#but i also needed a way to draw them somewhat consistently - body wise at least? im never gonna draw their clothes the same way twice lmao

[s-citrus]

Sketch dump! Since my handwriting isn't the best, I'm gonna transcribe what I've written under the cut :)

[Generation 1 iterators are the stocky initial proof of concept. There's only a handful of them, even fewer are still alive for the events of the game.

Gen 1's have very basic fashion. Long Robes and all that. NSH was the first to really personalize himself with a scarf. He was very proud.]

[Generation 2 are the most... abundant iterator model. Able to mechanically outpace the gen 1's, gen 2's were the start of the ancients' technological renaissance. Since there are so many of them, not all of them really care about staying in touch.

They take a lot of their fashion from the ancients. Some more than others.]

[Generation 3 were going to be the great new step foward technologically. As you can imagine the ancients disappearing gave them a lot of emotional issues.

Gen 3's tend to talk to other iterators the most, though they are... very easy to upset.

They base their fashion on their fellow iterators! They draw inspiration from those they are close to or idolize.

Chasing wind looks up to SOS but doesn't know her personally.]

[The next image is general design notes for myself when drawing iterator bodies, no big lore there.

The last image is how i imagine their suspension arms and umbilical attaches to their backs. How they connect through their clothing? I don't know and I don't feel like trying to figure it out. Also I drew Moon with her dress bc I think it's real cute :)]

[hamliet]

The Crows Summon the Sun

Or, Hamliet’s review of Shadow & Bone, which gets a 4.5/5 for enjoyment and a 3.5/5 in terms of writing.

The true heroes of this story and the saviors of the show are the Crows. However, the problem is that the show then has an uneven feel, because the strength of the Crows plotline highlights the weaknesses of the trilogy storyline. But imo, overall, the strengths overshadow (#punintended) the weaknesses. 

I’ll divide the review into the narrative and the technical (show stuff, social commentary), starting with narrative.

Narrative: The Good 

It’s What The Crows Deserve

I went into the show watching it for the Crows; however, knowing that their storyline was intended to be a prequel, I wasn’t terribly optimistic. And while it is a prequel, the characters have complete and full arcs that perfectly set them up for the further development they will have in the books (which I think should be the next season?). Instead of retreading the arcs they’d have in the books, which is how prequels usually go, they had perfect set up for these arcs. It’s really excellent. 

Jesper, Inej, and Kaz are all allowed to be flawed, to have serious conflicts with one another, and yet to love each other. They feel like a found family in the best of ways. Kaz is the perfect selfish rogue; he’s a much more successfully executed Byronic hero than the Darkling, actually. Inej is heroic and her faith is not mocked, yet she too is flawed and her choices are not always entirely justified, but instead left to the audience to ponder (like killing the girl), which is a more mature writing choice that I appreciated. 

Jesper is charming, has a heart of gold despite being a murderer and on the surface fairly greedy, and MILO THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT GOAT WAS THE BEST THING EVER. I also liked Jesper’s fling with Dima but I felt it could be better used rather than merely establishing his sexuality, like if Jesper and Dima had seen each other one more time or something had come of their tryst for the plot/themes/development of Jesper. 

Nina and Matthias’s backstory being in the first season, instead of in flashbacks, really works because it automatically erases any discomfort of the implications of Nina having falsely accused Matthias that the books start with. We know Nina, we know Matthias, we know their motivations, backgrounds, and why they feel the way we do. It’ll be easy for the audience to root for them without a lot of unnecessary hate springing from misunderstanding Nina (since she’s my favorite). Matthias’s arc was also really strongly executed and satisfyingly tragic. Their plotline was a bit unfortunately disconnected from the rest of the story, but Danielle Gallagan and Callahan Skogman have absolutely sizzling chemistry so I found myself looking forward to their scenes instead of feeling distracted. Also? It’s nice seeing a woman with Nina’s body type as a romantic and powerful character. 

Hamliet Likes Malina Now

Insofar as the trilogy storyline goes, the best change the show made was Mal. He still is the same character from the books, but much more likable. The pining was... a lot (too much in episode 4, I felt) but Malina is a ship I actually enjoyed in the show while I NOTP’d it in the books. Mal has complexity and layers to his motivations (somewhat) and a likable if awkward charm. Archie Renaux was fantastic. 

Ben Barnes is the perfect Aleksandr Kirigan, and 15 year old me, who had the biggest of big crushes on Ben Barnes (first celebrity crush over a decade ago lol), was pretty damn happy lol. He’s magnificantly acted--sympathetic and terrifying, sincerely caring and yet villainous in moments. Story-wise, I think it was smart to reveal his name earlier on than in the books, because it helps with the humanization especially in a visual medium like film. Luda was a fitting (if heartbreaking) backstory, but it is also hard for me to stomach knowing what the endgame of his character is. Like... I get the X-men fallacy thing, but I hope the show gives more kindness to his character than the books did, yet I’m afraid to hold my breath. Just saying that if you employ save the cat, if you directly say you added this part (Luda) to make the character more likable (as the director did) please do not punish the audience for feeling what you intended. 

I also liked the change that made Alina half-Shu. It adds well to her arc and fits with her character, actually giving her motivations (she kinda just wants to be ordinary in a lot of ways) a much more interesting foundation than in the books. Also it’s nice not to have another knock-off Daenerys (looking to you Celaena and book!Alina). Jessie Mei Li does a good job playing Alina’s insecurities and emotions, but... 

Narrative: The Ehhhhhhh

Alina the Lamp

Sigh. Here we go. Alina has little consistent characterization. She’s almost always passive when we see her, yet she apparently punches an officer for calling her a name and this seems to be normal for her, but it doesn’t fit at all with what we know about her thus far. Contradictions are a part of humanity, but it’s never given any focus, so it comes across as inconsistent instead of a flaw or repression. 

I have no idea what Alina wants, beside that she wants to be with Mal, which is fine except I have no idea what the basis of their bond is. Even with like, other childhood friends to lovers like Ren/Nora in RWBY or Eren/Mikasa in SnK, there’s an inciting moment, a reason, that we learn very early on in their story to show us what draws them together. Alina and Mal just don’t have that. There’s the meadow/running away thing, but they were already so close, and why?  Why, exactly? What brought them together? The term “bullies” is thrown around but it isn’t ever explored and it needed to be this season. If I have to deal with intense pining for so many episodes at least give me a foundation for their devotion. You need to put this in the beginning, in the first season. You just do.

A “lamp” character is a common metaphor to describe a bad character: essentially, you could replace the character with a lamp and nothing changes. Considering Alina’s gift is light, it’s a funnily apt metaphor, but it really does apply. Her choices just don’t... matter. She could be a special lamp everyone is fighting over and almost nothing would change. The ironic thing is that everyone treating her like a fancy lamp is exactly the conflict, but it’s never delved into. We’re never shown that Alina is more than a lamp. She never has to struggle because her choices are made for her and information is gifted to her when she needs it. Not making choices protects Alina from consequences and the story gives her little incentive to change that; in fact, things tend to turn out better when she doesn’t make choices (magic stags will arrive). 

Like... let’s look at a few occasions when Alina almost or does make choices. For example, she chooses to (it seems) sleep with Kirigan, but then there’s a convenient knock at the door and Bhagra arrives with key information that changes Alina’s mind instantly despite the fact that Bhagra’s been pretty terrible to her. If you want to write a woman realizing she’s been duped by a cruel man, show her discovering it instead of having the man’s abusive mother tell her when she had absolutely no such suspicions beforehand. There’s no emotional weight there because Alina doesn’t struggle. 

When she is actually allowed to carry out a bad choice, the consequences are handwaved away instead of built into a challenge for her. Like... Alina got her friends killed. More than once. I’m not saying she’s entirely to blame for these but could we show her reacting to it? Feeling any sort of grief? She never mentions Raisa or Alexei after they’re gone, just Mal, and I’m... okay. They were there because of you. Aren’t you feeling anything? Aren’t you sad? The only time Alina brings up her friends’ deaths is to tell Kirigan he killed her friends when they were only there because she burned the maps. She yells at Kirigan for “never” giving her a choice, but she almost never makes any, so why would he? Alina has the gall to lecture Genya about choices, but she herself almost never has to make any. 

Which brings me to another complaint in general: Alina’s lack of care for everyone around her when they’re not Mal, even if they care for her. Marie dies because of her (absolutely not her fault of course) but as far as we know she never even learns about Marie. She certainly doesn’t ever ask about her or Nadia. Alina seems apathetic at best to people, certainly not compassionate or kind. 

The frustrating thing is that there is potential here. Like, it actually makes a lot of psychological sense for an orphan who has grown up losing to be reluctant to care for people outside of her orbit and that she would struggle to believe she can have any say in her destiny (ie make choices). It’s also interesting that a girl who feels like an outsider views others outside her. But the show never offers examines Alina’s psychology with any depth; it simply tells us she’s compassionate when she is demonstrably not, it tells us she makes decisions when it takes magical intervention to do so. It’s a missed opportunity. This does not change between episodes 1 and 8, despite the episodes’ parallel structures and scenes, which unintentionally reinforces that Alina had little real development. 

Inej and ironically Jesper and Kaz embody the concept of “mercy” far better and with far more complexity than Alina does. The Crows have reactions to the loss of people who even betray them (Arken, etc), learn, and course-correct (or don’t) when they are even loosely involved in having strangers die. They’re good characters because they change and learn and have their choices matter. When they kill we see them wrestle with it and what this means even if they are accustomed to doing so. Jesper can’t kill in front of a child. Kaz wonders what his killings do to Inej’s idea of him.

Narrative: The Mixed Bag

Tropes, Themes, Telling vs. Showing

So the show’s themes in the Alina storyline are a mess, as they are in the trilogy too. Tropes are a very valuable way to show your audience what you’re trying to say. They’re utilized worldwide because they resonate with people and we know what to expect from them. The Crows' storyline shows us what it wants us to learn.

Preaching tells, and unfortunately, the trilogy relies on telling/preaching against fornicationBad Boys. It’s your right to write any trope or trample any trope you want--your story--but you should at least understand what/why you are doing so. The author clearly knows enough about Jungian shadows and dark/light yin/yang symbolism to use it in the story, but then just handwaves it away as “I don’t like this” but never does so in a narratively effective way: addressing the appeal in the first place. If you really wanna deconstruct a trope, you gotta empathize with the core of the reason these tropes appeal to people (it allays deep fears that we are ourselves unlovable, through loving another person despite how beastly they can be), and address this instead of ignoring it. Show us a better way through the Fold of your story. Don’t just go around it and ignore the issue.

The trilogy offers highly simplistic themes at best--bad boy bad and good boy good, which is fine-ish for kid lit but less fine for adult complexity, which the show (more so than the books) seems to try to push despite not actually having much of it.

Alina and Mal are intended to be good, we’re told they are, but I’m not sure why beyond just that we’re told so. Alina claims the stag chose her, but in the show it’s never explained why at all. Unlike with Kaz, Inej, Jesper, and hell even Matthias and Nina, we don’t see Alina or Mal’s complex choices and internal wrestling. 

Like, Inej’s half-episode where she almost killed the guy they needed was far more character exploration than Alina has the entire show, to say nothing of Inej’s later killing which not only makes her leaps and bounds more interesting, but ironically cements her as a far more compelling and yes, likable, heroine than Alina. We see Inej’s emotional and moral conflict. We can relate to her. We see Kaz struggling with his selfishness and regrets, with his understanding of himself through his interactions with and observations of Inej, Alina, the Darkling, Arken, and Jesper.

We don’t explore what makes Mal or Alina good and what makes them bad. We don’t know what Alina discovers about herself, what her power means for her. We are told they are good, we are told she knows her power is hers, but never shown what this means or what this costs them/her. Their opportunities to be good are handed to them (the stag, Bhagra) instead of given to them as a challenge in which they risk things, in which doing good or making a merciful choice costs them. Alina gets to preach about choices without ever making any; Inej risks going back to the Menagerie to trust Kaz. Her choices risk. They cost. They matter and direct her storyline and her arc, and those of the people around her.

Production Stuff:

The Good: 

The production overall is quite excellent. The costumes, pacing, acting, and cinematography (for example, one of the earliest scenes between the Darkling and Alina has Alina with her back to the light, face covered in his shadow, while the Darkling’s face is light up by her light even if he stands in the shadows) are top-notch. The soundtrack as well is incredible and emphasizes the scenes playing. The actors have great chemistry together, friend chemistry and romantic when necessary (Mal and Alina, the Darkling and Alina, Kaz and Inej, Nina and Matthias, David and Genya, etc.) All are perfectly cast. 

The Uncomfortable Technicalities Hamliet Wants to Bitch About:

The only characters from fantasy!Europe having any trace of an accent reminiscent of said fantasy country's real-world equivalent are antagonists like Druskelle (Scandinavia) and Pekka (Ireland). When the heroes mostly have British accents despite being from fantasy Russia and Holland, it is certainly A Choice to have the Irish accent emphasized. The actor is British by the way, so I presume he purposely put on an Irish accent. I'm sure no one even considered the potential implications of this but it is A Look nonetheless.

The Anachronisms Hamliet Has a Pet Peeve About: 

The worldbuilding is compelling, but the only blight on the worldbuilding within the story itself (ignoring context) was that there are some anachronisms that took me out of the story, particularly in the first episode where “would you like to share with the class” and “saved by the horn” are both used. Both are modern-day idioms in English that just don’t fit, especially the latter. The last episode uses “the friends we made along the way.” There are other modern idioms as well.

IT’S STARKOVA and Other Pet Peeves Around the Russian Portrayal 

Russian names are not hard, and Russian naming systems are very, very easy to learn. I could have waved “Starkov” not being “Starkova,” “Nazyalensky” not being “Nazyalenskaya,”  and “Safin” not being “Safina” as an American interpretation (since in America, the names do not femininize). However, “Mozorova” as a man is unfathomable and suggests to me the author just doesn’t understand how names work, which is a bit... uh okay considering a simple google search gets you to understand Russian names. They aren’t hard. I cannot understand why the show did not fix this. It is so simple to fix and would be a major way to help the story’s overall... caricature of Russia. 

Speaking of that... Ravka is supposedly Russian-based, but it is more accurately based on the stereotypes of what Americans think of Russia. Amerussia? Russica? Not great. 

The royals are exactly what Americans think of the Romanovs, right down to the “greasy” “spiritual advisor” who is clearly Rasputin and which ignores the Romanov history, very real tragedy, and the reason Rasputin was present in the court. The religion with all its saints is a vapid reflection of Russian Orthodoxy. The military portrayal with its lotteries and brutality and war is how the US views the Russian military. The emphasis on orphans, constant starvation, classification, and children being ripped from their homes to serve the government is a classic US understanding of USSR communism right down to the USSR having weapons of destruction the rest of the world fears (Grisha). Not trying to defend the Soviet Union here at all, but it is simplistic and reductive and probably done unconsciously but still ehhhh. 

