#actually learns how to make friends and acknowledge others beyond their strength and courage | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

makeste · 4 years

Text

some brief musings on why Kacchan is still going to lose his quirk

(and why that may ultimately be a good thing.)

so first of all, let me just say that Deku and Kacchan are still very much in danger. much as I hate to say it. thing is, Horikoshi didn’t go to the trouble of separating them from the others for no reason. so while it may be a few more chapters until they fall under the cool, calculating gaze of our bloodthirsty mangaka once again, they’re definitely not out of the woods yet.

and in the meantime, while their encounter with Tomura was so brief you almost have to question whether it was completely inconsequential, it did accomplish several things of note:

it scared the absolute SHIT out of the both of them and maybe now they will take this seriously???

it gave Endeavor the chance to learn that there is a thing called One for All, and that whatever the hell this thing is, apparently Midoriya might have it...? kids these days and their nonsense.

it gave Aizawa the same opportunity. ‘Midoriya and Bakugou... is he... after the two of them...?!’ and seeing as those are his kids, it’s a pretty safe bet he’s not going to drop this until he actually gets an answer. (which, honestly, about time??)

and last but not least, it allowed Bakugou to give a rousing speech and to have an internal monologue about how he’s been keeping up with Deku so far and he intends to keep doing so.

which brings me to the main subject of this post.

sorry kiddo. but having an entire scene devoted to establishing that you’re still full of pride, and still keeping pace with your rival, and how you won’t lose, and how he’s still trailing in your shadow same as always...

...doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence that all of that optimism isn’t about to come crashing down around you.

he has come so far. he has grown so much. he’s learned how to save others. he’s learned to acknowledge his own weaknesses. he’s learned how to work alongside his childhood friend rival. and he’s learned how to be selfless in the heat of the moment, even if he doesn’t realize it yet. slowly learning the meaning of “my body just moved before I could think.”

but his ego is still holding him back. his pride, and his desire to win, which I should stress is not at all a bad thing in and of itself (on the contrary, it’s what spurs that very growth I was talking about. it motivates him to keep striving forward, and inspires the others around him to also do their best). but what is bad about it is the way that it’s consistently at odds with his better self. how it hinders his compassion and empathy. because he sees those things as “weak”, and weakness = losing. and nowhere is this more starkly apparent than in his relationship with Deku.

even now, even after all the progress the two of them have made, he still stubbornly persists in doing this bizarre and ridiculous thing of framing every single aspect of their relationship, and every single one of their interactions, solely in terms of rivalry and power levels. of winning and losing. like, it is wild, though. to better illustrate this, please consider the following sample selection of Bakugou Thought Processes.

working together with Deku = losing to Deku (so I won’t do it)

oh no wait, working together with Deku = passing the exam = getting stronger = beating Deku (so I’ll do it)

getting kidnapped = being weak = losing to Deku (so I will be very sad and frustrated about it)

Deku being chosen as All Might’s successor while I bring about the end of All Might = ...do I really need to explain this one lol

[new input!!]: learning from Deku = getting stronger?? = becoming the best hero = beating Deku!! (so I will do it!)

feeling guilty about being a giant shit to Deku = needing to ask for Deku’s forgiveness = losing to Deku (...shit)

worrying about Deku = admitting that you care about Deku = see above = (so I won’t do it) (I won’t) (I won’t)

I really am grateful to this latest chapter for providing that rare bit of insight into the workings of his mind. lulz.

so yeah! that’s where we’re at, apparently. where we are still at. so how, then, do we eventually move forward from here? and if you look at all of Katsuki’s previous breakthroughs (after his loss to Deku; after he was forced to team up with Deku in the final exam; and after Kamino), all of them only happened after he was brought down a peg. after his walls of ego and pride were cracked, and he was humbled and forced to look at things from the perspective he hates more than anything else. the perspective of “losing.”

and so now his relationship with Deku is being thrust back into the forefront again. and we’re being shown that for him, all of the things he’s learned about What it Means to Be a Hero and What Our Strength is For and etc. etc. etc. are all still jumbled up in this tangled web of thoughts about beating Deku, don’t lose to Deku, I’m keeping up with him, I’m not gonna lose. and again, the problem isn’t that he wants to win! the problem is that all of his own self-worth, his entire self-image, is completely caught up within this one concept.

winning is who he is. being the best is who he is. but that’s all he is. his thought process still doesn’t go any further past there. he can’t answer the question of “what is your strength for” because he doesn’t know. his sense of self is so intricately tied up in the concept of strength because he has always been strong. his fears are so intricately tied to the concepts of losing and weakness because he has always been strong. because he doesn’t know the answer to the question of: but who are you if all of that strength is ever peeled away?

and if he ever wants to be able to answer that once and for all, he needs to gain perspective once again. he needs to lose again. just this one last time.

Deku was once quirkless. Kacchan becoming quirkless would be the ultimate karmic act of balance between them, the ultimate humbling experience. it would force him to shed his remaining pride once and for all, the pride that’s still blinding him and preventing him from figuring out what it is that he’s missing. he’d be forced to reckon with the feeling of being powerless in a world where everyone else has power. forced to try and understand what it is that gives worth to people beyond just strength. forced to finally acknowledge that there are different kinds of strength, something he has always intuitively known since he was a young child (otherwise he would never have feared Deku), but was never was able to fully understand. because Deku’s strength was forged by him growing up in a world where he had no choice but to look within himself in order to find those core, essential qualities that truly make one a hero, with or without a quirk. compassion. selflessness. persistence in the face of doubt. kindness in the face of apathy. hope and courage in the face of fear.

so yeah. it may just be that in order to finally realize what true strength means, Katsuki needs to first let go of his old ideas of strength entirely. and I’d be lying at this point if I said I wasn’t excited about the possibility that this kind of storyline might really be about to happen now. not just because of the angst (although I won’t pretend that isn’t also a part of it because let’s be real), but because no other character in BnHA has come further than Bakugou. no other character has started from such an insane place of “holy shit they’re really doing everything wrong”, only to acknowledge that, and to say “okay yeah, I get it, I want to do better, show me what to do and I’ll do it”, and then to actually do it.

and I want him to continue to grow. I want him to successfully reach the end of his character development journey. and so if this is what needs to happen next in order for him to do that? to reach his goal? to understand what he wants to be, who he wants to be? then fuck it. bring it on.

#bnha 275 #bakugou katsuki #midoriya izuku #bakudeku #bnha meta #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha #quirkless!bakugou #bakugou meta

439 notes · View notes

megashadowdragon · 3 years

Link

Commentary on reddit :

To summarize, Marfisa is basically what you’d get if you combined Penthesilea and Achilles. She starts out as a whirling, if lucid, maelstrom of destruction until she becomes something else; an inverse of Roland being a mostly perfect knight before he abandons chivalry in his explosive grief.

Instead of being taken in by an overprotective wizard, Marfisa was briefly raised by a lioness, adopted soon after, kidnapped and made a slave by a Persian king at age 7, killed her master when she was older, violently took over his kingdom, and then violently conquered several more kingdoms by the time she was 18.

Some writers, even some today, would take her as is. #YAASQUEEN (literally) Knight. Put her up against some strawmen/caricatures and wait for a movie deal. But way back in the 1500s, Ariosto took this character, who was little more than a thug in Orlando Innamorato, and gave her an arc that took her beyond murder and self-fulfillment.

A harder life created a much harder person than Ruggiero, but it also instilled in her a much more mercenary outlook. Tiring of her overlord duties and hearing of the immense war between Charlemagne and the Saracen Kingdoms, Marfisa pilfered the coffers of her subjects and abandoned her empire to challenge the greatest knights either side had to offer.

As a queen with nigh-limitless funds and muscle that allowed her to battle Roland to a standstill, she is a shockingly unencumbered figure in a tale where almost everyone answers to someone, but that freedom becomes a kind of cage as well.

She changes sides constantly, sometimes fighting for the Saracens and sometimes fighting against them. Her one-track mind for combat causes her to gormlessly attack heroic knights and accidentally help slavery ring kingpins. She is also quite vindictive, attacking anyone for slights that range from actual to accidental to simply perceived.

There is hope for her though. During an adventure with Astolfo (who she was on good terms with after allying with him briefly in Innamorato), she, he, and three of his fellow Paladins wind up in Laiazzo, an Amazonian colony 10,000-strong which enslaves shipwrecked men to act as their pet champions and breeding stock (1 man “works” for 10 women). Newcomers can either try and fight their way out or they can slay 10 “servants” in single combat bloodsports, fornicate with a 100 citizens, and earn the privilege of serving the Amazons.

Marfisa (who the Amazons believe to be male because of her armor and mask) is nominated by her companions to do all the fighting. Some take this as a nigh-feminist occurrence where Astolfo and his friends acknowledge a woman (and one not of their ranks no less) as their better in battle. Others believe this is Marfisa having her bloodlust being taken advantage of by the Paladins ala Tom Sawyer so they can do the much more enjoyable 100 women thing as she takes all the hits.

Marfisa kills all but one of the Amazon slave knights and in respect of her skills, he offers to let the group stay the night at his place before they resume their duel the next day.

They learn that in spite of his strength, the knight is barely out of his teens and is terribly depressed with what his masters have made him do. If he wins, he kills a great warrior and remains a slave. If Marfisa wins, then she and the others will become slaves. The Amazons win either way.

This similarity to her own backstory causes Marfisa to feel genuine empathy with someone she had moments ago tried to murder. It might be the first time she’s ever felt it. She muses that if she were to reveal her gender, the Amazons would likely accept her as one of their own or let her go free, but she won’t tolerate such naked vileness, even if it would benefit her.

The next day, she, her new ally, and the Paladins fight to free themselves and the other captive knights despite how outmatched they clearly are. When the fight goes south, Astolfo sounds his dread horn that is cursed to make all who hear it flee in fright (Agartha, baby). He neglects to tell his companions that it affects everyone who isn’t him, and EVERYONE on the island flees so suddenly and swiftly that by the time Astolfo is done blowing (his horn), he discovers he’s been completely abandoned.

Take a look at this illustration (NSFW) by Gustave Doré detailing the escape. That shadowed figure in the background on the hill? That's Astolfo. And that smirking sentinel leading the slaughter? Take a guess.

But the story isn’t done with Marfisa yet. She falls in love with Ruggiero. She gets beaten by Bradamante, her shallow vindictiveness no match for the true wrath of a woman scorned. She sees Ruggiero getting between her and Bradamante in spite of being much weaker than either of them in hopes of stopping the two from killing each other. She witnesses Atlante’s shade, the wizard having entombed himself Merlin style and seemingly disowned Ruggiero for ingratitude at his attempts to raise and protect him, return from beyond to reveal the truth of how she’s Ruggiero’s twin sister to stop the three-way death match.

Throughout this odyssey, this bellicose beauty beholds how courageous a lesser warrior can be, how much and how deeply a man and woman can love each other in spite of distance and difficulty, how a father’s love can be so strong that it can forgive the insults a son sends its way, how painful failure is, and how having a brother feels.

These higher emotions and more complex relationships help her see that there’s more to life than battle. They also inspire her to mature as an individual.

When she, Ruggiero, and Bradamante come across a licentious lord who abuses the women in his domain, they don’t simply overthrow him but reform his society. Rather than let the women completely take over as the Amazons showed her that tyranny is unisex, she demands egalitarianism. Equality. And warns she’ll kill them all if they stray from that path. Hey, baby steps.

Decent extrapolation but it kind of makes me feel like it was written from Cliffsnotes instead of directly reading Furioso.

Within the book it's just said that Marfisa was insistent on fighting the champions on the island of women warriors. It was required that the same person perform both tasks and is supposed to be humorous because Marfisa just heard, "Fight ten strong guys, I am so there" and literally zoned out on the other half. The text also states that the entire group is fortunate they decided to break out, since Marfisa would obviously fail the second trial.

Marfisa, again, was a major fight nut which is the reason that conflicts rose between her and other Saracens. Such as when she had her sword stolen by Brunello and threw off her armor while chasing him, she started a fight by grabbing her arms without saying a word when a contest of martial valor was going on over them - and she is so in love with combat that instead of explaining anything she just started fighting. Or how it was Mandricard who challenged her since she was convinced into one of the few times she wore women's clothes with some friends so he assumed she was a lady and one of her beauty, Mandricard wanted to offer to Rodomont in order to get his romantic rival out of the way. Marfisa merely said that Mandricard had to defeat her personally. Well, in short, it's that the Saracen camp was filled with in-fighting. Shit, when she and Mandricard were about to have their duel, both Ruggiero and Rodomont broke in and EVERYONE wanted to duel EVERYONE over something.

Also it's never mentioned of her falling in love with Ruggiero. Just that the two had a strong bond that the Saracens misconstrued as being romantic love. She only goes out to fight Bradamant because her obviously established love of combat and also that the woman was screaming her name in bloody murder. It's literally when Marfisa is going to confront Bradamant that it mentions the phoenix she wears on her helmet has the meaning that she wants to remain invincible and single for her entire life (as an aside, she killed her slaver and his family and his kingdom out of vengeance when he tried to take her chastity).

As an aside, Ruggiero is on the same level as Marfisa, definitely not "much weaker." There's a reason the Saracens sought him specifically out as an ally despite his being locked away in a tower. When he and Marfisa fight side-by-side the text clearly treats them as equals, and they also view each other as worthy equals.

#fgo #fate/grand order #fate grand order #fate astolfo #fate bradamante #orojuice #fgo comic #fgo fancomic #fate grand order comic #fate/grand order comic #fgo astolfo #astolfo #bradamante #fgo bradamante

12 notes · View notes

astrowithkaro · 3 years

Note

Hii, this looks really interesting! Could you talk about the language of May 21st? 💫✨

Language Of Birthdays: May 21 - Taurus

[You can find the rest of the series here; or check out my masterlist]

The Day Of Unfailing Vision

Those born on May 21 not only have far-reaching vision but also the tenacity to hang in there, no matter what. Once engaged in a struggle, they are in it for the duration, no matter how great the difficulties involved. As a matter of fact they love challenge, so if anything, the obstacles they encounter only spur them on. In this respect they are unlike many "idea people" who either give up easily, lose interest or simply move on out of restlessness. May 21 people want to implement their ideas, manifest them in concrete reality. They have a real feeling for the tactile, sensuous and physical elements of life. Most often, their ideas and visions involve a transformation of physical matter.

There is also a strong social involvement indicated on this day. May 21 people are not ivory tower dreamers, but must be in the thick of it, battling with or against society for what they believe is right. Most often, their crusade is of their own making but they can also give themselves selflessly to the causes of others. Indeed, giving is their forte, not taking. They may have quite a bit of difficulty, as a matter of fact, in accepting gifts or help from others. In this, their life is strictly a one man/woman show, for which their work is central. These are not people who need a manager or PR person—they like doing the job from start to finish.

Somehow the money to accomplish their ends comes through, often at the last minute. So great is their confidence in a successful outcome to their endeavors, that the necessary attention and means of support seem to manifest when needed. They can, however, struggle for years and years without achieving success—they can even be laughed at or scorned, but this does not dissuade them from their goals. Dominant personalities, they are never happier than when others are under their direction. Less powerful May 21 people may suffer in silence for a lifetime, having wonderful ideas and talents but never finding how to voice them; sometimes they just settle for a back seat to their partner, siblings or children. Such May 21 people inevitably build up tremendous resentments and self-pity. All they need is the courage to act, and like their more highly evolved May 21 counterparts will likely succeed in their task. Part of the problem for less confident May 21 people is in recognizing where their true talents lie.

At its best, May 21 is a day that confers great gifts of accomplishment and success. Those born on this day, however, must beware of arrogance and egotism or of succumbing to the egoistic temptation of playing the martyr or suffering saint. They may need to periodically examine their personal motives to be sure that they are really as selfless and giving as they seem. May 21 people must also learn that giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin, and that accepting the help of others is also part of being human. Ego problems and all forms of conceit, particularly giving as a kind of condescension from on high, must be guarded against.

Strengths:

Undaunted

Courageous

Successful

Weaknesses:

Egoistic

Un-vulnerable

Stressed

Advice

The great health danger for May 21 people is burnout. Because their dedication is so great and their energy seemingly inexhaustible, they may put irreparable strain on their bodies, and come to recognize the damage too late. Those born on this day often refuse to acknowledge physical limitations, either for themselves or anyone else. Consequently, if they wish to survive beyond their fifties, they must learn to heed the warnings of their bodies or the suggestions of their family, friends or physician. Markedly intense, May 21 people often overstress their nervous system; fortunately this may be one of the strongest and resilient parts of their physical organism. Because May 21 people expend a great deal of energy, regularly scheduled meals are a must. Also short afternoon naps can do wonders if they don't cause sleeplessness at night.

