It’s everywhere - on t-shirts, mugs, jewelry, decals... The ancient mystical chart (older than 8000 years) has become a trendy design, but most do not realize the complexity, symbolism and significance of the connected triangles and the ring of lotus petals.
It is considered sacred geometry, which contains the blueprints of the entire universe and as the highest symbolic creation of divine being. It is intended to help align one's own energy with the cosmic energy and connect with the Higher Self.
There's no doubt about the power of the precisely constructed Shri Yantra. In 1887 Russian scientists with the help of EEG technology proved that the geometry of the Shri Yantra quickly puts the viewer into a meditative state. (Source: Faculty of Biology, University of Moscow, 30. 10. 1987)
Creating characters is one of my favorite parts of writing. From naming them to figuring the dynamics between them and other characters, it feels like getting to know a real person.
Naming characters. I could go on an on about this, but I’ll keep it short. Some things to keep in mind are: a characters ethnicity or background (John vs Juan vs Hanna); meaning, either symbolically (Ash, Grace, ect.) or linguistically (Alison= “noble” in German, “the tooth” in Arabic). Sometimes the name itself can give you an idea for a character— I see the name Raven and I get a teenage girl with long hair and eyeliner, possibly an assassin. I see the name Doris and I think of a receptionist at a dentist’s office with short curly hair and a mug with a cat on it. I see the name Grant and I think of a love interest in some sort of dark-academia boarding-school mystery kind of setting.
Character playlists. I don’t care what anyone says, character playlists ARE writing. What songs remind you of your character? What songs fit their vibe? What would they sing in the car? What song describes their relationship with their s/o, sibling, best friend? There’s a Taylor Swift song for every relationship. (Forbidden love? Getaway Car. Friends to lovers? It’s Nice To Have A Friend. Falling out of love? tolerate it. Abandonment issues? All You Had To Do Was Stay. I COULD GO ON). One Direction has a lot of good relationship songs, but at the end of the day, it’s your playlist. Do what feels right!
Pinterest. There are so many cool character ideas/designs/concepts on Pinterest. I’m more of a visual learner, so it’s helpful for me to actually see people and create a whole character that way. The visual range of the subject in the drawing/photo as well as the range of content creators helps so much in keeping my characters diverse in personality, ethnicity, age, body type, hair type as well as cool ideas for scars, outfits, weapons, hobbies, ect. The possibilities are endless.
MBTI personality types. Most people (myself included) don’t know enough about the personality types to be able to pull types out of the air when creating characters, but once you get to know our character, looking up the MBTI types can be helpful, especially when it comes to the strengths and weaknesses of each type. I either make my best guess per character and read through a couple different types for ideas, take the MBTI test as if I were that character, or, if I’ve based my character (i.e. Calida) off a person I know (i.e. my best friend), find out what personality type that person is (ESTP).
I also have a running list of people’s personality types on my phone, which helps when guessing characters personality types or creating a character based off an MBTI type (i.e. I want an ENFJ character. Who do I know who’s an ENFJ? Can I base a character off them? What would they do in x situation?)
Memes. Incorrect quotes, “_____ characters as Vines,” “_____ characters as TikToks,” alignment charts (chaotic good, lawful evil, ect.), that one triangle of “pulls into McDonalds while children cheer, orders a single black coffee and leaves,” or just a plain old meme, it’s a great and fun way to get to know your characters in a more informal setting and learning how they interact with each other and fit into their friend group. Sense of humor? Mom friend? Snarky or deadpan? Accident prone? These aren’t the kind of things you discover about your characters right away. It only works after you’ve spent time with them, and when writing seems too overwhelming or cumbersome, memes are the way to go.
The better you know your characters, the better you know how they’ll interact with other characters. Which leads us to…
Creating dynamics. Dynamics are all about relationships. Sibling dynamics, for example, can range from Gamora and Nebula (Guardians of the Galaxy) to Luke and Leia (Star Wars) to found family, like Kaz and Jesper (Six of Crows). Sticking to the siblings theme, clichés can be a jumping-off point— because if you truly make them your own, they’re not clichés anymore, they’re people. Overprotective, popular teenage brother and their younger sister? It’s a Wattpad classic because that’s an actual situation. A multitude of sisters and one younger brother? I’ve lived that. A messy sibling and a neat one sharing a room? I’ve lived that. There are an endless combination of people, and no two relationships are the same. As long as you take the time to do it right, there’s no way it can be cliché.
Write everything down. Whenever I can, I try to save lists of characters people wish they could see more in books. Whenever I get a character idea or an idea for a character dynamic, I write it down, even if I have no idea what to do with it later. Here’s some examples straight from my Notes app (feel free to use these to to add to them):
Two sisters with Reputation/Lover personalities, respectively. (For those who don’t know, Reputation and Lover are two Taylor Swift albums with completely opposite vibes). One is intensely scary on the outside but really wants love and security and to protect those she cares about and pretends not to care about what people think of her (Reputation). The other is bubbly and happy and friendly on the outside but will mess you upppp with zero hesitation or regret, low-key sociopathic (Lover, with a twist).