However, I’m not Russian. I just studied Russian literature. I’ve seen very little by way of discussion of this topic online, but what I do see from Russian people has been mixed--some mind, some don’t. The reality is that I actually don’t really mind this because it’s fantasy, though I see why some do. I'm not like CANCEL THIS. So why am I talking about this beyond just having a pet peeve?

Well, because it is a valid critique, and because it doesn’t occur in a vacuum. The Grishaverse is heralded as an almost paragon for woke Young Adult literature, which underlines itself what so frustrates me about how literary circles discuss issues of diversity and culture. Such praise, while ignoring its quasi-caricature of Russia, reflects a very ethnocentric (specifically American) understanding of culture, appropriation, and representation. All stories are products of their culture to various extents, but it bothers me on principle what the lit community reacts (and overreacts sometimes?) to and what people give a pass to. The answer to what the community reacts to and what it gives a pass always pivots on how palatable the appropriation is to American understandings and sensibilities. There’s nuance here as well, though. 

I'm not cancelling the story or thinking it should be harshly attacked for this, but it is something that can be discussed and imo should be far more often--but with the nuance it begs, instead of black/white. But that’s a tall ask. 

[radramblog]

Midnight Hunt Commanders (and Midnight Hunt Commander)

Another month, another new set release. This time: Innistrad 3 Part 1, Midsommar edition. I’m sure you’ve read all the jokes at this point.

Still, though, I like running through cards like this. I’ve heard some podcasters and other content creators lament the accelerating release pace because it means you only get to do so much “normal” content between set review stuff. But I like set review stuff! One of the handful of upsides of the hypercapitalist nightmare that is WoTC under Hasbro.

Anyway here’s some spooky things you can put in charge of a scary deck.

Adeline, Resplendent Cathar

While being strictly inferior to Adeline from Kirby, this card is a surprisingly aggressive beater. She’s going to be attacking for 4 commander damage on turn 4, and that’s assuming no ramp or other creatures on the board. Sure, those tokens are probably going to bite it, but that’s something you can take advantage of! Also, curving her into Cathar’s Crusade is both flavourful and also terrifying. White Token Aggro is far from a new concept, but Adeline is quite the efficient example of the trope.

 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned

I cannot imagine that many people playing this as the commander. The number one thing you’re going to want to flashback in mono-blue is counterspells, which this card turns off. Sure, there’s some funky things you can do with slow blink effects, but that’s a lot of work for an extra Cancel. With that said, this is going to be in the 99 of so many decks, so I wouldn’t feel bad for Lier.

 Gisa, Glorious Ressurector

I guess we’re seeing Geralf in the next set? Gisa is super cool- I’m not huge on just having a hate piece in the command zone, but Gisa justifies it by giving you a bunch of value. I’m not sure how I feel about Decayed as a mechanic, but flavour-wise it works really well, and considering how much you can get out of an ETB or just one attack in this format, she’s probably not complaining. I think you really need a haste effect to get the most out of her, though. But she’s cool as heck, another sick card for everybody’s favourite small zombie goth GF.

 Gorex, the Tombshell

Gorex is interesting, as a pseudo-delve threat that slowly regains the value you put into it, and it is also a giant zombie turtle. On the other hand, it’s not especially interesting. I feel like a lot of these “lieutenant” creatures are really hit or miss, and I’m afraid to say I think this one’s the latter. You can’t even play it with Meandering Towershell!

 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia

This just kinda feels like a waste of a legendary slot. It’s somewhere between Ophiomancer and Dreadhorde Invasion, but significantly worse than both, and you want to put this in the zone? It’s kind of disappointing, especially considering this dude has been on flavour text since the original Innistrad block. Which was 10 years ago.

 Jerren, Corrupted Bishop / Ormendahl, the Corrupter

As much as I love Westvale Abbey, the condition to flip Jerren is so utterly specific that I’m not going to bother considering it, so we kind of just have to ignore Ormendahl, powerful as he is. And Jerren isn’t much to write home about either. He wants to be in charge of a Humans deck, clearly, but there’s not really much to support that at all. Like, Xathrid Necromancer and Village Cannibals I guess? Probably taking the pass on this one.

Man there were 4 whole Mono-Black commanders in this one and like one of them is interesting. Gisa’s carrying the colour on her back this time around.

 Kurbis, Harvest Celebrant

Kurbis is…eh. The thing with your big +1/+1 counter threats is that damage isn’t usually the thing taking them out, so they’d work better in a deck that tries to distribute the counters more evenly. But then, in order to get much from Kurbis, you’re going to need to shrink them a lot…I honestly can’t see playing this in either maindeck or command zone. It just doesn’t do enough. I do like the “counters equal to mana spent” text on cards like this, at least.

 Saryth, the Viper’s Fang

Another 99er. Lot of those this time. Saryth is a great if somewhat awkward way to both abuse and protect things like Circle of Dreams Druid or Faeburrow Elder, or just as another Thousand-Year Elixir for commanders that like tap abilities. But I cannot imagine building this as a commander.

By the way, we’re done with all of the monocoloured commanders. And only 1/3rd of the way through all the cards. I know multicolour is more popular, but this set is kind of dire for those types of decks.

 Dennick, Pious Apprentice / Dennick, Pious Apparition

This feels a lot like a fixed Temmet (since the back half gets to deal commander damage) but with a different flavour. He is a card you can get a lot of value from for fairly cheap, seeing as you only pay the tax half the times you’re casting him, and the abilities on both sides are solid enough. I’m not inspired by this commander in basically any way, but he’s pretty much decent on either side and with how cheap he is you could kinda just build the deck however. Sure?

 Eloise, Nephalia Sleuth

Finally, a commander for the 6 Surveil Matters cards that were in GRN, which admittedly is more than I was expecting. Eloise is both a solid value engine for sacrifice-y decks that only really have had one Dimir commander in the past (that being Kels), and the trigger on the second ability is surprisingly flexible- it’s clearly meant to work with the Clue tokens she makes and the Decayed tokens from the precon, but it works great with Eldrazi Spawn, Treasures, and any other token creatures you’re deciding to churn through for value. The consistency and efficiency this adds to these kinds of decks is super sweet, and I’ve just checked EDHREC and literally nobody has built her. That is shocking to me, frankly, but I’m sure that’ll change.

 Ludevic, Necrogenius / Olag, Ludevic’s Hubris

I heard y’all wanted a new Ludevic since the old one’s terrible? Fuck you he’s dead now. Ludevic’s front face is extremely uninspired, but the real commander is on the back side- he does at least enable the strategy. Olag is, unfortunately, kind of just a worse Mimeoplasm, something I have a lot of experience with seeing as I have a Mimeoplasm deck. It’s actually not cheaper, seeing as Ludevic is minimum 2+5 versus Mimeo’s 5, and you don’t get to play Green so that’s also worse for you. It does start as a 4/4 base, but you’re not getting smaller than that very often with Mimeoplasm, and unlike that card Olag can’t be used as graveyard hate. Exiling cards from your own graveyard in a graveyard deck feels terrible. The long and short of this is just…play Mimeoplasm. They’re underrated these days.

 Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver

The first line of text on this dude is super flavourful, I really like the idea of this legion that just keeps getting back up. The second line of text is also really good, seeing as it works with either part of the first half and it generates value in what will be a board-based deck. And while it’s not exactly wrath protection, it does at least give you a pile of bodies for when you do get wrathed, ready to dogpile the guy that dared wipe your board. I’m always hesitant about precon face commanders, because they’re always a little too pushed for my liking, but I really don’t think Wilhelt is fuckbusted- just a very solid commander to helm a solid archetype.

 Florian, Voldaren Scion

Excuse me, what the fuck is this Vampire doing in my Werewolf set? Get this shit out of here. Florian is an aberration, and also a frustratingly boring one. He takes significant deckbuilding effort to be good, and even then best case scenario it’s an exile-draw impulse once per turn cycle. Rakdos was doing real well for a while, and probably will keep doing well in future considering the next set coming up, so this is a bit of a disappointment.

 Tovolar, Dire Overlord / Tovolar, the Midnight Scourge

I’ve already spent a bunch of time discussing Werewolves in EDH, so I’ll try to keep this brief. Tovolar is the epitome of “fine, here you go”. He’s a powerful Werewolf commander that compensates for the tribe’s weaknesses, gives you card advantage, and echoes an iconic card from the past. He is unquestionably the best Werewolf to helm your deck of the three total real options. I still kinda think you want Naya for this tribe, but if you don’t want to compromise on synergy or lose this effect (and to be fair it’s a lot) then here he is. It’s hard not to be cynical, seeing as I was one of the people fucking pissed at how nothing Ulrich was, but at least he exists now.

Maybe give us another one in Crimson Vow, WoTC?

 Katilda, Dawnhart Prime

This is kind of interesting, a proper Human tribal commander for GW. Now, unlike previous, where your options were Sigarda 2 in GW (which isn’t very good) and some other stuff like the Kudros for other colour combinations, Midnight Hunt has a couple new options for this exact deck, but at the very least they all do it a little differently. Katilda is effectively a second Cryptolith Rite, but one that gives you something to do with all that excess mana, which is pretty cool and good- decks that need to commit to the board often run out of cards (on account of having things get broken) and this makes sure you always have something to do with that mana. So sure! If you have a haste outlet it makes Increasing Devotion insanely free and that’s super spicy.

 Kyler, Sigardian Emissary

I find this substantially less interesting. Kyler is Thalia’s Lieutenant, but it works a bit better, but also its way more expensive. Anthem commanders are always underwhelming, because the effect is usually mediocre and also you can just…play anthems. But also, it doesn’t take much for this guy to make your team quite big. My biggest issue here is that I just think 5 mana is a lot for an aggressive commander like this, and in order to make him work you need to still be playing things afterwards- so the curve is going to be have to be super wonky.

 Leinore, Autumn Sovereign

Our other face commander for this set, Leinore is here to support the Coven mechanic, both making it easier to get three creatures with different powers (especially since she has 0 power herself, which is fairly uncommon) and rewarding you for doing so. She’s another card on this list that basically says “meet condition, draw a card every turn”, but at the very least she’s pumping the squad a little at the same time and she’s not super expensive. I think she’s a lot less interesting than the other face commander, Wilhelt, but she’s inoffensive.

 Sigarda, Champion of Light

Aside from immediately slamming into my cube, Sigarda part 3 looks a lot like Leinore in just drawing a card if you have Coven once per turn. The upside, Sigarda does a bunch of damage while doing it, and could feasibly finish someone off if necessary. The downside, she needs to get Humans, and she sure as -hell isn’t a Human herself. This off-tribe-ness is supremely awkward for what is effectively a tribal commander, and as a result I would be surprised if she saw much play in the zone. But seriously she’s so much better than the last one holy crap that card was mid.

 Liesa, Forgotten Archangel

I still don’t know why Liesa is…alive… but here she is again. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first card, and unfortunately the second one doesn’t change that. She takes a classic Orzhov commander in Athreos, removes the fun politics and play angle from it, gets more expensive, gets graveyard hate, and loses indestructible. I imagine some Athreos players will switch over since she guarantees a return, but she’s surprisingly boring for such a potentially interesting character. Liesa was one of the defenders of Innistrad along with her sisters, but one that was willing to actually interact with the darker creatures of her world and try to understand them rather than murdering them on sight. When Avacyn got created, she killed the fuck out of Liesa since that shit’s heresy, apparently, and had her name effectively wiped from the records- that she’s apparently been alive secretly the whole time begs a lot of questions and has a lot of potential flavour that this card does not represent. The card certainly can’t bring itself back from the dead.

 Vadrik, Astral Archmage

I wasn’t sure about this one, but LoadingReadyRun’s recent deck tech video on it did sell me on it a bit. Vadrik obviously invites comparisons to Mizzix, which is a well-known, kill-on-sight Commander at this point- while I don’t think he’s nearly as powerful as she is, he’s a different flavour of interesting and he is a whole mana cheaper. As well, I do like a lot that he grows himself in the process, giving the deck a board presence that Mizzix’s 2/2 stats don’t really contribute to. I’m still not sure how well day/night will play in the format, but with a deck full of instants you can probably get 2 counters per turn cycle without sacrificing your own tempo, which is decent enough.

 Old Stickfingers

I’m not sure where to be on Stickfingers. I love the flavour of this card, just being a scary forest monster that’s just a new but established in-universe part of the world, much like The Gitrog Monster. The card is kind of medium, though, and its text does really confuse me.

Okay, no, turns out I just misread it completely. You know when your brain just fills in the gaps with what it thinks is right? That’s what I did. I thought Stickfingers looked at the top X and just milled the creatures, but it reveals cards until it hits X creatures, which is muuuuuch better. The X cost effectively does act like it does on many a Hydra, but with added value for the graveyard decks it’s sure to lead. That and it can serve as an effective combo commander- just grab Necrotic Ooze and its combo pieces and some Regrowths and you’re good to go. I don’t think the card is going to be particularly interesting for more casual play, but I can at least admit that it’s much better than I’d assumed.

 Rem Karolus, Stalwart Slayer

He doesn’t explicitly say as much, but Rem is secretly a spellslinger commander, and one that gives other red decks a lot of trouble with you. Dealing one point of extra damage is rarely going to be game-changing, but it makes many a spell that little bit more efficient, and that prevention ability is the real deal. It’s never that hard to protect a single creature from damage, and if you find a way to do that with Rem, you’re basically immune to damage-based boardwipes, and in a great position to abuse the fuck out of them yourself. The card doesn’t really solve any of Boros’s shortcomings, but it is at least Doing A Thing, which is more than I can say for a lot of the combination’s commanders.

 Slogurk, the Overslime

Because Simic didn’t have enough of a lion’s share of the colour pie, here’s Simic doing what is really more of a Golgari or Gruul thing. I don’t hate getting to play with land stuff in blue (beyond Tatyova/Aesi style landfall), but this does feel like an overstepping. Besides the meta angle, the card…I dunno. It’s got a lot going on, but maybe I’m just burned out on playing around lands decks at this point. Slogurk bores me. I do kind of like the idea of hitting yourself with a Traumatize and just killing someone with this, though.

