Hi everyone,
I want to talk about The Man ‘clock’; Reputation, Karma, and I am proposing a release date of Friday August 23 2024 for Karma! I think it is either a double album with Reputation or Reputation comes some time in September or early spring 2025 (the year of the snake).
Taylor has weaved Yin Yang Chinese philosophy, mythology and astrology throughout TTPD, the Eras Tour and other parts of her work, such as LWYMMD MV, to foreshadow Karma. I believe The Man easter egg wall is actually based on a Chinese Yin Yang calendar, as well as working with the ‘3,2,1’ theory. She is also using it to tell us she needs to make a big life change, and I think that change is coming out. Taylor is telling us she is ‘out of balance’ and she needs to take action to rebalance herself via Karma.
Warning in advance, this is a long post, but if you can bear with me I really think there is something in this.
From what I can see, she has been linking to Yin and Yang philosophy, the ‘Four Beasts’ in that philosophy, and Karma itself for a long time – since 2015/16 but potentially longer – and it’s got louder and bigger as the release of Karma draws nearer. Because yes, it’s definitely happening, and yes, it’s the album to burn it all down.
This is all connected to: TTPD and the use of Yin and Yang, her animal imagery – including outfits, lyrics and Eras Tour and music video visuals, her use of colour, particularly with outfits, and her repeated use of fire and orange, especially. It is based on Chinese philosophy, folklore and mythology, and it is so fundamental to her work at this point you could do an entire re-listen of 1989 onwards and find hints of this everywhere. Yin and Yang directly informs Karma.
I want to start off by saying if I get anything wrong, please do say! I know karma, yin and yang and mythology in general can be really misrepresented, and I want to share a theory most accurate when explaining historical and modern-day Chinese and Japanese mythology. Please just shout (if you feel comfortable) if I miss the mark on anything!
Few important posts and credits:
· u/courtingdisaster with the slideshow for a TTPD P3 with inclusion of the yin yang symbol here
· u/macandcheese359 who showed the links between the LWYMMD MV and Paris outfits here
· u/goldenheart411 with a wee theory in the comments of a post about TSMWEL that the yin and yang is Taylor's public self and her queer self - which i LOVE – and I think really informs this use of Yin Yang, and Karma is what will 'rebalance' this
· u/clydelogan, who has posted about yin and yang, numerology and astrology connections all related to Taylor easter eggings the Karma release, post here, and who has also theorised RepTV will be a double album with Karma as the vault tracks
· I started thinking about this in response to u/macandcheese359's post here on tigers
Yin & Yang
Yin and Yang comes from ancient Chinese philosophy, and it is the concept that all things exist as inseperable and contradictory opposites. Yin is black and Yang is white. As the Yin and Yang black and white circle symbol illustrates, each side has an element of the other which is represented by the small dots. Neither pole is superior: the goal of Yin and Yang is balance between the two 'poles' or 'sides' in order to achieve true harmony. Yin and Yang is so fundamental to China that it is not just contained to philosophy, but medicine and culture too. I also want to add that the original position is the white half on top, the black half on the bottom, as shown in photos. I believe Taylor is using both Yin Yang positions.
Crucially, when we're thinking of Taylor, the circular yin-yang isn't the only way yin-yang can be symbolised. It is also, very often, symbolised through an infinity sign. This is because in the ‘Bagua’, a set of Chinese symbols which illustrate the nature of reality as yin and yang, the number 8 represents infinity, and in the Bagua the number 8 also represents the eight primary aspects of Yin and Yang combinations which represent the universe. Source here.
Karma
When we think about Karma; the meaning of it is to act, to take action. Karma can be the seeds and the fruits of action, to reap what we sow. Karma addresses interior and exterior forces impacting us.
“Each one of us has a soul to keep in balance. Upset that balance with some foolish and hurtful misdeed and we spend a succession of lives re-establishing the Law of Opposites reaping that we have sown. The process of balancing is what we call Karma. It owes nothing to religion, but relies upon the knowledge and responsibility that we should (but usually don’t!) have. Yin and Yang is the oriental understanding of karma and that there are positive and negative forces in the universe that balance each other out. They balance due to how karma equalizes the energy flow and irons out all the ripples in the multi dimensional planes.” (source)
Yin Yang Imagery from TS
Taylor has been highlighting Yin and Yang imagery in TTPD, many of us have picked it up.The TTPD logo was released in black and white. The TTPD logo is simply switching the black and the white part of the bottom half; demonstrating a rotation of Yin Yang in her symbolism and therefore two calendars. This helped me figure out The Man wall.
https://preview.redd.it/x7fbf8ftzm0d1.jpg?width=200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d52acb34da92e1a7912a573317296b14cbdd594
https://preview.redd.it/kxsuk8ftzm0d1.jpg?width=200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6ac8e55b2dcd7a565d545ebd9c395a76a05ca33c
At the TTPD library, there is the hand with the peace sign. Originally it was white. She then at some point changed it to black. This is using 2, ie the two parts of Yin and Yang, and the colour changes signal the fluidity of Yin and Yang. Tiktok in below images here.
https://preview.redd.it/a0mjl7y00n0d1.png?width=200&format=png&auto=webp&s=f8b6dee772c00ccd655bb4555f664f85d7c2e9ac
https://preview.redd.it/cc1hv7y00n0d1.png?width=200&format=png&auto=webp&s=efdc7cac4159986e1fe7f54af235d86a59032f8f
TTPD is both Yin and Yang, shown by using both black and white. The first drop of TTPD has white artwork, at midnight, meaning it is Yang: white, masculine, light, straight (yes, really), energetic, exterior, hard, odd numbers. The second deluxe drop has black artwork, it is Yin: dark, feminine, the moon, cold, discreet, rounded, soft, mental, even numbers. There is always a little Yin in Yang and Yang in Yin, as represented by the dots in the Yin and Yang symbol. Here is the track list of TTPD Midnight edition & The Anthology seperated into their representation of Yin and Yang, based on how each was dropped per imagery above.
https://preview.redd.it/wy25a6x70n0d1.png?width=623&format=png&auto=webp&s=202464871233635e3dac1092bf985dc61518408d
One important thing to notice is the sides are unbalanced. Does Yin represent the side she is suppressing, the side she needs to balance? TTPD has 16 tracks and the anthology 15; this demonstrates an imbalance – Yang represents odd, but Taylor’s Yang side has 16 tracks, Yin represents even, but Taylor’s Yin side has 15. She also is on TS11.
This leads me to my theory that she needs to ‘balance’ her yin and yang through Karma, it is bringing what is out of balance back into balance. She is repeatedly telling us something is wrong, something is unbalanced, hidden, obscured, ‘this is not Taylor’s Version’, that she is sick – and in Asian tradition, to be sick means inner and outer forces are out of balance.
Yin, the part of TTPD which has less songs, is ‘insufficient’ – which represents an over-focus on ‘night-time’ and symptoms like insomnia, and it can be caused by being overworked, it can cause burnout, it can result in feeling lost or not knowing who you are or hiding who you are. Yang represents the exterior and exterior forces, and an excess in Yang can represent that outside forces are at play and you lack honesty, authenticity, crave validation from the same forces which harm you; it could represent that she is ‘allowing’ the threat of the exterior, exterior forces, her career, her brand, her image, to determine what she hides and suppresses, and is paying a price for that. Many of us believe it is exterior forces which have forced her back into the closet.
This draws me back to what Taylor said in Miss Americana about being gone for a year end of 2016-17: “Nobody physically saw me for a year. That’s what I thought they wanted. I had to deconstruct an entire belief system, toss it out & reject it. It woke me up from constantly feeling I was fighting for people’s respect. It was happiness without anyone else’s input.”
Part of my belief in this theory is the use of the colour orange, I’ll go into this more but orange, in Buddhism, is the ‘essence’, it is the colour of flame or fire, it is an incredibly important colour and it describes a process of taking action and burning it all down to gain enlightenment and nirvana. (Source).
Clocks, Calendars and The Four Auspicious Beasts
Importantly, Yin and Yang in Chinese culture relates to clocks, cycles and calendars, which directly relates to The Man wall which I’ll explore further down the post. "The Four Auspicious Beasts" represent different parts of Yin and Yang and correlate to the Chinese calendar.
https://preview.redd.it/tytiyxgd0n0d1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c3567bcf2140f18ef0fb6eb6e9a09af61f524546
https://preview.redd.it/qtd8hngd0n0d1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc6bc92f8e46dd232d2d8e475c88b17b7571a676
"The Four Auspicious Beasts" are also known as The Four Symbols, The Four Guardians and The Four Gods. Each Beast has their own season, colour and direction, and one of the five elements of fire, wood, earth, metal and water.
They are:

• The Azure Dragon (Yang) – which can also be depicted using Serpents or Vipers, representing East, spring, dawn, blue-green, and wood
• The Vermilion Bird (Utmost Yang), also called The Chinese Phoenix, representing South, summer, midday, red-orange, and fire
• The White Tiger (Yin) – which can also be depicted as orange, or with orange colours surrounding, representing West, autumn, dusk, white and metal
• The Black Tortoise (utmost Yin), also called The Black Warrior, depicted with a snake, sometimes the snake is wrapped around the tortoise subduing it, representing North, winter, Black, and water
• There is also a fifth Auspicious Beast as part of the Five Elements (knowing as wuxing); The Yellow Dragon, representing the centre, midsummer, yellow and Earth

