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rainbow--letters · 7 years ago

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Compromise

Link to the story on AO3 can be found here

“Molly, how much longer is this going to go on for?” Sherlock announced rather loudly.

“Will you be quiet.” She hushed at him through gritted teeth and a serious glare. “Just go to your mind palace, or something.” She sighed.

His hand moved to the inner pocket of his suit jacket to locate his phone.

“Except that.” She hissed.

“Fine. But I’ve already been inside my head for the past however many years this has been going on for.” He slouched further down the wooden bench, creaking noisily as he slid.

“SHHHH.” An old lady in a ridiculous hat poked her head between Molly and himself, although her anger was directed towards Sherlock.

Molly sighed and turned her attention back to the couple at the altar. His eyes roved around the church, observing the ridiculous stained-glass windows and their ridiculous attempt to portray the fictional story of one of the many non-existent Gods this world was full of.

What to do. What to do. What to...

His eyes flittered around trying to find something to distract his idle mind when they settled on Molly. Molly dressed in her deep red, floral kimono maxi dress and her hair pinned into a soft loose bun, the front few strands falling in waves down her face. The lipstick staining her lips, a pantone or two from matching identically with her dress.

He had noted all this before, obviously. She had stepped out of her bedroom as he waited by her breakfast bar earlier that morning. He was finishing the fastening of his cufflinks onto the crisp white shirt, which contrasted against the darkness of the navy, three piece suit he wore. The image of her as she floated by him to put on her heels she had left by the door, caused him to double take. She was gesturing to something behind him, he realised after staring at her like a gormless idiot for a few moments she was asking him to pass her phone over. Instead he told her she looked beautiful. She truly did. She smiled at him sheepishly, unsure. He kissed her softly to reaffirm his point. She was very efficient when it came to distracting him.

Much like he was now.

He blinked rapidly, coming back to the present. His eyes still fixed on the woman beside him. Her hands restless in her lap as she twisted and pulled at her fingers. She was nervous, she had been for the past few days before the event. Apparently, their first official outing as a couple was a 'big deal', especially when the paparazzi caught knowledge of it to Molly's horror. An 'unknown' source had confirmed they were attending a close friend's wedding. Sherlock figured it out in all of twenty seconds. The maid of honour of course. She was one of the only ones armed with the intel of their attendance, besides the bride and groom, as she was responsible for the seating plan. Tweets and Facebook posts fantasizing about surgically enhanced breasts identified the motive for that tip off to the press.

Molly had expressed her fears to him as they lay in bed the previous evening. How she didn't want to ruin Meena's big day, with photographers desperate for a shot of them both together, everybody talking about the two of them. To have her photo printed in paper and online for thousands to see and judge. He told her bluntly that people who read or were associated with any of the media who posted those photos were not worth a millisecond of her thoughts. He didn't choose to be with her because Dave, who lives in Dagenham with his wife and three children, thought her tits looked good. He clearly said the right thing because she proceeded to give him some rather good oral sex.

She was still wringing her hands when his thoughts focused back to the present again. He thought about repeating the Dave from Dagenham comment to her again, especially with her reaction to it last night but he didn't think Molly would appreciate it at this moment... Instead he reached his own hand into her lap and took her hand in his own.

She glanced up at him, her expression was still anxious and distant. Even her obvious annoyance at his earlier behaviour didn’t affect the beauty she radiated. She squeezed his hand tightly, before lifting his hand out of her lap. Her arms remained folded for the rest of the ceremony.

-----------------------

The tables were now deserted of all dinner ware, replaced by bottles and glasses full of alcohol. The DJ was in full swing, although by the looks of the empty dance floor and full tables it would be around ten minutes before the liquid courage kicked in.

“I knew it would be lamb.” Sherlock attempted his own version of small talk. Molly had barely spoken a word to him since they had left the church.

“Hmm?” Molly shook herself from her day dream, where she was watching the two young flower girls dance wildly to some 'shake it' song on the vacant dance floor.

“The main course. Meena’s father is from a certain part of India that sees lamb as a delicacy. Hence the lamb shanks and what a beautiful touch served in a cardamom and aromatic herb sauce.” His voice elevated over the deafening sound of the disco.

“Or you could have seen it on the invite requesting our meal choices.” She wasn't impressed by his efforts, he could tell.

“Feels more satisfying knowing I deduced it.” He replied smugly, his arm stretched to rest on the back of her chair but she was on her feet before he could touch her skin.

“Right, well now that I know you’ve stalked my friend's family history and who knows what else, I’m going to go and get us a drink. Same again?” She was being short with him, but then his patience hadn’t particularly been enduring throughout the day either. He never was a fan of weddings.

“Not stalking, deducing. And yes.” She walked off without barely a glance towards him, although he watched her all the way to the bar, a frustrated expression crossed his face.

“So, Sherlock.” His blue orbs glanced away from the bar to the red, blotchy face of Mike.

“I hope you’re treating our Molly well.” He winked and Sherlock blinked in confusion.

“As opposed to treating her badly? I accidentally bruised her left hip during one of our sexual explorations the other week. You’re not suggesting I’m abusive are you.” Mike’s face grew redder and his wife shuffled awkwardly beside him, both averted their gaze.

“No, Sherlock. That was what I most definitely was not saying. I just meant, well she seems a lot happier other these past few months. Very happy. I hope you both are.” He laughed for some strange reason and Sherlock furrowed his brow at Mike’s words.

He looked towards Molly at the bar. She was stood side on speaking to another work colleague, her expression light and her face seemed full with the smile she wore. A smile he realised he had been longing for her to give him all day.

“Yes.” He replied simply, he held the ‘s’ slightly longer than intended his mind focused on her frame.

“Good. Because I’d quite like to be invited to yours when the time comes.” Sherlock spun his head back to Mike.

“My what?” Why did this man always speak in riddles.

“Your wedding of course.” He laughed but Sherlock failed to understand the joke.

“But we aren’t engaged.” Sherlock states blankly.

“Surely, you intend to propose to her at some point?” Mike questioned, and Sherlock dreaded what was to come next. He’d already had this conversation with his mother, which ended in a blazing row.

“Hardly.” He announced, his head turned up to the ceiling.

“Oh.” Both the Stamford’s replied in unison.

“Wedding’s are a waste of time, money and paper. Nobody needs to be married in the 21st century. Anybody can open a shared bank account these days without a marriage certificate.” He sounded scripted, as if he had spoken those lines many times over.

“They are also the biggest type of romantic commitment you can make to one another.” Mike's wife argued back.

“Weddings are essentially no different to business contracts. Molly and I, do not intend to exchange such contracts. ” He yawned purposefully, indicating he was bored of the subject.

“Are you sure Molly agrees with you on this?” Mike’s wife questioned him further, her eyes sad and pitying.

“I don’t assume, I deduct.” He narrowed his eyes at her.

“Molly clearly loves you. I think rather than using your superhero powers Mike has told me all about, you should probably ask her.” Sherlock felt the lump in his throat form instantly.

“Well, we all have different perceptions of love I suppose. Wouldn’t do us all to be the same now would it!” Mike thankfully concluded, drawing the heated debate to a close. “But you know if it does happen then save us two seats.”

“If what happens?” A familiar voice called from behind them. Molly stood positively radiant behind him. Her hands full with a flute of prosecco and a glass of scotch. Her smile was nowhere to be seen, instead her features were plastered with an annoyed expression.

“Oh, Nothing-“

“Our wedding.”

Mike and Sherlock replied at the same time.

“Oh. I see.” The glasses were immediately deposited on the table. She almost collapsed into the chair, her hands clasped tightly.

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up Mike.” She joked, but her face didn’t seem to match the light heartedness of her comment.

“I already explained the pointlessness of the conversation.” Sherlock spoke proudly.

“Brilliant. I love it when you tell people how great it is that Molly Hooper will never be the bride.” She rolled her eyes and took a sizeable swig from her flute. Sherlock seemed to get a niggling feeling that something was not quite right. The Stamford’s looked away awkwardly, registering the annoyance of Molly’s mood. Then the music changed and Mrs Stamford was on her feet very quickly and dragging Molly to the dance floor.

Sherlock watched from the safety of the table as Molly attempted to dance rather badly to the beat. He recognised the song from one Molly had on her Spotify playlist. Beyanca was it? The information was irrelevant. She looked happy for the first time properly that night. A part of him longing for her to show him the same happiness she shared with her friends.

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Sherlock wasn’t the greatest when it came to understanding human behaviour. But he knew when he was being avoided. And Molly was most definitely avoiding him. Since she had been whisked away to the dance floor she had failed to return to the table. That was forty-seven minutes ago. He’d took to responding to a couple of emails during her absence when he looked up to try and find her.

It was much darker now. The room illuminated by disorientating coloured disco lights. Despite this obstacle, Sherlock knew she wasn’t on the dance floor. A quick glance behind him. Or at the bar.

If he could track down some of the countries most infamous criminals he should have no issue locating a tipsy Molly Hooper. He excused himself from the embarrassingly drunk Stamford’s who were all over each other like a pair of teenagers. He instantly appreciated the quietness of the large corridor as he exited the main hall of festivities and stood to consider his next move.

“Ah shit.”

A familiar voice echoed from the left of him. He rounded the corner to find her sat alone on the third step of the grand staircase. She appeared to be trying to unstrap her shoes but was failing miserably. He walked over to her and bent down onto his knees in front of her. His hands covered her own at her feet, gently pushing them aside. She accepted his assistance slouching back onto her elbows, he could feel her watching him.

“I told you to wear your flats. But I’ve seen a basket of flip flops by the entrance to the hall aptly named ‘the real dancing shoes’ so at least there’s a back up plan.” He smiled up at her to be met by a pair of sad brown eyes and a matching frown. “You’re upset with me.” He spoke as he looped the strap from around the back of her slender ankles.

“You here on your knees, taking off my shoes, is the closest I’m ever going to get to a marriage proposal isn’t it.” He paused briefly at her words, his fingers poised against the skin on her lower calf. He quickly proceeded on with his task, his head lowered staring intently at her feet.

“Molly, I-“ His voice quivered slightly.

“Last night when I told you why I was nervous, I didn't tell you everything." They looked at each other then, and for the first time in their relationship, Sherlock felt apprehensive for the words about to leave her mouth. "I was nervous, yes, but I am also jealous of Meena. I know it isn’t fair because when I accepted this relationship I knew marriage was going to be the compromise. I thought I could get over that. I genuinely thought that having you was enough.” The shoe slid off of her foot and to the floor with a thud. Sherlock continued on with the other shoe. “And then today happened and when I watched Meena marrying and committing herself to her best friend, I just felt so frustrated and confused that it would never be me.” She was upset. Sherlock detected it in her voice and it made him feel guilty that all along he had unknowingly been the source of her distress.

“I’m not angry at you Sherlock. I knew what I was giving up to be with you. You’ve come along way from the man you used to be and I’m so proud of you. Proud that you opened yourself up to me.” She exhaled in long breaths. The tears now threatening to fall from her eyes.

“But you’re not happy. And now we are in a situation where you want me to give you the one thing you have always wanted.” He spoke in a sombre tone. The mood turned tense once more. He watched as Molly sat there looking so sad and so deeply beautiful.

“Sherlock, it’s fine. I'm just drunk. Just forget it, forget I said anything.” She moved to stand but Sherlock’s hands pushed her thighs firmly, she dropped unsteadily back to the carpeted stairs.

“When we first committed to each other. We had a conversation about compromise. Well more of a you taught me how to try to be good at it.” She smiled and Sherlock’s heart increased by at least another ten beats per minute. “We agreed if someone cooked dinner, or bought in my instance, then the other had to tidy up. Whoever used the last of the milk had to replace it. If I wanted access to some body parts then it would cost me, well a demonstration of my sexual prowess.” She rolled her tear filled eyes and swatted his chest. “We had all these conversations about the little things, but we never spoke about the big ones. You made the assumption coming into this relationship I will never propose to you. I will admit my thoughts on matrimony are not conventional and I most definitely don’t agree with the pompousness of it. But Molly Hooper...” His finger delicately lifted her chin to his eye level. She closed her eyes and gulped hard. “I lied too. Well, to Mike and his wife. They asked if I knew you were okay with the idea of us never eloping. I told them I deduced it from you, because in reality I didn’t want to accept what I always knew. That this…” His eyes rolled in an upward arch at the surroundings. “A wedding. Is what you have always wanted.” The hands on her thighs tightened their grip. “And Molly, if it takes tens of thousands of pounds, a room full of insufferable family members and a ring to make you happy, well then I suppose I can compromise on this one thing for you.” She met his eyes, her own wide and bright with a hope he had not seen before. Then her lips crashed against his own for a hungry kiss.

“You do know it’s rude to propose at someone else’s wedding.” She whispered against his lips.

“I’ve just asked for your hand in marriage and now you’re critiquing me?” He pulled his head back slightly and raised his right brow high.

“I’ll give you a six for the proposal. The romantic gesture was perfect. Major criticisms were most definitely timing and the lack of a ring.” She held his gaze, her right forefinger absentmindedly rubbed the length of her ring finger on her left hand.

He glanced to the side, a used party popper cast aside on the floor. He picked it up and snapped the gold ribbon from the head. He delicately wrapped it into a tight knot onto her ring finger.

“I can’t do much about the timing aspect, but does this improve the score?” She stayed quiet as he affixed the band, her eyes watched in astonishment.

“Most definitely.” She kissed him hard. Her fingers curled possessively around the back of his neck, her other hand slid into his shirt between the space of his second and third button, her nails roamed over his chest. Sherlock recognised these signs instantly and dragged her up to him. His lips were upon hers in moments again.

“The room key-“ She spoke breathlessly between kisses as his left handed fisted into her hair.

“is still on the-“ the right roamed down and lifted her dress up past her hips on one side, squeezing her left bum cheek.

“tableahhhh.” Before venturing to the inner part of her thigh just where it was softest and a favourite trigger point of his Molly’s.

“I’m not going to be able to make it back to our room.” His voice rumbled and his eyes glowed devilishly as he dragged her further away from the festivities. His sentence was a statement and Molly followed him willingly.

“But where-“ he cut her sentence short with a chaste kiss.

“Do you know me at all?” He grinned at her wickedly. “I already checked the floorpan of the building before we got here in case of this exact predicament. Or the best exit points in case of emergencies.” She giggled so deliciously it intoxicated him into a further frenzy as took her by the hand.

He stopped at the second door on the left and removed a key he most definitely should not have access to from his pocket. Molly rolled her eyes, her hands still weaving their way around his torso. The knob turned as he pushed her into the dark cupboard. He quickly followed her in, slamming the door behind him. He lifted her onto an empty shelf, their touches feverish. He heard soft thuds as Molly’s hands reached out to grab onto something for support, crisp white linens falling to the floor around them.

-----------------------

The dance floor was positively heaving when they returned ten minutes later. Seemingly their lack of presence gone unnoticed. Molly made a beeline straight for Meena who was dancing with a small group of girls. He headed to the bar for much needed refreshments.

“Now, we’ve ‘ad a boogie. Let’s ‘av some romantic ballads for all the couple’s out there. This is a wedding after all!” The DJ’s voice came muffled and northern over the microphone.

The upbeat, pop song faded out as Sherlock's drinks were served. Sherlock recognised the song as the intro started. Can’t take my eyes off you, by Andy Williams. Surprisingly, a song he knew well going back to his university days when the rugby boys would sing their own crude version to any beautiful girl who walked by them on their weekly social outing.