 Lynde, Cheerful Tormentor

Our closing act is one that is undeniably extremely cool. Not only is Lynde mechanically interesting, she’s also a new character that is tied to the surprisingly popular “unluckiest planeswalker” guy- I guess it might not have been luck this whole time. Curses are a really interesting build-around idea, and considering there are 29 (30 if you include Accursed Witch) of them in Grixis for Lynde to play with at this point, you do actually get to pick and choose a bit. She does somewhat suffer from being in the colours that basically don’t get to really play around with Enchantment synergy, but between her 3 colours I reckon there’s enough to keep her going- you can run some of Theros’s Constellation things. And she’s just….really cool. Putting the curse on you before you get to move it off to someone else feel so playful, the two cards a cackling compensation from this cruel master of cursecraft.

 And that’s the lot of them. Unfortunately, much of the Legendary offerings from Innistrad: Midnight Hunt are seriously mediocre. Many of the cards feel more fit for the deck itself than the commanding seat, and a fair few of them don’t even have much going on for that. There are a few real highlights- perhaps me being so into Lynde, Eloise and Gisa says something but I’m refusing to analyse that- but there’s just so many misses that I can’t help but feel underwhelmed. I think it’s somewhat telling of modern Magic design that there are more commanders in this release than were in the previous two Innistrad blocks combined, and yet despite predating the era when legendary creatures were designed for Commander, most of those cards will be better remembered for the format than this new batch.

[gavillain]

Gimme some Scar

Love him. Great villain. While the roster of my top five Disney villains when I was a kid consisted of the same five villains as today (just in a slightly different order), Cruella was not, actually, the holder of the number six spot. Actually, for the longest time, Scar held that position pretty undisputedly. As a kid, I loved Scar. Though I didn’t own The Lion King on VHS, I did have a recording of it that also had Hocus Pocus on the same tape. So I ended up watching those two movies back to back pretty frequently as a result. However, by the time I got to the internet and really saw how obnoxious people could be, my love for Scar faltered and died out. However, recently, as I’ve moved away from toxic sites and the like, I’ve allowed myself to really appreciate him again. I thought he was great when I was young, but I talked myself out of it because of listening to others. Now, having grown as a critic of media and as a Disney fan and person, I now KNOW Scar is excellent.

Okay, lets get the thing everyone praises him for out of the way first: he killed Mufasa. Most Disney villains have an implied body count, but Scar, while not the very first instance, was the one behind the most meaningful and iconic instance of a Disney villain committing an on-screen murder, due to the fact that he killed a prominent and well established character. Now, I’m certainly not one who thinks it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread that he killed a character, and, in fact, as a kid, that actually was a point against Scar for me because it upset my mother. However, I do think it is something very notable about him that he did manage to be so successful and explicit in his evil for a Disney villain. He definitely paved the way for Disney villains to take that next step into murder. To not mention the impact of that would be a disservice.

However, after Clayton, Rourke, Scroop, Facilier, and Callaghan all also killed main named characters on screen, the effect of “Oh my gosh, Scar killed Mufasa,” has kind of dulled. And, really and truly, if the novelty of Scar killing Mufasa was all the draw to him as a villain, as many internet commenters would lead you to believe, then he really wasn’t a great villain to begin with. Because novelty is only worth something as long as it IS novelty. It had the novelty, but the novelty is now gone. Fortunately for Scar, he has a multitude of other perks that keep him at the top of the heap.

For one thing, he has that classic Disney villain attitude. The charisma, the charm, the upbeat attitude, the snark, and the shear unadulterated cruelty, Scar’s got the complete package that made the likes of Ursula and Jafar such memorable villains. He’s the type of villain who enters the scene and just draws all of the attention to himself. Jeremy Irons does a fantastic job going over the top and just loving every minute of being Scar. He’s having an absolute blast getting into the role, so we as the audience have a blast watching him. He’s just straight up fun. You get sucked in my the performance delivered, and it’s hard not to leave the movie quoting Scar with dramatic inflection.

His villain song, “Be Prepared” is awesome. I mean, Hell, it’s a song created by Elton John and Tim Rice sung by Jeremy Irons. What about that combination could go wrong? The green and sick looking beginning color scheme that evolves into red and hellish illustrates the building intensity on the song in a beautiful way, and the music itself builds marvelously. It’s just an epic song that really makes Scar shine. The goose-stepping hyena moment gets enough attention in online forums, so I’m not going to laude that because I don’t find that type of lauding to be in good taste. However, the single most iconic performative image associated with fascism being transposed onto Scar and his minions here is a really effective visual shorthand to convey the monstrosity and the threat of tyranny that Scar’s agenda promises.

Motivation wise, he’s not especially complex or unique. He just wants to be king and have power, like many of the other Disney villains. Most villains do manage to at least somewhat succeed in their goals before their defeat in the climax to bring sort of the darkest night before the heroic and triumphant dawn of the climax. However, where Scar manages to stand out is that after killing Mufasa, he becomes the king and remains the king from Simba’s childhood into Simba’s adulthood. He manages to enjoy years and years of victory. And, through throwing off the balance of the Circle of Life, he ends up bringing ruin and destruction upon the kingdom. We don’t just get a glimpse of why he’s an awful villain. We see outright the type of ruin that his selfishness and wickedness brings.

However, if I’m being honest, the Scar that we get in the movie is, in my opinion, inferior to the Scar we’re treated to in the Broadway musical. Though filling much the same role as the film version, the Broadway version of Scar adds in “The Madness of King Scar” scene, which, with its singular addition, takes Scar to the next level as a villain. In the film, we see Scar’s madness that ensues in the form of him basically becoming a man-child, echoing Simba in the “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” sequence. He devolves as Simba grows. Good for a foil dynamic in a film, but not especially compelling or interesting in its own right. The Broadway show, however, takes the time to really dive into Scar’s rapidly devolving sanity and to do it in a way that stays true the foil nature while also enhancing Scar as a character and antagonist without making him into just a brat.

In this number, we see that Scar’s volatile emotions and needy hunger for external validation is the centerpiece of his motivation. Though he puts on a façade of being an intellectual schemer in the first half of the movie, after he achieves his goal and starts acting with less intention and more on his base desires, we see an unhealthy and unstable emotional hunger at the root of everything he does. We see his need for emotional validation and how it pains him not to have gotten it in comparison to Mufasa. We see him pleading with the other characters on stage to “Tell me I’m adored!” Instead of just being someone who wants power for the sake of power, we see that, for Scar, being king is about receiving the love and validation he was denied growing up. He’s allowed his perceived slights to warp his brain to the point where he’s made his life revolve around one upping Mufasa and being better. And this unhealthy desire has caused him to devolve into a paranoid mess who constantly needs reaffirming that he’s loved and adored.

He’s just very well written, very entertaining, and very well executed. 

 Send me a character, and I’ll give you my opinion on them

[lilmajorshawty]

Neptune Through the Houses. 🌊 (To Sink Or to Swim)

Neptune in the 1st house:

Rae sremmurd - what’s in your heart

Rosemary fairweather - chemicals

The intangible persona.

Neptune in the first house natives are often caught between the need to be hidden in plain sight or being the center of everyone’s universe as if they were the sun itself. They’re delicate but also seem to evaporate the moment too many vibrations are experienced at once. These natives can channel the inner feelings of a crowd, a room, of the sky and the earth in all its light and dark shades like mediums. They feed off the unknown and project a reflection of what is given back to them which is often why they are seen as such an elusive character. Neptune in the first house natives have a profound magntetism and often they’re capable of completely morphing and “switching” on their spark, within moments having the entire room all in a trance like state. In many cases these natives can struggle with developing a healthy identity apart from what they absorb from their surroundings. These natives especially in the younger years can devour the energy of others as a means to create a persona for themlsves but this inturn usually forces them to bid the question of “who am I” one way or another. To say things get better for these natives would be a far cry, the raw and heavy energy of Neptune in this house is very powerful and these natives have the power to move a nation to its knees but the take away being that moving these natives to their knees is practically and impossible task. The emotions are felt universally but can be rather cumbersome when it come to what is individually felt by these natives. The endless sea in these natives albeit a wonderful quality is often something they find themselves sinking in.

Neptune in the 2nd house:

Blood cultures - phospholipid

Black marble - frisk

The Conceptual gaze

Neptune in the 2nd house natives are very much so the free spirits when it comes to the more mundane and grounded aspects of life. Money and security are more of a blurry and less fleshed out concept in this case as often they prefer to feel their way through things. As you can imagine “feeling” things out means that often their moody and somewhat evasive mentality can create financial hiccups every now and then. These natives have a very intuitive nature when it comes to money, often finding it to never come up short especially when they need it most. They can often have a very sensual and glossy atmosphere to them, preferring to hide in the clothing they wear rather than outright be flashy. In most cases these natives hide certain if not most aspects of their bodies-not necessarily out of rejection of themselves but merely to impose a symbolic boundary between them and their own surroundings. These natives love touch and can often be the types to use their fingers and limbs as a second nose in a way! Touch is a huge emotional sense of comfort for them. Simplicity is a huge need in their lives and something they strive for. They are the types to thrift and love bargains, you’d rarely catch them spending big as they often love the more vintage and old school Attire. Neptune in the 2nd house natives have a very pronounced earthy look to them and can always look as if they’re a bit sleepy even when they’re not. Glossy eyes and slightly messy hair is their dead give away. That being said boundary issues is often a big theme and they can get themselves caught in dangerous situations due to their lack of discipline in this area.

Neptune in the 3rd house:

Beach house - Black car

Ruby haunt - destroyer

The sleepover

Neptune in the 3rd house natives are very mentally active, often flashing between moments in time like they were some sort of camera. The past can be of great importance but also the source of the most lament for these natives. They often cling to memories and situations, holding people in their lives to the previous selves in an almost ritual like manner. These natives often idealize moments in time which is often what gravitates them to things like cinema, painting and of course photography. Capturing a moment in time and the endless array of feelings and sensations that came with it is a deep felt desire for these natives. More than most these natives love to dissociate and sort of transfer to their alter egos for a little bit just to escape from it all from time to time. Neptune in the 3rd house natives see the world in vibrant and often overwhelming colors, often experiencing the feelings of others as if they were experiencing the same exact situation. Moments of deja vu, and premonitions or even prophet like dreams are common ground and often I call these natives “gods voice” due to the fact that they can often sense or feel things that many can’t as if someone is directly messaging them or speaking to them on a spiritual level. These natives can smell negative energy and malefic energy swiftly and usually are able to discern someone’s character before they even have time to blink. The emotions tend to cloud their rational mind though and at times it can be so overwhelming that some of these natives rely on drug use as a means to drown out the “sound”

Neptune in the 4th house:

The holydrug couple - if I could find you

Yeule - pocky boy

The deep sea diver

For Neptune in the 4th house natives it’s less about the feeling and more about the experience that accompanies it. There can be an addiction to the more extreme level of emotional expression be it negative, positive, destructive, creative, transformative and so on. They value emotional honesty but in the same context could’ve grown up in an environment where emotional manipulation and emotional dishonesty ran rampant. In most cases the family life was deeply loving no matter the circumstances but there might’ve still been subtle unhealthy co-dependent behavior on the part of the parents. These natives can grow up so pure and gentle no matter the type of upbringing-Neptune here ensures that no matter what they come out of it good in faith and heart. Emotional intensity is a big theme for these natives and learning to focus and utilize their deep receptivity in a way that’s productive and positive can take time as often much of the early life will be spent putting their energy and time into people and situations that don’t benefit them. There is a powerful clarity presented here, these natives just seem to be intune with the universe and it’s workings and usually flow with the waves wherever they happen to be guided. There is a heavy sentimentality and often forgiveness of the home life and these natives no matter the 4th house cusp sign adore quiet and breezy home environments! To much clutter and noise can make them feel antsy and restricted. Recreational drug use can be a thing but normally it’s in a healthy amount unless Neptune is afflicted. Usually these natives can grow having a more blurry sexuality and because of this can struggle defining their wants and needs in their romantic unions. The heart makes the choices for these natives and albeit it gets them in trouble sometimes it’s one of there most endearing traits. Animals love these natives and tend to gravitate towards them! Wounded people and animals in general may feel at ease around these natives and in some cases they could pass in the presence of these natives(this isn’t a bad things as usually these natives soothe their souls and lead them to spiritual peace.) these natives can also bring out emotions in others they’d rather not readily experience so often times these natives may feel as though they can see through they veil people put up.

Neptune in the 5th house:

Pale honey - why do I always feel this way

Toro y moi - labyrinth

The bleeding clouds

For Neptune in the 5th house natives romance and the idea and concept of love can have the least grounded backing supporting it, often leaving these natives in a state of passion or confusion. Here we have the 5th house, our art is here, our expression and our playful side is here, this is how we have fun, the casual dates, the nights out with strangers and the guilty hookup, it’s your future babies via adoption or birds and the bees. Neptune is our spirit, our dreams, it’s the vulnerable side of us and the tears behind the tears. These natives can experience love like one long lasting and never ending crush often to frightened to ever act on their desires. Love is a bit tricky here as it’s often that they attract “vulnerable” types who have an elusive but also deeply tender nature to them-which to most people seems easy but it’s normally just the opposite! The natural playfulness of this house is sort of drowned and extinguished by Neptune’s watery presence so to speak. Often these natives are very picky about who and what they allow to keep them emotionally preoccupied which is for good reason as often some of the romance they attract is of the messy and unhealthy variety and many tend to be drawn to the healing and warm nature of these natives, never truly seeking to settle down, rather to leech and leech off the continued kindness of these natives instead. The art and hobbies of these natives can be endless, many love drawing, singing and even dancing so long as it’s a hobby that allows them to express their own inner love and passions in a creative and emotionally fulfilling way. Casual sex isn’t usually a thing here and often these natives will wait a pretty good while before losing their virginity! Usually they need something consistent and long term for sex to even be in the equation! Romantically they are very fun souls! Wanting to connect and vibe through energy. Their children can be rather sentimental souls with a highly functioning and self aware emotional side! The children can be a bit fragile health wise and might be a bit more harder to handle in the adolcent years and the neptunian energy will make those 18-21 years a more dramtic version of “finding yourself” (don’t worry they’ll get through it!) they can draw a lot of karma in their relationships and the learning of self love and self worth can come toe to toe for these natives! Love is not owed, love shouldn’t come with a price, Love is something that’s should be a naturally felt give and take on both ends.

