#the idea of entities of fear really resonated with beliefs i already had
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Actually, genuine question!! Did you worship the rot before listening to TMA or did it start after?
i was connected to the rot before hand but it ironically wasnt really until connecting to pre shit show ykw that i rly got the connection to the cycle
ive always loved n communed w my bugs n been drawn to rot but somthing abt introducing it as an entity rly spoke to me and awoke something in me
the way i worship the rot is also not based in fear necessarily - tho fear for me is the same emotion as hope
theres life and death
renewal and decay
hope and fear
hopefully that makes sense!
#not to be like āi listened to a podcast and made it my religionā but#you know#the idea of entities of fear really resonated with beliefs i already had#// liar liar
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Embrace the Void - An Optimistic Outlook
This is a theory post about Hollow Knight and contains spoilers, so if you havenāt completed the game you should probably not read this post. This was originally posted to Reddit but iām putting a copy here too. It is my belief that the Embrace the Void ending does not spell doom for Hallownest as is often believed, and here I want to present the evidence as to why. Much of this information will be common knowledge, but I've included it to support my greater point.
Firstly I want to establish that the Shade Lord (or Bill if you're so inclined) is indeed the Knight and not a dormant god or amalgamation. The ancient civilization that predates Hallownest is said to have worshiped no god, instead worshiping the void itself, taken from Lemm's comments on the Void Idol:
Inspired or mad, those ancient bugs. They devoted their worship to no lord, or power, or strength, but to the very darkness itself.
Lemm is not the most reliable of source, but this is supported by the Abyss statue that holds the void bowl when the Knight dream nails it before acquiring the Void Heart:
...Void... Power... Without unity...
Void here is considered a power, but without unity void becomes nothing more than a writhing pool of liquid with some very interesting properties. Now, I have seen it argued that void has a mind of it's own due to some of these properties, but the game actively tells us that it does not. The original description for the Hall of Gods reward statue depicting the Embrace the Void form used to read āVoid Given Mindā, but āMindā was quickly changed to āFocusā in a patch. This makes it clear that Team Cherry wants to avoid the association of void having a mind, at least when it comes to an āuntarnishedā entity. So what causes that weird mind-like behavior? Well, lets talk about what it naturally does first. Void is naturally adverse to light, this is evidenced by a lore tablet found in the king's void workshop:
VOID, yours is the power opposed.
The king is a being of light, so it makes sense for him to consider it opposed to him. It is also evidenced by the lighthouse in the Abyss being used to suppress the void sea, preventing it from lashing out. Void also consumes soul, evidenced by the apparent need for the lighthouse keeper to be kept supplied with the stuff (though most bugs cannot utilize it for spells, if a bug were to become low on soul this may be a way to top up without the use of a hot spring), but also naturally shown by the Knight's capabilities (this could also be attributed to their status as a higher being) and how the shade cloak consumes soul projectiles that pass through it. The soul totems built by the civilization who worshiped the void are another possible avenue of evidence, they were likely constructed from void in its solid form and are used to contain soul. As soul is said to be found in the air, it's possible these totems would be able to extract it as well. From the Deep Focus charm description:
Naturally formed within a crystal over a long period. Draws in SOUL from the surrounding air.
Going back to the Abyss lighthouse, the strongest piece of evidence for the void having its own mind comes from the lighthouse keeper's dream nail dialogue:
...Turn it off?... Cannot...
My King. I'm sorry... The sea calls...
It is apparent that the void had exerted its will over this bug, but here I get into the most important property of void: void is impressionable. Void starts empty but it does not necessarily stay this way, the king used molds to shape void to his will for the creation of the kingsmoulds and wingmoulds, but it can do this organically as well. The most obvious example of this is the Hollow Knight who was "tarnished by an idea instilled", which is strongly hinted to be the bond formed between it and the king. A more extreme example of this exists in the Collector, a seemingly rogue, armourless kingsmould who for whatever reason spent a lot of time around another bug who imprinted upon it. Evidence for this comes from the dream nail dialogue of the husk you find the Love Key on:
Too long... spent together. We become as one...
This is all evidence for void being shaped by others, so what of the lighthouse keeper? Well, this bug was in the unfortunate situation of being right next to an ocean of the stuff. Husks found in proximity to void have void in their eyes, giving evidence that the void manages to get inside of them. Although usually it's just a small amount it is enough to kill them, and in this case, also influence them. Void is opposed to light - void vapor infiltrates the mind - void tells bug to turn the light off.
Okay that was a bit of a tangent but back on topic. After the Knight acquires the Void heart it gains control over the void. Shades no longer attack, tendrils no longer lash out and the Abyss statue changes its dream nail dialogue:
...Lord of Shades...
