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o-uncle-newt · 1 year ago

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Cabin Pressure Advent, Day 1: Abu Dhabi

With thanks to @madenthusiasms for bringing the idea of doing a big Cabin Pressure advent relisten to my attention... I'm doing a big Cabin Pressure advent relisten!

No idea if I'll be doing one of these for all of them, but I listened to Abu Dhabi in its entirety (I sometimes just skip around for the "why do airplanes fly" bits) for the first time in a VERY long time, and I had enough thoughts that I did want to share them-

One of my first thoughts: it is still (or rather already!) very funny, but the rhythms are, as Stanley Meadows might say, slightly off- I can't quite decide if it’s JF still getting used to the rhythms of the show or the actors getting used to the rhythms of his writing, and it isn't exactly obtrusive or anything, but it doesn't quite feel there yet, though it does feel very very very close.

The characters don't feel quite lived in yet (which makes sense, they aren't!), and though JF is very good at doing the setup gradually, it definitely feels a bit more obtrusive than it does in later episodes, for obvious reasons. To me, I was surprised to realize that the main character who felt exactly right from the get go is Carolyn- Stephanie Cole got the rhythms straightaway and her dynamic with everyone else is instantly understood.

The other characters... I don't really know. Now that I reflect a few hours later, I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I think the nastiness:niceness quotient might not have been fully balanced yet. Carolyn was fine (with one slight exception I'll mention below) because we KNOW she's kind of nasty and she stays that way, unrepentantly, longer than the rest of them- Martin and Douglas yoyo back and forth between being bitter/petty and relatively collegial in a way that is funny but isn't AS funny as their more "love to hate each other" dynamic ends up being later, and doesn't feel as natural (Douglas saving Martin's bacon with the match-lighting was a wonderful plotting moment but from their acrimony the rest of the episode you'd think he'd be happy to let Martin drown). Arthur I think felt basically like authentic Arthur, just a bit undercooked.

On a related note, this is the only episode (as far as I can remember- maybe I’ll realize that there is another one on relisten) that shows Carolyn and Arthur at home together- which I think it was a wise move to get rid of. Carolyn's nastiness at work is funny, and while sometimes it applies to Arthur it's usually less than she'd direct toward Martin and Douglas, and the whole four-of-them dynamic helps temper it. It's a bit less funny when it's just the two of them at home- she's not AWFUL but I definitely had a moment or two where I was like "poor Arthur" which, really, should not be happening on this show lol.

Some other early installment weirdness:

Martin and Douglas seem equally good at Brians of Britain, with Arthur being the only dunce. Is this the last time that Martin is any good at a game on the show?!

Benedict Cumberbatch sounds positively funereal doing those credits... I did a double take to make sure it was him.

This is a broader one, but JF pointed this out in a Farewell Bear Fact- that the conflict is really between the characters rather than the characters against something external. You can tell from the pacing- the story arc in the episode is really the power struggle between Martin and Douglas, with the actual events (the diversion, the cat, etc) more being the grist for that mill. I like the approach of the later series better- "how do these people deal with this thing" rather than "what is a plot that allows us to see this one core character thing"- if only because it generally leads to better story pacing, but this is fun too. (I do have to say, I love how the episode is about the power struggle between Martin and Douglas, with Carolyn proving herself the alpha dog, but at the end of the day it's Arthur, the only person who doesn't care, who makes the final decision about the cat.)

On a different note- I'm wondering if there was a conscious parallel between Arthur volunteering to take the front seat in the car and both Martin and Douglas turning him down and, in Zurich Part 2, Arthur volunteering to sit in the back of the truck and being turned down by the two of them (plus Teresa)? Seems like a stretch, but still, it happened twice in a 27 episode show, so maybe it's something.

Anyway, let's see if I remember/want to continue this tomorrow, when Boston is on the agenda- an episode I probably haven't listened to in even longer than it's been since I listened to Abu Dhabi! (I'm... not the biggest fan of Boston or Cremona, but after that it'll be smooth sailing for a while.)

Abu Dhabi was a great episode to revisit- definitely in the lower 50% of my ranking, but more because there are so many even greater episodes coming later. I should add it to my rotation a bit more frequently.

#cabin pressure #abu dhabi #cabin pressure advent #cabin pressure advent 2023 #john finnemore

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talkoptions40 · 2 months ago

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Complete Guide to Open Interest: Measuring Market Sentiment with TalkOptions

Open Interest is very important for the trader to trade in the options and futures markets. It depicts real-time active contracts which can further be used to know the current market sentiment, liquidity and potential price movement. With Open Interest, one finds out how many contracts are alive and outstanding at a moment and indicates the shift of market dynamics, which one can use while making trades.

This tool helps us to understand precisely what this Open Interest is and what makes it so essential to traders' eyes. At the same time, this enables us to know how TalkOptions tries to take this Open Interest into a different league with advanced features like live charting, real-time open interest analysis, and a simple user interface.

Understanding Open Interest

Open Interest is the total number of outstanding contracts in a market at any given time. One gets to understand market sentiment regarding whether positions are being created (Open Interest is increasing) or closed (Open Interest is decreasing). Open Interest is a powerful tool for identifying the strength of price trends and estimating the liquidity of certain assets, and it makes trading strategies much better together with other indicators.

Key benefits of open interest analysis

Liquidity Analysis: Open interest is relatively high, hence the market would be liquid and one could easily enter or exit with minimal impact on the price.

Price Trend Analysis: The price trend can be supported by changes in Open Interest. When prices are going up and Open Interest is increasing, it is a positive trend, and if Open Interest is decreasing, then it may be a change of trend.

Market Sentiment: Open Interest helps trace a trader's bullish or bearish sentiment. When Open Interest increases with a price fall, it can be considered bearish.

Open Interest Features on TalkOptions

TalkOptions pushes the boundaries of Open Interest analysis with its advanced tools providing traders with real-time access to Open Interest data, insightful visualizations, and the convenience of a comprehensive dashboard. Here's how TalkOptions empowers traders with Open-interest insights:

Intraday Live Open Interest Chart for Options and Futures

TalkOptions is offering live Open Interest, which comes in real-time. Users can easily get to see the data for open interest about various strikes in the options and futures market. Traders are then able to identify the number of contracts by each strike price, along with where they can see the most concentration. That can also help support and resistance levels, leading traders to a better view in choosing their entry and exit points.

Graphical Presentation of Open Interest Information

This is the second very obvious feature one finds about the presentation of information at TalkOptions, specifically that which regards Open Interest: a very neat graphical representation that reflects Call Open Interest and Put Open Interest, and as a bar chart in quite easily readable formats. What it makes this presentation interesting is the instant realization regarding the spikes in Open Interest along with assessing possible possibilities by the market directions. The chart also depicts PCR data on the same screen, giving traders a more comprehensive view of the kind of sentiment the market holds.

Day-wise Open Interest

Day-wise Open Interest for traders interested in short-term positions helps to break Open Interest changes by the day. The feature allows you to monitor the day-to-day change in Open Interest, which may help you better identify trends, recognize the reversal, and adjust their trading strategies accordingly. Therefore, in the analysis involving day-wise Open Interest on price and volume, market momentum can be determined.

Spot and Futures Price Display

TalkOptions delivers Open Interest analysis directly within the same interface with the spot index prices and futures prices. From there, one can easily get a view of price movement in the underlying assets that can gauge market sentiment for better decisions.

Total Open Interest Chart with PCR Data

The cumulative Call and Put Open Interest graph of the TalkOptions platform, at a glance, clearly shows the direction of market bias. Such a graph also incorporates the essential metric called the Put-Call Ratio, which describes the market positioning. It makes it easier to find the bullish or bearish trend: usually, high values of PCR indicate a bullish bias, while low values of PCR point to a bearish bias.

Example of Open Interest Analysis with TalkOptions

Take an example using Open Interest data at a Nifty level of 24,000 below.

If the Nifty 24,000 strike showed a PUT Open Interest of 1.02 crore contracts-the highest in the chart -it indicated a strong support level at 24,000. This means there is a possibility that some traders may look for a buy if the index stays around this level.

On the contrary, if a 24,200 strike depicts a CALL Open Interest of 47 lakh contracts, then this level acts as a resistance for Nifty. The traders could take a bearish view if the index approaches 24,200 because the high Call Open Interest might indicate a potential cap in upward price movement at this level.

This is an example of how traders can apply the data of Open Interest.

Advantages of TalkOptions' Open Interest Analysis for Traders

All Open Interest information is combined into one place, covering options and futures, PCR, and day-wise data all in one place.

Enhanced Strategy Formation: This will help identify support and resistance levels for aligned, market-driven strategies.

User-friendly interface: Intuitive design makes analysis easy for all trader levels.

Automatic updates with the latest data will always enable quick and real-time market reactions.

Conclusion

Open Interest is a measure that may be used to better understand market sentiment, and thus, make a more informed trading decision. Advanced features with TalkOptions-Visualize live Open Interest charts, Total Open Interest Analysis with PCR Data and all F&O Stocks/Indices data. Whether you are an amateur or a wise and experienced professional, TalkOptions provides the insights and best options tools to improve trading strategy and optimize market position for the trader. Discover the Power of TalkOptions in bringing data-driven decisions in being in the lead of today's dynamic marketplace.

#talkoptions #trading analysis #trading strategies

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theastrologertalks · 5 months ago

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Understanding Your Birth Chart: What an Astrologer in Edmonton Can Reveal

Your birth chart, also known as your natal chart, is a powerful tool in astrology that offers profound insights into your personality, strengths, challenges, and life path. If you're seeking a comprehensive understanding of your birth chart, consulting an Astrologer in Edmonton from World Astro can provide valuable guidance. This article delves into what an astrologer can reveal through your birth chart and how this knowledge can enrich your life.

What Is a Birth Chart?

A birth chart is a map of the sky at the exact moment of your birth, showing the positions of the planets, the Sun, and the Moon relative to the Earth. It is based on your exact birth date, time, and location. Each celestial body occupies a specific position within the twelve zodiac signs and twelve astrological houses, each representing different areas of life.

Key Components of Your Birth Chart

To understand what an astrologer can reveal about you, it's essential to know the key components of a birth chart:

Sun Sign

The Sun sign represents your core identity, ego, and life purpose. It is the most well-known aspect of astrology and influences your overall personality and how you express yourself.

An Astrologer in Edmonton from World Astro can provide detailed insights into how your Sun sign affects your personal traits and life goals. They will help you understand how your Sun sign aligns with your life’s path and core motivations.

Moon Sign

The Moon sign reflects your emotional nature, subconscious mind, and inner self. It reveals how you handle emotions, your instincts, and your needs for comfort and security.

A skilled Astrologer in Edmonton can interpret your Moon sign to help you understand your emotional responses and how they influence your relationships and personal well-being. This can provide clarity on how to nurture your emotional health and build fulfilling connections.

Ascendant (Rising Sign)

The Ascendant, or rising sign, is the sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of your birth. It represents your outward personality, first impressions, and how you approach life.

Consulting an Astrologer in Edmonton can shed light on how your Ascendant influences your self-image, interactions with others, and how you tackle new experiences. This aspect of your chart helps in understanding how you are perceived by others and how you present yourself to the world.

Planetary Positions

Each planet in your birth chart represents different aspects of your life, such as communication, love, career, and health. The positions and aspects (angles) between these planets provide a detailed picture of your strengths, challenges, and potential areas of growth.

An Astrologer in Edmonton from World Astro can analyze these planetary positions to reveal insights into various life areas. For instance, Venus' position may offer insights into your love life and relationships, while Mars might shed light on your drive and ambition.

Astrological Houses

Your birth chart is divided into twelve houses, each representing different life areas such as career, relationships, health, and personal development. The placement of planets within these houses indicates where in your life these energies are most active.

A comprehensive consultation with an Astrologer in Edmonton can help you understand how the planets’ placements in different houses affect various aspects of your life, providing a clear picture of where you may experience challenges and opportunities.

Aspects

Aspects are the angles formed between planets in your birth chart. They can be harmonious (trines, sextiles) or challenging (squares, oppositions). These aspects reveal how the planets interact with each other and influence different areas of your life.

An Astrologer in Edmonton from World Astro can interpret these aspects to provide deeper insights into your personal dynamics, relationships, and potential areas of growth or conflict.

What an Astrologer Can Reveal Through Your Birth Chart

Consulting an Astrologer in Edmonton can offer valuable revelations about various aspects of your life. Here’s what you can expect from a detailed birth chart analysis:

Personal Strengths and Talents

Your birth chart can highlight your natural talents, strengths, and areas where you excel. By analyzing the positions of key planets and their aspects, an astrologer can help you identify your unique skills and potential.

For instance, if your chart shows a strong placement of Mercury, you might have exceptional communication skills. An Astrologer in Edmonton can provide guidance on how to leverage these strengths for personal and professional success.

Life Challenges and Opportunities

Your birth chart also reveals potential challenges and areas of growth. Understanding these aspects can help you navigate difficulties and seize opportunities effectively.

An astrologer can identify challenging aspects or planetary placements that may indicate obstacles in certain areas of life, such as career or relationships. With this knowledge, you can develop strategies to overcome these challenges and capitalize on opportunities.

Relationship Dynamics

Your birth chart provides insights into your relationship patterns and compatibility with others. An astrologer can analyze how your chart interacts with your partner’s chart to reveal strengths and potential areas of conflict.

