I have been chatting with a couple of my Lovely Runner folks about how the soul remembers even when the body doesn't, because spiritually speaking, it does make sense. I won't bring the detailed theological discussion and significance in here but personally I'm on board with this notion. There's this idea that souls are formed before the body, in the realm of the unseen. Some souls are like "conscripted soldiers", meaning that when they are sent down to the earth, they'll gravitate toward each other every time they're given the opportunity. Of course there's free will and agency at play when the body and mind are factored in, so one can still move away from another, but that connection always exists deep down in our subconscious. This explains why irl we feel instantly drawn to certain people whereas we just "don't like the vibe" of someone we barely know/have not had a particularly bad experience with.

True: in the context of the show, it doesn't do a great job explaining why the soul-memory would apply to Seon Jae since these aren't memories he actually ever made if we're being super technical. These are all from different timelines (and not different 'lives' like we see in reincarnation tropes, mind you) but I guess they took some creative liberty to show that even these memories that are apparently "erased", can never actually be erased and get stored in the realm of the unseen instead (think of it like a cloud bin for recovering deleted files if you will).

We can find a plot hole here if we get down to the nitty-gritty and to be fair, the time travel/time slip rules are still a bit vague to us as the viewers of the show. But I choose to happily move past with this explanation we get through Haelmoni because they really did a great job executing this (and I love how the person to talk about this is Grandma, of all people :')

Seeing how you're responding to a lot of insensitive asks from Christians, I was wondering if I could ask a good faith question as a change of pace?

I am religiously a liberal quaker, so one of the most important things to me spiritually is learning about how other people engage with god/their higher power. By listening to their experiences and making a strong effort to understand their perspective, I feel more connected with God and my community. Specifically, I want to learn how individuals engage in their faith and not just the "by the book, this is what x religion believes" you find online.

I've always had a deep respect for Judaism, and I want to approach the people in my circle and try to have those good faith learning experiences if they are willing, especially since the Jewish faith is so rare where I live.

Unfortunately, with a lot of my ethos and language being derived from Christ (even if I'm not a christian), it makes it feel like a minefield to even start the conversation. I'm queer, and the man who raised me was native American. I'm very aware of how being connected to Christianity, even only tangentially, will immediately raise red flags for people. And for good reason.

So, how do I disarm myself? I want to hear people's stories, I want to know the Light in them because I truly wish to love and understand them as they are. How do I approach and ask for consent for such a thing without it feeling like I'm waving a torch in their face?

i would start with gauging your level of awareness and education when it comes to general jewish stuff like history and practices and holidays. if you want to get more into the nitty gritty with hearing people's stories you'll need that foundation first if you really want to understand them. there's tons of books, websites like myjewishlearning, and you could even try contacting a rabbi and asking for an in person or phone appointment with them to ask some questions and get some suggestions for what resources to use. once you have that foundational level of understanding of judaism and the jewish people, it'll be much easier to talk to jews about more personal things.

in terms of actually approaching people, if they're your friends, then hopefully they already have a good idea of what kind of person you are and if they're comfortable sharing with you. if you don't know them as well, make sure you're not just going into the encounter with the goal of "learn jew stuff" and that's it. they're whole people, and you don't want to treat them like a jewish encyclopedia.

we can usually tell when someone is being genuine and when someone has weird or bad motives, so as long as you're respectful and honest about what you want from the conversation, and maybe share a bit of yourself as well, most of us are happy to talk about it.

also quakerism and quakers have always seemed very cool to me. i heard it's much more about a way of life instead of a set faith, which feels a lot like judaism to me. also y'all have the public universal friend so u r winning.

Andor and Ahsoka are both so perfect yet so different.

Ahsoka's unique connection to the force, and to the chosen one, has made her very intertwined to the spirituality of star wars. That is; the things that don't always make sense. The force, the mortis gods, the world between worlds. Her life is so complex, she doesn't fully understand it I am LOVING the mystery in her show. These giant space whales for us to look at and say fuck yeah. Giant space ships and ancient artifacts.. it's all so cool. It feels like an authentic representation of the complex thing that is the force. They "explained" it with midichlorians, but did they really? The Ahsoka show is bringing back some of that magic and I am loving every minute of it. It takes a fantastical approach to the war, and almost reignited that spark that episodes 4,5,6 used to capture its audience way back when.

Andor on the other hand, is great for the opposite reasons. It takes the average person, someone like the viewer, and forces them to deal with this war that is so much more complex than they would ever know. You see Kassian, a soldier, a hired gun. Someone who wants nothing to do with it, unable to escape a modified form of conscription. He is us, he is the definition of the phrase "a product of their time". Being forced to care about it because if you don't, you have nothing. It's gritty, and it feels so real and it's like we are watching a piece of our own history through it.

Mon Mothma shows the complexities of the politics. How the people controlling the war are nothing more than pompous politicians who never actually see the battlefield. They call the shots without firing a single bullet. Having a spot to say something but you can't because it's not safe. Sacrificing everything you have for people who will never show an ounce of gratitude. Doing everything, only for people to accredit the success to the force user with a complicated past. All of your work, sacrifice, and pain discarded as a necessary sacrifice, and not a real problem.

People forgetting about the Jedi because ALL of them were wiped out. The emporer's successful genocide.

