Show them this:

[Image description: A white piece of fabric, embroidered with a red border. The center is stitched in black, with the words “A forgotten god cannot run my life any worse than I am currently running it myself”. A deer-like creature in black thread is to the right of the words. A note at the bottom of the picture reads, “Embroidery and photo by Shitpost Sampler, https://shitpostsampler.tumblr.com”.]

Embroidery done by, and photo courtesy of, the fabulous Shitpost Sampler on Tumblr.

The 23rd International Aids (Virtual) Conference commissioned an artwork series entitled “Profiles in Resilience“, which you can see on their website. This piece in particular stood out for me, both because of the image and the quote from Erika Castellanos, Director of Programmes at Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE):

“For me, resilience is not only being strong, but also to survive in your moments of weakness. I don’t always have to be strong. I also need to cry. I also need to feel frustrated. And I also need to feel anger. But resiliency in my is overcoming those moments. So I cry then I wipe my tears and go on. I get angry, I scream, take my frustration and go on. For me, that’s resilience.”

Pushing Through, Pushing Forward
by Liam O’Donnell

[Image Description: An illustration of a female figure moving from left to right, with various waves of blue and purple behind her. The text in the photo is quoted before the image.]

“The passage by Erika Castellanos about allowing herself to feel a range of emotions fully and deeply during a difficult experience embodies power and courage. I wanted to capture the resilience needed to acknowledge those feelings, harness them, and move forward with that energy at your back.” – Liam O’Donnell.

Liam O’Donnell (@odoillustration) is an illustrator and designer from Oakland, now based in Brooklyn, New York. He works in entertainment advertising designing posters for Broadway shows and freelances as an editorial illustrator for clients like ESPN and BuzzFeed. Liam holds an MFA from the Illustration as Visual Essay program at the School of Visual Arts.

With thanks to the San Francisco Chronicle for the original print article.

Following up on the Santa Rosa lavender labyrinth which was last Tuesday’s Nice Thing, there’s also a lavender labyrinth in Shelby, Michigan.

[Image description: An aerial photo of a labyrinth made of lavender bushes and other colorful plants.]

From the website: “An arbor towers above the stone circle and surrounds an herb garden. Designed in accordance with the principles of sacred geometry, the 12-point vesica pattern defines 36 beds filled with dozens of herbal varieties.”

The center of the labyrinth is a lush herb garden, which provides fragrant breezes as you walk the labyrinth, as well as providing delightful goods available in the market.

The labyrinth is part of Cherry Hill Market, which offers fresh, local produce, available to take home or to enjoy on site in one of the dishes at the market cafe. Currently, the hours and services are limited due to the pandemic, but if you find yourself in that part of the world, do check their website to see if you can arrange a visit.

The Weekly Insight from the Oracles for July 5, 2020 is live on my Patreon!

Many thanks to my wonderful Patrons!

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[Image description: A teaser screenshot of this week’s Insight from the Oracles, with just a hint of the cards and runes showing.]

As we celebrate Independence Day here in the US, we can keep in mind the work we’ve done, and the work still to be done, to make this truly the melting pot nation our textbooks said it is.

Let Them Not Say
—Jane Hirshfield

Let them not say: we did not see it.
We saw.

Let them not say: we did not hear it.
We heard.

Let them not say: they did not taste it.
We ate, we trembled.

Let them not say: it was not spoken, not written.
We spoke,
we witnessed with voices and hands.

Let them not say: they did nothing.
We did not-enough.

Let them say, as they must say something:

A kerosene beauty.
It burned.

Let them say we warmed ourselves by it,
read by its light, praised,
and it burned.