#the luxury being a working moral compass or understanding of social morality

[whiskeysorrows]

God some people are so iffy. I'm glad you have the time to get stuck up about moral annoyances but some people don't have that luxury

[dwellordream]

Unexpected Facts About Victorian Era Girls, Part 3

Specifically American girls of the middle and upper classes as detailed in Jane H. Hunter’s How Young Ladies Became Girls: The Victorian Origins of American Girlhood, a book I highly recommend even if you have no interest in history. It does a great job giving a lot of cultural context to the buildup to the ‘New Woman’ of the 1880s and 1890s and the newfound independence, education, and confidence experienced by many American women in the years before suffrage was granted.

Contrary to pop culture notions of Victorian girls being ushered down the aisle at the tender ages of 17, 18, 19 years old, there was in fact a tremendous social desire to keep Victorian girls in a sort of extended childhood for as long as possible. Parents worried and fretted over what they saw as premature physical and psychological development. 

Unlike the stereotypical notion that cruel Victorian parents were forcing girls as young as 12 or 13 into corsets and restrictive adult women’s clothing, many parents were reluctant for their daughters to dress as ‘ladies’; with their hair up, skirts long, and wearing some sort of corsetry support- until they were 17 or 18 years old. 

18 was generally the age a girl of the upper middle class would come out into formal society.

From the 1850s to 1900s, Victorian doctors became aware girls were beginning to menstruate for the first time (menarche) at younger and younger ages. It was believed that city life and too much idle time (not enough exercise) as well as rich and fattening foods were promoting earlier menstruation, much to the alarm of many doctors.

One of the first American women physicians, Elizabeth Blackwell, argued that wealthier girls tended to start to menstruate younger than working class girls, who led more active lives and had more limited diets. It is now believed that from 1850 to 1910, the average at menarche decreased from 15 as the ‘norm’ in 1850, to 13 as the ‘norm’ in 1910. 

Generally speaking Victorian physicians argued that 15 was the ideal and healthiest age for a girl to start puberty, and were alarmed to see the norm sinking below 15.

Other potential causes of earlier periods were speculated to include too much mental stimulus as opposed to hard physical labor, reading exciting novels, staying up too late at night, and living in overly heated luxury apartments in the city as opposed to drafty farmhouses. Early menarche was also tied with moral degradation, and the erosion of girls’ innocence. 

Parents were disturbed at the thought of having to explain ‘the birds and the bees’ to daughters as young as 13, particularly parents of the upper classes whose daughters could be considered more sheltered from the ways of the world. 

While still living in a largely misogynistic society, Victorians argued that women were in fact morally superior to men, devoid of passions and naturally pure of heart and mind. This was said to allow them to be more devout in their Christian faith and to care for their families with compassion and mercy. This also held, of course, that men could not always be held responsible for the actions they committed when enraged or driven by hormonal impulses. 

The popular trope is of course the Victorian girl who gets her first period and believes she is dying, or the Victorian young woman who has no idea about sex until her wedding night. However, while up to a quarter of female patients in one sample were unaware of menstruation before their first period, 75% had been given some sort of talk about puberty. 

Up to 50% of Victorian women in another study had been given a detailed ‘birds and the bees’ lecture before starting their periods. While there was a decline of women’s awareness of sex and bodily changes in the late 1800s, this shot back up in the 1900s as there was increased social pressure to give women more scientific understanding of their bodies.

Victorians had strict ideas about what girls should and should not do while on their periods. Many doctors recommended not taking full baths while on your period, and giving yourself a sponge bath instead. Others issued prohibitions against climbing, jumping, or going up and down stairs unless absolutely necessary. Tennis, horseback riding, dancing, and skating were also seen as harmful for girls on their periods. However, this advice was aimed at the upper classes, as working class girls simply did not have the luxury of lying in bed for days on end. 

[randomrandom45]

The Good Place: Zodiac Signs

3 YEARS LATE into the show, but never too late to meta. I just finished The Good Place which happened to be when I am kinda Zodiac obsessed, and I think what The Good Place perfectly exemplifies with their four main core characters are the four elements of the Zodiac Signs. 

So the thing I noticed about other sites and tumblr posts that assigned zodiac signs to these characters only focus on their sun sign which only determines a character’s ego/purpose in life, which overlooks their moon sign (How they process things emotionally) and their rising sign (Their defensive mechanism among strangers/first impression).

And in doing so, I noticed that each of the main human characters perfectly exemplifies each element of the Zodiacs: Eleanor (Fire), Chidi (Air), Tahani (Earth) and Jason (Water), and owns the three zodiacs in each element with their three assigned signs. 

Eleanor Shellstrop (Fire)

Aries (Rising) - Upon first meeting Eleanor or whenever she gets defensive, she becomes assertive and bold with her actions with a lot of youth and energy and a lone wolf or leadership attitude depending on the situation. 

Leo (Sun) - Her true self is someone who is very dramatic with the passion of a child who loves to be in the center of attention, but she’s also very generous, warm and optimistic when given the opportunity to showcase her best self.

Sagittarius (Moon) - How she processes emotions is as someone who is an extroverted philosophical adventurer. When furious, she becomes blunt and cynical, and when happy, she’s excited and optimistic, and when sad, she’s insightful and honest. When put in a pickle, one of her first moves is to find a source of knowledge to better help her put into words what she is feeling or direct her feelings such as her case on leaning on multiple philosophers throughout the show to word how a situation is affecting her and why she made the decision she did. Of course that was after meeting Chidi. Before that, it was social media which probably does explain a lot for why she was Arizona trash.

Chidi Anagonye (Air)

Gemini (Rising) - Upon first meeting Chidi, he is a sociable and curious intellectual, but he takes so much into account that it makes him appear a bit restless, non-committal and maybe even sarcastic.

Libra (Sun) - Every other blog pretty much agrees with this so no need to get into much detail. So keeping it short, his true self is someone who desires knowledge in all things to come to a conscious decision in life which unfortunately makes him indecisive.

Aquarius (Moon) - How he processes emotions is highly analytical in that he overthinks everything, and it comes with detachment when what he is processing doesn’t further his agenda which is moral philosophy. Such is the case with his ex-girlfriend where he looks to books instead of the heart to understand the issues of their relationship. Not to say he is a heartless person. He is very much capable of compassion and arguably altruism. He is in fact the most compassionate character in the show who always choose to do the right thing because it’s the morally logical thing to do and he’s a good person overall. The reason his relationship didn’t work is because him and his ex-girlfriend had different ways to express love. She wanted something more emotional while Chidi wanted something more intellectual which makes Eleanor (Sagittarius Moon) a much better pair. They both understand the value of philosophy while utilizing it differently in a way that it’s compatible. Eleanor being the action while Chidi being the conscience. 

Tahani Al-Jamil (Earth)

Taurus (Rising) - Upon first meeting Tahani, she is seen immediately as someone who is luxuriously sweet, steadfast, and dependable. There’s nothing else much to say because she’s simply put: Perfection on the surface.

Capricorn (Sun) - Many blogs assign Tahani as a Leo because of her vibrant sense of self and how she can act dramatic over things we don’t understand, but the reason why it makes more sense for Eleanor to be the Leo and not Tahani comes down to what they want to be acknowledged for and what fulfills them. For the former, Leos want to be acknowledged for just who they are as a person and bask in the drama of it while Capricorns wants to be acknowledged through their successes in life and very much prefers a stable reputation where they rather avoid or fix the drama than to bask in it. This further exemplified at what fulfilled them at the end of the show where Eleanor is fulfilled by helping the people close in her life who reminds her of her while Tahani is fulfilled by a career to help people in general. Tahani’s true self is overall someone who is very mature, goal-oriented, resolute and patient as she demonstrates very well in how she decided to spend her time in the after life with the event-planning, knocking down a to-do list of skills, and then choosing to become an architect because she further wants to achieve in life in ways that makes her proud and successful in life/death.

Virgo (Moon) - How she processes emotions is highly critical where she thrives through purpose and productivity, taking into account the smaller details to the bigger picture, but it comes with an innate need to please others as showcased her need to not only please her parents, but also the townspeople in the bad place, and her friends. Not to say, she isn’t naturally kind and willing to do what’s good just for the sake of goodness. Virgos are one of the healers of the zodiacs because of her practicality and idea of stability as she had said multiple times of how she’s been able to convince and talk many celebrities into doing things that are better for them and had done the same for the others in multiple occasions.

Jason Mendoza (Water)

Cancer (Rising) - Upon first meeting Jason when he speaks, his soft voice and appearance makes him come off as someone gentle and kind-hearted, even innocent and sensitive to how people perceive him, and is also family-oriented and approachable. 

Scorpio (Sun) - Jason is a curveball because of his fatal flaw being impulsivity which can make him be mistaken for a fire sign. But fire signs aren’t the only ones with impulses in the zodiacs. They just happen to be the ones to take it to another level at how they react such as is the case with how Eleanor and Jason handled being mistaken for someone else in The Good Place. For a true fire sign like Eleanor, she immediately tells Chidi on the first day they met that she didn’t belong in The Good Place. However for Jason, he plays the charade of being a silent monk until he is given a situation where he feels he has the freedom to act as he likes. And the impulsiveness such as throwing a molotov cocktail or telling the judge of the universe to shut up and go away are only shown when Jason is in a bad situation or when something he likes is in front of him. Taking all that into account, there’s another impulsive zodiac sign often overlooked and that is the Scorpio sign. Jason’s nature underneath his happy-go-lucky attitude is someone with obsessive and sometimes dark tendencies such as his overflowing passion for the jaguars and coming up with dark criminal plans like robbery, destruction of property, and blackmail. And with such an obsessive attitude can come off as an impulsive nature to act. Other than that, Jason is a great listener who can pick up on the emotional well-being and needs of another person and has the drive to carry out plans that he sets off to do, which makes him quite a leader in his own right.

Pisces (Moon) - How he processes emotions is very out of touch with reality, which results in Jason making very questionable but also very creative decisions and he thinks of surprising nuance examples for what the group is talking about, which honestly sets up some of the major turning points in the show’s storyline. He’s also a huge dreamer with his wish to become a successful DJ and win competitions with his 60-person dance crew. He also shows characteristics of introversion when we’re introduced to his Bud Hole where he is allowed to be himself. And lastly, a defining characteristic is his kindness exemplified at how he was the only one to have close, supportive friendships because he understands at a natural emotional level unlike everyone else of the value in love and kindness to others and oneself without expecting anything in return. 

[samantha-girlscout]

Goro's plan is simple: leave Tokyo and never see the Phantom Thieves again.

In hindsight he truly should have known just how impossible of a task that truly is.

---

7/1

Admittedly, it feels good to be on his own again.

He'd been on his own ever since he moved to Tokyo. It was a fact that he used to be proud of. Goro would look at his fellow classmates, overhear their complaints about strict parents, and relish in his ability to come and go from his apartment as he pleased. He never spoke up to brag about it (it would have been rude at the time), but he certainly enjoyed the sense of superiority that it gave him at the time.

Never mind the fact that he rarely spent more than the span of a scant night's sleep and intense study session. Nor that, more often than not, he passed out the moment he arrived home. No one needed to know the price he paid for that freedom.

He'd lived that way for nearly three whole years. Alone, but too busy to think much about it. Mind too full of revenge plots and societal expectations to stop and consider any other path for his life.

That was until December of last year.

He caught a small glimpse of that other path. A bit too late to take, perhaps. But, that short moment of clarity broke him free long enough to skirt the edge and make a new choice.

It wasn't an elegant choice, but it was his choice to make.

Unsurprisingly, he rejected Maruki's false reality. He might have gone soft in the end, but he'd made that choice knowing full well what that would mean for him. And he'd be damned if some sleezebag quack with a bleeding heart took away his agency just to appease his rival's sensibilities.

If he was going to die, then he was going to die on his own terms goddammit.

Akira had been loath to accept his fate a second time. To this day, Goro cannot understand why Akira would much rather live in a world where he was a live than one where all autonomy was stripped from the world's inhabitants. It made no sense for a thief with a strong moral compass forgo those morals for an enemy who'd thrown his away long ago.

If Goro was honest, up until the very end, he'd been worried that Akira would go back on his decision. That he would sacrifice the whole world to live in one of delusion. But, thankfully, he followed through on his convictions and allowed the world to revert back to how it was before: the thieves going about their lives and Goro falling into oblivion to face whatever fate may befall him posthumously.

Or so Goro thought until he awoke in a hospital bed in early March, disoriented and afraid that reality had been fucked up once more.

To this day he doesn't understand how he got from Shido's palace to a local ER. He's gone through so many professionals these past few months, and each had their own understanding of what happened that night. A few said that he stumbled in on fumes before collapsing in the lobby. Some claimed that he came in an ambulance after a politician saw him lying prone on the sidewalk. One nurse even claimed that a blonde woman with a strange blue cap carried him all the way to the ER and then disappeared without a trace moments later.

However he found himself there, though, he hadn't known a moment of peace.

He remembers the first month in the hospital being the most insufferable span of time in his life. It had tapered off some over time, especially near the end of his time at the rehabilitation center, but there was still always someone there. Someone to help when needed, of course. But, also, always someone to poke and prod. Or to bother him endlessly about sensitive topics. Or just to monitor him as he did the most rudimentary of tasks to figure out when the time would be 'right' for him to finally leave their care.

So, yes. It's nice to be alone in an apartment of his own for the first time in nearly five months

The apartment itself isn't particularly special. It's a studio with a bathroom, small kitchenette, a compact washing machine, and air conditioning. It's a far cry from the luxurious apartment that Shido had housed him in, but it's in his name, not Shido's.

Goro turns away from the door front door to glance at the small amount of counter space where all of his important documents and his brand new key sit. There's a part of him that wants to rifle through the papers to triple check that the only name on the lease is his, but the moment he leaves the entry way a bout of exhaustion hits him like a  freight train.

He leans heavily against the counter and closes his eyes against the dots starting to form in front of them.

