#especially when my stunted life skills and progress affect my ability to do any of the things i want to

[coilserpent]

astrology observations pt. 13

Hello, everyone! 💜 I am back again with the observations after a long long time away from tumblr; I am taking sidereal birth chart readings, for those contact me at my email: coilserpent@gmail.com. Enjoy!

sidereal cancer is a natural yearner similar to sidereal taurus and libra, however it is not exclusive to a romantic interest. the yearning transcends romance, it goes to the past, friends, family, older versions of the self.

sidereal leo is pedantic about their goals, they like to track their progress and also keep their spaces clean and pleasant looking.

9th and 12th placements are experimental, they may not believe in the concepts presented to them but they do not reject them. 12th housers especially may even try them out and embrace something just to feel what it brings to them as an experience simply,

people put sidereal leo on a pedestal and look up to them because of their skills and the way they carry themselves, their wisdom too (magha nakshatra) but they feel like an impostor often and don’t even like being noticed in that way, they mostly prefer recognition for certain skills.

7th housers can’t learn their most valuable life lessons and develop themselves to their fullest potential without their 1:1 connections. be it business, friendship or romance. they take the wisdom from those unsuccessful relationships and use it to strengthen their 1st - sense of who they are outside of the relationships.

8th housers have a tendency to not let their traumatic experiences go and this stunts their ability to grow emotionally. (2-8 nodes especially here) they have a tendency to always remember the people closest to them did that affected them so deeply where they don’t even get out of this deep whole of negativity, this breeds chronic low self worth (2H) and no motivation to be more.

1st housers when not evolved may be tricked into giving a lot of attention to the 3D and associate 3D themes with what makes them “Them”, they may define themselves as their career and hobbies. this is a recipe for existential crisis because once those 3D elements change (they will) or are no longer interesting to the masses this individual essentially “loses value”.

sidereal taurus moon vs sidereal scorpio moon have polarizing approaches to lively aspirations. due to the exaltation of the Taurus moon and this sense of natural internal security they are born with has its downside, that shows up in someone as not striving for more than the ”comfortable” lifestyle and not really having build any special skills to achieve milestones. this makes them prone to falling into depressions later in life (and issues with overeating/drinking often). sidereal scorpio moons are not “blessed” with this sense of internal comfort, the hardships they face early on makes them motivated to rebuild themselves and acquire skills which are important for success. the other downside is they have to learn how to appreciate their achievements and not just diminish them and going for the next, taking time for a little rest now and then is okay, scorpio.

[bromantically]

also its so fucked up to me that so many of these old friends have spouses and kids. im not even ready for another job yet. i cant even fathom being married rn, or anytime within the next 10 years. the concept of having a kid is something i dont think i will ever warm up to. how have they done all of this

[witchoflegends]

Here's few questions for all of them!

• Were you deaf from birth?

• Was learning a sign language and/or other forms of communication difficult for you?

• Has being deaf affected your ability to learn or perform your bending?

Thank you anon! You have made me so happy!

For those that don’t know, this is referring to this post informing people about my deaf ATLA/LOK characters. If you would like to interact with them, let me know. My IM is always open. Or if you just have general questions about them, deafness in the ATLA universe, or deafness in generally, let me know. I’d be happy to answer any questions you have.

As per your questions kind anon: It got long, so it’s all under the cut.

1) All four of them were born deaf. Keokuk is the only one with a deaf parent (his mother. She became deaf in her teens. It progressed slowly until she lost her hearing completely. Not that anyone asked, but whatever). Everyone else has hearing parents.

2) Children that learn sign language, actually learn it earlier than speech. Kids that are exposed to sign language from birth just as they would hearing, learn to communicate sooner. This is because they can pick up the motions of signing and what they mean faster than they can speech. Deaf children need exposure to sign language just like a hearing child needs exposure to people talking. If you remove sign language from a deaf child’s life, they’re not going to develop normally, because they’re missing the communication aspect of life. They’ll develop slower than other kids that did get exposure to communication right off the bat. Deaf children learn to read and write just as hearing children do. The big difference between what deaf children and hearing children can do, is that one can hear, and the other can’t. There’s not really other ways for deaf people to communicate outside of sign language and writing.

Keokuk, because his mother is deaf, was surrounded by sign language from birth. Not only from his mother, but also his father and the other deaf people in their tribe. Deaf people are like tribes in and of themselves. They like to stick with their own kind. So he was surrounded by deafness and deaf culture. He’s absolutely the most in tune with that part of himself.

