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voidiots · 4 years

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(Tarot: Celtic Cross) A pale Xaela wearing a pale face scarf wanders up, cards stashed at her side, her hands raised to sign; it appears this Xaela did not talk. “Hello, Una’to. We have not met before, but...well...” A soft laugh followed by a bow. “I’m Shieda, pointed to your path by the thespian and the shadowdancer. To you, I extend a question, for my path is unclear: what should I do next, for too many storms have crashed to simply just be bad luck. And in return, I offer my own cards.”

It takes a long moment for Una’to to parse what Shieda is conveying to him, he’s never been particularly apt at reading sign. Never mind using it himself when his way of words is that of circles spoken aloud. A curious hum leaves him as he ponders how many people Frey has told about him in some capacity. “Seems I’ve a reputation should you have heard of me from both parties in some capacity. And what luck to find me when I’m due to leave this city soon. Perhaps less luck and other factors. I’ll gladly read your cards in exchange for a reading from you and yours”. With that he unwraps his deck from it’s cloth, places the cloth before him, and starts to shuffle. Hiding some measure of minor discomfort with Shieda, something instinctual or subconsciously learned making him wary of her. No matter though.

Some moments later, that feel like they stretch on for an eternity, Una’to lays the ten cards out, their faces all skyward, and pours over them briefly. The eye under his hair flicking about as he reads. “First, the main issue that is at hand that plays into all the other cards. Rather than ill luck it seems that there are issues stemming from manipulation, moodiness, and trickery. While emotions in others are understood by this character they are being used to cause strife or the control upon them is slipping away allowing for conflicts that throw you off course to arise, even if unknown to you. The waters in the rulers cup are dark, and their depth unknown. An ocean of emotions as a microcosm,” he starts, tapping the vertically aligned card of the cross in the center of the spread, buried under another laying horizontally.

He then moves to tap the card resting over the heart. “This is the challenge you are facing specifically that don’t allow for a resolution at present. Until this is resolved you will not see the heart of the issue as being passed. In this place is fulfillment, harmony, and completion. The perfect end of a cycle that marks a great change in the direction of your roads. Life changing in it’s path. The inner and outer realms will need to attain harmony, bringing you understanding. Something must be completed here, that is joyous and celebrated. Perhaps in a simpler reading the emotions that are being used to sew discontent would be to blame, as holding on to them would slow your progress to this resolution. Emotions are fickle and hard to control though. Either way, something is meant to be brought to it’s happy end, and it very well may lie within you”. The words leave him in a near sigh with a wistful smile.

With care, he moves to the card below the center cross, and closest to him, tapping it’s face. “Your unconscious. How you feel about the that which causes you so much issue. The hidden emotions. Perhaps the ones hidden in that cup that allow for conflict to breed. In this place is a card with the meanings of action, adventure, and fearlessness. The archetype here is one of action that manifests an idea in passionate pursuit of a vision you carry. This focus makes you single minded and thus brash and impulsive, overall unrealistic. There is a need here to stop for a moment, reign the passion in and think clearly on what may arise from your actions and is actually doable”.

Without waiting he taps the next card, up to his left diagonally. “The past then comes in to play. What you are carrying with you from it that have created the current turbulent situation you are in at present. There is victory, success, and public reward from your past that seems to impact the present. A passionate battle that was tough, but met with a well deserved celebration of your victory. It brought you recognition. Which can of course cause issues. Others may know of you by this deed and thus it attracts trouble to you, making your emotions overflow with dark waters and stealing balance from you. On the other hand perhaps you expect the current situations to be much more like those of the past that you overcame. You overcame hard times before, and now should be no different, but maybe it’s not and their is frustration in not meeting your expectations set by the past and it’s accolades,” he says with a small shrug. He only has intuition to go off of with Shieda after all. No clues to tie the messy threads of fate together in a neat story.

He moves once more tapping the top most card of the circle. “This is your conscious, a partner to the heart of the issue with the card drawn here. This place is how you see the situation. Your convictions and thoughts on it bleeding over into what your beliefs in this reading. In this place is compassion, calm, and comfort. There is a nurturing nature that grows from compassion, allowing you to understand the emotions of others. Perhaps it’s that understanding that allows the problem to continue should you also be prone to moments of cruelty and manipulation as our first card implies. Though this card says that you are usually prone to generosity and kindness. It may not always be wanted by the receiving party however. Otherwise these are the things you expect from this reading rather than how you see the situation. I can’t say as you have far more pieces than I and I am but a hapless messenger of the roads”. A wistful smile graces his features for just a moment before shifting back to his normal sly and curious mask.

Tapping the last card of the circle he hums out curiously. “In stark contrast the future shoots down the conscious. These are the influences to come that will change how you see the situation, and developing concerns you are having. This card, like what you must overcome is of a road changing importance. Another way marker at a fork or perilous bend. Judgement is lacking here. Self-awareness no where to be found, rising doubt, and self-loathing found. Upon self reflection you may find you don’t see the whole of the picture, or the issues at present that seem more than bad luck stemming from those dark waters in the cup rising. In their reflection, you, but something you dislike. But not reality as the waters are warped, making you far too harsh on yourself. Remember your worth, who you really are, and perhaps you can avoid this future as things stand. Given your conscious at present, I think it safe to say something rather unpleasant is on the way to make you think this but remember, the reflection in the dark waters lie like pretty silver tongues akin to knives that cut you,” he says cryptically, if not dramatically, that smile still plastered on his features.

“We are now down to the more personal final four of this reading”. He taps the closest card to him that makes up the row on the side. “This is you, to put it simply. How you are approaching the heart of the problem. How your beliefs and fears are impacting the outcome approaching from the horizon. Your methods are complex, and seem to be founded in the belief of being perceptive and clear minded. Wit as sharp as a sword. However, this approach can be more cold-hearted than it is compassionate. Despite your unconcious being passionate and head strong it seems you think yourself organized and analytical. Think hard on this I think, as there constant messages in the greater reading that conflict with one another regarding you. Look inside for the conflicts of self”. The reading is starting to feel easier, more like performing as a mouth piece for the roads than anything else. He mentally shrugs it off as being out of practice with larger readings.

“Next is the environment you have to operate within as you navigate this problem,” he starts, moving up the row with his revealed eye. “You need to work around emotional baggage, either that which is your own or from others, I can’t say. In these bags are unresolved issues and resisting transition or changes that are truly necessary for things to be resolved. The bags are in the way of moving forward from something truly damaging, what or who these bags are I know not. There is no kindness in the place you are leaving, the past environment perhaps or the issue you are trying to move from, but you are finding it difficult to part ways with them yet. A tough situation indeed, there’s work to be done to reach your exit so you don’t drown,” he hums out with a small pout, finally breaking that smile. His face goes neutral as he moves to the second to last card.

“Your hopes and fears. What you expect to come from your situation. In some cases the hopes or fears you have most regarding this reading. Work life imbalance and smothering are represented here. The former creates friction between what work demands of you and the needs you have outside of it. Rather than work in a literal sense, I think it may mean the work you may need to put in for a resolution that’s agreeable to you. So much so that this work is never met in a way that completes it as you have to also focus on your needs outside the problem. Neither receive the attention they need in turn. Thus the card implores you to look and re-balance things so you do not drown”. He stretches slightly then. The reading is almost over but he can feel his muscles starting to lock up from pouring over the cards so intently, picking out every meaning he can see to throw to Shieda.

Finally, he picks up the last card, showing it to her. A single skull cup full and overflowing with flowers. “The outcome. Where this road ends after all pieces of this map I have given you come into play. The card here is one of new love, not of a person strictly speaking of course. Overflowing feelings, as has been the focus of this reading in many aspects, and the rise of creativity. It is a new beginning should you escape that which drags you down, those bags blocking your way and the emotions that do you no good give birth to new ones. Emotional fulfillment comes with this new perspective born of love and creativity. There is joy to be found in sharing these emotions, and receiving them in return”.

With that he collapses the spread on itself, returning all the cards back into his deck with an unreadable smile. “There’s quite a lot that was said, but I feel like the thread of your map tied off rather nicely with a complete story to follow. The map is of course yours to do with as you please now, so you may change the story to come however you see fit. Rather apt there was so much water when you called what has passed storms. Humor me if you will, did that help you at all?”

Thank you for the ask @woaowcat! I generally avoided describing all the cards since I knew this would end up much longer if I did, but I got a picture of the spread if you would like me to send it your way!

#woaowcat #thank you so much for the wait #once I'm not a space cadet I'll make a tag for these two interacting #my brain is mush

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toabyssandbeyond · 5 years

Text

Getting into witchcraft&witchery journal day #14:

personal notes but feel free to read

Tarot reading about my deities&descriptions of them afterwards:

So since last time I shared my thoughts here, I started my Grimoire and have built 3 altars for the three deities I worship... but seeing as our connection have changed drastically over the years I wanted to get to know them better. I decided to make a tarot spread (1st image), only that instead of asking randomly, I decided to ask each at their own turn.

note: if you’ve read my last entry about the deities I worship you’ll know that they aren’t known by others and are pretty much private, although they have parallels in other religions.

