solstice ball with students from schools and institutes all over the country in attendance. Of course it's important to have fun but since we're in our home grounds I request all students to give your best and show all the schools we were chosen as hosts for a reason alright?" Lee Soo Man asked as the students answered with an energetic yes. In that moment Jisung felt a fire of motivation growing in him as he cheered along with his school mates.

"Finally!" he cheered out as all the students talked with each other about how excited they were when Principal Lee cleared his throat.

"Now, now...before you go to your classes I'd like to warn all of you. Don't be overconfident if you don't want to lose like your seniors last year...I say watch out for Seuli..." he said as murmurs graced the hall.

"Didn't Seuli win last year as well?"

"I heard the teams this year are a lot stronger than last year's."

"Then we have no chance of winning."

"Someone told me that the students of the Dance team are all people with more than 15 years of experience! And we're 19!"

Seuli...6 time Winter Solstice Champions, they won the first ever Winter Solstice Ball 10 years ago at 2013 and then went on to win the Winter Cup for five more years from 2018 till last year at the 10th Anniversary Ball. If anything, Seuli was a force that couldn't be stopped so it wasn't surprising when their Principal specifically warned them about that particular institute

Neo had won the Winter Solstice Cup only once at 2015 which greatly owed to the Sports and the Dance teams. Jisung's elder brother being the leader of the dance team at that time. That win was part of the reason that made Jisung want to become a Dancer and join Neo. So Jisung wanted nothing but to win the Cup at home ground and make his hyung proud the way he made Jisung proud back then.

×××

Jisung's

"So we have around- now it's July...sooo...we have about 4 months to choreograph and perfectly execute a dance piece good enough for us to win." Minjae said when suddenly a voice caught us off guard.

"Good enough won't get you guys anywhere close to the consolation let alone first." all of us stood up the moment our teacher and choreographer Hoya entered and spoke up.

"To win you have to be the best, Seuli is not the only school you have to look out for...you have Hanyang, Kirin, Kwangan, Suwon and many more, the competition will be strong so you can't aim for good enough." he said making us nod.

"Sorry hyung." Minjae said as Hoya smiled and sighed.

"It's alright, we still have a lot of time left so we can go about the performance step by step." he said as all of us nodded.

"I hope all of you do know that you'll be partnered up with students from other schools to dance for the ball right." he said as I let out a loud 'what?' making Hyejin hit me.

"But they don't usually do that right? We usually go with our own partners." Yuri said and all of us nodded as Hoya laughed.

"How about all of you stop acting like you don't pick a fight with the ballet students of Seuli first hm? It's because of the frequent clashes that the dance teams and other students of both Neo and Seuli get into that our Principal has made it mandatory that both schools are paired up with each other for the ball.

Me along with Seuli's dance teacher have been assigned to pair up the students of both dance teams for the ball. No complaints, we will be going to Seuli tomorrow after lunch break and anyone who tries to skip will automatically be removed from the line up for the main dance competition." Hoya said causing all of us to jolt up.

"Hyung! That's not fair!" Minjae exclaimed as I agreed.

"Yes! I agree with him! It's not fair!" I exclaimed as Hana and Yuri pushed us away.

"It's the student's of Seuli who always rile us up!" Yuri exclaimed as Hana followed.

"They're the ones who start the fight so I don't get why we have to be punished too!" Hana exclaimed as Hyeonjun nodded.

"They should be the ones punished not us!" Hyeonjun exclaimed as Hoya clapped.

"Settle down, settle down!" he exclaimed as we hesitantly sat back down.

"First of all, all of you are equally at fault not only Seuli. You know what? You guys are actually quite similar." he said earning a gasp from us.

"Hyung! Don't compare us to those prideful and overconfident spoilt brats!" Minjae exclaimed as Hoya sighed.

"Hey, don't say that...besides I say you throw away thoughts like that or else it'll affect your chemistry with your partners." he said as I groaned.

"But they're ballet...and we're hip-hop...we're completely different." I said as Hoya pointed at me with a smile.

"See! That's the point! Both teams perform two very very different forms of dance but you'll all be doing waltz which is also very difderent from your normal style so the point of pairing you guys up is for you to not only learn a new form of dance but also learn how to work together and perform in sync with each other despite your differences.