Furthermore, Bardoon has this to say:
Ohhhmmmm... Tiny thing... It evolves beyond that Wyrm. Such union in a single being. A strength before unseen. Would it too challenge nature? It could perhaps defeat it.
Pretty much everyone agrees that the Wyrm is a god, so if the Knight has truly evolved beyond the Wyrm, that should make it a god at this point as well. Gods in Hollow Knight are not very clear-cut from other bugs, they tend to be more powerful and longer lived, but still remain mortal and vulnerable to the ravages of time (at least when in the physical realm) and physical harm. The Godseekers in particular muddy the water on what can be considered a "god", but even without them there is a contrast in power between the higher beings. Despite not gaining any additional physical prowess, the Knight attaining godhood at this point, particularly as it was already the offspring of higher beings, would not be a far-fetched concept.
So if it is already a god, why did the Godseekers not notice? Because they weren't looking for it. The Godseekers attune through the dream realm by connecting to the minds of bugs, but the Knight is mindless. The Godseekers were only able to find the Hollow Knight because of the Radiance within:
O Gods of Hallownest, graciously thee open the way to this greatest of Pantheons! Thy voices grow closer and thy resonance draws Us ever higher!
Pray will We, Attune will We, until that spark of divine light shines from the deepest darkness!
And still they fear it for its silence:
O bound one, thy silence nearly deafens Us. Foolishly we feared thee, yet only by thine providence shall We find the one We seek. The God sleeping within...
Which is their deepest fear of all, taken from the tuner memory dream nail dialogue:
What gods, to save Us of Our silent mind?
So where am I going with this? Well if the Knight was already a god, then why should its behavior change so dramatically just because it gained a bigger, scarier form? I want to bring attention now to the Dream No More ending. The start of the cutscene that plays during this ending is very similar to the void breaking out of the Godseeker during the Embrace the Void ending, but here it comes from the Black Egg instead. If the scene had cut before showing the void dripping down from the lanterns then anyone would be forgiven for fearing the worst, but it doesn't. After the Black Egg dissolves into void, we see a pool of void disappear from around Hornet, then Hornet wakes up alive and unscathed. Why doesn't it consume her? Because the Knight is in control of it. Later, we see the siblings in the Abyss peacefully returning to their rest, giving us a bitter-sweet ending.
Now to add onto this i'm going to start analyzing the Knight's character. Not much direct characterization is given besides āit is emptyā, and obviously everyone's Knight is going to act differently depending on how it is played, but there is characterization that can be inferred. Firstly, from what the Knight does regardless of what we want it to do. The Knight always slows to a walk when around Dirtmouth, NPCs and certain sites of significance, I interpret this as it being respectful (interestingly it also slows down around the Radiance statue at the top of Hallownest's Crown, so it seems to understand the religious significance of the site even though it is opposed to the deity). Also in this category are the endings, one of which I've already gone into and i'll get to Embrace the Void and Delicate Flower later. Next would be actions the player can chose to perform, and most players will for gameplay reasons. These include saving Sly, saving Bretta, freeing the grubs and placing the Grey Mourner's delicate flower on her dead lover's grave site. Lastly are choices you get that you don't have to follow and there is no benefit to doing so, these would include giving flowers to other NPCs and sitting beside Quirrel at the Blue Lake, and Marissa at the Pleasure House. The Knight is also a rather aggressive character, but with a few exceptions it only attacks creatures who are infected or insane. The exceptions to this would be if it is attacked first (Hornet, Dung Defender) if it challenges a boss to combat (Mantis Lords), is requested to attack (Nailsmith), it enters a non-lethal dream fight, or the one being attacked really deserved it (Millibelle).
The Knight is not incapable of performing bad actions however. It can leave Zote to die to the Vengefly King (though it cannot kill Zote actively), it can cause Hornet to be trapped with it inside the Black Egg, it can dream nail away passive ghosts and the worst crime of all - it can murder Menderbug! On balance however, the Knight is a generally benevolent character.
I think it's time to address the Vessels in the room, literally - the cutscene you see after completing the Pantheon of the Knight for the first time. This one is strange, it depicts the siblings as though they are alive alongside the Knight and young Hollow Knight before an exchange occurs - the Radiance roars, her light is revealed above, and then the void rises up to meet her. What is odd about this scene is that the Knight can see it without having the Void Heart, but I think I have an explanation for it. When the Knight defeats the Pure Vessel for the first time it becomes attuned with it, by proxy of relation this attunes it with the minds of its other siblings as well. in Godhome, characters attuned within the dream are represented in living form unless they become "gods" while dead, such as the dream warriors and various animated husk bosses. The Knight seeing the siblings together, followed by the void rising up to pursue the Radiance is an indication that they all share a common desire to snuff her out, even when the Knight doesn't have control over them. This can be taken as evidence that the shades are a part of the Shade Lord but I do not think this is the case. As mentioned above, characters attuned to the Godhome enter in best form and none of these siblings are attuned as shades, so they show up in Vessel form (The Hollow Knight presumably shows up in this second form only due to the Knight's attunement with it). Furthermore, no shades show up to assist the Knight in defeating the Radiance at the peak of the Pantheon of Hallownest, meaning the Shade Lord could only be composed of the Knight and the raw void you see rising up during the fight.
