I think it's so important to have a "nature" calendar in your head, like a way of tracking time that's completely separate from anything work or obligation related, not holidays or anything stressful. For instance I look forward to august because at 8pm every night house finches hang around my window for a few weeks. In spring I love waiting for the magnolias to blossom. Just ways of tracking the time with zero stakes that's completely removed from life's zeitgeist and that you really look forward to
The Japanese traditional (old) calendar breaks the year up into 72 micro-seasons or kō each lasting just 3-4 days.
Each one is a tiny yearly event in the natural world, given its own little slot to be appreciated and celebrated.
Here’s just a few:
March 6–10 蟄虫啓戸 Hibernating insects surface
March 11–15 桃始笑 First peach blossoms
July 12–16 蓮始開 First lotus blossoms
July 17–22 鷹乃学習 Hawks learn to fly
October 18–22 蟋蟀在戸 Crickets chirp around the door
October 23–27 霜始降 First frost
I’ve always thought this was lovely, and I’d love to know what the micro seasons would look like for other countries.
Learning to find the balance between not being too hard on myself, remaining disciplined and giving myself grace..
Will Barent, Woman and Cats. Pencil and charcoal on thick cream woven paper.
shawnawux
Alvina by Louis F Cota
Hélène Cixous, from The Laugh of the Medusa
Text ID: Woman must write her self: must write about women and bring women to writing, from which they have been driven away as violently as from their bodies ... Writing is for you, you are for you; your body is yours, take it.
R&B with a hint of rain
Franny Choi, from "I Guess By Now I Thought I’d Be Done With Shame"