Waltz is a dance form that requires a lot of chemistry between the partners so it'll be a good way for both teams to get to know each other and perhaps become friends too! So I expect all of you to cooperate and execute it beautifully." he said as we groaned.

"Waltz is so boring! I'm sure the ballet students chose it! I despise classical music." I expressed my disinterest as Hoya laughed.

"First of all waltz is a must for balls and secondly do you plan on popping, locking and freestyling on the dance floor? It's just as fun as hip-hop I promise." Hoya said as we finally agreed.

"Fine...it's not like we have a choice anyways." Hyejin said as Hoya clasped his hands together.

"Very good! I know all of you will do well!" he said as he dismissed us to go to our classes.

"Who's gonna tell Seunghee and Seunghan though?" Hana asked as we walked to our classes.

"We can just text them." Yuri said as we all nodded and headed to math class.

×××

Lia's

"I don't get why we have to dance with animals..." Hyunsuk mumbled as I sighed.

"We don't really have much of choice since they're the hosts." I said as Haeri nodded with a sigh.

"Yeah, knowing them they're gonna try and squeeze some hip-hop into the dance." Haeri said as we continued talking about it on our way to the cafeteria.

"It's alright, let them do as they like. It'll only result in them getting in trouble later." Sungchan said as I agreed.

"Sungchan's right...let's just focus on our part." I said and took a sip of my lemonade.

"Sungchan, you used to study at Neo right? Were they alway so wild?" Sua asked Sungchan who just scoffed at the question.

"Why do you think I left hm?" he said earning a laugh from everyone.

"Let's see who takes the Cup home this year." Yuki said as we looked at the Cup that placed itself in the middle of the school trophy display.

"But of course our job is to make sure we assure the Winter Solstice Cup remain here in its place for another year." Sanha said as we made our way to our respected classes.

During class I couldn't help think about the competition. I looked out the window at the clouds as they floated past my line of sight.

Will Jisung be in the team?

I sighed and stretched my body at the ring of the bell. I packed my bags and skipped out happily at the thought of being able to finally go home and rest after a long day at school. I was about to go out the school door when I heard footsteps running behind me.

"Lia, wait up!" I turned to see a smiling Sungchan making me smile.

"Hey!" I exclaimed as we walked out together.

"Let's hang out." he said and threw a helmet my way as I groaned.

"I wanna rest!" I exclaimed as he threw me a banana milk.

"Have that and power up, we're going up no matter what." he said and giggled while dragging me to where his bike was.

"It better be worth my sleep." I said as he chuckled and got on his bike followed by me. I put on the helmet and wrapped my hands around his waist as he started the bike.

After reaching our destination, the convenience store I went in first sin Sungchan had to park the bike. I went on to the ramen aisle searching for my favourite ramen and smiled when I caught sight of it.

"Why..." I slumped down when I realised I can't reach it.

"The government should really take care of this problem and make convenience store shelves shorter and easier to reach...the people being born these days, especially women are getting shorter and shorter..." I mumbled as I groaned again and tried reaching for it and failing marvellously.

"Or maybe you should grow taller." I turned to see Sungchan leaning on one of the shelves as he walked up and took out the ramen and handed it to me.

"Thanks...so how's the family?" I asked as I prepped the ramen and put it in the microwave.

"They're okay...mom misses you already. She always asks me when I'll be bringing you over for dinner again." he said making me smile as I patted his back.

"Tell her I'll come visit soon." I said with a smile and stood up to take my ramen out when Sungchan stood up and took it out for me.

"Yah, Channie you didn't have to." I said as he smiled and removed the cover.

"We're gonna share it so I have to do my part of the job too right?" he said and quickly took my chopsticks and ate my ramen making me hit him.

"Yah! That's mine!!"

_______________________

Chapter 2

That's it for this chapter hope you liked it even though Jisung and Lia still haven't met but I hope you liked the bff goals Sungchan and Lia gave. I will say that there will be some love triangle shit going on!

