#'culture is important to me because i've invented my own. i'm the first of my kind. my patron gods are super important to me.'

[quatregats]

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[windvexer]

Theme and Action: a tarot method for brainstorming plots, setting, and characters

I find a lot of story brainstorming spreads to be clunky and rigid, so I did a little experimenting and came up with a method I like a lot. I haven't done a ton of testing yet but I thought I'd share what I have.

Basically, it's a two card draw from a deck split into majors and minors. Each draw always has one major card (theme) and one minor card (action).

When you have a question, like:

What are some ideas for the next scene?

Why would that character behave that way?

What's the defining characteristic of this vampire clan?

What do the people in this society fear most?

Why is this scene dragging?

What does this character need to feel more real?

You would draw one major card and one minor card!

Themes and Action; what it's about vs how it manifests

We could call these cards a bunch of different things depending on exactly how the question is framed, but Themes and Action are good enough.

Basically, the major arcana card gives subtext or context, and the minor arcana card provides specific incidents. Like this!:

"In my vampire setting, what is the most important thing in vampire culture?"

Theme: Death

Action: 10/Pentacles

Interpretation: (Theme) The most important thing in vampire culture is the process of dying and the equalizer of death itself. (Action) This has resulted in cultural rituals where death is treated as a sacred adoption or initiation into a new family/estate.

(I really drew this test spread and it really was death lol)

We can swap out the Action card to see a different outcome:

Theme: Death

Action: 5/Swords

Interpretation: (Theme) the most important thing in vampire culture is the process of dying and the equalizer of death itself. (Action) the horror of death and loss has never been overcome in this society, and it must be dealt with as an individual - because vampires process the pain of their own deaths by taking it out on each other.

Here's a different example. In an urban fantasy book where a witch solves ghost mysteries, pacing is dragging and we need our next scene to be exciting. But despite a foot chase after a suspected ghost poacher, the scene doesn't feel fast paced or exciting. The question is, "how do we spice this up?"

Theme: Hermit

Action: King of Cups

Interpretation: (Theme) instead of a crowded street, the character will be isolated and without normal support. (Action) she'll be trapped in a closed space with the story's main villain, who most closely connects with the King of Cups

Another swap, this time switching out the theme card:

Theme: Empress

Action: King of Cups

Interpretation: (Theme) the scene feels boring because it's action without development. Show the main character's personal development and give her a 'level up' moment. (Action) have the ghost poacher lead her to a premature showdown with the main villain, whom she faces bravely for the first time.

This is already long so I'm not going to go on and on with examples but so far I've found this method to be pretty versatile.

Try interpreting Theme and Action as literally as you can within the context of the story!

If you're writing a story about a flower princess who sleeps on a dewdrop in the mystical Gnarlwood Forest, the Sun card will mean one thing.

If you're writing a story about vampires, the Sun card probably means something very different.

Major arcanas can be literary themes, like the moon representing deceit within society, but they can also be literal; in a werewolf story, the Moon card might represent the celestial body that controls the lives of certain people.

The most important thing for me is to avoid interpreting the cards in a general self-help sense.

The cheerful villagers of prosperous Splitsky Castle are waiting for you to invent a festival so a mysterious stranger can come to town and get the plot going.

The question is, "what kind of festival gives me the right setup to pull off the plot point I want?"

The theme card is the Magician, so ideas for the festival could be:

A festival honoring magic users (if they exist in your setting)

A festival honoring the resourcefulness of the villagers

A festival of stage magic and trickery

The action card is the 6/Cups.

Probably, the festival is not about healing your inner child with Jungian shadow work. More contextual ideas might include:

A festival where children are chosen to be trained in magic

A festival celebrating teaching the next generation important skills

A festival meant to delight and entertain children with stage magic

Developing related factions or foils

Draw a major arcana card to identify a certain Theme, maybe along the lines of:

What do they hold to be sacred?

What do they not care about, or hate?

What is their most cherished virtue?

What is the defining feature of leadership?

When they sing about home, what is in their songs?

This theme will be the same for both entities.

Draw different minor arcana cards to show how each entity expresses that theme.

Conversely, work in the opposite direction: keep the minor arcana card for both entities, and swap out the theme card.

Finding Action cards when you know the Theme

Holding the deck so that it's facing you, thumb through the cards until you find the major arcana card that describes your theme. The most recent minor arcana card that was on top of it, even if separated by other majors, is the action card.

Reversals

I tend to read both cards as upright and reversed, and just apply whatever meanings are most relevant. In my experiments using reversals ended up being too finicky and specific, and limited my creativity.

Complex Concepts and Plots

For a complex reading, like plotting an entire novel or building an entire character, I have found more utility in doing many pair readings rather than doing one large spread with many pairs.

My tests so far have suggested that the most creative freedom is found in asking specific questions, like "what is this character's driving motivation," and "what is her quirky hobby," and "what makes her put up with her annoying best friend," rather than trying to build a giant spread that includes all of these things at once.

As a caveat, in plot spreads, I will sometimes put pairs down without returning them to the deck, and then connect Theme/Action pairs with single action cards to suggest events that connect the dots.

[sanctus-ingenium]

I’m really inspired by your world building and the creatures you use. I’m trying to kickstart my own world using Celtic, Norse and Scottish myths (it also involves werewolves because they’re cool)

But I’m stumped and a bit overwhelmed. How’d you start your project and what were huge sources of inspiration for you as you worked on The Black Horse?

hi there!!! this will probably get wordy i have a lot of thoughts on this but here's how i built up my inver setting

i had the characters first, and the werewolf establishment was basically the first thing invented about the world. I wrote a decent amount about the characters in the pre-1st draft slush pile just getting a handle on their voices, their history together, etc. the first slush draft was in painstaking chronological order telling of their lives from birth to like age 40 - it wasn't pretty to read but it meant I knew what big moments formed their worldview, their relationships with others, things like that. and then i got to pick and choose which ones would feature in the actual 1st draft, and which i would leave unsaid, in flashback form, or only in the form of vague allusions. the plot and world events changed significantly as i wrote the actual 1st draft so this ended up only being useful for backstory stuff and not book plots, but it was still good to have.

There was an important moment of a character being kidnapped into a faery realm, which is what started me off thinking about fairies in general. they weren't originally a part of this world - it was an undefined space before just for the characters to exist in, because i was (and still am) more interested in the characters than the worldbuilding. but i still like for there to be SOMETHING there in the background, and it gives a lot of opportunities to inform characterisation, so i started to make my setting. I picked the Púca as a pivotal being & major inspiration source to include because of its relatively large presence in the fringes of my childhood in stories told by my older relatives and i like the unusual aspects about it as well, how it has been both heroic and malevolent in different stories. you have to remember i grew up in this culture too, i knew a lot already, and that's what got me thinking of alternate Earth history - as in, the setting of Inver as alternate history, not wholly original fantasy set in a fantasy land.

So then I had to think about the implications of that, and here is where I think a lot of authors adapting extant mythology fall short. A world where faeries/mythological monsters/gods based in real cultures exist and people interact with them is indistinguishable from our own. We already live in a world where people interact with faeries in their own way; I've heard many older relatives recount stories of being trapped in their fields by faeries, how you can only escape by taking off your jumper and putting it back on inside out. There was no question as to whether they believed this was a concrete, meaningful interaction with a supernatural being. We have a motorway that was diverted while it was being built because the builders didn't want to risk cutting down a hawthorn tree. There is a deep stigma against harming hawthorns. Now, tell me how things would be any different if faeries were real irl? ftr I do not believe in the supernatural whatsoever, not even a little bit, but it is impossible to deny that I live in a world deeply shaped by it - I need only look out the window at the stands of whitethorn around my house to know that. because the main expression of that supernatural element is in how the people of that culture react.

you cannot, you cannot pick and choose only the monsters from a legend and leave behind the people who made & propagated that legend. you're only taking a single thread from a rich tapestry. I'm not arguing that other cultures should be untouchable, far from it, I'm just saying that to truly appreciate it, you need context for everything you adapt. you gotta know what you're writing about

in that sense, the people are more important to building Inver than the faeries. a citizen of Inver not immediately affected by the main plotline would likely never see or interact with magic in their lifetime, but their society is still shaped by it. so is mine (though that's more on the catholic church than anything else)

So now that I'd had that realisation, I decided to dump a lot of the traditional fantasy tropes I'd been working with. Think basic fantasy setting stuff, pop culture "The Fae" tropes, even the terminology of 'Fae' at all - that is not something I've ever heard the older generation in my life call them. It's just 'fairies' to them (although I did shift the spelling to match the Yeats poem because I could not handle writing characters making accusations of being A Fairy and have it not come across as a unintentionally homophobic accusation lmao). I did some research; mostly on JSTOR, using my institutional access, because my own university is mostly science and didn't have a big library of anthropological texts. I read An Táin Bó Culainge which is honestly one of the greatest stories of all time PLEASE READ IT if you are at all interested in Irish myth. It is a fantastic story and extremely comedic as well (a canon mmmf foursome lol). In terms of academic sources specific to the Púca, I have a drive folder of pdfs I will share with anyone if they ask.

I decided I was not going to include anything from what people actually think of as pre-christian Irish mythology - no fianna [rangers notwithstanding], no Ulster cycle, no Tuatha Dé, no Irish gods. All the things I include are post-colonial aside from the notion of the Otherworld in general. This decision wasn't necessarily accurate to what might have happened in this alternate history (given that christianity still has no real foothold in Inver) but it is a colonised society after all. It's why I got slightly steamed once when someone filed my Púca art into their irish deities/irish polytheism tag (I have my own issues with iripols/gaelpols for the same reason I dislike people taking myths out cultural context and in this case contemporary cultural context), because the Púca is in fact a postcolonial being - it comes from the UK, and likely the mainland as well

One of the last things I did before starting on my 2nd draft, which is what turned into Said the Black Horse, was decide to always capitalise the word 'Púca'. Because what really clicked from doing my research and remembering what I'd heard as a child was that the Púca is a specific character. Not a species, not a class of monster. A character, one guy. And you'll find this everywhere - the obvious example is the Minotaur being one specific guy, the son of Minos, not just 'a minotaur'. One very funny consequence of speciesifying mythological characters is dnd ppl saying their character is A Firbolg (fir bolg is plural!!). Fantasy bestiary books like Dragonology or Spiderwick Chronicles have done some amount of damage to how people relate to myths and legendary creatures, and I am not immune as someone who loves speculative biology, but in Inver I decided to cut all of that out.