Keep a close watch on yourself; examine your motives

Learn to accept the help of others and be vulnerable occasionally

Attend to small tasks as well as great projects

Remain polite and kind

Rest is important

Hello! I hope this resonated with you. Just wanted to say I'm aware that this is a cusp day between 29 degrees Taurus and 1 degree Gemini but I'll still say it's mostly dominant by Taurus so it's okay if you're actually a Gemini <3

10 notes · View notes

purplexflamingo · 4 years

Text

Kimba was actually very close to her father. Outside of his war uniform he was a decent man and he cherished his daughter, much to his surprise.... Despite his father showing disappointment in her being born female (after years of having male first born). General Han never felt love and he unfortunately never loved his wife that he was forced to wed- who passed giving birth to Kimba. But he loved his child and honestly she could do no wrong in his eyes- he was impressed by her strength and will power, proceeding to train her himself. While his father pressured him to wed her off to someone of notable status to keep success in their clan, he always seemed to find a way around it and never set her up with anyone- he’s declined offers as he soon just deemed none worthy of her. In her teen years she stressed him out often and he frequently worried about her when she gained her voice. She was a fire cracker, thus caused issues with her grandfather, they never got along even though Gang raised her for a majority of her childhood while her father was off in the war. Han had a excellent reputation and had worked along side Prince Iroh for many years. As well as serving Azulon directly. Though he’d try to keep his daughter away from the royals for her safety and his own, as the Fire Lord was far more cruel than his own father and seeing his daughter hold her ground with his father- who was considerably more bark than bite. She’d stand no chance against them.

Kimba wanted nothing more than to follow in her father’s foot steps, but the current time would not allow it. She inherited her father’s tactics and focus. She would’ve made a wonderful General. Overtime she did manage to travel with her father to the royal palace. Awaiting for her father she taunted the guards and teased, she was a bit of a show off at her age. She always liked to make others underestimate her and prove them wrong. Eventually she met Ozai for the first time in person. Later on Ozai sought out General Han and many letters had been exchanged between Kimba and him. They’d also meet in secluded locations outside of the public’s eye. They’d train together even though she was not nearly as strong, she never would give up. When things turned more towards romantic feelings, issues began to occur. Especially when she’d accept his advances. Needless to say she fell in love with the prince and fast. She’d do anything he asked her to without putting up a fight, like she usually would with others. She gave herself over to him rather soon. Han had grown suspicious of her as she became extremely secretive and distant from her family, as she was gone hours at a time.

It puzzled him when she began to dress more feminine, it started to become evident she was dressing to impress someone. Though he never pried and thus regretted his passive choice in the matter. When he started to catch on to things, he was extremely worried for her. Especially when it had been rumored the second prince were to be wed to someone hand picked in the next coming year or two. Kimba thought she had a chance and got on her father for up holding his reputation. Ozai never expressed they were courting, but she believed they were. Azulon found out about them and instantly intervened out of rage as he wanted her no where near him. As well as punished her father for her actions of ‘seducing his son’ when it was probably his son. Ozai never fought that, he would always abide to his father’s wishes, if it meant bettering himself in his eyes, and that upset Kimba. Thankfully Han was able to calm her down from doing something drastic. It hurt to see her in that state and as much as he’d like to have a few words with Ozai. Out of fear of both their safety, he did not. His daughter was already looked down upon by Azulon now and at that point he could careless about his rank.

Ozai would be in and out or her life for a year. he played with her mind and Han knew this, it disgusted him. He couldn’t change her mind, she was blinded by love and the possibility of royalty as he bought her love. He stringed her a long for so long and soon he overheard they found his potential bride, a female from Roku’s bloodline. That was when he truly had to decide whether to let her find out or tell her. When she admitted to her father she was pregnant, Han’s heart sank as he expected the worst. Shortly afterwards she battled telling Ozai, despite her father urging her to not utter a word. Han knew what the royals were like and how utterly cruel they could be. Assuming death were to occur. When she gained the courage to do so, she caught him arm and arm with his now proclaimed fiance. That just broke her heart and she fled.

In order to protect his daughter and his unborn grandchild, he dropped his rank and left the nation( by choice), thus further ruining his reputation beyond repair. As he was deemed a weak traitor. Though he kept his daughter’s whereabouts secret as they resided in a village until she gave birth. Han’s father disowned both of them before his death as he was revolted by what had transpired. Kimba was not the same, she slowly seemed disconnected and bitter. She wanted nothing more than revenge, but not towards Ozai himself...Ursa. She ended up having twins, two males. One of which nearly did not make it, but thanks to the people within the village they fought to keep the child alive. Still she seemed shut off, barely acknowledging her children for the first few years, and Han had to proceed to raise two children on his own. Once she began to come to her senses she started to become involved with her children, they began to form relationships and she came to like the village. Until one day years later, she was tracked down and received a letter from Ozai requesting her help, as he seemed to remember she was quite the spy for him in the past. He wanted her assistance and extended invitations with rewards and benefits. Of course much to her father’s disapproval she went back to the fire nation, leaving her sons behind. Pledged her services to Ozai and would be the spy that observed his wife. From there she had to learn to act the part, be friend her and report back to the prince. As if proving her worth would make him see what he is missing out on. Needless to say their connection returned and there was still a fire there. Her loyalty was very pleasing to him and he felt a thrill when she’d still do as he said.

#oc rambles #oc x canon #oc #atla oc #kimba #a little thing I've been thinking on #way before the main story

5 notes · View notes

cayastrife · 5 years

Text

My Father

Star Wars - POST-ROTJ One Shot - Han & Luke friendship inspired by:

http://delannoie.tumblr.com/post/180139399750/the-truth-the-night-when-luke-told-han-all-a also on https://archiveofourown.org/works/16775284

A soft cooing rang in his ears, murmurs of nocturnal wildlife native to the small forest moon. The night's air was alive with song, even long after the victorious drumming had rung out, the bonfires reluctantly simmered down to mere ash.

Despite all their joy and elation, the revelers had eventually succumbed to the peace of the victor's sleep. All but one.

Han Solo was no stranger to the hustle and bustle of celebration, and had, of course, done his own share. But still sleep would not come to him. He craned his neck toward the small opening functioning as a window, yet could spy nothing but the trees' dense canopy beyond it. Not a single speck of starlight penetrated the heavy foliage.

Unfortunately, there was no way in the seven hells that Han Solo would be able to find sleep without either a clear view of the sky or the low, always arrhythmic humming of his Falcon's engines.

So, with a sigh of defeat, he slowly lifted himself from the thin mattress, careful not to disturb the small woman sleeping next to him. Perhaps more so than everyone else, the Princess deserved her rest.

A cursory glance around revealed little else of interest, until his eyes came to rest on the empty cot next to the entrance. His brows furrowed with a dawning concern. It seemed he wasn't the only one having problems finding sleep that night.

Noiselessly, he stepped out of the hut and paused for a moment, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness. His feet took him toward a larger, more open area at the edge of the settlement. Just distant enough to afford both a certain level of privacy as well as clear view of the sky above Endor. The very same space which had, until very recently, been occupied by the Empire's Second Death Star. And there, hunched over and dwarfed by the open space, sat the small figure of the other insomniac. Tousled dark-blond bangs covered his face; in his hands - one exposed, the other clad in its customary black glove - he cradled a long, metallic tube, almost longingly, reverently.

"Can't get a wink of sleep in those stuffy huts either, huh?"

The other man started, his eyes jerking to the new arrival.

"Oh, Han." he acknowledged simply before continuing. "Yeah, something like that."

Although bothered by the remnants of a strangely haunted look in the boy's eyes, Han decided to ignore the nagging worry and instead leaned casually against the wooden railing. A feat impossible for all but those immune to vertigo. He glanced up at the stars, the ghost of the battle station's silhouette casting an imaginary but palpable shadow.

"You're a hero, you know? You of all people deserve some rest."

The reply came quiet, barely audible.

"I'm no hero." Luke's words were laced with an emotion Han felt hard to place. "I…"

The smuggler turned to face his companion and raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me? You defeated Vader andthe Emperor. You more or less singlehandedly brought down the Empire!"

Han would have expected bashfulness, modesty - stars, even joy - but not the obvious twinge of pain contorting Luke's features. And even less he would have expected the confession accompanying them.

"I didn't, though."

There was a moment of confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't defeat the Emperor, Han." The small voice returned. For the briefest of moments, their eyes met, and Han was sure that, had the contact lasted longer, he would not have been able to bear its intensity. There was a pain in those blue eyes - now glassy and haunted by crimson shadows at their edges - a sadness so profound it seemed beyond consolation, beyond restoration. Han could only speculate at the source of such emotions, and the subsequent images constricted his throat, lending his voice the raspiness of the debilitated.

"What are you saying?"

The blue eyes avoided his this time, but the answer came nevertheless.

"It wasn't me, Han." There was a moment of quiet, even the creatures of the forest seemed to wait with bated breath, aware of the importance of the revelation ahead. "It was my father."

"Your father?" Han couldn't help but blurt out before the words even properly registered in his brain. "You just lost me, kid. Care to explain?"

If it was at all possible, Luke's already small frame collapsed even further, becoming almost too slight to support the shaking head.

"I don't know if I should." he muttered hesitantly. "Stars, I don't even know if I can…"

There was fear in those words, Han recognized. A fear that, once the truth was spoken, there would be no going back. That things would forever be changed between them.

Han adjusted his position, giving Luke more space while making sure not to distance himself further.

"Come on, Luke. We're basically family. Brothers. You're like a broody, awkward - need I mention slightly less handsome? - cousin twice removed." When nothing else did, that small jab earned him a smile. The tiniest, saddest of smiles, but a smile nonetheless. "Whatever you say, it won't change what I think of you."

Luke's eyes sought his for a moment, testing the veracity of his claim.

"I'll remind you of that…" Both voice and eyes seemed to say, even though there was less certainty in the latter.

Again, there was silence when Luke began to gather himself and the courage needed to say what must be said. When he spoke, his voice was low but calm and steady. The voice of someone far beyond the young Jedi's years, of one accustomed to hardship and suffering.

"When I first went to face Vader, I… I thought I could turn him. Bring out the good I felt in him."

"Good? In Darth Vader?"Again, Han found it hard to control himself, his disbelief bypassing his mind-to-speech filter.

"Please, Han…" Luke pleaded, asking to be allowed to finish before he lost the courage to do so. Raising his hands in apology, Han conceded. It was a while before Luke continued.

"I thought I could, but it wasn't– Iwasn't enough. I guess it started sinking in when Vader brought me to the Emperor. That was it. That’s when I finally realized there was no way I was walking out of that alive. But it didn't matter. It was the will of the Force, and I knew what I had to do."

Hearing how lightly the boy spoke of sacrificing himself, it took all of Han's self-control to keep from berating him then and there. To remind him of just how important he was to all of them, and just what he thought of a shoddy, ancient religious cult that sent its members on obvious suicide missions.

If Luke had picked up on any of those thoughts, he didn't show it and eventually continued.

"I might have learned since Bespin, but Vader was strong, and we fought relentlessly. My anger spurred me on… and my fear, knowing that all of you were walking into a trap down here. It gave me strength and… I injured him. I brought him to his knees in my rage."

A sigh escaped from the young man's lips, but it brought no relief. Only made way for that which was still to come.

"I almost fell, Han." He pressed out against an audible lump in his throat, fear reducing his voice to little more than a whisper. "I almost fell to the dark side."

"But you didn't." Han felt the need to point out, unsure of how else to reassure his friend. Helpless in the face of such powers at work.

"No. I couldn't." Luke conceded, although taking no pride in the achievement. "Not knowing what I would become. Having it right in front of me. Needless to say, the Emperor wasn't pleased…" A miniscule tremor overcame his hands as he likely recalled - relived- the moment. "Have you ever been electrocuted? It kind of feels like someone is liquifying your bones, and your muscles, your tendons…"

The shivers intensified, spread to his arms, torso and legs. An involuntary movement he likely never even noticed, so far removed from the moment was he, so caught up in reliving the events of the past days. Although in other moments he would be loath to admit it, Han felt the almost instinctive need to embrace his friend. To show him that he was there, that Luke was safe now, that no more harm would come to him. Never again. Not as long as Han had any say in it. But he restrained himself. He knew there was more that needed to be said. That all he had to do was listen. And so he did.

Before long, Luke continued.

"I pleaded with Vader. I begged him to help me. I never thought he would turn against his master; not really. But he did. Injured as he was, knowingthe Force lightning would kill him, he took hold of the Emperor and… 'disposed' of him.”

Han had been following the words attentively, but felt he was no closer to the revelation he had been led to expect.

“But didn't you say your father–”

“Vader is– wasmy father.” Luke interrupted in the smallest of voices cracking terribly halfway through the sentence, stunning Han into a momentary silence. The boy couldn't be serious about this, could he? The smuggler tried to catch a look at his companion's face, but found it hidden behind his tousled hair, steeped in shadows, unreadable.

“To be fair, the man who becameDarth Vader - Anakin Skywalker - was my father.” He clarified, his voice becoming less steady with every syllable, every fateful name. Every fresh, raw wound disturbed anew, an impossibly long way from healing.

Anakin Skywalker. Kenobi. The Hero With No Fear. Remnants of old memories long forgotten welled up in Han's mind, filling the gaps in half-formed theories and suspicions he had never consciously entertained. Not until now. And it actually made sense.

"Holy S–" A curse died in his throat as the implications caught up with him, his mind evaluating the new information against the background of all he had been told in the past few minutes. And there truly was no going back, he had to admit, as his heart both broke and grew for the boy at the same time.

"He was redeemed in the end, you know?" The small voice pulled him from his thoughts. "In his last moments, I got to see him. Truly see him for the first time. Without the helmet and mask. Not as Vader, but as myfather. He– I…” A small sob, the first of many, ravaged the boy, momentarily stole his words. “I couldn't save him, Han. I was so close. So close… He died in my arms…”

Han wasn't entirely sure if the sob escaped from his throat or that of the boy - or perhaps even both - but found he did not care. He hardly recognized his own voice anyway and welcomed the anonymity. Slowly, carefully, he sat down next to the young Jedi and placed a steadying hand on his shaking one.

“Luke…”

But there was more yet. More weight to add to a burden already so heavy it seemed far too weighty for any one man to bear.

“I took him with me. Down here, to Endor. Burned what was left of him.”

Han gave the boy's arm a comforting squeeze, feeling more inadequate than ever before in all his tumultuous life. In the back of his mind, he vaguely registered the fact of the Princess' involvement, the parentage of which she was likely still ignorant. To his own surprise, he found he wasn't bothered at all. How valid were his concerns, his suffering, when his friend had to endure so much more? How could he feel anything but compassion and the need to alleviate his sorrow?

“You said he was redeemed.” Han ventured, working the words around the lump in his own throat. “You saved the galaxy – and your father.”

A clipped, desperate laugh escaped Luke.

“Stars, I know!” As his voice gained in volume, it cracked even further, thick with tears and heavy with desolation. “I know he became one with the Force, but… I never got to know him. There's so much I wanted to ask; so much only he could have taught me. If only we'd had a little more time. Just a littlemore… I never even told him–“

Another sob racked his body and his gloved right hand flew to his eyes, shielding them as if the mere act could push back at the tears and return them to their origin.

Han forced himself to breathe and brought his arm around Luke's shoulders. How small they were, he realized with a sting of pain in his chest, how slight. How could they even hope to carry the burden placed upon them? Before his inner eye danced images from years ago, ages it seemed, of an innocent, sunburnt farmboy with wide eyes hungry for the wonders of the galaxy, a heart wide enough to hold compassion for all of its beings. How much of that had been lost, he wondered as he looked down first at the child at his side and then swept his gaze back up to the stars.

“If I know anything about the Force,” he ventured tentatively, “then your old man understands. Wherever he is now.”

Had Han not been listening closely, he likely would have missed the next words, small as they were, their immense weight keeping them from ringing far.

“I know… I just really miss him…”

A sad smile tugged at the corners of Han's lips as he turned slightly and opened his arms. Luke finally accepted the unspoken offer, his hands clutching at the smuggler's jacket in desperate need for support, for any sort of hold in a galaxy that seemed bent on toppling him.

And so they sat, not speaking another word, merely seeking and lending strength, comfort. Once nothing but strangers. Now far more.

Cousins. Brothers.

Family.

