#the 5th on contrary

[une-sanz-pluis]

Despite the strength of his claim, the anti-Lancastrian groundwork laid by his uncle and namesake in Wales, and his close family ties to the rebellious Percys, Edmund remained oddly inconspicious in the broils of the first quarter of the century. To be sure, his name does surface from time to time, as in the treason case of 1402 involving the Welshman John Sperhawk, who had the misfortune to repeat a rumor he had heard from a certain tailor's wife of Baldock to the effect that the present king was not the true son of Duke John but rather was born to a butcher of Ghent and that the earl of March was in fact king by right. That is the year in which Mortimer's uncle and namesake joined in coalition with Owain Glyndwr, explaining to his tenants his support of Richard if he were alive and otherwise of his nephew as "droit heir." In 1405 Edmund and his brother figured in a bizarre kidnapping attempt in which they were to be abducted from Windsor Castle, apparently to become rallying points for anti-Lancastrian activity, probably with their uncle Edmund in Wales. As late as 1415 one of the options supposedly entertained by the Southampton conspirators against Henry V was (according to Richard, earl of Cambridge's undoubtedly coerced confession) to have had the earl of March "into the lond of Walys … . takyng upon hym the sovereynte of thys lond. " Nevertheless, Edmund's uncle and Richard, earl of Cambridge, and most of the other high-echelon conspirators who mentioned his name, tended to treat Edmund, not as a first conspiratorial resort, but at best as a fallback should Richard really turn out to be dead and no good impersonator present himself. This effective neutralization of Edmund's claim was accomplished in part by the brilliant machinations of the Lancastrians. In a move that conveyed multifold practical and psychological advantages, the newly crowned Henry IV promptly took the young Edmund and his brother Roger into his personal custody. Practically speaking, Henry controlled their extensive lands and rents, and the patent rolls for 1399-1413 abound in his awards of sergeanties, stewardships, custodies, and wardships to Henry's loyal followers. At the same time Henry gained psychological advantage by treating Edmund less as a prisoner than as a child de- pendent; Henry was generous in his annuities (ranging from three hundred to five hundred pounds yearly) and, in the years prior to the attempted abduction of 1405, even boarded the two brothers with his own younger children.

Paul Strohm, "The Trouble with Richard: The Reburial of Richard II and Lancastrian Symbolic Strategy", Speculum, Vol. 71, No. 1 (1996)

[abrahamlincolnscat]

Grad school is a hell of my own making

[loveemagicpeace]

Astrology Observations

Capricorn Rising has a Taurus in the 5th house. Which mean they don't like to waste time in dating. They have a very serious approach to this and have values ​​that people have to approach to. They usually prefer someone who values ​​themselves and knows their worth. Especially when it comes to intimacy, they don't like people who are intimate with every person. They like privacy in their relationship.

Pisces Rising has a Aquarius in 12th house. Which means that things they do are actually very unique. People often cannot explain their personality because it is intertwined and different - mystical. They have gemini in 4th house which can mean that they could be the target of gossip many times within the family. Their circumstances were always changing. They have Leo in the 6th house, so the only time they feel seen is when they do something for others or get sick.

Sagittarius Rising has Aquarius in 3rd house. Which mean that they have very unique way of how they think and say things. Their thinking can sometimes be quite different from most people and they can often philosophize for a long time. In their 4th house is Pisces which means they grew up in a family where they may have felt alienated or unseen. They have Capricorn in 2nd house so they are good at calculating finances and have a healthy attitude towards money.

Libra Rising has a Pisces in 6th house. Therefore, at work, they can often feel that their talents are not seen and appreciated as they should be. You have a lot of knowledge that others can benefit from, it's a good idea not to tell people what you're doing because others can steal your ideas. They may feel misunderstood and sometimes even exploited at work. But they can handle a lot of pressure and usually have very good health because their mentality is not so burdened they can quickly switch off.

Leo Rising has Virgo in 2nd house. They have a very analytical approach to money and tend to work multiple jobs at once or their attitude towards money can change a lot. In 3rd house they have Libra therefore, they usually always want to express their opinions calmly and often see other people's views as well. Gemini in 11th house shows that they have many friends who are different and can change over the years. They can appear very smart in society and can quickly integrate into society. With Aquarius in 7th house they tend to choose a partner who is innovative, resourceful, different.

Mercury in 12th house-You tend to be a contemplative, self-absorbed, insightful thinker who works things out for yourself, alone or in secret. You worry over trifles and inconsequentials, and may be very shy. You will want to keep things for yourself. Neptune in 12th house- You are deep and sensitive and likely to possess a strong artistic bent. You prefer to work and live in a quiet atmosphere where you can create or meditate. There may be a mysterious or otherworldly quality to your personality. Pluto in 12th house-You have a compelling desire to understand, to see deeply into philosophical questions. There may be a secret sex involvement in your life. You are a private person and do not share your emotions easily. You might not talk openly about sex or desire, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important to you. On the contrary — it’s often something sacred, intense, and tied to transformation.

Mars in 8th house- You are passionate about life and have a strong sex drive. You are attracted to the occult, also to medicine and the healing arts. There may be conflicts in your family over wills or legacies. You are very intense but don't show it outwardly. You really want to have a lot of things under control, even if it doesn't seem like it. Intimacy and being able to express your energy with someone is important to you. Sex is very important to you, but you only share it with those with whom you feel a real and genuine connection.

Venus in Taurus- Venus emphasizes the social side of Taurus. Although basically shy and reserved with strangers, you can be a wonderful host or hostess. You like to entertain those you are fond of. You may not indulge as freely in frivolous pleasures as, say, Leo or Libra natives, but you are renowned for enjoying good food and good wine in plush surroundings. You believe in pampering yourself with the comforts of the good life.

The difference between Taurus & Scorpio: Scorpio are secretive, they don't want to reveal things but wait for the right moment. But their intensity is visible and felt. Scorpio likes to show ugly things and likes to show their true side. Over time, they will show the person their true colors. They are not afraid of ugly things and if they want to, they will show all their sides. Taurus want control and stability and everything they do is calculated and they don't like it when things get out of control. They like emotional stability and they will always think things through before they do it.  If something is wrong or they are jealous they won't show it or say it but will withdraw. Their control is shown silently. They want things to go their way and to be in control.

Scorpios are not really that obsessed with control, they are obsessed with the truth and secrets of other people, they want to know everything about the person. They want to be prepared for anything if someone cheats on them and they want to be one step ahead of them. Taurus is obsessed with how they come out and obsessed with being able to control their emotions and actions. Scorpio will give things  and go all-or-nothing, but will use the things they know about you against you if you hurt them. Taurus has a hard time letting go until they are absolutely sure they have everything under control and that things are exactly as they imagined. With taurus in your chart  you need order in your life—you get anxious when things are out of control. And because the unfamiliar makes you feel insecure, you tend to cut yourself off from fresh experiences.

Sun energy is the energy that everyone has and where you shine and get attention because you do something that everyone loves or everyone likes. It's something that everyone wants. Classic energy. Where do you get people's attention and where are you most visible. Something you embody that people would also want you to embody or have. It is the brightest energy. Sometimes the sun's energy represents a point in you where you want to be seen and you want others to notice that you have it. So you can try harder to show it.

Uranus energy is an energy that not everyone has and is more unique and special. Not everyone understands it either. Because you do something that makes you stand out from the crowd. This is where individualism shows. How you are on inside and in what way you are different from others. People who have a lot of this energy are often misunderstood because people do not understand their energy. Because the energy is sudden and striking in a way that attracts attention. Uranus energy shows itself in the way you are special, unique in yourself in some area of ​​your life. You speak and express a language that others may never understand, but it is important that you do.

-Rebekah🧜🏻‍♀️🌙💍

[wonderjanga]

Marvel and the YJ

So, Marvel in the YJ. He’s one of their den mothers and all that. So like, in this AU, and in fact in all of my posts so far, Billy’s kept it under wraps that he’s a kid. So, as a result, the YJ think he’s just this really cool big brother (dad (they just don’t know it)) type of dude. Like he’s so nice. And he’s so nice to them especially. Like, he treats all of them the same way he treats adults. He doesn’t doubt their abilities, and when they fail, he’s still there to encourage them to get back up and he doesn’t even make them feel bad about it.

Like, the one time he was asked to spar with the YJ cause they wanted to for funsies I guess, he positively whooped their asses and somehow, someway found a way to still compliment their abilities, even if they didn’t last that long because the battle was a little one-sided. To be fair though, they had asked him not to go easy, which he didn’t. In the end, he got promptly scolded by Canary heavily when she found out he quite literally used Kid Flash as a rag doll and threw him at Aqualad. She said that the entire tape of him having a “friendly spar” with those kids, was essentially just him bullying them. To which Billy tried to defend himself by saying those kids were plenty capable. The defense didn’t work.

Then, there was this time Kon mentioned he couldn’t fly and Marvel offered him a lift. This somehow ended up with Marvel sort of T posing mid air as Kon and Robin hung on one arm, Artemis and Aqualad hung on the other arm, then Kid Flash held onto one leg while M’gann held onto the other.

Flash: “Wow.” *looking up at the YJ and Marvel* “That’s… actually kinda majestic, not gonna lie.”

Superman: *also looking up at Marvel and the YJ* “Is it though? What if one of them falls?”

Flash: “Eh. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Kid Flash proceeds to almost slip off and fall, which almost gives both the speedster and Kryptonian a heart attack. Thankfully, he catches himself by moving his feet really fast to boost himself back up. Worst part in their opinion is that Marvel didn’t even seem to notice.

Then, there was the time M’gann with Robin about something. Batman was also working nearby on a computer.

M’gann: “Hmm… We need advice.”

Robin!Tim: “We need an adult.”

Batman: *keeping an ear out cause he’s always happy to help one of his kids*

M’gann and Robin!Tim: *thinking before they speak up at the same time* “Marvel.” *they then both walk out of the room to find the Captain*

Batman: *a little upset that Tim did didn’t come to him for help but also a lot more concerned as to why they thought Marvel was a suitable choice to ask for advice, especially considering the fact that just earlier that day, he had caught the man scribbling on one of the meeting tables like a 5th grader scribbling on their desk*

Contrary to what Bruce thought might happen (I.e. something going wrong) apparently Marvel’s advice wasn’t too bad, seeing nothing had gone wrong yet. (He later found out that the two had asked for the best advice on how to incapacitate your enemy quickly. He found this out when he saw Tim throat punch a man. Said man went down almost immediately. When prodded for information for as to why he did that, he proudly proclaimed “Cap taught me”)

Also a little tidbit from the Marvel Cursing post about the YJ thinking that Marvel called one of them a dumb cunt. Courtesy to @helps-the-writing-brain-go

Billy’s recently noticed that the kids are acting funny. Though, he supposes it’s not a bad funny. If anything, whatever’s got them acting weird has got them doing better on missions, but still. It’s weird. What’s weirder is that whenever he compliments them, they shine twice as brighter than they normally do. What’s even weirder than that is that whenever they’ve messed up recently they look twice as nervous. Speaking of which, this was one of the moments they’ve messed up.

Marvel: “So… Uh- that didn’t go so well.”

YJ: *obvious signs of anxiousness on some and subtle on others*

Marvel: “But that’s okay! But that’s okay.” *trying his best to make the anxiety in them disappear* “We just have to try to be better next time. Like, and I hate to say this, maybe try calling in an adult next time? Like me? I could’ve zoomed over and helped you guys.”

YJ: *look at each other*

Artemis: “Wally’s the one who said that we shouldn’t call you in a try to do this on our own.”

Kid Flash: *dramatic gasp* “You know why I said that! It would’ve helped us all if Kaldur had tried to put the fires near the gas tanks out with his water powers!”

Aqualad: “I was busy being attacked by nearly five different people.”

YJ: *dissolve into arguing*

Marvel: “Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wally what did you mean by it would’ve helped you all? Me not being there would’ve been good?” *confused*

YJ: *immediate silence*

Kon: “Wally found out that you think one of us is dumb cunt.”

Kid Flash: “Dude! You guys need to stop ratting me out!”

Marvel: “What.” *stares in befuddlement*

M’gann: “And then he told us. So we’ve been trying to think of ways to not be uh… dumb cunts.”

Marvel: *blinks rapidly* “Again, what? Wally, where did you get this information from?”

Kid Flash: “When you were making cookies! I heard you say blah blah blah, what a dumb cunt.”

Marvel: *still staring in confusion*

Kid Flash: “Then, when I asked what you were talking about, Mary said you were talking about our performance on missions.”

Marvel: “…Okay. I’m going to be completely honest with you. I don’t remember a thing of what you’re talking about.”

Marvel then goes on to make a speech about how they’re wonderful heroes who shouldn’t let one person’s words guide them, especially in risky situations like a mission. He then told them that he was now going to stress bake and make some Minnesota cool whip, jello, fruit, not really salad, salad. (Courtesy to @jedipirateking) On the bright side though, the speech did leave the teens feeling better.

