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yourwitchmama · 3 years

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Tarot Card Meanings: The Pentacles Suit

Ace of Pentacles

Upright: Financial new beginning, new financial opportunities, new job, new business, money, investments, savings, prosperity, security, stability, abundance, manifestation Reversed: Lack of money, poor financial control, lack of opportunities or lost opportunities, financial delays, excessive spending, scarcity, deficiency, instability, insecurity, lack of planning, greed, stinginess, penny pinching

Two of Pentacles

Upright: Balance, trying to find balance, resourcefulness, ups and downs, adaptability, flexibility, juggling life, juggling money, balancing books, transferring money, profit and loss, income and outgoings, financial decisions, financial stress, partnerships Reversed: Lacking balance, lack of organization, poor financial decisions, overwhelmed, overextending yourself, biting off more than you can chew, too many balls in the air, financial losses, no contingency plan, financial mess

Three of Pentacles

Upright: Apprenticeship, learning, studying, growing, hard work, commitment, building on success, collaboration, teamwork, determination, goals, dedication, quality, attention to detail, tradesperson, achievements, recognition, reward, hard work paying off, effort, motivation Reversed: Not learning from mistakes, unwillingness to learn, lack of growth, poor work ethic, lack of commitment, mistakes, lack of effort, lack of teamwork, apathy, no determination, no goals, no dedication, no motivation, poor quality work

Four of Pentacles

Upright: Holding on to people/possessions/ issues, deep seated/past issues, hoarding, stinginess, control, possessiveness, financial stability, financial security, saving for big purchases or retirement, greed, materialism, wealth, penny-pinching, isolation, boundaries, keeping to yourself, lack of openness Reversed: Shedding the old, letting go of people, possessions or issues, generosity, sharing, giving to others, making large purchases, openness, generous to a fault, financial insecurity/ instability, financial loss, losing something valuable, reckless behavior, lack of control, gambling, theft

Five of Pentacles

Upright: Temporary financial hardship, negative change in circumstances, feeling left out in the cold, financial loss, recession, feeling the world is against you, adversity, struggle, hardship, bad luck, homelessness, poverty, unemployment, financial ruin, bankruptcy, outcast, alienation, illness, divorce, breakups, scandal, disgrace Reversed: Improvement in finances/luck, end of hardship, positive change, becoming financially secure, recovery from losses, making progress, overcoming adversity, paying off debts, forgiveness, health improvement/ treatment, being welcomed/accepted, becoming employed, improving/letting go of relationships

Six of Pentacles

Upright: Gifts, generosity, charity, donations, money, community, assistance, support, employment, sharing, kindness, wealth, prosperity, power, authority, control, investors, giving/receiving, gratitude, being valued, being well paid, rewards for hard work, fairness, equality Reversed: Lack/abuse of generosity, abuse of power or position, gifts with strings attached, subservience, inequality, lack of charity, scams, fake charity, extortion, unemployment, lack of investment, underpaid, undervalued, bad debts, poor financial decisions, greed, meanness, gullibility, kiss-ass

Seven of Pentacles

Upright: Things coming to fruition, hard work paying off, harvest, rewards, profits, results, pay-outs, manifestation of ideas or goals, inheritance, cultivation, growing, gestation, nurturing, perseverance, patience, planning, reviewing, taking stock, questioning, crossroads, approaching retirement, finishing what you started Reversed: Bad business/financial management, not finishing what you started, laziness, aimlessness, procrastination, not putting effort in, cash flow problems, waste, lack of growth, setbacks, delay, impatience, frustration, postponed retirement, lack of reward, workaholic, not taking stock, lack of reflection, change of plans

Eight of Pentacles

Upright: New job, self-employment, building business, trade, reputation, craftsmanship, quality, master, expertise, hard work, commitment, dedication, concentration, success, accomplishment, ambition, confidence, financial security, results, rewards, achieving goals, attention to detail, productivity, scholarship, qualifications Reversed: Repetitive or boring job, failure, lack of effort/confidence/commitment/ambition/focus, shoddy workmanship, poor quality, rush job, bad reputation, carelessness, poor concentration/productivity, mediocrity, financial insecurity, scams, overspending, debt, laziness, under-qualified, workaholic, materialistic, mean, dead-end career, biting off more than you can chew

Nine of Pentacles

Upright: Independence, success, financial stability/security, profit, prosperity, wealth, property, abundance, rewards through hard work, collecting on investments, thriving business, status, freedom, wisdom, maturity, indulgence, contentment, self-discipline/ control/ reliance, sophistication, elegance, grace, beauty, pregnancy, birth, menopause, mature or independent woman, retirement, taking it easy Reversed: Lack of independence/stability/security, reckless spending, shady investments, working too hard, not earning your wealth, gold-digger, marrying for money/ status, sex trafficking/exploitation/work, dishonesty, deceit, theft, property damage, con artist, scams, cheap, superficial, no style, failure, lack of self-discipline, lack of sophistication/elegance, over-indulgence, miscarriage, termination, reproductive issues.

Ten of Pentacles

Upright: Unexpected financial windfall, lump sum, will, deeds, trust funds, inheritance, solid foundations, privilege, inherited issues, ancestry, family home/ business/ responsibilities/ values/ support/ issues/ riches, old money, affluence, business empire, domestic bliss, contracts, pensions, long term financial security/ stability, being conventional/traditional, settling down, prenuptials, marriage, marrying into money, Reversed: Disputed inheritance/ being excluded from/not leaving a will, unexpected changes, financial disaster, bankruptcy, huge losses/debts, collapse of an empire, illegal activity, money laundering, rocky foundations, losing everything, family feuds/ burdens/ neglect, domestic disputes, fighting over money, divorce, “new money”, faking wealth/affluence, instability, breaking traditions, unconventional, marrying for money, cold-heartedness

Page of Pentacles

Upright: Good news in earthly matters, solid beginnings, setting goals, developing a plan, laying the foundations, taking advantage of opportunities, jumping in, consistency, excellent prospects, excelling in or seeking education/ training, ambitions, decide what you want and go for it, grounded young person, loyal, faithful, dependable, healthy lifestyle, Tarot/ divination, earth magic, nature Reversed: Bad news in earthly matters, lack of goals, lacking common sense, irresponsible, lazy, foolish, immature, sullen, rebellious, no groundwork, no follow through, unworkable plan, underachiever, procrastination, not taking advantage of opportunities, poor prospects, failing/dropping out, learning difficulties, frustration, disloyalty, unfaithfulness, unhealthy lifestyle, obsession with Tarot/ divination, dark magic

Knight of Pentacles

Upright: Patient, practical, loyal, responsible, persistence, protective, defensive, conservative, stubborn, ambitious, hard worker, profit, finishing what you start, working with nature working for what you want, making your dreams/wishes come true through persistence, environmentally conscious, getting back to nature Reversed: Impatient, lazy, apathy, lack of common sense, unstable, unskilled, unreliable, disloyal, irresponsible, weak, gambler, loser, unconscientious, deadbeat, broken promises, not finishing what you start, boring, obstinate, ultra-conservative, pessimistic, obsessed with money/materialism/looks, workaholic, animal abuse

Queen of Pentacles

Upright: Mature grounded female, businesswoman, high social status/social butterfly, generous, loyal, prosperity, success, financially independent, wealth, luxury, homemaker, the finer things in life, down to earth, organized, sensible, practical, no-nonsense, kind, welcoming, nurturing, witch, healer, wonderful mother Reversed: Ungrounded, overly ambitious, social climber, mean spirited, shallow, sociopath, jealous, possessive, wicked, out of control, under/overweight/ unhealthy, disloyal, cheater, sex trafficking/exploitation/work, disorganized, impractical, chaos, poverty, pretentious, boring, neglect, manipulation, dark magic, bad mother, dangerous, stuck in a rut

King of Pentacles

Upright: Mature grounded male, successful, wealthy businessman, bettering yourself, not a risk-taker, empire, thriving, high status, stability, security, enterprising, provider, cautious, careful, loyal, faithful, dependable, supporting, encouraging, conservative, principled, reaching goals, hard work will pay off, seeing things through to the end Reversed: Ungrounded male, unsuccessful businessman, corruption, extortion, instability, poor judgement, gambler, collapse of an empire, bankruptcy, under qualified, broke, slob, materialistic, greedy, hasty decisions, disloyal, unfaithful, unsupportive, discouraging, obstinate, cold, uncaring, ruthless, losing your grip on things

#tarot #tarot meanings #tarot card #tarot cards #tarot reading #tarot meaning #pentacles #pentacles suit #coins #coins suit #pagan #paganism #witchy #divination #witchcraft #witchblr #witch #tarot readings

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astrolovecosmos · 5 years

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Ascendant + Midheaven

Ascendant: Impressions

Midheaven (MC): Reputation

Impression is what we see, feel, read, what is expressed to us.

Reputation is built and destroyed based off deeds, actions, success, but also sometimes rumors/gossip.

(If you have an intercepted house/double sign and your chart is offset, please send an ask for other Ascendant and MC combinations)

Aries Ascendant: Known for bluntness, giving off a forward impression. The self is very important - coming off as selfish to some but possibly empowered to others. Focus on the self can also mean a struggle to balance self wants vs. other’s wants, especially with a Libra DC. This person faces many challenges that require them to reanalyze the self, relate to others, and think about others. Capricorn MC: While the Aries Ascendant gives off a self-centered or maybe self-conflicted vibe, this person’s reputation is heavily based on their career success. This isn’t so much in a “predictive” manner but that they may put a lot of weight into what their career is. Aries and Capricorn are both ambitious signs. This makes for a go-getter person who is focused on what they want to achieve. There is a push and pull between expression of individuality through the Ascendant and wanting to stand out in a positive way, that aligns with their society. They want to contribute to society. The points, sharing the same mode walk through lessons of Cardinal, mutable, fixed. With Aries vs Capricorn in these placements there is a lesson to help others, do favors for others to build up integrity. This isn’t just for reputations sake but to better connect the self with others.

Taurus Ascendant: A calm expression that desires harmony, contentment. Down to earth individual who connects easily with others. Sensuality and comfort are so very important to them. Aquarius MC: Who finds fulfillment in the unusual. There is a desire to stand out. Ambition can be intellectual or it can be in connecting with people. While the Ascendant is welcoming their reputation can surprise. Many may have heard of them, talk about them, the collective can manifest in abundance of people knowing them and/or in their own goals of helping society or a community. Themes of attachment and detachment exist. Taurus highly attached to expression, especially if we get into things like artistic expression. Possessiveness of Taurus can also exist, likely not in surface level relationships but in how they approach others perception and their perception of others. Ex: they may have a hard time letting go of the fact that someone’s impression/idea of them has soured.They admire or hold onto those who like them/admire them. To say they cling to what others think is entirely too simple. It is more about a fixed nature in self expression and view of self. Whereas the Aquarius MC wants to be free of all this. There is a goal to rise above reputation, gossip, status. Traditional vs. non traditional is a struggle in how they approach the world, others, success.

Gemini Ascendant: Talkative, energetic, observant, maybe even intimidating. What a range of impressions and a self that is varied, changing. Pisces MC: We see a very fluid person in terms of the public sphere. Emphasis on healing, service, spirituality, and creativity but defining this person is hard. A vague standing when it comes to reputation or status. Maybe frequently unknown or forgotten about (which before you get offended could certainly be used as a strength). All mutable signs are flexible but with these two you get a person hard to figure out. Despite first impressions or gossip, it is the self that causes and has the most confusion. This is an individual who has a level of uncertainty or instability within. A desire to learn about and connect with others exist from the ascendant. A desire to help others from the MC. Whereas the ascendant may be all talk the MC is built upon caring and healing others OR connecting on an emotional or deep level. A focus on people and the contrast of relating others to the self vs. feeling or even becoming like another is important to an individual with this dynamic.

Cancer Ascendant: Protective shell of toughness or possibly shyness. Approaching the world emotionally. There is a sense of vulnerability about the self that is not shown but at times makes them a slave to their moods. Expression is cautious. They reflect family or community values and traditions. Aries MC: A very ambitious placement. Their influence on others and actions surely build up their reputation. Here the Cancer Ascendant shell must be broken at times to leave a mark. Maybe it is because of the hesitance or shyness of the ascendant that when this person makes a move or succeeds it stands out so much. I would be careful of thinking this person’s “rep” or how they are perceived is in the hot-blooded stereotype of Aries. It is more how they take the lead in public situations, through decisiveness, seizing opportunities, and sharing their passion. There is a lesson between wanting to preserve and protect the self vs. the need to be open and to put themselves out there. With the strong emotions of Aries and Cancer, this person is sure to leave a mark that is felt wherever they go.

Leo Ascendant: Loud, outgoing, warm, even if a little shyer they still shine with individuality and creativity. The self should be celebrated, self expression is part of being, and they approach others with friendliness and generosity. The world is a stage and sometimes they fall into thinking they are the center of the universe or at least have enough self-respect to make themselves a priority. Taurus MC: Solid determination and thought out goals, with the Leo ascendant this packs a punch when dealing with others and in the public sphere. There is a level-headed approach to the outside world and despite their flashy ascendant might not call a lot of attention to themselves in the workplace or in their personal community. Having a status that is steady may be one of the most common highlights of this dynamic. They can be patient when it comes to their career and dealing with outsiders but the strong desires of their ascendant can cause not so much an impatience but self-doubt towards their dreams or recognition. There is a struggle between wanting influence and wanting material success. There is a desire for security from the MC but the bravery and even risk taking side of the Leo ascendant can threaten this sometimes. Change can be a fear when it comes to their career or the outside world but their Leo ascendant which is confident in the self can help them conquer this.

Virgo Ascendant: Practical approach to life, see’s the world as a place to analyze and sort, and can be humble towards the self and/or is constantly looking for ways to improve the self. They can have a subtle and/or earthy appeal, they sometimes give off a worried or uptight vibe but their flexibility, patience, and calmness can still make them approachable. Gemini MC: The Virgo ascendant is all about fine tuning the self and is focused in this regard, but the Gemini MC is scattered in their career and ambitions. They are likely known as talkative or just as someone easy to talk to. This person may struggle to find what they are good at or what they want to do in life. They can get frustrated with the changeability of their public standing. Taking their focus in self and applying it to their ambitions is a lesson. The flexibility of mutable placements overall can be a strength when times are tough, making it easy to move on and leave behind a bad job or the ability to take on multiple jobs. But save the day job for the 6th house, with the MC they find fulfillment through learning, mental stimulation, and basing their goals around new information and curiosity. Their ascendant may always feel dissatisfied with the lack of depth and expertise. Embracing adaptability, communication, organization, observation, and cleverness as their core strengths is important. As for the opinions of others, there is a lot to say about the whimsical and fast moving Gemini MC, good thing, only the feedback of the Virgo ascendant matters.

Libra Ascendant: Charming, social, likable, promising for making a positive impression. Here the ascendant is always trying to relate to others. While the Aries descendant has a desire for independence and separation, the ascendant still wants to make others happy. Cancer MC: Here ambitions are turned more inward and have a focus on the domestic sphere. The MC stands for what others see most clearly. It stands for the public. With this in mind, their reputation is still very important to them in their immediate community and/or neighborhood, especially their family’s reputation. They may prefer to take the safe route when it comes to the public. Despite their control and charm in social situations they hide their private lives. Libra’s evasiveness can help out with this goal. With the Libra ascendant wanting to find their partner, soulmate, teammate as well as to influence socially - the IC with a cooler domestic life and great need for stability from those closest, the DC wanting to stand on their own, form bonds with those who accept individuality, give them independence and decision power - to the Cancer MC who focuses on family/loved ones as well as emotional control in the outer world; we see the circle of cardinal energy deeply caring about others but also wanting to take action for the self. With the Libra ascendant and Cancer MC this action is most seen being spent on others.

Scorpio Ascendant: Let’s skip over the intense gaze, mystery, magnetism and get to the point of living privately. This person is aware of the depth of self but this is not shared openly. There is a great desire to master the world and themselves. Power plays a role in their approach to life but so does a great want to get to the depth of people, beliefs, the physical, the intangible. Leo MC: The Leo MC wants to run things or even be in the spotlight. They don’t just want a good reputation, they want to be well known. This is a clash with the secretive, behind-the-scenes Scorpio ascendant. The Leo MC excels in many industries but has a special creative knack, self expression being key to building up their reputation and network. Maybe they are known for their fashion, a dark humor, or art. Creativity is a great way to channel the passionate and intense energies of the ascendant. Through the leadership and generosity of this MC combined with the perception and compassion of Scorpio they can make powerful, positive impacts in others’ lives. Scorpio’s fear of vulnerability, inadequacy, betrayal, and abandonment makes it hard for them to extend themselves, to come out onto the stage. With an Aquarius IC who may have unconventional family bonds or possible detachment in their closest bonds + care of self combined with the needed security the Taurus DS craves - a really good support system helps them reach their full potential. But they may not always have this support. So with the Leo and Scorpio dynamic, this is really about empowerment. Fuel the courage to go after their ambitions.