Hot jock sword girl (broadsword, or possibly a mace) (Think Jane Foster Thor) with her nerdy short cartographer boyfriend who wears glasses and gets flustered easily and can barely lift her weapon
Viking-esque (pirate?) sword/axe girl with bleach-blonde curls
Older sibling who is shorter than their younger sibling (and mad about it)
“Every firstborn daughter is the girl version of their dad.”
Upper-class character who is secretly poor but doing everything they can to hide it and keep their family out of relative poverty
Princess/gardener romance. He leaves her roses on her window but she has no idea it’s from him. He’s pretty faded into the background (a wallflower, pun intended) so she’ll just be talking to her friend trying to figure out who it is and not even noticing him but he hears every word but is too shy to say anything. Maybe she’s kind of snooty in the beginning, but changes by the end? Bonus points if he ends up saving her life. OOH what if he saves her life somehow, she’s kind of snooty and pretentious and mean to him and he loses feelings but they’re stuck together, they go on some kind of adventure, she gets humbled along the way, she finds out he was her secret admirer and falls for him, he’s going to give up on her but then she does something that shows her character tear development (parallel to the beginning of the book, but she makes a different choice?), he falls for her again and they live happily ever after, secret admirer to enemies to lovers 50K words BOOM.
( cis woman | she / her | jung hoyeon ) —— isn’t that APOLLINE DELACOUR ? yeah that is them , outside the leaky cauldron ! they used to go to BEAUXBATONS but apparently they now work as an AUROR at THE DMLE . they always seemed to remind me of opening french doors to a crisp fall day , always running late but never not making it to work on time , a home office accessorized with a forgotten mug of earl grey tea , anger like a maelstrom , and eye contact that locks you in like a magnetic forcefield , which seems about right . anyway i’ve heard they’re still a bit PERSUASIVE , PROPER , and DISORGANISED . they’re TWENTY SIX now but some things never change ! i wonder how being a HALF - VEELA is affecting them after school , especially now they’re NEUTRAL (ORDER BIAS) ? when was it they graduated again , 1970 ? has it really been that long …
name : apolline haseul delacour , née park .
nicknames : her husband calls her line , however she has no other nicknames .
preferred name : apolline .
date of birth , age : august 6th , twenty six .
gender , pronouns : cis woman , she & her .
orientation : bisexual .
ethnicity : korean .
nationality : she was born in luxembourg , went to school in france and eventually married a french citizen , and now lives in london .
hometown : grevenmacher , luxembourg .
current residence : a townhouse in wixen london .
accent : she has a fairly thick french accent , but it has dulled slightly in the few years that she and her husband have been living in london .
occupation : originally working as an auror for the french ministry of magic , she transferred from the bureau des aurors to the department of magical law enforcement in london at the beginning of 1975 . her career in france was slightly renowned , as she was one half of an auror duo that managed to find and arrest the dark wizard owle bullock after he published the novel secrets of the darkest art , which included instructions on horcrux creation , as well as detailed other elements of dark magic .
marital status : married to alexandre delacour .
children : fleur delacour , aged 1 .
* 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙰𝙿𝙿𝙴𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 .
height : five foot seven , 176 centimetres .
build : lean , but fit .
hair : very dark , falls just past her shoulder blades . regardless of what she’s doing , every hair is always in place . she most often wears it in a neat chignon while she’s working , but will leave it down when she’s not working .
eyes : very dark brown .
dress style : effortless french girl style , if she’s not at work , she's wearing jeans and a t - shirt . apolline does not normally spend time working specifically on her appearance , but she doesn’t feel pressure to present herself as less feminine to command respect at her job .
tattoos : none .
piercings : just her earlobes .
scars : she has a few scars amassed during her time as an auror , including one through her left eyebrow that she got during the encounter with owle bullock .
faceclaim : jung ho yeon .
* 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂��𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚃𝚈 .
natal chart : leo sun , virgo moon , taurus rising .
moral alignment : lawful good .
mbti : infj , the advocate .
positive traits : proper , persuasive , dogged , nurturing .
negative traits : disorganized , errant , isolated .
quirks : bouncing her knee when concentrating , smiles politely at every single person she passes in a corridor , picks at the feathers of her quills .
hobbies : she keeps heavily disorganized boxes in her office at home of past cases and will go over them every so often to make sure that she’s still employing what she learned from working them , makes her own flower arrangements for her dining table , taking fleur on long walks on her days off , pulling all nighters just because she’s so caught up in her work .
likes : earl grey tea , household magic , holding dinner parties for her colleagues and their families , peonies , crescent moons , the beach in the colder months .
dislikes : being told explicitly not to do something , cleaning , being spoken over , the colour orange , people she isn’t close with knowing that she is half veela .