The way it ties into Ahsoka so well because even after the empire has fallen, you still have politicians calling the shots for missions they don't understand.

In the most recent episode of Ahsoka, Baylan talks of the cycle. How meaningless and frustrating it is.

Because not even the "good guys" are ever truly good.

Book 15, 2024

There's something about an older paperback fantasy trilogy that can feel so ballsy when considering the current state of fantasy publishing, although maybe the main thing is how they can easily fit into a jacket pocket.

Patricia A. McKillip's "The Riddle-Master of Hed" is fascinating in the reminder of what a lie the gritty adultification of the fantasy genre is (we all know the direction I am looking in).

One of those loosely Celtic fantasies, "The Riddle-Master of Hed" is much like the later works of McKillip's that I've read in that McKillip has no interest in infodumping or taking the time to explain the world to the reader. Pick it up from context clues, you're here for a /story/. Let the first line of the wikipedia plot summary act as an example:

"The titular Riddle-Master is Morgon, the Prince of Hed, a small, simple island populated by farmers and swineherds. The prince, inexplicably, has three stars on his forehead."

What's a Riddle-Master? OBVIOUSLY IT IS SOMEONE WHO IS REALLY GOOD AT RIDDLES AND KNOWS THE SORT OF THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ANSWER RIDDLES. What are riddles? MOTHERFUCKER YOU KNOW WHAT RIDDLES ARE. It doesn't take long to pick up that a Riddle-Master is a highly educated scholar, a fantasy philosopher, and Morgon's a really good one. You learn that "Prince" doesn't mean "Son of a King", it's a title in and of itself that involves a spiritual connection to the land he's prince of (Hed). The stars? THEY'RE INEXPLICABLE you and Morgon know they're probably some kind of omen or mark of Chosen Oneness because you've read a book before and so has Morgon, they're just a signifier.

Before the start of the book, Morgon won a riddle-game with a curse ghost king and now has technically won the hand of the second most beautiful woman in the world but he's kind of embarrassed about the whole thing. Deth, a wandering harpist and messenger of the High One (God?), jostles Morgon into leaving Hed to pursue this and thus begins a novel that is entirely a Hero Trying to Refuse the Call. Morgon just wants to Go Home; this man has no great longing for something more than his little farm island and pigs and beer and maybe doing riddles but in a casual way, not in a inadvertently uncovering the secrets of the universe way.

There is a shipwreck, there are shapeshifters, there is amnesia and mysterious relic cities from when there were Sorcerers, people with pasts too long for their ages, foresty warrior women, dreams full of hidden knowledge, a legendary sword, an unplayable harp. It's a series of fantasy incidents that seem to only be connected by the fact that they keep happening to Morgon.

As I have also found with McKillip's writing, there's a dreamy, soft quality to everything that pulls you along gently. "The Riddle-Master of Hed" is not a page-turner, it's almost cozy.

And terrible things happen. The ending is startlingly bleak without fanfare. If you read "The Riddle-Master of Hed" as a standalone novel, it would be like playing a videogame with bad end possibilities and then leaving it there. It doesn't feel like a cliffhanger, possibly because of the quiet quality of McKillip's prose, possibly because of the fairytale elements in the style of McKillip's storytelling.

My only real complaint? One of the land rulers Morgon encounters in his journey is called the Morgol. Ms. McKillip, please, don't give me Morgon and the Morgol in the same book. Don't do that to me.

Music review - Raye ~ Performing Five Star Hotels

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'Sends shivers to my body'

Raye's incredible power and vocal prowess comes through hitting my every emotion. This performance is showing clearly she is well involved in writing her own music and gives each performance from the soul.

I can feel through watching many of Raye's performances including this one that she has a connection to music almost like she is spiritually and in full body sync to the musicians, the whole energy of the song is feeling gritty and from the heart.

Raye's sassy vocal attitude is paired wonderfully with all her standout musicians. This musically hits every note and is a must see performance, personally I prefer the live versions to the studio released track as it is feeling raw and you can see how she enjoys adding twists and riffs/runs in live shows.

I've read 14 books so far this year. And like, the reason I think about this is because I wanna read more stories. I always wanna know more, read more, absorb more, be more, y'know? So I wish it was more. But they've mostly been amazing so.

(My library stacks are so big because I am a picky and persnickety person and I will read a chapter, go "not right now" and take it back to the library and make note what mood I need to be in for it. Works well! Gotta be in the right mood.)

I've given 9 books 5 stars this year. I'm good with that.

Five Star Reads So Far This Year:

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson. I loved the magic. Loved the intrigue. Loved the slow build of horror as you realize what the secrets are, and the excitement as you pull into the story. Definitely continuing.

Jade City by Fonda Lee. God the longer I sit on this book the more I love it. The magic, the fighting, the expertise clear in the action scenes, the characters and their relationships, the gut punch twists that you realize were hinted at but you didn't see them anyway... Yeah, it's good shit.

New Worlds: Year One by Marie Brennan is a non-fiction essay collection based on her worldbuilding essays she posts because of Patreon. I love these so much and I think they're one of the best ways to get help with world building.

