#5 rituals that predict success

[retouraffectifbocofagla]

Les outils de la Magie Blanche

Les outils de la Magie Si vous désirez poursuivre votre route sur le chemin de la Magie Blanche, vous devrez investir pour un matériel conséquent. Si vous êtes déjà une Sorcière, un Sorcier, confirmé(e), vous avez déjà tous vos outils. Mais rassurez-vous, si vous débutez dans ce domaine merveilleux, vous pourrez pratiquer vos rituels avec des objets du quotidien, de préférence neufs, ou au moins…

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2021.2474

Men are less religious in more gender-equal countries

By: Jordan W. Moon, Adam E. Tratner and Melissa M. McDonald

Published: Feb 2, 2022

Abstract

Sex differences in religiosity are cross-culturally common and robust, yet it is unclear why sex differences in some cultures are larger than in others. Although women are more religious than men in most countries, religions frequently provide asymmetrical benefits to men at the expense of women. Two global analyses (51 countries and 74 countries) found that country-level gender equality was consistently and negatively associated with religiousness (i.e. religious attendance, reported importance of God and frequency of prayer) for men, more than for women, leading to a larger sex difference in religiousness in more gender-equal countries. Results were especially robust for religious attendance, and hold accounting for country-level wealth, as well as individuals' religious affiliation, the moralization of sexuality, age and education level. We interpret results through a rational choice lens, which assumes that people are more drawn to religion when it is consistent with their reproductive goals.

Men are less religious in more gender-equal countries

Sex differences in religiosity represent one of the most consistent findings in the psychology of religion, and are often described as nearly universal [1,2]. Some researchers have suggested that women (versus men) are more prone to religious beliefs because they have a greater propensity for mentalizing (the ability to reason about and represent others' minds) [3], decreased risk tolerance [4] and greater empathic concern [5]—all of which are associated with greater religious belief. Yet women are not always more religious—in some cultures, these differences are minimal or even reversed [6–8]. As of yet, it is unclear why there is cultural variation in sex differences in religiosity.

We draw on the rational choice model of religious engagement, which suggests that people adopt religious beliefs and practices depending on whether their goals are congruent with religious lifestyles [9,10]. We also take a functional approach, based on the premises that religious beliefs and practices are sensitive to context or ‘facts on the ground’ [11,12]. That is, rather than providing only symbolic benefits or comfort, many religious beliefs and rituals may be tools that developed through cultural evolution because they promote reproductive success.

In particular, religions seem closely linked to the control of reproductive behaviour. Most religions impose rules about sexuality and sex roles—who can have sex and with whom, who cares for children and how families are structured [12]. One of the most consistent correlates of religiousness worldwide is an opposition to sexual promiscuity (i.e. restricted sociosexuality [13,14]). A rational choice approach might predict that people who prefer high-investment, long-term, monogamous mating strategies will be drawn to religion precisely because it seeks to make sexual promiscuity more costly though anti-promiscuity norms and punishment [9,15,16]. None of this is to suggest that religion is necessary to control others' sexual behaviour, but that supernatural enforcement is one of several cultural tools of social control—one that is particularly powerful [17].

There is indeed evidence that religious norms and practices can affect several life-history trade-offs [18]. All organisms must choose how to allocate energy into growth, somatic maintenance and reproduction—taken holistically, there is a fitness trade-off between future and current reproduction [19]. This can be conceptualized as spanning three fundamental trade-offs: current versus future reproduction, quality versus quantity of offspring and mating versus parenting effort [20]. To the extent that religions increase paternal certainty [21,22], they can increase the incentives for men to invest in parenting [23,24]. There is also a trade-off between offspring quality and quantity, such that greater numbers of offspring are generally associated with less investment in each child [25]. This trade-off seems to be less steep among religious individuals, however, probably as a result of increased biparental care and alloparenting, in which parents, extended relatives and non-relatives provide care and resources for offspring [26,27]. Thus, religion can be especially appealing to individuals following these high-investment mating strategies, whereas people who seek sexual promiscuity may benefit more from eschewing religion.

What are the benefits of religion for women? Women invest more in offspring than men (e.g. nine months of pregnancy as well as time spent in child care), and are more discriminating in selecting mates [28,29]. Mate choice is the best way for women to advance their reproductive fitness; the regulation of monogamy that religion often affords protects that choice by incentivizing their partner to invest in their relationship and offspring. Indeed, because some males are more sought after as mates than others, these high-quality males have higher reproductive rates than females, and benefit from minimizing their investment across many offspring [30]. One straightforward benefit of religion for women, then, is it can prevent the desertion of high-value mates. That is, religious norms make it more costly for men to abandon their current mates or offspring by imposing sanctions or social pressure. This is especially true for religions that promote normative monogamy, which causes a more equitable distribution of mates [31]. In sum, women tend to be more interested in long-term exclusive relationships than men [28], and religion might appeal to them for this reason. This seems to partially explain sex differences in religiosity: some analyses have found that sex differences in religiosity disappear or are reduced when accounting for sociosexual attitudes [16].

However, religious norms often go beyond simply prohibiting promiscuity, and many religious practices seem to benefit men at the expense of women. This asymmetry can take several forms. Women may be blamed for their own rape [32] and held responsible for the sexual misconduct of men (e.g. through rules about modesty). Specific religious rituals or taboos may also benefit men at the expense of women—several scholars have outlined how veiling seems more consistent with male (versus female) interests, for instance as a tool for mate guarding [33–36]. Further, some rituals seem designed specifically to suppress female sexuality. Among the Dogon of Mali, the indigenous religion promotes menstrual taboos, which includes women being exiled in uncomfortable menstrual huts. Use of these huts (e.g. after a woman's most recent childbirth) sends an honest signal that a woman is fertile, leading husbands and their families to engage in precautions to avoid cuckoldry (e.g. postmenstrual copulation). Genetic data reveal that men who practice the traditional religion, as opposed to other religions (e.g. Christianity), have significantly lower risk of cuckoldry [21].1

For men in particular, these religious benefits might depend on context. The extent to which women and men share equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities in society (i.e. gender equality) may alter the incentives for men and women to engage with religious beliefs and practices. In cultures with less gender equality, the subjugation of women to advance men's interests might be more acceptable—and women may also be less empowered to prevent their oppression. Thus, in these countries, religion might be more useful to men as a tool of social influence. By contrast, in more gender-equal cultures that discourage restrictive religious practices for women, religion may afford fewer reproductive benefits to men because they cannot impose social control over women, and thus religion is less appealing.

Consistent with this notion, we hypothesized that gender equality would interact with sex, such that sex differences in religiousness (i.e. women being more religious than men) would be larger in more gender-equal countries. We were agnostic about what would drive this effect, only that the relationship between gender-equity and religiousness would be more negative for men than it is for women. We note, however, that many wealthy countries tend to have greater gender equality and are often more secular [41], so it would be surprising to find a positive slope for either men or women.

Our hypothesis was derived by considering several recent findings documenting a ‘gender equality paradox’—in more egalitarian societies, sex differences are often larger. This pattern has been found with sex differences in personality [42,43], moral judgements [44], career choice [45,46] and a variety of aesthetic preferences [47]. This pattern is perceived as paradoxical, as many people would intuit that gender equality would reduce inequalities or allow boys and girls to be socialized in ways that result in greater similarity. A common explanation is that egalitarian societies allow individuals to make their own decisions with fewer institutional barriers and less regard for what others might think. Rather than leading to the same outcomes for men and women, it allows them to express their diverging preferences, thereby resulting in greater sex differences [47–49].

Sex differences in religiousness may follow a similar pattern. In societies with less gender equality, men may be better able to derive reproductive benefits from religion, resulting in higher religiousness among men. For women, however, the benefits of religious behaviour may be less dependent on the cultural context; for instance, religious groups tend to provide more frequent alloparenting, and this might be the case regardless of a society's gender equality; in fact, the benefits of alloparenting could be even larger in more egalitarian societies, where people are less embedded in kin networks that might otherwise engage in alloparenting [26]. That is to say, because women can acquire substantial reproductive benefits from religious involvement, there may be greater incentive for women (compared to men) to be religious, particularly in societies that have achieved greater gender equality (figure 1).

[ Figure 1. Global Gender Gap Index (2018) scores by country [50]. Higher scores (darker colours) indicate greater gender equality. Countries with no data are in grey. Figure created using the rworldmap package [51]. (Online version in colour.) ]

[..]

Discussion

These data show that gender equality across cultures consistently and negatively predicts religious belief and behaviour among men, but the effect is small and inconsistent for women. This interaction between gender equality and participant sex holds in most of the models we ran, even when accounting for the clustering of countries within sub-regions, the religious denominations of participants, sociosexuality, age, education and country-level wealth.

The results were particularly strong with religious attendance as an outcome; in all such models there was a consistent negative relationship between gender equality and religious attendance for men, but no effect for women. We suggest that religious attendance (versus private religious behaviour or belief) is the outcome most relevant to our hypothesis. That is, it is attendance and overt participation that we would expect to be associated with the reproductive outcomes of interest. Overt religious participation may allow men to more easily monitor women, police sexual behaviour or to signal their value as a mate via religious commitment.

In addition, the focal results were driven by gender equality in education and economic participation, but not political power or health/survival. These results could be consistent with the view of religion as a ‘costly signal’ to indicate qualities such as trustworthiness, dedication to one's family or even simply dedication to one's group [7,37–39,62–64]; gender equality might also influence the payoffs of using religion as a costly signal. For instance, there is some evidence that women's economic dependence on men—which makes paternal certainty more critical—facilitates moralization of promiscuity [65]. It follows, then, that women who are dependent on men (i.e. when gender equality is low) may prioritize signals of paternal investment and long-term commitment; this could, in turn, incentivise men in these societies to use religion as a signal of their willingness to invest in their offspring [7,39].

