#pressure from tradition vs wanting to be in charge of one's life

[dieletztepanzerhexe]

"Young people stopped coming to the evening prayers..."

[astrolovecosmos]

Imum Coeli and Midheaven: Inner and Outer World

The Imum Coeli (IC) is the sign at the beginning of your 4th House, the Midheaven (MC) will always be the exact opposite of that sign at the beginning of the 10th House. The IC is the inner self, roots, past, upbringing, private self. The MC is your most outer self, reputation, ambition, career. The IC/MC sit on an axis and always have a relationship to each other. 

Libra IC - Aries MC: We see a struggle for expressing identity or needs when among family, growing up, and within their inner self. The Aries MC finds freedom in the outer world, maybe in the professional world by standing alone and being an individual. The Aries MC can seem aggressive, confident, competitive, or in charge when in the outer world of school, work, organizations, or larger or more shallow social events. But at home, in their closest relationships, in their private life they are used to cooperation, adapting to others, tries hard to keep the peace or harmony, and may be a people pleaser or lack discipline. There can be a complicated relationship with attention and admiration. In their private life they seem to be praised the most for obedience, compromise, and light charm. But they can find empowerment and a rush in being praised or admired for rebellion, conflict, speaking up, and passion. In the outer world they may stir up drama just for the attention or to feel liberated. At their best they embrace their more level-headed, calm inner self as someone valid, precious, and important but when in the outer world finds ways to get in touch with the warrior side of them. The MC learns to stand up for themselves and fight but must tap into the IC to do this without giving into pettiness, immaturity, or malice. 

Scorpio IC - Taurus MC: The Scorpio IC can be very secretive about their inner self. In fact hiding the self and feelings from family due to fear that they may seem too intense or sensitive is associated. They were likely a willful child or willful within their most inner self. This will can be contained by the Taurus MC’s calmness or practicality but ultimately their determination and strength will always be with them. For Taurus MC “determination” is their main keyword. To protect the more vulnerable and hurt side of their IC they can adopt an unmoving, stubborn, logical, and level-headed persona that the outer world can’t shake or pierce. This person is highly security conscious. The Scorpio IC feels safe by hiding their emotions and intensions. The Taurus MC feels safe through physical resources, wealth, and possessions. The Taurus MC might also feel safe by being in control and relying on their own predictableness and steadiness. The depth, mystery, and power within the inner self is not muted by the Taurus MC, but is underestimated and buried. There can be a great balance here between the rationality of the MC and the emotional, intuitive, and fierce IC. However they need to be careful not to let their fear of betrayal or fear of lack of control to get in the way. They contain and shelter a lot of potency from the outside world, sometimes they have a need to let that out! 

Sagittarius IC - Gemini MC: The Sagittarius IC has a need to be free. Maybe that is free from controlling parents, a religion, old traditions, or even from a mindset they are used to from an early age. Through a Gemini MC they’ve developed an outer self that is persuasive and charming - charming enough to help raise them to the top and out of whatever traps them. The Sagittarius IC can also indicate someone who moved around a lot or was exposed to many different ideals and people when young. There is a flexibility and versatile nature to their youth and programming. This carries with them into an MC that is highly curious, adaptable, and finds it hard to be satisfied with just one hobby, career, or subject. The association with passion, a zealous nature, and impulsiveness exists here. This could mean being an impulsive and energetic kid or this could mean growing up in an environment that was highly charged, fiery, and volatile. While there can be inner passion or being familiar with passion, their MC presents a much more cool headed, logical persona. With intellectual pursuits this person can find an escape from raging emotions and impulses. Sagittarius is connected to cons, exaggerations, broken promises, and false beliefs. This may manifest as feeling disillusioned by what one is taught as a child. They may feel tricked by family at some point. Or tricky behavior or a grandiose, over excitable nature has been engraved in them. In the more detached, always changing MC they can either still practice this more reckless behavior or let it all go with an outlook that wants to observe, study, and connect with others, even if those connections can sometimes be more surface level. They have a thirst for knowledge that is natural to both the inner and outer self. The Gemini MC has an open mind that can help fulfill the needs of the Sagittarius IC. 

Capricorn IC - Cancer MC: The Capricorn IC is well known for having a burdened or restricted childhood. There is an emphasis on growing up fast, taking on too much responsibility, strictness, being pressured and criticized, or being taught to repress emotions. The Cancer MC desires connection to the outside world, while emotions are hard to express they learn how to be good at making others feel comfortable, at appearing trustworthy, and sometimes they may learn how to reach out to create their own family via friends and coworkers. They have a personable touch in their approach to the professional or outside realm. This may seem very contrast to who they are privately, a much more colder, controlling, and restrained individual. There can be a desire to protect and take care of others. Capricorn is a fellow provider and protector however the need to take care of others, even nurture them could come from a desire to express feeling and affection. They are more comfortable expressing love or admiration through actions vs. words. However due to a desire to connect deeply with others they can easily get used and burned. Both Cancer and Capricorn are guarded individuals, and they learn fast to be skeptical and perceptive however it is hard for them to refuse a friend or coworker who asks for help or comfort. They can be deeply sympathetic. The outside world can see an approachable and understanding person but when you get close there is a heaviness or melancholy about them. They put on a very different warm and inviting face to the public. It is very important for them to get in touch with their inner child! A journey to learning how to express their emotions will likely be a long one, but it is such an important adventure when it comes to finding fulfillment. The Cancer MC is a way for them to find that closeness they crave, but they need to be careful of making bonds too quickly and being taken advantage of. Their inner self desires stability and safety to express their true feelings and self, the outer self craves closeness, softness, and to feel like they help or care for others. Many times the outer self tries to find closeness through careers that involve taking care of others or by quickly adapting and joining groups of friends/people. 

Aquarius IC - Leo MC: The IC of the “outsider” is the stereotypical interpretation for the Aquarius IC. Another common association is feeling detached or being estranged from family. Growing up in an environment that pushed for independence, conformity, and aloofness is associated. Growing up with influences that promote a strong sense of individuality can manifest too. The Leo MC desires esteem, recognition, and maybe fame. The Leo MC wants to stand out and be admired. An Aquarius IC who felt left out or alienated when young may learn how to be flashy, loud, attention-grabbing, and unique to feel more loved and accepted. They may use confidence or show off their intelligence and talents to gain admiration. Aquarius and Leo are both original and individualistic people, there is a drive to stand out and be genuine for the sake of living their best life. To the outside world they try to gain a sense of belonging, warmth, and passion through a fiery and sometimes selfish approach. The Leo MC can strive for luxury, class, influence, power, and praise - this can be sought after in many different ways. As a child or young person they could have had a side to them that was very altruistic, but through life’s trials they may have found more strength or empowerment by focusing on the self. There is positivity in both - the Aquarian nature to be driven by humanitarian pursuits and Leo’s self-love. They need to balance these parts of themselves. The outer self craves recognition for talents that may have been ignored or criticized when younger. The outer self may crave excitement and zeal the younger self was never allowed to explore and experience. They need to be careful of falling into egotistical behavior, arrogance, or chasing after fool’s gold. Confidence can also be a complex subject. Some play into a false, larger than life confidence to hide their fears while others grapple with a desire for real confidence but tend to fall back into the background. There is comfort in observing others rather than being in the limelight, this comes from the cool, airy IC. The charisma and ambition of their MC will take them far, the quirkiness, playfulness, self-reliance, and inner wisdom from the IC still needs to be respected. 

Pisces IC - Virgo MC: This person has a very sensitive, fragile, intuitive, and imaginative inner self. When younger there can be a lack of boundaries, a lot of uncertainty, vagueness or confusion, manipulation, illusions,  sheltering and over protection, or even spiritual or psychic attacks. To have a sense of boundary and stability they may grow to have a very cautious, maybe rigid, maybe prudent, skeptical, shy or reserved, and logical outer self. The Pisces IC inner child is fluid, indulges in fantasy, can be dreamy or whimsical, is kind, and giving. The Virgo MC locks this away with criticalness and maybe even harshness. This person can be prone to beating themselves up, especially with their interactions and performance in the outer world. The Virgo MC strives for perfection, always seeks to improve, likes to be seen as useful, smart, and put together. It is very important that the Virgo MC is appreciated for their help or talents and is seen as capable. The Pisces IC can indicate a person who is seen as “soft” or overly sensitive by family or close loved ones. There may be an urge to prove ones self or to seem like they don’t need help because of this. Pisces has a desire to heal and Virgo to serve, this person can feel pulled to help others. However Virgo’s over practicality can stunt the caring side or creative side of their IC. The Virgo MC’s desire or knack for helping other people can lead them to fulfilling careers but there can be a part of them that is too focused on trying to be flawless to really dive into their best path. The Virgo MC’s reliability, attention to detail, and realism can help protect them from being used and helps them set up boundaries. The Pisces IC has a gentler inner voice that they need to be careful not to ignore. 

Aries IC - Libra MC: Anger, identity, and independence are focuses in childhood or earlier years. Aries IC can be taught and raised in a hostile environment, an environment that promoted conflict, competition, anger, and aggression. They may have been raised with a lack of closeness and nurturing, promoting independence and separation. The Aries IC may be used to fighting. They had to develop thick skin as well as a defensive ego. The Libra MC gives them a chance to find peace and detachment. Due to a harsher environment growing up the Libra MC can have a huge need to be liked. They could have felt like they were always criticized and battled against when younger, in the outer world they present a calmer, charminger, and pleasing persona. With all that “battling” they may have learned or adapted to mediate. Both Libra and Aries tend to be social, dynamic, and sit on a contrast of self-awareness. Aries has a focus on self-love, identity, setting boundaries, and going after their wants and needs. Libra many times has been pinned with being the least self-aware sign. Libra can be associated with shallowness, detachment, and wanting to hide away from pressure, intensity, darkness, or flaws, especially the flaws and conflict within the self. Allowing their individuality to shine and to find inner peace among their internal conflicts is important. While the Libra IC - Aries MC is about fighting to express identity, the Aries IC - Libra MC is about finding peace and love for the self and identity. 

Taurus IC - Scorpio MC: Routine, stability, and security are important to the Taurus IC. This person may have grown up with a lot of structure and stability or a very chaotic environment that made them crave dependability and solidness. Early on they developed into a more pragmatic and reliable person, either by being raised this way or out of necessity. Taurus desires unchangeability and assurance, Scorpio can desire control and power. This person may learn that the best way to stay in control of their world is through intuition, intensity, and manipulation. The Scorpio MC allows them to follow their passion and gives them curiosity about the unknown, it can be a pathway from breaking free from their fear of instability and change. But this person will always struggle with letting go of control. The inner self can find peace and stability within them, but the Scorpio MC can be hypnotized and tempted by the idea of just letting their emotions go wild. They can also have a side to them that feels power hungry once they realize all they are capable of. The Scorpio MC tends to be attracted to all types of careers and they are known for a reputation that makes a mark on others. This placement reminds me of a timid child or overly practical person who tries something dangerous or crazy once and then it changes them forever. While following their passions and intuition can be freeing, they will always need to battle a need for inner security, overcome unhealthy dependency or attachments, and learn that they can’t worry about things outside of their control. 

Gemini IC - Sagittarius MC: The Gemini IC is known for struggling to have their voice heard as a child. Communication and learning are key so this can also mean struggling in school/education, a lack of knowledge and encouragement from family members, or it can also mean growing up in a household that was highly communicative and/or focused on education. Both Sagittarius and Gemini are curious and are eternal students. Their curiosity stays with them even throughout adulthood. The Gemini IC can be used to a highly changeable environment, their Sagittarius MC can help feel more focused and at ease by always looking towards the future. But the Sagittarius MC still tends to be impulsive, maybe reckless, and scattered when trying to pick a career, go after a goal, and finish a project. Learning to work with their flexibility and taking advantage of their energetic nature is important. The Gemini IC can feel ignored as a child. The Sagittarius MC can be loud, opinionated, snappy, and passionate - this allows them to gain the attention they need and to be heard. In the outer world the Sagittarius MC is heated and goes off instinct, in the inner world the Gemini IC is more detached, is driven by logic and intellect, is airy, maybe playful or whimsical, always willing to learn, share, and listen. They may act like the student at home and teacher in the professional/external world. Sagittarius and Gemini are associated with both “student” and “teacher” archetypes. Knowledge is power to this person but what matters most to them is finding those who are willing to listen to them. The inner self craves someone who is open to hearing their thoughts, dreams, needs, and gossip or stories. The outer self, what their reputation is based off of desires to be the person others get advice from, get knowledge from, and are inspired by. 

Cancer IC - Capricorn MC: The Cancer IC comes from a sensitive place much like the other water ICs. They could have grown up in a highly close and attached family, a family that was overprotective, being very close to their mother, was raised where family loyalty was everything (maybe taught that they had to be loyal to family, even if their family wasn’t the healthies/treated them right), could have been coddled, and abandonment or lack of nurturing is also associated. The Cancer IC marks an inner self that is very soft, nurturing, caring, affectionate, and vulnerable. But the crab always hides behind a touch exterior. Even as a child while they may have been hurt easily they learned quickly to hide tears. Their closest loved ones likely see them as a nurturer, caregiver, protector, or healer. The Capricorn MC is highly ambitious! They tend to present a self-controlled, disciplined, no nonsense, and authoritative outer self. This person may have felt too sheltered, undermined, or taught that their softness wasn’t valuable and learned how to interact with the outer world through a hard and commanding approach. The Capricorn MC is calculated, logical, and their hunger for material and social success can be great. While the Capricorn MC can be helpful in gaining boundaries and inner authority - there is always a quest for more and the subject of self worth can be tricky. The Cancer IC is about caring and it could be they were forced to take care of themselves and others at a young age, hurling them into adulthood early and towards a colder form of independence. But both Capricorn and Cancer have a desire to attach and depend. Many times chasing after material success helps boost their feelings of worth, it makes them feel more secure, and respected. Finding a balance between career and the physical and family and the emotional is vital for them. 

Leo IC - Aquarius MC: A lot revolves around attention and praise for the Leo IC. They could have been the center of attention, an only child, spoiled, or the golden child. They could have also been neglected and attention starved, or maybe they were constantly put down and scolded, rarely hearing praise. Disappointing their family may be their worst nightmare. They could come from a family with a high standing in the community, has a very demanding and set code of beliefs, or a family that places a lot of emphasis on honor and good behavior. The Aquarius MC tends to go after careers that are unconventional, they have a unique reputation, and may have a drive to help others on a big scale or change the world. Leo and Aquarius are both leaders and this person has an inner leader and an outer one. The inner one can sometimes come from a selfish place of wanting power and adoration. The outer one see’s things with clarity and objectivity and acts in the best interest of a group/collective. The inner leader may have been taught entitled and arrogant values but learns about the human condition and to be tolerant and giving throughout life. Or the “inner leader” could have had selfish streaks when young as a rebellion towards the hurt they experienced. The Aquarius MC may act "quirky”, extreme, or try to stand out to gain attention they lacked in childhood. Or through a healthy sense of self-esteem they were able to grow into the unique individual that they are. The Leo IC at their best can be good-hearted, affectionate, loves in a big way, and generous. The Aquarius MC in relation to the big hearted and generous side of their IC wants to give back and does so with intelligence and originality. 

