#also stan no longer being sensitive about his brand

[nenoname]

while the only redeeming quality of love god really is the stan joke, it does emphasize how bad mabel is at matchmaking and also how much romance sucks actually

[vindelllas]

the beauty of uttara ashadha 🌞🐘:

🐘 naomi campbell: uttara ashadha lagna

*MAJOR TW// i discuss a lot of potentially triggering topics, i.e. abuse and racism. some of the uttara ashadha natives i exhibit and talk about are known for their terrible behavior and scandals. i do not condone their offensive and ignorant behavior. they are simply being shown to solidify my opinions on the nature of this nakshatra*

as you read this post, please listen to this uttara ashadha playlist i made for the full experience: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/207xxveKWd1TlN12Sr5GAW?si=G5F-Hd3_SHui2PYViP8hkQ

🌞 in the krittika nakshatra, we saw the fiery combination of kuja’s rashi and surya’s vimshottari rulership. krittika represents the cosmic fire of purification, as kuja is the planet of leadership, chandra is the planet denoting our mental state, and surya is the embodiment of the true yang path. in the uttara phalguni nakshatra, we saw the giving and serving nature of surya shine through the solar embodiment of aryaman and the leo rashi. buddha bestowed this nakshstra with the ability to sense areas of need within others and find the best ways to solve others’ issues and realign them with their dharma path. in uttara ashadha, we see these natives embody the cosmic fire we once witnessed in krittika and eventually learn to master the importance of finding yourself in your soul. as compared to looking to the accomplishments you have helped others succeed in for personal reaffirmation (a problem uttara phalguni natives struggle with). uttara ashadha’s ruling deities will serve as their cosmic guides through these deeply purifying solar states.

🌌 the deities of uttara ashadha are the ten vishvadevas, the ten universal gods. in sanskrit, vishvadevas translates to “all-knowing or omniscient”. these ten gods represent the evolution of uttara ashadha natives’ lives: vasu (meaning brilliance or wealth-giver), satya (being truthful in one's thought, speech, and action), kratu (strength and willpower), daksha (rituals and people), kala (time and death), kama (cosmic desire and creative impulse), dhriti (steadiness and retention), kuru (ancestors), pururavas (abundance, surya, brightness), and madravas (zenith of joy). let’s take a closer look at a few of these deities to examine the path of uttara ashadhas.

✨ satya, loosely translating to "truth/essence", is equated with and considered necessary to the concept of rta. rta means order, rule, and truth. rta is the principle of natural order which regulates and binds the collective universe and all of it’s inhabitants. in the hymns of the vedas, rta is said to be what is ultimately responsible for the proper functioning of the natural, moral, and sacrificial union of life. due to this, rta is said to uphold dharma. satya gives birth to the possibility of rta, due to satya’s regulatory and binding nature. truth (satya) is considered to be essential and without it the universe and reality falls apart and, therefore, can longer function. this is why satya is also considered to be our essence, the core of our being. truth is considered to be a form of alignment with the divine. the whole foundation of christianity, and most prominent religions, stress abiding in your cosmic truth. in the book of james 1:18, it reads “of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”. when we welcome the essence of satya, we flourish in internal beauty and the truth blooms and beams on our physical surface.

👠 this internal radiance of satya is the reason the solar nakshstras, primarily uttara ashadha, are one of the top placements for prominent models like victoria’s secret angels. such as, stella maxwell (krittika surya and uttara ashadha chandra), behati prinsloo (krittika surya and uttara phalguni chandra), chanel iman (krittika chandra), doutzen kroes (uttara ashadha surya), marth hunt (uttara ashadha chandra), josephine skriver (uttara ashadha chandra), karolina kurkova (uttara ashadha chandra), jac jagaciak (uttara ashadha surya), erin heatherton (uttara ashadha chandra), etc.. solar beauty radiates like the sun illuminating drops of midnight dew on crisp greenery or radiating and reflecting the vast sky on to the indigo crests of waves. solar beauty is a beauty that often goes unnoticed for a long time, only to be rediscovered for it’s rich depths. it is like when one is too focused on looking downward at the earth’s greenery and ocean, only to forget the beautiful light that illuminates these beautiful forms of nature. solar beauty radiates and encompasses the native as a whole. it gleams and shines like the bright surya. this is why we see uttara ashadha natives brimming with warm and olive undertones, freckles or beauty marks, and shiny hair. they embody the cosmic youth and the truth that nourishes “the firstfruits of creatures”. this is why solar women are so aesthetically pleasing to the eye, as they cause sensory overload, modeling the act of one’s eyes hurting from looking at the sun for too long.

👁 according to the rigveda, the antithesis of rta and surya are anrita and asatya, meaning falsehood. falsehood is considered to be a form of misconduct. satya includes factuality, reality, truth and reverence. satya is our past, current and future. it is considered to be the functioning of our world. the falsehood of anrita and asatya are reflected in surya’s association with the right eye. in the christian religion, the right eye signifies the evil from which is falsity and the left eye is the falsity through which is evil. in zechariah 11:17, it states “woe to the worthless shepherd that deserteth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm withering shall wither, and his right eye darkening shall be darkened”. in this scripture, the arm is said to denote the power of truth applied to confirm evil (satya). the right eye symbolizes the memory and knowledge of good applied to confirm falsity. the shepherd represents one who teaches truths, leading others along the path of dharma. in matthew 5:29-30, jesus spoke, “if thy right eye hath caused thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. and if thy right hand hath caused thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee; it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into gehenna”. surya’s rulership of the right eye is why uttara ashadha natives frequently struggle with eye issues. because of this, uttara ashadha natives usually wear glasses or contacts and become associated with/profit off of their glasses. for example, george clooney (uttara ashadha chandra) has several articles written about his persol glasses. cary grant’s (uttara ashadha surya and chandra) estate collaborated with the brand “olivers people” to create a line of successful eyewear. the sunglasses grant wore in the 1959 hollywood classic north by northwest is characterized as a sunglasses design that is the epitome of classic style. dave bautista (uttara ashadha surya and chandra) once said he often wears sunglasses because it helps him to cope with his social anxiety disorder. bautista once said, “i would rather wear sunglasses than stand on the red carpet.”. actors like zooey deschanel (uttara ashadha surya, chandra and lagna) and jane levy (uttara ashadha chandra) are known for playing roles that involve their characters wearing glasses. many articles have been written about zooey deschanel’s glasses on the television show “new girl” and jane levy’s glasses on the sitcom “suburgatory”. glasses act as a sharpening tool that allows to better see our environment, our truth. glasses reflect our surroundings onto the eyes of those who look through the pair of sunglasses on another person. they serve as objects cycling the truth of the wearer and beholder, in a way, it rejects the falsity of illusion and completely embraces realignment with truth, while serving as a protective medium between the native and others. believing that we have the lenses of reality within each of us. what you see is what you get or what you see is what you are, as far as eternity is concerned, abiding in satya. it is believed that our beliefs are the lenses through which one sees the world. what one believes determines your focus (kratu) and in turn your actions. one sees things as they believe they are, not as things really are, but rather as one is. if one’s beliefs are based on truth, your figurative glasses will allow you to see eternity from the rta/satya perspective. however, if your belief lenses are made from anrita and asatya, you will see illusions and falsehood reflective of the state of your soul.

☀️ there is a particular effect called photo-bleaching. photo-bleaching happens to the cells in your retina in the back of your eye. these cells are called rods and cones, and these cells are full of light sensitive pigments. light comes in the form of particles, called photons, in your eye; these stimulate the cells by changing this light sensitive pigment, which is called retinal, into a different form and they stimulate the cells to send electrical impulses to your brain. if you look at the sun for a long period of time, this sends the cells into overdrive and it takes them time to calm down. after you finish looking at the sun and you look at a normal level of light, like a plant, you get black spots where you've been looking at light where the cells have been over stimulated. this is the essence of solar beauty. it leaves a lasting impact on the eyes of others and it is hard to forget their presence. their warmth lingers, stays, and satiates others like the deity kama.

🐘 kate moss: uttara ashadha surya

🐾 uttara ashadha’s yoni is the male mongoose. the male mongoose are sometimes solitary, but most live in colonies. the average colony is made up of roughly twenty mongooses. those who live in these colonies will take turns being sentinels. sentinels stand on their hind legs on higher ground, looking all around them for danger. if they spot a potential threat, they will let out a loud scream that acts as an alarm call that lets the rest of the colony members know they should retreat to safety. when operating in their light state, uttara ashadhas act as the male mongoose by being the sentinel of their surroundings. they act as a guide to those around them and try to ensure the safety of others. they stand tall like the symbolic mongoose, mirroring the phallic force, and usher those into the light of achievement. this is why we see so many uttara ashadha natives appear in musical groups, as they are the glue that binds their surroundings together. but this intense binding begins to darken, it is often people will become obsessed with their great achievements and warmth and try to bring the native down with jealousy and harm. zayn malik (uttara ashadha) was known to be a part of a popular musical group, “one direction” and reportedly left the group in 2015, due to him feeling left out by the group and not liking the music they created. jennie (uttara ashadha surya) from “blackpink” was the main rapper of the group and was the first one to debut a solo single. nicki minaj (uttara ashadha lagna) was once apart of the popular rap group “young money”, but decided to further pursue her career as a solo artist. baby spice (uttara ashadha surya) was in the famous 90s girl group “spice girls”. a common theme amongst these natives is maintaining peace and upholding an image. uttara ashadhas are determined to succeed at any cost and many individuals subconsciously sense this and abuse their power. they view uttara ashadha as a never-ending vessel of determination and willpower and abuse this by treating these natives poorly, as they know the native will do anything to maintain peace for prosperity.

🐢 this foundation of determination and willpower is correlated to the auspicious elephant. the elephant itself is quite common in most religious traditions and mythologies. elephants are widely considered to be a positive omen and are sometimes revered as deities, symbolizing strength and wisdom. there is an ancient hindu belief of “world elephants”. the amarakosha states the names of eight male elephants who bare the world (in addition to eight unnamed female elephants). the names of the male elephants are airavata, pundarika, vamana, kumunda, anjana, pushpa-danta, sarva-bhauma, and supratika. there are four elephants that are believed to support the earth from the four different directions. in the ramayana, they are listed as the viroopaaksha (supporting the east), mahaapadma (supporting the south), saumanasa (supporting the west), and bhadra (supporting the north). while the knowledge on this subject is very limited, chukwa, the tortoise, is said to support the elephant mahaapadma which in turn supports the world. chukwa’s tortoise translation is not set in stone and can also be interpreted as a water snake (rahu), denoting the foundation of earthly desires is rahu. chukwa (rahu, earthly foundation/desires) cannot exist without mahaapadma (ketu, spiritual liberation), as a head may not exist without a body. it was once said: “on the wondrous dais rose a throne, and he its pedestal whose lotus hood with ominous beauty crowns his horrible sleek folds, great mahapudma; high displayed he bears the throne of death. there sat supreme with those compassionate and lethal eyes, who many names, who many natures holds; yama, the strong pure hades sad and subtle, dharma, who keeps the laws of old untouched.”.