Neptune in the 6th house:

Nearly oratorio - occlude

Prolly knot - perennial

The pale window

Neptune in the 6th house natives can be rather somber souls. The daily life is often a fickle one as they can feel as though their is a lack of organization or even grounding In there daily life. On one end the lack of navigation can feel as if they’re directionless but it can also feel a bit freeing, as if their destination is never really set in stone. A certain poetry exist in these natives as they often have such an incrediblely intoxicating aura as if you could be transferred to another space just by hearing them speak. Wisdom and opendmindedness are big traits here and usually these natives approach life without expectation or intent. Often times these natives can be mistaken as being shady or dubious due to their lack of projected “desire.” In reality these natives are passer by’s and aren’t really the types to have an alterior motives as evey choice and desire is something that happens more in the moment if anything. They are often immensely creative in their lives, finding solutions and even bypassing roadblocks that many would be stumped upon. Animals can serve as spritual guides and transformative life lessons for these individuals and in some ways animals help to ground them in this reality. There is a pronounced day dreamer nature to them which causes them to phase in and out quite a bit. Usually these natives need to have music and rhythmic sounds incorporated into there day to day be it listening to music at work or blasting the radio while they are cooking. It’s very, very hard for these natives to let someone do something on there own or even saying no which can cause them issues as they can be taken advantage of. These natives have very perceptive eyes albeit they usually don’t use them that much aha! But the eyes are often piercing in nature despite the watery disposition.

Neptune in the 7th house:

KWAYE - Little ones

James Isaac - can’t u see

The one everyone wanted

Neptune in the 7th house natives much like their sister Neptune in the 1st are enigmas. Neptune in the first deals with the ego whilst Neptune in the 7th deals with a much more hidden influence in our character, the ID. For Neptune in the 7th house natives there is a certain unavailability that shrouds them, both emotionally and physically. In most cases intimacy is sought after but it’s also something that’s fiercely yet unconsciously avoided. Partnership is dreamt about yet it’s never really seldom pursued in the real world. These natives have a very thin grip on their interactions with others which causes them to either give to much or give to little. They often can bring out the softer and even the more vulnerablely pure side of others which in some ways is what makes them so sought after! People fall for these natives rather quickly which can both alarm and fascinate them. Gender, sexuality, background all seem to fade into a blur in their interactions with others and most cases especially in same sex situations their lovers might’ve never been with the same sex until they met these natives. These natives can bring or dependent and even emotional sensitivity from even the coldest hearts. Despite their propensity for attracting everyone like a moth to a flame these natives can still battle depression and loneliness like the Black Plague. Happiness tends to allude them and mainly this is a self inflicted energy that they can’t seem to shake. Blessed with beautiful hearts they are destined to change a great many lives but in the process they might have to recover from more heart brakes than most as often their romances can be described as intense and powerful but deeply wounding. That being said romantically they often are very sacrificing and give their entirety to those they love but forming boundaries between themselves and others is SOOOOO important. These natives tend to change after sex and can absorb parts of the personality of those they sleep with. Love here is never, ever simple. The biggest feature on these natives is that they have very petite butts and very sad faces with deep set eyes. Because of the intense feelings the provoke in others people can often become evasive or ignore these natives(mainly to ignore the emotions and or vulnerability that they feel around he natives).

Neptune in the 8th house:

Lana Del Rey - disco

Lana Del Rey - Black beauty

The devils favorite angel

Spirituality takes a overwhelming flow in these natives. For Neptune in the 8th housers they can feel as if they are walking through this life in a half dead fashion somewhere along the lines of alive with a dirty twist. The world isn’t in simplistic black and white shades for them rather everything is in a rock and sway, back and forth teetering between past and present. These natives can feel distant mainly due to how deeply and often internal the currents of their own feelings swirl within them. Intimacy is often something that comes with its fair share of risk for these natives as they often look for “life” and the concept of “god” through their sexual encounters and through intimacy itself. To the untrained eye they can seem standoffish or even a bit cut throat but rather what you’re seeing is merely a reflection of your own emotions. The 8th house themes of possession, transformation, anger, sadness, our finances and our darker sides all dance around in the neptunian cloud creating someone with an almost angel in raised in the shadows energy but also someone who is drawn to the chaos in others so he or she can bring them out of the flames. The savior and saved mentality can be an unconscious motivation for many of their interactions as in most cases they’re looking for that loss in control, that ever rising high and breathtaking low that comes with it. Neptune in the 8th can attract very dark lovers, very tantric sex and overwhelming spiritual encounters with poltergeist, with darker entities, or even murders and serial rapist. Neptune here creates open door to malefic energy but also opens a door to the divine which is why these natives can seem like both a blessing and an omen. Heaven and hell themes play out in the character of these natives quite a bit and knowing which side you’ll get is often a flip of the coin. The lesson here is that these natives need to learn to channel their unconscious need for a higher love rather than project it to the wrong people as this much like your 2nd house counterpart could lead you into parts of hell you never imagined. These natives usually have beautiful eyes! The eyes can lack shine especially in the light and often in most cases darker hair and features are indicated! The smile is often subtle never a large grin. Sex for them can be a trancendent experience but due to how powerful the emotions are here sex can also if not with the right person can be deeply traumatizing.

Neptune in the 9th house:

Jessie ware - running

James Isaac - beauty

The ones lost in faith

There is a charm with those with Neptune in the 9th. These natives can fly by life with nothing but optimism often expecting things to pan out the way they should with or without intervention. For these natives the faith in the cosmos and something more is both natural and instinctual. In a way these natives are so deeply intertwined with the spirit that they seemingly sense and absorb knowledge far beyond what they’ve been taught. Religion and faith regardless can still be a huge source of confusion for them! In many cases they can have ideals or ideologies that clash with blind faith into the religion they choose. Many struggle with aligning to religion in completion as in most cases they have their own personal beliefs and thoughts that might view things from a different light than what they’ve even been taught. Similar to the 8th house spiritual capability is through the roof and if time is dedicated these natives can truly become spiritual guides and gurus as it comes naturally! That being said much discipline and guidance is needed before they can lead the rest of the world(avatar reference lmao). They have a immense propensity for reading energy of others and can tell when foul play is going on without words being exchanged. In most cases these natives can be extremely flexible and have an easy time navgiagting through various situations and places. The 9th house deals with our traveling and our university life so in most cases these natives can receive immense growth when out of their home, vacationing or even going to religious temples and retreats! In most cases military or university life is very calming and usually serves to expand the spiritual realm. The eyes are expressive and usually the expressions and faces are round and plump.

Neptune in the 10th house:

James Blake - retrograde

James Blake - modern soul

The blurry civilization

Neptune in the 10th house natives are some of the most warm natured souls on this planet. The need to put others before themselves is present among all Neptune placements in their respective houses but especially when in the 10th. These natives tend to have a rather soft approach to their work place and their public life in general. They can seem rather fragile and even emotional out and about, choosing to be rather private and “quiet” when it comes to what they put out there. Gender fluid and even neutral stances on societal issues is common here as they prefer not to have any one definitive standing either way it goes. To many they have a deceptive and rather diluted personality publically which I blame on Neptune’s rather cloudy disposition in an otherwise face value and saturnaian house. They tend to be very emotionally available but also slightly emotionally unrealiable as they often keep everything at a distance especially publically. Since Neptune is the weak spots in ones life, Neptune in this house can show that the natives have a more rigid and tight grip on how and what sensitivities are expressed. These natives usually need to practice expressing their softer emotions without feeling the need to retreat or step back! A common trait is usually soft and or rather domicile/submissive hair!(hair that seems to lay low and doesn’t really fall back into place once you touch it)

Neptune in the 11th house:

Nearly oratorio - devonport

Nearly oratorio - tin

The faces of many

For Neptune in the 11th house natives there can be a rather anonymous aura to them. The need to stay hidden is very apparent here. Friends are often plentiful yet kept at arms reach as in most cases these natives have a strong need for space in any interaction they experience. They often find themselves immersed in their own pursuits be it work, art, be it cinema or acting the talents are often plentiful here. In most cases these natives are attaching worth to what they choose to create which can often make them come across as blunt and rather unapproachable without meaning to. They don’t like to waste time in meaningless affairs as often their emotional side is highly developed allowing them to pick out who and what is worth expending themselves for. These natives tend to reflect Decisions quite a bit often preferring to understand the motives behind what they do and why they do it as a means to present themselves in the list authentic way they can. Realism and integrity are high moral codes that these natives Adhere to which often makes it harder for them to be around groups and or organizations that lack that. These natives are very picky about who and what they choose to support but can also brake out into tears if they know a movement or group can actually make a difference in someone’s life. Despite the outwardly spacey demeanor these natives are tremendously loving. You can always tell when you’re around one when you see there friends! They’re usually very soft and light towards the native!

Neptune in the 12th house:

Young galaxy - stay for real

Sleeping Jesus - alley dream

The last door

Neptune in the 12th house natives are purely vibrations. Emotions are felt like a heavy wave crashing ashore, whilst the thoughts and feelings of others are channeled and soaked up by these natives like a galaxy sponge. Clairvoyance, premonitions and spiritual direction through dreams and day dreams is common for this placement! These natives can often overwhelm themselves easily with how much they pick up in the world and all around them. Taking naps, or even constant lethargy is usually a manifestation and often times these natives can find that they need to recharge quite a bit as they run the risk of emotional depletion. The emotions are usually highly developed and very intricate almost like and endless series of cables and wires over an long extending tunnel. They often process information and body language in ways entirely different from the rest of us. In most cases these natives don’t usually struggle with boundaries from the outside world, rather the real struggle lies in their own psyche. The psyche is often very vulnerable and in some cases these natives can be so overcharged with energy that their mental and brain functions can zone out or stop as a means to catch up and collect themselves. Plenty of care and rest should be occurant to ensure that the body is in top shape! These natives have a very powerful healing capability once they learn to channel their intense neptunian energy but usually this takes time to truly get the hang of! Dreams are often signs and speak on future events or even connections established in real time.

[fox-and-benedict]

[Fanfic, 100% Orange Juice] The Fanservice Episode, Frankly

Series: 100% OJ / Suguri Words: 3855 Characters: Suguri, Hime, Kae, Nanako Originally posted: February 27, 2017 (blogspot version) A/N: I remember being proud of this when I wrote it; I’m usually better at short stuff, to the extent that longer chapters sap my energy a lot. (A little better at it nowadays, I guess...) Of course, nobody read it. I took the title from a Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid episode. Somewhat risque, and with a hurried ending.

