November slipped away so quickly. I almost missed it. But I did manage to do some things for November. I watched 'The Queen's Gambit' (it's so good!!), 'The Truth About Murder', and 'The Lady Vanishes'. I read 'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Christie, 'Scorpio Races' by Maggie Stiefvater (I made November Cakes to go with it), and 'I Capture The Castle' by Dodie Smith. There were other things too, but they're not as related to the aesthetic.
Earlier this month Skye invited me to go walk along a trail she'd found that was absolutely stunning. The whole trail felt like a moment really, it was so pretty. The pictures really don't do it justice.
Another day earlier this month there was this group of trees that had dropped a thick mat of yellow leaves on the ground and something about it just felt like the Secret Garden.
There's something magical about the smell of decaying leaves on the ground in the Fall.
I've had a new obsession with the Hadestown musical along with its soundtrack. It's so good.
I've baked things, survived general chaos, and I hope to carry on doing that. I also finished my Literary Studies course this month. Finally.
Anyways,
I suppose this is my farewell to November before December hits.
I'm going to miss November. It was really good, despite how quickly it flew past.
I love the feel of November when it's feels like November and not December. It has a feel of teeth and mist and blood and memories. At least for me. It feels soft, but I don't know how to explain how teeth and blood can feel comforting or peaceful. It also feels like tea and sweaters and that certain shade of soft white that the sky gets. It feels like moments, quiet walks, and it's just a little bit desperate. I'm a bit of a dramatic person, if I haven't given that away yet.
My point for this whole spiel thing is to recommend Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. There's a ton of reasons why I adore this book, but the whole feel of it is a huge reason- It just feels like November in book form to me. Which is great since it's set in late October/First of November. I have a lot of emotions about it...
I'm terrible at summing things up. I usually explain the entire plotline, have about three different tracks of the story going, and by the end you either know everything about the thing or you're left very confused. It's usually the latter, so I'm just going to paste the summary of Scorpio Races.
Some race to win. Others race to survive.
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
Honestly, I picked up this book last year because I love the Raven Cycle series and because it's Maggie Stiefvater. I wasn't sure if I'd like it or not but I thought I'd give it a try and now it's one of my favourites.
I made November Cakes earlier this month and they turned out stunning which was amazing because I thought I'd messed it up. Two things I might add about this recipe, I follow everything except I don't bother adding the orange extract (I just replace it with vanilla since the orange taste doesn't really come through) and the dough is going to be very sticky. You'll think you need to add more flour but you don't. (At least in my experience. I've only made it twice.) The recipe I followed was from Maggie Stiefvater's blog. November Cake Recipe
I had been planning on doing this post earlier this month but then I ended up not doing it. Then I read Samantha's blogpost for November Cakes and it inspired me to actually end up doing it, so here we are.
Cassiopeia is a constellation consisting of 5 stars, named after the Queen Cassiopeia found in Greek mythology. In the myth she becomes too vain and the Greek gods don't like competition. Poseidon sent Cetus a sea monster to attack her kingdom. Cassiopeia somehow discovers that her only chance to stop this attack on her kingdom is to chain her daughter, the Princess Andromeda, to a rock outside the kingdom and next to the ocean.
I've been doing a highschool Literary Studies Course and some of the biographical sketches are just too good not to share. So for each main star of Cassiopeia, I'm going to add either a brief biographical sketch, fact, or poem. Something I've been coming to realize is that sometimes we as people take people of the past way too seriously. At least I usually do.
What do constellations have to do with authors and poets specifically? I have no idea other than I have a few things I'm throwing together in the name of a Dark Academic aesthetic. There's no particular reason why I've paired things the way that they are.
(Starting from the top star and going down)
Star #1
Name: Caph
Thomas Gray (1716 - 1771)
Aside from a three-year tour of continental Europe, Gray lived in seclusion for the rest of his life
at Cambridge University where he was a professor. To illustrate how uneventful his existence
was, one need only point to the most dramatic event that befell him: someone played a practical
joke on him. This nearly shattered his nerves and prompted him to move to another of
Cambridge’s colleges. Needless to say, Gray never married. Although he is the author of a large
number of poems, we remember him today primarily for his “Elegy written in a Country
Churchyard”, truly a masterpiece in world literature.
Star #2
Name: Schedar
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)
Hardy’s reputation as a man of letters was tremendous, and his death was an
occasion for international mourning. His ashes were buried in Westminster Abbey, but in
accordance with his wishes his heart was removed in buried in his parish churchyard in
Dorsetshire. Significantly, on the day of his death he asked his wife to read him one of the
darkest quatrains of The Rubaiyat:
“Oh Thou, who Man of Baser Earth didst make,
And ev’n with Paradise devise the Snake,
For all the Sin wherewith the Face of Man
Is blackened – Mans’s forgiveness give – and take!”