Beginnings, Middles, & Ends by Nancy Kress is a non-fiction book on writing. This one gave me some great ideas on how to plot as well as how to express the "promises, progress, payoff" concept that Brandon Sanderson is so fond of talking about.

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury. God. I love this. It was fun, it was dark, it was deep, it was action-packed, it was filled with twists and intrigue. And the reveals all work fantastically without ever feeling cheap or telegraphed. Absolutely phenomenal.

The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport. This is basically my perfect book. It's gritty, it's full of revenge, it's got dark decisions and grim characters but they are trying and they are loyal and they care about each other. Each step toward anger is a step made in love. I cannot wait to read the second one when it comes out.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri. God this is just fantastic. Two very morally grey, very driven women in bad situations team up in order to save themselves and each other and fall in love along the way. But this isn't a romance, this is a story of rebellion, revenge, and war, and it comes through so well. The magic is fascinating and the overall grim but hopeful tone is just so good.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo. A very short, whimsical feeling book that uses a lot of repetition and slow flashback reveals to build an almost heartbeat into the book. It's such a kind, warm story that brings with it this beautiful amount of love. It's a deeply spiritual book but not in any religious way I can find. It's about the way you feel intimately connected to the world when you read it. Every plant. Every bit of water.

To Be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers. Talk about books that reduce you to tears. This was emotional, insightful, and brilliant. It's a story about the very nature of humanity, and the ways we connect, and the pain of isolation and the unknown, while also the hope and love that comes from the unknown. 130 pages and worth your time.

does Etheria have politics?

(going back and reading this, I realize how much of my writing is just stream of consciousness.)

OKAY SO

I feel like by now everyone here knows that I spend way too much time thinking about unnecessary details when I should really be writing, but what else can I do to procrastinate other than spend time building the story.

ANYWAYS

This is going to be the more unhinged version of that previous post, since when I wrote it, I was feeling very academic after doing some anthropology in government homework, but now I'm just trying to pull things from memory.

ALSO

Google has been extremely helpful in helping me clarify a lot of things, so some of the theories will be pulled from the wiki of the original 80's show, the reboot, and some of my own thoughts.

I know there's a post of the whole galactic hierarchy, but for the purposes of this post, I will be focusing on the politics of Etheria itself. I might also make a separate post about spiritual beliefs, but I make no promises.

So for history, not much is known (at least to me) about Angella's predecessors or how they came to be in power of Bright Moon, but as with everything that can't be explained, I'd like to chalk it up to magic and the connection to the Moonstone. Also, because Micah isn't a direct descendant of that line, I would see him as more of a Consort instead of acting monarch. I would believe he's a close political and strategical advisor, as we saw how much of a prevalent role he had in the beginning of the war, but that's about it. Although after the war, I believe he goes back to doing King things to give Glimmer some respite from having a whole kingdom on her shoulders.

Also, I know it's not cannon, but there is hot gossip in Etheria, and I'd like to believe that there's news reports for each village, and a worldwide newspaper. Is it called The Daily Etherian? Perhaps.

Down to the nitty gritty:

So I've kinda created a flow chart in my head about the people in power in Etheria. First, there's the planet as a whole, obviously, and unlike Earth, the separated countries, in my opinion work together. To relate it to something I know, I choose to think about the EU. I would also believe that Etheria kind of works in the way that the US does, but the EU is more international, so that's why I'm using that. Also, I wouldn't think that villages had presidents, I think the highest you should be able to go is Mayor or like Elder.

So basically there's kingdoms, regions, sects, and factions that all work together in the political system, with the only region known of is the Crimson Waste, which contains a faction of people who are outlaws/ex-horde/or chose to leave their kingdoms. For kingdoms, there are the standard Bright Moon, Plumeria, Salineas, Dryl, Mystacor, Kingdom of Snows, and the Scorpioni. But there are also some that aren't mentioned that hold Royalty such as the Star Siblings, Prince Peekablue, and Sweet Bee. Those kingdoms won't be considered too much in this analysis, but they are factored into the greater whole.

Side note: where does She-Ra live? Does she not get a kingdom? Where would she go if Adora didn't stay in Bright Moon? Is that all she's going to get, a spare room in Bright Moon? Is the Crystal Castle just a place for training and information or can it be used as an actual castle?

Also, is Madame Razz a part of a village or does she just live in the woods like Bow's parents? Are there a lot more like them, or is it just them? IDK

That then got me to thinking about the every day grievances that the townspeople may have. While it isn't mentioned, it is known that there are villages fairly close in relation to the kingdoms, so I'd like to believe that these villages are governed by the kingdoms they are closest to. We also know that there are Mayors and Elders, and most likely Shamans, and Spiritual Advisors in existence in Etheria, so I'd like to imagine they all work similarly for simplifying purposes.

Also, I'd like to say that each Princess may choose how involved they are with the surrounding kingdom. For example, Perfuma is very involved in her community, but the other Princesses remain in their respective Castles and don't interact with the people in the villages.

So for example, if a townsperson had a grievance, they probably wouldn't immediately go to Queen Angella for it to be solved. They'd most likely go to the Mayor of their village, then to the acting Princess/Prince/Queen/King of the surrounding Kingdom, then to Queen Angella. And that would be a totally different thing for the town in Bright Moon, they'd probably go directly to Queen Angella, or the towns representative.