So now for the Embrace the Void ending itself. Upon defeating the Radiance we see the Shade Lord descend from above and wrap the Godseeker up in void tendrils, then the scene cuts to her physical body leaking void before the void bursts out of her violently. We cannot know exactly what the entity was doing here, but it's likely that embracing the Godseeker was a means for it to escape into the physical world. The Godseeker does not seem to be afraid of the Shade Lord but rather in awe of it, and there is evidence that despite how devastating its emergence appears, like with Hornet, she survived the ordeal:
Punish this shell, o God of Gods! Blast Our frail, worthless form to ash. We welcome thine fury! Desire beyond desire!
This dialogue is taken from the Godseeker game mode which is set after the Embrace the Void ending, she also thinks this in dream nail dialogue:
We bequeath our all. Our shell. Our mind. We are naught but vassal before thee, o glorious God of Gods!
The Godseekers are a collective hive-mind contained within the body of a single individual. The Godseeker you interact with in Godhome is the lead Godseeker and her shell is her own, so when she refers to āOurā shell she is almost certainly referring to the physical shell they all share. Unless the Godseekers have lost all touch with reality and now only exist within the dream, this indicates that they still have a living body. Although their attitude towards the Knight has shifted... dramatically, they still appear to be perfectly aware of everything that is happening.
After the above mentioned scene we see Hornet watching the infection wither from the Black Egg temple, and then she is startled by the emergence of the Hollow Knight, now free from it's restraints. The Hollow Knight being alive as its own entity serves as further evidence that the Shade Lord is not composed of the siblings shown in the Pantheon of the Knight cutscene, as the young Hollow Knight was a part of that. At the end of this scene, the player gains the Embrace the Void achievement which has the description āAscend the Pantheon of Hallownest and take your place at its peakā. Your place, it is the Knight specifically who is at the peak.
Possible counter points:
You cannot leave Godhome in Godseeker mode, which could be taken as evidence that Hallownest was destroyed. The Knight's physical form has been irreversibly altered, however just like Godseeker their dream form can be different, so they can only exist as the Knight within the dream world now.
Why did the Embrace the Void ending cut away from Godseeker when it did if not to imply something terrible happening? Dramatic effect, uncertainty, possibly you are meant to draw parallels with the Dream No More ending yourself. I'm only here to shed doubt on the Shade Lord being a malevolent entity, not to definitely state that nothing bad will happen.
Why can the Knight bring the Godseeker a delicate flower if not to protect Hallownest from what would emerge? The Knight doesn't know anything about the delicate flowers, as mentioned in dialogue from the White Lady:
There is rare power hidden in those frail petals.
To hold it so close, one must surely be unaware of its nature...
It is my belief that up until this point the Knight had been protected from the flower's power by its āholy shellā born from the White Lady and Pale King. Upon shedding this shell and becoming one with the void, the flower reacts by banishing the Shade Lord along with the Godseeker who still harbors it.
What about the roar of the Shade Lord we hear in the scene after the Pantheon of the Knight? If it hadn't been pointed out to me that this was a roar and not just the noise of the void rising up I wouldn't have even noticed honestly. You have to take information found in the game files with a grain of salt, this can be foreshadowing or the āvoiceā of void even when not united, though void having a āvoiceā at all is a rather contradictory idea...
So in conclusion, given what we can extrapolate about the Shade Lord and the nature of the player character, I don't think there is good enough evidence for it to become a malevolent entity within Hallownest. Thank you for reading and please tell me if I've missed anything!
Tl;DR: Bill is the Knight, Bill is a cool guy, please don't be scared of Bill.
#hollow knight#lore#theory#spoilers#shade lord#void#little ghost#the knight#embrace the void#long post
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So I just got round to watching ep 75, and god, Iām in love with the way Caduceus talks about religion? Because itās potentially the only story Iāve seen where a characterās spiritual beliefs resonate with my own, and also it fits really beautifully into the story as a whole.
