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thiswasinevitableid · 4 years

Note

For the meet ugly prompts: #27? I feel like it has a lot of potential to be really funny for the OT4 :)

27: we have one night stands with roommates and sneak out of the house at the same time.

I interpreted “sneak out” kinda broadly. This is right on the line between SFW and NSFW: No sex, but it gets hot and heavy at the end.

Duck wakes up under moth-patterned covers, rubs his forehead as he grabs his phone from his pants on the floor. Shit, he didn’t mean to sleep this late, that could make things awkward if the guy from last night wanted him gone.

The bedroom door open and closes and Indrid, his hookup, enters in a yellow and pink bathrobe, holding a silver packet.

“Good morning.”

“Mornin’. Uh, sorry, guess I was real tired.”

“We did do rather a lot last night.” Indrid grins, sitting down on the bed next to him, “here, my roommate is making breakfast sandwiches. I had him make you one. Do not take the pack as a sign you must leave, I just asked him to wrap it in case you were in a hurry.”

“Thanks. I should be gettin goin’, Winnie’s probably missin’ breakfast.”

“One musn’t keep such a noble creature waiting.” Indrid hands him the sandwich. He’d shown the taller man photos of his cat last night both because he dotes on the flufflball and because it got Indrid to scoot closer to him.

“Yeah, she can get in a mood....uh, you seen my underwear?”

Indrid scans the room, red glasses sitting on his forehead and giving Duck a perfect look at his brown eyes.

“Ah, here we are.” He reaches under the small desk covered in art supplies, “my, those got some distance.”

“You were naked, I was in a hurry.” Duck mumbles, making Indrid bark a laugh as he brings him the rest of his clothes.

When he steps out of the bedroom, he spots a tall man with a short, coppery beard standing at the kitchen stove. That must be the roommate, but Duck’s eye is drawn to the man exiting the other bedroom. His short black hair is mussed, there’s a pillowmark beneath his high cheekbone on one side, and his dress shirt is rumpled.

The other man does not seem pleased to be seeing three people in front of him instead of one.

“Oh hey babe, you’re up.” The roommate turns, beaming, “made you breakfast, do you want some coffee? I can put it in a to-go up if, uh, if you need to leave.”

“Yes, thank you. I, um, I should be going.”

The roommate smiles, quickly puts together a sandwich and coffee cup, complete with cream and sugar. The other man sips it and sighs, “you remembered.”

“‘How do you like your coffee’ isn’t just a cheesy line for me, babe. Gotta make sure you enjoy yourself start to finish.”

“Damn, that was smooth” Duck whispers as Indrid walks him to the door.

“Agreed. Though I rather enjoyed your one about pollination last night. By far the most creative response to these I’ve received” he points to the tattooed moth just visible on his shoulder. His wide grin goes shy, “I did really have a wonderful time, Duck.”

“Me too. Lemme, uh, lemme know if you wanna meet up again?”

Indrid nods, waves goodbye as Duck heads off the porch and down onto the sidewalk. He eats as he walks, decides Indrid has good taste in roommates because that one makes a mean breakfast sandwich.

He gets to the bus stop, late September morning still crisp with the coming fall. Pulling out his phone, he discovers it’s dead. He did use it a lot last night, on their date, but only because Indrid was so clearly interested in what he had to show him. Why a guy who does tattoos for a living thinks a fella who’s a nerd for plants is interesting, Duck will never know. He’s just glad he does.

Music out of reach, he sits and listens to the cardinals and kinglets calling in the trees. Someone sits down next to him, aluminum foil reflecting the sun off their hand and into his face.

It’s the guy. The one from Indrid’s apartment.

Should Duck tell him he has a big bruise on his neck? He probably knows, right? Then again, he was in a hurry?

“Hey, uh, don’t mean to be weird or nothin’, but you got a little uh-” He taps his neck and the man whacks his hand over the mark.

“Shit”

“Someone you’re worried’ll notice?”

“What exactly are you implying?” The man glares at him, blues eyes going from charmingly flustered to suspicious in an instant.

“Nothin, just seem real worried for somethin that happens to almost everyone some time or another.”

“I like keeping my private life private. I don’t want random people knowing what I like in bed.” He snaps

“Okay, okay, jeez man, sorry I mentioned it.”

They fall silent as Duck’s bus approaches, and both stand to board it. Just his luck, this is route to the capitol square with the massive farmer’s market, so he and the mister touchy end up squished in next to each other.

Two stops in, the man murmurs, “ I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so rude. I’m, uh, I don’t usually do things like, well, like hooking up with someone I meet on Grindr.”

Something about the way he says it, like he’s afraid he’ll get in trouble, brushes away Duck’s annoyance.

“No shame in havin a good time with someone. Wait, shit, was it a good time? Did somethin happen?”

“Oh no, nono,” the man hurriedly shakes his head, “it was just what I needed. Barclay is a great guy. I just feel like it was too easy, that getting that lucky on my first try is a sign something will go wrong.” He gives Duck a resigned smile, “in case you havent noticed, I’m an overthinker. Are you, damn it what’s his name, Indrid’s boyfriend?”

“Nah. He comes to draw in the arboretum where I work, we been kinda flirtin the last few weeks, and yesterday I finally said fuck it and asked if he wanted to get a drink later.”

“He’s certainly...distinct looking. In a good way, I mean.”

“Yeah, he is.” Duck smiles, thoughts drifting off to the memory kissing him gently as they finally fell asleep, his face captivating in the dim of the room, “probably see him again. Assumin’ he wants to see me, I guess.”

-------------------------------------

“I am supposed to wait until he arrives home to text him, correct?” Indrid pushes his phone as far away as possible to remove temptation.

“Maybe? I dunno man, all those rules about texting and shit are designed to sell books and bad youtube channels.”

“But I don’t want to come off as possessive or clingy.”

“Believe me bud, I know.” Barclay turns his phone around so Indrid can see the two lines sitting in the “draft” section, “I’ve been writing and re-writing this for five minutes because I want Joseph to know I’d for sure be down to see him again but there’s no pressure.” He sets Indrid’s refilled coffee down on the table. They trade a look, then burst out laughing.

“Fuck, guess we both had a good time last night huh?”

“Very. Duck remains as wonderful as I hoped and I have not enjoyed sex that much since, hmmm, well, since the last time you and I were together.”

“That poor desk.”

“May it rest in peace.” Indrid sips from his mug, “Joseph is quite charming. You have excellent taste in men.”

“That a compliment to him or to you?” Barclay fluffs Indrid’s hair as he passes by him.

“Mostly him.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, little moth.” A kiss on the head this time before Barclay heads to the shower. Indrid gets his sketchbook, turns on some mindless cooking show and settles on the couch.

Eventually Barclay calls from his room, “Indrid? Been about forty-five minutes, bet he’s home by now.”

Indrid springs up, grinning, and grabs his phone.

-------------------------------

Duck was out downtown when the rain started, which is why he’s now hunkered down in the cafe by the capitol in hopes of waiting out the storm. He’s not the only one with this idea, and he’s made sure to make the chair across from him obviously empty in case someone needs a spot.

“Hello again. Do you mind?” It’s the blued-eyed guy again, dressed for work in a suit and dress shoes. Duck hasn’t seen him since that first morning, in spite of going back to Indrid’s place multiple times over the last three weeks.

“Go for it.” Duck scoots his coffee to the side so the man can set his mug down. He pulls out his phone, but can’t quite focus; he keeps wanting to look across the table.

“How are things going with Indrid?”

“Real good--wait, how did you know he an I were still-”

“Barclay’s mentioned you once or twice. And your name is pretty memorable.”

‘It’s a nickname.”

“That makes a bit more sense. Mines on the other end of things; there are a lot of Josephs in the world.” He sips his cinnamon-scented drink, sets it down again, “so, what do you do?”

“I’m a ranger over in the arboretum. You?”

“I work for an organization that checks up on businesses to be sure they’re meeting worker health and safety laws.”

Duck watches the rain out the windows, wondering if Joseph wants to keep talking or is just being polite.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Did Indrid tell you about him and Barclay?”

“Yeah, ‘bout a week ago. He said he was hopin’ he and I could get more serious, but that he wanted me to know the two of them had a sorta, uh, fuckbuddies thing goin’ so I could make an informed choice.”

“That’s more or less where Barclay and I are at. Um, how do you feel about it?”

“I’m okay with it. I ain’t interested in anyone else right now, but when I thought about it, Indrid havin a thing with Barclay ain’t stopped him from bein’ amazin’ to me and I’m fallin’ hard for him. I don’t feel like some kind of side piece or whatever. I just feel like I’m headin for somethin good with a guy who has a casual partner. Did it bug you?”

