Ophelia
John Everett Millais
John Everett Millais sat for eleven hours a day, six days a week, for five months on the banks of the Hogsmill River in order to capture the backdrop for Ophelia, possibly the epitome of the Pre-Raphaelite ideal. The vulnerable woman was a popular subject within the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB), but none more so than Shakespeare’s wretched, tragic Ophelia - fated to die by her own mad hand, thanks to the actions of the despicable Prince Hamlet. Something of the madness of Ophelia’s tale presumably seized Millais, for his desire to paint her drove him to desperation - eventually building a weatherproofed hut in order to survive the winter’s painting. Using this desperation, Millais succeeded in his task - creating an immaculately detailed, brightly coloured and faithful truth of nature, contrasted sadly against the pale solemnity of the drowned Ophelia.
Wednesday 28th October
The Moon moves through earthy Taurus, associated in biodynamics with the root aspect of the plant. It also reaches perigee, the point in its orbit when it is closest to the Earth. In biodynamics, this is seen as an unfavourable time for sowing, planting and transplanting. Although Taurus would usually favour working with root crops, perigee makes this a time to pause those activities. Leave them for another day and turn your attention to cleaning tools, organising seeds or planning the beds for the coming season. Take a moment to observe the autumn garden, noticing the fallen leaves gathering over the soil and the quiet changes as the days grow shorter.
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