Each animal directly relates to Yin and Yang. The Tiger and The Dragon represent the shape we see of Yin-Yang: they hold the shades of Yin and Yang throughout the relevant seasons on each of their sides of Yin and Yang, whereas the Vemillion/Phoenix Bird represent 'utmost yang' and the Black Tortoise 'utmost yin' – the very top and very bottom of Yin and Yang.
In traditional Chinese philosophy, Yin Yang positioning takes precedence over directional; despite the Vermilion Bird representing South, if Yin Yang is in the traditional position (black being the right, bottom position, white being the left, top position) then the Vermilion Bird is at the top and the Tortoise at the bottom. Yin Yang is sometimes turned clockwise as part of a ‘cycle’, like so:
https://preview.redd.it/wgiv2f4g0n0d1.jpg?width=463&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ec9148d79bab9705f77fd3298617f24b4203dff
Yin and Yang is always clockwise, the ‘upright’ position of Yin and Yang has Yin (black) is on the bottom right and Yang (white) is on the top left. You move from ‘utmost Yang’ (summer) through to Utmost Yin (winter) and back through to summer, hence why it’s a seasonal calendar.
Whether we listen to TTPD backwards, which would then follow the traditional Ying Yang, it matches up to the Four Beasts! “Looking backwards, may be the only way forwards”. This has been theorised before here and here. I’m including You’re Losing Me, honestly because it fits this theory, but it also fits the idea that Taylor uses the last song or couple of last songs to foreshadow the next album. It also fits if we were to listen to her discography backwards, as she points to, as You’re Losing Me being the last song of TTPD and the first song of Midnights.
https://preview.redd.it/krjw40ei0n0d1.png?width=754&format=png&auto=webp&s=b4df38eb263e35c7a00d930f61b5eb4ede9cf222
The Manuscript, “Lookin' backwards, might be the only way to move forward…. but this story isn’t mine anymore”, and then we have
YIN: The White Tiger
Robin: “Long may you reign, you're an animal, you are bloodthirsty… slowed down clocks tethered, all this showmanship, to keep it, for you, in sweetness, way to go, tiger, higher and higher, wilder and lighter, for you, long may you roar…Buried down deep and out of your reach, the secret we all vowed to keep it, from you, in sweetness, way to go tiger, higher and higher, wilder and lighter, for you… You'll learn to bounce back just like your trampoline, but now we'll curtail your curiosity, in sweetness, way to go, Tiger”
In Chinese mythology, the white tiger represents power, strength, and courage. It embodies the essence of nature’s wrath, serving as a guardian of morality and justice. As the white tiger represents Yin, it is the embodiment of purpose and patience and it is the ruler on Earth. It is a protector, and there are themes of protection and guarded secrets in this song. I greatly believe this is a song about her talking to her younger self, so I find it incredibly interesting it has themes of courage, patience, strength and guarding or righting morality and justice. The tiger is often used to symbolise action being taken to right wrongs, to reveal secrets, and to provide justice.
An excerpt from The Sexual Secrets of The White Tigress, written by Hsi Lai, which is a translation of an ancient Chinese manual, the White Tigress Manual, regarding female sexuality: "If you cannot face directly into your sexuality, you will never discover your true spirituality. Your earthly spirit leads to discovering your heavenly spirit. Look at what created you to discover what will immortalize you. Freedom, joy, peace, love, healing is found when you face your truth. They elude you when you turn away. Face your truths."
Utmost Yin: The Black Tortoise The next songs that are important are Cassandra and The Black Dog, which I believe are meant to be used together to symbolise The Black Tortoise with the snake, and therefore true to ancient Chinese philosophy and mythology. The Black Tortoise generally only represents Utmost Yin when depicted with a snake. The Black Dog sits directly at the point of which sits The Black Tortoise, representing utmost Yin. This is perhaps the least obvious one, because it is a dog, but with the rest of the theory really adding up, and it sitting at Track 15 backwards, I feel it fits. It also represents water, for which Taylor uses a lot of imagery of in the song.
The Black Dog: “And it hits me, I just don't understand, how you don't miss me, in The Black Dog….my longings stay unspoken, and I may never open up the way I did for you…And it kills me, I just don't understand, how you don't miss me, in the shower, and remember, how my rain-soaked body was shaking… that was intertwined in the tragic fabric of our dreaming, 'Cause tail between your legs, you're leaving”
Cassandra: “When the first stone's thrown, there's screaming, in the streets, there's a raging riot, when it's "Burn the bitch, " they're shrieking, when the truth comes out, it's quiet….. so, they filled my cell with snakes, I regret to say, do you believe me now? I was in my tower weaving nightmares, twisting all my smiles into snarls, they say, "what doesn't kill you makes you aware" what happens if it becomes who you are?”
A tortoise intertwined with a snake represents a sense of inner conflict or hibernation, the depths of winter. It can represent guarded secrets or something hidden, a sense of protecting one self, or feeling conflicted about those secrets or the struggle they contain. When the snake is subduing a tortoise, it represents control – it can sometimes signify exterior forces causing this inner conflict or struggle. There are clear themes of subduing with snakes in Cassandra. The tortoises shell signifies resilience, strength, and also safeguarding; it represents a shield to the rest of the world, a protection from harm. The snake or serpent with the tortoise embodies wisdom and adaptability in the face of advertisity, and the power and authority to take back control. When there is cohesion between the two, they are a powerful force: the tortoise signifies quiet, while the snake signifies swiftness to act. There are themes of all of this in The Black Dog and Cassandra; particularly an inner conflict, exterior forces, and ‘longings’, combined with imagery of struggles, fights, and water – emotion.
Yang: The Azure Dragon:
This was probably the hardest to match, but once figured out it becomes quite strong. The Chinese dragon is widely understood to have developed in myth from serpents and vipers, and it is usually depicted as being very alike to a serpent or viper. It represents Spring, dawn and wood, and its colours range from blue to green. Very importantly, ancient drawings of The Azure Dragon depict the dragon’s shape with a horse’s head and a snake’s tail and tendril-like whiskers. The song that draws symbolism for The Azure Dragon is But Daddy I Love Him. There are, however, other songs that have links to it; for example, the Dragon represents Heaven – and there are themes of heaven in several songs on the Yang side.
But Daddy I Love Him: “I forget how the west was won… I just learned these people only raise you to cage you…too high a horse, for a simple girl to rise above it, they slammed the door on my whole world, the one thing I wanted, now I'm running with my dress unbuttoned, screaming "But Daddy I love him!" I'm having his baby - no, I'm not, but you should see your faces, I'm telling him to floor it through the fences… Dutiful daughter, all my plans were laid, tendrils tucked into a woven braid, growing up precocious sometimes means not growing up at all, he was chaos, he was revelry…soon enough the elders had convened, down at the city hall, "Stay away from her" the saboteurs protested too much, Lord knows the words we never heard, just screeching tires and true love…I'll tell you something about my good name, it's mine alone to disgrace, I don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath's clothing”
The Azure Dragon is a being which brings about order among chaos. It symbolises fertility, youth, sunrise and power, as well as the energy of transformation. It’s also creative and masculine, and represents power over authority. BDILH is a very rebellious song, rebelling against authority and reclaiming your power. The imagery being drawn out is that Taylor is rebelling, reclaiming power and defying authority. One of the things that really stood out to me and solidified this theory for me was “tendrils tucked into a woven braid”: not only does Dragon braids exist, but depictions and descriptions of The Azure Dragon consistently refer to tendril-like whiskers, and these are a large part of the imagery. The Azure Dragon also represents strength and courage, and part of reclaiming power is also reclaiming truth as per Chinese philosophy. The Dragon is also said to control the rain and water; which can be interpreted as learning to better control both surroundings and emotions.
The Vermilion Bird (Chinese Phoenix)
We end with You’re Losing Me: The Vermilion Bird, The Chinese Phoenix, which is ‘Chinese Red’; shades of red encompassing orange. This is incredibly strong, and most importantly it is an image and reference Taylor is clearly drawing from a lot.
You’re Losing Me: ““I'm getting tired even for a phoenix, always risin' from the ashes, mendin' all her gashes, every mornin', I glared at you with storms in my eyes, how can you say that you love someone you can't tell is dying? I sent you signals and bit my nails down to the quick, my face was gray, but you wouldn't admit that we were sick…How long could we be a sad song, 'til we were too far gone to bring back to life? I gave you all my best me's, I can't find a pulse, my heart won't start anymore”
The Vermilion Bird of the South represents death and rebirth. The mythology of the phoenix is that when one life cycle is ending, the phoenix bursts into flames to then be reborn; a new life is born from the ashes. The phoenix is ​​a sacred bird not just present in Chinese mythology, but also Greek, Egyptian, Persian and Japanese mythology. The Chinese Phoenix represents daylight, authenticity, truth. It is generally understood that the Vermilion Bird represents a significant life change, but more than that it signifies a rebirth of your self, and to do that it requires burning it all down to rebuild from the ashes. Importantly, it can also represent public reputation; it can signify shedding unneccessary need for validation from exterior forces and prioritising yourself and your truth. The Vermilion Bird symbolises fire, and it is ‘Chinese red’, meaning it is shades of deep red to orange, and it is depicted with red, orange and yellow, often against a backdrop of clouds. See below.
https://preview.redd.it/byutuxtl0n0d1.jpg?width=483&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2480ccc0f9938e36ec452dfbe0faf8caf9dd1349
You’re Losing Me is not the only song she draws imagery of death, rebirth, and fire. It is throughout TTPD, representing that The Vermilion Bird is perhaps the most important part of Taylor’s message and symbolism, in my opinion. Here are some other examples:
BDILH: “I'll tell you something right now, I'd rather burn my whole life down” Guilty As Sin?: “Oh what a way to die, my bedsheets are ablaze, I've screamed his name, building up like waves, crashing over my grave, without ever touching his skin, how can I be guilty as sin?” The Alchemy: “What if I told you I'm back? The hospital was a drag, worst sleep that I ever had, I circled you on a map, I haven't come around in so long, but I'm coming back so strong”Cassandra: “In the streets, there's a raging riot, when it's "Burn the bitch, " they're shrieking” / “they set my life in flames, I regret to say, do you believe me now?” / “Bet they never spared a prayer for my soul, you can mark my words that I said it first, in a morning warning, no one heard” (I think morning doubles as ‘mourning’ here).
Imagery of The Auspicious Beasts and Chinese Philosophy
The Chinese Phoenix: Fire, Red Yellow & Orange
Image from u/clydelogan in this post
https://preview.redd.it/fqnrf5kv0n0d1.jpg?width=550&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ba0aba40be19c69f1f3a347b50ffaae313d9f52
https://preview.redd.it/r7s1s12y0n0d1.png?width=858&format=png&auto=webp&s=18dba6257d71e1eb0397fdba8b9465ab432deead
https://preview.redd.it/hecft02y0n0d1.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25d8c05e0aa9c15b0af02d8fcb300baaba9e245b
https://preview.redd.it/b8awr02y0n0d1.jpg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6edf4a7a832cc72c3c88468a0d67f024173e7361
The Azure Dragon & Koi
https://preview.redd.it/zmeiug411n0d1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98c33ec049719bafd084e594ce3913b92584d794
https://preview.redd.it/a0drye411n0d1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7b1716be59df64cff9550b82110ced995153546
https://preview.redd.it/xqfq6by21n0d1.jpg?width=487&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd2fd9cb796cab7def6da65ed68fc94d6bdebbe3
A Fifth Auspicious Beast and Koi
There is also a fifth auspicious beast, The Yellow Dragon. It is the Yellow Dragon of the centre of Yin Yang, and it symbolises the centre of the earth. There’s a really important story concerning the Yellow or Golden Dragon that I think Taylor is drawing from, that I’ll share below.
In Chinese mythology and legend, koi is an incredibly important fish - and it has links to Yin and Yang. Legend is, in the Yellow River there was a large school of fish, koi, that would swim upstream and against the current towards a waterfall. When the koi would reach the waterfall, many would attempt to leap up the waterfall to get to the top. Some versions of the legend believe this attracted local deities who made the waterfall even higher. The koi continued to try to get to the top for 100 years, until finally a single koi made it. The gods rewarded this amazing achievement by transforming the koi into a golden dragon - a very well known Chinese symbol and image. The Golden Dragon can also be The Yellow Dragon; the centre of Yin and Yang, representing true harmony. The waterfall then became known as "The Dragon Gate" and the story is said to symbolise strength, courage, perseverance, telling us to never give up, no matter what, no matter the odds.
Koi is therefore often used to symbolise Yin Yang. In Chinese culture, pairing the Koi with the yin-yang symbol holds great significance; the sides masculine and feminine energies of koi swimming together, perfectly representing the harmony of two opposite energies coming together as one and creating a perfect balance.
See the above images of koi imagery and her recent social media post promoting The Eras Tour (The Extended Version) with a lyric from Long Live “I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you” with a yellow heart, and then a dragon emoji. Here’s the post.
I would also like to point to this post from u/magnificently-cursed highlighting how Virginia Woolf used fish to represent “women’s forbidden desires”.
Colour Theory
Yin and Yang and Chinese philosophy also informs colour theory as we know it today. Earth is represented by Yellow whereas Heaven is represented by Purple. Pointing to a post (see here) from u/glowoffthepavement, Long Live was cut from The Eras Tour Theatrical Version and multiple songs from Speak Now are performed in the yellow dress, which in colour theory can represent closeting. Is ‘Earth’ to her where she has to closet, and so she wants to stay in that lavender haze (heaven)? And is she ready to ‘burn it all down’ and come out?
Orange
I've already pointed out that the Phoenix is the colours of sunset, and how Taylor is using orange and fire throughout her work and visuals. In Chinese folklore and tradition, orange represents rebirth. Buddhist monks wear robes in the colour of orange, which symbolise simplicity and letting go of materialism. Orange is thought to represent the 'very essence of Buddhism' as it signifies wisdom, strength and dignity. Saffron as an orange dye was a natural one available, but there's also other reasons for the robes - saffron symbolises flames, a symbol of truth. It is known as 'the colour of illumination, the highest state of perfection'.
It draws to the mind for me: “I looked around in a blood-soaked gown, and I saw something they can't take away, cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned, everything you lose is a step you take, so make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it, you've got no reason to be afraid” (You’re on your own, kid)
Orange, is, ofcourse, the colour we all think represents Karma, the lost album. I think she is drawing us backwards because something is missing, her art and her work is unbalanced, her story is unbalanced, and she is hiding herself and her truth. I think she is ready to burn it all down, with Karma.
Okay, so what does this all mean? Well, there’s more.
The Man Calendar: it is Yin and Yang symbolism
This is a working theory, but here’s what it looks like. I’ve used both Yin Yangs as Taylor has used both, but so far only Red sits on the traditional Yin Yang, which is interesting considering TTPD’s work sits on the traditional Yin Yang. My theory is she’s attempting to rebalance that.
https://preview.redd.it/ashhv7le1n0d1.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a261d015c8746ac1f062739756f3aa67ec86520b
https://preview.redd.it/skxm7nle1n0d1.jpg?width=1584&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=16d7c5ac1cc769a6c0aff5b5007e10554e7f41a9
The release... of Karma the lost album!
If The Man clock works as a calendar based on Yin and Yang, then this is when I theorise Karma and Reputation releases
· I believe Karma sits on the left calendar, the traditional Yin Yang position.
· Therefore, Karma would be summer - I think Karma could be released on 23 August 2024. This would be the six year anniversary of the announcement of Reputation, one day before the six year anniversary of LWYMMD. Given the easter eggs in LWYMMD (post here), I think this could really fit. Karma was meant to be her sixth album. Additionally, 8 is her destiny number, and we are seeing 2’s, 3’s, and especially 5’s, all over the place and 2+3=5.
· If Reputation is also released this summer, it would be on the rotated Yin Yang calendar on the right. This could represent the ‘balance’ of re-releasing Reputation with its ‘sister’ album Karma.
· It could very well be a double album, representing a balance between the two.
· If it is not a double album, Reputation could be released next year in early Spring, to sit on the left calendar. Next year is The Year of the Snake. She could possibly do a drop during Chinese New Year, which is January 29^th to February 12^th.
So.. that’s it. I’m so sorry this is so long, I did my best to keep it short.
Would absolutely love to hear people’s thoughts and whether or not they think I’m a bit mad.
Thankyou for reading!
TLDR: Karma is coming this summer, either with Reputation or followed by Reputation early next year. Taylor is using Yin Yang symbolism, The Four Beasts and Chinese philosophy to weave ideas of imbalance throughout her work, to Easter Egg the arrival of Karma as a re-writing of the narrative, a redressing of injustice and imbalance in her life. There are consistent themes of needing courage, needing to speak her truth, and needing to rewrite a grave wrong and stop being so impacted by exterior forces. The Man wall is Yin Yang symbolism, highlighting a calendar of when she drops Karma & re-releases. This could be followed by a coming out!

Fair warning, this is gonna be a long one :)
I started working on this for my own purposes because I’m fascinated by the similarities and differences between the HTT styling approaches Kibbe recommends for the different ID families, but then thought it might be helpful to share with the sub. I always see lots of mention of “lines,” but the overall HTT approach for each ID is sometimes (often) oversimplified. Plus all the other very fun elements that make up a HTT are, imo, getting short shrift! There are a few users who have posted amazing full HTTs for their IDs and I'm hoping even more people will be inspired to explore.
So what even is this post?
Basically, I went through the styling directives in Metamorphosis (Chapter 4) for the main families and directly compared the recommendations for the IDs on a number of smaller, more discrete variables because my brain finds it more digestible that way. I only did the main families because “you’re a [insert family here] first and foremost!!” is a thing regardless of your ID ;) And I thought it was more interesting to compare the elements of the pure families without the influence of any other undercurrents. Also it just would have been a lot of work to do all of them 🙃.
A few notes before getting to the good stuff

• I tried to mostly focus on the words Kibbe uses to evoke feelings rather than specific items, since the book was written in the 80s and clothing is obviously quite different.
• Some of the things that fall in the middle of a scale have debateable positioning since the middles are sometimes hard to compare (ex. Is a moderate pinstripe more angular or less angular than a soft-edged plaid? My vote was more angular but your vote could be the opposite!) I included all of the language I used to determine placement on the scales so you can make your own call if you want.
• I disincluded some, ahem, charged descriptors in a few IDs but I don’t think it changes the overall picture painted of what that ID would be looking to channel in their HTTs

This post includes all of the scales I compared the families on in 6 main categories - silhouette, fabric, detail, prints, color, and accessories - plus some keywords that came up for each family that give the overall impression of the HTT. I might make a second part later with key similarities and differences between the approaches for each pair of families, but we'll see! I'm also interested in any discussion here or observations that others might have on the various categories :)
And of course you can always read Metamorphosis for yourself in full here, which I highly recommend!

1. Silhouette

This section is related to the base silhouette of an outfit - the overall shape of garments that make up a HTT and how they relate to one another. For the purposes of this category, I'm defining "ensemble" as the pieces look related or like they were purchased together, which I believe is the sense Kibbe uses it in.
https://preview.redd.it/8earo8fbm70d1.jpg?width=1965&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=40f17625fbfc45cc723b9cc83d447111428d8b02
Shapes

• D - “keep shapes sharp and geometric. Triangles, rectangles, and everything sculpted, sleek, and elongated, with crisp edges.” “square, sharp shoulders”
• R - “keep your shapes rounded with soft edges! Circles, ornate swirls, and intricate flowing shapes” “shoulders should be curved”
• C - “slightly geometric or slightly curved, blend the same shapes together in your look” “slight, crisp shoulder padding”
• N - “geometric shapes with soft or rounded edges are the key. Rounded-edged rectangles. Soft oblongs, rounded-edged squares, irregular shapes, and soft asymmetrics.” “soft-edged shoulder pads are very good”
• G - “small, sharp geometrics” “sharp edges and crisp tailoring” “crisp” “sharp edges and extreme tailoring and construction” “sharp shoulder pads”

Outline quality

• D - “Always straight, with elongated draping that is sleek”
• R - “your outline should always be soft and flowing” “lots of gentle draping everywhere” “soft fluidity”
• C - “smooth and symmetrical with the emphasis on controlled and even edges, soft, straight lines, or smoothly curved lines - softly tailored or slightly flowing.”
• N - “a relaxed, straight line is the outline of your look”
• G - “sharp, straight, and staccato” “severe lines with sharp edges” “broken, staccato, animated outline. Utilizing many short vertical lines and many short horizontal lines is also effective.”

