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1moremilgram-enjoyer · 1 year ago

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MeMe and Control over One's Own Destiny

Alright I've been holding off on talking about Mikoto until Double releases, but I saw he was on a train and my brain went Silly. Don't you understand how crazy the symbolism is?! (<- Mentally unwell)

So now I have to talk about how MeMe handles the concept of destiny and the control the alters have on the system's future, because it's honestly so interesting to me.

CW Murder

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert on DID, feel free to correct me if I get anything wrong

The first big connection between MeMe and the idea of destiny is obviously the recurring theme of tarot cards. These are used for divination, meaning the practice of trying to learn about the future through supernatural means. In other words, they're deeply tied to the concept of destiny, of future events that will come to affect us, and the ways we may influence it. What's important to take away here is that, regardless of whether or not you believe in it, reading tarot cards is a way for people to try to understand their future so they can take try to take control of it.

Once you make this little connection, a lot of the imagery in MeMe starts to get interesting. To give you an example, one of the opening shots is of a bunch of tarot cards all scattered in water.

So, their future is scattered, it's uncertain, it's messy, etc. You get the idea, I don't think I need to elaborate on why Mikoto's life is a bit of a mess.

However, I think there are two scenes which are particularly interesting in this regard. When Aokoto (host) draws a blank card in the first chorus, and when he gathers the cards in the deck at the start of the third chorus.

So first, we can be sure this is Aokoto because the lyrics not only use 'boku', but also express confusion at the situation, which only really fits the host.

Why am I [boku] here? It must be a mistake? Take a good look at me [boku], until you find me The truth will come to reveal itself I won't forgive you if this is happening to me even though I'm right

Why am I [boku] here? It must be a mistake? Take a good look at me [boku], until you find me

(Note: If there is no clarification on which pronoun is used when I put lyrics here, it's because the Japanese doesn't actually use any pronouns)

What's happening here? As stated, the tarot cards are a representation of destiny and their future. By drawing a tarot card, Aokoto is trying to understand his situation and destiny better. And by stacking the deck up neatly, he's trying to take control of his destiny, of his future. The desire to be free and be able to control his life is a very important part of Aokoto's character:

(T1) Q14: What will you be doing in 10 years? M (Ao): I'd like to work independently and make my own design company. That way I'm free to do what I want.

(T1) Q8: What are your reasons for wanting to work for your current job? M (Ao): I work at an advertising company that's at the top of the business world, you know? Just being able to get to that position is something to be proud of. I worked really hard to get hired there, too.

Aokoto places high value on the work he's done, because that shows how committed he is to having control over his life and his job.

(T1) Q12: How do you get to work? M (Ao): I ride a road bike. It's a hobby of mine, and it's good to exercise too. I don't need to worry about missing the train, but that can either be a good or bad thing.

I've seen this answer interpreted a few different ways, but personally I believe what Aokoto's implying is that the freedom of not having to rely on the train is both good and bad. Essentially, he doesn't have to stress about missing it, but there's also no guarantee that he'll get to work in time without the reliability of the train. However, he still prefers the bike, because it gives him more freedom.

... Foreshadowing is a narrative device-

There's also the matter of the tarot spreads which appear in that "blank card" scene. There are two distinct ones:

Now, the whole mess is too complicated to get into here (and I actually am holding off from analysis until we get extra context from Double for that reason), but I believe one of these spreads belongs to Aokoto, and the other belongs to Midokoto (Secret Third gatekeeper alter). Which is which doesn't matter, because the card I want to focus on is the card in the "Hopes and Fears" position (EXTREMELY long story), which is I - The Magician (upright) in both of them. The Magician represents (among a fuckton of other things because tarot cards are frustratingly ambiguous by design) power, potential, basically the ability to achieve your goals. Thus, in the "Hopes and Fears" position, it would mean Aokoto wants to be able to control his life and fulfill his potential, and is afraid he might not be able to.

There is also the "Present" or "Self" card being the reversed XII - The Hanged Man. The Hanged Man upright represents (among other things) patience, the hope that as long as everything continues the same, things will turn out okay. Thus, reversed, it could be read as implying the querent is trying their best to change their situation, but are failing at it.

And this is where we get to the second part of the scenes I pointed out before. Because when Aokoto draws a card by itself, it's a blank card. In other words, no matter how much he wants to, Aokoto doesn't have full control of his future. I mean, obviously, right? He himself can't control his destiny when the other alters are also doing pretty impactful stuff. Depending on what theories you subscribe to, he may have ended up in Milgram without even murdering anyone, which is what I believe.

The same can be seen when he tries to put the deck back together. You might notice the deck there is actually thinner than the other time we see it.

He tries to "fix" or "arrange" his future, but he's "playing with half a deck", he's only half in control of his future. In this metaphor, the other alter(s) would have the rest of the deck, would control the rest of the system's destiny. Does that make sense?

Which gets us to the other alter who does tarot reading.

Notice the red mannequin there? The way 0 - The Fool's pouch of food is now a skull? And you can see this alter, heavily implied to be Orekoto, reads a Celtic cross spread with the Fool in the "querent" or "present" position.

Thus, The Fool represents Orekoto, and he too desires control over their future. That's why he's reading the spread, the same way Aokoto previously tried to draw a card to check his future. And I think it's pretty safe to say Orekoto must have killed or attacked at least one person, which is his way of trying to secure a better future for the system. Protector alter and all that.

[Timelines] Mikoto (Ao): Can you hear me talking like this? If you can hear me, then answer me. Why are you doing such horrible things? Hey. It's your fault things have become like this. ……Answer me!! Mikoto (Ore): Ah, ahhh!! Because, I did it for my/your (Boku's) sake…! Because I/you (Boku-ga) would break apart!!

(Translation by Maristelina)

Plus all the other reasons to believe that.

That spread is a bit odd for many reasons, but one thing we can pretty much be sure of is Orekoto's "Hopes and Fears" are represented by VII - The Chariot.

The Chariot (among other things) represents strength of will and control, basically think of it as a more forceful version of The Magician. Thus, Orekoto also hopes he can take control of their life, though he does it through force, and he fears he might be getting too forceful.

If I could laugh, if I could go back I'd play dead even though I'm alive right? If I could end, if I could stop How long would this dream go on?

Assuming it is Orekoto singing here (no pronouns so), it seems he doesn't want to kill, but sees himself cornered, like he has to kill. If he could stop, he'd "go back and play dead even while alive", he wouldn't kill anymore. But when he feels "boku will fall apart", he tries to save him through any means he can, which is likely murder. The exact reasons are as of yet unknown (someone stalking them, stress, could be a lot of things), but that's the idea.

However, you tarot enthusiast might notice a few interesting differences between this Chariot card and the actual Chariot card. This is important, because the meaning of these cards comes from the images, so when the image differs (apart from stylistic choices obvs), the meaning differs with it.

First important difference: the real Chariot has lions, MeMe's Chariot has bikes. This again relates bikes to the idea of freedom and one's own will.

Foreshadowing is-

Second; MeMe's Chariot has the protagonist swinging around a mace, which the real Chariot just has a wand. I frankly don't think this means anything other than MeMe's Chariot explicitly references murder rather than other, non-physical forms of strength and force.

Third, an important part of the real Chariot is that the man doesn't hold a leash on the lions, he controls them through force of will, apparently. Meanwhile, the mannequin in MeMe's version does hold chains to control the bikes, which again I believe simply implies a more forceful and direct version of the meaning. Orekoto doesn't trust his destiny to guide the system in the right direction as long as they're strong enough, he feels he needs to have more direct control.

And finally, the lions in the real Chariot are fine, but in MeMe's version, one of the bikes is fucking exploding.

So what the hell is up with that? Well, let's keep in mind what I said before. Aokoto also wants control of his life. So I believe in a way these bikes represent Aokoto and Orekoto's actions. One of them Orekoto has direct control over (he controls his own actions, after all), while the other is getting hurt by Orekoto's control. Orekoto may want nothing more than to protect the system, but the way he does it is harmful to Aokoto and destroys the control he wants to have over their life. I mean, it landed them in Milgram (according to some interpretations), and it's not like Aokoto likes the murder.

(T1) Q6: Tell us what you hate. M (Ao): Staying up all night working / reptiles / violence

[Double Preview] Hey now, I [ore] saved you right? So why in the hell are you crying?

(I will use the preview as evidence, watch me)

Temporary CW for abusive relationships and rape (Mono Poisoner)

This idea of "love" that hurts the other is also implied by Mono Poisoner, their Trial 1 cover. Though to be clear, Orekoto is not anywhere near as awful as the protagonist of Mono Poisoner, since he isn't intentionally hurting the rest of the system, and obviously isn't actually abusing the other alter(s).

“She belongs completely, entirely to me!” Kissing, sleeping together, everything beyond that too No one can hope to cut this connection between us

After brandishing that poisonous desire to monopolize and having erased YOU completely, It seems like it can be easily embraced, the entirety of that heart “YOU best not get carried away!”

Taking out the really violent and abusive elements out, this does vaguely fit the idea I'm trying to get across.

Temporary CW over

Anyways, the point is that Orekoto wants control over their life, but is accidentally harming Aokoto by taking away his agency.

There is more symbolism of this ‘drive to control destiny’ in the moon which consistently appears throughout MeMe.

As you can see, it’s in the first quarter phase. This is halfway between the New Moon which represents the beginning of a journey and the Full Moon which represents the end or rebirth, and because of that, it can represent a difficult time where decisions must be made, a point where strength of will is necessary. This again fits both of Aokoto and Orekoto, since they’re both making important decisions for their future. Hence also why the moon is half and half, the future is being decided half by Aokoto, half by Orekoto.

Alternatively, you could read it as only Orekoto making decisions, with the other 'half' being "left in the dark" because Aokoto doesn't know what Ore's doing. That would explain why the moon only shows up in relation to Orekoto in the internal world and the murder scenes.

Heavy speculation incoming (more than before anyways)

But hold on a second. I said before the upright Hanged Man, the card on Mikoto's shirt through most of MeMe, is about patience and not doing anything to change their situation. This is somewhat contradictory to The Fool, which is all about new opportunities and taking new risks (long story), and is obviously contradictory to the reversed Hanged Man because that's how tarot cards work. Because of that, and everything else I've been saying, it feels like the upright Hanged Man doesn't really fit either Aokoto or Orekoto.

Which is why it's so convenient we have a third (plot-relevant, there may be more) alter who does want their life to continue as is, isn't it?

The minus energy that I swallowed Hugged me [boku] Maybe it's okay to try to keep on living Split in half, Make that heart beat

This scene is very clearly connected to the aftermath of a murder, and shows an alter that has accepted the "negative (minus) energy" of violence. However, the use of 'boku' rules out Orekoto as the singer. Thus, we have ourselves our favorite Secret Third Alter, Midokoto. And Midokoto says, filling in the blanks, that ‘maybe it’s okay to keep living [like this]’, as long as they ‘split in half’ to ‘make that heart beat.’

