#Critical Degrees

[astrologydray]

The Sun Through the Degrees

The Sun represents your core identity, life force, purpose, and ego. The specific degree of the Sun in your birth chart adds extra depth to your personality, revealing how you express your individuality and approach life.

0° Sun – The Pure Self

• Radiates raw, unfiltered energy.

• Strong sense of identity but may act impulsively.

• Has a natural leadership presence.

1° Sun – The Pioneer

• Courageous and ready to initiate new paths.

• Highly independent and self-reliant.

• Can be impatient or impulsive.

2° Sun – The Builder

• Grounded and focused on long-term stability.

• Prefers a steady approach to life.

• Can be stubborn but dependable.

3° Sun – The Expressive Spirit

• Charismatic and lively, enjoys self-expression.

• Loves being noticed and recognized.

• Needs to balance confidence with humility.

4° Sun – The Structured Leader

• Organized and values tradition.

• Takes responsibility seriously.

• Can be rigid in their beliefs.

5° Sun – The Bold Creator

• Passionate about making an impact.

• Highly creative and enjoys taking risks.

• Needs to control ego-driven tendencies.

6° Sun – The Perceptive One

• Highly intuitive and emotionally aware.

• Seeks depth and meaning in life.

• Can be overly sensitive to criticism.

7° Sun – The Spiritual Seeker

• Deeply connected to spiritual or philosophical beliefs.

• May feel like they have a bigger mission in life.

• Can be detached from practical concerns.

8° Sun – The Powerful Influencer

• Naturally magnetic and authoritative.

• Draws people in with confidence and presence.

• Needs to be mindful of power struggles.

9° Sun – The Enthusiastic Adventurer

• Loves exploring new ideas, places, and experiences.

• Optimistic and full of energy.

• Needs to learn patience and commitment.

10° Sun – The Determined Achiever

• Hardworking and committed to success.

• Takes pride in accomplishments.

• Can be too focused on material success.

11° Sun – The Visionary

• Thinks ahead and embraces innovation.

• Often feels different from the crowd.

• Needs to ground ideas into reality.

12° Sun – The Emotional Intuitive

• Deeply sensitive and emotionally aware.

• Can easily pick up on others’ energies.

• Needs to balance emotions with logic.

13° Sun – The Transformational Leader

• Goes through major personal transformations in life.

• Highly intense and passionate.

• Needs to learn surrender and adaptability.

14° Sun – The Magnetic Personality

• Naturally draws people in with charm and warmth.

• Has a strong presence but can be overwhelming.

• Needs to ensure authenticity in self-expression.

15° Sun – The Balanced Individual

• Strives for harmony and fairness.

• Can see multiple perspectives in a situation.

• Needs to be decisive and firm.

16° Sun – The Purpose-Driven Soul

• Feels called to do something meaningful.

• Often takes on leadership or guiding roles.

• Needs to ensure they follow their own path, not others’.

17° Sun – The Competitive Spirit

• Loves a challenge and thrives in competition.

• Can be extremely determined and ambitious.

• Needs to learn humility in victory and grace in defeat.

18° Sun – The Deep Thinker

• Reflective and highly intellectual.

• May take a philosophical approach to life.

• Needs to take action instead of overanalyzing.

19° Sun – The Risk-Taker

• Bold, adventurous, and always seeking excitement.

• Thrives on change but must avoid recklessness.

• Needs to commit to something long-term.

20° Sun – The Hardworking Visionary

• Combines discipline with big-picture thinking.

• Highly focused on making an impact.

• Needs to find balance between work and personal life.

21° Sun – The Creative Thinker

• Expresses themselves through art, ideas, or innovation.

• Has a natural talent for communication.

• Needs to ensure they follow through on ideas.

22° Sun – The Master Strategist

• Highly intelligent and calculated in their approach.

• Can be a great planner or organizer.

• Needs to be mindful of over-controlling tendencies.

23° Sun – The Confident Leader

• Natural ability to lead and inspire others.

• Highly self-assured and ambitious.