The trek from Tokyo to Sapporo wasn't exactly long, but he isn't used to doing much of anything anymore. He's regained much of his strength in record time, but his endurance is a far cry from where it was a year ago. Back then he could have run laps around Mementos for hours on end. Now, he can barely walk for more than half an hour before he had to take a break.

Not that he'd necessarily allowed himself much of a break today. A fact that he's now regretting terribly as the weight of the day lays heavily on his limbs.

He allows himself a moment or two at the counter before he opens his eyes and navigates to the main living area. There isn't much. A rolling suitcase and duffel bag sit haphazardly against the wall contrasting with the new futon sitting in the center of the room, neatly made.

Despite how overbearing the social worker from the local out patient facility had been the past couple of hours, he's suddenly grateful for how insistent she had been in making sure that it was ready for him. He'd tried to tell her that he'd be able to do it himself (a thinly veiled excuse to get her to leave ASAP), but she'd refused to listen. He hates to admit it, but she had been right to do so. If it wasn't currently set up, Goro's pretty sure that he'd have slept on the floor.

He forgoes everything aside from plugging in his phone. Normally he would wash his face and change into pajamas, but he can't be bothered with either tonight. Instead he strips down, leaving his clothes in an unorganized pile at the foot of the futon, and crawls under the covers.

His mind wants to stay awake longer thinking of all the appointments he has this week, what he's left in Tokyo, the light still being on, the likelihood that Shido will find out where he's moved to… But his body doesn't allow any of those thoughts to stay for more than a second at a time. And, no matter how much his mind rebels against going to bed so early, his body forces him to go to sleep.

He'll worry about all of it tomorrow.

[4desertflower]

No body believed him back then.... Now their teeth are grinding in fear.

MEL GIBSON'S SHOCKING REVELATION ON HOLLYWOOD ...

In a shocking exposé, movie star Mel Gibson has blown the whistle on the epidemic of “parasites” who “control Hollywood” that are involved in #childSacrifice and. #pedophilia.

The Lethal Weapon star said that “every studio in Hollywood is bought and paid for with the blood of innocent children,” adding that the “most valuable currency is the blood of babies. While in London, England promoting his latest role in Daddy’s Home 2, Gibson described entertainment industry elites as an “enemy to mankind” who “feast on the blood of innocent children.”

He said key players in the movie business “get their kicks from destroying the sanctuary of children” as they “thrive on breaking every God-given taboo known to man.”

“They have a blatant disregard for the good of the people. Destroying people’s lives is just a game to them – the more pain they can cause, the better the thrill. Children are just sustenance to them. They feast on the pain and fear, and the younger, the better.”

“These people follow their own religion and use it for moral guidance. It’s not the sort of religious teachings you folks would ever hear about. They perform sacred rituals that are sick and totally at odds with the moral fabric that binds most patriotic Americans. The worst part: It’s an open secret in Hollywood and everyone wants in on it.”

Mel Gibson appeared on British prime-time BBC chatshow, The Graham Norton Show on Friday, where the veteran actor answered questions from shocked guests, in the green room backstage after his appearance, regarding the true nature of Hollywood “elites.”

He explained how he had been blacklisted by Hollywood’s controlling oligarchs in 2006 for voicing his opinions about the industry that clashed with their liberal agenda.

He said that since then he has been “working outside of the system” which has given him a fresh perspective, saying:

“It’s difficult to comprehend, I know, and I’m sorry that I am the one to break this to you, but Hollywood is an institutionalized pedophile ring. They use and abuse kids for their own sick ‘spiritual beliefs,’ if you can even call them that. I don’t fully understand it myself, but they harvest these kids for their energy and feast on their blood. They don’t do it mercifully either, they scare the sh*t out of them before they sacrifice them. The more innocent the child, the more terrified they are, the more they thrive on it,” said the Braveheart star.

What does that mean? They aren’t doing this as some form of artistic expression, they are harvesting the blood of children and eating their flesh because they think it gives them some sort of ‘life force.’

“If the child was mentally and physically suffering when they died, then it gives them ‘extra life force. I don’t understand why they do that, but that’s what they do. Most of us have a moral compass that guides us through life, right? These people don’t have that, or if they do, it’s pointing in the opposite direction.”

Gibson, who has spent the last 30 years working inside and outside of the Hollywood regime, says that the industry’s hierarchy “thrives on abuse, pain, torture, stress, and suffering.

According to Gibson, the desire to inflict such abuse isn’t limited to just the elite, but only “those at the top of the food chain can afford such a ‘luxury,’” although, it’s a “goal for most people in the industry.”

“Hollywood is drenched in innocent children’s blood. The references to pedophilia and cannibalism have always been there, but for years they cryptic or symbolic. I was introduced to these practices in the early 2000s and was threatened with serious repercussions should I ever speak out. And, I don’t just mean my career, I mean my life was threatened, my family’s life would be in danger. I can only talk about it now as those people, those industry executives, they’re all dead now.”

“They see the blood of a sexually abused infant as the ‘ultimate prize’ and say that it’s ‘highly enriched. Babies are like a ‘premium currency’ and hold a higher value of anything else you can think of: Diamonds, drugs, caviar, you name it. They are literally trading these kids like a currency for favors, movie roles, kickbacks…”

According to Gibson, this perversion isn’t just the latest fad but has been a deep-threaded culture in Hollywood for generations, and is something popular among both men and women.

“This isn’t anything new and has been taking place since before Hollywood was even founded. If you research this phenomenon, you will find lurking in the shadows of every dark era in history. These dark, multidimensional occult practices have been used in secret societies for hundreds of years. Hollywood is being used for social programming and mind control and their message is being projected into the psyche of the American people…People everywhere.”

And it’s not just Hollywood!

Follow @Chasing The White Rabbit -17anon- .v2.0 Revived for more.

Group : Chasing The White Rabbit - Q ANON ARMY

#OutOfShadows

#PLANDEMICMOVIE

#PIZZAGATE

#ADRENOCHROME

#FALLCABAL

#100Kvideos

#XANON playlist

[knitcrate]

Letter from our CEO

I would like to begin by saying thank you to the many people who have written in via email, through our DMs, or on social media expressing their support, understanding, and compassion as KnitCrate navigates this situation. Whenever we receive one of those messages, we share it internally with the rest of the team, and it helps boost morale and remind us why we enjoy being a part of this community. So again, THANK YOU.

The situation over the past year has been, well…to say it has been messy would be an understatement. The lack of inventory being in stock (particularly in the last 3 months), delayed shipments, and customers understandably being more budget-conscious with the uncertainties of the pandemic have all strongly impacted our sales as a company. We have been doing whatever we can to overcome it. One of the biggest challenges we’ve dealt with as a company during COVID-19 has been our supply chain, both with getting the yarn to our warehouse for kit assembly and for production of the yarn in the first place.

Issue 1: Logistics of receiving the yarn

There are two main problems affecting companies who rely on importing/exporting goods these days.

The first is that, due to COVID, there are less commercial flights. Almost all commercial flights carry the passengers up top and cargo down below. With less commercial flights, there is less opportunity to transport cargo. This causes a backlog of cargo sitting at the airports. For example, we paid our mill in mid-March to try to get what should have been the April yarn now in March (paying it a month ahead of what was planned in our budget), at which point they sent the cargo to the airport in Lima.  The cargo sat there for over a week because of the backlog of other cargo waiting to be put on a plane.  The airline finally delivered 3 pallets to the US on March 30th.  The remaining 9 pallets arrived today on March 31st.  Customs wouldn’t let us pick up the first 3 pallets until the other 9 arrived, because they wanted us to pick up the order in its entirety. We finally got clearance to pick it up earlier today.

The second issue companies are facing are capacity constraints at the ports, whether airports or ocean. All ports worldwide are working with far less employees than they were before the pandemic, which causes massive delays in being able to process shipments. This affects us with our large inbound orders but also with shipments to our international customers, as packages sometimes sit at customs in your countries for what may seem to be an eternity.  

Issue 2: Production of yarn at the mills

Because of the volume of yarn we are now ordering monthly, we have to contract with our mills 12+ months in advance. For example, as of today, all yarn orders through March 2022 are already contracted. Why the long 12-month lead time? The mills need this amount of lead time to plan their own raw materials purchases and production schedules, not just for our orders, but the orders of all their clients. Every month, we pay our mill at the time of shipment, they proceed to ship the yarn to us. Under normal circumstances, it takes a shipment by air only 1-3 business days to arrive, clear customs, and be delivered to our warehouse.  Outside of a worldwide pandemic, this is not usually an issue. The mills have plenty of time to produce yarn and deliver it the first week of each month when we need to assemble your kits and ship to you.

However, the COVID pandemic has complicated things. Both of our main mills in Peru and Italy have had periods of time where they outright closed due to government restrictions on non-essential businesses to help combat the spread of COVID in their respective countries. For example, in April/May of 2020, our Peruvian mill was closed for two months and that left us without yarn to send out in May. Due to the lead times required and the fact that most mills worldwide were (and still are) facing similar issues, looking for alternate yarn was nearly impossible. Thankfully, our team was quick on their feet and we put together a fun dye-it-yourself project using undyed yarn from our Dyer Supplier business.

During this first quarter of 2021, our Italian mill, who was originally supplying yarn from December through February, has been facing stringent lockdowns and closures in response to the recent increase in COVID cases in Italy. This disrupted their ability to produce yarn and has resulted in part of the January yarn and all of the planned February yarn not being delivered. We were horribly disappointed about this, but despite our best efforts as well as the mill’s, the production needs could not be met. Thankfully, our Peruvian mill has been able to come back online with a more regular schedule in the past few months, and we have been working with them to get yarn delivered now that was originally meant for a later month.

While this is a solution to the inventory needed for crate shipment, it presented the company with a new problem. We had to fund the purchase for this yarn outside of our budget and available funding, which has been difficult during a challenging and financially straining year. This is why we have been forced to issue a credit, as opposed to an outright refund, on those purchases. It would be impossible for the company to do both - issue a refund for all those orders at one time while allocating funds to pay for yarn ahead of time.

***

Does this situation absolutely suck? Yes. It absolutely sucks. Am I sorry that this is happening? Of course. Business owners who give a damn about their business, customers, and employees do not set out on a mission to disappoint customers or give a less-than-exceptional experience. It is more heartbreaking to me than I can explain. But we aren’t dealing with normal times. We are doing what we need to do to get the company through this temporary situation to keep delivering yarn each month, keep our team members employed, and continue to be the business so many of you have grown to love.

Unfortunately, this also means streamlining how we offer products to you as well as increasing prices. When we took over KnitCrate in mid-2016, the kits ranged in price between $45 to $65 USD. We lowered those prices significantly to $24.99, including shipping & handling, that same year. We have kept prices there since then, even though shipping costs and wool prices have skyrocketed over the past 4-5 year period.  Keeping our prices that low could not continue indefinitely. We had plans to introduce these price increases later in the year, but this situation has forced us to accelerate those changes. However, even at the new prices, we still feel there is superb value for the yarn you are receiving. Moreover, you still have access to the member discounts in the shop which gives you even more value.

I am hoping that most customers know us well enough to understand that we aren’t trying to pull a fast one or go Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde on you. We would never turn into a completely different company who is out to take advantage of you. However, we recognize that these sudden changes and issues have understandably raised concerns. Among them, there have been concerns raised about the products and website that we would like to clarify:

Our Terms and Conditions have not changed since 2019 and our Privacy Policy hasn’t changed since 2017.

We will continue to include 2 skeins per crate for the traditional membership and 1 for the sock membership. The “1+ skeins” wording previously seen on the website was updated back in 2019 when we tested featuring 1 skein of ultra-luxury base in the months we featured Citrus Squeeze and Titmouse. We subsequently sent a survey to our customers asking how they would like us to approach this in the future. The answer was that the majority preferred two skeins, and so we have featured at least two skeins ever since and will continue to do so.

We had seen some comments regarding extras no longer being included in kits. Please rest assured that extras will continue being a part of your kits.

Member Central discounts, Double Down discounts, etc. will continue. These are some of the key benefits of being a member and will continue to be so.

I have come across some hard-to-read comments about how KnitCrate is going out of business or won’t be around in 2 months. Are we going through a tough situation? Yes. That is no secret. Are we disappearing in 2 months? No. Like I said above, the yarn is contracted out through March 2022 with our Peruvian mill. This mill has already come back online and is working with us to push every month contract up by 30 days. We are working overtime and making the necessary changes to get things back on track and get the shipping schedule normalized again.  

Ultimately, whether KnitCrate, or any company for that matter, stays in business or not is always in the hands of the customers. Companies can die for many reasons, but there are two overarching reasons.  

The company cannot deliver a product the customer wants. The company created a product the customer wants and is willing to pay for, but the company cannot access or deliver it to the customer.

The company cannot get customers. The company developed a product a customer doesn’t care for and isn’t willing to pay for and they go out of business.

As a company, we have predominantly been battling Reason #1 during the pandemic and are actively working on solutions within our team and with our partner mills to address the supply chain issues.  Given that our Peruvian mill was able to finish the April yarn by mid-March and ship to us early, we are looking forward to working with them on the future orders already contracted as we bump up each of those months.  Going forward, we will not be pre-selling yarn on the shop.  Yarn will only be listed for sale once it has been received into our warehouse, quality controlled, and counted. We understand that this may upset some customers who liked the ability to reserve the yarn by pre-buying it, but it is a necessary action.

That leaves us with Reason #2, and this is entirely in your hands as a customer. We offer great products, great value, and fair prices not available in most places.  In fact, I encourage anyone who has been a member with us for a long time to look at the yarn they have purchased through us over their lifetime as a customer, either through the kits or in Member Central, and tally up the savings they have earned. I don’t know many other places that can enable you to save on quality yarn as much as KnitCrate.

