#ahhh... fictional women so good she has you learning about religion

[leolithe]

Ever since The Lotus Eaters was announced I have been looking into what it'll be about and what it entails for Lotus. Rebb confirmed that it is inspired by the lotus tree in Odyssey that binds those who eat its fruit to blissful apathy (hence "lotus eaters"), which makes me think Wally is the analogous lotus tree attempting to bind the Lotus to Indifference. However, figuring out the quest's themes has led me to something that has a lot of lotus imagery: Buddhism.

"Mara Lohk" brings to mind of Mara, the personification of desire and negative emotions that are obstacles to enlightenment. Which happens to be Wally's modus operandi, and Lotus has a lot of baggage that allows Wally to tempt her to succumb to her trauma.

However, as I looked into nirvana, which means liberation from suffering and desire, I came to the realization that The New War has imagery of achieving nirvana: the vanquishing of Archons that happen to correspond to animals representing the Three Poisons (not sure about Amar as nothing matches the Wolf), and the Radiant Lotus after being fully restored from absorbing all the three Archon Shards "purified" as virtues to counteract these poisons to achieve nirvana. The Radiant Lotus symbolizing nirvana means she is free from the suffering she experienced under Ballas, Erra and Hunhow.

Nirvana is said to be irreversible. Mara failed to tempt the Buddha away from achieving enlightenment. If The Lotus Eaters will be about The Man in the Wall attempting to tempt Lotus to succumb to her trauma... there's a very high chance Wally will fail.

ANON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are bloody INCREDIBLE for writing this out!!!!!!

I've been chomping at the bit to write something about Lotus' Buddhist symbolism because it is undeniably interwoven into her whole character; down to her story and visual design. Comparing her status as the mascot of Warframe and the themes of rebirth, enlightenment, compassion and thriving in a world rife with suffering already present in the game, I believe it's very obvious that DE's writers take inspiration from Buddhism's teachings!

I don't have a lot to add to your ask right now, other than the fact that I wholeheartedly agree with you, so I'm just gonna leave some relevant links in a reblog... A lil bit of further reading for those who want it! :D

[lrosenthal11]

Here's to my start at @CollegeIsMyLife <3

Hi!! ♌

 My name is Laurunce Rosenthal and this is my first blog for my new job ayeeee. We have a loootttttt to cover so here we go. Wow I don’t think anyone, including myself, is ready for what’s about to be written. Here we fuckin go.

Okay let’s start from the start. I’m Laurunce, some know me as LJ some Laurunce, some call me names they make up like Lauren or Lawrence or LG or even shit like TJ like idk where we getting these letters from…but anyway that is me. I’m Laurunce. And you’ve probably never heard the name Laurunce before which is so lit for me because now I hope you never forget it. I’m the girl that’s going to make an impact on this world. Wanna know why? Because no one else is going to? “Oh LJ so many people are doing stuff for this world..” well my niqqa why aren’t you? Glad you just asked yourself that question I want you to ask yourself it again…and again… Ask yourself why you aren’t doing something for this world; some action to better this world. And if you are HELL YEAHHH glad you’re on the winning team. Now for people not doing anything positive for this world, or even worse doing stuff that NEGATIVELY IMPACTS our Earth, yuuuuuppp I’m calling you out bartards and litterers, and yep even you past LJ meanie gal. You were not a nice human in your past. Glad you woke up girl. Make some positive changes in this world people, we gotta do it not only for us, but for our children and grandchildren, and our grandchildren’s grandchildren. I’m doing this for you, my babies I hope to have. Obviously cannot predict the future, but my two beautiful baby girls, hopefully twins, if not the best of friend sisters: Summer Raine Rosenthal and Brooke Lynn Rosenthal. How cute omg cannot wait for these beautiful humans to enter the world Anyway back to start, we are going to stray off track a lot I feel like but it’s worth it to me because my ideas are all over the place but begging and pleading to be put onto this page, which will then transfer to your brains. This is my literal thought process running like a wild lion (where my Leos at?) through my brain, and leaving my fingertips to be available for your eyes to read and your soul to listen to. These are my lyrics on some platform, somewhere, wherever you are. And wherever you are I hope you are at home and at peace, because you are your own home. “You can’t make homes out of human beings, someone should have already told you that.” – Warsan Shire (my twitter bio for idk maybe the past 4 years), and as Porter Robinson said at the event that sparked this enlightenment of my soul, #OkeechobeeMusicFestival2017, “Every place you’ve ever imagined, it’s real. There is a fictional city in your mind and you know every corner of it. Your mind is a world, each of us is a place.” Do you understand why music is my new favorite drug? Lyrics and beats SPEAK TO ME.

