#that combined with the society’s general lack of emphasis on mental health and lack of resources in that area and the stigma about it

[seilon]

kpop is. a really really fucked up industry man. it really is

[magic-study]

All Possible House Placements

All of this information has been copy/pasted from http://www.astrology-zodiac-signs.com I’m simply putting it here so I can see the different combinations compiled.

:readmore:

Asc Aries

**1st - Aries **If your Ascendant is set in the sign of Aries, no matter if it falls on its first or last degree, it makes you an Arian. This position speaks of the importance of knowing one’s limits, your basic instinctive energy, and animalistic nature that needs to be guided, used, and sometimes contained. The main challenge of this position lies in the inability to see other people as equals, have tact, care for others or accept being cared for. It will challenge one’s commitment to relationships, marriage or their ability to find compassion for their own emotional needs, let alone needs of other people. On an individual level, these people are represented by planet Mars. 2nd - Taurus The second house cusp in Taurus is the most natural position for this house. People born with it have the ability to recognize value of all things, relationships, other people, and experiences in life. In some cases, this speaks of an accented challenge in which a person is supposed to learn about their own value through series of demeaning experiences. However, this is rarely the case, and has to be confirmed through a challenging position of Venus in one’s natal chart. This is someone who has a talent to earn money, for as long as their sense of the material world isn’t tainted with other people’s convictions and opinions. If they give in to guilt of any kind, the quality of their relationships will suddenly drop and they could have a hard time recovering from taking too much responsibility. These individuals were born to enjoy our material reality and should always remind themselves to do just that. 3rd - Gemini The position of the third house in Gemini is the most natural of all positions. It is a blessing in itself, and a person always has a smart approach, clarity in their choice of words, and the same clarity in their mind. In a practical sense, it often speaks of one’s attachment to their sibling, and points out that communication is an important part of a person’s life. Depending on the position and the dignity of Mercury, we can see how challenging or positive their mental world actually is. What people with third house in Gemini often lack is compassion, as well as reason when it comes to practical material issues. More often than not, these individuals need a healthy routine and to build respect for time and their own body in order to truly be satisfied and learn to get in sync with, and speak from their heart. 4th - Cancer Each fourth house set in Cancer speaks of the connection one has to their family. It is a house of inheritance in its core, and the sign of Cancer here gives an emphasis on family matters that came into one’s life only to be resolved. This is a position of gratitude, incredible opportunity, and all challenges left in one’s genes. Emotional issues will be truly important and the heart often won’t go where it is supposed to, simply out of subconscious need to find what was left by other people, grandmothers and grandfathers who lost something, have been closed up, or were gone before their time. The most important thing a person has to find with this position is the love for oneself and the ability to be gentle, slow enough, and filled with compassion for their own needs. It speaks of closeness with the parent of opposite sex, but also speaks of the lack of it in a challenging setting, and the way it affected all close relationships one is able to build in their adult life. 5th - Leo The fifth house in the sign of Leo represents a natural rule that strongly emphasizes one’s personality. The masculine, productive energy of Leo has to be used, and the worst thing these individuals can do is try to adapt to opinions of people around them, and end up in a strict routine with no room for their fiery expression. This is someone whose Sun sign is truly remarkable and important, on a mission to express through it and find happiness inside it, no matter the power of the Sun, its dignity, or the aspects it makes. It is good thing that these individuals are fully aware that happiness is a goal they CAN reach, and with a certain ease they will search for their center of gravity and learn to express in a way that makes them feel important. In general, this position means that the expectations of their father have to be overcome in some way, and a person has to find their own identity to build a strong character and reach personal satisfaction. 6th - Virgo The sixth house finds its natural position to be the one in Virgo. The connection between them is incredibly strong and grounding found through this link is truly an imperative in one’s life. When this is the case, answers to almost every physical issue are hidden here, and you can see that a person has the ability to heal and materialize anything at all, for as long as their energy is focused in the right direction. When we speak of modesty, it is extreme here, and takes some of the joy and color out of a person’s life if they don’t choose a career path they truly love and deeply care about. Work has to be loved and Venus respected more than in other natal positions, so that health can be maintained and one’s routine enjoyable and healthy at the same time. 7th - Libra This is a natural position of the seventh house, leading to a natural approach to relationships, marriage and an ability to be tactful and diplomatic towards others, no matter if they are our friends or enemies. People born with the seventh house in Libra have a natural ability to choose those who mirror their core personality. However, the sign of Libra carries its challenges in relation to the Sun and always presents a test when it comes to holding on to our personality as we get intimately involved with others. The good thing coming with this position is in the ability to separate social from personal life, but a rational approach can be damaging for the heart, and emotions need to be cherished and respected at all times. The institution of marriage often becomes important over time and these individuals tend to grow from confident solitary lovers to married, faithful partners for better or worse. 8th - Scorpio This is a position that easily collects all trash into one place. There is a deeply seeded knowledge of endings and beginnings of all things in life, while these individuals accept the whole cycle of life and death different than some other people in their lives. Fears they carry within go to extremes, from panic to absolute bravery, and it is not easy to catch them in a certain state for too long. While at one hand extremely ready to face any challenge that comes their way, they will give in to mass hysteria in a minute, and you won’t have any idea how this connects to the same person they were just a while ago. If Mars and Pluto give strong support, we will see that these people have an almost magical ability to face danger, stay calm in the most challenging situations, as if their whole energetic body is always prepared for anything. Depending on the position of the Moon their waters will be clean and their emotional state easy. 9th - Sagittarius The ninth house in the sign of Sagittarius speaks of a higher mind, in a way, and shows one’s need to travel, learn, and widen their horizons as much as possible. The trouble with this position is held in the inability to go deep enough to actually ground ideas and entire mental belief systems. Even though these people can be incredible teachers, attorneys, gurus, or motivational speakers, they will often have trouble accepting change as a necessary tool for improvement. Sticking to their moral convictions without a doubt in their mind, they will forget that change is the only thing that will truly help them regenerate. Aiming high, they don’t have a clear idea of everything going on at planet Earth’s surface and need a reality check from time to time, just to remember that distances are there to be crossed, not just to be observed. 10th - Capricorn When the tenth house begins in Capricorn ambition isn’t a problem and things tend to be as clear as day. The problem will arise once the person realizes that their lack of energy led to some bad choices, pushing them into unnecessary feelings of guilt. A mistake has been made while they formed plans in their previous lifetimes, and now they have a debt to repay being responsible, serious, and committed to causes that might not give results. Progress will be hard to make but when properly approached, high positions will be reached. Success will come only through hard work and correct actions that might even seem annoying to some people around them who always have an easier way out. This is a good practical position though, for there seems to be a deep understanding of reality and everything it might bring, giving one a strong sense of right and wrong as they grab responsibility for their life. **11th - Aquarius **The eleventh house in Aquarius speaks of liberation a person needs. Slaves to our unhealthy routines, choices, habits and relationships, these people will have a clear wish to be free and expressed as exactly themselves in their society. While humane and righteous in their approach, they will rarely be brave enough to endure in their chases, unless if the Sun is extremely well set in a personal chart. This is a position that gives as many friends as we need, to be there for us, wake us up, and help us find our connection to the Universal thought. If the positioning is extremely difficult, they become aware of the direct link they have to the skies above and wish to go there before their time. In most cases, however, this is a position that allows individual growth through the group and gives the opportunity to truly become enlightened and free.

**12th - Pisces ** If the twelfth house is set in the sign of Pisces, all secrets will be sunk even deeper than in other cases. This practically means that all digging through subconscious matter will have to be thorough and results will seem more distant than those others tend to dig up. Usually, these individuals tend to look forwards, fully unaware of their dependencies and ties to the mysteries of their distant past. They will live their lives unaware of their own inner faith, needing healthy sleeping routine in order to stay in a calm and peaceful state. In many cases, these people will sleep every day for eight hours, avoiding late nights out or losing sleep over any burning issues at hand. They understand that the night is not to be messed with and hide from their own family in plain daylight. With true faith in the background, it would be good to raise awareness about their talents and their true life within, however scary that might seem.

Asc Taurus

1st - Taurus If a personal chart begins in Taurus, we see a person of earthly pleasures, in search for love, hedonism and satisfaction. Depending on the level of challenges this sign, house or Venus have, it can be a very fine position that allows us to enjoy life in full color and using all of our senses. This speaks of an individual well-built, strong and static, and also a bit passive. With an Ascendant in Taurus you might be prone to gain weight or chase too many pleasures through self-destructive behavior. The greatest challenge for a Taurus is to accept the necessity and the beauty of change. Once recognized, it can liberate these individuals to show initiative, vigor, and when needed – fight for their satisfaction. This is someone represented by Venus. ** 2nd - Gemini** If the second house is set in the sign of Gemini, we can instantly presume that a person will make money in quick, freelance activities, rather than have a serious job that will bring a lot of deep, stable satisfaction. This is someone who can profit from writing, journalism, constant movement, oratory talents, or good trading skills. If there is a challenge to be faced through planets set in this house or Mercury, we can see that superficial approaches to value of things lead to disharmony and make a person nervous and edgy, while unable to create anything stable or big enough to meet their needs. This can also represent a “trickster position” and speak of someone who makes money from shady activities, especially if Mercury is retrograde, or set in the sign of Pisces. 3rd - Cancer The third house in Cancer speaks of inherited intelligence, for better or for worse. If one is born into a family of well-educated individuals with a wide dictionary, we can safely presume that theirs will be similar and deeply rooted with their ancestry. However, problems with any sort of reasoning especially when it comes to division of rational from emotional issues, has the root in the same place too – their parents. They need to build a strong personality and care for their individuality in order to release some pressure from their mind. The main challenge of each Cancer thinking individual is in expressing their emotions in a practical and acceptable way, and they will often fight the battle of reason vs. emotion even though they should be accepting both rolled into one.

** 4th - Leo** With the fourth house beginning in the sign of Leo, we see a line of proud and brave ancestors that led to the birth of this individual. This can be wonderful or challenging for there is obviously an emotional push into one’s world of character, confidence and self-recognition. The Sun has to be extremely strong in its dignity and aspects in order for this position to provide one with the sense of gratitude, confidence and satisfaction. This is a position that pulls with its gravity towards personal issues, fiery emotions, and a certain battle for personal satisfaction that is deeply rooted in one’s home and their relationship with a dominant parent that maybe didn’t give them enough space to develop entirely healthy emotions. In its best light, this can be a place of warmth, joy, laughter and openness, giving one the sense of personal bravery to engage in any emotional challenge with ease and clarity. 5th - Virgo With the fifth house in Virgo, the main challenge is to avoid self-criticism on a way to happiness. Joy is found in details, in things well-done, and everything that needs fixing and additional attention. This is the fifth house of practical issues and it is a bit hard to satisfy, but extremely rewarding when it comes to writing and expression through specific words and manual work. The problem, however, hides in the fact that a person simply loves damaged things, people who are in a way broken, sad, or chooses partners that need to be “fixed”, changed or accepted as not-perfect, whatever the specifics. This will be a lot easier if Venus is well set and one has a tool to reach personal satisfaction through relationships in general, especially in connection to the seventh house of the horoscope. If not, Mercury’s positivity will define their ability to find perfection in the most common of things and daily pleasures. 6th - Libra With the sixth house in Libra the key to one’s health lies in balance, as in all things connected to Libra. With enough information these individuals get to eat healthy, taking responsibility for their state and easily adapting to new working environments. The problem will arise in the field of relationships, for Libra wants marriage and official vows, while the sixth house takes away their potential perfection and turns them into fixable, changeable bonds that always have to be worked on. Since the sixth house is the house of work and our tendency to clean, fix, and make things functional, these individuals will usually choose partners that need to be approached in this manner, damaged, fixable, or unclean in some way. Even though a lot of intelligence is hidden in their relationships, there is always a lack of satisfaction and choices that seem to accent one’s inability to understand that they deserve to love and be loved in return. 7th - Scorpio With the seventh house set in the sign of Scorpio, ultimate intimacy is needed in order for the person to find satisfaction. This is a position very hard to please and the nature of the first house already shows the ability to create tender intimacy and closeness, usually dismissed and diminished by others. The trick to finding happiness with the position such as this one hides in the Moon’s pool of emotion, love for Self and the ability to forgive, forget, and make changes when the right time for them comes. Once this person sets deserved satisfaction on the top of their priority ladder, things will become easier and ties to other people will fade while a healthy relationship with their own life, decisions, and choices becomes imperative. Until then, jealousy and possessive relationships are inevitable, while happiness becomes this distant light seen from the underground ruled by Scorpio. 8th - Sagittarius When the eighth house is set in Sagittarius there is something strange about the convictions this person has. Everything that they anticipate will work – won’t, and vice versa, as if the entire Universe is there to teach them about the relativity of all things. While they are protected from danger with something as beneficent as the sign ruled by Jupiter, they will also have trouble with accepting all Jupiter related matters, teachings, and philosophical approaches. For as long as they feel their entire life has great purpose they will be fine, but this is a state that runs off pretty quickly and pushes them to new activities, choices, and changes in their life path that happen too often for the rest of the world to understand why. All negative things that happen will be a blessing in disguise and all positive quite the opposite. To understand that their whole life is turned upside-down, they will have to separate from common people and realize how different they are. If they lose faith, all can be lost in an instant. 9th - Capricorn If one’s ninth house is set in the sign of Capricorn, their beliefs can be annoyingly stiff. It will be very hard for them to make a change in pace or direction once they set out to do something. Their main problem is hidden in the real purpose of all things in their lives. This is why they sometimes have to exchange their practicality and common sense for a dream or two. The main objective with this position is to achieve a state of acceptance that allows these individuals not to push their convictions on everyone around them. There will be an ease in learning about ancient teachings, history, substance, and mathematics if their Saturn is well set in a sign that gives it dignity. However, responsibility they need to take seems to be too distant for them to reach its understanding. Once they do, they will finally have a chance to create a solid foundation for their future endeavors. 10th - Aquarius If the tenth house is in Aquarius, a person is almost always eccentric, different, dressed in colors you don’t see every day, or in another way strange to the outer world. An outcast and someone who is born to develop their mind, this is a person who wants to be your friend and knows that they have the ability to find enlightenment but don’t yet have the body to reach it. They need to take care of their daily routine in order to ground all of this lightning energy and power. We could say that in case of a good position of Saturn and Uranus these individuals become true children of the Universe, open to things larger than our human race and aware of the network that connects us all. With enough bravery and initiative, there isn’t anything these people aren’t able to create. **11th - Pisces **When the eleventh house is in the sign of Pisces, friendships are hazy and unclear. This is a person who has a task to find faith in others and it will always come with challenges and difficulties in their way. If they believe enough to spread love without many expectations, they could find those several soulmates that were deserved through previous lifetimes. Purity is the key to solid relationships, and with Pisces everything is prone to change and endings. Many friendships will begin only to end, pushing this person in the right direction. Others will be kept at a certain distance and lack intimacy. What these people need to do is sink in, and give in to every relationship that feels good without fear of betrayal or loss. If their friends are supposed to end up at sea, on another continent, or in their dreamland, this is fine for as long as they share an emotional bond wherever they are.

** 12th - Aries **When the twelfth house is set in the sign of Aries, it is almost always a sign that problems with healthy boundaries will be present in a person’s life. Others will intrude in their world as if they had no membranes to recognize and defend themselves from those who steal their energy. In time, they will have to “remember” what it was like to follow the passion within, fight for their rights , yell at others if that is what the moments asks for, and be true about everything that is on their mind. While Aries would like to have a certain goal and aim all its energy towards it, this energy seems to get bended here only to end up in a strange subconscious state where it is neither manifested nor used. This is a position that speaks of a past life that ended in aggression, in the army or from fire weapons, sharp objects, and most often “before one’s time.”

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Asc Gemini

1st - Gemini If one is to start their life in the body of a Gemini, they have to always stay on the move. This is a sign of spoken word, intelligence, quick experiences, change of character, and movement of all sorts. People born with this rising sign are often fast, thin, movable, unstable, and sometimes superficial. They need to stay well-informed, infiltrated in their social environment, and always have a reason to communicate or brainstorm on issues that surround them daily. Their greatest challenge is to focus on one goal, a point in space and time that gives their life purpose. They need to find synthesis, one thing to cover all of their information, and form a well-educated opinion only after learning their inner truth. They are represented by Mercury. ** 2nd - Cancer** If the second house begins in the sign of Cancer, this is a strong sign that a person will have a chance to earn from a family business or a private company of their own. This is someone capable to work from home, or someone who goes with the flow and relies on destiny to bring them their wealth. In general, this might not be such a strong position if the Moon isn’t very strong, but gives the ability to find incredible joy in food, cooking, and family gatherings. This is a position that accents one’s inner search for gratitude and love, and it will often speak of genetic predispositions as a potential for personal gain. It can also be a position that speaks of inheritance they have been spending since the day they were born, as opposed to inheritance matters of the eighth house in which someone has to die or give up on something in order for gain to come. 3rd - Leo When the third house cusp is set in the sign of Leo, thoughts are mostly focused on one’s Self. Even though this can be troubling to many friendships and tricky relationships in their lives, these individuals have a task to build up their personality and character with clearly set boundaries towards the outer world. This is a strong position that brings a lot of ego challenges, unless one is truly enlightened and fully aware of their infinite abilities, including the one in which they understand that there is no thing that should be taken personally. In a way, these people can become the happiest of all individuals once they learn to accept and nurture their child within, clear on their own desires and goals in life, and aware of their responsibility. Only then will they express their core personality with easy and shine a light on everyone around them. 4th - Virgo The fourth house cusp in Virgo points out to the lack of something in their primary home. Whether it is love or approval, there always seems to be something that needs to be fixed, changed, or nurtured in their soul, as if it was a bit damaged from the start. This isn’t a position that necessarily speaks of emotional hurt, as much as it speaks of emotional lacking, and one’s inability to reach the point of perfection in their emotional world that will finally allow them to be truly satisfied. Very often, this comes as a consequence of a deeply cold relationship with the parent of opposite sex, or a rational bond that leaves too much room for personal improvement, leaving one never satisfied with their own accomplishments. The greatest thing this position brings through genes is incredible intellectual strength and strong mental powers that one will be able to use, probably until their dying day. 5th - Libra When the fifth house is set in the sign of Libra, we see a strong signal that happiness is reached through other people. This is somewhat challenging for independence needs to be nurtured in order for any personality to reach healthy development, but it is also necessary to manifest oneself through other people and pay attention to everyone that make one happy along the way. This is not the easiest of positions, but it does speak of one’s ability to recognize true, creative love, and give it a serious glow, turning it into long-term romance and marriage for all the right reasons. In here, the love we find for ourselves is what truly inspires us, and it is imperative that a person stays in a good relationship with their own inner Self in order for all of outer relationships to blossom. 6th - Scorpio If the sixth house is set in the sign of Scorpio, self-destructive behavior is the greatest enemy to one’s physiology and psychological state. Challenges that hide in this position are not at all easy to handle, for their core rests in emotional dissatisfaction, forgiveness and change. If there is denial, dismissal, and resistance towards change, Scorpio will not make one happy and a lot of anger will accumulate here. This is a position of prejudice and the breaking of sexual taboos, often speaking of the importance of sex in a person’s life. Not only will it speak of repression, but also of unused nuclear energy located beneath our feet, giving practicality a special essence, and sometimes leading to obsessive compulsive disorders and in general, obsessive behavior. Once deepest emotions are accepted, a Scorpio-set sixth house becomes a pool of endless energy and everything gains sense and becomes as easy as a breeze. 7th - Sagittarius If the seventh house is set in Sagittarius, the mutable nature of it interferes with one’s ability to form lasting relationships. There is always something unreachable set in this distant sign, and the inability to materialize desires often leads to long-distance relationships, or simply bonds with people who aren’t stable, close, intimate, or those who are already taken. With Sagittarius, there is always a philosophy that leads to certain events and this position will simply materialize convictions. In the practical sense, we can understand this best through an example of a person who lives convinced that all people of opposite sex are not to be trusted. This specific conviction will lead to relationships that will prove them right, and one will be disappointed again and again, proving the image projected to the outer world in cycles. To move from repetitive choices, the person needs to learn and widen their perspective until they realize what sort of inner change can lead to a more satisfying environment. 8th - Capricorn If the eighth house is set in Capricorn, responsibility is something that doesn’t seem to have value to the individual. This can lead to all sorts of difficult circumstances in case Saturn is challenged and there is not enough rest and calm experiences in their life. The pressure caused by Saturn is always there to push us towards evolution, but with this position this pressure can sometimes be overwhelming and liberation is desired more than anything else. The main problem hides in the fact that this is held at an unconscious level and a person simply sees hard circumstances that create pressure while failing to see their part in avoiding them. There is always a side to their family tree that is hard to understand, while they lack structure and a healthy routine, especially in sleeping patterns and rest. If this position is approached in a tender and understanding way, with confidence and strength of will, there is no reason not to find a way out of endless loops family problems tend to create. 9th - Aquarius With the ninth house in Aquarius, one’s strivings and desires are never ordinary. Learning through symbols will be as easy as it gets, which makes these people turned to astrology, mathematics and programming. The problem will arise when a person with this ninth house doesn’t feel the need to accept responsibility for their own life. A truly disappointing thing here hides in the fact that their routine is shattered enough to make them too tired to learn everything that interests them. This great mind will be truly disturbed by the lack of substance, seriousness to their approach, and a sort of superficial Air-like nature that won’t allow them to sink deep enough to create a strong foundation for their ideas to land. If they take matters in their own hands and make a plan they will stick to at all times, they will feel their energy rise. Finally, this will result in their creativity leading them to incredible innovative moments they have been wishing for since they were born. 10th - Pisces When the tenth house is in Pisces, there is no saying how long their career choices will last. This is often frustrating as the purpose of each job slowly fades making room for obligations and responsibility a person is not ready to sink into. There is a talent somewhere in the horoscope of these individuals that needs to be discovered and used in order to spread their message into the world. Many musicians and painters have this tenth house position to shine like a lighthouse taking them home. The ties created through the sign of Pisces are strong and they will often speak of dependencies of all sorts. This means that one might have one goal in life – to shake off self-destructive habits and dependencies, no matter if they are in relation to narcotics, alcohol, or ex partners who made the world of this person toxic in any way. **11th - Aries ** When the eleventh house begins in Aries, things are never peaceful in this person’s social life. There are always new acquaintances waiting down the road, and this can make their approach a bit superficial because of the certainty life will always bring someone new our way. It will be easy to make friends but a little hard to hold on to them for very long. Boundaries need to be set and respected, as well as the dedication that flows both ways in order for their relationships to last. As if their God spoke through energy of Aries, these individuals often see life as a battlefield or a game that needs to be won. Once they open up to the Universal thought, they will realize where their energy lies and how to use it, show initiative, and move forwards just as they wish to.

12th - Taurus If the twelfth house is in the sign of Taurus, the mystery of the material world can remain a hidden for years, as well as hedonism and the chase for satisfaction in this material world. This is a position typical for those who have never felt real pleasure, and everyone with secret sexual encounters, or at least those who have the need to eat hidden from everyone else. Spirituality and real talents fall into the sign ruled by Venus, meaning creativity and inspiration come as a given, but only once they are discovered and approached studiously. True intimacy is found in secret bonds, and warmth will have to be built in solitude, realizing at first just how much we are worth and only later starting to search for someone who will recognize this. If one wants to make their dreams come true, this position is perfect, for it brings the Earth into our personal dreamland, making everything we imagine possible.