• Needs to remain humble and open-minded.

24° Sun – The Passionate Creator

• Puts their heart into everything they do.

• Has a strong emotional connection to their work.

• Needs to manage intense emotional highs and lows.

25° Sun – The Loyal Defender

• Extremely dedicated to loved ones and personal beliefs.

• Can be protective and stand up for others.

• Needs to ensure they don’t become overly possessive.

26° Sun – The Hidden Power

• Has a quiet strength that others may not see immediately.

• Doesn’t always seek the spotlight but holds great influence.

• Needs to trust their abilities and step forward when needed.

27° Sun – The Dreamer in Action

• Inspired by big visions and spiritual ideas.

• Has a deep sense of purpose but must stay practical.

• Needs to balance imagination with grounded action.

28° Sun – The Worldly Explorer

• Drawn to different cultures, philosophies, and ideas.

• Always seeking new knowledge and experiences.

• Needs to find stability amidst constant change.

29° Sun – The Karmic Leader

• Carries deep wisdom and lessons from past lifetimes.

• May feel a strong sense of destiny or mission.

• Needs to overcome final challenges before stepping fully into their power.

[seafoamreadings]

neptune (rx) sextile pluto (rx)

this is a lovely sextile of the slowest planets. they do not meet up often because their own orbits are so long and pluto's is quite eccentric. and indeed this doesn't quite perfect yet; pluto is not back into capricorn and neptune is retrograding as well. but it is quite close, and it is a friendly meeting between the king of the underworld and the depth and darkness of the deep sea or deep space. so the vibes are not only chthonic but also spiritual and ethereal. it pervades all planes. use this to integrate the different parts of yourself, to do healing, to sleep well, to care for the dead and dying, honor the ancestors or spirit guides, and unify your desires on all levels of being. the influence lasts for several days.

[sc0rpi0suntaurusm00n]

Stellium Notes

3 or more planets in one sign is a stellium

💫 4 or more planets in one sign is extremely rare 🌟

The house it is in matters, and the sign it's in too.

Let's take a deeper look by learning some tools so that you can also check your house rulers and see which house rulers are involved in your stellium. Also let's see which other parts of your life will be influenced, especially looking for house rulers or other significant planets that are retrograde or combust for more insights

Planets too close to the sun; a few degrees behind the sun but still close are considered combust

These things will tell you about events in life and parts of your personality that you may need to put extra effort into, but they are not inherently bad, as some might say due to the unlucky parts of combustions and retrogrades.

How do I identify house rulers, and locate them in the chart?

Well first you need to know the signs and their rulers

♈︎ Aries & ♏︎ Scorpio are ruled by Mars ♂

♉︎ Taurus & ♎︎ Libra ➤ Venus ♀

♊︎ Gemini & ♍︎ Virgo ➤ Mercury ☿

♋︎ Cancer ➤ The Moon ☽

&

♌︎ Leo ➤ The Sun ☉

So say you are an Aries Rising/Ascendant then the house Aries is in would be ruled by Mars. Therefore whatever Mars is being aspected by, and the house it is in, it will also be influencing the Ascendant. That will affect the face, the self, the first impressions and the rest you can always look up what the houses rule over but generally they can be related to the signs and their planet in the same way; starting with Aries as 1st house, Taurus as 2nd etc

however do not misconstrue the sign as the house representative because it is actually ruled also by their ruling Planets, so when you look at 2nd house themes remember that venus is also involved so it's not just about finances, but also the body and and venusian things

༄⊹ᙏ̤̫͚༄⊹ᙏ̤̫͚⊹𖠌⊹༄⊹ᙏ̤̫͚༄⊹ᙏ̤̫͚⊹𖠌⊹༄⊹ᙏ̤̫͚༄⊹ᙏ̤⊹𖠌⊹༄

Degrees💫

Degrees have also been theorized to be related to zodiac signs, degrees can make significant differences depending on one degree change. This is evident in twin birth charts since they have the same chart but different birth times by only a few moments difference, but its more important in aspects. That being said it is also very important to have your precise birth time, and this has the ability to allow us to see the most influential aspects in your chart especially when viewed with a lower orb. In a stellium where each planet is in the same sign, we can look at the degrees and it can be fun to relate them to their respective zodiac signs... However, keep in mind that it is not a proven practice, and it is a made up theory!