Choden is the second most in tune. She wasn’t exposed to sign language right at birth, but it was pretty soon after. Once the Air Nomads realized she was deaf, they made sure to send her to the air temple that had the most deaf in it. Again, deaf people stick together. So she was surrounded by adults and children who were deaf and signing.

Then there is Emiko. Her parents didn’t initially want to accept the fact that their daughter was deaf. But after a lot of consulting with healers and physicians, they gave up trying to make her hear. So they learned sign language for her. That doesn’t mean they liked that she was deaf. They just worked with what they had been given. So while she doesn’t necessarily struggle to communicate or sign, she’s not the most in tune with her deafness or deaf culture.

The one that is least in tune with his deafness and sign language is Haoran. His parents didn’t want him learning sign language. They wanted him speaking. Which is unfortunately actually pretty common for children with hearing parents. This, as I mentioned above, stunted his social development. It wasn’t until he ran into other deaf children that he started slowly learning sign language when he was around 14. It was hard for him, because it was like trying to work a muscle you didn’t know you had, and his parents didn’t help. They wanted him to speak, and act hearing. So he struggles with communication in all aspects.

3) Deafness doesn’t really affect ones ability to bend. What it does affect is their ability to defend when fighting. They take a much more cautious approach in fighting. Though, most would rather use their bending for things other than fighting.

A lot of waterbenders that are deaf focus more on healing than fighting. Water is also the hardest element for them to defend against. They can’t hear it coming, or really feel it coming until it’s too late.

Earthbending tends to be the easiest element for Deaf benders to be able to fight against. Or at least defend against. It’s the vibrations of the ground moving that allow them to best defend against it.

Those that can firebend end up with the most scars. Especially throughout their childhood as they are learning how to firebend and defend against attacks. It’s surprisingly an easy element to detect when fighting (fire is hot), but takes some skill and practice to get that detection right.

Airbending is arguably the best element for a deaf person to be able to bend. There is just something about being able to feel the air and movements around them that makes airbending come easy to the Deaf that wield it.

[aspiratinganxiety]

So I love when you rant and give detailed explanations about certain topics so: was Jason better off not being adopted by Bruce?

So, I’m not sure if you’re asking about any particular story line or alternate universe in which Jason is not adopted, and so I am going to answer under the assumption that you’re referring to headcanons floating around about the way things would have gone for Jay if he’d never been taken in as a Robin. 

Furthermore, I’m going to answer this with absolutely zero self-pity. Do not mistake my relating low-income struggles that were present in my life as bellyaching. There were a lot of reasons why things were the way that they were for me, and I do not need an ounce of anybody’s pity.

So, without further ado, Anon, as somebody who was raised in an incredibly low-income environment with violence, drug abuse, and all other manner of illegal activity going on in my home through my childhood into adolescence: No. 

Fuck. No.

Jason remaining in a dangerous environment, no matter how he thrived there, would not leave him in a state that I consider “better off.”

Simply through the lens of base needs, no fucking way. 

Being from a home without resources was literally the worst part of all of that nonsense. At least, for me. 

The emotional/physical abuse lingers, whatever. The drug and alcohol use was a wild ride to witness as an outside party, sure.  

Not having hot water for a shower? Not having more than two pairs of pants that weren’t pajamas and no place to wash them? Not having a toothbrush or anything but cold canned carrots from the food pantry for supper?

Not having pads or tampons as a scared 12 year old girl who then has to bear the humiliation of my school nurse going out and buying them for me because everyone knew that my family was too poor and the government subsidies weren’t being spent on keeping our home livable and providing for our needs?

Yeah. No. Jason Peter Todd was a clever, gifted child who would do well in any environment. That doesn’t mean that squalor suited him better than an emotionally stunted man-child that did the motherfucking best he could to love him and give him everything that he could possibly need and then some. 

Making Jason Robin and putting him in danger was like handing-over your keys to a car thief and accepting that you were gonna be calling your insurance the next day. Bruce didn’t have a lot of choices there. Jason already had a thirst. He already sought the thrill. The only thing Bruce thought to do was offer him proper skills, training, and equipment. 

Along the way, he loved him. Grew alongside him as a person and a father-figure. He guided him to the best of his ability, and when that backfired?

It broke him too. 

I was taken in by my eldest sister. Granted, she’s no Bruce Wayne and I didn’t oil myself up to slide into a neon crime-fighting get up. I did, however, provide so much childcare and support that I was the only person to cook, grocery shop, meal plan, or be allowed by the baby to bathe her and brush her hair by the time I was 16. My sister didn’t mean for me to take over so much domestic responsibility, it just happened that way.