How did this change all occur??? Well, I microdosed on LSD (microdosing is where you cut of a liiiitle piece and take that instead of dropping the whole tab) and my eyes were opened to the effects of drugs and how they can hinder such beautiful people and decided that is not the path I wish to be on anymore. If I can enjoy life without all the drugs and other influences I was under, why do I NEED them? That is not to say I am going to stop cold turkey, but I now know and trust my limits.  I was addicted to this fake feeling of satisfaction for however long my high lasted. Now I truthfully am high on life. I could sit here and type forever about the changes I am making in my life, but I will just show you all, and show myself, because it’s kinda counterproductive to brag (#NOMORENEGATIVITY) and try to explain how amazing it is to finally be happy in my own skin and with a new cleansed and refreshed soul. It’s the flesh I will be in for the rest of my years on this planet, so I should prob get comfy in it, and I encourage you to do the same, get comfy peeps it’s going to be a nice journey. And I am not here to scold you, because who am I to try and control your life, and who are you to try and control mine? I needed to take a drug to realize I don’t need them. I DROPPED a tab (tab = the acid for my family right now reading this going ‘huhhhh what’s a tab??!!!’) Anyway, I DROPPED a drug to realize I could DROP drugs, ahhhhh finally a big part of my life, “Double Entendre” which I hope to call this blog/the book I am going to write. There will be many of those DEs throughout this new blog. Wow I am excited. If you are reading this and it touches you in any way please share. I am just a New York girl trying to be successful, and there are many cliché stories like that, but who is to say I can’t be one of those cliché stories too? They usually have really awesome endings.

           So what am I going to do with this blog platform? I am going to change the world. Don’t believe me? Watch me. THE ONLY PERSONEVER STOPPING YOU, IS YOU. And I believe that about myself. At Okeechobee, a woman who looked JUST like my older sister Janeen, (Janeen you are one of my heroes, this one’s for you) approached me and said to me, “Watch who you hang out with.” and proceeded on her way. You will see throughout my blog I believe in Her, She, The Universe. She is Us it’s so weird and hard to explain but I’ll try…She is not a religion, She is not something we have to go praise every Sunday, or someone who we have to fear, She is within and among us, trying to guide us on our life’s journey so we can experience all the necessary experiences we have to go through in order to become our true selves. I believe in Astrology a crazy amount, and I’m no expert, but I am learning. And I believe She chose me to be a Leo, Leo, Aquarius, Scorpio for a reason. (Find your Natal Chart here, it will unlock so many secrets to your life. It very well may be exactly what you need to read in your life right now to start your enlightenment, http://astro.cafeastrology.com/natal.php. ) If you look up my signs you will learn a lot about me, which if you aren’t interested you don’t obviously have to but you’ll learn more about me than you could imagine. Here’s a video (https://youtu.be/ymmq1E37sJQ?list=PLGn9j5IRilElxuRGQz0Voy7JEHF9nQOqZ)  that literally is so scary spot on I laughed at Her because she has a humorous side I’m so serious. Anyway go look up your info wait lemme get this out first, most of us will be adults reading this…remember no one can tell you what to do but you. Others can influence your decision, but no one can MAKE you do anything. And if someone FORCES you to do something…drop that human out of your life, they have no place in it. That is what I did and look at me now. I listened to the woman in the #BOSS hat at Okeechobee, (she was on the security team not just some random) and holy shit did she remind me of my sister. I let her influence my decisions, and I reevaluated what I was doing with my nights and who I was spending it with. I will always have so much love for the people in my past, and I’m so grateful for all the lessons they have taught me, but some people just don’t have a place in my life anymore. I refuse to let anyone hold me back from pursuing my dreams. Please let these resonate, “BE FEARLESS IN THE PURSUIT OF WHAT SETS YOUR SOUL ON FIRE.” That is exactly what I am here doing, and I encourage you to do the same. That was my senior quote and I am realizing that She has guided me to do many things in my life (that She is still revealing it’s so dope) that have led me to exactly where I am, the happiest I have ever been while on this Earth. That quote was my senior quote, and at the time of choosing that quote I had so many others I was going to pick. (Thank you Universe and Margaret Grace for helping w the selection, YOU ARE MY PERSON. The Meredith to my Christina dude. More like my Froggies Windman to my F’real Pumpkin Cheesecake milkshake let’s be real here, omg I miss you my bff of how long…like 13 years lmao. I love you.) Can you believe I chose that one, and that it has fueled me to where I am today… Florida State University-the best school everrrrr, a working gal-just got hired to do what I love to do, spread positivity and write from the soul, and happy- something I have been striving for my whole life. Once you realize you are the only one in your own way you realize you can break the barricade and dance wild to the beat of your own journey. AHHH LIFE IS SO GOOD I’M SMILING WRITING THIS AHHHHH.

