#signs of house foundation problems

[repairfoundation]

Concrete Caisson Foundations: A Comprehensive Guide by Foundation Solutions

When it comes to constructing sturdy and reliable structures, the foundation plays a pivotal role in ensuring long-term stability and safety. One of the most effective methods for supporting heavy loads and navigating challenging soil conditions is the use of concrete caissons. At Foundation Solutions, we specialize in providing top-quality concrete caisson foundation services, tailored to meet the specific needs of each project. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the basics of concrete caissons, their applications, benefits, and why Foundation Solutions is your go-to provider for exceptional foundation services.

What Are Concrete Caissons?

Concrete caissons, also known as drilled shafts, are deep foundation elements constructed by drilling a cylindrical hole into the ground and filling it with reinforced concrete. These structures are designed to transfer heavy loads from a building or structure to deeper, more stable soil or rock layers. Concrete caissons are commonly used in various construction projects, including bridges, high-rise buildings, towers, and other heavy structures.

The Construction Process of Concrete Caissons

The construction of concrete caissons involves several key steps:

Site Assessment and Planning: Before construction begins, a thorough site assessment is conducted to evaluate soil conditions, load requirements, and any potential challenges. This information is crucial for determining the size, depth, and number of caissons needed.

Drilling the Shaft: A specialized drilling rig is used to create a cylindrical hole in the ground. The diameter and depth of the shaft depend on the load-bearing requirements and soil conditions.

Installing Reinforcement: Once the shaft is drilled, a steel reinforcement cage is lowered into the hole. This cage provides additional strength and stability to the caisson.

Pouring Concrete: Concrete is poured into the shaft, encasing the reinforcement cage. The concrete is typically poured continuously to prevent the formation of cold joints, ensuring a uniform and strong foundation element.

Curing and Inspection: After pouring, the concrete is allowed to cure and harden. The caisson is then inspected for any defects or irregularities.

Load Testing: In some cases, load testing may be performed to verify the caisson’s load-bearing capacity and ensure it meets design specifications.

Applications of Concrete Caissons

Concrete caissons are versatile foundation elements suitable for a wide range of applications, including:

Bridges: Caissons provide the necessary support for bridge piers, transferring loads to deeper, more stable soil layers.

High-Rise Buildings: For skyscrapers and other tall structures, caissons offer a reliable foundation solution capable of handling heavy vertical and lateral loads.

Towers and Masts: Communication towers, transmission masts, and similar structures benefit from the stability and strength of concrete caisson foundations.

Marine Structures: In coastal and offshore construction, caissons are used to support docks, piers, and other marine structures.

Retaining Walls: Caissons can be used in the construction of retaining walls, providing stability and preventing soil erosion.

Benefits of Concrete Caisson Foundations

Concrete caisson foundations offer numerous benefits, making them an ideal choice for various construction projects:

High Load-Bearing Capacity: Caissons can support extremely heavy loads, making them suitable for large and complex structures.

Versatility: They can be used in a wide range of soil conditions, including soft soils, loose sands, and even underwater environments.

Reduced Settlement: By transferring loads to deeper, more stable soil layers, caissons minimize settlement and ensure the long-term stability of the structure.

Resistance to Lateral Forces: Caissons provide excellent resistance to lateral forces, such as wind and seismic activity, enhancing the overall safety of the structure.

Durability: When constructed with high-quality materials and proper techniques, concrete caissons are highly durable and require minimal maintenance.

Cost-Effectiveness: Despite the initial investment, caissons can be cost-effective in the long run due to their durability and minimal maintenance requirements.

Why Choose Foundation Solutions for Concrete Caisson Services?

At Foundation Solutions, we pride ourselves on delivering top-notch foundation services, including concrete caisson construction. Here’s why we stand out from the competition:

Experienced Team: Our team of professionals has extensive experience in designing and constructing concrete caisson foundations for a wide range of projects.

Advanced Technology: We use the latest equipment and techniques to ensure precision and efficiency in every project.

Customized Solutions: We understand that every project is unique, which is why we offer customized foundation solutions tailored to meet your specific needs.

Quality Materials: We use only the highest quality materials, ensuring the durability and longevity of our foundation solutions.

Customer Satisfaction: Our commitment to customer satisfaction is unmatched. We work closely with our clients to ensure their needs are met and expectations exceeded.

Case Study: Successful Concrete Caisson Project

One of our recent projects involved the construction of a high-rise office building in an area with challenging soil conditions. Our team conducted a thorough site assessment and determined that concrete caissons were the best solution for supporting the structure’s significant load requirements. We successfully drilled and installed multiple caissons, providing a stable and reliable foundation for the building. The project was completed on time and within budget, with the client highly satisfied with the results.

Contact Foundation Solutions Today

If you’re planning a construction project that requires a reliable and durable foundation, contact Foundation Solutions today. Our team of experts is ready to provide you with top-quality concrete caisson services tailored to your project’s needs. With our experience, advanced technology, and commitment to excellence, we guarantee a foundation that will stand the test of time.

At Foundation Solutions, we are dedicated to providing superior foundation solutions for all your construction needs. Trust us to deliver the expertise and quality you deserve, ensuring the stability and safety of your structures for years to come.

Tagged Foundation Repair, Foundation Repair Santa Clara, Foundation Solutions

[sxorpiomooon]

What the houses stand for in astrology

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1st house

- yourself, how you look, how you are perceived, the kind of people you attract the most, your facial features, how you carry yourself, what qualities of yours attract people, views on life.

This is the only house in astrology that is YOU all the other signs and houses represent something in particular but this represents entirely YOU

2nd house

- where your finances will come from, how your finances will come, your good preferences, your tongue, your mouth, your lips, your voice, how you speak and what you speak, what people think of your speech

3rd house

- your siblings, your connection with your siblings, what you think about them, what your neighbours think about you, what your neighbours are like, your communication (writing skills in particular), social life, early education

4th house

- your house, your family, how your house is like, what your house is like, what your family is like, your connection and bond with them, roots, foundation, also women at times

5th house

- your expression, how and why you express yourself, your way of expressing, how your thoughts work, your opinion on arts and creativity, your art, your children, how you are with kids, what kids you will have, romance, love, relationship, self expression, curiosity, memory, studies early education etc

6th house

- health, daily life, enemies, where your health problems come from, what kind of health problems, how you are like in your daily life, what kind of enemies do you have, how do they cause you harm, pets, system, the area that you work in, your surroundings

7th house

- business, partnerships, anything formal even communication, presentation, marriage, open enemies, sharing, what kind of partner you will have, where they might be from

8th house

- anything and everything hidden, stalking, cult, your deepest desires, you deepest secrets, your trauma, sex, shared finances, intimacy, property, contracts, religion.

9th house

- education, what you might like to pursue, if you'll go out for education, short term travel, your intelligence and knowledge, higher education, your wisdom, philosophy, learning.

10th house

- career, reputation, men, family men, authority figure, long term goals and desires, work ethic, structure.

11th house

- friends, internet, things you'll indulge in, society, groups, technology, gains and losses, hope, timing.

12th house

-your subconscious mind, your psyche, your dreams, your deepest dreams, long term travel or settlement, what your birth was like, spirituality, healing, afterlife, limiting beliefs.

Check out my paid readings!!

[maitanii]

IT WASN'T LOVE. He wasn't in love. Ran Haitani, definitely, wasn't in love.

However, as his finger scrolled through the phone screen each night, attempting to delete some blurry photos where only the outline of a smile was discernible, laziness conveniently took hold, allowing those files to continue occupying space on the phone.

On closer inspection, you're not that pretty. He wouldn't even say you're pretty, just an ordinary girl. Those five freckles scattered across your cheeks aren't that beautiful, even though they reminded him of the constellations Rindou always points out when they travel to the countryside. The poorly painted nails, slightly bitten at the corners, are just another sign that you're a mess, although he always brings a nail file for you to use. And the small chip in your front teeth? Nothing out of the ordinary, but he was with you when the fall happened (and watched you cry yourself to sleep while holding you on the couch).

"Are you listening to me?"

"Loud and clear."

"Right." Returning to spear the fork into the salad, you made sure not to pick any tomatoes. Those were left for Ran. "When is the fight?"

"Tomorrow." Reaching for his cutlery, he began to stab at his food. "Are you worried?" he commented before starting to chew.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth, pig." Placing your face in your hands, you turned your head to look out the window.

"Okay."

The red lights from the opposite building reflected on your forehead. In just a minute, Ran had noticed you had gotten new highlights in your hair. He also spotted the small pimple that had popped up near your chin and the poorly applied concealer on it. The tension in your shoulders. And that you didn't want to look him in the eyes.

"What time is the fight tomorrow?" you asked as Ran's slender fingers played with the engraving on the fork.

Ask me not to go.

"At seven. But South always asks us to arrive earlier. Should we order dessert?"

Ask me not to go.

"Okay."

Come on, ask me not to go.

Taking his gaze away from some point on your face, he lowered his head. The ambient music in the restaurant slipped into the silence of the conversation. How could he fall in love with someone who worried about him getting hurt in a fight? Trust was the foundation of any relationship, right? Damn it.

The Mont Blanc and the cheesecake didn't last long on the table. In a fork battle, the desserts soon disappeared. Rindou had always suffered the consequences of stealing bites from his food, so why had he fought with you to accept eating the last piece of Mont Blanc?

"I have exams soon, and I'd like to get up early. Can you take me home?"

"Sure." Smiling, Ran thanked the waiter who cleared their plates (the first time he didn't thank him, you reproached him for it). "But you have to let me pay."

"No."

"Then I guess you'll have to walk home alone."

"No problem."

He sighed. Fighting was pointless. In all the years since your friendship began, you had never let him pay an entire bill. Not even when your ex-boyfriend left you and gave you several jars of ice cream could you avoid leaving some coins on a piece of furniture at his house. Or when he gave you that bouquet of flowers on Valentine's Day, and you left two boxes of chocolates on the backseat of the car.

The way back home was quiet. To no one's surprise, you chose the music, and he chose the topic of conversation. The guys from your economics class. The new mascara that didn't leave many clumps. The scholarship you had applied for months ago. He was so engrossed that he got distracted and ended up driving through several streets, prolonging the journey. Well, what a silly mistake.

"Thanks for bringing me home. And thanks for today." Raising your thumbs, you drew a slight smile on your face. "I needed to get out for a while."