[shimmershifts]

how to reality shift

method one: pure awareness

for those who have never heard of it, the state of pure awareness is exactly what it sounds like: pure awareness, detached from the input of your 3D senses, a state where you are no longer grounded to the 3D. this means you will not feel your body, or any surroundings at all. for those who have already heard of it, you may have heard this referred to as "the void state" or "the void", (especially recently,) but i don't like this term as it implies that "the void" is some sort of place that you go to, and it's not. "the void state" is not somewhere you go, it is a state of being and experiencing that you become.

what is the state of pure awareness?

the state of pure awareness is just you. you are your awareness, and the state of pure awareness is just you, without the data and input of your 3rd dimensional senses distracting you.

why does pure awareness help with reality shifting?

when we reality shift, our goal is to find a way to trigger our awareness into a movement in the 4th and 5th dimensional directions. for some, this is easier to do when you are not distracted by the 3D. this isn't because it's impossible to shift while aware of the 3D! on the contrary, lots of people shift while totally awake and aware in the 3D, in either their CR, or their DR, or even both. but for most of us, our awareness is really used to and really comfortable piloting our 3D body here. so perhaps try getting into a state of pure awareness and see if that helps you trigger a shift.

i believe the state of pure awareness is natural, a side effect of the simple fact that the bodies we inhabit are 3D, and our awareness isn't. our awareness is not a 3D object, mass, or body part. you can't point to and say "there it is, that's human awareness." but in our current states, our awareness gets all this input and data about reality from a 3D body.

the reason you see nothing and feel nothing when you're in the state of pure awareness is because when your awareness is not focusing on input from your 3D body, there is nothing for your to "see", "feel" or "hear" and no body for you to see, feel or hear it with. those are 3D concepts, and 3D senses.

how will i know im in the state of pure awareness?

you will have absolutely zero input from your 3D senses. there will be nothing, and yet you will be totally and comfortably aware. that means if your body feels tingly, floaty, dizzy, fuzzy, etc you are not in pure awareness. if you see hallucinations, flashes of light, etc, you are not in pure awareness. if your thoughts are muddled, dreamlike, or confused, you are not in pure awareness. if things change or destabilize into a different dreamlike scene, you are not in pure awareness. if you can feel your 3D body in any way, you are not in pure awareness.

how do i get into the state of pure awareness?

there are many different ways to get into the state of pure awareness. if one way doesn't work for you, please feel free to try another or even make up your own way. now, technically, you don't need a method to do this. because the state of pure awareness is not some place we have to travel to or a locked dungeon we need a secret key to get into... it hypothetically is possible to simply instantly get into the state of pure awareness. ie, to completely let go of 3D distraction, and become pure awareness right now. so, first, i urge you to try it. like, actually. pause your reading, and try to become pure awareness.

did it work?

if yes, congratulations, you've done it! you don't need to read the rest of this, or maybe skip down to the 'troubleshooting' section if you're one of those people who can get into the state of pure awareness but finds they aren't triggered to reality shift from it, and just came back here without being able to shift to your DR.

if it didn't work, do not despair. i think you're fully capable of getting into the state of pure awareness, and it may start to feel more natural and happen with more ease with practice. for now, here are some pointers.

method 1(a)

meditation. don't let that word scare you off! i'm someone with adhd, and ptsd. in my past, meditation was always spoken about or taught to me in a way that was completely ineffectual for me. i thought meditation just didn't work on me. turns out, all i needed was a method that was accessible for me, and for someone to explain what meditation actually is in first place because it turns out, what i was trying to force my mind to do isn't even needed or isn't even what mediation is. so no wonder why it didn't work! i'm planning to make a much longer "how to meditate" series for those who struggle, but for now i'm going to be fairly brief. if it doesn't work, just move on to 1(b), or 1(c) for now.

step one: choose an environment. it's okay if there are distractions, but it may help you to pick the most comfortable environment possible, whatever that means to you. do you want to be alone? outdoors? in the dark? what position do you want to be in? etc.

step two: relax your physical body, if you can. however this might look for you. can't relax? hold space for your body to relax if it can, but don't force it. some people find it easier to physically relax if they first tense up as hard as they can, and then let it go. this is the stage where some choose to focus on their breathing, do a body scan, etc. once you feel you are relaxed enough, turn your attention away from your physical body. note: this does not mean that your physical body has to stop feeling sensations. your nerves and senses will continue to function, because they always do, and that's their job. that's okay. your goal is not to force your body to be numb and comatose because it won't be. if physical sensations come to your awareness, simply acknowledge them and let it pass you by.

step three: relax your mind, if you can. however that might look for you. keep in mind, this does not mean to "clear your mind" in the sense of having no thoughts at all. that's not necessary, and your brain is meant to think. begin to let it do that without you. that's okay. if thoughts come to you, simply acknowledge them and let them pass you by. it may help to focus your awareness on something in your imagination, while you allow your brain to think in the background. common ones are counting, visualizing thinks like smoke, light, or a rhythmic activity like swimming, walking, etc.

at some point during steps two or three, you may start to experience hypnogogic symptoms. they aren't the goal with this method, and you don't need to focus on them. if you feel them, that's okay, just acknowledge the sensations and let them pass.

struggling to let thoughts pass you by? it may help to take a similar approach with your mind as some do with the body, taking the "tense your body and then release to relax". "tense"/focus on each one of your thoughts, acknowledge it, and then let it go. if it helps, try to visualize (or create the idea of) a place to put them. this could mean floating them away into the clouds, placing them into a box, or tossing them off a cliff. whatever you pick, acknowledge you do not need to be aware of that thought or sensation right now, and put it away for later. it may help to visualize putting them all in there, and then closing the box or turning away from wherever you put it.

step four: pure awareness. for this step, i'm gonna ask you to pick one thing to focus on. your mind and body should be relaxed, with no sensations or thoughts distracting you, it's all just passing you by. pick one thing. it could be anything. a mantra (ie, repeating "i am" in your mind) counting, a visualization (a place, maybe an object, or a simple, repeating sensation like the sound of ocean waves or the feeling of breeze on your skin.) whatever it is, turn your full awareness to that. take as long as you need, revisiting steps three and four whenever necessary. is your full awareness on your chosen focus? great, now let it go.

one of two things will happen. either your awareness will let go and you'll become a state of pure awareness, or distractions will spring back up. let them if they do, it's okay. it may take practice, you may have to bring yourself back up and stop for now and try again another time, or you may be able to continue if you go back through steps two and three and make another attempt.

method 1(b)

hypnogogia. some people experience hypnogogia when they meditate, but this is not a meditation method. this method is for those who don't want to meditate but who naturally experience hypnogogia when they're waking up or as they're falling asleep. identify which you experience, and plan to make use of it the next time it happens. you can increase the chances of it occurring very simply, if you're someone this works for.

for as you're falling asleep: every night when you go to sleep, your body and mind fall asleep, and they actually do this separately. the next time you're going to bed, and you'd like to reality shift, just try to keep your mind aware. you don't have to do anything special, you can just let your mind think normally. to avoid falling asleep, just keep your awareness focused, rather than letting it slip away as you would when you are going to sleep. if you need something to help hold your awareness in your mind, try counting, or visualizing, or focusing on one minute sense (ie, the weight of your blankets, or the sound of the refrigerator buzzing from the kitchen.) just let your body fall asleep. you don't have to do anything in particular to let this happen. your body naturally falls asleep every night, just don't get in the way of the process and it'll do the same as it always does. at some point, your mind will still be awake but your body will begin to fall into sleep, and this is when you start to experience symptoms of hypnogogia. lights flashing, hallucinations, fuzzy or tingly sensations, spinning, dizziness, floating, etc.

for as you're waking up: basically the same as above, but do it right after waking up instead. if you struggle with letting your body fall asleep when you first go to bed, this method might help you. right when you wake up, your body is still fully of sleepiness, and it's generally much easier for your body to fall back asleep than it was to fall asleep in the first place. use that, relax, keep your awareness in your mind and wait until the hypnogogia symptoms start. (this one doesn't often work for me because i have ptsd, and when i wake up i often immediately jump into fight or flight mode, totally and instantly awake. if that's you, this might not be the method for you!)

once you're in hypnogogia: there are a few ways you can go about this, and you can try both.

try focusing on the hypnogogic sensations. these are not real 3D senses, and your goal is to get away from the 3D distractions, so chase them. stay in them as long as you can. this technique is kind of like following the white rabbit down into wonderland, except that it's your awareness following strange buzzy sensations and flashing lights out of your body. try this until the 3D completely falls away, and the hypnogogia falls away next, leaving you in the void much like the white rabbit ditched alice when she fell down that hole.

did the hypnogogia not fall away? don't panic, try technique two: manually let go of the hypnogogic sensations. let them pass. actually, avoid them. your arms are tingling? notice it, and shift your awareness away. body spinning? let it go. don't try to focus your awareness on anything, just let things happen while you focus on being aware.

eventually, you should become pure awareness. if you try a few times and can't, this might not be the best method for you. some people are overwhelmed or distracted by symptoms of hypnogogia rather than being able to use it to reach pure awareness. just see what works for you!

method 1(c)

lucid dreams. when you become lucid in a dream, you're almost already in the state of pure awareness. if you know about lucid dreaming, you might understand what i mean. you're lucid, and you're fully detached from the 3D. that's great, that's the pure awareness state, right?..... not quite, because of the "dream" part. in most lucid dreams, there is still that "dreamlike" quality. however, if you're someone who is able to lucid dreams often, and have the skill to stabilize your lucid dream, you can also develop the skill to dismiss the dream entirely. that way, you go from lucid dreaming, to just lucid. (ie, pure awareness.)

i won't go too deep into how to have a lucid dream here because there's so much to say (if anyone requests it, i might make a follow up later about how to lucid dreaming!) but for now, the relevant info is how to stabilize the dream, giving you the ability to dismiss it.

so you're lucid. awesome! now what?

first, perform reality checks to confirm that you are lucid dreaming. poke your finger through your hand. did it go through? you are dreaming. now pinch your nose, and take a deep breath. did you breath? you are dreaming. look for a clock, or create one. look at the time, look away, and look back again. did the time change? you are dreaming. look for a mirror, or create one. look at your reflection. are you dreaming?

continue using reality checks intermittently. i've found that people can be fully lucid, and then forget they're dreaming and lose control.

now to stabilize the dream. first, stabilize yourself. hold up your hands. how many fingers do you have? touch the tip of your index finger to each finger on your other hand as you count them. are there five on each hand? good. now press your hands together, palm to palm, and rub. can you feel it? great! clasp your hands together, intertwining your fingers, and then pull them apart. count your fingers again. still five on each hand? great, you're ready to move on.

now stabilize your surroundings. to do this, use each of your five senses. first, look at something and notice the details. is it colorful? is it clear? now listen. can you hear anything? what about touch, reach out and touch something. hold it in your hand, and focus on keeping it there. smell it, and then taste it. (it sounds weird, but it really helps.)

now practice dream control. that thing in your hands, do you still have it? if not, redo the previous step. if yes, great! now turn it into something else, change the color, or the size. now make your thing disappear, but on purpose. now make something else appear. then make it disappear. do another reality check. do you still have five fingers?

now to dismiss the dream. this might take a few tries, as your brain is dreaming, it will try to add things in, or take you into a new dream. focus on your awareness, and insist on staying aware while the dream disappears. it may seem easier to dismiss things one by one (ie, the walls, the floor, then your body) but in my experience this can make things less stable. try dismissing everything all at once, if you can.

did it work? confirm that you're in the state of pure awareness (see: how will i know i'm in the state of pure awareness? above.) are your thoughts clear, consistent, and in control? are you totally stable, with no risk of waking up or coming out of the state? if not, you may still be dreaming. if you realize you're still dreaming, just let yourself enter a new dream scene and repeat the step above.

what do i do once im in the state of pure awareness? how do i shift?

actually, there's a lot you can do! but this is a reality shifting post, so that's what we'll focus on. once you've confirmed you're in the state of pure awareness, you are no longer aware of any 3D at all. hypothetically, it's just as easy to become aware of your DR from there as it is to become aware of this reality. first, try just doing it. become aware of your DR.

did that work? if not, try some of the tools you'd use to trigger a shift in general, except now you're doing them from the state of pure awareness with zero 3D distractions.

relax. there is absolutely zero rush. time does not pass here the way it does in the 3D. in the 3D, we perceive time as passing linearly, but your awareness is no longer tied to the third dimension. you have no body here, and you are not attached to your 3D brain or mind either. relax in your awareness.

visualize your DR. i think visualization is one of our most powerful tools for reality shifting, and it's even better in the void with no distraction. remember, you don't need to create the whole world with the power of your mind. you're not creating the world, and you're not traveling there. you're already there, you're just becoming aware of it. focus your awareness on small things about your DR. i think it helps to choose a few that feel close, familiar, or very real. where are you? what's your name? what are you going to do next? what are you wearing? what do you always have in your pockets when you leave the house? your favorite piece of jewelry? what does it feel like?

repeat. this could be a mantra, counting, your visualization, whatever, just pick something, if you find that repeating is something that helps you.

now visualize the very moment you want to shift into. use your senses, but don't force yourself to use one that's not coming naturally, ie don't sit there thinking "oh no, now i have to think of something to taste-" let go. you, dear reader who is reading this right now, are you thinking of one thing you can taste? probably not. unless you're eating hot chips. your DR self doesn't have to try to focus on being there, you're just there. so what are you sensing? are you seeing anything? smelling anything? hearing anything? feeling anything? don't create these sensations, or force yourself to feel them, you're in the state of pure awareness and you can't feel anything anyways. just reach for them.

at some point, you should become aware of your DR. in my experience, you don't have to force yourself there and there's no "symptoms" of being about to be there, especially because if you're in the state of pure awareness so there's no 3D sensations at all. it may feel like a "blip" or like a "pull" or a "blink" or like a "shift", and then you're there.

troubleshooting:

i can't get into the state of pure awareness.

don't worry, it's not the only way to reality shift. if 1(b) and 1(c) don't work for you, consider waiting for my meditation guides to be out, or methods 2 and 3, or come up with something all your own. you do not need to get into the state of pure awareness to reality shift, it's just one method that helps some people.

i got into the state of pure awareness, but i didn't shift.

well, there's two possibilities here. either you weren't actually in the state of pure awareness (ie, you accidentally fell asleep, or into a dream, or you were in some other meditative state you mistook for pure awareness).... or you did shift. to here. when you're pure awareness, you're not aware of this 3D reality, so when you became aware of this 3D reality, that was you reality shifting to here. oops! it happens, you can try again. do you remember how it felt when you reality shifted here from pure awareness? what triggered it? see if you can use that, and try to reverse engineer whatever made you become aware of here, to become aware of your DR next time instead.

if it does not work, over and over, then the state of pure awareness may not be what helps trigger you to shift to your DR. try a different method!

ok lovelies that's all for now!