Sherlock watched on as Molly hugged Meena, before the newly betrothed woman was whisked off her feet by her new husband. Molly moved to the side of the dance floor and clapped the happy couple. Sherlock paid the bar man, took a deep gulp and placed the drinks back onto their table, but he had no intention of taking a seat. He walked straight up and behind Molly, wrapping his arms around her waist. She turned in his arms, her eyes wide with shock.

“Are you lost, Sir?” She mocked him. Her arms looped around his neck as they started to sway.

“On the contrary. I think I’ve found exactly where I need to be.” Her deep brown eyes softened in the disco lights, he pulled her closer his mouth by her ear. “Although, there will most definitely not be a DJ from Leeds, with a DUI, living in a two bed terrace with four husky’s at our wedding.” He felt her stiffen slightly and he pulled back to study her face. “I was thinking more of a string quartet?” He continued, but her face still remained glazed.

“You really are serious? About us, and a wedding?” She eyed him hesitantly he felt a little unnerved.

“I thought my intention was clear?” He removed her left hand from his neck, holding it up in the space between them. The cheap gold ribbon still remained fastened to her finger. He kissed her finger softly, their eye contact never faltered. “Though I do plan on getting you something a little more…” he pinched her ring finger between his thumb and forefinger “permanent.” He was rewarded with a smile as they both closed the space between them. The side of their heads pressed together as he inhaled her scent, traces of his own smell mingled with her own from their lustful encounter and he suddenly felt quite possessive of the woman in his arms.

They danced in circles to the rhythm, when Sherlock’s attention was briefly diverted. He looked up to see Mike waving furiously at him from a few metres away, his head peering over the shoulder of his wife. Once Mike knew he had Sherlock’s attention he pointed to Molly’s hand atop of Sherlock’s shoulder, clearly signalling to the gimmicky band around her finger. He nodded once at him with a reassured smile, and Mike beamed back at him clenching his hand into a tight fist as a gesture of triumph.I’ll watch out for our invitation in the post. He mouthed out before turning his attention back to his wife. Speaking of wives… Sherlock looked back down at the woman in his arms, her head tucked into his neck.

“Oh and about your part of the compromise.” He whispered loudly above the music, lifting her from her daze.

“Yes?” She mouthed up at him.

“I get to take you up to our room right now, without saying goodbye to anyone in this hall.” Her eyes gleamed wickedly at his offer.

“Round one wasn't enough for you was it?" She smiled up at him impishly. "Fine. Fetch my bag and a bottle of champagne. I’ll meet you up there in five minutes.” She kissed him deliciously, before she slid out of his arms and out into the hall.

For the first time in his life, Sherlock acknowledged he was a very lucky man indeed.

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“So, I never did ask what changed your mind?” The voice of Mike Stamford called from behind him.

“Let’s just say I still had a lot to learn about how relationships worked.” Sherlock stood tall from his slouching position on the stone balcony.

“Well I’m glad you did." They both turned at the same time, looking back through the veranda windows to the sight of Molly Hooper being held tightly by Mike's wife. Her fitted ivory lace dress gifted to her from her mother's side of the family. Simple, yet elegant. It complimented its wearer beautifully.

“Guaranteed peace for my time.” Sherlock smirked as he took the glass tumbler from Mike's hands.

“Peace? Surely the great Sherlock Holmes isn’t that deluded? You do know how that worked out for Chamberlain back when he said those words?” Mike laughed and clapped Sherlock on the shoulder. “Wait until you’re deciding on the name for your first born. Then you can let me know how the peace thing works out.”

Sherlock almost choked on his scotch.

#sherlolly #Sherlock x Molly #Sherlock Holmes #Molly Hooper #domestic #remember it's all about the giving as well as the taking

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phoebeshumanitiesblog · 4 years ago

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My Themed Playlist

Introduction

I think a lot of people have a complicated relationship with Christmas. Christmas becomes a time where we are forced to confront our past. We may be overwhelmed with memories of loved ones who passed away or family members we no longer have a relationship with. I find myself confronted with memories of both of these things this year. At twenty-two, I feel myself fighting to grasp onto the last shred of magic I had once felt around this Holiday. For those of us who have had Christmas’s magical light fade, Christmas becomes haunting. It is a bittersweet holiday. We remember happy moments we spent with the ghosts of our past and those snippets of joy collide with the painful memories. Last Christmas was one of the last days I saw my boyfriend before he was found dead in a motel room. As Christmas approaches I find myself reflecting on my memories with him. When I was trying to think of a theme for this project, I couldn’t stop thinking about the time we made gingerbread houses together. As someone who is haunted by Christmas, I wanted to explore the theme of “Sad Christmas”. I am hoping my playlist reflects the wide range of emotions circulating throughout our communities as Christmas inches closer. “Grown-Up Christmas List” Amy Grant Pop Ballad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmF2rsDHOZc

The lyrics focus on the negative aspects of the world she would like to change and how she reflects on these things at Christmas. She contrasts her childhood wishes for Christmas with her wishes now. She explains how the way she saw Christmas as a child has changed drastically from how she views Christmas now. The melody demonstrates a large vocal range. During the verses, her mood is more melancholy which is demonstrated by a lower vocal register This contrasts with the chorus, when she moves into a higher vocal register to convey a more hopeful feeling for what she wants from Christmas. The tempo is slow which allows for the singer to sing drawn out and dramatically. The slow tempo also sets a contemplative mood as she reflects on her feelings about Christmas. Again this allows for the song to convey the sadness behind the words. The song opens with consonant musical sounds which allows one to feel the soothing nature a child feels when they are first introduced to Christmas. Consonant harmonies continue throughout the piece, but the shift in harmonic progression at the start of the chorus is less predictable which creates a dramatic effect. This sets up the listener to really feel the emotions of the sad lyrics that follow. The piece has a binary form of ABAB which toggles between the verses and chorus. This allows there to be contrast between the version of Christmas the singer experienced as a child and the version she experiences now. “Christmas Tears” Freddie King Blues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i2wypLkWkY

In this song the lyrics tell the story of a man who is both irritated and sad around Christmas as the holiday makes him think of an ex lover. The melody is repetitive and relatively stagnant, which allows more emphasis to be placed on the lyrics. The tempo is laid back and allows for improvisation of the instruments, which is typical of the blues style. The constance of the tempo expresses the artists’ feeling of agitation. As expected of the genre, the song includes more dissonant chords from the blues scale. The harmonic progression is basic and predictable, but includes interesting harmonies such as seventh chords. The slight dissonance in harmonies demonstrates the conflict of the singer’s mixed emotions about his ex-lover. He is missing his lover but also angry. The conflicting feelings are typical of a breakup. In terms of form, this song is closely reminiscent of the form Theme and Variations. The first verse demonstrates a simple version of the melodic theme, which he repeats throughout the piece. Each time the theme is repeated, he varies it with different instrumental interludes and vocal embellishments. Throughout the song, the vocalist demonstrates word painting. He uses slight differentiations in the melody to draw attention to certain phrases. For instance, when he sings “smiling on the outside” at the end of the second verse, sings a higher note. Higher notes sometimes resemble a feeling of joy, such as the smile he is singing about, but the harsher tone in his voice demonstrates the anguish he feels on the inside.

“River” Joni Mitchell Folk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NH-ctddY9o Joni Mitchell’s “River” is a well known “Sad Christmas” anthem. As she gazes upon the Christmas decor and spirited lovers, she is forced to confront memories of her own failed relationship. The joyful feelings of those around her give her a desire to run away. She is one of the people haunted by Christmas. This song opens with an allusion to the commonly known melody of Jingle Bells. The piece also closes with this theme from Jingle Bells, but it is more harmonically distorted to include more dissonance and minor chords. The use of jingle bells juxtaposes the commonly shared thoughts people have of christmas with her own personal experiences. The contrast between the light heartedness of the start of the piece with the gloomier ending demonstrates how her past Christmases with her lover were more happy and now they are only distant memories. The minor chord she ends on leaves the listener in a state of gloom to empathize with how the artist feels about her heartache. The song contains several examples of word painting to illustrate the message of the music with the melody. For instance, on the chorus, she elongates the word “long” with a vocal run. Similarly, on the word “fly,” she does a long vocal run then takes an upward direction, as if she is leaving the ground and taking flight. The accompaniment of the piano also demonstrates word painting. The flowing and constant nature of the piano symbolizes the flowing of a moving river. The moderately fast tempo conveys the constance of the river. The form of the song is most representative of binary form. The verses each repeat the A section twice and then move into the chorus, which is the B section. The form could also potentially be categorized as a sonata form. It is typical that a sonata might start with an introduction before the exposition, just as Joni Mitchell begins with Jingle Bells before the verse. Then, the chorus could be categorized as a development, except she does not move to the key of the dominant harmony as classical sonatas do. The exposition and development then repeat for the second verse and chorus, as many classical sonatas do. The piece then closes with a recapitulation, which is verse three and the jingle bells outro.

“Christmas Baby” Neptunica & Victor Perry Electronic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FBecSLEjuo

The harmonies used in this song are very consonant, which are typical of Christmas songs that want to convey the joy of the season. However, when I listen to the lyrics of the piece, it conveys a more yearnful and lonely message. Lyrically, the singer is begging for her partner to return to her for the holidays so she does not have to be lonely. As typical with the electronic genre, the melody is simple and repetitive while there are more complexities found in the background. As the piece goes on, more layers of instrumentation are subtly added. Form wise the song follows the structure of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. The bridge has the most harmonic interest of the song. This is most representative of expanded rounded binary form. The first section is made up of two subsections, which are the verse and chorus. The section is then repeated for verse 2 and chorus 2. The bridge then represents contrasting material on the dominant harmony at the beginning of the B section, and then it returns to the chorus for the other subsection of B.

“Pretty Paper” Willie Nelson Country https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM7x5dwhFXs “Pretty Paper” differs from the rest of my “sad Christmas” playlist as the story is told in a second person narrative rather than a first person. The singer is drawing attention to those among us who are alone during what is meant to be a season spent with loved ones. He emphasizes “the blind eye” and lack of empathy many choose to show those who are alone. Throughout the piece, Willie Nelson does not stray from the harmonic progression set forth in the first stanza. Each stanza follows the same progression with a similar melody, which is indicative of Theme and Variations. With each new stanza, variance is given by differentiation in lyrics and slight melodic embellishments. Country music sometimes shares characteristics of blues, and this song is a great example of that. Several jazzier chords are included, primarily seventh chords. This added dissonance creates harmonic interest and represents the melancholy mood of the song as he narrates this Christmas story.

“Last Christmas” Wham! Pop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8gmARGvPlI

In “Last Christmas” the singer is disillusioned with Christmas. The Christmas prior he was filled with the hope and cheer many experience during the Holiday Season. He gave his heart to someone expecting the feelings he had for them to be reciprocated. The betrayal of his past lover haunts his current Christmas as he now associates the memories of his past lover with the holiday. This song contains constant and repetitive harmonies add to the catchiness of this song. Dissonance is primarily heard in the overlying vocal runs during the last several repetitions of the chorus. These moments of dissonance add to the feeling of anguish heard in the singer’s voice as he laments over his regrettable past. Rhythmically, the piece contains certain moments of syncopation. For instance, in the second verse, when he sings “I kept my distance, but you still catch my eye.” At the beginning of the phrase (“I kept my distance”), all major syllables fall on the beat; however, in the second half of the phrase, the words “catch my eye” all fall on the upbeats. This rhythmic complexity makes the beat less stable, which represents the emotional instability the singer feels when he catches a glimpse of his past lover. Structurally, the piece follows the form of chorus (x2), verse 1, verse 2, chorus (x2), verse 3, verse 4, chorus, verse 5, chorus (several repetitions). This form is reminiscnant of rondo form, because the main section, the chorus, continually comes back again several times, with other sections in the middle. The continual repetition of the chorus represents how the artist keeps returning to this painful memory in his heart.

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the-seas-song · 4 years ago

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Disney’s Leo Princesses: Rapunzel, Anna, Elena, and Moana

Controversial title, isn't it? Oh well, I'm a Leo. 😉

As a Leo, I'm well aware the general perception of us is based on our unhealthy and immature traits. That's why I'm overjoyed that Disney has created these four incredible Leo princesses.

Before I explain why these four princesses are Leos, you should know what a healthy Leo is like.

In Astrology, there are twelve different sun signs, which are the most well known. There is much more to natal astrology than this, but because we're dealing with fictional characters, we're only looking at the sun signs.

Your sun sign represents your core identity. Just like the physical sun is the center of the solar system and its energy creates life, the astrological sun is our consciousness and life force. Each of the twelve sun signs are ruled by a different planet and element.

There are four elements (fire, water, earth, air) and three different signs belong to the same element. For example, the fire signs are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. They share the general traits of fire – warm and passionate – but still differ greatly from each other.

That's because of something called the modalities. They define each signs' purpose, and are called cardinal, fixed, and mutable. Cardinal signs always come first, they are the initiators and take place when the four seasons begin (Aries is the cardinal fire sign). The fixed signs don't deal with change, they stabilize. They take place when each season is in full bloom (Leo is the fixed fire sign). Last but not least, the mutable signs come last, and are known for the ability to adapt (Sagittarius is the mutable fire sign). Cardinal signs are the metaphorical spring, Fixed signs' summer, and Mutable signs the metaphorical fall.

Since Leo is the fixed fire sign, we don't inherit the reckless and impulsive nature of fire, but instead are a steady flame. No sign is more reckless and impulsive than Aries, because they have the double combination of being a cardinal sign and a fire sign. Meanwhile, all four of the fixed signs struggle with stubbornness and admitting when their wrong.

Leo's are well known to be natural leaders and the rulers of the zodiac. We are ruled by the sun and our animal is the lion. We dream big and are born with big personalities, and we can't help but be theatrical and dramatic. This means we are always self-centered in the sense of being strong-willed and having a strong sense of self. It does not mean all Leos are egotistical.

Unhealthy Leo traits all revolve around the ego: attention-seeking, egotistical, selfish, bossy, controlling, pushy, jealous, possessive, lazy, vain, arrogant, aggressive, and obstinate.

Healthy Leos, however, are known for our fire-based traits – being animated, theatrical, happy, outgoing, independent, competitive, charismatic, creative, open-minded, open-hearted, confident, assertive, playful, warm, social, courageous, idealistic, affectionate, romantic, optimistic, and adventurous.

What isn't often talked about is our steadiness, our fixed-based traits. Leos are authentic, steadfast, fiercely loyal and protective, consistent, persistent, full-hearted, dedicated, need to do their best, generous and selfless, honorable and moral, genuine and direct, extremely supportive, hard-working and responsible, dignified, strong-willed, and ambitious and determined.

Something that is often mentioned but highly misunderstood is our trait of courage. Having courage doesn't mean you're fearless or reckless. The definition of courage is “the power or quality of dealing with or facing danger, fear, pain, etc.” It means that instead of running away from our problems or denying our emotions; healthy Leos face them and be genuine and direct with ourselves, embracing our vulnerability.

Having a big personality doesn't necessarily mean someone has a big ego. C.S. Lewis once said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.” Leos have huge hearts and are incredibly generous. The sun never goes retrograde, always shines, and gives life and energy to all living beings – it isn't selective or discriminatory. Healthy Leos are like mini suns; which is why we are also irrepressibly upbeat, optimistic, and fun-loving.

We're not pushovers. We are like roses – we have both flower petals and thorns. If you mess with someone we love you're going down. We're too loyal and protective to let major things slide; and even if we forgive, we never forget. Little things? We'll try to work them out with you.