When it comes to business, the customer is always in charge. You vote with your dollars whether any company you buy from, including KnitCrate, stays in business or not. This is not new, though. This has always been the case, ever since we took over the company in 2016, and will always be the case. We have had to make some tough decisions during a temporarily very sh!tty situation. We made those decisions in order to stay alive and keep delivering yarn to you at affordable prices long into the future. If you will have us, we will be here working to bring you yarn with great projects at great prices.  

Thank you for your support. We hope you stay well and keep stitchin’!

- Rob and the KnitCrate Team

[theopentable]

The Wisdom of the Desert (Part 1)

THE WISDOM OF FLIGHT

‘It was said of Abba Theodore of Pherme that the three things he believed to be basic for everything were poverty, asceticism and flight.’[1]

In the fourth century many Christians fled from Rome to the deserts of Egypt. These Christians would come to be known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers.

Why did they flee? Had Rome become too dangerous? One way of answering that is to say that quite the opposite is true - Christians had rarely, if ever, had it so good. Christianity had always been a minority movement on the fringe of respectable society. Being a Christian was a dangerous and tumultuous affair. Persecution was par for the course. Martyrdom in Rome was commonplace in a world where emperors stood as gods.

Christianity, however, changed forever following the Emperor Constantine’s conversion and the Edict of Milan in 313 as Christianity ultimately became the official religion of the Empire.

‘When Constantine declared tolerance for the Christian religion in 313 after his conversion at the battle of Milvian Bridge and subsequently supported the outcome of the Council of Nicaea in 325, the number of practicing Christians rose in the following decades from 3 to 30 million. It became quite advantageous to be a Christian, as Constantine was constantly pouring money into building churches and supporting the bishops financially, a fact that changed the whole character of the early Church.’ [2]

Christians were now faced by the temptation of becoming too comfortable and settled in a world in which they had become the most fashionable, respectable and employable of citizens virtually overnight. Important Early Church Father St John Chrysostom wrote,

“Plagues teeming with untold mischief have come upon the churches. The primary offices have become marketable. Excessive wealth, enormous power, and luxury are destroying the integrity of the Church.”

As Christianity began to be shaped more and more by empire Christians turned their back on society and went out into the desert. This was the real danger of Rome. Society, Thomas Merton wrote, “was regarded by the Desert Fathers as a shipwreck from which each individual man had to swim for his life.” [3]

The Desert Fathers and Mothers drew upon the traditions of those going out into the desert – Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, Jesus. They embraced a way of going deeper and intensifying spiritual practice. They took St Paul’s exhortation especially seriously:

“Do not model yourself on the behaviour of the world around you, but let you behaviour change, modelled by your new mind.” (Romans 12:2)

The Desert Monks fled from a number of things that were at odds with their sense of the sacredness of life:

From the social systems of their day

From conformity to religious mediocrity

From the misuse of power, privilege, status and dignity

From speech [4]

From thoughts (‘logismoi’ – a technical Greek term in monastic literature for the chains of obsessional fantasy that can take over our inner life [5])

From women and bishops (you might end up getting ordained!)

From possessions, property and conventional family life.

We would be gravely mistaken, however, if we presumed that these desert monks and nuns were running away from responsibility or from relationships. All of this flight is for a greater purpose. Rowan Williams writes how rather than any form of avoidance these desert parents were instead ‘entering into a more serious level of responsibility for themselves and others and that relationships are essential to the understanding of their vocation.’[6]

The wisdom of flight that the Desert Parents embodied was for the sake of a deeper, rigorous form of engagement.

‘Numbers of those baptised rose dramatically; standards dropped dramatically. The Church began to compromise between “the things of God and the things of Caesar” (cf. Luke 20:25). The voice of the desert’s heart replaced the voice of the martyr’s blood. And the Desert Father’s and Mother’s became witnesses of another way, another age, another kingdom.’ [7]

While there was much that they chose to let go of, to flee from, they became given instead to prayer, work, to sharing the faith and what they saw as a new form of martyrdom – not the red martyrdom embodied by followers of Jesus prior to Christianity becoming the religion of the Empire, but rather the white martyrdom of complete dependence upon God as they faced up to the demons within. The new battleground for these Christians was the human heart.

‘What they fled with greatest fear was not the external world, but the world they carried inside themselves: an ego-centredness, needing constant approval, driven by compulsive behaviour, frantic in its efforts to attend to a self-image that always required mending.’ [8]

Christine Valters Paintner expresses the way that the desert is a place of deep encounter rather than being a place of superficial escape. The desert strips us down to the sacred essentials:

‘The word for “desert” in Greek is eremos and means “abandonment.” It is the term from which we derive the word “hermit.” The desert was a place to come face-to-face with loneliness and death. Nothing grows in the desert. Your very existence is, therefore, threatened. In the desert, you are forced to face up to yourself and to the temptations in life that distract you from a wide-hearted focus on the presence of the sacred in the world.’ [9]

Here, in the desert, normal securities are relinquished. You are confronted by your own morality, aloneness, limitations and vulnerability. And yet this is precisely the context for transformation, a way of being broken open, ‘a doorway to an encounter with a God who was much more expansive than anything believers imagined.’ [10]

In the uncompromising stillness of the desert they sought to undo internal knots and to allow Divine Light into the shadows of the human heart through poverty and detachment, chastity, conversion of life, obedience, stability, silence, solitude, attention, humility and compassion.

Struggle and toil is a touchstone of life in the desert:

One of the Fathers asked Abba John the Dwarf: “What is a Monk?”

He replied: A monk is toil. The monk toils in everything. That is what a monk is.” [11]

The concern of the desert elders, Paintner identifies, was what poet John Keats called the ancient task of “soul-making”: the challenge of waking up to the true nature of life and remembering who we really are, the divine inheritance of human beings. 

This was the quest of the desert elders. This was the wisdom of their flight. The journey into the desert was ultimately a journey into the heart; to learn the ways in which human lives lose connection with themselves, with Divine Love and how they might return to love and truth. 

This is the great struggle and quest all human beings know: the struggle to live a meaningful, loving, and authentic life. This is what we all want. We won’t all go to the desert and yet the wilderness will still come to us in the various human forms of loss, change, searching, uncertainty, deprivation, struggle, loneliness, and vulnerability. Brene Brown reminds us that the wilderness can often feel unholy because we can't control it, or what people think about our choice to venture into the heart of it. And yet she also says that it turns out to be the place of true belonging, ‘the bravest and most sacred place you will ever stand.’ [12]

Perhaps then we can be guided the grace and experience of these unusual desert hermits, by the spark of their lived-wisdom that might lead us into greater courage, insight, compassion, into encounters with God, and perhaps even our own ‘transformation into the fire of Love.’ [13]

But here is a final, and critical point by Thomas Merton. Merton explains the these desert elders didn’t go out into the desert in order to be extraordinary. Rather, they fashioned lives among the rocks and sands into the be themselves, their ordinary selves, forgetting the things that divided them from themselves:

‘There can be no other valid reason for seeking solitude or for leaving the world. And thus to leave the world, is, in fact, to help save it in saving oneself..The Coptic hermits who left the world as though escaping from a wreck, did not merely intend to save themselves. They knew they were helpless to do any good for others as long as they floundered about in the wreckage. But once they got a foothold on solid ground, things were different. Then they had not only the power but even the obligation to pull the whole world to safety after them.’ [14]

The wisdom of the desert is that we might become our ordinary selves in order to pull the whole world to safety.

[1] Theodore of Pherme 5.

[2] Kim Nataraja, “The Desert Tradition” in Journey to the Heart: Christian Contemplation Through the Centuries (Nataraja, editor, 2011), p.92

[3] Thomas Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert

[4] ‘One day, as Abba Macarius was dismissing the gathering, he said to the brothers at Scetis, ‘Flee, brethren!’ One of the old men asked him, ‘Where could we feel to that is further away than this desert?’ Macarius put his finger to his lips and said, ‘Flee that.’ And off he went to his cell, shut the door and sat down.’ (Macarius 16)

[5] Rowan Williams, Silence and Honey Cakes: The Wisdom of the Desert (2003), p.63

[6] Williams, p.62

[7] John Chryssavgis, In the Heart of the Desert: The Spirituality of the Desert Father’s and Mother’s (Treasures of the World’s Religions) (2008), p.16

[8] Belden Lane, The Solace of Fierce Landscapes

[9] Christine Valters Paintner, Desert Fathers and Mothers: Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Annotated and Explained (2012), p.vi

[10] Ibid., p.ix

[11] John the Dwarf 37

[12] Brene Brown, Braving the Wilderness (2017), kindle loc.430

[13] Nataraja., p.106

[14] Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert

[sortinghatchats]

On Slytherin Secondaries

A Slytherin Secondary’s defining constant is to change. They adapt to the situation, going with the flow and making use of advantages as they come. They are good at spotting unexpected opportunities and rapidly shifting their aim and approach in order to snatch up the possibilities in front of them (sometimes leading them to appear lucky where they are actually better described as opportunistic).

This maneuverability adds to the Slytherin reputation for manipulation, cunning, and deceit– but from the Slytherin’s perspective, those opportunities were there for other people to see, too, and taking advantage of them is neither dishonest nor tricky, but resourceful. 

The Slytherin Secondary is a method–like all secondaries, it can applied to any goal or morality. This Secondary hinges on a comfort with the idea of change. It doesn’t feel deceitful to a Slytherin to change to fit the needs of their environment– to be kind with this person, forceful with this one, erudite to the next. This adaptability can be applied to manipulation, influence, and power, but a Slytherin secondary can just as easily focus their efforts on maintaining friendships, making people happy, encouraging positive social change, or streamlining communication. 

Slytherin’s success depends majorly on what problem it is they have to solve. Slytherins make up their plan of attack in the moment. Their actions, visage, and choices are specific to that situation. They are better at some spaces than others, and without input that they can properly react to they will tend to find themselves out of their depths until they can find new inputs. 

Gryffindor v Slytherin

The loudest similarity between a Gryffindor and Slytherin secondary is a knack for improvisation—they don’t necessarily have to be averse to planning ahead, but both Gryffindor and Slytherin secondaries tend to thrive when put up against situations where they have to react, act on instinct, or “make it up as we go.” 

Not trusting their own ability to change and adapt can mess up a Slytherin. Going in with a rigid game plan often only gets in a Slytherin’s way, keeping them from following new, better directions as they appear in the moment. This sacrifices their greatest advantage in their situation, which is being able to shift their actions to accommodate new changes in information or actions without being thrown off. 

Both Slytherin and Gryffindor secondaries tend also to be skilled at almost “accidentally” shaping their world to meet their needs. Gryffindors’ genuineness can inspire the world around them, while Slytherins will adapt to their own best advantage without thinking about it. They’ll walk into a situation and things will work out to their benefit without them quite knowing what happened or what they did to influence it. These two secondaries will turn things to their advantage in a way that other people can’t, but might be unaware of how they did it or even that they did it. And those with self-awareness of their impact here can have just as incredible effects. 

It is for this reason that a Slytherin Secondary and Gryffindor Secondary who are on the same page and working together have the potential to be a nearly unstoppable team. Improvising together, they can take charge of a situation in a holistic way that leaves no social angle unexplored– or unexploited. 

They can often look like each other too, to an extent where they can be mistaken for each other. When Slytherin Secondaries stop adapting, they take on a blunt affect that we call a Neutral State. A neutral state is how we can claim that blunt, stubborn Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender shares a secondary with lethal, manipulative Azula from the same franchise. 

The Neutral State

Most of the time, most Slytherin Secondaries live comfortably in a system of shifting facades and able code-switching, singing a different tune to every situation. But when they are feeling safe, in the company of trusted people, or when they are feeling particularly apathetic and done with the world, Slytherin Secondaries often let all those shifting layers drop—this is the neutral state. The neutral state is easy to mistake for a Gryffindor Secondary because there is a similar sharp-edged, unreserved honesty to it. But the motivation for this honesty is coming from different places.

The neutral state is blunt and often rough, unphased by stepping on people’s toes. For the Slytherin Secondary, it’s a luxury not to care about stepping on toes— a Slytherin’s best tools for their own comfort, success, and joy involve paying close attention to their circumstances and reacting accordingly in order to manipulate the spaces they inhabit. Slytherin Secondaries worry about other people’s toes almost constantly. So to stop caring about that is an emotional equivalent to taking off a wig that’s been itching you all day, or finally peeling off those tight jeans and putting on your favorite worn sweatpants. Even when the neutral state is being confrontational, it is coming from a place of relative relaxation. 

Gryffindor Secondaries, on the other hand, are honest and blunt because it feels wrong and disingenuous for them not to be. It is an imperative for them in a way that it very much isn’t for the Slytherin Secondary. 

One of the best comparisons between the Gryffindor Secondary bluntness and Slytherin Secondary neutral state is this: a Gryffindor is an unstoppable force. A Slytherin in the confidence of their neutral state is an immovable object. Slytherin Secondaries do not charge. They stare at you and blink while you try to explain to them why they should move anywhere they don’t want to. Toph Bei Fong, Lorelai Gilmore, and Percy Jackson are examples of Slytherin Secondaries who live virtually exclusively in their neutral state. 

When a Slytherin Secondary is not in the neutral state, they present more classically— there’s a level of shiftiness and cunning (also known as flexibility, interpersonal skills, and code switching). But for a Slytherin Secondary, adapting so constantly can feel like wearing a mask. A mask that is still genuinely them, maybe, but a mask nonetheless. There is an awareness of presentation and a prioritizing of presentation that the other Secondaries don’t quite do. And underneath that mask, and that awareness, is always going to be their neutral state.

The fallacy that other people’s minds work the same as ours– the one that Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Primaries can fall into when they assume that everyone makes decisions based on their internal moral compass for example, or that makes some Ravenclaw Secondaries assume other people are stupid not different– for Slytherin Secondaries this fallacy creates the assumption that beneath all of the social rules and posturing, everyone knows what they are doing. They know that there are ways that are more useful to act in certain situations, and sometimes can fall into the bad habit of assuming that other people are incompetent when they don’t excel at that type of improvisation.

