#and it's always fascinating how they tie in the... depth of emotions and experiences one has following a brush with mortality like this

[russell-crowe]

The Comedy Roast for SU2C (2023)

[erisweekofficial]

Today we're highlighting @acourtofladydeath, creator and mastermind behind @polyacotarweek. She's written so many amazing pieces about Eris across multiple ships and genres. And if you find yourself wanting to explore other characters, she's got you covered with her masterlist of 30+ works on AO3.

🧡 Looking for something deeply emotional and poignant? Please start with LD's favorite fic, All Things End (Azris). 🎧 It even has a playlist. 🎧

🔥 If you're looking for a good horny time, try Welcome to the Family, which features Elain x Eris or Rules are Rules (Azris). You're in for a good time with those two. Especially if you like Beron.

Read on to learn more about LD's writing process + some advice for writing about Eris...

What themes do you like to explore in your work with Eris?

I really enjoy exploring the juxtaposition and depth of Eris. He needs to act a certain way to protect the people he loves and keep his place within the Autumn Court under his father. But does he want to act that way? How soft is he, or is he actually as mean as he seems? I like when he's a bit of both. I think he's a very protective person, and I enjoy exploring the different ways that manifests with different people. I also think he's experienced a lot of trauma in his life, and I'd be remiss if I didn't say I enjoy exploring that and how it influences both his external and internal persona.

What other characters do you enjoy writing about alongside Eris?

Three favorites, three different relationships: My favorite person to ship Eris with is Azriel, and I love writing different iterations of their relationship. Some are softer, others are spicier, and then there's the really sad takes. There's so much give and take with these two and it's so fascinating to play around with. I love writing Eris and Nesta as best friends. Their wit is so well matched, as is their lived experiences with their siblings and parents. They have so much overlap, and you can write them funny or feeling and any combination in betwell. Plus, who says friends can't fuck? Not me. The third person is Lucien. I really enjoy exploring their familial relationships. Were they close as kids? If they hate each other, have they always? How does this relate to their relationships with their parents and other brothers? There's so many different ways to skin this cat and I want to write them all.

What's your favorite piece you've created featuring Eris and why?

I hemmed and hawed over this question forever, but I think the fic that fits best is "All Things End." This fic is pure bittersweet angsty sadness. What if Beron's torture gave Eris incurable dementia? How would his mate, Azriel, their children, and Lucien handle the situation? CW for dementia, death, and grief. I created two playlists for this fic: one that's a direct accompaniment and another that's an extended cut. The direct playlist is timed to the reading length of the fic, and specific songs play during specific scenes to enhance the reader experience (AKA bring more tissues).

Do you have any advice for other creators wanting to make eris content?

Eris is a character that we don't know much about compared to others in the series. When I go to write him I start with what we do know: his father's abuse, he's a general, he protected Lucien, we don't have the whole story about the Mor situation. He's cunning, so you know that what you see isn't all there is. I like to build backward. What from canon do I want to focus on? How does canon tie into whatever type of fic I'm writing? Why does he act the way he acts, and how does that tie into his canon history and the plot/theme/characterization of my fic? This helps build up the layers that are so integral to who I think Eris is as a character. Complex, captivating, keeps you on your toes. And don't forget his gold jewelry.

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

hi ralph!! im so excited to hear your thoughts on MFASR music video, i agree with and love to hear all of your music video opinions. i love when i love a harry music video, it rarely happens !

Anon 2: Can't wait to hear your thoughts

********

Thanks anons - I really loved it and I'm looking forward to talking about it.

I actually want to start with the foley artists and sound-mixing, because I think the soundscape is one of the reason that the video works so well. The ambient noises of the kitchen (and washing and all parts of the video) can be heard very clearly. Because of the type of song it is, and very careful mixing and editing, they fit really well and tie the song and the music video together. It makes the whole situation feel more real - the sound of the knife chopping really adds to the emotional impact of Harry's predicament. It also really heightens the tension between a reasonably grimy reality and high fantasy, which is core to the video.

Another technical choice about how to create a music video that I thought was really interesting - was how Harry interacted with the song (I've got another ask about Harry's performance so I'll focus on that later, but wanted to talk about this now). He sings along when his character is singing and then his character also talks some lines within the world of a video. This is super clever and well done (both by Harry and be the people putting together the soundscape - the 'Green Tea' moment in particular is fantastic). Having points where he's not lip-syncing also gives more space for his performance, and allows him to fully develop and make real these reactions (again in a really heightened way).

These sorts of technical decisions are really central to what makes the story work. From the soundscape, to the location (and how the location is dressed with the lights), to Harry's performance, every part of the video is about making the reality of the situation as real as possible and also giving space to the heightened glamour of the performance.

*******

One of the other things that I find most compelling is the way that video completely recast the lyrics. I always quite liked the sound of Music for a Sushi Restaurant, but nothing about the lyrics captured me. There was some pretty images, but it all seemed very substantial. Then the video comes out - and what seems like quite a straight-forward song of love or lust, has this whole other meaning. Harry is the object of the song not its subject - and he's talking about what it means to be endlessly desired and consumed. I particularly find the get lost/go broke lines fascinating now there's suggestion that rather than being two sides of the same thought - they are desires in competition with each other.

It also really emphasises something that's become increasingly clear to me about Harry's music - his songs do have deep and specific meanings that connect to his experiences. And he's part of a long pop-music tradition of processing any sort of emotion into something that could be understood as a love song. But he doesn't provide the key to his songs. So it's almost impossible for an outsider to know what his songs mean to him.

It's an interesting approach - I do think it gives songs a depth that is part of the reason for success. I personally don't love it, because I love specificity in songs and ensuring that there's nothing that could tell us what songs mean to him, does remove specficity.

But I think it should be a lesson when fans confidently proclaim that they know what the songs mean for him (or in a Larrie corner of the world, which songs are about Louis and which songs are about gender - as the only topics Harry could possibly be interested in). At this point I would argue straight up that fans don't and can't know what songs mean for Harry - and anyone who has any certainty that they know what the songs mean for Harry is basically disqualifying themselves from comment by demonstrating that they're not paying any attention.

*******

I'm not going to go into any great depth of the meaning of the video, because I'm already pretty annoyed with the discourse I've seen and want it to die down a bit so I can comment without being unnaturally affected by the things that annoy me.

So I'll say this - I have a friend who is a therapist and whose interested in Harry Styles and his relationship with his therapist. I was telling her about all the therapist discourse at tonight's show and then shared the video - and we agreed that there's a lot to unpack.

[plutoswrath]

i’m jealous of your big heart when it comes to animals lmao. i’m arachnophobic and it can be so annoying to have sometimes. i haven’t been able to tie it back to astrology, as much as i would like to. i asked because i was wondering if there was a clear indicator based off certain placements like how 6th house rules animals, 6th is ruled by mercury so i jumbled them even though i probs shouldn’t have lol. and with venus it ties to personal taste so i wondered if it could indicate a liking towards a certain animal. i have sag and sag venus in 6th and embarrassingly enough, i was obsessed with horses. like i came out of the womb adoring them. as soon as i learned to talk i was a walking horse encyclopedia. my obsession died down. i’m not a horse girl, i swear on my life.

i agree with you about the cancer loving animals. animals are babies and momma cancer loves to nurture the babies. i feel like cancers are the most likely to hate the “are you a dog or cat person” question. they’d get offended because how dare someone assume their heart isn’t big enough for both. more than both, really. throw a turtle in there. a rabbit even. cancer asc peeps usually have a shit ton of animals. it’s probably the sag/abundance in the 6th. or they either own a horse or Great Dane. but this is off topic because i forgot i had a follow up question.

if you could tie an animal or a couple animals to each sign that you think best represents that sign? or just seems like one they’d like? some are so easy and others just leave me blank. my arachnophobia thinks scorpio’s deserve better than scorpions but my terror blinds me. but i was looking up the symbolism behind animals and tying them to signs. so far, i’ve concluded that while horses should go with sag, their highly intuitive and empathetic animals. their behavior is like a mirror so if you’re nervous, they are too. so pisces or cancer actually seems to be a better fit. and to stay on topic of cancer with animals, i always tie wolves and dogs in general to cancer. the wolves are tied to the moon and familial dynamics and also i think they’re a great symbolic opposition to leo and how leos tend to resemble cats. sun and moon, dog and cat, night and day, that sort of thing. i realized i’ve rambled but i’m looking forward to your opinion because i’m so lost on what other signs would have. it’s been a year old question in my brain and it’s time for help from the master.

I'm sorry to hear that, I'm had a friend once who was arachnophobic and having phobias like these is really no fun, I can't imagine what it feels like really having them. And omg don't feel bad for liking horses when you were a child, literally so many children, especially young girls, like horses simply because people decided horses where a 'teenage girls only' thing somehow?? (and I will have to dig deeper into this at a point because here where I come from the horse girl thing is soooo painfully real and I want to understand the phenomena). And if I'm not mistake, arachnophobia (like most types of phobias), stem from some kind of trauma right? I absolutely don't try to get to personal but if we look at phobias in that way, maybe it's good to also include looking at planets/asteroids that point to trauma or aspects that can represent/indicate traumatic experiences in that sense! And I agree wholeheartedly to the 'dog or cat' question, I don't get offended by it but I hate this question in general because every animal deserves my love and empathy adfghj and yes, mother feelings definitely play into this haha! I think cancers enjoy (to an extent) having that occasional (or constant) outlet for their nurturing side and the bound you have to animals is also very intuitive and requires a lot of patience and getting educated as well as being observant and reading between the lines somehow and all that dedication paired with emotional knowledge just really speaks to water signs in general (and animals don't judge openly with words, just your energy asdfgh) Uhh, I like the question regarding the animals and I agree with your takes on it so far!! I think one animal can not represent all the core traits of a sign alltogether, but I'll try my best here! and psdfghj no need to call me master because I'm literally so far from anything close to that but thank you so much still, I feel honored really!!

The Signs as Animals:

Disclaimer: some of them are inspired by my ‘the Wild Unknown Animal Spirit’ tarot deck.

Aries: House cat. I know, I always thought cats actually link pretty well to Aries! Cats are just the perfect mixture of intelligen and curious, reserved, stubborn, aggressive, senstive as well as playful/impulsive! They are quick to learn and not afraid to face off against any other, bigger animals, but also can live pretty well together with other pets in the house, as long as they don‘t bother them too much. Especially when it comes to intimacy/pda they are very picky, but forceful when demand it. Seem flexible and unbothered at first but actually have the firmest boundaries when it comes to their personal freedom. Will let you believe they need you but give it a few weeks and the neighbor has better treats than you and gone they are asdfgh, but it's actually a harmful stereotype to believe that cats don't need you because they can become extremely fond of you and grow very attached.

Taurus: Elk. Based on the interpretation of my tarot deck. The elk represents earth energy, it is grounded, is established in itself and knows their core values and acts according to them. They show consistency, coherence and care. Dedicated to who they love and what they care for. Can become narrow minded due to knowing what's best, based on their perception of what's right and necessary, which can effect their ego negatively. Very Taurus for me. Gemini: Dragonfly. I refer to the interpretation of the Dragonfly based on my tarot deck. The dragonfly represents the mind: everchanging, quick, fascinating, a reflection of the world inside us and aroudn us. As the dragonfly is very quick (refering to Mercury's fast and nervous energy) the dragonfly also calles for paying attention to what quality our mind has and to become mindful, because on first glance things always appear different tahn on first glance (Mercury floats between detail-oriented and paying attenetion and being too fast, impatient). The dragonfly is joy and magic, as well as impatience, restlessness and being unable to concentrate. Cancer: Killer Whales (but also whales in general)! I thought especially about Killer Whales, because I once watched a documentary on them and they went in depth about how they have different cultures and different languages even (if I remember correctly) in their familys. Cancer often gets associated with the home life, but I think I wanted to look at it from another perspective, as in how does family 'become' family and how do those family roots develope, what do they consist of, how do we define family and what holds it together (and especially: how do our roots shape our own emotional patterns and nature in life?). I think the mystery of the Killer Whales but the whole complexity that lies behind the fascination of how these animals function and also how deeply affected Killer Whales are by their emotions/when they are absent from their kin, just opens up another big question of family dynamics and how we relate to one another and how principles we always condoned to human beings now apply to animals too. I think the whole part about the Killer Whales relation to emotions and their family's cultures just really made me link them to Cancer. Leo: Otter. I refer o the meaning of teh Otter based on my tarot deck. The Otter resembles the energy of the inner child: it's pure bliss, playfulness, they love to live and live for life itself, and out of this eagerness to enjoy life comes also a contentment and completeness towards life itself. To reconnect with otter energy, it is advised to step into settings of celebration, or total creative self expression and from the outside looking 'unproductive/selfish' indulgence. But actually, this energy is what makes life so enjoyable in the first place.

Virgo: Octopus. Highly intelligent beings that can quickly adapt and take the initiative. Self sufficient by nature, they aren't aggressive unless provoked, they like to mind their business unless they get curious (then they cling heavy onto you because you are their new object of interest). They can change color if it's needed (Virgo is a mutuable sign and can blend in perfectly in social occasions/new situations) and tbh the inking part about octopus just reminds me of the fact that most Virgos have a really quirky side to them you only get to see when you annoy them long enough (aka you are a long term friend). Libra: Gazelle. I refer to the meaning of ten Gazelle based on my tarot deck. The gazelle combines the creation of beauty and harmony, creativity and hyper awareness of it's surroundings, very affected of the imbalances in it's environment, but in it's try to remain this beauty around them, they tend to forget their achievments and stay in the present with their thoughts, as they constantly wheigh out the 'what if's'. A very perceptive animal in the tarot deck and this attribute is equally it's strong suit and downfall. Scorpio: Tiger. I refer here to the meaning of the Tiger based on my tarot deck. Waits in stillness and darkness to reconnect to their own inner power. Healing in isolation with the help of the lunar forces, waiting to regenerate. The Tiger energy shows itself in being passionate, sensual and stepping into ones own power, recognizing ones strength. For me, this is very Scorpio (Moon) for me. When the Tiger in unbalanced, it becomes overstimulated and acts according to this hyperawareness. Sagittarius: Zebra. I refer here to the meaning of the Zebra based on my tarot deck. The Zebra stands for an open mind, visionary and eccentric, new thinking, as well as being young at heart and expansion. I personally connect horses with passion and drive, because they are truly powerhouses. Based on the meaning of my tarit deck, the Zebra also is sociable, at least people find themselves drawn to the energy of the Zebra because it triggers their desire to learn, and I think this is something very beautiful Sagittarius symbolizes when they come into your life: be prepared to broaden your horizon for more. 

