Things Like This Make Me Feel Weirdly Hopeful Bc This Is A Fixable Problem. A Hard-to-fix Problem But

Baby armadillo plays with his toy

Happy Lunar New Year!

Tonight is the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar, a time for new beginnings. The moon plays an important role in our world’s ocean—from controlling the tides, to playing conductor in the orchestra of marine life cycles.

Moon jellies—named simply for their lunar satel-likeness—are delightfully drifting reminders of our nearest sea-lestial body. We hope that tonight you can find time to reflect in the shadow of the new moon and shellebrate new beginnings. 

Wishing you a year of prosperity! ♥️ 🌑 🧧

Why...would you want to leave the bog

#ManuscriptMonday :

“Solomon takes advice from the animals”

from partial copy of Lights of Canopus (Anvar-i Suhayli) by Husayn Va`izi Kashifi (d. 1504-5), painting inscribed to Dhanu; Agra, Mughal India, c. 1595-1600.

Detached folio, ink, colours & gold on paper, Persian text in nasta`liq script with painting on recto.

Chester Beatty In 04.74

“Solomon was known for his great wisdom, and for his ability to speak with all creatures. One day, he had the opportunity to drink the water of life, and to live forever. Hesitating, he decided first to take advice from the animals and birds. They all gathered at his court, and discussed the great decision. The heron advised the king not to choose immortality. There was only enough water for one person, the bird said, so if Solomon were to drink it, then he would outlive everyone he loved.

This folio is from a copy of a highly-regarded Persian text, written by Husayn Va`izi Kashifi (d.1504-05), a preacher and scholar at the Timurid court in Herat (modern Afghanistan): <Lights of Canopus (Anvar-i Suhayli), a reworking of the animal fables Kalila and Dimna (Kalila wa Dimna)>. His patron was Amir Shaykh Suhayli, whose last name is punningly inserted into the new title. Writing in a sophisticated court style, Kashifi composed an updated version of these lively animal fables, which have a long transmission history going back to Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit texts. This manuscript was made in Mughal India, and features 96 paintings (mounted separately).”

Incredible video captures humpback whales swimming underneath the northern lights in Norway.

I was walking down a sidewalk once in Berlin and this dazzling butterfly wandered over and landed on my sleeve. It was so beautiful and I just stood there looking at it for a few seconds. Then there was another human walking toward me, going the opposite way down the same sidewalk, and I didn't speak hardly any German at that point but I just sort of looked at them visibly and they noticed and looked at me, and then noticed the butterfly, and we stood there both admiring it for a minute, until it flew off. Then I tried to say something to them in German but it came out in French by mistake and they frowned and said something back in Mandarin and then we both just stared at each other in bafflement for a second and then both laughed and walked away in our opposite directions But it had been such a cute interaction that as we walked away from each other we both, in the same moment, glanced back over our shoulders at each other, and saw each other looking back, and made eye contact twenty feet apart, and both giggled self-consciously, and it was so good This was years ago but it still gives me life

Sometimes I just really like us

do you ever see someone in some quiet intimate moment and suddenly love them so desperately you feel like you’re dying

#like when they pass a mirror and make a face and mess with their hair a little #or when you hear someone singing in their car with the windows rolled up as they drive past you #i don’t know how to express this i just. people are people and it makes me so sad and filled up sometimes

x

Bouie Choi (蔡鈺娟)— City in the Dark (acrylic on upcycled floor wood, 2020)

Same energy

Jenny Morgan (American, 1982) - Study for Seeing (2024)