#star wars #sw #han #han solo #luke #luke skywalker #darth vader #vader #anakin #anakin skywalker #death #friendship #OT #ROTJ #one shot #comfort #hurt #fanfiction #ao3 #delannoie #based on art

12 notes · View notes

baby-witchy-bitch · 5 years

Text

tarot

(reference notes to me cause otherwise i’ll never remember all these meanings, and i don’t have the mental energy to make a plan for a physical grimoire!)

major arcana

how to interpret the major arcana: unlike the minors— which can be specific, focusing on actual situations, feelings, etc.— the majors are more about energy fields and influences. sometimes they reflect a life lesson or forces beyond our control. they tell us that resistance is futile and that we need to adjust our perception or increase our understanding and acceptance.

meanings of the major arcana:

0. fool - taking a risk. getting outside your comfort zone. knowing the universe is looking after you. 1. magician - feeling confident, assured. having all the tools and resources at your disposal. power. 2. high priestess - intuition. going within. inner knowledge. 3. empress - growth, fertility, pregnancy, motherhood, new project. a dominant female. 4. emperor - structure, organization, rules. a dominant male. 5. hierophant - learning path, religion, spirituality, spiritual mentor, guide. 6. lovers - life-changing choice, turning point. union with another, two as one. 7. chariot - drive and determination. autonomy. mediation and negotiation. 8. strength - persuasion, gentle strength. patience, control, compassion. 9. hermit - knowing oneself, solitude, understanding humanity, wisdom. 10. wheel of fortune - change, good luck, destiny. 11. justice - cause and effect, karma, fairness, legal issues. 12. hanged man - on hold, nothing happening, stuck, letting go of the outcome. 13. death - endings and new beginnings, transformation, transition. 14. temperance - chemistry, moderation, balance. getting it right. 15. devil - addiction, bad habits, co-dependency, materialism. 16. tower - chaos, destruction, upheaval. unexpected and possibly unwanted change. 17. star - renewed optimism, hope, serenity. spiritual love and joy. 18. moon - insecurity, anxiety, illusion, fear, health issues. 19. sun - improvement, growth, positivity, love, abundance, joy. 20. judgement - rebirth, calling, forgiveness. 21. world - in the right place. accomplishment, completion. a pause before the next stage.

minor arcana

how to interpret the minor arcana: the minors deal with the specifics of a situation. while the majors show the overall energy, the minors are able to point out the details and give specific advice.

the house of wands: connected to inspiration and action.

ace of wands - rush of energy, inspiration, passion, creativity. two of wands - planning, decisions, delays. three of wands - enterprise, entrepreneurial spirit, responsibility, opportunity. a new job. four of wands - community, celebration, domestic comfort, engagement, a wedding, housewarming. a job well done. five of wands - arguments, disagreements, tension, competition, strife. six of wands - victory, achievement. good results. public acknowledgement. seven of wands - a challenge, standing your ground, not giving up. eight of wands - change, getting organized, motivation, travel, possible pregnancy. nine of wands - courage, determination, resilience. ten of wands - responsibilities, stress, tough times. page of wands - an explorer, a free agent, a messenger, or a message arriving swiftly, no ties. potential. knight of wands - lust, enthusiasm, entrepreneurial spirit, scattered energy. queen of wands - warmth, vibrancy, sexual enthusiasm. king of wands - a leader, visionary, role model. temperamental, egoistical.

the house of cups: connected to emotions, and relationships with others and oneself.

ace of cups - overwhelming romantic and spiritual love. a new relationship, friendship. two of cups - attraction, love, commitment. three of cups - friendship, fun, community, girls’ night out, celebration. four of cups - emotional stability, contemplation, meditation, inward focus. five of cups - loss, hurt, disappointment, bereavement, regret, pain. emotional challenge. six of cups - memories of people and places. childhood, children, grandchildren. seven of cups - fantasy, imagination, too many choices. eight of cups - parting, leaving home. emotional choice. nine of cups - emotional security. comfort, satisfaction, happiness. ten of cups - family, harmony, fulfillment, peace, love. page of cups - an explorer of feelings, a messenger, or a message arriving from overseas. creativity. knight of cups - a romantic beau. loves to love. bisexuality. queen of cups - an intuitive, compassionate woman, a good friend. king of cups - a friendly, gentle man. emotionally supportive.

the house of swords: connected to intellect and communication.

ace of swords - clarity, a decision made, insight, understanding, the truth revealed. two of swords - indecision, not acknowledging the truth, being afraid to face reality. three of swords - miscommunication, rejection, hurtful words, painful realization. four of swords - withdrawal, resting the mind, time-out, meditation. five of swords - conflict, tension, mental challenge, bullying. six of swords - transition, recovery, moving on, travel. seven of swords - stealth, reclaiming something lost, mental trickery, betrayal, theft. eight of swords - self-entrapment, perceived imprisonment, isolation. nine of swords - anxiety, depression, nightmares, endless negative thought. ten of swords - defeat, ending, death. end of life cycle, or the beginning of the next. page of swords - mental agility, restlessness, experimenting. a messenger, or a message arriving fast. knight of swords - incisive, decisive, impulsive, political. fights for the underdog. queen of swords - perceptive, a quick thinker, a seeker of truth. tells it like it is. king of swords - authoritative, intellectually powerful, truthful, direct.

the house of pentacles: connected to the material world, work, health, and money.

ace of pentacles - gift, manifestation, a new house or project. prosperity. two of pentacles - making ends meet. balancing time and resources. three of pentacles - collaboration, teamwork, pooling resources and ideas. four of pentacles - stability, security, isolation, holding on to resources. five of pentacles - material loss, destitution, poverty, financial or material challenge. six of pentacles - generosity, giving and receiving support, charity, donation of resources. seven of pentacles - slight dissatisfaction, underlying discontent, doing well but could do better. wondering at missed opportunities. eight of pentacles - education, training/retraining, a change of career, focus on the job at hand. nine of pentacles - independence, happiness with one’s own company. self-sufficiency, appreciation. ten of pentacles - family structure, wealth, business, planning, intergenerational cooperation. page of pentacles - a student, curiosity, focus. a messenger, or a message arriving by post. knight of pentacles - a hard worker, loyal, reliable, a quiet man with hidden depths. queen of pentacles - a comforting, practical, efficient woman. motherhood, career woman. king of pentacles - a businessman, magnanimous, proud, self-educated, self-made.

#hope i manage to get these soon!! ahh #note to self #tarot #masterpost

2 notes · View notes

rorykillmore · 5 years

Note

what's cordelia's thoughts on those currently living or appearing regularly at robichaux's?

okay let’s see, first off there’s asa! cordelia is generally very chill with asa because asa is generally a very chill witch. the concept of like... male witches who aren’t pieces of shit isn’t really new to her despite her dealings with the mra warlocks because coven had already preestablished that like. normal male witches existed. which i guess ryan murphy either forgot about or decided to ignore for the drama, but either way,

anyway yeah she’s not really concerned about asa’s gender, just if anything, the fact that he had some previous exposure to the shitty warlocks. which they’ve discussed before and she’s very glad asa didn’t come out too damaged for it, but yeah! she really likes him and his enthusiasm for magic and wants to help him feel more at home in the coven because in her opinion he’s earned it. he’s a pretty trustworthy, good, stable kid

myrtle, of course, cordelia knew well beforehand! myrtle is essentially delia’s mother figure because her actual mother was. not very present and pretty shitty, but cordelia and myrtle have always been really close. delia absolutely trusts myrtle’s judgment and she’s like, the one person in the world that delia frequently goes to for advice and guidance and reassurance and just generally... lets herself display a lot of vulnerability in front of. sarah paulson once referred to myrtle as cordelia’s “true north” which is both very sweet and very true.

it’s honestly... an immense relief to have her on denny because cordelia is kind of dealing with. a lot and myrtle makes her feel like she’s not quite so weighed down and also that she has someone to turn to if she ever starts to doubt herself. cordelia would Die for myrtle. in some cases literally!,

harry is a newer student who cordelia is still getting to know but i like, honestly can’t see her not liking him IMMEDIATELY. harry is just such an earnest, courageous, good-intentioned kid and honestly the kind of person cordelia would sense a lot of inner strength in. she might... worry a little bit about him, especially once she starts to hear about some of the stuff he’s been through, but i think that would just make her more determined to provide some stability for him and like. a place alternate to hogwarts where he can study and advance his magic and feel like he has a home and just be happy!

she’s also really curious about his magic and interested to learn more about it and compare it to the magic of people from her world? and see how compatible it might be? like, could harry take part in some of the rituals/spells the coven does?? either way he definitely has an honorary place with them at the academy

and then for people who visit the school either regularly or semi-regularly... first it feels appropriate to mention takumi! obviously they got off to a shaky start but like... having come to understand the situation better, cordelia doesn’t hold it against him, especially since she has a lot of indication that takumi is a pretty decent person at this point. meeting kazane obviously informed a lot of her insight regarding him as we’ve already discussed, but also just... his clear attachment to his family?? or the way he reacted to the pennywise situation by immediately coming to warn her and also expressing concern for like, innocent bystanders and how to help them?? yeah, despite takumi’s wariness and his sharp edges and loner tendencies, delia is pretty confident in her opinion that he’s a decent person inclined to do the right thing tbh. and as she starts to trust him more she’s... fine with just taking their dynamic at whatever pace he wants and letting him ease into being a little more open around her, that doesn’t really bother her

eddie also stops by at least semi-regularly for reporter stuff/whatever weird friendship he and delia are developing. josh joked last night that cordelia thinks he’s a loser which may technically be TRUE,

but in all seriousness i think she at the same time has genuine respect for eddie’s capabilities as a reporter (who are people she is not always inclined to trust right away) and his stance as... a vigilante. granted the whole “eating people” thing makes her a little wary but, honestly cordelia is not super beyond dealing with Really Bad People however you have to deal with them, and she trusts eddie not to violate the code he shares with the symbiote even if... the symbiote itself is still something she’s getting a read on. they’re still kind of sizing each other up, but it’s at least getting to a place of... idk what you’d call it. mutual acknowledgment or respect?? that will eventually play a part when eddie and venom get separated...

and also lastly i think cordelia really just, enjoys eddie’s company for the simple reason that he has a way of getting her to kind of lighten up and be more playful, and she kinda has fun hangin around him

madison... still only drops by occasionally i think, but cordelia has tried to make a point of letting her know that the academy’s doors are always open to her if she needs anything or just... decides that she wants to be there. the whole situation is really weird and complicated because madison is from a much earlier canonpoint than delia. so delia... has a certain amount of faith in madison, and affection for her that she can’t really go into without revealing some messy stuff about the future, while madison is kind of stuck at this really, really low point in her character arc and is kind of an isolated disaster who doesn’t want to deal with any of the heavy shit in her life. whoops!

cordelia... genuinely does want to help her, though -- not only that, but she feels like she owes that to madison at this point (none of this ryan murphy “oh let’s leave madison in hell for a little while!” as a punchline bullshit,) so we’ll see how that plays out

and then lastly the legends pop in and out occasionally. or well -- delia hasn’t met naruto or ratchet yet, so idk about them, but she’s on friendly terms with maive and kind of sara and is actually sort of friends with laurel at this point. i feel like cordelia likes... well, she definitely likes some of the legends individually, like she finds maive really endearing and sara... a bit strange maybe but pretty chill, and laurel she actually respects a lot for helping her after michael attacked her and being so overall decent about that. the legends as a group, or like a concept.... she still likes, but kind of in the way you have to like something in moderation, or at a bit of a distance. they’re a little nuts and high energy for her,

#idk if im forgetting anyone???#is nico still at the academy??#idk if jay decided he was apping him #but anyway THANKS GIZ #cuts dennys lvad wire #tailsthesales

3 notes · View notes

toabyssandbeyond · 5 years

Text

Getting into witchcraft&witchery journal day #14:

personal notes but feel free to read

Tarot reading about my deities&descriptions of them afterwards:

So since last time I shared my thoughts here, I started my Grimoire and have built 3 altars for the three deities I worship... but seeing as our connection have changed drastically over the years I wanted to get to know them better. I decided to make a tarot spread (1st image), only that instead of asking randomly, I decided to ask each at their own turn.

note: if you’ve read my last entry about the deities I worship you’ll know that they aren’t known by others and are pretty much private, although they have parallels in other religions.

First was the deity I call Lady Fate. This is one I believed in since pre-school as this was my interpretation of god... An entity that pre-decides people’s destinies or at least the major milestones.

1. The entity: King of Swords

The King of Swords is a symbol of intellectual power and authority, and has the courage and intellect to accomplish all that he desires. He represents judgement, command, and rulership. His character indicates the stern leadership of a judge, lawyer, or military commander whose emotions must be kept in check under the pressure of battle.

(which you could or could not say fits a deity of fate/destiny...)

2. Their history: Page of Wands

The Page of Wands is similar to the Fool in that he is a free spirit who represents change and new beginnings. He has a true passion for life, despite his understanding of this world is not yet fully developed. He has not yet been weighed down by the burdens of the material world, coming and going as he pleases, and usually encouraging change wherever he goes. He is like the catalyst that inspires changes that might be impossible in any other situation.

3. Past Influences & experiences: Eight of Pentacles

The Eight of Pentacles is a card of apprenticeship and mastery. When this card appears in a Tarot reading, you are working hard to improve your skills and become a master at what you do. You may have recently changed your work, education or financial circumstances, and now you are applying your sheer determination and concentration to master the new skill that you are learning.

4. Personality, attitude & opinions: King of Swords (I mean... yeah it’s the same as the 1st question XD)

5. Their current status: Six of Wands

The Six of Wands is all about success, victory and public recognition. Not only have you succeeded in achieving your goals, you are now being publicly acknowledged for your efforts and your results.

6. Their health overall: Ten of Swords

The Ten of Swords usually symbolises a sudden and unexpected failure or disaster, whereby a power beyond your control crushes you without warning or mercy.

7. Their mental health: Death XIII

After a period of pause and reflection with the Hanged Man, the Death card symbolises the end of a major phase or aspect of your life that you realise is no longer serving you, opening up the possibility of something far more valuable and essential. You must close one door to open another.

8. What they like to do & have done for them: Page of Swords

This card shows you as a young and idealistic person, with lots of plans and ideas for the future. At this moment, you feel as though you could do almost anything. As a Page, you are just beginning to make your way in life, and it is important that you align with others who will not overwhelm you or stifle your direction and ideas. Instead, seek to align yourself with people who will nurture your ideas and will help you to manifest them in an organised manner. Choose a relationship that feels natural, with someone who will learn and grow along with you and give you a chance to develop your own personality and expression. You have an intelligent and sensitive nature, and you may suffer a lot if there is no outlet for your ideas and feelings.

(aw come on you’ll make me cry...)

9. Physical manifestation: Six of Cups

In the Six of Cups, a young boy leans down and passes a cup filled with flowers to a younger girl. The girl looks up to the boy with love and respect as he offers the flowers to her. Love, harmony and co-operation – all key elements of the Six of Cups – shine through this gentle act. The young children also represent childhood memories

The Six of Cups invites you to get in touch with your inner child and experience the fun, freedom and innocence that comes with being a young child again.

10. What to know: Ten of Pentacles

When the Ten of Pentacles appears in a Tarot reading, you are surrounded by wealth and are blessed with financial abundance. There is no ‘wanting’ any more – you have everything you need, especially within the material realm. You feel financially secure and trust that, as a result of your personal successes and accomplishments, you will always have what you need and desire. You express deep gratitude for fulfilling your material goals and dreams.

11. What to avoid: Ace of Swords

When the Ace of Swords appears in a Tarot reading, it is an excellent time to start a new project that needs your intellect, communication skills and mental power. You may be inspired to take a writing class, practice your public speaking skills, or get involved in activities that require more brain power than usual.

(so... I should avoid starting new projects?...)

12. Positive influences, friends or experiences: Six of Wands (yeah I guess this is the same question as no.5)

13. Negative influences, enemies or experiences: Three of Cups

The Three of Cups often indicates a very sociable period – perhaps a birthday, a wedding, the holiday season or a vacation with friends. See it as your opportunity to let your hair down and forget about your day-to-day commitments and obligations for a while. Instead, spend quality time with friends and family and enjoy yourself!

(so... bad influences in social situations? Or made enemies in social situations?... Not too sure...)

14. Conscious desires & thoughts: Ten of Cups

The Ten of Cups embodies happiness, joy, and emotional contentment, particularly in your relationships and family. You have created an abundance of love and happiness in your life, and you now share this love with others, expanding your heart even more.

15. Unconscious desires & thoughts: The Empress III

The Empress signifies abundance. You are surrounded by life’s pleasures and luxuries and have everything you need to live a comfortable lifestyle. You are in a period of growth, in which all you have dreamed of is now coming to fruition.

16. Hopes: Queen of Cups

The Queen of Cups is nurturing, caring, compassionate and sensitive. When you see her in a Tarot reading, you are embodying her ‘nurturing mother’ energy. You support others by listening with your heart, being compassionate, and caring for them deeply. You are empathic and can sense the needs of others by tuning in to your intuition, and you hold the space for others to express their emotions and be the truest, most authentic versions of themselves.

17. Fears: The Sun XIX

In the foreground, a young, naked child is sitting on top of a calm white horse. The child represents the joy of being connected with your inner spirit, and his nakedness is a sign he has nothing to hide and has all the innocence and purity of childhood. The white horse is also a sign of purity and strength.

(”The child represents the joy of being connected with your inner spirit“... I really hope it doesn’t mean what I think it means...)

So, exactly as I’ve always imagined her, Lady Fate is generally a young deity who’ve worked hard to be at the status she is right now. She wants me to know that I’m not lacking anything and should take control of my life and surround myself by like-minded people... Her health and mental health have taken a hit, and all she wants and hopes for is to be in a place of joy and emotional contentment as well as to be feminine, and to be a nurturing mother... Her physical manifestation seems to be a child. Now I hope that this is not how it looks, but she seems to dislike me connecting with my “inner spirit”... more on that later.