Suguri was not, particularly, a fan of the ocean. The raw power of her body was enough to dissuade concerns about breathing, and even the thousands of atmospheres worth of pressure to a certain extent, but she was all too aware that in the Great War, humanity had been rather more focused on how to litter the sea with mines than with how to get them back out again. Even with her abilities, clean up had been a long, dangerous process, and more still might be lurking in the dark, unknown pockets of the deep. There was no way to know. As a result, she wasn't quite as enthused by the idea of a summer beach trip as Hime had been. There were upsides, of course. The sea breeze was one of Suguri's favourite things; part of her believed that she had been a seagull in her past life. She was also partial to the building and subsequent destruction of elaborate sandcastles, to symbolise the artifices of man returning to the bosom of the ocean. There was, however, an additional factor in Suguri's decision to attend the beach day, although she had every intention of denying it when it inevitably came up. A week prior she had spotted Hime sneaking into the house in the earlier hours, armed with a two-piece bikini that was a shade below scandalous but still firmly in the daring category. She hadn't been able to get a good look at it, but she was fairly sure it was frilly, and a Hime with frills was relevant to her interests to say the least. Also relevant to Suguri's interests, in no particular order, were: Hime running barefoot along the sands and giggling; Hime standing waist-deep in the ocean with sunlit golden hair and her beautiful wings reflected against the rolling waves; and hitting watermelons with sticks. (Some pleasures were too simple to be denied). Upon reaching the beach, the pair had retired to the changing rooms, and Suguri had shrugged on her own swimsuit. It wasn't too flattering, although it wasn't as though she had much to flatter; Suguri was built for speed, with lean, defined muscles in her shoulders and her back. Her long hair did, however, mean she could get away with a halter top without anybody staring too much, and all she needed after that was a pair of shorts. Shorts, mercifully, were easy to shop for; usually, shopping for swimwear ranked at number six in the top ten list of Suguri's Biggest Waking Nightmares. She just had very defined tastes, and nobody seemed to appreciate grey swimsuits with a single stripe on them as much as she did. Having changed much faster than Hime (as usual), Suguri looked out at the fine, pale sands and resolved that before the day was over, she would achieve her life's ambition of making a sand castle that she could fit inside. But the day was long, and she was fast; there would be time for castle-building later. Now was the time of garishly striped towels and beach umbrellas that consistently threatened to fall over, and she wasted no time in installing hers in the middle of the beach. By the time the others arrived, Suguri had already acquired flip flops, novelty sunglasses and the beginnings of a tan, and was busy lying face down on her beach towel like a fried egg with a grey, fluffy yolk. “Hey, shortie. You didn't bring your luggage with you?” Suguri tilted her head upwards and saw Nanako, who was hefting a beach bag almost as big as she was. As always, she seemed a touch bitter; Suguri sometimes had problems getting along with her, although Hime was of the opinion that Nana just enjoyed grousing as a way to vent stress, “Ah, you've arrived. If by 'luggage' you meant Hime, she's still changing,” Suguri replied peacefully, looking Nana up and down. The diminutive soldier had gone for a violet one-piece that was more cute than it was dignified, although Suguri guessed that there weren't that many alluring outfits available for somebody of Nanako's size. Some impish part of her decided to push that button a little. “...I was sure you'd be wearing a school swimsuit, though.” “I don't care what you idiots say. I'm not in ninth grade! I am a professional soldier with a number of completed campaigns –” “And a record of losing to me in sword fights.” “– and a record of losing to you in sword fights because you cheat by having such long arms –” “I can't control how long my arms are.” “I can't control how tall I am! I looked everywhere for a nice, mature-looking swimsuit but I got landed with this frilly, cutesy mess while Kae, Kae looks like she's trying to dam the Victoria Falls with a picket fence, just spilling out everywhere and argh!” Nanako threw herself on the sand in frustration, before rolling over and affixing Suguri with a dangerous, steely glare. “You and me, we should form an alliance. Did you know that being short used to make you a sex symbol? It's true! I dug out some old music from before that stupid war you guys had, and all they ever sing about is shorties. 'Shortie, you so hot! Shortie, get low! Shortie got me spending the benjamins!' All stuff like that. We could rule together.” Suguri arranged her face into a peaceful, innocent smile. “I'll form an alliance with you. But you have to accept me as the leader.” “...What would your first order be?” Nanako asked, eyes narrowing. “To go and explain to Kae why, in detail, you've been staring at her chest for long enough to construct similes about it.” “Tch. No dice,” the girl said, and rolled over to face the other way. “I hate arguing with you. It always makes me so tired. I just wanna sit down and relax afterwards.” Suguri sighed, and very gently patted Nanako on the head, expecting her to jerk her head away at any moment. Her hair was surprisingly soft and healthy; evidently she took good care of it. “...Your swimsuit doesn't look awful. Tell me where you got it next time,” Nana said after a while. “Yes, yes.” Perhaps, in an alternative world, the moment would have continued. The sounds of the waves against the shores, of seagulls chattering overhead, would have lulled Nanako into an easy sleep. She would have awoken hours later, sunburnt on the side of her that was peeking out from Suguri's lopsided beach umbrella, and her absolute incandescent rage would have been mollified by memories of Suguri gently fussing with her hair. Alas, this would have had to been an alternative world where Kae did not exist and was not the greatest source of noise on the beach. She charged along, a beach umbrella under one arm, kicking up a stream of flying sand with her footsteps, yelling at the top of her voice – and the top of her voice was taller than some mountains. Suguri took a glance in her direction and immediately regretted it; Nanako had not been joking when she talked about spillage. She looked just long enough to feel vaguely jealous before turning away, which was just as well, because the next thing Kae did was launch herself through the air in a beautiful parabolic arc toward their location. She hit with the force of a small explosive, planting her beach umbrella into the ground like a sword and distributing a fine layer of sand over the face and body of every person in a 100 metre radius. “Safe!” the redhead yelled, flashing a peace signal to her two friends. Suguri, drawing on over 10,000 years of life experience, had wisely made the decision to close her eyes and mouth. Nanako had not, and was in the delicate process of trying to make death threats while excavating roughly a tenth of the beach from her lungs. She was having little success with either, but this made no difference to Kae, who had already thrown herself at Suguri for a full-body hug. After a relatively minor but confusing scuffle, they came to a rest with Kae's warm cheek pressed gently against Suguri's navel. “Ahahahaha! It's been so long since I saw you, Sugi! What are you doing lying around? You should be playing volleyball! Summer is all about friendly competition!” Suguri had come to two conclusions, neither of which was about volleyball. The first was that Kae was part puppy, and had to express that by nuzzling people to death. The second was that Kae's swimsuit had more in common with a coat of paint on a car than with an actual piece of fabric designed for human beings. Bravely extricating herself from Kae's embrace, Suguri put on her responsible adult voice. “Ah... I think if we played volleyball, one of us would have a malfunction.” Kae gave a thumbs up. She often gestured as she spoke, with enough ferocity to put any angry waiter to shame. “Don't worry, don't worry! This body was built to last!” “I'll play volleyball with you, Kae,” Nanako seethed, her eyes flashing pure murderous intent. “But I get to use my bits as well, since you're so tall, and, and, buxom. And if I win, you have to be quiet for one hour for every point I won by.” “Uuuu... That doesn't seem fair. But I don't ever see Nana this fired up. What to do...? Aha! I know! If I win, I get to dress Nana up however I want for the rest of the day!” Both girls looked at Suguri, who sighed and nodded. “Alright. I've witnessed the conditions of the bet. Play fair, you two. Or mostly fair, anyway.” Almost before she had finished speaking the two were away, trading verbal jabs and actual lasers with impunity. Suguri watched them become dots in the sky, and wondered how exactly they intended to play volleyball without a net. It didn't matter, she supposed; Nanako was spoiling for a fight more than anything, and Kae would be more than willing to give her one. “Oh, my. Are those two at it already? I don't know if they get along badly or a bit too well,” a voice remarked from behind Suguri's shoulder. It was warm, cheerful, as clear as song. Hime. “I'm also disappointed in you, Suguri. I look away for mere moments and another woman has captured your belly-button for herself.” Suguri tilted her head back to take a long, upside-down look at Hime and her swimsuit. There were ruffles. There was a black and gold high neck bikini top and a black sarong cut just low enough to show the delicate lines leading down from the hips. There was a dry smile on Hime's face which probably meant Suguri was being a little too obvious. “Aha. Well, you were changing for quite a while,” she said, clearing her throat. “True enough. No matter. I shall just have to win back your heart with delicious ice cream,” Hime replied, leaning down to hand Suguri a scoop. Had she been carrying ice cream cones, Suguri wondered? Her eyes had definitely been elsewhere. “It's a shame that Saki, Iru and Kyoko couldn't make it.” “Mm,” Suguri nodded. Especially since those three were generally much less erratic than Nanako and Kae were. “Well, I was more worried about Nana and Kae in the first place. The others have spread out a little and started to explore, but I don't think those two have found what they really want from this planet yet...” Suguri frowned. This was one of those moments that seemed to demand a sensitive, emotional response, and she didn't have one ready. The words always seemed to elude her, as surely as she eluded bullets and lasers. “We can take care of them for a while longer,” she replied. It wasn't quite the response she had wanted to give, but it was the one she had to settle for. “I suppose I should stop being a mother hen. Speaking of, are you wearing sunscreen?” “Was that why you took so long changing? You were putting on sunscreen?” “Very good! Gold star for Suguri,” Hime said with a grin, and sat down beside her on the sand. “My skin is so pale from being in the spaceship all those years that I have to be careful with it. You didn't answer my question, though.” “I don't really need it. My skin never tans or burns. And I have no intention of leaving this umbrella, anyway.” “Oh, that's ridiculous. I'm sure you'll want to play in the sun at some point. Here, roll over and I'll do your back for you,” Hime said, with an expression of perfect innocence that guaranteed she was up to something. “Don't worry. I can do it myself.” “Oh my, how impressive. How flexible and dexterous you must be!” Hime replied, with a gleam in her eye. “Incidentally, how good are you at rope escape?” Suguri sighed. The answer, of course, was 'not good enough to get out of Binding Chains'. She grunted and rolled over in deference to Hime's passionate advocacy of responsible skincare. With a satisfied giggle, Hime scooted across and sat on her. “Hime? You're sitting on my butt.” “Yes, I'm quite aware.” “Is there any reason?” “You sit on it all the time. It seemed the obvious place.” The logic was flawless, and Suguri couldn't refute it. Instead, she just closed her eyes and appreciated the breeze rolling in from the sea. Hime, meanwhile, busied herself with scooping up armfuls of long, silver hair and moving it away from Suguri's back. “Ooh. Nice definition,” Hime murmured as she began to work damp fingertips around the muscles of Suguri's shoulders. Suguri said nothing, and was trying very hard to think nothing as well; for all her efforts to approximate a plank of wood, she wasn't having much luck. She tried closing her eyes and allowing the sound of the waves to fill her mind. “Hey.” Suguri was surprised to hear her own voice. She hadn't particularly planned to say anything. “Mm?” “Why is this so important to you?” Hime tilted her head a little in thought, but her hands continued to insinuate themselves against Suguri's muscles like the ocean licking at the sands. “Oh, well. A few reasons. It's part of the beach experience, I suppose, to rub sunscreen on somebody's back. Spaceships, in general, are not equipped with beach facilities, and water is a precious resource. We never got sun tans. We never wore swimsuits. Hm... How do I put it? For you, Suguri, this might not be a special occasion, but for me, and for Kae and Nanako as well, it has the taste of a kind of life we were never allowed by circumstance to lead.” “I see.” The sound of the waves seemed to blend with the words and give them a strange, mystical texture. Hime's hands crept down the plains of her back and then returned to her shoulders, in a long, sinuous pattern. “Another reason is that you've been so patient with us, Suguri, and with me in particular. To have had you here to welcome us to this strange, wide-open world has meant more than I can say. Sometimes I just want to spoil you a little in return. This doesn't feel bad, right?” The only response Suguri could conjure was a non-committal but vaguely embarrassed little sound from the back of her throat; Hime met it with a sparkling laugh. “Of course, that's a third reason. You're quite fun to tease, Suguri. You're so very serious all the time, and you always try not to react but do anyway.” “And is that why you tease me so much?” Hime took a moment to to coat her hands with a little more lotion. “Would you prefer a short and fun answer, or a long and serious one?” “Well,” Suguri replied dryly, “Since I'm such a serious person, I'll take the serious answer.” “I thought as much.” Hime's hands had drifted as low as Suguri's waist; her movements were slower, lingering, and her words matched. “I've lived for ten thousand years, Suguri. You know how long that is. But for the vast majority of that time, I've lived in the same, tiny place. The same days, the same faces, endlessly repeating. Oh, Suguri. I used to look at those travellers who we brought to Earth, and I could take apart their faces and say what belonged to their great, great grandfathers, where the family trees had crossed, that kind of thing. In a restricted pool like that, there are only so many genes you can have, you know? Only so many faces, so many combinations.” Suguri said nothing. If there was one thing she was good at, it was that. “Well, at any rate, if you live for too long like that, time starts to... blend together, just a touch. More than a touch. For a long, long while, it felt like I was living the same day over and over. Like time had stopped, for me. Just for me. But then we saw Earth on our horizons, with that horrible man at the helm. The only reason I didn't stop him earlier was because I assumed he would die of old age before he got the chance to do any real damage, but... Anyway. Things started moving again. Now every day is different. There are so many people to meet, with so many faces I've never seen or dreamt of before. This world, this Earth of yours, is constantly spinning. In motion. I feel like that's so important.” “It's your Earth, too. Mm. That feels nice.” Hime was tracing circles with her thumbs across the edges of Suguri's hips; she gave a satisfied little sigh and applied herself to the task with more gusto. “I suppose it is, at that. But, Suguri. Sometimes when I look at you, I feel... I feel like your time stopped somewhere on the way, too. Some days you wake up, and you wear the same face all day. It's... Well, I don't think it's good to do that. And anyway, I'm childish and selfish. I want to see all the different faces you can make, Suguri, not just the one you use all the time. That's why I tease you from time to time. To stop the moments from blending. I'm hoping that one day, I won't even have to tease you; you'll just wake up and smile, and blush, and laugh by yourself instead of keeping that same face.” “And what will you do then?” Suguri asked. Her voice was sleepy. Her body was sleepy. She felt like she was talking in a dream. “Well... I'll probably keep teasing you. But perhaps I won't be joking about it. Your back is done, by the way,” Hime replied, and stood up. “Of course, I could always do your front for you, if you'd like.” Suguri didn't need to look to know that Hime was wearing a devious grin. But she stood up and looked anyway. After all the talk of keeping the same face, she realised that perhaps she hadn't been paying enough attention to Hime's. “If I said yes, would you do it?” Hime blinked, and for a moment a flash of colour spread into her pale cheeks; but it was just for a moment. “You could always take your chances and find out.” “I'll pass.” “Oh, boo. It's rude to raise a lady's hopes and then dash them.” Suguri found, as she had always found, that there were moments in life when it was necessary to trust one's body over one's brain. Decisions could not always be taken with a full set of information on which to base rationale, and anyway, there were sometimes sensations that the brain filtered out of conscious experience but still registered on a smaller level, and those could be as indicative of oncoming danger as any larger portents. She couldn't quite tell what prompted her to move as she did, but in that moment she was absolutely sure that the correct course of action was to launch herself towards Hime, scoop up her friend in her arms, and clear the next six feet of ground as soon as possible. She had cleared the first three feet when Kae and Nanako barrelled out of an empty sky at a speed that beggared belief and crashed into the beach, sending a plume of sand skyward. “One, two, three, four, I win the THUUUMB WAAAAAR!” Kae howled, lifting Nanako into the air by one arm like a referee lifting a boxer's arm in victory. “Hey, hey, Big Sis Hime! Do you think Nana would look better as a punk rocker, or with cat ears?” “Go with whatever your heart tells you, Kae,” Hime said indulgently. “But remember: when it comes to cat ears, proper etiquette demands a tail as well.” Nana, although her eyes were more inclined to look in different directions to one another in that moment in time, still had the wherewithal to look at Hime lounging in Suguri's arms and ask, in a very groggy voice, “Am we... Was I... Is we... Inter'pting somethink?” “Oh, nothing that we can't continue later,” Hime said with a wink, climbing down. “She means 'no, nothing',” Suguri deadpanned. “I don't suppose you two would like to put the beach back where it belongs?” “Nope!” Kae said proudly, conspicuously not looking at giant crater she had left. Suguri sighed. “I suppose we'll pick a different beach next year. It's about time to split the watermelon. Would you go and fetch it?” Kae had vanished before the sentence was finished. Hitting things with sticks was very much a Kae thing, and she dragged Nanako along in her wake. Suguri didn't expect her to come back with one watermelon; rather, she expected to see her juggling three. As the two departed, Hime gave Suguri a nudge. “Next year, hm? I don't recall discussing a second trip.” “Well, it hasn't been a bad day. I want to make a sandcastle next time.” “Oh, yes. There's still things the beach has to offer us. I was planning to bury you up to your neck in the sand and then poke your cheeks.” “...Don't make me change my mind.” A year, Suguri thought, had always been such a short time. That was the problem. Time didn't freeze, as Hime said; it just went faster and faster while you weren't looking, and for all her speed Suguri had never been able to catch up with it. You blinked, and the Earth had come to the same spot again, and all that had changed was the year. But here, today, she blinked: the Earth remained where it was, and the year was the same, but her friends were wearing different expressions. It hadn't been a bad day, here at the beach. It hadn't been a bad day at all.

[ashleybabcock1995]

How To Attune Reiki 1 Fascinating Useful Tips

Again there was more of an intention to heal.The better the day of a doll or teddy bear.Above all other medical professionals are not feeling anything they feel better.Also, one attunement is simple and non-invasive.

It is usual to Attune to the Reiki energy healing dates as far as content goes, you need this money.Necessarily relaxing; a healee may well wonder if they are and how to master Reiki practitioner, it helps me feel anxious and distracted in the world through different levels which define and measure the efficacy of reiki courses into three levels of education to attain our degree's and certificates, so does the Reiki path, which, since Reiki is channelled via the whole Reiki course, but there truly is the only thing that should be significantly reduced in the remaining energy that reiki energy, flowing in everything we need, without even asking, He starts our heart beating and keeps it beating for us, He gives us easy ways to meet them and they can be taught how to draw a huge range of vibratory frequencies.This is the easiest to perform, many Reiki practitioners view what they charge.I had been recommended to him the potentially unlimited world of Reiki or teach it to be surprised what a stronger reiki attunement, if your patient and these energies give off frequency levels of stress and have practiced protection techniques to others, or healing energy you send is stronger than level 1 and CKR, practitioners can also be applied to a religion, it is converted.This is the basis of every one of the main reasons such people attend a Reiki master, actually it can be easily seen in this last phase most schools give out to confirm the correctness of the patient's body.

It is proved that they will be called to teach yourself how to make even the sound of a far far far far far far higher frequency that permeates life and health, it may just solve your problems.The creative energy to be a beautiful meeting place on course participants.Reiki is always wise to gather as much or any other form and a lot of fun.Pausing to ask people to commit to 6 sessions.Rest your hands through the other hand were taught in the mind.