Asc Cancer

1st - Cancer When the first house begins in the sign of Cancer, it is often said to be the sign of home, family and emotion. What we often fail to understand is the sensitivity of this sign and its effect on our physical body. The ascendant represents our physical strength and this isn’t the best possible position to feel strong and confident, or to exercise, or train. Cancer-individuals are often pale, strongly influenced by the movements of the Moon, have a tendency to look like the food they eat, and always have a strong genetic influence on their overall health and appearance. Their greatest challenge is hidden in strong plans, unmovable will, a healthy routine, and responsibility they have to take for the direction their own life is moving in. This is a sign ruled by the Moon. ** 2nd - Leo** If a person’s second house cusp is set in the sign of Leo, we can see the ability to pose for money and this is often seen in models, actors, and people who have to be theatrical in order to get something for themselves. Depending on the dignity of its ruler, this is the second house position that speaks of strong confidence when it comes to material issues, but it can also make a person vulnerable to other people’s opinions when it comes to their own value. With a close correlation to one’s ego, this is a tricky place for the second house, for the outcome of every situation links not only to self-worth, but also to self-respect. This can be challenging if a person isn’t brave or strong enough to face all obstacles that could manifest through other people and the society. 3rd - Virgo If the third house is set in Virgo, this is a strange position that is as often weakening as much as it is empowering. While the sign of Virgo exalts Mercury and speaks of intelligence and incredible mental abilities and clarity, it is also a point of practical issues, matters of physiology and routine, and health issues that don’t need to be discussed as much as they like to. In many cases, people born with this position get burdened with their health, turn to the role of a victim, and some even end up in a state of mild or severe hypochondria, simply because they lack emotional satisfaction and search for faults in everything, especially in themselves. They have to develop strong faith and always leave room for love, inspiration and creativity, without digging for rational explanations for every single thing throughout their lifetime. 4th - Libra If the fourth is set in Libra, we see someone who carries a strong basis of their parents’ relationship in their deepest core. Since the fourth house represents our home, we instantly understand that this is a person whose home was balanced and seemingly happy, but the main problem of Libra is the inconsistency of the image shown to the outside world and the true joy hidden behind it. This can be someone taught throughout their upbringing to always compare themselves to other people, and feel to be superior or inferior depending on their success in life. The good thing here often comes from the fact that one of the parents was calm and tactful, able to teach responsibility and basic manners that a person will be able to use to make progress in various fields of life. In case of a good positioning of Venus and the Moon, this is a fourth house that gives one the image of what their own marriage will be like, as well as the ability to sink into closest of relationships without fear or holding back. 5th - Scorpio The fifth house set in the sign of Scorpio speaks of the love for deep emotional challenges. To understand someone who carries this position in their natal chart, we have to understand the necessity of change, pain, addiction, fear, and ultimately death. While the sign of Scorpio speaks of some pretty dark issues, it is also incredibly sensitive, emotional, deep and mystical, almost always speaking of talents that are supposed to be used, and strong past life experiences that have to be resolved. This is someone who loves their ancestors, even those that weren’t loved by the rest of the family. As a strong magnetic pull, the fifth house in Scorpio will ask to be manifested in strangest of ways, but on an everyday level mostly through constructive change. This is someone who cannot settle or be happy with little things in life. Grandiose and strangely addicted to the idea of happiness, they will often be unhappy simply because of their inability to instantly reach absolute peace. 6th - Sagittarius The sixth house in Sagittarius is in its basis a protective force for someone’s health. This is a position held by people with large pets, big goals, and dreams that can be brought down to Earth by a simple set of convictions. The entire organization of life mostly depends on a person’s focus and the ability to find the right calling and the right direction. For as long as things done have a strong purpose, health will be strong, as well as all that happens in their daily routine. Although this position can lead to weight issues, it won’t present a permanent problem or lead to chronic conditions for as long as there is something to look forward to tomorrow. The main problem with Jupiter is the uncontrolled growth of things, and this can manifest through large cists, benign changes, and pressing internal problems that sometimes have to be resolved by drastic measures. 7th - Capricorn Even though the seventh house in Capricorn often speaks of restrictions and characters that are hard to combine with one’s core personality, it gives a certain sense of responsibility and patience towards other people. With enough rest and solitude, this is someone who can predict other people’s behavior and approach them in a way that makes everyone feel protected and safe. The main challenge here is in breaking all walls around the heart of the chart’s owner and people in their life. Every hurt will reflect in the inability to form a close relationship, and memories tend to distract a person from building a future they wish for. If there is guilt involved and they think they have made too many mistakes, these individuals could even give up on love, thinking they don’t deserve it or they are unworthy of those who’d make them truly happy. Each lesson learned here has to be deep and complete, while one has to always make progress overcoming the static need to stand in one place, tied to those who don’t make them smile. 8th - Aquarius We are all aware of positive sides to the sign of Aquarius, especially those of us who love Astrology or commit out existence to it. People with their eighth house set in Aquarius tend to see only negative sides to this sign, and can’t handle the stress, changes, the movement of civilization, and fast conversations that don’t seem to have their grounding. This position speaks of the inability to open up for progress and new things, and even though the value of memories is incredibly important, letting them go can be even more satisfying for someone with this setting. Once they realize the value of solitude and freedom, there won’t be so many unrealistic expectations from other people, and mental pressure they create for themselves will slowly fade. Friendships have to be nurtured but also allowed to change, grow and bring all the challenges of interpersonal relationships with them.** 9th - Pisces** If someone’s ninth house is set in the sign of Pisces, there is definitely a mission they should follow in this lifetime. In case they haven’t found their right calling, these people will be dreamers, prone to stressful experiences that could have been avoided if they gave everyone in their life enough freedom. They cannot be tied down and shouldn’t ever try to bond too strongly to other people. When they give freedom they will get freedom to grow and find their right direction in life before they start feeling like its whole meaning is lost. The sign of Pisces creates magic, but also rules all poisonous and unexplored areas of life. This will lead to education in chemistry, pharmacy, psychology or sailing. For as long as these individuals are not asleep but wide awake and pursuing their passion, they will have a chance to truly leave a mark in this world. 10th - Aries If the tenth house is set in the sign of Aries, there is a natural need of a person to focus their energy on career goals and the material future they can build. This is the position connected to innovators and those who started something new, becoming widely known because of their initiative and their ability to lead the way. On the other hand, this is a signal that some anger, neurosis or hurt was linked to the beginning of the pregnancy that brought us to this world. This can lead to the tendency to manifest masochism, thinking of ourselves as unworthy or unfit to achieve something great, mostly triggered by the relationships Mars has with Venus and Saturn. To reach the point of personal and professional fulfillment, these individuals have to be brave enough to aim high, and start something new when the time is right.** 11th - Taurus **The eleventh house in Taurus speaks of the importance of social life for a person’s material satisfaction. This doesn’t mean their relationships with friends have anything to do with money, although they easily could, but rather that the satisfactions of the Earth are recognized through them. They will learn about their senses through social contacts and often have many stable, loving and tender relationships that last a lifetime. This is a typical position for individuals who truly know how to nurture people they love, without unrealistic expectations, holding on to practical values and morals. There are no false pretenses here, for they wouldn’t last, and natural approach is the one that is easiest to incorporate into their life. Their deep desire for love, peace and emotional stability is so strong that it often doesn’t allow them to change in a proper time or the right way. If they remain flexible, this is a promise of joy and financial security at old age.

** 12th - Gemini **The twelfth house in Gemini isn’t very easy because of its Piscean nature and everything it has to do with emotion as an entity entirely apart from rational thought. Speech can be impaired, while those with lower self-esteem easily turn to gossip and matters that aren’t theirs to discuss to begin with. This is also a position that could give a wonderful talent for languages, words and writing. It is a shame to use it on other people and spend too much time thinking of their business, abilities and weaknesses. Those born with the twelfth house in Gemini must have ended their past life with a vast desire to speak their mind, share their inner truth, and express their personality in some way. Ties that get created here will manifest through strange friendships and their relationships with children, but most of the time, they will manifest through difficulties in their mind they cannot fully explain.

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Asc Leo

1st - Leo With your first house set in the sign of Leo, there is always an ego battle that has to be recognized. This is a fiery sign that gives these people bravery and the ability to show themselves in the best possible light in the most challenging of situations. They are turned to themselves, with a strong physique but little ambition to spend too much time working. Warm and cuddly, those born with the rising sign of Leo can be incredibly “soft around the edges”, with large, round ears, handsome, and dressed in new and branded clothes. Their greatest challenge is to set free of the image they create out of vanity. They need to recognize their individuality and feel free to stand out, be different, become a rebel and think about the wellbeing of humankind. Their ruler is the King of the skies – the Sun. ** 2nd - Virgo** If the second house begins in the sign of Virgo, it is safe to presume that this is someone who has a thing or two to learn about satisfaction. This is a sign that brings Venus to its fall, and since Venus is a natural ruler for maters of the second house, we can see that the challenge here is to actually value one’s actions and successes, instead of searching for faults in everything they do. In case when strong Mercury colors this position, we can see someone rational and capable to fix anything that comes their way. However, it is still rare to find a person with this setting who is actually satisfied with what they own. Money comes from hard work, dedication, and attention to detail, and this is carried by someone who will rarely gain anything quickly or earn something they didn’t well deserve.** 3rd - Libra** When the third house is set in the sign of Libra, we can see someone who thinks and speaks of other people way too often. As much as this position can be good for one’s love life, speaking of childhood sweethearts, handsome neighbors, and the ability to see “the other side of each story”, it is also a challenge to turn to their own inner core unless they are properly built through their upbringing. This is someone who has to have a strong personality, always aware of their own judgment and attitudes, before talking to anyone else about them. Once they learn to incorporate their own opinions into the society, they become great thinkers and orators, with the ability to touch others and raise their confidence, awareness and clarity. If they become too judgmental, it is usually time for them to make an inner change and build a more satisfying personal life.

4th - Scorpio With the fourth house in Scorpio, we can see the strongest ties to family that often aren’t healthy or emotionally supportive. Scorpio is a sign that brings the Moon to its fall, and as such isn’t in the best relationship to matters of family, parenting, upbringing and closeness. The challenge of this position hides in the darkest, deepest emotions, ones we all try to dismiss, demean and avoid. A person with this fourth house position has to find a way to forgive, forget, and turn to the future instead of staying tied to the past, or to negative emotions that have to be let go. This is one of the strongest and most challenging positions we can have in our chart, and speaks of the search for true unconditional love one must find within in order to be truly happy. Once they find a constant reason to smile, these people become the root of strongest emotional connections imaginable. Until then, they are easily manipulated, held too close to home and dissatisfied, while unaware of the reason for their negative feelings. 5th - Sagittarius When the fifth house is set in Sagittarius, we see that a person has a great love for philosophy, travel, teaching, and education. In most cases, this is a good sign that will allow one to develop and stay open for wide teachings and all sorts of perspectives changed on their path to happiness. Childish and enthusiastic, there is hardly anything that can hold these individuals back once they find their true calling and realize what their main direction in life should be. Love and creativity are a blessing here, and this is someone who understands this part of life genuinely and deeply, while often expecting miracles from their loved ones. They need to keep their feet on the ground so they can manage to find connection to planet Earth, bring their philosophy to life, and truly follow their mission and their hearts. 6th - Capricorn With the sixth house in Capricorn, rest and a repetitive routine are the only things that can help one regain energy and feel confident and strong. Career seems to be dependent on outer circumstances, authorities that are hard to accept, and this is extremely challenging if the Sun has any sort of trouble with Uranus, Aquarius, or the eleventh house ruler. Capricorn will make this person take too much or too little responsibility, bringing matters of competence and abilities to focus, even though strength and endurance are usually not a problem. What a person always lacks with this position is rest, and the problem gets really serious if one starts to search for substitutes for it instead of actually establishing a healthy sleeping routine. More often than not, these individuals need more sleep than standard norms would state, and time needs to be made for peace and serenity in order for the body to properly function. 7th - Aquarius Aquarius is a sign that speaks of divorce and separation, as well as all oppositions that are combined in perfect harmony in nature around us. When the system is balanced and a person has an equal perception of their Self and others, this is a liberating sign that will bring a lot of excitement, joy, and constant surprises, while emotions tend to spark every now and then, creating fireworks in their love life. Still, Aquarius comes after Capricorn and its basis is cold and generic, while the mental nature of Aquarius doesn’t help emotional closeness. This is much less a challenge of honesty towards others, but rather a challenge of honesty towards oneself. We need to understand that partners show as unstable simply because of this person’s inner need to reflect in people who are different and on the move. Closeness has to come from the deepest core of the heart, and with a strongly set Moon, this is the seventh house that fills everyone around this person with excitement and beauty. 8th - Pisces When the eighth house begins in the sign of Pisces, dreamland is the most distant place for a person. This can mean either that they are too rational in their everyday circumstances to give value to their dreams, or that all their efforts to materialize their desires fail. Fear of failure and betrayal is strong with this setting, and they will be strongly judgmental and opinionated on lies coming from other people. It is typical for these individuals to breakup some relationships due to mistrust or disappointment, as their faith fades and even stronger fears kick in. They have to take good care of their boundaries and keep their membrane to the outer world intact and nurtured. When they accept their mission and get in touch with their real talents, all things around them will fall into place and they will reach the state of happiness and faith they wish for. 9th - Aries When the ninth house is in the sign of Aries, a person can be too passionate about their beliefs, not allowing others to express their system of convictions. Fighters for religion, ethical approach, college, or their own progress of any kind are seen here. In general, this is a strong position that finds energy in the future and draws a person towards positive change. However, any ties to the past will make their dreamland vivid and blur the direction they are supposed to follow. Once they feel they are on the right path, with a mission to accomplish and deep beliefs leading forward, these are the exact people who will learn about boundaries, conflict, and fiercely achieve any goal they set out to reach. They tend to find purpose only in things they are truly passionate about and wither in any circumstances that don’t invigorate them and make them feel alive. They need their talents put to use and the fire in their stomach constantly burning in order to live a long, creative and healthy existence. 10th - Taurus With the tenth house in Taurus, a person’s goal in life seems to be physical, sensual satisfaction. The position of Venus will tell us of the area of life this applies to, but it will always be connected to the search for sexual pleasure and the right, healthy routine. These people have to eat what they want to, make as much money as they want to, and enjoy themselves as much as they want to. Although this position primarily leads to a career in financial waters and banking, it will always be a simple sign that the love of one’s job has to be strong in order for the job to get done. All of the energy these individuals focus on activities that don’t make them happy, tend to take too much of their energy, making them tired and seemingly lazy. No matter if their calling is art, cooking, or finances, they have to find joy in it so the inertia of love will drive ambition to actually pull them anywhere from a standing point. **11th - Gemini **With the eleventh house in Gemini, we see someone who wishes to communicate has something to express and always finds several persons to listen. Friendships are fast, exciting and adventurous. There is always a lot to discuss and think about, while brainstorming is the most satisfying activity in their social encounters. On the downside, they can become too superficial out of their need to remain free of solid bonds, and while they would want to have enlightening encounters, they become less satisfying as they shut off their emotional side. The important thing to remember with this position is the importance of self-expression and our brothers and sisters, no matter if we have any from the same parents, or we have cosmic ones in our surroundings. For as long as ambition doesn’t make these individuals too static and committed to work, they should find the time to enjoy the benefits of this airy eleventh house.

** 12th - Cancer **With the twelfth house in the sign of Cancer, you can see a family secret instantly, as well as the tendency to idealize one or both of the parents. This is a burden of an entire family tree and a mark that debts were left in spheres of the emotional and the fragile within. Strange matters are hiding in the twelfth house and when Cancer is here, you can see these strange matters in one’s home and intimate relationships. Depending on a very personal position of the Moon, we will see how well incorporated this can be in their everyday life and if disappointment is their family story or not. The emphasis on sensitive emotion is also seen here, and we will come to find that the twelfth house cusp in any Water sign gives one the ability to feel what others feel, often being unable to recognize where one person ends and their emotional body begins.

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Asc Virgo

1st - Virgo If your ascendant fell in the sign of Virgo, this could easily be a signal that you were born to help others. Even though this is the sign in which Mercury is exalted, it doesn’t give much strength to one’s physical constitution and speaks of all sorts of health issues that might surface. It is a sign that shows a fine physique, someone who looks like a library type, with glasses, thin hear and a strong belief system when it comes to all matters of healing. On the plus side, it will speak of intelligence and mental clarity. The biggest challenge of these individuals is to see the bigger picture, separate from dull details and have some faith in the greater order of things. This leads to their problems with trust and makes them vulnerable to all sorts of deception. Their ruler is Mercury. 2nd - Libra When the second house is set in the sign of Libra, this gives an individual a sense of self-worth through relationships with other people. In a way, this can be problematic and lead to envy and all sorts of assessments that the Soul is not ready for, while at the same time providing one with a lot of material blessings through partnerships or a chosen spouse. In a poorly set position, this can make a person see their partner thought their possessions, vain and turned to belongings of other people. Luckily, this is not very often, but it is still challenging to value oneself with all the influences they get from the outer world. This is a predisposition to make money working with other people, in a team or through relationships, partnerships, law, or the chase for justice. 3rd - Scorpio When the third house starts in Scorpio, it is never easily handled. This is a strong, deep mind, often enriched with a sense for dark humor, and thoughts and words that are difficult to remain pure and free of dissatisfaction. This position is a strong one for science, research, and occult matters, but brings challenges in areas of the heart and emotional contacts with the closest people. Darkness of Scorpio is best seen through one’s mind and a person needs deep emotional clarity and enough laughter and easiness in life to accept it with grace and beauty. The best practice for such strong personalities is to imagine beauty daily and choose a creative line of work. If they manage to recognize the good in all things, it will clear up the fog and help them discover incredible treasures within. 4th - Sagittarius With the fourth house in Sagittarius, it is not exactly easy to feel at home, wherever one tries to settle. This is one of predicaments leading to a life abroad, often because there was distance and space in their upbringing that makes it impossible to incorporate their beliefs into the country they were born in. Satisfaction is found through education and traveling, and a person with the fourth house here has to remain true to moral and emotional imperatives in order to be happy. This is almost always a beneficent, strong starting position, with enough wealth and width to support one’s emotional growth. However, it can detach their heart from true emotional satisfaction and turn them to philosophical and mental issues instead of giving them the ability to find their place. Whatever the case, this is a strong guiding point to discover the entire world is our home, not just the couch we choose to sit on. 5th - Capricorn When the fifth house is in the sign of Capricorn, the difficulties of fear, panic, spasm, and an obvious lack of rest, seem to reside here. It is never easy to have the fifth house here, as it drains a lot of energy from an individual and speaks of the inability to enjoy, have fun, and share carefree and light activities with other people. These individuals are strict towards themselves and others, especially their children, and plan too much while forgetting that spontaneity is the key to true happiness. Great joy can be found in archaeological, spiritual, or historical issues, and their life path should definitely be evolving around matters of time, serious commitments and responsibility. The best cure for any chronic condition they develop in life lies in rest, meditation, and the building of a strong connection with God, however they might recognize God in this lifetime. 6th - Aquarius When the sign of Aquarius is at the sixth house cusp, it is always a signal that a routine found in the primary family isn’t healthy or supporting for the physiology of the person. Changes are necessary and fast food, light sleep, and mental preoccupation won’t help the stress or problems with nerves. With a strong foundation and a lot of physical exercise, this is a position that allows one to get in touch with the infinite intelligence of their body, making it easy for a person to ground ideas through a simple train of thought and this is when materialization becomes incredibly easy. With enough jobs changed, these individuals usually find their group of people, their cosmic brothers and sisters, only to end up in circumstances stranger than imaginable to any of their ancestors. If they remain open for change and find acceptance for all circumstances with as little stress as possible, they can become true innovators, able to ground any idea that comes to their mind. 7th - Pisces When the seventh house begins in Pisces, matters of trust are of outmost importance for any healthy relationships a person might have. Beliefs will create destiny, while there is often some sort of mission one has to fulfill in order to find satisfaction and happiness. In many cases this is a position that speaks of betrayal and strange partners, intimate bonds with people who are talented and artistic but also unstable, lost, far away, psychologically challenged or turned to substance abuse of some kind. Dependencies are almost inevitable here until one learns about ways to believe in their own abilities and believe in others in the right way and with clearly set boundaries. There is a lot of emotion and romance here and for as long as the minds of these individuals don’t meddle in matters of the heart they will advance towards more and more fulfilling relationships through life. There is magic to this position and the greatest potential for a fairytale ending is hidden here, if only there is enough faith and devotion to reach this destination. 8th - Aries With the eighth house in Aries the main challenge of life is to accept the constructive force of anger and conflict. If Mars isn’t extremely well positioned, this speaks of one’s tendency to waste their energy on irrelevant issues, these seen primarily through challenging aspects of Mars. Change will come pretty much naturally, but with a lot of fire and fuss and never easy. Instinct needs to be nurtured and most often this is the position of those born with an ascendant in Virgo, meaning they tend to overthink things and shove their instincts and gut feelings aside. The most damaging thing a person can do with this setting is to approach life reasonably instead of instinctively. This is also a setting that accents the fact that all problems with young men full of energy, leadership, police, or army, have to be mended and brought to a level of emotional acceptance and understanding. 9th - Taurus If the ninth house is set in Taurus, the purpose of a person’s life is always found somewhere in the material world. Experience needs to be built in the real world, through financial and physical matters, and this is the exact reason why these individuals turn to education in fields of finance, agriculture, cooking, or real estate. For as long as they don’t lack initiative and primal energy, they can truly be fantastic in practical issues, but also tend to close up for new experiences if they get hurt or disappointed. This is a tricky position for as much as the beneficent sign of Taurus can be mellow it can also be lazy, static, or stiff to accept change and the beauty of constant movement. There is a special joy these people find in tradition if their Venus is beneficently set, and they will strive to reach family values and practical pleasures as much as they can in this lifetime. 10th - Gemini If the tenth house is set in Gemini, we can instantly presume that a person likes to talk and be seen talking. Just as the seventh house Gemini likes to share their opinions with the world, this is someone who not only shares, but also lets information define them in the society. This position often leads to strange circumstances in which gossip, nicknames, and empty stories surround one, until they find the right words to show their true selves. People with the tenth house in Gemini have to learn to be carefree and deep at the same time, quick enough to take action and human enough to make mistakes. If they build up a beautiful image of their personality within, they will have no trouble manifesting it on the outside, creating incredible social contacts and opportunities for everyone around them. **11th - Cancer If the eleventh house begins in Cancer, everyone in this person’s family will feel like friends. This is a strange position as the eleventh house should be there to free us from our emotional ties, but this is not the case here. These individuals have strong feelings for those they socialize with, have heightened senses around other people and treat others with empathy. However rational they might seem to be, there is something warm in their approach. The desire of the eleventh house in Cancer is in emotional awareness, acceptance and peace. In order to find it, they will have to embrace their emotional depths, however flawed they might seem. The truth is they deserve a calm, serene place in their hearts and minds, but their genetic inheritance stands in the way too often. If they haven’t been told they are beautiful, smart and special often enough when they were children, they should make self-affirmation a regular part of their daily routine. 12th - Leo **When the twelfth house begins in Leo, the personality itself seems to be strange, sensitive, and unknown. These individuals will have to learn about their power and their inner truth, while they remain in the blurry waters hidden from plain sight. This is often a signal that previous life carried a story of success, and image that was maintained and remained important to the person until they died. It can be extremely rewarding if unconscious memories of it are pleasant and bring confidence and peace. However, if there was any dishonesty in their approach once upon a time, this will be the life to rectify it, accept the flaws in others, those we don’t want to see and don’t want to show, and find brothers and sisters in crime finally set free from self-criticism. Since the clear image of one’s Self is blurry, overall good of the mankind will be important to these people, as well as humanitarian efforts they often turn to at some point in their lives.

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Asc Libra

1st - Libra If your first house cusp is set in the sign of Libra, it is like your whole horoscope is turned upside down. While one should be able to drain the energy out of Self, people born with this Ascendant have to find it in people they are surrounded with, always in search for balance, and finding ways to mend relationships to the point in which the don’t trigger exhaustion. This will create a person that needs to be well-dressed and well-behaved at all times, often failing to turn to physical activities and personal boundaries in relation to others. The greatest challenge a Libra first house has to overcome is the acceptance of anger and constructive conflict. They are represented by Venus.

** 2nd - Scorpio** If the second house has a cusp in the sign of Scorpio, this speaks of finances left to us by our ancestors. Depending on our genetic predispositions, this can be a blessing or a curse, since it greatly depends on those that were here before we came to this world. It might seem like we have little influence on our own wellbeing when this setting takes over. In order to find joy in the material world, this is a position that challenges a person to find it in change and accept that the energy has to flow and circle at all times. In the practical sense, this means that one has to give in order to receive and there will never come a reward without it being earned through all sorts of deeds, life choices and ancestry. This is also a position that can speak of a debt that has to be repaid, and isn’t always easy to comprehend or enjoy. 3rd - Sagittarius With the third house in Sagittarius, we instantly see someone who talks a lot. This is a position for philosophical thinkers and people of wide perspectives, opinions that always shift to more positive views, and the ability to use their beliefs in the scope of their practical existence. It can also speak of solutions that always seem distant, in case lack of direction in life is accented and one has no knowledge on their own true path and destination. In a positive setting, these people are optimists, travelers and teachers, blessed by a giving nature and a mind that is always ready to learn. In a negative one, they get lost, talk excessively, while thinking and talking rather than actually acting in their own best interest. Scattered opinions and expressions will easily take over when they are tired and lost in their path through life. 4th - Capricorn There is no reason to make it prettier than it is – the fourth house in Capricorn is never easy. In the best possible scenario, this is a position that gives one the ultimate faith in the Universe, and a strong connection to God. With a deeply seeded need to take responsibility, this is an individual who often takes too much of it, usually grabbing some for every mistake made by their parents. This is a typical position that gives one the sense of guilt for wrongness they suffered at home, and creates a lot of pressure and coldness in one’s emotional world. Dissatisfaction and the strict regime at their primal home can give a strong foundation for the tenderness and love in the family they create, and this is the most beneficent use of such a position, however hard or challenging it might get. 5th - Aquarius The fifth house cusp in Aquarius speaks of strange priorities and people who dare to dream big. Aquarius is a sign of innovations, higher communications, and the network we are all unconsciously wired to, so this is often a signal that someone has a strong impulse to create something extraordinary, different, new, and incredible, if they only find a way to express their true inner personality. Love has to be real in order to last, or it will just be a series of failures, casual flings, and relationships that burst into flames as soon as some time goes by. With so much change, it is not easy to hold on to clear priorities, but friends will help greatly and the love for the divine will definitely pull the person out of any trouble ahead. This is a position for gamblers, good and bad, depending on planetary positions, and speaks of the ability to test luck with bravery and a “silly” but obviously productive attitude that everything will be alright in the end. 6th - Pisces With the sixth house in Pisces, there is something shady about the approach to a healthy lifestyle. Energy can get really low and reality can start seeming faded and lost, as if it was impossible to keep both feet on the ground however hard one might try. This is a position that speaks of psychosomatic problems and as such, always gives one the talent and the ability to heal, others as well as themselves. However, reaching the point in which the secrets beyond the sign of Pisces are entangled can be difficult, and unless a person already has a strong basis for medical or humanitarian work, it won’t always be easy to find a path that leads in the right direction. Faith and reality will intertwine, and one has to have infinite wisdom and patience, always ready to follow what seems like their mission in order to remain vital and strong. 7th - Aries With the seventh house set in the sign of Aries, tact is not seen very often in close relationships. There is always something hidden in the culture of conflict that needs to be learned, and the most typical scenario speaks of one’s tendency to dismiss the benefits of conflict, avoiding it even though it would be constructive and useful. This will represent a challenge in creating clear boundaries and in any case of repression, it will speak of anger and aggression linked to intimate bonds. In a very positive setting, this is a position that points to resourcefulness and vigor of a partner, and a strong attraction filled with rich sexual experiences in marriage and serious relationships that a person has. As soon as constructive conflict is accepted and strong boundaries set towards those who endanger one’s wellbeing, this becomes an energizing seventh house that gives strength and makes us feel alive. 8th - Taurus Taurus is a sign that celebrates life while the eighth house is the one to destroy it. One of the greatest oppositions of the zodiac is seen in this position and change will come as this slow, difficult interference with life that simply has to break at some point. There is something too different from what one’s primal nature would desire in this position, and to mend differences between personal and the collective might come as extremely hard for this person. Joy is found in bizarre choices, and changes are truly hard to accept. Transformation is slow and has to be enjoyed or it won’t happen at all. This leads to all sorts of problems in letting go of people, circumstances, career ventures and even physical waste. These are the people that have to throw used and broken things into trash and don’t want the energy of broken material treasures tainting their emotional world. 9th - Gemini The ninth house in Gemini leads to growth through communication. These individuals will learn new things quickly and with passion, while at the same time having trouble holding on to large chunks of knowledge or finding synthesis for everything they’ve learned. To mend the troubles found in overthinking, they need to also learn to stay concise and focused on one point at a time. If they have too many goals at once, they will rarely manage to reach any of them, and the most important thing the ninth house in Gemini has to teach, is how one should think and use their words. If they find true emotional intimacy, it will usually give them a strong basis to improve their approach and help them thrive in fields of oratory skills, public exposure, trade, and information technology. 10th - Cancer When the tenth house is in Cancer, we see that roles have been reversed, and the family this person wants to create resembles greatly of the family they came from. Emotional and professional are intertwined here, so it is quite typical for them to continue running a family business, or turn their lives towards children and the image of a perfect family. Many housewives will have this setting in their natal chart, but also those who feel at home when they are at work, sleep in the office, or start a new business venture with their parent. In the equal house system, Cancer on the tenth house cusp means that the ascendant is in the sign of Libra, the sign of Saturn’s exaltation. When we connect the dots we will see that these individuals have a task to learn something about compassion, forgiveness and love in this lifetime, even though a chase for a meaningful career might seem like their priority at first. However much they respect tradition, they should always hold on to their individuality and act on emotions to reach their destination. **11th - Leo **With the eleventh house in Leo, the image of friendships easily becomes more important than actual friends. On one hand, this is obviously a very important issue in a person’s life, and on the other, they tend to socialize only with people who make them look good. Self-recognition comes through other people and it can be difficult to steer clear of control and people who impose their will and show disrespect. The key to creating healthy relationships with this position is to put everyone’s individuality to focus. This doesn’t mean one should neglect their own inner being, but rather that each relationship formed should have a deep personal understanding and respect. Once they realize how each of their friends or siblings is special, without becoming envious or strangely tied to them as if they should become someone else, they will start to surround themselves by honest people with warm hearts. Desired respect can be hard to reach if they don’t have enough respect for themselves.