(side note- my heart was pounding extremely hard the entire time I was doing this reading and once I finished it calmed down and now I’m freezing...)

Next is going to be a deity I call Luck. I guess the equivalent in other religions would be Karma, or even “Balance”. (You’ll notice that I frequently refer to Luck as “it” or “them”... somehow their gender was never established...)

1. The entity: King of Wands

The King of Wands represents pure fire energy. Unlike the other Wands court cards, he is not so interesting in actual creation and creativity, or in dreaming up ideas and implementing them himself. Instead, he is more inclined to take an idea and change the world to match his vision. As such he is a natural-born leader of all kinds of people, and he is very visionary.

(That’s... actually extremely fitting, especially when you remember how many people believe in karma... Also another part stated that it loves challenges and adrenaline which from my experience is 100% right...)

(note: fire energy)

2. Their history: Three of Swords

When the Three of Swords appears in a Tarot reading, it is sign that you are feeling deeply hurt and disappointed. Your heart has been pierced with these three swords, through others’ hurtful words, actions and intention, and they have inflicted intense emotions of pain, sadness, grief, and heartbreak. These events feel even more painful because they are often unexpected and come out of the blue.

3. Past Influences & experiences: King of Cups

The King of Cups embodies the perfect balance between the executive and the heart. Not only are you able to assess and manage a situation logically, but you can also draw upon your intuition and understanding of human interactions. As a leader, you care as much about achieving your goals and objectives as you do about making sure everyone is happy and engaged along the way.

(So balance between logic and feelings as well... hm okay.)

4. Personality, attitude & opinions: Death XIII

The Death card has elements of a sudden and unexpected change. Death happens to everyone, no matter who you are, how much money you have, where you live, or what colour your skin is; it is the same with a significant change. So, the Death card can be a sign you may feel as though you are caught in the path of sweeping change and cannot escape its effects.

(an unexpected deity that acts suddenly and without a warning, it doesn’t who or what you are, it’ll find you. That’s luck/karma for ya)

5. Their current status: The High Priestess II

The High Priestess signifies spiritual enlightenment, inner illumination, divine knowledge and wisdom. She shows up in your Tarot readings when the veil between you and the underworld is thin, and you have the opportunity to access the knowledge deep within your soul. Now is the time to be still so you can tune in to your intuition.

6. Their health overall: The Tower XVI

Just when you think you’re safe and comfortable, a Tower moment hits and throws you for a loop. A lightning bolt of clarity and insight cuts through the lies and illusions you have been telling yourself, and now the truth comes to light. Your world may come crashing down before you, in ways you could never have imagined as you realise that you have been building your life on unstable foundations – false assumptions, mistruths, illusions, blatant lies, and so on.

7. Their mental health: The Star XVII

The Star brings renewed hope and faith, and a sense that you are truly blessed by the Universe. You are entering a peaceful, loving phase in your life, filled with calm energy, mental stability and more in-depth understanding of both yourself and others around you. This is a time of significant personal growth and development as you are now ready to receive the many blessings of the Universe.

8. What they like to do & have done for them: The Star XVII

(... likes others doing what they have been doing? Have hope and faith.)

9. Physical manifestation: Four of Cups

Sometimes this card brings the message, ‘Not now, but maybe later.’ While the man in the Four of Cups doesn’t accept the cups offered to him, he doesn’t wholly reject them either. You may be waiting for a sign or further information before taking an invitation or new project. Check in emotionally and spiritually before you say ‘yes’, to make sure the opportunity is a good fit and that you can commit to it in the long-term.

10. What to know: The Chariot VII

Now isn’t the time to be passive in the hope that things will work out in your favour. Take focused action and stick to the course, no matter what challenges may come your way – because, believe me, there will be challenges. You may be pulled in opposite directions and find your strength and conviction tested. Others may try to block you, distract you, or drag down the pursuit of your goal.

11. What to avoid: The Devil XV

The Devil card often appears when you have been tricked into thinking you have no control over your shadow self or these negative forces, and that you can never break free from their hold.

12. Positive influences, friends or experiences: Four of Wands

With the Four of Wands, it is the perfect time to get together with your family and friends and to celebrate all the wonderful times that you have had together. Often, this card reflects the holiday period where you get together with the extended family and join in a celebration. Alternatively, it may be as simple as inviting your closest friends over for an intimate dinner and a few glasses of nice wine.

13. Negative influences, enemies or experiences: Page of Wands

(... this is the same that I got for Fate’s history... Do they have a bad history with each other?)

14. Conscious desires & thoughts: Nine of Wands

The Nine of Wands is like the one last test or challenge before you can reach ultimate success. You feel as if you have come to the end of your fighting powers but you have the skill and determination in reserve. You are in a position of strength and by drawing upon all of your courage and abilities, you will prevail. Once the last obstacle is overcome, you are home free.

15. Unconscious desires & thoughts: Ten of Swords

The Ten of Swords usually symbolises a sudden and unexpected failure or disaster, whereby a power beyond your control crushes you without warning or mercy.

(same as Fate’s current overall health... did they want that to happen?)

16. Hopes: Two of Swords

The Two of Swords indicates that you are facing a challenging decision but you are unclear about which option to take. Both options may seem equally as good – or as bad – as each other, and you are stumped about which option will lead you to the best outcomes.

17. Fears: Six of Swords

The Six of Swords invites you to let go of whatever it is that is holding you back, be it from your past or your present circumstances. Instead look to your future and choose the best option that is most in alignment with your Highest Good and long-term potential.

So... this was interesting. Luck is a leader, knowledgeable, who likes challenges. It has been deeply disappointed/hurt but is now learning to have hope and trust in the future, and it wants others to do the same and take action. It seems to have a bad past with Fate and could even be involved in the reason of her current health. They appear as a man who’s given an opportunity (it’s also what they hope for) but doesn’t take it yet, as their fears are of moving forwards and letting go of what is holding them back.

(note- been cold the entire time of doing this reading, finished and now it’s super hot in here...??)

Next and last deity is my guardian angel, he’s been the easiest to communicate with since he appeared (when I was 15) but it doesn’t look like he wants me to communicate with other deities... And that’s why I want to do this reading, maybe he’ll explain me what is going on this way... (I’m keeping his name off tumblr intentionally)

1. The entity: Page of Cups

As each Page asks you to explore a new facet of yourself, the Page of Cups is asking you to explore your creative, emotional self. You may start a new art class, read books about how to express your feelings, or learn more about developing your psychic abilities. Dreamy aspirations race through your mind, and you may find yourself moved by simple things. Don’t be afraid to let your feelings show and wear your heart on your sleeve.

(well, out of the three he is the one I generally consider as a part of my being. That and also I’ve became a lot more creative and my psychic abilities developed a lot since he appeared...)

2. Their history: Queen of Cups

The Queen of Cups says you are highly intuitive, creative, and in flow with the surrounding energies. In your interactions with others, you can easily read other people to get a sense of how to communicate effectively, enabling you both to feel heard and understood. Others may come to you to confide their personal issues regarding relationships, emotions and feelings. They trust you and know that you always have the right solution. You can instantly tune in to what others are going through and can help them make sense of it. You may be a healer, counsellor or intuitive coach; or maybe just a good friend. You recognise the Divine in everyone you meet.

(also the card I got for what Fate hopes for...)

3. Past Influences & experiences: The Emperor IV

As the father figure of the Tarot deck, the Emperor suggests that you are adopting this fatherly role (regardless of whether you are male or female), providing for your family, and protecting and defending your loved ones. You may be the breadwinner or the ‘rock’ for those who rely on your stability and security.

4. Personality, attitude & opinions: Six of Cups

The Six of Cups invites you to get in touch with your inner child and experience the fun, freedom and innocence that comes with being a young child again.

(was also Fate’s physical manifestation hmmm...)

5. Their current status: Six of Swords

The Six of Swords indicates that you are in a state of transition, leaving behind what was familiar and comfortable and moving towards the unknown. You might be moving house, leaving a relationship, changing jobs, going through a rite of passage or feeling a mental shift of some kind. This change may be as a result of your doing, or forced upon you. You may feel sad and upset to leave behind what is so familiar to you, however you know that this move is essential for your growth and personal development.

(also what luck is afraid of)

6. Their health overall: Queen of Wands

The Queen of Wands is the dominant feminine energy of the element of Fire. She is highly energetic and leads a busy and active life. She radiates health and vitality and has an inner vibrancy that fills her with ongoing energy and inspiration. This Queen is a natural-born, intelligent leader who actively inspires others.

(note: Also fire element, like luck.)

7. Their mental health: The Hanged Man XII

When the Hanged Man appears in a Tarot reading, your projects and activities may be coming to an unexpected and abrupt halt. Don’t keep pushing forward, hoping that more force will drive you to where you want to go. Instead, surrender to the opportunity to pause and view it as your chance to reassess and re-evaluate where you are on your path.

8. What they like to do & have done for them: Nine of Wands

You may have experienced setbacks that now leave you feeling distrustful of others or even yourself. The turning point will come when you are able to leave the past behind you and to cultivate a more open mind about the future. While you have experienced losses in the past, it does not mean that you have to experience further losses in the future. Turn a new leaf and push on.

(Also Luck’s desire)

9. Physical manifestation: The Hermit IX

The Hermit stands alone on the top of a mountain. The snow-capped range symbolises his spiritual mastery, growth and accomplishment. He has chosen this path of self-discovery and, as a result, has reached a heightened state of awareness.

(more or less how I envision him as it is...)

10. What to know: Ten of Wands

The Tens in Tarot represent the completion of a cycle, and thus with the Ten of Wands, you have reached the end of a cycle after a period of struggle. You are finally reaping your rewards after investing a lot of hard work and effort. You have fulfilled a creative venture, realised a dream or accomplished a major goal, and now must deal with the consequences of that fulfilment.

This card can also mean that you are being oppressed by outside sources. You are over-worked, over-tired and over-stimulated. You have more on your plate than you can possibly handle and you have taken on too much at this point in time. In an effort to get to the finish line, you have found yourself overwhelmed with the extra responsibility and activity. You need to stop working so hard.

11. What to avoid: Justice XI

The Justice card represents justice, fairness, truth and the law. You are being called to account for your actions and will be judged accordingly. If you have acted in alignment with your Higher Self and for the greater good of others, you have nothing to worry about. However, if you haven’t, you will be called out and made to own up to your actions. If this has you shaking in your boots, know that the Justice card isn’t as black and white as you may think. A level of compassion and understanding accompany Justice, and although you may have done something you regret, this card suggests that you will be treated fairly and without bias. Be ready to take responsibility for your actions and stand accountable for the ensuing consequences.

12. Positive influences, friends or experiences: Six of Wands

The Six of Wands is such positive encouragement to believe in who you are and your accomplishments so far. Have faith in what you have personally achieved and how this will be received by others. Do not let fear or guilt stand in the way of your success. You ought to feel proud of what you have achieved and not afraid to hold your head up high and feel worthy of others’ attention.

13. Negative influences, enemies or experiences: Knight of Cups

When it comes to making decisions, the Knight of Cups is ruled by his emotions and his heart. When this card arrives in a Tarot reading, you are making decisions based on how you feel about a situation rather than what you think, even if others can’t make sense of what you are doing and why, and your intuition guides you in everything you do.

(which is interesting... because that’s the card I usually get as my representation...)

14. Conscious desires & thoughts: Six of Cups

(same as personality, attitude & opinions. Also Fate’s physical manifestation.)

15. Unconscious desires & thoughts: Seven of Cups

Often, the Seven of Cups can be a sign of wishful thinking and projecting into the future about what you would like to create, rather than taking action here in the present to make it happen.

16. Hopes: Temperance XIV

This card calls on you to remain calm, even when life feels stressful or frantic. Maintain an even temperament and manage your emotions. You have learned to keep composed in stressful situations.

17. Fears: Eight of Wands

This card is a sign to ‘strike while the iron is hot’. It is most definitely an action-oriented card that encourages you to move quickly to pursue the best opportunities available right now. There is no waiting around while the Eight of Wands is present so determine where your energy will be directed and get on with it!

Honestly? I feel like I already knew all of these. My guardian angel is one that wants peace, is very wishful in his thinking but doesn’t want to take action. He wants me to be creative and keep that childish hope alive but also there’s a possibility that knowing me is a bad experience for him(?). His origin seems to have something to do with Lady Fate, and it looks like originally they had the same desires/goals. His mental health seems to be “on halt” and I also noticed it lately, but his overall health is pretty good. He wants me/us to avoid justice, to not be put to curt... I can only imagine that it’s because I believe in “personal” deities, we’ve been worried for a while how other, stronger deities, would react to that... and now I know- he’s mentioned in both Fate’s and Luck’s fears- “connecting with my inner spirit” in Fate’s and mentioning his status in Luck’s.

My deities don’t get along. Great. -_-

Also my zodiac, palm, only crystal, and two deities are of fire energies...

Oh and I had to promise Luck that I’ll be productive tomorrow so that it’ll answer me... oh boy.

#tarot #journal #deity #witchblr

2 notes · View notes

thesimplyluxuriouslife · 3 years

Text

313: The Importance of Finding Meaning in Life: 9 Lessons taught by Viktor E. Frankl

"Man's search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life and not a 'secondary rationalization' of instinctual drives. This meaning is unique and specific in that it must and can be fulfilled by him alone; only then does it achieve a significance which will satisfy his own will to meaning." —Viktor E. Frankl

First published in Germany in 1946, Viktor Emil Frankl's seminal work Man's Search for Meaning and the desire to write his first book (to be titled The Doctor and the Soul: An Introduction to Logotherapy) that largely gave him the will to live while imprisoned at Auschwitz during WWII. Marrying psychology and philosophy, a primary focus of his work throughout his life, Frankl shares "Certainly, my deep desire to write this manuscript anew helped me to survive the rigors of the camps I was in."

Now with more than 16 million copies sold worldwide, Man's Search for Meaning continues to be a book to read, understand and reread. While not having the opportunity to read it until now, I am grateful that at least I finally did read it, and I would like to share with you today nine lessons learned about the importance of finding meaning in our lives.

Much of the premise of a simply luxurious life is centering our lives, our selves, or perhaps a better word is grounding ourselves in priorities that marry what we can uniquely give, but also what the world desperately needs to progress and cultivate a more civil, loving and peaceful place for not only ourselves, but future generations. At first, such a task given to each of us may sound ginormous and far too weighty a task, but when we drill down, ultimately, love, sincere love, being able to share our true selves and be accepted begins to create a harmony of contentment that cannot help but create a symphonic awareness grounded in a desire to live more peacefully and lovingly with each other. Too far reaching some may contest, but if my own life journey, which indeed is filled with good fortune and privilege beyond my choice or control, demonstrates, when we have not found our meaning, when we are discontent, building healthy relationships is incredibly difficult, and often fraught as while trying to make sense of our lack of purpose, we displace our pain, so I wholeheartedly find worthwhile value in exploring what Viktor Frankl teaches, and hope it will offer tools for you as well to tap into what gives you meaning and share it with not only the world but yourself so that your everydays may be full of contentment. Let's take a look at the nine lessons.

1.Choose to pursue the will to meaning

Frankl defines the will to meaning as "the striving to find a concrete meaning in personal existence". For when we find our individual will to meaning, the healing begins. Existential frustration subsides, neuroses find solutions, anxieties wane and contentment soars.

2. Find your meaning, find your way forward

Frankl shares an anecdote of an American diplomat who came to his (Frankl's) in Vienna discontent with his current career. Following five unfruitful years with his former psychological analyst who claimed the discontent came from the need to reconcile himself with his father as the analyst made a parallel with the father and the U.S. being a superior figure, upon visiting Frankl, and following only a few visits, the patient realized with clarity that his "will to meaning was frustrated by his vocation, and he actually longed to be engaged in some other kind of work. As there was no reason for not giving up his profession and embarking on a different one, he did so, with most gratifying results."

3. Nothing is wrong with you if you feel existential distress; in fact, you are heading in the right direction

Frankl points out, moreso for practicing therapists, to not equate existential distress with mental disease. Asserting, "it is [the task of the therapist], rather, to pilot the patient through [their] existential crises of growth and development."

So often in my own life journey, the distress of frustration by my career, my relationships (or lack thereof), and what I was meant to do with my finite days on earth, felt as though it was a burden, not good fortune. Something was 'wrong' with me for not having figured out my life journey immediately, quickly and feeling at ease. Thankfully, the opposite is true, all was well. I was listening to myself, I was acknowledging something didn't 'fit', what I was giving, what I was spending my time doing either wasn't enough or it wasn't aligned with my talents and what the world potentially needed.

In this post - 9 Ways to Think Like a Monk, as taught by Jay Shetty - Shetty's idea of Dharma is shared.

Passion + Expertise + Usefulness = Dharma

In many ways, finding our Dharma is to find our will to meaning.

4. The unexpected gift of tension

"What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task. What he needs is not the discharge of tension at any cost but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him."