Reblogs and Likes are appreciated✨💗

[liskantope]

Happy late Winter Solstice everyone! Before the month gets too old and before my memory of two Saturdays ago fades too much more, I want to talk about the NYC solstice event.

Around a year ago I posted a report on my experience at the major NYC (Winter) Secular Solstice event (tl;dr: I had issues because of my decision to drive all the way there and wasn't able to get to the afterparty for this reason but got a lot out of the main event despite being slightly late). At the time I expected to return for a summer solstice event with the same crowd, an NYC version of which appears not to have happened. But on Saturday night I went for my second time to the NYC Secular Solstice -- this time more wisely electing to drive most of the distance and then take a train into Manhattan -- and am very glad I did. (I didn't choose to stay the night, attend the megameetup or unconference events that happened on Friday or Saturday.) Below is a rundown of my experience and takeaways. (Below I'll tag several Tumblr-users whom I got to interact with in person on Saturday; if you are one of those people and would prefer to be un-tagged or have an issue with my description of our interaction please just let me know.)

Like last year I arrived around 20 minutes late to the main event (this time from a combination of sloppy time management and confusion over the names of buildings) but seemed to have missed more than I had last year: I didn't feel like I was there for many speeches/songs before it was time for intermission.

Early into intermission I ran into someone I soon saw was @taymonbeal (one of the very first people I knew on Tumblr from around 2014-2015) who had tipped me off that he would be there. We talked briefly, and I mentioned something about not seeing him on Tumblr much anymore like back in my earliest days here, and he said something about a lot of the Tumblr rationalists migrating away from Tumblr in the wake of the porn ban five years ago. Obviously he didn't mean most of rationalist-adjacent Tumblr (I can attest that almost nobody directly in my orbit left, actually, and my Tumblr experience changed only subtly), and he clarified that he didn't mean necessarily directly in response to the porn ban, but that it instigated a number of changes that eventually resulted in the harder-core rationalist people finding other places to hang out. And now I can't believe I never properly made this connection before: I've noticed for years that major figures like Scott, Ozy, and Kelsey ("the unit of caring") are hardly ever around but once were very active, since probably sometime in 2019, and I never made the connection with the timing of the porn ban in late 2018. It didn't change my Tumblr experience very significantly, since I wasn't directly interacting with those people much, and I was still keeping up with Scott's and Ozy's more serious blog posts elsewhere.

I was a little more relaxed for the second half of the event and able to get into it a bit more, but I overall for some reason didn't find myself getting into the program as much as I did last year. It may have to do with my own mood, the rest of my week (or the mental place I've been in this fall or year in general) or the decreased novelty of the event, rather than anything different about the program itself or how it was run. I recognized many of the songs from having heard them only at last year's solstice event (and possibly looked some up a year ago right afterwards, I don't remember); I think most are really good and (as I may have said before) if productions of the rationalist repertoire of solstice songs were all put together in an album, I would consider buying that album. Anyway, the program seemed very close to last year's apart from some differences in the set of readings. I do specifically remember from last year that the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" was done towards the end when the end of the longest night is imagined and the program contains more hopeful numbers, and it wasn't done this year, as well as a song from last year whose lyrics include a poetic description of a smartphone which did not appear this year, although perhaps it was done before I arrived.

Although there is a visible anti-religious streak in the rationalist community for obvious reasons, in a way this kind of event is as religious as, say, a Unitarian Universalist service -- I choose this as a point of comparison mainly because I've been to far more UU services than of any other religion but mostly because there's a different sort of anti-religious streak in UU as well and at least mild overlap with rationalism. During the second half of the solstice event, I busied myself with thinking about why the vibe of this rationalist event still resonated with me a lot more than the vibe of most UU services I've been to, and why I feel more comfortable identifying with rationalist culture as a result. I've already let enough time pass and enough other tasks get in the way to have a very clear memory of my conclusions, but the ethos of this annual rationalist event differs from that of UU services in that

part of the message of the rationalist Secular Solstice is "the world is sad and broken and we have a lot to worry about", whereas that is part of the typical UU message but even more of the latter is about "we are each broken and are coming together to share in each other's suffering";

the winter Secular Solstice (which for obvious reasons is meant to focus on darkness) puts as much emphasis on hope, the goodness of humanity (which in my opinion is an essential aspect of true humanism!) and a possible light at the end of the tunnel, while the main UU congregation I knew kind of made noises about hope and inspiration all the time but this was always outweighed by the emphasis on how both guilty and broken we all are; and

the UU vibe I've seen in the last decade is... the best word I've stumbled upon to describe it is "touchy-feely", and with less intellectualness despite the congregation being disproportionately smart, nerdy, and educated, while the rationalist Secular Solstice has a very cerebral, intellectual aspect while still being moving for a lot of the people involved.

