#when my spheres align

[iloveyoudie]

CTRL Freaks - Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes... BUT WITH ELECTRIC SHOCKS!

[pubbamoon]

Midheaven in signs and how can you become famous

Welcome to my new astrology observation, besties! So, did you know that you can use your Midheaven (Medium Coeli or MC) placements to see how your career path is going to go? Midheaven is the highest point in our natal chart and it represents our career, reputation, how people are going to perceive us etc. Keep in mind that the Midheaven doesn't describe your personality, that's what Ascendant is actually about. Midheaven rather tells us how we are going to behave in our work place what could be known for. This observation is going to be about how can you use your Midheaven sign to become well-known and noticeable in any of your sphere. Take it as it resonates and leave what doesn't. Now, let's get into it!

Midheaven in Aries - I think that you should act confident and bold if you want to be successful in your career. Aries is ruled by Mars which is associated with war, aggression and passion, so you might seem a little bit aggressive in the eyes of other people, even if you're actually not (IC in Libra). Aries rules over The Emperor card, while Mars rules over The Tower card in Major Arcana. By saying that, I feel that using your leaderships skills can make you more successful and even more noticeable (The Emperor's influence). Your career path may likely to be filled with a lot of ups and downs, which is the influence of The Tower card. On the other hand, you might be seen as someone who's egoistic and prideful and I'll recommend you to calm down your ego a little bit if it's needed.

Midheaven in Taurus - If someone has this natal placement and wants to be a musician, I think this is a sign to maybe pursue that field. Taurus is ruled by Venus and the Moon is exalted in this sign, so it's a great placement for any artistic type of career. You may be noticeable when you show your elegancy, your feminine side or when you radiate beauty. Taurus rules over The Hierophant card, while Venus rules over The Empress card. The Hierophant is associated with tradition and conformity, while The Empress represents the divine feminine energy. This tells me that your public presence may be traditional or you may look the way that people expect you to look. You might seem to people that you're a normal or naturally beautiful person.

Midheaven in Gemini - People may like you, because you're charming, you communicate effectively and you get along well with others. Air signs are generally liked by other people, 'cause they're so relatable. The word charm is so Mercury coded, since it rules over The Magician card and the words can be very charming. On the other hand, Gemini rules over The Lovers card, which does represent duality, communication and multifaceted personality, which aligns well with the Gemini sign. You may become well-known when you start talking to people and use your charm, 'cause the communication is the key for your success. You might also be perceived as funny and flirty kind of person. You could be a great comedian with this placement, but it depends on how your natal Mercury is placed.

Midheaven in Cancer - I feel that you may become noticeable when you show the gentler side of yourself and when you present yourself to be a homeboy or a homegirl. You could be the people's sweetheart, 'cause the Moon represents the public and something that's comfortable. Cancer is associated with The Chariot card, which represents strong will and determination and Cancer is a cardinal sign, so it makes sense. You may look as a provider to some of the people too. The planet Moon represents The High Priestess card, which is a symbol of the intuition and the feminine energy too. Since Cancer is a water sign, you may seem as an emotional and nurturing person to people, even mysterious at some point. Maybe that's how you should act in the public sphere.

Midheaven in Leo - Okay, here we are now! Turn on the lights and cameras!!! Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce the performers tonight! This is the vibe I feel every time I hear about Leo Midheaven placement and you're one of the performers out there. I mean you should be one of them. You might attract the people to you when you use your creative talents, express yourself and get onto the stage. You could also work with the children, because the 5th house is related to them, or you may just act childish in your work environment or in the public eyes. The combination of The Strength card (which is ruled by the Leo sign) and The Sun card itself makes the natives who seem to be brave, courageous, generous, warm-hearted and optimistic. You may not have these characteristics in your own personality, but that's how people may perceive you when they see you for the very first time.

Midheaven in Virgo - Oh God! I kinda feel sorry for you. If you want to be successful and noticeable, I think you should look like you're clean 24/7. People may sense that you're always nervous, even anxious and that you lack spontaneity. Mercury (The Magician) also rules this sign, but there's more analytical side of the Mercury present here. Virgo rules over The Hermit card, which is related to the introspection, wisdom, perfection, and seeking clarity. You may be a perfectionist in your working field or you just seem to be like that. You're definitely someone who has some knowledge and wisdom and you can use them for your career. You might also be on service to the people and they might even seek you for some kind of clarity. This is a great placement for working at the health industry and you may become successful as a fitness trainer too.

Midheaven in Libra - Another sign ruled by Venus (The Empress). I'll encourage you to always be a people's person if you have this placement, because you could get so much success in your career path. Since Libra is related to The Justice card, this is basically a perfect placement for partnerships, negotiating and team work in career. You could do great in law-related fields, 'cause Libra and The Justice card is all about balancing, harmony, understanding client's needs and fighting for something that's right. I think that people may naturally love you or you may attract a lot of people because of your charming, beautiful and relatable energy. When you develop your negotiating skills and start working with other people, you could get success and even fame if it's actually possible.

Midheaven in Scorpio - You might work on something that you're passionate about with this placement. Mars, the ruler of this sign, is a very passionate planet and with Scorpio, Mars (The Tower) shows its more sexual and emotional side (Mars dominant people may have deep emotions actually). Similar with the Aries Midheaven, your career might be dealt with a lot of ups and downs, which may be the influence by The Tower card. The planet Pluto is a modern co-ruler of the Scorpio too and it rules over The Judgement card. You may be punished, judged and scrutinized by a lot of people. They either like you or hate you, nothing in between. Scorpio is associated with The Death card, which can mean that your career might be transformative to you or to other people. Speaking of fame, you could be noticeable when you accept the darker side of yourself. Your mysterious persona may give you attention from others.

Midheaven in Sagittarius - Whenever I hear about this particular sign, it always reminds me of the old man who knows everything and shares his wisdom to other people. Maybe you're someone who has been always perceived as a know-it-all person, even if you deeply know you don't know everything, but that's how people see you. When you share your philosophies, teach others, become open minded, allow yourself to be free and adventurous, people may start to notice you and your career may flourish too. Sagittarius is related to The Temperance card, so you might be someone who has a calmed, nonchalant or even carefree approach to your career as well. Jupiter rules over The Wheel of Fortune card, which means that you may have some sort of luck when it comes to your career path, but this depends on how your Jupiter is placed in your natal chart.

Midheaven in Capricorn - Your approach to the career may or should be serious. People may always see you as someone who's stable, grounded and ambitious. Capricorn is associated with The Devil card, which represents material world. While you can become successful in your field, don't let your success make you even more materialistic and lustful. Saturn rules over The World card, which represents success, but also the structure and organization. There could be a chance for you to become famous or successful if you use your hard working skills and make realistic and ambitious goals. This is a great placement for practicing your own leadership skills, since Capricorn is a cardinal sign, which makes sense. Make sure to work consistently, 'cause Saturn doesn't like shortcuts.

Midheaven in Aquarius - This placement can make you seem to be one of the unique people out there, or just one of the basic people. Aquarius rules over The Star card, so you may absorb other people's energy or naturally attract other people because of your reliability or you being different from the rest (11th house thing). You could also work with a lot of people, in the environment where you can share your ideas, which could be ahead of your time. This sign is ruled by Saturn (The World), so you might need some form of a structure if you want success in your career. Aquarius is co-ruled by Uranus, which is associated with The Fool card, so you might take some risks when it comes to your career. You may also use your intuition to realize whether some kind of job is good for you or not. You may likely to become famous when you expand your horizons, break free from the societal norms and accept your uniqueness. But also be careful of not to overstate everything, 'cause people may start to think that you're crazy or too weird.

Midheaven in Pisces - Similar with the previous one, you could also be guided by the intuition when it comes to your career path. Pisces rules over The Moon card which represents illusions and it means that your career path may likely lack stability in any way, shape or form. This sign is ruled by Jupiter (The Wheel of Fortune) and co-ruled by Neptune, which is related to The Hanged Man card, which does represent wisdom, sacrifice, prophecy etc. You might be perceived as empathetic, humble, sweet and idealistic and your career may be spiritual as well. You could be an astrologer, psychic medium or even a healer. I think that working abroad may fulfill you our you could spread some prophet words too. People may start to appreciate you or notice you when you start to help them unselfishly, to show your empathetic persona or to be on service for others.

Another astrology observation of mine has come to an end. Hope you can resonate with these messages. Mind you that this observation is general and for the collective of people. I don't mean that everyone will become famous, that depends on many factors, such as our home environment, childhood, chances, luck etc. But regardless, I hope you enjoyed it. Sending you all love and light.

Best regards,

Paky McGee

[ghostlyferrettarot]

🦋Pick a Picture: 💎🦚You hidden talents🦚💎

•Pile 1 •Pile 2 •Pile 3

❗️This is a collective reading, take what resonates and leave the rest❗️

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🦚Masterlist🦚

🦩Pile 1: 3 of Wands, 3 of Cups and 8 of Wands.