ALSO

If for no other reason than transportation purposes, I'd like to believe Etheria is smaller than your average planet. Maybe during the war, everyone stays in Bright Moon in their rooms, maybe they all travel extremely quickly. But how in the heck does it take them so quickly to get from place to place to village to village. Is it a short walk? Am I too reliant on Glimmer's teleportation devices? The world may never know.

Okay now for the laws. I'd assume there's a basic law that governs Etheria, kind of like the constitution, but then it'd also be broken up into different laws that are associated with different kingdoms/villages. For example, why would a landlocked village have a fishing ordinance? That would most likely work best in Salineas.

We also know that the biggest form of commerce in Etheria is trade. Plumeria probably provides textiles and crops, Salineas would be boats/the seafood market, etc. I believe that's how every kingdom keeps their pockets full. There might be different regulations in every kingdom about the different kinds of trade they have there. I know there is a monetary unit, and it's most likely coins, but I have no idea what each coin would equal and how valuable it is, given that most Etherians live humbly.

NOW ONTO THE HORDE

We know, according to like earth's standards, what the Horde is doing in the show is terrible. Like actually horrible. I'd generally just use the Geneva Convention's standards, because that is pretty much what a lot of us would go by. There is a wiki page on the different war crimes that the Horde, Glimmer and Horde Prime all had during the show, so that was pretty cool to look at. I'm just genuinely interested on how it wasn't stopped quicker and how it escalated to be such a big problem. But that's a post for an entirely different day.

How does Etheria have a trial?

So, similarly to the grievances scenario I had thought of, I'd assume that's how the court system would work as well. Also, what would the punishments be? Does Bright Moon even have a prison? Are there even police? How are civil disputes settled? Do people get divorced? Do people abuse? I'd assume they're capable of it, if what we saw from the Horde was anything to go by. Then again, that could have just been the influence of Hordak.

ANYWAYS

For little cases, I'm pretty sure that they can be settled among the village, but for big disasters such as what happened in Plumeria, they'd probably need the help from other Kingdoms or even just Queen Angella herself.

Big trials take place in Bright Moon, kind of like Supreme Court ones. Shadow Weaver’s will be a bit different though. For hers, it's not going to be much of a spoiler, but it's the explanation that I didn't know how to fit into the fic without making it sound like I'm forcing it in there. It's supposed to be common knowledge for everyone there, so they wouldn't think to explain it to an outside audience.

Especially for this, since it was directly associated with the Alliance, think of the Princess Alliance as a jury, but instead of jurors, they're treating it more as an election with representative democracy, with each Princess being the representative. Because Shadow Weaver is the last remaining head of the Horde besides Adora, who had no willing part in the Battle of the Whispering Woods, she will get a full tribunal.

That means there will be an audience, no "lawyers" or whatever the Etherian equivalent would be, and all of the Princesses will be there to give their input since her destruction affects their kingdoms, even though they aren't a part of the Princess Alliance. This is basically just a "we know you committed x, y, and z crimes, we're going to make you aware of them and decide what to do with you."

I was genuinely thinking about having the Horde become a prison, but I just don't think anyone would go for that. Having a condensed population of criminals in a place that just so happens to house the leading faction of people the rebellion we’re fighting against doesn’t sit right. Maybe each kingdom should have their own version of a jail. Would they need a jail? How many bad guys are there?

Unit 01: Launching Into Nature Interpretation

My Journey With Nature and Experiencing a Sense of Place

When I was younger I wasn’t exposed to many traditional outdoorsy activities such as camping, hiking, swimming or fishing. Instead, I grew up in Vaughan, Ontario with Italian immigrant parents and the thought of outdoor activities were nonexistent unless a sport was involved. Yet, somehow I always found myself having this inexplicable spiritual connection with nature. 

I would say this past year is when I have been most in touch with nature, particularly in the summertime. I spent nearly the entire summer with my friend Miranda at her cottage where we would sit in silence for hours on her boat appreciating the environment around us. It is here where I felt most energized, being able to absorb the positive energy that engulfed me from being outside.

Boat ride with Miranda and our friends during sunset in Harcourt Park, Ontario.

 I also took time to volunteer at the Kortright Centre for Conservation, where I helped manage invasive plant species. This experience made me truly appreciate the hard work that goes into environmental education and conservation.

Although these moments were impactful, a truly defining moment for me where I found a "sense of place" in nature occurred when I took the BIOL*4410 Field Ecology Course in Algonquin Park, Ontario. After ten long days of scientific research which included nitty-gritty forms of sampling, measuring, and observing animal behaviour, our instructor rewarded us with a very long hike (which did not sound very rewarding at the time). She described how the location of this hike was limited to the researchers at the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station, and the individuals that took the BIOL*4410 course and that once we reached this top secret location, the group of us would watch the sunset together. 

Small group of us sitting and watching the sun start to set after the long hike we endured.

And so, after hiking for what felt like an hour straight up this very large hill, it was here where I saw one of the most beautiful views in my entire life. The group of us gasped in unison and were in awe of how extremely beautiful this landscape was. We were then instructed to sit in silence for fifteen minutes where we could reflect on and admire our surroundings. Altogether we remained silent, where some individuals found themselves getting emotional and others spent their time sketching the environment in their field notebooks. 