 On to another thing I am going to do with this blog, I have decided to take the initiative of #MAKINGFSUKINDAGAIN. Yes, boys and girls, or rather men and women since we should start to realize this is the beginning of our adult lives (let’s wake up and smell the roses people have your priorities right), and we need to start acting a little more like adults. I have taken it upon myself to start this trend and I won’t stop until FSU IS KIND AGAIN. And the best part is, once FSU is kind again, I’ll choose my next target audience (hello Mr. Solomon your class rocks and Advertising is definitely a part of my career path in the future. S/O to target audience, a term I learned in your class). But yes I have dreams of a world at peace filled with love and kindness and happy humans and pretty flowers and GOOD FUCKING MUSIC THANK GOODNESS. So how am I going to do this…? Lemme tell ya… I am going to pick up as many pieces of trash I see around campus hoping others see me and are inspired to do the same. I am going to spread the light I have within me everywhere and brighten others’ lives as much as humanly possible. Along with my light comes my positive vibes I believe myself to bring around, and if my positivity is bothering you, I hope you take a step back and realize POSITIVITY IS CAUSING YOU DISTRESS. CHANGE THAT.

 Anyways, I have a quick story and I hope you all listen up because you may be my next target (*insert Dracula laugh* harharhar) . I go to a school with a lot of frat boys and sorority gals. Greek life is huge here at FSU and that has many pros and many cons but that’s beside the point. Anyway, I don’t want my school to get in trouble so I won’t mention whatever group(?) these people are associated with, and I will be using different names. But pay attention to the first letters because I am a detail-oriented woman and you all will see that. ANYWAY story time, yesterday I went to a bar for Happy Hour (best day I love happy hour how you gonna be MAD at HAPPY hour lmk) and at HH I went to the clambox of a bar that FSU students will know exactly what bar I am talking about. At this bar a mean kid, let us call him AA because remember what I said earlier, this one’s even more specific but still so vague I love it..nevertheless, AA was A DOUUUUCHHHHEEEEEEE to me. We were at the bar and he would lower his glasses and say some rude shit. He fucking asked me if I was a prostitute like multiple times…. ME, LJ, a new woman of integrity, he asked me that. I was in a killer outfit too like it was honestly modest af and that bothers me even more because his comment wasn’t even relevant. Anyway, he was a douchebag stereotypical “frat boy” which has a negative connotation but wanna know why it has that connotation……. BECAUSE OF BOYS LIKE AA!!!!!!! So yeah he was so mean and so rude and here we go baby… Remember what I told you AA, you probably don’t because you black out every opportunity you get which is gross because you’re a senior with no goals and I’m not judging you I am spitting facts right now (Scorpio in me coming out oh boy) but yeah you need to WAKE.THE.FUCK.UP BOIIIIII because you will never get a job or a respectable woman in your life if you continue these habits. But anyway, do you remember what I told you, no?, okay I gotchu. I said these words right to your mean little face I said, “You’re fucking with the wrong girl.” And guess what everyone, I am a woman of my word so yaaaaaa AA, watch the fuck out who you’re fucking with because I’LL ROAST YOUR ASS IN MY NEW BLOG THAT’S