I hadn't been able to find information about an afterparty beforehand and was going to be upset if there wasn't going to be one, because a lot of my intent in going this year was to not fail as I did last year to get more face-to-face interaction and socializing with the Northeastern rationalist crowd. Not only was there an afterparty, which I ultimately found more rewarding than the main event, but it was relatively conveniently nearby (not a long journey over into New Jersey like last year). On the subway ride over, I and a couple of other participants wound up losing the rest of the crowd and traveling on our own -- one of these was @augurydefier who I hadn't known before but who I wound up in pleasant conversation with for a while that evening (it was a bemusingly nice experience to have her ask me about my Tumblr handle, immediately recognize the name "Liskantope" -- guess my pronunciation isn't far from the one others have in their heads -- and introduce me to someone else as a member of rat-adj Tumblr with "rat-adj" pronounced out loud exactly as it should be). I still haven't quite been able to find the Tumblr handle of the other person who was with us on the way over but will edit it in if I do find him and he is all right with it. It's fun and a bit novel to meet people IRL and then become acquainted on Tumblr through this.

The afterparty was in (I think) a hotel lobby and we were among the first ones to show up, but it soon became filled with solstice participants who were all interesting to talk to, including someone I'd met once before at a small ACX meetup event some distance away. The most surreal moment for me was when I spotted @drethelin (someone I've known since my very first days on Tumblr, and since before that from Slate Star Codex comment sections) walking into the room: I'd seen him post selfies from time to time and I hope he doesn't mind me saying that he has a very striking appearance, so I was able to recognize him immediately. I hadn't had any reason to expect to see him. For some reason his real-life name popped into my head immediately from having seen it once on a Twitter screenshot or something (I can only remember the names I've seen the most occasionally and not those of people I see all the time) which (after awkwardly staring at him for a few moments) I addressed him by. I always had an inkling from what I'd seen of him online that he's super laid-back, friendly, and chill and easy to talk to, and that impression turned out to be entirely accurate: soon we were sitting at a table chatting as though we'd been real-life acquaintances for years; we discussed the age-reversal endeavors of Bryan Johnson and Scott Alexander's personality to those who know him as a personal friend and his old LiveJournal community, among other things. He convinced me that I would probably love the rationalist "un-conference" (taking place the next day but I had no plan to go), that it wouldn't be the intimidating, hard-core-rationalisty workshop I'd for some reason been imagining, and that I'll probably look into participating in it next December provided I'm still living/working in the general geographic area.

I didn't get back to my home until past 3am with enough work ahead of me that it's not surprising I didn't get around to reporting on this experience until now, but overall I found it a valuable one and plan to return around next winter's solstice, again, provided I'm still in the area. As I'd already had a very pleasant get-together with @limeadeislife earlier in the day, the Saturday before last I made a personal record of getting to meet / chat with three different people on the same day (Limeade, Taymon, and Drethelin) I'd been long familiar with on rat-adj Tumblr, plus augurydefier ("Slice") who recognized my handle and I've since connected to here. This record for interacting in person with people I otherwise would only know online as Liskantope might not be matched in the future but hopefully at some point it will be.

[heathermartinez]

How the stars aligning inform how I design my offerings

Like most artists, I flutter from idea to idea.

But when it comes to offering classes at Let’s Letter Together! I have a very different approach. I have been planning, setting intentions, harvesting, and sharing the abundance on an annual cyclical basis.

By Winter Solstice of each year, I plant my seeds of intention for the coming year. I let the fertile ground of my intentions help my ideas grow.

By Summer Solstice, my ideas are fully formed and ready to share.

