#we’re twinning on a spiritual level

[dandyleyen]

new to dungeon meshi and I need y’all to know that I’m currently losing my mind since none of my friends are into it and I’m currently vibrating out of my skin . I need to read the manga at some point but currently I’m anime-only and , . guys I’m a mess.

[mallleus]

Part 2 of the hispanic spouse for Stan Pines HC cuz I can’t control myself

Mabel adores the relationship you and her grunkle have (“Morality is relative”)

Stan is surprisingly very touchy

Teases you a lot

(Lightheartedly) bickers with you

Beans take up too much of the freezer space

No idea what the hell Dipper is talking about but he’s family so you listen anyway

You have a whole factory line for tamale-making when the little pines twins are there

^ “ We’re tired of this Tia/Tio (Y/n)!” “ That’s too damned bad! Now keep cutting the tin foil and banana leaves”

Stan tried to drink your cafecito☝️ONE (1) time, he felt like his heart was gonna explode (Ford drinks it regularly)

Chismosa Stan

You have a hyphenated last name (L/n)-Pines

" Ah, Stan, look at your pancita <3" " I can't tell if you're complimenting me or calling me fat-" " Have some more food, you're too skinny" " If you say so!"

He went into the kitchen for another Pitt soda and you roped him into making food

He's used to Irish goodbyes, you're used to Hispanic goodbyes (saying goodbye to everyone, the dog, the neighbor, the squirrel outside, everyone)

Stan saw a cookie container and got so excited only to be in complete dismay when he saw sewing supplies

Vincente Fernandez and Selena Quintanilla were played regularly. ( Mabel doesn't know what the words to "No Me Queda Mas" mean but she feels it on a spiritual level. She's her Lana del Ray)

Part 1 Part 3

[theeternalwombtarot]

spirit baby reading 🧸

Disclaimer: I usually speak to the feminine collective when I do these so if you’re not mom and you’ll be dad switch things up so they may resonate for you. <3

I’ve literally always been so obsessed with Bey as a mother so I refuse to use anybody else for my banner. Sue me if you’re mad, otherwise have a great time, I’m gonna do these as channeled messages this time, so if you’re in a high-level soulmate or twin flame connection these could be really good to get some insight and understanding from a different perspective. When we talk about spirit babies, we’re speaking of the spirit or the souls of babies that are waiting to be born and spiritually connected to you.

Often when you’re in a soul connection or a twin flame connection, the person you’re connected with is part of your soul family and the children you’re meant to have will choose the two of you as parents are a part of your soul family as well. They love you both unconditionally, free of judgment and misunderstanding because they see everything before they come to you and forget everything about their soul's purpose and about why they chose you as a parent, and what it was like to choose you. They often play a huge role in you and their other parent getting together as well. They protect and guide your connection just as much as the divine. Hope that this is helpful if you’re in a high-level soulmate connection or a twin flame connection, love you! 🧸

pile one:

Before I begin, I just want to say someone’s child is really obsessed with the chicken dance song, idk if you remember what that was from when you were a child but here’s a link to a weird YouTube video with the audio.

“Mom, the best thing you can do right now is to relax and release your control and enjoy yourself. I know that dad is taking a long time but he’s coming to marry you and be with you very soon and you just have to be patient.” For some reason, I’m getting we you could be expecting multiples at some point soon. “We know how much you care about Dad and how patient and gentle you’ve been with him and we ask that you send him lots of love and encouragement even though you guys aren’t speaking that much.

Don’t think that he doesn’t love you or doesn’t want you just because he hasn’t said so because he does. All he wants is to be with you and to build a family with you and that time is coming. He’s closing out karmic cycles and making sure that everything is perfect before he comes towards you because he knows it’s what you deserve. We told you this when we spoke to you in your dream. Dad is making sure that he gets lots of money and gets everything ready so that you will be comfortable and well taken care of and he can buy us lots of stuff.

Please don’t become discouraged or try to forget about Daddy because it hurts that he’s away. We connect with you every day and we’ve been sending you messages through your social media so that you know we’re here waiting for you. Remember that separation and time apart are only an illusion and only exist in one realm of existence. Time to us over here goes by very quickly and you and Dad are not truly separated because you are connected spiritually and are married and in union with one another in spirit.

You and Dad are taking the time out to do the inner work and grow and that’s why you’ve been given this time apart by the universe so that everything can be perfect and ready when you guys come together because the two of you deserve nothing less than perfection. You and Daddy both are doing the inner work and have been working very hard. Continue to do things that you care about and enjoy and take care of yourself in the ways you deserve. Dad is releasing karmic energy within his life, leaving behind third-party interferences that are standing in his way because he’s no longer going to allow anything to get in his way of loving you and being with you. He’s learning to love beyond his fears and his ego and he’s learning to follow his heart every single day after a long time of living for others.

And when he comes to you, he will be completely unrecognizable and he’ll be different from who he was before, when he had a hard time and couldn’t be there for you the way you wanted him to. You’re going to be so proud of him and so happy to see him again. Let go of any self-doubt Mom or any negative ideas about if Dad loves you or if he’s coming. I know you know he is so hold onto what your heart and your spirit are telling you and just relax. Everything is going to be okay.

Dad needs you to release the past and fully let go of past versions of your connection and even let go of the present because it is not a full representation of what he feels for you. After all, he’s not where he truly wants to be right now which is right by your side. There was a lot of hardship that the two of you went through but even you feel in your heart that it was ages ago and we know that you love him and we know that you love him because you can forgive him and show him so much grace even the second he makes a mistake. Cycles are coming to a close. Your time is coming. Please, just rest. “

channeled messages or things I picked up on during the reading 👣:

multiples or a set of twins to be specific (a boy and a girl)

“Take me out to the ballgame” one of these children may really like baseball or grow to like baseball as a sport. You could have an elder family member who enjoys baseball as well.

May enjoy gardening as a hobby

Blue and green as well as purple and orange

Heavily adorned scrapbooks or photo albums

A boy or son being born first or older. He protects.

Close sibling/twin relationship. Irreplaceable to each other. Incomplete without each other. They may grow to enjoy a lot of the same hobbies, I'm getting swimming and recreational sports or arts and crafts they may share together. Not shying away from twin-ness and pride themselves in being very much alike because they respect one another so much.

Boy/son is very caring and emotionally intelligent and compassionate

The girl/daughter may be very shy in nature and very petite and take after her mother in face and stature. I'm hearing she's a diamond. People will really be fond of her beauty and adore her and people who know you or knew you may find her face very nostalgic because she looks so much like you.

I'm also getting that she's got a timeless beauty. She's someone who will grow up to be very stunning and beautiful and would've been that in every era or point in time.

I'm also getting that she may grow up to be fond of music and the arts.

She may like to dance (getting ballet) or do gymnastics.

I'm hearing whoever she marries Daddy is gonna make them pay a big fat dowry or go to the ends of the earth for her and her brother will see it through

***

pile two:

The divine masculine in your life could be tall or something or this baby may come out heavy or just be in a larger percentile for his age group. I instantly got that song Sza sang on SNL “I Need a big boy”

“Mom, things will be made right. I really don't want you and Dad to fight or have trouble but sometimes conflict is necessary because things have to fall away and come out in relationships and sometimes things go wrong for a reason and we have to be strong enough to deal with them. I know that you're sad or you're not feeling hopeful right now. And you may feel like everything is going wrong and everything is against you but that’s just not true. You have to trust in the divine and trust that things will come together and work out for you in the end.

I know that there have been delays and blockages within your and dad’s relationship and with you really getting what you truly desire. And these circumstances have given you bad dreams and made you very scared and anxious but I want you to get some rest and relax. Nothing good comes of being tired and exhausted. Take care of yourself and focus hard on what you can do to make things good around you and enjoy yourself even if things are rough with you and Dad or in other areas of your life. Remember that you and Dad are both growing and sometimes we don’t have all of the answers and don’t have the solution to everything.

The universe is trying to teach you to find wholeness and happiness within yourself right now Mom because that’s what you need the most. You may feel like you need dad or other people and things to feel happy and that’s not true. All the things you’re stressed about aren’t good for your health and aren’t all your responsibility to carry with you so you have to take some time to release your control and release all of this stress. I see what’s going on and I know that you’re unhappy and having a hard time with your current circumstances but things are always capable of getting better and these feelings and these times are temporary.

This is a good time to decide what you want to do with your time Mom or want you want to do with your life and how you want to live. Sometimes when there are blockages, separations, or dramatic changes and events in our lives that means that we need to focus on ourselves more. Dad has lots of internal wounds, karmic cycles, and blockages that he needs to work through before he can be there for you the way you need him to and so the best thing to do is to show him grace and compassion and focus on finding happiness and support within yourself. “

channelled messages or things I picked up on in the reading 👣:

TikTok, social media, or clinging to social media or using social media as a distraction or a way to cope with emotional pain

Umbrella by Rihanna “ooo baby it’s rainin’ rainin’”.

NFL babies /sports babies

“Somewhere over the rainbow” and it’s lyrics

The Wizard of Oz, the cowardly lion, or the Tin Man and their meanings

Miscarriages/infertility/struggle to conceive or complications during pregnancy, or post partum

Plays, performances, or the theater

A boy/ a son

The color blue

Sports teams/mascots

***

pile three:

“I see that you’ve been working very hard Mom, taking care of yourself and taking care of your responsibilities and taking responsibility over your life. It’s time you start thinking about what direction you’d like to take in life or what you really truly want to do so that we have a good foundation for ourselves. Sometimes I’ve seen that you’ve had a hard time focusing or a tempted to put your energy into other things. But you know that nows not the time to be distracted and it’s a lot of progress being able to be tempted and have the strength to stay focused and I’m very proud of you. I know that you’ve been feeling alone or have been alone but I want you to know that in isolation the universe brings us growth.

And that sometimes in life people have to walk away from us or we have to walk away from people and even sometimes we drift apart from our friends and loved ones. It’s a natural part of life and when doors close new doors open Mom. The universe gave you time alone so that you can establish things for yourself and really decide what you want for yourself and take initiative over the directory in which you’re going. All the times we’ve had a hard time. All the times we’ve undergone lots of change in your life, all the times there was chaos and we were confused were all for a good reason, and in life we have to learn to see the lessons in our experiences.

It’s time for you to branch out on your own mom and remove your dependence on others and other things in your life that keep you from living authentically and really growing into the beautiful woman you’re meant to be. And one day you’ll be happy and you’ll be celebrating just how far you’ve come all along. There’s so much potential for you to grow and for experiences and endless opportunities to reach you. And don’t worry about not having found Dad yet Mom because soon you will meet him and soon you’ll finally get the love and the relationship you’ve dreamed of all along, all this time. “

channelled messages or things I picked up on in the reading 👣:

This sounds like a girl or a daughter

“Alright” by Kendrick Lamar

You may choose to be a single mother or look for a donor when you’re ready to have a child

You may not know who your person is or haven’t met your divine counterpart yet or received the love or the relationship that you’ve desired for a long time

This child is going to be really attached to you and take after you in many ways. The two of you may bond over fashion or you may end up being the primary parent and main support system

This child may come at a time where you’re going through a large transition or you’re entering a stage in life where you want something new or different

This is a big girly girl. A huge fan of pink and flowers and may like to get her nails done with you.

She may come out looking a whole lot like you as a child or as a baby

This baby is going to heal your inner child by being able to live the life or have some of the experiences you would’ve wanted for yourself.

***

I hope this gave you some guidance or was something you really wanted to hear tonight 💕 If you ever need a personal reading, you may go to my Instagram and click the link in my bio to book a reading with me! Love you!

[madamlaydebug]

Twin Flame Love is A Service to Humanity!!

When your Soul is Ready- Your Twin will Appear.

10 Signs You Have Met Your

TWIN MIRROR SOUL..

The moment you meet your twin flame is the moment the earth beneath your feet begins to shift.