Before we continue, I have to address that yes, I believe Midokoto is represented by the upright Hanged Man, even though he’s the only alter who’s never seen wearing the shirt. Either his back is turned, he’s shirtless, or straight up has a completely different shirt. However, I actually think this makes perfect sense.

It’s widely accepted that if Midokoto exists, he’s likely a gatekeeper alter who co-fronts most of the time, meaning he’s still aware of everything that’s happening even while he isn’t controlling the body (<- simplified version, read more if you’re interested [alter roles] [co-fronting]). Therefore, he’s a constant in Mikoto’s life, and it makes sense for him to always be present in some way as long as any alter is on screen. He’s on the shirt when the other two are there, so when the shirt isn’t there, it’s because the ‘upright Hanged Man’ is the one controlling the body. Does that make sense?

I should note, Mikoto’s version of The Hanged Man includes a bunch of eyes on the background.

Which fits the idea of Midokoto overseeing everything in the others’ lives, and for the inverse in Aokoto’s case could also be interpreted as societal pressure, long story.

Yes, Midokoto's celtic cross spread has the reversed Hanged Man in the middle of The Wheel, but let’s just say that means ‘present’ rather than ‘querent.’ Yes, there’s a Fool portrait in the background of that one scene, I swear there’s an explanation but it’s too long to get into here.

Point is, he’s the one who wants their life to continue as is, and thus the one who fits the idea of ‘patience’ that The Hanged Man (upright) embodies.

But make no mistake. He still has The Magician as his “Hopes and Fears” in the spread which represents him, meaning he does yearn for some control and fears not having the means to achieve it.

However, I believe the type of control he’s looking for is different from the other two. See, while Aokoto wants freedom and control over his life in a more conventional way (good job, free movement, independence), and Orekoto wants control in a ‘no one will stop “I/you” from achieving what “I/you” want’ kinda way (aka safety), Midokoto wants control over the system, not the rest of their life. He wants to keep Aokoto and Orekoto ‘split in half’ because that’s how they can both live as they please, it ‘makes their heart beat.’

That’s why the moon that represents decision-making is split in half. That’s why there’s only two bikes in The Chariot card. That’s why Midokoto never bothers to read a single tarot card. Because the ones deciding where their life moves are Aokoto and Orekoto, all Midokoto does is keep things running smoothly. Though of course, this is all just my interpretation.

In fact, you can even tell based on what we believe each alter to do. Aokoto does the day-to-day work, making sure he has the opportunity to achieve his dream of working independently in the future. Orekoto deals with threats until the system as a whole is safe, which includes throwing away evidence so they don't get arrested. He does a dogshit job at it, yeah, but he's trying.

However, once they get into the apartment, when the external threats have been dealt with, the one who bathes to make sure Aokoto doesn't learn of Orekoto's actions, the one who keeps their lives metaphorically 'split in half', is Midokoto.

Heavy speculation kinda over

So, where were we? I said this was inspired by the Double thumbnail, didn’t I? Well, yes, even if I have very little to say about it in relation to this post. You could say I kinda, uh, went off the rails a bit (<- I am immensely unfunny)

As I said, he’s on a train. And with all the stuff I mentioned before about how bikes are associated with freedom for him and stuff, it makes the imagery of being stuck on a train with the victims (I assume that’s what the mannequins represent, I’ve seen other interpretations) a lot more interesting.

Think about it. When you get on a train, you made the decision to enter it, but you don’t have control over where it goes. And that’s what’s happening here: the alter on screen is in for the ride, and he feels there’s nothing he can do to alter the course. It’s like a railroad.

Aokoto didn’t get on this train. Obviously the scene is metaphorical (otherwise who left their mannequins in the goddamn public train), but we know Aokoto doesn’t use the train. However, he’s on it now, alongside Orekoto who is probably the one fronting here? I assume, given the red light in the background. In my mind it would make sense for the thumbnails to be Aokoto T1 -> Orekoto T2 -> Midokoto T3, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

What I’m trying to convey is the symbolism of the system being stuck in a set path, a set destiny, caused by a decision not made by Aokoto. And if Orekoto is really the one fronting or being represented here, he’s miserable because of the path his actions have landed him on.

If I could break it, if I could change Can I do it, I wonder from when I started to give up

He’s ‘given up’ because he’s accepted he’s ‘on the train’, his path is already set and he can’t change it (“if I could change”). Yes, give me that Orekoto angst!

Anyways, please keep in mind this is all my interpretation of the symbolism and all of this is extremely subjective, especially with how confusing Mikoto's entire story is. I hope you forgive my brainrot at seeing a guy take a train. Take care!

#milgram #milgram theory #mikoto kayano #meme mv #do i tag the alters?#why not #aokoto #orekoto #midokoto

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rocksanddeadflowers · 8 months ago

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I have some thoughts because I love this!!! Firstly Gaston Marius is perfect I can definitely see it. (Also short Marius for the win he's a short and completely hopeless romantic-fuckboy to ME.) I think at the end there's less dramatic death (less being either none or not permanent/fatal) and more him coming around ghibli antagonist style. Like "Welp my antagonist stuff didn't work out but y'all have a great thing going so I won't push anymore. But um. Can I maybe stick around?" Bonus treat for Marius if one so wished: Lyf is included in the servants in the castle (maybe with some dramatic backstory on how they got there) and Marius's attention from our resident Belle does a complete 180 onto Lyf. Shenanigans and romance!

Onto the meat of the story. Jonny as the beast!!! Perfect!!! (I feel like Beast may have had some kinda rich boy royalty syndrome to kick off his narrative which I don't see Jonny having but that's irrelevant.) the anger issues? The self-centeredness? Creature Jonny??? Also also after the antagonist analogy I'm seeing Howl's Moving Castle tidbits mix in. Like when Jonny is eventually saved from the Beast thing it's less movie "No more psychically being a monster!!" And it's truly just "He's a better person because when he fell in love he had to become a better person as to protect and not harm.". ("He just has slightly less hair than before" hilarious brilliant love it. He pouts and wants it to grow back but understands it's symbolic for the narrative flow .....)

Also I'm completely bias for Two of Hearts and that narrative foil feels perfect for the Beauty and The Beast plot that I cannot deny it. (Metaphorically and possibly physically) Jonny being heartless and Brian being nothing but heart? I'm. A heart is a heavy burden. One Brian bears much and one Jonny thinks he abandoned long ago. Also Belle's father being an "inventor". ... I do think we can keep metal Brian in that scenario. Somehow. Also I think Belle being named that way and referred to as "Beauty" is bc of the term Southern Belle meaning "A Beauty" in a Southern way. Which is mostly irrelevant except that I adore Southern Jonny.

One more tidbit! There is the whole thing with the roses that grow around the "abandoned" castle (I've forgotten much of the original/older versions of Beauty and The Beast but I think it's either Belle's father picks one to take home to her as a gift and pisses off the Beast in doing so OR we skip straight to Belle trying to take one to cure her father of a aliment, again pissing off the Beast) which feels important because of Brian's little rose in his hat. That's it. I just will never stop thinking about Brian and his roses......

I keep trying to figure out which mechs should be which servants and I can't pin any down for certain. I do think it'd be hilarious that, if you did want Lyf to be a servant, Cogsworth feels like the best choice of the main cast. I just think all the mechs causing chaos and trying to get Brian and Jonny together while Lyf is the only one who actually seemed worried about things and sticking to the rules. That doesn't last obviously but they make a solid attempt. Of course for an AU like this it's easy enough to just make up entirely new categories, like not assigning Disney movie characters to each Mech and instead making up their own versions.

I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast aus......

Beauty and the Beast, but it's the Mechanisms.

Jonny must be the beast because feral Jonny and the whole heart thing... prove me wrong.

Tim or Brian is Belle.

Rest of the Mechs are the servants in the Beast's house. With an exception for Marius as Gaston cause I can totally fucking see it. He would suck at it though because it's Marius. And also, short Marius HC.

This is probably not new. But it's been brewing in my head for a good few months, ever since I put my Mechs OC in the iconic Belle dress.

#also gonna go listen to nevermore again later #that song goes HARD best part of the live action remake #the mechanisms

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custom-emojis · 2 years ago

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hiii sorry it's angel again (✨). cel is taking a break because she feels bad so i'm fronting for a while. she's asleep in her room, no worries there.

we genuinely didn't mean to cause any harm and we feel so bad about all of this,,,, your blog comes across as really open and sincere so we felt safe asking for you specifically to make that. we associate the c*nf*derate flag with our dead grandfather and his side of the family at large,,,, and that's why it's so important to us and our identity. i didn't realize the (tw) sc*nec*re thing was an issue either and again i genuinely apologize for that- if there's anything we can do to make it up to you please let us know, we mean this from the bottom of our heart when we say all 483 of us take full responsibility for our actions. we only wanted a safe space and meant no harm but I understand if you're still upset.

i also wanted to mention that kitby was not a misspelling or related to anything bad!!! we're kitbygender!!! it's an identification with pink, cats, glitter, and lots of luv n happiness!!! all good things!!

we're not a troll and only wanted to request something for our private discord that made us happy. i'm sorry it was upsetting,,, to everyone involved. the other alters may drop by to apologize on our behalf as well, i know ochako and jimmy u (don't ask his source lol sorry,,,, he's a introject from a band and it might make things worse) feel really bad.

we'll most likely be taking a break from tumblr after all this to recollect and think about ourselves,,, and we hope you're well

✨- angel

I dont even know how to unpack all this. so im going to say this as gently as possible.

if you are white and your family is white then your grandpa was probably racist if toting around that flag

your possibly racist grandpa isnt a good reason to ask people to draw hate symbols

We try to make this a safe place. Drawing a confederate flag would likely make my blog feel UNSAFE to my black followers.

please don’t feel the need to come repeatedly apologize to me. i am a white Canadian, i am not personally victimized by this flag so all the apologies from you and others feel… odd?. ill extend your apology to all my followers who witnessed this instead.

i cannot believe this is something id ever need to say but im not touching a discussion like this again bc i really feel like none of this is my place ???

thank you for the clarification about Kitby though. i had no clue what that. means and we were all grasping for straws. im glad to hear that wasnt as bad as i thought but like. at the end of the day the confederate flag is still racist from everything ive been told and im still taking no part in this. i think you should reflect on why you associate racist symbols with your family and maybe try and uh… think of some better things to remember them.

#Racism

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tomatograter · 3 years ago

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Do you think Dirk saying that he doesn't like to label himself as gay means he has internalized homophobia? Or does he really just don't like to put labels on himself? I've seen ppl saying it's homophobia but there's ppl in real life that don't feel comfortable with labels so I'm a bit confused honestly, cus we are talking about Dirk and he's... Dirk after all

Easy answer: Dirk is Gay.

Prolonged answer: I think it's kinda weird how some fandom discussion around "Dirk dodging the label in One pesterlog" has largely spiraled way outside of its original context to be talked about in a vacuum, especially when that context is crucial to understanding what is actually being said, AKA — it belongs to a deeply awkward conversation between Dirk and Roxy. One of Many they are implied to have had about the subject of Roxy's sustained, unwelcome, and oft drunken advances towards Dirk (& his splinters).

I'm going to reproduce it plus another bit of text down below, for the sake of comparison.

(To prevent the trickster text from looking like absolute shit, I have altered the background. Read the original here, if you're nasty: https://www.homestuck.com/story/5754 )

Now that we've been reacquainted with how and where that sentiment is expressed, let's try to break down what Dirk is doing here.

He is not receptive to Roxy's early advances, and spends most of the 'intro' for this conversation (not pictured) ignoring when Roxy flirts with him, until she gets upset at how 'boring' he is being right now.

Dirk is the one compelled to apologize.

He proceeds to shut the scenario down as an unwanted probability, eliciting further guilt-babbling from Roxy over how Dirk never wants to play along with the perfect traditional family fantasy, until she finally blows up and says it's because he's gay.

"I mean, yeah, that's what I thought."

Dirk, rather than saying I Am Not Gay, since he looooooves changing a conversational subject, claims that "Gay" is not entirely historically appropriate for this situation, given the non-negligible passage of time and the wildly dystopic circumstances* they find themselves in.

Dirk reassures Roxy he does still care about her.

Dirk is absolutely terrified of a similarly inclined (and intoxicated) Roxy up close. This is the most exclamations he's ever used.

Now, *These circumstances? The loss of 99% of the human race, including their society, customs, culture, and prejudices. (ALLEGEDLY.) It's important to remember that from Dirk and Roxy's side of the timetable, troll culture has been pushed as "the norm" for actual fucking centuries. HIC tried to recreate the caste system by artificially coloring human blood, leading to the death of billions. Faygo came out of the water tap, not water. Troll slang was incorporated into the English language. Humans ceased to organically reproduce. They were actively Discouraged from reproducing, since that's not something HIC could have total genetic control over; rendering traditional marriage and the concept of the nuclear family pointless.

You could also argue that same-gender relationships are not uncommon in Alternia, making "gay" altogether unnecessary by proxy, and that's true! But my point is this one: any union (or at least our society's holy concept of it) between straightie humans would be by definition undesirable under HIC's rule, too. She is the church, the president and the governing body. The population is only as good as they are assets for her to do whatever she wants with, including mass murder.

But wait! While that tracks… Roxy clearly still holds onto very 'conservative' definitions of romance for most of Homestuck. We see this multiple times. Dirk, as proved in conversations with Jake, uses 'gay' as an ironic pejorative. Suddenly it's not Historically Inaccurate anymore, Jake's interests are just gay.

Does this mean the context above is basically worthless, since they don't seem to have internalized it? No.

What must be kept in mind is this: Dirk and Roxy's only "active" link to de facto humanity is our society as it was in the early 2010's. Those glimpses they get by talking with jane and jake. They have all that dystopic context, yes, but the reality that seems the most "unfucked" to them for a grand majority of their lives are the halcyon years before the Condesce's rise to power: back when weed was illegal, BlogSpot was popular, movies sucked, MTV was still a hip channel, and gay generally meant something real bad. The wave of homophobia as a punchline or fear mongering tactic was at THE HEIGHTS. Marriage equality was a hot debate topic. Those were the dayz.

Dirk is keenly aware of the taboo implication the word "Gay" as a self-denomination carries. He's no dummy. But he's rarely direct with his intentions either. He's slippery as a bar of soap. (He's never "straight about his feelings", if you prefer.) And for a guy that cares so much about his reputation and maintaining a curated sense of utter coolness, he wants to avoid outing himself as any sort of weirdo no matter the cost.

But that's not all. I think the gravity of just how much Dirk believes he *owes* Roxy simply for existing as the last human in the same timeframe as her is a severely underplayed aspect of Dirk's core character, together with how much he tries to avoid her sexual advances only to end up feeling like absolute shit over it, because — if they truly are the last people on god's blighted earth, isn't he being "selfish" and "irrational" about not feeling shit for Roxy, in the grand scale of things? Is Roxy not his only friend in tangible reality, even if he avoids the mere suggestion of visiting her? Even if she gets black-out drunk and tries to push him into indulging her, regardless of how many times he's already said no?

(Spend enough time here and you realize how it directly mirrors the jane/jake experience.)

Dirk cares a lot about each and every one of his friends.

He pointedly adapts his speech based on whichever one of them he's talking to in an effort to express that investment. May it be reassuring Jane, fooling around with Jake, or trying to prevent Roxy from falling into a total catatonic doom-spiral; he avoids telling them anything that would be too crushing to hear. That's not what he's trying to do here. Not to say that he isn't bitchy sometimes, but that’s far from the central thing he does. The Epilogues have retroactively led people to believe that Dirk abhors and despises every single person he's ever been close to before (god forbid) LIKING them, and I think buying too much into that assumption ignores the foundations of his canon text, as well as the central motivation behind 99% of his actions in the story. This is the guy that grew up on Friendship Is Magic, has a picture of rainbow dash shamefully glued to one wall and a rainbow poster of Jake's symbol stapled to another, and everything he does is a little cringe attempt to demonstrate his worth by showing how much he cares about people, even when he's punching his actual feelings down instead of up and saying them.

Which brings us back to the load-bearing part of this question: Admitting to Roxy that there is absolutely no fucking way he will ever agree to having her babbys because he is gay is precisely the opposite of what Dirk wants to say, if his intention isn't pulverizing her. So he doesn't. And his worry on this regard is such that it prevents Dirk from even telling Roxy that he does love her, in the platonic sense, as a friend and hell-earth survivor, because he knows that specificity is what that would disappoint her greatly. (He only ever confesses this to Jane, on the death slabs.)

But also I think this is a really funny visual of Dirk's relationship with the word gay, to put statements into perspective:

#homestuck #meta #dirk strider #roxy lalonde #dirkroxy #long post #janejake

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enamouredfae · 4 years ago

Text

♡ Pick a Card ♡

Advice from your Spirit Guides!

This reading is for entertainment purposes only.

This is a timeless reading for the collective, therefore it is likely that some messages will not resonate with you. Please only take the messages that do! The messages that do not, are meant for somebody else. Remember that the future is never set in stone and that you possess free will! Love you! ♡

Pile 1

Charm: Shell

You may see shells as signs from the universe. You may have Venusian placements. You have a tough exterior, but once you finally open up to people you are a hidden gem! You are a person that values privacy.

Flower: Carnation

The meaning of carnation changes depending on its colour, since this one is a stripped purple carnation, it symbolizes rejection/refusal and capriciousness. It being a dry bud, for me at least, symbolizes that this is a small issue that isn't likely to grow! You might've been refused a caprice recently, or you may have too high expectations that are likely not going to be fulfilled.

Significator: Page of Cups

Self-sufficient is the word I thought of when I saw this card. I think that at the moment you are really starting to work through your emotions, you might be finally doing some introspection, journaling, talking to people, seeing a therapist, etc. You are beginning a journey of emotional growth. You might also be receiving a message soon, be aware of any symbols that matter to you or ask the universe for certain symbols for guidance.

Astro: Virgo and Capricorn

There is a high chance that you have Virgo or Capricorn placements. You may be earth dominant. You may be Mercury/Saturn dominant/ruled. This could also apply to the person you need advice on if that is the case.

I thought of soil when I saw these cards, not a plant, but very well-nourished soil. It seems like you are making a foundation for yourself that is not rooted in anyone else, it simply comes from you. You are the soil, the water, the nutrients, and your future self is the plant. Flower crowns may be significant to you as well, or you may find great healing by connecting with nature and connecting to nature's cycles.

What you need advice on:

VI of Wands and X of Pentacles (reversed)

There are a few possibilities I see here. You may be having a hard time getting your accomplishments noticed by others, you might not receive the praise you desire or feel you deserve. Another possibility is that you may have a hard time feeling successful due to your financial situation. You may have received a large sum of money that should make you happy, but it doesn't. You may be very well off financially, but it is causing some hardships, and others might not understand these hardships because they think that they'd be very happy in your position.

Advice:

King of Pentacles and XVIII. The Moon

I feel like at least one of you should monetize your intuition. Some of you have or will meet a person (very likely an earth placement), that is either a business partner or a lover/friend, that will somehow help you with your financial issue. They might recommend you to someone for example. Perhaps if you confide in the King of Pentacles, they'll help you immensely, they're someone you can rely on, if not financially, emotionally. Others should embody the King of Pentacles, be determined, stick to a routine. For others, someone could be hiding smth from you that would help you immensely with this issue. Listen to your intuition! Do not forget that your anxieties and fears are valid, and it is normal to be feeling like this! Your worth is not defined by your financial success!

38. Willow and 5. Cerato and Honeysuckle

Willow talks about self-responsibility: make a plan, stick to it and, most importantly, try to stop complaining. You have the strength to get through this, complaining just engrains it in your head that you have a problem making it harder to get out of that mindset, instead try working on the solution. Cerato talks about the fact that no matter how many people you ask, no matter how many books you read, your gut knows best! Trust yourself and your intuition. Whatever feels right, is! Just know that domestic happiness is very important right now, cherish whoever that may be (King of Pentacles perhaps), be it your cat or even yourself if you live alone, give and accept affection! This could be a message for a specific person but I feel called to note that as I was shuffling the oracles I started singing "Runaway" by Aurora. Perhaps the lyrics are meaningful to one of you, or it can reassure you that this pile is meant for you if this is your favorite song.

Pile 2

Charm: Cactus

You may see cacti as signs from the universe or have a very strong emotional attachment to them due to a certain memory. I feel like a lot of people are attracted to you, but they feel that you will reject or hurt them if they get too close. Or you consciously or subconsciously hurt people when they get too close. You might think you don't deserve love, which is NOT TRUE. Love isn't something that has to be deserved! But if it were, you most certainly deserve it!

Flower: Freesia

Yellow freesias symbolize joy, renewal, and friendship. It is the go-to flower to convey to someone that you trust them. You are incredibly trustworthy, someone to whom your loved ones come for advice. You are a great listener, are very delicate and tactful in your interactions with others.

Significator: IX. The Hermit

You are doing a lot of self-reflection right now, sometimes the pondering even turns into daydreams. You may also be connecting with and thinking about your spiritual/religious beliefs. You are looking to understand the light that illuminates your path. You may have started meditating, or you should start! Spiritual awakening is happening or coming soon! You could be isolating yourself at the moment as well.

Astro: Jupiter and Libra

There is a high chance that you have Libra or Sagittarius placements. You may be air dominant. You may be Jupiter/Venus dominant/ruled. This could also apply to the person you need advice on if that is the case.

The words that I kept thinking about at this point in the reading were "letting karma do its job" and "visions of the future". You may be clairvoyant! But most of you act a lot like the Justice tarot card, you like balance and fairness, and have a life philosophy based on these ideas. Your higher education might've played a big role in this.

What you need advice on:

II of Cups (reversed) and Queen of Swords

Someone may be rationalizing or overthinking a perceived imbalance in a relationship. Of course, the Queen of Swords, likely an air placement, is intelligent, they may be right in their thinking but because of the advice received, I believe their judgment is clouded by insecurity. They may feel unworthy of what they receive, seeing that you chose the cactus charm and have libra as an astro card, it is very likely that this is you but this may be your person as well, both options are possible.

Advice:

King of Cups and IV of Swords (reversed)

See, the King of Cups is upright, this person, very likely a water placement, is very emotionally mature, compassionate, and understanding. Whereas the swords person is exhausted and stagnant due to the deep contemplation happening. I feel they may also be insecure, causing the overthinking. If this is you, trust me, you deserve the King of Cups! If this is your person, make them realize that they deserve you! They need a lot of reassurance.

1. Agrimony and 7. Chestnut Bud and Morning Glory

Love, whether romantic or platonic, requires hard work, determination, and affection. Agrimony talks about a person that needs balance, both inside and outside. You may find it by showing more of yourself, especially by starting with your loved ones. Because you might not be used to it, start little by little, and observe how accepting those you love can be. Chestnut Bud talks about focus and learning from experience. For me, it's another confirmation that someone is overthinking, see the girl looking very melancholic, whereas their counterpart is goofing around. Don't take life too seriously! Have fun with your loved one!

Pile 3

Charm: Leaf

You might see certain trees or leaves as signs from the universe. When I picked up this charm I immediately thought "Leave!" So if you were thinking about a voyage, there's your sign, just be mindful of covid regulations, please. The idea of falling also popped up, so you might be falling for someone rn or feeling like you're in a perpetual fall emotionally.

Flower: Orchid

I would just like to point out that, although this orchid dried white, it was actually a baby purple orchid when alive. I will therefore explain both colors: purple orchids represent royalty, admiration, and respect, whereas white ones symbolize purity and innocence. But they are, no matter what color, always a symbol of luxury, delicate beauty, and virility.

Significator: 0. The Fool

You may be starting smth new with confidence, smth you haven't done before, making you a bit inexperienced, but still willing to take the leap of faith. OR you may be acting foolishly by looking back or the opposite way of the thing you'd do with confidence. Let me explain, as you can see the Astro cards are both looking in one direction, with determination, and confidence. Whereas The Fool is looking the opposite way. Your significator may be saying that you're being foolish to look the other way, wondering what-ifs.

Astro: Sagittarius and Mars

There is a high chance that you have Sagittarius, Aries, or Scorpio placements. You may be fire dominant. You may be Jupiter/Mars dominant/ruled. This could also apply to the person you need advice on if that is the case.

You have a clear goal that you can easily reach through your actions. Look at Mars' demeanor, he knows Sagittarius is hitting the target. Do not doubt yourself, there's nothing to worry about. Stay focused!

What you need advice on:

XI. Justice (reversed) and Queen of Cups

Clearly, there is a decision to be made here, and you really want to listen to your heart. And you're questioning whether you should? I just want to reassure you, the Queen of Cups is highly in tune with their intuition and their emotions, you should trust yourself.

Advice:

X of Swords (reversed) and II of Pentacles

You are clearly in pain, whether or not it is talking about this decision that is eating you up. Healing and recovery are important right now! It's time to stop resisting an inevitable end, and start recovering. Look, the reversal allows for the swords to just fall out of your back, just look inwards! Don't forget to balance work with fun, you deserve to relax! Another way to see this is that you are restricting yourself by seeing this as a choice, why not do both? Although, if we are talking about people here, there better be a mutual agreement on polygamy! I will not invite you to cheat! If we are talking about activities, you are capable of doing both if it's too hard to choose, you just need to figure out how to balance them. A specific message is that some of you want to go back to doing smth you've dreamt of doing as a child, if that is the case, pls do it, at least as a hobby!

13. Gorse and 32. Vine and Trumpet Gentian

There is a need to heal some inner wounds. I immediately thought of inner child work when I saw the Trumpet Gentian in combination with the Vine. Vine talks about acts of service and leadership skills, try parenting yourself/your inner child, give yourself the love that you may have lacked as a kid. You are worthy of it! Gorse is all about perspective and imagination. Do a brainstorming of possible outcomes depending on the decision you take, you can do this alone, but the input of loved ones that can be honest with you would do wonders. Don't forget your future can go in many different ways, and whichever decision you take is the right one!

Pile 4

Charm: Angel

You may see angels or angel numbers as signs from the universe. You are a person that is divinely guided and divinely protected. It seems to me like you have a very strong intuition or are very aware of your divine gifts.

Flower: Rose

Of course, roses are always symbolic of love. Therefore I believe it is more note-worthy here to talk about the size. This is a tiny rose. Just like the carnation bud, it did not have time to grow and is now immortalized in its youth stage. You may be inexperienced in love, or hold naive beliefs about it. You might be experiencing youthful romance right now.

Significator: XV. The Devil

What I find interesting here is that you got the angel charm with the devil significator. This is very conflicting energy. The sentence that I kept thinking throughout the reading is "wolf in sheep clothing" or "sheep in wolf's clothing", I kept mixing up the words, just very contradictory energy. The way you present yourself to the world is very different from how you truly are. You might also be a person prone to obsessing over people, things, interests, etc. I also would like to note here that this pile was the hardest to get the cards, the amount of shuffling I did here until the cards flew made me sweat hahaha. It's also a very confusing reading. Therefore, I believe you carry a lot of confusion yourself, although your intuition is incredibly powerful, you might suffer from being very paranoid, and sometimes being unable to differentiate your intuition from your delusions. I also think you're very secretive, you do not want people to know or understand you.

Astro: Neptune and Moon

There is a high chance that you have Pisces or Cancer placements. You may be water dominant. You may be Neptune/Moon dominant/ruled. You could have a Neptune/Moon aspect. This could also apply to the person you need advice on if that is the case.

"This is a time of great psychic sensitivity for you. Trust your intuition and follow its guidance." You should try to differentiate emotions from intuition, I know it's hard, but they are different things, and it's very important to tell them apart! Your dreams may hold messages, try having a dream journal and interpreting them if you don't do that already.

What you need advice on:

IX of Wands (reversed) and V of Swords (reversed)

As you can see ALL of the tarot cards I've received in this reading are reversed, implying inner conflicts that require inner change/work. You might've said/done smth you now regret, and you hate yourself for it, you may also be incredibly paranoid that others will find out. You want the paranoia to end. You want to make amends, to reconciliate/atone, but are unsure on whether you should do it. Perhaps you don't feel emotionally prepared to reopen that wound.

Advice:

V. The Hierophant (reversed) and VII of Wands (reversed)

What I noticed here is that The Hierophant mirrors The Devil, not as perfectly as The Lovers, but it is incredibly similar. Once again that energy of opposition, contradiction, and confusion appears, "the wolf in sheep's clothing". For some, my fixation on this phrase could be a warning. For others an invitation to look in the mirror... Try looking at the situation from the other person's point of view! I'm not saying you are a "wolf in sheep's clothing", but that might be how you're being perceived. You are exhausted, remorse is eating up all of your energy. The Hierophant is saying that you should stay true to your personal beliefs, so if you believe apologizing is necessary to move on, do it!

This could be unrelated and for a specific person, but don't be afraid of challenging the status quo! If it hurts none, do as you will, embody your true self! I just want to remind you that going against your loved one's idea of "normalcy" is not hurting them, it's loving yourself. But remember that you also don't owe anyone a "coming out", you are valid whether or not you tell people! Do whatever your heart tells you and please be safe!

!!! : Of course, this doesn't count if what's challenging the status quo doesn't respect others' identity/ sexuality/ ethnicity/ religion/ etc. If challenging the status quo comes from a place of hate please block me. Nobody is using this reading as a sign to do some fucked up shit.

3. Beech and 2. Aspen and Lily

When I saw Beech I immediately thought "talk to someone, or you could spiral." Beech talks about self-acceptance and self-compassion. You must first accept yourself as you are, an imperfect human being, like all humans, before starting to work on embodying your highest self. Stay open-minded! Aspen, on the other hand, invites you to connect with others, not only for advice or consoling but for quality time! I have a feeling that you have very high morals, but having them isn't enough, you must act accordingly!

Thank you for reading! Love you all.♡

You can buy me a coffee if you feel called to do so! This is never necessary, but always appreciated! ♡

#this took SO long #im sorry the messages seem to be all over the place and not necessarily coherent there were just a LOT of possibilities #take what resonates #pick a card #pick a pile #fortune telling #divination #collective reading #collective tarot reading #free tarot #tarot #tarot cards #tarot reading #oracle #oracles #oracle cards #witchcraft #enamouredfae #enamouredfaepickacard

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fy-2pm · 3 years ago

Text

[TRANS] 2PM's Junho 'ESQUIRE' Interview

Summer 2021, Drunk in Junho

The hot and gentle story Junho and I shared with "W by Windsor"

Q: The book "If Our Language is Whiskey" by Haruki Murakami is chosen for the shooting with "W by Windsor" (Hereinafter "W"). It's the perfect combination for a "Whiskey trip" to Scotland and Ireland with the 100% Scottish "W."

JH: This will be interesting. I like reading books. I've been reading a lot lately.

Q: What kind of book do you usually read?

JH: I don't have a favorite reading here. I try to read different kinds of genre and not just focus on a specific genre. Recently, I am into how to handle diseases and death. I read a variety of books. It feels good to know something. If I know about a certain topic, when we talk, we can share our opinions. Even while I was in the army, I don't want to miss the trend so I read more at that time.

Q: You read more during your army. Did anything change since you were discharged?

JH: It's been more than 100 days since my discharge and it's been really hectic. These were the busy days that I've missed, but I managed to adjust really quickly without any hard feelings. It feels like there is no empty space. I don't think I have changed a lot but I think my mindset has changed a bit. Comparing with the past, I want to treat everything more leisurely. I don't want to feel the rush, the struggle or under attack. I just want to do things step by step. That kind of feeling? I think the people around me can see this feeling too.

Q: That's right. 2PM members said "Junho has a hot temper"

JH: When I say I will do something, I will do it right away. I've achieved a lot because of this personality. However, as I look back to myself, there are times when I think if I should have thought about a little more.

Q: During the "Army hiatus" you received a nickname 'My House Junho'. When you find out, how did you react?

JH: It was at autumn 2019 when I just started serving. Because I really miss the stage, I've been looking up 2PM and my own videos. I could see that the number of views for "My House Junho" has increased gradually. I just thought, 'This will come to a stop soon'. It's like an event.

Q: It's a video but there are some interesting comments. It feels like a playground.

JH: It's becoming like a community. In there, it feels like you are competing with each other to see who can write something more interesting. It's amazing. One of the most memorable commend said, "I only realize what is spring after the flowers fell." It sounds sad but feels good. (Note: This is a common Korean phrase meaning I only realized something or someone is good after he/she it's gone)

Q: Spring has come again. You have come again.

JH: It means that we were like flowers. But ironically, I don't think we are gone yet.

Q: The more you think about it, the more touching this is.

JH: I think "My House" received a lot of love not because of algorithm or luch, but because fans have real interest in the song. Just by sharing the video, clicking to view and leaving comments, there are all hard work by fans. This is making it fun and we came across a situation where we can do this all over again. Thank you very much.

Q: It becomes a famous "Icon of Hard Work" and it's seeing the light.

JH: For whatever it is, my personality is to try to achieve it. At one point in time, I thought making an effort itself is difficult. After living like this for a long time, I got used to it and now, I don't think of it as making an effort anymore. I've been working hard on my exercise and die but this just become part of my daily life. But I do think about, 'How much long do I have to do this?' (Laugh).

Q: I think you're a person who will not give up. Junho played the role of Dong-Woo in the movie <Twenty>, where he gave up his dream and said, "Do you know how hard it i to give up?" Not giving up is hard but giving up is hard, too.

JH: I haven't really thought about give up. But if I do give up, I am going to give it up entirely so that I won't remember what happened. To the extreme where is either all or nothing. This is why I don't give up anymore. If you give up something, all that you have done is like nothing had happened.

Q: Even for giving up perfectionism.

JH: With this personality, it used to make me feel really tired. People around me must be tired, too. At one point in time, I feel this is just the way it is. There is nothing wrong with being perfect. But now, I think it's okay to be imperfect. I came to the realization that I cannot do everything by myself. There are also many people who are helping me.

Q: From "Best Idols" to everyone's "Adult Idols". When it comes to adult, you cannot skip the alcohol.

JH: I can't drink that often because I have to take care of my body with exercise and diet. But I do enjoy it. These days, I cannot just drink freely outside, so I will take a sip at home. Drink a little bit of Whiskey and it will make you fall asleep comfortably. I enjoy my alone time like that at home. I used to think coffee and alcohol are bitter. "Why would I drink that?" Now that I know the taste of coffee, I bought a coffee machine. I am also collecting vintage wine. I buy them and give them to people around me as gifts. Let's say you want to drink beer just as cold as coke. For Whiskey, you pour it out to enjoy the taste and aroma. I don't understand this taste before. I thought it was for just people who enjoy strong flavors.

Q: Knowing the taste of coffee and alcohol is like a symbol of adulthood. Especially for Whiskey, that's like the preservation of a mature adult. Actually, I go a little worried when I saw an article saying Junho is not good at drinking. I wonder if you will go well with "W."

JH: Right, I haven't talk much about alcohol. There were articles like "He could only take one glass of beer" or "He went home so early" for the after parties. I think the fans know that I am a weak drinker but it's not bad for them to think I am cute because of that. But I am not that crazily weak! (Laughs)

Q: There's this article where you said "I usually drink well but I refused to drink at an after party yesterday because of thinks interview". So I thought, "Being a weak drinker self-management is on another level"

JH: For sure, if you have a schedule, you have to have some self control. Even if you drink, just enough to feel good. But even if I drink and go to sleep, I feel refreshed the next day. I don't know if it's because my liver is still in good condition, but I don't usually suffer from hangovers.

Q: Many people say that you will suffer less hangovers drinking Whiskey than other alcohol. I think "W" is good for people like Junho who enjoys drinking comfortably.

JH: I think "W" is especially refreshing. It has a good aroma and it's smooth to swallow. Comparing with other alcohol, Whiskey seems to have a higher entry level but you can have "W" easily. Actually, it has a lower alcohol level than normal Whiskey. During today's filming, I can feel the aroma and I've been sipping little by little. Maybe that's why I feel good now (Laugh).

Q: What food will go well with "W"?

JH: They often have nuts and chocolate with Whiskey but i would like to recommend tteokbokki. It's not the spicy tteokbokki but the one with beef and sweet soy sauce. You may think "What do you mean by having tekkbokki with Whiskey?" Just do it. It goes well together.

Q: How do you usually drink Whiskey?

JH: It all depends on my mood or situation. I think you find your own way that suits you, so you can drink comfortably. If you want to go to sleep quickly, drink it in a small glass in one shot. If you want to watch a movie, drink it cold with ice. I've been drinking Whiskey with ice and that got me interested in big block of ice. I even looked up YouTube videos where bar mixologist carved some ice balls. I even thought about buying an ice ball maker.

Q: It's all about "equipment" (Laugh)

JH: Even for coffee, I started not knowing anything but I was curious. I bought coffee beans and did the grinding myself. But the grinding size is too big so I went to study how to make it smaller. It became more fun. The scope of Whiskey is even wider when you have experience the different between having Whiskey on its own or having it with it.

Q: In JTBC's <Knowing Bros> when talked about the reverse popularity with "My House Junho" Wooyoung said "It's all because of Junho's virtue. Junho is very careful in everything so that he won't hurt the members. He will sacrifice for the team" I wonder why he feels like this.

JH: I am working as 2PM and as an actor, so all my schedules need to go well together. There are times when drama comes, so I have to turn down 2PM activities. I think that can happen but it's normal. As an actor, it's difficult to do other things when you are involve in a drama. Even though, I can multi-task my schedules, it's still a problem I need to solve. So even when I don't have much sleep, I don't want to show I'm tired. I always want to make myself feel good.

Q: I think 2PM's charms are "bonds between members" and "consistency". Both sounds easy but it's difficult to do. How did you keep up?

JH: Consideration is the most important and you should never think selfishly. We have been together for 14 years, so one of us could have done that to another person. We weren't adults when we started, so we are always talking to each other and still is today. Our tastes, our personalities and what we want to do are all different. For sure, we compromise and we give in for others but we became more considerate. This is when you know this friend is so kind and considerate. I think this is similar to what Wooyoung said.

Q: Becoming a senior idol

JH: Over the years, we have accumulated lots of experienced and our fields were being broaden. I think we can be a good example with how we stayed together and continue to work as singers. "Bukae" is the trend these days (Note: Bukae means a second job)

Q: Do you any advice fro the juniors?

JH: Umm, let's do well? (Laugh). There's a big difference between good and bad examples. Always watch what you say. Always watch what you do. I hope we can promote happily with the juniors.

Q: There's this "daily energy". It's the energy that shape your daily life with small changes. What shapes Junho's daily life?

JH: Before the schedules start, I must get up. By doing so, it already shape my day.

Q: The process of being fully occupied and working hard is beautiful. Of course, the results are often great. "W" is also trying to maintain the brand's reputation by carefully selecting the undiluted Scotch Whiskey in Scotland. Junho, I wonder what effort you are making to keep o

JH: And I try not to sleep during my schedules unless I'm very tired. I want to do everything with a clear mind. When you wake up, you're dazing. There was a time when we had schedules at Seoul, Daejeon, Daegu and Busan in different broadcast programs. There was a time when I couldn't sleep on a bed for 2 weeks while we prepared for the end year ceremonies. I was sleeping in the moving car. It was all fun memory but at some point in time, we didn't know how it all went because it was so hectic. I really regret it because I don't want to forget as much as I can. That's why I became interested in photography and videography. I bought a camera and a camcorder to record.

Q: You've been busy since 17. I wonder if you have gone through adolescence.

JH: Of course, I did right? (Laughs). On the other hand, my parents worked in double jobs, so my realization of their importance came a little early. My dad worked as a sea navigator. I didn't see him for 6-12 months so I miss him even more. When I was in elementary school, I went to my mom's workplace and called out to her until she answered me and I cried "I miss you." Now that I think about it, I wonder how busy they were.

JH: I like things that are natural and light. I want to be a person who doesn't provoke or irritate, just like a piece of paper. Sometimes, it can be hard to keep it plain because I have my hot temper and fire but having this mindset keeps me neutralized. In <I Live Alone>, I used the moktak and this is one of my effort to do so. It's relaxing and makes me calmer.

Korean to English translation @JLML718 (Twitter)

#2pm #junho #p: photoshoot #e: interview #e: magazine #esquire #august 2021 issue #era: must

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aspoonofsugar · 4 years ago

Note

What do you think of the theory that Penny is coming back? I really don't see it but everyone seems sure she is.

Hello anon,

I actually agree with you and @hamliet here.

I mean, in a story nothing is set in stone. In particular, in such a long series what has a specific meaning in a moment of the story can be discussed and deconstructed later on. However, as for now, I think the framing around Penny’s death is very clearly sad, but cathartic and a fitting conclusion to her arc (and to the Atlas arc as a whole).

I am writing a meta on her arc, so I won’t write much about it here.

Still, I actually think the narrative has gone out of its way to suggest that if Penny were to die again, things could not be fixed so easily:

Ruby: Even if the worst does happen, you can always reactivate her again, so maybe try not to worry so much.

(...)

Ruby: You gave her part of yours?

Pietro: Yes, and each time I rebuild Penny, it takes a little more. If people get their wish and she's destroyed, I won't be able to…

Someone may suggest that Pietro might be willing ot sacrifice himself for his daughter. After all, it is a recurring trope in fiction. Still... one of the point of Penny’s arc in the climax of volume 8 is that she has grown:

In volume 7 she receives the Maiden’s power, while at the end of volume 8 she is the one who gives it away. Her receiving the power is framed as an aknowledgement of her personhood. At the end of volume 8 she is able to do the same for another person:

Winter: No, Penny, you were always the real Maiden at heart. I was just a machine. Just… following orders.

Penny: You’re my friend.

She is literally becoming Winter’s blue fairy and is doing for her what her two fairies did for her.

She is entrusting Winter with the power, like Fria did with her. This happens because Winter has symbolically grown into her own person throughout the volume.

However, Penny is also doing something way more important. She is doing what her true fairy did for her:

Ruby is Penny’s true blue fairy because it was Ruby seeing Penny as a real girl that made Penny feel human.

Here, she is doing the same for Winter.

In short, our Penny has grown until she has become not only a “true girl”, but literally a “blue fairy” of her own.

Because of this framing, it would not work for her to be treated as a child by the narrative once again.

Moreover, last time Penny has been revived because of this:

Pietro: Died? I guess, in a manner of speaking, she did. But we were able to recover her core from Amity Arena once it had made its way back to Atlas. It took me some time, but…

Pietro needs her robotic core to revive her, but it is gone:

Personally, I also think it would not work structurally. Penny’s sacrifice is a very powerful scene. It literally ties together ALL the themes of the Atlas arc, her own character arc, Winter’s arc and much more.

In order to bring back a character after such a powerful ending... one needs time to build a narrative that does not pail in comparison. It would need to be very complex not to cheapen her sacrifice and honestly... Penny is not a main character.

She is an important one for sure, but she is not one of the main eight whose journey we are following and she is not Cinder either. She is more like Pyrrha in terms of importance in the sense she is one of the main characters of a specific arc. Pyrrha was the Vale’s arc MC and Penny was Atlas’s. She is literally at the centre of the Atlas’s plot-line. However, she is not at the centre of the whole story.

Finally, as @hamliet noticed...this does not seem to work for the themes of the whole series as well. As a matter of fact the whole story started because of this:

God of Light: You must learn the importance of life and death. Only then may you rest.

The Gods might be assholes, but they are important thematically, as it is the cycle of life and death.

Salem’s inability to understand the cycle after all is why things turned out this way.

Even if you want to blame the Gods’ pettiness for what happened... it is honestly still the same. After all, what is the root of their conflict?

God of Light: I am abiding by the rules we agreed upon!

God of Darkness: Rules that I now see are ever in your favor. And yet the day a mortal comes to pray at my feet before your own, so do you arrive to lay your judgment upon me!

The root of the Gods’ conflict is literally that humans worship the God of Light and are scared from the God of Darkness. Humans only value life, but escape and do not accept death.

You could argue that it can’t be it because Light is actually the one against resurrecting Ozma, while Darkness initially agrees and changes his mind when he discovers Salem went to him as a last resort.

However, there is another thematic reason for this.

Light and Darkness are not only Life and Death, but also Order and Chaos.

This is why Light is lawfull and wants to respect the cycle. This is also why he is totally unable to offer Salem any kind of emotional support whatsoever. Everything is in subordination of the rules and of the law.

This is why Darkness acts only following his emotions. A person comes to him for help? Screw everything, he is helping her because she chose him. Oh wait, she considered him only as a last resort? Nevermind then.

Let’s highlight that these oppositions are literally mirrored in the two Kingdoms that host the relics of Creation and Destruction.

Atlas is an authoritarian and military country.

Vacuo is unstable and lacks a strong government.

This is also why one of the themes linked to creation was control.

In short, accepting and understanding the cycle of life and death is literally one of the heart aspects of the series.

By this, I do not mean that one should glorify death and this is conveyed once again by Salem herself.

Salem started her story refusing death, but then she has grown to despise life. This is why she can’t free herself. It is not one or the other... it is about loving life and accepting death.

Let’s highlight these two sides of Salem are conveyed through two members of her team:

Hazel is unable to accept death. He could not grieve her sister and refuses that she has made a specific choice to fight and to accept the risk of death to protect others. This is why it makes sense he finally dies doing that same choice.

Tyrian glorifies death and destruction and I would find it very ironically if he dies begging for his life instead. (Or something similar, but I do not think Tyrian will have such a sympathetic death tbh).

In short, coming back to life is actually never framed that positively in RWBY. Salem and Ozpin see it as a curse and in Penny’s case it was a property of her robotic body and we know Penny had complex feelings over it.

She wanted to truly feel alive.

This means the ability to feel somebody’s else warmth:

But also the pain:

At least, this is how I see things so far. Anyway, to each their own and we’ll see how things develop.

Thank you for the ask!

#rwby #rwby vol8 #rwby spoilers #penny polendina #asksfullofsugar #anonymous

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asphyxiatedredherring · 4 years ago

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Life is constantly putting up new obstacles for you to tackle, so how can you honor our Earth every day?

I'm here to help with that by sharing a list of 15 ways to honor Earth and be closer to nature whether you be in quarantine, an urban area, winter, or whatever situation you may find yourself in.

❁ Summer Jar ❁

I'm going to start off this list with a personal tradition, a summer jar or flower jar. What I do is I collect flowers (mostly just petals) and dry them right before summer starts transitioning out into autumn. I put all of these now dried petals and flowers into a small jar (with a lid). Now you are left with a jar full of color and life to get you through the winter. When spring comes around and flowers are blooming once again I spread them in my yard and leave the jar open until the end of summer.

❁ Your Alter ❁

An alter is a great way to honor the Earth. You can have something to symbolize each element, flowers you've collected, crystals, and so much more. I like to keep something that symbolizes the area I'm from, for me it's a fossil my dad found at his work. So much of witchcraft and paganism is nature based so adding in extra Earth elements isn't hard, Google for more Earthy alter ideas!

❁ Nature Walks ❁

Not everyone lives in an area around the woods or forest but that doesn't mean you can't take nature walks. If you live in an urban area go to a park, it's still nature even if it is outlined in tall office buildings. Even walking down the street notice dandelions in cracks of the sidewalk or birds hopping by, make sure the thank the Earth for making room for you to live. While in a social distancing situation that has sprung up these past few months you can still take a nature walk as long as you are not too close to people. Don't forget that just because you are socially distancing doesn't mean you can't be friendly, wave to neighbors as you pass just don't get too close. If you have access to a car go on a drive down the back rounds, it's a family favorite at my house.

❁ Meditation ❁

Meditating is something everyone can do! Grounding exercises are great, you can envision roots extending from your body into the Earth below you. I personally like to envision myself walking through the woods or in a creek when I need to clear my mind.

❁ Gardening ❁

A garden one of the best ways to connect with nature. There is so much symbolism you can put in your garden too, like specific flowers or color schemes for deities. You can grow herbs for your craft and cooking, fruits, veggies, or even just flowers. Gardens don't have to be very big, you could even go to a community garden. Gardening can also bring you closer to family if you fo it together or it can be a way to get some alone time. Gardening can also be a way to give back to Earth and the people around you, I'm sure your neighbors would love to be gifted from fresh produce!

❁ House Plants ❁

If you can't have a garden house plants are a great alternative. Plus, they won't be affected by weather outside. Some plants like spider plants are really good air purifiers, other plants like aloe have magick and medical uses. If you are worried about pets like your super cute cat you can try and find places the animal doesn't go like a bathroom. Don't forget to make sure a plant isn't toxic to pets before you buy it, just in case. House plants are a wonderful way to bring a little bit of Earth inside with you. Bonus points if you name your plants or talk to them.

❁ Crafts ❁

Making crafts with natural materials is so much fun! Going out to collect the supplies is half the fun. Crafting can be done so many different ways and in so many different mediums. Whether you like photography, drawing, painting, pottery, wood carving, metal working, or what ever else may float your goat the element of Earth can easily be added in. The internet if filled with countless crafts you can try to honor Earth if you want guidance or have artist block!

❁ Decor ❁

Decorating your room (or other space) with the earth element even works if you are broom closeted! You can spruce up your life and be more spiritual. You can decorate your place with earthy crafts, environmentally friendly products, crystals, a plant, a wooden sign, framed pictures, etc. Anything with those #EarthVibes!

❁ Clothes and Beauty ❁

What better way to honor Earth than use cruelty free products. You can check labels to see if your beauty and other self care products are not tested on animals, vegan, organic, contain micro plastics, and other things harmful to the environment. As for clothing I find it great to go to thrift stores for "new clothes" as well as donating my old clothes that either don't fit or I don't wear anymore. It can be great to support local stores rather than big name brands like American Eagle and it is way less expensive. Your clothes, jewelry, and makeup can even have an Earth theme to them. Brown and green tones are super earthy along with some rusty oranges. It doesn't need to be floral to be earthy!

❁ Food ❁

I am personally not a vegetarian or vegan but I am conscious of what I eat. I grow some of my own vegetables and I have a strawberry patch (witch is great for making jam). I try to eat organic or locally sources foods. If you live in a rural area try to get to know your local farmers. When you take food from the Earth you should always give back.

❁ Feathered Friends ❁

A family fun activity to get to know your Earth better is to go out and try to find some bird nests. Never get too close or disturb the nests or birds in any way, keep a respectful distance. It can be fun to keep an eye out and watch as the little babies grow. You could even go the extra mile and build (or buy if you aren't crafty) a bird box.

❁ Open the Windows ❁

Opening the windows is always wonderful. Houses and apartments can get stuffy so why not let Mother Nature give you fresh air. Opening windows gives opportunity to look and listen to the sounds of the Earth. Nothing is better than a breeze blowing through an open window.

❁ Cleanse Thyself ❁

I don't mean to break out the sage, I'm talking about a good old bath. Cleansing baths are great, you can add herbs, oils, scents, have candles, meditate, the whole shebang. But, if you are like me you only have a stand up shower then you can still have a good cleansing. Just envision all of the negative energies flowing down the drain. You can also save water (and money for new witchy supplies) by turning the water off while washing your hair, etc.

❁ Get Educated ❁

Learning about the natural history and features of your area can be really important. I love to study the geology of the mountains I'm from. You can learn about native flora and fauna and even what to do about invasive species. Education is a powerful weapon and and a tool of creation. The best way to get an understanding of the earth element is to learn about it. You can watch documentaries, read books, (credible) online articles, you can even talk to local people about the world around you. Part of learning about the earth could even be researching relevant deities.

❁ The 3 R's❁

Reduce, reuse, recycle: words we hear all the time but probably don't put enough thought into. Part of taking care of the earth is to keep it clean and not use to many of it's resources. This is such a broad category, you can reuse old containers to keep your witchy supplies in, cut back on the use of plastic and one use items, and recycle your trash so it can be made into new items. You can check out your local recycling place it there isn't a truck that picks it up on your street. There are so many ways to reduce your carbon footprint and reuse old products that seem usless. Check out upcycling, there are tons of trendy things you can do!

This is a repost of a post I made on the Pagan & Witch Amino a while ago

#witchcraft #witchblr #wiccablr #wicca #witch #green witch #earth #earth day #environment #magick

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pathuganda98-blog · 5 years ago

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#Tarot #tarot reading #tarot meanings #tarot card reading

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qqueenofhades · 7 years ago

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Hi Hilary, apologies if you don't want to talk about this any more. But as a historian, what's your opinion on the "preserving history" argument of current events?

I think it’s misguided at best and openly racist at worst, has nothing to do with preserving history, is an exercise in denial and cowardice, and is certainly not what anyone who pretends to be concerned about it really cares about.

(Prepare yourself for a rant.)

The thing is, we have a certain subset of white people acting as if the history of the Confederacy will somehow magically be Forgotten if we take down the statues/monuments/associated physical legacy of their presence. You know who sure as hell has not forgotten the Nazis? Germany. Germany has not forgotten the Nazis one bit. Nor do they play around with it. You can and will be arrested if you fly the Nazi flag or give the Nazi salute in Germany, and they have destroyed nearly all the Nazi buildings or any place that could be used as a shrine or gathering place. The difference here is that Germany a) knows what the Nazis were, and b) hasn’t decided to disingenuously reduce them to a “heritage” or “Germanic pride” or fly the Nazi flag the same way the Confederate flag is proudly flown today. They have not tried to celebrate their racist, terrible past. They have taken steps to dissociate themselves from it as strongly as possible, and now lead Europe in taking in the most refugees from the Middle East, as well as having a chancellor (Angela Merkel) who is essentially the new leader of the free world. Germany hasn’t forgotten its history, it teaches that history and is always, always aware of it, and somehow manages to do that without valorizing or insisting on the continued existence of Nazi paraphernalia as “important history.”

The point of all this is: white people in America have been HAPPY to forget their history for years and years, selectively misremember it, tolerate and even idolize the Confederacy and its beliefs and symbols, and now they’re suddenly worried it will vanish? Give me a break. Black people in America have had to live with the knowledge of this history every day. They do not get the luxury of disengaging from it. Every black child has to learn about and confront the existence of racism and the legacy of this history. White kids don’t have to. They can skate. And white people get really upset when conversations about race or history of race come up. Why are you bringing that up, that was a long time ago, etc, etc. America has never systematically confronted and denounced its racist history the way Germany has. It continues to be celebrated. We have that fucking TV show (Confederate) in production, where it will basically provide an imaginative space for what a large portion of the population wishes HAD happened (that the South won the Civil War and slavery in its historical form remained legal). THERE IS NO CHANCE AT ALL, ANYWHERE, OF THIS HISTORY BEING FORGOTTEN ABOUT, AND THE PEOPLE MOANING THAT IT MIGHT BE ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE DONE THE FORGETTING.

(Also: Many of the actual post-Confederates, including Robert E. Lee himself, disavowed their participation and viewed it as treason. Lee refused to be buried in his Confederate uniform or have his colleagues wear it to his funeral. His direct descendants agree the statue should come down. When did the revival of Confederate symbols start? Jim Crow. When did the Confederate flag start flying over the South Carolina statehouse again? 1961. As in, it was constructed specifically in reaction to the civil rights movement, as deeply racist Southern whites continued to resist the idea of black people having any agency or recognition. That was when Confederate monuments became a thing: NOT FROM THE ACTUAL CONFEDERACY.)

Let’s imagine for a moment that there was a large group of people who had put up a bunch of statues of, say, Osama bin Laden, and made a huge fuss about the possibility of them coming down. They view the attack of 9/11 as the triumph of a small band of patriots over an oppressive tyrannical oligarchy. They fly a flag with the planes crashing into the twin towers, and insist it’s not about the actual deaths of the people involved, it symbolises “culture” or “heritage” or whatever else. Let’s also say these people insisted that their right to defend a statue of OBL, a guy who clearly hated America and made that clear at every turn, was fully compatible with their identity as patriotic Americans, and in fact still to be preferred any time that identity is challenged. Let’s further say that a large segment of the population tacitly or explicitly agrees with them, demands the statue should stay up and attacks anyone who questions its existence in a public space, and claim that you are as bad as the other side if you want it taken down and insist that the flag cannot be dissociated from its history and the deaths involved. You get nowhere by pointing out that OBL, as noted, actually hated America and was fighting to destroy it. Even your supposedly liberal white friends become oddly deaf when the subject is raised, or give some version of the “well I don’t like it either, but this is America/we respect everyone/it’s history” argument. At worst, there are people marching underneath this flag, putting it as a bumper sticker on their pickup trucks, stockpiling tons of guns, and treating it as something to be inspired, celebrated, and replicated.

You’d feel like you were taking crazy pills. You would feel incredibly unsafe every time you stepped outside – what if you met one of these crazies and they targeted you? You would wonder how nobody else on earth could apparently see that no, these people are terrorists, and we are celebrating the murder of innocent people and it may be history, but why is it being treated as a fetishistic and terrifying subculture instead of a tragic and shameful event that we should never want to repeat? And yet, that is exactly what is happening with America’s collective denial and ongoing reluctance to talk about the Confederacy or put it in those terms. There’s always another excuse, and frankly, when Americans have been fed on a steady diet of “America Is Teh Awesomest” for years and years and have no way of critiquing or understanding their actual history without getting offended and going for the “all terrorists hate freedom!” route, the cumulative historical denial is both sad and staggering. Nothing, in this framework, is ever America’s fault, specifically white America’s. But if the people moaning about history being forgotten actually cared about history, they would have to confront the fact that that is simply, empirically not the case.

The fact is, America was built on white supremacy, slavery, and genocide, the victims of that history have no way of forgetting it, and view it pretty incredulously when white people start wringing their hands over it. That is just a historically verifiable reality, and yet white people go for the “long time ago” or “black on black crime” or “I’m not personally racist” defenses, rather than actually listening to the people who have never had the luxury of overlooking that history. This is why we get the absurd both-siderism. On the one hand, we have violent white supremacists proudly identifying as Nazis, a political movement that used to be uncontroversially identified as the most evil of the 20th century, if not ever, and which has roots that go back centuries in vilifying and exterminating anyone who is not a cis Christian straight white male. On the other, we have Black Lives Matter and other protest groups, who are defending their communities and people from the consequences of that ongoing mentality, sometimes violently. Then we have white people on Facebook posting things like, “Both sides are equally guilty! Bad all around! Everyone’s to blame!”

Sorry. No.

There is an overwhelming tendency to favor the status quo over actual justice, and to sanctimoniously condemn any violence used by a marginalized group – we somehow think that people only ever achieve recognizance of their humanity by holding hands and being “non-violent,” and that any time they forcibly resist the overwhelming and somehow-always-justified violence of the dominant group, they lose any expectation of our sympathy. We want to be violent against people of color without consequences, and we might allow them to struggle for liberation if we feel like it, but they have to do it Nicely. We might tepidly condemn the killings of unarmed black people, or post memes about “coming together,” or “not all cops,” or so forth. But when unarmed Native Americans at Standing Rock in 2016 are met with tanks, water cannons, full military deployments, tear gas, guns, and dogs, as were (and are) African Americans at lunch counters or city streets in the 1960s, then no, we do not get to claim that anything has changed. Because the instant those people resist being killed, or call out the comfortable white status quo, or challenge the state’s forever-sanctioned and always-admirable (according to its defenders) violence, they’re just as bad as neo-Nazis.

Sure. Right.

I get it’s a difficult topic. I get it’s hard for white Americans to actually look at what it means to be both white and American in a world where they have always benefited from these identities, and where White Liberalism and White Feminism ™ is just as racist while steadfastly insisting it’s not. Especially when you add American exceptionalism to the mix, where America is never responsible for anything and is the greatest country in the world, there is nothing remotely close to Germany’s decades-long reparations for the Nazis. American culture holds that saying sorry is for wimps. We need to be Proud of Our Heritage.

Nobody’s advocating for the Confederate monuments to be destroyed. They can be kept in a museum, or in storage, or wherever else. But insisting on their continued presence in public life is saying, “I want my right to believe the same things they did to be validated, and I want people personally affected by this belief to Know Their Place and It’s Just History Get Over It, and I don’t want to be challenged on whether this was wrong; I just want everyone to think about it how I do.” It is an insistence on power and an insistence on the safe and comfortable narrative of history that is completely removed from reality. When people say they don’t want Confederate history forgotten, they mean they don’t want white mainstream history to be challenged; they don’t want the people most hurt by this history to get uppity ideas about speaking out or breaking the cycle or making them face consequences. They want to go back to denial, and they resent the people trying to educate them otherwise. It’s the exact opposite of all this sudden Concern for History (which, as noted, isn’t going anywhere).

Conservative movements jeer at liberals all the time for being “snowflakes” who need “safe spaces,” and mainstream liberalism, as noted, can have incredible problems. But then conservatives are the ones crying about how difficult it is to be a racist these days (cry me a river, buddy) and painting liberals as tyrants who want to crush these poor, misunderstood white men whose influence and legacy might somehow vanish from the world (spoiler alert: not happening). So if preserving history is actually what anyone is worried about, don’t talk to your black friends about it. Don’t tell your black friends how much you hate racism. Talk to your white friends about it. Tell your white friends how much you hate racism. Then perhaps you might understand just how much the bubble of privilege protects you, and face the possibility of actually disrupting your life and losing friends or family in the way that white Americans get to take for granted that they do not have to do.

So yeah. It’s not in any sense about really preserving history, and frankly, my opinion as a historian is that I need another god damn drink. And I don’t even drink.

#history #politics for ts #rant #anonymous #ask

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eibhlincatha · 7 years ago

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Hi! So I want to start honoring the Morrigan, especially Anand. I'm familiar with the myths, I've read people's experiences with her and I've read Morgan Daimler's book. A lot of people say that if you ask something of the Morrigan or want her to help you, you have to be willing to pay a price. I don't know if that's just general offerings or if the Morrigan is going to ask something else of me. And if she does, I don't know how I'm going to know what that is, since I don't have much in (1)

the way of a “godphone” or what to do if she asks something I can’t give. I also don’t know if she’d even want me honoring her, I’m anxious that I’m not, idk, worthy enough to ask for her attention. Can you offer any advice? Thank you for your time (2)

Hello Anon! I’m really glad you asked this question. I must apologize in advance, because this response ended up longer than intended–but I think it is a topic that deserves thorough exploration.

Personally I think “price” is the wrong word. While I’ve had experience (especially early on) where we had a sort of “this for that” interaction, I felt it was much more a matter of honoring or acknowledging them. Reinforcing my interest and my commitment. Initially I anticipated that the acts would be either ritualistic or complex or somehow inconveniencing, but there were a few days while I was struggling with depression, when it was literally a message of “take your medication.” As we continued, I realized it was less about what the act of devotion was, and more about the intent.

They tend to be very engaging and active in the lives of their devotees, at least from what I’ve seen, so I think it’s understandable that they expect gestures that demonstrate that you are serious about your interest.

When you are working with the Morrigan more closely, I will also say that sometimes sacrifice comes with the territory, but it is usually a matter of giving up bad habits and cutting poisonous things out of your life. This could be seen as a “price” in that it sometimes means making difficult choices that bring pain and heartache in the immediate. But I’ve never encountered a situation where what they asked of me was selfish or greedy. It’s always been focused on a call to better myself, to prove my commitment to following a difficult path, and strengthen my own sense of confidence.

I think it’s useful to think of the Morrigan in the context of a general of an army, or a ruler–they are, after all, the “great queens”. Within their lore and in the greater community of modern devotees, they are universally accepted to be intimately linked with personal sovereignty, and honor in warfare. With this in mind, you can see the difference between a deity (or a person) who demands homage in the form of a gift or price or sacrifice that may put you at risk somehow either physically, financially, or emotionally, and a strong leader who expects you to work hard, show your dedication, and be willing to make personal sacrifices in order to become a stronger, better you.

In terms of literal, financial price–the only time I remember encountering this was very early on, when the things I was expected to purchase were a few books about them. While money is often an issue for me, I think this was a reasonable price to pay, and definitely an investment for deepening my understanding of them.

I’d also like to address the idea of the Godphone. I am fortunate in that my own personal gifts run in the form of divination and communication with my gods. I’ve had this kind of spiritual link for as long as I can remember, and it’s often been easy to differentiate between what’s me, and what’s them. When it wasn’t clear, or I was dealing with skepticism, my request for a “sign” was usually met with something fairly obvious–a crow, someone spontaneously starting up a conversation about the Morrigan, or other uncanny things that were hard to ignore. However, this is not always the case. There have been very long periods of time where that link was severed, and I was unable to access that open line of communication. I worry less about this now than I used to, as I’ve found that the Morrigan commonly will enter into a period of intense conversation, but then back away and let you put your new knowledge and tools to work.

For someone who doesn’t feel like they have a Godphone, I think it is definitely possible to develop one over time. The most important thing to realize is that communication with gods takes many forms. One person may have dreams, another may literally hear the voices of their gods in their mind, and still another person may find omens in their mundane life, such as birds, or symbols that continue to reappear, or even songs on the radio. There are many ways of communicating with our gods; this is supported by both Celtic lore and traditional practices throughout the world, across many different cultures.

For the time being, if you are feeling drawn to honor the Morrigan, your first goal should be studying. Absorb all the information you can. Talk to devotees in the community, read blogs, watch videos, learn the different interpretations of the myths. When you are ready, think about how you would like to honor them. You could do a traditional offering (apples, alcohol, or milk are good options), start a tumblr devoted to them, recite poetry, or even just take time every day to talk to them. Even if you don’t hear an answer right away, they will listen.

If you are truly ready and committed to starting a devotional practice, you might not receive any sort of obvious, earth-shattering sign, but you will begin to see change in your life. New challenges, new opportunities, strange coincidences, and–very often–old wounds resurfacing so that you can begin to work through them. For me the period of change was very rapid and a little disorienting, but I was able to tackle some very deep issues and for the first time actually make progress in unraveling the impact they’d had on my life.

Long story short, there is no “price” that comes with working with the Morrigan, but there are expectations. Sometimes this means giving up things that are no longer serving you well, breaking old habits, or taking chances you wouldn’t normally consider. How you choose to do your day to day devotions is totally up to you–if you have limited means, offering a prayer or pouring libations into a bowl is perfect. There’s no need for grand gestures or buying ritual items that cost a lot of money. Above all, when entering into a relationship with them, they will demand that you live your life honorably, demonstrate your ongoing respect for their guidance, and take care of yourself.

I hope this helps alleviate some of your worries. If you have more questions, feel free to reach out to me or any of the other devotees here on tumblr; we’re happy to help offer suggestions and share our own stories.

#caw squad #the morrigan #celtic polytheism #irish polytheism #gaelic polytheism #badb #macha #anu #anand #morrigan #mywriting

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mercivu · 3 years ago

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Ferox

Ferox Advisor-Token a revolutionary DeFi-based decentralized hedge fund

As we know hedge funds are professionals who manage public funds for high returns. Usually, hedge fund companies will invest in several instruments with their respective strategies and experiences. Hedge fund companies can manage public funds and convert them into active returns, or alpha, for their investors. In this way, both parties will benefit from each other, both hedge fund companies and investors, because investors don't have to worry about strategy or anything else. But what happens when hedge fund companies meet crypto? This is Ferox Advisors, a hedge fund platform, and DeFi, which manages derivative accounts and external clients and aims to provide investors with maximum returns with low risk. What Ferox Advisors does is manage derivatives accounts for exclusive trading and external clients with the strategy and experience to achieve high returns for investors.

Before going to the profitability of FRX Token, let's know about Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency

📷

Bitcoin

Bitcoin is a digital currency created in January 2009. It follows the ideas set out in a whitepaper by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto and his pseudonym.1 The identity of the person or people who created the technology is still a mystery. Bitcoin offers the promise of lower transaction fees than traditional online payment mechanisms and, unlike government-issued currencies, Bitcoin is operated by a decentralized authority. Bitcoin is a type of cryptocurrency. There are no physical bitcoins, only balances stored in a public ledger to which everyone's access is transparent. All bitcoin transactions are verified by a large amount of computing power. Bitcoin is not issued or endorsed by any bank or government, and individual bitcoins are not valuable as commodities either. Although not a legal tender, Bitcoin is very popular and has sparked the launch of hundreds of other cryptocurrencies, collectively referred to as altcoins. Bitcoin is usually abbreviated as "BTC".

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that is secured with cryptography, which makes it nearly impossible to counterfeit or spend twice. Many cryptocurrencies are decentralized networks based on blockchain technology - distributed ledgers enforced by different computer networks. The hallmark of cryptocurrencies is that they are not generally issued by any central authority, making them theoretically immune to government interference or manipulation. Cryptocurrency is a system that allows secure online payments denominated in virtual “tokens”, which are represented by ledger entries internal to the system. "Crypto" refers to various encryption algorithms and cryptographic techniques that protect these entries, such as elliptical curve encryption,

Some of the cryptocurrencies we have today are hedges against inflation, political instability, and social disruption. Bitcoin is one of these digital currencies, serving as a hedge for both macroeconomic ills and providing ballast against unexpected challenges that may arise at any time. It is important to understand what a hedge fund is. A hedge fund is a specialized way of investing in a large group of underlying securities. One thing about hedge funds is that they are different from crypto index funds and ETFs. Hedge fund investments are profitable and they (assets) allow people to diversify as well as provide a lack of correlation with the stock market. For investors who want and are ready to maximize their profits through hedge funds, there is good news for you and that is FRX TOKEN, a project designed to make hedge funds more attractive and beneficial to investors, cryptocurrency enthusiasts, and the world at large. .

FRX - a trading company that manages accounts under an agreement in which the parties receive rights or promise to fulfill actions with respect to the underlying assets trading themselves and external clients with an emphasis on absolute profit. The company's sales office is registered in the free trade zone in Dubai.

Smart Contract DetailsFRX is a TRC20 contract, Tron Network was chosen as our top choice platform for its speed and efficiency. Also playing an important role in our decision was the ease of integrating multiple wallets directly into the Tron Blockchain as evidenced by the success of several gaming ventures, which offer similar betting mechanisms for prediction and spread markets, which we intend to utilize via DAPP on our website.📷In short, the FRX project is a trading company that focuses on trading Cryptocurrencies and Derivatives. This company specializes in managing accounts for investors and getting returns based on their investment. Private Companies and Equity Partners can also join the FRX platform. Why not take advantage and buy at FRX Presale? Don't miss this golden opportunity. This project will attract a large market investment and can provide abundant returns for investors.

Ferox Advisors has two types of clients, you can join them as a Managed Account but you can also join as a Private Company. Ferox Advisor does not charge any fees when they manage your account, but instead, you will share a portion of the profits that will be earned each year from your capital. But also if you join Ferox Advisors as a Private Company, you will be able to become one of their shareholders and it will be an opportunity for you because you will be able to participate with them in all their income streams as a shareholder.Tim FeroxAs I said before, Ferox Advisors has a good team working together to make sure everything goes smoothly according to plan. And that's why they assure their clients a good return every year from the capital invested in them.This is the team behind Ferox Advisors;📷All of these teams are experts in their fields, which is why Ferox Advisors is a very good company and reliable in achieving their customers' goals regardless of whether it is a Company or not because you can also invest in Ferox Advisors even if you are not a Company. Ferox Token (FRX) Now you know that Ferox Advisors is not only a trading advisory company, but also an investment opportunity through its token, Ferox Token (FRX). The Ferox token is developed by the Tron Blockchain so it is much easier for investors to invest in FRX without the higher gas costs compared to other tokens on other blockchains such as Ethereum. There are different packages for investors who wish to invest in Ferox Advisors via FRX Token, you can view the image below or click here to learn more about FRX Token and its investment package. TOKEN INFORMATION: Name: FEROX (FRX) Contract: TKTENn9v56yVKHu4obmdQGpe8wFVimczxq Symbol: FRXDesimal: 8Supply: 700,000,000.00000000 FRX The total supply of FRX is 700,000,000 tokens, you can check the FRX Smart Contract and see for yourself, you will also see the address of the contract and the issuer. Apart from that, you can read the FRX whitepaper and learn everything about the company Ferox Advisors. FRX TokenomicsTotal Ferox Token supply is divided into different parts according to the use of each part, as you can see in the image below;📷Be sure to check out the Ferox whitepaper so you can learn more about the company Ferox Advisors. It is recommended to understand all of them before investing your money anywhere, good luck friends! For more information please visit the link below: MORE INFORMATION:Website: http://feroxadvisors.com/team Twitter: https://twitter.com/feroxadvisors Telegram: https://t.me/FRXalpha Media: https://frx.medium.com/ Github: https://github.com/opentron/opentron by ;Gresikz link: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=3166152

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greenart3-blog · 5 years ago

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The True Story About Love Tarot Reading That the Experts Don't Want You to Know

Share below are the many kinds of psychic reading. Added with no human involved, you can be certain your reading is confidential. It's always your first reading for any issue which will be the best. What You Don't Know About Love Tarot Reading If you are not certain tarot readings do the job, here are a few tips and hints that it is possible to use during your reading, especially if you're new to this total experience. In the exact same breath tarot reading will allow you to access the information more easily. Doesn't matter what it is that you're seeking don't worry, you'll find a specialist reading. Advice many men and women take a card reading simply because they've got an issue and they are sure of what it is that they have to perform about it. Tarot card readings are available on the internet for users. They can answer any one of hundreds of thousands of questions that you have about your life. Readings can allow you to understand intuitively what choice is far better take in a scenario. Thus tarot reading is a fantastic art of divination. Entirely free online Tarot Reading will enable you to receive information so that it's possible to control your future and be all set for a variety of surprises. https://is.gd/P37atX The reader could answer questions asked through an seeker. Make sure you feel as if your reader knows you . The tarot readers assist you in understanding the significance of the cards. Since most tarot readers feel an absolute prediction of the future isn't possible to make, what you can rely on by a tarot reader would be to comprehend some of your potential future outcomes, along with examine all of the influences that are affecting the problem accessible. Because no tarot reader will have the ability to inform you for sure what you can expect on your 29,, Perhaps you should be a wary. Truth, Fiction and Love Tarot Reading They would request that you pick a particular number of cards out of a deck out when you go to a reader. Each tarot reader gets their own spread that is personal, but in addition they have. Meeting with a infant Tarot reader is quite a fantastic experience. tarot card meanings 22 The cards have the ability and the power to answer. Then you'd be asked to put the chosen cards according to a particular pattern. They are occasionally used as an effective divination tool regardless of the cards themselves do not have any power. The Lovers card highlights your value process has been challenged, and you need to earn a definite decision based on that system. Today there are a range of ways guessing cards and their interpretations, but we have chosen the most. When you wish to, stop shuffling, and after that cut the cards, then I instructed her. All of the cards' meanings have to be read along with each other. Tarot cards permit them to pinpoint their concerns and may provide a persons route in their life. Although they can be used to provide people a look a tarot reader will not have the ability to give you the truth. http://bit.ly/2kOueui https://ericsundwall.com/tarot-card-reading-and-meanings/ Additionally, it is important not to forget that the Temperance tarot card is also a card. Love Tarot Reading Options Whether or not you'd really like to learn how to read the tarot card yourself, or you're searching for an expert tarot reader which will better understand the events and situations in life, you need to obtain the form of tarot reading that operates best for you personally. Tarot is a universal language that speaks through a number of archetypal symbols and that is the basis of forecast. Tarot is one of metaphysical tools that enables us to explore our own lives and find some excess information we had known or had not known before out. The tarot supplies insight and guidance to you to locate the absolute most from your working life, and you do not have to become a professional reader to find the replies, either. The Tarot however should never be put to use as a psychological crutch that is sometimes tempting to do online. Our tarot utilizes computer technology so there's no chance of this reader needing to offer you an answer they believe you wish to hear. The tarot is very similar to playing cards concerning structure.

#Tarot #tarot reading #tarot meanings #tarot card reading

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