How do the zodiacs relate with degrees?

Well in the degree theory, each of the 0–29 degrees are ruled by a zodiac sign except 0° considered the raw expression of any placement and 29° which is considered an anoretic degree and a completion degree

______________________________________

1° is ruled by Aries ♈︎ degree

2° Taurus ♉︎ degree

3° Gemini ♊︎ degree

4° Cancer ♋︎ degree

And so on…

፨ After 12° (Pisces ♓︎) it repeats with 13° beginning at Aries ♈︎ again ⊰

ᑕᖇITIᑕᗩᒪ ᗪᗴᘜᖇᗴᗴՏ

0 degrees in degree theory is the raw expression of a sign its in and the planet is considered young

29 degree in the degree theory is supposedly a leo degree, a fame degree, and a degree of completion. It is called an anoretic degree and apparently it is found in the charts of the most successful people often. This degree can mean that you are very wise in this aspect of life?

______________________________________

Picture credit: Pinterest

I hope this helps you out!

💫Good luck on your journey!🩷🌟

© 2024

[northopalshore]

What are your thoughts on a Libra Rising with a 26°? 26° is a critical degree for Libra as well as a Taurus Degree?

𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋ Critical degrees in the chart add more challenging aspects to that part of your life (which planet, asteroid or house that carries it depending on the nature of the sign that it's in i.e whether it's Cardinal, Mutable or Fixed. Essentially the theory behind it lies within it's connection with the moon's daily (nightly ?) cycle (from °0 to °29 or the beginning & ending of it)

I don't think I've talked about it previously (only focused on the °22nd degree).

Cardinal Signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra & Capricorn):

Critical degrees 👉🏻°0, °13, °26

Mutable Signs ( Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius & Pisces):

Critical degrees 👉🏻 °4 & °17 only

Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio & Aquarius):

Critical degrees 👉🏻°8, °9, °21, °22

You can read a little more about them here.

Following the critical degrees rules to answer your question, yes °26 is a Taurus degree but it's not a critical degree for Taurus itself. In your case it effects your rising signs (Libra) because it's a Cardinal sign.

What it means for you specifically:

You may experience a lot of hurdles when it comes to how you present yourself to other people (especially when concerning your looks, aesthetics and demeanor). Finding difficulty being at peace with who you are, what you're seen as or who you want to be. You may either find that it's hard to keep yourself satisfied with how you look or other people may only focus on your flaws or vanity at times (or self obsessions in a way).

₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ . ₊ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ . ₊ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ . ₊ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑ ⊹ .₊๋‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭ ⭑

Hope this helps!

[shansworldwide]

The Sagittarius Full Moon May 23 is Going to expand your views

The Sagittarius Full Moon is on May 23 at 9:52 am EST and is going to be ruled by a critical degree 29 Jupiter and Venus conjunction in the sign of Taurus and sextile a critical degree 29 Neptune in the sign of Pisces! It’s the last conjunction before Jupiter moves into Gemini for the next year and Neptune moves into Aries in 2025 for the next 14 years and is a BIG DEAL! Let’s talk about…

[thelucidlabyrinth]

Understanding Degrees and Minutes in Astrology

Many lovers of Astrology may not realize that there is much more to it than zodiac signs and planets. There are many facets of Astrology that go completely unrecognized by the greater majority who may have a basic understanding of how this incredibly detailed divination practice works. In fact, Astrology is boundless! As you probably already know, considering you’re reading this post, there are…

[frownyalfred]

“This fic would be better if—” babe this isn’t your high school English class and my fic isn’t assigned reading. it’s something a stranger wrote on the internet without an explicit request for constructive criticism or suggestions for improvement. you are not grading my smut fic on a rubric (I hope).

if you cannot consume writing without needing to criticize it, that’s a you problem. stop leaving me these kinds of comments — and if you DO: for god’s sake, please make sure you’re actually objectively correct about the criticism you’re leaving.