I was a profoundly grateful people pleaser desperate to be somebody (anybody)’s favorite, and she had a husband who worked nights and so was basically functioning as a single mom with a houseful of 4 kids (plus me) to worry about.   

And I hurt for the nervous disorders she fed by expecting me to provide as much or, in some cases, more care to her home and children than she did. The unhealthy dynamic we fell into left me an anxious mess with little to no self-value as a human being if I am not providing others some kind of measurable benefit.

Five years out of her house and I have to work on this mentality every day.   

All the same, I got the opportunity to live in a home that was well-managed. I had clothes, food, showers and baths, school, and adults who were invested in my education and development.

Jason's situation is similar, in my opinion. He suffers for some of the damage done by Bruce. Ultimately though, he is better and more loved for having been his son.

Having the unique experience of being literally saved from a broken home (which Jason didn’t even fucking have. Poor baby was on his own) and lifted up into a household with actual disposable income, affection, education, and delicious produce regularly?

Jason Todd was the luckiest boy in the world. 

The depictions of Bruce and Jay that have them being nothing but violent and hateful toward one another hurt my heart so much, I cannot even express with words the pain I associate with it. 

I would like to note here that I do understand the abusive link between Bruce and a lot of his kids. Being idolized as a parent and literal hero sets you up for failure. Nobody can ever hope to live up to those kinds of expectations, and Bruce is all kinds of fucked up in his own right. 

The physical abuse and resentment I understand from both sides, though it kills me.

One can see how Jason returning as a man who lived to spit in the face of everything he worked so hard to foster in him would push Bruce over the edge into more progressively abusive behavior, where before he had been emotionally neglectful and selfish as a parent. Blind, even, to the non-physical needs of Jason. 

I 100% relate to Jason’s shock and horror upon being utterly disillusioned with his hero, the man acting as his father. 

He failed to save him. He failed to avenge him. While he was alive, he failed to understand him. 

What more can you do? 

Jason gave it all. 

He gave his life.

And he’s still not good enough for Bruce?

Fuck’s sake. I’d blow shit up and put heads in a bag too.

Damn. 

Anyway, TLDR: Though the unhealthy/abusive aspects of the relationship between Jason and Bruce are brutal and heart-wrenching for all involved, I do not think that Jason would have been better left to his own devices. He was a child who needed a home with enough resources to care for him. 

Bruce provided that.

Additionally, they love each other.

This, of course, is not an excuse for abuse. 

Canon or headcanon, doesn’t matter: I argue that the love between Bruce and Jason was the first time Bruce truly felt a parental connection. Dick was like a younger brother. A nephew. A darling student. It wasn’t until he could contextualize his affection for Dick through the channels he developed toward Jason that Bruce realized the reason he could never see Dick as an equal companion was because he held him in his heart as a child. 

His child. 

Like Jason. 

All families are fucked up. They hurt each other. They shape one another through pain as much as they do love.

I can’t handle the especially hateful and violent depictions of Bruce and Jason’s relationship. It literally kills me, and I actively disregard them as shittily written canon with no deep concept of characterization.     

Same for Bruce and all of his other children.  

[dominichiranijournalism]

Peas & Glove: The Power of a United Community

Peas & Glove demonstrates how a community came together after a tragic car accident, to turn a negative situation into something positive, with islanders contributing in any way they could to aid Olly’s recovery.  

On the night of the 5th October 2014, Oliver (Olly) Newman pulled out of La Braye carpark in St Ouens (Jersey) and collided with an uninsured driver who was speeding at 84mph, leaving him as a tetraplegic, meaning he suffered a total loss of use of all four limbs and torso. The nature and seriousness of his injuries left him minimally conscious for many months as he was treated at Jersey’s General Hospital.

I had spent a mere two weeks at university in Manchester when it occurred. The heartbreaking news of his accident spread around the Island rapidly and within hours of it happening, my friend’s informed me of that night’s events. When someone explains a scenario like this over the phone, you can not possibly understand the magnitude of how critically damaging the crash had been. It was only in December when I visited him for the first time in hospital that I was able to comprehend the grim reality that Olly’s life may never be the same again.

“In the early days following Olly sustaining such horrific injuries, we were told to prepare for the worst.  I was asked to sign ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ orders and organ donations.  It was pretty dark.  Olly’s suggested recovery was minimal.”

The above account from Paul Newman (Olly’s father) puts into perspective the severity of the accident, upon recalling this time, he further expressed his views by putting a positive spin on the matter in his following remark. “However, and albeit two and a half years later, Olly is starting to communicate with us demonstrating his cognitive and decision making abilities. One of my close relatives recently visited a medium. When asked about him, she said that Olly’s day to die was 6th October 2014. But he didn’t, and there is a reason for that. We don’t know what that is yet but we will at some point in the future and all will become clear.”