Closeness of fit

• D - “always tailored and sculpted” “streamlined shape” “tailored and sleek” “the more tailored the better”
• R - “showcase the lush curves of your body” “Sleeves should be tapered at the wrist” “waistline should always be emphasized, with soft gathers, folds, draped sashes, and lightweight and supple belts to give a cinched effect” “[Jackets] should be fitted at the waist”
• C - “very slight draping in constructed garments” “crisp and finished cuffs” “tailored pleats” “narrow and tailored [jackets] with a smooth outline.” “lightweight unconstructed jackets are fine when they are kept sleek and narrow. Blazers, cardigan-style, elongated Chanel (not cropped) are all good choices” “softly tailored”
• N - “softly tailored, always unconstructed” “Your outline should be fairly narrow and slim, in a loose and easy way.” “Dropped waist detail (loose sashes, overbloused tops, ties, etc) is excellent, as are slightly dropped shoulders.” “Relaxed shapes” “relaxed and easy fit” “dresses should be simple and unconstructed, with a narrow shape and a relaxed outline.”
• G - “Precision fitted and crisply tailored” “[a] precisely fitted silhouette is crucial to your look” “Sharp and narrow waist definition.” “very fitted” “[skirts] should be very fitted at the waistband” “Pants should always be very sharply tailored with outlined or animated detail at the edges (waistbands, pleats, crisp cuffs).” “Skin tight stretchy pants are excellent” “Very tailored [blouses] with sharp edges and crisp detail (collars, cuffs, pleats, etc.)”

Length of garments

• D - “Long, vertical lines are essential.” “generally [jackets] should be long (ending at the mid-thigh area), although a very sleek, Italian-style might be cropped (be sure this has an extremely sculpted, streamlined shape)” “straight and long [skirts]” “a long hem” “long cardigans or pullovers”
• R - "lengths should be kept gracefully long as uneven hemlines (mid-calf), and short as the tapered styles with an even hemline (mid kneecap)" "[for sweaters] short lengths with waist detail"
• C - “standard length is best [for jackets] (just below break of hip)” “slightly longer jackets are possible when the corresponding skirt is elongated to match.” “moderate length [skirts]”
• N - “Elongated [jackets] (ending from the upper thigh on down.)” “Moderate length [skirts]” “Very short skirts for fun/funky looks.” “Nearly all styles [of pants] are excellent, from very casual to very dressy… short, cropped, or long.” “Any and all lengths [for sweaters]”
• G - “Short, cropped [jackets]” “Straight, sharp, and short [skirts]” “A slightly flared hemline [on skirts] may be slightly longer (top of the calf). Anything extremely long is very tricky, and must have a slit and be pencil slim.” “[For pants] Short lengths, anywhere from cropped at the calf to the top of the ankle.” “Short, cropped cardigans” “Short cropped jackets, vests, and boleros work well with dresses for you”

Cohesion

• D - “keep individual pieces blended together in an artful way for elegance”
• R - “include an artful blending of plush textures, draped fabrics, and luxurious colors” “avoid any kind of harsh contrast between top and bottom”
• C - “A clean, unbroken silhouette is your most elegant statement! Think ‘head-to-toe’, and blend everything accordingly.” “Use [separates] carefully and sparingly” “Make sure colors, textures, and prints blend together”
• N - “Separates are extremely exciting on you, and should make up the bulk of your wardrobe” “you’ll do better with an artful mixture of patterns, textures and colors than you will with an overly matched look” “designer sportswear” “definitely mix n’ match in the most sophisticated sense of the word”
• G - “A use of well-coordinated separates with lots of animated and colorful detail can be very exciting to your look.”

Some random observations from me about this category

• N fam has a truly impressive amount of versatility in terms of the length of pieces they're recommended, probably because they're the only family that's really strongly encouraged to go whole hog with a mix and match/separates-forward approach (a superpower tbh).
• Although the scale of pieces recommended are obviously quite different, the words he uses to describe the shapes for D and G fams are extremely similar. Definitely two families that benefit from an emphasis on crisp sharpness and angularity.
• I thought it was interesting that he used "softly tailored" in both the C and N fam sections, although the effect they're going for is very different (blended understated elegance vs. relaxed funky easy vibes).
• He never uses the word "wide" in the N fam section. He does, however, use "narrow" and "loosely tailored" a number of times 😈 No oversized shapeless potato sacks here!

2. Fabric

This category is pretty self-explanatory I hope!
https://preview.redd.it/94e76p19190d1.jpg?width=1976&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=816214030ae525dd16ec2e071426eab1e571c544
Definition

• D - “fabrics that hold a defined shape are necessary”
• R - “fabrics that drape easily” “flowing”
• C - “beautiful, luscious fabrics are an important element in your understated look” “very slight draping in constructed garments.”
• N - “loose and easy”
• G - “must always be crisp, able to hold a defined shape, and be tailored easily”

Range of textures (how many different fabrics can they use)

• D - “Moderate to heavyweights are best, with a matte finish and a smooth surface” “textures should be tightly woven, and shiny fabrics should be very stiff and ultraglitzy”
• R - “softly woven fabrics” “ultrashiny fabrics” “ultrasoft or plush textures” “sheer fabrics” “any kind of sparkle is excellent”
• C - “Matte finish or slight sheen.” “Luxurious to the touch” “lightweight textures” “smooth knits” “smooth chiffon and elegantly beaded fabrics for evening.”
• N - “All soft textures are excellent” “any fabric with a rough or nubby surface” “any wrinkly fabric works well” “all woven fabrics” “knits are excellent in nearly any weight and thickness, from very finely woven to very heavy and rough” “Plush velours, suede, and soft leather are perfect” “drapable fabrics are best kept to heavier weight jerseys.” “A matte finish is far superior to sheen for daytime” “In the evening, you can go very glitzy with hard-finished sheens”
• G - “a flat surface or light texture is best” “finely woven knits, especially when ribbed and skinny, are good choices.” “matte finish is best, although hard-finished sheens can be very exciting (especially metallics)”

Weight

• D - “Moderate to heavyweights are best” “occasionally lightweight fabrics can work if they are extra-structured in the design of the garment”
• R - “lightweight fabrics”
• C - “moderate weights. Lightweights in very constructed or tailored garments.”
• N - "knits are excellent in nearly any weight and thickness, from very finely woven to very heavy and rough." “moderate weights are best, although textures can easily be lighter”
• G - “usually your fabric will be of moderate weight, though lighter weights that hug the body are excellent”

Some random observations from me about this category

• Again lots of similarities for G and D fam as far as structure and matte finish, although D also has heavier structured wovens while G has fine knits.
• R fam and N fam get by far the most diverse recommendations as far as fabric and textures go (again a ton of versatility in N fam!). Seems like you really can't go wrong with something sparkly, shiny, glitzy, or plushy if you're in R fam. And for N fam it sounds like you get to mix far more textures into one HTT than everybody else does, which is exciting!
• I thought the emphasis on flowing for R fam was interesting. It makes total sense - I haven't read too deeply into R since I am clearly not one lol - but for some reason I had flowing associated with N in my mind.
• I really love the C recommendations myself - "luscious fabrics" just makes me think about burrowing in a cashmere blanket haha. I could definitely picture Grace Kelly as I was reading them.

3. Prints

Also self-explanatory!
https://preview.redd.it/nn24my93490d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3a8d47c3a4d4d5984b6cac8d9deeccdf7da834c4
Pattern

• D - “bold and geometric: stripes, zigzags, asymmetrics, and irregular shapes.” “Think Picasso and strive for a contemporary feeling”
• R - “rich and luscious with the emphasis on an abstract, watercolor blend (think Monet). Swirls of color, flowing together, with soft and rounded edges may be used in abundance.”
• C - “symmetrical, evenly spaced, and regular or realistic patterns. Understated prints (pin dots, pinstripes, checks, blended plaids, herringbone, symmetrical paisleys, etc.)”
• N - “casual styles that are soft-edged geometrics (plaids, stripes, paisleys, etc.) and funky prints in irregular shapes (abstract asymmetrics, leaves, animal prints, etc.).”
• G - “Prints should be sharp, colorful, and animated. Small geometrics and angular asymmetrics are excellent. Most of your prints should be very contemporary in feeling (“Picasso-ish”) although humorous styles that are outlined and caricatured can be quite stunning on you as well.”

Contrast

• D - “Bold color combinations and high-contrast blends work best”
• R - “swirls of color, flowing together”
• C - “Make sure colors, textures, and prints blend together” “understated”
• N - “generally have a softly blended edge”
• G - “colorful and animated” “outlined” “contrast”

Scale

• D - “bold”
• R - “luxuriously large: oversized florals or feathery shapes are especially lovely”
• C - “understated”
• N - “moderate scale to slightly large”
• G - “small”

Some random observations from me about this category

• Again lots of similarities for D and G for the type (sharp geometric) and feeling of prints (contemporary/Picasso) with the main difference being large vs. small scale (don't worry, they're about to diverge hardcore 😂)
• R fam is recommended significantly more abstract and organic prints than everyone else. I also thought it was interesting that both D and R call for larger-scale prints - finally something in common!
• For C fam it seems like the most important thing is that the prints blend in and are understated rather than drawing attention to themselves.
• Preferring high contrast and sharp prints vs slightly more blended and soft ones seems like a notable difference between D/G and N fam.

4. Garment Detail

This category is related to the details within the confines of the outline of a garment. So things like necklines, collars, effects like beading and sequins, trim, buttons, etc etc.
https://preview.redd.it/342pwi6y390d1.jpg?width=1971&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64115f1045c7a3cb6d9ac1d6d843754ca943a603
Shape - sharp vs soft

• D - “angular shapes” “sharp edges” “clean, angular necklines (plunging v’s, skinny turtlenecks, high Mandarins, slashed collars, halters…)” “anything tailored (crisp cuffs, sharp pleats, sharp lapels, etc.)”
• R - “soft” “[Sleeves can be] very soft and flowing” “lapels should be curved, rounded, or shawl-collared” “gathers, tucks, or bouffant shapes” “any draped, gathered, or shirred touches are wonderful accents”
• C - “clean, tailored necklines” “crisp and finished cuffs”
• N - “Any unconstructed or loosely tailored detail works well.” “Simple necklines… are best, and you should concentrate on open necklines for your air of casual chic” “lapels should be tailored, notched, or clean (lapel-less).” “Cuffs should be very plain.”
• G - “Detail should always be… sharp” “very crisp, staccato, broken up, and multicolored” “lots of crisp trim” “lots of outlining (collars, cuffs, waistbands, lapels) with piping of contrasting colors or fabric, braiding, beads, etc.” “Small, crisp pleats.” “Sharp, angular necklines - also small” “Small, crisp ties (ribbon, leather, etc.)” “Small, tailored lapels or crisp lapel-less with piping.” “Small, crisp cuffs.”

Scale - large vs small

• D - “bold, sweeping geometrics”
• R - “oversize bows, flouncy ruffles, and delicate lace are always good choices”
• C - “[detail] should never call attention to itself”
• N - “pleats should be soft and deep” “You can use small touches of hand embroidery or rough lace and eyelet for very simple trim.”
• G - “Detail should always be small” “Small, crisp pleats.” “Sharp, angular necklines - also small” “Small, crisp ties (ribbon, leather, etc.)” “Small, tailored lapels or crisp lapel-less with piping.” “Small, crisp cuffs”

Complexity - clean vs intricate

• D - “detail should always be clean and minimal”
• R - “intricate, ornate… with an emphasis on framing your face” “Sleeves should be tapered at the wrist with intricate buttons” “any kind of sparkle is excellent (pearls, sequins, beading, etc.)” “belt buckles should always be intricate” “the more intricate or antique looking your buttons are the better” “ornate detail” “ornate necklines”
• C - “clean, simple, and minimal - just enough to add an elegantly understated touch.” “never call attention to itself” “clean lines” “minimal detail” “minimum of detail”
• N - “detail should be kept minimal. Plain and simple is best for you.” “gathers should be minimal” “simple tailored styles with minimal detail” “Simple shapes with easy fits” “Minimal detail”
• G - “an overabundance of detail” “You can never wear too much detail! An abundance of it and everywhere in your look is one of the most effective tools you have for capturing your animated effervescence!” “Detail should always… call attention to itself (not blend into the lines of your garments)” “lots of animated and colorful detail” “Collar, cuff, lapel, and waistband detail (outlining, trim, piping, ribbing) are essential”

Some random observations from me about this category

• A very stark divide here between the families that lean minimal/clean (C, N, D) and the families that lean complex (R, G)!
• Even though R and G both call for a lot of detail, G fam seems to like it literally everywhere (but especially at the edges) while R focuses on framing the face. Another difference between them is that G detail is high contrast, sharp, and colorful while R fam's detail tends to the ornate, flowing, intricate, and sparkly - very different shapes I think.
• Finally a category where N fam is not running away with the versatility haha - it seems like a more minimal and clean approach to detail really helps them shine.

5. Color

Y'all know what colors are :)
https://preview.redd.it/5he7hmfk790d1.jpg?width=1949&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc59971dc9518bfbd276300feccba5838f4d7971
Number

• D - “Always think ‘head-to-toe’ with your color schemes” “All monochromatic schemes are excellent”
• R - “include an artful blending of… luxurious colors”
• C - “Make sure colors, textures, and prints blend together” “monochromatic schemes are excellent, although you do not need to be limited to just one or two colors.”
• N - “Color is an area in which you should have lots of fun! Strive for zip, verve, and lots of pizzazz with bolds, brights, pastels, vivids, and wild color combinations - anything imaginative.” “Break all the rules when it comes to color! Mix ‘n match with ease.”
• G - “lots of animated and colorful detail can be very exciting to your look” “Your use of color should be bold and sassy; break all the rules here! Multicolored splashes are perfect. Bright and shockingly colored accessories played against a dark or light background. High, sharp contrast and wild color combinations are all very chic on you. Break your line with color!”