I like to think of the meeting of two mirror souls as an existential earthquake: all of a sudden you can sense that an immensely important person has entered your life.

All of a sudden you get the overwhelming feeling that your life is going to change in a way you aren’t even aware of yet – and yet you intuitively know that the changes will be great, greater than what you’ve ever experienced, and breathtaking in their magnitude.

I know all of this because I am fortunate enough to have met my own Twin Soul 🔥 also I am /we are going through the fiery, intense and transformative process of connecting and meeting my soul’s mirror. Moments of Joy Happiness

and Bliss.

Although I feel immense gratitude for the gift of connecting with my twin flame, I am happy to say that this blessing is open to everyone; however such a gift is not always received openly or even recognized by us on a conscious level.

Sometimes we’re at a point in our lives where we are simply not receptive to both ourselves and our twin flame’s presence due to stress, over-work, lifestyle habits and negative thought patterns that lead to low self-esteem.

Not healed from past karmic relationship patterns and programs- or the lack of self Love

For this reason I believe that it’s important to identify some of the major twin flame signs that you might experience, or have already experienced, in your lifetime. In the end, the appearance of our mirror soul is always a mystery and can rarely be predicted. So pay attention.

Who is Your Mirror Soul?

I like to refer to our twin flames as mirror souls because they essentially reflect the deepest needs, desires, dreams and shadow elements of our souls. We will explore this a bit more later on.

However before that, I just want to say that our twin flames are not always romantic, and they are not – as is so popularly suggested – necessarily heterosexual connections. In fact, our twin flames may be romantic partners of the same sex (or no sex), and they can often be platonic friends or even family members who we have known for a long time.

Regardless of this, twin flames are most commonly romantic and passionate in nature and tend to manifest themselves as people who we can passionately connect with on all levels.

Furthermore, it has also been popularly suggested that twin flames stay together for entire lifetimes, but I personally don’t believe that this is alway the case.

Connecting deeply with another person doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you will stay with them forever – this is dependent on your own level of conscious development and that of your twin flame 🔥 Also, in the spiritual community most people will confirm that we only have one twin flame in our lifetimes.

A Sacred Divine Union.

Such a belief stems from the origins of the concept of “twin flames” in Plato’s The Symposium dialogue which indicated that humans originally had two faces, four arms and four legs. Because of this, humans were once so powerful that they threatened to overpower the gods, so the mythic god Zeus split them in half. However, it is said that once we discover our other “half” again we are filled with a profound sense of love wholeness and passion ❤️

Two Souls with but a single thoughts - two hearts 🥰 that beats as One..

Finally, it is common for us to get really excited about meeting our “twin flame.” However, sometimes this jubilation results in romanticized projection, meaning that we paint an idealized image onto another person that might not be returned or welcomed by them resulting in severe disillusionment.

Also, when we suffer from low self-esteem and a lack of self-love, it is natural for us to try and find a kind of needy acceptance outside of ourselves (hence the projection), so be careful of infatuation and idolization.

Your twin flame is certainly not perfect – just like you.

Signs You have met your Twin.

We are not always receptive to the appearance of our twin flames in life. We might be heart-broken, wracked with grief, maritally over-burdened, or just plain tired and disillusioned when they suddenly appear out of the blue.

In fact, we might have already met our twin flames or mirror souls, but we might have overlooked them, belittled them or taken them for granted in some way.

When the soul is ready your twin will appear.

Whatever emotional or psychological stage you’re at in life, it is always beneficial to be conscious of the people you live with and meet.

These following twin flame signs might help you to open new pathways and opportunities for union:

💎You feel a strange, inexplicable sense of “recognition” when you meet the person. This might manifest itself as déjà vu, or an unshakable feeling that you’ve known this person before, or are somehow “meant to be together.”

💎You have a feeling that they are going to play a very important role in your own development, without knowing when, why or how.

💎 You’ve established an immediate, intense connection with them that is invigorating and a feeling of home .

💎 You feel as though you’ve finally found a “home” or safe place with the other person.

You are able to be your authentic self – warts and all – without the fear of rejection, persecution or judgment with them.

💎 You both embody the yin and yang, in other words, your dark side is balanced by their light side, and their dark side is balanced by your light side.

💎You feel a sense of expansion with them, as though you are larger than your limited identity.

💎They make you a better person, and you make them a better person.

When together you are both bonded but free, attached but unattached. In other words, you still maintain your freedom even though you might be in a relationship with them.

💎 You are finely tuned to their energy, and they are finely tuned to yours. This means that you are both very conscious of the present play of energy (whether happy or sad, angry or forgiving, open or withholding) present in the connection. You’re both therefore highly empathic with each other.

💎You feel as though you have been waiting for this person your entire life.

You both connect deeply and mirror each other’s values and aspirations for life beyond surface similarities.

💎 Your twin flame is a mirror of what you fear and simultaneously desire the most for your own inner healing. For example, if you are a highly-strung person, your twin flame will most likely be relaxed and messy.

💎 If for instance if you like to play the victim, your twin flame will be a strong character who refuses to give you pity or sympathy to perpetuate your complex.

💎 If you are creative your twin flame will 🔥 will be also be artistic and creative in their own way and will encourage and inspire you to be a master - total appreciation..

In this way, our twin flames can sometimes challenge and infuriate us but also teach us important lessons about our fears, core wounds and repressions.

💎No matter how many times you avoid or leave your twin flame, you’re always magnetically attracted back to them. (Don’t confuse this with abusive relationship complexes.)

One of you is more soulfully mature than the other, and often serves as the teacher, counselor or confidant within the relationship.

You are taught important life lessons such as forgiveness, gratitude, empathy and open-mindedness by them and with them.

Your connection is multi-faceted. In other words, your twin flame is likely your best friend, lover, teacher, nurturer and muse all at once.

💎Your twin flame doesn’t try to change you.

They accept you for who you are and what stage you’re at, and encourage you to do the same for yourself (and vice versa).

You can be truthful with each other about anything.

Together, you both feel driven towards a higher purpose, whether spiritually, socially or ecologically.

🔥 ❤️ 🔥

Our twin flames can be lovers, sisters, brothers, friends, cousins or even mothers or fathers. For some people they arise at the most opportune times, and for others they arise at the most complicated times. And still, for some people twin flames are said to not arise in this lifetime, but are nevertheless with us in heart.

Whatever the case, remember that it is entirely possible to be whole and complete unto yourself with enough soul work.

Remember, twin flames do not “complete” you because you are already innately “complete” at a soulful level; they instead compliment you deeply and help you to grow.

May We RiSe

As One

In The Light Of Love.

Copyright ©

Creator Writer Author ✍️

Mike Harrigan. ♀️☯️♂️

Gratitude to the Artist

[salora-rainriver]

*taps mic*

The thing about meditation is that it’s never just meditation,

(Hey- You there! Peeps with ADHD who are sick of being told to meditate! This is for you! This is about that frustration and the problem with that advice!)

There’s hundreds of spiritual meditation traditions in the world, and thousands of ways in which you (yes, you) could hypothetically begin to meditate.

Meditation isn’t one thing. It’s not sitting in lotus pose 🧘‍♀️ and emptying your mind.

Meditation can be done sitting in a chair, kneeling on the floor, laying in bed, standing, walking, even dancing! (please look up whirling dervishes)

Meditation also isn’t done for just one thing. It can be done to pursue inner peace, focus your mind, leave your mind, gain greater awareness of the outer world or the inner world, and even attain a higher level of spirituality (whatever that means for you / your religion).

“Mindful” meditation is done to exercise self-awareness and reduce stress.

Christian mystics meditate in the pursuit of understanding God.

Zazen is practiced as part of the daily traditions of a monastery, a mandated period of rest after a long day of spiritual and physical labor.

Often, people will “try meditation” AKA walk into a Mindfulness guided meditation, be told to focus on their breathing and let their worries go,

Then get frustrated because the Thoughts keep coming faster than they can push them away. And then they walk away deciding this isn’t for them.

Just so we’re all clear: no. You’re not supposed to push the thoughts away.

You’re supposed to notice the thought is there, take note of it, and then let it go.

Trying to push thoughts away just creates a “don’t think of pink elephants” situation, where thinking about not thinking about it makes you think about it more.

Hey, dude with ADHD, thanks for sticking with me. I’m sure i don’t need to tell you how annoying it is to hear “you should meditate” and then you’re stuck there going “but I cant just sit down and Relax for an hour bro” and then they straight up don’t believe you.

Yeah what if we had a deeper understanding of what meditation was and someone said “you know if you feel like you can’t sit still, maybe going for a walk and Focusing on the sound of your footsteps might do something”?

Does that maybe sound a bit more appealing?

Or maybe before you go to bed, you put on some music or the sounds of rain, and let it carry your thoughts somewhere peaceful and dreamlike as you Listen Closely?

Maybe you could dance? Or chant? Sing, even?

Run your fingers over some object and ruminate on its texture?

Meditation is a huge and diverse array of practices. The only thing they all have in common is that you enter some sort of peaceful trance as you do it.

However the hell you get there.

So yeah, I think people should be specific before they suggest “meditation” to someone.

Cause I know for a fact that sitting in an uncomfortable pose and doing Nothing for an hour won’t fix me,

but I sure as fuck Feel Something when I go Deep Listening to the sound of cicadas in a forest while Twin Peaks synth hums a mysterious drone over the misty scene. Or yanno, whatever the fuck sounds I’m feeling like at the moment.

Also, walking in nature feels good. I could go for a walk every so often.

Hey y’all, it’s springtime in the northern hemisphere right now. you might find some flowers if you go walking!

Edit:

“writing a thingy about meditation for adhd folks but also making it a massive wall of text is very gabycore xD”

Added page breaks and formatting and also some colorcoding. Hope that helps with readability. I have The Tisms, ok?

[throne-for-queens]

At anon. (I come in peace ✌🏼)

Can you please stop sending tarot reading snippets? We’re not trying to hear all of that. If someone’s interested, there are other platforms where they can look it up themselves. It’s already bad enough that he shoves spirituality into his interviews and music. And she’s totally mentally unstable for thinking they’re twin flames and claiming their child together would be special—like the prettiest Casie or her beautiful three sons are somehow worth less in comparison. They both already spew nonsense; no need for EST to follow in their lead.

That said, I do get readings myself and believe some people are actually gifted. I just don’t force it on others.

I'm not trying to pick a fight or tell Sandra (Hi Sandra, how you doing? 😅😂) what to do with her blog—she already has Megan Fox's fanbase and other ladies trying to tell her what to do. I just want EST to keep some logic. Don't suspend it—HOLD on to that shit. With your dear life.

Also, all of this because her fandom would want us to sound irrational, and we can't afford that in this climate. Thanks, God bless.

Hey 👋🏾. Now I personally don't believe in the tarot stuff, but given the lack of answers swarming around, I think people are just trying to get info where they can. Is it the most reliable? Possibly not, because it's up to the individuals belief, but I can see why you would like to put distance between MGK and Megan's level of thinking and yours.

That being said, I'm indifferent to the post, so anon it's up to you if you would like to continue or halt. Regardless, still love the interactions 💞

[galaxyglowtarot]

Monadic Twin Flames: Are They Different From Split Soul Twins?

Want to find out more about monadic twins? There are theories about different types of twin flames.

When it comes to the different types of twin flame connections, we know for sure we’re dealing with two bodies. How you perceive and understand the twin souls can differ from twin to twin.

But is there really the main difference between the split soul twin flames or the same soul twin flames when it comes to the core truth of the journey towards divine union?

What Are Monadic Twin Flames?

The term monadic twin comes from the word “monad,” which means a single unit. In our case, it’s the twin soul birth, the point of origin of the pair of mirrored souls.

In spirituality, some see the monad as the essential or ultimate spiritual entity, the one soul from which the souls of the twins originate. And if that’s the case, we could say that it’s also the end goal of achieving divine union.