Capricorn: Camel. I refer to the meaning of the Camel based on my tarot deck. Camels here represent absolute dependence on self and being able to find the answer to problems in oneself. This self reliance and capability reminds me of capricorns, the camel is finding the 'cool' aka water inside of them and Capricorn is traditionally also symbolized as the sea-goat (which I seriously think should really be considered when anaylzing this archetype) and Capricorns have (imo at least) a rich emotional life, but it's just deeply locked within. The Camel represents showing responsibility for their own actions, regulating the self and circumstances around them as best as they can, which makes sense for Capricorns, ruled by Saturn they usually are confronted with task in their life. If the Camel energy is out of balance, it shows a lack of vitality, with Capricorn representing the senior age in life makes sense, especially since Capricorns can tend to feel very old (exhausted)- Aquarius: Platypus- and no, I’m not using the Platypus because ‚wow all Aquarius are so weird like straight up aliens 🤪🤪’ I think the platypus is a good representation because it makes us question what we’ve known so far about animals and Aquarius too is a sign that introduces us to new ideas and perspectives all in the favor of progress and considering alternatives, leaving the status quo. Pisces:  Raven/Crow. I name these two in particular because as far as I know it’s only the ravens that have been documented intimating people’s voices and tones, but crows are definitely more known for their bright mind. For me people often forget Pisces mutable nature and how quick witted they actually are. These birds are hyper intelligent and their observational skills are truly amazing. In my Wild Uknown Animal Spirit deck, the crow is an animal carrying 3rd eye energy. Here, the view is clear, the crow is moving through different dimensions and sees what other’s cant. For and the emotional depth (void) Pisces is conencted to it just seem to make sense. 

[astrology-india]

Libra Compatibility - The Best and Worst Match

New Post has been published on https://www.astrology-india.com/libra-compatibility/

Libra Compatibility - The Best and Worst Match

Libra natives are peaceful, diplomatic, and sociable.

These individuals are fascinated by symmetry and they are interested in creating a world of justice and equality.

Besides, their urge for balance operates on an aesthetic level.

Libra Suns have an innate sense of style and are inclined to look for refined experiences and objects in their everyday life.

Getting information about Libra compatibility could be useful if you are interested in sustaining a healthy connection.

Whether Libra is your Sun sign or the sign of your crush, this article will help you get facts that will be useful for navigating the challenges of relationships.

Remember, though, that Astrology is not limited to the Sun sign.

You should consult with a professional astrologer to acquire an in-depth report of the compatibility between two people.

Sun signs only offer a general idea about compatibility.

Best Libra Compatibility Matches

The Sun signs that are the best matches for Libra have to share some common traits with the graceful nature of this cardinal airy sign. Read on, to know more about them.

Libra and Gemini

Gemini and Libra are both air signs. This means that they would have an entertaining mental connection and a witty verbal understanding.

Gemini and Libra enjoy sharing their ideas about every-thing and participating in cultural events that will make them learn something new and meet stimulating people.

Libra Suns love to entertain their acquaintances and Gemini Suns are also very social.

This couple is great at hosting parties and inviting friends to their home.

Since they both love talking and being the center of attention, they will make jokes and observations like they were stand-up comedians in their own Netflix special.

The spontaneous nature of the Gemini Suns could be really beneficial for the perfectionist Libra Suns.

On the other hand, Libra Suns can help their Gemini partners to tidy up their scattered thoughts in order to express them more cohesively.

They can complement each other beautifully when they are capable of appreciating their unique mindsets.

This almost-perfect match may hit a snag if they do not show their vulnerable side.

These two Sun signs have a bit of a reputation for being superficial.

They need to learn how to vent their feelings and to accept that life is not always fun, entertaining, and light.

Libra and Aquarius

There is a strong bond between an Aquarius Sun and a Libra Sun.

They share the element of air and appreciate mental stimulation.

Since both signs rely heavily on communication, they will enjoy talking with each other and will find the right words to solve all of their issues.

Libra is a sign who does not want to be alone. Aquarius, on the other hand, likes solitude and needs some space to feed its individuality.

The Libra partner could seem clingy, whereas the Aquarius partner might seem detached.

Luckily, meeting halfway and finding some common ground is possible and it will guarantee that they will be able to overcome their differences.

Marriage is considered very meaningful for Libra Suns. For Aquarius Suns, it may seem to be an obsolete institution.

But they will settle down for the right partner and a Libra Sun may have the specific qualities that an Aquarius Sun needs to feel comfortable and amused at the same time.

It is important for both Libra and Aquarius Suns to move slowly and make the decision to tie the knot when they are certain that the relationship is going to be beneficial in the long run.

Libra and Leo

Leo Sun values pride and beauty. And a Libra Sun enjoys pleasing other people with their attractive and elegant demeanor.

Together, they may learn how to express themselves unapologetically and how to strengthen their talents.

They support each other’s personalities in a communicative and charming way.

The sextile between the Leo Sun and the Libra Sun makes it possible for them to have a respectful partnership and to build stronger personalities that are free of judgment of any kind.

This couple knows how to shine!

The elements of fire and air fit perfectly. Leo puts a passionate touch to every intelligent idea concocted by Libra. Their communication is quick, inspiring, and enthusiastic.

These two signs together represent the consummation of a loving relationship.

When you look at this couple, you will see that their devotion for one another is real, palpable and it has long-term potential.

When a Leo Sun and a Libra Sun are together, they will not engage in a relationship with no future.

Less Libra Compatibility Matches

Having mentioned the best matches for Libra Suns, the moment has arrived for taking a look at the less compatible ones.

Please remember that this Libra compatibility article is based only on the Sun sign.

Two people who possess Sun signs that are not traditionally compatible can still have a healthy relationship. The reason behind this is that compatibility goes beyond Sun signs.

There may be other astrological placements in the natal charts, as well as a desire of getting to know more about a partner, that could make a relationship work and be long-lasting.

Libra and Taurus

Even though both signs are ruled by Venus, Taurus and Libra couldn’t be more different.

Taurus is a fixed and earthy sign that enjoys life when it’s predictable and stable.

Libra, on the other hand, needs to start new projects all the time and to socialize with new people.

These two signs will drive each other crazy in a committed relationship.

While the Taurus Sun may be stubborn and fixated on their old ideas, the Libra Sun may be indecisive and always interested in seeing life from a variety of perspectives.

The Taurus Sun wants to keep things under control and the Libra Sun wants to push the envelope constantly.

Insecurity may be another issue in this couple.

The Libra Sun could criticize their Taurus Sun partner as a way of projecting their own fears of not being good enough.

But the Taurus Sun will not understand this unconscious mechanism and will take the criticism very personally.

Then, the Taurus Suns could experience sudden bursts of anger because they are not able to channel their emotions constructively. And Libra Suns will go away because they can’t stand rudeness.

Libra and Virgo

A relationship between a Virgo Sun and a Libra Sun doesn’t look like a good match.

Virgo is an earth sign and is ruled by Mercury. This means that it relies on tangible results.

Libra is an airy sign ruled by Venus and couldn’t be more distant from Virgo’s pragmatic nature.

Libra craves beauty and art and can be very vacillating when making a decision.

As soon as one of them has to articulate a concern or a deep feeling, the other one seems to freeze and to lose the ability for showing empathy or compassion.

These two signs are not known for having the skill to connect with their emotions and display them honestly.

The mental attraction that they may experience interferes with showing love and with providing comfort at disturbing times.

Virgo wants to optimize processes and improve existing systems. Therefore, people born under this sign will take over the decisions that the Libra Suns need to make.

The Libra Suns will feel inferior and will stop respecting their Virgo Sun partner. While Libra Suns don’t tolerate the absence of kindness, Virgo Suns can’t accept ambivalence.

Libra and Scorpio

The value system of a Scorpio Sun is remarkably divergent from the value system of a Libra Sun.

Scorpio is not afraid of facing the darkest aspects of the human condition. Libra, on the other extreme, is devoted to niceties.

A Libra Sun may perceive that a Scorpio Sun goes the extra mile to be perceived as special and deep.

A Scorpio Sun may perceive that a Libra Sun compromises all the time just to fit in.

The main problem here is that a Libra Sun may be too concerned about other people’s opinions and a Scorpio Sun finds this concern superficial and shallow.

Libra Suns will have trouble understanding the inquisitive side of Scorpio, as much as Scorpio Suns won’t be able to understand the accommodating nature of their Libra partners.

Their differences could be impossible to reconcile. However, they may have an incredibly intense and demanding sexual life.

Obsession and possessiveness are two possible manifestations when they are in the bedroom.

They could create profound ties through their physical contact, but everything else in the relationship could make them feel unsatisfied and unappreciated.

Libra Man

The Libra man is gentle, tactful, and smart. He has great manners and dedicates a lot of time to improve his appearance.

On the downside, he could have high standards in a partnership and this will be reflected in the way he treats his significant other.

The Libra man could not-so-subtly make suggestions to his partner about clothing and modals.

When he is in a committed relationship, he loves taking his significant other to fancy restaurants, art galleries, and big concerts.

He wants to dress up for special occasions and display a spotless image. And he wants his partner to act in the same when they are together in public.

This man enjoys compliments about the way he looks and how smart he is.

He likes being cherished and caressed in public, but he may have a hard time showing affection when surrounded by strangers.

Libra Man Relationship Compatibility

The signs that are most compatible with having a relationship with a Libra man are Leo and Sagittarius.

Having a relationship with one of these fire signs is beneficial for the Libra man because his partner will make him feel appreciated.

If you are dating a Libra man but you are having trouble deciphering his true feelings for you then I recommend you read our article on Libra man in love to help guide you.

Libra Man Sexual Compatibility

If the Libra man wants to experience a satisfying sexual life, he has to choose partners with the Sun in Aries or Capricorn.

These two signs are also cardinal and will definitely know how to ignite the spark.

Libra Woman

The Libra woman is fair, loyal, and delicate. She will be prepared to make a lifetime commitment with a partner of her choosing.

However, she could be too focused on pleasing her significant other all the time and forget who she is as an individual.

Therefore, she can come across as someone who is calculating and fake.

Her need to be in a relationship is extremely strong and dating is never casual for her.

In extreme situations, this woman could be thinking about marriage after the first date!

She could be quite needy and dependent on her partner to make even the simplest decisions. But when she knows her worth, she can be adorable, enchanting, and attentive.

A confident Libra woman doesn’t go unnoticed.

Libra Woman Relationship Compatibility

The signs that are most compatible with a committed relationship with a Libra woman are Gemini and Aquarius.

Gemini and Aquarius are connected with Libra by trine. The relationship with one of these tactful airy signs will be fun and exciting.

Libra Woman Sexual Compatibility

Even if they will not work well together in a long-term relationship, having a sexual partner with the Sun in Taurus or in Scorpio will be a parade of lust for the Libra woman.

These two fixed signs are intense and possessive, two qualities that could be interesting to find in a sexual encounter.

Final Thoughts

Gracious and charismatic, the sons and daughters of Venus will definitely catch your attention. Their persuasive tactics and their classy style make them utterly mesmerizing.

Libra Suns are relationship-oriented and could be people-pleasers. But they also want to have a first-class partner.

They won’t settle for less than they deserve and they will not give up their social life to stay at home with a dull person.

This is why Libra compatibility with the other air signs is a good combination, as well as with fire signs. Air and fire are positive elements that want to have a vibrant and lively existence.

A long-term relationship with an earth or water sign may not be the best option for Libra Suns.

Earth and water are elements that belong to the negative polarity and their natives are much more reserved and quiet than a Libra Sun.

If this article didn’t quite answer your questions about Libra compatibility then I recommend you take a look at our article here to find your perfect love match according to astrology.

[neriad13]

Favorite Media of 2020!

There was a large swathe of this year during which I was unable to concentrate on reading (as there probably was for a lot of other typically-frequent readers), so, as a result, I ended up listening to way more podcasts and watching way more TV shows. Not a bad thing, but boy did I read way less books than usual. 

However, for the first time in a while, the amount of fiction I read was about equal with the amount of nonfiction I read. Last year’s reading resolution was to read more fiction, so...success??

I did read a lot of phenomenal fiction when I had the energy to do so this year.

Books - Fiction

The Martian - Andy Weir

This book is the hardest of the hard sci fi I think I’ve ever read. Every single aspect of it is minutely researched and calculated. The author literally wrote equations to write this book. The science is insanely impressive and yet...it never loses its sense of humor or humanity in the mix. In fact, they’re the thing that drives the entire story.

Warlock Holmes - G. S. Denning

Way early in the year I was strolling down the fantasy aisle at the library, when this cover caught my eye. I took one look at it, went “oh, this looks silly” and...proceeded to devour the entire series in a matter of weeks. 

It is very silly. Especially when it’s pointing out something that was silly in the original. There’s something so satisfying about Watson immediately answering Holmes with the correct number of steps in their flat when he’s trying to make his point about how most people don’t pay attention to things like that.

World War Z - Max Brooks

Every single scenario in here could easily support an entire book. A park ranger whose job it is to contain the yearly zombie spring thaw? HECK YES. I’d read tens of thousands of words about that. A Chinese admiral who defaults, steals the government’s premier submarine, loads it up with the families of his underlings and takes to the sea for years to live in the maritime economy that has sprung up in a world where everyone is trying to escape the shore? That could be an entire movie on its own. 

Every chapter was more creative than the last and as a huge worldbuilding fan, this book was so, so fun.

An Unkindness of Ghosts - Rivers Solomon

In which a queer, neurodivergent protagonist solves a mystery on a spaceship which is a microcosm of antebellum era politics! This had a beautiful, mysterious, wonder-inducing writing style and it was a joy to peer into the wildly differing minds of every single character.

Books - Nonfiction

Underland - Robert MacFarlane

In every chapter, the author visits a different hole. Basically.

It’s an exploration of caves, catacombs, mines, nuclear waste facilities and the hidden underbelly of every forest. It was fascinating. And fundamentally changed how I look at time.