Being naturally strong-willed and assertive is healthy – it just means we usually make horrible subordinates and yes people. There's nothing wrong with having high standards and being open about them. In fact, in relationships it's far better in the long run to open and frank about what you need and what you consider a dealbreaker from the beginning.

And oh yes are we ambitious and competitive – but most often with ourselves. We're natural leaders who always dream and think big. For a healthy Leo it's not about being the best, but doing your best. We have to be grand and intense, we're ruled by the sun. It's all or nothing for us. Settling is not something a Leo does. We need to be the best leader, the best friend, the best partner, etc. that we possibly can.

… Look, we're a lot. Not everyone is compatible with a persistent and direct ball of affectionate energy, and that's totally fine. Our strong-willed affection means we can accidentally be nosy and pushy and overwhelming. If you're genuine and direct with us and tell us you need personal space, we'll (try to) back off.

Also, in astrology each sign rules a different body part, and Leo rules the heart and upper back. Our official flower is the sunflower, but daisies and dandelions are also associated with the sun, and thus the Leo sign.

Now, on to the Princesses!

Rapunzel

Before we begin, I just want to say that there will be spoilers for the Tangled TV Series here. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it!

Rapunzel doesn't start out overtly confident and direct like most Leos because she has emotionally abused and gaslighted by Gothel for her entire life. We see clearly in their interactions at the beginning of the film that Gothel psychologically punishes Rapunzel if she is anything other than nice and obedient. Gothel has also convinced Rapunzel that it's her fault if anyone gets upset with her or anything bad happens. We see this when Rapunzel apologizes to Eugene when they are trapped in the cave, and again when Eugene is dying at the end of the film.

All of this has resulted in Rapunzel having a tendency to people please and give in when people get upset with her (when Gothel loses her temper and shouts, Rapunzel pulls back in obvious fear; and she is nervous Eugene will freak out on her when she opens up about her hair). This is not natural Leo behavior, and as Rapunzel heals and grows throughout the film and tv series, she consistently becomes more assertive and direct.

A quick note on terminology – there is a fundamental difference between being nice and being kind. Kind means “having or showing a friendly, generous, sympathetic, or warm-hearted nature” (source) and nice means “pleasing and agreeable in nature” (source).

Niceness is about externally being pleasing or agreeable and not making a fuss. Kindness comes from within and is authentic. There is a similar difference between being dutiful and being responsible. We see Rapunzel's journey with these different values throughout the tv series.

However, despite the extreme emotional and psychological abuse Rapunzel has survived, there are still many subtle moments in the film that show Rapunzel's inner Leo. When Will My Life Begin? shows us her creative and proactive energy, and the reprise confirms that her birthday is in the summer (“summer breeze”).

When Flynn enters the tower we see Rapunzel's fear and belief in Gothel's lies (pointy teeth), but even though Gothel has brainwashed her into believing that she's fragile and incapable of handling things on her own, Rapunzel still has the courage to be direct and interrogate Flynn, which she does in a dramatic way. She not only has the courage to go with her instinct that he's telling the truth, she ignores him when he says trusting him is a horrible idea. She gives him an ultimatum and (adorably) intimidates him; and her passionate statement about never breaking her promises, ever, show the loyal, honorable, and responsible part of Leos.

When Flynn uses her guilt to try to get out of the deal, Rapunzel does not hesitate to declare that she is seeing the lanterns, thank you very much; and that she will use her frying pan on him, thank you very much. Flynn may be the guide, but there is no question that Rapunzel is the one in charge.

While she is obviously terrified of the Pub Thugs at first, Rapunzel still has the courage to demand they give Flynn back and find their humanity. She shows her open-mindedness and open-heartedness in response to them opening up about their dreams.

Because it's not that Rapunzel is naïve. All Gothel ever spoke about was how the world, and the people in it, are inherently selfish and untrustworthy. But Rapunzel defies that lifelong programming to make her dream a reality and see the good in people. This is a conscious action of courage she makes time and time again throughout the film.

Eugene appears in the tunnel. Both he and Rapunzel are surprised she had it in her to deal with the Pub Thugs like that (“That was pretty impressive.” “I know!”), and he is never condescending to her again. It is his genuineness and emotional honesty (two traits healthy Leos have and value a lot) about his name that prompts her the tell the truth about her hair. She sees his inner goodness, and is the only person to ever be interested in the real him. From this point on Flynn is gone for good.

When Max finds them Rapunzel is once again assertive and direct, ordering him to let Eugene go. She is assertive when she orders him to sit and drop the boot, and her natural open-heartedness and authentic charm wins Max over immediately. Then, without being manipulative, Rapunzel uses her honesty and charm to convince Max to agree to her deal.

Near the end of the film, Rapunzel realizes she's the Lost Princess. The final memory she sees is her putting the crown on her head, symbolizing her enlightenment. It is a true Leo Princess that confronts and stands up to Gothel: “NO! You were wrong about the world. And you were wrong about me. And I will never let you use my hair again!”

The TV Series starts six months after her return to her parents and Corona. The main plot of the series revolves around the return of her hair, and the meaning of the sundrop and moonstone. However, her emotional journey and trials of becoming a ruler are directly entwined with the plot.

Throughout the three seasons, we see many more nuances of Rapunzel's Leo personality (for a much more detailed analysis see here). This is what other characters in the show say about Rapunzel's personality:

Her parents: free spirit and hopeful optimism, sentimental, determined, strong, thoughtful, responsible, brave and independent.

Eugene: puts her own touch on everything she does (“Rapunzelocity”), has “unique and artful” ideas, takes chances, shakes things up, lives every second to the fullest, never runs and hides from a fight.

Cassandra: schmaltz, never gives up, fights with everything she has, irrepressible carefree spirit.

Lance: irrepressible.

Monty: noble, free spirit, total disregard for tradition, to heck with it attitude.

Vex: annoying, naïve, “insists the glass is half full even when its obviously bone dry.”

Rapunzel is an upbeat, outgoing, creative, passionate, and strong-willed person. She needs these traits to be a successful leader and eventual Queen. However, the flip-side of those traits means that Rapunzel struggles with admitting her negative emotions, listening when people tell her not to do something, accepting advice, accepting that she sometimes has bad ideas, and generally being too bossy.

The thing is, though, Rapunzel is the boss. It is made clear in the first season that since Arianna married into the Corona Royal Family, Fredrick has all of the final decision making power. She can't overturn his edicts. Eugene will fulfill the same role Arianna does when he becomes Prince Consort.

Rapunzel's relationships with Eugene and Cassandra fall into a very gray area because on one hand they are her boyfriend and best friend; and on the other hand she is their superior. Throughout all three seasons Rapunzel makes the final decisions, especially when they're in a difficult situation. This definitely can be a very difficult situation for them to balance – it is the main source of conflict between Rapunzel and Cassandra.

However, Eugene is very comfortable with it. While Rapunzel didn't make him change, he has changed dramatically, and it's all because of her. While he's her main source of support and is comfortable voicing his opinions with her, he also tells her things are her call a lot, and often smiles during her decision-making and headstrong moments. She completely reshaped his world, and he loves her for it!

Many of his quotes reflect this: “In fact I'd probably still be out there cheating and stealing if it weren't for – wait a minute, that's it!” “It's like you're afraid to be you. And I miss you.” “Two years ago, I'd call fighting jackal-monsters on the back of a speeding carriage whilst a rhinoceros chases the woman I love absolutely bonkers. Now I call it Tuesday.” “I do have faith. I've always had faith in Rapunzel.” and “I don't know. But I've always believed in us. I've always believed in you.”

Excuse me while I cry over how perfect they are together...

...Okay, I'm back! There is a wonderful and hilarious season 3 episode that shows the Leo brand of assertive and dramatic audacity, and I love it so much, I just have to talk about it.

The King and Queen of Hearts

Rapunzel's parents' memories have been wiped, and she's determined to help them fall in love again. Her dad decides to move out of his room with Arianna and bunk with Eugene:

Fredrick: “If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for the time being.”

Rapunzel: “Of course dad. I understand.”

Eugene: “Wait a minute, now now hang on -” Rapunzel pushes him from the room and closes the door. “But this is my room! I mean technically he's the king, so they're all his rooms, but still -”

Rapunzel: “Eugene, focus! We have got a match to make! A match that will spark the flames of romance. In a romance that will burn brightly for all to see! Like, the sun! Burning in the heavens! Which all can see!” Eugene drags her away as she passionately monologues.

The scene switches. Rapunzel is giving a presentation to Eugene, Pascal, Max, Lance, Angry, and Catalina. Pascal hands out the itineraries.

Rapunzel: “The Kingdom of Corona is in crisis. Pascal will give each of you a copy of my comprehensive plan to save it.”

Lance: “Operation Royal Romance? Uh, this is about setting your folks up on a date? You said the fate of the kingdom is at stake.”

Rapunzel: “Oh, it is Lance. If the king and queen fall apart, other couples will follow their lead, and soon, all of Corona society will crumble. And you know what they say. As does Corona, so… goes… the world. Do you want that to happen, Lance?” she kicks her presentation chart to the ground. “Do you?!”

Everyone else is terrified. Lance exclaims, “No! No no no I don't want no no.”

Suddenly cheerful again, Rapunzel declares, “That's the spirit! Okay! There's no reason we can't teach these lovebirds to fly again. And nothing is gonna stand in our way!”

Later, she insists on taking her mom out.

Arianna: “Rapunzel, where are we going?”

Rapunzel: “Oh, I just thought you might enjoy a ride through the forest.” Max and Fidella are decked out in pink daisies. “Dad? Dad's here?! What are the chances?!”

She tells her parents to go on a ride together and when Fredrick hesitates, she sternly tells him “Do it.” He does it.

However, he is hit with a tree branch and falls off Max. Rapunzel has been spying on them, and tells Eugene, “Oh! That looks bad. Excuse me, I better jump in.”

The rest of her date ideas also fail. That night, when Lance is steering the boat for her parents' romantic boat ride, he starts asking for tips. Rapunzel sees this from the dock and uses her hair to take his tip jar out of his hand, and then shakes her finger sternly at him.

The situation worsens when King Trevor arrives and invites Arianna to go sea-serpent watching the next day.

Rapunzel interrupts their conversation. “Um, excuse me. King Trevor, may I speak with you a moment? In private?” As soon as they leave the room she knocks him out with her frying pan. He wakes tied to a chair with her hair, just like Eugene did in the film.

Rapunzel: “You are not fooling anyone, buster. You've come to woo my mother. Well, I've got bad news for you. There will be no wooing of any kind.” She gets in his face with her frying pan. “This is a no woo zone. Not while this princess is princess-ing.”

Trevor: “It's true. Long ago, I was naïve enough to think that I could woo fair Arianna. But she remains married to Fredrick, and I respect the institution of marriage too much! Inter-Kingdom law demands that I do.”

Rapunzel is still suspicious, “Alright. But I'm watching you.”

The next day, Rapunzel can't stop thinking (or talking) about her mom and Trevor. She realizes his plan and goes to stop him from trying to marry Arianna. Of course, Arianna is loyal to her family and doesn't need saving.

… I just, I can't with this episode. It's too hilarious. Rapunzel seriously knocks out another kingdom's monarch with her frying pan! She has no tolerance for the situation and she's not afraid to show it!

Now for Rapunzel's Leo symbolism.

Let's start with the obvious – it's impossible to talk about Rapunzel without talking about the Sundrop Flower. The Sundrop Flower is a magical flower created from a drop of sunlight that fell to the earth. It could heal anything, even natural aging. While the magical power of the Sundrop is contained in Rapunzel's hair, Rapunzel herself is the personification of the sun.

Rapunzel is the Crown Princess of Corona. Corona's emblem is the sun and it's official color is purple. Historically, purple is the color of royalty and 'corona' is Latin for 'crown' (see here).

It is canon that Rapunzel's birthday is in the summer because when she is singing the reprise of When Will My Life Begin?she mentions the “summer breeze.”

In the TV series, one of Eugene's main nicknames for her is sunshine. In the film, Gothel also indirectly calls her a ray of sunshine: “The world is dark and selfish and cruel. If it finds even the slightest ray of sunshine, it destroys it!”

This is the extent of her symbolism directly associated with the sun. However, daisy flower symbolism is also connected directly to sun, which makes it a Leo symbol.

The etymology of daisy is “day's eye” because the petals open at dawn and close at dusk (source). Daisies generally symbolize new hope and new beginnings. However, since different colors have different meanings, white daisies also symbolize innocence and purity, yellow hope and happiness, pink love and femininity, and purple royalty and thoughtfulness (source, source, and source).

Rapunzel has a lot of important daisy symbolism. In the film, Big Nose offers her a white daisy when he sings, “I really want to make a love connection.” This symbolizes the innocence and purity of his dream. Then, after Rapunzel returns to the tower, the last flower Gothel removes from her hair is a purple daisy, as she says, “There, it never happened.” This obviously symbolizes Gothel stealing both Rapunzel's freedom and royal identity.

In the tv series, Rapunzel wears a white daisy in her hair whenever she wears her season one outfit and on the Rapunzel wigs Eugene makes in Challenge of the Brave (it is also included in almost all of her season one merch). When she wears her winter outfit in Queen for a Day, there is a pink daisy on her earmuff band. There is also a pink daisy on Monty's Gopher Grab winner's ribbon.

When the series got renamed as “Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure” for the second and third seasons, the new logo contained white, pink, and purple daisies in Rapunzel's hair. Her adventure bag has a pink and a white daisy on it. In the season 2 episode Freebird Rapunzel uses pinkish purple daises to make flower crowns for her and Cass.

In the season three intro, Rapunzel has a vase full of flowers on her desk, which include a sunflower (the official Leo flower) and a purple daisy. At the end of the first episode of season three, Rapunzel appears in her new season three outfit, for the song “Stronger Than Ever Before.” She is now the acting Queen because her parents memories have been wiped, and the song starts with this picture:

Rapunzel plucks the purple daisy and puts it in her hair, right above a pink daisy (she also draws pink daisies in her chalk drawing during the song). She wears these two daisies throughout season three. The only exception is when she is in her nightgown, then she's wearing a pink and a white daisy.

Rapunzel wearing a white daisy in the first season symbolizes her innocence as she explores and adjusts to her new life. In the third season, Rapunzel has already grown into herself as a leader and queen; so the purple and pink daisies symbolize her growth, with the purple daisy as her royal 'crown' (also, her main outfits are always a combination of purple and pink).

In Tangled Ever After, the flowers Pascal are throwing are purple, yellow, and white daisies.

In the game Disney Emoji Blitz, Rapunzel's blonde haired emojis contain white, pink, and purple daisies.

Anna

Now, I know calling Anna a Leo is extremely controversial!

Why? Because Jennifer Lee, who is one of the co-directors and co-writers for the Frozen films, said that Elsa was born on the Winter Solstice (December 21) and Anna on the Summer Solstice (June 21). Astrologically and personality wise, this is perfect for Elsa. She definitely fits the earth sign Capricorn.

The same cannot be said for Anna. The Summer Solstice is aligned with the water sign Cancer. Anna is clearly a fire sign, her personality leaves no room for doubt. She has none of the personality traits of a Cancer. What's more, not only does she have the personality of a Leo, the plot revolves around her understanding of the heart (the Leo body part) and she is decked out in one of the main Leo symbols (the sunflower).