One could also predict the same pattern by considering other functions of religion. For example, religion fosters cooperation and ingroup cohesion [66,67] and can help people manage their existential insecurities [41]. Indeed, religions are especially attractive to people after facing mortal threats, such as intergroup conflict [68]. One alternative explanation, then, could be that countries that have achieved greater gender equality face fewer threats that require male coalitional coordination (e.g. warfare); therefore, people (particularly men) in these countries are less likely to view religion as necessary. We reiterate, however, that our analyses are unable to reveal the mechanism behind the observed effects, or to adjudicate between alternative explanations.

Our hypothesis stems from a rational choice perspective on religion [9], suggesting that engagement in religious behaviours and beliefs might stem partly from the reproductive benefits people acquire from them [9,16,18]. Because religions often involve costly behaviour [69,70], one should expect religious engagement to be more likely when the benefits outweigh the costs. If indeed one of the functions of religion is reproductive support that often favours men over women, and if the manipulation of women in such ways (e.g. through modesty norms or proscribing sexual promiscuity) is less accepted in more gender-equal societies, the costs may outweigh the benefits for men in these societies, resulting in lower religiousness among men.

[paperanddice]

Psoglavs are unnerving looking creatures, even among other demons. Standing on average over 10 feet tall, their head is dog-like with a single eye in the center of its face and a metal jaw. Often they wear helmets that fully encase their head, though some lack this feature. The skin on their torso is a raw read, and they have bat like wings, a studded tail, and horse legs. Unlike many demons their claws are weak, but their metal jaws make up for that as a deadly weapon.

These demons are forged from raw Abyssal material by more powerful demons, and due to this artificial nature they tend to be more loyal and controllable than other demons. This doesn't make them safe to summon, just easier to predict, but relying too heavily on that can cause a summoner to lower their guard at the wrong moment. Psoglavs hate light, though they can function within it without issue if necessary. They will always remain within shadows and darkness whenever possible however.

This affinity for shadows extends to their key feature, the ability to emit a beam from their eye that can knock a creature off of its shadow. The abandoned shadow is placed under the psoglav's control, and it always tries to ensure the death of the shadow's original owner so that the psoglav can retain it forever as a minion. Or, at least as long as possible before its more chaotic impulses cause it to be careless with its minion and the shadow gets destroyed. Some say that the psoglav's shadow minions can control the body of their original owner upon death, but such silly and superstitious rumors should never be trusted.

Inspired by the Tome of Beasts 1. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as access to my premade adventures and other material I’m working on, consider backing me there!

Pathfinder 2e

Psoglav (Shadow Bonded Demon) Creature 7 Large, Demon, Fiend, Unholy Perception +15; darkvision Languages Abyssal, Common, Telepathy 100 feet Skills Acrobatics +14, Athletics +15, Intimidation +12, Stealth +15 Str +5, Dex +6, Con +5, Int +3, Wis +4, Cha +3 AC 27; Fort +14, Ref +15, Will +13; +1 status to all saves vs. magic HP 130; Weaknesses cold iron 10, holy 10 Creation Vulnerability The psoglav is linked to its shadow spawn. Each time a shadow spawn created by Shadow Ray is destroyed, the psoglav takes 3d6 mental damage. Speed 35 feet, fly 60 feet Melee jaws +16 (magical, unholy), Damage 2d10+9 piercing Divine Innate Spells DC 23 ; 5th translocate; 4th invisibility, translocate (at will); Divine Rituals DC 23; demonic pact Shadow Ray [1 action] (divine, necromancy, shadow) The psoglav emits a beam from its single eye, targeting one creature within 60 feet of it. The target must attempt a DC 25 Reflex save. The psoglav can't use Shadow Ray again for 1d4 rounds. Critical Success The creature is unaffected Success The creature is pushed 10 feet directly away from the psoglav. Failure The creature is pushed 20 feet directly away from the psoglav and becomes drained 1. Critical Failure The creature is pushed 20 feet directly away from the psoglav, becomes drained 2, and leaves its shadow in the spot it started. Its shadow is transformed into a shadow spawn. The shadow spawn is under the control of the psoglav. It doesn't have Shadow Spawn or Steal Shadow as long as it is a shadow spawn. The shadow spawn survives for 1d12 days, during which the creature has no shadow. Once the shadow spawn dies, the creature's shadow returns. If the original creature dies, the shadow spawn becomes a full-fledged shadow, gains Steal Shadow, but is still under the control of the psoglav. The target becomes temporarily immune to having its shadow stolen for 24 hours, even if it regains its shadow during that time, but can still be affected by the rest of Shadow Ray's abilities.

13th Age

Psoglav  4th level leader [demon]  Initiative: +7 Metal Jaws +9 vs. AC - 12 damage. C: Shadow Stealing Ray +9 vs. PD (one nearby enemy) - 5 negative energy damage, the target pops free from all enemies, a shadow spawn is created where the creature was (see below), and the target is immune to shadow stealing ray for the rest of the battle. The shadow spawn follows the psoglav’s orders and enters the initiative order after the next two creatures have taken their turns. See shadow spawn stats at end of this entry. Limited Use: The psoglav can use this ability only when the escalation die is even. Flight. Shadow Door: 2/battle (not two turns in a row), as a move action, the psoglav can teleport to a nearby location. AC 20 PD 18 MD 17 HP 54 Level 3 Shadow Spawn  Strength Stealing Touch +8 vs. PD - 7 negative energy damage. Natural 16+: The target is also weakened until the end of the shadow spawn’s next turn. Steal Shadow: If the shadow spawn reduces an enemy to 0 hit points, it creates a new shadow spawn at full hit points. It follows the same rules for shadows created by shadow stealing ray. Shadow Resistance: The shadow spawn has resist damage 14+ to all damage except holy and force damage. AC 17 PD 19 MD 15 HP 15

[bestastrologyservices]

The Hidden Power of Ashlesha Nakshatra in Astrology

1. Introduction

The cosmic domain is split into 27 parts, known as Nakshatras in Vedic astrology. These Nakshatras have great importance and affect many facets of a person's life. Of them, Ashlesha Nakshatra has a special, frequently enigmatic potency.

2. Mythological Significance

Ashlesha Nakshatra is connected to the serpent god Vasuki in Hindu mythology. This Nakshatra is thought to have a close relationship with the energy of the serpent and to represent metamorphosis, wisdom, and healing.

3. Characteristics of Ashlesha Nakshatra

Personality Traits

Ashlesha Nakshatra sign natives are renowned for their sharp minds, sly demeanors, and profound emotional range. They have an inherent charm that entices people to be around them..

Strengths and Weaknesses

Natives of Ashlesha are strong because of their intuitive insights and capacity to adjust to shifting conditions. They might, nevertheless, also experience emotional instability and a propensity for manipulation.

4. Career Paths and Professions

Those born under Ashlesha Nakshatra frequently succeed in professions requiring a strong sense of intuition and analytical abilities. They are particularly successful in the healing arts, esoteric sciences, psychology, and research.

5. Love and Relationships

Ashlesha people are incredibly passionate and loyal partners in relationships. Nonetheless, their strong feelings can occasionally result in jealousy and possessiveness, necessitating tolerance from their partners.

6. Health and Well-being

Natives of Ashlesha may experience digestive and reproductive system problems. They must have well-balanced lives and learn how to properly handle stress.

7. Financial Outlook

Ashlesha people are drawn to chances involving financial change by nature. By making intelligent decisions and making wise investments, they have the ability to amass money.

8. Compatibility with Other Nakshatras

Hasta and Rohini nakshatras work well with Ashlesha nakshatra. Mutual understanding and harmonious relationships are frequently the outcome of these pairings.

9. Remedies for Negative Influence

Rituals include wearing jewels, chanting mantras, and practicing meditation can help people lessen the harmful impacts of Ashlesha Nakshatra.

10. Celebrities Born under Ashlesha Nakshatra

Ashlesha Nakshatra is associated with a number of well-known spiritual leaders, healers, and creative thinkers who have had a profound impact on society.

11. Rituals and Practices

Ashlesha Nakshatra is linked with a number of rituals and practices that are meant to help one harness its transforming energy and seek blessings for their well-being and personal development.

12. Astrological Predictions

Ashlesha Nakshatra is frequently used by astrologers to forecast significant life events, professional turning points, and interpersonal dynamics for those born under its influence.

13. Harnessing the Power of Ashlesha Nakshatra

Through embracing Ashlesha Nakshatra's attributes and energies, people can develop their intuitive insight, experience personal transformation, and meet obstacles head-on with grace and resiliency.

14. Conclusion

With its rich symbolism and transforming energy, Ashlesha Nakshatra provides significant insights into both the cosmic order and the human psyche. People might find their latent potential and set off on a voyage of self-discovery and spiritual progress by comprehending its influence.

15. FAQs

Q1: Can Ashlesha Nakshatra individuals be overly secretive?

A1:Indeed, because Ashlesha people are naturally inclined toward solitude and reflection, they may display secretive tendencies.

Q2: What gemstones are recommended for Ashlesha Nakshatra?

A2: The energy of Ashlesha Nakshatra can be balanced by gemstones like moonstone and pearl.

Q3: How can one strengthen their intuitive abilities associated with Ashlesha Nakshatra?

A3: For Ashlesha people, practicing mindfulness, meditation, and introspective activities can improve their intuitive insights.