“No” Joseph shakes his head, “which confuses me. I, um, I have trouble releasing control in much of my life. I assumed it would freak me out to learn I wasn’t the only partner in someone’s life. But when Barclay told me it didn’t really bother me. He even offered to talk to Indrid about being only friends if that was what I needed. It’s been awhile since someone was so quick to think about my wants and feelings when dropping unexpected news on me. Plus, I’ve spent a little time with Indrid when we’ve been over there, and I like him. He clearly cares about Barclay, just like I do, and in some way that makes me happy. Is that weird?”

“Not really an expert on weird. But I think you’re overthinkin’ things again.”

A small laugh, “True. Help me think about something else. Tell me...tell me what your favorite part of work is.”

Duck’s surprised at the interest, but gets glimpse of pleading hope, og someone a little hungrier for connection than he’s letting on, and finds no desire to refuse.

“Prairie restoration, it’s fascinatin….”

-------------------------------

Duck’s not surprised to see Joe’s name come up on screen; the two of them have been hanging out more, both as friends and on double dates with Barclay and Indrid. He’s learned that his friend is a stealth-nerd beneath his professional veneer, that he likes game nights as much as Duck does, and that he makes a certain sound when he cums (that last one he learned on accident; he was snuggled up with an under-the-weather Indrid in the living room when Joe and Barclay got home from a date).

Joe: Are you busy tonight?

Duck: Nope.

Joe: Do you want to go to the “Adult Swim” at the children’s science museum? I got tickets a week ago, but Barclay got called in to work tonight.

Duck: Sure, sounds lie a good time.

Joe: See you at the museum at 7?

Duck replies in the affirmative, goes to pick out something less grubby than his crossfit clothes to wear. Maybe the short-sleeve button up with the whales; Joe mentioned he like it.

His phone buzzes.

Sugar: Busy tonight?

Duck: Yeah, going to the museum with Joe since Barclay has to work.

He realizes how this might sound, begins rapidly typing several explanations or offers to not if Indrid doesn’t want him too, but his boyfriend beats him to it.

Sugar: Oh yes, I remember him mentioning that. Good, I’m glad the tickets won’t go to waste. Have fun, my sweet, please take picture of any interesting bugs for me if there is an entomology section <3

Duck: Will do, sugar.

He signs with a kissy face, gets two black hearts and a kissy face back.

The Adult Swim is wonderful; the museum is artfully lit, there’s snacks everywhere, and even a fancy cocktail included with admission. He and Joe clink glasses, wander through the exhibits, laughing and playing with the interactive exhibits. There are no bugs, but Duck takes pictures of the light exhibit, which feature interesting color patterns he might like for tattoo inspiration.

They’ve just finished fucking around in the paleontology exhibit, and Joe is looking through a viewfinder that shows him how a triceratops saw the world. Duck sneaks up behind him, growls in his ear, “didn’t spot the t-rex in time.”

“If you plan on eating me, we should at least head into the bathroom.” Joe winks as he turns, heading out onto the balcony to look out on the city. Duck knows that if he follows him out there right now, he’ll kiss him.

“Be right out, gonna go grab some more of those mini-pies.”

Joe nods to show he heard him as he pushes open the door. Duck hopes he doesn’t see him take several deep breaths to get his imagination under control before he goes off in search of an edible distraction.

-------------------------------

“Doors open!”

“Oh, hey man, Indrid home yet?”

“No, it’s Thursday the 12th, so the studio is prepping like crazy for tomorrow.”

“Shit, that’s right.”

“Cookie? I just made them.”

“Thanks--holy shit that’s good.”

“Thanks, I’ve been trying to nail the chocolate chip and potatoe chip recipe.”

“Think you might--aw fuck, ‘Drid just texted, he’s gonna be another hour.”

“You can chill here if you want. Uh, I’ve got Super-Smash Bros, if you wanna play.”

“Aw hell yeah.”

-------------------------------------

“Good morning, Joseph.”

“Gahoh, hi Indrid. I’ll be out of your way in a few minutes.”

“There’s no rush. I certainly don’t mind your company. I believe there are left over cinnamon rolls in the fridge, if you would like.”

Joseph gathers a coffee cup and a roll on a plate, sits down on the couch, and finds his pocket buzzing.

“Here” Indrid takes the plate.

“Thank you. Looks like it’s my sister...oh, she got a new dog, do you want..” He stops as Indrid holds out a piece of the cinnamon roll on the fork. Hesitates, then opens his mouth and lets Indrid feed him. He starts showing him pictures as he does, Indrid commenting and laughing and, every so often, murmuring, “good boy” when he takes a bite.

--------------------------------------

“Ohfuck, shit, sorry!” Duck covers his eyes as Indrid quickly closes the front door.

“Nono, fuck, sorry, that’s on us, thought you guys weren’t home until later.” Barclay’s apology is underscored by the sound of a zipper closing.

“It’s quite alright, no harm done, Joseph you look very nice like that, carry on.” Indrid pulls Duck into his room, both of them snickering and blushing as Duck pushes him down onto the bed.

“My my, someone’s wound up.”

“Makes two of us.” Duck grinds down on him, Indrid gasping and grinning as he arches his back.

“Indeed. Now get that handsome face down here. I have some things I wish to do to it.”

---------------------------------

The giant stop motion monster continues rampaging on the screen as Duck loops his arm over Indrid’s shoulder. The first snowstorm of the year has come early, so they opted to switch their double date to a monster movie double feature (curated by Joe) in the apartment. Beneath their shared blanket, Indrid’s hand strokes his belly, skating down to the front of his jeans in teasing bursts.

On the other side of the couch, Barclay has started kissing Joe’s cheek, the blue-eyed man sighing and turning to kiss him back.

This is not a new situation for them. The last few weeks they’ve gotten more comfortable cuddling and making out in the same space as each other. Duck’s not complaining; hearing both Indrid and Joe gasping and sighing near him makes him hotter than a July afternoon.

Indrid bumps his cheek with his nose, and Duck turns for a kiss. He gets one, but he also gets a firmer stroke down his cock, making him moan. Indrid smirks into the kiss, does it again, then a third time, Duck gripping the front of his white tank top with a groan.

“Maybe we, uh, should dip out on the movie.” He murmurs.

“We can” Indrid purrs, kissing him again, “but Joseph seems to be enjoying the show.”

Duck whips his head around; Joe is looking at the two of them as he leans against Barclay’s chest, between his legs, expression moving from desire to surprise to hope over and over again. Barclay, unbothered, continues kissing his neck and murmuring in his ear, the blush on his cheeks rising each time the larger man does so.

“Or perhaps he’s envious?” Indrid cocks his head, “would you like your hand to be here instead of mine, Joseph?”

Joe’s normal eloquence is nowhere to be found, his eyes flicking between the three other men so quickly Duck worries he’ll sprain something.

“I asked you a question, pet.” Indrid sharpens his tone on the last word and Joe whimpers. Duck has zero interest in Indrid ever calling him that name; but hearing it in his lilting, gently demanding tone directed at Joe sends desire zinging through him.

“C’mon, babe, be a good boy and answer.” Barclay nips his boyfriend’s ear.

“Yes. Or, or, more accurately, I’d trade places with either of you. If that’s, would it be, do either of you?” He looks back at Barclay, who smiles tenderly and runs a thumb up his cheek.

“Okay with me if it’s okay with them.”

“Do you want it as well, my sweet?” Indrid tilts up his glasses so he can look Duck in the eye. The affection in those brown eyes makes the T.V, the moon, the stars look dim.

“Hell yeah.”

Indrid crooks his finger and Joe clambers the short distance on the couch to kneel by Duck.

“How shouldMMmmmmm!”

Duck gets a whiff of aftershave as Indrid yanks Joe forward by his shirt, kissing him and squishing Duck between them. The angle is awful but he doesn’t give fuck, buries his face into Joe’s neck, kissing the point where he feels his pulse moving like mothwings, mouthing and nipping at the skin as he slides one hand up the front of his shirt and the other down the back of his pants. When he squeezes his ass Joe squeaks and Indrid breaks the kissing, laughing.

“I didn’t know you had such noises in you, pet. It’s quite endearing.”

“Indrid, Duck, please, I want, I want to, oh fuck it.” He pulls back just enough to not jab his knee into Duck’s belly as he falls on him, kissing him so hard and so long Duck’s chest tightens and his vision narrows. The taller pulls away long enough to breathily moan his name before feasting on his mouth again.

“Yes, he does elicit such feelings, oh, hello.” Indrid giggles, and Duck can just see that Barclay is now on the floor, kneeling before the pale-haired man, kissing the skin exposed by his shirt before rubbing his beard across it, making Indrid laugh harder.