Overwhelmingly when people talk about gods, at least in stories, they all come from the same sort of concept. Itās the general understanding that gods are all powerful beings. Some people want to serve these beings, some people are afraid of them, some people feel these beings created the universe and thus own it, some feel protected by them, some scorn their very existence. But however you feel about it, itās generally understood in these sorts of settings that gods are beings of power beyond comprehension, that rule over a certain domain.
And thatās sort of where Fjord is coming from here, too. He sees that gods grant people power, has heard stories of the various gods and everything theyāve done. Heās dealt with Ukāotoa, knows how those kind of deals work. Heās going into this expecting a being, something with a personality and goals, something that may be feared or bargained with or trusted depending on who you are, but by and large, something much more powerful than he is.
But thatās not really how the Wildmother works. I havenāt listened to enough of campaign one to speak for that too, but at least in campaign two, thatās not how any god weāve seen works. Melora isnāt a deity of nature, she is nature. Thatās what Caduceus means when he says he talks to her all the time, every word out of his mouth is talking to her, because everything is nature. Sure, she has magic, and a voice, but so do most things, more things than we often realise. Weāre not talking about an all powerful woman, weāre talking about life given to the very concept of every tiny piece of the universe that all moves as one.
There were a lot of really good Caduceus quotes in this episode. Weāre really getting to the heart of who he is, and two of the big themes around him have been the interconnectedness of all things, and the fact that if you need proof to have faith, it's not faith.
The Clays are connected to the Wildmother, and also to the Raven Queen, and through that to all the gods. Caduceus serves nature, and by serving nature he serves life, and also death, and through that knowledge, and civilisation, and magic, and stories, and so on. He has a very strong concept of destiny, and he trusts in what the Wildmother wants, but he knows that equally she trusts him. What Fjord doesnāt seem to grasp is that Caduceus having faith in her and Caduceus having faith in himself are the same thing.
Because thatās how divine intervention works. And not just in this story, this concept comes up a lot when it comes to religions, but people have a hard time grasping it, because again, they expect an all powerful being to intervene. There is no all powerful being to intervene, just the pieces of that godās domain working together. And the biggest pieces are people. People affect change. People are the intervention. We serve the gods by making our own destinies.
Which then relates back to the whole game they're playing, because like... people have made jokes that by Taliesin creating Caduceus he's made a character that can basically say "let's go this way bc it's where the DM wants us to go" without metagaming, and that has an element of truth to it, but at the same time, Matt's not writing this story.
Matt's making a world for them, and guiding their hands a little, sometimes, but its their choices that define it. And sometimes things happen outside of their control. Molly's death was entirely unplanned and just a combination of various bad outcomes, but it also became a pivotal point in the story that has defined so much after it, and without it Caduceus wouldn't even exist to say this.
Which is how this stuff goes, and defines perfectly the influence the gods have on the world. Sure, they create it, sure, they can cause problems for players sometimes, but they're not the ones moving this story. All the power is in the players' hands. (Honestly, the way Taliesin has folded so much game meta into his deep rooted ideas on religion absolutely delights me, this works all the way down)
Which comes back to why I like it. Because my problem with religion was always that as soon as you give the world to the gods it stops being your world.
If you say all of these facets of nature belong to specific people, you hand the power of that thing to those people. And that's why people rebel against it a lot, what fuels a lot of angry atheism, because they don't want beings like that to have that power, and honestly that's perfectly valid of them.
And I like the concept of there being gods in the world. Everything in this world is so interconnected, I feel like there has to be, not in the traditional sense of the word god, but just in that force that keeps things running. Because really, what is an ecosystem if not just a vast living being?
But it's not my job to protect it, or to serve it, or to fear it. I can't affect change on that massive a level, no one can. It can't do it itself either, except in the sense that each part within it moves at its own pace, in its own way, to affect change. Caduceus has also said that his role as a follower of the Wildmother is to give gifts, both to her and from her. And I think that's a nice way of looking at it. I bring gifts to the world with every decision I make and every goal I work towards, because that's how it functions. And if I ask the sky a question and it responds with the wind swirling around my feet, if I'm in a bad mood but it starts raining and I feel better, if a good song comes on the radio at the right time, those are gifts back.
And sometimes that puts me in the right place at the right time to help people and some people could call that divine intervention and they'd probably be right, and the path that led me there was mine, because of my faith that that would happen.
This is what Caduceus is trying to grant to Fjord. The power to walk his own path. Fjordās entire character arc has been centered around the fact that he, at his core, does not know who he is. Fjord knows who he can be, is excellent at molding himself to become someone else, but he, as a person? He doesnāt know his history, he barely knows his interests, he definitely doesnāt know what he wants. Every goal heās had has been to try and learn more about himself and the situation heās in. And so far, heās defined himself by his circumstances, and his use to other people, which is why heās flailing now. The safety net of āI know I am worth something to these people for as long as they can use meā is gone. He needs a strength that doesnāt come from an external source.