Q4: Are there specific rituals for appeasing the serpent energy of Ashlesha Nakshatra?

A4: Absolutely, in order to please the serpent deity connected to Ashlesha Nakshatra, rituals including making sacrifices to snakes, reciting mantras, and keeping fasts on particular days are advised.

Q5: Is Ashlesha Nakshatra considered auspicious for starting new ventures?

A5:Ashlesha Nakshatra is seen to be a good time to start transformative initiatives and go on self-discovery excursions.

[handsofabitterman]

Buffy Rewatch 2k22

5.22 The Gift

Overall: 5/5

Thoughts:

Omg discord between Buffy and Giles about what may or may not be necessary 😮 Giles you know Buffy and what she is capable of, but you also know if she is drawing a line it is a real line.

Of course Xander and Anya having inappropriate sex. What a surprise. Leading in to the inappropriately timed proposal.

I love how much has changed between Buffy and Spike in such a short time. Buffy has forgotten that they performed the ritual to keep Spike out and he can’t enter her house. And that Spike is also 100% willing to let Buffy keep her boundaries and stay outside if that is what she wants.

And of course they are successful in delaying Glory enough, but no one predicted the random demon dude who also somehow wants to open the portal. And they try to stop him too, but apparently that isn’t enough.

Oh Giles, you know it’s her compassion that has made her so good. And her compassion for a human life even if it’s also Glory’s life. And you kill Ben for her to stop Glory forever. Don’t think it’s what Buffy would want but maybe it’s what she needs.

I can’t with the arc of Death Is Your Gift 😭😭😭

[georgemark099]

Advantages of Choosing Bedtime Story Books for Toddlers

Choosing bedtime storybooks for toddlers offers a multitude of advantages that extend beyond simple entertainment. These nightly rituals of reading aloud to young children provide numerous developmental benefits that contribute to their growth and well-being. Let's delve into the advantages of choosing bedtime storybooks for toddlers and how they positively impact various aspects of their development.

1. Language Development

Bedtime storybooks play a pivotal role in fostering language development in toddlers. Through exposure to a wide range of vocabulary, sentence structures, and storytelling techniques, toddlers expand their language skills and comprehension abilities. As parents or caregivers read aloud, toddlers absorb new words and concepts, laying the foundation for strong communication skills and literacy development in the years to come.

2. Cognitive Skills

Engaging with bedtime storybooks stimulates toddlers' cognitive development in multiple ways. As they follow along with the narrative, toddlers exercise their memory and attention span, enhancing their ability to focus and retain information. Additionally, interpreting characters' emotions, predicting outcomes, and making connections between events in the story promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for academic success and lifelong learning.

3. Imagination and Creativity

Bedtime storybooks ignite toddlers' imaginations and fuel their creativity. The vivid illustrations and imaginative narratives transport them to magical worlds, far-off lands, and fantastical adventures where anything is possible. Through imaginative play and storytelling, toddlers develop a rich inner world, explore new ideas, and express themselves creatively, laying the groundwork for a lifelong love of creativity and self-expression.

4. Emotional Intelligence

Stories in bedtime story books often explore themes of friendship, kindness, empathy, and resilience, providing toddlers with valuable lessons in emotional intelligence. As they identify with characters' emotions, toddlers learn to recognize and regulate their own feelings, empathize with others, and navigate social interactions with compassion and empathy. These early experiences with emotional literacy lay the foundation for healthy relationships and emotional well-being in childhood and beyond.

5. Bonding and Attachment

Reading bedtime storybooks creates cherished moments of bonding and attachment between toddlers and their parents or caregivers. Snuggled up together, sharing stories and laughter, families forge deep connections that strengthen their relationships and provide a sense of security and belonging. These intimate moments of shared storytelling foster a deep bond of trust and affection, creating lasting memories that toddlers will carry with them throughout their lives.

6. Sleep Routine and Relaxation

Incorporating bedtime storybooks into a nightly routine helps toddlers unwind and prepare for sleep. The calming ritual of reading before bed signals to toddlers that it's time to wind down and transition from the busyness of the day to a state of relaxation. By associating reading with bedtime, toddlers develop positive sleep associations and establish healthy sleep habits that promote restful sleep and overall well-being.

Conclusion

Choosing bedtime storybooks for toddlers offers a wealth of benefits that support their development and well-being in multiple areas. From language and cognitive skills to imagination, emotional intelligence, and love of learning, bedtime storybooks provide toddlers with invaluable experiences that shape their growth and enrich their lives. By making reading a cherished part of their nightly routine, parents and caregivers lay the foundation for a lifelong love of reading and a bright future filled with curiosity, creativity, and endless possibilities.

[astrobysadhak]

Best Astrologer for Love Marriage

Best Astrologer for Love Marriage

Unlocking the Secrets of Love Marriage with Astrologer Sadhak Guruprasadji

Love is a divine connection that transcends time and space, and when it blossoms into marriage, it brings unparalleled joy and fulfillment. However, the journey to a successful love marriage can be filled with challenges and uncertainties. This is where the ancient wisdom of astrology can provide valuable guidance and insights.

Astrologer Sadhak Guruprasadji, a revered name in the field of astrology, brings his profound knowledge and experience to help couples navigate the intricate path of love marriage. With decades of expertise, Guruprasadji has helped countless individuals understand their relationships better and achieve harmony in their love lives.

In this blog, Guruprasadji delves into the fascinating world of love marriage astrology, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of:

1. Astrological Compatibility

Discover how the alignment of stars and planets at the time of your birth influences your compatibility with your partner. Learn about the significance of key astrological elements such as sun signs, moon signs, and ascendants in determining the harmony and balance in your relationship.

2. Planetary Influences

Understand the impact of major planets like Venus, Mars, and Jupiter on your love life. Guruprasadji explains how these celestial bodies govern your emotions, desires, and commitment, and how their positions can predict the potential success of your love marriage.

3. Overcoming Obstacles

Every relationship faces obstacles, but astrology offers remedies and solutions to overcome them. From performing specific rituals to wearing particular gemstones, Guruprasadji provides practical advice to mitigate the negative effects of planetary movements and strengthen your bond.

4. Timing Your Marriage

Astrology can help determine the most auspicious time for your marriage. By analyzing your birth chart and planetary transits, Guruprasadji can guide you to choose the perfect date and time for your union, ensuring a prosperous and joyful married life.

5. Personalized Readings and Consultations

For those seeking personalized advice, Guruprasadji offers detailed astrological readings and consultations. By closely examining your unique astrological chart, he provides tailored guidance that addresses your specific concerns and aspirations.

Embark on a journey of love and destiny with Astrologer Sadhak Guruprasadji. Whether you are already in a relationship or seeking your soulmate, his profound astrological insights will empower you to make informed decisions and embrace the joy of a harmonious love marriage.

Read more on our blog and let the stars illuminate your path to everlasting love.

Contact Us: 9503342236

[retouraffectifbocofagla]

RITUEL MAGIE BLANCHE POUR Ramener l'harmonie dans votre famille

Ramener l’harmonie dans votre famille Roulez une bougie bleue dans des feuilles de menthe sechees, frottez-la avec de l’huile essentielle de menthe en exerçant mouvement de haut en bas. Allumez la bougie et concentrez-vous sur vos proches qui traverse un conflit familial. Puis, sur un morceau de papier blanc, écrivez les noms de vot famille. Prenez une pincée de sel et une de feuilles de…

[libramonthlyhoroscope1]

Dreaming of feathers

Dreaming of feathers is good omen as per dream meaning and interpretation. The dream means success, travel, happiness due to desire fulfillment. It means you will go to a new place and there will be positive outcome.

Dreaming of feathers

It also means you will be traveling a lot in near future. Dreams of feathers scattered all around or blood in it or forcibly removed feathers means accident or trouble during journeys.

Dream of feathers and you see yourself in the dream means you will get invitation from a distant place. It also means profit or happiness due to birds.

Dreaming of feathers and you see other people in it means you will go on trips with people you like.

Dreaming of colorful feathers means new relationship and success in romance matters.

Dream of white feathers means you will achieve mental peace and satisfaction.

Dream of black feathers means spiritual interest and focus on answering philosophical questions.

Monthly Auspicious Days January 2023

Muruga Sashti Fasting - January 27

Ekadasi Fasting - February 1, 2023

Pradosh Fasting - February 2/3

Purnima - Full moon day - February 5, 2023

Sankashti Ganesh Chaturthi Vrat - February 9, 2023

Amavasya - No moon day - February 20, 2023

Hindu Festivals and Fasting Dates in January 2023

Upcoming Hindu Festivals Rituals

Basant Panchami - January 26

Ratha Saptami - January 28

Hindu Festivals In 2023

Hindu calendar 2023 in English And Hindi With Tithi Pdf

Hindu Blog Astrology Predictions 2023

[kalsarppujapandit]

Pooja for Mangal Dosha at trimbakeshwar

It is described in astrology as the placement of Mars, also known as Mangal, in the first, second, fourth, seventh, eighth, and twelfth houses in a person's horoscope chart. Its occurrence in any of these six houses, out of a total of twelve, results in this dosha. Mangliks are those who have this dosha. 

The typical effects of this dosha on married couples include difficulties and strife, which can occasionally result in separation and divorce. Mangal Dosha also predicts financial loss and career difficulties.

Treatments to lessen the negative effects of Mangal dosha 

1. Wedding Between Two Manglik people 

When both couples are Mangliks, this dosha is eliminated. All of its negative consequences are eliminated, allowing the couple to enjoy a blessed and happy marriage. 