🐘 wisdom is said to be represented by the elephant in the form of lord ganesha, one of the most popular gods in hindu mythology. lord ganesha is said to have the head of an elephant which was put on after the human head was either cut off or burned. lord ganesha is associated with new beginnings, success, and the removing of obstacles (as the act of removing one’s head is symbolic of removing rahu, essentially one’s desires). lord ganesha is said to be the deity of ketu, due to ketu being the moksha karaka and our source of liberation. ketu is said to bestow immense knowledge, spirituality, and luxury, when properly placed. if a native has an inauspiciously placed ketu in their natal chart, it is said praying to lord ganesha may aid the native. the smoky and prosperous nature of ganesha is exhibited in many rituals involving the symbolism of the elephant, in particular, the cameroonian practice of the bamiléké tribesmen. the bamiléké are often known for their intricately beaded masquerades, including the impressive elephant mask.

🎭 masquerades are considered to be a very integral part of the bamiléké culture. these masquerades take place during special events such as funerals, palace festivals, and other royal ceremonies. the masks are performed by men and aim to support and enforce royal authority (assuming the natural masculine leadership and dictation of surya). the power of the bamiléké king, the fon, is primarily represented by the elephant. the fon may transform into either an elephant or leopard whenever he chooses. their elephant mask, called a “mbap mtengis” a mask, has protruding circular ears, a human like face, decorative panels on the front and back that hang down to the knees and are covered in deeply intricate, geometric beadwork including much triangular imagery (symbolic of the solar force that is the triangular-like formation of an elephant’s large ears and protruding trunk, mirroring the phallic pyramid). occasionally, the fon may allow members of the community to perform with an elephant mask along with a leopard skin, conveying wealth, status and power by shielding one’s face. this act of covering one’s face is symbolic of sacrificing one’s identity (rahu) for the purpose of attaining moksha karaka (ketu). by the bamiléké fons covering their face with an elephant mask, they bring an association and representation of power, strength and prosperity (lord ganesha).

🌟 this sacrifice of self association and identity and the smoky nature of the bamiléké tribe represents the nature of uttara ashadha. it is often wondered why uttara ashadhas have such a dark and vampiric aesthetic, as this is the nature of sacrificing one’s identity. the spiritually devoting nature of these natives causes a detachment from their identity to embrace their higher power. beyoncé (an uttara ashadha ketu native) was once famous for her shiny, flashy, and glamorous y2k aesthetic. in the recent years, we have seen beyoncé move towards a less flashy, but equally captivating and prosperous, lifestyle. in a way, she sacrificed her y2k/flashy identity and received more prosperity and healing in return. in her latest visual album “black is king”, we saw her collaborate with numerous placements of uttara ashadha, such as wizkid (uttara ashadha shani atmakaraka) and jessie reyez (uttara ashadha rahu), to illustrate the importance of coming back to your familial routes and finding identity within your ancestors (it is important to note, out of my survey of fifty contributors and artists on the album, uttara ashadha was by far the most prominent atmakaraka placement). in this visual album, we see numerous african masks that call to mind the smoky, spiritual nature of ketu and the self-sacrificing and giving qualities of surya in his highest state (uttara ashadha).

🐘 christie brinkley: uttara ashadha chandra

🥘 the mahavidya associated with surya is matangi. she is the tantric goddess known for her wisdom, knowledge, and bestowing power. according to the shaktisamgama-tantra, the birth of ucchishta-matangini is as follows: the god vishnu and his wife lakshmi visited shiva and his second wife parvati and gave them a banquet of fine foods. while eating the banquet, the deities dropped some food on the ground, from which created a beautiful maiden who asked for their leftovers. vishnu, lakshmi, shiva, and parvati granted the maiden their left over food as prasad (meaning food made sacred by having been first consumed by a deity). this act can be interpreted as the ucchishta of the deity, it is important to note that due to the negative connotation the word ucchishta, it is never explicitly used in connection to prasad. shiva then stated that those who repeat mantangi’s mantra and worship her will have their material desires satisfied and gain control over foes, declaring her the giver of boons. from that day on, the maiden was referred to as ucchishta-matangini. because of matangi’s humble origin, she is often described as an outcast and impure. she is often associated with pollution, due to her relation to outcast communities. the humble mantangi is regarded as a tantric form of the goddess saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and the arts of mainstream hinduism. matangi and saraswati share many traits in that regard. both goddesses embody music and are depicted playing the veena. both are said to be the nada (sound or energy) that flows through the nadi channels in the body through which prana flows. these goddesses are related to rain clouds, thunder, and rivers. by both governing learning and speech, saraswati embodies the orthodox knowledge of the brahmins, whereas matangi, the humble, wild, and ecstatic outcast, embodies the knowledge within that transcends the boundaries of mainstream society (hence, her associations with social pariahs).

🏆 whereas, uttara ashadha (उत्तराषाढ़ा) comes from the sanskrit words उत्तर (latter) and ��षाढ (invincible). the meanings of uttara ashadha are said to be “the latter invincible one”, “latter victory”, or “the latter undefeated”. the term “latter” is derived from the latin word lætra, meaning slow or deliberate, this juxtaposition with invincibility, denotes resilience, power, and prosperity. the journey of uttara ashadhas are said to bevslow and lengthy (lætra), but in then end, they reach true success by embodying the humility and skillfulness of matangi. this correlates to uttara ashadha being the top placements for athletes, as the practice of exercising and bodily discipline requires a deep understanding of prana, the source of life (matangi). athletes must be able to control their breathing and abide in a clean environment to maintain proper focus and health. this is why prana is said to permeate reality on all levels, aligning our inner selves with the cosmic truth (surya/rta). indian philosophy describes prana as flowing in the nadis throughout the body. the number of nadis varies according to different texts and philosophies, but the three principal nadis run from the base of the spine to the head (areas traditionally associated with surya and the vimshottari-ruled surya nakshatras). they are the ida on the left, the sushumna in the center, and the pingala on the right. the nadis are said to play a role in many yogic practices, like shatkarmas, mudras, and pranayama. these practices are intended to open and unblock the nadis to allow life force to be abundant within all of us. the ultimate aim of some yogic practices are to direct prana into the sushumna nadi, enabling the kundalini to rise, and thus bring about moksha karaka, our liberation. in both the subtle and the causal body, the nadis are channels for our cosmic, vital, seminal, mental, and intellectual energies (our prana). this is why they are considered to be important for sensations, consciousness and the spiritual aura.

🥇 ida is traditionally associated with lunar energy. the word ida means "comfort" in sanskrit. ida possesses a moonlike nature and a distinct feminine energy with a cooling/yin effect. whereas, pingala is associated with solar energy. the word pingala means "orange" or "tawny" in sanskrit. pingala possesses a sunlike nature and masculine energy. pingala is warm/yang and courses throughout the right side of the body, whereas ida courses through the left side of the body. these nadis are often representative of the two hemispheres of the brain. pingala is the extroverted, solar nadi, and corresponds to left hemisphere of the brain. ida is the introverted, lunar nadi, and refers to the right hemisphere of the brain. this is due to the left hemisphere controlling the muscles on the right side of the body and the right hemisphere controlling those on the left, symbolic of the dualism of nature and our bodies. the ida nadi regulates all the mental, lunar processes while the pingala nadi regulates all the vital, solar processes. examples of uttara ashadha athlete natives who learned to balance the inner matangi and nadis within is the famous professional boxer muhammad ali (uttara ashadha surya) who was nicknamed “the greatest”. the olympic athlete marion jones (uttara ashadha chandra) who is a world champion track and field athlete and previous member of the WNBA. we also see a great abundance of athletes specifically having an uttara ashadha surya, such as matthias ginter, malek jaziri, claudio marchisio, tyler breeze, davie selke, pierre webó, and ehsan haddadi. as surya feels at home and comfortable in expressing it’s dualistic nature in this nakshatra. athletes and uttara ashadha natives are said to operate in the pingala mental state, but understand the importance of matangi and the balance of prana. as prana is considered to unite all elements and directions (recall the directional nature of the world elephants) within the body by aligning the ether element within, as how brihaspati and shani are both of the ether/air element and are crucial in reaching balance in our souls.

🐘 sasha pivovarova: uttara ashadha surya and chandra

🔥 uttara ashadha lies in the padas of sagittarius and capricorn. like all the surya-ruled nakshatras, vimshottari-wise, it bridges the nature of the fire element and the earth element. this denotes the karmic association of peak masculinity (fire) and the grounding femininity (earth). the elemental nature of earth represents the body. it is the densest element and creates the most heaviest psychological influence. it represents the practicalness and sensuality of nature, as a mongoose simply intuitively knows when to alert his group of danger or a goat knows which step to climb on a mountain. fire is the focus that lies within us and it corresponds to the digestion of life. fire is said to digest sensory impressions (water) and turn them into purposeful thoughts and ideas. as surya is said to calm the waters of the mind (chandra).

🌬 whereas, the air element correlates to intelligence and the movement within, essentially our prana. this deep level of intellect is why the elemental air/shani/brihaspati signs are seen in politics, as they know how to relate to others and appeal to society. these natives are highly social, conscientious, and understand the principles they abide by, hence their prevalence in politics. the element of ether is not to be confused with the principality of air. like air, ether is associated with conscientious but it is also the state of pure consciousness itself. ether transcends the physical elements (this is why rahu is said to be capable of air, as when rahu in his dark, illusionary state, he cannot transcend). ether is the witnessing of consciousness. it is the ability to perceive the process of intellect (air) and remain unidentified with it. it is our freedom and the closest to our state of satya. it serves as the freedom from the mind and body. it is detachment from our physical state of determination (fire), intellect (air), thoughts (water), and the sensuality of earth to go beyond our physical karma. as the ether knows detachment is the embodiment of true spiritual knowledge. this is why shani is said to both rule the ether element and be the higher state of rahu, as shani understands the power of going without for the purpose of the greater good.

🌳 both sagittarius and capricorn embody the final installment of the earth and fire rashis. sagittarius is the natural ninth house of higher education, wisdom, and spirituality. capricorn is the natural tenth house of power, ambition, and work. these houses are bridged under the leadership and guiding qualities of surya to create a distinct amount of material and mental wealth. this is why we see uttara ashadha natives feel called to work in areas such as politics, law, and economics, due to their spiritual and societal knowledge. the fall of uttara ashadha lies within the elemental composition of this nakshatra. too much fire leads to exaggerated levels of aggression. too much air causes sterility, dryness, and an ungrounded sense of life. too much earth brings stagnation and clinging. for example, george washington (uttara ashadha chandra) was known for his sex scandals, killings, and perpetuation of slavery. pope saint john xxiii (uttara ashadha chandra) was known for bending the rules in order to be ordained as the pope. jeb bush (uttara ashadha chandra) was known to be associated with high class drug dealers and lawsuits. abraham lincoln (uttara ashadha chandra) was known for his disagreement of slavery, despite being quite racist himself. these men operated in the stagnation, sterility, and energetic dullness that lied within their souls. they embraced the corrosive flames of fire and figuratively burned down what they did not respect. corazon aquino (uttara ashadha chandra) was regarded with high respect for combining traditional femininity with politics and her advocation for human rights and restoration of political power to civilians. aquino* (please see my note below) is an example of uttara ashadhas using their fiery determination to bring equality and justice to people, no matter the cost. they relate to the earthly parallels of society and know in order to gain equality, sacrifices of the self must be made. thus, they are the embodiment of yang.