[middlenamesage]

Love seeing information on the critical degrees, and this is all really good info! 0° and 29° are generally the degrees I take special note of (honestly I have a feeling that maybe even 1° and 28° slightly apply to these themes of freshness and final urgency too). I haven’t given much attention to 15° but I think it could be worth starting to. I personally don’t give another layer of interpretation for every single degree though (a newer theory in astrology known as degree theory).

Critical Degree in astrology 0*,15*,29*

0 Degrees - the first degree is known as a critical degree. It can represent the beginning of something, or it can kickstart a new cycle. Planets at 0 degrees are thought to carry a purer energy and symbolize innovation, fresh starts, and a new direction associated with the traits of that sign. For example, a planet at 0 degrees Aries can illustrate a time of assertiveness, innovation, and leadership as this binds the key characteristics of Aries with the new chapter cycle of 0 degrees.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vedicastro.jyotishghar

29 Degrees - the final degree, at 29 degrees, marks the last strike in the ticking of a clock. At 29 degrees, it can represent the close of a chapter and bring a sense of completion or an ending in some form. Rather than a simple soft ending, there can be an urgency associated with planets at this degree. For example, if a planet sits at 29 degrees in Pisces (the last sign of the zodiac), it can mean that you have reached the pinnacle of a spiritual pursuit or an emotional challenge and that you are ready to let go and leap forward into the energy of something new in Aries (the first sign of the zodiac). This degree can also be seen as a placement that brings the more challenging aspects of a sign to light.

15 Degrees - the jury is still out on whether 15 degrees is considered a critical degree, but some astrologers do think it's in a critical position and play an important role. The midpoint of a section, 15 degrees, can serve as a halfway mark, and due to this position, it can mean that it has heightened energy or intensity or can also serve as a mark of balance. For example, if a planet is 15 degrees in Leo, it can mean that a project or person could be at the peak of something and that all eyes and attention will be turned to that moment. Some astrologers also believe that planets at this degree will have to reconcile with the sign's key issues.

FOR PERSONAL CONSULTATION WRITE PC4JG AND SEND IT CARE.JYOTISHGHER@GMAIL.COM

[xxbrightshadowxx]

Don’t get me wrong, I like Timebomb but Ekko got pushed to just being Jinx’s love interest in season 2. It’s not as bad as other cases I’ve seen of this, *cough* invincible *cough* but it’s still there. Ekko is in about three episodes out of the nine and the episode that is suppose to be his is more timebomb focus. The show forgets everything else he has going on. The firelights are shoved to the side which sucks because they had a lot of narrative potential.

[astrologydray]

Critical Degrees in Astrology🫰🏾🫰🏾🫰🏾

Anaretic Degree (29° - The Karmic Degree)

• Known as the “degree of fate” or “degree of urgency.”

• Represents completion, transition, or final lessons related to the sign it’s in.

• Can indicate indecision, last-minute changes, or a feeling of pressure.

• In natal charts, it may show mastery of that sign’s energy or difficulty integrating it.

Effects by Modality:

• Cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn): Rushed action, impulsivity.

• Fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius): Stubbornness, difficulty letting go.

• Mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces): Restlessness, indecisiveness.

0° (The “Pure” Degree)

• Represents a fresh start, raw potential, and new beginnings.

• The energy of the sign is most pure, undiluted, and powerful.

• In predictive astrology, planets at 0° often signal major life transitions.

Classic Critical Degrees💋

Certain degrees are considered “critical” because they carry extra intensity and impact.

💋Cardinal Signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn)

Critical Degrees: 0°, 13°, 26°

• Strong leadership qualities, initiating energy.

• Increased drive and ambition, but can bring impulsivity.

💋Fixed Signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius)

Critical Degrees: 8°, 9°, 21°, 22°

• Extra determination, stability, and persistence.