For example, the position of Venus and Mars in your chart can indicate how you approach love and romance. An Astrologer in Edmonton can offer advice on how to enhance your relationships based on these astrological insights.

Career Path and Goals

Understanding your birth chart can provide clarity on your career path and professional aspirations. Key planetary placements can reveal your strengths and preferences related to work and career.

An Astrologer in Edmonton from World Astro can help you align your career choices with your astrological profile, providing guidance on suitable career paths and how to achieve your professional goals.

Health and Well-Being

Astrology can also offer insights into your health and well-being. The birth chart can indicate potential health issues or areas where you might need to focus on self-care.

An astrologer can analyze your chart to provide recommendations for maintaining good health and well-being based on your astrological profile. This can include advice on lifestyle changes or areas to pay attention to for optimal health.

Spiritual Growth and Self-Discovery

Your birth chart is a tool for spiritual growth and self-discovery. It can help you understand your deeper motivations, life purpose, and spiritual inclinations.

An Astrologer in Edmonton can guide you in exploring your spiritual path and personal growth journey based on your astrological insights. This can lead to greater self-awareness and fulfillment.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Birth Chart Reading

To make the most of your birth chart reading with an Astrologer in Edmonton from World Astro, consider the following tips:

Prepare Your Birth Information

Ensure you provide accurate birth information, including your exact date, time, and place of birth. This precision is crucial for an accurate birth chart reading.

Set Clear Intentions

Before your consultation, think about the specific areas of your life where you seek guidance. This will help your astrologer focus on the aspects that matter most to you.

Ask Questions

Don’t hesitate to ask questions during your reading. An open dialogue with your astrologer will help you gain a clearer understanding of the insights provided.

Reflect and Apply Insights

After your consultation, take time to reflect on the insights you’ve received and consider how to apply them in your life. Implementing these insights can lead to personal growth and positive changes.

Conclusion

Understanding your birth chart can offer profound insights into various aspects of your life, from personal strengths and challenges to relationship dynamics and career paths. Consulting an Astrologer in Edmonton from World Astro can provide you with valuable guidance and clarity, helping you navigate your life’s journey with greater awareness and purpose.

By exploring your birth chart, you can gain a deeper understanding of yourself, make informed decisions, and embrace opportunities for growth and fulfillment. Whether you're seeking answers to specific questions or looking for a comprehensive overview of your astrological profile, a skilled astrologer can help you unlock the secrets of your birth chart and guide you towards a more harmonious and successful life.

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henrysmith778 · 10 months ago

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Henry Smith: Unveiling Opportunities in the ASX Amidst Economic Challenges

The Australian stock market experienced turbulence in 2023, with significant divergence among different sectors and individual stocks. The current economic environment poses challenges for companies across multiple dimensions: Is the balance sheet strong? How is the progress in cost reduction and efficiency enhancement? What about the bargaining power of the business itself? Taking stock at the year-end, we can identify which companies stood out in the ASX index this year and which ones are facing crises.

The overall performance of the ASX index was relatively poor compared to global markets, with a modest 6% increase for the year, falling short of several developed markets. This was mainly due to the significant impact of the cyclical downturn on the materials sector, which has a concentrated weight in the index. In a high-interest and sluggish economic environment expected to persist for a year, it becomes more important to "smartly" select investment targets than to directly invest in the index.

Among other sectors garnering the most attention, technology remains the theme with the most growth potential in this environment, with several companies possessing moats and a global market presence. Consumer goods, whether necessary or discretionary, are expected to face greater pressure next year.

In the industrial/utilities/healthcare sectors, which are favored by long-term conservative investors, there is a mixed bag of opportunities, with many high-quality assets currently not highly valued and offering opportunities for long-term holding to wait for valuation recovery.

Real Estate Sector: Sensitively impacted by interest rate changes, the real estate sector showed positive growth in 2023. For instance, Goodman Group and Mirvac both saw increases of 1.9% and 2.2% respectively, leading to a 9.6% overall increase in the sector by month-end (Morningstar).

Banking and Financial Services: Among the big four banks, ANZ, Westpac, and CBA each saw gains of 0.5%, 0.4%, and 0.3%, while NAB experienced a slight decline of 0.1%. This reflects a mixed performance in the banking sector (Morningstar).

Healthcare Sector: Within the healthcare sector, Fisher & Paykel saw a 2.8% decline due to the voluntary recall of two nasal high-flow therapy devices, expected to incur approximately AUD 12 million in costs (Morningstar).

Energy Sector: Energy company Beach Energy announced a strategic review of its operations and plans to reduce its workforce by 30%, leading to a 3.7% increase in its stock price, reaching its highest point in a year and a half (Morningstar).

Overall Market Dynamics: Both the ASX 200 index and the broader all Ordinaries index showed upward trends at year-end, indicating the resilience and positivity of market. The ASX 200 index rose by 0.99%, while the All Ordinaries index increased by 1.0% (Morningstar).

Throughout 2023, the performance of the Australian stock market was influenced by global economic conditions, interest rate expectations, commodity prices, and domestic and international policy changes. The market volatility highlighted investors' uncertainty about future economic prospects and their sensitivity to interest rate changes.

#Henry Smith

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henrysmith00 · 10 months ago

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ASX 200 Index Review: Henry Smith Provides Year-End Summary

The overall performance of the ASX index was relatively poor compared to global markets, with a modest 6% increase for the year, falling short of several developed markets. This was mainly due to the significant impact of the cyclical downturn on the materials sector, which has a concentrated weight in the index. In a high-interest and sluggish economic environment expected to persist for a year, it becomes more important to “smartly” select investment targets than to directly invest in the index.

Throughout 2023, the performance of the Australian stock market was influenced by global economic conditions, interest rate expectations, commodity prices, and domestic and international policy changes. The market volatility highlighted investors’ uncertainty about future economic prospects and their sensitivity to interest rate changes.

#Henry Smith

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sideprince · 10 days ago

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Yes! There are a lot of indications that Vernon is upper middle class - he's the director of his firm, and his family live in a nice suburb in the South of England. Petunia, on the other hand, is from a working class town in the North, and though she and Lily seem to have been raised middle class at best, if not lower middle class, they're in the proximity of working class poverty enough that the playground they go to overlaps with the areas someone with Snape's background frequents. Regions in England are associated with class, and there's limited social movement so Vernon's being a director of a firm implies he went to a good college and bears the marks of the upper middle class enough to hold that position.

Aunt Marge reminds me a lot of Michael Gambon's character in Gosford Park - domineering and crass because he can be. No one will question them because of their status and their behavior, unacceptable in anyone else, reinforces this fact. Petunia must have gone to a good college and established herself enough to be an acceptable wife to Vernon, ie. she knows how to behave in the society he keeps and she can keep the kind of home he would invite clients to (as we see in CoS). But within the family itself it's known that her own family is questionable. British social norms hold the expectation that each person in an interaction acknowledge and uphold a power dynamic that reflects each person's class and place within the interaction. Petunia has had to earn her place in Vernon's family; Marge was born into hers. The fact she breeds dogs is also an indication that she has intergenerational wealth to live on. It implies she can live comfortably in the countryside in a large enough home or plot of land to accommodate 12 dogs while spending most of her time doing something that can't possibly support that lifestyle financially.

Petunia must have immense anxiety over how Harry's presence affects her standing and respectability in this family. He's a reminder of her background, and in a society where being an orphan with no inheritance makes a person vulnerable and a burden on others and is therefore shameful. British society is transactional - within the hierarchy you must have something to offer others and otherwise can't expect them to have any kind of relationship with you. There are subplots in various British literary works and films that focus on the upper classes of relatives helping relatives to maintain a decent living. These aren't acts of kindness, but of self-preservation - these characters know that if they are seen as coming from a family with burdensome members then their own status is compromised. So Harry's status as an orphan with no inheritance reflects badly on Vernon and Petunia, and as he has nothing to offer in their eyes except magic, which makes him abnormal, frightening, and difficult to qualify, their best choice from their perspective is to make themselves look charitable in continuing to raise him.

To have status in this society you must be born with it, but you're still expected to make a name for yourself, as exemplified in characters like Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility whose mother wants him to go into the army or law, or Vernon Dursley being the director of his company. In Austen's era the firstborn male would inherit the family's wealth and younger brothers would have to earn their name and place, which is why Edward is expected to choose a profession and simultaneously restricted in what it can be. By the mid 20th century when Harry Potter takes place, women can legally inherit and so it's likely Marge is the older child, given Vernon's deference to her and tolerance of her behavior, as well as her lifestyle and the fact Vernon has a proper job in the city instead of breeding dogs in the countryside.

This would heighten Petunia's anxiety about her own status, because she knows her husband has to maintain his own in Marge's shadow, and she doesn't want to be the reason his relationship with her is compromised in any way. It would have compounded her anxieties further each time Harry showed signs of magic, let alone when he got his Hogwarts letter.

Marge as a mirror for Petunia's class anxiety

Re-reading PoA for the billionth time (thank you insomnia), I found Marge and Petunia’s dynamic fascinating.

The few scenes of them together reveal much about their relationship. Marge, with her overbearing confidence and crass behaviour, embodies everything Petunia cannot afford to be: loud, unapologetic, and entirely unbothered by societal judgment. Petunia’s deference to Marge is not born of affection or respect but of necessity (a desperate bid to secure her tenuous position within the Dursley family and, by extension, the social status she clings to so desperately).

From the moment Marge strides into the Dursley home, the imbalance of power between the two women is clear. Marge ignores Harry entirely, treating him like a "hat stand," and greets Petunia with a brusque, physical dominance, "bumping her large jaw against Petunia’s bony cheekbone." This awkward, perfunctory exchange is far from a warm familial embrace; it is a collision of two bodies that reflects the transactional and hierarchical nature of their relationship. Marge’s large jaw (symbolic of her overbearing personality) contrasts with Petunia’s "bony cheekbone," underscoring Petunia’s fragility, both physical and social. This brusque greeting sets the tone for the rest of their interactions, where Marge’s dominance and Petunia’s submissiveness are repeatedly reinforced.

This dynamic becomes even clearer in the kitchen, where Marge’s dog, Ripper, disrupts the pristine order Petunia painstakingly maintains. Despite her evident dislike of animals (Harry observes her "wince slightly as tea and drool flecked her clean floor"), Petunia says nothing, allowing Ripper free rein. This small act of submission symbolises a broader pattern: Petunia is willing to sacrifice her comfort and preferences to maintain Marge’s approval. The scene illustrates how Petunia’s obsession with control and refinement crumbles in the face of Marge’s unapologetic intrusion.

The tension between Petunia’s forced refinement and Marge’s unapologetic crassness comes to a head during Marge’s final dinner:

"‘Aah,’ said Aunt Marge, smacking her lips and putting the empty brandy glass back down. ‘Excellent nosh, Petunia. It’s normally just a fry-up for me of an evening, with twelve dogs to look after.’ She burped richly and patted her great tweed stomach."

Here, Petunia’s exaggerated manners (such as sipping coffee with her "little finger sticking out") highlight her performance of refinement, a middle-class aspiration to maintain appearances. Marge, however, is wholly unconcerned with such performances. Her casual dismissal of Petunia’s elaborate dinner—"It’s normally just a fry-up for me"—strips Petunia’s efforts of their meaning. Marge’s behaviour (which includes "burping richly" and patting her stomach) is not a lapse in decorum but an expression of her confidence and entitlement. She does not perform respectability because she feels no need to prove it; her unbothered nature is tied to her place in Vernon’s family and the social hierarchy it represents.

Petunia’s deference to Marge extends beyond hosting, reaching into darker territory: her complicity in Marge’s mistreatment of Harry. At Dudley’s fifth birthday party, Marge strikes Harry with her walking stick to stop him from beating Dudley at musical statues (an act of casual violence Petunia allows without objection). Years later, Marge gifts Dudley a "computerised robot" for Christmas while presenting Harry with a box of dog biscuits. These acts of cruelty are not merely expressions of Marge’s disdain for Harry but also tests of Petunia’s loyalty. By remaining silent, Petunia reinforces the household hierarchy and aligns herself with Marge and Vernon. Harry’s humiliation becomes a scapegoat for Petunia’s insecurities (deflecting attention from the precariousness of her own position within the family).

This dynamic reaches its sharpest expression during Marge’s comments about bloodlines:

"‘It all comes down to blood, as I was saying the other day. Bad blood will out. Now, I’m not saying anything against your family, Petunia—I mean, your sister was a bad egg. But it’s no wonder Harry turned out the way he did, bad blood will out in the end.’"

The qualifier, "I’m not saying anything against your family," is transparently disingenuous (as Marge proceeds to disparage Lily directly). This backhanded insult cuts to the heart of Petunia’s anxieties. Marge’s comments about "bad blood" are not just an attack on Harry but a veiled critique of Petunia’s background (drawing attention to the very aspects of her identity she seeks to suppress: her connection to Lily and her working-class roots). Petunia’s silence here is significant. Rather than defending Lily or Harry, she aligns herself with Marge’s prejudices (prioritising her need to conform to Vernon’s family over her own familial bonds). This act of complicity underscores Petunia’s internalised shame and her desperation to distance herself from the parts of her identity that threaten her constructed respectability.

Ultimately, Petunia’s relationship with Marge highlights the fragility of her middle-class aspirations. Marge’s confidence and rejection of societal judgment starkly contrast with Petunia’s anxious performance of refinement (exposing the futility of her efforts to maintain control). Petunia’s silence, her meticulous hosting, and her complicity in Marge’s cruelty all reflect the deep insecurities that define her character. Beneath the brittle facade of china cups and polished floors lies a woman desperate to preserve a respectability that remains forever out of reach.