Star #3
Name: Navi
This is a sad one, but honestly Dark Academia is usually full of some sort of sadness combined with it's obsession.
John Keats (1795-1821)
(He died when he was 25)
When I Have Fears
When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high-piled books, in charactery,
Hold like rich garners the full ripen'd grain;
When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the fairy power
Of unreflecting love; – then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.
Star #4
Name: Ruchbah
Another sad one, but I thought it was kind of inspirational too.
John Milton
(He became blind at age 43)
Sonnet 19
(On His Blindness)
When I consider how my light is spent,
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide
And that one Talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning Chide;
'Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"
I fondly ask. But patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need
Either man's works or his own gifts; who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly. Thousands, at his bidding speed
And post o'er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait."
Star #5
Name: Segin
Jonathan Swift
This one came as a complete surprise while doing the homework and my family didn't understand why I was laughing about it. You always expect authors/poets of the past to be completely stodgy, boring and way too serious.
After several attempts to instigate policies with parliament, Irish writer Jonathan Swift channeled his ire into A Modest Proposal, a satirical pamphlet that posited child-eating as the only viable solution to the country's famine.
I promise it's funny in context of how he wrote it. If you have a bit of a dark sense of humour anyway. The entire thing is completely ironic and satirical.
Hopefully this was a fun post.
It was sort of a last minute, patch-work type of project.
Skye tagged me for this and it seemed like fun. A lot of these songs aren't clean. Mostly it's just because of language, but not always. Just a warning.
Your favorite song?
How do you even answer that? It changes all the time.
Lately I've been listening to Dopamine- Barns Courtney a lot.
Shake it Off- Florence and the Machine (Also Dog Days. It's just so good)
Your least favorite song?
Yummy by Justin Bieber. Someone I know loves this song and plays it quite a bit. No offense to them I just can't
A Song That Makes You Happy?
The Middle- Jimmy Eat World
A Song That Makes You Sad?
Julia- Lauv
A Song That You Often Get Stuck in Your Head?
Heather- Conan Gray has been stuck in my head lately
It's so good though.
A Song That Reminds You of Someone?
Get off of my Back- Bryan Adams from the Spirit soundtrack reminds me of my sister.
Bang!- AJR reminds me of Skye's sister
Sweet but Psycho- Ava Max reminds me of Skye. Mostly because of the sweet but psycho lyrics, but for some reason it stuck with me as a song for her in general.
I know she put it on her blog already, but I also heavily associate Young Winona Ryder- Picture This with Skye too.
Senorita- Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello reminds me of Skye's dad. He always sings the line about the white dress and 'I love it when he calls me Senorita' which is incredibly entertaining coming from him.
A Song That Reminds You of Someplace?
Renegades- X Ambassadors reminds me of a roadtrip I had in the States. It was dark out and there was those city lights at night that just seem like magic.
A Song That Reminds You of a Certain Event?
Best Day of My Life- American Authors.
There's a whole story for this, but the event itself was a sort of food drive that had a cheap circus aesthetic and they did Shakespeare's play 'A Comedy of Errors'. My anxiety had been a lot at the time but for some reason I felt really peaceful and happy watching them. They did it for three nights in a row and they always finished with a dance number to Best Day Of My Life. So there's that...
A Song You Know All the Words to?
Sincerely Me from Dear Evan Hansen
A Song You Could Dance to?
Greenlight- Lorde
Pretty much what I do when I'm by myself. Usually while cleaning something. I can't be the only one.
A Song That Makes You Fall Asleep?
I can't really listen to music while falling asleep because I'm usually too invested in the song. Although Lord Huron puts me in this quite sort of peaceful place that I feel at night or star-gazing. It's sort of a happy melancholy sad I guess. They're good writing songs too.
Meet me in the Woods- Lord Huron
A Song From Your Favorite Band?
I'm not sure what my top favourite band is...
Brick By Boring Brick- Paramore
Misery Business- Paramore (despite what it's about, I like the song)
A Song From A Band You Hate?
I don't particularly hate any bands, I just don't really listen to some in general.
I don't hate her and I'm pretty sure she's a solo artist, but I don't listen to much from Katy Perry. Although I find 'Hot N Cold' fun
A Song Nobody Would Expect You to Love?
That Cheeseburger VeggieTales song. If you haven't seen/heard, it only makes sense with the music video. Well, the music video somewhat helps anyway.
A Song That Describes You?
Busyhead- Noah Kahan
Feeling Good- Sofi Tukker
An Underrated Song More People Should Love?