Next once I got that out of the way I had to think about tone, atmosphere, and intended results. I didn't achieve my holy grail of a very atmospheric, undefined, and uncertain story that provides no answers, due to limitations in my own abilities, but I tried. I have given less than 1 second of thought to how magic or faery biology in Inver works because that is not conducive to the atmosphere of a fairytale. Many of these source myths and legends are really about the fear of the unknown. They are rationalisations to explain away something unknown, some mystery of life, and you cannot explain the unexplainable and expect it to carry the same punch as the original myths that you are drawn to adapt. That's also why I try to never actually give facts about fairies, but instead I talk about what people think of them. The word 'considered' does some insanely heavy lifting in that linked post lmao. Is any of what I wrote true with regards to the Red King?? It is for the people who believe it.

I'm saying all of this because these are all points I had to think about before writing that 2nd draft, but also because I think they're worth considering for your own story as well. I'll admit I invented my werewolves from scratch, they have no mythological basis, because they pre-date the faery stuff and also I wanted them to fill a very specific role and appear a little more concrete than the other supernatural elements. It is what it is; I wanted a werewolf element that didn't match myths and legends (and honestly was partially inspired by me rolling my eyes about those posts going around moaning and whining about 'the doggification of werewolves missing the point of werewolf stories'. I thought, well, there's more than one story you can tell with a werewolf - it isn't always 'i fear the beast within', sometimes it's something else! sometimes it's daddy issues! it's okay to make something new)

ok i think that's all i have to say.. modern Inver is a bit different, that worldbuilding is largely the same but with a big dose of actual ecology because the main characters are rangers and in Inver in 2017, rangers mostly do environmental monitoring. and that's a whole different sort of worldbuilding lol

good luck with your story!!

[sinsinewave-worldbuilding]

001Γ::Worldbuilding_Blog

this is the worldbuilding sideblog of @sinsinewave, and as such refer there for info about me (or, well, us) as a person

002Γ::Fan_Works_etc

if someone wishes to make any of their own art of any kind involving my worldbuilding etc.; you have my full permission to do so, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF AI-GENERATED "ART", which is explicitly forbidden

i will also do my best to answer any and all questions, be it robot anatomy or the political landscape or anything, so don't be shy with the ask box

if you do make something in this setting, please tag me! i love seeing people enjoy things i've made, and as such would be more than happy to see people's takes on things; especially from different cultures' viewpoints as i'm unfortunately only properly familiar with Northern/Western European ones and don't feel comfortable trying to represent cultures i'm not familiar with

003Γ.0::General_Info

my worldbuilding largely focuses on an alternate future Earth (and occasionally other dimensions, i needed an excuse for a demon character's existence) ranging from the late 2020s onwards. although i do tend to more so focus on 2055 onwards as an important part are sentient androids, invented first in 2042 and then reinvented in 2055

003Γ.1::Politics

politically speaking most notably on a larger scale, European Federation - USA relations are mostly terrible, notably after the 2054 revolution; the USA has slowly declined into extreme far-right politics, while in 2054 a far-right government was overthrown in the EF after extended large-scale riots

in terms of androids/robots; this does lead to some issues for them, such as the USA essentially being off-limits, as machines are not recognised as people there, unlike the EF and any other countries that have signed a protection treaty

most areas besides the USA and EF are undefined for now (with the exception of New Zealand, which has signed the protection treaty), and as such i do invite anyone interested to flesh them out more

so, TL;DR, Europe and NZ safe for robots, US doesn't think they're people, feel free to fill in the rest of the world

003Γ.2::Robot_Guts

most android designs in this universe are extremely modular to the point that the same core can be fitted to practically any vaguely human-sized or larger chassis, and android parts are even compatible with human cybernetics interfaces. this is intentional to allow much more freedom in character design

there are however a few connecting factors in all androids, such as their core being located in their chest, and nearly all having sensory antennae (i could make up an excuse, but it's because cute)

said cores generally consist of central processors handling computational loads, a drive array for storage, and crucially, a containment unit and neurobiological interfaces for a hyperdimensional fungus-like material seeded into synthetic neural tissue, which is required for any sentience, and as such is even found in small amounts in human brains

for unknown reasons, androids also tend to pick up certain common personality traits, flaws, and other quirks based on their first chassis type, although this doesn't happen every time; for example S-Types (security) usually are extremely social and have a strong sense of morals, while N-Types (maintenance) are often quite timid

003Γ.3::Key_Events

2028 : the EU joins into one federated state

2038 : artificial sentience is deemed impossible by scientists worldwide

2042 : first ever sentient robot/android built

2054 : European Federation's far-right-wing government is overthrown

2055 : second ever sentient android built

2057 : a standards body is established for sentient robotics; core spec updated every 5 years

2057 : export of android brains restricted, and mostly banned

2066 : first lethal incident between an android and human

[djuvlipen]

Hi, I remember you mentioning the importance/significance (?) of fortune telling for Romani people a while ago, would you mind elaborating on that? I thought it was more of a negative stereotype, but is it actually part.of the culture and just presented in a negative way?

Hi! Yeah, sure.

First of, I'm going to preface this by saying that this is most probably an unpopular opinion and I know some Roma would jump at my throat for saying what follows lol.

The thing with the fortune teller trope is that, from what I've seen at least, it's based on Western European depictions of Romani women. Although it has always been present in Western European literature, theater, poetry, from the 16th century onwards, two countries really perfectioned this trope during the 19th century: Germany and France. Two artistic movements that heavily relied on this trope when depicting Roma are Romanticism and Bohemanism. That doesn't mean that other Romani groups weren't stereotyped that way too, it just means that Germany and France cemented this idea of "Romani women as fortune tellers" in a way that still deeply influences modern depictions of Roma.

What I'm getting at, is that this German/French depictions of Roma makes a stereotype of the Romani groups living in these countries. The Romani group living in that region (Germany, France, Benelux) are Sinti. That's my group. And Sinti do practice tarot. I know this because my female relatives practice tarot and they learnt it from my grandma who learnt it from her mother, etc.

So, many, many Eastern European Roma will tell you that this is all just a stereotype and that no Romani person does tarot. That's a lie, it's just that this stereotype derives from Western European Romani groups, so of course Eastern European Roma don't relate. I'm from one of those Western European groups, and I can tell you that we do practice tarot, however tarot was invented in Italy. This practice didn't originate with us, it is not Romani-specific and it's not "cultural appropriation" for white people to do tarot.

However, because it was frowned upon for non-Roma to practice it (because they were supposed to be Good Christians, while the same didn't apply to Roma who were already seen as "mystical"), tarot became associated with us, because for many Romani people, who were socially and economically marginalized, tarot was a good way to make a living by playing on already established stereotypes. So that's why we came to pick up tarot. And because tarot reading started to become a skill we passed down from generation to generation, we did develop some specific practices, specific ways to read it, dos and don'ts, that you don't find in other forms of tarot reading. I can't tell you exactly what those practices are, because I personally didn't learn tarot from my mom, but from what I know about the way my female relatives practice it, it is pretty different from the usual way. So that is a personal take of mine. I know a lot of Roma would disagree with me and call me a race faker for stating this, but I don't see the point in hiding the truth: Sinti do practice tarot. And moreover, forbidding tarot reading has been a way to try and prevent Roma (and Romani women in particular) to earn a living in many European countries. So tarot has some cultural and historical relevance for Romani history, even though it didn't originate with us and it doesn't mean we are somewhat magical creatures (as I'm sure you already know haha).

Some Romani groups, especially the more religious ones, hate any kind of divination, and will frown upon anyone who does (I literally argued about this with a Romanian Romani man the other day). However, that is not my experience and as far as i know, it's not the experience of the Romani people from my group (Sinti), because we made up our own traditions and we respect them as such (usually in Sinti culture, you have to respect what you inherited from your ancestors, I constantly fight with my relatives because I think tarot is b.s and they really disagree lol). The only exception to this are the Sinti who converted to the Evangelical Christian faith and who consider tarot reading to be satanic.

So yeah, that's a personal take about my personal experience growing up in a Romani group that practices tarot, I know it's an unpopular one and that other Roma would insult me for this but I can't help it if my family history and that of the other Sinti I know don't fit into their narrative.

[mareenavee]

More asks, yes? YES? 💞what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language 🎈describe your style as a writer; is it fixed? does it change 🤲what do YOU get out of writing? 🧿what steps do you take to not take things personally if a fic doesn't do well, or if your writing/posting/sharing experience isn't going how you'd like it to? And I'm going to invent my own because I want to use an emoji, that's it that's the reason 🐦 What would you like to see MORE of, in the fandoms you're following. Could be writing/art related, could be fandom culture related. What would you like to see exist that doesn't at the moment (or doesn't anymore)?

HELLO! AH. I like that birb emoji :3 Always feel free to make up extra questions 😂Thank you for these!

Here are some Fic Writer's Asks for ya'll!

:D Here's the ask game.

💞what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language?

Well! I can tell you my favorite part of writing a story (or reading one!) is character, followed closely by worldbuilding. But what's most important is a little more difficult to simply pick one thing. A good story has all of these things in spades. A good, solid plot idea. Characters that the author knows well. Clever worldbuilding aspects that make the setting seem real...and a good handle on language and grammar all work together to create a fantastic experience. So there's no most important part -- just that all of it has been given the author's best possible effort (:

🎈describe your style as a writer; is it fixed? does it change?

Ohhh I love this. Mostly because it's such a Thing (tm) in art spaces and is always a topic of conversation. I don't hear about it much for writers, except maybe "voice/tone" in critique circles. All I can say is that style regardless of medium is composed of certain habits the artist incorporates into their work.

For writing, that's going to be specific turns of phrase that tend to be used, perhaps it can be a series of tropes or situations the writer tends to focus on or include in their work. Just like with art, style changes the more skill you gain in your particular craft. Even so, a style may still seem "fixed" to the average reader, even if with each project, you improve and things change to suit.

So my go-to style is usually writing close third limited with rotating pov characters (: But even if I were to say, switch to first person with just one character through the whole story and posted it anonymously there's certain ways that I word things and certain themes that might make a reader be like "Oh this sounds like something Mareena might have written." It's weirdly difficult to describe exactly... but I hope that kind of makes a little sense lol

🤲what do YOU get out of writing?