"I know, you took too long to respond to my messages."

"I always do that."

"Not to an invitation to have dinner at your favorite restaurant."

"You know me so well." Pinching his cheeks between your fingers, you watched as he squinted his eyes.

Closing the car door, Ran watched as you began to search for the keys to the gate in your bag. Taking out his phone, he checked the messages he had received during dinner. Two taps on the door prevented him from replying to the meme Rindou had sent him. Your perfume once again invaded the interior of the car.

"Ran." The concern in your voice made him immediately turn his head. "I know it's a lot to ask, but please try not to go to the fight tomorrow. You can come up with any excuse and come to my house. But please, don't go."

A smile began to slowly form on his face.

He wasn't in love. But when he got home and wrote a message to South saying he had a fever, he had done it with immense joy in his heart. And when he went to bed and looked at the photos he never deleted from his gallery, he would write again in his notes the places he wanted to take you. But he wasn't in love because what he felt was beyond any of that."

[lunarlianna]

Planets in the 7th house

The 7th House: This is Your Reflective Space. Discover expectations, presentation, and connection dynamics. Seeking mirrored traits, fueled by the descendant sign. From partnerships to conflicts, it unveils relating style and self-discovery through others. A dance between the 1st House of Self and Venus-ruled Libra's cosmic scales.

The Sun: in the 7th House seeks a partner for pride and social status. Authenticity flourishes with a supportive, equal relationship. Family ties matter. Partnerships play a key role, seeking mentor-like figures. Well-aspected Sun attracts confidence; poorly aspected, it might lead to ego clashes. Balancing pride and compromise are essential for harmonious relationships that shape your identity.

The Moon: in the 7th House attracts nurturing partners, seeking security and emotional resonance. Relationships hold emotional sway, with a need for companionship. Watch for dependency and moodiness. Work is tied to partnerships and public image, emphasizing security. Empathy shapes relationships, contributing to fulfilment.

Mercury: you embrace a rational, detached relationship style. Prioritizing problem-solving and open communication is key, sidestepping emotional complexities. Intellectual exchanges and diverse conversations drive your connections, often drawing partners with similar qualities

Venus: this placement brings charm and sociability, making you irresistible to others. Harmonious partnerships are your forte, but remember to nurture your relationship with yourself too. You seek a stylish, financially stable partner, aiming for a life of luxury and beauty. Stay grounded to avoid chasing perfection, and prioritize balance in love. Look for a cooperative partner who uplifts you. However, be cautious if Venus is poorly aspected, as their morals might raise concerns.

Mars: here this placement sparks independence and a desire for a spirited partner. Healthy competition and challenge fuel your relationships, but channel that energy positively. Strive for cooperation and diplomacy to avoid conflicts. Partner's ardour and courage attract, but watch for hasty tempers or clashes. Balancing assertiveness with gentleness enhances

Jupiter: you can benefit from partnerships, with a partner who fosters growth, expands your beliefs, and enhances moral values. Financial gains through marriage are possible, but watch for extravagance. Shared ideals of fairness and social justice can strengthen relationships. While you may cherish autonomy, you should be cautious to avoid losing meaningful connections due to excessive detachment

Saturn: you are drawn to serious, older partners, that have a sense of duty and know endurance. Cooperation, responsibility, and desire are the purpose of your relationships. Saturn guidance in relationships calls for care. Choose with confidence, prioritize security. In a positive state this placement can give you: integrity, reliability but in negative state it can make you settle for less. Be true to your love journey, not societal norms.

Uranus: this placement leads to unique, unconventional partnerships, valuing freedom and excitement. Avoid control; space and growth are vital for you. Drawn to unconventional, artistic, and thought-provoking companions. Relationship triumph hinges on open-mindedness, teamwork, and embracing evolution. Embracing independence and pursuing self-discovery fuel your connections.

Neptune: seek a partner who shares your spiritual or artistic inclinations, yet be cautious of unrealistic expectations and a saviour complex. Peel back the layers to understand your partner's true nature and address realities over fantasies. Prioritize compassion over idealism, and be mindful of partnerships born from admiration or pity, watching out for superficial facades and manipulation. Cultivate self-awareness for the foundation of meaningful connections.

Pluto: you will seek partners are because of their strength, leading to potential conflict. You seek a challenging partner for growth and admire strong willpower, sometimes attracting dominating personalities. You'll experience intense emotions and hold strong commitment standards, but watch for imbalances that could lead to challenges. Rise above reliance, tune into your inner guidance.

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[saturnianoracle]

How to learn real astrology: what it is and is not

As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul.

It is VITAL that if you want to understand astrology properly, you come in with an open mind and forget everything you think you know. Especially, remove yoruself from the belief that astrology is some occultic mystical spiritual practice, and/or that it is solely some psychological tool.

I used to be quite the hater of astrology. None of it 'resonated', and it seemed like wishy washy hippie shit. In lockdown, astrology stuff kept coming onto my feed, and some of it made sense, but most still did not. I then initially wanted to debunk astrology. But when I properly stated looking into it, the deeper I went the more accurate it started to become. Equally, parts still remained highly inaccurate. But this was due to a mismatch of how 'influencers' out there synthesised and understood the traditional foundations of astrology and modern information. Thus, I committed myself to truly understanding astrology, and my life has significantly improved for it and I've only just started.

As an introductory post to what astrology really is, I have formatted it into the following sections: i. the problem with pop culture astrology, ii, the history of astrology, iii. how astrology works, and iv. where meaning in astrology comes from.

The problem with pop culture astrology

This is the type of astrology we see in newspaper horoscopes, online articles, tiktok viral posts, instagram horoscopes, etc.

This is borne out of the allure astrology holds for desperate individuals seeking an easy and quick answer to their life problems, and using it as a form of confirmation bias for hating their ex (for example). But this misuse of astrology will undoubtedly hit for most people, due to the barnum effect, but is ultimately inaccurate and those who think it true have now misleadingly correlated the pop culture reasons for why X happened to what astrology is.

The new moon in your 7th house is not a sign that your crush will leave his partner for you. Being a gemini sun does not mean you are a two faced, loyal-less individual. Having your sun sign the same as their venus sign does not mean you two are compatible. And so on and so forth.

Here are some key things to understand about astrology:

✎ Stop using co-star, and those websites which give you your astrology information like this:

-> This does not tell you anything remotely significant aside from standard archetypal and superifical meanings of having a sun in Sagittarius or whatever (which you might not even 'relate' to, because of a multitude of other factors this does not show). Your chart instead, should, at the very least look like this:

-> Even better, make a chart and add in decans, asteroids, and considers more aspects. Viewing your birth chart like this is essential for gaining a better understanding. Aspects are what brings everything in your chart together to give it more significant and individualised meaning, the houses and the angles are also explicitly identifiable this way. Also, always make sure your chart is in whole sign houses, I will make a post on this later on why, but you will have to go to settings for this as popculture astrology has made placidus the default (as well as other inaccurate takes).

✎ Sun sign is astrology is fake, no matter how much you think it resonates with you it is the wrong footing to base your understanding of astrology off of. Astrology is extremely complex, one thing might resonate for one person and not for another, because of house placements, condition of the planet, aspects to the planet, etc. Consequently, all basic and simplified delineations of a chart are unhelpful and will put you on the wrong footing for future proper readings you might wish to do. This is how astrology can be so inaccurate.

✎ Astrology is not about resonating. Although, this is a part of how we can test astrology, it is linked far too much with resonating with personality. Your birth chart is not a map of who you are specifically, we evolve all the time (as the universe, so the soul), it is a map of your entire life. It is a map of the sky and its energies the minute you were born. Some things you think you do not resonate with is because those energies have not yet played out in your life.

✎ Astrology is not a psychological tool, although it can give us insight into psychology when used and understood properly. Again, it is the blueprint of our life.

✎ Astrology is not spiritual. It is not a belief system, either. Although, one can use astrology to advance their spiritual practices.

✎ Free will exists. I will likely go into this in another post but the energies of our bith chart, solar return chart, profection year, progressed charts, transits etc, are merely indications of how things are likely to unfold. The energies are malleable within their themes' ambit, and it is up to us to decide how we choose to interpret what is/will happen and what to do with that information. A transit might indicate difficulty in a law suit, ok, how can I mitigate that then? What other charts, energies, and transits can I use? If I did not know of this then I would not know how to alter my behaviour to yield a better results, even if it might not mean a completely opposite result.

✎ Your natal chart will not show you everything. There are relocated charts, progressed charts, solar return charts, profection years, etc. All this goes into a holistic assessment. Your natal chart, however, will always remain the anchor of it all.

A brief history

Astrology is not some woo-woo, spiritual, new age, belief system. Astrology's history and use goes back to the Babylonians. It used to be intertwined with astronomy; Galielo and Kepler, for example, were simultaneously astrologers and practised it widely (even as court astrologers). People in positions of power have always consulted astrologers to time events, in the modern era many Royal families, celebrities, and politicans still consult astrologers. Carl Jung, JP Morgan, Nancy Reagan, and Roosevelt are examples of this. Of course, it might be argued that just because famous people have used/use astrology does not give it any more credit to which I say: ok please read my post below pls and ty xo.

Astrology's history has been relatively tumultuous, however. I have condensed this timeline from an article I found below:

- Astrology was a widely accepted practice but, in Europe, after the fall of the Roman empire and much of Europe, it fell into decline along with other disicplines. - The middle ages saw a renaissance of intellectualism with a particular focus on science and thus the astronomy part of it. This was largely due to the Church who viewed astrology as divination and going against free will. - However, in other parts of the world astrology was still a crucial element of daily life, and those in power would use astrologers to time events. - Astrology did re-enter the curriculum, though, in the 14th century, with a focus on being used for medical astrology in part due to the recently available Hippocratic Corpus. These texts were crucial to advancing our understanding of medicine, but Hippocrates emphasised that "a physician without knowledge of astrology has no right to call himself a physician". Astrologer still had a healthy dose of criticism back then, though. - Astrology was a major field of study in universities in Europe, well ingrained in daily life. - It died out in the 17th century, mostly due to the increasing emphasis on science being increasingly and misleadingly viewed as separate from astrology, the church, and astrologers falling into disrepute due to political involvement. - Its resurgence in the 19th century saw an oversimplified, and largely 'spiritualised' version of astrologer. This is because this period also saw an increased interest in the occult and mystic. - Since becoming conflated, astrology has become even further diluted, but this is not to say that every new discovery has been wrong; modern interpretation is crucial to informing the bigger picture of astrology and how we can utilise it. But it is vital to be critical and separate it from pop culture nonsense, aimed at lost and desperate people looking for quick answers and confirmation bias, and have some media literacy.