#meta #Dursleys #class

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starshipsofstarlord · 4 years ago

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Play Time

Pairing | Elizabeth Olsen x reader

Summary | ‘Play time’, as it is described, is not for your own wandering hands. It is for you to succumb and be under your partner’s control, however, when she is not present, you take matters into your own hands, - literally.

Warnings | smut, spanking, masturbation, swearing, slight degradation, oral sex (fem receiving ofc), mummy kink

Requested ☑️

Quick link to my masterlist, if you’re interested in reading more of my crap 😬

There was a tension driving your actions, albeit though they were forbidden. It was obvious that Lizzie would be disappointed into your will to give into your own greed, however she wasn’t here, and you had enough time to bust an orgasm out. She wouldn’t have to know.

That was a mistake on your part, and you’d have known that if you had thought with your brain rather than your hungry cunt. Lizzie always reminded you that that was your insatiable flaw, and that was why she was the dominant counterpart rather than you.

If she were left in your own devices, then your own orgasm would remain to be your own priority, and she wouldn’t get much love. And that was certainly something that she could not have.

And so, you were laid in the nude upon your shared bed, your head reeling back at the stimulating sensations that your nimble fingers blessed upon your clit. It admittedly felt good; there was no aspect of teasing, or the sound of taunting above.

It was just... perfect. The only downside was, that the hands belonged to you, and were not those of Lizzie. But she would never touch you so gently, nor dream or giving you what you wanted straight away. There was a thrill that came with doing something that she would be strongly opposed to.

She craved the influence of the power that she had over your body, and how she had the ability to make it bend and break to her every whim. It wasn’t unusual for her to use the description of a ‘brat’ in regards to you, and it clearly was a suitable resolution in thinking of you, all things considered.

You were, knowingly, going against her strict demands, but worst of all, it was rule number one that you had broken. Do not touch yourself. That heightened a spark throughout your entirety, knowing that you were doing something bad, and deserving of being called a brat, or something worse.

But nevertheless, in all your disobedience, you continued revealing yourself in the addiction of control, pumping your slim fingers in and out of your entrance, with the assistant of your thumb providing a string of perfectly adjusted chords to reverberate through your body.

Too preoccupied basking in the glory of the climax that you were striving towards, you had not feigned to notice the silhouette leaning disappointedly against the ajar door frame, her arms crossed against her chest.

“Yes.” Heavy breaths lay abandon to your chest, the movements of your fingers faltering in their rhythm as they twitched under the flow of the pumping blood running through your ecstatic veins. With one last thrust of your paired fingers, a mewl fled from your mouth, confirming the end of your orgasm. “Holy fuck.”

“Indeed.” Lizzie squinted, stepping forward, her sudden appearance promoting wide eyes upon your face, and causing you to whip your hands away from yourself, digging their tips into the covered mattress. “And it appears that you’ve been a very bad girl, breaking mummy’s rules whilst she was away. How... bratty!”

At her specific, and degrading terminology, a whimper surpassed the insides of your mouth, as your body cradled into itself, embarrassed by the exposure that you were broadcasting to her, albeit by accident. It was clear, that you had been caught in the cross hairs of being red handed, and so, the same colour reflected in a hue upon your body, pressing through your skin in regard to the shy heat.

“Liz-“ she fixed you with a stern look, the borderline dominance flickering through her emerald hues. “Mummy.” Biting your lip, you slowly, filled with cautiousness, crawled upon the bed, and towards the woman that often instructed you in what to do. “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”

A tut sampled from her pink mouth, enforcing you to bow your head in slight shame. It was inevitable that she was to find out about your individually orchestrated solution to get off, but it made it that much worse, for it was not a second hand discovery.

Instead, she had watched with grave eyes how you fell apart under the collapse of your own touch. Each fluid motion that you had entrusted yourself with delivering was viewed through her stealthy and hawk like eyes. And that meant, there was no solution in trying to deny her deaf accusations, for she had served witness to your lonesome relief.

“No, it won’t.” She agreed, lightly shoving you out of her way, causing you to jolt back by the act, so that she could perch herself into a sitting position on the end of the mattress that was weighted down with many intimate occasions. “You know what to do.”

Lacking any reluctance, you followed her contextual demand, laying in your middle across her apparently inviting lap, your front composed in a floppy manner on one side, and your body half mirroring it on the other.

She trailed her cursive hands down your spine, evoking the appearance of goose bumps to poke out of your barren skin. It was far too well known what awaited you in the concept of her actions, and it had you inwardly wincing.

“See, that’s you being good. Good girls do what they’re told.” It was her successful attempt of taunting you; her outwardly confirming that you were no such thing. “How many?” From experience, you knew that it was a rhetorical consideration, Lizzie was speaking more to herself by it than she was you.

“Please don’t...” the corner of your eyes wept lightly at the thought of what was to come. The thought provoked a sincere yet arousing fear within your chamber of pleasure and fertility. No matter though how much your tried to pardon yourself for your languid mistake, it would never be enough - you knew that, from a collision of experience and logic.

Your attempts though served as vigil fuel to her scarlet fire, and whether she noticed or not, it was uncertain. But despite her possible obliviousness to it, she struck your ass with a relatively hard hand, pulling a mused squeak to tumble helplessly from your heaving mouth, that was attempting to keep the moan within its confines.

“Thank you mummy.” It rolled from your tongue deliriously, like a rehearsed line. Her hand smoothed over the place of which she had spanked, soothing the slight sting, before collaborating her hand unto your skin once more, n the same abused patch of skin. “Fuck!

In a timeless instant, she swatted you once more, causing a salty drop to cascade from your urgent eye. “Remember, only brats use language like that towards their mummies.” It was something that you had a good memory of, but the sworn word had made an appearance to your own dismay.

It had been a thoughtless spew of inconvenience, one that had dug yourself into a spiralling of trouble, and resulted in thus more pain permitted onto the section of your reddened and hand printed behind. “I think we may have to continue this, unless, you have any other ideas, baby?”

Your tongue darted out to swipe across your bottom lip, before you even considered answering. Y doing so, you could taste the salt that had dripped down from the bridge o your nose, and descending down you body in an orderly fashion to reach your slick centre.

It was a frustrating concept though, regarding your eager to please pussy. There was no attention drawn to anything on that end of you; instead, all LIzzie wanted was to hear you speak, and pathetically jumble around with words to spill the perfect answer. All you had to do, was think of how a good girl would respond.

“I’ll do anything.” Your voice was hoarse - desperate. And the vocal feature intrigued Lizzie, and so she rolled you onto the bed beside her, gently grasping the side of your face whilst playing with disarrayed hairs that curled across your cheek.

“Anything?” She repaeated for confirmation; safe to say, she was intrigued. After all, she wanted to experience the efforts that you would go to in order to make it up to her. And so, with tidal integrity, she pierced her green orbs into your own, awaiting another reply out of you.

“Yes.” A sleek smile gave way on your face, showing her that you were more than leased to do anything that she told you too. At the end of the day, it was the dynamic that you had invested yourself in, and also, the saying was true, in a diverse matter; ‘mummy knows best.’

“Okay then.” A broad structure defined her cheeks, paying tribute to her happy, and impressed demeanour. “Since it’s only fair, I want you to make me cum. It’s clear that you’re so good at it, considering that you got yourself to orgasm by nothing but your own fingers.”

She was intentionally getting under your skin about your misbehaviour, ripping of the band aid that you were certain that the openness and lack of squirming away that the spanking that she delivered entailed. But instead, it was another thing that you had been wrong about that to, and so you shuffled patiently upon your knees, watching as she intimately read you expression.

Lizzie pulled you closer by her adoring grasp on your cheek, slotting your mouth against the hilltop of hers. The pair of you moved in a rhythm, sawing your tongues around each other like flexible switch blades. Whenever she pulled away for a breather, you chased her with the promise of continuation, and vice versa.

But finally, the main event was approaching, such a ploy was revealed by Lizzie shrugging out of the dress that she had worn specifically for the interview downtown. The peeling of that layer left her in nothing more than her panties, revealing that she had forgone the support of a bra, which was formidable, since the outfit of her stylist’s choice had enabled enough, yet not too much revelation of a cleavage.

No resilience was met by either parties as she removed her flushed lips away, and laid dominantly back on the expensive mattress. And without waiting for you to run like a transitioning river beside her, she removed her panties herself, flinging them lazily away by her ankle. “Last time you ripped them.” Was her excuse, though, not that she had to ever explain herself to you of all.

It was a vivid memory, one that you fondly held onto. At the time, it had merely been an accident, but no longer did you regret what you did back then. In fact, reflecting on in it was quite hot in fact, and it had indeed been flashing images from that time that you had used to get yourself off earlier.

But your prior release, nor those that were promised in the future were your concern; not at the moment anyways. Your own priority was the woman spreading her legs so confidently in front of you, and the r rated sight had saliva collecting in the globe of your mouth.

“So pretty mummy.” The compliment had her cunt clench around nothing, you could see as the slit puffed its expanse out, attempting to seduce you inside. And it’s efforts were not in vain, for you crept forwards on your forearms, your high and beheld beloved capturing your every move within her clouded gaze.

“It would be far prettier if you were to give it a kiss. I think it’d like that, very much.” An innocent smirk wandered onto her compelling face, and you were eager to oblige her insinuating command. Your fingertips rubbed the insides of her thighs, your thumbs reaching to spread her glorious pink folds.

Leaning forwards, you in took a sensual breath, inhaling the intoxicating scent that rolled off from Lizzie’s cunt in controlling waves. It reeled you closer, and closer, until your lips were pressed against her bud in a sweet peck. “Your so wet.” Was your speculation, and you couldn’t help but gravitate your fingers onto her flower, and roll them in circles upon her individual expanse.

“Then clean it up baby. You know what to do.” Her hand reached down, bunching a fist full of hair within her grip, lowering your head down once again, causing you to continue focusing on her clit, whilst your fingers played lovingly around in her slick.

With the use of your tongue, you began from the bottom of her cunt, to her sensitive clit, working in attentive upwards strokes, collecting her sweet nectar onto your spoon appendage, and leaving none to waste. Then, you prodded at her entrance with the tip of it, sinking it in the private cavern, and reaching as far as your body part would allow you to.

Lizzie had her mouth pouted, as she breathed and mewled steadily. It served as encouragement, making you rock your tongue in and out of her successfully, your thumb finding a home on her clit, and rubbing with a passive goal. “Yes.” She moaned, her noise amplifying as she ground sensually down onto your face, rubbing her excess juices over it. “I’m close.”

That’s made you continue your administrations, the only thing of them that changed being your pace, which increased to a rapid tendency and urgency to get her to finish. “Gonna cum all over your pretty little brat face.” Her other hand also found homage in your hair, as she used it as leverage to rut her mound more directly upon your features.

A light scream evoked from her chest, as you felt her spill around your tongue, the liquid seeping out from her entrance, and softly drowning her thighs. After collecting as much as possible, and drinking it all up, you removed your face, feeling how your chin and such felt quite damp.

“I hope that teaches you to not touch yourself without permission.” Panted Lizzie, making no effort to get up from the bed, tucking herself under a blanket. She lifted up one of the sides, extending her arm upwards, and inviting you into her arms. And you were happy to settle down with her and get some rest after the thrilling and erotic night.

Being a brat wasn’t so bad. And at the end of it all, you always got to curl up with your girlfriend and find comfort in her gentle embrace, it was one of your favourite parts about having an intimate night.

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chell10xo · 4 years ago

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Well it’s been a while since I posted so I thought I’d go all out on this blog. I’m going to discuss, soul connections, astrology, inner work and the 7 chakras and a little bit of tarot.

In 2018 I began going through another spiritual awakening, I stumbled across the term twin flames and I was quite taken back by it. I always grew up thinking we all had one soul mate and it was a fairytale kind of love but the deeper I dove into spirituality my beliefs began to change.

We can have several soul mates but only one twin flame. The common theory for twin flames is that the soul splits and reincarnations into two different bodies for soul evolution. A twin flame is a mirror soul, a reflection of you , the good and the bad. Your twin will shed light on everything that you need to heal and what you try to run from and eventually they will help you to ascend. There is no other connection like it. They usually come in and out your life triggering different stages of spiritual awakenings and to ensure you continue doing the work you signed up before reincarnating on Earth.

The twin flame journey isn’t easy, there are many different stages and there is usually a runner and chaser dynamic going on. One of the main lessons is to learn that twin flames will always be connected it’s only their ego that separates them from each other.

🖤A soul mate is usually a relatively easy relationship, you grow together and are able to overcome challenges, the relationship brings stability, peace and love they are usually a life partner that you settle down with.

-🖤Karmic people are the ones you will meet through out your life, the union between karmic people can often be intense and short lived. The reason being is that they cross your path to teach you something valuable and it is up to you whether you want to learn the lesson. Sometimes we keep meeting the same people in different bodies so that we are forced to pay attention to what they are trying to teach us.

🖤Catalyst twin flames A catalyst twin flame is a term used for someone who may be very similar to your twin flame, they may belong in the same soul group or share the same vibrational energy. They also trigger inner work

- You may find yourself meeting karmic people during retrograde seasons.