This is an excellent question, my goodness. Writing fic has been so healing for me for so many reasons. I've had a really rough time the last few years irl with life throwing everything it can at me to try and grind me down. For a bit, it actually did, I suppose, and I'd stopped writing much at all. I hated everything I was producing, if anything at all and it was just a bad time.

Things looked up a little when I decided it didn't matter how good the writing was, but that I got something down on paper. I'd just finished a month-long art challenge for myself (I painted 31 pokemon and it was a lot of fun, even if it wasn't perfect) and I wanted to plan out something similar -- low stakes, just for fun. With the help and encouragement of some of my irl friends, a little help with an idea and MANY MUCH planning, The World on Our Shoulders started as a challenge to write and post daily, damn the consequences.

Since then, I've been revising. Some of my characters (not all just the MC either) have been given some of my problems. I like to write hope into hopeless situations anyway. It's cathartic to see characters experience the same huge emotions I can relate to and make it through to the other side. I get to write that. I get to be in control of the narrative for them, no matter how hard it gets before its resolution. It helps me believe in myself and my own strength, too. It's funny how art does that, I think. (:

🧿what steps do you take to not take things personally if a fic doesn't do well, or if your writing/posting/sharing experience isn't going how you'd like it to?

Well I suppose the "doesn't do well" part mostly doesn't affect me because of my stance on social media and hustle culture. At the end of the day, it's not about how many comments or kudos or likes my fic/posts get, it's about having fun making the content. I am writing for myself first, in this case, and for the readers second. I am lucky to have a circle of mutuals that I love hearing from regarding fandom things here on tumblr and discord. We support each others' creative endeavors and that is, in my eyes, doing well. If it brings joy, even just to me, it's good. It's doing well. My steps are simply to write, and share. The rest is nothing to worry over.

🐦 What would you like to see MORE of, in the fandoms you're following. Could be writing/art related, could be fandom culture related. What would you like to see exist that doesn't at the moment (or doesn't anymore)?

Well, would I even be me if I didn't say I wanted to see more Teldryn fics in the TES tags (: So yes, that. But more than that, I'm interested in different takes for the character. For any characters, really. I want to see deep stories with lots of different perspectives on lore and the handling of different quests in the game. I want adventure, I want witty dialogue, I want flawed OCs that team up with the coolest NPCs to go out and discover what they're really capable of. If they happen to be Teldryn stories, all the better.

I do want to see people finish some of their WIPS, too. I know that's a big ask. But there's so many on AO3 at least that have been unfinished for months, years even and I want to encourage all those writers and cheerlead their work. I know very well that sometimes life just gets in the way of being able to devote so much time to a project. But I hope everyone who has an unfinished and/or back-burnered TES fic (or any fic, really) sees this and knows I'm rooting for you. Your work is WORTH IT. Your stories matter. (:

So I guess another facet to this answer is, for fandom in general, more cheering each other on. Writers ought to stick together, after all. I'd love to see even more supportive, kind words for each other. More encouragement in general. I see too much silliness and arguments over the details in fandom and the only way to change that is to loudly support each other as often as possible.

[tybaltsjuliet]

I am so fascinated by your practice! How did it start? How did perchta become part of it? How does Judas fit into it?

honestly, it's hard for me to put a starting point on it! probably about when i was in college, around 2012-2015, is when i first began seriously engaging with mythologies and practices besides the catholic ones i was raised in, but not doing it very well - i was still unpacking a lot of my religious baggage and throwing myself breakneck speed at a lot of different traditions - judaism here, heathenry there, ISKCON for a while - trying to find One That Was It. because that's how religion and spirituality were supposed to work, right? One That Was It.

it's fairly recently that i've become comfortable with having such an eclectic practice, and i credit that to the fact that i began going out into the world and interacting with people who've been doing witchcraft for years, all in different traditions, all working with different deities, reconstructing ancient practices and inventing new ones... and all of them getting along, sharing spaces for rituals, exploring each other's booths at solstice markets, pointing wide-eyed newbies like me in the direction of good books and good guides and good tools. that, to me, is the best kind of religious community possible - no hierarchy, no orthodoxy, just a bunch of people talking about how this worked for them so maybe try this, and you wouldn't believe what happened after i prayed to aphrodite yesterday, and oh, hey, you're a perchta devotee, i'm an odin devotee, we're basically cousins!

speaking of perchta, it's kind of funny to say, given how important she is to me - but i also only recently began working with her! for maybe...four years, or so, now? i actually first encountered her as "mother holle" while doing research for a novel i'm writing, which is a love letter to german faery tales and folklore. i thought mother holle would be a terrific character in it, and the more i discovered about her, the more enchanted i was by the story of this goddess, who probably came across the sea from norway to settle in the alps, who survived the christianization of germany even as they were calling her demon and witch, and who snuck her way back into the culture as that most benevolent and wonderful thing - the faerie godmother. my best friend has said that it's extremely on-brand of me, known princess aficiando and borderline disney adult, for my beloved deity to literally be from a faery tale. and she's right!

judas became important to me around the time i was going through my confirmation classes when i was 13/14-ish - a generally no-good very bad time for me. the church my family was with was extremely manipulative and full of terrible people, all around just a real bad scene. at the same time, i was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the catholic church's politics and experiencing my first real doubts about actual belief in its god. my family was going through some difficult things at the time, too, and a lot of that got projected onto me, to the point that whenever i expressed not really wanting to do this, it was met with anger - everything a fucking ordeal in area family, etc. - guilt - "oh, but gran will be so proud of you from heaven once you're confirmed!" - or brush-offs - "it's no big deal, just do it now and get it over with so you won't have to do it when you're older!"

i began to relate to judas intensely, perceiving his situation as not unlike my own: he was trapped in a clusterfuck of the personal and the political and the religious, and got an enormous weight placed on his back for making an unfortunate choice that, hey, wait, might not have even been his own choice at all! the view of him presented in the gnostic gospel of judas was quite formative, too. while christian elements have become less important to my practice than they once were, he's as dear to me as ever, if not more so with every passing year, and nowadays, i tend to see him first and foremost as one of the avatars of the archetypal Hanged Man - the man who went upon the tree, like odin, knowing exactly what he was doing; no martyr, but in fact the revelation and the savior for all of us who've taken a left-hand path.

[sharkchanic]

 I would have to negotiate with the silkworm for the elastic in my britches! Talking bee! How do we know this isn't some sort of holographic motion-picture-capture Hollywood wizardry? They could be using laser beams! Robotics! Ventriloquism! Cloning! For all we know, he could be on steroids! Mr. Benson? Ladies and gentlemen, there's no trickery here. I'm just an ordinary bee. Honey's pretty important to me. It's important to all bees. We invented it! We make it. And we protect it with our lives. Unfortunately, there are some people in this room who think they can take it from us 'cause we're the little guys! I'm hoping that, after this is all over, you'll see how, by taking our honey, you not only take everything we have but everything we are! I wish he'd dress like that all the time. So nice! Call your first witness. So, Mr. Klauss Vanderhayden of Honey Farms, big company you have. I suppose so. I see you also own Honeyburton and Honron! Yes, they provide beekeepers for our farms. Beekeeper. I find that to be a very disturbing term. I don't imagine you employ any bee-free-ers, do you? - No. - I couldn't hear you. - No. - No. Because you don't free bees. You keep bees. Not only that, it seems you thought a bear would be an appropriate image for a jar of honey. They're very lovable creatures. Yogi Bear, Fozzie Bear, Build-A-Bear. You mean like this? Bears kill bees! How'd you like his head crashing through your living room?! Biting into your couch! Spitting out your throw pillows! OK, that's enough. Take him away. So, Mr. Sting, thank you for being here. Your name intrigues me. - Where have I heard it before? - I was with a band called The Police. But you've never been a police officer, have you? No, I haven't. No, you haven't. And so here we have yet another example of bee culture casually stolen by a human for nothing more than a prance-about stage name. Oh, please. Have you ever been stung, Mr. Sting? Because I'm feeling a little stung, Sting. Or should I say... Mr. Gordon M. Sumner! That's not his real name?! You idiots! Mr. Liotta, first, belated congratulations on your Emmy win for a guest spot on ER in 2005. Thank you. Thank you. I see from your resume that you're devilishly handsome with a churning inner turmoil that's ready to blow. I enjoy what I do. Is that a crime? Not yet it isn't. But is this what it's come to for you? Exploiting tiny, helpless bees so you don't have to rehearse your part and learn your lines, sir? Watch it, Benson! I could blow right now! This isn't a goodfella. This is a badfella! Why doesn't someone just step on this creep, and we can all go home?! - Order in this court! - You're all thinking it! Order! Order, I say! - Say it! - Mr. Liotta, please sit down! I think it was awfully nice of that bear to pitch in like that. I think the jury's on our side. Are we doing everything right, legally? I'm a florist. Right. Well, here's to a great team. To a great team! Well, hello. - Ken! - Hello. I didn't think you were coming. No, I was just late. I tried to call, but... the battery. I didn't want all this to go to waste, so I called Barry. Luckily, he was free. Oh, that was lucky. There's a little left. I could heat it up. Yeah, heat it up, sure, whatever. So I hear you're quite a tennis player. I'm not much for the game myself. The ball's a little grabby. That's where I usually sit. Right... there. Ken, Barry was looking at your resume, and he agreed with me that eating with chopsticks isn't really a special skill. You think I don't see what you're doing? I know how hard it is to find the right job. We have that in common. Do we? Bees have 100 percent employment, but we do jobs like taking the crud out. That's just what I was thinking about doing. Ken, I let Barry borrow your razor for his fuzz. I hope that was all right. I'm going to drain the old stinger. Yeah, you do that. Look at that. You know, I've just about had it with your little mind games. - What's that? - Italian Vogue. Mamma mia, that's a lot of pages. A lot of ads.

"I don't wanna have to pay 500 bux again to get the Exorcist back here-"

[pensivealondra]

Who am I as a Writer?

Although I love poetry, I don't consider myself a poet yet. I let Sylvia Plath speak the words that I'm too afraid to say out loud. Do I consider myself a writer though? Absolutely. It's been a long journey but I'm not afraid to share my thoughts and emotions anymore, for if I hold them in for too long they will overflow.

When I started college I felt more confident in writing, not only for myself but also for others. I've got introduced to new authors such as Flannery O'Connor, who has inspired me to write more short stories. Other people that have shaped me into the writer I am today are my English teachers and professors: Mark, Corinth, Thea, Liz, Sarah, Belinda, Chuck, Lizbette, and the list goes on. My travels and what I've experienced, my cultures and my love matters also influence my writing.

