My green movement

Abundant in nature, the color Green is Life and it represents peace, growth, renewal, health and serenity to me.

Thomas Wilmer Dewing the lute freer museum michele roohani

Dewing’s women are sublime in this chartreuse mist…

I like all shades of green:  lime, emerald, mint, sage, etc…Here are some fresh strawberry leaves in my backyard,

strawberry flowers michele roohani

the elegant magnolia tree in my street,

white majestic magnolia michele roohani san vicente boulevard

the green shadow of this fuschia flower,

fuschia flower shadow michele roohani

tired shoes on a shawl,

shoes and purse on green shawl micheleroohani

my green room,

my green room brentwood michele roohani

two fish on this 11th century Persian ceramic,

persian ceramic musee dsevres 11th century two fish micheleroohani

and two naughty fish hiding under the water lilies:

water lilies carps huntington pond michele roohani

and one fish on this green door,

green door with brass carp handle michele roohani

a mean tequila shot with some limes:

lime green tequila glass michele roohani

a way gentler one,

green martini michele roohani

I like the green man thinking,

rodin thinker penseur michele roohani paris

and these beautiful women holding lights:

torchere lucinda opera michele roohani

Shakespeare smiling behind a green fountain,

shakespear and co paris michele roohani wallace fountain

the lonely bike waiting,

green bike dusseldorf michele roohani

my favorite tree (sycamore) leaves,

sycamore tree leaves michele roohani

and least favorite, succulent plants.

succulent plants michele roohani

How about these smart water plants who lure the beetles with food inside at 8 pm and eat them at 12 am?

beetle trapping water plants huntington garden michele roohani

Even coffee tastes better in a green atmosphere as Starbucks understood long ago:

four coffee cups michele roohani

A green bottle with a red soul:

green bottle red wine graves camembert michele roohani

I have more pictures of trees than anything else in my archives; there is a quiet majesty about a tree that has always stopped me in my daily hustle; this one is looking in the mirror:

tree reflection chantilly garden michele roohani

a green Buddha,

green buddha beads michele roohani

an exquisite Delahaye ,

green delahaye antic car michele roohani

Green luck,

craps game michele roohani

green food,

green vegetables michele roohani

beautiful narcissus,

paperwhite narcissus michele roohani

last but not least, green hope…

iran green movement sheikhi

“من چه سبزم امروز و چه اندازه تنم هشیار است…”

“How green am I today
And how alert is my body”

“Que je suis verdoyant,
Et qu’il est alerte mon corps”

Sohrab Sepehri

p.s. all pictures but the last one are from my personal archives.

This is a small clip I made of these images with the beautiful “THIS” song of Brian Eno:

No Ruz, Norouz, haft-seen, haft-sheen, etc…

Happy New Year to all of you hamvatans! These are some pictures of the ghost of Nowruz past and present. I remember new shoes, the intoxicating scent of hyacinths, the goldfish and the mint bills – and of course the sound of naghareh when the year changes.

norooz 1387 micheleroohani 2008

No Ruz is the day when life’s glory is celebrated; it usually occurs on March 21st or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed. It’s a feast of renewal and freshness – No (new) Ruz (day).

norooz hyacinth micheleroohani

It has often been suggested that the famous Persepolis Complex, or at least the palace of Apadana and Hundred Columns Hall, were built for the specific purpose of celebrating Noruz by Darius the Great (522 -485 BC). It is celebrated in other countries as well as Iran. Tajikistan is one of them.

norooz sofreh micheleroohani

In spite of trying hard, the islamic republic of Iran has not been able to erase this semi-pagan spring festival; they have tried to replace Zarathustra‘s spring equinox celebration with the muslim eyds to no avail.

norooz goldfish micheleroohani

The original haft sheen or seven sh‘s were: Sharab (wine), Shekar (sugar), Sham (Candle), Shir (milk), Sharbat (Sherbet), Shaneh (comb), Shahd (nectar) but they were replaced by seven S’s to eliminate sharab (wine) after the arab conquest.

norooz sweets micheleroohani

The haft seen is made of:
Sabzeh – wheat or lentil sprouts growing in a dish symbolizing rebirth
Samanu – pudding made of wheat symbolizing wealth
Senjed – dried fruit of Jujube tree symbolizing love
Seer – garlic symbolizing medicine
Seeb – apples symbolizing beauty and health
Somaq – sumac berries symbolizing the sun
Serkeh – vinegar symbolizing age
Sonbol – hyacinth flower symbolizing the arrival of spring
Sekkeh – gold coins symbolizing prosperity and wealth

norooz coins micheleroohani

Too much information, wouldn’t you say?

norooz sabzeh micheleroohani

“Pourquoi les hommes ne savent-ils pas
Que la capucine n’est pas un hasard…” Sepehri

norooz ayneh micheleroohani

 

آمد بهار ای دوستان منزل سوی بستان کنیم
گرد غریبان چمن خیزید تا جولان کنیم

امروز چون زنبورها پران شویم از گل به گل
تا در عسل خان جهان شش گوشه آبادان کنیم

آمد رسولی از چمن کاین طبل را پنهان مزن
ما طبل خان عشق را از نعره ها ویران کنیم

بشنو سماع آسمان خیزید ای دیوانگان
جانم فدای عاشقان امروز جان افشان کنیم

آتش در این عالم زنیم وین چرخ را برهم زنیم
وین عقل پابرجای را چون خویش سرگردان کنیم

کوبیم ما بی پا و سر گه پای میدان گاه سر
ما کی به فرمان خودیم تا این کنیم و آن کنیم

نی نی چو چوگانیم ما در دست شه گردان شده
تا صد هزاران گوی را در پای شه غلطان کنیم

خامش کنیم و خامشی هم مایه دیوانگیست
این عقل باشد کآتشی در پنبه پنهان کنیم

Rumi

To hear my good friend (Houri)’s voice accompanying the preparation of haft-seen, click on the view here.

Postscript:
About the seven sh’s, somebody mentioned the omnipresent SHAHNAMEH on the Norouz spread and I have to agree – the Great Book‘s almost always been on mine even now that it’s become the tame haft-seen. For some comic book version (for the heavy readers) check this site out.

My Nowruz 1390 (2011) here

For Nowruz 1389 (2010) go here

for Nowruz 1388 (2009)  go here