Fjord thinks that by Caduceus doing all this, Caduceus is trying to make Fjord a Wildmother cleric. Caduceus isnāt doing anything of the sort. Fjord thinks that if he chooses a god, theyāll grant him powers. Thatās not a deal that can be made, not with any good entity. Fjord thinks that the Wildmother needs a reason to accept him. Fjord doesnāt realise that sheās already made her offering.
Caduceus does, because Caduceus is the offering. Fjord needs help in knowing who he is, so she sends him a friend with a +9 to insight. Fjord needs faith in himself, so Caduceus teaches him what faith is actually about. And heās learning, even if he hasnāt realised it yet. If faith needs proof, it isnāt faith. Fjord doesnāt have any proof right now that he has any worth to the team. But he stuck with them anyway. And theyāve accepted him, and heās continued helping them, even though he doesnāt believe heās capable.
And he does have strengths, which is what the two of them are on this mission to find out. Everyoneās expecting Fjord to multiclass, but Fjordās not at the point yet where he can make that decision. Heās viewing the gods as a menu, waiting for someone to tell him the right thing to choose. But the strength comes with the decision. Heās not going to magically gain new powers. But when he decides on his next path, when heās ready to commit to it, with faith it wonāt fail, thatās when heās going to gain the ability to see it through
(And, to go back to the whole āTaliesin how the fuck have you wrapped this perfectly into game mechanics holy shitā thing, thatās exactly how itās going to work, because heāll multiclass when heās ready, and gain the benefits of whatever he chooses next)
#critical role#critical role meta#c2e75#fjord#caduceus clay#the wildmother#melora#cr thoughts#text#meta#cr2#cr spoilers
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Iām Not Lost, Just on my Way
When I began this course almost four months ago, I had a limited understanding of nature interpretation. I truly believe this course has profoundly changed my outlook on life. As a minor example, I used to get an icky feeling near cemeteryās and felt that they were simply places of sombreness. However, after our lab at the Guelph Cemetery, my perspective on this aspect of death was suddenly given light. As another example, after our musical lab with James Gordon, I was inspired to write lyrics of my own. In fact, just two weeks ago I registered for my first guitar lesson, and am already able to play a few chords. I believe that I was āgifted a sparkā in many ways throughout this course; not just in nature.
Upon entering this course, I had expectations to learn about effective nature interpretation. These expectations were exceeded, as I was not only given instructions on how to effectively interpret, but was also given the opportunity to practice interpreting to my peers. My presentations throughout this course provided me with a greater understanding of my preferred interpretive techniques, and my own opinions and beliefs. Below I have broken them down into the categories of personal ethics, beliefs and responsibilities. However, the information in these sections are not confined to one category, and in fact have much overlap.
My Personal Ethic
In terms of my personal morals and standards, I believe that honesty is pivotal. Being honest in the stories shared, being genuine in my excitement, and being truthful in my opinions are all essential for a developing nature interpreter. Another standard that should be valued as a developing interpreter is safety. I believe that interpreters should ensure that their activities are relatively safe; the content in discussion is appropriate; and that the participants do not feel forced to participate in any activities.
Csikszentmihalyiās Characteristics of Flow, discussed earlier this semester is relevant here, as interpreters must maintain flow, where the participants are neither anxious nor bored. As a developing nature interpreter, I intend on making the audience fully aware of the dangers of my presentation, but do not want to scare the participants. At the beginning of the semester, Chris mentioned that interpreters should avoid discussing personal fears, such as that of bugs or deep water. This should be avoided because revealing these negative thoughts may affect the opinions of the audience, cause fear, or worst of all, take away a potential spark.
In addition, an important personal ethic of mine involves respect. Analogous to the Golden Rule in world religions, which states ādo to others what you want them to do to youā, I believe interpreters should treat audience members in the same way they would like to be treated (Islamic Networks Group). For instance, when the audience is asked to give input and share their ideas, their contributions should be respectfully considered and acknowledged, just as I would want.Ā Ā
A photograph of the Golden Rule in world religions (Islam Networks Group).
My Beliefs
As a developing interpreter, I bring a variety of beliefs to the ways in which I interpret. I believe it is important to give people both time and space to process information, and to have few to zero expectations going into the interpretive walk. This will allow for a less structured program, encourage free flowing ideas and support unexpected detours. I also believe that it is perfectly okay to say āI am not entirely sureā in response to a question. Accepting that we can never know the answers to all the questions in life is truly liberating, and exhibits our human condition.