This year I delivered: • Lettering with Pencils • Finding Your Signature Style

Then the real fun begins: Lammas/Harvest allows me to see and share with abundance. This year delivered a bumper crop. As I was planning to announce:

Dancing in the Dark with Sharon Zeugin

When The BigOne! Blowout happened:

BigOne Duet with Brandy Agerbeck

Let’s go BIG Together! (a free class on Neuland markers)

BIG Fun! with the BigOne! With Mike Gold

Not to eclipse my efforts with Sharon, these BigOne sessions have come together quite easily—inspired by a retrograding Venus transiting over my natal sun in Leo and the Venus Cazimi. While Dancing in the Dark has been in slow development for over a year—with good purpose.

Starting on the Fall Equinox when the light and dark are equal, we will begin Dancing with the Dark with Roman Capitals on black paper. Together we will dance with Sharon through a series of prompts and end our time together at Samhain, at a time when the veil is the thinnest, and we will be equipped to let go of what no longer serves us in order to step into the selves we need to become next.

From Sharon… "Let's use this time to emphasize connecting the lettering with personal feeling and one’s own words—a meaningful mantra or something fun to write. This is an opportunity for experimenting with improvisation in terms of writing words and designing as you go.   We’ll start simply and grow from there, always rooted in the knowledge and experience of the forms—and variations on their rhythm, spacing, and proportions."

This launching of ideas and completing them by November 1 aligns perfectly with the Deer Walks I am doing with Cassandra Leoncini (http://www.twoeaglesastrology.com). This is the restart after a 7-year cycle since my first Deer Walks when I lived in DC and needed an integrated Vision Quest in order to leave so I may return to the Southwest.

And it’s after that time that I take all of the ideas I have gathered during this harvest season for 2024 and let them reveal their true selves.

Will I be collaborating more with master calligraphers to give our shared audiences what they need, want, and desire?

Will I both: return to the basics by offering more handwriting classes all WHILE helping visual practitioners Level Up so the important work they are doing is supported?

Will there be another European Lettering Tour? Since 2018 I have taught hundreds of VPs in over 10 different countries in-person. With so many more entering the field, do they need me in-person or will virtual learning continue to grow?

I read a quote on Instagram the other day that said:

“Set goals so high that they demand an entirely different version of you.”

I know where I want to put my focus in 2024:

Appreciative Inquiry,

Lettering,

Tech hosting and building curriculums to support trauma-informed communities

But will the stars align?

Only time will tell. As will my health and well-being in support of these efforts. Both my willingness to grow and the external forces outside of my control will determine what version of me will come next.

What future self are you currently developing?

[perkwunos]

Have you played any old school super mario games

Yeah… Actually wait what would you count as old school because there’s ones I would’ve played as a kid (Mario 64, Sunshine) and then ones before that, and if the former are also getting included (especially sunshine) I’ll feel old. Ive played the original NES game and super Mario world but I never beat either. More important to me was Yoshi’s Island which I had a gameboy port of.

Also, I fondly remember playing the Mario Kart for the N64 after the Catholic Bible study sessions my mom would take me to when I was like 11. By then the N64 was already an outdated console but not so outdated it felt markedly retro to play. I similarly can remember the dentist I used to go to having an N64 with Star Fox on it, which I never played past the first level and was bad at.

On a slightly related note, I had the realization recently that me looking back on the ‘00s now is equivalent to people who were adults in the ‘00s looking back on the ‘80s. That made me feel old. There’s something remarkable about the absolute divide in how phenomena of cultural memory feel to you depending on if they occurred within your living memory or before it. The latter have a feeling of remoteness and distance that can belie just how recently they occurred.

Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine were the Mario games I played the most as a kid I’m sure. But I was always more of a Zelda guy. I remember one morning on the summer solstice 2018 my work got delayed and I spent the free hour watching a video on the history of speed running in Sunshine, which was remarkable. I enjoy the aesthetics of that game greatly.

It’s funny how many fictional worlds integrate themselves into the historic routes of our memory and constitute who we are. Of course in a sense talking about the “‘00s” or “‘80s” is talking about a fictional world.