Rejected Princesses - Jason Porath

After years of having enjoyed the web entries, I finally got my hands on the first book and was not disappointed. 

There are the more entertaining entries, of course and the art is as charming as always, but what struck me the most were the more difficult stories. The deeper you go into this book, the more horrific it gets. The author does not hold back on the indignities suffered by the historical figures he writes about. It’s terrible...but also very, very illuminating.

The Gift of Fear - Gavin De Becker

This book - while maintaining all the essential information in it - could be pared down to one sentence in a sea of blank pages and that sentence would be: trust your instincts. End of story.

But in a world where instincts are either customarily suppressed or going haywire, it’s not quite that easy, which is why I’m glad there is more to the book.

I picked it up thinking “ha ha, betcha can’t help a person with anxiety who fears all the time already” and...what it actually ended up doing was giving me the tools to differentiate between real fear and unfounded fear. And did help with the anxiety quite a bit.

Fanfiction

Watch Over Me - cakeisatruth

A Bioshock fic from the point of view of a little sister who is learning how to trust and be an ordinary child again. Dark and sweet. An excellent combo.

All That is Visible - Ultima_Thule

An exploration of a minor character in a well researched historical context? That’s my jam! How did they know?? A Tron fic about what it’s like to be a female programmer in the 70s.

Graphic Novels

The Adventure Zone - McElroys + Carey Pietsch

Yesssssssss! It was a running-to-the-library type event whenever my library got a new volume in. The jokes are so good, the art is so lively and the ways in which they added the details that the podcast couldn’t necessarily get across is *mwah*

Trail of Blood - Shuuzou Oshimi

Hoooooooly shit, the art style of this one!! It’s beautifully detailed and expressive, sure, but the real draw for me was how it changes with the emotional state of the main character. There’s this sequence in which he’s consumed with anxiety at school and all of his classmates become blurry and unfocused, until they can’t be recognized as humans at all, that particularly sticks with me.

It’s a horror story about a kid who witnesses his loving mother push his cousin off a cliff for seemingly no reason and is then obligated by her to keep the secret, which is eating him from the inside out. It’s so good, guys, please read it.

Level Up - Gene Lien Yang/Thien Pham

A story about a kid who is haunted by his late father’s desire for him to become a gastroenterologist. It’s funny and touching and the ending gave me what I can only describe as a feeling of exhilaration. Y’know that feeling when something unexpected but not out of left field, perfectly in tune with the narrative arc and gut bustingly funny happens, all in the same panel? That one.

Film

Searching

This is a fairly standard thriller about a dad trying to find out what happened to his missing daughter. It’s also found footage...but not in the usual way, which was what made it so compelling to me. It’s told through the dad’s phone calls, google searches, social media interactions, news footage, security cameras and webcams. It was such a cool way to tell a story.

Train to Busan

There’s a lot that’s already been said about this movie and I don’t think there’s much more I can meaningfully add to that. Suffice to say that ya gotta take care of each other if you’re going to survive a zombie apocalypse!!

TV Series

My Brother’s Husband

As close to a perfect adaptation as a person can get (barring the entire conversation in English which was...oof). I was so happy when they took it a step further and showed Kana and Yaichi actually getting to meet Mike’s family.

Zumbo’s Just Desserts

I watched a lot of baking shows this year. Like...a lot. They were my much-needed comfort viewing for the year and this one was my favorite, even over The Great British Baking Show (which I LOVE). Why? Because the pastry chef for whom it’s named makes such bizarre and wonderful desserts and fosters an environment in which the competitors do the same. I’ve never seen anything like a lot of the desserts that make an appearance on this show. Every single episode was an awesome surprise and so help me, this show had better get a third season.

She-ra and the Princesses of Power

There’s also a lot that’s been said about this one, so I won’t say much more. Suffice to say: DAMN. That’s how you do an 80s toy tie-in cartoon remake.

Infinity Train

This show’s premise is probably the most unique I’ve seen in recent years. Its balance of comedy, horror and existential dread is also *mwah* I also love how much it trusts the viewer to figure things out on their own.

Primal

A late entry sliding in before the year ends! I finally got to watch the second half of the first season last weekend and it was EXCELLENT. The pacing, the brutal fight scenes, the adorable dinosaur antics, the animation, the quiet moments - *mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah*

The most emotional moment for me was the part in which the protagonists watch, with sorrow, as the rabid dinosaur who’s been trying to kill them all night dies an excruciating death.

Also it sets up a fascinating new plotline right before ending in a cliffhanger!! Another one for the ‘had better get a next season’ list.

Games

Night in the Woods

This is one that’s been on my to play list for a few years and I was so glad I finally got my hands on it. It’s like...The Millennial Experience (TM), the game. I felt so seen, playing it. The character writing was fantastic.

Prey

I don’t know why I put off finishing this for so long. I guess I wasn’t in the right alien killing headspace for a while?? Anyway, the setting is gorgeous, the alien biology is weird and cool, the ethics are delightfully murky and the interconnectedness of the station was really cool, especially in the OH SHIT moments at the end. 

Podcasts

The Adventure Zone

I tried to narrow this down to one favorite arc, but found that I couldn’t do it. I love Balance for its comedy and creative energy. I love Amnesty for its drama and acting. I am loving Graduation for the depth of its world and the way in which the real story behind everything that’s happened is slowly unfurling. It’s a good podcast all around.  

The Magnus Archives

Who obsessively listened to every single season while playing Minecraft in about a month? Surely not me, nooooo. Of course not.

There’s also been a lot said on this one, so I’ll keep it brief. I’ve seen things in here that I haven’t really seen elsewhere in horror. My particular favorites were the creepy psychiatric hospital in which the horror comes not from the patients, but from the denial of the doctor to believe them about their mental illnesses and every single thing related to the Anthropocene. The one with the Amazonian village made out of trash - CHILLS.

[lostsparklingsiblings]

Lost sparks AU

The main AU for this blog.

An AU with elements of the Animated universe and the 2005 IDW universe as well as several headcanons to tie everything together. Because I’m a biology nerd, I am definitely taking a slightly more organic in nature approach to these.

It’s a pretty lose AU and it’s always welcoming to new characters. If you have a character who needs a universe to call home I’m sure there is a place for you here!

Some major things about the AU:

-Cybertronians have three ways of coming into being, Forged (The most common), Cold Constructed (Fell out of practice during the war and is now outlawed), and Created* (The least common and most dangerous for all involved)

-Most interactions take place after the war, Megatron and most of the Decepticons are in prison (Though security varies from ridges to lax depending on what the interaction calls for). Decpeticons who have not been imprisoned hide from the law off planet or have renounced their fraction and become either Autobot or neutral.

-The Decepticon Heir, Havoc, has been missing for a long time and is presumed to have died. No Decepticon on Cybertron is aware he is still alive.

-There is something called “Forced split-spark twins**” that is just as it sounds. It is a dangerous and painful process and out of the countless tries the “scientist” Fallback did only one sucseeded. 

-Two Cybertrinans can decide to become sparkbonded, this creates a bond between the two allowing them to feel each other emotions, pain, and even communicate (with practice). The only way sparkbonding can be reversed is by a skilled medic and typically they only do it if one of the pair is going about to die so their partner does not have to feel the pain of death. Most Cybertronians who do this are or become Conjunx Enduras.

-Most all the events from Animated took place

-Backstories of the characters are typically similar to their history in the IDW verse as that was more in depth then Animated thought it does vary.

*Created Cybertronians explained:

Cybertronians can be created in this AU, thought two adult Cybertronians are the norm it’s not completely unheard of to have a created sparkling with many creators. (I think the record is like five or something). 

Created sparklings happen when two Cybertronians regardless of their chosen gender fuse their sparks together for a moment, data from both of the parent sparks pulls away and forms a smaller, weaker spark that will usually follow the stronger of the two parent sparks back into the spark chamber.

Creators do not need to be sparkbonded to have a sparkling, though it improves the chances of the sparkling being healthy and the emergence of the created protoform being successful.

**Forced Split-Spark twins explained:

A split-spark twin is when a single spark, forged or created, splits into two. It’s not entirely known how or why this happens but it tends to result in two very similar looking Cybertronians. Split-spark twins are regarded of having the strongest connection of any bond between Cybertroninas, caretakers of forged  sparklings report split-spark twins seemingly able to communicate with each other even if they are separated.

Fallback, a neutral Cybertronian (Though he is typically mistaken for a Decepticon), was fascinated by this and set out to find out how it worked. He saw potential in the strong bond of split-spark twins for double agents. During this time the war was raging on and he figured either side would pay handsomely for the ability to have two mechs who could tell someone what the other was seeing or hearing. Theorizing that sparklings would be the best as their spark has not fully taken to their frame, he set out to collect any sparkling he could. However despite everything he could not get the spark to split apart and stay bright, most sparklings from his experiments ended up fading out in agony withing hours or days. Unknown to him he had snagged an outlier’s sparkling, and her spark survived the process of being torn apart and put into two frames. Both sparks took and though the one that was not in its original body is weaker they are both still alive.

Fallback’s experimentation came to an end when Supernova, the Decepticon queen, confronted him. She ended his life but was gravely damaged in the process, though she managed to save the two sparklings before they could be experimented on any farther.

Some characters in this AU

Havoc, Jackal, and Storm - found on the blog: @lostsparklingsiblings

Supernova and Solarflare - found on the blog: @sisters-in-arms

Karai and Saffron - found on the blog @askburningpassion (also a part of their geishaformers AU)

Megatron - found on the blog @cannons-and-swords

Rodimus prime, Thunderclash, Team Prime, Springer, Terminus, Impactor - No blogs attached

[filmjrnl365]

#114 Eraserhead (1977)

Director: David Lynch

United States

I’ve seen this film many times. The first time I ever saw it was in art school. It was met with laughter on several passages, but the film’s first ominous impressions never left me. In fact, for something that was created during the mid 1970s, Eraserhead has stood test of time. It seems to exist in some timeless netherworld, where none of the films visuals date it to any particular period or stylistic mandate.

I’m currently reading Room to Dream by David Lynch and Kristine McKenna. In this biography, there is plenty of illuminating anecdotes on Lynch’s making of Eraserhead, which is in tandem with his moving to L.A. and studying at the American Film Institute. On this most recent viewing, I concentrated more on the sound. I watched the movie, and paid more attention to how David Lynch and Alan Splet integrated the foreboding sonic landscape over the powerful black and white imagery.

The ambient industrial drone and echoed clanking of the movies score does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to establishing the emotional mood of Eraserhead. A dog barking in the distance, a hiss of some churning factory, a faraway train whistle, a static buzzer, and very little dialogue, are just some of the idiosyncratic sounds that populate an otherwise desolate, apocalyptic, landscape. In fact, to turn the sound down, some of the passages which feature Henry Spencer (Jack Nance), walking through this bleak wasteland, come across almost like a Buster Keaton film.

When the film turns to an interior scene, the low industrial hum and noise continues. It’s an ever present backdrop, that when paired with interior scenes, accentuates the awkward and claustrophobic isolation of the film. For the most part, Lynch shot the film at night. He and the crew worked until they heard the birds chirping in the pre-dawn hours; this contributes to the predominately dark tonality of the film. Whether interior or exterior shots, the movie is atmospheric, but essentially scoreless, in that it does not feature some bombastic , melodic, orchestration to ratchet up the tension. This was smart on Lynch’s part, it could very well have ruined Eraserhead to tie the memory of the movie to some pop song, in the same way as ay Mike Nichol’s The Graduate is married to Simon and Garfunkel’s, “The Sound of Silence” (In the case of The Graduate, it works to perfection).

From the dinner scene, and with the arrival of “the baby”, the sonic textures become more specific and less panoramic. We get the articulate and labored breathing of the baby, the gurgling of the vaporizer, the squishy sounds of Mary’s disturbed sleep, and Henry throwing umbilical cords against the wall. Just the kind of miniscule but unnerving sounds that trigger a visceral response from the viewer, and add a dimension of realism to an already visually obscure scene.

A strategy that Lynch uses to wonderful affect in Eraserhead and most of his other films is the zoom in shot paired with the crescendo of industrial roar. These scenes, by far some of my favorite in all of cinema, are singularly transportive moments. They suck the viewer instantly into an expanding darkness and serve as a portal into a dreamlike vignette collaged within the broader narrative of the film. An example, Henry stares at an innocuous radiator in his lonely room, but almost instantly, the radiator’s repetitious vertical forms become more like an ominous alien architecture. The image continues to zoom in and gives way to an isolated spot lit stage, where a young woman with bulging fibrous cheeks enacts a coy, innocent dance. White light flares, the industrial hiss and roar grow louder, turning the whole bizarre apparition into a nightmarish religious/apocalyptic whiteout.  

More than any other film, David Lynch’s Eraserhead captures the elusive darkness, perversity and anxiety that manifests in our dreams. I wouldn’t call Lynch’s film surrealist, because Lynch’s production process seems much too deliberate, and consciously obsessive to qualify as some experiment that attempts to plunge into the depths of the id. But, he does allow for the unexpected and the unexplained to flourish, even dominate the film. For a visual and aural medium like film to so successfully inhabit the dark worlds of the subconscious, is in my mind an amazing feat. It’s frustrating that Eraserhead gets viewed or understood by many viewers as a product of goofy, atomic era campiness; because it stands to be taken seriously as a true counterpoint to cinema’s slavish insistence on realism. Plenty of films have attempted to capture the dream, but it is very rare that a movie actually displaces us into the unsettling reality of one. Eraserhead spends the entirety of the film in this visceral, emotional darkness, and when we snap back into daily reality, we’re not sure where we just were, but we were definitely somewhere else. This is the fundamental power of this film, and in large part the subconscious landscape Lynch consistently dwells in for his other films.

If by chance you have made it this far in the review, and have never seen this film, a plot summary will be of little use. The roadmap of events is negligible in this case. One is best served by turning off the lights, putting on the headphones, suspending judgment, and absorbing the darkness, imagery and sound of this film at the metabolic level. This is where this movie is truly different. Most films, being a visual medium, reside in the eye and the mind; most find their path to our emotions through these channels. Eraserhead’s imagery, and its accompanying sonic landscape, manage to infiltrate the viewer’s emotional psyche on multiple covert levels. What has always puzzled me is why more movies and directors don’t explore this experiential space more aggressively. I’m left with the assumption they simply can’t or don’t want to, whether through budgetary constraint, technical obstacles, or lack of desire. Typically, movies / directors simply don’t transport their audience to this level of profound obscurity. They can approximate it, but that’s entirely different. So, most movies remain as a kind of gorgeous, externalized, optical experience. That has its place, but it’s without risk or danger. We don’t emerge from it shaken and disordered, like we emerge from the emotions of a nightmare.

