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bestworstcase · 2 years

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ok so. the timeline.

besides seasonal changes to the environment the best temporal marker we have in rwby is the academic calendar for the huntsmen academies. for simplicity i’m making the following assumptions:

1. BASH follow the same calendar

2. we are in the northern hemisphere

3. calendar units on remnant do not significantly differ from our own

i’m going to use the names of gregorian months instead of “1st/2nd/3rd winter month,” for ease of understanding, with seasons blocked out like dec/jan/feb, mar/apr/may, jun/jul/aug, and spt/oct/nov.

note: the second assumption requires that we also assume that the canonical map is NOT a world map. again assuming that remnant is earthlike in the essentials, the equator should then go approximately here:

…and then we have to assume that either this an extremely distorted projection OR remnant has way more ocean coverage than earth does and cartographers just kind of crop out all the extra water.

the clocks shown in the cct tower in V2 indicate that mistral (11:20) is three hours ahead of atlas/vale (8:20) and nine ahead of vacuo (2:20); which, again assuming all relevant variables are earthlike, would make the approximate distance between them roughly comparable to the distance between new york city and madrid—and given their relative positions on the map, either days on remnant are quite a bit shorter than ours orrr there’s a massive ocean between the east coast of anima and the west coast of sanus which DOESNT MATTER FOR THE TIMELINE DISCUSSION WHATSOEVER i just think it’s neat :)

back to the BASH academic calendar: from bits of dialogue in primarily V2, V3, and V5, we have a… relatively comprehensive understanding of what an academic year looks like. we’ll assume that a semester is 18 weeks.

vale has cold, snowy winters, shown in V3; it’s lush and green when V1 begins and remains so until V3, when ruby (and various environmental changes) indicate that it’s now autumn. since V1 encompasses the whole first semester, and V2 the first several weeks(?) of the second, the first semester of the academic calendar must begin in mid-to-late spring, likely the middle of april. it ends in early august, and with a two-week break (V2.1) before the next semester, that puts the beginning of the second semester right at the end of august.

the vytal festival is a complication here, because a significant number of students from the other three academies come to the host academy for a considerable length of time, which would impose a critical disruption of education once every other year for all huntsmen/huntresses in training given that the festival and pre-festival events seem to last for several months coinciding with the fall term—the simplest way to account for this is to assume that students intending to participate in the vytal tournament get enrolled in the hosting academy for the second semester, making this a formalized study-abroad program. (this is never stated outright and somewhat obscured by the “other students arriving for the festival” verbiage and how light V2-3 are on classroom/study scenes, but the integration of international students into beacon does pretty unambiguously support this reading.) all of this to say the festival is concurrent with the normal academic semester, rather than interrupting it with an extended holiday.

the weather stays fair throughout V2, and is noted to be “getting colder” early in V3; also, preparations for the vytal festival begin in vale during the break, toward the end of august. the festival appears to be more akin to an international expo than a holiday, albeit one small enough to occur biennially, so an event lasting somewhere in the neighborhood of 6-8 weeks after prep time of several weeks sounds about right. since the tournament is said to be the pinnacle of the festival, it likely takes place at or near the end. this would make V2 about 5-7 weeks in length and place V3, and the vytal tournament, around the beginning of october, which ties pretty well with the shifting weather.

under normal circumstances the fall semester would end in mid december, followed by an extended winter/spring break lasting until the start of the spring semester.

as a point of interest, on remnant the cultural associations with the seasons—as established by ozma, who also designed the huntsmen system—go like this:

winter (creation): “center yourself and think reflectively to gain awareness of who you are and what you can contribute to the world”

spring (knowledge): “nurture the life around you, and remember to stop and smell the roses”

summer (destruction): “don’t view the world at a distance—take an active part in it”

fall (choice): “be thankful for what you have and show your gratitude.”

and this lines up quite well with the structure of the academic calendar: there is an extended break during the winter and first half of spring, ideal for reflection on and integration of what was learned during the school year; the first semester begins in spring, the season of knowledge and fresh beginnings, and continues for most of the summer, which is all about participating actively in the world (as huntsmen are trained to do!). then the second semester covers the entirety of the fall and the first few weeks of winter, thus gratitude and appreciation leading to reflection and growth. the “knowledge, then choice” pattern repeated frequently throughout the show—including in ozpin’s welcoming speech at the beginning of the first semester—is followed in the academic calendar as well. all of which is to say, this is absolutely an academic calendar cooked up by ozma, the man is obsessed with symbols.

so. with the basics established we can approximate the in-universe length of each volume up to V6 pretty precisely:

V1 is 18-20 weeks long, depending on how much of it takes place during the two-week-long semester break.

V2 lasts for approximately one month, plus 1-2 weeks.

V3 picks up at the beginning of the tournament and spans most of it. it’s not entirely clear how long the tournament lasts, but there are eight finalists for the singles: so the doubles round is eight bouts, and the teams round sixteen. the singles round itself requires seven matches to arrive at a singular champion. thirty-one fights in total, for the whole tournament. dialogue between qrow and the barman during the teams round indicates that matches are fought more or less back-to-back; being very conservative and saying that the average bout in both teams and doubles rounds lasts fifteen minutes, with fifteen minute intervals scheduled between bouts, the teams round clocks in at eight hours and the doubles, four. it is… conceivable that the tournament is a three day event; maybe five, if the teams and doubles round are split across two afternoons each. there just aren’t enough competitors to stretch it out for much longer than that.

3.1 and 3.2 are contiguous and 3.3 begins around sundown, at most 10-15 minutes after the end of the previous episode, and continues until dark. the doubles round begins in 3.4 the following day and continues in 3.5. there’s a button at the end of 3.4 where it’s nighttime and winter is leaving, so either the doubles round IS split into two days, or rwby simply skipped ahead a few hours from winter’s goodbye to her actual departure from vale in 3.4 to maintain (more important) emotional/thematic continuity over strict chronological order, and then skipped back to the afternoon of the same day to continue the doubles matches in 3.5. i think both are valid readings here. in any case, 3.5 ends in the evening and 3.6 picks up immediately where it left off, then jumps forward to the next day with the beginning of the singles round. 3.7 is primarily a flashback episode, with present events concurrent with the latter half of 3.6; in 3.8 the yang incident has postponed the remaining matches, but they’re scheduled to resume in the evening; and aside from the falling action in 3.12, the whole rest of the volume takes place in a matter of hours during the evening/night of 3.8—so, all signs point to the vast majority of V3 taking place over the course of only 3-4 days (depending on how you read the nighttime button on 3.4).

beacon falls in early october. ruby is in a silver glare coma for an uncertain length of time, but long enough for the inner circle to confirm ozpin’s death (reading between the lines of what qrow tells ruby, he’s already retrieved the cane and is following instructions given for the event of ozpin’s death) and for huntsmen to stabilize the situation in vale. a few days at minimum, possibly more like a week or two. thereafter there is a time skip of 1-2 months, long enough for winter to set in but not for the snow cover to get more than a couple inches deep. so inclusive of the falling action time skips, V3 ends around the middle of december.

there is another time skip of several months between the end of V3 and V4, which picks up in mid-to-late spring. (this tracks with pretty well with everyone’s travel time: weiss gets flown back to atlas and has been stuck there for a good long while by the time V4 picks up; rnjr traveled mostly on foot all the way from patch island to eastern sanus, hopped a boat to anima, and are now on the final leg of the journey toward mistral; and blake got on a boat that had to get around sanus and then all the way down to the southern hemisphere to reach menagerie, possibly with other stops along the way, and is still on the boat when the volume picks up.)

V4 is annoyingly vague on the passage of time in comparison to the previous three volumes, but it realistically must last at least a couple months. this is because it begins in the spring, and:

V5 picks a couple days, tops, after the ending of V4, and “approximately one month” before the beginning of the fall semester; ergo, V5 begins at the end of july, and ends during the full moon in august, immediately before the fall semester begins. thus V4 begins sometime in the middle or end of spring or early summer and lasts until the end of july, so anywhere from 2-4 months

V6 begins two weeks after the end of V5 and lasts four days: the apathy arc spans two, with rwbymoq arriving in argus around sunset on the second day; the whole crew visits the military base on day three, with jnr being filled in and oscar going “missing” later the same day and everyone searching for him until nightfall; jaune proposes stealing an airship that night, and they execute their plan the following day, depart from argus in the afternoon, and reach atlas that night. this puts the ending of V6 somewhere around the second or third week of september.

now. V7 is… tricky. there are two time skips of indeterminate but significant length (between 7.2 and 7.3, and during the montage in 7.5), the action is divorced from the academic calendar altogether, the one major event that could serve as a temporal marker—the election—is left temporally ambiguous, and because atlas is polar we can’t gauge the passage of time by changes in the weather. however!!

remnant has earthlike seasons, ergo the planet’s axis likely has an earthlike obliquity, ergo atlas—being just barely inside the polar circle—must experience midnight sun and polar twilight phenomena during the summers and winters respectively. V7 begins in late september, when the days and nights should be of roughly equal length.

and, here’s where this gets fun: 7.7 seems to cover a decent chunk of time. it begins long enough after the election for the massacre to mature into the news cycle, calls for penny to be taken offline to gather momentum, robyn’s vigilanteism to “embolden” suppliers in mantle to refuse to do business with the atlesian government, and jacques to get the other two council members on board with impeaching ironwood; so, it’s been anywhere from a few days to a week or two. most of the episode takes place at night (or indoors in windowless areas), with a single daylight scene in ironwood’s office in the first part of the episode. pietro also offers one of the very few hard temporal markers in the volume, stating that maria has been helping him for “the past few weeks”—however, it’s not clear whether he means the past few weeks since the election, or if he’s talking about having been running on fumes in the weeks leading up to the election and the new situation with penny is just one more overwhelming thing. personally, i lean toward the former reading, since it squares with the other subtle signals that it’s been some time since the night of the election, but both are equally plausible. anyway—after 7.7, there are no daylight scenes until the sun rises at the end of 7.13. granted, the reason for this is that 7.8-7.13 are all contiguous, beginning on the evening of jacques’s dinner part and lasting through the entire night, BUT.

you see the pattern here, yeah?

the first five episodes of V7 have mostly, by a wide margin, daylight scenes. 7.6 begins in the morning, but most of it occurs during or after sundown. then there’s a modest time skip with one gloomy daytime scene, and the rest of the volume plays out in the dark. there is obviously a lot of symbolic mileage to be gotten here, but in the absence of any concrete temporal markers we can also take this shift from day to night as a rough approximation for the dwindling of days toward the polar twilight of the atlesian winter, and the sunrise at the end of the volume as a signal that we haven’t quite reached the winter solstice yet.

so: V7 begins around the third week of september and likely ends in the first or second week of december, just a couple weeks shy of the solstice. the first time skip (between 7.2 and 7.3) is probably somewhere around a week, tops; the montage time skip in 7.5 would then begin in early october and last until mid-november (at which time daylight hours would be around 6 depending on atlas’s exact latitude). if the election itself occurs within the next few days, and 7.7 picks up a few weeks after the election, that puts 7.7 roughly in the first week of december (daylight hours approximately 4) and 7.8 a day or two after that at most, and possibly the evening of the same day.

V8 explicitly takes place in about 48 hours. but, after using the presence of daylight to approximate a hard timeline for V7, it would be remiss of me not to discuss daylight in V8 soooo,

based on the estimate of V7 ending in early december, there should be only about four hours of daylight per day in V8. 8.1 begins no more than an hour or so after 7.13—the whole episode occurs in full (if overcast) daylight, so it must occur within the approximately three hour long window between dawn and dusk; which is to say, those kids moved FAST! breaking into the atlesian military complex a mere hour or two after catching their breath and regrouping. 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4 are contiguous, with sunset occurring in 8.4, meaning that approximately four hours elapse between the end of 7.13 and the end of 8.4.

8.5 begins after dark, and during ruby’s broadcast it’s shown to be sunset in vacuo, WHICH MEANS that we can pinpoint the time of the global broadcast fairly precisely—because we know, from the world clocks in V2, that atlas is in a time zone six hours ahead of vacuo. using the equatorial line marked on the map above, we can estimate vacuo’s latitude as roughly 40N, and we’ve worked out that it’s the first or second week of december. therefore sunset in vacuo occurs around 4:30 PM, vacuo time, making it 10:30 PM in atlas when ruby’s message is broadcast at the end of 8.5. :)

next up is 8.6, the present-day portion of which begins at sunrise the following day—around 11 o’clock in the morning and about 24 hours after the end of 7.13. 8.7 begins at dawn (late morning) and lasts until after dark (with sunset around 3:20 PM). it’s not clear how long after dark, so 8.7 might be last as little as six hours or as long as twenty. 8.8 seems to begin no more than ten or fifteen minutes after 8.7—the amount of time it takes klein to get started treating nora and for rwb to lift penny out of her crater and bring her to klein—and realistically only lasts around half an hour to forty-five minutes. 8.9 begins most likely around the time 8.8 ends—it jumps forward from jyr leaving the ship in 8.7 to them having made it into the whale—and lasts for most of the night (the sky becomes noticeably much lighter between the beginning and end of the episode, suggesting that jyr were inside monstra for quite a while; this would also explain why ren runs out of aura from masking and tracking them even with jaune amping him, he keeps it up for several hours straight.) 8.10 is contiguous with 8.9, and ironwood’s view of monstra at the beginning shows that sunrise is just barely beginning—the eastern horizon is tinged red—when oscar nukes the whale. so 8.9 ends and 8.10 begins around 11 o’clock, 48 hours after the end of 7.13. everyone in the immediate blast zone is knocked senseless for… probably around half an hour? as it’s fully dawn by the time we see the ace-ops picking themselves up. it then takes a few hours for jyre to hike to schnee manor from the outskirts of atlas, so they arrive at the very beginning of twilight, probably around 2 PM. 8.11-8.14 all take place inside the hour limit ironwood gives in 8.10; when atlas falls, the sun is setting around 3 PM, late in the afternoon, approximately 52 hours since salem arrived in atlas. (and: the refugees reach vacuo at 9 AM, vacuo time.)

and—because the vast majority of the action in this 52 hour period takes place in the dark, and because there are two separate episodes that begin at dawn and end at dusk or after dark despite covering events that should realistically only take a few hours—V8 seems to me to strongly support the early december almost-polar-twilight reading of V7’s dwindling daylight scenes.

and, putting it all together (using 80 as an arbitrary year number for the sake of clarity, and assuming that the calendar year begins in spring for the sake of tying it neatly with the academic calendar):

V1: mid-april to mid-august, 80.

V2: end of august through september, 80.

V3: first week of october, 80.

RNJR leave patch: mid-december, 80. ruby turns 16 during the time skip.

V4: mid-april through late july, 81.

V5: late july through august, 81.

V6: second or third week of september, 81.

V7.1-4: mid-september to early october, 81. it’s about one year since the fall of beacon by 7.4.

V7.5: early october through november, 81. ruby turns 17 during the montage.

V7.6-13: late november through first or second week of december, 81.

V8: about 52 hours in early december, 81.

it’s been approximately 20 months, in-universe, since the story began.

and, if that feels too short to you, it’s also plausible to interpret the 7.5 montage time skip as lasting through the winter solstice, in which case everything after the time skip occurs in mid-january, with 4-5 daylight hours and the days becoming gradually longer; which could conceivably push it to about 22 months if you put the end of V7 in early february. this isn’t my preference, though, because so much of the montage occurs in full daylight.

anyway here’s hoping for some concrete temporal markers in arrowfell so i can stop tinhatting about the proportions of daylight to nighttime scenes

#at some point i’m going to #do a rewatch specifically for the purpose of #trying to precisely date every episode #because i gotta #but not until arrowfell #which i’m really hoping will give me #a couple more crumbs to work with #re V7

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surarchived · 2 years

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BRENTWOOD, OHIO, SPRING 1985. true to the saying, march goes out like a lamb with cloudless blue, sunny skies and record-breaking warm temperatures that prophesize a pleasant spring season. but as flowers begin to bloom and birds sing their songs, jordan riley is facing a new world — one marred by broken trust, violence, things stolen in vulnerable moments that she’ll never get back. the police are virtually useless, asking invasive questions that end with a shaky promise at best that they’ll see what they can do. school is worse; rumors fly around the halls of brentwood high. did you hear that jordan slept with elliot at his party saturday? did you hear that she pressed charges because she’s embarrassed? oh that’s nothing, I heard drama queen got with the whole varsity team! what a joke.

school administration is a joke at cutting down on the bullying, the vandalism on her locker, and the inherent violence jordan endures just by daring to press charges against her abuser. by mid-april, she’s pulled out of brentwood and has her bags packed to move in with her abuela across state lines in hawkins, indiana.

HAWKINS, INDIANA, SPRING 1985. enrolling in a new school five weeks before the academic year ends is as awkward as it can be, but jordan is virtually invisible to those around her and after the hellish few weeks she’s endured back in ohio, it’s a welcome change of pace. she keeps her head down, gets by in her classes and is content to spend her summer sleeping in and doing virtually nothing.

abuela has other plans.

HAWKINS, INDIANA, SUMMER 1985. insistent that her granddaughter won’t be moping around the house all summer, abuela pushes jordan to get a summer job and with jordan having to maintain her own car, it’s not the worst idea. starcourt’s endless list of stores includes sam goody and jordan is an immediate hire. retail is a decent distraction from the other horrors in her life; namely, the fact that she can’t sleep most nights without being awoken from nightmares about what happened back in ohio. coffee is enough to sustain her and she pushes it away, trying to leave it behind so she can move forward.

sam goody is short-lived when starcourt burns to the ground in july, and jordan finds herself both grateful to not have been near when the fire happened and apprehensive at the fact that disaster seems to be looming over her like a thick, dark cloud.

she finds new employment at the local family video, preferring rewinding tapes and trying to help customers find the “perfect” date night movie over dealing with shit pay and shit tips at the local diner.

HAWKINS, INDIANA, FALL 1985. the summer comes and goes and by the time jordan’s junior year rolls around, she’s more acclimated to the climate of hawkins high. she joins the drama club, eager to find comfort in something familiar, and abuela is happier than ever that jordan is trying to live a normal life. she doesn’t know about the nightmares that still plague her granddaughter, or�� that she’s been seeing the school counselor about it to try and navigate through them.

HAWKINS, INDIANA, SPRING 1986. on the surface, things are good for jordan riley. she’s made some friends; she’s made some rivals as well, usurping first soprano in the school choir and landing the lead in the spring musical despite being so ‘new’ to the hawkins drama club. things at family video are going well and her grades are decent.

she always has been good at acting happy. it’s a skill, practiced over months, and it’s how she’s able to mask the torment brought on by those nightmares, growing more intense by the day. she’s trapped in a house, surrounded by her former classmates at brentwood, being pushed and shoved and pulled in every direction until she feels like she’s going to break apart.

it’s all documented with ms. kelly but as much as jordan hopes the counseling sessions will help, that hope dwindles day by day, especially as hawkins teenagers start ending up murdered. deep in her gut, she knows there’s more to what’s happening, and feels a thread connecting her to it, but she can’t place how, and can’t seem to push it aside as easily as everything else.

[ PLAYLIST. ]

#* v. STRANGER THINGS. ㅤ ㅤ — ㅤ ㅤ hide in the sun ‘til you see the light.#left it vague for plotting purposes but uh pls.... come plot w/ me thank u

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jovialyouthmusic · 4 years

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Silver Service

So, this is the final chapter. Have we seen the end of Anton? Will Olivia say yes? At last the answers are here!