• Can indicate stubbornness or resistance to change.

💋Mutable Signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces)

Critical Degrees: 4°, 17°

• Heightened adaptability, intelligence, and versatility.

• May indicate frequent changes or shifts in life path.

Other Special Degrees

15° of Fixed Signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) - The Avatar Degree

• Considered a point of power and mastery.

• Often seen in charts of influential leaders or public figures.

18° - The “Fated Degree”

• Sometimes linked to karmic themes, challenges, or destiny.

• More intense in personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars).

22° - The “Kill or Be Killed” Degree (Especially in Capricorn)

• A controversial degree associated with power struggles and survival themes.

• Found in charts of people who have faced extreme challenges or transformation.

23° - The Royal Degree

• Linked to influence, prestige, and success, especially in Leo and Sagittarius.

Degrees of Fame (Typically 5°, 17°, 29° in Leo or Aquarius)

• Found in charts of celebrities, public figures, and performers.

[lesbiansforboromir]

I'm still so annoyed about the whole Warden narrative too. Like why do I, a Warden, have to act surprised that Wardens did something shadey and amoral in order to defeat a blight some hundreds of years ago? That's literally all Wardens do. Even if you have lived a blessed and benevolent warden life from the moment of your joining till now, you at LEAST know that your order lies to it's recruits about what the Joining entails. You at least know that that has cost countless 'honourary wardens' their lives, including some who were simply killed because they refused to drink the soup. Why the HELL would the Wardens expect the order to treat their steeds with more honour than they treat their own members. Like I cannot concieve of this Warden that is unnerved to discover that the Wardens kept a secret vault of all the recovered archdemon remains. WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY GOT ALL THE JOINING BLOOD FROM!! Are you all stupid?? 'What are all these numbers above these big doors' 'they're the years a blight ended' 'well thats not ominous' IT'S LITERALLY NOT? WHAT THE HELL IS OMINOUS ABOUT SEEING BLIGHT DATES IN A DARK SITE RUN BY THE BLIGHT-STOPPING-ORDER??! And for that matter, what is so bad about putting all the griffon skeletons here anyway? I mean it's already bizarre that they didn't just burn them, that's the funery practice for most of the continent, but since they've kept these thousands of blighted Griffon skeletons why is it bad to keep them in the Cauldron? It's The Place For Blighted Corpses. It's a research site. Sure it's also where you put the things you don't want the rest of Thedas to know about, you know, like the JOINING? The thing literally all wardens go through!! The first and blackest and most haunting secret that all Wardens must keep!! Isseya is like 'The Wardens abused the Griffons, once proud warriors left in this Cauldron and forgotten' THERE ARE SO MANY GRIFFON STATUES EVERYWHERE!! WITH THEIR NAMES ON PLAQUES NO LESS. THEY REMAIN ONE OF THE MOST REVERED CREATURES IN THEDAS, THEY PAID THE PRICE EVERY GREY WARDEN IS EXPECTED TO PAY AND ARE HONOURED AND BELOVED FOR IT, WHO THE HELL ''FORGOT'' THEM?? Certainly not the goddamn Wardens who use them as their heraldry and emboss them on every piece of armour or scrap of leather they can find! You're saying NONE of these people even think to say 'well hang on, it was tragic that the joining turned out fatal for the Griffons, but the Grey Wardens didn't know that at the time, the fourth blight had been going on for more than a decade, the Griffons were dying from being infected with the blight anyway and this choice DID successfully lead to the end of the fourth blight, which is the single only thing we are here to do! Seems like business as usual in Grey Warden Town to me.' Like!! Why are we going through some moral reckoning with Warden actions from fucking four hundred years ago when Clarel tried to mass-warden-blood-sacrifice up a demon army to invade the deep roads like.... YESTERDAY.

[chocopinda]

A slightly festive Fearne for the upcoming holidays~

[dontevenpmodarlin]

Ada’s idea of love is tied to power, validation and stability, rather than real genuine connections. And with that I don’t mean that she cannot love normally or anything, but that her idea of love is heavily influenced by rather specific experiences she has had in life before she even meet Thomas

She fixates on powerful men bcus they represent an ideal of power, strength, control or/and protection.