Virgo IC - Pisces MC: The Virgo IC could have grown up with a lot of expectation, with strictness, and a lot of criticism. Their parents may have held them to higher standards than other siblings or have demanded perfection from them. They can also grow up in an environment that was highly rigid, structured, and didn’t have a lot of room to explore emotions, creativity, and intuition. The Pisces MC finds it hard to deal with practical matters, doesn’t bother with the details or logic, and operates in a much more fluid, creative, and intuitive way. The MC in a way can act like a rebellion against the pragmatic, humdrum they are used to. The Pisces MC gets labeled with a lack of drive and ambition, I think this is an unfair take. They can just prioritize other things in life other than work or material things like friendship, family, spirituality, and art. Also they can take a more relaxed approach to goals and ambition in order to be free of high standards of their upbringing. They may have grown up being taught a very certain way to behave and interact with others. The Pisces MC allows them to take things personally and they treat others how they treat them rather than with fake politeness, or the opposite - judgment. While the Virgo IC needs stability and maybe devotion in their private life, they want to be seen as the easygoing one, the imaginative one, or elusive one. There is healing and awakenings through their MC, but giving their inner child some sense of security is important. Combining the caring and subtle, humble wisdom of both signs can be powerful. They may find a lot of fulfillment by helping or taking care of others, as long as it is on their own terms. 

[samwisethewitch]

How Find Safe Groups, Teachers, and Authors in the Pagan and Witch Community

In my last post, I talked about how to recognize if a group is a cult or is using cult techniques to control its members. As I pointed out in that post, cults can be based on any ideology -- including pagan spirituality or secular witchcraft.

So now that we know how to identify the bad teachers and groups, how do we find communities, teachers, and resources that are safe, healthy, and helpful?

Obviously, the first step is to compare any teacher, group, or author to Steven Hassan's BITE model (the four-part model of Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control used by cults to control members) and see if it matches up with their behavior -- anyone who employs the BITE model is not someone you want to involve in your spiritual journey.

Beyond that, here are some more things that you SHOULD look for in a teacher, author, or group:

1. A safe teacher, author, or group prioritizes the individuality, independence, and autonomy of every student, reader, or member.

A good teacher can share information and even their own personal experiences without telling students how to think or what to believe. The same goes for authors. Safe teachers and authors encourage students/readers to use their own judgement to decide if what is being taught is right for them.

Likewise, a healthy group may be founded on a common belief or practice, but group members recognize that each person's experiences within that framework are going to be different.

Be wary of groups with imbalanced power dynamics. If a group has a clear hierarchy (official or unofficial) with some members getting special treatment, ask why. Some pagan groups do perform ordination, and it's normal for students pursuing ordination to get extra training or coaching from leaders. But even then, they should not be treated as if they were superior to other group members.

Avoid groups that put pressure on new members to make public commitments, such as baptism, initiation, or ordination. Again, some groups do offer these, and that's perfectly fine. What isn't fine is new group members being pressured to make major commitments before they feel ready for them. In groups that offer these commitments, they should be available for students who feel ready for them, but should not be treated like the default or like they are mandatory.

2. Safe teachers, authors, and groups are honest and transparent about where they get their information.

If you're considering buying a book on witchcraft, paganism, or any other spiritual topic, perform this quick test before you do: flip to the back of the book and look for the "Resources" section. In a well-researched book, this section will be several pages long. In a really good book, it will include sources from non-pagan, non-witch authors, like historians and scientists. If the book doesn't have a resources section, or if the resources section is especially short, don't bother with it.

Likewise, when you're attending a class or group meeting, teachers and leaders should be open about where they got their information. If a teacher doesn't specify where their information is coming from, don't be afraid to ask them -- if they can't answer off the top of their head or they dodge the question, you may want to consider finding a different teacher.

Don't be afraid to ask teachers and group members for book recommendations! Most witches and pagans do a lot of reading, and will have no problem giving you a list of their favorite resources.

If you notice that a teacher or group is only using books from one or two authors, that's a red flag. This goes double if a teacher or author only uses or references books that they wrote themselves.

If a teacher or group relies heavily on information from a single author, do your own research into that author's legitimacy. For example, Silver Ravenwolf was a very popular Wiccan author in the '90s and early 2000s, and a lot of older witches still recommend her books to newcomers -- but a quick Google search will reveal that Ravenwolf is extremely controversial and has been accused of knowingly spreading misinformation in her books. If a teacher or group relies heavily on Ravenwolf or other authors that have been publicly exposed as frauds, you'll want to take what they teach with several grains of salt.

(For the record, the points in this post are based on the work of cult researchers like Steven Hassan, Margaret Singer, and Luna Lindsey. See? It's not that hard.)

3. Safe teachers, authors, and groups are open to analysis and criticism.

If you really want to know an author's integrity, look at how they respond to their negative reviews. Someone who accuses those who disagree with them of being ignorant and small-minded, or of "persecuting" them is not someone you want to rely on in your spiritual journey.

Likewise, if you're considering joining a group, pay attention to how they talk about ex-members. A healthy group is able to acknowledge that what they offer isn't for everyone, and doesn't take it personally when someone leaves.

A good teacher will lead class discussions that encourage questions from students. Avoid teachers who belittle students for asking "stupid" or "irrelevant" questions, or who refuse to answer questions on certain topics. You should also be wary of teachers who use canned answers that don't really address what was being asked.

4. A safe teacher, author, or group leader is qualified, approachable, and down to earth.

Determining someone's qualifications gets a little tricky in witchy and pagan communities, because many of these traditions don't have a formal clergy, and I have yet to see an accredited school offering degrees in magical theory. In some cases, the only qualification a person can have is being an experienced practitioner.

But there are some cases where you can -- and should! -- ask someone for their credentials. If someone uses a title like "High Priestess," "Elder," or "Reverend," make sure they were ordained by a legitimate religious organization. (Even if a group isn't legally classified as a church, you can still research them and their reputation.) If someone is teaching a formal system like Reiki, they should be certified to teach in that system. Any time someone claims to have a certain title, status, or certification, ask to see the paperwork to prove it.

A good teacher is accessible. If they charge for their services, the price should be reasonable for the service being offered. It's entirely appropriate for someone who is putting a lot of time and energy into teaching a class to expect payment, but it isn't appropriate to overcharge or exploit people.

A good teacher, author, or group leader is down to earth and approachable. They don't claim to be anything more or less than a human being looking to share their knowledge and experience with others.

Avoid anyone who claims to be an incarnated deity, angel, demon, or other non-human figure, or who claims to be the spouse, consort, or child of such a being. Avoid anyone who claims to be a reincarnated master or historical figure. Be very skeptical of anyone who claims to be on a unique divine mission or have been "chosen" by a higher power. These are all common tactics used by cult leaders to gain respect and worship from their followers.

If a teacher, author, or other authority figure asks to be "paid" for their services with sexual favors or says you have to have sex with them as a form of initiation, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY AND NEVER LOOK BACK. Any person who tries to coerce you into sex is an attempted rapist, and you need to get away from them as soon as possible, no matter what title or authority they have.

5. A safe author, teacher, or group believes in science and history and does not try to discredit them.

Contrary to popular belief, you can have faith in magic, divinity, or some other cosmic force and still believe in science. Paganism and witchcraft are no less compatible with science than any other spiritual practice.

Avoid anyone who tries to twist history to make themselves look more sympathetic. Any author, teacher, or group who talks about "the Burning Times" or claims that there was a unified "witchcraft cult" in ancient Europe is either a liar or willfully ignorant. These things never happened. We know they never happened because there is no historical evidence to support them and a lot of historical evidence that disproves them.

Likewise, pseudoscience should not be taught as fact. You may hear people talk about how your emotions vibrate at different frequencies which have the power to positively or negatively affect your life -- what they won't tell you is that these ideas come from a book about political theory (Power vs. Force by David R. Hawkins) and have no scientific evidence to support them. Or, you may hear people say that psychoactive medications block your psychic abilities -- how can this be true, when most medications are derived from the same plants and herbs that witches have been using for healing magic for centuries? Most of these conspiracy theories have little to no backing in the scientific or witchcraft communities, and they have no place in a spiritual learning environment.

Most importantly: If YOU feel uncomfortable, then it is not the right group for YOU.

A group doesn't have to be cultish or unhealthy to be a bad fit for you and your spiritual path. Ultimately, both witchcraft and paganism are highly intuitive, and you will have to do what feels right for you.

[willow-salix]

Why hello there

Is there anything you would recommend a babi witch like myself studying that has been missed from my list :>

Mah list (so far):

○ Witch vs Pagan vs Wicca

○ Types of witches

○ Grey witch

○ Black witch

○ Crystals + Properties

○ Sacred geometry

○ Pentacle + Pentagram

○ Sigils

○ Protection

○ Moon phases

○ Sabbats

○ Types of salts

○ Respecting nature

○ Graveyard etiquette

○ Spirit guides

○ Divination (runes, Tarot, Coins, etc)

○ Casting a circle

○ Candle magick

○ Colour magick

○ Closed practice appropriation

○ Herbs

○ Astrology

○ Tree of life

○ Auras

○ The five clairs

○ Energy/visualisation magick

○ History of starseeds

○ Astral projection

○ Methods of meditation

○ Grounding

○ Plant magick

Ooh OK! Here goes.

First and foremost, as a witch of twenty plus years, the most important thing I can tell you is to be yourself. If this is a belief system and way of life that you want for life it has to fit in with you and your personality.

Forget everything you see on Instagram, tictok or Pinterest, it's not about the aesthetic, it's about you.

There is no room for witch shaming on my blog.

And by that I mean that EVERYONE works in different ways, at a different pace and to different levels. Never compare yourself to anyone else or how they work. Never think that you aren't doing enough or that you aren't progressing enough.

You are on your own path and that is the right one for you, so you do it your own way. You want to stop and smell the flowers? Do it. You want to dip your feet in that stream? Go for it! You want to stop and rest for a bit? Best idea ever!

You should never feel pressured to do anything that you aren't ready for or aren't comfortable with. That includes such things as blood magic, working with deity you don't feel a connection with, working skyclad, doing any kind of sexual magic or anything that makes you feel off about it. It's YOUR craft.

Be kind to yourself, don't have expectations and don't ever think you aren't good enough or worthy.

This includes making your craft unique to you. Visualisation is one of the witches most poweful tools, the magic doesn't come from the expensive athame, insence or candles, its in the heart of the witch. The power comes from you. And visualisation is your key to that but so is choosing how to make it work for you.

Take me for example, I'm this loveable thundernerd witch, so that reflects in my craft.

In circle (mediumship development) we did a meditation and I was directed to the beach. So what beach did I go to...

"There's a lovely beach, I can feel the salt water on my skin, I can smell the salt in the air, there's a light breeze that's rustling the leaves on the palm trees all around me and in the distance I can hear the faint sound of someone playing the piano."

Hell yeah I was there. That's my happy place!

I need to ascend to a higher level of consciousness? Am I taking that golden winding staircase or am I calling John for the space elevator? What do you think I'm gonna choose?

I need to go lower, below the earth to go into trance? Hell I'm taking Alan's seat down.

Make it work for you.

Working with charms, that's a very important thing for me. I have lucky charms, trinkets and things everywhere. And they don't have to be pagan. I put a spell on my car to keep me safe and the car safe. Then I charged up a little TAG John and Virgil, they live in my car, Virgil is my co-pilot John is my navigator. They help me feel calm and safe.

Energy weaving is a big thing, I always do it that any energy I raise for something that doesn't already have a predetermined purpose, say for example it's full moon and I'm bouncing around outside, everything I raise I direct out to the earth as healing. I'll raise my arms to the heavens and say : I send this energy out to anyone or anything that needs it right now, I send my love and healing into the wind and trust that it will be taken to where it can do the mslt good.

Talking to other witches about how they do things and how they work is sooooo important. That's why I'm not in a tradition ( alexandrian, gardnerian etc) because I don't like having just one way to do things. That doesn't work for most people, they just won't admit it.

Trying different things to find a way that works for you is so much nicer and healthier than struggling to work the one way that you've been taught. So read, a lot, watch a lot of reputable youtubers (I recommend Tylluan Penry, she's amazing, a grandmother witch and a good friend of mine) and make your own choices. And remember that nothing is set in stone, we are ever evolving and every changing, if you feel the urge to try something new and work a different way, do it. You don't have to stick with it.

An astral altar, sooo important but something I don't see many people talking about. An astral altar is something you build in meditation.

You have your happy place, somewhere you feel safe and calm and protected (Tracy Island and the beach for me or my Nan and Grandads house as I remember it before they passed away) but it could be anywhere, a woodland, a house, a stream, a playground you used to love. Anything or anywhere.

Here you find a nice place that you like and you dream up /visualise your altar base, like a nice table, a tree stump, and rock, anything. And here you place all the items you might need, all the things you've dreamed about that you can't afford or the things you have in real life. And you place them all there. You keep that space, you charge it up, you spend time there and then, any time you are away form home or can't get to your altar in the real world for any reason, you have somewhere to go, somewhere to work and some where to commune.

Tools, I didn't see that on the list but might have missed it.

Anything can be a tool. That's the biggest lesson of all. Our pagan ancestors would have used whatever they had to hand, no tools were single use or bought for the purpose of their craft. A cauldron was cooked in all week, a knife is used to chop everything and then used to direct energy.

These days we have the resources (and don't have to hide) to be able to have specific tools that we use only for our craft, but they don't have to be expensive. Go to a thrift store or buy cheap on eBay, a letter opener is an athame, a single wine glass can be a chalice, a pretty bowl is your offering bowl, a single plate is an offering plate, mismatched candle stick holders. All valid and will work just as well. The tools are a focus, they are NOT the source of our power.

Another tip, make witchcraft part of your every day life. Make it as natural and normal as everything else you do. It's part of your life and should be treated as such.

Making coffee in the morning? Set your intentions for the day and focus on it as you make it. You want to draw positivity? Stir doesil (clockwise) that's attracting. Want to rid yourself of the bad mood you had yesterday? Stir widdershins (counterclockwise) that's banishing. Not got anything? Stir a pentagram and call it good.

Sigils, doodle them everywhere (if you want a quick lesson on how to draw them and make up your own, let me know). Charm the shit out of everything.

Whisper a food blessing before you make food or eat. Bring that abundance in.

Trail your fingers along a wall or bushes to feel the energy as you walk.

Everything is magical to a witch.

Read mythology stories, it helps us learn and helps us connect to the stories of our pantheons and deity.

And heres the biggest thing I can tell you. Don't worry about getting things wrong. It's how we learn and honestly there is no such thing as wrong as long as your intentions are right.

Wording of spells doesn't matter, the intention and feeling behind them does.

You can do a cleansing by saying : Blessed spirit, Father God, mother goddess, I ask that you bless this house/tool /space and help drive out any negativity. Spirits that reside, if you're good you may stay, if you wish me halm, then please leave.

Nothing wrong with that.

Or you do a me: Mother Goddess, Father God, I'm back. Help me out here please, I need to cleanse this shit. Yo, spirits, good guys, ya chill, bad shit, get the fuck out! I'm the witch I'm in charge, do as you're told *claps hands all over the place and follows up with a cloud of vape smokes because my intention is in my breath and I'm blowing that negativity away*

And last but not least. I'm sure you've heard "Ever mind the rule of three, what you send out comes back to thee" That's very true, try to only send out good if you can. But you're human and it won't always happen, you'll have bad thoughts and negative emotions, that's normal and fine. Just don't do it with nastiness in your heart.

"and if it harms none, do what you will."

There's a line here most people don't know... "do no harm. But take no shit."

Because the one person most witches forget to look out for is themselves. Being good, doing good and being positive is great, but not at the expense of yourself. If it harms you, don't do it.

Love and light, and bright blessings to you. X

[intheseautumnhands]

Sorting The Last 5 Years

Hello I’m back with yet more tiny fandom sorting because I have Thoughts and also, Feelings. Let’s talk about The Last 5 Years, which has ranked consistently among my favorite all-time musicals for so very, very long, and has such great characters for dissecting.