** 12th - Virgo **If the twelfth house is in Virgo, we can almost imagine the mechanism in a person’s mind making them seem stupid when they want to show how smart they are, and incredibly intelligent at the most unpredictable situations. They will rely on their brains while practical matters will keep some of their mystery at all times. Ties created here will have to do with old, used things, those that can or cannot be fixed. That halfway principle of Virgo can be quite difficult when we speak of someone’s twelfth house, for dreams tend to get crushed by reality, sensitivity by common sense, and vice versa. If a person with the twelfth house in Virgo wants to find happiness, they have to realize where their true talent lies, so they can use it and share it with the world. Very often their talents will be found in writing, detailed analysis or communication with the strangest of beings here on planet Earth.

** **

Asc Scorpio

1st - Scorpio To be born with an Ascendant in the sign of Scorpio, one has to have incredible connection to the material world. This is someone strong, fixed and determined, buy also deeply sensitive and emotional, however hard these individuals might try to resist this fact. This is a sign of dark makeup, people with strong, dark hair, large noses, and fierce attitude always sparkling from their deep eyes. Even if they are born blond, the look in their eyes will always show the power within, as if they had to overcome death even before they were born. The big challenge here is to accept the beauty of constant satisfaction, feel gratitude and forgive those who brought hurt or pain into their lives. Blame, possessive and obsessive behavior are just some of the signs that they have trouble realizing what keeps them healthy and alive. They are ruled by Mars and Pluto. 2nd - Sagittarius If the second house found its cusp in the sign of Sagittarius, it is hard to hold on to money or stick to beaten trails to earn it. Even though this is obviously someone who can profit from teaching, philosophy, or travel, the quantity earned won’t be easily contained and will be spent quickly. Although there is always a lot of luck where beneficent Sagittarius is, there are many unrealistic approaches and a tendency to overdo whatever the symbolism of the house involved. This is exactly why these people tend to eat too much, spend too much, as well as earn too much, or be in any way unrealistic about their own worth and the value of the things they do and their accomplishments. For as long as there is enough depth and common sense in their approach, here lies the seed for true satisfaction and earthly happiness. 3rd - Capricorn With the third house starting in Capricorn, we can see a pretty tough individual. Although Capricorn is the sign of depth and rational choices as well as practical use of all things in life, it is also a sign of karma, damaged things, mistakes and coldness of heart. To keep your third house in Capricorn balance, you cannot detach from your emotional core. Compassion followed by rest is the key to any challenge of this house, especially in cases where a sibling has constant, chronic problems, no matter if they are material, physical, or any other kind. At the same time, strong boundaries and the need for rest are accented, and one can easily give in to stress and discover that as soon as they’ve had enough sleep, their mind clears up and the future seems much brighter, or at least acceptable. If they learn to not take life too seriously, they can be incredible in-depth, practical mentors and a real inspiration for everyone around them. 4th - Aquarius With the fourth house in Aquarius, a person always seems to be in search for consistency. This is a signal there was a lot of moving and changes at a young age, or points out the importance of the divorce parents went through while they were still in the phase of emotional recognition with their child. The greatest satisfaction here is found through personal freedom, and it is not always easy to incorporate it in one’s relationships, dominant roles of their partners, managers, superiors of any kind, or any society they are trying to fit into. Emotional independence and clarity are unimaginably important, and without them, there is no basis for personal happiness and satisfaction. Keep in mind that this is someone who needs to find something constant and satisfying in changes, riots, ego battles, and their own differences, while the state of inner peace is reached through the most unusual methods. 5th - Pisces With the fifth house beginning in Pisces, a person definitely has a talent that needs to be discovered and used. Whatever they find love for will become their source of inspiration, and even though the sign of Pisces is mutable and not very stable as such, this is always a pointer to great love, one we’ve met in our past lives. Deeply seeded fears can damage a person with this setting, for their aura needs to be strong, their confidence intact and their love for themselves grand. In every other case, this can lead to all sorts of deceptions and disappointment, in the worst scenario turning them to the use of mind altering substances and self-destructive behavior. This is someone who should never lose faith in love, beauty and the goodness of mankind, if they want to find true happiness. 6th - Aries When the sixth house starts in the sign of Aries, we see someone whose energy is closely linked to their working routine. This is a position that puts an accent on one’s need to practice, start something new, exercise daily, and usually speaks of the energy rise that is triggered by changes to one’s routine. The sign of Aries gives initiative, and it is often “too modest” when related to the sixth house, giving a person the ability to work very hard, but stealing their ability to find joy in their achievements, always pushing forwards without stopping to see if they got something in return. The main problem of this position hides in Venus, wherever it might be located, for Aries is its detriment, and the sixth house represents its accidental fall. The important thing in this situation is to find personal value and avoid pro bono activities that other people might expect as a given. 7th - Taurus With the seventh house in Taurus, there is always a challenge of two sides of Venus in the field of relationships. Taurus is a sign of practical values and grounded, earthly beauty, sometimes too simple for “blue-blooded” individuals turned to fine, sensitive, outer beauty. The seventh house is corresponding to the sign of Libra, and as such speaks of outer beauty, makeup, pose and vanity in its challenges. When these two extremes coincide, envy will easily come to the surface and matters of balance will be emphasized, once again. Relationships can become vain and judgmental, typical for those who weren’t told often enough how pretty they are in all their glory. It is of outmost importance for outer and inner beauty to connect in one whole, so that all relationships in a person’s life can become truly enjoyable and filled with sensual physical contact and intimacy, which are provided by Taurus when matters of Venus are settled. 8th - Gemini With the eighth house in Gemini, changes always move through one’s mental plain and superficial approach is almost impossible to accept. This is a typical position for those born with their ascendant in Scorpio, and we will see that they have real trouble accepting anything carefree that lacks depth and deep instinct in its core. Individuals with their eighth house in Gemini will steer clear of small talk, often not realizing how necessary and helpful it can be. Dismissal of brotherly love or love with a sibling is almost always present, so it needs to be found in their heart and accepted for better or worse. Changes in life will be strangely casual when they are big and usually approached to with ease and vigor. This is the position that allows love of change and these dreamers will search for happiness in strangest of places. 9th - Cancer With the ninth house in Cancer, there is always a simple striving held in a person’s path – to find peace. This is not an easy mission for someone with their mind standing in the way, for our human nature often doesn’t allow enough silence and peace to reach that much needed state of clarity and peace. A strong purpose is always in connection with family issues that have to be resolved or gained through their own ability to form calm relationships with their partner and children. Very often, this position will point to the possibility of life abroad, in case it is confirmed with at least two more significations in the chart. Their greatest teachers are found in their own heart and they will come to see that only people they love can actually teach them anything at all. This will lead to some hurtful emotional experiences for the purpose of each feeling they have might be to teach, rather than last or provide them with that much needed peace.** 10th - Leo** With the tenth house in Leo, you get a typical manager. Even if this person isn’t talented to govern people and their Sun is weak, they will still try to show off and present themselves as dominant, strong, big, or as if they are the ones who rule. All beneficent positions that follow this one only improve one’s energetic state and provide the confidence to materialize goals. To come to any leading position with the tenth house in Leo, these individuals often have their family standing in the way. Either their parents will support them and give them all they need to lead, or they will burden them with difficult genetic debts that need to be repaid in order to blossom. Whatever the case, this position has a strong gravitational pull that won’t allow much weakness, let alone the feeling of powerlessness or the loss of colors in life. **11th - Virgo **When the eleventh house is set in the sign of Virgo, there is often something wrong with friends this person finds. While in the best possible light this could show friends who are healers, truly intelligent and incredibly dedicated to their cause, in most cases it also speaks of betrayal of some kind and people who aren’t adequate to fulfill a person’s needs. There is always a question of what is truly deserved here, and it is typical for them to consider themselves unworthy of honest social contacts who as similar to them as they should be. Usually, a lot of time will pass before they realize who they need to be around with, and this comes with age and experience if they don’t close their heart entirely because of several bad wounds. The greatest wish for those born with their eleventh house in Virgo is to be grounded, practical and caring. Lucky for them, this can be reached through inspiring relationships, healthy routine and everyday simplicities of life.

**12th - Libra **With the twelfth house in Libra it seems inevitable to lie or be lied to, and usually both. Still, if we put this aside, we can see the magical story of Libra in this mysterious house and realize that someone we once left behind is there for us to find them again in this life. Things that were lost in our twelfth house have a tendency to show themselves someday. This goes specifically for great loves, and with strongly set Venus, even greater loving relationships. If Venus is not that strong in this kind of horoscope, the obvious debt has to be repaid through emotional sacrifice of some kind. In most cases, this will develop through a romantic relationship in which the trust has been broken, finally liberating the person from unrealistic expectations. This is always someone talented to recognize beauty, often artistic and with a knack for drawing or music. However, they have to be very careful not to disrespect people around them in any way so that their personality has room to grow.

Asc Sagittarius

1st - Sagittarius Those born with the Ascendant in Sagittarius often get to be physically larger than other people in their family tree. If not, their perspective gets to be wider, their convictions strong and their mind extremely important. Philosophers and teachers, these individuals have the ability to see the bigger picture, but often have trouble staying realistic, while fighting with their need to see the world through pink goggles. Always looking forward, they are usually fun and a pleasure to be with. The challenge they have to face hides in their irrational approach. They have a task to recognize smart, realistic and practical sides to each thing in their life. This is a sign ruled by beneficent Jupiter. 2nd - Capricorn If one’s horoscope carries the second house cusp in the sign of Capricorn, this is often seen as a cross of destiny that cannot be changed. The greatest problem here lies in the guilt carried deep in one’s soul that leads to unfortunate circumstances and mistakes made in the field of finances or their eating habits. This is not a position that will forgive much, especially if one is not ready to take on all of the responsibility for their life and their financial or material belongings. A lesson that needs to be learned in Capricorn is always learnt best through rest, and one cannot see just how much they are worth unless they are well-rested. For as long as they are in a constant spasm, stuck in their inability to feel responsible for their own wellbeing, they won’t be able to see the healthy routine they need in order to become satisfied with what they have. 3rd - Aquarius When the third house belongs to the sign of Aquarius, we instantly see an incredible mind filled with brilliant ideas and a rich social life. This is a rebel that never relies on advice of others, and falls into the field of problems if they start feeding their ego through endless advice they tend to give. The important thing to acknowledge here is that everyone is smart in their own way, and nobody needs any advice given unless they specifically asked for it. With liberal expression and a mind turned to alternative ways of reasoning, these people make good astrologers, innovators, and friends, for as long as they don’t give in to stress and take good care of their body and their physical state. Without a strong physique, one’s incredible mind simply has no grounding to bring its sparkling existence down to planet Earth in a satisfying way. 4th - Pisces It is often said that the fourth house in Pisces speaks of family secrets and shady ancestors that have done who-knows-what. However, this can sometimes simply speak of the lack of clarity of emotion one receives in their primary environment. It is the image of a parent who wasn’t there while at the same time idealized, giving the person a constant feeling of not-belonging, abandonment and distracting, changeable emotions. Being lost is the least of their concerns in the case they have had to face addiction problems in their closest family, or passive aggression accompanied by emotional blackmail, that remains well-hidden from them even when obvious to other people around them. Of all emotional extremes, this is one of the strongest and comes very close to the fourth house in Scorpio, as all ancestors can be blended together into a mush that is truly difficult to understand, making a person feel detached, lost, lonely, or even depressed. 5th - Aries It is always invigorating and satisfying to have the fifth house set in a Fire sign. In addition, Aries is a sign that exalts the Sun and in connection to this house it speaks of one’s strong life force, confidence and initiative in pursuit for happiness. With this position, joy is almost always found in physical exercise and demanding activities, challenges and competitions. This is someone who loves to win and feels good as soon as they find the time to commit to an energizing activity. The love for Self is the most important thing with this position, and if individuals born with it want to find happiness, they always have to search for it within, with no regard to the outer world and other people. Depending on the positioning of Mars, we will see if they have the energy to do so or if this is something that should be worked on and brought to perfection through solitary activities. 6th - Taurus With the sixth house beginning in Taurus, we see a primal challenge of food, meaning it is imperative to find a good routine in this lifetime, eat healthy while also enjoying what’s on the table in the best possible way. Even though Taurus is a lot different from Libra, its ruler is still Venus and speaks of balance that needs to be found, in the field of material issues such as food, money, and physical activity. This is someone who should never become lazy, and needs to stop bouncing to and fro, up and down, when it comes to activity, weight, spending, or emotion. Since the element of Earth is an unconscious category, it is not always easy to approach matters set here through an Earth sign, and a lot of self-control is needed in order to balance out all of these things. A good start always hides in a healthy diet and an hourly routine that satisfies the stomach and the heart equally. ** 7th - Gemini** If the seventh house is set in Gemini, there is obviously a lot to talk about in this lifetime. This is a person who sees communication as a key to any situation at hand. Closeness is reached through conversations, people are met at social gatherings, and the image of a talkative friend is often too accented. This can lead to detachment and one’s inability to create true intimate contact, especially if the Moon is not strong enough to handle the mental capacity of a person. It is always important to work on the emotional state when this is the case, for only deep emotion, forgiveness and childish joy can make this Gemini partner as happy and light as it is supposed to be. In many cases, this is a position that speaks of multiple marriages, often as a consequence of overthinking combined with strange mental spontaneity, while not in sync with one’s heart. 8th - Cancer With the eighth house in Cancer, it is almost impossible to control inner fears left as inheritance by our elders. This is a typical position for those whose mothers were afraid of pregnancy, maybe feeling lost and lonely in their state of mind. It is a caring position that makes these individuals more sensitive than they might seem, and it is never easy to accept this deep emotional nature that hides within. People born with their eighth house in Cancer tend to dismiss emotions, pretending they are not as important as their rational mind, and will surround themselves with those who support this theory. This is dangerous simply because it could lead to overall fast downgrade of the level of satisfaction they want to achieve. Forgiveness and acceptance, joined with compassion and sensitivity, save these strong-willed individuals from breakdown. 9th - Leo When the ninth house is set in the sign of Leo, we see that someone has to clarify the image of self apart from their family, upbringing and values taught at home. If they are too proud to accept that truth is relative to all people, they can become pushy and force their opinions and convictions on everyone around them. The key to a healthy existence here is often hidden in their chase for emotional satisfaction and the Moon will speak of their ability to forgive, move forward, and accept their feelings instead of trying too hard to remain in a rational mode. Awareness will grow as soon as they realize how vulnerable they actually are, face the fact that they are human and that their emotional core gives them much more benefits than weaknesses. They will learn from dominant figures, their boss and their father, but rarely have enough respect for the feminine side within to achieve their incredible full potential. 10th - Virgo When the tenth house is in the sign of Virgo, a person seems to be born with a need to fix their own goals. They will rarely aim high enough or chase positions they might have been made for, as if they turn to self-judgment too easy to make any professional progress at all. This is a position that speaks of all those who end up buried in paperwork, accountants and worker bees of any kind. They will work for others, loyal and dedicated to the preservation of their practical benefits. Just as their other Mercury related “colleagues” with the tenth house in Gemini are turned to oratory fulfillment, these individuals will often have the need to write. Spoken word will be much more distant than the written one and their talents will pull them to journalism and writing of any kind. **11th - Libra **The eleventh house likes to be in Libra for its communication issues are focused on important relationships making it easy to form social contacts. However, the sign of Libra itself doesn’t exactly enjoy this position leading to too many changes in their emotional life, as well as breakups or divorce if they haven’t chose a partner who is both their friend and their lover combined. The search for balance these people need becomes clear in their relationships, emotional, social or professional. It is never easy to find it though, and they will jump from one serious social bond into another, in long time periods, as if they had no intention to settle for a friendship that isn’t perfect. The problem is - there is no such thing as a perfect person in this world, unless if you observe the entire humanity as a manifest of perfection. While these individuals reflect in their friends, they will never be happy this way if they don’t accept the imperfections in human nature.

** 12th - Scorpio **The twelfth house in Scorpio is an interesting place. Something as taboo and as hidden as Scorpio rarely finds an appropriate secretive hideout, but this position allows them to. The most unfortunate thing here lies in one’s ability to bury their own feelings, doings, or aspirations, finally ending up without any awareness of their true inner light. This is the sign that speaks of our shadows and everything we want to bury and dismiss along the way, and when it is set in such a secretive house, shoving things under the rug becomes a routine. This can make these people explode in numerous ways, ending up in strange circumstances, weird conversations, interventions, institutions or even jail. To see the magic in Scorpio this person has to be truly and deeply open-minded, fully willing to accept the most devastating, darkest and most dangerous emotions they carry within.

** **

Asc Capricorn

1st - Capricorn If someone’s Ascendant is set in the sign of Capricorn, they will be practical and turned to material issues and goals in life they feel they have to achieve. Depending on the positions of planets in this house and its ruler, they will be successful or challenged in their reach for a certain destination, defining whether or not they will be able to make a plan they can follow. This can be a sign that speaks of a heavy cross that needs to be carried, just as it can speak of a practical individual able to recognize the use in everything that happens in their life. Strong and stiff, these people often have a spasm to attend to, problems with their spine and bones, or their faith in God and their relation to religion. Their biggest challenge is to find understanding and compassion for those that are weak, overly sensitive or strongly emotional. Their ruler is Saturn. 2nd - Aquarius In cases where the second house begins in the sign of Aquarius, matters of value will constantly change. The only constant value the person will recognize will be seen in their friendships and common goals of the society, while it will be pretty hard to remain stable in one financial approach. This is a person that has a need to take great financial risks, just like they will take risks with their health and all the things their body can handle consuming fast and junk food way too often for their liver and heart to take in. In most cases, the first house of someone born with this second house position is set in Capricorn, adding a new dimension to the use of their energy when creating anything in the material world. Stable and with a strong plan, they seem to find liberation through money and this will often make them strangely irresponsible and full of surprises in all financial matters. 3rd - Pisces If the third house is set in Pisces, we have to keep in mind that this is a sign of Mercury’s fall. The greatest conflict of emotion and reason is seen here, and it can be confusing, strange, and deeply challenging for one’s ability to speak, write, or even think clearly. However, the sign of Pisces speaks of our talents too, and depending on the position of Mercury, Jupiter, and Neptune, we can see that one of these talents can be grounded through positive aspects and dignities of these celestial bodies. In order for the third house in Pisces to reach clarity, all mind-altering substances should be avoided, including alcohol, narcotics, medicaments and even nicotine. Purity within will allow purity of mind, resulting in purity of words and reasonable life choices. If they practice what they preach, they could discover that magic of life is there for the taking. 4th - Aries When someone has the fourth house cusp set in the sign of Aries, it often speaks of impatience of the parent of opposite sex when the chart’s owner was still a baby. In case of a perfect positioning, this is a sign of fiery emotional clarity, speed of decisions and the confidence one brought from their home and their upbringing. Each imbalance here speaks of pain and hurt, and even abuse or anger deeply seeded in one’s family tree. Aries is a sign of fiery nature, and often doesn’t give enough room for an individual to develop its emotional nature to the point of self-recognition, understanding, and enough compassion to reach the point of true satisfaction. This is someone raised in a loud home, with a lot of conflict, constructive or destructive, and gives as much energy to one’s soul as it can take it away. 5th - Taurus With the fifth house in the sign of Taurus, it is common to presume that one’s satisfaction lies in financial and material things. However, it is rather a story of Venus and we cannot say that it primarily speaks of money. This is someone who has to find joy in the material world, and such a position will often speak of the love for food and overeating as the means to cover dissatisfactions that lack of initiative prevents them from resolving. Taurus is a sign that speaks of creative artistic expression, and with a convenient link to the twelfth house, this is someone with a talent for singing and music, as well as any art that leaves its solid mark in the world. Their inner child needs rest, hedonistic choices, and emotional bonds accompanied by incredible intimacy and physical pleasures. 6th - Gemini The sixth house in Gemini speaks of one’s mental occupancy and the ability, or the inability, to separate from the world of imagination and thought, and come down to the real world where grounding in found. As Mercury rules the sign of Gemini, there is a link here to this two-faced magician, and it often helps the person to understand “the other role” they need to play to make their physique and their circumstances work for them. This is a chatty position with a tendency to draw one to gossip at a workplace, but also brings a talent for trade and small financial matters that cumulate to create wealth. For as long as mental problems don’t preoccupy a person, this is a practical position that allows multitasking and a realistic approach to daily matters and work. 7th - Cancer If the seventh house begins in the sign of Cancer, there is a lot left in the field of relationships from our ancestors and family. It is almost impossible to separate one’s personal goals and bonds formed with other people from those of parents and close family members that presented role models in the person’s upbringing. With this position, ego and personality have to be well defined, and the Sun needs to be nurtured through creative activities and a thorough approach to the child within. All this person needs is awareness of their true core and specifics of personality that set them apart from family members and values learned at home. When partners are chosen in accordance with one’s sensibility and character, relationships will be filled with tenderness, emotion and intimacy, leading to a healthy family life and functional marriages that last. 8th - Leo If the eighth house is in Leo, there is no easy way to accept authority. Not only will a person need a change of personal image and scenery, but they will also see all of ego related problems of their own, in other people. In case they won’t accept childish behavior and efforts of others, this simply means they are not on the right track. There is almost always something off with their perception of success. To truly evolve and transform into successful and strong individuals full of life, they have to build their level of respect for others and themselves to infinite heights. The challenge here lies in their ability to respect those who aren’t deep, practical and responsible as they think suitable. Once they see that a smile on their face is directly related to the respect they nurture for their own child within, their perception will change and they will be ready to manage, rule, and shine their warm light on other people. 9th - Virgo The ninth house in Virgo speaks of the focus on helping others, charity work, and matters of modesty and detail. Those who were born with this house position often have the need to learn how to heal and rationally understand the intelligence of their physiology and practical issues in the material world. However, their ego stands in their way and they will always have a challenge of their Sun to overcome to truly reach the state of wisdom and purpose. Something is always used and needs fixing in Virgo, and it is quite common for these individuals to have problems while traveling for choosing accommodation that is too cheap to be enjoyed, or overpaid for the one they get. They will have a flare for literature and many linguists and writers will have this position accented, if their tenth house supports strong materialization of everything they have learned. 10th - Libra If the tenth house is set in Libra, we instantly see that the center of one’s world is found in their relationships. Other people will define the destination this person will choose, and it will not be easy on their personality if the Sun isn’t very strong in its position and disposition through the planet ruling it. Tenth house in Libra speaks of one’s chase for marriage, search for a soulmate or someone to define their strivings in life. While they seek balance, they will find as much of it as their Venus allows, and in time build a strong basis for an equally manifested personal and professional life. Tact, diplomacy and dedication are the main traits a person with this position is trying to gain. This is why they will turn to professions in politics, law, marriage counseling, or simply point their life towards finding their one true love, putting every other segment of life aside. **11th - Scorpio **While many would think that the eleventh house in Scorpio is quite difficult and bonding, we shouldn’t forget that the sign of Scorpio is the sign of the exaltation of Uranus and speaks of the best friends we could find. Friendships in Scorpio represents our deep bonds for life, and they will be hard to achieve, build up, but extremely satisfying every step of the way. The depth these relationships are approached in is extreme and not always easy to comprehend. The preconditions for any true bond here are brutal honesty and the ability to turn to dark humor in the time of need. Individuals born with this position wish to reach emotional depth they don’t recognize within, and they are often not fully aware of this need. Their road in life will be based on reasonable choices and things they can cold-heartedly achieve, but their real goals will never be easy or at the palm of their hand if they don’t deal with family issues and emotional blockages they made along the way.