Because Anna is the second child, she wasn't given the training and responsibilities Elsa received growing up. However, those skills aren't what's truly important. In Frozen Anna spends her whole childhood refusing to give up on Elsa. After Elsa runs away, Anna naturally takes charge and responsibility, telling everyone, “It was an accident. She was scared. She didn't mean it! She didn't mean any of this! Tonight was my fault. I pushed her, so I'm the one that needs to go after her. Bring me my horse! I'll bring her back and I'll make this right.” Spoken like a true Leo Queen.

Anna refuses to listen to anyone's doubts – she knows Elsa is good, and nothing anyone says will change her mind. And while Anna was wrong about Hans, the whole point of the plot is that she was right about true love. “An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart.” Anna's ability to love unconditionally is what saves Elsa; and both Elsa and Kristoff learn to be less cynical and embrace love. (Anna to Elsa: “I knew you could do it.”)

In Frozen Fever, Anna is mature, selfless, and protective. She worries the entire time about Elsa’s health, saves Elsa again, and says the best birthday present was Elsa letting Anna take care of her. In Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, Anna takes the lead and starts looking for a family tradition so she and Elsa can celebrate together.

In Frozen 2, Anna will literally follow Elsa into fire, and scold her afterwards for being reckless. Anna tamed the earth spirit because she is that side (physical, 'ordinary’) of the bridge. She and the earth spirit completed the journey, made things right, and balance was reset. She saved everyone again, which Elsa rightfully tells her. Anna is the true Queen of Arendelle, and the end of her character arc was her overcoming her childhood abandonment by standing on her own two feet (literally) and trusting herself.

Anna's leadership and heart is what saves the day in both films. Elsa: “Lost me? You saved me. Again.” “You did what was right, for everyone.”

Now, the sunflower symbolism. Aside from being the official Leo flower, sunflowers only bloom in mid to late summer. Frozen Fever is all about Anna's birthday, and sunflowers are literally everywhere. They are the cake design, the pattern on the tablecloths, the chairs, the banners, the balloons; the pattern on Anna's dress, on the back of her vest, her hair clip, bouquet, scarf, cloak, and on the headdress thing (I couldn't find it's correct name online).

Why all the sunflowers? We know from the first film that Arendelle's emblem is the crocus flower, so they don't represent the country. They also appear on almost all Anna merchandise based on Frozen Fever. Ergo, they represent Anna.

Elena

Elena is from the TV show appropriately titled, Elena of Avalor. It is a wonderful show and there are many moments that show her Leo personality. However, I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone, so I'm only going to go over the first episode and a few other telling moments. I'm not going to summarize the general plot because it has a lot of (wonderful!) lore; I'm just going to tell you about Elena.

Elena is sixteen and the crown princess. Her parents have died; but her maternal grandparents, little sister, and older cousin are still alive. The first episode starts with Elena excited to be crowned Queen. She begins the day of her coronation by giving her little sister Isabel a thoughtful gift and racing her to breakfast. Unfortunately for Elena, she finds out at breakfast that she's not being coronated Queen, but Crown Princess. She must have a Grand Council to help her rule Avalor, and approve her major decisions, until she comes of age.

Elena is not pleased. She insists she is ready to rule, and her grandfather says that is why she is not ready to rule yet. Determined to prove herself, Elena arranges to meet with the city leaders and make sure they have what they need (singing, “I'll take charge like the leader I know I can be and take care of all those who are counting on me”).

While she is talking to the Harbor Master, it is reported that three ships have been stolen that day. Elena declares that they need to start searching immediately and that she'll lead the search. She gets told she has to keep her appointments and let the navy handle it. She reluctantly agrees, and Isabel stays behind with a guard so she can draw the dock.

Isabel and Gabe, her guard, end up on the next stolen boat. Elena leaves immediately to find them, disregarding all protests. She also dismisses her advisor Zuzo's attempt to give advice. Isabel has the great idea to leave Elena a trail of paper pieces down the rivers. Once they arrive, Elena refuses to wait and strategize before going in. A fight breaks out, and now that Isabel is safe, Elena refuses to leave because “it's [her] job to protect everyone!” Poor Gabe. Unfortunately, the fight doesn't go Elena's way.

Zuzo asks if she's ready to listen, and she says yes. He helps her see that her rushing around trying to prove herself had gone “not so well” and asks her to think about why the magical creatures had stolen the ships in the first place. Elena realizes her mistakes, “I was so busy trying to prove I could be a great queen, I forgot to act like one.” She may not be ready to rule, but she is ready to learn. After talking to the leader of the magical creatures she finds out they are just trying to get home, so she helps them.

That night at the coronation, Elena tells everyone, “Today I set out to prove that I was ready to be Queen of Avalor and I learned that I have a lot to learn before I become Queen.” She then appoints her Grand Council and vows “to protect and defend the Kingdom of Avalor as Crown Princess.”

Later in the first season, Elena attends a Royal Retreat that is made up of only Kings. After getting hazed by the arrogant King Hector, Elena has had enough when a problem arises. Breaking from the group, she declares, “I don't need to be one of the Kings, I am going to be Queen.”

Then in the season 3 episode Shooting Stars, we learn that while Elena has had significant doubts and not known what to do before, self-doubt is a new emotion for her.

Overall, the plot of the series revolves around Elena's journey as she experiences the challenges of ruling and being a ruler.

As we can see from these examples, Elena is loving, generous, honorable, and protective. As a natural leader she genuinely has a strong need to take care of and protect her people and kingdom as well as her personal loved ones. While she is never arrogant, she can sometimes be overconfident and impatient, with a need to do and help. Holding herself back and not immediately going into protective lioness mode and jumping into action is a significant struggle for her; especially when her emotions are involved or someone she loves is in danger. Another theme of the series is her learning to rely on others and take their advice. All of these traits make her a well rounded Leo character.

Elena doesn't have any direct Leo symbolism; however, she does wield the magical Scepter of Light. Also, the show premiered on July 22, 2016, the day before Leo season began; and the final episode aired August 23, 2020, the day after Leo season ended.

Moana

Practically all of Moana's lines illustrate her Leo personality, so I'm only going to go over her most defining Leo moments.

During Where You Are, Tala sings, “You are your father's daughter/Stubbornness and pride/Mind what he says but remember/You may hear a voice inside/And if the voice starts to whisper/To follow the farthest star/Moana, that voice inside is who you are.”

You can't get anymore Leo than this! Gramma Tala is encouraging Moana not to get trapped in the pitfalls of ego and listen to her inner self.

Because like any Leo, Moana has a strong sense of self. She has been drawn to the ocean her entire life. And yet, at the same time, she loves her family and people deeply. This dichotomy is her main inner conflict.

After Tui shows her the Chiefs' stone pile, Moana genuinely tries to forget the ocean; and we see that leadership doescome naturally to her. We also see that she's intelligent and thinks well on her feet. After watching her successfully solve another problem, Tui tells her, “This suits you.”

But then comes a problem that can't be easily fixed. There are no fish in the lagoon anymore.

Moana: “What if we fished beyond the reef?”

Tui: “No one goes beyond the reef.”

Moana: “I know. But if there are no fish in the lagoon -”

Tui: “Moana!”

Moana: “- and there's a whole ocean...”

Tui: “We have one rule.”

Moana: “An old rule, when there were fish.”

Tui: “A rule that keeps us safe!”

Moana: “But dad -”

Tui: “Instead of endangering our people so you can run right back to the water! Every time I think you're past this. No one goes beyond the reef!”

While Moana still feels her connection to the ocean, she only brought it up in an attempt to help their people.

In How Far I'll Go, she sings, “I wish I could be the perfect daughter/But I come back to the water, no matter how hard I try”

and: “I know everybody on this island has a role, on this island/So maybe I can roll with mine/I can lead with pride, I can make us strong/I'll be satisfied if I play along/But the voice inside sings a different song/What is wrong with me?”

Moana isn't worried about her leadership capabilities. She's despairing because no matter how well she does at it, it will not make her happy.

When Tala shows Moana the boats, and explains the story of their ancestors, she gives Moana a solution to her conflict:

Tala: “To protect our people, the ancient chiefs forbid voyaging. And now, we have forgotten who we are. And the darkness has continue to spread. Chasing away our fish, draining the life from island after island.” she shows Moana a dead area.

Moana: “Our island.”

Tala: “But one day, someone will journey beyond our reef, find Maui, deliver him across the great ocean to restore the heart of Te Fiti.” she gives Moana the heart. “I was there that day. The ocean chose you.” The ocean rises to look at Moana.

Moana: “I thought it was a dream.”

Tala: “Nope! Our ancestors believed Maui lies there at the bottom of his hook. Follow it and you will find him.”

Moana: “But... Why would it choose me? I don't even know how to make it past the reef.” she thinks of her dad. “But I know who does!”

During her subsequent fight with Tui, Moana declares, “You told me to help our people! This is how we can help our people.”

For the first time, both sides of Moana are in alignment. However, Tala's collapse interrupts the argument.

Gramma Tala: “Go.”

Moana: “Not now. I can't.”

Gramma Tala: “You must. The ocean chose you. Follow the fish hook.”

Moana: “Grandma.”

Gramma Tala: “And when you find Maui, you grab him by the ear. You say... I am Moana of Motunui. You will board my boat, sail across the sea, and restore the heart of Te Fiti.”

Moana: “I... I can't leave you.”

Gramma Tala: “There is nowhere you could go that I won't be with you. Go.”

Moana goes.

Moana's faith in her beloved grandmother is the main force driving her. She doesn't know why the ocean chose her, it's Tala's certainty that gives her her confidence in her mission. And by accepting it, she accepts herself: “Every turn I take, every trail I track/Is a choice I make, now I can't turn back/From the great unknown where I go alone/Where I long to be”

Moana has a temper, and she expresses it in the class Leo way: bossy and direct. When her boat gets wrecked, she stomps down to the ocean, shouting, “Um, what?! I said help me! And wrecking my boat?! Not helping!” she tries to kick the water but the ocean moves back and she falls. “Fish pee in you! All day! So!” she growls.

Then, while she has been extremely nervous about meeting Maui, his talking over her and patronizing manner quickly irritate her. She loses her temper when he says, “I know, not every day you get a chance to meet your hero.”

Moana instinctively reacts by smacking him in the stomach with her oar and grabbing his ear, declaring, “You are not my hero. And I'm not here so you can sign my oar! I'm here because you stole the heart of Te Fiti! And you will board my boat, sail across the sea, and put it back!”

Maui is stunned that she has the audacity to whap 'the great demigod,' but Moana doesn't care. During their journey she continually talks back to and defies him, not giving an inch, in their battle for dominance. The ocean helps her, and Maui eventually folds.

On a serious note, the weight of her responsibilities continue to weigh heavily on her. She has a nightmare about being helpless as her island and parents are destroyed, and later tells Maui, “You don't wanna talk? Don't talk. You wanna throw me off the boat? Throw me off. You wanna tell me I don't know what I'm doing? I know I don't. I have no idea why the ocean chose me. You're right. But... my island is dying. So I am here. It's just me and you. And I want to help. But I can't if you don't let me.”

Things come to a head between Moana and Maui when they face Te Ka and fail.

Maui: “I told you to turn back.” Moana: “I thought we could make it.” Maui: “We?” Moana: “I thought... I could make it.” she looks at his hook “We can fix it.” Maui: “It was made by the gods. You can't FIX it.” Moana: “Next time we'll be more careful. Te Ka was stuck on the barrier islands. It's lava. It can't go in the water. We can find a way around.” Maui: “I'm not going back.” Moana: “What – We still have to restore the heart.” Maui: “My hook is cracked. One more hit and it's over.” Moana: “Maui, you have to restore the heart!” Maui: “Without my hook, I am nothing.” Moana: “That's not true.” Maui: “WITHOUT MY HOOK, I AM NOTHING!” He drops the heart. Moana: “We are only here because you stole the heart in the first place.” Maui: “No, we're here because the ocean told you you're special and you believed it.” Moana: “I am Moana of Motunui. You will board my boat -” Maui: “Goodbye, Moana.” Moana: “Sail across the sea -” Maui: “I'm not killing myself so you can prove you're something you're not.” Moana: “- and restore the heart of Te Fiti! The ocean chose me!” Maui: “It chose wrong.” he leaves. Moana: “Maui!”

Moana was overconfident and didn't listen when Maui told her to retreat. Her actions were reckless. Sometimes being strong-willed and never backing down or giving up ends up causing significant problems for Leos, especially in relationships.

Maui knows exactly what to say to hurt Moana. He attacks her sense of self and her desire to save the world. These are core Leo traits.

Moana is left devastated. She has gotten this far out of faith in her grandmother, and has pushed away her insecurities and confusion over why the ocean chose her. Maui has destroyed her confidence and faith.

Moana gives the Heart back to the ocean and Tala's ghost appears.

Moana: “I tried, grandma. I... I couldn't do it.”

Tala: “It's not your fault. I never should have put so much on your shoulders. If you're ready to go home, I will be with you.”

Moana goes to put her oar in the water but stops at the last moment. She can't do it.

Tala: “Why do you hesitate?”

Moana: “I don't know.”

Tala is giving Moana an out, where she can walk away from responsibility and failure. But something inside Moana refuses to let her do it. Because if she did it, she wouldn't be herself anymore.

Tala: “I know a girl from an island She stands apart from the crowd She loves the sea and her people She makes her whole family proud Sometimes the world seems against you The journey may leave a scar But scars can heal and reveal just Where you are The people you love will change you The things you have learned will guide you And nothing on earth can silence The quiet voice still inside you And when that voice starts to whisper “Moana, you've come so far” Moana listen, do you know who you are?”

Once again, Tala is encouraging Moana to listen to her inner self.

Moana: “Who am I?

I am a girl who loves my island And the girl who loves the sea, it calls me I am the daughter of the village chief We are descended from voyagers Who found their way across the world They call me

I've delivered us to where we are I have journeyed farther” (the ghost chief nods in respect to her, touching his similar necklace) “I am everything I've learned and more Still it calls me

And the call isn't out there at all It's inside me It's like the tide Always falling and rising I will carry you here in my heart You remind me That come what may I know the way

I am Moana!”

She dives into the ocean and grabs the Heart.

Here is the climax of Moana's character arc. Instead of basing her confidence and sense of inner alignment on what her grandmother or Maui say, she looks inwards and finds her inner sense of wholeness and confidence. She accepts and embraces her entire self for the first time.

Moana fixes her boat. “I am Moana of Motunui. I'll board my boat. I will sail across the sea and restore the heart of Te Fiti.”

She makes the multiple days' journey back to Te Fiti by herself and makes it through the barrier reef because of her smart thinking. It's only then Maui returns, saying, “I've got your back, chosen one. Go save the world.”

After Moana realizes Te Ka is Te Fiti, she tells the ocean, “Let her come to me” and walks bravely and confidently to meet Te Fiti. This is her destiny, and she is certain of her actions.

Moana: “I have crossed the horizon to find you

I know your name

They have stolen the heart from inside you

But this does not define you

This is not who you are

You know who you are”

Moana gives the heart to Te Ka and she turns back into Te Fiti.

By embracing her whole self, she finished her journey of transformation into an incredible leader. This is shown by several moments, including when she and Maui part.

Moana: “You could come with us, you know. My people are going to need a master wayfinder.”

Maui: “They already have one.”

A tattoo of Moana on her boat appears right next to his heart. She starts crying and gives him a massive hug.

Once Moana returns home, she starts teaching her people everything there is to know about wayfinding. When they are about to leave for their first big journey, the ocean gives Moana a conch shell, just like it did when she was a baby. She puts the shell on the Chief's stone pile as her 'stone,' taking her place as a ruler of Motunui.