2. Vivah Kumbh 

The Kumbh Vivah ritual can be used to counteract the harmful effects of Mangal dosha in marriages where one partner is Manglik. A Manglik person is destined to marry a peepal tree, a silver or gold idol of Lord Vishnu, a banana tree, or a peepal tree, according to Hindu Vedic Astrology.

3. Position of Mars in the sky map

Additionally, according to astrologers, if the first house in a person's horoscope is Aries or Mesh and Mars or Mangal is located.

4. Fasting 

Out of all the treatments, fasting on Tuesdays is also regarded as a successful treatment. Manglik people who fast on this day should only eat toor dal (split pigeon dal).

5. Chanting

On Tuesdays, Mangliks should recite the Navgraha mantra known as the Mangal Mantra. They can also recite the Hanuman Chalisa or the Gayatri mantra 108 times per day.

6. Temple Pujas being performed

Visits to Navgraha temples lessen the negative effects of Mangal Dosha. However, there aren't many temples in India that are specifically dedicated to Lord Mangal.

7. Contributions and offerings

Making contributions on Tuesdays is thought to be therapeutic for Manglik people. Swords or knives, foods composed of red lentil dals (masoor daal), wheat breads, crimson silks, and red stones like corals are among gifts that are thought to be appropriate to offer to Mars. 

8.Gemstones

Wear a golden ring with a vivid red coral on your right ring finger. However, before wearing it, have the horoscope chart properly examined by a reputable astrologer.

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[bella-studyblr]

Task Management:

Creating + Maintaining a Schoolwork Schedule

Key elements

Your schedule suits your individual time/task management preferences.

It is flexible enough to accommodate sudden changes, plus fluctuating energy levels, states of concentration, symptoms and moods.

Daily tasks are not over-whelming; they are small enough that they are achievable.

You do not get “burned out.”

It allows you to be consistent.

Steps to create your schedule

Decide if you want your planner to be paper or digital

Find an “order” that’s logical and achievable for you (more on this later)

Refer to your addendum/syllabus and write down all the assignments, tests and other events taking place that week/month (and their due-dates).

Then break these down, assigning tasks to each day of the week (more on this later).

Break down your tasks even further (more on this later).

Decide if you want to follow a simple daily to-do list or a timed schedule (more on this later).

Find your “order(s)”

Mandatory: Schedule assignments around other commitments (work, social, hobbies, etc.).

Do the hardest task first to get it out of the way (so that the rest of your tasks are less daunting, and because your smaller tasks require less energy therefore can be done even after completing the hard task).

Do the easiest task first to build momentum (give yourself a feeling of accomplishment which will motivate you to continue, and boost your self-confidence early in the day to establish a positive mindset for the rest of the day).

Do the task that’s due first to minimize deadline stress, and so your assignments don’t fall through the cracks (causing you to get discouraged and lose momentum).

Plan according to your energy level throughout the day and week: Do you have Pilates once a week? Maybe you can reserve that day for easier assignments. If you know you’re going to be tired for whatever reason, account for that in your planning.

Consider your state of concentration: If you know you’re too groggy or spaced out for the first hour of your day, you can either schedule easy tasks in that time, or none at all. If you take a medication in the afternoon/evening that makes you tired, schedule easier tasks or none, and get harder tasks done earlier/later in the day. If you have ADHD and crowded places mess with your concentration, but you like studying at a café, go when it’s not busy.

Be mindful of your emotions and symptoms: If you have depression, or are prone to depressive episodes, you’ll need to consider that when scheduling. You might have to rework your entire schedule when you get into a depressive episode (like adding lots of breaks). If suddenly you’re going through a big life event (like a breakup), you need to account for that when scheduling. For instance, if you can’t stand to be alone, maybe you can go out instead of staying in, and if your motivation is low, you may need to up your reward-system or break down your tasks even more.

Break down this week/month’s tasks

Refer to your addendum/syllabus and write down all your due dates for the time period you’re scheduling for.

Based on due dates, outside commitments, predictions of energy/mood/symptoms, assign assignments to the days of the week/month that make most sense for you.

Break down daily tasks into sub-tasks

You can do this (in advance) for your full week/month’s assignments, or do it every morning/evening.

Generally, your assignments will follow a variation of this formula: brainstorm, create an outline, research, write rough draft, edit and revise. Test/exam prep will look something like: check to see what the test is based on, pinpoint important sections, review to see how well you know the material, create a list of items to study, rewrite select notes, make flash cards, study topic 1, study topic 2, etc.

What are the individual components of these steps? Here are some examples. Brainstorm: what should my topic be, what should my thesis be, what points can support my thesis, what do I need to research, what questions do I need to ask my prof? Outline: topic, thesis, points, conclusion. Research: write down all the important parts from each source (separately), then sift through to sort into Supporting Point 1, Supporting Point 2, etc. Rough draft: opening statement(s), intro, point 1, point 2, etc., conclusion, closing statement(s). Edit/revise: read and check for grammar only, then read again and check for spelling only, read again and check for cohesiveness only, etc. Topic 1: Part A, Part B, etc.

Each of these small components can be individual items on your to-do list. Big tasks like, “write essay” are too big for most people. Even “write rough draft” is daunting. If you start with something specific and small like brainstorming, and work your way up, it’s a lot easier to approach. Plus, being able to check off tasks more often and more easily will boost your confidence and your sense of competence, thus building momentum.

Here is a sample to-do list: Research X for Point 1 of Literary Essay, create outline for History Essay, Edit/Revise Assignment 1, study Topic 1 and Topic 2 for Test 1.

To-do list or time-based schedule?

To do list: Write down all your assignments for the day. Put them in the order you want to do them, or go through them intuitively (based on what you feel like doing, or what’s most practical at the time/place you’re at).

Timed-based: Write down all your assignments, then write down the time you’re going to do each of them. You could set reminders or alarms if you want, or simply refer to the list. There’s an awesome app I recommend if this is your thing. It’s called Structured (iOS only).

Curate your study environment for maximum focus

Eliminate distractions such as uncomfortable clothing, sounds (or silence), phone and computer notifications, clutter in the room and on your desk, people who may try to talk to you (shut your door and/or inform them that you’re busy).

Designate a space to doing homework only and avoid spaces that you associate with other things (do not study in bed, as you will want to relax or sleep, and/or you will mess with your sleep by weakening the bed’s association with sleep).

Build associations: Incorporate other events and items into your study/homework routine that you only use while doing that, so that you associate those things with studying/homework (examples: specific playlists, pencils/pens, cups/bottles, scents, rituals, decor, etc.).

Ensure good lighting (preferably including daylight).

Get dressed in clothes that make you feel good about yourself. They don’t have to be “professional” and they should definitely be comfortable. Do not stay in your pyjamas. Believe me, I know this can be hard, and I love PJ’s. But they are not good for productivity.

Don’t “multi-task.” It may feel like you’re getting more done this way, but by splitting your focus, not only do tasks take longer, they also diminish in quality. Commit to the task you’re doing.

Meditate: You can even meditate for just 1-5 mins right before studying, homework and/or classes.

Practice self care (daily!)

Sleep (enough, well, and regularly).

Daylight: Get outside, work by windows, use a light therapy box. These can help regulate your sleep, improve and maintain mental health, and boost energy.

Fresh air: Getting outside even for a couple minutes can help you refresh and reset, and feel good about yourself and your life. Fresh oxygen can help you wake up and is great for your health. Even just opening your window can do a lot for your mood, energy and motivation.

Movement: Try to move at least once per day. The benefits of exercise are numerous and immense.

Healthy and consistent eating: Avoid spikes in insulin levels by eating regularly so you don’t have extreme dips in your energy level. Also, brain power uses calories too, so make sure you’re eating consistently, and try to eat healthy. There are so many other reasons eating consistently is good for your health (and by extension, your productivity).

Relaxation and leisure: Make time for fun and socializing, as well as intentional relaxation. Hobbies, movies/tv, time with friends/family, meditation, baths, progressive muscle relaxation, etc.

Therapy: Your therapy sessions are not daily, but you can do 5 minutes of inner-work per day based on what you and your therapist are currently working on. Working with a therapist is a great way to stay on track with your goals, and develop the skills and positive mindset required for success in school.

Reward yourself

Track progress: Reflect on all the assignments you’ve completed and your grades to remind yourself that you’re capable!

Completing to-do lists daily maintains a sense of accomplishment which keeps your momentum going. Check those items off! Or give yourself gold stars! ⭐️

Treat yourself with non-food rewards: Tie completed school work with fun tasks like video games, or take yourself out for coffee, or some other small (non-food) outing. What I’m trying to do right now is not do my leisure activities until my daily tasks are done.

Develop a positive mindset

Take promises you make to yourself seriously. The more you break promises to yourself, the easier it will get to continue breaking promises. You will lose respect for yourself which lowers motivation, and you will lose trust in yourself which can become debilitating as well. The more you keep promises, the easier it will get, the more motivated you’ll become, and the more you’ll trust and respect yourself. Your confidence will improve, and you’ll feel better about yourself. Productivity is choosing yourself. Discipline is choosing what’s best for you instead of what you feel like doing in the moment. Discipline is a muscle, and like any muscle, it can be strengthened, and it can atrophy.

Remember your “why.” What is the end goal of being in school? What’s your career path, and why did you choose it? What will your life be like when you have that career? What would your life be like if you gave up and didn’t make it to your goal? Aiming for your dream while running from your nightmare is a great strategy for maintaining motivation. Lighting a fire under your *** can be a huge motivator.

Remember how good you feel when you get schoolwork done, and let this motivate you to stay consistent. You can also remember how you feel when you don’t get work done, but definitely focus more on the positive!