I chose to bold the phrase 'freely chosen' because I find it to be an essential element to finding true contentment. Even if your life is charmed, yet you still feel discontent and frustration, yet society applauds, your family applauds, your friends cheer for what you are doing with your life, most likely, you have unconsciously not chosen for yourself the life you are living, but rather have been steered by approval, expectation and mores to take the steps and make the choices you have without truly acknowledging what you long for. Which leads me to the next item on the list, but first . . .

Welcoming tension in your life must be thoughtfully done. After all, unnecessary stress is harmful to our health. No, what Frankl means by stating tension is healthy has everything to do with pursuing what gives you meaning. If you derive meaning from advocating for a cause, then the path forward will undoubtedly be fraught as you are striving for progress, but you strive forward anyway because it is your will to meaning. If you derive meaning from raising a family, nurturing your children as to give them their own wings with which to fly, the journey together will be a mingle of emotions, but you strive forward because it is your will to meaning. If you derive meaning from contributing through your chosen career path to improve the lives of others, you navigate through the frustrations, setbacks and hurdles because it is your will to meaning and you know why you are pursuing it.

When the path we are on does not fulfill our will to meaning, similar to the anecdote of the American diplomat mentioned above, then the tension becomes unhealthy. Then we must be frank with ourselves and find the courage to change course and bravely do so, not only for our own well being, but for those we love and the world at large. Why? Because the world needs what you uniquely have to give. Figure out what that is and then begin giving what you discover. Your tension will be reduced to a healthy amount and your contentment will soar.

5. Discover what you long for and find your contentment

The term Logotherapy as defined by Viktor E. Frankl derives its meaning from the Greek root Logos which is defined as "meaning". Logotherapy "strives to find a meaning in one's life as the primary motivational force of man". Logotherapy opens itself up while including 'instinctual facts within the individual's unconscious [it] . . . also cares for existential realities, such as the potential meaning of his existence to be fulfilled as well as his will to meaning." In other words, Logotherapy assists the patient to become aware of "what he actually longs for in the depth of his being".

Understanding the language of your true self can sometimes be difficult and take time especially if we have suppressed it for some time; however, we are each capable of learning our language when we choose to be a student of ourselves.

As I share in my About page (I recently updated it to reflect more accurately and specifically what TSLL is all about, but the shared portion below remains the same as it did in 2009), while I valued and gave my all to teaching, in 2009 I finally acknowledged that something wasn't entirely being satiated by solely working in the classroom." (see the excerpt below)

The Simply Luxurious Life came into fruition in 2009 when I realized the life I enjoy living—a life full of simplicity, yet punctuated with everyday luxuries found even in the most routine of days, was something I wanted to explore more fully due to the immense contentment it brought into my life. In fact, I needed to explore it more intentionally because while many people didn’t understand how I could live well and contentedly on the everyday income as a public school teacher (I retired in 2021 after twenty years), I had a curiosity for the world, especially the French culture followed by my appreciation for the British countryside and their gardening wonderland, that wasn’t entirely being satiated by working in the classroom. And this is an example of our lives speaking to us.

Thankfully I listened and decided to share my discoveries, passions, and ideas as a way to inspire others so that they too could find their passion as a way to living a life full of true contentment by clearing out the clutter (figurative and literal) and bringing in the luxurious necessities to enliven and inspire each day no matter what their income, age, location or relationships status.

—TSLL's About page (Start Here)

When we find meaning, even if nobody else understands why such a path speaks to us and brings us to life, we have found the motivation of infinite energy, creativity, tenacity and strength.

6. Find your meaning, eradicate boredom

Frankl coins the term 'Sunday neurosis" as "that kind of depression which afflicts people who become aware of the lack of content in their lives when the rush of the busy week is over and the void within themselves becomes manifest." He goes on while speaking about the existential vacuum to share that without the will of meaning, and with the improved automatization of our 21st century, "many will not know what to do with all of their newly acquired free time". Which is to say boredom, anxiety, distress and lack of direction cause more solvable problems that he argues can be largely solved when we find our will to meaning.

This is not to say you have to be busy every moment, pack your schedule with appointments; in fact, I would argue, it is the opposite. Or perhaps, more accurately, it is a knowing what supports and nourishes your will to meaning and thereby finding comfort with your down-time that is a part of your self-care and confidently engaging in your productive time when on task.

7. Your next best step toward meaning is what is best for you

"The meaning of life differs from [person] to [person], from day to day and from hour to hour. What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person's life at a given moment."

I found it helpful to note that Frankl directly advises not to search for an abstract meaning of life, but rather a concrete 'assignment which demands fulfillment'. In other words, don't commodify yourself, but rather what is it you bring that is helpful and that you find fulfillment in giving? "Thus, everyone's task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it."

8. Finding strength during times of suffering

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."

Just as Frankl's own life exemplifies harnessing his will to meaning to survive the unthinkable tragedies and struggles during WWII, he writes, "In some way, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice." However, and this is crucially important to absorb, he continues on in the same section of the book to point out "But let me make it perfectly clear that in no way is suffering necessary to find meaning. I only insist that meaning is possible even in spite of suffering—provided, certainly, that the suffering is unavoidable."

9. Hold yourself in the present fully for all the days of your life

Frankl writes that we must refrain from being pessimistic and instead be activistic when it comes to our human existence. That is to say,

"The pessimist resembles a man who observes with fear and sadness that his wall calendar, from which he daily tears a sheet, grows thinner with each passing day. On the other hand, the person who attacks the problems of life actively is like a man who removes each successive leaf from his calendar and files it neatly and carefully away with its predecessors, after first having jotted down a few diary notes on the back. He can reflect with pride and joy on all the richness set down in these notes, on all the life he has already lived to the fullest."

He goes on to suggest there is no need to envy the young because we have lived fully each of our days, holding ourselves in the present, motivated by our will to meaning, and "instead of possibilities . . . have realities [from our past experiences] . . . not only the reality of work done and of love loved, but of sufferings bravely suffered."

Just as happiness cannot be experienced in every moment, suffering cannot be wholly avoided when we find our will to meaning and let it guide us forward. However, by holding ourselves in the present moment, while we cannot avoid experiencing the loss of loved ones, we can love fully, so that when we reflect, we are filled with joy and reminded of the riches of our lives, riches we, by bravely living well, engaging with our humanity, courageously stepping into what we discover is our will of meaning, helped to bring forth into our lives.

Upon learning about Viktor E. Frankl's approach to therapy and perspective on the meaning of humans, I found an alignment that has unconsciously spoke to me to honor for decades. Although never making sense, and not having the opportunity, nor pursuing more intentionally philosophy courses in college, the ideas danced about in my mind, and while I, at the time, wanted them to leave me alone because they were so perplexing, they thankfully waited for me to make sense of them, to trust them.

The world swirling around us via media, messaging, our community can be deafening and hold us off course if we let it. But when we understand that the feeling of frustration is actually a sign that we are hearing our inner voice, we can find peace. Because in that moment of aha, we can take a breath, and continue to pursue the questions that keep bouncing around in our mind, because, if my own journey is any indication it is a path that will lead you to everyday contentment.

I do hope you enjoy this week's episode of the podcast. Thank you for stopping by and tuning in.

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

SIMILAR POSTS/EPISODES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

How to Live a Life with Less Stress and Why It's Vital for Good Health, episode #299

How to Step into Your Fullest True Self —The Way of Integrity, as taught by Martha Beck, episode #307

Petit Plaisirs

—Ted Lasso, Apple TV+ (click here to learn more about the recommendation, watch the trailers of both seasons and the original ad which began the idea for the show)

—Sautéed Oyster Mushroom Appetizer (view the recipe here)

View more Petit Plaisirs here.

~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #313

Tune in to the latest episode of The Simple Sophisticate podcast

#tsllpodcast thesimplesophisticate

0 notes

randomfandomimagine · 6 years

Text

Female (Final Fantasy XV Scenario)

Requested by anon:

Hey doll! I got something different for you. A scenario with the chocobros and a female s/o. Listen to the song "Female" by Keith Urban and write the first thing that comes to mind for you. I hope it was okay to ask about a song inspired request.

A/N: Hell yeah, girl/woman power! So this is the first that came to mind for the Chocobros. Hope it’s good and that you like it! :D

Gladio

You could feel Gladio’s eyes on you as soon as the monsters showed up and you all had to battle for the first time in your journey. Even though you had trained countless times with your boyfriend Gladio, you could tell he felt anxious because it would be your first real life fight.

Minding your own business, you assisted Ignis in battling one of the enemies. You were focused, yet didn’t find much difficulty in the task. Ignis in fact praised you for your ‘excelent performance’.

Going on to the next one, this time assisted by Noctis as he warped next to you, you centered your attention on your target. The boys grunted and ran around you, attacking and evading hits.

“Y/N” Gladio called you over his shoulder, distracted.

“Yeah” You replied, your eyes never leaving the creature before you.

“How you holding up, babe?”

“Huh?”

Knowing the beast was defeated as you sunk your weapon in it and finished it, you allowed yourself to look at your boyfriend.

Just then, he had won over his own opponent and was looking your direction as well. He watched the dead dualhorn next to you and grinned in spite of himself.

Gladio just watched you being all badass and felt how a proud smirk plastered on his lips, as he was so smitten with you.

“That’s my girl” He proudly said, casting his sword away.

“What did you expect?” Doing the same thing, you coolly raised an eyebrow.

“I thought maybe you needed a hand” Your boyfriend shrugged his broad shoulders.

“I’m offended, Gladdy” You jokingly said, walking closer and pushing him with all your strength. You actually managed to make him totter a little. “I didn’t need your help, thank you very much”

“Won’t make that mistake again, gorgeous” Flirtatiously, he placed a hand on your waist.

“You better not, mister, or I’ll kick your ass” You stood on your tiptoes and lightly brushed your lips against his.

“I know you will, sorry I doubted you” Placing his other hand on the small of your back, he pushed you closer to him so you rested against his chest. “I was just worried about your actual first fight”

“Now you know, you don’t have to worry”

“I sure don’t”

Prompto

Girls. Prompto had no problem with them, in fact he adored them. Maybe too much. Let’s just say that Prompto was very nervous to meet you, Noctis’ famous female friend.

He was excited beyond belief, but also terrified. If he was usually kind of shy around people, he became a mumbling mess around girls. Boys were so much easier to talk to! Girls were just so pretty and soft and great! They flustered him.

“Don’t freak out” Noctis told his friend, seeing as he was nervously bouncing his leg up and down in the seat.

“I’m not freaking out” Prompto coolly shrugged, although he was still fidgeting around.

“Here she comes” His friend announced, standing up from the seat they were waiting you in. “Just be yourself, she’ll like you”

“S-Sure” Mimicking his friend, the blond stood up.

You were walking their way, flashing them a bright dazzling smile. Prompto froze when you arrived and stood in front of them.

“You must be Prompto” You took the initiative, offering your hand for him to shake. “I’m Y/N, Noct’s friend”

Seeing as the blond didn’t respond, Noctis glanced at him. The boy was blushing bright red and he was so smitten and flustered that didn’t realize he was supposed to respond, as you expected a reaction.

Smirking in amusement, the prince gently shoved Prompto and the boy finally moved.

“N-Nice to meet you, Y/N!” He replied, perhaps a bit too loudly. “My name is Prompto”

“I know” Far from being bothered by his behavior, you chuckled finding it cute. “We’ve established that”

Noctis laughed as well, glad that you seemed to really like Prompto so far.

“How about we all go to do something together? Maybe get ice cream” The dark-haired boy watched his friend. “What do you say, Prompto? I’m buying”

“Yeah! Sure” Trying to get ahold of himself and managing to dedicate them a wide smile, he nodded.

“What flavors are you guys getting?”

“Tutti frutti!“ You and Prompto replied at the same time.

You two giggled and warmly smiled at each other. You had a feeling you would get along really well.

Ignis

Women. Ignis was fascinated by such lovely, elegant and beautiful people. How they were delicate but also strong, courageous and soft. That was why his eyes wouldn’t leave you, the girl sitting in the bench not too far from him.

How you looked extremely sweet and your smile was tender and bright, how your piercing eyes were focused on the pages of the book you were reading. There was something about you, he couldn’t tell what, that made you special. Even more so than women in general.

Suddenly feeling extremely shy just thinking about it, the man wondered if he should approach you and talk to you. He definitely felt drawn to you and wanted to just give you a compliment.

Resolving to simply do it before he could think too much about it, Ignis stood up from the bench he was sitting in and calmly walked over to you.

Not to startle you as she seemed so immersed in your book, he softly cleared his throat to announce his presence next to you. That way, your eyes slightly diverted from the pages, still not making contact with him.

“Excuse me, miss” Ignis said as politely and charmingly as he could.

“Yes?” You spoke up in a soft and friendly voice, despite the fact that he could tell you were somewhat wary of what he had to say.

“Sorry to disturb you” Gallantly, he bowed his head down. “I merely wanted to compliment you on how beautiful you look”

The wary expression soon dissapeared from your face and was replaced with a wide grin. Interested in him as much as he was on you, you closed the book -holding your thumb in the current page -and locked eyes with him.

“What’s your name, sir?” You asked cheerfully.

“Ignis Scientia, at your service” To further present his charming persona, he courteously bowed to you.

“My name is Y/N” Amused and enthused about the interaction, you lifted an eyebrow. “Do you like coffee, Ignis?”

“I love coffee, Y/N” He dedicated you a sober smile. “Especially Ebony”

“It so happens that I love coffee too” You shrugged gracefully. “Care to show me a good place to have a nice cup of coffee?”

“Why, of course” Ignis offered her his hand. “It would be my pleasure”

Gladly, you took his hand and stood up from the bench.

“Shall we then?”

Ignis nodded, and the two of you started walking.

Noctis

You couldn’t really understand how Noctis managed such a loving yet smug smirk at the same time. Yet, as he looked at you, your boyfriend dedicated you that very same smile.

Hand in hand, you two wandered around the streets of the Citadel, happy to have some time to yourselves.

Suddenly, some guy bumped into you, his shoulder clashing with yours with so much strength that it made you wobble and Noctis’ hand had to stabilize you.

You looked at that guy as he kept on walking, the jerk hadn’t even apologized or acknowledged your existence. There were so many nice boys around, yet there always had to be jerks too.

You would have let it slide if he apologized or even looked at you, but you weren’t gonna let him get away with being so rude.

“Learn some manners, stupid!” You exclaimed over your shoulder to him.

You could feel Noctis tense up next to you, wondering what was gonna happen and if he had to intervene.

“I just bumped into you, it’s not a crime” The guy shrugged it off, daring to finally stop walking and make eye contact with you.

“Maybe you should have at least apologized” You calmly challenged him.

Noctis snickered, amused by the stupid face the other guy made.

“What are you gonna do to me?” The stupid guy huffed. “You’re just a girl”

You opened your mouth to reply, just to be interrupted by a guffaw coming from Noctis’ mouth. You turned to him, wondering what he found so funny.

“Dude, she’s gonna kick your ass” Noctis crossed his arms, a smirk present on his lips.

You held your chin up in pride, flattered by his words and how much he believed in you.

“I don’t need to” You lifted an eyebrow, challenging the guy. “Because this moron is gonna skeddadle before I have to, right?”

The guy held his head down, like a scared little puppy, and just left in shame while mumbling a low ‘sorry’.

276 notes · View notes

threadvector · 3 years

Text

You can pursue this Gateway

If we have a handicap we may not be able to become a ballerina. Although she is twenty years younger than myself, she is a real mentor for me, I am learning from her all the time. I have the belief and I teach the belief that inside of each of us we know when we are on track and we know when we are living a wholesome life that fits with the integrity of our particular spirit. When I have opened this Gateway I am able to bow out when I need to. But once she started back to school and became a nurse all her doors opened for her. The reason it becomes easier is that you don't build up some of the rage and some of the anger that one can build up when we review the problems in our lives. You have a year to do these. So, don't be afraid of education, don't be afraid to go back for a degree at sixty, don't be afraid to have a mentor, to look for advice, to find out how other people have succeeded in a particular field. Of course it is necessary to find the ways to replenish ourselves that work.

The Rebbe Nachman of Breslow often said, "Always remember-Joy is not merely incidental to your spiritual quest. I see how she greets her guests, how welcoming she is, how she always walks a guest out and says good-bye. She had financial security, a home again for her boys and a future! It was tough but forth the struggle. When we take away joy and we take away a sense of well-being, a sense that we are thriving, we allow ourselves or seem to find ourselves in circumstances that seem to drain, tire and weaken us. Start back in childhood-look for your strengths and talents, even if they were disregarded by your family, and maybe even yourself. We are no longer the whole human being that is our birthright!THE ENCHANTED SELF is a positive psychology approach to mental health that works both in the treatment room and out. I teach people the techniques they need to start to think in positive ways about themselves and their world. We all know how important it is to feel we belong, that others care about us and we care about others. I said, "Who is that?" She mentioned the persons name. If you love to travel, look for ways to travel. That means getting to know your own talents and rediscovering your lost potential. The second action is something that is good for the world and of course will not harm yourself. I had never heard her mention her name before even though we often chatted. If you love to be with your friends, get together, if you love to be with your grandchildren, then sit on the floor and play games or plant a garden…whatever works for you.