-shimmer

[sexxynerd10]

pile 1. pile 2. pile 3.

HOW DO YOUR FRIENDS PERCEIVE YOU ?

Pile 1.

they look at you as a bright and powerful person, who doesn't like dwelling on the past and isn't easily beat down by their losses, but on the contrary, sees them as an opportunity for a new and potentially even better start. for my girls out there; your friends might quite literally, look up to you. they're likely to look at you as someone who has great potential to be a star, because you're so multi-facetted and influential. I feel you know how to argue, & people can feel intimidated by his as well as your knowledge, and are especially drawn in by the banter you provide. You might have alot of rumors about you or misconceptions but girl it's jus bc ur pretty and everyone's talking about you always. those you call your friends really love being around you because you’re inspirational & they don’t care how others view you because you constantly prove people wrong everytime, you just get up, again, again, again and again, again, again, and again after that!

pile 2.

You’re an enigma! your friends love this about you, but it also frustrates them, you are someone who has very strong boundaries & you’re very private and cautions on who you allow in your energy or what they should know about you. You’re often seen as stubborn & set in your beliefs & values you’ve set for yourself, this makes you intriguing! you’re someone who they can’t read well & this pulls them in even more, you’re someone who’s good at masking (manipulative maybe…) but in a good way, you know exactly how to mask and blend in to get what you want or shape the perception you want for yourself onto someone else. your friends admire the fact that you're comfortable in your own energy!! you aren’t overly critical of every little thing around you or others, you’re often seen as less demanding and kinder towards your loved ones, you make others feel comfortable easily.

pile 3.

life would be BORING without you. Some say you're reckless. Some say you're dangerous. But let's be honest, you bring the fun! You shake things up. You make people feel ALIVE, you could have a 5th house stellium, aquarius influence or leo influence in your chart, your friends love how daring you are & how much you set yourself free! you’re perceived as someone who embodies massive amounts of passion & thrill, you��re rarely unnoticed in a crowd or room because you’re literally the life of the party! your friends are always thinking of you, you’re a priority in any situation, relationships let alone in any circumstances simply because your friends know they can count on you to lead the way! although you maybe seen as reckless you’re also seen as a someone who can lead, someone influential, your friends could’ve called you the class clown in school but your friends wouldn’t trade you for the world! not even for a million dollars!

Hi my name is Unique, I hope you enjoyed my post!

—

[astrologiadivertida]

Astro observations pt1

Saturn in the 5th house:

Saturn in the 5th house people don’t seem to like children.

It sounds horrible, but they are just put off by all the ruckus the children are making

But I’m not saying that they’re psychopaths: Saturn in the 5th house people are like old people who doesn’t like loud noises, and guess who makes loud noises? Children!

10th house Sun:

10th house Sun people crave attention, they practically live for it. They love it when they get appreciated for a project or something related to their careers: it makes up a huge part of their identity

So please pat your 10th house Sun friend on the back for a project they worked their asses off: they’ll appreciate it a lot

Pluto conjunct Ascendant:

They look like they’ve seen shit.

Someone I know who has this aspect always gets asked if their family is doing okay because of this aspect😭

Also they look like they can keep secrets very well. So they have a lot of secrets, because people tell them their secrets very often.

Men with hard aspects to their mars(squares, oppositions) are red flags to me. And if they have a moon aspect that’s also badly aspected? Run, girl, run😭 Chances are that he might cheat on you or hit you🚩

Lilith 9th house:

They question god a lot. It doesn’t mean that they don’t believe in god, actually Lilith 9th housers are fascinated with their religion. They seem to have a good grasp of religion from an early age because of that.

But often than not, they could create a version in their heads of god that is quite different from the concepts that we learn in church. They love saying thought-provoking questions about god and religion.

Your Venus sign and house placement+ your Juno(3)sign+house placement can tell you a lot about your type.

Ex) I have Venus in Capricorn in 12th house and Juno in Sagittarius in 10th house: Kendall Roy( from succession)

He is my favorite character. I had a crush on him since I was little. He gives off an endearing vibe, Venus in 12th house people likes that in a guy

Contemporary politicians all seem to have prominent Jupiter/Neptune influence in their charts: Jupiter/Neptune placements in your charts can give you luck(winning elections) but also delusions and unclear thinking

Are we all doing okay?😭

Ex. Emmanuel Macron(president of France 🇫🇷 since 2017) is a Sagittarius Sun. He has Sun conjunct mercury opposite Jupiter . He also has Neptune in the 10th house,.

Boris Johnson has Jupiter opposite Neptune

Joe Biden has Neptune in 10th house. He also has Jupiter trining his sun and mercury and Venus . He also has Neptune sextiling his sun and Venus and ascendant

Yoon suk yeol(current president of South Korea🇰🇷 ) is a sag stellium(sun, moon, mercury) and has Jupiter trining his Neptune, but opposing his mars.

Lilith in 5th house+a difficult mars placements(square, opposition) can make you have weird kinks in bed🤭

Saturn in the 3rd house in a solar return chart is a tough placement to have. You might feel really lonely. You might feel cut off from your friends this year. Your communication skills might hit a new low this year.

But remember, this is a Saturn placement: all of this can be improved by hard work. If you want to know what to work on, check the planets that aspect your Saturn

Ascendant conjunct Mars in SR chart(especially if mars is in the 12th house)

could be bad for you 😭contrary to the popular belief that it makes you more assertive

It can make you susceptible to illness or infections. So if you have this placement in your sr chart, try to stay as healthy as possible.

Leo moons are so endearing to me: They are kinda dorky and cute even if they don’t know it. They’re really close with their moms as well.

Aries moons are so pure. They always think for themselves and their thoughts are so interesting to me. They never hold back and they are so bold in their thinking. They are so fun to talk to.

Uranus in the 1st house people are used to being an outcast: something about them is so different and they don’t seem to fit in at all with a group.

Pisces signs are notorious for being delulu but have you ever met a mars in Pisces?Their actions revolve around their delusions(big dreams) and if they don’t get to make their aspirations come true, they’ll get so sad sometimes.

Like or reblog if you want a part two

[sakurapandadreams]

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ ASTRO OBSERVATIONS PT 4

Please take all of these predictions with a grain of salt I'm not a professional astrologer.

Here's my masterlist

NATAL OBSERVATIONS

🌊 Capricorn moons honestly suffer alot due to their family. I have seen cases where their siblings lie to them and scam them. Cases where their family wishes ill upon them. And what's more hurting is they keep forgiving their family and still love them alot. [Same goes for vedic]

🌊 Virgo moons can have mothers who are Virgo moons or Gemini moons [doesn't apply to all]

🌊 Gemini Moon Bestie >>>>>>>>> A group of friends. [This goes for vedic too]

🌊 Many Scorpio Moons are taken advantage of by their mothers, like their mothers dominate their lives before marriage.

🌊 In relationships Scorpio Moon seems like the more dominating person as compared to their spouse to the outsiders. However, their spouse almost dictate their life after marriage.

🌊 12th house shows what you struggle at :-

For example : Cancer 12th house may struggle at showing sympathy to others as well as to yourself

Scorpio 12th house may struggle understanding their intution [may dismiss it as coincidence many atimes]

Libra 12th house may struggle to accept they are intelligent and they also LOOK GOOD.

🌊 Uranus 6th house gives the vibes of someone who carries many erasable ink pens.

🌊 Uranus 4th house people love to keep their house tech savvy, like lights in their rooms will turn on automatically if they enter the house. [If your house isn't like that I'm sure you dream of making it this way ☺️🤭]

🌊 Uranus in the 7th house make great Cyber Crime Lawyers.

🌊 Neptune 6th house may end up looking good naturally even when they put on natural makeup. Their bare face >>>>>

🌊 Many Capricorn Moons are INTPs

🌊 Sagittarius Stelliums and Sagittarius Moons have such superior facial features 😌.

🌊 Mercury opposite Jupiter makes a person overly inquisitive [their thirst for knowledge is never ending]

🌊 Venus trine Pluto people look quite mysterious, like they look unattainable which makes people go crazy over them.

VEDIC OBSERVATIONS

🌊 Mercury dominant or people with exhalted Mercury may wear very strong perfumes on the contrary people who are Venus dominant or have an exhalted Venus may wear perfumes with a more softer fragrance.

🌊 Gemini Moon women and Scorpio Moon don't get partners they deserve to get.

🌊 Cancer Moons are not only close to their mothers but quite close to their sisters even more than their mothers at times.

🌊 Mars conjunct Rahu also causes alot of arguments with siblings and it also ends up giving an illusion to both the siblings that the other one doesn't love them.

🌊 During your Shani Sade Sati you will have a hard time communicating your problems to others or asking for help, you may often times suffer in isolation. In your Shani Sade Sati Saturn is teaching you to resolve problems on your own

🌊 Many Virgo Moons are into the spiritual community of Tumblr [from tarot readers to astrologers]. I'm trying to tell you Virgo Moons that you have a good intution.

🌊 Moon in the 2nd house also gives beautiful features especially eyes another thing whatever they say sounds intelligent or sophisticated [Also depends on mood]

🌊 Many Uttara phalguni Moons end up doing well no matter what career they choose. They get good recognition for their work.

🌊 Saturn conjunction Rahu, natives with these people attract jealousy easily with their work. Rahu gives people the illusion that they can never be like these natives. Hence people also copy them alot.

🌊 Aquarius Mercuries please go and check your messages and reply to the ones you haven't since 10 months lol [same applies to natal]

🌊 Gemini Moons 🤝 Witty comebacks

🌊 Ketu in the 5th house could've witnessed toxic relationships since a young age and hence may not be into dating.

🌊 Aries Moons are also quite good at maths and calculations.

🌊 Many Magha Moons tend to behave as elders in their family like they give advice but they don't take any also don't like being corrected.

🌊 If a Moon is well placed in the 8th House you end up getting a mother in-law whose kindhearted also psychic to certain extend.

Credits for the images and dividers goes to the rightful owners

Copyright © 2024 sakurapandadreams | All rights reserved.

[inthedayswhenlandswerefew]

The Keys Of Heaven [Chapter 2: To Judge The Living And The Dead]

Series summary: Three years ago, Father Aemond Targaryen performed a miracle. Now he is a cardinal, a media sensation, and a frontrunner to be elected pope. You are a nun who has been brought to Vatican City to assist with the papal conclave. But when your paths cross by happenstance, you must both reckon with your decision to join the Catholic Church…and what you want from the future.

Series warnings: Language, sexual content (18+ readers only), references to abuse and violence, volcanoes, bodily injury, death, peril, scheming, pining, some drugs/alcohol/smoking, Catholic trivia you never asked to learn, kangaroos!

Word count: 5.7k

🦘 A very special thanks to my Aussie slang consultant @bearwithegg and also her mum (any mistakes are mine) 🦘

💜 All my writing can be found HERE! 💜

Tagging: @mrs-starkgaryen @chattylurker @lauraneedstochill @ecstaticactus @neithriddle, more in comments! 🥰

🗝️ Let me know if you’d like to be added to the taglist 🗝️

Here is the story of Saint Agatha of Sicily.

Born in the time of the Roman Empire, when Christians were still being burned alive and fed to lions in the Colosseum, Agatha rejected the suitors she attracted as a beautiful daughter of a wealthy family. Instead, she pledged herself to Christ: a life of simplicity and service, a vow of chastity. No man could sway Agatha from her chosen path, not even the Roman governor Quintianus, who aspired to take the fifteen-year-old maiden as his wife. So Quintianus endeavored to change her mind.