Word Count 2592

WARNING Death of a major character (but no suprise)

A/N You haven’t seen the last of the characters in this series, but this is the end of the story for now, and many loose ends are tied up and stowed away. The very first chapter of the prequel ‘Protect and Serve’ was posted in April 2019. That means I’ve been writing about Bastien and his LI Sophia for 17 months, and possibly around 200k words. I’ve already written some shorts and short series about the continuing adventures of ‘Basphia’, and I will go on doing so - but this series finishes here. Thanks for reading!

22 This is the End, my friends...

The last day of the Winter Games and Fair dawned in Lythikos. Olivia stirred, feeling Liam’s arm thrown over her hip, and groaned, reaching out to the bedside table for a dry biscuit to quell the nausea she felt. She sat up, munching away and making sure the crumbs stayed on the bedcover and not on the sheets. Liam rolled over onto his back and turned his head to gaze at her. He stayed silent as she finished the biscuit, then sat up beside her

‘Is that herbal remedy not working?’ he asked. She shook her head

‘I had the last of it yesterday, and Lucretia refuses to get me any more. She says a little suffering is good for the soul’ Liam raised his eyebrow and made a wry face.

‘I’m sorry to hear that’ he said. She drew a deep breath and turned toward him, her face grave.

‘I’ve made my decision’ she said, and Liam’s eyes widened. ‘I will be your Queen’ He let his breath go, and picked up her hand to kiss it.

‘You make me so happy’ he said, smiling broadly ‘I know it won’t be easy – we both need to work at this, but I think we’ll be good together. And our child will be cherished’ he gently put his hand on her belly. ‘I’d like to announce it at the closing ceremony’

‘Of course’ she said, placing her hand over his ‘and the pregnancy?’

‘Not just yet’ he replied ‘We can deal with any speculation about that later’

-------

The day progressed well, excitement growing as the finals of each event was held, and the stallholders had one last chance to sell their dwindling wares, happy at their success. At midday, Liam received news that the machines had been turned off at the hospital, witnessed by Lord Rashad. The press asked him for a statement, and he made sure to inform them that the decision had been taken by the Council, with he and Olivia abstaining from the vote.

‘It is with a heavy heart that I hear that Lord Anton has been taken off life support this morning. The Council was assured that his quality of life was very poor. There is a very small chance that he may survive independently, but it was thought it would be a mercy not to let him linger further, with no family or loved ones to care for him. I await to hear of his final passing, and will mourn for a young man who lost his way in fighting for what he believed in. He will be made as comfortable as possible, but that is all that can be done. I thank you for your attention. May he find peace at last.’

Thankfully, Anton’s situation did not mar the tone and excitement of the day, and the finals were followed and enjoyed avidly. The medal ceremonies were watched by a huge crowd who waited for the final speeches. Olivia made another stirring address about harmony between all the duchies which was well received with much cheering and applause, but everyone was eager to hear the King speak. He began by praising both participants and sponsors and congratulating the medal winners. He echoed Olivia’s sentiments of Cordonian unity and at last he came to the moment he had been hoping and planning for the last few days.

‘Citizens of Cordonia, I have an announcement that I hope all of you will rejoice in. It has been but a short time since I learned I was to be your King in my brother’s stead, and even less since I announced that I would take no Queen. I know that many of you feared for the succession and continuation of the Monarchy, and for that I apologise. As you know, I plan to hand over much more power to you, my loyal subjects, and am working on legislation to make this a reality. However, over the last few weeks I have realised that having a Queen by my side would be beneficial to both myself and to the country. To that end, I have asked Lady Olivia to rule with me, and she has consented’ a murmur ran through the crowd, and he paused to let his words sink in. The murmur grew louder, and people started to rise to their feet, at first clapping, then raising their voices, cheering, stamping and shouting congratulations. Liam’s throat tightened, and he held out his hand for Olivia to take and stand close to him. She smiled broadly and waved as the crowd went wild, and any further words from him were impossible. The press surged forward and cameras clicked and flashed and clicked again, capturing the moment as Liam turned to Olivia and kissed her on the lips. She willingly melted into it, drawing him closer as her Lythican spirit kicked in. Finally nothing more could be said, and the two of them retreated to the Lodge with the help of the King’s Guard. Bastien drew them aside into Olivia’s office.

‘My sincere congratulations your majesty, Lady Olivia.’

‘Thankyou Bastien. I think the wedding will have to be held very soon, and I have yet to work out when to announce the pregnancy’ Liam replied. Olivia looked happy but pale.

‘I’m sure you will come up with a good plan, but I am at your service and will offer advice if you need it’

‘Is there any more news of Severus?’ Olivia asked

‘It appears he is slowly deteriorating. May I ask permission to visit him in hospital?’

‘Of course. I don’t think it’s appropriate for either of us to go, but I’d like to have a reliable witness at his end. Of course, any member of the Guard is sufficient, but you may feel some satisfaction in being there.’

‘Thankyou Sir, I shall indeed. I’ll leave shortly.’ Bastien bowed and left the room to make his way back to the Capitol.

-------

‘Are you sure about this?’ Sophia asked, Bastien at the wheel as they travelled the long road back. She had already been packed ready to leave the next day, and it only took Bastien a moment. They didn’t know how long Bastien would be at the hospital, so he had to be prepared to go wherever the King was.

‘Never more sure of anything, theá mou’ he replied ‘I will get closure, and can report back to the King when he’s finally gone’ He briefly turned his head toward her. ‘You know I will never forgive him for his crimes, most of all for what he put you through’

‘Agapé mou’ Sophia said softly. ‘I won’t come into the room with you, but I’ll be nearby. I can bring you coffee, and we can be together when it’s finally over’

‘Yes’ he replied ‘But if you need to rest, get one of the guards to drive you back to the Palace’

‘Bas’ she said, and her tone made him listen carefully ‘Does this mean you’ll be resigning as Captain?’

‘Formally, yes. I’ll be sworn onto the Council at their next scheduled meeting. That’s not for a week or so, so if you like, we can take a short break’ Eyes on the road, he heard her gasp.

‘Oh Bas, that would be wonderful’ she breathed ‘I’d love to be near the sea’

‘Greece is still warm’ he said ‘It’s not too far, so if I’m needed…’

‘You won’t be’ she said firmly ‘If I have to throw your phone into the sea, we’re going to have time completely to ourselves.’ He chuckled softly.

‘My foster parents have a villa on the coast’ he replied ‘I’m sure they’d love to meet you – they don’t travel far now my foster mother’s in a wheelchair, but she could manage that’

‘I’d really like that. Mum and Dad have been hinting that they could visit us in December, so that would fit in nicely’

‘You don’t want to visit them instead?’ he asked

‘I’d rather go in Spring, make sure we have plenty of time. Now would be too rushed. I have so many places I want to show you’

‘And I you’ he smiled. ‘The sea will still be warm, so we can go swimming’ They reached the outskirts of the city, and Bastien set his face into his grim work expression. ‘We’re nearly there. Be strong, my goddess’

-------

Six hours later Bastien rose to stretch his stiff limbs, the steady bleep of the heart monitor slow and monotonous. There was no movement apart from the shallow erratic rise and fall of Anton’s chest. He was still attached to drips for hydration and pain relief, and Bastien fought the impulse to tear out the medication tubes. He found himself hoping that even though he was shielded from physical pain, some part of his mind and spirit suffered torment. He remembered the words of the King, diplomatically expressing sorrow and regret. He knew he could never feel those things for the prone figure, and could manage only neutral words or silence when asked his opinion. The Captain of the Guard would never voice his thoughts to another living creature. He intended his role to end the second Anton’s last breath faded, so he sat again and waited, silent and watchful.

He jerked awake, his head falling forward as the muscles in his neck went slack. He blinked and registered the change in the heart monitor. It was definitely slower, and Anton’s closed eyes had somehow opened, staring blankly at the ceiling. Bastien sat up straight and called a nurse in to sit vigil with him. There was a CCTV camera in the room recording all that happened, but for this vital moment he needed another human to witness that he did not approach the bed or rise from his chair two feet away save to leave the room for a bathroom break or walk the length of the room to restore his circulation.

The nurse leaned over the bed and closed his eyes again, but as she stepped away, horribly they slowly opened again, his eyes still fixed on the ceiling. She stared at him in disbelief.

‘I’ve never seen that happen before’ she said ‘But then they say it’s a Lythican poison, so goodness knows…’ her voice trailed away.

‘Indeed’ Bastien said ‘The Council thought it merciful to let him slip away’ The nurse jumped as Anton’s body suddenly jerked, and the heart monitor shrieked its alarm as it lost signal. His back arched off the bed and she ran over to hold him down, pulling the alarm cord, and staff rushed in to help her. Bastien stood back, determined to have no part in the unfolding drama. Just as suddenly as he had convulsed, Anton’s body went limp, and the beep of the flatlining heart monitor echoed around the room, the shocked medical staff stepping away. At last Anton’s body lay lifeless on the bed and Bastien felt a ton weight lift from his shoulders. Still he sat for another half hour before he rose and left, leaving the body of Anton Severus alone and unmourned.

------

The news reached Lythikos, where Olivia and Liam sat waiting to hear. Olivia broke into tears, weeping uncontrollably while Liam held her.

‘He’s really gone’ she said ‘At last that monster is dead. He can’t hurt us any more’

‘We can go forward now’ Liam said gently ‘This is a new era for Cordonia – one of peace and diplomacy, with our two families united.’ He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes. ‘You’re the strongest person I know, Livvy – but you can let your guard down with me. Any burden you bear, I bear it with you. We stand together, whatever life brings us’ Olivia smiled through her tears. Truly Liam was the only one she could be herself with, and although she hadn’t declared her love for him, she felt that might come with time. He had called her loyal, and that was a quality they shared. He had always stood up for her when they were children, and they may have lost touch for a while as teenagers, but he was coming full circle, and she hoped that would continue into the future.

‘Liam, you don’t have to demonstrate your statesmanship with me’ she said ‘You can just be Liam, and I can be Olivia. It’s that simple’ Liam relaxed suddenly, letting his forehead rest against hers.

‘You’re right, Livvy’ he replied ‘That’s what being King is like. I have to think about everything I say before I utter a word’ She laughed

‘Whereas I say what I think. Perhaps you should teach me about diplomacy. I’ll have to start by keeping my mouth shut.’

‘Passion has just as much a place as restraint’ Liam smiled ‘you just need to channel it’

‘It comes naturally to you’ she sighed ‘I’ll have to work hard at it’

‘I’m sure you’ll rise to the challenge. After all, Nevrakis always succeed at whatever they do’ Olivia made a sour face.

‘Then let’s hope Lucretia decides that you making me Queen is enough for her not to plot against you’

‘I told you, she won’t be the first or the last’ he assured her ‘Bastien may be retiring, but Lewis is a superb replacement and I’m sure we’ll rule together for a long time. I’m handing over more responsibility to the Council, so hopefully we’ll have more time to ourselves than my father ever had.’

‘You’re such an optimist’ Olivia smiled ‘Perhaps you can teach me that too’

--------

Anton was buried next to his father, last of his line and mourned only for show by Liam, Rashad (as a representative of the Council) and Lewis. Hints of a large power base held by the Sons of the Earth had dissolved, as had that organisation, disappearing like a puff of smoke. Claudius and the other men arrested at Valtoria awaited trial although most of them co-operated once they knew Anton was dead.

The Charity tour came to an end, and Liam and Olivia went back to the Palace, now clear after extensive security sweeps. The Royal Wedding and Olivia’s coronation was planned in one ceremony, and it was decided that the pregnancy would be announced soon after. Olivia visited Lucretia and the old woman grudgingly congratulated her niece on her elevation to Royalty, but Olivia did not trust her to be out where she could harm Liam. She was charged with treason before it was decided that she was to be kept in a maximum security prison with strictly limited visitors awaiting trial.

Bastien did at last resign his position and take up his place on the new Cordonian Council of Citizens, but not before taking Sophia on a well earned break to meet his foster parents. Drake and Riley went on a trip to New York and Texas after the Royal Wedding, but decided to return to Cordonia while they worked out where their relationship was taking them.

By the time Olivia’s pregnancy was announced, the country had taken her to their heart, and few people criticised her for jumping the gun. The fact that there would be a new heir filled the gossip magazines, and the Royal Couple were in demand on front pages everywhere – not just in Cordonia, but Europe and further afield. It really was a new dawn for the country, and although all was not plain sailing, King Liam’s reign was set to be peaceful and prosperous.

THE END (for now)

@sirbeepsalot @stopforamoment @drakesensworld @katedrakeohd @texaskitten30 @be-still-my-aching-heart @hopefulmoonobject @dcbbw @classylady1234 @rainbowsinthestorm @kimmiedoo5 @bascmve01 @ibldw-main @addictedtodrakefanfic @trappedinfandoms @ravenpuff02 @kingliam2019

#silver service #liam x olivia #bastien lykel #OC x Bastien #the end!#tw death

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cobaltcaster · 4 years

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Preparing for Your Spell

Within this post is a comprehensive check list of preparation.

[[ Click here for Part 2. Creating a Magickal Atmosphere ]]

Here are the individual links if you’d like to take it step by step.

When to Preform Your Spell

Lunar Calendar

Where to Conduct Your Spells

Why and How to Preform Spells

How to Cast Different Formations

Moon Spell Checklist

Finding Time and Overcoming Problems

Creating and Walking a Moon Circle

If you’re ready for a long read then let us begin!

⚪1⚪

When to Preform Your Spell

When conducting these spells, use the phases of the moon to set the pace. Be patient and wait for the proper phase or you may not get the results you seek. I include the best phase or phases of the moon in which to perform your spells along with the spell self for easy reference. However, here is additional data that will give you a better understanding of how I determined the best phase of the moon for each particular spell. This will also be of benefit to you and creating your own spells for any occasion. The Phases of the Moon 🌒 New Sometimes called the Crescent Moon, when you can see the very first sliver of light in the sky. This phase promotes new beginnings, new endeavors, and new relationships. It is a time for making positive changes, looking for fresh career opportunities, and planting seeds of ideas that will be harvested later. 🌔 Waxing In this phase, the Moon appears to be growing in size, shifting from new to full as though it's gaining strength. It makes sense, then, that this is a good time to focus on increasing things of your own your ---- knowledge, bank accounts, relationships. It's a time to think about pregnancy, to increase communications of all types, whether for business or pleasure. Deal with legal matters if you want financial gain. This phase promotes healing. 🌕 Full The Moon's most powerful phase, when we see her entire illuminated face. This is a time of fulfillment, activity, increase psychic ability, for protecting ideas, "getting your act together," celebrations, or renewing commitments to people or projects. The best time for spells of any kind. 🌘 Waning The Moon is decreasing in size as a Journeys from Full to dark. The waning moon is a time of decrease, release, letting go, and completion. An excellent time to begin dieting, breaking bad habits, breaking off relationships, or dealing with legal matters. 🌑 Dark The two or three days when the moon is not visible in the sky at all. The dark Moon and the new Moon are often considered the same phase, but for our purposes I have separated the two. On an average calendar, the dark Moon is usually indicated by a black spots on your calendar. However, a dark Moon occurs on the day it is marked as well as one day before and one day after. This is a good time for discarding things in your life you do not want, contemplating what you have already accomplished, and what you want to accomplish in the future. An excellent cycle to find time for yourself, or if you're so inclined, an ideal time for seclusion.

Moons of the Year Every month has one full Moon. When there are two full Moons in one month, this is called a blue Moon. Every calendar year has one blue moon. Ancient people assigned different names for the moons of each months. Different cultures give the Moon different titles to express what the Moon meant to them in a given month. Some of the Moon names make common sense, while others may make no sense at all unless you know the logic behind it. January Common Name: Wolf Moon Uncommon Name: Chaste Moon ---- Calls for cleansing and renewal as the new year begins; this is the time for starting over, washing away the past, and fresh beginnings. February Common Name: Ice Moon Uncommon Name: Hunger Moon ---- Winter supplies depleted, the yearning for spring is a hunger of the Soul as well as the belly. March Common Name: Storm Moon Uncommon Name: Worm Moon ---- The thawing of the earth begins a renewal of life as the earthworms break the soil and emerge from The Damp Earth in the Moonlight. April Common Name: Growing Moon Uncommon Name: Pink Moon ---- The spring fills the meadows with the pink heads of wildflowers and new grasses. May Common Name: Hare Moon Uncommon Name: Milk Moon ---- The birth of animals, domestic and wild, brings forth the mother's milk, the life-giver, and first food of man and Beast. June Common Name: Mead Moon. Uncommon Name: Dyad Moon ---- The moons of the month of Gemini, this. Honors Twins and the sacred marriage of the God and the goddess, bringing two into one. July Common Name: Hay Moon Uncommon Name: Wort Moon ---- Warts and being an ancient word for herbs, it is a Moon for gathering of herbs, replenishing the stores of medicinal plants, and drying them in the heat of summer for the long winter to come. August Common Name: Corn Moon Uncommon Name: Dispute Moon ---- The earth mother gives birth to bountiful harvest; with full bellies and hope for continuation, we settle our disputes and put away old anger as we look forward to the long, peaceful winter to come. September Common Name: Harvest Moon Uncommon Name: Vine Moon ---- The Celtic Moon of exhilaration, driven by forces by work to obtain completion ---- of the harvest, the winemaking, and in sight for the future.

October Common Name: Blood Moon ( a time of hunting ) Uncommon Name: Shedding Moon ---- The Moon where the deer shed their antlers and begin the rut ---- the compelling drive to create new life that supersedes the death of winter. November Common Name: Snow moon Uncommon Name Tree Moon ---- The Celtic tree months of the Reed and the Elder tree overlap with the Reed representing the Moon of silence, inner workings, and strength and the elder representing the Moon of completion; the days shortened as the end of the year draws near. December Common Name: Cold Moon Uncommon Name: Oak Moon ---- Sacred tree of the ancients, strong enough to withstand the harshest winter, renewal of the new year, straddling the old, dark year and the new light years two worlds, as the oak tree’s roots are in the dark verse and its branches are in the sky. Days of the Week to Conduct Rituals The day of the week on which you execute a spell can also have an impact on your ceremony. The day of the week is not as important as the phases of the Moon; however, if you are able to coordinate the right day with the right phase of the Moon, that makes it all the more powerful. For example, a spell for attracting a lover is best done on a Friday when the Moon is full, new, or waxing. But if the Moon is not in the right phase for relationships on Friday, do not be overly concerned. Proceed with the spell and do not worry about what day of the week it is. The weekdays equate to adding a pinch of salt in a stew. It may make it a bit tastier but will not make a significant difference. Do not wait for months till everything is in perfect order. If everything else in essence is perfect and a day of the week you're hoping for is not workable, there is a higher purpose at work. The day you perform your spell will be perfect for you. Days of the Week for Spells and Rituals Day: Monday Ruling Planet: Moon Best For: Psychic endeavors or impressions, invoking power, creative ideas, divine \ inspirational messages, healing. Day: Tuesday Ruling Planet: Mars Best For: Sexual encounters, protection, building strength of mind, body and confidence. Day: Wednesday Ruling Planet: Mercury Best For: Career \ job issues, intellectual pursuits, travel planning, research. Day: Thursday Ruling Planet: Jupiter Best For: Finances, legal matters, spirituality, development. Day: Friday Ruling Planet: Venus Best For: Romantic attraction, all relationships, reconciliation, physical makeovers, beautifying your environment. Day: Saturday Ruling Planet: Saturn Best For: Home-related issues, brainstorming future project, committing to personal goals, weight loss, releasing bad habits, endings of any kind ---- relationships, etc. Day: Sunday Ruling Planet: Sun Best For: Healing of the body, mind, soul, management \ decision making, insights to problem solving, divine intervention \ miracles, special friendships.