You have a unique ability to connect with people. Although you may not recognize it at times, there is something about your energy that draws others to you. Your presence radiates a mix of maturity and softness that makes people feel at ease around you. It is as if your company alone can calm those around you, creating an environment where they feel safe to open up and share. That ability to calm others is a gift that not everyone possesses, and it is something that you should value. Many around you perceive that you have a voice that resonates strongly and can influence the lives of others. If you have ever thought about using your voice more actively, whether in the professional or personal sphere, do not hesitate to follow that impulse. Your path seems to be aligned with the idea of ​​communicating and expressing yourself, and that can take you to surprising places.

There is a special quality about you that makes you stand out when it comes to helping others. Not only are you a good listener, but you also know how to provide advice and comfort when it is most needed.

🦩Song:

🐞Pile 2: The Empress, 5 of Pentacles and 4 of Swords.

You have a unique ability to create, I feel that you can be a master manifestor. Any project that crosses your mind, any idea or work that you wish to carry out, has the potential to generate a significant impact on your life and the lives of those around you. Your ability to innovate and think differently is something that many fail to understand, but that does not matter. The essential thing is that your ideas are original and can lead you to achieve notable recognition, so do not hesitate to share them with the world. Your ideas have the power to endure over time, and I am convinced that you will be able to build a legacy of your own. The way you see things is unique, and although some may not capture the essence of your thoughts, that should not discourage you. On the contrary, it is precisely this uniqueness that sets you apart and gives you the opportunity to leave a mark on the world. Every idea that comes from you can be the start of something great, so keep going and don't hold back.

Don't limit yourself by the opinions of others; instead, focus on what you are truly passionate about and how you can bring your visions to reality.

🐞Song:

🦋Pile 3: 10 of Cups, The Sun and 2 of Wands.

You have a special gift for brightening the day of those around you; it seems like the day of others doesn't start until you appear. It may seem a bit extra, but that is the impression you leave. Your energy is contagious and you are one of those people who always looks for the positive side of things. This attitude of yours is what makes you so loved and appreciated by everyone. Many people admire your charisma and the confidence you radiate, even if sometimes you doubt it yourself. It's funny how, despite your insecurities, there are those who see you as a role model. The truth is that you have a natural charm that attracts others, and it's essential that you start recognizing it in yourself. Don't let your achievements or productivity define your worth; what really counts is the unique essence you bring to the world.

At the end of the day, what really matters is how special you are in the lives of others. In their eyes, you are a true winner, and that is not measured by material success or goals achieved. So, start believing in yourself and the positive impact you have on those around you.

🦋Song:

💎Thank you for reading and tell me if it resonated💎

[qweerhet]

we really, desperately need language to discuss the specific material experiences, and ensuing marginalization, that come from your body visibly differentiating from the sex binary, and are not described by intersex language.

currently, discussions of exorsexism like to point out that "nonbinary" is not a label that meaningfully conveys any information about material experiences, that there is no core "nonbinary transition." this is a line of reasoning that i will accept at its bare bones; it's frequently deployed in the most bad faith contexts i have ever had the misfortune to see, but on its face, the bare facts are true. there are, in fact, plenty of nonbinary people whose medical experiences are indistinguishable from binary trans people's, and whose medical experiences are indistinguishable from cis perisex people's. this is true at higher rates than it is for any other trans demographic, given what a broad coalition "nonbinary" covers. i accept the conclusion that "one's physical traits are not connected to being nonbinary whatsoever, any large-scale patterns are mild correlation at best."

regardless of that, however, there is a specific marginalization that does affect nonbinary trans people at higher rates than cis perisex people or binary trans people when it does occur, and that is the marginalization of bodies that are visibly in violation of the sex binary. this marginalization overlaps quite a lot with intersexism--in fact, an unspoken driving factor in binary transitions is frequently not only to "pass as cis," but specifically to "pass as perisex." however, being intersex is a particular life experience & should not be conflated with otherwise violating the sex binary--the marginalization described here is in solidarity with intersex experiences and overlaps heavily with how intersexism manifests materially, but is not described by that language itself.

to define "violating the sex binary": your body does not align with perisex, cisgender, binary constructs of male and female bodies. someone with breasts and a beard falls under this. someone with testes and a uterus falls under this. someone with breasts, a dropped voice, and testosterone-dominant fat and body hair distribution falls under this. someone with a flat chest, a dropped voice, and estrogen-dominant fat and body hair distribution falls under this. there are many thousands of ways to violate the sex binary.

additionally, visibly violating the sex binary as a "transitional" stage in one's binary transition does involve undergoing this marginalization. this marginalization affects cisgender people whose bodies do not align with the sex binary. it also affects people who actively attempt to hide their sex variations, to varying degrees. binary trans people also experience this marginalization, and are welcome to discuss it and feel out language for it, with the understanding that the experience of someone moving intentionally away from experiencing it is fundamentally not the same as the experience of someone who will always experience it and does not have the options to "hide" or "pass," or the experience of someone who actively wants that body. care should be taken to remember that a large number of people who experience this marginalization are actively pursuing the bodies that are subject to it, not as transitional states, but as fully realized bodies in and of themselves.

this is not a post where i am coining language--that is really not my area of expertise. this is a post where i'm hoping to open up discussion, because the transfeminist sphere on this website has a pretty broad effect on trans language and discourse overall, and the things spoken about and coined here often ripple out into the wider world.

[fateandloveentwined]

wuxia and confucianism

Hey. Thought I'd answer the wuxia-confucian question very briefly. I did suggest wuxia being closely knitted to confucianism, but I do understand the other perspective of wuxia being anti-confucian. Quick answer only because I've got little time right now -- might add on to it later!!

confucianism

First the central themes of confucianism:

常 (cháng): Virtues of compassion and courtesy. 仁 (rén)、义 (yì)、礼 (lǐ)、智 (zhì)、信 (xìn)、忠 (zhōng)、孝 (xiào)、悌 (tì) (there are more). These in order in crude translation mean compassion, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, integrity, loyalty, filial piety, and respect to one's older siblings. These are the main ideas Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, wished to spread through his philosophy.

纲 (gāng): Order. This is about the relationships between people, the filial piety of a child to their parents, the relationship between significant others, between friends and teachers, and expanding outwards in the sphere of influence in our circle of life, the patriotism and loyalty of a liege to his lord.

Understand that Confucius came up with these ideas in a time of war. He lived his life traversing different kingdoms and establishing his prominence by getting emperors to trust him as a consultant and employ his school of ideas. As such, these beliefs are very much centred around creating harmony and order in society, and of course entails the respect of commoners and lieges to their lords (because why else would kings employ his beliefs over other schools of philosophy if not so?).

wuxia

Moving on to the wuxia genre, the 侠 (xiá) in wuxia emphasises righteousness. xia, as people, are itinerants and rebels in the fictitious pugilistic society who tire of the power of the aristocracy and seek to use their own, often unlawful ways, to help others through 锄强扶弱 (chú qiáng fú ruò) -- helping the needy and going against the strong (the morals are debatable but that's me trying to sum up wuxia in 5 minutes off the top of my head rip).

conclusions

So I guess that's enough information for you to form your own conclusions, and here's what I think, at the very least.

Against Confucianism -- Subverting the power pyramid. Many of the heroes/xia's in wuxia are lawless rebels. They aren't good, upstanding citizens of the society. Hell, xia was first popularised from 游侠列传 (yóu xiá liè zhuàn) in the Han dynasty records, talking about how a "xia" went against the officials and helped the commoners in the name of righteousness. This goes against the confucian beliefs of respecting your lord and serving the kingdom.* That's why I can understand why some would consider wuxia going against confucianism.

Align with Confucianism -- Righteousness. Ultimately, however, wuxia is about righteousness and nobility and honour, defined by society and commoners and not by royal blood. These values of etiquette, decorum, and nobility were long ingrained in the hearts of all these chinese characters, from when the courtesy and etiquette rules were defined in the Zhou dynasty, and afterwards, from the Han dynasty on, when emperors heavily employed Confucian beliefs in education and throughout society because it helps in rebuilding a harmonious society.

Confucianism is about compassion and righteousness, the staples permeating and defining chinese culture in the last two thousand years, and it is these values that serve as the central impetus of the xia and wuxia genres. People are born into these values; as such they fight against the injustice they see, and thus engenders the lost xia's of every dynasty.

*And well, even Confucius wasn't that dead set on fealty to lords. Confucian highly venerated loyalty, but when the court is corrupt, they acknowledge insurgence over the mindless following of an emperor. This is a story for another day, one I would have to back up with more quotes and citations, but I hope this answered your questions, or even better, let you form some conclusions of your own :)

Confucian philosophy is only one aspect that has correlations/influences over the "xia" genre, there are many other interesting things to say about Taoism and Buddhism as well (e.g. Jin Yong's wuxia classics have quite a bit of Buddhist values in the characters owing to author preferences), it's definitely worth looking up on these things if you're interested!

initially reblogged under the original meta post on wuxia, xianxia, and cultivation differences, but i realised it was too long and would bury the reply, so please don't mind me creating a new post for this again.

feel free to ask and discuss!!

[possiblylando]

Trying to dissect all the stuff from the Akira Cross audiolog.