💥 no matter the morals and principles of uttara ashadhas, we see uttara ashadha men being idolized and followed by the collective. the media is entranced by their yang embodiment and their negative behaviors are frequently ignored for the purpose of remaining idolized. consider uttara ashadha natives like russell crowe, bruce willis, george clooney, and matt damon. they have arose to great fame due to films like “die hard” or “ocean’s eleven”, because men idolize their pingala, tough, solitary, and strong exteriors and often try to imitate their actions. men subconsciously acknowledge the cosmic interplay of the masculine shani (capricorn), brihaspati (sagittarius), and surya, as they idolize the solitary state of the uttara ashadha mongoose: the one who has no yoni consort.

🪴 it is important to understand that capricorn itself is not a masculine sign. it is indeed the most feminine sign of the zodiac, due to it embodying the earthly nature of clinging to the tree as leaves do or grounding to the earth as clay. the over-ruler of capricorn, the planet shani, is often considered to be gender-neutral as the ether element itself transcends gender. shani simply molds the earthly, feminine clays of capricorn into greatness and abundance. examine the abundance of uttara ashadha, shravana, and dhanishta (whom all lie in the capricorn rashi). all of these nakshatras are famed for their looks, auras, and wealth.

* the lovely @/sakkurareadnt on twitter has brought to my attention that while aquino was the first president of the philippines to be a woman, she was not the one to solely change the power civilians have. it was the people of the philippines themselves who organized the revolution. aquino did believe in human rights and did well during her presidency, but the restoration of power to the people was primarily due to the movement of the citizens of philippines. i sincerely apologize for any confusion this may have caused 💗

🐘 fka twigs: uttara ashadha surya

☀️ due to surya being the fiery path within, the element fire is said to connects us to the sense of sight. ayurveda states anything we can see is touched by fire, as we abide in the state of solar satya. the element fire is called “tejas” in sanskrit and it is the third of the pancha mahabhutus (the five great elements). it is the third element because it evolves from the states of ether and air, containing the essence of these elements within it. ether energizes fire with the ability to find space to exist within. air bestows fire with the capacity of prana to burn. it is due to the element air, that fire will never be able to still within us. fire is said to represent the capacity for heat and light. it is the generator of energy in the body, modeling the behavior of how surya is the generator of energy for the entire solar system. it is said that fire is the process of liberating energy from its source.

⭐️ the tanmatra of vision, rupa, is the origin of the purifying fires. rupa means to form or color. the forms and colors of life are a direct result from our perception. rupa serves as the tanmatra, our unmanifested form of perception, light, and vision. fire binds with the sense of vision, as fire provides light for perception. the eyes serve as the channel through which light is digested and perception takes place. think of it this way, you cannot see what is ahead of you, if you simply have no light to illuminate your path. with uttara ashadha women specifically, we tend to see this struggle with male attention. women are naturally quite yin, but the peak pingala energy of uttara ashadha alters the manifestation of these natives. people are confused by these natives’ balanced and equalizing energy and flock to their perceived light like moths to a flame. in many cases, people are also insecure about the uttara ashadha native’s inner elemental balance and will choose to leave them. this is because uttara ashadha illuminates everything within their environment, including the vampiric energies of others.

✨ in the show “euphoria”, cassie (played by an uttara ashadha chandra native sydney sweeney), we see this internal dichotomy around male attention. cassie is described as a sweet and popular person, but has difficulty with navigating relationships. she grew up with an emotionally unavailable and irresponsible father who grew to only care for money. men are entranced by her energy and solely view her as a means of sexual pleasure. boys treat her as this shiny jewel, until she rejects or accepts their sexual advances, then she is viewed as promiscuous. the problem here is men become obsessed with uttara ashadha women, as they are obsessed with uttara ashadha men in film. they seek these natives’ fire and become disappointed when they come to find these natives have emotions and needs like any other person.

🌥 the movie “gone girl” is about a former writer and his glamorous wife amy (played by uttara ashadha chandra rosamund pike). they try to present a portrait of a blissful marriage to the public. when amy goes missing on the couple's fifth wedding anniversary, the writer becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance. the police pressure and media frenzy causes the couple's image of a happy union to crumble, leading to tantalizing questions about who they really are. throughout their relationship, amy tried to be the perfect girl who was the best wife she could be, but she felt she was never good enough. she changed her entire personality to conform to the wants of her husband. in the movie, she states (WARNING: THIS DOES CONTAIN GRAPHIC LANGUAGE): “men always say that as the defining compliment, don’t they? she’s a cool girl. being the cool girl means i am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes and ***l sex, and jams hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she’s hosting the world’s biggest culinary **** bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because cool girls are above all hot. hot and understanding. cool girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their men do whatever they want. go ahead, sh*t on me, i don’t mind, i’m the cool girl. men actually think this girl exists. maybe they’re fooled because so many women are willing to pretend to be this girl. for a long time cool girl offended me. i used to see men – friends, coworkers, strangers – giddy over these awful pretender women, and i’d want to sit these men down and calmly say: you are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men who’d like to believe that this kind of woman exists and might kiss them. i’d want to grab the poor guy by his lapels or messenger bag and say: the b*tch doesn’t really love chili dogs that much – no one loves chili dogs that much! and the cool girls are even more pathetic: they’re not even pretending to be the woman they want to be, they’re pretending to be the woman a man wants them to be. oh, and if you’re not a cool girl, i beg you not to believe that your man doesn’t want the cool girl. it may be a slightly different version – maybe he’s a vegetarian, so cool girl loves seitan and is great with dogs; or maybe he’s a hipster artist, so cool girl is a tattooed, bespectacled nerd who loves comics. there are variations to the window dressing, but believe me, he wants cool girl, who is basically the girl who likes every thing he likes and doesn’t ever complain. (how do you know you’re not cool girl? because he says things like: “i like strong women.” if he says that to you, he will at some point **** someone else. because “i like strong women” is code for “i hate strong women.”)”.

⛅️ men view uttara ashadhas as this immovable and illustrious force of light. they assume they behave as uttara ashadha men do in their violent, “fight club”-esc films. this deep desire often leads to many uttara ashadha natives feeling the need to embrace a lifestyle of hyper-masculinity to compensate for their natural and human emotions. people crave these natives to be the hot, light, dry, rough, and sharp nature of fire itself. the people in these natives’ lives expect for themselves to be the inherent air that is within the nature of fire. after all, it is the element air that provides fire with its mobile quality. although the truest state of uttara ashadha is the subtle fire, their effects are the most prominent. when you approach fire, what do you feel first? the heat of the flames. this is why we associate the element fire with the fires we can see. as fire represents light, heat, luster, energy, understanding, and the power of transformation.

🌤 examine uttara ashadha natives like issa rae in “insecure”, jane levy in “zoey’s extraordinary playlist”, zooey deschanel in “new girl”, or the aforementioned women above. these natives will be repeatedly shunned for their emotional nature and sensitivities because we expect surya to be the silent source of satiability. to see this source of sustenance have feelings and needs, shocks the moth who was once attracted to the flame. the moth realizes that not everything is about their deepest carnal desires.

🐘 nina simone: uttara ashadha chandra

💪🏽 these natives are no stranger to standing up for the injustices of their era. while surya natives do struggle with unwanted expectations and internal dichotomies, this does not discredit the common belief that these natives serve as the celestial father who provides the vital force behind creation and its sustenance. surya natives’ strong will and individuality, coupled with their boldness and ambition, creates a wonderful passion for advocating for what they believe in. think of uttara ashadha native nina simone who was both musically talented and an advocate for civil rights. she used her talents and fame to shed light on a greater cause. simone once stated, “i had spent many years pursuing excellence, because that is what classical music is all about... now it was dedicated to freedom, and that was far more important.”. nicki minaj, another uttara ashadha native, is often regarded as the queen of rap and is known for advocacy for women’s rights and power. in an interview minaj said, “when you’re a girl you have to be everything… you have to be sexy, and you have to be this and you have to be that, and you have to be nice. it’s like, i can’t be all those things at once. i’m a human being.”. joan jett (an uttara ashadha native) stated: “i figured out it was a social thing, what women were allowed to do. at a very young age, i decided i was not going to follow women's rules.”.

🍯 this behavior correlates to one of the ten vishvadevas: kratu. kratu is the deity representative of strength. rishi kratu appeared in two different ages. kratu is one of the seven great sages (the saptarishis). these sages are said to have originated from the consciousness of brahma. kratu is sometimes even believed to have been born from his father's left eye. kratu was married to sannathi and it is believed the couple had sixty thousand children, which are referred to as balakhilyas. the balakhilyas were said to be the size of a thumb and lived alongside the bank of rivers. the balakhilyas were once insulted by deity indra, the king of celestial deities. by the power generated by their penance, they were able to please shiva. in turn, shiva gave him a boon that they would be able to produce a bird who could pull out the cosmic nectar from indra.

🪓 the story goes that prajapati daksha was the head of sacrifice. prajapati daksha held a grudge against rudra or (depending on the story) for his daughter sati marrying shiva against his wishes. prajapati daksha did not send even an invitation to shiva for the sacrifice. sati went to the sacrifice alone and was terribly insulted for marrying shiva by her family. sati then k*lled herself by by jumping into the sacrificial fire. upon hearing the news of sati, lord shiva became madden with rage. shiva pulled out a lock of hair from his head and threw it down, invoking the spirit of veerabhadra (or bhairava) shiva ordered veerabhadra to go with his followers and destroy everybody who attended the sacrifice, including prajapati daksha himself.

⚔️ veerabhadra and shiva’s followers then went and beheaded daksha. they began to punish each and every god who attended the holy sacrifice. they knocked out the teeth of pushan, removed the eyes of bhaga, and severed the two testicles of kratu. soon after, the gods went to shiva and begged for his mercy. shiva said that they should all serve under him as animals for a period of time; only then would they will regain their original status. all of the gods agreed to this. shiva then restored the teeth, eyes, and testicles of the different gods. daksha was also revived by placing the head of a goat on his neck (more on this in a later post). after kratu’s testicles were restored, he married sannati, the daughter of daksha. they were all described as small sages no bigger than the joint of the thumb and said to be chaste and pious.

⚱️ later on, rishi kratu was again born in the vaivasvata manvantara (seventh and current manvantara), due to lord shiva’s boon. in this cyclic period of time, kratu had no family. it is reported that kratu was born from the hand of lord bharma, whereas the other rishis are said to have been born from other parts of the body of brahma. because kratu had no family and no children, he adopted agastya’s son: idhvaaha.