First was the deity I call Lady Fate. This is one I believed in since pre-school as this was my interpretation of god... An entity that pre-decides people’s destinies or at least the major milestones.

1. The entity: King of Swords

The King of Swords is a symbol of intellectual power and authority, and has the courage and intellect to accomplish all that he desires. He represents judgement, command, and rulership. His character indicates the stern leadership of a judge, lawyer, or military commander whose emotions must be kept in check under the pressure of battle.

(which you could or could not say fits a deity of fate/destiny...)

2. Their history: Page of Wands

The Page of Wands is similar to the Fool in that he is a free spirit who represents change and new beginnings. He has a true passion for life, despite his understanding of this world is not yet fully developed. He has not yet been weighed down by the burdens of the material world, coming and going as he pleases, and usually encouraging change wherever he goes. He is like the catalyst that inspires changes that might be impossible in any other situation.

3. Past Influences & experiences: Eight of Pentacles

The Eight of Pentacles is a card of apprenticeship and mastery. When this card appears in a Tarot reading, you are working hard to improve your skills and become a master at what you do. You may have recently changed your work, education or financial circumstances, and now you are applying your sheer determination and concentration to master the new skill that you are learning.

4. Personality, attitude & opinions: King of Swords (I mean... yeah it’s the same as the 1st question XD)

5. Their current status: Six of Wands

The Six of Wands is all about success, victory and public recognition. Not only have you succeeded in achieving your goals, you are now being publicly acknowledged for your efforts and your results.

6. Their health overall: Ten of Swords

The Ten of Swords usually symbolises a sudden and unexpected failure or disaster, whereby a power beyond your control crushes you without warning or mercy.

7. Their mental health: Death XIII

After a period of pause and reflection with the Hanged Man, the Death card symbolises the end of a major phase or aspect of your life that you realise is no longer serving you, opening up the possibility of something far more valuable and essential. You must close one door to open another.

8. What they like to do & have done for them: Page of Swords

This card shows you as a young and idealistic person, with lots of plans and ideas for the future. At this moment, you feel as though you could do almost anything. As a Page, you are just beginning to make your way in life, and it is important that you align with others who will not overwhelm you or stifle your direction and ideas. Instead, seek to align yourself with people who will nurture your ideas and will help you to manifest them in an organised manner. Choose a relationship that feels natural, with someone who will learn and grow along with you and give you a chance to develop your own personality and expression. You have an intelligent and sensitive nature, and you may suffer a lot if there is no outlet for your ideas and feelings.

(aw come on you’ll make me cry...)

9. Physical manifestation: Six of Cups

In the Six of Cups, a young boy leans down and passes a cup filled with flowers to a younger girl. The girl looks up to the boy with love and respect as he offers the flowers to her. Love, harmony and co-operation – all key elements of the Six of Cups – shine through this gentle act. The young children also represent childhood memories

The Six of Cups invites you to get in touch with your inner child and experience the fun, freedom and innocence that comes with being a young child again.

10. What to know: Ten of Pentacles

When the Ten of Pentacles appears in a Tarot reading, you are surrounded by wealth and are blessed with financial abundance. There is no ‘wanting’ any more – you have everything you need, especially within the material realm. You feel financially secure and trust that, as a result of your personal successes and accomplishments, you will always have what you need and desire. You express deep gratitude for fulfilling your material goals and dreams.

11. What to avoid: Ace of Swords

When the Ace of Swords appears in a Tarot reading, it is an excellent time to start a new project that needs your intellect, communication skills and mental power. You may be inspired to take a writing class, practice your public speaking skills, or get involved in activities that require more brain power than usual.

(so... I should avoid starting new projects?...)

12. Positive influences, friends or experiences: Six of Wands (yeah I guess this is the same question as no.5)

13. Negative influences, enemies or experiences: Three of Cups

The Three of Cups often indicates a very sociable period – perhaps a birthday, a wedding, the holiday season or a vacation with friends. See it as your opportunity to let your hair down and forget about your day-to-day commitments and obligations for a while. Instead, spend quality time with friends and family and enjoy yourself!

(so... bad influences in social situations? Or made enemies in social situations?... Not too sure...)

14. Conscious desires & thoughts: Ten of Cups

The Ten of Cups embodies happiness, joy, and emotional contentment, particularly in your relationships and family. You have created an abundance of love and happiness in your life, and you now share this love with others, expanding your heart even more.

15. Unconscious desires & thoughts: The Empress III

The Empress signifies abundance. You are surrounded by life’s pleasures and luxuries and have everything you need to live a comfortable lifestyle. You are in a period of growth, in which all you have dreamed of is now coming to fruition.

16. Hopes: Queen of Cups

The Queen of Cups is nurturing, caring, compassionate and sensitive. When you see her in a Tarot reading, you are embodying her ‘nurturing mother’ energy. You support others by listening with your heart, being compassionate, and caring for them deeply. You are empathic and can sense the needs of others by tuning in to your intuition, and you hold the space for others to express their emotions and be the truest, most authentic versions of themselves.

17. Fears: The Sun XIX

In the foreground, a young, naked child is sitting on top of a calm white horse. The child represents the joy of being connected with your inner spirit, and his nakedness is a sign he has nothing to hide and has all the innocence and purity of childhood. The white horse is also a sign of purity and strength.

(”The child represents the joy of being connected with your inner spirit“... I really hope it doesn’t mean what I think it means...)

So, exactly as I’ve always imagined her, Lady Fate is generally a young deity who’ve worked hard to be at the status she is right now. She wants me to know that I’m not lacking anything and should take control of my life and surround myself by like-minded people... Her health and mental health have taken a hit, and all she wants and hopes for is to be in a place of joy and emotional contentment as well as to be feminine, and to be a nurturing mother... Her physical manifestation seems to be a child. Now I hope that this is not how it looks, but she seems to dislike me connecting with my “inner spirit”... more on that later.

(side note- my heart was pounding extremely hard the entire time I was doing this reading and once I finished it calmed down and now I’m freezing...)

Next is going to be a deity I call Luck. I guess the equivalent in other religions would be Karma, or even “Balance”. (You’ll notice that I frequently refer to Luck as “it” or “them”... somehow their gender was never established...)

1. The entity: King of Wands

The King of Wands represents pure fire energy. Unlike the other Wands court cards, he is not so interesting in actual creation and creativity, or in dreaming up ideas and implementing them himself. Instead, he is more inclined to take an idea and change the world to match his vision. As such he is a natural-born leader of all kinds of people, and he is very visionary.

(That’s... actually extremely fitting, especially when you remember how many people believe in karma... Also another part stated that it loves challenges and adrenaline which from my experience is 100% right...)

(note: fire energy)

2. Their history: Three of Swords

When the Three of Swords appears in a Tarot reading, it is sign that you are feeling deeply hurt and disappointed. Your heart has been pierced with these three swords, through others’ hurtful words, actions and intention, and they have inflicted intense emotions of pain, sadness, grief, and heartbreak. These events feel even more painful because they are often unexpected and come out of the blue.

3. Past Influences & experiences: King of Cups

The King of Cups embodies the perfect balance between the executive and the heart. Not only are you able to assess and manage a situation logically, but you can also draw upon your intuition and understanding of human interactions. As a leader, you care as much about achieving your goals and objectives as you do about making sure everyone is happy and engaged along the way.

(So balance between logic and feelings as well... hm okay.)

4. Personality, attitude & opinions: Death XIII

The Death card has elements of a sudden and unexpected change. Death happens to everyone, no matter who you are, how much money you have, where you live, or what colour your skin is; it is the same with a significant change. So, the Death card can be a sign you may feel as though you are caught in the path of sweeping change and cannot escape its effects.

(an unexpected deity that acts suddenly and without a warning, it doesn’t who or what you are, it’ll find you. That’s luck/karma for ya)

5. Their current status: The High Priestess II

The High Priestess signifies spiritual enlightenment, inner illumination, divine knowledge and wisdom. She shows up in your Tarot readings when the veil between you and the underworld is thin, and you have the opportunity to access the knowledge deep within your soul. Now is the time to be still so you can tune in to your intuition.

6. Their health overall: The Tower XVI

Just when you think you’re safe and comfortable, a Tower moment hits and throws you for a loop. A lightning bolt of clarity and insight cuts through the lies and illusions you have been telling yourself, and now the truth comes to light. Your world may come crashing down before you, in ways you could never have imagined as you realise that you have been building your life on unstable foundations – false assumptions, mistruths, illusions, blatant lies, and so on.

7. Their mental health: The Star XVII

The Star brings renewed hope and faith, and a sense that you are truly blessed by the Universe. You are entering a peaceful, loving phase in your life, filled with calm energy, mental stability and more in-depth understanding of both yourself and others around you. This is a time of significant personal growth and development as you are now ready to receive the many blessings of the Universe.