Okay so I'm gonna go over all the stuff I feel is notable even if it's fairly obvious. Also I'm bound to miss stuff so if you saw anything I didn't (or have a different interpretation) feel free to chime in with that. ALSO SPOILERS EVIDENTLY THEY WILL BE HERE WATCH THE AUDIOLOG FIRST IF YOU WANT TO AVOID THOSE YEAH OKAY COOL Alot of Akira Cross is a mix of stuff drawn directly from Boy's experience and whatever media he's consumed so picking apart the two will be important in figuring everything out. Akira is an evident stand in for Boy but I'll go over the more interesting stuff with him later because there might genuinely be some foreshadowing in here with all the insane shit that goes on later in the story.

Cross Family is clearly a reference to the D Clan I doubt there's too much foreshadowing on this one so Boy is probably just filling in any gaps with his own stuff here.

Slab is Door. Just like Door, very straight forward. His military rank might be off a bit but this one doesn't require a lot of analysis.

NOW HERES WHERE WE GET TO THE REAL SHIT On my first watch I didn't really think much of all the Yokai/Japan stuff since it seemed like normal weeb kid stuff especially since Markus has evidently been showing Boy alot of anime. However we know the D Family has been to Japan since Markus brings up being there in the Bar Audiolog. I had always assumed Boy's hair was from D's side of the family but thinking about it more, It's entirely possible that Boy's mom is actually Japanese and met Door during that trip to Japan. It's also possible she was a Hunter which is why Boy has ties to the OG hunters (which I'll talk about way later during that segment with Hina's awakening chariot in the- getting off topic). D makes a point of talking about how Yokai are real and they shouldn't bring civilians into their world (unless they see potential in them). Seemingly Boy has been raised entirely in the Hunter Sphere so his mother being a hunter actually does align since Door is such a stickler for the 'rules'. But the Priestess thing is probably just a Boy-ism.

Ryu is probably another Boy-Ism since I doubt he has a secret twin brother. This could potentially be a reference to another member of the D family however. But I don't feel there's enough evidence to suggest that beyond Warhammer parallel which I don't really want to use as primary evidence. We know that at least one of the D Clan has been killed by Vampires and probably several more so Ryu could also be an unintended Boy reference to a member who became a vampire. It's probably not to foreshadow a Markus turn to the dark side since there's another character that is very directly Markus. So I'm just going to mark down Ryu as; Boy-ism that might parallel another D Clan member but probably not.

Another direct reference with his time training with slab is obviously inspired by the time he spends at the gun range with Door. But the experimental weapons line is probably just a Boy-Ism since it's just the Halo gun.

I genuinely have no fucking clue what Gilgamesh represents here and I can't help but bust my ass laughing every time I rewatch his reveal. This feels more directly related to D which I'll go over.

So this whole section is- fucky to the say the least. D is ALWAYS confident in everything he says so I don't know if he's saying this because "I WAS THERE AND I MET GILGAMESH" or "THE SCHOLARS ARE WRONG GILGAMESH WAS CLEARLY-" and it could go either way with him. But since he talks about Gilgamesh like "I knew he was a vile fiend but this is a new low" makes it seem like he probably doesn't know Gilgamesh directly.

Door death flags continue to slowly mount. I don't think he'll die anytime soon but theres likely gonna be some major conflict between him and the other members of the D Clan. Akira's family's deaths and D's reaction to them is again, notable. When I was first watching my first thought was "Oh he's having this reaction because it happened to him". But then the reveal that D is just genuinely invested in the story to the point of tears is very funny.

So Akira's heritage is again something to bring up. Half-American, Half-Japanese, Half-Nephilim, Half-Yokai. I feel we can knock off the Yokai as a Boy-Ism. I doubt he's Half-Nephilim directly but it's such an interesting thing to call out since they're a weird reference to make here. The WoD Lore I could find on them is pretty scarce but they're essentially the children of humans and fallen angels, fairly similar to early Abrahamic texts referencing their existence. In classic WoD Hunter lore they were humans who were chosen by angels which turned them into the imbued. I feel like this is notable since Boy seems to be becoming an imbued. (Again, Later) Okay so here's a bit of a hard thing to decipher. Ironically Akira's School could be drawn from experience or purely a Boy-Ism because it's never really all that clear if Boy actually goes to school. This episode in particular talks about D taking on alot of Boy's schooling but I vaguely remember comments from another Audiolog about some british kids calling Boy "Meat" and Door not really understanding the insult. It does show however that Boy has been effected by the hunter life since he's made a world where anyone could be a hidden enemy. It shows that D's (rightful) paranoia has rubbed off on him.

I think Hina is just a pure Boy-Ism. Her being a secret angel might play into his imbued potential and later stuff. But yeah I don't think Hina represents anything here. and Combat Boots.

Alright so Mars is clearly Markus also why does he look like Gogeta as a final fantasy villain. I feel like this is one of those moments that was missing from the story cause it genuinely gives Markus a moment where he feels appreciated. When the time comes that Markus is given the opportunity to do some fuckshit I have the feeling this will be the moment that stops him.

My gut feeling tells me that this lineup for the Gilgamesh goons is foreshadowing the major antagonists of each arc (maybe). Jack the ripper visually resembles Pyotr with the teeth, ears, and long black hair. The fact he gets fought multiple times also relates back since they fought Pyotr in the cave then in their house. Florence could be implying that one of the maids is the ghoul in the current arcanum arc. No clue about Polluck and Andre the giant. And this kinda entirely depends on who the ghoul is since if it's anyone else this whole vague theory instantly falls apart.

I don't think the Chiroterrans themselves represent anything. Maybe the ancient vampires but I kinda doubt that, they seem like a Boy-Ism to explain why vampires exist since he probably wouldn't know about Caine. However the fact they team up with Akira at the end to fight the war against HORSE does show the shift in Boy's mental state. We know he already has a more 3 dimensional view of vampires based on the times he gets weirdly deep 'Do you think this is what happens when one throws away their humanity and embraces their inner monster' as it directly shows he now sees HORSE as the main threat and the vampires just as another group.

The Merkabah is another thing that points towards Boy becoming an imbued since he would have no reference for a dream like this. I've already gone over the surface level of the imbued so no point repeating it.

Also Markus might also become Imbued (or a mage since thats a thing that I've heard vaguely of un-awakened mages getting but I don't have a source to back that up beyond "just trust me bro" so I could be totally wrong here) unless he's just being sarcastic here which is totally in character

I feel like this could be another accidental foreshadowing thing since there are some theories and suspicions about there being a werewolf in the chapterhouse right now. So we'll see what happens with this or if it's just another random Boy-Ism

Again, stuff like this is why I think this whole story is more important than just a random boy writing session. They literally do this at the start of every arc. Also IT SHOULD BE NEXT SAGA BOY BECAUSE HE FIGHTS THE FIVE GOONS THAT WOULD BE IT'S OWN ARC ITS CLEARLY MULTIPLE ARCS SO IT SHOULD BE THE GILGAMESH SAGA FIRST OKAY that was I was thinking about that okay I just had to say it

Theres probably a reference in the spartan spacemarines being called the crimson dragon blades but I know nothing about halo and my knowledge of 40k is also not great. and I don't know where to put this and it isnt important but Ryu's final form looks like Asmodeus from iruma kun and I can't unsee it

The final thing to consider is Horse himself. I've spent the last few days thinking about one main thing; Is horse actually evil or is he just really bad with kids?

And I don't know. I feel like they're using this to set up a swerve where since Horse is Horus we're expecting him to turn evil, but it's revealed he's just bad with kids. But he could just as easily be some sort of demon or other awful thing possessing horse.

[finalfrontierpublishing]

So it's been a while since i posted any books - mostly because i've been hiding my progress like a little sneak.

I just finished this bind last night of The Desert Storm by @blue-sunshine-mauve-morning, or really it's volume 1 out of like ??? 15, maybe. Please take whatever i say with a pinch of salt (I have had 0 sleep for more than 24 hours, and that tends to make me a little very sleep-deprivation drunk a.k.a. unhinged). Okay, on to thoughts! The Desert Storm was foisted onto me by @celestial-sphere-press who told me under no uncertain terms that I WOULD FUCKING LOVE THIS SHIT. Well, I did. This more than 1 million word epic about Ben Fuckin' Kenobi is pretty much god-tier fanfiction. It reads like a goddamn novel. I can never think of canon again without thinking that this good shit should be canon. I read it and then consumed half of it within a week, and I have zero regrets. @blue-sunshine-mauve-morning, i absolutely love you and love your writing. It is the best thing since sliced bread. It is better than sliced bread.

I also had the benefit of @celestial-sphere-press saying, hey would you want to use the typeset? MY GOD, i am grateful. I love this fic, i would have typeset it if it hadn't been typeset but Des did such a beautiful job that i am absolutely in awe and thankful that she and the author allowed others to use it. Look at it - it's so beautiful. I only had to think hey, i just gotta design the cover and et cetera and so the book happened.

Please also check out @celestial-sphere-press 's amazing post here and here, who is the only person i know who's started and is almost complete in fanbinding this epic, and is also making an author a copy of the entire series.

Some stats, if you will.

96215 words || 380 pages

Title font: Ghaomiec

I took some inspiration from starblight bindery's lovely desert scape as well as this amazing cover of Dune which i own. I love that the landscape emanates Dune vibes while being oh so Tattooine - just sand and heat, relentless loneliness and melancholy. This fic centres around Obi-Wan Infinite Sadness Kenobi so it needed SAD VIBES TM, which i tried to deliver in desolate landscape form.