⚒ uttara ashadha natives understand that sacrifices have to be made for the betterment of society, as the many gods were sacrificed by participating in the harmful behavior that caused sati to jump into the deadly fire. specifically, these natives understand the sacrifice of career and monetary stability for this cause. these natives learn to reject traditional associations of femininity and masculinity and learn the essence of all life is an equilibrium of both (symbolic of kratu being castrated, thus having the phallic force being altered). uttara ashadhas act as brahma’s hand in which birthed the deity of strength (kratu), by lending a helping hand to those in need and never forgeting the importance of where they come from. famous singers like nicki minaj, joan jett, and nina simone understood this and frequently put their careers on the line to ensure they were treated with the utmost respect. modeling the sacrificial sati, nina simone sacrificed her career in singing to devote her entire life to advocating for civil rights and joan jett devoted her entire career to breaking gender norms and stereotypes. what people fail to understand is the integrity these women have. whatever surya women choose to do, they will stand by their decision and suffer the consequences. they understand in order to command respect, you must garner accountability. the act of activism arguably runs much deeper than jupitarian women. as kratu was once said to have no family and be alone, surya natives feel the need to guide others as they wish they could have been guided at a young age. these natives choose to adopt the burdens of the collective masses (as kratu with idhvaaha). they struggled with jealousy and male dichotomies and fantasies. they endured years of abandonment, loss, and energetic vampires sucking the light from them. only to shine like the bright stars they truly are, reaching their latter victory and choosing to never leave anyone behind or forgotten.

i highly encourage you to watch the clip below because it perfectly illustrates hows surya-ruled women understand the inadequacies and injustices of this world and decide to use their platform to speak on it:

https://youtu.be/PzGZamtlRP0

🐘 sza: uttara ashadha lagna

🎖the latter victory is quintessential, yet individualistic, to uttara ashadhas. throughout all areas of the life, these natives succeed in unimaginable ways. from sports, modeling, singing to activism and acting, they reach the highest possible success. once these natives have mastered the lessons of the planets shani, brihaspati, and surya, they have to learn from one more deity: yama. recall the foundational essence of yama reoccurring throughout this post, the elephant, bhairavi, and yama’s correlation to mahapudma. it is said that in order to examine the polarity of a nakshatra, you must examine the opposing nakshatra as well. the opposite of uttara ashadha is pushya (and punarvasu). both punarvasu and pushya are considered to be highly auspicious nakshatras. punarvasu is able to encapsulate the transition from destruction (ardra) and nourishment (pushya) with blessings of the motherly aditi and the supervision of brihaspati, but what happens when pushya is also into the darker elements of life?

🎯 both punarvasu and pushya are linked to brihaspati, due to punarvasu being ruled by brihaspati (via vimshottari dasha) and pushya being under the deity rulership of brihaspati. as i discussed on twitter recently, pushya is directly linked to funerals and morticians. the fourth house of cancer is said to be eight houses away from the twelfth house. thus, denoting one finding home, roots, or comfort in times of death or misfortune. the deities associated with shani are yama and prajapati. yama represents death, dharma, and the underworld and prajapati represents rebirth and creation (modeling the transformative themes of punarvasu as well). the deity of pushya, brihaspati, is said to be a sage born from the first great light, as punarvasu’s meaning is said to be “prosperous again” or “return of the light”. brihaspati is said to be the one who drives away darkness. pushya natives embody brihaspati by bringing great healing and comfort to those in terrible times. or they may embody yama and become hyperfixated with the themes of death. recall how angelina jolie (pushya lagna) stated she wanted to be a mortician when she grew up. a famous funeral director, marshall white, is likely a pushya chandra. a convicted m*rderer & mortician, bernie tiede, is a pushya surya.

🪦 uttara ashadhas marry and reflect the saturnian and jupitarian in a differing, but similar, way. throughout this post, dharma has been mentioned frequently. it is difficult to exactly provide a single definition for dharma, as the word has a long history and it’s interpretations vary throughout hinduism, buddhism, sikhism, and jainism. there is actually no equivalent synonym for dharma in english. the root of the word dharma is "dhri", meaning “to support, hold, or bear". dhri is what regulates the course of change by consistently abstaining from change. however, most can agree dharma means the “right way of living" and "path of rightness". this also depends on the context and the meaning of dharma, as it has evolved as ideas of hinduism have evolved through history. in the earliest texts and ancient myths of hinduism, dharma meant cosmic law, the rules that created the universe from chaos and rituals. after time, the meaning became more complex, it is said to designate human behaviors considered necessary for the order of things in the universe; principles that prevent chaos; and behaviors and actions necessary to all life in nature, society, and family.

🔪 whereas, yama is considered to have been the first mortal who died and saw the way to the celestial abodes. due to this, he became the lord of the departed. yama's name can also mean "twin", and in some myths he is paired with a twin sister names yamī. yama is assisted by chitragupta who is assigned with the task of keeping complete records of the actions of human beings on earth. upon the death of humans, yama decides if they shall reincarnate as a superior or inferior organism, depending on their actions on earth (karma). this is why yama is considered to be the lord of justice and is sometimes referred to as dharma, referring to yama’s unwavering dedication to maintaining order and his adherence to harmony.

🏹 like punarvasu and pushya, uttara ashadhas wish to guide others through their path of dharma, as the bow of brihaspati navigates through the winds, but they also struggle with neglecting themselves. they are so giving with their fruitful bounty, they often forget to spend time within. their inclination for guiding, giving, and dying unto oneself often becomes a fixation that eventually leads to burn out and tiredness. this is why uttara ashadha natives must study the nature of yama and learn when to set healthy boundaries. i will not be including the hymn of yama and yamī (the children of the sun god: surya) as to not trigger others with it’s inc*stuous nature, but it is an example of how those with saturnian/jupitarian influences must learn to set boundaries, even with those they love. sza’s (uttara ashadha lagna) “ctrl” album is a perfect example of the potential for vulnerability, imperfectness, and the deep capability of love these natives exhibit. i highly recommend listening to her songs “love galore”, “normal girl”, and “garden”, as they directly reflect the topics i have discussed in this post. learning to set boundaries will be difficult, as many of the times this creates a need to have difficult conversations with those we love. but when we align ourselves under the eyes of surya, we learn it is the key to flourishing into the tree of life.

🐘 sade adu: uttara ashadha surya

🌲 the movie “the tree of life”, stars multiple surya natives (including uttara ashadha chandra brad pitt). the movie tells an impressionistic story of a texan family in the 1950s. the film follows the life journey of the eldest son, jack (played by leo chandra sean penn and an uttara phalguni native and uttara ashadha atmakaraka hunter mccracken), through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (brad pitt). jack finds himself to be a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the true existence of faith.

🪵 the tree of life emblem is a popular, universal symbol that represents differing meanings across all cultures and religions. the symbol does not originate from one specific culture as it has been used all over the world for centuries. the tree of life is said to commonly represent the interconnectedness and intertwining of everything within the universe. it is symbolic of togetherness and serves as a reminder that you are never alone or isolated, but rather that you are connected to all beings in existence. the roots of the tree of life are deeply grounded and spread into the core of earth. by accepting the nourishment from mother earth, the tree’s branches reach up into the sky, accepting energy from the lights of both the surya and chandra. this correlates to the goddess matangi (who is the tantric form of saraswati). saraswati is the mother goddess of knowledge, wisdom, and the arts. one cannot grow solid roots without the foundational knowledge of life and nourishment (saraswati). with a solid foundation in place, the tree of life symbolizes the connection to one’s family and ancestors (ketu). the tree has an intricate network of branches that represent how our lineage grows and expands over time. trees will always find a way to keep growing, through seeds or new saplings, and is lush with greenery, which signifies its ancient fertility. 

🌧 all trees are unique and special. by their branches sprouting at different points and in different directions, they symbolize a person's personal growth into a unique human being as different experiences shape them into who they are destined to be. as time passes, both trees and ourselves gain more unique characteristics, as branches may break off, new ones grow, and as the weather takes its toll. during these alterations and changes, the tree remains steadfast and sturdy. as shani brings about trials and tribulations, people grow and change throughout their lifetime and their unique experiences mold and enhance their individuality. the tree of life loses it’s leaves and appears to be dead during winter, but after this trialing period of winter, new buds appear and fresh leaves unfurl to reveal their emerald-like beauty (matangi). this cyclical nature represents the beginning of a new life and a dawn of anew. in a way, the tree (our souls) is immortal. even though the tree may grow old or slightly wither, it still produces seeds that carry its essence through the figurative winds of prana. as the tree within us may never die, it shall only transform and be reborn.

🌊 at the end of the movie, “the tree of life”, the now adult jack wanders through a wasteland, as yama once died and symbolizes the purgatory state of the wasteland. jack goes through a doorway and finds himself on a beach. there he shares the screen with his father and mother who concedes her son to the higher power. jack realigned himself with his solar power and gleamed in the light of his mother and father, like the tree of life gleams in both the sunlight and moonlight. jack received the blessing of his mother, symbolic of the goddess saraswati, who offered him into the unknown light of yama. the truth is, most of us do not know what truly happens after we step into the final light, thus ending our earthly presence and accepting the unknown of the future. recall from earlier, fire is said to digest sensory impressions (water) and turn them into purposeful thoughts and ideas. as surya is said to calm the waters of the mind (chandra). jack’s alignment from the beach to heavenly light symbolizes he has finally digested and successfully pondered on his actions throughout his existence. he has calmed both the waters and fires within and is granted the true passage to afterlife.

🐘 nicki minaj: uttara ashadha lagna

⛰ it is now the native has returned to the peak pyramids of life. they have reached the zenith of their soul and look down from the symbolic pyramid to see the differing trees of life. they examine the highs and lows, sadness and happiness, and the polarities between chandra and surya. prana enshrouds the pyramid and blows the luscious, warm leaves of the trees around in the autumnal season. it is only the uttara ashadha native that will be left to see how far along they have come. in the beginning, uttara ashadhas were the lonely mongoose who simultaneously felt they belonged to everyone and no one. they tried to embody the personal surya to others and learned the error in their ways. these natives were there to lend a helping hand to others, no matter what that sacrifice entails. they have worn the masks of ketu, travelled as the head elephant leads his group, and now stand before the cosmic fire. the mongoose is no longer sad in his sedentary ways, he is fearless, in the sense his open to all feelings from deep love to intense sorrows. may you uttara ashadhas abide in your satya and may the strength of the vishvadevas guide you further into the unknown.