I've also let music influence my writing, one of my favorite singers, Lana del Rey has inspired me to write lyric poetry (which I'm still working on). Fictional characters such as Jo March from "Little Women" have inspired me to pursue my dream of someday becoming an author, I see my reflection in her character. I also see myself in Elena Greco, Elena Ferrante's protagonist in my favorite book series "My Brilliant Friend."

I was already familiar with the term expressivism, which I think is what I've been doing with my writing the whole time, and it is something I will continue doing. Murray's quote "We invent writing and writing invents us" is one of my favorites because it is true, writing shapes us into the writers we are becoming.

Who Have I Been in the Past?

The passion already flowed in my veins but it took me a decade to finally embrace it. J.K. Rowling was my first source of inspiration when I began writing at the age of fourteen. The Harry Potter books not only entertained me but have also inspired me to write. My head was flooded with ideas that I found hard to immortalize with paper and pen. It took time for me to find the courage to begin writing and I did when Mr. Patrick told me to submit for a writing contest. I was afraid at first but he saw potential in me so I submitted my first ever written story "Follow the Stars Hamood." To my surprise, the story got published in a local literary magazine, when I lived in Muscat, Oman (located in the Middle East). Something that has been crafted from the inner workings of my mind has been immortalized, that's when I found faith in myself.

Where I See Myself Going

At the beginning of the year, Mays Publishing published one of my stories "Mexicana Hasta la Raíz," in their online literary magazine. I was filled with joy because this is another step closer to achieving my dream to becoming a published author. I'm an incurable dreamer and I've got big dreams.

After taking this course, I feel more confident with where I see myself going. We the knowledge I achieved by taking this course I feel more prepared to pursue that dream. One thing that I will definitely include in my future as a writer is process, as it is important because as stated by Murray "it is exploratory as it makes the writer make meaning of their own writing, and also help writers learn about themselves. "

Link: https://mayspublishing.com/great-writers

[deviantartdramahub]

I apologize if I'm misunderstanding something and this is culture shock in a kind of way. I'm F14PA, was previously sheltered in an Amish family (still am, but my parents have been lenient about the web), and was introduced to DeviantArt. I posted someone's work and I guess this is taboo on the internet? I don't understand. Someone explained to me this thing called copyright. Treat what I'm about to say as stupid, but I was told I can't do what other people do and to post here if I have anything to talk about. What's going on?

"To every cow belongs her calf, therefore to every book belongs its copy."

~ Ancient Irish King Diarmitt Mac Cerbhaill, right before a bloody war (you might like the Amish friend of mine who posted that, they need friends)

The fact there was a war over copyright in 560 AD only goes to show it is what we might call "divisive", but anyone who understands the importance of honesty will understand where the basics come from. An honest person wouldn't say they invented something when they didn't, wouldn't say they weren't the cause of something when they were, wouldn't steal something they didn't earn, wouldn't cheat in a game whose rules they agreed upon with the other players, and wouldn't say something if they didn't 100% believe it to be true, whether that's because the source is untrustworthy or their own memory is unreliable.

A good way to think about the "concept" of copyright is to compare it to the "concept" of grace. If care over our mortal lives be deemed a gift from God, many see it fitting to acknowledge that, as we sit down for the most universal part of humanity's day, dinner. Of course, our gifts have many sources. The vocables we read were the brainfruit of people whom they came from, so it is reasoned tribute be given, hence the conflict in the first link. You may also be thinking about the second or third commandment (I've seen Amish replicated dolls for one).

There are some who are stricter than Saint Finnian was, unsatisfied with any form of tribute, for reasons also discussed and will be discussed. And there are some who are looser, lenient, unscolding... when it comes to my work, I am close to that.

You may have heard about the AI-related feuds, they are everywhere and have diverged in thought.

If you were to research copyright from past to present, mention of incidences of distortion may commonly come up. It has often been a concern that certain gestures are made to imply that the source was to convey something it didn't. One instance of this, you could say, happened during the Vietnam War. Love or hate the communist manifesto, the United States tried to make modified copies and release them upon the Vietnamese, one of the new "planks" being to line up by the road so it can be seen who is a communist. If it had literate synergy before, the tampering ruined it. History will, of course, tell you that Vietnamese Communists eventually did win over. You could ponder similar stories about the Catholic order of the middle ages when you read about a demon they taught about, a servant of the one true Lucifer you might know as Titivillus. Chinese whispers comes to mind.

You might say it comes off as just another derivative of the classic conflict between the concept of freedom and the concept of etiquette (I'm surprised if, as an Amish teen, you've never encountered a situation with one of you shyly hiding from a camera, the stereotype has even been you all think cameras steal souls), but, as media comes with loads of context, and their presence loads of implications, a question about this never hurts.

[aelaer]

Stephen Strange has finally invaded my dreams

I've been having pop-culture, plot-heavy dreams for years and years, the first ones I remember coming at 13/14/15. Usually I need to be obsessing/watching something for years to get it in my dreams. I've been expecting a Stephen-centric dream for a while but it never came, or at least not one that I could remember. (RTGame, a streamer I watch regularly, has stopped by my dreams like 4 times in the last year in contrast). Sometimes I'm with the characters in the dream, sometimes I'm just watching them like I would a film, sometimes I *am* the character, or a side character.

Well, it finally came. This was a film-watching dream visual. I don't remember all of it, naturally, but here are the highlights:

It was MCU!Stephen and he was travelling the multiverse, so definitely inspired by recent media. He was alone, which also means no Cloaky. No idea what happened to Cloaky.

I think he entered multiple universes, but I only remember one clearly.

The universe he entered in was a much larger Kamar-Taj led by MCU!Mordo. Mordo had his short hair. He was tough and a bit merciless, but not like, a bad guy.

My brain kept on blending Mordo and MCU!the Ancient One visually since he took her role, I guess, but it was definitely Mordo's voice and characterization.

Kamar-Taj was a much larger complex, probably the size of the Forbidden City in Beijing (with similar architecture). I visited the city in 2007, but I haven't thought of it in years. There was definitely parts of my old college campus in other parts of Kamar-Taj, too, with a wee bit of Hogwarts in the hallways and stairwells. Very multicultural.

Stephen had to prove he wasn't a bad guy, and at the same time, that he was a sorcerer worthy of respect. This was somehow achieved by turning a bunch of water in a man-made pond in the Kamar-Taj complex into very large, several foot tall ice cubes, then fitting them into a steel frame like 10 feet high like some weird art installation. Because this somehow proved both his morality and power. Dream logic. Funny enough, dream made it very challenging with all these dramatic loops and like, water had to be poured in and frozen to fit in the cracks to put in a perfect fit and finish the timed trial. And if he didn't complete this Stephen would have been killed. So yeah, dream logic.

After he passed this test Mordo begrudgingly let him stay with them until Stephen figured out how to get back to his own universe.

The rest of Kamar-Taj distrusted Stephen and no one was talking to him until this random guy that my brain invented started to guide him. I think his name was Tim, and he looked a bit like Hamir. Definitely Asian, non-Western accent, though couldn't say what ethnicity beyond that. Possibly more southern than northern biological roots.

Tim gave Stephen a tour of that universe's Kamar-Taj. There was definitely a secret passage scene that involved Stephen, yet again, needing to prove to Tim that he wasn't a bad guy. Some spells in the room made memories appear on the walls and he had to talk about Thanos and Dormammu.

In the most college campus part of the dream, after Stephen passed that test, they were in this inner courtyard eating lunch with a bunch of people in robes and books walking back and forth. They were in a corner a bit away from everyone so people couldn't stare at them. Stephen finally learns why no one trusts him: his counterpart in that world had murdered his wife Clea (from the comics) and then ran off, basically leaving their teenage daughter Sophia (who... sorta exists in the comics but not really? Not really in the main 616 continuity) alone. She passes by in the distance at some point. Clea was portrayed by an Asian actress, FTW.

The murder happened a month ago, and my dream informs me that it's now February, because that's the detail my dream thought important.

That's literally it. No confrontation with his evil self, no going home, nothing more with Wong and Mordo, my dream just left it there with these two eating lunch and this bombshell of a fact.

I do wish my dream gave me something a bit better than this for its plotting. Less dream logic, please, more good conclusions.

[sanstropfremir]

ok this took way longer than i expected because i got sidetracked looking at paintings and reading poetry and just admiring the mv, but it's finally finished!! let's talk about

higher

✨

i'm going to draw your attention to a few things.

firstly, these verses from rime of the ancient mariner by samuel taylor coleridge, published 1834:

The harbour-bay was clear as glass,

So smoothly it was strewn!

And on the bay the moonlight lay,

And the shadow of the Moon.

The rock shone bright, the kirk no less,

That stands above the rock:

The moonlight steeped in silentness

The steady weathercock.

And the bay was white with silent light,

Till rising from the same,

Full many shapes, that shadows were,

In crimson colours came.

A little distance from the prow

Those crimson shadows were:

I turned my eyes upon the deck—

Oh, Christ! what saw I there!

Each corse lay flat, lifeless and flat,

And, by the holy rood!

A man all light, a seraph-man,

On every corse there stood.

This seraph-band, each waved his hand:

It was a heavenly sight!

They stood as signals to the land,

Each one a lovely light;

This seraph-band, each waved his hand,

No voice did they impart—

No voice; but oh! the silence sank

Like music on my heart.

secondly, this ivan aivazovsky painting, chaos (the creation), c. 1841:

and thirdly, the memorial of percy shelley, who drowned in a boating accident at age 29, in 1822:

there's a common conflation between the romantic and the pastoral in the general cultural consensus because the pastoral a) has been around as an art term longer than romantic, and b) romanticism does use some similar imagery. but there is a key difference: the pastoral is specfically an idealization of 'the simple shepherding life,' often for high class and urban audiences who have no conception of the details of this life includes. one of the more famous examples is christopher marlowe's a passionate shepherd to his love, published in 1599:

Come live with me and be my love,

And we will all the pleasures prove,

That Valleys, groves, hills, and fields,

Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon the Rocks,

Seeing the Shepherds feed their flocks,

By shallow Rivers to whose falls

Melodious birds sing Madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of Roses

And a thousand fragrant posies,

A cap of flowers, and a kirtle

Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool

Which from our pretty Lambs we pull;

Fair lined slippers for the cold,

With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and Ivy buds,

With Coral clasps and Amber studs:

And if these pleasures may thee move,

Come live with me, and be my love.