“Can’t let you have all the fun, little moth.” Barclay rumbles

“I can think of many things you can let me haveAH, oh, oh goodness, I forgot how much you like to bite.”

Barclay growls, reminding Duck of something important. He pushes Joe backwards, clambering atop him and pulling his shirt up as he does, stuffing the hem of it between those perfect lips.

“Christ lookit you” he runs his palms up Joe’s body, the man arching and writhing beneath him, “you look like a goddamn fuckin centerfold, you’re so fuckin perfect.”

Joe’s moan is loud even through the shirt, and much needier than before. He grins, crawling onto him , “guess I ain’t the only one who likes praise in bed.”

Joe shakes his head, whining eagerly through the make-shift gag. Duck growls again, attacks his chest with bites, leaving an especially hard one when Indrid grabs his ass without warning.

While Joe clearly enjoys the increase in pain, his responding thrash is sudden enough to send him and Duck rolling off the couch in a jumble. Someone’s foot catches Barclay in the shoulder, knocking him back onto the rug.

“Whoops.” Duck says to the ceiling, laugh bubbling up from his chest and bounding about the room.

“Sorry.” Joe says to the floor, chuckling as he sits up.

“That was very graceful.” Indrid teases from his spot on the couch, only for Barclay to rear up and pull him down on top of him, the thinner man squawking indignantly. As they all disentangle and sit up, Duck looks around their little circle of flushed skin and mussed clothes.

“So, uh, that happened.”

“Indeed.” Indrid scoots next to him, resting his head on his shoulder.

“Is everyone, like, okay that it did? I mean, we seemed okay and said yes and shit but is okay in like a bigger sense?” Barclay holds out his hand and Joe takes it.

“Yeah.”

“Yes.”

“Yep.”

“Do we, uh, wanna talk about what this is gonna look like?”

They all nod, and spend the next two hours hashing out the details of their newly forming polycule. Duck and Barclay agree they’d rather be metamours, everyone else will be partners, and that everyone should probably get some sleep before diving into the do’s and don’ts of what they each want from sex.

Barclay and Indrid build a makeshift bed on the floor by the T.V, Joe and Duck on the inside with Barclay and Indrid on the outside.

Duck drifts off to sleep with his head on Joe’s chest and Indrid’s arms around him. He knows they still have things to work out, that there will be hiccups. But for now, he’s happy to lay here, safe and loved, with his boyfriends.

#indrid cold/duck newton #indruck #OT4: Government Men and Their Cryptid Boyfriends #agent stern/barclay/indrid cold/Duck newton #agent stern/barclay #sternclay #agent stern/duck newton #Indrid cold/Barclay #meet ugly

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all-things-witchcraft · 7 years

Text

🔮A Huge Tarot Master-Post🔮

Hello~ I figured I’d make my first master-post about Tarot! This is my interpretation, so I don’t ask that you just go by my word. It’s your path! I’m just here to try to help.

This will be VERY in-depth. So I apologize in advance for the lengthy post, but I hope it will help.

What is “Tarot”?

Personally for myself I see Tarot as a tool. I use it to help myself and others with some guidance with their lives; however, when it comes to Tarot, don’t let it rule over your decisions in your life. It is a tool but that does not mean that you should only go by what it says.

Types of Readings

There are two types of readings when it comes to Tarot: Question readings and Open Readings.

Question Readings

Just as the title says Tarot involves answering questions. Yes or No questions aren’t meant to be answered by Tarot. When it comes to Yes or No questions pendulums are used with their corresponding charts. Like I stated before, you shouldn’t use Tarot to make decisions but to guide you to help you make the decision yourself. The way a question is stated is important for Tarot readers. Here’s a few tips on what you should look out for:

🔮 Keeping your options open: If you already have an answer for your question, then you’re not really letting yourself allow the cards to guide your decision. Asking how you could encourage your mother-in-law to move out, as opposed to asking how you can get along better with her, is narrowing the scope of the true question by answering it before you even get started.

🔮 Details: Your question should be focused, but not overly detailed. Rather than looking at one particular aspect of a problem, find a way to look more broadly at it. For example, rather than asking how you can make your home life less chaotic, ask how you can better balance work schedules and school schedules. That is a focused question. But do not go so far as to ask how you can coordinate baseball, soccer and karate schedules and still have family time – that’s too detailed. Only include the minimum level of detail needed in order to express what you want to learn from the cards.

🔮 Focus on Yourself: If the reading is for yourself, make sure your question focuses on you rather than on someone else who you think may be the root of your problem. If you’re wanting to help someone, for example, ask about what you can do to help them.

🔮 Stay Neutral: Basically be unbiased. Don’t come off with the notion that your POV is the “right” one. Asking why you’re always the one getting yelled at between you and your parent(s) isn’t neutral; instead, ask how you can prevent future arguments with your parent(s). That’s neutral!

🔮 Be Positive: When it comes to Tarot, and anything really, you’ll want to always try to be positive. Instead of asking why a specific event didn’t happen, ask about what you can do to make that event happen. Positivity is always great!

Open Readings

These are also known as “General” readings. They address the larger aspects of life rather than a question or a specific area. I’ve found that Past, Present, Future readings are very popular since it talks about people’s lives. They’re always eager to see if the cards can truly tell about their life! You can also direct the General readings towards a basic “genre”. Career, Health, Finances, Love, etc.

The Tarot Deck

There are many varieties of Tarot decks, and there is no standard number of cards across all decks. While the types of cards, the suits and their meanings are the same, the illustrations vary greatly. Decks are based on various themes such as nature, animals, fantasy, dragons, etc.

When it comes to finding a deck of your own, don’t just choose one based on the design. Focus on the connection between you and your future tool, your future guide. I have the Tarot Draconis Deck that called to me. It’s a beautiful dragon based deck that has connected with me. The bond we have today is inseparable!

I say “bond” because each deck has it’s own personality. That’s why Tarot readers do interview “spreads” to help them get to know their decks a bit better. I’ll explain spreads more thoroughly later on in this post. When it comes to their personalities, some decks are blunt, some are meant for giving other people readings and others could be laid back.

The Major and Minor Arcana

When you look through a Tarot Deck, there will be two different sets of cards: Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. Let’s look at the Minor Arcana first. You’ll find that like regular playing cards there are four suits; however, instead of hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs there are Wands, Pentacles (Circles), Cups (Chalices), and Swords. Each of these represents an element.

Each suit has meaning regarding a specific approach to life. The cards within these suits are numbered one through 10 and also include the court cards – the king, queen, knight and page (knave). The Minor Arcana cards represent the more minor, practical daily ups and downs in life.

The Major Arcana are not associated with the suits. They include the picture cards that represent principles, concepts and ideals. They are numbered one through 21, with the 22nd card (the “Fool”) marked as zero. The Major Arcana cards represent strong, long-term energy or big events in some area of life.

Minor Arcana and the Four Suits

As I stated before, each of the Suits represents an element. Let’s talk about each one and break down what they mean, as well as the cards within them. Then we’ll move on to the Major Arcana!

When it comes to the different cards, there are negatives and positives. When a card is upside-down, the term being “reversed”, then it represents negative attributes of that card. When it’s upright then it represents positive attributes.

For myself, I don’t read reverse cards. I base it on my intuition. I’ll explain how your intuition is used with tarot later on in this post.

Suit of Pentacles

🌱Also known as Coins, Disks, or Circles.

🌱Represents the element Earth.

🌱Covers material aspects of life including work, business, trade, property, money and other material possessions.

🌱 Pentacles deal with the physical or external level of consciousness and thus mirror the outer situations of your health, finances, work, and creativity. They have to do with what we make of our outer surroundings – how we create it, shape it, transform it and grow it.

🌱 On a more esoteric level, Pentacles are associated with the ego, self-esteem and self-image.

🌱 The positive aspects of the Suit of Pentacles include manifestation, realization, proof and prosperity.

🌱 The negative aspects of the Suit of Pentacles (i.e. when the Pentacles cards appear reversed) include being possessive, greedy and overly materialistic, over-indulging and not exercising, not effectively managing one’s finances, and being overly focused on career to the detriment of other life priorities.

Often what is required to counteract these negative aspects is a return to nature to ground oneself and rediscover what is truly important. In addition, there may be blockages in being able to manifest ideas and plans resulting in a lack of success. Better goal-setting and planning is required.

🌱 When referring to timing in a Tarot reading, the Suit of Pentacles traditionally represents Winter or years.

🌱 In a deck of playing cards, Pentacles corresponds to Diamonds.