By the end of Eraserhead, Henry, has decide to confront the helpless bandaged entity of “the baby”. And with scissors in hand,  Lynch takes the story into some unforgettable viscous footage, and the movie submerges even farther into its own abyss. Henry is losing his mind, and his head, and all the while - the muffled mechanical drone, and nuanced black and white texture of the film apprehends and captivates. Films are meant to be experienced, but few really are.  More than several within David Lynch’s career are of this level (Blue Velvet is a sure bet).

If one wishes to try and solve the riddle of David Lynch’s films, read another informative book entitled, Lynch on Lynch by David Lynch and Chris Rodley. But be warned, you will only get somewhat close to any definitive answers concerning his creative process or deepest intentions. Certain components, feelings and motivations, Lynch ultimately keeps to himself. He doesn’t remember or bluntly refuses to answer the question. He deliberately keeps the mystery intact, and in some instances may not have conscious knowledge of what the hell happened during the process of filming, but the magic was captured, and for Lynch, that is what’s most important. This is significant, and I love Lynch for this. Nothing worse than art that is so self-aware that it loses its capacity to intrigue. His art tends to avoid commentary, too much historical quotation, or even worse have it require some sort of theoretical homework before gaining admission into its content. This would be a buzzkill, and makes the resulting artwork an exercise in literacy, rather than a conduit for emotional connection. Rather than being explanitory or didactic, Lynch prefers to move around in the evocative world of symbols and associations. Everyone and everything in his films is coupled with an ominous duality that can turn at any moment. But, Rodley’s book, done in an interview format, gives insightful information on the fascinating, obsessive lengths Lynch delves into when making his films.

So, even if you have seen this movie many times, watch it again. Only this time listen. Turn up the sound, put on the headphones and allow yourself to willingly go into the dream. It‘s really not so funny anymore… it’s rather scary, and it’s absurdly beautiful.

Unforgettable.

And that’s the best thing you can ever say about a film!

6/04/2019

 https://filmjrnl365.tumblr.com

[forfansbyfans]

Playing With Crayons: A FFBF Interview

Homestuck Tarot Acts 6 & 7 - Cards Illustrated:  Ace of Cups

It’s always fascinating to see how huge the Homestuck art community is all over the world - Where are you from?   

I'm from the south of France ! I live in a very rural and very small village (less than 200 villagers) where there was nothing to do during my long adolescent days, so I had a lot of time to kill, which is something every Homestuck reader needs when they first begin this epic journey.

We’re in love with the tarot deck! Can you tell us a little bit about how you became involved?

I know, it's such a cool project, right ? If memory serves, I first applied for a place in the Major Arcana when I saw a post going around tumblr, but I knew that a lot of major Homestuck artists would be applying as well, so in the comments box I said something like "have you considered illustrating the Minor Arcana as well ? It would be fun and allow more people to participate !" I can't say that this deck's Minor Arcana came to be thanks to me (I'm sure other people had this idea too) but it doesn't hurt to dream :p

Tell us a little bit about the artwork you contributed to the deck – how does the art tie in with the meaning behind the card?

I illustrated the Ace of Cups, which represents affectionate relationships, new hope, and beginnings. Even when reversed, it stays a surprisingly happy card. I feel like Roxy and Calliope's relationship was, a bit like this card, a breath of fresh air during Act 6, which was relatively heavy even for Homestuck. Even at their lowest, they held on to each other and simply kept on liking and supporting each other, and this constant meant a lot to me, especially when you consider other canon relationships where the emotional roller coaster was just too wild :p I could keep talking about it forever, but I'll just conclude this bit by saying that I wanted to show how lovely their relationship is and this card was the perfect way to do so!

How have you grown as an artist over the years and what has helped you grow?

As famous modern composer Shawn Wasabi once said, "talking to strangers online was the best decision I ever made" ! I said it before, but I come from a very small village and had very, very few friends growing up. The Internet allowed me to talk and exchange with a multitude of new people in which I could find inspiration in, and discover art in more depth - I was just a kid playing with crayons before! Now, I... Well, I'm a slightly older kid playing with crayons, I guess, but also I know what highlights are, so that's cool !

What’s your process? Where do you find inspiration?

Online comics are such a great source of inspiration - even more traditional ones! Comics are right in the middle of the Venn diagram of my hobbies, writing and drawing, and watching characters not only be there on the page, but interact and talk and grow and move is just so damn mind blowing. I'm constantly impressed by how people manage to create characters that seem real while being restricted by (and having fun with) comic pages laws. I hope one day to make something that will both make readers forget they're reading a comic, and simultaneously make them go "oh, I like how they played with that rule ! Sick flip, bro !" Or... Something like that.

What kind of impact has Homestuck had on your life and art?

Homestuck just came right there in my life, saw my comfort zone and said "hmmMM mind if I expand that just a tad?" and then next thing you know you want to bang monsters OK NO BUT HONESTLY I think that Homestuck's greatest impact on my life is that it's the first piece of media that pushed me to interact with other people about it. I was in other fandoms before, but I mostly kept to myself. Homestuck made me come online more regularly and interact with people on a daily basis, exchanging theories and fancharacters and ship hopes and what have yous. It was a great, weird, big experience and I know I wouldn't be there, draw so much, or even talk English so well (lol) without Homestuck and its capacity to tie people together.

What advice would you give to a younger you?

Don't underestimate the power of a good shirt. Also yes you will one day manage to draw fluorescent shit, don't worry, your time will come.

Follow the-nothing-maker--->

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CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER TODAY!

Interview by Cassie Steensrud

@whatpumpkin @the-nothing-maker

[abadzone]

A Weekly Song: Episode 8 - Joe Hisaishi

A Weekly Song: Episode 8

Joe Hisaishi – Procession of the Gods

“When’s he going to do a movie composer?”

“He’s always going on about film soundtracks.”

It’s true, I am, I do. The reason is this – I listen to a hell of a lot of them. I’m an aficionado. When you’re writing and drawing all day and night, whether it’s writing articles for magazines or scripts for other artists, or just drawing your own comics and illustrations, you listen to a lot of music.

About five years ago, other than corporate work, I changed my professional emphasis from both writing and drawing to predominantly writing (largely because I make more money from writing than from doing both. Making comics and graphic novels is slow, hard work where you do about ten jobs for the price of one. Plus, anyone in comics publishing will tell you how little most artists make, but that is not the purpose of this essay so I’ll leave that story and observations on same for another time).

I’ve always found that I can’t listen to music with lyrics or indeed a human voice of any kind while writing – I find it distracting. This leaves instrumental music – Jazz and Classical, sure, Ambient definitely, but most often – soundtracks. Film and TV scores.

Perhaps the reason for this is that the part of my brain that I use to create stories and voices of characters is also the part that listens to and processes speech and singing. I don’t know that for sure, but whatever the reason, because most of my time is now spent writing, there’s much less time to listen to listen to podcasts, talk radio and the like.

When I was doing the more “automatic” tasks in the creation of a page of comics, like lettering, inking or colouring, I always found myself listening to something with a human voice – a play, a podcast, radio documentaries. My inking was actually better, both looser and slicker, if I was slightly distracted by listening to radio plays or discussion of some kind. (Hi, BBC Radio 4, NPR and Big Finish. I miss you.)

Correspondingly, my appetite for soundtracks has increased, but they’ve always been an important – nay, essential part of my creative process. They are both mood setters and emotional emollient, both starting points and helpful compositional markers in the creation of a story.

It goes something like this: you think of a scene, what the purpose of it is, how you want it to play, what the characters are saying and doing and you choose a piece of music that sets the temperature of that set of incidents. I think every book and every comic I’ve ever written has had a temp-track of sorts, a tracklisting that serves as a guide for the mood and atmosphere I’m looking for.

In many cases, this temp-track evolves and changes as the story does, with some pieces of music being dropped in favour of others as the shape of the narrative develops. I imagine it’s a similar process in an editing suite; as you revise and modify the focus of different elements of a story, the linguistic accompaniments necessarily change too. In film or TV, it might be the Foley sounds, a change of emphasis in lighting via colour grading; in comics it might be the layout, the way the guttering of a page affects the pace at which a reader scans it, and where their eye is led; the tempo at which it subtextually guides a reader to the turn of the page and an emotional turning point, all the while preserving a sense of immersion. Every small detail the author employs affects everything else, and everything has to be right and constantly rejigged to create the illusion of the real world within the story.

This is the kind of constant balancing act common to all forms of visual storytelling. While comics don’t have the luxury of sound and motion, it is still a supremely nuanced and sophisticated language in its own right. What I always liked about comics as both art form and means of expression is how accessible they are and that they can be created relatively cheaply in comparison to film or TV. Anyone can make a comic; you really can be a sole creator, whereas film and TV are collaborative media. A graphic novel really can be one person’s creative vision, unlike a film, which although it may be steered by one overall captain, the authorship really is shared by many (despite what the director’s credit would have you believe: “A Film By…”)

I digress. The point is, one art form and means of cultural expression runs into the next; none of them stand alone. Everything influences everything else and in my case, I’d go so far as to say, these days, music probably influences me more in terms of the kinds of stories I like to tell than many other comics do. Storytelling is a free-flowing activity that inhabits every possible mode of human expression.

Obviously, all this means I have a lot of favourite soundtracks and film composers. How to pick one, and just one track from so many, for this week’s song?

Well, first time around, I’m gonna do the easy thing. I’m going straight to someone who supplies music for one of the greats in a related field: animation. The greatest living animator, in my humble opinion, is Hayao Miyazaki. One of Miyazaki’s constant and most consistent collaborators is Mamoru Fujisawa AKA Joe Hisaishi, who has composed scores for every Miyazaki movie but one. Not to compare Miyazaki to a Spielberg or a Lucas, but Hisashi is Miyazaki’s John Williams.

It’s really difficult to pick a favourite Miyazaki film, and equally difficult to pick a Hisaishi score. He is, predictably, a composer who can match the depth, vision and moods of Miyazaki, one who seems as comfortable with experimental electronica as he is with the orchestra.

My admiration for Hisaishi is a fairly usual reaction to his music; sometimes it’s interesting to look at exactly why a composer is beloved. His association with one of the best storytellers in the world is partially the reason, but composers are of course storytellers in their own right. There is a line of thinking that viewers shouldn’t really notice movie music – that it’s a subtextual support to the emotion and action of the story being told onscreen. While there’s an element of truth in that, there are just as many examples to the opposite. What I think a good film score should do is complement and highlight the story, help make it an immersive emotional experience; be textural as opposed to specific. It should help you, the viewer, get caught up in the characters and story without necessarily calling attention to itself, which calls for a lot of nuance and is a very neat balancing act. You can still notice it – I sometimes do, but what’s fascinating about it is that, when it’s working well, I often don’t do it consciously. The opposite is true also – I notice it when it’s intrusive or overly sentimental, signposting emotions rather than being an integral part of them.

Something that interests me is that Hisaishi is on record as thinking many modern Hollywood soundtracks don’t have enough “space” or silence in them – that quiet is as much a tool of the composer as loud is. This is a man whose comprehension of emotional colour and silence as a tone in his palette is second to none. I love his work in film and beyond it (which is why I’m also going to cheat a bit and also recommend his Minima Rhythm series, the first of which you can listen to here).

That’s not today’s pick though, which I agonised over. I almost went for the opening of Princes Mononoke, Attack of the Tatari-Gami, which is both great action music and one of the most sinister themes in animation history. In the end, I settled upon a piece from Spirited Away, which is possibly one of Hisaishi’s most sweeping, yearning scores. 

Variously known as Procession of the Gods (on the US pressing of the soundtrack I have), Procession of the Spirits and The Procession of Celestial Beings, the cue is actually seriously truncated in the movie and not allowed to fully bloom the way it does on the soundtrack album. You’re going to have to take my word for that, because unfortunately there is no official Studio Ghibli channel that I can find on YouTube that showcases Hisaishi’s work, but you can do a search and find several cover versions that attempt to recapture its ominous majesty. Here’s a link to how it sounds in the film, but I’d encourage you to seek out the soundtrack album and listen to it in all its pomp, 

The scene it accompanies is shortly after the main character, a ten-year old girl called Chihiro, finds herself stranded in a magical world. Her parents have turned into pigs (yes) and she attempts to find the tunnel that is a gateway back to her reality, only to find that she is now separated from it by a newly-appeared river. A boat begins crossing the water towards her and this music begins to play, all string-plucked notes and magical portent. There are no visible passengers until the boat hits the shore, where Chihiro stands watching. Doors open, the music swells, heralding the arrival of beings that no human child should witness. They appear as masks that float around head height and, floating above the deck, file off the boat one by one. As they disembark, cloaks flow from the masks, like paint tipped from a bucket, flowing down to describe the shapes of their intangible bodies…

…And Chihiro flees, the music fades. On the soundtrack album it reaches a magnificent crescendo and ends on a playful note, punctuated by human voices. It’s a scene that goes from a foreboding menace to awe and wonder, from fear to celebration and back again.

If you’ve never seen the film, see it. It is far, far from being merely a children’s entertainment and occupies a place among the most visionary films ever made.

I have another version of Procession from the Spirited Away Image Album, which I think might be a demo rather than the more usual “song in character” pieces you get on those kinds of tie-ins (but I can’t read Japanese, so I might be completely wrong about that. Feel free to correct me if so via Twitter or email or if you have any further information about this particularly sumptuous film score).

To get a flavour of Joe Hisaishi’s imaginative brilliance, you can watch and listen to a whole concert here.

More info on Studio Ghibli (n English) available here.

[nikki-reuclife]

chains and necklace men use

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[kierianpattonphoto]

Moving Image Research

I have always been fascinated with moving image and our roles as photographers within this. Ever since now that going forward photographers are expected to know how to shoot, edit and deliver videos. For example, i did a corporate job recently where i was doing headshots and then i was expected to create a short 1 minute long clip that summed up this large business meeting that was getting held in the office. It was to be posted on linkedin to bolster the company’s overall image and make them appear very professional and organised. 