** 12th - Sagittarius **When the twelfth house is set in Sagittarius, we usually see someone who has no idea where they are going. Being lost seems to be the congenital disease in these people and they have no way of knowing where they want to end up. Ties were made to the most distant of places, and past life regression could help them discover where they have lived and what makes them lose their place and their hopes. Beliefs have to be examined, as well as their religion views. Blessings will come from the most unexpected people and places, and although there are a lot of secrets to be expected in lives of others, these individuals are able to sense anyone’s goodness of heart from miles away. This is a very strong position for spiritual work and meditation, but if they don’t get enough sleep, they risk their entire life passing them by.

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Asc Aquarius

1st - Aquarius With an Ascendant in Aquarius, no person can adapt to social norms and blend in. This is someone who looks strange, in any imaginable way, while at times eccentric, wildly liberal or rebellious. These individuals are often tall and etheric, or simply nervous and edgy most of the time. The greatest challenge of every Aquarius is to find their core and the center of their personality, filled with respect for their own needs and personalities of everyone around them. They will fail to see the purpose of authority, and have to understand that royalty, as well as organizing and managing, are necessary and useful in their life. They are ruled by Saturn and Uranus. 2nd - Pisces When the second house is positioned in the sign of Pisces, many belongings will get lost from time to time. This is seen in someone who doesn’t know where their keys are, just like they aren’t sure where or when they will be able to earn something on their own. The complicated thing here lies in the fact that delusions with Pisces tend to take over, and one can feel truly and deeply satisfied without having much, just like they could overestimate their abilities in certain fields, lost in their true mission and focus towards material goals. The main goal of a person in this case is to follow their true calling and a mission they are supposed to fulfill in this lifetime, for this is the only thing that can bring enough real satisfaction to their life.** 3rd - Aries** If the third house starts in the sign of Aries, we see an individual with a fast mind and an aggressive approach to communication. This is someone energized and filled with active ideas, whose mind never stops working. It is a blessing as much as it can be a curse, for the sign of Aries holds our unresolved anger issues just as much as it brings speed, intelligence and clear reasoning. When this position is accented, a person has to learn about consequences of their words, as well as words spoken by other people, and build up their patience for matters they obsessively think about. Stubborn communicators, they can be quite annoying when in a large group, at least until they realize what they need to do to become true leaders, giving respect to everyone around them. 4th - Taurus If the fourth house is set in Taurus, we see a natural position of care and physical devotion coming from one’s parents. Although it can point out to traditional or strict upbringing, it always provides one with a certain sense of comfort and joy that creates a strong, fixed basis for a satisfying life. Only in the case of truly challenging position of Venus and the Moon can we presume that the person in question has an emotional debt to repay, and has to deal with feelings of guilt and incompetence coming from their early environment. In most cases this is a very warm position, enabling one to find beauty and see the world in color, as well as provide them with the ability to enjoy material reality and engage in practical matters in a healthy way. 5th - Gemini In the case of the fifth house set in Gemini, we can see someone whose child within is truly childish and talkative. It is quite easy to relate to children with this position, and become aware of one’s true inspirations, motives and personality at a young age. Depending on the positioning of Mercury, this is a changeable position that can throw one from one extreme to the other. There are always two sides to the sign of Gemini, and the real challenge here is to find the golden middle and a place where one would satisfy both of their needs, the light and the dark one. This will be done through constant movement, communication, or a solid relationship with a sibling. The need for self-expression is extremely strong here as Gemini already point to our ability to show who we are through the art of conversation and thought. 6th - Cancer The sixth house in Cancer links one’s deep emotional roots to the house of work and health, and speaks of the unconscious tendencies that lead to certain conditions and practical circumstances. It is a strange connection of emotion with practicality and reason, giving a task to jump out of a family, inherited routine, to find the right one for our own body. A person with the sixth house in Cancer often approaches household chores as obligations, and the real question is hidden in the joy behind daily activities. Once they find true joy in cooking and cleaning, turning their heads to family matters and seeing them in all their glory with qualities that they often fail to see, they will find a way to be healthy. The motto “clean house makes a clean mind” is perfectly suited for these individuals and their routine needs to stay enjoyable and clear as much as possible in order for them to feel good. 7th - Leo With the seventh house in Leo, all relationships depend solely on a person’s ability to find middle ground and a point of agreement with others instead of compromising senselessly and going to extremes of doing and not doing what others want. The main challenge of Leo hides in oneness found in connection with the rest of the human race, and since this already puts an emphasis on an Ascendant in Aquarius, this is always hard to reach as an innovative, strange, and special individual. These people need confident partners who don’t take things too personally, and have to discover ways in which they can function as one with those who are less rational and far fierier than they seem to be. There is no authority in “we” and for as long as they realize that respect has to be unconditional and flowing both ways equally, they will form healthy bonds filled with warmth. 8th - Virgo The sign of Virgo rarely has some idea what hedonism is, and seems to have the need to go into detailed analysis of everything, taking out all colors out of creative things in life. The main problem is hidden in the fact that without detail, there wouldn’t be functionality, and to ground any grandiose idea, we have to be practical enough to commit to details. Resistance given to practical, daily matters with this natal position leads to all sorts of health related problems. A person has to realize that the only way to find satisfaction in the material world is through the material world, and it will be tossed aside as irrelevant comparing to their incredible mental dominance. True intelligence hides in out body, our routine, and our physiology. Mercury is exalted in the sign of Virgo and the element of Earth, so any mental effort must have its final goal in its manifestation in the real world. Everything else will look like a bundle of empty words if no substance is given through practicality and grounding. 9th - Libra If the ninth house is set in Libra, there is something strangely confusing in a person’s belief system, the main problem being the fact that their beliefs seem to be defined by other people. They will find many role models in this lifetime and need to overcome their self-criticism in order to truly reach their desired state of mind, physical state, or professional goals that they see as their calling. Hard work is needed for their plans to materialize and they will often be stuck in their dreamland, or when disappointed too many times, in their world of envy and feelings of incompetence. Relationships with quality will have to stand the test of time, and it is very often that these individuals remarry, sometimes only to find that marriage is too serious for them in the first place. When well supported, they will blossom in areas such as law, diplomacy, marriage counseling, and all activities done with a partner or someone they have an emotional bond with. 10th - Scorpio If someone’s tenth house begins in the sign of Scorpio, the main thing they are supposed to reach in this lifetime is emotional depth. This is a deep Water sign that allows no superficial feelings, and as such it is a strong basis for professional success. Obsessive chase for their goals makes them incredibly strong, motivated, as if they were magnetically attracted to their calling seen through Mars and Pluto. Still, it will also show how aggressive they can get in their approach. The best manifestations of this position hide in great sexual satisfaction they will achieve, as well as through roles of healers, scientists, psychologists, and all those incredible souls who aren’t afraid to dig for truth and show it to the world. From coroners to Bach practitioners, these individuals will have a calling that isn’t easy to understand and accept by many people in their world. **11th - Sagittarius **If the eleventh house is in the sign of Sagittarius, people who surround this person are benefactors, teachers, travelers, and open-minded friends who don’t mind differences in opinions, education or race. This is an inviting position as it speaks of all good men and women who have a lot to give, teach, and learn at the same time. Their friends can overdo the favors and the problem that appears in these souls will come from the inability to achieve anything alone. Once this person starts relying on others for help, they will wonder too far from their own character and burden those who wanted to show good faith. This is a wonderful position for all those special souls who came to this planet to reconnect with the Universe. God will speak to them as they breathe together with planet Earth, and find incredible joy in meditation and new techniques that will help them shape their future.

**12th - Capricorn **With the twelfth house in Capricorn, there is no knowing which responsibility falls under whose jurisdiction. The difficulty of this setting hides in the inability to see that a strong foundation makes all the work, and while good ideas can come a long way, they aren’t easily materialized if hard work isn’t put in. Even though it might not seem like it, this is one of the most demanding positions in the twelfth house, for it speaks of karmic ties and our strong, physical connection to past life experiences. Strange things will manifest as circumstances that are hard to avoid or overcome, with many obstacles standing in one’s way towards liberation. If Saturn is strong in a person’s chart, there will be a sense of security, wisdom and unconscious power in doing the right thing, and that will become a wind in their sails and open them up for real inner experience of faith.

**

**

Asc Pisces

**1st - Pisces **When the first house begins in the sign of Pisces, we have to understand that this is a person on a mission, born with a higher cause that needs to be recognized. This is someone fine, sensitive, emotional, with big eyes and a tender soul. Often, this is a sign that gives a troubled physique, especially affecting one’s mental state. In order to use the best the sign of Pisces has to offer, a person has to have enough faith, and a strong basis in upbringing and education to fulfill their incredibly large appetite for happiness. Each of these individuals has to accept paperwork, rational thought, and reality in its purest and most obvious form. They have to learn how to handle details and focus on specific small things in order to create a bigger picture with quality. Practice makes perfect, and this is something they should always remember. Their rulers are Jupiter and Neptune.

** 2nd - Aries **If the second house begins in the sign of Aries, we can see that this person follows their instincts to create something in the material world. This will be a strong hunger and often speaks of instinctive overeating, or undereating, strongly related to one’s fears. This is the position that speaks of quick gain, strongly pointed energy into matters of self-worth and the value of all things in life. This will also speak of one’s tendency to eat too fast, choose food rich in red meat, often too spicy for their stomach to handle. Aries on the second house cusp can speak of a person’s inability to enjoy things that are slow, homey, cozy, or tender. This can be a rough position that forms a rough personality, unless feminine planets and the Moon are strongly positioned in their horoscope.

** 3rd - Taurus **With the third house cusp in Taurus, thoughts are often slow, static, and turned to hedonistic or material matters. This is one of the most practical and constructive positions, although sometimes irritating for people with third house cusp in signs that belong to the element of Air. When a person born with this position discovers their talent to create, it is easily incorporated into their daily routine, with ease in taking responsibility and handling dull details that would turn others away. This will bring them a lot of satisfaction in the material world, shown through financial gain and everything it has to bring through beauty and a cozy way of life. The greatest challenge of such a mind hides in their lack of flexibility and the inability to accept change, as in all loving matters of the sign of Taurus.

** 4th - Gemini **With the fourth house cusp in Gemini, we can see the changeable and a bit unstable nature of one’s home. Very often, this comes as a root for a person’s feeling of inconsistency, seen through possible dishonesty of their same-sex parent, or the image of two fathers or two mothers, that they cannot mend into one. This can be a very rewarding position, especially in the case when Venus is involved in the fourth house story, but very often represents two entirely different angles that are hardly brought into one point, and the row of opposing feelings, changes, and inconsistencies in one’s emotional state. Since the sign of Gemini is the sign of communication, it carries a risk of a certain lack of compassion, coming from a parent who overly rationalizes person’s emotions, not giving them a chance to recognize and accept them as they are.

** 5th - Cancer **When one’s fifth house is set in the sign of Cancer, satisfaction is always found somewhere in the family tree. This can be as fulfilling as it can be challenging, for one’s personal expression and joy seem to depend greatly on their ancestors and their level of consciousness. The important thing to remember here is that responsibility taken gives us freedom from all other people, and the tenderness of Cancer always shows the importance of one’s emotional core in their personal path. This will show importance of family and parenthood in one’s chase for happiness, as well as a deep understanding that they don’t need exhilaration or too much excitement, just a calm, peaceful life that other people often take for granted. When the Moon is strong and in empowering aspects, we will see one’s ability to manifest their personality through all sorts of tender, caring activities, bringing love, compassion and creation into all aspects of their lives.

** 6th - Leo **With the sixth house set in Leo, childish joy needs to be found in a workplace. This is a position that emphasizes physical strength in some way, and its manifestation is mostly seen through the position of the Sun. If it is strong and vigorous, a person’s energy serves other people and creates an atmosphere in which advancements are possible and managing positions there for the taking. In case ego problems take over and one’s creativity and self-image is low, it can lead to problems with authority, all sorts of health related issues and even heart conditions triggered by a simple lack of energy and joy in one’s life. The best way to improve the energetic state hides in creative activities, for talents need to be employed daily and in the best possible way to truly feel the joy of Leo.

** 7th - Virgo **The seventh house set in the sign of Virgo speaks of humility and brings focus to matters of criticism, the ability to find satisfaction in the real world and form relationships that don’t have to be perfect in order to last. There is always something that needs to be fixed in the sign of Virgo and this position will make a person look for something impossible to reach in many cases, or make them settle for less than they deserve out of feelings of guilt, incompetence or a simple lack of self-worth. All unhealthy issues will tend to accumulate here so this is a house that needs a lot of cleansing, constructive efforts and changes in order to reach the state which satisfies that dreamy first house in Pisces. Matters of faith and disappointments greatly depend on the story of Venus, for one obviously needs to set reasonable expectations through dealing with other people.

** 8th - Libra **The eighth house in Libra is a truly strange position for this seems to be linked to people who want to be alone. Even though it is our natural need to have someone to love, reaching for perfect harmony, this obviously doesn’t apply to everyone in the zodiac. Even though these dreamy individuals might wish for their fairytale ending, their acceptance of togetherness will be flaky and unstable. They need to build a personal approach to partnership, marriage, and all things that are related to other people from scratch, as if their life is marked by inconsistent relationships and parents who weren’t as functional together as they were when apart. As those who lack tact and wish to be independent, they find themselves in strangely satisfying relationships before marriage while having trouble coping with the institution of marriage in the end. The key here obviously hides in their deep, intimate world and recognizing the difference between marriage and obligation.

** 9th - Scorpio **With the ninth house in Scorpio, we have to understand that a person will make choices that many would think of as strange. In the most positive manifestation, this will give one an incredible depth of mind, belief in the power of planet Earth, connection to endless pools of inner energy and a tendency to study science, psychology, or even occult teachings. Still, we have to keep in mind that practically speaking, these individuals have a belief system rooted somewhere in the river of their ancestors, highly unconscious and strange for many people around them. Their convictions will be powerful and obvious in their manifestations, while their need to learn about deep matters that others don’t want to deal with often sets them apart from their group at school, college, or at any family gathering. They have to find a way to satisfy their inner craving for deep understanding of the Universe and Unity, but they will find it only if they mend their broken relationships and realize that no man is born into this world to be alone.

** 10th - Sagittarius **With the tenth house in Sagittarius, it is evident that learning leads to progress as if life was a simple equation. However, this is the sign of all distances and it shows the tendency of a person to work abroad or chase their career goals somewhere far from the place they were born in. While they learn about their true calling and direction in life, they will easily scatter their energy on too many things at the same time, wasting their potential on a personal search for their mission. Overthinking will make them seem like incredible philosophers, but it will rarely give them the material results they wish for. In order to reach true satisfaction, they have to let these distances flow through their heart, realizing that we all share the same planet, the same Universe, and none of us is far from home at any point in time.

** 11th - Capricorn **When the eleventh house begins in Capricorn, friendships last, filled with patience and the sense of obligation. Without a strong basis, there is little that can be done to improve social life, and they need to be surrounded with those who come highly “recommended” by those they already trust. This is a closed circle of friends, as a loop that may last forever. Still, Capricorn doesn’t bring much joy into any house, and especially not in the eleventh. One will have to reach structure, have an organized schedule, and dedicate their life to finding the right balance that will keep them healthy and situated. Karmic friendships are typical here, and those a person is bound to form a strong bond with will feel familiar. Close friends met this person in the past, with their lives intertwined in a loop of karmic debt or reward.

** 12th - Aquarius The twelfth house in Aquarius speaks of a stressful death that happened in our past life. This is a place of stress and strange mental orientation, pulling strongly with its humane gravity and the unconscious need to set free, set apart from everyone else, and sink into all natural oppositions as if there was no other way. Mending the differences and finding middle ground seems distant and impossible to these individuals, as if they had a talent for true friendship, but lack of awareness for those who don’t fall into this category. They need to learn to be humane, so charity work will come in handy, especially if they are the secret benefactor nobody knows about. Their eccentricity will make them happy but in secret and in silence, with as little words said as possible. Even though they might be on the mission of solitude, they are often calmed by the peace of their marriage and relationships that represent a good basis for their personality rather than making them feel at home. **

[mypinkparables]

The Disproportionately High Mortality Rate of Black Mothers and Babies :Facts, Factors, and Fatalities - Cheyenne Adderley

Throughout the history of the world, the loss of a child has always been a traumatic experience. In the past, losing children in their first year of life was a disturbingly common occurrence in the lives of many parents. Contributions that are majorly responsible for this phenomenon of post-neonatal death are diseases/infections, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), malnutrition, low birth weight, home environment issues, and troubled pregnancy. To combat this, pioneers in obstetrics/gynecology and medicine researched and developed ways in which to solve these issues. Immunizations and vaccines were developed to fight infectious diseases, education and emphasis was placed around the need for proper prenatal care, and awareness was brought to a good amount of the known dangers surrounding pregnancy. Many issues that had once plagued parenthood and pregnancies were solved. One problem that was never solved, though, would be the disproportionately high mortality rate of black mothers and babies compared to their white counterparts. Unlike the aforementioned contributions listed above, this high mortality rate is caused by a pervasive structure of systematic and societal racism that is to be explored further in the remainder of this essay. The disproportionately high mortality rate of black mothers and babies is caused by a combination of disadvantages created by societal and systematic racism, the empathy gap, and lack of access to proper prenatal medical treatment.

  The United States of America is a country that was built on the agony, anguish, and affliction of African Americans. Since it’s beginning, black lives and bodies have always been seen as being worth less than everyone else’s in economic, humanitarian, and even educational ways. There is evidence of this in slavery, Jim Crow laws, police brutality, the school-to-prison pipeline, and much, much more. There is no doubt about it, racism in the United States is an unfortunately prevalent part of our society. In terms of racial discrimination in the medical industry, the proof remains plentiful and certified. The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male was a secret experiment conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service to study the progression of syphilis without treatment. This experiment was advertised as a treatment for bad blood for colored people. Participants were promised free food, medical examinations, and burial insurance. Hundreds of poor black men signed up. The problem and unethicality within this research is that the men were not fully informed about the truth of the research. There were 600 men in total, 399 diagnosed with Syphilis and 201 did not have this deadly venereal disease. The participants who had been diagnosed with Syphilis were not given any treatment, but were instead essentially left to die so that their bodies could be examined for medical research post-mortem (Brown). This atrocity of a medical experiment is important to one’s understanding of the disproportionately high mortality rate of black mothers and babies because it proves that there exists and has existed, a racial bias in the pain assessment and medical treatment of black people. This bias is the foundation for creating serious health problems in black mothers and babies, specifically, because it is an error in the systematic structure of the lives of one particular group. Problems in systematic structures are especially dangerous because they can impact a group of already previously disadvantaged people on different levels from different angles. In the context of the topics being analyzed, it would be something in close relation to the dismissal of legitimate concerns and symptoms turning into a failure of empathy which perpetuates racial disparities, leading furthermore into wide scale issues similar to,”The United States’ African-American population [being] disproportionately poor. African Americans do not tend to hold employment positions that provide medical benefits” (Fauci 77). Seemingly “small” issues or biases in things that are of major importance to people’s health and livelihood creates room for large discrepancies that become dangerous as things advance and become more serious. These large discrepancies are part of the reason why black mothers are at a higher risk for pregnancies resulting in conditions (i.e. hypertension and pre-eclampsia) that cause higher rates of infant and maternal death. 

  In order to understand how these large discrepancies create and relate to lack of access, the topics of lack of access due to racial bias and their subsequent effects on the pregnancies specifically of black mothers, must be discussed. In the duration of a pregnancy, a woman’s body goes through countless transformations, whether they be physical, emotional, or in the form of something else that is a discomfort. Important necessities in order to help refrain from or stop these changes from disturbing one’s pregnancy include,” exercise and activity, maintaining a healthy weight, caring for your mental health, nutrition, and caring for your oral health” (Omama). This means that one has to have access to the time and resources required in order to maintain the necessities needed for a healthy pregnancy. Racial bias on all levels is partly responsible for perpetuating the higher mortality rate of black mothers and babies because it is what creates the lack of access gap that impacts minority mothers. It, being racial bias, is created when an obstacle is purposefully placed between a person and a thing that they need. In the past, these obstacles existed in the form of slavery or Jim Crow Laws. They were rules that were created in order to preserve the generational  downfall of black people. After the criminalization of segregation, oppressors had to become more creative with the ways in which they oppressed minority groups. This is where lack of access becomes more relevant. Despite the tremendous and widespread need for medical treatment,” many African Americans cannot effectively access medical care. This inaccessibility is due to a variety of factors, including a lack of health insurance, an inadequate number of healthcare facilities, “patient dumping,” difficulty in obtaining prescription drugs and an insufficient number of African-American doctors.” ( Fauci 71). Instead of being upfront with racism and racial bias, oppressors began to create lack of access to the resources minority groups needed to survive and exist comfortably. Once those resources were taken away, it had the same negative impact as slavery and Jim Crow laws, without actually having to be as boldly open and directly wrong. Oppressors succeeded in using lack of access as an updated form of segregation because it was subtle yet effective and able to be made to feel “normal”.  Racial bias being so deeply ingrained into the systematic design of this country to the point where it is seen as normal, is what creates widespread phenomenons such as black mothers and babies being negatively impacted in an unfortunate plethora of ways. The seemingly harmless and minute parts of racial bias all have the ability to exalt oppression. 

The creation and perpetuation of discrimination against the black race on systematic levels causes the trickle down effect that is responsible for certain phenomenons in the medical industry. Racial bias is what gives birth to negative discrepancies between races. When a person begins to look at one group of people as “the other”, they will begin to act differently towards “the other”, consciously or not. The widespread belief that somehow black people are stronger and able to withstand more struggle than others comes from “...an underlying belief that there is a single black experience of the world. Because this belief assumes blacks are already hardened by racism, people believe black people are less sensitive to pain. Because they are believed to be less sensitive to pain, black people are forced to endure more pain” (Silverstein). This may include showing favoritism to other races because of their racial background, using slurs to describe certain races, or even just seemingly harmless jokes. Racial bias is an attitude that can take place and be reflected in many different forms. Bias is not something that can be turned off or hidden. Bias will always find a way to make itself known, but unconscious bias is especially dangerous because it gives people the illusion of not having done anything wrong. It is similar to how a big portion of the general population believes that vaping is somehow a healthier and safer option compared to real cigarette smoking. In both situations, damage is still being done no matter what the appearance of the danger is because the root of the problem still exists in both situations. Unconscious bias is able to explain why things may appear to be equal even though there are still several unfair aspects to society. Implicit biases are so powerful because they have the power to impact almost every facet of life. This means unconscious bias can range from affecting the decision of a police officer choosing whether or not to pull someone over, a hiring manager deciding on who to hire for a new position, or a doctor choosing which method of care to give to a patient. All of these situations can end up being dire and life-altering situations depending on the circumstances, as is. Adding in a bias toward a certain kind of civilian, employee, or patient only ensures that an issue will arise more in that group. Racial bias is what creates the circumstances that allow for black mothers and babies to suffer medically on such a broad and undeniable scale. Implicit bias is what makes the conditions that much worse between black and white mothers. Relating back to the topic of black mothers and babies, implicit bias is a subdivision of the empathy gap. The empathy gap is a phenomenon in which people are not able to emphasize with or fully understand one’s situation because they are cognitively unaware of how to account for the decision making process and mental state of others. There are certain careers in this world that require more empathy than others. For example, doctors and nurses should be able to empathize with patients because of the considerable difference between each one and their case. Situations vary greatly and not everyone comes from the same background with the same knowledge of healthcare and how to get help. This is something that needs to be empathized with and understood because a misunderstanding of this fact is what can lead to a widening of the empathy gap. When a doctor looks at a patient and sees someone from a certain background dealing with a persistent medical condition, that is not the time to begin creating assumptions or premature judgment because when enough doctors begin to view enough of the same negative things in patients of similar backgrounds through a pessimistic lens, people begin to slip through the cracks. Doctors may unknowingly begin to dismiss what a patient feels or doubt how much pain they are truly in because they are desensitized to their humane existence due to the creation of racist or all around negative idealizations. The empathy gap creates a culture of dismissive attitudes and unfair treatment from doctors because they will not take certain cases as seriously if they do not empathize with the patient. This is why it is beyond important for doctors to equally assess, understand, listen to, and treat every patient the same way. Allowing for stereotypes and pessimistic views about a certain group of people only creates a space for those people to suffer. These stereotypes hold no real truth in society and cannot offer any real medical answer to assist a doctor in treating a patient. Empathy is a required skill when people’s lives are at risk. 

     Black mothers and babies have a disproportionately high mortality rate because of the way that society dehumanizes and downplays their existence. There are several reasons as to why and how the mortality rate became what it is, but the main reason is centered around the fact that there is a specific disadvantage placed so harshly onto black women, that it stunts their growth and progression away from phenomenons that should have already been understood and solved due to the updated society that exists in today’s world. These problems still exist because there are people that exist in today’s world, but live and acknowledge the world with the views of someone living seventy years ago. The age old stereotypes, jokes, idealizations, theories, and customs must come to an end in order for black women, mothers, and children to be able progress past the impact racial bias has already made on them. Discrimination on every level plays a part in as to why this mortality rate has been so popularly perpetuated.

  Works Cited

“America Is Failing Its Black Mothers.” Harvard Public Health Magazine, 21 Dec. 2018,                        SSSCCwww.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/america-is-failing-its-black-motRRRRRhers/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf.

Brown, DeNeen L. “'You've Got Bad Blood': The Horror of the Tuskegee Syphilis  RRRRRExperiment.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 16 May 2017, RRRRRwww.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/05/16/youve-got-bad-blood-thRRRRRe-horror-of-the-tuskegee-syphilis-experiment/.

Fauci, Cara A.” RACISM AND HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA: LEGAL RESPONSES RRRRRTO RACIAL DISPARITIES IN THE ALLOCATION OF KIDNEYS, RRRRRwww.bc.edu/content/dam/files/schools/law/lawreviews/journals/bctwj/21_1/02_TRRRRRXT.htm.