The Shepherds’ Swains shall dance and sing

For thy delight each May-morning:

If these delights thy mind may move,

Then live with me, and be my love.

whereas romanticism is a more pointedly specific movement that was active from around 1800 to 1850, primarily focused on intense emotion and catharsis as the primary experiential output of an artwork. which most prominently manifested in a deep fascination and glorification of the natural environment and historical nostalgia. the movement sprung from the german sturm und drang (literally storm and drive/stress) period of the late 1760s to early 1780s, which was a direct reaction to rationalism and enlightenment. romanticism had similar impulses; it was also a revival of medievalism and a reaction against the looming urban sprawl and mechanization of the industrial revolution. a typical romantic poem from one of the originators of the english movment william wordsworth, composed upon westminster bridge, september 3, 1802, originally published 1807:

Earth has not any thing to show more fair:

Dull would he be of soul who could pass by

A sight so touching in its majesty:

This City now doth, like a garment, wear

The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,

Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie

Open unto the fields, and to the sky;

All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.

Never did sun more beautifully steep

In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;

Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!

The river glideth at his own sweet will:

Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;

And all that mighty heart is lying still!

this romantic fascination with nature was underpinned by the philosophy of the sublime, generally agreed to be first treatised by edmund burke in 1756, the theory was also written about by kant and hegel. in the simplest of terms, the sublime is a quality of greatness beyond calculation, imitation, and human comprehension. the sublime is twofold; the greatness of the ocean is beautiful, but its power is also terrifying, and the experience of the sublime is to feel those two at once. to be in awe and also to be horrified of its ability to sink ships and drown a life in a tempermental change of tide.

let's take a quick detour to talk about

clothing

in the present day we have become much more lax thanks to the aesthetic movement in the late nineteenth century, but back in the early victorian period there are still highly structured rules about when and what clothing one can wear in public. and the clothing itself is also highly structured. anyone with a passing understanding of the victorian era knows about the whole flashing of the ankle thing and corsets galore, and it is true that the general day to day garments cover a lot of area. for men in particular, this manifests in no less than three layers in public at all times: shirt, waistcoat, and suit jacket, with a coat or mantle overtop in colder temperatures. this also includes a variation of a neck tie (depending on what year), hat, gloves, and any other decided upon accessories (this can also include a corset and other padded structural underpinnings). an important tangent to mention here is that this is the uniform of the upper classes, although the rules do apply to the lower classes if they wanted to appear 'sophisticated.' the working man's uniform was also shirt, waistcoat, trousers, but the difference here is in the textiles themselves; the colours tended to be much more drab, with less complicated patterns. obviously due to the price fabric itself, but also due to the labour of laundry. an indicator of class here is the white shirt itself and its pristine implications. (there is a longer conversation here about the invention of neckties and detachable collars and cuffs, but that's for another day). the silhouettes are very important to note here in the higher mv, as they are directly referential to the 'romantic poet' archetype of loose shirt and tight pants that we see in popular culture. but as i've just said, the reality is that men of the era were not dressed like this out in public. this look is essentially underwear; the implications are salacious. so where did this come from? well, we can blame it mostly on lord byron, who by all accounts was the first western 'rockstar.' notoriously called 'mad, bad and dangerous to know' by lady caroline lamb (a married women he publically had an affair with), byron was openly bisexual and deeply hedonistic with a lot of questionable habits, but his poetry was so popular that he was known to have women following him in the street and gathering in large quanities to see him at salons. and this was close to three decades before lizstomania. his close friends and contemporaries included percy and mary shelley, with whom he lived with abroad in italy for some time (this living arrangement resulted in the writing of both frankenstein and john polidori's the vampyre). byron's reputation was so eclipsing that the image of the lush poet lazing in his undergarments has become its own genre of romantic, slightly removed from the movement byron was writing in. it's also worth it to point out that there are no official portraits of byron dressed like this from the time. the visual assumption is somewhat apochryphal. now let's get into some specifics. a.c.e is not unfamiliar to this silhouette; as previously mentioned in this post i wrote about their styling, the boxy loose upper and fitted lower is their general mode for their styling because of its emphasis on legs. cactus was the most extreme example of this, and to prove my point, this specific silhouette is extremely common in classical ballet:

1. vaslav nijinsky, giselle, 1911 2. nehemiah kish, george balanchine's ballo della regina, 2011/12

higher fits very neatly into this same category: we have an emphasis on the legs through tightly fitted garments and also through light reflective textile, as well as a secondary emphasis on arm and shoulder movements with looser fit shirts. plus, the shirts are made from fabrics that have good drape and flow, and mimic the visual effects of water:

there are also several instances of scale patterning and wetlook hair styles, further elabourating on the siren theme. and the jewelry is the same, purposefully cut clear stones for oceanic sparkle or pearls, the gem directly born from water, as highlighting accents to specific parts of the body - namely eyes, hands, and torso:

the body jewelry also serves a double purpose in addition to being sparkly; it gives a semblance of shape to their torsos so their movements aren't totally lost in the shroud of their shirts, and it also invokes some of that salacious element that us as a modern audience doesn't necessarily perceive in the same way when we see a man wearing only a shirt. all of these points are especially prominent in the stage costuming. concerning the veils, these are an aesthetic choice following the theme of depicting water without actually using water. the song has a very breathless quality to it, and the lyrics directly make reference to water and breathlessness, so it only makes sense to have a physical manifestation of struggling to breathe.

now let's talk about

mise-en-scène

unlike most kpop mvs, I would argue that higher is not a spectacle in what we normally see spectacle to be. the overwhelming visual saturation of goblin (and the goblin remix) is more in line with what we expect, but how do you follow that, top it? the answer is that you don't. you aim for something with a completely different feel, which is exact what they did with higher.

the performing arts did not escape romanticism. the very start of the movement, sturm und drang, is actually named from a specific play written by friedrich maximilian klinger that premiered in 1777. the plays of the brief period are characterized by extreme and passionate emotions, and were siblings to one of the most famous genres of theatre, the melodrama. meant to appeal directly to the emotions of the audience using sensationalist plots and stock characters, the melodrama was the predominent form of entertainment in victorian england and gradually developed a specific form of its own. in this period we also start to see the development of 'stagecraft' into the recognizable form that it takes today. footlights, limelight/spotlighting, the separation of house and stage lighting, fly galleries, elevator platform mechanics, and the first (purported) western use of rear projection are all innovations of the late 18th and 19th centuries, as melodramas were known to have very intricate and spectacular stagings. and to go along with these stagecraft mechanics we see the rise in designated stage crews, which were predominantly off-duty sailors looking to make money. the rope systems that made up the fly galleries were very similar to that on ships, and much of the terminology and supersitions crossed over: this is the origin of the term 'rigging' being used for suspending set elements, and also the origin of the 'don't whistle in a theatre' superstition. as sailors communicated with whistle patterns on ships, the same system was adopted for changing scenery, and therefore whistling a random pattern could potentially drop a setpiece on an unsuspecting victim.

so with all this backstory out of the way, what is the very first full location we see? a stage, complete with forced perspective via the painted fabric legs (the side panels) and borders (the wavy upper panels). we even have a flat painted backdrop with a projection screen and hanging overhead lamps. there's also a second interior set, a desk in what looks to be a study of some kind. bit self explanatory on this one, taking the poet notion on the nose.

the locations have a bit of an obtuse arc, but it's there when you look for it. it starts interior spaces, where the ideas of sublime attempted to be recreated for the viewer. then it moves to transitory spaces; portions of nature isolated from a whole environment, interjections of human architecture into natural spaces:

(the white hut structure in the greenhouse is reminiscent of a skene (literally hut/tent), which is the structure at the back of the stage in ancient greek theatre used for the actors to change their masks and costumes. it was originally temporary, but slowly transformed into permanent stage architecture)

and then finally outdoors, into the sublime itself:

jwm turner, crossing the bridge, 1815

lastly,

lighting

there's a very clear lighting pattern here, primarily in light and dark. the base colour story is fairly simple complementary pairs; there's a lot of purple/red and green, and blue and yellow/amber, with everything relatively on the same tonal level. there are deliberate interjections of heavily saturated red for specific effect. there are also, most notably, a 'dark' version of all the sets. obviously as a reference to the eclipse that we see in the mv and in the concept photo series, but also as a reference to that darker undercurrent of the sublime, the upsetting, the uncanny, and the terrifying:

And the bay was white with silent light/Till rising from the same/Full many shapes, that shadows were/In crimson colours came.

[bopinion]

2021 / 33

Aperçu of the Week:

"You must not believe everything you think!"

(Heinz Erhardt, German humorist of the 1950s)

Bad News of the Week:

Joe Biden currently faces as much criticism for developments in Afghanistan as any other leader in the Western "alliance against terror." One could have assessed the strength of the Taliban just as well as the weakness of the Afghan government and its army trained and equipped by the West. The estimates of the intelligence services should have been questioned, diplomats should have been listened to better. The predicament of the so-called "local forces" could have been avoided. This is obviously confusing cause and effect.

It was the Republican George W. Bush (or rather the hawks around Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz) who started the so-called "war on terror", first in Afghanistan, and invented the carte blanche of pre-emptive strikes with the Bush Doctrine ("National Security Strategy"). For those interested in the background, Bob Woodward's book "Bush at War" is highly recommended. And it was Republican Donald J. Trump who signed the virtually unconditional troop withdrawal agreement with the Taliban last year, which is now being executed according to plan. To now blame the current administration for the development is ridiculous.

Equally ridiculous is the current pretense that the Afghanistan campaign was a success. After all, its objective was to dry up the retreats of Al-Qaeda and, above all, to kill Osama bin Laden. Fun facts on the side: none (!) of the 19 attackers of 9/11 came from Afghanistan, Iraq or the African Horn, but 15 (!) from Saudi Arabia, like bin Laden himself. But especially for the Bush family the Sunni fundamentalists from Saudi Arabia have always been untouchable. And where was bin Laden finally caught and killed? In Abbottabad. And that is not in Afghanistan, but in Pakistan.