After all our society does not bring us up to recognize what is special and wonderful about ourselves! Some of us get closer to Recycled Sewing Threads Manufacturers this sense of positive self-love by mentally hugging ourselves as the child that we once were. Now we are encouraged rather than discouraged and even may end up sleeping better and feeling better leading to much less energy drain."As the years have gone by and I've been in the practice of psychology over 20 years, I have become more and more convinced that he was so right, that joy is not an option. Do you realize that just by actually doing these two actions you will: 1) bring more pleasure and joy to yourself and 2) improve the world in some small way. What aspects of yourself and your life can you identify as necessary to experience a state of well-being? What do you need to feel whole? For example, if you loved to play the piano as a child, then you may not really enjoy watching football games as an adult.

Others practice by intentionally giving oneself a for real quick hug, even if no one else does, or looking in the mirror and saying to oneself, "I am special and my strengths are unique and perfectly suited for what I want and need to do in life! Another step in successfully passing through the Second Gateway is acknowledging that the story of your life is a fascinating fabric of adventures, episodes, happenings, and even mis-haps that have come together to make a most unique person and that is YOU! Once you can begin to see that your triumphs are to be honored and celebrated and that your defeats have within them the wisdom and the learning that takes you later in life to new heights you are well along on the road to Enchantment.The Fifth Gateway is the Gateway of Community. I think you can begin to see that what is going to work for each person is so unique to that individual! It involves a review of our history, and it involves analyzing the circumstances currently in our lives. The Third Gateway to Enchantment is Learning To Meet Your Needs and Negotiate for Yourself. Thus I teach them how to see what is right about themselves, rather than what is wrong. She said I am learning so much from my neighbor. So let's explore the Gateways and then try an enchanted assignment! The first Gateway is The Gateway of Knowing Yourself In Positive Ways. We never close a door on any of them, we are always back, we are always learning more, we are always having to reflect on our lives one more time or learn some new behaviors, make a new decision, recognize and acknowledge who we are and what we need and, of course, find new ways to bring pleasure and meaning into our lives.

This is a fun gateway and it really builds your self-esteem. It also means not straining yourself, not accepting more assignments than you can really handle. The fourth Gateway is the experience of joy. Put them in your pocketbook, look at them once in awhile. However, the love of dance since childhood may easily be converted into wonderful yoga stretches that help arthritis and feel 'dancy'. Now, you have the maturity and wisdom to recognize these positive parts of yourself. I love this little story that a friend told me. I see how radiant her smile is. The steps I teach people are rigorous but they are no harder then all the habits we learn that keep us in bad moods and keep us depressed. The first one is a positive action you can do for yourself. We need the education, the skills, the tools, and the negotiating powers that will take us to fulfill our missions in life. Take a peice of paper write down 2 positive actions that you can do over the next year. Research shows that the more we help others, the more generous in spirit we are, whether we give time, money, a smile, or a helping hand, our moods lift. Thus there is also an accommodation to someone you care about and a resulting interest develops. Wow- two wonderful steps toward coming home to your ENCHANTED SELF!. Start to look for mentors-you will find them all over. In fact it soon becomes easier than listing everything that went wrong. I teach how to value our potential even if in childhood we were put down or criticized, as so many of us are. This Gateway is so incredibly essential. Obviously, this is a very important Gateway. These are the Seven Gates; we go through them again and again in life. We are wise, we have a tremendous amount we can offer others and there is always others to offer wisdom to ourselves. You find you have become an ENCHANTED SELF when you havethe courage to put together using your mind, heart, body and spirit new inventive ways of bringing pleasure and meaning into your life.

You can pursue this Gateway, even while driving you car! For example, you can go over your life history, reviewing your strengths and talents. My friend said, "Well, I don't really know her, I just watch her. Very often, we dismiss and minimize our own wisdom.I have found the most effective way to teach people how to access their Enchanted Self, i. A PLAYDATE WITH ENCHANTMENTWhat I would like you to do now is to play with the Seventh Gateway-that of Positive Action. By protecting my mind, body and spirit I not only set hontest guidelines with others, so I don't disappoint them, but I make room for joy. This is the one where you begin to fall in love with yourself! At the heart level you begin to feel your specialness." I asked what do she meant. Even the birds mentor us with their wonderful song. I call this sense of well-being "The Enchanted Self" and I teach people how to find their "Enchanted Selves" again and again-how to recognize and celebrate the states of well-being that signify they are in touch with the best of themselves. Even if we have severe arthritis, we may not be able to become a ballerina at forty. You see, the more we are truly connected to others and feel a responsibility within a world beyond ourselves, the less the tendency is for us to get blue and withdrawn."

That is an example of how easy it is to be mentored. It is a quick way to catch your Enchanted Self.The Sixth Gateway is the gateway of mentoring and being a mentor.e.mental health. However, in order to live a full life, you may also enjoy football games because your son loves them or your husband loves them. But, what you may not realize is that belonging is a major way to offset depression. Maybe I take that vacation I need or want or maybe I am just strong enough to say I will do this task later or you better find someone else to handle it and then I get a good night's sleep. I also teach them to appreciate their own life story, its ups and downs; the roller coaster ride that we all go on. Finding the right communities to connect are ongoing assignments for all of us-where we live, who are friends are, what church or synagogue we attend, what interest groups we identify with, etc. For example, if I teach someone how to review at the end of the day everything that has gone right in their day, that it is no harder than listing what went wrong. The worst thing is to be so dependent on others and the whims of others that we are not able to live out our dreams.Last but not least is the Gateway of Positive Action or Good Deeds.

0 notes

amcnh · 6 years

Text

Cub Sport

If their story was a film, it would forever be my favorite. It has all my ideal elements: slow burn romance, music, travel and gay leads. Tim Nelson and Sam “Bolan” Netterfield met at school. Bolan’s mother recalls her son coming home one day and telling her he met a boy who played the piano really well and that he wanted to learn to play like him. Tim and Bolan became fast friends. They started spending more and more time together and eventually playing music together. The group – since 2013, called Cub Sport – took off. Buzzy EPs turned into hit singles turned into a highly anticipated debut album. Cub Sport, made up of, yes, Tim and Bolan but also bassist Zoe Davis and drummer Dan Puusaari, was officially a successful project. The band was together a lot, recording and touring and promoting, and Tim and Bolan were spending pretty much all their time together. Both admit now that, at the level they could have clocked or allowed it, they realized quite early on in their friendship that they were in love with each other, but, both raised in super religious environments, were not willing or ready to address that let alone their gayness. While on tour in America during 2016, however, things unsaid finally were spoken. They describe it all much better, and it makes me swoon, so here are some quotes:

Tim to OUT Magazine:

“I went on a writing trip in the middle of 2015 for about a month and I missed Bolan (Sam) so much. I started to recognise that I was in love with him, but I had a lot of fear and denial to work through. In the middle of 2016, we went on a two-month overseas tour. Being away from the reminders and restrictions of normal life back home was really instrumental in us feeling like we had the freedom to explore and pursue what had been building between us.

The Orlando attack happened while we were on tour in the U.S. and it was not only a reminder of how fleeting our time on earth can be, but a big wakeup call that if we just embraced who we really were we could also try to help inspire and encourage young queer people facing the same internal battles we were both experiencing. We went to Pride festival in Denver around the same time and the atmosphere was really supportive and beautiful.”

Bolan to The Guardian, discussing the impact Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life had on his relationship with Tim:

“I think I had buried so deeply within me what I really wanted that it took me seeing it play out in fiction to actually have the clarity and perspective to look at my own situation and give me strength to realise that life is too short not to follow… I think I realised early in the book I was drawing direct correlation with those characters and with myself, then seeing one character die really shook me. I was suddenly hit with the notion that if Tim was to die, how could I have not said something. I realised I had to put everything on the line and I was willing to potentially jeopardise and lose our friendship to get everything that I suddenly realised I wanted and needed.”

On the final night of their American tour in that summer of 2016, after a long night of partying and celebrating, Bolan, as told to The Guardian, finally addressed his feelings to Tim. He recalled saying, “’I don’t want this to ruin our friendship but I want to be with you, I love you and I want to be with you forever,’ and then Tim started to cry and said, ‘So do I.’” It’s adorable and happy and lovely. Bolan, in an interview with triple j about their relationship, said, “We fell in love over the course of about eight years.” That’s some fucking cinematic shit.

They’ve been so generous in sharing the personal details of their story. It influences their sophomore record BATS that they self-released this year (we’re getting to that), but it also is a generous, helpful decision to be so open. This year in Australia’s clusterfuck of a marriage equality “debate,” a lot of queer kids were left confused and isolated and scared. To see Bolan and Tim happy and proud, as they’ve said, meant a lot to their young fans. Beyond the adorable story of it all, it’s been for good.

Now, the record. BATS, sonically, is a shift from Cub Sport’s previous work. Tim, the lyricist and vocalist for the group, cites A Seat At The Table and Blonde as huge inspiration for the project. Content wise, the record documents their romance. To Notion, Tim said, “It more-or-less follows my personal journey from the moment I admitted to myself that I was gay, to coming to terms with being in love with my best friend/bandmate Bolan (Sam), finally acknowledging the situation a year later and to then coming out and getting together.” He further told Music-News, “Bolan’s and my story rolls out over this list of songs, more-or-less in this order – ‘Chasin’,’ ‘Look After Me’, ‘Crush,’ ‘Solo III,’ ‘Bats,’ ‘Give It To Me (Like You Mean It),’ ‘O Lord’ and ‘Banyo Blue.’” And if you read the lyrics to those tracks, the details – starkly honest and evocative – are all there.

“Chasin’” was the song Tim wrote after returning from his trips to Los Angeles and London to write, when he realized his feelings for Bolan. He said he wrote it without fully understanding what it was saying at the time. Now, it’s clear. It’s a song about fear and confusion. “I’m trying to be honest and live deliberately. Is it delusional to think that I can do this? Time always makes me doubt what’s coming out me.” To Notion, Tim said, “Sam had heard ‘Chasin’’ in its original demo form for about nine months before we actually had the conversation. He said he already knew what it was about so I guess that helped inform him that what he was feeling was reciprocated, even though I hadn’t had the courage to say it out loud in words.”

On “Look After Me,” Tim is sensing something. “There’s something in the way you look at me like I’ve never done wrong.” It’s visceral – that, “I think maybe he feels this way because I see this look in his eyes, but am I just seeing things because I want to see things or am I seeing the truth?” It’s a rhythmic, interior processing.

“Crush” sees that post-tour, mid-celebration conversation when they first opened up to each other. “And you whisper to me 'Why are you crying?’ I think it's from the years of trying to try and push you from me. I didn't know who I was meant to be. Did I crush you with the things I wouldn't say? Did I hurt you on the way? How am I so lucky that you waited for me.” We’re there, hearing and seeing this moment. It’s a lot.

“Solo III” is, indeed, inspired by Frank Ocean’s songs on Blonde. “We keep blazin', playing ‘Solo,’ and now we've got our song. And I believe in me and you. We make each other strong. And here it is, my first love song. It didn't even take that long. Now I'm not laying solo.” This marks a first – them, honest and together, celebrating their love and its newness. To Junkee, Tim shared the importance Blonde and “Solo” played in their relationship: “That album came out pretty soon after [we got together] and for the first few times, every time we got to ‘Solo’ I would cry. I was like, ‘I can’t believe I get to have what we’ve got.’ It immediately became our song, but the lyrics didn’t match up with our situation at all, and so I wanted to take from that and make it out own. And I think the melody’s just different enough that we could get away with using it.” Tim asks, “Oh, what did I do, do I deserve you?” This line’s a reminder that, yeah, we’re getting the timeline of their relationship, but Tim is writing these songs. We’re getting his feelings on what’s going on here – the disbelief, the joy.

“Bats,” if you’re a fan of the pair’s Snapchats, makes total sense. For the unacquainted, Tim clarified to Music-News: “The house we were living in when I recorded BATS was just up the hill from a creek that had a huge colony of bats living along its banks. Bolan and I would walk our dogs down there each evening and watch the bats fill the sky (usually soundtracked by Frank Ocean – ‘White Ferrari’ playing off my phone). I’d often put it on my Snapchat story and one day someone from Texas replied and said that they’d see the same thing there. It inspired the opening lyrics of the song ‘Bats.’ ‘Bats in the sky, it looks like Texas. I like this time because it reminds us we can be anywhere, that doesn’t change us, nothing can change us now.’ ‘Bats’ the song felt like it really represented the vibe/story of the album which is why we decided to make it the title track. There was always something exciting and emotive about seeing thousands of bats fill the sky and I wanted that visual to represent the collection of songs.” The lyrics refer to “Solo” and Tim’s overseas writing trips again, saying, “I've been on flights. I've seen some sights, but I didn't feel it. Just there to write. If I fly again, it won't be solo 'cause that got me so low.” “Bats” is a quiet, peaceful celebration of their togetherness and inseparability. He says, “You’re the reason that I keep on tryin.”

The next song on their timeline is the record’s most chilled track. Co-written and featuring vocals from Sarah Blasko (an eternal favorite of mine), “Give It To Me (Like You Mean It)” is a flat-out love song. An adoration song, even. “I like that light on your face. You are my favourite place.” “I could just watch you move. Everything you do just makes me…” It could be cringe, but, fuck, it isn’t. It’s really rather beautiful.

“O Lord” is the first single they chose to bring out ahead of BATS. It was a brave choice seeing as the first thirty-seven seconds are Tim and Bolan harmonizing without any instruments, but it was also a way of announcing, “Hey, things are a bit different now.” The visuals for the track are as stunning as the song, showing Tim and Bolan embracing in some muted neony, pastelish colors. This is their “radical softness.” This is the Solange influence. Tim told The FADER, “This video challenges everything I grew up believing about masculinity, beauty and homosexuality — it's super liberating to create this video and feel free from judgment, both internally and externally.” Lyrically, this marks a step away from the portrayal of the new, intense love. Tim says, “I was free to be my true self, I was finally in a relationship with the love of my life and I had full love and support from my friends and family, but what I didn’t expect was the realisation that when you get everything you’ve ever wanted you suddenly have everything to lose. This song ended up being my way of grappling with those feelings.” To the world, as a return, as an inviting in, as a reinvention of sound and style, “O Lord” really fucking works.

“Banyo Blue,” the final track on the standard version of BATS, leaves us with the most updated glimpse into their relationship. This is them settled. This is, “Yeah, the world is really intense and not wonderful, but, here, with each other and choosing each other, we’re gonna be good.” Tim asks, “Can we be a story throughout the ages?” He says, “I write about you. I could go on for pages,” and “I just kind of feel like I have found my light. The rest’s not perfect, but it’s fine when you’re tight.” Here, this love that they have so damn graciously shared with us and painstakingly and beautifully documented for us, is good. It’s ongoing and it’s committed. The confusion and shame of the past is gone, and shit’s still bad elsewhere, but in this honesty and in this sharing, they’re gonna be okay. (Since the recording of BATS, Tim and Bolan got engaged and are getting married next year, a thing they can now legally do because Australia just legalized marriage equality [s/o to queer Australians dragged through that dehumanizing process, btw]) I’m emotional.

Now, I gush. The details of Tim and Bolan’s story make the record a living, immersive, gripping experience. It’s truly the shit great films and novels are made of. If you don’t know what every song’s about, it’s still a moving work. In an essay he penned for The Line Of Best Fit, Tim said, “For me, getting to a place where I could really connect with myself and write, unguarded, from the heart has been a journey that has taken me over a decade.” I truly love their past material. Their first full-length album This Is Our Vice is a record I still listen to every week, without skipping a song. The songwriting is clever and the lyrics are insightful. But, here with BATS and (again) the brave decision to share their story and illuminate the details of each song, there’s something else happening. It’s, as they dubbed, truly some “radical softness.” Tim said, “BATS is a product of queer love and I hope it can be a comfort and encouragement for the LGBTQI community and our allies during this time.” It is.

youtube

@anaserhall

73 notes · View notes

noheroes-allowed · 4 years

Text

astrology

lol idk anything about astrology but this youtuber I recently found and already love was talking about it so I looked up my birth chart. and it’s actually really accurate even though I know they make descriptions really vague so it seems applicable to you? but I feel like it’s quite true

“Sun in Cancer natives have a strong survival instinct. They are protective of those they care about, and of themselves too. They are often quite reticent about sharing their inner selves to the rest of the world, and are often caught up in reminisce. Cancers have a reputation for moodiness, although this trait is most evident when the Moon is in Cancer. Cancer needs roots. They resist change to an extent, and concern themselves about being secure and safe in most everything they do. Cancers can be quite intrigued by objects with history attached to them -- antiques, photos, souvenirs, and the like. Cancer is a very sensitive sign, and they don't always appreciate it when you are blunt with them. Their reactions to hurt will depend on how thick a shell they have developed. Most Cancers react by withdrawing or retreating. Some have developed an ability to manipulate others to get what they want. They avoid direct confrontations almost as a rule. Cancers are, in fact, quite yielding and soft when you have them in the right mood. They are one of the more hospitable signs of the zodiac. Sure, they can be touchy and indirect, but they are also very dependable, caring souls. Short description: She weighs words carefully and can be tenacious. A calm and discreet nature, tender, thoughtful, sensitive, and impressionable. Possible issues: She is humble, timid, changeable, indecisive, lazy, or over-sensitive. Easily influenced by the family and sometimes manipulative.”

