The future unknown....

Changes...

It's a full moon & lunar eclipse tonight hooray! And there are big shifts & changes afoot for many people... Bob said it best once upon a time...

Melancholia...

"A beautiful movie about the end of the world"....

I can't wait to see this film, especially after Margaret bestowed  upon it that elusive 5 star rating!  It just looks so visually rich and audibly spectacular (Wagner features heavily too throughout...oh the deep, dramatic ear-joy!)  And the subject matter is so profound, so provocative... the idea that someone can just -be- unhappy, so common yet almost always so hidden, so misunderstood. Here's more below in a featurette:

Sublime!

______......______

In keeping with the Papillon Noir-esque theme of this post, today I matched my clothes to the sky and dressed in storm-cloud colours - 

smokeyblue, charcoal grey  & mushroom... 

"There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing!"  

- Alfred Wainwright, Britsh Fellwalker.

Here, Here!

Snuggly tea-drinking weather...

Today the weather was quite unseasonably cold! 

 Almost as cold as this.... 

And that's really saying something! 

Summer, where you hiding???

Places...

A place to think, a place to dream...

A place to write, a place to create...

A place to relax, a place to ponder...

A place to gather, with food and thought...

A place to experiment, a place to learn...

A place to rest after world-weary travels...

A place of choice, a place to be free...

Lately, I've been thinking of places... And of what we need around us in order to live an inspired and fulfilled life. All these 'places'and moreover the infinite feelings they evoke are an integral part, I feel, to leading the lives we've always dreamed of and more importantly, the lives we deserve... We simply must make the time, make the space and make our perfect life happen!

What I did in the interim...

Found myself in empty spaces...

And then, felt joy at discovering new places...

 All the while, magic was afoot helping things along...

Spring happened! 

And so the wheel keeps turning...

Freedom and Happiness?

I found this little gem on www.weheartit.com, and thought it was worth pondering...

Such philosophical musings require some thought from time to time, don't you think?

Dream a little dream...

Dreaming again...

"We are the music-makers,

And we are the dreamers of dreams..."

- Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy



"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who only dream at night"

-Edgar Allan Poe

All these lovely pictures are from www.weheartit.com

Figs - food for thought....

"I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn't quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet."

-Sylvia Plath

Photo: © Jean-François Dessup - Fotolia.com

Midnight in Paris...

I've just found out about this new movie by Woody Allen, which takes place in... well, beautiful Paris of course!  It's described as a Comedy/Fantasy and I can't wait to see it!  Another described it as "...a comedic love letter to Paris."  

Here's the trailer, which certainly whets my appetite!  Paris looking all bright and summery.... accordian music floating on the warm breeze and Oh, who could that be?  Is it the divine Marion Cottilard looking every bit the dapper flapper and re-igniting my lust for all things 1920's! Oh la la!

The Passage below is the films synopsis, found on the official movie site.  Upon reading it, I feel as though this movie is really going to speak to me, on more levels than one...

"This is a romantic comedy set in Paris about a family that goes there because of business, and two young people who are engaged to be married in the fall have experiences there that change their lives. It's about a young man's great love for a city, Paris, and the illusion people have that a life different from theirs would be much better.

Rockin' Back Inside My Heart...

Anyone who is a fan of the mysteriously surreal TV show that was Twin Peaks, will understand my delight at discovering this...a gorgeous version of Rockin' Back Inside My Heart, performed by The Crab Apples...

I recently discovered this lovely version on one of my favourite Twin Peaks websites, Welcome to Twin Peaks. If you are a Twin Peaks fan, or not, please have a listen, and check out the website...

This slightly sad love song was originally sung by the haunting vocalist Julee Cruise, on an episode of Twin Peaks, as seen here...

Anything Twin Peaks, and I am in heaven...I also love this picture of James and Donna, from the David Lynch Music Company website, who feature in the above mentioned scene....

Enjoy the Twin Peakstasy, and there will be more to come in our dreams...

"...see you in my dreams..."



Spring Stirrings...

Every year when I start to see little buds and shoots emerging, I feel the stirrings of Spring...

The blossom trees begin to flower, and this always reminds me of popping corn...pop...pop...pop! Oh, what a surprise!