According to Time the rise on Taliban would have been impossible "without Pakistan's shelter and support". Associated Press writes about the role of Islamabad that it "does permit the Taliban leadership on its territory and its wounded warriors receive treatment in Pakistani hospitals. Their children are in school in Pakistan and some among them own property. Some among Pakistan's politicians have rebranded the insurgents as 'the new, civilized Taliban.'" To understand the complex relationship between the two states, it helps to look at the history books. Spoiler alert: it's not the U.S. that's to blame, but the British.

The hereditary enmity - yes, you can call it that by now - is based on the so-called "Durand line." The British colonel who gave it its name drew a border line between the two states, which had strategic reasons but completely ignored ethnic regionality. Thus, the West's ignorance of the cultural distinctiveness of this region already has a long history. The Durand Line cut right through the tribal areas of the Pashtuns. After the Pashtuns proclaimed "their" state Afghanistan, this border was of course never officially recognized. And independence or affiliation efforts of the cut Pashtuns, often on the brink of civil war, were actively supported. In turn, Pakistan has been trying to destabilize the Afghan state with political and economic measures for almost 70 years.

What do we learn from this? It has never worked when a Western power has tried to impose its values on a colonial people, ignoring their culture and history. Not with the British in Central Asia, not with the French in Indochina, not with the Americans in Korea or Vietnam. Or before that the Spanish in South America or practically all Europeans in Africa. So have we learned that by now? I'm afraid not...

Good News of the Week:

During the lockdowns, there was a real boom in Germany to get pets. The cat was supposed to replace the missing social contacts, the dog to guarantee the possibility to leave the domestic quarantine. So not the best conditions to ensure the welfare of the creatures - pets are not toys!

The thematically responsible cabinet member, Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner, now wants to counteract with new animal welfare regulations. Thus for example the chain keeping of dogs is to be forbidden, they must get daily at least one hour free run and also the puppy raising is to become more kind-fair. And also in the zoo specialized trade more expert knowledge becomes obligatory, in order to prevent among other things that domestic animals are given into a care, which could not be animal appropriate.

In the wake of recent developments such as the ban on chick shredding, the requirement for more species-appropriate housing with more space for cows and "employment material" for pigs, and the ban on imports of wild birds, this gives me hope. Of course, these are all just (too) small steps, but at least they are going in the right direction.

Sidenote: Tonight my son gets a "vacation dog" for two weeks once again. So the requirement "at least one hour of exercise in the fresh air per day" will not only apply to the dog Tzela, but also to the prospective professional gamer... ;-)

Personal happy moment of the week:

I could listen to music all the time. And of course, in a family household, I can't ruthlessly "acoustically dominate" everyone all the time. And I like good sound quality - so 5.1 surround sound for Netflix, DAB in the car and HomePods in the living room are a must. In addition, the increasingly digitalized communication in the home office with web conferences and Teams meetings demands a good headset. The solution for everything is - of course - good headphones. So last year I did a test run for several weeks with a pair of cheap Bluetooth headphones to see if I could live well with a permanent Mickey Mouse on my head. It made sense before investing, because after all, there were more and more rumors last year that Apple would eventually merge its experiences with AirPods and Beats by Dr. Dre into its own high-end headphones.

And then they really came on the market: the AirPods Max. When I finally went to order them as a birthday present to myself, my ears were shaking: more than three months of delivery time? OMG... No wonder that in that time span (and at my age) I had at some point forgotten that yes, there was still something in the pipeline. Until I finally got them last Thursday. And they also fully met my expectations. Now I'm happy, my roommates have their peace and everyone else has something to laugh about when I'm out and about with "Apple's purse" (because that's exactly what they look like in their Smart case).

I couldn't care less...

...that possible coalition partners of the German government after the elections at the end of September are already bickering about the typical German topic "speed limit on highways". As a driver of an electric car, I hardly ever drive faster than 100 km/h anyway. I prefer to stay in the right lane "attached to" a bus with cruise control and distance radar and ride towards my exit in a relaxed manner. And the famous, equally typical German driving pleasure? I get it from the barely comparable acceleration power - with which I can overtake practically everywhere and also make most of the big gasoline-powered cars look stupid at the traffic lights. Nice!

As I write this...

...I run every ten minutes first to the basement and then upstairs to the office. In the former, the freezer is defrosting and I have to constantly wipe up the new puddle of ice water from the floor. And in the second, the system update is running on the Mac and I have to keep clicking "Okay" - or read for what feels like the seventeenth time that the next step will take "about five more minutes". Every third time I go over to the neighbors, whose cat I'm taking care of for the weekend, to see if the madam has deigned to show her face, so that I can let her into the garden. Presumably the activity rings on the Apple Watch tonight will let me know I've had an athletic day.... ;-)

[rixxy8173571m3w1p3]

The Truths Found On Petram Viridios IV (2/?)

A/n: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Read Part 1

____________

Chapter 2: Getting Along

There was so much you still had to learn about mice and Salamandrian men; minus the mice part. You were surprised by V'gha's chattiness. Why, it was no sooner when you two had taken a seat that he began asking about your culture, interests, as well as to what you did for occupation. It seemed that he was fascinated by how both you and Zeta-7 lived; being that you were the only human he's officially met, he wanted answers for the questions which his home world's databases could not answer. You couldn't fool him when it came to your acquaintance with Rick as his neighbor, but you played it off by saying that he was the local mad scientist that everyone knew of but gave little importance to; it hurts you to say this, for he was worthy of the highest praise, with his extraordinary mind and his winsome personality, but V'gha was more familiar with Zeta-7 then you had known; it seemed Rick had a bigger reputation then you had thought, and the chemist hoped that he could make his acquaintance once all this was over; how he could be interested after all your initial rudeness was inspiring and in its own right.

You found his straightforward nature refreshing, albeit at times coming across as nosy, but first impressions at times gave allowances for this; to discover that despite how one may come across in passing, is not always the sincerest, true version of oneself. There was no malice or ill intent in his inquiries or reactions to your answers, and while you had redirected many of his questions, he didn't seem to mind; whatever you shared gave him delight. Over and over you wondered why Rick couldn't have been seated at this table, for this creature could have shared all that fascinated him with a fellow scientist and they could have debated in peace over theories and experiments; for your part, you would have sat there raptly, admiring the like-minded individuals who might or might not have been jealous at one point or another over understandings, discoveries and what not. As you two talked, you scanned the garden with your eyes, and searched for Rick, but couldn't spot his bowl cut anywhere; you trusted that he'd show up one way or another, but you hoped for sooner rather than later. In the meantime, you two discussed how fascinating the planet and its inhabitants were while making remarks on the flavor of the food  "My soup is thin and looks as though I stuck my foot in it, but it tastes like honey." you commented as you set your spoon back down. "I'm not sure whether to drink it or to jar it."

"Neither. It's what your utensils will go in once you are done eating."

"Oh, I probably shouldn't have tasted it then."

"No harm will be done." he chuckled, which exposed his fine, sharp rows of teeth. "I've taken the liberty of scanning it to make sure."

If Zeta-7 had been here, he might've tried the utensil cleaner on purpose in the good ole' way of tasting the chemical when he should've tested it. Yet, since he wasn't here, you were ready to admit that you found V'gha a bit more intriguing then you had anticipated. When you had initially boarded the ship and met him upon entering a cabin, you were determined to despise him for you didn't want to appear weak in front of strangers, but it melted away as he decided to apologize once you two had reached your assigned table. Sure, you weren't really into reptiles, but whether it was how his skin glistened in the starlight, his intellect, or how his bright oval eyes seemed to bore into you as you spoke, it was somewhat flattering; you thought only Rick could make you feel this way; hopefully, it was his simple charm and newfound politeness, and nothing more. To ease the anxious thoughts which were building in your chest, you glanced at the empty third chair. "Do you think Noathamas is in trouble?"

"I'm not sure." he confessed in all seriousness. "After all, he did violate one of their laws which was not to eat any of the guests. I don't know what came over him, but hopefully, whatever consequences come his way, will simply be disciplinary action and nothing more."

"Yeah, that would be good."

Though, you blamed the fact that the knight had returned from battle not long ago, and might've been triggered by something done or said; you hoped he'd survive. To distract yourself further, you stabbed your synthesized meal. It was a mass of congealed worm meal, and you pretended to eat it, but you weren't really hungry; it was supposed to be calcium-rich if you were correct. "So," you wondered as you pushed away your dish. "where you're from, do you do stuff like this?"

"You mean attend formal gatherings where I'm not allowed to have fun? Or meet total strangers that I'd rather study then stand next to? Hmm, more often than I'd like. It does have its perks. I'm highly respected in my field and get paid well, but I don't get out much unless it's work-related. A majority of my free time is used to study journals or to sleep. Occasionally both."

"That's a bummer. Not the studying part, because that can be fun if it's a topic you're passionate about, but you strike me as someone who enjoys good company. I'm surprised that at this point you haven't mentioned hanging out with friends or family."

The pause in conversation didn't seem long enough for your liking, but neither was it short enough to keep its natural flow. There seemed to be a distant, far off look, as though he were staring through you, at someone else; longing; one which would've gone without notice if you hadn't been used to reading people who were like Rick; intelligent, curious, lonely people who were less like normal men, but were no less mortal, and not quite a machine. When he started, you hadn't expected the familiarity in his words. "I consider my lab as my friend and my lab samples as my family. It's where I am most of the time."

Before you met Rick, would he have said the same? Almost, for his inventions and things bought, made, or salvaged held meaning; he was very sentimental but desperate to cling on to good feelings; maybe, these two weren't so different. "I used to feel the same way about the characters I wrote," you started, wondering if this was a good idea. Yet, now that you've shared this much, you couldn't stop now. "and the stories which I typed for others consumption and entertainment. It's as though you spill and pour a bit of yourself into these dreams and passions. As a famous singer once sang, 'You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.'"

"What a way to put it. I think I might've heard the song you quoted some years ago. I believe my satellites picked up the transmission."

You smiled at that. You had heard the stories, read the theories, and admired man's will of wanting to make contact with the unknown; if only they would have known what they were getting themselves into. It wasn't all bad, and could very much be as Star Trek would put it, 'To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!' And to watch an intellectual man like Zeta-7 to almost wax poetic about the marvels and atrocities which were in the depths of space, and listening to how an alien admired what was in another quadrant of space, why it warmed your heart. "That's neat. It's funny," you admitted a bit quietly at first, then you raised your eyes towards him. "I'm not used to these kinds of events, but I gotta admit that it hasn't been so bad. You've made an otherwise tiresome task a joyful one."