First, Quintianus threatened Agatha with torture and death. When that proved ineffective, he had her put to work in a brothel. Yet after a full month of violations, Agatha was no closer to surrendering; on the contrary, her faith only seemed to grow stronger. She prayed to the Lord for courage; she proclaimed that to be His servant was the greatest possible freedom.

Quintianus was running out of ideas. He imprisoned Agatha and ordered his torturers to devise new and terrifying forms of punishment. Bloody and mutilated, Agatha was thrown back into her cell without food or medical attention, but the Lord did not abandon her: Saint Peter, Christ’s apostle and the first pope of the Church, appeared to comfort Agatha and miraculously healed her wounds.

Four days later when the torture resumed, Agatha knew that her short time on earth was ending. She prayed aloud: Lord, my Creator, you have always protected me from the cradle. You have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Now receive my soul. She died in prison in the year 251.

Long venerated as a martyr and a saint in her native Sicily, Agatha was officially canonized by Pope Gregory I in the 590s. Her feast day is celebrated on February 5th. She is invoked against a myriad of horrors; among them are volcanic eruptions.

~~~~~~~~~~

“But you don’t really believe that, do you?” he says on the beach at dusk. Your parents keep telling you it’s time to go back to the hotel, and you ask for five more minutes which turn into ten which turn into twenty. You are showing Aemond your rosary, red glass beads, a sterling silver chain; he is sitting behind you, his arms reaching around so he can study the artefact with his own fingertips, his chin resting on your shoulder. When the wind blows, his blonde hair tickles your cheek and your throat; when you shiver because the sun is vanishing, he pulls you in closer. “That there was some magical guy who could heal people and walk on water and then came back from the dead? I mean, Mother’s a Catholic, and she’s always trying to get us to ride the ferry over to Rhodes for Sunday Mass. But even when I go, I can’t take it seriously.”

“I guess I don’t care if it’s true,” you decide. “I just like how it makes me feel. I like being protected, I like how simple everything is. Be kind, be humble, help others, that’s it. And I think all the different saints are neat. There’s always someone to pray to, no matter what problem I have.”

Aemond snorts. “They only added them to get the pagans to convert.”

“What are pagans?”

“People who worshipped trees and rocks and stuff. Like the Vikings.”

He thinks I’m stupid, you think, and you’re already sensitive about this; Aemond is older, taller, more clever, more sophisticated, more strong. You don’t want him to think you’re some naïve kid who does whatever your parents tell you to. You really don’t; they find your conviction just as baffling, far beyond their middle-class, tangentially-Catholic expectations: a weekly appearance at Mass with a frilly dress and tidy hair, Mum having a yarn with the neighborhood wives afterwards, sometimes Sunday roast, back to real life by bedtime.

“But, you know, maybe you’re onto something,” Aemond says, backtracking. “If it makes you happy, that’s what matters. Maybe I’ll give it another shot. Next time Mother drags me to Rhodes I’ll try to listen a little bit instead of reading a Stephen King novel the whole time.”

“Do you think I’m a drongo?” you ask timidly.

He laughs. “A what?”

“Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“No, I don’t,” Aemond promises. “I think you care about something. And that takes courage.”

He’s still inspecting your rosary, running the smooth red beads through his fingers. “Do you want it? I’m getting a new one for Christmas. I already found it in my parents’ closet.”

“Sure,” he says, perhaps just to be polite. But when he takes the rosary in his own hands, he’s smiling.

~~~~~~~~~~

“We should have a pond like this at home,” Rhaena says as she helps you cast palmfuls of pellets that smell like the ocean—fish and brine shrimp and spirulina—into clear rippling water. Because the temperature is around 12 degrees Celsius, the koi are only somewhat active, skimming around the algae-covered stones at the bottom and nibbling halfheartedly at the food pellets.

Home. Here is what she means: a convent on the quiet northside of Sydney, Mass each morning, prayers before bed each night, sprawling fruit and vegetable gardens, a colony of stray cats you’ve adopted, offices where you take prayer requests and calls from desperate people in need of help, a shelter the sisters operate for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, cooking meals together, singing songs, lighting candles, playing games, watching rugby and cricket on a massive tube tv from the 90s, book clubs, knitting circles, hosting visitors from other convents, always decorating for the next holiday. This is why you became a nun. As a child, you were never as close with your sisters as you wanted to be—your interests were too divergent, your temperaments mismatched—and then as they dissolved away into their boyfriends and their unis, you felt like the house was suddenly so empty. But to be a nun is to have a perpetual sisterhood, and they love the Faith as much as you do.

You tell Rhaena: “Let’s talk to Mother Maureen about a koi pond. Maybe we can get funds and pay our guests in the shelter to help us build it.”

“Just like we did with the gardens.”

“Righto.”

“I’m kind of obsessed with these habits, too,” Rhaena says, spinning around in her loose white wool. The Sisters of Charity of Australia have been wearing modest yet casual clothes since the 1980s. You each have a white habit or two stowed away for formal occasions...but here in the Vatican, expectations are very traditional.

You chuckle and shake your head. “Yeah nah, I’m not helping you with that. I miss my Levi’s.” You point at the koi pond. “Check the corners, make sure I haven’t killed another one.”

Rhaena darts around the perimeter, peeking through bushes of red chrysanthemums. “I’ve been praying all morning. I’m so worried about Sister Augustina.”

“Why? She’s the person who needs your prayers the least. She’s with our Lord and Savior. She is at peace, she is home.”

Rhaena looks at you grimly. “Is she?”

You burst out laughing. “It takes more than getting a bit aggro to be damned to Hell.” You don’t believe Hell exists at all, but you keep this to yourself. Rhaena is rather dogmatic. Nonetheless she smiles to herself, reassured.

You glance around the Vatican Gardens, knowing exactly who you’re looking for; but you don’t see Aemond. There are other cardinals walking the tuff pebble pathways, red planets revolving around the ancient gravity of this place—first Neolithic settlements ten thousand years ago, then kings and a republic and back to kings again, and finally the Church rose up from the ashes of the empire to grow like dauntless ivy into the hearts of over one billion souls—some contemplative and alone, others entangled in weighty discussions. Cardinal Seaborn is rushing around frenetically, his scarlet cassock blowing in the wind. Cardinal Bogdi Marcu, he of the prehistoric age himself, is clinging to Sister Nuru’s arm as she patiently accompanies him through the gardens.

You spot Lucky talking to Cardinal Gideon Saati of South Sudan, a large but soft-spoken man who is ideologically moderate and therefore a possible consensus candidate if neither the conservatives or liberals can win the vote; and this makes him dangerous to Aemond. Cardinal Saati is nodding and dabbing at his eyes with a white handkerchief, Lucky has a hand resting gently on his shoulder. They are rarities here, and they understand each other. They both know the pain of having a homeland that is no longer a country: no functioning government, no reliable infrastructure, inescapable violence, war zones where faith feels so powerless.

Rhaena says: “Do you think we’ll be back home by Christmas?”

“Oh, sure thing. No conclave in the past two hundred years has taken more than a few days.”

“Beautiful. We can’t miss the singing and presents. I know how much you love Christmas music.”

“One conclave in the 1830s took a month and a half.”

“Nah, yeah?!”

“Deadset, mate.”

“Wow.” Rhaena blinks. “I wouldn’t trust this lot to not resort to bloodshed by then.”

Now you see them strolling towards the koi pond, disrupting sand-colored tuff pebbles with each step: Aemond, Lando, and Kazi, who is puffing on a square-shaped vape, white and red, the colors of the Polish flag. You realize that you’re smiling as Aemond approaches, then force yourself not to. You’re supposed to be somber; you’re supposed to be sad. Still, you cannot look away from him. You gaze at the destruction on the left half of his face—ropes of scar tissue, the frayed ruins of his eyelids stitched together to close the emptied socket—and you wonder what that must have been like, waking up in his hospital bed half-blind and with clamoring journalists filling up the lobby downstairs, bouquets of flowers arriving from Alpha TV, Mega Channel, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, CNN, BBC, Deutsche Welle.

“Dead nun, dead pope.” Kazi sucks on his vape bleakly. “Inauspicious.”

Lando is pained and crosses himself. “Kazi, please.” Then he turns to you and Rhaena. “Sisters, I am so very sorry for your loss. Sister Augustina is with God now, let that serve as some consolation. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

You bow your head. “Thank you, Your Eminence.”

“We didn’t really know her that well,” Rhaena says.

“Will they have a funeral here?” Aemond asks you, like he’s trying to find an excuse to make conversation. Rhaena is gawking at him, wonderstruck; Aemond gives her a polite smile.

You answer: “No, Sister Penny told us she’s being sent back to Germany. I guess there’s a cemetery near her hometown she wished to be buried in. A plot beside a child’s.”

Lando and Kazi nod and murmur sympathetically, an acknowledgement of the life Sister Augustina had before she took her vows, forever shrouded in mystery, only shadows glimpsed through the veil; Aemond peers into the koi pond, his expression distant and troubled.

Lucky arrives, trudging across the volcanic pebbles that clatter under his red leather shoes. “Saati says he doesn’t want it.”

Kazi rolls his eyes. “Every cardinal says they don’t want it. And yet when the time comes, he’s out on that balcony waving to the crowds.”

“I think he’s sincere,” Lucky says, lighting a cigar and drawing in a mouthful of smoke. “He’s telling his supporters to look elsewhere.”

“To Aemo?” Kazi asks hopefully.

Lucky hesitates. “Saati is impressed that Jake lost four fingers in the service of our Lord.”

Kazi waves at Aemond. “He lost an eye!”

Lucky chuckles in a deep, gruff rumble. “Becoming pope is not a contest of misfortune, my friend. Otherwise more of them would be Haitians.”

Cam comes jogging over; being in his mid-forties, his knees are still good. He announces excitedly: “We have Micallef and Barraza!” Here’s who he means: Cardinal Xandru Micallef of Malta and Cardinal Juan Barraza of El Salvador, both pilfered from the dwindling pool of moderates.

Lucky exhales smoke. “I thought we already had Barraza. He’s on the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development with me and Aemo.”

“He told me he was considering Saati.”

“Saati doesn’t want it.”

Cam is confused. “Doesn’t everyone say that?”

“Okay, so who’s going to talk to Jake and figure out if he’s willing to steer his votes our way?” Kazi says between vape hits, and then, when Lucky raises his eyebrows at him: “It can’t be me. He hates me.”

The others groan. “What did you do?” Aemond asks, grinning.

Kazi is reluctant to share. “It was nothing.” He vapes as the others stare at him, waiting. “I asked if he was going to get a robot hand like Darth Vader.”

“Jake is very committed to his mission in Iran,” Lando muses softly. “I have a hard time believing he’d want to leave it.”

“Yeah, he does a lot of orphanage stuff, right?” Kazi says. “Lando, you should talk to him.”

“I’ll try,” Lando agrees, then looks to you and Rhaena. “Sisters, once again, I am so sorry for your loss and I will be praying for you and Sister Augustina.” He starts down the pathway and soon vanishes behind a row of tall laurel hedges.

Now Cam is relaying gossip he’s heard about the conservative faction: cardinals shifting from do Carmo to Jahoda, anxiety surrounding Aemond’s growing support. Your gaze catches on Aemond again, and you can’t look away. He keeps stealing glimpses of you too. Surely he could have had a plastic surgeon do a scar revision to make it less noticeable, and open the wound so he could insert a prosthetic eye; but of course Aemond would not want that. No one can see him without remembering what he did on Nea Kameni. He wears the proof of his miracle on his face.

You notice that Lucky is watching you as he smokes his cigar, his dark eyes kind yet intrigued, and then they rove to Aemond. You avert your attention elsewhere. On one of the narrow paved roads that wind through Vatican City, you see a white Fiat Panda zoom by on the other side of the foliage, employees running some errand.

“If I have a heart attack or choke on a fish bone or something, wait for the ambulance, don’t put me in one of those,” Kazi says. “They’re fire traps.”

“We’ll just throw you down the nearest manhole,” Cam assures him.

“Cardinal Targaryen!” a voice booms—ostensibly friendly, undeniably threatening—and it is Cardinal Jahoda, passing by with his ever-present companions Cardinal Auclair and Cardinal Ferrari. Across the gardens, red-swathed men stand up straighter and observe intently. “You enjoy the company of women so much, perhaps you have chosen the wrong vocation.”

Aemond smirks tauntingly. “Well, the celibacy requirement might soon be done away with, as you know. One of so few ways in which Cardinal Auclair has proven himself a progressive.”

Auclair scoffs. “Are there even any Catholics in Greece?”

“There are more than there were three years ago.”

“Cardinal Nowak,” Jahoda says to Kazi. “You are a Slav. Poland still lives under the gloom of Russia’s shadow. It disappoints me more than I could ever express, seeing you standing here with men who wish to usher in disorder, degeneracy, alliances with despots.”

Kazi sighs. “Brothers, not everything is communism.”

“Ah, you are too young. You do not remember what it was like.”

Auclair’s cold blue eyes skate over Cam and Lucky. “Mongolia. Haiti. Who would wish to follow the examples of your countries?”