Her constant shifting in personality- as in acting posh to fit in with lee’s and around Prospero- and then more chill when in Montrio may suggest she doesn’t have a strong sense of self (Ik it’s Will’s thing but she kinda gives that vibe)

We know her self esteem is at an all times low with how she speaks of herself when rejected by Prospero. We already knew that her pretending to be all posh and better than others was one of those simple and hardly rare in life methods for her to feel better about herself, to fit in, and try to push the image of who’d she’d like to be seen as onto others.

Whatever grants validation, kinda.

At core, what Ada wants the most is truly just what anyone in life wants, love, understanding, and validation. Whatever has had happened in her life must’ve make her believe that she doesn’t deserve any of it, we saw how when she broke down she called herself stupid and ugly but in that sad way of asking “why?”

None of these things make her stupid or silly.

She’s build her entire identity around being desirable. Accepting that her approach to love isn’t right would destroy her.

Her manifesting was caused by Prospero’s harsh rejection in which ‘I could never love someone like you’ is what shatters her fully.

And when it switches to Tommy flashback, and we see her being betrayed, she asks why, and he answers that it’s because she gave him no choice, putting all the blame onto her. And in the latest flashbacks we see what kind of self centered and egoistical twat he is.

What she screams in her banshee form is “Do you think I’m stupid?” Which are her self doubts and projections.

The interesting thing is that a part of her abilities is ‘Fear itself’ which we see in how she uses it against Prospero and Annabel and later on Monty, where she makes them see their worst fears. The fact that she possesses such an ability is genius. Throwing people in a trance where they spiral paranoid into their worst fears?

And what breaks her out of it? Annabel uses her fear against her to instead force Ada into her self loathing circle, forcing her to leave Annabel alone and out of her fears. She forced Ada into her fears. Because when Ada falls into them they’re like a trance.

“A wounded little girl, throwing a fit, because she didn’t get what she wanted.”

She’s putting the blame on her (I’m not saying she isn’t to blame, but this is said harshly in ways to trivialize Ada’s feelings, reducing her emotions to something meaningless, twisting the blame onto her and making her question her reality. Smart of Annie to say, but very hurtful.)

“And I pity you, Ada.”

Which no one wants to be, that’s opposite of respect.

“No one will take you seriously again.”

Whilst Annabel has a right to these words (we ain’t hating on her, she’s smart, kinda stupid as well in her own beliefs, cruel but smart)

“Unless you cease this hideous display at once.”

Giving her an ultimatum, calling what she truly is (their forms do lowkey reflect on who they r after all) hideous.

What it took to break Ada out from her spectre? What does she fear the most after not being lovable? Stuff that prevent her from being loved ofc. That her feelings are invalid, she’s just throwing a fit, she’s hideous and ugly and no one will ever respect her or take her seriously.

“H-hideous” Moss babe says, looking at her hand.

She has built a fragile illusion around herself that keeps her from falling apart. The stuff that let her feel on the surface that’s she’s beautiful, desirable and worthy of love are dependent on outside forces: such as men🙄 (lmao, bbg let me treat you better on the wlw side-🧑🏻‍🦰) ((Morella stfu)) and since it’s dependent on other people, which are moving and changing forces, it’s fragile.

Y’all shocked she gets with Montresor when they both depend on people on the outside for self validation. If she and William were to make out aggressively when Monty dies in episode 184, y’all still would be shocked.

Anyway, self doubt starts to creep, and what she always feared- that’s she’s hideous, unworthy of love, unlovable over all- that all men who used her, treated her like nothing, were right. As Thomas said, she gave him no choice.

She breaks down apologizing and crying and telling everyone she didn’t mean it and promising that she’s a real lady, a proper lady- since that is what makes her worthy and lovable in her head.