When all this fresh life starts to sprouts forth, it fills me with a sense of hope and inspiration...

Hope for new beginnings and anticipation of wonderful journeys ahead...

It has been so amazingly warm over the last few days, that it really does feel like Spring, not Winter at all. I hope it stays like this forever. So delicious...Winter is winding up, and Spring is stirring...

Happy songs....

If ever I'm feeling a little bit down, this is the song I listen to which never fails to cheer me up... I don't think anyone could listen to it and keep still!  I just love this version played live at the Náttúra Concert in Iceland which also features Björk on additional percussion for added yay-ness!

This song proves that you can never have too many drums, or too much fun!

 La la la la la la la Hoo-ooo!

I'm off  now, headed up the mountain for a spot of cafe bohemianism in the sunshine with my fellow wanderer in whimsy.... I see much coffee and philosophising ahead.

 Happy bright Monday to us all!

Parisian Cafe Fabulousness

 I seem to be constantly imagining myself in Paris, more so than usual lately... just dreaming the day away in some fantastic bohemian cafe, like these fabulous French flappers...

If you find yourself wandering the streets of Montmartre, you may may stumble upon this quaint little cafe - Cafe les Deux Moulins...

If you take a peek inside, you may be lucky enough to see one lovely little Amelie... so cute!

Oh look, she is bringing you a coffee...

 This cafe pictured below, Le Pure Cafe, may look familiar to all those romantics out there...not sure if you've been here before? Maybe in your dreams?

Jesse and Celine, there you are! If you haven't seen the film Before Sunset, now is the time... you'll be lost in pure Parisian perfection... but for now,we enjoy the cafe...

 Goodbye Jesse and Celine, and for now, back to Montmartre, to Le Consulat... this picture below is heaven for a dreamer like me...imagine yourself wandering the cobblestone streets, eating a crepe dripping with sugary butter...

After meandering the little alleyways of Montmartre, I think this looks like a nice place to rest our weary little feet... 

Le Poulbot looks like a cute cafe, don't you think? Also in Montmartre, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the square. I think I'll stay here for now... I could go on forever about Parisian cafes, and cafes in general... but let's sit and ponder on this taste of cafe reverie for now...

What a Fabulous Little Dreamer

I felt compelled to add to Woodland Dreamer's previous post, regarding the passing of painter, Margaret Olley. What a fabulous little dreamer she was! I love this Still Life in Green above, in honour of her favourite colour.

Just look at Margaret Olley in the picture above, busy putting her innermost dreams into visions of colour we could all get lost in...

Thankyou, Margaret Olley, for bringing a little joy and colour into all our lives.

Green is the colour of rebirth...

Margaret Olley dies, aged 88.

Green was Painter Margaret Olley's favourite colour...  'green', she would say 'it's the colour of rebirth'.

I have a thing about paintings of mirrored reflections....and I love this one.  Here, she paints herself as a young artist in 1948, framed by the still objects and collectibles that would inspire her life's work and also by postcards of the works of the great masters whom she admired.  

Vale Margaret Olley and what a life well lived, doing, as she has said "The only thing I've wanted to do all my life."  And that's exactly what she did....  These words inspire me to refocus on my own direction in life and hopefully, gain more clarity as I continue on this winding and ever-changing path we call life.

Earth-Love-Music....

Biophilia....  

This is the title of Björk's new album, which speaks of a "love for nature in all her manifestations"  and "a restless curiosity, an urge to investigate and discover the elusive places where we meet nature"....  All this and an introduction from Sir David Attenborough! I'm in heaven! 

 "The biophilia hypothesis suggests that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems'"  ... I am excited by the fact that this idea has been explored in musical form and can't wait to hear the results. 

 I love the idea of the songs being created around a kind of 'Solar System' structure that is housed within the 'Mother'.  I love how Björk is unafraid of exploring new technologies and collaborating with other artists with new ideas.  Some performers can become so insular in their process, and I think sometimes their work can suffer for it.  The new song below Cosmogony, is a retelling of creation myths from around the world.... Stunning!

I look forward to this multi-layered audio-visual extravaganza as Björk breaks new expressive ground and reminds us all of what we're capable of as Humans, but also of how close to the Source we really can be...