Go to therapy and/or hire a coach. There are SO many benefits to therapy and I’d honestly need a whole other post to get into it. You don’t need to be depressed or mentally ill at all in order to benefit from talking to a therapist. They can even help you with time management, procrastination, motivation and more! If you can afford it, please do it. It’s such a worthwhile investment.

Be consistent

No “zero days.” Do at least a bit of homework or studying every day so you don’t slip into vacation mode. Make schoolwork a daily part of your life, so it just becomes the norm.

Build productivity momentum (track progress, check items off your to-do list daily, treat yourself, keep promises to yourself, remember your “why,” remember how success feels).

Stay on top of projects. Your assignments are made up of smaller tasks you assign yourself across time. “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.” - Robert Collier

Avoid burnout (more on this later).

Keep it interesting (more on this later).

Avoid burnout

Self-care: shower and/or bathe regularly, maintain proper sleep habits, stay hydrated, take care of your skin, do relaxation activities like meditation and reading, do fun activities, pamper yourself every now and then with face masks or foot baths, take your meds as prescribed, eat well and regularly, get outside often, move daily, etc.

Break up study/homework sessions into small, manageable chunks of time, with constructive (refreshing) breaks in between.

Break assignments down into even smaller tasks so that you aren’t over-working yourself during the course of a day, and so that you don’t overwhelm yourself (the stress can lead to burnout).

School-life balance: Keep up with your social life as best as you can, make time for your hobbies, maintain self-care, say no to things that don’t serve you, etc. Try to follow through with scheduled schoolwork 100% of the time, but know that you won’t. Sometimes you’ll need to prioritize mental health over schoolwork (be careful though, this is a very fine line, and a slippery slope). Sometimes things will come up and it’ll be out of your control. But more than anything else, there will be times when you just decide to prioritize something else like fun and socializing over schoolwork. This is why your schedule needs to be flexible: to accommodate sudden invites to hang out and random decisions to skip a homework/study session, but more importantly, flexibility will reduce the odds that you’ll skip in the first place. If your schedule includes hobbies and socializing, and anything else that’s important to you, then you won’t feel deprived. If you have school-life balance, you’ll have more of yourself to devote to schoolwork when it’s time to.

Keep it interesting

Romanticize your life by putting effort into making all of your daily tasks a special occasion.

Make meals and drinks special by using your favourite dinnerware and cutlery. Perhaps even incorporate extra elements such as: a beautiful tablecloth, napkins, candles and/or dim lighting, music, wearing your favourite clothing, etc.

Pretend you’re the main character in a movie about a successful, productive student (because you are the main character in your life).

Make games out of studying if this is something that interests you (the Forest app comes to mind).

Use lots of colours in your notes and buy colourful stationary! 🌈

Vary your approach/methods if needed to avoid boredom.

Study with friends (online or in person).

Reward yourself often.

Remember your “why.”

[georgemark099]

How Bedtime Stories Make Kids Love Reading Forever?

Bedtime stories have a magical way of captivating children's imaginations and instilling a lifelong love for reading. These cherished moments spent immersed in the world of storytelling not only create cherished memories but also lay the foundation for a deep appreciation of literature that can last a lifetime. Let's explore how bedtime stories make kids love reading forever.

1. Early Exposure to Language and Vocabulary

Bedtime stories expose children to a rich variety of language and vocabulary from a young age. As parents or caregivers read aloud, children absorb new words, phrases, and sentence structures, expanding their linguistic skills and comprehension abilities. This early exposure to language lays the groundwork for strong literacy development and paves the way for future academic success.

2. Fostering Imagination and Creativity

The worlds depicted in bedtime stories spark children's imaginations and ignite their creativity. Whether it's exploring far-off lands, embarking on magical adventures, or meeting fantastical characters, bedtime stories transport children to new and exciting realms where anything is possible. Through imaginative play and storytelling, children develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and a boundless sense of creativity that extends beyond the pages of their favorite books.

3. Building Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

Bedtime stories often feature relatable characters facing challenges, overcoming obstacles, and experiencing a range of emotions. By immersing themselves in these stories, children learn to empathize with others, recognize different perspectives, and navigate complex emotional situations. As they connect with characters and empathize with their struggles and triumphs, children develop a deeper understanding of human emotions and relationships, fostering empathy and emotional intelligence.

4. Strengthening Parent-Child Bonding

Reading bedtime stories creates precious moments of closeness and connection between parents or caregivers and children. Snuggled up together, sharing stories and laughter, parents and children forge bonds that are strengthened by the shared experience of storytelling. These intimate moments not only deepen the parent-child relationship but also provide opportunities for meaningful conversations, bonding, and the creation of lasting memories that children will cherish for years to come.

5. Instilling a Sense of Security and Routine

Bedtime story ideas play an integral role in establishing comforting bedtime routines that signal to children that it's time to wind down and prepare for sleep. The predictability and familiarity of bedtime stories provide children with a sense of security and stability, helping them feel safe and reassured as they transition from wakefulness to sleep. These bedtime rituals create a calming atmosphere conducive to relaxation, fostering healthy sleep habits and promoting overall well-being.

6. Cultivating a Lifelong Love for Reading

Perhaps the most significant impact of bedtime stories is their role in cultivating a lifelong love for reading. By associating reading with warmth, comfort, and positive emotions, bedtime stories create positive associations with books that children carry with them into adulthood. As children grow older, the memories of bedtime stories linger, inspiring a continued passion for reading and a desire to explore new worlds, ideas, and perspectives through books.

Conclusion

Bedtime stories hold a special place in the hearts of children and parents alike, offering a gateway to the enchanting world of literature and fostering a lifelong love for reading. Through language enrichment, imaginative exploration, emotional connection, and bonding experiences, bedtime stories shape children's development in profound ways, laying the foundation for a future filled with literary appreciation, creativity, and curiosity. 

[practice-is-praxis]