Also thank the heavens for Renegade members, who in a masterful stroke of Group Buy Saves Money, managed to source extra-out-of-production colours of Colibri and help a fair number of us get really cool limited edition versions of bookcloth. I am now a proud owner of a lorge stash of Duo and Colibri of which i am now sitting on like a shifty dragon with a hoarding problem. Good luck getting your bookcloth now, Folio Society, ha ha (gloating)! This particular bookcloth is Colibri Copper which has been wholly stashed for The Desert Storm series. I am leaning on transitioning to Malachite for Rise and Fall when I get to it.

The front cover design was done with a stock image and converted to a PNG, which i then fiddled with and did some HTV magic with. It was remarkably easier to weed than expected. I tried something new and ironed the design on the naked bookcloth first before gluing it to the boards, which was a new challenge in making sure everything was aligned.

Endpapers are marbled endpapers (Renato Crepaldi) which I got from Hollanders, which perfectly fit the colour scheme of the bind. The only hiccup was as I was cutting, I realized the sheet was running in the opposite direction of his usual papers and half the size, and only yielded 3 A5 size endpapers and so my heart went noooooooooo. oh well. i guess i will use it for quartos.

Endbands are my favourite - silk in 3 colours in the french doublecore style (as i was binding this i did not have the mental capacity to handle the difficulty of 4 strands). the truth is i usually only can do 4 when I have higher brain function and am willing to spend 80% of my time unraveling it from getting tangled.

I also forgot to mention I had mild fuck-ups, I got glue on the front endpaper which I had to hastily remove with wet cloth, and the back square is preposterously bad but I'm ignoring it for now.

Anyway, i've actually managed to complete a few other binds which have not been mentioned here as they've all been gifts/ surprises or event books in some form. I am SO EXCITED, also because I am travelling in the latter half of July to San Diego and L.A. and I get to meet some bookbinding friends in the flesh. Renegade is fucking amazing y'all. I am ready to embrace these crazy lads who have enabled me for the last 1 year, even when i'm the solitary (1) weirdo from my country of origin in the server. Also... potentially bookbinding trip early next year??? I am enthused.

[phia-myth]

Can you talk about Modern AU Patrochilles? ^_^

i would LOVE to.

like i mentioned before, achilles is an amputee. he lost his right leg when he was pretty young.

achilles and patroclus grew up together. their dads have been best friends ever since their uni days. at the start of the story they’re queer platonic partners, but eventually they develop a romantic relationship

antilochus is their best friend who has to deal with third wheeling all the damn time

achilles has gifted kid burnout syndrome. his dad expects him to pursue his talent in sports and his mum expects him to go into politics or philosophy (which, like in ancient greece, is an important career). he, however, wants to pursue music

patroclus has the opposite issue. he’s just sort of drifting with no real goal. he ends up falling in love with the dog shelter community service he’s made to do after he gets into a fight with hector

speaking of, the story behind that is that patroclus provokes hector after the whole paris/helen/menelaus drama (i’ll get into it if anyone asks). they get into a fight and hector. one fight later and patroclus gets out lucky with a concussion, a suspension, and a community service charge.

achilles overreacts and starts tweaking and beats the absolute shit out of hector. he literally chases him for like three blocks and kicks shit out of him. if his mother wasn’t thetis and he wasn’t basically a child prodigy, he would have absolutely been arrested.

he was mostly tweaking bc when The Boys™️ (odysseus, ajax and menelaus) showed up, they lost their shit on the way to the hospital bc patroclus had a seizure and expected the worst case scenarios which, when achilles is on the other end of the line, is not the best idea

it probably didn’t help that achilles and patroclus were in that ‘will-they-won’t-they’ sensitive spot where they should really be communicating but didn’t

it’s ok when patroclus is better they talk and kiss kiss fall in love

there’s no such thing as sexuality (or race) in my modern au, but if i were to assign them a sexuality, pat would align more with being demi and achilles would be demi romantic bisexual. but like i said, those labels don’t exist for them.

peleus owns a fairly popular cafe that achilles and patroclus help out at from time to time. after pat’s mum died, menoetius lost his job and peleus gave him a job at the cafe.

yes the cafe is called phthia

peleus was in the army but has since retired and used his retirement fund (and inheritance) to open phthia after he and thetis divorced

thetis comes from a wealthy family who is well known in the political sphere. her parents made her marry peleus after visiting the oracle of delphi. long story.

bonus but here’s some old modern au doodles i abandoned of patrochilles (+ pyrrhus and antilochus)

[tumblingxelian]

@princess-of-the-corner

Thinking of Aware Lila being part of the group and how that probably pisses Marinette off and had this discussion in mind.

Marinette was practically pulling out her pig tails as Kagami watched on with a fond sort of bemusement at the girls expressive antics.

"I just don't get why she has to keep lying, its so frustrating listening to her just spew nonsense after nonsense like its nothing."

Kagami tilted her head, just a little, "It is quite obviously vexing you, and for that I am sorry."

Marinette waved her off, "You're not the one whose pants should be on fire. Though... I mean why do you hang out with her? Chloe & Adrien I kind of get, your parents are all vaguely aligned and you're in the same circles. Lila's not actually rich or famous-" Marinette gasped, "Has she tricked your parents!?"

Kagami actually let out a huff of amusement, despite its quiet nature, it ran through her whole body.

"That would be amusing to see, my mother hanging on Lila's every word, but no. That woman has no time for even sly boasting and the others parents are little different."

She held up her hand when Marinette looked ready to speak and added, "Lila's mother is genuinely a diplomat, and while not in our parents sphere of wealth she is connected enough that it behooves all of us to at least be polite."

Marinette sighed and flopped back down on the bed at Kagami's side.

"I suppose, though you'd think being able to attend events like you do and having a respected diplomat for a mother would be enough. Like its not even as if she's stupid or has no talents so she has to make things up to brag about even. What's the point? I just... I don't get why someone would lie when they don't have to."

Kagami stilled, and Marinette watched as her friends manner shifted, no longer angling towards her but instead stiff as she stared into space. Experience said to let Kagami think and after a minute of growing anxiety in the silence, Kagami spoke, her voice like tempered glass, strong but made of fragile things.

"I don't think you can understand, Marinette... Or perhaps it is not something I have the words to explain. Maybe if you experienced it... But I would never wish that on you, never."

She finally turned to Marinette, gaze intense, even as her eyes focused somewhere other than Marinette's own.

"It is love, it always comes back to love, or more, the absence of it and the quest to find it, to claim it. To let it fill that gaping chasm inside yourself that exists only because of something integrals absence."

Marinette took one of Kagami's hands and squeezed and saw the fencers breathing steady as she pressed on.

"You can't imagine what its like to never know it but always feel like its just out of reach. The depths someone might sink, the lengths they would go to finally have it."

"You might convince yourself if you just twist yourself a little more for them, tear another piece of yourself away, break yourself or someone else, that it will finally be granted to you. That you can let it sink deep into your bones and sinew and finally, oh finally, you can be happy without hurting."

Marinette shuffled closer, pressing herself at Kagami's side.

"If you can't do that, can't trick yourself into going down that path on a fruitless quest you do the next best thing. You lie. You lie to yourself, or to others. Because even false happiness is better than real despair. Or at least, that's what you tell yourself, even as you starve and wither on the inside..."

Kagami's entire body shuddered, it was somehow both the most powerful sensation Marinette had ever felt and the most subtle she'd ever seen. A reminder that even in her moments of deepest hurt Kagami could not show even a hint of weakness.

Her eyes were stinging now, and Marinette let out a sob.

Kagami's entirely frame pivoted to her, something like terror in her eyes. "Marinette, I- I don't now what I did, b-" She let out a surprised breath as Marinette practically flung herself into the taller girls embrace, pressing Kagami down on the mattress of her bed.

"You didn't make me cry... I'm crying... Because you can't, and you deserve to!" The other girl's powerful arms embraced her so tightly it was like she wanted them to stay locked together forever.

She buried her face in Kagami's neck and whispered, "You are loved, I love you Kagami."

Kagami couldn't speak, so she just held tighter, letting Marinette etch herself ever deeper inside her soul and sinew. She'd do anything for this moment to last.

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

I'm an aspiring author (actually work my ass off and have sold some original work). Aside from the fact that I loathe social media, the current climate has made me very glad that everything I post is strictly professional and only about new releases. Two reasons: 1) I absolutely hate when I go to check an author's page to see what their new book is and it's reams of political ranting (your job is to write books, tell me about your books and not your opinions); 2) as the Tolkien anon said, the fandom and book/publishing sphere generally skews left (most publishing houses are based in New York, after all). I fear these days it's basically suicide to show your affiliation for anything that's not left, but it really shouldn't be that way. One's political beliefs have no correlation or bearing on the quality of one's writing (though I guess brain-rotted liberals who just have to shove their idealogy into their writing are the exception to that). I still think it's best not to use your book as a soapbox, as you're telling a story, not writing a pamphlet, and your priority should be telling the best story you can and not spouting off to your audience.