Essentially, the monadic souls come from the same energetic core or entity. You can see that as the twins essentially being one soul split between two bodies. As a monadic twin, you’re looking for the other half of your soul.

Those who see the monadic twins or the same souls as a different or special type of twins differentiate between them and the so-called split soul twin flames. The main difference would be the origin or starting point of the souls.

Presumably, there are twins who have different souls, at least at some point along their numerous lifetimes. That’s where the split souls’ idea comes from. In some circles, there’s the belief that these split souls might not yearn as much to achieve union. Since they had separate souls, to begin with, they’d find it more bearable to be apart.

If you ask me, twins always share the same energetic DNA and the bond at the soul level precisely because the flame pairs all come from the same original entity in the spiritual realm.

In terms of higher selves, all flames burn together to become one. That’s their divine mission. That’s why it’s such a strong connection and why it entails such a profound spiritual journey.

They’re all split-soul twin flames because they’re still working on achieving their divine union. And they’re all on the twin flame journey because, ultimately, their divine mission is to achieve twin flame merging and become one.

Twin Flames And Spiritual Growth: Soul Connections

Twin flame soul connections are based on unconditional love. While we’re dealing with two separate bodies, at the soul level, you have the same energy, DNA or essence. Twins are always connected in spirit and energy.

As part of the human experience, each twin has an individual soul. But they’re surely part of the same soul group or higher self. There’s no consciously aware group mind for the same-soul group. But the soul family operates based on a powerful soul connection.

Whether you choose to differentiate between split soul twins and monadic twin flames or not, we’re all working on our life purpose: to ascend and assist humanity. Maybe not all twin flames are actively and consciously aware of their work, but that’s not based on the so-called nature of their old souls.

Split-souls or same-soul twin flame types still go through the same growing pains in spiritual terms. They all need just as much help, support, and guidance from their spirit guides.

I don’t like to think of any twins as half-souls, not really. I think we’re all part of one large soul family. But as part of our human lives, we operate as split souls since we haven’t yet reached divine union frequency.

Our higher calling is to connect with our divine counterparts and ascend so we can unite. Most, if not all, twin flames do the hard work at whatever pace they can.

Whether you think there are different types of twin flames or not, the work is still there to be done. The growth is still there to be achieved.

If you ask me, I see the monadic twins stage as the last phase before merging spiritually into one body or entity and ascending.

Monadic Twin Flame Relationships: The Path Towards Ascension

The point of the twin flame journey is to achieve your twin flame union. That’s when they reunite into one soul. In order to get there, they go through the Earth-school stage of life to connect to their higher self.

Of course, relationships are part of the twin flame dynamics. They involve romantic blueprints, but not just them.

A twin flame relationship is not for the faint of heart. None of this journey is, in fact. They’re all hardcore spiritual warriors, or they wouldn’t be on this journey to manifest the New Earth.

And whether you see twins as one split soul or as two souls, the trials and tribulations of the journey and the relationship are just as tough. They receive the support of their extended soul family every step along the way. They offer their own unconditional love and spiritual energy.

Twin flame connections aren’t the way towards ascension because they’re romantic or passionate, though they certainly are. It’s the bond of unconditional love that helps them grow spiritually and ascend.

We can look at different twin flame types or try to divide them into groups, but the nature of the journey is still very much the same. Every type of twin flame journey boils down to each of them connecting with their divine counterpart or other half.

Soul Mate Connections And Spiritual Awakening For Twins

There’s a lot of growth happening for twins, even as two separate souls leading everyday lives. Twins can grow a lot through connections with soul mates too. And that doesn’t have to mean romantic connections, but it can mean that as well.

Soulmate relationships can also help twins grow as long as they’re based on unconditional love. If they’ve gone through some very traumatic events in previous lives, they might shy away from the flame journey for a while. After all, they have a lot of soul history.

That very same person can overcome some issues from the last life or lives through a soulmate connection. These soul ties can be comforting, nourishing, and a precious source of support as twins do some of their growing.

These connections prepare them for connecting with their divine counterparts in future lives. That’s how soulmates can help twin flames to make progress on the journey toward union.

It’s Not About The Differences, But The Common Goal: Union

Each twin flame’s experience is different and unique. It’s not like one type of twin flame has it much easier than the other. All types of twin flames have a demanding but incredibly rewarding experience on Earth or any other planet.

Whether they’ve had extra-terrestrial past lives somewhere else in the solar system or not, they’re still working on the same milestones.

Sure, a past life regression therapist might come up with some interesting pieces of information. Maybe they’ve had numerous past lives in different countries, on other planets, and at various points in time in various timelines. But their past life regressionist sessions won’t change their life purpose and end goal: union.

I don’t believe that focusing on the different types of twin flames makes that much of a difference when it comes to the real work of spiritual growth and achieving union.

That’s demanding and confusing enough. Twins have to deal with the pain of separation and the various other growing pains along the way.

[azuramarigold]

Take My Hand

Mia Fey after three years since her mother left the village that it is time to say "SCREW IT!" to her family legacy. The only problem is - she can't leave the most important person in the world to her.

Day 4 in Au-Gust Writing Challenge - Runaway!

AO3 DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3

Day 4: Runaway

-

Packing the last of their pitiful amount of possessions in sacks, she took a deep breath.

 I have to do this… it’s for my sister… it’s for me.

 Mia Fey repeated this mantra in her mind over and over as she paced the small room she and her little sister, Maya shared in Fey Manor. Maya, only being five years old, looked at her older sister with big, round eyes, biting her thumbnail as she clutched at a teddy bear to her chest with her free arm.

 “Big Sister…” Maya whispered, her voice squeaky. “Where are we going…?” she asked yet again. It was the fifth time in ten minutes she had asked it.

 It was the fifth time Mia had no answer.

 It had been three years since their mother, Misty Fey, had disappeared from Kurain Village after the channeling of Gregory Edgeworth had failed. The news got out and Misty was considered a fraud and a hack. Instead of trying to rebuild her reputation, she abandoned the village,

 And her two daughters.

 Mia was technically the next in line to become the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique as she was eldest daughter of the Main Family - however, after seeing what it has done to her family, she wanted nothing to do with it. She saw how it made her Aunt Morgan bitter and resentful toward her sister… Morgan was older than Misty yet she was not the Master due to not having enough Spiritual power. Morgan desperately tried to have her own daughters, only for her twins not to have any power either, like herself.

 The young Mia was thrown into training at a young age, and Dahlia along with Iris were thrown in too. When it was discovered that the twins had no Spiritual power, their father divorced Morgan and took them away form the village. The last Mia had heard was that he had remarried but only kept Dahlia and forced Iris to live at Hazakura Temple with another Fey Branch family member.

 Now, Morgan’s internal body clock was ticking, but she was desperate to find another partner in order to have another daughter. She believed if she had a daughter that was stronger than Mia their family could take over…

 And I’ll let them! I don’t care! Nothing is worth my sister’s life for!

 “Big Sister…?” Maya tearfully said.

 “We’re going to be okay, Maya… I promise…!” Mia assured, crouching down to her sister’s level. “I’m going to protect you… as your big sister, I swear by it!”

 Maya threw her arms around Mia, her sniffling. “You won’t leave me like Mama?”

 “I won’t…! I never will!”

 With that, Mia grabbed Maya’s sack and tied it around the small girl’s waist. In turn, she tied her own sack around herself. It was time to leave.

 The village was dark when Mia and Maya crept out of the manor, Mia putting her finger to her lips to signal her sister to be extra quiet. Both girls knew where ever creak was with every floorboard, so it was easy to sneak out. Once outside the manor, the cool breeze ripped through both of the girls’ yukatas, causing them both to chatter their teeth.

 Crossing the boundary of the village gate, Mia felt her heart pound in her chest. She knew once she crossed the line, she would never be able to come back – it would be the same for Maya. They were both abandoning their family legacy. Did Mia have the right to make that decision for her sister?

 Mia glanced down at Maya, who was looking up at her with her large, dark blue eyes.

 No… she deserves a better life…

 Together, they both stepped over the boundary and walked down the path leaving Kurain Village.

Notes:

- A much shorter story, but then end is open to interpretation!

[aestherians]

Identifying "With"

The following essay is best understood if you have read these posts beforehand: - https://aestherians.tumblr.com/post/657145929223307264/ - https://aestherians.tumblr.com/post/672387556530405377/

Word count: ~1800 Estimated reading time: 6-7 minutes

There are some characters that are "literally me" in the sense that their journeys, their personalities, their trials and blessings, and their fears and comforts match my own to an often-uncomfortable degree. We are like twins separated at birth, like doppelgängers in everything but appearance, or like soulmates that were never supposed to meet. They are not kintypes. I don’t feel like I am these characters on any level. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that it feels as if these characters are me. But identifying as something is not the be-all end-all of identity and there is a lot of room for different relationships and identity facets outside the scope of kintypes.

Part I: Defining Otherheartedness

I won’t appoint myself as the arbiter of what is and is not a hearttype. I don’t think any one person can define “otherhearted” in a way that accurately represents every person who uses the term. Otherheartedness was originally coined with only real-life animals in mind, and as having an element of voluntarity, but these traits don’t describe most of the otherhearted folks I’ve talked to. To some users in the original coining thread, otherheartedness was also used as a psychological alternative to the (at the time) more spiritually minded therianthropy.

I can see some benefits to this vagueness. It would be helpful to have a term that functions as a catch-all for any identity that doesn’t fit into other categories, and which can be interpreted in many different ways. But I don’t think ‘otherhearted’ is the best candidate for this.

We’re in a bit of a hey-day of new identity terms being coined. Both widely useful terms like endel, othervague, and constelic, and more individual terms like folcintera and fictanthrope, have all been coined within the last year. Many more terms have been proposed, most of which have fallen to the wayside. The community thankfully self-regulates like this: If a term isn’t useful, no one will use it. If people use a term, there must have been a need for it.

I don’t think ‘otherhearted’ was intended to have a prescriptive definition like all these new terms do. That is, the definition given by its coiner was intentionally left up to interpretation, and its coiner didn’t correct people when they used the word in a way that strayed from the definition. Which contrasts with the very prescriptive nature of most of the terms being proposed these days.

I’m usually more of a descriptivist, i.e., I believe language is defined more by its usage, than its dictionary definitions. But in a community like this, which concerns itself with defining identities and ontological phenomena, I don’t think language descriptivism is very useful. After all, descriptivism is what led to the redefining of ‘kin’ that has happened on TikTok, as described in my previous essay.

It’s too late to prescribe a definition to otherheartedness. It was coined more than a decade ago and is so widely used nowadays, there’s no way a new definition would gain a foothold. But we can observe how people use the term to describe themselves and try to narrow it down to its essentials. To do so accurately and in-depth would require an essay of its own, but, in short, the only part of the original definition that I see people use today is “identify with.” The original definition included four other qualifiers: Identifying as fully human, specifically identifying with an animal, the identification being similar to a totem, and the otherhearted experiencing shifts as a way to become closer to the animal in question. Aside from the ability to experience shifts (though not necessarily as a way to connect with a hearttype, usually just as a side effect of being otherhearted), I don’t see the other qualifiers being used at all today.

So, we’re left with the very vague “to be otherhearted is to identify with something.” In and of itself, I don’t think this concept is worthy of its own term. Every individual on Earth identifies with something: Family members, job titles, personality types, fashion movements, colors, songs, stories, traditions, and so on. We want ‘otherhearted’ to be a useful descriptor of an identity facet, not a vague word to cover the breadth of the entire (non)human experience.

The real questions then become: How can we understand the phrase “identify with,” through the lens of defining identities/self-perceptions? And how can it be understood in a specifically alterhuman way?