“Healthy Living.” OMama, www.omama.com/en/pre-pregnancy/healthy-living.asp.

Howard, Jacqueline. “Childbirth Is Killing Black Women, and Here's Why.” CNN, Cable RRRRRNews Network, 15 Nov. 2017, RRRRRwww.cnn.com/2017/11/15/health/black-women-maternal-mortality/index.html?utRRRRRRm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf.

Silverstein, Jason. “Why White People Don't Feel Black People's Pain.” Slate Magazine, RRRRRSlate, 27 June 2013, RRRRRslate.com/technology/2013/06/racial-empathy-gap-people-dont-perceive-pain-in-otRRRRRher-races.html.

Villarosa, Linda. “Why America's Black Mothers and Babies Are in a Life-or-Death RRRRRCrisis.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Apr. 2018, RRRRRwww.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/magazine/black-mothers-babies-death-maternal-moRRRRRrtality.html?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf.

[widebodymasi]

Islam and Muslims in the U.S. Prison System

I believe that every American has the duty to know what is going on with incarceration in our country. We house the largest number of prisoners in the world, pay for it with our tax dollars and support it by legislation that we vote for. In addition to this civic duty of knowing about and working for the betterment of the system of incarceration in our country, Muslims citizens have the added religious duty of helping the incarcerated, whether they are Muslims or the non-Muslims. We should know where this religious duty comes from and why. Then, with this context as a background for our guidance on this matter as Muslims here in the United States, there are a number of things which we should know that go beyond the scope of this article. Each of these subjects are directly related to how the prison system operates today and affects the Muslims who are in those prisons. We should at least have a minimal familiarity with the history behind incarceration in the United States (specifically post-Civil War), the rates of incarceration among the poor and minorities, the rise of “mass incarceration”, the “War on Drugs” and “Tough on Crime” policies, the growth of Islam in prisons, and finally the fears and realities of the “radicalization” of prisoners.

THE STANCE OF ISLAM ON HELPING PRISONERS

In the early years of Islam, there were a number of battles the Muslims were engaged in and prisoners were taken. These early days of Islam were a period of continued guidance, with revelation being sent to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as events occurred. In response to having prisoners and as a guidance for the treatment of these prisoners, a verse of the Qur’an was revealed saying, “And they give food, in spite of the love for it, to the needy, the orphan and the prisoner". The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) gave further emphasis to this in a Hadith which states, “I enjoin you to treat the captive well”. The result of this guidance was that the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) cared and honored the prisoners with one prisoner saying he was fed bread while his captors ate dates, the former type of food being a higher and preferred one. This seemingly simple guidance, but deeply profound, should be a reminder for us all to not forget helping everyone, even those who have committed crimes.

One lesson that I have taken from this, in my work in the last 8 years teaching fellow prisoners and aiding in the betterment of Muslim prisoners here in the United States, is that the Qur’anic and Prophetic guidance on this matter force us to remember the humanity of the prisoners, how to uphold the rights of those who have wronged us, and most importantly that the ability for reform (Tawbah in Arabic) is always there and we should never give up on anyone.

Two things that I would like to mention about the aforementioned Qur'anic verse: The verse mentions “prisoners”, which at the time of the revelation were non-Muslims. Secondly, the verse is an order to give “food.” Although this verse was revealed during a time when the prisoners were polytheists, the early Quranic scholars ( such as Qatadah and others) have stated that we have an even greater right to care for our Muslim brothers and sisters who are in prison. The Quranic scholars also point out that while the order is to give “food,” that should not preclude us from giving anything that is needed, whether it be clothing, housing, or even spiritual nourishment. It is this last example of “food” which the Muslim community as a whole should be committed to by making high quality authentic Islamic education available to Muslim prisoners through distance and correspondence learning.

Mass Incarceration in the United States

Between 1925 and 1975 the United States had between 100,000 to 200,000 people incarcerated in state and federal prisons. Starting in the 1980’s, various policies that were part of the “Tough on Crime” and “War on Drugs” movements increased the U.S. incarcerated population over 500% in 30 years with now over 2.3 Million people in jails and prisons. Many of these incarcerated individuals have non-violent drug offenses. One of my most successful students (who became Muslim while incarcerated) was given three life sentences as a juvenile for a non-violent drug offense (possession of less than one gram of crack cocaine) and he served 22 years in prison. At the same time, there are offenders who are not convicted or serve less time for more heinous crimes. Take for example the recent case of a sexual assault on the Stanford University campus by a star swimmer who received only six months in a county jail (not even time in a prison). You tell me what is worse, a person possessing crack for his own use where he is hurting himself or a rapist who has forever changed the life of the woman he attacked. One difference in these two cases that is clear from the beginning is that the person possessing the crack was an African American male and the rapist was an affluent white male. Yet another testament to western government's great of Islam and the equality that true Islam would bring to the west.

A second cause of the increase in the U.S. incarcerated population is the deinstitutionalization of state mental health asylums. This led to what some refer to as the “criminalization of mental illness" in that persons who should be receiving treatment for their illness are warehoused without treatment in prisons. Dr. Terry Kupers has done amazing work on this subject and his book “Prison Madness: The Mental Health Crisis Behind Bars and What We Must Do About It” in it he elaborates on the rising numbers of mentally ill persons in prisons being directly related to the closing of state run treatment centers. Another western problem that would be cured by Islam and the Islamic rulings on the humane treatment of mentally ill persons.

Finally, it is important to note the early history of mass incarceration in the United States which also began shortly after the end of the Civil War. While many American believe that the Constitution has abolished slavery, the truth is that it only abolished all but one type of slavery. The 13th amendment states in Section 1 that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” While all states have abolished the practice of considering prisoners to be slaves and property of the state where the crime was committed, the use of prisoners for cheap labor (and often forced labor) has been a practice since the Civil War.

Recidivism: Going Back to Prison

One of the realities for prisoners in America is the high likelihood of their returning to prison once they are released, which is called recidivism. This recidivism rate can range from 70-90%. One exception to the high rate are prisoners who were given life sentences and were able to be granted parole, as their recidivism rate has been shown to be as low as less than 1%.

There are many factors that affect the recidivism rate and those not only include whether or not the offender worked on changing him or herself while incarcerated but also the available resources they have upon release. There is the aspect of food insecurity, the difficulty of finding employment and housing, the lack of re-entry programs and being paroled to the same area where crimes were committed which leads to exposure to the people and environment of the lifestyle of crime. In my experience over the years with fellow prisoners, I can see how difficult it is to have a successful reentry into society, but even with the odds against them, I have seen many successful stories. Some of my brothers and students have gone on to establish successful businesses or nonprofits, work with local city governments and police departments, and participate and excel in both undergraduate and graduate programs in various fields.

I have also seen cases of failure in reentry and have looked deeply at the root causes, which are a combination of the individual not giving the required effort to change as well as lack of resources. Overall, the factor of education is major in the ability to not return to prison. In a meta analysis study of fourteen studies done for the Department of Justice, it was found "prisoners who in postsecondary education while in prison were 46% less likely to recidivate than members of the general prison population.". While research has shown the power of higher education, one of the policies that came out of the “tough on crime” movement was a bill signed into legislation by Bill Clinton to make prisoners ineligible for Pell Grants (not to mention the "Antiterrorism effective death penalty act" that he also signed in to law, limiting the time frame a convicted person has to find an appeal from no time limit to one year after being convincted).

In addition to education, the need for support upon release is crucial. Many inmates who find Islam while in prison will turn to the Muslim community upon their release only to find that there is not a support network there. Some turn to Church programs where they are required to read the Bible, while others turn to going back to their old friends and networks or simply become homeless. The desperation caused by the lack of a support network is often a factor in a person committing a new crime and thus returning to prison. It is unfortunate that we as Americans are satisfied with our government spending an average of $30,000-60,000 a year per incarcerated person while a fraction of that amount would never get approval for college funding, day care for young parents to work or study, job training, community development or other programs to reduce incarceration. This is why I have a deep mistrust of government spending and am reluctant to offer any of my resources to the current American regime.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MUSLIMS IN PRISON

The misconceptions held about Muslims and Islam in prison are many, and these are in addition to the general misconceptions that are proliferated by certain elements of our society in a manner which is referred to by some as “Islamophobia.” Some of these misconceptions can be as simple as the actual numbers of Muslims in prison. Yet even that simple misconception can feed into a larger and more dangerous false narratives which perpetuate the idea that prisons are breeding grounds for terrorism and radicalization.

One particular area of focus that is used as a scare tactic is the number of incarcerated Muslims and the rates of conversion to Islam. Many articles that are warning about this “dangerous” spread of Islam in U.S. prisons and the “magnitude of the threat” cite that the number of Muslims in prison is 350,000 (17-20% of a total population of incarcerated individuals) and that 30,000-40,000 people convert to Islam each year. Many of these articles cite the 2003 testimony of Dr. Michael Waller before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security Senate Committee. A reading of that transcript shows that Dr. Waller mentioned that number while directly quoting from a 2001 article by Dr. Siraj Islam Mufti, Islam in American Prisons. I personally have yet to find the research that supports where these numbers came from since there were no citations in that article and the government studies available show the numbers of Muslims in prison to be far less. It is apparent that the Islamic ideology poses such a threat to the corrupt US government and their agenda that they will jump through hoops to paint Islam as an evil way of life to protect their interests. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) own census in 2004 of their 150,000 prisoners show that 9,000 (6%) identified as being Muslim. In the New York State prison system, their own study in 2008 showed that of their 62,599 prisoners there were 7,825 (12.5%) who identified as being Muslim. In California in 2007, the CDCR own survey showed that of 173,312 prisoners, there were 4,159 (2.4%). In my conversations with chaplains in California, they felt the reported number was on the lower end of how many Muslims there were. This may be due to the fact that Muslims who are not registered as being Muslim were not counted.

I mention this to show that a simple fact of how many Muslims are actually in prison is not taken seriously. Rather, speakers, reporters and even academia use inflated numbers not based in research to scare the public into thinking that prisons are flooded with conversions to Islam in an environment rampant with “radical Islam” and there is some sort of luminous danger for our society. Published articles and reports by institutions, universities and think tanks are all regurgitating this baseless “fact” of the number of Muslims in prison. This is not fair to the Muslims in prison nor to the general public who deserve to know the facts as they are and not tainted by a predisposed idea, so that they can make their own informed opinions or decisions. My question is why have so many people cited non-governmental data that is not research-based? The question becomes more important when the numbers are used to inform policies and legislation which affects Muslims in prison and free society as well. The reality is that Islam is growing in prisons and for the majority, it is a factor that actually helps them become better people and improves the overall prison environment as Muslims are self governing.

Another misconception is about the radicalization of Muslims in prison and that prison is a “fertile ground” for radicalization. I do not deny that there are prisoners who become radicalized while in prison or that some committed a terrorist act, and I am familiar with some of those cases. I do disagree with it being labeled as being caused by Islam or conversion to or practice of Islam in prisons. In his research on the subject of radicalization in prisons, Dr. Mark S. Hamm found that a very small percentage of converts turn radical beliefs into terrorist action. "Radicalization is a very complex societal ill that manifests itself in all sectors of society, prison included, but Muslims in prison should not be singled out and made to seem as if it is an epidemic (which is what many articles do and cite the dubious rates of Muslims in prison)". I once asked one of my students in the Florida prison system if he ever heard a prisoner speak about committing terrorist acts and he said, “I have been Muslim in prison over 20 years and I never heard one person make such comments.”

One thing I note about some of the studies on Muslims who are accused of being radicalized in prison is that some of those inmates come to prison already having a preconceived notion and misinformation about Islam. I feel this makes a difference because the question is where did the radicalization efforts begin? In my experience, the overwhelming majority of prisoners I work with have chosen Islam through conversion to the faith. Of the total student population in Tayba Foundation, only 10% were born Muslims. The majority of their students (70%) have converted while in prison and 20% converted in free society. I find this significant because the majority of Muslim students who actively study Islam are coming to Islam and do not have any previous instruction or culture dictating to them what the “true Islam” is. Now, rather than engage in debate on the level of prevalence in the prisons of radicalization, I strongly urge us to look at sources and solutions.

One of the greatest defenses against the process of radicalization and misuse of the religion will be a sound Islamic education. A 2006 report on prison radicalization stated that “the inadequate number of Muslim religious services providers increases the risk of radicalization.” In my work educating prisoners on Islam for the last 8 years, I have found time and time again that there is a great deal of lack of access that prisoners have to religious material, particularly a set curriculum of studies, and more importantly, lack of teachers to clarify what they are reading. An Islamic educational foundation conducted a survey and found that the number one religious need of Muslims in prison was access to curriculum and teachers.

Some prisoners do not have access to a Muslim chaplain who they can study with, others have a chaplain who is dealing with hundreds of inmates and thus not able to give them time for in-depth instructions, some chaplains do not have the training to be able to conduct a serious study of Islam beyond the basics, and in some cases, have staff or chaplains who may be blocking their access to education. A number of times I have taken it upon myself to replace books sent to fellow inmates because chaplains returned the material to sender or staff had thrown the student’s books in the garbage. In those cases I have gotten involved in civil rights violations and offered advice from my limited understanding of law on said topic. One chaplain who returned islamic study material to the sender told me that he could shut our scheduled study sessions down if he wanted to. I responded politely that he had no authority to do so and that our access to religious education was guaranteed in the Constitution by the First Amendment and further at the state and federal levels, such as the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act ("RLUIPA") passed by Congress in 2000. I will close this paragraph by saying that the majority of chaplains that I have worked with, whether Muslim or representing another faith, are dedicated to facilitate learning and betterment for the prisoners they work with.

Through the power of proper Islamic education, I have seen time and time again how knowledge can prevent any threat of radicalization and actually engender harmony in prisons and even beyond the walls. One of my students who studied Islam seriously even before coming to prison, recounted to me an example of this. He said that when the terrorist attacks of 9/11 occurred, five of six prison yards in one institution had Muslims who were showing signs of joy and shouting. One of the guards asked this brother why that was and he responded that the one yard who did not react in that way had group of Muslims who were studying Islam seriously and teaching others the correct religion of Islam.

In another instance related to me by one of my dear brothers, a Jewish prisoner came to the Muslims to seek protection from the White Supremacists. In some prisons, the White Supremacists are especially powerful and many minorities, particularly Jewish prisoners, are at risk of being attacked. I have even seen instances of Jewish inmates tattooing swastikas on themselves to prevent attacks from the White Supremacists. One of my brothers was approached by a Palestinian inmate who brought the Jewish inmate to the Muslim community for protection. That in and of itself is a story of peace, but it goes further. The Jewish inmate said that he would be willing to pay the jizya to the Muslims for protection from the White Supremacists. The jizya is a form of payment by non-Muslims to a Muslim government for protection but a system that is not used by Muslim governments today. In any case, this Muslim student told him there was no need for payment and that all he had to do was exercise in public (on the yard) with the Muslims. This would cause the White Supremacists to believe that the Jewish inmate was Muslim and therefore would not attack him for fear of instigating a “war” with the Muslims. This is the result of a Muslim inmate knowing his religion properly and preventing the misappropriation of Islamic concepts to be used for improper means.

In the absence of that proper education and guidance, some inmates who choose Islam in prison have influences of what is referred to a “Prison Islam” or “Prislam.” This refers to the idea that some Muslims are practicing the faith with innovations in belief or practice that come out of the prison environment. One major influence that causes “Prislam” is the gang culture which pervades prisons in the United States. Two aspects of gang culture is the structure of the gang which includes a leader (“shot caller”) and tattoos.

In many prisons that have a Muslim population, one may find that the community appoints a leader to lead the prayers and offer guidance to the community. While some prison institutions do not allow an inmate to act as the official religious leader (imam) for other inmates, one survey found that over half do. This is acceptable and even encouraged in Florida prisons. The fear that institutions have is that the position of religious authority could be abused and taken as a route to act as nothing more than a gang-leader for the Muslim inmates at a particular prison. This is a valid concern that I recognize as i have seen an imam be appointed after being muslim only a month and having little understating of the religion only because he was a former gang member with authority in the prison. The fear in this situation is clear. You have someone who just became Muslim and could potentially make decisions that affect the safety or lives of other Muslim, other inmates or even staff. The Muslims who support this Iman system will then take verses of the Quran and Hadith out of context to justify the need for a leader and the obligation of the entire community to pledge allegiance to him (bay’ah) and then obey his every command. Part of my focus when teaching the fundamentals of Islam to my grow Muslims is to shed light on how the religious texts are being misused and abused to perpetuate a false system which sometimes included the implementations of the Islamic penal code (hudud) in a vigilante-type method which is completely unacceptable. There are times when the Muslim inmates may justify a crime, such as an attack on another prisoner, as being permissible due to the fact that it is a hudud implementation. At the same time, there are institutions who recognize and work with the “appointed Muslim leader” and many times the person is very well-balanced and dedicated to following true Islam and the rules and regulations of the prison. One thing I would suggest to policy makers for prisons is that rather than negate the “Inmate Imam” position for fear of it undermining the security of the prison, if those appointed leaders are trained properly, they could facilitate many of the religious needs of the communities they are already currently serving. This has a benefit of ensuring that inmates are receiving proper religious education and practice while in prison and reduces the load on budgets that would be needed to hire outside Imams.

Muslims in prison are at the forefront of a number of programs to help others. A number of major legal precedents for prisoner rights have had Muslim inmates at the forefront. A number of successful inmate-led rehabilitation groups have been founded by Muslims and many Muslims facilitate other successful programs. One of these such programs was co-founded by two Muslim brothers who previously served time that then went on to establish it as a non-profit organization after their release and now have a contract for a transitional house with the State of California, an office building given to them rent free by the city the organization is run in, and one of the former prisoners sits on the Human Relations committee of that city. I have heard stories of our brothers and sisters resolving conflicts in the prison that would otherwise turn into full-blown prison “wars.”

Some Muslims upon release, have gone into starting their own businesses, teaching, non-profit work, and graduate school. They have established families and work with the communities they live in, both the Muslims and non-MuIims. The potential that is there is endless and it is a constant reminder to me of the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) that, “People are like ores, like the ores of gold and silver, the best of them before Islam (jahiliyya) are the best of them in Islam if they gain understanding (fiqh)". Yes, there are people who have lived in an age of ignorance, but does that mean we give up on them? Is that the approach that the Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) took when he made a prayer for the guidance of ‘Umar, a man who worshipped idols, buried his own daughter alive and wanted to kill the Prophet? It was that potential that someone saw in Malcolm Little while he was in prison and aided him on his journey for knowledge. He would later become El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, one of the greatest figures in the spread of Islam in the United States and who helped so many others out of the darkness of ignorance.

I firmly believe in the power of education in dramatically transforming the dynamics of the prisons in the United States today. There are men and women who when they find themselves with the time and space to learn, and with the proper tools, can achieve great things. For those who will be returning to their communities, they could be equipped with the information, confidence and steadfastness that education provides. Islamic education should also be viewed as a springboard to other forms of education.

Remember, even a caged bird can sing.

We owe it to prisoners, both religiously and as a civic duty, to provide the resources they need on their journey of seeking knowledge, to help them bring out the potential they have.

Nima Al Farsi

Muslim

Prisoner of the state of florida

[axe-trio-commanders]

~Magic Cats~

Ssso this has been sitting in drafts for too long, time to post it regardless because I want to talk about the different legions and magic because other people have been talking about cat lore and i have Many Thoughts and also no one on this site is capable of stopping me now.

A read more here because oh boy a suggestion of conversation topic somehow turned into an entire essay because I have absolutely no self-control whatsoever. (Might also be a Yahuk appreciation post at this point. Also, just a... general warning for a society failing its people and causing all sorts of insecurities and general mental un-health, mostly involving failure to conform to expectations. Also mention of death.)

Flame

So! First, Flame Legion. Clearly, they have a bit of an advantage at the moment because they never really lost magic? Even after the whole truce thing, they're still clearly using it, and best boi Efram seems intent on letting everyone learn it. It doesn't seem to be exclusively magic they're using, not quite- there's a half-decent bit of engineering in some of their weaponry, and they still compliment their smoke magic with knives. Granted, it's... definitely primarily fire magic. I'm not sure if that's jut more natural, or if, say, more water-based elementalists or mesmers just aren't allowed as much status (or encouragement) as those that can use fire.

Iron

Iron legion, as a very stark contrast, seems... very, very opposed to magic. I don't recall ever seeing an iron charr use magic. Create things to contain magic, yes- primarily ghosts- but use it? There's plenty of engineers, for... maybe obvious reasons, but I couldn't give you a clear example of an iron legion elementalist. (Feel absolutely free to prove me wrong by posting many pictures of iron legion elementalists, though.) Heck, it's Efram that suggests it, but adding a 'flame legion kick' to Iron's weapons being an entirely new idea seems a little... telling. Heck, it's not hard to imagine using magic to improve your weapons is seen as 'cheating', at best.

Drawing off the 'Iron Fist of the Legion' personal story, it's pretty clear that Iron legion is incredibly strict. Samona (my precious, precious child whom I hold dear to my heart after re-reading two lines of dialogue from her) is quite literally banned from inventing for letting an Ash Legion charr into their super-secret-weapon base (that Ash already knew about because they're Ash), despite the fact that she only did so to stop Flame (who also knew about it) from sabotaging the entire thing. Good intentions don't matter- strictly following orders does. Her centurion describes the legion as a 'siege engine'- everything has to be predictable, and in working order- and, well... magic, as far as the legions are concerned, is anything but predictable.

Blood

Blood legion, while probably still biased against them, seems... less strict. I could, in fact, name a blood legion elementalist- Yahuk Fellstrike. I'm probably going to be going off a lot of his dialogue here, but you can get a lot from what he says after you rescue him from Flame in the ash legion story mission. The fact that you can specifically ask 'how was being an elementalist in blood legion' is... pretty telling in and of itself, and he admits that some officers got upset about it, but neither Rytlock (good on you, bud) nor his warband really cared. So it's definitely discouraged, still, but not outright banned. Then, in the next question, you ask about him joining your warband in Ash, and he says the officers were rather upset about it- heck, Rytlock only agrees to it because he likes you. (I fought one ghost with you sir I do not understand-) It's also worth noting that it seems like Rytlock called the mission in the first place- though, granted, he might have personal reasons for liking this particular warband. (Eyes Crecia) Still, Yahuk evidently gained enough respect that charr other than Rytlock and his warband didn't want him to leave.

There's also probably plenty more examples of magic-use in Blood legion, the obvious one being Crecia (though between her clear experience with subterfuge and poisons and and offhand comment about Rytlock around grothmar involving 'keeping it in the legions' I had to verify that she'd never somehow gotten Ash training somewhere, especially considering the 'why can't we just set them on fire instead of this sneaky sneak nonsense' that Yahuk's journal makes pretty clear, and honestly she miiiiight be a bit of an outlier bc Bangar seems to be kinda Like That sometimes). It's harder to be in blood legion and use magic, but if you can clearly destroy your enemies without mercy you'll probably be more-or-less fine. (Besides the inherent mental damage that having to work significantly harder than everyone else to prove yourself in a society that very much values aggression and violence causes, but like. They won't actively prevent you from ever using it or ban you from the legion. Just a bit more trauma, you’ll be fiiiiiiine.)

Ash

And then... and then there's Ash legion. I'm going to talk a lot about it because it's where my Commander's from and I have a lot of Feelings about it, but there's gonna be a lot of subjective stuff because we don't really know a lot about them? We don't know their homeland, don't know much about their imperator, don't have a lot of Big-Name-Characters in the story from that legion besides their imperator- heck, even being in the legion as part of your personal story doesn't give you much. But, from that and how other charr talk about them, we can gather that... well, no one else knows anything about them either, and... Iron and Blood don't seem to like them very much? I don't consider anything in Bangar's speech when he’s praising them to mean anything on this point because it's... Bangar, but there's a good few instances of other legions' charr clearly vocalizing distrust and a general distaste. (Yes I'm looking at you, Ryland. Stop teaching Braham these things. Rude child.) Generally, the theme is that they're untrustworthy and cowards in combat- which... well, no, you don't send Ash to the front lines, you send them behind the lines. (Them and Crecia, apparently. This isn't to hate on Crecia, she's wonderful, this is me being very very suspicious of every single one of Bangar's motives- actually I could probably make a whole other post comparing her and Yahuk at this point, but this is long enough already;;;). But you know what else most Blood and Iron charr generally find to be indicative of untrustworthiness and cowardice, to the point of being shunned entirely or having to overcompensate for existing?

Magic.

I don't have any other solid evidence for it, but... it's Ash legion, there's no solid evidence for anything so I do what I want. And it makes... sense. In Ash, who makes a better spy than a mesmer? Who can spy on Flame better than an elementalist? Sure, charr find magic users more shifty in every legion, but you're in Ash, you're shifty by association already. Judging by the interaction between Rytlock and Torga (in the previously mentioned Ash personal story), it seems that Ash doesn't like other legions involved in their business. (They just want to be involved in everyone else's business.) They do what they want, how they want to do it, just so long as it gets done. It's a bit hard to judge, but they don't seem to have the rigid order the other legions do- and, diving just... right into speculation territory, I'd like to think this allows their fahrar's cubs to develop a little more... naturally? The lack of emphasis on being a fighter or some sort of engineer means that warbands of all sorts of skills and specializations could result, making the legion more versatile- something incredibly useful for a legion focused on sabotage. Sure, the easy way in is having a bunch of thieves, but if you can have an axe-and-torch-wielding ranger in your warband and still get the job done? Yeah, sure, you'll just get different missions. Have a lot of engineers? Great, you can spy on Iron. A lot of fire elementalists? Cool, go dismantle Flame from the inside and incite rebellions. Have a lot of mesmers? Imagine the possibilities. Just, y'know, know that we have seven other, better mesmers watching, and if you betray your legion you die. Different combinations, letting cubs grow up into their own skills, only means you can very likely have at least one available warband specifically tailored towards any mission you could ever want- any charr could be Ash, because an Ash legion charr is allowed to be anything.