Lucky explodes: “Why don’t you atone for what France did to my people?!”

“The prime minister acknowledged that the independence debt was an injustice—”

“And where is the apology? Where are the reparations?!”

“Still begging for money two hundred years later,” Auclair sneers. “Still sniffing for scraps like dogs. Perhaps it is time to look inwards and interrogate your own behavior. It is not a shortage of funds that ails Haiti, but a deficit of morals.”

Lucky drops his cigar and lunges for Auclair, but his friends stop him: Kazi and Cam fill the space between them, Aemond throws an arm across Lucky’s shoulders and whispers something to him as Cardinal Jahoda and his companions continue on through the gardens. Auclair looks back once and gives you a critical, probing glare. Kazi trots after Cardinal Ferrari making race car noises: vroom vroom vroom.

Cam mutters as he cleans his eyeglasses: “Mongolia is on the rise. It’s a capitalist democracy.”

“They’re not white, so it doesn’t count,” Lucky says, collecting himself. Then he checks his watch, a small face with a simple leather band. “The next general congregation is beginning soon.” He starts to leave with Kazi and Cam in tow, but not Aemond. Lucky turns around. “Aemo?”

“I’ll catch up to you,” Aemond replies. Lucky nods; but now when he looks at you, his interest has turned to trepidation.

Aemond shouldn’t be talking to me, you think, you know. But perhaps he is willing to risk it. Perhaps he believes he is invincible.

Now the two of you are alone except for Rhaena, who is gaping at Aemond as if still trying to convince herself he’s real and not a celebrity entrapped in a photograph, a screen, a myth.

“You must be very busy with your responsibilities here, Sister Rhaena,” Aemond says.

“Oh yeah, it’s hard yakka.” Then she realizes he’s waiting for her to leave. “Have a good one!” she calls over her shoulder as she hurries away, doubtlessly in great anticipation of all the stories you’ll tell her later. But you won’t share everything.

“Should we walk?” Aemond asks, his hands behind his back, his large gold cross gleaming on its chain, a whisper of a smile on his lips. Of course you should; you follow him, the tuff pebbles crunching under your shoes. And when he speaks to you now, he is not stony like he is sometimes around the other cardinals, or barbed or coiled or sharp. He is that boy from the beach again. He listens, he cares. “Are you really alright?”

“Yeah. I only knew Sister Augustina for a week. It was a shock to find her like that, and now Sister Penny is under the pump trying to take over for her, but we’ll manage.”

Aemond is studying the marble statues you pass as you wander together: Saint Rita, the patron saint of impossible causes and suffering women, Saint Catherine who freed herself from the breaking wheel, Saint Lawrence who was roasted alive. Fountains trickle and evergreen shrubs rock in the brisk December breeze: boxwood, rosemary, myrtle, oleander, holly with vivid blood drops of berries. Aemond stops when he finds a statue of Saint Agatha and gestures to a nearby stone bench. Once you sit down, he joins you.

“It’s your saint,” Aemond says. He reaches into one of the pockets of his cassock and produces a lighter and a pack of Karelia cigarettes. “Do you mind?”

“No wukkas. Half the nuns in my convent smoke.”

Aemond smiles to himself as he lights his cigarette. “No wukkas,” he echoes, amused.

“Can I ask you something personal?”

“Of course.”

“What led you to the Church?” you say. “Now that all the memories are coming back, I recall you being...skeptical.” That’s a gentle word for it. You imagine him: a boy, sullen and convinced he is too smart for religion, dragged to the cathedral by his Mother, flipping through a copy of Cujo or The Shining or Pet Sematary.

“Once I opened my mind to Catholicism, I found it sort of inspiring. The Church sponsored Michelangelo and da Vinci, founded the first universities in Europe, shaped the political landscape of the world. And for people without other routes to safety and status, it provided that. I never really felt seen by my parents. The Church gave me a new family.”

He didn’t say he loves the Faith. Saint Agatha gazes impassively down at you, her arms crossed protectively over her own chest, so young, so vulnerable. “Do you ever regret becoming a priest?”

Aemond shrugs, like he’s wrestled with the question so many times it no longer interests him. “The more conversations you have, the more confessions you hear...the more you realize that everyone regrets things. Mothers regret their children. Childless women regret adoptions and abortions. Married people regret the cage that vows begin to feel like after the novelty has worn off, single people regret their loneliness, the poor regret not selling their souls and the rich regret not defying greed to become artists or musicians or actors. There is no escape from regret. You must learn to feel at home in whatever cage you’ve built around yourself.”

You smooth the white wool of your habit so you have something to preoccupy your hands with. “I wasn’t entirely truthful about my reasons for being here.”

Aemond furrows his brow. “You’re assisting with the conclave.”

“Yes and no.”

He takes a drag and tilts his head to the side as he waits for you to continue. He does this a lot when you’re alone with him, always curious, always silently working things out, and you are struck by an abrupt and violent attachment to him—every gesture, every word, the blue of his eye, a lungful of smoke—and you think nonsensically: What if we had never left that beach?

You admit: “I’ve been having doubts.”

“About the Church?”

“About being a nun.”

Aemond is watching you, an intense sort of focus, like the Second Coming and the resurrection of the dead are over and you’re the last two people on earth. “You’re thinking of leaving?”

“I’ve heard this is the hardest time,” you say, smiling a little ruefully. “When you’re young like Rhaena, everything is new and exciting, and you’re so relieved to have all the answers to life’s questions that you don’t really feel the opportunity costs. And then when you’re in your fifties or sixties, you’re settled down and complacent, and you’re not interested in abandoning your work and the friendships you’ve made. But I’m thirty-eight...and that’s kind of my last chance to start over, isn’t it? At least when it comes to...certain things.”

Aemond is trying to understand, but he seems bewildered, maybe even alarmed. His cigarette has burned down to ashes, but he hasn’t noticed yet; when it singes his fingers, he flicks the end of it away. “Do you feel called to be a mother?”

“Not exactly, I just...I feel...” You pause to decide how to explain it. “I have this sense that there is something else out there for me. Someone else, I guess. And it wasn’t like this for a lot of years. I thought I was at peace with never being married. I used to see couples or families walking around and not feel anything but joy for them. But now there’s...there’s yearning, I think.” Then you chuckle nervously. “And I don’t just mean the physical aspect. That’s part of it, of course. But what I’m really missing is the...the emotional closeness, the bond that’s shared between romantic partners. All the sudden there’s an absence I wasn’t aware of before. And the only time I’ve ever experienced a pull like this was when I knew I wanted to be a nun, so I’m not sure what to do with it.”

Now Aemond’s hands are knitted together, tense and rigid, as if he is trying to resist wringing them. There is pink in his cheeks, a faint gory bloom, a rare disclosure of his mortality. He’s made of blood, not stone, not light, not predestination. “I suppose there is always some...temptation in the unknown.”

“Oh no, I’m not...” Again, you laugh. “I didn’t take my vows until my twenties. I had jobs, I took classes at the TAFE, I’ve dated, I’ve been to clubs, I’ve downed more pornstar martinis than I could possibly count. I’m not innocent.”

He seems relieved and relaxes a bit. “Then we had a similar path.”

“Because I wanted to...you know...I wanted to be sure I was alright with giving up that part of my life. I liked those blokes, and we had fun together, but I never felt it was something I couldn’t live without.” You stop for a moment; your next sentence comes out in a rush. “And then I had a bad experience with a boyfriend, and after that I was positive I could give it up, so.”

“A bad experience?” Aemond waits for you to elaborate. You don’t. His eye flicks from your face to your medallion, to the nearby statue of Saint Agatha, back to your face. He isn’t just searching. There’s a low, arcane wrath like chambers of magma scorching beneath the earth.

“Anyway, back in Sydney I confided in Mother Maureen about how I was feeling, and when the Holy Father passed she suggested I come to the Vatican. She said that if being here at the heart of the Church during such a joyous time—seeing the rituals, meeting the cardinals, witnessing the inauguration of the next pope—didn’t renew my commitment to my vows, then I would know it was the right decision to leave.”

Aemond is still distracted. “And has God spoken to you?”

“Oh, He’s saying something. But I’m not sure what yet.”

There is the sound of harried footsteps on the pebbles, and Sister Penny sprints into view. Strands of frizzy red hair have escaped from her veil; her pale freckled face is flushed. “Sister!” she cries, gasping for air. You leap up off the bench and rush to her.

“Sister Penny?”

“Where on earth did Sister Augustina keep the laundry detergent? I’ve looked everywhere and I can’t find it, and I have a million other things to do, and I’m going absolutely mad—”

“I know where it is,” you say. “It’s in one of the cabinets in the kitchenette. I know, it’s odd, I’m not sure why she put it there. Here, I’ll help you.”

“And Cardinal Kelly lost his room key, so I gave him my copy but he forgot to return it and I don’t know where the spares are—”

“Shh. She’ll be right, mate.” You’re rubbing her shoulder. Sister Penny is in her fifties, very kind, very sensitive, not a particularly gifted administrator. But she has the most seniority after Sister Augustina, and so she has inherited her responsibilities whether she likes it or not.

You return with Sister Penny to the Domus Sanctae Marthae, but first you peer back at Aemond and give him a wave, subtle enough that Sister Penny will not notice. You aren’t supposed to be friends with a cardinal; that’s like a mouse befriending a lion. Aemond, now standing, waves back. But on his scarred face is something you rarely see from him, a doubt that is bone-deep and powerless.

Soon you’re sweeping through the cardinals’ rooms with Rhaena, tidying things up, making beds, wiping down bathrooms, beard hairs clogging the sinks and stray piss drops on the floor. But Aemond’s room is immaculate. You send Rhaena into the bathroom to see if he needs more shampoo or conditioner or toothpaste, and in the few seconds she’s gone you lean down over Aemond’s bed and breathe him in: smoke and cologne, vanilla and amber and cinnamon, and salt too, like something made him sweat through his clothes.