So, how does astrology work?

: ̗̀➛ Astrology has NOTHING to do with the physical constellations. Astrology is based on the signs on the ecliptic (the path of the sun amongst the constellations, which is the plane of the earth's orbit).

: ̗̀➛ The equator has 15 constellations, and the ecliptic has 13. So why do we have 12 zodiac signs? This is because babylonians divided the ecliptic into 12 equal segments of 30 degrees each thousands of years ago. The ecliptic was divided into SIGNS. 12 constellations were just used to identify where in the sky each sign would be, at the time for ease of astronomical mapping/calculation - it is merely symbolic. This is why Opphiuchus is not the 13th Zodiac SIGN, although it is a constellation (and has always been known).

: ̗̀➛ Another reason why they are not based off the physical constellations is because the actual size of the constellations vary massively in size. Below is a representation of this:

: ̗̀➛ As you can see, Virgo, for instance is huge, and on a literal view overlaps into the next segment because the constellations do not all equally fit a 30 degree division. Yet, we do not give scorpio like 5 days for its season, because the physical constellation does not dictate anything meaningful.

This gives us the tropical zodiac, which is to do with the earth's seasons:

: ̗̀➛ The solstices are therefore reference points for Capricorn and Cancer (tropic of capricorn and tropic of cancer), not the constellations themselves. Accordingly, the spring equinox is marked by Aries (with the sun entering the segment of Aries at 0 degrees until 29), and the autumn equinox by Libra.

: ̗̀➛ The precession of the equinoxes, are therefore irrelevant to astrology (and this is why vedic/sidereal is, in my opinion inaccurate). The slow change of the direction of the earth's axial tilt, over around 26000 years, cause a precession of the equinoxes. This means, the segment of the sky that used to be identified by the Aries constellation from the earth's position at the time, is now looking at Pisces. But as we know, astrology has nothing to do with the physical location of the constellations. Vedic astrologers use sidereal positioning, aka taking into account the precession of the equinoxes, yet they still divide the ecliptic in the same way. This causes problems, leading to many branches in vedic because few agree on where aries actually even starts. But, I will write an extension of this segment in a future post on tropical vs vedic/sidereal astrology.

Where does astrological meaning come from?

As explained above, constellations do not give us meaning, the planets in the signs do (of which the signs' names just derive from where the constellations were at the time, i.e. are merely symbolic).

Astrology operates in a heliocentric context, in that its setting is derived from the solstices (as the sun is what gives us life) and the ecliptic etc, but is geocentric in function in that the meaning comes from how the celestial bodies going through the signs affect us on earth; it is all about OUR relation to the planets, not constellations.

Returning to the quote above (as above so below...), what happens up up there reflects its energies down on us below. For thousands of millenia, astrologers have developed an accurate pattern recognition framework which aligns with the maths and astronomy. This was done using the ephemeris, which tracked the trajectory of celestial bodies against the context of worldly (mundane), or natal events. Eventually, this knowledge could be used for predictions, (to understand transits, or for electional and horary astrology), by utilising the knowledge of how the trajectories of the planets and their interactions with eachother in what sign and house affected what.

Why does it affect us? Well, all the things that happen above us radiate energies. But when I talk about energies, I do not mean it in some spiritual sense, it is quite literal. Everything has frequencies. As mentioned above, astrologers, since the Bablyonian times, have studied these patterns and created an objective framework to align with it. Physical energies or not there is direct causation. The moon for instance, affects the tides on the planet because of its gravitational pull. We are 70% water, there is little reason to deny that the moon cannot affect us either (it does). Perhaps you might understand your broken leg as because of being hit by a car. But astrology can assess the chart of the event, and transits to your own chart to provide further explanation of why you got hit by a car in the first place, and why it caused a broken leg etc. Subsequently, the energies of what happens above relate to the themes found in planets, signs, houses, aspects, asteroids etc - but these energies are not set in stone as explained above.

Ultimately, it is disappointingly small-minded to think that there is nothing 'greater' than the physical reality we tether ourselves to. We are in fact part of something bigger; and again I do not mean this in some culty spiritual hippy sense. It is literally a fact, the world and cosmos at large is so vast, mysterious, and beautiful, how could anyone deny the interconnected web we are all collectively a part of. We might never fully understand the mechanisms of the universe, but what we can do is use the information we do have to make use of it and help inform us on how to live better lives. The fact there is something 'greater' inherent in our lives, connecting everything, which is objectively difficult to truly grasp, is not a reason to reject it. A lot of people who are averse to astrology (which used to be me) are those who pride themselves on rationality and objectivity, yet are restricting themselves to a very particular interpretation of what rationality and objectivity means.

With all this said, I hope it has helped someone understand and appreciate astrology better. There is such a fascinating rich and deep history to it, spanning various cultures and eras, making it difficult to at least not enjoy learning about even if one still chooses to not practise it. I would like to reiterate, however, that to truly embrace astrology and its millenia of knowledge, evidence, and practice behind it, one must divorce its concept from pop culture astrology.

[stellarsagittarius]

💓 Juno Persona Chart: Your guide to your Soulmate 💓

(Side note - I miss Stranger Things terribly 😭)

Also - Book a Juno Person Chart reading with me, see the pinned post 📌.

Masterlist: All my astrology posts at one place

[P.s. Please follow me on Instagram! @/Stellar.Sagittarius I post even more astrology content on it and it's a business I'm trying to grow. Your presence means a lot to me ❤️.]

_

What is Juno in Astrology?

Juno is the roman equivalent of the greek goddess Hera. Juno rules marriage, family life, fertility and commitment. This is a very feminine and nurturing energy that blesses an individual with their equal partner with whom the individual will create a stable home. As much as Juno rules over home and commitment, people see Juno as the marriage asteroid. The asteroid that shows you how you fill the gap of 'a domestic life with a partner'. Juno is basically the pattern in our long term committed relationships. Traditionally, people end up marrying and creating a domestic environment aka, a 'home' with their long term partners.

Therefore, Juno, rules over the partner that is most likely going to play this major role in your life, and your dynamic with them. Many people call this as, 'soulmate'. It also talks about your viewpoint on marriage and commitment as a secondary thing.

Note: Juno is about that one (or sometimes 2) long term lover of yours. It doesn't work on situationships or temporary relationships! So be careful.

Sun in Juno Persona Chart:

The Sun illuminates wherever it sits (the house or sign). The Sun will show you the identity of the marriage, and the foundation it is built upon. This relates to the values, beliefs, common goals and the trajectory of the relationship. This is the vibe/the essence of the relationship itself, "Explain this dynamic in one simple word?" What is the major theme between you and your partner. Suppose a person with their Juno Sun in Libra will be focused on creating harmony and balance within their relationship, while a person with their Sun in Aries will be focused on establishing an identity of their own within that relationship.

Moon in Juno Persona Chart:

The Moon shows the area of life where we feel at home and naturally comfortable. In a Juno Persona Chart the Moon shows the emotional bond you will have with your soulmate. It is the halfway meeting place where two people connect over on a deeper emotional level. Moon will show the bonding of two individuals and how they come together to relate with each other.

North Node and South Node in Juno Persona Chart:

The North Node shows the direction the relationship is supposed to go. It's like the north star of the relationship, guiding you towards your destiny. These are new things you will be learning about relationships and marriages. Whereas the South Node rules over your past, and also your past lives. These are the things you have mastered already. There is a hint of karma attached to your South Node if it makes a conjunction to any planets in your Juno PC.

Mercury in Juno Persona Chart:

Mercury shows the communication style you have with your soulmate, and how you both collaborate on solving problems/brainstorming plans/generating ideas, etc. A person with Mercury in Gemini in their Juno Persona Chart will be very talkative around their partner. They will be constantly bouncing ideas to each other, constantly focused on learning new things, etc. Whereas a person with their Mercury in Capricorn in their Juno PC will solve problems practically in the relationship and will focus on doing rather than talking.

Venus in Juno Persona Chart:

Venus shows what we are attracted to. It rules all things luxury, finances, romance, etc. In a Juno PC, Venus signifies the love language you have with your soulmate. It shows the aesthetics of your shared resources/materials, like a house. Venus is the softer and more pleasurable side of things, so it will show how you and your partner experience the joy of being together.

Mars in Juno Persona Chart:

If Venus is luxury and pleasure, Mars is how we pursue it. It's more than just sex. Mars rules over our passion and agression, our drive to achieve what we want, and how we generally react to challenging situations. Therefore in a Juno PC, it shows how you both deal with challenges/arguments/problems in the relationship, how you both work as a team to achieve/go after something, and your sex drive in the relationship.

Jupiter in Juno Persona Chart:

Jupiter rules over luck, expansion and growth. Wherever Jupiter is placed will show how you grow with your partner in the relationship. This growth refers to mental, emotional, and spiritual. Jupiter will show you the areas that hold the most abundance for your growth in the marriage/relationship. It shows how you and your partner grow together over the course of time.

Saturn in Juno Persona Chart:

If Jupiter expands, Saturn limits. Wherever Saturn is placed in your Juno PC will show the area of life that is restricted/limited in some or the other way in your relationship. It also shows how you and your soulmate deals with imposing limitations over certain things in your relationship, and what types of challenges you both will naturally encounter during the course of this relationship.

*NOTE - Neptune, Uranus and Pluto are very slow moving generational planets, therefore they are not necessary to look at separately in their zodiac signs. But you should check the house they fall in. Here's a quick overview of what each planet represents:

Neptune - Shows the spiritual/unconscious side of the relationship.

Uranus - Shows the erratic sudden changes you both bring into each other's lives.

Pluto - Shows what area of life hold the most power and chaos in your relationship.

A list of cool asteroids and what they mean in your Juno Persona Chart:

Kiss (8267) - This will tell you and your soulmate's kissing style.

Eros (433) - This shows physical attraction and sex specifically, in your relationship.

Fama (408) - This shows your reputation and fame that you both gain together.