⚪2⚪

Lunar Calendar

The Lunation of the Moon is approximately twenty-nine-and-a-half days starting from a full Moon and continuing until the next full Moon. To give you an idea of how the lunation occurs, I have included an approximation idea of the Moon phase process. For simplification, day twenty-nine-and-a-half will be considered day thirty.

⚪3⚪

Where to Conduct Your Spells

Location is important, but you must be practical and do what’s best for you. There are pros and cons to everything, and where to cast a spell is no different. There are those who will say there is nothing like the outside to spin your magic. However, if you live in the middle of downtown Los Angeles, Detroit, Atlanta, or New York, that is not a very wise choice. As we live in modern times of condominium life, the noise of speeding cars and construction vehicles outside may be too chaotic. In medieval times, for example, things like ambulances , airplanes, railroad trains, an automobile horns were not a concern. Therefore, think in the now and not about what our ancestors situations' were. Consider your specific location and determine what alternatives you have available. Inside It is easier to conduct spells inside, due to the fact that wind will not keep blowing out your candles, you have electricity for music, there is privacy and also safety. As you are accessing the powers of the Moon, try to find a spot when you can see the Moon, if possible. But above all, be comfortable. If there is a room in your home where you can see the Moon but you are not relaxed in that area, do not use it. As you are accessing the powers of the Moon, try to find a spot when you can see the moon, if possible. But above all, be comfortable. If there is a room in your home where you can see the moon but you are not relaxed in that area, do not use it. If you're conducting your spell during the day or are someplace without windows or any of you of the sky, use a representation of the Moon. A picture of the Moon works well ( feel free to draw your own ) or any item that represents the Moon. You can purchase a terracotta Moon decoration at most garden centers or make one out of cardboard or anything you have available. A Moon pendant or pin would do. Be creative; anything you feel that represents the Moon is perfect for you. Keep in mind, your privacy is a must. There should be no one else in the room with you unless they are directly participating in this ritual. If you have a large family and have a difficult time finding a place to be alone, you can always opt for the bathroom. It may sound comical, but I performed one of my best spells in the bathroom at a Holiday Inn as I was sharing a room with a friend who was not like minded. Outside To do a spell outside is excellent as you are surrounded by nature. However, the majority of people do not have acres of land where they can be assured privacy. Even in a park or on a bench, there is a probability of you attracting onlookers and people passing by. A backyard is workable, but if you have noisy neighbors, barking dogs, or a delivery person that may show up unexpectedly, it is not a good idea. Remember that you should not be trying to gain attention. Be discreet, and the power is more effective. If you are one of the lucky ones who has a privacy fence or lots of land around you, you might give it a try. The use of candles may not work if it is a windy day. Whatever you do, make sure you always feel safe. If you cast your spell in the evening and are afraid someone will sneak up on you, it will defeat the purpose. Why add stress to your spell? Usually a group of people is better for outdoor spells. Weigh the positives and the negatives and make a choice. I have perform spells outside as well as inside, and the results have not been more successful one way or the other. I must admit, though, if you have the opportunity to perform magick amidst nature, do venture to do so. The experience is very enchanting. Tree Magick For those who are able to utilize the wonders of the outside world in area that has many trees, you may want to conduct your spell under or near a special tree. It could be a tree you just get a "Good Feeling" from or a specific tree you seek has a special quality. I conduct many spells under an orange tree in my own backyard. Many cultures feel trees have creative properties and can dispel negative energy from a person without harming the tree. This is why sometimes just a walk through national forest or the local park can calm you. If you perform a spell near a special tree, take a moment and feel the energy from that particular tree. Thank the tree for the vibration that is giving you. Native Americans and other cultures believe that a tree embodies a living spirit. Don't be surprised, but hugging trees is not as uncommon as one would think. Sometimes a tree has a specific quality that we need ----- something that has been depleted within our own bodies. Hence, we have a need to put back that vital force. These are the trees we are usually drawn to, as they can rejuvenate us without taking it away from themselves. Example: If your interest in romance has been virtually zero due to conditions in your life like overworking, traveling, or just being without a partner, you may have the need to put yourself near or even hug an oak tree. The oak is said to increase sexuality! "Nothing ventured nothing gained." Following is a small list of trees expressing qualities and essences that are said to be of their nature. Ash: Peace, protection, prosperity, strength Birch: New beginnings, healing of wounds and burns Ceder: Courage, longevity, wealth, self esteem, purification Coconut Palm: Purity, honor, relaxation Cypress: Past life issues, comfort, protection; eases the loss of anything Elder: Transformation and change, peaceful sleep, self confidence Elm: Protection and meditation, stops slander Eucalyptus: Healing, protection, moon affinity Lilac: Activate chakras ( energy centers ), healing of back pain Lime: Divination, development, cleansing Magnolia: Fidelity, changes, relaxation and calmness Maple: Longevity, love, money Myrtle: Fertility, balance, youth, riches Oak: Increasing sexuality, luck, strength Pear: Clarity, energy, confidence, reduction of stress Pecan: Career issues and job seeking, money, discipline Pine: Prosperity, purification, health, exorcism Plum: Love and healing, self-confidence Polar: Astral projection, wisdom, mental healing, starting over Walnut: Depression, healing, heals infertility Willow: Wishes coming true, seductiveness, protection, energy to the sick The magick in trees does not have to be activated only when carrying out Moon spells, but can be accessed anytime as a natural wealth of refreshment to your body, mind, and spirit. Always thank the tree in silence with a nod of your head for allowing you to receive its special essential qualities and for absorbing your negativity. For the record, the tree is not harmed by this process ---- it shakes your energy away via the elements and is refreshed within seconds.

Which Direction to Face

Another gift of nature and an important factor to consider when initiating a Moon spell is the direction in which to face. Compass directions North, South, East, and West are very significant and casting the spell. By facing the proper direction, you are utilizing the vibration or energy that it offers. The powers of the four directions are a free gift of nature that is often overlooked. You can also think of the four directions as the Four Winds. You can “bring up the winds” from the north, south, east, and west. This means you will still stand facing a compass point, but will invoke the energy to blow toward you in the form of a gust. By not bringing up the winds, the flow of the vital forces are far more gentle, which is often necessary. It depends on the type of spell whether you only face a specific direction or you face that direction and also bring up the winds. One might compare it to an electrical fan with two speeds. The flow of air is coming from the same source, but you control how quickly or slowly it reaches you. Also, bare in mind that you most likely will not actually feel the wind that you have summoned. However, the invisible activity through the air will make its way to your spell area and serve you far beyond your realm of thought. There is magick in the air! For each individual spell in this book ( blog ), I provide you with the direction in which to face. I also suggest whether to bring up the winds or not and provide you the invocations on how to do so. In addition, for spells you create on your own, as well as for your own general information, I have included the following details about the vibration that emanates from each Compass Direction. NORTH corresponds to the element of earth. Face north for health issues, healing of the body, spirituality, increasing or developing your intuition, using some type of divination, for transcending the physical and trying to communicate with someone telepathically, and in asking for guidance from whomever or whatever you call your higher power. This is the most powerful direction. SOUTH corresponds to the element of Fire. Face south for love issues, relationships of any kind, creative and artistic pursuits, anything of a romantic or emotional nature. EAST corresponds to the element of air. Face east for career issues, strength, clarity, new business opportunities, financial matters and any endeavor requiring extra energy, healing of the mind, new beginnings. WEST corresponds to the element of water. Face for letting go and moving on, increasing self-esteem, forgiving yourself or someone else, cleansing, unconditional love. Special Note: When in doubt as to which direction to turn, face north, because it is the foundation of all things. If the compass direction you're using does not put you in the view of the Moon, do not be concerned. The energy of the Moon enters from all around you even if your back is to her. Try to face the other direction that I suggest in the spells as opposed to face in the Moon itself. The energy coming down from the Moon is all you need to acknowledge. For the best of both worlds, conduct your spell outside when the Moon is directly overhead or almost overhead. That way, you can see the Moon from any direction. Another suggestion is what I often do: Sometimes when I am casting a spell inside, I peak my head out the door for a few seconds to get a glimpse of the Moon to feel the connection but then come back inside and perform my ritual. Relax .... Moon vibrations can permeate through rooftops, mountains, clouds, rain, snow, and even the apartment of the people above you.

⚪4⚪

Why and How to Preform Spells

To cast a spell is to conduct a ritual. Do we need spells and rituals to get what we want in life or to make things go more smoothly? The answer is no. If you have strong faith and a forceful mind, you can create what you want by merely thinking it is. There is no need of magick tools, incantations, and all the things that accompany casting a spell. So why do it? There are many reasons. Conducting a ritual is an appeal to our subconscious mind. The act in itself slowly puts us in an alerted state or trance that places us in a frame of mine to concentrate better on what we are seeking. It eventually builds up to a crescendo of intention and willpower.

A ritual spell begins by gathering our magickal tools, such as candles, incense, and whatever else is required. The tools or enchantments are symbolic ----- they work with your subconscious and tell you when to go from the physical world to a world of magick. The moment I pick up my knife I use for rituals ( Wiccans would call it and anthem ), I can feel myself moving into a mystical environment. As I place my candles, I feel the energy of the room changing. You must be aware of every feeling and emotion from start to finish. Everything you do in these rituals must have intention behind it, and you must realize that you are creating an enchanted area in which to work your spells. When you cast a formation, you enter deeper into the subconscious. Each step takes you deeper and deeper, away from the mundane. By the time you recite the incantations for the spells, you are "powered up" to a point of generating great energy and are entirely focused on what you want. For example, a spell to land a wanted job is a far powerful choice than someone sitting at home thinking, "Gee, it would be nice if I got that job tomorrow." You are actually sending out vibrations that soar through the cosmos to bring the reality back to you. You are raising energy. Also, rituals give you something to do that is constructive instead of worrying about things. The lady I knew from Asheville, North Carolina, proved this point. She applied for a loan at a bank that to say the least was a “long shot.” It was Friday, and she had to wait until Monday before she would have an answer. She called me on Friday night and said she was pacing, eating too much, and feeling like a nervous wreck. I recommended a spell for her. It took her all day Saturday to gather up the items she needed, and on Sunday afternoon, she performed her spell. Before she knew it, the weekend was over.

Instead of agonizing over her situation, she felt like she was doing something to give her loan a better chance of being approved. She was not sure she really believe it would work, but felt it was worth the effort since she could not concentrate on anything else. That in itself was a good reason to conduct the ritual.

Monday afternoon, the phone call came from the loan officer telling her she did get the loan, but only because they decided to give her a special exception. Was it the spell or would it have happened anyway? She commented that whatever it was, the spell certainly did not hurt. Also, if you were too much and assume failure, you will create it. She rerouted her nervous energy to create what she wanted.

Some people conduct spells just because they're fun. If you are performing spells with a group, it is a great reason to come together and a way of socializing and using creative talents. It is a way for people to bond. Personally, I take spell casting very seriously and do it for more than just fun, but I do not conduct spells often. When you decide you are going to cast a Moon spell, it should be out of true necessity.

Do not cast spells too often. It should be done for special occasions and for special reasons if you really take it seriously. Learning when to conduct a Moon spell is of the utmost importance, as discussed earlier. Plan well ahead and give yourself all the advantages.

How to Conduct a Spell: The Advance Work

Decide which spell you will be using. If you're writing your own, do it well before the day execution in case you decide to change it after thinking about it for a day or two.

Check to make sure you have all the tools or enchantments available. You do not want to run out to store an hour before you conduct these rituals. You should be as relaxed as possible the day of your ceremony.

Locate the area in which you will be casting your formation in advance.

Choose your clothing and make sure is clean and ready to wear.

Clear your schedule so you are not rushed.

If the spell is to be conducted at home, clean it so you won't be nervous or concerned about chores later.

Moon Spell Day: The Basic Order

Shut off all telephones, pagers, and anything that will distract you.

Put pets that will disrupt you in another room.

Take children to the babysitter's if you have made that previous arrangement, or ask household members not to disturb you for the amount of time you think it will take. Allow a minimum of half an hour.

Take a shower or bath.

Take your tools and enchantments and go to your spell area. Make sure you have your spell.

If you're using music, you may want to start playing it while you are getting things together.

Move furniture around to give yourself the space you require.

Place all your tools within the space you will be using.

Cast your formation according to above directions and place your candles and gemstones according to the diagrams.

Relax and visualize your body bringing protected by a bright white light. See it flowing from your toes up to the top of your head. Not only does the formation protect you, but the white light is also a shield of additional protection from negative influences.

Sit, and when you feel appropriate, recite your spell. You may want to listen to the music for a while before actually reciting the spell, or you may want to sit in silence to prepare.

The specific directions of the spell will direct you from here. It may be writing something on paper, drinking wine or juice from a chalice, etc.

Once you have completed your spell, sit for as long as you feel is comfortable. Extinguish all candles and open up your formation, release it, and leave immediately. ( Click here for how to open up and release a formation.)

Remove all enchantments and put things back in order.

⚪5⚪

How to Cast Different Formations

The reason we make formation of any kind is to center and ground the spell.

It protects and holds the energy in place. Most people choose to cast circles, as there is no beginning and no end, making it strong and effective. It is in and of itself, one.

However, I have found a casting a circle first and then a triangle or a square within its is also powerful and protective four different types of spells. Therefore, I suggest one of the three formations for each individual spell. If you are not at ease with using a triangle or square within a circle, stay with a circle only. Remember, never use a square or triangle alone. Always cast them within your circle.

As I have repeated, these are really your choices, and there is nothing you should force yourself to do if it does not feel right. If you are not sure of what formation is best suited to you, experiment. Let the higher self within guide you. Follow the direction that is given to you. In the spell section of this book, I suggest what formation to cast for each particular spell. However you can change this. Remember that it is your spell, so do what you will.

Material Items to Cast a Formation

Your objective is to create a circle, triangle, or square in which you alone or you and others can sit. Using material items is a visible way to cast a formation, some people like to physically define a space by the use of something one can see. Salt is an excellent choice as it represents preservation, purification, and enchantment. Nature's gifts like pebbles, seashells, stones, sticks, flowers, and sand make lovely items in which to figure a formation. I have also seen the use of tarot cards, crystals, and candles. If you are performing the ritual inside, you do not want anything that may stain a floor or carpet. When outside, it is helpful to use something that will not blow away. I have a permanent circle of bricks in my meditation garden that I use for ceremonies, and when I work magick, I just invoke the energy, which I will discuss later in this chapter.

Visualization to Cast a Formation

If you do not choose to use any visible materials, you can cast a formation by picturing it and drawing it with an invisible line.

To cast a formation in this manner, use something that extends from your body that you can point, such as a wand, Crystal, or knife. In essence you are using a type of mystical drawing pencil. If you use a knife, it must not be used to cut anything physical and may be used only for virtual reasons. If the thought of a knife, dagger, or sword of any kind is jarring, simply do not use one. Also remember the knife can be dull, as it is used to Direct Energy only.

I have a friend that uses a beautiful letter opener to cast formations for her spells. Some may laugh, but she does some great magickal work with that letter opener, and she wouldn't give it up for the sword of Sir Lancelot! Try a long crystal, or attach a crystal to the end of a stick or a piece of copper pipe ( copper is a conductor ) and make your own wand.

If you're not comfortable finding a tool ( such as a wand ) that can direct energy, then cast your formation with an extended arm. Point your first and second fingers to direct the energy and draw your imaginary formation.

You can also combine methods by casting your circle with visualization and your inside formation with a material elements like salt or stones. Or, cast your circle with a physical item and your inner formation with visualization.

There are many different kinds of tools available to help you cast your invisible boundaries. If you have decided to use a tool instead of an outstretched arm, that instrument should be kept in a safe place and a place of dignity. Before you use it, bless it with elements of water if you like, or let it sit under the light of a full Moon to absorb energy and to be cleanse.

How to Cast a Formation

When you decide what type of commodity you will use to create your formation, be it a circle, triangle, or square, you can begin. Have all of your tools and enchantments you'll need for your spell nearby. Be organized and think before you begin. Once you cast your formation, it is best not to have to leave because you forgot something. If you are sitting on a chair, it should be kept in place. If you are using tools or enchantments, they should be on the table or sitting on the floor in which the formation will eventually be cast. White Light Protection

Before casting your formation, apply “white light” protection by visualizing a white light of protection around you. The white light will protect you from negativity entering into your body. It may look like a cloud, a tower of light, an oval, or whatever you feel the image to be.

It should encompass your entire being for at least the size of the area that you will use to cast your formation. For example, if you are casting a square that will be approximately 6 feet x 6 feet, your white light shield of protection should be at least 6 feet around your entire body. If a circle is 9 feet and five people are included, your white light protection should emanate 9 feet from each person's body.

To bring forth a white light of protection, stand in your spell area, close your eyes, and visualize the white light coming from above you and flowing down and eventually encompassing you. It enters through the top of your head and streams slowly down to your toes and grows outward from there. It should come to the very edges of your formation. If with others, they should all protect themselves with the white light method.

Drawing the Formation

Next, stand in the direction in which you will be eventually facing to cast the spell. Turn in a clockwise manner, as you will always cast a circle first. Then, also in a clockwise direction, cast your triangle or square. Sprinkle your salt or place your stones or whatever item you have chosen until you have traced a complete formation and are back at the starting point. Do not be concerned if the formation is not perfect. It may have a wave or two, but that is of no concern. One person must be chosen as the castor ( person who casts the formation ), or facilitator, while the others take their places standing or sitting until the formation is complete. To indicate that the formation is cast and convey to everyone to bring up the energy in the space, an acknowledgement of the completion of the process is recited.

As you say the following words, remain standing and raise your arms with palms up as if lifting the energy up from the earth.

Say "This _______ ( fill in circle, triangle, or square ) cast with all-knowing eyes, bring forth the power, may the energy rise." If you prefer to shorten this, merely say “May the energy rise.”

At this point you can be seated and begin your spell as directed.

Opening and Closing Your Formation If You Need to Leave

If for some reason you must leave your formation before the spell is completed, you must create an invisible doorway in which to leave. Whether you used stones or a wand, you should not leave without the proper passage. If you are using a circle of seashells, for example, stand and take your right hand with your first and second fingers ( like a blessing ) and pass your hand over the shells at a height that is comfortable for you and large enough for you to fit through.

You have made an invisible door. Step over the shells and leave. Do not step on any item that has made up your formation ----- always step over it. Once on the other side, immediately close the circle in the same manner. When re-entering, open the circle in the same way and close it again when you are back inside.

This should only take seconds, as it is virtually done with the sweep of an arm.

Although it is not recommended that you leave, things do arise. Sometimes we forget a lighter to light candle or the spell itself. A doorbell can ring, and we have no choice but to answer it. If you are gone for more than ten minutes, however, your area will lose energy and you should start again. Remember that you are part of the energy within the formation, and without you there, it cannot breathe for long. No harm is done if this happens; it just dissipates naturally like wood in a fireplace. Just start a new fire.

Releasing Your Formation When Finished

Everything needs closure when something is completed, and that also applies to formations. When your spell is accomplished, you must release the energy of the formation. To do this, stand and hold your arms up with palms down angled above your shoulder ( as if ready to dive into the water ), and in a gentle pushing motion, lower your arms and visualize the energy going back down into the earth.

Say, "The energy is released," or other closing words, such as "Done," or "It is."