🐘 aaliyah: uttara ashadha surya

💋 as always, i am open to any constructive criticism! i tried to touch on the deities’ involvement in the appearances, manifestations, and symbolism of uttara ashadha. like the endangered elephant and the elusive mongoose, uttara ashadhas are a rare kind. they embody the true abundance of yang that is secure in their solar nature and path. people will latch on to their brihaspati, shani, and surya qualities, as they understand that these energies guide their environment to follow the behavior of the native (as a male elephant leads his family unit to safety and prosperity). uttara ashadhas are so kind, warm, and giving and you guys truly do not get the love you deserve. boundaries will be very important to these natives, as they are so giving (solar) with their knowledge and wealth (brihaspati), they must learn to set healthy boundaries (shani) to avoid burn out. if you are looking for more information about uttara ashadha, get to know the overrulers and supreme deities of surya, agni (fire god) and shiva (supreme god); brihaspati, indra (king of the gods) and brahma (law giver); and shani, yama (the god of death) and prajapati (the creator). also—and i cannot stress this enough—familiarize yourself with the deities of this nakshatra: the vishvadevas. if any of my placements or information are incorrect please feel free to let me know! also, i am fully aware of the origins of vedic astrology and if i was in anyway disrespectful to hindu culture, i will take down this post immediately. i am incredibly honored to know such lovely vedic astrology enthusiasts. you all mean so much to me xx

**all of these placements were found using astrotheme/.com and/or astro-charts/.com. it is important to note that some chandra (moon) placements may be off by up to 6 degrees and lagnas (risings) as well, due to the fact that many websites do not have 100% accurate birth times for the given celebrities.

**i take absolutely no credit for the invention of vedic astrology-based appearance profiles. please watch claire nakti on youtube or look into @/cn0bles, @/lovejustlied, @/dh4nishta, and @/vanillemercure on twitter for more in-depth analysis on vedic astrology xx

“i’ll tell you what freedom is to me, no fear.” - nina simone (uttara ashadha chandra)

xoxo, angel <3

[honeypiehotchner]

Beautiful Stranger (Chris Evans x OFC) -- part eleven

This is a very cute and special part ;)

Warnings: none! Unless you count the fluff content in here to be illegal.

Chris -- despite my protests, because what if people are watching? Or have cameras out? -- holds my hand as we walk back to my car. He opens the door for me, or tries to, but pouts when I laugh at him because I haven’t unlocked my car yet.

“Sorry, you’re trying to be nice and I’m being an ass,” I say, but that doesn’t stop me from continuing to laugh. I do unlock the car, though, and he smiles brightly -- like a child, I swear -- when he gets to open my door.

“M’Lady,” he bows his head and gestures into the driver’s seat.

I roll my eyes, but that’s because I’m trying to get rid of the wild butterflies in my stomach.

“Thank you for lunch,” he says once we’re driving back to my office.

“Thank you for letting me pay this time,” I tease. “And for surprising me, of course.”

He grins. “I’ll do it more often.”

“Please,” I say without thinking, and then immediately reel back. “I mean, if you’re not busy filming. You need to finish filming first.”

“But I also need to eat,” he counters, leaning his elbow on the side of the door. “So I think they’ll be okay if I ask to have lunch at this time every day.”

“Chris…” I shake my head in warning, starting my car. “I feel like I am way more conscious of cameras than you are.”

“I’ve gotten used to it,” he shrugs. “But I should be more careful, I know.”

“Your publicist already give you the speech?”

“Well, she forced me to tell her about you.”

I stay quiet and drive, hoping he’ll give more context. But he doesn’t, so I have to say, “What?”

And he continues. “She asked why it was-- Okay, normally -- I won’t lie -- normally after a few days of staying in, I’m calling her and telling her the guys and I are going out and that I’m apologizing in advance for anything she’ll have to yell at me for in the morning.”

“Is it that bad?”

“No, it’s not,” he chuckles. “But the media gets ahold of something and then it is. But point is, she caught me out. She asked why I hadn’t been going out at all yet and asked what the hell I had been doing-- She’s like my mother sometimes, I swear.”

“It sounds like it.”

“But she asked me that,” he shrugs his shoulders for emphasis, “and I can’t lie and say I’ve just been staying in for no reason because she knows me better than that, so I had to tell her.”

I grip the steering wheel tightly to relieve some nerves. “What did she say?”

He lets out a breathy laugh. “As my friend, she’s over the moon. As my publicist, she said she’s going to start doing damage control now.”

“Now?” I ask, raising my eyebrows. “Your name hasn't been anywhere.”

“Not yet,” he reminds me. “It’ll happen soon, and I’m sorry for when it does.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“No, but it’s something I wish you never had to deal with.”

“Well,” I pause, turning my blinker on. “It’s been a month and so far, so good.”

“That’s because we’ve been in my apartment,” he replies, laughing but he sounds wary. “I know I’m being cynical, it’s just--”

“No, you’re being realistic,” I admit, sighing deeply. “I wish you didn’t have to worry about it.”

“I wish you didn’t either.”

“Well, too bad. I worry about everything,” I laugh, only half in jest. “So don’t worry about what I’m worrying about because chances are, I’m already worrying about it.”

“That worries me.”

I don’t even need to look over to see the grin that is stretching across his lips, but I still do because I still want to see it. It’s just as blinding as always, but this time there’s some real worry hiding behind it.

I decide to change the subject, though, because I do see that hint of genuine worry in his eyes, and he doesn’t need to do that. “Where do I need to drop you off?”

“There should be a car waiting for me somewhere outside your office.”

Slowly, as I stop at the redlight, I turn to look at him. “You have no idea how fancy that just sounded.”

“It’s the truth!” He defends. “They dropped me off earlier. I didn’t just walk through downtown Atlanta until I got to your office.”

“It’s a good thing,” I reply, looking back at the road as the light turns green. He would’ve literally gotten mobbed, probably. “What time are you done today?”

“Not sure,” he sighs. “Why?”

“No reason,” I shrug, parking my car.

Chris gives me a look. “You can go see Dodger even when I’m not there, you know.”

“I feel bad!”

“Why? I’m telling you that you can,” he nudges my arm. “I gave you the spare key for a reason.”

“Okay,” I breathe. “Can I?”

“Please do,” he replies sincerely. “Send me pictures.”

“Deal.”

He’s still grinning wildly as I park my car, glancing at the clock to see I’ve still got twenty minutes left for my lunch hour. But he probably needs to get back to filming, so he should probably go now.

A frown settles over my features at the thought.

“How much longer is your lunch hour?”

“Twenty minutes,” I tell him. “But if you need to go right now--”

“No, I’ve got twenty minutes,” he turns to face me, unbuckling his seatbelt. “But if you need to go back to work now…”

I shake my head, fighting back a smile. “I’ve got twenty minutes.”

+++

I call Camile on my way back to my apartment -- well, Chris’s, because I’m going to see Dodger first thing.

“Hey girl,” my best friend answers tiredly. “What’s up?”

“What’s up with you?” I counter.

“Exhausted,” she lets out a laugh. “Ready to be home and in bed. You?”

“Same. Well, I’m going to see Dodger, but I am tired.”

“Dodger, huh?” She teases. The mere mention of my soulmate’s dog -- or anything to do with Chris, for that matter -- and her attitude brightens. “No Chris?”

“Chris and I had lunch today,” I say, earning a muffled scream from her. “And he’s still filming anyway, so.”

“But he’s letting you go see his dog.”

“Hey, Dodger needs love, too.” I’ll probably take him out for a walk, too. He probably needs to pee and breathe some fresh air. I’ll just make a pitstop at my apartment to change out of this dress and heels.

“Mhm,” Camile coos. “I’m still not over the fact that you’re Chris Evans’s soulmate.”

“I’m not over the fact that I have a soulmate.”

“Please,” Camile breathes. “You always knew you did.”

“But I didn’t know if they’d want me.”

“Fair,” she says. “Speaking of, has he kissed you yet?”

“Cam!”

“It’s a valid question!” She yells back. “It’s been a month. Jack kissed me after a week.”

“Well that’s you and Jack,” I remind her. “Speaking of, do you think you guys would be free this weekend, Saturday night?”

“We...can be, why?”

“Dinner. At Chris’s. With me and a couple of his friends.”

“Oh...my...God.”

“Is that a yes?” I laugh. “You’ll have to mentally prepare Jack. And make sure he won’t freak out. Sebastian and Scarlett are coming I think.”

“Sebastian Stan and Scarlett Johannson?”

“I think that’s their names, yes.”

I can practically hear her eye roll. “Oh, you think.”

“I just know Scarlett as Chris’s best friend who brings him groceries to cook dinner with while he’s on lockdown and Seb as Chris’s friend who keeps trying to take his phone to send weird text messages to me,” I smile, thinking of their antics. Chris says it’s annoying, but I know he loves it. “Not...whatever their characters’ names are.”

“Oh my God.”

“Is that a yes you’ll be there or not?”

“Of course we’ll be there,” Camile blurts. “I’ll tell Jack in advance who all is coming so he won’t pass out when we get there.”

“Thank you,” I chuckle. “I’ll tell you the time whenever we figure that out, but yeah. Saturday night.”

“You got it. We’ll be there.”

“Good,” I sigh, pulling my car into the parking deck. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go change and then take Dodger for a walk.”

“Well you are excused,” she replies in a matter-of-fact tone. “Have fun.”

+++

I meant to take Dodger for a walk. That was actually the plan, but somewhere in between walking into Chris’s apartment and kneeling down to play with Dodger and searching for his leash, we ended up asleep in the living room floor.

I didn’t know I had fallen asleep either until I felt footsteps on the floor. I cracked my eyes open, Dodger’s head still tucked under my chin, and craned my neck to see Chris standing with a soft smile on his lips.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” I murmur, sitting up and keeping a hand on Dodger. “How was work?”

“Good, we wrapped early.” Chris crouches down next to us on the floor, gently petting Dodger and searching my eyes. “I was wondering why you went quiet.”

“Oops,” I chuckle, rubbing my eyes, stopping myself when I remember I still have makeup on my face. I curse when I look at my fingers, black smudges all on them. “Ugh.”

Chris sees my frustration and nods down the hall. “I have some makeup wipes in the bathroom.”

I raise an eyebrow, my hands falling into my lap. “You have makeup wipes?”

“Sometimes I forget they put makeup on me when we’re filming and have to take it off here,” he explains, and adds, “but you’re welcome to use them.”

“Well, thank you,” I begin to stand. “Did you wear makeup today?”

He looks up at the ceiling, clearly trying to remember, but I just shake my head.

“I’ll bring one back.”

I walk down the hall to his bathroom, finding -- sure enough -- a packet of makeup wipes on the counter. They’re a cheap brand, but I didn’t expect him to have the same kind I use -- which are in a pink package and for sensitive skin with aloe infused in the wipes.

I clean the eye makeup I smudged and wipe away the little foundation I had worn today before tossing the wipe. I grab a second, shutting off the bathroom light as I venture back into the living room, finding Chris laying down next to Dodger now, holding his paw.

I can’t help the smile that crawls onto my face as I get closer. I lay on the other side of Dodger, moving so I can reach over and wipe the makeup from Chris’s face, careful not to wake the sleeping puppy between us.

I don’t realize how intimate the moment is until I’m wiping under his eyes, and I realize how deeply he’s staring into mine.

“Hi,” I say nervously, swiping quickly over his forehead and nose, hitting the places I assume they’d use some concealer just to cover some redness. 