House (4950) - This quite literally shows how your house is gonna be like, when you both live together.

Abundantia (151) - This shows what aspect in your chart attracts the most abundance.

Hera (103) - This is greek version of Juno, but it focuses more on the domestic life, fertility and home environment.

Union (1585) - This quite literally shows how you will meet your soulmate. Check the house and sign, this never disappoints.

The houses in astrology defines the 12 major areas of life.

In your Juno Persona Chart, the 12 houses show those areas in correlation to your relationship with your soulmate.

1st House:

This house is how you perceive the relationship you have with your soulmate, what is the image this has in your mind. It's is more than just your perception or idea about the relationship, because it also focuses on your beliefs, and what you desire as a outcome of this connection. This is the established identity of the relationship and also how you direct the "I" in your relationship.

2nd House:

This is a more materialistic house because it focuses on the "what" the relationship has. Your resources, finances, assests, these fall under this house and it shows your idea of creating a stable foundation physically in the relationship. This shows how you deal with the things you own together, like a house or, a child, quite literally. This house is the indicator of wealth and resource management in the relationship.

3rd House:

This house focuses on the sharing of thoughts, ideas and analysis of in depth topics. This shows the communication in the relationship. It's the communication style you have with your soulmate, how you both choose to express your needs and want. The planets in this house will tell if communication is healthy or not, it expression of thoughts come easily to both people or not.

4th House:

This house's primary focus is on the private life of the individuals within the relationship. It shows how both of your open up with each other and relate on a super vulnerable manner. This creates the energy of "us time" where you and your soulmate is away from the eyes of the world, in your own little bubble. Who you both are when nobody is looking, the in depths of the relationship. And it also relates to the family life and your home environment.

5th House:

This house is the house of joy, pleasure, fun, creativity, children, and the things we do for it's pure enjoyment and the pure experience. In a Juno PC, this house shows how you spend fun time with your soulmate, whether it's going on dates, having sex or spending quality time together. It also shows what kind of parents you both are to your children in the marriage. Often time it can come off as a lack of seriousness.

6th House

Routines, lifestyle, work ethics, pets, the material realm is a part of this house. This house shows the physical environment of your marriage, that is, your lifestyle, how you both deal with practical issues, how do you both take care of the bills, who cleans, who cooks, etc. These are the mundane everyday things that are addressed through this house. Pets are also a part of this house.

7th House:

This is the house where you both come together as a team rather than two individuals. Through this house you learn the meaning of commitment. This house is the house where you act as a couple, a duo, a team. It also shows other people that a play a role in your marriage/relationship and how you both deal with those people altogether. This house is the house of partnerships and relationships, whether its your relationship with each other or with others as a couple.

8th House:

This house is all about what you share with someone, mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. This is the house we learn the hardest and the most life altering lessons in the relationship. A stellium (3+ planets) in this house indicates that this relationship will teach you a lot of lessons and most likely you will unpack a lot of karma and transform because of this.

9th House:

This is a pretty lighthearted house, but you will experience your perspective on life broadening. This house will show travel, higher education, a blending of two minds, spirituality and it also hold the energy of luck and expansion.

10th House:

This house is about career and public reputation. This is the energy of how the world see you and your soulmate as a couple, the reputation that you have at large. Planets in the house will show how well are you both know or if people's thoughts and opinions matter to you. You can also check if you and your soulmate are meant to build a business together or not.

11th House:

This house shows the dreams, hopes and visions you have with your soulmate. It talks about the communities you both are a part of. Social groups, networking, long terms plans, etc, is all under the 11th house. This house focuses on the more social aspect of your relationship.

12th House:

With the very mystical and karmic energy of the 12th house, you learn about your own inner world, endings, closer, isolation and karma. It's the most spiritually oriented house. In the Juno PC, this shows how the karma of this relationship, the more unconscious/subconscious patters, and major healing.

Book a Juno Person Chart reading with me, kindly check the pinned post! Stay tuned for more Astrology content ✈️✨️

[cupidastrology]

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐀𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐀𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞 1388 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 2𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 *:･ﾟ☆ through the 12 signs

This post is about understanding more about your synastry with asteroid aphrodite with your partner through the 2nd house.

Apply this to your birth chart if your lover has their natal Asteroid Aphrodite 1388 in your 2nd house.

Asteroid Aphrodite reading are currently open to book for a deeper analysis.

Please do not repost or copy.

Asteroid Aphrodite 1388, the asteroid that rules love and sex magick, the ability to seduce or attract lovers/admirers, your understanding of self love and sexual/romantic attractions.

The 2nd House, the house of feeling, the sound of your voice, gifts and giving, to provide and receive, emotional security and support, where you express your feelings, wants, needs, desires.

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Aries ♈︎ in the 2nd - the partner spoils you unexpectedly, both may have a strong connection for riskiness in the connection, and it is easy for the partner to seduce them as you can seduce them emotionally. the partner's voice is a direct key to seduction in the bedroom, and may bring up emotions involving recklessness. seducing each other is impulsive, sudden, and raunchy (in the greatest way).

Taurus ♉︎ in the 2nd - the sound of their voice can be a comfort or a source of indulgence for you, wanting to listen to your partner all the time just as they wish to hear your wants and desires, may love to make drinks or share a glass of wine together, money and assets are always in alignment with needs/wants. seduction is made through the pleasures that both of you enjoy individually.

Gemini ♊︎ in the 2nd - the way your partner expresses new found ideas, moments in discussions, debates, and relief in conversations where you must calm down brings pleasure to the connection. you may enjoy the way they express themselves, especially how they see the world and its many topics. the connection between both is seductive due to the length taken in communication, literature, and different forms of mental expression.

Cancer in the 2nd - the partner always desires you reassurance and comfort, forever focusing on your needs. you may be able to find pleasure in the way they care for you, leading into the bedroom, and even building a foundation that involves a family. they may desire you in ways where they wish to care for you, and want to connect with the way you care for yourself in daily life. to be the one to provide for any of your issues are commonly found here.

Leo ♌︎ in the 2nd - the partner finds pleasure and as if they are under a spell when they listen to the way you sing, express yourself in roleplay, and even focus on what brings you confidence. they want to up your ability to stand independently in life, and may feel turned on by the way you see yourself. fashion and looks come big here, and with your preferences, you bring out inner strong romantic emotions due to your style.

Virgo ♍︎ in the 2nd - you have the ability to heal and nurture your partner, but in this case your partner has the innate ability to find what brings you problems mentally. they may find strength, motivation, and a clear mind with the way you express your own thoughts and emotions on issues. you may do well in the world of psychology, or this can be reflected off them. knowledge is a turn on from the partner here.

Libra ♎︎ in the 2nd - the partner connects with you through finding balance in your relationship. you may be all they need in life, to find stability, harmony, understanding, and seduction. you are capable of attracting your partner in easily by the way you speak to them, but this is also effective in terms of finding emotional fulfillment and validation. you both find strength in caring for the issues that come in the way of your relationship.

Scorpio ♏︎ in the 2nd - the ability and skill your partner has to fulfill any desires or needs over being wanted in not only the bedroom but in all spaces you both accompany is also a turn on on their end. to fulfill not only your emotions but theirs through seeing that they help you feel safe makes the connection becoming consuming in a positive way. you feel consumed by their love and unity, feeling as if nothing can hurt you or touch you.

Sagittarius in the 2nd - the partner is able to take you out of your comfort zone and fulfill your fantasies in connecting with the spiritual and the unknown. you may have an affinity for the religious or the spiritual, and you are emotionally validated through the partner's ability to reel you into new subjects of discussion around this world. you feel that life is complete due to the knowledge and the experiences this person places on you, wanting to travel and see every corner of the world with them.

Capricorn ♑︎ in the 2nd - your partner brings you an offer for stability, which can be an indication for a connection that goes through many upheavals. you are to be the provider of both parties, and in this case of the partner being an influence, they may want to replace all the powerless events that have come into your life. it brings you to a point where if rose colored glasses are necessary for this connection due to feeling fulfilled by the desires the partner places on you. you may become the partner that is constantly taken care of, which is a desire that grows over time.

Aquarius ♒︎ in the 2nd - your partner brings in an aura where you feel you can tell them and express to them anything you wish. you are swayed and seduced by the images they bring into mind when it comes becomes romantic. their intellect may entice you to connect with them more. they may help you to manifest and bring out a new self that you have buried, focusing on a constant connection of changing perspectives while you are with them. discussions of events outside the box may be common in this connection.

Pisces ♓︎ in the 2nd - you are utterly drowning in the losses and love of your partner, their influence over you so strong that dreams can't explain the amount of love you may feel for them. forms of art are created for this connection to be so beautiful, and like a dream. you are connected to their desire for all things that are odd, different, and not human.

[foundationsolution]

Unmasking Mil: The Imperative Sub-Fractional Unit Of Measurement

Born out of the necessity of precision in various industries, units of measurement have established themselves as essential elements for numerous professions. Among these rudimentary parts of technical and scientific verges, lies the frequently used yet often misunderstood unit called ‘mil.’ Not to be mistaken with its phonetic twin ‘mile,’ this minuscule unit plays a major role in defining thinness and thickness in several fields. Fundamentally, one ‘mil’ equals 1/1000 (0.001) inch – a seemingly minute detail that everyone from industrial CNC machinists to electronics engineers can’t afford to overlook.

[racefortheironthrone]

OK, I'll bite - what's the deal with the United Farm Workers? What were their strengths and weaknesses compared to other labor unions?

It is not an easy thing to talk about the UFW, in part because it wasn't just a union. At the height of its influence in the 1960s and 1970s, it was also a civil rights movement that was directly inspired by the SCLC campaigns of Martin Luther King and owed its success as much to mass marches, hunger strikes, media attention, and the mass mobilization of the public in support of boycotts that stretched across the United States and as far as Europe as it did to traditional strikes and picket lines.

It was also a social movement that blended powerful strains of Catholic faith traditions with Chicano/Latino nationalism inspired by the black power movement, that reshaped the identity of millions away from asimilation into white society and towards a fierce identification with indigeneity, and challenged the racist social hierarchy of rural California.

It was also a political movement that transformed Latino voting behavior, established political coalitions with the Kennedys, Jerry Brown, and the state legislature, that pushed through legislation and ran statewide initiative campaigns, and that would eventually launch the careers of generations of Latino politicians who would rise to the very top of California politics.