Sagittarius Ascendant: Open, carefree, and friendly persona. With an exploratory approach to the world, a willingness to learn, there is a philosophical view on life and even more so introspection. To find meaning in who they are and/or in life is important. Virgo MC: Practice makes perfect is their approach towards career, success, drive, the public. Mastering their craft is important to them however with the ascendant’s big picture approach and impulsiveness this can be a challenge. Taking the self and reputation seriously is a lesson, the ascendant tends to be more relaxed in how others interpret or receive them. They may not take life too seriously, at least not when younger. Figuring out what is worth devoting to, what is worth focusing on will be a journey in life. While the MC is precision and practicality and the ascendant big dreams and instinct, there is a combined drive to leave a enlightened or life-changing mark, something that makes things “better”, to heal or to serve or to shed light.

Capricorn Ascendant: Steady and highly practical approach to the world. There is a private feel about them and sometimes a rigid feel. Confidence and action in their decisions can show. Libra MC: The overly pragmatic self can conflict with the want to connect and possibly the artistic love the MC may have. Their reputation may be built upon looks, talent, or their relationships. But the ascendant has a desire to be known off personal success, integrity, maybe even hardship. The ambition from Libra exist on a much lighter plane of tact, beauty, pleasantry. It may be more that the ascendant recognizes all their own hard work and gets frustrated when others do not. A mind for justice can form, but the ascendant is prone to trusting only their own judgment and the MC to finding it hard to make a decision or come to a verdict. The MC indecision in career can frustrate the ascendant who solidly wants to forge a path with meaning and tangible success. This person may feel like they have something to prove due to the dynamic. With this combo they are on a mission to ultimately prove things like self worth, inner authority, decision making, and self love to themselves.

Aquarius Ascendant: Known to stand out in their individuality, independence, and visionary approach to the world. Can be social and charismatic but still has a “cool as a cucumber” vibe. Scorpio MC: With possible dispassion from the ascendant, the MC still wants to dive in deep to what they do in life. Career must be connected to their passion and bring real emotional fulfillment. Reputation may be built upon how they make others feel. Scorpio known for rawness and intimacy finds a hard lesson through the self/expression that wants to separate. But the ascendant is all about humanity and humanitarianism, MC about impacting people on an individual level. Here we see the possibility to become a guide, healer, innovator.

Pisces Ascendant: A receptive self, a vague expression, changeable. The self here is very "bendable". Before we label them as "soft" their flexibility allows them to adjust to many different vibes and situations - even taking on a hostile persona. Sagittarius MC: Wants direction and thinks about the future, something their ascendant might want to avoid. Adaptable and quick like the ascendant but there is a strong desire to make sense of the world, especially in a moral or philosophical way whereas the ascendant exist in a unclear space. May build their reputation off of knowledge, risks taking, and entertainment. Their reputation at times can see or feel like a facade because of the highly fluid expression and self. There may be a desire to be known for their beliefs and righteousness, their healing and enlightenment. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" is a hurdle for this combo. Displaying their kindness, open mind, and generosity is a lesson, along with evidence (really more so to themselves) that they help others or love others. The ascendant can easily give affection and compassion but their lack of boundaries can be interpreted in many, many different ways. The MC who takes a more fiery approach to the outside world can display a scattered, insensitive, and self-focused reputation. A lack of boundaries or unwillingness to assert the self combined with an impulsive or even reckless ambition makes it hard to take in and reflect on their personal bonds or how they want to make a difference. This ascendant and midheaven is a powerful duo in making a spiritual impact or in bringing a deeper knowledge to the world. The self finding direction in their ambition and interactions with the outer world.

#rising #ascerndant #midheaven #mc #angles #astrology #zodiac #aries #taurus #gemini #cancer #leo #virgo #libra #scorpio #sagittarius #capricorn #aquarius #pisces

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revlyncox · 3 years

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Always Becoming

The changing of the seasons reminds us of the seasons and cycles of life. We are always becoming who we are. This was written by Rev. Lyn Cox for the Spring Festival at the Washington Ethical Society (4/18/2021) and references the story of Demeter and Persephone.

We are always becoming who we are. Two weeks ago, I spoke a little about what that means for us on a community level. And community is an important part of identity. As Kenyan-born philosopher John Mbiti wrote in African Religions and Philosophy (1975) with respect to the concept of Ubuntu: “I am because we are, and since we are, therefore I am.” We are always becoming, partly because the communities of which we are a part are always becoming.

Today, I’m going to talk a little about some of the experiences that move our process of becoming in new directions. These might be things that we think of as individual experiences, yet I think they are also communal, and I think the line between individual and communal might be fuzzier than some of us were led to believe. The experiences we’ll talk a little about today are things like grief, longing, rage, curiosity, hope, and love. We will keep exploring those things our whole lives, and I’ll need to be relatively brief today, because we want to make sure to have time to celebrate life with a Baby Naming ceremony after the regular Platform.

Grieving feels especially relevant today. In the WES community, we’re grieving for some of our members, and we are particularly heartbroken for our beloveds who have lost a loved one recently due to trauma. Nationally, we’re still reeling from the anti-Asian violence that claimed eight lives in Atlanta, and then that grief was compounded by the tone of the trial of Derek Chauvin and our renewed grief for George Floyd, and then that grief was compounded by the deaths of 20-year-old Daunte Wright and 13-year-old Adam Toledo at the hands of police, and then our grief was compounded again by the deaths of eight people at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, four of them members of the Sikh faith. The grief can be overwhelming, especially for those among us who see a reflection of close friends or family or selves in those who have died.

Grief is part of what makes us who we are. By sharing that experience of grief in community, we can bear witness to the people and the hopes that have been lost. There are some who think grief needs to be hidden, that it’s unseemly to be so human in public. Yet when the losses are so profound, how else can we honor life except to cry out.

At the Revolutionary Love online conference this weekend, grief has been a big theme. Micky ScottBey Jones and Rabbi Sharon Brous had a conversation on Thursday on just this topic, and it’s been a continuing thread on some of the other panels I’ve been able to catch. Micky ScottBey Jones spoke about grief for her mother who died of COVID and grief over mass violence and grief over what’s been lost due to health disparities and racist systems, she said, “Grief opens up our imagination and bolsters our courage.”

I think what she was saying is that when we feel and express our mourning together, the seeming impossibility of continuing with life becomes possibility. Maybe not right away. Shock and numbness might come first. But, together, we have a collective capacity that transforms us, that makes it possible to gather the energy to return to life.

Rabbi Sharon Brous responded that “public grief is an act of rebellion against the world as it is, because we are not willing to forget.” Brous noted that there are deep roots in her Jewish faith drawn from collective experiences of trauma, grief, truth-telling, and adaptation. From the transformation of Judaism from a Temple-focused culture to a diaspora culture, to survival through various pogroms, Brous remembered that there is grief woven into everything, but that doesn’t stop the existence of life and joy.

Jones went on to observe that we cycle through mourning, lamentation, truth-telling, and rebuilding. All of those things are part of the continuance of life, the re-imagining of life. We learn and we teach truth in the process of public grief. We figure out together what happens next in adapting and rebuilding because of how we form and strengthen relationships in the process of public grief.

Grief is part of who we are, it is part of our process of becoming. Grief is not all of who we are in the long run, though it might feel like our whole world in some moments. This is something that we might overlook about the story of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter’s public grief and rage, and the way her mourning brings the entire economy of her mythological world to a halt, feels true. A story where life eventually goes on -- radically different from what had come before, but it goes on -- that feels true. Persephone being called to comfort and lead the souls of the underworld, but not knowing what to say to them until she got in touch with her own grief, that feels true.

Our story this morning is about grief, but it’s not only about grief. It’s also about re-orienting ourselves and our communities. It’s about the power of love to find a solution that subverted rules of division. It’s about entering into a new way of being, even when we don’t know what that new way is going to look like in its fullness.

Grief is one thing that urges the characters in the story to continue with the process of becoming, but it’s not the only thing. Beauty and longing are also forces in the story. In some versions, Hades takes Persephone to the underworld without her consent, yet even in those versions, she finds beauty in roots and jewels and pomegranate seeds; even in those versions, she is transformed into a queen. In the version I shared this morning, Persephone chooses to follow beauty and curiosity. She continues on her journey through uncertainty. If we can stay with this version of the story for a moment, it leads me to wonder what calls us forward to become the people we can become with authenticity and ethical values.

Curiosity seems to be a powerful force for becoming. Sometimes we try things, not knowing what will happen next. That’s been what a lot of the last year has been like. Moving together through the next year will be more experimentation. We will try some things, and then try some more things. Let’s travel on that journey together in the spirit of adventure and curiosity rather than perfectionism. My hope is that our curiosity will involve open hearts as well as open minds, Let’s be curious about how the people around us are feeling, what’s lifting us up, and how we can show up for one another.

Beauty is another thing that calls us forward, and I’m grateful for the beauty of spring that is providing some comfort and counterpoint in these difficult days. For me, the progression of snowdrops to daffodils to cherry blossoms to strawberry blossoms has helped me to keep track of the days, to remember that there is a past and a future, and that more growth is ahead. The music offered today is yet more beauty, more reason to remember that we are better together, more inspiration to find centering and peace. Perhaps some of us are hanging on, awaiting the possibility of encountering the beauty of a loved one’s face in person, or the beauty of art, or the beauty of a home-grown tomato. Beauty is something that can call us forward, can motivate us to continue becoming the people we could be.

One more thing that feels relevant right now about the journey of becoming is the role of building relationships, both strengthening current relationships and being open to new ones. Last night, one of the panels of the online Revolutionary Love Conference was about Lessons Learned in Ferguson, convened by my colleague James Croft from the Ethical Society of St. Louis and three of his local St. Louis interfaith colleagues about how their community came together after the murder of Michael Brown. Koach Baruch (KB) Frazier, a Jewish activist and drummer, and the Rev. Dietra Wise Baker both spoke about moments when music brought together activists with different viewpoints and who had been through harrowing circumstances, and how their ability to come together was built on the hospitality of leaders in the interfaith community. Making a place of sanctuary in their buildings, being invited into each other’s homes, being concerned with each other’s wellbeing, all of those things made it possible to organize for change and make meaning. Rev. Erin Counihan on the same panel talked about being brand new at her congregation, and deciding to show up for an interfaith meeting, even though she didn’t know what her role would be or what the plan was or what might happen. She talked about confronting her whiteness, including the attachment to certainty that goes with whiteness, and emphasizing relationships over plans. KB Frazier added that people had to unlearn their perceptions of others with different identities and from different communities, because all people have dignity and it is important to leave stereotypes at the door when everyone is together in striving for liberation. James said that whenever nonsense is going on in St. Louis, there is already a community of people who are trained, supercharged, and ready to respond together. Something in Ferguson, something in the larger St. Louis community, something all over the world, was and is ready for change. And the way it was and is going to change, is (at least in part) about relationships.

All of this reminded me of the Washington Ethical Society and our relationship with the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN). Something that is different about building power in a coalition like WIN than working with other organizations on a particular issue is the place of relationships. There are encounters where it doesn’t seem like there is a plan, or it’s not clear what our individual roles might be, or where our preferred way to do things might not prevail. Staying in relationship anyway matters. Power is built not only in the victories, not only in the visible parts of the protests, not only in the legislative visits, but also in the trust that grows from people who show up for each other in the absence of certainty. Power is built around drum circles and kitchen tables and solving mundane problems. We as individuals and as a community are always becoming, our community of communities is always becoming, DC and its environs and all of our neighborhoods are always becoming because we are drawn forward by relationships.

The power to care for one another effectively works the same way. We have some current and recent examples of people taking care of each other within the WES community, but it’s not new. There has not been a moment since I arrived when we didn’t have a meal train or a check-in plan or greeting cards going out to someone. Grief and struggle are facts. But we don’t have to face them alone. Put aside conflict and tension and gossip and arguments about the right way to do things or the right words to use. Take care of each other and let other people take care of you. Being in a values-centered community can bring out the best because we want to be our best for each other, not because of patronizing efforts to teach or reform others. Love is what makes the whole thing work.

People are always changing. Communities are always changing. There are things we can pay attention to, things we can nurture, that move us toward becoming who we could be, who we hope to be. We pay attention to the communal experience of grief, because feeling the reality of that grief leads us to human connection, truth-telling, and the drive for a re-imagined future. We pay attention to curiosity, which leads us to be courageous when we don’t know what might happen next. We pay attention to beauty. Beauty helps us to find peace and meaning, and energizes us for the journey onward. We pay attention to relationships, because who we are always has a context. We may not be able to control the changes that accompany loss, risk, and the onward progression of seasons, but we don’t have to go through those changes alone.

We are always becoming who we are. May we join together with others in such a way that we grow into the best version of who we could be, authentically and fully ourselves while still true to our values and ready to be part of a re-imagined future.

May it be so.

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janefaery · 3 years

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Jane’s canon verses, inspired by @zzozo

01 - PRE CANON . I have to tell you a secret that will see you through all the trials that life can offer. Have courage and be kind.

Prior to Prince Ben’s first proclamation, Jane is a shy and eager to please girl that’s known for being a teacher's pet - mostly due to her mother’s status as Headmistress, but also from her constant attempts to please. Meek and insecure in a way that stems from her mother’s version coddling, Jane is a shadow desperate to gain the approval of her peers and destined to fail at it from the very start.

“You did all your homework, Jane, no one is going to come to take you to the isle!” Her mother would tell her. “You made your bed, you don’t need to worry about being sent to the Isle.” With an aunt imprisoned on the Isle and her mother’s ‘kind’ reassurances of what a good girl she is, the need to be perfect is something Jane’s always felt, but that’s a goal no one could achieve.

Not a royal like the rest, Jane is often looked down on by the rest of her age group not only for her lack of royal blood, but her lack of human blood. Being part fae means that she is ‘other’ to them, she’s a sidekick instead of a hero, subhuman instead of human. Even the others born to magic are against Jane, her mother’s role in restricting the use of magic leading to others of her kind viewing her as a traitor, something that it’s far easier to hold against Jane than to fight over with one of the most powerful magical beings of Auradon.

The difference is something learned at a young age, from the moment she asks to be the princess in a game of pretend at daycare, eager to live out her happy ending. The other children jeer at her, bullying her for thinking she could have a happy ending. She’s not a princess, she’s fae, and everyone knows fae are incapable of love, so why would anyone choose her? Excluded from the game and in tears when her mother collects her, Jane changes daycares, but never forgets what she learned.

Folding herself smaller and smaller like a piece of origami paper in an attempt to become something beautiful is an artform Jane masters, but it doesn’t stop her from being shunned at lunch tables when she starts school. Jane’s isolation fills her with the need to find a place where she fits in, her own community, and each rejection she faces reaffirms her belief that she’s unpopular because of some personal failing on her own part.

She offers to help with every event and brings little gifts to everyone she tries to thank, any opportunity to make friends or be useful is something that Jane jumps on in an attempt to endear and ingratiate herself with people, but the more she swallows her own needs, the more disconnected she feels, drowning without a clue how to truly reach anyone.

02 - DURING CANON . I know it isn’t easy, but at least we should try to get along together.

Terrified at first of the villain kids that arrive in Auradon despite debating for their right to live there, it seems unlikely that Jane would find her place among those labelled as misfits and troublemakers, but it doesn’t take long before Jane is swept up in their folds and left feeling more like she belongs in their presence than in anyone else’s.

With the VKs in the school and the sense that she might have found a crowd to belong to, Jane begins to morph from someone insecure and anxious into someone shallow and snobbish. The friends that she so eagerly latched onto are abandoned for a chance to sit with the princesses she always adored without second thought. Morality and righteous equated with prestige and place of birth, Jane’s position at the cool kid’s table didn’t last long as the chair was snatched from beneath her the moment she no longer met their standards.

Grabbing the wand and bringing down the barrier might have given Mal and her friends the chance to prove they wanted to be good and turn against their own parents, but Jane learned more about who she was inside than she did the villain kids.