“Hi,” he replies, letting out a laugh when I tap his nose with the wipe once I’m finished. “Thank you.”

I set the wipe above our heads so I’ll remember to throw it away when we get up. “You’re welcome,” I murmur, bending my arm to rest my head on it like a pillow. “How was your day?”

“Good,” he breathes, then gets this cheesy smile on his face as he says, “I had a really cute lunch date today.”

I scoff, rolling my eyes, but I’m smiling, and he keeps going. 

“She let me hold her hand, too. Made me so damn happy.” 

I pause and just look at him, my chest swelling with every moment that he keeps going.

“She’s really pretty,” he murmurs, his hand reaching over Dodger to tuck some hair out of my face. “But I know she doesn’t think it.”

“What’s got you in such a sappy mood?” I tease, trying to deflect and change subjects. It’s my one and only talent.

But Chris isn’t letting me get away that easy. “No reason,” he shakes his head, best he can when he’s laying on the floor. “Can I tell you something?”

I nod. “Anything.”

“I’ve been in a sappy mood,” he chuckles when he uses my words, “for a while. Since the day I met you.”

My face softens.

“But I didn’t want to say anything. I didn’t want to scare you away.”

“Why would you scare me away?” I whisper, my hand reaching out for his. He finds mine easily, lacing our fingers together and resting them on Dodger’s stomach.

“Because everyone’s watching me,” he says, his voice quiet and his eyes sincere. “Everyone’s always watching and I don’t want them to watch you too. I want you to just be mine, not everyone’s.”

“Chris…”

“And if the fame scares you away then that’s just what happens. I know it isn’t for everyone.”

“Chris…”

“But I know I’d rather have you in my life, whatever way I can, than not at all.”

“Chris, stop,” I squeeze his hand, getting his attention. “You’re not going to scare me away.”

“I don’t want to.”

“And you won’t. Nothing will,” I say without thinking, and the scariest part is, I know I mean it. “I know fame isn’t meant for everyone, and that’s fine. I don’t think it’s for me, but that doesn’t matter. My soulmate isn’t fame.”

He cracks a small smile. He always does when I call him my soulmate. I remember the first time I noticed it, I made a mental note with myself to call him my soulmate more often when I’m with him.

“My soulmate is Chris Evans,” I keep going, running my thumb over the back of his hand. “This super cute guy from Boston who also happens to be a superhero in his spare time.”

He laughs then, but it’s small. It’s not his usual belly laugh.

“Who loves his family and has the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. And who has a pretty awesome puppy.” Dodger stirs in his sleep, tucking his head further into Chris’s chest. “And he opens doors for me. He brings me coffee and surprises me for lunch and makes me laugh. He makes me smile more than I’ve smiled in years. And he gives really good hugs.” 

I can see him slowly cheering up, so I say one more thing.

“Oh, and his hands are super soft, too.”

He laughs loudly then, his free hand holding onto his chest as he leans back a little, his eyes closing. The noise wakes Dodger who jumps up and runs off into the kitchen, leaving Chris and I holding hands, laying in the middle of his living room floor.

The laughter dies down and I find myself scooting closer, our hands still linked together. He leans back onto his side, his eyes searching mine, a smile dancing on his lips.

“Thank you,” he whispers.

I shrug a little, smirking. “Just telling the truth, that’s all.”

“Can I tell you the truth?”

“I hope so.”

“I wanna kiss you.”

I freeze, but freeze isn’t the right word because my blood isn’t running cold. My body is warm, like it always is when I’m around him. Warm and safe.

But time stops. Or it feels like it does. Because we stay there, laying on our sides, just looking at each other, for what feels like ages but I know is only a few moments.

“Can I kiss you?” He asks, his hand squeezing mine.

And I nod. All I can do is nod.

He lets go of my hand to instead snake his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. The rug scratches against our clothes as we move, but it doesn’t stop us, and he doesn’t stop until he’s pressed his lips against mine.

It’s nothing like I imagined — or maybe it is, and I just don’t want to admit that I’ve imagined this moment. I have, if I’m being honest. I’ve thought about kissing him from the moment I came and knocked on his door a month ago. From the moment he hugged me. 

But I obviously didn’t imagine it to be like this, both of us curled up in his living room floor, bodies pressed against each other.

His hand cradles my face as he kisses me, soft and slow, gentle as always. I’m smiling when he pulls back to breathe, resting his forehead against mine. I open my eyes and see he’s staring right at me, his eyes filled with a certain emotion I’ve never seen and don’t know how to describe, but I’m sure it’s something like what I’m feeling. I’m positive I’ve also got a dreamy and dazed look in my eyes.

We hear Dodger’s paws on the hardwood floor before we see him, and then suddenly a toy is being dropped right between us. A well-rested Dodger bounces around us before jumping onto Chris and licking his face all over.

I sit up and cover my mouth to muffle my laughter, but also to feel my lips, to see if this buzz I’m feeling is real — to see if this is really all real. If I really did just kiss my soulmate.

I did. I really did.

[smuttymess]

bts astro soulmate reading | for deja

sign: gemini sun | pisces moon | libra rising

lover: Park Jimin | soulmate: Jung Hoseok

This reading is for Deja, a Jungkook bias who also stans OT7 with a particular affinity towards Jimin and Tae. With a maknae line like that, who could blame her? Please enjoy this reading, love!

Idealistic, imaginative and intuitive to almost a psychic degree, your star sign combination makes you one of the dreamiest in the zodiac. For better or for worse, you tend to see things as you would like to and not so much as the way they are down on earth. But honestly, who can blame you? The real world pales in comparison to your infinite nature of your imagination. Your intuition helps guide you through life, and you are innately in tune to what you and other people around you need. One of the zodiac's biggest thinkers and communicators, it is best for letting someone else figure out the logistics and details while you are off ideating and making power moves - unencumbered by little details - is likely how you achieve greatness in your life. Both Gemini and Pisces (air and water) are known for their duality, their desire to flow and evolve towards whatever they set their hearts and minds out to do, and as a result of your innate joie de vivre you have many admirers who want to be a part of your world. While in high demand, a result of your charming Libra rising, you are not someone who can be pinned down easily. Your friends have long given up on trying to get you to stick to any sort of schedule - whenever you arrive is right on time. They are happy to take you as you are, for when you are present you are able to express an almost unparalleled empathy, attentiveness and warmth which makes you all at once irresistible and unforgettable to those you love (and even those you've only just met!)

Gemini/Pisces is a duo of energy, movement, and passion: you move through the world on your own terms, seeking excitement and pleasure in everything that you do. This placement, along with your Libra rising, lends you to escapsim. It is not uncommon for you to want to take a spontaneous trip to explore a new culture, perhaps booking a house in wine country in order to blow off steam or avoid an impending work deadline - a little wine won't hurt! Upon arrival you're happy to find that your host is the incredibly attractive Park Jimin, who happens to own the entire vineyard, and you two immediately connect. Jimin is a true Libra, his charm emanating from his being with little to no effort, but it is not disingenuous - he is just naturally flirtatious and personable. His balance-seeking Libra rising and witty Gemini moon is familiar, as if he's known you for many years, making you immediately at ease in your solo travels and maybe a little horny too. You two both possess a gift of being highly sociable and fun to be around, Jimin's Libra Sun meshing almost perfectly with your Libra rising, and it is not long before you two become inseparable - likely making the other guests wonder if you are longtime partners or co-owners of the property.

After many long conversations and several glasses of wine, you are not surprised to find your lips intertwined, the plushness of his perfect pout pressed gently against yours. The Gemini/Libra relationship is a true escape in and of itself, one that simply requires existing as you are in the moment. Within your short time with him you become purely infatuated, his eyes sparkling as brightly as the stars above the vineyard as he smiles, the pure embodiment of romance and passion tanks to his Venus in Scorpio. Your signs share a love for leisure and pleasure, which lends nicely to long mornings in bed and walks across the gorgeous grounds, sneaking in tender kisses and under the sun before ducking away into a more secluded area. Gemini runs the show in this pairing, your hands feverishly running beneath his shirt and across his abs as your lock him into a kiss. Jimin is more than happy to have you push him against the wall, hungrily planting kisses along his neck as his hardness presses into your thigh. this Air signs tangle effortlessly together, as if your bodies were made for each other. Above all else a Libra lover wants to make his partner feel good, taking immense pleasure in seeing your lips fall apart as his fingers slip beneath your dress and across your clit. He knows how to tease you, his fingers brushing across your lips but never giving you the full relief that you crave, smiling as you become more and more desperate against his touch, practically fucking yourself against his fingers. My girl is so naughty, isn't she? The sex is so good you might almost think about making this vacation permanent.

Despite the beauty and charm of this duo, there is not enough stability or grounding in this duo to truly move this from a lovely fling and into a more serious relationship. Jimin's Libra values responsibility, balance and reliability, while Gemini/Pisces placements is notoriously flighty and seeking out their next adventure - where to next? This would not be so much of a problem were it not for JImin's Venus in Scorpio, which often shows love through possession, jealousy and control. Sure, there is a part of you that enjoys it (hello, Pisces) and you love how passionate he is about you and the things he cares about, but ultimately recognize that his need to really be attached to you, however sweet, is stifling. Additionally, these signs are both so consumed by pleasure that you will likely not accomplish anything outside of that, which is all well and good until the money runs out (commonplace with these two!) While this is likely not a forever match, there is a potential here for a long-term friendship filled with shared respect and admiration for the goodness in one another, with little to no animosity over the end of the relationship.

You have the mind of an artist, and it is not uncommon to find you in highly creative and artistic spaces that require out-of-the-box thinking. A leader in your own right, you could easily head a team of creative marketing professionals at a prestigious ad agency or a luxury fashion brand, putting together unique ideas to make a client's dreams come to life. It is in such an environment where you meet Jung Hoseok, your newest celebrity client, your eyes lighting up as he enters the room clad head to toe in starkly contrasting prints that somehow work seamlessly into a cohesive look. He possesses the signature traits of an Aquarius: confidence, independence, and originality. When his dark eyes move to meet yours, you can feel that rare, instant connection that cannot be ignored. While the physical relationship between a Gemini and Aquarius is often undeniable, it is your mutual wit and intellectual-thinking that draws you to each other over the course of your time working together. Aquarius Hoseok is unusual, charming, witty, and cool that gravitates towards your natural curiosity and boundless energy. You know he likes you, his eyes on your frame as you move about the room presenting your newest creations for his clothing brand. Together, you are two misunderstood individuals who innately understand each other on a profound level, as if nobody else is in the room. While neither of you are ones to wear your emotions on your sleeves or commit to anything too early on, you know quite early on that you will be fucking sooner rather than later - and you are certainly hoping for sooner.