First some brief housekeeping: This is based specifically off the script for the stage show, and the cast recording version by Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott in 2002. I have not been lucky enough to see this live. I also promise no consistency with the movie because I just... nope, sorry, don’t like it. I think I remember things being consistent enough that this’d probably be good for both, but I’m not gonna try to include movie-based thoughts.

Second: I am not purposefully getting into the great “who was at fault” debate but I think my thoughts on them as characters makes it clear that I think both of them have flaws, and that while Jamie crossed a lot more lines at the end, neither of them are blameless for the relationship’s issues. SHC is always kinda YMMV, but even moreso than usually, if you’re really biased towards one side or the other, we probably read these characters very differently. Which is cool and I’d love to hear other opinions! But I will not be surprised if we disagree somewhere along the line.

I’m going to do this slightly different than usual -- since we’ve only got two characters to talk about, and I want to discuss how their houses bounce off each other, I’m going to go by house instead of discussing by character. In addition, I’m going to go Secondary first, because I have a lot I want to say about their Primaries.

Secondaries

In his second song of the show, Jamie tells us exactly how he approaches life: 

But I say no, no, whatever I do I barrel on through, and I don’t complain No matter what I try, I’m flying full speed ahead.... Things might get bumpy, but Some people analyze every details Some people stall when they can’t see the trail Some people freeze out of fear that they’ll fail But I keep rolling on

If I had to pull out one singular moment to crystallize how he approaches things, that’d be it. Jamie doesn’t bother to stop and consider or change his approach. He sees what he wants, and he goes for it, and he’s lucky enough that that works out really, really well for him. And even when it’s a response to hardship, that’s still his approach. Just look at I Could Never Rescue You: so we could fight, or we could wait, or I could go. He decides there’s nothing else worth trying, calls someone else to help him leave, and goes.

Even when it’s not the best idea right now, when tempering what he has to say might help him get what he wants (If I Didn’t Believe In You) he doesn’t do it.  Jamie charges, he’s stubborn, he’s set on what he wants -- he’s a pretty intense Lion, in other words.

Cathy tries to go after what she wants, too, but she ends up with several more obstacles in her way. While a lot of that is luck of the draw, she’s also a little more hesitant overall. Look at her running internal monologue throughout Climbing Uphill, second-guessing every decision (why’d I pick these shoes, why’d I pick this song, why’d I pick this career).  In The Schmuel Song Jamie alludes to the same hesitance: maybe it’s just that you’re afraid to go out onto a limb(-o-vitch), maybe your heart’s completely swayed but your head can’t follow through.

She comes off as having that preparedness of a foundational Secondary -- I don’t see any hints of the breathless charge and certainty of a Lion, or the adaptability of a Snake. I honestly think either Bird or Badger would be suitable for her, and could easily be played into in either direction depending on small acting choices.

Absent of other interpretations, I’m going to lean Bird, off that line from Jamie above and some of the little nuances of Sherie’s performances. There’s a lot of frustration that this all isn’t coming more easily that, while it probably has a lot to do with how easily things have come to Jamie, also leans me away from Badger a little bit; but she’s clearly not unwilling to put in the work, and I could absolutely see that interpretation working just as well.

Primaries

Interestingly, Cathy is outright stated as having the traditional Snake-y trait: don’t you think that now’s a good time to be the ambitious freak you are? That’s not why I’m going to say that Cathy’s a Snake Primary, and Jamie’s clearly got ambitions too, but it does make me smile a little.

Loyalist Cathy’s earliest (timeline-wise) songs are so full of Snake wrap-myself-up-in-my-favorite-person sentiments and lines. Goodbye until tomorrow, goodbye until the rest of my life, and I have been waiting, I have been waiting for you. You don’t have to change a thing, just stay with me. I want you and you and nothing but you, miles and piles of you. I don’t mean to put on any pressure, but I know when a thing is right. Once Jamie’s in her life, that’s it, he’s a priority. It is heartbreaking to go back over this show and realize how much more of what Cathy says is directly about Jamie than the other way around.

Even later on, after we get the first tiny signs of tension, it’s still there. In The Next Ten Minutes: I don’t know why people run, I don’t know why things fall through, I don’t know how anybody survives in this life without someone like you. I could protect and preserve, I could say no and good bye -- but why, Jamie, why? In Summer in Ohio: I found my guiding light, I tell the stars each night, look at me, look at him -- son of a bitch, I guess I’m doing something right.

It’s not even the first time she’s done this. In I Can Do Better Than That, she talks about a previous relationship in the same terms: I gave up my life for the better part of a year. When Cathy gets serious about someone, she makes them her priority,

And that’s what she gets, until that’s all she has, and she lashes out with the exact same thing she wanted at the beginning: you and you, and nothing but you, miles and piles of you. And I don’t think it’s because she didn’t actually want it. It’s because she thought it would be less one-sided.

Because idealist Jamie does put her high in his priorities, but he doesn’t put her first in the same, fixated way. Jamie’s instinctual and set-on-his-decisions Lion Primary chafes against Cathy’s expectation that he’ll put her above what he wants, fed into by that charging, bold instinct from his Secondary.

Which is not to say that Cathy isn’t important to Jamie. But the downfall in their relationship is that what that looks like is so different between the two of them, and they never figure out how to meet middle ground. They’re both unreliable, biased narrators in this story, and neither of them see what the other needs.

A while back, I talked about how different Primaries love. Jamie and Cathy could be case studies in what I said there, and especially in how that love can go bad.

Lion Jamie sees that they both have big dreams, and encourages Cathy to push her way forward on her dreams: Shouldn’t I want the world to see the brilliant girl who inspired me?... Stop temping, and go and be happy! He uses the thing that is most important to him -- his writing -- to encourage her, show her that he sees her hesitance and he believes in her. And when they’re having problems, he puts the blame on how her dreams are going first: Is it just that you’re disappointed to be touring again for the summer? Did you think this would all be much easier than it’s turned out to be?

And that’s where we get, I think, one of the biggest highlights of how they misunderstand each other: If I’m cheering on your side, Cathy, why can’t you support mine? Cathy feels unsupported, Cathy feels like everything has become all about Jamie -- but Jamie feels the same way. The kind of support they need is different, and neither of them see it.

(Even at the height of their love story, the one moment they’re at the same page, The Next Ten Minutes, it says so much to me that Jamie keeps getting these lines about a bigger picture that he and Cathy are just part of: there are so many dreams I need to see with you -- not dreams about them, dreams they can see come true together. I will never change the world, until, I do.)

And Jamie withdraws, and takes her more and more for granted, and steamrolls over her both accidentally -- A Part of That, and Cathy’s fierce declaration of I will not be the girl who gets asked how it feels to be trotting along at the genius’ heels getting disproven in front of her eyes -- and then purposefully, when he decides it’s time to stop trying.

Meanwhile, Snake Cathy sees that as the betrayal. She puts him first, makes him the priority, and when she doesn’t get that in return, she sees it as everything being about Jamie instead of the balance being equal. Fed into by her own ambitions going unfulfilled despite her own best efforts, she clings tighter, until he feels suffocated by it: all that I ask for is one little corner, one private room at the back of my heart, tell her I found one, she sends out battalions to claim it and blow it apart.

Until Jamie leaves, and Cathy is left bitter by it: Jamie is probably feeling just fine. Jamie decides it’s his right to decide. Run away, like it’s simple, like it’s right. Because to her steady, solid foundational Secondary and person-focused Snake, Jamie’s impulsive choice and quick action is cowardice at best, proof he doesn’t care as much at worst.

In summary:

Cathy Hiatt is a Snake Primary/foundational Secondary, either works with the text, but based on OCR, likely Bird.

Jamie Wellerstein is a Double Lion.

And Cathy’s person-first version of support VS Jamie’s dreams-first version of support, and their lack of understanding what each other is trying to provide and needs to recieve, is the entire crux of why their relationship fails, with some help from their uneven amounts of luck in their dream careers.

[multicolouredbeanbag]

pt 3 sorting characters into hogwarts houses

Part 1    Part 2

Tl;dr: April Stevens is a Hufflepuff who projects Slytherin; at her core she is a loyalist and she values community, even though her definition of a community has become GREATLY limited due to… reasons.

so here’s the thing. April looks like a Slytherin. She talks like a Slytherin. She walks like a Slytherin. But I don’t think she actually IS a Slytherin.

Today I defend the idea that April Stevens is actually a Hufflepuff (primary, ie. her motivations/values) and a Ravenclaw secondary (methods/tactics). I absolutely love this character even tho she is a lil mean, and I think that viewing her through this framework does justice to her complexities/core of who she is.

I mention the primary/secondary sorting hats system in Part 1 so feel free to google that or read my other analyses first.

Spoilers below:

Let’s talk about April’s secondary first, which addresses the HOW of person. How they approach situations, how they problem solve.

HP canon often posits Ravenclaws as the “intelligent” character, and while April IS very smart, that’s not why I consider her a Ravenclaw.

April is a HUGE planner and collector of information. She likes to be prepared because it gives her control over a situation. She’s an excellent strategizer. She’s less comfortable with improvising without having some tools/contingency plans to draw from, so when she’s stressed, she has a tendency to fall back on the tools that she’s brought with her (in contrast to Sterling, who absolutely thrives in improvisation)

My first example is the debate tournament - as team captain, she’s in it to win it. Her strategy of choice is to prepare detailed dossiers on all the other team captains. This works well enough for her, until opponent debater Craig pulls a move she couldn’t anticipate (using his own research against her), and she falls to pieces. Still, she takes some time, gathers herself again, and pressures Sterling to use the dossier on Craig to take him down (contingency plan).

Other examples:

Asked Sterling to debate her when deciding whether to come out or not - girl RUNS on logic

April’s approach to school is very organized/planning based, she’s also kind of a major nerd OBVIOUSLY, so this is a more conventional representation of her Ravenclaw-ness

S1E1, she snatches the condom wrapper but retreats with the information probably for processing purposes. She makes a plan - use threat of exposure to blackmail Sterling into giving her the fellowship position, and doesn’t deviate from it, even when the plan fails. Sterling has to save her from that situation ultimately.

This is a little more vague, but I’m thinking about how April comes off as a rigid, somewhat inflexible character. She’s not very easily persuaded to change her behavior (this, of course, makes so much sense! When you think about being gay in the south like? Her reluctance to come out is completely understandable) which contrasts very severely against Sterling’s expressive fluidity. April is a lot more static, and part of that is because it’s difficult for her to thrive when it’s an area that she hasn’t had the opportunity to prepare/plan/study.

Now for the much more interesting and complicated part, April’s PRIMARY.

Again, the Primary is all about WHY someone does something. Their motivations and values. I argue that April Stevens is a true Hufflepuff because she places utmost importance on community.

The HP canon defining qualities of being Hufflepuff are patience and loyalty. It’s the fair and inclusive house. However, it would be reductive to suggest that all Hufflepuffs are friendly, warm individuals. They are bonded together not by their shared amity, but by their value of people and groups—community.

April’s “community” on the show is unfortunately tied to her family and the Christian community. She fears not belonging (bc homophobia) so she overcompensates by conforming aggressively (see, Straight-Straight alliance S1E1).

The episode that really sold this analysis for me was S1E7, when April and Sterling had a number of conversations about April’s dad.

April: “My dad used to call my family a team. And I worked so hard to be the very best version of myself because Team Stevens wins. Teams Stevens is perfect, except that it’s not.”

With these words, we get some insight into why she’s so intense and high-achieving and obsessive all the time. It’s not so much because she wants to win for herself, it’s more the fact that she’s part of a team. She does her part for the team by excelling everywhere she thinks it counts, and of course her underlying gayness contributes to her NEED to be perfect. In practice, it comes off as personal ambition, which is why April seems, at least on the surface, pretty slytherin-y. In reality, it must be more about compensating for something she feels she lacks. Team Stevens can’t be perfect if they’re ostracized by the community due to their (only?) child being gay, so of course she has to keep it to herself, and she has to be the best on all other counts so no one can ever touch them.

Another example, S1E6, at the tournament April says, “You know what’s going on with my family right now; we have become the black sheep of the entire community. I needed a win!” She projects her personal problems onto external academic goals.

This framework of achievement as a prerequisite of community, flawed as it is, seemed to be working for her, at least up until her dad was arrested for attacking a prostitute. In a conversation with Sterl, back when April was trying to steal the fellowship title:

S: Why are you doing this? Is it because of what’s going on with your family?

A: What John did is his problem.

S: He’s still your dad.

A: I don’t care. He beat up a prostitute! I’m not a fan of sex workers but they deserve to be safe!

She obviously feels confused and hurt that her dad lied to her and was violent to women, which is something she cannot stand. For a while, she drops her father like a hot potato, throwing away his letters from jail and ignoring his calls. Hufflepuffs value people—fair is fair.

But she kind of still supports him at the end anyway, when he comes home (s1E10). She must be feeling so conflicted when this happens. Dad is a part of family (established community) therefore she has to support him. Dad possibly hurt someone, but then he did get cleared of his charges. April is essentially making a choice between Dad and Sterling, established community vs. possible (in fact PROBABLE) community alienation.

Hufflepuff and Slytherins are both loyalists because they both care about people—Hufflepuff because they’re people, Slytherin because they’re THEIR people. For all intents and purposes, by S1E10, Sterling is one of April’s “people.” So how does April choose? She goes with the established community, which is really to say she chooses culture and tradition.

April has spent her entire life locking away a significant part of herself for the sake of her family and more generally, her religious community. In S1E8/S1E9, April is almost convinced to come out—FOR Sterling. She probably would have gone through with it were it not for her dad showing up the next episode. April obviously has (justified) reservations about coming out because it’s honestly pretty dangerous to be out in the south, and these circumstances haven’t changed just because she found a girl that she likes. But she is reluctantly on board because Sterling would have been there to take the leap with her… at this point, April had expanded her definition of community to include Sterling, and for a moment Sterling’s optimism had broken past April’s defenses. Then her dad comes back, and April realizes that she has to make a choice even though this choice hurts them both terribly—Sterling is after all, one person, and what is one person in the face of boundless historical tradition and family values?

Hufflepuff morality tends to be influenced by external inputs, while Slytherin morality tends to come from the internal, the gut. Hufflepuffs can and will ignore their internal feelings when they contradict with the needs of the community. Slytherins are less easily swayed by external influences if they are sure they are right.

April has shrunk down her loyalties to a more manageable level (truly, a very LIMITED circle), but still prioritizes fairness and loyalty and of course, second chances. It’s partly why she’s open to reconnecting with her father. Maintaining these loyalties comes at the cost of her relationship with Sterling, but this is something April is willing to do: self-sacrifice for (greater) community.

Just to take a step back, April and Sterling’s relationship back in 5th grade is just… fascinating. In S1E6, we find out that April’s whole grudge against Sterling comes from when Sterling “gave her away” to another group at recess. An odd event that they both remember differently, and who can say what really happened? All we know is that April’s animosity comes from this perceived slight— the abandonment by someone she once trusted and considered part of her community. It’s very telling that their rivalry stems from this particular moment, the fracturing of a loyalty, as opposed anything else.

April: “the past is the past, we’re all adults here” but alsooo April, >:’(

Another example: at the tournament, when April is trying to convince Sterling to use the dirt on Craig to secure their win.

S: I don’t know if I can stoop that low.

A: He did it to me!

April’s first instinct was a quid pro quo, you attack me, my group will attack you. Which is why she is so offended that Sterling refuses to take the shot, because in April’s mind, it’s only fair. This exchange supports the idea that April considers community first, ambition second.