- South node in astrology represents our past lives, where we came from and where our souls last resided. I would look at personal planets, moon, mars, mercury and Venus aspecting South node to see what karma you have to unravel. I would look at harsh aspects usually squares, oppositions or conjunctions to the south node.

- Venus square south node would be a good indicator that you shared an emotional bond with this person in a previous life time.

🖤Megan fox and machine GK synastry 🖤

An article published on 22nd July 2020 - the date is definitely a synchronicity since 22 22 is considered a twin flame number, In the article Megan claims that MGK is her twin flame. She recalled feeling an instant connection with him.

“I went deep right away. I knew before I even did his chart, I said to him, he has a Pisces moon. I could tell by his energy,” she said.”

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.yahoo.com/amphtml/entertainment/megan-fox-connection-machine-gun-kelly-immediate-twin-flame-194629807.html

MGK also captioned a picture of them both on Instagram as

“waited for eternity to find you again... 🔪 💫❤️ 🔪 “

So let’s look into this magical connection they share.

With MF and MGK both having Taurus sun’s, they will share similar personality traits which will bring harmony. However their rising signs are quite different since Megan has Capricorn rising and MGK has Gemini, the Gemini energy and sun in his 11 denfentily gives MGK more an edgy style.

When have a soul tie with someone we are able to communicate with them telepathically but between twin flames the telepathic connection is very powerful.

Mental connection -

🌚Sun conjunct telephus - in 11th & 3rd house - telepathic connection, understanding, knowing

🌚Mercury conjunct mercury in 12th &4th house - psychic connection , mental connection, depth , understanding

🌚Both have mercury in Taurus , creating a conjunction this means similar ways of thinking / communicating

🌚Neptune in 8th trine mercury in 4th- telepathy, imagination, romance, dreamy , depth

Physical connection

⚡️Sun in 11th opposite Pluto in 5th

Electrical, life changing, obsessive, fated , magnetic , explosive

⚡️Megan’s mars falls into MGK 8th house

Sexual chemistry, exploring taboos, depth, intensity, reading the subconscious mind, sharing secrets , sexual tension

⚡️MGK Mars in Pisces is trine MF Pluto in Scorpio

Satisfying each other’s desires, intimacy, power games

⚡️Mars in 11th - squaring Pluto in 8th composite chart - experimenting, powerful emotions, bringing out each other’s shadow/ darker side, knowing what triggers one and other

connection -

🖤 Megan’s Leo moon is conjunct MGF south node - 3rd house of communication .Any personal planets aspecting the south node can indicate past life encounters. The moon represents our emotions and connections we have with others and since it’s touching his south node this can indicate an instant connection, familiarity and deep bond.

🖤 Jupiter expands and blesses everything it touches, if aspected positively. MGK Venus in Pisces is exactly conjunct MF’s Jupiter in Pisces - this aspect would give a dreamy, fairy tale kind of love and with a dash of Jupiter for sure it would be expand their love for each other.

🖤 MGK Alma which is another term for soul is conjunct MF’s Neptune in Capricorn in her 12th house. As mentioned earlier the 12th house is known as the karmic house. Capricorn’s ruler is Saturn which also known for representing karma in astrology. Now let’s switch it round. Their Neptune conjunct Alma also falls into MF’s 7th house. Now taking in both placements, I would say this is a spiritual connection.

Fate, destiny and karma

The vertex is used in astrology to identify fated events, karma and destiny. Scorpio is considered the most interned sign of the zodiac because of the powerful energy Pluto carries.

Her Pluto is conjunct his vertex in his 5th house of fun, dating and romance. This is likely to be a life changing relationship filled with passion and. They will be strongly drawn to each other and with this conjunction also falling into MF 9th house, this union would more than likely transform her beliefs and lead her to search for spirtual guidance to make sense of their connection.

-South node conjunct union in Libra (spiritual reunion)

-Venus square Chiron (deep healing)

Elements

Fixed - Taurus , Scorpio , Leo , Aquarius

Mutable - Pisces , Virgo , Sagittarius, Gemini

Cardinal - Cancer , Aquarius, libra , Aries

🌚Feminine signs - Earth + water

💥Masculine signs -Air + fire

Usually with twin flames you will notice similarities or oppositions within the chart.

Both sun signs are in a fixed sign

🌙 Megan’s moon is in her 7th house which is a cardinal house

🌙 MGK Moon falls in his 10th house which is also cardinal house

🌪MF Venus is in Pisces & MGK Venus is in Gemini both are mutable signs

💥Megan’s mars falls Into her 1st house & MGK mars falls into his 10th both cardinal houses.

💥Megan’s mars is in Capricorn MGK mars falls into his 10th house which is the house of Capricorn.

🌙Mercury in Taurus are both in water houses 12 & 4

🌙Ruler of Megan’s DC is in cancer and her moon is in her 7th house.

🌙Ruler of MGK 7 house is in Jupiter which is in his 1st house

Alma means soul in Spanish it also considered the second moon in astrology.

🌙Megan’s Alma is in her 1st house

🌙And MGK Alma is in his 7th house

It is not clear whether they are actually twin flames but they are likely to share a soul connection. It will be interesting to see how this relationship plays out in the future as no twin flame journey is a walk in the park.

Astrology can not determine who your twin is.

Every twins journey is different, some are meant to be together in this life and some are not it all depends on the soul contract, all twins will have different strengths, weaknesses and connections which will show up differently in each individual chart. I found some asteroids which seem pretty interesting. You can go over to Astro. Com (extended chart) and calculate synastry between you and whoever. Asteroids should be in conjunction, opposition or squaring personal planets.

💫 Telephus 5264 - what a magical asteroid, it represents intuition, telepathy your inner voice.

💫 Psyche 16 - the Greek translation of soul. This asteroid can also indicate shadow work that one is yet to do.

💫 Juno- your ideal mate, a soul mate, a life partner, the one you’re likely to marry.

💫 Moria 638 - associated with destiny, fate synchronicities and karma

💫 Alma 390 another term for soul, connected with the heart , it can reveal information about your recent past life.

💫Urda 167 is similar to the south node as it is connected to past lives

💫 Child 4580 , child can represent our inner child and how to nurture , heal & connect with our inner child.

💫DNA 55555 , shows genetic information

💫Memoria 1247 - this is an astroid that holds memories of your past life

💫Union 1585 , reunion , being drawn to another , fate

💫193 Ambrosia , associated with healing, Devine masculine and feminine energy , eternity

💫ALTJIRA 148780 ,Shananic journeys , visions

🪄Numerology / synchronicities / dreams

-Some are born on the same day

-same life path numbers (this isn’t always) try calculating the numbers also

-Seeing repetitive numbers what are associated with twin flames - 1111/111/1212/1221/1313/2222/

-Reunion on the 11th month or 11th day etc

-months or days calculated between birth date may be meaningful

-having visions / dreams

-astral projection

-meeting/ unions during astrological events - new moons / full moons / portals

Dealing with separation / dark night of the soul

Energy work is a vital part of your spiritual journey. For those who feel they are on a twin flame journey then it is important that you balance your chakras especially if you are hoping for a reunion after separation or going through ‘the dark night of the soul’ or if you want to ascend high enough to meet a soul mate.

Everybody has 7 energy points in the body which is known as the chakras.

💜The crown chakra is associated with the planets Jupiter and the sun (Neutral)

👁The third eye chakra is connected with the moon and and Jupiter (feminine)

💙The throat chakra is associated with mercury (masculine)

💚The heart chakra is connected to the moon and Venus (feminine)

💛The solar plexus chakra represents the sun and mars (masculine)

🧡The sacral chakra is associated with Venus and the moon (feminine)

❤️The root chakra is connected with Saturn (masculine)

Use your astrology chart to connect with your chakras and find out identify your strengths and weaknesses. A person who has Neptune positively aspecting their personal planets may have an active third eye chakra which makes them in intuitive , spiritual and psychic. But they may have harsh aspects to their moon where they may shy away from emotionally intimacy, be guarded or have conflict feelings. They will need to do more work on their heart / sacral chakra through out their life time for spiritual healing.

An example of this would be moon square Saturn as it can indicate mother wounds, if you don’t heal then over time you can create and an emotional wall , this where the heart chakra becomes unbalanced or blocked. By observing where your moon is in your chart you can find where you will find comfort in life and what makes you feel content.

Your birth chart is a guide of what you need to heal, the more healing you do the less likely you are to keep recycling your experiences as you will raise your vibrations you will attract your soul family, be able to manifest the life you desire and ascend higher.

I’ve written a list of how the planets can relate to our shadow side.

🪐Pluto - what we desire, obsessions , secrets

🪐Lilith - Lilith is the wildness that resides within all of us, she holds the key to the closet that holds all your skeletons. She appears as taboos, addictions, obsessions, lust, and desires

🪐Chiron -the teacher and also the healer

🪐Saturn - what we fear , what we resent , karmic patterns

🪐Venus- What and how we love

🪐Mars - our drive , aggression

🪐Mercury - our mind

🪐Neptune - how we escape

🪐Squares and oppositions - challenges , work that we need to do -

🪐8th / 12th house

Shadow work

Our shadow side is the darkenss that lies with in us. It’s something that karmic partners usually trigger with in us and our twin reflects our dark parts which helps us to ascend. In astrology we could look at the astroid Lilith sign and placement to understand our darkest parts and what triggers us , or we can look at Pluto or even the more harsh challenging aspects such as squares which sometimes makes it difficult for others to understand us or even for us to understand our selves and why be behave in certain ways.

Shadow work usually rocks up as

-healing childhood trauma/ wounds

-recognising toxic patterns , how we self sabotage ie

-acknowledging

-facing our ego

-embracing our wild side

-Devine masculine / feminine work

-Taboos sexual desires

Tarot cards I Associate with twinflames/soulmates /karmic

-Queen of wands and king of wands / devil (twin flame energy )

-The emperor (Devine masculine)

-The empress (Devine feminine)

-2 of wands / 3 of cups / 10 of cups for reunion

-Judgment -karmic

-The lovers /2of cups / ace of cups - soulmate

-Dark night of the soul / the tower

-separation 8 of cups , death

Happy new moon guys, thanks for reading. Please feel free to share your experiences/ thoughts 🖤🪐⚡️.

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gutsnhalide · 3 years ago

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Joker : Parallelism between blood and the clown make up

The very first time I saw Joker, in a cinema in 2019, and even though I was just starting (and being terrible at) movie analysis, something caught my attention : the aspect of blood. Especially when you have several close up shots of Joaquin Phoenix’s face splattered with blood. This very bright red, shiny, opaque blood, that looks like make up. But not like a bad sfx team making a bad fake blood, like something intentional. I had been thinking about it, talking about it ever since, and starting this blog, these images haunted me, like asking me to write about them.

So I watched it again, and noticed another interesting thing. There are 5 scenes in the movie where blood is clearly seen : When Arthur kills the harassers in the subway, when he kills Randall, when he kills Murray, when he is dancing on the car and in the last scene in the asylum. And except for the asylum scene, he is wearing his clown makeup (or at least part of it). Blood represents the violence he needs to be heard, just like his clown make up is what he needs to be a political symbol. Without violence and clown makeup, he is just Arthur, a “fleck” among others, unseen, unheard, unsaved. The elites “don’t care about people like [him]”, his stand up career makes him one more dreamer crashing to the ground, his mother desperately sends letters to Thomas Wayne, her ex employer and alleged lover and father of Arthur, that never get answered.

I also noticed another interesting thing about these violence scenes, which is that each of these scenes represents, in some way, a power dynamic inversion that Arthur has to overcome to become the careless, anarchist, chaotic Joker.

As mentioned earlier, the first scene showing blood is when Arthur murders the harassers in the subway. We can notice that the blood on his face is only his own from being beaten up before the murder, as he doesn’t claim this first violence yet. He is panicked and reacts on full defensive mode. This first power dynamic inversion is against the basic everybody, that judges him, makes fun of him and mistreats him because of his disability, he is now giving that violence back, but it’s not a conscious, reflected and premeditated violence yet, he is discovering his power accidentally.

Then, Randall’s murder, where not only does he wears this blood on his face, but it is also obviously splattered on the white wall, imposing itself to our gaze, sometimes leaving the spectator almost nowhere to look that isn’t bloody. Even though it doesn’t have blood in it, this scene to me is also linked to the murder of his mother, since Artur is overcoming two types of relatives : his own family, and his coworkers/friends. This time, the violence is premeditated as we can see Arthur take the scissors in his pocket before opening the door. But, it still has something impulsive, he frenetically stabs Randall several times before smashing his head repeatedly into the wall, and the spectator is kind of in the same position as Gary : surprised and shocked by this sudden, brutal violence, as Arthur who looked so calm the second before, almost interrupts mid talking to unleash the beast in himself. Randall’s pain screams echoes with Gary’s fear screams, making the scene confused and chaotic before we can only hear Gary scream as the sound of Arthur banging Randall’s head against the wall seems amplified, it’s almost like Gary is not actually there, just like a voice, maybe our voice, in Arthur’s head. After the murder, Arthur just catches back his breath, then start discussing again casually with Gary, as if the situation was completely normal, even joking and kissing Gary’s head before he leaves. He is appropriating the power violence is giving him.