The stomach is an elastic organ—the more you eat, the more it wants—and lust is the same way, so you try not to feed it. On the rare occasions you find yourself too...distracted, that is easily remedied: a detachable showerhead, a hand slipped under the elastic waistband of your pajama pants. But now it all comes pouring back in, fifteen chaste years’ worth of longing, perhaps a lifetime’s worth, and you try not to imagine his hands covering you: a white veil gliding over your hair, sand on wet skin.

~~~~~~~~~~

It’s night, and you are in Saint Peter’s Basilica, closed to the public until the conclave has concluded. You are here because the acoustics are good: you can hear the crowds out in the square singing The First Noel as they hold their candles and their handmade signs—God bless the Holy Father, Miracles are real, Pro-life and proud, Cardinal Targaryen for Pope—and you close your eyes as you listen. You love Christmas music, and without phones or radios, this is the only way you can get it.

The vaulted stucco ceiling is plated with gold. The floor is made of white marble and sand-colored travertine and crimson porphyry, red like lust or wrath or pride. Here is a fountain held up by cherubs, there is a basin taken from Emperor Hadrian’s tomb, there is monument to Pope Alexander VII adorned with the personified virtues of Truth and Love. And everywhere are depictions of keys; Saint Peter is the keeper of the keys of heaven, given to him by Christ. The leadership of the Church changes hands again and again, but the mission lives on, eternal, divine, pure despite the complexities and failures of mankind.

Occasionally, you hear the shuffling footsteps of cardinals as they pace the echoing corridors seeking God’s guidance. Cardinal Marcu, stooped and shaky, stopped to have a yarn with you perhaps half an hour ago; he seemed to be under the impression that Barack Obama is still the president of the United States. You are grateful that cardinals aged eighty and older are not permitted to vote in the conclave.

Your eyes are still closed when someone brushes up against you, a hand grazing across your hip, too light a touch to be intentional. You instinctively gasp and flinch away.

Aemond steps back, holding up his hands. “I’m sorry,” he says uncertainly.

You laugh when you see it’s him, pressing a palm to your pounding heart. “No, I’m sorry, I just startle really easily.”

He’s still bewildered. “I didn’t mean to frighten you, I thought I barely—”

“No, really, it’s alright. I just...when people touch me and I can’t see it coming, it just freaks me out. But I’m fine now.”

His eye travels down to your medallion—Saint Agatha carved into plain, unprecious iron—and then he turns fierce. He moves towards you, drops his voice, demands as he stands so close his smoke and cologne seeps into your lungs: “Who was he?”

“It doesn’t matter, Aemond.”

“It does. What was his name?”

“Why are you asking?”

“Because I want to know.”

“So you can have him murdered?” you mock, and Aemond sighs and rubs his scarred forehead. “You aren’t asking for honorable reasons.”

He shakes his head and stares at the wall, centuries-old marble and gold, hot blood in his face, rage pulsing in his carotids and his jugulars.

Your voice is calm, because this is a truth you’ve lived with for fifteen years; it’s a part of your mental scenery, something you know happened but not something you feel anymore, aside from primeval muscle memories that never seem to die. “It wasn’t something I could have proved in court. He said if I told anyone, he would kill me. And then he got pulled over for drunk driving, and when they searched the car they found unregistered guns, and while he was in jail I packed my things and moved down to Sydney and showed up on the doorstep of the convent. And everything was okay after that.”

“He should have suffered,” Aemond seethes.

“I moved on. I had to. And that saved me, having a life that was mine. That I chose, that I had always wanted. The Lord tells us: Refrain from anger, abandon wrath. Do not be provoked, it brings only harm. And that’s true.”

“But what if you didn’t join the Church for the right reasons? What if it was just an escape for you, or some sort of trauma response—?”

“Why did you join the Church, Aemond?” you say. “So a billion people would love you?” He turns away, exasperated, but he doesn’t object. “You don’t get to question my motivations. Not when I have felt called to the Faith since I was a child.”

He breathes deeply, touches his palm to the gold cross that hangs from his neck, and looks at you again. “If I was the pope, I would help people. Lucky knows that. They all know that.”

“But that’s not why you want it.”

Several long hushed moments slip by like sand through your fingers. From outside, you can hear the crowds are now singing O Come, All Ye Faithful. Aemond says softly: “I shouldn’t have left you.”

He can’t mean that. It’s preposterous. “What, when you were twelve?”

He doesn’t respond.

Now your words are gentle. “I’m alright, Aemond. Really. You just caught me by surprise, I’m fine now. I’m not afraid of you or anything. Here, look.”

You reach out and take his hand, and instantly you know it was a mistake. There is a blazing light that fills your skull, a burning martyr, a revelation: you can feel him pulling you in and the heat of his face beneath your fingerprints, soft lips, rough scar, his palms circling your waist, your white veil falling away as he pulls the pins from your hair, the thirty-three buttons of his cassock unfastened and then—

But before any of this can happen, you jolt away from each other, Aemond clasping his hands behind his back and you clinging to your iron medallion. On it are engraved Saint Agatha’s words to God: I am your sheep, make me worthy to overcome the devil. And from across the space between you, a few footsteps that might as well be twenty-nine years, you and Aemond gaze at each other with terror, with wonder.

You don’t feel too old to start over.

You feel like your life is just beginning.

[astrologyobservationsss]

Random Observations

#4 synastry

5H OVERLAYS

SUN ☌ AC

SUN ASPECTING MARS

URANUS ☌/△/✱ PERSONAL PLANETS

PLUTO ASPECTING INNER PLANETS/POINTS

🍨 PEOPLE’S PERSONAL PLANETS IN YOUR 5H tell me if I’m wrong but, in my experience you can't stop smiling. They bring you joy and with just a look you start smiling (I guess this won’t happen if your 5H or the planets falling in you 5th are afflicted). I have some examples with two friends. With one, their Moon is falling in my 5th and with the other it’s Venus. One night, after meeting with some friends, we spend some time the three of us and literally we where kids laughing and making each other smile. Both of them produce me that feeling, but the second one in a more romantic way (even that I feel attracted by the Moon)

🍨 PEOPLE WITH SUN CONJUNCT YOUR ASCENDANT you look alike, and people can view similarities between you. For example, my friend follows an instagramer (christylevich) that has her Sun precisely conjunct my Ascendant. She always send me posts of her, telling me the resemblance. I also have this one with my sister -in a wider orb 2º-, same again. One more example could be my cousins Sun conjunct a friends of mine Ascendant. The other day I told her, WOW, you remind me of my cousin. And then I realize about the aspect. But in this case, my friend has her Mars conjunct my cousin Sun, and their suns are in opposition, so there's more added to it

I just noticed that all this examples happen in Virgo 🧐

🍨 SUN ASPECTING MARS I experienced this aspect several times, with hard and soft ones, and I can say that it’s SO attractive. The last example that made me want to write about this aspect was the trine. I have double whammy with tight orb with one of my work colleagues. In air (Libra-Aquarius) and earth (Virgo-Capricorn) signs. Apart from other good aspects that we share -trying to isolate this one- I would point out that we like how the other makes things. Since the beginning I was physically attracted to him. And he told me that he likes how I work. There is attraction. Although he shown me signs of that, the trine is more gentle than the hard aspects. With the square and opposition double whammy I noticed that the contrary can happen. It always depends on the natal chart of each individual and other aspects BUT, there is a feeling of “I don’t understand how you do things”. This happened to me with a flatmate. Even I accept her and she is nice, sometimes I have this feeling of, "why would you do that?"… (not proud of it)

🍨 URANUS ☌/△/✱ PERSONAL PLANETS LOVE-THESE-ASPECTS! Every person that I had this aspect with was amazing. Since the beginning I had 0 shame about being weird. In other words, I could be myself without restraining. But if I had to choose I would choose the SUN-URANUS as the best one. Being yourself is funny. There is no judgment between you. You feel alive and want to be with that person. It’s similar to the other aspects, but because there's different energies involved it subtly changes. With the VENUS-URANUS there’s that freedom-feeling that it’s comfortable, and in my experience, the Venus person will feel the attraction straight away

🍨 YOUR PLUTO ASPECTING THEIR INNER PLANETS/POINTS you can’t express this feeling with words. It's just something that happens with both of you. I have the VENUS-PLUTO double whammy—☌ to my Pluto and ✱ my Venus—with my best friend and it’s an aspect that creates glue. Is the level of deep understanding, there’s no secrets between you. Also, the conjunction is on the 4H, creating that level of openness to the private life. We also have MOON ☌ PLUTO and IC, again producing a deep level of emotional support and trust. On the other side Pluto negatively aspecting your inner planets/points, can be manipulating, but that’s another story, long enough to make a new post. What I can say is that it always depends on the maturity of the Pluto person, and how this planet is aspected in their natal chart. I always found Venus-Pluto aspects in the natal chart as a softener of that “toxic” intensity

Hope u liked it! :) And as always, I love to hear from your experience, so we both learn. Let your comment if you have something to share <3

MORE POSTS

© Astrologyobservationsss

[reganmian]

a gallavich sketch in celebration of their 5th anniversary! ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

progress/rambling below ↓

^ how i felt saving this to my drafts 3 weeks in advance

happy anniversary my dears... my babies... this is my first actual gallavich drawing! wanted to christen my blog with one of my fav kisses post wedding 💗 in my head they were not rudely #interrupted at the end of this scene.

contrary to what ian said right before this kiss took place, this sketch was NOT a quickie... i started this back in september 💀 fortunately i had a school break and knocked out the rest in like 6 hours. this was also my first time coloring a portrait (which was so difficult . turns out being impulsive has consequences)

having said all of that thank you guys for all the kind words on my prev art 🫶🏻🥹 i literally draw like 3 times a year so it’s really special to be able to share it with a community who is equally as enthusiastic abt this pair! i think the creativity in this fandom has also pushed me to do something like. actually color (revolutionary, i know) so that’s really cool. you guys are cool. <3 hope you have a terrific canon gallavich wedding day

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to The Light's Chapter 429

Brief summary: CJG has been purified. Clopeh's words and actions make the villagers mistake Cale for... a god. Cale figures out what the last power of GoC is.

==========

First off, Happy 7th Anniversary! Such a long time, huh? Author-nim, when is this going to end? I've been stuck reading this series for 6 years now. 😂 Unfortunately, there is no author's note regarding the anniversary, but the Korean fans congratulated the author in the comments section.

On to the chapter... CJG's purification was over, and his appearance had gone back to normal. However, he was still asleep, and had to be carried back with a stretcher, so no talk with CJG for now.

What was so funny was Clopeh's actions in the chapter. 🤣🤣🤣

The granddaughter poked her head out of her grandfather's arms and nudged Clopeh. “Is he a priest, too?” “Oh, child, of course he is a priest-” Old Tedrick started to answer, but stopped. “No, no. He is not a priest.” The old man's gaze turned to Clopeh. Clopeh smiled a gentle smile and said. “Not a priest, not a pope, not a saint. He is none of these.” His thoughts were firm. 'You will be using this purifying power a lot in the future, Cale-nim.' And so it was. The God of Chaos cult should not be the beneficiary. It belongs to Cale alone. It is His doing. Clopeh spoke the truth without exaggeration. “He simply moves according to his own will. He doesn't believe in or follow any gods.” Cale Henituse is such a man. Such a hero. He is a legend. Because. “And I am following him.” I am his follower. Clopeh's words were full of sincerity. “Ah.” Former village chief Tedrick gasped. A man of the people. He doesn't believe in any gods, he's no priest or anything. He simply lives by his own will. And yet the man in front of him, dressed in priest robes and looking more like a priest than anyone else, believes in that man and follows him. 'The one he believes in is-' …God. Yes, God.

Clopeh really spreading Caleism to the villagers! 🤣🤣🤣 God Cale misunderstanding strikes again! 🤣🤣🤣

The warmth that enveloped us, the power that reminded us of happiness. That gray color. “…Demon God…….” The old man blurted out, then paused. “What?” Clopeh tilted his head and looked at him as if he did not understand. “Oh, no!” The old man hurriedly tried to contain his words. But everyone had heard. And Clopeh just smiled and said. “I see. Whatever you have to say, please feel free.” Aurora, who was watching all of this, thought to herself. 'Is it okay to pass like this?' Clopeh Sekka. I don't know what that guy just did. But it was too vague to do anything about it now. It wasn't that he was lying, or that his behavior was bad. On the contrary, he was sincere and kind. “Hmm.” Aurora decided to wait and see. 'Demon God.' Now that the word was mentioned, she had to be careful. I don't want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings in the village. 'At least it happened within the village, so we can stop any misunderstandings quickly.' Aurora was relieved that it was within the village. And Clopeh- “Fufu.” A shallow chuckle escaped his lips as he looked at the crimson sky.

Last time, it was the God of Harmony, and now it was Demon God?! 🤣🤣🤣 Cale, your god titles keep increasing! 🤣🤣🤣

And Aurora... I think you just planted a 🚩flag. This is definitely going to spread outside the village. 😂😂😂 I mean, just look at Clopeh's laughter. 🤣🤣🤣

The chant/prayer for the Purification of Chaos was interesting.

What was created would soon be gone. As it was inherent from the beginning. Just as you were born. Return to your inborn appearance.

Cale noticed the emphasis on the word "beginning." Even the holy land of GoC was called the Primordial Night/Night of Beginning. And when he uttered the word "beginning", a certain parchment of GoC would vibrate. Thus, Cale figured out that the 5th unknown power of GoC was the "Beginning of Chaos."

Ending Remarks So he would be Demon God Cale in the Demon Realm? Good luck with your slacker life dream, Cale. 😂 Next chapter would probably be the beginning of the search for both CJS and Sui Khan. That talk with CJG? Delayed like Cale's talk with the Molans too. 🙄

[minsh0e]

mini astrology observations 2/?

hi hi ! i am back with another mini astrology observations. I want to thank you all for such an amazing reaction to my “work”, and for all your positive/negative comments that you left for me. these opinions make me realize a lot and will definitely make me grow further in the future… before you move on to the reading, i want to say, that I am not a professional, so take everything lightly. as always, have fun reading <3

p.s. - photos are mine :)

...

☆ people with empty 1st house may lack life guidance or be less aggressive while voicing their opinions. on the contrary though, they might judge people based on their personality and manners, not appearance or first impressions.

☆ libra risings literally don’t have to wear makeup as they look/feel better without it

☆ in my first/last observations, i talked about the mars and/trine venus synastry and how it can be the first thing that pulls you in. in this case, mars represents the man and venus represents the woman. last time, i talked about how i got attracted to the men, who have mars in the same element as my venus but i haven´t mentioned, that all of them had virgo mars...

i have a theory of mine (that i observed on me and others) in which venus mostly gets attracted to the mars sign of same element that is positioned clockwise (e.g. scorpio -> cancer) and mars mostly gets attracted to the venus that is positioned anti-clockwise (cancer -> scorpio)…i have, however, observed this on people who are attracted to the opposite gender not the same gender, therefore, i can’t really tell you nothing about how this works for homosexuals.