She was disloyal, willing to abandon the people that first befriended her and stood up for her all for someone with popularity. She was untrustworthy, willing to steal the wand and use magic to improve her own looks and as a result, she’d nearly brought every evil back to Auradon by collapsing the barrier. She’d wanted to be the cool girl with the fancy hair, the hot girl with the ripped skirt that everyone wanted, but where did that get her? What did it prove except that maybe she did belong on the Isle just like that quiz said?

Quick to learn her lesson, Jane resolves to be more open and less judgemental, to stand by the side of her friends instead of abandoning them for popularity. If Jane avoids anyone after the mess of the coronation, it was Audrey, who Jane views as a symbol of her own weakness and how easily she can be corrupted.

———

Jane’s revelations aren’t shared by everyone, her faith in Mal and her gang soon shown to be an unpopular choice when Jane realizes her own mother plans to have them expelled without hearing their case. Royalty isn’t always right and neither is the law, the time Jane spends around the VKs makes it clear that blind justice never cares for those caught up in its wake and that sometimes the rules need to be broken. Making up her own mind to go behind her mother’s back for help isn’t something Jane regrets, but the realization that her mother isn’t always right shocks Jane down to her core.

Rattled and beginning to question what she’d grown up hearing her entire life, it encouraged Jane to reach out to her new friends for support and greater understanding for the world outside of the careful playpen that her mother made for Jane’s life.

In them Jane found the courage and inspiration to begin reaching out for things she wanted, transforming from a mascot to a cheerleader and finally feeling seen by someone. As confidence building as that is, getting her first boyfriend perhaps gives Jane a greater boost of esteem and for the first time, Jane’s entirely life felt perfectly on schedule, attacks by sea witches aside.

———

Her life planned from the beginning, Jane is expected to be the Fairy Godmother one day and headmistress of the school, it’s not a secret she’s meant to replace her mother and be everything she is, but without magic. Content to follow in her mother’s footsteps, it’s easy to agree to her mothers plans on her career when Jane’s focus is elsewhere.

Still the same little girl wanting to play princess at heart, Jane is a romantic that dreams of her future with a loved one, confident that at last her happy ending is playing like it’s meant to. She knows the stories, that you grow up and go through a noteworthy event, you meet your true love and eventually you’re married.

The Coronation was her noteworthy event and Jane never questioned that Carlos was the one when he asked her to Cotillion, officially becoming her first boyfriend. Their relationship lets Jane feel like everything is falling into place and granting her everything she ever wished for. By being with Carlos, she has inclusion into his friends group and having a boyfriend means she isn’t alone. Having proof that she’s desirable to one person boosts her self esteem and gives her faith that everything will work out in the end because it has to, it’s her happy ending.

That certainty remained with Jane all through Auradon Prep, her time spent making sure Carlos never doubted her adoration and striving to have her fairytale play out perfectly until the story twisted. Graduation brings with it new opportunities for everyone, but it also brings about a fork in the road where both Jane and Carlos have to admit it’s better if they split ways.

People in fairytales don’t break up and Jane knows it’s for the best, but she’s left with a sense of loss and the certainty that she’s missed her chance at a happy ending because things didn’t work out. Firmly reminded of her status as a sidekick instead of a princess, Jane tries to let go of her romantic aspirations to focus on her career, dedicating herself to growing into the person her mother always planned for her to be.

03 - POST CANON . When there is kindness, there is goodness. When there is goodness, there is magic.

At fourteen, Jane dreamed of living anywhere but in the same kingdom as her mother, of going off to college and spending her summer on a beach while mermaids swam in the bay, or waking up in the spring to throw open a window gazing at Sherwood forest to see flowers blooming. She had the grades, there wasn’t any reason why Jane couldn’t go anywhere she planned and graduating Auradon Prep felt like a finish line to cross to begin living life on her own terms, but it didn’t work out that way.

Single and with her mother praising her newfound dedication to establishing her career, Jane surrenders her dreams of going away somewhere to school and instead enrolls in online classes at MIT. Slowly Jane’s vision of herself fades away, her mother’s hands molding Jane’s future into a duplicate of herself.

Working hard to earn a place at Auradon Prep like her mother, Jane soon finds herself with a job that no one thinks she deserves, whispers of nepotism following wherever she goes. Despite the time it takes up, Jane refuses to surrender her role with helping to organize social events for the castle, the one job that Jane enjoys more than anything else she’d found. Perhaps she could never be a princess, but at least she could make other girls feel like they were.

It’s easy for life to feel empty when you’re always helping someone else live out your dreams. Classes were taken without making new friends, balls were arranged without expectations of being able to dance, and new couples were celebrated while Jane doubted she would ever be anyone’s girlfriend ever again.

You dated once and married in fairytales, Jane dated once and went through a break-up, she helped other people achieve their happy endings without having her own. Yet no matter how often she tells herself that, it doesn’t make it any easier, the stress and anxiety building as Jane struggles to live up to her mother’s ideals.

Each day feels the same, waking up, throwing herself into every little project she can find, trying to make her mother proud, and working until she’s ready to pass out. The longer Jane exists in that pattern, the more established it becomes until it seems she’ll never break free of it.

Until she moves out.

Nineteen and with her own place, Jane answers to her own rules for the first time, no longer hearing her mother’s comments about her bed or when she wakes up or what she’s wearing. No fear of the woman wanting to go through her phone or searching her room, it’s a breath of freedom that sparks the first change in Jane.

Years after the first arrival of the Isle born, scandals and political fights help tentative friendships forge connections of unbreakable steel, people call Jane ‘bestie’ and encourage her to be her own person instead of a copy of her mother. It’s the acceptance that was always so rare in Auradon, that feeling of belonging, and it’s enough for Jane to give up her job at Auradon prep and begin to figure out who she is when she takes charge of her own future.

04 - PRESENT . And Ella continued to see the world not as it is, but as it could be.

The shift in her life isn't one that can be attributed to any single moment in time, but Jane has slowly been changing throughout the years and as she finds people that welcome her close, she gravitates to them more than her mother. With her efforts no longer devoted to living out fairy godmother's life plan, jane's priority turns to the isle and doing what she can to take care of her friends.

Using up her vacation time and sick days to travel away from work for a tournament isn't a move her mother approves of, but there's nothing she can do to stop Jane. Time is available and Jane is young, a flight of fancy can be forgiven in a teenager even if it is disappointing, something fairy godmother made sure that Jane knew.

One trip could be forgiven, but a second mere weeks later could not. No matter the reason for the trip, jane and her mother saw it from radically different perspectives, what jane saw as an important political meeting to defend the rights of the isle and possibly forge diplomatic connections was a waste of time to Fairy Godmother, who accusing Jane of shirking her duties and proving she wasn't responsible or serious when it came to obligations to Auradon Prep.

Anger getting the better of her, Jane finally breaks the dream her mother has long held and tells the truth - she won't be future headmistress of AP and that she's quitting at the end of the year.

Jane not only attends the town hall, but streaks her hair red, the vibrant color a testament to her support of the isle as well as a declaration of her feelings towards a certain pirate. It's a move that draws scrutiny and disapproval from the media as well as her mother, but for once that isn't enough to stop Jane from doing what she wants to with her life, finally searching out the path that will lead her to happiness.

It's on this path to self discovery that Jane begins to shed her fears of her magic, experimenting in the hopes that her fae blood might be something that could lead to doing something for the place, the people she'd come to care so much about.

During a celebration on the Isle for Ulf Night, everything goes wrong.

She creates a bioluminescent tree to help shine light on the isle, its glow fueled by the feelings sparked in her by the night, but her happiness comes at a cost. Fairy Godmother has enemies on the isle and they don't enjoy the sight of her daughter roaming freely on the Isle, a tourist in what's been their prison, and the sight of her so freely using magic when such a thing in Auradon would earn some a prison sentence is too much for the patience.

Jane is soft and unguarded, she's easy prey for a group of attackers no matter how many months she's spent learning self defense from the Lost Revenge crew, and a blow to the head finally brings her down.

When she wakes again, she's locked up in a cell, held prisoner on the Isle without any expectation of rescue. She schemes of how to break free, of biting at her captors and stealing a sword, determined to break free when she couldn't depend on anyone else to help her.

The invasion of the pirates proves Jane wrong about that and they continued to prove her wrong as she is kept aboard the Lost Revenge to heal. Recovering takes weeks into months, but Jane grows stronger and fills her hours with crafts, creating things with her hands as a way of expressing gratitude she doesn't have the words for. There in the medbay of the ship, Jane feels safe and happy, a sense of belonging that's been foreign her entire life, and when she's well enough to leave, Jane doesn't go far.

After being fired by email and receiving word from her mother that amounts to being told not to talk with her unless Jane resumes living life in accordance to Fairy Godmother's ideals, there's little to keep Jane in Auradon and she happily gives up the apartment she can no longer afford in favor of moving in to the apartment behind the Chip Shoppe on the Isle, her life again reshaping itself as she adjusts to living on the Isle and creating her own path.

#⁕ kindness is free ; love is free ⋯ [ headcanons ]

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garychou · 4 years

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Afterthoughts from Re-wiring Distribution Networks

Last week, I had the privilege of joining my friend Karin Chien in a conversation on "Re-Wiring Distribution Networks" hosted by The International Documentary Association as part of their Getting Real Now summer series.

I'm excited to join my friend + award winning independent producer and distributor @producerkarin for a conversation this Thursday hosted by @IDAorg as part of their #GettingRealNOW series. RSVP in the link below in the thread. https://t.co/kgxPy9bA21

— Gary Chou (@garychou) August 26, 2020

A video should be posted on YouTube shortly for all to see.

Upon reflection, there were a few points I'd like to emphasize, if not re-state altogether:

Everything is changing. The installation of large-scale, ubiquitous, real-time information networks is the single most impactful development in our lifetimes. It's not just affecting distribution networks or business models, it's affecting society and culture. As such, it's worth thinking about the ways in which we, as individuals, need to change in order to adjust to this.

Attention is now the scarce resource. Advances in technology have lowered barriers to participation—which is great for everyone—but it also means that competition for our attention has never been greater. What used to work in a world of surplus might not be viable anymore. This is a good post to read for more background.

What are the networks that you need? You're going to need access to different networks of people for different things (i.e. your collaborators aren't necessarily your financiers or your friends or family). If you lack sufficient access to relevant networks, consider whether the immediate work you produce be something intentionally designed to help you gather the people you will need for your journey vs. focusing solely on your creative vision.

Signaling helps your network find you. If the network you need doesn't exist, you'll need to consider forming it yourself, through a committed, regular practice of signaling. What is something you can regularly and sustainably share that is of interest to those who are best positioned to support you? This could be as simple as starting a blog or newsletter, or it could be as elaborate as a speaker series or a club. As this is really hard work—particularly for creators who are under-networked—it's a prime opportunity for foundations, intermediaries and other support organizations to operationalize and/or specifically fund.

Collective action can take on many different (new) forms in a networked world. We're still in the early stages of understanding how to wield the power afforded by networked systems and there's tremendous opportunity for creativity here. In addition to Tracy Chou's work mentioned on the call, which resulted in greater transparency in the tech industry, there are other interesting collective efforts like the Letters for Black Lives project, which brought together hundreds of strangers to coordinate mass translation efforts; as well as efforts to include diversity riders in term sheets.

Q&A Redux

Finally, there was a question posed towards the end of the Q&A session that I'd like to revisit, as my initial response zeroed in too narrowly on the topic of online advertising, which wasn't really the point, and it's a rather pertinent question:

When we think of distribution, we usually think of mass, untargeted distribution always hoping to expand our audiences. Can the panelists talk about distributing to more specific, pre-inclined audiences but using the worldwide network afforded to us by the interwebs, perhaps akin to how big tech companies use granular algorithms to target ads?

Here's what I would have liked to have said:

I'd reframe this question slightly—instead of thinking about how the big tech companies have leveraged this infrastructure, I'd look at how tech entrepreneurs have adapted to the changes in the environment as a result of the installation of these networks (which are the same problems we talked about in the conversation).

What's changed for tech entrepreneurs is that there's now an abundance of:

free information and educational resources contributing to an increasingly global trained labor force

free open source tools and frameworks which make it easier and faster to build applications

easy access to cloud hosting providers which make it possible to deliver and scale your application globally and instantly

global capital willing to fuel new ideas, good or bad.

All of this has resulted in an unprecedented amount of competition (and innovation) chasing a limited amount of attention. Thus, the hard thing about building a software business is no longer the software, it's the distribution—how you get in front of people who are likely to want your product, and how you get them to pay while fending off all of the competition.

We've seen two different strategies emerge, which depend upon how well-funded a company is.

If you're immensely well-funded and you have a product or service with good unit economics (meaning that you make money on every sale, unlike Moviepass), you can afford to raise a lot of capital and spend it on online advertising to acquire customers, and then re-invest your profits into even more online advertising and continue to grow until you can't.

But, the majority of businesses aren't immensely well-funded and so they can't run this playbook and spend their way to success. So, they've had to adopt a slower and more modest 3-part strategy in order to grow:

Find or gather a community of people who you hope to serve, and gain their trust / get them to care about you.

Set aside your grand vision, and instead build something small and focused (commensurate to your cost structure), which is compelling for this community.

Collect and share stories of success from your community and repeat step 2, incrementally expanding the size/scale/footprint of your vision each time you do so.

The core difference between these two strategies is the order of operations. Rather than trying to find more people (i.e. customers) for your stuff, it's about building stuff for your people. In essence, the marketing comes before rather than after.

What this means for filmmakers is two-fold:

First, instead of targeting audiences after you've made your film, focus on gathering allies before and while you make your film. Having more allies doesn't guarantee you success, but it increases the likelihood of unlocking new resources and paths as you move forward.

This doesn't mean you need to become yet another ostentatious internet influencer or turn your project into a reality TV show, nor does it mean you need to take on a second job as a promoter or marketer.

There's always a story behind the film's story: who you are and why you're choosing to spend your precious time working on this project. Often, this story unfolds over the course of the project itself. And so, there's a lot of value to be had simply by adopting a practice of working in public—publicly sharing the exhaust of your process: your artifacts, your lessons, your story—and enabling people to learn along side you.

There are a lot of practical reasons that drive secrecy in filmmaking, but I'd argue that these only benefit the existing gatekeepers. And certainly, if you're asking about how to fully leverage the value created by this internet infrastructure we're all stuck with, the system is designed to favor openness. (Pre-internet, startups commonly embraced secrecy by working in "stealth mode", and this cultural norm has flipped as well.)

Second, create a space that is intentionally designed to welcome these allies into your circle and where you can sustainably keep them engaged over the long term. The simplest space is an email newsletter, but this could be something more elaborate like a club. Consistency is better than frequency, and ideally, there's an opportunity for your allies to see each other and not just you.

(If we stick with our example of a newsletter this could mean that you're not only sharing your thoughts and stories, but that you're also inviting them to contribute questions and comments, perhaps monthly or quarterly.)

There's a tremendous opportunity here to get creative, and while it may initially seem like an onerous chore by itself, in the context of your broader career aspirations, this will increase the surface area of your optionality so long as you continue to tend to your garden.

And so, rather than leverage this new internet infrastructure simply to target the masses in the hopes of consummating a transaction, I'd take advantage of its ability to connect people, globally, in meaningful ways at virtually zero cost to form new networks—or gardens—around you and your practice.

But it won't be an easy shift because done right, it will require a different way of working.

The upside, however, is the ability to change the equation in this discussion around re-imagining distribution networks (and models) from a conversation about what a collective of individual filmmakers can do to a conversation around what a cooperative of gardens can support and grow.

Originally posted: https://garychou.com/notes/thoughts-from-re-wiring-distribution-networks/

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mxenigmatic · 3 years

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2020’s Self Care Books for Trying Times

With Covid-19 a global pandemic that is still lingering in the air, and keeping our connections at a social distance, added how here at NYPL our librarians miss the frequent interactions with our patrons, I was contemplating on ways to keep our reading connected, our souls warm, and our health having its self care. Before google, I’d rely on the plethora of information our branches hold on any challenge in life I’d be facing. Now with a myriad of problems we can tackle, and resources we can all use to improve our lives, I wanted to tackle grounding and elevating ourselves to cope with our surroundings, than advice I can provide on financial, relationship, life goals, etc.

In this blog “2020’s Self Care Books 4 Trying Times” I’ve comprised my 20 favorite titles for the year 2020 on wellness, people’s journeys, and how health experts can help guide us to a calm and vibrant place for our wellbeing. From parenting tips, to self acceptance, coping with a mental health disorder, or even self care rituals, the need for healthy habits is a topic we all can relate and rely on to keep us striving through this winter, and being united through our current unstable climate. We should never be ashamed of our experiences, asking for help, and addressing challenges in our lives to be at peace with our pasts, content with our present, and hopeful about our futures.

