BmoreArt

Accidentally Wes Anderson, published this year, by Wally Koval is a gorgeous book that feeds your eyes as well as your brain—a great split in true Sagittarian spirit. But before we crack open those pages, it’s helpful to know that the title hails from an Instagram account (@accidentallywesanderson) created by Koval. With more than 1 million followers, this account boasts stunning images from all over the globe that seem as if they stepped right out of a Wes Anderson movie. The images in the book, just like those on the IG account, are submitted by everyday travelers. 

Now on to the book: the variety of images and geographical locations would keep any Sagittarian happy. Readers can jump back and forth exploring each section (which includes the US and Canada, Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Antarctica, and Oceania). One of my favorites from the Middle East and Africa section is the town of Kolmanskop in Karas, Namibia. This photo by Alina Rudya looks surreal; the doorways of a seafoam greenhouse are spilling over with sand. If you were standing in front of this doorway, the sand would leak out over your feet. Restless Sagittarian minds will agree that the captions throughout the book are as engaging as the vivid images. Once you read Kolmanskop’s caption you discover it’s a ghost town (founded in 1908) that was once a thriving center because of the diamond industry. But after the Germans colonized Namibia, and after a brief economic boom, the town was abandoned in 1956. Now a private company shows Kolmanskop as a tourist attraction.  

This book contains images from every corner of the world, and showcases churches, mosques, fire and train stations, wood shops, gondolas, theaters, and even silos that hold the ingredients for chocolate. No culture is overlooked in this book. And with true Sagittarian honesty, Koval doesn’t mince words when relaying the history of a place. In the Middle East and Africa section, for example, there sits a lovely little picture of two tiny sailboats cruising peacefully under an azure sky. Koval admits that this idyllic-looking Old Jaffa Port in Tel Aviv is “drenched in bloody history.” 

While I am enthusiastic about this book, I admit I was a bit disappointed that the Antarctica section was so small, with only one entry. I also didn’t find the US and Canada section (which heads the book) as impressive as the other sections, but readers will be happy to see metropolitan sites like Chicago’s Navy Pier as well as small locales, like the Central Fire Station at Marfa, Texas, represented.

I tend to be fairly reserved about suggesting holiday books for a loved one. But if you aren’t going to buy a literary gem from a small/independent press (which I strongly recommend), Accidentally Wes Anderson is the ideal book to gift. The vibrant pictures and captions will give you a history lesson and provide great conversation once the pandemic’s over. Honestly, you could gift yourself with this. Why not dream a little and plan your future vacation while thumbing through this book?

This month’s tarot card for the collective is the Two of Swords (signifying mental ideas or thoughts) reversed, from the Rider Waite Deck. Typically, the Two of Swords, when upright, represents a person who is weighing a decision but is unclear as to which option is best. The individual on the card is blindfolded holding two swords crossed over their chest. However, since the card is upside down, or in reverse, we are at a stalemate. We are immobile. Or, as the blindfold from the person on the card falls off, lies are being exposed. It can also allude to being at an impasse between two competing sides.

Either way, it is crucial for us to stop and look at our situation from another angle in order to gain perspective to move forward. In the background of this card, a crescent-shaped moon looms, indicating that emotional knowledge is available to us; we simply need to tap into it. As we close out 2020 and evaluate how we have evolved as a society, it’s important to let our own internal wisdom guide the way for any important decisions. Now that the blindfold is no longer obstructing our view, it’s time to heal and move on.