You had long since noticed that his face was very stiff when it came to expressing emotions, but he still managed a smile that was no less winning. And unlike most of the evening there was an unaccountable silence. Till now, it seemed nothing could stop the Salamandrian from talking, but whatever had come over him went away as a danceable tune began to play, and you felt a subtle shift as he stood and wondered if you cared to dance. Keeping in mind the strict rules of this planet, you raised a brow, but he seemed to know what to do. "Come, I'll show you how it is done."

With a nod, you followed him all the while keeping a fair distance. Beneath your feet, you felt the bumpy path through your thin flats and relished the strong gust of wind that whipped your hair about. If you had closed your eyes, you could almost imagine yourself back home in Rick's backyard, remembering one of the first times you urged him to dance under the moonlit night, admiring how he colored when you realized it was a first for him; reluctant he stood on the patio unsure of what to do, but you smiled at him and told him there wasn't much to it because it was simply more romantic. Oh, how your heart ached for those days, but there wasn't much time to continue reminiscing, for you were dragged back to reality by the candor of the chemist's voice. "We're here."

On a raised platform was a honeycomb pattern of tiles, which illuminated when stepped on. V'gha took his place and stood very still until a see-through chamber enclosed him in. There was no panic or surprise, which led you to believe that he had done this before. In like manner, you followed his lead and took your place a few feet away and stood still until a chamber rose to encapsulate you in it. You felt a tightness in your chest, and took deep breaths in order not to panic, but a new tune began to play and it struck you with a sense of deja vu. 

A glance at the stage revealed the appearance of a tall, veiled figure surrounded by six guards. You pressed a hand over your heart, feeling it quicken as he swiftly, but gently passed his fingers over a golden orbed plant which had very stiff leaves, and when it detected movement, it vibrated, and this, in turn, caused it to emanate a sound a little more delicate than that of a kalimba. Its melody seeped into your bones, buzzing against your skin, and in it you felt a sense of belonging and warmth to a moment. Along with the veiled figure was the being made of pure energy, whose voice added body to the already beautiful tune; flowers bloomed at high frequencies, and thread-thin roots spread along the stage and dance floor; illuminating at rhythmic intervals.

You imagined yourself dancing with Zeta-7, on a plane of nothingness; submerged in a viscous sweetness then rising to the surface; floating, falling, losing yourself in a funny world, with every intrinsic, idiosyncratic, and inviting thing in your path; laced fingers, shared breaths, surrounded by his warmth, secure in the nearness of him, and sure in his grasp; he was incandescently happy, and he was as much yourself as you were of him. "C-can you hear me princess?" he whispered.

You could hear him, but you couldn't answer. Lips ghosted over yours, whispering phrases you thought you recognized; haunting you; trying to tell you something of the utmost importance, but the song ceased, and the figure was gone; breaking the trance you hadn't known you'd been under. When the chamber returned from whence it had come, you followed V'gha back to the table; confused, embarrassed, lost, but with a sense of knowing. You thought to yourself that the veiled figure could've been Rick, for who else could evoke such feelings except for Rick; that or it truly was a tune which was out of this world. "You're quite a dancer." he commented, which interrupted your thoughts.

"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything."

Taking a sip of his murky beverage, he explained. "There is no physical dancing done on this planet, except to those exclusively done by royalty and that of the Milleannos guardians. What the rest of us did, including yourself, was dance with our soul. None of us can really discern what the other is dancing to, which makes it appropriate and is in line with the laws, but while the others might not have understood what you were about, I could tell from the bliss which you exhibited on your face when we came back this way. It made me conclude you had enjoyed yourself. Call it instinct, but I believe this is the happiest you've been all evening."

Again, he wasn't wrong. Yet, how could you not know? It's possible that Zeta-7 didn't know it would take place either. You remembered how you felt, how real and tangible it seemed, but if that was the case, were you really dancing with Rick, or the idea of him? Did it matter? 

The music now, albeit stimulating, was light and nearly silent as though someone was lightly humming. It was not as provoking as the tune earlier had been, but perhaps the experience you had was exclusive to your own feelings. "I did enjoy myself," you replied. "did you?"

"It was fascinating," he admitted smoothly. "but I much more prefer the view of all twenty-nine of this planet's moons. I cannot study the intangible thought of a feeling."

"If it helps, I much would've preferred regular dancing, but the experience...it's… it's one I wouldn't mind trying again." 

One you wouldn't mind trying again, but only with Rick.

Tbc

[andromeda-sapphire]

Uranus in Taurus: 2018 - 2025

(EDIT: This is an article I wrote for my old blog back in 2018.)

This year, starting mid-May, we got a taste of Uranus in Taurus and what kinds of things we can expect until the next sign change into Gemini in 2025. Currently, Uranus has retrograded back into Aries, giving us our last opportunity to stand out and make our own unique mark on the world with this pioneering Aries influence before the planet moves into Taurus again in early March 2019, where it will stay for the next 7-10 years. Aries is the first of the zodiac and is all about the importance of self, so it's no coincidence that this Uranus in Aries cycle birthed the beginning of selfie culture we know today, as well as many activist groups and rebellions.

Uranus is the planet of change and innovative ideas, and it doesn't match well with Taurus, a fixed sign, who hates change and clings to all they know. Taurean themes such as food, music, art, and finance may experience radical changes, likely involving technology as well, as Uranus rules technology and science. In the first few months of Uranus in Taurus this year, we have already seen some of these themes manifest, as I'll discuss throughout this article. First, for a little history lesson.

The last time Uranus was in Taurus was during the end of the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II. As we know, these events directly affected the world of finance, and the unemployment rate in some cities in the USA was higher than 80%. In June of 1935, F.D.R. took action to attempt to save the economy with the "New Deal" plan, which was a number of programs aimed to help achieve financial stability (which is a major Taurean theme) in America once again. These programs were assembled primarily by Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in the Presidential cabinet. Also in 1935, the Social Security Act (which Frances Perkins was also very involved in, and I'll talk more about why she is important later) became law, and the first social security payments were made the following year. In January 1938, the Dutch government began obligatory unemployment insurance as well. There is a pattern here, where the Taurean themes of finance and security were shaken by the unstable influence of Uranus. A game about fluctuating finances was even released during this previous Uranus in Taurus cycle - the ever-popular Monopoly board game! Interestingly enough, during the current Uranus in Taurus cycle, in 2018 Hasbro released a new and updated version of the Monopoly game for the millennial generation.

Beyond finance, Taurus also rules farming and food production, so there were many important events happening in this area too, during the last Uranus in Taurus transit. For example, many countries began rationing food supplies around the time World War II began, including bread, sugar and cheese. In July of 1937, SPAM lunchmeat was first introduced to market shelves, dominating the industry because of its availability, affordable cost, and enduring shelf life. This is an example of a Uranus in Taurus development involving food. Another wonderful example; in May of 1940, the first McDonald's opened in California, revolutionizing the world of food, speeding up the process under the influence of Uranus, and thus becoming what we know today as "fast food." The first food stamps were also issued in 1939, during the last transit of Uranus through Taurus.

In our current Uranus in Taurus transit, I've noticed that there has already been a series of archaeological discoveries (Uranus rules discovery) related to food. On July 17 of 2018, archaeologists in Jordan found the ancient remains of baked bread from 14,400 years ago. Then on August 18, archaeologists found the first ever cheese from Ancient Egypt. And finally, in September, archaeologists found the oldest known brewery and the remains of ancient beer in Israel. (While Neptune and Pisces rule alcohol, Taurus rules the grains that beer is made from!) Interesting that we seem to be looking backwards at food so far during this transit, when Uranus typically urges us to move forward. But there is still plenty of time, and I'm sure there will be some amazing inventions relating to the food industry over the next 7-10 years.

In the world of the arts, there were many major events during the last Uranus in Taurus transit, as Venus rules Taurus, which rules art and music. To begin, in 1936, Billboard magazine published its very first hit music chart, revolutionizing the music industry. Then in 1939, Billboard introduced the first country music chart, or "hillbilly" music chart. In 1940, they released their first singles records chart. Vocalists (Venus and Taurus rule the throat and voice) like Frank Sinatra and Marian Anderson began to emerge in music during this time as well, and dominated the industry.

In fashion, nylon was the latest fiber innovation, patented in 1937, then announced the following year. By October of 1939, nylon stockings were available in stores for the first time. Also in 1939, Glamour magazine began publishing issues. This is significant because Venus rules beauty, and as the ruler of Taurus, it is involved in this transit. Venus also rules perfume, and during the last Uranus in Taurus transit, Coco Chanel brought us the famous scent, Chanel no. 5 in May of 1941.

Towards the end of the last Uranus in Taurus transit, in 1941, the National Gallery of Art opened in Washington D.C., another expression of the Venusian influence of Taurus. I noticed also a surge in highly successful cartoons and animations during this Uranus in Taurus transit. Uranus rules animation, cartoons and technicolor television, and Taurus rules the arts and beauty. These themes came together to produce amazing works of film that we still treasure today. This stream of cartoons included three of the very first full-length Disney animated films, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as well as Pinocchio and Dumbo. Interestingly enough, during the current Uranus in Taurus cycle in 2019, Disney will be releasing a new version of the animated movie, Dumbo, originally released in 1941. Also among these successful cartoons were characters like Bugs Bunny, Tom & Jerry, and a handful of comic book heroes like Superman and Batman.

Though not a cartoon, I'd also like to mention the release of The Wizard of Oz in this category, relating to technicolor television. While technicolor had been around since 1917, when Uranus was in Aquarius (which makes sense, being a Uranian association), The Wizard of Oz brought more attention to technicolor films, highlighting their artistic beauty (there's the Taurean theme). That is what made the release of this movie a big deal.

In art-related discoveries (remember that Uranus rules discovery), the last Uranus in Taurus transit brought us the incredible discovery of the Lascaux Cave Paintings in France - also known as The Hall of The Bulls, because the paintings feature many ancient bulls running across the walls of the caves. As most of us know, Taurus is the sign represented by the bull, so I found this to be extremely fascinating. Also in the current 2018 Uranus in Taurus transit, the oldest known human drawing was discovered, and the first work of art produced by artificial intelligence sold for $432,500.