What is Self-care, according to very well mind, describes a conscious act one takes in order to promote their own physical, mental, and emotional health. There are many forms self-care may take. It could be ensuring you get enough sleep every night or stepping outside for a few minutes for some fresh air.

What is mindfulness? Mindfulness refers to being in the moment. This means feeling what our bodies feel, letting ourselves think without judging our thoughts, and being aware of our environment. It is about paying attention on purpose to both what is happening inside and outside of you.

ADULT

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey

Topics: Professional Development, Success, Psych Evaluation

One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has captivated readers for nearly three decades. It has transformed the lives of presidents and CEOs, educators and parents—millions of people of all ages and occupations. Now, this 30th anniversary edition of the timeless classic commemorates the wisdom of the 7 habits with modern additions from Sean Covey. The 7 habits have become famous and are integrated into everyday thinking by millions and millions of people. Why? Because they work!With Sean Covey's added takeaways on how the habits can be used in our modern age, the wisdom of the 7 habits will be refreshed for a new generation of leaders.

Stay Positive: Encouraging Quotes and Messages to Fuel Your Life With Positive Energy by Jon Gordon

Topics: Self Help, Affirmations, Optimism

Stay Positive is more than a phrase. It's an approach to life that says when you get knocked down, you'll get back up and find a way forward one faithful step and optimistic day at a time. Start your day with a message from the book, or pick it up anytime you need a mental boost. You can start from the beginning, or open the book to any page and find a message that speaks to you. The book is a go-to resource for anyone wanting to inject a healthy dose of positivity into their life

$9 Therapy: Semi-Capitalist Solutions to Your Emotional Problems by Megan Reid and Nick Greene

Topics: Life Skills/Hacks, Self Care Rituals, Budgeting

A collection of the authors' favorite life hacks and mini-upgrades, such as craft cocktails on the cheap or tips for a perfectly planned staycation. Sometimes it takes as little as nine dollars to turn your life around. How to find simple pleasures in a pricey, wellness-obsessed world.

You Were Born For This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas

Topics: Astrology, Self Acceptance

A revolutionary empowerment book that uses astrology as a tool for self-discovery, success, and self-care from the beloved astrologer Chani Nicholas, a media darling with a loyal following of one million monthly readers.

TEEN

Teaching Mindfulness to Empower Adolescents by Matthew Brensilver

Topics: Mindfulness, Educational Guides, Learning Disabilities, Reflections

Effectively sharing mindfulness with teenagers depends on distinct skill sets . . . done well, it is incredibly joyous." Matthew Brensilver, JoAnna Hardy and Oren Jay Sofer provide a powerful guide to help teachers master the essential competencies needed to successfully share mindfulness practices with teens and adolescents. Incorporating anecdotes from actual teaching, they blend the latest scientific research with innovative, original techniques for making the practices accessible and interesting to this age group. This text is an indispensable handbook for mindfulness instruction in its own right, and a robust companion volume for teachers using The Mindful Schools Curriculum for Adolescents

The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color by Virgie Tovar

Topics: Self Esteem, Plus Size Positivity, Hygiene

Every day we see body ideals depicted in movies, magazines, and social media. And, all too often, these outdated standards make us feel like we need to change how we look and who we are. The truth is that many teens feel self-conscious about their bodies and being a teen girl of color is hard in unique ways. So, how can you start feeling good about yourself when you're surrounded by these unrealistic, and problematic images of what bodies are "supposed" to look like? This book is an unapologetic guide to help you embrace radical body positivity. You'll identify and challenge mainstream beliefs about beauty and bodies; celebrate what makes you unique and powerful; and build real, lasting body empowerment. You'll also learn how to spot diet culture and smash your noisy inner critic so you can start loving your body. It's time to create your own definition of beautiful and recognize that your body is amazing. It's time for a self-love revolution!

Out!: How To Be Your Authentic Self by Miles McKenna

Topics: Coming Out, Self Acceptance, Family Dynamics

Activist Miles McKenna came out on his YouTube channel in 2017, documenting his transition to help other teens navigate their identities and take charge of their own coming out stories. From that wisdom comes Out!, the ultimate YA guide to the queer lifestyle. Find validation, inspiration, and support for your questions big and small--whether you're exploring your identity or seeking to understand the experience of an awesome queer person in your life."

Dancing at the Pity Party: A Dead Mom Graphic Memoir by Tyler Feder

Topics: Grief Counseling, Coping with terminal illness, Bereavement. Family Estrangement

Tyler Feder shares her story of her mother's first oncology appointment to facing reality as a motherless daughter in this frank and refreshingly funny graphic memoir.

Superpowered: Transform Anxiety Into Courage, Confidence, and Resilience by Renee Jain and Dr. Shefali Tsabary

Topics: Health, Fitness, Selt Esteem.

The perfect tool for children facing new social and emotional challenges in an increasingly disconnected world! This how-to book from two psychology experts—packed with fun graphics and quizzes—will help kids transform stress, worry, and anxiety

Teen Guide to Mental Health by Don Nardo

Topics: Teens, Mental Health, Body Image, Puberty

Todays teens face and are expected to deal with a wide array of personal, social, and other issues involving home-life, school, dating, body image, sexual orientation, major life transitions, and in some cases physical and mental problems, including eating disorders and depression. This volume examines how many teens have learned to cope with and survive these often stressful trials and tribulations of modern youth.

KIDS

Turtle Boy by Evan Wolkenstein

Topics: Social Life, Friends, Relationships, School Stress

Seventh grade is not going well for Will Levine. Kids at school bully him because of his funny-looking chin. His science teacher finds out about the turtles he spent his summer collecting from the marsh behind school an orders him to release them back into the wild. And for his Bar Mitzvah community service project, he has to go to the hospital to visit RJ, an older boy struggling with an incurable disease. Unfortunately, Will hates hospitals. At first, the boys don't get along, but then RJ shares his bucket list with Will. Among the things he wants to do: ride a roller coaster, go to a concert and a school dance, swim in the ocean. To Will, happiness is hanging out in his room, alone, preferably with his turtles. But as RJ's disease worsens, Will realizes he needs to tackle the bucket list on his new friend's behalf before it's too late. It seems like an impossible mission, way outside Will's comfort zone. But as he completes each task with RJ's guidance, Will learns that life is too short to live in a shell.

How To Make A Better World: For Every Kid Who Wants To Make A Difference by Keilly Swift

Topics: Activism, Human Rights, Organizing

If you are a kid with big dreams and a passion for what is right, you're a world-changer in the making. There's a lot that can be changed by just one person, if you know what to do. Start by making yourself into the awesome person you want to be by learning all about self-care and kindness. Using those skills, work your way up to creating activist campaigns to tackle climate change or social injustice. This fun and inspiring guide to making the world a better place and becoming a good citizen is packed with ideas and tips for kids who want to know how to make a difference. From ideas as small as creating a neighborhood lending library to important ideas such as public speaking and how to talk about politics, How to Make a Better World is a practical guide to activism for awesome kids.

All About Anxiety by Carrie Lewis

Anxiety. It's an emotion that rears its head almost every day, from the normal worries and concerns that most of us experience, to outright fear when something scary happens, to the anxiety disorders, that many kids live with daily. But what causes anxiety? And what can we do about it? All About Anxiety tackles these questions from every possible angle. Readers will learn what's going on in their brain and central nervous system when they feel anxious. They'll learn about the evolutionary reasons for fear and anxiety and that anxiety isn't always a bad thing--except for when it is! Most importantly, kids will discover new strategies to manage their anxiety so they can live and thrive with anxiety

Dictionary for a better world: poems, quotes, and anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham

Topics: Inspiration, Self Help, Advice

Organized as a dictionary, entries in this book for middle-grade readers present words related to creating a better, more inclusive world. Each word is explored via a poem, a quote from an inspiring person, and a short personal anecdote from one of the co-authors, a prompt for how to translate the word into action, and an illustration".

I feel... meh by DJ Corchin

(E-book)Topics: Health, Fitness, Management

This series helps kids recognize, express, and deal with the roller coaster of emotions they feel every day. It has been celebrated by therapists, psychologists, teachers, and parents as wonderful tools to help children develop self-awareness for their feelings and those of their friends. Sometimes I feel meh and I don't want to play. I don't want to read and I have nothing to say. Sometimes you just feel...meh. You don't really feel like doing anything or talking to anyone. You're not even sure how you're feeling inside. Is that bad? With fun, witty illustrations and simple, straightforward text, I Feel...Meh tackles apathy—recognizing it as a valid emotion, while also offering practical steps to get you out of your emotional slump. It's the perfect way for kids—and adults—who are feeling gray to find some joy again!

Violet Shrink by Christine Baldacchino

Topics: Phobias, Relationships, Social Skills

Violet Shrink doesn't like parties. Or bashes, or gatherings. Lots of people and lots of noise make Violet's tummy ache and her hands sweat. She would much rather spend time on her own, watching the birds in her backyard, reading comics, or listening to music through her purple headphones. The problem is that the whole Shrink family loves parties with loud music and games and dancing. At cousin Char's birthday party, Violet hides under a table and imagines she is a shark gliding effortlessly through the water, looking for food. And at Auntie Marlene and Uncle Leli's anniversary bash, Violet sits alone at the top of the stairs, imagining she is a slithering snake way up in the branches. When Violet learns that the Shrink family reunion is fast approaching, she musters up the courage to have a talk with her dad. In this thoughtful story about understanding and acceptance, Violet's natural introversion and feelings of social anxiety are normalized when she and her father reach a solution together. Christine Baldacchino's warm text demonstrates the role imagination often plays for children dealing with anxiety, and the power of a child expressing their feelings to a parent who is there to listen. Carmen Mok's charming illustrations perfectly capture Violet's emotions and the vibrancy of her imagination. A valuable contribution to books addressing mental health."-- Provided by publisher.

Check out this link to a presentation by NYPL’s Children’s Librarians, Sarah West and Justine Toussaint on Mindfulness/Social-Emotional Self-Esteem Picture Book Spotlight. Featuring popular book titles in our database of the past few years promoting kids well beings!

Pre-2020 Books

Aphorism by Franz Kafka

Topics: Life Quotes, Recovery, Future Planning

For the first time, a single volume that collects all of the aphorisms penned by this universally acclaimed twentieth-century literary figure. Kafka twice wrote aphorisms in his lifetime. The first effort was a series of 109, known as the Zurau Aphorisms, which were written between September 1917 and April 1918, and originally published posthumously by his friend, Max Brod, in 1931. These aphorisms reflect on metaphysical and theological issues--as well as the occasional dog. The second sequence of aphorisms, numbering 41, appears in Kafka's 1920 diary dating from January 6 to February 29. It is in these aphorisms, whose subject is "He," where Kafka distills the unexpected nature of experience as one shaped by exigency and possibility."

This Book Loves You by PewDiePie

Topics: Life Skills, Inspiration, Food 4 Thought

A popular blogger shares humorous pieces of advice and positivity, including "Never forget you are beautiful compared to a fish" and "Every day is a new fresh start to stay in bed."

The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach To Living A Good Life by Mark Manson

Topic: Self Help, Happiness, Motivation

In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger shows us that the key to being happier is to stop trying to be 'positive' all the time and instead become better at handling adversity. For decades we've been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. But those days are over. 'Fuck positivity, ' Mark Manson says. 'Let's be honest; sometimes things are fucked up and we have to live with it.' For the past few years, Manson--via his wildly popular blog--has been working on correcting our delusional expectations for ourselves and for the world. He now brings his hard-fought wisdom to this groundbreaking book. Manson makes the argument--backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes--that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to better stomach lemons. Human beings are flawed and limited--as he writes, 'Not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.' Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. This, he says, is the real source of empowerment. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties--once we stop running from and avoiding, and start confronting painful truths--we can begin to find the courage and confidence we desperately seek. 'In life, we have a limited amount of fucks to give. So you must choose your fucks wisely.' Manson brings a much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor. This manifesto is a refreshing slap in the face for all of us so we can start to lead more contented, grounded lives."

Zen Pencils: Cartoon Quotes From Inspirational Folks by Gavin Aung Than

Topics: Writing Development, Expression, Quotes

Gavin Aung Than, an Australian graphic designer turned cartoonist, started the weekly Zen Pencils blog in February 2012. He describes his motivation for launching Zen Pencils: I was working in the boring corporate graphic design industry for eight years before finally quitting at the end of 2011 to pursue my passion for illustration and cartooning. At my old job, when my boss wasn't looking, I would waste time reading Wikipedia pages, main biographies about people whose lives were a lot more interesting than mine. Their stories and quotes eventually inspired me to leave my job to focus on what I really wanted to do. The idea of taking these inspiring quotes, combining them with my love of drawing, and sharing them with others led to the creation of Zen Pencils.

By: @Mx.Enigma

She/They/Queen

#new blog #booksarelife #self care #library #nyc #nonbinary #nypl #life hacks

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buildingrelationshipsinanarchy · 4 years

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QIM Model | Dekoship Series | Phadship Series | Seroship Series

*As per uze, you dont have to read anything beneath the infographic itself, but I’m gonna try to add some theory to explain why this one excites me the most in the model*

So some significant people in my life and I have been discussing Anarchist theory lately with all of the uprisings and discussions of abolishing police. And while blogs like @queeranarchism and @hater-of-terfs are so much better read and have better takes on anarchism, direct action, current events, and politics in general, than I could hope to provide, its by those blogs and others that I’m inspired in the ways I am.

Mudships are just affinity groups you built to do some direct action. What is direct action? The link is to CrimethInc’s work Recipes For Disaster, and its intro is a good primer on it. To paraphrase it (who doesn’t like blockquotes?):

Practicing direct action means acting directly to meet needs, rather than relying on representatives or choosing from prescribed options ... it most properly describes actions that cut out the middleman entirely to solve problems without mediation.

Need some examples? You can give money to a charity organization, or you can start your own chapter of Food Not Bombs and feed yourself and other hungry people at once. You can write an angry letter to the editor of a magazine that doesn't provide good 72 coverage of the subjects you consider important, or you can start your own magazine. You can vote for a mayor who promises to start a new program to help the homeless, or you can squat unused buildings and open them up as free housing for anyone in need.

...

The opposite of direct action is representation.

While things can get intense the more confident you get practicing direct action, my purposes here are in regards to relationship building and mutual aid. In the ABC’s of Anarchism, Berkman has this beautiful little quote (you ready for another one?):

If your object is to secure liberty, you must learn to do without authority and compulsion. If you intend to live in peace and harmony with your fellow-men, you and they should cultivate brotherhood and respect for each other. If you want to work together with them for your mutual benefit, you must practice coöperation.

The social revolution means much more than the reorganization of conditions only: it means the establishment of new human values and social relationships, a changed attitude of man to man, as of one free and independent to his equal; it means a different spirit in individual and collective life, and that spirit cannot be born overnight. It is a spirit to be cultivated, to be nurtured and reared, as the most delicate flower is, for indeed it is the flower of a new and beautiful existence.

So when I talk about monogamy and capitalism, it isn’t to shit on people who do monogamy, its discuss how the cultural institution of monogamy is a social relationship. It’s to discuss not that practicing monogamy is the problem (although you’re not gonna catch me doing it), its to discuss how our culture perceives doing monogamy correctly and how that makes it worth critiquing if we were to imagine building a different society and attempt to make any meaningful steps toward it.

If doing monogamy ‘correctly’ is ‘investing’ time, money, emotional intimacy and sexual attention into one person, its obvious that it leaves so many people out of our lives that could add depth, joy, fulfillment, challenge, and transformative growth and change for us. Margaret Thatcher has a terrible quote: “There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families.” I bring up this trashcan quote by this woman with dumpster politics to critique the idea of Family as well. Monogamy leads to nuclear families, not all of the time, but enough of the time for most of us to have that experience.

But what is Family? Blood ties to people and access to their material resources? That’s how inheritance works, which has torn a part families by fighting over the resources by who gets what. Familiy also has colloquially meant familiarity with certain human beings thats developed or long periods of connection and time. How many of us have found people in our lives who have loved us deeper than our parents and siblings (if you still have, or ever had those)? My father passed a few years ago, and I’m virtually estranged with my mother and younger sister. Family in my life has been the partners and friends through the years who’ve had the patience, grace, and concern for my joy & well-being, it is them who has shared their time, energy, labor, money, food with me when circumstance would steal the ground beneath my feet. To discuss monogamy and family from the lens I’ve constructed is to talk directly about which social relationships become culturally validated and socially encouraged, and with it who gets access to what materials and why we watch others refuse to share it.