They assume that eventually, if you get close enough to someone, they will smile and take off all their layers and have the same core of steadfast realism and social understanding that lies underneath that adaptable Slytherin Secondary. That they will laugh and go “yes, of course I knew what I was playing at” and turn off their stubbornness, see beyond the logical argument and emotional components, and come to the basic understanding that practicality is one of the few things in this world worth wholly subscribing to as a policy. They assume that everyone has a neutral state. Finding out that not everyone does can be unsettling. 

Slytherin Secondaries and their Models

Slytherin Secondaries will completely transform when it’s required. This gives them great effectiveness in spur of the moment plans and separate, unconnected situations like social interactions with strangers, but can put them at a disadvantage in situations that require a ‘long-haul’ kind of mentality: creating a reputation as a good worker at your job, as an honest friend, or as someone you can always go to for a safe place and a good opinion. The same flexibility that gives them such an advantage is their downfall when success relies on consistency of method.

Some Slytherins might try to compensate for this by working on improving their skills at planning, integrity, or charging. While they are not more likely to have a Secondary model than the other Secondaries, they have a unique relationship with their model, using it to fill in the gaps left in their skillset by a basic technique of flexibility. Models can give them more solid skills, ones that they can fall back on when their flexibility fails them and leaves them floundering.

They might, with a Ravenclaw Secondary model, learn to make their plans loosely structured to allow for later improvisation that won’t mess it up, or they might take mental notes of how they tend to improvise and try to predict themselves. They might, with a Hufflepuff Secondary model, make an intentional effort to build habits for themselves and stick with them. A Gryffindor Secondary model would increase their integrity and give them more effective leadership techniques, if that’s something that would be useful for them.

It’s important to note, however, that when we talk about acquiring these ‘solid’ skills, that there is still a consistent core to a Slytherin secondary. They are not less reliable or more flighty– they are more adaptable, and that has little to impact on the integrity of their core or the relationships they form. Long term friends or allies of a Slytherin secondary are likely to know and trust the underlying consistency of the Slytherin secondary, and to rely on their flexibility and support.

Communication with a Slytherin secondary can become a complicated thing–when building an important relationship, Slytherins often have to find or create some common ground to speak in. This common ground can be found if the person they’re talking to knows them well enough to read their layers and see through any slights of word. It can also be found by the Slytherin dropping down to a more straightforward way of communicating, either by being in their neutral state or by turning that flexibility toward accuracy and matching the communication style of whomever they’re talking to. 

Much like people will sometimes change their style of speech depending on if they’re talking to a board of professors, a group of their peers at a dinner party, or a group of their friends at a bar, a Slytherin Secondary will change their style of speech depending on the individual that they’re talking to– unless they make a very conscious choice not to, or if they live in their neutral state.

It is common but not inherent to the Slytherin Secondary for them to become more comfortable being in their neutral state around people once they build mutual trust. This can be rewarding for the other person, as it can feel like the Slytherin has let down their walls and is showing them a part of themselves that not many people get to see. It can also take people by surprise, especially if they were previously unaware of the Slytherin’s layers, and they can feel betrayed and lied to in retrospect. 

But the Slytherin Secondary doesn’t see their flexibility as a form of lying or being disingenuous. Like how speaking in a second language doesn’t change the meaning behind their words, tailoring their vocabulary and presentation doesn’t inherently change what they’re trying to communicate. You can be true to yourself without being consistent in your approach; you can have multiple layers without the surface layers being fake or ‘less you’. They’re just as valid, if maybe not as intimate, as the layers you have deeper down. 

To Sum:

The Slytherin secondary, like the Ravenclaw, is a Situational secondary. They find power in situations they are prepared to interact with as opposed to the Inspirational Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, who gather their strength in the form of support from, assumptions made by, or influence on the people around them. While Ravenclaws need plans and specific skills to excel in different situations, Slytherins need input to react to. They’re responsive to situations as an inherent characteristic, which can lead to anything from exceptionally active and understanding listening to, yes, manipulation. When they lack input, however, they can often find themselves unsure of what to do in a situation, blinking as blankly as a Ravenclaw caught without their tools.

The Slytherin Secondary is also an Improvisational secondary, like the Gryffindor Secondary. Slytherin Secondaries shine when they are thrown into a situation with limited preparation or knowledge going into it. Quick-footed, they take their cues from the situation at hand and change how they’re presenting to either go along with the flow or to nudge the flow in the right direction. Gryffindor Secondaries on the other hand charge into the situations, consistently genuine and refusing to edit who they are and how they present for their audience. Both are improvising, responding to the situation as it goes, but the Gryffindor Secondary is firm and often passionate while Slytherin Secondary is transformative and flexible.

Slytherin is one of our Fluid Secondaries, able to change to fit the needs and space of any room they enter into. They transform and, unlike Hufflepuff, our other Fluid House, they have no need to "believe" that transformation in the moment.

[givlianas]

     hey THOTS , it’s lola ! as promised , here’s giuliana , aka gi , aka gbaby , aka honor roll horse girl — we stan ! i have the shortest attention span in the world , so please hit me up on discord to plot at 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖑 𝖈𝖑𝖔𝖜𝖓 𝖌𝖎𝖗𝖑 𝖘𝖍𝖎𝖙#3103 ! you can also react to this with a ♡ and i’ll hit you up !

ʻ   /   let  me  introduce  you  to  a  prized  member  of  our   equestrian team & honors society   ,   giuliana ‘ g ’ clemonte .  this   cisfemale  scorpio   has  been  a  student  at  our  institution for   eleven years  and  is  currently  a  twenty-one year  old   junior .   through  the  halls ,   she  has   always  reminded  me  of   natasha liu bordizzo  ,   but  there  is  always  more  than  meets  the  eye ,   like  the  fact  that  she’s been selling the stock her father put aside for her to a business rival .  coral  cape  has  made  their  future  just  as  bright  as  their  smile ,   i  assure  you .  ʼ     (  muse three ,  lola ,  twenty-one ,  est ,  she / her   )

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒

full name : giuliana mae clemonte. nicknames : gi , giu , lia , liana , gigi , jujubee , gbaby. age : twenty-one. date of birth : november 14 , 1998. place of birth : rome , italy. sun sign : scorpio. gender : cisgender female. pronouns : she / her / hers. passports : american , italian , chinese. languages : english , italian , chinese. education : st . stephen’s school in rome ( until age ten ) and cape coral international school. major : sociology ( currently pre-law ). clubs : equestrian team , honor society.

𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘

     giuliana’s a daugher of china and italy , with roots tracing back to BLUE BLOOD on either side. her mother’s side traces back through generations of businesspeople and entrepreneurs , who built china’s economy. her father’s side traces back through generations of engineers and architects , who built many of the major cities of italy. her golden pedigree came with a certain amount of EXPECTATIONS , which her tiger parents were clear about with her from a young age. she was born in rome , and instantly sent off to the st . stephen’s boarding school when it came time for her to begin her schooling.

     meanwhile , business began booming in the united states for both sides of the clemonte clan , who made the move over to portland , leaving behind their daughter to finish her studies. at age ten , giuliana finally reunited with her parents and was THRUST into a wildly different school system. the change was enough to make the girl’s head spin , all while instilling in her adaptability and a love for OBSERVING others’ facial expressions , mannerisms and their general attitude around others. it’s something she’s kept to this day. 

     though wealth has played a large part in her upbringing and the environment she’s grown up in , giuliana’s grown quite DISILLUSIONED of it. she’s seen the damage her parents and their businesses have left in their wake ( the collapse of the new residence building being one of them ! ) and doesn’t quite understand how they’re able to just throw money at the problem and walk away. as her secret suggests , she’s slowly but surely inching away from what her family has built , and hopes her career will be enough to sustain her once she spits out the silver spoon that was put in her mouth when she was born.

𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐇

𝐢. 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

TRACK 01 ▶ PANG by CAROLINE POLACHEK.

there's a look in your eyes when you're hungry for me it's a beautiful knife cutting right where the fear should be     

     this one’s a direct reference to giuliana and axel’s relationship. though their modus operandi is being ON AND OFF , a relationship peppered by petty fights , tears and short-lived breaks , no part of giuliana is truly ready to let axel go. their mental connection , their shared interests , their morals and values , their sex life — it’s all too good for her to let go of. this particular song really gives a sense of how fiercely she feels for him , how deeply he’s engrained in her being.

TRACK 02 ▶ ORDINARY SUPERSTAR by RINA SAWAYAMA.

because i'm just an ordinary superstar so far but always hanging where you are

     this one pertains to giuliana’s relationship with status , money and the lineage she was born into. though her last name opens doors , gets her a certain level of eduction and leads to a fair few people turning their heads or craning their necks , it’s something she still very much WRESTLES with. she’s obviously thankful for the immense privilege her wealth and background offer her on a regular basis ( hello ?! who wouldn’t ? ), but the scrutiny and the fabricated kindness and friendships that come from it are things she could very well do without.

TRACK 03 ▶ NAVY BLUE by CHARLOTTE LAWRENCE.

we got delusions of a grand oblivion we're only happy when we're higher than the sun

     this one ties more into the stereotypical aspects of being tied to wealth. the partying , the smoking , the drinking , the drugs — the small things that make the lives of the children at cape coral a little smoother. giuliana’s not particularly attracted to drugs , loud music , velvet ropes and faded neon signs , but has been known to partake occasionally , when everything becomes a little too intense to deal with and her brain needs a short BREAK from overthinking and overanalyzing.

𝐢𝐢. 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 

     like the true OBSERVER  she is , giuliana’s always been a social chameleon. her personality ebbs and flows based on the company she keeps , her eyes always careful to pick up on others’ emotions and body language. it’s how she’s been able to read past what her parents have told her over the years. in an environment where labels are quickly affixed , it’s what has kept her ahead of the curve and has allowed for her classmates , friends and anyone else in her orbit to be kept guessing.

     this , in turn , has led to one label sticking ( on and off , truth be told ): the MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRL. after all , who wouldn’t want to be , hang around or date the mysteriously quiet girl with the golden pedigree and platinum family tree ? the one who always seems to have the most eccentric fun fact to recount during classroom ice-breakers , the one whose holiday destinations rival all others’ , the one no one can seem to ever get an accurate read on. part of her loves to have fun with the attention and whispers that come with this label , but another ( truthfully , larger ) part is conflicted with what this means for her and what that makes her come across as.

     ultimately though , if there’s anything anyone should know about giuliana clemonte , it’s that she’s a SEEKER and is driven by a need to know and understand the world and people around her. her actions , though not always meant to generate good , are always guided by her moral compass. she comes from a blue blood family and was given a silver spoon at a young age , but very much does not fit in the cookie cutter rich kid stereotype. she’s quick to point out the wasteful ways in which her family and those around her spend , and tries to keep her life as normal as she can ( though things like art , expensive wine , quality italian leather goods and lush fabrics are all things she’s thankful her lifestyle allows her to have ). 

𝐢𝐢𝐢. 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

SOME FUN FACTS !

though her name doesn’t make it all that obvious , giuliana is of CHINESE-ITALIAN descent ( the former on her mother’s side and the latter on her father’s side )

she’s a very fast reader , and absorbs an impressive amount of the information she reads — if you’ve watched suits , she’s like michael ross : everything she understands , she remembers forever

her luxury vices are italian leather shoes , earrings , art and good food ( cars ? private jets ? clothes ? expensive hair and makeup artists ? useless spends in her eyes )

she collects all of the letters she’s ever received and will spend evenings spreading them out on her bedroom floor and re-reading them quietly ( chocolate readily available or glass of wine in hand ) when she needs to re-center herself

she’s gotten many , many nicknames over the years ( gi , giu , lia , liana , gigi , jujubee , to cite a few ) but true friends know to call her gi

     you can find a ( work in progress , because i’m a perfectionist about these ) pinterest board for giuliana HERE !

𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

     give me STRONG FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS that are basically platonic soulmate relationships , with comfort and trust so strong that nothing could ever break them apart ( carla and lu , but without the murder and arguments ? ) 

     give me a SQUAD with late night wine drinking , nights spent out on beaches skinny dipping and laughing until it hurts , large group hugs when things aren’t so good , promises to always have each others’ backs and inside jokes that no one else will ever understand. 

     give me an UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP with a boy she was convinced she hated , but now realizes she’s so similar too ( they’re both shitty , and it’s fine ! ) and will insult to cope. 

     give me ONE NIGHT STANDS and HOOKUPS she uses to attempt to get over axel , with heated kisses in stairwells and hallways and labored breaths in semi-public places.

     give me ANGRY SCHOLARSHIP KIDS who can’t stand her connection to the collapse of a building and with whom she’ll clash , all while knowing that they’re right and that her family should pay the price of their actions.

     give me someone gi SMOKES WITH on the roof of her home , to get away from it all. she has her head on their shoulder and smoke dancing out of her mouth , counting down the minutes until she feels light enough to start pouring her soul out.

     give me CHILDHOOD FRIENDSHIPS with people who first saw baby gi , fresh out of italy , with a strong accent and doe-eyed confusion over schedules , classroom locations and the like. they’ve stuck by each other for years , and maybe knowing each other that well has been good or maybe it’s dangerous that they know so much.

   give me ANYTHING YOU WANT ! i honestly love in-depth , thought-out plots and would love , love , love to brainstorm and think through things with all of you !

[beclectic-witchcraft]

Giant List of Color Properties

I’ve been working on a huge compilation of color correspondences and properties and decided to share it here! It should be useful for color magic. I will likely update this in the future.

Disclaimers: Never attempt to substitute professional medical help with magic. This list does not represent the traditional color properties/correspondences of all cultures and religions. I am a pagan American and this list may reflect that. Many of these correspondences were compiled from other sources, which are listed at the bottom. Some are my own speculation.

