Rosetta’s Great Reads

The Wind Knows My Name

Speaking to GC&M News, David said all three artists were excited to explore the endless and inherently beautiful possibilities created by merging their trilogy of mediums. He said the evening performance offered a truly immersive work where the audience would be free to make their own journey, either by remaining stationary or moving freely throughout the space.

In describing the performance vision, David said the artists hoped that the work would leave audience members fulfilled and inspired as the instantaneousness of improvisational dance is captured indelibly by the visual artist while at the same time interweaving seamlessly through a river of sound borne out of movement.

“We hope the versatile and unique space and performance will leave people wondering if they might have left reality for 45 minutes of their lives!” said David.

As the composer, Tobias Merz will sing and perform his work live with an arrangement based on a landscape through a day in the change of the seasons. Utilising lighting techniques and music, it will be a fusion of electronic and classically styled composition enhanced by baroque and contemporary voice. Tickets are on sale now and more details are available via www.davidbongiornoart.com/performance

Chilean author, Isabel Allende follows two parallel stories of war and immigration in her latest translated novel. Moving between 1938 Vienna and 2019 Arizona, it tells the story of two children who are separated from their parents during periods of war and unrest – five year old Samuel and seven year old Anita. This moving story follows their quest to find their way home to their families, the sacrifices their parents made for their children, and the people who help them. The dual narrative structure with touches of magical realism help the story along, bringing the plight of all refugees to light as it converges in a touching story of love and healing. RRP $34.99

Big Swiss

With a flair for wit and dark humour, Jen Beagin has produced a laugh out loud book, despite its subject matter surrounding trauma and toxic relationships. When Greta leaves her fiancé, her job and her home to move across the country to a ‘onehorse and gossipy’ small town and become a translator for a local shrink, she doesn’t expect to end up in a same-sex relationship with a therapy patient of her employer. But a chance meeting with the woman she refers to as ‘Big Swiss’ sets her life on a new and unexpected trajectory. This book is not for the fainthearted but if you don’t mind a bit of vulgarity and idiosyncratic characters, you’ll find this a hilarious and refreshing read. RRP $32.99

Cancer

JUNE 22 - JULY 22

Welcome to this week’s beautiful balance of warm sun and cool moon moving into your home-loving sign to announce this year’s birthday season. It’s your time to power down in the Crab cave for long heart to heart conversations, and your month of being loved up by all your family favourites.

LEO

JULY 23 – AUGUST 23

Your sign’s fiery ruling planet, the radiant warmth-giving Sun, is at its farthest point away from earth this week. Which makes it all the more reason for you to shine your love light and courage even brighter: the courage that it takes to get up on stage and show the rest of the world how to celebrate life.

VIRGO

AUGUST 24 – SEPTEMBER 22

No matter what your communication style, this week’s Mercury in Gemini has the capacity to enhance it to its most articulate and eloquent expression, especially during weekend Virgo moon. But it comes with a call to check your internal dialogue: Are your thoughts being kind to you? Could they be more loving?

LIBRA

SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 23

The positions of this week’s planetary transits suggest that it’s time to step back and take a break, a pause to rest and repair. To reinforce your commitment to self-care. To ask yourself: Is this really worth expending cortisol on? To break down important decisions into manageable, bitesize steps.

SCORPIO

OCTOBER 24 – NOVEMBER 22

At the halfway point of 2023, the shortest day and longest night of the year, the negative expression of this week’s Mars and Venus might act like an entitled drama queen. And the positive expression of this week’s Mars and Venus will feel like love, warmth, joy, generosity, and courageous behaviour.

SAGITTARIUS

NOVEMBER 23 – DECEMBER 21

This week’s best advice comes via recently departed Sagittarian Tina Turner: We always have a choice, even if it feels as if we don’t. Sometimes that choice may simply be to think a more positive thought. If a negative thought arose, I’d repeat a positive one eight times in a row to counteract it.

Capricorn

DECEMBER 22 – JANUARY 20

The power planet Pluto is revisiting your sign to ask what you want to do differently for the next 20 years of your life? Give yourself permission to not know the answers or perfect responses right away. Let your ideas, opinions and desires marinate. Clarity is more likely to arrive with time, not urgency.

Aquarius

JANUARY 21 – FEBRUARY 18

Every change of circumstances is an opportunity for something better if you can leave behind prior expectations and reframe your perspective. This week’s astral activity poses the question: What would you most like to do with your gifts? And how can you put those versatile skills to the best use?

PISCES

FEBRUARY 19 – MARCH 20

The value of planetary retrogrades goes something like this: with Saturn retrograde in your sign, try just stopping in the middle of a daily routine you do on autopilot and taking notice of your surroundings, your feelings, things you wouldn’t normally have noticed otherwise. What is the message waiting for you?

ARIES

MARCH 21 – APRIL 20

Mercury’s in the sign of oversharing, but this week’s sensitive sun cycle definitely favours the microdose approach, so rein in those ‘full monty’ responses along with the urge to provide TMI and you’ll be glad you did. Trust your gut instincts and rely on your emotional intelligence for decision-making.

TAURUS

APRIL 21 – MAY 20

If certain things come to their natural conclusion at this week’s winter solstice because it’s their time, remember that life is fluid and there are always options. No matter how often doors close, don’t try to reopen old ones. Keep moving, and you’re likely to find that life is actually working in your favour.

Gemini

MAY 21 – JUNE 21

Use this final week of efficient, clear-thinking Mercury in your sign to take care of business, stop procrastinating and decide what you need to do while the astral force is with you, and before this year’s outer planetary back-pedaling really gets into gear. Do it now, don’t put it off, is that clear enough?