I talk about mudships as being relationships built around Mutual Aid and Solidarity, that whatever little circles we’ve built around ourselves don’t interrupt the ability to be charitable and generous with people outside of it. The individualism that’s reinforced by capitalism affects us by separating people from their communities, by leveraging human need against human values, by turning the world outside of our homes into a place ‘full of people who will take advantage of your naivete or good heart.’ This isn’t just some ideological or abstract concept, this word encapsulates why I have the current over my head that I do. It every much discusses how I’ve been able to keep an old roommate afloat after he was laid off of his job and couldn’t claim unemployment; and that was before COVID and its Lockdowns & Quarantines erased a huge chunk of the economy.

I don’t just say this to just encourage sharing. I say this as part of a larger conversation about how we’ve been encultured & propagandized to believe that some people don’t deserve access to healthcare, addiction therapy, housing, food, clean water, this list goes on. I want to start a conversation about building the social relationships that allow us to trust the people we’re sharing money, material resources, and labor with, in our own lives and to inspire the desire to get excited about helping those you may know are in need.

We have so much need and so many stoked, yet unfulfilled desires that capitalism fuels and feeds off of, but does that mean we can do nothing about it? Does that mean we have to hope another Bernie Sanders shows up? I don’t want the quality of my time on this earth to be suffering in ways I can actively resolve or prevent. But I can’t do that alone, trying to do so is impossible. It isn’t a moral failing to not be powerful in a world separates you from the source of connection, inspiration, and depth, all of which exists in the hearts and potential of others.

Don’t let yourself forget that we always better connected than alienated.

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kimtanathegeek · 4 years

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Two Brothers, Many Paths - Ch 27

It’s about time these poor boys had some normalcy, eh?

Thanks for reading! :)

—

Undertale copyright Toby Fox

Story and original characters by me, Kimtana

Please do not use without both permission and credit.

Read below, or read it on AO3 here.

First

Over the next several weeks, life for the two brothers fell into a normalcy that they hadn’t had since they left their home to flee to Mt. Ebott. They were able to shift from merely surviving day to day to simply living their lives.

They woke up each morning to prepare a healthy, hearty breakfast together, performed their daily workout routine, and did a few chores before setting out for the day. On some days they would go to the corner of the valley to train their bone magic. On others, they would explore—no longer did they need to forage, thanks to the ample supply of fresh food in their pantry.

During their explorations, they ventured to new places they had never had the chance to see since their foraging trips had limited them to the torch-lit path. Making sure not to be seen by those behind the ever-closed cavern doors, they investigated more of the snowy valley.

Sans found that the long, grey strip that he had seen from the cavern tunnel entrance so long ago was actually a thin river that ran through the valley. On the cavern’s side, the river snaked behind the cavern’s outer wall, beyond where they could walk as the rocky walls were too difficult and dangerous to climb. The other end of the river ran through the darkened area, fed by many of the numerous waterfalls and waterways. Yet they could not see where the river ended—it appeared to run on forever.

They made a bridge over the river using white bones and ventured further into the left side of the gigantic snow valley cavern over the course of many days—Sans’ teleportation being most helpful to return them to places they had left off, saving them the need to camp overnight or walk endlessly for hours to reach where they’d already been. Far from the cavern and their shelter, the valley’s left edge was a jagged cliff line, below which lay yet another valley—just as snowy, and just as vast. Sans gulped as he looked over the sheer, miles-high drop, refusing to let Papyrus get too near.

What the snowy valley lacked in its openness, the darkened area made up for in its labyrinthian pathways, countless bodies of water, and mysterious atmosphere. While the two skeletons preferred the chilly winds of the valley to the heavy, thick humidity of the darkened area, the watery location made for extremely interesting exploring.

Anytime they came to the darkened area, Sans made sure to fill up his bag with lucent gems to sell to the jeweler and mouseshroom nightlights, keeping a few for him and his brother and donating the rest to the charity workers managing food collection for the hungry. The monsters’ eyes lit up as much as the mushrooms did when they saw Sans empty his stuffed haversack of mushrooms into their donation crates the first time.

Aside from the gems and mushrooms, Sans also regularly collected reeds. He had started weaving coiled baskets during his spare time now that he had sturdy, thick thread and a tapestry needle. The baskets helped organize the pantry shelf better, and Papyrus adored the one Sans made special for him to store his tiny white bones when he wasn’t playing with them.

In addition to the reeds, they came across some parts of the darkened area that had cattails, which made Sans extremely happy, and amused Papyrus to no end.

“Wata sausage!” he had cried out gleefully when they discovered them.

Sans couldn’t help but grin at the mention of their nickname, recalling how he and his brother used to play with the cattails his mother would bring home from the lake. The brown flowers looked just like the pea sausages their mother would cook up, but tasted much more...fluffy.

Sans collected as many of the cattails as he could, not just for how great the stalks tasted in their salad, but he was collecting the brown flowers for their fluff. He had made a basket to store them in, and couldn’t wait until he had enough to make a proper set of pillows for him and his brother to sleep on, instead of the filled-up haversack they had been using for months. It would take a lot of cattails, but the darkened area was proving to provide a steady supply.

On training days, Sans would transport them to the valley corner, and they would continue improving their bone magic.

Papyrus had gotten much better with his ground attacks, and was rapidly refining his ability to create useful structures with his white bones, like platforms and stairs on the rocky walls, and beds of bones, which were almost to the point of all the bones coming up to the same height.

Sans had been trying to perfect his attack power—he was far better at rapid-fire attacks than a single strong attack. He was also attempting to learn free-hand blue bones, but, as always, it wasn’t easy for him to learn since no one was able to tell him how. However, as part of his training, he was learning to be more patient with himself, and to celebrate his successes instead of focusing on his failures, much to the joy of Papyrus.

Both skeletons also strove to become more disciplined in their training—making set amounts of targets to hit, repeating certain attack exercises over and over, and, especially for Sans, making sure that calm and focus replaced any anger or frustration. Anytime he felt the rage or aggravation rising up within him, he stopped what he was doing and took ten deep breaths, counting each one out loud—something his parents made him do when he had tantrums when he was younger—and he found that his damaging emotions left him with each exhale.

Once a week, Sans would go to the purple cavern to get food and supplies. He would teleport to the place where the masonry work area and the first brick building of the row met, since the pathway was always vacant.

He would first wind his way through the roads to reach the domed building on the opposite side of the city, which was the city’s community center. Monsters came not only to seek help with food, clothing, or items, but also to volunteer and donate. Job postings were available for anyone looking for work, such as in the many work areas throughout the city, services needed within the king and queen’s multiple projects to strengthen the city and morale, and even enlistment opportunities in the Royal Guard, as most of the soldiers had been lost in the human’s final push.

Sans would bring their inedible scraps to place in the community compost bin to be used for the crops that grew within the cavern. The bin was a small, four-wheeled, wooden cart parked just outside the domed building. It was lined with a thick, waterproof tarp, and—Sans was told—would take the compost to the large compost pile elsewhere in the city.

Sans was more than happy to give their food scraps to a good cause. He had been burying his food waste in a hole he had dug in the snow a few paces from their shelter—covered with bones and snow—since their first day. He emptied the frozen contents into the empty paper bags—which he had saved after finishing their granola and oats—and sealed the hole up for good. He then kept a small paper bag in the pantry corner on a little row of bones—to keep off the snow—next to the wood pile for banana peels, nut shells, apple cores, rotting reed stalks, and other inedible food and plant scraps.

He would then go inside the domed building, unloading his haversack filled with mouseshroom nightlights in the food donation crates as the charity workers thanked him profusely for his weekly kindness. Deep down, he knew it wasn’t much, considering the thousands of monsters who had been displaced by the war, many of whom were orphaned, injured, and without a way to support themselves. But he also knew that he was contributing food to those who might have gone without, recalling his and his brother’s joy when they discovered the mushrooms after so many nights of painful hunger.

After dropping off his donations, he would shoulder his emptied haversack and make his way to the market, visiting the jeweler first. He sold the gems he had found that week to the extremely grateful sapphire monster, and as she counted out his gold, he smiled as he saw necklaces, rings, fibulae, and more fitted with the cut-down lucent gems, glowing on their display racks throughout the shop.

Once he left the jeweler, Sans would do his shopping. He wouldn’t purchase nearly as much as he had the first time he came, needing only to replenish their pantry of items they were low on or out of. In addition to that, he would always get a bottle of milk, some cheese, loaves of bread, baby spinach, and bananas, as he only purchased enough of these to last a week so that they didn’t go bad or stale.

He rarely found a need to visit the non-food shops, as he had gotten most of what he needed on his first visit. He also wanted to limit the number of items they owned to the absolutely necessary in case they ever had to flee the shelter. Usually these market trips were dedicated for food shopping.

However, every week he ended his trip by visiting Ashen’s shop. He always made a point to purchase something from her, since she had mentioned that she used the gold to help others, and Sans thought that was an extremely kind thing to do. But mostly, he came to say hello and spend time with her. They chatted about their week, Ashen would show Sans her current knitting project, and Sans would tell her about his own crafting projects. On his third week in the cavern, he had given her a small reed basket that he had made for her.

“It’s for your knitting,” he said, shyly. “To store your yarn, needles, and stuff.”

She hugged him, giving a shudder that ruffled her grey feathers. “Thank you, Sans! I love it! That was so sweet of you to make this for me!”

She admired the basket the little skeleton had made for her. It was carefully woven, with strong, white thread stitching the coils of reeds together, and on both sides, where the braided handle met the basket, was a small yellow ribbon bow—he had found the ribbon while foraging on the torch-lit trail near the cavern ages ago—with a miniscule white bone tucked firmly in the center knot.

“Oh, my,” she gasped. “These bows are beautiful.... And yellow is my favorite color, too.”

“I thought so,” Sans grinned. “You were wearing a yellow dress the first day we met, and your knitting needles are yellow. So I used a yellow ribbon.”

Ashen hugged Sans once again, hiding her tears from him. She couldn’t bear to tell him that the reason she loved yellow so much was because it reminded her of her precious children’s feathers. She wiped her eyes on her wings without him noticing.

“Thank you for the thoughtful gift,” she said, smiling warmly at him with dried eyes.

“You’re welcome,” he grinned happily.

“Oh!” she exclaimed as she brought her new basket around the corner to put her knitting in. “I saw the toymaker who makes the teddy bears, and told him about how one of my customers was able to replace a teddy bear lost in the evacuation for his little brother—I didn’t mention your name or anything—and he was so happy! He made them on the surface for decades—that’s probably how your brother got his first bear—and wanted to keep making them down here to cheer children up. He was very pleased to hear that you were able to replace your brother’s lost teddy.”

“Aw, that’s great,” Sans smiled. “Yeah, I told my brother his bear was in here looking for him and he was so happy! He’s slept with him every night since.”

“I’m so glad to hear that,” Ashen sighed happily as she shuddered, her feathers rippling. “Poor little thing, has his teddy back.”

Sans purchased a blue dish towel that day to use instead of the scraps of rough cloth he had been using, and Ashen thanked him again for her beautiful basket.

Although Sans kept his hood up and his trips to the cavern brief, he never stopped looking for his father in the crowds. There were multiple times he thought he spotted him, but, every time, it turned out to be some other monster. Sans always brought a small blue bone, etched with his and his brother’s names on it, and when he visited the purple cavern, he would leave a bone down an empty alleyway for someone to find, hoping beyond hope that it would make it back to their father.

Sans would return home, spend the remainder of the day working on baskets or another craft project, then gave math, reading, and writing lessons to Papyrus before they started preparing dinner. After a delicious meal, Papyrus would have his lesson test, then the two brothers would play together until bedtime. Papyrus would snuggle up with Teddy as Sans told bedtime stories until the little skeleton started nodding off, then they settled down, tucked themselves in, and went to sleep.

The days turned to weeks quickly for the little skeletons—days filled with good food, adventure, learning, laughter, and productiveness. But most of all, the days were filled with normalcy. Peaceful, comforting normalcy.

“Ooh,” Sans breathed as they rounded the corner of yet another winding path through the darkened area. “There’s a lot of cattails here.”

“Ooh,” Papyrus chimed. “Glowey stones!”

The little area was at the base of a few small waterfalls. The cascades fed a large pool of water that split off into four waterways flowing in different directions. One of the waterways from the pool ran along their left, flowing back the way they had just come.

Two of the waterways flowed from the large pool straight towards the edge on their right, cascading off to form two more waterfalls. Sans chanced a peek over the side and gulped as he looked into the black void. He pulled back, keeping Papyrus far away from the edge. The two waterways cut through the path, just narrow enough for the two skeletons to clear in a running jump.

The last waterway ran forward around a snaking path out of their sight, probably feeding yet another body of water. Sans felt as though every body of water was somehow connected, the same water flowing through every portion of the darkened area. It was mesmerizing.

On either end, where the waterways left the area and the currents were much calmer, the cattails grew in clusters. Speckled on the walls and floor were blue and pink gems, their lights reflecting in the waters like shimmering splinters, and were the area’s only source of illumination.

“Pap, I’m going to go over there to get those cattails,” Sans said, gesturing to the clusters near where they entered. “Want to start collecting those gems? If your bag fills up before I’m done, just pile them up for me, and I’ll put them in my bag later.”

“Okay!” Papyrus smiled, happy to help. He had many gems to play with at home that he, personally and proudly, had found on their first few trips to the darkened area. He had plenty, so he started giving the ones he gathered to Sans to sell to the jeweler, which Sans thought was extremely generous of him to do. Papyrus was ecstatic to be able to help his brother get more food and supplies for them both, so he treasured being able to contribute.

Sans took a running leap back over the waterway and headed over to the start of the cattail clusters. Papyrus remained in the portion of the path sandwiched between the two waterways, which was littered with gems.

Sans took off his haversack, jacket, and shoes, then rolled up his pant legs and dipped his foot in. A chill went up his spine as he squeaked at the coldness of the water on his foot. He took a couple steps in the soft mud, and then there was nothing under his foot. He went from ankle-deep water to sinking to the bottom, chest-deep in water, in the course of a single step. He gasped sharply from the jolt of the sudden drop and the icy cold water chilling him to the bone. The mud was extremely squishy and slippery, and his light, skeletal body wanted to float. He had to dig his feet into the mud to keep himself anchored and walking straight.

“P-Pap,” he stammered, teeth chattering. “St-stay away fr-from th-the water. I-it’s too deep.”

“Okay,” his brother answered, crouched over a smattering of glowing gems, stuffing them into his little bag.

Sans waded over to the cattails and created a sharp blue bone knife. He took a deep breath and plunged down underwater, cutting the cattails off at the base of their shoots. He cut and gathered as many as he could until he needed air, then broke the surface to catch his breath and check on his brother. Then he dipped back down, cutting and gathering more.

Papyrus was having a great deal of fun finding gems. His bag was already filled up, and he had started a small pile at the edge of the path near the large pool. He laid his stuffed bag on the ground next to the pile so it didn’t weigh him down as he collected more. He stooped to pick up gems, tucking them in the crook of his arm. When he had too many in his arms to pick up more, he brought the armload over to the pile and carefully placed them down.

As he did this a fourth time, one of the pink gems fell out of his arms, bounced on the ground, and splashed into the large pool. Papyrus whimpered, unloaded his armful on the growing pile of gems, and crept to the water’s edge. He saw the gem, now stuck firmly in the soft bank mud under the water’s surface. The rippling currents made the gem’s location wave and wobble as its light shone up through the mud and water.

Papyrus tried bending over from where he stood on the edge, but the gem was too far. He carefully dipped his foot into the water bank, his shoe sinking into the gooey mud. He bent over, grunting as he struggled to reach the gem that was just out of reach. One more step should do it....

Sans broke the surface, gasping and panting for breath as he clutched the knife and bundle of cattails. He wiped the water from his eyes, blinked, and checked on his brother—watching him step into the pool with its stronger currents. He gasped sharply.

“Pap!” Sans yelled out fearfully. “Get away from the water’s edge! It’s too dangerous!”

Papyrus was bent over as far as he could, his fingers underwater, tickling the edge of the gem trapped in the mud, when he heard his brother shout. It startled him, and the mud beneath his foot gave way, causing him to lose his balance. He fell forward into the water and the current took him down the waterway leading to the edge of the area. He flailed wildly and cried out, the water too deep for his feet to reach the bottom as the current carried his extremely light, skeletal body towards the top of the waterfall.