It’s no wonder that she rejects Morella when she tries to help her. She’s self loathing rn, accepting that someone may care about her just for how he is, and even in this state, is unacceptable to her, because she herself cannot love herself in this state. So others must be simply lying.

She lashes out because she can’t bear to let anyone see her like this, raw and exposed. The shame, the fear, and the realization that maybe she’s been fooling herself all along, it’s too much. So she pushes everyone away before they can confirm what she dreads the most

Beautiful thing here is the rhythm of her words, her hitting herself, and Montresor taking steps down the stairs all fitting into one scene that is delightful to imagine. The visual aspect of her hitting herself and the devil nearing, his steps closing in with every self hating comment she makes, and with her guard being lowered down to hopelessness, is mastery in writing and drawing so props for that besties.

Ada at core has beliefs of being stupid, mean and ugly.

Stupid as in not posh-manipulating-lying smart and fitting in I’d guess. Idk what she sees as smart.

Mean, as in rejecting Morella, or being mean to people to impress others even tho she knows it’s wrong - cut to the “Pissing all by thy self, handsome?” Scene-

BRAND NEW NEWS, ADA IS NOT STUPID CONFIRMED THREE YEARS AGO.

Be a darling and try to focus on how Ada is self aware, knows why she acted the way she did, but even if she knew that it was wrong of her when she did it, she had no self control then. She needs someone, she needs to matter the most to anyone in any way.

No shock she doesn’t react well to

“Nothing you say will make you good enough.” -Prospero.

She feels silly, she apologizes, she explains how she felt and apologizes fr for being cruel for ‘no reason’ Girl woke up in a life death game and found out her roomie has a crazy goth bestie that is willing to cause drama and public embarrassment to make sure Ada’s roomie is ok. Duh girl felt vulnerable n left out.

So when Monty appears with “I think you’re pretty.” It’s no shock she says “That’s not funny.”

But then he pulls his face card and a serious voice seeing honest asf telling her that he wasn’t trying to be funny.

He, opposite to Morella, finds her when she’s not in anger any more but in hopelessness and in pieces. He feeds her delusions rather than simply offering what Morella wanted to give. Since Ada can’t allow herself to be loved unconditionally (even if that’s what she wishes the most, girlie doesn’t realize she puts conditions in her head herself on when and in what form she’d be allowed to be loved in such way, making it impossible for others to love her in that way) She would rather accept someone loving her like this.

And how does a Montresor ‘love’ her? Surprise of the day is that the things he says to her don’t even necessarily have to be lies in any sort of way. He is a meddling guy, people that are the most dangerous in life, (very much the same way the most dangerous beliefs we can have) are the ones who mix truth with lies in order to shift perception of the reality.

He can appreciate stuff about her, the lacing she gave Prospero and him being fortunate to be above the snakes.

Him telling her that it was beautiful, and that she’s beautiful doesn’t have to be a lie in any way. He doesn’t need to think of her ugly, he just needs to see what she wants to be seen as the most, and no matter if he thinks that she’s hot for nearly killing the prettiest boy in school, he is going to let her know that, because that lets him manipulate her.

Y’all shocked and thinking she’s silly for falling into this, or stupid. Well, good morning to you too, imagine your worst fears being let out under from all the illusions you keep daily, and some hot blond guy comes and tells you say your lowest that hey babe we can totally keep those illusions up, I’ll lie whenever dw abt that you won’t even know, you’ll feel worthy and will be able to avoid all your GREATEST fears (pls remember that everyone now days avoid what they fear the most, and that in mf 1930’s you wouldn’t hold up anyone to a standard of facing their worst fears cuz it’s ‘healthy’ for em) and also feel all the things you want to feel the most.

He offers her a quick escape of her own hell, back into the world that she has built and wants to live in. He is the boulder her self worth is propped on, he knows how this works because he himself most probably has lived through such things when young, and sees it as the way of being. You’re either strong and decide or weak and serve others. He needs a cute squad to survive this game, so he needs a hello kitty pants girl to his cat boi if he wants to be the true alpha daddy.