Planetary Days

These are some of the meanings, correspondences, deities, etc. associated with each day of the week. These can also be used for planetary hours. For example, if performing a working during the planetary hour for Jupiter, one could use the information listed under Thursday, the day that corresponds to Jupiter.  This is not a complete list. Consider this as a list of possibilities to add more layers, structure, effectiveness, and symbolism to your rituals, and magick. Not as necessities, or anything like that. Enjoy. 🖖  SUNDAY Works of: Wealth. Planet: Sun. Numbers: 6, 66, 666. Color: Gold, Yellow, Orange. Rules: Leo. Metals: Gold, All Yellow and Lustrous Alloys. Stones/Minerals: Tiger’s Eye, Topaz, Goldstone, Zircon, Citrine, Chrysoberyl. Trees: Pine, Walnut, Date, Oak, Witch Hazel, Mimosa, Acacia. Herbs: Sunflower, Chamomile, Yellow Rose, Chrysanthemum, Marigold, Eyebright, Pineapple, Mistletoe, St. John’s Wort, Laurel. Incenses/Oils: Cinnamon, Frankincense, Saffron, Vanilla, Heliotropin, Cashew, Copal. Element: Fire. Direction: South. Tools: Symbols, Lamen, Lance, Sword. Deities: Apollo, Baal, Belenus, Grainne, Helios, Lugh, Mithras, Horus, Osiris, Ra, Sol, Shamash, Vishnu. Angels: Michael, Raphael. Shape: Hexagon, Hexagram. Design: Radial Forms, Swirling Spirals. Concepts: Advancement, Dominance, Healing, Egotism, Friendship, Prosperity, Abundance, Illumination, The Self, Joy, Leadership, Power, Wealth, Success, Will. Intentions: Developing Harmony, Giving/Receiving Healing, Acquiring Money, Obtaining Patronage, Gaining Promotion, Establishing Peace, Increasing Wealth, Improving Willpower. MONDAY Works of: Mystery. Planet: The Moon. Numbers: 9, 99, 999. Color: Silver, White, Gray, Lavender, Purple. Rules: Cancer. Metals: Silver, Platinum, Yttrium. Stones/Minerals: Beryl, Moonstone, Alexandrite, Rock Crystal, Alabaster, Fluorspar, Mirror Glass. Trees: Willow, Coconut, Bay, Hazel, Papaya, Carob, Laburnum. Herbs: White and Purple Lilies, Hyacinth, Iris, Narcissus, Gourds, Peas, Beans, Turnip, Yam. Incenses/Oils: Camphor, Orris Root, Galbanum, Artemisia, Wintergreen, Eucalyptus Oil, Jasmine Oil, Aromatic Seeds, Ylang-ylang. Element: Water. Direction: North-West. Tools: Bow and Arrow, Magick Mirror. Deities: Artemis, Bendis, Diana, Hecate, Isis, Khonsu, Luna, Selene, Shiva, Sin, Ta-Urt, Thoth, Tivs, Varuna. Angels: Gabriel. Shape: Nonagon, Enneagram. Design: Circular, Crescent, Elliptical, and Maze-like. Concepts: Astral Work, Birth, Psychic Ability, Cycles, Divination, Dreams, Glamor, Illusions, Balance, Shapeshifting, Subconscious and Unconscious, Spirituality, Tides, Transformation, Transmutation. Intentions: Astral Travel, Safety for Birth and Children, Developing Psychic Senses, Increasing Intuition, Increasing and Remembering Dreams, Developing Glamor(s), Accessing the Subconscious and Unconscious Minds, Creating/Dispelling Illusions. TUESDAY Works of: Power. Planet: Mars. Numbers: 5, 55, 555. Color: Red, Amber, Pale Yellow. Rules: Aries, Co-rules Scorpio. Metals: Iron, Brass, Rust, Steel, Nickel, Strontium, Magnetized Iron Fillings. Stones/Minerals: Ruby, Garnet, Red Agnate, Bloodstone, Amber, Rhodochrosite, Red Jasper, Lodestone, Flint (worked flint particularly). Trees: Ash, Mountain Ash, Holly, Pepper Tree, White Fig, Mountain Mahogany, Arbutus. Herbs: Thistles, Cacti, Dandelion, Snapdragon, Stinging Nettle, Arrowroot, High John Conqueror, Bloodroot, Wild Ginger, Bamboo. Incenses/Oils: Opoponax, Dragonsblood, Nicotiana, Peppermint, Mustard, Cumin, Asafoetida, Turmeric, Sweet Woodruff, Galangal. Element: Fire. Direction: South-West, North-East. Tools: Anvil, Burin, Hammer, Scourge, Spear, Whip, Magic Sword. Deities: Aries, Bellona, Horus, Mars, Nergal. Angels: Khamael, Zhamael. Shape: Pentagon, Pentagram. Design: Zig-zag, Pointed Forms. Concepts: Anger, Atavism, Conflict, Courage, Ego, Energy, Passion, Sex, Strength, Vengeance, Vigor. Intentions: Controlling Anger, Enhancing Courage, Causing Discord, Increasing Energy, Dispelling Fear, Increasing Sex-Drive, Increasing Strength, Increasing Vigor. WEDNESDAY Works of: Mind. Planet: Mercury. Numbers: 8, 88, 888. Colors: Orange, Light Blue, Violet, Light Yellow, Mother of Pearl. Rules: Gemini, Virgo. Metals: Mercury, Aluminum, Aircraft Composites, Quicksilver, Lanthanum. Stones/Minerals: Fire Opal, Carnelian, Cairngorm, Sard, Banded Agate, Coins, Small pebbles, Skipping Stones. Trees: Birch, Aspen, Almond, Mulberry, Lombardy Poplar, Magnolia, Pistachio. Herbs: Marjoram, Lavender, Ferns, Medicinal, Castor Palm, Mandrake, Stillengia, Parsley. Incenses/Oils: Mace, Star Anise, Mastic, Sandalwood, Orange, Lemongrass, Lavender Oil, Fennel Oil, Walnut. Element: Air. Direction: East. Deities: Hermes, Mercury, Thoth, Ganesha, Nebu, Woden. Angels: Mikael, Raphael. Shape: Octagon, Octagram. Design: Segmented Shapes, Mirror Images, Countercharged Patterns. Concepts: Business, Communication, Deception, Flexibility, Healing, Hyperactivity, Magick, Memory, Music, Poetry, Protection, Psychopomp, Science, Speed, Theft, Travel, Trickery, Divination, Education, Mystical Knowledge and Insight, Predictions, Resourcefulness, Self-Improvement. Intentions: Business Success, Improving Communication, Preventing Discord, Exam Success, Developing Flexibility, Divination, Developing Influence, Increasing Knowledge, Improving Memory, Improving or Learning Music, Establishing Peace, Recovering Property, Public Speaking, Improving Mentality, Mental over Emotional, Writing. THURSDAY Works of: Expansion. Planet: Jupiter. Numbers: 4, 44, 444. Colors: Blue, White, Lilac, Shell-Pink. Rules: Sagittarius, Co-rules Pisces. Metals: Tin, Zinc, Antimony. Stones/Minerals: Sapphire, Lapis Lazuli, Amethyst, Labradorite, Turquoise, Aquamarine.  Trees: Oak, Cedar, Pine, Olive, Juniper, Hickory, Sassafras, Maple, Chestnut, Horse Chestnut, Lime, Sycamore. Herbs: Flax, Borage, Brook Lime, Liverwort, Green Ti Plant, Agrimony, Purple Betany, Sage. Incenses/Oils: Nutmeg, Clove, Pine Gum, Sarsaparilla, Hyssop. Element: Air/Water. Direction: South-East. Deities: Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, Jupiter, Minerva, Marduk, Indra, Amun-Ra, Thor. Angels: Tzadkiel, Sachiel. Shape: Square, Four-Pointed Star. Design: Regular Rhombic and Rectangular Forms, Parallelograms, Squares, Intersecting lines. Concepts: Ascendancy, Devotion, Enthusiasm, Ethics, Expansion, Honor, Fortune, Humor, Law, Politics, Expansion, Health, Growth, Increase, Healing, Spirituality, Fortune, Luck, Philosophy, Optimism, Opportunity, Generosity, Justice. Intentions: Developing Ambition, Career Success, Increasing Enthusiasm, Increasing Health, Improving Fortune, Improving Health, Improving Luck, Developing Ethics, Dealing with Law, Increasing Wealth, Gaining Promotion, Seeking or Promoting Truth, Spiritual Contact, Taking Responsibility. FRIDAY Works of: Beauty. Planet: Venus. Numbers: 7, 77, 777. Color: Green, Turquoise, Pink. Rules: Libra, Taurus. Metals: Copper, Bronze. Stones/Minerals: Emerald, Malachite, Peridot, Jade, Rose Quartz, Amazonite. Trees: Apple, Pear, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Cherry, Cinchona, Beech, Elder, Fig. Herbs: Rose, Hawthorn, Vervain, Myrtle, Columbine, Anemone, Strawberry, Periwinkle, Cyclamen, Foxglove, Tulip, Hibiscus. Incenses/Oils: Storax, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Valerian, Geranium, Licorice, Tonka Bean, Cardamom, Spearmint, Lemon. Element: Earth. Direction: Center. Tools: Belt, Girdle, Harp, Necklace. Deities: Aphrodite, Venus, Freya, Turan, Ishtar, Ushan, Lakshmi, Hathor, Bast. Angels: Haniel, Anael. Shape: Heptagon, Heptagram. Design: Branching Forms, Flowing and Harmonious Lines, Arabesque. Concepts: Attraction, Art, Beauty, Creativity, Culture, Emotions, Fertility, Grace, Inspiration, Love, Passion, Pleasure, Self-Confidence, Sensuality, Sexuality, Sociability. Intentions: Increasing Attraction, Developing Beauty, Increasing Creativity, Increasing Fertility, Developing Friendship, Obtaining or Promoting Love, Satisfying Lust, Increasing Passion, Pleasure, Self-Confidence, Improving Social-Skills. SATURDAY Works of: Form. Planet: Saturn. Numbers: 3, 33, 333. Color: Black, Brown, Rules: Capricorn, Co-rules Aquarius. Metals: Lead, Antimony, Tungsten, Zirconium, Cobalt, Titanium. Stones/Minerals: Diamond, Jet, Onyx, Basalt, Slate, Black Salt, Anthracite, Geodes, Obsidian, Pumice, Smoked Glass. Trees: Yew, Elm, Cypress, Pine, Ebony, Acacia, Pomegranate. Herbs: Violet, Trillium, Poppy, Nightshade, Horsetail, Amaranth, Mullein. Incenses/Oils: Myrrh, Spikenard, Guaiac Wood, Tamarind, Cassia, Patchouli. Element: Earth. Direction: North. Tools: Hourglass, Scythe, Scales, Sickle, Veil. Deities: Kronos, Saturn, Hera, Juno, Kali, Brahma, Ea, Uni. Angels: Tzaphkiel, Cassiel. Shape: Triangle, Three-Pointed Star. Design: Abstract based on Natural, Concentric Circles, Geometry suggesting Spatial Perspective. Concepts: Agriculture, Austerity, Binding, Conservation, Duty, Equilibrium, Formation, History, Legal Matters, Limitation, Patience, Practicality, Preservation, Prudence, Reservation, Restriction, Self-Discipline, Teaching, Time, Wisdom. Intentions: Banishing, Binding, Dispelling, Establishing Equilibrium, Performing Duty, Studying, Self-Discipline, Protecting Home, Developing Patience, Developing Practicality, Decrease, Teaching. Sources:  “Planetary Magick: The Heart of Western Magick” by Melita Denning, Osbourne Phillips. “Practical Planetary Magick” by David Rankine, Sorita d’Este.

[miru5llec]

This is a very long list of powers and abilities a seer can have and hopefully we’ll see them in acotar 5:

Extrasensory Perseption - perceive things by means other than the human senses or personal experience.

Accelerated Probability - The power to predict what choices one could make and their potential outcomes. The user can perceive the information of any situation and use the variables of that information to predict/perceive the paths that lead to certain outcomes will occur, based on what choices are made. They can then accelerate themselves along the path of their desire, which causes them to reach the conclusion of the path taken.

Clairvoyance - the power to gain direct visual information through non-physical means. The user can gain direct visual information about an object, person, location, or physical event through means other than the user's physical sight and allows them to act when they are unable to use their eyes and may be able to 'see' spiritual/psychic beings.

Danger Intuition - The power to detect impending threats. The user can sense nearing danger, acute danger, potential immediate danger, or impending danger and sense unwanted or hectic threats to their well-being and evade it.

Death Sense - The power to sense the coming of death and the actual act of dying. The user can sense the coming of death, determining when someone is dead or dying or if others have died in a specific location. This may extend to seeing the names and lifespans of those whose faces the user sees.

Destiny Perception - The power to perceive destiny. The user can sense the fate of themselves and others: they can see if they, or others, are meant to be loved, hated, rich, poor, die or if they are fated to be good or evil.

Divination - The ability to gain insight into a question or situation using an occultic, standardized process or ritual. User can employ divination, a method of reading the future, the present and the past and/or provide help to a problem at hand by using an occultic, standardized process or ritual. Divination can be achieved by communicating with the supernatural (i.e. gods, demons, spirits, nymphs) or by reading certain patterns.