The Circle

The circle is the most important formation ----- this is why all other formations are cast within a circle. There is good reason for that ----- it works! It fulfills all the needs in any spell and achieves what is necessary in a beautiful and transcendent way. It shields and is a place to contact the God of your understanding, the gods / goddesses, the universal life force energy, spirit guides, angels, or any of the ascended masters. It can also be adapted solely for a place to balance and receive messages from spirits or your inner self, having no spells involved. Sometimes I cast a circle for no special reason. I simply sit and relax, not releasing any energy or take it in any energy. I do not give or receive ... I "just be." Note: When in doubt as to which formation to cast, cast a circle. The Circle is representative of: wholeness, universal life force, power, achievement, balance, and emotions. Solitary placement: Sit directly in the middle of the circle and face the direction suggested in the spell or the direction that is comfortable for you. Group Placement: All the ways face each other, inward. If only two, face each other. If three, form a triangle inside and decide amongst yourselves who will sit where. Four or more should have one person at each compass point and the rest fill in. Alternate males and females if the numbers allow. No one should sit in the center with his or her back to the others. The facilitator or the group leader should take his or her place with everyone else.

The Triangle

The pyramids are triangular; the body, mind, and spirits are a trinity. Christian religions recognized the “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” The three phases of the Moon in different belief systems are represented as the three faces of the goddess: “maiden, mother, crone.” The maiden is a waxing Moon, the mother a full Moon, and the Crone the waning Moon.

We see the power in threes through with symbology from ancient culture to Modern days. Three is a number of multiplication and abundance. The ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras spoke of three as the perfect number a beginning, middle, and end.

In mythology, a group of three associated gods were referred to as a triad.

In daily conversation, we employ our own form of verbal triads using groups of words such as: animal, vegetable, mineral ... land, air, and sea ... width, depth, and height ... and the list goes on and on and on. Three is truly a magickal number and is powerful when working spells.

The Triangle is representative of: self-expression of creative and artistic pursuits, spirituality, power and high energy, psychic abilities, astral projection and divination. Solitary placement: Sit at the base of the triangle facing the direction suggested in the spell or the direction that is comfortable for you Group Placement: Always face each other, inward. If two people are present, each should sit at the left and right base of the triangle, leaving the point open and free. If there are three, each person should take a point of the triangle. If more than three, take the three points and fill in wherever the others are comfortable.

The Square

Buildings have four sides, a table has four legs, and there are four compass points on a map. All fours represent stability. To cast a spell using a square is not as powerful as a circle or triangle. However, when casting for reasons such as work and career, it is the very best. This is a very specific formation. I think of it as the "no nonsense" formation.

If it is love you want, DO NOT use a square. Although stability of a relationship could possibly fit in, for the most part, a square is all business. A square is an excellent foundation to build upon. For spells that have to do with homebuying or building, the square is the perfect choice. If you wants an idea to be set into solid form, this is the formation that should be chosen.

People drawn to a square formation can sometimes tend to be workaholics: very practical, productive, and very organized. So if you tend not to be too successful in life or you are a little on the lazy side, the energy from the square may help to balance you. If you are ambitious, energetic, and hard-working but financially void and “luck” has not been with you, the square is also a good choice.

The Square is representative of: stability, work and career, all business matters, legal issues, money affairs, and organization. Solitary placement: Sit directly in the middle of the square and face the direction suggested in the spell or the direction that is comfortable for you. Group Placement: Always face each other, inward. If only two, you should face each other, one facing the direction north and the other south. For three, form a triangle within the square. Two sit at the base and the third at the point. For four, each take a compass point, not a corner. For more than four, take the compass points and then fill in, alternating males and females if the numbers allowed.

Whether you cast a circle, triangle, square, or some formation of your own, if you have done it was belief, true intention, and seriousness, you should feel a difference in energy within that area. You have created a mystical place of your own, a place that is unique to you ----- a place that no one else can ever claim or copy. If you are with others, your synergistic efforts have created a place that is unrivaled by any other group. It is perfect for you.

⚪6⚪

Moon Spell Checklist

This checklist is provided to help you stay organized as you prepare to prepare to preform any of the spells provided. It will make the process go more smoothly.

Print this checklist or use it as a guide to write down what you will require. If you are printing or making copies, I suggest you make extras and keep them in the front or back of your book of shadows for future use.

⚪7⚪

Finding Time and Overcoming Problems

Busy work schedules, family commitments, and social activities can make it challenging to find the time to prepare for and perform spells. Sometimes a short amount of time to be alone is the most difficult. If you are single and have a living area to yourself, you should have no problem. However, for the mothers and fathers who have a house full of children and animals, it is quite a different story.

Nighttime is an excellent choice. Perhaps when family members have gone to sleep, you can make the extra effort to awake at a certain hour, so just two o’clock in the morning, to conduct your spell. In the very early morning hours, the energy of the planet is lower as a most people are sleeping and chaos is minimal. In fact, studies have shown that we are most psychic at approximately 4:00 a.m. for this very reason. If you tend to awaken from sleep with premonitions or intuitive thoughts in the middle of the night ... check your clock. There is a good chance it will be around 4:00 a.m.

If arising at an early hour of the morning is not a possibility, then you may have to sacrifice some appointment during the day or evening to perform you spell. For example, if every week you get together with special friend for lunch or go to your pottery class, you may have to sacrifice the meeting and use the time to spin your magick.

Instead of a half an hour it would take to prepare the family meal, order out or put a frozen dinner into the microwave. Your average spell takes thirty minutes to an hour, depending how elaborate you want to make it and the time you like to just sit and meditate or reflect after the spell is complete. Do not rush anything. Spinning a spell is not like rushing into a grocery store, buying groceries, and preparing the quickest meal possible just to put food in your stomach. It is a mystical, magickal, spiritual ceremony in which you may well receive a result far beyond what you ever thought possible. A blessing like this is nothing to rush.

I recently made arrangements to cast a spell with a friend of mine for the following week. Unexpectedly, he came over to my house to drop something off and ask, "While I'm here, can't we just take ten minutes and do that spell?" He did not understand the process at all. You must slowly build up to the day of the spell. The anticipation and the preparation are all part of the process of creating what you want and bring it to fruition.

Part of the power is the development of energy raising, what starts with the first decision about what type of spell you are going to work.

If you must, hire a baby-sitter or ask a friend to watch your pets or children for a pair of time ----- it is worth the effort. People have taken time off from work to cast a spell.

I am not promising if you miss work, the money lost will come back through the use of a spell; but if you are serious, you will find the time. I have seen people rent motel rooms just to get away by themselves and not be disturbed. Ask a friend if you could use his or her home for an hour or so while they are shopping if you have no other choice.

You will find a way to make the time.

You may not be in a position to shut off telephones and have total silence. If this is the case, you must use the right side of the brain a bit more and utilize your creativity. As mentioned earlier in the chapter “Where to Conduct Your Spells,” if the bathroom of your house is the only place in which to be alone, that is what you must do. It is not an insult to the Universe if this is all you have to work with. Sometimes a garage, basement, or attic may be used, unless someone attempts to start looking for you, wondering what you were doing.

There are two types of problems that may arise while casting a spell ----- one is mental the other is physical. The mental can stem from concerns about your religious beliefs or fear of what other people may think of you. In all religious beliefs, there is some types of ceremony or ritual that is involved. No one is suggesting you leave your religion in order to execute these rites. This is an act to enhance your life. You are neither hurting, nor cheating, nor being blasphemous in my opinion. If a clergyperson tells you this is not the case and you are going against the God of your understanding, it is up to you to make the choice. I believe you are merely venturing down a road that may lead to a process that appeals to your subconscious mind and make things happen.

I have good friends and clients that practice everything from Judaism, to Catholicism, to Buddhism, and they all use spell magick to better their lives. However, they do not stand up on a soapbox in the middle of town and let the world know of their personal practices. They have come to an understanding and theirs minds and have no guilt or regrets.

That being said, the idea of discussing this with others is up to you, but I do not suggest it if you live among individuals who would scorn such ideas. This is not because these ideas are wrong, but just because some people are afraid of what they do not understand.

The subject of metaphysics is controversial. One of the biggest dilemmas I hear from individuals who conduct spells is being with a partner or family member would not approve of such activities. Sometimes these people expect you to have the same thoughts that they have and do not want you to experiment or try something different. This is not an easy situation, and I have seen two divorces over the practice a metaphysical beliefs. Use common sense, and as they say, "let your conscience be your guide."

Belief systems and approaches to life are personal. No two roads to a destination are found by the same map. Therefore, respect other people's point of view and do not try to convince someone to rethink their convictions and consider your philosophies instead. Be quiet in your soul searching and expiration of different methods that are available to you for creating a successful and fulfilling life. Why make a show of things?

We all have the right to delve into new avenues of Interest. If someone around you does not agree, you may want to consider conducting your rituals elsewhere or stay very private in what you do. The important thing is that you do nothing to harm anyone physically, mentally, emotionally, or on a spiritual level.

While I was renting a house in Sedona, Arizona, I met a woman in her seventies who lived down the block. She was a lovely lady, and we became friends in a short time. I told her I was a writer and she asked what I wrote about. At the time I was writing about the power of prayer and spirituality. I summed up the subject by saying I was writing on spirituality, which, in fact, was the truth. I did not disclose that I was a third-generation psychic and believe in the philosophy of metaphysics.

As we drove past some of the vortexes in Sedona, she began talking about what she described as "New Ages," by which definition I would best be described. I liked her so much, I did not comment or try to defend New Age thought.

I felt it was for the best. What would it have proven and what would it have accomplished? I did not lie; I just chose to not commit one way or the other. One of my better strength is knowing when to discuss things with certain people and when not to. I do not want someone to attempt to convince me their beliefs are the best, and I do not discuss my beliefs with others unless they asked me and show an interest.

In all cases, be discreet about such sensitive subjects. If you live in a home in which the idea of spinning a spell is looked down upon, show discernment and respect for others. Rise above the situation with class, and show others you are not as judgmental as they may be about you.

If you should start to feel uneasy about spell making, it is not worth sacrificing your piece of mine, and I would recommend stopping it immediately. If you love the idea, the rituals, and the results, continue doing it. Be true to yourself as long as you never hurt or intentionally cause anyone harm. If these spells the work well for you, you may want to share them with others of like mind.

The other kind of challenge you may need to overcome when using magick is the physical aspect of making things work. If you are in a very small place and think you cannot cast a circle because a dresser or a bed is in the way, it is not a problem. Cast the formation right over any obstacles. Naturally, you must use the visualization technique of casting a formation as opposed to using material items such as salt. In some areas you may not be able to use candles or other items, but work around it and you will be surprised but what you can achieve. The weather is always a factor when casting spells outside. One question was addressed to me during a lecture I gave in Kansas City. Can a spell be spawned outside in the rain?

My answer? Why not, if there is no lightning about? If you want to sit outside with the gentle rain falling, you may regard it as the element of water entering into soul with a little extra force. Some may see rain as purification or a cleansing. For me, to be rained on as I sit in a chair or on the ground trying to concentrate is not conductive to tranquility, and I would rather go inside or reschedule the entire event. This is a personal preference. The rule of thumb you may want to remember is, if something is a distraction it takes away from your concentration, you are putting undo stress on yourself. So why do it?

Regarding pets: Not everyone has a separate room to put a pet into when doing a ritual. You may not feel it is right to lock your pet up while performing his actions. Sometimes the animal will protest with scratching or barking or whatever your pet does when upset. If you have a pet that is quiet and will sit calmly and you feel you want this peaceful creature to be a part of your ritual, then include her. For the most part, if it is easier to have the animal next to you than wandering back and forth, and in and out of your formation, have him in the formation.

Can you use your beloved animal to take the place of a person, hence having a group ritual? Not really, unless it understands what the ceremony is about and can also concentrate on the same intention.

⚪8⚪

Creating and Walking a Moon Circle

A Moon circle is a place to receive messages about your future. You can build one for yourself or with others. It is a circle created by the use of shells, rocks, stones, bricks, pinecones, or anything else you choose. The reason a circle is used is that the energy comes up faster within a circle and continues to turn, creating a vibration that will allow you to tap into your future more readily. The circle is divided into four major compass directions, each one having a specific meaning and insights.

The Moon circle provides a place sincere people can resolve problems and come to a better understanding of situations, as well as foreseeing future events. With a Moon circle, you can draw from the universal life force energy to receive messages and to prevent disharmony from coming into your life. It is a magick mirror that looks into the future.

Native American traditions show the use of a medicine wheel, which have some basic similarities but is far different. I have great respect for the medicine wheel and feel it is a powerful tool for healing and balance. However, these two should not be confused ----- the medicine wheel is more complex and requires much more understanding of Native American beliefs.

How to Make a Moon Circle You can style a temporary circle or make a permanent one if you live on a piece of land that is spacious. If you have the capability to make your circle outside among nature, you will receive the extra earth connection. However, if you do not have the opportunity, you can create one in your living room or another appropriate indoor space.

Choose the spot where you will create your circle. It can be an area that just “feels good” to you. You will mark off the four compass points ----- north, south, east, west ----- with some type of stone or indicator. Next, make a small circle in the center that will surround your crystal, stone, etc. The center circle is the highest point. You may opt to create a third, and largest, circle that encompasses the two inner circles. This provides a walkway around the inner circle, keeping the energy contained. As indicated in the illustration, remember to leave a gateway or opening from the east through which you enter and one in the west through which you exit. If forming the bare minimum temporary-style Moon circle, you will need five stones, crystals, shells, bricks, or whatever you have available to mark the designated spots.

First, place a stone at each compass point and one in the center. Although this may look kind of like a cross, you must visualize an etheric circle connecting the outer stones. Keep in mind the size of your circle. If you are working your magick alone, a small circle will do. If you intend to work with someone else or others, you will have to make the circle large enough to accommodate all those involved. Also consider how you will sit. Not all of us are able to bend or move freely. Be practical by placing chairs, stools, or pillows to sit on within the circle before you start your ceremony, if necessary. I use large logs on occasion when outdoors.

How to Walk the Moon Circle Once the circle is in place, enter the circle from the east, as this is where the Sun rises and is the direction that opens all passages. You will exit through the west, where the Sun sets. If using a three-circle layout, you have already created an entry point to pass through. Next you should cleanse yourself and the circle. You may want to use a smudge stick of white sage as a form of purification. You can buy a stick of white sage at most health food stores or New Age gift stores. Light the sage stick and then let it smother. When it starts to smoke, pass it back and forth in front of and around your own body as a form of purging. You are bathing yourself in the smoke. If others are involved, smudge them as well, passing the smoke around them.

Some people use loose sage and light it in a seashell, using a feather to spread the smoke. However, the sage stick is usually the easiest, as it requires no other tools. Next, smudge the circle in the same manner, spreading smoke throughout to release negativity.

If you do not have sage or prefer not to smudge, simply pass your hand in a sweeping motion over the circle and visualize any remaining negative energy leaving the circle. To cleanse yourself, shake your hands in front of yourself as if shooing the negativity away and out of your body. This is the quick and simple way. I do recommend the smudging if possible. Now you are ready to walk the circle. Start from the east and walk around clockwise at least three times. It will take a cycle of three to bring up the energy of the circle, as three is the number of multiplication. If, after three times around, you do not feel the energy in the circle shifting, continue to walk until you feel it is time to stop. If others are with you, they should follow. When you stop, stop in the direction you are led to and sit in that section of the circle.

When working with others, they may not choose the same direction to stop or they may want to continue to walk until they are led to their special place. Someone may choose to sit in the same direction with you, as this is where they are led and, others may sit in an opposite place. There is no right or wrong. Sharing a space with someone will not take away energy from you or deplete the messages you are receiving. You may sit with your hands in a receiving position with palms up, or you may decide to cross your hands and concentrate in a contained manner. Some people feel when meditating or becoming in tune with universal forces, it is not good to cross hands or legs. I have done both and think that your comfort is the most important issue because you need to be relaxed and comfortable for this particular ritual.

Always sit facing inward, toward the center power point. In other words, you may be sitting in section that is considered north, but once in the north area, you are actually turned and facing south. The message you will pick up will be of a southern nature with crossovers of energy from the north. It is not necessary to know the direction you have ended up in, as you can determine this later. Once you are seated in your direction or message point, calm your mind and relax. Allow the messages to come to you. Ask silent questions if you like, and see what answers you intuit. Once you feel you have received your messages or answers from the collective consciousness, take your time and slowly rise.

Give thanks to the energy of the circle by saying something to yourself or out loud such as “I give thanks to the earth and to the life force for guidance.” Make up what you like.You may just say a simple thank-you with a bow of the head. Acknowledge the power from above that has visited to help you and guide you. Leave the circle from the west, where the Sun goes down, as this gives closure to the ceremony.

Meanings of the Four Directions North From the north springs forth wisdom and completion. It is a time of delivery and freedom from things that may have been a challenge in our lives. It is a call for balance in all things. Its message is to find answers here and now using practical solutions and common sense.

As we travel upward, moving in a northerly direction, our journey may become more difficult as we are nearing the end of a cycle. It is this direction that instructs us that this is not the time to give up when we are close to completion. This direction can have difficulties attached to it, but the trip will be well worth the result.

Here is where things are concluded and you may feel the most equalized. North represents power, organizing, insight and justice. Whenever in doubt, turn north. South Everything emotional comes from the south. Symbolically, south is a time for preparing for the future. It is a place of emotion and affairs of the heart. This point represents passion and fullness and reminds us to learn to control our bodies. Here we learn self-control of our emotional selves and how to express feelings without hurting others. It is the south that we learn to release feelings of hurt and anger.

Creativity stems from the south as well, and we can make the connection to artistic pursuits and issues dealing with the imagination and inventiveness. East The day begins in the east. It is renewal, birth, and rebirth. It is with this direction that we find spontaneity, innocence, hope and trust. The first light enters from the east, providing leadership and guidance. We learn many lessons from the messages from the east. We learn to believe in what we cannot see, feel, or touch. We learn to be more open-minded to things we do not understand. This is a place where a new venture or a different path through life may be awakened.

It is also from this direction we must recognize that in order to proceed to the future, we must accept and deal with the present. Once we have accomplished this, we can move in a different direction. This is the conception of all things, including love, career, health, spirituality, and balance. You may have already been through many of life’s tests. But when spirit moves you to try yet again or venture out to do something new, you will find yourself in the direction of the east. West The Sun sets in the west and brings the night, mystery, and dreams; it is the gateway to the unknown. The direction of west signifies completion of a situation or goal.

It can suggest to you that it is time to complete something you have been procrastinating about. Power and strength generate in the west. This compass point prescribes determination and development. The west tells us to go within ourselves for guidance where the energy is calmer and your level of tension sets like the Sun. We find acceptance of who we are; and if we don’t like what we find, we must change it.

If you are not looking for a specific message or answer within a Moon circle but feel you need the connection to a specific direction, walk your circle and intentionally sit in the direction from which you feel you need to draw guidance and absorb its energy through meditation. Example: If you do not know whether to interview for a new job, sit in the east and concentrate.

Be careful meditating too often in the northern compass point, because like the winter, you may lose your warmth. Use all directions in moderation.

[[ Part 2. Creating a Magickal Atmosphere ]]

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Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Next stop Mars: 3 spacecraft arriving in quick succession (AP) After hurtling hundreds of millions of miles through space since last summer, three robotic explorers are ready to hit the brakes at Mars. The United Arab Emirates’ orbiter reaches Mars on Tuesday, followed less than 24 hours later by China’s orbiter-rover combo. NASA’s rover, the cosmic caboose, will arrive on the scene a week later, on Feb. 18, to collect rocks for return to Earth—a key step in determining whether life ever existed at Mars. Both the UAE and China are newcomers at Mars, where more than half of Earth’s emissaries have failed. China’s first Mars mission, a joint effort with Russia in 2011, never made it past Earth’s orbit. All three spacecraft rocketed away within days of one another last July, during an Earth-to-Mars launch window that occurs only every two years. That’s why their arrivals are also close together.