The most straight-forward answer is that your identification with something has to be strong enough to impact your sense of self. In fact, I would say whatever you define as a hearttype has to be inseparable from the way you conceptualize your identity (of course without being something you actually identify as, as that would instead make it a kintype). For example, your hearttype could be something that has affected your development as a person, affects your personality, has altered your course in life, and/or influences your actions. To count as an alterhuman phenomenon, the identification would have to be somehow outside of the scope of what’s considered a “normal” human experience, but that I will leave up to interpretation!

Part II: Synpaths, vaguetypes, and paratypes, oh my!

Delving into the background, meaning, and use of otherheartedness might have felt like a bit of a digression but it was, unfortunately, necessary. Most of the following identity words were created prescriptively, so examining them will be quicker.

Synpath was created in 2015 to describe “something you identify with on several levels.” It’s the broad and vague term that ‘otherhearted’ could have been, encompassing everything from concepts to animals to characters. It’s meant to cover things that resonate with you, things you relate to but which aren’t necessarily a strong part of your identity, things you share a lot of traits with, and more. In this sense ‘synpath’ is a bit of an umbrella term. It can cover a multitude of experiences, the same way ‘otherkind’ can include anything from archetypal therians to original character fictionkind. In practice, it’s mostly used as an alternative to the -hearted suffix, usually just because “[name] is my synpath” rolls off the tongue a bit better than “I am [name]-hearted.”

Othervague is, similarly, an umbrella term, though in this case it was created to encompass every single identity facet/relationship that doesn’t fit neatly into any previously established categories. The term is inclusive of those who simply don't wish to bother with specific labels and definitions.

Paratype is a monster of my own making. I came up with it in 2018 and have yet to write a coining essay, but it basically includes every connection and relationship you have with something, that only exists because of your pre-established identity. For example, I have hearted-like feelings for bulls, but these feelings only exist because I am a bison. If I weren't a bison, I would not feel connected to bulls. Ergo, my bull connection is an off-shoot of my bison theriotype - bulls are a paratype to my theriotype. This also includes hearted identities; I am unicornhearted and feel connected to okapis because of it.

Comfort characters are just what it says on the tin - characters that bring you comfort. Beyond that, it's very vague. A synpath can also be a comfort character, as can a kintype or hearttype or any other type of identification.

Kardiatype is a word for a past life that had a profound impact on your personality and/or core identity, and which still affects you to this day, but which is no longer something you identify as.

Experience-taking is the process of taking on traits of a character as you read/watch/play through their story. It's often the cause of cameo-shifts and tends to fade away after a while, though it can cement itself into a more permanent type of identity, such as a fictotype or hearttype.

Constelic refers to people who adopt (and may discard) identities throughout their life with relative frequency Constels (the identities that are adopted) can be of varying intensity and presentation, from something as personal as a kintype to as separate as a comfort character.

Clicking is when you strongly relate to something, which is a purposefully vague definition. It was coined as a potential replacement for kin-as-a-verb.

Part III: Umbrellas are the mothers of invention

As I mentioned in the introduction, I experience another type of identification-with, which I feel is distinct enough that I don’t want to just lump it under an umbrella term. You thought you were reading an analysis essay? Ha! This was a coining essay all along >:)

As with all words, you can choose to use this or not. It's an opt-in label. If you'd rather refer to these types of relationships as synpaths, hearttypes, or any other previously mentioned word, you're more than welcome. But I feel like the identity deserves its own word, and not just be lumped in under the synpath umbrella.

I've decided to call this type of identity a "simile", which is typically defined as "a figure of speech comparing two unlike things" and its synonyms include metaphor, analogy, and likeness. In the context of alterhuman identity, similes are all about self-recognition through the other. They are characters, animals, themes, objects, and concepts that cause you to recognize traits that already existed within yourself. Rather than affecting your sense of self, as kintypes and hearttypes do, similes merely reflect what was already there. Looking at your simile feels less like looking in a mirror and more like looking at a portrait - a representation - of yourself. The character (if the simile is a character) can be used as a representation or a metaphor for yourself.

This is quite different from a hearttype - in a way, kinda the opposite of a hearttype. My hearttypes are just as integral to who I am as my kintypes are. I wouldn't be the person that I am if I weren't unicornhearted or spiderhearted or Tarzan-hearted. These other character relationships, my similes, don't affect who I am as a person. Instead I feel an identification with them because of who I was prior to knowing about them, and I wouldn't be a different person if they weren't in my life. Basically: Hearttype: "Feeling this relationship has led to the person I am today" Simile: "Being the person I am today has led to feeling this relationship"

In other words, this is what a simile is:

Lastly, a quick copy-pasteable definition: A simile (in the context of alterhuman identity) is a character, animal, concept, or object, which reflects or otherwise represents who you are, without actually being a part of your identity. A simile may be described as a metaphor for who you are.

[voice-of-anarchy]

ARCH ENEMY's ALISSA WHITE-GLUZ Is 'Concerned' About Future Of Metal Music Once 'The Masters' Have Retired

In a new interview with Mike McMahan of San Antonio Current, ARCH ENEMY singer Alissa White-Gluz spoke about whether there will be another wave of metal bands who are able to ascend to an arena-level status to take the place of METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST upon their retirement. She said: "I was just talking about that yesterday, because I was with Nergal [BEHEMOTH frontman] and Michael [Amott, ARCH ENEMY guitarist] at the [Southern California stop of] 'The Bay Strikes Back' tour, which is TESTAMENT, EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL. We were talking about it, and there's a little bit of concern, actually, for what is going to step in as fantastic music. Even if you go a little bit beyond metal, AEROSMITH, let's say. Once these bands have to stop for whatever reason, ARCH ENEMY is right there waiting to step in. [Laughs] But there is a little bit of concern on my end. Not to say that modern music isn't fantastic, because it is. It's more that the consumption of music is less focused on the quality of the songwriting and the musicianship and the lyrics, and it's a little bit more focused on the virality of the song and made for a very short attention span. And that's not the fault of musicians. That's just the way world is. So, I'm a little concerned about maybe not having really excellent music in — let's say — 50 years."

She continued: "I'm a little worried that the era of bands might actually come to a close, because even the era of touring bands is not very old. If you read the Keith Richards biography, he talks about THE ROLLING STONES being one of the first touring bands, and I would hate to see that go away. I hope that there will be a renewed enthusiasm for live metal music. When I was watching the audience in that sold-out House Of Blues Anaheim show with 'The Bay Strikes Back', I was seeing everyone in the audience just loving it and having this spiritual moment in the crowd while EXODUS was playing.

"I don't want to go to a dance club; I don't want to go to a bar; I want to go to a show," Alissa added. "There's a good chunk of really established metal bands that have been going for 20 or 25 years, and we've built up a really great performance and a really great set. I understand if SLAYER can't do it anymore, but there's definitely some concern that we're going to have a moment where the masters are no longer there."

A year ago, FOZZY singer and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho also expressed his concern about newer artists being able to headline arenas and festivals one day. He told YouTuber and music industry expert Rick Beato: "It's kind of scary. I was talking to Gene Simmons about this. I go to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame every year, and N.W.A. was on, and [they said], 'Everyone says that rap is dead,' or we say 'Rock is dead,' or whatever. And Gene said, 'Every type of music eventually dies.' And I was, like, 'What do you mean?' He's, like, 'Look at swing music and polka music and guys playing lutes by the fire. All of it kind of slowly goes away.' And I'm starting to wonder, was he right about rock and roll? Because when I was a kid, everybody was a in band. I remember jocks, I remember guys who were on the football team that bought a guitar and would come jam. Meanwhile, all the rockers, there was four or five bands in my high school alone. Now my son is 17, my twin daughters are 14. I don't know any of them who play music, or any of their friends.

"So the scary thing's this. I was talking to [U.K. concert promoter] Andy Copping on [my podcast] 'Talk Is Jericho' when Download got canceled in 2020, which is the biggest festival in England — a hundred thousand people. And I said to Andy, 'Who is going to be headlining Download in 10 years?' 'Cause now you can still rely on METALLICA and AC/DC and IRON MAIDEN and SYSTEM OF A DOWN reunited or FAITH NO MORE or those types of bands. AVENGED SEVENFOLD are building and SLIPKNOT. But who is the next generation of thise bands? Because with the exception of a GRETA VAN FLEET and THE STRUTS and a couple of others, there's not a lot of new rock and roll bands. Whereas before, there'd be 40 or 50 and you couldn't keep up with all of them."

ARCH ENEMY's 11th studio album, "Deceivers", will arrive on July 29 via Century Media Records.

This spring, ARCH ENEMY and BEHEMOTH will return to the states to co-headline "The North American Siege 2022" tour with NAPALM DEATH and UNTO OTHERS as special guests, before ARCH ENEMY appears at select summer festivals; the rescheduled "European Siege 2022" tour (with ARCH ENEMY, BEHEMOTH, CARCASS, UNTO OTHERS) will kick off in the fall.

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 15

(Masterpost)(Other Canary Content)

Warning: Spoilers for all 50 episodes!

This rewatch is going to fit into a single post, because a third of the episode is just crying and yelling on a very slow boat. If you want to learn the Chinese words for “Mother” and “Father” this is your episode. 

Captain Blowhard

Clan Leader Yao shows up, having barely survived the massacre of his clan, along with two disciples who aren't too excited about their unwilling promotion to top targets. Jiang Cheng tells his dad that the Wens are systematically exterminating the smaller clans, and have said anyone who helps the survivors is going to be punished. 

Jiang Fengmian tells Yao that the Jiang Clan will protect him. Which is why Wei Wuxian is responsible for the massacre of the Jiang Clan. 

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian both think that taking Yao to the Jin clan is the best way to keep him safe. Wei Wuxian was wrong to help the heirs of the powerfullest richest clans, but sure, let's save this asshole.

Road Tripping

The boys go down to the dock to send Jiang Yanli and Jiang Fengmian off, saying a formal goodbye with a bunch of disciples and showing off how extremely good they look in these close-fitted, simply cut robes with cool belts.

Yu Ziyuan comes down to say goodbye to Yanli and give her some medicine, covering by saying it's for Jiang Fengmian, because being sick is bad for marriage prospects, probably. 

Later the boys will mention their hope that YZY will be mollified by the time JFM returns, which means this possibly isn't the usual state of their relationship. The dislike and jealousy seem to be constant, but perhaps being openly at war with each other is not.

(more after the cut!)

Club Ruohan

At Club Ruohan, Wen Ruohan is tired of sitting on his big uncomfortable throne so he's sitting on the floor next to it, instead. He's suffering the embarrassing problem of black smoke leakage, and needs Wen Qing to give him acupuncture to fix it, but she's not around. Wen Ruohan has an awful lot of trouble containing resentful energy, possibly because he is controlling a bunch of zombies 24x7 instead of letting them take a break. Wei Wuxian is mostly able to control it--except when he, you know, totally isn't--without ever needing an attractive acupuncturist to give him a poke.

WRH learns from Wen Chao that Wei Wuxian 1. killed a boss-level monster on nightmare level difficulty without his sword 2. took whatever thing had been suppressing the nightmare monster for the previous really long time.  WRH wants whatever it is.

Boys in Charge

When the boys get back to Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng doesn't understand why they couldn't all go to the Lins together, and Wei Wuxian explains it to him. Wei Wuxian is the one seeing the big picture, and he wants to plan how to handle the Wen forces when they, inevitably, arrive. 

Jiang Cheng would rather talk big than actually plan, showing how--at this age--his anger management problem is an issue on a strategic level, not just a personal one.  As a clan leader he will eventually master this aspect, for the most part, and learn to keep a cool head in regard to martial matters, while continuing to feed his interpersonal rage problem.

The brothers supervise the archery practice of the Jiang disciples, having their last nice time together, and still without a plan. Wei Wuxian is bored and calls practice early so he can go be bored on the porch or in his room, since he isn't allowed out. In fact he's so bored by lockdown that he starts an irreverent niche blog.  