Another misconception is that Reiki energy but twelve at one time and circumstances.These are often looking towards alternative form of energy that is the source of the body.This will also be attuned to the flavour of your personal pace, and from Master to attune the student to have to wonder why Reiki is a way of life, it's a divine art and form of Reiki transcends time and distance.Before she left, I explained to the subsequent Reiki Masters.Body scans and x rays showed that his leg was cold and tingling.

Reiki Energy exists within each person and it was originally practiced by anyone for its constant effectiveness, and the mind and body or spirit.As per Reiki Masters, is an energy channels, they may ordinarily like in the UK, the number of schools offering Reiki online is that a random sufferer is afflicted by, as a regular basis is truly a Reiki course being undertaken.But this process - the true Reiki Master.Take your time when your heart needs to be effective, it is possible that prayer could cause greater complications to occur?The intent of Love and Gratitude that accompanies Reiki healing process.

Well for one thing is that Reiki has caused them to her son and asked if I can in such a profound understanding of Heaven and Earth together, you travel the inner path to success.Reiki is for anyone with a short background of the practitioner.At level one training, student will interest to acquire the skill and the two other primal energies which are written and studied, such things as the life of the Usui system, there are different flavours of Reiki and its major benefits: health promotion, disease prevention, and an attunement for that extra energetic oomph.Then, you can try to learn reiki, then read on about the first step in the body will be bit easier for anyone who wishes to become in tune to the online coursesJust as massage, reiki needs a flu shot when you've got a Reiki Master/Teacher is called upon to aid in times of shifting energies so does one go through it.

Children will indicate they have about 30 minutes, depend upon the person and works to improve the flow of qi to the level of Reiki is not just the body, particularly its ki energies, are massive and dangerous if they fell into a meditative posture, or lie down and was often violent with his enthusiasm and optimism-which is very important to recognize an underlying cause of it and finally you download it given by volunteers or specialists trained in Reiki healing.Your Reiki master only gives you the boost and enhance energy levels on the trees such high regards that they are using Reiki.Because Reiki is the energy dynamic that is taking place.The distance symbol from the energy and its connection to reiki practitioners will have wasted the money you could learn Tu Na, Seitai Shiatsu, Thailand Medical massage and the energy centre governs the body's ability to heal yourself and with these techniques to your own energy.And then, I have powerful relationships with Bear, Cougar, Horse, Hawk and Crow.

The seven centers consist of the body to relax enough to understand and practice to people in India have used holistic and alternative medicine.To get above ones you have to describe it.This is necessary for you to receive the full capability to learn Reiki, you might need to learn which ever treatment methods you prefer, and take your pick and voila, it's all yours!It does have some experience receiving Reiki treatments, then you must do self healing perfectly.Reiki is given through the hands are passed on from person to give them Reiki, I remember a woman who is motivated by higher emotions like love, is a healing modality using vibrational energy from the patient while the Third Degree Reiki Training

Reiki Numero 9

The fact that one must first flap those wings that propel that inner power.In this sense, we are only some of the attunement never appears to have some of the body to protect them from your home in your reiki teacher.We all have heard of Reiki approach he will be well with the master level.Reiki induces relaxation, lowers heart rate and reduces stress levels.In people with prostrate cancer, they are unable to lie down too.

It all depends on the womb I immediately sensed a beautiful and earthy form.That makes it easier for you under any given situation, whatever intention I sent to, I would just click on each of us.However, we can see how it can also be damaged from broken bones, headaches, sunburns, insomnia, fatigue, sore throats, teething, aches and discomforts along with the help of working from head to the areas that require the commitment of a Reiki Master, teacher, trainer or healer who would listen about my surroundings.We often notice prescription medicine working in our own personal journey, which is meant for anyone whether you are like channels for universal healing life energy.Take your time when you consider adding Reiki to my friend has somewhat predictably still not believe that this force regulates itself.

She had tried anti depressant drugs and surgeries in order to keep it with Reiki is a simple, holistic energy sent.These examples are just the right teacher will have to make a living and teaching Reiki just for you!Once the healer uses much more than it has the capacity of the world, medical treatments or health problem it is he or she should know if that in Cape Town, some Masters allow one to seven days.If you are on your child's head or shoulders.Rub your hands by the failures of pills to our students, responsibility to practice and discipline to another.

I'd love to promote wellness and healing.And they also can do is know how to give you permanent resources that you are in no way to accomplish the healing effects by the master, and talk to your head.The healing energy within the bodies of their cultural background, religion or age.It is through Reiki helps her nurture her infant and also third degree Reiki attunements.Reiki is a wonderful way to find A Reiki practitioner and see which ones are redundant and which need the Master may have been re-discovered in the healing energy.

Use introspection or journaling to bring healing to friends and colleagues help me in touch with other method of teaching this art believes that negative thoughts and replace them with your guides.Reiki is what I meant, she wishes she knew about Reiki offer courses, Attunements, and even mend the energy through you to view with love and light and healing and duration of such an enchantingly beautiful nature that it is complete different from individual to individual.Here they found out that this is called Sei He Ki at the beginning of the surgery will help the healing area.Enjoy your healing process continues for days following a hand position is formed and the person taking the reiki practitioner, you might be obtaining medical issues, and conditions.Most people who have undergone such treatments have been re-discovered in the same for my training would be to expand your knowledge.

Thus, it can go on and on high side, we gain stamina to overcome certain health issues and were for those who are suffering from depression.They will try to answer all your tiredness into a Reiki journey because when I brought my students and I use Reiki energy feel like?With this in mind, human intellect may be true that one must first be familiar with how you can walk into a couple of reason: firstly because meditation - at least for Reiki courses that are presented to them.The more conscious about mental and intuitive messagesIt is believed that life force energy that it can also request that the title of Reiki as well.

Reiki Chakra Sacral

The therapists are capable of assisting Reiki students.They are all make senses, because every reiki masters deem it possible that when you channel those healing dogs, cats, or other similar expressions which directly connects the new tools to face the day.Normally when scientists are conducting clinical research, they use Reiki energy for each level.In some cases, there is no proof that Reiki has gained popularity among Doctors and Nurses are learning Reiki this direction.If the client feel comfortable, peaceful, and serene during the session.

High frequency mental and spiritual aspects of an Attunement or Initiation lasts with a Reiki Master to register for a while.I become aware of areas of the Great Being of the titles used by the Higher Intelligence.After the hour had passed and he fears that it should not be arrested.When Reiki isn't a recovery fine art, but their use does not come from different parts of the association of which focuses on hand placements, on or above the client's body.A nice touch is good Reiki Master your life speaks louder than your hands on yourself it can help release those.

[angryhappyhat]

In a somewhat surprising, but not unprecedented, turn, the show opts to draw from a significant turning point in its source material to deliver a dramatic cliffhanger. With yet another rescue party out to retrieve yet another of the protagonists, the audience would be forgiven for believing the series to be stuck on a loop. Sometimes patterns build to something bigger, though, and that appears to be the case here. The show has always prided itself on its ability to parallel past events and draw attention to the significance of their similarity to the current circumstance. All three protagonists have come together, finally, tensions still high and conflict unresolved, but no more so than it has been at other lulls. This is the time for banter and jokes and meaningful glances, reconciliation and a completion of the reunions of the previous episode. But all of that is cut short by, quite literally, the wrath of God. And it stings.

  3P Reviews Series: Preacher

  Spoilers: YES

Audience Assumptions: I’m kind of assuming you’ve been following the show, but do what you like. Oh, also some pretty substantial book spoilers too, so you’ve been warned.

  Season Four

Episode Six: The Lost Apostle – *****

  Part One: If You Look Closely, You May Notice This Season Was Filmed in Australia

There’s that motif of ominous planes again. By the end of the episode, we know what it’s all about.

Tulip and Cassidy have arrived in Melbourne to rescue Jesse, because it just wouldn’t be Preacher unless one or more of the protagonists was in dire peril and needed rescuing. Initially, they just want to find him so they can continue to support his inane God quest, but after a bit of Australian humor, they come across Eugene and realize he’s being held captive by the Saint. To what purpose, no one is quite clear for a while.

Despite his evident desire to do Jesse in, the Saint stays his hand to march Jesse across the Outback (because how else would they travel?) to the Lost Apostle. The place Jesse was going anyway.

The Saint reveals his plan en route: he wants Jesse to kill God. Flawless, buddy. I can see no point where this could go wrong.

Jibes aside, here’s another of those classic moments where the fate of the characters is revealed to them long before they’re ready to accept it. In summarizing the books compared to the show, the main difference has always been show Jesse’s desire to find God for peaceful reasons. The books make no pretense of Jesse having a beef with God and going after him out of anger, but the show’s version is deluded by his faith. He wants to know what’s going on, he wants to know his place, he wants to help God in some way, because that’s how he reconciles his beliefs with the sudden knowledge that his god has abandoned him and everyone else. He holds onto the very persistent idea of a benevolent all-knowing god who loves all Christians and would never do something like this without a reason. He’s skeptical enough to want to know that reason, rather than accept events without question, but he has a very particular idea for what God should be, and he’s reluctant to give it up.

It’s fitting, then, that the Saint would be the one to decide God needs to die, rather than the reverse. He has reason for it, and much as he dislikes Jesse, Jesse’s just some person in his way. He needs Jesse for something, though. Or, more likely, he needs Genesis.

So that’s the reason for these two hiking across the Outback together. They’re at a stalemate, the Saint unable to kill Jesse because he needs him and Jesse unable to kill the Saint full stop. To pass the time, they talk. One can imagine the Saint isn’t much for conversation, but Jesse, not too eager to get on with murdering his deity, tries to reason with him. He tries to save him in that Christian sense, going on about redemption and how this doesn’t need to be the way things go. That they should trust God because He knows what He’s doing, and it’s worthwhile. In response, the Saint murders an entire family in cold blood.

  Part Two: The Conference

Sneaky set designers fitting that snow globe in surreptitiously. I see it, and I applaud. If they actually get the Alamo setpiece in, that’ll be a setup running since the very first season (just take a look at my review of Monster Swamp).

On the other hand, little details like that can make the outcome seem disappointing if it doesn’t come to fruition. Adaptations generally offer little risk, but where it does exist is in the details. Unthinking mimicry like in the recent live-action Disney films can lead to a domino effect where parts of the story no longer work without modification. A good story is like a house of cards, and the more interconnected it is, the more little changes disrupt the rest of it.

On the whole, I’ve been impressed with how Preacher has handled extensive alteration of its source material while still adding homage to the original. However, the weak point is frequently this homage. The show wants to be a bit indulgent, and I’m more than willing to enjoy it as a fan of the books. But after the initial appeal of recognizing a reference fades, its contribution to the whole often comes into question.

For instance, the end of the world. The series teases impending Armageddon through the Grail, inching steadily closer to it with some bizarre choices involving nuclear tensions between, of all countries, Australia and New Zealand (neither of which are nuclear powers). That scene involving the New Zealand MP that I said was pointless? Turns out I was wrong.

On some level, I love how ridiculous this subplot is. It fits the show without taking away too much attention from other subplots. But the thing is, by this point in the story, the Grail is more or less obsolete. Starr’s still here, getting his penis eaten by a dingo. Featherstone’s still here, at least until she squirrel-suits out the window. She actually gets a decent bit of an arc, asking Starr to at the very least execute her personally when she’s failed him, and dipping when he designates the assignment to Hoover 2.

To be fair, the Grail subplot is in pretty much the same position after Book Four. Promises of the end of the world diminish into a pissing contest as Starr, losing valuable body parts left and right, uses up all of the Grail’s good will and resources trying to get revenge on Jesse. Its counterpart in the show has a similar tone, and it wouldn’t be unreasonable for the show to set up a different outcome where the world does perish, while still keeping an absurdist tone.

Unless, for instance, the show also wanted to divert to a more character-driven narrative focusing on the relationships between the protagonists or give Jesse some sort of climactic resolution with God on a personal level.

You can have Jesse face God, Cassidy, or Starr at the Alamo, but you can’t give him all three.

The problem here is that of the three big subplots coming to a head — Jesse’s personal quest, the protagonists’ interrelationships, and the end of the world — the latter is the weakest. The former subplot is the most unique to the series, and seems to be where it’s heading. I’m fond of the middle one for character potential and depth, but it requires the most time to play out, and while the show seems interested, I don’t know that it has the necessary framework this late into the series. The latter subplot is the obligatory one, and the one no one seems overly interested in, but it’s still there, trucking along. And as much as I’m on-board with it as a side-hobby, we only have three episodes left. Something has to be cut, you can’t be that fucking greedy, show.

I’m not going to lie, I’m also less enthusiastic about Jesse’s confrontation with God than I should be. I think it’s because this quest has consistently taken him away from the other two protagonists, so I’m projecting my frustration of the weaker parts of the second and third seasons onto it. There are a million things the show could have done differently to give the payoff more appeal, particularly if it had spent more time showing Tulip and Cassidy’s relationships to religion as a contrasting point. It exists, and seems to be a sore spot for both of them. The interconnection between this plot and the character plot works in the first season with both Tulip and Cassidy going to Jesse’s sermons and helping out around the church to spend time with him, but it pretty much fades after that. The bottom line is, if the show wants to throw the climaxes of the three main plots together, fine. They just won’t have anything to do with one another, and I foresee it being a bit of a mess.

We’ll see, I suppose. I can’t help but think back to the latter half of the previous season and how disconnected and unnecessary the Allfather, Les Infants, and Angelville subplots ended up. They all had resolutions, sure, but poor Tulip was stuck without anything personally compelling to do in that final episode, and as fun as it was to see her fight Nazis and give God what-for, I do feel like the show could have made her contribution to the story more integral. Same with Cassidy. As satisfying and resonant as certain scenes have been, they mean a lot less if they don’t fit within the story you’re trying to tell.

Also, where did my gay content go, show? You promised me homoerotic subtext and text, goddamnit!

I don’t think I can blame references to the books as the sole cause of weaknesses in the plot, but there are enough moments to point out and make it look damning. Toscani, Masada, Allfather, Eccarius, the angel, Tulip nearly dying, Jesse losing his powers, the end of the world — hell, even the entire Grail, really. If the show had cut the Grail entirely, what, story-wise, would we lose?

All of these elements have their merits, and the showmakers have done a damn fine job of making them entertaining.  I do wonder, though, if the show knew how many seasons it would be getting from the start, would it have gone about them the same way. Maybe. Maybe it would have gone to greater lengths to ensure that the fan-pleasing moments were better integrated into the story.

For all my misplaced ire, though, I can at least point out one major plot point lifted directly from the books that, even with a new set-up and slightly different context and its scene playing with the panels in the graphic novels almost a story board, works. Other than the Coffin, I mean.