Effect

• D - “color combination should be bold but elegant. Combining bright shades with dark shades achieves this with ease.”
• R - “should emphasize a watercolor palette of soft pastels and luscious brights.” “rich, luxuriously blended colors” “pale neutrals… are your best accents”
• C - “accentuate your smoothly blended visual outline. This means that a mixture of colors in an outfit should blend together in intensity so as not to disrupt your clean and smooth silhouette.” “The key is to make sure the tones (intensities) blend, instead of contrasting.”
• N - “Strive for zip, verve, and lots of pizzazz with bolds, brights, pastels, vivids, and wild color combinations - anything imaginative. Neutrals work well when they are used in beautifully textured fabrics… but you will feel a little dull without a few bright accents, either in accessories or jewelry.” “Colors can be very wild and unusual if you wish, or more muted and earthy-looking”
• G - “bold and sassy” “Multicolored splashes” “Bright and shockingly colored accessories played against a dark or light background.” “High, sharp contrast and wild color combinations”

Some random observations from me about this category

• It's been said before but D fam's inability to do anything but monochrome has been greatly exaggerated. Outfits can have high contrast colors as long as they still read bold and sleek!
• I found it interesting that both C fam and R fam call for a blended effect.
• Color seems like a key category to focus on for both N fam and G fam - bold color kings/queens 👑

6. Accessories

The category for everything else - bags, hats, shoes, jewelry, belts, etc etc.
https://preview.redd.it/ek7fu7oz790d1.jpg?width=1923&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c24f3db63656cef4a8da916665ba0f19893cc86
Scale

• D - “Belts should be bold and wide” “Metal belts will be sculpted and quite large.” “[Hats should have] wide brims” “[Jewelry should have] an emphasis on bold, modern shapes.” “[For jewelry,] Pieces should be large but not overly bulky.”
• R - “The effect may be lavish, but the workmanship should be intricate and delicate.” “delicate [shoes]” “[For bags,] Delicate shoulder straps. Elegantly slim briefcases.” “Jewelry should always be delicate and lavish, with intricate and ornate touches. Rounded shapes, curves, swirls, and lots of dangles”
• C - “slender pumps” “narrow heels” “moderate size [bags]” “slim and elegant” “keep [belts] elegant, slim, and narrow with small smooth buckles” “small and crisp [hats] with even brims” “Small [jewelry]”
• N - “moderate-sized [bags]” “Jewelry should be kept on the chunky side” “It is possible to get away with very minimal chains, tiny diamond studs, etc., but chances are you won’t be satisfied with this once you experiment with a zippier look!”
• G - “All accessories should be small, crisp, geometric, and colorful” “Small, crisp geometrics [for bags]” “[Belts] may be narrow to moderately wide.” “Small, crisply tailored hats.” “Jewelry should be small and sharp.”

Shape

• D - “All accessories should be crisp, sharply tailored, and angular with geometric shapes. Keep everything sleek and contemporary in feeling.” “High, straight heels, crisp soles, and elegantly tapering toes.” “Angular envelopes, clutches, or structured briefcases.” “[For jewelry,] thin sharp pieces are good choices, as are avant-garde works of art.”
• R - “softly sophisticated.” “[Shoes of] Lightweight and supple leather.” “[For bags,] small, rounded shapes. Soft, supple leather or fabric.” [For belts,] soft and supple leather or fabric.” “Soft, curvy [hats]” “Large, fluffy fur hats.”
• C - “elegant scarves in symmetrical ties” “tapered toes” “elegant leather” “softly tailored flats” “crisply tailored [bags]” “supple leather [bags]” “tailored, symmetrical shape[d hats]” “Keep your jewelry elegant, smooth, and symmetrical” “Small, slightly geometric shapes [in jewelry] are good, as are smoothly curved swirls.”
• N - “Unconstructed styles with soft or rounded-edged geometric shapes are most effective.” “high heels should be very angular and straight, not tapered” “unconstructed pouches” “Simple geometrics in supple leather” “softly geometric [belts]” “unconstructed [hats]. Large, loose, and floppy. Shaggy-haired fur.” “Soft or rounded-edged geometrics [for jewelry]”
• G - “All accessories should be small, crisp, geometric, and colorful” “tailored and angular [shoes] in lightweight leather. Unusual shapes in toes and heels are excellent (asymmetrics, wedges, sharp points, etc.) as are bold colors and printed fabric.” “Small, crisp geometrics [for bags]” “Stiff leather [belts] with geometric buckles.” “Jewelry should be small and sharp and in geometric, asymmetrical, or irregular shapes.”

Detail

• D - “sleek & elegant”
• R - “ornate” “strappy, slender-heeled [shoes] with tapered or open toes” “[Flats] with ornamentation” “[For bags,] Ornamentation or luxurious detail (beads, gathers, trim).” “[For belts,] All beaded, bejeweled, or sparkly styles are excellent.” “belts are a focal point, and should be selected as carefully as a fine piece of jewelry” “Jewelry should always be delicate and lavish, with intricate and ornate touches. Rounded shapes, curves, swirls, and lots of dangles… sparkly materials are essential… and an antique, baroque, or rococo effect is desirable.”
• C - “simple, clean, and elegant” “Be careful not to overdo! Go elegant instead of extreme.”
• N - “Accessories should be kept minimal; plain and simple is your best look here” “evening sandals should be very bare, not strappy” “belts should be simple” “[For jewelry, think] “wearable art”... or it can be bright and funky costume pieces that add pizzazz! Earthy materials are very elegant and sophisticated on you (copper, silver, amber, turquoise, etc.). Hard-finished enamels and glass are fun, especially when used in bold colors for vivid accents”
• G - “[Accessories] should call attention to themselves as detail” “Contrast is being strived for with your use of accessories, as well as bringing out your wit and a sense of fun.” “[For shoes] bold colors and printed fabric. Flats of all kinds should always be funky and fun (patent leather, trimmed, etc.)” “Brightly colored belts are excellent aids in breaking your line.” “[For jewelry] Brightly colored enamel, stone, or glass are best. Very contemporary avant-garde pieces are excellent on you, as are trendy pieces that accentuate your wit.”

Some random observations from me about this category

• In keeping with the general themes, D fam again shines more with much bolder or larger scale accessories than everyone else, although they don't need a ton of detail within them. The overall shape seems to do most of the heavy lifting.
• In contrast, G fam and R fam once again call for a lot of detail within their accessories. They also get the most fun-sounding shoes (to me, a magpie).
• And again N, C, and D have the cleaner strategies for accessories, although N does have a more G-like approach recommended for fun colorful jewelry.

7. In closing, some keywords

Picked out from the sections for each main family. I find these helpful to kind of paint a word picture of the overall vibe each family is recommended to go for.

• D - sharp, geometric, elongated, sculpted, sleek, streamlined, defined, structured, clean, bold, sweeping, angular, tailored, elegant, long, straight, contemporary, avant-garde, crisp, modern, chiseled, high-contrast
• R - soft, rounded, ornate, intricate, flowing, draping, light, shiny, plush, sheer, delicate, curved, tapered, sparkle, gathers, folds, blended, luxurious, fluid, antique, shirred, flounces, frills, fluffy, swirls, watercolor, rich, abstract, sophisticated, strappy, ornamentation, beaded, bejeweled, lavish, rococo, elaborate, colorful, glitzy
• C - smooth, even, blended, controlled, softly tailored, slightly flowing, clean, elegant, luscious, understated, quality, moderate, simple, minimal, crisp, symmetrical, gathers, slim, beaded, sleek, natural
• N - geometric, soft, rounded edges, irregular, asymmetric, relaxed, straight, softly tailored, unconstructed, narrow, slim, loose, easy, textured, plush, matte, minimal, plain, simple, open, casual, chic, separates, mix and match, pattern, color, sophisticated, easy, elongated, short, zip, verve, pizzazz, bold, bright, pastel, vivid, wild, imaginative, funky, blended, chunky, elegant, tousled, free, fresh-faced, glowing, radiant, healthy
• G - small, sharp, geometric, fitted, crisp, tailored, straight, staccato, severe, animated, broken, short, detail, defined, flat, light, matte, sheen, moderate, call attention, colorful, trim, outlined, piping, ribbing, contrast, pleats, angular, ties, lapels, narrow, well-coordinated separates, tapered, stiff, slim, asymmetrical, bold, sassy, splashes, bright, high contrast, wild, chic, contemporary, humorous, wit, fun, angular, unusual shapes, prints, irregular, avant-garde, sleek, beading, tousled, cropped, fresh-faced, glowing, doe-eyed

Phew! You made it to the end. Hopefully it was helpful, or gave you some ideas of smaller, more approachable categories to explore for HTTs. If not, at least it was a great exercise for my own weird brain processing lol. Feel free to drop any observations/thoughts you might have in the comments, I'm curious what everyone else sees or thinks is notable or interesting!