Saying that my only real experience with moving image is corporate video! i have always fantasised about creating something, more, something personal in a sense. One of my ideas was to create a portait of someone who has recently moved here from a different country and it would include them doing a voiceover of their experiences of lonliness when they first moved. It would include asking them questions such as “do you ever regret moving over?” or “is there anything you long for here that you could get back home?”.

The plan is to evoke an emotional response from the sitter and maybe even the viewer. But, not only do i plan on having just a voiceover, i also plan on having mark mann style scenes where the sitter is speaking into the camera showing emotion when talking about his personal struggles with moving here. I also plan on showing static scenes, such as a scene of clouds rolling overhead or trees swaying in the wind. Tying the voiceover into a physical representation in a scene is key. An example of this would be if someone was speaking about travelling i would show a clip of the road rolling by while looking out of a car.

Inspiration 

Having the scene match the voiceover is key for this moving image project and i believe it will further evoke the emotional response i am after. I would also like to incorporate a musical score over the video. I have a few ideas of where i would search for this, i could even use the musical scores from some of my favorite films such as ‘bladerunner 2049′ or ‘the place beyond the pines.’

Both films feature very unique music styles and create a deep emotional story line that has the main protagonist long for a sense of belonging.

All of these examples above convey all the same sense of loneliness and separation. This is through the use of including negative space in the composition around the subject. I would aim to use similar techniques when shooting my moving image to help tie everything in visually with the soundtrack and voiceover. 

I have also been looking at a filmmaker / youtuber Will Derbyshire. His work is beautiful to say the least. His work is often based around travel, people he has met or what is going on in his life at that moment. The films have an amateur feel to them which remind me of the videos your parents would take on holiday or little snap shots on the family camera. Often when i watch his videos i’m hit with a wave of nostalgia or a sense of longing to be transported back to holidays when i was young. 

I aim to take inspiration from parts of his videos such as composition and colour grading. Ive noticed that in his videos they all share a similar soundtrack which is usually an off beat piano playing over usually ambient sounds from the location such as wind, footsteps or police sirens. Having these ambient sounds i believe can add more depth to my moving image, by having just the soundtrack and a voiceover it feels a little 2D and flat. For a moving image piece that i’m creating for the sole purpose of provoking emotion having that extra layer of audio to my work can aid massively.

https://youtu.be/u0SFECKSonU https://youtu.be/ERNcJlU6Dsw

Soundtrack 

Picking a soundtrack for this project is also very important, by choosing the wrong one it can distract the viewer and take away from the story. A soundtrack is merely there to aid in telling the story and to convey the intended feelings. I already have a solid idea as to what genre the score will be. I have been fascinated with ambient music and some light piano pieces. There is one album i keep going back to and thats burial’s Untrue album, it captures ghosts, lost features and life’s liminal spaces. I often refer to the album as feeling like you’re standing waiting for a bus on a rainy December night in the city. The album feels like it romanticises being alone and wandering the city late night in the rain. 

I think certain tracks from this album could work well with my moving image as the film is about moving from your comfort zone and trying to find yourself in this new place you’re in. Tracks such as this one below i have linked are melancholic and almost a eulogy to the feeling you get when you’re walking home from a night-out or from work in those dark wet winter nights. 

I would love to put this track over the finishing sequences of shots. 

https://youtu.be/GbfrgJls7n4

Storyboard & Voiceover 

First rough copy i am happy with.

There are a few things i could change towards making a final rough cut, i’d like to get a bit more variance in terms of city scapes to add into the visual side of things, i think the key is to find things that are seemingly normal but quite beautiful. Things such as golden leaves on a wet pavement or a quiet park with leaves falling. Having these simple yet stunning visuals play into the idea that all these places are the same as back home but they have little differences that can make a big impact. 

I would also like to film Logan and include some sort of close up of his face towards the end of the video just sp it puts a voice to a face, i think doing this will make it a bit more relatable and will contain more of a human element. I may also look into adding a few sound effects such as a film spool and the beep countdown as my film is 16mm film inspired, so i believe it would add a but more depth to the film. 

I thankfully managed to get a hold of logan and shoot some close ups, medium shots and long shots of him stood in my back garden. I shot a fair good amount of clips so i could have a bit variance in post and then deice what ones i prefer. Below are stills pulled from each clip i could of used. 

clip 1

Clip 2 

Clip 3

Clip 4

Clip 5 ( a touch out of focus sadly )

So i think out of all of these clip 3 holds the most emotion in it, in the other 4 clips logan is either looking away or has too much negative space around him which takes away some emotion. When logan is square onto the camera with an extreme close up it holds some value and emotion which can bring alot into my film, like i said earlier it brings in a human value to it which can aid a lot in trying to convey emotion.

The next step was to bring the clip into premiere pro and overlay the 16mm film effect over the clip. With and Without 

AS you can see the effect does brighten up the overall image so i would compensate this by dragging and dropping a lumetri colour effect onto the clip, this then allows me to do basic exposure correction and colour correction. 

Of course when in import the clip it wont be cropped either, so for the film effect overlay to line up i would need to crop the video. I do this buy going to video effects > transform > crop and then i would drag and drop it onto the clip i would like cropped. 

Different streetscapes 

I ended up going for a fairly long walk around the streets near my flat just after it rained in the hunt for anything visually interesting in the usual “mundane”. I already had a decent idea of what i needed, one of which was to shoot in the park at the end of my street, it was small shared park which usually featured small families or people playing with their dog, to capture the simplicity of this was key.

Almost final 

As you can see i have added a few more street scenes to the video which has made it a bit more visually appealing, i also adjusted the timing on some of the clips as they were a second or two too long. I think from here i have my core film its just a case of adding the clips of Logan and adding small sound effects and adjusting timing

Sound effects 

I thought that just having the film open up with the soundtrack was a little too simple and boring. Plus when you see films that have used a similar visual style to me by using a film effect they will always include a sound effect of a film reel starting up. 

Final Version & Evaluation

https://youtu.be/Rf4M5BZ__Oo

Moving image Evaluation - Kierian Patton BA3

Evaluation

Overall I would deem this a successful project from start to finish. I would say I had done sufficient research into the type of moving image I wanted to create and then I experimented with sound effects and visual effects to create my moving image. When looking into pieces of media of which I could draw inspiration from I found myself dis- covering a visual style and story telling from a select few creators on YouTube. By dis- covering the exact visual style I was after so early on was crucial to the development of my moving image. It allowed me to have a streamlined process of firstly writing up a short script and general idea and then expanding it into a comprehensive story board. From there I was able to convey exactly what I required off my actor Logan at the time, and when it came to editing I had already pre-visualised the pacing and timing of the moving image.

Researching the soundtrack that would go into my moving image was tricky as I wished to find something melancholic yet hopeful. As you may be able to guess that was rather difficult, I found that almost placing myself in the actors shoes in terms of what he may be feeling when speaking about his time moving countries was extremely beneficial in grasping an idea of what musical genre or sub genre I would need to explore. I ended up setting my sights on Burial, his music emulated the trend of “hauntology” in the early 2000’s and pushing the boundaries of breakbeats, dubstep and jungle at that time. I used the first 30 seconds of the track “Etched Headplate” from his critically acclaimed 2007 album “Untrue” as I liked the vocals at the start and then from the same album I used the song “In McDonald’s” for the rest of the moving image to create a feeling of nostalgia and melancholy. If I was to shoot this project again I would use another actor as I found myself struggling to secure Logan to shoot for a day or two as he was very busy and sometimes he wouldn’t show up to the shoot, I later found he had a few personal issues going on which I understood. I was not the biggest fan of the voiceover for my moving image as I felt as though it sounded very scripted and slow, if I was to redo it I would sit Logan down in an interview type of scenario and fire off questions and then get a more genuine response and allow him to speak as if it was a normal conversation and not filmed. Overall, I am happy with how my moving image turned out. From looking at visual references on YouTube to researching the music and sounds and to finally piecing it all together in post production. There are a few things like I reiterated previously is that I would use a different actor or actress who had a more flexible schedule and I would also change the pacing of the voice-over as I felt as though it was too regimented sounding.

[firefield]

David Bowie - Space Oddity (2019 Visconti Remix)

I’m a fan (so far) of all the times Bowie commissioned a remix of an entire album. Individual tracks, not always, but albums, yes. Some were desperately needed (Lodger and NLMD) some fixed technical flaws, restored sequencings, and generally balanced things up (David Live, Stage) some were about detail and subtlety possibly lost on casual listeners, but reward active listening (Ziggy Stardust, Station To Station.)

But with those wrapped up and in the can with the Legacy Box sets, I didn’t anticipate any new remix work, mainly because the key works/fixes are completed and the remasters of all the original mixes are overall pretty gorgeous. So this announcement of Tony Visconti’s two-month-long remix project of this brilliant 1969 record surprised me. Doing some digging, TV made his case and it makes sense. Limited funds originally to do the mix, so very limited time. The whole record was mixed in less than a week. So I could see the appeal for him, the original engineer, to sit with those recording sessions for awhile... revisit what did and didn’t make the cut, look at the balance of instruments in the stereo field, play with all those stems and see if anything special grows.

So yeah - I was happy about that and excited to hear his work. To some degree, I expected to hear some new parts, probably DB vocal layers never heard, a “modern” mix that shimmered and enveloped and impressed as is typical of Tony’s sympathetic and DB attuned aesthetic.

What we got instead was something much more sludgy and of its time. A psychedelic aural sieve with tracks jammed through it like hand-mixed sausage through a press. Holy shit! What the hell is this? If like me you have heard this album 100’s of times since you were basically a kid, it’s absolutely disarming. This is brave work. It’s not safe, anticipated or typical in any way, save the majestic treatment of the title track, which by the way, is not indicative of the overall effect this new mix has.

Fans of this record understand its depth, and I still hold that lyrically it’s one of his most profound and sincere works - and Visconti has absolutely impregnated this material with a dense gravity that I could not have seen coming. It’s just *heavy* man. The vocal treatments and layering make me feel like DB is alive and tracked these himself from some planet like Venus, with its crushing atmosphere and yellow green swamps of mystery. It’s one of those listens that happens sometimes in music where you sit there with your jaw open, not sure if you even like what you are hearing. Like the sound is happening and it’s something beyond your judgement until you’ve at least honored the work enough to listen through it quite a few times. Like you have to earn your hall pass, and until you get one, your job is to shut up and just listen.

The album opens of course with a stratospheric Space Oddity, with just absolutely amazing and heart rending strings and a vocal treatment that is alive with power and mystery and echoes into the universe from which it arrived. Instantly my favorite version of this well-known song.

Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed blends much more smoothly with the title track, but then begins to morph as the bass stabs into the speaker cones, mixed high and defiant, and by the time “I’m a phallus in pigtails” arrives, you’ve got a glorious sludge of footstomping thick-as-theives rock and roll. Guitars are nasty and tightened up, harmonicas drip sweat, and the dirty ride cymbal washes it all out over an extended Americana deep-south voodoo coda that just keeps on keeping on in spite of the oppressive humidity.

Letter To Hermoine is also thickened with an almost suffocating warmth and reverb - the sparkle of the original is dampened into a mush and David’s vocal is made stark, demo-ish, slipped more to the right channel forcing it to stick out even more than its already increased amplitude. I would never have considered treating this song in this way, a mix like this, but it makes a more personal song even more so, in a way that makes every crack of David’s voice feel like he stayed up all night writing it just for you. An extraordinary interpretation by Tony Visconti.

And now an album centerpiece, Cygnet Committee, with its lyrical themes that speak to literally the entirely of Bowie’s remaining career. The reverb immediately noticeable on the opening bass part unifies what has come before, and I’m impressed how “Beatlesque” this mix is, with the drums hard-panned, the rosedale electric chord organ mixed higher, the vocal reverbs appearing and disappearing, going from a near complete wash to totally absent when the narrator has a point to make. It’s not a “modern” mix at all, but perfectly suits the material and the time in which it was written. It doesn’t play tricks, or attempt to tickle ears with novelty - it lets this incredible song stand on its own and march it’s way to closing out the A-side.

So how to tackle Janine after all that? Tie it directly to an album to come, TMWSTW, stick that bass out far, and make all those whooping and earnest vocal layers pop. Wonderful B-side opener, begs you to turn up the volume and feel the bass in your gut.

One of my favorite mixes on the record is An Occasional Dream with its confident flutes and recorders, shimmering prickly guitars, and unusual and dreamlike backing vocal layers doing some very odd things. What an incredible song to be written by someone so young.

Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud is fascinating with its horn-centric arrangement and elevated strings and harps. Is it my imagination that I’m hearing entire vocal passages that I’ve never heard before? Are these vocal takes that were on tape but totally unused in the previous mix? I’d have to do an A/B comparison, but I think so.

“really you and really me.”

Hearing this vocal is like a timewarp into the future to his work on Baal. Like he’s able to suck up the experience and timbre of his own self 30 years on and use them when he likes. Incredible.

Aww man. Wow. How nicely does Conversation Piece sit here as originally intended... whew. Emotion. “I can’t see the road for the rain in my eyes.”

I’ll just let you enjoy this song in your own way without my input, expect to say that you will miss this artist’s presence in the world.

So yeah. Get it together. Alrighty. “God Knows I’m Good” is a brilliant song IMO although plenty seem to disagree, and that’s cool. Lyrically, it’s just killer, and I’m enjoying David’s natural centered vocal clean and clear. Beautiful smoothed out 12-strings gliding and gorgeous. Nothing out of the ordinary here besides some balancing and reverb choices, but an honest and heartfelt interpretation of an underrated DB song.

I’m expecting more of a Beatles/George Martin approach to the mix of Memory Of A Free Festival, and we’ll see. Lovely, honest and direct vocal treatment on David’s voice, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this morphs into the slew of background vocalists that include Marc Bolan and friends... wait - what? A Pink Floydian bridge into the coda? Wow! The Sun Machine is coming down and it joined a religious cult and it wants you to believe! Alright well, this is amazing.

If you have any love for this record, and aren’t one of those people who think remixing is akin to spray painting over the Mona Lisa, GET THIS. You’ll be surprised and touched by it, I guarantee. Hearing these voices swirl and smear at the end of this record makes me feel like Tony Visconti made this for David, his friend, and we just get to enjoy it too. Tony captured lightning in a bottle with this work here. Having access to original track stems included unused music, and the privilege of being there for the recording sessions so long ago, he’s in a literally singular position to rebuild and reinterpret these songs from scratch in a way that would be impossible for anyone else, even if they had the access to the masters that this requires.