Scientific discoveries during the previous Uranus in Taurus transit interestingly include the development of antibiotics used to fight strep throat. Taurus is the ruler of the throat, specifically, so this discovery stood out to me. The same year, in 1936, the first radioactive substance (radium E) was produced synthetically. Uranus rules radioactivity, and Taurus manifests physical results. In regards to natural science, in 1936 we saw the formation of the National Wildlife Federation, as well as the extinction of two unique species in the next two years - the thylacine and the Balinese tiger. Uranus rules exotic animals, and being in Taurus, a sign of manifestation, Uranus can suddenly wipe entire species out, as well as potentially bring an unexpected revival. In 1938 in South Africa, we discovered the first modern coelacanth, an ancient fish long thought to be extinct.

Some of you might be excited to hear, in my honest opinion, (and I know this saying is kind of cheesy) the approaching future WILL be female. Uranus rules activism and feminism as well, and Taurus is ruled by Venus, whose planetary symbol is literally the symbol of feminism. If you're an astrological skeptic and need more than that, let me explain... In 1919, when women received the right to vote, Uranus was in Aquarius, the sign of activism where it feels most at home. This transit created several workers unions and women's political groups, however it also created the formation of the Nazi party in Germany and the Fascist party in Italy (Uranus and Aquarius also rule fanatics and extremists). Later, when Uranus transited into Taurus, we began to see physical manifestations of the radical ideas that were birthed during the transit of Uranus through Aquarius, because Taurus represents the physical world, and makes things into a tangible reality. One example of a manifesting idea being the physical Nazi takeover of Germany by Adolf Hitler. Another example, a physical manifestation in women's rights, in 1938, a federal judge lifted the ban on birth control in the US, making it legal to use and obtain contraceptives through medical instruction. During this current Uranus in Taurus transit, we may have to fight again for the right to birth control, as Planned Parenthood and abortion are under attack by the current administration. Also, in 1933, while Uranus transited through the end of Aries, we saw the first woman appointed to serve in the Presidential cabinet (Frances Perkins, mentioned in an above paragraph). This woman had a major influence over the US over the next decade, while Uranus was in Taurus, and fought for financial reform to help save the American economy. The recent midterm elections interestingly enough were held on November 6 this year, the same day Uranus moved back into Aries, the sign of firsts, from it's little preview of Taurus. Already in 2018 we've seen records being broken by women in politics, as well as a few firsts, and we can expect to see more of this as Uranus continues on its journey through this feminine sign. We can also expect to see more breakthroughs made by these new female leaders, like the "New Deal" by Frances Perkins in 1935.

As I mentioned earlier in this post, art and technology will likely blend in new ways during this upcoming transit, as Uranus rules technological advancement and Taurus rules artistic sensitivities. We will likely see artificial intelligence creating more art and music, maybe more commonly too. We could also see a rise in electronically made music in the music industry. As for fashion and other forms of art, we can expect these subjects to lean more towards the lavish side this next decade, Uranus being in the sign of fine perfumes and silks. Pastels and florals, ruled by Venus, have already reached the world of fashion, hitting the runways right as Uranus began it's recent transit into Taurus. Unique earrings and statement necklaces are also growing in popularity already, beginning with the Uranus in Taurus transit. Taurus rules the ears and throat as well as jewelry, while Uranus brings uniqueness to the table.

New technologies will have a big impact on the food industry somehow in these next 7-10 years as well. Technological advancements could be made to change the way we feed our massive population, perhaps giving us greener solutions to environmental issues regarding our wasteful food production. Financial institutions globally may collapse or prove unstable, and new financial reforms will likely be put into place to replace these failing establishments. Dictators may take over or be overthrown, rebellions and uprisings may start around the world, and unfortunately, we may lose a few beloved species on our endangered species list, namely the Sumatran rhino. I'm bringing these creatures specifically up because just a few days ago, an article was published announcing that one of the last remaining Sumatran rhinos was just captured from the wild in an attempt to save the species. A few other species to be watched this decade are the Sumatran elephant, multiple species of tigers, two kinds of gorillas, Sumatran orangutans, as well as a long list of others. There is a very real chance we will lose these creatures to history forever during this transit. The choices we are making as a collective society in the present and very near future will directly affect the environment around us, and Uranus in Taurus will make sure of it. The fight to save our planet will likely be center stage while revolutionary Uranus is in the green earth sign of Taurus, and with the neutral and uncertain nature of Uranus, we may see some surprising and unexpected ecological victories as well.

With so much change in the world, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by it all. Just keep in mind that the planets are always in motion, and therefore change is constant. Though we may see themes emerge and repeat themselves over time, the end-all law is that we are always evolving, and evolution is the key message of Uranus.

I hope you enjoyed this article!

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[hawthornewhisperer]

okay! i'm SUPER curious on your thoughts about the more controversial aspects of yen's fertility and the ableism. i've seen so many people who HATE yen talk about it, so obviously i don't trust their judgement. but i know you love her, so i feel like your take will be genuine. that is if you feel comfortable sharing!

Sure thing! But I want to include a disclaimer first: the ableism storyline in particular is not something I have personal experience with, so while I will do my best to express my own personal issues with the way it was handled, my thoughts are in no way a replacement for the thoughts of actual people with disabilities, whose voices should be considered with far, far more weight than mine.

Another disclaimer: I’ve only ever seen the show, so I have no idea what is show-only and what is also drawing from the books. (It’s my understanding her backstory was majorly beefed up for the show, but that’s the full extent of my knowledge.)

(this got long so it’s below the cut. TW for infertility and ableism).

We’ll start with Yen’s infertility plotline.  Early on, she sacrifices her uterus as part of her transformation, although now that I’m thinking about it I’m a little unclear about what she got in exchange-- was it “beauty” or “the ability to not age” or “more magical power”? It doesn’t really matter, though, because basically we had a woman giving up her ability to be a mother (via pregnancy and childbirth) in exchange for power, which is unfortunately a very old, very misogynistic trope. It plays into the idea that women can either be mothers *or* they can be powerful, and also that powerful women are somehow unfit to be mothers. None of that is good, quite frankly, but I will say the fact that Geralt is *also* infertile (and the reason he gives for it on the dragon hunt) does help mitigate that a little bit. It also implies that pregnancy and childbirth is the *only* way to become a mother, although it seems the show is aiming to undercut that so I’ll reserve judgment on that front for now.

Then, somewhere around the incident with the djinn, she decides she wants her uterus back. I was super thrown when Jaskier said she was painting an *amphora* on her abdomen, as to me that was pretty clearly a uterus/fallopian tubes/ovaries-- which does admittedly look like a double handled amphora-- and even after having watched the episode twice I’m not sure if he’s supposed to be mistaken or if I am. I went into the show having heard there was a bit of a yikesy infertility plotline, so that definitely colored my impressions. But now that I think about it, I don’t know if her uterus/lack thereof is actually discussed in that episode? She is more interested in the general concept of *power* and is clearly searching for a new meaning for her life, but I’d definitely buy that her desire for a baby isn’t fully articulated until they go on the dragon hunt.

A lot of the critiques I’ve seen of her storyline revolve around the fact that her change of heart comes out of nowhere, and honestly, it sort of does. We have no hint in the first four episodes that Yennefer has particularly strong feelings about children, childbearing, or motherhood. (Full disclosure: I had to fast forward through almost all the scenes with the baby in episode 4 because children in peril, especially babies, is something I just Cannot Handle in my escapist media. Quite possible I missed something there). So in episode six when Yennefer is suddenly desperate for a cure for her infertility, it strikes a lot of people as another echo of an old misogynistic trope: that women who decided not to have children will *always* regret it, and moreover, they must be punished for their choices.

And honestly? I can definitely see why people read it that way and are upset, because our culture tends to be very reductive and paternalistic about women’s choices around their fertility. I have *lots* of cisgender female friends who have never, ever wanted kids and have been told over and over again that they’ll “change their minds” or will one day regret their choice when it’s too late. And that’s super, super shitty, and I get being annoyed when a show seems to play into that exact narrative.

Now, *for me* (a woman who fairly recently gave birth to a daughter, who definitely wanted a child), what saved the entire storyline was the post-coital conversation where Yen admits she just wants to be important to someone. Yennefer is intensely lonely, and she’s never truly belonged to anything resembling a family. I can buy that after several decades alone, she’s sick of it. And I can also buy that she’d think a baby would be a perfect solution, as babies *do* love you unconditionally and goddamn it’s the best thing in the world (to me), and Yennefer has always struggled with people not thinking she’s enough. I see how attractive that solution (trust me, babies think their parents are the *entire world*) would be to a lonely, loner woman, and I like that it gives her a space to acknowledge her feelings have changed over time. Her journey is about finding a *family* and I read her infertility plotline as a first step to Yennefer eventually finding a family in a way she never expected, and so for me, it ultimately worked. But I also get why it didn’t work for others!

Okay, now the ableism storyline, which is a lot trickier for me to parse. Basically, she undergoes an incredibly painful physical transformation to be more conventionally beautiful, which implies there was something wrong with her before or that there’s something innately *lesser* about having a physical disability.  It’s presented as essentially par for the course for all mages to go through an “attaining physical perfection” process (Sabrina’s boobs get bigger, right? I’m not imagining that?) but Yennefer wasn’t just making her tits bigger.  And when it comes to people with disabilities, this is basically saying “your life would be more worthwhile and you would be more desirable if you were able-bodied,” which is a profoundly ableist way of thinking.  It also draws on the “magical cure for disabilities” trope, which I know a *lot* of people with disabilities have spent a lot of time deconstructing exactly how and why that’s painful for them. But for me, it’s enough to know that trope is painful for others, and therefore it’s best to be avoided. (I do think we still need to make space for people with disabilities to invert/twist/deconstruct/use this trope in their own art, but that’s a whole different conversation.)

And honestly? I think the biggest problem is I doubt anyone thought too hard about it. They were going for a big, showstopping transformation moment like Yennefer had at that ball, and they worked backwards from there to engineer a way for that reveal to have as much impact as possible. (From what I’ve heard, there’s some vague references to her having some sort of physical disability in the books but most of it is the show’s invention).  They didn’t want it to be just “she has a scar on her face that’s gone” or “her nailbeds no longer suck,” they wanted her transformation to be splashy and astonishing, and were only thinking about it from an ableist perspective that having a physical disability would be the worst thing possible.  And that sucks!  It’s hurtful to people with disabilities, and I genuinely wish the show had thought through it more.  

So yeah, those are my thoughts. Like I said, I’m still grappling with the best way to handle those two storylines in fic (especially in non-canon set stories, which is probably going to be most of my stuff) and so if anyone has any guidance, I’m all ears.