I also believe that preparation is important, but only to a certain extent. From my experience, usually the less rehearsed presentations flow more naturally, and the unexpected detours resonate most with the audience.
My Responsibilities
As both a 21-year old University of Guelph student and as a developing nature interpreter, I am aware of various responsibilities I have because of both moral and academic obligations. These responsibilities can be both easy and challenging to fulfill. An important responsibility of mine is conducting myself in a professional manner. The gift of professionalism presented by Beck & Cable, is helpful in proving to the audience that the guide is equipped and knowledgeable (Beck & Cable, 2011). I believe I have an important responsibility to ensure that the information I present is accurate and from reliable sources. Ensuring that information is accurate is morally just and imperative.
As a final responsibility, I believe that I have a duty to āleave no traceā, and to be a steward of the land. By interpreting nature following a āleave no traceā policy, may enlighten others about the significance of leaving the environment as it was originally, and may spark some interest in conservation.
The Spectrum of Environmental Ideologies
Environmental ideology is a way people think about the natural world to justify their actions towards it. An individualās environmental ideology is a product of their values, attitudes, and actions towards the environment (Morgan, 2011). One practical way to order environmental ideologies is on a spectrum that represents a range of beliefs and human relationships with the natural world (Morgan, 2011).Ā
A photograph of the spectrum of environmental ideologies. Retrieved from: https://prezi.com/bpas6kvdke5c/spectrum-of-environmental-ideologies/
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Left: Human-centered AND Right: Nature ācenteredĀ
On the left side of the spectrum, which is anthropocentric, the natural world and all its resources exist solely for human use. These resources are to be exploited and not be restrained or limited in any capacity. The left middle section, has a focus on conservationism, where resources are to be conserved for human use and enjoyment (Morgan, 2011). Ā
On the middle right, these ideologies are more radical and move to a deeper questioning of the root causes of anti-environmental attitudes and behaviour, such as domination and exploitation. They are interested in animal rights and land-based ethics. On the far right, transformative ideologies are the focus. Here, nonhuman entities (plants, birds, invertebrates) have value that goes beyond utilitarian, scientific, aesthetic, or religious worth to possessing intrinsic value. On this side of the spectrum, humans are considered part of a biotic community (Morgan, 2011).
My ideologies resemble those close to the middle right section of this spectrum. I believe that environmental exploitation needs to be evaluated and limited for only essential resources. This ultimately positions me on a more nature-centered side, where I believe that it is our duty to protect nature. This spectrum is an accurate indicator of where I stand with my opinions on the environment, which consequently influences the way I interpret to my audience. These ideologies also affirm my moral responsibilities to leave no trace, and be a steward of the land. Where do you lie on the spectrum? And how does your environmental ideology affect your methods as a developing interpreter?
An image representing an anthropogenic lifestyle covering an ecocentric lifestyle. Retrieved from: https://permaculturenews.org/2017/04/12/people-really-care-environment/
Suitable Approaches
Interpretation can be accomplished in many forms, such as through music, art, writing and much more. I have many years of experience film making, public speaking and as a member of the debate society. Through these experiences, I have gained many interpersonal skills, public speaking skills and have an aptitude to think on the spot. I believe that speaking out loud to an audience is an interpretive approach that best suits my interests, skills and experiences.Ā
In order to select suitable approaches for interpretation, I had to reflect on what worked well for me during my Janeās walk presentation. Interacting with the audience by asking questions, made me less nervous as a presenter, as well as gave me an idea of how engaged my audience was, allowing me to gauge whether I should elaborate further or to move on to another point. In terms of Beck and Cableās gifts, I would like to approach interpretation in the future with a focus on giving the gift of wholeness, because I enjoy larger concept webs and the connectivity of information (Beck & Cable, 2011). I value this gift, because I believe it is important to discuss regional and global wholes, to bring the context of our discussion to other regions and to different scales.
Self as World and World as Self: The Eureka Effect of Interconnectedness. Retrieved from: https://fractalenlightenment.com/36352/issues/self-as-world-and-world-as-self-the-eureka-effect-of-interconnectedness
A final, yet critical, suitable approach for future interpretation would be to ensure that the locations I am interpreting interest me, and that I am passionate about the topic of discussion. This will make it easier to interpret with enthusiasm, which will in turn capture more interest.
Conclusively, I believe all that was mentioned above effectively synthesizes my beliefs, insights, ethics, personality and opinions that I have developed over the duration of this course. This course taught me more about myself than I anticipated, and has also highlighted some areas to improve on as an interpreter. Although I still have much to learn, practice and experience, I am not lost in my path as an emerging interpreter, but simply on my way.