That being said, huge shout-out to Larry Correia. While I don't read his books, he's openly conservative on his site/blog Monster Hunter Nation, and IIRC he took part in the Sad Puppies campaign to demonstrate how the Hugo Awards were (probably still are) biased towards a small group and authors who didn't align with them politically would be attacked. Dude's very based (gun instructor, unsurprisingly) and I appreciate him being vocal about his beliefs and uncaring what anyone else thinks.

On the positive side, I think the rise of self-publishing and smaller publishers in response to increasing monopoly of the big publishing houses merging with each other has been a net good. Let them all burn, I say. The more insular and more political they become, the more worthless they are. They're constantly chasing the next hot thing that's full of minority checklists and typical DEI nonsense, or chasing "Booktok" trends, which has been another canister of gasoline on the dumpster fire, to say nothing of literary agents who do the same thing (some of them actually ask you to list the tropes in your book, excuse me while I vomit).

I only care about writing a good story. If my story is rejected because it doesn't check off enough political boxes in the narrative, then why do I need them? Why should some New York liberal whose blood is 90% kool-aid decide I won't sell? Direct audience contact will decide that.

You're right and you should absolutely say it. I love this ask.

[a-bad-case-of-the-stephs]

Oh and @duskdog thank you for ur fantastic tags on my other post it got me thinking about Bruce’s uniquely fucked up relationship with Tim and Stephanie, and Tim and Steph’s twin roles they play with how they vie for approval, and how Steph’s firing sort of starts setting up the stakes for her later actions, and I feel like a lot of those ideas actually start to come up in Robin #120. So I’m going to just ramble abt that now I guess.

Like, for one, we’re directed in multiple ways to compare Robin #120 and Steph’s firing in Gotham Knights #37.

Both Tim and Steph tell batman to “go to hell” in an almost identical speech bubble, the last thing Tim says while comforting Steph is “I know”, the exact same line Steph says last when she comforts Tim, and of course the fact that Steph herself brings up the similarity in situation directly.

Tim backstabs Steph for Bruce’s approval all the while asserting independence in Robin 106, and I feel like Robin #120 is almost a showcase of how his failure to follow through on his claims of independence bites him in the ass. (Maybe a little irony there. Maybe a little karma perhaps)

Tim does the same assertion of independence —> immediately concession thing when he tells Bruce he’s done and basically quits being Robin, only to change his mind completely and awkwardly continue on as Robin as if nothing had happened.

Tim basically proves again where his priorities lie: even its his turn to be the target of the most recent round of the Bruce Wayne’s Mind Games Wheel, he still comes back, he still fails to follow through.

Like, it sets a standard. Steph’s her own person, and I’m not trying to discredit her ability to think for herself here at all, but I think Tim’s choice to forsake his hurt over Batman’s mind game test and go back to Bruce sets a precedent. That this is just acceptable behavior if you want to be on Batman’s team. All I’m saying is this situation probably played some role in Steph’s willingness to pick up the Robin mantle despite her rocky history with Bruce. Steph herself is able to make this clear the connection between her own firing and Tim’s birthday gaslighting, and ergo, if Tim finds that behavior acceptable, if Tim can forgive and forget, if it doesn’t really matter, if Tim can move past it, then Steph should be able to do so too. It’s just part of working with Batman. I feel like that might set the stage for Stephanie’s ability to work under Batman again.

Probably a small factor, if one at all. And certainly not Tims fault really. But interesting to think about!

Additionally, I find the framing of roles so intriguing in Robin #120. Having Tim and Steph completely switch roles, (tricked by Batman becomes comforter, comforter becomes tricked by Batman) with all the corresponding dialogue switching with them (“I know”/“go to hell”) it kinda paints a grim picture.

Like on one hand, it’s nice that they have each other, and it’s horrible that they’re both so easily thrown from victim to comforter because the same man cannot and will not stop playing mind games with these teenagers.

And this moment is especially cool given how Tim and Stephanie are characters who are often shown in contrast to one another. They are contrasted in personality, contrasted in morality, contrasted in relationships with other characters, etc. something established both in Robin 1993 and also I feel picked up on in the fan sphere.

And for once, in Robin #120, they are not really being contrasted so much as directly compared to one another. They say the same words. They fit the same roles. They both are dealing with this same shitty Bat. They’re almost interexchangable, with how aligned their words and feelings seem to be.

But on the other hand, for me at least, Robin #120 also kinda really draws out the differences in the roles they are playing.

In GK37, Tims role as the comforter is perverted by the knowledge he has (and had) which Stephanie does not (and did not). He facilitated (unintentionally or not) the encounter Batman and Steph have. He chose to keep her in the dark, and he chose to lie to her. Of course, who knows what would have happened if Tim had warned Steph on his own, or even if he just hadn’t lied to Steph, their encounter could have very well gone the same way.

But regardless of that, Tim’s role is still not really pure. It’s a shitty situation for Tim to be in, sure, but his ability to comfort Steph is tainted by how he maintains the illusion that he had no clue this was going to happen to Steph, instead of the truth: he had clear advance warning.

And then in Robin #120, the tables are turned.

Now. I’m not really saying this was karma for him lying to Steph. But I’m also not not saying that.

But, I mean, Steph is comforting him, commiserating with his pain and mentioning her own shitty similar experiences and Tim Drake just sits there, seemingly trying to change the subject and ignoring entirely the (albeit unintentional) role he played in that particular mind game.

He should feel a little shitty about that, and I’m not sorry for saying it. He should feel guilty in that moment.

Almost certainly not Lewis’s intention, by the way, but I’ll read into whatever. I will say that no matter what, the parallels between GK37 and Robin #120 and definitely there, and I assume there for a reason.

[dykeulous]

about me.

i am apollo, a 21 year old homosexual transguy butch, and i come from a small, underdeveloped slavic country. i made this blog in hopes to come to a finalized understanding of my own personal beliefs, as feminism & overall politics have been a very close & important interest of mine for quite a long time– but it has lately been growing into something bigger. i find it is my role and duty to shed light on specific, more grey areas, that many people from my political sphere tend to overlook & even outright dismiss; and this is something that i strive to achieve during my time being on radblr. i conversate with people whose political beliefs vary & don’t align with my own on a wide scale, and i hope to promote a nuanced approach to many topics. i believe locking ourselves up in an echo-chamber will only result in infighting, fearmongering, culty behavior and needless division– when time could have better been spent exchanging ideas, researching ways to fight the common enemy, and actively organizing.

i am a working-class lesbian and still in college (majoring in history & sociology), and my political views stem from my own life experiences. i am a bolshevik-leninist, much of my feminism is connected to this in many ways (i advocate for revolutionary feminism, and would describe myself as a dual system feminist); i believe that working-class women share very little similarities with bourgeois women, and thus should not share solidarity with them. i’m very interested in rehabilitative justice. when you become aware of the institutional sexism & mistreatment of women in every corner of our society, you will begin to see that this extends to several institutions that you might have viewed as helpful and safe– i consider myself psychiatry-critical (not anti), and i hate the way that so many women & feminists fail to see the misogyny in the field of psychology & more overall medicine. the male body is seen as default in every case scenario, and it is on us feminists to lividly oppose & fight against that. i am gender critical, but not transphobic– trans people deserve the right protection and safety, but this should not come at the expense of other marginalized groups. the trans community does a very bad job at addressing misogyny in their spaces, and often adopts an ideology of metaphysical beliefs, which directly oppose dialectical materialism, and rather push for an idealistic view of the world. radical feminist spaces, on the other hand, may ignore the need for nuance in some cases, and brush off the very important fight of dismantling transphobia (and viewing transphobia as inherently patriarchal). i believe both spaces ought to improve, and instead of cannibalizing each other, we must come to an understanding of each other (despite certain disagreements), and work together on our shared end goal. both communities can learn plenty from the other, and both can offer useful strategies to the other. the key lays in recognizing both sex-based oppression and transphobia as legitimate axes of oppression, and uniting to fight the lethality of the patriarchy.

i hold addicts & recovering addicts dearly to my heart, and i believe that criminalization does nothing good, and instead marginalizes the addicts, especially female addicts. i am not vegan myself, but i appreciate the work of my ecofeminist sisters, and their amazing analyses of the oppression of animals & patriarchal-capitalist exploitation of our environment. i am autistic, and my most prominent special interest has to be gender abolition; the reason i made this blog in the first place is exactly because i wanted to develop my own theory of gender abolition. this is how i define gender. the pathway to gender abolition that i personally align with the most is gender acceleration. another special interest are marxist politics. anti-racist, anti-imperialist, anti-zionist. 🇵🇸 FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA PALESTINE WILL BE FREE!!!

my current hyperfixations are harry potter, my little pony, typology, and more generally vampires. i kin twilight sparkle from mlp, and severus snape & barty crouch jr. from harry potter (weird mix i know). i primarily listen to feminist punk (riot grrrl), but i also sometimes enjoy a good goth masterpiece. i am interested in soviet history (the night witches are so fascinating), cuban cuisine, and north korean culture. i would define myself as a slavic patriot, and will not hesitate to punch a westerner in the face if they choose to close their eyes before our beautiful history. tito, lenin, che guevara, rosa luxemburg apologist. my favorite feminist authors include angela davis, clara zetkin, alexandra kollontai, monique wittig, christine delphy, audre lorde and cordelia fine (cordelia fine in particular i would recommend to a lot of people on radblr to dismantle their own bio-essentialism & neurosexism).