Moana doesn't have any direct Leo symbolism. However, she does have an incredibly symbolic connection to Tangled's Sundrop Flower. While Disney often puts easter eggs from other films in their animated works, none are as profound or prominent as the Sundrop Flower.

The Sundrop Flower appears twice in Moana. The first time is during How Far I'll Go. It's in a patch of flowers to the right of Moana as she runs down to the sea. The second time is near the end, and it's much more prominent.

As Moana returns to Motunui, the Sundrop Flower is the first plant on her island we see come back to life. This symbolizes both Moana's embracing of her whole self, and how her return brings light and life back to Motunui.

Conclusion

I'm so incredibly grateful that Disney has given us these four amazing Leo princesses. They are all unique people in their own right, yet at the same time they all embody the essence of the Leo sign. All four of their character arcs focus on their evolution into noble and wise Queens, and I'm inspired by them everyday.

Thank you for reading!

#Rapunzel #Anna #Elena #Moana #Tangled #Frozen #Elena of Avalor #Disney #Mine #Leo #Zodiac #Leo sign

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lovehaswonangelnumbers · 5 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/we-attract-our-truth/

We Attract Our Truth

By A Gift From Gaia

Sleep may have been a little sporadic or perhaps incredibly visual in dream state as the solar winds increased through the night and eventually hit storm levels.

We are now in a G1 solar storm which will be adding a touch of sparkle to our fields.

We attract our truth, not the truth as in what we think we are but the actual truth of the frequency held, easier to spot from an expanded awareness and the ability to observe self fully, but until then we learn through meeting ourselves in Mirrors, first we blame when active from unconscious states and eventually we rise to see nothing but symbolic messages in which we use to direct us into more expanded spaces, when this is achieved the ability to love, truly, unconditionally becomes so simple, nothing is ever personal, everything is an experience to continue the pattern of MORE wisdom, more open heartedness, more unity.

Mars has been influencing the week and today you may notice some swift changes as we move into a more nurturing energy, Jupiter conjunct Ceres takes us within to realise areas that require more love. This may present as the physical body or mind becoming loud, it’s only trying to get your attention so you learn to listen, research and give more to the voids within, changing patterns of behaviour to be more healthfilled, more attentive, to listen to your needs and place them before all else, it’s not about being selfish, it’s more about being self’ish, and we aren’t talking about the needs and attachments, the wants and the desires within your reality, no, that’s a focus we had when we were sound asleep, no, we mean the needs from the voice within, to act when it speaks, to rest when it asks, to eat the foods that the soul desires, to play, to dance, to dream and to share the gems we collect, because ultimately that is the only way to give, when you realise the light within, you become the gift of giving within your space as the amazingness held overspills for ALL to share, without exception.

So perhaps today, when you enter into a busy space, head for the middle, stand still, centre yourself, place your hand on your heart and feel your field expand beyond any limits you may once have had, expand further than you ever realised possible and know that every single person, no matter how blind or sleepy, are receiving your beacon of light, adding to the already powerful solar energies entering and assisting all the darkened areas to be seen, sharing opportunities of growth and expansion, because whilst we know in the beginning, when we were sleepy and blind these experiences seem painfilled but allow us to realise the suffering programs, the gift is the spectrum as the awakening takes us on a journey never to experience the old again and we surely rise away from those old magnetic attractors.

Empaths who are journeying through the mind find these spaces so hard to deal with, the reason is their field becomes like shrink wrap, they seek protection because they haven’t yet learned how to use their angel wings, they hide their angel wings and try and tuck them in pockets and folds, no, open those wings as far and as wide, spread that energy field as open as it can go, send love, pure love, connect with the collective field, it’s only the separation that hurts.

We are the light houses, and when our Sol sends light, we fill, we become reactors and we magnify the light within the physical world.

And as I said, today, with Jupiter and Ceres it becomes a joint effort as those aware begin to see the symbols play out in the reality and we naturally emanate the coded requests from within, but now you know, now I have brought this into your awareness you can now become MORE conscious, MORE aware and emanate MORE purposefully, but remember, the secret to the harmony, to avoid burnout and overwhelm is to listen first to the whispers within.

Jupiter is also square moon so this will highlight the subconscious drivers, the truth as to why you act, want, do, be etc

Moon is opposing Lilith, emotional distortions and guidance to highlight where the internal voice is ignored.

Collective unconscious will find this energy highlighting lack, attachments etc, as I said we are dominated by Mars and come the end of the week he hits the square with Saturn, so those requiring to see distortions will no doubt be getting “defragged” towards the end of the week as the efforts today may not be reciprocal, relationships and mirrors that are to be “spent” begin closure now for the new moon that follows.

Take this time to soften everything down, random acts of kindness, try doing it with self, not the retail therapy stuff, actual heart moments, take yourself on a walk and dream the most awe-inspiring dreams, fill them with commUNITY, of places and spaces where everyone cares and shares, where everyone is responsible. Perhaps feed your soul, with all feeds perfect for the God/dess within.

And watch how the dynamics of your reality shift, see distortions that “upset” the balance then require your response to quieten or remove.

It’s time to tend to our sacred fields and ensure the nourishment to the ground we sit on is PH perfect.

Please place a 💙 in the comments to keep the heartbeat of A Gift from Gaia alive in the body of Facebook.

All donations are going towards some private therapy for my son, Reese became disabled in October 2018, he was left undiagnosed and untreated for something that should have easily been treated and whilst we now have the diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis we are now facing the irreversible damage this may of caused. His consultant has said he requires a lot of hydrotherapy now, but the waiting list will take us into the new year and that is simply just too far away.

So we have to go private.

Reese is such a super young man, he turned 18 6 months after he got stuck, when I say stuck he can barely move from the waist down, which means I have to care for all of his needs and some of them in ways a young man doesn’t ideally want his Mum to do.

So if my posts resonate please may I ask for a small donation to assist get My Son Back Walking fund, asking for support has been my recent learning as I too was the forever giver out there.

Thank you 💙

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globalworship · 7 years ago

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A Paulist Prayer For Troubled Times + Litany for Owning Our Stories

Here are two prayers written in the last few days. The second one is already split into alternating lines for Leader and Congregation. It would be easy to do that for the first prayer as well.

A Prayer for Troubled Times

by Fr. Frank Desiderio, C.S.P., August 18, 2017 Composed the week of August 14, 2017

reposted from http://www.paulist.org/the-conversation/a-prayer-for-troubled-times/

+++

Jesus, on the cross you prayed My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? You cried to God, your consolation in your most troubled time. As the evildoers closed in You called on your God as hateful men gloated over you You sought strength from your God. You knew God was still with you weeping for you, holding you giving you the compassion to pray for those who persecuted you. We remember you on the cross we call out to you in your suffering You hear us when we cry out. You help when we call on you. Be with us now in our troubled times when there is terror on every side when people of hate insult and exclude when your people are fractured and afraid. Help us to move beyond our tribes to see clearly the unity of creation to open our hearts to the other to oppose those who segregate us. You healed the daughter of the desperate Canaanite woman, You included the Gentiles in your healing compassion. You invited her into the reign of God A house of prayer for all people. Inspire our hearts with a love that overcomes hate direct our actions In the way of compassion. We pray for our enemies for those who persecute us we pray for our own peace and to see a way forward. That someday we will stand hand in hand on common ground in a place that you call the Kingdom of God together living under the reign of God. Jesus, our brother in troubled times, Lord who rose from the dead, help us see the light of a new world.

Mother of the thorn-crowned King, pray for us.

St. Paul, whipped, scourged and shipwrecked on foreign shores, pray for us.

Amen.

+++

Paulist Fr. Frank Desiderio is first consultor, or chief advisor, to the president of the Paulist Fathers. He also is director of St. Mary’s of the Lake in Lake George, NY, and director of the Paulist Associates.

“The image above shows the crucifix at St. Austin Chuch, the parish we serve in Austin, TX.”

+++

My friend Fran Pratt writes her story about growing up in the Deep South, oblivious to much; and what has happened since she became aware; and closes with a prayer you can use for yourself, your family, your church, or your community. http://www.franpratt.com/litanies/2017/8/17/litany-for-owning-our-stories

Here is her responsive reading litany which follows her lengthy personal story in the link above:

God, we know that part of the reason we hoard things like money, power, and privilege Is because we think there isn’t enough to go around. We know that part of the reason we don’t love others Is because we don’t understand your love for us. We know that part of the reason we don’t own our darkness, Is because we are afraid of losing everything.

Open our eyes to the lies we have believed, The broken systems we unknowingly take part in. Open our eyes to sins of our culture, The oppressions happening among us. Open our eyes to our sisters and brothers Of other races, Of other faiths, Of other nationalities. For all the ways we’ve been complicit in oppressive systems We are sorry. For all the ways we’ve ignored our neighbors We are sorry. For all the ways we’ve disregarded the pain of entire communities, We are sorry. For all the ways we’ve glorified stories and symbols of evil, We are sorry. For all the ways we’ve let systemic oppression become a backdrop for daily life, We are sorry. Let us learn deeply Of the abundance of your riches Let us learn deeply Of the boundlessness of your love; So that we may live out a way, And embody a future, Full of justice, community, open-heartedness And self-sacrificing love, That reaches toward every human being, Every beloved soul you’ve created.

The story of white supremacy and patriarchy in the world, the story of darkness and evil Is not the enduring story. It’s the story of the love of God that captures every heart, That will be told in the end. Amen

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chocolate-brownies · 6 years ago

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Play with us at Wanderlust 108 London 2019!

Spring is a season of new beginnings. It’s a time of rebirth: Seeds sprout, flowers bloom, we begin again. We naturally sense an opportunity for a fresh start as we move out of the cold and dark of the winter into the bright, rejuvenating promise of spring. The season is a time for transition and moves fluidly, promoting kapha (moisture) and pitta (warmth) in our systems. The pace of spring tends to feel slower than summer or fall, and our bodies and mind will naturally begin to shed. We might crave lighter foods, feel a need to clean out our closets, start a cleanse, or embark on a retreat to hit the reset button.

It is also common for the spring season to be associated with colds, congestion, hay fever, and allergies. As we emerge from hibernation into the sunlight, we create water and fire in our system. Too much water combined with excess Earth (kapha) leaves us feeling heavy and full of toxins. Too much fire and we overheat, causing allergies flare up. Too much fire and water at the same time leaves our bodies taxed, inflamed, and congested (think sinus headache).

Spring is associate with our liver and gallbladder, which are ruled by pitta. These are our main organs for cleansing and processing toxins. Using Ayurvedic principles, we can learn how to flow with the changes of nature and create balance so we have a healthy glow year-round. Staying balanced in the spring can support our creativity, and motivation while increasing our ability to let go and flow.

Here are a few easy ways to infuse principles of Ayurveda into your life this season.

Embrace a Healthy Spring Diet

You might notice a natural but distinct shift in your craving as winter gives way to spring. The arrival of the warmer weather often marks a decline in desire for the heavy foods you craved during winter months. Your appetite may decrease and you may find yourself craving fruit, fresh vegetables, and salads. This is your body’s way of telling you that it’s time for some spring-cleaning. In fact, spring is a perfect time of year for a cleanse.

You can support your body’s natural desire to purify by favoring the pungent (apples, cranberries), bitter (dark leafy greens), and astringent (lemon) tastes and by eating warm, light foods that are relatively easy to digest. You can further support the process by drinking room-temperature, warm, or hot beverages. Drink tea made with cinnamon, black pepper, and ginger one hour after breakfast and lunch. This is beneficial to your digestive and circulatory systems and helps rid excess mucus. Eliminate foods that increase kapha, like dairy products, iced or cold drinks, and fried or oily food. Increase your intake of water and alkaline foods like green veggies, fruits, whole grains, olive oil and avocados.

Bitter veggies like arugula, mustard greens, and dandelion greens support the liver and gallbladder and help to cleanse the system.

Relax and Play!

Embrace the light-heartedness that springtime tends to bring about. Spring is a natural time to socialize and enjoy friends and loved ones, also a great time to fall in love. Hormones are usually high during this time of year and it’s not just the trees and flowers beginning to bloom! We, too, are budding from the inside and it’s actually recommended to slightly increase your sexual activity during this time. Embrace a sense of playfulness and adventure and give your wild side some outlets for expression. Try something new, wear bright colors, and be open to whatever shows up.

As winter recedes, try to rise early and take advantage of the longer, brighter days. Try to create a stimulating and inspiring morning routine for yourself, even if the routine is simple. Yoga, exercise, and pranayama are great for promoting clarity and lightness. Try stepping up the intensity of your yoga practice and exercise routine to clear out toxins and stimulate your metabolism. Pranayama is especially helpful to remove toxins stimulating clarity and lightness. If your nose is clogged from allergies, try using a neti-pot and a steam. Saunas are great for drying out excess moisture in the body and are excellent for removing inflammation too. Increase your water intake and stay hydrated.

Declutter and Simplify

When our bodies are clean, it is easier to clear out clutter in the mind. This is much easier to do when our home—our physical space—is uncluttered. Get new plants and increase the amount of fresh green things in your living space. Create space in your home and life. When we clear the space around us, we make space for the new.

Just as we create room in our physical space, it’s a good idea to create space in our schedules. Let the agenda go and slow down. Simplify your life by including those people and things that truly revitalize your body and soul. Spring is a time of renewal, so let yourself do nothing and soak up the quietness. Make the space for new ideas and inspiration to emerge.

Whatever changes you decide to make (even if they’re minor), commit to sticking with them. Successful transformation rarely happens with a quick fix or a brief burst of dedication. Look for small shifts each day.

Tune in to Nature

Beauty is everywhere in springtime—renewal is literally sprouting from the ground. The natural world is going through a rebirth, so be creative and forge a connection to this transformational process. Spend some time outside and notice the silence. Slow down to examine the buds and smell the roses. Allow spring to fill you up with inspiration, energy, and light.

Be steady with whatever shift you are inviting into your life and remember that deep change happens slowly. A sign that you are balanced in springtime is that you feel stable, grounded, and connected to the life that is happening around you!

—

Joan’s grounded teaching style creates space for students to deepen their personal journey while aligning with teachings of true yogic traditions. Joan frequently shares her insight on the subject of health and wellness in national magazines and blogs, including Elephant Journal, Mind Body & Green, Yoga Journal, ORIGIN Magazine and Women’s Health. She currently has a thriving career as a Wanderlust Senior Teacher (E-RYT500) and leads yoga retreats, workshops, and teacher trainings all over the world, while maintaining a full yoga class schedule in Los Angeles. joanhyman.com

The post Ayurvedic Wisdom for Spring appeared first on Wanderlust.

#sleep sounds #sleep music #white noise app #nature sounds #relaxing sounds #rain sounds for sleeping

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my-mystic-messenger · 8 years ago

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Can I request a high school AU (the RFA and everyone is in high school) with MC x Zen? Like them meeting in theatre class together and she's really shy and quiet around them but they both love acting and she's secretly really good at improv and comedy? Like how they get together and how the other members react and stuff. At this point Zen would have been on his own for a while now and he's probably in a gang. Sorry if this is too specific haha I just love your writing

So haha the last two days I spent re-watching Ouran High School Host Club so basically this is a mash-up of my experience in theatre club + Ouran High School Host Club + Mystic Messenger. What could possibly go wrong, am I right?! 」(￣▽￣」) Also, this blew way out of proportion, so I put it under a read more. I hope you enjoy that clusterfuck of fic as much as I enjoyed dreaming it up

Mentioned MC’s Masterlist

|| REQUEST ARE (ALWAYS) OPEN!! ||

Fandom: Mystic MessengerRating: GeneralWarnings: NoneCategories: F/MRelationships: MC x ZenWord count: 6060

Ouran Elite PrivateAcademy

a prestigious privateschool located in Seoul, Korea. The school is attended primarily bychildren of the rich and famous. Ouran Academy houses five differentdivisions: Kindergarten, Elementary School, Middle School, HighSchool and University. All four divisions are all located on the samecampus and students are free to move about.