An image of an open road, to demonstrate that I am on my way as a developing interpreter. Retrieved from: https://www.mikkolagerstedt.com/blog/2013/6/19/on-my-way
References
Beck, L., & Cable, T. T. (2011). The Gifts of Interpretation. Urbana, IL: Sagamore Publishing.
Islamic Networks Group (n.d). First Principles of Religion: Treat Others As You Would Like To Be Treated (The Golden Rule). Retrieved from: https://ing.org/first-principles-religion-the-golden-rule/
Morgan, N (2011, September 9). Environmental Writing. Retrieved from: Ā https://writingeco.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/chapter-2-a-spectrum-of-environmental-ideologies/
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What Releasing a Book Has Taught Me, One Year Later
One year ago today English Lessons was born. To commemorate this bookās first birthday, I would like to write it a thank you note/birthday card. If you think this is strange, donāt worry, it is. But when you write a book, it kind of becomes its own entity. A person in itself. You birthed it, yes, but then you quickly learn itās just going to do what itās going to do. No matter how much you will it to be a certain way, to be read by certain people, to be understood as a certain thing. A book is magical in this way. In its ability to transcend its writer.
So English Lessons, on the occasion of your first birthday, I would to thank you for the many lessons youāve taught me this past year. Here are a few.
Thank you for teaching me that I want to be a writer when I grow up.
Ok, I already knew this about myself, but the writing journey is ridden with fear and second-guessing. One day I think I am good at it and writing is definitely my path. The next I spiral into self-doubt and consider changing careers. I loved writing you, English Lessons. You are by far my most favorite project, my most worthwhile hours. (And I spent many hours on you, so Iām glad they were not a waste.) Even in the midst of having a full time job and writing for clients and other publications, you were what I wanted to work on most. You were what I cared about most. I want to make more things like you. I had always felt this deep down. Thank you for confirming that this is true.
Thank you for giving me tougher skin.
Not everybody has liked you, English Lessons. Iām sorry to tell you this. I was equally as sorry to hear it, but you know what? In the end, this was good for me. I like people to like me. In fact, I need people to like me. Releasing you into the world taught me that this will not always be the case and guess what. Even if people donāt like you or me, I will survive. We will survive. Their dislike will not kill us.
You are a very good representation of myself, my thoughts, my feelings and my beliefs. It was good for me to practice putting these deep-down truths in front of people. Even if they didnāt like them or agree with them, they were still true. They were still honest. They were still me. Being me is more important than being liked. You are what taught me this.
Thank you for teaching me that I need other people.
English Lessons, you did not come into this world alone. First, there were friends and family who encouraged me to write you. Then there were more friends and family who gathered around at the time of your birth. Throwing a book launch party, hosting signings, sending me emails and texts of encouragement, posting photos of you on social media. I needed people so desperately when you were being released because I felt more vulnerable than Iāve maybe ever felt. I needed my mom, my sisters, my dad, my friends more than they even know. In fact, without them, I donāt know that I would have ever let you be born, and that would have been so sad.
Thank you, perhaps most of all, for teaching me that Godās purpose for my life is not fame.
I have to confess to you, English Lessons, that once you were born, I started comparing you to a lot of other books. I started wondering if you were selling more copies than this book. If this book was better than yours and if so, why. Iām sorry I did this to you. (Iām sorry I do this to you still.) That is unfair, and it immediately steals the joy and pride I have in you when I do this.
Iāve always struggled with how to measure my writing. How to know if itās good and worth pursuing. Is it when my work is flying off the shelves? When I have a certain amount of Instagram followers? When a blog post gets a certain amount of Facebook shares?
What youāve taught me is that no, itās not any of those things, and it canāt be. Because if thatās how I measure success, I will quit. What is enough sales? What is enough followers? What is enough recognition? Once I have it, I always always want more. What youāve showed me is that Godās purpose for my life isnāt to be big and famous with my writing. Itās simply to use the gift Iāve been given in the best way I can. Some days I hold this truth well. Some days, I want to chuck it over the fence and write what will make me lots of money. And I sit down and I try that and then I realize, I honestly donāt know how to do that and the people who have figured this out are marketing geniuses and good for them. But I am not them. Thank you, English Lessons, for reminding me of that.
Youāve taught me a lot more, but Iām sure youāre embarrassed by all of my gushing by now, so I will stop and simply say, happy birthday, English Lessons. Youāve been a struggle, a joy, a source of pain, a source of hope. Overall though, I am so glad you were born.
**And to all of youāreaders, friends, familyāthank you for being with me this last year. So many of you have cheered for English Lessons, read English Lessons, supported English Lessons, told me how English Lessons resonated with you and your doubts and your story. Weāve raised this little guy together. Iām so grateful for that. You really actually have no idea how grateful I am for that.
