I know you’re watching and don’t understand what sadness
it is
That makes me look sad.
It isn’t regret or nostalgia, disappointment or resentment.
No…It’s the sadness
Of one who, in the great prenatal realm,
Must have received from God the Secret—
The secret of the world’s illusion,
Of the absolute emptiness of things—
The incurable sadness
Of one who realizes that everything’s pointless, worthless,
That effort is an absurd waste,
And that life is a void,
Since disillusion always follows on the heels of illusion
And Death seems to be the meaning of Life…
Fernando Pessoa, from “Diary in the Shade,” A Little Larger Than the Entire Universe: Selected Poems (Penguin Classics, 2006)

laughing-coffins:

{I was thinking about writing earlier today.  Oh gosh, I love to write.  It consumes my thoughts much more often than it should.  But then I started thinking… What exactly makes some writings good, others great, and some just plain bad?  Of course, this is highly, HIGHLY subjective, but I thought I would share my thoughts anyway, because this is as much my writing-practice blog as it is my roleplay blog (the two just happen to overlap a lot).  But, without further ado~

In my humble opinion, quality writing has these attributes:

  1. Clarity- people know what you are talking about without having to stop and decode your text.  A picture should appear naturally in your reader’s mind- they’re waving their own paintbrush across an outline you create.  A challenge is one thing (don’t treat your audience like they’re stupid), but it should not be a struggle for the reader to construct your scene in their mind.
  2. Flow- The text doesn’t feel stilted, rough, or patchy.  You almost shouldn’t know you’re reading, it should feel utterly natural.  Like thoughts.
  3. Poetry and Thoughtfulness-Art, vividness, rich and descriptive language.  Turns of phrase that make people stop and think.  Attention to minutia.  Judicious and meaningful use of symbolism, allusions, etc., that compliments, (not distracts from) the rest of your piece.  The challenge here, however, comes in avoiding the deadly trap of pretentiousness. 
  4. Cohesive, Coherent Vision- Everything- every word, every pause, every punctuation mark- has a purpose and contributes somehow to the clarity, feel, characterization, or plot.  Every last little shard is a tile in your mosaic.
  5. Effect- Your words should leave something imprinted in your reader’s heart, or mind, or spirit, or anything.  To make them feel, think, glimpse inside a new paradigm.  To leave a piece of yourself inside someone else (even at a subconscious level).  Be resolute, individual, and unyielding in your creativity.  Do not bend to society’s whims.
    If your writing leaves no effect, was there a point to it at all? 

I hope this has been useful (or at the very least, interesting) to my fellow writers.  Again, these are just my thoughts, and I firmly believe any and all ‘advice’ is to be taken with a grain of salt.  Have a lovely night, everyone! ❤}

Zodiac Witch Boxes

  • Aries: A carved wooden wand, balls of sheep wool, a dagger, a vial of burned ashes, a ram's horn, cinnamon incense.
  • Taurus: Pressed flowers, a satchel of dried lavender, a roll of meadow grass, a vial of honey, a 4-leaf clover.
  • Gemini: Tiny bottles of fairy dust, tarot cards, a sparkling geode, dead butterflies, vanilla incense.
  • Cancer: A crystal ball, a string of pearls, moon charts, crab shells, a vial of tears, a dream catcher.
  • Leo: A jeweled goblet, tapered candles, myrrh, balls of shed animal fur, sunflower seeds, a miniature sun dial.
  • Virgo: Rolls of parchment with wax seals, a quill, a vial of fertile earth, musk, a miniature cauldron, tree roots.
  • Libra: Feathers, speckled egg shells, loose tea leaves, two tealight candles, dandelion seeds, a guide to angels.
  • Scorpio: Amber insects, mushrooms, small animal skulls, handsewn spiderwebs, a vial of thorns, a silver pentagram.
  • Sagittarius: Tree bark, an antler, pine cones, a jar of dried berries, moss, pressed dead leaves, acorns.
  • Capricorn: A satchel of wooden runes, fossils, a pocket watch, a vial of tree sap, conkers, a tiny cactus.
  • Aquarius: Crystal prisms, vials of rainwater, a wooden flute, river-cleansed stones, an antique hand mirror.
  • Pisces: Driftwood, seashells, fish bones, pieces of coral, a vial of beach sand, dried starfish, a pet marimo.