🌱 Court Cards // 1 - 10 🌱

King of Pentacles:

Upright - Security, control, power, discipline, abundance

Reversed - Authoritative, domineering, controlling

Queen of Pentacles:

Upright - Practical, homely, motherly, down-to-earth, security

Reversed - Imbalance in work/ family commitments

Knight of Pentacles:

Upright - Efficiency, routine, conservatism, methodical

Reversed - Laziness, boredom, feeling ‘stuck’

Knave/Page of Pentacles:

Upright - Manifestation, financial opportunity, new job

Reversed - Lack of progress and planning, short-term focus

10 of Pentacles:

Upright - Wealth, inheritance, family, establishment, retirement

Reversed - Financial failure, loneliness, loss

9 of Pentacles:

Upright - Gratitude, luxury, self-sufficiency, culmination

Reversed - Over-investment in work, financial setbacks

8 of Pentacles:

Upright - Apprenticeship, education, quality, engagement

Reversed - Perfectionism, lacking ambition or focus

7 of Pentacles:

Upright - Vision, perseverance, profit, reward, investment

Reversed - Lack of long-term vision, limited success or reward

6 of Pentacles:

Upright - Generosity, charity, giving, prosperity, sharing wealth

Reversed - Debt, selfishness, one-sided charity

5 of Pentacles:

Upright - Isolation, insecurity, worry, financial loss, poverty

Reversed - Recovery from financial loss, spiritual poverty

4 of Pentacles:

Upright - Control, stability, security, possession, conservatism

Reversed - Greed, materialism, self-protection

3 of Pentacles:

Upright - Teamwork, initial fulfilment, collaboration, learning

Reversed - Lack of teamwork, disregard for skills

2 of Pentacles:

Upright - Balance, adaptability, time management, prioritisation

Reversed - Disorganisation, financial disarray

Ace of Pentacles:

Upright - Manifestation, new financial opportunity, prosperity

Reversed - Lost opportunity, lack of planning and foresight

Suit of Swords

🌫️ Represents the element Air.

🌫️ Associated with action, change, force, power, oppression, ambition, courage and conflict.

🌫️ Action can be both constructive and/or destructive, sometimes resulting in violence. This suit can also mean hatred, battle, and enemies, and of all the suits, this one is considered to be the most powerful and dangerous.

🌫️ The Suit of Swords deals with the mental level of consciousness that is centred around the mind and the intellect. Swords mirror the quality of mind present in your thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs.

🌫️ Swords themselves are double-edged and in this way the Suit of Swords symbolises the fine balance between intellect and power and how these two elements can be used for good or evil. As such, the Swords must be balanced by spirit (Wands) and feeling (Cups).

🌫️ The negative aspects of the Suit of Swords (i.e. when the Swords cards appear reversed) include anger, guilt, harsh judgement, a lack of compassion and verbal and mental abuse.

🌫️ When referring to timing in a Tarot reading, the Suit of Swords traditionally represents Autumn (Fall), or months.

🌫️ In a deck of playing cards, Swords corresponds to Spades.

🌫️ Court Cards // 1 - 10 🌫️

King of Swords:

Upright: Clear thinking, intellectual power, authority, truth

Reversed: Manipulative, tyrannical, abusive

Queen of Swords:

Upright: Quick thinker, organised, perceptive, independent

Reversed: Overly-emotional, bitchy, cold-hearted

Knight of Swords:

Upright: Opinionated, hasty, action-oriented, communicative

Reversed: Scattered thought, disregard for consequences

Knave/Page of Swords:

Upright: Talkative, curious, mentally restless, energetic

Reversed: All talk and no action, haste, undelivered promises

10 of Swords:

Upright: Back-stabbed, defeat, crisis, betrayal, endings, loss

Reversed: Recovery, regeneration, fear of ruin, inevitable end

9 of Swords:

Upright: Depression, nightmares, intense anxiety, despair

Reversed: Hopelessness, severe depression, torment

8 of Swords:

Upright: Isolation, self-imposed restriction, imprisonment

Reversed: Open to new perspectives, release

7 of Swords:

Upright: Betrayal, deception, getting away with something, stealth

Reversed: Mental challenges, breaking free

6 of Swords:

Upright: Regretful but necessary transition, rite of passage

Reversed: Cannot move on, carrying baggage

5 of Swords:

Upright: Conflict, tension, loss, defeat, win at all costs, betrayal

Reversed: Open to change, past resentment

4 of Swords:

Upright: Contemplation, recuperation, passivity, relaxation, rest

Reversed: Restlessness, burn-out, lack of progress

3 of Swords:

Upright: Painful separation, sorrow heartbreak, grief, rejection

Reversed: Releasing pain, optimism, forgiveness

2 of Swords:

Upright: Indecision, choices, truce, stalemate, blocked emotions

Reversed: Indecision, confusion, information overload

Ace of Swords:

Upright: Raw power, victory, break-throughs, mental clarity

Reversed: Confusion, chaos, lack of clarity

Suit of Wands

🔥 Represents the element Fire.

🔥 Associated with primal energy, spirituality, inspiration, determination, strength, intuition, creativity, ambition and expansion, original thought and the seeds through which life springs forth.

🔥 Wands deal with the spiritual level of consciousness and mirror what is important to you at the core of your being.

🔥 They address what makes us tick – our personalities, egos, enthusiasms, self-concepts, and personal energy, both internal and external.

🔥 Wands are also indicative of all things that you do during the day to keep you busy, be it working at the office, home or the great outdoors.

🔥 Wands have to do with movement, action and initiatives and the launching of new ideas.

🔥 They may be indicative of a never-ending ‘Ideas List’ or ‘To Do List’, whereby the client has many projects on the go to keep them busy.

🔥 When referring to timing in a Tarot reading, the Suit of Wands traditionally represents Spring or weeks.

🔥 In a deck of playing cards, Wands corresponds to Clubs.

🔥 Court Cards // 1 - 10 🔥

King of Wands:

Upright: Natural-born leader, vision, entrepreneur, honour

Reversed: Impulsiveness, haste, ruthless, high expectations

Queen of Wands:

Upright: Exuberance, warmth, vibrancy, determination

Reversed: Shrinking violet, aggressive, demanding

Knight of Wands:

Upright: Energy, passion, lust, action, adventure, impulsiveness

Reversed: Haste, scattered energy, delays, frustration

Knave/Page of Wands:

Upright: Enthusiasm, exploration, discovery, free spirit

Reversed: Setbacks to new ideas, pessimism, lack of direction

10 of Wands:

Upright: Burden, responsibility, hard work, stress, achievement

Reversed: Taking on too much, avoiding responsibility

9 of Wands:

Upright: Courage, persistence, test of faith, resilience

Reversed: On edge, defensive, hesitant, paranoia

8 of Wands:

Upright: Speed, action, air travel, movement, swift change

Reversed: Delays, frustration, holding off

7 of Wands:

Upright: Challenge, competition, perseverance

Reversed: Giving up, overwhelmed, overly protective

6 of Wands:

Upright: Public recognition, victory, progress, self-confidence

Reversed: Egotism, disrepute, lack of confidence, fall from grace

5 of Wands:

Upright: Disagreement, competition, strife, tension, conflict

Reversed: Conflict avoidance, increased focus on goals

4 of Wands:

Upright: Celebration, harmony, marriage, home, community

Reversed: Breakdown in communication, transition

3 of Wands:

Upright: Preparation, foresight, enterprise, expansion

Reversed: Lack of foresight, delays, obstacles to long-term goals

2 of Wands:

Upright: Future planning, progress, decisions, discovery

Reversed: Fear of unknown, lack of planning

Ace of Wands:

Upright: Inspiration, power, creation, beginnings, potential

Reversed: Delays, lack of motivation, weighed down

Suit of Cups

🌊 Represents the element Water.

🌊 Also known as Chalices.

🌊 Deals with the emotional level of consciousness and are associated with love, feelings, relationships and connections.

🌊 Cups are about displays of emotion, expression of feelings and the role of emotions in relation to others.

🌊 The Cups Tarot cards indicate that you are thinking with your heart rather than your head, and thus reflect your spontaneous responses and your habitual reactions to situations.

🌊 Cups are also linked to creativity, romanticism, fantasy and imagination.

🌊 The negative aspects of the Suit of Cups (i.e. when the Cups cards appear reversed) include being overly emotional or completely disengaged and dispassionate, having unrealistic expectations and fantasizing about what could be.

There may be repressed emotions, an inability to truly express oneself and a lack of creativity.

🌊 The Suit of Cups traditionally represents the west and Summer. If using an ordinary deck of playing cards,

🌊 Cups are represented by the Suit of Hearts.