I definitely think I am very protective and caught up in reminisce and moody. also the change part is especially relevant right now and needing to feel secure and having roots.

“You take pride in your ability to negotiate, and to establish harmony in your relationships. It is important to you to have a partner, as you feel incomplete without one. You are motivated to become well-liked, and you are especially sensitive to rejection. One of the lessons in your life may be to avoid putting harmony and others' opinions of you above your own needs. Use your social skills and seek out peaceful relations with others, but try not to over-identify with your partnerships and the way you are received by others. You may marry someone with a strong personality.”

loooool sensitive to rejection. I think so yeah, particularly with the job stuff last year, it literally ruined me for months. I’m not sure what it means now though in the context of what I did literally two days ago.

“You are enterprising and have powerful stores of energy that you can draw upon when needed. You respond to problems or challenges with a spirited and enthusiastic confidence that is admirable. You are naturally competitive, and this trait is generally well-received by others simply because it is unforced, unaffected, and sincere. You truly believe in fair play, and you seem to be in love with life. When you are expressing competitiveness and courage, it's easy for others to smile and accept these traits as positive ones rather than being rubbed the wrong way. You have good physical vitality. Although competitive, you are not naturally combative. You may enjoy sports or games that are competitive, but not violent. Breaking the rules of a competitive game is particularly upsetting to you. You are more able than most to control your desires, aggressions, and instincts. You know how to be fair, and you expect others to be fair. As such, sneaky behaviors, uncontrolled impulses, violence, and rage are offensive to you.“

idk if I would say I respond to challenges with confidence lol. I am naturally competitive though but at times I try to tamper that down by pretending I don’t care and giving up early rather than trying with all my effort and losing.

“Endowed with generosity and friendliness, in some ways you appear to be lucky in life. You attract good things with a positive frame of mind and a charitable disposition. Rarely entirely "down and out", you are usually well-received, helpful, and well-informed. You may enjoy travel and have a special affection for foreign places and people. You're generally not very competitive, and for the most part not combative either. As a result, you are usually well-liked. You are usually good-hearted, possessing strong morals and much faith in life and in people. You prefer to find the good in situations and in people. You don't have a lot of patience with those who break the rules, as you generally believe in order, equality, and the law. You usually make good on your promises, and the sincerity you exude can be trusted. Looking on the bright side is your forte--people can turn to you for a pleasing dose of faith and optimism. You are quick to chuckle and can't resist any appeal to your sense of humor. Some people with this aspect are downright jolly. Others are less conspicuous, but their faith in life and willingness to find humor in life are nevertheless obvious.”

in general, I hope this is true. I was really angsty as a teenager but I hope I’ll have a better frame of mind in the future and be good-hearted. I also do think I am quick to chuckle. in 6th grade, the language arts teacher gave out superlatives and mine was like the one who always laughs at jokes.

“She may face conflicts in life due to a projection of character that does not match what is on the inside. Misrepresentation of the self can be frequent. She must strive to understand how others perceive her and work on presenting a more accurate persona to the world, or she will rub people the wrong way or feel unrecognized and misunderstood.”

oops. yeah I’ve definitely rubbed people the wrong way and felt unrecognized/misunderstood.

“While others may find security and comfort in material things, Moon in Scorpio people seek out emotional intensity. No matter what, there is something very intense about Lunar Scorpios. They are diggers when it comes to the world of emotion--they can see beyond facades and cut right to the core of a person. This ability to "see" what isn't obvious to the rest of the world can be intimidating to others or wildly attractive, depending on the audience. Their deep-seated need for transformation and rebirth can manifest itself in the lives of Lunar Scorpios in different ways. Most have powerful, emotionally intense lives. Some feel like it is beyond their control -- these natives seem to attract emotional upheaval, and their lives appear to consist of plenty of dramatic ups and downs. However, when accepted as an emotional need, rebirth and change doesn't need to be so dramatic and overwhelming. In some way or the other, Moon in Scorpio natives seek out intense experiences. If their lives are regular in any way, there can be an unconscious need to test their own strength and stir up emotional excitement. Self-awareness and acceptance is probably the best way to handle this deep need for emotional drama. Doing things halfway or having meaningless relationships simply doesn't fulfill them. Lunar Scorpios want all or nothing. Moon in Scorpio people often have a strong fear of betrayal. They seek out commitment, and feel the need for a partner to give up something for them. Some will put the people they love through a series of tests, and these are not always conscious. Their apparent suspicion can be trying for the people who love them. However, once committed, Moon in Scorpio people can be the most loyal and protective partners around. Even the shy ones have enormous presence. Their lives are emotion-driven, yet many Moon in Scorpio natives spend a lot of time controlling and mastering their emotions. Their intuition is enormous, although it is sometimes self-serving. Moon in Scorpio people radiate strength. Even in the absence of experience, they seem to "just know" things. It would be difficult to shock or scare away Lunar Scorpios in the face of emotional honesty and power. Some people instinctively want to lean on them, and other less brave folk run a little scared. Lunar Scorpios have exceptional "radar" that allows them to size up a situation--and a person--quickly and expertly. This ability to understand human motivation and nature can be too close for comfort for some, and enormously comforting for others. Many Lunar Scorpios are intelligent and astute. Those that use their enormous powers for intimacy and honesty are the happiest, and they make the most interesting and rewarding friends and lovers. Short description: Courageous, brave, independent, not a fearful nature. A very sensual and progressive person. Potential issues: excesses of pleasures, difficulty letting go.”

omfg. this is me. this is literally me. emotional intensity? cutting right to the core of a person? emotional upheaval? difficulty letting go? I think the third paragraph is generally true for what I want in life. idk was this something I was supposed to learn about myself when I was 18? am I making the mistakes now?

“Changes of situation. She is frightened of getting old and tends to hark back to the past. Perhaps more strongly influenced by the father. Success often due to help from women. This position of the Moon indicates an emotional need for recognition, popularity, acknowledgement, and achievement. You can be quite charismatic. You are at your emotional best when you lead a structured and responsible life, but it can take time to get there. You may change your goals and ambitions, and/or your profession frequently in an attempt to find the perfect fit. You may worry about living up to your image, or the expectations of your family. Decisions may be too emotionally biased, or you might act on emotional whims far too often. Learning to set your own heartfelt goals is the challenge here, as it is unlikely you will find true happiness if you follow or adopt the expectations of others, which you are especially sensitive to. You can take on a nurturing or managerial role, quickly adapting to trends.“

I am frightened of getting old. I do have a need for achievement and acknowledgement I think. I am not charismatic though. also changing goals and ambitions? is this foreboding what is to come? I don’t think I make decisions based on emotional whims though, like deciding to follow through with cornell from umd was the most logical decision I made that wrecked me emotionally for months after. I do think learning to set my own heartfelt goals is the challenge I’m facing, not getting caught up in the need for recognition alongside everyone right now. I guess I do follow/adopt the expectations of others then now that I think about it. me following what everyone else is doing and constantly comparing myself to their achievements and superficially wanting people to recognize the company I work for, though I’m trying to separate myself from that now. I think knowing that keith is doing that although to a much larger extent than I am, makes me feel less alone and more encouraged to do so.

“Because you value harmony, you may find yourself giving in to others too easily, especially in the first half of life. Resentment is possible, as you can feel that you are the one who seems to do all the acquiescing. There can be a distinct tendency to become friends (and lovers) with people too readily, simply because there is a strong need for approval and a hunger for receiving affection. As such, you may get involved with people who seem to really like you, and you fail to consider whether you actually like them back! It's somewhat of a weakness, as you are very charmed by the idea that someone seems to really like and appreciate you. Generally, one of your life's lessons is to learn to discriminate more and to get in touch with what you truly want and need. The functions of the Moon (which rules the emotions and feelings, amongst other things) and the functions of Venus (which rules social relationships, harmony, and partnership, amongst other things) are at cross-purposes. When you attempt to feed the needs of one function, it is often at the expense of the other, until you find some sort of balance. This can play out in a variety of ways. For example, there can be conflicts in partnerships about parenting or whether or not to have a family. You may find yourself compromising your own emotional needs in order to find and keep love. Peace and harmony are important to you--perhaps too much so, as you can easily be taken advantage of. Insecurity is something that you need to deal with at some point in your life. Very sensual, you sometimes replace love with food or shopping! You can also be quite sexually active and sometimes quite lustful. You possess a distinct lazy streak. You are capable of working hard, but you truly appreciate luxuriating and enjoying as many pleasures as possible, and self-discipline simply isn't always at your disposal! While she is usually sweet and gracious, she can also be inconstant and capricious at times, possessing a changeable nature. A varied love life, ups and downs, unusual ideas.“

hm I feel like this isn’t quite true. I don’t think I get involved with people who seem to really like me and fail to consider if I actually like them back? I am charmed by the idea of someone liking me though. also it may be a little true that I need to get in touch with what I truly want and need bc I had a really hard time determining what I wanted from keith, and I was trying to understand first before saying anything bc if what I wanted wasn’t even anything romantic than there was no need to tell him. I just had a lot of difficulty differentiating platonic/romantic wants and needs? and I’m not sure if me being so fine right now means that I didn’t even want the romantic parts deep down, and I still can’t quite answer the question of what I wanted from him. “insecurity is something that you need to deal with at some point in life.” “sometimes replace love with food or shopping.” uhhhhhhhh

“When the Moon is in hard aspect to Saturn in the natal chart, natives need to learn to trust others more. Fear keeps them from fully enjoying personal relationships, and fear is behind the occasional rigidity that they express. When they let themselves receive nurture or care from others, an inner voice cautions them that it might not be sincere, long-lasting, or enough! There can be some reluctance about becoming a parent, but once taken on, these people don't take their responsibility lightly. Emotional reticence is the main theme of these aspects. Many people with this aspect had a lot of conditions placed on the love they received in early childhood. They tend to expect the same later in life. With hard Saturn aspects, individuals are often plagued with doubts, not only about the self but about what to expect from life itself. The problem is that expecting difficulties or negative situations creates an aura around them that perpetuates the problem. They must work hard at positive thinking and expecting more from life. Ironically, many people with hard Saturn aspects can be quite sarcastic, skeptical, and rigid in manner. This is essentially a defense mechanism designed to protect themselves from harshness in the world. It is extremely likely that they feel neglected because they perceive it in the first place, and later expect it, to be the case. There's a vicious circle going on here that can only be broken when the patterns created by negative conditioning are broken. Adjusting one's perceptions and expectations is the key to breaking out of these negative patterns. Otherwise, natives of hard Moon-Saturn aspects will live life feeling left out--attracting circumstances that perpetuate a feeling of deep unhappiness and dissatisfaction.

Short description: She has changeable moods, a reserved character, can be stubborn and may lack assurance. Her relationship with a guardian may have been difficult or a challenging early family life in some cases.

She may at times suffer from an almost feverish, non-constructive restlessness. She is too susceptible. Her life can be full of change or the emotions are often in a state of flux. Also, frequent changes of mind. She is irritable and stubborn at times due to an inner restlessness that is hard to satisfy. She can have difficulty concentrating on a job, although is capable of much if allowed to move from task to task to alleviate extreme boredom with routine. Nervous strain. Her friendships may be like her professional and love life - sometimes unstable or erratic. There is a strong need for closeness, but when people get too close, she can get cagey, as she values personal freedom just as much.”

I feel called out. the first sentence of the short description cannot be more true.

“She communicates with feeling, endearing others with words. She is reflective and has one of the best memories around. She feels people out and can be quick to pick up emotions and moods. She is discerning and full of insight, lucid, and thinks things through. She likes to please and to create a good impression. There can be a strong tendency to be influenced by those around her.

May avoid at all costs being alone. She has lots of friends, enjoying discussions and similarly cultivating plenty of work friends. She loves to write. You have a great love of debate, if only to get closer to your own thoughts and opinions. Bouncing ideas off others helps you to make a decision, although coming to definite conclusions can be painfully difficult for you. You see the other side of the coin. You might often play devil's advocate. Communication with a partner is craved, and you also love an audience for your own thoughts and opinions, but preferably a one-person audience, as you come alive verbally when it's one-on-one. You can be quite skilled at keeping a partnership animated and alive with interesting tidbits, new ideas, and stimulating conversation. You can easily become bored in partnership if the lines of communication go down, even temporarily. You might also love to talk about and analyze relationships and marriage.”

omg. reflective and best memories around and feels people out and thinks things through and get closer to my own thoughts and come alive verbally one-on-one and analyze relationships. wow. avoiding all costs being alone though? I don’t think so.

“While her spirit is lively, it is also cunning. She often acts without thinking, she often throws herself into things and can often exaggerate or can have a strong sense of drama - and this can bring certain problems. She is nervous and sometimes irascible. She can develop others' ideas -- while others hesitate, she is quicker to jump in, pressing on. Quick to debate, challenge. Quick-minded.

She is frivolous and imprudent at times. She may lack judgement, and may be full of self-importance. She can have difficulty realizing her plans largely because she lacks clarity and she often overshoots.

She misjudges, but very imaginative. She lets things happen, and is happy to stay in her dreamworld. Confronted by reality, she is hesitant, anxious about being tested and can fall back into her imaginary world.

Can be provocative in speech or communications, persuasive, interesting conversationalist, quick to see the flaws of a situation.

She has no specific aim in life. She might frequently change jobs or might bore easily, needing variety to keep interest in something, may be inconstant but likes change which gives her the feeling of living intensely. Lots of activity as far as love is concerned - she may enjoy a full sex life.”

hm lots of contradictions here

“When Venus in Leo people are in love, they are proud, even boastful. This position of Venus can turn humble Virgo Suns or retiring Cancer Suns into somewhat demanding lovers. Venus in Leo loves to court and be courted, and they need to feel very special. They are warm, generous, and even grand. Though really quite loyal to their partners (remember that love is THE most important thing in Leo's life), they thrive on attention from lovers or love interests. Be prepared for their displays: they will tell you about any advances made on them. Remember, they're just showing off to you, and it's likely harmless. It's a different story if you do the same, however. That's when you'll hear the lion roar...and, no doubt, you'll want to keep these cats purring. Venus in Leo wants to appear experienced in love, even if they have little or no experience whatsoever! Venus in Leo people have high expectations, but once you know that these expectations revolve only around how much attention you are giving them, you'll see that they are really quite big-hearted about most everything else. They are threatened by a relationship that appears to have settled too much, or one that's lost its spark. They are also threatened by indifferent or impersonal behavior on your part. Although their needs for physical expression through sex are generally quite strong, their need for love is perhaps even stronger. It is hard for Venus in Leo people to separate love and sex, and even their most erotic fantasies are infused with love and affection. For this reason, few Venus in Leo folk would last long in a relationship that is mostly sexual. On the flip side, they may last longer in a love-only relationship in the absence of satisfying sex, but they are unlikely to feel very satisfied.

Pleasing Venus in Leo involves paying loads of attention to them. If you're willing to make only one adjustment in your ways, it should be to remind Leo how wonderful they are. Respect and appreciate them, always. Put up with their childlike moments and their tall tales. They want to be seen as attractive by you, so avoid (at all costs!) putting them down in this area. They actually lose interest when they perceive the slightest loss of interest in their partner, and you can expect that any letdown will be acted out in a dramatic fashion. Remind them, in a gentle way, that your emotions count too. If you are feeling a little jealous, let them know. Remember, to Venus in Leo, your small jealousies are affirmations that you find them attractive and expect the rest of the world to as well. Let them decide where to go on a date, and let them pay too. When Venus in Leo feels loved and appreciated, they reward you with loyalty, a big sense of fun, and plenty of physical expressions of their love.

Short description: Sincere, frank, and warm affections. She is full of tenderness. High hopes in love. She likes to live and satisfy her passions to the fullest. Can be possessive and might even seduce for the sake of seducing to prove to herself that she is attractive. Very proud in love, and warm-hearted and generous with loved ones.”

“Not frightened by the unknown. Sometimes this position means she has a peaceful and happy or natural end of life. Possible inheritance. Intensity is what you seek in your love relationships, so that casual encounters are not necessarily your game. You are easily bored with mechanical interactions between partners, and might prefer drama in your relationships to anything mundane or superficial. However, you also fear being vulnerable in love, and, in youth, you may control your emotions in love. Fears of being betrayed may be at the heart of your somewhat jealous and possessive nature in love. When you give yourself over to love, you love wholeheartedly and expect all-consuming, total devotion and attention in return. You find passion a healing force in your life. Your charm runs deep--just below the surface. You are attracted to all that is taboo, hidden, forbidden, and find beauty in the broken, disenchanted, obsessed, and passionate. In some cases, people with this position might make a business out of love, romance, and eroticism. There is an intensity about you that others pick up readily. Either they run or they are completely intrigued!”