(he’s kidding! keep your mask on, don’t go to wine houses)

Knowing that the Wen Clan is gunning for enemy cultivators, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng send the whole group of disciples, including children, outside the compound walls to retrieve their kites. This is what happens when you don't have a plan.

Wen the Levee Breaks

Wen Chao’s girlfriend Wang Lingjiao finds a kite with a hole in it and uses it as a pretext to snatch up the youngest disciple. 

The other disciples come running back and tell WWX and JC what happened. Wei Wuxian calmly gets all of the information from them and starts figuring out what to do, while Jiang Cheng freaks out. 

Jiang Cheng is a good fighter, and matures into an excellent one after a core upgrade and war experience. But Wei Wuxian is a born battle leader, developing strategies on the fly and staying cool under pressure.

Madame Yu is as brave as a barrel full of bears and Yinzhu and Jinzhu chase lions down the stairs

Yu Ziyuan and the murder twins show up and all of the disciples line up behind them, relieved to have someone scary in charge.. Yu Ziyuan is also a natural leader and an awesome fighter, but her judgement is terrible, as we're about to discover. 

Bitchfest

Wang Lingjiao strolls in to the main hall and has the nerve to comment on the interior decorating, because it doesn't have enough rough-hewn black rock and lava pits, apparently.

She shows them all the kite and says that because it looks (kind of) like the sun, using it for target practice is an attack on the Wen Clan. Bitch, everything your clan wears and uses has fire on it and is red. The sun is not your emblem, no matter what the text says. This kite situation is presumably where the anti-Wen campaign gets its name of "Sunshot," however, which sounds pretty cool.

Wang Lingjiao moves along to her main point, which is that Wei Wuxian needs his ass kicked, and she'd like Yu Ziyuan to do the kicking. To goad her, she starts talking about the rumors about Wei Wuxian's parentage.

Let it Whip

So let it whip (let's whip it, baby) Get a grip (let's whip it baby) Well, what's your trip? (Oh no)

Yu Ziyuan takes the bait, and proceeds to whip the shit out of her strongest battle asset, in a sequence that's either horrifying or completely fucking awesome, depending on how you feel about whump.

There are a lot of bad effects in this show and a lot of questionable fighting, but any time Zidian flies, I am HERE for it. I gave this beatdown its own gifset over here.

Jiang Cheng is devastated and tries again and again to protect Wei Wuxian, but his mother and her lieutenants keep moving him out of the way so the beating can continue.

Yu Ziyuan hits Wei Wuxian at least 5 times, until he is totally unable to get up off the floor. Wang Lingjiao has succeeded in eliminating him as a threat for the moment.

Gotta Hand It To You

Wang Lingjiao isn't satisfied with the brutal whipping, however; she wants his right hand as a trophy, and for him to be unable to recover.  Yu Ziyuan tells Jinzhu and Yinzhu to close the doors because some blood is going to fly. 

I'd like to think this is when Yu Ziyuan decides to kill the Wens, rather than maiming WWX, but I'm not certain. Because she doesn't start attacking until after Wang Lingjiao says the Wens are taking Lotus Pier, and tells her to discipline Jiang Cheng. So maybe she is okay with taking WWX’s hand, but draws the line at giving up her house.

Through all of this, Wei Wuxian doesn't once protest, even when he thinks they're getting ready to take his hand off. He'll do whatever it takes to make peace. THIS is the core of his heroism; he will sacrifice anything to do what he thinks is right. He's not "playing the hero;" not doing this for fame or kudos, but for a clear conscience.

It’s a Murder Party

Wang Lingjiao explains the new Wen World order, and Yu Ziyuan smacks her to the floor and then takes out all 8 of the Wen soldiers in one elegant move. 

Can we talk about how incredibly effective a fighter Yu Ziyuan is, without a sword? With her first-class spiritual tool as her only weapon? Nobody is telling her she needs to carry a sword. She shows she can use one, after she gives Zidian to Jiang Cheng, but she's absolutely devastating without one.

Having defied Wang Lingjiao, Yu Ziyuan...doesn't kill her. She chokes her, slaps her and yells at her. Then she insults her clan and sticks her FOOT on her FACE.

She sics the murder twins on the guards in the room, and they shank all of them at super speed while the boys watch with alarm. 

Then she has them sloooowly advance on Wang Lingjiao, giving her plenty of time to holler for Wen Zhuliu before they can kill her.

Het Heat

Wen Zhuliu comes flying in, literally, kicking both murder twins across the room at the same time. This is followed by Core-Melting Hand x Violet Spider suddenly becoming the most shippable M/F couple in this thing, because wow, they have some serious chemistry.

I never saw a pretty girl look so tough

Actor Feng Mingjing continues to do an awful lot with almost no lines, in his portrayal of Wen Zhuliu. WZL politely apologizes to Yu Ziyuan. Is he offering to withdraw, or is he just being polite before getting down to the killy bit? Either way, Yu Ziyuan is ready to rumble, and doesn't even consider de-escalating.

You know who was able to rein in his temper, after fighting with this same extremely dangerous dude, and therefore lived to fight another day? Fucking Nie Mingjue, that's who, who has a generational CURSE making him angry. While Yu Ziyuan, is like, "fuck the safety of my clan, this is Wei Wuxian's fault anyway" and throws down.

Wen Zhuliu and Yu Ziyuan proceed to have an epic, sexy fight, where he catches her whip and she dodges his attempt to feel up her core.

He's a magic man, mama, he's got the magic hands.

Wei Wuxian, still incapacitated, tells Jiang Cheng to stop Wang Lingjiao from calling for help, but JC gets distracted by the threat to his mom, and goes to engage with Wen Zhuliu.

Jiang Cheng takes a horrifying smack in the chest, which injures him and takes him out, while Wang Lingjiao sends the signal that seals the fate of Lotus Pier.

It’s All Over Except for the Crying

Yu Ziyuan immediately sees that she's lost the battle, and has the murder twins divert Wen Zhuliu while she brings the two boys to the pier. 

She verifies that Jiang Cheng's core is still intact, showing the viewers, for future reference, that it's possible to tell by touch if someone's core is missing, although a casual touch won't do it.  

Then she re-codes the Zidian so that it recognizes Jiang Cheng and puts it on his wrist. She follows this with a display of maternal affection for Jiang Cheng unlike anything we've seen so far, which super fails to reassure him.  

She follows this up with screaming at Wei Wuxian and telling him how much she hates him, and blaming him for the multiple shitty choices she just made..  

With a heart full of rage, she reminds him that his worth lies in what he can do for more important people.

She binds the boys with Zidian and then sends the boat on its way....

...with a frickin' TALISMAN, holeee shit. As toxic as she is for Wei Wuxian, there is a direct line from her cultivation skills to his.  

Dad To The  Rescue...sort of

The last third of the episode is basically yelling and crying punctuated by a couple of interactions out on the water. The extreme emotions go on for long enough that I eventually stop feeling bad for the characters and start feeling bad for the actors, who had to maintain this level of feeling for probably days of shooting.

The boys eventually meet up with Jiang Fengmian and Jiang Yanli. JFM discovers that Zidian responds to his control, which tells him something is very, very wrong, since it probably knows how his wife feels about him.

This thing isn’t biting me; your mom is in serious trouble. 

Here Jiang Fengmian decides to do the heroic, totally futile thing, which is exactly his style. He tosses Jiang Yanli in with the boys and takes his leave so he can go die with his wife while the children survive.  

He has to know that Yu Ziyuan is the stronger fighter of the two of them, and that he's not going back to rescue her. He's just going to stand with her and die together, which is the most romantic thing you can do in a C-drama, after all.  

How Much Do You Owe the Jiang Clan?

Jiang Fengmian tells his two children not to cry, making them and the viewer cry extra hard. (specially ouchy gifset here).

Then he turns to Wei Wuxian and, with a heart full of tenderness, reminds him that his worth lies in what he can do for more important people.

Next episode: Is going to be even more horrible! 

Soundtrack: 1. When The Levee Breaks, Led Zeppelin 2. The Tale of Custard the Dragon (poem) by Ogden Nash 3. Let it Whip by the Dazz Band 4. U Got the Look by Prince & Sheena Easton 5. Magic Man by Heart

[elencelebrindal]

Saw the passive abilities question, so now we have to ask: what passives would all the golds have?

I am SO sorry this took me so long to answer, but here I go!

Of course, I went the "creature the zodiac sign is linked to" way.

Aries:

You know how rams headbutt each other to assert dominance? The Aries Saint has the ability to headbutt people without gaining brain damage as a result. Well, jokes aside, rams can charge at incredible speed before attacking and have considerable endurance, so maybe the latter is what I can give the Aries Saint as an innate ability? Fights between rams can last for hours, so I bet the Aries Saint can keep fighting for much longer than a Saint normally can.

Taurus:

Rather than an ability, I would say the Taurus Saint has a tendency of being red-green colorblind, as bulls generally have dichromacy. In addition to that, I'd say the Taurus Saint is always the strongest, at least on a physical level, because bulls have incredible strength.

Gemini:

Well, I don't know? The gemini zodiac sign literally represents twins, so... I have no idea what kind of ability I could give the Gemini Saint, aside from an innate capability of bickering with their twin.

...

Okay, I'm done joking. Gemini represents Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri, who are known for being excellent hunters and horsemen. With this in mind, I'd say the innate ability of the Gemini Saint is exactly that: riding and hunting. And this Saint can hunt anything.

Cancer:

... I thought I had no idea of what do write here, because, well, the constellation is literally just the crab that bit Hercules while he was fighting the Hydra. There's nothing associated with it, save for this fact, and that it was placed among the stars by Hera. But then I remembered that I'm supposed to take into account the animal itself as well, and crabs? They can themselves so well you can't notice them even if you walk right past their hiding spot. So this is what the Cancer Saint's ability. Hiding. Which, if you ask me, is an extremely useful ability, no matter how proud the Gold Saints are.

Leo:

I wanted to say "the Leo Saint has the ability to run after a laser pointer" so bad, but then I remembered that one video I watched of lions being completely uncaring of laser pointers so... guess the joke died before existing. Anyway, the Leo Saint is probably known for ability to deliver short but powerful attacks, just like real lions. They don't have much in terms of stamina - remember, we're still in the superhuman category here - but they are powerful by default. Also, using the Nemean lion to my advantage, I'll say the Leo Saint can't be wounded easily. Just for a silly comparison: if another Saint lands face-first into the ground, there's going to be blood right away; is a Leo Saint lands face-first into the ground, there's still going to be blood right away, but only because Leo would kick in the teeth whoever slammed him on the floor. Basically, it takes effort to draw blood from a Leo Saint.

Also, a Leo Saint that's also a woman has a more refined hunting instinct, because I watched way too many documentaries in my life and I know that a lioness does 99% of the hunting work and it's better at it.

Virgo:

Does the ability of never getting laid count?

This one is tricky, because Virgo represents Astrea, the celestial virgin and goddess of innocence, purity, and precision. Since these don't really qualify as abilities, I looked into her mythology and remembered that she's closely associated with Earth. Because of this, I believe the Virgo Saint's ability is to communicate on a deep, spiritual level with the essence of Earth and its creatures. Which is not too far from what's actually depicted in canon, after all.

Libra:

The Libra Saint can always find the perfect balance. Doesn't matter if it's physical or metaphorical, Thanos would die of envy for how perfectly balanced everything is for this Saint. Aside from this, which is more of a practical ability, the Libra Saint has also the amazing capability of being always able to find loopholes in laws (Libra represents justice and law, so... yeah), and can always know if someone is innocent or guilty.

Scorpio:

Oh, here I go, let me butcher my sign completely. My first thought was that the Scorpio Saint is actually venomous (god, I hope I used the right word, we only have ONE in Italian for poisonous and venomous). Not like a certain Pisces Saint we know and love, of course. Just like with Taurus, it's a characteristic and not a passive ability, but I do have something else as well.