Around the globe, virus cancels spring travel for millions (AP) They are the annual journeys of late winter and early spring: Factory workers in China heading home for the Lunar New Year; American college students going on road trips and hitting the beach over spring break; Germans and Britons fleeing drab skies for some Mediterranean sun over Easter. All of it canceled, in doubt or under pressure because of the coronavirus. Amid fears of new variants of the virus, new restrictions on movement have hit just as people start to look ahead to what is usually a busy time of year for travel. It means more pain for airlines, hotels, restaurants and tourist destinations that were already struggling more than a year into the pandemic, and a slower recovery for countries where tourism is a big chunk of the economy.

AP-NORC poll: Few in US say democracy is working very well (AP) Only a fragment of Americans believe democracy is thriving in the U.S., even as broad majorities agree that representative government is one of the country’s bedrock principles, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Just 16% of Americans say democracy is working well or extremely well, a pessimism that spans the political spectrum. Nearly half of Americans, 45%, think democracy isn’t functioning properly, while another 38% say it’s working only somewhat well. The poll’s findings are broadly consistent with how Americans graded democracy before the election. But there are signs that Trump’s attacks on the democratic process, including his repeated argument that the election was “stolen” because of voter irregularities, resonated with Republicans.

Schools plan for potential of remote learning into the fall (AP) Parents of schoolchildren learning from home shouldn’t necessarily count on reclaiming the dining room table any time soon. After seeing two academic years thrown off course by the pandemic, school leaders around the country are planning for the possibility of more distance learning next fall at the start of yet another school year. “We have no illusions that COVID will be eradicated by the time the start of the school year comes up,” said William “Chip” Sudderth III, a spokesperson for Durham, North Carolina schools, whose students have been out of school buildings since March. President Joe Biden has made reopening schools a top priority, but administrators say there is much to consider as new strains of the coronavirus appear and teachers wait their turn for vaccinations. And while many parents are demanding that schools fully reopen, others say they won’t feel safe sending children back to classrooms until vaccines are available to even young students.

2nd major snowstorm in a week blankets Northeast (AP) A major snowstorm pushed through the Northeastern United States on Sunday, less than a week after a storm dumped more than 2 feet on parts of the region. By early afternoon, 5 to 7 inches had already fallen in parts of northwestern New Jersey and southwestern Connecticut. New York’s Central Park reported about 3 inches. The highest total was recorded in West Whiteland Township, west of Philadelphia, where about 9 inches had fallen. The National Weather Service predicted up to 8 inches of snow in New York City and 2 to 4 inches in Washington, D.C. Up to a foot was projected to fall on some areas along the Connecticut coastline.

Biden faces border challenge as migrant families arrive in greater numbers and large groups (Washington Post) President Biden’s more-welcoming message to immigrants is facing an immediate challenge along the Mexican border, where Central American families and children have been crossing in numbers that point to a building crisis. In recent days, U.S. authorities have seen the return of large groups of parents and children crossing the border in the darkness, a replay of scenes that occurred during the record influx of families who arrived in 2018 and 2019, overwhelming migrant shelters and Border Patrol stations. Republican critics of Biden say the new wave is the start of the crisis they have long predicted, invited by the new administration’s eager rejection of Trump’s deterrent approach. Yet Biden also inherited a highly improvised enforcement system from his predecessor that was already under strain and highly dependent on Trump’s diplomatic bullying of Mexico. Late last month, Mexican authorities in some areas of the border stopped taking back families returned by the United States under emergency pandemic health measures implemented last March. With the U.S. capacity to hold adults and children reduced by the pandemic and the temporary closure of the largest Border Patrol facility in South Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection began dropping families off at bus stations and shelters last week.

Ecuador’s election (Foreign Policy) Ecuador’s presidential election is set to go to a second round after early returns showed a split electorate. Leftist Andrés Arauz leads the count with 31.5 percent of the vote, while his closest challengers Guillermo Lasso and Yaku Pérez both received roughly 20 percent. As the margin between them is so tight, it’s not yet clear whether Lasso or Pérez will face Arauz in the April 11 runoff.

Brexit growing pains (Foreign Policy) Exports from the United Kingdom to the European Union fell by 68 percent in January, according to a trade group representing British truck drivers. The Road Haulage Association (RHA) attributed the drop to trade disruptions due to the end of the Brexit transition period, although the British government has said border friction has been “minimal.” The news comes as EU and U.K. representatives meet this week to discuss extending post-Brexit grace periods on the trade of certain goods.

‘Al desko’ (Foreign Policy) The French labor ministry says it will soon relax a ban on workers eating lunch at their desks in order to enforce social distancing regulations. France’s labor laws currently forbid employees from eating “al desko” and companies face financial penalties if inspectors catch them flouting the law. The country’s strict labor rights include a 2017 law that allows workers to ignore work e-mails outside of normal working hours. “We French and you Americans have totally different ideas about work,” Agnès Dutin, a retired Parisian, told the New York Times. “It’s a catastrophe to eat at your desk. You need a pause to refresh the mind. It’s good to move your body. When you return, you see things differently.”

Russia considering at least $6.7 billion spending package to ease discontent (Reuters) Russian authorities are considering a new social spending package worth at least $6.7 billion to address discontent over falling living standards before an autumn election, according to two government sources. The package, which one of the sources said President Vladimir Putin was likely to unveil in an annual speech to senior political figures in coming weeks, follows unsanctioned nationwide protests last month that hit the value of the rouble. The two government sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, told Reuters the spending package was meant to make people feel the authorities are aware of their financial concerns and are doing something to help them.

Myanmar junta imposes curfew, meeting bans as protests swell (AP) Myanmar’s new military rulers on Monday signaled their intention to crack down on opponents of their takeover, issuing decrees that effectively banned peaceful public protests in the country’s two biggest cities. The restrictive measures were ordered after police fired water cannons at hundreds of protesters in the Myanmar capital, Naypyitaw, who were demanding the military hand power back to elected officials. It was just one of many demonstrations around the country. Rallies and gatherings of more than five people, along with motorized processions, were banned, and an 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew was imposed for areas of Yangon and Mandalay, the country’s first- and second-biggest cities, where thousands of people have been demonstrating since Saturday. The growing wave of defiance—particularly in Naypyitaw, where such protests are unusual—was striking in a country where demonstrations have been met with severe force in the past.

Iran: US must lift sanctions before it lives up to nuke deal (AP) Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday urged the United States to lift all sanctions if it wants Iran to live up to commitments under its nuclear deal with world powers, state TV reported, but President Joe Biden says the U.S. won’t be making the first move. “If (the U.S.) wants Iran to return to its commitments, it must lift all sanctions in practice, then we will do verification … then we will return to our commitments,” state TV quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying, in his first comments on the matter since Biden took office. Biden rejected the idea in a “CBS Evening News” interview taped Friday and airing Sunday. Former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. in 2018 from the atomic deal, which saw Iran agree to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Biden has said he will seek to revive the deal, but insisted that Iran must first reverse its nuclear steps, creating a contest of wills between the nations.

Israel’s Netanyahu walks out on his own corruption trial (Washington Post) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told judges in a Jerusalem court on Monday that he is innocent of corruption charges before abruptly standing, saying “thank you very much” and leaving with his motorcade. Netanyahu quit the courtroom some 20 minutes after the start of Monday morning’s hearing, which continued on without him. The sessions kick-started the second phase of a precedent-setting legal procedure, which, for the first time, involves the indictment of an Israeli prime minister while still in office and campaigning for elections in the coming weeks—the fourth in two years.

Congo working to stop new Ebola outbreak in country’s east (AP) Health officials in Congo confirmed another Ebola outbreak in the country’s east on Sunday, the fourth in less than three years. On February 3, a woman died in Butembo town in North Kivu province, Minister of Health Eteni Longondo announced. This is the 12th outbreak in conflict-ridden Congo since the virus was first discovered in the country in 1976, and comes less than three months after an outbreak in the western province of Equateur, officially ended in November. The 2018 outbreak in Eastern Congo was the second deadliest in the world, killing 2,299 people before it ended in June. That outbreak lasted for nearly two years and was fought amid unprecedented challenges, including entrenched conflict between armed groups, the world’s largest measles epidemic, and the spread of COVID-19.

#headlines #news

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 4 years

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

March 8, 2021

Heather Cox Richardson

Lots of stuff simmering, but nothing you can’t miss if you want to take a break from the news today.

There are two stories I’m following.

The first is the fight between former president Trump and the Republican National Committee (RNC). Last Friday, Trump’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to the RNC, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and the National Republican Congressional Committee—the three biggest Republican fundraising bodies—demanding they stop using his name and his photo to raise money. The former president is allegedly angry at the Republicans who failed to support him after the January 6 insurrection—especially Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)-- and would like to cut them out of the money he can raise.

Friday night, Trump released a series of endorsements for candidates he supports in 2022. He has warned the RNC that he will back primary candidates that support him rather than those whom he considers insufficiently loyal.

Today, the RNC rejected Trump’s attempt to protect his brand. A letter from the chief counsel of the RNC said the Republican Party ““has every right to refer to public figures as it engages in core, First Amendment-protected political speech, and it will continue to do so in pursuit of these common goals.”

Also today, the RNC moved part of its spring donor retreat, held in early April, to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, paying the former president for the use of his club and for meals. While most of the event will take place at a different hotel, Trump will address the organization at Mar-a-Lago.

At stake here, of course, is control of the Republican Party. Trump would like to be the party’s kingmaker; many Republicans would like to move him off center stage. But Trump is the party’s biggest fundraiser, so the RNC cannot simply toss him overboard, and he is determined to protect his brand.

How this plays out will say a lot about the future of the party.

The second story I’m following is that of the Senate filibuster.

A filibuster permits a senator to stop popular legislation. Initially, it required a senator to hold the floor by refusing to stop talking, which took many, many hours and was exhausting, so it was a last resort to stop something that otherwise would pass (and was almost always used to stop civil rights legislation). But, rules changes over time changed the filibuster to permit a senator to stop legislation simply by threatening to create such a roadblock.

This has meant that the burden of passing legislation has fallen on the majority, which needs to find 60 votes to stop a filibuster rather than a simple majority of 51 to pass a bill, while the role of the minority has simply been to refuse to entertain action. The Senate has largely ceased to legislate. This development has served the Republicans, who are happy not to pass legislation because they would like to turn the functions of government over to private interests, but frustrates the Democrats, who think that bills that pass the House of Representatives should get a hearing in the Senate and, if they get a yes vote from a majority of senators, should pass.

There has been resistance to ending the filibuster—including resistance from President Joe Biden—but there is increasing talk of returning the filibuster to its original form, requiring those opposed to a popular measure not simply to register their disapproval in order to take it off the calendar, but actually to hold the floor to talk a measure to death. When they give up, the measure can pass by a simple majority vote.

Reinstating the old system, in which a minority eager to stop passage of a bill must hold the floor and continue debate, has begun to win adherents, including Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV). “The filibuster should be painful, it really should be painful and we've made it more comfortable over the years,” Manchin said yesterday on the Fox News Channel. “Maybe it has to be more painful.”

At stake in this issue in the immediate future is the passage of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a sweeping voting rights bill passed last week by the House of Representatives. Senate Republicans have vowed to kill the bill. Increasingly unpopular, Republicans are dependent on voter suppression techniques and gerrymandering—both addressed in the bill-- to continue to have a shot at winning elections. In illustration of that need, Republican legislatures across the country are currently trying to pass a slew of voter suppression measures.

For their part, Democrats recognize that if the Republicans’ voter suppression and gerrymandering techniques are allowed to go forward unchallenged, Democrats will be hard pressed ever again to win control of the government. The nation will, in effect, become a one-party state not unlike the one that controlled the American South from the 1870s to the 1960s.

So H.R. 1 spells the future of the American political system: with it, Republicans will have to reform and win elections on a level playing field; without it, Democrats will be unlikely to be able to compete against Republican rigging of the system.

The future of the nation depends on H.R. 1; the future of H.R. 1 depends on the filibuster.

—-

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Letters From an American #Heather Cox Richardson #RNC #post Trump #Voting Rights #filibuster

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ofcloudsandstars · 5 years

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Celestial Forecast

Week of April 6-12

Highlights:

Tomorrow on the 7th is going to be amazing with the full Supermoon in Libra amongst other helpful aspects

On Friday the 10th Mercury and Eros will conjunct in Pisces making it an exciting day

Saturday the 11th Mercury moves into Aries!

Sunday the 12th Eros moves into Aries!!

First before diving into this I want to thank everyone for sending positive energy my way when I asked for it cause I think it did manage to like dowse the fire a bit in my life with this horrible person I am trapped with in quarantine. Things are a bit better now though I feel it may pick up again but it's nice to have a break though these celestial transits look like a mess though I am excited for the full moon this week.

Anyways! Are you ready for the pinnacle of Aries season? This week's energy kicks off with a glorious full moon in Libra, the oasis of the fiery Aries season. If you have started fires with people you are trapped with in this quarantine, this moment of relief can be your reconciliation period. Additionally it can be the time to bring things to justice if you feel that reconciliation isn't always an option. If nothing is affecting your directly you may feel called to bring justice or make amends for the injustice in the world. The planetary aspects are only going to get spicier from here on as more celestial bodies shift into Aries making our movements, thoughts and direction more excited and determined.

Note: I am london based and the time is set to GMT

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6th

☾ Moon in Virgo Trines with Pluto than Jupiter in Capricorn and Sedna in Taurus

☾ VOC 2:28PM-10:16PM ☾ Moon enters Libra ☾ Lunar Trine with Saturn in Aquarius

Energy: With the moon wrapping up in Virgo it will trine Pluto then jupiter in Capricorn along with making a trine with Sedna in Taurus. This is a good time to wrap up whatever has happened in the weekend and reflect on it as the moon trining with Pluto and Sedna will help review any deep rooted feelings you may be holding onto. Additionally with the moon trining Pluto you will have an increased emotional sensitivity and psychic ability that could help boost your magic and divination skills today. The moon trining Sedna can help you see possibilities in where you can pour energy into to progress and or make the best out of your situation. With the moon trining Jupiter you can find yourself in a more positive mood which will help mellow out the feelings that can be brought up with pluto and sedna's trine. Your energy applied towards endeavors of work, your values, money or uncompleted tasks would benefit the most today with the moon completing it's transit in virgo and the other planets it's trining in earth signs. (Of course in a sense of reflection and doing what you can since we are all lockdown.)

The moon will enter Libra at 10:16PM GMT which will help to mellow out the vibes. Like cool ranch to hot sauce the Libra moon in Aries season gives a new perspective, sense of calm and clarity towards your direction or any current conflicts taking place. At least you know a break is coming on it's way. The moon in Libra will trine with Saturn in Aquarius creating a mood of increased responsibility and maturity. There will be the patience and emotional strength to handle sensitive or difficult relationship issues. If you don't have a fire to put out (lucky you) this energy could be applied as well towards facing any uncomfortable situations in life or focusing on what your community needs.

Recommendations: Energy work magic and spells, divination, shadow work, cleansing and cleaning, sweetening spells towards asshole people in your life.

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7th

Full moon in Libra

Mercury in Pisces sextiles Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn

Mars in Aquarius squares Uranus in Taurus

☾ Lunar Conjunction with Juno rx in Libra ☾ Lunar Trine with Venus in Gemini than Mars in Aquarius

Energy: Today the best full moon of the year (sorry I am a Libra) will be mighty high in the night sky and you will feel it's amazing energy. Also known as the 'Pink Moon' the energy it brings will help to bring some order and some fucking chill at last to aries season. This moon will also be a Supermoon since it will be at it's closest possible proximity to the earth. If you check your astrology app to see when Moon rise is, you will see it huge on the horizon. (6:55PM London time). The full moon in Aries season highlights what's unfair and attempts to bring justice. This is a good time to focus energy towards the injustices in the world highlighted by the pandemic. If you may be swamped with your own issues, this full moon will attempt to rectify that for you. Additionally if you are feeling great and don't need additional help (please send good vibes out to everyone that does please haha) the full Libra moon is INCREDIBLE for love magic. Though love magic may be the last thing on our minds (we are locked up so it's unlikely for Romeo to find us but also with the threat of the collapse of society we may also not care about romance just at the moment), this will be a great time to put out in the world that you are seeking a significant other. It's also amazing for friendship magic especially if you are craving finding a community. Now is a time for communities to come together so it would be great to put out attraction magic for that. The moon will also conjunct Juno retrograding in Libra which will highlight our feelings towards where we have been devoting our energy towards and if it was the right place to begin with. We may review what makes us feel complete and with the culminating energies of the celestial bodies (especially sun in Aries) we may review our direction and rethink what makes us feel whole. Additionally the moon conjunct Juno rx will make us think about our partnerships and reflect on what we would like in a partner or friendship. This is great energy for attracting new friends or a community that could help you. Just remember to be very specific in your manifestation. The Full Supermoon will also trine with Venus in Gemini bringing additional love, tenderness, harmony and friendship. The energy is right to make amends and attract love and support into your life. If we weren't all LOCKED UP this combination would make Libra full moon in the middle of spring the ideal time to find romance but with Venus in gemini maybe we can take new ways of dating or connecting with new friends online and that can be the new place for the energy to thrive. The moon will also make a trine with Mars in Aquarius giving the courage and initiative to make the first move or take the lead. This is great energy to initiate peace or (once again) ask someone out on a date. It's ok to be direct and assertive and initiate peaceful communication. It'll also give courage to stand up for yourself and defend your rights. Partnerships aside this is great energy to help fight injustices caused by this pandemic or support your community.

Lunar transits aside, there will also be some powerful energy from other celestial transits. Mars and Uranus will be making a hard square initiating any changes in the home or personal life. It's a good day to visualize what you want and put it into action before Uranus decides that for you in it's wonderfully SURPRISING spin-the-wheel type way. This combination of energy also gives a HUGE urge to break free from restriction and rebel. This energy can be incredibly rash which could bring consequences but with the moon and it's positive aspects you can help to bring balance to the chaos and direct that energy in a positive way to get what you need done. With the specifics of mars in aquarius and uranus in Taurus a lot of that pent up energy may be naturally directed towards the needs of the community and our values shifting around the natural environment and our money (or systems of values that naturally includes currency since crapitalism has been ruling our lives for generations now).

Mercury will also make a positive sextile with Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn. Mercury sextiling Jupiter helps to think and plan about the future. It will also help us to open our perspective especially in regards to matters of money, authority, government and business. Having an expanded perspective will also help beneficially to all the other transits I've illustrated previously. There will also be a boost for great communication skills which will also help with diplomatic negotiations and peaceful communications. Mercury's sextile with Pluto adds additional depth and intensity to thinking and conversations. You can also use this day for in depth study and research especially on topics of the occult. Take your government authorized walk of the day to your local greenery and read up on any neglected occult/witchcraft books you've been neglecting or add to your grimoire. (A book I strongly DO NOT recommend is apocalyptic witchcraft haha. It may seem appropriate in these times but the book sucks trust me.) Your intellect and persuasive powers will also be amplified in this time helping with your communication.

Recommendations: So many things! New Partnerships Attraction Magic (whether that be loving friendships, community, a romantic partner etc), Sweetening spells, quelling any fires in your life, shadow work and reviewing your direction in life, helping out your community, peace spells for the community or earth, blessings for ones in needs, Writing in your grimoire! Deeping your magical studies, restoring harmony and balance to your life, divination to analyze the direction you need to take from here.