[talonabraxas]

Silver Gate and Golden Gate "The constellation Ophiuchus the "Serpent holder",the missing 13th zodiac sign sits 180 degrees accross Orion(Osiris).The Greeks removed this sign because it reprisents the resurrection of the Gods.

The are only two Gates/entry ways into Orion(Osiris/Asar).One being the intersection between Taurus and Gemini is known as the "silver gate" of heaven. The intersection between Scorpio and Sagittarius,were ophiuchus is located is known as the "Golden gate" of heaven. The galactic center lies visually from our solar system along a line that passes through the golden gate.

The constellation Ophiuchus,the missing 13th zodiac sign, sits in the direction towards the center of our galaxy. The ancients called it the 'Gate of the Gods'. Orion(Osiris) sits in the opposite of this direction,which would be considered the 'anti-galactic center' and the ancients called this direction, the 'Gate of man'.

The directions of Ophiuchus and Orion offer opposites,as they lie 180 degrees across from each other.Face one you face the galactic center,face the other you have your back to the galactic center.

Heru/Horus Hawk-Bird reprisents Scorpio in Eagle form,and Sets' sata(snake)ophiuchus the serpent bearer.

In the Greek tale,Ophiuchus tramples on scorpio and having recieved the elixir of life from the serpent,restores Orion(osiris)to life.

As Orion/Osiris "dies" (sets at sunrise) on the winter solstice, Scorpio does rise -- but with Ophiuchus on its back, rising heliacally(rising with the sun). And as Scorpio "dies" -- when Orion rises heliacally(rising with the sun) in the summer -- Ophiuchus also is setting, driving the Scorpion down into the Underworld beneath her.

At the time, Orion(Osiris) set at sunrise on the winter solstice, thereby symbolically entering the Underworld, to be reborn as he rises heliacally on the summer solstice.

Ophiuchus and Orion reprisent part of our 'cycle of life' that we all incarnate into as going from "earthly beings" through the 'gate of man'-"eternal beings' through the 'gate of Gods'.

Golden Gate by Talon Abraxas

[riverchetype]

#RavenheartNovel

★

Happy #RavenheartFriday! In honour of the recent winter solstice (and the summer on the other side of the globe), I redrew these two pieces from 2018! It’s been a while, and it was nice to revisit the concept. I feel like I’ve definitely come a very far way from the originals! What do you think?

[minimanic]

JUNE MOVIE ROUNDUP!

Made it 33% of the way through my aspirational pride month list which is a little less than I'd hoped for but not the worst I've ever done. Viewing overwhelming skewed 90s with some notable exceptions.

Handful of unrelated and late additions that I also feel some type of way about.

Opinions and links under the read more

✨In which 90s queer cinema makes me nostalgic for a period of time that I was technically alive during✨

But I'm A Cheerleader (1999) Directed by Jamie Babbit: An absolutely adorable romcom about conversion therapy that handles its premise with more grace than anyone could have possibly expected. None the less, it stressed me out so bad i nearly ground my teeth to dust.

💚 But I'm a Cheerleader available on Internet Archive here, Tubi here

Nowhere (1997) Directed by Gregg Araki: I like to joke about how insufferable i would have been if I'd found Araki's films as a teenager but i think this is the one I would send back to myself if I could. The man takes teenage angst both seriously and honestly and that's a talent and a level of compassion that sets him apart. Also this one has aliens in it.

The Watermelon Woman (1996) Directed by Cheryl Dunye: The drive to find people who were like you within the history of art and culture, especially as a marginalized person, can be a consuming force and it's portrayed beautifully here. Also it absolutely rules to see a classic 90s indie slice of life film about black lesbians.

💚 The Watermelon Woman available on Internet Archive here

Bound (1996) Directed by Lilly and Lana Wachowski: It Just feels Good man. This one was a re-watch but it's a re-watch at nearly 20 years and it hits just as good today as it did when i was 15. If the Wachowski's excel at anything it's a commitment to catharsis.

✨More Pride month flics✨

You and the Night (2013) Directed by Yann Gonzalez: Admittedly, I don't have a ton of experience with low budget french films about supernatural events happening at an orgie but even so I'm confident this is the best of the genre or at the very least the sweetest. An absolute comfort film.