Sketch drawn by a student during the fifteen minutes of silence in the BIOL*4410 Field Ecology course.

 Within these fifteen minutes I found myself thinking about every action and decision I had made that led me to this moment, and I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. All of the hard work I had dedicated to my academic career finally felt worth it, and I felt that this was only the beginning of my career. Sitting there I studied the landscape, focusing on the leaves that were swaying in the summer breeze and the birds that communicated in between them. It was in these moments where not only did I feel such a special connection to this place, but I felt a special connection to the 16 other ‘strangers’ that I grew so close to in just over 10 shared days.

For this experience, I am extremely grateful for my instructor to have presented this “sense of place” to me and to have evoked such a strong personal connection to this landscape and lifestyle (Beck et al., 2018). She inspired me to continue my academic journey with nature and helped me see the ‘bigger picture’ of the landscape, and of the research we were conducting, and for this I am beyond grateful. 

Picture taken of Algonquin Wildlife Research Station cabins during Field Ecology course.

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Sagamore Venture.

POETRY SLAM:MINDLESS BEHAVIOR

WHATS UP WITH THAT!!! big mouth taking up the whole space smize to the gawds, I like your face right in y'all face, glecning off concentrate everyday is picture day lack of me? u up in anti, politics heard em say donkey noisy! there's A grey space of the situation ain't no exposing me no need to wait no longer Captain save a ho is here the longest yard or wondering anymore light it up and take action fast feed, light camera like magic I'm flashy you need me that's why I need to have all four doors its as simple as that, can you take charge ? abuse of the word, otherwise known as a public charmer is that a fact, what you about, you can hold it against me for stating facts, and get down to the nitty gritty I came to break bread, to get these fix, don't pull a fast one on me Bling fury, shut up the deaf dumb and blind spirit. I came I saw and conquer and yet I'm feel fix gimme my money back, having me in here with vain glories country ass doctor barber claiming Brandon and its a girl pulling hos ponytail, seeing lames, and bragging rights I never in team, in the presence such a strange fright. friendships, and rock the boat it came with, down to the boots, shiver me timbers, y'all gross for flood warnings, head in the wrong places…

I NEED A BREAKTHROUGH hurting in my soul might need some whiskey. pour it up drink, dang just slipped me a mickey another one, this parchness turn into a lonely soul. mics on a sound system, I'm running low up out my face, picture me the biggest shone, trying to out do me, this a stick up, cant leave without a better outcome its the 9 th inning goodness gracious lord have mercy on my soul what have I done to envision thus Far spiritual warfare I'm fighting as if my life depends on it. Raising my own damn self, sensei and jacking, ready or not here I come. this life that we living, together forevermore, it had to happen never knew to a situation, you just gotta understand, something. think outta the box and found what I face going in . you outta line , thinking I'm put up with you. no amount of deformation of character can add up to this. birds of a feather flock together, less there be danger. going the longest yard, pulling all connections. made up my mind and band together to join forces. I'm pulling your card.teasing a blue eye soldier This not an ordinary person b I'm fine as fuck. me vs me not needing another in the picture. you must think I'm booboo the foo, fighters and flight got them losing sleep. release the hounds like I was in a band of thieves, its the little things, they calling me like it rung a bell. and what! waxing and waning is it time yet no matter who's speaking the same language period. No voids, can be filled, fixed my eyes do you wrong like I never knew you. what would you do in a sticky situation. don't vow to nobody who don't pay your bills.and rent Super lets keep it moving I'm yearning for something moore and I'm noting that the darkness never did care if I was drowning. look on the bright side of things, sunny like nobody else could shine that bright. Touching the sun, somebody is going to have an asthma attack I should be right about finish and ready to amp you up if you didn't have done the same thing. What's A retort to a runaway ,love, love you moore, was there any other girl. cheater advice or how to tell a lie, the constant steady stream of lies detected. purple flocking like eggplant farms that cammm outta nowhere. break up the ice and make up the days break what's word of mouth anyways we not going down we not the help.

I LIKE IT LIKE THAT losing his marbles try to challenge me !? you yourself know where's the goofy at challenge accepted you a wanna be celebraty trying the life, 99 times couldn't get it right always need a reason choose a thot for picking you not up for the battle you just a basser show me the proof in the pudding telling me I'm nothing I got a feeling can't tell me nothing its like I contracted a bee sting a charge a bite some might something I m not going back to the way it used to be see past it like I I'm reading read em and weep ready set go no consequences if I believe it where you ought to be for this conclusion you must have me mistaken hot like I'm the next Jen many man manne Pac yo never heard of a sticker or just for kicks I love the living day lights outta you workout a knuck and buck cranking you the type to leave not come back for more but nothing comes back void what's made for me Skye to see you still not done ill be that one to say here kingdom come the grand special like I put my foot in it. I mean put it in you mouth straight out the kitchen . Saw you and roll up a I'm down for a killing might guy gotta have some smoke for a big figure Waited so long, had I cut a year to a meal lion standing on bidness like I'm the stallion get these dividends like I'm here for sit in set in stone not all that glitters is gold

Review: Calliope Wren talks of a whirlwind sapphic love in her dreamy new alternative-rock single ‘Her and I’

Singer/songwriter and musician Calliope Wren has just released her fourth ever single and second of the year ‘Her and I’, channeling her sapphic feelings into an anthem anyone can appreciate.