Sans was in a panic. He dropped everything and hurried to get back on land, but the current kept trying to sweep him in the opposite direction when he pulled his feet out of the mud with each step. Why had he taken everything off him that would have weighed him down?!

Once he pulled himself up out of the water and onto the path, he stumbled with the water-to-land gravity difference as he cried out to his brother shrilly.

“Pap! Hang on!”

Papyrus was crying and choking as his head dipped in an out of the water’s surface, his arms waving madly in his panic. He was inches from the waterfall’s top, and Sans was feet away, scrambling as fast as he could in his heavy, drenched clothing. In the water, he felt like a feather being swept away—now he felt like his body weighed a thousand pounds.

Sans watched in horror as his brother was sent to the edge of the waterfall and thrust out over the cascade, just as he himself reached the waterfall, seconds too late.

“No!!!”

Sans thrust his head over the edge and raised his left hand out to Papyrus. He narrowed his eyes and clenched his teeth as he half-clutched his fingers, grasping at something invisible. As Papyrus fell in midair, screaming in terror, his soul began to glow dark blue. He had plummeted down the waterfall, but he was now slowing, completely unaware in his utter fright.

Sans saw the blue glow and strained every bone in his body to concentrate on pulling his brother up. Papyrus continued falling, his speed continuing to decrease. Sans struggled to get him to rise, not even sure what he was doing with magic he had never been able to cast. Papyrus decelerated, still flailing, coughing, and crying, absolutely terrified.

Sans clenched his hand “around” his brother’s soul so tightly it hurt, and he felt pain run up his arm to his shoulder, which had been taut and strained as he tried desperately to pull his brother up. It was hard to see Papyrus now as the dimness below engulfed him, but Sans could still see his brother’s glowing blue soul.

“C’mon,” Sans grunted through teeth clenched so hard they were near shattering. “C’mon!!!”

Papyrus’ soul flickered from blue to white momentarily, then shone completely white as he fell, no longer in the grasp of Sans’ magic.

“No!!!” Sans cried out at the top of his lungs as he helplessly watched his brother fall, swallowed by the darkness of the void. “Papyrus!!!”

The sound of cascading waters and sweeping currents were all that answered the horror-stricken skeleton, kneeling over the edge that had taken his brother.

#undertale #undertale fanfic #undertale fanfiction #sans #papyrus #sans and papyrus #sans undertale #papyrus undertale #skelebros #babybones #TBMP #TwoBrothersManyPaths #Two Brothers Many Paths

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ucflibrary · 4 years

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Be Inspired by Great Nature Writers

Nature writing can transport us to new place, inform us of the world around us and open our eyes to the magic and beauty right in front of us. Here are some ebooks currently available through the UCF Libraries to get you started.

The Essential Naturalist edited by Michael H. Graham, Joan Parker and Paul K. Dayton.

“The Essential Naturalist offers … a wide-ranging, eclectic collection of writings from more than eight centuries of observations of the natural world, from Leeuwenhoek to E. O. Wilson, from von Humboldt to Rachel Carson. Featuring commentaries by practicing scientists that offer personal accounts of the importance of the long tradition of natural history writing to their current research, the volume serves simultaneously as an overview of the field’s long history and as an inspirational starting point for new explorations, for trained scientists and amateur enthusiasts alike.”

Readings in Wood by John Leland

“Award-winning nature writer John Leland offers a collection of twenty-seven short, poetic essays that marry science and the humanities as the author seeks meaning in trees. Readings in Wood is an investigation of trees and forests and also of wood as a material that people have found essential in the creation of society and culture. Leland views with wit and erudition the natural world and the curious place of human beings as saviors and destroyers of this world.

Readings in Wood is a hybrid testament of science, faith, superstition, and disbelief learned from sitting on tree trunks and peering at leaves and fungi. Leland hopes others will join him in nature’s classroom.”

Where’s the Moon?: A Memoir of the Space Coast and the Florida Dream by Ann McCutchan

“In this coming-of-age memoir, McCutchan, a writer and musician, returns to Florida to reconcile with the life she had there [growing up]. Reconnecting with old friends and long-forgotten places, she confronts the transformation of wetland real estate she knew as a child into south Florida suburbs and the booming Space Coast… She … comes to a deeper understanding of the meaning of the cultural shifts she experienced in the sixties, and achieves a new appreciation of the history and aspirations of the two people who meant the most to her.”

The Great Clod: Notes and Memoirs on Nature and History in East Asia by Gary Snyder

“Over the course of his singular career, the Pulitzer Prize–winning poet, essayist, environmental activist, and Beat icon Gary Snyder has derived wisdom and inspiration from his study of Eastern philosophies, cultures, and art. Now, with this collection of eight essays, Snyder offers “a deceptively small book enfolding a lifetime’s worth of study” (Kirkus Reviews). The Great Clod is the culmination of a project that Snyder began in 1969 with the essay ‘Summer in Hokkaido,’first published in Coevolution Quarterly. In it and the subsequent entries… Snyder weaves together elements of travel memoir and poetic insight with scholarly meditations on civilization’s relationship to the environment.”

At Home in Nature: A Life of Unknown Mountains and Deep Wilderness by Rob Wood

“The compelling story of one family’s life among the rugged landscapes of British Columbia’s Coast Mountains, converting youthful ideals, raw land and a passion for the outdoors into a practical off-grid homestead.

Settling on Maurelle Island, he and his wife built an off-the-grid homestead and focused on alternative communities and developing a small house-design practice specializing in organic and wholesome building techniques. At Home in Nature is a gentle and philosophical memoir that focuses on living a life deeply rooted in the natural world, where citizens are connected to the planet and individuals work together to help, enhance and make the world a better …place.”

Want to explore more? Check out the titles related to nature available from Ebsco Ebooks

Learn New Outdoor Skills

Expanding your skills is a sure-fire way to appreciate nature more deeply. Want to know why the mocking bird in your neighborhood sings so many different tunes..including imitating your car alarm? How about knowing what to look for to find water out in nature? Want to be able to identify the plants and animals you encounter? There are a wealth of authoritative educational opportunities available online that you can use to build skills. Here are some of our favorites:

Cornell Ornithology Lab Open Lectures

Here you will find free lectures given by world renowned experts in the field of ornithology. This site also links to free learning games and instructional videos as well as the Lab’s online course offerings (for a fee).

Great Courses through Kanopy

Fundamentals of Sustainable Living “Become a more thoughtful consumer, save money, and reduce your ecological footprint with this course that teaches you how integrate sustainable practices into your everyday life. By learning specific knowledge and techniques on how to work more efficiently with the energy, water, and food you consume, you can live a more balanced and sustainable lifestyle that also positively impacts the world around you.”

The Science of Gardening “When scientists examine home gardens and landscapes, one fact stands out: The leading cause of landscape failure is not disease and it’s not pests – it’s our own gardening practices. Create a beautiful and sustainable home garden guided by the newest information from applied plant physiology, biology, soils science, climatology, hydrology, chemistry, and ecology.”

Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany“If you look around right now, chances are you’ll see a plant. It could be a succulent in a pot on your desk, grasses or shrubs just outside your door, or trees in a park across the way. Proximity to plants tends to make us happy, even if we don’t notice, offering unique pleasures and satisfactions. Open your eyes to the phenomenal and exciting world of botany!”

Our Night Sky “For thousands of years, the star-filled sky has been a source of wonder, discovery, and entertainment. All you need to feel at home in its limitless expanse is Our Night Sky, a richly illustrated 12-episode course that gives you an unrivaled tour around the sky–all while teaching you about the science, technology, and pure pleasure of stargazing.”

Add to the Scientific Study of Nature

Want to conduct some research? Right now? Even in your own backyard? Join a citizen science initiative! There are hundreds of projects actively seeking data from interested observers just like you. Check out the projects listed on these resources and find one that’s right for you!

CitizenScience.gov

National Geographic Citizen Science Projects

SciStarter.org

Don’t worry if you don’t have a background in science, there are projects available at all skill levels!

Virtually Explore Our World

Want to walk the Kalahari? Climb to the top of a mountain? How about swim at the bottom of the sea? UCF Libraries has hours of streaming video to inspire your love of nature!

BBC Landmark Collection

Check out some of the best nature documentaries of the last decade with this collection from Alexander Street Press. Titles include Planet Earth I & II, Spy in the Wild, Big Cats and so much more.

The Swamp

Explore the history of the Everglades and the unintended consequences of man’s quest to control it.

Forces of Nature

This four-part series from PBS delves into the powers and motivators which influence our natural world. Find out answers to such questions as “Why is water blue? How can a shape defy gravity? Why do bees make hexagonal honeycombs? And how do these things affect our own lives?”

Commit to One New Sustainable Practice

It can feel overwhelming trying to figure out the best way you can limit your negative impact on our planet, but don’t worry, it is not an all or nothing proposition. Even small changes in your actions can have lasting impact. I challenge each of us to commit to making one change in honor of the 50th Anniversary this Earth Day. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Choose one item you use regularly that comes in single use plastic and switch to more sustainable option. Bonus: choose a zero-waste option.

Reduce energy consumption by raising the temperature on your thermostat. You can start small with one degree and transition over time.

Commit to only drinking from reusable bottles or cups for one week.

Eat plant-based meals one day a week, or three meals throughout the week.

Switch one cleaning product you use to an environmentally friendly option.

Want more information? Check out our Naturally UCF Guide and our Anthropocene Reading List

#sustainability #earth day #ucflibraryies #anthropocene #naturally ucf

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holy-mountaineering · 5 years

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This spread is for @faerys-wear-boots

Thanks for the donation!

Tonight you’re getting the full Qabalistic Tree of Life Spread that I do and here you are. What I’m going to do is go through and briefly explain each card, its position on the Tree, and then I’ll give you a summary/synopsis of the spread as a whole.

Think of this spread as a sort of quantum map, or even the land of a regular map, everything is happening at once, in each place. It’s important to think of yourself as moving “through” the map but you are also simultaneously everywhere at once. For the sake of this specific experiment, think of this as a map.

Where we’re starting the journey from is Kether, the monad, the first sign of creation. We’ll call this your hometown, since it is where you’re from originally. Here we have the Prince of Disks, the airy part of Earth or thinking about what’s going on in the material/normal-ass world.

This prince is a map maker, an amateur cartologist. Holding his globe, he is pulled along by the sturdy bull of Taurus who is familiar with the terrain so the prince can gaze down and take note of where he is, where he’s been, and where he might be going. In other words this is learning about how to navigate life.

Pay attention to where you are and what you’ve been doing. Take notes. Have you been here before? Do you know where this leads? If not, mark it out in your globe so you know if you ever get there again.

In Chokmah, which is like your freeway getting you out onto the road out of your hometown is the Princess of Wands, the earthy part of Fire.

This is the material substance that comes from fuels action. Think of this: you have to make a fire because it is cold. You have a set amount of wood. You can make a big ass, bright ass fire that will leave you cold later that night when you’re out of wood, but jazzed while it’s happening. Or you can make a smaller, less exciting fire that will keep you warm all night. There is also a message about the last step in any action is really to become the actions and to let them become you. When your very Earthly substance is in it, you are no longer doing you just are.

Don’t burn yourself out and exhaust your resources on what you’re tackling in life right now. Do this and you shall live to dance and party another night.

In Binah, which is ruled by Saturn and for the sake of this reading we will call the first stop on your roadtrip. You haven’t really arrived anywhere but you’re stopping and getting a chance to repack your car in a more efficient way. Sitting in Binah is the 3 of Swords, Sorrow.

This is the first shape the suit of Air takes in 2 dimensions and it can be a bit disappointing. Your structure and order (Saturn) needs balancing (Libra) to be blunt. You must let go of your ideas of how things were going to be because now they are the way they are. Just because what you have isn’t what you thought you wanted doesn’t mean it’s not good.

Try to get your mind around what you’ve learned and and how to form it into a useful basis to move on from. Do not continue to focus on how you thought it “should be”, nothing is ever as pure or awesome as we idealize it.

Sorting out your mind means actualizing some of the things you’ve been thinking about instead of not doing it because it isn’t perfect in the way we thought it would be.

In Chesed which is ruled by Jupiter and again for the sake of this experiment we’ll say involves your influence and benevolence in your current trip is the 7 of Cups Debauch.

This is Venus (beauty, personal growth) in Scorpio, the dark water where things growing aren’t seen so clearly. There is a kind of completion of a cycle in the 7s and this Seven is about “letting go” of rotten feelings and connections that have festered. This is a need for what I call “emotional composting” so let things rot out to fertilize future emotional growth. But like a compost pile, you must turn it, give it Sun, and make sure that it doesn’t get rancid.

In order to grow through the darkest of times, we have to stretch out and take in as much light so we can illuminate the darkness. Our emotional problems and trauma shouldn’t sit alone and in shadow collecting molds and stinking up the place. This darkness is a resource and should be utilized for your future growth. It is work and does take energy and labor but I assure your swimming out of this “undertow” (Scorpio) will be worthwhile work you will live to not regret.

Emotionally things might seem rotten, people might appear all shitty, but it’s just trying to become wonderful fertilizer for greater emotional maturity and better future relationships.

Across the Tree in Geburah, which is Mars Town, where you find your drive and what you’re trying to accomplish/conquer is III The Empress, Daleth, Venus.

Daleth is the open door, like you’d leave your bedroom door unlocked if your lover were coming over, you want them inside (pun sort of intended). This is not passivity but waiting for the spring (or Aries her partner IV The Emperor) to energize what you have. Like the symbolic Pelican (phoenix also) spitting its breast open to feed its young, or like a pregnant person, the brunt of the responsibility for your future growth lies in you. Be ready and prepared for new growth like springtime, but remember, this all hinges on you and your openness to growth.

In Tiphareth, the Sun and center of gravity holding all this in place, the heart pumping the blood through this, your heart is the 7 of Swords, Futility.

This is the main thrust of the Will through the mind being thwarted by in helpful organization of ideas. Each sword with a planetary sigil are like the spikes in a parking garage, one way. It isn’t that the ideas or aspects represented by these swords are “bad” just that their placement and yours are not lined up in the best way right now.

Mentally and communication wise pull back from what you’re going at and work on how your organizing the information in your head.

In Netzach, Venus town, where you have the realization about how this is going to change you as a person with a personality is the Knight of Cups, the fiery part of Water or acting on feeling.

Ideally this is the drive to seek higher connections and feelings and being driven by intuition and love. Just don’t fall for illusions and false ideals. This is the love that brings you closer to connecting with everything, recognizing connection and it’s drive. This is the Arthurian tale of chasing the Holy Grail *Insert Monty Python joke here* simply to have a true connection to their god. Seek love like that.

Act on what you feel and truly intuit but only to the ends of unselfish almost worshipful Love. Do things that get you really really feeling.

In Mercury Town Hod-ville, where all the Universities are and everyone has real intellectual shit going on is the 5 of Disks, Worry.

Like all of the 5s in Tarot, this is the microcosmic or human number . Don’t believe me? Stand up, stick your arms and legs out and counting your head, congrats, you’re a pentagram. Lord knows people worry like motherfuckers about how they are going to get by in the “normal” world, so there is a stress and strain in this card that everyone late on a bill can understand. This is the worry that you’ll get your intelligence (Mercury) smothered by the laborious strain of Taurus. This is, like all 5s a human limitation issue.

Well it won’t unless you only see your limitations and make it happen. Be smarter about you material situation so you don’t have to work harder.

On the Moon in Yesod, the receptive and reflective place that is alot about the feelings that you’re picking up from all this is the Ace of Swords, the root power of Air or the mind.

This is the sword of the Magus and the magician’s Sword is the physical representation of our mind and it’s ability in its rawest state of being. Thelema is inscribed on the blade of the Sword in Greek because the Magus uses their mind to the end of their True Will. The Crown of light at the tip of the Sword is the illuminated mind, because in its singleness and sharpness it is the foundation of the mind, intellect, and communication powers.

Use your mind for what you need it to do. Remember that a sword is useless at best and dangerous at worst when it isn’t handled correctly. You can cut down an army with a sword, but you can also cut your whole-ass leg or arm off too with one too. Knowledge is dangerous and scary, be prepared.

Down here in Malkuth-istan, the everyday life mundane, waking up pooping, and going to work world is the 9 of Cups, Happiness.