🌊 Court Cards // 1 - 10 🌊

King of Chalices:

Upright: Emotional balance and control, generosity

Reversed: Emotional manipulation, moodiness, volatility

Queen of Chalices:

Upright: Emotional security, calm, intuitive, compassionate

Reversed: Emotional insecurity, co-dependency

Knight of Chalices:

Upright: Romance, charm, ‘Knight in shining armour’, imagination

Reversed: Unrealistic, jealousy, moodiness

Knave/Page of Chalices:

Upright: A messenger, creative beginnings, synchronicity

Reversed: Emotional immaturity, creative block

10 of Chalices:

Upright: Harmony, marriage, happiness, alignment

Reversed: Misalignment of values, broken home or marriage

9 of Chalices:

Upright: Wishes fulfilled, comfort, happiness, satisfaction

Reversed: Greed, dissatisfaction, materialism

8 of Chalices:

Upright: Escapism, disappointment, abandonment, withdrawal

Reversed: Hopelessness, aimless drifting, walking away

7 of Chalices:

Upright: Fantasy, illusion, wishful thinking, choices, imagination

Reversed: Temptation, illusion, diversionary tactics

6 of Chalices:

Upright: Reunion, nostalgia, childhood memories, innocence

Reversed: Stuck in the past, naivety, unrealistic

5 of Chalices:

Upright: Loss, regret, disappointment, despair, bereavement

Reversed: Moving on, acceptance, forgiveness

4 of Chalices:

Upright: Meditation, contemplation, apathy, re-evaluation

Reversed: Boredom, missed opportunity, being aloof

3 of Chalices:

Upright: Celebration, friendship, creativity, community

Reversed: An affair, “three’s a crowd”, stifled creativity

2 of Chalices:

Upright: Unified love, partnership, attraction, relationships

Reversed: Break-up, imbalance in a relationship, lack of harmony

Ace of Chalices:

Upright: Love, compassion, creativity, overwhelming emotion

Reversed: Blocked or repressed emotions

🔮 - If a Tarot reading is predominantly made up of the Minor Arcana Tarot cards, you are dealing with day-to-day issues which will not necessarily having a lasting influence on your life.

These issues are passing through, presenting you with an opportunity to learn from these experiences (look to any Major Arcana cards to identify and understand these lessons and how they may impact your life in the long-term).

Major Arcana

The Major Arcana Tarot cards (also known as the trump cards) form the foundation of the Tarot deck and consists of twenty-one numbered cards and one unnumbered card (the Fool).

They represent a path to spiritual self-awareness and depict the various stages we encounter as we search for greater meaning and understanding. In this way, they hold deeply meaningful lessons.

The Major Arcana Tarot card meanings illustrate the structure of human consciousness and, as such, hold the keys to life lessons passed down through the ages. The imagery of the Major Arcana Tarot cards is filled with wisdom from multiple cultures and esoteric traditions, including the Egyptian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sufi, Hebrew and Christian religions.

The Cards

0 // The Fool -

Upright: Beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, a free spirit

Reversed: Naivety, foolishness, recklessness, risk-taking

I // The Magician -

Upright: Power, skill, concentration, action, resourcefulness

Reversed: Manipulation, poor planning, latent talents

II // High Priestess -

Upright: Intuition, Higher powers, mystery, subconscious mind

Reversed: Hidden agendas, need to listen to inner voice

III // The Empress -

Upright: Fertility, femininity, beauty, nature, abundance

Reversed: Creative block, dependence on others

IV // The Emperor -

Upright: Authority, father-figure, structure, solid foundation

Reversed: Domination, excessive control, rigidity, inflexibility

V // Hierophant -

Upright: Religion, group identification, conformity, tradition, beliefs

Reversed: Restriction, challenging the status quo

VI // Lovers -

Upright: Love, union, relationships, values alignment, choices

Reversed: Disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values

VII // Chariot -

Upright: Control, will power, victory, assertion, determination

Reversed: Lack of control and direction, aggression

VIII // Strength -

Upright: Strength, courage, patience, control, compassion

Reversed: Weakness, self-doubt, lack of self-discipline

IX // Hermit -

Upright: Soul-searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance

Reversed: Isolation, loneliness, withdrawal

X // Wheel of Fortune -

Upright: Good luck, karma, life cycles, destiny, a turning point

Reversed: Bad luck, negative external forces, out of control

XI // Justice -

Upright: Justice, fairness, truth, cause and effect, law

Reversed: Unfairness, lack of accountability, dishonesty

XII // Hanged Man -

Upright: Suspension, restriction, letting go, sacrifice

Reversed: Martyrdom, indecision, delay

XIII // Death -

Upright: Endings, beginnings, change, transformation, transition

Reversed: Resistance to change, unable to move on

XIV // Temperance -

Upright: Balance, moderation, patience, purpose, meaning

Reversed: Imbalance, excess, lack of long-term vision

XV // Devil -

Upright: Bondage, addiction, sexuality, materialism

Reversed: Detachment, breaking free, power reclaimed

XVI // Tower-

Upright: Disaster, upheaval, sudden change, revelation

Reversed: Avoidance of disaster, fear of change

XVII // Star -

Upright: Hope, spirituality, renewal, inspiration, serenity

Reversed: Lack of faith, despair, discouragement

XVIII // Moon -

Upright: Illusion, fear, anxiety, insecurity, subconscious

Reversed: Release of fear, unhappiness, confusion

XIX // Sun -

Upright: Fun, warmth, success, positivity, vitality

Reversed: Temporary depression, lack of success

XX // Judgement -

Upright: Judgement, rebirth, inner calling, absolution

Reversed: Self-doubt, refusal of self-examination

XXI // World -

Upright: Completion, integration, accomplishment, travel

Reversed: Lack of completion, lack of closure

Tarot Spreads

Now that we’ve talked about the Minor and Major Arcanas, let’s talk about Tarot spreads! Before any Tarot reader does a reading, they shuffle their cards. This allows them to transfer their energy into the deck.

Once the cards are shuffled and the deck has been cut, the reader lays out the cards in a pattern called the spread. Each position in the spread has a meaning, and there are many different types of spreads, ranging from those that incorporate a single card to spreads that include all 78 cards of the deck. Which spread is used is up to the reader and the specific type of question or reading. Some spreads focus more on a specific type of information. For example, one spread might focus more on emotional matters, while another might bring in more information about the influences of others. One of the most common spreads is the Celtic Cross.

Interpreting the Spread:

Once the cards are laid out, their meanings are interpreted based on their positions and their neighboring cards. Let’s look at the Celtic Cross spread:

Begin by looking at the Circle/Cross section. The cards in this position represent what is happening in your life at the time of the reading.

Next, look at the first six cards in pairs. These cards paint a picture of your immediate situation. The cards in position 1 (the central issue) and position 2 (the secondary issue that can either be opposing or reinforcing) will identify the central theme of the reading. The cards in position 3 (the root cause that can be an unconscious influence or deeper meaning) and position 5 (your attitudes and beliefs, a conscious influence, your goal or an alternate future) represent things that are going on within you at different levels. And, the cards in position 4 (your past, a receding influence or something that has been resolved) and position 6 (the future or an approaching influence or unresolved factor) represent how people and events are flowing through your life.

Next, look at the Staff section of the spread, again considering cards in pairs. Looking at the cards in position 7 (as you are, as you could be, as you present yourself and as you see yourself) and position 8 (your outside environment, someone else’s point of view and you as others see you) tells you about your relationship with your environment.

Finally, look at the card in position 10 (the outcome-overall, your inner state, your actions or effects) to see the projected outcome.

Ask yourself how you feel about the projected outcome. What does it say to you?

Go back and review the cards that led up to that outcome, and see if there is a card that stands out as they key to that outcome. Then, look back at card 5 to see if the projected outcome is also shown as an alternate outcome there. Look at the card representing the near future in position 6 to see if it supports or contributes to the projected outcome. Finally, look at the card in position 9 (guidance, key factors, hopes and fears or overlooked factors) to see there is any relevance there.

This is one of many different spreads. You can even make your own spreads! Ultimately, start small and learn as you go. Spreads are very easy once you get the hang of it.

Intuition

Last but certainly not least, we’re going to talk about Intuition!

What is intuition? A thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning.

When it comes to Tarot cards, and giving out readings or doing one for yourself, intuition is key. Witchcraft in general involves intuition 9 times out of 10! For example, when I do my readings for people, I don’t just go by what the cards mean. I trust my intuition about what it means, with my gut feeling. If I feel it’s something to do with family, I go with it. If it has something to do with an important event coming up in the future, I trust it.

