The Seventh Circle--The Lustful 

Gustave Doré crafted this engraving illustrating Dante's *Inferno*. Here, we witness the figures trapped in the Seventh Circle, consumed by the sin of lust. Observe how they are swept about in a whirlwind, a potent symbol of their uncontrollable passions. This motif of a whirlwind appears in many cultures. Think of ancient Greek depictions of harpies snatching souls, or the Valkyries of Norse myth carrying fallen warriors to Valhalla; a wild, chaotic energy is used to carry or transport people from one place to another. Here, its depiction is an external manifestation of internal turmoil. Consider the recurring human desire to grasp and control the uncontrollable; these images speak to the chaotic emotional states that have echoed through the ages. The whirlwind as punishment, passion, chaos: it’s a symbol that resurfaces, shaped anew by each era, yet always resonating with our deepest fears and desires.