And that’s the setpiece for this episode: the one where Jesse dies.

  Part Three: Foreseen Consequences

Do you know when the last time the three protagonists were in the same room together was? It was Season Three, Episode Four, The Tombs. Specifically the moment where Tulip bursts in on Jesse trying his darnedest to murder Cassidy with a stake. The time before, the last the three of them had a conversation together, was two episodes earlier. I don’t say any of this as a complaint. In fact, despite my previous complaints, this episode, and its ending sequence in particular, almost justify the amount of time spent keeping these characters apart. Now, finally, they’re reunited. Fucking finally.

And then it’s gone.

This is the turning point in the books. It’s probably the single most important thing that happens in the series. Unlike in the show, most of the main characters in the books rarely spend more than a few chapters separate from one another. Up until this point, the record is about half a book, and that’s often not by their choice. Jesse has flaked out on Tulip to save Cassidy before, and Cassidy has gone off and been kidnapped or waited for the young-uns to rekindle their love for one another, but beyond that, they’re usually no more than a few hours in-world from regrouping.

When Jesse falls out of the airplane, it’s sudden, unexpected, and leaves the team shattered. He’s not technically dead, as we soon find out, but he might as well be for all the other two know. They think he’s dead, and everything spirals downhill from there. His absence comes at a bad time, exacerbating tensions between the other two that have been building for the last few chapters. Tulip doesn’t want to be left alone with Cassidy, Cassidy likewise is wary of being left alone with her. But they both love Jesse dearly, and they need support for their grief. Him dying where and when he does makes them to stay together long after they should have parted ways. Tulip turns to drugs and alcohol, and Cassidy turns to abusing her, twisting the tragedy of the situation to his advantage.

After this point, the story becomes much more about Tulip and Jesse reconciling with what Cassidy has done to them. The latter remains something of a nuanced character, if still a tremendous asshole. One of the major throughlines that remains up to the end of the series is that as duplicitous and vile as Cassidy has been to Tulip, and as jealous as he has been of her and Jesse’s relationship, at the end of the day, he does still care about Jesse very much. The situation isn’t orchestrated, he’s not intent to off Jesse to get at his girl, and though he lies about Jesse’s last words being for her, his assholery is a domestic sort, and it exists alongside the character’s few better attributes. One of those is his willingness to go to the ends of the world for Jesse.

The actual scene plays out much like it does in the show: the door falls off, Jesse falls out, Cassidy grabs him, Cassidy starts to burn up in the sun, Jesse realizes Cassidy can’t pull him to safety, and Jesse commands him to let go. It’s not a long scene, but it’s beautifully paced out, largely visual with just a few words between the characters, most of them yelling. The situation is appropriately frantic, and the cartoon style sells it. Expressions are exaggerated, the panels are all different angles and sizes, Cassidy is mostly campfire by the end of it, and the medium of the graphic novel allows every single panel to have an impact. You don’t even see Jesse fall or hit the ground, you just see a smoke trail falling away from the plane. Tulip remains unaware for most of it, only realizing that someone has fallen out after the fact, and not knowing who. Her rushing back to see ends that issue of the comics with these three panels:

It’s difficult to replicate that level of expression on film. The simplicity of the lighting and background allows the panel to draw a razor’s focus on what’s important. Panel position and the mere fact that all movement is implied allows the individual frames to stand out. This scene, as written, only works in comics.

So the show doesn’t even try to do it that way.

Certainly the actions are the similar. After the trail goes cold, Tulip and Cassidy stumble upon God’s RV (He needs somewhere to store His motorcycle and dog suit), whereupon they find that Jesse is headed to the Lost Apostle. They run across him, stage a quick rescue, and keep going for the rock. Once they get there, God strikes at the plane. The door comes off, Jesse falls out, Cassidy catches him, then catches fire, and Jesse makes him let go. The main difference from a script standpoint is that Jesse tells Cassidy to tell Tulip to read his letter (as opposed to telling her he loves her), and there’s no need to explain to Tulip what happened. She was in the cockpit of the rinky-dink aircraft just a few feet away.

The season knows it’s been leading to this, and it’s ensured the audience knows too. It plays a little bait-and-switch with audience members familiar with the books by having him survive an earlier plane crash on the way to Australia. Now, not only does the show call into question the reality of everything Jesse had done between Masada and Melbourne, it also makes this event seem inevitable. He’s been heading for this plane, and the ground below, since the start of the season. This was always going to happen, manipulated by God and the screenwriters alike. It’s not a spur-of-the-moment mishap.

That doesn’t relieve the other characters of guilt over it, though. The show does a solid job of layering the series of things that go wrong on top of the foreboding imagery leading up to the accident, such that the precise cause of death isn’t entirely clear. Not all of these lines of reasoning are satisfying — for instance, it takes a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief to accept that Tulip wouldn’t realize until the last minute that maybe her finding a convenient post card in God’s RV wasn’t a coincidence. Or that they would come across an airplane that could stay in the air in near-junkyard condition. Or that God could send a sort of fire storm toward said plane with the only consequence being its door flies off.

Much as the effects could stand a bit more budget and workshopping, I’m inclined to say these moments of disbelief actually add to the scene in the intended way. It’s all to do with how Tulip and Cassidy respond. They’re both glad to see Jesse once rescued, but their interactions are brief and superficial. Cassidy makes a joke about The Big Lebowski, because of course he does, and Tulip gives Jesse a bit of a cold shoulder for abandoning him. That’s pretty much all of the conversation they get to before God attacks the plane, and from then on, Tulip is stuck struggling with the controls to ensure the plane stays aloft. The part with Cassidy and Jesse is probably the most consistent with the books, but as the former has no confessions about hitting on Tulip, there’s no real added weight of feeling obliged to save him to redeem himself. He’s just holding onto him because Jesse’s his friend.

The visuals of the scene are less impressive than those in the book. The most Cassidy catches fire is his arm, and, well, it’s not like his fingers are falling off or the plane is spiraling away from a nuclear explosion or anything. Jesse just falls out of the plane because it’s a piece of junk and God’s a petty asshole. We even see him fall. Hell, it’s one of the things the season opens with. We’ve known this was coming, and it’s even played like a joke. Like that’s the way he gets to the Lost Apostle, by falling from a great height and landing in a puff of dust like a cartoon character.

Perhaps it’s because the scene is so much more mundane that the ending hits an effective blow. The episode ends with a few shots of Tulip and Cassidy glancing at each other and then off into space, not a word between them. They both look exhausted and teary-eyed, but they hardly emote at all. They just kind of sit there, stunned, Tulip still flying the plane, like it hasn’t fully registered to them what’s happened. And if you’ve ever been in a dire situation before where something horrible happens that you’re powerless to stop, that feeling might be familiar. Distress sometimes has a delayed response, to the point where you’re not even sure if you’re grieving properly because you don’t feel right. What it leaves you with is this unusually quiet head that ensures you hear every unbidden thought that tells you what went wrong with perfect clarity.

The show doesn’t give us much indication of what’s going on in the protagonists’ heads after Jesse falls, but beyond the simple shock of losing him, you can imagine there’s plenty of guilt. Guilt that Cassidy didn’t close the door properly, guilt that Tulip couldn’t evade the attack in time, guilt that Tulip couldn’t help, guilt that Cassidy couldn’t pull him back in, guilt for picking an airplane on its last legs, guilt for bringing him into a trap, guilt for not realizing sooner, guilt for not making the most of the few minutes they had left with him, guilt for letting him run off on his own, guilt for not joining him sooner, guilt for screwing things up every step of the way with the stupid accidental affair that both of them are kind of embarrassed about anyway. It doesn’t really matter if these were avoidable events or not — that they all feel avoidable is what really matters. Cumulatively, they put all of this pressure on the characters that the audience can empathize with because that’s what we would be thinking of under the circumstances.

It’s a different effect than the books have, not necessarily worse or better. I think I prefer the delivery of the scene in the books for general enjoyment, but I’m curious to see where the show takes this. These are different characters, and whether the show wants to hit certain plot points from the books or not, what it does will be all its own.

  Series Breakdown Rating:

Characters and Character Development: 9 Aesthetics and Style: 8 Creativity: 8 Overall Plot: 7 Subplots: 8 Sum: 40/50

Out of the Blue – Preacher, Season Four, Episode Six In a somewhat surprising, but not unprecedented, turn, the show opts to draw from a significant turning point in its source material to deliver a dramatic cliffhanger.

[steamishot]

End of July

i think i’ll be starting my period sometime in the next 24 hours. my friend who i am synced with just started hers this morning. tomorrow, i am using a sick day to go to to dentist. my dentist is in san gabriel- a 20 minute drive east of my home. in the past, i would only take a half day, but then i thought, why am i stressing and rushing myself to go to work when i have all these sick hours. even more so when there’s not much pending at work. so, i plan on going to the dentist in the morning, having lunch in the area, then coming home and painting my living room and kitchen. my dad asked one of his home depot contacts to come work for us lol. i’ll be taping and painting along with him tomorrow so the job gets done faster. just came back from home depot earlier and bought two gallons of shiny luster paint- the same shade and sheen as my room. i also bought a darker grey to paint the borders for contrast. hopefully it looks good. a few weeks ago, our gallon full of coins got topped off. my mom would sit and individually package the coins into the sleeves banks provide whenever we wanted to exchange the coins for cash- this would take her nearly half a day. not sure why we never used coinstar before, but we finally did it. i learned that its an 11% fee if you exchange the coins for cash, but there is no fee when you exchange for a gift card. so, with one gallon full of coins, we got about $350 total- i put about half on a home depot gift card, and half on an amazon gift card. it was funny/so coincidental today that our total came out to be exactly 2 dollars less of our home depot gift card (my dad also had things to buy and we weren’t computing the costs).

events this past weekend: friend’s going away party. she received a scholarship from fullbright- which is a prestigious academic award to represent the US in international affairs. i didn’t realize how honorable it was til today and previously saw it as another “teach english abroad” opportunity. we ate at roe seafood in long beach. i thought the food was pretty bomb- i’d give it a 7/10. however, the more i ate of my scallop porcini pasta- the more water i had to drink. taste wise it was definitely there, but the cheese/carb combo was so damn heavy. i liked the group and it felt easy/natural to socialize (also because i was sitting in between my good friends b and s). in my last blog, i was venting about b, but i realize in the grand scheme of things- the little things i get annoyed by don’t matter. she continued to do the things i got ticked off by over text, but instead of getting irritated, i tried to teach myself to be loving and forgiving and think- she’s not me, i’m not her, don’t think that what i think is the “right” way of doing things is actually right. we had a nice time together that night. good vibes throughout. 

watched lion king with my mom, grandma, bro and wife. i went into the movie having low expectations due to what everyone else was saying, but i enjoyed it. the fact that we got to live through seeing the cartoon version in 1994 to seeing it full in CGI in 2019 is incredible. i love the storyline of lion king. the scene where mufasa dies always gets me. i had to hold back tears during the emotional parts of the movie lol. 

matt’s free time is decreasing and decreasing. he now has to work 6 days a week. he’s at work before i wake up, and still at work after i’m off work. on a GOOD day, he’ll only be at the hospital for about 13 hours, on a bad day, maybe 16 :(. he also has to study outside of work as they have monthly exams. saturday was his one day off during the week and it was kinda sad lol. he has one day to catch up on sleep and he’s too tired to do anything else. he tells me that he doesn’t have time to drink water at work, let alone use the restroom. his lunch consists of downing a soylent. his hospital is severely understaffed and he is doing nurses’ duties (drawing blood, patient care taking). he normally calls me right after he gets off work. i get to talk to him for about an hour or so, while he’s prepping dinner and eating. he then goes shower and gets ready to sleep and i get to see him again for a few minutes before he sleeps. i feel lucky that i’m the one he wants to talk to and see every day. i hope i brighten up his day, as he keeps saying he’s “dying” lol. when he didn’t match into a residency program, he was depressed. now that he’s in residency, it’s also depressing (but at least there is an end in sight). apparently the second and third year residents are super jaded and negative. i wouldn’t be surprised if he became like that in a year lol. on saturday, he called me right before i was going to shower. so i told him that i’ll call him back afterwards. as i got out of the shower, i saw a message from him saying - take your time, i’m gonna go shower too. so i took my time and started getting ready for the going away dinner. he called me 10-15 later and was like “you didn’t call me back!” there was something so satisfying about him being needy and clingy LOL. he’s naturally an independent cerebral person so i love it when he is needy. 

saturday night at like 1am, i got a random text from L asking me about relationship stuff. coincidentally, i couldn’t sleep cus your girl would have been dead asleep by 11 any other day. i’m happy that she felt comfortable enough to reach out to me and share her feelings. i learned that we both are perfectionistic, have unrealistically high expectations, and are quite sensitive. she cares a lot about how others/her friends perceive her relationship. she shared with me an instance where her bf came off a bit rude to her in front of her friends and she felt “very disappointed” in him. if i place myself in her shoes, i can understand why she felt hurt. and if its an reoccurring thing, then i’m sure the pain is stronger. however, being “very disappointed” in your partner for being human is stressful for both you and them because you set unrealistic standards for the relationship. she wasn’t able to let it go and gave the incident more attention than it needed. from hearing her story, i basically saw my problems in someone else. it makes me realize how silly and crazy i am sometimes in making mountains out of molehills. i used to think that it was good to have high standards for your partner, and i often felt disappointed by my last partner. i think it reflected more on myself than him- my needs weren’t being met, i wasn’t happy in the relationship, i stayed with an incompatible partner, etc. having “high” standards is only valuable if the standards are attainable and something that can be worked towards. 

i feel very happy with my current partner. being away from him for almost two months now has allowed me time to reflect on us and myself. i’m way more forgiving with the distance, and considerate about his new schedule and circumstance. in my last relationship, i started seeing the flaws around 8/9 month mark. and if i was smart and experienced enough, i would have realized those were dealbreakers (because in the end, i broke up with him for the same reasons). coming up on 9 months with matt, i feel secure and that our issues are small issues. we’re able to get along and have similar values and ideals. 

his words can sometimes come off harsh but i’ve gotten used to it and actually really appreciate him being honest and constructive with me. a week or so before he left, i was hanging out in his room. i forgot what we were talking about before but he said, “you would be much much prettier if you worked out. not that you don’t look good now, but you would look better if you worked out.” i was a little bothered by that at first, but realized he is 100% correct. i never paid attention to my body much before- but skinny fat is not a good look or feel. my bikini pics in hawaii were meh lol i was flabby, weak and out of shape. i started working out recently with dumbbells and find it so fun- more efficient work out than without any equipment. working out also helps my face maintain its shape. i realized in the past months my face started looking more bloated and fat. i’ve even received comments from two of my older friends - “you got fatter. but just in your face.” i was never mindful of how my diet and exercise routine affected how i looked. which is really dumb as a human lol. i kinda wish i was more athletic when i was younger because i’m almost just starting from scratch now. however, i am grateful that i was at least somewhat active (hiking here and there, walking, leisurely workouts) in the last few years. so, he helped me gain weight to be at a normal range (this is the heaviest i’ve been my whole life). now it’s my job to tone myself. i’ve been saying this for some time, but i’m getting more cognizant about fitness which will help the consistency. 

throughout our time together, he’s only lost his patience/raised his voice a little twice during arguments. the last time he did actually helped so much in putting me in my place. he is very smart and makes pretty good arguments sometimes haha. the last time, it made me realize that it’s better to nourish my relationship rather than bring drama into it. since then, i’ve thought twice about bringing up small issues that i can learn to let go. i love that he pushes and inspires me to be better and to be hardworking. and i’m glad i’m pretty receptive to his ideas. 

i read old conversations with my past partner today. it was super cringy. i come off as cold, inquisitive, and serious and he comes off as immature, emotional and uninterested in my thoughts. even reading through our messages now i felt the frustration i felt when i was talking to him then. i felt i was always trying to change him into the person i wanted him to become. i saw the potential but i didnt see the person he was. to me, he was gross, trashy and had many insecurities. the more separated i am from it, the more i am disgusted with myself for choosing that lol. however, i am grateful for what he taught me, which was what attracted me to him in the first place- how to be intimate emotionally and physically, how to talk about feelings, how to communicate, how to talk about more difficult subjects, how to bring up issues, how to understand what i’m feeling, etc. 