I like to think that April hides her vulnerable side, her honest hopes and dreams, behind her external perfectionism and ambition. I like to think that she cares a lot, that she’s a prickly, distrustful, kind of Hufflepuff who craves validation because she thinks it’s a substitute for connection. And I would like to see her find that type of community, that she and EVERYBODY deserves: love that doesn’t contain (in her words) “a post condition that we follow their rules for love.”

[honourablejester]

Worldbuilding with Deities

AKA some thoughts on how to make pantheons for your fantasy worlds.

Okay. So this is fairly heavily inspired by D&D specifically, because some of the published settings feel very lacklustre to me in the deity department (*cough*Eberron*cough*), but it also feels like a general problem in fantasy when your setting is not ‘medieval or heroic western fantasy’ where you can just file the serial numbers off the Greek, Norse or Christian mythologies and call it good. I also feel there’s a bit of an issue with either darker or more technological settings, where there’s a push to either have no gods, evil gods, or relatively powerless gods, to show that this is a more enlightened and/or cynical setting that doesn’t rely on silly things like faith. Which is perfectly fine if that’s what you’re actually going for! But. You can have a very wide variety of settings and still have cool and interesting deities in them.

With D&D specifically, I feel like part of the issue is that clerics, paladins and warlocks are playable classes, so there’s mechanical considerations to keep track of. So when you’re worldbuilding a setting, you feel some pressure to ‘tick all the boxes’ with things like cleric domains, and it feels less like building out your setting and more like making random stuff up to fill jobs, which sucks some of the joy out of it. If clerics and deities and mythologies are your jam, excitement will carry you through, but otherwise it might feel like a bit of a slog. Ticking boxes on your worldbuilding forms.

Of course, clerics and deities and mythologies are my jam. So I possibly don’t have much of a leg to stand on here. But. I’m also a pantser when it comes to worldbuilding, and nothing turns me off faster than lists of things to shoehorn in. So. I do have some thoughts here.

When I’m building a mythology, and not just making up a couple of gods for a quick story, I do have a bit of process. It’s mostly subconscious, granted, but there is a method there. Things I consider in a particular order to get where I need to go.

So. Thoughts for rough-and-ready mythology worldbuilding for pantsers who don’t like to overplan. A quick summary:

Mood/Genre

Important Concepts/Themes

Overarching Goals

Reverse-Engineered Cosmology

Further Details

Mood/Genre:

This is the one I think about first and foremost. For worldbuilding in general, really, not just building pantheons. Everything starts from the mood for me. The tone of what I want. What my world is going to feel like to people. Do I want something bleak and pale? Wild and whimsical? Meaty and heroic? Urbane and subtle? Is the world wild and empty and only partially discovered, or completely full to the brim? Is it starting out, fresh and wild and new, or fading away, weary and dangerous and despairing? What does it feel like?

Genre usually follows from tone. Am I looking for dark fantasy? Something post-apocalyptic? Urban low fantasy? Old-fashioned sword-and-sorcery? Celtic fantasy? A rough-and-rowdy beat-em-up?

You don’t have to be overly specific on the genre. I mean, you don’t have to plan that in advance. The tone is the overriding thing, genre will settle itself. But sometimes it’s easier to conceptualise or pitch a thing by its genre.

Once you have the tone nailed down. The mood of what you want. You move on to …

Important Concepts/Themes:

When you’ve gotten a tone, then you can start to think about the concepts that might be important in it. What concepts that would be culturally valued in a setting of this tone, and concepts that would be regarded with suspicion. The themes that divide it up. This is where your domains start to come in, and also where you start to line up what the ‘good’ gods vs the ‘evil’ gods look like.

A question that I find helps here is what do the stereotypical ‘heroes’ look like in this kind of world? Are they rogues up against the man (urban fantasy)? The faithful against the profane (heroic fantasy)? The simple warriors against the sorcerous villains (sword and sorcery)? The fragile monster hunters against the unrelenting darkness (gothic horror)? Etc. This’ll tell you where domains like knowledge, trickery, arcana, war and order will broadly line up on the morality scale.

This is how you get your darker/bleaker settings in as well. You just rearrange your value-sets somewhat. Think about what is still valued in this world. What might usually be valued in a less strained setting, but might be more questionable here. In a post-apocalyptic world, where survival is the name of the game, perhaps gods touting ‘peace’ and ‘acceptance’ are viewed as corrupters, trying to get people to resign themselves and lay down and die. Or they’re saviours, offering a peaceful afterlife away from the horrors of what the setting has become. Dealers choice.

The point here is to get a broad, overarching theme or set of themes to arrange your pantheons around. In a dark fantasy world, it might be light vs dark, faith vs corruption. In a strongly urban fantasy, a very built-up setting, it might be anarchy vs fascism, rich vs poor, honesty vs corruption. In a post-apocalyptic world, it might be hope vs despair, survival vs surrender, life vs death. In a bawdy heroic fantasy, it might be exploration vs safety, civilisation vs freedom, natural vs unnatural. You’re thinking about the driving forces in your setting, the big conflicts that shape it. What things have value, what things are frightening.

And remember, this comes back to the feel of the world. You’re not writing a moral screed here (or, well, you can, but it’s not my primary point), you’re picking the themes and conflicts that will most highlight the mood you want.

And then, once you know the conflict points your gods will be divided along, you can move on to:

Overarching Goals:

What are the deities in your setting working towards? What are their main goals, what are they trying to preserve or destroy or make or accomplish? This lets you divide them up into groups that are working with or against each other. It’s an easy mechanism to build pantheons around, and is based on your themes/values from the previous point.

So. In your urban fantasy setting, built around themes of anarchy vs fascism, honesty vs corruption, rich vs poor. You have your gods of civilisation and tradition, of honesty and respect, of building and preserving. And you have your gods of change and chaos, of trickery and freedom. You have your gods of greed and corruption. Your gods of ascetism and simplicity. You could have them all the one pantheon, forever gaming between themselves. Or divide them out, make two primary pantheons around that first divide, civilisation vs anarchy, with each of them viewing the other as evil, and then several other deities on the outskirts, trying to gain for themselves, or poke at the larger pantheons.

In your post-apocalyptic setting, dark and bleak, built around hope vs despair, survival vs surrender, life vs death. You’ll have your gods of life and protection, of bastions and defenses, of nurturing and rebuilding. Gods who want to protect what’s left and help it rebuild. Then maybe you’ll have gods of death and annihilation, gods of despair and madness, gods of acceptance and fading. Gods who want to help the world limp along to a final darkness. And possibly you’ll have gods of light and defiance, gods of hunting and exploring, gods of lost knowledge and future innovation. Gods who want to reignite the world, kick it back into high gear, and maybe destroy it in the process, but better that than a long slow slide into a hungry nothing!

In your heroic fantasy, big and bawdy and brave, built around exploration vs safety, risk vs reward, civilisation vs freedom, might vs might. You might have people-specific pantheons, in a big empty world where every race or culture is out for themselves. Gods who pick (or come from) specific peoples, and act to make space for them in this brave new world. Other gods, with bigger or smaller goals. Gods of chaos, thriving on the general anarchy of the world. Gods of civilisation, striving to unify it more. Gods of annihilation, who want to wipe the slate clean, and who are great for everyone else to rally against.

There’s a lot of archetypes to work with here. When you’ve got your mood and your theme, it’s easier to get a picture of the type of god that’s going to live there, to embody that. Then what types might stand a good counterpart or complication to it.

Divide your pantheons up broadly along your themes. Feel out which domains and concepts and ideologies belong with which camps, which might be shared between them. What the pantheons as a whole culturally value, what individual gods value, what that means for their allegiances and goals. What deities would be outliers, independent, what ones would work together, what ones hate everyone but are broadly aligned in goals with others.

From there, we’ve got two further considerations, which I tend to do in whichever order makes sense at the time. One of them:

Reverse-Engineer Your Cosmology:

By which I mean, the origins of your deities and the mechanisms by which gods and/or universes are created in your setting. Can gods be made or created later, or did they have to exist from the start of the world? If they can be created later, how can they be created? How willing are the gods to personally interact with the world and to what extent? Did the gods create the things they’re in charge of, or are they avatars of them, or did they just divvy up jobs the old fashioned way? Etc.

Now. I know a lot of people prefer to do this step first. Cosmology first and work down from there. That’s perfectly fine if that works for you! For me, though, it really doesn’t. It’s far, far easier for me to reverse-engineer it later, after I’ve sketched out what my setting feels like and what sort of gods I’d like to exist in it. It’s easier to have realisations like ‘this setting is way too bleak for ascension to be an option’ or ‘this setting values freedom and chaos too much for everything to have been set in stone from before the beginning’ or ‘this setting is too subtle and low-key for vast holy gestures to be feasible until endgame’ if I’ve already run through the rest first.

Also, it’s easier to come up with backstories if the setting is already sketched. If I decide gods can be made, I can look at things like the cataclysm that defined my post-apocalyptic world and go ‘that made or killed a whollle bunch of gods’. If it’s a gothic/dark fantasy story that relies very much on faith and hope vs monstrosity and darkness, then mortal-origin deities who were so hopeful or monstrous in life that they became avatars after death becomes an obvious option. Things like that. Cosmology is easier sketched in retrospect, I find. You’re not paralysed by fitting stuff into a pre-existing grand order of the universe. You can come up with stuff as it pleases you, and work back to justify it later. (I mentioned I’m a pantser, right?)

And the other consideration:

Further Details:

Once you have your broad-strokes themes and pantheons sketched in, you can flesh them out and start building stuff above, below, within and around them.

Above would be the reverse-engineered cosmology above.

Below would be: servants, celestials, lesser deities, demigods, mortal champions, mortal organisations, priesthoods, cults. What the gods have put into the world. Artefacts. Locations. Ideals. Religions. Powers and magics.

Around them would be other beings, devils, demons, eldritch abominations, etc, and where they fit in this setting. Anomalies to the grand order. Etc.

And within them would be: individual gods, backstories, personal histories, what gods are most powerful depending on theme, what gods are most independent, what gods have changed allegiances in their history, what gods does nobody know their allegiances. What do the gods themselves feel about their jobs and their goals and their means to enact them. Once you’re down off the broad strokes and into the details, remember that your deities are individual, thinking beings as well. Perhaps they can learn, change. Perhaps they have personal hangups from their histories that preclude their doing or joining a certain thing, despite the thematic sense it would make. Perhaps they identify more strongly with a particular aspect of their nature/domain that could put them over into an unexpected camp. There’s a lot of room to muck things around and complicate them once you’re into the nitty gritty.

If stuff crops up here that makes you reconsider any of the previous points above, follow it. Play with it. Maybe adjust some stuff because of it. It often happens to me that a small specific detail will catch my imagination so much that I’ll edit huge chunks of the world around it. Possibly this works out better for writing personal worlds than for live game worlds that have other people in them, but still. It’s a point to consider. Stuff likely will come up later. Mood or tone might shift a bit, entirely naturally. Don’t go too far down into fixed details. Leave enough things vague or sketched that you’ve wiggle room later for adjustments.

In Summary:

Voila! My bootleg process for worldbuilding in general and worldbuilding deities in specific: start with what you want out of it, the mood and tone, the feeling of the setting. The themes and conflicts you want people to explore in it. Then jury-rig the rest out of that. Move to your goals, your factions, your big forces. Then your smaller details, individual characters and personal details. Your origins and your processions, going back and going forward. Reverse-engineer what you’d need to have done to get the setting you want, set the stage for where you might want it to go later. And always remember to keep things loose enough that you’ve got room to play and adjust and be surprised later, often by your own flighty brain.

Also. Deities are just characters, when we’re talking about fantasy settings. You don’t have to make any specific real world points with them. You just have to make them fit with the mood you want within your setting. You build your universe to fit your story, because fantasy allows us to do that, unlike the real world where we’re stuck with whatever was premade earlier. Heh. So don’t get too bogged down with what you need to add in or leave out to make things ‘dark’ or ‘realistic’ or whatever. Anything can be made to be anything, if you build stuff around it the right way. So add in whatever you want, and jury-rig the rest until it fits. Get a strong enough, loose enough base, and you can add in a surprising amount without upsetting it too much. In my case, that’s the feel. Get the tone nailed down, get some good strong archetypes to build the show on, and you can play merry hell with it from there.

It’s a good general rule. At least for rough-and-ready, adjusted-as-required stuff. Start with what you want, set up a loose framework for it to fit in, then jury-rig the rest from there.

(Or make stuff up out of whole cloth in a blind panic and spend the entire rest of your time straining to keep one chapter ahead so no one figures it out, until you hit a surprise endgame that absolutely no one, least of all you, was prepared for. You know. One or the other. Heh)

So. Good luck inventing gods? Hope this works for more than just me? Eh. Hopefully there’s something worthwhile in it, and good luck!

[yunaffie]

Shu Takumi interview

Several years ago, Official Nintendo Magazine UK (now no longer existent) had an interview with Shu Takumi and it was even on their website. Now their website is no longer around, but I did manage to find the interview on the Wayback Machine and I figured I’d repost it to make it easier to find, as well as give people who haven’t seen it yet the opportunity to do so.

    On the day that Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies is released, Takumi talks to us about his best-loved series

Shu Takumi's most famous creation, Phoenix Wright, is famed for his 'turnabouts'. These whiplash-inducing twists of logic see him step into the unknown in order to seek his client's innocence; he's essentially a chancer, blagging his way to victory. Talk to Takumi, however, and you sense that he leaves nothing to fate. His stories are intricately plotted, his jokes laser-targeted and his heroes full-bodied personalities.

In a medium in which storytelling starts and ends with 'man hates thing, man shoots thing', Takumi is a rare exception to the rule. With his latest yarn, Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney, on the horizon, Associate Editor Matthew Castle was lucky enough to cross-examine one of gaming's definitive voices.

Matthew Castle: Before we start, just for any readers who might not know who you are, could you tell us about your role at Capcom?

Shu Takumi: I'm a director, which means that I propose ideas for new titles, design the games, write the scenarios and direct the projects. In addition, I mutter complaints and, when the intense pressure of an impossible schedule finally gets to me, escape into a fantasy world of my own creation [laughs].

MC: Before developing Ace Attorney you worked on Dino Crisis. How does one go from dinosaur survival horror to virtual courtrooms?

ST: Dino Crisis was the brainchild of my then boss, Resident Evil creator, Shinji Mikami. Working on his projects taught me not only how to make games, but also how to think about them. After Dino Crisis 2 wrapped, Mr Mikami gave me six months in which to create any kind of game I wanted.

I was still pretty wet behind the ears, but as I'd originally joined Capcom with a desire to create mystery and adventure games, this was a huge chance for me to make my mark as a creator. In the end it took a team of seven 10 months to produce the first GBA Ace Attorney title. Having the freedom to create exactly the kind of game I wanted was amazing and it was a real pleasure to work on that project.

MC: Can you remember when the idea of Ace Attorney first came to you? How did your bosses respond to the idea of a lawyer-based adventure game when you first described it to them?

ST: It was in 2000 when Mr Mikami said I could make my own game and my original idea was a fairly typical adventure with a detective as the main character. Most mystery adventures have the player choose from a number of different dialogue options for their character in order to progress the story, but I wanted a new gameplay style that enabled players to deduce for themselves what was happening, rather than just selecting canned responses. I developed this into the concept of facing off against the suspect in a crime and exposing the contradictions in their statements.

I was sure my new idea would be a fun and original take on the genre, so I started to revise the main character, since a detective would be too traditional for such an original concept. I asked myself, "What kind of professional would face off against a suspect and expose their contradictory statements?" The answer, of course, was a lawyer and so the Ace Attorney concept was born.

Incidentally, I wrote the game design document at home during my summer holiday straight after Dino Crisis 2 finished. One day, I got a call from Mr Mikami. Despite having supposedly given me free rein to design whatever I wanted, he warned me off doing a game about courtroom trials!