Red 💋

Astrological Correspondences: Aries, Mars, Pluto, Scorpio

Body/Health Correspondences: Blood, Bones, Colon, Nails, Prostate, Rectum, Tail Bone, Teeth

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Anger, Fire Element, Heat, Intense Emotions, Material World, Mechanical Things, Rebirth, South Direction

Can Increase/Improve: Ambition, Confidence, Courage, Desire, Energy, General Health, Joy, Leadership, Love, Lust, Motivation, Passion, Passionate Love, Physical Energy, Power, Protection Against Being Attacked, Self-Esteem, Sexual Energy, Sexual Love, Stability, Strength, Willpower

Can Increase Success in: Battles, Business Deals, Buying Things, Confrontation, Energy Work, Health Magic, Hunting, Love Magic, Repairs, Selling Things, Sex Magic, Sexual Activities, Warming Up 

Can Decrease: Depression, Fatigue, Fear, Weakness

Orange 🍁

Astrological Correspondences: Leo, Mercury, Sagittarius, Sun 

Body/Health Correspondences: Addiction, Adrenalin, Alcoholism, Bladder, Digestion System, Drug Abuse, Eating Disorders, Lower Abdomen, Lymph, Kidneys, Pelvis, Sperm, Uterus

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Adventure, Emotions, Fire Element

Can Increase/Improve: Attraction, Confidence, Creativity, Dominance, Emotional Connections, Energy, Enthusiasm, Fertility, Fun, Happiness, Joy, Kindness, Opportunities, Material Gain, Mental Alertness, Power, Sexuality, Stimulation, Strength, Vitality, Warmth 

Can Increase Success in: Adapting to Sudden Changes, Art Magic, Attracting What You Need or Want, Being Active, Breaking Down Barriers, Dealing with Major Changes, Encouraging Self/Others, Energy Work, Harvesting, Legal Matters, Making Emotional Connections, Sealing a Spell, Self-Expression, Sex Magic, Sexual Activities, Transitioning, Warming Up 

Can Decrease: Boredom, Creator’s Block, Depression, Fatigue, Feelings of Abandonment, Hesitation, Weakness

Yellow 💡

Astrological Correspondences: Gemini, Jupiter, Leo, Libra, Mercury, Taurus, Uranus 

Body/Health Correspondences: Digestion, Gallbladder, Liver, Lower Back, Pancreas, Spine, Spleen, Upper Abdomen 

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Air Element, East Direction 

Can Increase/Improve: Beauty, Communication, Confidence, Creativity, Friendships, Happiness, Humility, Ideas, Imagination, Inspiration, Intellect, Inventiveness, Knowledge, Mental Clarity, Optimism, Persuasiveness, Productivity, Prosperity, Protection, Self-Confidence, Self-Control, Self-Esteem 

Can Increase Success in: Beauty Magic, Being Counseled, Business Ventures, Communicating, Counseling, Divination, Healing, Health Magic, Life, Making Friends, Persuasion, Self-Empowerment, Strengthening Intellect, ,Studying 

Can Decrease: Creator’s Block, Depression, Impulsiveness, Negative Thinking, Pessimism

Green 🌿

Astrological Correspondences: Aquarius, Cancer, Capricorn, Libra, Mercury, Neptune, Pisces, Taurus, Uranus Venus, Virgo

Body/Health Correspondences: Breasts, Chest, Circulatory System, Heart, Lungs, Respiratory System, Shoulders, Spine, Upper Back 

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Abundance, Architects, Artists, Balance, Change, Chiropractors, Cosmetologists, Dancers, Designers, Earth Element, Emotions, Engineers, Entertainers, Faeries, Gardeners, Growth, Immortality, Luxury, Models, Money, New Beginnings, North Direction, Rebirth, Renewal 

Can Increase/Improve: Achievements, Affection, Alliances, Artistic Ability, Balance, Beauty, Compassion, Courage, Empathy, Fertility, General Health, Grace, Growth, Harmony, Hope, Income, Love, Luck, Platonic Love, Prosperity, Romantic Love Trust, Wealth, Wellness

Can Increase Success in: Architecture Work, Art, Balancing an Unstable Situation, Cosmetology, Chiropractic Work, Dancing, Design, Earth Magic, Empath Work, Engineering, Entertaining, Existing Relationships, Faery Work, Fashion, Fertility Magic, Finding Soul Mates, Forming New Relationships, Gardening, Garden Magic, Getting Employed, Gifting Things, Health Magic, Healing, Herbal Magic, Household Improvements, Love Magic, Making Alliances, Marriage, Modeling, Music, Nature Magic, Shopping, Social Activities, Transformations, Transitioning, Work Life

Can Decrease: Bad Luck, Clumsiness, Distrust, Instability, Poorness, Unemployment

Light Blue 💧

Astrological Correspondences: Aquarius, Mercury, Neptune, Libra, Pisces, Venus, Virgo

Body/Health Correspondences: Neck, Throat 

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Air Element, Truth

Can Increase/Improve: Communication, Harmony in the Home, Health, Honesty, Inner Peace, Inspiration, Openness, Patience, Trust, Trustworthiness, Understanding, Wellness, Wisdom

Can Increase Success in: Being Fair, Being Open, Communicating, Discovering the Truth, Healing, Health Magic, Telling the Truth

Can Decrease: Creator’s Block

Blue 🌊

Astrological Correspondences: Aquarius, Cancer, Capricorn, Jupiter, Libra, Moon, Neptune, Pisces, Taurus, Uranus, Virgo

Body/Health Correspondences: Brain, Ears, Forehead, Lungs, Neck, Throat, Thyroid

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Doctors, Emotions, Growth, Guardians, Horses, Masculinity, Merchants, Ocean, Religion, Truth, Water Element, West Direction 

Can Increase/Improve: Charity, Communication, Empathy, Expressiveness, Fidelity, Fluidity, Group Success, Growth, Happiness, Harmony in the Home, Honesty, Insightfulness, Joy, Loyalty, Luck, Occult Power, Opportunities, Patience, Peace, Protection, Psychic Abilities, Social Standing, Trust, Trustworthiness, Understanding, Wealth, Wisdom

Can Increase Success in: Broadcasting, Calming Down, Communicating, Dealing with Foreign Cultures/Countries, Empath Work, Expanding, Forecasting, Guardianship, Healing, Higher Education, Introspection, Legal Matters, Letting Go, Long Distance Travel, Medical Work, Meditation, Psychic Work, Reading, Research, Self-Improvement, Self-Realization, Selling Things, Spiritual Healing, Sports, Studying, Traveling Safety, Working with Horses

Can Decrease: Anxiety, Confusion, Depression, Stress

Indigo 🌎

Astrological Correspondences: Jupiter, Sagittarius, Saturn, Uranus

Body/Health Correspondences: Depressive Disorder, Forehead

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Emotions

Can Increase/Improve: Clarity of Purpose, Emotional Vulnerability, Empathic Skills, Expressiveness, Fluidity, Insightfulness, Psychic Abilities 

Can Increase Success in: Empath Work, Letting Go of Emotional Baggage, Recognizing Emotional Baggage, Self-Mastery, Self-Realizing, Spiritual Healing 

Can Decrease: Depression

Purple 🔮

Astrological Correspondences: Capricorn, Gemini, Jupiter, Mercury, Neptune, Sagittarius, Saturn 

Body/Health Correspondences: Bones, Ears, Eyes, Face, Fibromyalgia, Forehead, Nervous System, Pituitary Gland, Top of Head, Upper Respiratory System 

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Contracts, Emotions, Hidden Forces, Idealism, Merchants, Messages, Occult, Royalty, Students

Can Increase/Improve: Ambition, Clairvoyance, Connection to the Divine, Connection to the Universe, Devotion, Fame, Forgiveness, Happiness, Humility, Intelligence, Intuition, Justice, Memory, Nurturing Qualities, Peace, Power, Progress, Protection, Psychic Abilities, Spiritual Development, Spirituality, Spiritual Power, Spiritual Protection, Success, Wisdom 

Can Increase Success in: Advertising, Astrology, Balancing Sensitivity, Clairvoyant Work, Communicating, Conflicts, Connecting with Deities, Connecting with Higher Realms, Correspondences, Dream Work, Divination, Editing, Education, Getting Promoted, Invoking Spirits, Meditation, Secret Dealings, Selling Things, Spiritual Healing, Visiting Friends, Writing 

Can Decrease: Depression, Emotional Hurt, Wounded Pride

Pink 💕

Astrological Correspondences: Libra, Taurus, Venus

Body/Health Correspondences: Breast Cancer, Muscular Systems

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Children, Emotions, Femininity, Infants, Innocent Love, New Beginnings

Can Increase/Improve: Affection, Compassion, Family Relationships, Forgiveness, Friendships, Goodness, Harmony, Honor, Morality, Passion, Peace, Personal Harmony, Personal Success, Physical Energy, Romantic Love, Self-Love, Sleep, Sweetness

Can Increase Success in: Being Forgiven, Buying, Selling, & Adopting Animals, Calming Down, Childcare, Companionship, Emotional Healing, Exercising, Family Life, Forgiving Self/Others, Friendships, Gay Love, Gardening, Getting a Move On, Love Life, Love Magic, Making Friends, Relaxing, Sex Magic, Sexual Activities, Spiritual Awakenings, Spiritual Healing, Surgery, Taking Action, Woodworking 

Can Decrease: Anxiety, Insomnia, Self-Hatred, Stress

Brown 🐻

Astrological Correspondences: Capricorn, Pluto, Saturn, Scorpio, Taurus, Venus, Virgo 

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Animals, Balance, Earth Element, Hearth, Home, Nature, New Beginnings

Can Increase/Improve: Balance, Concentration, Endurance, Focus, Friendships, Fruitfulness, Generosity, Health of Pets/Livestock, Material Gain, Security, Solidity, Stability, Strength 

Can Increase Success in: Animal Magic, Communicating with Nature Spirits, Finding Lost Things, Grounding, Harvesting, Home Life, Making Friends, Nature Magic, Solidifying, Sound Decision-Making, Telepathic Work

Can Decrease: Distractedness, Weakness

Black 🕷

Astrological Correspondences: Capricorn, Mars, Pluto, Saturn, Scorpio

Body/Health Correspondences: Bones, Teeth

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Beginnings, Challenges, Civil Servants, Death, Debt, Earth Element, Elders, Force, Grief, Rebirth, Sacrifice, Separation, Truth 

Can Increase/Improve: Dignity, Justice, Material Gain, Patience, Power, Protection, Stability, Willpower 

Can Increase Success in: Absorbing Energies, Banishing, Binding, Creating, Discovering, Divination, Enlightenment, Farming, Legal Matters, Letting Go, Manifestation, Neutralizing Forces, Overcoming Obstacles, Parting, Plumbing, Real Estate Matters, Removing Curses/Hexes/Etc., Repelling Curses/Hexes/Etc., Tests, Transforming, Transitioning, Understanding One’s Limits

Can Decrease: Animosity, Jealousy, Negativity, Weakness

Grey 🐺

Astrological Correspondences: Cancer, Capricorn, Moon, Saturn 

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Neutrality, Reservation, Secrets 

Can Increase/Improve: Psychic Awareness, Stability 

Can Increase Success in: Binding Negative Influences, Complex Decisions, Contemplation, Divination, Reaching Compromise

Can Decrease: Competitiveness, Weakness

White 🕊

Astrological Correspondences: Cancer, Mercury, Moon, Neptune, Pisces, Uranus 

Body/Health Correspondences: Brain, Pineal Gland, Semen, Top of Head 

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Cycle of Life, Freedom, Illumination, Innocence, Neutrality, Purity, Truth 

Can Increase/Improve: Clarity, Connection to Higher Self, Connection to the Divine, General Health, Peace, Protection, Safety, Spiritual Growth, Understanding 

Can Increase Success in: Any Magical Endeavor, Becoming More Outgoing, Blessings, Cleansings, Consecrations, Enlightenment, Establishing Order, Initiation, Unifying, Substituting Other Colors, Transforming, Transitioning 

Can Decrease: Confusion, Shyness

Gold 👑

Astrological Correspondences: Leo, Sun

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Courtrooms, Inner Strength, Justice System, Masculinity, Money 

Can Increase/Improve: Ambition, Financial Gain, General Health, Good Fortune, Higher Intuition, Honor, Inner Strength, Inspiration, Intuition, Power, Prosperity, Solar Connections, Success, Understanding, Victory, Wealth 

Can Increase Success in: Business Endeavors, Divination, Legal Matters, Overcoming Obstacles, Self-Realization, Solar Magic, Work Life 

Can Decrease: Bad Luck, Confusion, Creator’s Block, Poorness

Silver 👽

Astrological Correspondences: Cancer, Moon

Miscellaneous Correspondences: Femininity, Mysteries, Secrets, Tides, Truth

Can Increase/Improve: Insightfulness, Intelligence, Intuition, Lunar Connections, Memory, Psychic Abilities, Psychic Awareness, Psychic Development, Spiritual Development, Wisdom

Can Increase Success in: Astral Travel, Astral Work, Divination, Getting Pregnant, Lucid Dreaming, Lunar Magic, Meditation, Reflection, Warding Off Negativity

Can Decrease: Negativity

[Source] [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source] [Source]

[ofsalvo-a-blog]

*     PERSONALITY TESTS     !

tagged by:     @antialibi my precious   !   thank u <3 tagging:    anyone who wants to honestly   ,   i don’t want people to feel excluded   !