You may not get it down right away, and that’s perfectly okay! It’ll take some time to get it down pat. Just don’t forget to listen to your gut!

There you go! I hope this Master Post helps you guys learn a little more about Tarot. I’ll be posting another one later for in-depth descriptions of all the cards!

Brightest blessings!

[🔮] all-things-witchcraft [🔮]

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nox-lee · 7 years

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My Beloved is Mine and I am His: 13x02 and Song of Solomon

One of the first things I wrote when I was brand new to the fandom was a short fic with Castiel reading and re-enacting sections from the Song of Songs to Dean. At the time, I thought it was too cheesy and trite to fit within the realm of Supernatural, and I deleted it in a bout of frustration. I am regretting that today like you wouldn’t believe.

I’m a bit of a bible nerd. I took a lot of theology and religion classes in my undergrad. That was nearly a decade ago though, so my current knowledge is a bit shaky. Here’s what I can recall about Song of Solomon that may or may not inform your reading of 13x02 and SPN in general.

A disclaimer: I am sick and drug addled, so please forgive any incoherent rambling. There is a lot of irrelevant gibberish, so I’ve tried to highlight the bits relevant to SPN.

To begin!

Solomon is the heir of King David (whom you may recall had a passionate same-sex relationship with Jonathan.) Solomon’s reign is idealized, much like David’s was, and it was under Solomon that the First Temple was built. Solomon is famous for his wisdom and his large concubine of women. Notably, he settled a dispute between two women who were fighting over a child. He offered to cut it in half, revealing the true mother who could not bring herself to see the child hurt. This bears resemblance to Jack’s situation right now, torn between two fathers.

Song of Solomon (also known as Song of Songs, or the Canticles) is often attributed to Solomon because he is mentioned. However, the text is dated much later, and certain Persian words and influences in the text suggest a post-exilic era as the earliest possible date. Some scholars date it even later.

Song of Solomon is part of the collection in the Hebrew Bible known as The Writings (or the Kethuvim). It’s the third major division in the Hebrew Bible, and one of the last to be adopted into canon. It’s a bit of a catch all category that contains vastly diverse content including poetic works (Psalms, Song of Songs), and wisdom literature (Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes), to name a few.

Most of these writings (including Song of Songs) date to the post-exilic era. That is, after the Babylonian conquest, and during Persian rule. The nation of Judah perished in the fires that were set to Solomon’s temple. Post-exile, Judea was experiencing a theological crisis in the face of the apparent absence of Yahweh, or God. David’s dynasty has collapsed, and we see theological despair reflected in writings like Job and Ecclesiastes that ponder the problem of evil, the absence of God, and undeserved suffering. Song of Solomon, and other writings like it, were written at a time when things felt hopeless and there were fears that God has abandoned his people. It is oddly fitting then, that Jack should open to this particular part of the bible.

The Kethuvim mark a shift in religious thought. Previous writings centred on an independent kingdom involved in international politics. After the fall of the temple, we see an exiled, diasporic religion now led by priests instead of divinely appointed kings. Religious leaders and writers had to adjust and re-envision their scriptural teachings. Gone was the simplistic thesis that equated prosperity with religious obedience and misery with sin. The authors of the books known as The Writings were questioning conventional scripture of the time and creatively refocusing their theology.

Persian rule also introduced new religious ideas, namely Zoroastrianism, which came to influence later Judeo-Christian ideas. Zoroastrianism viewed the world as dualistic, ruled by two opposing powers of good (light) and evil (dark) and had hierarchies of angels and demons. Until this time, most biblical literature did not give name or ranks to angels, nor did they depict satan as an actual autonomous figure. We have Zoroastrianism to thank for that, and its influence on biblical writings can start to be felt around the post-exile period (i.e. the time during which Song of Solomon was written). The book of Daniel, for example, names the angel Gabriel, and the Book of Tobit names the demon Asmodeus. (In Tobit, Asmodeus is a jealous demon who kills each successive husband of Sarah on her wedding night and is later exorcised. He is someone who keeps lovers apart and keeps them from consummating their love.)

Songs of Songs is essentially a collection of erotic love poems. The book defies any easy interpretation or classification, and it stands out in stark contrast to the rest of biblical canon. It’s a completely unabashed, uninhibited celebration of sex, with little evidence to suggest that the lovers are married. They do not live together, and yearn intensely for one another when apart. It’s the subject of numerous feminist readings, as it’s one of few books of the bible to give a voice to women’s thoughts and feelings. Here, those are romantic and erotic feelings.

Don’t believe me? Read this:

My beloved thrust his hand into the opening, and my inmost being yearned for him. I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, upon the handles of the bolt. (Song of Solomon 5: 4-5)

This is some raunchy stuff for the bible! And all of this is sharply contrasted with the sexual ethos elsewhere in the bible which imposes harsh penalties for sexual misconduct, and places great emphasis on the institution of marriage. Deuteronomy (a book of the bible about sexual and social control) calls for the death penalty in many cases

There was understandably some debate as to whether this particular bit of writing warranted inclusion in the biblical canon of scripture. Rabbi Akiba was a key figure in the development of the Hebrew canon. While he argued strongly against the inclusion of certain books of the Apocrypha, he advocated for the Song of Songs, calling it the Holy of Holies. Its sanctity was preserved by interpreting it as an allegory for the love between Yahweh and Israel, and later by Christians as the love between Christ and the Church. Interestingly, God is not mentioned once in the entire book. (The only other book of the Bible where God is not mentioned even once is Esther.)

And yet, this book was called the Holiest of Holies. Love is championed here above all else.

I really don’t think we’ve seen the last of Chuck. Someone (I’m sorry, I can’t remember who!) pointed out the rainbow glare that happened in 13x01 when Dean was praying as a sign of God’s promise. (Edit: I’m an idiot. I reblogged the damn thing and it was just a couple posts down. It was @gneisscastiel who made the beautiful post about lens flares and pointed out the rainbow as God’s promise.) The inclusion of Song of Solomon in 13x02, besides being a blatant callout to Dean and Cas, suggests this is also about God and his people. I’d also like to suggest that Song of Solomon is a book that asks us to think broadly about canon. What constitutes canon? How is it formed? And I do mean canon here in the sense not just of biblical canon, but of fandom canon. Who decides what canon is? Is there room in canon for outliers like the Song of Solomon? The answer, as the show has just demonstrated, should be a resounding yes.

Onto the destiel side of things, which I’m sure has been discussed already. Song of Solomon contains some of the most beautiful poetry in the Bible. It is full of similes and references to nature (and arguably Eden/Paradise). It is deeply rural and pastoral, with an appreciation of agriculture, nature, and animal life. The multiple reference to sheep in 13x02 were no coincidence, I’m sure. Castiel has long been associated with natural, rural things: flowers, bees, goats, fish, etc. (If the Void is depicted as a garden and Cas has been spending his time under apple trees, I’m going to lose my freaking mind.) Is he being associated with sheep now? As someone who has been led by God, other angels, duty, Dean, Jack… perhaps this is time for Cas to choose a direction for himself. Sheep and lambs in the bible are also frequently marked for sacrifice. They represent symbolic innocence, and in the New Testament, Christ is called the “Lamb of God.” I definitely think Cas is being set up as a Christ-like figure with his death and anticipated resurrection. If 13x02 made anything clear, it’s that Cas is the answer the whatever problem faces Dean, Sam, and Jack alike.

Lamentations might have been a more appropriate choice for the episode. It’s also a book of poetry, but one that evokes pain and loss. But they chose instead to give us the book that celebrates love and hope amidst despair. That’s a choice that feel very deliberate, and makes me cautiously optimistic for Dean and Cas.

In closing, here are some passages from Song of Solomon, and the ones I feel are most closely tied to a destiel narrative.

“You have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes.” (Song of Solomon 4:9)

“Set me a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm…” (Song of Solomon 8:6)

“… For love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame.” (Song of Solomon 8:6)

“I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not.” (Song of Solomon 3:2)

“My beloved is mine and I am his.” (Song of Solomon 2:16)

#spn season 13 #spn 13x02 #song of songs #song of solomon #destiel #bible #spn meta #?