When Olly was finally able to travel, he was transferred to a specialist neuro-rehabilitation centre in Surrey called QEF (Queen Elizabeth Foundation) where he now resides. In the wake of the accident, the Peas & Glove organisation was set up in order to raise money for Olly’s rehabilitation. It provided support to all involved as we could collectively focus on its progress which would directly benefit our friend in need.

Fourteen years ago, I had my first encounter with Olly when we were placed together in Jersey Surf School for a week. During the first day, we were sat, a bunch of kids together on the beach wall at St.Ouens enjoying our lunch, until we were rudely interrupted by a passing bee which decided to pester us all sending us into a panic. As we franticly ran around trying to avoid the said bee, Olly picked up a large rock and swung at the bee trying to save us from our terror. When it finally landed, Olly pounced and successfully squashed it leaving us all in fits of laughter. This was the very start of what can only be described as the amazing friendship we share.

In the early stages, Peas & Glove was mainly co-ordinated by Brontey Luxo-Piazza who has worked with many of Olly’s closest friends to establish the charity. She was able to provide her own interpretation of what the organisation encompasses, which is highlighted in the following statement.

“To me, Peas and Glove represents the essence of Olly and is a colourful reminder to us all to look after others and to live each day to the full. ”

Following the creation of Peas & Glove in February 2015, three events have been hosted at ‘The Watersplash’ in St Ouens Bay, one of Olly’s regular hangouts, where he was known and adored by a multitude of people. The first event we orchestrated really put into perspective the vast amount of people who had been moved by Olly’s unfortunate circumstances. A record breaking turnout saw an estimated 2,000 attendees pay tribute to him. The successes of our first event were evident, we were able to provide the community with an entertaining day out for all the family, whilst raising over £22,000 in the process. Despite the lengthy organising procedure, the creativity amongst the Peas & Glove team allowed the event to run smoothly. Activities ranged from live music, graffiti artists, motorcycle stunts, fire performers, face painting, zorb bubble football, a surfboard paddle and much more. This is what defines the organisation as something that is truly unique to Jersey, the event symbolises Olly’s spirit itself. Even the smallest details such as the visual display of colour provided through the sales of Peas & Glove tie dye t-shirts and the smiles of the attendees provided us with great satisfaction. Personally, I have been able to honour Olly by documenting the events on film, therefore the attached videos display each step of our journey.

The charity was originally named after one of his favourite motto’s, his own comedic take on the ‘peace and love’ phrase. However, the event itself was named ‘Permanent Ollyday’, this was formed through his admiration for the musician, Mike Love, who wrote a song called ‘Permanent Holiday’. We managed to get in touch with Mike who was touring Hawaii at the time. We retold Olly’s story to him, he was greatly moved by the work we had been doing. Consequently, he took time out of his busy lifestyle to deliver this personal heartfelt message in honour of Olly.

One of the fundamental reasons that Peas & Glove was regarded as such a success was due to Olly’s character. Brontey explains this perfectly, “After Olly’s accident it was obvious to see that many people had been affected by his accident. From musicians to beach goers, skaters, surfers, school and family friends, it is clear to see that Olly has made a massive impression on the people he has met on his journey and he continues to be loved by so many.”

Throughout the duration of my time spent with the beach community, fancy dress has always been something that was close to our hearts, throwing many parties in all kinds of wacky themes over the years. Hence, when it came to our second event on New Year's Eve (Junglebells), we decided to make it jungle themed due to the fact we had booked jungle legends, ‘Serial Killaz’ to headline the music line up for the event. The inventiveness and co-operation of the team was commendable. Our friends at Blip Productions took the lead on decorating our venue, they provided us with professional standard lighting, creating an atmosphere that surpassed what we had envisioned. The feedback from our clubbers appreciably remarked how amazing the decor that we put together had been, transforming Jersey’s musical playground into our very own jungle. ‘The Watersplash’ team have always supported our cause and provide us with friendly staff that enable the events to run smoothly, this was another sell-out event, meaning donations skyrocketed once again.

By the time our third event rolled around, we were close to £80,000 in donations. A large proportion of this was acquired through appearances at various Island events where we had been allocated stalls to sell our Peas & Glove merchandise. We had now become a recognised charity within the local community, our team was continually growing, finding new and exciting ways to raise money. Subsequent to the earthquake in Nepal, an islander named Sheri Burt set up a scheme in order to help the victims by dancing for 100 days, our team at Peas & Glove joined her on the 42nd day of her project. This demonstrates the strong connection between charities in our community and how awareness can be raised for more than one cause mutually. We also collaborated with ‘Groove De Lecq’ festival, whose proceeds were directed to charities such as ‘Autism Jersey’, ‘Headway Jersey’ and the ‘British Heart Foundation’.