ΜΟΝΤΕΝEGRO
CHAPTER I
THE CITY IN THE SKY
Why I went to the Balkans―The road to Montenegro―Cettinje and its petroleum tins―About the blood-feud―England and Montenegro―Warned not to attempt to go to Albania―My guide a marked man-The story of Tef―A woman's fickleness, and its sequel.
CHAPTER II
AN AUDIENCE OF PRINCE NICHOLAS
The Palace at Cettinje―A cigarette with the Prince―The policy of Montenegro―A confidential chat―His Royal Highness's admiration for England―His views upon Macedonia―He urges me not to attempt to go to Albania. but I persuade him to help me―His Highness's kindness―Souvenirs.
**
CHAPTER I
THE CITY IN THE SKY
Why I went to the Balkans— The road to Montenegro — Cettinje and its petroleum tins — About the blood-feud — England and Montenegro — Warned not to attempt to go to Albania — My guide a marked man — The story of Tef — A woman's fickleness, and its sequel.
I ENTERED the Balkans by the back door. The luxuries of the Orient Express had no attraction for me. I wanted to see the Balkans as they really are, those great, wild, mountainous countries, so full of race hatreds, of political bickerings, of fierce blood-feuds, of feverish propa- gandas those nations with their interesting monarchs and their many mysteries.
The "Orient" runs direct from Paris to the Balkan capitals, it is true, but if one goes to study a people the capital is not the only place in which to discover the truth. One must go into the country, move among the peasantry, hear their grievances and investigate their wrongs. Therefore I decided to enter the East by Montenegro, and also visit the wild and little-known regions of Northern Albania.
The comfortable voyage by the Austrian-Lloyd mail steamer Graf Wurmbrand from Trieste down the Adriatic, touching at Pola, the Austrian naval station, Lussinpiccolo, Zara- famed for its maraschino-Sebenico, Spalato, and Gravosa to Cattaro, has been already described by many writers. Suffice it to say that it is perhaps one of the most picturesque of pleasure-trips in the world, for every moment one has a fresh panorama of mountain and blue sea, of green, fertile islands with subtropical vegetation, and tiny white villages nestling at the sea's edge, as the steamer threads her way through the narrow and often difficult channels.
At times the wild scenery, especially in the Bocche di Cattaro, reminds the traveller of the Norwegian fiords, and at others the coast is an almost exact reproduction of the French Riviera.
The object of my journey was, however, not in order to write a mere description of men and places. There have been other travellers in the Balkans who have related their story, therefore my mission was to make careful inquiry into the present unsettled state of affairs, try and discover the grievances of both sides, and endeavour to obtain from the rulers and statesmen of the various nations their aspirations for the future. This I succeeded in doing, for the various monarchs of the Balkans graciously gave me audience; and from their Ministers, from the middle classes, and from the peasants, I was enabled at last to form some conclusion as to the real situation-political, economical, social, and financial.
The writer who attempts to place the various Balkan questions impartially and clearly before the public will at once find himself utterly confused, and wallowing wildly in a morass of misstatement and misrepresentation. The Balkans are torn by race hatreds, party strife, and the intrigues of the Powers. The Turk hates the Bulgar, the Serb hates the Austrian, the Roumanian hates the Greek, the Albanian hates the Montenegrin, the Bosnian hates the Turk, while the Macedonian hates everybody all round. What is told to one authoritatively one hour, is flatly contradicted the next; therefore it is not in the least surprising that in the European Press there have been so many misstatements about the various Balkan questions, the real truth being so very difficult to obtain.
I have, however, endeavoured to obtain it, and at risk of being injudicious, to place before the reader the facts as they are, without any political bias, or any seeking to gloss over the many glaring defects of administration of which I have myself been witness.
To describe the beauties of the Bocche di Cattaro, that series of winding channels where the high grey mountains rise sheer from the water, would be only to traverse old ground. Suffice it to say that I landed at Cattaro on a bright, sunny noon, and found upon the quay a tall, lean mountaineer who had been sent to meet me.
To the traveller fresh from the West the Montenegrin costume of both women and men is very attractive, but a few days in the Balkans soon accustoms the eye to a perfect phantasmagoria of colour and of costume. Pero was my driver's name, and I noticed that around his waist was a revolver belt, but minus the weapon. I inquired where it was, and with a grin he informed me that Cattaro, being in Dalmatia, the Austrians would not allow Montenegrins to bring arms into their country; so they were compelled to leave them on the other side of the frontier, ten kilometres distant.
My bags packed upon the three-horse travelling carriage and secured with many strings, and Pero equipped with a plentiful stock of cigarettes, he mounted upon the box, whipped up his long-tailed ponies, and we started on our eight-hour ascent of that great wall of mountain that hides Montenegro from the sea.
As we ascended through the little village of Skaljari we entered upon a magnificent road, said to be one of the greatest engineering feats of modern times, and steadily ascended, until at the striped black-and-yellow Austrian boundary post we crossed the frontier, and were in the "Land of the Black Mountain"-Montenegro. Across the road, at an acute angle, a row of paving-stones marks the frontier, and soon after- wards we found ourselves in the wildest and most desolate mountain region. At a lonely roadside hut Pero obtained his big, serviceable-looking revolver, and I, of course, wore mine in my belt; for in Montenegro or Albania arms make the man. A man unarmed is looked upon as an effeminate coward. Indeed, by order of Prince Nicholas every Monte- negrin must wear the national dress, both men and women, and every man must carry his revolver when out of doors.
Four hours from Cattaro we were in a lonely mountain fastness, a wild, desolate, treeless region of huge limestone rocks of peculiar volcanic formation, which gave them the appearance of a boiling sea. The views over the Adriatic as we turned back were so superb that, despite photographing being strictly forbidden on account of the fortresses in the vicinity, I could not resist the temptation to take one or two surreptitiously. On, through a bleak, uninhabited country, we at last reached the guard-house of Kerstac, and then half an hour later found ourselves upon a plateau where, in the centre, stood the small clean village of Nyegush, the ancestral home of the reigning family, and the scene of most of the Montenegrin wars of independence. Here we halted for half an hour at the post-house, and before we left, the big, lumbering post-diligence, with its armed guard, came up behind us.
Before we moved off again it had grown dark, the moon shone, and for four hours longer we alternately climbed and descended through that wild region of silence and desolation, until at last we saw, deep below, the lights of Cettinje, the little capital, and an hour later brought us to the unpre- tending "Grand" Hotel.
Hardly had I entered my room when there came a loud knock at my door, and a tall, scarlet-coated Montenegrin warrior, armed to the teeth, entered and saluted. For a moment I looked up at him aghast, but the mystery was solved when, next second, he handed me with great ceremony a telegram from a dear friend in England wishing me God- speed. I had taken him to be, at least, one of the Prince's bodyguard, and he was only a plain telegraph messenger!
This was but one of many surprises in store for me in Montenegro. Next morning I went out to look round the clean little capital, when, on passing the Prince's palace, I saw a number of soldiers drawn up, and as I went by, the band suddenly struck up the British National Anthem! I raised my hat, halted, and stood puzzled. Surely they were not honouring me! Another moment, however, and I recognised the reason. In a carriage, accompanied by the Grand Marechal of the Court, there drove up my friend Mr. Charles des Graz, the newly-appointed British Chargé d'Affaires to Montenegro, who was about to present his creden- tials to His Royal Highness the Prince.
Montenegro is perhaps the most interesting country in all the Balkans. Cettinje, a small, clean town of broad streets and one-storeyed, whitewashed houses, is a little city in the sky, lying as it does in a cup-shaped depression at the summit of a high, bare mountain. Its long, straight, main street reminds one very much of a small country town in England, if it were not that everyone is, by law, compelled to wear the national dress, and every man has in his belt his big, long- barrelled revolver, without which he must never go out of doors.
The men, sturdy mountaineers, are of fine physique- handsome fellows, all of them. Their dress consists of dark blue baggy trousers, white woollen gaiters, raw-hide shoes, a scarlet jacket heavily braided with gold, and a small round cap, with black silk around the edge and the crown of the same colour as the jacket, bearing the Prince's initials in Servian letters, "H.I." The women, who are particularly good-looking, wear dark skirts, beautifully hand-embroidered blouses, and a kind of long coat, with open sleeves of soft, dove-grey cloth. Forbidden to wear European hats, they are compelled to adopt an exactly similar cap to the men, except that the crown is embroidered instead of bearing the royal initials.
Nowhere have I seen such glorification of the male as in Montenegro. To the men, born fighters as they are, work is undignified; therefore the women toil while the opposite sex look on. I saw women employed in building operations and performing work which, in other countries, is left to day- labourers.
Cettinje is quaint in the extreme. The only houses of foreigners are the various Legations, and the only foreigners are diplomats with their wives and families. The first thing that strikes the stranger is the number of petroleum tins. Opposite the hotel I saw a great ring of empty tins, numbering some hundreds, ranged around a fountain. A few women were squatting gossiping, and an armed policeman lounged against the water-source. On inquiry, I found that there was a water famine, and the tins had been placed there at dawn to await the moment when the authorities thought fit to allow the people to get their daily supply. The women had gone away to work, and would return later. The Monte- negrins a short time ago constructed a reservoir, but there was a crack in it, so the water ran away. Hence the famine.
The petroleum tin is never out of sight for a single moment in Cettinje. At any hour, and in any street, you see women and children carrying them. They are used for everything, from milk-pails to flower-pots.
In Cettinje one comes for the first time up against the dark-faced, scowling Albanian in his tightly fitting trousers of white wool striped with black, his dirty white fez, and the swagger of superiority in his gait. He is well armed, and for a good reason. The Montenegrin hates the Albanian, because of the constant border feuds over at Podgoritza, where blood is constantly spilt, and where I have seen a Montenegrin in the market squatting over a basket of apples with a loaded rifle.
That morning I was chatting to a man in Montenegrin dress, of whom I had bought some excellent cigarettes, manufactured by the Montenegro Tobacco Monopoly-an Italian syndicate, by the way and happened to mention that I was on my way to Albania. "Ah, gospodin!" he exclaimed, holding up both his hands, and glancing at the revolver in my belt. "Take my advice.
Don't go into Albania or Macedonia. You are not safe there from one moment to the other. For half a word they'll shoot you dead as easily as they drink a glass of wine. No man's life is worth a moment's purchase there. I'm Albanian myself from Kroja-and I know."
This was scarcely reassuring. I looked about me on every hand as I strolled through Cettinje. All was so quiet, so orderly, so very peaceful there, even though the big, burly mountaineers in the gold-laced jackets eyed me with askance as I passed. Not without some trepidation I took a number of photographs, for I had heard that, like the Turk, the Monte- negrin was averse to having his counterfeit presentment put upon paper. Nevertheless, the first feeling of insecurity having passed, I very soon found myself quite at home in Cettinje, and in the midst of very good and kind friends.
A good many foreigners come up from Cattaro to pry about Cettinje for a day or two, buy picture-postcards and antique arms, sneer at the honest Montenegrin, and return into Dalmatia. Towards such, the Montenegrin is not par- ticularly polite. But those who go to Cettinje to seriously and thoroughly study the people and their future will find a great deal of genuine and charming hospitality.
My first day in Cettinje was lonely. Afterwards, until I left, I was always with friends and officials, who took the greatest trouble to answer my questions and explain matters.
Montenegro is entirely unlike any other country in the world. Its air of antiquity is particularly pleasing, while on every hand the beneficent rule of Prince Nicholas is apparent. Every man in Montenegro swears by his Prince, whom he almost worships. They call him their "father," and if His Royal Highness raised the standard of war to- morrow, every man would rise and fight to the death. The Prince is accessible to all his people-more so to them, indeed, than to the diplomats. Sometimes, early in the morning, he will sit in an arm-chair on the steps leading to the entrance of his palace, and there hear the complaints or petitions of his people. In this patriarchal way he often ministers justice. Last year he granted Montenegro a Constitution, and there is now a Skupshtina similar to that of Servia; but the people have not yet quite understood that in future they must go to the Ministers, and not to their Prince. They will see him, and nobody else.
In no country is loyalty and patriotism so strong as in Montenegro. The army is well trained, and the whole country being one huge natural fortress, a foreign enemy would experience enormous difficulty in gaining entrance. In Cettinje, even a constant traveller like myself meets with continual surprises. One day, while walking at the rear of the Bigliardo, or old palace-so called because when built the first billiard table was introduced-I heard the sound of clanking chains behind me. At first I took no notice, but as it continued with regular rhythm I glanced behind, when, to my amaze- ment, I saw a convict in leg-fetters with difficulty taking his afternoon stroll beneath the trees! There were several others on the grass plot before the prison, idling in the shadow or gossiping with their friends, who had come to keep them company!
Inquiriesshowed that most of these prisoners were murderers, not for robbery but for vendetta. In Montenegro the blood- feud is constant, and life is held very cheap. It invariably commences by jealousy, and is of everyday occurrence. Two lovers quarrel, and one is shot. Then the blood-feud commences, and unlike in Italy or other Southern countries, the vendetta is not only upon the murderer, but upon his next-of-kin. Therefore, if the assassin escapes into Servia, Bosnia, or Turkey, as he so often does, the brother of the dead man takes up the feud and kills the assassin's brother without parley when next he meets him. I myself saw a man shot dead one night in Ryeka, at the head of the Lake of Scutari, and the murderer walked coolly away undeterred. It was the blood-feud, and no one took much notice.
"S'bogom!" (God be with you!) It is the expression you hear on every hand in the Balkans. In the streets the peasants touch their round caps in salute and exclaim, "S'bogom!" When you leave for a journey and when you return, when you rise and when you go to rest; even if you go for a short walk-it is the same. Life is so uncertain in those wild regions that the protection of the Almighty is invoked upon you always, and your revolver is ever ready in your belt.
In Cettinje I had a faithful guide and servant, a black-eyed, somewhat sinister-looking Albanian, named Palok. He travelled with me through Montenegro and Albania, and was most faithful and devoted. Besides Albanian and Serb he spoke a little Italian, and possessed a keen sense of humour.
One day, while we were travelling through the wild, bare mountain, a perfect wilderness of huge boulders without a single tree or even blade of grass, we halted for our midday meal, and while eating he told me of a great friend of his who had recently been killed at Spuz for vendetta, and he added, fondling the butt of his revolver, "I too, gospodin, shall die before long."
I looked at him in surprise. His usually humorous face had changed. It was dark and thoughtful, and his black eyes were fixed upon me.
"Is there a blood-feud upon you, then?" I asked, in surprise.
"Yes," he replied briefly; and though I endeavoured to persuade him to tell the story, it was not until the following day that with some reluctance he explained.
"A year ago my brother Tef, away in Scutari, fell in love with a beautiful girl. He had a rival-a young Albanian, a coppersmith in the bazaar. They quarrelled, but the girl-ah! she was very beautiful-preferred Tef. Where- upon the rival one night took his rifle and laid in wait for my brother in the main street of Scutari. Early in the evening he left the house of the girl's father, and as he passed the fellow shot poor Tef dead."
And he paused as his brow knit deeply, and his teeth were set tightly.
"Well?" I asked.
"Well, gospodin. What would you have done had your own brother died a dog's death? I took a rifle, and within a week the murderer was in his grave. I shot him through the heart and then I left Scutari."
"And you are safe here, in Montenegro ?"
"Safe! Oh dear, no," he answered. "One day-it may be to-day-the fellow's brother will kill me. He must kill me. It is Fate-why worry about it? It does one no good."
And the marked man, the man doomed to die at a moment when he least expects it, rolled a cigarette and lit it with perfect resignment.
"And are you not afraid to go with me back to Scutari?" I asked, amazed at his fearlessness.
"Afraid, gospodin!" he exclaimed, looking at me in reproach as his hand instinctively wandered to his weapon. "Afraid! No Albanian is afraid of the blood-feud. I have killed the murderer, and his brother must kill me. It is our law." And the doomed man smiled gravely.
"And the girl?" I asked.
"Ah! They are all the same," he answered, with a quick shrug of the shoulders. "A month ago she married a tobacco- seller a man old enough to be her father. Poor Tef! If he could but know!"
"And the blood-feud still continues?"
"Of course-until I am dead."
Then Palok smoked on in silence, entirely resigned to the fate that awaits him. He knows that one day, as he walks along the road, the sharp crack of a hidden rifle will sound, and he will fall to earth, another victim of a woman's fickleness.
S'bogom! God be with you!
CHAPTER II
AN AUDIENCE OF PRINCE NICHOLAS
The Palace at Cettinje-A cigarette with the Prince-The policy of Monte- negro-A confidential chat-His Royal Highness's admiration for England-His views upon Macedonia-He urges me not to attempt to go to Albania, but I persuade him to help me-His Highness's kindness -Souvenirs.
HIS Royal Highness the Prince will be pleased to grant you private audience at four o'clock this after- noon, gospodin."
The tall, burly aide-de-camp in the little round cap, high boots, pale blue overcoat, and pistols in his belt, saluted, and we shook hands.
It was then three o'clock, and I was just about to go out to visit Madame Constantinovitch, the mother of Princess Mirko. So I had to return at once to my room and dress for the audience. The kings and princes of the Balkans have a habit of summoning one at a moment's notice, and paying visits at unearthly hours.
Here, in Cettinje, in the heart of these wild, desolate fast- nesses, one seems so far removed from European influence, yet how great a part has this rocky, impregnable country, with its fierce soldier-inhabitants, played in the politics of Eastern Europe, and how great a part it is still destined to play in the near future!
The fact that everybody is armed gives the stranger an uncanny feeling. The man who brings one's coffee wears a perfect arsenal of weapons in his sash, and one quickly acquires the habit of carrying a revolver one's self. Indeed, if you are wise, you will carry a good serviceable weapon from the moment you enter the Balkans to the moment you quit them. But if you approach the Albanian frontier, you will be at once warned not to fire without just cause. A few shots is sufficient to alarm the whole neighbourhood for many miles, and on hearing the alarm every man seizes his rifle and flies to the rendezvous, fully equipped and eager for the fight with those Albanian border tribes, of whom I afterwards had the good fortune to be the guest.
I had already had a long chat with Prince Danilo, the Crown Prince of Montenegro, whom I found a very smart and highly educated man, fully alive to the political difficulties of the neighbouring states and the necessity of Montenegro preserving her independence. He held very strong views upon the terrible state of affairs in Macedonia, and gave me many interesting details about his own country.
Having met him, and also his younger brother, Prince Mirko, I was particularly anxious to make the acquaintance of their father, Prince Nicholas, the ruler of the sturdy, warlike dwellers of the "Land of the Black Mountain "-the principal and most striking figure in this remarkable country, where peace and war walk ever hand-in-hand.
Since 1860, when his uncle, Prince Danilo, was assassinated, he has ruled justly, if somewhat sternly, and has succeeded in raising his nation from a state of semi-civilisation to the high place it now occupies in the Eastern world. In 1888 he gave the country a Civil and Criminal Code, and last year he granted a Constitution. Indeed, he has done all in his power to induce his warriors to follow the arts of peace without forgetting those of war.
At the hour appointed, the royal aide-de-camp called in a carriage and drove me to the Palace, a long, dark brown building of somewhat plain exterior, as befits the home of a fighting race, where I was received in the great hall by half a dozen bowing servants in scarlet and gold. Here I was met by the chamberlain, who conducted me up the grand staircase and into the great audience-chamber, with its many fine paintings and highly polished floor. Then, after a moment, the Prince-a brilliant figure-entered, shook me by the hand, and welcomed me to Montenegro.
These formalities ended, His Royal Highness said in Italian, "Come, let us go into yonder room. We shall be able to talk there more comfortably." And he led me into a smaller chamber, where he gave me a seat at the table where he sat.
The afternoon was gloomy, and dusk was creeping on, therefore upon the table a great antique silver candelabra had been set, and by its light I was enabled to obtain a good view of the ruler of Crnagora, the "Land of the Black Mountain."
Of magnificent physique, tall, muscular, with hair slightly grey, he bore his sixty-five years lightly. Attired in the splendid national costume of scarlet, blue, and gold, with high boots, he wore a single decoration at his throat, the Cross of Danilo, of which Order he is Master. Upon his hand- some, well-cut features the candles shed a soft light, causing the gold upon his dress to glitter, and I noticed, as I asked him questions, how his dark, keen eyes shot quick, inquiring glances of alertness.
After the first few minutes of regal formality His Highness's manner entirely changed. Putting ceremony aside, he pro- duced his cigarette case of crocodile skin, with the royal crown and cipher in gold in the corner-offered me a Montenegrin cigarette, took one himself, lit mine with his own hand, and then we fell to chatting.
In the delightful hour and a half we smoked together I asked the prince-poet many questions, and learnt many things. He explained several difficult points in Balkan politics, which to me, an Englishman, had always been puzzling. We spoke in Italian of Macedonia and of a certain well-known foreign diplomat in London who was our mutual friend, the Prince giving me a very kind message to deliver to him.
Presently I referred to the splendid result of his rule, and related to him a little incident which had occurred to me in Nyegush a few days before, as showing how deeply he was beloved by his nation. A smile crossed his fine open countenance as he replied simply, "I have done my best for my people-my very best; and I shall do so as long as God gives me life. I am happy to believe that my people appreciate my efforts."
"And now, Monseigneur," I asked, "will you tell me what is the present position of Montenegro?"
"The present position is peace," was his prompt answer. "I have granted a Constitution, and the first meeting of the new Skupshtina has been held successfully. Though the Albanian question is always with us, I am thankful to say we are on the most excellent terms with Turkey, while towards Russia we are pursuing our traditional policy. For the Emperor Francis Josef of Austria I have nothing but the most profound admiration, and I owe very much to him."
"And towards England, Monseigneur ?"
"England has been, as you know, Montenegro's very best friend," replied the Prince. "I, personally, have the greatest respect and admiration for your great country. We Montenegrins always remember that it was Mr. Gladstone who gave us the strip of seaboard on the Adriatic with Dulcigno. He was our greatest friend, and his memory is respected by admirer by every man in Montenegro. Of Tennyson, too, I am a great I am very fond of his poems."
"You are a poet yourself, Monseigneur," I remarked, remembering that more than one poetical drama from his pen had been successfully produced on the stage.
His Royal Highness smiled, and puffed slowly at his cigarette.
"I have written one or two little things, it is true; but nothing of late."
"I wonder if I dare ask your Royal Highness to write a few lines for me as a souvenir of my visit?" I asked, not without some trepidation.
"Ah!-well-I won't promise," he laughed. "All depends whether I'm in the mood for it."
"But you will try, won't you?
And the Prince nodded assent.
Then we spoke of Servia and of recent events there; but he was not inclined to discuss the question, and naturally so, when it is remembered that his daughter was the late wife of King Peter.
Returning to the burning question of Macedonia, I saw that he was well informed of all that was transpiring around lakes Presba and Ochrida and down in Serres.
"It is a monstrous state of affairs," he declared. "Something must be done at once, for as soon as spring comes again the massacres will increase."
"But there are outrages, tortures, and massacres every day," I remarked.
"Ah yes," he sighed, "I know. Most terrible details have reached me lately. But you are going to Macedonia yourself, and you will see with your own eyes."
"And what, in your opinion, would be the best settlement of the question?" I inquired.
"There is but one way, namely, for the Powers to call a conference and place Macedonia under a governor - general, who must be a European prince. The reforms would then be carried out, and the Greek bands expelled from the country. How long will Europe tolerate the present frightful state of affairs?"
"The fact is, Monseigneur, that we, in England, are very ignorant of the true state of things, or even of the facts of the Macedonian question," I said.
"Ah, there you are quite correct. If your English public knew what was really happening-how an innocent Christian population is being slaughtered and exterminated because of international rivalry-they would cry shame upon those responsible for this wholesale murder and outrage. But" -he smiled-" I almost forget myself. My position as a ruler forbids me to talk politics, you know!" And we laughed together.
"So you are going to Servia, Bulgaria, Roumania, and to Constantinople-eh?" he remarked a little later, when we had lit fresh cigarettes. "In Bulgaria, and also in Roumania, you will see many things that will interest you. The Bul- garians are very strongly armed, and so are the Roumanians."
"Her Majesty the Queen of Roumania has also promised me audience," I said.
"When you see her, will you please present to Her Majesty my most cordial respects. She is so very charming."
"I want, Monseigneur, to visit Northern Albania, leaving Montenegro by Ryeka and Scutari. Would that be the best route, do you think?"
"What!" he exclaimed, in surprise. "Do you actually contemplate visiting the tribes up in the Accursed Mountains?"
"Certainly. Why not?"
"Well, my advice is, don't think of going there. If you do, you will never return. You'll be shot at sight, like a dog. You have no idea what those uncivilised tribes are like. The whole country is utterly lawless."
"So I understand. But I've also heard that the Albanian possesses a deep sense of honour. And I thought that I might possibly obtain permission from one or other of the chiefs."
The Prince was silent for a moment. Then, looking at me across the table, said-
"Do not go. It is far too great a risk."
His advice was the same that my, friends in London had given me; the same that I had received there, in the market-place of Cettinje.
But I was determined, and pressed His Royal Highness to assist me, at last receiving his promise of help. By his kind permission, the Albanian named Palok acted as my guide, and what eventually happened to me in that wild region will be seen in the following pages.
"Well," exclaimed the Prince at last, "if you go up there, it must be at your own risk. I've warned you of the danger. No one has been up there for many years. It has been at- tempted, of course, but travellers have either been held to ransom, and the Turks have been compelled to pay for their release, or else they have simply been shot by the first Albanian meeting them. The country beyond Scutari is the most unsafe in the whole Balkan Peninsula."
I replied that I intended to make the attempt.
"Well, then, I wish you buon viaggio," he laughed. "May every good luck attend you, and as we say in Montenegro - S'bogom! (God be with you!) When you return for I suppose you will pass this way down to the sea-come and see me, and tell me all about the Skreli and Kastrati country -for of course I am highly interested. They are always at war with our people on the frontier."
"I will let your Royal Highness know the moment I am back in Cettinje," I promised.
Then rising, he gripped my hand warmly, saying-
"Then I will help you if I can. Be careful of yourself, for I shall be anxious about you. Again, S'bogom!"
And the Prince accompanied me to the head of the grand staircase, where I made my obeisance, turned and descended through the rows of armed and bowing servants ranged in the hall, charmed by His Royal Highness's graciousness towards me and by the pleasant chat I had enjoyed.
When, after my journey through Northern Albania, I one afternoon re-entered that audience-chamber, and he came forward with outstretched hand to greet me, he exclaimed-
"Well, well! I am so glad to see you back safe and sound. You look a little thinner in the face a little travel-worn- eh? Life in the Albanian mountains is not like your life in London or Paris, is it? But never mind as long as you are safe," he laughed, placing his hand kindly upon my shoulder.
"Come along to this room. It is more cosy," and he led me to the smaller apartment, his own private cabinet.
For nearly two hours I sat relating to him what occurred on my journey, and describing the wild country which had, until then, been practically a sealed book. Even though Cettinje is so near, hardly anything was known of the Skreli, the Hoti, the Klementi, or the Kastrati tribes, save that they were brigandish bands who constantly raided the Montenegrin frontier.
The Prince listened to me with great attention, and put many questions to me as we smoked together.
Then rising, he took from a drawer in his great writing- table a small scarlet box, and as he opened it he bestowed upon me a compliment undeserved, for he said -
"There are few men who would have risked what you have done. Therefore I wish to invest you with our Order of Danilo, as a mark of my appreciation and esteem."
And he displayed to me the beautiful dark blue and white enamelled cross of the Order, the same that he was wearing at his throat, surmounted by the royal crown and suspended upon the white ribbon edged with cerise.
After he had invested me with the Order, saying many kind things to me, which I really don't think I deserved, he added-
"The chef du chancellerie will send you the diploma in due course, and I trust, when you petition your own gracious Sovereign King Edward, that His Majesty will allow you to wear this insignia."
I thanked His Royal Highness, gripped his hand, and a few minutes later passed through the line of bowing servants out of the Palace.
And that same evening I received from His Royal Highness the signed photograph which appears in these pages.
Before I left Cettinje I received the following expressive lines, written especially for me by a Montenegrin poet who is a great personage, but whose name he would not permit me to give. They are in Servian as follows, and I have placed their English translation below :-
S' veledušnog Albiona
Pružiše se dvije ruke
Crnoj Gori da pomogu
U junačke njene muke
S' vrućom rječu na ustima
Gladston diže Crnogorce
A Tenison za najprve
U svijet ih broi borce
Na glas svoih Velikana
Britanski se narod trže
Da pomože da zaštiti
Crnu Goru iz najbrže
Posla svoje bojne ladje
Sto na tečnost gospostvuju
Veledušno da zaštite
Domovinu milu Moju
O fala ti po sto puta
Blagorodni lyudi Soju
Dok je svjeta dok je greda
Nad Ulcinjem koje stoju
Hraniće ti blagodarnost
Ova šaka sokolova
Koima si u pomoci
Stiga putem od valova.
The literal translation in English is as follows:-
From the great-souled Albion,
Two arms were stretched
To help Montenegro
In her heroic sufferings.
With fiery word on his lips
Gladstone lifts up Montenegrins,
Whilst Tennyson declared them
The very first fighters in the world.
On the call of their great men,
British people rose up
In quickest manner, to help
And to protect Montenegro.
They despatched their war-ships,
Which rule over the seas,
Generously to protect
My Fatherland so dear to me.
Oh! thanks to thee, hundredfold thanks,
Noble race of men.
As long as the world lasts,
As long as the mountains above Dulcigno stand,
Will remain grateful to thee,
This handful of falcons,
To whose help thou didst come
By the road of the waves.
- An Observer in the Near East - William Le Queux. Publisher, E. Nash, 1907.
\**
https://preview.redd.it/jg36zlvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eacb8abc6368963f81177eefecbd44642c09cd97
https://preview.redd.it/7lh8gmvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=225f2bc1649240bfe5c57e72dfdaf93f28938bb7
https://preview.redd.it/2lvn8hwu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6677bcd6e7d76a5f229b5ea7e61c9f0a5596ea47
https://preview.redd.it/pgqltmvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e4acf257abe5f0223c62635ecd9ac2a4f5e9614e
https://preview.redd.it/xktn0ovu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=14d6087bbc6b3028c40e6e978674d470e23fab35
https://preview.redd.it/4zps2mvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=51e5049c7cbbc1fc455754e40e04c9b2c9a124e0
https://preview.redd.it/9qr2xrwu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48f98198cad524a0157100b60325e72d6b2f1770
https://preview.redd.it/ywzpenvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7118b6072a634d6ccce1b96eaab6bebbf987e194
https://preview.redd.it/9h2y0mvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=966897fbdcca422eee9ff410852bcd8cbe89d1ae
https://preview.redd.it/07po9ovu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f8a078de6ef8ffc1808160270e46329f3a097d21
https://preview.redd.it/n89tenvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea8a9fee167bb25b07ec3137bd235d600cb9dbe4
https://preview.redd.it/vv7knswu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa295c8644a75b5f5a5050bf0795875f9925c3b5
https://preview.redd.it/q1jxpnvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d7431b419b1f5c1a33dba099465285fc5ed5297
https://preview.redd.it/w44qbfwu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e18314ac2a333efe0b2d9301f7fba3c6d40b12f4
https://preview.redd.it/mclcb6tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=90e4b7fedc3b3d63ee33c7c2cbd1b990a60203f3
https://preview.redd.it/qf6829tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=97e01c85545926178ccddbaee3ef4d96f2052201
https://preview.redd.it/5rqaz5tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b90176f3da386c7875f33301b02806cbfd8ec2c1
https://preview.redd.it/702o47tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f3fe6bbf9e492105e72f1a551d902ec74218d03
https://preview.redd.it/bloxg8ug2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b3d48034feb0a9f8f192e91df103a0308991c8b
https://preview.redd.it/a2jhb8tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bb9a7fbfbce7700a06aa50574a786668dd321727
https://preview.redd.it/jgiqu6tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec2b5af58c8e25428d0c39550ed54d71e6c9188c
https://preview.redd.it/ud3kc5tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=73dd2e0d96ef1cae5d9d934234db8f886b543e83
https://preview.redd.it/59uib9tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b319597ac2f654c036eddec48c29e9ad539bebb
https://preview.redd.it/8ahdu6tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ccad4eec7cb2a6ec943633f09df5e4c6368e21a
https://preview.redd.it/iat3u8ug2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dd80620268744a4d40a5d90aa291c5c56a5f64a9
https://preview.redd.it/ix1wp7tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0167cb5340b66f879442cdee00459649a31d8400
https://preview.redd.it/6p3tr6tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff95f8f74a7a65050a8abd518f321a186425ff92
https://preview.redd.it/iqvfy6tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0216c5b990fc3f44ac5b266cd3838b2830b295b
https://preview.redd.it/d94is8tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=74c14118e9431762a63800f3f25ed864ea637e52