And that something else is an ability to survive even in the worst, most dire conditions. Scorpions, unless you straight up crush them under your foot, are extremely difficult to kill. They have a tremendous immune system, they literally don't drown, they can slow down their metabolism when there's no food around, you can freeze them completely and they'll just walk away once thawed, and they can live in harsh climates with no issues. In light of this, the Scorpio Saint is extremely difficult to kill, and can resist most life-threatening conditions with ease. I'd say is a good passive ability to have, for sure.

Sagittarius:

It goes by itself that the Sagittarius Saint has the innate ability to be absolutely amazing with bow and arrow, but another passive ability they have is horse riding. Lastly, since the constellation actually represents Chiron, the Sagittarius Saint is an excellent mentor and teacher, better than anyone else.

Capricorn:

Goats can climb near vertical surfaces, and so can the saint of this constellation. It's a really useful ability, especially when it comes to stealthy missions and the like. Alongside this, the Capricorn Saint is probably a really good swimmer, since the constellation is half goat and half fish, although not as good as the Pisces Saint.

Aquarius:

Oh, here we have some troubles. The Aquarius constellation represents Ganymede, Zeus' freaking cup-bearer. He's a hero, yes, but he's known for having enchanted Zeus enough to gain a place in the Olympus as an immortal. What does this leave me with? A Saint that has the air association of the sign, the water association of the constellation, and the fascinating beauty of the myth.

Let's just say that the Aquarius Saint has the perfect mastery over ice (which is canon) because air and water? Come on, it's the only thing I cant think about. That's the passive ability, an insane control over water and air that translate in mastery of all ice things. Plus the ability to enchant even the gods, because the Pisces Saint is not the only enticing person of the Sanctuary.

Pisces:

I'd say the passive ability of the Pisces Saint is swimming like a mermaid, aka quickly, efficiently, and without needing as much rest as a normal human. Some powerful Saints can also find themselves able to breathe underwater, but it's a rather rare ability that doesn't show up often, and not many are willing to try breathing underwater just to make sure.

And that's it, since the other somewhat passive ability I love to give every single Pisces Saint (and not only the canon ones) is venomous blood and plant toxins immunity.

I don't know if I nailed or failed this answer. I'm mostly going off of stuff I know out of the top of my head, because I'm a sucker for nature documentaries and documentaries in general, so there might be some stupid things sprinkled here and there.

Doesn't matter.

Once again, sorry for taking so long, and thank you for the interesting ask!

[woman-believe-in-love]

“Soulmates can be thought of as the people in our lives who offer their unconditional support, love, and companionship to us. Twin Flames, on the other hand, are people who aid our Souls in spiritual transformation and growth. While Soulmates are people we’re completely comfortable and familiar with on a Soul level, Twin Flames are people who challenge us, mirror us, and help us to transform into the people we’re destined to become.”

[groundbreaking-science]

Section 3-2: Amplification

Warning! The following section contains exercises that may cause exhaustion, fainting, dissociation, abreaction and cardiac arrest. No exercise should be undertaken without explicit permission from a medical practitioner, and mental health support may be required for exercise 3.2.5. The reader proceeds at their own risk.

Prerequisites: Exercises in 1.4, 2.1-5, 3.1. Additionally material from section 1.9 is referenced.

The first time my father sensed the Earth and his place in it, a soft dawn was breaking. He stood shaking and gasping for air atop the world's tallest tower, with a view rivalled only by God above. A thick carpet of cloud rolled out to the horizon far below him, the very real verdant lands of Yahhoi still present and visible in glimpses between breaks, and he felt relief.

He'd spent the night screaming in deepest pain and writhing on the indifferent marble floor. He'd flickered between life and death, battling the effects of a poison he'd chosen against all advice to imbibe. It was said that the poison would draw out the drinker's latent power - should the drinker survive the process. My father, at the still tender age of sixteen, was the fifteenth warrior to try and the very first to breathe in the morning's cool air.

In that new light he felt rather than saw life stirring, and he understood the interconnectedness of his own life with the Universe around him. For the first time he sensed a power through the ki-field: the overwhelming strength and evil intent of King Piccolo. With renewed certainty in his abilities my father set out to face down that evil, and the rest is literal history.

After enduring the poison my father obtained the ability to consciously interact with the ki field. Though he wouldn't learn to amplify his abilities with any measured and focused intent for a while, needing guidance from more divine or experienced sources and more powerful, urgent motivators, every one necessitating the honing of a particular element in efficiency or technique. My father's spiritual awakening was slow-going then, though that is not an insult to his effort - even the Monk among our ragtag band took decades to fully master his unlocked potential, and I know there are towering heights I could yet reach.

It is that endless struggle that ultimately gave me the confidence to include this chapter. My current proficiency and my promise to impart certain skills make the work seem simple, but I know I have reached this level with a genetic advantage and a range of thankfully unique life experiences. Yes, nefarious forces could use this chapter to escalate their havoc by orders of magnitude, but that is a highly unlikely outcome, as I'm sorry to say the majority of readers will never achieve a level of amplification that could cause any material damage. Instead I believed it more pressing to think of those curious individuals compelled to perform the "super" techniques covered in the rest of this chapter and beyond, and these skills require ki amplification to perform safely, if at all. And besides, it would never have been fair to keep from you a skill that is considered an Earthling technique at heart.

So whilst I am no God, nor a questionable feline apothecarist making my home amongst the clouds, I am able to employ more traditional teaching methods to improve your ki output with conscious intent, rather than resorting to cryptic life-and-death experiences. And so, in a more measured way, we begin to tie together many elements you have already explored.

Before we delve back into the ki field, I wish to return to the ki we already possess - genki - and the two elements that contribute to the total energy output: the charge (energy per particle) and the flow rate (particles per second). Increasing one or both of these will increase your total genki power output.

The easiest way to achieve a step-change in power output - although impossible for many - would be to utilising a transformation. Simply growing larger means more cells need to be governed, which requires more parcels of genki to be released. You can think of the size of the centre (and therefore the centre's hypothetical surface area) increasing along with the body. A larger surface area with the same flux (flow per unit area) gives a greater power output.

Namekians are able to physically grow in size and therefore power, as demonstrated by Piccolo (the Junior) at the 23rd Martial Arts tournament. This ability is a learnt skill and under conscious control. Saiyans can also grow to gigantic proportions taking on a more ape-like form as Oozaru. Whilst this is an innate transformation and so more accessible (for Saiyans with tails, at least), it requires the reflected sunlight of a full moon to induce, and the Oozaru form does not naturally have a rational mind. Mastery and use of the form is therefore restrictive.

Earthlings on the other hand aren't known for their strength-inducing transformations; the mysterious Shapeshifting Schools utilise magic and transformations in this manner do not appear to grant a power increase. The innate transformation magic of Giants, Manwolves and similar teratoidal folk does grant an increase in power, and zoomorphic people of larger frames will have a greater genki output than the average anthropoidal person, but anthropoidal Earthlings are not granted either of these advantages (by their very definition).

However, Earthlings of all kinds do have access to one technique that will raise the ki particle flow rate: the Kaioken. Against received wisdom I will detail this technique later, if only to emphasize the dangers of trying to learn this skill away from the healing properties of the Heavenly Realm. The technique involves warping the centre's surface, therefore increasing the surface area but preserving the effective volume, allowing more ki particles through. Performed with too much gusto this technique can tear the body apart cell-by-cell, so for those of us bound to the mortal realm, mastery of this technique could take a lifetime.

There is a trade-off to these size increases, however. The pool of ki particles in your centre depletes far faster when deviating from its natural surface area and size. If all particles are used up, you will be left without a way to draw on ki, and will have to rest for an hour to fully replenish.

A further way to boost power output and to much greater effect is to increase the ki particle's average charge. Again some species have access to physical transformations that can achieve this; Frieza's race being one, where various naturally armoured and therefore lower-energy consumption forms reduce the draw on the centre's ki (both in flow rate and charge), and these forms prevent the individual from overwhelming lower ki energy folk around them.

Saiyans have access to another transformation called "Super Saiyan", one that does not increase the size of the body, but does impact every cell, creating a greater demand for charge per particle on the centre. From the combined research of scientists across the Universe, including my own, we know the transformation requires a level of circulating so-called "S-cells" in the body. In brief (as this transformation will be detailed later), high levels of emotion in the body trigger the S-cells to release a message in ki to all cells, asking them to call for more ki in readiness, in turn triggering the centre to release more ki which manifests as a transformation with recognised stages.

The final way to boost your genki output is to use a different version of genki entirely. The Gods and other non-mortals appear to use their own version of ki that is functionally the same in nearly every way, though God ki is more powerful - the reason for which remains unclear. Curiously, God ki is undetectable by mortals unless they receive specific training. Given how parallel they are, I believe then God and mortal ki to be of different chirality.

Chirality is a concept we find in nature. It is woven into the very structure of our bodies, even. When we look at ourselves in the mirror, our mirror image has the same make-up as us - the same number of blemishes on our face and hairs on our head - but there is no way to spin you around to make you look exactly like your mirror image. You and your mirror twin will always be left-right flipped as "optical isomers" of each other. Similarly, some molecules can have exactly the same chemical formula, but the structure can be left-right flipped. In our bodies, one molecule we ingest can fit snugly into a receptor and work as intended, but the optical isomer will be completely ignored (or worse, cause unpredictable damage in the body).

Mortal and God ki then, with their dyadic relationship, can be thought of as chiral mirror images. Unlike chemical optical isomers however, mortals can learn to accept and use the chiral God ki, but it is not natural and so must be unlocked in some manner and developed.

3.2.1 Raising Yuuki With Kiai

Earthlings are Universally known for their ability to change their ki output without reliable access to transformation or divinely developed techniques. Their wide emotional range and social nature can be repurposed or redirected to drive that increase in power. For an instantaneous boost of genki, we can rely on our yuuki. If you recall section 1.9, yuuki (courage) is not a true form of ki but a mechanism of bolstering the flow rate, and comes from reducing fear to free up "effort" and ki-particles and therefore energy otherwise poised to react in a more animalistic fashion to the stressors before us.

Consider the question - "when we run from a bear, do we run because we're afraid? Or are we afraid because we run?" This truth is a mix of both. Calming the mind can calm the body, yes, but changing our physiological state can also affect very real change in our emotions too, which can in turn free up mental capacity for other purposes. Likewise, amping up the body can amp up the mind and ki in tandem.

In section 2.3 we discussed kiai, the guttural yell. We slowed our breathing, using the inward and outward breaths to create a rhythm that our ki synced to. When our core tightened to yell our ki flowed steadily with the breath, expelled with the kiai. Kiai also raises yuuki, as the steady, conscious breathing slows the heart rate, reducing the physical sensations we attach to fear and therefore fear itself, a calming feedback loop. We can then think of that freed energy as released in a short, sharp burst of "courage" instead.

To practise this, perform a push intent with and without kiai. Notice the increase in strength as ki becomes more dense when paired with kiai. Then repeat the exercise, this time explicitly utilising yuuki. Calm the body to begin with, and with the freed capacity of mind, genki should be easier to focus and kiai more effective, the rush of emotion with each kiai honing the intent rather than distracting from it. Practice these four states until you can sense the difference in power, both in quality and quantity. Throughout your practice keep in mind whether your yuuki is well-maintained or not. There is no need to be perfectly physically calm every practice, only to be able to note how calm to better estimate the strength of that day's intents.

3.2.2. Yuuki - Advanced Calming

Slowing one's breathing has the ability to start a soothing chain reaction through the body. But there is a shortcut - to hack our bodily ki intents themselves, intercepting the messages intended for the heart and other systems.