Glue Myself Shut- Noah Kahan
Slow Dancing- Adam French
A Song That You Hear Often on the Radio
Sucker- Jonas Brothers
I'm not complaining, I love this song. Although lately they seem to have stopped playing it.
High Hopes- Panic! At The Disco
Also a good song.
A Song You Wish You Heard on the Radio
Life is a Highway- Rascal Flatts for obvious reasons
Grave Digger (Stripped)- Matt Maeson
A Song You Listen to When You're Happy
Blinding Lights- The Weeknd
I would walk 500 miles- The Proclaimers
A Song You Listen to When You're Sad
Honestly a good portion of my playlists are sad. There's numerous sad songs that make me happy too.
Little Do You Know- Alex and Sierra
It's also just a pretty song.
Nothing Good Comes From Being Gone- Flatsound
Honestly this is one I listen to a lot when I'm sad.
A Song You Listen To When You're Angry?
Experiment On Me- Halsey (I also just listen to this one for fun too.)
Invisible Chains- Lauren Jauregui
They're perfect to angrily clean to.
A Song You Want to Play at Your Wedding
Skye's answer of I Write Sins Not Tragedies is the perfect answer. We can all go home now.
Chasing Cars- Snow Patrol
Could be a cute song for it.
A Song You Want to Play at Your Funeral
Lonely Lullaby- Owl City
A Song That Makes You Laugh
Everybody Talks- Neon Trees
I was going to do a zombie hunting post and it was the song I was going to use for it. Picturing the POV of a zombie singing this song made me laugh every time I played it
A Very Musical Meltdown- Reb Day (it's perfect considering everything)
A Song That You Can Play
Experience- Ludovico Einaudi (although free expression is expressed. There's one patch I can't do properly to save my life. To be fair, you can't really tell.)
A Song You Wish You Could Play
Galway Girl- Ed Sheeran
Clearly I couldn't do it, but I'd love to.
A Song From Your Childhood
There's a lot of 2000s songs I'd never known the names to but I did hear a lot.
Complicated- Avril Lavine
When I was really little I told my dad Avril Lavine was my favourite singer even though I had know idea what she was singing about at the time.
How You Remind Me- Nickelback
Boulevard of Broken Dreams- Green Day
My dad played these songs a lot when I was little. For some reason I associate 'How You Remind Me' with the Toby Maguire Spiderman movies, but I don't remember if that's because the song played in the movies at some point or not.
Something Beautiful- Newsboys
Your Favorite Duet
Lately it's been Wedding Song from Hadestown but honestly Hadestown is just amazing is general. And I think it counts as a duet.
Is it too much to ask for a professionally filmed production of Hadestown with the original cast? I really want it.
Your Favorite Song at this Time Last Year
There was a lot last year... Money Run Low- The Score
Still such a good song.
Anways, hope this was fun to read. I had fun doing it.
October is over despite my careful avoidance of calendars. Luckily over the last couple of years I've come to really love November as well. Dark Academia here we come. It's a good transition between my ongoing love of Autumn being ushered into Christmas. I love Christmas but I'm not quite ready to give myself over to it yet.
My madcap farewell to October was to be a ghost in the woods. It's a bit unorthodox and the strangers who might have seen probably thought it was odd, but it was fun. Stupid maybe, but fun.
October/Fall in general was really good. Its been wonderful really. Fall even felt like it started early for me this year as this summer felt autumn-esque at times.
The photos might have looked better done in the dark, but the woods and people in general are terrifying at night.
I'm so grateful for all the things we (me, Skye, and her sister in particular) were able to do. Grateful for all the places, the movies, the food, apple picking, the slapdash Thanksgiving, pumpkins, star-gazing, the music, walks in the woods, for everything... Its been a blast and its meant a lot.
I got to some of the books on my list. The list size was ridiculous but I am happy with the ones I got to. There was quite a lot. Some of these were from before October.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland And Led The Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente
The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland And Split The Moon In Two by Catherynne M. Valente
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
The Whispering Skull (Most of it anyway) by JonathanStroud
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Lewis Stevenson
Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
All these books were amazing. Some were new for me, some were rereads.
I still consider November to have a fall aesthetic, it's a little different, but the feel of it is similar. The crispness is still there, the leaves (if it hasn't snowed), the dull (and stunning) hues of oceanlike colours, the air, November feels like paper and ink and thoughts while you wear sweaters and eat soup. When it's just right, November might be my favourite month after October. I'm sad October is over, but I'm trying to step into November. (Or at least trying to run into November while not tripping on a sheet)
Anyways,
To November.
But there is always a November space after the leaves have fallen when she felt it was indecent to intrude on the woods...for their glory terrestrial and their glory celestial of spirit and purity and whiteness had not yet come upon them -L.M. Montgomery