ZODIAC  SIGN:     taurus.               ruled by the persistent and plodding bull, taurus energy has two speeds.   it’s either relaxed and contented (   like a steer luxuriating in a verdant pasture   ) or hyped-up and ready to charge.   (   toro, toro   !   ) this zodiac sign has a built-in energy conservation program.   it will patiently assess whether something is worth the investment of time and resources.   then if the green light flashes,    it’s all systems go   !  until then,   slow and steady wins the taurus race.   this sign encourages us to break our work into simple steps then take daily action.   taurus is the sign of the builder,   helping us create concrete results for our diligent efforts.   under the influence of a taurus planetary transit,   we roll up our sleeves and get the job done.   the positive essence of taurus energy shows up as patient,   organized,   supportive,   romantic,   careful,   and dedicated.   on the flipside,   taurus energy can also be overindulgent,   stubborn,   lazy,   vain,   tightfisted and too cautious.   routine-loving taurus can get us stuck in our comfort zones and habits.   make sure that consistency doesn’t turn into stagnation or inertia.

MYERS - BRIGGS:     enfp,   the campainer.                     The enfp personality is a true free spirit.   they are often the life of the party,   but unlike explorers,   they are less interested in the sheer excitement and pleasure of the moment than they are in enjoying the social and emotional connections they make with others.   charming,   independent,   energetic and compassionate,   the 7% of the population that they comprise can certainly be felt in any crowd.

enfps are fiercely independent,   and much more than stability and security,   they crave creativity and freedom.

more than just sociable people-pleasers though, enfps, like all their diplomat cousins,   are shaped by their intuitive (   n   ) quality,   allowing them to read between the lines with curiosity and energy.   they tend to see life as a big,   complex puzzle where everything is connected – but unlike analysts,   who tend to see that puzzle as a series of systemic machinations, enfps see it through a prism of emotion,   compassion and mysticism,   and are always looking for a deeper meaning.

FOUR  TEMPERAMENTS:     sanguine.                 fundamentally  spontaneous and pleasure-seeking,   sanguine people are sociable and charismatic.    they tend to enjoy social gatherings,   making new friends,   and tend to be boisterous.     they are usually quite creative and often daydream.     however,   some alone time is crucial for those of this temperament.     sanguine can also mean sensitive,   compassionate,  and thoughtful.     sanguine personalities generally  struggle with following tasks all the way through,   are chronically late,   and tend to be  forgetful and sometimes a little sarcastic.     often,   when they pursue a new hobby,   they lose interest as soon as it  ceases to be engaging or fun.     they are very much  people persons.     they are talkative and not shy.     sanguines generally have an almost  shameless nature,   certain that what they are doing is right.     they have no lack of confidence.

CELTIC  ZODIAC:     hawthorn,   the illusionist.                       hawthorn signs in Celtic tree astrology  are not at all what they appear to be.     outwardly,   they appear to be a certain persona,   while on the  inside  hawthorn’s are quite different.     they put the term   “ never judge a book by its cover ”   to the test.     they live  seemingly average lives while on the inside they carry  fiery passions and inexhaustible creative flame.     they are  well adjusted and can  adapt to most life situations well     –     making themselves content and  comforting others at the same time.     you are  naturally curious,   and have an interest in a broad range of topics.     you are an excellent listener,   and people seek you out as an outlet to release their burdens.     you have a healthy  sense of humour,   and have a clear understanding of irony.     you tend to see the big picture,   and have amazing insight    –     although you typically won’t give yourself enough credit for your observations.

SOUL  TYPE:     leader and spiritualist.                         leader   :    it would be hard to imagine you being anything but the leader in any group.   in fact,   taking any kind of subservient role may feel demeaning to you.   as a leader type,   you have a natural air of authority,   and a charisma that makes you stand out in a crowd.   (   think how out of place elvis might have appeared if he’d stood in the background playing saxophone instead of being the front man.   )   you bring to this life an innate wisdom,   which is why people will look to you for advice.  you may sometimes make decisions on your own without thinking to involve others,   and once you’ve made up your mind,   you may be reluctant to change it.   this may work in an emergency,    but in other circumstances,   it can give the impression that you are arrogant or condescending.  it can be hard to find good role models,    given the scarcity of leader types,   but you can always refer to history to see how individuals such as alexander the great and john f. kennedy used their leadership skills.   not every leader becomes a president,   of course,   and many end up in humbler circumstances.   you can always recognize leaders by their inner confidence and occasionally by their coterie of followers or assistants.

spiritualist   :   what unites spiritualists is a deeply held belief in a world beyond this one.   you will have a desire to express your spirituality in some way,   and may be drawn to religion or other spiritual practices.   many spiritualists are highly intuitive,   which is why you may have had psychic experiences in the past and why you will tend to use your sixth sense when it comes to decisionmaking.   you have a great deal of compassion and may feel a strong need to create a better world,   or to help people make the best of their lives.   charities and   nonprofits are places where you and other spiritualists can express your soul’s desire to help others.   whatever work you choose,   you must feel you have a higher purpose.   it is not enough for a spiritualist type to simply pick up a check at the end of the week.   there has to be a feeling that someone has benefited from your efforts.   that’s why many doctors and healers are spiritualists.   whether you know it or not,   you frequently inspire others through your behavior.   by expressing spiritualist values such as compassion,   fairness,   honesty and altruism,   you encourage others to live by these values—especially younger spiritualists who will wish to emulate you.

ALIGNMENT:     chaotic good.                   a chaotic good character acts as his conscience directs him with little regard for what others expect of him.   he makes his own way,   but he's kind and benevolent.   he believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations.   he hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do.   he follows his own moral compass,   which,   although good,   may not agree with that of society.   chaotic good is the best alignment you can be because it combines a good heart with a free spirit.   chaotic good can be a dangerous alignment when it disrupts the order of society and punishes those who do well for themselves.

DARK  TRIAD:      machiavellianism.               machiavellianism is a tendency to be  manipulative and deceitful.     it usually stems from a lack of respect or disillusionment for others.     

THE ANIMAL IN YOU:     wolf.                          the rugged wolf is athletic,   good-looking and brimming with self-confidence.   a close relative of the domestic dog,   it is stronger and more aggressive,   managing to generate notoriety wherever it marks its territory.   the wolf's dark reputation is mainly due to jealousy of its consistent success in work and romance.   a wolf in full stride is quite impressive.   firing orders at subordinates while on the phone to customers,   no one can get the job done quite as efficiently as the wolf.   with an innate understanding of the value of teamwork,   it's always ready to take its place in the chain of command either as leader or as simply a member of the pack.   when a wolf decides to innovate,   it makes sure that it has the backing of a capable team.   the wolf is clear-headed and strong-minded,   always willing to compromise in the interests of getting a job done.   wolves are facially expressive and readily communicate their emotional states with body language.   they work hard at developing their social relationships,   although unlike their cousin the dog they are quick to anger when they sense threats to the social order.   when confrontations occurs,   they sometimes react suddenly and violently,   barking displeasure at offending subordinates.   close companions know to avoid their biting tongue until they resume their normal gregarious behavior.

ROSENBERG  SELF  ESTEEM  SCALE:      0    |    1    |    2    |    3    |    4    |    5    |    6    |    7    |    8    |    9    |    10    |    11    |    12    |    13    |  14  |    15    |    16    |    17    |    18    |    19    |    20    |    21    |    22    |    23    |    24    |    25    |    26    |    27    |    28    |    29    |    30

BRAIN  LATERALIZATION  TEST:     right,   66%.                       right brain dominant individuals are more visual and intuitive.     they are better at summarizing multiple points,   picking up on what’s not said,   visualizing things,   and  making things up.      they can lack attention to detail,   directness,   organization,   and the ability to explain their ideas verbally,   leaving them unable to communicate effectively.

[simonjunod]

ACHIEVING A STATE OF PERFECT HAPPINESS THROUGH MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness is often defined as being connected to yourself and to the Universe. It is about being aware of your thoughts instead of being defined by them and silencing the inner turbulence caused by external factors. It is about being in an elevated state of consciousness where emotions can freely pass through you without any judgement, allowing you to look at yourself with objectiveness and kindness. It is also about observing your mind.

Buddhist Monk and Philosopher Matthieu Ricard believes that achieving a state of fulfillment is possible. According to him, Serenity and Happiness do not just happen in a spur of the moment — they are habitual practices that result from the reprogramming of our thoughts. Humans, instead of rewiring how the mind works, try to chase happiness by looking for it outside of themselves — by climbing a corporate ladder, drinking to their heart’s content, surrounding themselves by wealth and power — you name it. Although nothing is inherently wrong about seeking pleasure, it can never truly satisfy our longing to be perfectly happy; for the difference between pleasure and happiness is that pleasure is always fleeting. It is a temporary high, as temporary as the object of this pleasure. In contrast, real happiness and fulfillment are a continuous practice. It is a profound sense of serenity that stems from meditation practices, from cultivating your connection with your higher self and the universe. Even Christian tradition tells us about this state of fulfillment, citing “peace that surpasses all understanding”. Real happiness, in its most basic form, is simply having the luxury of peace which allows you to be compassionate, benevolent, and wise.

Happiness follows wise decisions. An fMRI evidence shows that people who undergo mindfulness training are more likely to make the best decisions even under pressure, where mindfulness practitioners displayed “an increased activation in the septal region” which is an area connected with social attachment. This allows them to be more socially cooperative and emotionally regulated which promotes better decision-making skills, and eventually, equanimity.

Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist from the University of Wisconsin, participated on a 12-year study on meditation. He hooked up Matthieu Ricard to 256 sensors and found that, whenever Matthieu Ricard was meditating on compassion, his brain was unusually light. Scans showed that his brain produces an ideal level of gamma waves which is linked to consciousness, attention, and memory.

It is no surprise, then, when people who regularly meditate inevitably transform their lives for the better. We see highly intelligent and talented people invest in their fitness, their appearance, and their wealth, yet for some reason are still unfulfilled — this is because they often forget what is most important, which is the health of their soul. Ordinary people who practice mindfulness lead much more fullfilling lives because they choose to work on their inner power, their energy and spirit. The quality of their life is filled with sound thoughts, serenity, and positivity because their mind is tuned to a higher level of awareness. Eventually, all this inner work will manifest itself to success with whatever goals they have in mind — career-wise or relationship-wise.

Matthieu Ricard says that constantly being consumed by thoughts about yourself is counterproductive. When you see the world as one big potential threat or object of interest to serve your pleasure, you put yourself in a miserable space, not to mention on a negative moral ground. Once you realize that we are all connected and bound to one another, you will know that the path to happiness starts with Altruism — being kind, and always being in solidarity with humanity. According to him, being in this state of mind is conducive to flourishing, making not only you but everyone around you feel happier and healthier.

Maybe that is the real path to success — us working our way from the inside out. Chasing the next high, trying to constantly be on top, and obsessing over material pleasures just for the sake of it will get us nowhere. We are not empty shells that only decorate the seashore — we are the entire ocean, boundlessly connected to one another. We have life; a soul that needs to be tended to before we catch the next big wave.

Athena Wisdom Institute adheres to the call for a consciousness revolution and actively promotes mindfulness in the workplace. We offer meditation courses that will help you elevate your consciousness and become more mindful and appreciative of our shared humanity. Sign up now to our courses at athena-institute.com/programs to start you journey.

Sources:

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-be-happier-according-to-matthieu-ricard-the-worlds-happiest-man-2016-1

https://www.success.com/why-mindfulness-is-the-ultimate-habit-for-success/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27266443/

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[coucouseow-blog]

Something to be Proud of? The Trump-Kim Summit and the Raison d’Etre of Singapore

           Last week, U.S. President Donald J. Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un convened in Singapore for a summit that fed a global media frenzy in the increasingly theatrical arena of international news. Locally, this summit elicited a range of responses among a loose class of Singaporean intellectuals, including journalists, writers, and retired civil servants, responses which circulated among a broader online readership through social media “shares” and “likes”. This range of responses reveal diverse ‘Singapores’ that are cherished by this narrow, articulate class of narrative-generators and ‘thought-leaders’, which reflects an ongoing negotiation on what a post-LKY, post “Third World to First” Singapore will be ultimately about. Although this conversation is not new, responses to the Trump-Kim summit afford another interesting glimpse into the essential ideological clashes of this narrow class.

           There are three basic positions: Chua Mui Hoong’s ‘simple’ nationalism, Bilahari Kausikan’s pragmatic nationalism (a.k.a. realpolitik), and Alfian Sa’at’s moral, yet despairing, possibly self-loathing nationalism. All three fundamentally care about Singapore; though Chua’s audience is probably larger than the more niche audiences of the latter two.

           Chua responded to the Trump-Kim summit in a rather unreflective “let’s put on a good show for the world” rah-rah ST piece. The simple consideration here is that “all eyes are on Singapore”, even if they’re not really looking at us and even if they mistake us for being part of Malaysia, let’s still look pretty in case they accidentally notice us. The piece probably did not reflect Chua’s own position – I think she was consciously dumbing down and writing for a very general public. The problem – and a problem which ST as an organization has yet to take seriously – is that ST’s readership is probably not as unreflective as the tone she has adopted in her piece. Arguably, ST writers have not evolved along with, or even as fast as, their increasingly sophisticated readership. (Worse still, their digital strategy – the “premium” debacle.)  

In a opinion piece on ST, Kausikan has offered a pragmatic diplomat’s take on the significance of the summit. His irritation with the “sanctimonious” moralizing prevalent in western publications was clear as he delivered his cut-the-fluffy-moral-rhetoric-crap comments. And at the end of the day, as a small country on the sidelines, it’s always better if the big dogs talk at a table than if they try to cut each other’s throats, especially when nuclear weapons are involved. But the problem of his “You deal with whom you must” motto is that that probably only applies to small countries like Singapore, and not the U.S., a superpower which has been used to dealing with whomever they like and does not feel that they have to deal with whomsoever at all. No, the U.S. is able to bomb whomever they don’t want to deal with – Iraq and Libya being the most recent examples of complete, sophisticated societies being destroyed thanks to “sanctimonious armchair” politicians in the west. Granted, nevertheless, it is better for all of us weak spectators in the region that the U.S. deal with whomever, than bomb whoever.