Meet the students:

Jumin Han (19) - Freshmenin College (child of a business magnate)

Jihyun Kim (19) -Freshmen in College (child of a celebrity)

Madeleine Campbell (18) -12th grader in High School (child business magnate)

Mélodie Carpentier (18) -12th grader in High School (child of a celebrity)

Jaehee Kang (18) - 12thgrader in High School (honour student)

Hyun Ryu (17) - 11thgrader in High School (child of prominent family)

Macy Cain (16) - 10thgrader in High School (child of prominent family)

Saeyoung&Saeran Choi(15) 10th graders in High School (children of a politician)

Yoosung Kim (14) 8thgrader in Middle School (child of a politician)

Hyun Ryu had beenattending Ouran Academy since Kindergarten. Despite his family beingneither rich nor famous both his older brother and him had beenaccepted due to their parents’ scholar status and the fact that theywere Ouran Alumni. Hyun and his brother were labeled as children of a‘prominent family’, yet basically being nothing more than honourstudents. At first Hyun had enjoyed it. The school was prestigiousand fancy, the people were generally nice and with smaller classesstudying wasn’t half as bad as it would have been in any publicschool. Plus, he looked really good in the uniforms. However, asyears passed he began feeling less and less comfortable and happy.Especially once he’d realized that he most certainly did not aspireto be some business mogul or even a scholar like his parents.

He’donly dared to admit as much once he’d finally entered High School andwhile his parents didn’t transfer him away from Ouran – mainlybecause they still hoped the school would shape him and talk somesense into their son – he’d no longer been welcome at their home.Hyun had been forced to run away and somehow find his own way throughlife from that moment on. Despite having made good friends during hisyears at Ouran, Hyun refused all their help. He was annoyed at theprivilege he’d received so far as it was, set on making his way tothe top all by himself. Hyun gave up his former life and completelyreinvented himself as Zen. Zen who was charming and confident. Zenwho started the Ouran Theatre Club, open to all and everyone. Hewanted to perform, become the best at his profession and bewitchnations with his talent.

Sadly, ambition alone didnot pay rent and Zen learned that bitter lesson rather soon. Hungerstarted to drain him, constantly jumping between sleeping somewherein school or at friends’ places became inconvenient and borderlinemortifying. He needed money and he needed it soon. Sadly he was notquite at a place where he could earn enough money with his acting andZen had very little other talents that could have been of help. Thatwas until a man asked him about his bike, how well he rode and howconfident he was in his abilities. Zen had been confused at first –the man did look kind of sketchy – but when he mentioned big sumsof money he could win with nothing more than racing on his bike Zenhad been sold. Desperation overruled logic and before he knew Zen hadjoined a motorgang, riding for their lives, in the most literal ofsenses.

The days were spent inschool, his afternoons in the barely there theatre club he’d startedand by night he raced other people for money or got into fights withother clans. It wasn’t the perfect situation, but he got by and thatwas all that mattered. His body soon started to condition itself,healing at a rate that was almost inhumanly fast to make up for allthe damage he took during races or fights gone wrong. Barely a weekwent by without Zen doing some kind of damage to his body. It soonled to a bad-boy reputation to be build on his part, something hehadn’t quite played on but works with. The girls enjoy him in leatherjackets and tight jeans, riding to school on his bike and smokingbehind the building, so he accents such behaviour instead of hidingit in his desperate need for attention and affection. It is only atthe beginning of his 11th school year that things begin tochange.

♬

When the door to thetheatre club opened Zen froze, instantly jumping up from the tablehe’d been sitting on to look who it was. Despite his desperateattempts to put even a single play on stage he’d failed miserably sofar. No one at Ouran seemed to be interested in joining the theatreclub, too busy following their parents’ footsteps into commercialsuccess. Zen desperately wanted to judge them, but opposite to himthey seemed content with their fate. He’d almost given up hope on theclub, ready to dissolve it entirely, when suddenly a young girlentered, looking around the big room. “Hello”, she called, eyesscanning the entire room before landing on Zen. They widened withsurprise – something he’d gotten used to by now, with his strangelooks – before a bright smile and kindness replaced the initialsurprise, leaving Zen breathless.“Are you Hyun then”, sheasked, heavy American accent in her Korean. Still, at least she’dbothered to learn the language, something that Zen was more thanimpressed with. He stepped towards her, holding out his hand for herto shake. “I am. You’re a foreigner. Could it be that you are thetransfer student everyone has been talking about?” The girl nodded.“Yes, my name is Macy Cain. I came here to study dance in a DanceAcademy, but I still have to go to school, so here I am.” Shechuckled and Zen hadn’t heard such genuine sounds in a long time. “Isee. Sadly our school doesn’t have a dance club, I’m afraid”, hesaid and Macy nodded. “I know, I already asked around. That’salright though. They told me about the theatre club and Ifigured…well if we perform something like a musical, a danceperformance is a must and I could definitely help withthat.”Musical? Zen hadn’t even considered musicals. He wasquite the good singer and he did play the guitar, but without anyactors for even an ordinary play, how on earth was he supposed tothink about musicals. He rubbed the back of his head nervously,cheeks reddened. “I’m sorry to say, but the theatre club is ratherdead. I tried getting people to join, but some are afraid of me, someare not allowed to be associated with me and some are too busystaring and admiring me to even consider proper acting and disciplineand I detest half-heartedness, so the club never really came to be”,he explained, sighing when the thought really sunk in anddisappointment overwhelmed him. Macy hummed. “How unfortunate.Well, we’ll just have to gather some people then. See you tomorrowfor practice”, she announced, cheerful as ever, before leaving theroom and a baffled Zen behind.

♬

The next day Zen foundhimself surprisingly hopeful as he sat in the auditorium all byhimself. Every time he heard steps from the hall his heart skipped abeat, excitement flooding his body, only to be disappointed when thedoors didn’t open. About half an hour into ‘practice’ Zen was readyto throw the towel and leave when suddenly the doors opened and Macystepped in. Zen instantly jumped up, practically running towards her,happy to at least have her return. That is when he spotted threeother people walking and froze. “Trust Fund Kid?! What the fuck areyou doing here?!” Zen glared at the guy, hands balling into fists.Jumin merely gave him an uninterested glance. “I am here to jointhe theatre club, obviously.” Beside him another young manappeared, blue haired and much friendlier looking as well as ared-haired young woman.

“Did Macy talk you intothis? I don’t people like you to join my club”, he hissed back,reading to throw a fit. Jumin huffed. “No, she did not. Madeleinedid”, he replied, hand resting on the young woman’s lower back. Shelooked gentle, smiling up at the boy beside him which lead Zen tobelieve that she must have been his girlfriend. That possibly shockedhim more than Jumin’s willingness to join the club. Who on earth withever subject themselves to Jumin Han on a regular basis? “Not tomention that calling it 'your club’ is rather absurd considering thatup to this point it had no members and the only reason it has any nowis thanks to Madeleine and Macy.” Oh Zen definitely wanted to smashhis fucking face in. Then again, Jumin was right. Not only did theclub have any members now, it had enough to be considered legitimateto school standards. They could finally perform!

“How didyou do it”, Zen asked, this time talking to Macy, awe written allover his face. She chuckled. “Madeleine and I got to know eachother at orientation day. When I asked her about it she was delightedto join. She asked Jumin, who was a little reluctant at first, butonce Jihyun agreed to join if he did we roped both of them into it”,Macy explained, high-fiving the other girl. Ah, so Jumin Han wasn’tquite as independent and controlling as he liked to portray himselfto be, if his girlfriend could rope him into things like that. “Ididn’t know you could act”, Zen said, glaring at Jumin again butthis time with less heat. “I can’t. What ridiculous assumptions.I’ll manage the club, Jihyun will record the performances, Macy willdance, Madeleine is a mighty fine actress and you…I guess you’lllook pretty on the posters.” This time Zen had to be physicallyheld back from punching the asshole.

♬

“And who are you two”,he asked, looking down at the twins with confusion. “Saeyoung andSaeran. Macy is in our class”, they replied in union, alreadyirritating Zen. He closed his eyes o hide the fact that he wasrolling them so hard, any more and he wound have seen his own brain.He looked to Macy then, pleadingly. Was she serious? Macy grinned andshrugged. “They are really clever. Both of the skipped a grade,which is why they are so young”, she explained as if it helped thesituation. He already had Jumin Han to annoy him. Zen didn’t need toknow it alls on top of it. “We can memorise any script afterreading it once”, one of the brothers said, the one with theglasses. “Plus, we can act. So well some people can’t even tell weare acting”, the other one added, a somewhat mischievous glint tohis eyes. Zen shivered. “W-well…welcome to the theatre club, Iguess…”♬

“I could help V with thescenery”, Mélodie suggested on the clubs third meeting. Despitenot having chosen a play, everyone in the club was getting excitedand dividing up the work. They were only eight people at this point,but things were staring to look up. Frankly, one could do a lot morewith eight people than Zen had first assumed. “Okay so V andMélodie are taking care of the stage design, Zen and Macy will beworking on the music, Madeleine and I will work on the costumes andthe twins will take care of special effects and technology ingeneral. Now the real question is…should we write an originalscript and if so…who wants to do that?” That was when a quietvoice chirped up from the back of the auditorium, startling all themembers gathered on stage. “I could do that.” Madeleine andMélodie recognized the girl as their classmate Jaehee and so eightmembers became nine.

♬

“Isn’t he a littleyoung? Especially compared to the oldest members”, Zen whispered atMacy as they watched the new addition to their club – Yoosung Kim –be teased by the twins. “I mean…I guess, but he seems reallyeager? Frankly he seems to get along better with the older guys thanwith the twins who are closest to his age. Plus, he might be aninteresting addition”, she whispered back, shrugging. “Uh-huh?How so”, Zen asked, disbelieve audible in his voice. “I don’tknow, Zen, he’s cute. He could be our mascot or something like that.”Zen hummed, looking at the little blonde dude with huge doe eyes. Hedid have that whole shota-boy thing going for him and they didn’thave someone like that in their rounds yet. “I bet he can trickpeople into coming to our shows if we let him hand out the fliers andstuff”, she added and so the deal was sealed.

♬

“Okay everyone, we’llstart todays practice with an improv session. Maybe it will help uscome up with a possible plot for our play and yes, Jumin, you have toparticipate as well”, Zen announced into the round. Jumin huffedbut instantly relaxed when Madeleine pressed a kiss to his cheek.Whipped! They stood in a circle for a quick warm up before Zen askedinto the round who would like to begin. Suddenly the room wasoverwhelmed by a radio silence. How come the theatre club was full ofpeople who didn’t want to act?! “Macy, come join me, please. Youtoo, Yoosung. We’ll start with a simple family scene and see how itgoes from there.” While Yoosung actually seemed eager upon havingbeen picked, instantly climbing on stage to prove himself and hisworth, Macy was hesitant. Usually she was very confident andoutgoing, which is why he’d picked her to begin with.

“Zen, I’m not anactress. I came here to dance, mainly”, she said, not meeting hiseyes. Zen frowned, taking in her demeanour as he’d never seen herlike that. Macy never shied away from a challenge and Zen wouldn’tallow as much to to happen now. Holding out his hand for her to takehe smiled. “Don’t be scared. We’re all friends here so no one willjudge.” After quickly glancing around the room, met with a row offriendly smiles, Macy took Zen’s hand and climbed on stage to joinhim and Yoosung. Zen could tell that she was still nervous, but atleast she was trying and he appreciated that. Acting was completelydifferent from dancing and on top of that improv was especially hard.Without a script or more than a general idea to go by a lot of peoplestruggled with it, even professionals. Still, Zen believed in Macyand as it turned out he was right in doing so.

Whatever you threw at her,Macy had quick, witty comeback. During their short improv that day –mere five minutes at most – she managed to make even Jumin laugh.Not only that, but she turned out to be a great actress too. Hercomedic act could have easily turned out to be ridiculous andunprofessional, but Macy took her role serious, which probably madethe whole thing all the more hilarious to watch. Meanwhile Yoosungsuffered through the improv as it got increasingly hard for him notto crack up at Macy’s jokes as well, thereby breaking character. WhenZen called cut on the scene the rest of the group cheered andclapped, leaving Macy to blush and bow to them shyly. Zen could do nomore than stare at her, heart racing. It was only when the twinsdemanded to play a scene as well that he snapped out of it, shakinghis head to focus on practice.

♬

“I think we should meetafter school to take care of the music now that we finally have anactual script”, Macy suggested, two weeks after their first improvsession. Jaehee had done a great job at writing it. After watchingthe entire group do their improvs for a couple of days, Jaehee hadcatalogued all their strengths and weaknesses, incorporating theminto the characters and story she wrote. After sitting everyone downthey’d turned the story into a proper script a new motivation takingover the small club. Every day they met to practice their lines andblocking on stage and after practice most of them stayed behind totake care of their individual tasks as well. Zen was so happy to seeeveryone excited about their play as well as having such a devotedand loyal group of friends. Even Jumin took his role as manager ofthe club increasingly serious, silently pulling the strings oneverything.

“Sure, we can staybehind in the auditorium after practice to work on the music”, Zensuggested, grinning down at the blonde. Since the beginning of theirlittle club about a month ago he’d grown rather attached to her.Despite not being in the same class they spent a lot of timetogether, both at theatre club as well as the breaks in betweenclasses. She always sought him out during lunch time, sitting next tohim where others had kept their distance, while Zen always walked herhome after school. Well, he never walked her the entire distance,scared that someone from another gang would see and possibly attackthem. He did, however, watch her leave once they’d reached the cornerthey usually parted ways at, heart beating just a little fasterwhenever she turned around one last time to wave him goodbye.

“No, that won’t do. Therest of the club is always day making some kind of ruckus and wecan’t practice, let alone compose, under such conditions. Plus, I gethungry if we stay too long and then I get cranky and when I’m crankyI can’t work. I would suggest going to my place, but I live by myselfand my apartment is extremely tiny. Could we maybe meet at yours?”Zen knew that Macy had asked without mean intent, actually makingsome valid points, but the question hit home. He froze almostimmediately, expression falling from happy to something dark andempty instead. Macy stopped in her tracks when she noticed the suddenchange in mood, turning to look at her friend. It was obvious thatshe was worried, reaching out to him but hesitating. Her hand reachedout for his face but hung in the air until Zen moved into the touch,hand resting against his cheek as he closed his eyes.