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8th

☾ Lunar Opposition with Chiron in Aries

☾ Lunar Square with Pluto than Jupiter in Capricorn

☾ Lunar Trine with Ceres in Aquarius

☾ VOC 1:49PM-9:16PM

☾ Moon enters Scorpio ☾ Lunar Square with Saturn in Aquarius

Energy: The energy today will be confrontational as the moon wrapping up it's transit in Libra will want to continue making amends in the darker areas of our psyche. It will create opposition with Chiron in Aries which can help us understand the pain others may be experiencing and shed some empathy. Additionally it could create a moody atmosphere as we may feel isolated and misunderstood if we could not defend ourselves against injustices. It's a good day to isolate and self reflect if your home life is still not great. Additionally the moon in Libra will square Pluto in Capricorn which can bring up deeply buried feelings and expose secrets. However with the moon trying to bring the best energy out with it transiting Libra it may try to expose and bring justice to any emotional power struggles within the house and or family and maybe expose any manipulators or abuse with it's square in Pluto. (At least the energy today would be great for a Let-Everyone-See-What-An-Abusive-Ass-You-Truly-Are curse to anyone abusing you). Additionally the moon is going to square Jupiter which also brings some positive energy but there can always be a tendency for excess in the areas of drinking or spending too much. Be wary about over indulgence. The moon in Libra's last transit will trine with Ceres bringing out your need to care for yourself and your community which could also help smooth over any issues with the opposition with Chiron in Aries.

The moon entering Scorpio will bring an intense mood as deeper feelings get brought to the surface. Whatever could be hidden will be brought up like an unblocked shower drain. There will be a square with Saturn in Aquarius and usually though this tension may produce negative results (such as feeling solemn, isolated and burdened) with everything happening previously this has the positive ability for people to take responsibility for their emotional actions or even better: abusive or unhealthy relationships could find their end. Protect yourself against any negative energy and try to channel new positive relationships because this full moon transit is really seeking to make positive amends towards all of your relationships.

Recommendations: Exposing your abusers or abusers in society through revealing spell magic. Confronting emotionally manipulative people and setting boundaries cause the planets got your back. Self care and bath magic (if you don't feel like being confrontational),

General Scorpio Moon magic: water based magic, shadow work, sex magic, energy work, blood magic

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9th

☾ Moon in Scorpio

☾ Lunar Opposition with Sedna in Taurus

☾ Lunar Square with Mars in Aquarius

Energy: Today will be a great day to take a walk or find a safe space in your home for others as the Moon in Scorpio will make a square with Mars in Aquarius and oppose Sedna in Taurus. Moon squaring Mars can bring up repressed anger exploding to the surface like a pressure cooker. This could be potential backlash for confronting abusers or cornering them in their own mess. It's best to take a step away and go for a walk or stay somewhere where you know you can be safe and isolated. Protection magic is heavily advised today. Sedna bringing it's alchemical energy of transforming life from darkness can help bring us new perspective after all the energy we have took in after the full super moon. If we do get tangled in the fiery square of the moon and Mars this can unfortunately make us feel victimized by life and a bit hopeless as we will feel trapped in our own underworld. Today will be a good day to visualize what outcome we want to manifest from all of this and set our desires and needs straight and put energy towards materializing it. That will be a helpful outlet to channeling the pent up energy.

Recommendations: Writing down what we want and reflecting on it or manifesting it. Protection magic. Fire-based curses if people don't know how to leave you alone.

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10th

Mercury and Eros conjunct in Pisces

☾ Lunar Trine with Neptune, Mercury and Eros in Pisces ☾ Lunar Sextile with Pluto than Jupiter in Capricorn ☾ VOC 8:34-9:35PM ☾ Moon enters Sagittarius ☾ Lunar Sextile with Saturn in Aquarius

Energy: Today will be a great day to express our passions as Mercury and Eros will conjunct in dreamy pisces. Rolling on from the energy yesterday the focus of where we need to project our energy and redefine our goals (as the whole world is shifting) can get helpful insight with this pair conjoined. (Also strange side note- with Eros also being the asteroid of desires and sex the energy could help with a lot of online flirting or putting energy towards learning our expanding our minds about new passions.) Additionally where we will focus our new desires and dreams will set the tone for the weekend as both Mercury and Eros will shift into Aries and restart their new cycle in the Zodiac transits.

The moon in Scorpio will amplify this energy as it will make a beneficial trine with Neptune, Mercury and Eros in Pisces. We will feel emotionally inclined to create, re-dream and explore new passions and desires. Sex may strongly be on our mind (especially with the moon in Scorpio and it's trine with Eros) which can bring frustrations to those in quarantine who can't express their spring fever. However the energy could be beneficial to channel into sex magic if you are a practitioner. The moon will also sextile Pluto and Jupiter in Capricorn giving us answers and helpful opportunities from it's previous square two days ago. The moon sextiling pluto can bring up hidden emotions that all parties can learn from. Anything in a state of decay or strife can be reborn into something better now. Issues can be resolved, bad habits can be broken, renewal can occur in the home and private life. The sextile with Jupiter can only bring additional benefits, emotional growth, friendly support and give a need to help out others.

The moon will finish it's void of course at 9:35PM (GMT) then enter Sagittarius giving a friendly atmosphere full of optimism. This moon will also help us to reshift our perspective and look for truth. With it's sextile with Saturn we may feel driven to help out our family, home or community. Additionally this may make you feel like you want to avoid socail situations but this is a good time to call up a friend and share how you've been. You will have additional patience and understand to take on tedious tasks that can help the group.

Recommendations: Divination (especially focusing on what we want in life and where we should shift our goal posts towards), sex magic, magic for peace and reconciliation, blessings for your community

General Sagittarius moon magic: Luck Spells, truth revealed magic, physical activities that are Energy-Moving that can be channeled into magic such as Dancing (especially since Dancing is fun), money magic, positive energy raising

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11th

Mercury enters Aries Mercury in Aries sextiles Saturn in Aquarius

☾ Lunar Opposition with Venus in Gemini ☾ Lunar Trines with Mercury and Chiron in Aries ☾ Lunar Sextile with Mars in Aquarius

Energy: Mercury enters Aries starting a chapter of fresh perspectives, new goals and new drive. For a month our communication may become more snappy and aggressive (ugh) which can attempt to re-ignite any fires of the full supermoon in Libra but that energy can also be positively channeled into new ventures which can excite us. Mercury will also make a positive sextile with Saturn in Aquarius which will bring clear thinking, good judgement and organization. It will be tense yet good energy that can help with setting boundaries, goals and striving towards them.

The moon in Sagittarius will make an opposition with Venus in Gemini which in the context of everything could make us less harmonious with one another. Therefore boundary setting is important so that any abusive people will not have another chance to plant a foot anywhere that makes you uncomfortable (after all the lovely beneficial energy that the super Libra moon brings the planets with their aries energy STILL can't chill!). We may also feel a little lonely and isolated in the receiving-love department so it's a nice day to call up a friend and tell them how much you appreciate them and just have a good chat. However The moon will also trine with Mercury and Chiron in Aries which can give a new clear perspective on your feelings and also deep emotional wounds. This dynamic can also help you connect with friends, family and loved ones on a more intimate level You will have a chance to reflect and address your own deep emotional issues. This is also a great day for dream magic as dreams will be more vivid and informative with the moon trining mercury. Especially with the moon in adventurous Sagittarius, unfortunately adventures may be restricted with the pandemic but that doesn't mean that we cannot adventure in our dreams! Dreams can help us reveal how we may feel about past painful events but find answers to them.

Lastly the moon will sextile with Mars in Aquarius which will also give a boost to Mercury's new chapter in Aries. Making the first move in relationships will be favored and taking lead in your projects will be beneficial. This sextile gives a passionate enthusiasm to work and play which can help us as we redirect our energy towards something more beneficial towards our futures.

Recommendations: Shadow Work especially mixing it in with Dream Oracling, setting boundaries, protection magic, warding, prosperity spells, organizing the details of our goals

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12th

Eros moves into Aries

☾ Lunar Square with Neptune in Pisces ☾ Lunar Trine with Sun in Aries ☾ Lunar Sextile with Ceres in Aquarius ☾ VOC 12:45PM - 1:05AM Next day

Energy: The little asteroid of passions, desires and our sexuality will start it's new cycle in Aries today giving additional fuel to Mercury's shift in Aries and our refocus on what goals make us feel passionate. Additionally Eros in Aries is incredibly harmonious energy that increases our sex drive and general motivation to achieve our desires. The moon will wrap up it's transit in Sagittarius today and bring some interesting energy with it. The moon will make a positive sextile with the sun leaving the week (or starting the week depending where you live as Sunday is the beginning of the week in the US), on a lovely note as we will feel a sense of inner balance, harmony and contentment in life. Cooperation and working together is favored today as well as reconciliation (the theme of this week and the full moon's effect honestly). The moon will also make a positive sextile with Ceres in Aquarius that will urge us to want to take care of ourselves and or extend our blessings to loved ones. Treat/nurture yourself in Aquarian ways such as online soundbaths (those are popular in these days), meditation (especially with crystals), binural beats or in new ways you have never explored before such as picking a new show to watch, trying to cook a new dish, learning about something new to expand your perspective. The moon will also make a square with Neptune in Pisces which will make the day fun to escape in a new series or inner venture. However like all squares be careful with the pent up energy as a square between the Moon and Neptune can cloud our intuition and make us more vulnerable to deception (and in some cases being taken advantage of) as well as prone to getting too lost in the sauce since our tolerance to substances are lower than usual. Today one foot can be on the other side of the veil so protect yourself and escape in a fun and controlled safe way.

Recommendations: Take note of the VOC at 12:45PM GMT and try to do manifestations before then. Otherwise: LUCK magic, blessings for loved ones (and yourself), trance magic (why not? Get lost in the sauce actually lol), self care and self love magic.

#astrology #transits #full moon #libra #2020 #witchcraft #spells

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moodboardinthecloud · 4 years

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Your ‘Surge Capacity’ Is Depleted — It’s Why You Feel Awful

Here’s how to pull yourself out of despair and live your life

Tara Haelle

Aug 16·13 min read

https://elemental.medium.com/your-surge-capacity-is-depleted-it-s-why-you-feel-awful-de285d542f4c

Itwas the end of the world as we knew it, and I felt fine. That’s almost exactly what I told my psychiatrist at my March 16 appointment, a few days after our children’s school district extended spring break because of the coronavirus. I said the same at my April 27 appointment, several weeks after our state’s stay-at-home order.

Yes, it was exhausting having a kindergartener and fourth grader doing impromptu distance learning while I was barely keeping up with work. And it was frustrating to be stuck home nonstop, scrambling to get in grocery delivery orders before slots filled up, and tracking down toilet paper. But I was still doing well because I thrive in high-stress emergency situations. It’s exhilarating for my ADHD brain. As just one example, when my husband and I were stranded in Peru during an 8.0-magnitude earthquake that killed thousands, we walked around with a first aid kit helping who we could and tracking down water and food. Then I went out with my camera to document the devastation as a photojournalist and interview Peruvians in my broken Spanish for my hometown paper.

Now we were in a pandemic, and I’m a science journalist who has written about infectious disease and medical research for nearly a decade. I was on fire, cranking out stories, explaining epidemiological concepts in my social networks, trying to help everyone around me make sense of the frightening circumstances of a pandemic and the anxiety surrounding the virus.

I knew it wouldn’t last. It never does. But even knowing I would eventually crash, I didn’t appreciate how hard the crash would be, or how long it would last, or how hard it would be to try to get back up over and over again, or what getting up even looked like.

Psychiatrist and habit change specialist Dr. Jud Brewer explains how anxiety masquerades as helpfulelemental.medium.com

How to Live When Your Mind Is Governed by Fear

In those early months, I, along with most of the rest of the country, was using “surge capacity” to operate, as Ann Masten, PhD, a psychologist and professor of child development at the University of Minnesota, calls it. Surge capacity is a collection of adaptive systems — mental and physical — that humans draw on for short-term survival in acutely stressful situations, such as natural disasters. But natural disasters occur over a short period, even if recovery is long. Pandemics are different — the disaster itself stretches out indefinitely.

“The pandemic has demonstrated both what we can do with surge capacity and the limits of surge capacity,” says Masten. When it’s depleted, it has to be renewed. But what happens when you struggle to renew it because the emergency phase has now become chronic?

By my May 26 psychiatrist appointment, I wasn’t doing so hot. I couldn’t get any work done. I’d grown sick of Zoom meetups. It was exhausting and impossible to think with the kids around all day. I felt trapped in a home that felt as much a prison as a haven. I tried to conjure the motivation to check email, outline a story, or review interview notes, but I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t make myself do anything — work, housework, exercise, play with the kids — for that whole week.

Or the next.

I know depression, but this wasn’t quite that. It was, as I’d soon describe in an emotional post in a social media group of professional colleagues, an “anxiety-tainted depression mixed with ennui that I can’t kick,” along with a complete inability to concentrate. I spoke with my therapist, tweaked medication dosages, went outside daily for fresh air and sunlight, tried to force myself to do some physical activity, and even gave myself permission to mope for a few weeks. We were in a pandemic, after all, and I had already accepted in March that life would not be “normal” for at least a year or two. But I still couldn’t work, couldn’t focus, hadn’t adjusted. Shouldn’t I be used to this by now?

“Why do you think you should be used to this by now? We’re all beginners at this,” Masten told me. “This is a once in a lifetime experience. It’s expecting a lot to think we’d be managing this really well.”

It wasn’t until my social media post elicited similar responses from dozens of high-achieving, competent, impressive women I professionally admire that I realized I wasn’t in the minority. My experience was a universal and deeply human one.

An unprecedented disaster

While the phrase “adjusting to the new normal” has been repeated endlessly since March, it’s easier said than done. How do you adjust to an ever-changing situation where the “new normal” is indefinite uncertainty?

“This is an unprecedented disaster for most of us that is profound in its impact on our daily lives,” says Masten. But it’s different from a hurricane or tornado where you can look outside and see the damage. The destruction is, for most people, invisible and ongoing. So many systems aren’t working as they normally do right now, which means radical shifts in work, school, and home life that almost none of us have experience with. Even those who have worked in disaster recovery or served in the military are facing a different kind of uncertainty right now.

Americans are faced with more risk than ever. Understanding how the brain navigates this new reality can build…elemental.medium.com

Life Is Now a Game of Risk. Here’s How Your Brain Is Processing It.

“I think we maybe underestimate how severe the adversity is and that people may be experiencing a normal reaction to a pretty severe and ongoing, unfolding, cascading disaster,” Masten says. “It’s important to recognize that it’s normal in a situation of great uncertainty and chronic stress to get exhausted and to feel ups and downs, to feel like you’re depleted or experience periods of burnout.”

Research on disaster and trauma focuses primarily on what’s helpful for people during the recovery period, but we’re not close to recovery yet. People can use their surge capacity for acute periods, but when dire circumstances drag on, Masten says, “you have to adopt a different style of coping.”

“How do you adjust to an ever-changing situation where the ‘new normal’ is indefinite uncertainty?”

Understanding ambiguous loss

It’s not surprising that, as a lifelong overachiever, I’ve felt particularly despondent and adrift as the months have dragged on, says Pauline Boss, PhD, a family therapist and professor emeritus of social sciences at the University of Minnesota who specializes in “ambiguous loss.”

“It’s harder for high achievers,” she says. “The more accustomed you are to solving problems, to getting things done, to having a routine, the harder it will be on you because none of that is possible right now. You get feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, and those aren’t good.”

That’s similar to how Michael Maddaus, MD, a professor of thoracic surgery at the University of Minnesota, felt when he became addicted to prescription narcotics after undergoing several surgeries. Now recovered and a motivational speaker who promotes the idea of a “resilience bank account,” Maddaus had always been a fast-moving high achiever — until he couldn’t be.

“I realized that my personal operating system, though it had led to tremendous success, had failed me on a more personal level,” he says. “I had to figure out a different way of contending with life.”

That mindset is an especially American one, Boss says.

“Our culture is very solution-oriented, which is a good way of thinking for many things,” she says. “It’s partly responsible for getting a man on the moon and a rover on Mars and all the things we’ve done in this country that are wonderful. But it’s a very destructive way of thinking when you’re faced with a problem that has no solution, at least for a while.”

That means reckoning with what’s called ambiguous loss: any loss that’s unclear and lacks a resolution. It can be physical, such as a missing person or the loss of a limb or organ, or psychological, such as a family member with dementia or a serious addiction.

“In this case, it is a loss of a way of life, of the ability to meet up with your friends and extended family,” Boss says. “It is perhaps a loss of trust in our government. It’s the loss of our freedom to move about in our daily life as we used to.” It’s also the loss of high-quality education, or the overall educational experience we’re used to, given school closures, modified openings and virtual schooling. It’s the loss of rituals, such weddings, graduations, and funerals, and even lesser “rituals,” such as going to gym. One of the toughest losses for me to adapt to is no longer doing my research and writing in coffee shops as I’ve done for most of my life, dating back to junior high.

“These were all things we were attached to and fond of, and they’re gone right now, so the loss is ambiguous. It’s not a death, but it’s a major, major loss,” says Boss. “What we used to have has been taken away from us.”

Just as painful are losses that may result from the intersection of the pandemic and the already tense political division in the country. For many people, issues related to Covid-19 have become the last straw in ending relationships, whether it’s a family member refusing to wear a mask, a friend promoting the latest conspiracy theory, or a co-worker insisting Covid-19 deaths are exaggerated.

Ambiguous loss elicits the same experiences of grief as a more tangible loss — denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance — but managing it often requires a bit of creativity.

A winding, uncharted path to coping in a pandemic

While there isn’t a handbook for functioning during a pandemic, Masten, Boss, and Maddaus offered some wisdom for meandering our way through this.

Accept that life is different right now

Maddaus’ approach involves radical acceptance. “It’s a shitty time, it’s hard,” he says. “You have to accept that in your bones and be okay with this as a tough day, with ‘that’s the way it is,’ and accept that as a baseline.”

But that acceptance doesn’t mean giving up, he says. It means not resisting or fighting reality so that you can apply your energy elsewhere. “It allows you to step into a more spacious mental space that allows you to do things that are constructive instead of being mired in a state of psychological self torment.”

Expect less from yourself

Most of us have heard for most of our lives to expect more from ourselves in some way or another. Now we must give ourselves permission to do the opposite. “We have to expect less of ourselves, and we have to replenish more,” Masten says. “I think we’re in a period of a lot of self discovery: Where do I get my energy? What kind of down time do I need? That’s all shifted right now, and it may take some reflection and self discovery to find out what rhythms of life do I need right now?”

She says people are having to live their lives without the support of so many systems that have partly or fully broken down, whether it’s schools, hospitals, churches, family support, or other systems that we relied on. We need to recognize that we’re grieving multiple losses while managing the ongoing impact of trauma and uncertainty. The malaise so many of us feel, a sort of disinterested boredom, is common in research on burnout, Masten says. But other emotions accompany it: disappointment, anger, grief, sadness, exhaustion, stress, fear, anxiety — and no one can function at full capacity with all that going on.

Recognize the different aspects of grief

The familiar “stages” of grief don’t actually occur in linear stages, Boss says, but denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance are all major concepts in facing loss. Plenty of people are in denial: denying the virus is real, or that the numbers of cases or deaths are as high as reported, or that masks really help reduce disease transmission.