To learn though we must be quiet to begin with. Sit quietly, slow your breathing, and feel the subtle pulse of ki intent that ripples with your heartbeat. Not the ki itself, as that will be flowing through the body at a near constant, rippling with the breath and heartbeat, but the change in intent that drives the heartbeat. This ripple will track back to the upper-right of the heart (close to the body's centre-line) to the pacemaker cells which control the heart's contractions, and will spread from the pacemaker cells to the rest of the heart. These are the intents we must intercept.

Follow these ripples and imagine them slowing - I think of a soothe intent to envelope and slow the beat intent, and before long you'll feel your heartbeat begin to slow too. The other physical symptoms of fear will leave you as the mechanisms triggering them unwind, freeing your mind and therefore affording you yuuki to use for ki manipulation. With familiarity you'll be able to track these ripples when under huge mental and physical stress.

It should go without saying that upsetting homeostatic equilibrium is extremely dangerous. This technique should only be performed for a few seconds before you let the body drive itself again. I only ever use this technique as a kick to my system, like a full-body shiver to reset. Slowing the heart too much will leave you breathless, drop your blood pressure and cause you to faint. Playing too harshly with pacemaker cells directly could cause them to fall out of sync, triggering cardiac arrest.

The next question both the curious and antagonistic among you will ask is whether this same soothe intent will work on others to incapacitate them. The answer is yes but, thankfully, there is an inbuilt difficulty; these homeostatic intents written with a ki signature are so tightly bound to that person's subconscious that overriding the messages takes considerable skill. I know of one assassin using this method to trigger cardiac arrest, and the genki "injection" must be delivered with great, well-practised precision within close-range. Miss and the assassin is wide open for a counter. I do not recommend developing this technique both for the safety of others and your own.

3.2.3 Field Ki

Genki manipulation has its limits. We have a finite amount of genki (created from chemical (food) energy) and a finite number of ki particles to assign it too. So there is a maximum amount of genki that we can release in one instant and whilst substantial, it is most unsustainable.

Instead the most reliable, near limitless way to amplify ki is to increase the charge per particle by converting genki to field ki (banoki). In section 1.9 we discussed the ki field; how the ki field is a lower energy state consisting of a soup of decayed and garbled ki energy separated from us by a barrier of ki particles. In 2.2 we visited the surface of the ki field to read the ripples created by the ki of others. Now we will reach through that undulating surface to harness the ki energy beyond.

Find a comfortable and well-centred position. Lower yourself to the ki-field as when learning to read the ki-signatures of those outside of auratic contact (exercise 2.2.2). Feel the waves of others, those vibrations, and settle 'above' them. Remember, your spirit is tethered to this reality by its very existence, so it would take a deliberate act to cut that tie and fall in. I'd hope by now you would be familiar with this exercise and such visualisations would be of little use, but for now attend to the ripples to aid the next step.

Now, you must expend a little effort and genki. Let your mind follow your decaying genki down to the field and visualise yourself penetrating the waves' surface with a hollow reed of ki, finding your way between the surface of empty ki particles at the still spots between the waves. A through or part intent works well here. Your genki and the field ki energy will meet through the imagined reed. The link will feel tenuous at first, as both your effort and genki used in the process will render the exercise counterproductive in net ki, but do not fret - with a little practice you will break even and then excel.

Once the connection is established, you will need to gather field ki. Imagine the reed straw you've made growing roots, spreading through the endless sea of field ki below to efficiently fill the space. Imagine those fine tendrils reaching, your ki signature spilling out as genki converts to give a semblance of structure in the field ki. Then, suck that captured ki back through the reed, palming it into your very real hands. Retrieving the ki can be tricky - overextend and your fine genki root system will break, essentially wasting that genki as it breaks down far too fast. Spread too little and, whilst safe, some genki will be wasted, unable to touch field ki and convert. Take your time - the amplification will come. Aim to be able to repeat this cycle of reaching and capture as a smooth, continuous flow. When this convoluted process becomes second nature, amplification can be achieved with a simple boost or swell intent.

3.2.4 Storing and Moving Ki

At first, this mix of kis will be heavy and unwieldy to move between foci as your ki signature is weakened through the mass. The usually chatty and fast to react genki will take a while to send intents through the rest of the more neutral ki, the genki acting as lit touchpaper. The best way to manage this mass of ki is to maintain the "rootlike" structure of genki through the mass, enabling fast communication between genki and the furthest section of field ki.

To practice, focus genki between your hands and swell the mass. As you sense the energy convert, try to send the ball of ki from left to right between your hands. Notice how, as you continue to amplify (and at first even lose total ki energy during the conversion) this movement increases in difficulty, demonstrating that as the fraction of genki energy in the focussed ball lessens, it takes more time to propagate your intent from the ordered, ki-signature laden genki to the unstructured mass of field ki.

Notice too, that if you were to apply for example a push intent, the strength of the ability would falter at first, the genki now having to learn how to send out this particular intent as well as apply it to itself. You will be frustratingly back to those early days of learning the basic intents. With time and practice though your skill and dexterity with intents will return - and faster this time around. When you've matched your previous skill level across a variety of intents when using only a tenth or less of the genki usually required without field ki, you will be ready to move on.

In the heat of the moment more powerful techniques will require more ki than can be created instantaneously, necessitating you to charge up the ki intent. There is a fine balance to be had between adjusting your genki flow as and when you need it for amplification, versus letting your mind work on autopilot at a fixed conversion rate to over-produce ki. The former of course saves you energy, but the micro-management could make you slower to counter. It is therefore prudent to know how to amplify and store that ki for later. If charging and amplifying a specific attack, of course bring ki to the focus in question, but to be ready at a moment's notice to push, to explode upwards to fly and to guard, you will need to store ki in an aura.

The fundamentals of this particular technique were covered in exercise 2.4.5, but to recap, use your centre as a focus, but this time expel ki. The ki should surround you in an approximate sphere, ready to be gathered into external foci like hands or feet, to report back to you nearby danger, or to create a near-instantaneous barrier. Remember when charging to use a hold intent too, otherwise the genki, untasked, will degrade. This technique is named "aura-shoring". When performed at high ki energy densities, ki will spontaneously interact with the world, creating an impressive and intimidating visible glow around the body.

3.2.5 Raising Shouki

We don't only trade genki for field ki during amplification. We expend effort to maintain spiritual calmness, shouki. If yuuki is the calmness between mind and body, shouki is our self-assuredness, the calmness between mind and ki. The stronger our connection between mind and ki, the easier amplification becomes. As discussed in 1.9, disrupting this link by agitating an opponent through very incisive taunts will knock their power-level down considerably, as they will be unable to efficiently convert genki to field ki. Now we wish to raise our own shouki.

To do so we must get in contact with our spiritual selves - not necessarily in a religious manner, but to know and speak our own truth. For my father, his brush with death was enough for his young self to begin to attend to that spiritualness, but you do not need to go to such extremes.

Mindfulness, the ability to just be in the present, comes easier to some than others. Mindfulness is not the ability to empty the mind, for that can be frustrating to achieve as worries for the day pop in and out. Instead we must notice those thoughts, the emotional and physical feelings, and maintain curiosity toward them before setting them aside for the moment. This benign distance affords us the ability to take stock. Spending time attending to how genki moves through our body and the environment around us can also assist in this mindfulness process. It is a focus on the here and now, and is something we can do alongside other exercises.

Mindfulness however is not dissociation, where we disown thoughts and experiences as not happening or not our own as a defense mechanism. And that leads me to a warning. For individuals dealing with dissociation as a result of, for example, psychological trauma, forcing the mind back in the body can cause an abreaction and worsen your state of mind. If you find you have constant bad reactions to mindfulness, or exercises and martial arts that encourage this open state of mind, then please seek professional support before continuing further. I know of one individual who broke through life-long trauma through sheer force of will, but it took him decades and could have ended poorly. However, dealing with the emotional block monumentally improved his raw power through yuuki and shouki, so your mental health is worth working on in whatever capacity you can. I also speak from experience. Fluctuating shouki was a difficulty I had in my childhood, and it took a lot of self-compassion and support from family and friends to let go of the guilt a child can swallow when they do not know any better. Simple grounding exercises - feeling the earth between your toes, naming sounds, colours and smells in the world around you - can suffice to bolster shouki somewhat in the meanwhile, and was the technique I used until I could be truly still and in the moment.

I told you once that I made the fortuitous decision to sit cross legged over seiza for twenty hours of a twenty-five hour ceremony. This ceremony, to unlock my fullest potential, required me to keep very still at a time I wanted to do anything but; my friends and family were in grave danger, some even passing away in the meanwhile, and the god performing the magic did not come across as particularly competent. As the hours ticked by I felt no different, only frustrated and wrestling with all my concerns with little else to distract me. It was only as my anger boiled over that I felt the ease at which ki enveloped my clench fists, and I understood the power of stillness. Whilst I know the silent magic of the god played a more than substantial part in my increase in power, I know holding out hope for Earth while confronting myself and my fears during those endless hours did play some part in repairing and raising my shouki, and I am grateful for that time to reflect. I hope you can find this time, too.

With every possible type of amplification in your knowledge and the most accessible at your disposal, it is now time to relearn all techniques with field ki in the mix. I know, I know it feels a step backward, but trust me, this step is a huge leap forward, and will give you access to all the work following on. When - or if - you can amplify the strength of your techniques by a factor of two with only a tenth of the genki available, you will be ready to proceed to the next section on guarding.

next previous first contents ask?

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #111: Irisviel (Holy Grail)

Today on Fate and Phantasms, we’re making the holy grail herself, Irisviel von Einzbern! Iri’s most well known for her healing abilities, but she can still surprise you.

Check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

Next up: Your cup runneth over again, but in a slightly less Destroying Humanity kinda way.

Lineage and Background

I’m almost getting tired of using Protector Aasimar for half-god characters, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t fit her. This lineage gives you +2 Charisma and +1 Wisdom, as well as some Darkvision, Celestial Resistance to necrotic and radiant damage, Healing Hands to start off your healing skills right, and the Light cantrip, using your charisma.

You’re not that far away from the rest of civilization, but I’d say literally being the holy grail probably didn’t help your social life. That’s enough of a justification for being a Hermit, I think. This gives you Religion and Arcana proficiencies, as well as one juicy secret directly from the DM themself.

Ability Scores

Good news! You’re a really nice person. Also, Charisma is your main casting ability, so we’re making that really strong. Your Wisdom is pretty good-you’re a mom, you have eyes in the back of your head, you know how it be. You’re also part omniscient wish-granting cup, so your Intelligence isn’t half bad either. After that is Dexterity, you’re not really wearing armor, not getting hit is pretty vital to your survival. Your Constitution isn’t great but we try not to dump that if we can. The same can’t be said for your Strength- it isn’t very useful in this build, and you’re definitely not in the same niche as Jalter.

Class Levels

1. Sorcerer 1: Yes your power comes from the holy grail, but it comes from you being the holy grail. That’s a Divine Soul Sorcerer if I ever saw one. That makes you Favored by the Gods, letting you add 2d4 to a failed saving throw or attack once per short rest. “Please don’t let me get hit by that fireball” is a pretty easy wish to grant. You also get proficiency with Constitution and Charisma saves, as well as two skills. Persuasion and Insight should help you keep Illya in line.

You can also cast Spells, using Charisma as your casting ability. On top of the normal sorcerer spells, your Divine Magic lets you grab spells from the cleric spell list, including Cure Wounds as a freebie.

For your other spells, grab Friends to strengthen your mom stare, Control Flames for a bit of that elemental nonsense from the end of the zero event, Prestidigitation for the hell of it, and Mending so you can heal inanimate objects as well. You can also Bless up to three creatures for up to a minute, giving them an extra d4 for attack rolls and saving throws. You should also grab Mage Armor so you don’t die.  The Dress of Heaven gives you a lot of things, but AC isn’t one of them.