I think one of the reasons I love it so much is that it lays bare the importance of mixing and mastering to the artwork itself, and Tony’s voice is all over this. And unsurprisingly, it’s a voice filled with genuine emotion and reverence for his friend. Space Oddity blows me away. For a song that is SO well known to fans and otherwise, one that is intimately mapped on our minds, it’s just remarkable that he can mine, find, and yank this sort of soaring majesty out of well-trodden aural paths. It’s just a wonder, and without hesitation my favorite version of the song. It’s absolutely perfect. His use of modern delays made me nervous with Lodger (I’ve since warmed to them) but in the context of this lead off track, they are just... yeah. David’s still around.

From the dizzying psychedelia of Unwashed, to the chiming percussive harmonics flittering like butterflies all over Letter To Hermione, to the brilliant inclusion and interpretation of the deeply lovely Conversation Piece, to the closing triumphant aural densities of Memory Of A Free Festival, this record is a masterful window into the genius of music itself. But the fact that it shows off Tony’s skill without feeling arrogant or showy at all is just wild. Work like this is risky, and guaranteed to smack a glowing target on your back from the “why-do-we-need-this-cash-grab” crowd - so I’m impressed with his ability to honor the art and the artist in this way, and to respect the impressive craft of audio and sound studio science. He’s one of the Masters of the craft and this is Legacy work. A gift and a treasure.

[frangipanidownunder]

Walking the Tightrope

Scully and Ethan are together. But for how long? Post Deep Throat.

Tagging @today-in-fic. Need to catch up? Read Part One 

Part Two 

 He looked a whole lot better than he had when he got into the car. She’d been scared. Her heart thumping and bleeding a little for this little-boy-lost. He had no idea what had happened to him at Ellens Airbase and it had frightened him. For a man who’d spent so many years trying to remember leading up to the disappearance of his sister, losing more memories would have to be a cut too deep. The worst part was that he knew he had been close. She knew he’d been close. Not that her report would reflect that. It couldn’t. For her sake and for his.

                She found him running circuits of the track. The sun was high and he was sweaty in his ratty gear, but the bewildered expression and fearful voice had gone.

                “Joining me for a work out, Scully? I’ve always wondered how you learned to run in high heels.”

                She followed his gaze down her legs to her feet and felt her skin flush slightly.

“You men don’t know you’re born,” she replied. “You try fitting a weapon and flashlight in the suits they cut for the female form. Most of them don’t even have pockets. Then you add a handbag and high heels to the equation and it’s no wonder most female agents are fitter and more resourceful than their male counterparts.”

               He smirked. “On what do you base that finding, Dr Scully?”

                “Science.”

                His eyebrows raised. “Is that all you got?”

                She folded her arms. “You mean I need more? You don’t seem to require any evidence to hang your theories off.”

                His jaw flexed and he straightened up. She held her ground. He looked around, eyeing off the stand in the distance. He turned back to her. She’d overstepped the mark. She clenched her fists.

Then he grinned and put his hands on her shoulders. “Two cases in, Scully, and you’ve already got me cracked.”

              She rocked back on her heels and smiled. She missed the weight of his hands on her shoulders as soon as he removed them. She loved this softer side of him. He was so intense, so committed to the job most of the time, that seeing him as a human being with a sense of humour, was easy to overlook.  He pulled his foot up behind him, stretching his quads and she watched the beads of sweat drip down his face. She really should do more running but the case load had been full on and Ethan had been demanding all of her downtime. Still, her body tingled with the need to let off the nervous energy those cases had filled her with and she resolved to give Ethan a call and cancel their plans for the weekend. She would indulge in two days of jogging and gym work.

“Who was that you were talking to?” she asked as Mulder walked to where he’d slung his bag. He pulled a water bottle from the depths and swigged it. Fascinated by the bobbing of his Adam’s apple, she realised she was staring, only when he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and gave her a look.

“The older man, grey curly hair. Suit.” She was scurrying behind him and that nervous energy was now building into a bubble of anger. Why was he denying the meeting?

“I was running, Scully.”

“I saw you, Mulder,” she said, finally getting level with him.

He looked down at her, eyes narrow. “Is that all you got?”

 She rang Ethan and agreed to a dinner on Saturday night. He got drunk on the house red and she drove him home. He insisted she come in for coffee but she wasn’t in the mood to listen to his whining about how the female producers got all the best jobs because the industry was looking to equality.

              “It’s hardly equality when there’s a quota to fill,” he said, slurring and lunging towards her. “I mean, you don’t see this sort of thing in the FBI, do you?”

              “You mean giving women a chance to prove that they’re just as capable as men despite never even getting to the interview in this boy’s club world we still live in?”

              “Dana…”

              “What?” she said, pouring him another coffee. “It’s true, Ethan. Women have to fight every inch of the way just stay even while men call up their buddies and walk into a job they have no business being doing. There are men at the Bureau who should have been put out to pasture decades ago. There were plenty of capable women at the Academy. At least with quotas there’s a strong chance that future generations of women will simply be able to take up the opportunities presented to them, they’ll be inspired by those of us already paving the way.”

              He laughed. Not like Mulder, whose gentle chuckles were often a signal that he agreed with her sentiments. Ethan actually laughed as though what she was saying was funny. “Dana, you sound like some radical feminist.”

              She poured the rest of her coffee down the sink.  “I’m tired, “ she said. “I’m going home.”

              He lunged at her, grabbing her arm and pulling him to her. “Stay, Dana. It’s been weeks since you’ve…”

              She shifted in his grasp. “I’ve been busy, Ethan. And I said I’m tired. I’ll call you.”

              He pulled her closer and kissed her, and all she could taste was bitter coffee and stale alcohol. She pushed him away and wiped her mouth.

              “What is wrong with you, Dana?”

              She picked up her jacket and went to leave. “Maybe I’m just tired of being taken for granted.”

              He rushed after her, putting himself between her and the door. “I don’t take you for granted, Dana. I love you. I thought you loved me too.”

His voice cracked and she thought for one helpless moment that he was going to cry. She thought of Mulder’s bewilderment, his utter confusion outside that base and felt a pang of guilt that her own boyfriend’s emotional outpouring left her cold, while her new partner’s wilfully inflicted situation had her welling with sympathy.

“I’ve got to go, Ethan,” she said and gave him a peck on the cheek.

              “I do love you, Dana.” He held onto her hand, gripping it until her fingers turned white.

              “I know,” she said.

 She tossed and turned and fell asleep as a grey dawn cracked open the sky. Sunday morning lie-ins surrounded by the papers and toast crumbs seemed a world away as the irritating buzz of her cell phone woke her.

              “Mulder? What’s the matter?”

              He arrived less than forty minutes later, a bag of bagels in his hand. “I owe you an apology, Scully.”

              She pulled the tie of her robe tighter and flicked on the jug. “Why? What have you done this time?”

              He chuckled. “I haven’t been entirely honest with you. And that’s not fair. You’re my partner and you are entitled to be treated as an equal.”

              Turning round to face him, she saw that familiar expression he had, the one where he bared himself, opened himself up. She’d seen it in Bellefleur, at the motel. And again on the way back from Ellens Airbase. Fox Mulder might be capable of hiding things away, but when he wanted to let them out, you couldn’t resist listening.

              “So I did see you with a man the other day.”

              He nodded. “I’m sorry. I thought I was protecting him. My source. But if I protect him, where does that leave you?”

              She took two teabags from the box and dropped them into two mugs. “On the outside,” she said. That seemed to be her life at the moment. Watching it all unfold from a safe distance.

              “And I don’t want that for you,” he said. “I want us to be equals, in every way.”

              She laughed but shook her head. “I think you need to have a word with my boyfriend.”

              Mulder sank back against the bench top. “Trouble in the Garden of Eden?”

              “Ethan. His name is Ethan.”

              “I’m sorry, Scully. The job can really mess around with relationships.”

              She poured the tea. “Oh, I know that, Mulder. But something tells me it’s not just the job that’s getting in the way.”

              His face relaxed again, offering her the chance to talk.

              “But it’s nothing to do with you, so I won’t bore you with the details.”

              “Hey, partner. I’m here for the details. I love the details. I’m a details man,” he took a sip of tea and she couldn’t help but notice his mouth, his full lips. The way he smiled so easily when he wanted to.

              “Well, details man, why don’t you let me know what the next case is and I’ll figure out what I’m going to do with my Garden of Eden.”

              “I have some advice, if you’re willing to take it?”

              She folded her arms. “Go on.”

              “Don’t give in to temptation.” He grinned at his own joke and she couldn’t help but giggle.

              “Is that all you got?”

              “You want more?”

              “I thought you were a details man, Mulder.” She was laughing now, blowing steam off her mug as she did. She felt her body soften. She loved this bantering.

              “Really, Scully, if you need to sort things out with Ethan, you need to do it. A clean break. Rip off the band-aid.”

              She put the mug down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You seem to know a lot about the state of my relationship, Mulder.”

              He sighed. “I’ve learned a bit about you, Scully, in the time we’ve known each other. And you seem out of sorts. I know you are very single-minded and focussed but if you let something like this fester it can wedge itself in your mind and take away your focus.”

              “Voice of experience?”

              He chuckled again. “Something like that.”

              “But you’re wedded to your work, Mulder. No time for anything else. Me? I want a life.”

              His voice dropped and he stepped closer to her, looming over her until she could smell his cologne. He bent forward and put the mug in the sink, his arm brushing hers. He stayed there as he spoke, almost a whisper. “And I want a partner who’s clear about what she wants.”

              Her throat was so dry the noise of her swallowing filled the space between them. Her arms and legs felt heavy and useless. He was fucking right. And she knew what she had to do.

              “You know what you have to do, Scully. You just need to do it.”

              He finally moved back and there was a brightness invading her space now. She sighed and felt the prickle of tears at her eyes. She wouldn’t give in. Shouldn’t. She turned to the sink and ran the water as she sniffed. She didn’t hear him return. His hands massaged the gristles in her shoulders and she let him for a while.

              “You need to relieve this tension, Scully. You’re holding it all in here.” His knuckles  kneaded a hard knot and she gasped, turning to face him. His face was inches from hers and he was half-smiling. His stubble gave him a harder edge and she pressed herself harder against the bench, the damp soaking into her robe.

              “I just feel like a shit, dumping him so soon after starting a new job. And for no real reason.”

              Mulder shrugged. “You need a reason?”

              She nodded. “It makes things easier.”

              He bent forward, took her face in his large, warm hands and kissed her. Gentle at first, then with more urgency. She couldn’t breathe. His fingers brushed her cheeks and he was so tender, so genuine that she couldn’t think. When he let her go, stepped back and rolled his lips together, like he was enjoying he aftertaste of her, she blushed hot. He waited a beat, seeming to enjoy her discomfort.

              “Is that enough of a reason?” he asked, his voice threaded.

              She flexed her shaking fingers and looked up at him. “Is that all you got?”

[bichngocluu]

[Summary] The Age of Insight: The Quest to Understand the Unconscious in Art, Mind, and Brain, from Vienna 1900 to the Present - Eric Kandel

I. Purpose of the Book :

-          Plays the role as a dialogue between Art & Science : how psychological and biological insights (brain science) can enrich our relationship to Art ?

-          Help us to understand how brain becomes consciously aware of Perception, Experience, Emotion.

--> The more we understand about the biology of Perception, Emotion and Empathy, the better we understand why artistic experiences affect every human culture

II. Introduction :

-          Vienna 1900 = European cultural capital (just like Constantinopel during Middle Ages and Florence during Renaissance)

-          The vibrant cultural life and economical opportunities of Vienna attract talents, especially Jews/ with abolition of travel – restriction --> talent diversity (free interaction between Jews and non-Jews contributed to the burst of creativity)

-          Modernism borned here, with insights into the irrationality of everyday life, as reactions to Enlightment’s emphasis on rationality of human behaviour (and a big confidence in Reason and Science)

-          Modernism was inspired by biology (which said “The primary biological function of any organism = reproduce itself”) --> Sex must be in the centre of human behaviour

-          3 characteristics of Modernism :

+ view of Human mind as being largely irrational (unconscious conflicts are present in EVERYONE in their EVERYDAY actions) à Question : what lies below the surface appearance of people ? (erotic/ aggressive feelings ?_

+ self-examination : explore our own private thoughts and feelings

+ integration of knowledge between Science and Humanities/Art

-          3 Viennese artists moved away from 3D outside world and move towards the multidimensioinal inner- and unconscious self : Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele.

III. Klimt :

-          “Adele Bloch Bauer” – price 135$ million – why ?

--> Mystery of womanhood, beauty and sensuality

--> Klimt was fascinated with Darwin’s idea of the Cell (Adele’s dress = male’s and female’s cells – sperm and oval eggs)

-          Klimt’s paintings of women pleasing themselves show women’s sensual life – lost in their own fantasy world, between reality and daydream --> increasing awareness of women’s sexual self-sufficiency --> create modern female type

-          With the increasing polularity of photography, Klimt’s drawings focus on the inner (un-selfconsciouse) life of women >< reality of photography, models performing for the camera

--> Photography released Painters from the need to copy nature – new aim of Painting = portray Emotions

--> The limitation of paintings – flat surface – was regarded by Modernists as positive : Flatness (2D), in contrast to Photography (3D), is the only condition that paintings share with no other art !

-          “The Kiss” = Klimt’s most popular painting, why ?