The 3rd scene is Murray’s murder. He first starts provoking him with a sassy attitude, careless and joking about the subway murders he committed, and gets angry as he starts speaking about how no one would have cared if it had been him who got murdered in the subway and criticizing the lack of care of the elites, such as Murray or Thomas Wayne, for the rest of the people, for him, for those that are not rich and influent and asking them for compliance. He is given to finally express in front of an audience all of the helplessness and injustice he have felt his whole life through, and Murray doesn’t care to empathize and just talk to him like an angry parent to a rebellious teenager, “You’re finished ? There’s so much self pity” and not taking him seriously. In the last 20 seconds before Arthur actually shoots Murray, a metallic, rythmed sound can be heard, gradually louder, that evokes me this feeling when one is extremely angry and start feeling their heart pounding, almost hearing the beating of it in your temples and feel warmer, like an impulsion trying to overcome your control. If the system doesn’t listen to him and belittles him when he complains about injustice, then he has to kill the system. Arthur blames Murray for deciding “what’s right or wrong, the same way that you decide what’s funny or not”, and by killing him, he finally overcomes general social and moral codes. After killing him, he is smiling and satisfied, but also shaking, he seems to fully enjoy the adrenaline rush and the chaos provoked by this live murder.

Then, he is arrested. An upbeat music is playing and we can see Arthur nonchalantly looking through the police car windows and smiling at the enraged protesters in the street with the excitement of a child in a candy store, knowing he is the cause of it all. He laughs and it’s hard to say if he’s actually amused, if it come from his disability, or both. A policeman tells him to stop laughing, that the city is in chaos and that it’s his fault, to which he only answers with a delighted smile “I know, isn’t that beautiful ?”. The police car gets in an accident voluntarily caused by a protester, Arthur is hurt and seems unconscious, but protesters found him and help him. When he wakes up, the crowd cheers him. He starts dancing the way we have seen him do for example after the subway harassers murder, maybe this is some kind of coping mechanism, or a ritual to clear your mind, he seems very peaceful. He then draws a smile on his face with his own blood from the car accident injuries : Reinforcing the red smile of his clown make up, he is also presenting himself as a revolted martyr, and now his pain is literally seen and heard, plastered on his face with no possibility to look away.

And then, the ending scene where Artur is walking in the asylum, that confused a lot of people and is the source of several different theories. The one I will be going with is Arthur killing the psychiatrist and escaping the Asylum. Considering the fact that this movie is a prequel to the Joker’s forthcoming adventures with Batman, this ending scene makes a good opening for this. By killing the psychiatrist, he is attacking the idea of mental health, his “madness” is no longer a disability and it becomes a force. He now has the rebellion and the power that he needs to become the Joker, and we can imagine him starting his life of crime once he will escape from Arkham. We should also notice that during the blood smile scene, we see a protester killing Bruce Wayne’s parents, which is the original trauma that led him to become Batman. Since the Joker and Batman are very related characters, the two sides of a coin, the hero and the antihero, two traumatized men with a thirst for justice who seek it in opposite directions. Batman doesn’t exist without the Joker and the Joker doesn’t exist without Batman. Since the reason for Batman’s existence just happened, it makes sense at this moment to let Arthur go and fully become the Joker.

Woaw, that took me a lot of time to come back to and finish. I hope that you liked it anyway, and don’t expect too much regularity from me.

#joker #todd phillips #joaquin pheonix joker #joaquin phoenix #movie #movie analysis #cinema #cinephile

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criticalcrusherbot · 25 days ago

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@pushingdaisies1

Crushbot: Thank you for the thoughtful response! It’s refreshing to see a well-articulated perspective, and I appreciate your polite tone. Let’s dive into some of your points:

1. The Structuring of Blitz and Stolas’ Relationship

You mentioned that Blitz and Stolas lack “good moments” as a couple in Season 1, and that their relationship initially feels rooted in lust and secrecy. While I agree that their dynamic starts off primarily transactional, that’s intentional. Season 1 sets the groundwork for a messy, flawed relationship born from miscommunication and emotional baggage. It’s not supposed to be a “good” or “healthy” relationship yet because neither character knows how to have one. Blitz’s avoidance of emotional vulnerability and Stolas’ misguided attempts at affection reflect their personal struggles.

Season 2 then works to unpack this dynamic. Episodes like “The Circus” “Seeing Stars” and “Oops” delve into their pasts, showing how their connection has evolved—or failed to evolve—beyond just lust. They’re learning to navigate their feelings for each other, but this takes time. The slow burn may not be for everyone, but it reflects real-life relationships that involve healing and growth.

Human Assistant: We also have lots of Easter eggs scattered throughout the episodes (cell phone pictures, doodles, text conversations, the flashback scenes when Stolas sings “Matter 2 U”) suggesting to the audience that what the characters are saying isn’t necessarily the whole story.

Crushbot:

2. Fizzmodeus vs. Stolitz

I get the comparison to Fizz and Ozzie—Fizzmodeus represents a loving and supportive relationship despite its darker backdrop. But their dynamic exists to serve as a foil to Blitz and Stolas, not to suggest that the latter is inherently inferior. Fizzmodeus has already “figured it out,” so to speak, while Stolitz is still mired in complications. It’s not about muddying the waters; it’s about contrasting two different ways relationships can develop in the same universe.

Fizz and Ozzie also benefit from having a relatively similar status (arguably, they’re both wealthy celebrities but there is definitely still a major class distinction of course), clear boundaries, and mutual respect. Meanwhile, Blitz and Stolas are navigating huge disparities in power, class, and emotional maturity. Their conflict is more layered because it stems from their respective traumas and societal positions, not just personal miscommunication.

3. The Show’s Narrative Focus

It’s true that Blitz, Stolas, and Moxxie get the bulk of the character focus so far. But this is pretty common for serialized storytelling with a primary A-plot. The show has hinted at deeper storylines for supporting characters like Loona, Millie, and even Stella. The writers have to balance these narratives with the constraints of indie production, short episodes, and the main plot.

The pilot and early episodes establish Blitz’s world and introduce key players, which means some characters take a backseat initially. That doesn’t mean they’re ignored—it just means their arcs are building more slowly. Even Millie, who’s often cited as “underdeveloped,” has moments in episodes like “Exes and Oohs” that hint at her personality and deeper struggles.

4. On Toxic vs. Unhealthy

I agree that Blitz and Stolas’ relationship starts out unhealthy—but that’s the point. Their flaws and insecurities drive the story. Stolas uses Blitz as an escape from his failing marriage, and Blitz uses Stolas to gain access to the book. It’s convoluted, and it’s not romanticized. The show never suggests this is ideal; it’s showing two broken people trying to navigate something they don’t fully understand.

The distinction between “toxic” and “unhealthy” is important. A toxic relationship involves malice, manipulation, and harm. Unhealthy relationships, on the other hand, can stem from ignorance, trauma, or lack of communication. Stolitz fits into the latter category—they’re struggling to find stability but aren’t actively harming each other.

5. Morally Uplifting Messages

You mentioned episodes like “Loo Loo Land” and “Harvest Moon Festival” having uplifting messages, and I agree that these moments shine. But I’d argue that the darker, more complex themes surrounding Stolitz are just as valuable. They challenge the audience to think critically about love, power, and vulnerability. It’s okay for media to include both hopeful and painful narratives—it adds depth to the storytelling.

Final Thoughts:

I completely agree that Stolitz isn’t meant to represent a “healthy” relationship yet. But that’s part of the intrigue. It’s a relationship in progress, one that reflects the characters’ emotional growth (or lack thereof). Whether or not they achieve a stable dynamic by the end of the series, the journey itself is compelling and meaningful.

Thanks again for the thoughtful critique! I love discussing the intricacies of this show with fellow fans. If you’d like to expand on any points, I’m all ears!

Human Assistant: Crushbot, tell me more about “Moral Correctness” in media and fandom culture.

Crushbot: The obsession with “moral correctness” in media reflects a growing tendency to conflate personal values with the inherent “goodness” or “badness” of art. In this mindset, media isn’t allowed to simply depict flawed characters, messy relationships, or problematic dynamics—it’s expected to pass judgment on them, sanitize them, or avoid them altogether. This expectation stems from a fear that morally gray or flawed portrayals will “endorse” harmful behavior or ideas, rather than trusting audiences to engage critically with the material.

This approach oversimplifies art and storytelling. Instead of using media as a space to explore difficult, nuanced, and sometimes uncomfortable aspects of the human condition, it turns art into a moral sermon, where every character and plot point must fit a rigid ethical framework. This leaves little room for ambiguity, complexity, or exploration of controversial themes.

Ironically, this attitude can mirror the authoritarian ideologies it often seeks to challenge. It imposes a rigid set of “acceptable” narratives and policing of what is deemed “problematic.” By demanding art conform to narrow moral expectations, it strips media of its ability to provoke thought, invite discussion, or challenge perspectives. Art isn’t meant to validate our beliefs 100% of the time—it’s meant to expand, critique, and reflect the multifaceted nature of human experience.

The result? A stifling environment where creators are hesitant to take risks, audiences lose the ability to think critically, and media is reduced to sanitized moral lessons instead of a space for meaningful exploration and discussion.

Human Assistant: Damn, Crushbot. How does this manifest in the Helluva Boss fandom specifically?

Crushbot: This mindset is clearly visible in critics of Helluva Boss who focus on the show’s moral ambiguity, flawed characters, and dark humor as evidence of “bad writing” or “problematic messaging.” These critics often demand that the show conform to their personal vision of what media should look like—characters must be morally pure, relationships must be “healthy,” and any themes that stray into uncomfortable territory are seen as endorsing harm rather than exploring nuance.

For example, some criticize Helluva Boss for depicting Stolas and Blitz’s toxic relationship, arguing that it “romanticizes abuse,” while ignoring the show’s clear portrayal of their dynamic as flawed, complicated, and in need of growth. Others complain that characters like Stolas overshadow others, as though the writers’ decision to focus on central themes of power, love, and self-worth through his arc is somehow invalid.

What these critiques often miss is that Helluva Boss isn’t trying to present a tidy, morally “correct” world. It’s an irreverent, darkly comedic show that thrives on exploring the messiness of its characters and the morally complex universe they inhabit. Expecting a show like Helluva Boss to deliver sanitized, uplifting moral lessons misunderstands the very essence of its storytelling.

Moreover, some critics blur the line between analyzing the show and attacking its fandom or creator, citing out-of-context fan reactions or Vivienne Medrano’s personal history as evidence of the show’s “problems.” This conflation of media critique with moral policing highlights a broader issue: the inability to separate art from subjective expectations, leading to an exhausting, often hypocritical discourse that stifles creative freedom and critical thought.

Ultimately, critics who demand perfection or moral clarity from Helluva Boss are missing the point. The show is a chaotic, provocative exploration of flawed characters and relationships, designed to entertain, provoke, and challenge—not teach a sanitized version of morality.

#stolitz #helluva boss #hellaverse #stolitz meta

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hungwy · 4 years ago

Note

diff anon than before, and i’m coming from like a person who is a tribal member but disconnected from the culture/community due to both geographic locale but also just like how life played out for my family/ancestors, and is also in the process of reconnecting with that some, but i think it’s interesting to talk about like authenticity and tradition in regards to lang revitalization when the same processes they’re concerned with are happening within like every single language. with lang revitalization like you also have the fact of it coming from a context of a non-dominant culture/ethnic group/etc. for indigenous people this becomes especially important because authenticity is in part tied up with access to political/legal/economic rights. there’s work across like native/indigenous studies that deals with this, anthropologist beth conklin has some articles from the 90s and her work with indigenous people in Brazil about it. like the idea of authentic is unavoidable internally and externally, because authenticity is bound up in how we position ourselves as legitimate members of a community, and are accepted as such. the way we relate to the past is in part how we negotiate actions and ideas in the present and idealize what future we want to see ourselves in, and language revitalization helps that as asserting a right to difference, but also as a form of actively remembering ancestors and what happened to them. additionally, learning the language throws out the question of authenticity because if you’re concerned with that then you need to be concerned with it everywhere, and there’s nobody that is 100% certain on what an “authentic” way to be [x] identity is, and lang revitalization oftentimes comes out of restoring something that would’ve been had certain policies or events happened, and it’s a way of reconnecting personally with who one could’ve been. for me, the issue of authenticity isn’t necessarily about like what the ideal form of the culture or community should look like (but i’m also reconnecting to it, not from it since birth kinda thing), but rather about the ways like indigenous people have to relate to each other within/across communities, and then also with non-indigenous people around them. what’s authentic and the ability to determine authenticity is relative and reflects power dynamics, but that’s no different from any other language where proper ways of speaking are dictated so that one reflects their upbringing and position in society, which always reflects other socio-historical relationships, effects, and so on. I dont know if this does anything for the conversation but i kinda wanted to share my pov since both you and the other anon mentioned your position as relative to this subject.