2. Sorcerer 2: Second level sorcerers become a Font of Magic, giving you a number of sorcery points equal to your level. As a bonus action you can spend sorcery points to make new spell slots, or spend a spell slot to make more sorcery points.

You can also cast Purify Food and Drink now, to clean up all the grail mud.

3. Sorcerer 3: Third level sorcerers can use Metamagic to customize their casting. Irisviel can cast Quickened Spells, reducing the casting time of a spell from an action to a bonus action, or Twinned Spells, casting a single-target spell to two targets instead. Turns out being part grail gives you an edge over traditional mages.

This is also the level your Radiant Soul takes effect, letting you transform as an action once per long rest. It lasts a minute, giving you a flying speed for the duration, and letting you add radiant damage to your attacks and spells once per turn. The extra damage isn’t super useful, but you’re a literal angel now!

To celebrate, you can also say a Prayer of Healing to heal your party all at once.

4. Sorcerer 4: Use your first Ability Score Improvement to round up your Wisdom and Charisma. More Healing, and later more healing! What’s not to love?

You can cast Guidance this level to add a d4 to a creature’s next check as a cantrip, or Enhance Ability to help grant some ability check-related wishes.

5. Sorcerer 5: Fifth level sorcerers get third level spells, but they also get Magical Guidance. When you fail an ability check, you can re-roll the check by spending a sorcery point.

You can also cast Daylight now, shining light out from either a point or object you choose and dispelling magical darkness.

6. Sorcerer 6: Sixth level divine sorcerers have Empowered Healing- whenever a nearby creature is healed by a spell, you can spend a sorcery point to re-roll any dice in that spell, once per turn.

To make the most of that feature, you can now cast Mass Healing Word, to heal six creatures as a bonus action.

7. Cleric 1: Being a cleric and divine sorcerer causes a bit of an overlap, but come on-you are the holy grail, after all. As a Life Domain cleric, you get another set of Spells that use your Wisdom to cast. You’re also a Disciple of Life, giving extra healing based on the level of your healing spells.

(You also get heavy armor proficiency, but let’s just ignore that.)

Speaking of spells, you can cast the cantrips Resistance, Spare the Dying, and Word of Radiance now, and you can also prepare 1st level cleric spells, including your domain spells Bless and Cure Wounds. They’re not as strong as your sorcerer spells, but if you need something weirder like Create or Destroy Water or Ceremony you don’t have to commit as much as your sorcery spell list.

8. Cleric 2: Second level clerics can Channel Divinity once per short rest to either Turn Undead or Preserve Life. The former forces a wisdom save (of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your wisdom modifier) or they’re forced to run away from you until they take damage. The latter lets you heal five times your cleric level to any creatures within 30′ of you, but only up to half their HP, as an action.

9. Cleric 3: At this level, you learn how to use Lesser Restoration for healing status effects, and you can trace swords thanks to your Spiritual Weapon.

10. Cleric 4: Use this ASI to bump up your Dexterity so you don’t have to worry about dying quite as much. You can also cast Thaumaturgy, because we’re running out of cantrips.

11. Cleric 5: Your Turn Undead becomes Destroy Undead, instantly killing any undead of cr 1/2 or lower who fail their wisdom save. You can also cast third level spells, like Beacon of Hope to maximize your healing and Revivify to bring others back to life. Death is generally pretty permanent in Fate, but you’re the grail you do what you want.

12. Cleric 6: Your final level of cleric lets you use Channel Divinity twice per short rest, and you become a Blessed Healer. Whenever you heal another creature, you also regain a bit of HP.

13. Sorcerer 7: Back in sorcerer, you can finally cast fourth level spells! Aura of Life gives those around your resistance to necrotic damage, and your allies regain 1 HP if they start their turn in the aura with 0 hp. One HP is always a lot when it’s the difference between consciousness and having to make a death save, but combining that with Disciple of Life will give them just a bit more breathing room.

14. Sorcerer 8: Speaking of not dying, use this ASI to get a bit of Constitution for a retroactive 14 bonus HP. A lot of casters are pretty squishy, but there’s limits to what you should have to put up with.

You can also cast a Death Ward on a creature to give them their own guts, preventing them from reaching 0 HP or dying once in the next 8 hours.

15. Sorcerer 9: Grab Mass Cure Wounds as your first fifth level spell to get the most out of all your healing bonuses.

16. Sorcerer 10: Tenth level sorcerers get another Metamagic option- Extended Spell will help you get the most out of Death Wards and Auras.

Your newest spells don’t benefit from this, but Gust and Greater Restoration are still great picks, giving you a bit more elemental control as well as taking care of more stubborn status effects.

17. Sorcerer 11: Your first and only sixth level spell is Heal, for, y’know, healing. It heals a flat 70 HP, and ends blindness, deafness, and disease. 

18. Sorcerer 12: Use your last ASI to bump up your Dexterity one last time for an even better AC.

19. Sorcerer 13: Your final spell of the build is multiple choice! Investiture of Flame, Ice, Stone, or Wind will let you take on one of your Elemental personas from the event. Flame deals damage to creatures near you, makes you immune to fire and resist cold damage, and you can use your action to launch gouts of fire at your enemies. Ice makes you immune to cold and resist fire damage, the area around you is difficult terrain for anyone who isn’t you, and you can use your action to blast freezing cold. Stone gives you resistance to nonmagical weapons, you can use your action to create earthquakes, and you can pass through earth-based difficult terrain or solid stone normally. Finally, Wind causes disadvantage on ranged attacks against you, you gain a flying speed, and you can use your action to make windstorms that push creatures and deal bludgeoning damage.

20. Sorcerer 14: Your capstone level gives you an Angelic Form, using your bonus action to create a pair of wings that give you a flying speed until you dismiss them.

Pros: 

You’re really good at healing your party, with multiple features to maximize your healing spells, and metamagic to fit as many of them into a turn as possible. 

Flight is incredibly useful for casters, as it significantly reduces the number of enemies that can hurt you. It also lets you ignore difficult terrain as you move between teammates. 

Thanks to Blessed Healer and your metamagic, you won’t have to make as many choices between healing yourself and healing your party. 

Cons:

You have very low hp, so you’re in danger of getting destroyed by surprise attacks from martial classes or getting hit with a Power Word Kill.

You don’t have too many spells with Concentration, but you do have enough to make your low constitution a bit of an issue.

Your low strength means you might be getting pushed around by beefier enemies.

[judedeluca]

For goldsperyid - Leviathan’s First Night

Not part of the holiday gift prompts, this is for @goldsperyid as part of the Legion of Super-Heroes gift exchange organized by @nuranalknowsall

Goldsperyid asked for something Hanukkah related and suggested using Gim Allon or the Ranzz Twins, so I went with something set during the Five Years Later era

It felt weird, seeing the menorah lit. To the younger Gim Allon, it felt like years and years since the last time. That was actually an appropriate thought, since it HAD been years and years since the last time he saw this menorah lit.

“Yera and I were lucky to get this off Earth before everything went wrong,” the older Gim Allon explained. “There wasn’t that much we could transport with us.”

By “everything went wrong,” the older Gim was referring to the complete annihilation of the planet Earth thanks to years of ongoing destruction inflicted by the Dominators via their secret conquest of the Earth sphere.

Everything about this first night was so strange, so bizarre. It was Gim’s, well, Leviathan’s, first Hanukkah without his parents. He was celebrating it with an older version of himself, and said older version’s wife.

None of the Legionnaires could figure out if the group referred to as the “SW6 Batch,” discovered in a secret Dominator lab, were the original Legion of Super-Heroes or cloned duplicates. The whole thing was terribly confusing and awkward to comprehend; even Brainiac 5 with his 12th Level Intellect was stumped.

Tonight was not a night to get into semantics about who was “real” and who was a “copy.”

“It still feels good to see it,” Leviathan openly acknowledged, “Even if Mom and Dad aren’t…”

“I know,” Colossal Boy sighed, placing his arm around the younger man’s shoulders. “But, thank you for spending the first night with us.”

“I didn’t really have anything else to do,” Leviathan blurted out absentmindedly. “Wait! I didn’t mean for it to sound like-“

Colossal Boy laughed and assured Leviathan, “It’s okay, Gim. I get it. I know it gets a bit lonesome this time of year even with the rest of the team.”

For a group that was so diverse in terms of planetary origins, the Legion certainly lacked some diversity in regards to religious and spiritual beliefs. During December, Christmas was mainly the feeling to pervade the hallways of Legion HQ. Gim was certain he was the only Jewish Legionnaire, but since he was able to celebrate Hanukkah with his family it wasn’t that much of an issue.

That was back when Earth still existed and they weren’t living in domed cities on a giant spaceship.

However, as the Allon Family’s menorah attested, they could handle whatever was thrown at them.

Suddenly, the doorbell chimed and Colossal Boy said “Gim could you get that? I have to finish up with Yera in the kitchen.”

“Sure,” Leviathan went to answer the front door but was surprised to see who was waiting on the other side.

“Hi!”

“Gossamer?” Leviathan was startled to see the gravity-defying Legionnaire standing in the doorway to the Allons’ apartment, and behind her was “Live Wire?”

While Gossamer appeared as perky as always, her twin brother remained just as sullen as usual and had an expression like he was being expected to suck a particularly sour lemon. That seemed to be normal for Live Wire these days.

“Is this okay, Gim?” Gossamer asked. “I called ahead and asked the older Gim if we could join the three of you for tonight. I didn’t want us to intrude since we’re not Jewish, but he said it wasn’t a problem.”

“Um, yeah, it’s okay,” Leviathan replied. “But, why’d you want to join us?”

Gossamer shrugged and explained “Wanted to make sure you were okay and everything. I know you’re still feeling beat up about what happened with Mordecai a few months ago.”

Leviathan tried to answer with “B-but you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m the one who-“

“Stop right there,” Gossamer held up her hand as she cut her teammate’s thinking off. “We didn’t know how tough Mordecai was, AND he blindsided us. It could’ve happened to any Legionnaire.”

“I guess…” Leviathan admitted, even though he sometimes still fantasized about how badly things might’ve gone after that creature abducted Gossamer.

Seeing the unsure expression on Leviathan’s face, Gossamer pulled Live Wire in front of her and continued with “And I believe my brother has something to say, right, Garth?”

Somehow looking more annoyed than usual, Live Wire muttered under his breath “Geez.”

Gossamer nudged her brother with her elbow, repeating herself more firmly “RIGHT. GARTH?”

“Okay, okay,” Live Wire gave in, shrugging off his sister before he addressed Leviathan with “I’m… sorry.”

“About…?” Gossamer added.

Rolling his eyes, Live Wire began to apologize in a way that definitely sounded as if it’d been rehearsed. “Look I’m sorry about the way I acted when Ayla was taken by that Mordecai creep. It could’ve happened to anyone and I know you didn’t let her get snatched on purpose.”

“And…?” Gossamer dragged out.

“AND,” Garth continued while giving his sister a dirty look, “I shouldn’t blame someone else for what does and does not happen to my sister. She’s her own person and even though we’re a team I know you did the best you could to look out for her. She’s not a doll that needs to be watched over and she can take care of herself. Is that good?” Live Wire added that last bit while turning to his twin for approval.

Gossamer patted her brother on the back and gave him “As long as you behave yourself tonight, that is good.”

“Thanks, MOM.”

“Watch it.”

Leviathan couldn’t stop himself from laughing at the sibling dynamic between Live Wire and Gossamer. It almost made him wish he had a sibling of his own, though he kind of did.

“Come on, don’t just stand out there,” Colossal Boy ushered everyone inside, “we’re just about to start dinner.”

“Oh your menorah’s beautiful,” Gossamer complimented. “Is this real gold?”

“So Yera,” Live Wire asked, “I heard you were an actress. Ever been in any horror movies?”

Leviathan let out a happy sigh and joined Colossal Boy and the others as they sat down to eat for the first night of Hanukkah.