not exactly a nicefem, even though i do try to be kind & informative– i tend to get angry fairly quickly, and this is something i’m working on. do not assume bad faith. extremely bad at reading tone, and i myself can sometimes come off as rude & condescending unintentionally; feel free to ask me about tone. i see misogyny in everything and will not hold myself back from calling it out, no matter the setting or the situation. everyone can interact, and i do not block easily, but if you engage in outright harassment & repeat petty insults, i will block.

i would not explicitly call myself a tirf either, even though in practice i would be considered one. this is because i often find that “tirfism” leans into trying to erase the existence of sex-based oppression, and shifts the radical feminist movement into a direction that completely neglects material reality & instead focuses on the same old liberal tactics. the word “tirf” in the first place stems as a counter-attack against the word “terf”, making it reactionary. i’ve also personally been in several spaces filled with tirf-identified folk, who ended up heavily speaking over trans men & prioritized trans women over any other demographic, focusing on proving that they are “one of the good ones”, destroying the purpose of radical feminism. i believe the word “terf” has completely lost its’ meaning & is excessively being used as a way to shut up exclusively same-sex attracted women & women who dare talk about sex-based oppression. when i see a radical feminist being shitty & using transphobic rhetoric, i call her a transphobe; not a terf. nevertheless, i believe there is a time & place for trans women to offer their voice in feminist discussions, and their voice is very important & deserving of being heard & uplifted, so long as they stay respectful of female people & our unique experiences. i consider transmisogyny a legitimate axis of oppression [and transandromisogyny, better known as “transandrophobia” although i take issue with the roots of that word], and i think it should be discussed & analyzed more in feminist spaces. that being said, if a feminist wants to exclusively focus on female liberation & chooses her feminism to be female driven, she should have every right to do so.

#ftminism is a tag i use to talk & ramble about transmasc-specific [or transmasc-adjacent] struggles that i feel can be connected to feminism in one way or another. i also sometimes tag transmasc positivity with this. it is a word that i coined to describe transmasc-activism, since i feel trans feminism does a horrible job at including trans men. feel free to consider it a subsect of trans feminism, but i personally do not, and i think it should be its’ own feminist branch. i am transmasc myself, and thus mostly center my feminism around this [i also center butches, detrans women, studs and overall gender nonconforming female people in my feminism]. we deserve our own space to vent our anger at the patriarchy.

check out @pokegyns– it is a collaborative nuancefem blog, modded by discord server members, and created by @tirfpikachu.

*Thread: Transness and Radical Feminism Can Coexist*

[ghostlyferrettarot]

❤️₊˚⊹ ᰔ The Moon in Synastry charts❤️₊˚⊹ ᰔ

❗️All the observations in this post are based on personal experience and research, it's completely fine if it doesn't resonate with everyone❗️

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❤️ What does the Moon mean in Synastry?❤️ The Moon refers to our deepest feelings and how these align with another person's. If in a romantic relationship or friendship, one person's Moon is in a harmonious aspect to the other person's Moon, this usually means there is a natural emotional connection.

❤️ The Moon in Harmonious Aspects (Trine and Sextile)❤️: When Moons are in harmonious aspects, such as a trine or sextile, the emotional connection between the two people is fluid and natural. The way each handles their emotions complements the way the other does. They understand each other without words. It's as if both people share a secret emotional language. For example, Moon in Cancer Trine Moon in Scorpio. In this case, both people share a deep emotional intensity, although they may express it differently. The person with the Moon in Cancer can be more open and expressive in their feelings, seeking to create a safe and protective environment. The person with the Moon in Scorpio, on the other hand, is more reserved but very deep in their emotions. However, both perfectly understand each other's need to be emotionally intimate and trustworthy. Together, they create a mutual emotional refuge, even if their ways of expressing their emotions are different. They feel as if they can share the deepest part of themselves without fear of judgment.

❤️ The Moon in Tense Aspects (Squares and Oppositions)❤️: Now, when the Moons are in tense aspects, such as a square or opposition, things can be a little more complicated. Although the emotional attraction is strong, differences in the way emotions are handled can cause discomfort. One person might feel that the other does not understand their emotional needs or that their emotional responses are too intense or, on the contrary, too cold. For example: When the Moon in Aries is in square to the Moon in Capricorn, emotions can clash. The person with the Moon in Aries has a need for emotional independence and to act quickly on feelings, while the person with the Moon in Capricorn tends to be more reserved, controlled. The Aries may feel that the Capricorn is too cold or distant, while the Capricorn may feel that the Aries is impulsive or emotionally immature. This tension can create misunderstandings, but it also offers them an opportunity for growth. Aries could learn to be more patient and Capricorn to be more emotionally open.

❤️The Moon and intimacy ❤️:

The Moon also has an impact on how we present ourselves as vulnerable. In a relationship, an individual's Moon can show us how that individual is emotionally aroused in the private sphere. If two individuals' Moons are in sync, there is a high possibility they will feel closer and comfortable with one another. Example: If one person has the Moon in Scorpio and the other has the Moon in Taurus, the emotional and physical connection in intimacy can be especially deep. The Moon in Scorpio seeks an intense, emotionally transformative connection, while the Moon in Taurus seeks stability and security in the relationship. When these energies combine, intimacy can be incredibly deep, but there is also a necessary balance. The person with the Moon in Taurus may need more emotional stability, while the person with the Moon in Scorpio might feel the need to explore beyond the superficial. If both manage to find that middle ground, the intimacy will be very powerful.

❤️The Moon as an Emotional Refuge❤️ When you are in a relationship with someone whose lunar aspect in your chart is harmonious, that person has the power to be your emotional refuge in many ways. Simply being around them makes you feel protected and validated. Emotional interactions flow comfortably and naturally. And on the other hand, if a person's Moon is in a tense configuration with yours, the relationship may require more attention to find emotional balance. An example is people with the Moon in Pisces and the Moon in Cancer. Both feel deeply and have a great need for emotional support. The Moon in Pisces can be dreamy, sensitive and artistic, while the Moon in Cancer seeks emotional security and protection. In this relationship, both can share a very deep emotional relationship, where one feels what the other needs even without having to speak. The emotional connection is strong, almost like a refuge for both.

[magickkate]

Hello, witchlings! Today we're diving into the topic of bath magic and how to incorporate this into a beginner's practice!

🧼 What is Bath Magic?: Bath magic, also known as ritual bathing, is a sacred practice that harnesses the cleansing, healing, and rejuvenating properties of water to enhance our magical workings. By infusing our baths with intention, herbs, crystals, and other magical ingredients, we create a sacred space for self-care, spiritual exploration, and manifestation. You can do bath rituals in line with the timing of the moon. Full moon baths are very common, but they can be done at any point!

🌿 Rituals for Bath Magic:

Cleansing Ritual: Begin by cleansing your physical body with a regular bath or shower to wash away any negativity or energetic debris. As you bathe, visualize the water purifying and cleansing your energy field, leaving you feeling refreshed and renewed.

Setting Intentions: Before stepping into the bath, take a moment to set your intentions for the ritual. What do you hope to achieve or manifest? Focus your thoughts and energy on your desired outcome, infusing it with clarity and purpose.

Herbal Infusions: Add herbs, flowers, and botanicals to your bath water to enhance its magical properties. Lavender promotes relaxation and tranquility, rose petals symbolize love and self-care, and chamomile soothes the spirit and calms the mind. Choose herbs that resonate with your intentions and sprinkle them into the water or create a sachet to hang from the faucet.

Crystals: Incorporate crystals into your bath ritual to amplify its energy and support your intentions. Place crystals such as clear quartz for clarity, rose quartz for self-love, or amethyst for spiritual connection in the water or around the edge of the tub. Allow their energy to infuse the water, enveloping you in a cocoon of healing and protection.

Visualization and Meditation: As you soak in the bath, close your eyes and visualize yourself surrounded by a radiant sphere of light. Envision your intentions manifesting as if they were already a reality, feeling gratitude and joy for their fulfillment. You can also practice meditation, deep breathing, or visualization techniques to deepen your connection to the divine and align with your higher self.

Sigils: Sigils enhance bath magic by imbuing intentions with energy. Create a sigil, charge it with intention, and incorporate it into the bath ritual. I normally do this by drawing the sigil in soap or lotion on myself or in the bath, drawing it on myself with a pen, or drawing it with my finger. Visualize its energy merging with the bathwater, allowing its power to amplify the magic. Release the sigil's energy into the universe, trusting in its ability to manifest desires. I do this by washing the soap or lotion, washing off the pen, or washing over where I marked the sigil with my finger. Bath rituals become more potent and transformative with sigils.

Affirmations: Repeat affirmations that resonate with your intentions as you bathe, allowing their positive vibrations to permeate your consciousness and uplift your spirit. You can create your own affirmations or choose ones that resonate with your goals and desires.

Closing the Ritual: When you feel ready, slowly emerge from the bath and pat yourself dry with a clean towel. Take a moment to express gratitude for the experience and release any lingering thoughts or emotions that no longer serve you.