In a long FB note, Sa’at has applied a piercing, morally reflective lens to online responses to the Trump-Kim summit. He lambasts “mob rumblings”, as epitomized by Chua’s piece, for exhorting fellow Singaporeans to look pretty and “put on a good show” for global cameras. He questions what Singapore should really be proud of – our effective silencing of protests to two dictatorial political leaders with blood on their hands? Our effective control and guarantee of security for this hastily arranged – then cancelled, then resumed—meeting? Our ability “to be the hub where monsters go for makeovers” and get to be christened by newly-bred orchids? Sa’at’s response is one that is easily metabolised by all of our innate consciences, by all of us who still have the luxury of believing that the world of nation-states operates according to a kind of morality. It is important to retain our moral compass even as the world around us devolves into fascism and racism, but it is even more important to remember that stronger, larger, nations than Singapore have completely collapsed because they refused to play the amoral, realpolitik game of states. Singapore is the reigning superpower’s bitch, whomsoever that superpower may be. We are a bitch that must remember we are a bitch, even as we glide around with the affected dignity and acquired accents that we inherited from the White Man. We are a bitch that can convincingly parrot the moral outrage of the White Man, but we would be a fool to believe in the rhetoric of this moral outrage – because it is still a script that has preceded and accompanied many a war drum. We are a bitch that behaves like a bitch, in order to get some wiggle room at the end of the day. In sum, be glad we have Sa’at around to remind us to be human – but be glad too that he’s not working in our government.

Ironically, Chua actually understands this crude fact of the world – after all she has a function as the Opinion Editor of ST, a social role that intellectuals like Sa’at clearly doesn’t agree with, but at the end of the day, it’s easier to be a morally conscious critic in stable Singapore than bombed out Yemen or precarious Lebanon.  

           So, is there anything to be proud of at all by this Trump-Kim summit? Yes, the vibrant debate among Singaporeans, of course! Even if our streets were safe and sterilized of potential terrorists, the online landscape was rife with colourful and caustic commentary flying from all perspectives towards all sides, and which I have attempted to whittle down into this sanitized rant-review of three. Although Chua, Kausikan, and Sa’at all have long genealogies dating back to the LKY era, the continued spinning of their respective narratives and their readership’s continued imbibing and engagement of their words are all propelling us towards the telos of Singapore’s new, as-yet not quite articulate raison d’etre. Now that we are in the First World, what more can we strive towards? A Pretty, Photogenic Nation striving towards more Global Exposure? A Ruthlessly Pragmatic Country that Recognizes the Crude Realities of the World? Or a Self-Reflective Society that Demurs from Engaging in this Crude World and Insists on Having Moral Position, to Counterbalance the State’s Amoral Pragmatism? The debate continues.

[aion-rsa]

Kelly Olsen’s Guardian Debut is Supergirl at Its Best

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The following contains Supergirl spoilers

Supergirl Season 6 Episode 12

Out of all the Arrowverse shows, Supergirl has always been the most upfront and open about its politics. From explicitly positioning Kara Zor-El as a refugee in the expository narration that opens each episode to telling stories about immigration, police brutality, and LGBTQ rights, this is a show that takes the promise of hope, help, and compassion for all very seriously. 

Unafraid to tackle potentially difficult or uncomfortable topics head-on, Supergirl frequently challenges the hearts and minds of its viewers with thorny big-picture questions about what being a hero really means and what the concept of universal justice should look like. And while Kara’s huge heart and hopeful, optimistic nature often make her a natural choice for a sort of in-universe moral compass, the show is equally willing to ask what happens when the community that most needs her help is one whose struggle she doesn’t even entirely see.

That is the question at the heart of “Blind Spots,” an excellent and emotional hour that finally sees Kelly Olsen officially take up her brother’s mantle as Guardian – in a badass new suit –  even as it wrestles with complex questions of empowerment, systemic injustice, and who heroes are really meant to serve. 

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As Guardian, Kelly has a chance to stand up for those she sees as most in need, and who too often find themselves left behind and overlooked by those in power – even by generally well-meaning heroes like Kara, Alex, and Nia.

“[Kelly] just becomes a real hero and steps into her power,” Supergirl star Azie Tesfai tells Den of Geek. “To play a woman who is so kind and smart and compassionate, and all of these attributes that she has as an individual and then be able to magnify all that by being a superhero, as a Black gay woman? It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Supergirl has been building up to Kelly’s Guardian debut in a deft and organic way throughout the past several episodes, using her involvement with the case of two alien brothers and their struggles with the foster system and the prison industrial complex as a framework to illustrate her shifting understanding of what heroes are meant to be and do. And Tesfai herself has been a big part of spearheading that exploration.

She made Arrowverse history as the first CW actor to co-write an episode, but her work on Kelly’s Season 6 story isn’t just limited to “Blind Spots.” The actress spent over a month working in the series’ writers room, “break[ing] the arc, the whole of [Episode] 9 and 10 to her journey through this”. 

“Kelly and I went through this journey together of finding our place –  finding our footing and then really finding our power. It was an interesting experience because we truly as character and person and actor went through this emotional arc together,” Tesfai says 

She credits last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests and the ongoing inequalities highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic with influencing and “infusing” how she tried to structure Kelly’s arc and the larger social justice issues she wanted to try and “unpack” within the story.

“It’s very personal, to me,” Tesfai says. “A lot of the things Kelly says in this episode are things that I’ve either said or wanted to say, but didn’t feel empowered to do so.”

The episode sees the Ormfell building – the structure marked just last week for much-needed affordable housing in the low-income Heights neighborhood – implode, the latest piece of collateral damage in Supergirl’s battle against the villainous imp Nyxly. Kelly is furious and frustrated in the wake of its destruction, as the local hospital is overwhelmed, neighborhood residents are growing increasingly sick from a mysterious illness, and the very people who should care most about those with the least appear too busy to help. 

“The nuance of all of those experiences are rarely explored, and I find that interesting and important to tell because you want everyone to feel a version of [themselves is] seen in these stories,” Tesfai says.

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“It felt important to not just tell my specific perspective as a Black woman, but try to infuse all of our perspectives as much as I possibly could,” she continues. “It’s nuanced and it’s complicated and not every Black experience is the same and I think sadly that when you only have one character representing a group, they have to encompass everything.”

To create a more well-rounded portrayal of the Black experience in National City and within the Supergirl universe as a whole, Tesfai wanted to make sure that “Blind Spots” was about more than just Kelly’s journey. 

“I felt like we needed to tell this from not just my perspective but Orlando and Joey and Diggle,  and even J’onn, as a foreign alien and what that looks like,” Tesfai says. “Just more outlets to tell this story.”

To that end, she and former Arrow star David Ramsey, who plays Diggle and who both guest-starred in and directed this episode, would have regular dinners together to discuss his perspective on his character and how to incorporate diverse experiences into her storytelling. 

Because while Kara is undoubtedly a hero and a symbol of hope, light, and positivity to almost everyone she comes in contact with, she isn’t perfect. She has “blind spots” of her own, and can’t – and probably shouldn’t – be the solution to every problem for everyone. Yes, her absence from the Heights is largely due to her focus on stopping Nyxly and saving the greatest number of people from harm at her hands. But what about the parts of the city that are already experiencing harm, and whose struggles are often ignored?

“I think that a lot of superhero shows make the superhero the hero, and that was something that we discussed with this where, at a certain point, if you just look at society, like it doesn’t benefit for one person to be the answer. It never works,” Tesfai says. “So it’s about empowering other people – not saving people, but empowering other people to be their own heroes. That’s always felt really important to me as the lesson that we give our fans.”

Part of Kelly’s decision to fully become Guardian, at last, is her desire to be that sort of hero, someone who offers the residents of the Heights a hand up even as she uses her shield to defend them. But it’s also in response to a far more difficult question – one that isn’t something that can be answered in a single episode. On a show whose very ethos is built on hope, what does that emotion look like for a community that often has little reason to believe that anyone cares about them or even sees their struggles? 

For Tesfai, one of the most important aspects of “Blind Spots’” story is that the episode doesn’t wrap up the issues facing Kelly or the community she so desperately wants to help in a neat and tidy bow.

“The format of our show and all the superhero shows is: Problem is presented, you talk about it, you fight the big fight scenes, you have a reflective moment, it’s solved,” Tesfai says. “That just doesn’t work with this, and to have the last scene be something that feels totally open-ended and uncomfortable, was really important.”

All too often, we as a society assume that just because something is uncomfortable, that also means that it is bad, and Tesfai is quick to point out that sort of discomfort is often a part of growth. 

“You want to make sure that the audience doesn’t think that this should be easy or that everyone should just feel okay,” Tesfai says. “Because then we’re not doing our justice and trying to set an example for what these conversations hopefully should look like in their own lives. “ 

The episode’s final scene features a heartfelt “Dansen” conversation about love, support, and allyship that feels warm and necessary in its own right, but still leaves room for both characters to continue to evolve and grow beyond this moment. 

“Part of the whole point of this is that you should feel a little bit uncomfortable,” Tesfai says. “It’s complicated – you think Kelly is going to feel great after the [last] scene and you realize, oh no this is – it’s a continuous unpacking. It’s a continuing conversation. How do you hold space for someone when you don’t fully understand what they’re going through – even in an intimate relationship, even when having understanding can be a luxury and sometimes more for you than the other person? What does that look like?” 

However, despite the heavy emotion of this installment, Tesfai says that Alex and Kelly’s relationship “just gets better and better” in the series’ final run of episodes. 

“I am grateful that a lot of our conflict – which is rare [to begin with] – comes from either our pasts or from external situations that we work through together. This conversation is something that’s very much within their dynamic and it’s a continuing [journey]. They have a lot of big life moments that are going to happen this season, [including] some great Sentinel and Guardian fight scenes coming up that fans are going to love.” 

The post Kelly Olsen’s Guardian Debut is Supergirl at Its Best appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[quantum-natura]

Numerology: Calculating Your Life Lesson Number

Numerology Basics

Each one of us has four personal numbers that carry a specific vibration. They are the Life Lesson Number, the Soul Number, the Outer Personality Number, and the Path of Destiny Number. In this post, we’ll be focusing on the Life Lesson number.

The Life Lesson Number represents lessons one must learn in this lifetime and is most significant to career choices. It is derived from your full birthdate. 

Though this post will be focused on calculating one’s number using the numbers in your birthday, I’m including information on how to calculate the numeric vibration of letters as well, because it’s intrinsically related.

To work with the value of letters beyond “I”, which is 9, we reduce the value to a single digit. For example, “O” is 15, so we reduce the number by adding the first digit to the second: 1+5=6. The number 15 is then written as 15/6. The letter “T” is 20. We reduce the 20 by adding the first digit to the second: 2+0=2. The number 20 is then written as 20/2.

Number Values of the Alphabet

A   1       J   10/1       S   19/1 B   2       K   11/2       T   20/2 C   3       L   12/3       U   21/3 D   4       M   13/4      V   22/4 E   5       N   14/5      W   23/5 F   6       O   15/6       X   24/6 G   7       P   16/7       Y   25/7 H   8       Q   17/8       Z   26/8 I    9        R   18/9

We can reduce any word to a numeric vibration by using the above table. Before we move on to calculating one’s Life Lesson number, lets experiment with a few words:

3  +  9  +  6  +  5  =  23/5 C     R      O     W

We reduce 23 by adding 2+3=5, which is written 23/5

5  +  9  +  2  +  3  +  8  =  21/3    W     I       T      C     H

We reduce 21 by adding 2+1=3, which is written 21/3

3  +  9  +  7  +  8  +  2  =  29/11 L      I       G     H      T  

We reduce 29 by adding 2+9=11, which is written 29/11

There are four double digits which generally are not reduced. These are referred to as master numbers. Master numbers offer more opportunity for expression, yet demand more effort from the person or thing in question. The master numbers are 11, 22, 33, and 44. Whenever you arrive at one of these numbers in your calculations; retain the master value. 

Because the word “light” vibrates to master number 11, it’s written as 29/11 instead of 29/2, which would be the case if reduced entirely. The number 2 is still acknowledged as the base number as the word will fluctuate between the vibrations of 2 and 11.

An individual will fluctuate between any master number and its base digit because the vibration of the master number is too intense to live under continuously. Living under the vibration of one’s base number offers respite while preparing to work with the master number vibration again. 

Calculating Your Life Lesson Number

To calculate your Life Lesson Number, add all the digits of your birthdate together and reduce the sum. Here is an example of how someone with the birthdate of 24 October 1948 would calculate their Life Lesson Number:

10 + 24 + 1948 10 + 24 + 22 (1 + 9 + 4 + 8) 10 + 24 + 22 = 56/11

Since the reduced sum of their birthday is a master number, the sum is not reduced further. 

Now that you know how to calculate your Life Lesson Number, read on to see the description of each numeric vibration. All number descriptions come directly from Numerology and The Divine Triangle (1979) by Faith and Dusty Bunker, the reference material for this post.

Life Lesson Number Descriptions

1: You must learn to be original, strong willing, creative, and innovative. You should have the courage and drive to go ahead into new fields of expression and be a pioneer. You should always go forward, never turn back. At times you may be dictatorial and stubborn because you do not like to be restricted or directed. You are a good executive and work best alone. You are usually efficient and well organized. You are not naturally domestic but can manage well in any situation. You usually like sports and athletics and enjoy the thrill of winning. You are sophisticated, not emotionally romantic, and always appear at the head of social and commercial groups. By learning the lessons of number 1, you become intimately familiar with the universal energy; that probing, seeking, independent spark that moves all creation. You are creative on the physical plane because your pioneer spirit precedes all others and expresses your unique individuality. 

2: You are here to learn to become a good mixer. You are a good salesperson, more persuasive than forceful. You should be a support for those in leadership roles, help them to find their goals in life, and remain behind the scenes if necessary. This quality can be a help to you in business because those who benefit from your talents will in turn help you make use of your abilities. In partnerships and groups, you will encounter the lessons you came to earn in this lifetime. Success is then very possible. You must have consideration for others and should bring people together for a common cause. Various professions are open to you as you learn to be adaptable to most things that need to be done. You could select a career in finance, music, medicine, religion, or statistical analysis and research. 