Booming drums and tense clapped beats open with an atmospheric, thunder-like anticipation for ‘Her and I’, reminiscent of a storm rolling over the hills and ready to unleash its ferocious downpour on everything in its path. With the beats becoming a little more subdued, synth-like bass sounding twangs take centre stage with a murky depth, taking a more minimal approach for the verses’ dark alternative-pop sound. Electronic sprinkles add another layer of beats before the chorus crashes in, continuing the same striking instrumentals with the addition of gritty electric guitar drums and more clashing drums. Calliope’s vocals also come soaring into an agile high range, displaying a richness to her vocal runs and cascading lines before the verses’ simmer back down, showing off a more downbeat spoken-sung angst with the occasional airy rise. Closing out with an absolutely explosive final chorus that takes instrumental dominance to the max in power and volume, as well as additional backing vocals, ‘Her and I’ is really a dark-pop and alternative-rock blend of sounds alike no other, combining an elegant vocal range with a sound that’s almost eerily haunting like a fog on the horizon - beautiful and mysterious all at once. At two and a half minutes in length, this anthemic new single is one you’ll frankly not be able to get enough of, mesmerised by Calliope’s every ebbing and flowing fluctuation.

With a sound that keeps you on the edge, Calliope tells an equally enthralling story filled with passion and lustful desires, exploring her sapphic desires and embracing something new. As a tenderness opens up the release, Calliope sings ‘lay in the dark, she’s kissing me softly’, a gentle love lingering between them and yet a desperation seeping through the cracks too. Connecting her and her lover to an array of spiritual and religious references, Calliope writes ‘her and I are something more than spiritual’ , emphasising the ethereality of what they share, a spark between them that could only be given by a higher power. Further elaborating ‘heaven just sent me an angel to my face’ , it’s intriguing to hear how much of her LGBTQ+ journey explores these religious nudges when many use it as an excuse to discriminate, yet Calliope almost rewrites the narrative all for herself. Determined to re-shape views and appreciate her lover in a way that compares their intertwining as a divine experience, she sings ‘I’m feeling holy’ , caught up on nothing more than her emotions and her willingness to express them freely. As she went through her own journey of self-discovery in her sexuality, further lyrics like ‘it feels so right, to be her tiny dancer’ really express the way it has completed her to be wholeheartedly herself, finding a solace in that truth. For many still discovering themselves and their preferences, Calliope is here to remind you that it’s perfectly okay to love whoever you want or simply be curious of something more - you’ll be happiest as your true self.

Check out ‘Her and I’ for yourself here to dance along to Calliope’s gorgeous songwriting and genre-blending soundscape!

Written by: Tatiana Whybrow

Photo Credits: Unknown

// This coverage was created via Musosoup, #SustainableCurator.

07.04.2022

I’ve wanted to write about my personal experience with exploring Virgo north node in 12th house. I’ve always been very confused about this particular placement and I know many people are confused about 12th house themes in general. But I feel that I have been making some progress with my own journey so I wanted to document it!

Virgo north node in 12th house is a tricky placement because the usual advice given to a Virgo north node person will be to ground yourself, build a routine, and live your life in a more organized way. It is about service, but a more productive type of service that doesn’t influence your own health and well-being negatively. That all sounds nice and dandy, but if your north node is in 12th house, even while pushing yourself to live this lifestyle (which is frankly quite unnatural to you, with Pisces south node, you are used to living in the world of your imagination and giving yourself too fully) you will find yourself dissatisfied.

The 12th house themes are restriction, isolation, illusion, escapism, contemplation, hidden enemies, etc. When put that way it seems pretty bad. But with south node in Pisces, those themes are probably already well known to you, might even feel comfortable, considering 12th house is the sign of Pisces and they share some characteristics. Though the north node house is the theme of your life’s purpose, the sign is actually the way you are going about exploring these themes. And being organized, healthy and serving in areas of the 12th house seems pretty tricky. I’ve read about many possible configurations. Many people might end up working in psychology, some type of nursing, even prisons? But some people might also become artists or spiritualists since 12th house also rules creativity and spirituality.

Creativity might seem like more of a 5th house thing, and spiritualism is connected to 9th house. I would even say the 8th house is close, considering the occult theme. But 12th does it allll differently. Its creativity is fueled by contemplation, isolation, and the nitty-gritty shadowy aspects of the artist. Meanwhile, its spiritualism seems to me to be less about chasing the knowledge outside of yourself or building a belief system, and more about a very personal and intimate connection to something bigger than you. It leaves you with a sense of discomfort, the knowledge doesn’t soothe, and the words of gurus don’t quite resonate. Nothing quite scratched the itch and it kind of leaves you feeling isolated. It seems that the answer is within you, and sometimes the efforts to do that seem like they bring more questions rather than answers. 12th house doesn’t even give you the satisfaction of a fiery, dramatic transformation like the 8th house does. To use a Fishy metaphor, it feels like the depths of an ocean look from the photos. Incredible and breathtaking, but the thought of actually being so deep brings discomfort.