Empathic Precognition - The ability to see into the future using emotions and sentiments. The user can foretell future events and observe what might happen by utilizing their personal thoughts and feelings about another. The strength of the user's emotions corresponds to how evident their vision of the future will become.

Flash Precognition - The ability to see things seconds or minutes before they happen. The user is able to see into a short-term future if usually only seconds or minutes worth. While useless for long predictions, it does give several practical advantages.

Mediumship - The power to perceive and communicate with spirits and those who are in the afterlife. User can view ghosts/spirits of deceased and communicate and/or interact with them, even if they have possessed inanimate objects/subjects/people. They are able to repel and run spirits away from an area, compel to employ an armada of ghosts, and may even view a visual conception of a spirit world in a trance if desired. Well trained mediums are even capable of channeling the energy and powers of spirits making them potential host/conduits for channeling their powers through their bodies and manifesting their qualities for their own.

Precognition - The power to perceive future events before they happen. Users have the ability to foresee possible futures and observe what may happen. As knowledge of the future invariably causes that future to change, visions of the future are subject to frequent shifting. While not being able to select futures or travel through time, these visions may assist in possible courses of action. Some visions may be set in stone whether or not you see them, others may happen only if the players select a certain course of action. This depends mainly on whether or not users are viewing Destiny or Probability.

Precognitive Dreaming - The power to perceive future events while in a dream state. The user is capable of perceiving future events in dreams.

Precognitive Speech - The ability to perceive future and/or recite/prophesy it. The user can perceive future and/or recite/prophesy it aloud, they may be aware of the process and able to control it, or it may be completely involuntary and/or be uttered in trance.

Prescience - The power to have instinctive foreknowledge of incoming events. The user has an instinctive knowledge of events before they happen. Such as knowing their enemy's every move/intention, know the cause/effect of events, prepare for/prevent the unwanted outcome, etc.

Psychometry - The power to perceive the residual information of an object and/or person. The user of Psychometry obtains historical memories or sensations concerning beings and objects they observe. With objects, they gain knowledge including the makers, users, and even those who have on passing used the object, and what has been done with it. With living beings or parts of the body, the user learns their general life-history but doesn't gain anything of what they were thinking or feeling.

Retrocognition - The power to discern events of the past. The user can discern the past and past events using various means, usually entering a trance while seeing and hearing a noted past event, whether it be concerning themselves or of an unfamiliar lineage in a past occurrence. Occasionally spontaneous.

Xeno-Accelerated Probability - The power to predict the outcomes of and what choices other people could make. The user can sense all the variables of any situation for other people, predict the outcomes and what choices the other person could make. They sense the possible courses of action for the target, and can see what consequences will happen for each action the target person can make.

Powerful seers can reach nearly or even fully divine status:

Absolute Vision - The power to see everything that happens no matter how far and no matter how the conditions are.

Divine Sight - The ability to see reality from the eyes of a deities or divine, cosmic entity.

Omni-Perception - The power to perceive anything/everything. The user can perceive anything/everything, including the past, present and future, reality, causality, boundaries, energy, even destiny and ultimately everything else.

Causality Perception - The user can perceive and understand all cause and effect relations, deducing the path leading to any effect, allowing them to plan, analyze, and take action with absolute efficiency. They can perceive the cause and effect relations of their own thoughts giving them the ability to tackle various situations by simply thinking about possible routes they could take. In a fighting situation, they can adapt perfectly to all factors before they even appear, achieving maximum efficiency in the offense, defense, and strategy, ensuring optimal success as long as there is the slightest chance. As a strategist, the user can always achieve optimal results (depending on the means at their disposal), perfectly anticipating all variables and their opponents' every move. These calculations can lead to extremely complicated planning in the long run, which always ends up being successful. The user can instantly understand anything by perceiving all the causes/effects it is currently made of, as well as all the previous ones that lead to this state. For example, a simple glance at someone would be enough to learn about their nature, personality, history, expectations, strengths, weaknesses, etc. The perception can also be turned to the person's future, its many paths, their probabilities, and the one which will eventually be realized. In short, users are flawless tacticians. They understand everything, there always several steps ahead of everyone else, impossible to catch off-guard, and always achieve the best possible results.

Combat Perception - The ability to understand how a person thinks and fights in combat. The user can instantly understand an opponent's method of thinking and fighting, allowing them to anticipate the moves of the opponent. Once they understand their enemies' strategy, they are able to find their flaws and weakness and take them down with little effort. While some users of this method do not use it as part of their primary fighting style, it is helpful in emergencies against difficult opponents where ordinary methods will not work against them.

Life Perception - User can perceive the flow of life-force in all living things, perceiving problems life-flow, the coming life and births of others, etc. This may extend to seeing the names and lifespans of those who's faces the user sees.

Supreme Observation - The power to observe/view everything, everywhere, everywhen regardless of where or when it is. User can observe/view/watch everything, everywhere, everywhen, and everyhow at the exact same time and regardless of where or when it is or might be. They can view out into the boundless emptiness and nonexistence where isolated and locked entities dwell.All that is, isn't, might, might not, could, could not, can, can't and won't exist is visible and laid bare before the user, and nothing can be hidden from their eyes. Unlike perception, which is the power to perceive anything/everything, this power only enables the user to observe/view/watch everything.

Evil Eye - The power to inflict harm on a person by gaze. User possesses the evil eye, which allows them to inflict a variety of harmful and debilitating effects on anyone they choose, just by gazing at them including but not limited to: laying horrific curses, inflicting pain and suffering, knocking people out and even killing people. They may also be able to affect inanimate objects with this power.

Illusion Awareness - The power to be aware of one's surroundings is false. The user is completely aware at all times of the true reality around them, potentially seeing through an optical and/or mental illusions that others attempt to deceive them with.

360-Degree Vision - The power to see in all directions at once.

Destiny Manipulation - The power to perceive and affect fate/destiny concerning people and events.

Divine Communication - The power to communicate with and influence deities.

Divinity - The user has divinity and divine powers granting them an immense amount of raw power beyond the mundane, making users a divine being by nature, a status which can be obtained a number of different ways. Users can gain divinity by having a divine ancestry, transform into a deity either by another god or by faith, channels, acts as a vessel for, the power/soul of a deity, mimic/steal powers from a deity, or be enhanced/evolved to the point of godhood. The level and forms of divinity is variable and unique by the user's nature and character of being, thus weaker or stronger users of divinities is ultimately reliant on the user alone.

Flaws/Weaknesses:

Seers connected to the gods may be limited to what god shows them.

Seers limitation will depend on the user but they can run the gamut.

- Seeing things but unable to change them.

- Seeing things but they are unclear.

- Seeing only possibilities.

- The visions may take a toll on the mind and the body.

If you would like to research more and find more about seers and their powers/abilities, check out this page https://powerlisting.fandom.com/wiki/Archetype:Seer It’s composed with a lot of powers of seers from books, movies, anime, comics etc. and it’s indeed really interesting.

Now I’m not saying that each of these powers will be used by Elain and neither saying that there’s not a high probablity that our sweet seer will not have one of these. We don’t know what crosses that beautiful mind of SJM, so will have to wait and see how powerful she wants to make the seers in the acotar universe. I just got really mad cuz people are still saying that Elain is boring, her story will be boring yada yada yada without even knowing how powerful Elain is. Is like saying Nesta is weak after reading acowar which is really silly.

But if you ask me, I am very excited to see more of Elain’s powers in her upcoming book. And I know for sure that Elain + Azriel (seer + shadowsinger) is a powerful, dangerous and deadly combination.

[demonologue]

Some predictions for s2 of The Legend of Vox Machina

(and how it will affect Gilmore’s storyline and how new fans perceive him)

@dreanner95​ wrote:

I am holding out hope for season 2, I really am. But I’ve done some storyboarding math, and it doesn’t look good for Gilmore or any accurate-to-campaign portrayals of his relationship with Vax. 

If you will indulge me, here are the story beats I’m predicting for a 12 episode Chroma Conclave arc:

The dragons attack the city. Rawr. VM fight valiantly but end up having to retreat and teleport to Vasselheim to get help. 

Earthbreaker Groon tests Grog and tries to get him to ditch Craven Edge by telling him about Vestiges. Maybe even specific ones in a certain sunken tomb and Westruun. B-story will be our intro to Viktor and his chaos.

The sunken toooooooooooooooooomb. All angst and finally some focus on Vex’ahlia. Who is the least favourite female PC of all new fans to LoVM because the writers gave her nothing in s1. But that’s another rant.

The Herd of Storms. Kevdak. Westruun. Kaylie. Poppa Willhand. The one-on-one between Grog and Kevdak, ending with a cliffhanger where Grog almost dies.

Surprise, Grog doesn’t die. Now it’s time to fight Umbrasyl with the herd. Black dragon is down in one. No one is surprised after what happened with Brimscythe in episode 3. But wait! It’s Kerr! Let’s celebrate victory and give Keyleth a pep talk about leadership, because she’s the main character.

Time to head to the Feywild, little dogies! Find out why the twins are the way they are, introduce Artagan and watch the chaos, because we would never play down a fan favourite. 

This one is probably a two-parter, because everyone loves Artagan and if the writers don’t take advantage of the angst in Vex’ahlia’s choice between Saundor and her friends, then can they really call themselves writers?

We go to Marquet to grab Cabal’s Ruin, meet J’mon Sa Ord, get drugs for Scanlan, fly on a ship to Glintshore and all that lovely mess because we cannot deny Percival his swan song (his second swan song? idk).