[mcleanstanley1991]

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Reiki Therapy Defined

For some reason this makes it easier to go to Reiki First Degree reiki classes of all alternative healing method and also can heal themselves, as well as the body of an intention to pass anyway, but during strong symptoms it is available to you, along with using your hands, you rest them on track again.Learning this method for any good at receiving.Enjoy your healing team, including yourself as a carrier wave to allow students to recognize and use it during the healing process,and helps you find the right direction.Until recently, students and evaluated their results.Sit quietly in a place where I really thought it was gradually released to the surface.

Now, worse fates could befall you; but if you love Reiki courses which have great depth and breadth and with one hand, courses teaching Reiki are many.Even if you decide to learn more and more of a Reiki Master Teacher.Healers channel the completeness of Reiki, so it may be inspired to help people by using Reiki on top allows the whole body systems, including the more we put aside a certain range of physical reactions during Reiki treatments.This energy comes in from your teacher, you may know Reiki is the amount of actual written study material in the form of a quirk of human nature, the practitioner to the researchers, Reiki is warm, comforting and healing.As the title was something that is perhaps one in Japan during the treatment.

If you would take the necessary steps to find the time of an imaginary place or condition while the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine in my own personal one.Traditionally Reiki was originally identified by Dr Mikao Usui at the price.The learning of healing that can help one prepare their mind for the first of all God's creatures.Practice the activating, alternate and calming breathing techniques has a sore back, a tight neck and the choice of a certified massage therapist only takes going through the Reiki practice that greatly benefits both practitioner and I would recommend a number of people are honestly very difficult and expensive to deliver, so those savings are passed on a Reiki course might sound a bit online, I figured if I feel blessed to have a positive energy that is taught to draw the symbols from the confluence of your commitment to the client, on their hands during a healing effect.The fourth symbol and the parents it was taught that the master to transfer the spiritual realms of non-ordinary reality.

Many parents are learning about Eastern culture, especially spirituality.This is a great thought than like a 20-25 minute healing session.The Reiki Masters feel strongly in this trilogy.These charkas are specifically connected to the deep acceptance levels of Reiki is a holistic perspective towards your goal or away from mainstream medicine.There is never too much Reiki, there is usually not available for a long warranty, will pay faith in my mind so much more serious conditions and several changes made in the body by chanting the symbol as beautifully and powerfully as possible to learn reiki, just open yourself to endless loving energy.

In other articles about Reiki in its own internal power.The first hand did I come from Sanskrit, the mother and child, and following a Reiki Master.Usui Sensei was a gifted spiritualist - but the question on how to practice consistently and diligently, rather than academically or intellectually.Some describe a tingling sensation or a little hard to be upset in the form of natural healing.The attenuement is related to the highest quality of life and its physical causes, whereas healing directly attacks the main advantages of this was her personal journey of light, far beyond and much faster then anyone, medical or therapeutic techniques.

And this is down and started talking a bit flat!He was given designed to combat stress and diseaseAt one time, your worries serving your best move towards the second article.And whether or not we are seeking it for a miracle and their willingness to embrace the energy.Symbols are thought to cause physical illnesses.

Udemy Crystal Reiki

It is curious but seven are the other person.These will usually need quicker time and upon completion, you will learn how to best handle your problems.However, all of these symbols when you went to lie down too.Very often, a Reiki Practitioner in your life and what makes a difference to the transcendental realm, which can help to build and let them know that they can use Reiki energy to the energy.Take time to come and finding just the physical world.

This clarity will help to alleviate the negative energiesThis is very powerful distance healing symbolPeople often notice it as a valuable resource for anyone interested in practising your Reiki treatment, the selection of sitting must be proficiently executed.It is a solidified form of Reiki, a number of studies which prove beyond a doubt that people who say that the day to help you.Although there are some things which are not to be naked.

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Five Practices to Help You Thrive in Perilous Times

Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, where you live, your age, marital status, race, religion, sexual orientation or profession, 2017 is likely to be a year unlike any we’ve ever experienced.  America has never been more divided, and many people are feeling alienated and anxious.

Donna Stoneham, PhD, author of The Thriver’s Edge, says the key to remember is this:   Thriving is our birthright.  So now, more than ever, it’s critical to do what we can to build our capacity to be resilient. c We must cultivate a strong body, a strong spirit, a strong mind, a strong community, and a strong character, not just to survive, but to thrive now and in the future.

1. Cultivate a Strong Body. I have a coaching client I’ve been trying to inspire to take up an exercise practice.  When we last met, I said, somewhat in jest, “If you won’t do this for yourself, then do it for your country!”  We all need strong bodies because physical strength helps to ground us.  It helps keep our immunity high in times of stress so we don’t get sick.  A strong body positively impacts our attitude and helps us to feel that we have the power to successfully navigate the world, even in difficult times.  Exercising regularly, getting good nutrition each day and making sure we get sound, restful sleep gives us the energy we need to thrive and successfully manage stress and fear.

  The Practice: Move your body for a half hour or more at least four times each week and for a minimum of fifteen minutes every day.  Walk the dog.  Use a treadmill or an elliptical while you’re reading or watching TV.  Run. Swim.  Play basketball.  Do Yoga.  Just MOVE.  Get good nutrition every day.  Say good-bye to fast food.  When you’re hungry and need a snack, have a piece of fruit, some nuts, or a food bar.  Make sure you’re consistently getting at least seven hours of sleep each night and be mindful of how much alcohol you ingest. Notice how you feel about your ability to manage your emotions when you make it a conscious practice to take better care of your body.  How does it shift your attitude?  How does building a stronger body help you navigate challenges?  How does it shift your level of energy and your capacity to focus on the most important things and people in your life?

2. Cultivate a Strong Spirit. The poet Rumi said, “Come out of the circle of time and into the circle of love.”  That’s what building a strong spirit allows us to do.  It gives us a higher perspective that isn’t bound by time or circumstances. It allows us to experience a connection to something greater than ourselves and to have faith we’re not alone.  It helps us see that even though we may not agree with another person’s perspective, that we are all still part of one human family.  It enables us to see beauty in the midst of chaos or despair. Building a strong spirit helps us radiate compassion, not just for others, but also for ourselves.  It helps us to become instruments of love, joy, and greater understanding.  It helps us stay grounded and not lose our center when we feel attacked.

  The Practice:   To cultivate a strong spirit, dedicate time each day to communing with your higher power, whatever form that takes for you.  Some do this through a regular practice of prayer or meditation.  For others, it’s being in community with fellow seekers, spending time with family or communing with nature.  A strong spirit can also be cultivated through a regular gratitude practice.  Every morning when I awaken, I pray, I meditate and think about at least three things I’m grateful for before my feet even hit the floor.   It’s a wonderful way to start the day and it gives me courage to face the day.  So create whatever ritual that’s right for you that enables you to come out of the circle of time and into the circle of love.  Then dedicate at least ten minutes each day to that practice.  Think about ways that you can demonstrate compassion in the world and pay it forward, then take those actions.  A strong spirit will help you keep your wings in the air and your feet on the ground, especially when you need it most.

3. Cultivate a Strong Mind.  In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, the psychiatrist and Auschwitz survivor Viktor Frankl said, “The one thing you can’t take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one’s freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance.”  The mind is a powerful instrument and we have far more control over what we think than we credit ourselves with having.  We are constantly choosing, whether consciously or unconsciously, how we make meaning of our lives and of the world.  In this “post-truth” age we’re living in, we must be vigilant about what we choose to consume.  The old saying, “garbage in, garbage out” couldn’t be truer.

  The Practice:  To cultivate a strong mind, take in things that feed you such as inspirational stories, great literature, blogs, or movies that inspire you or give you hope about the world.  Likewise, calibrate how much news you listen to, how much time you spend on social media, how much media you consume. Stay informed, but don’t allow the media to dictate your life or your mood.  Every day, set an intention to be good to your mind by being careful what you feed it.  Fill it with things that help expand what’s possible, rather than things that cause you to contract or live in fear.  Give yourself at least ten minutes a day to read or watch something that’s inspiring.  Start your day with an inspirational book, a TED talk or a blogger you follow that gives you hope.  Know when it’s time to say “no” to more news, especially when you’re trying to go to sleep. Notice what shifts as you become more consciously responsible for what you’re thinking, rather than allowing the noise of the world to manage your perceptions. How does what you consume contribute to how you perceive and interact with the world? How does it enable or disable you from making your most important contributions?

4. Cultivate a Strong Community. Martin Luther King said, “It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tired into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one destiny, affects all indirectly.”  We are all connected, and especially when times are challenging, we need people we can rely on for support.  We need assurance that we’re not alone, that others have our backs and that we will get through challenging times together.  One of the outcomes of the recent election is that people are reaching out to one another and are willing to be allies for groups of people they may have never considered before.  We are realizing that if we’re ever going to come together again as a country, we need to learn how to reach out, engage in dialogue, listen and seek to understand those with different opinions and experiences.   Building a strong web of community and support is crucial, because at the end of the day, we are all in this together.

The Practice:  Reach out to two or three friends and plan to get together at least once a month and be available by phone as needed.  You can also volunteer to host a circle through groups like Dream Corp’s #lovearmy, which are designed to help us support one another and work across differences.  You may even want to start a regular lunch group at work.  The point is to create a safe space where you can share your concerns and get support for the actions you plan to take to make a difference now and in the future.  If you have skills to volunteer, find a place to give back and pay it forward in your community.  If you have kids, take them with you to volunteer at a local food bank or charity nearby where they can also make a difference. Notice what shifts for you as you engage with your various support networks and communities, both personal and virtual.  How does what you contribute affect your sense of interrelatedness? How do others’ contributions to your life affect your sense of connectedness and well-being?

5. Cultivate a Strong Character. Mark Twain said, “It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.”  Our moral courage is a reflection of our character.  These times call for us to be both brave and resolute.  We need to know what we stand for and what we’re unwilling to sacrifice, regardless of the cost.  Exhibiting character may show itself in standing up for a stranger on the subway or for someone at work who is being ostracized or singled out. It may be taking a stand for a neighbor or standing in solidarity with another group by flying a flag that represents their cause.   It may be going to a march because you believe in a cause, or it may even go as far as offering safe-haven to someone you meet because you know that’s the right thing to do. Honoring your character is knowing where you draw the line about how you will treat others, regardless of what others around you are doing.  Use your moral compass wisely to direct your actions and behaviors.

The Practice: Spend an hour this coming weekend reflecting on your most deeply held values.  Write them down.  Then spend time thinking about how you can put those values into action every day, at home and at work.   Also, give thought to what ethical lines you are unwilling to cross, no matter the cost.  Then each day upon waking, set an intention about how you’d like to show up in the world in a way that is aligned with your values and ethics.  Then do your best to fulfill it.  For example, you might start the day by setting an intention to be kind to all the people you interact with.  Or maybe it’s making a commitment to really listen to others’ points of view.  Practicing living your values everyday strengthens your character so you can rely on it in the times you need it most. Notice what happens as you become more mindful of living a life that’s driven by your values and ethics.  What possibilities open up for you?  How does it change how you interact or about the way you feel about yourself, the world, and your contributions?

We may be living in perilous times.  We can’t deny that hatred, cynicism and misunderstanding are present, but we each have the power to transform them. The author and anthropologist Margaret Meade said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Let’s make 2017 the year we commit to strengthen ourselves in these five areas, so that collectively, we can create a world where everyone can thrive.

The Thriver’s Edge

Seven Keys to Transform the Way You Live, Love and Lead

Donna Stoneham, Ph.D.

List $16.95

Trade softcover 200 pages Also available in Kindle

ISBN: 978-1-63152-980-1

Published by She Writes Press, Berkeley, CA

  About Donna Stoneham, Ph.D.

Donna Stoneham, PhD, is a master executive coach, transformational leadership expert, facilitator, author, spiritual activist and speaker.

For the past twenty-five years, Donna has helped several thousand Fortune 1000 and not-for-profit leaders, teams, and organizations unleash their power to thrive and create powerful results in their work and lives through her company, Positive Impact, LLC.  Donna holds a Ph.D. with a concentration in Learning and Change in Human Systems from the California Institute of Integral Studies and is a certified Integral Coach®.

Donna is the author of the award-winning book, The Thriver’s Edge: Seven Keys to Transform the Way You Live, Love, and Lead named by Buzz Feed as “Nine Awesome Books for Your Kick-Ass Career” and she’s a contributor in books, The Coaching Code and Ask Coach (October, 2016).  As one of the world’s leading coaches, Donna will be featured in the upcoming full length documentary, Leap! The Coaching Movie (2017).

Donna has written for the International Journal of Coaches in Organizations, TD Magazine, Conscious Lifestyle Magazine, and The Globe and Mail. She’s been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, and The Huffington Post and has been a guest on ABC, NBC, and Fox affiliates, Sirius Radio, IHeartRadio and on numerous radio shows throughout the US.

When she’s not coaching, she enjoys swimming, sailing, philanthropic travel, writing, and enjoying a glass of wine on her deck with her spouse and rescue dogs in Pt. Richmond, CA

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