Tales from Dublin Pubs: O'Connell, J. of South Richmond Street
Barman Freddie (who curses like a sailor and practices an old world pouring technique involving knives and generous spillages) is wont to enjoy his own supply behind the counter, and grows slower to serve and more moody accordingly.
Mercuries #5 - The Animal Drums
The first major poetry-film of the 21st century - Gareth Evans. The Animal Drums…
Two well-known lute solos by John Dowland
David Braid interprets Mr Dowland’s Midnight and Lachrimae.
The Two Theatres of Life
Human life is composed and regulated by a seemingly infinite series of stages, of spectacles that breathe meaning into our invented worlds.
Theatrical picnic: A homage to Heston Blumenthal and Albert Adrià
The creation of food is magic, as much an act of transformation as of necessity. It is little wonder that food is a source of escape and pleasure for so many. People eat to forget, remember, celebrate, commiserate and survive. Food is at the heart of the most sacred and secular rituals. At its core, the preparation of a good meal is a demonstration of love and the desire to give pleasure, a moment of catharsis.
Transform your mind: star fire
Looking up means seeing infinitely further than our day-to-day lives ever allow; such an experience has a deep inward echo, prompting us to contemplate the truth behind humanity and maybe beyond. A celestial realm of possibility, of nothingness; imagination’s pure potential littered with the coded twinkling of ancient fires.
Why debt is slavery
Debt is as much a pandemic as any virus because it touches so many people. It’s estimated that 75% of the world is in debt. Global debt reached $255 trillion in 2019, and in 2008 the time of the global financial crisis, debt was at $97 trillion. In twelve years debt has increased by 163%.
Guided meditation
A guided meditation. For those curious about trying meditation. For those who practice meditation already…
Dreaming of my future husband
Dreaming of my future husband. The wedding shops of Istanbul. 2018. Three photographs by Thomas Helm.
Ikigai: Find your own meaning
Meaningful work is a powerful tool for keeping us sane. In his book that charts his time at a Siberian Labour camp, Dostoevsky acknowledges that although the work is hard there is a salvation in following it through from beginning to end and seeing its use. The way to truly break someone would be to divorce the work from meaning.
The mystery of the seven-pointed star
The meaning of this personal story lies in the excavated depths, where frequencies invent whole worlds then lie submerged within them. The end of the transformational road is the ineffable image of the seven-pointed star, a symbol that pertains neither to me nor anyone.
Tales from Dublin pubs: Addison Lodge of Botanic Road
The Addison Lodge is a chameleonic venue phenomenon in existential crisis. This establishment is fighting for its life and the only reason it’s still breathing is because it’s located next to the lungs of the city: the Botanic Gardens of Glasnevin.
Mercurius: A window, a sea, a friend
What is Mercurius Magazine? And why does it exist? Our editors get creative with their perceptions…
Flor blanca (white flower)
Flor blanca (white flower) by Ariadna. A song for solidarity in troubled times. Presented to the public for the first time by Mercurius Magazine.
Exercise in Utopia
Those who want to explore space will take a ship and sail across the stars. They will discover other worlds, full of wonders. They might peacefully colonise them, or establish local representative offices. Space trade will begin and intergalactic trade unions will be founded.
Another depthless source
“Another depthless source” acrylic and oil on linen. 40 x 30cm.
Jose Castiella 2019
How to move on from disasters
You got the answers, but the questions changed. Just didn't see it coming. There have been unfortunate consequences. It shifted your perspective on everything, altered history and brought down the future. Call it a disaster. Ready or not, now’s the time to move on and start writing a new chapter.
Blindness is the root of all disaster
If Paris had seen the fall of Troy in the theft of Helen, he might have left her well alone. Regret is an echo of former blindness murmuring in the present. Remorse is self-awareness pointing out a role you might have played in disaster.
Contemporary American poetry: A selection
Dear Mercurius friends, today I invite you on a journey through the different voices of contemporary American poetry, all of them published online via the music platform Spotify.
Lirico
Solo work by David Braid for archtop guitar, performed by David Braid, 2015.
The never-ending quest…
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