Last summer’s event was actually split into two days, firstly we hosted a club event featuring the popular Drum and Bass artists, ’Pendulum’. The following weekend we held the main Peas & Glove event which mirrored the previous year but on a bigger scale. We especially focused on demonstrating the vast array of local talent that Jersey has to offer. The centre of the promenade was occupied by an outdoor stage and to either side of this were skateboarders and trials bikers, showing off their skills whilst live music blared through the speakers. Throughout the day people flocked in numbers to enjoy yet another incredible day, it’s success drove us over the £100,000 mark, an amount that nobody involved could have ever envisaged.

The outreach that has been achieved not only within our community, but around the world continues to astonish all of us. Islanders who have made a conscious effort to spread Olly’s story have allowed our organisation to grow in places we could never have imagined. Even the smallest contributions such as wearing our t-shirts create further awareness. Personally, a highlight of our journey would have to be when Sparkz from Manchester’s Mouse Outfit and Levelz represented by wearing a Peas & Glove hoody in two different music videos. These videos have acquired hundreds of thousands of views on various social media platforms.

At this point in time, we are able to facilitate specialist treatment that would not have been available to Olly beforehand. He now benefits from the support of a cranio-oesteopath who visits him weekly, this has provided detailed insight into his condition and the improvements he continues to make. With the new advances in technology the money raised has been used to purchase state of the art ‘Eye Gaze’ equipment which will hopefully enable Olly to communicate and control his environment. Recently we have upgraded to a bespoke powered wheelchair which will play a vital role in terms of his mobility. Controls on the chair will eventually help Olly to stand in an upright position independently.

“QEF is a truly wonderful and amazing place for Olly. It provides the best, professional neuro-rehabilitation care that Olly needs 24 hours a day, that Jersey simply cant offer.”

The above statement is from Matt Daly, a close friend of Olly’s who we considered an inspiration to all of us at Peas & Glove. Before Olly’s accident, the pair could regularly be seen spending time together jamming on their guitars whilst Olly beatboxed and sung to the tunes. He recounted Olly as being “a genuine, loving, caring young lad, who would do anything to cheer someone up when they were having a bad day. He could always succeeded in putting a smile on their faces”. We have always had a very close knit group of friends who would spend countless hours enjoying each others company and laughing till the sun went down over the beach. Olly acted as a brother to all who knew him. Matt constantly demonstrates the significance of what that bond means to us through the actions he has taken since the accident. He frequently visits Olly, living in the guest cottage of QEF and devotes months of his time assisting the staff to aid in his friend’s recovery. His experience of the staff at QEF highlights their focus on what Olly can achieve, rather than what can not be achieved. He witnesses the various activities they engage in with Olly, learning how they can specifically improve his condition. With this information he is then able to report any progress back to the group at home.

QEF offers a diverse range of one-to-one support programmes tailored to help improve cognition, communication, physical, social and functional abilities; and vocational skills. Their specialist services are delivered by a highly experienced interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals. The team is composed of a consultant in rehabilitation medicine, specialist nurses, neurotherapists: physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, neuropsychologists, a vocational support team, and Art and Music tutors.

Peas and Glove collected an official accolade for our achievements towards the end of last year. Brontey won the ‘Angel of Jersey’ award after being nominated by Caroline Evans (Olly’s mother) for her continued support to the family. She described this as being “a real honour to be recognised and something I cannot wait to share with Olly in the future.” Alongside the award, she was granted with £1,000 which was spent on travel arrangements for a group of Olly’s closest friends to visit him. Everyone who attended spent an afternoon with him at Brighton’s Sealife centre, followed by a music session at QEF the next day. As Christmas was just around the corner, everyone was thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate with Olly whilst allowing him to be near the pleasant beach environment. The award not only marks yet another milestone in our journey, but also displays the kind sentiment of Brontey and all those who continue to contribute to Peas and Glove at every given opportunity. Without the support of the community, we could never have come this far, therefore it seems fitting to finish with Paul’s summary of our journey.

“Peas & Glove has further introduced me to who Olly was, the life he led away from his family and the love he had for those who he spent time with. Through my involvement in Peas & Glove I have gained access to people I would have never met. I have made new friendships and acquaintances with people I would otherwise never have crossed paths with. I have learned even more about his character and attitude and actually, it made me even more proud of him than I was already - and that was always high anyway.”