I call this ‘mutually beneficial relationships’ or expanding influence (Jupiter) going or being pulled both ways (Pisces). Each cup has its own source but everything is flowing into each other down to the base of the 3x3 structure. There is a lot of water and all it represents and it hasn’t reached its peak yet and is still driving upward and outward.

Cultivate relationships and connective feelings that aren’t lopsided or just giving/taking. Keep building you’re not done yet.

So, you’ve got to learn and make new paths, while not burning yourself out and getting over these ideas of how you wanted things to be. Things aren’t turning out expectedly at all, but if you just pace yourself and keep track of where you’re heading and how you got there, you’ll be fine.

You need to focus on “airing out” some emotional hurt before you can affect the World how you need to. You start by letting those feelings out, let them die and rot and become useful, they’ll help you open up to the new possibilities that will guide you down your new path. Feeling like the Universe is pushing against you just means you need to find a new way around. This is all about that new path, that’s what is going to help you find the “path of least resistance” which will be a nice reprieve.

Your growth and that path we’ve been talking about is not some mundane-ass life. You need to seek that stuff that “lights you up” and connects you to the higher things that stir inside of you. Don’t be limited by your, uh, limitations or the limitations of those you’re trying to communicate with. When you open up to the new path, you should see yourself, just as you and not what “isn’t” you. Getting your head around this new path will require you to surround yourself with people, places, and things that will help you hone your Will and get you thinking in new ways for your new way! That Sword with Thelema on its blade isn’t just decorative, it’s for sharpening and being around sharp people/places/things will help you stay sharp!

And in your down here, everyday, just work on connecting with people in genuine ways that are reciprocal. Don’t try to give too much or take too much, but let things grow and connect naturally, in mutually beneficial ways.

There it is! Thank you again for donating!

Hit me up with any questions!

#tarot spreads #divination #cartomancy #occult #magick

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yegarts · 5 years

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Artist in Residence Recap: Luciana Erregue-Sacchi

The EAC met with Luciana Erregue-Sacchi to talk about her residency at Action for Healthy Communities and her final project, Knowledge Translation: A Memoir in 14 Tour Stops. Join Luciana for a reading from Knowledge Translation on September 26, 2019 from 12-1pm at the Action for Healthy Communities office (#100, 10578 113 Street). RSVP to [email protected] by September 22.

“I do not know much. But there are certain advantages in not knowing. Like virgin territory, the mind is free of preconceptions. Everything I do not know forms the greater part of me: This is my largesse. And with this I understand everything. The things I do not know constitute my truth.” (Clarice Lispector, Brazilian author 1920-1977 – opening quote for Knowledge Translation, a Memoir in 14 Tour Stops)

There isn’t much dividing the immigrant and artist experiences. Both demand courage, both require willingness to step forward into the unknown to create new realities, both entail the learning of new languages and vocabularies. This relationship is explored in Knowledge Translation: A Memoir in 14 Tour Stops, by Luciana Erregue-Sacchi as she distills the personal experiences of both author and subject into prose and poetry. The book is the result of Luciana’s six-month residency with Action for Healthy Communities (A4HC).

A4HC is a local newcomer-serving agency that offers services ranging from settlement and employment support, youth groups, literacy classes, and spaces for community gatherings. As Luciana began the residency, her first with an NGO, she had constructed a roadmap for her six months. She expected to contribute to, and compliment the agency’s programs while adding to their activities in a meaningful way. However, her interactions with the A4HC staff and clientele led her in exciting and eye-opening new directions.

( Sweet Grass Spanish Immersion Program school visit, and ESL outreach through art. Photos supplied by the artist)

Her first task was to learn a new vocabulary of agency lingo and new ways of thinking about her role. “I had to sit and listen – and be comfortable in not knowing – in silence,” recalls Luciana. “It was hard because I had high expectations of delivering things the way I thought I had to. This experience was like learning to dance together. First, I was dancing alone. And they danced alone. Then we all danced together somehow. There is a choreography to interacting, especially if you are an artist interacting with people who are not. Are they going to understand what you do? Will they value what you do if it’s not a concrete service/product.”

To enrich the choreography, Luciana drew on her experience as a Gallery Interpreter, convening with ESL program participants at the Art Gallery of Alberta. They explored the exhibitions and engaged in conversations about what they’d experienced.

“I came up with lists of words that I use in my work at the AGA that expand vocabulary in describing things and situations,” says Luciana. She anticipated they would talk about tangible elements of the work, like colour and form, but one artwork shifted the conversation into an exchange of cultural memories.

“The moment of truth came when discussing Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup print,” she says. “We were not talking about colour, shape, texture in that image. We ended up talking about [soup], our own cultures and American culture. The participants got to compare and contrast not the image, but the culture behind the image. That was super important; that people new to English discovered they could change discourse [in a new language]. That was a powerful moment for me.”

(Luciana and A4HC clients at the AGA. Photo supplied by the artist)

Unanticipated moments like this, and others that occurred while teaching writing strategies to ESL adults and youth, stuck with Luciana and contributed to her final project Knowledge Translation: A Memoir in 14 Tour Stops. Separated into two sections, Knowledge Translation offers a selection of personal memoir pieces, and poems inspired by interviews with A4HC staff.

Luciana was keen to create a body of work that captured the multidimensional newcomer experience. The first section of the volume contains collective poems constructed from A4HC reports and interviews with staff. Responses to questions like - what brought you here; how did you immigrate; how old were you; what did you do in your country of birth – were constructed into compact poems.

Office terminology overheard while at A4HC inspired the second section - leverage, capacity building, silos, impact, evaluation, information exchange, etc. Fourteen of the terms inspired memoir pieces or “tour stops” with each stop focusing on a different word.

“Everybody has their own stories about those words,” says Luciana. “I would try and juggle my mind for how that word resonated with me and my lived experience as a newcomer who lives in Canada, or as an immigrant woman who has been working and studying and raising a family in Canada. And because I am a tour guide at the AGA, I decided that each of those words could be tour stops. Basically, I organized the volume as a tour of my memory as an immigrant woman living in Canada.”

(Poetry reading organized for the A4HC residency. Photo supplied by the artist)

Luciana hopes Knowledge Translation speaks to all Edmontonians regardless of culture and background. “I want to emphasize how very important it is for artists and BIPOC writers to have opportunities like this; to see ourselves fully contributing to Canada’s culture. And the culture of the city. The experience of immigrants is not that far off from the experience of locals. I wanted to bring the communities together. As I was reminiscing, I was hoping people would be able to identify.”

Personally, Luciana hopes to maintain the momentum she has gained during the residency. “Not only have I completed this volume but I am motivated to continue not just writing, but perhaps becoming a publisher one day. Because of this tenure, I am seeing myself as a writer on a more full-time basis than before.”

She also has one big takeaway for other writers-in-residence, especially those in non-traditional venues. “Take your time to figure out the rhythms of the organization and the sensitivities – the organization is a living, breathing organism; it’s individuals and it’s the sum of their parts. Do something first, and then invite people to do things together. And do not give up if things do not go according to plan because there is always a better plan without you ever realizing.”

#artistinresidence #yegarts #edmontonarts #poetry #writerinresidence

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salareskandari-blog · 5 years

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What is CRM?

For ages, a sales representative was considered a person that spends the entire day in a cubicle, dealing with call logs, spreadsheets and a bunch of sticky notes scattered around everywhere. Imagine trying to find an important piece of information lost in that mess while in the middle of a decisive phone call with a lead.

Salespeople put in a lot of effort to learn more about their target customers. These situations along with technology development led to the necessity of software that could keep customer and company information neatly organized and accessible for sales purposes.

Entering CRM. A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a software that can manage every relationship and interaction with your target customers. The main benefits of a sturdy CRM system are pretty straightforward:

· Improved Relationships – The entire journey from prospect to buyer can be done on a CRM platform. As you acquire prospects, you can track their behavior and score them accordingly. That information can be used to nurture them and prioritize outreach.

· Healthy Pipeline – In a CRM, you can visualize your pipeline and focus on tasks needed to get you closer to the deal. It allows you to measure sales pipeline metrics and make sales reports easily.

· Improved Communication – You can communicate with every team member. Every information and important resource is available to everyone involved in a particular project.

A powerful customer relationship system can gather all the information about your clients in one section. This includes the deals that you’ve signed, emails that you exchanged, notes and appointments – all in one place.

Why Is CRM Essential for Companies?

If you want your enterprise to grow and continue on, you’re going to need a good strategy and lots of data. You have your sales and business goals, and you must generate a profit. But, getting valid data for business growth can be a complicated process. How can you render the flow of information that arrives from sales, customer and marketing departments and make it useful?

A CRM solution can do a lot of the legwork for you when it comes to gathering and interpreting data. In turn, you’ll gain more clarity when you manage your client relationships. Everything that you need, you’ll get it straight in the software’s dashboard. This includes client history, product orders, and package usage/status, problem tickets, etc.

Marketers can utilize the software to include social media information, such as the person’s likes and dislikes, comments and personal interests (interests in a particular service, product, etc.). A powerful CRM system can also be used as a sales and marketing tool, as well as for customer service and product shipping management.

How Can a CRM System Help in Business Development?

Here’s how a proper CRM software can help you in your business development process:

1. Recognizing and Capturing Leads

By using a customer relationship management system, you can easily spot who your potential customers are. After that, the sales team can start to focus on them as leads and nurture them all the way to the sale. The marketing team can also recognize prospects that need attention and score them as potential customers.

2. Enhancing Customer Relationships

Your clients expect nothing less than a fast response and personalized approach 24/7. A CRM software can help you give that to your customers. Your customer service personnel can see the product or the service that the client wants, and provide what’s requested or assign the task to the right person for the job.

3. Improving Your Existing Services

How can your company improve existing products and services? By listening to your customer’s feedback, of course. A sound CRM system can help you collect and categorize feedback from lots of existing and potential customers. These are important insights that you’ll need to know to upgrade your offers, identify product gaps and solve problems better.

Who Can Use CRM?

Based on business size, a CRM system can be used in:

· Startups – Startups need fast and reliable software for all sorts of business purposes. To stay firm in their approach, startups need to use a single CRM tool that gives the team more time to focus on business and product development.

· Small Businesses – If you want to grow your business, you must have the right tools for your workflow. The size of your business shouldn’t be an obstacle to use a CRM software.

· Enterprise – Every action should lead to closing deals. But, big businesses want to close big deals. This requires a bigger sales team and a vast pool of prospects. CRM software can be essential if you want to have an organized, clear and resolute sales process.

Based on the business type, CRM systems can be used in:

· B2B – In the B2B segment, especially if you run a SaaS business, you’ll need to be in a constant outbound process. You have emails to send, you have to track subscriptions, set up product demos. A CRM tool can help you manage all that information from one place.

· B2C – With a CRM software, you can track website visits, email product offers, and content, and manage a list of potential customers.

In a company, CRM can be used by:

· Sales Representatives – These people gain the most benefits of a CRM. The software has them covered for lead scoring, conversations with prospects, sales pipelines, calling, sending emails and tracking of emails.

· Sales Management – They need all the insight that they can get from sales representatives. By providing templates for reporting and for each prospect, CRM software helps sales managers check the sales team’s performance.

Empower Your Business with PAYAMGOSTAR Sales CRM

For those of you that are tired of managing sales and business development activities, we give you PAYAMGOSTAR Sales CRM.

PAYAMGOSTAR Sales CRM is a chief CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform that allows small and medium-sized business owners to manage their internal transactions within their WordPress dashboard.

How Was PAYAMGOSTAR Sales CRM Born?

PAYAMGOSTAR Sales CRM was started as an internal tool back in 2010. We tried many other CRM systems before, but none of them was suitable for our services and needs. Most importantly, other systems couldn’t solve our main problem at the time – connecting deals to people and their companies. This is now the core of the PAYAMGOSTAR Sales CRM.

Some of our former clients were looking for CRMs, and we had the business know-how required for the core philosophy of our CRM toolkit.

Why PAYAMGOSTAR Sales CRM?

This is your gateway to a better organization, enhanced skills and a closer association with your clients and customers. PAYAMGOSTAR Sales CRM provides you with one main location for your contacts and leads. It also lets you know when your last communication with a client was. This plugin can track weekly sales numbers, and you can have an overview of the entire business organization. In short, PAYAMGOSTAR Sales CRM helps you maintain your business better.

While we have numerous extensions (and growing) for different add-ons, the core PAYAMGOSTAR Sales CRM is available free on Payamgostar.com which supports three main types of information:

1. Companies – Your business connections. For example, if XYZ Inc. is outsourcing services to you or reselling through you, this can become a Company record in our CRM system. You can store information such as the decision maker, company type, industry, number of employees, and other fields.

2. Customers – When you work with XYZ Inc., it’s likely that you’ll interact with one or more people in the organization. These individuals can be stored as Customer/s. Even though “Allison” may be a Customer working for XYZ Inc. in the Marketing Department, you can connect her to the Company above with a designated field (contact details, referral, contact date, the initial amount from the first deal together). And “Jeremy” could be Technical Support at the same company with other fields filled in as well.

3. Projects – When working with companies and specific people, the transaction is defined as a Project. Projects are connected to Companies and Customers. This allows you to add starting and ending date, project duration, whether it’s an ongoing thing, currency, the status of the transaction and more. For example, XYZ Inc. may be a car parts warehouse selling three different types of car parts to you, each type defined as a separate project with timelines, responsible people, and status.

Besides the three core components, there’s a designated custom dashboard available as well that combines all data types. You’ll also get an activity log and a set of reports. The dashboard supports the quick addition of entries with a simple pop-up that allows you to input entries without going through the long and boring creation process of the default WP admin workflow.

Moreover, connected projects, customers, and companies can be created within the meta boxes of the edit screens, i.e. you can create a new Company once you connect a customer to the project right from the meta box!

PAYAMGOSTAR Sales CRM Features

PAYAMGOSTAR Sales CRM is a lightweight core that you can integrate inside of your WordPress website, and keep your data there. It’s free to use and it’s open source. This means that you can customize it. Also, we’ve added many filters that you can use to extend some of the dropdowns or adjust some of the core logic (or build extra extensions as we do ourselves).One of the things we love here (and the reason it was built on top of WordPress) is that you can combine other WordPress plugins to extend the functionality.

PAYAMGOSTAR Sales CRM can be combined with most of the Custom Fields plugins. You can add extra fields to track more data for your customers or companies, which is awesome! You can also set up your authentication as you see fit, hide the admin menu items that you don’t use, and play with the platform by integrating other solutions working in the WP context for standard custom post types.

#crm #payamgostar #sales #marketing

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nationaldvam · 5 years

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5 Takeaways & Lessons Learned at Facing Race 2018 a National Conference by Race Forward & Center for Social Inclusion

by Justine Robillard, Creative Media Specialist for the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) is devoted to continual learning and education around racial justice as a core element of our gender and social justice work. We refer to this collective journey as our Racial Justice Initiative. For our organization, this means that our staff and board at all levels are dedicated to investing in racial equity and bringing it to the front and center of our work. This November, it also meant that several of my colleagues and I were able to attend the #FacingRace 2018 Conference.

As a first time attendee I was overwhelmed with the sense that we (our organization & our movement) are part of something much larger. You see, as anti-violence advocates, we speak of “intersectionality” and “bridging gaps” and working with “sister” movements. At this conference we had the privilege of seeing first-hand the intersectional approach Race Forward takes when addressing social justice inequities. We were able to experience the coming together of sister movements, embracing their unique values and perspectives in a way that enhanced and moved conversations forward.

Tarana Burke stated that sexual violence intersects with all justice work: prison abolishment, police reform, economic justice, community health, housing, and homelessness. “Sexual violence is a racial justice issue, economic justice issue, community health issue, police brutality issue, LGBTQ issue, human rights issue.”

In the closing plenary Is America Possible? Building a Multiracial Democracy in an Era of Division, panelists explored steps for moving forward and taking the energy, bold truths and raw facts from this conference to empower our lives and our movements in a realistic change-making way.

“Alignment; let’s be smart. Let’s have a strategy and work together across differences.” - Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson

What does this mean for advocates working in their respective movements? We’ve highlighted just a few of the many take-aways from Facing Race that resonated with NRCDV team members who attended the conference.

1. Honor your ancestors & the space you are in. 2. Reimagine a World 3. The Power of Stories 4. Unjust, Not Unfortunate 5. Be Rigorous!

1. Honor your ancestors & the space you are in.

“We are the children of the ones who did not die; We are the children of the people who can fly; We are the children of the ones who persevered; We are fearless, we are strong, and we’re ready to carry on.” - Song led by Wendy Moore-O’Neal, Conference Weaver

Honoring the story of the space you are walking into, as well as the history and culture that you, yourself and your ancestors bring is exceedingly important. This serves not only to ground you in the culture and communities you are working with and for, but also to break down walls that you or others in the room may put up when entering a workspace. This is also an opportunity to acknowledge the history and voices of those who have come before you.