8. What they like to do & have done for them: The Star XVII

(... likes others doing what they have been doing? Have hope and faith.)

9. Physical manifestation: Four of Cups

Sometimes this card brings the message, ‘Not now, but maybe later.’ While the man in the Four of Cups doesn’t accept the cups offered to him, he doesn’t wholly reject them either. You may be waiting for a sign or further information before taking an invitation or new project. Check in emotionally and spiritually before you say ‘yes’, to make sure the opportunity is a good fit and that you can commit to it in the long-term.

10. What to know: The Chariot VII

Now isn’t the time to be passive in the hope that things will work out in your favour. Take focused action and stick to the course, no matter what challenges may come your way – because, believe me, there will be challenges. You may be pulled in opposite directions and find your strength and conviction tested. Others may try to block you, distract you, or drag down the pursuit of your goal.

11. What to avoid: The Devil XV

The Devil card often appears when you have been tricked into thinking you have no control over your shadow self or these negative forces, and that you can never break free from their hold.

12. Positive influences, friends or experiences: Four of Wands

With the Four of Wands, it is the perfect time to get together with your family and friends and to celebrate all the wonderful times that you have had together. Often, this card reflects the holiday period where you get together with the extended family and join in a celebration. Alternatively, it may be as simple as inviting your closest friends over for an intimate dinner and a few glasses of nice wine.

13. Negative influences, enemies or experiences: Page of Wands

(... this is the same that I got for Fate’s history... Do they have a bad history with each other?)

14. Conscious desires & thoughts: Nine of Wands

The Nine of Wands is like the one last test or challenge before you can reach ultimate success. You feel as if you have come to the end of your fighting powers but you have the skill and determination in reserve. You are in a position of strength and by drawing upon all of your courage and abilities, you will prevail. Once the last obstacle is overcome, you are home free.

15. Unconscious desires & thoughts: Ten of Swords

The Ten of Swords usually symbolises a sudden and unexpected failure or disaster, whereby a power beyond your control crushes you without warning or mercy.

(same as Fate’s current overall health... did they want that to happen?)

16. Hopes: Two of Swords

The Two of Swords indicates that you are facing a challenging decision but you are unclear about which option to take. Both options may seem equally as good – or as bad – as each other, and you are stumped about which option will lead you to the best outcomes.

17. Fears: Six of Swords

The Six of Swords invites you to let go of whatever it is that is holding you back, be it from your past or your present circumstances. Instead look to your future and choose the best option that is most in alignment with your Highest Good and long-term potential.

So... this was interesting. Luck is a leader, knowledgeable, who likes challenges. It has been deeply disappointed/hurt but is now learning to have hope and trust in the future, and it wants others to do the same and take action. It seems to have a bad past with Fate and could even be involved in the reason of her current health. They appear as a man who’s given an opportunity (it’s also what they hope for) but doesn’t take it yet, as their fears are of moving forwards and letting go of what is holding them back.

(note- been cold the entire time of doing this reading, finished and now it’s super hot in here...??)

Next and last deity is my guardian angel, he’s been the easiest to communicate with since he appeared (when I was 15) but it doesn’t look like he wants me to communicate with other deities... And that’s why I want to do this reading, maybe he’ll explain me what is going on this way... (I’m keeping his name off tumblr intentionally)

1. The entity: Page of Cups

As each Page asks you to explore a new facet of yourself, the Page of Cups is asking you to explore your creative, emotional self. You may start a new art class, read books about how to express your feelings, or learn more about developing your psychic abilities. Dreamy aspirations race through your mind, and you may find yourself moved by simple things. Don’t be afraid to let your feelings show and wear your heart on your sleeve.

(well, out of the three he is the one I generally consider as a part of my being. That and also I’ve became a lot more creative and my psychic abilities developed a lot since he appeared...)

2. Their history: Queen of Cups

The Queen of Cups says you are highly intuitive, creative, and in flow with the surrounding energies. In your interactions with others, you can easily read other people to get a sense of how to communicate effectively, enabling you both to feel heard and understood. Others may come to you to confide their personal issues regarding relationships, emotions and feelings. They trust you and know that you always have the right solution. You can instantly tune in to what others are going through and can help them make sense of it. You may be a healer, counsellor or intuitive coach; or maybe just a good friend. You recognise the Divine in everyone you meet.

(also the card I got for what Fate hopes for...)

3. Past Influences & experiences: The Emperor IV

As the father figure of the Tarot deck, the Emperor suggests that you are adopting this fatherly role (regardless of whether you are male or female), providing for your family, and protecting and defending your loved ones. You may be the breadwinner or the ‘rock’ for those who rely on your stability and security.

4. Personality, attitude & opinions: Six of Cups

The Six of Cups invites you to get in touch with your inner child and experience the fun, freedom and innocence that comes with being a young child again.

(was also Fate’s physical manifestation hmmm...)

5. Their current status: Six of Swords

The Six of Swords indicates that you are in a state of transition, leaving behind what was familiar and comfortable and moving towards the unknown. You might be moving house, leaving a relationship, changing jobs, going through a rite of passage or feeling a mental shift of some kind. This change may be as a result of your doing, or forced upon you. You may feel sad and upset to leave behind what is so familiar to you, however you know that this move is essential for your growth and personal development.

(also what luck is afraid of)

6. Their health overall: Queen of Wands

The Queen of Wands is the dominant feminine energy of the element of Fire. She is highly energetic and leads a busy and active life. She radiates health and vitality and has an inner vibrancy that fills her with ongoing energy and inspiration. This Queen is a natural-born, intelligent leader who actively inspires others.

(note: Also fire element, like luck.)

7. Their mental health: The Hanged Man XII

When the Hanged Man appears in a Tarot reading, your projects and activities may be coming to an unexpected and abrupt halt. Don’t keep pushing forward, hoping that more force will drive you to where you want to go. Instead, surrender to the opportunity to pause and view it as your chance to reassess and re-evaluate where you are on your path.

8. What they like to do & have done for them: Nine of Wands

You may have experienced setbacks that now leave you feeling distrustful of others or even yourself. The turning point will come when you are able to leave the past behind you and to cultivate a more open mind about the future. While you have experienced losses in the past, it does not mean that you have to experience further losses in the future. Turn a new leaf and push on.

(Also Luck’s desire)

9. Physical manifestation: The Hermit IX

The Hermit stands alone on the top of a mountain. The snow-capped range symbolises his spiritual mastery, growth and accomplishment. He has chosen this path of self-discovery and, as a result, has reached a heightened state of awareness.

(more or less how I envision him as it is...)

10. What to know: Ten of Wands

The Tens in Tarot represent the completion of a cycle, and thus with the Ten of Wands, you have reached the end of a cycle after a period of struggle. You are finally reaping your rewards after investing a lot of hard work and effort. You have fulfilled a creative venture, realised a dream or accomplished a major goal, and now must deal with the consequences of that fulfilment.

This card can also mean that you are being oppressed by outside sources. You are over-worked, over-tired and over-stimulated. You have more on your plate than you can possibly handle and you have taken on too much at this point in time. In an effort to get to the finish line, you have found yourself overwhelmed with the extra responsibility and activity. You need to stop working so hard.

11. What to avoid: Justice XI

The Justice card represents justice, fairness, truth and the law. You are being called to account for your actions and will be judged accordingly. If you have acted in alignment with your Higher Self and for the greater good of others, you have nothing to worry about. However, if you haven’t, you will be called out and made to own up to your actions. If this has you shaking in your boots, know that the Justice card isn’t as black and white as you may think. A level of compassion and understanding accompany Justice, and although you may have done something you regret, this card suggests that you will be treated fairly and without bias. Be ready to take responsibility for your actions and stand accountable for the ensuing consequences.

12. Positive influences, friends or experiences: Six of Wands

The Six of Wands is such positive encouragement to believe in who you are and your accomplishments so far. Have faith in what you have personally achieved and how this will be received by others. Do not let fear or guilt stand in the way of your success. You ought to feel proud of what you have achieved and not afraid to hold your head up high and feel worthy of others’ attention.

13. Negative influences, enemies or experiences: Knight of Cups

When it comes to making decisions, the Knight of Cups is ruled by his emotions and his heart. When this card arrives in a Tarot reading, you are making decisions based on how you feel about a situation rather than what you think, even if others can’t make sense of what you are doing and why, and your intuition guides you in everything you do.

(which is interesting... because that’s the card I usually get as my representation...)

14. Conscious desires & thoughts: Six of Cups

(same as personality, attitude & opinions. Also Fate’s physical manifestation.)

15. Unconscious desires & thoughts: Seven of Cups

Often, the Seven of Cups can be a sign of wishful thinking and projecting into the future about what you would like to create, rather than taking action here in the present to make it happen.

16. Hopes: Temperance XIV

This card calls on you to remain calm, even when life feels stressful or frantic. Maintain an even temperament and manage your emotions. You have learned to keep composed in stressful situations.