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successwize-blog · 7 years

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Mental Models: How to Train Your Brain to Think in New Ways

You can train your brain to think better. One of the best ways to do this is to expand the set of mental models you use to think. Let me explain what I mean by sharing a story about a world-class thinker. I first discovered what a mental model was and how useful the right one could be while I was reading a story about Richard Feynman, the famous physicist. Feynman received his undergraduate degree from MIT and his Ph.D. from Princeton. During that time, he developed a reputation for waltzing into the math department and solving problems that the brilliant Ph.D. students couldn’t solve. When people asked how he did it, Feynman claimed that his secret weapon was not his intelligence, but rather a strategy he learned in high school. According to Feynman, his high school physics teacher asked him to stay after class one day and gave him a challenge. “Feynman,” the teacher said, “you talk too much and you make too much noise. I know why. You’re bored. So I’m going to give you a book. You go up there in the back, in the corner, and study this book, and when you know everything that’s in this book, you can talk again.” 1 So each day, Feynman would hide in the back of the classroom and study the book—Advanced Calculus by Woods—while the rest of the class continued with their regular lessons. And it was while studying this old calculus textbook that Feynman began to develop his own set of mental models. “That book showed how to differentiate parameters under the integral sign,” Feynman wrote. “It turns out that’s not taught very much in the universities; they don’t emphasize it. But I caught on how to use that method, and I used that one damn tool again and again. So because I was self-taught using that book, I had peculiar methods of doing integrals.” “The result was, when the guys at MIT or Princeton had trouble doing a certain integral, it was because they couldn’t do it with the standard methods they had learned in school. If it was a contour integration, they would have found it; if it was a simple series expansion, they would have found it. Then I come along and try differentiating under the integral sign, and often it worked. So I got a great reputation for doing integrals, only because my box of tools was different from everybody else’s, and they had tried all their tools on it before giving the problem to me.” 2 Every Ph.D. student at Princeton and MIT is brilliant. What separated Feynman from his peers wasn't necessarily raw intelligence. It was the way he saw the problem. He had a broader set of mental models. Richard Feynman teaching some of his mental models to physics students.

What is a Mental Model?

A mental model is an explanation of how something works. It is a concept, framework, or worldview that you carry around in your mind to help you interpret the world and understand the relationship between things. Mental models are deeply held beliefs about how the world works. For example, supply and demand is a mental model that helps you understand how the economy works. Game theory is a mental model that helps you understand how relationships and trust work. Entropy is a mental model that helps you understand how disorder and decay work. Mental models guide your perception and behavior. They are the thinking tools that you use to understand life, make decisions, and solve problems. Learning a new mental model gives you a new way to see the world—like Richard Feynman learning a new math technique. Mental models are imperfect, but useful. There is no single mental model from physics or engineering, for example, that provides a flawless explanation of the entire universe, but the best mental models from those disciplines have allowed us to build bridges and roads, develop new technologies, and even travel to outer space. As historian Yuval Noah Harari puts it, “Scientists generally agree that no theory is 100 percent correct. Thus, the real test of knowledge is not truth, but utility.” The best mental models are the ideas with the most utility. They are broadly useful in daily life. Understanding these concepts will help you make wiser choices and take better actions. This is why developing a broad base of mental models is critical for anyone interested in thinking clearly, rationally, and effectively.

The Secret to Great Thinking

Expanding your set of mental models is something experts need to work on just as much as novices. We all have our favorite mental models, the ones we naturally default to as an explanation for how or why something happened. As you grow older and develop expertise in a certain area, you tend to favor the mental models that are most familiar to you. Here's the problem: when a certain worldview dominates your thinking, you’ll try to explain every problem you face through that worldview. This pitfall is particularly easy to slip into when you're smart or talented in a given area. The more you master a single mental model, the more likely it becomes that this mental model will be your downfall because you’ll start applying it indiscriminately to every problem. What looks like expertise is often a limitation. As the common proverb says, “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” 3

When a certain worldview dominates your thinking, you’ll try to explain every problem you face through that worldview.

Consider this example from biologist Robert Sapolsky. He asks, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Then, he provides answers from different experts.

If you ask an evolutionary biologist, they might say, “The chicken crossed the road because they saw a potential mate on the other side.”

If you ask a kinesiologist, they might say, “The chicken crossed the road because the muscles in the leg contracted and pulled the leg bone forward during each step.”

If you ask a neuroscientist, they might say, “The chicken crossed the road because the neurons in the chicken’s brain fired and triggered the movement.”

Technically speaking, none of these experts are wrong. But nobody is seeing the entire picture either. Each individual mental model is just one view of reality. The challenges and situations we face in life cannot be entirely explained by one field or industry. All perspectives hold some truth. None of them contain the complete truth. Relying on a narrow set of thinking tools is like wearing a mental straight jacket. Your cognitive range of motion is limited. When your set of mental models is limited, so is your potential for finding a solution. In order to unleash your full potential, you have to collect a range of mental models. You have to build out your toolbox. Thus, the secret to great thinking is to learn and employ a variety of mental models.

Expanding Your Set of Mental Models

The process of accumulating mental models is somewhat like improving your vision. Each eye can see something on its own. But if you cover one of them, you lose part of the scene. It’s impossible to see the full picture when you’re only looking through one eye. Similarly, mental models provide an internal picture of how the world works. We should continuously upgrade and improve the quality of this picture. This means reading widely from good books, studying the fundamentals of seemingly unrelated fields, and learning from people with wildly different life experiences. 4 The mind's eye needs a variety of mental models to piece together a complete picture of how the world works. The more sources you have to draw upon, the clearer your thinking becomes. As the philosopher Alain de Botton notes, “The chief enemy of good decisions is a lack of sufficient perspectives on a problem.”

The Pursuit of Liquid Knowledge

In school, we tend to separate knowledge into different silos—biology, economics, history, physics, philosophy. In the real world, information is rarely divided into neatly defined categories. In the words of Charlie Munger, “All the wisdom of the world is not to be found in one little academic department.” 5 World-class thinkers are often silo-free thinkers. They avoid looking at life through the lens of one subject. Instead, they develop “liquid knowledge” that flows easily from one topic to the next. This is why it is important to not only learn new mental models, but to consider how they connect with one another. Creativity and innovation often arise at the intersection of ideas. By spotting the links between various mental models, you can identify solutions that most people overlook.

Tools for Thinking Better

Here's the good news: You don't need to master every detail of every subject to become a world-class thinker. Of all the mental models humankind has generated throughout history, there are just a few dozen that you need to learn to have a firm grasp of how the world works. Many of the most important mental models are the big ideas from disciplines like biology, chemistry, physics, economics, mathematics, psychology, philosophy. Each field has a few mental models that form the backbone of the topic. For example, some of the pillar mental models from economics include ideas like Incentives, Scarcity, and Economies of Scale. If you can master the fundamentals of each discipline, then you can develop a remarkably accurate and useful picture of life. To quote Charlie Munger again, “80 or 90 important models will carry about 90 percent of the freight in making you a worldly-wise person. And, of those, only a mere handful really carry very heavy freight.” 6 I've made it a personal mission to uncover the big models that carry the heavy freight in life. After researching more than 1,000 different mental models, I gradually narrowed it down to a few dozen that matter most. I've written about some of them previously, like entropy and inversion, and I'll be covering more of them in the future. If you're interested, you can browse my slowly expanding list of mental models. My hope is to create a list of the most important mental models from a wide range of disciplines and explain them in a way that is not only easy to understand, but also meaningful and practical to the daily life of the average person. With any luck, we can all learn how to think just a little bit better.

This article was written by James Clear and appeared on his blog

Footnotes

Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman! by Richard Feynman. Pages 86-87.

This idea is sometimes called The Law of the Instrument or Man With a Hammer Syndrome. The original phrase comes from Abraham Kaplan's book, The Conduct of Inquiry: Methodology for Behavioral Science. On page 28 he writes, “Give a small boy a hammer, and he will find that everything he encounters needs pounding.”

With regards to the importance of reading widely, a quote from the wonderful writer Haruki Murakami comes to mind, “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”

“A Lesson on Elementary, Worldly Wisdom As It Relates To Investment Management & Business” by Charles Munger. Speech at USC Business School. 1994.

http://www.successwize.com/?p=2568

#mentalmodels #personaldevelopment

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djsamaha-blog · 7 years

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Mental Models: How to Train Your Brain to Think in New Ways

What is a Mental Model?

The Secret to Great Thinking

When a certain worldview dominates your thinking, you’ll try to explain every problem you face through that worldview.

Consider this example from biologist Robert Sapolsky. He asks, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Then, he provides answers from different experts.

If you ask an evolutionary biologist, they might say, “The chicken crossed the road because they saw a potential mate on the other side.”

If you ask a kinesiologist, they might say, “The chicken crossed the road because the muscles in the leg contracted and pulled the leg bone forward during each step.”

If you ask a neuroscientist, they might say, “The chicken crossed the road because the neurons in the chicken’s brain fired and triggered the movement.”