AAAND with the Virgo north node you should also make this feeling a healthy routine!!! Like, someone please pat my head because that stuff is so har and I’m doing my best haha. Btw. thank you for reading this far in! Feel free to share your own north node journey, or just chime in with your own understanding of the 12th house! I’m still exploring how these themes actually manifest in my own life, so I wonder how they do for other people!

You know, I just thought about the way Charles Williams didn’t like country life and slowness, and preferred the city and its speed and needed to have many people around him. And I think that is the point where he essentially differs from Elizabeth Goudge, who loved the country, and quiet, and, if not solitude, then certainly the absence of a mass of people. (Interestingly, they both had their problems with Oxford for opposite reasons – while both liked it from a historical point of view, Williams found it too rural and plain, whereas Goudge found it stressful and frightened of her social obligations.)

I say this, because their writing is, in many ways strikingly similar. Not in the sense that it resembles each other, but that it is written from a very similar way of thinking, a connected theology, or a matching, though differently animated spirituality.

This is not a new thought – Goudge and Williams are (for two rather obscure writers) fairly often compared to each other, though usually in passing. It’s also obvious that if you skim their books without thinking much about them, you won’t find them similar at all: Williams’ books are comparably dark, very quick, and not very descriptive, whereas Goudge’s books are picturesque, quiet, and very detailed.

But I wonder if that is, rather than contrary, complementary. It is not that they wrote books with some similar themes in stylistically different guises, but rather that the way they, as persons, worked, and felt, and believed, greatly affected the way they used at times similar, overlapping or connected themes and thoughts in their fiction, which brought out different aspects altogether. Because... because it’s not just a matter of taste of lifestyle that only affects style and prose, etc. It’s rather that the way they saw the world, the way they saw Creation, and Love, and Mercy, differed in the question where they saw it, which in turn changed how they saw it, and how they approached ideas that are related, but not only portrayed differently but truly changed through their focus, and their natural place in the world.

One man’s sheet of paper might be another woman’s flower. What I mean is, traffic can be birdsong for some people, and a moor can be a study. But the noise of people’s voices as well as of their thoughts and feelings, and solitude, and nature, and bustle, and quiet work, all belong together, but people respond differently to them, and through that things respond differently to people, resulting in a much more nuanced and diverse way of approaching the same basic concepts, and through this offering more and more glimpses at Truth in different ways for all people, like a great mosaic or puzzle, with some times matching especially well, because they lay side by side, while still remaining different, as different tiles. And that is part of the great beauty of it.

And maybe Williams and Goudge has matching pieces in different colours or different shapes... matching, as in fitting, not as in looking the same. And that is how the similar aspects of their books respond to each other, rather than tell a few of the same concepts in a “gritty” and a “sweet” manner.

Greetings. I’m A. How does Loki feel about me? Thank you 😊

Hello A, Welcome to Hawthorne House.

The King of Pentacles (left), the Two of Wands (center), and Death (right). From these cards, Loki, ever mischievous, seems to be asking what it is you really want with you life. Or what you want out of it. You are at or are being presented with a crossroads, a point of decision. "How ambitious are you really?" Sometimes great wisdom comes from a grand ending, an "everything up in flames" kind of energy. In fact, while usually I associate the King of Pentacles with staying the path, staying focused, and doing what works again and again (as in you've found what works for you and you continue to do that), with this combination of cards it almost feels as though you are being asked to reassess. "Is this really working for you? Is the daily grind really how you want to focus your time?" That's not to say you need to up and quit your job all of a sudden or walk out of a certain situation without any planning ahead. It's important to use discernment and decide what is best for you. But I'm very much getting the impression that while yes, the things you are doing are working, they are getting you ahead bit by bit, they may not be your Key. The thing or way or road that will lead you where you want to go "as the crow flies" (in a straight line) instead of zigzagging through an already forged path you may need to step outside of your comfort zone and try new ways. This could be work related situation with the King of Pentacles or life related. With the two of wands it could even be a spiritual crossroads in this case, maybe you work with other spirits or deities and that's being going pretty well for you but if these cards are anything to go by Loki seems to think he can do it better. Or that there is a better way rather that he is trying to open up for you or trying to get you to see so to speak.

As a reader, trying to decipher what the gods think of another person is a tricky question. Wording is important when you ask about things like this because honestly you never know what you'll get back with them. Especially with an energy like Loki's. I've worked with the Norse god quite closely over the years though so I don't take his sometimes gritty or teasing tone to heart. It seems, as he does, he's asking bigger questions but not necessarily giving you a place to look for the solution. I'm getting, "You're ambitious but you're stuck in a rut." With the Whip specifically this is all about repeating cycles or activities. Doing the same thing over and over again. "It's not called the definition of insanity for nothing." The whip coupled with the sickle is a very direct statement in this case. You are being asked to cut ties/separate/end a repetitive cycle and the gentleman in the middle suggests to me at least that it's Loki doing the asking. I want to make note that in your situation particularly I'm getting this feeling that, just because it's a repetitive cycle doesn't mean it's not working in some way. If this is a job you're in for example, you're still making money, you may even still be eligible for promotion and getting ahead but I'm getting "there is a better way". Maybe not faster. Maybe not easier necessarily. But almost more profitable or fulfilling or "correct" for you and your circumstances. And in this reading you are being asked to take a look at what you are doing currently and ask yourself "Is this getting me where I want to go at the rate I want to be going or in the best way possible for me." If this is spiritually it might be time to look at a different way of doing your practice or how you connect with the spiritual. You may see that there's a path you didn't notice before, an opening in the underbrush that isn't a shortcut or very well traveled but has just what you need to help get you to where you are going. This is all I have for you for now. I do hope this reading was interesting, helpful, or affirming to you in some way. Thank you for taking the time to visit us here, at Hawthorne House. Yours, Aria

What do you think is making the dark knight trilogy a much more memorable film than the marvel films? Even after all these years, people still look back and praise those films.