 "We are on the brink of a revolution that will unite Humans with Nature.... until we get there, prepare, explore Biophilia."

Stealing Beauty

One of my all time favourite movies has to be Bernado Bertolucci's Stealing Beauty. I just love this picture below of some of the cast, including Jeremy Irons and Liv Tyler... paradise...

This movie portrays such innocence, hope, true joy and love...and all set in the gorgeous Tuscan countryside, what more can I say...

Sheer bliss...the warm Tuscan breeze rolling over your skin, as you float through the flower filled fields...

...and finally, true, pure, innocent love...

Sonic Reverie...

I am whole...

....And I hold the night....

If ever a spell was cast over the Sydney Opera House, it must have been by the mystical creatrix Natasha Khan and her music project Bat for Lashes .... Here she is back in June of this year,  performing in a lantern-lit stage forest.... conjuring new tunes in her concert hall cauldron... Powerful - Vulnerable - Magical! 
Great night, great memories!
Words to live by....

If not now, then when?

If not now, then when? This is the question that runs repeatedly through my mind. Things can only be put off for so long...or else they will never be done at all. I fear I am a procrastinator of the worst kind, and I am not sure why. Is it laziness, fear of failure, perfectionism??? Oh dear...

Sometimes my mind feels like this picture above...and the "to do" pile just keeps expanding, and rising, whilst the "done" pile seemingly diminishes in comparison. I feel overwhelmed by the multitude of uncompleted tasks. Perhaps if I just approach it in a logical fashion, and start one...just do it!!

Wind Songs & Liminal Hymns....

There is a cold and blustery North-Westerly-Wind that blows a mighty gale and rouses us from our winter slumber.... The Windy Weather of Change talks to the trees and knocks at our doors...  it speaks of Freedom and Possibility.  More than once today I felt like (and secretly hoped!) I was Dorothy, about to be whisked away like a feather to the magical Land of Oz! 

My hair a tangled bramble of tumbleweeds and other wind-swept oddities...  Or, perhaps more like a Mariners net... what bedraggled urchins will find anchorage within my hair-net?  Although the sky is full of winter sunshine my fingers are numb from the biting chill in the air ( a lesson on the importance of mittens!)  My cheeks are rosy, and I have a spring in my step - compliments of the strong wind blowing my way, nudging me along the path like a gentle pat on the back.   As Boreas, with a touch of the Zephyrs pay us a visit on this fine winters day!

This is the weather of Wind Songs and Liminal Hymns, heard in nature all around us.... This is the elemental aspect of faery and sylph, now more than ever they dance on the air currents, this wind appealing to their wild nature!   Stories of Gypsies and Bohemians arriving and leaving on the whims of the wind... of journeys and of an uncertain course... where it will take you, nobody knows! 

 Windy weather is a time of great change... of shape-shifting, of static in the air.... you can almost feel yourself taking to the sky as if bird-transformed.... This weather is a Susan Seddon-Boulet painting.....all movement, and liminality, and transfomation.... I almost feel as though I were one of the ever-changing desert dwelling beings of Terri Windlings' (excellent) Sonoran desert imagining, The Wood Wife... able to leap from human, to animal, to bird form as easily as a thought....

The joys of simply watching clouds move at such a pace as to seem almost unreal, casting patterns of dark and light across the ground in an ominous but strangely calming way... changing the way we see things, transfoming the dark places.... reminding me of the multi-facetedness of all things, yet again....  

 The Wind speaks of the appeal of the unknown and of anonymity or invisibility too... of the ability to move through moments in time and the liminal spaces, where self-transformation occurs...  It speaks of the freedom and restlessness that great mystery brings, of that carefree notion of being unrestrained, free for travel and new adventures.... of being happily root-less,  of vagabonding through life, travelling with the breeze, or the Clever North Wind… and I can’t help but feel that I should not leave the house today without wearing a red cape….. 

Always travelling, forever wandering in reverie...

Images 1,3 & 6 from We Heart It, 'Boreas' by John William Waterhouse, 'Playing with the North Wind' by Susan Seddon-Boulet,  Movie stills  from 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Chocolat'.