GOING TO MAKE ME FAMOUS YAAA YEEEET BOIIII. And in all seriousness AA, I really do hope you wake up and change (omg Aquarius Rising LJ coming out [just googled Aquarius Rising Woman and found this on the link I put above “our personal destiny and soul function is ultimately related to the impulses toward progressive change, experimentation and innovative, creative thinking which reside in the collective psyche of your generation. You are a conduit for change, for awakening new thought.”] …. Holy shit like lmk if astrology isn’t real…kk wake up it is).  But seriously AA, awaken your soul my dude, you’re in my favorite frat, one I hope to be the first GDI gal to be Sweetheart for, and you’re giving my boys a bad name. Don’t black every time you go out, get happy drunk, and don’t be mean to women or anyone while we are at it, be niceeeee and pretty gals like me and all other gals who start with beauty from the inside will be attracted to you, we are the kind of girls you actually want to be with.

            So yeah, here we go, here is my blog, here is my soul on my sleeve, and I’m super excited to feature my friends and the stories I acquire on my journey, and I can’t wait to instill some positivity into the lives of the people around me and all the people who will see this because SHARESHARESHARE my friends!!!!! If you are my friend, or consider yourself my friend, or have spoken to me, or if I in any way have impacted your life, I am asking you please please share. I am ready to start my life, to put myself out there, and with your help I can. I plan to engulf everything on my path with the fire within me (FIRE SIGNSSSS WYAAAA) and I am ready to do that NOW. If not now….WHEN? Now that I have my attitude chosen, how I go about the next seconds/minutes/hours/days/months/years is what really matters. I am only 18 years of age, I am bound to make mistakes, hella mistakes, but if I’m starting at 18, where will I be at 19? I am ready to push my limits in success and respect my limits in life. That’s why I started this blog, so that it’s not a book just yet, so it won’t take as long to write (patience is a virtue which I am learning, but in the meantime, I’m not going to wait around when I can do something about my life). One of my new mottos is “Don’t complain about it if you aren’t doing anything about it.” Well Hi, I am Laurunce Rae (yupp no J we’ll get to that in another blog) Rosenthal and this is me doing something. I have confidence in myself and the people I have met on my journey, whether it be me just flashing you a smile or actually having touched your heart. Maybe I’ve improved your mood one day, or you were a victim of one of my random stranger conversations.  I am grateful for the people I have met and the places I have seen, and now I am ready to expand my horizons even more, see new lands meet new peeps. I hope you will join me on my journey. Spread the love my people and, of course, BE FEARLESS IN THE PURSUIT OF WHAT SETS YOUR SOUL ON FIRE.

Another thing before I end, Daddy, Mark Rosenthal, my huuuuummaaannnn. I adore you, you literally keep me going every.single.day. You are the funniest, most diligent, most resourceful, most reliable human in my life and I cannot wait to make you so so proud with what I do with my life. No one will ever top you my dude. NO ONE. I will never forget where I came from (peep the new back tattoo peeps, ROSENTHAL BABY… REMEMBER THAT NAME.) and I cannot wait to see where She leads me.

With so so so so much love,

Laurunce LJ Rosenthal ♌