Expanding Your Set of Mental Models

The Pursuit of Liquid Knowledge

Tools for Thinking Better

This article was written by James Clear and appeared on his blog

Footnotes

Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman! by Richard Feynman. Pages 86-87.

“A Lesson on Elementary, Worldly Wisdom As It Relates To Investment Management & Business” by Charles Munger. Speech at USC Business School. 1994.

http://www.successwize.com/?p=2568

#mentalmodels #personaldevelopment

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bethanywardlefmp-blog · 7 years

Text

Final Evaluation

For my final major project, I chose to follow a theme of swimming, more specifically-water. This was due to the fact that for my ‘Day in the Life’ task, I went to a swimming pool in a leisure centre. I chose to use this aspect of it because I find the water & its aesthetic really relaxing & a good, calm distraction from the hectic events of every day life. My main focus points throughout were the colours & shapes in water, & the way it moves. I really like the blue-green colours & the fluidity of it, & found it easy to communicate this with thin, synthetic fabrics & different experimental techniques. I think my visual language & communication was very successful in this project because I chose to use lots of different techniques of putting colour onto either paper or fabric (paint flicking, dysperse dyes, marbling). I also made sure to use lots of shades of blues & greens to reflect water (& often tiles in swimming pools too.) I think my project developed in the way that, originally, it was more broadly focused on 'swimming.’ By this, I mean that it could’ve included pools or the beach, however these two things separated throughout as the main themes & experimentation revolved more around pools due to the colours, as these are often achieved by tiles in swimming pools, but my final piece is a beach bag, which therefore, wouldn’t necessarily be used in a pool area, but a more natural swimming environment. I don’t see this as a problem because the theme generally was water, but I would’ve liked to have shown more links between the beach & the experimentation that I did. I feel that I stuck to my intentions from my project proposal as it generally referred to water, experimentation, & colours, which are all things that have remained present throughout. I think it’s a positive thing that I made sure not to put myself on any particular boxes in my proposal because that allowed me to still be quite free in my project without worrying about straying too far from my main goals. If I was to do this again, I would maybe choose a more varied set of goals in order to get more texturally varied results & a more in depth set of samples to work & develop from. In this project, I feel that my main inspiration was colour & how it is portrayed so differently within art from person to person. The artists who influenced me the most in this aspect were David Hockney & J.M.W. Turner as they both convey water so beautifully within their work, however their styles are so universally different-Hockney’s being abstract & simple, whilst Turner’s is much more photorealistic & detailed. I think this supported my project in that it allowed me to explore portraying water in art at two very different ends of the spectrum, which gave me very different & equally interesting results. I think I've explore a relatively wide range of ideas, so as different ideas for designs for my final piece, & also different experimentation techniques to get a range of effects. In terms of problem solving, I've over come a lot of obstacles within this project. For example, the first main problem I encountered was my initial bag design being too commercial. I didn't like the idea of having a commonly used border & simple fabrics for my bag as they seemed stale & overused, therefore I went back to my samples & experiments with different techniques & developed a much more creative & refreshed approach to a beach bag. I came across another issue when putting together a toile of my final bag as I wasn't sure how to attach the sides of my pattern at the corners. This was an issue because I had been shown 2 different techniques for this stage & wasn't confident with either, however, between this point & the point where I made my actual bag, I had discussed this with Liz & developed a technique that I was comfortable with & confidently able to do on my own to ensure that my bag was assembled to a good standard. Another problem I faced in creating my final piece was placing the wave print design that I developed onto the front of the bag. The aim was to have this design printed directly onto the main outer fabric of the bag, but unfortunately, when I came to actually printing it on, we had to take part in a fire drill for the building part way through. This meant that the thick white binder I was using for the faded wave had dried into the screen by the time I came back to my screen printing & therefore the design didn't transfer onto the material properly. This was quite an issue as I had no back up plan, but I came up with the idea of using one of my screen printed samples & using an appliqué technique to attach it over the failed printing on the bag. This meant that I had to create an appliqué sample to make sure I could get the desired effect, but overall worked quite well as I like the look of the hand-stitched embroidery thread around the edge of the design, & the contrast of fabrics. The final big issue I encountered was right at the end of my practical work when I was pressing the hem on my final bag. Unfortunately, due to some problems with the temperature of the domestic iron & the fact that my fabric was entirely synthetic, the iron stuck to the material & melted part of the strap & the front panel of the bag just below the hem. Luckily, it was in a place that was fixable, & therefore, I managed to hide the hole by sewing it together & -once the lining was attached- double turn the hem around the top of the bag to cover it, & hide the melted section of the strap by folding it down (shortening the strap slightly) & stitching a box around the folded section to keep it in place. Ultimately, this lead to my lining looking neater & my straps because stronger & more secure, so these fixes turned out to be really effective & quite positive changes to the design in a way. Throughout the FMP, I have tried to do some planning & organisation, however, it could have been much more effective. For example, I have made 'to do' lists in order to keep my tasks on track & ordered when I know I have a lot to achieve in a small space of time. These have helped me as it relieves stress when I'm able to physically see that an objective has been ticked off the list, & makes me feel much more positive bat the remaining tasks because the list is decreasing. If I was to do improve something, I would have used my time plan more effectively from the beginning in order to space out my project more evenly in the bigger picture, & also to prevent myself from spending too long on mental tasks & leaving more important ones until later on when they could be rushed & completed to a lower standard, however, I feel that my work has met deadlines in a general sense. I have done a lot of experimentation through the Final Major Project in order to get as wide a range as possible of different ways to effect my theme in my work. For example, I have used water colours to create bold lines across paper, as well as more erratic designs such as flicking the water colour paint at the paper to create splattered effects. I also used some salt of various sizes to create effects in water colour paint where the salt soaks up the moisture. Another technique I experimented with was marbling, which I really enjoyed. I love the swirled effects on the paper, & the fluidity of the patterns. Something else I enjoyed was using dysperse dyes. Not only did they create interesting patterns on the paper when I flicked the dye from various angles off a paint brush, but when these designs were used for sublimation printing, the colours appeared much more vibrant & also look really amazing, & went far to add to my water theme. I also created some screen print samples, but unfortunately only a limited range. This experimentation was vital to my final piece as the sublimation with the dysperse dyes was ultimately used as the lining & the straps for my bag, while a sublimation print of one of my marbling designs was used for the outer fabric. Also, the teen printing would've been used directly onto the fabric if it hadn't been for the fire drill issue, but instead one of the samples was used, leading me to also look at another technique-appliqué-in order to attach this sample to my bag. I would say my strengths through this were definitely the sublimation printing & the marbling. I loved disturbing the marbling inks in different ways on top of the water & seeing what effect it would have, & this lead to so,e really interesting designs. If I was to choose something to improve on, I would definitely say my machining skills as I'm not necessarily 100% confident on a sewing machine. I feel that my work successfully communicated my concept from beginning to end as there was no clear message as such to put across, rather just the idea of water & how it moves & looks. This meant that my work wasn't limited to making sure my audience understood a certain thing, rather that they interpreted the general theme in a unique way, as my intent was to explore the differences in interpretations of water in art. I hope that my work would encourage this line of thought in other people & invoke some reflection on different perceptions of one simple yet beautiful thing. In terms of maths skills, I had to create the pattern for my bag myself, & therefore utilised a lot of maths & measurements during that task. I also had to work out some budgeting & costing for materials at some points to make sure I would be able to complete the project. My final evaluation is the main exhibition of my English skills in this project, although I also used some of these skills in my artist research & analysis in my sketchbook. During the FMP, I believe one part of the character project I have used effectively is communication because I have been more comfortable in this final project to vocalise my ideas to my peers & to lecturers, & to ask for opinions & help. I also believe I have used drive effectively through understanding my barriers & overcoming them, despite maybe lacking in motivation. I think these will support my progression route as they are transferable to areas other than fashion & textiles, & will allow me to communicate effectively in order to get things done, & know how to understand barriers & think critically to find solutions. I think one thing I do need to work on, however, is grit. This is because I think I need to better understand how to focus on managing my time effectively & meeting deadlines as this can be incredibly important. Overall, I have learnt a lot of new skills from this project such as printing techniques, as well as sewing techniques & some tricks on the sewing machines through solving the ironing problem with my final piece. I'm quite proud of my FMP work as I think knowing this was the last project for me helped drive me to completing it more successfully & gave me a more positive outlook knowing that I wouldn't have to do anymore once it was done. I think some of my strengths definitely lie in printing & print designs, & I am happy with the way mine came out in this project. If I was to choose something to improve, I would say planning & time management, as they are key to making sure my work is completed to a suitable standard by the right deadline, & can also reduce stress if executed well. I think working on this will really help me in the future as deadlines are an integral part of life.

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