Things have happened. They’re sad. Resurrection ritual. But we have the vestige and one BONUS vestige. Huzzah. Oh no! Raishan in disguise? Stab her, Percy! CLIFFHANGER

Nevermind, it’s fine. On to the elemental plane of fire. A card game. A pit fiend. A slave market. Vestige acquired. Huzzah. 

OH NO save KimAllura from bad mages at Fort Daxio. Then time to kill Vorugal so Raishan can prove herself. Where’s Larkin? Lots of treasure, including the Spire of Conflux. Now let’s do the Siege of Emon. 

The Siege of Emon. Wait, Raishan got away. Let’s go kill her ass. Big victory party. But at the end, Vex shoots a critical success arrow into the spinning ball of death and sees Thar Amphala on the other side. CLIFFHANGER. 

This leaves 0 room for Gilmore. It doesn’t leave room for Gilmore to single-handedly fight Thordak in episode 39. It doesn’t leave room for Vax to cry over his nearly-dead body in episode 40. Moreover, it would be an emotional beat no new viewers would understand, because Vax and Gilmore’s relationship has not been set up to BE that. 

In fact, I would argue that we GOT that emotional beat from Vax for Keyleth in the added FoD scene in episode 11-12. Look at my face. I’m totally fine that they took that moment away from Gilmore and appropriated it to Keyleth. Everything is fine. Mlm is valid in this show, we’re just not going to show you any apart from “harmless” flirting and Scanlan’s innuendos. 

Likewise, 57 makes no emotional sense. It’s not a huge shock anymore when Hotis stabs Vax disguised as Gilmore, because Gilmore is just an acquaintance. There’s no emotional impact. And the show has already set Hotis up as a little side gag in episode 5. Then how does Vax find out about his wings, you ask? Well, obviously it’s something about Keyleth and true love and why do you need Gilmore for that? There’s nothing special about him, and definitely nothing special to VAX about him.

There’s no need for Gilmore to create and maintain the shield over Whitestone. No need for Gilmore to save them from Vorugal in episode 64. At this point, new viewers would just wonder why time is being taken away from the main characters for this shopkeeper guy.

With all that, I can see Gilmore maybe MAYBE getting to fight Thordak with them in episode 12. But as of now in the story, we have no concept of his real power as a wizard, either. So bringing him along will no doubt seem random. VM will probably bring Allura along instead because it’s been established that she has old beef with Thordak, her boo Kima will be there (and c2 critters love their shield wife lesbians), and she’s also the imperial wizard of Emon. 

Please understand I’m not HOPING for any of this, but I feel like I can see it coming like a slow-moving freight train, and I’m just trying to prepare myself. 

[buttherainbowhadabeard]

Promising Young Woman (2021)

*contains spoilers*

Revenge is a dish best served stone-cold sober…

Delightful and dimpled British star Carey Mulligan has had a successful career to date, playing alongside leading men such as Leonardo DiCaprio (‘The Great Gatsby’), Ryan Gosling (‘Drive’) and Michael Fassbender (‘Shame’). Despite not always being centre stage, many of Mulligan’s film choices have been eclectic in terms of genre, and it seems this winning combination of offbeat and orthodox have all led to her explosive lead role in the indie assault on the senses that is ‘Promising Young Woman’.

Carey is Cassandra Thomas, a 30-year-old whose promising career as a doctor went into a tailspin when she dropped out of medical school following the rape of her best friend Nina Fisher at the rough hands of their classmates. It’s implied that Nina – overwhelmed by what happened to her and the lack of support or investigative interference – committed suicide, and in the years since, Cassie has dedicated her life to avenging her friend’s death. Rather than continuing to try to take the claims up with police, Cassie turns unconventional vigilante and offers herself up as hot-mess boy bait, spending her nights fake falling-down drunk in bars and clubs to see and document how many men attempt to take advantage of her. Going so far – arguably stupidly so – as to let them take her home, Cassie abruptly reveals her sobriety to shock them into acknowledging and lamenting their predatory behaviour.

These scenes in particular are deliciously satisfying – that moment the self-proclaimed “nice guy” realises his unwilling date is more than aware of her surroundings and is going to confront him about them. The genius of these moments is in the power of Mulligan’s swift and drastic transformations. She doesn’t need to threaten or produce a weapon to take control, her stark sobriety is enough.

Making her feature filmmaking debut, director Emerald Fennell has had her fair share of femme fatale experience as head writer on Season 2 of TV’s addictive ‘Killing Eve’. Her love of strong, clever but chaotic women are all bundled into one with the creation of Cassie. She’s a Villanelle-esque sexy sociopath with a skewed moral compass, complimented by a noughties heavy soundtrack featuring a screechy orchestral remix of Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’, a rom-com inspired routine to Paris Hilton’s ‘Stars Are Blind’, and DeathbyRomy’s cover of the Weather Girls’ ‘It’s Raining Men’.

‘Promising Young Woman’ could just as easily be called Privileged Young Men. With a narrative that draws on #MeToo, toxic masculinity and on campus rape culture and rituals, this is a film that is unapologetic about its subject matter and in your face about its opinions on it. There are not-so-subtle traces of trends that are played out in real life today, like dismissing women’s allegations to protect men’s reputations. Whilst Nina’s life was destroyed and her credibility doubted, male peers like perpetrator Al Monroe (Chris Lowell) and his sleazy friend Joe (Max Greenfield) were given glowing references, advanced to the top of their fields and became popular pillars of their communities, industries and social circles.

Although predictable for me, the eventual reveal of the one good man from Cassie’s past being complicit in Nina’s rape (her happy-to-take-it-slow boyfriend Ryan played by a charmingly goofy Bo Burnham), is a gasp out loud moment. Her world is once again shattered beyond repair when she realises the relationship that has made her happy for the first time in a long time was built on a lie (or to give him the benefit of the doubt, a very bad mistake). He is the first man she felt she could trust, be herself around, and fall in love with, but she discovers that underneath he was at worst, another one of the guys, and at best, an indefensible bystander.

You’d be forgiven for thinking ‘Promising Young Woman’ is all anti-men. Everything about it - on the surface and in the trailer - screams angry, bra burning feminist. However, it’s more nuanced than that and takes more of an anti-bad men, anti-bad women and anti-bad behaviour stance, as many of the movie’s female characters also have to confront the fact that their refusal or disinterest to speak up and call out abuse has enabled criminal conduct to set in, rot and spread. Cassie - an anti-hero herself - holds a grubby mirror up to the faces of the women from her college days with varying degrees of cunning and callousness, from feigning the abduction and pimping out of the University Dean Elizabeth Walker’s daughter, to tricking an inebriated former classmate (Alison Brie) into thinking she was unfaithful, or worse, sexually assaulted, in a hotel room.

Cassie’s methods are extreme and quite frankly mad, but her motives are steeped in an obsessive desire to do right by her friend and seek justice whatever the cost (the latter playing out in tragic but successful fashion in the finale). She is an intentionally entangled fly, luring spiders of all shapes and sizes to the centre of the web, daring them to do their worst. Most times she is well prepared, and even when it seems like she’s bitten off more than she can chew, another dose of vigorous vengeance is plunged in (even if it has to be done posthumously!)

Physically too, she’s a calculating chameleon. From pigtails, flowery blouses and flats for a girl-next-door look, to blow-job blotted lips, tight dresses and skyscraper stilettos to give off a late-night pick-up vibe, every element of her outfit is deliberate and devious. Dressed up in a wig the colour of a Rainbow Paddle Pop and sexy stripper nurse outfit in the film’s final act, Cassie is the literal sexual objectification of the promising young medical practitioner she could have been. Instead, she’s a practitioner of pain, turning Monroe’s bachelor party into her plastered patients.

Handcuffing Al to the bed upstairs, it looks like she’s reeled in her biggest fish to date. “It's every man's worst nightmare, getting accused of something like that,” Al cries, to which a deadpan Cassie replies “can guess what every woman's worst nightmare is?” But soon the tables turn when he breaks free, overpowers her and smothers her to death with a pillow. It’s a brutal and distressingly drawn-out scene, and it takes a while before it hits you that she really is dead and this is where her sad story ends. Joe and Al burn her body. It’s all over. Or so you think.

We cut to Al’s wedding, and as Juice Newton’s ‘Angel of the Morning’ plays, Ryan begins to receive scheduled texts from Cassie, taunting him from beyond the grave with a juicy contingency plan. Using Al’s ex-attorney Jordan Green (Alfred Molina) and his regret and grief over representing the wrong party to her advantage, Cassie had sent him incriminating evidence about Nina’s assault and her own demise in advance. “You didn't think this was the end, did you? It is now” the first texts read, as police sirens wail and officers emerge from the woods to arrest Al for murder. “Enjoy the wedding! Love, Cassie & Nina” the final messages say, followed by a perfectly placed winky face emoticon as Fletcher’s ‘Last Laugh’ cues the end credits. It’s a gratifying water cooler moment, bona fide badass yet bittersweet, but you’re still left wondering if it was all worth it.

‘Promising Young Woman’ could be cut from the same tortured heroine cloth as ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, ‘Kill Bill’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, with Nina and Cassie’s friendship rivalling ‘Thelma & Louise’. It covers a lot of taboo territories and topics, from slut shaming to consent and coercion, and evokes the harrowing Margaret Atwood quote “Men are afraid women will laugh at them. Women are afraid men will kill them”.

‘Promising Young Woman’ is not for the faint hearted, and anyone who fears the film may be triggering should stay well clear. It’s not always easy viewing and it’s not always fair, however it’s more than just a pitch-black comedy or clear-cut tale of rape-revenge. It’s a brave, bold and original satire with bite and brains.

4/5 stars.