Whether bathing for relaxation, purification, or spiritual growth, bath magic offers a simple yet powerful way to connect with the elements and manifest your intentions. So draw yourself a magical bath, sink into the soothing waters, and let the magic of bath magic wash over you!

[hrefna-the-raven]

Hot as Hades

Misc. Masterlist - Masterlist

Chapter 1

Words: 1939

Summary: the fate of yours and Hades' is bound but the Fates advise caution while Aphrodite is meddling in the Lord of the dead's affairs

Chapter 2 - Prophecy

Hades rushed down the steps, seething with anger towards Pain and Panic for neglecting to inform him of the Fates' arrival. The most important inhabitants of the underworld, aside from himself of course, were waiting for him and his good for nothing imps were too busy with hell knows what to even tell him. They had one task, just one damned task. Hades pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath before swinging open the doors.

"Ladies. Hah. I am so sorry that I'm...", he began, attempting to apologise, but the Fates cut him off.

"Late", they finished in unison.

"We knew you would be", Lachesis chuckled.

"We know everything", Clotho proudly stated.

"Past."

"Present."

"And future", Atropos added, nudging Pain, "indoor plumbing. It's gonna be big."

"Right, anyway ladies, I was at this picnic kinda thing and I lost all track and wanted to ask abou-", Hades tried to explain, only to be interrupted once again by the Fates.

"We know!"

His hair momentarily flared up in a deep red before returning to its usual blue flames as he took a series of deep breaths, attempting to regain his composure. He knew that losing his temper in front of the Fates would be counterproductive, despite how frustrating they could be to deal with. However, Aphrodite's words continued to swirl in his mind, leaving him wondering if there was any truth behind her teasing remark.

"I KNOW, you know. Anyway, Aphrodite... Ms. Lovey Dovey, Ms. "Hey I always know when someone's in love", now she has told-"

"About the mortal being in love with you. WE KNOW!", the Fates interrupted him yet again.

Hades couldn't help but slam his hand against his face in exasperation, a painful reminder to himself to maintain his calm and charm.

"I KNOW YOU KNOW! I got it, I got the concept!", he clenched his teeth, forcefully contorting the twitching corners of his mouth into a distorted smile, "so let me just ask. Is Aphrodite telling the truth about that mortal? Will she love me back? What do you think?"

Clotho released a sorrowful sigh, parting her lips, but before any words could escape, Lachesis seized the edge of her robe and swiftly turned her around.

"We're not supposed to reveal the future!", she reminded her sister, fixing a stern gaze upon her, despite the absence of an eyeball.

It didn't go unnoticed by Hades that a disagreement was brewing between the Fates. He found himself in the perfect position to extract information from them, all it would take was a touch of his usual charm and he would attain his answers.

"Ladies ladies", his voice was smooth and alluring, "time out, please. Can I ask you a question by the way? Did you cut your hair or something? You look fabulous, like a fate worse than death."

His slender fingers gently touched a strain of her hair, which popped out and wound its way along his arm like a poisonous snake, ready to strike. Hades' expression briefly contorted into disgust before he regained his composure and tucked the hair back into its rightful place. Clotho couldn't contain her giggles, resembling an infatuated teenager, prompting Lachesis to nudge her in the side, causing their shared eye to pop out and roll towards Hades. He swiftly retrieved it, plucking a hair from it before gently taking hold of Lachesis' hand and placing the eyeball on her palm.

"Ladies, please", he purred with a seductive voice, "my fate is in your lovely hands."

Lachesis and Clotho looked at each other, sighs of awe leaving their lips.

"Alright", Atropos grumbled, taking hold of the eye and letting it hover among the other Fates before transforming it into a radiant dark blue sphere.

"In 18 nights precisely, the hearts will align ever so nicely. The time to act will be at hand, free your aching heart, bodies to bend."

"Mmm-hmm. Good, good", Hades chuckled, a blush creeping up his cheeks as he attempted to push sudden thoughts of your naked form out of his mind.

"The once lonely receives all and her heart be yours to call!"

His heart skipped a beat. After eons of torment from his lonely, aching heart, trapped in the desolation of the demanding underworld, he caught a glimpse of a flickering light—a small flame ignited by a glimmer of hope deep within him.

"But a word of caution to this tale", the Fates' tone darkened.

And there it was, the usual punch in the face, the cruel reality swirling around him, teasing him with the notion that all the beauty and happiness in the world was meant for every god except himself.

"Excuse me?", Hades spoke, his voice cracking with sorrow.

"Should Zeus deny, love will fail.", the Fates cackled before disappearing.

The Lord of the Underworld screamed, his furious roar echoing through the realms of darkness like a wave of scorching flames from the depths of hell, threatening to consume and obliterate everything in its path. His fists pounded against the table in the chamber before he hurled it against the wall, the stone shattering into countless fragments as the sound of his frantic breath filled the room, while Panic and Pain slipped away silently, hoping to avoid being maimed.

You finished work, helping your boss cleaning up before you headed home. Daily life had become more bearable since that night with Hades. With a joyful tune on your lips, you happily skipped through the streets towards your humble abode. As you collapsed onto your bed, a gentle sigh escaped your mouth, your mind filled with thoughts of when it would be fitting to reach out to the god once again. You yearned for his presence and the ache you felt in your belly while laughing at his silly puns.

"Thinking about the Lord of the Gloomy and Grumpy?", someone chuckled.

You jumped up from your bed and turned towards the voice, its origin being the most beautiful woman you've ever laid eyes on.

"Are-are-are you?", you stammered as every muscle on your body tensed.

"Aphrodite, goddess of love and desperately needed in this household", she smiled warmly at you.

"Do you?", your hands waved around, unsure what or how to ask.

"Know about the blooming love between you and the Lord of the dead? Of course my dear and I dare say that I wasn't even involved in all this. He fell for you loooong ago on his own. Whoops!", the goddess threw her hands up and laughed, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "shouldn't have said that."

You blinked in disbelief at the goddess' statement. Could it be that Hades felt the same way? That you actually charmed a god? Capturing his immortal heart even before you met him? It felt surreal, your head was spinning at the speed of light, different thoughts pestering your mind while a thousand questions whirled around demanding answers and all while your heart seemed to beat so fast that it almost felt painful.

"Poor little mortal", with an air of amusement, she paced around you, her voice dripping with curiosity, "but I'm not surprised, Hades is one of kind, thankfully, I think everyone on Olympus would scream if there were more like him."

"What will happen now?", you hesitantly asked.

"You two are linked by fate, my sweet little mortal", the godess whispered in your ear, "but only the Fates can tell what fate was, will be or will become."

A surge of emotions swirled within you - excitement, anticipation and a tinge of fear. Your lips parted to pose more questions but Aphrodite had already vanished, leaving only a faint trace of her delicate fragrance behind. It felt as though you were running in circles, every new piece of information throwing you back to the exact same spot you had started from. Unable to find solace in this confusion, you resolved to seek answers from the only god you felt comfortable talking to, so, the next day after work, you made your way back to the shrine in the forest.

Unbeknownst to you, Hades had been expecting your arrival, his piercing eyes watching you from the underworld. He paced around in the throne room, cursing at Aphrodite's involvement. The revelations from the Fates had deeply unsettled him, he now also had the goddess of love meddling in his affairs, as if his situation wouldn't have been bad enough. He didn't know of what exactly and how he had to convince his brother to prevent a tragedy from happening, but he was determined to find a solution in due course. He possessed a certain resourcefulness and would not allow his brother to ruin his life any further. But that would be for another day, one absurdity at the time. For now, he had to devise a plan to counter any inquiries about his...what did mortals call them again? Ah, yes, feelings. He intended to conceal his emotions for as long as possible.

As he frantically sought a solution, his train of thought was interrupted by the faint whispers of your prayer. A defeated sigh escaped his lips, and he materialised beside you.

"You heard that sound? It was the sound of your little prayer fluttering all the way down into my realm and babe, you wished for it and baboom, here I am", he exclaimed, a smug grin hiding his nervousness, wiggling his eyebrows.

"So", you mumbled, avoiding his gaze while nervously shuffling your feet on the ground, "Aphrodite..."

"Yeeeeah I know I know", Hades said, rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes darted between you and the ground.

"Is it...?", the question lingered unspoken for a moment.

"True? I would guess so", he sighed.

"So what...uhm...now?"

"We dance, we kiss, we schmooze, we carry on, we go home happy. If you want to of course, unlike my dear brother, Mr. High and Mighty, I'd actually prefer if we were on the same page for those kinda things."

You chuckled at that, feeling your heart flutter at the prospect of a date with the Lord of the dead.

As you locked eyes with him, you noticed a flicker of vulnerability hidden behind his typically stoic expression - a mix of affection and apprehension. It occurred to you for the first time that even a god like Hades might be plagued by insecurities. After all, living under the weight of a notorious reputation for eternity, while the other gods lived their best life on Olympus, didn't leave much room for love. Perhaps he had even given up on it altogether, until you wiggled your way into his immortal existence. He grasped your hands, intertwining them and raising them towards his lips, where he planted a gentle kiss. The sensation elicited a soft sigh from you, his unnaturally warm lips against your skin sending a delightful, tingling feeling throughout your body. A blush crept up to your cheeks as your gaze remained fixated on his thumb, softly caressing your flesh.