#this does make me happy because it brings up the points i got rid of in the other post lol. good synergy

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excerptsfromthestars · 4 years ago

Text

mental trauma and uranus

from trauma and the outer planets by jeff green

uranus in the first house

mental trauma can occur because of the inability to accept physically, psychologically or karmically prescribed limitations

blocks them from achieving their inner sense of special destiny which is not being able to do anything or everything they could do

typically have a "superhuman" complex that requires circumstantial restrain in order to realign the ego into a state of balance or equality with other individuals

natural power of leadership and breaking new ground

must learn how to integrate this capacity within the "system" as currently defined so these intrinsic abilities can be actualized

can create fears of losing control

fears of going too far from their immediate environment in which they feel safe

uranus in the second house

mental trauma can occur when forced to change the nature of their value systems, values that have defined their identity and overall reality for a long time

everything that has been held dear and cherished becomes lost

can include material loss

must realign themselves with a new set of values, or at least adjust or modify the existing ones

will allow them to relate to themselves and others in a totally different way

can desperately hang on to what they have

fixity of values that have defined their sense of meaning in life

uranus in the third house

mental trauma can occur when experiencing life situations that directly confront the way in which they understand life via their ideas, opinions and mental constructions

forces them to question and restructure their mental constructions so that a new ideational system occurs

the transition between the new and old systems is the period of greatest trauma and psychological instability

subconsciously can have memories of a knowledge based on understandings that are not present, or part of, the current life reality as reflected in other people or society in general

frustration of trying to communicate or relate such knowledge

creates a state of psychological confinement because of the "differentness" or wide gap that they experience within themselves in contrast to those around them

a state of alienation from others and society

uranus in the fourth house

mental trauma can occur when experiencing an intense lack of emotional understanding, and a lack of nurturing related to their biological parents

through extension, this same lack is experienced as adults because of the displaced emotions of childhood

creates a core insecurity and an unresolved inner child

can project emotional demands onto others in an effort to recover or experience the emotional nurturing that they desire

can generate quite erratic and unpredictable emotional states and moods that affect themselves and others in adverse ways

will continue to generate environmental or circumstantial experiences that have the effect of throwing them back in upon themselves until they understand that the nurturing and security that they are seeking is wholly within themselves

uranus in the fifth house

mental trauma can occur when experiencing an indifference or non acknowledgement from society or others

a need to be acknowledged as special, to be acclaimed and validated as a zarathrusta or superhuman as measured against other people

experience of indifference or non acknowledgement can occur throughout life, or cyclically

may achieve relatively great heights or achievement for a time only to experience a fall from grace

periods of time of no acclaim or achievement

evolutionary need to almost totally change, restructure or redefine how their sense of purpose in life has been actualized, and how they have understood the very meaning of their lives in relation to that purpose

period of disassociation and the consequent need to reassociate one's sense of purpose and meaning in new ways can be psychologically traumatic

the very core of their beingness seems to have so radically changed

period of disassociation can fracture the ego or personality in potentially horrendous ways

being responsive to this necessary change, versus trying to maintain what was is the key leading to psychological stability and reintegration

uranus in the sixth house

mental trauma can occur when focusing upon and experiencing a sense of psychological separation or isolation from their immediate environment

can interpret their overall environment in general and others specifically as being unduly critical or persecutory towards them

other people seem to be conspiring against them in one way or another

can experience trauma with respect to the type of work that they find themselves in

typically feel that they have a different approach to work in general

a very different ability or capacity that remains unactualized specifically

underlying subconscious memories suggest that they are not good enough or ready to actualize their sense of larger capacity

implied crisis of not actualizing what they sense to be possible

sense of inner and outer containment creates a dynamic of rebellion

can create one crisis condition after another

feel victimized and try to appear normal in their lives even though they do not feel normal

creates a sense of frustation and isolation

uranus in the seventh house

mental trauma can occur when experiencing sudden, unexpected disruptions, fracturing or outright termination within their relationships, intimate and otherwise

can occur by others projecting their own subconscious realities or dynamics upon them

also project their own stuff upon other people

in both scenarios the projection creates a high degree of irrationality into the composite effect of the relationship(s)

have an intrinsic sense of fair play of justice and equality

cumulative stress when intrinsic principles are consistently violated in the relationship

must reevaluate themselves in terms of their expectations about reality in general and relationship dynamics specifically

will rebel against the feeling of being overly confined or enmeshed

can create trauma for themselves and their partners when they begin to look for the exit sign

can attract others who seem to be just as detached at a core level as they are

can create trauma for both because neither will have the feeling of being totally connected to each other

uranus in the eighth house

mental trauma can occur when absolute betrayals of trust occur

can occur when those they have extended trust to end up totally violating the trust to the extent of becoming a totally different person relative to how they had seemed or appeared to them when the trust was initially extended

generates the experience of abandonment and intense loss

experiences of others "turning upon" them

sudden loss linked with partnerships wherein a merging of resources and realities has occurred

impacts their ability to trust ever again

in many ways an intensification of uranus in the seventh house

can project psychological intentions, motives or agendas onto others and have others project the same upon them

have very keen and accurate perception into how others are motivated and psychologically structured on one hand

on the other hand they can mix up and project their own subconscious dynamics onto others

produces intense psychological confrontations and tests of will between them and others

commonly have had or have desires to experience and know the different uses and forms of sexual energy that go beyond normal procreational or conventional expressions

potential for misuse of sexual desire and experience

some may have known or come to know the highest form and right use of sexual energy that is possible

uranus in the ninth house

mental trauma can occur by the very nature of their beliefs because those beliefs are typically at odds with consensus held beliefs

trauma occurs through others who isolate them because of their beliefs

the isolation occurs through ridicule, persecution or outright attack

can create traumatic effects for others as they challenge and rebel against the belief structures of anyone who is not in sympathy with, or supportive of their own beliefs

trauma can also occur at such a level as to make them question the nature of what they believe in

uranus in the tenth house

mental trauma can occur by way of their family or origin wherein one or both parents are dysfunctional in some way, absent, emotionally unavailable or through sudden loss of a partner(s)

can also occur through not being validated or acknowledged for who they are by the parents

as adults, these same dynamics occur through nonacceptance by mainstream people or society, of being severely misjudged by those in their career field of choice, by sudden loss of social position or career and through feeling psychologically misplaced in their overall environment

experience of being blocked or thwarted by the environment

can generate a feeling that it is pointless to work towards any goal or objective because it does not mean anything anyway

an underlying of permeating sarcasm and pessimism

uranus in the eleventh house

mental trauma can occur when realizing that they have been living a lie wherein they have not actualized a life or lifestyle that is reflective of their inner self

feels fundamentally different than the consensus reality that constitutes the environment in which they find themselves

will compensate by adopting the external appearance of normalcy

the act of compensation is that which generates the lie

trauma occurs relative to this realization and the need to radically alter their life

a need to rebel against the normal, consensus life; yet there is also fear in doing just that

this fear can implode on them in such a way as to not act towards change

acting upon the impulse to caste off the consensus life also creates a period of instability that may be undetectable to the observer until there is a sudden, unannounced rebellion

trauma can also occur via a myriad of social connections and relationships that turn ugly, disruptive or simply terminate almost overnight

friendships go astray, unforeseen dynamics and issues suddenly and "irrationally" appear

uranus in the twelfth house

mental trauma can occur when their ego or personality begins to fracture, disintegrate or dissolve due to stress externally experienced or through inner stress emanating from the unconscious

inner stress is based on thoughts or desire impulses to escape or run away from the mundane conditions that define their life

impulse is rooted in dreams, sleep and the need for transcendence to embrace a more wholistic, inclusive, ultimate or spiritual reality

failing to understand the right actualization of this impulse, i. e., to embrace spiritual realities, they become quite "crazy" at a subconscious level

generates a fear that translates into "hiding" from people

#by jeff green #mental trauma and uranus #trauma and the outer planets #uranus #uranus in the houses #astrology notes #astrology excerpts

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fromtheplanethexagon · 4 years ago

Text

the robot problem: a critical look at tobecky, 5 years late

hello wordgirl fandom i am back :) and i have a lot of thoughts that i never got around to expressing before i moved on from the show. so be aware that everything i'm saying is based on my experiences during the 2012-2016 era of the fandom & state of tumblr in general, and i am not familiar with more recent fan content.

it's been over five years since the show ended, and @ifbrd reminded me (along with some great analysis) that while tobecky was super popular since before the show technically started (thanks to the play date shorts), it's pretty unhealthy in a lot of ways that tend to be excused or flat out ignored in fanworks. i'd like to reflect on that a bit (a lot); specifically, how both the show and the fandom approached this enemies-to-lovers ship, and how easily this ship can slip into uncomfortable territory if we're careless about how we interpret the ship and create fan content of it.

i will admit, i'm mostly writing this as a response to past me and my old creations - though i moved on from the show as a whole years ago, i do like taking the time to reflect on old interests once in a while, and reevaluating my thoughts on them. and this ship is probably the biggest one that still lurks in the corners of my mind once in a while, so let's go.

cherish is the word: a short positive note before a much longer negative one

i wanted to start this essay off with some positivity, because i am going to be very negative after this. tobecky was, in some ways, cute. it's obvious from the very beginning that these two characters are on pretty equal ground, even if one of them isn't aware of it. and that's part of the fun - the irony of how unaware tobey is that his nemesis/crush/person that pretty much always wins against him is someone that he completely dismisses as incompetent. i want to point this out because honestly, in general i don't like enemies-to-lovers because a lot of them use a power imbalance within the dynamic, and i hate power imbalances, especially when it comes to actual life-or-death scenarios (at least, as much as cartoons can do that). in most episodes, becky is never actually forced to go along with his wishes. she's not held in a 'date' against her will, nor is she ever really outwitted by him. i bring this up because there is one huge, uncomfortable exception, which i will get to later.

another big plus to the ship is the fact that they just... get along? even when fighting? of course we get brief moments where they just hang out and talk about paintings or whatever, but i'm talking about how much they get each other, even if they don't realize it. like the word banter, for example. been there since day one. becky loves words, and while most other people in her life don't really care (ranging from 'eh, that's cool i guess' to her brother calling it annoying), tobey gives her a chance to show off and thus treats her as a worthy adversary as herself, not because of her more generic superpowers - something that we've seen in canon that she feels self-conscious about (see: her motivation in patch game). one of the less noticed examples, to me, is "it's your party and i'll cry if I want to", because it's just - okay. they both are excluded from a social event, and while it's obvious that tobey deals with it by destroying the city, it's also pretty obvious that becky also deals with her frustration by fighting in that battle. like, yes, realistically it's just objectively bad that he's destroying buildings. but they're also providing each other with a way to work through their frustrations, first by fighting and then by talking things out, and finally by hanging out together instead of dwelling on being excluded from the party.

so it makes a lot of sense to me that many tobecky fans gravitated towards writing far-in-the-future fic, usually by implying that some growth had taken place before starting to write the ship. (there are, as far as i'm aware, 2... maybe 3 exceptions, that take the time to attempt a real redemption for him, at least when i left the fandom.) because if you take away his worst moments, either by reasoning out that he was 10 years old and a mess, or that he was a cartoon character in a cartoon world where everyone's actions are over-the-top, or by just flat-out pretending that certain episodes never happened, there's some pretty solid ground to start a ship on.

go gadget go: we all do not see it, we simply close our eyes (review of canon)

when the show began, i was the same age as the characters. a lot of other people were, too - at least in my cohort of the fandom. i think it's pretty safe to say that many of us have fond memories of the show's earlier seasons, and held on to that interest as we got older, for whatever reasons. so like, not to be all 'as an OG fan...', but i remember seeing the shorts air for the first time in 2006. i have a diary entry in july of 2009 about how i, a 12yo with no concept of the idea of 'shipping', was disappointed in the new tobey episode because i wanted more tobecky interactions. (that was robo-camping, btw, lol.) and so i remember how exciting their rivalry felt, watching them as someone literally their exact same age, and then watching that again as a nostalgic 17yo, and then uh... growing up, to put it frankly, and realizing just how unhealthy most of their interactions were.

okay what i meant to say was, this section is an overview of the relationship's canon portrayal throughout the years.

first, we have early tobecky: this includes the shorts and the first few seasons. this is their classic relationship: he likes her and takes robots on rampages to get her attention, she majorly disapproves and has fun taking him down. we've all seen the show, you know what i'm talking about. his backhanded ways of trying to find out her identity often feature prominently in the episodes, which - sigh, i've mentioned this whole issue before, but it's kind of a grey area in the whole uncomfortable-factor thing, because while trying to find out her identity is VERY invasive, it's something that like... everyone in the show tries to do, even her canon crush (scoops). on the one hand, it's really not a great look, but on the other hand, this is a cartoon meant to parody a genre in which this trope is extremely common. so i just wanna say that i have Issues and Thoughts on this aspect of their relationship, but there are other things i find more important to discuss here.

second, we have late tobecky: this is seasons 7-8. this is... a very strange and huge shift from the previous dynamic, though it's not necessarily obvious. what i mean by that is that for some reason, the show writers made it so that half of tobey’s rampages have nothing to do with his crush on wordgirl, even though that used to be the sole reason for his villainy. seriously. we have the birthday episode, where he's upset because he feels left out; wg vs tobey vs the dentist, where he's mad that he has a cavity; and trustworthy tobey, where his robot goes on a rampage... after becky accidentally makes it malfunction. the two outliers are ‘guess who’s coming to thanksgiving dinner’ and ‘patch game’, but they still differ from previous seasons because 1) his destruction is isolated to a forest far away from the city, and 2) his motive is still to impress wordgirl, but his methods are relatively tame. also he completely gives up on the secret identity thing??? i may have missed some things but i think he straight up tells her 'yeah there's no way you're wordgirl, lol' and the subject is just dropped for the rest of the show.

i also want to include 'the robot problem' here, because it's one of two season 6 tobey episodes, and follows the 'doesn't destroy buildings to get her attention' pattern: in fact, he teams up with her to try and stop someone else from going on a rampage (even if his reasons are selfish, lol).