The post What Releasing a Book Has Taught Me, One Year Later appeared first on Andrea Lucado.
from Andrea Lucado http://andrealucado.com/2018/05/02/what-releasing-a-book-has-taught-me-one-year-later/
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Text
What Releasing a Book Has Taught Me, One Year Later
One year ago today English Lessons was born. To commemorate this bookās first birthday, I would like to write it a thank you note/birthday card. If you think this is strange, donāt worry, it is. But when you write a book, it kind of becomes its own entity. A person in itself. You birthed it, yes, but then you quickly learn itās just going to do what itās going to do. No matter how much you will it to be a certain way, to be read by certain people, to be understood as a certain thing. A book is magical in this way. In its ability to transcend its writer.
So English Lessons, on the occasion of your first birthday, I would to thank you for the many lessons youāve taught me this past year. Here are a few.
Thank you for teaching me that I want to be a writer when I grow up.
Ok, I already knew this about myself, but the writing journey is ridden with fear and second-guessing. One day I think I am good at it and writing is definitely my path. The next I spiral into self-doubt and consider changing careers. I loved writing you, English Lessons. You are by far my most favorite project, my most worthwhile hours. (And I spent many hours on you, so Iām glad they were not a waste.) Even in the midst of having a full time job and writing for clients and other publications, you were what I wanted to work on most. You were what I cared about most. I want to make more things like you. I had always felt this deep down. Thank you for confirming that this is true.
Thank you for giving me tougher skin.
Not everybody has liked you, English Lessons. Iām sorry to tell you this. I was equally as sorry to hear it, but you know what? In the end, this was good for me. I like people to like me. In fact, I need people to like me. Releasing you into the world taught me that this will not always be the case and guess what. Even if people donāt like you or me, I will survive. We will survive. Their dislike will not kill us.
You are a very good representation of myself, my thoughts, my feelings and my beliefs. It was good for me to practice putting these deep-down truths in front of people. Even if they didnāt like them or agree with them, they were still true. They were still honest. They were still me. Being me is more important than being liked. You are what taught me this.
Thank you for teaching me that I need other people.
English Lessons, you did not come into this world alone. First, there were friends and family who encouraged me to write you. Then there were more friends and family who gathered around at the time of your birth. Throwing a book launch party, hosting signings, sending me emails and texts of encouragement, posting photos of you on social media. I needed people so desperately when you were being released because I felt more vulnerable than Iāve maybe ever felt. I needed my mom, my sisters, my dad, my friends more than they even know. In fact, without them, I donāt know that I would have ever let you be born, and that would have been so sad.
Thank you, perhaps most of all, for teaching me that Godās purpose for my life is not fame.
I have to confess to you, English Lessons, that once you were born, I started comparing you to a lot of other books. I started wondering if you were selling more copies than this book. If this book was better than yours and if so, why. Iām sorry I did this to you. (Iām sorry I do this to you still.) That is unfair, and it immediately steals the joy and pride I have in you when I do this.
Iāve always struggled with how to measure my writing. How to know if itās good and worth pursuing. Is it when my work is flying off the shelves? When I have a certain amount of Instagram followers? When a blog post gets a certain amount of Facebook shares?
What youāve taught me is that no, itās not any of those things, and it canāt be. Because if thatās how I measure success, I will quit. What is enough sales? What is enough followers? What is enough recognition? Once I have it, I always always want more. What youāve showed me is that Godās purpose for my life isnāt to be big and famous with my writing. Itās simply to use the gift Iāve been given in the best way I can. Some days I hold this truth well. Some days, I want to chuck it over the fence and write what will make me lots of money. And I sit down and I try that and then I realize, I honestly donāt know how to do that and the people who have figured this out are marketing geniuses and good for them. But I am not them. Thank you, English Lessons, for reminding me of that.
Youāve taught me a lot more, but Iām sure youāre embarrassed by all of my gushing by now, so I will stop and simply say, happy birthday, English Lessons. Youāve been a struggle, a joy, a source of pain, a source of hope. Overall though, I am so glad you were born.
**And to all of youāreaders, friends, familyāthank you for being with me this last year. So many of you have cheered for English Lessons, read English Lessons, supported English Lessons, told me how English Lessons resonated with you and your doubts and your story. Weāve raised this little guy together. Iām so grateful for that. You really actually have no idea how grateful I am for that.
The post What Releasing a Book Has Taught Me, One Year Later appeared first on Andrea Lucado.
from Andrea Lucado http://andrealucado.com/2018/05/02/what-releasing-a-book-has-taught-me-one-year-later/
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