Xenia Klimova
Pascha is the principal festival of the Greek calendar. Preparations for Pascha begin from Holy Week, and Paschal holidays start on Holy and Great Friday, when the Orthodox have permission to be absent from work and pray in church. Xenia Klimova, an expert in Greek traditions and folklore, senior lecturer at the Department of Philology of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Ph.D in Language and Literature Study, speaks about Paschal dances, traditional cakes and cookies, and other customs associated with the celebration of the Radiant Resurrection of Christ in Greece.
https://preview.redd.it/q27h59hyamyc1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=11f6d9100e8fc42092d70aea6aab7a810df88f68
—Xenia, how do Greek people prepare for Pascha?
—Like in Russia, preparations begin from Holy Week. In Greek it is called «Εβδομάδα των Παθών» (that is, “the Week of Passion”, or “the Passion Week”) or «Μεγάλη εβδομάδα» (“the Great Week”). According to their custom, even those who didn’t keep the fast during Great Lent shouldn’t eat meat and milk products during Holy Week. Many people, especially the elderly, try to fast on only bread and water through this week. On Holy and Great Friday they only drink water into which they add some vinegar because the Savior was given vinegar when He was on the Cross.
Bells don’t ring on Holy Week in Greece. As Greeks say: «οι καμπάνες χηρεύουν» (“bells are widowed”).
Special preparations commence on Holy and Great Wednesday: people tidy up their homes and collect food for the Paschal meal. In rural areas priests visit villagers’ houses and bless Paschal food. Though in cities priests normally don’t visit homes of the faithful for this purpose, parishioners can come to church to have their Paschal food blessed.
Tsoureki
—Do they bake kulichi on Holy Thursday, as we do?
—Yes, they do. And Greeks have several varieties of Paschal cakes and cookies. For example, «τσουρέκι»—that is, “tsoureki”, which is a sweet rich braided cake topped with sliced almonds.
The second most important cake is «Λαμπροκουλλούρα». Pascha in Greek is «το Πάσχα», or «η Λαμπρή», meaning “shining”, “luminous”. Hence the name of Paschal round loaf.
It is decorated in a very interesting way: there is a cross in the center, and there are various cosmogonic patterns, like birds, spirals, and herringbone patterns, on either side.
Traditionally baking Paschal bread was associated with marriage. Unmarried young women did the baking and thus demonstrated their skills as future housewives. They would arrange fairs on Pascha and choose the best Paschal bread. The maiden who baked it was considered “a good catch” (likewise, the guy who could retrieve the cross from water on the feast of Theophany was regarded as “a man any girl would marry”).
Some of interesting examples of the so-called folk etymology are connected with the most important Christian festival. “Pascha” is a lexeme borrowed from Hebrew. But in popular consciousness it is associated with the Greek verb “pascho” (πάσχω), meaning “to suffer”. Therefore, the meaning of the feast is associated with the Passion of Christ on the Cross.
—Do they color eggs on Holy Thursday as well?
—Yes, by tradition Paschal eggs are red. But nowadays (like in Russia) eggs come in a variety of colors. They say that those who are in mourning dye their eggs blue or dark purple, though I personally have not seen this.
Commercial production is developed so much in Greece that colored hard-boiled eggs are sold in supermarkets before Pascha.
—Were there any special ceremonies observed on Holy Week?
—In Thrace, for instance, on Holy and Great Thursday or Friday people made an effigy of Judas, dressed it in old clothes, carried it around the village and sang ritual songs:
Ράτσα, κεράτσα δωσ'μια κληματσίδα να κάψουμε τον Οβριγιό πόχει πολλή κασσίδα. Οβριγιός φορεί φτερό στο κεφάλι το ξερό...
“Hey, Kind Lady, Give us a grapevine, We will burn down a Jew With bad eczema, The Jew has a plume on his withered head…”
In effect, it is a variation of the ceremony of burning a dummy of “winter” (of Maslennitsa in Russia) on Pancake Week preceding Great Lent.
—Are there Paschal holidays in Greece?
—Yes, and they last almost a week after Paschal Sunday. But in fact for many they begin from Holy and Great Friday, when people get a day off. When believers want to take their time off on Holy Friday, their employers are very understanding.
In schools and higher education institutions Paschal holidays are long enough to allow students living in Athens to travel to their native villages in the regions and back.
—How do Greeks celebrate Pascha?
—The feast begins the night before Paschal Sunday. Most Greeks come to church only to walk in the procession and then go home to celebrate the festival. Despite this, first and foremost Pascha is a religious festival for them, and they look forward to the moment when the most important event is announced: “Christ Is Risen!”
Greeks stock up on large candles beforehand. The Greek for “large candle” (for example, a Paschal or a wedding candle) is λαμπάδα. Thus, some of our terms differ. The Greek for “icon lamp” which usually hangs in front of an icon is καντήλι; the Greek for “censer” is «θυμιατήρι».
—Are Paschal candles always red?
—In Greece they are not necessarily red. When Greeks come to Russia for Pascha, they ask in amazement: “Why are your candles red?!”
—Is the Paschal meal arranged in parishes?
—No, Greeks celebrate at home. Following the festal service families gather and go to somebody’s place to eat Paschal soup, μαγειρίτσα, made of lamb pluck. As a rule, they go to the hostess who cooks this dish perfectly. This soup is not too heavy and very tasty, so it is just fine after the service. Then all go to sleep, and next morning they get up and begin the preparations for large-scale celebrations. They roast a lamb or a goat on a spit in the yard.
The μαγειρίτσα “magiritsa” Paschal soup
In Greece Paschal dinner is the most lavish meal of the year. There is even a special verb in Greek, πασκάζω, meaning approximately “to enjoy hearty and delicious food, as on Pascha”.
A wide range of dishes are present on the table: the above-mentioned cakes and cookies, colored eggs, meats…
—Do Greeks practice egg-tapping, too?
https://preview.redd.it/fokawxb8bmyc1.png?width=257&format=png&auto=webp&s=dc684596f63e8f0221eb3f1ffb28fff6aa5089f4
—Yes, they call it τσουγκρίζω. One member of each family becomes the winner in this “fight”. Many Greeks like to tell stories about how one or another family member tried to trick them by using a wooden colored egg instead of a chicken egg. Greeks are sure to tell you that once one uncle had allegedly beaten everybody, that they had wanted to eat that miraculous egg, but he hid it and his fraud was exposed. Similar horse stories are also widespread in the army.
There is a custom in northern Greece (Thrace, Macedonia) which is called χάσκα. Χάσκω means “stare with one’s mouth open”. A Paschal egg is attached to a string and suspended from the ceiling, and the contestants should try and catch it while it is spinning. He who manages to eat this egg is called “a Paschal lucky player”.
Formerly, people used to collect eggshells and bury them under fruit trees so that they could produce more fruit.
In some regions of Greece people observe the custom of building bonfires on Pascha. Paschal fire is very important to them. Unlike Russians, Greeks don’t bring the fire of Holy and Great Thursday home but take Paschal Flame with them. If you observe the faithful walk home after the midnight service in Athens, carrying candles ignited with this fire, you will find that it is a beautiful sight.
At home people would cross their windows, doors, household, animals and fruit trees (not least the trees that wouldn’t bear fruit) with Paschal Flame.
Paschal Fire
Vigil lamps were lit from it and burned throughout the year or at least over a period of Bright Week.
The Paschal Flame is also conveyed to their neighbors—elderly and sick people, and those who couldn’t go to the Paschal service.
—How do they celebrate Pascha in Bright Week?
—Festivities continue in Bright Week. The first day is called «Δευτέρα της α γάπης»—that is, “Monday of love”. In the Greek regions where blood vengeance was widespread the ritual of αδελφοποιϊα (meaning “sworn brotherhood”, “fraternization”) was performed. Members of the feuding parties would make cuts on their own hands, mix the flowing blood, shake one another’s hands and thus become “blood brothers”. Of course, not only enemies could do it, but this ritual was above all associated with reconciliation.[1]
This custom has pagan roots (they would sometimes pour blood out into one cup and take turns drinking it), but the time chosen was Pascha. This tradition is familiar to everybody, though it has not been observed recently. It was very vividly described by Nikos Kazantzakis (1883—1957) in the early twentieth century. Some of my informants recounted how they “had sworn brotherhood” with somebody else decades ago.
On Bright Monday dancing parties were arranged in the square in front of the village church attended by the whole village.
In insular Greece, lads used to swing lasses or swing together with them in Bright Week. While swinging, they would sing mantinades—folk-style short romantic songs that contained two rhyming fifteen-syllable lines. As a rule, they were sung by guys. Sometimes a youth would compose such songs on the spot at the first try. For example:
Κούνια μου, κούνησέ μου την, για να βραδιάσει η μέρα, να ξημερώσει, να τη δω, να πάρει ο νους μου
“O swings, rock this girl for me, so that the evening can set in and then dawn come, so that I can see her and lose my heart to her.”
And young ladies could respond:
Που να χαρείς τα χέρια σου τα μαργαριταρένια που κούνησαν κι άλλες πολλές, τώρα κουνάν και μένα
“Admire and be proud of your pearly hands, which have swung many others and are now swinging me.”
Sport competitions are held during Paschal fairs. The winner was rewarded with the best Paschal cake baked by the most desirable prospective bride.
The festivities are normally arranged by church. Today each village has a folk society, and people try to play folk instruments, sing traditional songs and dance.
Pascha in Perachora. The 2000s
—Do priests dance too?
—Everybody dances on Pascha in Greece, and the priest is always the first to come out dancing. I used to collect local folklore in the village of Perachora in the south of mainland Greece. There are two churches there, and each family is registered in one of these parishes so it attends only one of them. On Bright Monday they would perform a spiral dance, each family in its own parish, headed by their priest. First they danced in a circle inside church, and then went outside and danced around the church. There is a road in the village which connects these two churches. So the two groups of parishioners got on the road dancing, met, danced in front of each other for some while, exchanged greetings, and walked in opposite directions towards each other’s churches while dancing, danced there, and then walked back to their respective parishes to continue their celebrations. Again, a kind of “sworn brotherhood”.
Pascha in Perachora. The 2000s
Curiously enough, now that all the old priests who used to dance on Pascha are dead, the Church has assigned new young priests to these parishes, but they refuse to dance. And old women from Perachora are absolutely displeased. They complain: “Our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers danced, all of our priests danced, but these refuse!”
—And what do Greeks sing on Pascha? Are there any special songs, like Christmas carols?
—As a rule, these are Pascha-themed songs, but here we don’t see as much diversity as we see on the Nativity of Christ or Pancake Week. Judas is often mentioned in songs, but not necessarily.
Σήμερα Χριστός Ανέστη καιστουςουρανούςευρέθη...
“Today Christ is our Resurrection, and He has ascended into Heaven...”
True, there are metaphors and elements of cosmogony in a number of songs. For instance, we can find a metaphor of cosmic jubilation or similes which are a typical feature of folklore: “There are youths, standing like strong trees, and young maidens, like lemon trees adorned with flowers.”
But all in all, all the texts are within the limits of Christian tradition.
—But there must be some rites in addition to what you’ve mentioned.
—For example, in northern Greece, τουλούπα was prepared on Bright Wednesday. It was a torch made of sheep’s wool. A woman would kindle a huge flame and carry it while dancing at the head of a line of dancers.
As a matter of fact, sheep are traditional “Paschal” animals. One week before Pascha people would sometimes take their lambs home for a week to fatten them up. They would give them names which were associated with the feast—for example, “Lambros” (from “Lambri”), “Paschalis” etc.
Despite varying degrees of religiousness, Pascha is still the most important feast for Greeks. In Greece it is celebrated with a greater magnificence than any other festival.
Olga Bogdanova spoke with Xenia Klimova
​
[1] This practice is of course not condoned by the Church, and some holy Greek fathers of the Churchs have spoken against it.