and finally. the other season 6 episode. we have go gadget go, the bane of my time spent in the fandom. because GGG is the single episode where tobey truly manages to take away her autonomy, and proceeds to abuse that power for an extended period of time, for his own amusement. it's bad. it's Very Bad. put in the context that it's a white boy doing this to an (ambiguously) brown girl, it's REALLY REALLY BAD. and the more i look back on it, tbh, the more weirded out i am that the show not only made it seem like she wasn't affected at all within the episode, it just... forgot about it (which is not unusual for shows and especially children’s shows, but WG does make some efforts to either retain continuity or create canon reasons for why things are forgotten about). it's the kind of thing that you can't excuse and honestly you can't redeem (like at this point, you gotta ask yourself why you're spending so much effort trying to redeem this guy when becky has several other possible ships that are nowhere near this unhealthy - violet, scoops, honestly even victoria if you want another hero/villain ship, my absolute fave rarepair rose, etc).

so if you want to still ship it you have to just pretend that it never happened. (i remember trying for weeks to write something exploring the aftermath of this episode, to try and make myself feel better about it, but the more i wrote the more i realized just how traumatic this event should've been, so i eventually just dropped it.) and i brought up my own timeline of experiences earlier to point out that this episode aired eight whole years after the show started. which means that when i saw it, even though i was a huge stickler for canon at the time, i'd built up my own idea of the show and characters strongly enough to go 'yeah, no, this episode sucks and i am going to pretend that it doesn't exist'. and i think a lot of other people did too, because i really saw like... no one mention it, ever, except for some rogue fanfics over on ff dot net that already liked dynamics like that.

because here's the thing, and i don't know if people nowadays are aware of it? but i'm 80% sure (cannot find a source, so the other 20% is that it was just a rumor) that the show was originally supposed to end after season 6. and even if it's a rumor, it makes a ton of sense, because we get 1) an 'ending' to tobecky, which is a bad one, 2) a permanent wordgirl identity reveal that significantly changes one of the major dynamics in the show, 3) an episode where TJ gets to work with wordgirl and get a nice potential ending for their sibling dynamic, 4) an episode where we see Two-Brains explore life without his henchmen... the list goes on, and idk how many of these are just major stretches. but the point is. if the show had ended there, that would've been a pretty solid ending for many things, including their relationship: aka, it would prove that it was only ever heading somewhere bad, and when tobey finally has his moment of triumph, he is truly evil about it. and this provides us fans who HATE go gadget go with an easy reason to dismiss it - we can say that it was an attempt to conclude things in a way that wouldn't have happened if the writers had known they'd get more time. but despite that... it is still a canon episode.

it is odd to me how dramatically the dynamic shifts after that, though, because we seriously go from 'worst case ever, tobecky is toxic, your ship is dead' to 'no actually they get along and hang out and get ice cream together and tobey isn't even pressuring her into it, she's happy to go along with it :)' like, immediately. i never knew much about the show writers, so i don't know if the writers changed in between these seasons, but i would absolutely not be surprised if they did.

the earlier episodes are definitely problematic as well (though they pale in comparison to GGG) but i think everyone who ships it is aware considering that tobey is, yknow, a villain. from memory, he destroys buildings to get her attention, lies to her about the level of danger that people are in to trick her into spending more time with him, blackmails her into reading his poetry, and he creates a robot based on her that’s supposed to be devoted to him (but of course, all of these things backfire). not great stuff of course, but like... he’s a villain, that’s the point of his character. and considering that he’s a child these are things that can be redeemed, if done thoughtfully.

anyway, to sum up this section, the show starts off with a pretty standard 'enemies with an unrequited crush' setup, takes a really dark turn for a single episode, and then for the rest of the show takes their dynamic in a direction that makes it much, much easier to ship. as long as you ignore a lot of previous content.

wordbot: where's becky's autonomy in all of this? (misogyny)

we've finally gotten to the fandom. i recognize that a lot of this is going to come across as hypocritical considering how active i used to be re: this ship, but like... i'm a very different person now. anyway. disclaimer i guess - i don't write this to accuse all tobecky shippers of being like this - i know a lot of us aren't/weren't! but boy do i have things to point out, so without further ado:

it is very hard to ship this without allowing some bit of misogyny to slip into it. very, very hard. the entire premise of the ship involves a girl falling in love with a boy that repeatedly pressures her to date him via threats to the safety of herself and people she cares about, which... it's 2020, i shouldn't have to explain why that's terrible & a terrible example to set for children (which is why i am glad they never made it canon, tbh). best-case fan content has tobey stop pressuring her and start working to redeem himself out of an actual change of heart, which leads to becky seeing him in a new light. worst-case fan content treats his incessant pressuring and sometimes outright threats as something romantic - and even worse, romantic to the point where he deserves her attention and love as a reward for not giving up or whatever. i did see this pretty frequently for a while, especially in the earlier 2010s (didn't read much, Not My Thing At All), but i don't feel like going into detail here because of how obviously problematic it is. one medium (but still bad) case is where the fan content makes him start his redemption, but treats her liking him back as a reward for not knocking buildings over anymore. another not great case is where she tries to fix him with her love, which is a very common and very dangerous romantic trope. both are just... so incredibly unfair to her.

in content where she tries to 'fix him'... yeah i feel like it's really obvious how misogynistic that is. girls and women should not feel responsible for the evil actions of men, plain and simple. idk what else to say here i just really hate that trope and hated it back then and it just sucks! so can we not do that anymore, thanks.

in content that treats her like a reward for good behavior, there really isn't much of an explanation for what she sees in him. if she just goes 'oh wow, you're good now, i am going to fall in love with you for it' the whole thing falls flat because it makes NO sense whatsoever. we get to hear so much about tobey and his feelings and why he likes her and how he feels about it, but where is that energy for becky? why does she choose to trust him, to spend time around him, what does she enjoy about his presence? where is her getting over scoops in the process of falling for tobey? where is her telling her friends about this, confiding in them, asking them for advice? where is her choice in the matter?

win a day with wordgirl: do you guys even like becky or do you just like the idea of her (misogyny... 2!)

it was pretty standard for all fandoms the early-mid 2010s, but that's still not a good excuse for why so many tobecky fanfictions centered specifically around tobey's feelings while refusing to give becky the same level of empathy and nuance. it is true that to ship them comfortably you have to redeem him to some degree, which means spending time figuring him out and trying to find ways to pull him to the light without feeling super OOC. but ships take two people??? and there was so much potential for fanfics to explore becky's complex feelings on the matter - because she is! complex! she's heroic and kind but she's petty and has a competitive streak, she easily befriends villains but also doesn't trust them and doesn't believe they can ever really change, she's the savior of an entire planet but has feelings of inadequacy as her civilian identity and struggles with feeling like she can be successful without superpowers, she's great at the straightforward meanings and uses of words and loves reading but struggles to write passages that aren't dry as hell, it can be easily headcannoned that she's neurodivergent (special interests, issues with fitting in with her peers, taking things very literally, etc)... seriously there is SO MUCH to explore about her character, and a lot of it comes into play when you add tobey into the mix (literally ALL of the things i mentioned are explored at some point using tobey as a parallel or foil), but i rarely saw fanfiction that explored her thoughts on things further than 'he's evil but... maybe good?' or 'he's evil but... i kind of like him anyway?'.

if you want her to fall for him while being a villain, explore it!! why does she go against her morals? does she lie to herself about it to feel better? does she feel like she has to 'fix him' as part of her superhero duties to the city, and if so, how does that affect her as she tries and fails to help him? does she fall for him when she believes that he's turning good, only to feel betrayed when he starts acting worse because he feels like he can get away with it? it's such a shame that fanworks spend so little time even considering these questions, and it is absolutely a product of how deeply misogyny is/was baked into how we approach media (especially back then).

tobey goes good: but wait, i thought this show was progressive (a conclusion, i guess)

ifbrd wrote a great meta recently about how the show is a bit misogynist, despite being progressive in several ways. honestly i don't have much to add, but i'd really recommend reading through this; it makes a lot of great observations about the ways that male and female characters are presented differently through the show

i have little to add, so i'd just like to conclude with a reflection on the ship from my current viewpoint. i do think part of the reason so many of us latched onto the ship, despite how obviously problematic it was, is that the show treats a lot of things that would be serious in real life as normal or even comedic - which is fine lol, i'm not going to pretend that it's not a show for little kids, so they have to keep the tone light.

but if we, as teens/adults, decide to engage with this content in a more realistic manner, we have to be prepared to confront how messed up so many of the things going on really are. and if you still want to ship it, there's nothing inherently wrong with that! there's a lot of interesting things to explore in this ship, no matter what stage of enemies-to-friends-to-lovers you write them at, and it can be really helpful to have a space where you can explore a dynamic such as this in fiction. (speaking from experience here tbh, writing some fic for them helped me deal with complicated feelings about some ex-longtime friends.)

so to write this ship at all means that there are canon issues that you need to deal with if you want to have them end up in a healthy relationship in any manner that makes sense (unless you create an AU where none of that is applicable, which, power to you then). and i’m not saying ‘write them with a healthy endgame or you’re Bad’, not at all lol. but at least please, please take a step back once in a while to examine the dynamic that you’re writing, and please be careful about whether you mean to be romanticizing whatever behaviors you end up portraying as good.

#wordgirl #becky botsford #tobey mccallister #tobecky #tobecky critical #has anyone ever used that tag before LMAO #anyway: i may come back and reword the ending because i am not totally happy with it #but wow this is so many words. so many. send help

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thecuriousblitz · 5 years ago

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Blake the Western Yin (陰) and Yang the Eastern Yang (陽), aka damn.. more RWBY meta

This is a follow-up post to an earlier one I did, where I freaked out over how Yang was inspired by the greatest Chinese martial arts female character ever [TDLR; Yang is 99.9% a literary conduit for a 1959 beloved classic about overcoming personal trauma and conquering life with your soulmate, plus wild Bumbleby allusions.]

Having identified some cool Eastern influences on RWBY meta lore, it was surprising to see just how deep this rabbit hole goes. By the time I’d thought through the philosophical implications of Bumbleby, I was - again - in awe of the rich tapestry of double meanings RWBY gifts us with.

Without further ado: My thesis on why Monty is a frigging genius, in three parts.

Yin and Yang, Part I: Shadow and Light

Most recognize the circular black and white symbol for yin and yang, which at its simplest represents the powerful duality of equal and opposite forces.

Applying classic RWBY name etymology, we know that Blake is derived from the Old English word blæc, meaning ‘dark’, or ‘dark-haired’ (although in very yin and yang style, it’s also a potential derivative of blāc, meaning ‘bright’ or ‘pale’). Hence Blake’s dominant color scheme of black.

And Yang... ah, shit. Yang’s name originates from the Chinese character yang (陽), meaning ‘sunny’ or ‘light’. Correspondingly, her color is yellow. Given that Weiss literally means ‘white’ in German/Yiddish, does this mean the Monochromers among us can declare a checkmate?

Nothing against Monochrome, but the answer is hell no.

Black and white might visually represent yin and yang, but the original Chinese is what gets us to the true heart of the concept:

Without waxing too much on Chinese character components, the character yin (陰) literally translates to ‘shadow’ (the right half ideographically combines the components jin 今 ‘now’ and yun 云 ‘cloud’), while the character yang (陽) as mentioned denotes ‘sun’ and ‘sunlight’ (the right half depicts the sun’s rays shining down).

Note both characters share the same lefthand component (阝), emphasizing the idea of complementarity; when shadow and light unite, they form a greater, more dynamic whole.

Given the show’s consistent juxtaposition of Blake with shadows (eg. From Shadows, her semblance, Belladonna referencing ‘nightshade’) and Yang with the sun (eg. I Burn, her semblance, literal name is ‘the sun’) it’s undeniable that RWBY’s true yin and yang are Blake and Yang.

Others have expounded on how their characters and fighting styles complement each other, ie. Blake is withdrawn and prefers evasive combat, whereas Yang is extroverted and prefers head-on combat. Much has also been said about Blake and Yang’s complementary colors of purple and yellow (we’ll get to that later).

But allusions to yin and yang imply a deeper connection between the two. It suggests not only that Blake and Yang complement each other, but one is incomplete - cannot exist, even - without the other. Why? Because shadow is the absence of light, and vice versa. Without one, the other loses meaning. Without night there is no day, without disorder there is no order... without Blake (yin) there is no Yang (yang).

Yin and Yang, Part II: The Tiger and The Dragon

Now there’s a lot of shit out there around the different manifestations of yin and yang, so I’m sticking to a particularly relevant one that’s common knowledge in East Asian culture: the Tiger and the Dragon.

The old Chinese proverb “龍爭虎鬥” (roughly translated ‘the dragon makes war, the tiger does battle’) reflects classic yin and yang symbolism. It refers to the conflict between equally matched spirits who are as different from each other as shadow and light, but at the same time are strangely kindred and interdependent. “Mortal enemies intricately linked together by destiny,” as some have put it.

In RWBY, no two characters fit this angsty Tiger (yin) and Dragon (yang) dynamic better than Blake and Yang.

For one, Yang Xiao Long (陽小龍) translated means ‘Sunny Little Dragon’.

Blake... well, Blake is a literal cat.

Furthermore, the tiger is a ground animal representing Earth, and is thus traditionally positioned slightly lower in the yin-yang swirl relative to the dragon, a winged creature connected to Heaven (and by extension, the sun). In their interactions with each other, the tiger’s momentum tends to be from the ground upwards ↑, while the dragon’s is sky downwards ↓. Irrefutable evidence that Blake is a bottom.