3: You are best in intellectual, artistic, or creative endeavors. You need to be expressive to manifest and to see the results of your work. Beauty, fruitfulness, luxury, and pleasure are your keywords. You should have ambition and pride. You must become conscious of the law, and by being an excellent disciplinarian, you will achieve a position of authority over others. 3 combines the daring of 1 with the caution of 2. It is a number of self-expression and freedom. You must guard against becoming a jack-of-all-trades; rather, you should specialize. You could then be successful in artistic, religious, or inventive pursuits. You should avoid routine work because you dislike restriction. You should work alone for the best results. Business partnerships become too disciplined for your freedom-loving nature. You could write, lecture, teach, or find your niche in journalism. Whatever you decide to specialize in, you must use your creative and inspirational talents. 

4: You must build a solid foundation on which to base your life. This demands a well ordered system of conduct and morals. Administration or some sort of management would be the best type of employment for you. You want your home life to conform to the culture in which you live. You will provide well for those within your care, and you expect them to respond with respect and dignity. You should become a diligent worker and honestly earn your success. By being thrifty, you will have an adequate savings account as security against any possible losses. You should learn not to take a chance unless it is a sure bet. You should seek high goals. You might want to achieve concrete results quickly, and therefore should strive for patience and perseverance. Learn to face reality and base all your efforts on sound practical reasoning. 

5: Your keyword is freedom. If you have “free rein”, you can accomplish wonders, but if you feel bound or limited, you lose your enthusiasm and accomplish little. You would be a good explorer or Peace Corps volunteer, as you learn well by travel and experience. You are a diligent student if interested in the subject, but you may fail in subjects for which you see no useful ends. You should be eager for new experience, and shun monotony. In your quest for knowledge, you will become interested in discovering answers in books and magazines. An avid reader, a fluent talker, and a versatile doer, you are the witty conversationalist and brighten any group by your mere presence. You are here to learn and experience the value of freedom and should not tie yourself down too severely. Your talents once learned, prepare you for a literary career or a a position in sales and dealing with the public.

6: You are here to learn a sense of responsibility for your family and community. 6 is the love and domestic vibration and requires that you be responsive to the social needs of others. A fine sense of balance must be acquired so that you can equalize injustices. This keen sense bestows artistic abilities as well as judgmental talents which can be utilized in the legal system. You should develop compassion and understanding necessary to ease the burdens of those who will naturally be drawn to you. You are among those who serve, teach, and bring comfort to humanity. A wide choice of professions is yours including nursing, teaching, welfare work, ministry, medicine, restaurant enterprises, a legal profession, and possibly veterinary or animal husbandry. You may also choose to end a career in the arts, interior decorating, or hairdressing. 

7: You are here to use and develop your mind. Your words should be full of wisdom when you decide to talk. Your strong intuition helps in any line you choose and gives insight when needed. You may be an enigma to others, and even to yourself at times. You like to read, think, and meditate. Many times you have to relay on your soul-force to solve difficult material problems. You may delve into the occult, the mysterious, and the phenomenal side of life. Music and other arts are in harmony with your keynotes. You may be drawn to the church, science, or research and analysis. A career in mathematics or investigation could hold your interest. You should learn to open time by yourself in the woods or by the seashore where you can get in touch with your inner self and your deepest thoughts because your destiny is to use your mind.

8: This is the number of power and ambition, the number of the executive, the boss, who lives by brain and brawn. You will learn to work and will want to see everyone else working. You can push people to become successful in their own right. You should lead and show by example how to profit in business. You are here to learn to handle power, authority, and money. You can build a business empire and should work to that end. You want success for your family and for the family name as a matter of pride. You want your offspring to carry your name with honor and dignity. Sports is another field open to you, as this number vibration bestows great strength and endurance. Many famous athletes operate under an 8.

9: You should be the universal lover of humanity, patient, kind, and understanding. You are at the peak of life’s expression and must turn and show others the way. You seem to receive wisdom from above; thus you know that the true way of happiness is in service to others. You are the marrying type, strong in passion and compassion. You easily acquire money or wealth, and know how to preserve it. You are never petty, but deal in broad concepts and can attain success in the face of difficulties. You are here to show others the way, through your breadth of thinking. You can choose from many professions; education and medicine are the most usual. You may become an orator, writer, or lecture with equal ease. Communication, foreign service, statesmanship, and leadership positions are easily within your capacity.

11: The keywords here are altruism and community. You came into a unique and testing incarnation. You must practice “love thy neighbor as thyself” and use it as your foundation. Your strong intuitions are of value in gaining wisdom and inspiration. 11 is one of the most difficult vibrations because the demand for high standards is constant. You must learn patience and at the same time be able to make quick decisions. Seek for balance between the material, physical life which has to be considered, and the inspiration, spiritual life which underlies your self-understanding. You can succeed in the field of science because all new inventions and discoveries such as laser rays, research in fields of anti-gravity or kirlian photography, or any area of electronics would appeal to you. You could choose to be an astronomer or an astrologer, or a bible researcher and interpreter. You may become a teacher or writer in the field of philosophy. You are original and creative and could become and inspirational speaker. 11 is an esoteric master number of spiritual import. It bestows courage, power, and talent with strong feelings of leadership. You must not let this power go to your head, since frame and recognition are likely; instead realize that true mastership is service.

22: You must express a basic building urge, accomplish things in a big way, and work with large groups or business concerns. You would enjoy the import-export business which could demand long distance travel and meetings with persons of authority. You like to take an inspirational idea and put it to practical use. Self-knowledge is very valuable to you. 22 gives the promise of success. You know how to use your ability to adjust the physical laws of life and living to demonstrate esoteric wisdom. You could become an executive in banking or financial affairs in a national capacity, or help organize businesses for others as an efficiency expert or the like. As an ambassador to foreign countries, you would demonstrate statesmanship. You like to be occupied in some large enterprise to challenge your power to achieve. Your lesson is to learn to take charge of large organizations and corporations and to handle money efficiently and usefully for the benefit of large groups of people. 

33: You should be steady and reliable and develop a strong desire to protect others. You would like to live close to nature, and this urge may influence you to choose a life in agriculture. Your goal would be to produce food on a large scale to provide sustenance for the hungry of the world. You would never be found in any profession that could act destructively to humanity. Your talent may lie along the line of the arts: music to bring harmony, painting to bring beauty, or literature to promote education. Service in the field of medicine an healing could also attract you. Possibly, you would choose the law as a way to protect others through justice. Since the 33 consciousness is almost beyond that of humanity, a place within ministry or priesthood could lead you to the realm of your dreams as world savior. You may be required to sacrifice your own desires for the need of others in order to fulfill your Life Lesson vibration.

44: This number stands for strength and complete mental control over your life while on earth. It requires discipline in every department of life so that you may be instrumental in promoting the material advancement of the world. Your mind must be trained to let the higher forces work within it, and you must keep your body and environment in order so that you are ready for any opportunity to achieve this same results from others. Your high energy potential is meant to further evolution by helping others set their world in order. You should try to promote better ethics and justice in the world of business. You must recognize reality, then use what you learn to alleviate the physical burdens of others. You are the instrument by which this alteration takes place. By displaying bravery, resourcefulness, courage, and discipline; you serve as an example for others. Edgar Cayce is an example of the 44 vibration. 

Please remember that these are just general descriptions of the numeric vibrations pertaining to the Life Lesson Number. Not everything may resonate with you, and that is perfectly fine. Numerology is meant to be tool to guide, not a stringent set of rules to live by. 

Stay tuned for follow up posts on the Soul Number, the Outer Personality Number, and the Path of Destiny Number

((source))

[michaelramblings]

I Count Myself Lucky

I can’t explain why my mind works this way but it always has.

Maybe to bring my life to some sort of honest medium to balance happiness and sadness into a complete understanding? I don’t know.

Growing up I was given everything a person needed. Notice how I said “needed” not “wanted”. Was I given a lot more than what many people are? Yes. Was I given as much as many other people? Definitely not. Somewhere in the middle. I received many gifts that I wanted but I never felt I was spoiled. Born into a family that was financially sound, I never struggled to find a meal any day of my life. I’m not taking into account my picky (also privileged) choices of what I didn’t want to eat but even when my parents said I had to finish eating dinner or I didn’t get dessert, I still wouldn’t eat it. Hard-headed from the earliest of ages.

I knew what I liked and what I didn’t. 

Playing sports, I never cared much for people praising me if I did a good job. To say I didn’t have a confidence in my abilities, would be a lie. When I was younger, I felt like I was athletically superior to some people in certain sports. Maybe that’s why I’ve always been great about criticism. I only want to get better at a craft and would be willing to listen to anyone, no matter how poorly they may be at communicating the information.

Anyone can teach you anything. You have to pay more attention to the lesson being taught than how it is taught. If something isn’t taught well, you learn how not to teach something, which is a lesson in itself.

In school, I remember the worst instances over any overly exciting moments. I remember in first grade when I wrote mean notes to a girl in class. She told on me to the teacher, my mom was called in, and I got in trouble. 

 In fifth grade, I remember getting sent to “Think Time” because I was talking to someone in line in class (everyone in class had to talk to the teacher about a paper or something). I wasn’t paying attention.

In middle school, my locker neighbor and I made fun of the girl next to us regularly. She could hear us... because she was next to us. We got in trouble. 

In 7th grade, a girl (whose name I remember) asked me, “why can’t you ever be cool?” Social peer pressure? sure. I thought about it critically and learned to have a sort of self-control over the “weird” things I may say. The objective in life is to be understood so sometimes you should be understanding of other viewpoints.

That same year I was in wood shop and I made a wood sculpture that said “Spazz.” Someone in class (whose name I remember) said, “Being a ‘Spazz’ isn’t a good thing.” So I thought about it and learned to adapt to be better understood. It’s not about suppressing oneself, just learning how to express it in a different way. Possibly through a passion.

During this same 7th grade year, I became friends with someone whom I refer to as my “best friend” to this day. Someone who, to this day, holds a moral compass that I’ve been so grateful to have been surrounded by. Growing up, I had parents and a sister who portrayed a strong sense of morality, but it was finding someone who I didn’t have to live with that could help solidify a genuine meaning and understanding as to why one acts or says the things one should. It became a strong basis, during one of the most influential periods of time of a person’s life, for what has been the better part of 13 years. (half of my life, as I write this) 

It’s the reason why I never succumbed to the many peer pressures so many people unfortunately do at such a young age. We never drank, never consumed drugs. Our weekends consisted of going to Walmart, going bowling, or going to the movies. We found joy in the conversations we had. It was simple. Not to sound like a middle-aged man, but we didn’t have the luxuries of technology to distract us from real-life experiences, real-life conversations.

In December 2011, a moment helped to change a dynamic in a relationship of someone close to me. To lay the groundwork so there isn’t any confusion, I’ll start off by saying that I’m a picky eater. (Have patience, there’s a reason why I say this) There’s a certain food that I haven’t had many times since because of the effect this situation had on me. All I can do is think of this situation every time I have it. 

To continue though, I’m a picky eater. One of my most favorite dishes is/was chicken cordon bleu casserole. I thought/think it’s absolutely delicious, literally everything about it. Well, except for the bread crumbs on top. Anyone who understands certain food textures and how some aren’t as comfortable to eat in general or with other foods may not understand but just know I don’t like it on this specific dish. As I had many times before, I always removed the top of the dish where the bread crumbs sit. I’d scrape them to the side and spoon out the noodles and other entrails of the casserole and slap them on my plate. Someone in my family came over to me as I was doing this. 

Note I had always done this, every single time we’d ever have it for dinner so this wasn’t anything knew. This person makes the comment, as they had before, that I needed to eat that part. Mind you, my understanding was this person was also willing to eat the parts I didn’t eat of this specific dish. “I don’t like this part, I never had”, I vaguely remember saying. For some reason, (one I don’t remember) it got to a point where this person needed to physically push against me to assert a sort of dominance; a reminder that they were in charge. The kitchen lights were fittingly dim.

I pushed back, something I don’t think they expected. They stepped forward, onto the rug in our kitchen. The force they approached me with must have been so great as to slip out from in front to behind them. They slipped, hitting their head on the kitchen countertop, falling to the ground. I lean down to ask if they’re okay. They tell me, “go away.” I go to my bedroom over the sound of them yelling for my sister for help. My sister takes them to hospital.

Even in writing this, I couldn’t help but vividly remember the physical pain I felt I caused this person. I can’t help but cry at the thought of this moment. People understand things the way they understand things. People like what they like. Although people may not like what you like, you can’t force them to like what they don’t like.

ALL of this and more formed who’ve I become over my 26 years of life. All of which built a foundation for understanding of who I am and what I stand for. As we live in the year 2020, I can’t help but think of the social changes happening in the world and especially who’ve lived in the limelight for such a long time. Recording their lives regularly and capturing every thought-turned-to-skit on camera. Years later, they are having to deal with a blowback on what they profited on, the ideas they thought were without flaw. I count myself lucky I’ve had the experiences I’ve had. Allowing other people to live and make mistakes so we can learn from them; it’s one of the best things you can take away from another person’s life. Even if you’re not living a situation, you can always learn something from one. That’s the difference between being ignorant and arrogant, and having an absence of pride with a willingness to accept you don’t know everything.

The big thing to take away from this is I’ve NEVER victimized myself during these situations. I’ve taken responsibility in some way for each situation. We all play a role into why moments happen the way they do, good or bad. Life happens and it happens differently to different people. What we can control is how to perceive it. How to understand how our role and our moment in that situation could have better helped the outcome. Sometimes it’s even recognizing how another person is reacting during a situation and understanding how positively or negatively their actions effected the outcome. Looking at the world from this perspective is exhausting, but necessary. It’s the difference between being ignorant and arrogant, and having an absence of pride with a willingness to accept you don’t know everything.