Once you are no longer inhibited by the constraints of a professional relationship, all bets (and clothes) are off. The various debates you have and sharing of ideas while working together is all the foreplay you need, and the result is worth the wait. Hoseok has been thinking about every inch of your body that he wanted to feel underneath him, the little spots that would set you on fire the minute he could. He possesses a quiet, strong dominance about him that wants to consume you whole, which he does within minutes of closing the door to his suite. Moving closer to you to place his hand gently against your neck, you are almost overcome with desire as his eyes pierce into you before whispering into your ear. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this. And now you’re all mine. Hoseok can be authoritative in bed, which you are happy to enjoy as your Pisces moon adores being ravished and devoured. Your sexual fantasies are of course rarely if ever just at home, your signs matched perfectly for mild exhibitionism or discreet public play. He enjoys hearing you scream his name, trembling as he thrusts you in the dressing room of a high-end retailer that he's rented out for a personal shopping trip. My baby looks so beautiful getting fucked in this dress - we'll have to buy it so I can take it off again at home. However timid or bashful your Pisces may be, you know that you are safe in his hands as they grab your hips and your breasts as they press against the floor to ceiling windows of the sprawling hotel penthouse he's booked for the week just to have a change of scenery.

The incredible emotional range of Gemini and Pisces alongside your tendency to go with the flow makes you very sensitive to others perceptions of you and also to criticism. While a Gemini can certainly speak off the cuff, perhaps offending a few people in the process, it is challenging for a Gemini sun/Pisces moon to receive words that are anything less than positive. As a result, you are prone to oversensitivity from taking things personally - your Pisces retreating into solitude away from the ugliness of it all. Hoseok is a perfectionist, his Aquarius sun propelling him forward as he seeks to excel in his own crafts, and while he is a creative thinker he is often very much entrenched in his beliefs. One of Hoseok's weaknesses is his ego, amplified by his Taurus moon and Uranus in Capricorn, which means when he is "right" it is incredibly hard to move the needle. You live in fantasy while he tends to live in reason and factuality, not shying away from criticism, and it is these differences that need to be appreciated for this match to go the distance. Your Pisces moon and his Venus in Pisces is effectively the saving grace of this pairing, allowing you to connect emotionally in a way that many other Gemini/Aquarius may not be able to. Instead of keeping things casual, this shared understanding gives you both with the empathy required to see and love your partner for who they are: an equally flawed and imperfect human trying to do their best.

This is ultimately a successful pairing that knows that in each other they have an intellectual match that should be cherished, forging ahead as business partners and moving the world forward with their incredible imaginations and creative ideals. Life together is not at all a normal one, because you show love through exploration and spontaneity, taking you to destinations around the world at a moment's notice and leaving little room for boredom or conventionality. You two allow each other to explore yourselves individually without restraint, knowing that your bond can't easily be undone. The home base you create together is one likely high above the cityscape, a sanctuary filled with fine art, personalized design, and plenty of space and light to establish a sense of comfort and creativity. While you two are not homebodies of any kind, this refuge gives you just the right amount of serenity so you can wake up and bring your dreamy, airy notions into the wider world.

[f4liveblogarchives]

Fantastic Four Vol 1 #138 & #139

Sun Jul 28 2019 [02:24 PM] Wack'd: So apparently the whole "60s issues colored Wyatt white so as a compromise let's give him a slight tan" was not an invention of John Bryne

[02:24 PM] Aleph Null: that's supposed to be a tan? [02:25 PM] Wack'd: That or he's covered himself in strawberry yogurt [02:25 PM] ThreeOfFour: maybe its the widows peak but is that Namor? [02:25 PM] Wack'd: Nope! It's Wyatt Wingfoot! [02:26 PM] Aleph Null: dang, you're a wing, and you have feet? [02:27 PM] Wack'd: Under Kirby's pen Wyatt's hair varied from a standard close cut to something vaguely Clark Kent-ish [02:27 PM] Bocaj: Wait. [02:27 PM] Bocaj: Namor has wing feet [02:27 PM] Bocaj: HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM [02:27 PM] Wack'd: His hairline's receding a bit, though I have no idea if this is intentional or just how Buscema draws him [02:27 PM] Bocaj: HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM [02:27 PM] Wack'd: *Anyway* [02:28 PM] Wack'd: So wait--I have questions

[02:28 PM] Wack'd: 1. Did Johnny drop out of school? Probably, right? I mean, he’s not graduating today [02:28 PM] Bocaj: Damn johnny is a drop out [02:30 PM] Wack'd: 2. Metro College is nearby? And has phones? Besides "Stan forgot about me" there's no good reason why he hasn't spoken to Johnny or the rest of the Four in, uh--five years [02:31 PM] Wack'd: I get the idea that if he's going to return you want to make it kind of a big deal, but I'm far more comfortable with the idea that he's still been around and just not doing anything superheroey? [02:31 PM] Wack'd: Because now it's just like "oh, I've moved on with my life but I should probably invite my old best friend who's also a drop out to my graduation ceremony" [02:32 PM] Wack'd: "By breaking into his apartment" [02:32 PM] Umbramatic: oh [02:33 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, Reed decides to give the ceremony (and subsequent chill sesh at Wyatt's place) a miss in case Sue comes back [02:33 PM] Wack'd: Look, dude, I'm sure she does she'll call first? Or leave a note? [02:33 PM] Wack'd: Whatever [02:34 PM] Bocaj: When you refuse to make the first move it involves a lot of sitting by the telephone [02:34 PM] Wack'd: In fairness she's deliberately gone off the grid with his infant child and asked that no one tell Reed‏ where she is [02:35 PM] Wack'd: Not really a lot of opportunities for first moves here [02:35 PM] Bocaj: Has he asked [02:35 PM] Wack'd: Also fair [02:35 PM] Wack'd: But I'm pretty sure when someone doesn't want you to know where they are, going out of your way to find out is stalking, and that's generally frowned upon [02:36 PM] Bocaj: Well like he could have asked someone to send her a message saying he wanted to talk [02:36 PM] Wack'd: True [02:36 PM] Wack'd: You make a lot of good points [02:36 PM] maxwellelvis: True, but the problem is this is Reed Richards we're talking about here. [02:36 PM] Bocaj: Since Reed Is Never Wrong in Reed's Mind he's stuck in limbo waiting for her to come crawling back [02:36 PM] maxwellelvis: He'd have to delegate it entirely to someone else [02:36 PM] maxwellelvis: because aside from what Bocaj just said, Reed tends to make a big production out of everything. [02:37 PM] Wack'd: John Buscema awakes with a start and realizes that nothing about the team's civvie fashion sense has changed in thirteen years

[02:38 PM] Umbramatic: shameful [02:38 PM] Bocaj: "Oh shit, fashion changes" [02:40 PM] Wack'd: 1. Humphrey Bogart was a major movie star and *definitely* has folks fussing over his hair.  2. I'm finding a *lot* of photos of Lloyd Nolan with immaculately trimmed facial hair.  3. Oh god Ben's a "what about the troops" guy

[02:41 PM] maxwellelvis: Just change the references to 'Nam-era stuff and he sounds like Walter Sobchak [02:41 PM] Umbramatic: yufoufgtpit;u;jo'piop [02:41 PM] Wack'd: I'm starting to think that last issue all of his talk about being old wasn't him being brainwashed, that's just how Gerry Conway thinks he should behave [02:42 PM] Wack'd: Which is not exactly endearing me to his run [02:42 PM] Umbramatic: rip [02:42 PM] Wack'd: Well that's ominous

[02:42 PM] Umbramatic: eeeep [02:45 PM] Wack'd: So, Wyatt's tribe has a name now. "Keewazi" (EDITOR’S NOTE: I’d apparently forgotten Lee and Kirby explicitly made him Comanche.) [02:46 PM] Wack'd: I'm sure that was talked over with a lot of Native Americans not just a bunch of randomly-picked syllables [02:47 PM] Aleph Null: marvel bad [02:47 PM] Umbramatic: marvel no [02:48 PM] Wack'd: "I haven't seen Johnny in about five years, so it's definitely socially acceptable to laugh at him"

[02:48 PM] Wack'd: That said, he looks like a friggin Brady [02:48 PM] Bocaj: Which is weird because Marvel Avengers tended to leave it vague and Claremont X Men picked specific real tribes [02:49 PM] Umbramatic: now i'm just imagining a laugh track at all mentions of johnny's hair [02:49 PM] Umbramatic: and it's the Tidus Laugh [02:52 PM] Wack'd: I will say this, to Buscema's credit (and maybe Conway's?)--there's definitely still in "old west" aesthetic here, but the outfits are not nearly as "I watched a movie once" as they were last time we saw these dudes. Also: smart move avoiding teepees. It's the 70s! People want efficient heating!

[02:52 PM] Wack'd: (We didn't actually see any dwellings last time. Mostly just Wyatt's dad sitting on a carpet in the middle of an open field) [02:53 PM] Wack'd: Uuuuuuh "kings" yeah sure

[02:54 PM] Umbramatic: big mountain boi [02:56 PM] Wack'd: And with regards to "warriors" [02:58 PM] Wack'd: Oh no, Johnny did drop out!

[02:59 PM] Umbramatic: poor johnny [02:59 PM] Wack'd: So the Keewazi are in Oklahoma so jot that down [02:59 PM] Umbramatic: oh [03:00 PM] Wack'd: Wyatt traveled a long way to go to a state school! [03:01 PM] Wack'd: That explains nothing, thank you

[03:01 PM] Aleph Null: this is just what men are like [03:02 PM] Wack'd: Also last time we saw this joker he was just Mysterio but earlier and worse [03:02 PM] Wack'd: So this should honestly be a cakewalk [03:02 PM] Umbramatic: good [03:04 PM] Wack'd: nerts

[03:05 PM] Wack'd: Fortunately it turns out that attacking Miracle Man himself breaks his concentration, so no more rock man [03:05 PM] Wack'd: Coming out to gloat--*always* a bad idea [03:08 PM] Wack'd: Oh wow so Miracle Man's new backstory sure is something [03:08 PM] Wack'd: He sought out a tribe of Native Americans who'd mastered "total mental control" and had dwindled to seven despite never having interacted with a white guy before [03:09 PM] Umbramatic: oh [03:09 PM] Wack'd: They agree to a free and equal trade of information, but once Miracle Man has learned all he cares to he murders them all [03:10 PM] Wack'd: Nice of Conway to leave future writers an escape hatch in case this one day turns out to be problematic

[03:11 PM] Wack'd: Which it did, I'm pretty sure, the second it was written [03:11 PM] Umbramatic: yes [03:12 PM] Wack'd: If nothing else this is all fairly on brand for a white guy.

[03:12 PM] maxwellelvis: Well, the next time we see Miracle Man is in Marvel Two-In-One #8, written by Steve Gerber, and he doubles down on the weirdness, as I've said before. [03:13 PM] Wack'd: That's cool so long as he doesn't also double down on the racism

[03:15 PM] Wack'd: ...sure

[03:16 PM] maxwellelvis: To paraphrase Rifftrax, "Either the laws of physics no longer apply, or [Johnny] is playing Halo 2" [03:17 PM] Umbramatic: these are superhero comics, physics are just a suggesstion [03:18 PM] Wack'd: Okay, so the philosophy at play here is kind of nonsense bonkers, but I really want to hone in on the "city he has created on these barren sands." The sands weren't barren! People lived here! They were using it! Christ, Conway!