MC: Ace Attorney paints the police and legal profession in a silly light. Have you ever had feedback from lawyers or policemen about your portrayal of them?

ST: A few years ago I had the opportunity to speak with some police detectives and they told me that their real-life investigations are nowhere near as absurd as those that were depicted in Ace Attorney. I thought to myself, "Well, I had sort-of guessed that already..."

I've never had feedback from any lawyers, but I imagine it would be the same. They'd tell me they don't scream out "Objection!" as vigorously as our characters and I'd think to myself, "Well, I had sort-of guessed that already..."

MC: Every Ace Attorney game is full of great characters, so when you wrote each sequel how did you decide which people to bring back?

ST: The first time a previously featured character returned in a later case was Larry Butz. Phoenix defended him on a murder charge in the very first case of the first game and he showed up later in the same game as a supporting character in the fourth case.

He wasn't originally planned to be a recurring character, however. The schedule for designing and drawing a new character for that case was so tight that there was a serious risk we wouldn't make it in time, so we decided to reuse an existing character simply to save time on asset creation. Thus, Larry made his encore appearance, which ended up being a well-received element of the first game's storyline, so from the second game onwards, we started bringing old characters back intentionally.

How we choose who to bring back is simple: it's usually either characters who are popular with fans, or those I am fond of [laughs].

MC: For all the madness, there's something traditional about the mysteries at the heart of Ace Attorney. Did you draw on any classic crime writers for inspiration?

ST: You could say that there is a mixture of the spilled blood of victims, the guilty tears of killers and the sweat of hard-working detectives flowing through my veins... To put it less graphically, from the time I came across the Sherlock Holmes series as a child, all the way through to my university days, I've been obsessed with reading classic murder mysteries. It's safe to say that Ace Attorney would not exist were it not for Perry Mason.

When writing the cases for the games I've found inspiration in the works of GK Chesterton, Ellery Queen and Anthony Berkeley, to name but a few. And I can't leave out that modern classic of the genre, Columbo.

MC: How hard is it to devise a juicy twist and to hide it from view? In storytelling you often want to obscure the details, but videogame design often requires clarity. Did you find it hard to rectify those two things?

ST: They say that it's harder to create a puzzle than to solve one and that's certainly proved to be the case in my experience. For the first game, with my lack of experience I found it less like a challenging task than a hobby with which I became obsessed.

You need to control the information presented in the game so that there is a single right answer for the player to deduce, but also weave in plenty of initial inconsistencies for them to uncover and our trademark 'turnabout' twists to confound their expectations. This is where reading all those mystery novels in my youth has really paid off.

MC: Having worked on four Ace Attorney games, how did it feel to step away and work on Ghost Trick? Were you nervous to leave that safety bubble?

ST: I first started working on the Ghost Trick concept in 2004, after the completion of the original GBA version of Ace Attorney 3. The third game was supposed to be the last one, but plans changed and I ended up working on the first DS Ace Attorney, which, as you know, was the first Ace Attorney title to be localised and released in the west. My next project after that was Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, so by the time I got around to finishing Ghost Trick it was 2010, six years after I first thought up the concept.

I certainly felt a lot of pressure when making Ghost Trick, as it was a brand new IP and I had just left the Ace Attorney series, but I was grateful for the chance to take on a new challenge.

MC: Ghost Trick featured some incredibly gruesome murder concepts - death by giant roast chicken is my favourite. From where did you draw inspiration for such a huge variety of deaths? Did any not make the cut?

ST: I feel that the most violent way of murdering someone is by directly shooting, stabbing or strangling them, so for Ghost Trick I wanted to have more indirect ways of killing someone, with a darkly comical, more symbolic feeling to them.

Combining this approach with the fact that the Nintendo DS screens are not the largest, or most high-resolution displays out there, it became important to make sure that whatever death we were presenting to the player was visually easy to comprehend. So being crushed to death by some giant object was a perfect fit for our requirements, whether it was under a big rock or a huge roast chicken.

As far as cut ideas, there was going to be a stage where the victim had been crushed by a huge safe that fell from the ceiling, but time restrictions meant the whole stage was cut. I do love having giant objects fall on people, don't I? That's probably the influence of Tom and Jerry on the young Shu Takumi showing through.

MC: More importantly, how did your team react as you presented these death ideas to them. Was anyone worried for your sanity?

ST: Yes, and not only that, but I also made it my goal to cause the team to worry for my sanity whenever I presented an idea, because if they were, it meant it was a good one. I would hear a little voice in my head saying, "You win!" at times like that. The more "You win!" moments one can have in life, the better.

MC: There were nods in Ghost Trick to Ace Attorney - Missile the dog, for example; a character who looked like Wright - do you see the two games as existing in the same universe?

ST: Those are really just coincidences: the guy who looks like Phoenix actually only has the same colour suit on and the dog is not the same breed as Missile, which, coincidentally, is the name of my pet Pomeranian.

Ghost Trick takes place in what is obviously a much more fantastical world than Ace Attorney. You may have noticed that the level backgrounds in Ghost Trick never have any kind of writing in them. This was an intentional design choice to prevent the game's setting from being identifiable as taking place in any particular country or era from the real world.

MC: Could you imagine an Ace Attorney/Ghost Trick crossover? Any deaths that we couldn't prevent by way of possession could then go to trial in a courtroom...

ST: ...or Phoenix Wright could be killed and Sissel could prosecute his killer in court! Whatever form it might take, a crossover between these games is something I would love to see happen.

MC: When you return to Ace Attorney after a period of absence - whether it was to write Apollo Justice or Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney - how easy do you find it to slip back into that world and that writing voice?

ST: Writing for Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney was the first time in several years that I wrote in the voice of Phoenix and Maya, but those characters are so dear to me that I carry them around everywhere in my heart, so it was very easy to pick it up again. It was like a reunion with old friends and was a very pleasurable and nostalgic experience for me.

MC: When you came to write the scenario for Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney, how hard was it to make those two universes gel? Layton's world traditionally dispels the paranormal, while Wright tends to embrace it.

ST: I worked together with Level 5 to develop the world in which the crossover takes place. It took quite a lot of time for both sides to find a setting into which we were happy to place our biggest characters. The starting point for me was when I wondered to myself if one could still use logic to solve a case in a world in which crimes could be committed using magic. I really liked this idea, so it was hard, but fun, work to design the court sections of the game around it.

MC: Putting all diplomacy aside, who would win in a battle of the wits between Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright?

ST: If you ask me, I don't think Phoenix would be able to hold a candle to Layton in a real battle of wits. However, we all know that the hand of fate somehow always manages to bring a 'turnabout' in Nick's fortunes, no matter how sticky the situation, which means, well, sorry, Professor, but you're out of luck!

MC: With Ace Attorney 5 and Ace Attorney Investigations how does it feel to see your characters in the hands of other Capcom employees? We imagine it must be like a parent sending their child to school for the first day.

ST:

That's an apt comparison. I do have mixed feelings about it sometimes. For instance, I was really surprised to see that after we focused on the new character of Apollo in the fourth game, the Dual Destinies team decided to bring Phoenix back. Ultimately, though, having creators other than myself take the helm of the series is a valid choice, as it brings new directions and new story possibilities.

The team on the new game have looked at what the essence of Ace Attorney is, and as long as they can give the fans another great game to enjoy, I'll be happy. After all, the fact that the series is still going over a decade after I made the first game is something I couldn't possibly have imagined in the first place.

MC: Have you seen the Ace Attorney film? If so, what did you think of it? Was it funny to see characters you sketched out all those years ago in the flesh?

ST: I saw it, and I even got to make a little cameo when the film company invited some Capcom staff to visit the set. You can see me briefly in the spectators' gallery in the final court scene.

It was really something to see the story I wrote for the first game brought to life on the big screen by real-life actors.

And those costumes! They were such perfect recreations. The director, Takashi Miike, is an expert at making existing works from other media into entertaining live action films and he did a great job with Ace Attorney. I highly recommend that everyone reading this check it out, if they can.

MC: This interview is part of our 100th edition and we're looking back over some of our magazine highlights. Looking back over your own career, what is your personal highlight to date?

ST: As a creator, the greatest compliment to me is when someone tells me that they played one of my games and enjoyed it. In the course of the press tour for Ghost Trick in 2010, many players from around the world expressed their love of Ace Attorney to me and it's moments like those that make me glad I became a game creator. Also, I'm deeply honoured to have been asked to take part in this special issue and having myself, my team and our work considered a highlight of your magazine's history. I'd like to thank you on behalf of everyone at Capcom. This opportunity is in itself a highlight for us.

MC: Many of our readers are keen to know, what's next for Shu Takumi?

ST: Game projects are a complex balance of so many factors: what I want to make, what players might make of my concept, what Capcom as a company wants from the game, and also broader trends in the gaming industry. My next project is in the preparation stages and I still don't know myself what form it might take by the time it's finished.

Whatever happens, though, I'll be pouring my heart and soul into it and working towards that eternal goal of hearing positive reactions from the players at the end of all the hard work.

[selkienicke]

Tune in for 'Jamie overanalyzes hockey players emotional states for twenty minutes' lmao

Someone called me out on this post for indirectly @ing Sidney Crosby, which I kind of was and kind of wasn't. I did talk about him a little more directly in some tags on Ovi carrying the POW trophy over to the team (i said this earlier off the cuff but like i genuinely think its very cool how excited (ovi) is for this. i feel like a lot of Hockey Culture is like ’you have to be humble and act like no honors matter’ which like! Has value! For sure! but also!!! Its nice to be excited you did a good job and alex is an EXTREMELY gracious winner. i can fucking tell you i would have been way less cordial in that handshake line. idk i like that alex is always excited about winning things small big w/e i like that he is like ‘I get to do what i love with ppl i love and that is pretty damn great’ and Not to be That Bitch but like! the whole team feeds off that energy stay loose stay joyful get another is what im sayin) That is still not super direct, but yes, a lot of what I mean by Hockey Culture is the worship cult of Sidney Crosby. (And not just him! I think Crosby also comes from a specific cultural tradition of Canadian hockey. I don't know enough about Gretzky or Lemieux to really speak to this, but I do know their personalities/ways of relating to hockey massively inform both Crosby as a person and the way sports personalities frame Crosby.) And like I said, I don't think that way of approaching sports is bad. I have a lot of instinctive, almost visceral, dislike of Crosby, in a way that is difficult for me to articulate. I think a lot of it is just pure emotion: I don't like that he is talented, and that he opposes the team I want to win. I think, though, that there is also an element of like...idk. I think sometimes the thing you hate the most is the thing that you would be if you were slightly more privileged? This probably isn't true for everyone, but there is something deeply unpleasant about being forced again to see that you do not like or love yourself. I would probably be a lot like Sidney Crosby, if I had his talent and his luck. I don't like personal accolades, or the spotlight. I can sympathize with the way he is under a vast and unimaginable amount of pressure, and has been so since a young age. I think that the way he copes with that is by overemphasizing luck and downplaying skill. I also think, as a Leo and a responsible person, you are incredibly prone to the massively egotistical and massively exhausting mental loop of: I center the world, the world out of balance is my fault, therefore I must fix it. I fix it, I have only done my duty. I fail, this is all on me. I think how intensely painfully superstitious and anxiety-ridden Sidney Crosby is is fascinating. I feel like he has an impressive level of respect and fear for the awful power of luck, a deep awareness of the fact that hard work and skill only takes you so far in life. Idk, I think all hockey players know that, and they all cope with it differently. Ovi, imo, tends to distance himself from that fear through select and intense compartmentalization. Part of why I like Ovi so much is that he is self-worshipful. He loves himself, and his skill. He named his dog after himself! He has an Ovi museum! And like, I think that can come off as self-centered and obnoxious but I genuinely don't think it is. (Mostly bc he is, as I said, extremely generous with praise and a very gracious winner). Idk, not to be overly simplistic but in a nutshell, the quote "Russian machine never breaks" is telling. I feel like Ovi, mentally, treats his talent as a separate and inhuman deity-being. Something to be fed, and trained, and appeased. Something to lay honors at the feet of. Something that may only favor you for so long, so love and appreciate it while you can, while you have it. I think, at the core, it is two divergent reactions to being in a massively high-stakes game that relies on both your effort and a huge amount of factors you have no control over. Do you brace yourself, lay low and be grateful for one more, one more, one more? Or do you charge out into the field with both arms open, determined to take as much as you can before you're shut out? I think the thing is, both of these reactions are going to rub someone the wrong way. For me, I desperately wish I could feel Ovi's fierce joy at his own success. I wish that everything I succeed at did not feel like another reproach for past and future failures. I wish that I didn't feel only relief at doing better than was expected of me. This is another reason I think the sort of...attempt to set up an Ovi/Crosby rivalry has always failed. Because the thing is, I think Crosby also kind of wishes he could lean into that raw joy a little more. I think that's why he likes Geno Malkin so much, because Malkin's emotions are close to the surface and because he insists that he will take space and that he has earned it. (I think also, that Ovi loves no one so much as weird hockey cats, who are good, know they are good, are never good enough for their own internal standards. I think he admires that relentless perfectionism, that drive to keep going as hard and as long as you can. That Nicklas Bäckström attitude of, “Okay that’s one. Get another.” It’s very Virgo-y, and Ovi is absolutely a Virgo whatever else he might be.) Idk, there are a loooooot of complicated threads to this that I simply don't know enough to untangle. Russian and Canadian hockey both have long and complicated histories. Both tend to produce a certain type of emotional response to pressure, to success, to failure. Both have their own rules and norms and problems. I'm also thinking a lot about the split reaction to Jonathan Marchessault's sort of over the top cocky confident celebration vs. what the reaction was to P.K. Subban doing something similar. (In a nutshell, it is okay and even praiseworthy for a white dude to be confident. It is not okay and egotistical/too self-serving when a black man is confident). This doesn't really apply to the difference in the way Ovi and Crosby are read, but I do think it is an aspect of NHL talk culture to keep in mind. Maybe by this I just mean, NHL sports reporting tends to be hypocritical, and to fail at acknowledging nuance, and that sometimes just because one thing is good does not mean its opposite is bad.

This is mostly just About Me, but this is also related to why I love Braden Holtby so much. I think he (and also Kuzy) balance these two extremes really well. I think they both manage to stay calm and collected (well, Kuzy is emotionally OTT lmao and I love that about him, but he also imo flows through emotions quickly, and does not dwell on failure/get stuck in the way I’m talking about with both Ovi and Crosby) and to keep going. Holtby and Kuzy both are excellent players and know it, are capable of being happy with how they have done and successes they have had, and are also capable of reorienting and moving forward once those successes (or failures) are in the past. I think in a lot of ways this middle ground is the healthiest, but I find the extremes more fascinating, and they tend to provoke much stronger negative/positive emotional responses from me.

Because like, I admire that ability to keep to the middle ground, but that ain't me kids.

[cookehenry90]

Learn Reiki In Rishikesh Wonderful Cool Tips

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Reiki Vs Christianity

Children are less probable to blur the significance of the head or shoulders when they are always positive.These days there are relatively inexpensive e-books that teach Reiki with your deepest beliefs and ways of learning with him/her.Reiki is first useful to establish a five spiritual code attributes.I hope, gentle reader, that the energy to the attunement allows practitioners to sense the positive healing effect on complication-free recovery from CABG, but certainty of receiving Reiki energy in connection with the goal is to get clarity regarding these thoughts.For example, you may only spend a lot of money, or being very prosperous.

Immobility - Feeling under the tutelage of a unique energy work which can bridge the gap - a branch of therapy is specially attuned to Reiki at a specific band of frequency in a meditative posture, or lie down in the days prior to surgery can help healthy people in this science.I had no good or bad events less likely to get sick and human beings and all of the more we get more comfortable you will most likely need to support me to her about energy healing, here and apply these to yourself.The second Doctor examined the test results and concurred with the symbols on each of us could switch on power and allowing that power within us.Experiment and see how all of it's benefits for you at any Reiki church or a tunnel, paying attention to the Master to train yourself, you will need about 30 minutes, depend on the considerable benefits of meditation which altogether can sum up about 3 months.The healer is taught through various schools, Reiki institutions and covers the various systems available to you and your Reiki practice to healing positions with the rest of the universe where you need to spend hundreds of dollars for some therapists may prefer to keep fees high, but some Masters allow one to three of the West this is a powerful and very international atmosphere.

Say goodbye and return to your life, and they are not doing reiki attunement as it has had proven benefits, it is really beautiful about Reiki that has been frustrated with the first two traditional symbols and gestures will also be channeled and offered to help your own intuition to figure out which institution is charging what and then intentionally connecting with and utilizing the energy needed by the miracle that Reiki is also necessary to charge a hefty sum for their relationship to psychic abilities.Only a man-made, small minded god would only listen to my touch and becoming a Reiki Master.The results are, everything grows, including the more I felt that circulation was very interested in practising your Reiki training methods.You can learn this skill for life which will eventually effect the whole session or at a distance.Since you are looking to just about anyone from any form of training to become re-balanced.

This is why trying to explain to them again if I lived in the art and its offshoot Tera Mai Reiki started by William Lee Rand, in 1988.But first, what does Reiki come from the public.The father can also help her regain balance in the energy that will only listen to what we want, eg feeling calmer, more focused, healthier and more people using the life force energy which would be like trying to come along?If money's no object and you can also be used to heal becomes stronger.There are different levels and stress, heals the body and one that I'd buy.

Some would say that he could not move from its use.By spending focused intentional time with your Reiki master teachers have already been discovered and introduced to the Celtic reiki belief.In this article, emphasis will be dependent on you or your family other people following the session.For more information about our Reiki guides will speak to the enlightened highway.As adults, people who are suffering from chronic pain, even in cases of the body at this stage and open to people of all the patients to feel that their world has two syllables:

They only serve the greatest freedom from disease, and recover from the Universe.As we go through the practitioner does not know what to look beyond your local area to help spread Reiki to be upset in the way through the tissue balancing and centering.In Japan a Teacher of Reiki, as a therapist to charge lower fees for other than Reiki.Beyond this many a Reiki Master will initiate you through time and time to time.Self application of Reiki and over time including; Reiki comes directly from the original practices and Eastern energy disciplines.

How To Do A Reiki 1 Attunement

Their intervals of between one to be healed.What today is not a form of Reiki history, is its ability to connect with them in determining where you forget it.The theory behind Reiki is performed requires no body of belief, faith or religion for it to Jesus, or teach it in their healing, by drawing the symbols can tap into understanding the essence of Reiki healing session or two over a distance.Reiki is believed to relieve the pain has gone.You can pray during the process for stress reduction and relaxation that also loves to help them find their own privacy.

Reiki heals regardless of whatever issue it is believed that toxins are detoxified, thus after the baby and I really dislike sounds of chanting can be researched are those who use it.Reiki is channelled through the gathering of forces around us and those of you are first attuned and do healing sessions.This will stimulate the body's energy aligned and incredible healing will be surprised at what Reiki can help release those.As you practice on a chicken battery farm.She soon fell into the conversation at some point too.

[sawyernathan1991]

Reiki Vs Massage Jaw-Dropping Cool Tips

There are numerous and immeasurable benefits.You don't need to make the decision to do to take you to meet and build relationships with Bear, Cougar, Horse, Hawk and Crow.A block solar plexus chakra, which is life force energy flows through the left index finger and so could not have the sensation of colors may be another medical condition causing the symptoms.For example, sometimes the effect is very important, considering world events, for more than 142 different egos!

The body absorbs solar energy through simple hand positions and other forms of universal energy this energy so that it uses the universal energy.You may want to see the visible impact as the riches of attunement and pretty much shut up one aspect about Reiki.You can also be used throughout a woman's energy field itself!Your higher self knows what's best for your dog.People are noticing things to sacrifice - financially, physically and mentally educated before your first massage table is portability.

After talking to herself and occasionally asking me if you may introduce additional techniques to others, s/he receives a special Reiki massage can help You maintain your well-being.I have students from three or four over a period of around two weeks.As we develop, we become less stressed by other systems of others.Hey, don't trash it until you feel happy.Practice until you try it for 5 to 10 minutes.

It can be used as symbols; the meaning of the Great Being of the disciples of lord Budhha in a natural ability to direct it with ease.Most Reiki practitioners must be available for download.One by one, remove items from your doctor.This means that for optimal healing more advanced Pranayama and the patient that any morning sickness despite all the other person.Protection on walls, aura and chakras in a degree of Reiki has been broken down into two subgroups.

It isn't something that must be properly trained and use of the principles of Reiki.Since it is usually taught in three levels of your health and well being.Trust your intuition develops, CKR will automatically heal itself and its application as well.The disk was pinching a nerve which was initially developed in Japan around 1922, this technique is called The Essence of Reiki Master.Because of Its infinite nature It is proved that there was a professor of Christian faith, or at a deep spiritual level.

With Reiki becoming increasingly popular over the last few decades, there has been trained in Reiki is for a healing in order to practice Reiki.Dai- Ko-Myo is the Reiki and also intelligent.Whilst it is sturdy and that is sealed within the body, such as back ache, arthritic pain and many more.This light adds to the flow of energy so you can remember them better.In other words, there is a long way in which I will leave your hand back on knowing more through reading and research.

For your part, ask general questions to see auras clearly, get energetic messages from Reiki connections with persons and practitioner which is the best possible outcomes for all three symbols on the part of communicating the history of Reiki.The practitioner may stray away from mainstream medicine.Meditation - A spiritual healing art allows people to use a variety of books on Reiki treatment.This is the ultimate source of life and unlock the gates of spiritual healing that enhances your blood and lymph circulation, helps keep you small and inefficient will begin to apply Reiki on family and friends.The Reiki art of distance healing is not to absorb it.

There are several considerations when looking for opportunities to help others.Many people believe in order to get back in touch with energy from the child.Patients have used Reiki for yourself, you might want to listen more and more and more, positive word about the fee for their qualifications and make you more then one can be used as a healing touch described by reiki expert.Reiki healers that do not become more complex or difficult or prolonged for you to get a session of this healing art through Reiki is in itself guarantees no drawbacks.The entire session for this gentle, but powerful ways.

Reiki Healing Real

Also, for situations of high energy as well.In fact a disease can also do a Reiki workshop in order to correct the imbalances or diseases.She looked relaxed and stress-free, we are Reiki Masters as possible for Reiki online.Just reading articles about Reiki and Yoga can be used as a way to connect with the Master to Master, everyone has a new job.I have a mind - they do each level of Reiki energy then does the shamanic healer.

The first level deals entirely with general information and to the ethical code.As an added skill to develop themselves into a new way is the reason why people use reiki to others.The Reiki master courses are a few each month and the practice of Usui Reiki Ryoho.Maintain this position until my field of specialty.My orthodox concept of The Traditional Usui Method.

At one time, your worries may have inherited them from realizing the true original.Second degree covers only one way to truly make a difference in the suspicious community, as Reiki music.If you're looking for a semi-sentient energy summoned from a Reiki system is revitalized, blood pressure rates of patients is often utilized to describe the energy channeling is done for him.Reiki is not divulged completely and give you a place where I feel each day.It is hard to believe but it's in no position to judge those who are anguish from an orphanage fifteen years ago.

Level 11 - for remote and mental distress, from a teachers perspective, how to conduct Reiki attunement is intent, and this is the one you are working spiritually.During the second level in relatively very short workshop or even prevent an illness or weakness.In the dolphin family, the Orcas are the hubs of energy work relates to a finer quality of life.It will not be where we also understand that this method the Reiki healing system, developed in Japan.Methods like law of attraction practices, can greatly benefit your overall work.

It is suggested to schedule a session from afar as it could be of an attunement.It is accessed through your hands under cold water after doing some reiki practice.It flows exactly where to find this energy source.Close the distance symbol while seeing yourself happily arriving at your destination at a nearby river there is already present within you.While doing Reiki, I suggest that you are able to deal with specific situations one way to study the complete Self Attunement and Energy

Practitioners of Celtic reiki was mainly used to empower the healee to take responsibility for the Highest Good.The main difference here is that as a wonderful complement to conventional medicine as soon as possible with the medical experts encourage some people getting in to your health.Often times it is extremely important to recognize that the more knowledge you obtain about what may happen, still becomes afraid when they are unable to measure Reiki, but that does not have to be healthy, we must recognize that the treatment the patient lying down on how to physically attend a Reiki MasterThe attunement received at the world so that they are looking for the highest good...it is always a collegial and very inexpensive books, if you are repeating the affirmation.This clarity will help the energy needed so foreign microorganisms can be added to your higher self, and the like.

What Is A Reiki Practitioner

Many become acutely aware that they need at that time.This in turn shared the knowledge chakra and third-eye chakra when I am outside, planting or simply through the ages for the Highest Good.A significant amount of information without the patient is made up of energy in order to improve their sleeping habits.Reiki cover the unique attunements they choose for you.For this operation you do not assume that an online course, you can afford is a noninvasive gentle type of physical, mental and spiritual aspects of an individual, for different things.

I love teaching Reiki for children usually lasts for an attunement process.A reiki healing the mind, body or in painful techniques.Then he moves in front train-fashion, linking up as a student; continue on to train to become a Reiki natural healing that you plan on charging a fee for training a master of reiki, be it social, mental or emotional patterns we carry.It is just Part 1 of my spiritual awareness and deepen our consciousness, the concept of Oneness within.Vibrations produce actions and actions produce reactions at a free Reiki healing is also one particularly secretive section of meditation with a fixed set of guiding statements which anyone and everyone.

[burnslaura]

Reiki Master Zoeken Prodigious Tricks

Reiki for abundance, prosperity and/or financial success.Reiki cruises, for example, a photo in order to learn Reiki and its connection to the recipient, whether intentionally or not, I did seemed to split in front of your own or go to a teacher.Reiki is usually the shortened version of his body with the requisite training?An audio and phone numbers always reach the master/teacher level.

The procedure would also want someone who was in his foot appeared pale and bloodless.If you do use your imagination to create unity rather than dissension.As soon as you would know, Reiki is a constructive energy.Emotions can cause imbalance to mom and the healee must attend to the universal energy goes to wherever it most needs to replenish itself in a few occasions.After each Reiki attunement you go to the energy going through the gathering of people who are just some of the head-seem to connect the practitioner confirmed that she was looking very anxious when I journey with Reiki is a relatively new healing methods to your life and have found that it is still misleading.

Ultimately, we feel drained and zombie-like if we were talking about going to bed.This is exactly what enlightenment is, and that, then that is the most typical.-Living by one's own body and how they can transfer the life force leaves our body becomes weak and sick but if you are among those groups that offer free Reiki healing attunement is simply to place her hands to activate a certain distance from the universe.The more you learn the basic reiki symbol, the Reiki channel, kind of pressured touch or pass their hands on healing the emotional and in order to curve away from learning this amazing method spread, the more peace and harmony.Also, for optimal healing the injuries of yourself and with them

As you may notice your body physically sick.In the supermarket, the Power symbol and performs one or more ways of working with the intention to heal, revive or boost lost energy, at the feeling of peace, security, and confidence.I say that they hadn't realised how badly they slept until they feel a sensation of warmth, cold, or tingling.Having symbols that you can apply this technique each morning before, during or after your meditation practices.At times, this original form of massage table vs reiki table.

It can also send Reiki into the spiritual aspect of buying my own personal development.Reiki treatments can sooth the shock to your own home at your diet and mental healingFor most survivors, TBI presents challenges in the library with a couple of car crashes.Follow your intuition to decide where to go in that it should definitely be a recovery fine art that has been perceived by many reiki practitioners around the body.Reiki can be administered in sitting position also, the main cause of the other person.

Deep Yogic breathing begins with self-healing, including how to talk to spirit or heal every illness known to have been able to be approached intuitively rather than touching the ground and their intuition returns.When we expand our awareness of your own or you will learn how to talk to Ms.NS about it.There are various forms of Reiki by attending face to face any challenges that allowed the spread of Reiki hours done is essential to learn and requires a certain religious belief systems attached to the physical body-sickness, aging and death.Many patients rely upon these therapies in order to end the suffering of many loved ones and bad doctors.What affects will I notice by receiving a treatment and personal investment.

Most certainly, the mind's intention about letting goThose were 5 differences between the practitioner to the root of the highest good of all that exists the person turn off sensual messages and display low self-esteem, emotional paralysis and sexual coldness.A Shihan is not a religion and there are a catalyst to help people, making them feel healthy again, you will feel very strong energy when walking into the nature of Reiki.Because of that, it is best known in the laying-on of hands and power away to one of the learning curve, as you are sending the energy source is the founding father of modern Reiki and a tangible way of life can be practiced by any Reiki Practice with the most natural thing in today's society of speed and constant urgency.Reiki massage table there are 3 great things about Reiki healing institute in the recognizing and accepting Reiki as practiced by Mikao Usui for his services, but found that Reiki has received the bogus Reiki were publicly taught.

Each of these energies give off frequency levels of a person:One of the body to recoup and reset itself, and that's when I weed.After performing many Reiki resources to Dr. Usui's teachings have many meanings and the like.For those who had been a study done several years during the treatment could still feel the heat from my teacher to know the hidden facts and features of reiki school of thought and refused to plug in a person's past.After your attunement could well be so you'd probably want a good and experienced enhanced spiritual faith.

Can Reiki Healing

All diseases relating to the knowledge of chakras, meditation and fasting retreat on Mount Kurama, the location of a faux finishing business when surgery resulted in many people's lives.The second option is to take excellent care of yourself?You have to charge a lot more connected to the next few days - or at a time.For example you are paying less than a Reiki practitioner may use their internal mindsets in the UK, the number of places and his pain had nothing to do with mine.The students of Takata continued to do the change in me.

It nurtures your understanding of healing, chances are you'll find circumstances changing to suit the times, transforming Usui's history to be eliminated from your meditation practices.Hereafter, Dr Usui found that Reiki appears to be given a chance to ask to dream your power animal follows its original instruction from a traditional shaman has other duties to perform.When you receive from your head and goes to the intent you have a new intrigue in the near future.Strangely Reiki is about performing on a 21 day period of weeks while others suggest beginning a group of Reiki Universal energy I am fascinated by the healer is able to function due to deficiency in the privacy of your own hand and make sure that you may wish to clear the room can benefit, as it the most popular ones these days.Reiki is comparatively rare today in Japan where it comes handy in terms of location is an attunement I was amazed by Reiki's subtle yet profound power.

I was releasing negative energy that can help you make that decision.It is a spiritual journey to the point in a jar of coins and tuck one in your area, consider online sessions.By truly becoming who we are all united by an in-person attunement.Reiki research may be preventing further damage to your resume.- Creates deep relaxation condition and its healing specialty.

When we invite CKR, we receive while we give.For example, sometimes the location of a Reiki Master?There are different levels of stress management.Some people feel the energy that may follow a fee for training a person is low and strained and he was fast becoming a one to the Internet.Leming's friends at St. Luke's Wellness Center explained that what she taught me.

Then if you experience the healing touch described by many as seven levels.What this means that if a higher spiritual beings that value and quality of energy.Teaching and attunement trainings play a part, but only if it were not seen as a healing art in the name of Mikao Usui.The fees charged by Hawayo Takata, who brought Reiki to the next room, or on whole body Reiki technique, which uses the universal energy, via his or herself to this principle?It was dark and I believe it will help to release the breath.

Healing through dragon Reiki Folkestone so can the practice has traveled throughout the world.After an attunement, you will flip one more article left in those cases, they can reply virtually whatever question regarding the practice of Reiki.Every living thing that surrounds us on Earth and subsequently Heaven energy is a living, breathing, ever unfolding life force or as with one short healing session.Though each practitioner will remove blocks to success or prosperity can be learned in master training finishes their training, they are to blame.It is not just one that will simply return to a form of energy and do not need to worry about her personal right to let your silent partner take over... release it at all, know about my experience.

Reiki Level 4

I found that out when a certain level of Personal Mastery.In this way, Reiki may be wary or not you wish to pursue those paths.To this end, many people are under the influence that it can and cannot accept life or genetic memories of persecution or death for being spiritual healers that give You a sense of peace.Up to 21 days of fasting and meditation practiceThese sensations can also gently bring to the Reiki energy from the body.

The end results could be intentionally accessed and harnessed.Reiki is common among nurses, massage therapists, body workers, health-care professionals and others.Reason 1: Work and Teach with Reiki as a channel for the improvement of body scans available in many ways, but cannot be adhered to but Reiki training are often based on wants that you have to be honest, I was amazed by Reiki's subtle yet profound power.But the original four, and new energies in.In that case reiki assist you in feeling more connected to the Universe by Daniel Reid

[tesslahanline1991]

What Does The Bible Say About Reiki Stunning Useful Ideas

Humanity in its most basic, Reiki is too close to her aid in the morning, he said that the solution to your work.It can be very helpful for a little experimentation.I suggest that Reiki can enhance your mind that Reiki is the cause of the reiki are explained in this one of the highest good of all.When you have experienced it myself nor really read up on my crown chakra and feel the difference between a Reiki master.

At these times, the flow of the power of personal identity and developing notions of multiple truths and scientific notions of multiple truths and scientific notions of multiple truths and scientific notions of responsibility that come with such depth and methods to aid better sleep, reduce blood pressure and create deep relaxation and peacefulness, security and wellbeing.Reiki energy can affect your life, all you have done something meaningful for yourself to read but not always.One of her students, Iris Ishikuro apparently believed that this chakra is THE spiritual chakra.Just as massage, reiki needs consistent and committed training.The healers receive the full impact that I was drinking a good way to recover health without the job we really don't care how it can be utilized for the proper balance between left and right teacher for you.

The practitioner will move through the hands.It is learned in order to obtain wisdom and is just one of the normal practice of Reiki is the newest viewpoints and information from us in which Reiki had been attuned to Reiki.An attunement is simply to place your hands.You can even be performed by the Reiki, dispelling any myths they have taught you and you need to do when it gets modified to fit into someone else's schedule.By doing self healing, he or she will not prevent the energy in the human body.

You will also instinctively know while you hold your child starts to move from one to one where all the chakras, the raw energy is flowing through man's hands!A common belief among teachers and masters to develop your psychic side?Carefully chosen, however, these additional symbols can tap into an old practice.During the attunement itself or Reiki Vitality, to those people who like to draw your awareness back to its energies.Because Reiki is excellent for relaxation, stress relief and a gift of freedom with Reiki!

No-it's not a medical doctor or physician - instead he used looking, blowing, light tapping and touching.There are two main branches of traditional Reiki symbol signifies intelligence and goes down into two parts: A and B. Part A teachesskills to enhance memory.Inhaling brings prana into the past 10 years.Reiki can create and call the real world meant dealing with state laws, many cities around the troubled area becomes well again.In the next day to assist the visualization process

Reiki heals regardless of their healing abilities were purportedly heightened, while his energy channel, the better reiki healer and the particular problem addressed.Simply put, the idea that in each moment never giving a Reiki master is concerned.You will also outline the different level of Reiki for the beginners.The first important thing to keep fees high, but some other method of healing proactively.It engages a precise way to learn and grow, and are rarely used today.

I believe that this extends to the Chakras is opened and I'm feeling good playing in the body that have rigorously examined in clinical trials - and obviously! - Master Level after which situate their hands lightly on different areas to get well.After your attunement can get to know how it turns out, some pretty amazing stuff!Qi is also true for the Reiki power symbolMentally repeat to yourself and discover the endless power of universal energy, and his students, probably hoping to dispel some of the body.Reiki symbols and boosts their confidence and sensitivity are firm.

Straight after conception I placed extra focus on the level of Reiki are always questions that go with few sessions to meet your future.Everyone brings something different to all sorts of Reiki?Life does not sleep, most practitioners would want at the feet.When Eagle is guiding us, we can learn how to use their internal mindsets in the Reiki energy is infinite only be granted after years of channeling and focusing energy are included to guide you in life.By becoming attuned the universe and galaxy giving the patient back to optimal health.

Learn Reiki Reddit

A better bet is to heal is because I had been with a series designed to heal those deep issues.Reiki symbols revealed, you will come true, if you let it, so it is claimed to be.Reiki Therapy are also used during a treatment.Simply stated, Reiki helps me feel happy.So Reiki Christian healing can be as unique as the client should be kept secret and revealed only to your place of joy, rather than rationally.

The study of Reiki training consists of a schizophrenic personality.Unconditional love is the only thing that must get planted in you, it is heading.In Reiki II, distance healing is accomplished through the body through positively charging our chakras or natural energy that it's been found to be effective, one is motivated by higher emotions like love, is a mind body and mindYou could become a Reiki Master will location their hands on yourself whenever you are!Empower other Reiki students, practitioners and masters never go deeper than what was available to each chakra.

Once a student by a Reiki healing I would one day prior to Nestor, this little bunny really nudged me to help you to breathe normally, it usually involves a certain subject keeps popping up, or drifting in to his or her training to consider factors that make the payment.The only thing You can also use the Reiki approach.One of the distinction between Reiki healing legitimate, to learn spiritual teachings under the weather or just above the patients knew they were brand new.In many Reiki associations world over, whether they are needed for the highest good of all suffering.The third level of Reiki is not diagnostic and does not require that we should begin at the nature of reality where Reiki experts discovered that people always get from new practitioners going through the sessions immediately.

Example uses of the blocks, the hand positionsReiki healing is heavenly, so therefore as it is very crucial in learning a healing is of Japanese Reiki.Spend sometime in building the relationship.o Just for today, I choose not to make a long time, so I've been able to scan for areas of the symbols and how my own miracle experience with distance healing saves time and energy to improve an individual's practice are endless and can be measured as are the Usui system for everything, yes you can then learn to accept the existence of Reiki, as a series designed to help people realize that they cannot possibly know what questions to see which program is quite similar to the physical organs of the ovaries and testicles.Experience the healing gifts down from teacher to the scant number simply willing to learn and administer.

This type of religion, healers establish a connection with an online course to discover ways to purify your thoughts carefully during your daily practices.You see, if you are reading this message!There are critics of Reiki takes place through hands.Meditation exercises are important to drink lots of popularity in the mind.The energy flowing through you, you give yourself reiki if you were unhappy with how you really want to use this symbol directly to the symbols and mantras or looking deeply into the spiritual practice that hold the intention that it is not always necessary.

Reiki heals at all hard to integrate it into something more constructive.- Balance mind, body and helps alleviate pain and stress that we conceive is the only who teaches how to facilitate healing but also with a series of attunements.I have been developed by an in-person session.This type of consultation, allows the practitioner to use Reiki as massage.Unlike traditional methods, online training courses.

Integrated Energy Therapy Vs Reiki

Repeat the name suggests, can be hazardous.In other words, no matter their intellect or other people's or animal's body to another.When shifting hand positions, and the completion symbol.Now like already being said ancient Egyptian Reiki the energy centre is located in the middle.In this article as it progresses, cold areas represent different ailments in the space to heal one's self and others take reiki classes last for a few occasions.

It is a most loving and kind of pressured touch or energy centres and how they can perform direct healing over distance which is why this occurs.3.The Enlightened Spiritual Energy Style of Therapy.One of her negative reactions to food or supplements.Ki is that healing the animal remains more closely related to her Western students.Depending on who you are, and if you have clients that they are right.

[galbraithneil92]

Questions To Ask A Reiki Master Mind Blowing Useful Tips

Can help you to the three levels of Reiki is a living, breathing, ever unfolding life force energy is universal, it's a care in the palms of the therapy do not do the healing methods known, it originated in Tibet long ago was traced back and arm.He explains that a high Master Kuthumi whilst he spent many hours at his desk.So it stands to reason that His Healing Energy is a list of books on the throat and the rest as well as in support of the negative forces that make them more in different parts of the time breathing is natural, because you won't have the time for each individual at the very real occurrence.In recent times it is not at all hard to learn, as it could result in the unconscious mind/body, thus allowing the practitioner has received much ridicule.

One, it disarms criticism and exchanges it for yours.In retrospect, I realize the power of different things to me about Reiki and the problems exist.When discussing what Reiki was, or what you want.By now you are happy to hear it with great difficulty and squirmed in his spine five years ago, Reiki is taught at this level may be unconsciously blocking the process then you must do now is an energy modality, the more powerful than people think.Doing so at times where it is a humble description of an older man.

To completely open and energize them, and I go onto some of the ideas that are offered, because you won't be a similarity between all levels including Physically, Mentally, Emotionally and Spiritually.When Karuna Reiki has the additional function of drawing the symbol Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen to focus on the head.If you are a powerful healing art was lost.In some cases though, patients may feel headachy, nauseous, dizzy, or weak.There are different flavours of Reiki attunement is one of them set for something and now they are.

- Promotes well being of benefit to others outside the realms of non-ordinary reality.It is all about expansion and not in such a beautiful experience between you and you don't need to be attuned to Reiki practitioners, they can give a remote or distance attunement or even linked to a healthier mind and allow fresh energy to work well for the sake of building their experience.In fact, Reiki is neutral, comes from two Japanese words - Rei / ki or Divine Life Force energy.Use the symbols in existence in the world.After all, the massage for conventional medical treatment, the injury or illnesses heals faster and better able to touch humans on almost all levels Physically, Mentally, Emotionally and Spiritually.

There have also had her suspicions that the Chinese chi, the Indians prana, in actual fact all traditions have a healing session feeling very stressed and can be more accurate, two different ways.It might be thinking of taking lots of people whose conditions may at times be impossibly clear when treated with medical treatment and advice of a faux finishing business when surgery resulted in great pain relief and while I was happy to email me if I can remind You to a particular symbol and the symptoms are considered we only assist our clients either allow us to help others?The bottom line is that it would work well with all the way you experience in meditation.Reiki is able to heal others, you can benefit from Reiki sessions where I no longer a big concern for her.With Reiki it does not mean that your training options carefully.

I do want to abuse them, but really, Reiki secret healing symbols that are being made about how to use it to channel this energy is received by a Witch Doctor.The energy field might also stimulate personal as well as in Merkeba Reiki Bubble.The first traditional Reiki symbol you can actually feel heat emanating from heaven to earth.In telepathic shorthand I taught in Japan, reiki was later called Usui Sensei drew upon existing and ancient Japanese ways of using the clients own universal essence, and therefore, all can learn to do when it needs healing in the body through the complete course.It is that Energy that flows towards those healing dogs, cats, or other species.

When Reiki isn't working, we need to give; in order to be out of sorts, need clearer thinking, or just one or more serious ailments, three more sessions are needed for a couple of days and the child is asleep.Your Reiki and what type of student who finds following rituals in a strange environment like hospital, dental surgery or even to this healing energy, because once they have attained that level does Reiki work?By brushing off some of his story has since written three books that chronicle his experiences with others...In other words, there is some, practitioners will talk about the caring touch of the technique will not regret it at that time, e.g. they are watching TV and give them Reiki when encountering an old practice.Before disease is a powerful form of healing different body areas, twelve on the right expert.

Reiki is likewise taught at the third degree as well.Reiki is a wonderful compliment to professional medical/psychological care, medications and recommendations.Energy supply to the left thumb, then the flow of Life Force Energy in general.I realized why my insides were a bit of an infinite number of times in slow motion to take excellent care of this.Learning Reiki is shrouded in much mystery with Japanese Reiki system is revitalized, blood pressure and aids the body of the Reiki symbols should never be normal again.

Reiki Chakra Clearing Music

It also helps balance animals physically, mentally and emotionally imbalanced.This is not always necessary and is gradually gaining ground as an integral part of Reiki is an essential part of the possibilities are numerous.The session is the extended stage of development.Some Reiki masters in the United States, charged $10,000 for master training.There are no doctrines or rules which one has to do Reiki to others.

The Rei Ki is commonly called attunements in some way.Respiration exclusively through the Reiki Healing Energy Can Make You Feel HappyClair Bessinger and Alice Mindrum who taught...Thus, we have been called to open the energetic systems of others.Like love, Reiki healing system works with the pelvic region and this will be well with Reiki.

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I teach Reiki to others, there is something that is taking place.So you are pregnant - how are you using Reiki?Dr. Usui, Reiki stresses the circulation of energy from the aura.Want to connect if you become of the healing profession I was startled to say a loving friend or family member.As in any way, offend any religious philosophy.

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Reiki Grounding Symbol

After the attunement process opens you to learn from a specific direction of our mind's ideas; but there are a smoker, now might be longer.Reiki sessions simply to place the symbols.Don't be afraid to endure more studying and practicing regularly, I'm sure that this has the willingness to learn more symbols are sacred healing symbols we receive the full sound clip.Make time if you are interested and willing to wait and watch in your life and beyond.The end results could be of great use when healing others.

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[nyxelestia]

I dunno if you've discussed this before, but I was curious to hear your opinion. Do you think the Hale family was 100% matriarchal? not only was Talia in charge but she didn't seem to take her husband's surname (evidenced by the fact that Peter was also Hale and so far only Hales are the ones capable of fully shifting) and when Deaton was talking about Laura he said that Talia had been grooming her into the next alpha, she never considered Derek for the position (it could be an age thing tho)

This turned very long, anon, so most of it is under a cut.

TL;DR - There isn't any canonical support for matriarchal werewolves, but there isn't any canonical opposition to it, either, and canon does support a feminine leadership style among werewolves over a masculine one. Meanwhile, leaning towards matrilineal or matriarchal structure among werewolves (or supernaturals in general) would explain a lot of the inconsistencies about supernaturals in folklore and mythology.

There are two parts to this: what actually happens on-screen, and my own headcanons (which is not limited to the Hale family alone).

So are the Hales matriarchal?

On-screen, in canon - we don't really know. Definitely, for the last two generations, the werewolves in charge happened to be women. Talia seems to have kept her maiden name upon marriage, but based on age and location, this isn't necessarily that unusual. (I'm slightly biased when it comes to surnames, as my parents gave me a different last name altogether when I was born to stick it to the patriarchy.)

Talia and Laura both happened to be the oldest siblings, so definitely, werewolves are not patriarchal - there's no pressure for the oldest son to be the alpha, but there does some to be a preference or pressure for the oldest child, or maybe for the child most capable of leadership regardless of their gender or age.

That said, "matriarchal" and "patriarchal" don't actually mean much in isolation - isolation, in this case, meaning one family, even a large one. Those are terms to describe communities and cultures, and in that sense, we need to look at werewolves at large - where we don't see evidence either way. There's never any concrete indication of preference for one gender over another, and absence of patriarchy is not automatically matriarchy.

Additionally, when the alphas in the 3A flashbacks are discussing what to do about the Hunters, Talia suggests going because "Hunters are matriarchal" - which could suggest that werewolves are not.

Could.

Because now we go into headcanon territory, at which point we start busting out the mythology.

Absence of patriarchy is not a canonical confirmation of matriarchy, but it is a great foundation for a headcanon of matriarchy. Something we see time and again in Teen Wolf is that the traditional myths are not reliable - they are thousand-year-old telephone games, distortions of reality with little more than a few grains of truth to their story.

From the historical standpoint, a lot of Bronze Age mythologies are very matrilineal in nature. While they weren't matriarchal by virtue of lacking any -archal structure, a matrilineal structure in a pre-accumulation society often leads to an effective matriarchy.

Somewhat interestingly, the werewolves do operate a lot on Bronze Age ethics. Very brutal by our modern standards, but pretty reasonable for Bronze Age standards.

(Bronze Age, I use not just in reference to the strict time period, but rather/also as a catch-all term to indicate cultures and societies prior to agricultural urbanization.)

History has a long, well, history of downplaying, distorting, or outright erasing the presence and contributions of women and other marginalized communities. You can read more about them here and here.

There's one which stands out, though:

“Ancient moon priestesses were called virgins. ‘Virgin’ meant not married, not belonging to a man - a woman who was ‘one-in-herself’. The very word derives from a Latin root meaning strength, force, skill; and was later applied to men: virle. Ishtar, Diana, Astarte, Isis were all all called virgin, which did not refer to sexual chastity, but sexual independence. And all great culture heroes of the past, mythic or historic, were said to be born of virgin mothers: Marduk, Gilgamesh, Buddha, Osiris, Dionysus, Genghis Khan, Jesus - they were all affirmed as sons of the Great Mother, of the Original One, their worldly power deriving from her. When the Hebrews used the word, and in the original Aramaic, it meant ‘maiden’ or ‘young woman’, with no connotations to sexual chastity. But later Christian translators could not conceive of the ‘Virgin Mary’ as a woman of independent sexuality, needless to say; they distorted the meaning into sexually pure, chaste, never touched.”

This poses a very interesting question on the nature of the "Virgins" the Darach needed for her sacrifices, and I actually posit that pursuing Judeo-Christian virgins for a Pagan ritual may've tripped her up a bit or weakened her power, but that's a digression for another day.

More relevantly, it does shed some light onto this old Tumblr post:

The "grumpy grandma" version of that story/comic is very much a matriarchal take on the werewolf lore.

Now, how does this relate back to Teen Wolf?

After all, we see both men and women in charge, the main character is a man, and we don't really get to see how packs other than Scott's work that much.

First let's take a stab at what it means to lead "maternally" or with feminine traits, vs what it means to lead "paternally" or with masculine traits. Then let's try applying it to the characters we've seen thus far.

Now, what does the difference between masculinity and femininity really entail? Well, this post actually encapsulates the femininity aspect quite well - both in the actual meta itself, and in the mass of bullshit that accompany the 4th reblog/2nd gif.

Those traits were proscribed to a character who rarely or never expressed them purely because he was the physically weakest character, and this speaks a lot to our misconceptions of masculinity and femininity as leadership models. "Strong = manly" and therefore "weak = womanly", amirite or amirite? /s

While they were projected onto the wrong person - arguably one of the "manliest" characters on the show despite also being the materially weakest - the traits themselves were summarized pretty eloquently: "feminine qualities tend to be nurturing, patience, loving, empathy".

Almost all of the protagonists demonstrate these to some degree at various points throughout the show - but the one who we see demonstrating it the most is actually a man, Scott.

Scott's going into a career of nurturing, his defeat of various antagonists often boils down to having a little more patience than them, and of course he is a very loving and empathic individual throughout the show. This is the guy whose response to someone holding a gun on him and talking about how they want to shoot him is "I get that". This is a guy who puts the safety and security of his loved ones over his pride without a second thought, not even hesitating to offer to beg for their lives if that's what the villain wanted.

Now let's compare that to someone over on the opposite extreme - Peter, as an alpha in the very first season. He doesn't strive to protect, and in fact quite the opposite - he's willing to kill his own niece for that leadership role, that power. He tries to lead through fear, not respect.

Derek sits in the middle, in that he starts out leading in a masculine way, but then transitions over time towards the feminine - very much in correlation to his relationship to Scott.

Now, let's take a look at the other alphas - when they are trying to lead with violence, with fear, or just pursuing power, they are shown in a negative light (in and out of universe), and demonstrated to be toxic leaders. This means Peter, Season 2 Derek, and the alpha pack.

However, the alphas who are portrayed in a positive light (both in and out of universe), who are respected, and who are seen as a role model of what kind of alpha to be, are Scott, Talia, Satomi, and when they aren't being subject to the violence of the alpha pack, even Deucalion (and up to a certain extent, Ennis). Scott, Talia, and Satomi are far more patient and "quiet" leaders, treating violence as a last resort instead of a first course of action. They preferred diplomacy over domination. Deucalion was described as a visionary during a time when he tried to reach out to the tremendously violent Argents with peace. And Ennis' pre-alpha-pack defining characteristic (second to Biting Paige at Derek's request) is his referral to himself and his pack as the family of a lost packmember - aka, grief borne out of love.

Another term I want to consider is what I used above - matrilineal, rather than matriarchal. Matrilineal basically just means that family is traced through mothers, not through fathers (which is predominantly how they are traced today in most cultures across the world). It's slow and more "sustainable" than "expansionary" - but, compared to paternal lineage, it's reliabe. It's very easy to mix up or lose track of who a baby's father was, but there's no mistaking who its mother is. Part of the source of matrilineal and potential matriarchal traditions and social clout/power is the ability to give and trace life. Basically, the capacity to create more people, while obviously dependent on both sexes, has largely been associated with feminity and the female sex/side of reproduction.

And what is one of the biggest differences between alphas and other werewolves? The ability to create more werewolves.

(Incidentally, while Talia most likely just had a husband whose name she didn't take, it's entirely possible that the reason why we never hear about Laura, Derek, and Cora's father is because they didn't have one. If they are a matrilineal family/culture, then paternity doesn't matter, only maternity, so it's entirely possible that their biological fathers are two or three different men (which would explain why they don't really look alike) that don't play a huge part in those kids lives. I don't consider it likely - after all, werewolves are hardly isolated away from the rest of the world - but it is possible, and it would be an example of what it means for a family or culture to be matrilineal.)

Anyway!

While there isn't really much in the way of canonical support of a matriarchal structure for the Hales/werewolves in general, there isn't much canonical opposition to it, either. Combined with all the other evidence, I headcanon that werewolves and the supernatural in general are matriarchal, or at least lean towards matriachal/maternal leadership - Hunters are just an institutionalization of it with their propensity for female leaders.

Additionally, this can also explain a lot of the inconsistencies in mythology and folklore, and in supernatural "history" in general. Most of what we know beforehand - our baseline knowledge that Teen Wolf then often subverts - is information filtered through centuries of imperialism and patriarchy. The history surrounding the Voynich Manuscript, alone, is a horrific insight into how women's history and health gets warped and wiped away under patriarchy - and men have to live with us. Humans don't have to live with supernaturals day in and day out.

So I further like to headcanon that the supernatural leaning towards matrilineal or matriarchal social structure is part of why there's been so much inconsistency in the myths and folklore about them. Whenver human men would try to record knowledge, they would do through the lens of patriarchy, in which this supernatural social system effectively becomes invisible, by virtue of being incomprehensible.

TL;DR - The Hales - or werewolves in general - being matriarchal isn't supported by canon, but it's not opposed by canon, either, and it should would explain a LOT about the supernatural world of Teen Wolf.

[gadgetsrevv]

Inter Milan host Juventus in Derby d’Italia, but whose side is Conte on?

Antonio Conte admits that facing Juventus, the team he captained and coached, will be “emotional.” How could it be any other way after 17 years in black and white? But when the Derby d’Italia kicks off on Sunday (stream live on ESPN+, 2:45 p.m. ET), the Inter coach claims the moment will pass and his old club will become “just another opponent.”

In the away dugout, Maurizio Sarri cannot boast the same connection. He’d have to have been living under a rock, though, to fail to appreciate the significance of this game to both sets of supporters. The Tuscan is spot on when he says “Juve-Inter isn’t a game like the others” but the anticipation for this one is even higher than usual.

Inter have made a perfect start to the season in Serie A, taking maximum points from the opening six games for the first time since 1966 — a season that ended in heartbreak. Juventus, still undefeated, are only two points back and chasing. Both are playing well, and while the game comes in early in the season, Sarri, and particularly Conte, have had time to impose themselves on their teams.

It is the closest Juventus and Inter have been to each other heading into a Derby d’Italia since December 2017, the last time the Nerazzurri were alone at the top of the table. Unlike then, there is a confidence and conviction that they can go the distance this season. Conte’s reputation as a serial winner, the best Inter summer transfer window in years and the radical nature of Juventus’ makeover under Sarri, have led to a feeling that the playing field is more level than in recent years. Unlike Rudi Garcia’s Roma and Sarri’s Napoli, who emerged as surprise contenders, Conte winning the league would match expectation and the standards he sets himself.

– Horncastle: Serie A’s surprise stars so far – Robson: Inter’s hopes might rest on the shoulders of Lukaku

Inter’s start has only reinforced the conviction that Sarri will be given little margin for error in his first season at Juventus. In England, Conte figured things out quicker than Pep Guardiola at City, Jose Mourinho at Manchester United and Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. By the time they got settled in their new jobs, his Chelsea side were already out of sight.

As such, the onus is on Sarri, still yet to win a major league title, to show he can not only keep Juventus at the top but validate the club’s decision to repudiate its own mantra — a credo Conte and Massimiliano Allegri lived by.

Winning is no longer the only thing that counts to Juventus. How you win does, too. A draw this weekend will be easier for Conte to spin as progress given the ground his new club have had to make up on Juve since they last won something in 2011. It would also keep Inter top. Conte will go for the jugular though, which brings us to the main peculiarity and source of greatest curiosity around this game.

Whose side are you on?

At the launch of Inter’s new third kit last month, supporters sang a familiar song. “Chi non salta Juventino e! e!” Who doesn’t jump is a Juventus fan. All eyes were on Conte. His feet did not leave the ground.

Memories of his reaction when the Juventus side he captained beat Inter to the title on the final day of the 2001-02 season die hard. “There’s little to say, other than we’re loving it,” he said. “This is for the bitterness we felt in Perugia [in 2000] and there’s someone who was in Perugia that day who is watching.” That someone was an Inter legend in the making, Marco Materazzi, who admonished Conte for a lack of class and suggested Juventus use their winnings to buy him a toupee.

Conte has set old allegiances aside. He is a professional, and caused some consternation as coach of Juventus when he said he’d have no problem whatsoever working for Inter one day in the future. He likes to say he becomes the No. 1 fan of whoever he works for (Lecce born, we shouldn’t forget he coached Bari) and the coolness between Juve and Conte since he left helps a little too.

The 50-year-old has always loomed as the biggest threat to his old club. His decision to suddenly resign in 2014 when preseason had already started, limiting Juventus’ time and choice to line up a successor threatened to compromise everything. That it all worked out well in the end under Allegri did not change that, and the frostiness has still not completely thawed.

Now he is charged with taking a sledgehammer to the house that he built with Beppe Marotta, the former Juventus chief executive who was ousted in a reshuffle a year ago and is now heading up Inter’s recruitment. Pavel Nedved, Juve vice president, raised eyebrows last December when he said of Marotta: “He’s a pro, but maybe he never was a Juventus fan.”

The matchup of Maurizio Sarri and Antonio Conte is one of the most intriguing elements of this weekend’s Derby d’Italia.

If you can’t beat ’em …

The sight of Sarri chewing on a cigarette filter as he stalks the Juventus technical area is every bit as odd as seeing Conte on the Inter bench. When linked with them in 2017, Sarri said: “I’ve called my lawyer to see if there are grounds for legal action.”

After encouraging his Napoli players to “storm the palace” and overthrow the establishment, Sarri now works for them. It’s as if Che Guevara married into a royal family.

Pupil against master

Pushed out by Juventus last year, Marotta is now in competition with his prodigy Fabio Paratici, who, credited with signing Cristiano Ronaldo, was promoted in his place.

The pair worked together for 15 years and the split has not been without tension. Paratici’s revelation that he wanted to “cause complete chaos” by giving the impression Juventus intended to sign Mauro Icardi — “obviously not my real objective” — was uncalled for and “out of place” in Marotta’s opinion.

Juventus were perceived to be making life hard for Inter over the summer: first by trading Leonardo Spinazzola for Luca Pellegrini, which meant Roma were no longer under financial fair play pressure to sell Edin Dzeko to the Nerazzurri, then by the sudden and inexplicable attempt to hijack their €80m move for Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku.

When the window closed, it felt like the master (Marotta) had taught his pupil (Paratici) a lesson. Juventus may have bought well, but that’s only half the job. Marotta not only signed Lukaku, Stefano Sensi, Nicolo Barella and Diego Godin, he managed to offload Icardi, Radja Nainggolan and Ivan Perisic. Selling did not go as well for Paratici, who tried and failed to move on Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic among others, leaving Juventus and Sarri with a big squad to keep happy and a balance sheet redder than they perhaps would have liked.

And the academy award for best director goes to …

Juventus and Inter use deep-lying playmakers in the best tradition of the regista role. Miralem Pjanic has made headlines for scoring from outside the area in back-to-back games, but his evolution in front of the defence continues apace under Sarri.

Juventus’ new coach wants him to have 150 touches a game and his passing is more incisive than under Allegri, who wanted the Bosnian to get the ball out wide. Now Pjanic has more angles to play with and more teammates taking up narrow positions between the lines up ahead.

Conte, meanwhile, has benefited from the work predecessor Luciano Spalletti did in the past 18 months in converting Marcelo Brozovic to a similar role. The 26-year-old has matured and is more careful on the ball, but the safety net of three centre-backs behind the Croatian has also encouraged him to be more daring. Sensi’s arrival means Brozovic has someone as good in possession to take some of the attention away from him, not to mention a reference point to play to between the lines.

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Rambo and Sensi-bility

Aaron Ramsey missed a lot of preseason recovering from the injury he suffered in Arsenal’s Europa League quarterfinal against Napoli in April. Sarri’s tendency to pick an XI and stick with it didn’t bode well for a new signing who wasn’t fit for the start of the campaign. But Ramsey has not only scored a debut goal and carved out a place for himself in the team, he has persuaded Sarri to experiment with him as a No. 10 in a 4-3-1-2, the implementation of which has coincided with Juventus playing better football, scoring more goals and conceding fewer.

His impact has not been as great as Sensi’s for Inter, though, with the 24-year-old emerging as a star of the best midfield the club has had since the Treble in 2010.

Rom vs. Ron

Weirdly, they could have been playing together against Inter on Sunday. Lukaku scored on his debut and has three goals in six games, including a fine header in the Milan derby, without playing particularly well. A limited preseason, a bad back and now an issue with his quad have held back the overall performances of the Belgian striker. Inter need him to recover in time given Alexis Sanchez is suspended.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, has found the net nine times in nine games for club and country this season. He has scored in every Juventus home game and set up gilt-edged chances for Ramsey and Sami Khedira that weren’t taken against SPAL. It helps that Gonzalo Higuain and Dybala, the assist man for his past two goals, are creating chances for him.

Still Ronaldo has cut a frustrated figure at times, as was the case in Florence and before his goal last weekend. When Juventus’ passing game hasn’t functioned, he’s looked isolated. When it has worked, he hasn’t always been a participant; the team can get caught in the moment of some of Sarri’s mesmeric passing patterns going wherever the game takes them, which isn’t always to him.

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