"The full-time job my brother so charitably bestowed upon me is waiting. I'd really love to stay but I can't. I'll pick you up tomorrow night for a proper date. Be here at sunset."

With those words, he vanished, leaving behind a faint trace of smoke. A real date with a real god...tomorrow...you internally screamed of joy, trying to keep a stoic expression, just in case he'd be watching. You strolled back home, thoughts racing around what he could possibly come up with for tomorrow evening and what a mere mortal like you could wear to impress the Lord of the dead.

Chapter 3

[firelordsfirelady]

XXII. Trail of Smoke

Author: @firelordsfirelady

Imagine: When Y/N—a princess of one of the Water Tribes—is told she’s leaving her tribe, she never expects that she’s to be betrothed to the Fire Lord’s son, nor was she prepared to be exiled the very day she arrived at the Fire Nation. With her life in the hands of her new fiancée, how will life change for the princess? 

Pairing: Zuko x F!Reader

Trigger warnings: arranged marriage, feelings of fear, banishment, mentions of burns/abuse, frustration, violence, betrayal, language, drowning

Word Count: 1675

Destined to be Yin and Yang 

I own no rights to Avatar the Last Airbender or any of the characters/story.  

Author’s Notes

The characters as all aged up so Zuko’s banishment happens when he’s 16 

Keep in mind I am bringing a unique world with inspiration from ATLA in their characters, some of the events that happen, bending, etc. Not many things may align or occur with what happened in the show. It’s intended that way, so I hope you enjoy it regardless.

See Y/N’s inspiration here. 

Destined to be Yin and Yang Soundtrack (YouTube)

Hours later we are full-steam ahead as I stand on the upper deck next to Zuko and Iroh as Zuko points a telescope to the sky. Iroh looked at Zuko with angry eyes, and I quietly stood off to the side as the tension grew between the two Firebenders.

“Sailing into Fire Nation Waters?” Iroh asked as he stood a little ways behind the younger Firebender that was looking through the telescope. The older man was obviously furious as he clenched his fists as he spoke his next words. “Of all the foolish things you’ve done in your nineteen years, this is the most foolish.”

“I have no choice, Uncle.” Zuko said as he slightly adjusted the telescope as he peered into the thick mass of clouds ahead of us. “We are chasing the Avatar.”

“Have you completely forgotten that you are banished by the Fire Lord?” Iroh’s words began calmly, but he almost growled as he finished his question. His voice was full of sadness as he asked his next question, “What if you are caught?”

My heart seized in my chest as the gravity of the older firebender’s words registered in my brain. I looked at the side profile of the prince--his constant reminder of the banishment drew my attention.

“I’m chasing the Avatar.” I felt my lips slip into a frown as Zuko spoke then looked back at his concerned uncle. “My father will understand.”

Are you sure about that? I remembered the story of how Zuko got the scar on his left eye, and why he is ceaseless in his mission to capture the Avatar. If a man was willing to do that to his son, then who knows what he would do if he captured him now?

“You’re giving him too much credit, Nephew.” Iroh’s arms were crossed across his chest as he scoffed at the Prince’s words. “The man I know to be my brother is not the understanding type.”

My heart broke slightly for the Prince as he said nothing and turned his attention back to the telescope. He made a slight adjustment to the telescope before his face squinted to focus on something in the telescope.

“There,” Zuko said as he pointed towards the sky. The hair in Zuko’s ponytail whipped violently in the wind as he turned to yell, “Helmsman, full steam ahead!”

I looked up to the sky and found the underbelly of a sky bison quickly coming into view as the ship’s speed quickly increased. My heart raced in my chest as I heard the shifting of the lower deck and a giant catapult lifted up from below deck. I glanced over the edge in slight shock at the technology of the Fire Nation, and my heart clenched in my chest. My eyebrows knit themselves together as I realized Zuko and Iroh had left to join the soldiers down below on the deck.

An awful smell wafted up from the catapult below, and I had to plug my nose to avoid the sickening smell. Zuko threw a fire blast at the giant ball of stone, and the sulfuric smelling substance caught fire.

“On my mark,” Zuko yelled. “Fire!” With a swipe of a sword, the giant flaming rock sphere was launched into the sky on a collision course with the flying animal. I watched as the giant animal easily evaded the flying ball of fire before I had my attention drawn to the wall of moving Fire Nation warships, and I felt the color drain from my face as I realized we were heading towards a blockade. I quickly rushed down the stairs to join Zuko and Iroh on the main deck as we rapidly closed the distance between our ship and the blockade. I joined them on deck as they moved up to watch what the Avatar did in response to the blockade. I quickly threw my hair up into a bun as I joined them to watch the sky bison quickly head towards the blockade, and I felt my heart drop to my stomach.

“He’s not turning around, so neither are we.”

“Please, Zuko,” There was worry evident in Iroh’s words as he drew the attention of the banished prince. “If they capture you, I cannot do anything. Do not follow the Avatar.” Iroh’s words were a plead at the younger Firebender. I could see the determined look in Zuko’s eyes and I felt my heart seize in my chest as I knew what was about to leave the Prince’s lips. I gently lifted my eyes to the sky and asked for the spirits to guide us as Zuko apologizes to his uncle and ordered the helmsman to run the blockade.

I felt a sinking feeling overwhelm me as I looked out toward the blockade and a line of flames erupted from the ships’ decks. My worried eyes looked over at Iroh, whose eyes reflected mine, but we turned our attention ahead of us. The organ in my chest picked up its pace as a wall of fires spheres flew into the sky at the flying creature and began to rain down in the water around us.

My eyes widened as I felt hands pulling me as I watched a large wave crash over the railing of the ship before it came rushing towards me. I suddenly found myself struggling to breath in cold dark waters as a forceful pressure kept my head under the water. Bright bursts of light lit up the dark water slightly as my limbs splashed about in the water. The need to take a breath overtook the forceful hold on the air in my lungs as I took a deep breath of the liquid around me.

Shaking of the ground underneath me and the pressure of the body covering me brought be back to reality as I heard one of the crew members yell, “Prince Zuko, the engines are damaged!” The pressure of the body covering me left before the same voice continued to yell in my direction. “We need to stop and make repairs!”

“Do not stop this ship.” Zuko growled out from beside me, and I turned to find him standing slightly to the side of me as he focused on the blockade ahead of us as another round of flaming spheres fired into the clouds above us.

I felt my heart clench as a small figure began to freefall towards the sea below as the giant flying bison made a beeline to catch whoever was falling. I felt my hand reach out to clench Zuko’s forearm as I watched as the bison skipped on the surface of the ocean as the figure safely landed in the saddle ontop of the bison. The blockade was relentless as they let another round of fireballs at the creature flying above the water. My eyes widen in surprise as one of the fireballs on a collision course with the bison erupted into a ring of debri around the creature before the creature flew past the blockade and into Fire Nation waters. I tightened my grip on Zuko’s arm as we continued our speed towards the blockade as well. The two ships we rapidly approached were rapidly approaching each other from opposite directions. Smoke trailed in the sky behind our ship as Zuko ordered us full speed ahead despite the impending collision looming in front of us.

Both of the Fire Nation ships in the blockade stopped as our ship passed through. Zuko and I looked up to find Commander Zhao looking at us. I stared back at the Commander audaciously as he narrowed his eyes when he met my gaze. None of the ships made a move to follow us as we continued on our course after the Avatar, and I looked towards the man whose arm I still slightly gripped as he stared at the fading blockade.

We were in Fire Nation territory now, so why didn’t Zhao arrest Zuko? A cold shiver ran through my body as a worse thought ran through my head as I let the Firebender go. 

The sun was almost setting a few hours later as I leaned against the steel railing of the upper deck as I watched the dark trail of smoke in the air behind the boat as we cruised in the waters towards the Fire Temple. My stomach twisted as the Prince next to me tightened his grip on the railing.

“Why didn’t Commander Zhao arrest me?” Zuko angrily asks as he looks out to the vast sea ahead of us. I gently placed my hand over Zuko’s that tightly gripped the rail next to me.

“He wants to follow you.” I softly spoke as I watched the trail of smoke growing behind us. “How good would the commander look if he brought the Fire Lord both the Avatar and his son?” My words were bitter as I lightly squeezed Zuko’s hand before crossing my arms across my chest.

“If Zhao wants to follow our trail, then that’s exactly what we’ll let him do.” I watched as Zuko stalked away from the railing of the ship with clenched fists. Iroh and I shared looks of concern as we both followed behind the prince.

The ship changed course a few minutes later as I changed into a Fire Nation dress. Zuko found me shortly later to inform me that he had a grand idea to hide the ship and the crew at a small earth village nearby and use a fisher boat as cover while the crew repairs the engines.

Hours later, we passed by Avatar Roku’s temple as lava burned what little remained of the building. My heart felt heavy as Zuko let out a heavy sigh before he ordered the ship to turn around and head back to the Fire Nation ship. I placed my hand on his shoulder as he faced away from me.

“We will get him, Zuko.” I whispered as I gently squeezed his shoulder then lightly kissed his cheek before I walked away.

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