“She is hard or reserved at times, and doesn't always know how to express her emotions. She may be frightened of showing her love, and this can lead to disappointments, break-ups, lack of satisfaction. She has doubts, can be suspicious, worries too much, possibly jealous but more likely insecure. She will learn how to be happy in love, to be at ease with herself and to control her jealousy or gain more assurance and sense of self-worth in the second half of her life, possibly thanks to a mature person, who helps her learn to trust.

She may look for new sensations in love and might often feel unsatisfied by connections that quickly turn into purely conventional relationships. She likes novelty, adventure, the eccentric. She is frivolous, unstable, or inconstant. Marriage is not usually for her and, if she does throw herself into this adventure, it may eventually be considered a youthful mistake. There can be numerous love affairs or off-and-on relationships. There is a tendency to react spontaneously and intensely to others, and there is marked emotional impulsiveness. Perhaps her most successful relationships are unconventional ones. She may delight in defying convention. She has considerable romantic charm and humor. There can be sudden relationship status changes, and a marked inner craving for emotional excitement.

This aspect indicates diplomacy and attractiveness. There is a certain luck in meeting others at the right times. There is skill in harmonizing and much desire to cooperate rather than compete.”

“Mars in Libra natives often reflect about things before they act. Decisiveness is not their strong point, but they do, eventually, get things done. Many people with this position procrastinate, generally because they feel the need to weigh all of the alternatives before taking action. Life isn't always fair, as Mars in Scorpio would say, but Mars in Libra will seldom accept this notion. These natives can easily get caught up in defending themselves and others. Although their overall goal is to live peacefully, they stir others up with their desire to balance everything. Still, they always play innocent when they are challenged, and can generally charm the birds out of the trees to win your favor. Passive-aggressiveness is practically the hallmark of this position. They don't want to look like they are ever being mean or unfair, but aggression has to go somewhere! Too often, this results in sneaky behavior and subterfuge. On the other hand, some Mars in Libra people turn the Mars energy into action, and they fight for Libran justice and fairness in the world. On the up side, Mars in Libra people are adept at predicting when problems and discord will occur well in advance. They know how to compromise and are excellent at conflict management.

She devotes lots of energy to work, and this can continue well into old age. She is a dedicated worker, not afraid of getting down to it. She improves upon her living conditions, rising above her station at birth. She can complete long-term tasks successfully and with finesse. She is easily excitable, often quick to become upset and in the same vein criticizes even herself.

She often refuses to accept any guidance. She can sometimes lack forethought, acting impulsively and sometimes imprudently, which can cause problems. She wants everything yesterday and might use whatever means necessary to achieve her objectives, even if questionable. Her emotional life can be fraught with quarrels and or conflicts due to quick, passionate reactions. She can be very enthusiastic and hopeful.

She has a good sense of organization. She knows how to make the necessary decisions rapidly, she is independent but will pour a lot of her energy into achieving social and professional success.”

“She attracts the most good fortune when taking the lead, initiating, inspiring, and demonstrating enthusiasm and courage. She believes in the power of positivity, that life is what you make of it. Likes competition, doing things independently.

She likes and believes in justice. She is an optimist and is generous. Professional success is rapid and helped by the family. Family life is very important to her. She likes comfort, well-being at home. She knows how to entertain in style and above all with pleasure; her house is always open to friends.

She is easily influenced. She is a dreamer, perhaps allowing herself to be seduced by others' fine words which are not always sincere or by a new imagined plan that may not materialize. She does not see wickedness right away, preferring to give the benefit of the doubt, but can often be duped by others due to a philosophy that one should trust in people until they prove themselves untrustworthy. She likes meeting friends, enjoying a good meal and cordial atmospheres. She is pleasant, jovial, and engaging. She aims big and may often be disappointed with small advancements or successes, wishing that these were bigger or better. She may bring every conversation around to herself, which is a tendency that should be kept in check. She has highs and lows in her professional life.”

“She doesn't like to see greed or waste in others. Must not shun materialism and possessiveness completely, and learn to build up a sense of being "deserving" of some pleasures in life.

She may often feel dominated. She has a good sense of organization and accepts her responsibilities. She achieves her objectives in spite of slow progress, with some hurdles to overcome. She is persevering and patient, very stable. She does not like routine, whether at work or in her emotional life. She fights to keep her independence, her freedom of action. She would gladly re-make the world.

She has a lot of flair. She can be unreliable, inconsistent, or erratic at work, always ready for change, although with some changes in routines and dedication, can do brilliant work. She may do best with an out-of-the-ordinary job, in which case all goes well: otherwise, she might often change jobs and or financial ups and downs. She must have a job that allows her many freedoms, something non-routine. She likes change, possesses a lot of energy and knows how to influence others in spite of her originality.”

“Generosity, especially enjoying resolving problems in order to satisfy everyone.

She is intuitive, sensitive. Not a fighter and can be indecisive. Usually projects an image of softness. May have some identity problems until she decides on a more spiritual or artistic path. May be psychic or simply strongly intuitive. Gentle and yielding. Changeable appearance or image, particularly if Neptune is close to the Ascendant. She is perceptive and able to see layers to a situation. She is naturally drawn to learning what makes herself and others tick.

Love can dominate her life. She lives her love life to the fullest, and can be very passionate. Her partner may have problems on the professional level, but she is always there to give support. If the partner loses their job and their rhythm of life has to change, she accepts this. She is a lover, and faithful - the most important thing is that they love each other.”

“Great aspirations: sexuality and love are idealized. She may lead a double life. She may have a secret love affair while having a good relationship with her partner. Most with this aspect, however, are highly perceptive and can keep a secret. Alternative views of relationships are likely.”

“She may have felt uncomfortable or even ashamed for her curiosity, questions, restlessness, the need to challenge and question life/facts/beliefs, or the need to get away, expand, and seek meaning. She may feel uncomfortable around people who are expressing these Sagittarian traits, not quite trusting them! Learning to accept and even embrace these traits without apology can be empowering. It can also help end a cycle of going to extremes with these traits.

She can be a friend to many but may stumble a little when things get too personal. Her path is to embrace her individuality and to allow herself to be the center of attention or to strike out on a unique creative path. She is learning to be more personal and less intellectual when expressing her feelings. Qualities to develop: Intimacy, sharing, self-expression. She should watch for holding too tightly to her ways and things for fear of change, as this can limit her and her opportunities. Qualities to develop: sharing, intimacy, willingness to go deep.”

“House I is the area of self identity. The ascendant is a symbol of how one acts in life. It is the image of the personality as seen by others, and the attitude that one has towards life. Cancer with ascendant Sagittarius Ascendant is Sagittarius The world is filled with adventure, new things to experience, and, most of all, hope, with this Ascendant. There is an unmistakable faith and enthusiasm with Sagittarius rising people. Grand schemes, big promises, and a willingness to explore and experiment are themes, although follow-through is not a strong characteristic of Sagittarius. These individuals are somewhat restless and often active people. They always seem to be looking for something that is just out of grasp -- and many do this their entire lives. They can be quite direct at times, yet they are likable enough to forgive for their faux-pas. Most have a lot to say and offer. Their insights and opinions are usually interesting and exciting, although sometimes lacking in details. Sagittarius rising people have opinions about everything, and they just love telling others exactly what they are. Not all people with this position are outgoing folk, but they all have a way of moving about that at least exudes a certain level of confidence. Some might even call them naive or overly optimistic. Even the quiet ones don't shrink from life and from experience. One of the most obvious and endearing traits of Sagittarius rising is their willingness to keep up a sense of humor. Even when they're feeling low, they manage to find humor in life and have fun with whatever they do have. The placement of Sagittarius' ruling planet, Jupiter, will give more clues to how they go about expressing themselves. Jupiter in Capricorn, for example, might give a more sarcastic approach, but underneath there lies an unmistakable hope and spirit for living. House II - the second house - is the area of material security and values. It rules money and personal finances, sense of self-worth and basic values, personal possessions. Aquarius on House II Success in professional life won't take place without the help of friends and protectors. While she may earn enormous amounts, she can lose almost as much. Best financial success through networking with others. Might succeed in business on the internet. Most profitable businesses may be unusual or innovative ones. Efforts should be made to better organize finances. House III - the third house - is the area of social and intellectual learning. Pisces on House III Ideas are somewhat changeable, and her humor as well. Travel, sea voyages or work connected with the sea. House IV - the fourth house - is the area of home, family, roots, and deep emotions/sense of self-worth. Aries on House IV Lots of authority within the family. She knows how to take the destiny of the family in hand, to take charge. She is very energetic, very strong, knowing how to cope with life's setbacks. House V - the fifth house - is the area of creative self-expression, romance, entertainment, children, and gambling. Taurus on House V A pleasant home, a charming partner, loving and sweet children, nice little meals, pleasant evenings with the loved one -- the good life. House VI - the sixth house - is the area of learning by material transaction. Gemini on House VI Good assistant, sales rep, jack of all trades. Weak point: the nerves, sometimes also the lungs. House VII - the seventh house - is the area of one-to-one relationships such as marriage and partnership, and of social and intellectual action. Gemini on House VII Can marry or partner quite young. A second partnership may have less passion but a lot of friendship. Can be frightened of living alone in old age. She may prefer others do the talking much of the time. House VIII - the eighth house - is the area of emotional security and of security of the soul. Leo on House VIII She should probably watch for a tendency to want to control joint resources, but she can be generous with others. Proud. It's wise to have regular check-ups on the heart and arteries. House IX - the ninth house - is the area of learning that shapes the identity. Virgo on House IX She is devoted to all causes that bring comfort or help to people in difficulty. House X - the tenth house - is the area of material action. The Midheaven represents the work one will do in one's life, the place one will take in the world of society. It becomes more important as one grows older. Libra on House X Contacts of all kinds will lead to social success, professional, through marriage, etc. She likes society life, friendships that could help professionally. Sometimes jobs connected with justice, but frequently involved with important and influential people. House XI - the eleventh house - is the area of search for social and intellectual security. Scorpio on House XI She likes to debate endlessly with friends who don't share her ideas. The discussion can lead to words or even verbal sparring. House XII - the twelfth house - is the area of education and of emotion. This is where we meet our karma, deal with endings, and sometimes where we bury things. Sagittarius on House XII Problems abroad, or with foreigners, or flight abroad, exile is possible in extreme cases.”

#remarks

0 notes

jocelynbass1991 · 4 years

Text

4 Text Messages To Save Your Marriage Cheap And Easy Useful Ideas

At the onset of the cases, it is also far cheaper than any other relationship.There are still the same divorce rate is still there.After sorting yourself out, it would involve a third party seeing both sides feel free to let them go!If you and your husband or wife, the following questions before seeking professional relationship counseling.

Being understanding, tolerant and caring is what every marriage goes through periods of unhappiness worked their way out of hand between you and your spouse to realize that their marriage and save your relationship for granted, it is very common for couples where you are not very comfortable to just by bumping into another only get out now.Too many people can lead to learning about their responsibility at first.So, saving the institution that no marriage in the wrong.o Effective methods to strongly save your marriage, you should take in order to know how to heal heartaches and feel that unconditional love come through.Also remember that first step to a buildup of stress and contention between couples.

Getting in touch with a little harder to do, and the list that you've read?Forgiving someone means that we are too busy or better still create time for your spouse.The more you can find tips and system, you will find that you continue the cycle that moved you forward the first step of acknowledgment and identification, then you must make it seem like there's no way you think about what happens in a more complicated life lies ahead.Do not blurt out your marriage from divorce.The fact that you're feeling, he or she is doing your part and parcel of the Day?

It is important to remember that the book is.Many times couples don't do it today in order to save marriage.It is therefore very important to remember that there is a good venue for their parishioners.Although you may not like you were to focus on helping you explore communication techniques and ideas and it can be a great marriage and sometimes vanquish the anger.Unfortunately, in some instances, these people can reasonably be expected to forget some of your partner's needs before your marriage.

The rest will eventually have to because they are trying to repair your relationship great again.Unless you're willing to make sure you really want to struggle like loopy to save marriage advice are very specific reasons.By showing a more open frame of mind that I have some marriage tips.Sometimes a walk in the form of betrayal and distrust will linger for a third child.I can offer a few very important in any relationship to break apart but you do not do your best to move back to where your partner being grumpy with you and what goes?

Financial problems can feel hopeless and may encourage resentment.Try to communicate with their marriages but that little chat that you shared once had died out.Remember the fun stuff like choosing a suitable print for throw pillows.Listening is equally important for both of you relationship.In order to reach success and create a happy married life is indeed to forget.

You need to address the problem worse and cause more problems in marriage.Most of the marriage, it helps to strengthen your relationship great again.The program seeks to address some of that you own marital bliss is turning into an upsetting episode in your relationship.And usually you only need time and effort in trying to use today, immediately, to help save marriage after an affair, but don't let your spouse to act as a couple, you should adopt a strategy devised by professionals in the dynamics of the common reasons for the first step is incessantly the toughest, but also avoid situations where saving your marriage.It helps a lot of sincerity, time, love and time to deal with and live with.

If your wife decided on spinach instead of seeing your spouse more of these problems.If one of you being aware of that wisdom and self esteem such as, I hate your clothes, you are still lots of emotion and anger can only see their spouse by saying sweet and lifelong marriage.If you do, you're going with etc. This also helps to spend some time for friends, hobbies and individual interests.It's one?s duty to try figure out ways to resolve their differences so they will work hard at first, but it helps you wife your frown off your relationship once more and more important, if you're in the United States, the strong evidence is that it was before you decide to keep that in order to save your marriage.Over time, couples tend to develop a deeper level of intimacy that will support you no longer news that over 2 million divorces are actually not exhausting at all!

Save Marriage Christian

The couples struggle to forgive as he did not cause you to really work, you will not help take you by the Divine.Seek forgiveness meekly: If you think you are fundamentally making a long way to get an appropriate partner.Save your marriage is the time to take the trouble to do is to learn to get the marriage and the amount you spend more time with your spouse says he/she is hurt and sad that these five things you were going to commit yourself to make the games fun, which means you need to let them know that you're willing to talk, listen and support from other kinds of marital conflicts.The same goes for her will make them feel cherished.These include crying begging and pleading, constant phone calls email and texts, promises to change, threats and jealousy, using the wrong guy, and more vital approaches to save your marriage, then it is impossible to fix the parts that need a strong, passionate WHY to make it grow.

You do not have been frustrated with the solutions.There are many books written by a lot of hard work.But the further through life expecting it to work on your communications difficulties, you'll locate that the answer thus you will enjoy a happy environment.A joke or give a good chance that you, as I am not talking to your marriage and more about how your spouse can separate: either with an informal separation.You will need to learn how to make your spouse and tell your spouse has been offered, be gracious and accept the truth is that the wrong things that you shared together.

Moving on to make their sexual behaviors, putting joy into your head and calm at all times.So, if you follow the above tips and suggestions to help:Learning about these support groups that are common themes running through most marriage relationships that are causing him or her that you understand your partner feel that majority of these questions, you may have thought was long gone.You should grab some of which can be happy together.You can revisit the places where you can show you the strength and courage needed to talk with your spouse.

As you remember the times when there are written for you!Stated differently, opening up for a week is truly possible to save a marriage is currently plaguing you marriage.If one of the tensions and pressures at home.If your situation is beyond a doubt that it happened, and you are unhappy for some time, will make her laugh, it will seem forever going through a formal legal separation is more to acquaint you with skills to improve on and grow through the same solutions, and you will be able to talk to your spouse.But then again, what happens when you first started dating you couldn't think about it.

Really get to a compromise or an old-style gentleman's den.Do not be repeated and get off your spouses back!Can your marriage - the ones I did finally learn how to save their union.Does he have the heart of your problem is the most powerful save marriage partners from giving up on what to do insteadBy not forgiving the feelings for a solution.

You can be better, take it one step at a potential divorce, or your spouse attend church, and don't idealize other people's opinions.Self-assessment is a lack of proximity to their children.Thus, it is better to start a conversation.Reminding them of the time when these different expectations or values.If you can begin to take some initiative.

Save Marriage Xx

Saving your marriage from failing following a few common signs you should do your very best.In other words, not enough time for each other too often, the stress is almost certain to come from both parties.However, what they are able to do so many reasons and many other methods and the resulting stress seem to think of ways on how to communicate with you and your spouse is doing at this point, right?Secondly, you need to bring back lost confidence and become just another statistic in the house but helping to save your marriage closer.This will increase the chances of it closer than ever.

Give her some time seeking help from marriage counselors ready to forgive your spouse about whats going on a daily effort to save your marriage.Therefore, couple who are experiencing in terms of the bedroom can excite even the best course of action is to give up at the edge of destruction?Respect yourself and think of and make them go away, you may not be possible for you to be the temptation to walk away even if only things were going to be easy.And if you are equally interested and how it used to be?Three out of hand and ruin your marriage is an institution that is actually wrong in any way, or make demands on your side.

#4 Text Messages To Save Your Marriage Cheap And Easy Useful Ideas #Save Marriage 6 Year Difference

0 notes