However, it was also a movement that ultimately failed in its mission to remake the brutal lives of California farmworkers, which currently has only 7,000 members when it once had more than 80,000, and which today often merely trades on the memory of its celebrated founders Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez rather than doing any organizing work.

To explain the strengths and weaknesses of the UFW, we have to start with some organizational history, because the UFW was the result of the merger of several organizations each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

The Origins of the UFW:

To explain the strengths and weaknesses of the UFW, we have to start with some organizational history, because the UFW was the result of the merger of several organizations each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

In the 1950s, both Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez were community organizers working for a group called the Community Service Organization (an affiliate of Saul Alinsky's Industrial Areas Foundation) that sought to aid farmworkers living in poverty. Huerta and Chavez were trained in a novel strategy of grassroots, door-to-door organizing aimed not at getting workers to sign union cards, but to agree to host a house meeting where co-workers could gather privately to discuss their problems at work free from the surveillance of their bosses. This would prove to be very useful in organizing the fields, because unlike the traditional union model where organizers relied on the NRLB's rulings to directly access the factory floors, Central California farms were remote places where white farm owners and their white overseers would fire shotguns at brown "trespassers" (union-friendly workers, organizers, picketers).

In 1962, Chavez and Huerta quit CSO to found the National Farm Workers Association, which was really more of a worker center offering support services (chiefly, health care) to independent groups of largely Mexican farmworkers. In 1965, they received a request to provide support to workers dealing with a strike against grape growers in Delano, California.

In Delano, Chavez and Huerta met Larry Itliong of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC), which was a more traditional labor union of migrant Filipino farmworkers who had begun the strike over sub-minimum wages. Itliong wanted Chavez and Huerta to organize Mexican farmworkers who had been brought in as potential strikebreakers and get them to honor the picket line.

The result of their collaboration was the formation of the United Farm Workers as a union of the AFL-CIO. The UFW would very much be marked by a combination of (and sometimes conflict between) AWOC's traditional union tactics - strikes, pickets, card drives, employer-based campaigns, and collective bargaining for union contracts - and NFWA's social movement strategy of marches, boycotts, hunger strikes, media campaigns, mobilization of liberal politicians, and legislative campaigns.

1965 to 1970: the Rise of the UFW:

While the strike starts with 2,000 Filipino workers and 1,200 Mexican families targeting Delano area growers, it quickly expanded to target more growers and bring more workers to the picket lines, eventually culminating in 10,000 workers striking against the whole of the table grape growers of California across the length and breadth of California.

Throughout 1966, the UFW faced extensive violence from the growers, from shotguns used as "warning shots" to hand-to-hand violence, to driving cars into pickets, to turning pesticide-spraying machines onto picketers. Local police responded to the violence by effectively siding with the growers, and would arrest UFW picketers for the crime of calling the police.

Chavez strongly emphasized a non-violent response to the growers' tactics - to the point of engaging in a Gandhian hunger strike against his own strikers in 1968 to quell discussions about retaliatory violence - but also began to employ a series of civil rights tactics that sought to break what had effectively become a stalemate on the picket line by side-stepping the picket lines altogether and attacking the growers on new fronts.

First, he sought the assistance of outside groups and individuals who would be sympathetic to the plight of the farmworker and could help bring media attention to the strike - UAW President Walter Reuther and Senator Robert Kennedy both visited Delano to express their solidarity, with Kennedy in particular holding hearings that shined a light on the issue of violence and police violations of the civil rights of UFW picketers.

Second, Chavez hit on the tactic of using boycotts as a way of exerting economic pressure on particular growers and leveraging the solidarity of other unions and consumers - the boycotts began when Chavez enlisted Dolores Huerta to follow a shipment of grapes from Schenley Industries (the first grower to be boycotted) to the Port of Oakland. There, Huerta reached out to the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union and persuaded them to honor the boycott and refuse to handle non-union grapes. Schenley's grapes started to rot on the docks, cutting them off from the market, and between the effects of union solidarity and growing consumer participation in the UFW's boycotts, the growers started to come under real economic pressure as their revenue dropped despite a record harvest.

Throughout the rest of the Delano grape strike, Dolores Huerta would be the main organizer of the national and internal boycotts, travelling across the country (and eventually all the way to the UK) to mobilize unions and faith groups to form boycott committees and boycott houses in major cities that in turn could educate and mobilize ordinary consumers through a campaign of leafleting and picketing at grocery stores.

Third, the UFW organized the first of its marches, a 300-mile trek from Delano to the state capital of Sacramento aimed at drawing national attention to the grape strike and attempting to enlist the state government to pass labor legislation that would give farmworkers the right to organize. Carefully organized by Cesar Chavez to draw on Mexican faith traditions, the march would be labelled a "pilgrimage," and would be timed to begin during Lent and culminate during Easter. In addition to American flags and the UFW banner, the march would be led by "pilgrims" carrying a banner of Our Lady of Guadelupe.

While this strategy was ultimately effective in its goal of influencing the broader Latino community in California to see the UFW as not just a union but a vehicle for the broader aspirations of the whole Latino community for equality and social justice, what became known in Chicano circles as La Causa, the emphasis on Mexican symbolism and Chicano identity contributed to a growing tension with the Filipino half of the UFW, who felt that they were being sidelined in a strike they had started.

Nevertheless, by the time that the UFW's pilgrimage arrived at Sacramento, news broke that they had won their first breakthrough in the strike as Schenley Industries (which had been suffering through a four-month national boycott of its products) agreed to sign the first UFW union contract, delivering a much-needed victory.

As the strike dragged on, growers were not passively standing by - in addition to doubling down on the violence by hiring strikebreakers to assault pro-UFW farmworkers, growers turned to the Teamsters Union as a way of pre-empting the UFW, either by pre-emptively signing contracts with the Teamsters or effectively backing the Teamsters in union elections.

Part of the darker legacy of the Teamsters is that, going all the back to the 1930s, they have a nasty habit of raiding other unions, and especially during their mobbed-up days would work with the bosses to sign sweetheart deals that allowed the Teamsters to siphon dues money from workers (who had not consented to be represented by the Teamsters, remember) while providing nothing in the way of wage increases or improved working conditions, usually in exchange for bribes and/or protection money from the employers. Moreover, the Teamsters had no compunction about using violence to intimidate rank-and-file workers and rival unions in order to defend their "paper locals" or win a union election. This would become even more of an issue later on, but it started up as early as 1966.

Moreover, the growers attempted to adapt to the UFW's boycott tactics by sharing labels, such that a boycotted company would sell their products under the guise of being from a different, non-boycotted company. This forced the UFW to change its boycott tactics in turn, so that instead of targeting individual growers for boycott, they now asked unions and consumers alike to boycott all table grapes from the state of California.

By 1970, however, the growing strength of the national grape boycott forced no fewer than 26 Delano grape growers to the bargaining table to sign the UFW's contracts. Practically overnight, the UFW grew from a membership of 10,000 strikers (none of whom had contracts, remember) to nearly 70,000 union members covered by collective bargaining agreements.

1970 to 1978: The UFW Confronts Internal and External Crises

Up until now, I've been telling the kind of simple narrative of gradual but inevitable social progress that U.S history textbooks like, the Hollywood story of an oppressed minority that wins a David and Goliath struggle against a violent, racist oligarchy through the kind of non-violent methods that make white allies feel comfortable and uplifted. (It's not an accident that the bulk of the 2014 film Cesar Chavez starring Michael Peña covers the Delano Grape Strike.)

It's also the period in which the UFW's strengths as an organization that came out of the community organizing/civil rights movement were most on display. In the eight years that followed, however, the union would start to experience a series of crises that would demonstrate some of the weaknesses of that same institutional legacy. As Matt Garcia describes in From the Jaws of Victory, in the wake of his historic victory in 1970, Cesar Chavez began to inflict a series of self-inflicted injuries on the UFW that crippled the functioning of the union, divided leadership and rank-and-file alike, and ultimately distracted from the union's external crises at a time when the UFW could not afford to be distracted.

That's not to say that this period was one of unbroken decline - as we'll discuss, the UFW would win many victories in this period - but the union's forward momentum was halted and it would spend much of the 1970s trying to get back to where it was at the very start of the decade.

To begin with, we should discuss the internal contradictions of the UFW: one of the major features of the UFW's new contracts was that they replaced the shape-up with the hiring hall. This gave the union an enormous amount of power in terms of hiring, firing and management of employees, but the quid-pro-quo of this system is that it puts a significant administrative burden on the union. Not only do you have to have to set up policies that fairly decide who gets work and when, but you then have to even-handedly enforce those policies on a day-to-day basis in often fraught circumstances - and all of this is skilled white-collar labor.

This ran into a major bone of contention within the movement. When the locus of the grape strike had shifted from the fields to the urban boycotts, this had made a new constituency within the union - white college-educated hippies who could do statistical research, operate boycott houses, and handle media campaigns. These hippies had done yeoman's work for the union and wanted to keep on doing that work, but they also needed to earn enough money to pay the rent and look after their growing families, and in general shift from being temporary volunteers to being professional union staffers.

This ran head-long into a buzzsaw of racial and cultural tension. Similar to the conflicts over the role of white volunteers in CORE/SNCC during the Civil Rights Movement, there were a lot of UFW leaders and members who had come out of the grassroots efforts in the field who felt that the white college kids were making a play for control over the UFW. This was especially driven by Cesar Chavez' religiously-inflected ideas of Catholic sacrifice and self-denial, embodied politically as the idea that a salary of $5 a week (roughly $30 a week in today's money) was a sign of the purity of one's "missionary work." This worked itself out in a series of internicene purges whereby vital college-educated staff were fired for various crimes of ideological disunity.

This all would have been survivable if Chavez had shown any interest in actually making the union and its hiring halls work. However, almost from the moment of victory in 1970, Chavez showed almost no interest in running the union as a union - instead, he thought that the most important thing was relocating the UFW's headquarters to a commune in La Paz, or creating the Poor People's Union as a way to organize poor whites in the San Joaquin Valley, or leaving the union altogether to become a Catholic priest, or joining up with the Synanon cult to run criticism sessions in La Paz. In the mean-time, a lot of the UFW's victories were withering on the vine as workers in the fields got fed up with hiring halls that couldn't do their basic job of making sure they got sufficient work at the right wages.