Hi sewing!
It’s been a busy week off from work! I’m a sewing novice, and before this week I had one whole drawstring bag under my belt, but this week I’ve made a basket cover to put my fabrics in, a pincushion (that I redid three times before accepting its fate, at least for now, it’s in the last pic), and then these skirts! I used Ash L G’s video on ‘the zero waste 18th century skirt that always fits’ for this specific project, but prepared for it through numerous tutorials on sewing in general, in hopes of just getting an idea of what generally works well for people. Here is the video: https://youtu.be/6xHOnS4fK2c?si=fK3gGUvRk49DueFf This skirt is one that is adjustable through ties on both the front and back, and shallow slits in the sides at the top. So, you tie it in the front and back.
For the proper skirt, I used a textured linen (I do not know the fiber content), and for the waistband a braided synthetic band. Both come from local markets and stores.
I did not need that many measurements; just waist, multiplied for desired fullness, 3x in my case, widest part of bottom, and desired length of the skirt (a meter), which made getting the properly sized panels very easy.
The mock-up was made from a really old bedsheet. I would not be surprised if it’s been around for 15 years easily, I think my folks gave me a few old ones when I moved out to study, so it was all but transparent and the original seams were yearning for disintegration. That made it great to just experiment with, but also very different from the eventual linen, which was much more firm and could be creased by hand while I’d be reaching for pins or my iron. I want to use the mock up for some experimentation with dying too, I think.
Still, it taught me many things! And by the time I was going to dive into the real deal, I felt a lot more confident. Ash L G’s video was very concise on a lot of the issues I might run into, too. I also liked the tone of video a lot; it really emphasized how many ways there are to go about something, and made this all seem a lot less daunting I still ran into quite some things (my thread is way too light for that waistband, for example, so I may end up embroidering over that), but I am very excited about the end result all the same. I struggled with getting the pleats even and they’re still not all the way there, but even though this skirt was intended to be part of a renfaire outfit, I am lounging in it as we speak. It sadly does not have pockets, as I figured without those this project would have enough things in it I was unfamiliar with that I would have my work cut out for me.
Especially the first, bedsheet, skirt has had me swearing out loud a few times, resulting in a concerned boyfriend peeking around the corner, but all the same I am greatly enjoying this hobby so far. I love long skirts, but can rarely find anything I like in retail, so the ability to make things exactly to my taste is great. Desired future projects include; pirate shirt that is technically part costume but which will absolutely worn year round, engageante sleeves, also for both renfaire and daily use, so I can live my best life, and a very cautious attempt at a corset belt, because I would love to slowly work my way up to something like a real corset. But all in due time! For now, I am very happy with my skirt!

​
https://preview.redd.it/xr5370rubsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ea0a99f53f9f61a1b20757f38a6ccad8a076d60
Whether you're an experienced shooter or a novice just starting out, using the right ammunition can make all the difference in your performance. In this article, we're diving into the world of 9mm tracer rounds - a unique type of ammunition that can add a whole new level of excitement to your shooting experience. We've compiled a list of the top 9mm tracer rounds on the market, giving you the lowdown on their features, performance, and value for money. Get ready to illuminate your targets like never before!

The Top 12 Best 9mm Tracer Rounds

1. 9mm Tracer Rounds: Power-Up for Nerf Rival Blasters - Gift your teen a thrilling experience with the Adventure Force 150 Tactical Strike Rounds, designed for ages 14+ and compatible with most Nerf Rival Blasters, ensuring endless fun and excitement!
2. Durable 304 Stainless Steel Round Tube Pipes for Precision Applications - Uxcell's 304 stainless steel round tubing offers high strength, durability, and versatility in various applications, seamlessly meeting your specific needs with a 9mm OD and 1mm wall thickness.
3. Micro 100 9mm Blank Round Carbide Tooling, Metric, Precision Drill Blank - Experience the superior performance of MICRO 100's high-quality solid carbide tools with exceptional durability and extended tool life, designed for manufacturing various carbide tooling.
4. Darice Orange 9mm Opaque Pony Beads for Crafting (1000 pc) - Crafting classic: High-quality opaque orange 9mm pony beads in a 1000-piece pack for diverse projects and purposes. Available in various sizes and colors.
5. Colorful Czech Plastic Opal Pony Beads for DIY Projects - Light Turquoise - Create endless possibilities with 1,000 light turquoise Czech plastic pony beads, perfect for children's crafts, jewelry making, and more.
6. Premium Quality Acrylic Round Cabochons for Crafts and Jewelry Making - Add a touch of glamour to your projects with these 9mm Green Emerald .MD Flat Back Acrylic Round Cabochons, featuring lead-free and CPSIA/RoHS compliant material. Perfect for jewelry making, scrapbooking, and body art.
7. Lyman 9mm Tracer Rounds Mold with Flat Nose Bevel Base - Lyman 9mm bullet mould delivers top-notch precision and versatility, making it the go-to choice for discerning shooters.
8. Premium Stainless Steel 9mm Tracer Moon Clips, 5-Round Capacity - Experience reliable, accurate, and easy-to-use tracer rounds with the Ruger Full Moon Clips SP10 - Luger 3-Pack, featuring stainless steel construction for durability and made right here in the USA.
9. 9mm Pastel Assortment Rhinestones for Versatile Craft Projects - Unleash your creativity with the 1000-Piece Round Rhinestones, 9mm, Pastel Assortment from The Crafts Outlet, featuring versatile gems for a multitude of craft projects.
10. Beadtin Camo Mix Matte 6mm x 9mm Pony Beads (500pcs) for Safe, Durable Craft Projects - Unleash your creativity with the Beadtin Camouflage Mix Matte 9mm Barrel Pony Beads, featuring a versatile 9x6mm barrel design, camouflage color mix matte finish, and non-toxic polystyrene plastic material for safe and fun crafting projects.
11. High-Quality 9mm Aluminum Tube for Scratch Builds and Modeling - Experience K&S 9811's premium 9mm x .76mm heavy wall aluminum tube - perfect for scratch builders, modelers, and more, all backed by exceptional 5-star service.
12. Czech Plastic Beads: 1,000-Piece Light Turquoise Collection - Ideal for creative projects, the John Bead 9mm Opaque Plastic Pony Beads come in a variety of vibrant colors and are perfect for children's crafts, jewelry making, and so much more!