Apocalypse After (2018) Directed by Bertrand Mandico: It resonates. It's also full of goo and fun outfits and practical effects!

Pink Narcissus (1971) Directed by James Bidgood/Blank Narcissus (Passion of the Swamp) (2022) Directed by Peter Strickland: Pink Narcissus is a homoerotic fever dream that appreciates the erotic power of ass more than anything i have literally ever seen. It works completely. Blank Narcissus is equal parts cheap parody and fairly compelling rumination on lost love. It doesn't quite work but i get it.

💚 Pink Narcissus available on Internet Archive Here

El Pico (1983) Directed by Eloy de la Iglesia: I mean... its absolutely the prototype of the don't do drugs kids type dramas of the 90s but its noteworthy that it came out a solid decade before Trainspotting and co.

Lucifer Rising (1972) Directed by Kenneth Anger: Finally found a screener for this movie with more than 4 pixels! I'm gonna level with you. A couple weeks later I have forgotten literally everything about it despite my best efforts. I was certainly enthralled while watching it though. I'll give it that much.

💚Lucifer Rising available on YouTube here

💚 Most if not all of these can be watched through Solidarity Cinema. They're doing really excellent work over there. I use their streaming option through Plex and its been an absolute dream so far.

✨Movie I did not know was queer but oh my god holy shit✨

Anchoress (1993) Directed by Chris Newby: Threw this on for summer solstice and... its a revelation honestly. Part of the Folk Horror box set that came out a few years ago and definitely one of the best. The cinematography is beautiful. The ethos is immaculate. And who among us wouldn't have risked it all for a janky statue of Mary at some point in our life.

✨The Best of the Rest✨

Twister (1996) Directed by Jan de Bont: I am saying, truly and genuinely, with my whole chest: this is the best disaster movie ever made. Every single character is a delight, the effects inspire a mixture of fear and awe, it essentially watches like a road movie, Helen Hunt is trying to get revenge on a tornado. Its the rare perfect film.

Witch's Cradle (1944) Directed by Maya Deren: The best experimental films carry a sense of genuine magic with them and this has that in spades. Absolutely hypnotic.

💚 Watch Witch's Cradle on YouTube here

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) Directed by George Miller: I fully forgot how good this movie is. You can really see a lot of the themes and sensibilities that would eventually come to fruition in Fury Road start to form here.

Moby Dick (1956) Directed by John Huston: Appropriately epic and perfectly cast, who doesn't want to watch Gregory Peck fight a whale?

💚 Moby Dick available on tubi here

Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) Directed by Stanley Kubrick: First time watching this one all the way through and in a packed theater no less! Tragically, the jokes still land just as hard as they did when it first came out. The whole theater lost it during Ripper's fluoride in the water bit. Kubrick's signature style is wildly successful when employed for comedic effect.

💚 Dr. Strangelove available on Internet Archive here

Galaxina (1980) Directed by Wilim Sachs: Is it a good movie? No absolutely not. Does it inspire a powerful fondness within me? It sure does! Imagine if Space Balls had no budget and periodic delusions of also being a real science fiction movie. That's what you're working with here and it is a delight.

💚 Galaxina available on YouTube here

[mediamonarchy]