Externally, all of this was happening during the second major round of labor conflicts out in the fields. As before, the UFW faced serious conflicts with the Teamsters, first in the so-called "Salad Bowl Strike" that lasted from 1970-1971 and was at the time the largest and most violent agricultural strike in U.S history - only then to be eclipsed in 1973 with the second grape strike. Just as with the Salinas strike, the grape growers in 1973 shifted to a strategy of signing sweetheart deals with the Teamsters - and using Teamster muscle to fight off the UFW's new grape strike and boycott. UFW pickets were shot at and killed in drive-byes by Teamster trucks, who then escalated into firebombing pickets and UFW buildings alike.

After a year of violence, reduced support from the rank-and-file, and declining resources, Chavez and the UFW felt that their backs were up against a wall - and had to adjust their tactics accordingly. With the election of Jerry Brown as governor in 1974, the UFW pivoted to a strategy of pressuring the state government to enact a California Agricultural Labor Relations Act that would give agricultural workers the right to organize, and with that all the labor protections normally enjoyed by industrial workers under the Federal National Labor Relations Act - at the cost of giving up the freedom to boycott and conduct secondary strikes which they had had as outsiders to the system.

This led to the semi-miraculous Modesto March, itself a repeat of the Delano-to-Sacramento march from the 1960s. Starting as just a couple hundred marchers in San Francisco, the March swelled to as many as 15,000-strong by the time that it reached its objective at Modesto. This caused a sudden sea-change in the grape strike, bringing the growers and the Teamsters back to the table, and getting Jerry Brown and the state legislature to back passage of California Agricultural Labor Relations Act.

This proved to be the high-water mark for the UFW, which swelled to a peak of 80,000 members. The problem was that the old problems within the UFW did not go away - victory in 1975 didn't stop Chavez and his Chicano constituency feuding with more distinctively Mexican groups within the movement over undocumented immigration, nor feuding with Filipino constituencies over a meeting with Ferdinand Marcos, and nor escalating these internal conflicts into a series of leadership purges.

Conclusion: Decline and Fall

At the same time, the new alliance with the Agricultural Labor Relations Board proved to be a difficult one for the UFW. While establishment of the agency proved to be a major boon for the UFW, which won most of the free elections under CALRA (all the while continuing to neglect the critical hiring hall issue), the state legislature badly underfunded ALRB, forcing the agency to temporarily shut down. The UFW responded by sponsoring Prop 14 in the 1976 elections to try to empower ALRB, and then got very badly beaten in that election cycle - and then, when Republican George Deukmejian was elected in 1983, the ALRB was largely defunded and unable to achieve its original elective goals.

In the wake of Deukmejian, the UFW went into terminal decline. Most of its best organizers had left or been purged in internal struggles, their contracts failed to succeed over the long run due to the hiring hall problem, and the union basically stopped organizing new members after 1986.

[adrl-pt]

Saving Activist Andrey Gnyot. VPN Protest. Charity Lecture by a Political Philosopher.

You are watching the news from the weekly rally at the Russian Embassy in Lisbon. Today is August 24, 2:30 PM.

Since the end of last week, Belarusian and Russian activists have been holding a protest demanding that Belarusian activist Andrey Gnyot not be extradited to dictator Lukashenko. On August 21, Andrey and his lawyers shared the details of his case on the European Radio channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-upcgkIwWSA

On August 25 at 2 PM, we will gather in front of the Serbian Embassy in Lisbon at Rua de Alcolena 11. https://www.facebook.com/events/1043644033328903/

If you cannot come, please take photos with posters and send them to us at info@adrl.pt.

Sign and share the petition that could help Andrey in the Serbian court. https://www.peticije.online/slobodazaandreja

Also, support the fundraising for his legal defense. https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-andrey-gnyot-save-his-life

We believe it is important to support Andrey because we understand the problems that dictator Lukashenko creates for Belarusians. Recently, with great difficulty, the rock band Bi-2 was saved from deportation to Russia. https://www.change.org/p/thailand-free-bi-2-rock-band

Currently, Russian citizen Vladislav Arinichev is under threat of deportation from Croatia. The reason is that Putin labeled him a "terrorist" and "extremist" for his anti-war statements. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU2JQ9NArqo

In April, Novaya Gazeta Evropa reported that Rosfinmonitoring is adding both people suspected of terrorist activities and, for example, employees of an Orenburg gay bar in a case about the alleged "extremist LGBT movement" to this list. This list already contains more than 14,000 people, including well-known journalists, politicians, and theater figures. https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2024/04/02/s-nachala-2024-goda-spisok-terroristov-i-ekstremistov-rosfinmonitoringa-popolnilsia-na-rekordnye-669-chelovek-17-iz-nikh-nesovershennoletnie-news

Back in 2018, Novaya Gazeta reported how law enforcement agencies find "extremism" in social media posts. https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2018/08/21/77560-etot-spisok-grazhdanskaya-smert

In the Freedom House Internet Freedom Rating, Russia ranks fifth from the bottom, while Belarus is seventh. https://freedomhouse.org/countries/freedom-net/scores?sort=asc&order=Total%20Score%20and%20Status

On August 23, the director of the "Internet Protection Society" Mikhail Klimarev reported disruptions in the work of Telegram, WhatsApp, and Viber. https://t.me/zatelecom/28739

On July 26, he shared two working methods for bypassing the blocks and slowdowns of YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbTGhCYFIsY

These are the Ceno Browser and VPN generator. https://censorship.no/ru/download.html https://t.me/vpngeneratorbot/?start=BrSh2607

The Telegram channel "Tech Talk" published a link on how to purchase Amnezia VPN while bypassing the blocking of their main site. https://t.me/ru_tech_talk/543

They also provided instructions on how to connect MTProxy, which helped with Telegram blocking in 2018. https://t.me/ru_tech_talk/544

While Russians are protesting by installing VPNs, Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov burned the files of Russian draft dodgers at the Sudzha military registration and enlistment office, calling them "smart people." One of the comments under this video reads: "One Ukrainian soldier helped these people more than their native Russia." https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qaeEidnquCE

On August 27 at 7 PM, we will hold a charity lecture on what a revolutionary situation is. The lecture will be given by political philosopher Ilya Budraitskis. We recommend registering using the phone number listed on the poster so that we can better understand how many viewers will attend. https://www.facebook.com/events/1021147643042506/

We are holding this event as part of our regular support for the Netherlands Orphans Feeding Foundation, which works to return stolen Ukrainian children. If you can't come, please make a donation from home. https://www.every.org/orphans-feeding-foundation/f/help-us-return-the-deported

Proofs and links are in the description. Subscribe and help!

[sabrinathp]

When I first started studying astrology, I was like sheesh there’s so many words to learn and to understand like detriment, aspects, sextile, houses, profections…. I was definitely overwhelmed a bit lol but of course i had to figure out a simpler way to understand and also a simpler way to help people understand.

The Aspects were my fave series to work on, heres what I came up with:

Opposition=Balance & Opportunity

-Balancing emotional & material needs

-Learning to listen

- Finding the ultimate equilibrium

Conjunction=Empowerment

-The concentration of energy

-Can teach us how to align our actions with our desires

Square=Challenge

-Solving problems

-A test in foundation

-Always a Saturnian feel lol

Trine=A Flow

-Grace & Ease

-A reminder to never get to comforter due to endless possibilities

-Hidden Gem

Sextile=High Compatibility

-Ease & Tension Free

-A special touch only you can give to the world

-Star-kissed/Magical snowflake/Signs having sex 🤭

Semi-Sextile=Allowing

-Think shoulder to shoulder, skin to skin

-Think a relationship where each person has something the other one wants & needs

-Similar to Sextile just with less sensual energy

I hope you guys find this helpful & useful 💜

[laundrypause]

Ummm ummm ummmm ummmm UMMMMMMM

This is giving country boy from a small town who doesn't have many close friends because he has trust issues believing they all would leave him anyway. Instead his best friends are the animals on the farm he works for, befriends all the chickens and names them famous rappers like Ice Coop, LL Cool Lay, Snoop Chick, Eggnenim, Clucky Minaj, Henny Elliot etc. (he thinks-no, he knows he's funny) But Mr Hunter here harbours a secret (not really, a lot of people know). At night, when all the farm animals are asleep and his chores are done, he goes to town and performs at a local bar. And then comes along a certain someone who works for a record label. Oscar's boss needs a new artist, someone fresh, someone deep and if he doesn't get someone new quickly, then he's gonna be fired. So he ventures out to the country but unfortunately his car breaks down or something like that when it's literally close to ten at night, it's dark and he's supposed to be meeting with a potential artist in another state at 11 am the next morning. Wait, oh is that a bar? In walking distance? Maybe he could ask if there were any mechanic shops nearby that could help with their problem. Upon entering, he heard what he could only describe as euphonious. It was like he died and was outside heaven's gate hearing an angel sing. He tries to turn to the stage to see who this supposed angel is and oh.

Ohhhhhhh. He even looks like an angel. The fluorescent lights on his blondish hair makes it look like a halo. Oscar stays awhile, asks the bartender if they could call someone to tow his car and just sits down to enjoy the vie- uh umm voice yea voice.

Bla bla bla, they get to talking, Logan starts to trust Oscar, bla bla bla, they both confess bla bla bla they're in love your honor. Then Oscar brings up the prospect of Logan signing for a record label and obviously Logan's hesitant but he can trust Oscar right? So he goes along with Oscar's plan, follows him back to the city to yk go and audition for a record label that Oscar's apparently familiar with.

Logan meets Oscar's boss and bam, his boss reveals Oscar to be working for the record label and says something along the lines of looks like you're not losing your job today! The speed at which Logan's face falls. So Oscar was just using him to not get fired? Did he genuinely believe that he was talented or just wanted to save his own ass? Was everything, everything between them all fake? Their relationship or whatever this thing between them, the foundation, all lies. Logan walks out, Oscar tries to explain himself to him but Logan doesn't want to hear it. This, this is exactly why he doesn't trust people, he'll only get hurt in the end. And the one time, the one time he puts his trust in someone, they manage to betray him. It's pretty funny, hilarious even but he can't find it in himself to laugh.