17. Fears: Eight of Wands

This card is a sign to ‘strike while the iron is hot’. It is most definitely an action-oriented card that encourages you to move quickly to pursue the best opportunities available right now. There is no waiting around while the Eight of Wands is present so determine where your energy will be directed and get on with it!

Honestly? I feel like I already knew all of these. My guardian angel is one that wants peace, is very wishful in his thinking but doesn’t want to take action. He wants me to be creative and keep that childish hope alive but also there’s a possibility that knowing me is a bad experience for him(?). His origin seems to have something to do with Lady Fate, and it looks like originally they had the same desires/goals. His mental health seems to be “on halt” and I also noticed it lately, but his overall health is pretty good. He wants me/us to avoid justice, to not be put to curt... I can only imagine that it’s because I believe in “personal” deities, we’ve been worried for a while how other, stronger deities, would react to that... and now I know- he’s mentioned in both Fate’s and Luck’s fears- “connecting with my inner spirit” in Fate’s and mentioning his status in Luck’s.

My deities don’t get along. Great. -_-

Also my zodiac, palm, only crystal, and two deities are of fire energies...

Oh and I had to promise Luck that I’ll be productive tomorrow so that it’ll answer me... oh boy.

#tarot #journal #deity #witchblr

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unicorn-incorporated · 6 years

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On Gender in ABOs

It’s so interesting thinking about gender in ABO works.

Note: ABOs have a lot of variety. I’ve tried to make this pretty generic, but you may not agree with everything I have to say. That’s just how ABO is; sorry. This is basically just one universe of ABO

The formula you tend to see in ABO is a small fraction of the population is classified as Alpha or Omega and most people are just betas. At least 60% of the population are Betas in fics that I’ve read. So, I’ll talk about Betas first.

Betas.

If a beta shows up in an ABO it’s usually the Omega MC camouflaging as a NPC type character; a police officer, mother, clerk etc, so few explore what it means to be a Beta, so most of this is mine.

I imagine Betas, being the majority for a biological reason have drives unique to them, just like a Alpha’s urge to conquer and have kids, or an Omega’s drive to keep home, take care of kids, and protect their families. I imagine Betas having a draw to steady, salaryman style work. Any ambition they have to climb the corporate ladder comes from themselves, not their biology.

Beta’s biology does not press them to mate or exact major changes in the world around them, but to work and keep society stable. Personalities of Betas often vary greatly and therefor temperaments and wants of course, but in a world where there is so much biological, primal drive it only makes sense for Betas to have their own drives.

I see Omegas and Alphas having biological drive to seek out physical touch, companionship and cuddling, whereas Betas feel no need to touch each other (but still might find touch comforting. It depends.) I see Betas feeling anxiety when unemployed, even if said Betas is lazy and does not want to work. I see Alphas as biologically inclined to be managers and CEOs, but a Beta happy to work as a functionary or a badass engineer underneath an Alpha supervisor without much thought of climbing up.

Alphas and Omegas feel the need to procreate and have lots of children, because their children are usually unusually healthy. Betas may feel desires to have children and start families just like any other person. But while the typical Omega is siring their 5th child a Beta couple is sending their only one off to college. I see Betas as just as sexually adventurous as Alpha/Omega couples, even more so considering they’re not often locked into the power imbalance of those relationships.

They are the workers, the majority, the keepers of the world. They are much more important than Omegas and Alphas in a lot of ways, because they’re the ones that do everything. There’s got to be a reason there are so many of them compared to Alphas and Omegas.

Yet, there’s often a huge imbalance of Alphas in power, not just to Omegas but to especially to Betas when compared to the world’s actual populous. Alphas are often biologically natural leaders and more aggressive so they often end up in positions of authority. This means a minority of people may end up as a far majority in seats of government. What does this mean for most of the population who are not Alphas? How does being an Alpha effect their priorities?

Alphas

The ratio of Alpha to Omega (to Beta) is different in every story, but I find in apocalyptic worlds (that are fascinating all in their own, but not what I’m talking about.) the ratio is about equal. I’ve seem 60:20:20, 80:15:10 90:5:5, etc etc, and these ratios can change the world an incredible amount. In any case, Alphas are a minority, and are the gender on top of the food chain.

What are Alphas, other than the second most likely to be the protagonist of your ABO fic? Well, in most stories Alphas are characterized by their bigger frames, greater physical strength, aggression, and desire to mate and give their Omega lots of children. In many fics Alphas go through periodic ruts similar to an Omega’s heat, or have a chance if they get really into the sex to go into a rut state. My Alphas also are generally very territorial and possessive, and not just over their Omegas. Other variations will die without Omega partners, which I love, but will not include in the Alphas I am mostly talking about.

Alphas in works are portrayed as very primal, especially when it comes to sex. The smell of an Omega’s heat may make them lose control, they prowl instead of walk, and are generally the apex predator. A large part of the Alpha cultural identity is that they are aggressive badasses. Think an extreme version of our culture’s masculinity. Alphas are often portrayed as either masterminds or... Not so bright. It is generally seen as normal Alpha behavior to think with your dick... Or something else, depending on how you portray your female Alphas.

This doesn’t mean that all Alphas are or are expected to be super aggressive all the time. Alphas often have care taking instincts along with their regular taking instincts. In the ABO’s I write this is something that is shown in the closed door of a nest, however, and it would be weird to see an Alpha do these things outside of the mating. Alphas have the power in the world and generally can move mountains by looking at them, but they actually have the smallest amount of freedom to have the different personalities they inevitably have.

Alphas have biological drives that make up a lot more of their cultural visage than the Betas I mentioned earlier. As mentioned before, Alphas want to mate. They are virile and want to bear as many happy healthy little children as possible, as fast as possible. Alphas also feel the biological need to be at the top, whether it be of their high school clique or the government. They often don’t get on well with other Alphas because of this. If an Alpha does not feel the need to be dominant over others it is seen as being submissive, which is generally a humiliating and dangerous thing to be seen as if you are an Alpha.

Before I continue on to what Alpha’s uneven power dynamic with the entire world can mean, I’m going to talk about Alphas gender expectations and it’s parallels to toxic masculinity. Fun!

Many of the traits associated with ‘Alpha’, be it a male or female Alpha, are the exact same traits you’ll find labeled as ‘toxic’ forms of masculinity. In ABOs it is expected for an Alpha to own and mate their Omega and an Omega mate publicly disagreeing with an Alpha could be an awful humiliation for Alphas. The slightest sign of backing down is seen as a sign of submission to other Alphas, and Alphas who show ‘Omega’ traits (as there’s a lot more judgement by secondary gender here than male or female) could find themselves ganged up on by other Alphas either psychologically or physically. It’s really a fine line here, at least in the way I’ve read things; be nice to your Omega, that’s a good thing as long as it’s still your Omega, but make sure you’re strong and dominant or you’re not any good as an Alpha.” With the internet, a single mistake could ruin your life. So remember Alphas, be a strong, proud, sexual being, and don’t forget to be dominant!

Once an Alpha gets on top they generally will want to stay there. This explains why Alphas are so disproportionate in government and other leadership positions. So what does this mean for the rest of our fantasy world? Though I am not a master in political sciences or gender studies, I do have a few thoughts.

One; Alphas care for Alphas first and foremost, and Betas second. Alphas because of their bias as being an Alpha, Betas because they are the voter base. Two; There is often a fair amount of discourse and heated debate in congresses and parliament between Alphas, of which Betas are often left out of and Omegas are forced from if they try to speak within it. These debates usually are resolved between the present Alphas, however, and it does not necessarily end in calling of all partizans! Three; Alphas, because of their biological drive to mate (and be the dominant partner to Omegas) often screw Omegas over when it comes to things like ‘Human rights.’ Omegas often have to fight tooth and nail to get recognition for even small things. You’ll see countless fics where Omegas are forced to mate at a certain age, are not allowed to hold positions of power, or are even subjected to slavery and it’s all good and legal, nothing to see here ^-^’ Not all worlds are like this, and many set in modern day will have Omega rights start to reflect woman’s rights here in our non-fictional universe, but it’s probably time to talk about Omegas and how much it usually sucks to be one.

Omega

Yes, here we are! The gender most likely to be a protagonist. Beautiful boys who self lubricate and can bear children--It’s a dream! Alright; lets say you’re an Omega. Here’s what you have to look forward to!

(Tw for rape. )

So, you’re an Omega in World One. You wake up and realize it’s your 16th birthday and you will have to choose a mate today. You don’t really want to choose a mate; you’ve been hoping to avoid this. Luckily, you are the protagonist! You get away from the old ugly Alpha before he bites you, and go on an adventure, and meet another Omega!

Unfortunately, you are the only one who is the protagonist. Everyone else gets forced into an arranged marriage and probably raped if they’re not a fan of their chosen husband.

So, you’re an Omega in World Two. You live a pretty normal life, though being an Omega makes life considerably harder. You have to fend off Alpha advances constantly and most of your omega friends are not in healthy relationships. Luckily, you are the protagonist! You find the perfect Alpha and life is going great actually and this was a cute smutty romance story.