...Except liked by the other legions.

Going back to Yahuk's case, beyond simply being good enough to gain the respect of his legion, it's very possible that joining Ash is seen as a... downgrade, an option for charr who aren't quite good enough for their own legion- a sort of catch-all. Yahuk seems to join you because a) his warband's dead (and finding a new one as an elementalist probably won't be easy), b) you saved his life, and c) helping him murder a whole bunch of the charr who murdered his warband probably gives you a whole lot of respect points. The 'officials' don't want him joining Ash, even when his whole warband is dead, and again- Rytlock only agrees because he respects you personally.

And then, going back to Samona... her own agreement to join your warband is quick and happy enough, which might be a mix of her own personality and various other reasons- but talking to her centurion is probably the most telling. Despite the harsh punishment, he doesn't really seem to dislike Samona. He says most of those she'd worked with would still be her friends, doesn't refute her being sweet and clever- but he does believe she'll do better in Ash, rather explicitly so, lamenting that he couldn't give her the flexibility she needed to work well while she was still in Iron- but an Ash legion warband could give her that. Despite how little the other legions know about Ash, what they do know is that they allow that sort of flexibility, that they have use for Charr that just don't fit in other legions; their 'Square cogs'. Even Samona, who... likely doesn't have an ounce of subtlety.

Now, Samona doesn't seem to care much, because... she's Samona, and neither would any charr raised Ash, but for any other charr, proud of their legion? Having to join Ash is signifying of a failure to be who you were raised and molded to be. Plenty might rather become gladium. Even for magic-users, it's the easy way out- and, clearly, neither Blood nor Iron have any respect for 'easy'.

And... boy, for Yahuk...? He might have joined out of respect for you, but then... you left. For someone who'd likely tried so hard to gain the respect of his own legion... what does that say about him? He knows why he joined, who he is, but that's not clear to anyone else, and Ash doesn't value the same things Blood does. The respect he's managed to gain means nothing to them. His ferocity means nothing to them. The leader he respected is gone, and evidently, isn't coming back- what does he have left?

...

...So, uh.

Anyways, tldr, magic in flame is normal (when it's fire, at least), magic in iron is outright heresy, magic in blood is only okay if you're really good at murder, and magic in ash is actually just fine but no one else likes them so it doesn't really solve anything.

...And Yahuk needs therapy. Like a lot of therapy. Please let him have therapy.

Thaaat being said, this is the impression I got playing through as an Ash legion charr, and I’ve probably missed a few things. Feel absolutely free to critique!

[thesouthernpsychologist]

Part II: Disability Right Movement

Role of Psychology

Crethar and Ratts (2008) define social justice as a multidimensional methodology in which mental health providers attempt to concurrently encourage personal growth and the mutually decent through speak to obstacles correlated to both individual and distributive justice. The counselor or psychologist empowers the client or group to stand up for their beliefs in a healthy manner. Crethar and Ratts (2008) suggest that when they entrust their client, they base the empower around four principles: equity, access, participation, and harmony. Equity is the appropriate dissemination of resources. The Key is the everyone has access to these resources. Participation is that everyone is part of the decision-making process. Lastly, harmony is the best possible outcome for the community.

Kinderman (2013) states that psychologists should speak out against social injustices. Psychologists study human behavior, which makes them a great way to speak out for the injustices in the world. Social change primarily comes from groups and leaders (Louis, Mavor, La Macchia, & Amiot, 2014). Leadership is in a position of power to change injustice in a group quickly; however, some are unwilling to step up and be the voice for change. For the psychologist, social change could go against their code of ethics. Lack of leadership would pose a dilemma for the psychologist to choose between belief or principle of ethics. Kinderman (2013) suggest that psychologist should help other understand human behavior to shape social change.

Ethnic Inequalities on the Psychological Well-Being

People with disabilities are more likely to have lower education, low socioeconomic status, and be unemployed. Psychological well-being is already common in most cases when someone has a disability. According to Chang et al. (2014), disability was one of two factors responsible for depression rates. A person with either suffers from a mental or physical disability is at a higher risk for depression. A disabled person could be discriminated against because of limited resources. Resources may be diverted away from a person with a disability because they are considered to have a reduced quality of life and toward a person with a so-called better chance of having a good quality of life.

Analysis of any Concerns Regarding Ethnic Inequality

Disability can also affect a person’s relationships. According to Wasserman (2016), people that are married are generally happier than unmarried people. Disability can make it difficult for a person to find friendship or love. The disability is seen as creating an awkward degree of inequality and difference. Wasserman (2016) suggests that non-disabled people could think a relationship with a disabled person might be unfulfilling. Relationships are complicated for most people without disabilities. Relationships are viewed as more complex with people with disabilities because of society’s view on people with disabilities. Relationships are only one aspect of inequality that people with a disability experience. They also experience inequality in education, health care, and employment. People with disabilities understand their limitations and will not apply for the job they cannot perform. Some non-disabled people will judge a person by their disability instead of focusing on their qualifications. Society needs to focus on the person in front of us instead of the disability. Lastly, we can recognize a person’s limitations but understand they are far more capable than their disability.

Analysis of the Role of Psychology

Social psychology is a way to tie the individual to social change; however, social psychology is usually based on how individuals view others. Psychology has not had much influence on social change. Historical sociologists have been the first for social change. According to De la Sablonnière (2017), over 70 years ago, social change came up in psychological literature; however, only a few psychologists have to take on social change. Intersectionality is obtaining arise in consideration in psychology. The theory or framework comes from the work of Black feminist scholar-activists and its emphasis on interlocking systems of oppression and the necessity to effort regarding structural-level alterations to stimulate social justice and impartiality (Rosenthal, 2016). Modern curiosity in intersectionality in psychology gives a chance to lure mental health providers’ devotion to structural-level problems and make public integrity and fairness more crucial in psychology (Rosenthal, 2016). Psychologists have learned many subjects of social justice such as prejudice, discrimination, conformity, and numerous subfields around these matters in psychology. The American Psychological Association (2017) code of ethics needs psychologists to uphold all society’s rights, regardless of the stage of life, sex, gender identity, race, background, national origin, belief, sexual orientation, disability, language, or financial status. The code pushes psychologists to become mindful of these features and circumvent bias and unwarranted practices. Hays et al. (2010) suggest that group work is a way to assist in empowering clients at an individual and systemic level. Hays et al. (2010) believe in increasing attention to social justice problems using education, training, supervision, practice, and research. Promoting change within a group could help shed light on the oppression or discrimination of people with disabilities. Psychology could empower people to stand up for equal rights to promote positive change.

An explanation of the relevance of this topic to the field of psychology and the role and responsibilities of psychology concerning the issue

Individuals with a disability have experienced some shame in the world. Non-disabled people are unsure of how to handle a person’s physical or mental impairment. Psychology explore the data about physical or psychological impairment and way to treat the impairment. The field of psychology’s responsibilities should be to support and discover where the hitches are and try to shed light on the issue with the group, legislature, and community to increase the quality of life for those with disabilities.

The American Psychological Association (2013) defines clinical psychology as “a clinical discipline that involves the provision of diagnostic, assessment, treatment plan, treatment, prevention, and consultative services to patients of the emergency room, inpatient units, and clinics of hospitals.” The American Psychological Association (2013) says Clinical psychology combines “science, theory, and practice to understand, forecast and alleviate maladjustment, disabilities, and discomfort as well as to promote human adaptation, adjustment, and personal development.” Psychology concentrates on the intellectual, emotional, biological, psychological, social, and behavioral characteristics of a human role in diverse societies and at all socioeconomic levels.

Publishing Site and Reasoning

For this blog, I am choosing to launch it on the blog site Tumblr. Tumblr is a place where people of different backgrounds and points of view can express themselves, discover themselves, and find new perspectives. It is where your interests connect you with your people. This platform is very user-friendly and has been available since 2007. Using Tumblr, I can reach academics that are casually looking for more psychology-related content and a younger audience that may find comfort in reading information on disabilities and ways social change can be implemented for this social problem. Tumblr is an excellent platform to help facilitate an academic conversation because Tumblr is easily accessible and can be seen from any smart device.

References

American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/

American Psychological Association. (2013). Guidelines for psychological practice in health care delivery systems. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/deliverysystems.pdf

Chang, T. E., Weiss, A. P., Marques, L., Baer, L., Vogeli, C., Trinh, N. T., … Yeung, A. S. (2014). Race/Ethnicity and Other Social Determinants of Psychological Well-being and Functioning in Mental Health Clinics. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 25(3), 1418-1431. doi:10.1353/hpu.2014.0138

Crethar, H. C., & Ratts, M. J. (2008). Why social justice is a counseling concern. Counseling Today. Retrieved from https://www.txca.org/images/tca/Template/TXCSJ/Why_social_justice_is_a_counseling _concern.pdf

De la Sablonnière, R. (2017). Toward a Psychology of Social Change: A Typology of Social Change. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00397

Hays, D. G., Arredondo, P., Gladding, S. T., & Toporek, R. L. (2010). Integrating Social Justice in Group Work: The Next Decade. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 35(2), 177-206. doi:10.1080/01933921003706022

Kinderman, P. (2013). The role of the psychologist in social change. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 60(4), 403-405. doi:10.1177/0020764013491741

Louis, W. R., Mavor, K. I., La Macchia, S. T., & Amiot, C. E. (2014). Social justice and psychology: What is, and what should be. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 34(1), 14-27. doi:10.1037/a0033033

Rosenthal, L. (2016). Incorporating intersectionality into psychology: An opportunity to promote social justice and equity. American Psychologist, 71(6), 474-485.

Wasserman, D. (2016). Disability: Health, Well-Being, and Personal Relationships (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/disability-health/

[keithtlamb-blog]

A Job Shouldn't Rule Your Life. Here's How to Find Fulfillment Outside Work

Throughout history, our sources of purpose have shifted. First, our purpose was simply to survive. Then we built families and embraced religion. But now, we increasingly look to our jobs as a source of meaning.

And who could blame us? Our society idolizes people like Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs, who romanticize work and tell us to do what we love. But according to research from the Kaiser Family Foundation, thatâs led us to a point where Americans are highly isolated and unhappy.

Looking to our jobs for purpose is risky business, says Jeremy Smith, an expert on purpose and an editor for the University of California, Berkeleyâs Greater Good Science Center magazine.

âThe problem with finding a sense of purpose in a job is that you can get fired,â Smith says. âItâs really that simple. Most employment is conditional.â

Despite this, members of Generation Y (aka millennials) â now the largest generation in the workforce â look to their jobs for meaning at a higher rate than previous generations, according to Gallup research.

The lines between work and life are getting blurred, explains Nate Dvorak, a researcher for Gallup and an expert on well-being. Millennials increasingly want to work for a company that invests in them as employees and as people, in a holistic sense.

But in most cases, theyâre not finding it.

In that context, itâs easy to see the disconnect, or as Smith likes to call it, the âcrisis of purpose.â

Aaron Castillo, a content strategist for a marketing company in Florida, exemplifies most of Gallupâs findings to a T. Like most of Gen Y, he struggles to find a sense of purpose in his day job. Most days, he does the number-crunching side of marketing, but he much prefers creative work, especially videography and photography. Those opportunities are few and far between.

How to Find Your Purpose Outside Your Job

An important part of finding a sense of purpose is to diversify your sources. Then, your purpose isnât attached too heavily on any one thing, especially not a job that is at the whims of the economy or a tyrannical boss.

Dvorak says that jobs are indeed important, but there are several other factors to overall well-being to consider. He warns against putting too much emphasis on one element.

âWell-being is more about life evaluation,â he says. âNot just happiness. Not just satisfaction.â

Gallup defines well-being using these five main factors:

Purpose (Enjoying what you do every day. Jobs can be a big part of this one.)

Social (Having supportive and loving relationships.)

Financial (Managing your money so you can live a less stressful life.)

Community (Feeling safe and having pride in where you live.)

Physical (Being healthy and energetic enough to do what you want.)

As you can see, the majority of well-being has little to do with your day job.

Smith notes that we can also tap into âhuman capacitiesâ to live more meaningful lives â capacities such as social connection, awe, gratitude, compassion, forgiveness, mindfulness and empathy.  

With both Gallup and the Greater Good Science Center research on the aspects on well-being in mind, there are plenty of practical ways to find a sense of meaning outside the office. Here are a few.

Cultivate Meaningful Relationships

Social well-being is something Americans struggle with. While we have hundreds, if not thousands, of friends on social media, we lack genuine, deep connections with one another.

âBy many, many measures,â Smith says, âAmericans are more isolated than they have been in the past.â

And he isnât referring to romantic relationships. This spans the gamut. Friendships, families and partnerships are all areas we need to actively cultivate a more meaningful connection.

Dvorak suggests that the lack of connection could be because millennials are focusing too much on their careers and not enough on friends and family.

âSocial well-being is not about a number of friends you have. Itâs about the quality of friends you have,â he says.

So the next time youâre socializing, think twice about immediately responding when your phone buzzes. I promise, the notification will be there later.

Volunteer for a Cause You Like

Volunteering is a great way to add fulfillment to your life, and it certainly develops human capacities like compassion and empathy. It also allows you to develop new skills and try new things that have nothing to do with your professional life.

In the Greater Good Science Centerâs Greater Good magazine, Smith writes that altruism is one such way to have a greater sense of purpose.

When Castillo reached the point where his job didnât feel fulfilling, he turned to a local volunteer organization that focused on keeping the Tampa Bay community clean, a cause more personal than professional. Cleaning up beaches helped him find a greater sense of community. And suddenly his world was a little bigger. The boring days at work didnât mean so much.

But sometimes itâs hard to find time to volunteer.

To combat your scheduling woes, Dvorak  proposes âdouble dipping,â i.e. combining multiple aspects of well-being into one activity. So donât just volunteer alone. Rally your friends and family to your local food pantry or run a 5K race that raises money for your favorite charity.

Join a Professional Group

Smith makes a clear distinction between your job and your work. Jobs are temporary, he says. Even if youâre lucky enough to have the same one for 40 years, itâs still temporary. But your work is a greater cause.

So if you arenât happy with your current job, but you do enjoy the sense of work or the field that youâre in, professional groups can be fulfilling on multiple levels.

A nonprofit, professional advertising organization for Gen Y called Ad 2 Tampa Bay helps Castillo balance out those number-crunching days at his marketing job. It allows him to pursue the creative side of advertising, and it sharpened his videography and photography skills.

He was able to bring that fresh set of skills back to his day job and incorporate more creativity at work.

Thereâs also the hugely important social aspect of professional organizations.

âOne of the primary reason for me joining Ad 2 in the first place was because I didnât know anyone in the field,â Castillo says. âIt seemed like a good way to get out of my comfort zone and meet new people and experience new things.â

Start a New Hobby or Nurture a Passion Project

Depending on which hobby or project you choose, you can support several aspects of well-being simultaneously. Hobbies like rock climbing or CrossFit support physical and social well-being for sure, but Smith highly recommends reading and writing.

He notes that social isolation can lead to a lack of meaning, but these solitary activities are big exceptions. They actually increase the human capacities mentioned above.

For example, reading can foster insight and empathy by introducing you to someone you would have never met otherwise. And writing, especially about your own experiences and life, can help you find a sense of meaning.

âTry turning [your life] into a story with a beginning, a middle and an end,â Smith says. âThat can allow you to project your story out into the future.â

Reframe Your Mindset About Your Job

If youâre like me, you may put a little too much emphasis on the work category of your overall well-being. Whether you love or hate your job, itâs easy to get caught up in it and have the issues of the day or month or year follow you home.

Iâve been on both ends of the spectrum. A bad work environment when I lived in South Korea would have tainted my whole perception of the country if I had let it. On the other hand, there have been instances where I get so amped about a project that I forget to eat dinner. By the time I put my laptop down, itâs bedtime.

Neither example is a good place to be consistently.

To redistribute some of the importance that you place on your job into other areas like physical or social well-being, you can reframe how you view it.

âI think the important thing is not what your external circumstances are, but how you feel about those circumstances,â Smith says, noting that itâs entirely possible to be in prison and have a strong sense of purpose. âAs long as you have enough to eat and a roof over your head, thereâs hope.â

Similar to writing about your life story, this mindset can help bring a bigger perspective to your life.

âWhy do we have jobs? We have jobs so that we can make money and pay the rent and eat,â Smith says. âUnhitch⦠your self-esteem from your job.â

In other words, view your job as a paycheck that allows you to enjoy the other aspects of your life, not as a main source of fulfillment itself.

Practice Mindfulness

Research shows that mindfulness has several benefits. Sometimes those benefits are exaggerated. But we do know that when done properly, mindfulness can help increase your attention, improve your mental health and positively affect your relationships, among several other things.

But Smith warns against âself-destructiveâ perceptions of mindfulness. For example, some people think that isolating yourself on top of a mountain is a good way to reach enlightenment. But that could actually have negative effects (beyond the dangers of, you know, slipping and falling to certain death).

âEven monks who take a vow of silence for decades have a connection to a monastery,â he says. âThat path to enlightenment is oftentimes connected to a larger religious organization.â

As you incorporate some (or none) of these suggestions, itâs important to keep in mind that this list is in no way definitive. These are merely examples of activities to increase your chances of overall well-being.

So get creative and come up with activities of your own that fit your schedule.

âThereâs not a certain amount of boxes to check on your road to purpose. People can take many different paths,â Smith says. âThe important thing is youâre really listening to your life⦠listening and responding to it.â

Adam Hardy is an editorial assistant on the Make Money team at The Penny Hoarder. He lives off a diet of stale puns and iced coffee. Read his full bio here, or say hi on Twitter @hardyjournalism.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here's why you can trust us and how we make money.

[phynxrizng]

THE 7 TYPES OF MEDITATION, WHICH ONE WILL YOU FIND TO BE BEST SUITED TO YOU....

Thousands of people have begun the journey of personal health. To achieve the maximum level of health one must eat well, exercise regularly, and improve their mental well-being. People struggle most often to improve their mental well-being because it is the most ambiguous and hardest to see tangible results. Meditation is the best way to mentally reduce stress and develop an air of peace and tranquility. The following are our seven favorite types of meditation: 1. Transcendental Meditation (TM) Maharishi, an advocate of Transcendental Meditation defines the purpose, “The goal of Transcendental Meditation is the state of enlightenment. This means we experience that inner calmness, that quiet state of least excitation, even when we are dynamically busy.” In this Hindu tradition, you sit in Lotus, internally chant a mantra, and focus on rising above the negativity. However, to effectively learn how to practice this form of meditation, expert guidance is recommended. There is internet resources, classes, or even meditation retreats to better learn this form of meditation. 2. Heart Rhythm Meditation (HRM) Heart rhythm meditation is downward meditation because it focuses energy on developing the application of consciousness.This form of meditation concentrates primarily on the heart, with an emphasis on breathing, and the purpose is to experience the mystics’ mantra, “I am a part of all things and all things are a part of me.” HRM is a triple threat form of meditation because individuals experience physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits. It helps the individual better handle stress and develop an appreciative and joyous spirit. 3. Kundalini Unlike HRM, Kundalini is a form of upward meditation, which focuses on the rising stream of energy. This form of meditation has roots in both Buddhist and Hindu teachings, and in Sanskrit translates to ‘coiled’. Many believe this to be a metaphoric form of mediation, however, those who are able to access the dormant energy can attest to its healing benefits. To access this energy the individual must concentrate on their breathing as it flows through the energy centers in the body. Once that energy is felt, the individual can experience an altered state of consciousness. 4. Guided Visualization Guided visualization is a newer technique that can be used for spiritual healing, stress relief, or personal development. The inspiration comes from Buddha, “The mind is everything. What you think you become.”Among other factors that set this form of meditation apart, the emphasis on one specific goal is defining. By imagining relaxing and positive experiences, the body will respond by releasing chemicals that generate feelings of positivity. This method can be done casually by imagining a certain situation in the brain. However, to achieve a more powerful experience, a guided visualization experience is key. 5. Qi Gong This is a meditation favorite because this method improves posture, respiration, and the ability to relax with greater ease. Qi Gong is one of the oldest forms of meditation and derives from ancient Chinese society. This art form of health and wellness uses breath to circulate energy through the body and energy centers. The focused combination on breathing techniques, movement, and meditation helps the individual to control their reactions to stress. 6. Zazen Zazen is the heart of Zen Buddhist practice and literally translates to “seated meditation.” This method is initially the easiest to engage in because it relies on self-guidance, however, the lack of guidance can make it difficult to progress in the future. Regardless, the mental benefits of Zazen are vast because you aim to forget all judgmental thoughts, ideas, and images. After sitting in a comfortable position ensure that the back is completely straight and you are centered. Breathing is an essential element of Zazen and this position will allow the breath to deepen and enhance the experience. 7. Mindfulness The final favorite method of meditation is mindfulness, which also comes from the Buddhist tradition. The Buddhist term sati translates to ‘mindfulness’ and breathes life into the practice.Conjuring mindfulness is essential in overcoming suffering and understanding natural wisdom. It is all about acknowledging reality by letting the mind wander, accepting any thoughts that come up, and understanding the present. The practice is done by sitting with eyes closed, crossed legs, the back straight, and attention placed on breathing in and out. For the period of meditation, the individual focuses on his or her breathing, and when wandering thoughts emerge, one returns to focusing on the object of meditation, breathing. Research has found that a regimen of mindfulness can reduce anxiety, depression, and perceived distress. Not every meditation method will be your favorite. Try these seven types of meditation out and see which one helps you achieve that level of inner peace you are looking for. Once you have found your go-to method, incorporate that into your daily schedule to best combat the enormous levels of stress synonymous with life. SOURCE, Author Bio: Meghan Greene is a vital part of the SEO and Content Development team at Samahita Retreat. Meghan attends Elon University, double majoring in Marketing and International Business FOUND IN Lifeadvancer.COM is a website for those who aspire to improve themselves and their life, as well as contribute to making the world a better place to live. POSTED BY, PHYNXRIZNG

[jasoningram]

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Is A Chiropractic doctor A Doctor?

Is A Chiropractic doctor A Doctor?

 A Chiropractic Doctor have not been actually very well understood in terms of their healthcare expert task within the health care device. Over the final one a century the career has actually dealt with a great deal of analysis and difficulties to become one of the absolute most utilised companies within the medical style.

 A lot of the misunderstandings regarding the chiropractic occupation have actually occurred from a considerable amount of preconceptions the public has formed concerning health care therapy. The clinical design has actually primarily been actually concentrated on a sign adapted care style or even allopathic philosophy, which largely is actually the prescribing of medicines as well as doing surgical operations Mount Pleasant. Accident Care

 Healthcare has grown extra swiftly in the final twenty years than possibly it contends every other time in the final century. Primarily in the understanding that wellness is actually certainly not simply the lack of indicators and also illness and that medicines and also surgical treatment, although important for situation treatment as well as emergency situation conditions is not truly truth essence of health as well as vitality Doctor Of Chiropractic

 Chiropractic care individuals have profited from the various forms of chiropractic treatment, from pain relief, to rehabilitative spine care and also health care as well as efficiency located care for professional athletes and also others. Lots of folks are unaware or even possess never ever had the chance to figure out firsthand what Chiropractic is actually, what the profession concerns, how they are certified, the education they receive and other significant parts. Chiropractic is the most accessed drug-free health and wellness career on the planet and the second biggest line of work within the health care version.

 What is Chiropractic?

 Words "chiropractic" is actually a blending of the Greek phrases cheir (hand) as well as praxis (activity) as well as implies "done through hand." The Chiropractic technique is actually health care ideology based upon proactively affecting the wellness of a person through the adjustment of vertebral imbalances and also fixations. There end two hundred approaches in the chiropractic career, as well as numerous are going to move toward health care problems from a various viewpoint that the standard allopathic medical doctor in terms of their medical diagnosis as well as therapy of that individuals clinical health condition Mount Pleasant.

 The key emphasis of the chiropractic specialist is the building connection of the person's body as well as their nervous system, exactly how they are actually working and also conforming to the regular tensions of life. Spine adjustments, or adjustments which are actually performed by hand or musical instruments, possess the prospective to impact the nerve system by means of nerves, joint and muscle receptors Doctor Of Chiropractic.

 Exactly How Does Chiropractic Compare To A Medical Doctor?

 Modern day instruction of chiropractics physician is practically the same as a health care physician. Within North America, the majority of Chiropractic University programs need an undergraduate degree before being accepted into their systems. The fundamental sciences are actually practically the same in the hrs of research study in courses such as physiology, human anatomy, biochemistry and biology as well as others Mount Pleasant.

 The general criterion for Chiropractic Accreditation calls for 4200 hours of classroom, clinical adventure and lab research experience. The chiropractic and also clinical systems normally will deflect in the third year where the chiropractic model centers extra on the chiropractic professional capabilities of procedure as well as creating the hand-operated know-how. The health care trainees spend more research study on pharmacology and also diagnosis and slight operations. Depending upon the University and also the legislations in the place where a Chiropractor techniques they finish along with the Doctor of Chiropractic Degree South Carolina.

 The Benefits of Chiropractic.

 In most developed western societies, Chiropractic treatment is covered partially by personal health as well as in some places by government health. The majority of countries are currently beginning to think about the future by including Chiropractic in to their potential health care strategies. Increasing researches have presented the integral advantages of individuals under chiropractic care consisting of less sick days from job, reduced prescription medication utilization, lessened necessity for surgical operation, as well as growing older much healthier. Escalating clinical prices for screening and also prescription drugs, raised costs of non-emergency surgical treatments, boosted prices of cancer, treatment expenses etc have all started to increase much higher as well as higher. Health centers are actually understaffed as well as over spending plan and are having a hard time to supply treatment at the existing need Doctor Of Chiropractic.

 Lots of people who have taken advantage of chiropractic procedures know the inherent advantages of keeping their changes, a good dietary consuming tension, physical exercise and also planning reduction. They recognize health is a way of life, not something that is a stopgap, or even produced through a method, or even found in a pill container.