Anger is evident everywhere: anger at those in denial, anger in the race demonstrations, anger at those not physically distancing or wearing masks, and even anger at those who wear masks or require them. The bargaining, Boss says, is mostly with scientists we hope will develop a vaccine quickly. The depression is obvious, but acceptance… “I haven’t accepted any of this,” Boss says. “I don’t know about you.”

Sometimes acceptance means “saying we’re going to have a good time in spite of this,” Boss says, such as when my family drove an hour outside the city to get far enough from light pollution to look for the comet NEOWISE. But it can also mean accepting that we cannot change the situation right now.

“We can kick and scream and be angry, or we can feel the other side of it, with no motivation, difficulty focusing, lethargy,” Boss says, “or we can take the middle way and just have a couple days where you feel like doing nothing and you embrace the losses and sadness you’re feeling right now, and then the next day, do something that has an element of achievement to it.”

“Our new normal is always feeling a little off balance, like trying to stand in a dinghy on rough seas, and not knowing when the storm will pass.”

Experiment with “both-and” thinking

This approach may not work for everyone, but Boss says there’s an alternative to binary thinking that many people find helpful in dealing with ambiguous loss. She calls it “both-and” thinking, and sometimes it means embracing a bit of the irrational.

For the families of soldiers missing in action in Vietnam that Boss studied early in her career, or the family members of victims of plane crashes where the bodies aren’t recovered, this type of thinking means thinking: “He is both living and maybe not. She is probably dead but maybe not.”

“If you stay in the rational when nothing else is rational, like right now, then you’ll just stress yourself more,” she says. “What I say with ambiguous loss is the situation is crazy, not the person. The situation is pathological, not the person.”

An analogous approach during the pandemic might be, “This is terrible and many people are dying, and this is also a time for our families to come closer together,” Boss says. On a more personal level, “I’m highly competent, and right now I’m flowing with the tide day-to-day.”

It’s a bit of a Schrödinger’s existence, but when you can’t change the situation, “the only thing you can change is your perception of it,” she says.

Of course, that doesn’t mean denying the existence of the pandemic or the coronavirus. As Maddaus says, “You have to face reality.” But how we frame that reality mentally can help us cope with it.

Look for activities, new and old, that continue to fulfill you

Lots of coping advice has focused on “self-care,” but one of the frustrating ironies of the pandemic is that so many of our self-care activities have also been taken away: pedicures, massages, coffee with friends, a visit to the amusement park, a kickboxing class, swimming in the local pool — these activities remain unsafe in much of the country. So we have to get creative with self-care when we’re least motivated to get creative.

“When we’re forced to rethink our options and broaden out what we think of as self-care, sometimes that constraint opens new ways of living and thinking,” Masten says. “We don’t have a lot of control over the global pandemic but we do over our daily lives. You can focus on plans for the future and what’s meaningful in life.”

For me, since I missed eating in restaurants and was tired of our same old dinners, I began subscribing to a meal-kit service. I hate cooking, but the meal kits were easy, and I was motivated by the chance to eat something that tasted more like what I’d order in a restaurant without having to invest energy in looking through recipes or ordering the right ingredients.

Okay, I’ve also been playing a lot of Animal Crossing, but Maddaus explains why it makes sense that creative activities like cooking, gardening, painting, house projects — or even building your own imaginary island out of pixels — can be fulfilling right now. He references the book The Molecule of More, which explores how dopamine influences our experiences and happiness, in describing the types of activities most likely to bring us joy.

“There are two ways the brain deals with the world: the future and things we need to go after, and the here and now, seeing things and touching things,” Maddaus says. “Rather than being at the mercy of what’s going on, we can use the elements of our natural reward system and construct things to do that are good no matter what.”

Those kinds of activities have a planning element and a here-and-now experience element. For Maddaus, for example, it was simply replacing all the showerheads and lightbulbs in the house. “It’s a silly thing, but it made me feel good,” he says.

Focus on maintaining and strengthening important relationships

The biggest protective factors for facing adversity and building resilience are social support and remaining connected to people, Masten says. That includes helping others, even when we’re feeling depleted ourselves.

“Helping others is one of those win-win strategies of taking action because we’re all feeling a sense of helplessness and loss of control about what’s going on with this pandemic, but when you take action with other people, you can control what you’re doing,” she says. Helping others could include checking in on family friends or buying groceries for an elderly neighbor.

Begin slowly building your resilience bank account

Maddaus’ idea of a resilience bank account is gradually building into your life regular practices that promote resilience and provide a fallback when life gets tough. Though it would obviously be nice to have a fat account already, he says it’s never too late to start. The areas he specifically advocates focusing on are sleep, nutrition, exercise, meditation, self-compassion, gratitude, connection, and saying no.

“Start really small and work your way up,” he says. “If you do a little bit every day, it starts to add up and you get momentum, and even if you miss a day, then start again. We have to be gentle with ourselves and keep on, begin again.”

After spending an hour on the phone with each of these experts, I felt refreshed and inspired. I can do this! I was excited about writing this article and sharing what I’d learned.

And then it took me two weeks to start the article and another week to finish it — even though I wanted to write it. But now, I could cut myself a little more slack for taking so much longer than I might have a few months ago. I might have intellectually accepted back in March that the next two years (or more?) are going to be nothing like normal, and not even predictable in how they won’t be normal. But cognitively recognizing and accepting that fact and emotionally incorporating that reality into everyday life aren’t the same. Our new normal is always feeling a little off balance, like trying to stand in a dinghy on rough seas, and not knowing when the storm will pass. But humans can get better at anything with practice, so at least I now have some ideas for working on my sea legs.

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autolovecraft · 4 years

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Neither did his old physician Dr. Davis, who died years ago.

Undisturbed by oppressive reflections on the time, the place, and the emerging moon must have witnessed a horrible sight as he dragged his bleeding ankles toward the cemetery lodge; his fingers clawing the black mold in brainless haste, and his body responding with that maddening slowness from which one suffers when chased by the phantoms of nightmare. He would not, he found, have to pile another on his platform to make the proper height; for the unexpected tenacity of the easy-looking brickwork was surely a sardonic commentary on the vanity of mortal hopes, and the degree of dignity to be maintained in posing and adapting the unseen members of lifeless tenants to containers not always calculated with sublimest accuracy. He was a bachelor, wholly without relatives.

The thing must have happened at about three-thirty in the afternoon. He was curiously unelated over his impending escape, and almost dreaded the exertion, for his form had the indolent stoutness of early middle age. The practices I heard attributed to him would be unbelievable today, at least to such meager tools and under such tenebrous conditions as these, Birch glanced about for other possible points of escape. Armington helped Birch to the outside of a spare bed and sent his little son Edwin for Dr. Davis. The moon was shining on the scattered brick fragments and marred facade, and the degree of dignity to be maintained in posing and adapting the unseen members of lifeless tenants to containers not always calculated with sublimest accuracy. His questioning grew more than medically tense, and his body responding with that maddening slowness from which one suffers when chased by the phantoms of nightmare.

Tired and perspiring despite many rests, he descended to the floor and sat a while on the bottom box to gather strength for the final wriggle and leap to the ground outside.

The thing must have happened at about three-thirty in the afternoon. The borders of the space were entirely of brick, and there seemed little doubt but that he could shortly chisel away enough to allow his body to pass. The light was dim, but Birch's sight was good, and he did not heed the day at all; though ever afterward he refused to do anything of importance on that fateful sixth day of the week. At last the spring thaw came, and graves were laboriously prepared for the nine silent harvests of the grim reaper which waited in the tomb. His frightened horse had gone home, but his frightened wits never quite did that. Fortunately the village was small and the death rate low, so that the narrow ventilation funnel in the top ran through several feet of earth, making this direction utterly useless to consider.

The hungry horse was neighing repeatedly and almost uncannily, and he vaguely wished it would stop. Three coffin-heights, he reckoned, would permit him to reach the transom; but gathered his energies for a determined try. He would not, he found, have to pile another on his platform to make the proper height; for the hole was on exactly the right level to use as soon as its size might permit. You kicked hard, for Asaph's coffin was on the floor.

What else, he added, could ever in any case be proved or believed? On the afternoon of Friday, April 15th, then, Birch set out for the tomb with horse and wagon to transfer the body of Matthew Fenner.

This arrangement could be ascended with a minimum of awkwardness, and would furnish the desired height.

Birch was glad to get to shelter as he unlocked the iron door and entered the side-hill vault.

In another moment he knew fear for the first time that night; for struggle as he would, he could not shake clear of the unknown grasp which held his feet in relentless captivity. The boxes were fairly even, and could be piled up like blocks; so he began to realize the truth and to shout loudly as if his horse outside could do more than neigh an unsympathetic reply.

It may have been just fear, and it may have been fear mixed with a queer belated sort of remorse for bygone crudities. After a full two hours Dr. Davis left Birch that night he had taken a lantern and gone to the old receiving tomb. In the semi-gloom he trusted mostly to touch to select the right one, and indeed came upon it almost by accident, since it tumbled into his hands as if through some odd volition after he had unwittingly placed it beside another on the third layer. At last the spring thaw came, and graves were laboriously prepared for the nine silent harvests of the grim reaper which waited in the tomb. The pile of tools soon reached, and a hammer and chisel selected, Birch returned over the coffins to the door. At last the spring thaw came, and graves were laboriously prepared for the nine silent harvests of the grim reaper which waited in the tomb, and the latch of the great door yielded readily to a touch from the outside. Better still, though, he would utilize only two boxes of the base to support the superstructure, leaving one free to be piled on top in case the actual feat of escape required an even greater altitude. There was nothing like a ladder in the tomb, and the source of a task whose performance deserved every possible stimulus.

At last the spring thaw came, and graves were laboriously prepared for the nine silent harvests of the grim reaper which waited in the tomb.

He had even wondered, at Sawyer's funeral, how the vindictive farmer had managed to lie straight in a box so closely akin to that of the diminutive Fenner. Being without superstition, he did not get Asaph Sawyer's coffin by mistake, although it was very similar.

Horrible pains, as of savage wounds, shot through his calves; and in his mind was a vortex of fright mixed with an unquenchable materialism that suggested splinters, loose nails, or some other attribute of a breaking wooden box. Most distinctly Birch was lax, insensitive, and was concerned only in getting the right coffin for the right grave. The skull turned my stomach, but the other was worse—those ankles cut neatly off to fit Matt Fenner's cast-aside coffin! Birch, but you got what you deserved. Three coffin-heights, he reckoned, would permit him to reach the transom; but he could do better with four. He was curiously unelated over his impending escape, and almost dreaded the exertion, for his form had the indolent stoutness of early middle age. Then the doctor came with his medicine-case and asked crisp questions, and removed the patient's outer clothing, shoes, and socks.

Better still, though, he would utilize only two boxes of the base to support the superstructure, leaving one free to be piled on top in case the actual feat of escape required an even greater altitude. When he perceived that the latch was hopelessly unyielding, at least in a city; and even Peck Valley would have shuddered a bit had it known the easy ethics of its mortuary artist in such debatable matters as the ownership of costly laying-out apparel invisible beneath the casket's lid, and the source of a task whose performance deserved every possible stimulus. Birch, before 1881, had been the village undertaker of Peck Valley; and was a very calloused and primitive specimen even as such specimens go. That was Darius Peck, the nonagenarian, whose grave was also near by; but actually postponed the matter for three days, not getting to work till Good Friday, the 15th. Perhaps he screamed. It may have been fear mixed with a queer belated sort of remorse for bygone crudities. It is doubtful whether he was touched at all by the horror and exquisite weirdness of his position, but the other was worse—those ankles cut neatly off to fit Matt Fenner's cast-aside coffin, but you knew what a little man old Fenner was. It is doubtful whether he was touched at all by the horror and exquisite weirdness of his position, but the bald fact of imprisonment so far from the daily paths of men was enough to exasperate him thoroughly. It is doubtful whether he was touched at all by the horror and exquisite weirdness of his position, but the other was worse—those ankles cut neatly off to fit Matt Fenner's cast-aside coffin! The hungry horse was neighing repeatedly and almost uncannily, and he did not get Asaph Sawyer's coffin by mistake, although it was very similar. The undertaker grew doubly lethargic in the bitter weather, and seemed to outdo even himself in carelessness. Armington helped Birch to the outside of a spare bed and sent his little son Edwin for Dr. Davis. Perhaps he screamed.

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magicbench · 5 years

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~*Update January/Janvier 2020~*

[ ❇ CLIC HERE FOR THE POLL ❇ ]

Hello everyone, I hope you're all going well ~

Ah... I feel like it's been years that I didn't do any update while it's in fact only a month x) I have a lot to say about Fujiwara BitterSweet, the Patreon page and the next project, and can't wait to tell you about it!

★ About Fujiwara BitterSweet ★

First, I want to thank you all because... well, yes, you're a really great support and it makes my day everyday! ❤ The community is slowly growing and it's fun talking and sharing my love for the project with you! Seeing you being enthusiastic about the project cheers me up and motivates me a lot and I hope you'll still love it after the release (let's hope you'll not be disappointed...)

Talking about the release, I'm finally done writing all the routes, YES! Even if a lot of you, if not everyone, already know about it, I wanted to tell you once again. Which means, it's time for me to focus on the remaining graphics, mostly the backgrounds and the CGs (and other misc things), before entering the final round : putting all of that in Ren'py ~ If all goes well, the release date of Spring 2020 would not be a dream anymore!

If all goes well... because recently, my editor is super busy with irl work and personal issues and... I don't know if she will be able to continue working on the project. I still need to discuss about her situation regarding Fujiwara BitterSweet, and I'm still waiting for her answer right now. I told her that it would be totally okay for me if she decides to quit, since I don't want her to be stressed more than she probably already is with life, so let's cross fingers both for her situation and the project future regarding its proofreading/editing.

But in any case, there is a lot more positive things than negative ones, so let's continue like that! O/

★ About the Patreon page ★

I recently started to see what kind of new tiers I could add to the page and which might be interesting enough for the new and old patrons. After thinking a lot about it, I finally decided to go with the 3$ and 5$ tiers first, and then, with the 10$ later, most probably after Fujiwara BitterSweet's release.

The 3$ tiers will allow you to participate in polls and vote for which clothes you want the characters to wear in-game. Since there is still a few days until next month, I'll make the first poll public, yaaay! The 5$ tiers will be speed paintings, mostly sprites ones and CGs + their .png HD versions. The 10$ tiers will be backrgouds step-by-step + "random" detailed illustrations from the different projects. This one will be limited to a certain amount of patrons and most probably effective after Fujiwara's release.

I hope the rewards for these tiers will suit you (>__<)

★ About the next project ★

Aaaaand finally, let's talk about Colors of Fate! I think I already talk a good amount about it previously, but let's do it again!

------

"[For what is man without the comfort of tales,

The stories that paint the world with all its details.]

A book holds treasure, say the greedy.

And power, claim the needy.

It is but fables that seek to provide wonders with the weight of words.

But man hardly listens, or cannot, for books do not speak.

They whisper."

------

Is what the writer for the next project started to write, a few weeks ago. Doesn't it make you want to know more? Because I personally am already fangirling on these few poetic sentences and ABSOLUTELY CAN'T WAIT for the rest of the story! I don't know if she will keep these lines for the final version, but you can already tell that it will be captivating! As for the art, as you already know, the backgrounds artist started to work on them a few months earlier and she confirmed that, after a little break, she will goes back on it in March, which would be an excellent timing if ever Fujiwara is released around this time (I'm hoping more for April than March, due to the circumstances I told you about above. I also decided to ask a programmer to work with me, for you to have a more decent looking GUI, because... yes... brain of mine is too lazy to try understanding how to code fancy things... I'm sorry! ;-; But the next project, thanks to these people, will be A+ rank and I hope you are as hyped than I am. Be ready to send lot of love and praises to them! ❤

I think that's all for this wall of text, sorry about that, but yup there was kind of more things to talk about than the usual xD Take care and see you later! ~

Salut tout le monde, j'espère que vous allez bien depuis la dernière fois ~

Ah... J'ai l'impression que ça fait super longtemps que je n'ai pas fait d'update alors que la dernière ne date que du mois dernier x) J'ai plein de choses à vous dire à propos de Fujiwara BitterSweet, la page Patreon et le prochain projet, et j'ai hâte de vous en parler!

★ À propos Fujiwara BitterSweet ★

Premièrement, je veux vous remercier parce que... eh bien, oui, vous êtes vraiment un grand soutient pour moi et ça me donne de la force pour chaque jour qui passe! ❤ La communauté s'agrandit petit à petit et c'est amusant de parler et partager mon amour du projet avec vous tous les jours! Vous voir aussi enthousiastes à propos de FujiBitterSweet me donne du baume au coeur et me motive encore plus que jamais, et j'espère que vous aimerez toujours autant le projet après sa sortie (j'espère que vous ne serez pas déçu...)

En parlant de la date de sortie, j'ai enfin terminé d'écrire toutes les routes, OUI ! Même si la plupart d'entre vous sont déjà au courant, je voulais quand même vous le redire ici. Ce qui signifie qu'il est temps pour moi de vraiment me concentrer sur les graphismes restants, principalement les backgrounds et les CGs (entre d'autres petites choses à côté), avant d'entrer dans la dernière ligne droite : mettre tout ça ensemble dans Ren'py ~ Si tout va bien, une sortie prévue pour le Printemps 2020 ne serait plus juste un doux rêve inaccessible!

Si tout va bien... parce que récemment, ma correctrice anglaise est très occupée avec son travail et des problèmes personnels irl, et... je ne sais pas si elle sera capable de maintenir la cadence avec le projet. Je vais devoir discuter avec elle de sa situation vis-à-vis de FujiBitterSweet, et j'attends toujours des nouvelles de son côté depuis la dernière fois que je lui ai parlé. Je lui ai dit que si jamais c'était trop de travail pour elle, j'étais tout à fait d'accord pour qu'elle quitte le projet pour se concentrer sur ses besoins personnels, je ne veux pas la stresser d'avantage qu'elle ne l'ai sûrement déjà de son côté. Mais ne désespérons pas et croisons les doigts pour que tout se passe bien à la fois pour elle et pour le futur du projet, vis-à-vis de la correction!

Mais dans tous les cas, il y a plus de choses positives que de négative, et ça c'est déjà pas mal !

★ À propos de la page Patreon ★

J'ai récemment commencé quels genre de tiers je pouvais ajouter et qui intéresseraient les nouveaux et anciens patrons. Après mûre réflexion, j'ai finalement décidé d'opter pour les tiers de 3$ et 5$ en premier lieu, puis d'ajouter les tiers de 10$ plus tard, probablement après la sortie de Fujiwara.

Le tiers de 3$ vous permettra de participer à des sondages et voter pour les design finaux des vêtements que les personnages porteront en jeu. Puisqu'il ne reste que quelque jours avant le mois prochain, le premier sondage sera publique, wouhouuu! Le tiers de 5$ sera des speed paintings, surtout des sprites et des CGs + leurs versions HD en .png Le tiers à 10$ sera les step-by-step des backgrounds + des illustrations détaillées "aléatoires" en rapport avec les projets en cours ou terminés. Celui là sera limité à un certain nombre de patrons et probablement mis en place après la sortie du projet en cours.

J'espère que les récompenses pour ces tiers vous conviendront (>__<)

★ À propos du prochain projet ★

Eeeeet enfin, parlons de Colors of Fate! Je pense que j'en ai déjà dit pas mal à ce sujet pour l'instant, mais comme on dit, c'est reparti pour un tour! La personne en charge de l'écriture pour ce projet a commencé à écrire une petite poignée de lignes, il y a quelques semaine de ça, et laissez-moi vous dire que vous ne serez pas déçus par sa plume poétique et envoûtante. Je suis personnellement super impatiente et j'espère que, même si la version française ne sortira pas avant un bout de temps, vous le serez tout autant que moi pour le reste de l'histoire! Quant aux décors, comme vous le savez déjà, l'artist qui est en charge avait déjà commencé il y a quelques mois, et j'ai eu la confirmation qu'elle reprendra en Mars, après une petite pause, ce qui tomberait vraiment à pique si Fujiwara sort dans ces environs (bon, je pense + vers Avril/Mai que Mars, étant donné les circonstances citées plus haut). J'ai aussi décidé de demander l'aide d'un programmeur, pour que vous ayez une plus jolie interface, parce que... oui... mon cher petit cerveau est bien trop paresseux pour essayer de comprendre comment coder des choses un temps soit peu compliquées pour lui... Désolée! ;-; Mais le prochain projet, grâce à ces personnes, sera vraiment d'une qualité supérieur au projet en cours. Il vous mettra des paillettes plein les yeux (ouch!), donc soyez prêts à féliciter et envoyer plein d'amour aux nouveaux membres de l'équipe! ❤

Je crois que c'est tout pour ce pavé de texte, désolée pour ça, mais oui j'avais pas mal de choses à dire comparé à d'habitude xD Prenez soin de vous et on se voir à la prochaine! ~

#Cof #Colors of Fate #magicbench #vndev #visual novel #indie game #fujibittersweet #GxB #otomedev #otome

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caffeinatedtimdrake · 6 years

Text

In a Garden of Blue Violets

I’m gonna start on requests this weekend in between studying but until then!!! 4k of angst?? new territory for me. ft a happy ending.

Jason x Reader. You are always trying to heal from the loss and move on with your life, but Jason finds ways to remain tangled in your soul.

Sorrowed, and the day for me will be as the night (tomorrow, at dawn by V. Hugo)

Two days after Selina finds you at an ungodly hour on a rooftop, bare feet dangling off the edge and shoulders drooped, as if one more ounce of melancholy might pull you into the deepest depths of the Earth. Maybe that’s where you could find Jason. She wants you to know she’s there – you can hear it in her uncharacteristically audible footsteps because you know her heart is heavy, too. You stiffen a little and rub at your cheeks with the heel of your palm, sticky tears and fresh wave of grief, before turning around to face her. She taught you to never look away, so you meet her eyes with a shaky exhale. A sentimental sorrow glimmers in the twist of her mouth and the subtle, maternal warmth reflected in orbs of jade and wisdom. “Y/N, you should come eat.” Selina’s voice is a soft caress above the cacophony of late-night traffic and Bruce’s words still echoing in the space between your ears. You nod meticulously and sniffle, gaze shifting to your toes. She looks at you for a long moment of bated breath before she sighs and slinks down the stairs. Now when she moves, she’s silent. You weren’t supposed to find out this way, but Bruce called the landline and your heart did a funny little flip when the caller ID read Wayne. You and Selina had been off on a drug ring bust for the past four days and she was only just catching up on calls and intel. You were supposed to hang up when Bruce asked for Selina, but you didn’t. Instead, you barely breathed and stayed on the line. When Bruce’s words caught in his throat and he whispered one of your worst nightmares into existence, your mind blanked. You don’t even know if the phone turned off – you only comprehended that you had to go somewhere Selina couldn’t immediately find you. After Bruce had called, his voice a static rasp over the phone, you’d thrown yourself up the stairs and onto the rooftop, sobbing against an empty crate until you were dizzy. Eventually you’d ended up on your back, staring up at threatening storm clouds. The concrete beneath you was cold and jagged, marred by time and rain and sun. You don’t understand how you drift off to sleep with your heart so impossibly heavy, but you do. You don’t know how long you sleep, minutes bleeding into hours, but when you wake the world is much darker. When you remember why you’re on the roof in the first place, you have to shove your first into your mouth to keep from bawling and rousing the whole city. This is an awful breed of despair, thick and frantic, filling your lungs with coal and your blood with acid. Now, you stand and stretch and crane your neck to look at the stars, but nothing shines. The expanse of darkness makes your heart ache impossibly more. Each contraction is an echo of loss. You’re a bit lightheaded as you make your way down the steps, but you barely notice the throbbing in your temples or the taste of sandpaper on your tongue because the weight of Jason’s death presses so severely on your chest. Selina waits at the bottom of the stairs. You don’t think twice before collapsing into her arms and dissolving into tears once more.

Two months after When the doorbell chimes and you peek through the peephole on a rainy Friday afternoon, you expect to find either your cranky downstairs neighbor or Maggie – certainly not Dick Grayson. Hot tears well in your eyes upon the sight of his damp hair and five o’clock shadow, and you have to take several deep breaths before you open the door and welcome him inside with a tempered grin. “Nice to see you, Dick.” He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes in the way that’s so defining of Dick Grayson. “You, too, Y/N.” “Selina’s just upstairs, I can – “ “Actually, I came for you.” You blink up at him, surprised. “M-me?” He nods and swallows hard. “I was gonna go, um, visit Jason. And I was wondering if you wanted to join.” At the mention of Jason, you freeze. You feel as though you’ve been plunged into the Arctic, so intensely frigid that you feel pinpricks of heat down your spine. Breath dissipates from your lungs and your language skills completely vanish. You ogle at him, mouth slightly parted and eyes suddenly very watery. Dick takes immediate notice of your shock and flaps his arms frantically, like he doesn’t know whether to fan you or hug you. “But you totally don’t have to! There is no pressure at all! Only do what you’re comfortable with!” A reply lodges itself in your throat. “Maybe you should go, Y/N.” Selina drawls, rounding the corner and slinking towards the pair of you. You can’t offer much of a coherent response, so instead you nod tensely and turn robotically on your heel to grab shoes, an umbrella, and three packs of tissues.

The car ride has been largely devoid of discourse, but Dick’s radio plays what sounds like circus music and you’re quite certain that opening your mouth will evoke either a torrent of tears or hysterical laughter. Possibly both. Dick’s voice is like the faint fog hovering in the air. “He cared about you a lot. I hope you know.” You swallow the lump in your throat and squint out the window, where blue violets wilt on the side of the road. “I cared about him, too.” You don’t think you could ever stop caring about Jason; he’d become too deeply threaded into the very muscle fibers of your heart. Falling for Jason had come easily, refreshing and natural like spring rain. The pair of you tagged along with your mentors or operated solo on less severe missions, often crossing paths and ending up back-to-back, battling chains of criminals and otherworldly creatures. When you weren’t training to lead the next generation of heroic vigilantes, you often found yourself in a cozy corner of the library with Jason and many textbooks. You were not his and he was not yours, but a sweet sort of chemistry flourished between you and Jason, a quiet relief from the pressure of mentors and successors and evil. It never blossomed into a garden – it never had the chance– but an undeniable warmth, an indisputable maybe one day, had existed between you and Jason, sprouting like roses in April. Dick stops at the florist and grabs a bouquet of flowers; lavenders, anemones, and gladioluses. You hold the bouquet as Dick continues driving. You tell him they’re beautiful and he tells you that next time, you should pick out the flowers. The prospect of a ‘next time’ is like cold glass cracking within your chest because there hasn’t even been a first time yet, but you say okay and stick your nose in the lavender bunch.

Three years after You decide this time of year is your favorite in the company of rain clouds and the white heathers and violets sprouting on your windowsill. Spring blossoms into summer easily, in the same way that you turn the worn page of your textbook. Things are different now. Instead of saving the city by battling villains, you enroll in nursing school to help heal the people of Gotham. You still see Selina often – she mandated that you two have dinner at least once a month – and occasionally bump into Dick on weekends at a coffee shop. Once in a blue moon, Catwoman, Batman, or Nightwing will request your help relaying intel from the Batcave or patching up a team member. Time has been the best remedy for you. As months bled into years, the searing anguish melted into a dull ache. You drive with Dick to place flowers across Jason’s grave every once in a while, whenever he gets a moment away from the office and you can afford a study break. You still need to bring tissues, but now the visits only require a few stuffed into your pocket instead of several packets. This evening, your schedule is free of any obligations for the first time in ages. You work nights at the local hospital and when you’re not working, you’re in class or at the library. Work has been especially taxing lately. You’ve treated more criminals than you’re comfortable with due to the thoroughly wounding work of a rancorous vigilante who calls himself Red Hood. You don’t necessarily mind that he targets the worst of the worst, but you are less than thrilled when you end up changing gauze for gang leaders. At the same time, you don’t feel any less rabid anxiety when a convicted murderer has a seizure due to brain damage and flatlines in front of you in comparison to when the same happens to an elderly mailman. Death is death; there is no return from her cool embrace. And a patient is a patient, even if you know their soul is less than human. Sometimes, you struggle with this and when you voiced the thought to Selina a few weeks ago, her answer was unsurprising. “Right now, you are obligated to save people. Some are so horrible; I know you don’t think they should be saved. You can always come back to me, Y/N. We save good people by getting rid of the bad ones.” But tonight, in the company of your cat and a light drizzle, things don’t seem so morbid. Admittedly, you do feel a little lame for spending your night off buried abnormal psychology notes, but quickly shrug it off when your cat bumps her head against your ankle encouragingly. You scratch beneath her chin and she purrs like a motor. “I’m not that lame. I’m working hard so I can buy you the spiffiest cat trees. And I have the whole night to cuddle with you, can you believe it?” She meows, probably in disbelief.

You take a break from studying and make the executive decision to pick up your favorite Chinese food. “Hold down the fort for me, baby.” You tell your cat as she bids you farewell with a soft chortle, shutting the light off. She doesn’t do a very good job because when you return twenty minutes later with a large brown paper bag and a Disney song stuck in your head, there’s a man sitting at your kitchen table. And your cat is in his lap, purring. You see red – not because you’re angry, but because the color of his mask is the color of blood, something you’ve always been too familiar with. You let the door shut behind you with a soft click and when he turns to look at you, you have a vision of your body, bruised and broken at the hands of a man who had done the same to so many others. Dick and Selina are on speed dial, but if Red Hood wants to murder you, that would not matter very much. It’s been a while since you’ve had to punch anyone in the mouth or land a swift kick to the back of a knee, but the rush of adrenaline fizzing in your head all the way down to your toes is relatively reassuring. If nothing else, you could scream. His face is angled towards you and his chests moves with steady, untroubled breaths. Your face is still a bit cold from the way the rain kissed your cheeks, but you feel heat rising to the surface of your skin. You swallow hard. “What do you want from me?” He’s quiet for a long moment, tilting his head in a disarmingly casual, pensive manner. “I’m…not sure. I’m still trying to figure that out, Y/N.” His voice rumbles like distant thunder and you blanch when he utters your name. “How do you know my name?” You say hoarsely, fighting the building panic in your throat. “I know a lot about you. You’re a nursing student and you work at the hospital.” “And?” You subtly stick your hand in a pocket, hoping to dig for pepper spray in a less than obvious way. “You used to live a different life, under the guidance of Selina Kyle. Catwoman. Adoptive mother figure. And, occasionally Batman.” Your shirt sticks to you uncomfortably with rain and sweat. “You left that life after a bad incident with The Joker a year and a half ago.” You exhale sharply, goosebumps erupting across your arms. Instinctively, your hand goes to fiddle with a necklace at the base of your throat, one that hides a tiny but terrible scar. “You’re also probably waiting for the right moment to pepper spray me or call Selina.” You practically jerk in surprise. Red Hood shrugs, looking down at his lap. “Didn’t know you have a cat, though. She’s cute.” “Leave my cat out of this.” You manage. He sighs complacently and gently places her on the ground. She has the gall to meow in protest. You clear your throat and move towards the kitchen table like you’re walking on ice even though you feel like you’re on fire with fear, setting the food down and fixing Red Hood with what you hope is an unwavering, intimidating look. “If you don’t know what you want from me, you should leave. If you do know what you want from me, you’re already aware of my history. It won’t be an easy fight.” He bristles at the threat and the implications. “I’m not here to hurt you.” He bites out, leaning forward microscopically. His arms rest on the table and his gloved hands are clenched tightly, as if his sense of composure will unravel if he relaxes his fingers. Your strong front dithers at this. “Then what?” Red Hood exhales like he’s never been more exhausted, shoulders hunching, and head cast downward. He’s quiet for what must be an eternity before he responds. “I just wanted to know if you are yourself.” You don’t know what his eyes say about his soul in that moment, but in his voice, you hear a very human sense of hurt. You pay no attention to the ambiguity of his mortality and ability to feel pain. “Somehow, that’s the most cryptic and creepy thing a villain has ever said to me.” He barks out a laugh at this and the sound startles you because it’s nothing like The Joker cackling or Ivy giggling. “I think I have my answer now, though.” He stands up and you’re further startled by his size – over six feet of toned muscle, brutal tendencies, and a remarkably light laugh. Instinctively, you step backwards, poised to fight if need be. He raises his hands in surrender, walking slowly toward the window. “I’m leaving. No trouble.” You proceed to propel yourself across the room and land with a soft thump in front of the window, shoulders squared, and hands clenched. “I don’t think so, Red Hood.” “Huh?” “You don’t get to break into my apartment, spew facts about my life, and leave.” He leans back a little, seemingly resigned. You imagine he arches an eyebrow at you skeptically beneath the mask. “What do I get to do in addition to that?” You frown. “Answer some questions.” “Like?” “Who the hell are you? And are you aware of the fact that I change bed pans for high ranking drug dealers because of you?” “You’re not going to like the answer to either of those questions, Y/N.” “I still want to know!” “I’m no hero, but I don’t think I qualify entirely as a villain. And, no, I was unaware. You’re showing them a kindness they do not deserve.” “And why do you know my name? He shrugs; a deliberate, slow movement. “For a bit, it was the only thing I did know.” A sensation of dread begins knotting tightly in your stomach, sending your heartrate skyrocketing even higher. You watch him through wary, wide eyes, drinking in the unbothered slouch in his shoulders. “I-I don’t understand.” You take a tiny step backwards, anxiety slithering up your throat. He looks directly at you and his voice is almost haunting. “I don’t think you want to.” It feels a bit like you’re climbing a mountain, except without any equipment or preparation. Your breathing becomes more erratic, just shy of outright hyperventilation, and there’s a funny buzzing sensation in your head. Your cheeks are flushed with warmth and your hands are cold, no matter how tightly you curl them into fists. If you fall off this cliff, there’s no hope. It’s perhaps a bit unwise when you suck in a deep breath and say, “Try me,” but you’ve never been one to accept anything at face value. Red Hood goes still for a few moments before reaching up to place his hands on the helmet. “Okay, Y/N, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Red Hood slowly removes the mask to reveal a mop of dark hair, olive skin, and ocean eyes. You see burning sapphire and then, darkness.

You wake with a frantic gasp on your couch, a damp cloth falling off your forehead and into your lap as you look around in a frenzy. “Mittens, I just had the worst dream of my l- OH!” When your sight lands on a man reading your favorite Hugo criticism, you fling yourself off the couch and against the front door in a whirlwind that leaves you dizzy and nauseated. He nearly jumps off the armchair and moves towards you but freezes in place when you put out your hand. “No! P-please.” You inhale a ragged breath, lungs aching as you slide down the cool wood onto your butt with shaky legs. “I need y-you to stay over there. For now. Please.” You can barely make out a nod because your vision is so blurry. You squeeze your eyes shut and take in big gulps of air that make your chest burn, leaning your head back. Inhale. Red Hood. Hold for four seconds. Jason. Exhale. Alive. Repeat. You don’t know how long you stay like that, quelling rampant thoughts and waiting for the blood to stop rushing around in your ears. When you open your eyes, you notice that tears have begun to stream down your cheeks, but your vision is less blurry than before so you can see at the man in the armchair properly. He looks like he’s going to jump out of his skin, a concerned frown etched into his dark features. “Maybe you should drink some water.” He suggests. You nod numbly, struggling to pull your guard up. “Is it okay if I stand up and get it for you?” You sniffle a bit before croaking, “Okay.” He fills up a glass – it’s your favorite, one with dancing frogs – and ambles over to you cautiously. He remains over an arm’s length away from you and you are grateful for the space. He squats down and hands you the glass. You barely look at him, muttering a thank you and chugging it down. When you finish, you shut your eyes again and take several more steadying breaths before sitting up and looking him in the face. This is a different kind of heartache. It’s like your best dream and worst nightmare to have a man in front of you who looks an awful lot like the boy who left a gaping hole in your soul. But he’s certainly not the same. His face is hardened by unforgiving edges. The hair atop his head is wavy and dark, save for the streak of white curling over the center of his forehead. His earthy skin is inscribed with a litany of scars; one curves across his cheek and you feel a swarm of anxiety loom closer to your head because you can read the marred skin like it’s the only language you know. There’s a darkness in those eyes, as though his demons had swallowed any sliver of light, leaving a fire of anguish instead, and a weariness in the bags beneath the stormy sea of sapphire. “Who are you?” “Someone you’ve always known. Someone you’ve never met.” You shake your head slowly. “This can’t be happening.” There’s a shade of panic in your voice that makes him sit down completely in front of you. He crosses his legs and wrings his hands, visibly nervous and almost boyish. Red Hood – Jason – radiates heat and smiles bitterly. “If I had a dollar for every time I said exactly that…” But this isn’t the time for smiles. “You’re different.” You say in a way that says much more. The implications are clear. He hears them, you’re sure, because his face briefly scrunches in pain. You were killed. You came back. Your soul is darker. “There is no way I could be the same as before. Or maybe this has always been me. I don’t know, but I wish I did.” “How long?” You ask meekly. “A little over two years.” You blink at him, lashes wet. “Oh.” Seconds of silence ebb into minutes. You think about the past two years of your life and all that’s changed; your path, your home, your hair, your fears, your hopes, even your little pot of flowers on the windowsill, but never the space in your heart for Jason. You think about how he’s changed; from a lanky, brash teenager into a dauntingly powerful man; a hero that once lay bleeding into nothingness on the floor of a warehouse, one who now has blood on his hands. You think about the dulled pain of the past two years and you wonder about his pain; if he wants to clean the blood from his hands, if he wants to turn back the clock, if he wishes he had never been brought back at all. You’re quiet because you can’t find words and because you’re looking for a flicker of familiarity, of the Jason who always felt like home in a meadow of gentians. In those stormy eyes, you see him. A sailor lost at sea, trying to find his way home in the dead of night. Your hand is a bit shaky, but you reach out to place your palm against his cheek, if only to ensure that he exists outside of your memories. His face is warm, and he places his own hand over the back of yours, large and calloused. His name on your tongue tastes like hard liquor and ripe fruit, but you can’t bring yourself to speak it aloud, into the air, beyond the cascade of tears and a torn heart. “Y/N,” His voice is thick with emotion. Your bottom lip quivers. “J-Jason.” It almost burns to say it and a fresh wave of tears crashes to the shore to put out the fiery pain in the same way that you crash into his chest. You clutch at worn leather and thick hair, tighter still when you feel tears drops on your head like the early evening rain. He holds you to his chest securely – too much has changed in his life has been unsteady and he’s spent too long without you, he doesn’t know if he’s capable of letting you go. But you don’t seem to mind, keeping your head tucked under his chin until you can breathe without weeping, almost going limp beneath the way he rubs the pad of his thumb soothingly against your hip. “This whole night has been longer than the past three years of my life.” “Time is relative.” “Says the guy who’s been dead.” “And brought back to life, don’t forget that part.” You squeeze him tighter when he says this. Unanswered questions hang in the air, but you know they will find answers in time. For now, your eyes find his and he seeks your mouth with a tenderness you haven’t known in this lifetime.

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