As you happily hold your stomach, your best friend cries alone in her bedroom, because her mate that’s meant to love and cherish her sees her as an object, and a useless one since she hasn’t even gotten pregnant, and that means she is terribly damaged in the eyes of society and he’s just going to try again and again until it catches.

So, you’re an Omega in World Three. You’ve managed to live as a Beta all your life, and you’ve been found out. An agency has taken you away where you will be forced to bear children. Luckily you are--Wait. Not even being the protagonist will save you from this one. Sorry! You’re screwed.

But really; what’s with all the rape and objectification of Omegas? I have read fics with all of those premises and enjoyed them, but god damn there is a lot of rape culture with Omegas. It makes sense considering biology and how these societies work, but holy fucking shit.

(End TW)

So lets say we remove the rape culture from the story. What now? Well, first off, lets talk about what an Omega actually is. Like we did for the other ones before going on dark tangents.

The Omega is the third gender of an ABO. They are super fertile, generally naturally submissive. More often than not a male will be portrayed as the Omega character shown, but it could just as well be a girl. Omegas usually have lots of issues being treated as equal members of society; there’s a lot of parallels to woman’s liberation I’m pretty sure but I haven’t done enough research on that to draw proper parallels.

There are biological reasons for why Omegas have less opportunities and rights. I’d argue that Omegas should not be in the military. Omegas might be just as capable as an Alpha to be combat effective, but in the end their heat is a ticking time bomb (especially if suppressants or unstable or even taken orally. It could be a major liability.) Other things like government or commerce however; Omegas are not impaired for that.

Omegas are obviously, from the perspective of the reader, people. However, it is common in fiction to see Omegas being seen as objects, things that can be possessed and owned.

I’ve seen Omegas and the injustices done towards them explored the most in actual ABOs, so I’m a little less inclined to talk in length about it here.

Anyways, these are just my opinions and only a small corner of ABO.

Depending on how much time I have I might do one on LGBT+ issues in Omegaverse worlds, but that just delves farther into head canon and this is long enough.

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yogaadvise · 4 years

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YogaHub Teacher Spotlight: Chris Flack

All people at YogaHub are really excited to reveal the brand-new YogaHub Instructor Limelights on our blog site. Every 3-4 weeks, we'll tell the story of one of our gorgeous trainers. Enjoy!

Chris Flack informs us regarding his yoga journey by breaking down his experience with reflection, as well as uses helpful meditation tips!

www.UnPlug.ie

I meditate 24×7. I, am a legend.

... I do not as well as, I'm not. When I started meditating I'm quite certain that was my goal.

On a yoga resort ten years ago we did a walking reflection as well as, I won. I 'd absorbed the environments, considered what I was mosting likely to have for supper and also what yoga exercise pose I could photograph to look awesome on my new Facebook account. I was the fastest to the midway point and also was pleased with myself. At that factor the trainer discreetly informed the group that the idea was to be your slowest self. Heading back I remained in last area the entire means. I remember believing to myself, " I am a tale".

Five years later, pressing myself as difficult as I might for success in the company globe I wound up burnt-out as well as was identified with depression.

Today I practice meditation two times daily. Am I worry totally free? No. Yet I have an extremely active life and also this is an essential component to maintain me solid. My emphasis is extra acute, my rest deeper, and also I do everything slower. That does not indicate I do not get points done, yet I observe initially then respond. An easy instance would be being reduced up on my bike when cycling to work (generally other bikers with earphones). Previously I might have right away screamed '**** off you ****** **** arsehole", whereas currently, I 'd stop as well as possibly silently mumble "arsehole" (nobody is perfect). The advantages, however, just really came when I began doing it frequently, and also yet among the obstacles to meditation for a lot of is locating time. this post will hopefully bring some light to how to remove such barriers.

Why is this relevant to you? Being stressed out is currently normal. The pace of contemporary life indicates the majority of us are conditioned to be on vehicle pilot and in a haze of ideas 24×7. It's as if we get on a continuous adrenaline drip as well as whilst that aids us endure challenges, being ' constantly on' is not sustainable. As mindfulness expert Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn explains: " We have Stone Age minds in a digital globe,".

If we assume of this continuous sound creating a practice of interruption, meditation is one option to bring us back to the here and now moment. Each time we do it we are exercising a mental workout to strengthen the routine of focus.

Meditation is usually marketed as bells and smells which does not interest everyone. Thankfully this is changing (although I personally enjoy the scents and bells!) and also right here's why:

1) The evolution of mindfulness means meditation is currently clinically proven.

Just to get the definitions out the method here's mine (some individuals might not agree with these however they're how I separate both):

Meditation is a formal method (there are many strategies which I'll go on to in my next message "I'm a meditation flirt"), to focus on today minute without reasoning ie. the image of the individual sitting with their eyes closed. Transcendental Meditation (emphasis on a specific concept in an official practice).

Mindfulness is an informal practice to focus on today minute with no judgement. ie. something we can do in whatever we do. Jon Kabat-Zinn took this mainstream when he established MBSR (Mindfulness Based Tension Reduction) taking this ancient word for recognition, constructing a clinical situation for huge well-being benefits and making it something any person can do by providing it in a secular way. For instance, mindful strolling (ie. practising a normal task however simply doing that point (single tasking), no listening to music or inspecting your snapstreak).

2) Science (neuroplasticity) has confirmed we can improve our brain physical fitness at any type of age.

And why is this important? Workout just truly removed when scientists started to show the advantages. The large difference there was that it gives more pleasure principle towards goals such as limited buns and a six pack.

Celebrity endorsement as well as glossy products like Headspace as well as Buddhify go some way to make it attractive but unlike physical health and wellness, you can disappoint off your mind health and wellness in a bikini so it will certainly be a slow-moving revolution

3) Being 'always on' produces a habit of interruption as well as mediation does the contrary. Most of us struggle in the present interest economic climate and also yet those diversions are only going to obtain stronger. I'm a little prejudice right here as I run UnPlug, a individuals advancement company that runs business programmes to assist individuals develop focus in a distracted world. Disconnect programmes provide behavior change as well as conscious practice is a tiny element of what we do yet a very essential part.

I am confident that (3) will imply meditation and mindfulness become mainstream as it will certainly not simply be a method to aid us with enhanced well-being however an exercise to make use of to maintain focus in an ever disruptive world.

So here are my meditation tips (note: I am not a professional. I'm somebody experienced fatigue, was identified with depression and also researched reflection as one of the approaches to preserve good brain wellness as well as it's functioned):

- Reflection is not a magic pill, it does not treat anxiety, turn you into a hippy or make Trump disappear. If you have a trouble you require to handle, reflection will, however, assistance as a coping device. As the ABC anchorman Dan Harris created it makes him " 10% Happier". For me, I see more concentrate on favorable and also much less on unfavorable in my life. Absolutely nothing remarkable yet gradually that shift is fundamental.

- Reflection is simple however difficult to practice. When starting arbitration, we wind up in a ferocious circle. We try to block out ideas and all of a sudden create anxiety that we can not practice meditation. If we really did not have thoughts it would be like doing bicep swirls without weights. Assume of it rather than not giving the thoughts your interest. When we sleep, we usually have a mind full of ideas and also the much less focus we offer to those thoughts the more unwinded we become. The difference is that we practice meditation with a straight spinal column (so our nerve system is energetic and, preferably (!) we don't fall asleep).

- With the ' constantly on' society this is becoming harder. Nonetheless, what we have to remember is that the very best things we have actually found out have actually come with practice.

- You possibly do not have time to practice meditation. When you practice meditation for some time you'll really have more time as your life will have even more focus. Also if it's simply 2 minutes a day, do it regularly as opposed to binging. Practice is hard yet fool your system by beginning small.

- Meditation can set you back nothing to countless bucks. However, it's worth considering this is your mind wellness. We invest thousands on our exterior appearance and rarely consider our brain health, commonly getting to for tablets when we are worried. One of the most typical anti anxiety medication on the market supplies males the beautiful side result of erectile dysfunction. If being dispirited wasn't bad enough.

- It is necessary to find what jobs for you. Behaviors just develop when we such as something. If tibetan bells or silent retreats make you wince take into consideration a non-traditional reflection such as colouring in books or calligraphy (the trick is to do something you take pleasure in and also single job). Or if your mind is really busy try a more energetic meditation such as strolling or dancing. It's everything about discovering an anchor for your thoughts that functions for you and your present circumstance. I made use of to contemplate the way to work when I resided in Delhi, my emphasis was on the material stream of noise. My mom reviews her prayers every early morning. She's simply doing that a person thing (there's no Sweet Crush in one hand whilst listening to Radio 2 as well as reviewing her prayers). Consider the words utilized. If you're ill of seeing ' Mindfulness' or ' Meditation' in your newsfeed after that take a leaf out of worldwide firm Mondelez's publication. Julia Freeman created a program that never uses those words, instead it utilizes the adhering to words as well as it's been a big success.