-> please let me know what you think about this/what are your experiences if you have time :)

☆ this is a very random observation that you can skip if you want to…our dog it considered to be beautiful by most of the people we met/meet. he has shiny, colorful fur, symmetrical face and body color placements. i decided to check out his natal chart for fun and found out, that he has libra venus in 5th house…interpret this as you want, but i guess, that you can really apply astrology to anything :)

☆ people with sagittarius mars are the ones, who love the sports/movement the most. they are amazing at doing anything physical, so you can literally see them being great at any sport…even if they do it for the first time. they may be interested in a lot different kinds too.

☆ those with lilith in 8th house get sexualized/objectified a lot. if you have lilith (or any other lilith) in this house, you were most likely introduced to the “sexual” more early in your life and matured more faster then your other peers. also, you might be randomly called/shouted at by other disrespectful people on the streets…i was really surprised to find out, that this is not really talked about that much, so here i am…

☆ another observation i talked about in past were pisces/12th house placements. i talked about how sleepy and tired they can get without any specific reason but let me tell you…all the water signs/house placements get like this and it's mostly because of said no reason or when they get tired just by thinking about working on something/having to describe something to the other person. they treasure their energy and how they spend it.

☆ degrees are a very important part of reading an astrology…if you have time, please learn/read about them

…

the end.

these observations were slightly shorter, so i am sorry about that :(

again, feel free to leave your feedback :)

[alfascorpiionux]

Neptune dominants

Are lost in their own world all of the time. They could be reading a book, watching a movie, writing something or just be lost in their own thoughts, philosophical musings. They have a special energy to them that make them stand out. They are ethereal yet sensitive. Kind, artistic, empathetic and vulnerable souls.

You are Neptune dominant if your ascendant is Pisces and/or have many important aspects to Neptune (Check out an astro calculator to find out for sure!).

You are intuitive, philosophical, idealistic and can understand people deeply.

The danger with this placement is falling into dependencies or depression. It’s important to stay as present and objective as you can. Neptune can predispose you to fantasies, preconceptions or over-dramatising certain situations. Your intuition is good but it doesn’t tell you the truth 100% of the time. You should trust it, sure, but also have your wits with you and approach situations with reason and careful deliberation. Your first instinct is probably to react emotionally and take things to heart. While in some cases that’s not a problem and it makes you seem a considerate person, it could also be your downfall. At times it’s better to be cold and impersonal and just let things go instead of allowing the situation/person’s behaviour to consume your thoughts barely leaving time for anything else.

Also, let go of relationships/memories that are dragging you down, making you feel less and inadequate about yourself. Don’t stay with somebody thinking they’ll change and become the ideal person you think they could become. It’s hard for people to change and they won’t do it for somebody else. Moreover, at their core they’ll stay the same.

Artistic talent it’s very possible. Check out the aspects you have to Neptune. If it’s a positive Mercury Neptune aspect, you could have real talent for writing, expressing yourself in such a way it touches people to their very core. If it touches Venus/Moon/Sun, especially with strong 3rd house placements it could mean singing talent. Neptune in 1st house or Neptune Ascendant aspects could indicate acting talent.

Neptune in aspects to Sun, Moon, Venus/ Neptune in 5th house could suggest talent in drawing, painting.

Of course you don’t necessarily have to be a Neptune dominant to have these aspects.

When it comes to sexuality, if Neptune is in major aspects with your Mars, it could mean you are quite f*eaky in bed. You might be into roleplay or watching p*rn. Tense aspects could mean repressed sexuality.

Sun Neptune aspects: person could find it difficult to know who they are and could“emulate” other’s energy. Or they could know who they are but people still get the wrong impressions about them. Identity crisis is possible. The native could be vulnerable and easily led astray by others or on the contrary they could be aware of their sensitivity and use it for egoistic purposes by resorting to manipulation. It could suggest artistic talent too. The positive aspects infuse the native with a heightened intuition, sensitivity, empathy and creativity.

Moon Neptune aspects: the conjunction leads to a heightened sensitivity to your environment, energies. You could feel the world is too cruel and want to help out the poor/sick/unprivileged. Pronounced empathy. Strong feelings. You might want to devote yourself to “something” bigger. Or want to find your soulmate.

The square aspects to the Moon could indicate the inability to recognise or express your own feelings. Difficulty in differentiating between what is real and fantasy.

[nogoodsheepstealing-greatgrandma]

HOTD with book ages vs show casting

It's interesting to think about how fans perceptions of characters would be radically different if we had book accurate casting.

Emily Carey (aged 18-19 here) is perfectly age-accurate to play an 18-year-old Alicent.

Meanwhile Paddy Considine, at 48, was pushing it a fair bit to play a 29-year-old Viserys.

For reference, Tom Glynn-Carney was 28 while filming Season 2.

So not that he's my fancast for young Paddy or anything, but let's be real. You would all be writing self-insertxVizzy fics. Alicent would have no more agency in the marriage if Viserys was his book age than his show age, but fan perceptions of Viserys would definitely be different if he was played by a young and attractive actor (no offense of course to Paddy, he is serving Targaryen realness etc.)

Or look at Fabian Frankel. He would have been around 27/28 while filming season 1. You were shipping Alicole back when Emily Carey was still in the role, after all.

And then there's Rhaenyra, who was 8 during the events of the first episode, and 9 when Viserys married Alicent.

Milly Alcock, roughly 21 here, is just a tad older than 8-year-old Rhaenyra.

Amelie Child-Villiers would have been 12-13 while filming Rings of Power, so older than Rhaenyra at the very beginning but can pass for younger.

To anyone who thinks a child Rhaenyra wouldn't have been interesting to follow, er... have you read ASOIAF? There are quite a few prominent child POV characters, you may have noticed. And Alicent doesn't automatically become uninteresting if she's 18 rather than 15... or 40.

I mean I get it, Rhaenycent shippers, you prefer the sapphic dynamic in HOTD... and it is absolutely fine to prefer something! But it isn't inherently deeper or more interesting. It isn't objectively better. BFFesbians can be just as one-note as you claim step-mother/daughter relationships are with the wrong writing, and step-mother/daughter relationships can be richly complicated.

Now, I've already gone through the absolute horror that is book Rhaenyra and book Criston

Criston Cole was 22 when he met a 7-year-old Rhaenyra, 23 during the events of the first episode. So Fabian at 27 (pictured here) is a a few years older, but his age gap with Amelie is the same as Criston and Rhaenyra. And yikes. This is why 'Criston the Dad who Stepped Up' posts make me throw up in my mouth. (Also it is so weird that Criston is never recast after the time jump even though the actor is younger than Emma D'Arcy - Criston is 47 during the Dance).

And yes, Daemon has a similar age gap with Rhaenyra

Daemon was 24 during the events of the first episode. Though I would add that Daemon wasn't, contrary to popular opinion by greens, grooming Rhaenyra when she was a young child. There isn't really any indication that he paid particular attention to his 8-year-old niece - he was mostly sulking on Dragonstone in a relationship with an adult Mysaria for starters, and then he was off in the Stepstones till Viserys and Alicent's 5th wedding anniversary tourney.

From then, no I'm not in favour of a 30-year-old Daemon and a 15-year-old Rhaenyra... I am not in favour of childbrideros. But considering he'd been absent from her life between the ages of 8-15, and there is no indication he ever paid any attention to her before then... it is less creepy than Criston Cole being Rhaenyra's shadow from the age of 7, with rumours of a sexual relationship beginning at a point when she would have been 12-14.

By Westeros standards Daemon unfortunately falls into the 'culturally normalised and could have a whole lot worse' category (and tbf, considering the popularity of ships like SanSan...). This isn't a pro-daemyra or anti-daemyra post, I'm not really going to go into their relationship or whether or not it's healthy here, just clarifying that Daemon isn't the Humbert Humbert of this story - that would be Criston (not being Humbert Humbert of course is a very low bar).

And when it comes to the casting and how that impacts audience perceptions... Matt Smith at 39 was too old for both 24 and 30 year-old Daemon (though exquisite in the role of course).

Considering how his haters condemn Daemon for his actions in episode 1 while excusing Aegon for rape and Aemond for murdering Luke (and burning alive many many other children)... Let's have a look at an age-appropriate actor for 24-year-old Daemon and see if that changes anything.

Ooh would you look at that, Ewan Mitchell at 24 while filming S1.

Or Tom at 28 during S2, just two years younger than 30-year-old Daemon. With a face that wins hearts over rape. You telling me if Daemon was his book age you wouldn't be excusing his actions? You wouldn't be taking all the rape apology arguments Aegon stans use and applying them to Daemon's seduction of a 15-year-old Rhaenyra?

Especially if you still had him acting alongside 21-year-old Milly, who was supposed to pass for a 14 to 18-year-old Rhaenyra.

Hopefully though no one would be excusing a younger Daemon played by Tom Glynn-Carney if he had been put against an actual 14/15 year-old like Evie Allen. Who would have been a more age-accurate (and disturbing) casting for Rhaenyra...

Oh wait, how old was Maddie Evans (Dyana) while filming S1 again? 15? Never mind.

Casting teenagers in such scenarios is of course a difficult business - above all the first priority is to protect underage actors. Milly was well-suited to convincingly play Rhaenyra from early teens to late teens, and it's impossible to constantly re-cast for absolute age-accuracy across the time jumps. But it does impact perception - while the first priority is to protect underage actors, the casting of older actors to play teenagers does contribute to society's perceptions of teenage girls in particular as mature adults, rather than children.

Meanwhile the attractiveness of adult male actors - and the younger they are - does indeed shape what some audiences are willing to forgive or excuse. Reactions to Daemon and Viserys by fans (especially green fans) would be radically different if they were cast with their book ages - sorry to say it greens, but your objections to their characters is in large part due to the fact that you are not attracted to DILFS (or leprosy!). And even if we still aged up Rhaenyra like the show does when she first met Criston Cole, reactions to him during the Dance would be vastly different if he was played by a book-accurate 47-year-old. Again, Fabian Frankel is younger than Emma D'arcy.

Of course, the bar for age accurate casting is clear in the way we were supposed to accept Olivia Cooke playing Tom Glynn Carney's mother (they are two years apart).

Because again if Alicent had been 18 at the start of the show and 41 at the start of the dance she would have ceased to be an interesting character or something I guess. Because no one wants an older woman (ew gross!) as the series co-lead alongside a non-binary lead. And because mother/stepdaughter relationships are inherently one-note while BFFesbians are inherently rich, deep and complex... apparently. It has nothing to do with, you know, the writing quality.

Final Round!!! Aegon and Aemond picking fights with kids

Harvey Sadler here is 8/9 years old when he played young Lucerys. Which makes this baby face 2-3 years older than... a six-year-old Book Jacaerys when 10-year-old Aemond was 'pummelling him savagely'.

So yeah, "3 against 1" - the oldest of those 3 being younger than Harvey Sadler. And honestly, 6-year-old Jace has my undying respect for the sheer balls on him to go up against a bigger kid twice his age and size. Does he care that Aemond has just claimed the largest dragon in the world? No, he pushed over his baby brother!

"But it's more interesting if Aemond and Jace are peers" Maybe. If HOTD gave Jace equal screentime and character development perhaps. But they didn't. Any value added by making the antagonist interesting and sympathetic is cancelled out if the cost is ignoring the protagonist or making the protagonist boring (especially in a family civil war drama!).

"But sympathetic Aemond is much more interesting" I am not arguing against making him sympathetic. He is still a kid here, and he still has Aegon to bully him and earn him pity points and trigger a cycle of bullying as he takes out his grievances on others who don't deserve it etc. You don't need to age up his victims or remove sympathy or screentime from them. Sympathy doesn't have to be zero-sum.

Leo Hart was 13 at the time of filming, so the perfect age to play a 12-year-old Jace during the dinner scene where a grown-ass Aegon picks a fight with him over asking Helaena for a dance. Also an accurate age to play a 13-year-old Luke when Aemond murders him.

Elliot Grihault who played teenaged Luke was meanwhile actually closer in age to Book Jace during the dance than Harry Collett (no offence Harry, you still made a more believable teenager than 24-year-old Jon Snow did).

And lest we forget Aegon's true nemesis... 13 year old girls on tiny dragons 'no bigger than a horse'. No offence to a 24-year-old Bethany Antonia, but Shani Smethurst at 12 was perfectly cast to play Baela during the Dance and absolutely would have been the next Arya if this show didn't hate black girls.

But hey, at least we got adult Baela saying "I am blood and fire" while the script struggles (*cough doesn't bother) to find her anything to really do. That sure is an improvement over book Baela acting out, causing chaos, kissing kitchen boys and crying to save them from punishment, grieving alone on dragonstone after the gullet, trying desperately to get the adults around her to believe her suspicions about Grey Ghost, wrecking Aegon on her tiny dragon, being forced to grow up quickly under captivity and fiercely defending her rescuers from execution.

[shimmershifts]

how to reality shift

method two: destabilized awareness

these methods basically boil down to two steps. destabilize your awareness, and then shift. basically, you'll be trying to discombobulate yourself to the point your awareness is not focused on 3D reality, and trigger a shift. if you have trouble getting into the state of pure awareness or lack of awareness or it doesn't feel natural to you, these methods may be good to try out! this post is also for my lucid dreamers, meditators, hypnogogia lovers, or people who struggle with 3D distractions, and anyone who likes or feels the need to experience "symptoms" (ie, sleep paralysis or hypnogogia.)

honestly, most shifting methods i see online are in some way doing this. lucid dreams, the hypnogogic state, SATS, self-hypnosis, and also all those iterations of the "raven method" the "staircase method" the "alice in wonderland method" etc are all basically ways to destabilize your awareness from the linear perception it is so used to in this point of reality, offering the opportunity of triggering a shift to a different one. they're all sort of either distracting or subverting your focus on the 3D here in this point of reality.

why does destabilizing awareness help with shifting?

when we reality shift, our goal is to find a way to trigger our awareness into a movement in the 4th and 5th dimensional directions. for some, this is easier to do when your sense of the 3D in this reality is a little distorted. this isn't because it's impossible to shift while aware of the 3D! on the contrary, lots of people shift while totally awake and aware in the 3D, in either their CR, or their DR, or even both. but for most of us, our awareness is really used to and really comfortable piloting our 3D body here. so perhaps try destabilizing or distracting your awareness to help trigger a shift.