Do they make up in the end though? Of course they do. Oscar doesn't want to have to choose between Logan and his job so of course he quits it and chooses Logan. He gets some flowers and some fishing gear-sometimes on Logan's days off, he'd go to the seaside and fish on his own (he's in love guys, get with the story)-and appears in front of Logan's doorstep. Now, Logan is pretty strong. Maybe not as strong as Oscar but he's pretty strong, he works at a farm for God's sake but when he opens his front door to see Oscar drenched from the rain… (oh yea it's raining did I forget to mention?) Lord, he's not your strongest soldier. He begrudgingly (lies, he would've dragged Oscar into the house) let's Oscar in, makes him use the shower to warm up and lends him his clothes while he makes him a hot chocolate. Even puts a bit of whipped cream (cuz he whipped wbk). It's kinda funny seeing Oscar in his clothes. Oscar's the same height as him but he's more buff, has broader shoulders. Logan let's Oscar explain bla bla bla, happy ending.

An alternative to Oscar appearing at Logan's house is Oscar knocking multiple times but getting no answer. Zilch. Obviously he thinks Logan is still mad at him and goes to run back into the dry, warm comfort of his car. Before he could do that though, he hears a car pull up and out comes Logan (with an umbrella. He actually cares about not getting sick from the rain). Huh, he probably should've noticed the lack of Logan's car in the driveway but he was too preoccupied with trying to find the right words to say. It was all for nothing though because seeing Logan again must have tripped the ‘be embarrassing’ button in him.

Out of all the things he could say, out of the bajillion words in the English language, he said hi.

HI??? HIII??? Hi-5 your face man. Wtf. Logan awkwardly replies, goes over to unlock his door and invites Oscar in. What happens next is the same as the previous.

Mr Sargeant tryna play coy, tucking that piece of hay behind his ear...

[nanamikentoseyebags]

i'm nightcrawling to you

how come that every night he finds himself at your doorstep? why do all the ways lead him to you? how is it that in the pounding heart of this bustling metropolis, you are the only person he can come to?

pairing: satoru gojo x gn!reader

content: extremely satoru-centric, hurt/comfort, just satoru turning up at your door every night in an attempt to feel something again

a/n: i love him so much i need to get inside his head and sweep all the bad thoughts out :(

At night Tokyo is mired in the noise of cars, loud voices of people who fill its streets at this late hour and argue about their trivial, insignificant problems, irrelevant to what is now happening in the heart of this metropolis. The city is suffocating in smog and soot, writhing, riddled with road lines, silently crying out for help, flashing muffled blueberry-colored store signs that are scattered across the map like sores on the body of a sick man. People rush home, causing it to itch and make it squirm. The city waits. It waits for all the commotion to die down, for the streets to sink into darkness and emptiness, for only then can it breathe. One more hour and...

A frantic inhale.

The multicolored night lights, the countless illuminations, a myriad of car headlights fade, melt into a kind of haze, like under a misty veil, and again as if from the depths of a deep blue ocean, emerges a mass of thousands of people, who believe that this place is the root of all their misfortunes. They move swiftly toward their dwellings, cursing their jobs that leave them unsatisfied and exhausted, but which allow them to live a relatively normal life. Need to last another hour…

A frustrated exhale.

The eerie shadows cast by the houses and the feet of the passersby slowly turn into a lingering inky darkness of the night that swallows up the entire city. The last person stranded on the road crosses the threshold of their house, closing the door behind them with a rattling thud. The motley signs, once pulsating in the center of the city, darken, revealing the faint glow of stars floating in the sky. The golden iridescence of random car headlights no longer makes it squint. The tired city takes that much-needed greedy breath of air...

A sharp inhale.

The harsh chilly air burns Satoru Gojo's lungs, as he slowly strides through the now empty streets of the weary city. His hands, stuffed into the pockets of his black jacket, involuntarily clench into fists in an attempt to warm his freezing fingertips. He shivers, pressing his head into his shoulders, trying to hide from the piercing wind that so mercilessly ruffles and tangles his snow-white hair and uneasy thoughts. Left all alone, he muses with a slight melancholy about his fate, written by someone's ruthless hand in the book of life…

An exhausted exhale.

"So strange," he thinks to himself, looking with unfathomable sadness at the soft inviting light coming from the windows of the little apartments in these big anthills of the concrete jungle, "in all my life I've never had a place I could call home. Where am I going? Where are my feet leading me? Is someone waiting for me?" A sad smile appears on his face as memories, like the pages of an album, begin to turn over in his head. Moments when he lost his home in the form of his best friend. Moments when he found it again in the form of his students. The moments when you helped him rebuild it from the scratch, replacing the burned out pieces with the solid foundation of your care. Moments when, for fear of destroying everything, he left again, leaving you there, safe, because with him coming, the chances of losing everything in an instant seemed to be infinite...

A sorrowful inhale.

Light slanting rain begins to fall from the dense clouds floating in the sky, beating on the curtained windows and blanketing the shivering city like a thin cloth of invisible threads with pearls dangling on them. Satoru let the occasional drop land first on his disheveled hair, and then drip in small trickles from his glasses, covering his already frozen face with chilling moisture. He does not turn on his infinity, allowing himself that rare weakness of feeling human. Heavy droplets come down from the roofs, drumming on the iron awnings, water grumbling angrily in the rusted gutters. Wet, gloomy houses stare at the lonely and lost man with their weeping windows.

…

A new gust of wind whips another batch of memories into his face, the irrepressible longing reverberating in his heart when he thinks about them for too long. The scraps of conversation brought by the raging weather play a faint melody in his ears. Satoru chuckles bitterly, as if right now he can hear the students calling him a bizarre, annoying, lanky sensei, who used to insert his ridiculous comments here and there. He never takes offense; on the contrary, he does everything he can to be one, the odd teacher who would do anything to make his students' youth look like the spring of their lives. Even though it makes him seem like the biggest fool on the planet. Somewhere within himself, he hopes they'll never have to find out how utterly tattered his soul is. And now, convinced that all of his students were sleeping soundly, he goes outside in an effort to find the way to his own sanctuary.

…

The weeping sky brushes away the leaden clouds from its blanket as if they keep preventing it from observing the unfolding of a story that has long been written. With a sinking heart, soaked to the skin and chilled to the bone, Satoru Gojo reaches for your door, stopping for a moment, unsure whether you should be bothered at this late hour. At the last moment, allowing himself to be a little selfish, he makes a few quiet knocks on the door and awkwardly hides his hands behind his back. For a few seconds, nothing happens. He heeds, not knowing for sure what he's hoping for: that you've been asleep for a long time and won't catch him in this miserable state, or that you were waiting for him after all, feeling this strange connection between the two of you. Suddenly the door swings open, revealing your small figure. The bright light emanating from your apartment on this dark night does not dazzle him, but rather cradles him with its invisible hands, trying to give him its warmth. The smell of homemade food fills his nose, beckoning him to peak in. Satoru stands motionless, looking at you with a fluttering heart. So familiar, so homely, with a smile stepping away from the door, inviting him to go inside. And he thinks, "It's so strange, in all my life I haven't had a place I could call home, it seems... it's always been here."

A relieved exhale.

thank you so much for reading! comments and reblogs are very appreciated <3

tags: @shamelessperfectionhideout @margumis @vagabond-umlaut @4sat0ruu @a-nuisance-called-sam @strawberrystepmom @rossithepixie @suckonlimes @jazminetoad @nikokopuffs 💛

art and dividers aren't mine <3

[boxofbonesfic]

Title: Reflection

Pairing: Ari Levinson x Reader

Kink Prompt: Reflection [Mirror Sex]

Word Count: 1982

Summary: You love everything about your new house—except for that creepy old mirror in the upstairs hallway.

Warnings: Horror, Haunting, Noncon/Dubcon, Light overstimulation, Mirror Sex, AU: Dark, Smut, MINORS DNI!

A/N: my first kinktober entry!! since all of my prompts were singular words, i just decided to go with the first kink that came to mind. 😈 i really hope you all enjoy this first installment! as always, mind the tags and warnings. enjoy!

 Though your nails are already chewed down to the quick, you can’t stop yourself from tearing into them again as the officers come out of the house, one after the other, a straight line of starched blue uniforms. The first one out approaches you at the front gate. You can tell by the irritated look on his face that he hasn’t found anything, that your second call this month is a nuisance, and not one he wants to continue putting up with. 

 “Nobody inside, I’m afraid,” he says, shrugging as he hooks his thumbs into his belt loops and heaves a heavy sigh. “I know you’re new in town. Wouldn’t be surprised if maybe you heard some things about the house, the way people talk—”

 “I heard someone.” You cut him off stiffly. “Walking around, right outside my bedroom door!” Your voice goes squeaky, your throat tight with remembered fear. “Gossip doesn’t make your floorboards creak.” 

 “Houses ‘round here are old.” His hackles are up now—you’re edging into telling him he isn’t doing his job, and he knows it. “They get real noisy in the winter.” The dismissal is clear in his voice and in his body language as he turns to wave the three other officers back to their squad cars. 

 “You could try putting up cameras,” he suggests over his shoulder. “But we swept both floors—and the basement—twice. There’s nobody here but you, ma’am.” He taps the brim of his hat. “Goodnight. Make sure you lock up, now.” 

 I know what I heard.

 Even with the all-clear given by the irritated police officers, you’re still loathe to go back inside. You stand there by the garden gate, staring nervously up at your own home. Footsteps—heavy, booted ones—pacing back and forth in front of your door, the shadow of a figure visible beneath the frame. 

 “I’m not crazy.” You say it softly aloud, clenching your fists at your sides. “I’m not crazy.” With your toes curled so as not to lose a slipper, you shuffle back inside. You’re on high alert as soon as you step inside, ears straining to hear every sound. It’s freezing in here. The drippy faucet in the kitchen had never bothered you before, but now it’s maddening. Every creak and groan of the house shifting and settling is now a footstep, a or a finger tapping against the window glass. The gusty autumn wind becomes the sigh of an unseen stranger in your ear. 

 You check every room, turning on each light as you go. The electric bill will be sky high next month, but you don’t care. At least if the lights are on, you’ll be able to see the intruder. You tell yourself that’s why you’re doing it, and not because having the lights on makes you feel less alone. 