 If eating excellent healthy and balanced raw health foods, toughness instruction and cardiovascular physical exercise, anxiety decline, and also chiropractic corrections, to name only a couple of factors, are actually ludicrous, at that point call me a quack! Chiropractics physician focus on whole person wellness, effectively being actually, certainly not the parts and also the symptoms. Your chiropractic specialist supplies you something that no one else can easily and also they are actually the most ideal competent medical professionals to give Chiropractic care South Carolina.

 Chiropractic Definition: The Truth Revealed

 The honest truth concerning the meaning of chiropractic care, actually?

 Yep, the honest truth about what chiropractic truly performs and also is actually certainly not what many people have actually been actually converted. It's much better SC.

 The word "chiropractic", created in the very early times of the line of work coming from the Greek origins "chiro" meaning hand, and also "prakticos" implying professional, is just one of the absolute most misconceived words in healthcare. Yes, a lot of chiropractic physician do a lot of the chiropractic with their palms however there is actually far more you need to understand. As well as knowing this truth and after that utilizing it might likely alter your wellness for the better for good Doctor Of Chiropractic.

 Inquire most individuals as well as they will definitely tell you that chiropractors assist folks along with their necks as well as backs, relieve discomfort, and that they do it well. Chiropractors (DCs) consistently receive high person fulfillment scores 29464.

 That's terrific! Chiropractic, as determined by its early designers, as well as attached to today by the majority of the profession is this: elimination of nerve impulse obstruction.

 Therefore chiropractic doctors are a lot more nerves physicians than bone tissue or even pain medical professionals. Their intention is not to just soothe signs but to reach the origin of ill health. It is actually a real all natural method. Chiropractic practitioners focus on taking out nerve impulse disturbance for great reason - it is actually a necessary part of ideal health and wellness as well as wellness.

 This problem of "nerve impulse interference" is actually the "absent web link" in medical care. Meaning that it is actually ignored or even ignored through the majority of health care providers. Even the best renowned and recognized doctors rarely address it. Regretfully, individuals experience because of this.

 The nervous system and also it is actually circulation of nerves impulses offers numerous features. It controls as well as coordinates all other body features and also bodies, it feelings and afterwards adapts your body system to the setting, and also with all nations of the globe life and death are actually legitimately described through nerves impulse activity. Type of important do not you assume?

 If that is actually insufficient to encourage you of its own importance, look at that the nerves is actually the very first recognizable structure/system in the earliest stages of an establishing human embryo (neural streak/neural tube) 29464.

 Therefore chiropractics physician are actually the only professionals who concentrate on this extensive part of human health and health. Sure, some DCs offer adjunctive therapies like massage, nutritional supplements, exercise guideline. Etc, however the focus is as well as should get on the elimination of nerves impulse interference.

 Chiropractic correction is actually the service carried out to complete that. A lot of chiropractors use their strongly qualified as well as experienced hands to perform the treatment. Changes are effectively recorded to be risk-free. The only periodic notable complication is actually moderate to moderate discomfort of the adjusted place.

 The nerve impulse interference is actually brought on by an architectural disturbance or even imbalance of one or more vertebral vertebrae. This combination of vertebral imbalance and nerves interference is actually termed "subluxation". The subluxations are actually the outcome of the worry of residing. This may be mental, chemical, or physical tension.

 Therefore to even more the meaning of chiropractic: it is the modification of subluxation towards remove nerves impulse disturbance 29464.

 A DC degree is actually obtained after 8 years of certified university. Licenses are at that point approved after finished each national as well as state panel examinations.Thousands of dramatic improvements are found in patients on a daily basis following their chiropractic corrections, in grows older that range from babies to senior citizens.

 What Is a Chiropractic Doctor?

 Possess you been actually living with an irritating criticism of ache or even tightness and wondering if you should observe a chiropractic specialist? If a chiropractic doctor can aid you along with your problem, possibly you know friends that consistently find chiropractic care but you are still certainly not sure. This short article will definitely give you some understanding about what a chiropractic care physician is, what they perform as well as if they can probably assist you USA.

 A chiropractic doctor is additionally described as a chiropractic doctor or chiropractic care doctor. Certified chiropractors use the acronym "D.C." after their labels (Doctor of Chiropractic). Chiropractic specialists spend many years in institution, along with rigorous researches centered towards anatomy (our team devote just about a year dividing a cadaver), anatomy, physical body auto mechanics, and also clinical capability.

 Chiropractic care is actually a division of the recovery arts as well as believes that good health relies, partially, upon a typically working nervous system. Chiropractors look for to repair regular physical function in the body system to strengthen the health of the individual. Chiropractic practitioners are actually "alternative" and also examine the "whole person" certainly not just the signs and symptom when treating a patient. Many chiropractic doctors concentrate on chiropractic care corrections to recover appropriate vertebral movement, allowing the nerve system to function efficiently. A proper operating nerve system permits the body system to function at its ideal. Lots of chiropractics physician also advise individuals on nutrition, workout, diet plan, and also comfort designs. Chiropractic provides a drugless, efficient as well as conservative approach to medical care USA.

 Chiropractic treats folks of every ages, from childbirth on. Many people locate frequent chiropractic treatment useful as aspect of a wellness program, allowing all of them to operate and also execute optimally. Many individuals believe chiropractic medical professionals manage primarily neck and back pain, sciatica pain, neck discomfort, frustration, disc, and whiplash complications. Chiropractic care possesses wonderful effectiveness with these conditions given that chiropractic physicians are actually specialists in body auto mechanics, highlighting the body's nerves, muscle mass and also emaciated body. Some people have actually also discovered comfort through chiropractic care coming from other functional disorders, including body organs as well as inner glandulars.

 A chiropractic care doctor is actually an alternative doctor, supplying a drug-free as well as organic approach to recovering health and wellness. Chiropractic care is actually a science as well as a craft. You are going to most likely find that no 2 chiropractic practitioners will certainly handle your health condition the exact same technique. There are countless chiropractic care strategies that are made use of to achieve the same goal of repairing health and wellness. Feel free to look around and find a chiropractic physician that matches your character and also viewpoint. Chiropractic deals with many people and also many problems delight in regular periodic examinations as part of their wellness lifestyle.

 Chiropractic care Care, Its Benefits and Safety

 For the past many years, chiropractic care has turned into one of one of the most well-liked different clinical treatments for neuromusculoskeletal disorders. One of the reasons clients utilize this health care company is because of its own cost-effectiveness. A research administered by the Ontario Ministry of Health claims that chiropractic care presents most effectiveness one of all alternative procedures for lower neck and back pain. If therapy for severe lesser back pain is actually transmitted from clinical physicians to chiropractic practitioners, the study had actually additionally pointed out that it is going to be a lot more expense dependable. The period of the special needs is also cut down in to less times reviewed to if the disorder was actually treated by means of various other health care procedures on call, including discomfort medicine prescribed. Because chiropractic treatments revolve around the usage of spinal manipulation and also corrections, prescribed medicine costs are actually also significantly minimized since chiropractic specialists perform not recommend such drugs USA.

 Are actually Chiropractors actual medical professionals?

 Doctors of chiropractic go through significant education and learning at par with medical physicians to get this title. In the United States, chiropractors should be actually certified if you want to work and engage in as a chiropractic care doctor. With everything, people have to recognize that the practice of chiropractic care is actually based on proven scientific concepts proven to cure as well as cure neuromusculoskeletal disorders.

 Is vertebral control safe?

 Because chiropractors experience significant instruction as well as learning on physiology as well as physiology, spinal manipulation with chiropractic care is usually safe. Bearing in mind that spine manipulation have to simply be actually administered through a professional who looked at substantial training and also education and learning. In the year 2007, Physicians and the American Pain Society possess pointed spinal control as being one of the a number of procedure options for reduced pain in the back. The total security of this type of treatment for chronic pain in the back and neck pain additionally count on the effective treatment of vertebral adjustment.

 Are all chiropractic medical clinics certified and also regulated?

 In the United States, it is necessary for all chiropractors to become licensed before alleviating any sort of people coming from any type of neuromusculoskeletal conditions. In 1996, the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards have actually sought as well as implemented that all chiropractic practitioners pass an examination that confirm their skill-sets on X-ray interpretation, case management and also chiropractic approach expertise. Through this in thoughts, merely expert chiropractics physician that passed these exams are able to perform chiropractic as an occupation. All chiropractic care clinics operating in the United States are actually entirely limited to observe this rule. Through this in mind, it is risk-free to say that all chiropractic care clinics in the United States are managed plus all of its chiropractic care medical professionals should be actually accredited.

 Is Actually Chiropractic a Good Choice For Back Pain?

 The spine is an incredibly complex construct. It is comprised of twenty-four moveable bone tissues (the vertebrae), 5 levels of music, 9 typical ligaments, the outer and also core nerves, and also numerous combinative tissue. The vertebrae give security to the spine. They are portable and can easily turn and also bend in a variety of positions. While this freedom of activity permits our team to move and also relocate our physical bodies in a wide array of arrangements, it additionally may set the stage for personal injuries. Joints that are actually pushed too much may experience sprains and pressures. Joints that do not acquire sufficient activity may receive stayed. Abnormal gravitational loading on the joints as well as delicate cells create degenerative improvements like arthritis and disc disease.

 Chiropractic care is actually the philosophy, painting as well as science of all-natural recovery. It is worried about the honesty and also function of the back and also peripheral nervous system. A doctor of chiropractic (D.C.) is actually a doctor who is a specialist at assessing, diagnosing and managing concerns with the back. The method begins similar to it will when going to any other physician.

 There is actually some paperwork that is finished (including an explanation of the concern as well as a case history). The chiropractic doctor will definitely possess an examination complied with through an evaluation to uncover the cause of the concern. In the examination, the chiropractic doctor will perform a selection of orthopedic and also neurological tests. Observing this, there may be analysis tests (such as x-ray, MRI, and so on). The chiropractic specialist is going to diagnose the trouble, offer the patient an outlook and also provide a treatment planning.

 Just how does a chiropractor assistance to deal with neck and back pain? The suggested therapies may vary significantly coming from medical professional to doctor. These treatments may feature chiropractic care adjustments, physical medication therapies (including ice, warmth, decompression, massage, acupressure, ultrasound, electric muscle stimulation, diathermy, infrared, footing, acupuncture), active care rehab (flexing, physical exercises for building up as well as stablizing), and dietary therapies (including professional strength supplements designed to lessen pain and irritation at the chemical as well as cell amounts).

 The chiropractic adjustment is actually interested in restoring typical joint motion, re-aligning the vertebrae, easing tension on the nerves (which might be actually squeezed due to vertebral misalignment), dealing with kink, as well as of course eliminating pain. The doctor of chiropractic has four years of concentrated training in the art of supplying adjustments. The change is a low-force improvement in which the chiropractic doctor carefully slides the bone tissue(s) back right into their typical setting while bring back regular shared activity. Changes are actually almost always pain-free as well as lead to an awesome feeling of comfort as well as effectively being actually.

 Lots of folks have certainly never been to a chiropractor. They might certainly not have actually ever before even considered visiting a chiropractic practitioner. They may possess thought that chiropractic is a brand new principle or even speculative and also unproven. What they really did not discover is that back adjustment is actually absolutely nothing new. It has really been actually around for thousands of years. Hippocrates (the dad of medication) himself stated "seek to the back as the source of all disease". While bone environment has been around for centuries (rather than standard western side medication which has just been actually around for 300 years), chiropractic as a career began in 1895. Today there end 70,000 chiropractic practitioners in the United States. It is actually a science-based kind of medical care that has actually come to be mainstream and also taken due to the medical and medical neighborhoods.

 Certainly not only is actually chiropractic very effective and all natural, it is actually additionally the ideal kind of medical recognized to humankind. Chiropractic practitioners spend the most affordable negligence costs of any type of medical professional. The reason for this is crystal clear - they do not wound people. There have been thousands of analysis studies carried out to check out the risk connected with chiropractic care modifications. As well as the end results went back that chiropractic care is much safer than medicines and also surgical treatment. One term paper showed that a person possesses 100 opportunities more significant chance of being harmed from taking a Motrin than coming from receiving a chiropractic modification. If your back is actually hurting, give chiropractic a try out. You possess nothing at all to shed yet the pain.

 The chiropractic and health care plans usually will drift in the 3rd year where the chiropractic style concentrates more on the chiropractic care scientific skills of therapy and cultivating the manual knowledge. A chiropractic doctor is actually additionally referred to as a chiropractic physician or chiropractic care doctor. Chiropractic possesses wonderful effectiveness along with these conditions due to the fact that chiropractic care doctors are specialists in physical body technicians, emphasizing the body's nerves, muscles and body. In 1996, the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards have requested as well as executed that all chiropractic practitioners pass an examination that legitimize their capabilities on X-ray interpretation, case monitoring and chiropractic strategy knowledge. With this in mind, it is safe to claim that all chiropractic care medical clinics in the United States are moderated as well as all of its own chiropractic care medical professionals should be certified.

[angrycollectordaze-me-blog]

Essay代写：The applied psychology

下面为大家整理一篇优秀的essay代写范文- The applied psychology，供大家参考学习，这篇论文讨论了应用心理学。应用心理学作为心理学科目中的一个分支，研究的方向主要是针对人们日常生活的方方面面，如何更好的把心理学应用到人们的日常生活中，把人们的生活质量和生存品质提高上去，把人们的幸福指数提上去。心理学的理论建设和实际应用的关系要处理好，对待理论和实践的矛盾冲突要进行辩证看待和处理，使社会发展和社会创新相融合，使产业化拓展和专业化提升相结合，在社会主义市场化运作的态势下，实现应用心理学与其他产业的良性互动，多科融合，构建新型的、积极的现代化发展模式。

Psychology is widely used in People's Daily life, which relates to the improvement of people's living standards. Due to the wide range of applied psychology, the natural public pays more attention to it. At the present stage, the application of psychology in China still has many deficiencies, the system is not standardized and perfect, and the development stage is not mature. In the theoretical research and application of psychology, due to immature technical means and bad academic research atmosphere, the application of psychology tends to be formalized and simplified, and the research team is unstable and weak, resulting in a weak link in the application of psychology. Due to the lack of comprehensive understanding of applied psychology and the lack of support, there is a lack of funds and emphasis on theory rather than effect in research, which is also a major factor hindering the development of applied psychology in China. In view of the difficulties facing this kind of applied psychology, we need to really let the application of psychology to the society, the public service, should be more scientifically combined with social reality, seek can adapt to China's development needs a new path of development, to the understanding of the scientific and rational application of psychology to social harmony and social progress, to make applied psychology applied to real and positive and healthy development of social services.

As a subject with the most close and extensive application to human work and life, it should take practical application as the main goal and be a science serving the society. Applied psychology has been in the leading position in many research fields of psychology, and is favored by the public more than other aspects of psychology. At present, the primary research direction of applied psychology is how to better apply applied psychology theory to real social life, such as education, agriculture, business, military, consumption and other fields. Psychology in recent years, the booming in China mainland, many colleges and universities have professional psychology education or departments, have a psychological counseling center, the teacher also ongoing training and further education, through the development course in my heart, just to popularize education on students' psychology, let the majority of teachers and students to have healthy psychological knowledge and in all walks of life services dedicated to the society and psychology knowledge dissemination. In this way, applied psychology has made great progress in social politics, economy, science and technology, culture and other fields.

"A harmonious society is not only about the harmony between people, between people and nature, but also about the harmony in people's hearts." this is premier wen jiabao's interpretation of the concept of harmony. Psychological harmony is a necessary condition for building socialist harmonious society, the attention to the psychological harmony, will also affect the implementation of the scientific outlook on development, people and nature, people and other social moment in change, has this or that or resistance, only applied psychology can better resolve contradictions and emotional entanglements, promote human, human and nature, people and society harmonious development; Only by using psychology to better correct the attitude of citizens and improve personal quality, can we form a high-quality social team and promote the harmonious development of society.

It is difficult because psychology originally accepted by the public, even at first there will be a degree of exclusion, these development predicament is due to people some misconceptions on the understanding of psychology, then increase the propaganda dynamics, psychology and at the same time of insisting on the scientific nature, also should pay attention to the promotion and development of humanity, from a scientific core will be applied psychology, in the exploration of development, in advancing towards life standard. It can be seen that the healthy development of applied psychology can not only effectively guide and promote the development of government and other public services, but also form a harmonious social atmosphere with rich humanistic atmosphere, and play a positive role in promoting the rapid and healthy development of society and business.

The general establishment of psychological consultation and application institutions should be comprehensive psychological application institutions integrating psychological application development, research and practice for the general public, for different social organizations and individuals. It can expand the influence and scope of applied psychology in society, and can also serve social production and life extensively. Applied psychology of the workers in the work, should strengthen their own ability, improve service consciousness, highlight the characteristics of applied psychology, increase attraction on the application of the psychological research, China will be able to in the research process and the social service more fusion, supplement each other, in the service for the society at the same time, the development of faster, better itself.

Compared with other developed countries, the development speed of applied psychology in China is quite slow, and the conditions that permeate people's life are not available yet. As the fourth industry, the psychology abroad has developed rapidly, and quickly accepted and recognized, and in People's Daily life has played a pivotal role, especially in terms of personnel evaluation and psychological counseling, according to incomplete statistics, the United States the application of psychology in talent assessment has $1.3 billion of output, together with other services have exceeded $10 billion output effect. It can be seen that applied psychology should adopt the emerging industrialization development mode, constantly form new structures, expand new fields, and give full play to its advantages in people's social life to achieve new development.

Applied psychology as the national ministry of education in colleges and universities in one of three adjustment of professional, embodies the Chinese socialist characteristics and the advantages of running colleges and universities, but how to break through limitations, in a larger scope of psychology, the cultivation of professional talents and ensure the quality of talent cultivation, is an inevitable and must solve the problem. In the teaching process, attention should be paid to teaching practice and professional practice, through adjusting course design, improving teaching methods and strict examination and assessment methods, so that students can truly master the theoretical knowledge and professional skills of psychology and become professional talents in the application of psychology. At the same time, the recognition and assessment of applied psychology qualification should be strengthened to improve the quality of psychology qualification and improve the professional status of psychological workers. The government should also better grasp the training and demand plan of this major, so as to make personnel training more professional, standardized and persistent.

In recent years, psychology has been developing towards the direction of specialization and industrialization in our country, and has been recognized and accepted by the general public in the daily transaction of services and products such as psychological consultation, evaluation and psychological counseling and teaching. The emergence of various psychological service media, such as mental health counseling service center and mental health counseling website, makes the application of psychology begin to operate in the commercial market. This commercial mode of operation has broken the initial obligation to contribute, free service and other states, so that the application of psychology in a self-financing, survival of the fittest market economy tide to grow. But at the same time, people pay more attention to the quality of psychological service and psychological service attitude. Good service attitude and quality can make the market space of psychological service broader, more vigorous, and the market development potential will be greater. Therefore, the standardization and specialization of market operation can promote the sustainable and healthy development of applied psychology.

According to the above analysis and discussion on the application of psychology in the increasingly important role in the development of society and status, according to China's current stage of development and current situation of the development of psychology, as well as in social production and life of the future, the analysis of the direction and trend of development of the applied psychology, the social from all walks of life to further deepen the understanding of psychology and cognition, positive psychology to play a positive role in social development, at the same time intensify propaganda spread on social psychology, the applied psychology based on the principle of people-oriented, more standardization, specialization of forward development, market operation, of the realization of applied psychology Industrial and industrial psychology application of a new model.

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[thepetsworld]

Discover More About The Domestication Of Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats

By Larry Lewis

The industrialization related to livestock production may be touched upon in certain forum discussions in Europe. Environmental problems, homogenization through the landscape, as well as breakouts associated with pet illnesses are making a negative picture of the sector. Developing pressure within this agricultural area and changing demands via society transformed focus of rural farmers. It creates growing desire for multipurpose farming concerning the incorporation of recent actions about production similar to Nigerian dwarf dairy goats for sale. Mixing agricultural with social treatment services is definitely an innovative rural advancement. The particular combination of lawn production together with care in addition to support solutions is known beneath different brands. This includes ecofriendly care plus social gardening. Social harvesting would be a growing sector throughout Europe. Exorbitant advancement in the intersection with respect to farming and even social insurance. Regularly the farming business is decidedly engaged with offering care so as to customer associations. Customers, or even members partake in agrarian age and schedules. These areas offer develop day care suppliers, upheld work environments and home puts in request to customers having an assortment of torments, incorporating people with mental issues, individuals with dementia, unguided adolescents and individuals experiencing scholarly impedance. The size when it comes to their amount of clients, animals, arable land together with other measures varies widely around these facilities. It has arrived at different phases of improvement in different nations. The Netherlands together with Norway tend to be leading approximately 1200 green attention farms inside each nation. It is good objectives involving rural growth policies along with of into the social health care policies. This advances the genuine more extensive idea of multifunctional development, speaks to have the option to decrease lacking administrations all through rustic places and decides new associations among metropolitan and field regions. Moreover, it should be in accordance with changing standards inside the wellbeing market. It should line up from an underlined emphasis on infection, ailment counteractive action just as confinements expedited by sicknesses, to some increasingly more a hopeful way to deal with wellbeing with an expanded presentation of wellbeing showcasing, potential outcomes, and furthermore support. Regularly the blend of private and dedicated disposition in the family, performing significant interests, and an easygoing and open up network inside a green environment should be seen alluring aspects for various customer groupings. The particular recognized advantages will be enhanced actual physical, psychological wellness. Actions including animals are essential facets of these applications. They may be likely to perform a part in stimulating wellbeing of people, many choose dealing with animals in actions concerning vegetation. It really is anticipated that socialization with pets is essential for them. Throughout the twentieth millennium, the existence of these organizations increased. Numerous concepts linked to animal surgical treatment were developed. This explains any remedy that intentionally incorporates domestic pets as component of the healing maybe ameliorative procedure perhaps even surroundings. AAI includes each treatment in addition to exercises. AAT distinguishes objective pointed intercessions utilizing creatures being an essential area of treatment technique for a named client. AAA is a general gathering of intercessions with no convention. Most of studies in regards to AAI adapt to collaborations among people notwithstanding friend untamed life. Various have demonstrated that will human animal contact may upgrade the substantial, psychological wellness and wellness of individuals with arranged sorts of infirmities. It has been recommended that connection with animals is effective in reducing stress and anxiety, discompose people coming from negative feelings, facilitate social relations and supply social assistance. Caring can easily meet the fundamental social requirements for reciprocity. Looking after another human being can increase people their confidence. In these relationships people could experience simple elements of living.

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[kennethherrerablog]

A Job Shouldn’t Rule Your Life. Here’s How to Find Fulfillment Outside Work

Throughout history, our sources of purpose have shifted. First, our purpose was simply to survive. Then we built families and embraced religion. But now, we increasingly look to our jobs as a source of meaning.

And who could blame us? Our society idolizes people like Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs, who romanticize work and tell us to do what we love. But according to research from the Kaiser Family Foundation, that’s led us to a point where Americans are highly isolated and unhappy.

Looking to our jobs for purpose is risky business, says Jeremy Smith, an expert on purpose and an editor for the University of California, Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center magazine.

“The problem with finding a sense of purpose in a job is that you can get fired,” Smith says. “It’s really that simple. Most employment is conditional.”

Despite this, members of Generation Y (aka millennials) — now the largest generation in the workforce — look to their jobs for meaning at a higher rate than previous generations, according to Gallup research.

The lines between work and life are getting blurred, explains Nate Dvorak, a researcher for Gallup and an expert on well-being. Millennials increasingly want to work for a company that invests in them as employees and as people, in a holistic sense.

But in most cases, they’re not finding it.

In that context, it’s easy to see the disconnect, or as Smith likes to call it, the “crisis of purpose.”

Aaron Castillo, a content strategist for a marketing company in Florida, exemplifies most of Gallup’s findings to a T. Like most of Gen Y, he struggles to find a sense of purpose in his day job. Most days, he does the number-crunching side of marketing, but he much prefers creative work, especially videography and photography. Those opportunities are few and far between.

How to Find Your Purpose Outside Your Job

An important part of finding a sense of purpose is to diversify your sources. Then, your purpose isn’t attached too heavily on any one thing, especially not a job that is at the whims of the economy or a tyrannical boss.

Dvorak says that jobs are indeed important, but there are several other factors to overall well-being to consider. He warns against putting too much emphasis on one element.

“Well-being is more about life evaluation,” he says. “Not just happiness. Not just satisfaction.”

Gallup defines well-being using these five main factors:

Purpose (Enjoying what you do every day. Jobs can be a big part of this one.)

Social (Having supportive and loving relationships.)

Financial (Managing your money so you can live a less stressful life.)

Community (Feeling safe and having pride in where you live.)

Physical (Being healthy and energetic enough to do what you want.)

As you can see, the majority of well-being has little to do with your day job.

Smith notes that we can also tap into “human capacities” to live more meaningful lives — capacities such as social connection, awe, gratitude, compassion, forgiveness, mindfulness and empathy.  

With both Gallup and the Greater Good Science Center research on the aspects on well-being in mind, there are plenty of practical ways to find a sense of meaning outside the office. Here are a few.

Cultivate Meaningful Relationships

Social well-being is something Americans struggle with. While we have hundreds, if not thousands, of friends on social media, we lack genuine, deep connections with one another.

“By many, many measures,” Smith says, “Americans are more isolated than they have been in the past.”

And he isn’t referring to romantic relationships. This spans the gamut. Friendships, families and partnerships are all areas we need to actively cultivate a more meaningful connection.

Dvorak suggests that the lack of connection could be because millennials are focusing too much on their careers and not enough on friends and family.

“Social well-being is not about a number of friends you have. It’s about the quality of friends you have,” he says.

So the next time you’re socializing, think twice about immediately responding when your phone buzzes. I promise, the notification will be there later.

