Restart - Purgatory I

Beach Day in Purgatory—Let the Soul Cleansing Begin! 🏝️

Rise and shine, spiritual travelers! 🌅 Dante and Virgilio finally escape Hell's basement only to find themselves on the pristine shores of Mount Purgatory—talk about the ultimate beach vacation after literally visiting the worst place in the universe! Here our poet marvels at the Southern Cross constellation ✨ (which, fun fact, he somehow described accurately despite living centuries before Europeans explored the southern hemisphere—medieval Google Maps much?).

Enter Cato of Utica, Purgatory's stern but fair bouncer 👮‍♂️, who initially gives our duo the "you can't come in here" treatment until Virgil drops the ultimate VIP pass—"he's on a divine mission!" Before Dante can begin his upward climb, he needs a spiritual makeover 💦: face washing to remove Hell's soot and a rush belt (medieval version of a cleansing juice fast). The symbolism is deliciously obvious—you can't start your self-improvement journey without washing away your past mistakes!

The real glow-up here isn't just Dante's face but the entire atmosphere—trading Hell's eternal darkness for dawn's hopeful light 🌊. And let's appreciate Cato's peculiar presence: a pagan who committed suicide yet somehow landed a prestigious afterlife management position! It's the ultimate career pivot, proving that even in the afterlife, it's not what you did but why you did it that counts. Sometimes breaking the rules for the right reasons is exactly what the divine doctor ordered! 💫 #DivineComedy #LifeLessons #BeachCleanseVibes