 Ever since you signed your name on the deed, it seemed as though your quaint, beautiful house in a lovely suburb just south of the city, had been beset with problem after problem. Issues with the foundation, water, heating—and not least of all, the strangely ornate mirror in the upstairs hallway that you just couldn’t take down. You’re not the handiest person, but you know how to use a drill. Even so, the weird, metal clasps holding it to the positively ancient sheetrock won’t come loose, and you can’t remove it without taking half the wall with it. 

 A statement piece, the realtor had called it, but the mirror does nothing but give you the creeps. You don’t like looking in it—the colors of your clothing always seem washed out and faded in the hallway light. And for some reason—perhaps it’s positioning, or the way the light filters in from the window at the  end of the hall—but you always feel like something’s moving in the reflection, just out of the corner of your eye. 

 You complete your walk-through of the first floor, even poking your head down into the basement. Just long enough to look around and then tug firmly on the cord to illuminate the scant little concrete room before ducking back out, but still you’d checked. You hesitate at the foot of the stairs, swallowing thickly as you stare up at the darkened hallway. 

 It’s fine. The officers said it was fine.

 The thought gives you no comfort, but you push yourself up the stairs anyway, flicking on the hallway light as soon as you get there. The hallway is empty, of course, and you shake your head at your own childish fears. 

 Silly. Jumping at shadows. 

 You head for the bedroom, trying to keep your eyes trained hard on the floor so as not to look at the mirror. Movement in the glass catches your attention, though, and you stop short. The window at the end of the hall is cracked, the cool breeze stirs the curtains. You’re not sure what compels you to keep staring, to squint into the dull mirror. I didn’t see anything. There’s nothing there. Nothing—

 A hand. 

 So faint it’s almost completely invisible, curled around the edge of the curtain. You’re frozen, your heart held so tightly in your throat that no sound escapes it other than the rattle of your own breath. Goosebumps break out over your flesh as you watch the fingers tense, the fabric bunching as slowly, the panel is drawn aside. An eye appears first, followed by half of a wide, toothy grin. 

 You scream. 

 The sound tears itself from your frozen throat without permission, unexplainable terror gnawing away the conscious thoughts until only primal instinct is left. 

 Run.

 You turn to flee, your body barely cooperating as fright stiffens your limbs. You only manage a few steps, though, before icy hands fist in your hair and clothing. You wail as you’re tugged backwards off your feet, your back pressed against the mirror. The glass is frigid, even through your clothes. The force of it knocks the wind out of you, breath wheezing through your teeth.

 “Don’t go.” A soft puff of air washes over your face, and you whimper. You can’t see anyone, can’t explain what’s happening. You struggle, grunting as you try to push away from the mirror, but it’s no use. Your feet dangle inches off of the floor, your arms pressed tightly to the wall behind you, as if held there by some impossible gravity. Cold fingers trace the curve of your cheek, and you flinch, whimpering. There’s a slight shimmer in the air, shifting and warping like the spots that dance across your vision when you stare too long at the sun. Only, these don’t move, don’t dissipate as you blink fearfully at them. 

 “P-Please, I—”

 “Don’t go.” The voice is stronger, angrier. Invisible fingers grip your chin, forcing it up. “You can’t.” Hot, terrified tears stream from the corners of your eyes. Unseen hands push at your tank top, tugging it up and over your head. Your nipples stiffen in the cool, open air, and you whine as your unseen captor continues his exploration of your prone form. A satisfied sigh fills your ears as those same icy, ghostly hands bunch in the terrycloth fabric of your sleep shorts, ripping them down your legs. Cool, calloused fingers spread your heated lips, flicking at your clit. 

 “I’ll make you stay,” the voice says, low and determined. Your legs, free of whatever invisible binding had held them, kick frantically at nothing. It’s like he’s there but he isn’t, as your feet connect with nothing but air. Your legs are draped over invisible shoulders, large hands clamping around your thighs to hold them in place. You writhe against the glass, struggling futilely. He laughs, his wintery breath puffing against your heated, moist core. 

 “You signed,” he says, and you cry out as his cool, wet tongue slides through your folds. “That means you belong to the house, now.” Cold electricity runs up your spine at both his words and his touch. He suckles your clit, pulling it between his lips and worrying it with his teeth. Your thighs tremble, pressing into his shoulders. 

 You still can’t see him, but you can see the indents his fingers make on your skin, feel the rasp of his beard against your inner thighs. His touch is ice, but the fire building in your belly at every pass of his tongue burns hotter and hotter. The man—the thing—between your thighs eats hungrily, sucking and nipping at your cunt like he’s starving. 

 Your hips undulate against his face, and you can feel him smiling into the sloppy mess of your cunt as you cum. You do it with a wail, your thighs tightening around the head you can’t see, his tongue buried in your pussy as your walls convulse around nothing. He hums into your soaked, trembling flesh, but doesn’t stop, his thick fingers playing at your entrance. 

 “N-No, nngh—” Your protests are muffled by your own moans, choking you. Eyes rolling, you pant helplessly at the shimmering shape of a man between your thighs, his fingers curling inside of you. You cum again with a pathetic sob and shuddering breaths, fingernails scraping against the glass. 

 You don’t know how long he keeps you there, pinned helplessly as he drags you from one unwilling orgasm to the next, until your limbs have all the strength of dry pasta, and you’re shuddering in his arms. When he lowers your trembling thighs, you slide to the floor in a puddle, your legs unwilling to hold you up. The chuckle that sounds in the air in front of you makes you whimper again, your swollen cunt still throbbing. 

 You feel his hands at your hips, lifting and turning you until you’re on your knees, your face pressed up against the glass. Your breath ghosts across it, fogging the surface. Hazily, you stare into the mirror, eyes widening as you take in the man behind you. You can see him now, reflected brightly—almost too brightly—in the polished glass. Sandy hair falling over his dark, hungry eyes. Naked but for the Star of David on a thin silver chain nestled in his thick chest hair. 

 “Belong to the house,” he mutters as he lines the head of his leaking cock up with your soaked, swollen cunt. You’re still present enough to whine and huff as the thick head of him begins to press inside. Even after his fingers his cock is still enough to stretch you, and you writhe at the sinfully delicious stretch and burn. 

 “Belong to me.” He thrusts forward hard, seating himself inside of you with a  growl. His fingers are tight on your hips as he leans down over you. “Look.” He grips your face roughly, turning your head and forcing you to face yourself in the mirror. Your glassy eyed, fucked out face stares back at you, pupils wide and dark. His fingers slip into your mouth, and you taste yourself on them. 

 He rocks into you steadily, his cock punching the air from your lungs and dragging oh-so-pleasurably against your walls until you cum, drooling and mumbling unintelligibly around his fingers, staring at your own face the whole time. The tight squeeze of your cunt makes him groan, hands tightening painfully on your hips as he fucks into you unsteadily. You’re barely aware of the hot breath on the back of your neck, his teeth scraping your skin as sickly warmth coats your swollen walls. 

 You sag against the mirror, your hot cheek pressed against the cool glass as Ari continues to mumble behind you. 

 How do I know his name?

 “See?” He asks, humming as he strokes your cheek. His cock is still hard inside you, and you don’t have the strength to struggle as he begins to thrust into you again. “You belong to the house.” 

 fin

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[metaphorfordeath]

Dream Home

No one knows how it chooses, only that it does. 

It is smart. It knows you. It has preferences. Maybe your mother has died, or you’re an alcoholic. Things like that. It likes people for whom the veil is thin. People who want to go home, even when they already are. It knows you want to go home, and is more than happy to oblige.

When it has decided on you, you won’t know it. But it may start to appear to you. You may, some dark evening, be standing at your sink, washing the dishes. You may look out of the window over the sink and see there in your yard a lone window, staring into your home like a great glass eye. When you go to the door, it will be gone. But it is not really gone. It is simply waiting for the right moment.

You will see it more and more. Unless you already know what it is, you will not understand. It will come a bit closer. In pieces, at first. Perhaps you will come home from work and at the edges of your mind be aware that the birdbath on your lawn is not yours. Perhaps there will be an extra step up to your porch, the wrong color, which will be gone when you turn around. 

This is the manner in which it chews its food. 

It will madden you. It will remind you, at all times, of the things about you which helped it to decide. You will lie awake and miss your mother, or miss the bottle, or miss the way the world used to make sense, and it will use that to hurt you. The more you hurt, the closer it can get to you.

Your life will slowly begin to show signs of stress. Hairline cracks will form, in your job, your relationships, your well-being. You will feel the urge to run, or hide, or both. You will want, more deeply than you thought possible, to go home. Home is not home anymore. Home is something else now.

Other people may start to notice. Your partner may ask you about those long, late walks you keep taking, and you will not have a good answer. Your boss may tell you to take it easy with all those late nights working, or he may dismiss you for your absences. You may be waiting for the bus some sunny afternoon and realize that the one of the windows in the building across the street is different. It is familiar. It is looking at you. When the bus comes, the other people waiting will board, glancing nervously over their shoulders at you, hoping you do not follow.

When you take those long walks around your neighborhood, pay attention to the houses. Are they all the same as they were yesterday? Did the portico on the corner always look like that? You may begin to notice the pattern. It likes you to notice. It’s a lot of effort, doing all this to you. Everyone likes a little recognition, from time to time.

But by the time it starts to get close, you may not even realize that you are being acted upon. You internalize it. You are the crazy one. You are the problem. The room where you wake up is not the one you fell asleep in—the ceiling too high, the windows all wrong—and then you blink, and it’s right again. Just a trick of the light, you will think, and dismiss that irrational bit of your mind that tells you something is very wrong. Ignore it, and go about your life. Enjoy that feeling while you can. 

At night, lay awake in your bed and listen to the sounds of your home. The settling foundations don’t sound like they used to. Now they sound like breathing.

Eventually, you will not be able to take it anymore. You will break. You will scream at your surviving parent, or you will empty a bottle into yourself, or you will, all alone, take actions that you hope will make the world make sense again. Home is not home anymore. You cannot stay here anymore. And when you step outside, there it will be, in its entirety. Showing itself to you at last. You will see it, and your thoughts will instantly calm. You will forget the way things used to be. You will think, how did I never notice that house there before? What a handsome house. How well-designed a house this is. I wonder if anyone is home?

And then the porch light will click on.

Like the light on an anglerfish.

And the house will say, so quietly that you will think the thought is yours,

welcome home.

And then you will go home.

And it will be so happy to have you.

Listen to this story narrated by Heather Thomas on the Creepy podcast Patreon.