It feltso warm against his cold skin, so much so that he had the need torest his hand above hers to keep it in place, burying himself in thegentle touch. “I don’t really have a home”, he admitted in awhisper like it was some kind of dirty secret, something to beashamed off. “What”, came a quiet gasp in reply. “Why?” Zenfinally opened his eyes, meeting Macy’s. He could see the tearsthreatening to roll down her cheeks gathering and hated himself formaking her worry like that. Still, he could not lie, not with her.Macy was probably the only person he could be fully himself with andmaybe Zen needed that from time to time. No acting. No falseconfidence. No playing cool or tough. Just…Zen. “My parents bothwent to Ouran Academy as honour students. They are scholars, elitesif you want. My brother followed their footsteps but when I announcedI wouldn’t -”

“They kicked you out?”Zen nodded. “At first I tried living with friends, but its rude tostay longer than a couple of days at a time and eventually, after acouple of months, I got tired of jumping between families. I was atan all time low, walking down the streets with my tiny suitcasedragging behind me when this dude came to me, asking about my bike.They offered me a place to stay and food, so I accepted to come withhim”, he explained, shrugging. He never had to explicitly mentionit, but Macy soon realized what her friend was trying to tell her.“You joined a biker gang?! Oh Zen, don’t tell me you’re racing!”Zen blushed, taking a step back and instantly missing the featherytouch against his cheek. “It’s not like I had a choice. It’s eitherride or die and I’d rather die trying than die curled up in someditch.”

Zen had expected a lot of reactions, but mostcertainly not the slap to the face he received. “Risking your lifefor something like that? I thought you were smarter than that, youidiot”, Macy snapped, tears now freely running down her cheeks,slender body shaking almost violently. “It’s not like I had achoice, Macy! I had no money and nowhere to go.” Had he not caughther hand, she probably would have slapped him another time. “Youcould have asked us”, she screamed. “Every day you meet with ninepeople who care for you and love you and yet you are too proud to askany of us for help!? Shame on you, Ryu.. Risking your valuable lifeon illegal races that could kill you faster than any starvationbecause you 'had no other choice’ is the dumbest excuse I’ve everheard. I’ll wake the rest of the way myself. Someone who can’t takecare of themselves should not be worrying about taking care of me.”

♬

Upon entering theauditorium the next morning Zen was met with his nine friends, alltalking in hushed voices that instantly stopped when they noticedhim. For a while they all silently stared at him and Zen had beenabout ready to turn around and leave when out of all people Juminstepped forward. Without a word he held out an envelop and Zen didn’thave to be a genius to know it was money. He could feel the angerrise inside of him and before he knew he was slapping the others handaway. “I don’t need your money, jerk! I’m not your little charitycase”, he snapped angrily. As per usual Jumin’s expression remainedcalm and stoic. It was Madeleine who seemed hurt and angry as shestepped forward to look at her boyfriends hand before picking up theenvelop that had fallen to the floor. “It’s not Jumin’s money, Zen,so please man up and just accept our help already.”

Zen instantly calmed uponfaced with such defeat in everyones eyes. He sighed, taking theenvelop and actually looking inside. He felt a little dizzy when herealized just how much money that was. “You don’t seriously want meto believe that this isn’t his. Who else has so much money on theirhands”, he asked, waving the thick bundle around. “OuranAcademy’s student body. We knew you wouldn’t accept our money, oranyones really, so we asked for tiny, tiny donations from everyone.Only so much that it wouldn’t be a bother to them. We didn’t tellthem what the donations were for, so they wouldn’t feel obliged tohelp. Ouran Academy is filled with rich people so some of thedonations might seem like a lot to you, but to them it’s not even asplit of their lunch money. They happily gave it up so please acceptthe money and rent a place”, Jaehee explained calmly with everyonenodding along.

Zen looked at the money, on the verge of tearsas he considered through how much trouble his friends must have gonethrough to ask all the students for money like that. He sighed. “I’mreally thankful for your guys’ hard work, but even if I accept this,I can’t rent a place. This might be enough to the first deposit andmaybe first months rent, but what should I do afterwards? I don’thave any other way to earn money but participating in those races.”That is when Jumin decided to speak up once more. “This is whereyou are wrong. You can earn money by acting. We decided to scrap theplay with had in favour of writing a new, much shorter one. That waywe can perform once a week instead of once a month or year. We caninvite people to our performances and do so in exchange for money.It’s neither charity nor are we forcing anyone and you will earnmoney without risking your life.”

Zen couldn’t believe hisears. They’d not only gathered enough for him to rent an apartment,but they were also coming up with a solution for him to pay rent andprovide for himself without having to race. That is when everyone gotout the scripts they’d been hiding behind their backs, presentingthem to Zen. Every member had written their own sketch. They wereshort and not all of the members were needed, which gave the othermembers more time to prepared for their own, creating a perpetuummobile performing and writing. “You’ll have to live a very modestlife and we won’t be able to do this for longer than a couple ofyears tops, but none of us have a shred of doubt in your abilities toprovide for yourself. You just needed some help to get up, but soonyou’ll be running on your own”, V added after some silence,everyone nodding along to his words.

Zen looked at everyone,trying his best to remain calm and keep his face when in reality hewanted to sing and cry with joy. Never in his life had he experiencedsuch unconditional love and he’d never imagined to find it in a placelike this, nor from the people he got it from. Considering thecircumstances he was all the more grateful. “Thank you”, he said,looking down at the money, holding it tight to his chest as he bowedto everyone, one by one. “Thank you so much for your help. If it’salright…I’d like to accept it.” Everyone clapped and cheered,pulling Zen into a group hug. Everyone but Macy, that is. She wasstill standing at the side, watching with an unreadable expression,arms crossed over her chest. It was when Zen swallowed nervously thateveryone took the hint, wished him good luck and scrambled out of theroom.

Faced alone with Macy Zen felt more nervous than he’dever felt before. It was usually him that seduced the women, madethem feel weak in the knees. Now he felt like a little child writingtheir first love letter to a secret crush. It was nerve wracking. Hewas about go gather up the courage to say something, anything at all,when Macy uncrossed her arms and held out a stack of papers. Zen wasconfused, to say the least. He’d prepared a million apologies thenight before after she’d quite literally slapped sense into him, butnow he was taken off guard. Was that script really that important?When Macy merely continued to hold it out for him, saying nothing,Zen figured it probably was and took the script hesitantly. Macyreached behind herself once more, picking up an identical stack andopening the first page, clearing her throat. “Read”, shecommanded and Zen did as he was told.Macy: This book…Weused to read these to each other. Why did you even buy it?

Zen: You know.

Macy: No, I don’t.

Zen: Yes, you do.

- Zen attempts to makea pass at Macy, but gets pushed away -

Macy: No, I don’t!

Zen: You know, I hate yoursquishy guts.

- woman grabs ontoman, holding him in a tight embrace -

Macy: I hate yoursquishy guts.

Zen: You know you love me.

- woman pulls back andstarts lightly hitting man with her fists -

Macy: I did love you. Iloved your squishy guts. You fucked it all up.

Zen: You fucked itall up.

Macy: Oh God! Why do Ilove you? It’s those eyes! Why do you have such pretty eyes? You’resuch a jerk! Why do you have to have those eyes? Why did you make mefall in love with you? I was supposed to be over it – falling inlove. And then there you were, with those eyes.

- Macy wants to getaway but Zen stops her -

Zen: We never evenfinished them all.

Macy: Ha! You know a lotabout not finishing something.

Zen: That again? It’snot like I’m not trying. Do you have any idea what it’s been likefor me? Trying to write something, something really good, when itjust isn’t coming?

Macy: Yea, well, you’renot the only one who’s not ‘coming.’

- Zen gets the pun,then stops for a moment. He changes his demeanour to that of aseducer -

Zen: Oh. Is that yourproblem? You need a little something? I think I can take care ofthat.

- Zen pulls Macy intoa passionate kiss - Once Zen had finished reading throughthe script he understood, smiling at the last line before looking up.He was met with a pair of half lidded blue eyes looking at him,paired with small smirk. He’d gotten the message loud and clear andnot just the good part of it. Zen put away the script, walkingtowards Macy to embrace her, holding her tight to his chest. Itwasn’t quite as seductive as the play made it out to be, but it waspassionate and sincere nevertheless. “You came up with all of it,didn’t you?” It was formulated like a question, but Zen knew theanswer without her having to tell him. Even if the others cared forhim, no one cared quite as much as her. “You saved me, you know?”Macy looked up at him then, smiling gently. “I know. I think youshould repay your hero”, she replied teasingly and once more Zenobeyed, pulling her in for the kiss they’d both waited for.

♬

“Excuse me, Hyun Ryu?”Zen turned around, surprised to be greeted by an unfamiliar, adultface. Usually only the student body came to their performances,rarely the teachers. The man in front of him was neither. “Please,call me Zen. It is the name I chose for myself”, he replied. Zentook the hand that was held out to him and shook it politely, smilingat the man. “How may I help you?” The man laughed, reaching intohis pocket and getting out a small card. “I think I might actuallybe able to help you. We’re still looking for a young lead for ourupcoming play and you are perfect for it. With your amazing looks youstick out and your talents hits the nail on the head. If you’reinterested that call that number. We can discuss the details in amore private setting.”

♬

“It’s about time toinvited us to your place, Zen”, Saeyoung said, looking around thesmall apartment curiously, twin always by his side. “Yeah, we’rethe reason you have it in the first place.” Zen huffed, shaking hishead but smiling nevertheless. All his friends were gathered at theplace he was allowed to call his own home. A couple of months hadpassed since he’d moved in and if Zen was completely honest withhimself, he could have lived with never inviting the bunch of themover at all. Seeing so many filthy rich people gathered in such amodest place, probably silently judging, made him nervous. “He wasprobably enjoying his little den of love with Macy”, Mélodiereplied with a chuckle, making herself comfortable in V’s lap. Zenhad no idea when that particular relationship had happened, but aslong as they were happy, he supposed he was happy too.“Please,don’t make such crude remarks, Mélodie. It is bad enough to thinkthat they are probably true, let alone be reminded of the fact thatZen and Macy are living a immoral life style”, Jumin repliedsternly, holding onto Madeleine like someone was about to snatch heraway. “Oh please, like you’re the one to talk. You’re drooling overyour girlfriend”, Zen replied, rolling his eyes. “Fiancée.Madeleine is my fiancée soon to be wife and if you must know, we arewaiting until after marriage for such intimate acts to be shared,thank you very much.” Zen huffed, shaking his head. “Stop callingher your fiancée. It’s creepy. You’re just nineteen years old”, hesaid. “Huh, I didn’t know love had some sort of age stamp on it”,Jumin replied easily. Madeleine snickered at his stupid come-back andJumin lovingly pressed a kiss to her temple, effectively making Zenwant to throw up.

“Hearing you talk aboutlove…it gives me the chills. Are you really sure about marryinghim, Maddy? You could still find someone better”, Zen said instead,looking at his friend with concern and pity in his eyes. The redheadmerely chuckled, shaking her head at the two boys. “As sure as youare about Macy.” Well, that certainly put things into perspective.Zen looked across the room to where Macy was talking and laughingwith the twins and Yoosung, cheerful and happy as ever. He couldn’thelp but smile just looking at her. “I’m really happy for the twoof you, by the way. We all are”, Madeleine said as she noticed theothers glance. Zen turned his head to look at her, beaming from earto ear as he thanked her for her kind words. Had it not been for thenever ending support of his friend, Zen would have never dared topursue Macy. Thankfully, he’d been nudged in the rightdirection.

“Anyway, why are we gathered here today? Don’ttell me you’re proposing to Macy”, Mélodie said, instantly causingboth Zen and Macy to blush and choke on air. “What? No! I won’tpropose to anyone until I’m finally an established man, ready toprovide for myself and my future wife. Until then, I’m afraid, Macywill have to wait.” The blush in Macy’s cheeks only deepened andshe quickly looked away to hide it. Zen couldn’t have found her moreadorable if he tried. “We’re gathered here today, because I have avery happy and not marriage related announcement to make. After ourlast performance I was approached by a producer. He was amazed withmy talent and offered me a role in his upcoming play. It’s only asmall production, but I will be playing the lead and hopefully itwill open some more doors for me.”

Everyone cheered,gathering for a big group hug. In the short time all of them hadworked together on the theatre club they’d grown together as afamily, really. There wasn’t a day they didn’t see each other or atleast chat in their little chat room the twins had provided.Naturally those were the people that Zen wanted to tell about hissuccess first. “Without all of you none of this would have beenpossible. I have a job, I have a steady home, a girlfriend I love andfriends who are by my side. Even Jumin is here”, Zen said, earninga couple of laughs while Jumin looked unimpressed. Zen grinned. Therewould not be a day that he’d miss a chance to jab at the other. “Butmost of all, I have to thank you, Macy. Without you…I would haveended up dead sooner or later. Thank you for believing in me. Pleasewait a little longer for me so I can make a name for myself, becomethe man you deserve. Will you wait for me?” Macy nodded, stealing aquick kiss that left Zen flushed and everyone else in loud cheers.“Forever.”

The little script part is not mine. You can find it here

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hieromonkcharbel · 5 years ago

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The tragedy of our times lies in our almost complete unawareness, or unmindfulness, that there are two kingdoms, the temporal and the eternal. We would build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, rejecting all idea of resurrection or eternity. Resurrection is a myth. God is dead.

Let us go back to Biblical revelation, to the creation of Adam and Eve and the problem of original sin. ‘God is light, and in him is no darkness at all’ (I John I.5). The commandment given to the first-called in Paradise indicates this and at the same time conveys that, although Adam possessed absolute freedom of choice, to choose to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would entail a break with God as the sole source of life. By opting for knowledge of evil-in other words, by existentially associating with evil, by savouring evil-Adam inevitably broke with God, Who can in no way be joined with evil (cf. 2 Cor. 6.I4-I5). In breaking with God, Adam dies. ‘In the day that thou eatest thereof,’ thus parting company with me, rejecting my love, my word, my will, ‘thou shalt surely die’ (Gen. 2.17). Exactly how Adam ‘tasted’ the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is not important. His sin was to doubt God, to seek to determine his own life independently of God, even apart from Him, after the pattern of Lucifer. Herein lies the essence of Adam’s sin-it was a movement towards self-divinisation. Adam could naturally wish for deification-he had been created after the likeness of God-but he sinned in seeking this divinisation not through unity with God but through rupture. The serpent beguiled Eve, the helpmeet God had made for Adam, by suggesting that God was introducing a prohibition which wonld restrict their freedom to seek divine plenitude of knowledge-that God was unwilling for them to ‘be as gods knowing good and evil’ (Gen. 3.5).

I first met with the notion of tragedy, not in life but in literature. The seeds of tragedy, it seemed to me in my youth, are sown when a man finds himself wholly captivated by some ideal. To attain this ideal he is ready to risk any sacrifice, any suffering, even life itself. But if he happens to achieve the object of his striving, it proves to be an impudent chimera: the reality does not correspond to what he had in mind. This sad discovery leads to profound despair, a wounded spirit, a monstrous death.

Different people have different ideals. There is the ambition for power, as with Boris Godounov. In pursuit of his aim he did not stop at bloodshed. Successful, he found that he had not got what he expected. ‘I have reached the height of power but my soul knows no happiness.’ Though the concerns oft he spirit prompt a nobler quest, the genius in the realm of science or the arts sooner or later realises his inability to consummate his initial vision. Again, the logical denouement is death.