https://mediamonarchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/20240627_MorningMonarchy.mp3 Download MP3 Phone of the dead, crazy town and predator catchers + this day in history w/Matsumoto sarin attack and our song of the day by The Harlem Gospel Travelers on your #MorningMonarchy for June 27, 2024. Notes/Links: Environments (album series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environments_(album_series) Beloved K-9 Officer Dies [on June 20th] in Sweltering Hot Car, Community Demands Answers https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/beloved-k-9-officer-dies-in-sweltering-hot-car-community-demands-answers/ar-BB1oOCum Horus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horus THE WHEEL OF THE YEAR: WICCAN SABBATS https://wiccaliving.com/wiccan-calendar-litha-summer-solstice/ Vigil https://search.brave.com/search?q=vigil+definition Mysterious Monolith in Las Vegas Mountains Triggers Police Warning https://www.newsweek.com/mysterious-monolith-las-vegas-police-1914329 28 people rescued after getting stuck upside down on Oaks Park ride https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portland-fire-rescues-30-stuck-upside-down-oaks-park-ride/283-1edf9f32-5edb-4e4e-b97c-d128b83e9bac Man struck by roller coaster while trying to retrieve keys in restricted area dies: police https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/man-struck-by-roller-coaster-while-trying-to-retrieve-keys-in-restricted-area-dies-police/ar-BB1oOvHy Video: Cemetery Lets Mourners Creatively Talk to Loved Ones (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWmZ9dNR8cc Dutch Rhythm Steel & Show Band – “Woman Cry The Blues” (Vinyl // Audio) https://www.discogs.com/release/1337298-Dutch-Rhythm-Steel-Show-Band-Funky-Limbo // https://www.discogs.com/artist/386350-The-Dutch-Rhythm-Steel-Showband // ANOTHER MONARCHY EXCLUSIVE! Dancing FBI agent Chase Bishop who accidentally shot someone won’t face jail time (Dec. 23, 2018 // Updated Jan. 25, 2023) https://www.kxly.com/news/national-and-world-news/dancing-fbi-agent-who-accidentally-shot-someone-won-t-face-jail-time/article_65a71f5e-68f9-591e-9232-fb658be7b028.html Eddie Gallagher (Navy SEAL) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Gallagher_(Navy_SEAL) No Charges in Deadly ATF Arkansas Home Raid; ‘This is not over,’ said the attorney for the family of Bryan Malinowski, former executive director of the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport. https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/no-charges-in-deadly-atf-arkansas-home-raid-5669051 Miami-Dade firefighter’s son dies 28 after blaze breaks out during training exercise, father confirms https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/man-dies-at-hospital-after-blaze-breaks-out-at-miami-dade-fire-rescue-training-exercise-police-say/ Woman found dead at Isle of Wight Festival campsite https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/isle-of-wight-festival-death-campsite-woman-dead-b1166024.html Ryan Hadley Dies: ‘Ink Master’ Alum Was 46 https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/ryan-hadley-dies-ink-master-alum-was-46/ar-BB1oHSA4 Crazy Town Frontman Shifty Shellshock, Famed for ‘Butterfly,’ Dies at 49 https://www.thedailybeast.com/crazy-town-singer-shifty-shellshock-famed-for-butterfly-dies-at-49 Video: Crazy Town – “Butterfly” (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FEDrU85FLE The Brimstone Sluggers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brimstone_Sluggers The Leviathan Cross (Satanic Cross) Symbol and Its Meaning https://mythologian.net/leviathan-cross-satanic-cross-symbol-meaning/ Crazy Town’s Shifty Shellshock shares cryptic final post about ‘scaring’ people away before his death aged 49 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13567597/Crazy-Towns-Shifty-Shellshock-shares-cryptic-final-post-scaring-people-away-death-aged-49.html Forever No. 1: Crazy Town’s ‘Butterfly’; The 2001 smash was the lone hit from the peak rap-rock era to reach the Hot 100’s apex. https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/crazy-town-butterfly-forever-number-one-hot-100-1235717449/ Rob Stone, Co-Founder of Cornerstone Agency and the Fader Magazine, Dies at 55 https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/rob-stone-co-founder-of-corners...

[santoschristos]

Heavenly Golden Gate

Every solstice the Sun aligns with what the ancients called the silver and gold heavenly gates. These ‘gates’ were believed to be portals to other realms. But for these portals to open there had to take place a cosmic convergence of these points in time and space, and this happens when the Sun and the cosmic meridians of the universe converge on the Solstices, either intersecting directly above Orion, or just below Ophiuchus, positioned on the opposite sides of the cosmos.

There are also 2 corresponding Stars that act as the keepers or guardians to these gates. Antares the super-giant red Sun is the keeper of the Golden Gate, while the giant Sun Aldebaran in Taurus is the keeper of the Silver Gate. Since the ancients believed that such stars or Suns also function as entry and exit points they were regarded like a ‘front’ and ‘back’ door to Heaven, holding the energetic capacity to summon a beginning or an end.

Art by Mahaboka

Opening the Gold Gate of Understanding Source of text: