#emphasis on the non-existent artistic part

[greenteaandtattoos]

whoops my non-existent artistic hands slipped

[copperbadge]

RE watching thoughts: I’m not 100% sure, but it might be that the whole “I am not my thoughts” is about engaging and identifying with your metacognition MORE than your initial thoughts. Because I get where you’re coming from - what is a consciousness but a collection of thoughts and feelings? But you can also have thoughts about your own thoughts that are more useful for dealing with whatever situation you’re in, I guess. (Random aside - every time I start thinking about thinking about thinking my brain inevitably starts thinking about Tiffany Aching and The Wee Free Men.)

I really should have replied to this ask sooner because it's going to seem like a non-sequitur now (this was sent much earlier in March) but I'm kind of glad I didn't, because I've been chatting with people about this and I think I understand more why there's an emphasis in some therapies on the idea that we are not our thoughts.

(I uh, haven't read the Tiffany books so I'm not much help there.)

I am coming to understand that many, perhaps most, people judge themselves, comprehensively and harshly, based on their thoughts. Perhaps it's just a lot of people who struggle with mental health, but given the commonality of the sentiment I don't know if I'd confine it that tightly; generally it appears that people cannot conceive of themselves as anything other than a binary of good or bad. So many people I've talked to about this portion of DBT, the watching-questioning-identifying thoughts portion, say that it helps to snap them out of a spiral of "I'm a horrible person, I deserve to suffer/die, I can never be redeemed" after they've failed at something, or had a negative thought, or reacted poorly to an unexpected event.

That is not something I've ever experienced. I mean, jokingly maybe, but not in a real, internal sense.

And that's not to brag -- I'm not saying I think I'm a good person, either, because I don't think I'm a good person. I don't conceive of myself in terms of good or bad. I never cuddle my cats and think "I'm such a good cat dad" or forget to feed them and think "I should die now." I have a perpetual morally neutral attitude towards my own existence; my thoughts and actions might trend me one direction or another but I'm aware of the temporary nature of that. If I fuck up I'll worry about who I might have hurt or whether I'll be fired or what's going to happen as a consequence, if I am polite to someone who didn't deserve it I know I was acting kindly in the moment, but I don't make an inherent moral judgement of myself based on that. And it seems like the vast majority of people do. Which you would think would make me feel pretty good about myself, but honestly...I don't know.

A lot of people I know who have ADHD or are Autistic have talked about seeing themselves as other, as alien -- like that one webcomic artist who draws themself with little antennae to indicate they're strange and different. I've always understood why one might do that, but I never felt that way myself, before or after the diagnosis. After all, let's remember, I was The Normal* Child of my siblings, and if I was The Normal One before the diagnosis, why wouldn't I remain Mostly Normal after?

* As ever, I'm using "normal" as a cultural term, to indicate what we think of as mainstream, not because normal is a thing that really exists.

My life has been relatively solitary -- I have friends and family and I love them but I'm rarely part of a large group, I don't spend a lot of time out in public interacting with people, I'm not a big socializer. Before the Adderall, I really couldn't be, I took too much psychic damage from interpersonal interaction, so I chose those very carefully. And now my DBT class has been a rare moment when I'm encountering contradictions to a lot of my assumptions about the way human beings in our society interact, react, and behave. I just...don't fit that mold very well. I think of it as having crossed wiring, not in the sense that I'm faulty but just in the sense that I'm very, very different. Not Normal. It's not exactly a bad feeling but it's certainly not a great one, internalizing the sensation of alienness.

DBT is proving to be a mixed bag but not in the way I or my therapist intended -- it seems to be either things I was already instinctively doing or things that simply do not apply to me. In one way it's disappointing because it means there isn't much help to be had (we're a little over halfway through the course and I keep thinking "Maybe next class will be useful") but on the other hand it's validating that so much of what I came up with myself as unconscious coping mechanisms is literally what I would have been told to do anyway.

Sometimes it's a combination of both, though, which really blows. I guess most people, if they reframe another person's actions, actually find emotional relief in that, and I don't. An example from the class is that if someone is rude to you, you can consider how they might be having a hard day, and be polite in return; that's great, in terms of defusing a situation, and it's something I do a fair amount of. But apparently it's also something that for most people results in feeling less awful about the interaction, and that's not the case for me. Which is why so much of DBT feels to me like lying to oneself. It's not lying for most people.

So, yeah. I'm going to finish out the course and keep trying things with the therapist but I suspect given everything, I might already be at "as good as it gets" in terms of emotional work. Which isn't the worst thing in the world, and there is still the option to try medication that could help, but I think there will come a point where I'm going to have to deal with the fallout of just how different I am, and how that has impacted my life. Might end up a good thing; something I've really been trying to resolve is unhappiness over being unpartnered and highly likely to remain that way, and at least if this provides a better understanding of why, then perhaps I can process that and put it to rest in a way I've been trying to do but not succeeding well at.

So, we'll see. But I find it both fascinating and kind of horrifying how many people can believe they are irredeemably bad, even if the belief is only temporary, simply because they had an uncharitable thought or impulse. It makes me somewhat grateful for the crossed wires, at least.

[butchbarneygumble]

Imagine how I must feel as one of the only fans of Mighty Magiswords. You know. A headcanons-and-fanfic kind of fan. I even cosplayed Prohyas once.

Of course, it's nothing compared to what the actual victims went through... I'm fine. But it still felt like a part of my identity has been permanently soured. I don't want to seem like I somehow have it worse, that's not my intention. Nothing bad happened to me personally. I'm only posting my own side of how I deal with the situation, to get some closure myself and show solidarity with the victims.

I don't admire him anymore, and that's putting it lightly.

Full story under cut. Content warning for non-graphic discussion of csa.

The news came to me from my ex-but-still-friend. He told me privately, out of nowhere, just dropped it on me. Like, "Hey, sorry to tell you, but the guy you like got arrested for csa". However, I am glad he told me rather than me having to find out on my own.

The news hit me, and I felt nothing in my body. I usually would get this painful fight-or-flight all through my body whenever I read something that upset me, something I've been training myself to get better with. But right now? I just felt like... "huh. That happened." It helped a lot that Magiswords wasn't my fixation of the moment. And like... it's been like I've been slipping away from it. Like I didn't need it anymore.

More and more people were talking about him, and it wasn't positive. Who? Kyle.

I talked to him. Personally, like many people did. He never acted weird to me. I admired him. I loved his art, sent him physical fanart, all that stuff. I knew more than one person said he was not trustworthy but hey, he made a show that saved my life, so it was a constant struggle between feeling like I had to pick sides. I was going through hell by virtue of my dad being terminally sick and needing constant care, so I was gonna ignore the red flags and enjoy my silly sword show that brought me such joy.

Even if as time went on it started get harder and harder.

But you know what a certain depressed horse show said? When you're wearing rose coloured glasses, red flags just look like flags.

I now think dodged a bullet.

What emotions do I feel? Betrayal. Anger. Disgust. Disappointment.

The irony about it all. The sheer painful irony of blacklisting somebody for *drawings*, and then going behind everybody's back to actually hoard *actual* csa, and revenge porn, and all sorts of nasty stuff. For the record: there is nothing wrong with being put off or disgusted by specific sorts of drawings. But the irony here is what's most painful to me. I do not like people using this as a "gotcha" for either side of this tired argument. It's disrespectful to the actual victims.

People say I can easily seperate art from the artist if I want to but... right now I don't think I want to. He's in every pore of its identity. I do not want to talk or think about Magiswords right now, and I don't know if I ever will again.

It meant so much to me. Prohyas felt like Me. Being a goofy capable adult who doesn't stop collecting things he likes just cuz he's an adult. I thought I was trans for a while and the euphoria of relating to Prohyas helped that. Then he got lowkey confirmed nonbinary and I was over the moon.

It was good. Emphasis on "was".

And to the man himself I have one thing to say: you're another one in a long history of cartoon artists who end up being unsavoury, slimy people, taking advantage of young people, especially girls, in the animation industry. Not something to be proud of. I know we talked and you seemed perfectly okay to me, personally. All I can think is thank god it never went beyond casual chats.

I guess I can finally say I never liked the joke about Vambre not liking pants. Sure, sensory issues exist, but I doubt that was the intention of the design. I have deleted my sideblog where I chronicled ooc screencaps of the show and deleted my little spotify playlist of songs that reminded me of the show. I don't want to finish my longfic where Prohyas and Flonk fell in love anymore. I can't even change it into ocs because it's just so ingrained in the show's lore. So yeah, there's that.

I'll be fine. When the news hit I took it surprisingly well. I was going to an Alestorm concert and it was the most fun I had in ages. So yeah, I've got Christopher Bowes and His Plate of Beans to fill the void of comedy music. Was fixating on Simpsons already so there's that in terms of cartoons. I'm fine.

All I can say is my heart goes out to all the victims, and I'm deeply sorry I didn't see you sooner. I hope you can heal and have some semblance of closure now that he's gotten arrested. My heart goes out to all of you and again, I am so so sorry. I wish you all the love and healing.

[mbtiblogfun]

"The INFP Archetypes"

What makes INFPs different from each other? Well there are many factors. Obviously not all INFPs are the same, and other parts of typology like enneagram, ivs, and socionics do affect this. Some INFPs are also more in tune with their weaker functions (Si and Te) than others. Like the other types, INFPs also have different "archetypes" that are often seen as "general representations" of them. Obviously because mbti is so nuanced and complex, don't fret if you don't identify with any of these! They're very simplified, so not relating doesn’t mean you're not an INFP!

So now let's get into some of the most notable archetypes

1. The Dreamer

The most notable INFP archetype, one could call it "the INFP poster child." The dreamer is a pure, innocent, curious, sensitive, and idealistic INFP. The dreamer looks at the world with wide, starry-eyes, and wears their heart on their sleeve. Usually the dreamer is also very romantic poetic, and/or artistic, and they have a wild imagination. The dreamer sees the good in everyone and might often merge with/be present in tropes like the manic pixie dream girl, or the soft boy. They have a tendency to be portrayed as mysterious or misunderstood.

Examples of the dreamer: Belle (Beauty & the Beast), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Amelie, Juliet (Romeo & Juliet), Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables), and Celine (Before Trilogy)

2. The Mediator

The mediator shares the same traits as the dreamer (pure, sensitive, kind-hearted, etc.) but plays a different role in the story. Typically the dreamers are protagonists, while mediators usually have secondary roles. The mediator often acts as a voice of reason, to keep the protagonist in touch with their humanity or to just listen whenever someone needs to let it all out. The mediator is typically very quirky and non-conformist. The mediator is empathetic and usually soften-spoken, but they're not afraid to stand up for others or what they believe in.

Examples of the mediator: Silvermist (Tinkerbell), Mantis (MCU), Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter), Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury (Sailor Moon), and Lucy Pevensie (Narnia)

3. The Seeker

The seeker, once again, shares the same traits as the other two but has an emphasis on curiosity and imagination. The seeker is not afraid to ponder life's deeper, more complex questions.

As said by @dragonflymage, the seeker often asks themselves questions like

Why do I exist?

Who am I really inside?

How do I fit?

Where do I belong?

They also go on to add this explanation: "A seeker, continuously looking for answers that we never may find, but that we must keep searching for anyway. "

(If you wanna read more from her post I've reblogged it on my page) While they search for these answers, the seeker oftentimes will go on a "hero's journey" in hopes of finding the answer along their quest

Examples of the seeker: Merlin (BBC), Newt Scamander (Fantastic Beasts/HP), Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Edward Scissorhands, and Frodo (LOTR)

4. The Emotional Villain

As you can see this one is a complete 180 compared to the other three lol. This pattern doesn't exactly have a name, so I just made one up.

Pretty much all INFP villains I've seen are driven by their emotions. Afterall, Fi is our dominant function. The emotional villain is driven by personal reasons and experiences, they're not just evil for the sake of being evil. Typically the emotional villain is very moody, disturbed, and/or unstable. They are usually the direct opposite of their other INFP counterparts: they are selfish, ruthless, and blood-hungry.

Examples of the emotional villain: Wanda Maximoff (MCU), Joker (2019 ver), and Kylo Ren (Star Wars).

5. The Angsty Teen

Another really common portrayal of INFPs in media is the angsty teen. This archetype is pretty self explanatory, an angsty hormonal teenager. The angsty teen often struggles with social anxiety, and/other another mental illness. They also might have trust issues, be really moody, or hurting from unrequited love or some other trauma. The angsty teen often copes through artistic means, like poetry or painting.

I feel the feelings on this archetype are very divided. While a lot of people don't like having that image as a representation of their type, some argue that it's a realistic portrayal of the darker side of being an INFP. I personally feel like the angsty teen represents my inner conflicts, while the dreamer, mediator, and seeker represent my outward behavior most of the time. What are your thoughts?

Examples of the angsty teen: Shinji Ikari (Evangelion), Will Byers (Stranger Things), Cassie Ainsworth (Skins), Kou Mabuchi (Blue Spring Ride), Violet Parr (The Incredibles), Nico di Angelo (Percy Jackson), Charlie Kelmeckis (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Elio Perlman (Call Me By Your Name), Todd Anderson (Dead Poets Society), Fischl (Genshin Impact), Lydia Deetz (Beetlejuice) and Cry Baby (K-12)

There's plenty more archetypes but I thought I'd just focus on these 5. Also remember that these archetypes don't represent all INFPs as a whole, they’re just like "INFPs in a nutshell."

What are your thoughts? Which archetypes do you relate to? Which one's your favorite? Which one's your least favorite?

[banesberry-anomoly]

sorry about this,,, (about sending another ask,,,,)

what are endos and anti endos? i USED to be an anti endo but now i dont know if im anti endo or not.

- @ieaturanium

Sorry this took so long to answer, I was dealing with some other stuff and didnt wanna shortchange an explanation!

So, I'm a mixed origin system and I mainly identify that way because 1. were not entirely sure what the original reason for us becoming a system was, and we think it was multiple things that contributed to it, and 2. We have headmates from all sorts of origins due to being a very large system

And really it can vary! Some endo systems dont remember their trauma, but this isn't true for all of them and assuming can lead to them either trying to dig up trauma that they may not be ready to face or a headmate causing trauma for the system out of spite to prove a point. Ive heard of this happening many times, the former more so than the latter, and its very harmful when anti endos try to push and convince endos that 'Oh you just dont remember your trauma but I still think youre valid!' because of said reasons.

Some may caused by something that could be considered trauma (because trauma is nuanced and varies from person to person, it all just depends on how the brain reacts to something) but because of the nature of what it is the person either doesnt consider it to be trauma for whichever reason or feels more comfortable identifying as an endo sys. Stressgenic is one of those examples.

And then some may just not be caused by trauma at all, like willogenic systems or people that have 'artists muses' (aka their characters will write themselves or talk to them). There are many forms of plurality because it is a wide and varied experience, and not all of them are talked about. Artists muses tend to be the most common example. But not everyone knwos about or wants to self identify as plural, and thats totally fine!

Something I need to put an emphasis on is endo systems can still *have* trauma, and it could still cause headmates to form/split/etc, it just wasnt the original cause of their becoming a system. Just because someones an endo system doesnt automatically make them immune to experiencing traumas in the future that may or may not affect their plurality.

A lot of systems may have been affected and caused by their neurodivergence in some way, like us with our autism and wildly untreated BPD, and we had a lot of ""non standard"" trauma when we was younger which would probably get us fakeclaimed regardless. We dont feel comfortable fully identifying as traumagenic though for various reasons, including how toxic some of the community can be

The anti endo community doesnt only target endo systems, theres a lot that also target pro endo traumagenic systems for the same reasons. "Endos are hurting Traumagenic systems!!!!!!!" but then they go after those that support endos and its like wow, way to support the people you claim to protect. Ive seen traumagenic systems get their own trauma fakeclaimed and called an endo system as a 'justification' for getting harrassed

Endo systems have been fighting for the system community for *years*, dating back to around the 80s or 90s iirc, and so many terms come from endogenic parts of the community (like fictive and factive are two prominent examples!). Endos and pro endos provide sources in internet arguments arguing about their existence only to be ignored or told 'THOSE SOURCES ARENT VALID SOURCES!!!!!' even when theyre medically backed studies

Ive also seen anti endos argue on The Future Is Plural! posts because they think they want more children to be traumatized. This is not anywhere near case or point, which is to fight for more plural acceptance and make it a safer environment for people to explore their own plurality without getting harrased or judged for it

And just to clarify, I dont mind endo neutrals or people willing to learn interacting with me, as Im willing to help educate how I can! Just be respectful and anyone falling under those categories can stick around ^_^^

[karume-selfshipper]

Zora May: Role Swapping

Despite Selatoh's everything being deep-seated in her position as Sidon's (slightly) younger twin sister, I thought I'd attempt some Role Swapping with Sidon, Ledo, and Tottika (Sage Selatoh + Queen Selatoh, Architect/Artist Selatoh, and Guard/Soilder Selatoh).

But first, some (establishing) Zora monarchy headcanons:

Zora monarchies put a lot of emphasis on female Zora and first born succession. Typically heirs to the throne are female unless a male Zora is born/choosen to take the throne.

As well as where a (royal/noble) Zora couple resides is typically where the female Zora feels most at home. Though some rare cases exist (e.g. Sidon and Yona)

When it comes to other races (Rito, Goron, Gerudo, Hylian, etc) the non Zora partner is typically expected to reside in the domain as *most* of the homelands are a little too hostile for Zora to reside in.

Mipha courting Link was completely allowed (not just because King Dorephan said so) because Link was royal/noble adjacent (holding a prestigious title within the Hylian army)

Zora nobles/royals that don't fall to the heir spot are given much more of a free hand in who they choose as a partner

That said, the main part of Selatoh Exists AU (what I tend to call OC inclusion) King Dorephan took into account how much pressure Selatoh would be under from her own people and chose to crown Sidon instead.

Queen Selatoh + Sage Selatoh (Sidon/Seltaoh) A.K.A. the AU where King Dorephan put the rules over his daughter's mental/emotional wellbeing. (He knows how much pressure this all is especially when Selatoh looks like Mipha)

Selatoh is so much more introverted, reserved, and distant because she doesn't want to put anything on anyone (but especially Sidon) despite others constantly offering to help

Yona and Sidon have discussed at length their situation and Yona choose to relocate to Hyrule despite coming from a more tropical domain

During the torrential rains (BotW) Selatoh would often go out scouting as far as she could for a Hylian, one time tiring herself out and washing up near Luralin Village

Sidon was the one who helped Link get close to Vah Ruta because Selatoh was recovering from helping Link get close to the Lynel

Post Vah Ruta, Ionis (Zora prince from a deep-sea domain) arrived in Zora's Domain. Selatoh and Ionis met during the 100 years post-initial Calamity and were betrothed due to their redisent natures

Ionis is barely able to survive outside of the water, unless it rains heavily or late at night. The rest of the time he stays in Selatoh's private chambers (not comfortable in the communal pools) or under the Domain in as much shade as he can be

During the Domain cleaning/constructing Mipha's Court, Ionis and Selatoh attempted to get close with one another but Selatoh had to step up and prove herself as a leader. (Though she still allowed Sidon to egg her into leaping off Shatterback Mountain)

Neither Selatoh or Ionis were comfortable with a lavendar marriage.

Despite their reluctance to share a pool (bed) they did so anyway because there was no other options. That's how Ionis discovered that Selatoh drifts in her sleep (specifically drifts toward other Zora/living things) in a deep-seated, subconscious desire to be held and/or comforted by others

After getting over the initial shock of how sudden the act was, Ionis finds it very cute (especially when Selatoh wakes up and apologizes for drifting into him)

Ionis (and Octupi/Squid Zora in general I guess) tends to curl his headfins (tentacles) around his partner's/loved one's head fin(s), something Selatoh had to get used to... especially when she would go to Ionis for quiet comfort during her highest stress periods

After maybe the third or fourth time Selatoh went to Ionis for comfort, she was used to/okay with Ionis' displays of affection/attempts to comfort

After the Upheaval, the sludge raining down, and her Father going missing, Selatoh couldn’t help but feel as if everything was crashing around her fins

That's when Ionis really started lurking under the Domain in daylight hours, to help keep an eye on Selatoh and be close enough that she wouldn't have to go marching through the upper chambers and peel so far away from her responsibility just for a couple seconds of comfort (he knows she feels absolutely awful and selfish for even thinking about doing so and at least being just under the Domain she's still very close to everyone else)

At one point, Yona gets (somewhat) rightfully aggressive with Selatoh over how hard Sidon is working to purify the Domain's water supply. To which Selatoh very coldly reminds Yona that she has no actual power within the Domain because of who is in charge. Reminding her that Sidon has been volunteering his time and effort to aid the Domain however he can, as she should be doing. Before softening and agreeing that Sidon is doing too much and that she (Selatoh) wishes he wouldn't be so hard-headed about helping as much as he does.

Link is standing right there and both Zora know it, Sidon is in the background and heard everything (they did NOT know this)

However, with the situation mostly smoothed over, Sidon left things alone until he and Yona were alone (that same night) and told her (Yona) why he was doing this and being so stubborn. (Fear about losing their Father, worry over Selatoh growing distant with him, and a little PTSD from the Calamity).

Sidon also asks that Yona doesn't get aggressive with Selatoh again, it hurts his heart to see his beloved fighting with his sister.

Selatoh walks with Sidon, Yona, and Link to Mipha's Court, Yona making an attempt to apologize for the day before. Selatoh appreciates and accepts the apology but tells Yona not to worry about it (happ Sidon) right before the Muztorock Jr. Drops out of the sky.

Both Sidon and Selatoh help Link fight the sludge creature, and despite Selatoh not being the best with water manipulation, she's able to create several water versions of Zora Spears and Silverscale Spears (with one Lightscale Trident directly in front) as an offensive sheild around Link

After making the vow to Link, as a Sage, Selatoh's Armor (her Sage ability) produces the same ring of Spears and Lightscale Trident around Link. These fire off in all directions at waist height.

As the Domain itself purifies, King Dorephan returns, and Selatoh is crowned Queen, she finally gets a chance to relax.

The night she is crowned Queen, Ionis congratulates her, praising her strength and lowkey hyping her up as a good ruler while she's just trying to apologize for pushing him to the side and not being able to have the conversations she promised.

Ionis reminds her that there's plenty of time and he isn't going anywhere. Selatoh lets the realization of everything Ionis has been doing to make things easier for her and hugs him tightly while laughing/giggling.

They wind up teasing each other, being affectionate, and acting like a pair of love-sick children until they fall asleep.

.

Architech/Artist Selatoh (Ledo/Selatoh)

The distant artist/architect with the deeply moving artist pieces that feel like there's life held within (even if its just a pillar)

Trained under both Seggin and Dento so can also fix up weapons if need be

Instead of crimson and muted navy, she's a darker green with very faint markings. Instead of a Hammerhead shark, she's a bass/trout looking Zora

Prince Ledo takes note of her work and is among the first to recommend her for projects

Her scars are from a lack of resources to fix up the Domain. She had gone off to a known massive source of Luminous Stones that was infested with Lizalfos.

Ledo had followed her, without her knowledge, and jumped in to save her.

Afterward he didn't say anything, just made sure the two of them got to the Domain safely, then secretly took a small platoon to clear out the cave and quietly dropped all the ore on her work station.

Selatoh had a sneaking suspicion that Prince Ledo was the one who retrieved the ore and used the leftovers to carve him a tiny Luminous Stone heart and quietly left it where only Ledo would be able to find it.

The two of them slowly get closer over the course of BotW and TotK just by Selatoh being nearby, having a unique perspective on things, and the way her artwork makes him feel

.

Guard/Soilder Selatoh (Tottika/Selatoh)

A much sterner, fierce, protective Selatoh who manages to rise through the ranks to second in command to Bazz

She looks more like a piranha, darker navy blue with thin green-yellow markings, small, sharp teeth, and small ear flaps (side head fins?)

As second in command, she's usually near Prince Sidon and Tottika. Same as Bazz, though the obviously quiet one that rarely talks.

Not that Sidon or Tottika don't try, Selatoh just keeps her distance and gives short, simple, yet ultimately polite answers.

And yet Selatoh is the first to jump between either prince and any dangerous situation

Tottika is the reason that Selatoh has her scars. When she jumped between him and a Lizalfos that snuck up on them

While Tottika wanted to apologize for the incident, Selatoh dismissed it as part of her job

However, when sludge was raining from the sky, Selatoh shoved him out of the way. Something Tottika goes out of his way to apologize and take care of Selatoh in order to make up for her getting hurt on his behalf.

Again gestures that Selatoh attempts to wave down, saying she was just doing her job and he doesn't need to worry about her, gestures that she appreciated greatly; but actions that Tottika wouldn't stop for anything

He eventually got Selatoh to open up out of sheer determination. Finding that she is constantly worried that she isn't as good as others tell her, that she won't be able to help in a key moment, that she will fail and somehow ruin things for the entire Domain

After listening to her over the course of three months, Tottika fell hard, finding her attempts to shoulder as much as she does and shove her emotions down to be both extremely noble and tragic

[cienie-isengardu]

Cienie’s take on Mandalorian Culture: Kad Ha’rangir and mandalorian traditional weapons, p.2

part 1

There are in theory contradicting sources about Taungs - namely Death Watch Manifesto [Bounty Hunter Code], Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare Author’s Cut, Part 2 – Ancient Coruscant and Republic Collapse, all written within the TCW era (2008-2020) and Mandalorian song Vode An best known from the Republic Commando game soundtrack (2005).

The first source claims that Taung Crusaders “relied primarily on handheld weapons such as beskade and Mythosaur axes” and that those weapon forms inspire modern Mandalorian designs. 

Bounty Hunter Code also included an artistic version of Taungs proving themselves against Mythosaur, while using swords / sabers against the beast.

The problem with the Death Watch Manifesto lies in its political nature and so can’t be treated as an objective source. The point of Manifesto was to gain new loyal members of Death Watch (the loyalists of Old Faith) to fight against Duchess Satine Kryze’s pacifist rule. Text provided simplified version of the conflict between warriors and so called Faithless supported by Republic and Jedi from supposedly perspective of Tor Vizsla[3], including emphasis on repression that happened upon the traditionalists, such like exile to Concordia and intentional destruction of their culture:

“Seven centuries ago, their craven, hut’uune warships and Jedi bombarded our worlds. They incinerated Mandalore’s farmland and forests, leaving much of our homeworld a forsaken desert of fine white sand, and then occupied our worlds. They killed, exiled, or disarmed our warriors and suppressed our ancient codes. 

or

“Our secret operations on Mandalore and Concordia are producing more and more beskar, but Mandalorian armor remains hard to find - and the New Mandalorians treacherously destroyed many heirloom suits of beskar’gam.”

and

“Some of our warriors were exiled to the moon Concordia. Others - myself included - slipped away to resume the ba’slan shev’la”.

This raises a question: how close to the truth is the knowledge provided by the author? If warrior culture were systematically erased for ages within Mandalorian society, then there is a high possibility that author’s knowledge is either 

incomplete - the ancient tradition was passed in secret for ~700 years and from the start was designed to uphold customs that warriors should consider sacred, thus the only one correct and right version to believe. After such a long time Tor Vizsla (and Death Watch members in general) may simply repeat already whitewashed “history lessons” that for ages fitted Faithfuls’ needs. In that case we could assume the author himself does not lie on purpose and simply presents the knowledge passed through generations between traditional Mandalorians.  

deliberately present information in a way that fits the Death Watch’s rhetoric to manipulate/encourage readers to the author's case. This doesn’t mean Tor is lying about events per se, as Sith War, Mandalorian Wars and Republic attack on Mandalore did happen and have confirmation in different sources, however the manner of presenting is clearly non-objective. This is especially noticeable in a way Mandalorians are separated into Faithful working hard to keep their culture alive and thus in symbolic way face and overcome the trials of Kad Ha’rangir (the warrior / positive god) while Pacifist choose the easier way and follow the Arasuum (negative god) or how the text focus so much on connecting modern Mandalorians to their mythical-historical progenitors as Mandalore the Ultimate (who opened Mandalorian warrior ranks to anyone worth of the title) and Taungs in general. 

Of course, those two options don’t exclude each other and may easily co-exist, as the author operates on knowledge passed down to him while presenting it in a favorable way to potential members of Death Watch. Which leads me back to Taungs using swords and what traditional weapons means. 

Taungs at some point needed to pass down their metallurgist knowledge to humans and other assimilated Aliens so it is very possible that their blacksmiths in fact had made those types of weapon, especially in a period of time close to Mandalorian Wars. The new warriors (Neo-Crusaders) needed to be properly equipped  - and many “recruits”came from Republic territories thus could be more familiar with sword fighting than using axes, so the author may not be wrong about ancient Mandalorian design on which the modern beskar swords are based to some degree. With Mandalorian culture existing for over 7000 years, both (Taung) axes and (Mandalorian human) swords at some point became seen as traditional Mandalorian weapons however there is no way to say for sure did Tor Vizsla had a proper knowledge about Taung battle methods or did he stretched the facts for propaganda, as another cultural tradition that humans shared with the ancient Mandalorians?

Considering the nature of the Death Watch Manifesto and mentioned destruction of warrior culture by New Mandalorians (Republic), I tend to favor the latter possibility. Especially when the three most important ancient Mandalorian (Taung) deities presented in the same Manifesto carry no sword-like weapon. Which again raises a question, what is the point of a god called Kad (sword) if the available picture (interpretation) shows him with a Taung-like traditional ax?

Hod Ha’ran too carries an axe while only Arasuum either is using ceremonial(?) cane or his weapon is deliberately held blade down, as a sort of symbol of giving up warrior nature (that author of Manifesto clearly ties to “traitorous” pacifism).   

The ancient Mandalorian deities were led by the all-seeing Kad Ha’rangir (left), shown here beside the trickster god Hod Ha’ran (center) and the slothful Arasuum (right).

This is even more palpable, as:

🔶Mandalore the Indomitable was presented with a typical mythosaur axe and spear - weapons both used by the Taung leader in original comics.

Comparing his image to other important figures from Mandalorian history, this Taung is the only one that holds a traditional weaponry while the Ultimate (and some unnamed characters) has a blaster and the rest don’t hold any armament at all. Interestingly, Tor is pictured twice - first, with a sort of technologically advanced spear/lance(?) and secondly with a darksaber.

The lack of blaster connects him the strongest with Indomitable yet not with the gods who use solely axes. 

🔶the sabers used by Taungs, as far as can be seen on the Mythosaur picture, don’t resemble the presented above sword design (it does however fit the author’s description “a single-edged, curved sword”). One may argue that those two types represent different eras, which is a fair argument - with a culture reaching 7 thousands years there is no reason to think the armament didn’t evolve according to the needs of warriors who took part in endless war campaigns. However, from a propaganda purpose solely, I find it interesting how the author didn’t try to connect each bit of lore of original Mandalorians to swords and in result, highlight the importance of the Darksaber. Instead we are told that Taungs used both swords and axes and the book even presented a bunch of unnamed warriors with sabers, yet the Indomitable and Mandalorian gods are tightly tied to axes first and foremost. It could be really easy to present both of those figures with mentioned single-edged, curved swords that Darksaber resembles to some degree and keep it as a continuation of a great, old tradition. Yet the best known Taung mythological-historical characters do not use swords at all.

Another source, Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare Author’s Cut, Part 2 – Ancient Coruscant was published on starwar.com in 2013 (and still can be read there). This in-universe text gives us some insight about historical education and archaeological works in regard to Taungs and prehistoric Battle of Coruscant:

Nor, says Hu, can we say anything about the Battalions of Zhell, or the Taung legions that confronted them. “When enthusiasts stage recreations of the battle they tend to use replica great axes and swords known from the excavation of Taung burial sites on Roon,” he says. “But by the time the Taungs reached Roon these were ritual objects -- species capable of traveling through hyperspace don’t still rely on edged weapons. Nor do you find such weapons still used by societies as sophisticated as the Zhell nations. It’s as if you staged a recreation of the Siege of Ramsir with the Imperial Army limited to parade sabers.” Hu says he knows it may be unromantic to imagine the confrontation at Zhell occurring between armies that possessed aircraft and atomic weapons. But he urges us to look deeper and examine the qualities of Dha Werda Verda that have kept the poem alive for eons.

(For those unfamiliar with the history of prehistoric Coruscant - Zhell nations were the ancient enemy against whom the forefathers of original Mandalorians fought for control over the planet. Ultimately, Taungs were driven away from the Coruscant and it is generally assumed that Zhells were humans.)

It is understandable that in-universe researchers won’t have the same knowledge as star wars fans familiar with Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War or Knights of the Old Republic various media - and in result in-universe assumptions may differ from “truth” (lore). Here are some vital details to take into account: 

🟢For one, Taungs (ancient Mandalorians) were capable of traveling through hyperspace yet still used edged weapons during fight, as was proved in The Sith Wars. So the assumption axes or swords were solely ritual objects before Taungs even got to Roon doesn’t hold true. The traditional axes and swords may have some ritual importance (and thousands years later Din Djarin, a modern Mandalorian will claim, “weapons are part of my religion”) but their primary function is still fulfilled on the battlefield.

🟢The second detail worth examining is that axes and swords are mentioned solely in the context of graves. Source does not provide any additional information about the nature of those old burial sites and so there is no way to tell whether Taung cremated their dead (a continuation of prehistoric Taung funeral rites known from Dha Werda Verda poem?) or preferred skeleton burials. We don’t have any clue where the weapons were placed in the graves, if swords and axes were next to each other and if not, which kind of weapon were more often found in the closest immediate vicinity of the remains. There is also no information on what kind of advanced research was conducted on the blades to test if those were indeed battle weapons or items forged solely to fulfill the cultural/religious purpose. Due to lack of additional data, we can’t exclude a possibility that in one grave several weapons could be deposited and only one or two truly belonged and were used by the dead while the rest was simply grave goods - like the trophies taken from defeated enemies, a parting gift from the Taung community or, in case Roon was inhabited by other species (conquered and dominated or living peaceful alongside warriors?), a grave good related to a different social group and/or culture. Additionally, a specific funeral rites like cremation may not leave enough organic remains for a proper science research. If Taungs co-existed with other species, the graves with swords could belong to non-Taungs, either as a sign of honor /good relationship between separated cultures or as sacrificial burials on the occasion of Taung's funeral (as sacrifice of a slave/conquered people). Of course, those are just possibilities worth taking into account though sadly, we do not know the extent of in-universe archaeological research in that regard.

With such a large period of time Taungs spent on Roon, there is a great potential to create a proper correlation between type of weapon (its shape) and the chronology of burials and to theorize which weapon and when were the most popular. Similarly, there should be research done about correlation between type of weapon and alleged age, status and battle injuries of dead. As in, a certain type of weapon may be more often found in graves of esteemed adults (warriors) while the juvenile ones equipped appropriate to their age or lack of fighting experience. 

Of course, Roon burial sites are older than 7.000 years and so archaeological excavations won’t solve all Taung cultural riddles and will depend a lot on the type of burial and its state of preservation but the point is, fiding swords in Taung graves does not automatically means it was their traditional weapon.  

Thinking more about the issue, I’m intrigued by no mention of spears - and sure, organic parts such as wooden spar wouldn’t survive to modern times without proper conditions yet the stone or metal spearhead could. Especially since there are more examples of Taung using spear and spear-like weapons than swords.

The Essential Guide to Warfare gives an illustration of Taungs on prehistoric Coruscant (Notron) and if we take it at face value, spears are presented as a common weapon. 

In the same sourcebook, The Indomitable was presented as holding glaive(?), while The Sith War also featured spear-like weapons used by Taung!Mandalorians alongside mythosaur axes, including Mandalore himself.

In The Essential Guide to Warfare even the Ultimate was presented with a spear - and doesn’t this picture resemble the prehistoric Taung leader?

Of course, over time Taung & early Mandalorians’ weapon preferences could change, yet the spears and axes are present in both a prehistoric and ancient period of their culture, while swords themselves either fell out of favor or have never been that common to begin with. 

🟢 The third matter is that Taungs in times of living on Roon weren’t Mandalorians yet. Galaxy at War sourcebook states that they “battled the native Human nations for control of Coruscant before being driven off and forced to flee to the Outer Rim world of Roon, where they remain for millennia until the legendary Mandalore the First leads them to conquer another world.” 

Of course, Taung primary culture is what Mandalorians were based on, yet millennia is a long span of time and so naturally cultural changes happened within their society. There is no clue if Kad Ha’rangir even predates the Mandalorian era or if his cult evolved once Mandalorians for good started their holy crusaders and destruction brought to many species. On one hand, if Kad Ha’rangir was a part of mythology existing during the Roon era, then we could argue that using swords could become a sort of religious taboo once Mandalorian culture came to life. Thus Taungs relied on mythosaur axes (probably based on the great axes mentioned in Author’s cut), spears and similar weapons while swords were sacred and maybe played a special religious function. However, if that was true, then why would Taung!Mandalorians accept human warriors / vassals to carry a sacred weapon? 

Ancient Mandalorian society is implied to have more rigid structures than modern one, with a clear division into warriors and non-warriors social classes. If non-Taung part of society and newcomers could join Crusaders ranks before the Sith War then they should follow the same religious and/or cultural practices. Which could explain the general lack of traditional swords between Mandalore the Indomitable’s soldiers seen in the comics regardless of their biological species. At the same time Star Wars Miniatures included in Bounty Hunters set presented Mandalorian Blademaster - the set is not limited to one era but considering that 

A) Mandalorian miniatures don’t have Neo-Crusader typical armors - if anything the shape and gray-black colors resemble Ordo Canderous’ armor[4] who according to KotOR Campaign Guide was already a warrior before Neo-Crusaders dominated Mandalorian culture

B) includes Mandalore the Indomitable and basilisk war droid rode by a warrior with again, no Neo-Crusader armor 

C) various additional quotes and description on cards 

may as well imply the Sith War and/or pre-Neo Crusaders culture.

Of course, there is no way to tell for sure if said Mandalorian Blademaster was meant to represent Taung or human/non-Taung species yet the existence of warriors specialized in swordfighting may suggest using swords was not a matter of religious taboo in the original warrior culture. At least not during the twilight period of their religion, as in the Indomitable’s times Taungs were said to worship the war itself, not gods in their primal version. 

If we go further into the Great Adoption era, swords become more and more visible between warriors, as was presented:

on already mentioned illustration from The Essential Guide to Warfare

and here it is important to note that swords are held by Neo-Crusader(s) and Mandallian Giants. The latter were one of the first alien species included into Taung!Mandalorian ranks, before humans and Great Adoption.

Star Wars Miniatures also introduces Neo-Crusaders using swords such as 

Mandalorian Marauder - KotOR set - with description “For years the Mandalorians were content to raid worlds on the Outer Rim, but during the Mandalorian Wars they began launching assaults across the Old Republic” suggesting the era of Great Adoption (opening ranks to non-Taungs) 

Mandalorian Jedi Hunter - Dark Times set - with description “Some of the scattered survivors of the Mandalorian Wars seek out Jedi to punish for their humiliation”. This model (quote) is clearly representing the post-Mandalorian Wars era in which Taungs are believed to be extinct. 

yet still didn’t dominate the ratio of melee weapons. So we have previously mentioned KotOR Campaign Guide with majority of characters described as humans and whose stats of traditional weapons varied from unarmed, dragger, knife, mace, vibroblade, vibrodagger or bayonet while mythosaur axes are solely mentioned in regard to two Taungs, Mandalore the Indomitable and Ultimate. 

From the above set, Canderous Ordo (future Mandalore the Preserver) has a dragger gauntlet, while the KotOR II Prima Guide advises to equip Ordo with swords.

However in modern times, human Mandalorians are more commonly tied to swords (and knives or vibroblades in general) than axes, as can be seen in various sources:

A Practical Man

"And my name's Briika," said her hard-eyed mother. Her name came from the word for "smile," and Beviin enjoyed that kind of irony. She could shrivel anyone with that stare. "Those crushgaunts are illegal. But you know that." "I just like antiques," Beviin said. He patted the scabbard on his belt, rattling an ancient saber in its sheath. "I've got a proper beskad, too. On the road for a reason?"

and

It could have ripped Beviin open like a canister. But his armor was forged from beskar, real Mandalorian iron that even Yuuzhan Vong weapons might not penetrate. He reached into his belt and drew his ancient beskad, a short razor-edged saber forged from the same.

Republic Commando: Triple Zero

"I opted to take on Vau. He had a real Mando iron saber, and I was unarmed.”

Collapse of the Republic sourcebook

Jango Fett: Open Seasons 

Star Wars Miniatures

Mandalorian Quartermaster whose design clearly was inspired by Death Watchman from Jango Fett: Open Seasons.

Star Wars – Clan Wren Unit Expansion 

Card: Beskad Duelist (x)

The Clone Wars

introduced Darksaber

and the characteristic art seen in Pre Vizsla (and later in Duchess Satine)’s residence

and the mural decorating the city:

All presented there ancient(?) Mandalorian warriors carry a simple, two-edge(?) swords. 

Sidenote: Darksaber originally was introduced as heirloom passed down in clan Vizsla, not the item representing the right to title of Mandalore. However since the later lore presented Tarre Vizsla, the first and for now the only New Canon Mandalorian Jedi, there is a question - should TCW!art be seen as a cultural shift from Taung weapons to human swords inspired by the figure of Tarre and his legendary darksaber?

Star Wars Rebels

presents Darksaber as ancient and culturally important weapon:

"I didn't know Mandalorians developed a type of lightsaber." "We didn't. This was one of a kind. Legend tells that it was created over a thousand years ago by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order. After his passing, the Jedi kept the saber in their temple. That was until members of House Vizsla snuck in and liberated it. They used the saber to unify the people and strike down those who would oppose them. One time, they ruled all of Mandalore wielding this blade."

Forces of Destiny: Art History

(the short animation can be seen here)

The statue of Tarre Vizsla though wasn’t presented in full details, clearly was built to represent the legendary Mandalorian holding sword blade down that brings to mind the medieval-like knights.

The Mandalorian

follows the The Clone Wars and Rebels take on Mandalorian culture with an even greater importance put on Darksaber and its meaning for warriors. The show treats Darksaber not only as an ancient relic and as a valid claim to the “throne”, but also as mystical item that may not accept its wielder like it did with Paz Vizsla (though this put under question all previously Mandalorians using the sword who were far away from heroic side of characters) and may even be cursed, as said Armorer:

If, however, it is not won in combat and falls into the hands of the undeserving, it will be a curse unto the nation. Mandalore will be laid to waste and its people scattered to the four winds”

Looking at the sources, it can’t be argued that some major cultural changes happened to Mandalorians and the further from Taung hegemony era, the swords became more prominent and in some cases, like Darksaber, are vital to secure “line of succession”. This shift is as much about weapons as about warriors themselves, as modern Mandalorian society is dominated by humans - although how much of an important role religion (Kad Ha’rangir) played in this change is up to debate.

Even if Taung society living on Roon used swords - whatever as weapons or ritual objects - during Mandalorian era this kind of weaponary is hardly seen used by confirmed Taung warriors (BHC so far is an exception) while modern human Mandalorians moved away from the axes in favor of swords, especially Darksaber.

[Next part] further sources to dispute

SIDENOTES:

[3] I say supposedly, as I support Jango Fett’s doubt it was written by Tor Vizsla. C’mon, can anyone imagine Legends!Tor writing anything like that?

[4] For better comparison, the typical Crusader and Neo-Crusader armors look like this

Ordo’s own armor resembles the Neo-Crusader type however it seems to still keep some elements from the previous kind. Ordo himself took part in the Mandalorian Wars yet as a veteran he was bitter about how his people from proud warriors degraded into mercenaries and criminals. When he became a Mandalore, he tried to bring Mandalorians back to the honorable ways which is why I personally count him more as example of pre-Neo Crusader Mandalorian culture.

[hinduismuni]

Explore the Mahabharata: A Pluralistic Path to Self-Discovery 

The Mahabharata is a complex literary and artistic epic that spans 18 major volumes of narrative action and reflection. Aside from being a major source book of Indic culture, having inspired sculpture, painting, music, literature, theatre, and dance across Asia, the Mahabharata's philosophical and narrative arc gives a comprehensive and detailed critique of the human condition. This certificate program carefully covers the Sanskrit epic's text in translation.  

It is intended for anyone who want to learn more about Indian traditions. It bridges the gap between ordinary cultural understanding of characters and events in the epic and a learned appreciation of the text's literary and philosophical goal. The philosophical enjoyment of the epic is supplemented by ritual, iconographic, literary, and art-historical insights. The purpose is to take the student on a journey of discovery not just via one of world civilization's masterpieces, but also through the epic's literary structure and profound philosophical rigor, in order to create pluralistic channels for cultural and self-discovery.  

The Mahabharata certificate program embodies the goal of global humanities, which are notable not just for the breadth of its curriculum, but also for challenging nineteenth-century Eurocentric notions of "canon." They aim to comprehend world cultures on their own terms as alive, mature, and enduring traditions. Thus, rather than the favored ethnological or historical approach, which has helped to objectify and dehumanize the non-Western and non-Christian world, we will study the writings of the Indic tradition from literary, theological, and philosophical viewpoints.  

Certificate program for the Mahabharata  

This certificate program can be taken independently. Credits gained as part of this program can also be used to the MA and Ph.D. programs in Hindu Studies provided by HUA - Hindu University of America for those who desire to continue their studies.  

Program Architecture  

The certificate program comprises of six quarter-semester courses that cover the epic's major divisions. Each course will cover philosophy, history, and textual difficulties, as well as the epic's modern impact. Courses can be taken in any sequence, however Mahabharata I must come first because it is required for all subsequent courses.  

Program Participants  

This course assumes no prior understanding of the epic, though cultural familiarity with key Hindu concepts is helpful. Everyone is welcome to apply for the certificate program, including undergraduate and graduate students, continuing education applicants, and professionals in sectors such as science, technology, and the humanities. The course will introduce students to academic study on the epic as well as the issues that this scholarship raises.  

Its goal, however, is not "research," but rather comprehension and philosophical insight. Thus, we will be particularly concerned with issues of technique, story, ethics, ecology, and the preservation of ancient wisdom, and will investigate how and whether this may help to better human existence in the here and now. Special emphasis will be placed on the teachings of individual self-cultivation and communal service found not just in the Mahabharata's Bhagavad gita, but also throughout the rest of the epic. 

CONTACT — 407–205–2118

Overview >> Hindu University Of America

EMAIL- saksham.mangwana@hua.edu

Address- 5200 Vineland Rd 125 Orlando, FL 32811

[derekfoxwit]

Quite The Discourse Oddity: Le Threshold, or How I Realized That Too Many Discussions Lacked A Sense of Scale

As someone who has come to appreciate the art of animation, it’s really common to see discourse that has to stress that the medium isn’t just for children. Over my time online, however, I’ve felt that there tended to be an obsession with creating an image of self-righteousness or entitlement with select projects that were able to appeal just as much for adults as children. Whether it’d be due to insecurities or genuine ego, so often I’ve felt too much animation discourse (especially from the late-2000s to early 2010s) would seemingly rely more on the image of SOUNDING smart rather than the ability to engage the subject with depth, how their artistic lens or media literacy developed overtime, or even if they have any real sense of scale. Sometimes to the point that the idea of whether one’s actually calling a work a job well done can be questionable. Welcome to......QUITE THE DISCOURSE ODDITY!

It’s quite ironic....in a frustrating sense. For how obviously important in-betweens are to the very structure of animation, it’s been WAY too easy for me to find animation discourse that lacks any clear idea of an in-between. Just....some incredibly unclear, sometimes non-existent sense of scale. Like, you wouldn’t BELIEVE how frequent I’ve seen such oddly warped thresholds of what was “too much” (Mr. Enter has entered the chat). One minute, Gaston is being called one of the worst Disney villains because “as a feminist, I hate his advances at Belle,” yet the next, Frollo’s getting a pass and there’s even a joke about wishing that they could be Jafar after seeing what slave outfit Jasmine got put in. 

Broadly speaking, this has been the cornerstone of the issues I’ve recognized with animation discourse online, but I still wanted to highlight some key examples of how this could get in the way. Going back to the last part of Quite The Discourse Oddity, the central problem I had there was how, often, the discussion surrounding mature content or more adult-leaning jokes in children’s animation tended to come down to the mere audacity to incorporate the thing. Frequently, that same (deceptively) generalizing emphasis would be treated as the be-all of why any couple of cartoons were placed as cream of the crop material, despite the lack of any clear scaling of how much better of a job one work may have done compared to another. It may be cool to see, but....it’s clear there was something more structurally that allowed one kids’ cartoon to catch on more than another. This can get even weirder when, frequently, those same discussions seem to forget the potential issue of getting gratuitous with the degree of edginess there is. Even with just general comedy, there tends to be this implication. Sure, that tends to be the problem with adult-skewing works that have vaguely Family Guy style faces, but it’s not like that’s the ONLY place you can call something gratuitously edgy (or especially just plain offensive). If anything, keeping such a complaint exclusively to those works can make such discourse more lacking in nuance or depth. Even during the select occasion where the “sexual innuendo in kids’ works” discussion actually does bring up the possibility of going too far or otherwise being awkward as hell, where the line’s drawn is usually kept rather hazy anyway.

You wouldn’t BELIEVE how frequently I’ve seen such oddly warped thresholds of what was “too much” (Mr. Enter has entered the chat). With one of many anti-SJW Tubers that ragged on Turning Red, they were complaining about the film’s allusion to menstruation by saying “sure, it’ll fly over kids’ heads, but the parents that know would be shocked,” suggesting THAT is enough to argue that what the movie did was too much or that it lacked tact. In practice, however, the argument was going no further than using an example with a banana being used to showcase male puberty…..in a manner that’s clearly seeing an extreme that wasn’t there. Hell, much of the disdain going into that portion of the film came down to laser-focusing on that one part of what the transformation was supposed to mean thematically. That’s the keyword here: PART. Not the only thing going on! Within the comments of that same YouTuber’s Turning Red video, one of them was basically going “oh look, women get to be the leading writers, and all they can think is periods.” Y’know that is something that GIRLS have to know about when they reach their teens, right? If you WERE to write about girls coming of age and becoming a teenager, it’d only make sense to WANT to have a menstruations discussion, even if the execs. ultimately prevent that. That same video was even concluding with this statement about how telling it is that these parental reactions toward the film could still happen in a post-Shrek world........but how is this ‘telling’? What is that supposed to say? What about a parent reacting negatively toward Pokémon because ‘eVoLuTiOn’? Or even just fighting, due to seeing it as “killing”? Ever thought that, maybe, it’s just another overreaction of that nature?

I do think there are times where the work can, indeed, be too much for the kid(s) despite being under the “Family” umbrella, like perhaps The Incredibles being shown to a 5-year-old (something Brad Bird himself would’ve discouraged. Looking back, I was probably close to his perfect recommended age when that came out). I can sure as hell get not wanting to show a little kid the original Tom & Jerry completely uncensored due to a certain racial stereotype of a side character. But often, there just seems to be a problem with arbitrary, usually over-generalizing thresholds based on shaky anecdotal evidence or of-the-moment emotions. For example, one blog review I found for Toy Story (which I could not find again after a while) gave it a negative score, but the review essentially just equated to “this scared me especially as a kid due to creepy living toys,” as if that’s enough to say it’d be too much for them. I can get the cartoon being a bit of a turn-off as a kid due to some elements that frightened you, but that doesn’t tell us much about how solid of a film or show the cartoon even was. There are plenty of family/kids’ television works have those strange moments that could easily scare one as a kid (Courage the Cowardly Dog basically being that as a full series). What about those? What about Mufasa’s death? Another odd example can be found in this “western europe vs eastern europe animation” video from the previous post. Throughout the comment section, you’ll see various users implying that children ARE capable of handling genuinely violent battles and the type of content that the older versions of fairy tales provided, yet also acting like showcasing LGBT-related stuff is just too much. Several of them do emphasize that it has more to do with HOW the message is spread, yet their idea of drawing the line only really amounted to “tons of flags everywhere make it look like cult shit.” For all the discussion about kids being able to handle heavy topics, along with how much animation has proven that it can offer deeper story-telling within the last 15 years, there’s a weird habit of arbitrarily deciding what’s too far without any clear nuance.

Even without the notion of children being able to handle darker themes, this kind of strange flip-flopping can get in the way of whether some element should be critiqued in the family/kids’ product (or even in general). In one Discord I’m in, there were a couple of conversations relating to Pokémon. They were about how much (or little) the games were able to change up gameplay-wise with things such as the Physical/Special split in Generation 4 (Diamond & Pearl). One of them brought up how that and some other changes that the series did make over the years weren’t really necessary or substantial since the kids playing or some casual folks wouldn’t be able to notice. A while after that, I started noticing that, while technically not wrong.....doesn’t feel all that informative of any sort of quality, or more specifically, whether you had this major issue or major change in how a piece of media pans out. There are just tons of areas where some kid or even someone who’s on the more casual side has a great chance of not noticing an element of so many pieces of media. PLENTY of takes from “more casual” folks are gonna have their clearly under-informed standpoints, such as a misconstrued idea of a project’s contents; some of the same inner depths found in some video games; full-blown stigma; or just taking stuff at face-value in general. In turn, there are plenty of elements, whether actual flaws or additional merits found within a narrative, that kids may not actually pick up until they get older. But now we’re saying that not noticing due to age or being casual means that the respective element wasn’t substantial or a big deal? How so? Where’s the determination? This is just putting it in such broadly speaking terms, that, at best, the line being drawn is blurry. Especially since you can’t necessarily count on every show, film or video game that was enjoyed or at least experienced as a kid to hold up (though that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy it while acknowledging such stuff). There clearly had to be some sort of deeper detail within the scenario, even if that depth is only by a moderate extent.

And then there are the times when those anti-SJW types have something to “say.” When basically foreshadowing a then-upcoming video, YouTuber Diregentleman made this comment about how Toph would’ve likely been called “woke” if Avatar TLA was released today, and one of those anti-SJW Anime YouTubers made this pointless video “responding” to the comment (as shown by the other screencap). In that same Anime YouTuber’s video, there were predictably numerous comments about how that wouldn’t be the case since you got yourself writers that knew not to do things like “shoving it down your throat” or “making it about character and not the agenda.” However, more often than not, when it comes to these outcries, there’s next to no clarity over when the line is drawn or what the threshold is other than face-value dismissal or otherwise vague accusation, likely basing things more on nostalgia than much else. That last part could especially be the case when plenty of those same people would inaccurately exclaim how “no one was demanding a strong female character back then.” I already alluded to him, but not too long after his fiasco with Turning Red, Mr. Enter actually made a video titled “Diversifying Diversity,” where he......tried?......to argue how cartoons from before the 2010s were better with diversity, mostly by being more diverse. Yet, throughout that video, the only ‘clear’ detail he really had to express why is that no one made a fuss about whether the diversity is there, once again seemingly going off of anecdotal evidence that isn’t very accurate. It didn’t help that (1). his point of how good of a job certain cartoons did literally amounted to “they had this ethnicity in the cast,” and (2). he randomly brought up how they were able to tackle serious subjects through metaphors, but said talking point also amounted to just highlighting that it was there. It was an ultimately confused, cherry-picky and even contradictory video that just furthers emphasizes how, looking back, he wasn’t necessarily that great at going into detail or having much of a critical sense of scale.

In fact, it frequently seems like one’s indicator of higher quality come from whatever extreme attitudes they’ve subconsciously developed for certain facets of media, as well as expecting oddly specific prerequisites based on the youthfully familiar media that was already consumed. In case of getting more oddly specific, it can feel like, even with some highly acclaimed cartoons, the set precedent that would proceed doesn’t necessarily come from the methods that led to making the project great, but rather just simply.....being that exact project. One example of this would be these writing tips Lily Orchard posted in late 2020, where on top of how apparent it was that she was merely venting about certain cartoons more (Steven Universe; She-Ra; Korra), she’d give out weirdly specific and arbitrary ‘tips’ in an attempt to combat against said cartoons. Ironically enough, however, one of her better tips (although clearly said to further rag on Korra), would help highlight this aforementioned issue the series of tips is guilty of. More specifically, the one about not trying to “do what Avatar did,” and primarily, the takeaway that was obtained from the commentators of the video linked above. They brought up how you’re just fundamentally doomed from the start if you try to approach a project like it’s going to be the “Next Avatar” or “Next Star Wars” or whatever. The reason I’m highlighting THAT part is because, in addition to how oddly specific in prerequisites one’s indicator of higher quality can feel with animated works, it has often felt like there’s a subconscious expectation of “The Next X, Y, or Z”. Whether it’d be Avatar, Lion King, Teen Titans 2003, whatever else is listed in the immediately above meme, or some other animation. And if the work isn’t giving this near-immediate reassurance that the vague and particular thresholds were met, then the guilty party will more likely than not dismiss the work as not worthwhile. Honestly, from what I can tell, this feels like a Nickelodeon executive to me. Of course, this isn’t to say they’re not all that great or anything, and it’s good to learn what makes the greats great. HOWEVER, a good chuck of the time, it’s felt to me that it’s based less on the content and more the recognition. Sure, one might show themselves as a fan of Avatar, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have a good grasp of certain elements or even have a strong sense of media literacy (COUGH JUSTAROBOT COUGH).

In short, I would consider all this to be the largest factor behind the particularly poor animation related discourse I’ve seen online over the years. Too often, there just seemed to be this reliance on painted extremes or broadly speaking terms that fundamentally deny a lot of critical nuance within a discussion. This can be surprisingly common with material that provides a passionate degree of either respect or frustration. Hell, in case of the latter, it often reads more like a raging hate-boner (and/or hate wagon nonsense) more than analytical discussion. Every now and again, such a problem can also be quite telling of how limited of a media perspective one may actually have.

[aquariuminfobureau]

Like many people with an obsessive interest in a topic, I have an interest in old abd contemporary pieces of aquarium literature. One book I find particularly memorable is the Spotters' Guide to Aquarium Fishes, a pocket sized title released by Usborne Books in 1980. The basic concept of the Spotters Guides was that the reader, assumedly a child, would tick off each item in the book, as they were seen first hand.

The format is thus based on the earlier I Spy series, by a different publisher, but contains more factual information. A limited range of Spotters Guides books is still in print, but not the volume about aquarium fishes, which is long since out of print. Formerly there were a wider set in the series, mostly about British wildlife, but also including at times items such as rocks and fossils, road vehicles, and flags.

The book text is by the scientist David Ford, and the illustrations, which are of slightly varying quality, are by three different artists. Inside the book begins with a brief, child friendly introduction to fish biology, including matters of coloration and feeding niches.

Following this is the meat of the book, wherein images of fish are paired with short descriptive texts, and a circle in which the reader is invited to write a tick. Finally at the back is a small section of pages about setting up ones own fish tank, and taking home and caring for the fish.

Any book from 1980 is quite old now, and it's unsurprising it's now put of print. Nonetheless, in retrospect, the choice of fishes represented on the pages, is curiously dated for 1980. In fact I'm sure the bloodfin and Buenos Aries tetras were only sporadically seen at that point. These are non-tropical fishes from the more southern and more seasonal regions of South America, than the Amazonian fishes that are staples today.

Historically these two fishes were most popular in the early days of the hobby, when the modern heating equipment we take for granted, was not yet invented or widely available. When modern equipment became ubiquitous, more colorful tetras usurped the popularity of these two subtropical species.

The text is brief and, consistent with the standard Spotters Guide format, does not include Linnean binomials or 'Latin names'. Together with the sometimes vague illustrations, it isn't exactly clear as to which species is intended. I'm not sure which fish the one labelled as just 'molly' is, but I've never seen a livebearer looking like that, and it isn't the sailfin molly nor the domesticated strain called the black molly. The text points out more than one species of sailfin molly exists, and the junior fish fan is not expected to distinguish them by eyesight.

An oddity given the genre and format of the book, is the emphasis on killifishes. A few pages are devoted to them, although their care is quite a specialist interest. Nowadays it's quite sporadic to encounter killifish, and the most commonly spotted will probably be the domesticated golden panchax, or the clown killifish. Again the appeal of killifishes is primarily historical. In the past it was easy to transport them as fertilized fish eggs, during which stage the annual species have robust environmental toletances.

As the reader might expect, the book represents a broad spectrum of the popular South and Central American cichlids, and also some of the African species. A curious omission is the entirety of the Tanganyikan cichlid fauna, and that of neighboring Lake Malawi is represented only by two species.

The rich variety of endemic lake cichlids from the Great Rift Valley could fill a Spotters Guide by themselves, and people tend to think of them as a part from other freshwater fishes. (The book does not mention marine fishes at all, though they were traded in 1980.) But by 1980 they were far, far more mainstream than the killifishes, in any setting where they might be 'spotted'.

The third and final section of the book, which is in fact almost perfect as an introductory guide for children interested in grounding their own aquarium. It doesn't mention pH or hardness as a modern book would, but many children of the age the book was marketed at, might find it too much to understand anyway.

One strangely anachronistic page for 1980, tells us about the use of household lightbulbs to illuminate aquariums. The book correctly advocates fluorescent glowing tubes over incandescent bulbs, but it's still strange to see such a primitive lighting method mentioned in 1980.

The world of aquarium plants is outside the scope of the volume, but a small number of hardy and popular rooted oxygenators are illustrated by line art. One strange sentence of text advocates the use of a hundred plants per a 65 centimeter long aquarium, lest algae take over. This advice ignores the size and growth rates of the plants. Fortunately the author does not repeat useless folklore about fish stocking formulas. And, if your wondering, I have spotted ond often worked with most of the species and varieties featured - excepting the killies.

[govindhtech]

Discover AI-Assist Art With Adobe Firefly On NVIDIA RTX PCs

Uncovering AI-Assisted Art With Adobe Firefly Programs Using NVIDIA RTX RTX PCs and workstations with over 100 AI-powered capabilities opens up countless opportunities for content makers.

Applications from Adobe Creative  Cloud that leverage NVIDIA RTX GPUs are meant to boost users’ creativity by enabling them to work more quickly and concentrate on their work. With their smooth integration into current creative workflows, these tools offer power and precision together with increased productivity.

Consider the Light

Generative AI uses existing data to learn and produce new data in the form of text or visuals. It facilitates the generation of material that accurately visualizes and matches user descriptions while also helping to open up new creative possibilities.

Adobe Firefly series of creative generative AI models helps creative processes using generative  AI by providing fresh approaches to ideation and creation. They were trained on licensed content, such as Adobe Stock Images, and public domain content whose copyright has expired, using NVIDIA GPUs. They are intended to be safe for usage in commercial settings.

Adobe Firefly Photoshop

The most widely used creative programs from include Adobe Firefly functionality.Image Credit To Nvidia

With the help of straightforward description prompts, the Generative Fill tool in Adobe Photoshop makes it simple to add content from photos. Users can also upload a sample image to obtain image results that are more similar to their intended output with the most recent Reference Image feature, which is presently in beta.

With the Crop tool, artists can use Generative Expand to stretch the border of their image and fill up larger canvases with newly added content that automatically blends in with the original.

Neural filters that are accelerated by RTX, like Photo Restoration, allow for intricate modifications including applying  artificial intelligence to style transfers and coloring monochrome images. Based on research from NVIDIA, the Smart Portrait filter enables non-destructive manipulation using filters.

Using the most recent version of the Adobe Firefly Vector Model, Adobe Illustrator’s Generative Shape Fill (beta) enables users to quickly fill shapes with colour and detail in their own unique fashions, speeding up design workflows. Designers may quickly generate a vast array of editable and scalable vector graphic alternatives by simply matching the style and colour of their own artwork with Generative Shape Fill.

With just a text prompt, designers may quickly experiment with unique colour schemes and themes for their vector artwork with Adobe Illustrator’s Generative Recolour function.Image Credit To Nvidia

NVIDIA and Adobe will keep collaborating to enable sophisticated generative AI models, with an emphasis on deep integration into the programs used by the top creators worldwide.

Taking Action on Video

Adobe Premiere Pro is a well regarded and potent video editing software.

With the aid of RTX acceleration, the Enhance Speech tool employs AI to enhance dialogue snippets and eliminate extraneous sounds, resulting in a polished recording. On RTX PCs, it is up to 4.5 times quicker.

Another tool in Adobe Premiere is Auto Reframe, which intelligently reframes video footage for various aspect ratios by using GPU acceleration to find and track the most relevant elements in a film. Prior to starting the video editing process, Scene Edit Detection automatically locates the original edit locations in a video.

Graphics

In many visual effects and compositing operations, separating a foreground object from a backdrop is an essential step.

A new feature in Adobe After Effects isolates an object using a matte, allowing for selective effect application to the foreground and background replacement.

Artists can apply strokes to specific parts of the background and foreground elements by using the Roto Brush tool. With fewer clicks and cleaner cutouts, After Effects creates a segmentation border between the foreground and background objects using that information.

Producing 3D Product Images

Adobe Firefly answer for 3D material writing, texturing, and rendering is the Substance 3D Collection, which enables users to quickly produce incredibly photorealistic 3D content, including models, materials, and lighting.

Finding the ideal setting for the goods to live in can take some effort, but it can be appealing to visualize designs and products in relation to a location. This problem is resolved by the Adobe Firefly-powered Substance 3D Stager’s Generative Background tool, which enables artists to swiftly examine created backdrops to combine 3D models.

Stager can automatically adjust the lighting and perspective to the created background after an environment has been chosen.

AI-Powered Material Authoring

The Substance 3D Collection includes Adobe Substance 3D Sampler, which is intended to convert photos of surfaces and objects into photorealistic 3D models, high-dynamic range ambient lighting, and physically based rendering (PBR) materials. Sampler is making it simpler than ever for artists to experiment with variations while generating materials for anything from product visualization projects to the newest AAA games, thanks to the recent release of new generative processes powered by Adobe Firefly.

With Sampler’s Text-to-Texture tool, users can create tiled graphics by providing comprehensive text prompts. Then, using any Sampler filter or the machine learning-powered Image-to-Material functionality, these created images can be tweaked and turned into photorealistic PBR materials.

Similar to this, Image-to-Texture allows tiled textures to be created from reference photos, offering an additional means of inspiring and producing variations from already visual information.

Using text prompts, Sampler’s Text-to-Pattern tool creates tiling patterns that can be used as base colours or as inputs for different filters, such the Cloth Weave filter, which creates unique fabric materials. RTX GPU-powered generative AI technologies in the Substance 3D Collection are all intended to speed up ideation and creation for 3D artists.

Captivating Photographic Elements

The AI-powered Raw Details tool in Adobe Lightroom enhances the image without affecting its original quality by producing sharper detail and more precise edge renditions, improving colour rendering, and reducing artefacts. When fine details are visible on large monitors or printouts, this function comes in handy.

Super Resolution doubles the linear resolution while producing an improved image that is comparable to Raw Details. This indicates that the enlarged image will contain four times as many pixels overall, or twice the width and height of the original image. This is particularly helpful for boosting cropped imagery’s resolution.

With a single click, users can construct intricate masks for speedier editing thanks to AI-powered, RTX-accelerated masking tools like Select Subject, which removes individuals from an image, and Select Sky, which captures the sky.

Read more on govindhtech.com

[overdressedcarp]

The fact that there are fully just entire roses in the bath isn't something that properly registered with me before; good catch on that! Him potentially buying fresh bouquets just to increase the aesthetic/sensory experience of bathing is a very silly and very sweet concept imo. (Also gives me the image of Aventurine buying him flowers at some point and Ratio's reaction just being like "ah how lovely; these will be perfect for my bath tonight" and Aventurine is extremely thrown but also kind of into it ngl)

Tbh the canonicity of the social media posts is so hard bc like. the Doylist explanation is almost definitely that the people who put them together are working from limited preexisting assets, hence why one of the comments on Ratio's post has a cat cake pfp, and why the UVP news pfp is a crop of the Pela + Lynx battle pass LC. So clearly there is some degree of non-literalism involved, by sheer virtue of a marketing team making do with what they have. (I say this as someone who used to do similar work myself, albeit in a wildly different context.)

Even so, I like to take those posts as soft canon up to the extent that they don't directly contradict the lore or break logic, so I do like the idea that there is at least a bathtub picture of Ratio floating around on the Ratio's Fan Club (Insane Version) forums, because it's hilarious and I don't want to live in a world where "Be jealous of his duck. Become his duck" isn't canon.

The main reason I'm hesitant to fully equate the photo and the light cone is because of what Black Swan says to us about light cones in 2.2 (emphasis mine):

Light Cones are slices of light used to encapsulate solidified phenomena. This empty Light Cone is the same. It can etch your memories in their most vivid form, and then… allow me to admire and manipulate them, turning them into unique mementos.

The phrasing suggests to me that light cones are (at least on some level) interpretive recreations of memories, drawing not necessarily from the photorealistic state of a single moment, but from the surrounding emotions and broader context of the event itself. This would explain why we tend to see LC memories from the outside looking in, artistically framed as though the Memokeeper carefully chose the best angle from which to showcase the memory.

It would also help explain why Acheron and Black Swan are wearing different outfits in Boundless Choreo (I'm fond of the interpretation that it's a recreation of Acheron's POV of the dance, and specifically how it made her feel to dance with Swan), why The Birth of the Self represents Herta's portraits in a way that feels distinctly more symbolic than literal, and how The Day the Cosmos Fell brings to life the wild imaginings of the cat cakes playing make-believe.

On the other side of things, we do have some precedent for a light cone being inspired by a photograph via Memories of the Past, with the LC being created from either Bronya's or Cocolia's memories of seeing the photograph (the description is kept ambiguous, likely to avoid spoiling the end of the Belobog quest).

An old photo lies on the far end of the table in the guardian's residence. She would always subconsciously move her eyes away whenever she happened to see it. The memories of the past had already become distant, but the dreams of today still linger.

So it's a valid Watsonian reading imo to interpret Ratio's signature LC as being tied to the memory of the photograph from the social media post, even if by Memokeeper logic the two probably wouldn't look exactly alike.

Anyway sorry for rambling on your post dfsdshsdfh, the lore of light cones as something that exist within the world of the game is really fascinating to me despite the mere crumbs of lore we get with respect to how they work.

To return to the original topic: part of me will never quite get over the way Ratio's signature LC shows him holding a book one-handed and literally centimeters above the water. The librarian in me is going into absolute conniptions like sir that is the dictionary definition of hubris. I sincerely hope that detail is a Memokeeper's artistic license (or a photographer meddling with the shot, per the photo angle) because if not then I fear for the state of this man's personal library.

Thinking about Ratio's lightcone (his signature, not Final Victor (I'm sure I'll make a post about Final Victor some day but that day is not today))

Firstly, according to the description his baths do have floral scents. ("The afternoon sunshine is just right, and the floral scents fill the air.")

I do find it cute that he had a laurel bath curtain hook

Not only does he have what look to be rose petals (I don't know my flowers) but also just entire roses

Anyway, moving on from the fact that he could very well be buying entire bouquets for his baths. As Dan Heng said, light cones are crystallized memories in the Herta Station, meaning that it's likely that he remembers this moment particularly.

Why remember one bath? Well I direct you to one post from the Ratio Fan Club (Insane version)

Now, whether or not this can be considered canon I'm not entirely sure, but it does imply that his light cone was a picture that was taken of him. Which could potentially be why it's so 'memorable.'

[arh2023kr]

Virtual Sketchbook #2

Unity & Variety- the appearance of oneness (cohesiveness) and gives the artwork its own story.

Balance- gives a look of composure through symmetry or non symmetry.

Emphasis & Subordination- emphasis draws the viewers attention to a certain spot and subordination creates neutral areas to balance out the emphasized areas.

Directional forces- guide the eyes along actual or implied lines throughout the artwork.

Repetition & Rhythm- repetition can give flow and emphasis to artwork. Rhythm is created by repetition of objects with related variations.

Scale & Proportion- scale is size relation of one thing to another. Proportion is the size relationship to parts to whole. An example of scale is how big of a canvas the artist will use. An example of proportion is how big a characters hand will be in relation to their arm.

2. Ch 5.2 Titian Fig. 5.3 PIETA

-directional forces with implied lines diagonal along heads.

-emphasis on people & balance from 2 statues on each side.

-art has variety of textures

-neutral colors with highlight coming in from the top.

3. Color has affected my life because it brings a deeper understanding and connection with the elements. Nature grows and flourishes in many hues and intensities like watching the sunset or looking over a field of flowers. Seeing nature in its purest form and as it exists on its own is truly beautiful. The earth is capable of creating its own art. The color scheme for my life is earthy natural tones. I love the greens and browns and yellows/orange.

4.

5. Interactive design is defined as a user-oriented field of study that focuses on creating products using collaborative processes between people and technology.

Top 5 best interactive designs:

1. https://dribbble.com/shots/4728633-Spec-SoloLinks to an external site.

2. https://dribbble.com/shots/4862516-Hover-InteractionLinks to an external site.

3. https://dribbble.com/shots/3202469-Gr-nland-Color-Picker-MicrointeractionLinks to an external site.

4. https://dribbble.com/shots/4413821-Split-bill-InteractionLinks to an external site.

5. https://dribbble.com/shots/4917989-eCommerce-Add-to-Cart-Bag-InteractionLinks to an external site.

What makes a good interactive design to me is the simplicity and effectiveness. Making it user friendly will urge people to use it more and even recommend it to others. My favorite interactive design is the Hover interaction. The Hover interaction allows users to feel like their opinion matters. It is a really cool feature that is based on the actions of the user not the website itself. I think it does fulfill its purpose because it not only allows me to receive the information i wanted but also makes me feel like the company actually values what the user wants.

[stvrmfrci]

ㅤೀ     𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐁𝐎𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 !     AERA KIM sets sail to new adventures . the TWENTY-SIX year old is known to be CALLOUS , but makes up for it by being PROTECTIVE . you can usually find her listening to KING OF DISAPPOINTMENT BY ECHOS ; might be a way to cope with BEING DISOWNED BY HER FAMILY.     ﹕     ꒰   han jihyun, cis woman, she / her   ꒱

𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒄  𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒔

name:  kim  aera. pronouns:  she  /  her. nickname(s):  no  general  ones. date  of  birth:  april  2  @  0133. zodiac  signs:  ☼ ��aries,  ☾  virgo,  ⇧  sagittarius  (  western  ),  rat  (  chinese  ). language(s):  korean,  english,  mandarin.  can  also  hold  conversations  in  french. orientation:  pansexual  /  panromantic. occupation:  webtoon  artist  /  freelancer.

moral  alignment:  chaotic  neutral. enneagram:  type  4,  the  individualist. mbti:  isfp-t,  the  adventurer. hogwarts  house:  ravenclaw. temperament:  sanguine. signature  scent:  if  she  doesn’t  wear  perfume,  she  usually  smells  like  somang  milk  body  lotion  (  baby  powder-esque  )  as  she  practically  bathes  in  the  stuff.  if  wearing  perfume,  she  usually  smells  of  carolina  herrera’s  good  girl  (  top  notes:  almond  &  coffee.  heart  notes:  tuberose  &  jasmine  sambac.  base  notes:  tonka  bean,  vanilla,  &  cocoa.  ) 

inspiration:  do  haeyi  (  cheer  up  ),  various  webtoon  artists,  lemon  zhao  xiaoli  (  painter  ),  yuko  moriguchi  (  confessions,  book  by  kanae  minato  ),  morino  (  goth,  book  by  otsuichi  ),  +  facets  of  my  own  personality  &  imagination.

𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅  𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒔

───  an  only  child  born  to  two  parents�� who  cared  more  about  reputation  and  business,  aera  lived  her  entire  life  learning  to  become  the  perfect  wife  &  right  hand  (  business  )  woman.

───  was  sent  to  canada  at  age  6,  living  abroad  until  graduating  high  school.  of  course,  her  presence  was  requested  during  the  summers  to  spend  time  with  her  family  wherever  they  happened  to  vacation,  but  in  reality,  those  trips  were  nothing  more  than  a  test  to  ensure  her  father  was  getting  his  money’s  worth.

───  she  went  back  home  for  university,  getting  into  a  prestigious  art  school  much  to  her  parent’s  dismay  and,  to  the  outside,  aera’s  rebellion  seemed  to  come  from  left  field,  being  a  child  who  seemed  to  never  go  against  the  grain,  but  her  moves  were  always  much  more  calculated.

───  her  second  strike  came  when  she  began  posting  her  first  webtoon  (  titled  #horrorverse,  which  was  a  collection  of  single  chapter  horror  stories.  status:  ongoing  ).  given  her  occasionally  vindictive  nature,  she  didn’t  bother  hiding  the  fact  that  she  was  the  artist  once  it  gained  traction.  in  fact,  she  went  above  &  beyond  to  ensure  the  news,  along  with  her  success,  made  it  to  her  parents.

───  eventually  the  time  came  for  her  engagement  party  and  rather  than  facing  it  the  way  she  should  have,  she  made  the  easier  choice  and  ghosted,  using  her  exhibit  overseas  as  an  excuse.  this  brought  a  lot  of  undesired  media  attention,  of  course,  and  pulled  her  mom  &  dad’s  parenting  skills  into  question,  which  sent  them  through  the  roof.

───  refusing  to  wait  until  she  got  back,  she  was  mid-exhibition  when  she  received  an  email  containing  a  copy  of  the  legal  documents  explaining  that  she  was  no  longer  part  of  the  family  and  her  parents  considered  her  dead  to  them.

𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏  𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒔

───  because  she’s  a  type  4,  her  entire  personality  is  connected  to  her  emotions.  because  of  this,  her  sense  of  self  is  practically  non-existent  and  it’s  part  of  the  reason  why  she  seems  to  change  into  a  different  person  based  on  whatever  emotion  is  in  the  driver  seat.

───  those  mood  swings  also  have  a  tendency  to  fluctuate  rapidly  depending  on  what  triggers  she’s  exposed  to,  so  don’t  @  her  if  she’s  one  person  one  second,  then  a  completely  different  animal  not  even  two  minutes  later.

───  she  began  going  to  therapy  about  a  year  ago  where  she  was  diagnosed  with  adhd  with  a  larger  emphasis  on  the  impulsive/hyperactive  portion  rather  than  inattentiveness,  but  she  refuses  to  take  medication.

───  she  also  has  borderline  personality  disorder  (  bpd  ),  but  has  not  been  told  she  has  it.

───  for  reference,  the  art  style  of  her  webtoons  is  similar  to  that  of  ecstasy  hearts  (  HERE’S  an  example  but  picture  the  colors  being  a  bit  more  muted  ),  but  the  meat  of  her  stories  are  more  similar  to  scroll  if  you  dare,  bastard,  sweet  home,  #killstagram,  hell  is  other  people,  etc.

───  as  i  said  earlier,  she  does  still  have  one  webtoon  still  ongoing,  which  was  the  first  one  she  started.  i  think  the  majority  of  the  ones  that  she  made  into  series  were  just  continuations  based  on  some  of  the  more  popular  chapters  of  #horrorverse.  but  now  that  she’s  on  the  cruise,  she’s  gone  from  being  someone  who  only  ever  seemed  to  lock  herself  away  in  order  to  draw  to  someone  who  still  draws  a  lot,  but  is  trying  to  focus  more  on  soul  searching.  she  is  gonna  do  a  story  based  on  the  cruise  tho,  but  make  it  ~slasher~.

───  lives  for  a  good  bit  of  gossip  and  tends  to  let  her  imagination  run  rather  than  properly  listen  to  the  truth  about  certain  situations.  has  absolutely  spread  rumors  that  weren’t  true.  but  does  she  do  that  on  purpose  to  be  an  instigator  or  is  it  malice  free?  stay  tuned  to  find  out.

───  a  violent  lil  thing.  jealous.  vindictive.  the  whole  package,  but  those  sides  of  her  only  come  out  for  special  occasions.

───   big  flirt  maybe?  can  she  walk  the  walk  tho,  who  knows!

───  grossly  morbid.  pls  do  tell  her  if  she  makes  you  uncomfortable  bc  when  she  gets  stuck  on  something,  boooooooooooooooy  can  she  go  off  the  deep  end.  and  because  everything  sorta  disappears  when  she  gets  hyperfocused,  she  doesn’t  realise  that  her  interest  in  the  macabre  can  be  off-putting.  (  tho  i’ll  obviously  censor  her  for  the  comfort  of  those  on  the  dash  ).

ok  i’m  done.  this  is  long  enough.  thx  for  putting  up  with  us  <3

[luckgods]

Why all the white guys in whump?

I got Inspired by a post asking that question, and here we are. Warning: long post ahead.

I think it’s due to a combination of factors, as things frequently are.

The preference for / prevalence of white male characters in fandom is well-known and has been examined pretty thoroughly by people already.

What’s worth noting for discussing this tendency in whump in particular is that the ‘whump fandom’ itself is not a ‘fandom’ in the traditional sense of being made of fans of one single source narrative (or source setting, like a particular comics fandom, or the Star Wars extended universe) with pre-existing characters. Although subsets of traditional fandoms certainly exist within the larger whump fandom, a lot of whump is based on original, ‘fan’-created characters.

So, given the tendency of ‘traditional’ fandoms to create stories disproportionately centered on white male characters due to the source material itself being centered on white male characters (and giving more narrative weight to them, characterizing them better, etc), if we say hypothetically that the whump fandom is split say 50/50 between ‘traditional’ fandom works and original whump works, you’d expect to see a higher number of works focused on white men than the demographics of the ‘traditional’ fandom’s source work would predict, but not as extreme of a divergence between the source material & the fanworks as the one you’d see if whump fandom were 100% based on popular media.

However, that doesn’t quite seem to be the case. Whump stories and art remain focused on overwhelmingly male and frequently white characters, which means that the tendency of the fandom to create stories disproportionately centered on white male characters cannot be ONLY explained by the source material itself being centered on white male characters (and giving more narrative weight to them, characterizing them better, etc).

And, having established the fact that whump writers & artists presumably have MORE control over the design of their characters than writers & artists in ‘traditional’ fandoms, we have to wonder why the proportions remain biased towards men, & white men in particular.

—

The race thing is pretty simple in my opinion. Mostly, it’s just another extension of the fanbase’s tendency to reflect the (predominantly US-American, on tumblr) culture it exists in, which means that, in a white-centric culture, people make artworks featuring white people.

There’s also the issue of artists being hesitant to write works that dwell heavily on violence towards people of color due to the (US-American) history of people of color being violently mistreated. I’ve actually seen a couple of posts arguing that white people SHOULDN’T write whump of nonwhite characters (particularly Black characters) because of the history of actual violence against Black bodies being used as entertainment, which means that fictional violence against Black people, written by white people, for a (presumed) white audience, still feels exploitative and demeaning.

I'm not going to get into all my thoughts on this discussion here but suffice to say that there's probably an impact on the demographics of whump works from authors of color who simply... don't want to see violence against people of color, even non-explicitly-racialized violence, and then another impact from white authors who choose not to write non-white characters either due to the reasons stated above, or simply due to their personal discomfort with how to go about writing non-white characters in a genre that is heavily focused on interpersonal violence.

Interestingly enough, there’s also a decent proportion of Japanese manga & anime being used as source material for whump, and manga-styled original works being created. The particular relationship between US-American and Japanese pop culture could take up a whole essay just by itself so I’ll just say, there’s a long history of US-Japanese cultural exchange which means that this tendency is also not all that surprising.

—

GENDER though. If someone had the time and the energy they could make a fucking CAREER out of examining gender in whump, gender dynamics in whump, and why there seems to be a fandom-wide preference for male whumpees that cannot be fully explained by the emphasis on male characters in the source text.

I have several different theories about factors which impact gender preference in whump, and anyone who has other theories (or disagrees with mine) is free to jump in and add on.

THEORY 1: AUTHOR GENDER AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
 Fandom in general is predominantly female, although these days it might be more accurate to say that fandom is predominantly composed of cis women and trans people of all genders. However, pretty much everyone who isn't a cis man has had to contend with the specter of gendered violence in their real personal life. Thus, if we posit whump (and fandom more generally) as a sort of escapist setup, it's not hard to see why whump authors & artists might willfully eschew writing female whumpees (especially in the case of inflicted whump), because (as in the discussion of people of color in whump above), even violence towards women that is explicitly non-gender-based may still hit too close to home for people whose lives have been saturated with the awareness of gender-based violence.

THEORY 2: SICK OF SEXY SUFFERING.
 Something of an addendum to theory 1, it's worth noting that depictions of female suffering in popular media are extremely gendered (in that they specifically reflect real-life gender-based violence, and that said real-life violence is almost exclusively referenced in relation to female characters) and frequently sexualized as well. There's only so many times you can see female characters having their clothes Strategically Ripped while they're held captive, being sexually menaced (overtly or implicitly) to demonstrate How Evil the villain is, or just getting outright sexually assaulted for the Drama of it all before it gets exhausting, especially when the narratives typically either brush any consequences under the rug, or dwell on them in a way that feels more voyeuristic and gratuitous than realistic and meaningful. All this may result in authors who, given the chance to write their own depictions of suffering, may decide simply to remove the possibility of gendered violence by removing the female gender.

THEORY 3: AUTHOR ATTRACTION. 
I'll admit that this one is more a matter of conjecture, as I haven't seen any good demographic breakdowns of attraction in general fandom or whump fandom. That said, my own experience talking to fellow whump fans does indicate that attraction to the characters (whether whumpers, or whumpees) is part of the draw of whump for some people. This one partially ties into theory 1 as well, in that people who are attracted to multiple genders may not derive the same enjoyment out of seeing a female character in a whumpy situation as they might seeing a male character in that situation, simply because of the experience of gendered violence in their lives.

THEORY 4: ACCEPTABLE TARGETS.
 The female history of fandom means that there's been a lot more discussion of the impacts of depicting pain & suffering (especially female suffering) for personal amusement. Thus, in some ways, you could say that there is a mild taboo on putting female characters through suffering if you can't "justify" it as meaningful to the narrative, not just titillating, which whump fandom rarely tries or requires anyone to do. This fan-cultural 'rule' may impact whump writers' and artists' decisions in choosing the gender of their characters.

THEORY 5: AN ALTERNATIVE TO MAINSTREAM MASCULINITY.
 Whump fandom may like whumping men because by and large, mainstream/pop culture doesn't let men be vulnerable, doesn't let them cry, doesn't let them have long-term health issues due to constantly getting beat up even when they really SHOULD, doesn't let them have mental health issues period. Female characters, as discussed in theory 2, get to ("get to") go through suffering and be affected by it (however poorly written those effects are), but typically, male characters' suffering is treated as a temporary problem, minimized, and sublimated into anger if at all possible. (For an example, see: every scene in a movie where something terrible happens and the male lead character screams instead of crying). So, as nature abhors a vacuum, whump fandom "over-produces" whump of men so as to fill in that gap in content.

THEORY 6: AMPLIFIED BIAS.
 While it's true that whump fandom doesn't have a source text, it's also true that whump fans frequently find their way into the fandom via other 'traditional' fandoms, and continue participating in 'traditional' fandoms as part of their whump fandom activity. Bias begets bias; fandom as a whole has a massive problem with focusing on white male characters, and fans who are used to the bias towards certain types of characters in derivative works absolutely reproduce that bias in their own original whump works.

—

I honestly think that there is greater bias in the whump fandom than anyone would like to admit. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems as though whump fans avoid introspection and discussion of the issue by bringing up the points I talked about in my previous theories, particularly discomfort with depictions of female suffering for amusement.

However, I think that, as artists, we owe it to ourselves and one another to engage in at least a small amount of self-interrogation over our preferences, and see what unconscious or unacknowledged biases we possess. It's a little absurd to argue that depictions of women as whumpees are universally too distressing to even discuss when a male character in the exact same position would be fine and even gratifying to the person making that argument; while obviously, people have a right to their own boundaries, those boundaries should not be used to shut down discussion of any topics, even sensitive ones.

Furthermore, engaging in personal reflection allows artists to make more deliberate (and meaningful) art. For people whose goal is simply to have fun, that may not seem all that appealing, but having greater understanding of one's own preferences can be very helpful towards deciding what works to create, what to focus on when creating, and what works to seek out.

—

GENDER ADDENDUM: NONBINARY CHARACTERS, NONBINARY AUTHORS. 
Of course, this whole discussion so far has been exclusively based on a male-female binary, which is reductive. (I will note, though, that many binary people do effectively sort all nonbinary people they know of into 'female-aligned' and 'male-aligned' categories and then proceed to treat the nonbinary people and characters they have categorized a 'female-aligned' the same way as they treat people & characters who are actually female, and ditto for 'male-aligned'. That tendency is very frustrating for me, as a nonbinary person whose gender has NOTHING to do with any part of the binary, and reveals that even 'progressive' fandom culture has quite a ways to go in its understanding of gender.)

Anyways, nonbinary characters in whump are still VERY rare and typically written by nonbinary authors. (I have no clue whether nonbinary whump fans have, as a demographic group, different gender preferences than binary fans, but I'd be interested in seeing that data.)

As noted above with female characters, it's similarly difficult to have a discussion about representation and treatment of nonbinary characters in whump fandom, and frankly in fandom in general. Frequently, people regard attempts to open discussions on difficult topics as a call for conflict. This defensive stance once again reveals the distaste for requests of meaningful self-examination that is so frequent in fandom spaces, and online more generally.

—

TL;DR: Whump is not immune to the same gender & racial biases that are prevalent in fandom and (US-American) culture. If you enjoy whump: ask yourself why you dislike the things you dislike— the answer may surprise you. If you create whump: ask yourself whose stories you tell, and what stories you refuse to tell— then ask yourself why.

[cancerjupiter]

astro notes: neptune edition (pt. 1)

neptune represents issues which are frequently unconscious, so all of this may operate without your awareness. if projected, the negative aspects of neptune become more emphasised. the more you reject it in your own life, the more likely it is that you’ll meet it in exaggerated ways outside yourself.

neptune in the 1st house

tends to be the kind of person who waits and sees, but your outward behavior doesn’t begin to describe what goes on inside. you feel connected to your environment because you’re aware of subtle energies, you pick up impressions from others they’re usually unaware to be giving. you find yourself in the uncomfortable position of knowing (beyond a verbal level) what others’ unconscious motivations are, what’s hidden behind their civility. you tend to be very idealistic, preferring to live in harmony: peaceful non-demanding relationships and quiet and aesthetically pleasing surroundings. you choose to think kindly of others, whether they reciprocate or not; your sensitivity gives you a natural compassion. you can be most charming, often whimsical, sometimes romantic, and usually empathic. you seem approachable and often receptive to a degree others find startling and deeply gratifying (if not a little scary lol). you want life to be perfect for yourself and others, and your desire for a better world can be channeled into artistic creative pursuits, social work, or mere daydreaming.

you often struggle with personal identity. you may be so open to others that you pick up their moods without realising it. you tend to mimic, unconsciously, the strong characteristics of the last person you were with. don’t become an emotional sponge; define your emotional boundaries and accept it is necessary for your growth to establish a firm identity. another thing i noticed about you is that you guys don’t mind suffering; no, i’m not saying you don’t hate it (everyone does!) but you seem to accept it when you don’t have to. you put others first and feel that it’s best to sacrifice your own well-being than to be responsible for someone else’s suffering.

there’s almost always a strong awareness of and interest in spiritual energies with this placement. you may actually be psychic, whether or not you’re comfortable with the ability. you may deeply religious, although not conventionally since institutions don’t satisfy you; you feel at home with a belief system you know, from personal experience, exists. your lack of interest in the real world can lead you into seriously bad habits like drug abuse or eating disorders and due to your dislike of physical activity, this can quickly damage your (often sensitive) health. alternatively, this placement can also lead to arrogance, depending on the sun and midheaven placements/aspects.

neptune in the 2nd house

you tend to be idealistic with the use of money and personal resources, not terribly attached to them. you look at them as temporary and although sad to part with something you own, you can let it go where others simply cannot. there’s an indifferent attitude towards finances, income and etc. some of you are v generous and will give things away to people who can truly admire it, believing nothing truly belongs to anyone. this outlook satisfies you greatly, making you easygoing but also easily being taken advantage of. this sort of gives you a fairy-tale attitude towards your money - it’s either always there when needed, or simply one of the world’s idiotic, materialistic preoccupations. you may be unpractical or simply forgetful with resources; not willing to sit down and figure what’s the best buy and choosing to go with intuition. purchases usually go by what you want rather than what you can afford (my friend has no idea how much is on her bank acc and doesn’t care to figure it out. she just doesn’t care lol). you should actually read the small print in contracts and not trust just anyone with your money.

alternatively, there may be a strong tendency to overvalue material things (neptune = beliefs in the house of money and possessions), specially if there’s an earth emphasis in the chart, making you inclined to putting great care and time into upkeep. you usually want your things to look aesthetic™️. 

there’s also a strong creative tendency; it may be expressed in various forms but it will certainly be inherent. you need at least periodic access to music and inspiration, including the outdoors where you can soak up peace and serenity. since the 2nd house also relates to sensual pleasures, you probably expect these to provide a kind of ultimate ecstasy. in short, this placement forces you to face up to your tendencies to create illusions about money, possessions, sex, or creative pursuits. don’t expect more from them than they can provide.

neptune in the 3rd house

on one level, this placement can confuse and scatter the brain, giving it vagueness and disorganized thinking. sometimes, however, the mind exhibits uncanny insights into the subtleties of the environment. you sense the hidden nuances and meanings behind what’s being said. what you miss in terms of precise analytical ability, you can by being able to view the big-picture more clearly. there’s a danger to this however; your desire to view what’s beautiful and ideal around you can give a kind of selective perception in which only the good is seen and what doesn’t fit into that is ignored.

you don’t usually feel comfortable expressing yourself through normal channels of communication. what you have to say can be better demonstrated through dance, poetry, song, or picture (painted or taken). there’s often a shyness in the early school situation, which manifested in mental illness (my friend has dyslexia and this was a hard time for her) or simply confusion.

since this house also rules siblings, there may be some sacrifices to be made in relation to them; they may be a problem or have difficulties. since neptune fuses the boundary between the self and others, you may feel you’re responsible for their problems or everything which happens in the immediate environment (also ruled by the 3rd). if you don’t have siblings, you probably longed for the companionship of it, an idealized vision of what a sibling is. i also noticed this neptune placement showing exceptional ability as teachers - specially working w children who have learning difficulties. they can understand ways to communicate with and understand the child better than anyone else.

neptune in the 4th house

i have this one and it’s a loaded position: an unconscious planet in an unconscious house. to feel safe in a secure nest is fundamental, though that’s often quite unconscious. your idea of haven includes a lovely home, w lots of food and someone who will take care of your needs. there’s an assumption that the mother, early home life and emotional security all need to be perfect. that is, all needs will be met with ease, and there’s no upset or disappointment in these areas. the mom or other primary caregiver, is supposed to be there when needed, regardless of other commitments. the illusions connected to the 4th house (remember, neptune refers to illusions which must be exposed and released) are deeply intimate; and any threat to them is profoundly threatening to you.

neptune in the 4th generally has to overcome the strong need for the nurturing parent to not only be perfect but to continue being so into your adulthood. you have great difficulty separating from them; you may never fully do it. it doesn’t matter if they actually lived to your expectations, for their importance is in your head - the parent you idealized or pretended they were. sometimes, however, this desire focuses on the home rather than the parent. in this case, the childhood home was either perfect, or mysterious and elusive. you can react by trying to re-create the exact same nest.

with this placement, nurturing yourself becomes the ultimate value, a way to find supreme satisfaction. you can also make the most amazing caretakers and companions. your need to nurture others is a complicated expression of your own hunger to be taken care of; you give too much and eventually become resentful when no one appreciates your (not asked for) sacrifices. you might also project neptunian traits onto your parent; they may be v spiritual and loving, vague and confusing, or even absent, so you were left w only a fantasy of what they could - and should - have been. they might have also been a victim (similar to pisces moon) and you might’ve felt obligated to save them. 

you feel like caring involves being swallowed up completely, and it’s something you either constantly yearn or are terrified of. you also feel if your (unrealistic) emotional security needs aren’t met, you won’t survive the disappointment (you did, and you will again). neptune in the 4th can make the most patient and loving parents, w a strong sense of their emotional bonding and spiritual responsibilities. you will do more to create an ideal parent/child relationship than anyone else and constantly remind others of how important it is to strive to be the best parent one can be.

neptune in the 5th house

this combo leads to a definite charisma, an aura of charm and power and importance (timothee, angelina, mlk, drake, etc). it’s a strong indication of some kind of acting ability, though it may be used as a teacher or a salesman rather than on stage. you’re likely to work in some area where applause and respect can be immediate and experienced personally. you need this; neptune undermines the self-confidence so you depend on others’ feedback to measure your worth. this can be a deadly dependency because even the highest praise and respect can truly fulfill the yearning to be loved unconditionally, only provide a temporary high, making you forever vulnerable.

some of the illusions related to this placement include the need to have perfect relationships and children, and the perfect artistic creation. whenever one expects perfection, they’re doomed to disappoitment, although the process of disillusionment may be needed to rethink your outlook on life. you may expect your love life to provide a complete sense of fulfillment. you can make a v romantic partner, the type to love cheesy romantic things and music, who can surround your lover with utmost affection. however, you might also expect them to sense your wishes and always meet them; or expect yourself to always be sensitive and caring at al times, regadless of your moods and/or needs.

you need to re-evaluate your tendency to romanticize lovers instead of seeing them for who they are. you may also harbor illusions towards children, your own or all, which hamper your ability to deal w them realistically and effectively. there’s a difficulty in developing a strong sense of self-worth, or maybe fancying yourself to be far more important than you really are. this placement is associated w a great deal of inspired creativity, however, and if other chart factors support it, it indicates exceptional artistic talent. with humility and self-awareness, you can use your magnetism to uplift those who have lost all confidence.

neptune in the 6th house

w this placement, neptune is in its polar opposite, since 6th house relates to virgo and neptune relates to pisces. this house is about the world as it is and how to manage it in a day-to-day basis. neptunian energy is the opposite: it yearns for and seeks to unite w the cosmos, which transcends this world. how can these two work this out?

when they’re well integrated in the chart, you can dream of neptune while using the practical 6th house skills to plan and organise the dream you wish to make true some day. it can direct the neptunian energy to envision something better, prettier, more creative and inspiring. without this, the 6th house is merely a housekeeping unit - a drive to organise and plan, but for what purpose? neptune supplies it with purpose and the house repays it with practical skills, usually related to some artistic work.

however, if the energies are at odds, there is the need to dream vs. the need to be practical and realistic. you feel a strong need to busy yourself w details and make everything as efficient as possible, tidying up and even criticising others (negative virgo energy). you may expect far too much from others and yourself, never able to say “no” when more work is piled on you. another expression is not being able to keep your shit together; you forget, are disorganized, feel tired and drained of energy, get sick often, or feel generally unfulfilled. my friend, for example, often seeks jobs for its glamorous aspects, only to get swamped by details and routine.