Meditation is one point you can do to boost your mind health/fitness. Sleep, nutrition, relationships as well as workout are equally as crucial as well as I'll discuss how I preserve total brain fitness in a future post.

Even if its' just 2 minutes. Do it daily. Change is a procedure not an occasion so try to make it a habit but see to it you start small.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this short article I would certainly value a share. 🙏

Chris is Chief Executive Officer and Creator of UnPlug. Reflection is just one of his individual passions. UnPlug aids people handle digital interruptions resulting in boosted focus. The UnPlug team includes psychologists, technology and neuroscience professionals. Conscious method is a little part of UnPlug's behavioural modification programmes.

#bikram yoga #hot yoga #meditating #meditation #meditation tips #pilates #yoga

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elizabethrobertajones · 7 years

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Just for my own curiosity as I’m sure there’s many more posts appearing while I google

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXlco5ig_ZQ/

That’s The High Priestess at the top, the Hanged Man to the left, the 3 of Pentacles to the right, the King of Cups sideways on top of the 10 of Pentacles, upside down, in the middle, and the Hermit at the bottom. All the cards except the middle ones are the right way up.

We can assume this is from 13x03 and probably being done by a real and probably friendly psychic, either Patience herself or Missouri, or a side character. It may not have a great deal of relevance to the main plot in context, unless someone's specifically asked for a reading.

I'm going to assume for now it's about Patience, but can have secondary metaphorical application to the main plot, as per everything.

This looks like the shape: http://www.simplytarot.com/tarot-spreads/celtic-cross-tarot/

Trustedtarot.com tells me the basic meanings:

1: Situation

The card in this position should draw the Reader to the heart of the matter, the central situation. It won’t reveal all the different aspects thereof but provides the focal point of the reading. A Reader should use this card as the basis for the rest of the reading and refer back when interpreting the cards around it.

Ten of Pentacles's Meaning Your financial security and emotional well-being are both positively indicated by the presence of this card in your spread. This is only partially your own doing, however, as these positive aspects are inextricably bound up in your close relationships with friends and family. It may also foretell an inheritance.

Patience has inherited Missouri's psychic powers. If these are just coming to her, then this seems to be the card to say what's going on with her.

2: Conflict

Here, the chosen card will show where conflict is generated in the situation referred to in the first card. In our experience, this card can help to clarify any uncertainty in the first card drawn. It appears that people are more easily able to recognise areas of conflict as opposed to the general situation at hand. So, if there has been difficulty interpreting the first card, try backtracking to see if the Subject is now able identify with its meaning.

King of Cups's Meaning The King of Cups is the worldly and calm projection of authority. Find him in your spread is most likely a reference to someone else who will aid you in achieving your goals. This person may seem unconcerned, even distant, but their motivations are pure. Whatever advice they give will be important to you and should be considered in your own deliberations. If it does refer to you, personally, it shows an inner strength and tightly disciplined control of emotions.

perhaps this explains how Missouri behaves towards Patience. We know she can be harsh and abrasive, as she talked very sharply to Dean. But she did help them and mean well the entire time. Her personality seems to be a part of the conflict then, especially if she and Patience haven't been in contact, I guess this would be difficult for her to connect to a grumpy Missouri. :P

3: Mind

Remember that the thoughts of any person are based on their interpretation of a situation rather than fact. It is prudent to investigate where the meaning of this card differs to cards in positions that show what is actually happening. These would be the Situation, Conflict and Now positions. This can give the Reader the ability to put the Subject’s mind at ease or, conversely, to advise them to think more carefully about the consequences of their actions.

For example if the 9 of Swords appeared in the Mind position, but other cards are positive, it is likely that the Subject is worrying too much about something that really isn’t as bad as it they fear it will be.

The High Priestess's Meaning Your identification with the High Priestess suggests you possess inherent good judgment, in the form of strong intuition. She may indicate that reason should take second place to instinct. Your head must trust in the wisdom of your heart for a change. Yet, she is also an aide by nature, and her presence in certain parts of your spread could be indicative of someone close to you coming to your rescue with their own intuition. Intuition is most effective at seeing what is hidden to the senses, so the High Priestess may also come as a warning of concealed facts or influences that are, or will be, important to you.

That sounds like a good cold open between Patience and Missouri, lol. I'd guess Patience's judgement and reading of the situation is going to be important, especially if she's in conflict with Missouri.

4: Driver

This position shows us how the Subject has arrived at the place they are. It shows what influences or events have motivated the Subject and, maybe, why the person is behaving the way they are.

This card is crucial to unlocking the reading and being able to understand what has motivated the Subject. For example, a bad or sad event may have led them onto a path of self destruction and just being able to help them understand and accept this could be the key to them moving on. Likewise, if it shows enthusiasm for an endeavour it can remind the Subject why they embarked on the pursuit in the first place, giving them fresh energy to carry on.

The Hermit's Meaning There are times in every life, when one must step back and make a careful examination of their situations and decisions. Finding the Hermit in your spread suggests this is just such a time for you. You are in need of a period of inner reflection, away from the current demands of your position. This retreat can be physical, or a search within. Only a deep and honest introspection will lead to a solution, however.

I'm now not totally sure if we should be applying this to Patience or Missouri, or perhaps this is explaining the conflict some more, even if Patience is the subject... I'm pretty sure spoilers were that they haven't been around each other much. Maybe someone is reading it FOR them or something :P Actually if Missouri hadn't been around to help Patience much, that makes sense as a absent parent relationship for Mary to her sons as a side thing. Withdrawing for introspection was where she went wrong in season 12 by removing herself from her sons and she didn't get to the deep and honest introspection before she was led onto the wrong path, and only just got a clue about the full picture in 12x22 from Dean. If Patience and Missouri are a family parallel, that could be quite interesting.

5: Past

This position will highlight people, situations or influences from the past that still have an affect on the Subject. For example, if the Subject was hurt significantly in their last relationship it is likely that they will fear getting hurt in the same way again and this may prevent them from entering into a new one. The card in this position may also be trying to show the Subject that they have learned a lesson in their past that will be of use to them now.

Three of Pentacles's Meaning If you can maintain a clear sense of purpose over the coming months, you are well positioned to see you hard work get the recognition it deserves. It is not guaranteed, but if you maintain your own pace, and it may tax your interpersonal skills, as you will need to rely and trust on others for the best outcome. That outcome will be worth your determination, however, not only providing material reward, but leading to a sense of lasting accomplishment.

Past The time you have spent mastering your abilities has been a smart investment. Your confidence has grown and if you continue to nurture this self-assurance, you will succeed.

This also seems like a great card to pull when you're about to join a spin off with a whole new cast of characters.

6: Future

Future events depicted by the Tarot are always subject to change by the Subject. If their thoughts, attitudes and behaviour changes as a result of the insight provided in the reading, future events will change accordingly. As it stands, this card will provide a snap shot of how this situation will develop in the near future if everything continues in the same vein, and those key things that will come to bear influence shortly. Readers would benefit from assessing the Past and Future together to see how the Subject has moved forward or not.

The Hanged Man's Meaning The Hanged Man can be interpreted in two very different ways. All change is a small kind of death, as the old must die to create the new, and it may simply indicate upheaval or change in your future, perhaps beyond your control, but more likely a decision that, for good or ill, you will not be able to turn back from. The other interpretation is one of sacrifice, although whether this sacrifice is small or great may not be easily interpreted. Both interpretations imply permanence, and that you should give very careful thought to the decisions in your life.

Future Many things are unknown to you now, so you must make new goals and plan carefully. Acting at the right moment will get you ahead.

The Hanged Man was used in 11x12 for Alex (via her poor maths teacher), and she's also a Wayward Sister, with a similar meaning about change and new life on the other side of upheaval in that episode. Alex made some life choices there, which will probably be derailed to keep her around for Wayward Sisters but hey ho that will be nearly 2 seasons ago that she decided to stay out of the Life. For Patience, if she's going to join the main cast this makes me pretty worried Missouri will be the "hanged man" aka fridged character (check the way the man hangs compared to how Mary and Jess and some other fridged characters died with their leg hooked under them.) - the card is upright, but I know how this show works, and this symbolism is basically the fridged character card here in the show's language. I would HOPE this one is merely for the decision Patience will make to join her new family of Wayward Sisters.

These are all the cards we have - we're missing the other four of the reading.

#13x03 #season 13 spoilers #season 13 speculation #wayward sisters #my stuff

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jamfingers · 7 years

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Some Background on That One Super Famous Cluster B Personality Disorder and Some Brief Meta Tying It to Kai Parker’s Problematic (but Fine AF) Ass Because I Said I Would Do This

Okay, this isn’t a research paper, so I’m not going to put ref points throughout the post, but I’ll write down the full names of the texts and articles I used at the bottom in case you’re interested in checking them out yourself. Some info/pics come from old annotated notes, but I likely will only use those for examples provided by previous professors. NONE of these visuals are mine, they’re copyrighted and I’m posting them for educational purposes. I’m making no profit off of this. Obviously. This is a damn fan blog.