--> Convey fused physical desire : the lovers’s clothes are represented with sexual icons (rectangle = sperm, oval = egg, fertility)

IV. Oskar :

-          1st Austrian expressionist painter (2 themes characterize Expressionism : Sexualty & Death)

-          Oskar painted with the belief that “Truth in Art based on seeing the Inner reality” : focus on models’s expression/ gesture/ attitude, strip away from social façade

( “Vater Hirsch” - Oskar Kokoschka)

-         Oskar’s method : encourage models to move, talk, be absorbed in their own thoughts, unaware of the artist’s presence

-          Expressionism’s character = use of exaggerated imagery (of face, hands, body) & unnatural, symbolic colors --> heighten the viewer’s subjective feeling when looking at art and reveal other internal reality – psychic conflicts

(>< Impressionists (like Van Gogh) focused on the fleeting outward appearance of people and things in natural light, learned color-mixing to capture the atmospheric sensation of outdoor natural light)

-          Oskar’s 4 main ideas into personality through Portrait :

+ portrait = learn about other people’s psyche

+ learn about one own’s psyche (self-discovery)

+ portraits reveal 2 opposite poles of emotion : Approach & Avoidance

+ hand-gestures communicate emotions, express psychological state & unconscious erotic/ aggressive impulses              

V. Egon :

-          He brought his own deep anxiety (a frightening aloneness even in union) upon everyone he painted                                        

-          Egon’s method = simplify the painting’s background --> the figures look like they pop out of the canvas --> create a sense of isolation   

-         Egon drew many self-portraits (To understand others’s unconscious processes, one has to know one’s own) : he drew himself with missing genital, or in the act of masturbating, often naked, whole body looking starved and awkward; distressed and pale skin to convey despair and decay from within

The most truthful pictures = ones that show their subjects naked, diseased, painfully exposed, angry and deformed Nothing is ugly in Art, except which is without character : which offers no Outer and Inner Truth”

-->       Egon’s paintings = illustration of Sigmund Freud’s thesis : Human���s reality is essentially sexual                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

VI. Sigmund Freud :

-          Freud did self-analysis (30 minutes at the end of every working day) as a life-long attempt to know what lies beneath the surface --> DREAMS

-          To understand a person’s Present, one must understand that person’s Earliest experiences in childhood (both real and imagined)

“Irrationality isn’t abnormal; it’s the universal language of human’s unconscious mind”

-       “Emotions influence our capability for rational action” – While we USED to believe that emotions = IRRATIONAL = contrast to moral/RATIONAL – Why ?

--> Emotions are central to consciousness and conscious judgement – We use information from unconscious responses (our feelings about sth) to plan conscious and complex actions/ decisions

VII. On Art Criticism/ Analysm :

-          Art shouldn’t be only viewed in terms of abstract ideal conception of beauty, but also in terms of the style that prevailed during the historical period, in which it was created

-          What arouses a viewer’s emotions in a work by 20th century artists is different from what arouses that viewer’s emotions in a work by 17th, 18th, 19th century artists

-          Riegel = 1st art historian who systematically applied scientific thinking to art criticism – he combined psychology & sociology into art history

To appreciate what’s unique to each cultural period, we need to understand each period’s intention and purpose in Art (and not be limited in any single simple aesthetic standard)

-       Sometimes, paintings are rejected for being too radical, pornography, ugly 

Truth is complex and not always beautiful; it can even be painful to comprehend

--> What one historical period considers ugly, another considers beautiful

-       Art doesn’t stand still. As a society evolves, so does its art. The idea that “Contemporary art should maintain the standards of antiquity” encourages viewers to reject anything that’s new & difficult as being ugly.

-       However in some contexts, only “new” is considered as beautiful, whereas “old” are ulgy

VII. WHAT IS  “BEHOLDER’S INVOLVEMENT” ?

-       Definition of art : “ART is an institution, to which we turn when we want to feel a shock of surprise; a training in mental gymnastics which increases our tolerance of the unexpected.”

-       Art is incomplete without the perceptual & emotional involvement of the viewer. Here we define the "beholder's involvement" = his/her visual perception = his/her emotional response incorporated into art-criticsism.

-       2 sensitivities are required of the viewer : 

+ empathy - the viewer loses oneself in a painting, be at one with the subject

( Art allows us to participate in storytelling just like Fiction – both allow us to learn sympathy, to experience the world from a new perspective – both improves our understanding of social/ emotional cues - which are important for survival)

+ abstraction = retreat from everyday's complexities & follow the symbolic language of painting's forms and colors

( Mr. Bean caricature by Chairgoh on deviantART)

-       With the appearance of caricature - the artist no longer concerned with mastery of techniques required to represent reality

--> the artist is no longer manual worker, but creator.

-       The visual brain isn’t a picture-book. It’s not when we see a tree – there will be a tree-like picture in the brain – what in the brain is actually a symbolic representation, a hypothesis of the world in symbolic form 

(Symbol = something that stands for something else, like a word – nobody would mistake the word “dog” for an actual dog)

-       Our perception of the world is a fantasy that coincides with reality

Humans are intensively visual creatures, we live in a world that is largely oriented to sight. Without vision we’ve no Art.

-       Vision requires light. The light our eyes capture = electro-magnetic radiation

-       The appearance of an object depends on the contrast between the object and its background, not on the intensity of the light source 

--> How brain perceives colors ? It adjusts to the difference in lights – Same red tie looked different in white/ blue shirt because the ratio of wavelengths is different

--> Light and shadow are reliable indicators of an object’s 3D

-       The eyes are importand signifiers of emotions – those who have difficulty scanning the eyes of other people (people with autism/ damage to amygdala – part of the brain which regulate emotions) -also have difficulty recognizing people’s emotional expressions (not like common belief that they are unable to experience emotions

Inability to recognize specific features of visual world result NOT from defect in the eye,  but from defect in BRAIN-REGIONS that affect ability to combine aspects of vision into meaningful pattern

-       Some consequences of damage to specific regions of brain : unable to perceive Depth/ Motion, Colors, recognize friend/family based on Face (can only recognize based on their voices) – lose the ability to connect face & identity

-       Most people can’t even recognize/ remember fingerprints – but faces (without conscious effort) – WHY ? 

–-> Face-perception = most informative stimuli we perceive (Infants are more likely to look at faces than objects, normal newborns fix their attention on other people’s eyes, while autistic newborns focus on people’s mouths)

--> Human brain has more areas for face-recognition (6 discrete regions) than any other visual object

-       What aspects of infants’s facial structure that elicit biological caring responses from parents ? 

– Large heads, large eyes, bulging cheeks

IX. Gestaltspsychologie's (Gestalt = "form" in German) 

-       2 concepts based on visual perception (to combine with art criticism) :

+ the whole is greater than the sum of its parts

+ our ability to grasp sensory information fully as a whole and give it meaning is inborn

--> Our brains create much of what we see by adding what “ought” to be there (we see above a triangle while there isn’t one)

-       In perceiving an object/ scene/ person/ face, we respond to the whole rather than to individual parts.

--> When we look up at the sky, we see a flock of geese flying as a single entity, not as individual birds

The properties of many of the parts are determined by the intrinsic structural laws of the whole

Just as perception is ordered and structured, so are works of art

-       When we see an artwork, what we see is not just the sum of sensory elements, but also our past experiences with similar images

-       Every image is subjective, there's no "innocent eye" : all visual/ beholder's perception is based on classifying concepts & interpreting visual information, the act of seeing is fundamentally interpretative

-       We unconsciously interpret images right when we view them

Every painting owes more to other paintings the viewer has seen, than it does to the world actually being portrayed (on it)

-       Cultural symbols (recalled from memory) is critical for the production/ viewing of Art – Memory plays critical rold in perception of Art

-       Brain processes images by generalizing & categorizing them. Without categorization, raw perception is meaningless

-       Brain couldn’t establish categories without memory. 

We are who we are because of what we learn and what we remember

X. Deconstruction of Form : all natural forms can be reduced to 3 figural primitives - cube, sphere, cone

--> Cubism (Picasso, Kondinsky, Mondrian..) simplifies objects, portray not the object's appearance but its essence

--> Mondrian = search for the universal aspects of form – drawings contain only straight lines and dots – geometric forms and colors have meaning of their own

XI. On Creativity :

-       To be creative in one thing doesn’t mean a person can be creative in other things.

-       Creative mindset isn’t centered entirely on Intellect (IQ), but the ability to relax/ mind-wander/ be flexible

-       Creativity needs both :

+ Preparation (consciously working on a problem)

+ Incubation (let your mind wanders unconsciously; thinking is less goal-inbound)

-       Creative people have moments in which they experience a free communication between their unconscious – conscious selves

-       Writers are 4 times more likely to have maniac-depresive disorder than other people/ not-creative people 

--> Creativity and Maniac thinking both have Fluidity and Capacity to combine ideas

CONCLUSION :

Important insights come from Writers, Poets, Artistics, as well as from Philosophers, Scientists.. all contribute to our full conception of Mind 

Without Shakespears, Beethoven, Klimt,.. one wouldn’t know how the unconscious processes that Freud explained feels like.

[mooncalamity]

February 22, 1986- SECRET LANGUAGE NAME - EMPOWERED UNIVERSALITY- 

PERSONALITY TRAITS OF THIS DAY -

UNSELFISH - IDEALISTIC - DEDICATED - SUCCESS‑ORIENTED - CONCERNED - CARING - CHARISMATIC - FORMIDABLE INSIGHTFUL

UNFORGIVING - PESSIMISTIC - OVERCRITICAL - INSECURE - PESSIMISTIC - ISOLATED - MERCENARY - SELF‑NEGATING - ADDICTIVE

The Day of Universality

Meditation...

In some obscure corners of the world, the Ideal and the Real have consummated a secret marriage 

Advice...

Don’t be so demanding of yourself and others.

Allow for mistakes; they cannot always be avoided.

Be very conscious of your responsibilities to those who entrust themselves to you.

Show more interest in yourself as a person, too.

Traits...

UNSELFISH IDEALISTIC DEDICATED UNFORGIVING PESSIMISTIC OVERCRITICAL

   Amplified Universality Personality of this day...    Those born on February 22 tend to dissolve their ego away in the service of a meaningful cause. Their personal world may be an intricate and complex one, their emotions profoundly sensitive, yet they do not allow this to be their principal concern, and rather turn their spotlight out on the world, illuminating worthy ideals and goals.

   February 22 people generally believe in the greatest good for the greatest number. In this sense, their democratic, perhaps patriotic feelings run high. Not infrequently, they find themselves supporting or leading the cause of their clan, organization, community, even country. However, the most highly evolved people born on this day have ideals that reach far beyond municipal or national borders. Lovers of universal freedom, high idealists, they wish that all enjoy the blessings of a good life, without threat of tyranny or oppression.

   February 22 people have a strict sense of duty and can be rather stern and unforgiving. When they make mistakes, they come down very hard on themselves. They also suffer greatly when they have gone against their own personal code, whether for reasons of expediency or survival. They must learn to be less hard on themselves, and more accepting of circumstances as they are. February 22 standards are often too high for anyone (including themselves) to ever live up to.

   Though, as mentioned, February 22 people often dissolve away their ego in the service of their work, this does not mean that they are necessarily easygoing in personal relationships. Despite the fact that they can appear open to a variety of experience, their likes and dislikes are pronounced, even fixed. In addition, they will pull no punches when making their displeasure known to their partner.

   Those born on this day are frequently critical of their society, adopting a revolutionary or avant-garde stance. Not particularly optimistic, they realistically assess the shortcomings of everyone and everything. Less highly evolved individuals born on this day can’t help but see all the imperfections around them, but choose to do nothing most of the time, vacillating between grumbling and aimlessly striking out in rebellion. Those February 22 people who come to accept social inequities against their idealistic nature can sink into a deep pessimism.

   Because of their capacity to put personal desire aside, February 22 people are capable of making magnetic leaders who instill great loyalty in their followers. Certainly not everyone born on this day will have the opportunity to exercise authority as an employer, manager or political leader. However, should the need arise to call for assistance or support, they will be able to demand great sacrifice from colleagues, family and friends since the purity of their motives is rarely in doubt.

Health...    Those born on February 22 are most often apt to ignore their health. They may one day be forced by disease to seek treatment if they don’t more actively engage in preventive practices. Staying informed as to current medical health research and possible homeopathic and holistic cures may prove beneficial, if not to themselves, then to their family. Taking vitamin and mineral supplements and eating a low-fat diet featuring plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables is a good start for them. Vigorous exercise is recommended for February 22 people, including aerobics, running, weightlifting, ocean swimming or climbing, and possibly competitive team sports.

Numerology...    Those born on the 22nd of the month are ruled by the numbers 4 (2+2=4) and 22, and by the planet Uranus, which is both erratic and explosive. Those ruled by the number 4 are highly opinionated and can be rather argumentative. Such traits may enforced in February 22 people by the lingering influence of Uranus (ruler of Aquarius), and given a rebellious or revolutionary cast. Not infrequently, number 4 people wish to change the social order, particularly true for those born on February 22. Since the sign of Pisces is ruled by Neptune, the Uranus-Neptune connection can indicate high idealism but also personal confusion, preoccupation with strange subjects and self-destructive tendencies. Since 22 is a double number, those born on the 22nd of the month may be fascinated with twins, coincidences, symmetry or other doubles.

Archetype...    The 22nd card of the Major Arcana is The Fool, who in several versions of the Tarot is shown blithely stepping over the edge of a cliff. Some interpretations picture him as a foolish man who has given up his reason, others a highly spiritualized being free of material considerations. Positive meanings include renouncing resistance and following instincts freely; foolish acts, impulsiveness and annihilation are the negative aspects. The highly evolved Fool has followed life’s path, experienced its lessons and become one with his/her own vision.

The Week of Sensitivity

Traits of this week...

SUCCESS‑ORIENTED CONCERNED CARING INSECURE PESSIMISTIC ISOLATED

Don’t give up on the world or retreat behind fences.

If necessary tear obstructions down to rediscover your sensitive self.

Learning to trust may mean ceasing to fear.

Without denying your need to explore the depths and the heights, take the middle road more often.

Personality of this week...    Those born during the Week of Sensitivity are often success-oriented individuals who give top priority to their career. They are usually fighters, an attitude sometimes based on underlying insecurity and the need to prove themselves. A chip-on-the-shoulder attitude many have makes them aggressive toward others and belligerent when attacked. A great personal challenge, then, is to rediscover and acknowledge their inner makeup and to break down some of the barriers they have built up. The tough, even aggressive exterior they present belies the sensitive personality inside. Extremely vulnerable as children, such individuals react to criticism or abuse from others by building a wall around themselves. Carried with them into adulthood, this armor may give the impression of an inner self far different from the reality.

   It should not be surprising that many orient themselves to one of two extremes: either the most far-out, idealistic pursuits or the most inner, deep, profound ones. Combining such essentially opposite attitudes may be extremely difficult, and many will swing from one to the other. In their work, for example, they may deal with abstract concerns, or with attempts to surpass objective limitations, while in their private lives they delve into the world of feelings, people and human affairs.