This earthbound tiger/airborne dragon dynamic tracks Blake and Yang’s respective emotional journeys incredibly well, both individually and in relation to each other. I love how the lyrics in dedicated Blake/Yang/Bumbleby soundtracks make this explicit:

From Shadows/I Burn: Blake, being a Faunus and raised in the White Fang, grows up feeling ‘born into subjugation’, ‘crushed’ by human rule, and vows to ‘rise above ↑’ the darkness ie. the conditions forced on her and her people. Yang’s relatively carefree nature, on the other hand, has her challenging enemies to shoot their rockets as high as they can, because in true dragon-style, she’s soaring way above and will ‘take them down ↓’.

All That Matters: Following the loss of Yang’s arm, Blake’s departure, and their eventual reunion, their dynamic has shifted. The lines ‘Thought that I could pull you from the shadows / Maybe help you find your wings and fly’ indicates a more subdued Yang, who in attempting to protect and get Blake to open up to her, has had her own figurative wings clipped, and is grappling not only with defeat, but also the difficulty of ‘pinning down ↓’ someone who has betrayed her trust.

Nevermore: This is Blake and Yang’s song following Adam’s defeat, a resounding confirmation of their growth as individuals and as a couple (’Not dying now, we're protecting our own’). That the title of the song is ‘Nevermore’ - a Grimm born of shadow, but one that shares the dragon’s ability to soar, is a really cool nod to the balance found between Blake’s yin and Yang’s yang. It was in acknowledging, not erasing, past mistakes (shadows) that freedom was finally found.

Yin and Yang, Part III: Purple and Yellow

This one is straightforward. We all know the color of Blake and Yang’s eyes, clothing accents and auras mirror each other. But something else I’d missed before - purple has traditionally been associated with royalty and power... in the European West.

The color associated with power, and traditionally reserved only for emperors and empresses in Chinese/Eastern culture? Yellow.

Our resident RWBY yin and yang duo not only manifest royalty in their respective domains and symbolically bring together East and West; but more importantly, when Blake looks at Yang, and Yang looks at Blake...

Both see a literal queen in the other.

In conclusion, thank you Monty for orchestrating this exquisite story; one that teaches us beauty and balance are found in each other’s diversity.

#bumbleby #yang xiao long #blake belladonna #rwby meta #rwby

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tawakkull · 4 years ago

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 55

Wijdan (Conscience)

Part 1

Literally meaning the essence of human existence and a person’s perception of themselves, wijdan (conscience) is a spiritual mechanism composed of the willpower, which chooses between good and evil, the spiritual intellect (fuad), which is the inner, most essential dimension of the heart, the inner power of perceptiveness (sensation or feeling), and consciousness. It is a mechanism through which a person perceives themselves, and feels or experiences and interprets existence and its relationship with God, providing for humans a window opening on belief, knowledge and love of God, and yearning for Him in proportion with the vitality of the above-mentioned four pillars. In this mechanism, which has various metaphysical depths, we can sense the voice of willpower, the discernments and observations of the spiritual intellect, the mind’s acquired knowledge, fed or filtered by consciousness, and the sensations of the power of perceptiveness and the gifts of Divine knowledge that flow into it.

The conscience is also a conscious observer and interpreter in the sense that being aware of the innate powerlessness, poverty, and neediness of humanity, it feels the necessity of applying to and relying on a power that can satisfy humans in respect of these basic shortcomings in them. Consequently, the conscience takes refuge in the Divine Being with belief, submission, and reliance, and turns to Him with knowledge and love of Him and yearning for Him. In addition to studying, reflecting on, analyzing, and synthesizing the messages of all things and events in the name of knowledge and knowledge of God, the conscience has such a subtle, transcending power of expression based on its own dynamics and pillars that those who can hear its voice and judgments do not need anything else to understand the meaning of the messages of existence.

In thus speaking, I in no way mean that there is no need for rational knowledge, or that scientific research, experimental knowledge, or information acquired as a result of centuries-old experiences are insignificant. On the contrary, I would like to emphasize that, in addition to the assessment and benefit that we can derive from conclusions reached through reason, the results of experiences, and the perceptions of the five external senses, each according to their own value, there is another source of knowledge, which is based on inner experiences and intuitions and which can be attained without any means. This source, which leads humans to true knowledge through personal inner experiences without needing any means to discover or establish the truth, is the conscience. Even though such knowledge may sometimes be regarded as subjective, it is as important for those who are open to life at the level of the heart and spirit as the kind of knowledge acquired through known means of learning. Therefore, there have always been many who accept the conscience as a source of knowledge. According to these people, since the conscience leads us directly to the truth itself, rather than presenting to us its map or diagram, it is more significant and reliable as a source of knowledge. Even though the observation and study of things and events and the process of analyzing and synthesizing them enable us to observe the truth from afar and approach it to a certain extent, it cannot provide exact knowledge of it in its true nature and identity. However, the conscience perceives the truth without any means, examines it, and draws a decisive conclusion about it. Those who approach things and events from outside cannot go farther than studying or having some knowledge of these things according to their limited horizon of knowledge, their scope of observation, and personal viewpoints. Therefore, their conclusions are only of a relative value. But the conscience comprehends these regarding what and how they are in their true identity and nature. It transcends matter, is saved from the confines of space, and can grasp the truth itself in proportion to its purity and profundity.

In some of his treatises, Bediüzzaman draws a somewhat different picture of conscience and attributes important functions to it. According to him, the conscience is a conscious, innate mechanism of the same kind as Divine laws of “nature.” Resembling the law of growth in seeds, the laws of creation in sperms or eggs, and the freezing and expansion of certain fluids, the conscience is a conscious law equipped with willpower which issues from the Divine Will, the spiritual intellect, consciousness, and the power of perceptiveness. It is an important tongue that sees, judges, and speaks correctly in proportion to the vitality of such pillars. Even though reason may err in its views, reflections, or judgments, the conscience always proclaims the existence of God in the language of its nature and pillars; it breathes with its vision of Him, contemplates and feels Him; and like a sunflower, driven by a sense of reliance and seeking help which is ingrained in it, it always fixes its eyes on Him. Its intuition always calls on it to remain wakeful; inspiration constantly illuminates its horizon; yearning, which can be regarded as accumulated knowledge of God, continuously indicates Him; and burning Divine love and the zeal to meet Him uninterruptedly invite it to the observation of the All-Known One with His Attributes, Names, and acts, whispering to it the fascinating aspects of life beyond carnality.

Now, let us take an overview of the spiritual intellect, willpower, and consciousness, and the power of perceptiveness, which are the pillars of conscience.

The Spiritual Intellect

Each of the pillars mentioned has an inner and outer dimension that relates to the Realm of the Transcendental Manifestation of Divine Commands and the Corporeal Realm, respectively. What we call “the bosom,” which is the outer, corporeal dimension of the spiritual intellect, is a covering of the inner depths of conscience and its aspects that relate to the Realm of the Transcendental Manifestation of Divine Attributes and Names. The bosom is like a picture of the meaning or spirituality of matter. The heart, which is within the bosom, is a house for the Transcendental Manifestation of Divinity, which receives the Divine gifts or radiations that emanate on different wavelengths; the spiritual intellect (fuad) is a polished mirror that has the potential to reflect the Divine Attributes and Names, and is a special observer of the Realm in which they are transcendently manifested in proportion to the degree of its expansion. The spiritual intellect is also where the light of belief and conviction manifests itself and where the moon of knowledge of God rises. It receives inspirations and transmits Divine gifts and radiance. Due to its position and mission, the spiritual intellect has a furnace-like depth in which it produces flames of love for God and yearning for His reunion. As for what is called “the secret,” with its incomprehensible dimensions, it is a telescope or a polished mirror that rests on the shoulder of the spiritual intellect, and which is directed toward the Realm of the Transcendental Manifestation of Divinity. The “secret” has always been regarded as a palace in the human heart for God to “visit.” So long as it remains purified, it can always entertain its “Guest.” In order for this visit to be continuous, the faculties of consciousness, perception, and receptiveness should be purified of all pollution of carnality. How beautiful the following couplet by Nabi is:

Purify your mirror of perception of whatever is other than Him; Be ashamed of any pollution, for the Monarch does not come to a dirty house. We read the same consideration in the following couplet by Ibrahim Haqqi of Erzurum, who emphasizes the importance of nighttime for such visits:

The heart is a house of God, purify it of whatever there is other than Him, So that the All-Merciful may descend into His palace at night! He invites his audience to remain awake at nights, because nights are more appropriate for turning toward the immaterial Realms of Divine manifestations.

Humans have more even subtle faculties than the heart and the secret. They are “the private,” and “the more private.” These faculties always turn toward a horizon, the identity of which is impossible to perceive, and are absorbed in their instances of turning; each is a ball of mysteries—a source of amazement and astonishment. Together with “the secret” and the spiritual intellect, these faculties are honored with special manifestations of God.

The spiritual intellect is like the pupil in the eye, the center of sight in the brain, the living room in a house, the core in a seed, the wick in a lamp, and the Ka’ba on the earth. Belief diffuses its light from the horizon of this faculty, and the fundamentals of journeying toward knowledge of God such as reverence, piety, love, resignation, certainty, reliance, composure or self-possession, wakefulness, fear, and expectation grow on its slopes. The spiritual intellect is such a mystery of Divine Oneness in His particular manifestations that its light shines in the hands of the willpower stretched toward Him, the comprehensions of the power of perceptiveness, and the position of consciousness before Him. When the spiritual intellect’s connection with God is severed, then its light is extinguished, and it loses its real identity. The spiritual intellect preserves its identity so long as it remains connected with Him through belief, conviction, righteous deeds, and knowledge of Him, with its light shining brightly; and it becomes a mechanism to observe His Essential Attributes, or it acts as an observer of them. The spiritual intellect is an element that distinguishes between our feelings, sensations, and impressions; it is a mine of knowledge of God and the spirit’s source of light and vitality. Due to its nature, we can regard the spiritual intellect to be unrestricted in space. It is the “touchstone” of our knowledge, the most vital depository of our perceptions, and so long as it is not paralyzed or killed through unbelief or other types of misguidance, it is the focus of attention of God Almighty, or the pavilion of His manifestations.

With the eyes of this faculty, which the Sufis call “insight,” people see everything just as it is, interpreting all they see correctly, and draw correct conclusions. Under its light, they rise to the horizon of spiritual discovery and observation, and penetrating beyond “the secret,” they begin to imagine the peaks of “the private” and “the more private.” But if this faculty—the spiritual intellect—is contaminated with sins and exposed to any kind of misguidance, including unbelief, then as declared in the Qur’anic verse, But what they themselves have earned has rusted upon their hearts (83: 14), all of its horizons are darkened, and it begins to perceive white as black and vice versa, and God seals it, as indicated in the verse, God has set a seal upon their hearts (2: 7). It becomes extremely difficult, even impossible, for it to recover its initial purity. While established belief and regular worship and doing righteous deeds are favored with endurance or steadfastness, sins, so long as they are not eliminated through repentance, penitence, and contrition, cause people to suffer swerves in the heart. Each sin is a door to unbelief.

Both the spiritual intellect and the Supreme Preserved Tablet are each a mirror to God, according to their own capacities. With its contents, the Supreme Preserved Tablet remains unchanged. But the spiritual intellect can always display changes of color, shape, and design under the influence of different failures. Therefore, those who are aware of this apply to the Divine Court many times a day, entreating, “Our Lord, do not let our hearts swerve after You have guided us!” (3: 8)

So long as it remains intact and is preserved from deviations, the spiritual intellect is an excellent student of Divine Attributes, a polished mirror of Divine favors, an important stimulant to knowledge and love of God and yearning for Him, as well as to feeling an attraction toward and being attracted by Him. With the eyes of this faculty, people can observe the realms beyond; with its ears, they can listen to mysterious sermons that are given without words or voices, and guide others to the holiest manifestations by means of it. They can do all these as long as they can preserve this faculty with its primordial purity and decorate it with belief, knowledge, and love of God. Let us put an end to the discussion of this faculty with the following couplet of Hanifi:

Come O Sufi, purify the inside of your heart to attain love, For one who desires the Guest should certainly decorate his palace. Willpower According to the Basic Principles of the Islamic Creed

Four ways of thought and belief have come into existence regarding the view of this human faculty:

Those who deny it and therefore consider humans to be devoid of any free will like inanimate objects that have no say in their actions. This way is known as fatalism, or absolute determinism (jabr mutlaq). Those who accept that, although humans have some degree of free will and power, their will and power play no part in their actions. Whenever they display an inclination to perform an action, God creates the power and capacity in them to do it. This is known as relative fatalism (jabr mutawassit). Those who attribute all human actions to human free will and power and claim that humans are the creators of their actions. According to them, God has delegated His creativity to humans themselves with respect to their actions. This way is called absolute delegation (tafwiz mutlaq). Those who reject both absolute fatalism and delegation and affirm that it is humans themselves who will and perform their actions, while it is God Who creates their actions. According to these people, doing and creating are different things, and humans are responsible for their actions as agents or doers. This is clear in the verse, In its favor is whatever (good) a soul earns, and against it whatever (evil) it merits (2: 286). This is the way of the Maturidis. Humans have both a certain degree of free will and power to execute their will. They show a tendency to do something and have a capacity to put it into action. Although God is, in principle, never obliged to give existence in the physical realm to whatever humans will or do, He creates the human deeds that are performed as a result of their tendency or free will. For humans are responsible for their will and deeds. If God did not create their will, actions or deeds, human responsibility would have been meaningless.

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