First off, lets talk behavior and psychopathology, then I’ll get into like...the barest bit of some of the complex anatomy and physiology behind them. Then I’ll talk Kai Parker a little and how he fits this. This post is gonna be hellaciously long, since it’s an academic reference/meta, so read more under the cut:

Personality is something pervasive, long term, and generally not mutable in a person. And individual’s personality will develop in childhood and are measured by rating the general patterns of disordered conduct/socializing of traits known as the big 5: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. These traits, like anything dealing with the mind, are measured on a spectrum and patterns of extremely high pervasiveness of traits in some areas and extremely low pervasiveness in others that results in a diminished or troubled quality of life is what results in a personality disorder.

Personality disorders are sorted into 3 groups called clusters:

Kai falls into cluster B - he has antisocial personality disorder (ASPD from here on, can also be noted as APD), historically called “sociopathy”. ASPD is more commonly diagnosed in men than in women, (although this might be in part due to societal/gender biases of both the patient and the clinician, but I digress), with a prevalence in the clinical population of 3.9-5.9% and in the general population of 1.0%-1.8%. It’s rare, but not the rarest personality disorder by any means. No unicorns here.

I personally denote ASPDers as the biggest con-artist assholes you’ll ever have the displeasure of meeting, but that’s not very academic, so I’ll copy my one of my textbook’s format and break this up into a few categories. More information can be found in references.

Clinical Description And Criteria:

“I am entitled to break rules.”

That right there is the sun with which ASPD revolves around. The disorder is characterized by extreme selfishness and disregard for others, highly impulsive and risky behavior (like drug use, reckless stunts, fighting), and unusual emotional responses and fits of rage, but no deficits in reasoning ability. People with ASPD know what they’re doing, understand the social norms/ rules behind them and don’t care. In regards to the Big 5 personality traits this is what they look like (L is low, H is high):

And diagnostic criteria for ASPD on the DSM-5 looks like this:

YOU HAVE TO HAVE DISPLAYED CONDUCT DISORDER AS A CHILD TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH ASPD AFTER 18. Remember an individual’s personality develops in childhood and is long-lasting. Conduct disorder in children is diagnosed with this criteria:

ASPD has a pretty high heritabilty (about 40-50%) and it’s fostered in hostile environments characterized by lack of warmth, exposure to violence, high negativity, parental inconsistency or parental ASPD, and/or poverty.

While ASPD is associated with poor impulse control, there is still no deficit in reasoning ability. ASPDers with a high intelligence quotient (IQ) are less likely to get caught or engage in illegal or destructive behavior because they know the game. They’d rather be free to fuck people over than in a system and can be quite adept at hiding their traits. This leads me to psychopathy. There’s still some debate about whether psychopathy should be considered different from ASPD, but most clinicians these days agree that psychopathy as a subset of symptoms that fall under ASPD. So just like all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares, all psychopaths (at this point) are ASPDers, but not all ASPDers are psychopaths.

Psychopathy:

Defining characteristics of psychopathy include:

If you’re having a hard time reading this, the red and blue branches indicate what aspects of psychopathy are influenced by what bit of anatomy dysregulation. AMG - amygdala, PCC - posterior cingulate cortex, MPFC - medial prefrontal cortex. The coronal slices (red, bottom blue) are as if you’re looking at a person face to face - your left is their right. Top blue is scanned from the right side (See that scrunchy round thing behind the straight part? Below the “PCC”? That’s the cerebellum behind the brain stem. It’s in the back of your head, to help with orientation.) Middle blue is as if you and the person are facing the same direction, but you’re taller and looking straight down on their head. Hope that helps you out!

In general, with regards to criminal behavior, high IQ psychopaths are called “subclinical” psychopaths and are not generally studied bc...well, they blend in. They find other, legal or discreet ways to fulfill thrill seeking behavior.

Psychopathy has some actual distinct differences in the brain that can be physiologically measured. It’s typically shown by differences in the the right amygdala and the anterior rostral prefrontal cortex (arPFC from here on), especially on the right side. (The right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for emotional recognition and expression, while the amygdala controls fear responses/recognition and the PFC in general controls different aspects of higher cognition. In this case, it’s likely the conversion of emotionality to morality, since emotions play a large part in fostering sympathy and from there moral judgement.) See?

Integrative Biopsychosocial Model of APD:

Bio (Genetics and neurobiology): Twin and adoption studies show that ASPD is highly heritable, but it’s the gene-environment interaction that is integral for ASPD development. ASPD is an endophenotype - the underlying aspects of disorder are genetic (low levels serotonin and dopamine (the chemical neurotransmitters), or in the case of psychopaths, low levels of serotonergic or dopaminergic axons (the anatomy that receives the NT)) and provide the unique emotional aspects of ASPD, but the social behavior presentation is guided by the environment (early childhood stress, lack of social guidance, etc). The arousal theory, if you’re interested, is based of the endophenotypes and can explain how certain behaviors arise from them (i.e. ASPDers, esp. psychopaths, are stimulation seeking bc of low response in reward systems (serotonergic/dopaminergic)). *I add on dopamine bc it’s an important chemical in the brain’s reward system, but serotonin is the key one.

Psychosocial (mental and environmental): Inconsistent parental punishments, lack of punishment for aggressive/antagonist behavior, environments that propagate violence, high risk-reward and fearless psychology all lend themselves to the development of the disorder.

The disorder is like a measuring cup and each influence is water filling it until the water level reaches the mark where the disorder presents itself.

When it comes to ASPD, prevention, not treatment is preferred. Redirecting behavior patterns in kids with conduct disorder is your best bet compared to trying to get a fully formed, highly aggressive ASPD adult to behave.

Here’s a case study from my abnormal psych textbook depicting what the you’d most likely see in clinical ASPD case (i.e. in “the system” , like prison or a hospital):

(See why I said con-artists asshole? Ryan’s a fucking dick.)

References:

“Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach” 7th Edition, David H. Barlow & V. Mark Durand {This is the book I used in my psychopathology class, which is for...understanding pathologies of the mind lol.}

“Neuroscience” 5th Edition, Dale Purves {Great book for detailed anatomy and physiology of neural circuits, and I didn’t get into like I could, but the emotion chapter is dense and that’s a lot of info to slam you with.}

“The Foundations of Behavioral Neuroscience” 9th Edition, Neil R. Carlson {Easy to read and a great general capstone text}

Okay, so now that we got the science, on to Kai Parker:

Right, so I think it’s safe to say that, canonically, Kai mostly fits the criteria for ASPD, but you’re def free to go back over all that up there and do your own comparison. We all know how Kai is an admitted “sociopath”. Considering Joshua Parker’s behavior, we can probably take a gander on the genetic component and considering the entire Gemini premise, plus the way Kai in particular was raised as the outsider in his family, we have an idea of the hostile and warmth-lacking environment that fostered it.

Because it’s TVD, I do think Kai was written to cater that whole “handsome, suburban white boy gone wrong” schtick, but I also think he’s one of the most subtly well-fleshed characters that show ever produced. There’s this one article I read for a neuro lit course (“Loneliness and associated violent antisocial behavior: analysis of the case reports of Jeffrey Dahmer and Dennis Nilsen.” authored by W.H. Martens and G.B. Palmero) that really stuck to me in a pervasive way and it’s about how chronically festering feelings of neglect and loneliness, of feeling like an unaccepted outsider, drove Dahmer and Nilsen to take their victim’s lives in a misguided way to dissuade the loneliness.

Having read that makes me wonder how Kai, the fictional serial killer, reflects his real life counterparts. The drive for merging and becoming coven leader is something that would force others to acknowledge him, which ties into his “black sheep” speech, his “I was never hugged as a child and my siblings were kept away” complaint (There are a lot of inconsistencies in his dialogued back story that bother me, but it makes me wonder if he ever lied about his past: “my favorite memory is when I finally beat him to death” and the preceding story about Mario Kart with the bby bro seems like something he might have just made up to fuck with Elena), and other vocalizations he’s made about his past which point to him being the misfit and desiring a sense of belonging. While we know Kai’s ASPD is a part of his characterization, this to me seems out of the norm for this disorder, simply because it indicates an understanding of sympathy that is unwittingly emotional.

Of course, Kai could also just want to be able to lord the world’s biggest “FU!” over his abusers.

Either way, anti or not, when using the ASPD/sociopath argument to defend or dismantle Kai as a character, I think it’s a good idea to keep in mind that Kai was written inconsistently. He shows very little impulsivity or recklessness in 1994, one trait which is almost a given with ASPD, nor was he flightly/irresponsible. He always had some end-goal or plan in mind. This was pre-merge. But he was also manipulative and showed no regret about the people he hurt. Obviously, each case of the disorder is unique because they exist on a spectrum, but the pattern and criteria are there due to broad commonalities in each case. The way the media tends to portray ASPD is not all consistent with the way the disorder presents irl.

