Isabella and the Pot of Basil
William Holman Hunt
Itself derived from Boccaccio’s Lisabetta, John Keats’ Isabella mirrors the Decameron original - the tale of its titular protagonist, centred around the murder of her lover at her brothers’ hands. Though his body is hidden, his spirit remains long enough to inform her of the tragedy; leading Isabella to exhume the body before burying its head in a pot of basil, which she spends the rest of her days caring for obsessively, convinced that Lorenzo’s voice still carries from the soil. The poem served as inspiration for many of the great Pre-Raphaelite painters; particularly William Holman Hunt, who immortalised his wife Fanny’s features as Isabella after she died during the painting’s creation.
Saturday 31st October
As the Moon moves further through Gemini, the image of the twins invites us to reflect on companionship, conversation and the exchange of ideas. Make space for being together today: share a meal, work alongside someone in the garden, or welcome a conversation without deciding in advance where it should lead. Rudolf Steiner described Imagination, Inspiration and Intuition as deepening forms of spiritual knowing. Although these have a particular meaning in his work, they can offer a starting point for reflecting on how we meet one another. Can we imagine beyond our own perspective, listen with enough openness to be surprised, and seek a deeper understanding of the person before us? Sometimes a shared task creates the space for this more naturally than a formal discussion. As the autumn garden quietens, tending our relationships becomes another way of nurturing life.
52 Mountain - The I Ching
Focusing on his spine and losing himself...
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