The fate of the world troubled me profoundly. Human life at whatever stage was unavoidably interlinked with suffering. Even love was full of contradictions and bitter crises. The seal of destruction lay everywhere. I was still a young man when the tragedy of historical events far outdid anything that I had read in books. (I refer to the outbreak of the First World War, soon to be followed by the Revolution in Russia.) My youthful hopes and dreams collapsed. But at the same time a new vision of the world and its meaning opened before me. Side by side with devastation I contemplated rebirth. I saw that there was no tragedy in God. Tragedy is to be found solely in the fortunes of the man whose gaze has not gone beyond the confines of this earth. Christ Himself by no means typifies tragedy. Nor are His all-cosmic sufferings of a tragic nature. And the Christian who has received the gift of the love of Christ, for all his awareness that it is not yet complete, escapes the nightmare of all-consuming death. Christ’s love, during the whole time that He abode with us here, was acute suffering. ‘O faithless and perverse generation,’ He cried. ‘How long shall I suffer you?’ (Matt. 17.17). He wept for Lazarus and his sisters (if. John 11.35). He grieved over the hardheartedness of the Jews who slew the prophets (if. Matt. 23.37). In Gethsemane his soul was ‘exceeding sorrowful, even unto death’ and ‘his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground’ (Matt. 26.38; Luke 22.44). He lived the tragedy of all mankind; but in Himself there was no tragedy. This is obvious from the words He spoke to His disciples perhaps only a short while before His redemptive prayer for all mankind in the Garden: ‘My peace I give unto you’ (John 14.27). And a little further on: ‘I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world’ (John 16.32,33). This is how it is with the Christian: for all his deep compassion, his tears and prayers for the world, there is none of the despair that destroys. Aware of the breath of the Holy Spirit, he is assured of the inevitable victory of Light. The love of Christ, even in the most acute stress of suffering (which I would call the ‘hell of loving’), because it is eternal is free of passion. Until we achieve supreme freedom from the passions on this earth suffering and pity may wear out the body but it will only be the body that dies. ‘Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul’ (Matt. 10.28).

We may say that even today mankind as a whole has not grown up to Christianity and continues to drag out an almost brutish existence. In refusing to accept Christ as Eternal Man and, more importantly, as True God and our Saviour-whatever the form the refusal takes, and whatever the pretext-we lose the light of life eternal. ‘Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world’ (John 17.24). There, in the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, must our mind dwell. We must hunger and thirst to enter into this wondrous Kingdom. Then we shall overcome in ourselves the sin of refusing the Father’s love as revealed to us through the Son (if. John 8.24).

When we choose Christ we are carried beyond time and space, beyond the reach of what is termed ‘tragedy’. The moment the Holy Spirit grants us to know the hypostatic form of prayer we can begin to break the fetters that shackle us. Emerging from the prison cell of selfish individualism into the wide expanse of life in the image of Christ, we perceive the nature of the personalism of the Gospel. Let us pause for a moment to examine the difference between these two theological concepts: the individual and the persona. It is a recognised fact that the ego is the weapon in the struggle for existence of the individual who refuses Christ’s call to open our hearts to total, universal love. The persona, by contrast, is inconceivable without all-embracing love either in the Divine Being or in the human being. Prolonged and far from easy ascetic effort can open our eyes to the love that Christ taught, and we can apprehend the whole world through ourselves, through our own sufferings and searchings. We become like a world-wide radio receiver and can identify ourselves with the tragic element, not only in the lives of individual people but of the world at large, and we pray for the world as for our own selves. In this kind of prayer the spirit beholds the depths of evil, the sombre result of having eaten of the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’. But it is not only evil that we see–we make contact, too, with Absolute Good, with God, Who translates our prayer into a vision of Uncreated Light. The soul may then forget the world for whom she was praying, and cease to be aware of the body. The prayer of divine love becomes our very being, our body.

The soul may return to this world. But the spirit of man, having experienced his resurrection and come near existentially to eternity, is even further persuaded that tragedy and death are the consequence of sin and that there is no other way to salvation than through Christ.

From the book: Archimandrite Sophrony, His Life is mine, London 1977, p. 37-40.

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mystlnewsonline · 7 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://www.stl.news/versace-launches-milan-fashion-week-fresh-from-hollywood-win/66974/

Versace launches Milan Fashion Week fresh from Hollywood win

MILAN/January 13, 2018(AP)(STL.News)— A triumphant outing at the Golden Globes primed Donatella Versace to help launch Milan Fashion Week menswear previews on Saturday.

Versace dressed three women for last Sunday’s awards show: Angelina Jolie, Saoirse Ronan, winner for best actress in a comedy, and star of the evening Oprah Winfrey, who wore a shape-hugging number to deliver her celebrated lifetime achievement award speech.

Versace has been riding a wave of appreciation since her September tribute show to her slain brother, fashion house founder Gianni Versace, reunited supermodels from the 1990s while highlighting some of the new generation’s top talent.

“It is appreciation for Gianni, but maybe also a little for me,” she said backstage before her show in Milan. Here are some highlights from the first day of Milan Fashion Week, which also included fall-winter menswear shows by Emporio Armani, newcomer Isabel Benenato, Marni and Dolce & Gabbana:

____ DOLCE & GABBANA’S KING OF ANGELS It was a bling call at Dolce & Gabbana.

The designing duo of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana constructed a Baroque Sicilian church façade as the background for their “King of Angels” collection. The show opened with a tableau of young stars in formalwear, including elaborately embroidered military-style jackets and floral suits, walking beneath a pair of cherubs.

The colorful knitwear looked inspired by church ceilings, and angelic visages also graced motorcycle jackets. Dolce & Gabbana, as usual, offered a range of looks, from formal suits to suits layered with furry jackets. And they employed light-heartedness and humor with heart-shaped backpacks, as well as one that looked like a golden puppet peeking over the wearer’s shoulder.

The designers also emblazoned slogans such as “Time of Change” and “Love is Love” across beanies and waistbands. Nothing on the runway made the slogans’ meanings explicit, although both could be interpreted as calls for new attitudes.

Colombian singer Maluma closed out the show in a glittering silver suit to match his stage presence.

____ EMPORIO ARMANI’S Arching zippers, tufts of fur and smooth velvet gave zest to Emporio Armani’s youthful tailoring for next winter and fall.

While silhouettes mostly were relaxed, the palette was dark, albeit geared toward the fun end of deep with black, navy and slate giving way to mauve, other blues and shades tinged with purple.

Floral patterns and hypnotic repeating graphics complemented the flowing silhouette of open jackets and easy trousers. Swirls of color also burst forth on alpaca knitwear in soothing blues and icy greens.

Designer Giorgio Armani has forsworn using real animal fur in all his lines, winning praise from animal rights activists. The fur accents on the boots and detachable dyed collars therefore were surely faux. A series of furry black coats were rendered from curly-haired sheepskin, according to the press release, and there were only pony-effect goatskin jackets.

Zippers were deployed with frivolity across knitwear, inviting the playful to detach, or along sleeves, giving a cape-like feel when opened. Trousers were tapered, most elaborately so with a button cuff. Pants were mostly relaxed for daytime leisure and evening events, but tight for the sleek business suits worn tieless.

Velvet worked for day or evening, as casual wear in bomber jackets or elegant suits. Gloves were the accessories of the choice, but the 83-year-old Armani is not abiding the smartphone-driven trend of returning to the fingerless gloves of the 1980s. All of the designer’s gloves were perfectly winter-proof.

____ NO FUR Animal rights activists made their presence known during Milan Fashion Week, with several dozen attempting to block access to the Marni preview.

The show went on, running late as the fashion world is wont with or without protests. One fur-wearing fashionista endured a shower of verbal abuse as he ducked into the show at the last minute, but no violence was reported.

Animal rights activists have claimed victories recently, with Armani and Gucci being among the latest to commit to not using animal furs in future collections. Brands like Marni, which was born out of a family fur business, have a tougher line to tread.

Still, the runway show by Francesco Risso, in his second year, included only one obvious animal skin reference, and that was a shearling coat.

By Associated Press, published on STL.NEWS by St. Louis Media, LLC (TM)

#Hollywood win #Milan Fashion Week #Versace #Zippers

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atticusblog2016-blog · 8 years ago

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New Post has been published on Atticusblog

New Post has been published on https://atticusblog.com/the-search-for-life-on-mars-is-about-to-get-weird/

The Search for Life on Mars Is about to Get Weird

MESA, Arizona—Since the dawn of the gap age NASA and other groups have spent billions of dollars to reconnoiter Mars—assailing it with spacecraft flybys, photograph-snapping orbiters and landers nose-diving onto its surface. The odds are proper, many scientists say, for the Red Planet being an extraterrestrial deal with for alien life—appropriate enough to sustain a long time’ well worth of touchdown very pricey robots to ping it with radar, zap it with lasers, trundle throughout its terrain and scoop up its dust. Yet against all odds (and researchers’ hopes for a watershed discovery), Mars stays a poker-confronted global that holds its cards tight. No convincing signs and symptoms of lifestyles have emerged. But astrobiologists hold to, pretty literally, chip away at locating the fact. As the quest will become greater heated (some might say more desperate), scientists are interesting an ever-growing variety of viable explanations for Martian biology as a no-display. For instance, may want to there be a “cowl up” wherein the tough Martian surroundings by some means obliterates all biosignatures—all symptoms of beyond or present life? Or possibly existence there may be in order that alien its biosignatures are without a doubt unrecognizable to us, hidden in the simple view. Of route, the perplexing quest to discover existence on Mars might also have an easy solution: It’s no longer there, and never become. But as the complaints of this yr’s Astrobiology Science Conference held here in April made clean, life-seeking scientists aren’t giving up but. Instead, they may be getting greater creative, featuring new techniques and technologies to form the subsequent era of Mars exploration. A SLUMBERING BIOSPHERE?

Talk approximately searching out Martians and you necessarily communicate about water, the almost-magical liquid that sustains all existence on Earth and appears to have served as a vital kick-starter for biology in our planet’s private beyond. “It all commenced out with ‘comply with the water;’ now not necessarily ‘observe the life’…however ‘follow one of the fundamental requirements for dwelling systems,’” says Arizona State University geologist Jack Farmer, regarding NASA’s oft-repeated mantra for Martian exploration. “There are many symptoms of water on Mars inside the beyond, possibly reservoirs of water in the close to subsurface as well,” he says. “But what’s the great of that water? Is it certainly salty—too salty for lifestyles?”

Without liquid water, Farmer factors out, one could naively suppose organisms can’t function.

The truth can be extra complex: on Earth, some resilient organisms inclusive of tardigrades can enter a profound, nearly indefinite state of hibernation while deprived of moisture, maintaining their desiccated tissues, however, neither growing nor reproducing. It is feasible, Farmer says, that Martian microbes may want to spend most of their time as inert spores “waiting for something suitable to take place,” most effective springing to life given the right and very rare conditions. Certain kinds of Earthly “extremophiles”—microbes that stay at extremes of temperature, pressure, salinity and so forth—exhibit comparable conduct.

No-Cost People Locater – Avoid Hidden Fees

Does a no fee humans locate exist? My solution is sure and no. Just the other day I shared approximately 3 kinds of humans seek fingers you could find and yes I did say there is the totally unfastened service but I also highlighted that even then you have to give up something – that can come to be costing you i.E. You email cope with and person name.

It isn’t always the sort of awful idea to offer your email and consumer name particularly in case you need to be alerted approximately the person’s whereabouts afterward but I can absolutely recognize in case you are seeking out an truly no fee human beings locator.

So how can you get preserve of one? You can’t, however, you could use multiple resources so that it will not cost you something.

First of you could use a search engine like Google and Yahoo, which give a human beings finder function that you can get right of entry to without charge to you. This way you can simply look for someone as you’ll look for any information. The only difference right here is that the consequences can be a listing of feasible names or contact details of folks that will be the one you’re searching out.Uncensored web search engine.

You also can use social networking websites to scan via a million profiles

Websites like Myspace and Facebook offer you unfastened get admission to thousands and thousands of people positioned all over the global. In just a click on of a mouse, you could find lengthy lost pals, loved ones, and classmates. You may need to personal an account with those services before you get admission to their database. It’s loose and smooth to open one.

Work/Life Balance – Is There Really Such a Thing?

Everyone talks about “Work/Life Balance” – however, the query is – “is there actually this type of thing?”.

In cutting-edge international everybody is so busy it is difficult to locate sufficient time in your family and all of their sports, a whole lot much less yourself.

Then we throw in the fact of today’s global – where everyone is attached all of the time and us by no means get any “down time”. Facebook, Twitter, electronic mail, messaging… And the rest of the internet maintains interrupting us 24/7.

Be honest – our cell telephones are in no way out of our hand. We constantly test it. It maintains interrupting our lifestyles. And we allow it! We could be lost without it!

Or could we?

What did human beings ever do earlier than mobile phones and the net?

They talked to each other in character. They shared their lifestyles with humans they truly knew – now not strangers they meet online. Strangers, or acquaintances they name “friends”.

Social media is everywhere. We are inundated with it. It might have its location – however so does out a circle of relatives and our buddies.

Throw in our jobs – which in many cases – because of cellular telephones – keeps us “working” 24/7. We are never ways out of the reach of our jobs and our bosses. We constantly solution work associated questions even once we come domestic. There is in no way any “down” time. Our “circle of relatives time” is continuously being interrupted with the aid of outdoor forces.

Blame it on Mars

There are two sides for deficiency of sex; bodily and mind. When both of them or someone of them, it causes a disease within the mind with recognizing to sex. This disease may be resulting from Mars who is not well posted in a horoscope. It may not be to the extent of causing impotency. The mind and the frame both that are otherwise required to perform little useful works, waste time in too many material things consisting of appears, limbs and coloration. A person is attracted to the other intercourse of both too young or too vintage. The coloration, frame parts along with feet, limbs, lower back, breasts, face or something for that rely upon turns into appealing along with an awkward body.

There is not any discretion in getting attracted

He starts day-dreaming that lady in his bed. That a person is without difficulty provocative with the aid of slightest distractions. Mars is the reason for such disorder. Mars holds the important thing to sexual power. First Mars creates the sexual urge in someone. Then he separates the individual that is a reason for such enchantment. If separation isn’t there, at least He creates unwell-harmony. Mars is masculine. Venus is feminine. Just as Sun and Moon shape king-queen installation, Mars and Venus do it. A man or woman wishes Love.Since it’s miles positive. Because if one is happy in Love, that character concentrates on Work; Next on achievements.

When Mars and Venus are properly-posited in a horoscope, the Coitus is whole

That is the finest delight in lifestyles. When the Coitus is incomplete, the urge to get it increases. This urge due to dis-pride in Love, provide rise to distractions instead of awareness. Frigidity, Premature-ejaculation, Even Sadism which might be the causes of intellectual contamination are the results of such incompleteness. Love, Work & Achievement in one’s lifestyles cross collectively. Reich’s development of the Freud’s Libido Theory holds proper. This is again the process of the success of Sat, Chit, and Ananda ( bliss ). A suitable behavior produces a healthful mind; A healthy thought creates Pleasure (Ananda). For all this the advantages of Mars and Venus are necessary.

Adhyaya II, Verse 3 of Phaladeepika of Mantreshwara,[ Translated by S.S.Sareen ] reads like this : Mars is the Karaka of mental and physical power, all that grows in the Earth, nicely-being of the brothers and sisters, cruelty, conflict area, courage, enmity, kitchen hearth, gold, kindred, guns, thieves, enemies, zest, adultery, falsehood, manliness, big-heartedness, wickedness, wound and harm, and army command.

Huge NASA announcement

In a Horoscope, whilst the Mars is sick-posited, which includes dust hang, Kendra, on the grounds that he is a herbal malefic, or aspected by means of Rahu, Ketu, and Saturn, and/or Mars respecting those certainly malefic planets, theft, damage, wound, enmity, adultery, wickedness, mental and physical weak point, and so forth., display their presence predominantly within the lifestyles of that individual. Mars being Karaka of intercourse, adultery and mental weak point, the character is continually reverberating with the feeling of sex dreaming. There isn’t any purpose and rationality in falling to the opposite sex. One traditional instance of Yashodhara Charity, the queen there falls for a servant who turned into a horse-purifier.

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