Episode 113 I cite

“I did something stupid…. I’m stupid~.” - Ada dying.

“My hero! I knew you’d come back for me. You make me so happy… Honey.”

“O-oh sorry I got mixed up. I remember now. You said No. I’m not… good enough… for you.”

This either proves that it doesn’t specifically matter in her head who is it that loves her, but that there’s a figure that does, and she just mixes it up as in thinking that Prospero is taking up the role of being that. Or she thought it was Yeehaw. Or god knows, maybe Twatmas.

Anyway she needs someone to fulfill that role for her to feel stable and to be able to act, the way everyone in life needs some sort of stability, but most of the thing- well I’m optimistic- we find it in ourselves, not in the outer world on which we have oh so little power over, compared to the amount of control we can manage to maintain without ourselves.

What emotion was it that triggered her flashbacks whilst doin’ rodeo on the stag? I’d guess holding on, the way she tried to hold onto Thomas, emotionally or physically- whatever.

Anyway what I wanted to say with all of this, is that Ada is not stupid, silly, or anything. It’s normal to see her actions and facepalm because we feel the sting of ‘oh no darling, this isn’t the way’ cuz we all hate going in circles and we know how annoying it is to realize you’re in one, and seeing other ppl or characters be in such can either throw you into a fit of empathy or annoyance, depending on how you feel about yourself when you notice yourself living in such ways and experiencing such things.

Her behavior may be driven by unresolved childhood trauma or repression.

Her ID aka primal desires crave love, security, and validation. She throws herself at powerful divas cuz they represent control and protection.

Her super ego aka moral conscience shaped by social expectations, tells her that she must be desirable an perfect to be loved “a proper lady” she suppresses any feelings of insecurity by kinda forcing herself to believe in her beauty and worth ig?

Her ego aka the balancing force, struggles to reconcile these forces, so she builds a false self, a persona, to attract love and hide her deepest fears. Which as usually in life just brings her closer to her fears and makes everyone see who she is.

Because unlike Montresor who is good at lying, Ada isn’t. She is closer to finding who she is because of that, whilst he is closer to doom.

By Freud (don’t grill me) he’d call this repetition trauma I think, repetition compulsion.

She keeps pursuing Divas who reject or use her, she’s unconsciously recreating past traumas hoping to “fix” them, perhaps?

She uses denial & defense mechanism. She uses denial to avoid confrontation with her self hatred. Her reaction to rejection is to outwardly act confident to suppress the deep belief that she’s hideous. Aka Reaction formation (“Reaction Formation happens when an individual exhibits behaviors opposite to their actual feelings” - google)

Her outbursts with “STOPP lookin at me Jason! 🥺” are projections, she pushes people away because she believes that they see her the way she secretly sees herself.

Also why she pushed Morella away, right after Annabel told her that she pitied her?. Maybe in her mind that’s what Morella did, pitied her. After all she accuses her of lying.

Ada doesn’t love those all random guys perhaps, but the idea of them and what they provide for her, which Ik ive said like three times alr but protection, power, security and validation. She chases an ideal, not a real connection.

She projects her desire for love onto men mistaking their coldness for strength and indifference for being mysterious.

She needs to reach a point where she will be forced to face herself, and idk when that will happen, maybe soon since she is dissolving into atoms. Anyway Lenada when?

[kimabutch]

Finally watched EXU Divergence and mannnn what a great story and a great love letter to Matt's creations and also I want to write an entire essay on the parallels between the emergent faith of the Divergence era and the development of early Christian theology (especially faith-centred Pauline theology) and theologies of divine kenosis (ie. self-emptying) and relational theology that emphasizes god-human partnership (which is incidentally represented so well in TTRPGs...)

[theclownghoul]

Hearing the words “I trust Christian, Alex and Amanda” in my own voice in my pre Season 2 Act 2 voice memos is a sickening experience

[soup-mother]

"you being trans is all part of gods plan" girl it's part of my plan.

cool that you've so graciously found a way to cope with and rationalise me being trans but idk why this suddenly has to be my problem