how do i destabilize my awareness?

there are many different ways to destabilize your awareness, so you just need to find one that works for you. i'll put a few ways to try out here, but if these don't work for you, do not despair. you can find other ways, or tweak them to your needs however you'd like. my goal is to put the ones that work for the most people, and explain them in a way you may not have seen before so make it more accessible. hopefully, i can! i think that everyone is fully capable of all of these methods, some just will come more naturally to each person.

method 2(a)

hypnogogia. this is, or was, probably the most common "method" on shifting communities for a long while. all those shifting "symptoms" you heard about? those are hypnogogic sensations. now, one important note is that i do not believe hypnogogic sensations are directly "symptoms of you shifting", because many people shift without ever feeling any, and many people feel them without ever shifting. hypnogogia is merely an experience when your awareness is in this reality, but somewhat disrupted from its focus or perception of our normal physical senses. this is what causes you to feel as if you are floating, weightlessness, numb, flying, falling, spinning, vibrating, phantom sensations of someone touching you, hearing sounds or words, seeing or smelling someone or something that isn't there, sleep paralysis, muscle jerks, etc. etc.

these symptoms can also be paired with feelings of anxiety or impending doom, or even a visit from the "sleep paralysis demon" but they're not always! personally for me when i started my journey, hypnogogia made me terrified, and i couldn't figure why because i wasn't scared of hypnogogia in general. it reduced over time with practice.

how to cause hypnogogia: hypnogogia is a natural transitional state between wakefulness and sleep, which we usually don't experience because as we fall asleep our mind sleeps before our body. so, in order to cause hypnogogia, all we need to do is allow our body to fall asleep while our mind stays aware. people tend to over think this, and the most common pitfalls i see are people falling fully asleep, or keeping themself completely awake by accident, so i'll troubleshoot those below! this method will be a meditation method, but if you struggle with meditation then please check out this post for ways to get into hypnogogia without meditation, and just come back here for how to shift from hypnogogia instead of dropping into pure awareness from there.

step one: choose the space you want to do this in, and i recommend choosing somewhere safe where you won't be disturbed. you can either do this in bed where you normally sleep, or in a different place like sitting up on the couch, and there are pros and cons to both. in bed, the upside is that your body is very used to falling asleep here. the downside is that your mind is also very used to falling asleep here, so if you struggle with accidentally falling totally asleep when trying to get into hypnogogia, maybe try a different place, during the day, or a different pose.

step two: relax your body. for some meditations or shifting methods it's not consequential whether your body actually relaxes or not, but if your goal is to reach hypnogogia, it sort of is. don't overthink this though, because your body naturally gets to exactly the right relaxed state every single night when you go to sleep. the only complication is that you need to basically trick your body and mind into thinking you're going to sleep so it naturally lets your body fall asleep, but secretly, your mind is still aware. some ways to ease this process are body scans (ie, focusing on each part of your body one at a time, allowing each section to relax as you move your focus to the next. i prefer toe to head, but you do you.) or progressive muscle relaxation, (ie, tensing each muscle, and then releasing it to deepen relaxation. this means like tensing your lower leg as hard as you can, counting to three, and then letting go. this can help especially if you're naturally tense!) key notes: it's okay to move. do you hold yourself completely rigid and still when you fall asleep each night, refusing to scratch and itch or roll over because you think you'll never ever be able to sleep if you move even once? probably not. it's okay move, it only disrupts the process if you let it.

step three: keep your mind aware. this is the key to hypnogogia here, but don't overdo it. some people have the issue of accidentally falling totally asleep, and this is because they're struggling to keep their mind aware. it may take practice, or trying different things to see what keeps your mind just awake enough to stay aware during hypnogogia, without just keeping yourself the normal type of awake and lying there for an hour while nothing happens. you can hold your focus on your breathing, a mantra, put on a soundtrack or white noise, counting, a visualization, or even a physical sensation. i used to place a small stone on my forehead and focus on the weight of it, since it was a sensation just unusual enough to hold my focus without being entirely distracting. if you struggle with slipping into sleep (or have adhd), try something slightly more engaging or add more than one thing to keep yourself aware.

step four: let your body fall asleep. there is no need to force it. your body naturally knows how to fall asleep, you've done it every day for your entire life. just let it, and don't get in the way. if you struggle with trying to get into the hypnogogic state and ending up just laying there with no results for hours, it's because you're getting in the way (sorry!) you do not need to try to force yourself to start having hypnogogia (i think this is a pitfall for some, keeping their body too awake while they engage their physical senses too much) or push it to fall asleep or force it to fall asleep. that will generally keep it away. it's more of a letting go and allowing your body to fall asleep. key notes: your body may test you to see if you are actually sleeping. during the day, there may be many periods where you are at rest (sitting watching tv, in class, at work, etc) where you're still and calm but it would be highly inconvenient for your body to simply slip into sleep at the drop of a hat. so your system may test you, checking if your body is actually supposed to be going to sleep before allowing it to. this is where you'll get muscle jerks, or hallucinations that make you flinch. think of these like the "are you still watching?" pop up on netflix. your system is trying to check if your body should go to sleep or not, so let them pass. you do want your body to go to sleep.

step five: hypnogogia. at some point, you'll start to experience the tell tale sensations of hypnogogia. you don't need to fabricate or create these sensations, they'll come naturally. let them. congratulations, you are no longer grounded in the 3D sensations of this reality. hypnogogia is already the bridge between wakefulness and sleep in this reality, but it can also be a bridge from this reality to another.

how to shift from hypnogogia: there are two ways you can go about this. you can either focus on the hypnogogic sensations and use/direct them to trigger yourself to shift, or let them pass and focus on the fact that you're not grounded in the 3D of any reality in that moment, allowing that to trigger yourself to shift. generally, the hypnogogic sensations people experience seem sort of "random", so you might get floating or spinning or vibrating, etc, etc. if you're trying to use the sensations you're getting, then gently direct the sensations. meaning, direct your hypnogogic sensations to correlate with your desired reality. you don't need to force or control them, just feel them and line that up with experiences or a visualization of your DR. weightlessness? visualize how soft and light you feel in your DR bed. tingling sensations? direct your attention to the tickling, waving long grasses of the field you're becoming aware of in your DR. hallucinating lights or sounds? think of the sounds or light sources of your DR as you become aware of it. if you're trying to focus on the detachment from 3D (helpful if hypnogogia is scary for you, you can stay calmer by not focusing on the sensations) try to relax and let the sensations continue but pass you by. recognize and understand you are not grounded to the 3D experience of any reality at that moment, your awareness has already loosened its grip on this reality, and turn your attention towards thoughts of your DR, mainly on returning to full awareness there instead of here.

method 2(b)

lucid dreams. ive posted before about how to do reality checks to confirm you're in a lucid dream (check out my pure awareness methods for that tidbit) so here i'll focus on how to have lucid dreams in the first place, since these methods focus on how to get into that destabilized awareness. now, a lucid dream is just a dream. the only difference is that in a lucid dream, you are aware. not of the physical 3D in this reality, but of some of the goings on of your mind while your body sleeps. this means that certain parts of your usual functions here are inaccessible because those parts of your physical brain are "off" or performing alternative functions, so you won't be able to read, and you will be in a dreamlike state even tho you're aware. this dreamlike state is enough to loosen the tether your awareness feels to this reality. now, my other lucid dream method focused on how to get into the state of pure awareness from a lucid dream, and that's not necessary for this method. your goal here is to shift directly from the lucid dream to your DR, which is a little different and has its own pitfalls. the major one: accidentally just moving to another lucid dream instead of shifting. i'll address that below!

step one: have a lucid dream. you can wait for one to happen naturally if you get those, or you can increase the chances of having one in a few ways.

start practicing and repeating your "reality checks" throughout the day. repetition is key, because when you're dreaming your brain naturally processes memories, thought patterns etc and that will reflect in your dreams. the goal is to repeat your "reality checks" so often that your brain does one while dreaming, so that you have the opportunity to realize you're dreaming and become lucid. another way to do this is throughout the day, pause what you're doing and visualize yourself noticing that you're dreaming and becoming lucid in a dream (ie, think about it.) do this often enough you start to do it in your sleep too.

you can meditate before bed. choose any meditation you want, and really try to get at least into a light meditation state, because it really does increase the rate of vivid and lucid dreams for a lot of people, maybe even you!

wake back to bed. this is a common technique, where you go to sleep, wake up, and then go back to sleep. the reasoning is that you are more likely to enter an REM cycle quickly enough that your brain is still somewhat lucid, increasing the chances of a lucid dream.

keep a dream journal. as soon as you wake up, write down as much of your dreams as you can remember, even if it's very vague or half a thought. strengthening your dream recall also seems to increase the chance of becoming lucid in a dream.

how to shift from a lucid dream: now, the most common trouble with this method is when people accidentally just go to another lucid dream instead of shifting. be aware that this is a possibility, and practice your reality checking skills so that you can become confident in your ability to tell the difference. reality check while you're awake, and reality check while you're lucid in a dream. do this so often you become able to notice the differences, because when you do a reality check while awake in your DR it will feel exactly as real as it does here, no exceptions. if there is anything dreamlike, muddled, or "off" about the experience, you likely have not shifted.

anyways, with that in mind, i'm going to give two different ways to shift from a lucid dream. the most common i see online is the "create a portal and imagine your DR is on the other side," but very often i see this cause people to step through the portal and just enter another lucid dream instead of shifting. that's because when you're lucid in a dream, youre capable of creating and changing the dreamscape however you want, so your brain is just creating a lucid dream instead of your awareness shifting. if that's happened to you, try the ones here instead!

1) travel to your DR, do not create it. the instinct to "create" your DR around you can tend to lead you to create a lucid dream. when we reality shift, we do not create the 3D world of our DRs or invent it with our minds the way we do dreams, we shift our awareness from this 3D, to another. when you've firmly established lucidity, think about your DR but do not alter your dreamscape to look like it. just think about where you want to go, and begin to think of your dream self (the body or whatever form you take) as your awareness. use your dreamscape however you'd like to travel to your DR (train, flight through space, falling down a pit, it doesn't matter, do what feels right.) just don't create the destination. when you get there, you should become aware of your DR, but make sure to reality check and ensure you're not still lucid dreaming.

2) become your DR self in your dream. instead of focusing on your surroundings (helpful if you tend to just go to another lucid dream,) you can instead focus on yourself. visualize that you are your DR self, having a lucid dream in your DR. the dream can become whatever you want, whatever your DR self is dreaming about, because you are your DR self having this dream. visualize that when you wake up, you'll be waking up as your DR self. you can either keep dreaming and sleeping as your DR self, or intentionally wake up. either way, you should wake up as your DR self. (check for false awakenings and ensure you're not still lucid dreaming.)

method 2(c)

distraction. our awareness can seem to be quite stubborn, and we can feel like we struggle to direct it to what we want. if that's the case for you, try distracting it. think of it like jangling keys in front of your awareness, or the subway surfers clip at the corner of a video to help stimulate and distract your 3D senses attention just enough you can shift your awareness where you want it. lots of methods involve trying to decrease your 3D sensations as much as possible, calm your mind and body, and be still, quiet, etc. this method is kind of the opposite, because some people need stimulation in order to let go. ever zoned out while fidgeting, daydreaming, or getting distracted? the goal here is to gently distract yourself so your awareness loosens the reigns a bit on this CR, and that's your window to shift.

below are some distractions you can introduce, and a pro tip is that whichever sense tends to be the one that you feel "holds you back" from other shifting methods is probably a key one to try to distract with this stuff.

sound. you can choose any sound, maybe a playlist of songs that fit the vibe of your DR, white noise, binaural beats, environmental ambiance noises, ASMR, whatever. it also doesn't have to be calm or quiet stuff. pick the screaming metal rock band album, or put on jackhammer ASMR if that's what suits you.

sight. almost all methods involve closing your eyes, but this one doesn't have to. put on a movie you've seen so many times you don't actively watch it anymore, a Pinterest board, a handmade vision board, a painting you like, a collection of gifs of your S/O, it doesn't matter.

touch. lay somewhere you usually wouldn't, like outside, on the floor, on the stairs. hold something with an interesting texture or temperature in your hand. put on a weighted blanket. hug a stuffed animal. dip your hands in water.

smell. cook food that smells really good. light a candle, or incense. use a perfume, cologne, or scented soap. grab a fist full of soil, or a sprig of herbs.

motion. this, i feel, can be key for some. pick a repetitive motion, like a fidget. roll something in between your fingers, click a pen, tap your foot, bounce your knee, walk, spin in a chair, etc.

your CR body can stay completely awake. you don't need to be meditating (although you could argue this level of distraction is somewhat meditative? but. you know.) you don't need to be focused, or still, or calm. while your 3D senses are distracted, let them be. think about your DR. visualize where you are, what you're doing. think about what you're going to do. really let your mind wander, the same way it might when you're just thinking about stuff here. at some point, the goal is to reality shift when your 3D CR self here is too distracted to notice you even did it. You'll start thinking as your DR self, and when you "come back to your senses", it's your DR senses instead of your CR ones.