“Recognizing the power of Truth telling. We won't get to justice until we can actually tell the truth about our history” - Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson

So, what does this look like?

Race Forward was intentional about honoring the land we were on, those who walked it before us, and those who walk it today. They did so through community agreements, and showcasing the rich history of Detroit, especially its indigenous populations. They brought leaders such as Grace and Jimmy Boggs, the water warriors of Michigan’s water crisis, and labor rights activists to the forefront and made space for Detroit's leaders in arts and music.

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2. Reimagine a World

Throughout the conference many speakers challenged us to not only reimagine the world around us, but how you are going to be present. They challenged us to reimagine new systems, such as public goods and services; reimagine how we utilize our land and natural resources; reimagine how we value labor, and where we put our financial resources. Reimagine democracy. Reimagine your own body. What would your body be shaped like without oppression or exploitation? How would you look and how would you move? What would it look like if you shared this vision of yourself with the world? It was extremely challenging to envision ourselves and our systems in ways that are different from what we currently have, but it is this radical reimagining that has the ability to create major impactful change.

“Creating the condition for people to feel free to imagine a world with new possibilities.” - Bree Newsome

3. The Power of Stories

At Facing Race a few of us were able to attend FRED Talks (Facing Race, Elevating Democracy) featuring stories, strategies, and lived experiences of advocates and leaders from communities most impacted by societal oppressions. These stories remind us not only that our work is not yet done, but the importance of engaging with our sister movements, continual open dialoge, and the power of sharing our stories. Every story holds a different perspective or lens. It is through these perspectives that new lessons, barriers, and learning moments are revealed, and from which more comprehensive and innovative solutions can be found.

Let me put it another way. Say we’re playing “Escape the [social inequity] Room.” Every story holds a different perspective and each perspective holds a different key. If we do not share, listen, learn and respect the stories of our siblings fighting for justice, we are aimlessly trying to “escape the room” without access to all the keys to open the locks.

4. Unjust, Not Unfortunate

“When we leave people at unfortunate, not at unjust, we aren't addressing the systems of oppression. We aren't holding institutions accountable or pushing them to do better. We aren't pushing for real change.” – Adrienne Maree Brown

As advocates, we fight injustice daily. The injustices we face have become so normalized by society that systemic oppression is often labeled as merely ”unfortunate.”

Adrienne Maree Brown reminded us that when we label struggles caused by poverty, racism, and homophobia as unfortunate, and not unjust, we are removing ourselves from the humanity of these situations. If a situation is unfortunate, like a scrape or cut, we address it with Band-Aid solutions, because unfortunate problems may heal or resolve themselves in time. We need to be bold and acknowledge when things are more than just unfortunate. It’s unjust to listen to lived experiences and not offer a path to healing and change.

Justice requires movement; it requires systemic change; it requires acknowledgement; and it requires more than a Band-Aid. An unjust situation may require stitches, surgery, the setting of bones, or even the re-breaking of bones to then be set right. Justice is messy and hard it requires real change.

5. Be Rigorous!

Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson reminds us to "Study. Be disciplined and rigorous in what's happening now and what has happened in history. Do work. And evaluate and grow as you continue to work.”

Advocacy is hard and sometimes draining, and self-care is important, but we cannot stop! We must be rigorous in our study and learning and rigorous in the inclusion of others and their unique perspectives, because they are valuable not because they are a statistic. We must be rigorous in uncovering and acknowledging the hidden histories of our nation and oppressed peoples, and rigorous in developing our own work and growth. We must be rigorous in evaluating our progress, learning from our failures and continuing to get back up, and rigorous in helping one another get back up and into the race.

“Let’s roll together. Solidarity is a practice. You have to do it… There are opportunities to build solidarity in our shared fate. If you come for one of us, you come for all of us… We need revolutionary strategies. Let’s use our visionary muscles.” - Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson

These takeaways by no means reflect all the wisdom we gathered in this space. With well over 100 workshops, not including plenaries, planned Race Flicks, Racial Justice Reads, and social events, this conference was packed full of learning for everyone at every level of racial justice work. Check out our December TAQ (Technical Assistance Question of the Month) on VAWnet, where Ivonne Ortiz speaks to her experience attending the Race Forward conference as a woman of color and addresses the question “As a woman of color; how can I find my place in the domestic violence movement?”

Learn more about how you can put these awesome ideas into practice! Some ideas to get you started: • PreventIPV, Tools for Social Change: https://preventipv.org/ • MEV’s Resource Library: https://www.movetoendviolence.org/resources/ • Race Forward’s research https://www.raceforward.org/research • Race Forward’s news outlet, Colorlines: https://www.colorlines.com/ • December TAQ: We exist! As a woman of color; how can I find my place in the domestic violence movement?

#Awareness Highlights #blog #DVAM #DVAP #NRCDV #raceforward #facingrace #racism

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blog-cosmosuniverse1 · 3 years

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The Great Reset Is Accelerating Into Global Tyranny

The World Economic Forum’s 2030 agenda includes the dictum that you will “own nothing and be happy.” The unstated implication is that the world’s resources will be owned and controlled by the technocratic elite, and you’ll have to pay for the temporary use of everything The WEF’s 2030 agenda is part of what is now advertised as The Great Reset Also part of The Great Reset is the transition from shareholder capitalism to “stakeholder capitalism,” which world leaders claim will provide “equity” for all In reality, stakeholder capitalism destroys freedom and shifts power over nations from elected governments to private corporations and other unelected “stakeholders” such as the WEF Since the first quarter of 2020, we’ve already gotten a taste of what The Great Reset will mean for public health. The basic premise is that of a biosecurity state, where unelected “stakeholders” decide what is best for everyone

The World Economic Forum’s 2030 agenda includes the strangely ominous dictum that you will “own nothing and be happy.” The unstated implication is that the world’s resources will be owned and controlled by the technocratic elite, and you’ll have to pay for the temporary use of absolutely everything.Nothing will actually belong to you. All items and resources are to be used by the collective, while actual ownership is restricted to an upper stratum of social class. Just how will this imposed serfdom make you happy?Again, the unstated implication is that lack of ownership is a convenience — they’re just making your life easier. Rent a pot and then return it. You don’t need storage space! Imagine the freedom! They even promise the convenience of automatic drone delivery straight to your door.Artificial intelligence — which is siphoning your data about every aspect of your existence through nearly every piece of technology and appliance you own — will run your life, predicting your every mood and desire, catering to your every whim. Ah, the luxury of not having to make any decisions!Planned Theft Under the Cover of a Pandemic This is the mindset they’re trying to program into you. As just one example, in a mid-November 2020 video announcement, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said:1“This pandemic has provided an opportunity for a reset. This is our chance to accelerate our pre-pandemic efforts to re-imagine economic systems that actually address global challenges like extreme poverty, inequality and climate change.” Some, however, are starting to realize that these narratives of “building back better” and “resetting” the economy to ensure “equity” are proverbial mouse traps. Once you bite the cheese, you’ll be stuck, robbed of your freedom forevermore.In the video above, author Douglas Kruger explains why freedom is impossible without the right to private ownership. The technocratic elite of course do not want you to understand the real-world ramifications of what they have planned, which is why they try to sell this diabolical idea as something that will benefit society and finally make life fair for everyone. It’s an attractive narrative, but a dangerous fantasy to buy into. As noted November 16, 2020, by National File:2“… Trudeau suggested the COVID-19 virus provided an ‘opportunity for a reset … to re-imagine economic systems.’ This was taken as an endorsement of a World Economic Forum plan to concentrate most private property in the hands of Big Tech mega-corporations.The ‘Great Reset’ plan involves a collaboration between national governments and international bodies to ‘reset capitalism’ with an integrated transnational technocratic welfare/surveillance state by the year 2030 …WEF member corporations and government partners would accomplish the ‘reset’ by using economic policy to virtually abolish individual property and concentrate nearly all wealth in the hands of international mega-corporations.The idea would be to leverage the welfare state and gig economy to replace the economic status quo of individual ownership with one where the majority of individual needs are rented instead.” Learn to Recognize the Great Reset Catchphrases The WEF’s 2030 agenda is part and parcel of what is now advertised as The Great Reset,3 a plan that originated in something called the Global Redesign Initiative, drafted by the WEF in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis. The Transnational Institute’s website describes the initiative as “multi-stakeholderism” as a “new form of global governance.”4On a side note, as I was entering the Transnational Institute reference, I noticed the URL included the words “taxonomy term backup delete later.” I don’t know if that means anything, but I archived5 the page just in case. Other terms and slogans that describe various facets of this global takeover agenda include:The Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is part of the transhumanist movement.6 In the video above, WEF founder Klaus Schwab describes these plans Building Back Better The Green New

Deal “Equity” Stakeholder capitalism In recent days, we’ve seen a slew of world leaders come out in lockstep to denounce capitalism, saying we need “stakeholder capitalism.” Among them is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who September 17, 2021, spoke out against capitalism at a meeting in London.7,8"In America, capitalism is our system, it is our economic system, but it has not served our economy as well as it should,” she said. "So what we want to do is not depart from that, but to improve it.You cannot have a system where the success of some springs from the exploitation of the workers and springs from the exploitation of the environment and the rest, and we have to correct that."President Biden is the first U.S. president to embrace stakeholder capitalism by name,9 and leading Democrats, including Vice-President Kamala Harris and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have presented policy proposals that would write stakeholder capitalism into law.10What Is Stakeholder Capitalism? But just what is stakeholder capitalism? If it’s fairer and makes everyone more prosperous than the shareholder capitalist system we currently have, shouldn’t we all support it? The problem is that the way it’s described is not how it actually works in the real world. It sounds great in theory, but the end result is not going to benefit the average person.As reported by Ivan Wecke on Open Democracy, in an article titled “Conspiracy Theories Aside, There Is Something Fishy About the Great Reset”:11“The set of conspiracy theories around the Great Reset are nebulous and hard to pin down, but piecing them together gives us something like this: the Great Reset is the global elite’s plan to instate a communist world order by abolishing private property while using COVID-19 to solve overpopulation and enslaving what remains of humanity with vaccines.Intrigued … I decided to find out what the WEF’s Great Reset plan was really about. At the heart of conspiracy theories are supposed secret agendas and malicious intent.While these may be absent from the WEF’s Great Reset initiative, what I found was something almost as sinister hiding in plain sight. In fact, more sinister because it’s real and it’s happening now. And it involves things as fundamental as our food, our data and our vaccines.The magic words are ‘stakeholder capitalism’, a concept that WEF chairman Klaus Schwab has been hammering for decades and which occupies pride of place in the WEF’s Great Reset plan from June 2020.The idea is that global capitalism should be transformed so that corporations no longer focus solely on serving shareholders but become custodians of society by creating value for customers, suppliers, employees, communities and other ‘stakeholders.’The way the WEF sees stakeholder capitalism being carried out is through a range of ‘multi-stakeholder partnerships’ bringing together the private sector, governments and civil society across all areas of global governance.The idea of stakeholder capitalism and multi-stakeholder partnerships might sound warm and fuzzy, until we dig deeper and realize that this actually means giving corporations more power over society, and democratic institutions less.”Stakeholder Capitalism Increases the Power of Corporations The Global Redesign Initiative, which served as the basis for the Great Reset, has been described as “the most comprehensive proposal for redesigning global governance since the formulation of the United Nations during World War II.”12 So, this is no minor tweak. It’s a complete overhaul of how we do business and govern nations, not only in the U.S. but globally.In this multi-stakeholder model, government is just one stakeholder among many. Other stakeholders that would have to be taken into account include nongovernmental organizations such as the WEF itself and multinational corporations. In other words, these other stakeholders will have a say in how nations are governed.Notice that world leaders will stress that the stakeholders include the environment and workers. The truth, however, is

that the needs and desires of workers and the natural world are hardly at the center of this model. As explained by Wecke:13“Instead of corporations serving many stakeholders, in the multi-stakeholder model of global governance, corporations are promoted to being official stakeholders in global decision-making, while governments are relegated to being one of many stakeholders.In practice, corporations become the main stakeholders, while governments take a backseat role, and civil society is mainly window dressing.”Stakeholder Capitalism Is Taking Over by Stealth Wecke points out that this multi-stakeholder ecosystem has already been implemented and is expanding with each passing day. It’s not something that they’re proposing to implement in the future. Instead, they’re basically just telling us now what they’ve been doing for years already.“Multi-stakeholder groups have spread across all sectors of the global governance system,” Wecke says, noting there are already “more than 45 global multi-stakeholder groups that set standards and establish guidelines and rules in a range of areas.”These groups, which have no democratic accountability, consist of large multinational corporations, which recruit insiders within government, civil society and educational institutions. Together, they claim to solve all sorts of problems that plague society.Essentially, they believe they know what’s best for everyone, and without having been elected to speak and act on our behalf, they are making unilateral decisions that will dictate how we live, grow and prosper.Since the first quarter of 2020, we’ve already gotten a taste of what the Great Reset will mean for public health. It’s basically founded on the premise that we live in a biosecurity state, where these unelected ‘stakeholders’ decide what is best for us, regardless of how we feel about it.As just one example of a multi-stakeholder “ecosystem” that is already up and running is the COVAX initiative, the aim of which is to accelerate the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. This initiative was created by two multi-stakeholder groups, GAVI and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), in partnership with the World Health Organization and funded by governments.GAVI and CEPI are both tied to the WEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and a long list of drug companies. As noted by Wecki, while governments are funding the COVAX initiative, corporate-centered coalitions (GAVI and CEPI) are overseeing and reaping the profits from the work.We’ve already been given a glimpse of the core problem with this system, which is that it’s entirely profit-driven. In 2020, South Africa and India sought to lift intellectual property rules on COVID-19 vaccine technologies to boost manufacturing in developing countries. GAVI, Gates himself and the drug industry strongly opposed, as you’d expect they would.Why? Because public health is not their prime incentive or motivation. Profit is. Profit is their main interest, and as a primary “stakeholder,” their interests must be weighed against other stakeholder interests, such as people’s want and desire to not get sick and die. And, well, they’re at the center of the power structure, so guess whose interest wins, and will always win?Stakeholder Capitalism Will Destroy Freedom Wecke describes multi-stakeholderism as “the WEF’s update of multilateralism,” which is the system by which nations of the world are currently working together. At the core is the United Nations.So far, this system is still democratic, at least in theory, as elected leaders are the ones brought together to make global decisions. The problem we’re facing is that the stakeholder capitalism now proposed is not going to deepen democracy but rather eliminate it altogether.Its design sidelines governments and places unelected stakeholders, primarily transnational corporations, in the driver’s seat, giving them ultimate authority to make decisions for the world as a whole, which is precisely what we’ve increasingly started to

experience during this pandemic. As explained by Wecke:14“Put bluntly, multi-stakeholder partnerships are public-private partnerships on the global stage. And they have real-world implications for the way our food systems are organized, how big tech is governed and how our vaccines and medicines are distributed.”We’re in for a Medical Reset as Well Since the first quarter of 2020, we’ve already gotten a taste of what The Great Reset will mean for public health. It’s basically founded on the premise that we live in a biosecurity state, where these unelected “stakeholders” decide what is best for us, regardless of how we feel about it.For example, hospitals around the U.S. are all instructed to use the deadliest COVID treatments imaginable, and doctors who defy the guidance and actually do what is best for their patients are having their medical licenses threatened. Merely speaking out about effective COVID treatments will put a bullseye on a physician’s back.In countries everywhere, people are told COVID shots are the only way forward, and vaccine passports — once derided as a paranoid conspiracy theory — are being implemented. Who made these decisions? No one is admitting the real source of these lockstep decisions, but we can be sure they’re coming from a central hub, run by people no one ever voted into power.Around the world, a twisted mind game is being played out, where world leaders are now telling us that vaccine passports are our “ticket to freedom,” completely ignoring the fact that our freedom is not, and cannot be, predicated on our medical choices.Trudeau, for example, recently stated that vaccine passports are “all about” letting you know that “if you’ve done the right things, you get to be safe” wherever you go.15 And those who refuse to do “the right thing,” well, they simply aren’t entitled to those same “freedoms.” Justin Trudeau says that vaccine passports are "all about" rewarding certain freedoms to people who have "done the right thing"— and that those who "still resist" simply won't get to enjoy those same freedoms.

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