As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Reviews

🔗9mm Tracer Rounds: Power-Up for Nerf Rival Blasters

​
https://preview.redd.it/xya1y97vbsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=391586ed7434c21b0cf7215b3c21f614df640bb3
Treat your kids to a thrilling surprise with the Adventure Force 150 Tactical Strike Rounds! These high-performance round refills come in a vibrant orange color, making them perfect for tracking during intense backyard battles. The rounds are compatible with all Tactical Strike Ball Blasters and most standard Nerf Rival Blasters, ensuring everyone can get in on the fun.
As a parent, I appreciate the competitive price of these rounds, considering the quality and features they offer. The Adventure Force Tactical Strike Rounds provide countless hours of entertainment for teens and even serve as great ammunition for a slingshot. The bright orange color makes them easy to find in any setting, and the sturdy foam construction ensures they hold up well, reducing the likelihood of broken windows.
One of the main pros of these rounds is the compatibility with a variety of blasters. The cons, however, lie in the different price points of other brands, which can make them more attractive at first glance. Nonetheless, once you try the Adventure Force Tactical Strike Rounds, you'll have a hard time going back to the higher-priced alternatives.
Overall, this product is a fantastic option for families looking for affordable, high-quality, and fun ammunition for their blaster collection. Your kids will love the action and excitement these rounds bring to their playtime.

🔗Durable 304 Stainless Steel Round Tube Pipes for Precision Applications

​
https://preview.redd.it/q7rwuxrvbsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=001abeddd8ac3efad786a332442bea44174fa4eb
As a product reviewer, I recently had the pleasure of using Uxcell's 304 Stainless Steel Round Tubing in my daily life. This seamless straight pipe tube is a real game-changer for me. The 9mm OD with a 1mm wall thickness makes it ideal for various applications, and its 250mm length is perfect for projects that require precision.
One of the things that stood out to me was the material quality. The fact that it's made of 304 stainless steel ensures not only high strength and weld-ability, but also remarkable resistance to oxidation and corrosion. It's impressive how such a small piece of tubing can withstand the test of time without losing its touch.
The seamless, smooth interior was also a plus, making it suitable for applications where precision matters. Whether threaded or welded, this tube has got you covered. However, one thing I noticed was the lack of clarity in the dimensions. It would have been helpful if the provided length included shipping measurements too.
Overall, I highly recommend this Uxcell product to anyone looking for reliable, durable, and versatile seamless stainless steel tubing. While there's always room for improvement, the pros definitely outweigh the cons in my experience.

🔗Micro 100 9mm Blank Round Carbide Tooling, Metric, Precision Drill Blank

https://preview.redd.it/0653ql3wbsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de3d239ee09c82249d9d9af0bfc8b3759c98581d
​
As a reviewer, I've had the chance to use the Micro 100 SRM-090-310 round blank in my daily life for various tooling needs. This product's unique feature is its ability to create precise and long-lasting solid carbide tooling that works wonders for end mills, drills, and other stationary tools. The exclusive treating process for the substrate enhances tool life and performance, making the MICRO 100 a reliable industry leader for over 45 years.
However, the lack of a coating on this uncoated blank may require additional finishing steps, which could be considered a drawback for some users. Nevertheless, this exceptional 9mm tracer round has earned a solid reputation in the tooling world, providing a dependable solution for all types of material.

🔗Darice Orange 9mm Opaque Pony Beads for Crafting (1000 pc)

​
https://preview.redd.it/jjmywujwbsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bde760f22b0c6f7f1fc7c851c80c48e011d26349
I recently had the pleasure of working with these Darice Opaque 9mm Pony Beads in orange, and let me tell you, they were a game-changer. With 1000 pieces included in the package, the variety ensures that no project is too big or too small.
The beads themselves are an impressive 6mm by 9mm in size, perfect for some intricate jewelry making or adding a touch of charm to keychains. However, it's worth mentioning that being imported, there may be slight variations in size and color.
One of the aspects I loved the most is that these opaque orange beads can be used for a myriad of purposes, making them a versatile addition to any art or craft workspace. Despite their quality, I must admit that they are quite lightweight, coming in at just a pound.
Overall, I highly recommend these Darice Pony Beads for anyone in need of a reliable, high-quality, and versatile beading option.

🔗Colorful Czech Plastic Opal Pony Beads for DIY Projects - Light Turquoise

​
https://preview.redd.it/oinve8rwbsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ec82e5dcef60dfddeea11c207d415da29d1f084
I had the pleasure of using the John Bead 9mm Opaque Plastic Pony Beads in Light Turquoise recently, and let me tell you, they didn't disappoint. These beads come in a plethora of colors, which I absolutely love. They are a decent size, measuring at 9mm, making them perfect for projects that require a bit more stability.
One of the aspects that stood out to me is the fact that each bead comes with a total of 1,000 pieces. This means that you'll have an abundance of beads to work with, allowing for more creativity and less worry about running out. However, I did notice that the hole in the bead is quite large, which might not be ideal for certain projects.
In my experience, these beads are incredibly versatile and can be used for a variety of activities, from children's crafts to stylish hair braids. Teachers might even appreciate these beads for use in the classroom. The high-quality plastic ensures that they'll last for a long time, and the vibrant colors make them a joy to use.
Overall, I'd recommend the John Bead 9mm Opaque Plastic Pony Beads for anyone looking to add a bit of color and creativity into their day-to-day life.

🔗Premium Quality Acrylic Round Cabochons for Crafts and Jewelry Making

​
https://preview.redd.it/33vbsr4xbsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36976731660320d76cbf90926af77a4e086460db
I recently had the pleasure of using these 9mm Emerald Green Acrylic Round Cabochons, and I must say, they were a game-changer for my crafting projects. With a diameter of 9mm or 11/32", these little beauties are perfect for adding a touch of sparkle to any creation.
What stood out to me the most was their lead-free and safe-for-skin properties, making them an excellent choice for body gems and accessories. And not only that, but they're also versatile enough for use in scrapbooking, card making, jewellery making, and more.
However, one thing I noticed was that they require a bit of extra care when handling since they're quite delicate. But overall, these 75 Pro Grade Acrylic Round Cabochons were a delight to work with and truly elevated the look of my projects.

🔗Lyman 9mm Tracer Rounds Mold with Flat Nose Bevel Base

​
https://preview.redd.it/carq6gmxbsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=37cf27d5865f4f415732ccd96e6e690ed8290bbf
The Lyman 9mm Pistol Bullet Mould is a versatile and high-quality tool for bullet casters. It produces consistent, flawless bullets with its 4 cavity design, making it a popular choice among enthusiasts. The Lyman brand is renowned for its top-notch quality, and this mould is no exception.
Despite being a bit heavier than aluminum counterparts, it's built to last a lifetime – a feature many users appreciate. However, some reviewers have encountered challenges with the block alignment and mold break-in, which can impact bullet precision. Overall, the Lyman 9mm Pistol Bullet Mould is a reliable and impressive piece of equipment for anyone looking to produce top-quality bullets.

🔗Premium Stainless Steel 9mm Tracer Moon Clips, 5-Round Capacity

​
https://preview.redd.it/smowsexxbsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39c53243c3b64b2309dbb27b5b35bfe9c2b15732
I recently got my hands on a pack of Ruger Full Moon Clips for my SP101 9mm revolver, and I must say, I'm quite impressed with them! These stainless steel moon clips make the loading and unloading of tracer rounds a breeze. Gone are the days of having to fish through your pocket for a moon clip tool. These clips securely grip the rounds and make the whole process smoother than anything I've tried before.
One downside is that the clips come in a three-pack, but considering the quality and convenience they offer, it's a small price to pay. The moon clips have a thickness of. 032 inches and are made right here in the USA, which adds a nice touch of pride knowing they're locally manufactured. I'm confident that these moon clips will be a reliable complement to my Revolver and have already recommended them to my fellow gun enthusiasts.
Another great feature worth mentioning is the design of the moon clips themselves. They're optimized to ensure positive ejection, allowing for consistent and effortless extraction of the spent shells. You can really feel the difference when using these clips compared to the standard ones that came with my revolver.
Overall, I'm quite happy with my purchase of these Ruger Full Moon Clips. They're easy to use, function as expected, and hold up to the high standards I'm used to when it comes to Ruger products. While I might've preferred a more cost-effective option, I can't deny the value these clips bring to my shooting experience. I highly recommend them to anyone looking to improve their loading and unloading process for their SP101 9mm revolver, as they're an absolute game-changer.

🔗9mm Pastel Assortment Rhinestones for Versatile Craft Projects

​
https://preview.redd.it/o11uku9ybsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff43599ca03df0608fd133f75fbb06c7097e5877
The Crafts Outlet's 1000-Piece Round Rhinestones, available in a pastel assortment, have been a staple in my daily life as a craft enthusiast. With their size being 9mm, they can easily adorn a variety of projects to add a unique, shimmery touch. Their mirror-backed, flat design made them a delight to use on various items, from baby keepsakes to school bags.
The rhinestones are perfect for embellishing scrapbook memory pages, bringing life to a simple item and making it stand out from the rest. The multitude of colors available make it effortless to coordinate with any project theme. They even add a festive sparkle to seasonal crafts, making them perfect for special occasions like holidays and parties.
Application is also a breeze, thanks to the easy-to-follow instructions and a variety of adhesive options to choose from. The rhinestones are versatile and suitable for various surfaces, making them suitable for everyone, regardless of skill level. And the size chart ensures that you always have the right fit for your project with a simple measurement.
Overall, I found these rhinestones a delightful addition to my crafting experience. They add a touch of elegance and sparkle to everything I create, making them a must-have in my crafting space.

🔗Beadtin Camo Mix Matte 6mm x 9mm Pony Beads (500pcs) for Safe, Durable Craft Projects

​
https://preview.redd.it/seutf9nybsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=06451453ccc7a96ece4a8dc28663d31bba213f14
I recently stumbled upon these Beadtin Camouflage Mix Matte Tracer Rounds and figured it was time to put them to the test. The unique camouflage matte finish is a standout feature in these beads. When I first saw the size of the pony beads, I was excited to see how they would look in different jewelry projects. Despite their small size, these beads provide excellent durability, thanks to their non-toxic polystyrene plastic material.
One downside I encountered was the number of pony beads I received. I had expected a bit more for the price, but after weighing the pros and cons, I decided that the quality and versatility of these beads outweighed the quantity. Overall, I was quite satisfied with the variety of colors and the craftsmanship of these pony beads. These versatile Tracer Rounds are now a go-to for my jewelry-making and crafting projects. Highly recommended for all crafters out there!

🔗High-Quality 9mm Aluminum Tube for Scratch Builds and Modeling

​
https://preview.redd.it/2tyct6yybsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36e55d0aac247716f2f2ae23d9b5c2f78a9eb595
The K&S 9811 is a sturdy and versatile aluminum tube, standing out as an essential tool for scratch builders and modelers. Its 9mm diameter and. 75mm thickness make it great for crafting intricate designs and architectural applications without the need for bending or cutting.
However, it's worth mentioning that this heavy-walled tube might be slightly harder to work with compared to thinner aluminum tubes. Overall, the K&S 9811 is a reliable and user-friendly product, perfect for those looking to add a personal touch to their projects or machine shop experience.

🔗Czech Plastic Beads: 1,000-Piece Light Turquoise Collection

​
https://preview.redd.it/hpk2r4czbsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c596b32d3ccabd368779477faaf58a607b853246
I must say, my experience with the John Bead 9mm Opaque Plastic Pony Beads was quite memorable. The moment I got them, I knew they were going to be a fun addition to my creative projects. These beads, reminiscent of pony beads, come in various colors, making it a joy to explore different options and create unique patterns.
The beads themselves are made of high-quality Czech plastic, ensuring durability and longevity in all sorts of projects. One of the standout features is their 9mm size, which allows for a perfect pass-through of thread. It can be used with various materials, from leather and wax cord to pipe cleaners and yarn. This opens up so many possible applications, from children's crafts and boho fringe to stylish hair braids and jewelry making.
That being said, the beads marketed as glass-like, but in reality are plastic. It is worth considering the marketing claims when making a purchase. This little oversight, however, doesn't detract much from the overall value and endless possibilities these beads offer for a colorful and inventive experience.

Buyer's Guide

​
https://preview.redd.it/wbuontnzbsxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c92e130f4d2a448240974dc95b5d65cf2d9f12f
None

FAQ

​
https://preview.redd.it/b297re20csxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5e915af80bf252de18a238bfdba476802aec5c99

What are 9mm Tracer Rounds?

9mm Tracer Rounds are specialized ammunition designed for firearms. They provide a visual aid for the shooter, allowing them to better track the bullet's trajectory, especially in low light conditions or when aiming at moving targets.

What sets 9mm Tracer Rounds apart from Regular 9mm Rounds?

​
https://preview.redd.it/2fiev1f0csxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=62b4cf161e7896835dd49bbcd1854e231599b441
The main difference between 9mm Tracer Rounds and Regular 9mm Rounds is the inclusion of a visible, brightly burning pyrotechnic composition in the bullet tip. This enables the shooter to see the bullet's path in the air, which is not possible with regular rounds.

Are 9mm Tracer Rounds more expensive than Regular 9mm Rounds?

Yes, 9mm Tracer Rounds tend to be more expensive than regular 9mm rounds. This is due to the additional materials and manufacturing costs involved in producing them.
​
https://preview.redd.it/hbqul2t0csxc1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4d46b9809c74f0e83dc55d79196ef4c396fde1f

What is the effective range of 9mm Tracer Rounds?

The effective range of 9mm Tracer Rounds is typically between 50 to 150 yards. The bullets' flight path can be seen more clearly for longer distances, but accuracy may start to decline at extended ranges due to factors such as wind and bullet drop.

What precautions should be taken while handling 9mm Tracer Rounds?

Handling 9mm Tracer Rounds should be done with the same care as handling any other ammunition. A safe and responsible approach, including proper storage, should be followed to prevent accidental discharges. These rounds can produce a bright flash of light and generate heat, so caution should be exercised when handling them.

Are 9mm Tracer Rounds legal to use in all states and countries?

The legality of 9mm Tracer Rounds varies depending on the jurisdiction. Some states and countries may have restrictions or outright bans on their use. It is essential to check local laws and regulations before purchasing or using 9mm Tracer Rounds.
As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.