Volunteer for a Cause You Like

Volunteering is a great way to add fulfillment to your life, and it certainly develops human capacities like compassion and empathy. It also allows you to develop new skills and try new things that have nothing to do with your professional life.

In the Greater Good Science Center’s Greater Good magazine, Smith writes that altruism is one such way to have a greater sense of purpose.

When Castillo reached the point where his job didn’t feel fulfilling, he turned to a local volunteer organization that focused on keeping the Tampa Bay community clean, a cause more personal than professional. Cleaning up beaches helped him find a greater sense of community. And suddenly his world was a little bigger. The boring days at work didn’t mean so much.

But sometimes it’s hard to find time to volunteer.

To combat your scheduling woes, Dvorak  proposes “double dipping,” i.e. combining multiple aspects of well-being into one activity. So don’t just volunteer alone. Rally your friends and family to your local food pantry or run a 5K race that raises money for your favorite charity.

Join a Professional Group

Smith makes a clear distinction between your job and your work. Jobs are temporary, he says. Even if you’re lucky enough to have the same one for 40 years, it’s still temporary. But your work is a greater cause.

So if you aren’t happy with your current job, but you do enjoy the sense of work or the field that you’re in, professional groups can be fulfilling on multiple levels.

A nonprofit, professional advertising organization for Gen Y called Ad 2 Tampa Bay helps Castillo balance out those number-crunching days at his marketing job. It allows him to pursue the creative side of advertising, and it sharpened his videography and photography skills.

He was able to bring that fresh set of skills back to his day job and incorporate more creativity at work.

There’s also the hugely important social aspect of professional organizations.

“One of the primary reason for me joining Ad 2 in the first place was because I didn’t know anyone in the field,” Castillo says. “It seemed like a good way to get out of my comfort zone and meet new people and experience new things.”

Start a New Hobby or Nurture a Passion Project

Depending on which hobby or project you choose, you can support several aspects of well-being simultaneously. Hobbies like rock climbing or CrossFit support physical and social well-being for sure, but Smith highly recommends reading and writing.

He notes that social isolation can lead to a lack of meaning, but these solitary activities are big exceptions. They actually increase the human capacities mentioned above.

For example, reading can foster insight and empathy by introducing you to someone you would have never met otherwise. And writing, especially about your own experiences and life, can help you find a sense of meaning.

“Try turning [your life] into a story with a beginning, a middle and an end,” Smith says. “That can allow you to project your story out into the future.”

Reframe Your Mindset About Your Job

If you’re like me, you may put a little too much emphasis on the work category of your overall well-being. Whether you love or hate your job, it’s easy to get caught up in it and have the issues of the day or month or year follow you home.

I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum. A bad work environment when I lived in South Korea would have tainted my whole perception of the country if I had let it. On the other hand, there have been instances where I get so amped about a project that I forget to eat dinner. By the time I put my laptop down, it’s bedtime.

Neither example is a good place to be consistently.

To redistribute some of the importance that you place on your job into other areas like physical or social well-being, you can reframe how you view it.

“I think the important thing is not what your external circumstances are, but how you feel about those circumstances,” Smith says, noting that it’s entirely possible to be in prison and have a strong sense of purpose. “As long as you have enough to eat and a roof over your head, there’s hope.”

Similar to writing about your life story, this mindset can help bring a bigger perspective to your life.

“Why do we have jobs? We have jobs so that we can make money and pay the rent and eat,” Smith says. “Unhitch… your self-esteem from your job.”

In other words, view your job as a paycheck that allows you to enjoy the other aspects of your life, not as a main source of fulfillment itself.

Practice Mindfulness

Research shows that mindfulness has several benefits. Sometimes those benefits are exaggerated. But we do know that when done properly, mindfulness can help increase your attention, improve your mental health and positively affect your relationships, among several other things.

But Smith warns against “self-destructive” perceptions of mindfulness. For example, some people think that isolating yourself on top of a mountain is a good way to reach enlightenment. But that could actually have negative effects (beyond the dangers of, you know, slipping and falling to certain death).

“Even monks who take a vow of silence for decades have a connection to a monastery,” he says. “That path to enlightenment is oftentimes connected to a larger religious organization.”

As you incorporate some (or none) of these suggestions, it’s important to keep in mind that this list is in no way definitive. These are merely examples of activities to increase your chances of overall well-being.

So get creative and come up with activities of your own that fit your schedule.

“There’s not a certain amount of boxes to check on your road to purpose. People can take many different paths,” Smith says. “The important thing is you’re really listening to your life… listening and responding to it.”

Adam Hardy is an editorial assistant on the Make Money team at The Penny Hoarder. He lives off a diet of stale puns and iced coffee. Read his full bio here, or say hi on Twitter @hardyjournalism.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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A Job Shouldn’t Rule Your Life. Here’s How to Find Fulfillment Outside Work published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

[guiltystarship]

What Is Functional Medicine?

Instead of treating just the signs of any disease, functional medicine concentrates on the underlying root cause of illness using a strategy that concentrates on the body's systems and their key functions. Experts work to engage the patient in a collaboration that will certainly result in overall far better health as well as wellness. Functional medicine specialists concentrate on the entire individual, instead of just the separated constellation of signs and symptoms. This changes medicine from traditional sick like an extra patient-centered strategy. These specialists invest a good deal of time with their individuals as well as pay attention to histories, while likewise reviewing the atmosphere, lifestyle, as well as hereditary elements that might play a role in lasting health as well as the growth of persistent disease. By doing it by doing this, experts offer their clients an one-of-a-kind experience in healthcare, which will certainly result in greater interaction and also vigor for each person. Why is Functional Medicine Required? There are a number of reasons why functional medicine has actually ended up being a growing number of preferred in our culture. A few of these reasons include the following: Existing clinical practice is intended toward acute treatment (or sick care), the diagnosis and also treatment of disease or trauma, and problems that need immediate interest such as busted bones or appendicitis. Medicine is not concentrated on the wellness of a body, but in the treating of an already sick one. There is a radical boost in the number of chronic disease medical diagnoses among those in our culture. These diseases include heart problem, diabetes, mental disease, cancer, and autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Severe care clinical techniques do not enable the capability to treat or prevent intricate chronic illness. This is typically because it does not represent the unique makeup of the private or outside factors that could be playing a role, especially in the environment, which subjects all of us to contaminants. Way of living options also play a key function in general health as well as may have a direct influence increasing of persistent health problem in our Western society There is an open gorge between the means doctors method and also the study in their picked fields. This gap is huge, as long as 50 years, specifically in the field of chronic disease. Unfortunately, most modern doctors are not trained to look for underlying sources of condition. They are not instructed to take a look at treatment approaches such as diet, nutrition, and also exercise that could enhance diseases in their people. Functional Medicine Distinction The beginnings, avoidance, as well as therapy of chronic illness, especially, is of main problem to a functional medicine practitioner. The concepts of functional medicine that distinguish them from conservative approaches include the following: Patient-centered health care: The entire client is the main emphasis. This method advertises favorable vitality beyond the lack of condition and promotes overall good health. By genuinely hearing patients' stories and also background, the functional medicine practitioner has the ability to assist the individual right into self-discovery and after that further dressmaker therapy to fit their individual needs. Scientific and integrative health care technique: This is one-of-a-kind in itself. Physicians try to find reasons for ailment by evaluating the web of interactions in the client's history, way of life, and physiology. Alone, the genetic make-up of a person could create illness, so it is of main issue to a functional medicine practitioner . In addition, both exterior (social as well as physical atmospheres) as well as inner (body, mind, and also spirit) variables affect the body's general health too. Utilizing best medical techniques that are integrative: The practice combines both natural medicine methods, as well as traditional Western clinical practices. They focus mostly on prevention via diet, nourishment, as well as exercise routines. They utilize the most recent as well as best laboratory results and also various other analysis research studies to help in their diagnosis and also treatment of each person. They prescribe a mix of pharmaceutical drugs, natural supplements, botanicals, detoxing programs, stress-management approaches, as well as healing diets.

[healingbreeze23-blog]

Spas Around the World Add Wellness to Beauty, Pampering and Weight Loss

Unlike American employee-based corporate wellness, some spa wellness programs are beginning to address quality of life topics beyond the physical. Corporate wellness in America has been a mild success as medical information, prevention-based efforts. Unfortunately, most such programs have not been of a positive nature focused largely on an exuberant, joyful life.

Wellness education at certain spas represents an advance from historic roles. Most associate spas with beauty treatments, baths, pampering and self-indulgent foo foo. Spas offer healing and rehabilitation, programs for diet and weight loss, fitness testing and holistic treatments and prescriptions. These functions will not be abandoned, given their popularity and profitability, but they won't be the focus if spa wellness trends come into full play. Instead, a wellness era will feature lifestyle education for a quality of life-enhancement philosophy, value system and mindset. Real wellness, after all, is a dramatic alternative to doctors, drugs and disease.

The new spa developments are highlighted by a New York-based international organization called Global Spa Summit, or GSS. This group has sponsored and promoted major trend reports for the past three years. GSS-sponsored studies provide resource material for industry leaders and for all others seeking insights on the spa movement worldwide. GSS has demonstrated that wellness beyond risk reduction represents a new market for the spa industry. Such a transformation would promote the general welfare by advancing citizen health status and effectiveness. Thus, while the well-off are advantaged, we might expect some trickle down benefits for the rest of us.

Each year, GSS hosts a grand forum for spa leaders. This annual conference is called the Spa Summit. Last year's event in Istanbul focused on wellness. The 2011 Summit begins this Sunday in Bali, Indonesia with a theme "Engage the Change: The Customer. The Money. The Future."

Spa Wellness Around the Globe

* From Sweden - Anna Bjurstam, Managing Director of Raison d'Etre, perceives today's consumers as more results oriented, interested in advanced lifestyle coaching, nutrition and chemical-free products. Customers recognize that beauty also comes from within. Wellness is the future; the general mindset of the consumer is learning to live a healthier lifestyle. Ms. Bjurstam emphasizes the importance of accurate information, preferably science-based.

* From Brazil - Gustavo Albanesi, President of the Brazilian Spa Association, reported impressive growth attributed to "a new wellness culture searching for increased life quality, especially in big cities." This culture has changed the way people look at spas, which are becoming part of day-by-day life. The growth of the spa industry in Brazil is also fueled by major upcoming events, particularly the Olympics and World Cup.

* From Europe/Austria - Sha, a spa owner, reports an interest in "Alpine style wellness," adding, "The spa community in Austria must confront and address the essential needs of our high-performance society." This latter addresses mental balance and an array of holistic approaches for stress management (particularly burnout-prevention) and the "real life" of a high-speed society. In Austria and around the world, there is a greater recognition of new social responsibilities for the spa community, The key is incorporating mental enhancement via philosophy, science and the art."

* From Dr. Tamás Várhelyi, a professor in Hungary, came news that Hungarian spas are focused on medical and wellness tourism. He distinguishes between a traditional spa hotel and a wellness hotel-something very few countries do. This is likely a result of Hungary's long history of thermal bathing. The medical spa concept predominates in this region. Last year was the first year the number of wellness guests was higher than traditional spa hotel guests.

* From Filip Boyen, COO of Orient Express. Updates provided concerning hotel spa operators in Spain, Mexico and South Africa. Plenty of hotels were built in Spain during the recent construction boom, mostly accompanied by wellness areas of attraction. The latter are more favored by tourists than locals, who still seek traditional spas. In Mexico, an abundance of new wellness spas are offered focused on yoga and retreats. In South Africa, medical spas address environmental awareness and other aspects of "going green." The keys to success will be offering the highest service standards, a clear concept and wellness education of spa staff.

* From Greece - Vivian Patkos, President & Owner of Le Convivial Luxury Suites & Spas, described innovations in that country emphasizing philosophy and imagination. The Greeks, of course, are known for this emphasis, perhaps due to the work of many early Greek real wellness pioneers, such as Epictetus, Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Protagorus, Heraclitus, Xenophanes and Thales of Miletus. While none of these legendary thinkers had occasion to keynote a summer gathering of wellness acolytes at the National Wellness Conference, all made their mark on Greek spas and the rest of us everywhere. Asked if it's true, as the world's press seemed to suggest, that Greece is "the one and only country responsible for the corruption and collapse of the universe, Ms. Patkos expressed surprise. She expressed surprise at the fact that Greece was so strong, noting that we had not realized they had such influence and power. Greece, she noted, has an "upscale lifestyle but suffers from interior defamation." For whatever reasons, and many were suggested, "the European Union, democracy and strong labor benefits all seem unable to protect the existing social structure."

The spa business in Greece consists of "big expensive spas with a minimum of personnel and no clients - this is the reality." Ms. Patkos wrote:

Spa business suffers from reduced funding, lack of psychological interest, lack of cheap labor, lack of worst case or survival scenario planning, lack of vision. Nobody understands what is going on. Nobody has the solutions. It is long lasting? It is interesting torture. Greeks were always great in dealing with chaos. And this situation makes them feel like home. But finally, how do we survive this crisis? Here are options:

1. Extremely low prices. This is a simple reaction. The most important thing, though, is to make the client plead not guilty when using luxury spa facilities. Prices need to be much lower than those for bed and breakfasts, offered as an absolute gift: a gift to remind them, silently, but explicitly at the same time, of their real status.

2. Alternative experiences. In a much different way from what they were used to, alternative experiences are the master key to release clients from guiltiness. They need new things in a more sophisticated, but not expensive package.

3. Minimize expensive consumption. It should be available but not advertised and not encouraged. Under these circumstances, consumption of expensive items and products seems kitsch-like and provocative.

4. Alternative pleasure with minimal cost. Idealism, philosophy, culture and art come back. There are many things we can enjoy for free. It is time to include them in our expensive spa products.

5. Effective management. For Americans this is the best, if not the only, way to survive. Greeks were never good in management. They were, however, good in philosophy and imagination. They trained and educated abroad, faced scientific management and now they use it in combination with philosophy and imagination. We need low-cost, unique, non-comparable offerings with maximum impact, alternative products and services not available elsewhere, along with new tactics to stay side by side with precious clients in this transitional period.

Now, during the economic crisis, investing in Greece seems more promising than ever.

* From Germany - When Dietmar Muller-Elmau rebuilt his family's castle hotel, he created a spa in Germany along lines he would want to visit. Thus, he centered a destination spa on classical and popular music, fine food and wine, wellness and the education of children in science and applied reason. His innovative spa is called "Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa & Cultural Hideaway." Asked about changes in the past year, Mr. Muller-Elmau mentioned "less interest in beauty, more in body & mind." In Germany, investment capital these days in the wellness arena seems to be in "the creation of separate spas to ensure perfect tranquility for adults as well as unrestricted quality time for families with their children."

* From Japan - Tomonori Maruyama, chief researcher for Mitsui Knowledge Industry, acknowledged the obvious-that the spa industry, like all other sectors in Japan, was rocked by the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis. At least 560,000 people cancelled their hotel bookings; the total number of reservations for April-May's domestic tour packages dropped by as much as half of last year's bookings. However, an anticipated huge recovery construction program is planned for northeastern Japan. Thus, this is a favorable time for investors in new spa wellness facilities. In a personal message received yesterday, Mr. Maruyama noted that he and the people of Japan "can feel and realize again that they are supported by plenty of love all around the world."

* From the U.S. - A summary of American spa developments was not part of the global briefings in advance of the Summit, but Jeremy McCarthy, Director, Global Spa Development and Operations for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, submitted "a bird's eye view of spas around the world" distilled from trends he noticed. "Sleep, food, mood, exercise and other wellness emphases have evolved from being only a physical dimension of health. While the past several decades have focused on food and exercise as the two primary keys to wellness... today's wellness programs incorporate aspects of psychological well-being, such as emotions and mindsets."

* From the host country for the Summit, Martha Tilaar summarized wellness spa developments in Indonesia. Concerning changes in the past year, Ms. Tilaar said the people, especially women, are influenced by Western fashions and trends. Wellness seems to fit with a need everyone feels for balance in daily life. Indonesians seem more conscious now about wellness in this modern, fast world. However the industry lacks standardization and competencies.

In addition to the above notes from countries around the world from GSS reports, I also discovered, thanks to Lutz Hertel of the German Wellness Association (Deutschen Wellness Verbands) of developments in the Caribbean. Dr. Abhishek Jain, senior leader at "The BodyHoliday, LeSPORT" in St. Lucia and a board member of the Caribbean Spa and Wellness Association, noted that there is "a paradigm shift from good old 'pampering' to finding 'purpose', aiming for health 'prevention' and 'promotion' of a healthier lifestyle." Dr. Jain believes "customers seek substantive information on well-being, self-development and added meaning and principles that support increased stimulus thresholds via self-efficacy are in demand."

Well, that's about it - as much up-to-date highlights as you are likely to obtain about wellness advances by spas shy of being in Bali this weekend at the gala Global Spa Summit of spa leaders and innovators.

[murwaridpaiwand-blog]

Spas Around the World Add Wellness to Beauty, Pampering and Weight Loss

http://boughnation.com/spas-around-the-world-add-wellness-to-beauty-pampering-and-weight-loss/

Unlike American employee-based corporate wellness, some spa wellness programs are beginning to address quality of life topics beyond the physical. Corporate wellness in America has been a mild success as medical information, prevention-based efforts. Unfortunately, most such programs have not been of a positive nature focused largely on an exuberant, joyful life.

Wellness education at certain spas represents an advance from historic roles. Most associate spas with beauty treatments, baths, pampering and self-indulgent foo. Spas offer healing and rehabilitation, programs for diet and weight loss, fitness testing and holistic treatments and prescriptions. These functions will not be abandoned, given their popularity and profitability, but they won’t be the focus if spa wellness trends come into full play. Instead, a wellness era will feature lifestyle education for a quality of life-enhancement philosophy, value system and mindset. Real wellness, after all, is a dramatic alternative to doctors, drugs, and disease.

The new spa developments are highlighted by a New York-based international organization called Global Spa Summit, or GSS. This group has sponsored and promoted major trend reports for the past three years. GSS-sponsored studies provide resource material for industry leaders and for all others seeking insights on the spa movement worldwide. GSS has demonstrated that wellness beyond risk reduction represents a new market for the spa industry. Such a transformation would promote the general welfare by advancing citizen health status and effectiveness. Thus, while the well-off are advantaged, we might expect some trickle-down benefits for the rest of us.

Each year, GSS hosts a grand forum for spa leaders. This annual conference is called the Spa Summit. Last year’s event in Istanbul focused on wellness. The 2011 Summit begins this Sunday in Bali, Indonesia with a theme “Engage the Change: The Customer. The Money. The Future.”

Spa Wellness Around the Globe

* From Sweden – Anna Bjurstam, Managing Director of Raison d’Etre, perceives today’s consumers as more results-oriented, interested in advanced lifestyle coaching, nutrition, and chemical-free products. Customers recognize that beauty also comes from within. Wellness is the future; the general mindset of the consumer is learning to live a healthier lifestyle. Ms. Bjurstam emphasizes the importance of accurate information, preferably science-based.

* From Brazil – Gustavo Albanesi, President of the Brazilian Spa Association, reported impressive growth attributed to “a new wellness culture searching for increased life quality, especially in big cities.” This culture has changed the way people look at spas, which are becoming part of day-by-day life. The growth of the spa industry in Brazil is also fueled by major upcoming events, particularly the Olympics and World Cup.

* From Europe/Austria – Sha, a spa owner, reports an interest in “Alpine-style wellness,” adding, “The spa community in Austria must confront and address the essential needs of our high-performance society.” This latter addresses mental balance and an array of holistic approaches for stress management (particularly burnout-prevention) and the “real life” of a high-speed society. In Austria and around the world, there is a greater recognition of new social responsibilities for the spa community, The key is incorporating mental enhancement via philosophy, science and the art.”

* From Dr. Tamás Várhelyi, a professor in Hungary, came news that Hungarian spas are focused on medical and wellness tourism. He distinguishes between a traditional spa hotel and a wellness hotel-something very few countries do. This is likely a result of Hungary’s long history of thermal bathing. The medical spa concept predominates in this region. Last year was the first year the number of wellness guests was higher than traditional spa hotel guests.

* From Filip Boyen, COO of Orient Express. Updates provided concerning hotel spa operators in Spain, Mexico, and South Africa. Plenty of hotels were built in Spain during the recent construction boom, mostly accompanied by wellness areas of attraction. The latter is more favored by tourists than locals, who still seek traditional spas. In Mexico, an abundance of new wellness spas is offered focused on yoga and retreats. In South Africa, medical spas address environmental awareness and other aspects of “going green.” The keys to success will be offering the highest service standards, a clear concept and wellness education of spa staff.

* From Greece – Vivian Patkos, President & Owner of Le Convivial Luxury Suites & Spas, described innovations in that country emphasizing philosophy and imagination. The Greeks, of course, are known for this emphasis, perhaps due to the work of many early Greek real wellness pioneers, such as Epictetus, Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Protagoras, Heraclitus, Xenophanes and Thales of Miletus. While none of these legendary thinkers had occasion to keynote a summer gathering of wellness acolytes at the National Wellness Conference, all made their mark on Greek spas and the rest of us everywhere. Asked if it’s true, as the world’s press seemed to suggest, that Greece is “the one and only country responsible for the corruption and collapse of the universe, Ms. Patkos expressed surprise. She expressed surprise at the fact that Greece was so strong, noting that we had not realized they had such influence and power. Greece, she noted, has an “upscale lifestyle but suffers from interior defamation.” For whatever reasons, and many were suggested, “the European Union, democracy, and strong labor benefits all seem unable to protect the existing social structure.”

The spa business in Greece consists of “big expensive spas with a minimum of personnel and no clients – this is the reality.” Ms. Patkos wrote:

Spa business suffers from reduced funding, lack of psychological interest, lack of cheap labor, lack of worst case or survival scenario planning, lack of vision. Nobody understands what is going on. Nobody has the solutions. It is long lasting? It is interesting torture. Greeks were always great in dealing with chaos. And this situation makes them feel like home. But finally, how do we survive this crisis? Here are options:

1. Extremely low prices. This is a simple reaction. The most important thing, though, is to make the client plead not guilty when using luxury spa facilities. Prices need to be much lower than those for bed and breakfasts, offered as an absolute gift: a gift to remind them, silently, but explicitly at the same time, of their real status.

2. Alternative experiences. In a much different way from what they were used to, alternative experiences are the master key to release clients from guiltiness. They need new things in a more sophisticated, but not expensive package.

3. Minimize expensive consumption. It should be available but not advertised and not encouraged. Under these circumstances, consumption of expensive items and products seems kitsch-like and provocative.

4. Alternative pleasure with minimal cost. Idealism, philosophy, culture, and art come back. There are many things we can enjoy for free. It is time to include them in our expensive spa products.

5. Effective management. For Americans, this is the best, if not the only, way to survive. Greeks were never good in management. They were, however, good in philosophy and imagination. They trained and educated abroad, faced scientific management and now they use it in combination with philosophy and imagination. We need low-cost, unique, non-comparable offerings with maximum impact, alternative products and services not available elsewhere, along with new tactics to stay side by side with precious clients in this transitional period.

Now, during the economic crisis, investing in Greece seems more promising than ever.

* From Germany – When Dietmar Muller-Elmau rebuilt his family’s castle hotel, he created a spa in Germany along lines he would want to visit. Thus, he centered a destination spa on classical and popular music, fine food and wine, wellness and the education of children in science and applied reason. His innovative spa is called “Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa & Cultural Hideaway.” Asked about changes in the past year, Mr. Muller-Elmau mentioned: “less interest in beauty, more in body & mind.” In Germany, investment capital these days in the wellness arena seems to be in “the creation of separate spas to ensure perfect tranquility for adults as well as unrestricted quality time for families with their children.”

* From Japan – Tomonori Maruyama, chief researcher for Mitsui Knowledge Industry, acknowledged the obvious-that the spa industry, like all other sectors in Japan, was rocked by the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis. At least 560,000 people canceled their hotel bookings; the total number of reservations for April-May’s domestic tour packages dropped by as much as half of last year’s bookings. However, an anticipated huge recovery construction program is planned for northeastern Japan. Thus, this is a favorable time for investors in new spa wellness facilities. In a personal message received yesterday, Mr. Maruyama noted that he and the people of Japan “can feel and realize again that they are supported by plenty of love all around the world.”

* From the U.S. – A summary of American spa developments was not part of the global briefings in advance of the Summit, but Jeremy McCarthy, Director, Global Spa Development and Operations for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, submitted “a bird’s eye view of spas around the world” distilled from trends he noticed. “Sleep, food, mood, exercise and other wellness emphases have evolved from being only a physical dimension of health. While the past several decades have focused on food and exercise as the two primary keys to wellness… today’s wellness programs incorporate aspects of psychological well-being, such as emotions and mindsets.”

* From the host country for the Summit, Martha Tilaar summarized wellness spa developments in Indonesia. Concerning changes in the past year, Ms. Tilaar said the people, especially women, are influenced by Western fashions and trends. Wellness seems to fit with a need everyone feels for balance in daily life. Indonesians seem more conscious now about wellness in this modern, fast world. However, the industry lacks standardization and competencies.

In addition to the above notes from countries around the world from GSS reports, I also discovered, thanks to Lutz Hertel of the German Wellness Association (Deutschen Wellness Verbands) of developments in the Caribbean. Dr. Abhishek Jain, senior leader at “The BodyHoliday, LeSPORT” in St. Lucia and a board member of the Caribbean Spa and Wellness Association, noted that there is “a paradigm shift from good old ‘pampering’ to finding ‘purpose’, aiming for health ‘prevention’ and ‘promotion’ of a healthier lifestyle.” Dr. Jain believes “customers seek substantive information on well-being, self-development and added meaning and principles that support increased stimulus thresholds via self-efficacy are in demand.”

Well, that’s about it – as much up-to-date highlights as you are likely to obtain about wellness advances by spas shy of being in Bali this weekend at the gala Global Spa Summit of spa leaders and innovators.