The story: Every film has a story, but only few have a soul.  No comic or superhero film had really been as grounded in the real world as much as what The Dark Knight trilogy did.  The films was like a crime drama with interconnected numerous different action movie sub-genres; thrillers, crime films, heist movies, psychological thrillers, detective stories, and still somehow managed to respect them all and take their central plot conceits seriously and above all else, it’s main character Batman himself.  Batman works together with the police and DA Harvey Dent but it doesn’t feel like comic book schlock or character fan-service; it feels like a gritty cop story.  So much so that audiences were shocked when Dent became his villainous disfigured alter-ego.  You wouldn’t expect an important character from Lethal Weapon or Die Hard to become partially disfigured and lose his mind and wreak havoc on an already terrorized city.

This is why I’m super stoked about Matt Reeves’ upcoming Batman because he promised a neo-noir detective story.  Batman’s detective skills are generally unexplored or neglected in live action films so I really appreciate that the new  Batman movie is going the Sherlock Holmes route.  

Marvel is more about “stand back and be in awe of my action sequences''. That’s not a way to tell a story for contemporary pop culture heroes.

The legacy: So back to Nolen’s Dark Knight, the script and dialogue were quite human and the trilogy showed the personal side of Bruce Wayne without idolising him as a God while turning Batman’s ideals into a legend.  Nolen does not try to portray moments or creates scenes to show that Batman “demands” respect, rather, Bruce’s actions and his choices throughout the series evokes respect from us.   

The villians: Now we get to a point which typically makes or breaks a good action flick; the villain.  Just like Batman, the villains of the trilogy are also mortal human beings and their fight with Batman is philosophical.  The first villain  Ras Al Ghul was actually Bruce's mentor and when we got a look into the League of Shadows, we saw how easy it is to be corrupt.   

The Joker is the ultimate antagonist for Batman who believes that deep down everyone is good and innocent and Joker asks what's the meaning of innocence if it can be bought, it can be changed and even challenged.  Joker believes that even those people who are the best can be brought down to being ugly.  Most of the time Joker just gives choices to people and lets them decide.

Bane was the weakest villain because his and Talia’s motivations are not fleshed out enough to really discuss, and they don’t really make you think.   Nonetheless Bane was a good character because of his spiritual connection with Talia.  When Talia was born in prison, Bane found his purpose and a reason to live by protecting her. Bane never actually escaped from prison because he spiritually has not been able to rise above it and is still in prison.  Talia is a constant representation of hope out of darkness for Bane.  As long as he helps her, he is spiritually outside of that prison.  

Special effects:  The Dark Knight trilogy was shot on old-school production equipment with minimal CGI, yet it conveyed a lot in the shortest scenes. There’s depth in each and every scene in the films, something that I find missing from a lot of films in the MCU. There’s tons of CGI for a simple plot in the MCU and DCEU.

In your opinion, would Kevin Hayes qualify as queer for clearly wanting to fuck Gritty

"clearly waning to fuck gritty"

incorrect.

"clearly wanting to be fucked BY gritty"

better

"clearly wanting an experience which is whilst technically sexual in nature emotionally feels more like a deep sexual and spiritual connection between the two of them with gritty"

yes.

AS FOR DOES HE QUALIFY AS QUEER? I think it entirely depends on a. what Gritty's gender identity is. b. What KEVIN'S gender identity is.

Kevin identifies as straight in GC verse though, but he's swayed by Beezer's "homiesexual" because he does love the homies.

Lucky 3

I feel so surreal right now. I slowly but surely grew to love a close and dear friend of mine. Both of us parents, we share secrets and struggles and laughs and tears and do the best we can at being authentic and Rais our babies to the best of our ability. Became close friends with her husband as well. He is a good man with a huge heart of gold who swept us up into his family and protects us like it's second nature. He's great with his kids and mine. And over time all of us getting closer and closer and spending more and more time together.......we have now all 3 of us come to the realization that we are becoming more than JUST friends. Its a connection that is growing deeper and stronger and brighter. And its......an absolute dream come true honestly. I finally feel like I have help raising my tiny unconventional family. And all of us are learning a new level of communication. Learning to open up deeper and getting down to the nitty gritty uncomfortable truths that come with being human. Relearning how to balance love and trust and faith and spirituality. Letting go of what we thought we knew about "rules" and opening up to a love like I've never known. This is everything I've ever wanted and never thought possible. I finally feel free. There's a lot left to learn here as we are just in the beginning, but I KNOW this is the beginning of something absolutely epic. How did I become the luckiest girl in the world?