* 𝙼𝙰𝙶𝙸𝙲𝙰𝙻 𝙸𝙽𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙼𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 .
school : beauxbatons academy of magic .
wand : her wand is inherited , cherry wood , unyeilding , 9¾ inches , with her great great great grandmother’s veela hair at the core .
graduation year : 1970
patronus : a mink .
boggart : her daughter being taken away from her by dark wizards that she’s had a hand in jailing in the past .
favourite subject : charms .
if apolline was your muse’s amortentia : they would smell earl grey tea , sea air , and the perfumed scent of roses .
what's the best and worst flavor of tea you've EVER had?
OOH... an easy honorary worst is watermelon mint. I'm not sure how that box got into my house, but it stunk up the tea cabinet so badly. I don't think I ever even tried it.
There have been a few white teas I haven't liked, but they were all pretty cheap and came in a big variety pack, so I don't actually remember any of the flavors. Their badness probably wasn't even the flavors' fault tbh.
I might say that Celestial Seasonings' (my beloved) Bengal Spice is pretty far down there. I think the flavor is actually alright, but because I am in the chaotic column of the Tea Drinker Alignment Chart (i.e. I don't pay attention to brewing times and reuse the same teabag over and over without ever taking it out of my mug), it's pretty unbearable. This is the most saturated tea I have ever drunken. Even at the second and third refills, the flavor is still overpowering. I don't know how anybody is supposed to drink Bengal Spice without leaving the bag in for only fifteen seconds or so.
My favorite has to be Chocolate Macaroon by David's Tea. It's pretty expensive, so I unfortunately don't get to drink it a lot. The flavor is really good (chaotic drinker note: it loses potency very quickly) but it's also quite oily, so drinking it as a regular cup of tea can feel weird.
HOWEVER.
I first discovered this one while at the Vancouver David's location, where I ordered it as a tea latte, and HOLY SHIT. God-tier tea latte flavor. That was the only way I prepared it for years.
I also like Brodies' Scottish Afternoon tea, which is much more reasonably priced - about ten bucks per canister, with each canister holding fifty bags.
Somebody once got me some milk tea bags from Dubai. Those were excellent.
The Essential Welcome Kit for New Employees: A Guide to a Great Start
Introduction: Starting a new job can be both exciting and overwhelming for employees. To ensure a smooth transition and make new hires feel welcomed, many organizations provide a well-thought-out welcome kit. A welcome kit is a collection of resources and goodies that introduce new employees to the company culture, policies, and tools they’ll need to succeed. In this article, we’ll explore the key components of an effective welcome kit that sets the stage for a positive onboarding experience.
Personalized Welcome Letter:- The welcome kit for new employee should include a personalized welcome letter from the company’s leadership or the employee’s direct manager. This letter serves as a warm introduction, expressing enthusiasm for their arrival and outlining the company’s values and goals. It’s a great way to make the new employee feel valued and connected from day one.
Employee Handbook and Policies:- Including a copy of the employee handbook and relevant policies is essential for new hires to understand the company’s rules, regulations, and expectations. This comprehensive resource ensures that employees are aware of their rights, responsibilities, and benefits. It should cover topics such as code of conduct, work hours, leave policies, and more.
Company Culture and Values:- Introducing new employees to the company’s culture is vital for fostering a sense of belonging. The welcome kit can include materials like a culture booklet, mission statement, or core values card. These resources help new hires align their goals and behaviors with the company’s overall vision and create a positive work environment.
Department and Team Information:- Providing an organizational chart, team introductions, and contact details is crucial for new employees to understand the structure and key stakeholders within the company. It enables them to navigate the organization effectively and foster collaboration from the start.
Technology and Tools:- Ensure that the welcome kit includes information about the technology and tools employees will be using daily. This may include login credentials, instructions for setting up email and software accounts, and any necessary training materials. Providing this information upfront helps new hires get up to speed quickly and reduces any initial confusion.
Company Swag and Merchandise:- Including some branded company swag, such as a t-shirt, mug, or notebook, adds a fun and personal touch to the welcome kit. It creates a sense of pride and camaraderie among employees, making them feel like a part of the team right from the beginning.
Conclusion: A thoughtfully designed welcome kit for new employee is a powerful tool for making new employees feel valued, informed, and engaged from day one. By providing essential resources, fostering a positive company culture, and showcasing appreciation through personalized items, organizations can set their new hires up for success and create a strong foundation for their journey within the company. Remember, a warm welcome can go a long way in building lasting relationships and enhancing employee satisfaction.
Have you guys seen that one post of the mom and dad talking on a discord server about the alignment chart based on how you hold your coffee mug?
Well now all I can think about is the Damn boys and the freelancer having a discord server instead of a group chat, because one of them ( I can’t decide who. Maybe Damien) refuses to buy an iPhone, so they have to use a third party app, and Lasko suggested discord cause he’s on a couple for D&D and likes the layout.