#Kai parker #ASPD info #antisocial personality disorder #kai parker meta #tvd meta #bonkai #which I mean...i guess

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aestutics-blog · 7 years

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Hi everybody,

As promised, we will now share our research design so that you will have a clear idea of where our research is coming from, what we are going to research and how we are going to conduct it. Problem definition As mentioned before, we are students at the University of Utrecht and we follow a course called Community Art: Practice and Theory. While participating in this course we have discussed about the discourse of community art and speculated about the notion of artistic quality. During the fourth week of the course, we were visited by Eugène van Erven, a leading scholar in the field of community arts and the organizer of the International Community Arts Festival (ICAF) in the Netherlands. Eugène has done a lot of research on community art and has even conducted some case studies about the theatre performances by STUT. These can be read in his book ‘Community Arts Dialogues’ (2013). After Eugène’s lecture, we were stimulated to think about the debate that is very apparent in the community art world. We have learned that there are art critics that question the aesthetics and the artistic quality of community art, and have specifically debated about the arguments of Claire Bishop (2014). Bishop states that the end result of community art projects are of very low quality and can not be considered as aesthetically good. According to her, community art is not made for the critical, wider audience and is therefore artistically less valuable.

Counter arguments include that the process that is involved in community art projects is already an art of itself, as it helps to shed light on the voices of the community and builds bridges with the intention to bring a community closer together. According to Van Erven, the whole process should be taken into consideration when criticizing a community art project, meaning that the frame of reference around art, art criticism and aesthetics should be adjusted when the notion of community art is involved. (Van Erven, 2013). However, despite the importance of the process described by Van Erven, Bishop pleads that we ultimately need a sense of what good and bad art is, aesthetically: ““Value judgements are necessary, not as a means to reinforce elite culture and police the boundaries of art or non-art, but as a way to understand and clarify our shared values at a given historical moment.” (Bishop, 2014, p. 8). This debate in the community artworld has intrigued us quite a bit, which is why we chose to research the artistic quality of the STUT festival Net Even Anders. STUT festival is quite big, so in order to narrow down our research subject we have decided to study the artistic quality of the performance by Cornerstone. By researching Cornerstone, we will simultaneously research the quality of STUT, as Cornerstone is part of their festival. Cornerstone is a community theatre group from Los Angeles and will be working with their performers - patiënts and staff in the TBS clinic Van Der Hoeven in Utrecht - for the first time. This performance project is interesting for us to investigate as we will be able to research the process from beginning to end. By doing so, we are also able to analyze whether the artistic quality of this STUT / Cornerstone performance is only visible for an audience with knowledge of the process, or if the audience that solely judges on the basis of the end results find that the the performance has artistic quality as well.

Based on the above mentioned ideas and facts, we have formulated the following research question:

“What are the differences and similarities in opinions about artistic quality between the audience with knowledge of the process and the audience that solely judges on the basis of the end result of the Cornerstone performance during the Net Even Anders festival?”

We will ultimately answer the main question by dividing it in the following sub-questions: 1. What opinion about the artistic quality of the Cornerstone performance during the Net Even Anders festival does the audience with knowledge of the process have? 2. What opinion about the artistic quality of the Cornerstone performance during the Net Even Anders festival does the audience that solely judges on the basis of the end result have? 3. What are the similarities? 4. What are the differences?

Theoretical framework For our research, we will use the theories of scholars that have written about community art and artistic quality. As mentioned before, there is speculation about the artistic quality of community art, starting off with the idea that community art can not even be seen as art, but rather as social work. However, theatre-maker Jasmin Ibrahimovic (2010) argues that the difference between social work and art is the independent and critical character of art. This independent position of the artist will create a more equal dialogue with the participants. To reach this equal dialogue the arts needs to be critical on itself and therefore needs criteria to value the artistic quality. These value criteria are part of the ‘dialogical art model’, made by Grant H. Kester. He argues that dialogues could lead to aesthetic experiences because they will give new insights to both sender and receiver. As a sender you will empathise with the perspective of your receiver and therefore you are also capable of taking an objective view on your own perspectives. Community theatre can therefore be seen as a different form of art making. It will give us another perspective on humans, society or the art world itself (Kester, 2004; Bilcke (2009). This coincides with the ideas of Wouter Hillaert, who also thinks we should widen our thoughts about artistic value. According to Hillaert artistic value has become a shape feature while he thinks aesthetics are not hidden in the object but also in the experience or communication (Bishop, 2010). This communication can be seen as an important part of the process of community art projects. Ibrahimovic argued that the art critic is often not part of the process of the art making and only sees the end result. Since critics do not have time and money to be present during the process, a dialogical art dramaturge is needed who can use criteria to criticize the product. According to Ibrahimovic (2010) a special focus is needed on the goal of the end product and the continuation of the aesthetic dialogues after the final product. The artist has to create space for the voice of participants and create an image which addresses the target group. It is important that the participants feel dignified in the end product. Jansen (2014) did a research about the criteria for artistic value in community art theatre. Her research started off with the remarkable fact that for the term 2013-2016, the municipality of Utrecht advised STUT to increase their artistic quality. But how this could or should be done became not clear in their advice. Jansen concluded that there is not enough clarity around the debate of value criteria for community art, which is why she distilled seven criteria herself from the theories around community arts. According to her, the reciprocal relations, the communication and the personalities of the participants are most important in community theatre. Therefore, we are in need of a new way of criticizing this art form. The criteria that Jansen formulated are explicit and serve as handhelds to look at community art. She argues that community theatre is about taking the community as source of inspiration, and at the same time as the target group. Moreover, there should be focus on the non-autonomous position of the theatre maker and the reciprocal relationship between the theatre maker and the community. When the process is based on quality and dignity, the extent of subversion in the aesthetic experience will be high. Jansen states that subversion is very important for a community art project because it creates space for new insights, both for the players and the audience.

Method In order to adequately answer our research question, we will execute a qualitative research. According to Patton (2010), this discourse grants us the ability to investigate the subject in more depth, as it allows us to gather data by, firstly, conducting structured interviews that focus on personal ideas and experiences of our respondents, and, secondly, by observing certain activities that are part of the community art project by Cornerstone.

Interviews The interviews are constructed by the theory of Ibrahimovic (2010) and Kester (2004) about researching the artistic value in community art projects. The questionnaire focus on the following themes: expectations, preparations, experiences, finances, artistic value, background, value scheme and the continuation of the aesthetic dialogue. The last question is split into six sub questions about subversion, recognition, the underlying layer, the new insights of the dialogue and the critical reflection of the aesthetic dialogue. We will post this questionnaire on our blog as an appendix. We have two target groups for our interviewees. The first group will be the audience of the play without knowledge of the process and the second group will be the audience/actors who do have knowledge about the process, including ourselves. We will interview the first group this Friday on after the first performance in the Van der Hoeven clinic. We will interview the second group after the second performance on Sunday at the STUT festival. Our research and questionnaire will be introduced to the group after the play (Friday) or before the play (Sunday). The questionnaire is printed on paper and held out to the audience with a pen. The four of us will collect the papers afterwards and implement the answers, and following statistics, within our further research. Observations We have chosen to fully participate during the process of the Cornerstone project. This means that we will go to the clinic several times in order to experience the process ourselves. Firstly, we will have an interview with the theatermaker of Cornerstone, in order to gain more personal knowledge about the project. Secondly, we will visit the clinic two times to observe how the play develops. At last, we will participate the workshops by STUT where their methods will be taught to students. In the form of reflection videos, we will post how we have experienced these observations on our blog. By observing the process of Cornerstone and gaining insight of STUT’s methodology of community art projects, we are able to fill in the questionnaire (described above) as part of the audience that has knowledge of the process of the Cornerstone play.

- Thank you for reading and our next post will be our interview with Peter from Cornerstone and our reflection on it. Bye!

aeSTUTics

Literature

Bishop, C. (2012). Artificial hells: Participatory art and the politics of spectatorship. Verso Books.

Erven, E. V. (2013). Community Arts Dialogues. Utrecht: Community Arts Lab.

Ibrahimovic, J. (2010). Toen Karim Sorry Zei. Faculty of Humanities; Utrecht.

Jansen, N. L. (2014). Een Open Plek: Een onderzoek naar kwaliteitscriteria voor het community theater en de artistieke ontwikkeling van Stut (Master's thesis).

Kester, G. H. (2004). Conversation pieces: Community and communication in modern art. Univ of California Press.

De Pauw, W.I.M., Pelemans, K., Mallentjer, W.D.E.T., Schinkel, W., Dezeure, F.D.R.E.K., Deceur, E, … & Bautmans, T.D.E.K. (2009) Voor wie haar soms geweld aandoet. Nr.5, Demos Brussel

Patton, Michael Quinn. 2010. Qualitative research & evaluation methods. Thousand Oaks [u.a.]: Sage.

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