   Important as it is for such individuals to reconcile these two extremes in their nature, they should also work to explore the middle ground between them—the social side of life. Being strung between the poles of the physical and the metaphysical often means neglecting interaction with other people.

   They may be closely bound to their families. Although parental disapproval and criticism will hurt them in childhood, strong emotional bonds tie them to mother, father, or both. (Usually the stronger and most influential relationship is with the parent of the opposite sex.) Breaking free of such attachments is essential if they are to emerge into adulthood as unique individuals—a truth, perhaps, for many of us, but adolescence may be particularly rebellious and stormy for them. Those who do not succeed in breaking away during this time may continue their struggle for the rest of their lives, even after the death of parents or other powerful family elders.

   Particularly in matters of love, they will have to struggle to be open, honest and accepting with their partner, and to allow themselves to be vulnerable, even at the risk of pain. Thus personal relationships may have the effect of putting them back in touch with their essential self. Even those who are forceful and hard-driving in their careers may be quite passive in their personal relationships. In addition, a tendency to display both masculine and feminine qualities in their love relationships can mark these males as atypically sensitive and these females as atypically aggressive. Such role reversals often favor their choosing a mate they perceive as their opposite.

   In relationships, fear of rejection figures prominently, for they want to be liked but are often afraid of getting hurt, or don’t know how to go about getting approval without compromising themselves. For some, a show of pessimism or dissatisfaction guards them against having to interact; others appear more pleasant or agreeable, but this, too, is a facade designed to preclude any deep involvement. Gaining the courage to struggle in their personal relationships as forcefully as in their careers, to risk rejection, stand up for themselves and express their emotions powerfully, are challenges that they must eventually meet.

   Friendship may be an important vehicle for bringing them out into the world, enticing them to participate in club, community, philanthropic and school endeavors. The essential role that friends play goes beyond normal fellowship, companionship and personal sharing. Beyond having a small number of friends, they gain by building bridges with colleagues, co-workers, acquaintances and with more remote family members. By developing their people skills, they will widen their humanity and ease feelings of being isolated and misunderstood. Viewing the suffering of others first-hand can help them realize that the unhappiness they have gone through themselves is in no way unique, allowing the human points of identification they desperately need.

   Building their own family, including children, or living in a family situation is often a positive experience for those born during the Week of Sensitivity, although their need to be alone and their difficulty in regular or intense interactions may make such relationships hard for them to maintain. Still, their nurturing qualities need to be expressed in some area of their lives—if not through family, perhaps through pets or career projects. Expressing their care, concern and sympathy is as necessary to them as are love and passion.

The Way of Empowerment

Traits of this way...

CHARISMATIC FORMIDABLE INSIGHTFUL MERCENARY SELF‑NEGATING ADDICTIVE

Suggestions...

Remember the axiom “As within, so without.” Try to analyze what your conflicts are telling you.

Surrender to the source of all power.

Know that in order to love others, one must first love oneself.

Their goal...

TO COME TO BELIEVE IN THEIR OWN STRENGTH AND PERSONAL POWER

They must release... 

THE NEED TO WIN

Their reward...

THE JOY OF SELF-ESTEEM

Their balance point...

SELF-ASSERTION & SELF-CONTROL

   Empowered Blissful Wizard Personality of this way...    Those born during the Way of Empowerment must learn how to unlock the sources of power within. Blessed with charm, insight, and consciousness, they must learn to utilize their inner resources and believe in their own personal power. They can be described in one word: magnetic. They attract all manner of people and experiences. This capacity springs from the often unacknowledged potential of their power, which they will learn to harness. But first their journey often entails grappling with quite a bit of conflict, since they can expect to encounter others who will attempt to assert their power or authority over them or suppress them in some fashion. It must be kept in mind that this is merely an outer reflection of an inner reality. Until they begin to truly believe in themselves and their own strength, such lessons will continue to confront them, building their character until they do believe. Miraculously, once they fully own their own power, such experiences and confrontations cease. The key for them is to set aside their self­judgment and criticism and learn how to love themselves.

   These people are innately charismatic. They are both highly intellectual, possessing abundant taste and discernment, and passionate. Naturally and fundamentally attractive, they are also quite capable of utilizing their assets to manipulate others for their own reward. People are often magnetically drawn to them. Their love lives may be strewn with tempestuous romances and stormy scenes. Others might call them lucky since things seem to come their way magically. Their type of magnetism seems uniquely suited to tapping into one of the universal laws, that of attraction.

   Their mental power is prodigious. However, as many good things as this capacity brings, it also comes with quite a bit of turmoil. Higher law states roughly that we attract what we are—or “as within, so without.” For example, if a person burns with low­level anger, one finds others are often angry with them. Thus, until they mature a bit and develop some emotional balance, they are apt to be confronted with quite a variety of sometimes distressing experiences before they reach a place of greater calm.

   These folks are highly discriminating and may even be a bit judgmental. But these insightful individuals are usually their own worst critics. So hard are they on themselves that often self-negation is second nature and they little realize how destructive this can be. In large part, it is their self­critical attitudes that attract their more difficult experiences as mirrored in exterior circumstances, such that others may often be highly censuring of them. Early life, in particular, finds them confronted with parents or teachers who are extremely exacting or stern or overly demanding. Problems with authority figures of all kinds plague them, not the least reason for which is their wilder side, with conflict the inevitable result. These individuals appear to undergo a kind of trial by fire where others attempt to assert their power over them or manipulate them. This often reflects their weak ego structure and lack of feelings of self-worth. By being forced to confront such power plays over and over again, they learn to stand up for themselves, thus slowly building their egos and healing some of their core issues—which often center around issues of self-worth.

   They must learn to love themselves more and criticize themselves less. Self­love is their core lesson. Approaching themselves with understanding, applying their great insight to seeing their own strengths, and accepting themselves will take them a long way toward self-empowerment. Once these men and women feel secure in who they are and what they have to offer, they will negotiate conflict better and will stand firm in their own defense. As they come to feel better about themselves inwardly, the outer world is bound to follow suit and the tensions of their lives—the conflicts, misunderstandings, and power struggles—will abate of their own accord.

   Once they have become empowered through self­love and self­acceptance, they can begin to harness their enormous potential. As they learn to use their mental power as well as their magnetism, they will be able to invoke what they need to achieve their aims. They can be found in many fields, but one thing is certain: when they develop a greater degree of self­respect, there will be no stopping them. Moreover, engaging in as many battles as they surely will, they truly come to an understanding of how power works and, with a strong sense of self­worth in hand, will have the courage to go up against often daunting odds. Using a mixture of resolve and willpower, they will inspire awe in even the most formidable of adversaries. They are apt to discover that when they combine their innate talents for persuasion and excellent sense of timing with their considerable charm, no one can resist them or fail to agree to their wishes and plans.

   The most obvious danger for them is that their power urges or drives may run out of control. Unless governed by a strong moral imperative, they may inflict considerable pain on others in a misguided effort to secure a powerful position for themselves. Such overreaching inevitably leads to failure, leaving them angry and resentful, much to their own detriment and woe. Engaging in any kind of power mongering creates the risk of self­undoing, usually through a combination of hubris, overconfidence, and downright self-destructiveness. In addition, indulgence in sensuous pleasures is certainly a weakness for these people and can only lead to trouble. Thus, they must develop vigilant self­control, usually through mental reprogramming combined with adherence to a strict code of ethics.

   Although it is within the arena of relationships—more specifically, one­on-one encounters—that many of their challenges take place, the area in which they truly engage is within their own psyches. Relationships are extremely important, because others will always act as a mirror for them. Observing others and then reflecting upon themselves is a large part of this process. The power they achieve is never over others, but merely within themselves. Thus, many of their greatest life lessons and victories are psychological. Overcoming negative thinking or patterns, stilling the critical voice of an internalized parental figure, and recovering from addiction are some of the types of battles they may be forced to wage. Some may also have to grapple with or overcome physical or mental handicaps. Winning through self-control results in greater emotional stability, inner peace, and self­esteem.

   As they learn to love themselves better and give themselves a bit more credit, they will discover that their attitudes toward others become similarly loving. An important realization that comes to many of them is that giving up power can also be a powerful action, particularly when the desire to control others or to win is released and a path of kindness adopted. In recognizing the enormous power of love, they can temper their aggression and plug into universal values. Those with religious values may choose to put their power into the service of their beliefs.

   The choice of a partner is particularly crucial for these individuals. Sometimes it is through loving another that they learn to love themselves. If love is equated with sexual excitement, control, and competition, they can expect serious setbacks in their ability to relate. On the other hand, learning to share, empathize, listen, cooperate, and express kindness, consideration, and affection will tend to instill deeply human values that can guide their more ambitious drives in other areas of life. In this way, family, friendships, and married life can all function as a good moral proving ground for professional and career endeavors. What is best for them is a life in which a healthy balance can be maintained between maintaining a strong ego through active assertion and guiding it with equally powerful moral and loving attitudes.

   For those born during the Way of Empowerment, one can think of courageous people everywhere who fight against oppression. At some point one member of an oppressed minority, strongly believing in his self-worth and human rights, refuses to bow to the authority of those in power. Some of the most effective instances of this have been when the oppressed refuse even to engage in battle with their adversaries. Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, and even Rosa Parks are icons in this respect.

The Path of Empowered Sensitivity

The Week of Sensitivity

travelling

The Way of Empowerment

Their challenge...

TEMPERING THEIR BELLIGERENCE ENOUGH TO ASK WHY THEY’RE FIGHTING

   Empowered Impression Their fulfillment...

DELVING INTO THE CAUSE OF THEIR SUFFERING ONLY TO REALIZE THAT IT’S ONLY IN THEIR MINDS

Personality of this configuration...    Highly dramatic and prone to overreacting to the dilemmas and dramas of daily life, those born during the Cusp of Sensitivity who travel the Way of Empowerment will have to work hard not to cancel out their best efforts with self-doubt and second guesses. In many cases their impulse to protect their more sensitive side will interfere with their higher development, as many of them will continually be involved in attempts to enforce their wills and wield their personal power without first acknowledging their own deep need for emotional sustenance. Thus a willingness to admit their own need for love will be their first step toward higher development. If they can further recognize that their need for material success and achievement can be realized only when they pursue the things that nurture their spirits, their road to contentment will smooth considerably.

The Month of the Transcender

Their motto...

I Believe

   Amplified Universality Personality of this month...    The Month of the Transcender is the last month of the Personology year, and can be viewed as the most highly evolved. Those born this month symbolize the merging of the human soul with the cosmos, a necessary step before the next incarnation may begin anew, and a deep belief in the highest powers of the universe.

   These people swim freely in society and represent the highest lessons of fellowship, but also the capacity to see deeply into the life and nature of things. They can submerge themselves in the depths of life and partake of hidden and ultimate mysteries. They teach us not to be afraid to let go of our earthly form, and that death is only the beginning of new life.

   People born during the Month of the Transcender transmute airy, detached and eccentric energies into fiery, direct and uncomplicated ones.

   Their personality symbolizes a spiritual letting go of earthly attachments and a merging with the cosmos. There is a dreamy, spiritual and deeply emotional quality to them. They are not known for their practicality but can in fact be masterful in their understanding and expression of abstract ideas and systems. Thus, they can be typed as dreamers yet when they make a gift of their visions to humanity it is indeed a fine offering. Generally speaking, they are easy about sharing material possessions and enjoy friendships and close partnerships more than most. Yet they also need to be alone a good deal of the time and run the risk of becoming escapists or loners who isolate themselves from the world.

   Extreme sensitivity can make it difficult for these people to lead an easy social life. Though often characterized as the sign of sorrows, suffering is born well by them. However, they can be vulnerable to depression and occasionally beset by self-pity. Escapes involving addiction are particularly dangerous. Their deep and complex emotional life makes them highly attractive to those who long for contact with the profound in life.

   Those who are born during the Month the Transcender are often blessed with excellent memories, perhaps due to their impressionability. In addition, they tend to be devotional, and make true believers—this applies not only in the religious sense but also in regard to other belief systems and principles. They can be very generous and are highly empathic and sensitive to the difficulties of others; they tend to respond with compassion in the face of misfortune. However, they must beware that others do not impose unduly on them or take advantage of their acquiescence.

The Season of Evaluation

Their mode of thought...

EVALUATORS

These folks look at the entire year that has gone by and assess what has worked and what has not, passing on their recommendations to the starter-uppers.

   Wondrous Universality Concepts of this season...

Prophecy, Mystery & Imagination, Sensitivity

Their motto...

I Master, I Universalize, I Believe

Elements of this season...

Earth, Air, Water

Personality of this season...    The winter solstice usually occurs on December 21st in the northern hemisphere. At this time of stillness, nights are longer and days shorter than at any other time in the year. As winter advances through the bitter days and on to the hint of spring, the nights grow shorter and the days longer. Winter is the fourth and last quarter of the yearly cycle, extending from the winter solstice to the spring equinox.

   Winter is traditionally the period at which the water in ponds and rivers freezes, snow falls, the sounds of nature are muted and the land lies sleeping under a white blanket. Trees stretch their bare arms into a gray sky only lit a few hours a day by a low rising sun. Although much of nature seems dead, this is only a surface view. Deep within the earth, powerful forces are engaged in a metamorphosis, the results of which will be evident to the eye in spring. Nothing really dies but is transformed into another state. There is a feeling of waiting, and of expectation. Life has moved inside and underground. Warmth is sought in caves and in houses from bitter, howling winds. Fire keeps humans warm and foods that have been stored for the winter are eaten by both people and animals.

   Generally speaking, wintertime people are more concerned with the larger picture. They can be dominant types who rule their space with assurance, but often also display a greater degree of flexibility, sensitivity, acceptance and spirituality than those born at other times of the year. Although those born in the winter are often quiet types, many manifest great excitement through their thoughts, ideals and work. They are particularly distinguished by an active imagination and fantasy life. The most successful of wintertime people can objectify these visions and perhaps make them a source of creativity rather than be victimized by them. The allegiance of wintertime people is not so much to society or to personal considerations as to the world of ideas.

   Wintertime people are less concerned with the state of the world as it is now and more with how it could and should be. A real reforming spirit can show itself in this personality, and an interest in matters concerning political and economic justice is very common.