[03:19 PM] maxwellelvis: Not by choice, mind you. Though I'm not sure if Wyatt's living on a reservation or not. [03:20 PM] Wack'd: Lee and Kirby certainly seemed to think so. Conway and Buscema have issued no statement on the matter [03:20 PM] maxwellelvis: And IIRC most reservations were deliberately placed in the most desolate areas the feds could find. [03:21 PM] Wack'd: But still, it's super shitty to talk about someone's home as though you could be using this land better. [03:21 PM] Wack'd: It tends to be a big anti-Palestinian talking point--"it's good the Jews came in because it's not like those idiots were doing anything worthwhile"--so I'm a little sensitive to it [03:22 PM] Umbramatic: ah, geez [03:22 PM] maxwellelvis: Gotcha [03:23 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, Johnny, Ben, and Medusa make their way back to the surface, and Miracle Man conjures some monsters for them to fight [03:24 PM] Wack'd: And then when things start going south he summons a cyclone to wipe them all away [03:25 PM] Wack'd: Reed Richards Is Useless™

[03:26 PM] Umbramatic: LOOK BEHIND YOU REED [03:26 PM] Wack'd: We're going to find out about that next issue, apparently [03:26 PM] Wack'd: And meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, Franklin without a high-pitched scream and then passes out [03:27 PM] Wack'd: Sue decides not to send for a doctor because "somehow I know he's alright" [03:27 PM] Wack'd: Good instincts, Sue [03:28 PM] Wack'd: Back to the main story! The cyclone harmlessly drops everyone off a few miles away from Miracle Man's city [03:28 PM] Wack'd: And yeah, the Keewazi live on a reservation [03:29 PM] Wack'd: And so Wyatt, Johnny, Ben, and Medusa build a raft and head upstream back towards the reservation, with Johnny using his fire powers as a "motor" for the boat [03:29 PM] Wack'd: I'm sure that much open flame next to a wooden raft is definitely a good idea [03:30 PM] Wack'd: I think Miracle Man might actually be the most morally reprehensible villain in *Fantastic Four* yet

[03:30 PM] Wack'd: A genocidal colonist and a potential rapist to boot [03:30 PM] Umbramatic: ew [03:31 PM] maxwellelvis: Next time we see him, he'll start trying to become God. Not hyperbole [03:32 PM] Wack'd: Apparently Miracle Man is planning on destroying the entire earth! Jesus!

[03:33 PM] Umbramatic: ah yes, the classic supervillain plan, blow up ze earth [03:33 PM] Wack'd: More mook fights. Medusa is kicking some serious ass this issue, effortlessly flinging around three at a time [03:35 PM] Wack'd: Ben, meanwhile, has gone after the Man himself--and this fight is too fucking good to deprive you of

[03:35 PM] Umbramatic: BALOOM! [03:35 PM] Wack'd: God I love me some Buscema punches [03:37 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, Miracle Man tries to get up one last time, but is spirited away by the ghosts of the Cheemuzwa tribe he wiped out, who hope they can cure him of his megalomania. Awfully magnanimous of them. [03:37 PM] Wack'd: Why didn't they do this earlier? shrug [03:38 PM] Bocaj: There was a character from Fairy Tail who was raised by a first nations esque tribe but then it turned out They Were Ghosts All Along so character was free to join the main cast [03:38 PM] Bocaj: Also I hate Fairy Tail [03:38 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, we go out on a cliffhanger, the thing Reed should've looked behind him that was a Negative Zone alarm light

[surgeonquadpaw]

Fuck the Jedi tbh. I hope we see more unaligned force users in the last Jedi. It’s interesting that we already have bad guys who aren’t sith. And, in extended material, we have ahsoka who is no longer a Jedi but absolutely uses the force for good. So yeah, the last Jedi could absolutely refer to Luke being the last. However, for branding reasons, I’m not sure they’ll really go down that path.

I’ve seen talk about how Star Wars is typically about good versus evil with no room for grey areas but I personally have no qualms with that. We see several people throughout star wars material that does things for their own gain even if they turned out to be on the side of Good after all (Han solo is an example but Lando is a better one here I think). I’m a simple movie watcher. The format works. I like good prevailing, cool tech and awesome battle scenes. I’m fairly easy to satisfy tbh.

What I do want for the last Jedi is some Finn focus and I want force sensitive Finn god…dammit. Give it to me. I want Finn backstory! Like I know the moment he pops out of his coma and walks on screen imma be like [longest yeah boiiii ever] so. Stormpilot would also be nice but I am Not like. Banking on it happening.

Oh! Also! Give Rey a lightpike! Or two lightsaber staat that she can wield ventress style. Or the maul style double edge pike. She doesn’t like anakin’s lightsaber anyway and she can do without losing an arm even with the great prosthetics in the galaxy.

Anyway. I’m Excited. I’m amped. I’m re-inspired to catch up with rebels. Star wars Stan hat firmly placed on head.

[musicasresistance]

Masculinity and Homophobia in the Post-Gangstalicious Era of Hip-Hop

It is undeniable that homophobia still plagues Hip-Hop today. Two of the modern day’s most “conscious” rappers who use their pedestal to advocate politically, Chance the Rapper and J. Cole, unapologetically use the slur “faggot” in their songs. Legendary DJ and producer Mister Cee was shamed so heavily when it recently came out that he had been involved in sexual encounters with transwomen that he resigned from his job at the radio station Hot 97, where he had been working for 21 years. The list of offensive remarks, discriminatory acts, and unwelcoming environments could go on and on. Yet at the same time, Hip-Hop has indeed made major strides in regards its relationships with the homosexuality and gender norms in the last decade. While Hip-Hop may not be ready for a gay mainstream rapper, straight mainstream rappers appear noticeably less paranoid about appearing gay, and are more willing to explicitly disregard traditional masculine and heterosexual aesthetics. In this post, I will use the episodes “The Story of Gangstalicious” (2005) and “The Story of Gangstalicious Pt. 2” (2008) from the animated Adult Swim program The Boondocks in order to identify specific behaviors that Hip-Hop artists would employ in the mid-aughts order to distance themselves from perceived homosexuality, and then provide modern examples of how these behaviors have lost traction in Hip-Hop in recent years.

Let’s begin by examining the way that Hip-Hop artists engage with gay artists. In the world of The Boondocks, the biggest rapper in the world is Gangstalicious, who makes stereotypical gangsta rap dependent upon depictions of violence and hypermasculine posturing. In the second “Story of Gangstalicious”, faltering rap group Lethal Interjection tries to regain their popularity by attempting to get featured on the remix to Gangstalicious’s hit single, “Homies Over Hoes”. At first, they are thrilled when Gangstalicious agrees to do the song with them, but when it is publicly revealed that Gangstalicious is gay, they decide that they can no longer collaborate with him, going so far as to physically hiding when he shows up to their house. Their rationale is that they can’t work with a gay rapper because it would make them “gay by association”.This sentiment was widely shared in the real life world of hip-hop during the time of the show’s airing in 2008. Aside from Eminem’s performance of “Stan” with Elton John at the 2001 Grammy Awards—which was a defensive publicity stunt made by Eminem to deflect accusations of homophobia—no prominent rappers were willing to collaborate with gay artists in the first decade of the 2000s.

This exclusionary approach to working with gay artists has been noticeably diminished in the 2010s. After revealing that his first love was with a man, Frank Ocean was featured prominently on Kanye West’s albums Yeezus and The Life of Pablo and on Jay-Z’s album Magna Carta Holy Grail, all three of which were massively commercially popular. Similarly, producer Kaytranada found no dip in collaborative hip-hop partners after coming out of the closet earlier this year, recently releasing songs with artists like Chance the Rapper, Anderson Paak., and Phonte. Chicago rapper Vic Mensa even recently released a pro-LGBTQ anthem with openly gay rapper Le1f called “Free Love”. This more inclusive environment of collaboration is demonstrative of how hip-hop culture is starting to distance itself from homophobia.

Next, let’s look at the way that Hip-Hop artists express themselves through fashion. In “Gangstalicious Pt. 2”, Gangstalicious releases a men’s clothing line that features items that most would consider traditionally feminine like pearl necklaces, skirts, and dresses. However, Gangstalicious defends the masculinity of these items by explaining that they have explicitly violent functionalities. For example, a dress with the backside cut out allows the wearer to more quickly draw the gun on his waistband, and a front flap on a pair of shorts that makes them look more like a skirt is included so that the wearer can hide his gun. This dynamic was a reflection of the fashion trends of the real life hip-hop artists of the time. Rappers of the era like Tity Boi and Lil Wayne would wear Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags traditionally worn by women, but then make it clear in their videos that these bags were masculine because they were used to store money and guns.

Today, hip-hop artists are still experimenting with traditionally female fashions, but are doing so less defensively and more explicitly. Young Thug, for example, just shot an ad for Calvin Klein, in which he models the brand’s female line and asserts, “There is no such thing as gender”. Wiz Khalifa is often seen sporting tights and skirts at his concerts, which he explains are a part of his “complete expression” onstage. Similarly, Kanye West who has frequently worn blouses, women’s sweaters, and  skirts, has shown that he doesn’t care about how his fashion choices impact how is masculinity is viewed, saying of a skirt that he wore, “It looked fresh to me. I felt creative. I didn’t feel limited by some perception.”These unapologetic approaches fashion reflect a modern culture in which Hip-Hop artists are less paranoid about needing to aggressively assert their masculinity and heterosexuality than they were in the past.

This culture shift has also revealed itself in the sound and content of Hip-Hop songs. In both Gangstalicious episodes, rap is shown to be the exclusive domain of hyper-violent men who display no emotional sensitivity. This was very much true of the real life rap world of the mid 2000s, which saw the emergence of 50 Cent—a rapper whose claim to fame was that he got shot nine times—as its main star. The most popular rappers all boasted of their drug dealing pasts or histories of violence.

Yet in recent years we have seen a shift away from these tropes, and rappers who are more emotionally vulnerable and frequently sing in their songs have seen a boost in their popularity. Perhaps this is best reflected in the outcome of two biggest Hip-Hop beefs of the past ten years. First, in 2007, Kanye West, the solidly middle-class, pink polo and backpack-wearing kid from Chicago bested 50 Cent in their highly publicized competition to see who could sell the most albums. Second, last year, Drake, a Canadian former child actor famous for melody-heavy and emotionally-open songs like “Hate Sleeping Alone” and “Trust Issues”, demolished Meek Mill, a former gangbanger from inner city Philadelphia, in a series of diss tracks. As symbolized by these victories, a rapper’s success today is significantly less dependent upon on displays of violence and toughness as it once was.

To close, while homophobia is still present modern Hip-Hop culture, it is less of an integral component than it was a decade ago. As demonstrated by its increased openness to gay collaborators, its unapologetic embrace of traditionally female fashions, and the increased emotionally vulnerability of its music, Hip-Hop today is less concerned with being perceived as gay and more willing to incorporate elements that were once considered emasculating.